Work Text:
Title: "Chipped"
Pairing: Gold/Belle
Fandom: Once Upon a Time
Author: Barbara savageseraph
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don’t pretend to own the characters or the world. I just amuse themselves with them for fun, not profit.
Summary: Those who rely on commands never strike the wisest bargains.
Gold’s body tightens as he sees Regina holding the chipped teacup. If he still possessed more than scraps of his former magic, he would have melted the bars of his prison and made certain this theft was Regina’s last. For years, she had grown comfortable taking whatever she couldn’t manipulate others into giving to her. The contempt he felt for those fools who allowed themselves to be used as she tries to use him now feeds the rage seething in his chest. It hones his hatred to an edge as sharp and bright as her self-satisfied smile.
When Regina names her price, he pretends to consider it so she doesn’t suspect he would have surrendered much more than his name for her prize. Those who rely on commands never strike the wisest bargains.
After she leaves, Gold curls his fingers protectively around the teacup. If Regina knew a careless gesture would have shattered both the fragile porcelain and him, she never would have returned it. Fortunately for him, she doesn’t appreciate the value of things she has or the magic of those she lost. He traces the imperfect lip of teacup, worries at the gap that can never be filled.