Hello, again, lovely readers :) Sorry about the wait, my exams and such were keeping me busy. Once again, comments and reviews are welcomed and I hope my fic has lived up to your expectations. Also, I am a beta, so anyone needs anything, my door is always open. Any mistakes are mine and I apologise profusely for them.
Ruby whined upon hearing Belle's sigh through the wall, reaching out a paw to scratch at the door.
"Ruby…" Snow said gently, kneeling next to her and stroking her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ruin –" Snow was cut off by Ruby's sharp bark, but it was not aggressive. Snow looked into Ruby's eyes and saw no blame, just a little… loss. "You really like her, don't you?" Snow asked, to the air, really, more than Ruby, but Ruby held her gaze with her amber eyes, before looking away and trotting dejectedly over to the couch where she crawled up and lay down; her head on her front paws. Snow could swear Ruby's eyes looked a little watery, but she wasn't entirely sure.
"You should tell her," said Snow, walking over and sitting on the other side of the sofa. She couldn't repress the small smile, despite Ruby's obvious pining. Ruby had a chance for happiness, and Snow hadn't really approved of anyone for her best friend since Peter's… incident. But Belle seemed to be what Ruby needed. Gentle, strong, honest and she had already proven she would stick by Ruby even if everyone else was baying for her blood. Ruby raised her head and shot a look at Snow, one that the woman could easily read as "Like-it's-that-easy". Snow chuckled as Ruby laid her head back on her paws and looked longingly at nothing in particular.
"Listen to me, Ruby," said Snow, stroking her warm fur gently. "I can't think of anyone better suited to you than Belle." Ruby looked up at her, an anxious but also… hopeful look on her face. "She stuck by you before she even properly knew you. And you two got on so well from the start. She's good for you." Snow paused, letting her words sink in. She could tell Ruby was pondering her little speech. They sat in silence for a while, Snow watching the TV while Ruby's mind drifted.
When she thought about it, Ruby had to agree with Snow. She couldn't think of anyone better, anyone kinder. She knew there was something there, ever since the night she had chained Belle in the library, but she had ignored it. No, she had refused to accept it on grounds that there was no chance in hell that Belle felt the same, especially with Mr Gold in the picture. At this thought, Ruby growled out loud by accident. Snow jumped, startled. But, Mr Gold didn't seem such a large part of Belle's life anymore. Belle never mentioned him, and on the extremely rare occasion they saw each other in town, they avoided eye contact and kept walking. This gave Ruby a small amount of hope. And Belle had punched a troll in the eye to save her. And had never left her bedside until Ruby had woken up, thought Ruby, an audible whine sounding from her throat as she performed the wolf equivalent of a head-desk, covering her head with her paws. If her thoughts could settle for a moment, she'd be able to work it out. But, this was her wolf brain, which, while heightened, meant she picked up on a lot more sensory information, so her thoughts were clouded, but it also meant she was a lot easier to distract, so she didn't dwell on her problems for very long. She could let instinct take over and go with the flow, escaping her troubles for a while before having to plunge back into the human world again. The wolf-girl felt a hand gently stroking her head and back.
"Ruby, I'm going to go and make sure Regina hasn't killed Emma, alright?" said Snow, yawning tiredly as she gave her furry friend a hug. "Or vice versa, I guess," Snow pondered. Ruby rolled her eyes. The wolf-girl could think of several things the pair could be doing while Snow wasn't there. Snow caught the look in Ruby's eyes and shook her head. Snow, Ruby knew, was having trouble accepting that her former step-mother was in love with her daughter, who had also attempted to kill her family several times. "Please think about what I've said, okay, Ruby?" Ruby nodded from the sofa as Snow let herself out, a large smile on her face.
Belle sat on a bench by the harbour, her hands stuffed into her pockets to ward off the cold morning air. She stared out over the water, shuffling her feet in her boots to keep warm. Her thick black coat kept the attacking cold at bay, and her black leggings under her blue dress were nice and toasty. Her mind drifted back to when she had encountered Ruby. She couldn't help but smile at the memory; she had been terrified for a moment, only to laugh when she found out it was Ruby. So much had happened in the last few days, and she was having trouble getting it straight in her head. Regina was looking into the cause of the attack on the town; the general mess that was left behind had been cleared up. Belle had wandered through the street and, after tearing her gaze away from the diner, where she knew Ruby would be lying asleep – as Snow was probably keeping her in to let her wounds recover – and looked around the place where only a handful of hours ago had been littered with debris and bodies. Now, the only traces of the battle that remained were the few black scorch marks and red stains in the snow. Belle walked down the road, her eyes falling upon the large pile of snow where Ruby had saved her, and she had killed the troll. Mr Gold had dealt with the carcasses of the trolls using his magic, and Emma's leg was on the mend, thanks to the Blue Fairy's ministrations. Belle loved this time of morning, since her time as Mr Gold's maid; she was used to waking early, and did so nearly every morning. Usually, she would use this spare time to sort her books in the library or tidy her apartment, but recently, her mind had been elsewhere, so she couldn't concentrate. So she went out for another walk, hoping – albeit foolishly – that it would clear her head. So she walked, her feet absent-mindedly leading her back to the harbour. She had sat – after wiping the dusting of powdery snow from the seat, of course – on the bench and looked out over the water for a good ten minutes, simply thinking. The sun was a glimmering orb of golden light emerging far out across the sea, casting a gentle pink hue over the few clouds that lay scattered in the sky. Belle sighed heavily, her breath crystallising before her eyes, forming a cloud of mist.
"Morning," came a voice from behind her. Belle, startled, twisted and looked behind her, seeing the tall, slightly abashed looking Ruby standing behind her. The girl's face was pale and tired, devoid of make-up, as was Belle's own, and somehow, it made her even more beautiful. She was dressed in her customary shade of red, a fleece covered by a brown leather jacket and a pair of warm leggings covered by jeans. "Sorry," the wolf-girl apologised, feeling guilty for scaring Belle.
"Oh," said Belle, recognising the figure and relaxing. "Good morning, Ruby," she replied, her gloved hands falling back to her sides. They spent a moment looking at each other, Ruby's hazel eyes glinting in the sunlight, while Belle's aquamarine orbs were darkened by her silhouette. Then, they both looked away at the same time, both feeling a little guilty and embarrassed; Belle looking at the ground while Ruby gazed up at the sky, quite pleased that she could still see a few stars in the changing sky. The slightly awkward silence stretched on for a while, just the sounds of their breathing to fill it, when Ruby spoke.
"What are you doing out here at this time?" she asked, smiling as she stepped closer.
"I could ask you the same question," replied Belle cryptically, but with warmth.
"I heard a certain someone walking this morning and was curious," said Ruby, the smallest hint of concern only just tangible behind the friendly façade. Belle laughed and turned, oblivious to Ruby's heart melting at the beautiful sound. Belle leaned on the fence at the end of the pier, looking out over the water again.
"You're wolf hearing is impressive," Belle said as she leant on her elbows, clasping her hands together. "I couldn't sleep, so I came out to stretch my legs and clear my head."
"Oh," replied Ruby, slowly walking closer and leaning on the fence beside Belle. "Is there something troubling you?" She looked at Belle's profile, her blue eyes looking glassy as she looked over the water, the sun reflected back on itself through them.
I've been thinking about you non-stop for the past few days and I think I'm in love with you.
"It's nothing, really," said Belle, internally cursing herself at the tone of her voice. It did nothing to quell Ruby's concern. "I'm fine." I'm really not. "It's nothing to be concerned over." I really think I've fallen for you.
Ruby, though oblivious to Belle's internal battle, she knew there was more going on with the girl beneath the surface. But she knew that Belle would open up to her if she wanted, so she didn't push her. However, her heart felt heavier knowing that she couldn't help the curly haired woman standing beside her.
"I am concerned," she replied warmly, nervously wrapping her arm around Belle's. "But you know you can tell me anything. I won't judge." Ruby paused for a moment.
"Thank you," said Belle graciously, finally turning to her and meeting Ruby's gaze. "But really, don't worry about me."
"I like worrying about you," smiled Ruby, cuddling closer to Belle, who leaned her head against Ruby's shoulder. They stood like that for a few minutes, watching each other's breath fog up in front of them. Both of them were thinking along the same lines, that they should really not, that this would only make it more painful, in the long run, but neither moved.
"So what else do you hear with your uncanny abilities?" inquired Belle with a grin, turning her head to look up at Ruby, who laughed.
"A lot of things that I really shouldn't," she replied, still chuckling. They did live in a hotel, after all. And just down from the bar. "I can tune it out mostly. Some things just take me by surprise."
"How did you know it was me?" she asked, intrigued. She had always wanted to know the extent of Ruby's wolf abilities, and compare it to what she already knew from her books – though she had a feeling most of those had been fabricated to a certain extent to make them more fantastical for the storytellers.
"I know what your footsteps sound like. They're pretty light and quick, a lot softer than Emma's, but not as much of a strut as Regina's, if that makes sense. So I figured it was you." Belle began to walk along the pier; Ruby – their arms still intertwined – was inclined to follow.
"Should you be out if you're injured?" asked Belle.
"I'm fine, when I'm a wolf; I heal a lot faster, so my ribs are just a little sore."
"Handy," quipped Belle.
"Immensely," smiled Ruby. They continued with idle conversation for a few minutes, filled mostly with laughter, and somehow, they managed to walk ever so slightly closer than they already were with every passing minute. Belle thoroughly enjoyed their conversation, and when they were together, but she knew that when Ruby ultimately found someone – which wouldn't be hard, she was beautiful – Belle would be heart broken. She already knew she was being more than obvious; whenever they were together in the diner or somewhere and a guy would chat up Ruby, Belle would find herself in a very foul mood to put it lightly, and went quiet for ages afterwards. She didn't mean to, but the alternative was her storming out in her mood and then Ruby would no doubt work out what was happening, and that would lead to awkward questions. At least this way, she knew she if she could bite her tongue until the guy in question left, she would warm up again after around five minutes of cold detachment and sarcastic comments. Little did she know that Ruby had become suspicious of these times, she had noticed that whenever she praised a guy on his appearance in Belle's presence, the shorter woman would suddenly grow colder, her usually cheerful mood disappearing as fast as the sun behind a cloud. The only reason she flirted so much with people was because it made her feel good, and she saw no harm in it. But, since she discovered she might have feelings for her friend, she never started the flirting, and she hadn't slept with anyone for a good while. She assumed that Belle was just a little annoyed because usually the men would interrupt their conversation, but now she suspected – or hoped – that there was another reason. Sighing audibly, Belle decided just to enjoy her time with Ruby, while she still had it. Already, she had an irrational disliking of Dr Whale, who leered shamelessly at Ruby whenever they passed. The man had wished her a good morning a few days previously, and Belle couldn't help but glare at him. She recovered quickly though, and was polite as ever, but it was forced. She wished she could just tell Ruby how she felt, but of course, she couldn't bring herself to do it. If Ruby rejected her, she didn't know how she would react. Why would she be interested in me, anyway?
Pull yourself together, Ruby, she loves Gold, he's her True Love, there's no way you can beat that, thought Ruby as she stopped herself from pressing even closer to Belle. Swallowing her resignation to this fact, she noticed one of her bootlaces was undone. Unlooping her arm from Belle's, she looked down to see the young woman's inquisitive look.
"You go on, my lace needs tied," she smiled, kneeling in the snow to retie it. Belle smiled that beautiful smile that only seemed to occur when Ruby was in the room, and then continued at a slower pace. Ruby couldn't help glancing up to watch her retreating form. Tying the final knot, she brushed the snow off of her jeans, when an idea struck her. It was incredibly immature, her more sensible side warned, but Ruby was inclined not to listen to that side very often. She crouched again, grinning.
"Ruby!" exclaimed Belle as she whipped around, shaking her head to dislodge the snow. "So mature!" she yelled at the tall figure doubled over with laughter. She really tried to sound annoyed, but her own laughter somehow crept through. Grinning fiendishly, she gathered a much larger snowball while Ruby was busy laughing, and hurled it across the gap between them, striking Ruby in the forehead. Ruby was silenced immediately, taken by surprise. There was a tense moment, when the two glared at each other, grinning like loons, until Belle took off at a run and Ruby shook the snow from her face and gave chase. Belle only got a few metres before Ruby blurred to a halt in front of her, effectively causing Belle to crash into her, sending them both tumbling to the ground. Ruby hit the ground first, cushioning Belle's fall, but the snow made a relatively soft landing for her.
"Oh, Ruby, I'm sorry. Are you okay?" asked Belle, fighting her giggles.
"Don't worry about it, I'm fine," she replied. Her mouth suddenly went dry as she realised how close they were to each other, Belle's body pressed firm against Ruby's, a lock of curls brushing against Ruby's neck.
"You cheat, you used wolf powers!" laughed Belle, picking up a fistful of snow and shoving it in Ruby's face. Ruby growled playfully and rolled over, so that Belle was beneath her. Belle struggled to move for a few seconds, but eventually gave in. She glanced up nervously, Ruby's hazel eyes only a few inches from her own. They paused, their smiles frozen on their faces as it hit them both simultaneously of what could happen.
"Ruby…" said Belle, her voice shaking ever so slightly. Ruby's face seemed closer, Belle was unsure who had moved, or if they both had.
"Yes?" breathed Ruby, her voice tinted with uncustomary huskiness. Belle could feel Ruby's breath on her face.
"Is this…?" she began, but tailed off, words failing her. This felt completely different to what she had with Gold. She had loved him, true, but he refused to change. And here was beautiful, funny, amazing Ruby. How could she compare the two?
"Do you want me to stop?" whispered Ruby. She loved Belle, but she didn't want to do anything to make her uncomfortable. She desperately wanted to kiss those beautiful lips mere inches from her own.
"No," Belle managed to say, and raised her head a little, locking lips with Ruby, who reciprocated longingly. Belle felt the clichéd 'time slowing down', 'not caring about anything other than her lips on Ruby's' reaction. Well, maybe the second was a bit less common to everyone else, but she didn't care. Her right hand on Ruby's cheek, her left on Ruby's waist. The feeling of Ruby's gloved hand on her neck; the warmth of the woman pressing into Belle's body was intoxicating. Soon enough, too soon, it seemed, they broke apart. After a moment of just looking at each other, Ruby spoke.
"Should I not have done that?" she asked, uncharacteristically shy, even though technically, it had been Belle who started it.
"On the contrary. If anything, I want you to do it again," smiled Belle, and Ruby grinned her adorable grin, leaning down to kiss Belle again. After a moment, Belle groaned and sat up. At Ruby's questioning look, Belle stood and brushed down the back of her coat.
"Snow melts, Ruby," she said, jokingly condescending, making Ruby laugh and apologise. They linked arms and wandered back to town, never separating until Ruby offered to make Belle breakfast.