Summary: Belle is standing in Gold's bedroom after he had brought magic to a land without.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of OUAT

Pairing: Rumpelstiltskin/Belle

Rating: T

A NIGHT SPENT TOGETHER:

Belle couldn't believe where she was. She was standing in the bedroom of Rumpelstiltskin in the land without magic. It was strange to think what all had happened to her, from being with him, to being cast out, taken by the Queen, and locked up for years. It was doing her head in to think about it. The most pressing concern for her was the magic he brought forth today from the well. Belle still couldn't make sense of it. So far she had noticed nothing else out of place, though she wasn't one to judge. Now she stood in his bedroom waiting for him to return with a long sleeved shirt for her to put on. He had given her a pair of black cotton pants and a t-shirt to sleep in. Her eyes lingered over the large bed covered with a mixture of black, crimson, blue and gold sheets, pillows with a comforter folded down at the foot of the bed. The headboard was elaborately carved with a forest scene detailed with a unicorn, a wishing well between a stand of trees. She pictured home. Against her minds wishes, she pictured herself sleeping beneath those covers wrapped safely in the arms of the man she loved.

Rumpelstiltskin stood in the open doorway of his bedroom watching Belle as she stared intently at his bed that for years had been too lonely. At least now he knew now why he bought the bed; his subconscious must have thought it would have been something Belle would have enjoyed. He stepped into the room gaining her attention, "I have the long sleeved shirt I promised." She turned dropping her gaze to the floor; she was hiding her eyes from him. "Belle, what's wrong?" Rumpelstiltskin crossed the room to her and with his free hand tipped her head back to look at him. There, deep in her eyes he saw the first spark of lust, of desire. His heart kicked up in speed. So many things had happened to him, Belle was the one good thing he thought he never would have again. Rumpelstiltskin hadn't thought about his desire for her until he saw it reflected in her eyes. She wasn't ready for that. "Here, you can sleep in the bed, I'll be…" He backed away from her only a step back but she stopped him.

"I've been alone for so long, not tonight, please. Don't leave me in the dark." Belle pleaded, her voice finally breaking with all the conflicting emotions. The jacket she had worn slipped free from her hands so she could throw herself into his arms. She tried to kiss him, at the last minute his head turned, her lips touching his cheek. Belle left his arms asking, "Are you still so afraid of my kiss?" Rumpelstiltskin didn't answer her. His hands cupped her face bringing her back to him, his lips dancing over hers begging her to kiss him back. Belle responded, her hands tangling his in hair. She moaned when his tongue traced the line between her lips wickedly teasing her to open her mouth to him. His tongue swept past her lips stealing her breath.

As quickly as he kissed her Rumpelstiltskin pulled back trying to regain his senses, to catch his breath, and still his raging heart beat, "I am no longer afraid." He rested his forehead to hers breathing her in, feeling her in his arms, letting it sink into his mind that she was real. Rumpelstiltskin had needed her for so long and now he had her, he was going to savor the feel of her. "I want to take this slow." He whispered between small kisses to her temple but it was her hands that slid down his chest to where his suit jacket was buttoned. Nimbly her fingers parted the fabric so she could slide her hands back up his chest, to his shoulders, where she pushed the jacket down his arms until it fell to the floor. He thought his heart would beat out of his chest as she began to loosen the crimson tie he wore.

Belle loosened the tie around his neck, drawing it out from under his shirt collar dropping it to the floor beside them. Rumpelstiltskin's fingers grasped the hem of her t-shirt pulling it up her head. Belle lifted her arms letting him draw the white material up and over her head revealing an equally white camisole underneath. The flimsy shirt joined his jacket and tie on the floor. She once again placed her hands on his chest drawing them down to the waistband of his pants where she pulled the dress shirt free to ease the buttons free one by one. Rumpelstiltskin made no more to stop her so she kept going. Up and up she moved until her fingers released the final button at the hollow of his throat. Rumpelstiltskin swallowed against her fingers. Belle never looked away from him. Reflected in his eyes was her own lust, her desire for him stared back at her. Like she had with his jacket Belle pushed the black shirt off his arms giving her an eye full of his perfect skin. Her eyes dropped to his chest, it was more muscled than she would have thought. Rumpelstiltskin looked good for his age.

The shirt fell away from him, fell down his arms, and then Belle's finger tips were ghosting up his skin; the barest of touches that made him shiver. She leaned into him, kissed the spot on his chest where his heart beat faster than ever, beat just for her. Her lips were so soft, he once thought to compare them to a rose, but Belle put the rose to shame. Rumpelstiltskin tangled his fingers in her hair pulling her lips away, angling her head, letting him take her mouth again in a passionate kiss designed to spike their temperatures higher, make their hunger for each other ravenous.

Belle pulled her lips away, "I want you to hold me," She tried not to cry with all the emotions running through her. He moved her in so many ways that Belle wasn't sure which emotion she was going to feel from one moment to another. "Just to hold me." Belle tried to keep her tears at bay. She couldn't understand why she wanted to cry. She was happy, she was with the man she loved, and yet there were tears in her eyes.

Rumpelstiltskin cupped her face drawing her close to place a light kiss to her forehead. "I will hold forever." He whispered before angling his head to kiss away her tears. "When you are with me, there will never be another reason for you to cry again." Seeing her tears, his own had begun to spill. His emotions were all over the place and had been since seeing her standing in the middle of his shop. For one moment he thought she had been a dream cooked up by his subconscious to torture him some more over the guilt he still harbored.

Belle rested her forehead to his cheek just happy to be in his arms again. So many things had happened to her, and then the greatest had been the magic engulfing them. In the cloud of purple smoke Rumpelstiltskin had taken his hand from her shoulder to take her hand that had been grasping at his pants leg. She couldn't see but she could feel him as he took her hand; a gentle squeeze to reassure her that everything would be ok. Now she was with him, in his home. "I love you." Belle said again.

Rumpelstiltskin kissed her lightly. "Get into bed and I'll be right back." For a second he could see fear slip into her eyes, but in the next instant it was gone. "Don't worry dearie, I won't be gone long. I just have to change." At the door he paused to gaze at her. She stood with her back to him staring at the bed. This was the first step of many for them and he hoped they would continue to move foreword. He left her standing there; soon there would be time for him to hold her in his arms.

Belle listened to the steps he took away from her knowing that he would be back. His skin had been so soft, delicate even, that he looked nothing like the man she had known. Belle wasn't sure what to make of the new Rumpelstiltskin. Though, she knew the love he had for her still burned in his eyes. She had seen a brief flicker of it on the day she left his castle; telling him he would regret his choice as she regretted leaving. As he had been too proud to go after her, she had been too proud to return to him before it was too late. Tears slid down her cheeks, her pride had landed her in the Queen's clutches. When she had managed to overcome it, to go back to him, she had been taken prisoner by the Evil Queen. Reaching out, she pulled at the silk comforter bring the corner own so she could get into bed.

Standing back in the doorway Rumpelstiltskin watched Belle settle beneath the covers waiting for him. He took a step closer to her, expected pain in his leg, but the magic in this world, making him strong there was no pain. He was still an ordinary man, but he didn't have the limp. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Rumpelstiltskin gained her attention, "Are you sure you want me to stay?" He was giving her an out, he knew that. It was stupid of him, but he had to give her the choice.

Belle didn't answer him, she moved over waiting for him to join her. She had spent all of her time in a cell away from him; there was no leaving him ever again. He settled next to her, pulling her close. Belle rested her head on is chest, her ear over his heart listening to the strong beat thumping in his chest. That was the sweetest sound in the world to her. Idly his hand tangled in her hair, his index finger twirling a lock of her hair around. Without looking Belle slid her hand up until she could twirl her finger in his hair, mirroring his actions.

"I never thought I would see you again." Rumpelstiltskin spoke to the darkness. "The Queen told me you have passed on from this life." Tears choked him then. "In that instant I knew what pain truly was as my heart broke into a million pieces weeping for you." He hugged her close, kissing the top of her head. Belle, having her back, was more than he thought he would have again.

Belle placed a light kiss over his heart. "I was on my way back to you, back to the Dark Castle, when the Queen captured me." As she could hear the tears in his voice, once again they gathered in her eyes. "She locked me away without a word." She took her hand from his hair to pull more of the comforter around her to seal in his warmth flowing into her. "I shouldn't have left." Belle admitted. When she had been talking to the dwarf about love she thought of him, her heart ached to see him again. After that she had set out for the Dark Castle again so she could convince him to let her come home. That had come to be her home in such a short amount of time. She never regretted making that choice until Belle thought of going back. Would he take her back? Would he argue? Would he yell at her? Would he have taken her in his arms and held her close like he was doing now?

"I shouldn't have let you go." Rumpelstiltskin added. She had said he was going to regret his choice and he had. The minute Belle walked out of his life he knew it was wrong to let her go. If he had gone after her, explained, maybe they could have worked out. But that had been one of many paths they could have taken. He wasn't angry. How could he be? He had her back. "We're together and things will be alright." He kissed the top of her head lovingly. When Belle offered no reply, he angled his head to catch a glimpse of her face to see she had fallen into a deep slumber. After the events of today he wondered why she hadn't slipped into sleep sooner. Hugging her closer Rumpelstiltskin settled his mind enough to follow Belle. For now at least they were safe and could have this one night to be together without fear the world would come crashing down around them.

THE END