#and did the dishes and packed up the leftovers after both of my parents declared they in fact did not want the fresh and hot spagetti

[imthatwannabeauthor]

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[ellewriteswrongs]

picking favorites (a @tsbandau drabble)

if y’all aren’t emotionally invested in @underdog-arts ‘s band au, idk what y’all are even doing /j

anyway, here’s a wholesome family drabble insp. by the band au and my (not-so) subtle obsession with remus and janus. also subbing to their patreon is the best $5 i’ve probably ever spent, no joke

“Honey, you can still pick up Ry, right?” Janus called down the hallway, carrying a basket of laundry on each hip before depositing them in the hallway to put away later. Remus was seated in their shared office catching up on emails as Janus began packing up leftover pasta into containers to take to their show scheduled that night. 

“I told you I got ‘em,” he agreed, banging the last clumps of his protein shake into his mouth with the heel of his hand. “I’m gonna’ jog to V’s and grab the van.”

Janus nodded to themself out of instinct before faltering, their brow furrowing. 

“Wait—Re, that’s like three miles,” they challenged, dumping the dirtied dishes into the sink. “Just take the fucking car.”

Remus’ snort laugh was audible from down the hallway. 

“They asked for the van!” Remus cackled. “And I, for one, do not disappoint. Apparently making my kid’s friends think they’re cool is worth a three-mile jog.”

Janus rolled their eyes, albeit fondly. This was, unfortunately, not news. 

Riley was having an…interesting phase. It wouldn’t be abnormal for kids their age if it weren’t for the fact that their parents were ridiculously competitive, and all of their parents’ friends were eager to get in on it. 

As soon as Remus attended career day in Riley’s first grade classroom, resulting in the entire class of six-year-olds marveling at the fact that their friend’s dad was a “rock star.”

Janus loved that conversation over dinner that night. 

They weren’t jealous. No, in fact, it was probably overdue for Riley to have a bit of a “Daddy’s kid” phase, considering how joined at the hip they were with Janus for multiple years now. But they wanted to win. 

Riley could make their own decisions about picking a favorite parent. As long as that decision was Janus. 

“You’ve gone so-oft,” they sing-songed, smirking as Remus appeared in the kitchen behind them, wrapping one hand around their hip and pressing a kiss to their temple. “Ry’s got you wrapped around their finger.”

Remus have a flash of his crooked grin. 

“Yeah, well…at least I know where they get that from.”

Janus rolled their eyes, trying to hide their reddening face. 

“Sap,” they grumbled fondly. “Hurry up and get on with your run before you’re late to pickup. And tell V I said hey.”

Remus gave an exasperated chuckle and affirmation, but pocketed his keys and wallet nonetheless. 

The jog to Virgil’s apartment wasn’t a particularly strenuous three miles, being downtown and all, and Remus was far from out of shape. Still, three miles was three miles—especially in the late afternoon sun. Needless to say, Virgil wasn’t thrilled to have a giant sweaty man on his doorstep, but he handed over the keys nonetheless. 

The van was old, still clinging to its axels from when Remus himself purchased it from an old neighbor and declared it the band’s “tour bus.” It was nice enough at the time, especially for the price he paid, but it certainly wasn’t still around for anything more than sentimental value. 

Mainly just Remus refusing to get rid of it. 

That, and the fact that, for whatever reason, Riley thought it was the coolest thing ever. 

The drive wasn’t long, only the sitting in traffic of other parents in minivans trying to get into the school parking lot. He…wasn’t a fan of that part of being a parent, that’s for sure. He could do without any other parents, thank you very much, but at least it was fun to see how obvious all of them were in their distaste of both him and Janus, compared to how much their kid absolutely adored them. 

A fact that was only proven when Remus eventually made it to the parking lot and exited his van, only to be met with ear-splitting squeal of “daddy!” and an armful of six-year-old. 

He can’t deny how, even after all these years, the title still makes him feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Like…he is a dad. That’s his kid! How fucking rad is that!

He happens to spot a few other parents, along with some of Riley’s friends that he recognizes, and he offers a quick wave with the hand that isn’t mussing up his kid’s hair. 

“You brought the van,” Riley points out with a toothy grin that Remus can’t help mirroring. He can’t help the knot in his throat when he spots the gap in their teeth from their first ever lost tooth—which only meant they were getting much too old and Remus would really appreciate it if they would slow the fuck down.

“I told you I would, didn’t I?” Riley nods, bouncing on Remus’ hip just a bit out of excitement. “I gotta’ warn you though, JJ’s getting pretty jealous.”

Riley laughs before sticking out their tongue and making a fart noise in Remus’s face. 

Remus is, for the thousandth time, bewildered at how Riley couldn’t possibly be more like Janus if they tried. And mostly smitten. He has the coolest kid on Earth, after all. 

“They can suck my butt!” Riley squeals and Jesus Christ, Remus is going to have a heart attack right there in the parking lot. He’s gonna’ have to grill Jan again to make sure those two aren’t secretly biologically related. 

“Hey, your words not mine, squirt,” he smirks, opening the van door and strapping them into the car seat. “And your early bedtime if you let JJ hear any of that.”

He finishes with a pinch on their nose before closing the van door and getting back in the driver’s seat. 

Riley, as soon as the radio turn on, starts protesting very aggressively to listen to “your songs, daddy! Play your songs!” 

Thankfully, he has a CD burned with some of their…cleaner songs for that exact purpose. 

Riley, for lack of a better word, was ‘singing’ along at a volume that Remus would’ve otherwise found hilarious and impressive if it wasn’t right in his ear. Still, there was a certain fondness that came with watching his kid’s excitement over his work—something that, as usual, was paired with thrashing within the confines of a car seat and headbanging their little heart out. 

Along the drive Remus made every attempt to stop the barrage of the screamo singer in the making, but all were ultimately unsuccessful. At least…until he pointed out one particular building out of a strip mall assortment. 

“Hey, you see that store right there? The one with the red sign?” He spoke up, catching Riley’s eager attention in an instant. They placed both hands on the van window to look out. 

“What is it?” They asked, squinting to try and read what was on the sign. 

“You know the snake on my leg?” Riley nodded, quieting down. “That’s where JJ took me to get it.”

They paused, seemingly putting some pieces together in their head.

“How come you only have one?” They asked, still kicking their legs against their seat. “JJ has lots, how come you don’t have lots too?”

Remus chuckled, continuing along the road as the light turned green. 

“‘Cause I don’t need another one. They’re very expensive, you know.”

“Is it ‘cause you’re a wimp?” 

Remus choked on his own spit. 

“N-no,” he choked out, laughing. “No I’m not, I just think it looks better this way.”

He didn’t bother looking into the backseat to see what Riley thought of that answer, but if the return to karaoke that followed was any indication, they were not impressed. Still, he’d probably take the teasing over the screaming, but kids are kids. 

Even as they pulled into their driveway, Remus had to strategically dodge Riley’s flailing limbs in order to un-fasten the seatbelts on their car seat and actually get them in the house. Apparently the music was not as vital to the ‘sing-along’ as he’d hoped it was when he turned the car off. 

“Alright, alright, calm those legs down before you knock my teeth out, will ya’?” Remus teased, placing Riley on his shoulders where they instantly took fistfuls of his hair to hold on. Riley toned down the velocity, but otherwise did not stop. “Careful, squirt, if you wanna’ kick so bad, I’m signing you up to play soccer.”

Riley stopped almost instantaneously, gripping Remus’ hair even tighter as they headed back inside the house, Riley’s tiny backpack slung around Remus’ forearm. 

“Nooo,” they wailed, half punctuated by laughter that echoed through the house. 

“What are we complaining about?” Janus spoke, leaning against the doorway across the room with a fond smile. 

“He said if I kick him in the teeth I have to play soccer,” Riley whined, attempting to climb down from Remus’ shoulders on their own. Janus snorted a laugh before swiftly crossing the room to collect their child and place them on their hip. 

“Wow, your daddy’s so mean,” Janus agreed, raising a challenging eyebrow as they stood in front of their husband. Remus pouted before bending down to steal a kiss.

“Gross,” Riley giggled, pressing a hand on each of their parents’ faces to separate them. 

“Gross?” Janus smirked. “Well in that case, maybe your dad was being a bit unfair.”

Riley turned to Remus to stick out their tongue at him. 

“I mean, soccer? That’s just ridiculous,” Janus continued, a mischievous glint in their eyes. “We’ll obviously have to sign you up for football instead. A punt like that has got to be put to good use.”

Riley immediately went back to their dramatized complaining, this time reaching desperately for Remus to get him to take them back from Janus—to which Remus just held up his hands in mock innocence.

“No can do, kid,” he smirked. “The punishment has to fit the crime, after all.”

Riley continued their attempts to wiggle out of Janus’ unyielding grip.

“Never!” They declared, trying a different approach of reaching over Janus’ shoulder to escape from behind. “I won’t! I won’t do it, I promise!”

Remus and Janus both knew they wouldn’t actively try to hurt either of them, but sometimes it was just more fun to assert rules when it came with shrieking laughter and climbing their parents like a jungle gym.

“Well, now you know where we stand,” Remus spoke in false authority, reaching for one of Riley’s tiny shoes and holding it up to address it as if it were in control of their legs. “I better not see you around these parts again, ya’ hear?” He added in an over-the-top western accent, gesturing to his face. 

Riley squealed with laughter as he held out his hand for a handshake and they shook it with their accused foot. 

“Alright, alright, you two,” Janus intervened with fond exasperation. “Snacks are on the counter, take it or leave it.”

Riley whipped their head around to peer into the kitchen, cheering when they spotted two plates on the kitchen counter, each with a toaster waffle piled high with blueberries. 

“Second…breakfast!” They cheered, drumroll-ing on their leg before whooping and slinking out of Janus’ grip and climbing up onto the kitchen barstools. Remus, giving a fond eye-roll at the enthusiasm, turned to drape his arms over Janus’ shoulders from behind, perching his chin on top of their head. 

“They get it from you, you know,” he mumbled, smirking at the scoff it earned him. 

“Shut up,” Janus grumbled, the smile evident in their voice. “That is all you.”

“Babe, sports are a threat in this house,” he teased. “You’re telling me that came from me?”

“Yeah, I’ll take that one,” they chided, turning around to face their husband. “As long as you’re aware that the energy, the volume—honey, that’s all you.”

Remus quirked his brow with a proud smirk. 

“Or maybe it’s the fact that they sleep for fourteen hours and we haven’t even had eight in the last six years,” he challenged knowingly. “You know, I happen to remember that back in the day��that bed was hardly even for sleeping.”

Janus snorted, their face reddening slightly.

“Is it bad to think of those as the ‘good old days’ already?”

Remus swept a piece of their hair out of their face. 

“Hell no, dude. We lived like kings back then,” he chuckled. “How ‘bout this—I’ll get Ro to take ‘em to the park or something this weekend and I’ll dick you down just like old times, ‘kay?”

Janus sputtered out a cackle, smacking Remus on the chest before covering his mouth with their hand.

“Fucking christ, they’re like two yards away,” they hissed, still laughing. “I am not going to be the one fielding questions about what getting dicked down means, oh my god.”

“You say that like they listen to anything when there’s food in front of them,” Remus countered, nodding in the direction of their kid as Janus rolled their eyes with a chuckle. 

“Now that, is from you,” they grinned, jabbing him in the side with their elbow. 

“Hey, it’s not my fault you’re serving up delicacies like toaster waffles,” Remus said, raising his hands in mock defense. 

Janus gave him a look before crossing their arms. 

“Yeah, well, you’re lucky I know you can’t go two hours without food. Go on, there’s one for you, even if it’s probably cold by now,” they teased as Remus excitedly kissed their forehead before practically running to the kitchen. He hopped up to sit on the counter, folding each toaster waffle like a blueberry-filled taco before funneling them into his mouth. 

Janus followed close behind—at a normal pace, thank you very much—and took the actual seat next to their kid, sipping at the cup of tea they had left on the counter before the two had returned home as they listened to Riley regaling their day at school.

———

Realistically, Remus probably should’ve seen it coming. He was a couple days past his previous record of days as Riley’s “favorite” and he knew he likely didn’t have much longer before Janus dethroned him again, but he certainly hadn’t expected the scene he walked in on that night. 

He had heard hushed laughter coming from one of their house’s bathrooms that evening, assuming at first that Janus was just handling Riley’s bath or something like that, but as he cleaned up the mess from their dinner and finished washing the rest of their dishes, he was surprised to find they were still in there. So obviously he had to investigate. 

He knocked on the door, rolling his eyes fondly as shushing and giggles came from within. 

“Everything good in there?” He teased, leaning against the door. “I gotta’ say, I’m a little hurt I didn’t get invited to whatever club this is that hangs out in the bathroom.”

More giggles followed by the oh-so familiar sound of Janus’ shushing. 

“I guess I’ll just have to find out for myself what all the fuss is about,” he sing-songed, slowly creaking open the door before letting out a snort laugh at the scene before him. 

Janus was seated on the edge of the bathtub, wash cloth in hand, as Riley sat on the sink counter, covered on all limbs with temporary tattoos. At least the pieces of tape that Janus had cut into circles and colored black to look like ear gauges were admittedly cute. 

“Oh, I see how it is,” he smirked from against the doorframe. 

“JJ said you’re a wimp,” Riley proudly announced. “I was right.”

Janus stuck their tongue out and made a spitting noise and…yeah, that was their kid alright. Not that Remus would have it any other way. 

[wierdogal]

Flip A Coin?

Author’s Note: Still at the hospital but hopefully getting out tomorrow. [Finger’s crossed.] But that won’t stop me from posting my last one-shot for Rumbelle Is Hope. Not my last fic update though because I have one last update for my birthday week. This is a prompt from the same AU list. [Ok, I might have cheated a little.]

Prompt: "I decided to flip a coin about every decision in my life for a week and that's how we ended up on a date."

On AO3

"You really don't have to do this too Papa," began Neal as he and his father finished washing the dishes. "I mean Emma and I want to teach Henry the importance of decision making and-"

"The lad stays with me quite a lot during the week and it's better that he sees this little demonstration everyday." argued Gold as he handed his son another plate to dry. "Besides, it won't make much of a difference because my decisions are usually if I'll eat lunch at Granny's or just order take out."

"Oh really?" challenged Neal. "Not scared that it'll be to either give someone an extension on their rent or not."

Gold glared at his son and resisted the urge to splash soapy water at the smug smile he was getting.

Henry had decided to head to Granny's with his friends earlier, a decision he had arrived because he had flipped a coin whether to go with his friends or not.

So Emma and Neal had decided to teach the boy a lesson by being practical. The entire family would decide on some things by flipping a coin. Emergencies or other important matters on the other hand would not be affected.

Extending one's rent didn't qualify on those terms.

Gold had offered to do the exercise as well seeing as Henry usually spent some of his time after school at his grandfather's pawnshop, when both his parents had town meetings to attend.

"Henry isn't usually at the shop when things like that happen," said Gold. "Besides, rent day is next week."

"Don't go beast mode on me when one of your tenants charge at the shop while Henry's there." remarked Neal with a smile. "Because that isn't a family emergency or an important matter and you're going to have to flip a coin."

Apparently the lesson had been paying off, as Henry complained about eating nothing but vegetables for the past two days because they've been flipping a coin on what to eat.

"The other night it was peas and carrots and last night we had a spinach casserole," groaned Henry as he watched his grandfather fix a clock. "I'm glad that at least I got to have dessert last night but that was still a 50-50 chance."

Gold chuckled as his grandson continued to narrate the past two days of life by the coin as Emma had coined it, no pun intended.

"What can I tell you lad," began Gold as he kept his tools and looked over the watch Marco had asked him to repair. "You win some, you lose some."

"Well I've learned my lesson," began Henry as he got out his homework. "Maybe the sentence could be reduced?"

Gold smiled at the tactic and ruffled the boy's hair. "As much as I admire the cunning attempt, my boy, the final say has to be from your parents."

"Come on Grandpa," began Henry. "You didn't come over last night because the coin said so. Don't you miss me?"

"Guilt-tripping your grandfather isn't going to work," said a voice and Neal came through the curtain separating the main shop from the back room. "But I do need to know if we're expecting you for dinner or not."

Gold smiled and got a coin from his pocket. "Heads, yes, tails, no." He tossed the coin and let it land on the table, Henry whooping as the coin finally declared heads.

Before Gold could answer, he heard the bell signal someone had come in. He turned to his son, "You didn't flip the sign?"

"Five to five, Papa," chuckled Neal. "Technically, you're still open."

Gold glared at the laughing forms of his son and grandson and made to go to the front of the shop to tell the person to leave-only to stop dead in his tracks when he saw who the customer was.

"Hi, Mr. Gold, I'm in a bit of a pickle," began Belle French as she clutched an old tattered book in her hands.

"What can I do for you Ms. French?" asked Gold as he walked over to the counter, hearing his son and grandson scamper in the back room but they did not emerge.

"Well Regina and I overlooked the curiosity of young Roland," began the petite librarian. "As we were talking about the library's activities for the coming months, Roland managed to grab this book and well you can see the result…"

The pages of the tattered copy of "Her Handsome Hero" had fallen off from the spine. The pages weren't dented or folded at the edges, it was just really that the pages had fallen off.

"Given that it's an older book, I don't think simple tape would be enough to fix it," began Belle. "And I don't really want to just tape it all together. I know some paste and stitching is involved in these situations and I was wondering-"

"Say no more, Ms. French," began Gold with a smile. "I'd be happy to restore this for you. I'd just have to do a bit of research before I try though. I do not want to ruin this book because of my lack of book restoring skills."

"That would be fine, Mr. Gold," replied Belle with a smile.

"I hope you don't mind me asking," began Gold as he delicately gathered the pages of the book and stored it for safekeeping. "Wouldn't be faster to just buy another copy?"

"Yes, but this particular copy is part of the first editions of this book," began Belle with a slight blush. "And it isn't actually the copy of the library's...well it's actually-"

"Yours?" asked Gold with a smile. He knew that she was ad avid reader, why he wasn't surprised when Regina had said that Belle French was coming back to town to run the library. She was also a collector of first editions. From what he could remember, he had appraised the book for Maurice French when he had found it in some sale. He had given it to his late wife Collette as an anniversary present. "I remember your father bringing it to me before, asking for its authenticity."

Belle laughed and Gold found himself smiling wider. "Yes, I remember that story. Mother had thought he was going to sell it only to find that father just wanted to make sure that he was giving her something of value."

Gold nodded and eyed the book once again. "Then I'll make sure to give me the utmost care and attention, Ms. French. I wouldn't want to do any harm to such a very important piece of literature."

"Every written word is an important piece of literature, Mr. Gold," began Belle with a smile. Gold raised an eyebrow at her which prompted a chuckle. "Well some pieces weight more than another."

"Like hardbound, first editions?"

"Like books passed down from parent to child," replied Belle and Gold gave her a thoughtful smile.

"I agree on that front," said Gold. "I'll inform you as I can if I can restore it. If not, I'll try and find someone with more experience."

"Oh I wouldn't want to be a bother-"

"You're never a bother Ms. French," replied Gold and the loud chuckle turned cough could be heard loud and clear from the back. "I'm happy to be of service."

He all but glared as his son emerged from the back room, followed closely by Henry.

"Hi Ms Belle!" greeted Henry.

"Hello Henry, Neal," said Belle with a smile. "Well I best not keep you from a family dinner. Thank you again, Mr. Gold."

She departed with one final wave and as soon as the door closed Gold glared at his son. "Really, Bae, eavesdropping?"

"It's not eavesdropping if you can clearly hear the conversation," remarked Neal with a teasing smile. "Henry, why don't you pack up your homework and call your mother to expect Grandpa."

Henry did as he was told and Neal turned to his father, Gold slightly worried about the glint in his son's eyes.

"You know why don't you just ask her out for dinner," said Neal as Gold opened the safe and placed Belle's book inside. "It'll save all the town the trouble of being witness to the slow burn of romance that is you and the librarian."

"What do you mean the entire town?" asked Gold in surprise and horror.

"Come on, Papa," whined Neal. "The only people who can't see that you are entirely in love with each other are the two of you."

Gold snorted. "I doubt Belle French has any sort of feelings-"

"Wanna bet?" asked Neal. "Look just ask her out for coffee or something. What's the worse that can happen?"

"I don't think-"

"Flip a coin?"

Both adults turned to Henry as he emerged from the back. "It's not a family emergency. So that decision warrants a coin flip."

Neal's smile widened as his son's logic sank in and turned to his father, the glint in his eyes back with full forced and Gold found himself swallowing nervously. "Henry has a point dad...and I did say you could get out of this little life lesson."

Gold sighed and resigned himself to his fate. He got the coin from his pocket. "Heads, yes, tails, no."

He held his breath as the coin soared and landed on the counter and sighed in relief as the coin landed on tails.

Neal eyed his father but a smile was still on his face. "Well it's a long week...and there is a 50-50 chance."

"There has to be a rule that you can only flip a coin once for a given scenario," said Gold as he helped Emma clear the table.

"Nobody forced you to join the lesson Gold," began Emma with a smile. "Neal gave you an out but you insisted. Ergo, all decisions this week will be decided by the coin."

"You make it sound so ominous, Em," said Neal from the sink as he began washing the dishes. "But I agree with her Papa, I told you that you didn't have to take part but you insisted. And so talking to Belle, whether or not to give her a call or to walk over to the library is now decided by a coin."

"Not when it's not really part of my day," mumbled Gold.

"But yes when we pester you about it," said Neal with a smile. "Be thankful it's night time and we don't really want to look like stalkers. But tomorrow when I'm at the shop-"

"I'm closed." said Gold as he placed their leftovers in the fridge.

For the past two days, Gold has flipped a coin in deciding if he should ask Belle out to dinner, give her a call to ask the same question, go over her booth to again ask the same question. All prompted by Bae and Henry, all getting a no.

Frankly. Gold was relieved. As much as he really did want to go out on a date with Belle French, he really was buying his time. He didn't want to look like a creepy old man with a crush on the beautiful librarian.

As Neal would say it, he was playing his cards right.

But then Neal's words from the other day came back to him...the entire town thought that she had feelings for him? That was absurd. She was friendly to everyone, and she was always pleasant to talk, even to people like Keith Nottingham. She didn't act differently when she was talking to him...I mean they did talk an awful lot about books and other things they had in common.

"Uh hello, universe to Papa, anyone in there?" cae Neal's voice and Gold was startled out of his thoughts as his son's face appeared in his line of sight. "You know what, forget the coin, go over to the library tomorrow and just ask her out already."

"Nope, that's for the coin to decide," said Emma. "If he keeps getting a no, then maybe there's good reason."

"You believe in fate and destiny and all those things Emma?"

Emma gave him a confident smile. "Well Gold, if you asked me a decade ago, I'd have probably dumped some expensive wine over your head...but I've changed a few perspectives of mine."

She didn't glance Neal's way but Gold got the point and returned her smile. He and Emma had gotten off on a rough start but when both saw how they cared about their mutual loved ones, it was an easy built relationship.

He just hoped that she was right and it was an easy built relationship with Belle French as well.

Gold was able to find some instructions in restoring an old book and was able to do it. He was a spinner and needle work was never an issue. He was very scared to damage the pages and didn't pull the thread to tight as he binded the pages together before gluing them to the spine.

He had informed Belle to come by the shop the following day and as he waited (shooing Henry to the diner and had asked Granny to watch over the lad) he stared at the coin on the shop counter.

Belle was due to arrive in five minutes and he still hadn't answered his question.

The question being if he was going to ask Belle to have dinner with him tomorrow. To be honest, even without the coin, he didn't know the answer.

At least with the coin, he'd be forced to follow its decision-

Gold groaned. He couldn't he was going to let a coin dictate his life. But this was what he had agreed upon with his son and his family. It wasn't just some nonsense...it was a lesson all of them needed to understand...about decision and how life-changing one small decision can be.

Why decisions were always pondered upon and never just a toss up.

He sighed and took the coin. Heads, yes, tails no. He took a deep breath and tossed coin-

"Hi Mr. Gold," came Belle's voice and Gold was to startled to catch the coin and he managed to swat it away, the coin landing on the floor and rolling towards Belle.

Belle picked it up and gave him an amused look. "You know I've been seeing you, Neal, Henry and even Emma flipping a coin almost the entire week. Is there something going on?"

"Ummm," began Gold as he internally groaned. Way to sound smart Gold. "I-well we-I mean-"

Belle gave him a look mixed of amusement and confusion as she walked over to the counter. "Would you prefer to ask the coin whether to let me in on the Gold family secret?"

She held the coin out to him and Gold swallowed the forming lump in his throat. He took it slowly and Belle eyed his every movement. "Heads, yes, tails no?"

Gold nodded and then he tossed the coin and they both watched flipped in the air, finally landing on Gold's palm.

Heads.

"So?" asked Belle with a triumphant smile. "What's going on?"

"You remember the incident with Henry and his friends?" began Gold, resigning to his fate.

"Oh you mean the Nevengers?" teased Belle which got Gold to smile a little, the tension in him cracking a bit. "Yes, I did."

"Well apparently their exploits are decided a tossing a coin," explained Gold. "So Neal and Emma have decided to teach young Henry a lesson about proper decision making by making him experience how tossing a coin is not the ideal way to decide on things."

"I gather the coin hasn't been on his side much," asked Belle with a small chuckle.

"Apparently he's only had vegetables for dinner this past week," answered Gold with his own laugh. "And he's only had hot chocolate with cinammon once."

"Ouch," said Belle. "That must have been the kicker."

"Indeed," said Gold. "I took part in the lesson because Henry is by the shop more often than not."

"You would risk giving someone an extension on your rent by flipping a coin?" asked Belle, an eyebrow raised.

"Why does everyone think that is the worst case scenario?" asked Gold, feigning being insulted but Belle could see the playfulness in his eyes. "Besides, I agree with the lesson. Decisions are meant to be thought over...not just going with the flow as the young seem to do these days."

Belle gave him a thoughtful look. "But over thinking something is also not the most ideal when it comes to deciding something." She paused as she played with the coin, spinning it on the counter top. "People also tend to over think, looking at the worse case scenario when deciding on things. Even for the most trivial things like talking to someone...what if he doesn't want my company? What if we can't talk about anything? What if I just stare at the person because he is just too beautiful to look at?"

She paused and met his gaze. "Sometimes you don't need think at all...but have the bravery to take the leap."

Goold stood wide-eyed out. What was Belle-

"Hey grandpa, hey Belle!" greeted Henry as the door to the shop opened. "Dad said to wait for him here. I can do my homework at the back, can't I grandpa?"

"Of course, my boy," said Gold as he cleared his throat.

"Are you here to pick up your book Belle?" asked Henry as he went behind the counter towards the back room. "Grandpa and I worked hard to make sure it was in near perfect condition again."

"It looks perfect Henry," said Belle as she picked up the book. Henry smiled and went to the back, leaving the two adults alone again.

The two shared a look and Gold began to talk about the things he did to restore the book. Previous conversation seemingly forgotten as they talked more about old books, how to take care of them and the usual debate of print versus digital copies.

"As much as I want to return this book to its proper owner," began Gold. "I still do have to inspect it if the binding held."

"I understand," replied Belle with a smile. "I'll come back when it's ready but thank you for informing me that you managed to restore it."

With a nod, she turned to leave and Gold knew this was now or never.

Belle's hand was already on the handle when he heard the familiar sound of a coin being flipped. She turned just in time for Gold to catch the coin, his hand closing on it so that the decision was hidden from them both.

"Mr. Gold?" asked Belle.

"I decided to flip a coin about every decision in my life for a week." began Gold, shyly as he met her gaze. "And that's how we ended up here…"

Belle turned to him in confusion but then she smiled softly. "And what decision does the coin must ponder on about this time?"

"Whether or not if I should ask a beautiful librarian for dinner tomorrow night," said Gold. Belle's smiled brighter and she closed the door before walking around the counter to stand next to him.

"What made you change your mind?" asked Belle.

"You said it yourself, be brave and take the leap," said Gold with a sheepish smile. "Well here I am...doing the brave thing and hope that bravery follows."

Belle smiled and covered his hand over the coin with her own. "You do realize whether the coin says no, I still do expect a formal invitation."

"Sod the coin," whispered Gold as he turned to look if Henry was eavesdropping. "Besides the rules were that we didn't have to flip a coin for very important decisions."

"You still flipped it," teased Belle. "Besides, I'm curious to see what the universe has decided for us."

"And what if it says no?"

Belle's smile was infectious and Gold knew he had nothing to worry about. She chuckled Belle and prodded him to open his hand. "Sod the coin."

There gleaming in the light of Gold's shop shone a coin...with the face of heads.

They both smiled and turned to each other. "The coin has spoken."

[440mxs-wife]

Baker’s Dream, Part 2

Pairing: Sam x Reader

Date night at your place went perfectly, with you cooking dinner for Sam. Afterwards, you shared a piece of tiramisu, taking turns feeding each other. You even packed up some leftovers on the lasagna and the dessert as a gift to his mother.

As the weeks went by, you and Sam grew closer, often just spending time at each other's homes. It didn't matter whether you went out in town, or had pizza and a movie at your house or his penthouse. As long as you were together, that was the most important part.

Everyone at work could see how happy the two of you were and they silently cheered you on. Sam's colleagues saw how much happier Sam was now that he was with you, especially after what he went through with Amelia. Your bakery crew kind of teased you about how cute you and Sam were, but they were all secretly rooting for you.

One night, you and Sam were snuggled up on his couch watching a movie. Your head rested on Sam's shoulder, and your left hand was flat against his chest. His free hand was absently drifting through your hair as you tried to pay attention to the movie.

"Hey, I almost forgot to ask you. Mom and Dad are throwing a small dinner party this Friday, and they wanted to invite you. Not too many people, just Mom, Dad, Dean and his girlfriend. Oh, and Jeremy Robinson, our CFO. He's an old friend of Dad's from the Marine Corps and helped Dad get the company to where it is today," Sam finished.

"This Friday? I think I can fit that into my schedule," you grinned. "Is it formal, or what should I wear?" you asked.

"Well, if it were up to me, you would wear...." Sam trailed off and waggled his eyebrows at you.

"Yeah, I know what you'd rather I wear, or should I say not wear," you retorted, playfully tapping his chest.

Sam chuckled at your comment. "Baby, I'm sure whatever lovely outfit you put together will be perfect. I'll pick you up and we can go over to Mom and Dad's together. Unless you'd rather leave from here," he remarked as he nuzzled your neck.

"Mmm, that is a very tempting offer, Mr. Winchester," you said breathily. Sam's stubbled face was causing small fires to ignite throughout your body. "I think it's a decision I should definitely sleep on," you answered, rising from the couch. You held out your hand and started walking towards Sam's bedroom. "It's this way, right?" you gestured with your head.

Sam nodded slowly, his mind running a mile a minute to make sure he understood you properly. "Here, let me show you," he replied as he stood up from his place on the couch. He paused in front of you, taking your face between both of his hands and stroking your cheek with his thumb. "Are you sure, baby?" he said softly.

You nodded. "I'm sure, Sam," you answered. Sam pulled your face towards him so your mouths crashed together. His hands went from cradling your face to rubbing your back and winding his fingers through your hair.

"So beautiful," he whispered. He led you by the hand to his bedroom, where he turned on the light on his nightstand.

Sam stood before you, gazing into your eyes. His hand brushed away a stray lock of hair, which he tucked behind your ear. "How did I ever get so fortunate to have someone like you in my life? Going into that hotel bar was one of the smartest things I've ever done, because it led me to you. I love you so much," he finished.

"I will always remember that night we met. There I was, drowning my sorrows, and you threw me a lifeline. You showed me that I deserve better than my ex, and you're it, Sam. At least for me, anyway. I love you so much," you remarked.

Your mouths slammed back together with a hunger you each could satisfy only for the other. Clothes were peeled off and you soon found yourselves under the blankets together. You and Sam took turns learning about each other, with your tender touches and hot kisses. He took the time to show you how much he loved you, and allowed you the opportunity to return the favor. As the two of you moved together, you built layers of passion, each one higher than the last, until you both found your release.

When your heart rates had returned to normal, you turned to face Sam and rested your head on his shoulder. His arm snaked around you to keep you close to his chest and he kissed your sweaty forehead. "Goodnight, Sam," you mumbled before your eyes drifted shut. "Goodnight, my love," Sam whispered into your hair.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hand in hand, you and Sam marched up the porch steps to his parents' house. Before ringing the doorbell, you turned to face each other. "You have nothing to be nervous about, baby. They're going to love you. Mom already does, and Dad's bark is worse than his bite, I promise," he smiled. Sam brought his hand up to brush your cheek, then slid it behind your head. He tipped his head forward to capture your lips with his in a slow, sweet kiss.

The door opened, which broke your kiss with Sam. "Having a little appetizer, eh Sammy?" a voice from the doorway said.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Dean," he muttered. Sam placed his hand on the small of your back and ushered you into the house, glaring at his brother as introductions were made. You giggled at the siblings' interaction, which seemed to relax Sam a bit.

He continued guiding you towards the kitchen. At about halfway, Mary rushed towards you with outstretched arms to engulf you in her embrace. She released you and turned to a tall man with salt-and-pepper colored hair that you knew had to be John Winchester. More introductions were made, with handshakes and hugs also exchanged.

Mary announced that dinner would be ready in about 20 minutes, with just a few things to finish up. You excused yourself from Sam's hold, assuring him that everything was fine. You followed Mary into the kitchen to see if you could help. She protested, however, saying that you were a guest. She relented with a laugh when you told her that your mother would never forgive you for not helping, guest or otherwise.

While you assisted Mary in tying up loose ends for the meal, she asked how things were going with you and Sam. Your cheeks grew warm as you stammered to answer her question. The words didn't matter, though, because she could tell how much in love you were with each other.

Mary handed you a basket of bread to take out to the table while she grabbed one of the other dishes. You looked up to see Jeremy Robinson, CFO of Winchester Enterprises and his daughter, Amelia, walking through the door. Sam did not see Amelia as she walked in, since she was hidden behind her   father.

As soon as she saw Sam, she grabbed hold of his arm and pulled him into a hug with a forceful kiss on his lips. You turned your eyes from the scene in the living room and stumbled back to the kitchen to help Mary. She saw the tears shimmering in your eyes and wondered what had happened.

Before she could ask you, Sam burst through the kitchen door and took you aside, entwining his hand with yours. "Baby, I know you saw that, but you have to believe that I had no idea that she would be here tonight," he pleaded. "What happened in there meant nothing to me. You are the one that I love, the one who holds my heart," he vowed.

"I know Sam, I believe you and more importantly, I trust that you're telling me the truth. It was a little shocking to say the least, to see some other woman kissing my man," you grumbled.

Sam dipped his head down and you rose up on tiptoes to kiss him. From the doorway, you heard Amelia demand, "What's going on in here? Who is this, Sam and why are you kissing her??"

He looked her square in the face, a small smirk gracing his lips. "This is my girlfriend, I'm kissing her because I love her," he answered. "Shall we head to the table for dinner, my love?" he asked, gazing into your eyes.

"Absolutely, Sam," your hand reached for his again and intertwined your fingers. As you sat down at the table next to Sam, Mary caught your eye and winked at you in support. You gave her a small smile in return.

Dinner conversation flowed easily, with the men mostly talking about the business of Winchester Enterprises. Dean's girlfriend and Mary asked you about the bakery and offered suggestions for future offerings. Amelia mostly glared at you from across the table, clearly under the impression that Sam should be with her, not you.

You mentioned that you brought over an apple and a cherry pie for dessert, which piqued Dean's interest. He knew of your bakery by reputation, and didn't hesitate to pay his compliments. You had catered the baked goods for a wedding he went to for one of the other executives. On occasion, Baked and Brewed had also provided the muffin trays for many a Winchester Enterprises board meeting.

"I'm tellin' ya, Sammy. You gotta marry that girl, keep all that baked goodness in the family," Dean declared.

Sam gazed lovingly at you and squeezed your hand under the table. "We're not quite there yet, Dean, but I don't intend to let her get away," Sam replied softly. He leaned over and gave you a lingering kiss on your temple. "I love you," he murmured against your skin.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next two weeks at the bakery were pretty hectic, with people  pre-ordering their pies for Thanksgiving. You were back to working 12-hour days, but Sam had given you a key to his penthouse apartment. After your long day at work, you couldn't wait to soak your aching bones in Sam's Jacuzzi tub.

On those busy days, Sam made sure to take good care of you. He usually had dinner ready or takeout on the way by the time you got to his place. As soon as you walked in the door, Sam was ready with open arms to greet you with a hug and a welcome-home kiss. Evenings were typically spent cuddling on the couch watching movies or talking till all hours of the night.

At least twice a week, Sam made sure to stop in to the bakery to see you so you could have lunch together. Mary and her friends stopped in once a week for their "Silver Foxy Ladies" meetings. For these occasions, you provided a pastry tray, which always led to one or  more ladies getting something to take home.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Six months later

The front door opened to reveal Mary Winchester's beaming face, holding  open the screen door as she ushered you and Sam indoors. You caught a  fantastic aroma from the kitchen and nearly started drooling.

"What is that heavenly smell, Mary?" you asked.

"Oven-roasted  chicken, garlic mashed potatoes and broccoli cheese casserole. Speaking of which, I should check how much longer before dinner," she responded with a wink.

You reached up on tiptoes to give Sam a kiss before heading to the kitchen to help Mary. She was getting used to having you in there to help and keep her company. She truly enjoyed spending time with you and was beyond happy that you and Sam had found each other.

Back  in the living room, Sam, Dean and John were crowded together, speaking  in hushed tones. You and Mary brought in the last of the food dishes, then called the men to the table. Sam seemed to be hanging back for some reason, so you went over to where he was standing.

"Sam, is  everything okay?" you asked, worried. You took his hands in yours. "Whatever it is, you know you can talk to me. I'm right here for you,"  you assured him.

"I know, baby, and I love you so much for always being there for me. There is something that I hope you can help me with. You see, Mom found this, and thought that I might know someone who would like to wear it," he started. He pulled a small black velvet box from his pocket and dropped to one knee.

Your hands flew to your mouth as you realized what was happening. Sam opened the box to reveal a simple yet elegant engagement ring. "It's been in my family for  generations. It was my grandmother's and she was married to my grandfather for over 50 years. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" Sam asked.

All you could do is nod your head vigorously, as  the power of speech temporarily eluded you. Sam slipped the ring on your left hand ring finger for a perfect fit. "Yes, Sam," you whispered. "I would love to marry you!"

From the dining room doorway, cheers went up and everyone was hugging and offering their congratulations. After dinner, you and Sam sat on the front porch swing, snuggled under a blanket in the cool night air.

"It really doesn't get much better than this, does it?" you asked. "Quiet night, under the stars with the man I love," you said.

"Baby,  this is only the beginning. Meeting you was one of the best things to ever happen to me. I finally found my missing puzzle piece. I love you so much," Sam remarked, nuzzling your neck.

"And you came along before I even knew how much I needed someone like you in my life. You're  my missing puzzle piece as well. I love you, Sam," you replied.