I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and I think it turned out quite good! I'm not sure what to do for the next chapter so I'd love some prompts, I hope everyone likes it. Enjoy dearies! -Jack

Chapter 4

"Bloody hell!" Rumpelstiltskin tore his arm away from Belle's hands, the wolf had tore into his wrist pretty deep. His magic wasn't bottomless and a lot of it had been used on those mutts, the majority on keeping him alive. His main veins had been ripped to shreds and his power was keeping him alive, Belle took it upon herself to clean his wounds.

"If you didn't move it wouldn't hurt so bad" She said calmly and dipped the cloth in the liqueur that he had procured with much difficulty, gently rubbing at the dried blood. He let out a low groan of pain, willing himself not to rip his arm away from her.

"At least talk to me, not just silently sit there" He glanced at the lacerations and felt queasy.

"I thought you liked silence" She looked up at him with questioning eyes, holding back a laugh when she saw him looking as far away from the wounds as possible. "Does the Dark One not like blood?" Belle teased.

"Not my own" he grumbled. "There is a time and place for silence, when you're scrubbing blood out of a man it is not the time, nor the place for quiet"

"Okay, what do you want to talk about?" She asked.

"ANYTHING!" He winced from the alcohol dripping into his cuts. "I just need to hear your voice, talk to me, please" whispering those last couple words. Without his magic to regenerate him, he could feel everything, and as the Dark One all his senses were heightened. She felt terrible for him, seeing the pain etched in his face. Belle moved from the floor into his lap, he went still.

"You can play with my hair if you want, I used to play with my mums hair when she cleaned up my scraped knees. Took my mind off it" He could hear the smile in her voice, cautiously lifting his hand to tangle it in her curls. So smooth he thought to himself, wrapping ringlets around his slender fingers. His grey-green skin a perfect contrast to her auburn tresses, marveling at how soft it felt around his hands, he held it to his cheek and inhaled her scent. Belle smelled like lavender, honey and roses, he couldn't help but sigh. "So, I've been reading"

"As you do" He smiled into her hair.

"Why didn't your curse break when we kissed?" Her voice wobbled when she spoke, he paused and let her hair fall down her back. Reaching his hand around to stroke her cheek, once she was looking him in the eye he spoke.

"My curse is so much more complex than that. It is more of a binding." He smiled at her, gently taking his thumb and tracing her lips with it. "It'd take much more than these to break me" He quickly looked down and brought his hand to the back of his neck. "Would you... prefer me a man?" He asked self-consciously. She brought both hands up to cup his cheeks.

"You are a man" Her voice was sincere, "I had thought that, maybe you hadn't felt the way I felt about you. That it was a one-way thing" She regretted it the minute she said it, watching as his heart shattered through his amber eyes.

"I am not a man, Belle. I am a monster" He muttered, disregarding her last statement. "Look at me and say I'm not a monster" he gestured to himself and sighed "You're free to leave you know, I can't hold you here anymore. You don't have to stay out of some sort of heroic longing, I won't stop you, no harm will come to your kingdom. You tamed the beast Belle, now you have a story to tell" she looked hurt.

"I was never looking for a story, never looking for an act of valor. I came because I was your price, I stay because I love you" her tears were falling into his lap, she smiled at him. He couldn't help but smile back at her as he wrapped his arms (now fully healed) around Belle, pulling her in and resting his chin on her head.

Her breathing had become rhythmic and Rumpelstiltskin knew that the girl he held in his arms had fallen asleep. He shifted himself so subtly as to not wake her, he gazed down at Belle, tenderly stroking her back.

"Rumpelstiltskin! Where are you!" Bloody hell. There goes my peace.

"Over here, and be quiet, will you?" He called out in a annoyed voice, "Can't exactly get up right now so you'll have to come here if you want something" He heard soft footsteps nearing the chair he sat in.

"Why can't you get up?" The intruder was a young girl, not just any girl. Snow White the Princess.

"Just come here" He replied, protectively laying an arm over the sleeping beauty. Surprise was clear on her face.

"Is that... a girl? What's she doing here? Did you kidnap her?" With that last question Snow's bow swung in front of her and pointed a black-tipped arrow straight at his head. Rumpelstiltskin couldn't help but lay his face in his hand, Belle stirred in his arms and he immediately looked at the thief/princess that stood in front of him.

"She better not wake up! If you woke her up I swear I'll-" His threats were cut short as the sleepy girl in his arms sat up and stretched.

"Who're you talking to?" Belle asked with a tired slur, the section of her hair that had been pressed to his chest was flat and sticking out, she looked so silly he had to stifle his giggle with his hand and Snow White just watched in disbelief. "Don't laugh at me!" Belle tried to sound tough but it just came out in a childlike whine, pushing him into the chair she put her head against his ribs and settled deeper into his lap "I'm sleepy, you're not allowed to make fun of me" His giggle just got progressively louder.

"You don't look like a dwarf, you're much too pretty" He laughed, absentmindedly trying to untangle the knot of curls on the side of her head. "I'm sorry to interrupt your rest sleepyhead, but we have company" as disappointed as he was to awaken her, the petrified princess standing on his hearthrug had to be addressed. Belle straightened and looked at him, he looked as if he was having the time of his life. Wait... She turned around slowly.

"Oh gods, this is embarrassing" Belle's cheeks were flush with humiliation "Ummm. Hi" She tried playing it off but her greeting sounded more like a question than a hello. Snow White was speechless.

"Who are you?" Snow finally asked. Rumpelstiltskin gave up on the hair and looked at Snow.

"Doesn't matter, Belle go up to your room please. I have some business to attend to" He stroked her cheekbone with one black nail, "Grab something from the kitchen if you're hungry, there should be some oils if you wish to have a bath. I'll be here if you need anything else" Not wanting to be too affectionate in front of Snow White but not too cold to Belle he reluctantly leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to her brow. He watched as Belle exited the kitchen with a cup of tea and some biscuits (one of which was none too delicately shoved in her mouth) and run up the staircase, once he was sure she was gone he turned back to the shocked princess.

"Now what do you need?"