A/N: Hey guys! So this was a prompt I found on tumblr. It was 'A Tumble in the snow followed by warming up in the fire' so here you go! I don't own anything (Though of course you already know that) and yeah...
Warming Up: A Rumbelle Fanfic
When Rumplestiltskin asked if I could go anywhere in the world, where would I go, I replied right outside the castle. I wished to explore the grounds, which is the only thing I have not yet trod upon. My master just laughed and smiled like an imp, and practically skipped away, giggling like a madman. It was January and a thick frost invaded the mountains, snow settled on the hilltops like a big blanket, choking the grass beneath it. I stopped dusting the bookshelf and sighed, looking out the window with longing. Rumple would never let me go out, that was part of the deal I had made with him. Still, it would be nice to feel to chilly winter air on my rosy cheeks.
"Ready to go, dearie?" A high pitched voice asked behind me.
"Go where?" I pondered, not facing my employer.
"Outside, of course!" He exclaimed. I turned, nearly tripping on the ladder but regaining my footing at the very last minute. I was still very clumsy, even with months and months of practice.
"Y-you mean I can go outside?" I whispered, hardly daring to believe it.
"With me by your side at all times. Wouldn't want you to break our deal. As you have no winter attire, I can provide you with some." He smiles up at me, and with a flick of his wrist I felt a very heavy weight on my shoulders. A red cloak rested on my slight frame. It clasped together in the hollow of my throat by a gold pendent, shaped like a rose. The terms were more than fair, a day with the dark one by my side as I peeked into every nook and cranny his outside property had to offer.
"Ok, Rumplestiltskin, I'm ready." I hop off the creaky ladder and follow him out the grand doors I have only exited, never entered, until today.
I plop down on the snow, breathing in the scent around me: Fir trees and crisp winter air. It sent a shiver of enjoyment down my spine. My mother had shown me how to make snow angels in this kind of weather. A smile of sadness crept onto my face, but I made it quickly vanish, focusing on moving my arms and legs back and forth.
"What are you doing?" Asked Rumple, clearly amused at my odd behavior. His arms were crossed, and a look between laughing at me and confusion had settled onto his face.
"Making snow angels. You really should try it, they're quite fun to make." I say to him, closing my eyes, never ceasing to my move my limbs, never stopping painting wings on the white canvas.
"Seems a bit… Childish to me." Rumple observes. That's it, I'm making him do this, and in order to do that, I'll have to use blackmail.
"If you don't I'll leave." I say in a singsong voice. My eyes are still closed until I hear a sigh from the voice above me, telling me he has given up this battle.
"Fine I'll do it." He grumbles. I hear the crunching of snow and feel a few stray flurries flying in the air and landing on my face as Rumplestiltskin falls into the snow.
"Yay!" I exclaim. For the next minute or so, I teach him how to move and glide in the snow. I stand up and watch him make his creation.
He looks very odd against the white canvas of snow. His gold and green scales are even more prominent as he lays upon the ice crystals. His yellow shirt and red vest give off the impression that he is on fire, burning like a beautiful radiant sun. His dark amber waves fan out in the white backdrop, creating what looks like a muddy halo above his head. But Rumplestiltskin is the farthest thing from a saint. After some time passes. I'm satisfied with the work he's done and I let him get up and look back on the masterpiece called a snow angel.
"Well, I must say, that was a complete waste of time, Belle, but it was also… Relaxing, and a bit of fun." He turns to me and says this, after staring at the indent in the ground. When he said my name, it sent a shiver up my spine. "Have you ever been ice skating?"
"No, I haven't actually. My father and Gaston never let me, out of fear of me falling into the frozen lake. I've always wanted to, though."
"Well then, Princess, today is your lucky day because I just so happen to have a solid ice lake that you can skate on. Follow me." He grabs my hands and I have no choice but to follow him through the forest paths. The snow makes traveling harder than it should have been, with my feet slipping on the frost covered logs. These flimsy shoes offer no friction. Suddenly, my foot catches on a discarded root, and I fly into the air, about to land on my face when Rumple catches me in his arms. We both blush. He's always there to help me when I fall.
"Watch where you step, dearie, winter can be deadly if you don't know the terrain like the back of your hand." He says, lifting me over some tree stumps. I blush even deeper.
"Yes, master." I giggle as we come to a clearing full of blue and white mystery. I cling to Rumple's vest to keep my balance as we step over another crystal covered log.
A beautiful lake rests in the middle of a winder wonderland. Trees droop over head, only the wind disturbing the delicate snow on the branches. The pond is big enough for two people. A very light dusting of snow blankets the slippery smooth ice, providing some padding for when I fall. Suddenly, my height grows and I'm more clumsy than usual. I look down and see two very light pink ice skates have found a home on my feet. I step onto the ice, making Rumple extend his hand, holding me steady.
"So you don't know how to skate, but yet you insist on going onto the ice?" He wonders.
I smile, showing my dazzling teeth. "What's life without a little risk, Rumple? Besides, you're more than welcome to come on here and teach me." I say, pulling him towards me. He is still taller than me, even with our skates on.
"Indeed." He says. His scaly rough forehead collides with my smooth satin one. My lips lightly brush his for just a moment, wanting to kiss him so bad. He wants to kiss me too, but we both know we can't. Not without Rumplestiltskin losing the dark ones powers. But he leans in anyways. Our lips touch each others. He tastes of wood, spice, and magic. We don't want to stop, we just want to stay like this forever, just kissing. But after a minute, he pulls away. I open my eyes and look at him. His face is pale, with gold flecks inlaid in his skin.
"Your magic?" I ask, touching his face with my gloved fingers.
"Still there, my dear Belle, just dormant for the time being. It will come back in a matter of hours. In the meantime, let me teach you how to ice skate."
He leads me even further out onto the frozen lake. At first, he holds me snug against him, not letting me fall down as I try to learn how to pick up speed, slow down, and change direction on this new terrain.
Soon though, Rumple falls and grunts in pain.
"What is it? Are you ok?" I ask as I help him off the ice.
"Yes, yes I'm fine. My knee just isn't used to this. Do you mind if I rest a bit?" He asks apologetic when he doesn't need to be.
"Oh, of course not. I don't mind. I'll just skate by myself. I think I got the hang of it." I release my grip on Rumple's shirt after helping him down, and continue to skate on the white water.
I can hear the blades of my skates making scribbles in the ice. My father and Gaston had nothing to worry about, I'm a pro when it comes to ice skating. I love the feel of the air on my numb cheeks and I can imagine doing twirls and figure 8's for my village, their cheering me on. Roses are being tossed in my direction as I gracefully leap into the air, dazzling all who look at this bookworm of a girl.
A deep crack appears in the ice from me skating on it too much. If I wasn't still in my daydream, I would have herd it instead of all the cheers and whistles in my head. If Rumple wasn't dozing in the winter sun, he would have noticed the danger I was in.
I keep skating though, having to much fun to care. The ice shudders beneath me, trembling with trying to keep me up, even if I am not that big. I jump up in the air and land on the big crack in the ice and the frozen water gives way, submerging me in its cold, watery depths. I scream as loud as I can as my head goes under, praying Rumplestiltskin herd me.
I fail around, trying to find my way up. I undo the cloak Rumple had given me, leaving me with only a T-shirt on so I could go further up. It is so cold. It feels like a thousand knives stabbing in me, injecting an inky black coldness into your veins, making it impossible to swim. I don't want to struggle, I don't want to move. So I stop trying to save myself. I'm just to cold to do anything. I just want to close my eyes and-
Suddenly, without warning, my head bursts out of the water. Water is being pushed out of my lungs as I cough and sputter. That stops and I finally open my eyes very slowly, because my eyelids have frozen over from the wind blowing. Rumplestiltskin is cradling my head, whispering to himself and wrapping me up in his fur coat. Tears are welling over the side of his face, landing in my hair. He curses softly. My vision gets darker.
"It's so cold, Rum. So cold." I whisper, almost inaudibly. My teeth are chattering uncontrollably and I'm shaking violently. My lips are blue. Goosebumps have worked their way onto my skin, trying to bring some warmth in my body. I try to lift up my arms, but they only flop feebly up and down. I can't feel any part of my body. I let tears leak out, because I'm scared and I don't want to die, not yet. My tears freeze on my cheeks.
"I know, sweetheart, I know. Just close your eyes, and you'll be fine. I promise." Rumple's voice cracks with emotions. I don't want to go to sleep. But my eyes shut without warning, even though I didn't tell them to. I take a shuddering breath, and the freezing artic wind freezes my eyes shut. I can't see, but I feel movement and grunting before I hear no more.
The next thing I am aware of is how warm I am. My eyes do not want to open, they want to stay shut against to world. But I force myself to see. I realize I'm in the dark castle, where the wind and cold cannot get me. I'm covered in mounds of blankets and sheets, trapping heat inside me, warming me up to the core. I hear crackling and popping. I raise my head with difficulty because it feels as if my body has been replaced by lead. Rumple sits on his Persian rug, tending to the fire that has supplied me with extra head. My head rests against lap, and he absentmindedly strokes my hair. He just stares into the fire, the only movement he makes is with his hand. I'm only shivering slightly and my lips are the faintest shade of powder blue. I can't move and I don't want to speak. All I can do is watch my master. He saved my life. He pulled me out of the water carried me here. My eyes dart to the fire, gazing into it the mesmerizing flames. I want to sleep, to forget, to imagine me skating again, in front of the whole village. But that is not an option right now. If I fall asleep, I could die, though I am warm, I have hypothermia, and maybe a concussion. I decide to make myself talk.
"What happened?" My voice sounds groggy and horse. I start with the most simple question I can think of.
Rumple's head jerks downward. He smiles, astonished that I'm alive. His green and gold scales are back, and magic as returned to his veins, to his command.
"Oh Belle, you're awake. I just carried you back and covered you up." His smiling composure is fake. I can see it in his eyes he feels immense guilt over what he's done. "I'm so sorry Belle! I should have been watching you instead of sleeping. God I'm such I fool… I thought you died. I was so worried about you-"
I shush him. "Rumplestiltskin, listen to me. It is not your fault that I fell into the lake. I'm the one who chose to keep skating. Please, don't blame yourself, it was my fault." I say.
"I just don't want to lose you, Belle. I love you." He whispers.
"And I love you." I whisper softly, my voice failing me.
"Can you rest, love? You need your strength." He says, his eyes gazing into mine.
I shake my head. "I can't."
"Just try, for me? It would set my mind at ease to know you're at least trying to get better."
"Will you sing me a lullaby?"
He nods and begins.
Dreams to sell, fine dreams to sell
Angus is coming with dreams to sell
Hush now, wee bairnie and sleep without fear
For Angus will bring you a dream, my dear
My eyes droop shut and my breathing slows and Rumple continues to sing. He gives me a gentle kiss on the forehead and starts pushing my hair back out of my eyes.
Can you hush your weepin'?
All the wee lambs are sleepin'
Birdies are nestlin', nestlin' taegether
Dream Angus is hurtlin' through the heather.
I focus on the sweet tone of the man who saved my life. I can feel my chest rise and fall, no longer shuddering. Rumplestiltskin never stops singing as I drift into sleep.
Dreams to sell, fine dreams to sell
Angus is coming with dreams to sell
Hus now, wee bairnie and sleep without fear
For Angus will bring you a dream, my dear.
A/N: The lullaby is a celtic/scottish song I found on the internet. I really had a fun time writing this so please review on what I could do better as an author and what you liked! Reviews really do make my day!