Whereas everybody else in Storybrooke was furious about the curse, he was glad it had happened. It provided him 28 years without having to think about her. It gave him 28 years without even discerning that he didn't have a heart. Although It didn't in any way stop the dreams . Since as long as he could remember each night he dreamt of her. He dreamt about her face and lovely smile. He dreamt about her laughter and the way she felt. He never understood how those dreams seemed so real. How Is It That someplace deep down he sensed that he recognized the beautiful blond who visited him each night. He didn't understand until the curse was broken, and he remembered who she was. He blamed the so called savior for destroying those blissful years for him.
All he could remember was the grief she caused him. He could only think of the time he spent doing everything he could to forget her. Without his heart, he might not feel the agony anymore,yet he perceived the damage. In some way he managed to get used to the certain void in his chest in which his heart used to be. It made life simpler for him. He understood the instant he had his heart back all that heartbreak she caused would begin flooding back in, and there was no stopping it. Therefore he kept his heart buried away.
Right Now as Jafar stood in front of him demanding the location of his heart in return for Ana's life; he hesitated. He understood he couldn't refuse him. He couldn't see her die. He couldn't do that; even if he knew it meant he soon would have to feel again. It's not that the absence of a heart made him possess no feelings at all. He still cared. He cared about Alice and he cared about Lizard, and even despite most of what he felt for Ana was contempt. Some piece of him still cared for her. Therefore no, he couldn't let her die. Heartless or not he wasn't a monster. He didn't want his heart to cause him any more problems than it already has.
After Jafar leaves he watches as Ana cries. He hopes she now realizes what she has truly done to him. She still strives to make him believe she loves him,but he knows she's lying. If she truly loved him she would have never left. She wouldn't have given up their love for a crown. She only loves the concept of them and doesn't desire to be alone now that everybody else has abandoned her.
She asks for him to forgive her, he doesn't know if he can. He does try to reassure her, telling her nothing is impossible,since he really didn't like to see her cry. Then she has to go and tell him she hopes he gets his heart back since he deserves to feel something. Making the dread rise in him,on account of he honestly doesn't want that! Especially not with her in the same room.
Jafar returns and the following moment's are nearly a blur,agony mingled with emotions and all at once it's nearly too much, and than almost waking him up from the nightmare he was in, he hears "HER" the one he's dreamt about all these years. The one he couldn't remember. The one he had no clue why he ever loved it the first place. His love, his Ana!
He rises and stares at her. Her smile brings back even more emotions. He can't help but think she loves me,she wanted to break the laws of magic to get me back,she's sorry! Now he can't even believe how he couldn't love the women standing in front of him. He can't even Imagine how he could love anything more.
He takes a sigh of relief at last feeling whole again after all these years "Ana" he breaths.