Dreaming Out Loud

New Year, New Hope

Chapter 25: New Year, New Hope

David walked into the bar with Gold behind him and observed his surroundings. It was a bit different than the taverns back in the Enchanted Forest, but seemed to have some of the same elements. Men drinking their lives away. It reminded him a bit too much of what his father had become and he had never spent much time in the taverns. But this was for a purpose and they quickly spotted Lacey. She was definitely dressed in something Belle would never wear and he knew this was going to be an uphill battle.

They moved up to the bar and ordered two beers, while Lacey continued to play billiards opposite another man, whose eyes wandered over her.

"This was a bad idea," Rumple hissed.

"No it isn't...buy her a drink and send it over," David suggested.

"That's your advice? Buy her a drink?" Gold asked. The Prince shrugged.

"It's an icebreaker. Then maybe you can go over and play opposite of her," David replied.

"Do I look like I know how to play billiards?" Rumple hissed. David rolled his eyes.

"No...but that doesn't matter. I didn't know how to be a prince either, but I learned. I know you're used to planning out everything down to the very last letter, but that's not how relationships work," he advised. Rumple gave him a curious look.

"You and...Mary Margaret. How does that work?" Rumple asked.

"Well...for Snow and me, our relationship was built on trust. One of the first things I told her after I awoke her from the sleeping curse was that I wasn't a real prince. I wanted her to know everything about who she wanted to be with," he said.

"Was she angry?" he asked.

"No...she was grateful that I was honest with her and she put my insecurities to rest, you know about not actually being a royal. She told me she loved me for who I was," he replied.

"How does that help me?" he asked. David smirked.

"I'm getting to that. See...Mary isn't Snow, but somehow I fell for her anyway. I fell for the parts of her that were still Snow and the parts that were Mary and exactly who she is," he explained.

"So you think I can develop a relationship with Lacey?" he asked. David shrugged.

"It's worth a shot. She's not Belle, just like Mary isn't Snow. But that didn't matter, because now I love both," he said. Gold signaled for the bartender and ordered her another of whatever she was drinking. It was sent over and their eyes met across the bar. She cocked her head slightly, as he limped over to the pool table.

"What are you doing here?" she asked curiously.

"Can't a man buy a beautiful woman a drink?" he replied.

"I'm not Belle," she reminded.

"I know...I believe it is Lacey whom I bought the drink for," he replied. She was silent for a moment, giving him a scrutinizing gaze.

"You play?" she asked, as she racked the billiards.

"Not really, but I'm a fast learner. Why don't you show me how to play," he suggested. She smirked and handed him a pool stick.

"I'll break," she said, as she shot the cue ball and the balls scattered, pocketing two solid balls.

"I'm solids...you're stripes," she stated, as she took another shot, until she finally missed. He copied her actions and aimed the pool stick at the cue ball, before hitting it. It smacked into a striped ball, which rolled into the corner pocket. She smirked.