Written for the OUAT Secret Valentine program on Tumblr. I own none of these characters.
Belle wakes slowly, the darkness telling her that it's not yet morning. Before she can wonder what's woken her, the answer presents itself. Her lover is restless, shifting and groaning.
"Rumple?" she murmurs as she props herself up on an elbow.
"Bae," he gasps in his sleep, and instantly Belle knows the source of his unease.
"Rumplestiltskin," she says a bit louder, prodding his shoulder gently. "Rumple, wake up!"
His eyes snap open, but when they meet hers she can see the nightmare hasn't fully released him. "Bae!" The anguish in his voice makes her throat tighten. She lays a soft hand against his cheek.
"Rumple, it's alright," she soothes. "It was only a dream."
He's completely awake now, but the pain clouds his eyes. "Belle," he chokes out hoarsely. "Why did I let him go? I should never have let him go. I should have followed him! I should have-"
"Shhh," Belle pulls Rumple to her, silencing his ramble. She's heard it all before, seen the hurt in him when he thinks of the son he lost. The only cure, she knows, is to find Baelfire. "We'll find him, Rumple," she whispers, pressing a kiss to his temple. "We are going to find Bae."