Crash! Bang! Clatter!
The sound of tumbling metal evicted Rumplestiltskin from his mind numbing spinning. 'Belle' he worriedly thought to himself as he instantaneously vanished from the great hall.
He reappeared in the kitchen, panic written all over his face as he looked around the room for any signs of his maid. 'What has she done this time?!'
When he didn't immediately see her, he became even more alarmed.
"Belle?" he worriedly asked to the empty space.
His maid popped her head up from behind a counter top. Her hair was an absolute mangled mess with some strands falling in front of her face and others sticking up like she had recently been struck by lightning. Embarrassingly, the thought did occur that some might have actually hit her. The magic in this castle had a tendency to be a little unpredictable at times.
She looked frazzled but there was determination in her eyes. Her face was a tint more red than usual and she was panting like an exhausted canine.
"Rumplestiltskin?" She hurriedly got to her feet and patted down her dress, which was covered in flour. "I am sorry if I disturbed you."
"It's almost as if you relish that thought, my dear!" His impish tone had returned to his voice after knowing she was fine and unharmed.
He was still curious as to what had caused such a ruckus but figured Belle would tell him before he need ask. He didn't want to ask, he didn't want to sound like he cared enough to do so.
"I don't relish that, Rumple." Belle replied. She had started occasionally calling him 'Rumple' a few weeks back after they had a small heart-to-heart about something or the other, Rumplestiltskin couldn't remember now.
What he did remember was how she blushed when he raised his eyebrow at her after she had first used the nickname. She had immediately apologised, of course, but he brushed the apology away and told her he didn't mind it. That had made her blush even more.
Since then though, she seemingly had gotten used to calling him 'Rumple'. More often than not it was when she was trying to be at her most sincere or when she wanted something from him.
Belle had gotten back on her hands and knees and was looking under the tables for something.
"If you're so adamant on cleaning the floor, Dearie, may I suggest a mop?" He quipped, knowing this would drive her to answer his unasked question: 'What are you actually doing?'
"I am not cleaning the floor." She protested. "I am trying to find their nest!"
Baffled, Rumplestiltskin gave up his attempt at indifference. "Their nest?"
"The rats, Rumple. They're everywhere! It's driving me insane!" She flung her arms about as she spoke, an exasperated look on her face.
Rumplestiltskin would have giggled and uttered something about her already being insane, but he actually felt almost sorry for her. She was so wound up by this whole affair that he opted to calm her down instead.
"My dear, I can assure you there are no rats around. There haven't been for centuries. It seems even rodents are scared of the All Powerful Dark One." He bowed exaggeratedly, as if he were proud of his accomplishment.
"Well, they aren't anymore." She stated matter of factly as she got back up from her knees.
"I beg to differ." He retorted, sneering childishly.
"You can beg all you like. It doesn't make my statement any less factual." She folded her arms, almost readying for their disagreement to get out of hand. They usually did.
"What makes your statement less factual, my dear, is the fact that there are no rats." He gestured to the room around him, empty except for himself and his maid.
Realising the truth in his words, Belle unfolded her arms. She needn't fight him about this. He would see them soon enough.
"If you stay long enough, you will see them, Rumple. You really will." He had better things to be doing with his time, but her eyes were so hopeful.
"You're just looking for excuses to spend time with me, aren't you, Dearie?" His impish, giddy squeals echoed through the wide space as he spoke. He had expected her to decline the notion, he was merely joking after all.
She didn't. Instead, Belle's lips stretched into a timid smile as she looked away from his intense gaze, a light blush appearing on her cheeks.
Taken aback by her reaction, he awkwardly stood there in silence, studying her face. 'What is she up to?' he wondered to himself. Curiosity enveloped him and he concluded he'd just have to find out.
"Very well then, I'll stay." His voice was an octave or two lower than usual.
He made his way across the room and sat on the long cooking table. Belle, however, hadn't moved. She was still by some tables to the right of Rumplestiltskin and completely avoiding making eye contact with him. Her usual headstrong attitude seemed to have evaporated into thin air.
Rumplestiltskin found her new persona unusual. He stared at her, attempting to figure out why it had suddenly changed. His stares worsened things for Belle. She had been so suddenly tongue tied by his question and now couldn't stop her heart from beating heavily in her chest.
The Dark One has stayed with her upon her request. Had he stayed because of the rats, or because he thought she wanted him to? Belle wasn't sure. The real question for Belle was whether she'd asked him to stay because of the rats or because she actually enjoyed his company.
Belle decided to do the brave thing and hoped that bravery would follow. She sucked up all her courage and walked over to Rumplestiltskin, sitting besides him on the table. He tensed at their sudden proximity. When her thigh made contact with his, he flinched but didn't pull away.
Rumplestiltskin could hardly believe what was happening. She was choosing to be close to him, she had wanted him to stay – for whatever reason that may be, he didn't actually care at this moment in time because her leg brushed up against his and his breath caught in his throat. A small thought crept into his mind, 'did she purposely do that?'
An hour had come to pass and there was still no sign of any rats scuttling about. Belle and Rumplestiltskin were still sat besides each other. Rumplestiltskin had summoned a tea tray to them so that they could pass the time in relative comfort.
At first the silence was awkward and uncomfortable, but it soon became calming for the pair. They had spoken a few words in the hour that they'd been together, but nothing like an actual conversation. They found themselves enjoying the quiet company – it was nice.
Rumplestiltskin was the first to break the silence. "It seems you were mistaken, my dear!" He was pleased to have won, but in doing so meant that he now had to leave her side.
"I wasn't wrong, I swear they were here." She was fiddling with a strand of her hair as she spoke, delicately passing it over and through her fingertips.
"You're not very confident, Dearie." He was watching her fingers as he spoke, trying to be his usual impish self but it ended up sounding forced from his lips.
"I know what I saw, they-" Their eyes met as she spoke and her train of thought was immediately lost.
They were mere inches apart and gazing into each other's eyes. Her mouth went dry. She hadn't even closed it, her lips were ready to carry on the words she'd lost somewhere between the golden eyes of the Dark One and the breath that hitched in her throat.
Rumplestiltskin swallowed hard. Her name had been rightly given. She was absolutely beautiful. She was also, no, she couldn't be, but she was – she was starting to lean towards him. The Dark One unconsciously licked his lips, anticipating what was about to happen between them.
Crash!
The fallen metallic tray snapped them out of it. They pulled away from each other as they jumped down from the table to inspect what had made such a commotion.
They caught the glimpse of a tail scuttling behind a few barrels that lay rested on a countertop across the room.
"Those damned rodents!" Belle practically screamed as she picked up a spatula and lunged herself after it.
Rumplestiltskin just stood there with a small smile on his face. His fingers ran across his lips at the knowledge of what had almost happened. 'Those damned rodents indeed, Dearie. Those damned rodents, indeed.' He thought to himself and he knew that the rat wasn't the only 'something there that wasn't there before.'
Author's Note:
OMG! I had the best of times writing this one! My Rumbelle loving mind just couldn't resist writing this sappy little FanFic!
I only hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Thank you so much xox