Woohoo! Second Rumbelle fic! :) I am telling you, I am utterly and helplessly obsessed with these two. Expect more oneshots. Perhaps a series eventually. I hope this isn't too bad, I just had to get it out in text before my brain exploded.
I own nothing but my fangirling heart.
It snowed the day after they had almost left one another until he could find Baelfire. The day after she had timidly asked him on a date. For hamburgers of all things.
Mr. Gold wanted to be happy. He wanted to be hopeful, but she wasn't in bed with him that night. He couldn't have his arms around her, and that terrified him. He had lost her once. Regina was acting as if she was the recovering villain, but he didn't believe it for one second. Belle was in danger. She wasn't as close anymore. Not close enough to protect so easily.
He needed to think. To clear his mind. A walk perhaps. Yes, that sounds good. Rumpelstiltskin set out after locking up his shop, his cane clacking along the sidewalk. Various people were out and about. Some stared, some seemed scared upon seeing him. He gave a huff of irritation at their outward looks and went back to thinking of how he would protect his Belle.
He was thinking of finding her and asking her if she was in the mood for a hamburger when he heard a murmur of surprise among the townsfolk. Snow. It fell in large clumps. "It's not even winter!" one bystander muttered.
The bystander was correct. It wasn't winter.
It appeared to be magic. Magic caused many side effects, this was most likely one of them. He wondered if they'd have hot days when it did come to be winter.
He ignored the cold and resumed his walking. He halted as he neared the library.
Belle emerged from inside just as he neared her new workplace, wonder plainly written on her face. Her blue eyes were shining and a bright smile was on her face as she slowly raised her hand to catch a snowflake. She laughed. She didn't care if anyone saw. She didn't care if they found her crazy for being so happy.
Of course. She'd been stuck in that damned prison underneath the hospital ever since she emerged into this world. Perhaps she saw the snow from her small barred window, but she hadn't touched it since...
Rumpelstiltskin suddenly laughed aloud at the memory they had shared. It had been one of his favorites to remember whenever he was in a sad mood. The memory that was set in a different land. At a time when they were shamelessly beginning to have feelings for one another.
"Rumpelstiltskin!" Belle shouted from across the dining room of the Dark Castle.
He lifted his head from his gold weaving. With anyone else, he would've been irritated, but the smile on her face made him struggle to keep a frown on his own. "What's the problem?" he called, resuming his weaving.
"It's snowing! How odd is that? It's not even winter." she had just gotten done with dusting his various artifacts in the cabinets along the wall and had been preparing to clean the large windows when she had noticed the white fluff covering the ground.
"Magic." he simply stated, almost coyly.
"Oh come now!" she rolled her eyes, approaching him. "May I go outside? The first snow is often a celebration in many towns." she kneeled beside him, her hands settled on her lap.
"This isn't a town, dearie." he gave a small giggle at his own statement.
"Why yes, I'm very aware of that, but we should go out to see! I'm sure you are rich enough with gold thread that it won't hurt to go out for a bit." She begged, her bottom lip unintentionally sticking out.
He sighed. She was good at this. "Fine, fine. Go out, but you'd better come back or I'll come out and carry you back myself." He made it clear he didn't intend to go along. This leniency was just a reward for her loyalty to him.
"Thank you." she gave a sincere smile before hopping up and scurrying off. She emerged in a lovely pomegranate colored winter robe. "Come on, Rumpelstiltskin. Are you afraid to have fun?" she pleaded as she pulled the hood of the robe up and about her face.
"No, I'm afraid of catching a cold!" he giggled, flicking his fingers about as he resumed work.
She huffed. "Fine." She stood there a moment longer before a mischievous smile covered her face.
She returned a half an hour later, her hands behind her back. He was still sitting, threading gold. "Have fun, dearie?" he casually questioned.
"Of course. And you missed all of it. Worry not though, Rumpelstiltskin, I brought a gift!" and before he could reply, a ball of snow hit him square in the chest.
He was rather shocked at her bravery. Had she not heard about the stories of what happened when people tested him like this? He slowly looked to her.
He scowled.
She smiled.
Rumpelstiltskin was not the nicest...thing living on this strange land, but he couldn't resist that smile. Her playfulness was almost like a spell in the air. Intoxicating.
As he said nothing, her face slowly slid into an expression of worriment. She looked down to the floor, ashamed. Would he harm her? Would he kick her out and leave her to wander the land in the cold? "I'm sorr-"
She was cut off by a remade snowball. "Rumpelstiltskin!" she gasped, shocked at his action.
"What goes around comes around, my dear!" he trilled, his nose crinkling as he gave that addictive giggle he had that had her giggling along with him.
Mr. Gold couldn't help but wish that she was thinking of that moment right now. The snow was falling so fast and in such large clumps that the ground was already covered.
Belle was crouching now, her hands in the snow, absently tracing pictures into the sidewalk.
She drew a teacup. Their chipped cup. He almost snorted at the cheesiness of her option, but he knew he would've drawn the same thing in her place. She looked up to see him standing there. A smile plastered on his hard face and both of his hands gripping onto his cane. She quickly slapped her hand into the tracing of the cup, not wanting him to see.
Was he remembering the same memory that she was? He looked conflicted as she stared at him. He was probably worried that she would grow angry at him. She didn't. Instead, she formed a ball of snow. She stood, giving a loud sigh as she held the ball of snow to him.
Mr. Gold made his way to her, taking the snowball in his gloved hand. "Were you thinking of that moment as well?" he softly questioned.
"Of course. I can't very well forget the moment I thought you'd toss me out the window because of a snowball." she gave a nervous smile, afraid of breaking her resolve against his magic. Afraid she'd overstep her sternness against magic that she had indicated before.
Silly Belle, how can you guard yourself against someone you love? She asked herself.
"You must be cold." he commented.
"I am." she admitted.
He removed his jacket, swapping his cane between hands as he took it off. He wrapped it around her shoulders. "Are you done for the day?" he asked.
"I am." she repeated.
"Today seems to be a good day to eat at Granny's." he said, fidgeting with his cane.
He was nervous that she'd turn him down. She smiled at that. "Well, I don't think today would be the best day for hamburgers...I did hear about...heated chocolate?"
"Hot chocolate." he smiled as he corrected her. "Of course. Granny's also serves those. Just promise me we won't go through the entire menu before we finally get to those hamburgers, dearie." he flinched as he realized he called her "dearie." He didn't want to overstep his boundaries. Nor did he want her to think he was taking their conversation in the library lightly.
"I promise." she didn't seem to mind his slip at all. In fact, she linked her arm through his.
The rest of the day was a memory they would both recall together whenever the first snow of the year came around.
He would remember the delight on her face as she took a sip of hot chocolate for the first time.
She would remember how he clenched onto her bare skin in his sleep when she rejoined him in bed.
I had this idea this morning when I opened the blinds to see snow. I imagine that Belle loves the stuff, and her love is addictive, so Rumple would love it too. I was listened to The A Team by Ed Sheeran whilst writing. I dunno, it reminds me of Belle in a way!
Review if you so desire, dearie! :)