Ok, time to come clean. SO I was shit-faced when I wrote the first chapter of this verse. I literally pulled the second chapter from nowhere because had no clue where drunk!RL was taking this story. That's why it was supposed to be a One- Shot. But you guys are so awesome, and you needed more, so of course I was gonna give it to you. Anyways, sorry this took so long. I wanted it to have a very satisfying ending. So I hope you enjoyed this verse as much as I did.
-RL

Belle stared at the big bold letters on the plane ticket in her hands. One Way it read in brush script typeface. She was going to miss this town and some of its charming people. Like the town's carpenter, Marco, who helped with the reconstruction of the library before its reopening. Then there was Leroy, who while repairing the library's heating, burned all the facial hair off his face when the old furnace experienced a small explosion. Belle had never heard such colorful language strung together to make an entirely logical statement. Her best friend Ruby, who also worked at her family's diner. Belle's stomach growled at the thought of going without one of Granny's burgers and homemade iced tea. Ruby wouldn't be happy with her move, but she much rather not live the rest of her life known as the lustful librarian. It was embarrassing enough that she sent that picture to Mr. Gold, but she couldn't subject herself to that horrible rumor if her picture ever got out to the public.

She had to admit it. She was going to miss her landlord too. He wasn't all bad, like some of the residents thought. He had to be curt in his line of work, she supposed. Otherwise, his tenants would probably walk all over him. Gold wasn't a tall man, and he didn't have any intimidating muscles. He used his frankness to his advantage, but he was never like that with her. Instead, in a roundabout way, Mr. Gold seemed to not only care about the welfare of the library but her as well. His monthly visits for the rent were also inspections. Walking about the library, checking different things, like for leaks after a thunderstorm or cracks in the foundation. Belle sort of like the extra treatment he gave her. It made her feel special.

Once, on a Halloween night, Belle was home alone. Deciding not to go to Ruby's costume party this year, and instead enjoy a scary movie and popcorn at home. During the night, a few heavily intoxicated hooligans threw rocks into the windows of the library. The shattering of one then two then three windows nearly sent her to that big library in the sky. In fear for her life, Belle locked herself in a closet, but instead of calling the law enforcement or even her father, she called Mr. Gold. He arrived in mere minutes, but sadly the teenagers had already run off. He found Belle barricaded in her closet, trembling and clutching a vase to her chest for protection. Belle never felt such relief wash over her when she saw him. Terrified, she escaped into his arms, and to her surprise, he wrapped them around her. Comforting her and easing her fears by telling her that the vandals had fled and that everything was going to be okay.

He generously paid for her a room at Granny's Bed and Breakfast for the rest of the night and asked Ruby if she would stay with her. The next day, Mr. Gold on his own tracked down the lowlifes. A feat that even Storybrooke's law enforcement wouldn't have been able to accomplish in one day. After a few days, when she was ready to move back into the library, Belle found a high-tech security system installed. Complete with cameras and an alarm that was sure to scare off any intruders. Belle thanked him, not just for the free security system, but for coming to her rescue.

Belle sighed and pushed the memory aside for now. They could have been really good friends, she thought to herself, and who knows, maybe even more. It was a foolish fantasy now. There was no way he would want to be friends with her. Not after abruptly flashing him with a picture of her breasts, like some intoxicated floozy during Mardi Gras.

The second hand slowly inched its way around the face of the clock. It was time to say goodbye to her home. She slid the plane ticket into her pocket and peeked at his pawnshop through the window blinds. The coast was clear. The road was empty of any onlookers that would notice her entering Mr. Gold's shop and question what she was doing there.

Layers, she reminded herself as she locked up her library for the last time. Last night, the ten o'clock weather forecaster told her to wear layers. She groaned and curled into herself, holding her shivering arms. If she hadn't been so busy snapping pictures of her breasts last night, and then, sending it to the wrong person, maybe she would have remembered that layers tip sooner than now. The jacket she wore over a long-sleeved dress was not the smartest attire for a windy winter day like today, and neither was wearing her hair down, but all her winter coats were packed up, and thankfully, his shop wasn't far from the library.

As she opened the door to his shop, a passing breeze shoved Belle inside, almost knocking her over. The strong gust muddled up her hair and clothing in the process. Just great, could her life get any worse? She tossed her hair back with a flick of her head and swept the tassels of hair from her face, hoping that would remedy the problem. Nervously, she chewed her bottom lip, hoping he didn't see all that hassle she had to go through just to enter a door.

Gold saw the whole thing from behind the store counter. She walked in like a goddess bathed in light. The sunlight from outside outlined her body from behind and placed in her a golden silhouette. Her brown hair bounced and swayed in the wind as she entered. Then, like a runway model, she tossed her hair to one side before biting her bottom lip innocently like in her photo. Never has woman entered his shop like that before, she was really trying to impress him with her beauty, but little did she know, Belle already had him by the balls.

"Oh, bloody hell-" Belle said, fighting to get her jacket off.

"Let me help you with that," He said, stepping from behind the counter.

He slid her jacket off her shoulders, his fingertips lightly brushed over her chest as he did. He placed her coat and bag safely behind him on a coat rack. Astonished by her beauty, he took a step back, appreciating this real, walking and talking, version of the woman from the photo.

"Thank you." She said, smiling politely.

He gave her a soft smile back. "The least I can do."

A troublesome silence fell between them. That had been Belle's biggest fear about this meeting, that it was going to become awkward. So to prevent any more unnecessary embarrassment, she decided to get straight to the point.

Her hands began to fidget. "So I'm sure you're wondering about… well, of what I sent you last night."

"Indeed. But first, would you mind joining me in the backroom?" He asked, holding out his arm to gesture towards the curtains that divided the front end of the store.

Belle shrugged. She supposed it didn't matter where she told him about how she mistakenly sent him a picture of her breasts, just so long as she told him. Belle followed him the short distance to his backroom where he held open the curtains for her to enter first. In the center of the room, she found a table draped with a very ornately decorated tablecloth. On the top were plates of fruits and chocolates and a bottle of expensive-looking white wine. Candles were lit, and two dozen red roses sat neatly in a vase. Maybe he was expecting company after her visit. It was a really romantic setting. There was even a beautiful melody coming from a gramophone. Belle didn't take Mr. Gold as a man with many private affairs, but it was interesting to know that he was capable of being a romantic, and whoever this lucky lady was, she was in for a lovely treat. He held out the chair for her, urging her to take a seat at the table.

"Um- Oh thank you." She said, looking at all the romantic items on the table, careful not to disturb anything. "Everything looks nice. I'd hate to mess anything up."

After retrieving two wine glasses from a cupboard, he returned to the table where Belle sat nervously with her hands in her lap. He sat the flutes down and pulled the cork from the bottle with a loud echoing pop. She watched him pour the wine into her glass, and she couldn't help but wonder why. Maybe he thought the drinks would help her feel more comfortable about discussing her unfathomable situation.

"Perhaps we should talk about it first," Belle said, chuckling nervously. "I think it would be best if I have my wits about me."

He nodded and filled his glass, then took his seat opposite of her. "If talking makes you feel more comfortable, than I'm all ears."

Belle forced the corners of her mouth up into a smile, but on the inside, she was screaming with apprehension. Why did she have to take that damn picture? If only she'd just ignored Gaston's text, she wouldn't be in this predicament. Mr. Gold wouldn't know what her breasts looked like, and she would be heading over to the diner for Granny's overpraised lasagna. Which she didn't even like, but anything would top having to explain why she sent a nude picture to her landlord.

"Mr. Gold." She sighed and shook her head, racking her brain, searching for those right words to express how sorry she was. "What you must think of me. I can assure you that I'm not trying to lower my rent with that photo I shared with you."

Bad start, Belle thought to herself. She was already indirectly incriminating herself.

"I thought no such thing, and you don't have to explain yourself." He said.

"It's just that I was really nervous about doing something so..-"

"Naughty." He finished for her, smirking widely.

Belle could hear her heartbeat thumping in her ears when he said the word naughty, and at this moment, she was swimming in her embarrassment. She desperately needed to get this apology out. "Yes, and I had no idea what I was doing-"

"Sometimes people do unusual things in the heat of passion, everyone does, but you shouldn't feel guilty for it. It's human nature."

"That makes me feel better. I knew I had to apologize to you, but I couldn't over the phone. I had to confront you, face to face, to tell you this. So you'll know that I had no malice intended when I sent you that picture. Its just that-" Belle groaned defeatedly. "I don't know how to say this."

He smiled. "Just speak your mind, Belle. You may just find that I feel the same way."

"Well, you see, it's just this guy-" Her next words caught in her throat. "Wait a minute-?" She looked around the table and realization fell on her like a piano from the sky. The wine, the flowers, the sweets. This was for her. This was a date for her. "Mr. Gold, did you think that the picture I sent was meant for you?"

When Gold saw the awareness and confusion in her brilliant blue eyes, the same eyes he stared in for hours last night, he felt all the color drain from his face. His fears were coming true. That picture was not meant for his eyes, and he had spent the better part of last night staring at that picture of her. Fantasizing and lusting for her like some disgusting Peeping Tom. Any fate would be better then what he was going through. In his hurry, trying to remove himself from this awful situation, he stood up and tipped over the table, knocking over the wine glasses and spilling it all over Belle's clothes. She emitted a small yelp as the cold liquid touched her skin. Gold grabbed the nearest napkin he could find and began dabbing the drink from her clothes, keeping the rag as far as possible from her upper-half.

"I'm so sorry, Belle. I- I-" He said, scrambling to get her dry as much as he could.

She giggled, wringing out the remainder of wine from the hem of her dress. "No. it's okay."

"But- but your clothes."

"It's only wine. A bit of water will take care of it." Looking over his shoulder, Belle spotted a clothing rack in a far corner. "May I borrow something of yours until mine are dry?"

In his embarrassment, he completely forgot about the clothing he kept in his backroom. "Of course, take whatever you like. I'll just step outside and give you some privacy."

He left in a hurry. Diverting his eyes away from Belle as he went. He felt like the biggest fool in the world, and not to mention an asshole too. Admiring her breasts and features, even boldly asking for another nude picture. He paced the lobby of his shop, thinking of ways to apologize to her. Any moment now, Belle would appear from behind those curtains. What was he going to say to her? Or should he say anything at all? Maybe the best idea was just to leave. He could come back later, after she had left, to lock up the shop. Then Monday, he could find Belle a new landlord. He knew she wouldn't feel comfortable around him anymore. A perverted voyeur like him, collecting her rent, just wouldn't work. There was no possibility of them resuming business together; things just wouldn't be the same as they were before. Just as he was putting his arms through the sleeves of his coat, the divider curtains ruffled and moved to one side.

"How much is this one?" Belle asked, twirling from side to side in a knee-length evening gown.

It was a one of a kind vintage Louis Vuitton cocktail dress with a retail value well over fifteen hundred dollars, but he couldn't bring himself to tell her that. She looked absolutely stunning in it. The dress left little to nothing to the imagination. A beaded embroidery v-shaped neckline plunged and exposed an ample amount of her cleavage, making it nearly impossible for him not to stare. Out of all the dresses he owned, why did she have to choose that one? It was so revealing, and after what just happened, the last thing he wanted was for her to catch him gawking at her.

"For you, no charge." He answered and looked away. "But why that one? I'm sure I have others that are more comfortable."

"I think it's gorgeous, don't you?" Belle asked. She began to walk towards him when she noticed that his coat was half on. "Were you leaving?"

"I thought maybe I shouldn't be around when you returned." He said, still redirecting his eyes from her, but that dress was making it so damn hard, and at this moment, he'd almost considered that maybe it was rude not to stare.

"Nonsense." She said pushing his coat from his shoulders. "Our date was just beginning, can we continue?"

"Ms. French, I'm not sure if that's wise, under these circumstances," Gold sighed and took a step back. "I-I just don't want you to get the wrong idea about me. Maybe it's best to put this all behind us and forget it ever happened."

Belle moved closer to him. "But I'm glad it happened. Yes, it was a misunderstanding, but don't you think these things happen for a reason?"

"If that's so, then fate has a funny sense of humor."

"I would say so." Belle giggled. "So you liked it then, my picture?

He couldn't answer that without sounding like some pervert. He beamed at her, probing her blue eyes for answers to his own questions. "Who was the photo meant for?"

"A guy friend." She said, rolling her eyes at the thought of Gaston.

"I see. You've never mentioned him before."

"Well, there's not much to talk about when it comes to Gaston," Belle explained. "The only reason why I even took those pictures was because I thought it would hold off his attempts to get into my pants."

Gold chuckled. "I can assure you, Ms. French. Photos like the one you sent me will only expedite his motives."

"Then I should count myself lucky that you were the one who received my photo." She said, putting a look of shock on his face.

She took him by the hand and guided him to his backroom, where it looked like she had cleaned up the mess he'd made and reset the table. The roses sat upright, and the candles flickered with a new ray of excitement, and somehow she managed to salvage some of the sweets. Belle sat him down in his seat gently, taking his cane and perching it on the back of the chair before taking her seat too.

"When I woke up this morning," she continued, pouring their wine. "I had a message from Gaston. He stated that he felt like our relationship was going nowhere and that we should start seeing other people."

"So, you didn't try to resend it to him?" Gold asked, still incredulous about what was happening to him. How could she be so cordial and relaxed about sending an intimate picture to someone it wasn't meant for, not to mention she was dumped this morning, which was sort of his fault.

Belle giggled and shook her head no. "Nothing can emphasize how much I'd grown to despise Gaston and it was dumb of me to try and make him lose interest with a nude picture. It wasn't like he would fully appreciate it anyway."

"Than he's probably a bigger fool than me."

"You're not a fool, Mr. Gold. And just because the photo wasn't for you, doesn't mean I'm not glad you got it instead." Belle took a sip of her drink. "Do you still have it?"

"Have what?"

"The picture."

"I can delete it if you want." Gold said with a bowed head. Ashamed to admit it.

"No. I want you to keep it." She said, and Gold lifted his head to see if she was joking or not. "You know, I've never taken a nude picture before."

Gold couldn't tell. From the picture, it looked like she knew exactly what she was doing, even on some professional level. "What was your first time like?"

"Scary at first." She admitted. "After I took off my clothes, I felt so exposed, almost like I was standing naked in a crowd of people. But by the third or fourth picture, I felt more comfortable, and it was kind of fun."

He could definitely tell she was enjoying herself from the picture.

"If I can be honest with you for a moment," He inquired, and Belle nodded yes. "I stared at that picture for hours. Even today, I stole a few glances before you came."

Belle blushed and playfully flicked her hand. "You did not."

"I can assure you I did." Gold chuckled, refilling her glass, then his.

"Is that why you asked for another one?" Belle giggled. "I thought you were just being ironic, or something."

He rested his hand on hers. "Of course not. But I feel like I should apologize for taking advantage of something that wasn't meant for me and for the advances I've made on you."

"No need, Mr. Gold. You didn't know, and as I said before, I'm happy you got it. And arranging this date for us was a lovely gesture." Belle said, lacing her fingers with his and holding his hand.

Things were moving quickly for them, it wasn't conventional, but it felt right. Maybe there was nothing wrong with being a little forward, and besides, there were worst ways to fall in love. Out of nowhere, the alarm from Belle's cell phone rung and brought the couple back down to earth.

She pulled it out and silenced the alarm quickly. She nearly forgot that she was on her way to becoming a Floridian. "Looks like I'm going to be late for my flight."

"Your flight? Were you leaving?"

Belle pulled out the ticket from her pocket and effortlessly ripped it into two pieces. "It's nothing."

It dawned on him rather quickly. He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. "Don't tell me you were thinking of running."

"If you accidentally sent a topless picture to your landlord, wouldn't you run?"

"I probably would, but I can put your fears to rest. I would never share your picture with anyone." Gold reassured, lifting his glass for another drink.

"I know you wouldn't," Belle said. "So, do you still want another picture of me?"

He nearly choked on the wine. "Oh Belle, you don't have to -"

"I know, I know," Belle bit her bottom lip. "But I want to."

He thought to himself for a moment, "Well, in that case, I think I have something that would help. Follow me."

Belle followed him to a cupboard where she found several small boxes. He told her to open anyone that interested her. She decided to pick up a beige heart-shaped velvet box, and inside was a diamond necklace. Her eyes widen at how it shimmered and glowed in the light. It was probably the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

"Turn around."

She did and swept her hair to one side. He placed the necklace around her collar gently, the cold metal combined with his warm touch gave her goosebumps. After he fastened it, he pulled the rest of her auburn hair through and flattened down the buckle, making it look seamless, but as he did, he couldn't seem to move his hands off her. He ran a thumb down the back of her neck, and she exhaled softly. He knew he shouldn't have been touching her, but keeping his hands to himself was the furthest thing from his mind. When she turned around, he didn't know what his favorite thing about her wearing this necklace was. The chain of the necklace, hugging her collarbone while the large stone rested between her cleavage, or how it matched perfectly with her eyes. An invisible force called desire drew him closer to her. He didn't realize how close he was getting until his lips met hers.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"No, it's okay, its fine." Belle stroked some of his hair from his face and kissed him, passionately returning the favor. "It's beautiful."

"You can wear it whenever you decide to take another picture." He said, still reeling from their kiss.

"I've got a better idea." One by one, with her gaze locked on his, Belle slid the straps of her dress off her shoulders and lowered the bodice until she stood topless in front of him. She tossed him her phone. "You do the honors."