She had barely opened the library when a customer walked in. No, not a customer – it was Mr. Gold. She beamed at him, but he merely stood at the entrance, leaning on his cane with a severe expression on face. "Good Morning, Miss French. I'm here for the rent" he announced formally, without a hint of a smile or kindness.

What the…? She swallowed the prick of bitterness and took an envelope from a locked drawer. He still stood at the entrance, not moving a single hair closer to her, so she approached him and handed the envelope to him. "Here, all the money, as always" she said and waited. He surely would say something, anything acknowledging that she was at least a little something more to him than just a rent contract, right?

He was so nice yesterday after all, and said he wanted to see her again; he had kissed her, and started to call her Belle instead of Miss French…

But then he took the envelope from her hand, avoiding any brush between their fingers, nodded, then and turned around to leave.

Now, Belle had always liked to think that she was a responsible, mature, and independent young woman, so, she always tried to act her best no matter what situation came about her, always keeping a level head on her shoulders no matter what life threw at her. But seeing the man of her dreams, the one that had so tenderly held her and kissed her with suppressed passion just the night before, just walk away as if she were nothing to him…

Well, she kind of snapped.

"What the hell you think you're doing?!" she shouted and smacked him in the shoulder blade, before she could think twice.

He turned to her with an angry expression. "You should be more careful, Miss French" he but snarled at her, and that did nothing but piss her off even more. She felt utterly infuriated.

"Yesterday you were nice, you said you liked our date and you kissed me! And now you're behaving like nothing had happened! What am I to you, some toy?! You think I don't have feelings?! Or that you can just play with them?!" she yelled at him, and before she could stop herself, she felt hot tears fall down her cheeks. She truly felt like a wreck.

She didn't want him to see her tears, she felt mortified that she would just burst out crying for a man that she only had gone out with for two "dates", so she covered her face with her hands, feeling the heat that was radiating off her flushed cheeks of embarrassment, and tried her damndest to make it stop. Normally she wouldn't behave like that, but she really wanted this to work out, and he was… he was…

"I'm sorry…" she heard him saying repentantly and then felt his hand on her owns, pulling them away from her face. He gently lifted her chin, so she had to look into his brown eyes. "I'm sorry I made you feel like that… It was not my intention… It's just… I…" he stammered and took a deep breath, while wiping away the tears on her cheeks. "I am not an easy man, Belle. On the contrary, really, I… I don't trust people. I push people away. And people don't like me. I…" he took another deep breath and withdrew his hand, resting it on top of his second hand on the cane. "I was afraid I misread your intentions and that you could be angry at me for kissing you. I can't imagine why a young, lovely and beautiful woman like you, would ever want to kiss someone… someone like me… Especially, you knowing my reputation…" he shyly confessed.

And then it hit her.

He was full of self-loathing and had a really low self-esteem. He was behaving like he didn't care about her because he was hiding behind a mask, not because he wasn't interested in her.

Of course, she should have known that, should have noticed that earlier… Usually she was so good at reading people. So what was wrong with her? She was behaving completely out of her mind in his presence...

Well, now she had to fix that. He had absolutely didn't have any reasons to doubt himself with her and he had to understand that.

She wiped away rest of the tears and gingerly, so to not scare him, she placed her hands on his shoulders.

"I don't care about your reputation." She stated firmly, locking her eyes with his. "Others can see you as a ruthless monster or a repulsive old man, but I see a powerful man, devoted to his job… I see…" She smiled and blushed slightly. "I see an intelligent and gentlemanly man, with a really sexy suits and handsome face, and…" she sank her hand in his hair, running through them, as she smiled contentedly "and really wonderful, soft hair…" she added, scratching his scalp for a moment and withdrawing her hand when he almost purred. She had to focus on words, not his amazingly floofy hair…

At least right now.

So she grabbed his shoulders again and continued, her smile turning into a sad one. "I see a man who is broken, a man who has been kicked by life, a man with probably many dark secretes and many layers. And no, this is not discouraging me, on the contrary in fact." She smiled shyly now and blushed an even deeper shade of crimson, "I am not interested in young, pretty boys. I like…"

"Old cripples?" he interrupted her and she restrained the urge to smack him again. "I like", she emphasized, "a mature, layered man" she finished distinctly and after a thought, she added, "And I really liked your kiss, although I thought it was too short". Not caring about her immensely red face, she bravely leaned up and kissed him on the lips.

Again he was stiff at beginning, but then, to her contentment, he kissed her back.

Somewhere in the distance, she heard the thump of his cane when it hit the floor, and then one of his arms went around her waist, while second gently stroked her cheek. Belle couldn't resist and buried her palms into his hair, scratching his scalp, which elicited quiet sounds of pleasure from him.

At first he kissed her as gently as yesterday, but then he tenderly licked her bottom lip, and when she parted her lips, he was simply everywhere at once. His tongue devoured her, exploring every inch of her mouth, and she was not able to suppress her moans. He tasted like morning coffee and smelled like pines mixed with after shave, and his warm body was pressing to hers, and God, she couldn't have enough of him.

To be honest, she didn't like kissing with tongue with her previous boyfriend, Gaston. Well, she didn't like to kiss with him at all. But with Nick everything was different. He was exploring her mouth, his tongue everywhere, both hands now gently rubbing her back, and she loved it.

She felt like she could do that all day long… But then he pulled back and Belle whimpered at the loss of contact.

For a moment he only looked at her, at her reddish cheeks, swollen lips, and hazy eyes… He smiled slightly and touched her cheek again, gently stroking it. "Will you eat a supper with me today, let's we say at six? at my house?" he asked, and although he tried to sound normal, she could notice anxiety in his eyes. Poor thing, he was still so unsure of himself…

"With pleasure" she assured him and, with a grin, handed him his cane. She just couldn't stop grinning when he was nearby…

: : . . . : :

That day Belle again closed the library earlier than usual and called Ruby, pleading her to come.

"I don't know what to wear!" she said desperately, when her friend appeared at the door of her small apartment.

"Another date, eh?" Ruby wasn't quite happy, obviously… "Well, what have you been wearing previously? Wear something in a similar style" she advised and Belle hesitated. She had to tell Ruby the truth, although she knew that her friend would disapprove.

"It's um… it's different this time. Previously we were outside and now… Now we are going to eat a supper… at his house…" She skipped the part when she invited him to her apartment last night. Ruby didn't have to know that, after all…

"What?! Are you crazy Belle?! This is what… your third date?" Ruby was almost shaking in nerves.

"I know what you are thinking Ruby, but I've already told you, Nick is not like that…"

"Nick, eh? Look, Belle… I am just worried about you. He… This is really not the man for you…" Ruby tried to convince her and Belle felt annoyed. She hated when someone was trying to tell her what to do or feel. Ruby had good intentions, but it wasn't her life.

And she didn't know Nick at all. She was only judging him based on his reputation and gossip. It was so unfair for him… He was a good man and she was having a good time with him… and she couldn't even share with her best friend that, because she had him painted in her mind as some old pervert, when in fact he was the exact opposite. Why people do to be so shortsighted?!

Ruby apparently noted her irritation, because she stopped her reasoning. "Okay, I will help you to pick something, but you have to promise me something, Belle." She tried to smile, although it was difficult under Belle's exasperated gaze. Well, Belle won't like her next words… "You will be calling me every hour and if you won't call, then I will come to Gold's house as fast as possible and kick his ass." She said decisively and Belle's jaw fall open. "What? I am not a child, Ruby!"

"I know, but it's for your safety… You may trust this guy, but I don't." she sighed and looked Belle into eyes. "Please, Belle. You are my best friend and I just don't want to something bad happen to you…" her tone was now soft and pleading, her eyes were pleading too, and Belle caved. Well, nothing wrong would happen if she were call to her every hour, right?

"Okay Ruby, I promise, I will call you." She said relatively calmly, and then, that being settled, she grabbed her friend by the elbow and started to pull her toward bedroom, "and now, help me finally with this outfit, will ya?"

: : . . . : :

Ruby didn't allow her to wear a dress, and Belle had no strength to argue with her. Ruby was too stubborn, anyway. So now she was dressed in a creamy short sleeved blouse with black lace and small bow belt, plus a black skirt a knee length. Good that Ruby didn't force her to wear trousers, Belle thought with a snort.

Ruby also arranged her hair, curling them pretty nicely Belle had to admit, and added a little makeup on her face. And of course she gave her few more warnings… Well, quite more than a few. Maybe it was not such a good idea to call to her, after all…

But now she was finally standing before Gold's house and felt a little bit anxious. Maybe she should have brought something? Like a wine? Well, she had no money for that anyway… At least not for an expensive one and she couldn't imagine Mr. Gold drinking a trashy wine.

So, don't thinking any more about it, she took a deep breath, smoothed her skirt and pressed the doorbell.

After few moments she heard the tapping of a cane and then the door swung open.

Gold stopped at the threshold and looked at her like as if he just saw an angel.

"Hi…" she shyly greeted and he smiled brightly, probably the biggest smile she had ever seen from him. "Hey…" he said and moved aside to let her in. "You look gorgeous, Belle" he complemented her and she blushed. She never particularly liked complements, always feeling like they were false when they were coming from Gaston's mouth. But Gold's words were honest, and she actually liked to hear them.

"Thank you." she uttered and secretly scrutinized him. He wore his usual perfectly tailored suit, with a black shirt and a tie in a cherry hue. And he looked damn hot if she had anything to say about it. "You look… handsome…" she muttered. She won't tell him he looks hot, after all. At least not in this stage of their familiarity.

He smiled slightly and nodded, certainly not believing her, although she could swear he blushed.

She gladly followed him to the living room, looking around with interest. His house was really something impressive. Not only because of its size, but mostly because of its decor. The living room itself was filled with various trinkets and beautiful antiques… It was utterly breathtaking. She had to admit that this place definitely suited him.

: : . . . : :

They've been sitting by the table, eating supper, and she was surprised that Gold knew how to cook. She had expected that he would order some food… And not only did he cook it himself, but it was quite a complicated meal and he didn't mess it up. He really was a special man...

"You don't like it?" She heard his voice from a distance and raised her head, looking at him puzzled. "Food." he specified, "You have been nothing but maltreating it from few minutes."

"Oh, I'm… sorry…" She indeed was playing with her food, after taking few bites, so completely lost in her thoughts… "I was just… thinking… I'm sorry, the food is really good" she assured him and smiled. He didn't look convinced though. "I was actually musing about fact that you can cook." Now she could visibly see that he blushed and her heart had melted at the sight. Could he have looked even more handsome if he tried?

"I, uh…" he tried to say something, but was not quite able. She seemed to really put him for a loop and when she thought about it, it was actually really funny. But she suppressed a giggle and covered his hand, resting on the table, with her own. "I think it's really sweet. And it's a very useful ability, especially if you live alone".

"Yeah, I guess…" he murmured and glanced at the table.

Belle didn't want to make him feel more uncomfortable, but her curiosity was just stronger. "You always lived here alone?" she asked and hoped he won't feel offended by her personal question.

"Here yes" He answered her after a moment, looking at her face again, his chocolate eyes somehow sorrowful.

She wanted to ask further, but thought better of it. It was supposed to be a nice evening, and as of right now she was only making him feel uncomfortable and sad. This was going in the wrong direction…

She smiled at him, squeezing his hand, and then she reached for her purse, and pulled out her phone. "I'm sorry, I promised Ruby that I would call to her" she explained and he raised one eyebrow.

Yeah, that sounded kinda weird…

"She was worrying about me… And she is so stubborn… So I promised her I will be calling every hour to let her know I'm fine." She explained further and squeezed his hand again at the doubtful expression on his face. "Look, it's not that I don't trust you, I just wanted to have peace with her. I do trust you Nick, okay?" she tried to assure him.

"Okay…" he said, somehow not quite positive, but then he chuckled, "Make your call then". He rose with a grin and put the dishes to the sink, while Belle shook her head with amusement and slight embarrassment and made the call.

: : . . . : :

When she disconnected, he handed her a glass of wine. "Would you like to watch some movie?" he asked shyly. Why did he have to be so shy around her? It was really amusing her.

"Sure" She took the glass and then his arm, and let him lead her to a couch in the living room.

Gold turned on the TV and sat next to her, keeping a safe distance. It was playing some Documentary film about the Amazon and they silently watched it, while sipping wine, and this time it was a comfortable silence.

Shortly after the movie ended, some romantic comedy started. Although it wasn't her favorite genre, Belle liked to watch movies like that from time to time. She had never seen this one before, but it was promising to be not that bad. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered if he would change the channel. She was pretty sure that he didn't like romantic comedies, just like most men.

Well, he didn't change it, and they finished their second glasses of wine, putting them on the table.

Then Gold hesitantly moved closer to her, so that they were sitting thigh by thigh, and even more hesitantly he put an arm around her shoulders.

Compared to him, Belle wasn't hesitant, and she leaned against him instantly and trustingly.

For several minutes they were watching the movie, his calloused hand idly moving alongside her bare arm, all his closeness and touch causing her heart beat faster and spread pleasant warmth inside her.

"Will you answer me some questions?" she broke the silence with a quiet voice, and raised her head to look at him. He looked at her too, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What kind of questions?"

"Um… private ones…" she admitted and he hesitated. "Look, if you will feel uncomfortable, you don't have to answer" she assured him quickly and he reluctantly nodded, which resulted a grin on her face. "So… how old are you, actually?"

After long moment of silence she thought he won't answer. Yeah, probably the wrong question, given his self-doubt…

"Forty five" he eventually murmured and she beamed. "Well, I am twenty four if you would want to know" she said and before he could answer something to that, she asked her next question. "Do you have siblings?"

"No."

"A wife?"

"No, of course not."

"Kids?"

Then he hesitated again.

"I have a teenage son." He admitted, averting his gaze, but he quickly looked back at her, apologetically. "I'm sorry; it's probably too much for you…"

"What? No! No, it's not. I'm okay with the fact that you have a child, Nick, really…" she assured him, gently caressing his cheek. After a thought she decided to go deeper with the subject. "Do you… see him?"

His face fall and he shook his head. "I haven't seen him since he was eight. Milah and I had divorced then and she moved with her new boyfriend and our son to New York, going to court and receiving full custody, and she forbade me to visit him… So I came here and started to vent emotions by scaring people and collecting power." He confessed silently. "And before I noticed, I had become the town's monster." He added and lowered his head in shame, trying to hide his face from her gaze.

Belle gently took his head in her palms and lifted it, so he had to look into her eyes. "She sounds like a real bitch" Belle commented and Gold sadly smiled. "But I'm sure that someday you will see your son again" she added firmly and then bent down to kiss him. They've talked enough already.

Their kiss was lingering, they both savored it, their lips leisurely moving against each other.

Finally Belle reluctantly pulled back, recalling that she should call Ruby.

Gold chuckled again, but patiently waited until she finished her call, with a satisfied smirk listening how Belle firmly told Ruby that she wouldn't be calling anymore and assuring her that there's no need for Ruby to come there.

After she ended the call, Gold crushed her to his chest and kissed her passionately, lips, tongue, teeth, everything. Again she nothing but melted into him, glad that she was sitting already; otherwise she would have collapsed onto floor.

He gently nibbled at her bottom lip, and then licked it. And then he licked her jaw and, God, he moved to her neck and licked it too. She shifted her head aside, so to give him a better access and simply enjoyed his attentions and the pleasant warmth they were eliciting, somehow just knowing that he wouldn't try to cross her boundaries.

His hands were gently caressing her back, while his mouth trailed open mouthed kisses from one side of her neck along to her collarbone, and then to the other side of her neck, causing her to pant and softly moan with pleasure.

After what seemed like a blissful eternity, he returned to her lips, brushing against them tenderly, before pulling away from her, grinning sheepishly. He sat up comfortably and put an arm around her shoulders, cradling her close to him, and she contentedly melted into him, her heart racing like crazy.

Gaston had never showed her so much affection and gentleness; never had he made her feel so good, like she felt right now. On the contrary, he was always harsh and selfish, always trying to cross her boundaries, always only thinking about himself. It was in fact the reason why she broke up with him.

But although she had only known Nick for a short amount of time, she was sure that he wouldn't try to do anything on what she wasn't ready for. He wasn't that kind of a man. He is… She yawned. He is a good man… And with this thought she fell asleep.

: : . . . : :

When Belle didn't say a word for a long time, he looked at her and quietly chuckled when he noted that she fell asleep. She really felt comfortable in his arms… and that made his heart sank.

Other people were almost dying from fear when he was nearby, but this sweet, fragile creature wasn't afraid of coming to his house, of kissing him, of sleeping in his embrace… She was indeed unique. A one of a kind…

He turned off the long forgotten TV and carefully rose, gently leaning Belle down on the sofa, then he took off her shoes and pulled a blanket from the closet, carefully covering her with it.

For a moment he stared at her peaceful delicate features, and not able to help himself, he bent down and kissed her lips, smirking when she smiled through her sleep.

Tenderly stroking her cheek, he whispered "Sweet dreams, my beauty" to her ear and then slowly headed to his bedroom.

It was indeed a very good day… His heart was growing and he really couldn't wait for the upcoming days, which he hoped that would be spent in Belle's company.

He really fell for her.

And it seemed that she, the most gorgeous woman in town, was, for some incomprehensible reason, falling for him too.

Could he be more lucky…?