#on again off again basketcase is blocked on everything and just recently stopped sending me letters

[greenlikethesea]

talked to one of my exes on the phone after a month-ish of not talking and it was really nice actually?

i told her basically that i would like to be friends and that my head's not in a romantic space, i don't even know where it's at. she agreed and we both agreed that we'd actually missed each other. she's not a good fit romantically for me but i like her as a person. it'd be nice to be friends with an ex. haven't had that in a while.

[timelordthirteen]

Some Other Time 8/9

Mr. Gold/Lacey French, Explicit

Summary: College student Lacey dumps her boyfriend and needs a new apartment, it just so happens her professor, Dr. Gold, has a room to rent.

Chapter Summary: A confrontation and a conversation.

Notes: THE PENULTIMATE CHAPTER! Enjoy, darlings.

[AO3]

Lacey pressed down on the top of the suitcase with her hands, shoving against the stacks of folded clothes inside. The lid bounced back the second she let up and she sat back with a frown. All around her there were boxes and bags, the hasty collection of the life she had comfortably tucked away in the attic of Gold’s house. She sniffled and blew out a breath, silently cursing the dust she’d kicked up by pulling her books off their shelves.

The incident with Ms.Green kept replaying in her mind. All she could focus on was Gold’s face, and the way he was looking at the other woman. It was the same way she imagined him looking at her when she fantasized about doing the same thing, finding him in his office late in the evening, flirting shamelessly until one thing led to another and she was straddling his lap. He’d been so surprised to see her standing in the doorway, and for a moment she thought maybe she’d read the situation wrong. But Gold didn’t say anything, and Lacey wasn’t about to wait around to hear whatever lame excuse he’d come up with to send her on her way.

“Stupid, red-headed bitch,” she muttered, pushing to her feet.

Lacey moved to the little kitchenette where she refilled her wine glass. At first she’d been confused and pissed off at her reaction, but yesterday morning it had become clear what the real problem was.

She was jealous.

She’d fallen for Gold, and he was throwing himself at the Psychology Department secretary! Zelena Green was a basketcase on a good day, and everyone assumed the only reason the Psych Department kept her around was for research. She really couldn’t understand what Gold saw in her, but if he wanted his own personal psychopath, well, he could have her.

Moving out was the only solution she could come up with, especially if Gold was going to start dating someone else. Being on the same campus would be bad enough, but living in the same house when he brought another woman home? Listening to their...noises? Knowing what was happening between the man she... - and someone else?

Fuck that, she thought.

She took a sip of her wine, followed quickly by another, and sighed.

Her little apartment was half destroyed, but if she kept going she could have it all packed up and be ready to leave Sunday night. Ruby and Mulan had agreed to help her get her stuff out of Gold’s, and let her crash on their couch for a few days. Spring Break was only two weeks away, and she hoped by the end of it she’d have something figured out - something that didn’t involve renting from, or living anywhere near, Dr. Rumford Gold.

Gold sagged in his chair and sighed.

He twisted back and forth, staring blankly at the papers on his desk and the half-empty glass of scotch. There were no answers to be found in alcohol, but it had calmed his restless fidgeting somewhat. He’d been startled awake this morning by a rather loud bang, the sound of a door or a lid being slammed shut perhaps.

He got the sense that Lacey was still quite cross with him. Not that he could blame her.

He couldn’t understand why he’d froze, why he’d forgotten every word he knew when Lacey appeared in the doorway of his university office, but by the time he’d managed to shove Zelena Green to the floor and hurry into the hallway, she was gone. He could hear the clomp of her heels going down the stairs, but he knew with his cane and his leg there was no way he would catch up to her in time. After Zelena received a very angry piece of his mind and a mandate to never taint his office with her offensive presence again, he left.

But Lacey had already locked herself inside her apartment, and it was probably too soon to try to explain what had happened. Not that he had much of an explanation anyway. Zelena had always been annoying, but recently she’d stepped up her disgusting little crush on him to near harassment levels. One more incident and he was going to the Dean of the Psychology department if not the president of the university himself. Midas owed him several favors as it was.

Huffing, he pushed back from the desk and paced the length of his study, pausing when he reached the desk again to down the last of his drink. The burning heat reminded him of the feeling he got every time he was around Lacey, that thick, warm emotion that made his brain fuzzy and his heart skip.

“Pathetic,” he mumbled.

The old insult stung, but not quite as much as when his father or his ex-wife had hurled it at him. Still, it wasn’t untrue. He was quite pathetic, especially when it came to relationships. At least he’d managed to mend things with Neal after the divorce, but he wasn’t sure there was much to salvage with Lacey. It was probably best to let her move on and up in the world.

A hard thud rattled the chandelier in the center of the room as well as the books on one shelf, and he frowned up at the ceiling. What was she doing up there?

His hand flexed around his cane as he licked at his bottom lip. Another thump gave him the perfect excuse to knock on her door. She could be mad at him all she wanted, but damaging his property in anger was quite another matter.

The knock at the door caught Lacey by surprise.

Ruby and Mulan weren’t coming over until Sunday, and they always texted her so she could meet them at the front door. That left only one real option and she wasn’t sure she wanted to face him right now. She set down the box of books on the floor, letting it fall the last few inches without caring about the noise it made. If Gold could hear and feel her annoyance, good. She shrugged the strap of her tank top back up on her shoulder as she went to the door, and plastered on the blandest expression she could manage before yanking the door open.

“Hey.”

Gold tried to frown, but the sight of Lacey in her shorts, strappy top, and bare feet--as messy and beautiful as the day she moved in - melted his anger and left him speechless.

“Hey,” he finally managed, flexing his fingers around the handle of his cane.

She straightened, tossing her hair over her shoulder with a flick of her wrist. “Sorry about the noise.”

“What are you doing in there?” He frowned and tried to peek in the doorway, only for her to step forward and block his view.

“Packing.” She crossed her arms and tried to remain impassive.

“What?” He felt like he’d been punched in the gut, and swallowed hard. “Why?”

Lacey shrugged and turned, content to let him stand in the doorway if he wanted while she continued on with her work. “Time to move on.”

He watched as she crossed to a stack of boxes and stopped, her hands on her hips. So she was leaving him. Probably for good. Probably for the best. He was only helping her out, he reminded himself. It was always supposed to be temporary, even if she’d stayed for Christmas, New Year’s, and months longer than either of them had planned.

He’d gotten used to her being around.

“So, you, uh,” he paused and licked his lips. “You finally found a place?”

She sighed, her shoulders sagging as her arms dropped to her sides. After a long moment, she shook her head. “No. But I’m gonna stay with Ruby until I do.”

Gold stepped into his former attic space turned pseudo-apartment, his frown returning. “That’s ridiculous.”

Lacey’s face flushed and she spun around to glare at Gold. “Is it?”

He was surprised by the sharpness of her response, and shifted back a step. “Yes, of course it is. If you’re still looking for a place, you should stay here until you find one.”

Her lips twisted and she scoffed. “No thanks.”

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “If you want to stay, you should stay.”

“I’d rather stay where I’m wanted,” she snapped. Her eyes closed, and she spun away , releasing a stuttered breath. Behind her, she could hear the tap of Gold’s cane as he came closer.

“Lacey…I -” He paused and pressed his lips together, frustrated that he couldn’t say what he was feeling without scaring her off for good. Her weight shifted from one foot to the other and her arms came up around her middle. “Please, just -”

“Don’t -” She pressed her lips together. Everything was too raw for this conversation and she wished he would leave so she could go back to being angry and wallowing in self pity while she packed the dozen boxes that comprised her pathetic life.

“Lacey,” he repeated, inching towards her.

“Don’t.” Her arm came up, waving him off as she stepped out of his reach. “Don’t pretend like you give you a shit all of a sudden, okay?”

“Pretend?” Gold frowned. “Lacey, I - I want you here.”

“No, you don’t,” she said, moving back to her boxes. She shuffled a couple of books around within the box, evening out the stacks. “You want the extra rent money.”

His mouth gaped, and he felt the urge to smash the end of his cane through something in frustration. “I don’t care about the damn rent money!”

Lacey spun on her heel, brandishing a book in her hand. Her eyes were wide and wild, wet in the corners with unshed tears. “Well, you sure as hell don’t care about me!”

“I bloody love you!”

She blinked and dropped the book. “You...what?”

Gold swallowed and let out a slow breath. “I love you.”

A second later he found himself with an armful of Lacey French. She nearly knocked him over, but he managed to shift his good leg to the side in time. They wobbled in place, her arms wrapped around his neck and her breath hot on his neck.

“Say it again.” Her lips brushed his skin as she spoke and she gave him a hard squeeze with her arms to dispel any ideas he might have of pushing her away. “Please?”

His lips curved and he turned his face into her hair, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. “I love you, Lacey.”

There was a sharp, delighted squeal in his ear, and then she moved, twisting to the side and unbalancing him, sending both of them to the floor. He landed with a grunt and a thud, followed by a long groan as he lay back on the plush, shag rug in the middle of the living space.

Above him, Lacey giggled, her mouth hovering tantalizingly close to his. "Sorry. Are you okay?"

He gave her a wry smirk. "I think I'm doing fairly well at the moment."

She closed the short gap between them and kissed him. His hand came up to slip into her hair and hold it back from her face as she pulled at his bottom lip. He wanted to roll her over and press her to the floor, let her feel the way his body reacted to hers. She hadn’t said how she felt about him, but the way she pounced as soon as he repeated the affirmation he’d never expect to say out loud, was positive enough. Her head lifted, and he let her go with a soft reluctant noise, smiling.

"I didn't intend to do that for the first time on the floor." Her eyebrows lifted and her mouth quirked at the corner.

Gold's tongue brushed over his lips and he watched as her eyes widened slightly. "Maybe we should move somewhere else and try it again?"

She beamed at him and brushed the tip of her nose against his. “That sounds like a plan.”