03/09/13
Happy Birthday Abi! I didn't learn about this week until it was too late to enter but since I know you love this pairing I thought you would still like to read my "thoughts" on the theme. Enjoy!
Rumbelle Week
February 24-March 2, 2013
Day 1: Magic
She had wanted to let in sunlight.
Rumpelstiltskin had allowed the silly notion, if only to keep her from falling off the ladder again. But as the days went by he started to reconsider, his house, hardly a home, was far too warm now and especially too bright. There was a reason he covered the windows to begin with you know.
Then Belle came in carrying the tray of afternoon tea. There was nothing special about this and yet there was.
Each time Belle walked in front of one of the windows she simply shimmered, more beautifully then the day he took her from her home as she wore her golden dress. Her hair shined far more radiant then the thread of gold between his fingers. As if these things weren't enough her smile, directed at him of all things, along with her eyes, so warm and open with her feelings, sparkled as she announced it was time for him to take a break and join her for tea.
Darkness had surrounded Rumpelstiltskin for so long he had forgotten the magic of sunlight.
Or was it Belle that made the sunlight magical?
Day 2: Book
Without a word Rumpelstiltskin handed Belle something when he returned from one of his ventures and walked off talking about something completely unrelated giving Belle a moment to inspect the item in her hands. To her delight she found the familiar shape had indeed been a book, rather new if the binding was any indication.
When Belle tried to thank Rumpelstiltskin he waved her off and asked about supper.
Most days the magical man spent spinning his gold or working in his lab of enchantments but on days he went out he always returned with a book. Some days he would hand it to Belle, others he would practically shove it into her chest and scamper quickly off as she would try to catch the latest volume of tales or facts he presented her and sometimes he would set it down near her or toss it in her direction and not look at it again. Each time any thanks she tried to give were brushed off with the dust from his travels.
The books were all marvelous, soon filling the shelf that had appeared in the room the day after they became too many to sit at her drawing table. Each one was filled of stories of far off lands or fantastic beasts and even historic adventures of great people both fact and fictional. She spent hours being mesmerized by them, reading them again and again even as new books were added to her collection.
One night Belle found Rumpelstiltskin sitting at his wheel but not spinning. His eyes were unfocused; staring outward as he idly turned the wheel slightly back and forth, tightening and loosening the thread of straw that would become gold.
Without a questioning word or glance, Belle pulled a chair over and sat beside him. She watched him, just briefly, before opening her latest book and reading out loud, beginning a new adventure with the silent man beside her.
It was uncertain is Rumpelstiltskin even acknowledged her voice or how close she was but he stopped turning the wheel without purpose, setting to work to the steady sound of her voice, almost seeming to spin the wheel softer than normal.
Day 3: Cup
The man, if he was a man, walked out of her hospital room and Belle shuddered. She was glad the man was gone, she wanted him to stay gone and yet…
Eyes darted over to the cup, or the pieces of the cup she had thrown.
She couldn't understand why her eyes were burning with tears.
Day 4: Rose/Flowers
Each morning Belle awoke in the hospital it was to the smell of sweet flowers on the table by her bedside. There was never any card and no nurse ever saw who brought them but there was always a golden ribbon tied around the top of the vase, which shimmered when the sunlight hit it just right.
The first day it was a bouquet of sunflowers and on the second day it was pansies with a sunflower painted on the vase. The third day followed the same trend of yellow tulips with the vase painted with a sunflower and pansy and then roses, red and blue together, with the previous flowers all decorating their container.
None of these flowers gave a clue about their sender though something at the back of Belle's mind seemed to tingle at the roses. Vaguely she could recall holding a single red rose, being surprised but genuinely happy. She knew she turned to the one who gave her the rose and thanked them but besides for the word "dearie" she could recall nothing about this person.
After that the flowers remained the same. A smaller vase, practically a jar, of Forget-Me-Nots still painted with the flowers that came before them. At the bottom of the jar seemed to be chips of something porcelain, something, she knew, was once very precious.
Day 5: Alternate Universe
Mr. Gold paced around the library for what felt like hours, weaving between bookshelves to simply return to sneak a peek at the librarian, still helping others check out their books. It seemed if he wanted to talk to her he would have to do the same.
This trek around the library was actually spent looking at books. It took him a while to find one appropriate, grateful children were in school and thus not there to watch him poke around their section before returning to the desk.
Upon spotting him approach, Belle smiled at him, naturally and all so beautifully, "Did you find what you were looking for Mr. Gold?"
"Not exactly," Gold held onto the book, trapping the librarian into conversation. "Do you believe in dreams being able to tell us things?"
"I've read several books on the subject," Belle nodded; keeping eye contact with him instead of the book he was holding prisoner. "Dreams all come from our subconscious so even the most ridiculous notions hold aspects of truth."
"Well last night I had a dream," Gold began, trying not to sound as ridiculous as he felt. "In it I was, to be frank, nothing short of a monster."
"Talk about aspects of truth."
Gold nearly jumped. He hadn't noticed Belle's friend Ruby sitting off to the side of the counter. Still, he was able to ignore her when Belle scolded the waitress and he continued, "But you where there as well."
Almost instantly Gold realized how bad that could be taken; telling a girl that she appeared in his dreams. She'd think he was a pervert for sure.
Instead Belle smiled, almost excitedly, as she leaned in a little, "What was I; a mermaid or maybe a pirate?"
Belle couldn't help but giggle at the face Gold made at "pirate", her smile only widening when his cheeks turned a slight shade of pink.
"Nothing quite so obviously magical," Gold absently ran his fingers over the pages of the book. "You were simply you but that was more than enough. You made me believe I could be a good person," he swallowed, "You made me want to be a good person."
Now it was Belle's cheeks turn to go pink, "Mr. Gold…"
Gold raised a hand to silence her and placed down the book, "Please, Belle, just think about it."
Remaining silent, Belle watched as Gold turned and left the library without the book he was holding. Once he was gone she looked down to see what it was.
The cover of "Beauty and the Beast" stared back up at her, the rose awaiting her answer.
Day 6: Adventure
"Care to explain how this happened?" Rumpelstiltskin looked at himself in the mirror, frowning slightly as he marveled at how the reflection did everything he did.
Belle, for her part, was sitting at the end of the table, legs propped up on top of it, thankfully crossed to have some decency even though the dress hung down freely. At least there was no one else around but Rumpelstiltskin and he, at least with the way he was now, had seen it all before.
"Added a bit of this when it needed a bit of that and poof," Belle pinched at the air as she spoke, selecting vials from an invisible shelf, and waved about her fingers as if that explained everything.
Rumpelstiltskin turned to her, hands on his hips, "Put my legs down."
"Cover the mirror," Belle uncrossed her legs and spread them out a bit.
"Stop sitting like that," Rumpelstiltskin's face glittered a bit pink.
"Cover the mirror, dearie, and I'll sit however you want," Belle crossed her arms and slid down the seat to bend her knees a little.
Throwing up his hands, Rumpelstiltskin covered the mirror back up and Belle promptly sat like a proper lady.
"Fix this," Rumpelstiltskin all but pouted his demand.
Rolling her eyes, Belle tapped her fingers on the table, "It just takes time to wear off; a day at the most."
"Oh no," Rumpelstiltskin shook his finger at her as if scolding a child. "You are not spending a night in my body and I certainly don't want to spend the night in yours."
"You're the one who dreams of adventure," Belle reminded the girl currently stuck as a man, it was odd to think of it as if body; he wasn't crazy enough to talk to himself like this, at least not yet.
"I assumed whatever adventure I would have I would have it as me," Rumpelstiltskin was full out pouting now, sitting in the chair nearest the Belle body.
Belle pursed her lips, ran her tongue over her teeth and looked everywhere but Rumpelstiltskin. Not even a minute passed before she stomped to her feet, "Fine! If we're going to be stuck like this we might as well do something fun."
It took Rumpelstiltskin a moment to realize the Belle body was leaving the room without him and he scrambled to his feet to follow.
"Easy there dearie, gently now," Belle rubbed over Rumpelstiltskin's arm.
"Easy for you to say, you've done this before," Rumpelstiltskin all but grunted.
"It takes a few times to get used to it," Belle admitted with a shrug.
Rumpelstiltskin nearly screamed when the book he was trying to levitate dropped to the ground for the 52nd time. "This is impossible; I'm not the magic user here!"
"No but you're in my body which possesses my magic and you should at least learn to control it in case we need it while we're stuck like this," Belle tapped her foot. "Try again."
"Maybe you have a magic book for beginners?" Rumpelstiltskin asked hopefully.
"I did but I returned it to its proper owner some time ago," Belle waved the idea off. She looked around, tapping her foot and pursing her lips again before striding over to him and taking hold of Rumpelstiltskin's hand.
"What are you doing?" Rumpelstiltskin raised an eyebrow at her.
"Hush," Belle pointed at the book. "Try it now."
Though Rumpelstiltskin sighed he attempted it again and his time not only the book her was aiming for floated but all the books in the room did. He nearly jumped into with air with a grin and a giggle, "I did it!"
"I guess we need to be connected for the magic to-" Belle began but was cut off when Rumpelstiltskin's lips pressed against her cheek.
One moment she was the kiss giver and within a blink Belle was the one receiving the kiss, Rumpelstiltskin's lips surprisingly warm on her cheek. When he withdrew, she looked at him and for a moment he seemed less golden, more flesh and blood, but she blinked again and he shimmered once more.
"Well, that's over," Rumpelstiltskin's eyes darted about the room, looking at all the books still floating around them.
Belle made an acknowledging sound, feeling no need to point out that they were still holding each other's hand.
Day 7: Skin Deep
Rumpelstiltskin nearly fell off his bench at the spinning wheel when something wet pressed against his cheek. He pulled away and eyed the wash cloth in Belle's hand, "What do you think you're doing?"
"You have something on your face," Belle stated.
"It's called skin," Rumpelstiltskin sneered.
Belle rolled her eyes, "It's dirt, now hold still."
Though Rumpelstiltskin didn't scoot away this time, he squirmed and made whining noises as she rubbed the wash cloth against his cheek.
"You big baby," Belle scolded but the effect was ruined by her smiling. She straightened once satisfied, taking the wash cloth with her. "There, all clean."
"I can clean my own face you know," Rumpelstiltskin turned back to his wheel.
"Apparently not," Belle smiled and left him to his spinning.