The One Thing (Once Upon A Time, one shot)
The One Thing
Note: I do not own Once Upon A Time, I’m just playing in the sandbox. Since they don’t know how to be fair or nice to the characters I love, I will continue to fix that.
Timeline: After ‘Cricket Game’
Rating: PG13
Beta: tanyareed ♥
Summary: Once was lost and now he’s found, Archie returns.
Ruby never thought she would see him again. She was starting to believe that she was really cursed, not just to become a wolf, but to kill any man who came close enough for her to love. She had been so sure that the Charmings were right that the possibility that he was alive had never even crossed her mind. In her mind, her love had condemned him to die.
As he walked towards her, she inhaled deeply. Through the unmistakable metallic scent of blood was his rich scent. Gods, she breathed, closing her eyes and opening them again. She even pinched herself, afraid she was dreaming, but no, he was still coming towards her. But he was there; he was leaning heavily on Rumpelstiltskin and Belle as they brought him into town. The sight made her feel sick from excitement.
All that mourning, all those regrets, of never telling him how she felt, worrying so much that getting close would cost him his life. She to push away all thoughts and with a scream ran towards him. She tackled him to the ground, surprising the pair that had been assisting him. She didn’t care that they were both watching. She kissed him; she heard him moan. She couldn’t tell if it was out of pleasure or pain but he tasted of blood so it was probably pain.
Releasing his face, she choked out a laugh, her tears bathing his face. Even though he was battered, bloody and bruised, he smiled. It took her breath away, “I take it that you missed me?” he asked. His smile continued to split his lip. A drop of red leaked down his chin and she resisted the urge to lick it away.
“Always…Archie…I-“
He reached up, running his hand through her hair, finally stopping to cup her face. “I know.”
She leaned up; looking at Rumpelstiltskin who was smirking wolfishly at her while Belle looked on with tears in her eyes at the reunion. “You, you impossible” she stated, with a lunge, she leapt at Rumpelstiltskin and crushed her mouth to his. The Imp made a muffled cry of protest momentarily, then gave up since Ruby refused to let go until she was ready.
With a loud, smacking “muwah!, Ruby released Rumpelstiltskin and jumped over Archie (who hadn’t moved) and gave Belle the same treatment. Belle squealed the entire time, until Ruby let her go, then burst out laughing. “I’ll take that as a thank you?” she asked.
“Yes, you’ve given me back the one thing I’ve always needed.”
Gold chuckled as he reached down to help up Archie, “A psychiatrist?”
Ruby glared, holding Belle securely to her for one more moment. “Love, you ass.”
“Just checking, dear. I know that Ruby had some issues she could have worked through,” he winked, but then took on a somber look, “but you, Red, did need to open your heart again.” He reached for her and, stepping away from Belle, she crossed to him. He cupped her face, locking their eyes, and muttered low, “Don’t be afraid anymore. He cannot die; he will not suffer the same fate that your first love and that little mouse suffered.”
“Rumpelstiltskin, if you just lied-“
He shook his head. “No. I wouldn’t lie to you dear. Not about this.”
She drew a breath, turning to Archie, who looked tired but better by the second. “Is that true?”
Archie inhaled sharply but nodded. She could hear the wear on his lungs after whatever happened to him but she could also hear it healing. She held up her hand to silence him, listening to his organs heal. It was fascinating, but distracting, since he smelled of blood and the wolf within liked that.
Reaching for him, she wrapped her arm around his waist. “I’m bringing you home, I need to clean you up. You’re making me hungry.” A grin appeared on her lips as Rumpelstiltskin chuckled behind her.
“Behave, dearie,” he said.
She looked back at him over her shoulder, wiggling her brows. “Have you ever known me to?”
He smirked at her; it was a naughty smile. “Never.”
--
Archie was sitting on the side of his bed as Ruby gently washed his hands. He insisted he felt fine, just tired, too tired to stand anymore, so she decided that she’d wash him down right there. Pongo was lying at the foot of the bed, whimpering at his Master every few moments. As she lifted the rag to his face, gently wiping it across his skin, one of the cuts she assumed had healed opened again. She squealed in horror that she had been the cause and traced the blood trail down his cheek. He winced as she pressed it to the cut, and from the pain in his face, she let out a little sob. Unable to stop the words from coming out, she confessed every thought to him.
“I’m sorry. I need to stop the bleeding or I’m going to end up licking it off your face. And that will lead to other things being licked. And me basically humping your leg, because, to be honest, I’ve been wanting to for a while. Um, I mean hump you, not just your leg. But you’re injured so I need to control myself, but I’m so happy that you’re here, but I have to wait.”
“No, you don’t.”
She laughed softly. “Archie, that’s not funny.”
He grinned; it was a rather sly grin she hadn’t seen in a while. “I’m not laughing. I can’t die but it doesn’t mean I didn’t go through hell. Every time I was close to death, I was pulled back but there was only one thought that got me through.”
Ruby remained crouched between his legs, peering up at him. “What was it?”
“You.” His fingers brushed her temple, combing into her thick mane of hair. “That I would get out, that I would find you and I would finally tell you that I’ve been in love with you since I first saw you. I’ve wanted nothing more than to be in your life, to be with you. I can’t live my life the way I was. I need to be honest with myself and honest with how I feel. I need you.”
She placed her hands on his knees, bracing herself as she captured his lips with hers. He let himself fall back, taking her with him. From the groan Pongo made and his quick exit, he knew what was going to happen next. As the kiss broke, she nuzzled his neck and trailed her tongue across his skin. He shivered and their day lead into a slow, passionate reunion that they had denied for so long.
--END--
Also, Ruby assumes they saved Archie, hence her reward, but she doesn’t know he saved himself but he’s not one to play the hero. ;) He is a thief after all, he knows how to handle sticky situations.
Food for though, my RedCrickets ;)
Note: I do not own Once Upon A Time, I’m just playing in the sandbox. Since they don’t know how to be fair or nice to the characters I love, I will continue to fix that.
Timeline: After ‘Cricket Game’
Rating: PG13
Beta: tanyareed ♥
Summary: Once was lost and now he’s found, Archie returns.
Ruby never thought she would see him again. She was starting to believe that she was really cursed, not just to become a wolf, but to kill any man who came close enough for her to love. She had been so sure that the Charmings were right that the possibility that he was alive had never even crossed her mind. In her mind, her love had condemned him to die.
As he walked towards her, she inhaled deeply. Through the unmistakable metallic scent of blood was his rich scent. Gods, she breathed, closing her eyes and opening them again. She even pinched herself, afraid she was dreaming, but no, he was still coming towards her. But he was there; he was leaning heavily on Rumpelstiltskin and Belle as they brought him into town. The sight made her feel sick from excitement.
All that mourning, all those regrets, of never telling him how she felt, worrying so much that getting close would cost him his life. She to push away all thoughts and with a scream ran towards him. She tackled him to the ground, surprising the pair that had been assisting him. She didn’t care that they were both watching. She kissed him; she heard him moan. She couldn’t tell if it was out of pleasure or pain but he tasted of blood so it was probably pain.
Releasing his face, she choked out a laugh, her tears bathing his face. Even though he was battered, bloody and bruised, he smiled. It took her breath away, “I take it that you missed me?” he asked. His smile continued to split his lip. A drop of red leaked down his chin and she resisted the urge to lick it away.
“Always…Archie…I-“
He reached up, running his hand through her hair, finally stopping to cup her face. “I know.”
She leaned up; looking at Rumpelstiltskin who was smirking wolfishly at her while Belle looked on with tears in her eyes at the reunion. “You, you impossible” she stated, with a lunge, she leapt at Rumpelstiltskin and crushed her mouth to his. The Imp made a muffled cry of protest momentarily, then gave up since Ruby refused to let go until she was ready.
With a loud, smacking “muwah!, Ruby released Rumpelstiltskin and jumped over Archie (who hadn’t moved) and gave Belle the same treatment. Belle squealed the entire time, until Ruby let her go, then burst out laughing. “I’ll take that as a thank you?” she asked.
“Yes, you’ve given me back the one thing I’ve always needed.”
Gold chuckled as he reached down to help up Archie, “A psychiatrist?”
Ruby glared, holding Belle securely to her for one more moment. “Love, you ass.”
“Just checking, dear. I know that Ruby had some issues she could have worked through,” he winked, but then took on a somber look, “but you, Red, did need to open your heart again.” He reached for her and, stepping away from Belle, she crossed to him. He cupped her face, locking their eyes, and muttered low, “Don’t be afraid anymore. He cannot die; he will not suffer the same fate that your first love and that little mouse suffered.”
“Rumpelstiltskin, if you just lied-“
He shook his head. “No. I wouldn’t lie to you dear. Not about this.”
She drew a breath, turning to Archie, who looked tired but better by the second. “Is that true?”
Archie inhaled sharply but nodded. She could hear the wear on his lungs after whatever happened to him but she could also hear it healing. She held up her hand to silence him, listening to his organs heal. It was fascinating, but distracting, since he smelled of blood and the wolf within liked that.
Reaching for him, she wrapped her arm around his waist. “I’m bringing you home, I need to clean you up. You’re making me hungry.” A grin appeared on her lips as Rumpelstiltskin chuckled behind her.
“Behave, dearie,” he said.
She looked back at him over her shoulder, wiggling her brows. “Have you ever known me to?”
He smirked at her; it was a naughty smile. “Never.”
--
Archie was sitting on the side of his bed as Ruby gently washed his hands. He insisted he felt fine, just tired, too tired to stand anymore, so she decided that she’d wash him down right there. Pongo was lying at the foot of the bed, whimpering at his Master every few moments. As she lifted the rag to his face, gently wiping it across his skin, one of the cuts she assumed had healed opened again. She squealed in horror that she had been the cause and traced the blood trail down his cheek. He winced as she pressed it to the cut, and from the pain in his face, she let out a little sob. Unable to stop the words from coming out, she confessed every thought to him.
“I’m sorry. I need to stop the bleeding or I’m going to end up licking it off your face. And that will lead to other things being licked. And me basically humping your leg, because, to be honest, I’ve been wanting to for a while. Um, I mean hump you, not just your leg. But you’re injured so I need to control myself, but I’m so happy that you’re here, but I have to wait.”
“No, you don’t.”
She laughed softly. “Archie, that’s not funny.”
He grinned; it was a rather sly grin she hadn’t seen in a while. “I’m not laughing. I can’t die but it doesn’t mean I didn’t go through hell. Every time I was close to death, I was pulled back but there was only one thought that got me through.”
Ruby remained crouched between his legs, peering up at him. “What was it?”
“You.” His fingers brushed her temple, combing into her thick mane of hair. “That I would get out, that I would find you and I would finally tell you that I’ve been in love with you since I first saw you. I’ve wanted nothing more than to be in your life, to be with you. I can’t live my life the way I was. I need to be honest with myself and honest with how I feel. I need you.”
She placed her hands on his knees, bracing herself as she captured his lips with hers. He let himself fall back, taking her with him. From the groan Pongo made and his quick exit, he knew what was going to happen next. As the kiss broke, she nuzzled his neck and trailed her tongue across his skin. He shivered and their day lead into a slow, passionate reunion that they had denied for so long.
--END--
Also, Ruby assumes they saved Archie, hence her reward, but she doesn’t know he saved himself but he’s not one to play the hero. ;) He is a thief after all, he knows how to handle sticky situations.
Food for though, my RedCrickets ;)