A/N: This one-shot was a request from Fairy the Freak. The request was for Emma and Rumpel to be involved in a relationship when they go to find Bae in Manhattan and for Bae to react to said relationship. If anyone else has any requests for one-shots they would like to see, feel free to let me know.
That Awkward Moment
No...
Emma lay sprawled on her side on some cold, gray street in Manhattan. The scarf around her neck had come undone in her fall, the vibrant red fabric trailing through the dirt. Her black tights were ripped over the knees, her skin scraped raw. The same went for her palms, which she had used to break her fall.
None of that mattered. Even the fact that she was severely winded did not bother her as much as the sight directly before her.
They were here to find Rumpelstiltskin's lost son, Baelfire. As per her favor, she had pursued him and ended up knocking him to the ground. When the hood fell back, however, she found herself staring into a familiar face.
No...it can't be...
Neal.
The only other man in this world she ever truly loved. The man that broke her heart and forced her not to trust anyone else for years on end. Her heart convulsed as the memories resurfaced, one by one. Meeting him in that stolen yellow Bug, sharing a few drinks with him, staying with him while he taught her how to survive on the streets...his betrayal.
Were he and Baelfire one and the same?
A sickening realization hit her all at once, as if someone punched her deeply in the stomach. She tasted bile in the back of her throat. Oh, God...he's Henry's father...
And, unbeknownst to her, she had been sleeping with his father for months now. Her head swam as those memories of Neal clashed with ones of the time she'd spent happily in Rumpel's arms. Kissing, touching, wanting. She should have suspected it, somehow. She should have known something wasn't right about it, some way...
But it never felt wrong to be with him. On the contrary, it had felt very. very good.
"N-Neal?" She dared to choke out his name. It tasted bitter on her tongue, coppery, like she had sucked on an old penny. Her stomach continued to flip and twist as she imagined the things they had done. Her and Neal...her and Rumpel...
Her forehead met the ground, her eyes clenching shut. It didn't chase away the images.
"Emma,"Neal gasped. He sounded both concerned and horrified. Scooting to her side, he touched her lightly on the shoulder. That simple physical contact electrified Emma and she wrenched away, leaping to her feet. Neal did the same, hands raised in surrender. "It's been a long time."
Eleven years, to be exact.
She had been so young then and desperate for someone to care for her. Having been alone her whole life, she would have taken affection in any way she could get it. How was she to know this man would turn out to be the son of Rumpelstiltskin? The son of the man she now craved more than breath?
"Are you his son?" Her voice came out harsh and raspy, her throat burning with anger. Maybe there was a chance he wasn't Baelfire. Maybe he knew where Baelfire was and this was all a huge misunderstanding on her part.
Neal's face became pinched with confusion.
"What do you mean?" His voice broke. He stuffed his hands deep into his pockets. Any minute, he could bolt. She knew how to recognize someone who wanted to run. After all, she had been doing it her entire life.
"Are you Rumpelstiltskin's son? Bae?"
This time, he didn't play dumb. The minute his father's name fell from her mouth, his eyes boggled. His face paled by several degrees until he looked like he might faint. That was the look of sheer panic.
Neal cursed under his breath and kicked a pebble on the sidewalk. That was all she needed to hear. This was Baelfire.
"My father sent you?" The outburst only spurred her anger more.
"Hey! You don't have the right to be angry! I owed him a favor, to help him find his son. So I came all the way to Manhattan to track him down, only to learn that the man I used to love also happens to be..."
She couldn't finish that sentence. The poisonous words got tangled up in her throat. Eleven years of hurt and she still decided to spare him the pain of truth. Neal, or Bae, or whoever he was, clung to every syllable she spat.
"Also happens to be what? His son? My apologies for not telling you. Would you really have believed me if I confessed to being the son of Rumpelstiltskin?"
Emma hated that she hadn't known, but she knew she would have thought him crazy or on drugs if he suggested such a thing all those years ago. It took Henry almost a year to convince her that magic and fairy tales were real. Neal nodded his head, point proven.
"Looks like you and I have a lot of catching up to do. There's a cozy bar down the street, much more private. You can keep yelling at me on the way."
All too casually, Neal turned and started strolling down the street. He didn't look back to see if she was following. Emma stomped her boot on the ground and let out an almost inhuman growl.
Why me?
...
"Are you nervous?" Henry suddenly inquired, yanking Rumpelstiltskin out of his troubling thoughts.
Throughout this entire journey, he only thought of Bae and how close he might be to seeing him again. Emma would bring him back; of course she would. It was part of the favor she owed him, though he knew she would have done it without the favor. If he'd only asked nicely.
Blinking as if emerging from a heavy dream, he gave Henry a dazed look.
"No, don't be silly. I'm Rumpelstiltskin. I don't get nervous over anything."
He folded his hands over his cane and tried to appear calm. Inside, he was shaking like a frightened child. Henry had a knack for separating truth from lie, having lived with the Queen of Lies for most of his young life, and so he kept on watching Rumpel with uncertainty. Those innocent, intelligent eyes could crack the coldest of hearts.
"You get nervous in front of Emma every day," Henry pointed out.
That was true. Rumpel melted into a puddle whenever he was around Emma. He would smile easier, stare sheepishly at his feet as he searched for the right things to say, and he grew red in the face on more than one occasion when she stole a kiss or whispered something inviting in his ear. That woman could have him on his knees with a single word if she so desired it.
"Alright, maybe I am a little nervous," he admitted. The rough material of the cloak around his neck scratched his jaw. He never forgot it was there and not just because it was the key to keeping his memories. "I abandoned him centuries ago. I left him fatherless in an unfamiliar world because I chose power instead. He...he'll never forgive me."
Truthfully, he wouldn't blame Bae for being resentful or refusing to give him a moment of his time. How often had he thought of his own father with burning hatred for being the first disappointment in a long line of misery? If he were to walk away right now, it might be easier.
Something warm clasped his hand, which still gripped the head of his cane mercilessly. He glanced down to see Henry's small hand there.
"Don't be afraid. Everything will work out somehow," Henry said hopefully. "And if you run away, you'll never know what could have happened with your son."
Henry was right. This wasn't the time to run away, even if he was terrified of the outcome. The boy was always so precocious, brave, and pure of heart. A born fighter, just like his real mother.
Rumpel wouldn't mind calling Henry his son. He had never told the boy before, but he was proud of him. Perhaps, after he righted things with Bae, he would take the next step in his relationship with Emma. They had already made love multiple times, in multiple ways, even more so since the curse broke and she came to terms with who he truly was.
He wanted something that would last. He wanted family.
When he closed his eyes, he could remember the nights he spent in her arms. When his tongue traced over his lips, he tasted her kiss. It was surprisingly easy to picture himself waking to her every morning and to imagine spending the rest of his days with her by his side. He even teased himself with a future in which her belly would be big with his child.
She felt like...home.
The sound of the door opening shattered his comforting reverie. The sun blinded him for an instant when he opened his eyes. Then she was there, in the flesh, her hair a pale halo framing her hardened features. She didn't look happy. In fact, she seemed distracted, never meeting his eyes directly.
"Emma," he sighed with relief. His limp was more pronounced than usual when he stood and approached her. No one followed her inside. Was Bae waiting outside? Or...was he not there at all?
"I couldn't catch him," Emma said tiredly. She hung her head and her blonde hair hid a good portion of her face. He ached to sweep it away. "I chased him around the block, but I slipped on the pavement. He kept running."
Her black nylon tights had holes over the knees. When he took her hands, she hissed. Her palms were raw and scraped. If he had magic, he would spare her the pain and heal her. The cuts he earned on his knuckles from punching a metal dispenser was proof that he was powerless.
Bae was gone. There was no telling where he would be now. Their one strong chance of finding him had flown straight out the window.
"Shall we...search his room? He might have left behind a clue to his whereabouts," Rumpel suggested, desperate for some shred of comfort. It was the only hope they had of finding Bae now. One thing was clear: Bae was reluctant to see him. Emma nodded without lifting her head. Rumpel tucked some of her hair behind her ear and raised her chin with two fingers. "Thank you for trying."
Rumpel's fingers cupped her chin and he bent his head to kiss her. Emma's hands flew to his chest as their lips met. It felt like she was holding back from returning his kiss. That was unsual for her, since she was the one that often dominated in their acts of intimacy.
It must have been his imagination.
...
It was laughably simple to pick the lock on Bae's door. Less than ten seconds and he had it open. Emma scoffed at his personal lock-picking tools, but he liked to believe she was secretly impressed.
The apartment was a one-bedroom setup, rather plain and shabby. The only furnishings he could see were a miserable twin-sized bed, a worn couch, a crooked coffee table, and a dresser. Posters and signs covered the walls, but there were no knickknacks or personal photos. The closet was nearly empty, the dresser storing only a small selection of clothing. The bathroom had the most basic of necessities and the pantry's shelves were hardly crammed with food.
This wasn't the sort of place that belonged to someone who planned to stay for an extended period of time. It wasn't a real home and for that sad truth, Rumpel's heart squeezed painfully in his chest.
There was very little to go on in that pitifully small space. Rumpel's eyes scoured over the signs plastered on the wall, but they made no sense to him. None displayed a specific location where Bae might be headed. His only hope was Emma, who had some skill in finding people, even ones who did not wish to be found.
It was then that he realized Emma wasn't searching the room anymore.
She was still and silent, standing by the window with a dreamcatcher in her hands. Her face was drawn with exhaustion and thoughtfulness. The only thing she focused on was that dreamcatcher and he had no idea why.
"Did you find something, love?"
He walked up to her from behind, his hand falling naturally on her hip. His finger pointed questioningly to the dreamcatcher. Emma sucked in a harsh breath, as if she'd been caught doing something she shouldn't. When she spun around, the dreamcatcher separated their bodies.
"It's nothing," she insisted. It was hard to miss the way she blushed even as she said it or the way her fingers clung to the dreamcatcher so fiercely like it was her saving grace.
"Then why are you still holding it?" Something didn't add up. An unmistakable mask of guilt passed over Emma's face. The dreamcatcher quivered in her hands.
All of a sudden, he knew what his instincts were trying to tell him. The way she wouldn't meet his eyes, the way she held that dreamcatcher, the way she'd been holding back from him since she returned...
"You lied to me. There's something you're not telling me," he said, his voice rising.
"No-" Emma replied through clenched teeth.
"Stop lying," he growled. This was his son. She was supposed to help him find Bae, not keep secrets. Despite that, he reminded himself that this was Emma and he forced himself to calm down. "Sweetheart, please...if you know where he is, tell me."
He reached out to stroke her cheek. She closed her eyes and turned her head away so that his fingertips barely grazed her skin. Why was she refusing his touch so strongly when they both knew she longed for it each day?
"Henry...go into the bathroom for a minute. Rumpel and I need to talk privately," she requested, in as calm a tone as she could muster for the moment.
Henry glanced between Emma and Rumpel, sensing something wrong as children often do. Then his hesitation passed and he obeyed his mother, slipping into the bathroom and closing the door. Rumpel never took his eyes away from Emma. Obviously, there was something she wished to discuss, something she didn't want Henry to hear.
"You didn't lose Bae, did you?" He accused her. Even if she was at fault, Emma held her chin high. That cockiness and strength were only two of the reasons he loved her. She never showed fear, even when staring into the mouth of the dragon.
"No," she admitted. His fingers curled into his palm. That meant she had let Bae go on purpose. His son, gone. "We...talked. There's something you need to know. Bae...he's..."
Emma closed her eyes again, unable to go on. Rumpel's patience thinned. He tossed his cane aside and ran his hands down Emma's arms. The dreamcatcher was crushed against his chest. He drew her close until she had no choice but to look up at him.
"Tell me," he implored her and he could see her defenses were weakening. That was what his touch did to her; unraveled her and shook her walls. Whatever she didn't want to say was now dreadfully close to the surface...
"Stop," a new voice cried out. The door to the apartment had bust open, but neither one had paid it any attention. Over his shoulder, Rumpel saw a man standing in the doorway-tall, broad-shouldered, with a head of dark hair. Physically closer to Emma's age than Rumpel's. Two eyes glittering with malice.
Bae...?
Who else could it be?
"Leave her alone," this thirty-something-year-old man demanded. At once, Rumpel witnessed the scene from Bae's eyes. How many lives had he destroyed in the past? With Emma looking so conflicted and his hands still gripping her arms, he could easily be mistaken for hurting her.
Rumpel reluctantly pulled back from Emma.
"Bae...is that really you?" Rumpel took one step toward his son and winced when Bae took one step back. "You came back."
"Not for you," Bae snapped. The wounds in Rumpel's heart stretched wider. "I needed to make sure you wouldn't hurt her." Bae nodded in Emma's direction. That's ridiculous, Rumpel thought, but of course Bae didn't know how ridiculous it was. Better late than never.
"I would never hurt Emma. You have my word on that. She is...my true love, after all." Rumpel anticipated some kind of shock and disgust from Bae, but he wasn't prepared for the massive explosion his son presented.
"Your what?!" Bae screeched, his voice shooting up several notches. Those familiar brown eyes nearly popped out of his head. The disgust followed soon after, his lip curling in a sneer. "True loves? You mean...you two are...have you...gods, have you done it? Ugh! She's my girlfriend! Or ex-girlfriend."
Bae shuddered, throwing his arms up in the air to block his ears. He sang la-la-la-la-la, refusing to hear any more. Rumpel staggered backwards. He whirled around to see Emma with her head hung, looking guilty once more. That must have been what she wanted to tell him.
She and Bae were...had been...together? The way she and him were together?
"You two know each other?" He exclaimed. For a brief moment, his surprise made his voice return to that of the high-pitched imp. Emma bit softly on her lip. No, there was more to this story. He'd bet every strand of gold he spun on it. "He's Henry's father?"
Bae grabbed the doorframe to keep from falling over.
"I have a son?" Both men swiveled their bewildered gazes to Emma, whose face remained carved of stone. She replaced the dreamcatcher on the windowsill. It gave her the chance to turn her back on father and son.
"Well, this is awkward," she muttered.
...
Emma and Rumpel walked a good distance behind Henry and Neal. Bae. Whatever.
They weren't exactly on good terms with their sons. It pained Emma to remember the way Henry looked at her when he learned she lied to him about his father, as if she'd been nothing but a disappointment. Now he barely exchanged two words with her that weren't in the form of an accusation.
The boys stopped at a local pizza place and Neal promised to treat Henry to the "best slice of pizza in New York." The invitation wasn't extended to Emma or Rumpel.
As the boys disappeared inside the shop, she and Rumpel lingered outside, unwanted. The appetizing scents of garlic and melted cheese carried to their noses. Their feet shuffled on the sidewalk. They stubbornly avoided each other's shy glances.
Someone had to ask it.
"What happens now?" Emma wondered aloud. For the first time since that disastrous reunion in Bae's apartment, Rumpel's brown eyes locked with her hard green ones. "Between...us?"
He opened his mouth to answer, then closed it. Apparently, he was as lost as she was. Wordlessly, he sought out her hand and she let him take it. She didn't resist as he pulled her flush against his body, his cane sliding around her waist to trap her there. Her arm wrapped around his shoulder, her fingers weaving through his silky hair.
"Do you regret it? What we've done?"
Warm memories flashed through her head. Having dinner with him at his house. Making love to him dozens of times, in dozens of places. Falling asleep in the security of his arms. Playing around with the idea of a future they would be able to share together.
With those memories came love, longing, pleasure...not regret. Those had been some of her happiest moments in Storybrooke.
"No," she told him honestly. His lips hovered over hers, his breath teasing her mouth. The cane pushed against her back, urging her ever closer.
"Neither do I."
Then his lips were pressed to hers. It wasn't the kind of hot, hungry kiss that demanded them to move quickly to the next level. It was the kind where he simply poured out his affection for her with a promise that she would always be his. She would always hold his heart in her hands.
When their lips finally parted, they were both breathing heavily, but they were also smiling.
"Now," he answered her question, "we see where the road takes us."
There was plenty of damage for him to repair with Bae, plenty of scars from the past to be ripped open. As far as she was concerned, though, there was no turning back. Shamelessly, he bent his head to kiss her again.
"Aww, come on!"
A disgusted moan sliced through the air. Emma and Rumpel jumped apart to see Bae and Henry standing a few feet away, greasy slices of pizza in their hands. Only Bae looked to be on the verge of a mental breakdown, the heel of his hand rubbing over his eyes in an attempt to erase the image he just saw.
Oops.
They would have to tread more carefully around Bae. At least until he was used to the idea of them being together.
"I'd advise you to get a room," Bae quipped, "but I'm afraid you'll take me seriously."
...
As always, I'd like to thank those that reviewed lately. Your encouragement for me to keep writing never fails to make me smile.
1994omi: Thank you for all the reviews and requests you've given my collections of one-shots. I love writing Gold/Emma fluff or Rumbelle fluff. Emma knows how it feels to spend a birthday alone, so she didn't want Gold to suffer the same fate. (-;
Fairy the Freak: Thank you so much for your reviews. I loved every word. Of course, I'm always happy to take requests. I'm glad you're enjoying these one-shots so much and I hope you stick around.
orthankg1: Thank you, dearie. I always look forward to your reviews. Here's to hoping you keep on reading.
NyxxNoxx: Thanks for the reading! I agree-I haven't seen many Gold/Emma stories that included True Love's Kiss. I was kind of interested to see if I could make it work. The two do have a lot in common and I like to think they could help each other overcome their troubled pasts. To me, it's part of the reason why this pairing is so interesting and I just wish the show would give us more Emma/Gold interactions.