Author's Note: Wow, this update took a little longer than expected-but thank you so much for all of your kind reviews, they are much appreciated!
To Which Fate Binds: Chapter 8
"So how was your 'date'?" Regina asked with a huge smile on her face. While it was good for her to have control over the town sheriff and he was her favorite plaything, this was the place where he might truly be useful. Although she had momentarily felt a twinge of jealousy at the thought of him with another woman, the idea of him defiling Rumplestiltskin's true love on their first date was just too delicious!
Her lover stopped what he was doing—buttoning his shirt—and frowned. "It was good—she's very kind. I don't know why you're out to get her. I think you should just let her be."
Regina threw her hands up in exasperation. He obviously hadn't slept with her. "I don't care what you think. She might seem kind on the surface, but she has done me a great wrong and deserves to be punished."
"What has she done that's so wrong?" he asked. Regina glared at him. It wasn't like him to be so uppity. If he kept this up, perhaps she should consider replacing him.
No, that was not a good idea—at least for now. Even a death that seemed accidental would be a great inconvenience for her. However, she kept the thought at the back of her mind. She needed to start thinking about who could replace him as sheriff, just in case. But for now, Regina would have to be a little nicer to her boytoy to avoid him asking questions. Sure, he would follow all of her orders—he had no other choice, after all—but she wouldn't want him blabbing her wishes to the rest of the town.
Regina allowed her eyes to well up with tears. While magic didn't work in this world, she had found out how to use her femininity to get what she wanted. Graham was a sucker for a crying woman and would do anything to get her tears to stop.
"It's something so hurtful and embarrassing that I don't even want to discuss it," she said with a sob. A look of horror crossed his face. She smiled inwardly. Graham—like many other men—had no idea how to deal with an sobbing woman and he was completely oblivious to the tricks women could play. Regina had mastered the art of playing weak and emotional to get what she wanted. "You trust me, don't you?" she asked him.
"O-of course," he said. "I love you and I'll do anything to make you happy."
Regina wanted to vomit. She hated when Graham talked about love and romance. She was perfectly happy with a completely physical relationship. Graham had tried many times over the last twenty-eight years to get her to commit to a relationship and she had always refused. She had no illusions about his so-called love for her and was happy that he didn't truly love her. He didn't have any feelings for her, but the nature of the curse and her control over him caused him to think that he did. She loved one person in this world and it was certainly not him.
"I'm so glad for that, darling," she said. "Now, tell me more about your date. And I want to hear details."
She listened as he recounted what had to have been one of the dullest dates in the history of this world and any other world. Regina began tuning him out as he talked about things that she didn't care about like Belle's job and the books she had read. Belle's opinions on working for Gold were slightly more relevant (and also more worrisome—Belle considered them "friends").
"Did you at least kiss her at the end of the date? Or invite her back to your place for coffee?" Regina asked impatiently when Graham brought up yet another book that Belle had read.
"I kissed her," he said, seeming embarrassed. "But, don't worry—it didn't mean anything. You know that my heart belongs to you."
Regina smirked at the thought of his heart sitting in the vault below her father's tomb. "Whether you feel anything or not, I want you to keep pursuing her."
He frowned in confusion. "Regina, I don't know why you're so set on me seducing her. Besides, I don't think that she felt much of a connection between us either. "
Regina frowned. She had thought Graham would be an excellent choice. Obviously the Thompson boy had been a poor choice for he had been rejected both in this world and the previous one, but her Huntsman was desired by so many women in this town, and not just for his looks. He had seemed like such a good match for her.
If Graham couldn't seduce her, what else could Regina do? Her goal was for Rumplestiltskin's heart to be well and truly broken. It had already happened in their world—when she told him that Belle was dead—and she wanted him to experience the same thing in this world. If she couldn't have true love, Rumplestiltskin certainly didn't deserve such a thing. It was only right that he be as miserable as her and the rest of the people in the town.
And if Rumplestiltskin and his true love were back together—what would that mean for the curse? Would that wretched Snow White be reunited with her lover? No, that would never happen; Regina would make sure of that, even if she had to pull the plug on that insipid prince.
After Graham said his goodbyes and snuck out the back, Regina picked up her cellphone, realizing that she had a message. After she read her missing message, she threw her phone across the room in anger. Obviously Graham's date with Belle had been a complete waste of time.
She had to think of a new plan.
The moment Adrian Gold opened the door, Belle regretted showing up. What was she doing here? Arriving at her boss's house unannounced at ten o'clock was highly inappropriate.
He stared at her in surprise for a few moments. She had never seen him so tousled—his sleeves were rolled up and he had taken off his tie and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. He always looked so put together and seeing him in a more casual way awakened something in her.
She found him rather attractive.
The realization hit her like a freight train. She knew that she had to leave—coming here had been a mistake. "I-I'm so sorry to interrupt you at home," Belle said. "I don't know what I was thinking." She turned to leave.
"Belle, wait," he said. She turned back to look at him. He was silent for a moment, as if trying to figure out what to say. "Would you like to come in for a cup of tea?" he finally asked. She watched him for a few moments, knowing that she should go, but unable to will herself to say no.
"Okay," she said softly. She entered the house, smelling the unmistakable scent of alcohol as she brushed past him. "I'll make the tea."
"That's okay," he said. "I offered it, so I'll make it." She followed him into the kitchen, watching him take out the tea tray and fill the kettle with water. His movements were clumsy and awkward, completely different from his usually reserved and elegant manner.
"How much have you had to drink?" she asked, not really wanting to know the answer.
"A lot."
"Let me help—I don't trust you not to chip another teacup."
"I didn't chip the first one," he said as if she was the one who chipped it. "It was already broken when I acquired it. I'll make the tea myself."
She shook her head at his stubbornness. Somehow, he managed to get the water on the stove without spilling any.
Then he turned and looked at her. She felt his eyes looking her up and down, raking over her body, focusing on her lips and finally meeting her eyes. She had never seen such a heated expression on his face, full of hunger and desire. He took a step closer to her.
"Why did you come here?" he asked.
Belle took a deep breath. It was indeed a good question, one that she didn't know the answer to. She tried to think of all the excuses possible, but none of them sufficed. In the end, she told the truth. "I don't know."
He stared at her for a few seconds, his eyes boring into her. Part of her wanted to shrink back under his intense gaze. But, she was determined not to be a coward. She might not be able to voice her reasons for being here, but she would at least try to be brave.
Belle realized that his face was only inches from hers, his breath on her cheek. She moved her face closer to his, wondering how his lips would feel against hers. This hadn't been the first time such a thought had crossed her mind, and after her date, she knew that the only man she wanted to kiss was him.
The spell was broken by the whistling of the tea kettle. She jumped as he turned back to the stove and prepared their tea. Belle's heart was still pounding as she wordlessly took the tray from him. She knew that he wouldn't be able to maneuver easily with both the tray and his cane, especially under the influence of alcohol. Belle had gotten to know his movements well in the past few months and was always able to anticipate when he might need her to help.
She walked into the library, noticing the bottle of Scotch and empty glass on the table. Belle shifted her tray into one hand and used the other to move both the bottle and the glass. It wasn't until they were both seated sipping their tea that he spoke again.
"It tastes much better when you make it," he said after he took a sip out of his chipped cup.
She gave a small laugh, relieved that he had broken the awkward silence between them. "It tastes exactly the same."
He turned and smiled at her. "No, I definitely prefer your tea." She smiled back.
"I take it your date was unsuccessful?" he said flippantly.
She frowned. "Why do you say that?"
"Because you're at my house and not the sheriff's."
The implication in his statement caused her heart to pound. Indeed, she had ended her date by going to see another man. It must be so obvious to Gold that she preferred his company to any other man's. "It was fine. Graham is very kind."
Her eyes focused on a glint across the room. Wanting to change the subject, she stood and walked towards it, realizing that it was broken glass. "What happened?" she asked.
"I dropped a glass."
She frowned. He was generally neither careless nor clumsy. How had it happened? It had to have something to do with the amount of alcohol he had consumed. Why had he drunk so much? She knew that she could sermonize on the dangers of alcohol poisoning and drunkenness, but it wouldn't likely help anything.
"I'll clean it up," she said.
He stood quickly and grabbed her arm, slightly stumbling. "Don't. I'd hate to have to take my only friend to the emergency room after she hurt herself on the glass."
"I'm not that clumsy!" she said.
"Aren't you?" he said with an impish grin. She rolled her eyes with a laugh. She had broken one plate two months earlier and he still hadn't let her live it down.
"Well, you're the one who dropped a glass."
He laughed. "I suppose that's true, my dear." She realized that he was still clutching her arm through her sweater.
She looked up at him for a moment, their eyes meeting. The smile on his face faded and he suddenly looked completely sober. "Why are you here?" he asked for the second time that evening.
She shook her head. Why was she here? What was wrong with her? "I-I don't know. I was walking and your light was on. Before I knew it, I had knocked on your door." She sighed. "I never really apologized for the cruel things I said earlier."
"You said nothing I didn't deserve."
She took a deep breath. "It was wrong of me to go out with Graham. It was rather petty and childish of me, but I only did it because I hoped to make you jealous."
His eyes widened at her confession. He stared at her for a minute, his breath tickling her face. "It worked." She didn't miss the flicker of his eyes toward the broken glass. Obviously something more than clumsiness or drunkenness had been at work there.
"Oh," was all she could say. The yearning in his eyes was plain and obvious. She wanted to close the distance between them, wanted to touch him.
After much internal debate, Belle made a decision. She leaned forward and kissed him.
His lips were soft and warm as they moved against hers and his hand moved from her arm to her back, pulling her closer. Warmth spread throughout her entire body. The kiss ended, and she couldn't help but notice the surprise and wonder in his eyes.
"All I could think today was how much I don't deserve someone like you, Belle."
She brought one of her hands up to his face and began stroking his cheek. She relished the feel of his stubble under her fingertips. "Don't talk like that. Beneath your gruff exterior, you're a good person."
He laughed mirthlessly. "You're alone in thinking that. I'm the town monster."
"You're not a monster. Perhaps people think that because they don't know you. But beneath the surface, you're gentle and kind."
He shook his head. Then he brought his fingers to her cheek, touching it softly. "You're amazing, Belle," he whispered, before pressing his mouth to hers.
The second kiss was more demanding, more passionate. He urged her backwards, carefully pushing her up against one of the bookcases. One of the shelves pressed into her neck, but she found that she didn't really mind. He let out a moan as she stroked her hands through his hair, a sound that stirred something deep within her.
She had never, in her entire life, been kissed like this. While she certainly had only dated sporadically, and probably had less experience that other women her age, she couldn't possibly imagine a better kiss than this one. Despite all of the books she had read, romances with dashing heroes, adventures with couples high on adrenaline, and fairy tales which spoke of true love's kiss, nothing prepared her for this. She knew that she would never be able to kiss another man without thinking of this moment.
And for the first time in her life, she hoped that he was the last man she would ever kiss.
They stayed like that several wonderful minutes before he pulled back. She touched her lips, swollen from his kisses.
"As much as I would love to remain in this position for the rest of the night, I'm afraid my leg is ready to give out," he said, his brogue deeper than usual. The sound of his accent caused a shiver to run down her spine.
He put his hand on her waist and led her to his chair. He stumbled as he sat down and managed to pull her into his lap. She quickly stood, not wanting to hurt him. However, he grabbed her and situated her back on top of him. "This is much better," he slurred, his arms pulling her tight to him so that she couldn't escape.
She couldn't help but begin to giggle. "Is having me on your lap really any better for your leg?"
A smile formed on his face as he kissed her cheek. "Perhaps not—" another kiss on the side her neck— "but I think that—" he kissed her ear—"I rather like it." Then he turned her face towards his and kissed the tip of her nose.
She liked him like this—playful and sweet—a side that she so rarely saw of him. Belle laughed again. "You silly man." Then she kissed him on the mouth again.
When the kiss ended, she sighed in contentment, leaning her forehead against his own. Belle tried to shift her weight so that she wasn't crushing his bad leg, but he just pulled her closer.
It took a few minutes for her to realize that he was dozing off. "Adrian?" she said softly.
He started. "Sorry. Too much to drink."
"I'm not sure if I should be offended that you're falling asleep when you're with me or happy that you feel comfortable enough to relax in my presence," she teased.
"The latter," he said with a yawn.
"I should let you go to bed."
"Stay a little longer," he said sleepily.
Belle laughed, but complied. It wasn't until after midnight, when she had tucked him into bed that she finally left.
She didn't notice that she was being watched as she exited his home.
