mr. gold pawnbroker & antiquities dealer

[sticktomybooks]

Belle is dusting the shop. Rumple has such a lovely collection but he only occasionally remembers to clean it. Having started, she can see why he avoids the task- there's all sorts of small, delicate pieces that accumulate just horrific amounts of dust- but she refuses to let that stop her. The shop is entirely too dusty, and she is going to fix it.

It's something to do, at least. She doesn't need to be in the library for another hour or so, and Rumple's gone off somewhere again. She suspects he's getting her a present again. She keeps telling him he doesn't need to buy her things, she loves him just the same, but the fact that he thinks to buy her gifts makes her so happy she hasn't really made him stop.

She's free, she's found Rumple, he loves her, she loves him. Life is good. And right now, at this second- this shop is going to be spotless.

She moves onto the next piece, humming to herself in contentment.

Comments

[made_not_born]

Regina shrugs. "As long as you don't leave town, I doubt anyone will care," she says. "You just look like- you miss the Enchanted Forest. Outside Storybrooke, it would be different." She looks at him consideringly. "That said- it might not be a bad thing, to be able to tell you apart from Gold. He's not exactly popular."

[done_reading]

Henry is not saying anything.

[darkest_evening]

"I never would have guessed. Everyone was so subtle about it, why, it went completely over my head."

[made_not_born]

Regina laughs. "Next time, we'll make banners," she promises.

[darkest_evening]

"Make sure it glows, too, we need to be sure that we get people's attention. 'I am not Rumplestiltskin.' In bold."

[made_not_born]

"Glowing banner it is." She looks down and reaches out for Henry, sighing sadly when he takes a not-terribly-subtle step backwards.

She hasn't done any magic, like she promised, doesn't he care?

She shakes off the mood. "Adarin, guest room's this way, if you'll follow me," she says. "Lynn's all set downstairs."

She heads down towards the guest room, to show Adarin where he'll be sleeping (under her watchful, mildly suspicious eye). She leaves Henry to his own devices, hoping he'll soften towards her again if given a chance to cool.

(This was, perhaps, not a very good decision on her part.)