#gold x reader

[biancatronic]

Sorry for not cropping the image

But yes, part 3 is coming.

[biancatronic]

Gold and Reader headcannos part 2 feat Hypno

Part one is here

Warning: mini stalker, horror and two meter mf with pendulum

If it's been two weeks since you adopted the ghost boy and the alphabet-shaped pokemons that you wonder if he's okay with this coexistence between the two of you, Gold said it's okay with that he said he's just feeling weird because inside for having this sudden change with the empty and lonely life he had you understand that and i decided to do your thing while gold watches the classic pokemon movies together with the unowns. Forgot to mention but he uses them to be able to communicate with you and you had to study the Unown alphabet because he doesn't use his voice so much to communicate with you.

When night came you had a slumber party and watched Pokemons Generations and The Legend of Thunder you could notice as you saw Gold watching that he formed a small smile on his face, you were relieved to see that he could express feelings a little but he can express his emotions without anyone noticing it, besides you of course. Meanwhile, a figure behind the window was watching you without you realizing he was watching.

You say goodbye to Gold when you go to work at the sweets, pastries, breads and cakes store a few meters from your house. It isn't that far but it takes about 20 minutes to go there and to your house. On the way you don't notice a huge eminent figure behind the bushes following you without you noticing it. Arriving at work you greet your friends Lora and Charlie they were talking about reports of people seeing a 2 meter furry yellow creature walking around with something he carries, you ignore this thinking it was silly of them or something and I decided to start the turn as usual organized the packages of cupcakes and goodies in the warehouse.

Your shift had ended a little late. It was 11:46 pm Lora was ready to close the shop and Charlie had already left in a taxi for fear of meeting the creature mentioned at the beginning of the shift while you finished cleaning the shelves you tidied up. your things and I left the warehouse Lora has to interrupt and talk if you don't want to go with her to go home by taxi you refuse and say that's ok with that, Lora doesn't try to stop you and she opens the interrupted and hangs up the store lights from every room and you leave the store and walk back home. To say that you feel watching would be silly but you were wrong about that, a huge figure was behind you watching from afar following your steps while you looked at your cell phone notifications and thought about maybe giving you a phone to call Gold and talk if is he ok or wants something you think about bringing some candy from the store for him and the others tomorrow before leaving shift as you are walking suddenly you hear something behind you and you turn to see what it is until you didn't see it was nothing, weird it felt like something was slowly approaching you maybe it's your mind with today's stress getting in your way with annoying customers to deal with. It was missing some walks to reach your house until you feel something coming at you again because a huge shadow is forming behind you, you turn around in a cold sweat to see until you see something on the third post in front of you a figure of yellow fur with furry neck no eyes, pointy ears and about 2 meters the size of a young adult bear and a pointy nose he was holding an iron ring rope that was glowing purple around him you may have seen something this kind of creature somewhere but you don't have a good memory to remember what it is but other than that you felt fear in you, the creature was starting to shake that ring but you were quick on instinct and ran away from it without looking backwards he was recognizing the street that is close to his house without looking back at some point to see without that he was following him

Arriving home scared, Gold lowers his head to the side with Unown question mark format and talking in his groggy voice what happened to you, you relieve a little and say that it was followed by a strange thing you haven't given details yet but said that maybe it's all in your head and you said you'll talk tomorrow about what happened, Gold doesn't say anything but he suspects something other than what you said, going up to your room to change you think about what you saw today, it will be that it was real or not? You don't know how to answer yourself so you decide to research this creature later.

The next day, you were on the living room couch typing on your computer about the supposed creature when a Twitter post caught your attention, clicking on the post a user says that this thing was on your driveway of your house when he asked the question of what could that be, the photo was a little dark but the silhouette was close to the post close, rolled in the comments people were saying that this was fake or maybe someone dressed as an animal to scare the residents and others and few say they saw it wandering in the deserted streets and such, but a specific comment caught your attention was that a another user said that this thing looked like a pokemon called Hypno you searched the name and compared the creature with that pokemon, very similar in fur, the color and ring he was holding was very similar to the others, with the oddities that happened this week you agree that the user was right, it was a hypno but why was he out of the pokemon world and doing it here? You later decide to tell Gold about it but now you're busy with college work so you change the subject and come back with your research that the professors sent you to read and write down.

Two days have passed and the final exams arrive on the weekend and you still have 4 papers to finish this end of the month, you decided that you would study Thursday and Friday for exam days you are tired and need to relax a little, you give pause for a moment and think about talking to Gold about the creature you met two days ago you decide to take advantage of it and go up to his room where he is.

Opening the door you don't find him and his Unowns are not somewhere you search a little without noticing someone behind you, you open the closet on none of his until you feel someone behind you, in a cold sweat the last time you turn around and seeing it was him, phew he almost kills you from the heart again like the first day when you guys met.

-Oh it was just you. I was looking for you to talk about the creature I found two days ago. –The Unowns form "Tell me", you sit on the bed and Gold was in front of you staring at you waiting for you to speak first.

–Ok with all the weird stuff (as if there wasn't an 11 year old boy with no arms and legs living with me) I found myself with a tall hairy creature with a ring being held by a line do you know this guy? –Gold use his Unowns at a time forming the phrase "Danger", "Hypno is a problem".

–Ah… right, but how will I be able to deal with this? -Gold raises his shoulders up as an answer of I don't know how to deal with a 2 meters tall pokemon.

Well great, now you have to play the hero of a series against monsters from another parallel world and save everyone's day and blah blah blah.

-OK Gold, I'll try to deal with this before it's too late. -Gold didn't say anything and went back to his corner watching nothing and his Unowns suddenly disappeared, now how you can deal with it you don't know.

You left for your work, today was your afternoon shift because Lora went to her grandparents' house today and you managed to work with Charlie today, while walking looking back at once while you forgot you were supposed to take the sweets to the others, thinking about it you walk quickly to the site while at that.

Charlie said it's to take care of the bakery today because another co-worker got sick and couldn't come today, you didn't complain and went to cook, make 30 cupcakes and organize the cakes in their proper places for the motoboy to pick them up to deliver, at least they're all ready for today. Four hours passed and Lora commented that 5 people were disappeared and reappeared with their faulty memories and insomnia. The kidnapped she doubts is that strange creature, great now everything will start to get worse from that who else will appear the mewtwo wreaked havoc in the city? Getting out of your thoughts, you take customer orders and start preparing their orders. Your shift is over, you just needed to finish cleaning up the mess the customers made on the tables, while you thought of a plan Lora comments on college exams and complaining about life while you were distracted while you finish cleaning the tables Lora says goodbye to you and you will take a taxi to go to your apartment, you are the last one in this store, you take a box and put some pastries, sweet rolls, donuts and cupcakes, after packing the box you organize everything in place and erase them all the establishment's lights, taking the package and bag you leave the place, lock the door and walk out to go home.

Walking looking back a few times aware of the creature that prowls here you hold tight to the box to keep things from falling, walking a little fast you hear the slivers of plants being stepped on beside the woods where you are walking, without looking at what it was you continue your walk looking back a little, the more you walk the more steps increase with the leaves being trampled and your steps accelerate a little more and you hear more fluff if you accelerate and you start a run and the steps of the forest accompany you with you, you know that thing is following you you need come up with a strategy to outwit him before he does a thing, you turn left and the footsteps come out of the woods and follow you, fuck you were fucked up, you turn your head back and stop whatever you were doing and realize what was following you was actually a stray dog ​​that was after you. The dog comes to you and smells you, he is probably hungry, you open the box with pastries and offer the meat pastries to him and he eats without hesitation anything you laugh at your nonsense and pet him and walk back to your house, it was a few blocks away and you can rest and think of a plan how to stop the creature and you're stuck in your thoughts without looking forward you run into a furry wall and stopping to think you freeze in place and slowly look up and see that it was that one creature you were planning to deal with him, looking at you with black eyes and nose snorting intensely, you quickly back away from him without moving a muscle and without a seal on his ring, you researching more about Hypno this morning than it was so as not to look at his pendulum, he was still looking at you without moving the muscle and as for you, he is stopping without making the creature speak. "Take me to Gold", you realize that this thing spoke to you, no stranger with a pokemon that spoke to you to think in conflict whether or not to take him to your house, who knows he might hurt the boy or make something worse you don't know what to do you need to choose well what you are going to say to him.

You were standing holding the box looking at anything not to focus on the creature, you think about what Gold said about Hypno but he didn't mention that he was dangerous to him, thinking on that side you'd rather follow his order than if one more his victim. Sighing and looking straight into the eyes of the creature you speak.

"okay I'll take it to the boy".

After walking a few meters in his house, you open the door first for Hypno, no wonder that this is two meters high he had to lower his head to enter the house, Celebi is the first to go down the stairs winged when seeing you and Hypno come in, Celebi comes back upstairs, probably calling her trainer to come downstairs. While you put the box on the table in the room Gold had already gone down and started talking.

-You took too long to look for me -said the boy.

"Well I knew your location had changed, so I went out where it was close and I followed your aura here and I see you're with someone," Hypno replied pointing at you and then back to look at Gold.

-I knew that, but I was also worried about you hurting them -Gold said to him. For you to be surprised that the boy was worried about you is very sweet of him to be worried about you.

-Well since you're here, I'll stay here since I've been spotted by people and I don't want to face certain conflicts.

After that conversation you ate the sweets and pastries you brought. You took an old mattress in the attic of your house and gave it to Hypno, he doesn't say thank you but is grateful you give him something to rest, you go to your room and make Gold's bed in your double bed you have, you ask if Gold is ok and he answers that it's ok using the Unowns you yawn and say good night to Gold and his pokemons and Hypno too. Man you think you're going crazy with this.

Random Headcannos

Gold:

Gold only talks if necessary, his voice is groggy and scary when talking, it's not his fault he rarely talks to anyone other than his pokemons.

He doesn't feel hungry or thirsty, so you can sometimes give him food or not, he doesn't care so much about his condition.

Gold is happy that some people look up to him and remember his legacy he is proud of that deep down.

If you've been having a bad and sad day, Gold will sit next to you and soothe you by placing his head on your shoulder as a way of comforting you from your bad day, your pokemons will also sit or lie on your lap for comfort too, you are grateful that people even though they are supernatural creatures have comforting you.

Gold is weird sometimes, has a weird habit of staring at you while you do your things around the house.

Hypno:

Since Hypno lived with you, he hasn't spoken often, maybe because he doesn't have something to say to you, but the strange thing about it all is you hear some whispers going around there and here like "you remind me a little of her" , "this feeling I miss her", you don't know who this person is that he mentions later you go looking for more about it.

Hypno can be a big guy, sometimes he needs you to run errands when you ask him for a favor, don't bother him as you're not used to visitors.

He will have to follow you until your work hours until the end of the shift, as he will only accompany you home and if someone strange he aborts you he will make those people regret it.

He likes to eat cupcakes, especially strawberry ones.

When you're having a bad day, Hypno is a little bad to have comforts, since that person he was in contact with is gone, he tries his best to comfort you, it's nice of him to do that for you.

Lmao this mf is scary, especially watching you when you're doing anything in your house.

Well, that was for today, if it's a wrong writing, I'm sorry.

[alangel1895]

Brave enough to love

Title: Brave enough to love

Pairing: Rumpelstiltskin|Gold x female!Reader, Rumpelstitski|Gold x Belle

Word Count: ~1.6k

Warnings: h/c, sad at the beginning,

Summary: When Belle walks back into Mr Gold’s life and everyone in town remembers who they are it might be time for some new beginnings. Not wanting to be in the way of their second chance you quietly slip out of his life to find a new beginning of your own. But are both of you ready to forget what you shared while you were under the dark curse?

Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13401012

"I'm not making you choose" You whispered as you watched the way Gold looked at Belle when she entered his shop. You stood there hidden behind the curtain observing all the different emotions that flickered over their faces. It was both beautiful and total agony to witness. Your heart shattered into a million pieces, but maybe you deserved just that for falling in love with Rumpelstiltskin of all men.

It felt strange to remember a life that felt lifetimes away yet all those memories were clear and felt like yesterday. Who were you? The person you had been felt so different from who you were now. You had been a child - at heart at least - back there, hidden and protected by your family and lost and lonely when they died. In some way the curse even saved you form that uncertainty and loss.

But who were you now? You had been forced to work, pay rent and life a life of your own. Surprisingly you managed. Sure working for Mr. Gold of all people might not have been a great choice but it payed for rent and kept you fed. And over time - how long had it been? - you realised there were worse people around town than the pawn shop owner. As long as you stayed out of his way and paid rent on time he let people mind their own business. Unlike the mayor who seemed to need to control everything. She was trouble whenever she entered the shop, wishing you a good day by glaring daggers at you.

And now someone else entered the picture. You had only ever heard Gold talk about Belle once. It had been very late and he seemed moodier than usual, when you had the courage to ask about what was the matter instead of snapping he actually told you. It had been that day, years ago, when he lost the one woman he truly loved and he lost her because he wasn't brave enough to love her. He looked so vulnerable that night... It had been the first time you'd seen him as more than your employer. And it changed your perception of him forever.

You slowly backed away from the curtain, not brave enough to look at the scene any longer. In a moment the shock of being back together would wear off and they would be in each other’s arms. Your heart already braced itself for a cry of happiness and barely audible but painful words of joy and love. In your head the scene unfolded just like a rom-com movie and with every flash of your imagination your heart hurt a little more.

When you first got involved with Gold you knew it would likely end in tears. You knew how much he still loved the woman he lost and part of you knew you could never be her. Realising you were falling for a man who could never love you the way you loved him was the final straw to growing up. You never asked why he kissed you that day after catching you when you fell off a ladder stocking a higher up shelf. You didn't dare. If you questioned him he might question himself and regret it. So you didn't ask, but kissed back. Kissed him then and you kissed him again. You never talked about it, never went out on dates, but in the privacy of his back room your lips danced for hours to minutes depending on how much time was at hand. Getting lost in his surprisingly sweet touches and his rougher lips was starting to be the highlight of your day. You hated weekends when you couldn't come in to work and see him. In a way being in love gave you a new purpose, a new light.

And you refused to lose that light again. You swallowed hard, banishing all images from your head. Maybe being in love had lifted you up, but you wouldn't let it bring you down. You had gotten a glimpse of what life could be like, all the promises and opportunities in this land without magic and you refused to not make the best of the chance you'd been given. You didn't need Mr. Gold anymore - Same as he obviously wouldn't need you anymore.

 You found a new job surprisingly easy. With everyone remembering their stories, people who hadn't looked at each other all this time remembered their love and friendship. Dynamics shifted and things changed. You got a job at the Rabbit Hole and though it certainly was a less respectable job than being a pawn job assistant it still paid okay. And it was a place neither Mr Gold nor his girlfriend would frequent. You had left that part of your life behind.

Until one night you were walking down the street to your tiny apartment. The lights were off in most windows and the rain was falling in hair thin lines soaking your hair and dress slowly. The street lights were dim and the stars seemed less bright as you looked up. The world always seemed that little bit dimmer after all the bright lights in the Rabbit Hole.

On nights like these you missed the pawn shop. Even filled with all those old and possibly dangerous things it had always felt so real. Much realer than the night club with all its bright lights, women with too red lips and men with tipsy smiles. You missed your old reality. And of course you still missed Gold.

"(Y/n)" A familiar voice said behind you. Thinking of the devil, you thought as you turned around slowly. It was late and not the time people usually went for walks. But despite the hour and the rain your feet had taken you to the main street of Storybrooke only a few yards away from your old working place. And apparently face to face with your old employee too.

"Hello, Mr. Gold" You said as your eyes met his. His expression was unreadable, blank in a way that made it impossible to guess his thoughts.

"You should recall my real name by now" He replied "I assume that's why you left so hasty."

For a moment you swore you saw something like hurt in his eyes before they shifted back to their initial blankness. You had always liked his expressive eyes. People brave enough to look the man into his eyes could see and read so much in them.

"I didn't leave because of what you are, Rumpelstiltskin. I left because you are finally brave enough to love Belle, I know you won't lose her again" You swallowed to fight down the tears threatening to spill over. You left so he wouldn't have to choose, to run from the inevitable outcome that he would never have chosen you. You left to protect both of you.

"You too think I changed? I could be the one worthy of someone's love?" His eyes were curious now as if he heard someone say similar things before. Probably Belle. She too must have told him that he deserved to be loved and deserved someone at his side despite what most people thought of the dark one.

"No one should have to change for their love. It's being in love that changes you." You thought about how much you had grown while being Golds assistant, his friend and then his lover. You changed, because being in love gave you new life, new hope. "I believe everyone deserves to be loved - As long as they are willing to give the same love back."

Suddenly Rumpelstiltskin took a decisive step towards you, his hand came to softly cradle your cheek while the other hold tight onto his walking stick. His eyes started to sparkle and the stars seemed to reflect in them. The street seemed brighter and the rain soaking through your coat didn't matter anymore. Your heart beat had picked up a little and as if you two were alone in his backroom, back when you were still just a pawn shop owner and his assistant, you smiled up at him. For just this one time you let yourself get lost in him again.

"I want to be able to love someone again" He whispered quietly "I've spent more than 28 years believing I lost every chance at love. I failed Belle and I had to pay the price. Everything has its price."

His last words sounded bitter. It hurt you seeing him like this. Rumpelstiltskin might not have been a kind or friendly man, but after all those years at Mr Gold's side you knew that he wasn't simply the dark one anymore. In a town where nothing had changed till Emma Swan arrived something in Gold must have changed.

"She's back now" you told him "Sometimes all we need is a second chance."

At that he shook his head and you frowned a little. What was he doing? He had been granted a second chance that had seemed impossible a few days ago.

"Some second chances come too late. 28 years of waiting is a long time. I… I believed I’d never find love again. I will always cherish our time and what she did for me, but... It's too late for us."

"I'm sorry"

"Me too" He sighed "I've spent so much time being afraid, it's hard to be brave now. But when I saw Belle walk into my shop again I realized not only how long I waited for something I knew I lost, but I also realized what being a coward leads to.

(Y/n)… I can't have another woman I love walk away. For once I want to be brave for someone else. Because she deserves it. You deserve it." And then he leaned in to finally kiss you "I love you, (y/n). I can't change who I am. But I promise I love you."

[secondstartotheright-imagines]

All Work and No Play

Request from anon: Imagine the reader being totally overworked and never stopping and Regina and Gold stepping in? :)

Regina x Gold x Reader

Words: 1,117

Disclaimer: None of the GIFs used are mine so all credit goes to their creators <3

You needed to slow down, you knew that, and you had tried but your working life had decided otherwise for you. This was the problem when you decided to become a wedding planner somewhere like Storybrooke – You had planned more weddings in the past year than a planner would in three years in a major city! Every resident here was finding their happy ending and although you were happy for each and every one of them you were also completely exhausted.

So tired in fact that you had just managed to order a truck load of red roses for a wedding the next day…when the bride wanted white ones.

“Look I get that people make mistakes, I’ve made them myself love, but I can’t take a truck load of roses back to the depot – we can’t do anything with them now unless someone miraculously bought all of these today.”

You roll your eyes in frustration at the situation but you had no energy within you to argue with the man….it wasn’t like it was his fault anyway, he was just doing his job and delivering what had been ordered….what you had stupidly ordered.

“Okay, well, thanks anyway. I’m sure I could have a word with the bride-to-be and hopefully sort something.”

He lowered the peak of his cap in response before getting back inside his truck and driving off leaving you with a whole load of flowers that were going to end up being completely redundant. A frustrated sigh passed your lips as you just let your tired form fall up against the crates before slinking down to the floor. This was going to be one nightmarish conversation to have.

“Yikes! There was me thinking that Rapunzel hated red roses…”

Regina’s voice broke through the air as she appeared before you; a couple of years ago her sudden appearance would have made you jump right out of your skin but over time you got used to the fact that she liked to make an entrance.

“She does.”

Your voice was cold and flat, void of even the frustration you felt at yourself, and although Regina was just itching to say some form of snarky remark she took one look at the sheer tiredness in your eyes and decided better. Instead she sat herself beside you, well, squatted anyway…..not even you, a good friend of hers, was going to get her sitting on the filthy ground.

“You’re working yourself too hard, I keep telling you this. You have a friend, no, two friends who possess magic….you don’t need to be doing all of this on your own.”

“It’s my job Regina, I chose this, I just wasn’t expecting so many people to get married so damn quickly.” Despite your exhaustion and frustration you let a small laugh escape your lips as you looked over to your friend. She was a questionable character sometimes, just as your other friend was, but you weren’t exactly ‘Little Miss Perfect’ yourself so the friendship you all had worked perfectly, well, apart from when they both itched for a reason to use their magic around you. “Anyway I know there is always a price when it comes to using your magic and there is no way I am going to let either one of you risk that for me.”

“Oh [y/n] you really need to learn to live a little.”

“….and I will, after I have sorted this mess out. I promise.”

You stood yourself up having mentally prepared yourself to start sorting out this mess when your eyes noticed each and every rose beginning to fade into white. For a brief moment or two you panicked that you were going colour-blind, that your stress had finally got to you, but then the penny dropped and you soon realised that magic was the reason behind it.

“Regina….”

“Hey it wasn’t me! I’m innocent for once.”

You narrowed your eyes at her in suspicion but when you saw her hands up in the air, showing you that there was no magic leaving them, you knew she was telling the truth.

“Then wh-“

“Oh that was me dearie. I heard the conversation and figured that while you girlies sat there talking I would actually do something about the problem.”

“You know for the Dark One you don’t know much do you?” Regina spat out at him. “[y/n] just said that she didn’t want us using out magic.”

“When have you ever known me to listen?” A grin stretched out onto his face, from one ear to the other, as he sent a playful wink in your direction. It was annoying that he had gone against what you had wanted but at the same time you couldn’t find it in you to berate him when you saw that grin of his. “Now however much I hate to admit that Regina is right…she is. You need to take a break. You remember how stubborn we are so you know we won’t just let this drop.”

You were about to argue your point, your mouth even opening ready for your words to come pouring out, but when their eyes stared intently at you it became very clear that it would be a losing battle. The sign that escaped you instead was laced with defeat.When it came to these two you would never win the argument – the fact that if they really wanted to they could turn you into a frog until you agreed with them also helped with your decision to not argue with them.

“Fine! Fine….you can help me just this once, using your magic, but only so I can take this break you are so desperate for me to. This will not happen again though…..understood?”

Neither of them said anything, not wanting to make a promise they knew they wouldn’t end up keeping so instead they both busied themselves with making sure that everything you needed for the wedding tomorrow was all in place and there wasn’t a single thing left for you to do. Even the venue itself was fully prepared with not only the furniture but the décor too. You had to admit……they were pretty damn good with their magic.

A small smile crept up onto your lips as you watched them both at work and realised just how much you appreciated having them in your life; the two of them were like oil and fire at the best of times but if there was one thing that always managed to bring the two of them together it was you, and you were more than happy with that.

In fact, truth be told, you weren’t entirely sure what you would do without them.

Permanent tag list: @fallenfairy16 @brieflybigwonderland@gayvvarden @sammysgirl1997 

[secondstartotheright-imagines]

True Love’s Kiss is a Powerful Thing.

Request from @blackenedlips: Reader was cashier in Gold shop during curse and they became inseparable friends, despite his rep; during this, Gold confides in her, telling her about Belle and son. Thus, when curse broke and Rumple reunites with Belle, reader steps away and ignores her crush; he assumes it's because he's the dark one, but she didn't actually care. When TL kiss didn't work on Belle to get memory back, he realizes his feelings has changed -- reader is his true love. He confronts her, which is where you come in?

Gold x Reader

Words: 2,643 (I am sooo sorry! I got carried away!)

Disclaimer: None of the GIFs used are mine so all credit goes to their creators <3

Gold had gone on his lunch break and given how picky he was with how he had his sandwich prepared at Granny’s diner it gave you the perfect amount of time to conceal yourself inside his shop properly. In all the time you had worked here you rarely went into the back of the shop, that was his domain, you much preferred it in the main area where you could speak to the customers that came in. You had made friends with many of the residents of Storybrooke but the owner of the shop you worked in, the man you were about to scare out of his wits, was the closest one you had made. It hadn’t been an expected friendship, not in the slightest, as you were two very different people but somehow you’d had a connection with the other from day one.

He didn’t have the best reputation but it never crossed your mind. You saw him differently….always had done.

As a mischievous smirk started to tug up on your lips you snuck into the back room, knowing that he wouldn’t expect for you to be in there, and hid yourself behind a rather odd-looking statue. You made a mental note to ask yourself what it was because right now it looked like something that would be the main focus of a horror film or something…..god you hoped he wouldn’t be too picky because the faster you got away from this thing the better. The way it made the hairs on your arms stand on end made you think that said horror movie was about to start playing out and you were the main protagonist in it.

The bell above the shop door sounded out, snapping you out of the rather anxious mindset you had started to head into.

“[y/n] are you in here?”

There was a hint of confusion in his words as he cautiously stepped through the shop and past the counter; it wasn’t like you to just disappear during a shift, not without mentioning something to him first. With a furrowed brow he settled the lunch he had bought for the two of you down onto the counter top where the register stood and wandered towards the curtain that separated the back room off from the shop floor.

“I really hope that this is one of yo-“

You didn’t wait long to jump out at him, in fact he had only just wrapped his fingers around the fabric of the curtain when you did it, but you didn’t make a sound until his body was completely in the room. Then, and only then, did you let out the loudest scream you could manage. Inevitably your sudden and unexpected action caused him to jump, a hand going directly for his chest as though to try and calm a racing heart, and when his mind finally caught up and allowed him to see that it was you a rather bemused look was thrown in your direction.

“[y/n] that was not funny.”

Maybe it wasn’t to him but for you the look that had been on his face for that first split second he had been quite genuinely terrified was the most amusing thing you had seen all week and despite an effort on your behalf to stop the laugh from erupting out of you that very sound soon filled the room as you wrapped your arms around him and pulled your friend into an apologetic hug.

“Sorry….I forgot that old men have weaker hearts….”

“Enough of the ‘old man’ you. I have a whole load of life left inside of me yet.”

Although the tone of his words sounded serious the smirk appearing on his lips said something else entirely as he returned the embrace you had pulled him into. The scent of his cologne filled your nostrils when you nuzzled your head into his chest and you couldn’t stop your heart from racing a little faster than it would usually. This man was all you ever seemed to think about at the moment, yes you had your ups and downs just as anyone else did, but at the end of the day you always knew he would be there for you……even if he did get a little too protective sometimes. His actions weren’t always ones you could agree on but he had your back and you had his….and most importantly of all he also had your heart.

He just didn’t know that yet as you hadn’t wanted to ruin the friendship you had by voicing your feelings and risking the chance that they may not be reciprocated. Without your friendship with him in your life this place would become rather miserable for you.

“I could have seen you as a threat [y/n], which means I could have hurt you, you remember our conversations yes?”

With a playful roll of your eyes you pulled away from him and made your way into the shop. He really was far too serious sometimes.

“Yes I remember them but come on…you really think anyone that dangerous would come here? This ‘saviour’ which you speak of hasn’t shown any sign of even coming here.”

“She will be here [y/n], it’s just a matter of time, and when she is here I need to make sure that I am there for Belle. I won’t be able to protect you as much as I would like to.”

You didn’t hear any of the words he had spoken after the name Belle came into the conversation. Although the only thing you wanted for your friend out of life was for him to be happy you couldn’t help the bitter feeling that spread through you each and every time he spoke of her. She was his true love which meant everything you felt for him would always be unrequited….you would never get your chance to be with him. The childish excitement that had once been running through you deflated as quickly as a balloon that had just had its knot untied.

A reaction that was more than evident on your face and caused some concern to wash over Gold’s as his brows furrowed.

“When she is back in my life as she should be you will still be my friend [y/n]. You have been incredibly kind towards me for a long time now. I won’t forget that – no one else here has offered to help me look for my son, something I will be forever grateful for.”

The smile that appeared on your face from his words was a genuine one but it didn’t hide the sadness you truly felt. His hand came to rest on your cheek and it sent a warm feeling through your entire body, causing your eyes to shut as you savoured his touch, you just wished you could feel him like this so much more often.

….Sadly his love was always going to belong to someone else.

                                           * * * * * * * * * *

The day Rumple had been so adamant would happen did….much to your disappointment.

You felt the shockwave of the curse being broken and your first reaction was to instantly turn and look towards the most important person in your life….an action of which you wished you hadn’t performed because all you were greeted with was his back as he swiftly left the shop….leaving you stood there all alone with the realisation that you had now lost him.

He was going to her. He was going to the love of his life and you were going to feel pain rip through your heart each and every time you saw them together. The look of love in his eyes that you had wanted aimed at you would be for another woman entirely….

….No. You couldn’t let yourself live through that. It wasn’t fair on you at all, and given that it would affect your work it wouldn’t be fine on him or his business either. There was only one other option; you were going to need to take a step back. You couldn’t destroy his happiness just because you had wanted him to love you.

So that was what you did.

It had been a whole fortnight since you had resigned from your job at Rumple’s shop and you could still see the hurt look that had been etched all over his face as you silently handed over the piece of paper…it had been burned into your mind so that even when you walked away he would still haunt your life. You couldn’t even understand why he was at all fazed by your actions, he had the love of his life after all, well….you assumed he had anyway as there had been nothing to tell you that anything negative had happened when he had gone to Belle.

As you lay on your back on your bed, eyes gazing up at the ceiling of your apartment, yet another notification came through on your phone. It had been like this for a number of days now…your phone would sound out non-stop and you would continue to ignore it. You didn’t need to look at the screen to know who it was because he had even come knocking on your door to try and get a response out of you, which also failed much to his annoyance.

It probably wasn’t the best way to handle this and you should have taken his feelings into consideration too but at the time you could feel your heart breaking and all that mattered to you was getting away from the very person that was causing it before he noticed what was going on. Last thing you needed was someone’s sympathy.

You were about to turn onto your side, cocoon yourself inside the blankets on your bed, when a ‘whoosh’ sound filled the air around you and instantly had you bolting upright just in time to see a cloud of smoke dissipate and leave behind in its wake the very man you had been trying so hard to avoid.

“R-Rumple? What the hell?!”

There was a stern expression on his face as he wandered over to the end of your bed and placed both of his hands onto the metal frame so that he could lean a little closer to you.

“You left me no choice [y/n]. You haven’t been answering any of my calls, texts, or even the door when I have come here…..”

“Guessing you didn’t really deduce as to why that might be considering you have decided to invade my personal space.”

You hadn’t meant for your words to come across so harshly but you really didn’t want to be hearing about how happy he was now that he had Belle back in his life. It was a sore subject for you and you were just beginning to lose that ache in your heart….you didn’t need it back again.

“Don’t treat me like a fool. I have known you long enough now to be more than aware when you aren’t acting yourself. Why have you removed yourself from my life?”

You threw your legs over the side of your bed before bringing your feet down onto the floor gently. You didn’t leave your bed completely but it was enough that you didn’t have to look him in the eyes as you spoke.

“It doesn’t matter. Look….just go back to Belle okay…you don’t want to be wasting your time here with me when you could be living out your happy ending with the woman you love.”

“That’s what I have been trying to contact you for [y/n]. The kiss didn’t work.”

Those last four words grabbed your attention immediately and you almost gave yourself whiplash with the speed in which you turned your head around to face him. Confusion was rife on your face. How was such a scenario even possible? True love’s kiss was supposed to conquer any curse.

“But….but that….that’s not possible. She is your one true love. You told me so yourself.”

“Well, dearie, it would seem that things have changed quite dramatically.” He moved around your bed until he was stood directly in front of you and he placed a hand underneath your chin so that he could move your head to be looking at him. His touch sent that all too familiar feeling through you, one you had become so good at hiding, but something stopped your resolve this time and instead of hiding your reaction an audible gasp escaped your lips. “At first when you left I feared it was because of my past, because of who I truly am, but it was a thought I should never have even allowed into my mind because I know you [y/n]. I have told you the darkest parts of my life and you have never so much as flinched away from me.”

You couldn’t tear your eyes away from him as your heart raced inside of your chest, your palms beginning to sweat a little from the wave of emotions that was coursing through your whole body, and before you knew it you found yourself biting down onto your bottom lip as a whole new sensation began to consume you…..sheer passion and lust for the man before you, his words managing to hit the right spot every time he spoke.

“You made me laugh when it was the last thing I wanted to do and most importantly of all you made me realise that someone could truly care for me despite the fact that I am not a goody two shoes hero.”

Your mind was still trying to catch up with this whole situation because it was only moments before now that you had been so convinced he was happy with Belle and yet now he was stood here, so very close to you, talking to you as thought you were the one he lo-no……he couldn’t. There was no way he felt the way you did for him.

“Rumple what are you saying?”

A smile tugged up at his lips at your feigned naivety. He knew that you had an inkling as to what was happening here; the whole time he had known you he hadn’t been completely blind, he had seen how you were around him and although back then he had thought nothing of it because of Belle the moment the kiss he bestowed upon her didn’t work he realised instantly why.

His true love’s kiss was supposed to be with you.

Without even bothering to answer your question with words he closed in on you instead until his lips crashed down against yours in a hungry and passionate kiss. Not even a second had passed before the wave of air hit the two of you, spreading out across the room you were in, and your heart pounded away as you let a small moan travel into the kiss that he had started. It was a scenario you had only ever dreamed so to have it truly playing out here and now was intoxicating. You could already feel yourself floating up to cloud nine as you deepened the kiss.

“Does that answer your question?”

His voice vibrated against your lips as he pulled away from the kiss and let his eyes look upon the reaction he had brought out in you.

“I….I think it does.”

There was no coherent thought in your mind right now, you were still reeling from the kiss, and it was taking a while to truly comprehend the fact that after so long you finally had the man you had craved for. You had your own happy ending and he now had his too. You couldn’t have been any happier and you showed this when you lunged towards him and captured his lips once more.

He was finally yours…..and you were finally his.

Permanent tag list: @fallenfairy16@brieflybigwonderland @gayvvarden @sammysgirl1997

[secondstartotheright-imagines]

Birthday? What Birthday?

Request from anon: Hi absolutly love your imagines, would you write an imagine about the reader being in neck deep into work and forgetting that it's her/his birthday and everyone throwing a party for the reader? Perhaps with focus on Golds chara?

Note: Hope this is okay! Haven’t written much in the way of Gold yet :)

Gold x Reader

Words: 1,556

Disclaimer: None of the GIFs used are mine so all credit goes to their creators <3

Why on earth had you decided to open up a bakery? Back in the early stages it had seemed like a brilliant idea, one that might have even paid off after a while, but instead of watching as the profits rolled in you found yourself working ridiculous hours and only just managing to make ends meet. So much for this venture shaping your future! You didn’t even know what time it was right now but given how extremely tired you felt and how deserted the street was outside it was safe for you to assume that it was definitely sometime in the early hours of the morning. Another batch of pastries was in the oven and finally, for the first time, you could allow yourself to sit down and take a five-minute break As soon as you sat down onto the chair the full force of your exhaustion hit you and before you could stop them from doing so your eyes closed shut.

It was only when an acrid smell invaded your nostrils that you were pulled out of the sleep you never even knew you had fallen into. As your eyes fluttered open a look of disgust etched its way onto your face as the horrid smell not only started to burn the inside of your nose but also caused you to begin coughing as it was joined by thick black smoke… …wait…smoke?! “No, no, no!” Immediately you were up on your feet as you dashed through the smoke and towards the oven you knew it to be originating from. The pastries that had been baking inside of it were beyond cremated now, so much so that when you finally managed to remove the tray the charred remains of them hit the air around you and instantly flew off and fell to the floor. Apparently some higher power didn’t think this situation was bad enough for you though and as soon as the smoke grazed the ceiling the sprinklers in the shop were activated and you now found yourself stood in what was essentially a downpour of rain. “Great….just great!”

“Having a few problems dearie?” A familiar voice broke you out of the panicked state you were in and as the water from the sprinkler continued to soak you your eyes fell upon your friend Gold. Of course he wasn’t getting wet because he was the sensible one who used his magic to protect himself from it. “Here let me help.”

With a wave of his hand the sprinklers stopped and any remaining smoke was forced out of the building. It would have been a relief to you that it was over had it not been for the fact that you could now see all the destruction as clear as day.

“Thanks.” You grumbled as you just looked at the mess rather than making any move to tidy it up. “This is what I get for trying to be productive.”

“I still don’t understand why you refuse to use your magic [y/n] it would make all of this a lot easier for you.” You shoot a glare over at your friend, annoyed that this was coming up into the conversation again, and moved over to where you kept the mop. This was not a conversation you were going to go into and he knew it…..which is probably why he quickly changed the topic. “Anyway I didn’t come over here to give you a lecture…”

“You sure about that?”

“Well I know I am not the best at sentimental conversations or anything but I am hardly going to scold someone on their birthday am I?” I was nowhere near close to having mopped all the mess up when something about a birthday was mentioned and I quirked a single eyebrow at him, confused. “Seriously? You have forgotten your own birthday?”

If you were perfectly honest it had been the last thing on your mind with all the work you had found yourself doing recently so you simply shrugged your shoulder and continued to mop up the remaining water on the floor.

“Birthdays aren’t really my thing. I can hardly take time out to celebrate something that happens every year when I have so much work to do.”

“You always help to make everyone else’s special in this town so I’m not going to allow you to just hide away and not celebrate it.”

“Gold, really, it’s fi-“ I looked up to speak to him directly only to find that he had done one of his disappearing tricks….again. “Great! I don’t even want to know what he has planned…”

                                             * * * * * * * * * *

It had been a full 8 hours since you had seen Gold and you hadn’t seen anything of him or heard a word from him. Some people in this town would have seen such a thing as a gift but you just saw it as suspicious. Especially given what he had said before he disappeared from your shop.

He was definitely up to something.

This was only confirmed each and every time a customer wandered into the bakery with grins plastering their faces. You had no time to question anyone though because as soon as they had their pastries, cakes, or whatever it was they had ordered they quickly raced out of the building.

It wasn’t until you were closing up the shop that you heard the very person you were suspicious about clearing his throat from behind you.

“Now that is most certainly not what the birthday girl should be showing up to her own party in.”

“Please tell me you didn’t.”

All he offered you was a mischievous smirk as he waved his hand to rid you of your dirty work clothes and instead replace them with a gorgeous knee-length black dress with a nice pair of heels. Not a bad choice for him really….he was creeping back into your good books for sure.

Once he saw that you were happy with the outfit he held out his arm and waited for you to links yours around it. He wasn’t always the most pleasant of people, even to you, but if there was anything he was adamant on it was that he acted like a gentleman when the time called for it.

He walked you over to the heart of the town, Granny’s diner, you had made so many friends in this place and although some bad confrontations had happened in this place the good ones far outweighed them so you were more than happy that out of all the places he could have chosen for your party this is the one he settled on.

As you walked through the doors you could see that the place was packed full of the faces that you had grown so close to. Any sense of exhaustion soon dissipated and was consumed instead by excitement at the thought of spending some time with them all.

The first one to meet you at the door in the form of throwing his arms around you was young Henry and instantly your face lit up.

“Happy Birthday [y/n]!

“Thanks Henry. You are growing up far too quickly by the way…..stop!”

You let out a small laugh before returning his embrace as The Charmings headed your way. Snow was the first to wrap her arms around you before David placed a soft kiss onto your cheek.

“You kept this one far too quiet [y/n]….now that Snow knows you won’t be able to from now on.”

He smiled at you before taking Snow’s hand and stepping back up to the bar of the diner. You had plenty more people to speak to, a lot of whom you hadn’t seen for a few days now, but there was one person in particular you wanted to put your attention on at the moment. He had sat himself at a booth in the far corner of the diner, not being one to particularly like socialising at these events, and so as the others guests helped themselves to the food Granny had put on you slid yourself onto the same seat he was on and rested your head on top of his shoulder.

You felt his body tense at the closeness but you ignored it. He had just made your week so he was going to have to deal with it.

“Thank you.”

“For what? I was just making sure that the tradition of a birthday took place when it should.”

“Of course. Well…..” Making sure that no one else heard you the volume of your voice lowered to that of a whisper as you moved towards his ear. “….I like to think there is a bit of a softer side to you that you tend to keep hidden so, still, thank you for this.”

“You are most welcome [y/n] now go…..have fun for once.”

Throwing a mock salute in his direction you dragged yourself out of the booth before making your way into the crowd of people. If this is how good it felt to be with the ones you cared about, minus the stresses of work on top of you, then you really did need to start thinking of slowing down.

Good things didn’t always last long in this town. Each minute needed to be appreciated.

Permanent tag (now open): @fallenfairy16@brieflybigwonderland @gayvvarden

(anyone who wants to be added just let me know!)

[secondstartotheright-imagines]

Song of the Heart.

Request from anon: Hi I love your imagines. Any chance I could get one with a reader who is playing guitar but is to shy to play in front of a large crowd. So his/her friends Regina and Gold figure out a way to force or trick the reader into doing that. Could you also work a crush on Archie into that? That would be really great. :)

Note: I may have got a little carried away with this request so I apologise for the length of it. I hope it did okay writing the other characters! If there is anything in this request you don’t like anon then please just let me know and I can change it :)

Reader x Regina x Gold x Archie Hopper

Words: 2,343

Disclaimer: None of the GIFs used are mine. All credit goes to their creators <3

The sound of a guitar played out in the main area of Gold’s shop, the emptiness of the place making it sound much louder than it would usually be. You had been working here for a number of months now since you had found yourself in Storybrooke and although you had never so much as touched an instrument before then this one had always caught your eye each time you came into work; your interest had started off as the odd glance over to the instrument that was on display before it moved on to a physical inspection and that, eventually, you started to play with the strings.

Of course at first any sound that came from it was hardly music to the ears but thanks to the wonder of YouTube on your phone while the shop was quietly you managed to teach yourself how to play enough to even begin playing with your own songs.

It felt so natural for it to be in your hands that you could have sworn you had been a musician in a previous life…well it would if you could hit that damn note you always seemed to mess up on. It happened for the fourth time that morning alone and your frustration levels were growing. As a groan of frustration escaped your lips you placed the guitar on top of the glass unit before you and threw your hands up in surrender.

“Why did you stop playing?”

Your head snapped up at the unmistakable voice of both your boss and your friend, Gold, you’d no idea he had even been in the shop let alone listening to your awful rendition of ‘Wings’. Immediately the blood rushed to your cheeks as they blushed a deep crimson colour.

“How long have you been stood there for?”

He walked out from the shadows he had stood himself in and you could see his smile stretching from ear to ear; there wasn’t a lot of people in this town who got to see such a genuine smile on his face but you had always been grateful that a friendship had developed between the two of you.

“Long enough to hear that you have quite the talent [y/n]. You never told me that you could play the guitar.”

“I wouldn’t exactly call it talent. I thought you were spending the day with Belle today?”

The smile that had once graced his lips now transformed into quite the frown as he shook his head and made his way over to the main counter of the shop.

“I was supposed to be but Regina is wanting to talk about some event that is going on at the Rabbit Hole, no doubt she is wanting local companies to sponsor it. Make it a big thing.”

“Well you know Regina. She’s never been one for doing things half-arsed.”

Regina was your other close friend in the town, you spoke to others but it was her and Gold that you had connected with more. There was one other whose company you enjoyed but being around him had become such hard work; not because he annoyed you in any way but because you had developed quite the crush on him and there was no way on this earth you could see him feeling the same for you. But instead of just telling him outright, finding out whether he liked you back or not, you started to distance yourself from him.

You may not have been a very emotional person but not even someone as hot-headed as you wanted their heart to be broken.

“Speak of the devil and she shall appear…”

Gold’s voice was so low that it came out as more of a growl than anything else. The bell above the shop door had sounded out and drawn your attention across to the entrance where you saw Regina herself….sometimes you swore she knew when she had been brought up into a conversation.

“Play nice you.”

Pointing a finger in his direction you gave your friend one of your ‘disapproving mother’ looks as Regina wandered over to the two of you. They were both your friends but you weren’t naïve…you knew their whole relationship with one another was a little hit and miss, hating one another more times than actually being civil, but when you were there they tried their best to get along.

“My ears were burning so I can only assume that you were informing [y/n] of the upcoming event?”

“Yes I was.”

The look in his eyes that were currently directed at the former Evil Queen was dark but once the words had left his lips a lightbulb seemed to go off in his mind and he turned to face you with a rather mischievous little grin edging up onto his lips. All of a sudden it began to feel like the walls were closing in on you as your stomach knotted uncomfortably. He was up to something…..and it clearly wasn’t going to be something you liked either.

“In fact I just so happen to have an act for you to put into the show. It appears that our very own [y/n] has kept a talent hidden away from us.” Regina raised a quizzical brow and turned her attention onto you, expecting you to explain what he meant, but you just continued to shy away from the whole conversation. “I heard her playing the guitar a short while ago and I think there are plenty of people who would love to hear her.”

You made a mental note to yourself in that moment to make him pay for having thrown you under the bus like this.

“I’m not-“

“That’s perfect! I can’t believe you kept something like that hidden….I will give you the prime slot!”

“Regina, seriously, I’m not-“

She raised up a hand and immediately you stopped your protests. You hated how she could have that kind of affect……but then if you weren’t so stubborn all the time she wouldn’t have needed to do it. With one look at the older man in the room she seemed to have some kind of silent conversation with him that you weren’t privy to, one that he obviously agreed on by the slight nod of his head that he gave her.

Your eyes watched the quick exchange between the two before you were then faced with her hand directly in front of your face as she uttered some inaudible words.

Crap.

This didn’t bode well for you at all.

“There we go. Now at 7pm sharp you will be walking onto the makeshift stage at the rabbit hole and performing for everyone…..and you will have no way of chickening out either.”

There was a smug smile on both their faces now as they managed to get one over on you completely….even if they had cheated rather unfairly.

                                               * * * * * * * * * *

The Rabbit Hole was packed to the brim with people and immediately your stomach decided to turn on you, making you feel more nauseous than you had ever done so before, and you were beginning to really consider whether you should be calling Regina and Gold your friends. Friends wouldn’t make you do something you so very clearly didn’t want to…….

Then you saw him, sitting right up front so that he was mere inches from where you would be stood on the stage, and your heart instantly skipped a beat. Of all the people you were expecting to see here tonight he wasn’t one of them. This kind of place never seemed like the scene he would want to socialise in. Unless your two conspiring friends had gone so far as to tell him you would be performing here tonight.

His eyes casually glanced around the room until they finally came across you waiting at the side of the stage. Nervously he pushed up his glasses that had fallen slightly down his nose and waved at you with his free hand. You have no idea why but the action of him repositioning his glasses was always an adorable sight and now that your eyes had met you could feel your nerves beginning to calm down. Maybe this wasn’t going to be all that bad after all.

It looked like he was about to get up from his eat and come over to you when you heard your name being called and, thanks to Regina, your feet marched you onto the stage without so much as a single command from you. If this went horribly wrong Regina and Gold better run and hide.

Taking in a deep inhale of air you sat yourself down onto the chair that had been placed into the center of the stage and positioned the microphones so that one would pick up the sound of the guitar and the other would pick up your voice. Your singing ability was the only thing you were comfortable with so if it helped to deter people from the fact that your guitar skills weren’t quite as polished then you were going to have to showcase that too.

Sunlight comes creeping in Illuminates our skin We watch the day go by Stories of all we did It made me think of you It made me think of you

The words flowed from your mouth the second that your fingers had tugged at the strings of the guitar and although there was a whole host of people that had come to watch tonight’s event there was only one who you had your eyes on now. He kept you grounded, stopped you from freezing on the spot, he was all you needed to get yourself through this.

Under a trillion stars We danced on top of cars Took pictures of the stage So far from where we are They made me think of you They made me think of you

Oh lights go down In the moment we're lost and found I just wanna be by your side If these wings could fly For the rest of our lives

His eyes never left yours as you sang and the way that he smiled at you had you growing a confidence you would never have thought you’d have on the stage. It was exhilarating….in your mind he should have looked away long before now but his gaze on you was just as intense as the one you were giving him.

It felt like you were the only two people in the room and it was at that moment you realised that your doubts about how he felt for you had been misplaced.

No one looked at someone that way if they felt nothing towards them.

I'm in a foreign state My thoughts they slip away My words are leaving me They caught an airplane Because I thought of you Just from the thought of you

Oh lights go down In the moment we're lost and found I just wanna be by your side If these wings could fly Oh damn these walls In the moment we're ten feet tall And how you told me after it all We'd remember tonight For the rest of our lives

If these wings could fly.

You finished and a round of applause pulled you back to reality and instead of seeing just Archie’s face you saw EVERYONE’S. Whatever spell Regina had so kindly placed on you had now ended and so you wasted no time in racing off the stage so that you could hide from view. Your chest rose and fell quickly as the anxiety you should have felt from the performance finally hit you tenfold.

“That was quite the performance there [y/n]. You never mentioned that you could sing or play the guitar.”

“Ar-Archie?”

“You look surprised to see me….did you honestly think that after watching something as remarkable as that I would just leave without coming to see you?”

A small laugh escaped his lips as he shook his head at me, pushing his glasses up his nose for the second time that evening, you were beginning to wonder if it was actually a nervous habit more than a necessity as both times you had witnessed him doing it had been when he was looking at you.

“It wasn’t that remarkable and thanks to Regina and Gold I had no choice really.”

“Well perhaps I should go thank them for getting such a beautiful performance out of you after I have done what I need to do.”

There was a determination in his eyes you had never seen before and not only were you rather perplexed as to what it was he needed to do you were also rather curious.

“Sounds important.”

“Oh it is. Especially given that it involves me asking a rather beautiful young woman out to dinner.”

He was gushing now, his cheeks radiating a crimson color as yours would every time you saw him, and your heart just sank down to your stomach as though a lead weight had been attached to it. He liked someone else which meant that the look he had given you while you sang was nothing.

“Ah. Well….I hope she realises how lucky she is to have someone such as yourself asking her out.”

You tried to be happy for him, really you did, but even the smile you forced upon your face betrayed how you truly felt as it faltered.

“I wouldn’t go so far as to say ‘lucky’ but I’m certainly hoping it makes you smile. I love seeing your face light up.”

“Wait….me? You’re asking ME out?”

Without saying another word he simply bowed his head before leaving you with a warm smile as he headed over to where Regina and Gold were conveniently stood watching the whole conversation take place.

Archibald Hopper had asked you, [f/n] [l/n], out on a date and you couldn’t have been more excited. Turns out Regina and Gold’s intervention to get you on the stage had worked out rather well after all.