I do not own Once Upon a Time. I do own a copy of Pride and Prejudice that I've read about as many times as Belle, so there's that.
Chapter 5 Resident Mr. Darcy
Belle had taken one more day off to recover, and thankfully remembered to contact him this time. He smiled as he opened and looked again at his dinosaur phone that displayed her text.
'I won't bother you for at least another day. Thanks for being such a good friend. I know dad was kind of a beast to you (yes you both were that loud) but I thought you were amazing. I'm half surprised that you didn't bash his head in with your cane. I'm quite proud of you for not doing that. See you tomorrow?'
He had only read it a half dozen times, alternating between the embarrassment that she had heard any of the conversation that went on between him and her father, and chuckling over her perceptive ability to know exactly when he wanted to react in violence. He also spent an entire thirty minutes thinking of a reply, then spent another thirty minutes typing out the reply, cursing his inept fingers and for the first time in his life wishing he had bought one of those 'smart phones' that apparently made the entire thing easier.
'It seems knowing your disapproval for violence curbed any homicidal tendencies I might have had. Come tomorrow only if you are feeling better.'
He then spent another ten minutes wondering if he should send it, and worrying about how it would be received. Then there was the worry that Belle might think he was simply ignoring her, which scared him enough to send the text without thinking about it further. Five seconds later he received a typed smiley face (Belle knew of his phone's inability to decipher emojis and the conversation was at an end.
Five minutes before closing time, a young man stepped into his shop, dressed in a loud button down top, and jeans. He seemed to take his time looking around the shop inquisitively before smiling towards the owner of the shop, never seeming to mind that Robert had watched him the whole time.
'Mr. Matterson.'
'Hi ya, Mr. Gold.'
'I'm assuming you are here to be paid?' He queried, squaring his shoulders and coming to a mental calculation how how much the young man would think was enough to warrant that time away from 'the guys'.
'Nah, don't worry about it. It's on the house this time since Belle wasn't feeling good. It's not like she hasn't done something like that for me before. I just really enjoyed hearing you basically beg for me to help her.' His blue eyes were on fire with mischievousness and it took all Gold's self control not to send icy shards his way.
'So since you aren't here to be paid, what do I owe the immense pleasure?' he said through his teeth.
'I wanted to see things for myself. Belle's been my friend since high school and she thinks a lot of, um, your shop. It's obvious you've got a thing for her.' Gold's glare became icier. 'So' Jeff shrugged 'thought I would just see what's in the beast's lair that would make the beauty want to come visit. Got to admit, this does look like the kind of junk Belle would find interesting.'
Three thoughts simultaneously went through Gold's mind. First, how dare the impertinent boy. Second, he was glad Belle had someone looking out for her. Thirdly, how could he respond in a way that would completely dismantle the idea that he had a 'thing' for Belle.
'Also' Of course, the boy wasn't done talking-he was starting to think he just enjoyed hearing himself talk, 'I want to know what you said to Moe. Never seen the man so tongue tied in my life and he's never been very good with words to begin with.'
'I seem to have that effect on people, it seems.' Gold trying to land on any subject that would get the conversation off of himself. 'So you and Miss French were friends in high school? Close friends?'
'We never dated, if that's what you're asking.' Gold felt his cheeks get warm for a split second before gaining control. ' Actually, Pricilla and I were together for most of high school. We were close though. She was the nicest girl in all of Storybrooke High. Everyone loved her, befriended me when I moved from out of town.'
'Brought you to the popular kid's table, I suppose.'
'Belle? nah!' Jefferson laughed. 'You have met the girl, right? Sweet, kind, can read War and Peace in a weekend. Does that sound like a girl that sits with the popular kids to you? Then again, it's probably been like 50 years since you were in high school'
Gold managed a smirk that didn't reek too terribly of displeasure. 'As old as I may seem, thanks to my handy companion here' shaking his cane. 'I can assure you that high school was not that long ago, and I have quite an excellent , I suppose I concede your point. Belle wouldn't fit into the normal ditsy, snobby stereotype of the typical popular high school girl.'
Jefferson shrugged and continued talking. 'Anyway, I was always a weird kid, liked learning with my hands and would have rather spent the entire day in art class and Belle came up and introduced herself to me when no one else would. Her circle was small and nerdy but I didn't mind too much. I think my parents wished I would have ended up with Belle, but I seem to have a thing for edgy blondes.'
He smiled unashamedly and Gold couldn't help but like the cheeky, outspoken man. He would never tell him and he kept his mask fully intact while he eagerly listened to tales of his sweet, blue eyed friend. 'I've tried to help Belle out though since her mom passed away. Seems like everything has been put on her. I think that's what I like about you-you stood up to Moe.' Jefferson smiled yet again, giving Gold his seal of approval. 'Still think you are a miserly old crank, but Belle likes you alright'
'Since I didn't ask for your approval for hiring weekend help around the shop, I suppose your work here is done?'
'Youth, good looks, charming personality, I can see why Belle likes to visit so much. Alright, Mr. Gold, I gotcha. See you around, I guess.'
And with that he was gone, Giving Robert a lot to think about.
Arriving at his large empty house that night, he contemplated exactly what was going on between him and Belle. Belle seemed to genuinely feel like he was a friend, but he hated the talk that was making its way through the town. Most of all, he hated himself for subjecting her to such gossip. Why she didn't hate him for it, he didn't understand. Part of him thought he should call the whole thing off so that the town would know how little he thought about Belle French, while the other part, the other part that knew how highly he thought of Belle French, could never do such a thing.
So it was with the largest stupid smile on his face that he saw Belle French walk into his shop an hour earlier than expected the following day.
'Hope you don't mind that I came a bit early. I could do some of my Saturday chores a little early, if you want. Ruby's Gran wouldn't let me work more more than a few hours this morning'
'So you thought I would make you work? And here I thought you had decided I wasn't as beastly as the town believes.' He shook his head and his smile wouldn't leave as he saw her redden.
'I'm really feeling a lot better, Mr. Gold. I kind of feel silly that I got sick in the first place and caused everyone so much trouble.'
'You weren't any trouble, dearie. We all get ill from time to time. How about you find one of the books I have in the back and I'll finish going through some of these papers and we'll break for lunch a little early.'
'I think I can handle that.' She smiled. All was right with the world again.
A lunch of egg salad sandwiches was their simple fare, but they drank green jasmine tea because he knew it was her favorite, and he knew green tea with honey was good for those with a sore throat, and perhaps she was still recovering…
He loved how her blue eyes sparkled as she spoke about how she couldn't help and select Pride and Prejudice from his selection of books, even if she had read it 15 times already. He reached out a hand when she tucked stray curls behind her ears and explained how her mother had introduced her to Austen, and they laughed together (and he gave her a good quip about perhaps only finding her company fairly tolerable) when she said she always thought he was a bit like Darcy-rich, everyone hated him, but had layers to him that just needed to be uncovered. He tried not to blush too much being compared to an Austen hero, and only allowed her to call him that, seeing that he knew that Knightly was her favorite and his big house and library were extra reasons he was being so compared.
'I want to thank you again for covering for me yesterday. I don't deserve such good friends.'
What was the girl saying? Did she truly feel so small that she didn't deserve the very little that was offered?
'No, you don't. You deserve better, especially an old crank like myself.' He couldn't look her in the eyes. He couldn't see her agree or even to see what his complete honesty had rendered. But, he felt it. He felt her hand on his good knee, like she was wont to do when she felt like he was doing himself an injustice, or needed extra comfort. There was nothing he could ever do that would repay the kindness that she so freely bestowed.
'Now, be nice to my friend, Robert, will you?' And he could hear the smile in her voice, though he had yet to brave looking her in the eyes. 'Anyway, the last couple of days have had me thinking. Especially after the talk we had on Saturday. I-I don't think I ever realized just how much I was pouring into the shop for simply my mother's sake. I mean, I knew I was doing it in her memory, but speaking to you and saying it all out loud really made me stop and think. Made me think about the things I haven't let myself since mom died. No matter how much I work, I don't think Dad's habits will ever allow my mom's shop-the shop she so dearly loved- to succeed. I need to start thinking about the future, because working like this for the long term is never going to work.' He nodded at this. He hoped that whatever future plans she had included quitting at least one of her too many jobs. 'I've got some ideas and starting today I'm going to start writing down some goals and figuring out how to accomplish them.' Her chin came up, not with defiance, but with steeled strength. Her eyes held that spark, almost the same spark he had seen the first day he met her. That time he had so wrongly accused her. Her eyes had lit up from anger, but being so long trampled on by her father, he imagined, it had left her without much fighting power. But here she was now, strong, determined, resolute. And this was the moment. He had thought she looked beautiful before, but this was the moment she was absolutely breathtaking. There was fire in those ocean blue eyes now that would never lose its spark again, and he realized that he was in love with her. Get it together, Gold. letting her know you have 'feelings' for her will have her running out of the shop as fast as her legs can carry her. She would never think about you like that. What did Jeff say? Miserly old crank. No way she would ever want that.
'And what are those dreams, Belle?' He managed to squeak out, as dignified as anyone could possibly squeak. She didn't seem bothered by his altered tone, and continued.
'I-I always thought being a librarian would be fun.' She shrugged and smiled sheepishly.
'Of course, you would.' He chuckled, but made sure there was nothing in his tone that would cause her hopes to dash.
'It's silly isn't it?' She hesitated.
'No, no. It's very you, Belle. Perfect. And if you'll allow me to say so, I think your mother would like that you are pursuing your dreams. She'd be proud of you Belle.'
Tears in her eyes, he was completely unprepared for her darting out of her chair or the hug that was so suddenly wrapped around him. He sat in his own chair frozen before thinking that perhaps he ought to wrap a hand around her or something, but by that time, she had collected herself (probably thinking in horror what she had just done) and sat back down. She was smiling, a tear streaked smile and he so wished he was brave enough to brush the tears away.
'If you'll be so kind.' He managed to get out after a moment or two. 'And tell me some of those goals and dreams once you've written them down, I would love to hear them.' She smiled again, and they finally got to talking about other subjects before time for her shift at the flower shop. He reminded her not to exert herself too badly-he would hate to have to dust the shop himself, Saturday. She giggled and trapsed away.
She had a dream now. A dream that could be realized and succeed. A dream that he hoped that she would let him help fulfill with every strand of power he held.
Author's note: Knightly (said in a Mrs. Elton sort of way) is also my favorite leading man of Austen's, so I had to include him as well. Mr. Gold is more of the age of Knightly, but with the demeanor of Darcy, but Belle would make a pretty good Elizabeth, I think.
Hope you enjoyed that! I know some of you commented (here or on FF) that Belle is really getting the short end of the stick with how Moe is behaving. I really wanted to show the reason why she was allowing that to happen (it being her mother's shop that she loved for her mother's memory), and also to get a bit of an arc on her character. If Gold becomes kinder and less selfish, then Belle becomes stronger and more outspoken.
I also want to add that you may notice that Gold speaks of himself as Gold. Belle seems to alternate between Robert and Gold. And the narration will often alternate too. It's done on purpose, and fluctuates based on who is speaking and how the characters feel towards Gold. I hope that make's sense.
As always, I appreciate feedback!
