#meaning you beloved strangers are helping a duck with their homework so thank you for the free labor | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ryik-the-writer · 4 years

Photo

Marinara on Main (9/?)

A03

There was a tradition on Saturdays among the bleary-eyed residents of Storybrooke, Maine. All businesses, including the ever-busy diner, would close around six, allowing the owners to have the rest of the weekend rejuvenate for the following business day.

For the men who worked at French Bread’s Pizza, Storybrooke’s sole pizza parlor, their early night would consist of doing inventory for the restaurant and bartering over any un-picked-up pizza.

This night, however, would be a bit more…intense.

Mr. Gold was rather surprised when he received a hastily made flyer for a ‘poker night’ at French Bread’s.

He glanced into the living room where Belle, his beloved sort-of girlfriend, was nodding off on the couch, wondering why she hadn’t mentioned such a plan after coming in from work.

“Don’t do it,” Bae warned absently from the kitchen table (where he was playing on his phone rather than work on his neglected homework). “It’s a trap.”

Gold came up behind him and plucked the phone from his hands. “And how would you know?”

Bae accepted the unspoken warning and picked up his pencil once more.

“An eerie piece of paper in the mail for a game night in the establishment Belle owns but has not been mentioned by her? Sounds pretty trappish to me,”

Gold arched an eyebrow in question. The boy had a point. This was a bit odd, and inconveniently last-minute.

Still, these were Belle’s co-workers and friends—practically family by the way she talked about them. It might benefit him to get to know them, even if it was just over a game of cards (which, while rusty now, he’d been quite good at in his hay day).

Thus, he left instructions for Bae to handle himself for dinner (and he better have a vegetable or so help him—) and not to wake Belle unless there was an absolute emergency (because damn it she worked hard and deserved to sleep as much of wanted) and set off for the pizza parlor, leaving the flyer by the key holder.

The restaurant was empty and locked up, the closed sign standing at attention. Gold frowned, cautiously walking to the back of the building.

The setting sun outlined the scorch marks where Belle’s delivery car had burst into flame over a month ago, triggering the start of their unconventional relationship. He couldn’t help but smile at the memory, even if he had been terrified to his core at the time. The whole night had been bizarre, yet somehow ended with them dating, even though thanks to their schedules and Belle’s accident, they had yet to be on an actual date.

Still, he was grateful to have her in his life. She made him laugh and explore, and he wanted so badly to keep her a part of his life, even if that meant engaging with her strange friends.

Wherever they were.

The back was as quiet and locked up as the front, and Mr. Gold was beginning to think this was all part of some joke.

He rolled his eyes and prepared to leave when the back door suddenly burst open. Before he could turn and address the occupants, someone grabbed him by the waist and pulled him inside the dark kitchen.

A great hustle ensured, with Mr. Gold being duct-taped to a chair, and a bright light being turned on overhead.

“What the…” Gold coughed as his eyes adjusted and his heart stopped pounding.

A moment later, his numbing fear turned into rage when he recognized Merlin, Will, and Jefferson leaning over him.

“What the everlasting hell is going on!” he hollered, struggling against the bonds of the tape, which was so cheap and hastily wrapped around the chair that it was already beginning to peel off the chair.

“We’ll ask the questions!” Jefferson exclaimed, slapping the side of Gold’s chair.

Will grabbed the back of Jefferson’s collar and pulled him back. “Save the third degree for later,” he warned, taking the slightly unhinged man’s place.

“What is this all about?” Gold growled. “Is it the rent? Your apartments?”

“Try our Belle, old man.” Will popped off.

“Old man?” Gold spat.

“Harsh, Will,” Jefferson muttered.

“What do you mean about Belle,” Gold asked, worrying about his kind of-girlfriend. Had she told them something? Was she unhappy? Why wouldn’t she tell him?

“You got her in a hell of a state,” Will accused. “And do you know what happens to people who upset our Belle? Jefferson, demonstrate!”

Gold glanced over to Jefferson as he unpacked a deck of cards and shuffled them, emphasizing the snapping of the cards with a sharp frown.

The pawnbroker looked back and forth between his two interrogators.

“I…I don’t understand…” Gold said, woefully confused.

“Okay, both of you, move back,” Merlin order, pulling his two co-workers behind him. He grabbed another chair and spun it to sit in front of Gold.

“Look, Belle’s worried that you two are moving too fast, after the accident and stuff,” Merlin explained calmly. “We just want to hear it from you so that we can help her.”

“I…no,” Gold said, panicked. “I adore her…I’m glad she’s with me…I-in my house, I mean…I…” he lowered his head, hating bearing his soul to these strangers.

“I want her to stay…the idea of her leaving just... tears me apart,” Gold admitted. “But…I want her to be with me because she wants to be. And if being with me…living with me…makers her uncomfortable, then maybe we need to stop.”

Merlin frowned. “Is that what you want?”

“No,” Gold shook his head. “I really don’t.”

“Awww,” Jefferson sighed

Before anyone could respond, the back door flew open. The men hollered in alarm as Belle marched in, glaring at them with the flyer Gold left behind curled up in her hand. Bae peaked out behind her, looking both concerned and amused at the chaos his father had gotten into this time.

“Are you freaking kidding me!” Belle yelled as she marched in, grabbing hold of Gold and pulling him from the chair, the duct tape peeling off all at once.

“Did you get the cheap tape again?” Merlin hissed. Jefferson ducked in shame.

“Poker night! What the hell guys!” Belle cursed as she pulled Gold close to her. “You swore after Killian you would never do this again!”

“Desperate measures, Blue Belle!” Jefferson exclaimed.

“And you!” she yelled at Merlin, who went at least two shades paler. “I expect this kind of thing from these two, but you?!”

“I…” Merlin gulped, not being able to meet her eyes.

Belle groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. “Bae, take your dad to the car, please. I’ll handle these idiots!” she exclaimed the last word.

The teen sweated a bit as he led his father outside, wincing as Belle began yelling again.

“Dang,” he chuckled as he and his father slid into the car. “She is…not happy.”

“Indeed,” Gold sighed, picking sticky remains of duct tape from his suit.

The two Gold men sat in silence for a while, Bae returning to his phone now that his father was no longer in impending danger.

“Son,” Gold coughed, rolling his shoulders nervously. “Do you…like having Belle stay with us?”

Bae met his father’s eyes in the rearview mirror, cocking his brow in amusement.

“Sure,” he shrugged. “She’s fun, makes pizza all the time, and…she makes you happy, I guess.”

Gold smiled at his son’s secret heart. “Does she seem happy to you?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Bae scoffed. “What did they do to you?”

“Nothing,” Gold growled. “I just want to be sure she’s fine.”

Belle exited the restaurant a moment later, looking more pink in the face from whatever she shouted at Gold’s kidnappers.

“Well,” she sighed as she got into the car, gripping the wheel tightly. “Are you, um, okay?”

“Yes,” Gold nodded with a light smile. “Though I don’t believe I’ll ever be able to play cards again.”

Belle scoffed at that and started the car. “I can’t believe them. Getting into our business like this.”

“They were only trying to help,” Gold insisted.

“Wow, Stockholm much?” Bae chuckled from the back.

“That’s enough out of you,” Gold chastised, quieting as the car until the pulled into the driveway.

“Son, go ahead inside,” he said to Bae. “I want to talk to Belle for a moment,”

Belle and Bae both tensed at his tone, but Bae willfully left the car, giving Belle a look of pity before he slinked into the house.

“Belle…” he began, only to be cut off by Belle’s pleas.

“Please don’t sue us!” Belle begged. “They’re idiots! They don’t know what they’re doing!”

“W…what?” Gold gasped. “No…Belle I would never…do you really think I would do something like that to you? Endanger your friends and business all over a stupid misunderstanding?”

Belle shrugged. Of course she knew he wouldn’t, but he had made such a threat whenever his son had an allergic reaction to their product last year. Of course, he never went through with it thanks to Belle’s intervention, but it still spooked her that he had that kind of power.

“I’m sorry,” Belle said. “I really don’t. I just don’t want to ruin what we have right now.”

Gold was honestly a bit insulted. Belle was his girlfriend! She lived in his home and made him feel more alive every day! How could she even think like that?

“Belle, are you happy with me?” He asked instead.

“What? Of course!” Belle gasped. How could even think that? She lived in his house and drove his car for God’s sake! She laughed with him over books and teased Bae at dinner.

Of course, she was happy…of course.

“Do you think we pushed this a bit fast?” he asked, his hands absently playing with his ring. “I mean…we haven’t even been on a first date yet.”

“That’s partially my fault,” Belle laughed.

Gold chuckled too, the bite of humor easing the tension in the car.

“Are you okay with me being here?” Belle said. “I’m better now and all, and if you really want me too I can start—”

“No!” Gold exclaimed, the idea of her leaving turning his blood to ice. “I…like having you hear Belle, I really do. I don’t want you to leave unless it’s what you want to do. But just know that Bae and I are glad you’re here.”

“I don’t want anyone to think I’m leeching off of you,” Belle said bluntly.

“You?” Gold scoffed. “Belle, you’re the most hardworking person I know. If anything Bae and I are leeching off of you with all the free pizza you keep making for us.”

Belle laughed. “Bae mostly. That boy can eat a whole fridge.

“Indeed,” Gold chuckled, his hand caressing hers. “Are we alright then?”

Belle nodded. “We’re okay,” she leaned over and kissed his cheek, unbuckling herself from the seatbelt.

“Maybe we can work on that official date soon?” he suggested.

Belle laughed. “I think that sounds great. You coming?”

“In a moment,” Gold said, waving her off inside where Bae was inconspicuously peeking out the window. He collapsed in his seat, more exhausted from his talk with Belle than the actual kidnapping.

Still, it was an insightful night, and he was thankful Belle had good friends that would fight for their happiness. It was better if he knew her fears if they were to continue their relationship. And he really wanted to.

In his breast pocket sat the weight of his want: an antique wedding band that he was certain would be perfect for Belle’s taste. He had been pondering how and when he would offer it to her, but now that her uncertainty of their living arrangements were brought to light, he decided it would go to the vault in his store for now.

#rumbelle #rumbelle fic #rumbelle au #belle french #rumplestiltskin #mr. gold #merlin ouat #jefferson #will scarlet #ouat #ouat fic #ryik's fics

14 notes · View notes