Nightingale

Prompt: Could you maybe write a fluffy reunion story set after last night's episode? Thank you :)

Can you be my Nightingale? Sing to me I know you're there
You could my sanity, bring me peace, sing me to sleep
Say you'll be my Nightingale

[Nightingale - Demi Lovato]

There had never been such a talent to cheer Storybrooke's drunkard, and if things kept going like that, Granny's inn would have been empty soon enough. The Rabbit Hole was crowded that night and everyone, with a tankard of beer in hand, were listening to the enchanting voice of the sea witch, who was finally free to do what she always wanted to: make people on land happy with her singing.

Among those people, there was also Cruella, but contrary to all the other costumers, she was drinking superalcoholics and she seemed more desperate than enchanted, truth be told. She had temporarily left her allies without many explanations and, after a week since Ursula's departure, she finally surrendered to the undeniable desire of seeing her again and also to the one of hearing her sing.

She was good, so good that her eyes almost became watery, but that display of skill didn't calm her suffering, quite the contrary it was making it more painful.

"Cruella! What are you doing here?"

The woman almost jumped hearing that familiar voice behind her back. How the sea witch was able to appear so suddenly that close to her was a mistery! Obviously, she hadn't realized that the other had stopped singing and approached her table. It was very likely since she had been lost all the time in her reverie and also blinded by the alcohol she had already drunk in an avarage of a shot at every song.

Even thought she was sitting in a half hidden place and even left the fur in the car, it seemed that she hadn't been unnoticed. Maybe it had been the hair to betray her. Or maybe Ursula would have found her anyway.

"You could have asked singing. When you speak your voice isn't so beuatiful, you know?" she replied after some seconds of silence, trying to fill the tone with as much venom as she could.

But Ursula had learned how to be immune to that poison. She slowly moved until she found herself in front of her former ally, giving her an almost amused smile. "I see a compliment between the lines…"

"Well, what do you want me to say? Your voice is amazing, yes… And it's the least considering that you betrayed us for this, darling!"

The accusation was now explicit and there was no need to force the anger in the tone. But the worst thing was the total lack of color in that darling, that usually sounded caring and tender when used for her. The smile froze completely on Ursula's face and it was replaced immediately by a deep sigh.

"Then, what have you come here for?"

Cruella chuckled bitterly and shook her head, taking another long sip of gin. "Have you thought even for a second about me, while you were going back to your daddy dearest?" she asked then, with the same tone as before, ignoring for the second time the question.

Hearing those words, it was Ursula's time to chuckle and also feel angry. If she had thought about her? Actually, no, not at first. She was so glad to be back to her old self that she had forgetten what her newself wanted to be happy; she had forgotten that between the mermaid and the witch there had been something beautiful in her life: in the meantime, she had met Cruella.

"And have you ever thought about me in thirty years?"

Cruella slowly put down the glass on the table and finally looked up at the other woman for the first time. "Always"

The answer arrived so simply, clearly and bluntly, that Ursula believed to feel her heart stop for a moment. And then start again, suddenly quicker, almost frenetic, almost ready to burst inside her chest. And in the meantime she remained silent, returning that bitter, sad, guilty look.

"I… I have to go back singing"

It was all she was able to say in a whisper, remembering a lesson she had learnt from Cruella herself. Running away is easier.

But Ms De Vil had learnt a lesson as well; in fact she quickly stood up and grabbed the sea witch's arm, forcing her to stay.

"Do you wanna be a fucking nightingale? Fine, that's just fine darling! But can't you stay with me and sing to me? I don't want you to leave, not like this, not without me… Say you'll be my nightingale, please"

Those words naturally came out of her mouth as a flood and her voice was loud and steady, but her face started to be crossed by tears. Cruella De Vil was crying and well, that was a rare show too.

Ursula remained to look at her in silence for a while, but it didn't took much before an impulse of tenderness literally pushed her to the other woman. She reduced the distance between them in a few steps and slowly raised a hand to caress her face and take away with that gentle gesture the tears. But tears had formed in her dark eyes as well and, fearing that her voice would have been an ostacle rather than a help in that very case, she decided to express her feeling in another way; a long sweet kiss ended their sort of cold war and also conveyed a lot more.

"I am sorry…" the sea witch murmured, interrupting that contact after a while. "I shoulnd't have left that way, I should have stayed for you. I will help you to find your happy ending and then we can both be hap- Hey, what is it?"

Cruella had suddenly burst into a laugh, but it was a sincere, happy one this time. She shook her head and, still smiling, closed the distance between them, reclaiming again a kiss but this time more passionate and almost possessive.

"Don't worry about that, darling. You have already given me a happy ending".

Hello everyone! After last episode, I think we all need some fluff for them, so here it is! Hope you liked it and thanks to evaernst for the prompt! :) I took inspiration from Demi's song because seriously I can't stop listening to it now and think about SeaDevil... Is that normal? LoL

See you soon!