Dusty Jackets
By RosexKnight
In Storybrooke, Gold finds that Belle is quite peculiar about the books she reads when it comes to romance, and decides to do some research to see what she sees in them…
The spinning was something Belle admittedly missed from their days in The Dark Castle. Though she had to admit that she preferred the salmon house they resided in now. She still took care of the cooking and cleaning, a domestic habit she didn't break, and the house was a cozy and intimate change to the sometimes cold castle, which she welcomed.
He didn't spin much in this world, but he did often fiddle with items in his shop, tinkering endlessly with watches and jewelry. That was this world's spinning. On days when the library was slow, Belle made a habit to visit him, often bringing lunch and finding him engrossed in his work. Watching him like this was almost good as spinning.
Almost.
She started leaving books in the back room of his shop, ones she liked reading. A pile formed, including one familiar one with a dusty jacket. However, one day she found it gone.
"Rumple?" she called. A grunt of acknowledgement came from the main room, The Dark One obviously not looking up from whatever he was tinkering with. "What did you do with Devin?"
A clank was heard, and Rumpelstiltskin was in the back room in an instant. He looked to Belle's small pile of books, then to her I what seemed like confusion and misplaced annoyance. "Who on Earth is Devin?"
"No, not who. The book. The one with the blue jacket that was all dusty." Belle said, looking through the stack of books. "I thought I left him on the table."
"You named the book?"
Belle shook her head, "No. Devin is the name of the prince."
Gold blinked, trying to process this new information. "You…refer to your romance books as the name of the man in the book?"
"Well it's easier than saying the title." She frowned, not finding what she was looking for. She picked up another book, this one bound in a green cover. "I suppose I can read another."
"Well what's so special about Devin?" Rumple said the name with a bit more bite than he meant, and it earned him a wry look from Belle. "Aren't the other books just as good?"
"Well I suppose but you know Devin is my favorite. He's the only book of mine you've ever read too."