A/N: Hello, everyone! This one-shot is shorter than I usually write, but just know that it's mostly meant to tide you over because I have a wonderfully long one-shot coming along soon for this collection, thanks to an awesome request I received recently. With that being said, I hope everyone enjoys this one-shot nonetheless.
Also, I feel I should briefly apologize to 1994omi for this one. I know this isn't what you meant by having Emma "go dark," but I really couldn't resist writing this anyway. (-;
Dark
I have a surprise for you.
That was all Emma's message said before he arrived home from the shop that day. Ever since his phone rang in his pocket that afternoon and his brown eyes absorbed that mysteriously vague message in six simple words, his brain had been on fire with curiosity.
As a man of skillful manipulation, he never liked surprises. Too unpredictable.
Emma would likely never tell him what the surprise was until he was standing there in front of her, but he could not resist sending back a message of his own. Good or bad?
It was downright excruciating, waiting for her reply. Standing alone in his cluttered shop with nothing else to occupy his mind except dragging a cloth along the dusty counters or doodling idly in a leather journal.
Sometimes he would write Emma's name in his elegant, looping handwriting, the way he once wrote it on a scroll in a damp, dark cell. Occasionally he would carry on and spell out Emma Gold or even Emma 'Stiltskin just to see how it looked in ink. Other times he was reduced to drawing silly, detailed pictures of Regina being chased by ogres, with her only form of defense being a basket of her rotten apples.
At last, his phone buzzed on the counter and he quickly grabbed it. A new message from Emma awaited him. He was almost nervous to read it. Depends on what you think of it, she wrote back. Well that certainly wasn't helpful at all. It neither satisfied his curiosity nor eased his worries about what to expect.
Now all he could hope to do was wait until he ventured home.
See you at home, he wrote back, feeling none too pleasant.
The wait was cruel. The minutes crawled by, as if someone thought it funny to slow down time. His fingers drummed on the counter to no tune in particular. The pen eventually ran out of ink so he could not finish his latest drawing of Regina with her face covered in apple pie while a grinning caricature of himself prepared to throw another one. His mind itched with unanswered questions about this so-called surprise Emma had in store for him.
Finally, he could take it no longer. He slammed the leather journal closed and collected his cane. No one had visited the shop that day-no one would unless they wanted to strike a deal with him-and so he locked up early. All the way home, he could not stop wondering what waited for him at home and he found that his steps were not as swift as usual.
When he strolled up the path to his enormous pink manor, he hesitated in front of the door, his hand hovering over the knob.
Was he worrying over nothing? Was this surprise something simple like a sexy dress she discovered at Modern Fashions? Or had he done something that upset her? Was he due for punishment?
Nothing came to mind concerning any recent wrongdoings on his part. Ever since he had professed his love to Emma and they agreed to move in together to test this relationship, he'd been on his best behavior. Or tried to be, anyway. Sometimes he and Regina came close to unleashing their claws and whipping out their fireballs, but who could blame him for that? She always started it, not him.
There was only one way to find out.
He turned the knob and slipped inside his house. It was quiet and empty of strange visitors, as it should be. He had also been afraid to stumble upon a surprise party, though it wasn't his birthday, or even his false persona's birthday. The thought of so many people in his house-unwelcome, devouring his food, wiping their germs on his dishes and furniture, with that allergy-infested dwarf contaminating his air-made him shudder.
"Emma?" he called out.
"In here," her voice beckoned him from the kitchen. He waited, but she didn't come to meet him even halfway. That meant she expected him to go to her. It was with careful steps that he did so, his guard up for the worst.
When he crept into the kitchen, he did not find Emma. Instead, he found a dark-haired woman sitting at his table, her back to him, her head bent as she perused a magazine. At first, he thought it was Belle, but this woman's hair was wavier and a few shades darker.
"Emma?" he asked again, cautiously. His voice betrayed his stark confusion.
It alarmed him when the dark-haired woman spun around in her chair and he recognized Emma's hardened features. Her green eyes glittered with amusement as he stood there speechless, struggling to comprehend what he was seeing. For a moment, he was on the verge of convincing himself that he had officially lost his marbles and merged Belle with Emma. Then Emma smirked and combed her fingers through her fresh dark hair.
"What do you think?" He blinked and cocked his head. "I'm not usually one for change, but Henry talked me into it. He said I should consider trying something new and that it would be entertaining to surprise you. He was right."
She stifled a chuckle. He was still figuring out how to speak. He swayed a step and Emma rose from her chair, as if she feared he might have a heart attack and hit the floor.
"Yes, I...I got your cryptic message," he said, searching for the right words to convey his dazed thoughts. He gently took Emma into his arms and brushed his hand through those dark curls. "Oh, Emma...it is...startling."
Emma reared her head back, like he had slapped her rather than caressed her cheek. The smirk was replaced with a bitter frown. He sensed he may have used the wrong word.
"Really? Startled? Out of all the adjectives in your vocabulary, that's the first word you go for?" Gold let his mouth fall open again, but no sound emerged. It was so tricky for him to be honest. Whenever he tried being honest, it was often bad timing and hardly worked in his favor.
"Startling...perhaps...was not the proper word to use. My apologies. It is beautiful, truly...and startling." Emma retreated from his hand when he reached for her hair again. Now her green eyes were less than amused. They ignited with anger.
"You don't like it," she stated.
"I do, Emma, I do," he insisted. She raised her chin, looking very much like she doubted his word. It was time for him to be honest again-and to hope that it would turn out better for him this time. "You will forever be beautiful to me, no matter what you decide to do with your hair. And I know that your will is strong enough that you'll do whatever you feel is right regardless of what anyone else tells you. That fire, that spirit is what I cherish in you. It's just...I'm so used to your golden hair. The way it shines in the sunlight, the way it rests around your pillow at night like a halo, the way I can easily pick you out of the crowd at Granny's and know without a doubt that you're the one I'm looking for. There are so many dark-haired women in this dreary town. You were always my beacon of light."
Emma's face softened. Her anger started to diffuse. She pushed a hand through her newly-dyed hair, staring hard at the curls around her fingers as though she were having second thoughts.
"Now you're making me feel bad that I dyed it in the first place," she grumbled. This time, she let him guide her into the circle of his arms. He kissed her cheek and then buried his lips in her hair.
"I don't mean to instill regret in you. I'm only telling you that I'll need time to grow used to it. And that you resemble that one girl on House, M.D." Emma snorted. Did she not think so?
"Funny. I already sent a picture to Henry and my parents. According to Henry, I look exactly like my mother now. The way she looked before the curse."
Gold held Emma by the shoulder and bent at the knees to closely examine her curls.
"Hm...I don't see it," he said. She seemed to take that with relief. Of course, that one wasn't completely the truth. Now that she mentioned it, she did sort of resemble her mother, but he felt it would be awkward if he admitted that. Then again, it would be equally awkward if she reminded him of Snow in bed. How would he ever explain that one if he called her the wrong name?
"I kind of do miss old hair now," she sighed, tucking the curls around her ears. It wasn't like she could dye it back this instant. He wanted to use his magic, but he figured it would be best if she made her own choice. "Remind me never to go dark again."
"I give you my word," he vowed and kissed the crown of her dark head.
...
A/N: Okay, as a fan of House, I couldn't resist adding that reference. The first I ever saw of Jennifer Morrison was her role on House, back when she started with dark hair. I happen to think she looks a lot like Ginny Goodwin with dark hair (back when they both had it long and dark). I remember this one black-and-white photo shoot of Ginnifer Goodwin and I could have sworn it was Jennifer Morrison. Feel free to look it up.
I would also like to take the time to thank the reviewers for the awesome encouragement:
Grace5231973: LOL, thanks for the review, dearie! Now those two know how Rumbelle feels on the show. I have to admit, though, it was insanely fun writing those interruptions!
orthankg1: Thanks again for your constant support and inspiration. I still regret not adding that part in about her father. So glad you loved it anyway. Don't worry-that massive wedding one-shot is halfway done. It would have made for an amazing 50th one-shot, actually.
Emperor's Sister: Hola! Glad I could brighten your mood! That's what I love to hear!
Relliurad: Aw, thank you so much. There's nothing that makes me happier than to know there are people that enjoy these stories-and have a good laugh at them. Most people need a break from the drama and angst that's often seen in the show.
Pawn'sVictory: Thanks for reading! I absolutely love incorporating fluffiness and humor into these one-shots. It certainly makes them more enjoyable to write. (-:
1994omi: Hello, dearie! Yeah, it's frustrating for those two, but massively entertaining for us. I definitely had fun writing it. Thanks for always taking the time to read! Just so you know, I will be writing a one-shot very soon that actually has Emma going dark in the way you meant it. This was just a bit of fun on my part.