You want to trade notes tomorrow?

Henry blinked a few times, then slowly typed back a reply: Sure. Study hall okay?

He blew out a breath and closed his phone, folding his hands over each other. Okay. This was good. Fine. All very well and …good.

Robin glanced up from his menu, looking between Henry and the phone. "Who was that?" he asked, nodding at the phone.

"No one," Henry shrugged, avoiding his gaze. "Just this girl I know."

Robin dropped the menu, immediately interested. "A girl, eh?" he said, his eyes gleaming. "Your girlfriend."

"No."

"A girl you want to be your girlfriend."

"Dude, stop."

Robin covered his mouth with one hand, trying to hide his smile. "Henry's got a girlfriend, Henry's got a girlfriend, Henry's got a…" He trailed off as Henry stared at him with half-lidded eyes, daring him to go on. "I'll stop."

"Mmm-hmm." Henry picked up his menu and peered down at it, raising an eyebrow. "Does any of this look remotely edible?"

"Not really," Robin sighed. "We should've gone to the White Rabbit. I went there last night with your dad and Hook—it was fantastic, seriously."

"Meh—" Henry shrugged, still perusing the menu. "We'll go next time."

"Next time," Robin agreed. "So, who's this girl?"

"My lab partner. That's all." Henry tossed the menu on the table, studiously ignoring Robin's infuriatingly big smile. "How's my mom?"

The smile dropped. "She's not feeling great. Still." Robin shifted uncomfortably in his seat, looking rather ill; he looked as though he were struggling to say something. "Er…Henry? C-can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, go for it," Henry said, checking his phone. Damn it. Nothing.

"How, uh…how would you feel about—?" Robin gulped, looking very queasy indeed, and shook his head. "You know what? It's stupid. Hook was just saying some nonsense that got in my head, never mind."

"Mmm," Henry said absently, still frowning at his phone. Come on, ring…RING, GODDAMN IT!

"So tell me about this lab partner," Robin said, partially in an effort to change the subject. "Is she pretty?"

"Jesus, Robin!"

"All right. Sorry." Robin cast his gaze around the room, whistling. Henry flicked his eyes upward, giving his head a derisive little shake. God, Robin was awkward sometimes. She was just his lab partner, for Christ's sake. That was it. There was nothing else there.

Maybe she was slightly hot, so what? That didn't mean anything. It just meant she was slightly hot.

And so what, that he kept checking his phone to see if she'd texted back? That was just because he was organized, and he needed to know if she was okay with trading notes at study hall. Preparation was everything.

F-for organization, of course. Which he needed. For school. A-and life…Yeah.

"So…what's her name?" Robin said in a sing-song voice, smiling widely.

Henry closed his eyes, clenching his teeth. "If I tell you, will you promise to shut up?"

"Yes."

"Violet."

"Oo-ooh, Henry loves Violet—"

"Robin."

"Right. Sorry."

After a few minutes of awkwardness during which Henry continued to glower at Robin, who was humming and looking at the ceiling, Ashley came over with her notepad at the ready.

"You guys all set to order?"

Robin and Henry exchanged a confused glance, and frowned at Ashley. What the hell? Wasn't Ruby their designated waitress?

"Where's Ruby?" Robin asked. "Isn't she working?"

"She's working the counter," Ashley shrugged. "This is my table."

"Oh…" Robin continued to eye her suspiciously. "Curious…Since when did Ruby start working the counter?"

"Since she took a break last week, and everyone's been telling Granny I provide much better waiting service," Ashley grinned. "They like me."

Henry snorted in disagreement, ignoring Robin's warning look.

"Is she not serving tables anymore?" Robin asked, looking rather anxious. "It's just…Regina hates for her routine to be disrupted, and complaining about Ruby is such a large part of her day…"

"I really don't know," Ashley said, a little irritably. "Maybe you should ask Granny."

Robin opened his mouth to answer when his phone rang. "Damn it," he muttered, patting his pockets down. Ashley tsked loudly as he pulled out the phone and held it to his ear. He raised his eyebrows and pointed his finger.

"This is not over," he warned her, before saying into the phone, "Yes, who is it? What do you want?"

Henry watched Ashley through half-lidded eyes as she scoffed and turned on her heel. Robin was holding his hand over his ear, talking exasperatedly at whoever.

"Yes, I'm at the diner!…Yes, she's working—at the counter, or so I'm told…What?… No, mate—bad idea, I'm…No, it's too soon, you've got to give it some time….Mate, listen to me—I said, no…You can't! I told you, it's too—Damn it!" Robin slammed the phone down, making Henry's eyebrows fly up. "It's premature!" he barked. "He'll never pull it off, it's too soon!"

"What are you talking about?" Henry asked, stunned by his outburst. "Dude, you're going to pop a vein or something."

"I've got to give that poor girl a heads-up, before he comes in and makes a right bloody mess of everything," Robin growled, getting up from the table. "Git."

Ruby dutifully filled the sugar containers. It seemed her entire life had been reduced to filling the sugar containers. That, and pouring coffee.

Apparently, Ashley was a much better server than she was.

She scoffed. Right.

Honestly, though, she didn't really give a rat's ass anymore. In fact, since her break from Granny's, she'd really been considering finding a new job altogether. It wasn't like the pay was that good or she enjoyed the work: the highlight of her day was filling sugar containers, for Christ's sake.

"Ruby!"

Ruby looked up at the sound of Robin's voice: he looked a mixture of angry and apologetic, striding toward her with a determined set to his jaw. "…Yeah?"

"I need to talk to you," Robin said briskly, setting his hands flat on the counter. "It's important."

"Okay…" Ruby shifted nervously. She hoped Robin knew she wasn't legally responsible for Tony's mistakes, that was all on Granny. And it would make such an awkward conversation.

"I know you've been tex—oh, goddamn it." Robin exhaled at something over her shoulder, pinching his forefingers to his nose. "I told him…"

Ruby turned around as the little bell rang. "Hook?" she said in surprise as he made his way to the counter.

"How are you, love?" he smiled, somewhat nervously. Ruby twitched a frown: it was odd, seeing him nervous. Normally, he was obnoxiously self-confident.

"Hey," she said, smiling back uncertainly. "You all right?"

"Erm…yeah. I think so." Hook's eyes darted to Robin, and his smile tensed. "Oh, look at the time, Robin. I suppose you'll have to be going now?"

"No," Robin said, lowering his hand to glower at him. "I think it's a bit too soon."

"I think it's none of your business right now, mate."

"I think it is, mate."

"Maybe we should ask Regina, mate."

"Maybe we should leave Regina out of this, mate."

"Maybe we should show Regina the evidence, mate."

"Maybe I should delete the evidence, mate."

"Maybe that's obstruction of justice, ma—"

"Okay, mates!" Ruby said loudly, holding her hands up. "Let's just…relax, okay? Robin, you want to go back to your table? You look like you're going to pop a vein in your head or something."

Robin scowled, putting his hand over his forehead. "See you later, then…mate," he added viciously.

"See you, mate."

Hook watched him head back to his table, then turned his eyes back to the counter, calmly running his finger along the surface. Ruby brushed a few sugar crystals off as she waited for him to say something. Hook folded his hand into a fist and rapped his knuckles listlessly on the counter, exhaling through his teeth.

"So…" he said finally. Ruby glanced up.

"So." She folded her arms, leaning her elbows on the counter. "What's up?"

"Uh…" Hook blinked a few times, and attempted a smile. "Just…just, uh…"

Ruby bit back a smile. "You're kind of adorable when you're nervous," she said, straightening up and moving from behind the counter. She tugged his sleeve, prodding him to follow her to a table. "Come on."

Hook obediently followed her to a table by the window, sliding into the seat across from her. Ruby let out a breath, drumming her hands on the table.

"Okay," she said. "For real—what's up?"

Hook examined his rings, avoiding her gaze. "So, you and me have been texting back and forth lately…"

Ruby raised her eyebrows, nodding slowly. "Yeah…?"

"And it's been…successful?"

"Mmm-hm?" she prodded him.

"So maybe…" Hook trailed his finger in a circle, sneaking a glance up at her, before dropping his eyes again. "Maybe you want to go out with me-ish?"

Ruby carefully swallowed her laughter, trying to hide her smile. "Maybe."

Hook's brow twitched in frustration. "Okay, will you go out with me-ish?"

"Ish?"

Hook let out an impatient breath. "You're an impossible woman."

"Too impossible?" she asked sweetly, rather enjoying herself.

"No," he sighed. "Not too impossible."

"So, what are you asking me?"

"I'm asking you to go out with me. No ish. Better?"

Ruby inhaled deeply, considering. "Why?"

"Why?" Hook frowned. "Why what?"

"Why should I go out with you?" she shrugged. "Why do you want to go out with me?"

Hook shook his head slightly in disbelief. "Because you're pretty and I like you. Obviously."

Ruby folded her arms, leaning back in her seat. "Going to need a little more than that," she said, raising her eyebrows. "'Because you're pretty' is not a good way to win me over."

"I said, 'and I like you'," Hook said in annoyance.

"Fine. Why do you like me?"

"Because—" Hook grit his teeth in frustration, closing his eyes. "Damn it, Ruby!"

"Damn it, Hook!" she imitated.

"Why do you have to be so difficult?"

"Why do you have to be so immature?"

"Well, there has to be something wrong with me," he said reasonably.

"Clearly," Ruby agreed, narrowing her eyes.

Hook seemed to catch her meaning. "All right, fine. I like you because you're…" He waved his hand vaguely. "I don't know. You're funny."

"Funny."

"Yes, you say funny things. And you're a lot smarter than you look."

Ruby frowned, tilting her head. "Thank you…?"

"And I like when you get all snappy because you don't let people walk all over you," he went on. "And I like that I can be an idiot around you because you call me out on it without being nasty, which is more than I can say for anyone else in this damn town—cough, cough, Emma and Neal."

Ruby half-smiled. "Okay."

"You can be very sweet," he said, ticking things off on his fingers. "You're fun to be around. You don't like children, which I find very attractive in a woman, since I hate the little buggers myself. And also, I—" Hook blew out a breath, looking a little embarrassed. "I genuinely care about you."

Ruby put a hand to her heart, touched. "Hook…"

"And it is astounding how flexible you are," he added, looking at her in wonder. "I mean, my God, woman! You must have trained professionally!"

Ruby's smile faded. And the magic's gone. "Okay. Moment's over," she sighed. "Moment is definitely over."

"So….?" Hook raised an eyebrow, shrugging slightly—a pathetic attempt at nonchalance. "How'd I do?"

"Better than expected," she said truthfully. "Although, I'm not entirely reassured."

Hook winced. "Was it the flexibility comment?"

"It was the flexibility comment," she nodded.

Hook cursed under his breath.

"But…" Ruby said, looking at him carefully. "I can't say you don't have a point. I mean…I am extremely flexible."

Hook looked up disbelievingly. "Does that mean—?"

"Hang on," Ruby said, putting up a hand. "Let me just make myself clear. I am agreeing to go out with you. That does not mean I am your girlfriend. It means that we are starting over completely, okay? That means everything." She raised a meaningful eyebrow. "Okay?"

Hook nodded slowly, trailing his gaze up to the ceiling. "So none of…?" He pointed up.

Ruby shook her head.

"And none of…?" He pointed to the hall with the jukebox.

Ruby shook her head.

Hook inhaled deeply, nodding his head in consideration. "I can accept those terms."

"Good," Ruby said looking down at her hands.

"So…" Hook exhaled, drumming his fingers on the table. "Now what?"

"We could sit…Talk, maybe."

"Yeah, okay…." Hook scratched the back of his head absently. "So—what should we talk about?"

Ruby shrugged. "I don't know."

"Well…" Hook tapped the table a few times. "I don't know about you, but I find alcohol to be very conducive to conversation."

"You're an alcoholic," Ruby said exasperatedly.

"No, no, love—I'm a pirate. That's just how we communicate."

"You can't keep calling yourself a pirate. You have an iPhone."

"Only a crappy one," he said defensively.

"I don't care. You're an alcoholic."

"Not a violent one."

"A slutty one."

"I fail to see your complaint."

Ruby closed her eyes, bringing her hands to her face. "You are such a little man-whore."

"Yes, darling, but look—if the man-whore-ness was to go away? This—" he gestured vaguely at his ensemble—"would go away. You don't really want that, do you?"

Ruby thumped her head on the table. "Bring on the alcohol," she sighed. "It's exhausting talking to you."