The title is inspired by an Ellie Goulding song (it was also in the movie About Time), and is a rewording of one of the questions Rumple asks Belle.

As ever, Once is the property of Adam, Eddy, and ABC: I'm just playing with my favourite characters and giving them a bit of happiness for once.

How Long Will I Love You?

How long will I love you?
As long as the stars are above you
And longer if I may

Rumplestiltskin gazed at his sleeping wife's face, finding it a miracle that she was here, that she'd forgiven him yet again, that he had yet another chance to be the man she saw in him.

After they'd done battle with the Author for the right to decide their own fates, Belle had surprised him by apologising for sending him away.

'I was hurt, and angry, and frightened, but I shouldn't have used the dagger,' she told him: 'I shouldn't have done that to you, Rumple.' Tears had trickled down her cheeks and he'd almost reached out to brush them away, but stopped himself.

'You were trying to do the right thing,' he said, 'as you always do. It was my actions that created that situation, Belle. I let my fear blind me: I saw the hat as the only way to have control and I told myself that it would be worth it in the end, but nothing was worth losing you, Belle. I see what's important now, too late, of course: always too late.'

He'd meant to say goodbye, meant to tell her that he wouldn't bother her again, that he only wished her happy, but Belle had asked if they could sit down and talk about everything.

'You would want that?' he asked, stunned.

'Yes.'

'Why?'

'Because I know I was wrong about the gauntlet.' And she looked almost ashamed. 'Afterwards, I remembered that you said that, for most people, their weakness is the thing they love most, but you once told me that I…that I was your strength.' Her eyes shone with tears and he couldn't bear it.

'I remember,' he murmured.

'Is-is that still true?' she asked, and he saw the emotions flicker across her face: hope and doubt, longing and unworthiness.

'Of course it is,' he told her at once, and he would never forget her look of relief or her joyful smile.

'Do you think you could still love me?' she asked then.

'I never stopped,' he told her. He never would. He sighed, not daring to hope. 'Belle, do you think you could ever forgive me? Could you ever learn to love me again?'

She stepped closer, looking up at him.

'I always loved you, Rumple,' she told him: 'I was hurt that you would deceive me and go behind my back: that you wouldn't talk to me, but I always loved you.'

At that, he took her hand in his and reached out to touch her cheek.

'I would do anything to make this right, Belle,' he vowed: 'anything. Tell me what to do and I'll do it.'

She squeezed his hand. 'We need to fix what's broken between us,' she said. 'You need to learn to open up to me and share things with me, including the things that are hard for you to share, like your fears. I need to understand why you did what you did, and I need to learn to trust you again. For me to do that, you have to be honest about everything. Do you think you can do that, Rumple?'

'For you, I'll learn,' he swore.

She smiled. 'And there are things I need to do too. I can't just pick our old life back up immediately: I'm going to need some time. We rushed into marriage before you had even grieved and before I had even really found a place for myself in this new land. I need to find my way as myself, and not just as your wife. While I do that, we can start again, get to know each other again: no secrets this time.'

'No secrets,' he promised.

They had talked a lot. Days and days they'd spent talking everything through, addressing all the hurt and leaving nothing buried, leaving nothing to fester and grow. They promised each other a fresh start. It hadn't been easy: it had taken months and months to rebuild her trust in him and for him to begin to heal after everything he'd endured since Neverland, but their love kept them connected, and they found their way back to each other.

Belle had moved back in a few days ago and Rumplestiltskin didn't think he'd ever get over the novelty of having her fully back in his life. Actually, she was more fully in his life now than she had been before, because she was his complete focus now. She was his world, all he ever wanted, and he'd spend the rest of his life showing her that.

Belle stirred, smiling at the feeling of her husband's arms wrapped around her. She was overjoyed that they had found their way back to each other. They had very definitely rekindled their romance, and it was sweeter than before, because there were no secrets between them now. They were partners in every sense of the word, equals, and they knew now what True Love really was. It was endurance: it was loving enough to want to repair what was damaged, and they were confident in their love now in a way they'd never been before. Though there had been dreadful pain and hurt, their relationship now was stronger for it.

'Good morning, Rumple,' she breathed, opening her eyes and smiling up at him.

'Good morning, sweetheart,' he murmured, kissing her softly. 'Did you sleep well?'

'Mhm: I always sleep well in your arms.'

'Me too.'

She smiled at the love in his eyes. He'd once confessed to her that the only peace he had known since losing Baelfire all those centuries ago was with her, and she truly saw that now. Before, there were times when she saw happiness and tranquillity in his face when they were together, but it was always chased away by the regrets and the plans chasing each other around in his head. He was never completely easy, and there were moments when he was with her that he wasn't truly with her. Now, though, when they were together, he was completely with her. She had come to know that every hope, every dream, every wish, every thought, every plan, and every desire he had was centred around her. She had come to know that she was his world; that there was nothing he wouldn't do for her, and there was nothing she in turn wouldn't do for him.

'I love you,' she whispered.

He smiled. 'Do you know how long I've loved you?' he asked.

She tilted her head and studied him. 'How long?' she asked, pleased that he was in a confiding mood. He'd shared many things with her over the last several months and each confidence had helped her know him better and made her love him more, so she was eager to hear what he had to share with her this morning.

He stroked her cheek. 'Since the first time I laid eyes on you.'

She smiled brightly. 'The day we made our deal.'

He shook his head, surprising her. 'That wasn't the first time I saw you, Belle.'

'It wasn't?' She was intrigued.

He smiled. 'Back in the Enchanted Forest, I had a crystal ball that showed the face of anyone who spoke my name. It was a handy way of getting the edge on my clients: I could find their weaknesses before going to deal with them. One day I heard a lovely, musical voice speak my name, and I looked into the ball and saw a young woman with eyes as blue as a summer sky and beautiful chestnut curls. The moment I saw her – saw you – I lost my breath. I knew immediately what it was that I felt. I tried to deny it, tried to shove it away, but I kept conjuring your face in the ball. I told myself it was so that I could uncover your weaknesses, but I was lying to myself: it was because I was fascinated. I watched you for hours every day, and then your father finally summoned me and I went. You were even more captivating in person.'

Belle was astonished and delighted.

'You were in love with me already: before we even met?'

'I was: how could I not be? You were so strong, and intelligent, and beautiful, and kind: I knew I had to meet you.'

'And you knew you would name me as your price?'

'I did.'

Belle caught her breath, something suddenly occurring to her.

'You did care for me when those witches wanted the gauntlet!'

He kissed her. 'I did.'

'Oh, Rumple,' she sighed out, eyes brimming with tears. They spilled down her cheeks and he brushed them away with his fingertips.

'Now, sweetheart: what's all this?' he crooned, cradling her face in gentle hands.

She sniffled. 'I'm sorry: it's just…all those lovely things you did…the pillow, the library, the books, rescuing me from those witches…it was all out of love for me.'

He smiled. 'I couldn't admit it aloud, so making you comfortable and keeping you safe was my rather roundabout way of expressing my feelings.'

She stroked his cheek. 'I found that very sweet,' she told him, 'and all those things made me fall in love with you.' She smiled tenderly. 'You would never have just told me, would you? You would just have loved me from afar.'

He nodded. 'I never dreamed you'd feel for me what I felt for you, and then you kissed me, and as terrified as that made me, I knew deep down that it meant that you returned my love. I only wish I hadn't sent you away.'

'But it all worked out,' she soothed him, 'and if anyone should feel sorry, it's me: I should never have doubted that I was always your True Love.'

'I didn't give you much reason to believe it for a while there, sweetheart,' he acknowledged: 'I'm sorry for that.'

'I know,' she assured him, 'and we're here now, and we've both learned from our mistakes. We're better than we were before.'

'Yes,' he agreed, kissing her.

She smiled. 'Thank you for sharing that with me, Rumple: you've made me feel very loved, and very happy.' She wasn't sure she would ever able to properly express how it felt to know that her True Love had loved her from the first time he saw her. All she knew was that knowing it made her feel special, and made their love even more precious to her.

He smiled. 'Well, good: I always want you to know how important you are to me.'

'I do,' she murmured, and kissed him. 'I love you, Rumple,' she whispered, burying her fingers in his hair, smiling as he looked down at her.

'Do you know how long I'll love you?' he asked.

'How long?' she asked, stroking his hair back off his face as he leaned above her.

He bent his head for a kiss, which she gave with a happy sigh.

'Forever,' he whispered.

She blinked, hearing the note of absolute certainty in his voice. For all they'd been through, she knew he'd loved her through all of it, and would love her through everything to come. Now, that was True Love.

'Rumple,' she whispered, turning her head to kiss his face as he was kissing her neck.

'Hmm?'

'Kiss me, love,' she requested.

He smiled and kissed her lips.

'Me too, Rumple,' she breathed against his lips: 'I'll love you always, no matter what comes, forever.'

He smiled against her lips. 'The deal is struck.'

She wrapped her arms around his neck. 'It's forever, darling.'

He nodded and sealed the deal with a kiss.

Hope that was fluffy enough for you! Thanks for reading :)