Title: Love's a Witch
Summary: It's Valentine's Day in Storybrooke and a former sea witch has her sights set on reclaiming her former love. Unfortunately her spell instead effects, and reunites, another pair of the town's residents.
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: 1x12
Pairings/Characters: Vanessa/Gaston, Ruby/Gold, Granny, Emma, Regina, Mary Margaret, David, Belle, Ashley/Sean, mentions others
Disclaimer: Once Upon a Time is not owned by me, but by ABC. I'm simply borrowing these characters for non-profit entertainment.
A/N: I started writing this before 1x12 aired so while it holds minor spoilers for that, it would now clearly be AU.
Chapter 3 - Cupid's Day Off:
When she heard the jangle of the bell above the door, Ruby turned from her seat at the counter, and smiled. "Guess we're both early," she stated when she saw Mr. Gold limping into the diner.
"Indeed," he smiled back despite his initial surprise of seeing her there in place of Granny. He had expected her of all people to have plans tonight, even a date. As he looked to her nicely styled hair and quite form-fitting red dress and black tights, he guessed he had been right. But that still didn't explain why she was there. Finally, he added, "I apologize if the hour's taken you from your plans tonight. I expected to find your granny here."
Ruby shrugged. "Actually you did me a favor. I tried to do something nice for some of my friends, but it didn't exactly work out."
"That's a shame."
"I guess. But here you go. It's all here according to Granny," she replied as she handed him the roll of cash.
"As always," he smiled as he took it.
Ruby watched him as he did, not unlike any other time. It wasn't often enough that she got to see him or be around him. In fact she had been a little surprised when Granny had told her she wanted her to meet him here tonight, often seeming to want to protect her from him though Ruby hardly understood why.
Just as he was about to bid her good night, Mr. Gold's eyes met hers once more. And what he saw in them made him realize just what a mistake it had been to talk to her about anything more than the payment he was owed. Perhaps even what a mistake it was to walk into the diner when he realized she had been there in place of her granny.
"Um, while you're here, do you want some coffee?" she asked him, part of her almost desperate for him to stay.
"I'm afraid I don't have the time. But thank you for the offer," he replied. "Have a nice night, Ruby," he added as he turned to head out. Had he wanted her back for all of this time since being in Storybrooke? Yes. Vanessa had been right about that the day before. But he had also known to keep Regina from knowing who had since captured his heart for fear of what she may do to her as a way to punish him. Again.
Ruby remained at her seat for a moment, trying to understand the swirling of her thoughts. It wasn't exactly news, or maybe even that well kept of a secret, that she was attracted to Mr. Gold. But for some reason she hadn't actually allowed herself to act on the urges that tended to manifest in her mind when she was near him.
Not until tonight. She had been drinking earlier, she was lonely and it was Valentine's Day. She was relieved to know she had not one but three excuses to fall back on should her plan backfire.
"Mr. Gold!" she called as she jogged out of the diner to follow him, careful not to endanger her newest pair of stiletto heels, or her ankles, by running as she would have ordinarily wished to do.
He turned, beginning to worry what had brought her out here like this. He had an idea, sure, but he almost hoped he was wrong. "What is it, Ruby?" he asked when she was just in front of him.
She took a deep, steadying breath. "There's something I forgot to tell you earlier, and I really didn't want it to wait."
"Alright. What?" he asked.
Ruby wasn't sure what else to say, she almost couldn't make herself say anything. So she decided on the tried and true method of letting her actions speak louder than her words possibly ever could. Before she could let herself even think of anything else, she moved close captured his lips between her own.
Gold both heard and felt her sigh out when he slipped his left arm around her and held her closer to him. He hated himself for it, but he was weaker than he often let on and even if it was somewhat because of a spell, he knew he wouldn't have traded that moment for nearly anything.
With one hand finally in his hair and the other to his shoulder, Ruby couldn't help but revel in the fact he not only wasn't pushing her away but he didn't seem to want to keep their kiss soft or timid any more than she did. At least not until their need for oxygen was becoming too great to continue to ignore.
"Ruby -" he tried as he began to get his breath back when she finally broke their heated kiss, only then reminded they were still practically in the middle of the otherwise deserted street.
"I've wanted to do that for a really long time," she admitted between her own breaths.
"You have?" It made sense given what he knew of love spells; specifically how they couldn't create love but could instead make the love that was already there known. Of course that would have been Vanessa's spell, he realized. She was looking to reunite with her former husband after all. Still, it made him wonder if Ruby had since begun to remember anything of their past, if she knew why she felt this way about him.
"Yeah, I guess I just got tired of waiting," she told him. She didn't expect him to kiss her back or even do anything but leave. But even if she had just embarrassed herself, she was glad she had finally done it. She guessed not many in Storybrooke could say they had gotten to kiss Mr. Gold, but she had. And she had liked it.
"Why me?" he asked before he could stop himself. Part of him had just wanted to leave, hopefully letting Vanessa's magic run its course and have everything go back to normal in a day or two. But then he also knew that if he was going to get this honest answer out of Ruby now would be the time.
"Because you're not like anyone else here, and neither am I. Plus there is something a little extra hot about you being the one Regina's afraid of instead of you being yet another person who's afraid of her."
"Hot?" he asked, amused.
Ruby laughed, nearly blushing. "Well you are."
With a slight tilt of his head and a smile, deciding this may be the chance he needed to see how much she might remember about their past, he asked, "In that case, if you're finished at the diner tonight, would you care for a walk home?"
"The walk home after the kiss... See? I told you we're not like most of the others here," she smirked back before accepting his offer, going back only for a minute to lock up.
Minutes later when they reached the steps of the inn, Ruby couldn't stop herself before asking, "Do you want to come in? If you don't have anywhere else to be, that is?"
"I'm not sure that's such a good idea. Your granny could be home any minute and I'm not sure tonight -"
"Granny won't be back until much later, maybe morning. And I figure since you decided to show up at the diner when you did that you didn't exactly have the most romantic plans for the night either. So, if you want to come in and commiserate over this insanely irrational holiday, you're more than welcome."
That pleading in her eyes was back, that same look she'd had when she had wanted him to stay back at the diner. Maybe she just didn't want to be alone. And frankly neither did he right then, particularly not when his other option was to spend just a bit more time with her. This night had already been trying enough for him. He decided it might be nice to actually spend just a little longer with someone who clearly wanted him around. With a nod, he agreed and followed her into the bed and breakfast.
"I must say I find it quite hard to believe you didn't have better plans tonight yourself," he stated as she closed the door after him.
"I told you at the diner, my plans didn't work out. It was supposed to be a Girls Night Out thing, but then one of them got engaged and the other spent the whole time trying to ignore her would-be boyfriend. Really, it's all just a pointless commercial holiday," Ruby sighed.
"Indeed. And sometimes it becomes so commercialized some have to buy for more than one love," Mr. Gold agreed, thinking back to David.
"David Nolan?" she guessed, remembering not only having seen David and Mary Margaret at the diner that morning but also seeing David at the bar staring, once again, at Mary Margaret the whole time.
"He really does lack a certain subtlety, doesn't he?" he replied with a slow shake of his head, disappointed in the younger man.
"Well, I'll freely admit that sometimes subtlety is overrated. If someone had wanted to spend today, or tonight, with me I'd have rather heard them say it than try to get me to notice in other ways. Flowers and drinks are nice, but I think more direct actions are often better. But then even the bar was pretty much dead once Sean proposed. I think the other guys were all afraid any girl who went up to them would be expecting the same. I mean, even David left after that."
He nodded, knowing he could understand that. "Well speaking of subtlety and wishing for the lack thereof, I must admit your own lack of subtlety tonight was quite appreciated."
She laughed. "I thought for sure you'd push me away."
On any other day he might have, he knew. Instead he just shook his head.
"You know, it's still a little early... depending on your definition of almost midnight anyway. And I know it's not rose petals and candlelight, but if you're interested, there isn't anyone I'd rather spend tonight with than you," she told him.
That initial reaction to decline was back as soon as the words had fallen from her lips. But in truth Gold still felt very much the same about her. With that, and with his own previous hurt and senses of loneliness clouding his judgment, he agreed. He would have to talk to Vanessa tomorrow about re-tooling her spells so they would go according to her plans, but for tonight all he wanted to think about was Ruby.
It was when the sun rose the next morning that he realized he had gotten his wish. Still in Ruby's bed beside her, her head pillowed atop his bare chest, a faint smile still on her lips. It was an image almost identical to so many from their past he had never allowed himself to completely forget.
At the same time he knew Granny was likely back and while he wasn't used to having to think of ways to explain what he was doing there at such an early hour, he had an easy excuse at the ready. If he ran into Granny on his way out, he was sure he could tell her that he had run even later than anticipated the night before and had gotten the payment from Ruby then instead.
"You're going?" Ruby asked sleepily as Mr. Gold maneuvered carefully out from under her.
"I have to, I'm afraid. We wouldn't wish for anyone to find out about this so soon, would we?"
Ruby shrugged. She really wouldn't have cared, but she guessed she could understand why he would. "Will I see you later?" she asked as he began to dress.
"Would you like to?" he asked, his eyes meeting hers. True he had realized which type of spell Vanessa had clearly cast, but there being so many variations he couldn't be sure if hers had been one to run out at the end of the previous night or if this had nothing to do with that and was really Ruby still feeling the same as she had the night before.
"I told you last night I'd been waiting for forever to finally kiss you. If you want this to be a one-time deal, it can be. But that's not exactly what I had in mind." She almost couldn't believe she was admitting this, she had typically been content to keep most of her relationships attachment free. But clearly any of her previous rules had gone flying out the window when it came to Mr. Gold. There really hadn't ever been anyone else to make her feel the way he did, even before that previous night.
She did also enjoy the irony that Granny had clearly thought her plan to have her come back to the diner to pay Mr. Gold would keep her from going home with anyone or getting laid. Instead she had just helped her get a Valentine's night with the man she wanted most. And in her own bed
Taking in her words, Mr. Gold smiled. "You can see me any time you wish, Ruby."
He left her soon after he had finished dressing, but not without a final kiss. Still, he knew he had to recover quickly from these apparent revelations about how things had just changed for him. He wasn't willing to wait any longer to see the witch responsible for this. Not even to call and warn her that he was on his way.
Groaning almost the whole way down her staircase at the sound of the insistent knocking at her door, Vanessa hoped she wouldn't trip on her purple satin robe. Her head still throbbed from having continued her pity party when she had gotten home, but she knew she shouldn't have been surprised to see it was Storybrooke's pawnbroker at her door.
Pulling open her door, she told him, "If you've come to -"
"What, exactly, did you do?" he asked her through nearly clenched teeth.
"Tried to do," she corrected, knowing he could only be talking about her spell. "I failed, you were right. Are you happy?"
"Quite not. Because as I seem to recall I tried to warn you that your spell may not go as you had intended and clearly I was right."
Vanessa looked him over that time. He was angrier than she had anticipated; which didn't make sense to her. But she did recognize his suit. Right down to his black and red tie. It was then she began to laugh despite her apparent hangover. No wonder he was angry! Her spell had worked! Only it had worked the way she had feared the day before, that it had worked for others but not herself.
Still laughing, she asked, "You've come to me this very bright and early morning because you wish to complain that your pet remembers now? Or do you simply have her back in your lap even without her memories? In either case, why would you be here? Why not indulge in a day of divine deviancy with her?"
"I warned you," he stated, fighting to keep his composure.
She turned serious then, realizing he wasn't seeing the humor as she did. "Indeed you did, Gold. But you seem to have gotten what you wished for all the same. Unless of course that isn't in fact the same suit you were wearing yesterday. Myself, however..."
"You only needed to ask. I could have found him for you. I could have led him here and to you."
"And at what cost?" she asked with a tilt of her head.
"Somehow I think your price would have still been less than my own at the moment," he replied sorrowfully.
She scoffed. "How is that? How could my price already be any worse?"
With that Mr. Gold gripped his cane tighter and moved close. Lowering his voice, he told her, "Do you think I wished for Regina to know that there is someone else she could take from me? You remember well what a cherished sport that was for her. As for the price between us, if you had come to me first, we could have worked that out. It would have been simpler than proving to Regina she isn't the only one who has retained her memories or powers."
"If you were to find Gaston and lead him here as you claim you could have then I would say we would be even. After all it does appear that it is in thanks to my spell that you have in fact gotten what you have wanted most. Even if Regina were to know of it you have gained comfort, companionship and the possible love of a girl that almost every other man in town would kill for even a night with."
"And for how long do you think that will last once Regina sees it for herself?"
"Well that would depend, wouldn't it? Perhaps you could simply say 'please' to Regina as you clearly enjoy; to 'please' not repeat her past actions where your pet is concerned, for starters."
Gold sighed. "Do you wish to know where your beloved is now or not?" He couldn't take this conversation any longer. Not with his fears overtaking his already troubled mind.
"Get him to come here. Tell him about the tavern up the street if you must, just see to it he comes to this side of the sea. I returned your lover to you, albeit unintentionally. Now you can return mine to me."
Mr. Gold agreed with a nod and turned back to where his car was waiting.