Sorry for the long wait! I didn't feel like boring you with the same 'ole Skin Deep, so I spiced it up. Enjoy :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon A Time (Skin Deep would be every episode if I did) and Phantom of the Opera

The Deal is Struck

Rumplestiltskin kept thinking what Belle said about letting him convince her. He couldn't believe such a person would let him. No one ever needed convincing. If it wasn't for all the rumors and whispers, he might show people his intentions. No, he thought. No one would ever listen. He whisked the doors open to his lovely room of items to see Belle standing on a ladder. She held a duster in her hand, trying to swipe at a cobweb.

"You might want to move closer, dearie. You'll fall," he pointed out.

"I can clean it from here," she was focused.

Belle leaned in a few more inches. Without realizing it, she slipped on the small step and fell faster than she thought. She closed her eyes and expected the worst. When she landed, she wasn't hurt or anything. She opened her eyes to see Rumplestiltskin holding her in his arms. She wasn't afraid that he held her close to him. She was confused at why he caught her. She just looked at him and mumbled a sweet "thank you". He didn't respond to her words, mesmerized by her beauty up close. It was those bright blue eyes, he determined. He snapped out of the hypnotic trance and forced her down.

"It wasn't a trouble at all," he finally responded.

Belle smiled as he walked away from her, embarrassed. She was too, embarrassed. It was silly that a monster could get so flustered after a little incident like that. After a few moments standing there like a statue, she went to get his tea. She thought he might need some after staying up all night spinning. Yes, she constantly heard the wheel squeak at a certain pattern every night. It didn't bother her but interest her. Perhaps one day he could show her how it worked. Belle reached for the only tea set in the cupboard and placed it on the glossy table. She shook the pot, wondering if it was full but found it empty. She went to shut the glass doors and came back to the tray. Her conscience told her to check the pot again. When she did, it was completely full. She laughed to herself and brought the tray to his favorite chair.

"I brought you tea, Rumplestiltskin," she cleared her throat.

"Yes, you did," he sat there after she blinked.

"I can't help but think about your heroic action," Belle smirked.

"What heroic action?" he acted like she was dreaming.

"You saved me just moments ago. Thank you," she poured the tea in his chipped cup.

"I don't have to repeat myself, do I?" he said it like a child.

"No, I won't embarrass you," she smiled at him.

"So, tell me about your fiancé," he changed the subject.

"Is that something you're really interested in?" she asked.

"I can't help but wonder why you ran away," he smiled.

"I'll make you a deal," she got excited.

"You're making deals now?" he giggled. "Alright. Show me what you have to offer," he said.

"If I tell you about Gaston, you must give me all of my books you stole from me," she explained.

"I didn't steal any books from you," he shook his head.

"I meant the ones you made disappear. Where did you keep them?" she wondered.

"Oh, those ones," he stood up from his chair. "I decided I could give them a read," he fiddled with his hands.

Belle's cheeks grew hot. She was completely embarrassed now. What would the Dark One think of the books she liked? They were mostly romances. She wondered if he read all of them. He probably knew all of her favorites just by the condition they were in.

"You did? How did you like them?" she wondered.

"They were all...happy endings," his tone grew serious.

"You don't like the endings?" she asked.

"No. They're a bit too cheery for me. Is that why you read them?" he pointed at her.

"Well, sometimes," Belle sat herself on his table. "Mostly it's because I have no other way of escaping. Reading allows me to have adventures I could never go on. I've always wanted to travel. Marrying Gaston would've crushed those dreams," she mumbled.

"Ah, I see," he paced back and forth. "The deal is struck then," he suddenly said.

Belle extended her hand out to him. He cocked his head to the right and then finally got what she meant. He extended his hand and gently shook it. Her hand felt warmer than his. It was definitely because he was a cold-blooded fish. He wondered what it would be like to be a man again. Thoughts of Baelfire crept back into his mind. He let go of her hand, realizing how long it had been.

"The deal is struck," she repeated.

"They're all here, dearie," he assured her.

Belle rushed to the cell to see if it was true. Her smile quickly faded when her expectations were brought down. Her books weren't even on the stone. They were nowhere! He broke a deal and he was going to explain. She knew she'd been tricked. She rushed back to the room of objects and shouted for him.

"Rumplestiltskin! You promised me!" she shouted.

"Now now, dearie. You should always be careful with making a deal. You need to be more specific next time. Fortunately for you, this deal didn't end tragically. Your books are somewhere else," he reassured her.

"Why would you do that?" she honestly asked.

"I never take the fun out of a deal. Even if it's something so small like this," he giggled. "Come, I'll lead you there," he said.

Belle nodded and expected him to lead on in front of her. Instead, he coiled his arm around her waist and began to lead her. This didn't bother Belle at all. She thought it was marvelous he was taking her somewhere without using magic. Rumplestiltskin wasn't sure if she would take it as an offense. He was surprised when she didn't flinch or shudder. This girl was very peculiar to him. They arrived at a set of large doors and stood still for a while. He looked at her and gave her a small giggle. She just stared until he finally opened the doors. Belle's bright blue eyes became glossy once she saw the room. It was a gigantic library just filled with works of art. The shelves went to the top of the ceiling. Luckily, there were staircases to help her clumsy self.

"Is this...all for me?" she asked.

"Your books are over there," he pointed.

A little desk sat in the corner with her stack of books. She didn't even care about them at that moment. She was too busy reading every spine she could lay eyes on.

"You shouldn't have. This is the largest gift I've ever received," she told him.

"It's not a gift. This is just a little bit of my magic. It's nothing serious," he made his distance.

"This is more than serious. Thank you," she planted her hands on his shoulders.

He was no longer comfortable. She invaded his space and made herself affectionate. He didn't like this in any way. All he could see were her big blue eyes waiting for a response. Did she want a hug from him? She definitely wasn't getting a warm embrace. Luckily for him, she slid her hands off and went to pick up her books. He knew he should run while he had the chance. This is what he was good at: running. In an instant, he was back in his studies. He had his wheel and straw at hand. It helped him forget everything that happened in his past. When Belle turned around, she saw that he had left her. It made her a little sad, knowing he didn't want to accompany her back to the room of objects. She sighed, knowing he had other things to do than babysit her.

When Belle was finished touring the library, she decided to bring her books back to her room. She thought it would be better if they stayedout of his library. She felt guilty that it would be rude of her. She was determined to make one trip to her room without any books falling. She gently stacked all 12 of them in her arms. The twelfth one was just a few inches above her head. She turned her head to the right to see where she was going. She was doing quite well so far. She made her way to the room of objects. He wasn't there. As she continued, the twelfth book flew out of the stack and towards her cell. Then the next one, and the next one until all of them were out of sight.

"I was going to put them away," she turned around expecting him to be in his chair.

"I thought I could help," he smiled as her guess was correct.

"I don't get it," she shook her head.

"What?" he pried.

"You're being kind to me, you've helped me, saved me, what else will you do next?" she asked.

"It's only you. I've done nothing," he fiddled his fingers around.

"You've done a lot for me. I thought I was your prisoner?" she folded her arms.

"I'm only fooling around with magic," he rolled his eyes.

"Catching me from that fall wasn't magic," she was right.

"I don't have to answer your questions. You work for me," he spit his words out.

"Of course," she answered the same way.

She was about to leave. He didn't want her to leave. He wasn't sure why he desired such a thing. He tried many things to keep her out of his mind. The wheel wasn't doing its job correctly. This weakness had to be exterminated quickly. He expected her to go after his hateful words. She stood there and then turned to face him. She sat on his table and fumbled with her fingers.

"You have something to say?" he asked.

"I should keep my end of the deal," she suddenly spoke.

"What deal?" he honestly didn't know.

"You forgot about our deal? I was supposed to tell you about Gaston," she informed him.

"Oh I didn't forget, dearie," he lied to her. "Please, enlighten me," he continued.

"It was an arranged marriage. I can't say I didn't have a choice because my papa at least let me know him first. I tried my very best but Gaston never paid interest in me. He only talked of himself. At some point I just read while he talked. It worked for a while but then he noticed. I got a few beatings from that sneaky act. Now that I've done this, I can't show my face to him," she smoothed out her skirt.

"So you think this place is freedom?" he asked.

"Maybe just a little bit. As long as I'm not abused and looked upon as an innocent creature," she looked up at him. "You don't think I'm innocent do you?" she asked.

He knew the first time he laid eyes on her she was innocent. He felt that he couldn't let her down and give the same response as everyone else. What does it matter to him? He doesn't take care of her. She takes care of his house.

"Of course not. You live here with me," he giggled.

"That is partly true," she laughed along. "I'm afraid I must end here. I'm not sure what time it is but I feel rather tired. Wake me if you need anything," she smiled.

Rumple nodded and shooed her away. Once she left, it was just his thoughts and him. He thought about what she had told him. That distasteful maniac lashed her! She didn't even think of it as a terrible thing. He was a coward to even comfort her. He was a coward in all circumstances. He knew she thought of this place as a freedom. He knew he was letting her have that freedom. It was time to let her out of the cage. She didn't deserve this life down here with him at all. If he let her go, she could make an escape and never see Gaston again. He was going to make that happen.