"Happy birthday, dearest," Rumpelstiltskin murmured with a smile as he watched her unashamedly licking cake crumbs from the tines of her fork before setting it beside her plate with a satisfied smile. He'd have to remember to thank Granny and Red for catering their little party, and for a somewhat modest fee considering he was involved. "Was it everything you wanted it to be?"

"For the most part," she responded, standing to take their plates to the kitchen.

He frowned and thought back to the day that had just passed. He thought he'd done everything right. He'd invited all of her friends from town, the dwarves and the savior and her family, even that insipid genie that he couldn't stand. They'd danced and laughed and

If asked, Rumpelstiltskin would say that he considered the birthday party a success. He'd invited half the town because he knew it would make her happy, even though it meant that he would have to put up with inane small talk and all those grubby dwarves dirtying up his bathroom. He paid Granny and Red an inordinate (and he said so) price for catering and a cake to be made, He strung up streamers that were sky blue and cloud white (her favorite colors for her favorite things) and he called her father specifically to be sure he'd attend. He also left a carefully wrapped present on his pillow every morning when he left to open the shop, refusing to hear of taking them back when she came to she shop for lunch and to try to persuade him. He couldn't keep the triumph from his smile when he caught the glint of the diamond from her ear as she passed to the back of the shop, the diamond studs he'd left on Monday.

Everyone had danced and laughed and 'oohed' and 'awed' over her gifts before finally leaving them in peace, curiously unconcerned about the mess they'd left behind. He made tea while she piled all the dishes into the sink to soak while they rested in the living room.

"Did you enjoy your birthday, love?" He murmured, watching her trace her eyes lovingly across her pile of gifts (which included everything from a messily knitted scarf from the Hatter's daughter to a sparklingly new lap he'd bought to support her writing habit) and smile dreamily. "Was it everything you hoped it would be?"

"For the most part," she responded, blinking at him over the rim of her teacup. He frowned as he thought back through the day, to all the times he'd seen her smiling and chatting and happy. He couldn't once remember anything going wrong. No spilled drinks, no arguments, no curses being inflicted on guests. It was perfect. "So far, that is."

"Really?" He prompted, hoping to hear what she thought could be approved upon.

"Really."

"Well, my dear, I admit I can't think of a single thing to be approved- What is that?" He'd set his teacup on the coffee table and turned to find her her holding a beautifully wrapped gift box in her hands and smiling, half mischievous and half shy. "Did we overlook one of your gifts?"

"No, this one is for you." She placed it in his hands and placed her fingertips across his mouth when he opened it to protest. "You worked so hard to make this party perfect for me, not to mention the entirely extravagant things you've been leaving behind all week. Let me give you something in return. Please, Rum?"

He kissed her fingertips as she moved them around to play with the fine hairs at the nape of her neck. "Alright, dearie. You don't need to work too hard to convince me. Have I mentioned how much I love seeing you wear those earrings?"

She wrinkled her nose at him, but smiled as she watched him slip a finger under the edge of the paper and draw it across. He really did enjoy her earrings. Delicate gold diamond studs that were large enough to notice across the room when she pulled her hair back but not so large as to bring to mind gaudy costume jewelry. She'd worn them every day since he gave them to her, and they always gave him a little pulse of joy to see. Managing to bring his mind back to the task at hand, Rumpelstiltskin lifted the lid of the box, pulled apart the burgundy red tissue paper to reveal…

"Dearie, what is this?" He asked in a tone of polite interest, not wishing to offend her if she'd made the silky red strips of fabric for him. "Are they… scarves?"

"Not quite." She chuckled and it was a husky sound. She lifted one of the lengths of fabric and draped it over his wrists, pulling it slowly toward her and causing him to break out in goose flesh. "I ordered them from an interesting shop Red told me about. I thought you might like them."

He held perfectly still as she wound the silk around first one of his wrists then the other and suddenly he wanted to kick himself for not understanding immediately. "Oh. It's for… tying… and such?"

"Yes, dear." She laughed and wrapped the ends together in a neat bow, tugging slightly to tighten it. Seeing his wrists bound, however loosely, is enough to have him breathing harder. "There. Isn't that lovely?"

"Y-yes." He swallowed hard when she sat back and slipped her house over her head. He was already straining against the front of his pants, and the sight of the flimsy bit of lace she called an undergarment was making his mouth water. He started to reach for her automatically and was pulled up short when his hands refused to separate. He tried a little harder and felt a flash of frustration when the silk didn't budge. He could use his teeth to tug at the knot until it came undone, and then he could launch at his Belle, pin her to the couch cushions and… The growl that had begun to build in his chest was cut off by his rush of anxiety. He couldn't stand to think like that. He could barely stand to think of touching her at all, old and unworthy as he was, but if his control slipped and he hurt her he'd hate himself.

"Dearie, perhaps we shouldn't try this after all. I'm not sure I can- Belle!" He choked on his words when a small hand deftly jerked down his flies and wrapped firmly around his cock. His fingers twitched with the urge to pull her into his lap and she laughed again.

"Hush now. I think it's about time we tried something new. And I know you like the idea," she pumped her fist over him a few times to prove his point and Rumpelstiltskin worried he may bite through his tongue. "So what's the problem?

"The problem, dear," he said through gritted teeth, "is that I only have a certain amount of control, and you are rapidly fraying it."

"And the problem with that is?" She ran her thumb over the moisture gathered at his tip, watching his reaction with a focus that was almost frighteningly like her werewolf friend.

He closed his eyes for a moment to regain his composure and was grateful when her hand fell still again and allowed him to think. When they opened again she was much closer, her face mere inches away from his and she looked almost angry. "It's a problem because I could hurt you."

"Oh, Rum." She released her grip on him and burrowed under his bound arms, settling herself on his lap and kissed him gently. He was pleased with the opportunity to finally touch her and dropped his head when she pulled back, nuzzling at her neck and placing light kisses over her collarbone.

"I couldn't bear it if I hurt you, Belle. It would kill me."

"And who says you would hurt me, hmm?" She brushed his hair back from his face before trying to lean away and see his face, which he hid against her throat. "Rum, look at me."

He sighed and did as she asked. Her eyes were soft and full of love, but there was an underlying steeliness there that did not bode well for his side of the argument.

"I'm not going to fall to pieces in your hands." Then she smirked a very familiar smirk and put her lips against his ear. "At least not in any you haven't seen before."

He growled quietly and bucked up against her, using his bound arms to hold her close but made no move further than that. "Alright, but you must swear to tell me if you are the slightest bit uncomfortable."

She hummed an affirmative against his cheek and he could feel the smile that she still wore. "Come on, Rum. Don't you want to tangle me up in pretty little bows? Tie me down and make me beg for what I want you to do to me? Fuck me so hard that I scream loud enough for the Mayor to hear me across town?"

He smothered her last words with a ferocious kiss, pulling her lower lip into his mouth and barely restraining himself from biting hard enough to draw blood. Her hips ground against his and the friction almost made his eyes roll back in his head. If he'd been worried about hurting her before, he was almost certain he wanted to now. Not enough that she wouldn't enjoy it. Just a small sting here and there, bite marks peppering her throat so she'd know the consequences of teasing him.

Oh. So that was her purpose. Well, she'd get what she wanted now, and then some. He slipped his arms over her head and brought them down between them.

"Untie me," he demanded, sure the intensity of his words would cause her to rethink, to cringe away from him. Her only response was a shiver and a repressed moan as she set to work on the knot.

"Where did you learn to talk like that?" He asked, realizing that she'd certainly not heard anything of the kind from him. She paused in her work long enough to shoot him a skeptical glance and suck one of his fingers into her mouth as she continued to pluck at the silk. He resented the squeak in his voice when he spoke again. "Books, then."

Finally his hands were free and he practically threw her to the couch cushions, half kneeling over her and wrapping her wrists up expertly in the length of silk, leaving a tail of the fabric to attach to one of the others from the box which he then wrapped around two of the end table legs and tied to itself. His back and knee each ache for a moment from the awkward angle of leaning over her to achieve his goal but it was so much more than worth it to stand back for a moment and simply appreciate the view. His Belle, splayed across his blood red furniture, hands bound above her head, panting and looking up at him like he was the only thing she'd ever wanted.

"You're right, dearie." She blinked hazily up at him as he shoved his pants down and stepped out of them, ridding her of hers and her panties as well with one tug. Her bra was problematic seeing as he'd already securely tied her hands together so he settled for unhooking it and pushing it up around her hands. "This is what I want. You know me far too well."

"And am I going to be rewarded for my intuition?" She purred up at him as he settled himself over her, making sure to keep his hips well enough away that she couldn't push herself up against him and make him forget his game. "Or will you punish me first?"

"Perhaps next time. I am new to this, remember?" He put his weight on one arm, wrapped loosely behind her back and the other slipped slowly down the outside of her left thigh, brushing rough fingertips against smooth skin around down to the swell of her buttock.

"Aw, so no spanking today?" She arched her back to press herself more firmly into his hand. "I was really looking forward that. Is there anything I can say to change- Eep!"

She squeaked as he brought his hand down sharply against her before tightening his fingers so that her skin bubbled between them. "Don't push me, minx. I'm already close to bursting."

Any other day he would have slipped his fingers through her folds and pushed her over the edge a few times, taken his time and made her shake before he joined her. But today there was only one thing he needed before he could let himself get lost in her.

"Ask me, Belle." He nudged her legs further apart, pulling one up around his hip as he lined them up, pressing gently against her entrance so that she gasped against his lips. "I want you to say it."

And wonderful woman that she was, she surged up against him and did just that. "Please, Rum. Please fuck me."

He pushed up inside her with a groan that matched her throaty moan and set a fast pace. He wouldn't last long with those words still ringing in his head. Her arms strained against her bonds, fingers stretched straight upward in their quest to reach him, pulling so hard that she upset the table and shattered a few of his useless knickknacks against the hardwood floor. He answered her attempted apology with a messy kiss and a few sharp thrusts that quickly turned her helpless giggling into quavering moans. He pushed himself up onto one elbow and pushed a hand down between them to flick against her clit in time with his thrusts, loving the way her voice rose in response. With any luck they really would hear her all the way down at city hall.

"Now, come for me, Belle," he urged as he felt himself starting to lose control, pressing his fingers firmly against her until she tightened around him with a scream. He groaned as her hips bucked up against his, pulling him over the edge after her. "Good girl."

She butted her heel against his back and laughed. "Shut up! That's an entirely different game. Could you untie me now so I can hug you?"

"Of course." He stretched up over her to pluck at the silk wrapped around the table until it slipped free, but left her hands strung together, meeting her puzzled glance with a cocky grin. "Those can stay the way they are for now, unless you're losing feeling to your fingers. I think I'm quite beginning to warm up to my new toys."

"Oh, dear," she sighed, feigning despair as she put her arms round him and cuddled closer. "What kind of monster have I created?"

His breath ghosted over her throat as he chuckled and kissed her jaw. "Likely a very happy one. Have you bought anything else of interest you'd like to share with me?"

"Well, I did order a few new outfits. Nothing special. Just some new bras, stockings, garters, panties, some nighties. But, I'm sure you wouldn't be interested in a little fashion show?"

Belle was sure she'd never seen her lover move so quickly as when the promise of lace and satin was dangled before him.