He doesn't register what exactly happens after the words leave his mouth. But when he finds himself against a wall, with Gold's hand around his neck and the other hand hovering and glowing dangerously with purple magic, he can tell he's done something wrong. There's something in Gold's eyes that David never thought he'd see; panic.

Unbridled panic, accompanied with some sort of determination.

It's one of the few times he's been this close to Gold's face and suddenly he can see the tense jaw, the eyebrows drawn together and the lines on his nose that all go together with a snarl. But it isn't anger. It's fear.

David hastily thinks back on what he could have possibly said that would cause this kind of reaction-

Wicked.

He'd said wicked.

Zelena.

"I'm sorry," he muttered slowly, the hand around his windpipe not slacking.

Gold blinked. Then his eyes changed, becoming guarded and locked and David tried to swallow. It ended up sounding like he was gurgling water. David coughed and grabbed Gold's wrist, trying to pry it away from his neck. He only succeeded in making the other hand twitch and David didn't like the look of the purple magic swirling around Gold's fingers.

Then the proverbial spell was broken and Gold gasped sharply, taking two whole steps backwards and staring at David with shock settling into his features. He took shallow breaths, then turned on his heel and stalked away, leaving David against the wall, rubbing his bruising neck.

Maybe Gold wasn't as okay as they thought.