It had been nothing short of a shock. A horrible one at that, when Milah had approached the Gold family, sat at their table in Kellerman’s, enjoying the entertainment for the evening. As Milah had sarcastically asked if they let the staff sit with the guests now and Rumford froze in horror, he had instinctively cast a glance over towards Baden, playing with a few other children on the dance floor.
God, he hoped she wasn’t planning on trying anything with his son. Their son. No, his son. She’d dumped him on Rumford’s doorstep and ran when he was barely a few days old. Belle was his Mother. She was the one who had loved him from day one, and she was the one that Baden looked at as his Mama.
“Belle…” he whispered, his pregnant wife nodding as she reached to put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m way ahead of you,” she assured him, eyes narrow as she looked at Milah. Even without engaging her in conversation she knew from how tense he was, the horror in his eyes, that this woman was the one he’d told her about those years before.
“Pack your bags, because you’re going to be removed from this establishment and resort within the hour,” she threatened, rising to stand as she encouraged her husband to do so. Rumford was in a state of utter shock but he did as he was told, Belle patting his shoulder once more before she was going to their son. They’d get out of there too, and she would go talk to the owner. Money talked, and with her Father’s money she knew she could do one thing for Rumford right now; have Milah removed, and her booking cancelled.
The further away from them, and Baden, that they could get her, the better.
It had been a terribly long day for Robbie. First he’d gone in to Gold Inc for the end of financial year board meeting and, immediately after it, argued with Dorothy about how he was acting like he was still running he company. Whilst the agreement had been that he would be consulted on certain deals, even now a year down the line it was hard for him to not have full control over the empire he’d built.
Of course, a very expensive bunch of flowers would greet Dorothy by way of apology on her arrival in to the office tomorrow as, on reflection and after a very frank discussion with his wife, he knew that Dorothy was right. He’d been the one to draw up the contracts, he was the one to choose to step away and trust her with his business. He needed to prove he truly did exactly that, and not behave as he had done today.
He’d exhausted himself with work and, as she put their boy to bed, Eliza snoozing away also, he’d settled in his office chair as he jotted down ideas for something else to start to get his teeth in to; a charity. A charity he wanted to plan out with his wife, another day and another time. Of course, exhaustion didn’t have patience and it had him drifting off as he worked, hand gripping on to his pen, pad before him on his desk.
It had only been Belle gently coaxing him awake, taking the pen from his hand and stroking his hair that had him clutching her other hand to draw to his lips to kiss the back of it tenderly. “Thank you, for your patience,” he murmured low, eyes glazed briefly with the exhaustion he felt.
He nuzzled her hand, Belle’s other running down over his cheek as she perched on to the edge of his desk. “We’re a team. Your problems are my problems, and hopefully your flower delivery will patch over the little argument you had today. Problem solved,” she smiled warmly, not wanting him to beat himself up over it. Dorothy and he were fiery and had clashed many times through the years. He was apologising for it, and Dorothy would understand.
Exhaling softly, Robbie pressed his cheek to her hand, his smile mirroring her own. “You’re one of the best things that’s ever happened to me.” He murmured low, truly meaning it.
It was enough to have her smiling back, a brief push together of her lips, tilt of her head. “One of?” she asked lightly, aware even before he elaborated exactly what he meant. But that didn’t mean that she couldn’t tease him, just a little. Bring that smile further on to his face and coax him out of that office and straight in to bed for a much needed sleep.
Breathy, Robbie wrapped his other hand around the one she’d cupped his cheek with, clutching both of hers tenderly in turn. “You, Neal and Eliza. What more could I possibly want?” he asked her. Yes, work had been his purpose for most of his life but they both knew, all too well, that his entire axis had shifted the moment she came in to his life. She and their children were his purpose; he just had to remind himself sometimes that he didn’t need to be so involved and controlled over his business any longer.
It was in safe hands with Dorothy, just as he was with Belle.
“Because I am,” Rumple retorted with a smirk. Turning to look over towards a very unimpressed Belle, he knew he had two ways to play this. Obnoxious, continue to talk at her about the Supernatural and things she mostly already knew, or to be contrite, admit that whilst he usually was the smartest in any room, that changed when she was in there too.
Truth was, he loved her intelligence. He loved how they could debate for hours, or discuss even, the finest and the simplest things in life. She was a tour de force of a woman, his intellectual and physical equal. He’d never been so enthralled with another person and, now they were actively in a relationship, he’d never felt so comfortable with anyone else either.
So he grunted briefly, rolling his eyes as he gestured towards her. “Aside, of course, from when you’re in the room also. But when you’re not, it’s a given that I’m the smartest.” A pause and his lips curved back upwards into a smile that he directed towards her. “Better?” he asked, lips pushing together, well aware that she’d likely still give him a hard time, but hopefully be pleased with the fact he certainly acknowledged, and respected, just how intelligent she was.
You also said your name was Amy Adam which, come to think of it, sounds really stupid. What was Britney Spear already taken? YOU (2018- ) cr. Greg Berlanti and Sera Gamble
She was laughing as she stepped back away from Rumford who, a little tipsy, was busy crooning away at her. Jefferson and a few of the guys had insisted on taking Rumford out for a few drinks as a sort of bachelor party for the wedding that he and Belle were at the tail end of planning. With them due to marry in under two weeks time, Rumford had wanted to dedicate his time to that but, on Belle’s insistence too, had gone out for the evening. After all, she would have her own little celebration with her friends in a few days, so he deserved his too.
He’d not drunk a lot but he had absolutely missed her. Enough to have picked a flower from a random garden on the way back to her - he would apologise to the home owner if he could even remember where he’d done it - and begin singing to his wife to be the moment he’d gotten back to their room. Mercifully Bae was fast asleep and dead to the world, enough for Rumford to get away with his soft singing.
Singing ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ to her, she was left both amused by his state and flushing in giggles at how, even when he’d drunk a little too much, he was still utterly sweet and romantic with her. Rumford just adored her, absolutely, and had spent the entire night telling his friends just how excited he was to marry her.
“Then kiss me!” he declared, puckering his lips to her with a quiet laugh. A request that Belle, giggling again, was all too happy to indulge with a quick peck to his lips. Quick to leave him wanting more, and quick to allow her the chance to sidle back in close to him, both of them embracing each other warmly.
Robbie knew he was being too loud but he was in a terrible mood and he fully intended on it. Belle had caused him problems the night before by losing her temper once more when out drinking with her friends and it was evident that she needed to avoid the alcohol when in such a mental state. The first time she’d gone out and drunk with Ruby and the others, she’d glassed Will. The second she had insulted the bartender at The Rabbit Hole and been banned. It was only because Robbie had agreed to give them a month rent free that she had been allowed back in, after she had blown Robbie to high hell to essentially bribe him in to doing so.
Last night she apparently had decided that in her inebriated state that it would be a good idea to try to burn the flower shop down on her own. She’d almost burned herself in the process, and it had only been because Jefferson had passed by on his way home and spotted her about to make a mistake by doing it without Robbie helping to cover up her involvement that it had all been put to bed.
Jefferson had coaxed her home - she vomited in his car on the way home too - and stumbled about the house, causing Robbie to need to carry her up to bed and lay her in a position that would mean if she vomited again she at least wouldn’t kill herself.
It was one slip up too many and he needed her to stop it. To behave better and not draw so much attention if she was actually ready to burn the shop down. Too many things were requiring his attention lately, and he was starting to get spread too thinly. So, as way of punishing her, he’d made sure to bang and clatter about in the kitchen much more than he needed to. He’d made sure to put the radio on a tad too loud and predictably it had roused Belle.
Hands bracing on to the kitchen counter to look at her, dressed already in his smart pants and shirt for the day with the sleeves rolled up to his shoulders, he gave her a dead pan look. “Oh, I’m sorry. Am I causing you to have a headache? I wonder what that’s like, Belle… I wonder.”
Was he setting them up to argue? Most likely. But he was in a terribly foul mood and he knew that if he just told her that she needed to behave better she’d get defensive and they’d argue anyway. So why not launch right in, let her see his frustration and perhaps maybe that would get through to her. Nothing else seemed to these days.
Mock gasping at his wife, Rumford had to laugh quietly as she sat in her nightgown, perched on their bed, little baby bump just about visible. She was the most adorable and beautiful woman but she had constantly changing pregnancy cravings, and every pregnancy seemed to come with different cravings.
This was the third child she was carrying of theirs now and the cravings for this pregnancy were actually quite simple in comparison to the others; Cheeze It’s in milk. Disgusting combination in his opinion, but nice and easy. They always had a few boxes around - the kids loved them too - and always had plenty of milk too. She also wasn’t quite as ‘scary’ about her cravings which meant he liked to tease her sometimes about it.
Like right now as he walked to the bed and playfully held back the dish of food and cup of tea that he’d made her to go with it. The kids were tucked up in bed and he felt confident that they had a good few hours at least until the youngest likely woke them up. Which meant they could joke around and play a little, which is why he was left laughing quietly as she pouted over at him.
“Well, if you’re going to go extreme like that, how can I not hand it over? Food first, cuddles next. Deal?” he asked as he settled on to the bed and held the dish out to her for her to take and likely devour quicker than even their oldest lad, Baelfire, could devour his food.
