*SEVEN*
Belle coughed as the violet smoke dissipated, revealing the dim interior of Rumpelstiltskin's bedroom…their bedroom, if she had anything to say about it. The trunk vanished from his hand, and she was certain its contents had been put in their proper places, leaving her nothing to do to distract her from her melancholy thoughts. He stepped away from her awkwardly, dropping his arm from her shoulders. She immediately missed his warmth and she hugged her arms about herself to ward off the chill.
He noticed the gooseflesh that had erupted along her arms and snapped his fingers, a cheery welcoming fire springing to life in the hearth. She arched a brow at him and he shrugged. "Thought you might be cold."
She left him standing there at the foot of the bed, rubbing his fingers against his thumb, as he always did when he wanted to say something to her, yet he couldn't find the words. She held her hands out to the blaze and tried to breathe steadily. He didn't need to know how much he'd upset her with his rejection. It wasn't so much that he'd rejected her. She knew he wanted her to be his wife. He never would have consented to the spell otherwise. No, what hurt the most was the fact that he hadn't believed her when she'd professed to love him. Even though she'd been expecting such a reaction, that hadn't helped to make it any less painful.
Belle tensed slightly as his arms slipped around her waist from behind, his chin coming to rest on her shoulder. "I'm sorry," he said contritely. "I didn't mean to upset you."
"No matter, my husband," she said bitterly. "Every woman yearns to tell her husband she loves him and have him not believe it. I'll get over it."
Rumpelstiltskin winced hearing such harsh words come from her sweet mouth. "Belle-"
She pushed out of his embrace and moved to the double doors standing open that led out into the corridor. "I need to go get dinner started," she said.
"To hell with dinner," he roared, slamming the doors with a blast of magic before she could reach them.
She whirled on him, her eyes flashing hotly. "You need to eat. You've been incapacitated for a month and a half and-"
"Woman, you try my patience!"
"And you've tried mine from the moment I set eyes on you! It's about time you had a taste of your own medicine," she shouted back. "At least I've never called you a liar."
"Belle, I never called you a liar," he said in exasperation, raking his dark nails through his long hair. "I-"
"Why haven't you claimed your price? Why haven't you opened the link between us that our bond created?" she cried, angry tears streaming down her face that she didn't even bother wiping away. "Why are we fighting when you could be making love to me?"
His mouth fell open in surprise. If his odd skin had allowed for it, he'd no doubt be as white as a sheet. "Oh Gods!" was all he managed to say before he was there before her, gathering her in his arms and crushing her sobbing form to his chest, his hands smoothing over her back as he tried to soothe her. "I'm sorry. I merely wanted to spare you, dearest."
Her hands fisted in his brocade vest and she sobbed harder. "I don't want to b-be spared, R-Rumpel. I want you; all of you. I have your memories, your thoughts, and your feelings. They all came spilling out the night of the spell. Why won't you give me your heart too?"
His lips ghosted over her temple as he closed his eyes against the pain that threatened to crush him. "You've always had it, Belle," he whispered softly into her hair. "I love you so much."
"Y-You love me?" she asked, her gaze swinging up to meet his.
Swallowing around the lump of emotion in his throat, he willed her to see the truth in his eyes, the truth that he'd had such a difficult time admitting even to himself. "How could I not? You're brilliant and beautiful and…perfect," he finished lamely, unused to expressing himself in such a way.
Cradling his face in her warm palms, she pulled his head down to meet her lips, kissing him sweetly, almost chastely. "Show me?" she asked, her voice no more than a whisper against the corner of his mouth. "Open our link, look into my heart and let me in, Rumpel. Please," she begged. "Don't be afraid to let me love you. My heart won't lie to you, my love. Claim your price."
His price, he thought ruefully. The night of the spell when he'd opened the link for her to bond with him, he'd felt it only right for her to have access to his thoughts and feelings, his memories. But he hadn't allowed himself to open the link on his end, too afraid to look into hers, to see what was truly in her heart. Instead he'd focused all his energy on the casting of the spell, buying himself just a little more time before she insisted that he claim his price, her end of the deal. It didn't matter that he gave of himself, during their binding as an added bonus. If she could so willingly barter away her thoughts and feelings in a deal, he could sacrifice his own to her.
His hand trembled in hers and she raised it slowly to rest against her heart, terrified of what he'd see. He'd always been a coward, but the fear he'd experienced in the ogre wars, or even the fear he'd felt when facing the previous Dark One, was nothing in comparison to what he was feeling now. When he opened the link, he would see every memory, every emotion and feeling she'd ever had. He wondered if he was strong enough to withstand the pain he was certain he'd feel when he witnessed the first she had of him.
Belle reached up and pressed a kiss to his parted lips, whispering encouragingly, "Don't be afraid. I love you; I'm yours. Feel me, Rumpel."
Drawing in a shaky breath, he staggered under the onslaught of her mind and heart as he opened the link. Belle held on tightly to the hand that covered her heart and reached out to grab his elbow, lending him some much needed support. Her childhood flew past his eyes in a blur, slowing a bit during key moments that were more important to her than others. He felt her horror and then grudging acceptance over her engagement to Gaston, the fear and hopelessness over the encroaching horde of ogres that threatened her kingdom, and hope and faith in him when he'd been summoned, that he would surely help them. He slammed the link closed, opening his eyes, the warm amber orbs pleading with her to let him stop.
"Don't stop, Rumpel," she said, smiling tenuously up at him. "Don't stop." She felt it when he'd broken the connection and she knew it was too soon. He needed to see it all. "I watched every memory you shared with me and it didn't change the way I feel about you," she whispered, her thumb drawing soothing circles over the back of his hand. "Don't be afraid."
The tightness in his chest was making it hard to breathe, but he didn't want to disappoint her. He needed to be brave…for her, for his Belle. She'd sacrificed so much to be with him, a monster of legend. She could have had an honorable husband, children of noble birth, her rightful place in society…she gave up everything to be with him. He could do no less than honor her wishes. He reopened the link, her shining face reflecting her curiosity at the strange creature come to save them all, but not the revulsion he'd expected. His knees crumpled in relief and he dragged her down to the thick carpet with him, but he didn't close the link. He felt her fear of the unknown as he brought her home to the Dark Castle, her anger at being locked away in the dungeon, her homesickness at being separated from her loved ones…
"Belle…" he whimpered.
"Keep going."
Hope when she'd dropped the cup and he had acted as if it were nothing, pride when he'd spared the thief. Pride? She'd been proud of him? Kindness, compassion and tenderness as they slowly became better acquainted, those feelings deepening as they spent more and more time together. Fear, relief, gratitude… and something he'd never expected…Desire as he'd caught her in his arms as she'd fallen from the ladder. Then he'd sent her into town, never expecting her to return and her confusion and heartache left him gasping. He'd hurt her by granting her freedom. She hadn't wanted to leave him, had always planned to return.
Rage enveloped him like a shroud and he growled, the sound dark and feral as it erupted from him, his eyes flying open and pinning her with his dark gaze. "Regina!" he barked, startling a gasp from his wife.
Belle reached out to him, pressing a finger gently to his lips. "Focus, darling. Watch and feel me. Feel what I feel," she whispered fervently, drawing him deeper into her memories.
He seethed and cursed as he watched Regina try seemingly in vain to turn Belle against him. He relaxed as he felt the distrust and wariness that had warned his little dearie against listening to the queen's lies. Instead of coming back to him with the express purpose of trying to do away with his curse, she'd hidden herself away in the library for days on end, searching for information on his cursed state so she wouldn't inadvertently banish the Dark One to oblivion. The demon purred loudly in the far recesses of his mind, pleased with the girl. It was then, after finding her answers that she'd realized just how much she wanted him, loved him.
Belle had made up her mind that she'd never find another who made her heart sing as he did, who valued her mind and her opinion and didn't see her as a mere possession. Her love radiated from her, wrapping around him and pouring into his very soul, leaving him breathless and trembling, never having felt anything so powerful…not even his magic.
The events leading up to the spell flashed by until the night it had been cast and she'd been left alone with the Dark One with only the power of the kris to protect her against the demon.
The demon's taunting words and lustful pawing at his beloved Belle enraged him further and his eyes snapped open again to peer at her neck where she'd been bitten. Her hair fell over her right shoulder, obscuring his view as it had been since that morning when he'd finally awoken. Brushing aside, he howled in fury and pulled her against his chest, turning her head to the side to look more closely at the thin silver outline of his teeth.
"It's nothing, Rumpel," she said softly, trying to reassure him.
A ragged whimper escaped his throat and he could feel the sting of tears at the corners of his eyes. "I failed you."
"Never. Nor will you ever," she breathed against the shell of his ear as he lowered his lips to the scar and brushed a kiss to her damaged flesh.
As soon as his eyes closed against the burning threat of tears, he delved back in through the link and witnessed her devotion and care for him while he'd been catatonic. He trembled as she held him to her as he had to watch her cry night after night, begging, pleading, for him to return to her. She read to him, talked to him, and slept at his side, refusing to leave him for a moment. The strongest emotions he felt from her in those memories was a fear that he would never come back to her and the truest, purest love she felt for him with every fiber of her being.
True Love. The concept of his precious girl so consumed with such a powerful emotion…for him…burned through the darkness that clawed at his soul and left a crater in the walls protectively surrounding his heart. No one had ever loved him the way his Belle did, not his father, nor his first wife, not even his son. He had no doubts that Bae loved him, but it was different. There were no words eloquent enough to describe what Belle's love made him feel and he felt like the biggest cad to ever walk the realms to have scoffed at her sweet profession of love. To think he'd schemed and maneuvered the Charmings into position on his chessboard to bring them together, to collect hair from each of them in order to formulate his True Love potion and he'd had his own True Love right there under his nose the entire time. If his own emotions weren't roiling in turmoil, he was certain he'd be laughing like a madman at the irony.
Belle shivered as she felt his magic release her mind and heart from its icy tentacles, leaving only his love to flow through their open bond and envelop her in its warmth. She petted his hair soothingly as he pulled her closer and held on as if he thought she'd flee from him at any moment.
Rumpelstiltskin raised his head from her shoulder, capturing her gaze with one so filled with remorse it tore at her heart. "I'm so sorry, Belle. So sorry I didn't believe you," he whispered, pressing his face into her palm as she cupped his cheek, his lips grazing gently over her warm flesh. "So sorry."
"Shh, darling," she cooed, brushing a light kiss to his lips. "You believe me now; that's all that matters. This is why I didn't tell you the first time you asked why I'd returned to you. You weren't ready to hear it, my love."
He was so broken, still so afraid to love. Taking her hands in his, holding them between them, he said, "Belle, I don't know if I can change, to be the man you envision in your heart. I-"
"I don't want you to change, Rumpel. You are already that man. I don't want you to change and become a shoddy imitation of the man I fell in love with. I love you just as you are," she vowed, desperation in her soft voice as she resolved to make him believe her.
Her love pulsed through their bond, leaving him breathless and a bit dizzy. He would disappoint her eventually. How could he not? But he would endeavor to make her as happy as possible until that day came. "It won't be easy, sweetheart. I'm a difficult man to love," he said, ducking his head, his hair falling over his eyes.
Belle chuckled softly as she brushed his curls aside and tilted his chin up so he'd have to meet her steady gaze. "Oh, I don't know about that," she said, smiling coyly. "I find it very easy to love you." She swallowed his little whimper as she pressed her lips to his, her tongue tentatively darting out to taste the seam of his mouth.
She gasped as he crushed her to his chest and it was his tongue that delved hotly into her mouth, gliding sinuously along her own. With the open bond between them, she could feel his passion, his overwhelming desire for her, his need for her touch and it made her heart beat a wild tattoo against her ribs. The most delicious heat coiled tightly in her belly and dropped lower into the apex of her thighs, making her squirm restlessly against him. He kissed her slowly, gently, taking his time and great care in the exploration of her mouth, leaving no crevice untouched, each press of his tongue bringing her pleasure.
When the need to breathe became too much, he pulled away from her swollen lips and trailed hot open-mouthed kisses along her jaw to nip lightly at her ear, his hot breath causing a shiver to ripple over her spine and more heat racing through her blood. Her hands splayed over his chest, sliding down to work on the gold clasps on his vest, freeing them and pushing it off his shoulders. He caught her hands in a firm grip as her fingers began working on the buttons of his shirt, his worried gaze searching her face.
"Are you sure, sweetheart?" he asked, fighting to control the lust surging through him. He could feel her desire through the bond, yet he still needed to hear her say it.
Another button popped free and she smiled. "Yes. I want you, Rumpel," she said, leaning forward to claim his mouth again, her teeth nipping sharply at his lower lip. He growled low in his throat, pulling her into his arms and rising to his feet, carrying her bridal style to their bed. But he didn't lay her down against the cool silk duvet, instead sitting her on his lap and kissing her slowly, taking his time. She freed the last button and let the silk drop away from him to pool on the bed at his hips, sighing happily now that she could touch and caress his bare skin.
A ragged moan dragged itself from him as her fingertips brushed lightly over his flat nipples and the breath hitched in her throat to see his face twisted in pleasure so acute it was almost painful. He looked wrecked, completely enthralled by her and it thrilled her to know that she had done that to him. His arms wrapped about her hips and pulled her forward against his straining erection pressing so hotly against her thigh, the heat of him burning her through her heavy skirt. His blackened nails scraped over her nape as he wrapped the long swath of her hair around his forearm and gently tugged her head back, exposing the creamy expanse of her throat, but he stilled before his lips met her flesh.
Belle opened her eyes to find him staring at the bite mark on her neck in dismay. His troubled gaze flicked up to meet hers as she cupped his cheek, her thumb playing softly over his bottom lip. "You…he…didn't hurt me, Rumpel," she breathed huskily. "It's nothing."
"If I had been more cautious…If I had woken sooner…Damnit, Belle, I left you in danger," he growled, tracing over the thin scar his teeth had left.
She knew she had to do something to pull him back from his guilt before his self-loathing manner took over and the mood was lost. She leaned forward and bit into his shoulder, not hard enough to break the skin, but enough to elicit a lusty yowl from him. She suckled the bruised flesh and smiled as she laved it with her tongue before trailing her lips along his neck to his ear to whisper, "Now you have one to match."
The grip he had on her hair tightened as he pulled her head back and buried his face against the crook of her neck, his teeth scraping over her scar. "Gods, woman, where did you learn to do that?" he asked, rasping his tongue over the mark.
"W-We have m-more than one or two books in our library unsuitable for my delicate sensibilities," she teased, keening loudly as he nipped at her collarbone and across the hollow of her throat, the heat his lips and tongue and teeth evoked in her sending tiny shock waves to her nerve endings. And he hadn't even moved to undress her yet.
Her husband hummed in approval as his teeth caught in the ties of her corset style bodice and pulled, the silk giving way as he unlaced her. Another tug and one sleeve slipped off her shoulder, baring more skin he felt he needed to taste. Even through the overwhelming heat and desire coursing through her veins, she could feel his restraint in his every action. So afraid to hurt her, he was, and the thought brought a sad little smile to her lips.
Belle slipped off of his lap to stand before him between his legs, leaving him looking forlorn and unsure as his hands dropped to the bed to fist in the bedclothes. She placed a swift kiss to his lips to reassure him and pulled the gown off her shoulders and over her hips until it pooled at her feet, leaving her in nothing but her think white shift. His eyes traveled her body with such intensity, it felt like a physical caress, his pupils so dilated very little of his irises remained. He trembled as she ran her hands over his arms, from wrists to shoulders before delving into the curls at his nape and pulling him to her.
Rumpelstiltskin paused for only a moment before he grabbed her hips with a low moan and pressed her fully to him, leaving not an inch of space between them. Belle nipped sharply at his bottom lip and he looked up expectantly. "Stop holding back."
"I'm not," he quickly assured her, pulling her atop him as he lay back against the mattress. "I—" her nails raking over his shoulders and down his chest cut off his protests.
"Do you think I can't feel it, Rumpel? I'm not some coy maiden; I know how this works. I won't break," she sighed against his lips as she kissed him gently. "You don't know how long I've wanted to be with you like this."
"Belle…" he groaned, his hands ghosting over her sides and back as she wiggled lower, her nails and teeth and tongue trailing over his collarbone, his chest and lower over the flat plane of his abdomen. "Innocent…don't want to hurt…hurt you," he gasped.
"You won't," she said, her breath fanning out over his skin. The muscles contracted in his stomach as her tongue swirled around his navel before dipping inside. His hips bucked up against her, nearly unseating her and he bit his lip to stifle the inhuman howl that threatened to break free from his throat. She smiled and nipped sharply at the skin below his navel just at the top of his waistband as her fingers sought to untie his laces. She could feel his tightly wound control unravelling and giving way to his baser urges and a bit of wicked satisfaction surged through her, making her proud that she could do this to him, that she could make his self-control desert him with just the touch of her lips.
With a final tug, she tossed the laces over her shoulder and crawled back up to kiss him hard, not quite brave enough to free him from the confining leather. "Do you think me wanton?"
A laugh rumbled in his chest as he grabbed her about the waist and rolled her beneath him, kissing along her jaw. "I think you a desert houri sent to lure men to their deaths among the dunes," he murmured, his nails scratching lightly over her breast and drawing a startled gasp from her. "A siren who lures innocent sailors to a watery grave," he whispered, tweaking her nipple through the thin fabric of her shift and then rolling it between his thumb and forefinger. "I would die happy to spend one moment with you like this."
The fire burning in her belly erupted into white hot heat as his hand drifted lower over her hip and along the outside of her thigh, his callused fingertips causing a shiver to erupt along her spine. She instinctively closed her legs as his nails skimmed over the hyper sensitive flesh of her inner thigh. Instead of pushing her too far, too fast, he pulled on the thin silk ribbon holding her shift together over her breasts, parting the material and baring her to his view. Her hands came up to cover herself and she flushed with embarrassment. She'd never thought her breasts all that much to look at and she didn't want to see disappointment in his eyes.
He pressed a kissed to the back of her hand as he looked up to meet her gaze, his own heavy-lidded with desire. "Beautiful," he sighed, the one word chasing away her fears. "Don't hide from me, sweetling." The plea in his voice made her heart swell and slowly she uncovered herself, carding her fingers through his hair as he lowered his head to press a kiss in the valley between her breasts.
Her husband worshipped her pale breasts with his lips, teeth and tongue, making her moan and writhe beneath him. He sucked one taut nipple into his mouth, so much heat it sent little jolts of pleasure straight to the apex of her thighs as if there was an invisible thread joining the two. He didn't leave the other unattended, squeezing the soft globe and rolling it between his fingers. She cried out as he pinched it just a bit too sharply only to sigh a moment later as his tongue rasped over it, his hand moving to the one he'd just abandoned. So lost in the sensation and heat and lust and moans from both of them, she forgot to keep her legs clamped so tightly together, relaxing and freeing his hand where it had been trapped between her trembling thighs.
Rumpelstiltskin groaned and shunted his hips forward involuntarily against her thigh to relieve the pressure in his groin as his hand closed over the nest of curls between her thighs. His mouth closed over hers, drinking down the soft little cries she emitted as he dragged his finger over her dripping folds and delving within. Her hot wet flesh closed over him and his own moans rivaled hers. His heart thundered in his veins in rapid tempo with the throbbing in his cock and he had to bite down on his lip to maintain the tight control that was fighting to be loosed.
Belle tossed her head, her back arching to be closer to the pressure in his hand as his fingers gently rubbed alongside her swollen clit. She could feel the rising waves of something just out of her reach and her innate curiosity demanded to know what it was. She only knew she needed him, just him. Only he could give her relief from the burning desire that fought to overwhelm her and send her into madness. A surge of love flooded through the bond and she screamed, her release leaving her shaking and breathless, her inner walls clenching and releasing the finger buried deep within her. He pressed soft kisses along the curve of her jaw as she rode it out, waiting for her to come down from her high. It didn't help his painful erection to feel her release through the bond, making the ache in his engorged cock all the worse. With a whisper of magic, he banished his boots and confining leathers and breathed a small sigh of relief to be free and having his naked flesh pressed so intimately to hers.
"Are you alright? Do you want to stop?" he asked, his lips tracing over her eyes, her cheeks, the small indention of her top lip. There were at the point of no return and he had to be certain this was what she wanted. She would be more clear-headed after her pleasure had been sated.
Belle skimmed her hand down his back and over his hip before her fingertips brushed his swollen shaft. "More," she whispered, cupping him in her small hand, her fingers curling around him as she swiped her thumb over the moisture at the tip. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and bit gently to stifle his moan. "I want all of you, Rumpel."
He took her wrist in a firm grip, moving her hand away from his turgid length, shifting until he was lying between her legs. "Hold on to me, dearest," he said, rubbing the head of his cock against her folds, coating himself with her moisture. "Relax, love, don't be afraid," he whispered, hoisting her legs up over his hips until her heels pressed into the backs of his thighs. He opened up the bond between them as wide as he could and sent a wave of pure desire into her, leaving her shaking and breathless as he shunted his hips forward until just the tip of him entered her. "Belle?"
"K-Keep going," she moaned, never taking her eyes from him, trust, love and heady desire glimmering in their depths. She shifted beneath him, lifting her hips and he pressed down into her, her walls adjusting, stretching to accommodate his size. He stopped when he came up against her virgin barrier and she groaned, wanting the discomfort to be done with. "Please, Rumpel," she keened.
He molded his lips to her, his tongue plunging into the hot recesses of her mouth as his hips snapped forward to claim her maidenhead. He swallowed her soft cry, wincing as her nails scored his back and he groaned from the pleasure of being sheathed completely inside her. Belle clasped him to her tightly, waiting for the burning to pass and pressed a kiss to his shoulder, smoothing her hand over the marks she'd make on his back. After a tense moment, she took a deep breath and rubbed her foot over his calf, gasping when pleasure shot through her belly. "Move, my love," she sighed, feeling the familiar heat build up in her once more.
Rumpelstiltskin searched her face for any sign of discomfort as he pulled out of her almost all the way before sliding back in, his brow furrowing in concentration as he moved within her. He didn't know what he could have ever done to deserve the love of the woman beneath him, but he found himself thanking a deity he had never truly believed in all the same. The gift of her love, the honor of being the only man she would ever lie with was so unbelievable and precious it nearly brought him to tears. He bit his lip as he lost his rhythm, his thrusts becoming erratic as she cried out, her folds fluttering around him, drawing him deeper, clutching him as she drew ever nearer to her release. And then she tensed, her head thrown back, her spine curving in an arch as she lost herself to her pleasure. The beast within him howled, every emotion he was capable of at that moment…love, desire, lust, tenderness…all surged through the bond as he thrust hard and fell over the edge, shattering and reforming in the arms of his cherished wife.
He collapsed atop her and she reveled in his slight weight, holding tightly to him so he couldn't move off of her. He pressed lazy kisses to her shoulder as he panted. "I love you, Belle," he murmured, unable to even open his eyes.
"L-Love you, my husband…forever," she answered, her grip loosening enough for him to roll to her side and pull her into the circle of his arms. She was so sated and her limbs felt liquid as she nestled at his side.
He cleaned them up with a bit of magic, unsure if his legs would hold him if he tried to leave the bed. He pulled the sheet over them, the room warm from the fire blazing in the hearth, the crackling of burning wood the only sounds in the room aside from their steady breathing. A happy rumble of contentment sounded in his chest as he pulled her tightly against him and kissed the crown of her head, his last thoughts before falling into the comforting arms of slumber were those of hope…hope for their future and the love that not even a dangerous spell or his innate stubbornness could take from them. His wife, his True Love, his hope…his Belle.
X*X*X*X*X
One month later…
"I still can't believe you're dragging me off to this bloody wedding, Belle," he grumbled as he propped his feet up on the edge of the dining table in the Great Hall. He scowled down at the formal attire that fit snugly to his wiry frame and sighed. "The shepherd doesn't want me there anyway. Scared I'm going to frighten all his guests away."
Belle stood before the large ornate mirror he'd enchanted for her to use, the spell ensuring that she couldn't be spied upon, even by Regina who was an expert at mirror magic, and fastened the sapphire earrings to her lobes. "Pfft. We were invited and I will not disappoint Snow because you see fit to be an arse," she snarked, arching a brow at him over her shoulder. He could act like such a child when he got in one of his moods…usually when he wasn't getting his way.
"But, dearest, I could take you anywhere you wish to go," he pouted. "We could visit Agrabah. You could go shopping in the Grand Bazaar!" he said, his features brightening at the idea. "Or I could take you to Andrazia and buy you some of those delicious chocolates you fancy."
He drew in a sharp breath as she came to stand before him. She was a vision in a deep blue sapphire gown, the long sleeves fitted into a point over her delicate hands. The skirt was full and no doubt housed half a dozen petticoats to get it to fall so elegantly about her slender legs, but it was the square neckline revealing the tops of her breasts that had him growing painfully hard in the buff breeches he wore. Suddenly he was glad she had talked him out of wearing his leathers. She squealed as his arms snaked out and wrapped around her waist, pulling her onto his lap so he could nuzzle the sensitive spot just beneath her right ear just above the scar she wouldn't let him heal for her. She wanted to keep it as a reminder that she'd stood up to the demon and won.
She sighed and looped her arms around his neck, drawing him closer. "You're incorrigible, darling."
"I know, but you love me anyway. I'll be puzzling over that one for at least a century," he said, giggling softly.
His hand gripped her hip, crinkling the fabric as he squeezed it affectionately. "Stop, darling, you're going to wrinkle my gown."
He nibbled gently at her lower lip and grinned roguishly. "I'll buy you a new one."
"Thank you for agreeing to this, Rumpel. I know you loath the thought of having to spend the evening in the company of so many nobles," she said, brushing the hair away from his eyes.
"I'm only going because you promised me a dance."
"I did indeed," she said, her smile widening against his lips.
"And I intend to collect, my lady wife." Before he could deepen the kiss, the wards rippled and the double doors leading from the foyer opened. Belle peered around the high back of the chair and groaned inwardly, mouthing one word when he raised a questioning brow…Regina.
Rumpelstiltskin set her off his lap and rose to greet the queen, a smug smirk curving the corners of his mouth. "Ah, your majesty. To what do I owe the…well I can't say it's a pleasure now can I?"
Regina rolled her eyes. "I was bored and in the neighborhood, so I thought I'd pay you a call."
Belle schooled her features into a neutral mask and gestured to the tea tray on the end of the table. "Would you care for a cup of tea, Regina?" she asked, refusing to address the former queen by her title.
"Thank you," Regina said, trying her best to remain civil with the Dark One's wife to remain on decent terms with the imp. Her dark eyes followed Belle as she moved off to sit on the settee next to the imp's spinning wheel to sip her own tea.
Rumpelstiltskin narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the queen. "I'm surprised you aren't on your way to Longborne, dearie. I'd think you wouldn't want to miss your stepdaughter's wedding to her twoo wuv," he said with an impish giggle. "Not invited?" he asked, seeing her lip curl up in a sneer. "Me neither, but my lovely wife insisted that I accompany her as her guest. It will be so inspiring to see them declare their true love before the entire kingdom. Happy ending after all."
Belle glared at her husband as he winked at her. She knew exactly what he was doing, provoking the dethroned queen being his favorite pastime.
Regina nearly snarled at him as she set her cup down on the table, tea spilling over the rim onto the polished surface. "And because of you and the little implette, there's nothing I can do to stop it. Now way to harm them in this land ever again!"
Belle rolled her eyes as his expression turned serious and sympathetic to the queen's plight. "Yes, yes, I suppose that's true. In this land."
Regina whirled on him, her eyes widening. "What?!"
Rumpelstiltskin smirked once again, smug as a cat with its paw on the mouse's tail. "The deal I made was quite explicit. You can never harm them in this land. Now, were you to bring them to another land, well…" he trailed off, clasping his long fingers before him.
Regina smiled triumphantly as his words sank in. She could see all her dreams coming true in the very near future and with a little planning, it wouldn't take her long to have everything in readiness to cast the Dark Curse. "Belle, dear, thank you for the tea, but I really must be going." She shared a conspiratorial look with the imp and turned on her heel, hurrying out to her carriage.
Belle arched a brow at her husband as she moved to stand at his side. "Shame on you, Rumpelstiltskin. Regina is going to crash Snow and Charming's wedding and ruin it for them."
He slipped his arms about her waist and hauled her against his chest, kissing her soundly. "I know, dearest, isn't it delicious?" he asked, waggling his brows at her. She giggled, unable to hide her amusement at his merriment.
"I feel bad for everyone, having their happy ending stolen away from them while we're to remain so blissfully happy."
His face fell at her pique and he nuzzled his nose against hers in a comforting gesture. "It will be worth it if the curse will help us find Bae."
Her hand rose to caress his cheek and she smiled sadly. "Yes, it will."
With a sigh, he stepped back and offered his arm to her so he could teleport them to the Charming's palace on the lake. "Perhaps this wedding won't be quite as tedious as I'd previously thought."
"Really?"
"Of course, sweetheart. Regina will interrupt with her dire warnings of gloom and doom and…"
"What?"
"And I get to dance with my beautiful wife and be the envy of every man in the room." His lips claimed hers in a kiss filled with desire and a promise of passion to conclude their evening alone in the privacy of their bedchamber. Come what may she was his and all because of the Dragon's Breath.
THE END
A/N: And that's all folks! I hope you've enjoyed it, bc I have to say this is one of my new personal favorites. I hope you liked how I ended it. There was so much left unsaid about how the Charmings "took back the kingdom", it left me lots of room to put my own personal Rumbelle spin on it and I really enjoyed writing this. I can't wait to hear what you think about the ending. Thank you all so much for your patience during the time it took me to write this for you as I know you're all anxiously awaiting updates on "Belle's Journal" and "Love Letters". So as a reward, I updated those as well! Xoxxoxoxox
Great big shout out to my former beta FaerieTales4ever and to my awesome sauce reviewers: pascaler23, RaziOUAT, sheshe21, crazykat77, MyraValhallah, Guest, Guest (who thinks I write Charming as an ogre) and AquaJasmine23
