Alrighty, so this is my first Once Upon a Time fic. I'm fairly new to the fandom, for I started watching it in September. However, I am all caught up and am absolutely head over heels for the show. I had inspiration for this a few weeks back when I was driving. Being a permit driver, I know what it's like to learn how to drive, and I figured that Belle, being the person she is, would want to learn how. Then, since Thanksgiving was less than a week away, I incorporated that as well so I had an excuse to publish something today.
But anyways, enough blabbing on my part, and enjoy :D
The shiny, bold exteriors, adorned with different colors, different metals, different toners. The fuzzy, cool insides, some tan and leathery while others dark and glossy. The small click followed by the sharp wind and finally the roar of the engine as the contraption comes to life. The dull rumble that clucks along as you go. The soft vibration under your seat that you sometimes forget is even there. The strange contraption in the center that plays all sorts of different music at the touch of a button. The ability to change the temperature, depending on your mood, by merely turning a knob.
Yes, the automobile certainly did fascinate Belle.
This obsession didn't start too long ago. It was the day Belle was finally freed of her mental institution prison by the strange man in the long coat. His instructions to her were simple.
Find Mr. Gold, tell him Regina locked you up, and he will protect you.
Of course, at the time she was thoroughly confused at these instructions. Who was this man? Who was Mr. Gold? Why would he help her? But, despite the numerous questions that circled around her head, she took the directions and followed them through. And boy was she glad she did.
By the end of the day, she had finally reunited with her love and all amends had been made. No longer were there uncertainties of each other's feelings or how the other would react if one saw them. All shame had been put to rest, and for that moment, the only thing that mattered was Them. Together. At last.
When they had finally reached the Pawn Shop, Rumpelstiltskin announced that a small shopping trip was in order.
"It's about time we got you out of those rags," he said, his borough penetrating through his words a lot harsher than Belle had last remembered. But then again, he didn't speak in his squeaky high falsetto anymore. Was this how his voice really sounded?
Belle had memories—fake memories—of car rides from her life in Storybrooke, so the sight of the automotive wasn't much of a surprise when she finally came upon it. But then why did she stop in her tracks as he opened the door for her? Why did her heart suddenly rise to her throat, causing her to feel the rapid beating in her neck?
"Is something the matter?" he asked, gently holding her upper arm in his hand in a reassuring fashion.
"I've just never been in a car before," she said simply with a slight shake of her head. "I mean, I have memories but they aren't real."
"We can walk if you prefer," he said, his concerned eyes never leaving her face.
"No, no, I want to ride. I…I just don't know what to expect, I suppose."
Rumpelstiltskin smiled, placing his hand on the small of her back to lead her into the automobile.
"Well then, Miss Belle, I sure hope you're up for an adventure."
The ride didn't disappoint.
It may have only been a mere few minutes, but each second was just as exhilarating as the one before. As Rumpelstiltskin started the car, causing the engine to roar to life, Belle let out a small squeal in surprise. She wasn't expecting the machine to cause such noise. He chuckled, amused by the girl's innocence. As she relaxed into her seat, Rumpelstiltskin backed out of the driveway, which only caused Belle to grasp the coat hanger handle. She wasn't expecting the vehicle to take off so quickly! The world seemed to be speeding past her, the crisp nature colors of Maine all mixing in with each other, causing to eyes to cross in dizziness.
Luckily, it wasn't long before Belle was able to get past the new thrills and fully relax into her dark fuzzy seat. It was like having a big, metal horse that you could feed gasoline and coax by pressing a petal on the floor. The only difference was the maximum speed…and the fact that the auto was obedient. The pair soon galloped down the street and pulled in front of the small outlet shop. Rumpelstiltskin silenced the auto's engine, causing the soft rumble to die down, and pulled the key out of the ignition, acting like it was the most normal action in the world. Belle, on the other hand, stayed planted in her seat, eyes wide and mouth agape.
Her strange behavior didn't go unnoticed.
"You okay, dearie?" he asked, puzzled eyes burning deeply into the side of her head.
"I'm fine," Belle assured, the gentle voice snapping her back to reality. "Never been better."
Despite the strange, somewhat negative feeling that came with her as she slammed the car door shut behind her, Belle found herself thirsty for more. Never before had something so strange and frightening been so appealing.
She would not let the car rides stop.
She couldn't.
The longer her time outside of her prison cell, the stronger her relationship with Rumpelstiltskin grew, as did her obsession with his car. She started making her boyfriend drive to the Pawn Shop every day, no matter the weather or whether or not if she was planning on staying with him, just so she could get some car time. With each ride, she became more and more comfortable with the strange contraption, and was even able to operate a few of the gadgets: the defroster and radio to name a few. The longer she spent in the car, the more she wanted to know about it, until her fascination escalated to its final climax.
"Rum—Gold," Belle almost slipped one day as the couple browsed the isles of the local grocery store. Thanksgiving was just around the corner, and Belle had convinced him to make a traditional dinner to celebrate. Rumpelstiltskin was currently glancing over various brands of canned green beans, and Belle could see his ears visibly perk at the sound of her voice, signaling that he was paying attention. "Can I drive home?"
Rumpelstiltskin nearly dropped the can he was holding at the sound of the prospect. As he recovered and placed the processed veggie into the cart, he tried to move past the subject.
"You can't just drive a car, Belle," he said with a small chuckle as he tried to walk past her. "There's a lot of mechanics behind it. It takes practice to perfect."
"Well then," she said, playfully sliding herself between the man and the shelf of breadcrumbs. "You'll just have to teach me then."
"Oh, I don't know," said Rumpelstiltskin with mock-consideration, merely pretending to lack interest. "As you know, I am a very busy man."
"I think you'll be able to find time," she said simply, as she discreetly snaked her hand up the man's arm and around his neck. She could see the blush forming around her touch, threatening to creep higher on his face. However, being the professional business man he was, Rumpelstiltskin pushed all such mind, thoughts to the back of his and responded in a cool and collected, yet alluring tone.
"I guess I can move around my schedule. But just because you asked so nicely."
Belle figured Rumpelstiltskin was pretty eager, for within 24 hours, the Thanksgiving turkey was in the oven, and Belle sat in the driver's seat of the car. She remained stiff in her seat, keeping her arms pined to her sides and her fists by her hips. There was so much to look and know about. Different colored lights that were in different symbol shapes. Two sticks jutting out of the left side steering wheel and a strange looking hole on the other. And that described about half of it. There was still the joystick that sat right between the two front seats. It was overwhelming, and intriguing.
"Okay," said Rumpelstiltskin after securely buckling his seat belt. He was not about to become hospitalized from teaching his girlfriend how to drive. "The first thing you have to do is start the engine of the car. Take this," he handed her a silver key with a black, plastic base, "and stick in there," he pointed to the hole on the right side of the wheel. Belle obliged successfully. "Now, turn it hard clockwise to get it to start up."
A loud roar sounded, and like the first time Belle rode in a car, she let out a small squeal in surprise. Rumpelstiltskin couldn't help but give her a smile. What could he say? Her delight was infectious. As was everything else about her.
"Good, now that the easy part is out of the way, let's go over the floor pedals. The big one on the left is the brake. You use it to stop the car from moving. Now, the smaller one on the right is the accelerator, which causes the vehicle to go faster. You have to be careful, though, not to push it down too hard. It'll speed up faster than you think."
Belle tentatively tapped the smaller pedal, only to drop her shoulders in confusion when nothing happened.
"Did I do something wrong?" she asked.
"No, you're doing everything correct. We just haven't gone over the gear shift," he said simply as he pointed to the joystick. "This controls the direction the car moves in. There are three main gears that we're going to cover today, because quite frankly, they're the only ones you'll use. Right now the gear in action is "Park". See how it's right next to the P?"
Belle nodded as she studied the area very carefully. The letters below the P were R, D, N, 1-2. Then she remembered a small detail she picked up from watching Rumpelstiltskin drive.
"Does moving the stick from P to D move it forward?" she clarified.
"That's correct," the man said with a proud, crooked smile. "See you're picking this up fast. However, in drive, we can't go backwards, which is what we need to do to get out of the driveway. So, when we want to drive backwards, we move the stick so it's next to the R, which stands for reverse. Let's try that. Keep your foot on the break when you change the gear to reverse then easily back out of the driveway by letting your foot off the break and gently accelerating. Then, when I say to, I want you to turn the wheel all the way to the right, you got that?"
"I think so," Belle said, bouncing nervously in her seat.
"Alright then, give it a try."
The process couldn't have gone by any slower. All of Belle's movements were miniscule and reduced to the speed of a snail. It was a good five minutes before the car had reached the bottom of the driveway, and by that point, Rumpelstiltskin's patience was wearing thin. As the back tires dropped when they rolled off the small bump, he informed Belle to turn the wheel. The feat was accomplished smoothly and accident free and it wasn't long before the car was on the right side of the road and facing the proper direction. Steading the car to a stop, Belle let out a sigh in relief.
"Are we ready to drive now?" asked a slightly annoyed Rumpelstiltskin.
"Yeah, I'm ready to do this!" Belle exclaimed, her confidence returning. If she could back out of a driveway, then driving straight forward should be nothing.
Rumpelstiltskin, preparing himself for a slow, calm stroll down the street, was thrown to the back of his seat as Belle snapped the gear in drive and zealously slammed on the accelerator. His whole body was pressed against the dark seat, complete with his arms in the arm and a wild look of shock spread across his face. Belle, on the other hand, was unfazed, and continued down her side of the road with the speed steadily increasing.
"We're off a bit fast, don't you think?" he asked.
"Shush Rumpel, I know what I'm doing," Belle snapped back, her eyes not leaving the road.
The car sped down the road and was quickly nearing an intersection. Rumeplstiltskin could see a car coming from the left, about to cross their path, and tried to warn Belle. However, she was well across the way and blazing down the road with a loud car horn following her.
"You do know you just committed a felony," he said, his voice tired. "You can't pass a stop sign like that."
But Belle didn't hear him. The excitement buzzed in her eyes, making her oblivious to her surroundings. Rumpelstiltskin closed his eyes and offered a small plea to the gods. He could tell his girlfriend wasn't going to stop any time soon.
The couple didn't return until four that afternoon. Belle practically leapt into the house, her eyes bright and proud. In followed a staggering Rumpelstiltskin, leaning heavily on his cane and his limp proving more prominent. He closed his eyes, thankful to return to the sanctity of his home. There were no automobiles for Belle to drive in here. They weren't going to jail now. They weren't going to die.
He followed Belle into the kitchen and found her looking into the oven, checking on the Thanksgiving turkey. Rumpelstiltskin took a seat at the bar opposite of her and rested his head in his hand. Closing his eyes he tried to relax, but frightening images of the almost-accidents wouldn't stop flashing across his memory. Suddenly, he felt a light kiss on his old cheek, and opened his eyes to see Belle standing next to him.
"Thank you," she said while gently rubbing his back. "I really appreciate it."
The fiend's hard eyes softened at her gentle gratitude. It was hard to stay mad at her for long, and besides, it was only her first time out. Things were meant to progress from here.
A few moments later found the two working in the kitchen, shoes and jackets replaced by aprons tied around their waists. They stood side by side, Rumpelstiltskin straining the green beans and Belle chopping the potatoes for smashing. Rumpelstiltskin looked over to see how she was doing, only to see that she was struggling. She was feverishly sawing the starch with a small knife and watching with disdain at the small dent it made.
"Here," he said, handing her a much larger knife. "Use this, and don't saw it." He made his way so that he stood right behind her. Brushing his chest up against her back, he placed each hand over one of hers, and together, they held the large utensil. "Just place the knife where you want to cut," he said, his voice bright, almost happy, "and push down with both hands."
Belle laughed as they went through the motion, and Rumpelstiltskin even found himself smiling.
"Oh, so you mean like this," she said with a small, mischievous smirk. In one, fluid, rapid fire movement, Belle sliced the potato, one chop coming directly after the previous in a consistent beat. She then lifted the chopping board to the pot of boiling water on the stove and swiped the starch into the liquid. Rumpelstiltskin stared at her, mouth open and eyes amused.
"My, my, you do pick up quickly," he purred, staying stationed at his spot behind Belle.
"Well, I do have a good teacher," she played back, turning to him with a bright smile.
A sudden urge came over Rumpelstiltskin. He felt a need to be pressed against her, and he couldn't draw his eyes away from her lips. Her smile. Her clear, blue eyes. Everything about her was giving off this sense of innocence, and causing a low, hungry growl to form in the pit of his stomach. She looked at him like she didn't know. She had to be aware of the glance that made his chest grow warm, and the smile cause a sudden wave of happiness to overcome him. Surely she knew what she was doing to him.
But apparently, she didn't. Either that or she was just being cruel to him, for she quickly snuck out of his hold and busied herself once again. Rumpelstiltskin returned to his station and tried to suppress his sudden wave of desire. He wasn't hiding it forever, oh no. He just had to wait for the right time to bring it out.
Dinner was finished and served at seven that night. The table of four was set so that Rumpelstiltskin and Belle sat across from each other with the food on the middle of the table. Very formal. Very traditional. But since when was Rumpelstiltskin one for traditions? It wasn't long before the couple switched up the seating. The two chairs were placed right next to each other, and the couple ate at each other's sides. Rumpelstiltskin's arm was draped around her shoulders, and Belle sat snugly against him. A very comfortable, very relaxed setting. Very refreshing. Very them.
The two watched the food blankly, not really focusing on what was currently going on. Belle was lost in the smell of the man behind her, while Rumpelstiltskin was too distracted over his girlfriend's soft skin. It wasn't an awkward silence. The two sat relaxed. Glad to be with each other. Not wishing for anything else.
"Rum," she said softly, not wanting to spoil the moment. Belle could see his ears visibly perk at the sound of her voice, signaling that he was paying attention. "What are you thankful for?"
"I have many things I should be grateful for, Belle," he said, turning slightly to face her while tracing small circles into her arm. "But all of them pale in comparison to you." Rumpelstiltskin could feel her smile on his chest and lightly kissed her on her head. He tightened his hold, pulling her close to her body, and she happily obliged by snuggling into his chest. "What about you?"
"Call me crazy," she said, "but I'm most thankful for the Curse."
"Care to enlighten me?"
"Well, if the curse was never enacted, I would still be locked away, and you would still think I'm dead. The Curse sort of gave us a second chance. One we would never get if we still lived in our old world. It gave us a chance for love."
The turkey had long grown cold, as did everything else on the table, but the couple could care less. They stayed in each other's arms as they ate. They threw playful, flirtatious comments back and forth and simply enjoyed the other's company. After washing the dishes and putting away the extra food, the two walked up the dark stairs, their hands intertwined. As Rumpelstiltskin led them towards his bedroom, a small smirk spread across his face. He let the hungry growl pass through his better judgment, allowing it to grow in his stomach and overtake his body. Perhaps now was a better time to act upon it.