"Birthday Surprises"

A Rumbelle One-Shot

*a birthday request for arashi wolf princess*

(Requested by vampygurl402)

Hope you like it, Arashi! :D

Rumple awoke with the feeling that he had forgotten to do something important. He groaned, and rolled over to wrap an arm around his lovely wife, only to find she wasn't there. His eyes snapped open, and he quickly remembered it was the twenty-first and Belle would have went to the library early to read to the kids. He smiled at the thought of her, cheerful and patient, reading to the little ones. Encouraging a passion for reading was Belle's gift to the world.

Gift! That was it. That was the thing that was nagging at the back of his mind. It was two days to Belle's birthday, and he still hadn't decided on a gift for her. He had ideas, certainly, but it needed to be just right. He'd tried dragging suggestions from her, but he always got the same response: "You don't need to get me anything, Rumple, but anything from you will always make me happy." He knew she meant it, but it didn't really help him figure out what to buy. It was very frustrating, but he wasn't going to give up. She was far too important for a crappy gift card.

He got dressed and headed to the pawnshop. He didn't open till ten on Saturdays, so he had some time to tidy up. Every time he used a duster he thought about Belle, cleaning the Dark Castle in her simple blue dress. He was fairly certain that he had first fell in love with her the day she fell from the ladder. They had looked in each other's eyes and something changed. Who knew dusty curtains could bring two people together? She had let in the light that day, in more ways than one.

He was rearranging some carnival glass vases when something caught his eye. He stepped closer and saw it was a folded piece of stationary. He opened it and recognized Belle's feminine handwriting. The note said, "Rumple (heart), I know you haven't decided on a gift, so I'll give you a hint. Check under the register, second drawer. Love you, Belle (heart)." He let out a relieved sigh. Maybe he could finally find the right gift.

He immediately went to check under the register. There, in the second drawer, was a small black box. He carefully removed the lid and he let out a soft gasp when he saw what lay inside. There, on a bed of red velvet, lay a miniature spinning wheel. It was roughly an inch long, made of polished gold, and appeared to a pendant or charm. He smiled, understanding the significance of such a thing, then checked the drawer for another note. He found one. It read: "Someone brought this in yesterday. I paid him well for it. I'll let you decide on a chain. You have far more experience with gold than I do! XOXO, Belle. P.S. I have a surprise for you as well! (heart)" How had he found the easiest woman in the world to please? All his Sweetheart wanted was a simple gold chain from which to display a remembrance of their love.

He closed the gift box and stuck it in his coat pocket. Then he locked up the shop and left a note on the door saying they'd open after lunch. He raced home in his shiny black Cadillac, excited to set to work on his spinning. He, who could spin straw into gold, had no need for the jewelry store down the street. Nothing but the finest gold chain, handmade with love by himself, would grace the neck of his beloved.

"Happy Birthday," Rumple whispered huskily into his wife's ear the next morning.

She shivered as his breath tickled her ear. "Mmm," she said, and rolled over to look at him. "Thank you, Baby. I love you."

"I love you too," he replied, and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. She smiled and kissed him, then snuggled under his chin. They stayed like that for some time, until he offered to make her favorite breakfast.

They spent most of the day lying around, reading to each other and just enjoying time together. Around five, he urged her to get dressed for the special dinner he had planned. She donned a gorgeous, royal blue blue dress she had purchased for the occasion, and he nearly fainted at the site of her. "Do you like it?" she taunted, twirling for him.

"I love it!" he declared, grinning like a schoolboy. "You get more beautiful every year, my darling Belle."

"Good to hear," she laughed.

Rumple led her into the dining room, where he lit several candelabra with a flick of his wrist. A decorative gold cloth covered the table, which was topped with an elegant arrangement of red roses. He had set the fine china -the ones with the thin line of real gold around the rim. He pulled the chair out for her and made sure she was comfortable before bringing the fresh salad and soup. Everything was quite fancy and elegant, so Belle looked very surprised indeed when he brought out the main course. There, on a silver serving tray, were two large, gourmet burgers and a side of fresh-cut fries! He sat the tray down and grinned sheepishly. "In honor of our first real date."

"Oh, Rumple!" Belle jumped up to give him a quick peck on the cheek.

He snickered and went back to the kitchen to retrieve something. When he returned, he was carrying a small crystal bowl filled with ketchup. "Almost forgot the most important thing!" he explained.

Belle laughed. "Condiments are this world's most powerful magic." She shook her head. "You are too adorable."

He gave her a sly grin. "I try."

When they finished the burgers, he brought out the dessert: a lovely white chocolate mousse garnished with dark and milk chocolate curls and drizzled with a raspberry-chocolate sauce. Belle seemed truly impressed and that made him very happy. She kept smiling at him between spoonfuls, and his heart felt as fluffy as the mousse.

Finally, it was time to give her the gift. He came up behind her and slipped the gold chain around her neck. She gasped when she saw his handiwork, and lifted the chain to examine it. "Oh, Rumple, it's beautiful! You made this yourself, I know it!"

He gave her a bashful smile. "Yes. Happy birthday, Darling."

She threw her arms around him and kissed him passionately, which was more than enough thanks in his mind. He pulled her onto his lap and they held each other for a long time. Finally, Belle pulled away and grinned, a mischievous look in her blue eyes. "I have a surprise for you, too."

He quirked a brow. "Oh?"

"Mmmhmm. I'll be right back!" She hopped off his lap and was gone for several minutes. When she came back, he noticed she was shaking a little despite her smile.

He rose to greet her. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," she answered, her voice unsteady, "but you might want to sit back down."

He did as she suggested, and she approached him with a small white box tied up with a gold ribbon. He glanced up at her, uncertainty on his face, but she smiled gently and encouraged him to open it. He slowly untied the ribbon and took a deep breath before removing the lid. As he realized what he was seeing, his heart caught in his chest, and he felt unbidden tears streaming down his face. "Belle- I-," was all he could manage before he enveloped her in a desperate bear hug. He kissed her over and over on the shoulder, the cheek, and finally, passionately, on the lips.

"Are you surprised?" she asked innocently.

He was still trembling. "You have no idea," he laughed, voice quivering.

"But you're... happy, right?"

"I'm not unhappy," he teased and this time it was Belle who cried tears of joy. "Oh, Rumple!" she sobbed.

They held each other for the rest of the evening; first in the dining chair, then on the sofa, and eventually in their bed, where they expressed their gratitude for each other's gifts as only lovers can. On the nightstand next to them were two small boxes. The black one held the gold chain and spinning wheel charm, tucked safely away for wearing the next day. The white one, lying open, held a small plastic stick displaying two pink lines.

Several months later, Rumple would spin gold for another chain: a tiny baby bracelet.

FIN