Price To Pay (Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold x Reader)

Chapter 9

Rumplestiltskin's P.o.V. 

I sunk onto a bench that overlooked the water. She sat next to me, her knee almost touching mine. She sipped on her coffee and leaned back. 

"It's nice here," she said, training her eyes on the ships that were docked. 

"Mhm," I replied, tapping my fingers against my cane. 

"You don't have to stay, if you don't want," she told me. 

"I know." I rested both hands on my cane as I followed her gaze out over the water. I thought about Regina's harsh words. The memory was bitter, and I wondered how much of it I should waste my time thinking about. 

"Gold," she sneered, stopping in front of me. 

I rolled my eyes and smirked. "Regina. A real pleasure." 

"Cut it, Rumple," she snapped, "What's the deal with her?" 

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about, dearie," I said. 

She crossed her arms. "You know exactly what I'm talking about." 

"Sorry, dearie, but I have no business telling you anything." 

"Gold! Tell me what you know." 

"And what will you give me in return?" 

"I... Just... Tell me! She could ruin everything!" 

"Oh, she's not the one you need to worry about, dearie," I said. I stepped forward, finished with the conversation. My cane swung around her and I shied away from letting my shoulder touch hers. 

"Tell me something, Gold," she said as I passed by her. I sighed and stopped, beyond annoyed with her pushing questions and demands. "Why're you being so generous with her?" 

I looked over my shoulder at the black-haired woman. What to say? Not the truth, of course - I'd had a past with her, something (Y/N) probably remembered but didn't realize. "Let's just say that she's someone I cared for in the past. Now if you'll excuse me... Please." 

"Watch it, Gold," Regina said as I walked away. "She may be someone more than you'd expect." 

I know what I'm getting myself into, I thought as I limped away from her, ignoring the comment. 

"M-Mr. Gold?" 

I blinked quickly and looked back at (Y/N). Her eyes were wide, staring at me with a surprising innocence. I tried to shake the memory away and focus on what was happening now, here, with her. This girl... I knew her better than she would expect. And what of her? What did she remember, if anything? There was so much more behind us - who were were, what we had. It was hard to think that she might've forgotten with the curse. But I suppose that was the point. 

"Yes, dearie?" 

"You seemed upset. I-I didn't mean to interrupt." 

"N-No, it's fine. Just thinking." 

She nodded and looked back at the docks. She looked intrigued, curious about all the boats that were lined up. I stood and offered her a hand. 

"I'm guessing you haven't much experience with the sea?" 

She smiled sheepishly and gingerly took my hand. "I lived in the forest." 

I wrapped my fingers around hers, thinking maybe it would trigger a memory. If it did, she didn't react. I wondered if holding her hand would make her uncomfortable, but the way she stood with our shoulders almost touching made me decide that it probably didn't. 

"That one there is a Fishing Boat," I told her, nodding to one as we passed by it. "Quite a few here in Storybrooke; it's a lovely pastime. And there's a Cabin Cruiser. That model is a very limited edition; most have been disassembled by now. That's a Ski Boat, though as you can see it doesn't get much use. It's the only one in Storybrooke. There's a Trawler, and a Walkaround. And that's a Sailboat." 

"I know what a Sailboat looks like," she said with a giggle. She looked up at me. "How'd you know all the other ones, though?" 

I shrugged. "I come here quite often. I rather enjoy it." 

She nodded. "It's pretty." 

We continued walking, and I pointed out some of the boats that had specific features or characteristics. She listening intently with a reverent gaze as she looked between me and the boats. 

"That one's nice," she said, pointing to a Fishing Boat. "A... Fishing Boat?" 

I smiled at her. "Indeed. You're getting good." 

She smiled back. "I've got a good teacher." 

I looked down, feeling something like embarrassment tug at my warm cheeks. My eyes fell on our hands, our entangled fingers. It'd felt so natural that I'd almost forgotten about it. Her hands were warm against the biting air. I ran my thumb over her knuckles. 

"Mr. Gold." 

I turned around at the same time as (Y/N), trying not to bump into her. My shoulder pressed up against hers for a moment until we'd turned all the way around. 

"Sheriff Graham," I greeted, nodding at him. 

"I see you've found yourself a girl." 

I cleared my throat. "My business is my own." 

"Well, I'm not trying to pry, sir," he replied. He smiled at (Y/N) and nodded. "You've got a special man." 

She beamed and nodded. "Thank you Sheriff... Graham, you said?" 

He smiled more. "Indeed. Nice to meet you." 

I tried to shake the glare from my eyes as he chatted with (Y/N) about the weather and the docks. I found my eyes trained on her more often than I would have liked, admiring her beauty and mannerisms - the way her eyes lit up when she talked, how she rocked back and forth on her heels when Sheriff Graham complimented her. I wondered if she was usually so friendly, or if Sheriff Graham was just easy to talk to. 

Finally he smiled and shook her hand. She took her hand from mine when she did, and I found myself wanting her touch again as soon as it was gone. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss (Y/N). And you, Mr. Gold." 

I nodded and said nothing. We watched as he walked away. 

"He was nice," she commented, walking forward once more. 

"Indeed. Better than most around these parts." 

"Yeah. Most people haven't been very friendly." 

I smiled at her. "Well, dearie - " And then I felt myself falling forward, my shoe hitting a loose nail hard. I fell to my knees and bit my lip to keep a slightly pained cry from escaping my lips as my bad knee hit the dock. 

She dropped to her knees next to me and caught my cane before it fell over the edge of the dock. 

"M-Mr. Gold, are you okay?" she asked, taking my hand again. 

I closed my eyes for  moment, then nodded. "Fine, dearie." 

She helped me gather my feet and pulled me up. I leaned on my cane as I regained my balance, one of my hands on her arm as I righted myself. She brushed something off of my shoulder, then straightened my tie. I looked down at her as her hand paused on my chest, her fingers trailing across the collar of my shirt. 

She looked up at me and smiled nervously. "S-Sorry." 

"I-It's all right, dearie," I replied, my smile just as nervous. 

"I... Uh... You're okay?" she asked. She still stood close. 

"Just fine," I replied, not moving.

"I... Have I met you before?" My stomach dropped and she looked down. "Well, maybe... Never mind. I just... Felt like I'd known you." 

"It's quite possible that we have," I said, being honest. Maybe she was talking about the Enchanted Forest; maybe the slightest inkling of a memory had crossed her mind. "You may be surprised."