Thanks to those who are reading, and to those who reviewed. As we were left starved of Rumbelle scenes again this week, it's only natural that we should all find solace in fanfiction – it's starting to become all we've got.
Gold was wandering labouredly through the park when he noticed the commotion. He'd been distracted all day. It was just one of those days when he just couldn't concentrate on the futile numbers and figures produced by his semi-useless accounting team. He'd told his secretary to tell any callers that he was at a meeting and had taken himself for a walk. Now, he was breathing in the (nearly) fresh air of an inner-city park and enjoying the sound of bird song, which was only just audible above the noise of impatient traffic.
The cold wind was biting, and his heavy jacket wasn't as resistant to the elements as he would have liked. He felt the chill in his bones and his damned leg was affected by the bitter temperature, reinforcing his dependence on his cane. He'd never felt older. His mischievous youth was far behind him. Now he was a just filled with dark memories and deep-seated resentment.
He heard them before he saw them. They were arguing with no consideration for Gold's peace. They didn't become any less animated the closer he hobbled to them. In fact, it wasn't until he tapped his cane on the ground and muttered 'Well, well,' before either ceased to fire their insults.
'Er, Mr Gold,' Gaston squirmed, and rightly so. He was supposed to be selling Gold's ghastly Christmas cards to gullible Holiday-lovers. He was not supposed to be starting a cheap slanging match with his fiancée in a park. 'I was just on a lunch break.'
'Oh,' Gold hummed, glancing at the watch on his wrist. It was a cheap, nasty thing that had belonged to his father, but it was all he had left of him and, more importantly, it worked and was free of charge. 'At eleven o'clock? That seems a little early for lunch, doesn't it, dearie?'
'Yes, it's an early lunch,' he gabbled. 'I wanted to spend it discussing wedding plans with my girl.' He made a grab for Belle's hand, but she jerked away. Gold would have been disappointed in her if she hadn't.
'Arguing with your betrothed,' Gold corrected and, not quite under his breath, he added: 'You do seem to do that a lot.'
He noticed Belle quirk her head a little to the side. She gazed at him as though she was seeing something that Gaston had missed. Perhaps she was somehow aware that Gold had, once again, unintentionally stumbled upon the darkest parts of their relationship.
'Perhaps you and I need a little talk about work ethic, Gaston?' he suggested, twirling his cane in his leather-gloved hands.
'Oh, well, I'm not sure that's necessary, I was only…'
'I'm sure that it's necessary,' Gold insisted. 'In fact, you can accompany me back to the office.'
Gaston smartly agreed and said a strained goodbye to his fiancée. Gold didn't care for their twisted relationship. There seemed to be nothing between them, but resentment. Though he couldn't help wonder how Belle held on to such hopes of love, when her lover was so undeserving.
Gold didn't bother with conversation. There was an uncomfortable atmosphere between him and his employee, and he revelled in it. Gaston did not. He kept twitching, opening his mouth to talk and then thinking better of it. Eventually, he forgot to think and ignorant words tumbled from overconfident lips.
'Here he is, the evil man' he gestured towards a homeless man clutching a small bucket of money in one hand and a crudely written sign claiming he wanted "Cash 4 food + water" in the other.
One look at the man's sunken eyes and the purple-blue patch at the crook of his arm, told a different story to the sign. Gold suspected that the man wanted "Cash 4 drugs + beer", but a lie on a sign was hardly enough to call him evil.
'This scumbag is the reason Belle and I were arguing,' Gaston explained, despite Gold's unwavering disinterest. 'He sold us some sob story about his mum being ill in hospital and Belle actually wanted to help him. Can you believe it? I told her that he'd steal her handbag if she got too close, but would she listen to sense? 'Couse not. I had to drag her away before she got herself hurt. Foolish girl.'
Gold didn't respond – not in words at least – but as they strolled past the homeless man, he dropped a few coins into the bucket. After all, Gold would've hated for Gaston think he sided with him in this debate.