Red entered back Granny's with the quiet of a rhino. She jumped the counter and began furiously cleaning the already clean cups while Granny and the clients looked at her with astonished faces.
" It's all right, Ruby?" Belle asked from a table next to the counter. She was alone, drinking her tea. Red didn't even notice her presence before she had spoken. She felt a hint of guilt while she was taking a look around: no trace of the three suspects.
" Yes, Belle, all right. I'm in heat, Regina is gay, but is all right."
Belle goggled. " You're what?"
" In heat. Like a fucking dog." she blowed up a rebel lock. " All because of three pigs..." Ruby opened wide her eyes, eyes fixed on nothing.
" ...Rubes?" Belle asked after a while, making her blink.
Red suddenly burst into laughter. Belle frowned.
" Ruby, what...?"
" The Three fucking Little Pigs!" she exclaimed, pointing a glass toward Belle as if it was a microphone. " That damned tattoo!" She said it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, then laughed bitterly. " I'm gonna end up with one of the Three fucking Little Pigs. Bloody hell!" She almost yelled, rising her hands. She banged the glass on the counter, then walked away, always resembling to a rhino, just a little more furious now.
Regina was smiling. Truly smiling. And she had just called him Archie, didn't she? And then she had thanked him smiling. Real smile, zero mock, zero intimidation. Wow!
Jiminy looked astonishingly at the woman next to the Mayor. She looked a bit confused, but then she smiled at him.
" What?" she asked.
He arched an eyebrow. " Err nothing, nothing, I'm sorry. " Archie adjusted his glasses, trying to smile. Damn, Snow had said the truth when she said that maybe Regina had found love, or, she added smirking, more truthfully love had finally found Regina. And Henry was definitely right, too. " It's just... " He cleared his voice. " It's just that now I have to receive some patients, and I was trying to remember who was the first..." he smiled again. Regina arched an eyebrow, smirking, but nodded.
" So we'd better let you to your job. See you soon, Dr. Hopper. " she greeted him, stretching a hand towards Henry. He immediately grabbed it, but smiling at him.
" Bye Archie! Bye Pongo!"
Jiminy smiled widely to the kid. Henry always made him smile. He was a really good kid. " Goodbye, Henry. Oh, uhm..." he wanted to say something more, but he didn't know what. Fortunately Pongo barked. He looked gratefully at the dog. " Yes, exactly what I meant."
Archie turned back to watch Henry and Rapunzel laugh, and Regina hide a smile.
" Did you have fun with Archie?"
" Yup! We took Pongo for a walk, then played with him with his frisbee, then had a second breakfast..."
" A second breakfast?"
" I was hungry! And he still didn't have one."
Regina slightly sighed, opening the car door. Rapunzel smiled at her with her eyes from the other side of the vehicle, making her heart skip a couple of beats. " And then, what have you done?"
" We went back to his office, and he made me draw. "
Regina looked at her son, still standing out of the Mercedes. Draw. She didn't see a drawing of his in years. She sighed again, trying to smile.
" Really? Do you have the drawings with you?" she hopefully asked. He nodded.
" Yes, in the backpack. Archie liked them, but I'm not sure if he was sincere..."
He had that adorable suspecting face he made when he was thinking about something. Regina smiled.
" Then let me see if he was, won't you?"
Henry smiled so brightly that Regina stayed breathless for a while. He never smiled that way to her. She saw him do it with Emma, but never with her. She held back the tears and looked forward for the papers her son was pulling out of his backpack. He handed them to her with a contorted face.
" I'm a little out of practice, so..."
Regina shook smiling her head. " Ah, I'm sure that they're..." Her voice faded away while she watched the colored sheets of paper, one after the other.
The first one was a rough drawing of Pongo: the poor dog had only two legs, and his eyes were huge, but it radiated so much glee that Regina couldn't help but smile and stifle a laugh.
She passed the sheet under the little pile.
The second one portrayed a ship, the Jolly Roger, she recognized. It was in the middle of the sheet, that Henry had totally colored in blue. It was quite artistic.
The third sheet was a sketch of a fairly known blonde woman with a red jacket. Emma had an arm shorter than the other, and impossibly long legs, but she had a very big smile too. Regina smiled despite the hint of jealousy she was trying to ignore.
The fourth sheet was all dark. There was a man in a black and purple vortex. It had to be Neal. Regina swallowed, passing to the next drawing.
Two black figures, and a little boy between them, the jungle sketched around in dark green tones. On the right side of the sheet a large part was visibly erased. Blurry people shapes were barely visible, but none was recognizable.
The sixth one almost made her choke. It showed Regina herself with a blonde woman at her side, and a little red heart above their heads. At first Regina thought that that was Emma. Blonde hair, sword... but the hair was longer, very longer than Emma's, and the woman was taller than her. Regina glanced at Rapunzel, leaning against the car, her thick tress pressed between her back and the metal. She was letting them their space. Regina ignored the warmth in her chest and looked worriedly at her son, who was guiltily smiling.
She turned the sheet of paper to let him see it. He smiled more widely and much more guiltily.
" Henry, why have you drawn this?"
He swallowed. " Because I see it." he innocently answered.
Regina sighed. What should she do now? Tell him the truth? Was it the right thing? A relationship when there were so many problems, a relationship with a mercenary, former princess, almost two hundred years old woman... She glimpsed at the woman in question, still turned, then looked at the drawing. Regina looked at herself. She was smiling. Henry drew on her face the same big smile that he drew on Emma's face.
Regina eyed her son.
" Is it a problem for you? Because if it's so I..."
" No! It's okay, really! I like her! She's funny! " he smiled at her.
Relief. Huge, immense relief. Regina smiled back at him. " Okay."
Regina took the last sheet, trying not to think to the lucky escape.
It was crowded. Henry was right in the center of the sheet. She and Emma were at his sides, hugging him with one arm. The Charmings were beside Emma, and even Ruby and Archie with Pongo. On the other half of the paper, next to her, there were Shaya, Granny, Belle and Rumple and August. Behind all of them there was the Clock Tower, or so Regina understood by the giant clock Henry drew. The sky was just a fine light blue line on the top of the sheet.
Regina gazed at her son, handing him the drawings, moved. " Archie was right, Henry: they're beautiful. " Henry took back the sheets and put them in the backpack.
" Really?"
" Yes! We'll frame them and hang them up! Oh, and you can make a surprise to Emma, and give her the one where she's portrayed. She'll be happy. "
Henry looked at her, frowned. " Really?"
" Sure!" She couldn't help but suddenly hug him. He froze for a second, but then she felt him relax and hug her back, laughing softly. " Okay! And I could give to Hook the one with the Jolly Roger!"
Regina ignored the hate she felt towards the pirate for the umpteenth time and distanced a little from Henry to look him in the eyes.
" You like him, don't you?"
Henry smiled. " He's cool! "
Regina involuntarily tightened her lips. She couldn't forget what he did to her. She glimpsed at Rapunzel. If she knew, she'd probably kill him, too. Or maybe not. Perhaps she could forgive him, unlike her. Anyhow, it was better for everyone if she would never get to know his role in her kidnapping.
" Because he's a pirate?"
" Yes!"
Regina stifled a laugh. He was still a child, she thought with relief. She was afraid of him growing up. He would become a teen, and she had read somewhere that they always hated their parents. And then an adult, that was far more scary. He would grow up, become independent, take again the distances from her, go away. She was happy and terrorized at the same time. She didn't want to lose him again, she loved him so much! And yet she knew that she would let him go, for the same reason. He had to grow up, find someone who loved him and that he loved, and be happy. Or not, even just be happy. That was what mattered, his happiness. His smile, the one he was showing her in that precious moment. " Well then, give him the drawing. Even though I truly like it, and it would look good in my office, if I'll ever be elected again..."
Henry frowned. " Oh well... Sorry, I didn't thought... If you want it..."
Regina ruffled his hair. " You drew it, you decide Henry. And don't worry for me, you can always make another, don't you?"
His face exploded in a smile. " Sure!"
Regina nodded once. " Good. Now let's go home." she added louder, so that Shaya could hear her.
They all got into the car. Regina was switching on the car when Henry sticked out between the seats.
" Mom?"
" Tell me."
" Aren't we going to the hospital?"
Regina glanced at him by the rearview mirror. " No sweetheart, Emma is sleeping now. We could try to go tonight, okay?"
" Mh, okay." he nodded, a little deluded.
Regina looked inside herself, and found no trace of jealousy. She smiled at the road, her house already in sight on the right side of it.
When she parked, she turned and met Shaya's gaze. Regina immobilized. The warrior was hiding a smile.
" What?" Regina asked her, not understanding the reason why she was smiling.
Shaya shook her head.
" I was just... Noticing the difference."
The former Queen arched an eyebrow. " Which difference?"
" The one between the first time I saw you and now."
Regina swallowed. " My hair is shorter?" she sneered.
Rapunzel burst into laughter. " No, well, aye, but... no."
" I had a better dress."
" Oh, I like this outfit, too."
" I was Queen."
" You're smiling."
Regina just stared at her. She knew the answer before she said it, obviously, but she was afraid that she was wrong, that Shaya would have said something different, like that she wasn't evil anymore, or that she was a different person, no more scary, no more... a villain. But Regina was now really realizing that Shaya never, ever saw her as a villain. She wasn't Henry, nor Snow, or Emma. She saw it differently, she always did, and Regina had still to manage to understand her way of thinking. But, whatever it was, it made her feel good.
She nodded and locked gaze with her, trying to fill hers with what she was feeling, because she was sure that words could have never explained it entirely.
Somehow she succeeded in doing it, because Rapunzel's eyes wetted. And, as words weren't necessary anymore, they just got out of the car and went home.
Happiness. She could feel its roots digging deep into her chest and over her stomach, catch her soul, keep it warm.
Henry had just ran upstairs, as usual. They were alone again. She could talk freely.
" Regina..."
The brunette turned to watch her, her hair flipping around her face, frowned in a questioning silence.
" ... is he fine?"
Regina's gaze warmed. She stepped to her, put her hand on her hips and pulled her towards her. Shaya, breathless, just let herself drown in her warm, deep brown eyes.
" He's fine, and he's happy of us."
Shaya swallowed, sighing in relief. She had understood that Henry was everything for Regina, and so she knew that, if he wasn't at ease with their relationship, she would have ended it. So her face almost ached for the smile she gave.
" I'm happy he is."
Regina smiled back, but there was something she never saw before in her smile. Was that... lust? " So am I." The former Queen kissed her so slowly, the touch of her lips against hers so light to make her moan and grab her nape and pull for more. Shaya felt her smile rub against her lips and kissed her harder, pushing her against the wall she had behind, caressing her neck, her face, her neck again, her...
Regina's hand stopped hers. The kiss broke. Shaya watched her confusedly, not really able to think.
" Not with Henry home. " she whispered, hints of displeasure and sympathy in her dancing eyes.
Shaya felt her face redden more. " Oh, sure, you're right.... S-sorry, I just..." She was about to move on and let her her space, when Regina let her hand slide across her back and pulled the warrior back against herself, almost hugging her, but still looking upward in her eyes.
" I forgot it for a moment, too." she muttered, slightly blushing. Shaya kindly rubbed her thumb against her cheek, closed her eyes and kissed her again. But this time it was soft, sweet, gentle. All she could think about was her lips, her breath, her own heartbeat, so fast, so full. Regina was pressing her body against hers, and she had never felt so good. She was real, right in front of her, against her, warm, solid, willing to go on kissing her. It wasn't a fantasy. Regina wanted her, Regina needed her. Her hair, how silky and soft they were, as her skin, and her lips... Shaya had to stop kissing her. She needed to breath, she needed to calm her heart, or she would have died, probably.
" Are you okay, dear?" Regina's hand dried her face. She didn't notice that she was crying again until that moment.
Rapunzel blinked, trying to focus her face. The brunette was frowned, worried and confused, but when Shaya slightly smiled, lost in admiration of Regina's face, her expression relaxed a little.
" Sorry I just can't believe that this is real." The warrior voice was trembling. Her hand passed through Regina's hair. " I desired it for so long that..." Her voice faded while she was sinking again in her eyes. The dark hazel of them was so warm in the filtered daylight that Shaya could just stare at it, finally enjoying the sight of the true color of Regina's eyes. They always looked darker than this.
Regina held a smile.
" You should stop staring at me this way, Shaya. "
The warrior blinked, blushing a bit. " Why should I? And, overall, how am I supposed to do it? You're gorgeous!"
Regina smirked. " Well thank you, dear, but, really, you didn't even notice that Henry is behind you."
Shaya opened wide her eyes and turned. The kid gave her a wide smile. She frantically tried to distance from Regina, but the woman grabbed her arm and pulled her next to her.
" Is everything fine, sweetheart?" Regina asked him, smiling. He nodded. He had a large book in his hands.
" Yes but can I show her this?" he asked to his mother, pointing at Shaya with a hint of his head.
Regina lifted one eyebrow. " If you want to see it burn..." she archly said.
Henry almost hugged the book. " No! Why?"
Regina laughed softly. " She'll hate it."
" But it's just a book!"
Rapunzel watched Regina's eyebrow lift. She was adorable with that half amused, half surprised smirk. " Do you really think it?"
" Of course! Or you..." Henry vaguely pointed at his mother and shrugged.
Rapunzel frowned. " What does that book say?"
Henry handed it to her, but before she could take it Regina intercepted the movement and grabbed it. " Nothing important." she brightly smiled clutching the book.
Rapunzel crossed her arms. " Regina..." she said lifting one eyebrow.
" What? Really, dear, it isn't important..." the former Queen said, ready to walk away. Shaya's hand stopped her by suddenly leaning against the wall, close to her head. Her smile mirrored her incredulity.
" I promise I won't burn Henry's book, Regina. Whatever it says." she almost laughed, enjoying the relieved sigh that Regina gave, mostly because of the muscles of her neck, that now tensed and now relaxed, while her breasts dangerously lifted toward her. It was enough to distract her.
" Promise?" the brunette asked, her eyes narrowed in amusement. Despite the slight wrinkles around her eyes she looked younger with that gaze. Her eyes were dancing with the hidden smile that slightly curved up the angles of her perfect lips. Rapunzel pressed her lips together in a smile.
" I promise. "
Regina handed her the book. Shaya took it and looked at it, giving her a last glance before starting to read.
The warrior caressed the cover, following the looping lines of the golden title. Once Upon a Time. The beginning of every tale, she thought. She opened the first blank page, and then went to the real first one. There was a portrait on the right. She didn't recognize the man in red riding the white horse. She quickly read the first words, but they were the same as any other tale's. She changed page, and another illustration hit her eyes. Those were Snow White with Prince Charming, she was sure. She glanced at Regina. She smiled almost embarrassedly.
" Regina what's this?"
The brunette pointed out at the book with a hint of her head. " Go on and you'll see."
Shaya reluctantly put her eyes on the book. She furiously leafed through until she saw her. A sword was flying towards her, dressed in the most intimidating black dress she ever had, the terrorized and colored crowd as distant as possible from her. Rapunzel gave a look at the text, and found the words she was looking for: the Evil Queen. She gazed at Regina.
" Seriously?"
" What? The utter way they depicted my face or the book itself?"
Shaya narrowed her eyes. " Neither. Who has been so stupid to throw you a sword?"
Regina sneered. " Charming."
Rapunzel frowned, stifling a laughter. " You're far too good, Regina, I would have thrown it back to him! "
She saw her try to hide a sneer with a swallow, without much success. " I... Henry, she's just kidding." she said, giving her a worrying gaze.
Shaya swallowed hard. She totally forgot the kid. Again. She stroked the nape of her neck, innocently smiling at him. " Of course I am. "
The boy gave her a skeptic look. " Sure. Anyway, you don't have to read it now, you can keep it, I've read it a thousand times, so..." he shrugged.
Shaya really smiled at him this time. " Thank you, little Prince. You're generous. You'd make a good king."
Regina swallowed, suddenly nervous. " Aren't you tired, sweetheart? I guess you didn't sleep well in the hospital...?"
Henry thought about it, then yawned, as if he had to remember that he was tired to actually be it. " Yes, it's true. "
Regina, touched, smiled and caressed his cheek. " Then why don't you go to sleep for a while? I'll wake you up when it's lunch time."
He nodded smiling, yawned again and shuffled upstairs. Well, he tried.
" Don't drag your feet." Regina scolded him, but half smiling. He immediately began walking normally. She smiled. " Good boy." she muttered to herself, with such a proud and loving gaze toward her son that made Rapunzel want to cry.
" Thanks to you, I must suppose." she said softly.
Regina turned to look at her in the eyes. She looked almost surprise. No, she actually was bewildered.
" What?" the brunette asked. Shaya didn't understand the reason of her astonishment.
" I was just saying that... You raised him, isn't it? He's Emma's son, but he always lived with you, is it?"
Regina nodded, her lips still slightly detached. " Yes, she... She gave him away for adoption..."
Rapunzel nodded once, swallowing. " Well then, you're a good mother. Just this." she smiled, a bit of embarrass that colored her cheeks. But the smile disappeared when she saw a tear fall from the widened eyes of Regina. " Whoa, ehy, sorry, what...?"
The former Queen lips impacted against hers, her right hand pulling Shaya towards her by the warrior's nape, her left hand around her back, grasping it as if she feared that she could disappear at any moment. Rapunzel couldn't move her hands, pressed between the large book and Regina's breasts. Not that she was complaining.
Regina was kissing her with so much passion that it seemed desperation. Their tongue fought, she sucked her lower lip, bit it, licked it, then pushed again her tongue in her mouth, so furiously and so deeply to almost choke her, their lips so pressed together that Shaya's almost ached. When Regina broke the kiss, they were both breathless. Shaya could barely stand. She was so aroused that it was painful, but she'd have never made pressure on Regina. Henry. Henry was home. They couldn't go on that day. She had waited for all those years, what was a day more? Much. It was damn much.
" You should have told me that there was a love spell named "you're a good mother". " she panted, sneering at her True Love. But there were a few tears on Regina's face. Despite that, she was looking at her so gratefully that she almost forgot them. Shaya was really confused.
Regina leaned her head against the wall, pressing her lips in a tiny smile, that suddenly bursted into a brief, embarrassed but happy laughter. Shaya melted at that throaty sound. " It's just that none had ever said it to me. They've always thought the contrary. They've always seen me as the... villain. They still do. "
Sadness... It immediately awakened Rapunzel's rage. " They're good people, Regina, but they see only what they wanna see. They're lucky because none really broke them yet, but they just can't understand it, because they didn't experienced it. They need a villain because they didn't realize that each of them has it inside themself. They don't wanna know it, so they blame someone else. It's not what they really think or see, because all of them know Henry, and they all love him. It's right under their eyes that you raised him well. They just don't wanna see it, because you'd be less scary if they'd do, and they had to look themselves in the mirror, and ask themselves what they're capable of, because if such a good mother can kill cold-heartedly, maybe they could do it, too. This if they didn't do it already, in which case is even wor...."
Regina interrupted her passionate flow of words kissing her again, cupping her face in her hands. After pressing hard her lips against hers to make her stop talking, she softly rubbed them with hers, making their tongues meet, caress, then distance to attire Shaya's in her mouth. The warrior's tongue fell in the trap and Rapunzel felt it being slightly sucked, then released. She moaned and leaned forward, enjoying the rubbing contact with the soft lips of her Queen. She concentrated on them, too smooth to be real, then gently kissed the corner of her mouth, her jaw, her neck, accompanied by a low moan that almost made her come.
Shaya inspired Regina's scent, her face caressed by her hair, kissed again her neck feeling the former Queen shiver, and even more when she gently bit her earlobe.
" Shaya..." came Regina's low voice, throaty as never before. The warrior smiled against her earring.
" Aye?" she answered in a low murmur, her lips rubbing against Regina's neck again. The former Queen shivered again, swallowing.
" W-we can't..."
" I know. I'm not even trying..." Shaya smirked on her cheek, making her snort.
" I'm in trouble then." Regina chuckled turning her head. Their noses slightly touched. All that Rapunzel could see were Regina's eyes, slightly narrowed in an amused and alluring gaze.
The warrior sneered. " You have no idea."
" What the hell happened? I've been waiting here for two hours, bloody hell! Where were you? Why didn't you tell me before...?"
" Sister, you calm him down or I'll do it."
" Stay still, Grumpy, I..."
" Hook, calm down..."
" No mate, I won't damn calm down! Swan is unconscious on that damn bed from yesterday and none had the decency to apprise me neither! "
" She was awake today, and she's fine, she just..."
" But I wanted to know!"
" Shut up, pirate! If you'd really care, you wouldn't have stayed all night long drinking rum and scotch and then sleeping all day long in Granny's warehouse. Hugged to a broom. "
Killian stared at the dwarf, then grimaced at him. " Better than try to fuck a fairy. "
The dwarf tried to pounce on him but David stopped him. " Whoa ehy ehy ehy, calm down, both of you!"
" Let me kick his jellyfish ass, brother!" Grumpy growled, struggling against Charming's arms, wrapped around his chest.
" Grumpy, please..." Snow wearily intervened, leaning a hand on his shoulder. After a glance at her the dwarf immediately stopped struggling, but he glared at him. Killian grinned.
" Hook, stop bothering and just sit there. I'm tired, Emma is... Just shut up, okay? I don't need even your contribution to this shitty situation."
Killian looked at the woman. She was really weary. He glanced at David, who was pleadingly eying him. The pirate loudly sighed.
" Alright!" he exclaimed, suddenly sitting on the weird chair and taking a sip of rum from his hip flask. " I'll just wait for her to awake right here." Snow glared at him. " In silence." he added with a grin.
" Thank you." Charming sighed, hugging his wife, although she didn't look exactly in the mood for a hug. Killian, smiling, handed her the flask, careful not to speak. She sighed, then grabbed it and took a long sip from it, under the astonished gaze of her husband. She handed him back the flask.
" You're useful, after all." she groaned, her eyes wetted by the burning liquor.
The pirate arched an eyebrow. " Oh, sure, now I'm..." She glared at him again. He sighed, rolling his eyes. " Right."
He eyed the woman on the bed. Her face was relaxed. She was just sleeping, without even dreaming. His eyes lingered on her cheeks, paler than they usually were, then on her gorgeous hair that shined more than every treasure he'd ever seen, even in the weird light that those white tubes emitted.
Killian could see the slight curves of her body under the blankets. Her breasts, her so kissable belly, her strong and long legs...
" Hook."
Killian blinked, turning toward the source of the steady voice. He locked gaze with Charming. He didn't look very pleased.
" What's up, mate?"
David frowned. His biceps flitted when he slightly moved his crossed arms. " I think you know."
The pirate grinned. " I was just checking if she's fine."
" S h e i s f i n e. And you can see it by her face."
" And what a lovely face!"
" Indeed." Charming snarled at him. Hook grinned. Ah, Swan, couldn't she be a little less attractive, devil of a woman?
Belle entered the pawn shop, enjoying the familiar peal. He wasn't there. He had to be in the back.
" Is it allowed, Mr. Gold?" she asked loud, already smiling. Her man walked in from the backroom, smiling in turn.
" Only if you want to buy something, dearie. "
She reached him and wrapped her arms around his neck. " And if I wanted to steal a kiss from you, instead?"
He shrugged leaning his hand on her hip. " Uhm, I guess that I could even find it acceptable, if you give me something in return."
Belle opened her mouth and frowned in surprise. " Oh, so you even want something in return? "
He sneered nodding. " Obviously!"
She snorted. " And what would this "something" be?"
He grinned. " Another kiss."
" You could say it before!" she exclaimed laughing. Belle leaned forward and kissed him.
" I thought you would be at the library by now...?" Rumple asked, the confusion that wrinkled his pretty face. She caressed his silky hair.
" I'm going there now, but there's something that I wanted to know before I go. And something that I wanted to say to you."
He narrowed his eyes and hid an intrigued smirk. " Then ask and tell, dearie."
Belle stifled a laughter. " Yes, uhm... Well, Ruby is in heat, and she mysteriously talked about the Three Little Pigs, so I was wondering if you knew something about those three... uhm... werewolves, I suppose?"
The Dark one snorted. " Werewolves, indeed. Are you worried for your friend?"
" Yeah. They're three, aren't they? And she's one... I'm most certainly worried."
" Well, you're instinct has always been good, dearie." he sneered while he gently rubbed his thumb against her hip. " They're a dangerous, strong, fierce trio. Three brothers born from two werewolves, raised in the wild forest of our native land, whose parents were brutally murdered, as ordered by our beloved King George. The wise man didn't send a single ulterior soldier when the three little brothers massacred the whole platoon. He instead gave them the whole north side of the Enchanted Forest. Or his part of it, at least. They were only ten, eleven and thirteen years old when they came back from hunting and found their parents in a lake of blood, and the king's men stealing their goods and food."
" Oh my God!"
" I know, it's terrible."
Belle locked gaze with him. She didn't like the arch way he said it. " Rumple..."
" Sorry, dearie. Bad habits are tough to break." he guiltily smirked, making her sigh. Belle shook her head with the hint of a smile on her lips.
" Yeah, I know..." she muttered glancing down. " Gah, I absolutely have to warn Ruby of this..."
" Yes, you should." Rumplestiltskin put two fingers under her chin, and gently pushed upward. Belle locked gaze with him again. He looked a little worried. " Are you fine?" he asked in a murmur. Belle couldn't help but smile at him, and his face immediately relaxed.
" Yes, don't worry. I'm just concerned about Ruby."
" Alright then, I'm curious, tell me what you wanted to tell me, now."
Belle's smile widened. " Oh, yeah, right! It's about Regina: Ruby blabbed something about her being gay, so I guess that..."
" That she might have seen our Evil Queen and the Golden Death finally kissing." he sneered.
Belle goggled out. " Did you already know?"
" No, no. But I knew that it would have happened. I just didn't know when."
" But... Since when did you...?"
Rumplestiltskin grinned. " I would say from almost a century."
" And she's her True Love?"
" I'm pretty sure that she is, yes." The Dark One spoke, not Rumple. Even his voice was different when he fell back into past like in that moment. Belle nervously swallowed.
" So... But do they know?"
The Dark One tightened his lips and narrowed his eyes, slightly tilting his head laterally. " Mh, I don't know, maybe. Maybe not. Maybe I don't care." he grinned.
Belle pointed on him her most scowling gaze, and yet she was smiling.
" Come on, Rumple, I can see that you care about Shaya. I know you. "
He hid a thin smile. " I care about you." he murmured, leaning forward to kiss her again. It was in the terms of the deal, after all, she innerly smiled.
The female was close, Steven could feel her though her scent didn't reach his nostrils yet. He eyed his brothers. They were looking at him with impatient expectation in their amber wolfish eyes. He grinned at them. " The hunt has begun." he snarled.