Good Morning, Mr Gold, an once upon a time fanfic

Good Morning, Mr. Gold

A/N: I finally wrote a Rumbelle story! Yaaaay! I think it's pretty good, surprisingly. I was a tad worried about writing with Belle, but I think I did ok. This story is AU in that it is assuming Rumpel was NOT convinced that Belle died and so her character is in Storybrooke. Also, it's a bit of a crossover between Disney's perception of Belle as well as Once Upon a Time's. Which, speaking of which, I do not own! Either of those things. I merely borrow their stuff to write splendid stories for you all. :) Please, enjoy!

"Good morning, Mr. Gold."

The sound of her voice automatically made him smile. It always did. He couldn't help it, just as he couldn't help it turning wistful as he turned to look at her. She had that pretty smile that she always reserved just for him.

"Morning, Miss French," he responded with a nod.

Their mornings always passed like this. She would stop in at the diner for breakfast before she headed towards her father's flower shop. She was always carrying some book or another in her arms as she went and she liked to stop to talk to people on the way. Mr. Gold always made sure to be opening his store about the same time, just so he could be one of those people. So he was. She would stop and say hello. Sometimes they would talk a bit, but most times she just went on her way. And every day, Mr. Gold just itched to find an excuse to talk to her. Of course, she would never know that.

"I've seen you read that book twice before," he noted, glancing at the blue binding that poked out from beneath her arms. She unfolded them and held the book out, glancing at it briefly before looking up at him with a grin.

"Oh, this? It's my favorite," she said eagerly. She did so love talking about her books. "It's got far off places, daring swordfights, magic spells, a prince in disguise! I'm at my favorite part where she meets Prince Charming. But she won't discover it's him until chapter three!" He couldn't help the short laugh that erupted from his throat. She smiled warmly at him, pulling the book against her chest again as he tossed her an amused look. She was simply so cute when she got excited about things.

"It does indeed sound like a good book," he said smoothly, knowing he was making small talk, anything to pull this conversation out longer. She nodded vigorously in agreement and took a step closer.

"Would you like to borrow it when I'm finished?" she asked, and he realized he couldn't hear the slight timidity in her voice that always present when people were talking with him. He raised a brow in surprise, at this and at her question. She was always a brave girl, always very nice and lively. She hadn't changed a bit in the last twenty eight years, he thought with a small smile.

Her laugh rang out in the big dining hall and he decided then that he liked the sound of it. Mostly, he liked that it was him who had made her laugh. Despite the fact that he had trapped her here, she had been doing her best to make the best of it. She was good –she cleaned like she was supposed to; she cooked like she was supposed to; and she didn't try to leave. She was a prisoner and yet she kept her chin up and moved forward. He liked that about her too. She was one of the few who had ever dared to even try to put up with him and all his emotional swings.

He got up and approached her as she tugged at the curtains. He raised a brow at her actions, curious as to just what she thought she was doing. Surely she realized that they had been nailed shut? This was not going to be an easy task for her. Why wouldn't she just ask for help? But she wouldn't do that. She was independent, he had learned over the last several months. She was going to try to get these curtains open by herself if it killed her. And it almost did.

"What are you doing?" he asked casually. She looked down at him and smiled.

"Opening these," she said. "It's almost spring –we should let some light in." She continued to tug on the curtains, but they didn't even budge. "What did you do, nail them down?"

"Yeah," he said, as though it were obvious. She gave another hard tug then, which succeeded. Unfortunately, she pulled the curtains entirely off the rod. As the curtains fell, so did she. Rumpelstiltskin was just where he needed to be. Instinct took over and as she came down towards him, he reached out and caught her effortlessly.

"Thank you," she said softly and as he stared in surprise, meeting her gentle gaze, he knew he was done for. She was smiling at him so warmly, so grateful that he had practically just saved her life. It was a smile that could make a man melt, and though he was usually an openly emotional person he was still Rumpelstiltskin. So of course he didn't melt. Instead, he did the only thing he could think to do. He simply put her down. "Thank you."

"It's no matter," he said simply, offering a smirk. She just continued to smile at him and he decided he liked that too. Yes, he was certainly done for.

"Yes," he said before he could really think about it. She grinned wide and he was almost surprised that she wasn't jumping up and down in delight that she had gotten the town ogre out of his shell. Or mud hut in the swamp, rather.

"I should be done with it by lunch if the store doesn't get too busy," she said in excitement. "I'll come by and see you then."

"That would be lovely," he said coolly and she just looked at him. She looked as if she wanted to say something, as if she might ask something, but then she seemed to think about it and change her mind. She took a step back again, biting her lip as she tried to think of just what to say next. His gaze turned towards her mouth and he wondered if it was still as soft as it once was. Oh, what he wouldn't give to go back and change how things had happened.

"And, since then, you've loved no one. And no one has loved you," she said, her voice sounding almost as if she wanted to cry. He could see the heartbreak on her face and it bothered him. So he looked at her and changed the subject.

"Why did you come back?" he asked and watched as her features softened. Yes, a much better subject to talk about, he thought.

"I wasn't going to," she admitted, smiling a little ashamedly. "Then…something changed my mind." And before he could respond, she leaned forward and kissed him.

It was a short kiss, but in that moment Rumpelstiltskin felt truly happy for the first time in a long time. He kissed back, pouring his passion into that one kiss. Her lips were soft; they were gentle; they were like everything he imagined they would be yet better. He felt her smile against his lips –that was a good feeling. He thought that this was how it was supposed to be. And just as he was about to deepen it, to wrap his arms around her and pull her closer against him, he felt the change start.

He saw her lips move and came out of his memory, realizing she was speaking. His eyes went back up to hers; saw the slight confusion in them at his actions. She had seen where he was looking and he wasn't sure if he should care or not. He decided that at the very least, he'd pretend not to.

"Did you want me to come see you or did you want me to meet you at the diner?" she asked, giving him a half-smile. She seemed unsure, but not about him.

"I can escort you to the diner, my treat," he said, again without thinking. He mentally cursed himself as he kept his poise. What was it about her that simply made him act so…different? It was hard to stay so cool and collected whenever she was within his presence. It was hard to be the cold, uncaring Mr. Gold that the town knew so well when she was being so sweet to him. It was hard not to try to make her smile. If only to make up for all the wrongs he had committed.

"That would be lovely," she repeated his earlier words with a grin and he smirked slightly in amusement. She was adorable, almost. He inwardly shook his head, trying to rid these thoughts from his mind. Perhaps this was foolish, to be pursuing her like this. But what could he do? He missed her.

She was leaving. His shoulders were tense and he just needed her to be gone. He had told the mirror that he didn't have a weakness, that she wasn't his weakness and how dare the queen. But he had been lying. She was his weakness. His only weakness left and to see her so distressed, so ready to leave after all the pain he had caused…it hurt. He didn't want to let her go, but he knew it was for the best. For both of them. He couldn't let her destroy him, and he certainly wouldn't let himself destroy her.

"You were freeing yourself!" she said suddenly. His shoulders only tensed more, but he tried not to turn around and let her win. "You could've had happiness if you just believed that someone could want you. But you couldn't take the chance."

"That's a lie," he snapped, turning on her. He put on his best mean face, glaring at her harshly. She winced slightly, but she was brave. She wasn't going to let him affect her.

"You're a coward, Rumpelstiltskin. And no matter how think you make your skin, that doesn't change." It was his turn to wince. Being called a coward was still an insult that stung. After all that had happened…

"I'm not a coward, dearie," he purred nastily. His lips twisted up into a smirk. "It's quite simple, really. My power means more to me than you." He watched her face fall, watched her heart break as her shoulders sagged. He felt his own heart twist as her shattered on the dungeon floor.

"No," she tried to continue to fight. He had to commend her for it, but at the same time he just wanted her to take the hint and leave. He wasn't sure how much more he could take. "No, it doesn't. You just don't think I can love you. Now, you've made your choice. And you're going to regret it –forever. And all you'll have is an empty heart –and a chipped cup." With that, she left.

And she was right. He kept that cup and he cherished it. He didn't go after her. He felt his shoulders sag in defeat as she exited his castle and slowly, he took himself back upstairs. He fell into his seat at the table and looked up at the chipped cup she had mentioned. Then he simply stared at it until long after the sun sank down. In that moment, the world could be ending. It wouldn't hurt as much.

He didn't even know if she was real.

"You don't know? Well, after she got home, her fiancé had gone missing. And after her stay here –her association with you– no one would want her, of course. Her father shunned her, cut her off, shut her out," the Queen said with a sly smirk.

"So she needs…a home," Rumpelstiltskin said hopefully. He meant it to be a question, but it came out as a statement. The Queen knew otherwise, of course, and her smirk only grew as she watched him.

"He was cruel to her," she continued instead. "He locked her in a tower and sent in clerics to cleanse her soul with scourges and flaying. After a while, she threw herself off the tower. She died."

"You're lying," Rumpelstiltskin snarled and the Queen just laughed.

"Am I?" she asked cruelly.

"We're done," he snapped. He didn't hear what she said next, too lost in his own thoughts, but he knew when she was gone.

He walked over to his armoire and took out the chipped cup. He looked at it for a moment before walking over to a pedestal that had a goblet resting on top. Carefully, he took it down and instead replaced it with the cup. As he took a step back, he looked at it. This was all he had left. It was all he would ever have left. And it was the only thing in this God forsaken house that was worth anything to him. So for the first time since he lost his son, he let himself cry.

"Belle!" a voice called to her, cutting his memories short once again. He winced at the name, hopeful that no one had noticed. That was his curse in this world. Not this stupid bum leg, and not the lack of magic. She had kept the same name and he had to hear it every day, if only to remind him…He shook his head as she turned towards her father.

"Coming, papa," she called and looked once more at Mr. Gold. "I'll see you at lunch." He forced a smile onto his face and nodded.

"Lunch," he agreed and then watched as she bounded off towards the flower shop.

He watched her father usher her inside, narrowing his eyes suspiciously behind her at Mr. Gold. Mr. Gold simply smirked and gave a little wave. Moe French closed the door and disappeared from the window. Mr. Gold let out a long breath before turning towards his own store. He was back to business, back to his cold, uncaring, ogre self. His weakness was gone. For the moment.

Lunch would be nice, he thought. But that's all it would be. Lunch. Trading of a book. Then she would be on her way and though she would still plague his thoughts, she would think nothing of it. She didn't remember anything the way he did. Scowling at the thought, he unlocked his door and entered into the store. He practically slammed the door closed behind him, moving towards the counter. It would just be lunch and then, perhaps, he wouldn't talk to her anymore. He laughed bitterly at that. There was always tomorrow morning.

"Good morning, Mr. Gold."

Oh, that voice…He turned. And such a warm smile. Oh yes, he was certainly done for.

I know! A little out of character for Mr. Gold, but…it's Belle! She's his weakness! That's the point! Hopefully, I didn't do too terribly. And hopefully you don't think this too short. Please let me know how I did!

This was a one-shot, however, so this will not be continued. This was only to test my strengths and weaknesses with how I write in Belle. Also with how I write in their relationship. I don't think it was too terrible, but it could certainly use some work. Let me know?

If any of you want, feel free to take a look at any of my other stories. Like "Hands On Me," which is quite popular, or else "Under the Sea," which is getting there. Both of them star Rumpelstiltskin and his alter ego Mr. Gold, but he's paired with an OC as this is my first attempt at Belle. I didn't think I had it in me before this. We'll see what I do in the future, yes?

Anyways, please review! Or favorite this! Or follow me! Anything to let me know my writing is up to par! Thank you so much.