Big big thank you to everyone who nominated this story in The Espenson Awards on Tumblr! It's up for Best AU!OUAT and Best Belle! And I'm up for Best Author, and a few of my other stories have been nominated for things as well so if you're so inclined maybe go check things out for potential voting? I'd be much obliged.

He'd never kissed her like this before, that was for sure. She'd been dreaming of this, and she wasn't afraid to admit it. She'd grown up on romantic stories which tended to cut straight from an earth-shaking kiss to a happy ending. The romance novels she'd lifted from a basket from the hospital were a bit more informative, but Belle had always been a curious sort and was desperate to get to what came next. He was still kissing her and he had his fingers in his hair as he began kissing his way down her throat. That was nice – very, very nice. She bit her lip, letting him tilt her head back a little so he could kiss her more. She didn't miss her voice anymore, except for now. She wanted to tell him she liked it, that she enjoyed his touch and wanted more, but his eyes were closed and she didn't want to pull away to sign it to him.

She settled for putting her hands on his shoulders and rubbing him through his suit, hoping her message would come through. He seemed to take her meaning, at least. She wanted more, though – she wanted him to not stop this time.

She was careful as she moved her hands to the buttons of his coat, undoing them as though she were afraid of startling him. When she was done, she slid her hands under his jacket and let her fingers curl around his shoulders. He seemed to realize what was going on at that, pulling away from the spot on her neck he'd been working with his lips. She felt the loss instantly, and pulled him a little closer. He was always so gentle with her, so nervous as though she might break if he made any sudden movements.

She wasn't going to let him scurry like a scared rabbit this time, though. It was Valentine's day, and she had all night.

Belle leaned forward to reclaim his lips, loosening his tie in the brief moment where he was deciding whether to kiss her back. She didn't want to give him time to doubt that she wanted this, so she leaned forward, following him as he reclined on the cot.

"Belle," he murmured, stroking her hair. "You're so beautiful."

She smiled at him, wishing she could tell him how much she loved him and how thoughts of him had sustained her the entire time he'd been gone. She wanted to reassure him that she couldn't be scared off, that she'd come home to him eventually. But more than anything, though, she couldn't stop stroking his hair and his face. She'd been without touch for so long she couldn't stop now that he was hers for the touching, and he wouldn't really understand her anyway if she'd tried. So Belle dedicated herself instead to demonstrating to him whatever she could.

It only took a few moments before he began to reciprocate again, tracing the outline of her waist with his fingers and gripping her hip delicately.

"Belle," he breathed. "Are you sure?"

She didn't answer him. Instead, she simply twirled his hair around her fingers. She liked it like this, she decided. She'd tell him later, when her hands weren't otherwise occupied, but she liked his hair like this. She'd liked the curls, too, but this was very nice. And so was his skin, she decided, as he pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it so gently she thought her heart might burst.

She leaned down again and pressed another kiss to his lips.

"Are you sure?" he whispered again.

She nodded, and he hooked his arm around her waist and pulled her tight.

"You'll tell me if you change your mind?"

She nodded again, and threaded her fingers through his hair, tugging just enough to draw his attention to her and he nodded, accepting her suggested signal – not that she had any intention of changing her mind, but if it gave him the confidence he needed to touch her then she would do whatever it took.

He rolled her over onto her back so he was hovering over her on his elbows. She smiled, feeling like a contented cat as he kissed her forehead, her eyelids, the apples of her cheeks, and down to her lips and then her chin. He slid his hands under her shirt and up to her breasts. She bit her lip, arching her back into his hand as he pulled the lace of her one nice bra down so he could run a thumb over her nipple and a bolt of electricity shot through her.

Rumple was watching her face intently, and she knew he was making sure she was enjoying herself, so she made a point of writhing underneath him and hoping he saw whatever it was he was looking for. His hand made its way down to her waist, and she wriggled out of her shirt. He licked his lips, moving his hand lower down her body to the zipper of her skirt. It didn't take him long to have her down to her bra and panties, cupping her through the soft cotton and pressing the heel of his palm into the apex of her sex. She squirmed, pressing herself further against him. He chuckled, slipping his hand under the fabric and dipping his fingers into her.

Belle had done this before herself, but something was different about it being Rumpelstiltskin's fingers inside of her, curling in ways that would have made her scream if she could and his thumb teasing her sensitive nub. He put his other hand on her torso, pushing down just a little bit and she saw stars. He was looking at her strangely, but she managed a smile and he continued what he was doing.

A man shouldn't be able to make his fingers do things like that, but she wasn't about to complain. He was magical, that was all there was to it. He didn't stop his ministrations, and it wasn't long before she was panting and squirming, and she half thought he might stop for fear of hurting her but he kept going. He followed her as she writhed, and suddenly she broke and she was curled around his hands and coming undone. He held her as the aftershocks shot through her, and she wasn't sure how long it took for her to come back to herself but when she did he was still there, and the moment she smiled at him it was like the weight of the world had come off of his shoulders.

She wouldn't let him go this time, though. They'd been through this before, and last time he'd brought her to this he had let her go after. She didn't want to go this time. Rather than letting him get away, she pulled him down over top of her and crushed her lips to his. He kissed her back, gently at first but then with everything he had and it wasn't enough this time. She frantically unbuttoned his shirt, needing to get to the skin underneath. He tensed up as she got fingers against bare flesh for the first time, but he didn't pull away so she clung tighter, her legs wrapping around him and pressing the bulge in his pants against her.

Once she had his shirt off, she could see the blush begin to creep across his face, but she was thrilled to finally look her fill. He was beautiful. She licked his throat to hopefully alleviate some of his nervousness, and that seemed to reassure him (or at least convince him to keep her face otherwise occupied) because he was kissing her again and not trying to stop her when her hands worked down to his zipper and maneuvered it open.

She had never touched a man before like this, and she was glad it had been him to be her first. He felt heavy and warm and she wanted him, now. Belle ground against him, guiding his hands back to her chest and he had his hand under her bra and his fingers were working miracles again. She managed to get his pants off. Thankfully, he didn't try to stop her. Instead, he worked her bra off and fell on her with lips and teeth and it was amazing. She shed her panties while he wasn't paying attention, and pressed herself closer to him.

She grabbed his hair at that point, pulling him back a second and there was the shock on his face as he prepared to stop. Instead of stopping him, though, she pulled his face up to meet hers and took his lip between her teeth. He was still hard and ready, and he made quick work of his boxers. He was hovering over her now as though unsure what to do. She moved her mouth to his throat, nipping and licking at a spot where she knew his collar would cover the mark she was leaving. He let out a low groan as she worked, and she felt his hand move downwards again, brushing his knuckles across her sex and readjusting himself.

"Are you sure?" he asked again, and she was so damn close to slapping him but that wouldn't solve anything.

So instead, she kissed him again. Long and lingering, letting him feel how she wanted him – she wanted him so much that sometimes it felt like an adventure and sometimes it felt like coming home. She wanted him so much is was physically painful to know he was nearby and that she wasn't touching him. So much she could scarcely believe it herself.

He made a choking noise low in his throat, and she felt him shift a little and suddenly he was inside of her. Belle gasped at the sensation. She'd imagined what this would feel like, but somehow nothing – not even his fingers – had prepared her for the feeling of fullness where she hadn't even been aware of feeling empty. He was looking at her quizzically, and belatedly she remembered the one thing she had known about sex before this – the first time was supposed to hurt. He was worried about her, even as she could see the strain of not moving beginning to take its toll in the way his jaw was clenched.

She smiled, shaking her head and kissing him again and it felt like something in him must have broken at that, because then he was thrusting inside of her in long, deep strokes that seemed to reach all the way into her. It was like he was replacing parts of her with parts of himself, and she never ever wanted him to stop but he was going faster and faster and she could feel herself beginning to come undone again and then she was seeing stars and he was gone.

As she came back to herself, she was vaguely aware of a stickiness on her belly and looking down she realized he'd pulled out before he finished himself off. A part of her was relieved, she hadn't planned this well at all and becoming pregnant wasn't an option for either of them at the moment, but at the same time it surprised her to realize that she hadn't been as opposed to the idea as she probably should be. It wasn't the right time, but suddenly she was aware that maybe someday it would be.

He looked abashedly at the mess on her torso, grabbing up a cloth from someplace and cleaning her up before collapsing down into her arms. She wrapped her arms around him, cradling his head to her chest and brushing the hair back from the crown of his head as he traced little patterns on her stomach with his fingers.

Eventually, the chill air of the room seeped into her overheated skin and Belle shivered. Rumple pulled the blankets over them and curled up behind her, spooning her against his chest. She played with the fingers of his hand, forming the sign for I love you with them. It was the best Valentine's Day Belle had ever had.