Disclaimer: I don't own the Once Upon a Time universe.
Characters: Belle
Relationships: past Belle x Rumpelstiltskin
Rating: K
Summary: Belle's first night in the library.
Prompt: #028 "Top Five (Characters)" for The Aviary
Word Count: 585
Nights in the Library
It's late when Belle gets back to the library, long past closing at Granny's Dinner. Ruby had been kind not to kick her out earlier.
The library is dark and cold. And, though Belle is surrounded by the books that have always kept her company, she finds it lonely. It wasn't been cared for in quite some time, that's all. She thinks that, with a bit of love, it will be bright and warm again.
But not tonight.
Tonight she wanders aimlessly through the shelves. She lets her fingers trail through the dust on the spines, tracing the letters of the titles. Until she stumbles into the fiction section.
Almost automatically, she reaches for one of the adventurous romances she loved so much. The titles are different here, but she still recognizes them. It's the story of a dashing prince that battles his way through the kingdom until he's saved the princess. Then they ride off into the sunset. It's always a happy ending.
When she was a little more naive, she remembers, she wanted to be like those princes. She wanted adventure. It would be her that would be the hero of the story.
He was the one that had battled to save her. But it couldn't be a happy ending. Not really. Because he never listened to her, he never cared about her the way she cared about him. And she'd walked away.
Her hand stops itself. The book is tipped on its spine, tilting precariously. It would be easy to let it fall. All she had to do was let go. Forget about it.
Quietly, she slips the book back into place. She saves that story for another day.
Quickly, she turns on her heel and walks away. Belle makes her way back towards a section she saw earlier, a how-to section. It's a long shot, of course, but she imagines that, if this world really came from hers, the book exists in some form.
Half buried in the section, she finds what she's looking for. It's not perfect, of course. There's no substitute for a real teacher. But it looks like a decent enough guide to give her a good start, at least. Belle won't look like a fool when she goes looking for a teacher.
Clutching the book to her chest, Belle makes her way up the stairs to the small apartment at the top of the building. She turns on all the lights, flooding the room with brightness and warmth. Then she sits on the edge of the little bed, folding her legs up under her. The book lays open on her lap as she studies the first chapter intently.
When she's sure she's got a good grasp on it, she stands again. There isn't much furniture, but she moves it to clear a wide space on the floor. She draws the curtains closed. It seems like the kind of thing that should be kept secret somehow.
Belle picks up a ruler that had been left in the little desk, grasping it with both hands. It's not perfect either, but it will work for now. She starts to go through the motions, following the diagrams in the book as best she can. At first, it's stiff and awkward. But she works through the night, repeating the motions over and over again, stopping only to reexamine the book.
By the morning, it starts to feel natural. She starts to feel comfortable in her own skin again.
She didn't need him.