[Once Upon a Time] What are Happy Endings Anyway? [One on One RP]

April always liked the night shifts. The bar was hardly ever crowded seeing as how everyone seemed to favor the Rabbit Hole over her dingy little place that she owned with her brother. That never bothered her though, seeing as how that made her work much easier. However, as much as she liked the night shifts, she liked the occasional times she got to work in the mornings even better. When Dorian's Narcolepsy really started acting up he would have her take the morning shifts in the cafe, which was always a treat.

April was really good at making tea. For whatever reason she had always had a knack for mixing just the right amount of milk into her brew, or steeping it for just the right amount of time to make it suitably strong. She wasn't sure why she was so good at it, but hey, the people who came into the cafe loved it when she was there to make her drink so she really didn't feel the need to question it all that much.

Right now though, she was on a supply run. They were dwindling in their supply of breakfast tea, and it was her job to grab some more. So it was off to the supermarket with her. April immediately knew what she was looking for though. She knew they were on a budget, but she really wanted some of the nice tea. And, it would taste super good. Totally worth paying out of pocket for... right?

Well, she thought so. With that mentality, April picked up the tin and brought it to the register. Using her own money, she bought the nice tea and was heading back to the cafe. Unable to resist the temptation, she opened the cannister and took a whiff... and that was when everything went to hell.

Someone who wasn't watching where they were going bumped into her and knocked the canister out of her hands. "Really?" She whined. "Dude, I paid out of my own pocket for that!" The redhead exclaimed, bending over to pick up the fallen canister. Damn it, she really liked this one too.

-

No one knew him in this town as Rumpelstiltskin, which in its own way was a bit of a blessing because that name was a mouthful and no one knew how to pronounce it right. It got old really fast hearing people butcher his name and besides, he rather liked the irony behind the name Mr. Gold. And he liked the fear that it instilled upon the masses of this town. Regina had been quite generous when she cast the curse. He owned this town, and basically everyone in it. Because of it, he was free to make people's life a hard as he pleased. 

For instance the Rabbit Hole, that train wreck of a bar, was charged a ridiculous amount of money in rent. But the March Hare, pitiful though it was, got off pretty easy not because he particularly liked that place. No, he was impartial to it although he would admit that the lack of drunken crowds there was charming, that place was only charged a rather cheap rent because he hated the Rabbit Hole more.

Rumplestiltskin liked this kind of power, but he would have liked it more if he didn't have the damn limp again. Once he had become the dark one, that pesky part of his life was gone. Now that he was human again well... it was back. He knew quite well that Regina could have chosen not to give him the limp, but that was her way of pretending she had power over him. Oh how wrong she was. Everyone knew that while Regina (as mayor) was quite powerful, the real power was in the hands of Mr. Gold.

And that power, right now, was going around collecting the rent money from the establishments using his land. First on his list of places to extort money from was the Library. Although, for that place he wouldn't quite call it extortion. He rather liked the Library, and the Librarian who worked there. HE could remember her from the Enchanted Forest, and he could remember her feelings for her. While some people got drastically different personalities once the curse was cast, he was pleased to find that Regina did not tamper with hers much.

The mayor was probably aware of how protective Rumplestiltskin got of the few people he liked and was not willing to tempt fate a second time. Limping (oh how he hated that limp) into the building, he made his way up to the counter.

"I've come to collect the rent, dearie." He rather liked that word. It was at first a means of belittling and intimidating the people who would make deals with him. Now it was just a habit he didn't feel needed to be broken.

Lost in his thoughts, Jefferson was making his way to the supermarket having seen that he was running low on tea and cloth(to attempt to make a 'hat'). He was so lost in his thoughts on what he missed from not only before the curse but before being abandoned in Wonderland by Regina. His eyes narrowed at her name, the Evil Queen. 

Yes Wonderland had giving him a friend but he had lost not only his mind but his daughter in the process. Too steep a price in his opinion and what did he have now... Nothing! Suddenly he felt himself bump into someone who as he was not watching where they were going.

Jefferson looks up feeling flustered even more so when he saw who he had just bumped into. As mentioned before he remembered things as they were before the curse just like 'Mr. Gold', he scoffed at that name any time he heard it. Looking at April he remembered her as she once was, Leverett March and her calming tea.

"I am sorry, Miss, perhaps I could replace the tea for you? If you wish."

He was a bit startled with the changes in her, her roughness. He could not recall such roughness in the kindly and well mannered young lady ever. A frown took over his features as he thought about what this curse had taken. This curse had taken so, so much and had gone so far as to change such a polite nut of a young lady into who now stood before him.

These thoughts saddened Jefferson and he felt at a loss for a moment taking in his Lev, April's appearance. Her hair was longer now and for some odd reason he felt the urge to run his fingers threw it. His hand twitched in his need but he restrained to do so and continued to take her in. Her eyes were still the beautiful warm brown he remembered but her skin seemed to have a bit more color now.

Jefferson shook his head to clear his thoughts and he patiently waited for her response while gazing at her.

-

Naveen was putting a small stack of fairy tale books away but stopped looking at one in particular, 'Beauty And The Beast'. Putting it down to read later she continued with her task putting the remaining stack away. Once finished she picked up the book and went to sit behind the book check out counter.

She loved her job for after all she loved books and when she wasn't working at the library she was either at the Mayors enjoying her time with Henry an Regina or at the March Hare. She only went to the March hair in the morning when the cafe was opened usually reading and drinking coffee, hot chocolate of tea. What she drank usually depended on her mood and who was working. She never went to the March Hare at night due to her dislike to alcohol and it's affects on those who drank it.

As she sat down she smiled to herself as she opened the book and began reading. She became so engrossed that she had not heard the jingle of the bell or the click of a cane on the hard floors. Slightly startled from her revery by the voice (that often gave her chills - the good kind) she looks up and smiles a sweet smile. 

Putting a book mark in her book she closes it whilst speaking in a soft and slightly shy voice, "Why Mr. gold, it is good to see you! Having a good day I hope?" As she asked her question she bent down to pull out the Library money bag. 

Standing back up still smiling she unzipped the bag and pulled out an envelope with the word 'Rent' written in guest idyl calligraphy. Looking up at Mr. Gold her golden brown eyes sparkled, "Here you are Mr. Gold." Holding out the envelope she waited for him to reach out and take it.

Jefferson smiled warmly… perhaps April hadn’t changed to drastically.  His smile quickly faded, of course she didn’t remember him after all she was affected by the curse, “I am Jefferson, it is a pleasure to meet you Miss O’Hare.” He held his hand out to take hers. “And your right I don’t believe we have met though you do seem familiar.” He smiles noticing her taking in his appearance and so he holds out an arm for her to, he hopes, take, “Shall we go get that tea now.”
 
He figured to most here he was dressed strangely but it was after all his usual attire and he didn’t believe he could were the ‘modern day’ clothing. “You working nights at the ‘March Hare’ would explain why we have not met for I have on occasion gone in the mornings for a spot of tea.” He wanted her to feel comfortable in his presence as she use to be but he knew he would have to hold himself back.
 
Which at the moment he realized he might not be doing so well at, “Well, you pick whatever tea you like and if I may suggest pick two for after bumping into you I do feel responsible.” He smiled a soft friendly smile as he spoke walking toward the supermarket for it was no within sight. Opening the door for April, “Ladies first.”
 
Walking inside he felt himself frown yet again, oh how idiotic he probably sounded to her, ‘Ladies first.’ Shaking his head he scoffed and decided to forget about it and he began to look at what tea he would like to purchase for himself.
 
-
 
Naveen knew that many were afraid of Mr. Gold but she for some odd reason only felt shy around him. Smiling a big bright smile at his words she felt herself blush slightly, “It is good to know that this is one of your favorite places, Mr. Gold.” She then bit her bottom lip thinking of something else to say. Looking down at her book she smiled a somewhat sad smile, “Yes, Mr. Gold, Beauty and the Beast has always held a special place in my heart.”
 
She shook her head and chuckled, “You would probably think me mad for saying this but I have always felt that I could relate to the story.” She stopped talking abruptly, where had this confidence to talk to Mr. Gold come from. Looking up at him she felt a spark ignite inside her. Furrowing her brow in confusion she shook her head yet again, she seemed to be doing that a lot lately.
 


“Well, Mr. Gold is there anything else I can do for you?” Naveen had been thinking lately that due to the sad amount she was paid at the library she may have to move from her small accommodations to live there. She couldn’t really afford the rent and eat on her sad excuse of a salary. Smiling a friendly smile at Mr. Gold she felt her heart rate speed up, after all she had always seemed to have a small crush on the man who owned the town.