AUTHOR'S NOTE: Like always, I originally planned this to be a one-shot, but decided to make it into a short story. I'll be surprised if it sees over 6 Chapters though.

Just needed to dabble in my recent obsession with ABC's Once Upon a Time's Rumpelstiltskin/Mr. Gold character. (Made creepily delicious by the amazing actor Robert Carlyle. ;3)

Hope you enjoy this dabble of mine. Feel free to review! They are my motivation! Thank you! :D The song used in this chapter is "Save Me" by Remy Zero. Excellent music. GO LISTEN TO IT! Look it up on 4shared dot com!

Chapter 1 - "Desires"

Once Upon a Time...

It was a late Summer night when I had decided to sneak into the Dwarves' mines. It was the only time I could be certain not to be spotted. I knew he was kept all alone in a secure prison cell deep within the mines, and that he went unwatched for a large portion of time during the nighttime hours. I had barely caught just a glimpse of him on the eve that he was being transported, after Cinderella had managed to trick him with a quill that had been charmed by the Blue Fairy. However, unlike the others, I didn't believe he had really been fooled...

No, something told me that he was much more clever than that and that somehow, all of this fit into his Master plan, whatever that was. Though at this very instant, I didn't really care about the politics of the matter. Right now the only thing I cared about was getting what I wanted. And what I wanted... was to see him. But I knew that if anyone were to ever find out about my obsessive infatuation, particularly my boyfriend, I'd be taken so far, far away from this place that I'd never get to see him...

In all truth, I couldn't exactly blame people if they thought I was crazy. Part of me thought I was crazy, too, as I made my way through the many torchlit passageways. As I drew nearer to him, I could literally feel the sudden charge of electricity in the air. I stopped in my tracks. I couldn't imagine how powerful and magical he was if his presence could cause such an intensity in the atmosphere..? No wonder they locked him up in here... No wonder he was so feared...

I swallowed hard, forcing my heartbeat to slow before I rounded the corner and found myself in a small clearing within the mines that lead to a cell... his cell. There was movement beyond the thin, sharp, jagged bars and with a uncontrollable spasm of my heart, Rumpelstiltskin emerged from the depths of the shadows with a wide grin plastered on his face.

"Well, hello." I was greeted by his sing-song voice as he placed both his hands on the bars that confined him and gazed at me, still grinning broadly. Rumpelstiltskin's appearance and positive reaction to the sight of me had me taken aback; he was more magnificent than I could have even imagined... The way the torchlight glinted off of him gave his skin an iridescent quality that was quite marvelous. My heart spluttered in my chest, any control I had on it was now long gone as I stood rooted to the spot.

"Hi..." I breathed in a small, timid voice and I mentally kicked myself for the undertone of weakness. But thankfully, he either didn't notice, or chose not to acknowledge it and instead, he pressed himself against the bars, beckoning me closer with his index finger. As I approached him I couldn't help but notice how sharp his nails were...

"What's your name, dearie?" he crooned in his eerily gleeful voice.

I swallowed hard. "I-" I faltered as I came to a stop. "I know better than to tell you that."

"Oh? And why's that?" he answered, his unusually large reddish-gold eyes boring into mine.

"Because if I did, you'd have power over me..." I replied. To my surprise, Rumpelstiltskin burst into laughter. It was a high pitched chortle that sent chills dancing up my spine and caused my hair to stand on end. The sound shot adrenalin through my veins and a large part of me was enjoying the rush.

"Clever girl," he said and my cheeks flushed at his compliment. "But I hardly think that's fair. Why don't you come closer so I can get a better look at you?" he crooned again, causing my heart to flutter. Despite my apprehension, I closed the gap between us and stopped just six inches from the bars. "Don't believe I've had the pleasure of your company before," he said while looking me up and down as we both took in the details of one another. I was of a small stature, only five foot two, so the top of my head only came up to his chin, but the way he was slouching as he hung on the bars made it so that our faces were closer than that.

I couldn't help but be hyper aware of it and now that I was within less than a foot of him, I could truly see the iridescence of his greenish-gold tinted skin. My heart was hammering away so hard that I just couldn't control it. I watched as his gaze dropped to the left side of my chest. A wide grin spread across his face and at the same time his eyes lit up. All I could do was cringe ever so slightly, knowing very well that he could hear it.

"So tell me," he began in his happy voice. "why are you here visiting me at such odd hours of the night, hmm?" he asked, but I didn't say anything. "Didn't want to be spotted consorting with the likes of-" he gasped sarcastically and clasped his hand over his mouth for dramatic effect. "-Rumpelstiltskin?"

"I wanted to see you," I breathed, my heart palpitating painfully the very moment the words had escaped my lips. But for the briefest of moments, a startled look crossed Rumpelstiltskin's face before he quickly recovered with a gleeful cackle that echoed off the cave walls and gave me goosebumps once again.

"Is that so?" he replied with a curious expression. "What ever for?" At first I didn't say anything and I actually began to tremble involuntarily, the feeling of cowardice beginning to strike. What was I thinking coming here..? I had to be out of my mind... I took a step backward, torn between my desire and my fear. Rumpelstiltskin didn't say anything, but he watched my every move with a creepy smile on his face.

His reddish-brown eyes bored into mine again and an abrupt mental image of his lips against mine flashed through my minds eye, elevating my pulse further more. I blinked slowly and swallowed surreptitiously, anxiously trying to push the thought out of my head. I hadn't realized it, but my breathing was also elevated and quite audibly so. I cleared my throat awkwardly and shook my head. I wanted what I came here for... I took a deep breath before finally speaking. "I want to make a deal with you."

"A deal, hmm?" Rumpelstiltskin chirped, his eyes lighting up as he hung through the spiked bars as much as they'd permit. "What kind of deal?" he asked, sounding eager.

"I want a contract that ensures I get what I want," I said.

"Of course, my dear." He grinned broadly. "That is... assuming you have a scroll and quill hidden under those tight fitting robes of yours," he added with a grin. "I'm afraid I can only deal in verbal contracts for the time being. One of the downsides to being confined within the walls of these mines, you see," he explained casually.

I bit my lower lip in thought. "Fine."

He chortled again. "Excellent. Now tell me, what is it that you desire?" he asked. My cheeks immediately flushed and I had to avert my gaze. "Oh, come now, dearie. Don't be shy! If you don't tell me, I can't help you." I paused for a long moment, trying to find the right choice of words. But no matter how I worded it in my head, it just didn't sound the way I wanted it to... "Tic-toc, tic-toc! Time is of the essence..." he added, sounding vaguely impatient. I stepped forward a few paces so that my body was almost pressed right up against the bars. To my surprise, and delight, he didn't back away or move at all... And his face was just inches from mine...

"I fear that what I want is... is forbidden," I said quietly and hesitantly. As I spoke, Rumpelstiltskin closed his eyes for a moment and smiled a half-smile, his features looking soft for the first time.

"Many things in life are forbidden," he replied as he looked at me again. "Is it not just a matter of conquering such restrictive and primitive thoughts to seize what one truly desires?" he asked while reaching between the bars and touching a strand of my hair. His fingers grazed my face ever so slightly and I shuttered on accident. A reaction that hadn't gone unnoticed. He halted in mid-motion with his hand still extended and I saw a shocked look of recognition flash across his face for an instant.

All of the sudden he grabbed me by my neck with both of his hands and pulled me flush against the spiked bars so that my face was actually between them. My heart spluttered in my chest at his abrupt physical contact, however I was very aware of the fact that he had managed not to hurt me at all... And had most likely done so by choice. I didn't want to make him mad, but my hands had still manged to instinctively find their way around his wrists... Though I didn't dare try to pry them off my neck. Instead, I just went completely slack and stared at him with wide questioning eyes...

Several seconds passed in silence, and I realized that his hands weren't on my throat in a threatening manner, so much as they were placed at my jawline in- with a start to my heart- an intimate manner. The adrenalin coursing through my veins at this point was beginning to make me light headed, causing me to wobble a little within his grasp.

"Why are you here?" he asked in a dangerously low tone of voice as our faces resided just an inch apart.

"I- I'm-" Gulp. I stuttered, and swallowed hard. "I don't know how say this without sounding..." I stopped short, not wanting to finish the sentence. Rumpelstiltskin stared at me for a long moment, watching me very closely. "I don't want to be faced with the humiliation of hearing you say no either..." I mumbled, closing my eyes and feeling utterly embarrassed.

"Well you'll never know if you don't ask," he replied with narrowed eyes and his hands still placed on my jawline. "And you're beginning to test my patience..."

"Okay, I just- what I want-" I faltered. "-what I want is..." I paused. "What I want is to feel you..." I blurted, blushing so immensely that I couldn't even look him in the eyes as I spoke. As a matter of fact, I was practically choking on my own pulse because of how hard it was thudding in my throat. The pervasive silence that filled the room was pure torture. All of the sudden he moved his hands from my jawline and slowly ran his fingers through my hair. My heart continued to beat hard in my chest as he brought several strands of my hair to his face and took a deep breath.

"You already have a boyfriend," he said not as a question, but as a statement. I felt a pang of guilt in my heart.

"We aren't happy together..." I replied, averting my gaze again.

"Well not everything in life is fun and games-" he said somewhat coldly, but I cut across him.

"I know, I don't expect it to be... But it's more than that. We aren't close. Not like we used to be... We haven't-" I faltered, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. "-we haven't been intimate in so long that I can't even remember the last time..." I said in a breathy voice. "He... he no longer desires me..."

After a moment, Rumpelstiltskin answered in a calm tone. "Do you know what you're asking for?" I finally gathered the courage to look into his eyes again.

"Yes," I breathed, my heart still thrumming hard in my chest and making it difficult to breathe properly.

He smirked. "Do you really? Do you truly know the depth of what it would mean to commit to such a deal? Somehow I'm not so certain you could... handle it," he said with a chuckle.

"I want a contract that binds me to you intimately," I spoke unwaveringly, mustering up all the courage I possessed.. "I want to be your lover..." I said, blushing even more. "And I want you to be mine."

Rumpelstiltskin stared at me for a long moment, a curious and intrigued look on his face. "Interesting," he mused aloud.

"But only under certain conditions that need to be clarified and agreed upon by the both of us before hand," I said.

"And what conditions are those?" he asked with a raised brow.

I bit my lower lip, trying desperately not to blush again, but failing miserably. "I just want mutual assurance that- that you'll- that we'll-" I faltered with the correct choice of words. "-that we'll fully please one another..." I said while wincing. I felt so embarrassed.

"Mmm, don't think we'll have to worry about that one," he crooned as he reached through the bars and brought his hands down to my hips before pulling our bodies as close together as the bars between us would allow. My heart fluttered madly and my pulse danced through my veins upon the sensation of his touch. I couldn't believe that this was really happening... It'd been so long since I had felt desired... So long since I had felt the touch of a man... "Tell me, dearie. What do I call you?"

I didn't say anything at first, and worried about what would happen if I told him my real name... But with the kind of deal I was already making, how much worse could things get? As far as I was concerned, I was already getting myself in deep.

"...Sarah," I breathed. Rumpelstiltskin grinned in response; a grin that was both creepy and intimidating.

"Such a beautiful name, Sarah. Do you know what it means?" he asked. I shook my head.

"It means princess," he crooned in a voice that sent chills down my spine.

Present Day in a Quaint Little Town in Maine, Known as Storybrooke...

It was a late Summer night and I had just gotten into yet another dispute with my boyfriend which resulted in the usual; me questioning something and him ignoring me, I'd start to raise my voice and he'd blow up on me... We'd both yell at each other, it'd get us no where... I'd end up getting frustrated which would cause me to burst into tears... And thus forth I'd give up and take-off outside for a few hours to cool down. It was a pattern that never seemed to fail.

Without thinking, I slammed the door shut behind me and caught movement out of the corner of my eye; Mr. Gold was stepping out from one of the nearby apartments right then and our eyes locked for the briefest of moments. Feeling flustered, I quickly looked away before storming off down the sidewalk with tears brimming in my eyes. I pulled my ear buds out of my pocket, popped them in and hit "shuffle" on my MP3 player. A song with male vocals started up, and even though I was trying not to think about it, the fight was still so fresh in my mind that I just couldn't help it. Not to mention the song that popped on only succeeded in further stirring my raw emotions...

'I feel my wings have broken in your hands
I feel the words unspoken inside
When they pull you under

And I would give you anything you want, and oh
You were all I wanted
And all my dreams are fallin' down

Crawlin' around, and 'round and 'round-' I started to get into the song, feeling emotionally invested in the lyrics and began to belt out to the music.

"Somebody saaave me! Let your warm hands break right through me. Somebody saaave me! I don't care how ya' do it, just staaay, staaay, come on! I've been waiting for you..." There was a short instrumental break as I wandered down the sidewalk all alone, wishing desperately that my life and my relationship weren't the way they were, and wondering how I had managed to allow myself into this mess...

'-I see the world has folded in your heart
I feel the waves crash down inside
And they pull me under

And I would give you anything you want, and oh
You were all I wanted
And all my dreams have fallen down-' There was a short pause of vocals as the intensity built.

'-Crawlin' around, and 'round and 'round

Somebody save me!
Let your warm hands break right through me
Somebody save me!

I don't care how ya' do it
Just stay, stay, come on!
I've been waiting for you!-' There was another instrumental break as the intensity in the music continued to build. I blinked and several tears fell down my cheeks. I quickly wiped them away and continued to belt aloud again, wishing that somebody would save me...

"Crawlin' around, and 'round and 'round. Somebody saaave me! Let your warm hands break right through me. Somebody saaave me! I don't care how ya' do it, just staaay with me! I've made this whole world shine for you... Just staaay, staaay, come on! I'm still waiting for you..." I crooned in lament as the song came to an end.

"It's not very safe for such a beautiful young lady like yourself to be out wandering alone this late at night." With a horrible start to my heart, I jumped and spun around, yanking my ear buds out only to see that it was Mr. Gold.

"Christ, you scared the hell out of me..." I breathed while clutching at my chest, my pulse racing painfully fast.

Mr. Gold chuckled and smiled. "Sorry, dearie. I didn't mean to frighten you," he said apologetically as he took a step closer while leaning on his cane. "I hope it's not too forward of me, but I couldn't help overhear you and your boyfriend arguing," he spoke, his accent coming through very strongly.

I turned red with embarrassment. "I'm terribly sorry. I didn't realize we had gotten so loud..."

"Third argument this week?" he asked, and I cringed. My cheeks burned hot and I had to close my eyes for a second in order to keep from having a meltdown. I couldn't believe he was talking to me about my more than dysfunctional relationship... I felt like a loser. And the fact that he was keeping track of the fights..? Ugh...

"Yeah..." I mumbled in response while clearing my throat awkwardly. "I didn't know we were that loud."

Mr. Gold chuckled. "Well I do own all the apartment complexes, mind you. Therefore I happen to spend a fairly large portion of my time there. The walls tend to be, uh... well, quite thin to say the least. Things can't help but be overheard from time-to-time," he explained, but I didn't know what to say to that, so I didn't say anything at all. "Would you care to join me for a walk?" he asked, catching me off guard. I glanced at his cane and he followed my gaze and smiled, interpreting what I was thinking. "I happen to be very fond of taking late night strolls through Storybrooke. Helps keep the blood flowing. I'd welcome the change in company," he explained.

"Sure, why not?" I replied with a shrug while I moved to walk beside Mr. Gold. As we walked, I noticed him eying me and for some reason, it caused my heart to miss a beat.

"It's such a shame really. You'd think your boyfriend would know how to appreciate a fine woman when he sees one," he spoke, managing to sound casual, but my pulse sped up at his bold choice of words. I wanted to look at him and see his expression, but I was too shy. A long silence passed and the moment to respond was lost. A small sense of awkwardness stole over me and I couldn't stop wondering what he was thinking. "Mmm. Perhaps he's just too young to possess the kind of knowledge and experience it takes to fully satisfy a woman like yourself," he added.

"Y-you're making me blush," I managed to say, my cheeks growing hot. Mr. Gold chuckled and the sound made my heart flutter again. I couldn't remember the last time I had felt such attention and flattery... I finally gathered the courage to look at him and our eyes met for a brief moment before he glanced away, smiling.

"Am I?" he answered coyly, his smile turning into a smirk as we walked on.

"I'm not used to compliments..." I mumbled and it was no lie. I had rarely, if ever heard praise from my boyfriend's mouth. We had long since lost that spark to our relationship leaving it dull and distant.

"I can tell," Mr. Gold replied. "Pity, for you deserve to be treated like a princess in my opinion."

"Um," I murmured, trying to change the subject politely. "how long were you behind me before you said something?" I asked curiously.

"Well," he began with a chuckle. "let's just say now I understand why you aren't a famous singer."

I winced, my cheeks flushing in humiliation and my stomach turning into a knot. "Oh God," I groaned.

Mr. Gold laughed. "Relax, you're not that bad."

"Yeah right, you're just saying that to be nice," I retorted while hanging my head. "this is so embarrassing..." I mumbled.

"If you know me at all, Miss Oakumura, and I'd like to think that you do after living here for as long as you have, then you know very well that I'm not exactly known for my... 'being nice'," he said and I glanced at him, his brown eyes meeting my green-blue ones. The connection caused my heart to skip a beat and I swallowed nervously.

"Wait, so..? I'm just a rare exception..?" I asked, managing to maintain eye contact with him even though my heart threatened to burst forth from my chest at any moment.

Mr Gold chuckled. "It would appear that way, wouldn't it?" he replied as we continued to walk down the street. My pulse was racing. Was he flirting with me? Or was I just mistaking genuine interest with attraction..? Either way, I couldn't stop the burning curiosity that was being stoked within me. The both of us walked in silence for a few minutes, my mind busy trying to decipher my own feelings before even attempting to decode Mr Gold's thoughts... "The song you were singing," he began out of nowhere, breaking my train of thought. I looked at him again. "you sounded so-"

"-bad?" I interjected.

He chuckled. "I was going to say sad."

"Oh," I replied while dropping my gaze and reflecting upon what it must've looked like, or in his case, sounded like as I walked down the sidewalk emotionally singing to music that he couldn't hear... My cheeks burned hot again as I remembered that I had been crying... Had he heard me sobbing, too? All of the sudden he came to an abrupt halt and I looked around, realizing that we were standing in front of his store, beneath the gold and blue sign that read, Mr. Gold Pawnbroker & Antiquities Dealer. I blinked, a bit dumbfounded at having not realized where we were sooner.

Mr. Gold leaned on his cane and stared at me, his brown eyes boring into my green-blue ones. "I believe you have a decision to make, my dear," he spoke, his accent noticeably strong. "My plans consist of a late night tonight so I'm about to brew up a pot of coffee for myself. If you'd like to join me, the offer is on the table. Otherwise if I may," he said while lowering his voice and taking a step toward me, closing the gap between us. My heart fluttered. "If you decide to go home, I suggest you get a good night's sleep. Talk things through with your boyfriend in the morning. You'll have a clearer head."

I bit my lower lip and the both of us stared at one other for a long moment. I hesitated, unsure of what to do... Truthfully I didn't want to go back home yet... I didn't want to go back to that feeling of hopeless desolation... that feeling of loneliness when you weren't even alone... What kind of company to keep was that?

"If you don't mind, I think I'd prefer to join you for a cup of coffee," I said timidly.

"Of course," Mr. Gold replied with a bright smile as he unlocked the door to his shop and stepped inside with me right behind him.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I had fun writing it for myself, lol. xD Feel free to write a review or ask any questions you may have. I will get back to you. :)

~Satine~