DISCLAIMER: Still not mine, song by the amazing Mumford & Sons

Love is the only gold.

Alfred Lord Tennyson

Part II

That We Might Be One

You saw my pain washed out in the rain

Broken glass, saw the blood run from my veins

But you saw no fault, no cracks in my heart

And you knelt beside my hope torn apart

His bedroom was lit only by the filtered moonlight streaming through his flimsy curtains, dappled grey and moonlit blue. The dark hardwood floor was smooth and pleasantly warm as they moved barefoot across it in the silence between heartbeats.

Their shoes had come off somewhere along the hall, his tie and waist coast was laid across the banister on the little landing at the bottom of the stairs. Her shoddy jacket was in the trash bin outside; he made a special trip just to banish it. She smiled at him, oh he would never tire of that smile, and he led her to the bed. His house was neat, if albeit dusty in most rooms, but this, his sanctuary was clean and tidy. The bed frame was dark wood, headboard simple and masculine, the duvet grey satin, the sheets bright white cotton and the pillows downy and encased in grey and white cotton.

They stood at the foot of the bed bodies touching but hands timid. "You are beautiful," he brushed the back of his hand from her temple, along her jaw, to her chin, thumb caressing her lips before moving to rest splayed on her chest right below the base of her throat, over the tweed shift dress she wore.

He loved the blush that filled her face in the moonlight.

"I was told that often when I was in my father's house, but I never believed it until you said it. …I never wanted someone to think me beautiful more than I wanted you to…" she was rambling he noted with a smile as he moved his hands over her body, over each curve; her shoulders, her hips, so delicate; over the roundness of her arse. "I didn't think I was a vain creature…until I went with you…"

She leaned into his touch, rubbed against him, making him bite back a groan.

"I didn't at first of course…but after a while…especially with all the mirrors covered…I began to hope you'd notice when I took extra care with my hair…I knew from keeping your collection that you liked…pretty things…"

He gave an agreeing noise in the back of this throat; "Though I never considered you a possession…you were, you are, the absolute most precious and beautiful acquisition I've ever gained…" he reached behind her and drew down the zipper along her spine.

She shivered and whimpered in his arms. He danced his fingers gently over her skin feeling suddenly drunk on her.

"I never dreamt that I'd get to keep you…" he murmured watching her, stepping back a step.

She blinked at him with a shy smile, pulling her hair over her shoulder and shrugged till the dress was nearly falling from her shoulders. He knew from the brushing of his fingers over her skin after he unzipped her that that dress was the only thing she wore.

But the ghosts that we knew will flicker from view

We'll live a long life

"We…we don't," he started feeling like he needed to give her the chance to back out again. It was physical pain to do so, but he would do it for her.

"Hush, I want you," she smiled and shrugged the dress off her shoulders letting it pool at her feet.

Rumplestiltskin choked on his groan. If she was beautiful dressed in rags, breathtaking in fine silk, she was even more magnificent in nothing but the exquisite skin she had been born in. His anatomy was twitching painfully; he hadn't felt any stirrings like this for so many years. Her limbs so graceful, skin ivory and glimmering in the moonlight, bathing her with incandescence like a perfect pearl.

She stood unabashed in his scrutiny and it pleased him. She smiled under his gaze as it lifted to perfect round breasts that were peaked and asking, nay begging, to be cupped, kissed and suckled.

"You can touch me…I would like it if you touched me," she nearly rasped, her blush was body wide.

"I was just admiring…how did I ever manage to win your love? You are so above me…" He hovered his hand over her, almost afraid if he touched she'd disappear like a delicate soap bubble. He was still terrified this was a dream and that he would be waking up to find this was all another form of torment.

"I love you…" she said simply, tiring of waiting for him it seemed and she closed the space between them and with the tips of firm breasts pressed against his chest she leaned into kiss him.

Not to just kiss him he realized, but slowly to kill him by stealing his breath and his very soul. She initiated this time, her tongue pushing against his lips to gain entrance. Her tongue danced, rubbed along the roof of his mouth, and he felt her smile and smiled in return.

So give me hope in the darkness that I will see the light

'Cause oh that gave me such a fright

But I will hold as long as you like

Just promise me we'll be alright

"You have seen me, I wish to see you…" she started to unbutton his shirt and with each button he shivered. She was undoing buttons and replacing them with tender kisses against his chest.

"I love the way you laugh," she said as she kissed over where his shirt had met at the top button.

"I love the way your smile quirks at one side…" Second button.

"I love the way you call me dearest, love and dear one" Three kisses for three pet names and the third button.

His knees were weakening and his manhood was throbbing painfully in his boxers.

"I love the way your hands speak as vividly as you do… I have always wondered if your hands would be as magical on my body as they were when you spoke…"

Rumplestiltskin's final thread of restraint broke with a resounding roar that erupted from his chest. He rent the last of the buttons from their holes and tossed the shirt to the floor and did away with his belt and pants just as quickly.

His hands, those hands she said she so loved, moved to possess her. He gripped her waist and with an agility that was more expected of a man half his age he threw her on the bed and moved over her, bent on his knees. His lame knee ached a dull, roaring fire but it somehow wasn't unbearable and he didn't want to leave the sight of her. There was something a bit fitting, like he knew he couldn't have truly without a little bit of pain.

"Lass, you should really learn not to tease a beast…" he murmured. He caught her delighted gasp with his mouth as he kissed her without restraint.

He captured one perfect rosy tipped breast in one hand and squeezed, rolling the hard nipple in his fingers, still catching all her moans of pleasure in his ardent, unrelenting kisses.

As he realized breathing was going to become necessary he let go her mouth and moved to kiss her jaw, nipping at her pounding pulse point, getting a delighted shriek in response which, just made him kiss, and nip faster. She was wiggling urgently under him. He knew she was innocent and this was new, but he also knew that she was responding eagerly. He had not only won a beauty but also brave and wanton lass, he could not believe his fortune.

A fortune he almost lost forever. A fortune he thought he had lost forever. Would he ever be able to forget what it meant to lose her? Would that pain and memory of anguish ever let go the tight grip on his chest? Ever leave his mind?

"Rumplestiltskin…what's the matter?"

She had sensed him change, he sighed "I just…"

He looked down into her perfect precious face and she looked up at him trusting and tender without a fear.

"I'm not going anywhere…so why don't you stay here with me, hmm? I'm here…forever."

So lead me back, turn south from that place

And close my eyes to my recent disgrace

'Cause you know my call

And we'll share my all

And our children come and they will hear me roar

So give me hope in the darkness that I will see the light

'Cause oh that gave me such a fright

But I will hold as long as you like

Just promise me we'll be alright

He knew what she willing to give him, what she was willing to give him freely…and he wanted it more than air. More than magic he realized suddenly. It hit him like a jolt of electricity. In the span of a moment he saw their life spread out in front him like a tapestry.

The wedding…of course she'd want a wedding. He wanted to see her in white.

The children…they would have children, she'd be the most perfect mother…and he wasn't so terrible a father, he would be better, he wouldn't make the mistakes he had before.

He saw them sharing books and tea.

He wanted this new vision more than the magic, more than the power.

For a moment, until he remembered. Remembered it would be impossible to find Bae without it…impossible to overcome Regina. Without power and magic he was a coward and near helpless. Or he had been, maybe it would be different. Then again, maybe it wouldn't. But there had been a flicker; a hope that maybe one-day things would be different…would be better. Would be more, because for a moment, he would have given it all up to keep her. Maybe the demons and the ghosts of the tormented past would flee and they would live a long, happy life.

He re-anchored himself to her, to this moment, she wasn't making him choose right now, he could have both. She was standing firmly in her light stretching out a hand to him in his grey dark shadows and offering to stay with him until he could acclimate.

He replaced his fingers on her nipple with his mouth and was rewarded with her body arching up and her crying out. He could be re-forged.

"Oh! Don't stop…please don't stop…."

But hold me still, bury my heart on the coals

But hold me still, bury my heart on the coals

"Never…" he switched to the other side and was pleased when she reacted the same way. He moved down her body, putting soft, wet, hot kisses all over her stomach, the tops of her thighs till she was writhing under him.

His lips found her soaking, hot center and she bolted upright as he flicked his tongue teasingly against her entrance. "Rumplestiltskin, Mr. Gold, Crocodile, Beast!" she shrieked and he had to cough to stifle a laugh.

Her eyes were wide as she looked at him between her legs, "…is that? That…" She looked like she had no idea what she was trying to ask.

"Trust me love…we've got all night…all of forever really, I promise, this will be good…just lay back and let me take care of you." He smiled at her, the smile rare and true.

"I trust you…and I love you…"

He nearly burst at her confidence and nodded leaning back up over to kiss her lips. Kiss her with everything he couldn't quite give voice to yet. He needed her, needed her faith and trust; needed her hope and assurance. She was the brave one, always had been. Brave enough to take a risk on him, to take a risk loving him when he was as prickly as a rose without bloom. Brave enough to strip down curtains in a dark castle and in a darker soul. Brave enough to love a beast… Oh yes, she was the brave one and she was going to save them both.

So give me hope in the darkness that I will see the light

'Cause oh that gave me such a fright

But I will hold on as long as you like

Just promise me we'll be alright

"I love you Belle, I love you, I love you..." he whispered like a prayer.

"Shh my love…we're together now, that's what matters… Forever," she laced her fingers into his soft hair, "It's okay now, we're together now…it's going to all be okay now."

But the ghosts that we knew made us black and all blue

But we'll live a long life

And the ghosts that we knew will flicker from view

And we'll live a long life

—The End—