He had just checked the guest bedroom for the fourth time when he heard her come in the front door.
"Rob where are you? I've got bags that need carrying because Vampire Diaries is on in two minutes!" She yelled and he heard a thud as she dropped them in the foyer. "Actually scratch that, I'll get the bags later."
He made his way downstairs and followed her shoes to find her barefoot and curled up on the couch with a bag of banana chips. She patted the space next to her.
"Oh no, I am not watching this again," he objected. "I'm going to make some dinner."
She shook her head, "No! You have to watch it with me! I'll let you make fun of everything and everyone except Joseph Morgan!"
"I take it he's the English lad?" he groaned when she pulled him down."
"Mhm, now quiet for the opening," she ordered with a finger to his lips.
He took a couple of chips and threw one at her before eating the second. He stayed quiet until the first commercial when he complained again about the concept and the fact that it was garnered towards teenagers.
"I mean come on," he groaned, "every time they pull out their cell phones it's like a 30-second commercial explaining everything the phone can do! And don't even get me started on the story itself."
She smiled, "Go on, you have free complaint range."
He stood up, "It's not even fun when you allow me to complain…" he muttered. "I'm ordering takeout. What would you like?"
"Kung pao chicken and potstickers!" she called as he went into the kitchen for a menu.
"Sizzling rice soup as well?" he called back.
"Yes please!"
He called in the order and thought about sneaking off to his office, but heard an English accent and knew he had to break Belle's stipulation. "Did he just rip someone's heart out? This is who you find attractive Belle? I'm worried about the next guy you'll pick you be in a relationship with."
"You're not allowed to talk about him Rob! One rule! I had one rule!" she exclaimed without looking away from the TV.
"I'll be sure to stage an intervention when the time comes sweetheart. Or is it love this episode?" He laughed and ducked under the oncoming pillow.
"Go get the food!" She groaned.
He flopped down smugly, "They're delivering, love." He wrapped his arms around her blocking the view.
"Go get it anyway and get off me," she laughed. She successfully pushed his left arm from around her face, but didn't bother with the right one that held her close.
"I still don't understand your attraction to him. I get that you adore accents, but he kills people, with absolutely no remorse."
She looked away to glare at him, "It's just a show."
"Yes, that's poisoning teenage girls' minds. 'Oh he has an accent? Stay with him even though he's a terrible person!'"
Belle turned back to him to retort, but stopped when a pounding at the door made them turn their heads.
"That's definitely not Tom with the takeout. I thought Gaston would be too afraid to come here," she said with a faint tremor in her voice.
"He's probably drunk," he murmured while standing up.
She grabbed his hand, "What are you going to do Robert?"
"Get him off of my porch. I want you to go upstairs to the library or the guest bedroom and wait. I'll deal with Gaston." He pulled her up and led her up the stairs.
While he ushered her up the stairs Gaston started yelling at the door, "Belle I know you're in there! I don't care if you're shagging the old man, but you are not breaking off this—"
Gold opened the door before he could finish. "Get off my porch," he growled.
"Where's Belle?"
"Not anywhere you're going to get to her." His grip tightened on his cane and Gaston took a step forward. "Leave. Now."
"Bring it on. We'll see who's worry, I mean worthy." He stepped forward to attempt to lean on the door.
Gold rolled his eyes and lashed his cane out at Gaston's shins, forcing him to drop with a cry. Then a quick hit to the head knocked him out cold.
He closed the door, located his cell phone, and dialed the number for the sheriff. "Hello Sheriff Swan, I've got an unconscious Le Reux on my front porch that I'd like arrested for trespassing. Oh, I'm sure you'll be able to cuff him easily if you come within the hour. Thank you."
His head shot up when a quiet knock sounded. He opened it to find a frightened Tom glancing between Gold and Gaston. Gold handed him a $100 bill, "Speak of this to no one or I'll have your head."
Tom nodded, hurriedly handed Gold the food, and scampered back to his car.
He placed the food in the kitchen, locked the door, and then headed up to the library. Belle wasn't there so he checked the guest bedroom and found she wasn't there either. "Belle! Where are you?"
"In here," her voice replied from his bedroom. He stood in the door frame and gave her a quizzical look as she sat cross-legged on his bed. "I didn't want to hear what you did or said to him."
"It was quick. Swan's on her way. The food's downstairs." He sat next to her, "Are you okay?"
She nodded, "More annoyed than frightened."
"Of course," he chuckled.
She leaned her head on his shoulder, "Thank you Robert."
"No problem Belle," he set his chin on her head. "Hungry?"
"Not now…Maybe after Emma gets here."
He nodded his head still against hers, "Alright." The doorbell rang. "Speak of the devil. I'll be right back."
He walked downstairs and opened the door to see Emma Swan alone on the porch with an exasperated look on her face.
"What happened Gold?"
"Well good evening to you as well Sheriff Swan. How has your evening with Mr. Jefferson Jefferson been?" he replied and leaned on his cane.
"Cut the crap. My evening's been ruined because now I've got an unconscious man in the back of my car, with a welt on the side of his head that looks vaguely like it could have come from a cane. Care to explain?"
"Well Mr. Le Reux came here intoxicated, yelling about wanting his ex-fiancé, and in turn threatened me when I told him she was not here. He proceeded to attempt to make his way into my home so I was forced to take action and defend myself," he replied as innocently as possible.
Emma took a deep breath and rolled her eyes while shaking her head, "Is Belle here now?"
Gold hesitated, but was saved from lying when Belle answered from the top of the stairs. "I'm here. Everything he said is true," she replied while coming down.
Emma glanced between them, one of whom had added an old Harvard law sweater to her outfit. She sighed again. "Would you like to press charges?"
"A restraining order will do just fine," Belle replied politely.
"Alright, I'll be back in the morning after I hear Gaston's side after a night locked up." She walked back to her car and drove off.
"You couldn't have waited until after the sheriff was gone to add to your outfit?" Gold muttered while closing the door.
"It's cold," she shrugged.
"You have a sweater," he grumbled and walked into the kitchen to pull the food out.
She helped him and grabbed some glasses for water. "This one is comfier. I didn't realize you were one to have school spirit."
"I didn't. It was rainy one day and I lost my coat. That's beside the point." He looked her in the eye. "There's already enough talk. Why would you add to the fodder so soon after your dis-engagement?"
"It was just Emma! Who's she going to tell? Jefferson? Mary-Margaret and David? She's not a gossip. It's just a sweater Rob!" She huffed and pulled it off, slinging it against the chair. "There? Happy?"
"Not exactly," he muttered.
She threw her hands up, "I can't win with you, you insufferable man! What do you want from me?"
"I think the proper question is what do you want from me? What are we even doing Belle? What is this between us?"
She looked away for a second and fiddled with the glasses in front of her, "I'm not sure anymore. You're my best friend and I care too much about you. For you! I don't even understand."
"Belle I care about you a lot," he swallowed and closed his eyes briefly. "I just don't want you to get hurt."
She smiled and looked up at him, "I wouldn't get hurt with you. That's one thing I understand."
"That's not true. I can't protect you from everything. I just…Belle…" He leaned his head onto his forearm on the cabinet above him. "This town is poison. I'm poison."
She turned his head to face her and his arm dropped, "No you're not. Robert you are not poison." She leaned toward him and it's unexpected, but clearly not unexpected enough since he leaned to meet her lips, and slowly but surely after their lips met he turned to face and bring her closer. And by some miracle he's able to move his hands and her hair is so soft and she matched his movements and pulled him even closer which makes him chuckle.
"Well that was unexpected…" he murmured against her lips when they finally pulled apart to rest their foreheads against each other.
"Was it?" she asked incredulously.
He shook his head, "Only somewhat."
"Smug bastar—" she started before he silenced her with another kiss.
"You insult me too much," he murmured against the side of her mouth.
She laughed, "I'm sorry. It's just the truth. You are incredibly smug, especially right now."
"'Especially right now?' Well I've got a good reason to be smug." He kissed her nose.
"You do," she agreed. "And the food's here so I have a reason to be pretty happy too."
His mouth dropped open as she stepped away to make a plate. He held his hand to his heart affronted, "That hurts Belle."
"I'm only teasing," she replied and kissed his nose. "I apologize."
"Oh you'll be sorry when we don't finish Vampire Diaries," he threatened.
She watched him make his plate quietly and then replied with a mischievous smile, "Oh, I don't think I will."
Then as she walked off with a smug grin, his hand faltered and dropped the spoon he was using. He wasn't sure where there relationship was heading, but he liked the way it was looking.
I'm a horrible person I know. It's been months. Plural. Months. If you're still following this cheers to you. I'm not even going to promise you anything though. You'd think after two years I'd get used to a college load of homework and attempting to mix it with theatre and work, but nah I haven't. But you don't care about that you care about Rumbelle! So I do have the next part all written out on paper, but that's not a promise that it will be typed.
I do have a different AU typed up in bits and pieces so look out for that unless you're just totally interested in this then I will make this promise that I won't give up on this story until I give up on OUAT and/ or Rumbelle.