Hey guys, this idea just popped into my head and I don't really know what to do with it. If you have prompts then I would love to hear them! Hope you enjoy!
"Rumple?" he hears his maid's questioning voice ring out through the castle. No, no, no, no, no. This is not alright. She can't find him, not like this.
"Go away dearie!" he calls, trying his best to make his voice sound as normal as possible. And naturally failing miserably. "I'm busy!" She, being the ornery maid she is, ignores him and enters his work tower anyways. He sinks back farther into his shadowy corner, hoping she won't find him.
"You need to eat," she informs him. She is holding a plate in her hands and really it's actually rather sweet… No, no it's not. And even if it is, he doesn't care. He's the Dark One. He's also not hungry, and is about to tell her so when his stomach rebels against him and rumbles. "Rumple?" she asks in shock when she sees him. Fine, best make the most of this. He steps out of the shadows, going on his tiptoes to snatch the food away from her.
"This is just a magical experiment," he lies as he sets the food on his work table, climbing up onto his stool so he can eat. "Only temporary."
"You have no idea how to fix it," Belle accuses. He turns and catches a glint of amusement in her eyes. He does his characteristic scary scowl as he stands up on the stool.
"Do you want me to turn you into a toad?" he questions her, wagging his finger at her. She still looks amused, but she does try her best to look ashamed, even if he can tell it's fake.
"Of course not," she agrees.
"Good, then you can leave now," he says, turning back to the table. Only, he's not used to his new condition and he loses his balance, tipping over backwards. That could have been the end of his existence, but Belle just so happens to be quick on her feet. He stares up into her face for a moment, but he just feels so small and helpless that he can't take it. He squirms, trying to wriggle free of her grip. She sets him on the ground with a frown on her face.
"Are you sure it's safe for you to be working?" she asks him.
"Of course," he tells her stubbornly as he begins to climb back on top of the stool. "I am the most powerful Dark Wizard in the Enchanted Forest and…" He stops talking when she firmly grabs him and sets him on the ground, standing between him and the stool.
"And you're in the body of a child," she points out as she glares down at him like he's some misbehaving toddler. His scowl deepens.
"And you are still my maid which means you still have to listen to me," he states.
"I believe you said that you were looking for a caretaker," she argues. He'd be proud of her manipulation of words if she wasn't using it on him. "And a caretaker takes care of people even if it means denying them of what they want. Working is dangerous for you right now."
"My whole castle is dangerous," he points out, crossing his arms and giving her a glare that would normally have her doing what he said, even if it was only after she rolled her eyes at him. Now it doesn't work at all. He blames his little kid face.
"I'll kid proof it," she says, completely undaunted.
"Oh no," he argues. "You will not kid proof the Dark Castle." She ignores him, grabbing his plate and ushering him out of the tower. "It's my castle!" he whines as she leads him down the stairs. "I can do what I want in my castle!"
"When you're in an adult body," Belle qualifies, seemingly completely unperturbed.
"I have an image to keep," he informs her, following her into the dining room.
"And I hardly doubt kid proofing will cause any great damage when compared to your current appearance," Belle tells him patiently as she sets his food by his normal spot. Then she moves to pick him up and set him in his chair, but he backs away, arms crossed. She has already man-handled him enough today and he doesn't want any more.
"I can sit in my chair on my own," he informs her.
"Fine," she says, raising her hands up in defeat. Satisfied that she isn't going to pick him up, he moves past her before clambering up into his chair. He turns and sees just how far away the table is from the chair. Now he'd going to have to get back down, push the chair closer, and… Suddenly the chair is moving. He gasps in shock, clinging to one of the arm rest. A giggle comes from behind and once the chair stops moving her turns to see his maid.
"Belle," he says in his annoyed voice. Normally she would act properly chastised, but apparently it doesn't work as well in little kid form. All it does is cause Belle to giggle again. He stands up in his chair, crossing his arms and giving Belle a glare. "I can do things on my own," he pouts. She gets herself under control, nodding solemnly at him.
"Yes of course," she agrees. Well, that's the best he's probably going to get. He sighs, turning back to the table. He frowns when he realizes he won't be tall enough to sit in his chair and eat. Instead he climbs up onto the table, giving Belle a glare as he silently dares her to argue. She just sighs in exasperation. Satisfied, he plops down next to his food, ready to enjoy Belle's cooking. And afterwards he's going to figure out how to get himself back to normal, whether Belle is going to let him around his 'dangerous' tools or not.