Anonymous prompted: Can you do past!Rumple walking in on present!Rumbelle sex. And maybe before that he isn't aware that they're together romantically and this is how he finds out?

They materialized on a ridge overlooking the Dark Castle, the thick forest encroaching on all sides. Rumple let go of Belle's waist after making sure she was steady on her feet. She'd always hated traveling by magic. It left her feeling slightly nauseous.

"Why did you bring us all the way out here?" she asked, after regaining her breath. "Why not bring us to the castle gates?"

"We're right outside the protective wards I have set up," he said. "The me of the past would have detected something as magically powerful as myself the moment I set foot inside that boundary. We have to discuss some things first."

"No changing anything, I know."

"Exactly, Belle," Rumple said with a sigh. "And that's why you have to stay here."

"What?" Belle cried, outraged. "Absolutely not. I'm coming with you."

"Sweetheart, judging from the time period we now find ourselves in, you're either in that castle, or else I think you're dead," Rumple said bracingly. "If it's the first, you'll give your past self quite a shock. If it's the second, I'll find out you're alive in the future, and I will tear apart this world to find you. The consequences to our future timeline would be catastrophic."

Belle had to accede to his logic. She'd come upon many strange things when she lived in Rumple's castle, but a future version of herself would create quite the paradox, especially if the past versions of herself or Rumple realized they were together in the future. If he already knew they would one day be in love, perhaps Rumple wouldn't have been so quick to believe she was tricking him at Regina's behest. They could have saved thirty years of heartache. The consequences of that change to history struck her hard.

"You could save me," she said numbly. "I wouldn't have to be locked up in the asylum for all that time."

Rumple looked stricken, his brown eyes large in his face.

"Oh, sweetheart. I would if I could."

"Why can't we?" she asked. "It's such a small thing. You thought I was dead for so many years. What if we could spare you that pain?"

Rumplestiltskin placed a hand softly on her shoulder, unshed tears in his eyes. "Because even the smallest things can have unforeseen consequences. My darling Belle, if I knew what Regina had done to you, I'd have torn her limb from limb. The Dark Curse would never be cast. Henry would never be born. I'd never have had the chance to apologize to my son."

He let out a shuddering breath at the mention of Baelfire.

"We cannot change anything," he said once more. "Don't you think if I could save my son, I would? It would be so easy to tell my past self the exact nature of Bae's death. I could spend years coming up with a way to spare him. But if I did that, who knows what price I would have to pay? I could find myself back in a future where you had died instead. I cannot risk that, Belle!"

Rumple deflated like something had sucked all the air out of him. His eyes were bright with unshed tears, his chest heaving with barely contained emotion. That's when Belle realized how difficult this must really be for him. He'd spent 300 years trying to get back to Bae only to have him ripped away. He'd died for his son, only to have that sacrifice nullified. And now, he had a perfect opportunity to change that, to make sure Baelfire lived, and he couldn't do it.

She'd never been more heartbroken for him. And she'd never been more proud of him.

She wrapped her arms around him, rubbing his back soothingly.

"I know, Rumple," she murmured. "Baelfire would understand. He wouldn't want you to change history. You're doing the right thing."

Rumple nodded against her shoulder, finally letting the tears fall. A moment later he was kissing her, pouring all his heartache and love into one single salty kiss that took her breath away. It was the first time they'd kissed in the Enchanted Forest since that fateful day, which might have not even happened yet depending on when they were.

Rumple gripped her hips tightly, slanting his mouth over hers to kiss her more deeply. She knew what he was doing. He wanted to forget. Wanted to lose himself in her, a way to keep his tenuous control of himself, to keep himself from tearing apart their future to save Bae. Well if that was how Rumple chose to cope, it was fine with Belle.

She let out a little gasp when her back met with the rough bark of a nearby tree. Rumple hoisted her up and her legs immediately locked around his waist as he continued to plunder her mouth with his tongue, pinning her between his body and the tree.

His lips slid from hers, trailing down her throat and to the tops of her breasts exposed by her dress. His hands came up to tear at the ties of her bodice. Belle could do nothing but cling to his shoulders, closing her eyes and throwing her head back against the solid tree behind her as Rumple's mouth latched on to one of her nipples, suckling her for all he was worth. His hands slid up her thighs, pushing her skirts ever higher. He was so close to where she needed him, his calloused fingers causing delicious friction against the tops of her thighs. He rubbed his thumb against her core through the fabric of her sodden panties.

"Rumplestiltskin!" she called out, breathless.

"Well what do we have here?" came a high-pitched voice from somewhere behind them, followed by an eerily familiar giggle.

Belle squealed, reaching for her open bodice and attempting to cover herself.

Rumple eased her down slowly, turning to face their new arrival while still shielding her with his body.

They were faced with the familiar imp form of Rumplestiltskin, his grey-green skin glittering in the afternoon sunlight, his large reptilian eyes currently comically wide, blinking at them owlishly.

"You!" he cried, looking from his own human form to Belle peeking over his shoulder and back again frantically. "And you!" he gestured at Belle. "Wha – wha – what!?"

Well, Belle thought, so much for not changing the future.