"How did you sleep last night?" Belle asked Gold the next morning as they were being seated into a booth in the diner next to the motel that they'd spent the night.
"Uh well" Gold lied through his teeth. Not wanting for her to know that the sofa he'd slept on had been the most uncomfortable piece of furniture in the world and also that his knee was killing him from all the time driving the day before. "And yourself?" he asked her as he picked up one of the menus from the middle of the table.
"Well thank you" Belle nodded as she browsed the menu. Not mentioning how she'd noticed that he was leaning more on his cane this morning. She herself also hadn't slept so well. How one day had changed her life.
"Good" Gold mumbled. Both very much interested in their menus.
The bubbly waitress who had seated them came skipping over to help alleviate the awkwardness that had developed between the two who had been so comfortable the day before.
"What can I get you guys?" She asked, her bubbliness certainly not rubbing off on either Gold or Belle.
"Tea and Pancakes" came two voices at once.
"Alrighty then" the women grinned before scribbling down the order of two teas and a two orders of pancakes. Meanwhile Belle and Gold were staring at one another in amazement. Two minds seemed to think alike.
Belle and Gold sat looking at one another for a moment before Belle, never being able to go long without some sort of conversation spoke "so how long have you been in America?" she asked leaning forward on the table, resting on her elbows.
"About twenty years" he confessed "And yourself?" Belle could feel Gold relax and noticed that his lips quirked up in an almost smile.
"I came over when I was thirteen" she confessed.
"So ten years ago?" Gold almost snorted as the waitress came over with their cups of tea.
"Almost" Belle smiled over the rim of her tea cup. "So what do you do for a living?" she asked after a moment.
"Didn't realise we were playing a game of twenty questions dearie" Gold almost mocked.
"We're not but I'd like to know more about my knight in Armani" Belle quipped with a sweet smile that Gold almost didn't think he could stand the sight of.
"Hardly a knight dearie" He mumbled into his tea with his thick Scottish brogue.
Belle sighed with frustration. How could one man be so infuriating, so stubborn, think so little of himself? "Well any matter, if we're going to be spending some time together, I'd like to get to know you" she looked down into her tea.
"I'm a lawyer" he admitted after a while.
Belle beamed at the fact she'd got a response "So you were at the court house for a case?" she assumed.
"Uhhh Yes" Gold nodded sheepishly. Not wanting her to see straight through his lie. Well it wasn't really a lie more of a half truth. Yeah that was right, he was only telling her half of the truth.
"Did you lose or win?" she asked as the waitress came back with their pancakes dripping with syrup.
The waitress placed the hot plates down in front of the customers as Gold looked at the white table top and mumbled "Lost…so much"
The brunet beauty eyed the man who sat opposite her. She'd heard what he'd said, but she thought she'd let it rest, he'd let her know enough for now. So instead of asking more questions she drank her tea and ate her pancakes, excited that perhaps she'd found a mystery of a man who was worth uncovering.
….
Once both were full of breakfast, the pair hit the road again. The day had become more humid than the day before so Belle had lowered her window a little, letting a pleasant breeze through the car.
Gold couldn't help but glance at his car companion every now and then, the sun hitting her just right, making her eyes shine like emeralds and her brunet curls fell around her face, framing her porcelain skin.
He didn't realise he'd been staring at her until there came a beep from the car behind him and found that the traffic light had turned green and it was safe for him to move on.
"You okay?" Belle asked him after a moment. She still felt like she was walking on egg shells around him after pretending to not hear him in the diner and yet still wanting to know more about him, to find out what on earth he could be hiding.
"I'm fine" he assured her "One of the signs back there mentioned a mall" he began. "We should get you out of those clothes perhaps" he suggested then realised how what he'd said could have been taken offensively "I…I mean….We can get you clothes….more your own uh style" He fumbled with his words as he tried to fix what he'd originally said.
Belle suppressed a giggle as she leant across the car and squeezed his hand that was on the gear stick as she proclaimed "It's alright, I know what you meant"
He felt a little relived but also surprised at her touch. They pulled into the car park for the large mall. Gold's stomach dropped. He was going to have to go clothes shopping. Something he hated on the best of days. He just hoped that with such lovely company it would only get better .
"You should get some clothes too" Belle mused as she looked out of the window to see if she could spot a space. "Ooh there's one there" she pointed to one right near the entrance.
"What?" Gold asked, shifting his gaze from the front window to his passenger and then back again.
"There's a space right there" Belle told him excitedly pointing to the space in question.
"No….why would I need new clothes?"
"As nice as it looks, you can't be comfortable in that suit" she mused as Gold parked the Cadillac into the location that she suggested.
"I suppose I could be persuaded" he told her with a quirk of his lips and for once a little jovial glint in his brown eyes.
Half an hour later Gold found himself standing outside a womens changing room. Around him there seemed to be many men in the same situation as he. Many held large brown bags that were almost breaking under the weight of the contense they contained, others held many items of women's clothing, one man had so many items of clothing to hold that he had to balance a pair of stilettos on one finger.
Gold sighed and looked down and was glad that he wasn't holding anything yet. He looked to his side and caught the eye of one man who said "Women huh" and grinned.
The older man was unsure what to say so just mumbled an uncharacteristic "yeah" before looking down at his shoes, yet the other man continued to talk.
"I mean she's killing my bank account you know….But I love her" the young man mused.
Then another man piped up saying something like "I hear you brother" and another saying "So true man". Gold decided to keep his head down, hoping to avoid the chat from the other gentlemen.
Not soon enough Belle emerged changed into a pretty Blue dress with lace detailing and a black belt and a pair of black high heels.
"Oh thank God" Gold mumbled as he pushed himself off of the wall he'd been leaning on and wrapped an arm around her shoulder to lead her away from the gaggle of men who were ogling her far too much for his liking.
"Everything okay?" Belle asked him in concern as he led her quickly away.
"Just fine dearie" he assured her.
As she was led away Belle noticed the men's section. "Come on" she told him, suddenly grabbing his hand and dragging him into the men's wear section.
The beauty then spent the next ten minutes holding up t-shirts and shirts trying to see what would look best on the man in front of her. Gold didn't know why but he found the fact she wanted him to wear bright t-shirts with pictures and quotes to which he didn't know what they referenced rather amusing.
"Okay…Okay what about this one?" Belle asked him after a moment, holding up a maroon t-shirt advertising Johnny Walker whisky, "I saw the bottle in the back of your car, Can't deny you don't like the stuff" she teased before moving on to looking at jeans, the t-shirt she spoke of still in her hand.
Gold found himself smiling, yes Robert Gold was smiling and not at his son but at a beautiful, enchanting, smart, funny women. Woah…when had she been all those things? Why was he thinking this? What was wrong with him?
"Excuse me but can I help you?" the man turned to find that a leggy, redhead with vicious green eyes was standing far too close to him than he would have liked.
"Uh…Uh I…I don't think so" He told her, feeling rather awkward, almost wishing Belle would come and drag him away.
"Are you sure" the women asked, her English accent unnerving him a little.
"Perfectly" Gold tried to side step the lady but alas she moved into his path, he was trapped.
The women flipped her hair over her shoulder "It's just that your daughter seemed to be showing clothes that didn't….Didn't quite suit a man of your stature" she said eyeing the man in front of her from head to toe.
Gold almost choked when the women thought Belle was his daughter. "Uh She's not…" he began but then Belle just like magic the women in question appeared.
"Hey honey, I found the perfect jeans for you" she grinned, snaking an arm around his waist and kissing him lightly on the cheek. The brunette then pretended to notice the redhead "Oh Hello" she almost grinned "Is something the problem?" she asked.
"Just suggesting some fashion advice for your uuuh" The redhead began, motioning to Gold.
"Fiancé" Belle faked a girly giggle before pulling him tighter to her and making sure that the redhead caught sight of the large diamond engagement ring she still wore as she began to fiddle with the top button of his shirt.
Finally the women took the hint. "Oh okay, well if you need anything, just ask for Zelena, I'm the manager of this department store" she told them, eyeing gold one last time before walking away as fast as she could in her green stiletto's.
As quick as a flash Belle turned to Gold, her brown curls twirling behind her "Let's go pay shall we" she told him as if nothing had happened. She walked away without getting a response. Gold stood gormlessly behind her, not sure what to say or do. He finally settled on "I'm not getting a pair of jeans!"
Belle just looked at him with a look that said he was buying himself a pair of jeans. Later that day he decided that jeans were definitely more comfortable than the suit trousers he was used to.