This is a long-shot but it’s my theory for why Rumple might be so invested in both Snow & Charming’s future.
If you look back to episode 14: “Dreamy” Belle says the following when it comes to true love, “Love is hope. It Fuels our Dreams.”
Based on the assumption that being in love is like being in a dream, I came up with the following.
Dreams = Sleep = Sleep could be attributed to a piece of the Dark Curse that Rumple told the Queen how to enact. It would carry over in Storybrooke that sleep ( like Snow being in an enchanted sleep that only true love’s kiss could break ) would be translated as the time never moving forward in Storybrooke.
This would also explain to a degree why Rumple is so invested in both of their future’s.
The Evil Queen enacted the curse because of her hatred for Snow White.
Rumple needs both Snow ( MM ) , Emma, Regina ( Evil Queen ) to forgive each other & that will break the curse.
…. & I totally went off topic.
I might delete this post & just create a new topic for it.
Tell me if I should.