AN: I know the time passage here will be a little askew. But it had to be this way, so certain interactions could take place.
Henry placed the goblet in the case and locked it. He'd been helping his paternal grandfather polish some of the metal things in his shop, and that goblet was the final thing on his list. Good thing, too. He was getting hungry. As he glanced to his right and through the window, he spotted Violet, the girl he liked from Camelot. She was walking with her father, and she was laughing. Unbidden, a wistful sigh escaped him as she disappeared from sight. He assumed he was alone, but a throaty chuckle suddenly told him otherwise. He cheeks flushed slightly as he turned around, coming face-to-face with his grandfather. The man called Mr. Gold, or Rumpelstiltskin by old friends, gave an indulgent smile as he walked towards the boy and patted him on the shoulder.
"Don't be embarrassed. I've been there, too. I know what it's like."
"Really?"
"Of course."
They walked into the backroom, taking seats at a desk. Rumple poured them each a cup of coffee, saying that they wouldn't tell Regina and capping that with a wink. Henry snickered and stirred in some sugar, before taking a couple of sips.
Then, he turned to Rumple and said, "You know…it's kind of hard to picture you as a teenager."
"Well, I was. And I was quite the catch back then, too."
"For real?"
Another chuckle was followed by, "In truth, it was one of those infamous 'Nice guys finish last' situations."
"Could you tell me about your first crush?"
Instantly, the image of the girl appeared in Rumple's mind. He could still recall her sunny-blond hair, emerald eyes, and dimpled smile. He detailed all of this to Henry, who listened intently to every word. He then went on to describe her personality traits.
"We were there for each other through a lot of difficult times. She always knew how to make me laugh. If circumstances had been different, we would've gotten married."
"She sounds pretty cool."
"She was, indeed."
With that, the long-pushed-aside memories roared back, and the story that made them poured out.
(Start of flashback)
Three young men laughed gleefully as they held the skinnier boy's head in the horse drinking trough. He sputtered, his arms flailing as he tried to fight them off. A fourth repeatedly kicked him in the lower back, which would cause his head to briefly dip further into the water. Then, out of nowhere, another torrent of water splashed from the right, soaking each of them. They instantly let go of the younger boy, all shouting and cursing as they wondered what'd just happened. The boy collapsed to the ground, coughing violently as his body fought to get back air. He barely registered a female voice, yelling and asking them how they liked it. He struggled to his feet. Then, he heard that same voice ask if he was alright. His legs remained wobbly as he turned in the direction of the voice.
The girl was about his age. She wore a pinkish-purple dress, with a brown front-laced corset. Her blond hair was done in braids, which were pinned up on the sides of her head. But it was her eyes that most intrigued him: dark green like the quilt he'd owned as a child. She walked toward him, asking for a second time if he was alright.
Tucking a lock of wavy golden-brown hair behind his ear, he replied, "Wha—um…yes. Yes, I'm fine. Thank you."
"It's no trouble. I'm sorry about those thugs. They're just…evil."
The girl took note of his almond-shaped dark brown eyes, warm like a smoldering hearth. Her heart fluttered in her chest. Now that his own heartrate had slowed down enough, he gave a slight chuckle over his situation. Gesturing in the direction the young men left, he said that they weren't how he defined evil, but that they came pretty close.
A giggle was followed by, "My name's Tatiana. What's yours?"
"Rumplestiltskin."
"Nice to meet you."
"Likewise."
Weeks passed, and the pair's friendship grew. When outside the village schoolhouse, they spent nearly every minute together. Tatiana was impressed by his skill in spinning, and she often told him so. He'd blush, and she'd giggle. For her part, she taught him how to play the virginals. He picked it up quickly and easily, and he was surprised by how much he enjoyed it. The older boys used this as yet another excuse to pick on him, but he found the strength to ignore them. Though he couldn't teach Tatiana the technique he used in spinning, he discovered something else she was just as intrigued by. On a warm spring day, he led her to his practice area in the woods.
"Why are you taking me to this glade, Rumple?"
"It's a surprise. Just be patient."
"You said that nearly fifteen minutes ago, and we're still not there yet."
He chuckled under his breath, which grew bit louder when he heard her complain about "dumb pine needles". A mischievous smile crossed his face. Looking back over his shoulder, he watched her struggle to handle the uneven terrain.
He said, "I'd be more concerned about spiders."
She squealed in fear, smacking his arm when he laughed. They reached the glade another couple of minutes later. He pushed back a holly bush, making a "ladies first" gesture with a swing of his arm. She giggled, making a mock-curtsey before stepping through.
"And they say chivalry is dead."
"Not with me."
Her heart skipped a beat at his words, and her cheeks suddenly felt warm. Then, she spotted what this little trip must've been about: archery butts. She remained in a haze as Rumple began setting up for their session, snapping out of it when he turned around and smiled. He called her name and waved her over, repeatedly mouthing the words "Come on".
As she walked towards him, she asked, "Why am I here?"
"I think you're here to learn archery."
She rolled her eyes and replied, "I know that, smart-alec. I just want to know what put this idea in your head. My father says that only boys should know how to shoot arrows…or shoot anything, really"
He stifled a laugh, mumbling, "Not going there."
Her eyes widened slightly when she recognized the innuendo, and she smacked his arm again for making it. But with one glimpse of his dimples as he laughed, she found herself laughing, too. It took just under a minute for them to calm down.
After catching his breath, Rumple said, "No disrespect to your father, but that line of thinking is ridiculous. Both men and women deserve to know a few survival skills. You can't make it through a harsh winter, if all you can do is sew. Trust me. You're going to love this."
Tatiana picked up one of the bows and took aim at a target. She was about to fire an arrow, when a warm chuckle cut her off. She looked to her left, her eyes meeting those of her smiling friend. Her face scrunched up in confusion.
"What's so funny?"
"You're doing it wrong, Ann."
"And what exactly am I doing wrong, pray tell?"
Going towards her, he said, "It's your stance that's off."
He walked around to her right side, placing his hands on her arms. He told her that she needed to lower her right elbow and place that same hand by the corner of her mouth, saying that it should be her anchor spot. Her breath hitched when she felt his knuckle brush her cheek as he showed her what he meant. Their eyes met. She noticed the brief dilation of his pupils, as well as a soft fluttering in his neck. They were close enough to be sharing the same breath. Would he, or wouldn't he? She got her answer a couple of seconds later, when he cleared his throat and returned his attention to the task at hand.
He said, "Now, I want you to block out everything else around you, everything but the target. Focus. Feel. Nothing else exists. Get to the calmest, most centered point you can. Take a breath…and let go."
Tatiana felt beyond exhilarated when her arrow hit the bulls-eye. Her smile nearly split her face apart, and she was giggling as she threw her arms around Rumple in a tight hug. He was laughing, too, happy that she was happy.
"See? I told you it'd work. Listen to me next time."
They practiced for a couple of hours, the last half-hour of that having turned into a competition. They kept tally on which of them hit more bulls-eyes, which determined who had to set up and take down the spread for their picnic. Rumple did the courteous thing, walking Tatiana home. He handed her the bow she'd used.
"Really?"
"Of course. I made it for you."
She giggled at the twang made when he gently pulled the bow-string. Tatiana was touched by his gift, and he blushed when she told him so. It was so sweet, how shy he was, and being around him made her heart flutter. She had to tell him how she felt, or she was certain she'd regret it for the rest of her life. Pausing on her front step, she turned to face him directly.
She said, "So…that was fun."
"Yes, it was."
"Could we do it again?"
He replied, "Anytime you'd like."
"Good. And, um…there's something else."
He chuckled warmly, and he asked what that something was. Her heart was in her throat. She had to do this now, before she lost all her nerve. Taking a step closer to him, she placed her hand on his shoulder and lifted up slightly on her tip-toes. Faster than he could blink, she pressed her lips to his. He froze in surprise, but he soon relaxed. His hands went to her waist. "Magic" was an understatement. The kissing went on for a full minute, but it felt more like a blissfully sweet eternity. Both felt dizzy as they pulled apart.
Tatiana said, "So…that was kind of nice."
"Very nice."
His face remained a vivid scarlet, prompting her to ask, "Was that your first—"
"Yeah. Same for you?"
"Mm-hm."
"I don't know how. You're beautiful."
She nearly swooned. No boy had ever talked to her like that. Happy tears prickled at the corners of her eyes, and a tiny, wistful smile was on her face. She couldn't help herself, and neither could he. They leant in for another quick kiss, pulling apart just as fast.
"Tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow, Ann."
Before they knew it, a year had gone by. Rumple and Tatiana remained best friends, as well as courting. They were together every available second, guiding each other in different ways. Among them, he helped her with her most difficult school subject: mathematics. Along with archery, another shared passion they had was horseback riding. One particular day, they were doing just that as they headed into the woods. Rumple had promised to catch some fish for Tatiana's parents. They set right to work, taking their respective baskets to the river within seconds of tying their horses.
Rumple asked, "Did your father say he only wanted trout?"
"He said he wanted some bass, too. Don't worry. I can tell the difference."
"Hey, so can I. I'm not that dumb."
Right as he was about to turn around, a large splash of water hit him directly in the face. As he sputtered and tried to wipe the water from his eyes, he saw the blurry image of a skirt being hiked up, and a girl running off giggling. A mischievous glint came to his eyes, along with a matching smile. He jumped to his feet, taking off after his girl.
He shouted, "I'll give you something to laugh about!"
"You'll have to catch me first!"
"I intend to!"
It seemed like Tatiana was winning their impromptu race, when her foot suddenly caught on a tree root. The squeal she made had less to do with that, and more to do with the arms suddenly around her. That familiar voice gave a playful declaration of "Gotcha", and they hit the ground together. He tickled her into near-hysterics, and she flailed around in an effort to push him away.
"I have to catch you first?"
"Alright! Alright! I get the point!"
While catching his breath, he said, "Make sure you don't forget it."
Then, both teens suddenly froze as they realized what positon they were in. He was lying across her, and her left knee was pressing into his side. Neither dared to move, though they knew they had to at some point. Rumple was the one to break the silence. A scary, but delicious heat coursed through his body, and his stomach was in knots. His hand strayed up, fingers tangling in her hair. A smile flickered in the corner of his mouth.
"You're amazing."
"You're not so bad yourself", she replied.
He chuckled softly, before re-making eye-contact with her and saying, "I love you, Tatiana."
A short, wistful sigh escaped her, and her smile grew as she said, "I love you, too, Rumpelstiltskin. I always will."
After a quick kiss, he told her, "Always is a long time."
She shrugged, making a funny face that caused him to laugh. Then, she asked him to get up, but he told her to get up first. This went on for about thirty seconds. Finally, Rumple gave another slight laugh and helped his girl to her feet.
"That was pretty great."
"Not yet."
She asked what he meant. He dropped to one knee, smiling at the expression on her face.
He said, "I know I don't have a ring yet, but I want us to marry once your mother recovers from her illness…if you'll have me."
The squeal of joy she made hurt his ears, but he didn't mind. They squeezed each other like it was their last moment, neither wanting to let go. They resumed kissing, and he pressed her back into a tree. It wasn't until he heard her whimper, that he came back to Earth. Both were panting as they pulled apart.
"I won't take your honor. Not now."
She giggled, cupping his cheek and replying, "Good things come to those who wait. I'll be your wife, and we'll have our own family."
Nuzzling the tip of his nose against hers, he said, "Have our day in the sun."
"Exactly."
But there would be no day in the sun. Tatiana's mother died, and her father couldn't handle the reins of the family farm alone. He had no choice but to take all his children over to his wealthy cousin's estate, so everyone could have a better chance at a more prosperous life. Rumple never got a face-to-face goodbye with his first love. After they'd left, a neighbor gave him the gifts she'd left behind. There was a letter, detailing how much she loved him and her sorrow over what forced them apart. He shook with barely held-in tears as he read it. She'd also left him her favorite ring: silver, with a single pearl as its only stone.
Many years passed, and so much changed. Within those years, he saw battlefield terror, been married, become a father, and been abandoned by his wife. However, two key things trumped all those others. He'd encountered a much-older man, who turned out to be the Dark One. In later killing this man, he became the Dark One himself. Though he'd taken on these powers in an effort to protect what he greatest treasure, his son, they caused the opposite effect. Unable to give up what finally made him feel strong, he lost Baelfire to a swirling green portal that led to a world without magic. It devastated him. He vowed to find his son no matter what.
A long time into that quest, Rumple was searching the woods for a particular herb he needed for a potion. His travels took him to the edge of a well-to-do village. As usual, he kept to the shadows, out of sight to all except those desperate enough to ask for his help. He was so absorbed in his task, that he didn't register the sound of a child's laughter as it drew closer to him. He looked over his shoulder right as the little girl strayed close to the tree he was resting against. She froze when they made eye-contact.
He smiled at her and said, "Your family must be missing you, dearie. You'd best go find them."
"Yes, sir."
His use of compulsion magic made her turn around, running off in the opposite direction. Just when he thought he'd taken care of the problem, a middle-aged made an appearance. His breath caught in his throat when he spotted her, seeing the flash of greyish-blond hair that escaped from beneath her hood. Life's experience showed on her face, but he'd recognize Tatiana anywhere. He stood up slowly and silently, watching her lift the child onto her hip. He wasn't surprised that she had a family now. He'd always known she'd be a good matriarch. With his keen ears, he listened as she spoke with her granddaughter.
"The man in the woods told me to come find you."
"What man?"
"There."
She followed the direction the girl was pointing, nervousness seeping in with every step she took. They'd just barely crossed into the forest, when she saw a shadow emerge from behind a tree. Her heart leapt into her throat. Her left hand twitched as she remembered the knife she had hidden in her boot. When the shadow moved closer, she instantly crouched down to reach for her knife.
But suddenly, a voice cut her off: "There's no need for that."
She replied sarcastically, "And why not?"
"Because you have nothing to fear from me…Ann."
Tatiana's heart skipped a beat. Nobody had called her that in years. Not since…it couldn't be. It wasn't possible. The figure came fully into the sunlight. Her instincts were never wrong. She knew exactly who this man was.
"I don't believe it. Rumple?"
The corner of his mouth twitched up as he nodded and replied, "It's me…and it has been far too long."
"Indeed. What happened to your face?"
He chuckled softly and said, "I've missed your bluntness. And as for my face, well…let's just say it's complicated."
She then asked him what'd been going on in his life, a question which made a crack in his calm veneer. His facial muscles went slack ever-so-slightly. He described his marriage to Milah, as well as his severe foot injury and the loss of Baelfire, but he didn't elaborate on the circumstances. She listened intently to every word. Though she gave the appropriate reactions to each new story, something about this whole situation bothered her. His looks aside, she could sense that there was something deeply wrong with her old flame. She knew that if he wasn't telling her the full truth by now, he probably was never going to. Glancing over her shoulder, she realized that the sun was starting to go down. She had to get back home to cook supper, and she was polite in saying so. He reached over, pinching her granddaughter's cheek, smiling when it caused her to giggle. Finally, the time came for them to part ways. Both wished they could talk more. As she squeezed his hand, Tatiana noticed the glint of silver on his right middle finger.
"I can't believe you still have that."
"Yes, well…some people, and their things, just get under your skin and stay there. What can you do?"
He made an odd high-pitched giggle, which made her scrunch up her nose in a "Ha-ha, very funny" expression. By now, the little girl had fallen asleep in her arms. No more stalling. It really was time to get home. They traded regret-laced good-byes, and Tatiana started walking away. Then, at the last minute, she stopped at the edge of the forest and turned around.
"Rumple…"
He paused mid-step, looking over his shoulder at her.
She continued, "I, um…I hope you find what you're looking for. Besides your son, of course."
"What do you mean?"
"You're smart. You'll figure it out."
(End of flashback)
"So, you never told Tatiana that you were the Dark One?"
"No, Henry, I didn't. I couldn't find the stomach. I knew it would hurt her to know what had become of me."
His grandson asked, "What do you think she'd think of you now?"
He gave a heavy sigh and replied, "I don't know. I'd like to think she'd be proud of me…just as I'm proud of you.
He cocked his head to the side.
"You really mean that?"
"Of course, I am. I'm very, very proud of you, Henry. I know I tend to come off as being rough around the edges, with or without my less savory powers, but I hope you never doubt what you mean to me."
With that, he stood up, resting his weight on his cane. He smiled as he placed his left hand on his grandson's shoulder.
"Now then", he said, "I want you to go out there, and get yourself that pretty girl."
Henry's smile grew as he replied, "Thanks, Gramps."
They hugged, with Rumple giving an extra clap to the boy's upper back. As he watched Henry leave the shop, another heavy sigh escaped him. He fell into deep thought, repeatedly twisting the silver ring on his right middle finger. Tatiana's gift was a reminder of his more innocent days, and he vowed to never let it go. Looking down at the pearl that adorned it, his mind drifted back to his story.
Very softly, he said, "I told my grandson you'd be proud of me. I hope I'm right, Ann."
An odd lightness filled his heart, certainty flooding through him. He took this as a sign from Heaven, and a new smile appeared on his face. Tatiana was, indeed, proud of him. He knew that now.
AN: If they had a moment on the show, where they showed Rumple as a teenager, who'd you like to see play him? Let me know in the comments, okay? Thanks.