Marital Bliss? Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time nor any of the show's characters.

I promise I won't waste too much time, but I have two brief things to bring up in the opening note.

Let me start off by apologizing for the huge delay. I started two jobs pretty much directly after the release of Chapter 12, and unlike my previous one, I'm not given much time to dwindle away the hours writing for this story. At the same time, the worst of writer's blocks hit me, and writing for this chapter became nothing less than a chore. For that, I am truly sorry to all my readers. I genuinely believe that this won't happen again for a while, and from now on, despite my general rejection of deadlines for chapters for this fic, I will strive to have a release schedule that mirrors an updated chapter being posted at least once a month.

Second, I just wanted to give my readers a brief taste of my thoughts on 5B so far.

In short, I am very impressed thus far. I LOVE the Underworld.

I think Hades is a great villain, and has the potential to become my new favorite one. I like his sense of humor, I like how he knows everyone's stories, so there's little chance of some annoying misunderstanding, I like how intimidating he is without even trying that hard, and, most of all, I like how I have NO idea how Emma and her crew are going to beat him, and, when they inevitably die, how they're going to find salvation against him.

I wish Robin was used in a more interesting way. I don't like how, even when being handed great opportunities to expand his character and his relationships with the main cast, the writers keep him in the background. It irks me to no end, and it's my primary reason why he's my least favorite character out of the main cast. I've heard some things, but honestly, I just want his character to improve.

Going in the completely different direction is Snow White. Oh, how I've missed you!

My final point about Season 5B is Megara, or more specifically, the backlash against her. Even as I was watching the episode, I knew she was going to be controversial, as her Storybrooke counterpart lacks a lot of the sass that made the Disney version of her so iconic. I…didn't have a problem with it, and here's why. One thing I like about Once is how they take these characters that we've known for years, and gave us, in most cases, completely different interpretations of them. Captain Hook is actually a handsome smooth-talker. Snow White yields a bow and arrow better than she ever held a broom. Cinderella's actually allowed to have moments of desperation. The list goes on. So, if we can all accept these interpretations, why not Meg's? Another part of the backlash against her seems to stem from the fact that she and Hercules can only really appear in this one episode. My response to this is simple: I think we, as an audience, are smart enough to know from the second we saw Hercules, that he was not going to become a full-time cast member, and the same can be said for Meg. There was no foreshadowing to their presences, barring promos, and some interviews beforehand went as far as to confirm this. With that being said, I think we can agree that the focus of the show should be on our full-time main characters, and not characters with little relevance to the plot.

So, without further adieu, please enjoy Chapter 13!

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Out With the Old, In With the New

The stretch after Christmas was a welcome return to normality in Rumple's life. Dealing with a hungover Miles the day after the holiday proved to be an easier task than he anticipated, as the man spent about an hour vomiting and spent the rest of the day back at work. The only time the two of them really talked that day was when Rumple gave the man his Christmas present later that evening. Besides that though, their everyday routines were returning to normal.

Unfortunately, once more, the two would depart from their regular schedules, if only for one evening.

Rumple didn't want to believe his eyes when he looked at the date on his newspaper this morning.

New Year's Eve.

The holiday itself was annoying, but not particularly bothersome in its own right. Hell, if it was just he and Miles spending the evening together, Rumple would've dismissed it as just another ordinary night for them. It's not like they had ever really celebrated it. However, this year had brought the couple an invitation that the blond, more than anything, wanted no part in.

That accursed party.

Now, what may have been a quiet, and perhaps possibly even enjoyable evening would instead be plagued by the citizens of Storybrooke at their drunkest, and subsequently, loudest. What's worse is that they would all be crammed together in a diner with far too few chairs and available free space for his liking. To say the least, Rumple wasn't looking forward to it, and the closer the party got to him, the more and more he found himself cursing Mary Margaret and Ruby's names for bringing it up in the first place.

Rumple was quite surprised to see both the absence of a smile and a kiss when he arrived home from the pawnshop, the drooping sun setting behind him as the only evidence of the passing day. He could hear the television playing in the den, the voice of anchors joking around with each other dancing in his head. The house was about as noisy as it had ever been, which ended up making Miles' absence that much more noticeable. In the span of a second, the blond began searching his mind for anything that had seemed off about this morning in regards to his husband. Merlin knows he didn't want another fight to contend with, especially on an evening where the two would be out in public together!

Thankfully, the very man he found himself suddenly worrying about dashed his worries in an instant.

Not worrying. Just concerned for my own causes.

"Hey Rob," Miles called out from the same room that housed their television. Releasing a silent sigh, Rumple made his way to investigate, only to find his husband resting on the sofa belly-first when he entered. An amused smirk crossed Rumple's face. "My neck's killing me, love. Would you give it a rub?" Unbeknownst to Miles, whose face was hidden deep in the blue couch cushions, his companion reluctantly nodded, and within seconds, was at Miles' side, leaning downwards before slowly pressing his thumbs against the back of the younger man's collarbone.

"Oh, that's good," Miles spoke in what Rumple could only describe as a cross between a sigh and a moan. The cursed pirate's fingers balled themselves into a fist as he wailed and begged for more of his husband's touches.

"Let me sit on the couch," Rumple commanded. "My feet are killing me." Miles instantly obliged, and the blond continued to massage his shoulders. For a while, neither of them spoke, Rumple too focused on his rubbing and Miles too focused on relaxing himself.

"Everything okay," Miles asked. The wizard hummed an inquiry. "You said your feet hurt," he quickly elaborated.

"I was dusting the shop all day," the pawnbroker admitted. "Apparently, I can't afford to neglect cleaning that back room for any more than a week without it becoming a dust bunny's paradise." True to what Rumple said, his feet were aching terribly. By the end of his workday, he had put much more of his bodyweight on his cane than he had in quite a while, and his limp had returned tenfold as a result. Miles chuckled, well aware of the room's usual state of messiness. Rumple glowered, only semi-seriously. "You laugh now, but expect to see that coupon for dusting the shop some time in the very near future," he stated.

Hmm..

That gives me an idea...

At first, he protested the notion, internally voicing his disgust over sharing such an intimate act with his husband, but the throbbing in his feet was enough to fully quell any and all misgivings he had.

"Speaking of those coupons," Rumple added slyly. "Remember that one you gave me for a foot massage?"

"Yeah," Miles answered warily, his words cut short by a rather vocal shudder caused by his partner hitting a sweet spot on his aching neck. Rumple took a pause from his scheming and made a mental note about what caused the gracious reaction so that he could do it again.

"I'm redeeming it. You can take the coupon out of the book later, but for now, get rubbing," Rumple commanded.

Miles laughed loudly. "Aye, aye sir," he teased. He pulled Rumple's legs closer to him with Rumple still behind him, and once he got a grip on his lover's left shoe, he started pushing it off, taking pleasure in the soft thud it made upon hitting the floor.

Rumple raised his eyebrows high as he saw Miles go to deliver a similar attack on the blond's other shoe. "What do you think you're doing," he asked skeptically.

"I see no cause for you to stop rubbing my neck while I massage your feet," Miles answered as if it were obvious.

"I am quite certain that when you wrote that coupon up, this was not what you had in mind," he pointed out, somewhat uncomfortably. Rumple looked down. His and Miles' current position was, in a word, intimate. Miles was quite literally sitting between Rumple's legs, and from the waist down, Rumple was firmly pressed against his companion's backside. It certainly left little to the imagination, and the pawnbroker could do nothing else than let the redness settle in on his cheeks.

"You're a lawyer, love. You more than anyone should know the value of words, namely the importance of both what you say and what you don't." Rumple couldn't see his husband's face, but he was certain the man was smirking as he started rubbing the blond's left foot.

He sighed, signaling his surrender. The two continued massaging each other, filling the time with stories about their days before finally settling down to a comfortable silence. The blond closed his eyes as he worked. Rumple had to admit, even though it came with a rather unexpected affidavit, he still enjoyed the relaxing feeling of the knots in his aching feet slowly melting away. At times like these, it was almost easy for him to forget the hatred that existed under the veneer of affection. After all, Miles had never been anything other than a well-intentioned and considerate man, and Rumple didn't protest the authenticity of it.

Well, he didn't protest it for Miles, that is.

Hook, on the other hand, was another story.

No pun intended.

Rumple had lived for multiple centuries, but even after all that time, he could never forget what transpired between Killian Jones and he. They only met two times, but for Rumple's money, it was two times too many. It used to be easy to keep an emotional distance between his husband and he. At first, he had no trouble keeping his enemy's existence at the forefront of his thoughts. Nowadays, though, with every kind look Hook's alias gave the cursed wizard, Rumple had to remind himself more and more exactly who it was that was really giving them. The blond was all too often left to wonder just how that had happened. It had been so easy to keep his guard, not to mention disgust and indifference, when he first regained his true identity. What had changed? Had he really become so comfortable in Miles' presence despite every implication that was brought alongside it? The short answer appeared to be yes. Whatever the case, he had grown to hate the notion that the same body that housed such a sweet man like Miles also held the soul of the man who caused him so much pain.

Rumple, in his loss of focus, gave a great sigh as Miles undid one of the knots in his foot.

"You really did a number on yourself today," Miles commented. "Are you gonna be good to go for the party tonight?"

"I fail to see why I wouldn't be," Rumple snipped defensively. A well-placed 'hmph' on his part decidedly kept Miles from pressing the issue.

"If you say so," the younger man shrugged. The back and foot massages continued for another half hour before both men were satisfied with their treatments. Miles let out a yawn. "That was great, but I'm still pretty exhausted. I'm gonna take a nap." At this point, his speech was more a rumbling murmur than actual words. "Join me?"

Rumple looked at his watch. They still had hours until the party, and Rumple wasn't about to oppose killing off time on what was fated to be an ultimately pointless evening. Not to mention, he too was tired after a full day on his feet. "Sure," he answered. A few minutes later, and the two were lying shoulder-to-shoulder in their bed, still wearing the same, albeit loosened, clothes they came into the house in earlier.

As the time flew by in a comfortable rest, Rumple didn't bother keeping track of the always-spinning hands of time. Because of that, he felt his heart skip a beat when, after an indeterminate period of unconsciousness, he heard his companion cry a remark into the open air.

"Shit!"

Rumple's eyes snapped open, and he looked to his husband, panic prevalent on his brow. Miles was standing up, in the process of putting on deodorant under his arms.

"What's wrong," Rumple released in a breath.

"Check the time!" Once again, Rumple turned to his watch. He couldn't believe it as he made sense of the multiple hands on the clock's face.

'Shit' was right!

It was already half past nine!

Somehow, they had both slept for nearly three hours. By now, the party at Granny's would no doubt be in full swing, and they had already missed a good chunk of it. Rumple quickly got out of bed and groomed himself.

Well, it's at least a few less hours I'll have to talk to anyone.

Before the blond knew it, he and Miles were buckling into Rumple car, and the engine started to hum as they finally drove towards the party.

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Granny's diner was the sole bright spot on the mostly abandoned roadway when the couple arrived. Music and shouting could be perceived from the place as far as a block away. Rumple could've sworn he'd go deaf from the sounds he heard when he first opened the glass door. Not only that, but just a glance of how packed the restaurant was left Rumple unable to do anything other than grimace. He was quite certain at this point that he'd be rubbing elbows with half the population of Storybrooke by the time the evening was over.

Little attention was drawn towards the couple when they entered. Miles' presence earned a holler or two from the closer side of the bar, where a few of Miles' friendlier companions were situated, but that was it. Their cries were responded to with an a pleasant acknowledging nod from Miles as well as a promise to be over in a second. For now, it seemed like he just wanted to catch his breath before engaging himself in the festivities. Virtually all of the booths, chairs, table, and wall space were taken up, so as they got acquainted with the party, the couple stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, their arms pressed against one another's.

"About time you two showed up," a voice greeted them. The couple looked up only to see Ruby flashing a smile at them, drinks in each hand instinctively dropped off to their recipients.

"Pre-party resting got a bit out of hand," Miles excused with a smile.

"You two are such old men!"

"Now be nice, Ruby," Miles warned. "Otherwise, we may not tip." Ruby didn't take it too seriously, for Miles' eyes called his own bluff.

"Whatever! Better late than never, I suppose," she teased. "Good to see you guys," she added earnestly and excitedly. It didn't escape Rumple's attention how Ruby's eyes brightening and shifting just a bit more in his direction as she spoke. "Just so you know, first drink of the night is on the house!"

"Taking you up on that one, love," Miles hollered. From behind the couple, the two could hear Miles' friends beckoning to him. The cursed pirate turned to Rumple. "It okay with you if I go catch up with the guys?"

"Go ahead," Rumple dismissed, rolling his eyes as a smile trickled its way onto his face. "I won't miss you anyway." Miles snorted and gave his lover's hand a gentle squeeze before making his way over to the other side of the bar.

Now alone, Rumple grimaced. His husband was already lost in the sea of his fellow partygoers, and if the wizrd's recent experiences had taught him anything, he knew all-too well what was coming.

Just what I don't want: Another conversation with the far-too nosy Miss Lucas.

Before Ruby could even ask how he was doing, Rumple fled in the direction of the bathrooms. He stopped at what he felt was a safe distance and looked back. He could make out her shadow, heading in his direction. Rumple started to seriously weigh his options to further flee when suddenly, just as quickly as the shadow had come forward, it stopped in its tracks by the sound of a familiar voice's scolding.

"Ruby," Granny called out. "We need drinks over on that side of the bar, stat!" The shadow remained in place for a second, as if debating whether or not to follow orders and pursue the blond, but it decided against it. Rumple had his own ideas for the reasons behind her choice, and he was quite sure that they were correct, but for now, he decided to just take the advantages he was given and run with them.

And for a while, that was the end of that.

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By some miracle, Rumple managed to find not only a seat, but an entire table of his own. After nearly an hour of scuffling his way around the room, trying in vein to find a comfortable place to situate himself until the night was over, a family sitting in the middle of the party got up with the full intention of going home, and Rumple immediately capitalized on the spot. His feet were once again killing him, and he was delighted to see no one else attempt to approach him. A glass of champagne sat on the table in front of him, acting as his only companion, and every so often, he'd take a sip of it. He glanced over at Miles, leaning on the bar counter beside Dr. Whale and Gregory Holt, both of whom were fortunate enough to have chairs of their own. They three were laughing over drinks, and Miles was too distracted, and more likely, unable to notice his husband sitting alone behind the thick crowd of people. He knew that if Miles saw him alone like this, the man would already be by his side, only too glad to give up one of his more social nights to give his husband some company. Rumple steadfastly decided to make himself small, and to occupy himself quickly as to prevent such an occurrence from happening. Not wanting the heat of his stare to draw Miles' attention to him, Rumple allowed his eyes to further gander around the crowded diner so he could seek out the various goings on.

Not far from Miles and his group, Emma Swan and her roommate were chatting, small drinks nestling on the countertop beside them, and a familiar young boy joined them soon after. Henry, who was formerly sitting in a booth next to Regina, had apparently convinced his mother that he could go over to the two, no doubt more for purposes involving the schoolteacher than his birth mother. Mary Margaret caught onto this early enough, and wishing to give the mother and son time alone, walked off after what Rumple could interpret as an excuse about going to the lady's room judging by her direction. Rumple saw the opportunity to go over and talk to the two of them, but after a moment's debate, decided against it. He was frankly tired, and didn't want to risk losing his chair and table over a conversation that, in all likelihood considering who was nearby, would not end up being fruitful. Staring at the two was also quickly decided to be a poor choice as well. Regina was sitting alone, and even more than not losing his seat, Rumple didn't desire instigating a conversation with the Evil Queen. Instead, his eyes followed Mary Margaret's moving form. The schoolteacher was making her way to the bathroom while passing David and Kathryn Nolan. Just as she and the veterinarian were parallel, the young woman stretched her arm across to David's and gave his jacket-adorned arm a gentle caress with her finger. The cursed prince met her eyes, and the adulterous couple shared some far-from-wholesome flirtatious looks.

If only the virtuous Snow White and Prince Charming could see themselves now.

Rumple smirked at the scene before him for a moment, but as Mary Margaret disappeared behind a partition, the blond thought more on the implications of the couple's adulterous relationship. Robert Gold knew Mary Margaret, not particularly well, but like Rumple, Robert was able to understand how people worked. If he were asked a year ago whether or not the schoolteacher would ever play a part in an affair with a married man, he would've laughed at the mere notion of it. And even though Robert never knew David Nolan. Rumple was certain the man would never turn on his own wife. If the glimmer in David's eyes when Mary Margaret touched him was anything to go by, he would've been sadly mistaken.

Could Rumplestiltskin have seen something like that happen to the kingdom's most beloved prince and princess? Much to his surprise, he found the answer to be yes. The two had always placed more importance on their relationship than the social constructs of their land. Charming, at one point, left his fiancé to pursue Snow White, and the heroine herself had risked her life despite her royal title time and time again for the safety of her lover.

So how could such discrepancies be accounted for?

Only one explanation could be reached.

The curse seems to be weakening further.

Rumple hadn't paid the alterations in Storybrooke much mind in a while. He noticed small deviations at first, but as he readjusted to his old memories, he was content letting the distinctions fall into the abyss of his memories. After all, he only really talked to Miles, and the changes in his behavior, while undeniably present, were minute. Now, in now small part thanks to being trapped with all of the residents in the same room under such circumstances, the differences were growing clearer and clearer to see, and they existed far beyond the confines of the family destined to take down the Evil Queen. Rumple had to only turn his head around the diner to see instances of the changes. Archie was in the middle of the restaurant, asking for his seat back from Mr. Dove, who had taken it while he was off getting a refill on his champagne mere minutes ago. Mr. Dove, who stood at twice the psychologist's size, eyed him for a moment, but at the man's perseverance, backed down. On the other side of the diner, also not far from where Miles was drinking with his friends, he saw Leroy, who was occasionally losing focus in favor of staring at the nuns. One of them, a young woman with short reddish hair, gently smiled at him when the eyes of her companions were not on her.

Such occurrences were all around Rumple, and finally, the wizard was starting to take notice of them. His mind flooded with comparisons, and there was really no better time to do it. Everyone was too focused on their loved ones and their drinks to pay him any mind. It worked out being all the better for him, as far as the blond was concerned. Rumple felt he was growing far too used to the cursed life he was leading, and seeing living proof that the curse was starting to decay made for a sign of hope for the man that his ultimate mission would soon be able to finally start.

It won't be long now before I can abandon this meaningless life and get back to brass tacks.

Rumple was stirred from his thoughts by a rustling from his table. He looked up. Right before him was Ruby who gracelessly plopped down onto the chair across from his.

But apparently not before I finish talking with the riff-raff.

Rumple immediately eyed the waitress in a way that was but a step away from a glare. Ruby, however, was fast with her response.

"I have been working non-stop for the past eight hours, I'm on the only break I'm getting until one, and seeing as how I work here, you can't tell me to run off. I'm sitting here, like it or not." She dramatically threw back her arms and arched into the chair. She gave a moan that was the perfect reflection of the one Miles gave Rumple mere hour earlier. "I needed that so much! I think my feet were becoming rocks!" Ruby's exclamations were ignored by Rumple, who resumed his people-watching spree. Sure, the waitress had forced her way into his presence once more, but at least this time, he could conceivably control it. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more Rumple realized he never felt much of a need to perform his act around Ruby. Unless she was asking about Miles, which had happened more as of late, he never felt it necessary to lie when he was in her presence. After all, he hardly spoke to her, and when he did, all he wanted was for the girl to go away as soon as possible.

How he wished she shared in his sentiments.

"Enjoying the party," the woman asked lively. He cringed internally, wondering for what felt like the umpteenth time this month why this girl was bothering him. Since she had sat down, Rumple had given the waitress every social cue that she was not welcome beside him. He turned to Ruby. She was once again sitting normally, her arms resting on the tabletop as she gazed at her companion intently. Fighting his enraged instincts for the moment, Rumple answered her question.

"A bit louder than I'm used to."

"You don't get out much, do you?"

"I'm a grown man. I don't go to parties every weekend like some others," he remarked pointedly. Ruby started giggling. Rumple narrowed his eyes once more. "What, may I ask, is so funny?"

"I'm imagining you and Miles at a house party, shaking it to 'I Gotta Feeling.'" Rumple felt himself grow queasy at just the idea of it.

"I can promise you, Miss Lucas, with one hundred percent certainty that that will never happen."

"Never say never," she said smugly, her lips tugged into a smirk. Rumple knew what she was implying, of course he did. She was just as obsessed with her quest to get to know him as ever!

His patience finally lost, Rumple glared at her. "What are you aiming for? Why do you think, that despite everything you've been told throughout your entire life, I'm someone worth learning more about? Next you'll be saying you want to befriend me!" He released a loud hmph. "What, are we to sit at this bar on Fridays and gossip about our boyfriends? Call each other and go shopping during the weekend? No, that will never be us." Rumple smirked triumphantly.

That should be enough to get her to give up.

"I know," Ruby shrugged, immediately showing herself unfazed by the blond's harsh words. "You'd never take me. You know what kind of damage I can do with that bottomless checkbook of yours. Or at least you think you do." Just to make it all worse, the young woman winked.

An honest to goodness wink.

Rumple sat for a moment dumbstruck, his smirk dissipated into the void. By all accounts, he expected her to storm off, or at the very least say something crude in return.

What, in Merlin's name, does it take to rid myself of this silly girl?

Nearly resigned, Rumple sighed and decided to take a more direct approach to solving his conundrum. "How do I get you to leave?"

"Tell me what I want to know," the waitress answered simply.

I swear, with that persistence, one day she'll be the next Dark One.

"I'll answer one question," Rumple conceded, repeating his earlier sigh. Ruby released a triumphant smirk. She scratched her chin in thought.

"What was it about Miles that made you fall in love with him?"

"You've been taking a very big interest in my husband lately. Should I be alarmed?"

"No way," Ruby denied. "I may not be Mother Theresa, but I'm no homewrecker. Not that Miles would let me do it anyways," she further argued, adding another wink for good measure.

Note to self: The first thing I'm doing when I get my magic back is eradicating winks from this Earth.

Rumple thought on the question for a moment, choosing his words carefully enough that they'd both quench the girl's appetite for knowledge about his personal life and be vague enough that he wouldn't be telling her after all.

"I like how honest he's always been with me," he finally answered.

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "Honesty? Please! Tons of people are honest with you in this town, unless you haven't noticed. What made Miles so different?"

"Last time I checked, I was only to answer one question," Rumple pointed out.

"Who knows for sure," the waitress shrugged with a smirk, evidently all too aware of her victory over the pawnbroker. "But, if there's one thing I've learned about lawyers from overhearing Granny's crime dramas, it's to get everything in writing."

"I think we're done here." Rumple clicked his tongue. He began to get up, the desire to be away from the girl now of greater importance than the desire to rest his feet, but Ruby's words stopped him before he could barely lift himself off the seat.

"You know, if you don't tell me, I'm pretty sure Miles will, and he won't leave out any of the details." Ruby smirked and glanced at the cherry-red nail polish that sat upon her fingers. "I bet it gets really mushy too."

Rumple narrowed his eyes. Here he was, once again stuck with an unfortunate predicament. On one hand, this conversation, like all the ones they shared, was getting too far out of his control for his liking, and by that, he meant any instance where he wasn't in full control. On the other hand however, he both trusted Ruby on her word that she would seek out his husband's and distrusted the idea that Miles wouldn't tell her exactly what she wanted to hear. The pawnbroker lowered his body back onto the chair. He massaged the bridge of his nose.

How does this girl keep getting to me?

"Fine. He was honest with me, but there was also this kindness in him, and that's probably what won me over. Miles is the type of man who you can tell just by looking at him has your best interests at heart. And to the best of his abilities, he'll never hurt you. My heart, or rather, I, felt safe with him."

"Do you still?"

"Yes." To be fair, there was some truth to it. Rumple did in fact safe with Miles. When it came to safety both in a physical and emotional sense, Rumple wouldn't put his company in better hands than those of Miles. It didn't even surprise him that much to admit it. Everyone else in this town hated him, and if the election was anything to go by, the bulk of the neighborhood was just waiting for any excuse to get on his case. Miles was to sole exception to that rule. He openly loved and cared for him, and it was something Rumple learned not too long ago actually made a difference in how he got through his days. The only danger that the man presented was the ever-ticking time bomb that was the breaking curse, but it was nothing Miles could ever hope to have control of.

"He's a good man, and I'm glad I have him," Rumple added.

"He is," Ruby admitted, "and I'm happy that you have him. But just know that he's not the only person you can rely on here. The people in this town do care about each other, and if you try, maybe one day they'll care about you too."

"I doubt it."

"Worked for me," she shrugged. Rumple thought about the girl before him presently. Ruby annoyed the living hell out of him, and provided yet another set of eyes that seemed to be locked on Rumple's. However, she had also never failed him once. When it came to the affairs of the pawnbroker, she just never seemed able to quit until the two reached an understanding, and something about that, despite how annoying it was, was a bit admirable. He still wanted nothing more than for her to go on her way, but perhaps, he dared to dream, she could be useful one of these days.

Before they could continue any further, a loud voice interrupted their conversation.

"Ruby," Granny beckoned from behind a sea of customers. "Break's over! Quit squawking and get back behind the counter!"

"Bummer," Ruby quipped. "I was finally starting to get you to talk."

Rumple smirked, overwhelmed with relief. "Yes, well I hoped you enjoyed it while it lasted. Don't expect me to be as generous with my time again."

"I think you know me well enough at this point to know that I find my ways." Without giving the pawnbroker any time to make a comeback, Ruby stood up and walked away.

Rumple watched her as she left, still as perplexed as ever with her behavior. Who did she think she was infiltrating his life like that, and why did she care about him anyways? All he did was one good deed a few months ago, and it was a small one at that! It wasn't like he saved a burning orphanage! Did she want something? Rumple didn't think so. Ruby seemed to know him well enough to know that she was never getting into his wallet, if her teasing was anything to go by. He was certain he owned nothing of Ruby's, her grandmother's, or any of the people she seemed especially close to at the pawnshop. So what was the reason? Was it really just, as she confided in him previously, just to have a better understanding of him? Rumple wasn't certain, but he knew he didn't want to get close enough to the waitress to find out. He shuddered at the idea of making New Year's resolutions, but he decided to make one to avoid the diner at all costs.

Having made peace with the situation, Rumple continued his previous endeavor of people watching, though with each passing moment, he grew both less attentive of his surroundings and more bored by the activity.

Thankfully, Ruby's abandoned seat wasn't left that way for much longer, and a tap on his shoulder gave Rumple someone new to focus his attention on.

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"Anyone sitting here, love," Miles inquired, a dark drink with a strong aroma in his hand. Rumple shook his head, and the cursed pirate sat down. Rumple smirked at his husband's choice of liquor as soon as he saw the drink touch the tabletop.

"Forgive me Miles, but isn't champagne the drink most associated with New Years?"

"Yeah, but I've been thinking. I hate champagne. It smells nice, but it doesn't taste that great. Too plain for my taste, at least. If I'm getting drunk, I might as well get drunk off of what I like. Ergo, the rum. Care for a glass, darling?"

"Thanks, but I'll pass. You may not like champagne, but I do."

"Suit yourself," Miles shrugged.

"To another happy year," Rumple proposed, his glass raised and outward.

"To another happy year," Miles agreed, clinking his glass up against Rumple's before sipping his rum. They sat together and talked for the next hour, only interrupted by the occasional New Year's wishes by the odd passerby. The man's constant presence, for once, didn't seem to bother Rumple in the slightest, and actually ended up being preferred to sitting alone again in the middle of the ruckus. Upon further inspection of the rest of the diner's rather loud company, he probably would've still chosen Miles as a companion for the evening. Any interesting people-watching that could've been done had been completed hours ago, and now it was too late to distinguish between the townspeople's actual personalities and the results of a night of heavy drinking anymore. In contrast, Miles brought a much-needed dose of intelligence back into his evening.

It was nearing the next chime of the clock tower when the couple was completely derailed from their conversation by a loud shout.

"Five minutes to midnight," Leroy called out. "Better find your kissing partners now," he got out before bursting into a fit of laughter. Rumple rolled his eyes, and Miles chuckled.

"I'll never understand just why everyone makes such a fuss out of this holiday," he commented. "Are people so desperate to entertain themselves that they're willing to celebrate the changing of one digit on a calendar?"

"The fresh feeling of a brand new year doesn't fill your spirit with hope," Rumple teased.

Miles rolled his eyes. "Spare me," he moaned, topping off his drink. "Resolutions are the worst part of the bloody holiday. Everyone wastes tons of money on them, and no one ever ends up even keeping. I mean, if you want to change your life, that's great and all, but why wait for a specific day to commit to it? You're just setting yourself up for failure!"

"Preaching to the choir, my dear."

"I know. You're just the only one who listens. People have been going on and on about it all day, at work and here. I'm starting to remember why we never went out on New Years. I'm just tired of it already!"

"Not going to kiss me at midnight," Rumple teased off-handedly. As Rumple saw it, it didn't really matter what Miles said in response. If he wanted a kiss, the blond had become more than accustomed to them. If not, then hey, he got a night away from the man's lips.

Why not press my luck?

"Nah," Miles dismissed. "I feel like doing that would just be giving into those dumb superstitions, and it's not like I can't kiss you any other time. 'Sides," the cursed pirate added, "I know you don't like when I do it in public. I still feel kind of bad about when I did it on Christmas in front of the girls."

"You do," Rumple asked, thrown for a loop.

"Yeah," Miles replied, as if it were obvious. He almost reached out his hand to touch Rumple's, but caught himself and settled on gripping the table tighter. "You asked me to behave, and I didn't, and I'm really sorry about it. All I can say there was that the drink got to me." Rumple was nearly at a loss for words, but managed to form a singular question.

"It's not now?"

"I decided I'd hold back tonight," he stated in a matter-of-fact fashion. "Didn't want to risk embarrassing you again."

Rumple couldn't help but pause. It was true. He hadn't spent more that much time with Miles tonight, but the times that he did see the man, both while he was people-watching and as they sat at the same table, the instances where he saw his husband with a drink in his hand were few and far between. It wasn't exactly something Miles did all too often. And how rare was it for someone to restrain themselves like that on his account of all people? Ordinarily, it was all but impossible, but when it came to Miles Samuel McAyesty-Gold, Rumple supposed he shouldn't have been too surprised at all.

"Thank you," the blond said simply, releasing a grateful smile. He could feel his hand instinctively twitch to reach his hand towards Miles', and he allowed it.

"You're welcome," Miles replied, smiling right back at his partner.

"One minute," cried Leroy from the far edge of the bar." Everyone turned to the television where the rainbow-colored ball in Times Square was slowly starting descend, bringing light to the pitch-black pole as it fell. Rumple could hear people from the other side of the screen counting down excitedly, and at the thirty-second mark, the diner's occupants started joining in.

All seemed well for an instance.

And then a sure sign of trouble started brewing.

Out of the corner of his eye, Rumple saw it, or rather her. Ruby was looking straight at them. He doubted she was specifically seeking the two of them out, but with most of her usual company otherwise occupied, her eyes simply traveled until they came across a safe space.

Rumple stifled a groan. There'd be no getting out of kissing Miles now, that much was certain. Not after everything he told Ruby this evening.

"Three, two, one," the patrons of the diner rhythmically called out. Rumple heart skipped a beat, and he grabbed Miles' cheeks and pushed their lips together, a chorus of people not embracing their significant others screaming 'Happy New Year' at varying volumes behind them. It took Miles all of a second to bounce back from his shock and get into the groove of it, but once he did, the simple gesture exploded into something far more amazing. Their tongues were immediately on each other's, and it gave off an electrifying feeling. Rumple knew he shouldn't be enjoying this, but after months of mostly kissing Miles with little more effort than what would be required to kiss a wall, he gambled that he could afford to play around with the forced act.

Makes it more convincing.

When they finally broke apart from each other, Miles looked at his husband, clearly confused about what had just occurred. Of course he would. Less than five minutes ago, the two settled on not kissing each other, and yet Rumple had thrown that out the window in one swift motion.

"A little good luck never hurt, right," Rumple appealed, trying his best to not let his falsehood show. It was easier than usual.

Miles thumb brushed against his lover's cheek as he smiled. "Not at all." Rumple squeezed their lips and bodies together once more, feeling the air leave his lungs in a satisfying sigh. He felt the heat of Ruby's stare fade away by the end of the first kiss, but he couldn't quite stop himself from allowing this new one to linger on. When he once again remembered exactly what he was doing, he chastised himself.

Rumple, stop it.

You need to quit forgetting just who this man is.

He's the same worthless pirate that left Baelfire motherless.

…

Well, really, that was Milah.

Rumple froze. Almost instinctively, he had just thought of the words that had just given his sworn enemy of three centuries salvation.

And he was not happy about it in the slightest.

Miles must've felt Rumple's tenseness for he broke the kiss, and looked at his husband with a face full of worry.

"Everything okay, Rob?"

Rumple blinked. "Yeah," he dismissed convincingly. "C-can you go get me a brandy, please?"

"Sure thing," Miles warily returned before heading to the bar's counter.

With Miles temporarily gone, and the rest of the room transfixed on celebrating the New Year with friends, family, and lovers alike, Rumple pushed his non-cane yielding hand through his hair as he tried to relax himself from the mess he was just put in, and the thoughts that were now consuming his mind like a dog with kibble. His breathing became heavy, and his eyes bulged. For the first time, the idea of showing Hook leniency, not Miles, had come to pass. When had he sunk to that point? When did that become a possibility? Rumple wanted to think harder on it, but his stress wasn't letting him have the peace needed to truly mull it over. His head was now throbbing, and bile filled his mouth.

"Rob," Miles cooed, approaching his husband with a brandy in hand. "What's wrong? You look horrible." His braced stub methodically massaged Rumple's wrist.

"I-I think it's all the excitement coupled with the drinks," Rumple excused.

"Why don't we head home for the night," the cursed pirate suggested. "We'll give a quick goodbye to everyone, and I'll drive back." Rumple desperately wanted to not be in a position where saying anything but 'yes' would be met with suspicion, but there he was.

"Y-yes." Miles rubbed his braced stub against Rumple's shoulder as he helped the blond stand. Rumple could definitely recall he and Miles saying goodbye to a few people before getting in the car, but the memories were frankly numb to him.

It was all that he could do to fight off his newfound nightmare, a nightmare that Rumple was quickly realizing was no longer one at all.

And that was the greatest horror of all.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

A/N: We're finally getting plot things started up in here! Cue dance music! I know the last few chapters, this one included, were a bit on the filler-y side, but I promise, everything's finally going to start coming together! How so? Well, you'll just have to stay tuned to find out!

In regards to my cliffhanger from the last chapter, let's just paraphrase what our dear Miles said earlier and say that as a writer, sometimes what you don't say is just as important as what you do!

I hope you had fun with this chapter! If you did, then review! If you didn't, also review! I like being challenged and improving through means of constructive criticism (Just make sure it IS constructive criticism (Read: You politely tell me what I did wrong and offer up suggestions on how to improve))! AND if you give me a well-thought out review, and end it with "Sneak peek please," I will give you… well, just that: A sneak peek of the next chapter ABSOLUTELY FREE! What are you waiting for? To your keyboards! AWAY!

To get serious for a moment, I've been working on this fic for almost a year now. Everyday, I make strides on it in some capacity, and it's been one of the few things in my life that I've actually been able to keep up with like that. I love this fic, and I intend to see it through to the end, and nothing makes that goal seem easier then when I feel like I have the support of my readers! Every review, no matter how wacky, how short, or how thought provoking, makes me take so much pride in both my work, and my ability to write. I one day want to go into writing or proofreading in some capacity, and I know that this project, despite how silly it may seem, will serve as the building blocks for this pursuit. Writing this fic has shown me the importance of perseverance in a way that I don't think many other things could've.

I've adored fanfiction since I first discovered it. I even wrote my college essay on the topic! So, please, whether we be readers or writers, let's all try our best to give our best to this small, but constantly evolving art form. We're intelligent beings, so let's show that in everything we do on these sites, and build a better future for fanfiction together!

Inspirational speech: Completed!

:D

Hopefully, I'll see you all next chapter, enjoy the next Once episode, and have a good day!