Dear readers,
Sorry for the delay.. Took a little bit to work on this fluff as you will read..
A special thanks out to my beta, CharlotteAshmore, of making it more alive for your enjoyment.. If you haven't read her stories then go to my stories or to my favorite authors.. Then you are missing out on one of the best writers who knows how to bring the stories of Rumbelle alive. You Rock CharlotteAshmore!
Enjoy everyone..
Exiting out of the marble bathing pool, she was finally clean from months of being in the evil queen's care. Grabbing a white towel located on the nearby edge of the pool she wrapped it around her, tucking the edges into her breasts. Leaving the room, she limped as she padded across the carpet to enter her bedroom. Upon entering she saw a fire blazing in the fireplace, heat radiating throughout the room. So like him to remember. Crossing over to dry a little more, she raked her hands through her hair to remove the tangles. So many tangles. This is going to take a while yet.
Turning back to the trunk still sitting at the end of the bed, she bent down and opened it to pull out a white robe to wear. Grimacing as she stood up, she looked down at her right ankle and the angry cut on her foot. A small price to pay for sending the message, but she will endure. Closing the lid, she shrugged off the wet towel, which landed on the floor with a loud plop. She proceeded to replace it with the robe. Limping over to her dresser she picked up her hairbrush and comb, returning to the bed and sitting on the edge. As she started using the comb in her hair to get the tangles out, her thoughts reflected on what she had endured..
Hope is a dream for any person. It is the very air of the soul we need all the time. She started out hoping he would come and he came. She knew the people downstairs in the great hall probably thought her holding on made her strong, but really it was letting go as each day passed that made her stronger as she waited there in that prison cell. This true love with Rumple was not going to be easy and she could expect the days ahead or the years to come to be a trial for them. It took great strength and courage to for him to finally admit what was in his heart, even to her. She never dreamed it would happen in such an unlikely place, even in this room, but it did. I guess it was a matter of waiting for the right moment to act to see it. As they say, True Love bears all, endures all and triumphs!
With those last thoughts in her mind, a smile emerged on her face. Running her hands through her hair she could feel the tangles had finally been removed. She moved sideways to gaze onto the beautiful blue ball gown once again, and reached down to touch the texture. Silk. Oh my, a rarity even in these parts of the land...so soft as she caressed the dress. She knew without being told he had made it, but where did he get the material she wondered? No sense asking; he probably wouldn't tell her.
Standing up from the bed on the one leg, she took off the robe and placed it on top of the bed, and proceeded with great care putting the undergarments on then the gown itself." Humph" echoed in the room.
"Urgh.." she whispered. "Why do they always have to be tied in the back?" A frown appeared on her face. Did he make it this way? He must have, knowing him, or he simply forgot. Hmm...only one way to find out.
With a mischievous smile she called loudly, "Rumpelstiltskin, get in here!"
"Yes, dear," he voiced behind her. She looked over her shoulder to see him standing there with a shocked look on his face, wearing a brown leather vest over his dark blue shirt, now with his normal black leather pants and boots. She stood with her back to him holding the ball gown in front of her with the back unlaced.
Okay, I got my answer. He forgot. Turning her head to hide her smile, she spoke softly, "I need you to lace me up."
Rumpelstiltskin gulped as he stared at her back. God help me the view I am seeing. Such beautiful pale skin bared to my view. Glancing down at the bulge of his trousers becoming noticeable once again, he sighed. Looks like that cold bath didn't help. How could I forget this little mistake? He could get Snow White to help but that would be a waste of time.
Wetting his lips over the dryness that was moments ago not there, he raised his right hand to cover his mouth, thinking. Should I help her or use magic?
"Rumple, what are you doing?" she asked as she glanced back over her shoulder once again.
"Hold..on," he stammered as he leaped over to help her, making his decision. Picking up her long hair to move it aside over her right shoulder, he started to tie each lace. As he did so, his fingers rubbed against her skin. He had to hold his breath each time he touched. This is pure torture. Breathe in and out. You can do this. It's only laces.
Belle, who was waiting patiently, still had her mischievous smile on her face. She should hear his ragged breathing. Serves him right making this dress hard to put on.
As the last lace was tied to at the back of her gown, his black talons brushed up against her mid back, reaching her shoulders slowly. With a caress his hands clamped down onto her shoulders before trailing down her arms. Pulling her back into the broad expanse of his chest, he buried his nose in her hair and closed his eyes as he inhaled deeply, the rose scent of the shampoo she'd used at her bath a balm to his frazzled nerves. His arms moved to coil about her waist, losing himself in her, everything that was his Belle washing over his heightened senses and making them sing. He could do nothing more than hold her, feel her, both in his arms and in his heart for a long moment, thankful that she was his, too overwhelmed to find the strength to move.
When she felt those hands slowly tracing up her back, and his arms coming around her waist, she almost moaned as she fell back into his body. Being so close to him. She didn't have to be told he was trying to seduce her. It was working too...
"Rum...," she whispered brokenly.
"Hmm," he murmured into her left ear as his lips nuzzled it from behind.
"We.. have…company," she uttered the words slowly as best she could, trying to keep her breathing even. He tilted her head sideways using his cheek as he continued working his lips in a downward exploration of her neck.
A knock echoed in the room. Both ignored it till the second knock came at the door once again.
His brow dropped to her shoulder and he groaned in frustration at the interruption.
"Hey you two," Jefferson yelled from behind the wooden door, "Are you coming down or what?"
"I'm going to kill him," he said in a growl against her neck, not wanting to move. His arms tightened around her more in a firm but gentle grip. Interrupting a good moment.
With a sigh of regret exiting her mouth, she smiled and placed her hands on his arms to remove them. Turning towards him, she placed her hands on his chest to steady herself and regain her breath. His arms fell to her waist to pull her closer.
She lifted her face up to meet his gaze. "No you don't," she said with a surprise giggle. Her blue eyes gazed up into his face that had before been relaxed but was now showing an expression of irritation upon hearing the knock once again, but much louder.
"Oh hell," he muttered to her as he stepped back finally releasing her. Turning, he stalked angrily to the door, swinging it wide open, and yelling with a menacing voice, "What the hell do you want, Hatter?"
Jefferson stood there leaning against the door frame looking nonchalant, twirling the tea-cup in his right hand then taking a sip of tea. No concern showed on his face it not being the first time and surely not the last either. He tried to peer over Rumpelstiltskin's shoulder to see the woman he thought was a dream when he had come off the floor earlier.
"Hatter," came the growling voice of Rumpelstiltskin.
"Oh yes," Jefferson said in a surprised voice, turning to the deal maker, "wondering when you will be down. After all you have guests." He pointed the tea-cup in the direction of the stairs to the hall, his head turning once again as he tried to look into the room to catch a glimpse of Belle.
She could see the man at the door trying to ogle her over Rumple's shoulders, but he was thwarted each time as Rumple slowly started closing the door to block his view. She covered her mouth with her hand to stifle the giggle that bubbled to her lips as she watched the two friends and the scene they were making.
"Hmm..hmm…" he murmured, waving his fingers at the man as he spoke, "you can turn around and join them until we come down."
He pushed himself away from the door jam. "Really?" Hatter said with a hurt voice, placing the tea-cup over his heart.
"Yes, really Hatter," with those words said, he slammed the door in his face. Muttering under his breath, "minding their own business". Yet as he turned to face Belle, he saw her laughing at him. He could only give her a small smile as he heard a chuckle outside the door, then a whistle as the man walked away.
His expression changed with a determination to continue what he was doing. Seeing him advance towards her, she took a step back. In doing so, she could not avoid the grimace coming onto her face as she placed her foot down onto the floor. Her knees came up against the bed and she fell heavily upon it. Reaching down she pulled the petticoats up to see the angry red wound on the side of her foot. She didn't see the man until she looked up into his face as he bent down on his right knee to kneel at her feet, lifting her foot onto his bent left knee. With a wave of his right hand, purple smoke enveloped the wound, leaving her flesh pale and unblemished, perfect.
"Better?" he asked softly. His talons were caressing of where the wound had been. Slowly he worked his way up the side of her foot to her arch.
"Much," she answered as she attempted to remove her foot from his hands due to her ticklish nature…especially her feet. "Rumpelstiltskin," she said sharply tugging at her foot. She gave up as she started laughing and fell back onto the bed. Feeling him let go of her foot, she leaned up on her elbows to watch him crawl up onto the bed with her. She fell back against the soft duvet beneath her as his body pressed into hers, his weight comforting, something she could see herself becoming accustomed to quite quickly. Seeing the glean of mischief in his eyes as he bent down to her face, she turned her face to accept a kiss on her left cheek.
"Rumple, no," she protested with a little irritation in her voice.
Hearing the word "no" emerge from her lips was like a cold bucket of water being thrown on him. His forehead landed on her left shoulder as he tried to catch his breath. Reluctantly he got off of her to stand with his head bowed, his hair covering his face in shame for his actions.
Sitting up on the bed, she got a good look at him. The insecurity on his face made her shake her head at him in wonder. Will he never learn? It's not like I don't want to, but someone needs a level head so that true love's kiss won't break his curse. A few more minutes and I might have allowed him to.
Reaching up, she grabbed his hands before he could step away from the side of the bed. Bringing his hands to her lips, she kissed each talon as she tried to peek into his face. His head shot up from the contact with confusion evident in his eyes as he gazed at her.
"Trust me Rumple," she said gently, her features expressing the seriousness of their tenuous situation. "I want this as much as you do, but you need your magic…at least for now." Her voice was almost a whisper as she grasped his hands in a gentle squeeze.
Feeling and hearing her words let some of his doubts fade away from his mind. The tightness left his chest and he was able to release the breath he did not know he was holding. The breathe of air leaving his lungs felt like a clean balm to his soul. Still I have doubts, all due to my past history with Milah. She used to do that to me sometimes when we were married, denying me for no apparent reason until I found out later the type of woman she really was. I know Belle is not like her or Cora but rejection is hard for me to take. The unknown fear that Belle would be like them in some way; we fear the thing we want the most.
Clasping her hands in his, he pulled her up to stand next to him. Still an expression of apprehension remained on his face when she released her hands from his to place them on his chest. She concentrated in smoothing the creases from his shirt, her hands working them out from his chest up to his shoulders. The tension remained in his stiff shoulders as she smoothed the shirt around his collar, his face schooled into an unreadable mask.
As she looked into his eyes, gone was the mischievous man and imp she knew. Now she was seeing fear in his yellow eyes.
"What is it Rumple?" she said. As she grabbed his green-skinned cheeks so his gaze would meet hers directly. She wanted no secrets between them, wanting nothing but the utmost trust and loyalty between them.
Her face reflected horror as the words sprung from his lips. "My wife used to say no to me in similar situations."
With knitted brows he then tried to take a step back from her, expecting the same from her. Still holding his face tight in her hands, understanding now what he was saying to her, her face softened with tenderness. She said gently, "No means we wait till we are able too."
Belle released him, allowing her hands to trail over his jaw, down his neck and over his chest to settle over his heart, caressing the spot which was now beating rapidly under her touch. As she eyed him under lashes, she spoke. "Until then, I am sure you will rise to the occasion and teach me a little more when the time comes."
"Teaching…hmm," he whispered softly in her right ear as he enfolded her in his arms once again, encouraged by her words. "What a wonderful concept." Holding her close seemed to never be enough for him. Concerns and doubts had entered his mind, knowing now that it was only a delay of the outcome. Yet this relationship with her looked like it would be a rocky road of ups and downs for him.
Feeling the approval from his body caused by their suggestive comments, she could only blush. She yielded her head onto his chest to hide the red spots on her cheeks for being so forward with him. I know there is a time and place for such things, but the desire I feel for him is nigh unbearable. The time has not arrived but I truly hope I won't have to wait long. The course of true love never did run smoothly. Finally lifting her head to look at him once again she asked, "So do we have a deal?"
"Yes love," he answered without thought of was not normal for him to agree so fast within a deal; however, he was not willing to deny her anything. After what had happened he is not willing to take a chance of losing her to anything.
Stepping back to view her in the blue silk gown, he thought, Beautiful.. I made the same design when I first saw her in that golden gown but blue brings out the color of her eyes much easier to shine in her lovely face.
Seeing the blue slippers nearby, he bent down reaching over to grab them. Seeing his gesture of good will, she lifted her petticoats and allowed him to slip the shoes onto her feet. Standing up with his arm out, he gestured for her to grab onto it to allow him to escort her down to the hall.
"Shall we?"
Placing her arm into the crook of his elbow, as he guided her to the door. He used his magic to swing the door wide open for them as they exited into the corridor. It closed behind them by an unseen hand of magic.
Working on the next chapter people..
Stay tuned..
