Belle woke, feeling at once the sense of comfort that only hours of sleep and warm sheets could bring. And there was a scent too, a familiar and musky scent that delighted her with every deep inhale.
But this peace was short lived. Soon she felt a heartbeat beneath her ear and realized with horror that her head was rested on a man's chest. She shot upright and looked down at the sleeping figure beside her. Memories came flooding in—the nightmare, the screams, and the terrible need for comfort. She had forced him to stay, and her face flushed red with embarrassment.
Belle hurried off the bed and into the restroom where she dressed quickly and splashed her face with water. How could she have been so demented? She thought gloomily. Now he'll be sending me back to the hospital for sure.
When she returned to the bedroom, Mr. Gold had risen.
"I am so, so terribly sorry," Belle began. "I don't know what came over me. I'm sorry. I…"
But the corner of his mouth merely twitched into a small smile.
"Not to worry, Dearie," he said. "Dreams, or nightmares rather, can be frightening for all of us. That realm of fantasy… well, it's not quite all that it's hyped up to be."
Belle nodded awkwardly. "I really am sorry though. Not quite the first impression I was intending to make."
"Yes well, impressions can be deceiving," he said.
He was wearing plaid pajama pants and a black t-shirt, Belle observed, and he looked so meek and endearing.
"I couldn't agree more. If you don't mind me saying, folks around town seem to have this impression that, well, you're a bit of a…"
"Monster?" He laughed softly, sitting on the unmade bed.
Belle approached him, helping herself to the seat beside his. "I was going to say intimidating figure."
"Ah, well, they wouldn't be mistaking."
"They seem to think that you're so cold and stern."
"Again," he said, "a fair description."
She leaned her head in, and smirking, dropped her voice to a near whisper. "Well there's nothing cold and stern about being in your arms…"
With that, she stood up, expressed her desire to make pancakes, and left the room smiling.
…..
"Hello again, Belle," said Archie. He was a neatly kept little man, and his office was maintained in an unshockingly similar fashion. He sat on a green office chair and Belle on a sofa to match.
"Hello," she said.
"And how have you been?"
Belle paused to think. It had only been a few short days since she'd seen him last, but admittedly, they had been rather eventful ones. "I'm doing well, thank you."
"Liking you're new living arrangements?"
"Yes," she said, picturing her bed and window and dresser, "it's all quite lovely."
"And the work?"
"Just fine."
Archie exhaled and leaned forward. "Now, is there anything you wish to talk about that's been… less than fine?"
Belle understood what incident he meant.
"Well, there's been some nightmares."
He scribbled a note on his clipboard. "And what do you see in these nightmares?"
"I see myself in that room again," Belle said. The leather green sofa suddenly provoked discomfort. "The—the walls are falling and I can't get out."
"And how do you feel during these dreams?"
She laughed with soft irony. "Well, I feel bloody horrified."
"And the feeling lasts when you awake?"
Blushing, she shifted in her seat. "The other night, I woke up screaming. I don't think I realized the difference between asleep and awake. All I could think about was being pulled back into that place. And I—well I, I was quite a mess."
"And how long did that last?"
"Um, thirty minutes maybe? Until I feel back asleep."
He scribbled again. "And that's how the feeling ended? By sleeping?"
"Well not exactly."
Part of Belle knew that she should trust Archie, but another cringingly retched part kept telling her that her comfort that night had been deeply personal. "I—actually… Mr. Gold came in after hearing my screams."
His eyebrows twitched up slightly. "And what did he do?"
"He came to me, tried to bring me to my senses. And I found myself clinging to him… n-not letting him go. Oh, that's troubling isn't it?"
"No, no," said Archie. "It's completely natural. One of our most basic human needs is to seek comfort in others, and after so many years with so little communication with anyone, you likely felt secure being beside another human being."
And Belle supposed that that's what she felt, security.
…
Mr. Gold attempted to read the newspaper one morning, but he only found himself listening to Belle. She was only a room away cleaning the kitchen, but the sound of her humming to herself carried down the hall.
After a while, Gold could take the sound of it no longer. He drifted into the room.
"Nice tune," he said.
Started, she dropped the cup she'd been holding. It hit the floor with a soft clatter.
"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just that I didn't expect you there…"She bent down to receive the cup. "I've scratched it but…but it already had a chip. Should I throw it out?"
Gold couldn't keep himself from laughing at the irony.
"What's so funny?" asked Belle.
"Was there a reason you had that particular cup?" he asked, suppressing a smile.
"I was just curious as to why it wasn't with the rest," she said.
Gold sat down at the table, still grinning to himself. "Don't concern yourself about the scratch; just put it back where you found it."
Belle agreed, placing it on the top counter carefully.
"Is there anything you'd like, Mr. Gold. A tea perhaps?"
"Only if you'll have a cup and a join me," he answered.
Belle laughed and soon sat down at the table opposite him.
"There's been something I've been meaning to ask you," said Belle, taking a sip.
Gold took a drink as well, pinky-up, and rose his eyebrows as if to say please proceed.
"I was just wondering, what's your first name?" she asked.
Gold placed his tea cup on the counter. "Hmm?"
"It's just that no one here in town seems to ever call you anything but Mr. Gold."
"Well," he said. "I quite like it that way."
Belle leaned forward, smirking. "Oh come now, what's the harm in telling me?"
He bit down on his lower lip thoughtfully.
"Oh, wouldn't it be fine if just one person called you by your first name?" she pressed.
"I'll tell you what," said Gold, "If you can guess my name, then you can call me whatever you'd like."
Man, is it just me, or have the last two episodes been super good! I love Grumpy and Red! Anyhoo, please review. I'm hearing less and less from you guys! Talk to me, my loves!
Also, if you're interested ;) .com/ … .. ..