Moments Unforgotten
• Dearie •
She shouldn't be so flattered. It wasn't like he reserved the name for her alone. Everyone was his "dearie", yet the term incited such warmth inside her. She tried to convince herself that it wasn't personal; it was merely a nickname he utilized in light of his blatant disregard for any personality claim to any human being lesser than him. She should have been offended that he hadn't care to use her actual name, but instead it made it so special. Everyone called her Princess, or Belle – he called her Dearie.
At first mention, the name caught her off-guard. Such a sickeningly sweet label used in such a sinister way... it made her feel uncomfortable. He could've called her "servant", or "girl", or anything alike, yet he chose a term of endearment turned much less endearing. Often accompanied with his hands on her shoulders or something equally odd, she learned to fear the name as it was called from another room, as it confused her. Such tender actions with such mysterious intentions behind them? He was dangerous; Dearie was dangerous. She learned to react to the name with silence and eyes on the floor. That was the safest direction of action. Submission.
But it wasn't weeks later when she came to realize that submission wasn't what he desired; Dearie wasn't an intimidation tool. Even as she bowed her head and bent to his whims, he didn't seem satisfied. He didn't appear to have received the reaction he wanted from the term. What he wanted, exactly, still had her stumped.
As time went on, she softened to the name. It grew on her, and she couldn't help but feel that she'd grown on him, too. She was learning to tease, and he was learning to smile. She was learning to be his Dearie- whatever that may be. He seemed more satisfied, then. It was as if he wanted a friend, rather than a maid. A dearie, rather than a worker. She couldn't say she minded.
And as time passed, she fell easily into the role of Dearie; and with that, they broke barriers none before her had dared to touch. Rather than a little housekeeper, Rumpelstiltskin had acquired a friend, and in doing so, found new hope in what used to be darkness and loneliness. Someone saw past the beast on the outside, to the man on the inside. He found someone willing to be his dearie, and she found someone willing to make her one. That's when walls tumbled down, and room was made for the much-existent hearts of the Beauty and the Beast.
Wow! Holiday hiatus over, and I'm back to updating. Good to be back :)
Sorry it's been so long, but the holidays have been very busy, so I just took a break for it all. This marks the end of the break, so huzzah! Happy New Year's Eve, Merry late Christmas, blah blah blah!
Thanks for reading! Now, leave a review, and GO GET READY FOR THE NEW YEAR! Here comes OUAT's return... I mean, 2013.
* *-TheSongbird341-* *
DISCLAIMER: If I owned Once Upon A Time, I'd probably have to fire Robert Carlyle for stealing all the scenes.
