Eventually, she cleared her throat and stepped away from him. The embrace ended long before he wanted it to. But he didn't think anything they could ever do together would ever be long enough to overwhelm the time they'd lost.

"Does…does that mean you live here?" she questioned, gesturing to the corner of the room.

Painful as it was, he tore his gaze from her to find the object she was motioning to. The bed. Cot! It was a cot, not a bed. Fuck, she'd found the cot, and with one word, his mind was suddenly filled with images he was certain shouldn't be there, at least not this soon after getting her back. Slowly. They needed to take things slowly. She didn't even realize that he lived somewhere else. There were other tasks they had to master before…that.

"No," he answered gently, trying to find his voice. "No, I have a home."

She smiled then and raised her eyebrows hopefully. "Can we go home then?"

He panicked. He panicked because he wasn't prepared for her, not by any stretch of the imagination. In truth, he'd only just barely managed to make a plan to take her to Granny's; he hadn't thought through what he might do with her if she forgave him because until a few moments ago, that reality hadn't even the possibility of existing. But now that it did…

He reached his hand out and touched her cheek, studied her face, rubbed a few strands of hair between his fingers. "Taking her home" probably wasn't ideal, but given the circumstances, what else were they supposed to do? His house wasn't exactly prepared for visitors. It was a mess. The milk in the refrigerator was expired, he didn't have a clean spare bedroom, the only thing she owned in the entire world was what she was wearing now and whatever she'd thrown away from the hospital, and he wasn't about to-

"Please?" she whispered.

His nerves broke at her voice. What else was he supposed to do with her but make her as comfortable as possible?

So he managed a small nod and somehow breathed out the word "yes" in reply.

And then she kissed him. She kissed him. And suddenly, the world and all his worries melted away. The voices hissed in his head at her affection, but he silenced them at the same time they relieved him. After twenty-eight years of no magic, he'd forgotten he now had it at his disposal. Not much of it, not since he'd last used it, but then again, she didn't have much either. For a while, he imagined anything he could do would be better than anything she'd had in a long while. She had the most powerful wizard in the realm wrapped around her finger. They'd figure it out.

When their kiss ended, he gathered his belongings, made sure the dagger was still safely stowed away in the safe and slipped his forgotten coat over her shoulders for warmth. Then he locked the shop and took her down the street to where he'd parked the car what felt like days ago. Remembering her reaction to the phone in his shop, he anticipated her reaction to the car early. As she got in, he explained it to her, told her about seatbelts, and helped her fit it around herself and buckle in. When he got in on his side, he tried to remember to see things through her eyes, to ask himself what might be frightening if he were to experience it for the first time with no warning. He let her know about the noise before he turned the car on and warned her that it was going to move before he slipped it out of park and took his foot off the brake. And then they were off.

The streets were empty. Damaged but empty. At the Wraith's appearance, people had probably sought out shelter inside the safety of their homes, and that was just fine with him. Regina had known she existed, and it put a target on her back as it was. He didn't want anyone else to come looking for her. Quiet streets meant he could very quickly and easily slip her into his home and keep her safe for a good long time.

They were quiet on the drive home. She mostly looked at the darkened world outside her window. She took in the parked cars they passed, the streetlights, the fences and gates, even the bus stop seemed to amaze her. But her eyes widened when they pulled up to his house, and he took her inside. She was home. No matter what it looked like, it was where she belonged.

She slipped the suit coat off her shoulders once they were inside and realized that it was warm in the house. He'd left the heat on again. Ordinarily, that might not be a problem, but after being away for two days straight…

He turned the thermostat off as she looked around, then went to a window in the living room and opened it up. The cooler night air came into the house and chased the heat away. It was too cool for the air conditioning to be on but too warm in the house to keep the heat on. The night air would work fine for the night. In fact, it was something familiar from their world that might be of comfort to her in a new place.

"This happens on days that it's warm, and I leave the heat on," he explained nervously. "But it's rarely a problem here this time of the year, or any time really. It's cooler most of the time. This afternoon was an exception…"

He stopped talking when he realized he didn't know why he was talking. He didn't have to sell her on Storybrooke. She wasn't buying a house or thinking of moving. She was here. She didn't need to know about the climate; she needed…she needed…

Food, he recalled. She'd been hungry earlier, and he hadn't given her anything. She'd need food.

"Would you like something to eat?" he asked, returning to her side. Those words caught her interest.

"You cook?" she asked with surprise in his voice that made him want to blush. She'd always done all the cooking back home. She'd never known…

He nodded with a sly smile. "Quite well, actually…when I have an excuse to, at least." Not that he'd done much of it lately. Or ever. Between work and Granny's, there wasn't often a need. But now, as she bit her lip and nodded, he realized there was.

"I am a little hungry. I'd love something to eat."

He turned toward the kitchen almost eagerly but then stopped and spun back around to face her as he realized…

"You'll want to get cleaned up."

She perked up immediately at the thought. Of course. She'd been out all day, freed from the asylum, walking the streets, who knew the last time she'd had a shower at that godsforsaken place she'd been kept…she needed food, but food would take some time, and maybe she needed some other necessities as well. Bed, food, clothes, hairbrush…

"Ah…" he took a breath and tried not to be overwhelmed by it all. One step at a time. He didn't know about sleeping arrangements yet and wasn't sure where to dig up a hairbrush, but he had one clean shower in the house in his own bedroom. That would do for now. "Up this way."

He led her up the stairs, into his own bedroom, and turned on the lights. He ignored the sight of the bed, though acknowledged it was probably the best place for her to spend the night. It was clean; at least it would be if he changed the sheets.

"Your room?" she questioned.

He nodded. Yes, for her, it would do quite nicely. And for him, well…he'd gotten lucky. Dark Ones didn't need to sleep. Perhaps that solved the problem for him.

He moved around her and opened up the bathroom for her. He used his cane to pull back the curtain and explain the various knobs and sounds she might hear, described what might happen, all the while trying not to think about it himself. Instead, he made a list of things she'd need to fill up his head. One step at a time, he reminded himself, and little by little, it came to him. She'd need shampoo and conditioner for the shower. And soap. Toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush for afterward. He had enough magic to get her that.

"This is wonderful!" she beamed when he was done with his explanation and list-making. Good. That was good.

"Take all the time you need," he whispered, using magic to conjure what she'd need for the shower before he left. "I'll be downstairs when you're ready." He closed the bathroom door behind him, perhaps a bit too loud, and tried not to let the sound of running water get to him. Once he was certain he'd heard the shower curtain close, he imagined a hairbrush on the vanity and felt magic leave his body, confirming for him that they had appeared.

He wasn't done yet. If she'd be staying in this room, she'd need new sheets on the bed. With just a thought, he saw a puff of smoke rise up over the mattress, and when he stepped forward to pull the comforter back, he saw the spares had replaced what he'd used days ago. There was still one more thing. After she showered, she could wear her dress again, but she'd need something to sleep in.

His damn mind. Fucking male hormones that he couldn't escape or control in any realm, apparently! Not where she was concerned. No sooner did he have the thought that she could sleep in one of his dress shirts did he picture it. And that was the wrong image of her to have in his head at a time like this. He'd seen enough of her legs as it was. He didn't need to see more. Want to see more? Yes! Far more than he should have! And that was why he opened one of the drawers, used his magic to move his things aside, and then closed his eyes to cast a spell to summon women's clothing from a shop that he knew of that wouldn't miss them. Long nightgowns, a couple of dresses for the days to come, and all the underthings she'd ever need, let alone for the night. He kept his eyes closed as he did it. She needed her privacy. And the last thing he needed was something real to think about her in.

Then he left. He left her to her shower, wishing he could take a cold one. He left her to explore and change while he wandered back down into the kitchen to find something she could eat. With any luck, it would keep his mind busy as well.

He didn't have much around. The milk in the refrigerator was long past its expiration date, and he quickly chucked it down the sink as he looked through his options. He'd have to go to the store in the morning. He mostly only had things he could make for breakfast since that was usually all he ate here. But all things considered…he could work with that.

The shower stopped just as he retrieved eggs and butter, and he focused on the task at hand so he wouldn't think about what was happening upstairs. He hoped he could get through this phase of newness quickly. Otherwise, it might just drive him mad.

Then again, it was hard not to be driven mad or think about her when she made it so fucking easy!

As he'd been finishing up on getting their dinner onto plates, he'd heard a sound behind him and glanced over. Heaven help him. She hadn't put her dress back on after she'd showered only a long nightgown that fell to the floor.

He quickly turned back to his tasks, trying to ignore it, but the fact that she wasn't wearing a bra kept circling and circling and circling…

He managed to pull himself together, to remind himself that he was an adult, they were both adults, and he could handle himself. She'd sat down at the table, not at the far end, but rather in a chair that was at the right hand of the head, where he would normally sit in the castle. That was a sobering sight. He doubted that was a mistake. She was smart enough to do it on purpose, and he was intelligent enough to interpret it as her wanting to sit by him. He liked that.

"It's quick, and you seem tired," he muttered to her as he set their plates down. "I don't have much food in the house. I'll remedy that in the morning and try to find-"

"It's perfect!" she smiled, leaning forward and laying her hand against his own. And that was the last thing they said for the rest of the meal. Not because they'd never spoken at mealtimes in the castle, they hadn't, but this was out of necessity. She'd been hungry. That much was clear as she shoveled the food into her mouth, all the while trying to take her time. He ate as well but watched her probably more than he should have, noting the way she savored her first bite, the way her eyes closed, and she looked like she might cry. And asylum…hospital food for twenty-eight years! And who knew what Regina had fed her before that. Slop, probably. Scrambled eggs and toast wasn't exactly a culinary masterpiece, but after what she'd had, it was probably better than gold.

As far as he was concerned, the entire thing was better than gold. Last night he'd been with August Booth trying to figure out how to break a Curse and see Baelfire. Now the Curse was broken, Baelfire was in reach, and the only person he'd ever loved besides his son was alive and eating scrambled eggs with him in his kitchen. It was perfect.

Until they finished.

He'd barely had his last bite before she swooped in, took both their plates, and his gut twisted as if someone had just plunged his own dagger into his stomach and turned. She was waiting on him. Like a maid. He didn't want that.

She stood at the sink and reached for the handle to turn the water on; he got up quickly and placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"You don't have to do that," he insisted. "Not here. Not ever again."

"I don't mind," she muttered, turning the water and rinsing them clean as she always had.

She might not have minded, but he did. Especially because things were so different here, even teaching her to clean the dishes would be a chore. As the last dregs of uneaten eggs went down the drain, he sighed when she stepped away. She didn't know what else to do. So, when she stepped away, thinking the job was complete, he took her place. She marveled as he opened the dishwasher, loaded it, and closed it again.

"It's a dishwasher. It's a common convenience in this land," he explained before turning to the sink so he could turn the garbage disposal on and get rid of the-

He cursed and shut the disposal back off quickly as he heard her gasp, and she jumped away. It was too loud. Too sudden. He hadn't explained!

"I'm sorry!" he exclaimed once it was quiet. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize…"

But there was no excuse. He did realize. He knew he couldn't do things like that with her. He'd just…forgotten. Things had been so normal he'd forgotten.

"I just…I just didn't expect…" she swallowed before breathing deep. She was blushing. Oh, he could see every bit of her skin glow with it. He really had to get her away and off to bed, away from him. "What is it?"

"Garbage disposal. Keeps the sink from smelling of rot," he answered, turning back to the sink. She wasn't stupid. She just didn't know. She'd never know if he didn't teach her. And at least it gave him something to look at besides her breasts. He sighed that thought away. "Turn the water on, and flip this switch here," he demonstrated for her and noted this time that she didn't jump away from it. That was an improvement. "And never, ever put your hand down the drain while it's running.

She nodded and looked around the kitchen with wide, scared eyes. "I have a lot to catch up on…" Her words came out quiet. He wasn't sure if they were for him or not, but he had heard them. And they tore him to pieces.

"We'll get there," he promised confidently. If the speed she'd learned to be a caretaker in the Enchanted Forest was any indication, then he knew before long she'd be moving around here without a care in the world just as naturally as he did. But this was probably enough for one night. "You look exhausted," he commented. She nodded in response. "You should go to bed, get some rest. I'll…I'll sleep on the couch," he excused, not feeling tired at all. "You can take my bed, and tomorrow I'll arrange for-"

"The couch?" she interrupted, shaking her head in confusion again.

"It's a-"

"I know what a couch is! We have those in our land! I just don't understand…you don't have any other beds?!"

He didn't quite know how to answer her. Of course, he had other beds. It was a five-bedroom house, and each room was perfectly furnished but also perfectly cluttered. When his magic was back, he could prepare something proper for her, but until then, it wasn't as if he needed to sleep. Tonight, while she slept, he could-

Before he could finish making plans of his own, she stepped forward and rested her hand on top of the one he had on his cane. There was a light smile on her face, a look of certainty. "We've shared the same space before," she shrugged. "We can do it again."

He felt his heart race and waited for his voice to say "no" or "not tonight" or anything! But he seemed to have forgotten how to speak as she took his hand in her own and tugged him in the direction of the stairs.

Fuck.

I love this chapter. I love seeing the centuries-old, suave, I-have-a-plan-for-everything Rumpelstiltskin turn to mush around Belle. I love watching him get nervous and scramble for the right thing to say. I like hearing him swear, even if it's internally, because it's all he can think to do, and I like seeing him become human and even panic a bit. I like seeing him lose all sense of control. In his mind, he's got every argument for why they shouldn't share the bed, but then Belle takes his hand and says, "I've got this," and he's totally 100% complacent.

Ah, and while we're on the subject...yes, they're sharing a bed. There are some things that I have to assume in their story because we never get a clear answer on the evolution of their relationship, so we have to put it together based on clues and other details the show gives. Yes, I'm going to put them together in the same bed. I have them sharing a bed because I think it's pretty clear that by 2x04, they are at the very least sharing a bed. But why put them in bed together now? Why not wait for a few chapters and let things develop slowly. First, Rumple's house is a mess, and he has very little magic at his disposal to clean it right now. Take a closer look at what we see of it in 1x12. It's horribly cluttered and dusty and generally unfriendly. Yes, I'm sure he has other beds, but I doubt the rooms are comfortable after years of neglect, and I'm sure they are just as cluttered as the rest of the house, which basically leaves his room up for grabs until he can use his magic to do some cleaning. Second, he doesn't tell Belle that he doesn't need sleep here, probably hoping to avoid another blow-up over staying up to do magic, and I think that to nice and innocent Belle, she wants to be kind. I imagine feeling like she's kicked him out of his own room isn't going to sit well with her, so the next best solution is for her to say, "well, we're only going to sleep, I don't want to take your room from you, we'll just bunk together." She's not doing it to seduce him. She's just really an innocent little muffin. So, yeah...they're sharing a bed tonight. But of course...gee, I wonder where this will go?! Thank you for your reviews, Alarda! I really appreciate it, and I hope you'll enjoy this chapter. Peace and Happy Reading!