"I've been believing in something so distant
As if I was human
And I've been denying this feeling of hopelessness
In me, in me
All the promises I made
Just to let you down
You believed in me but I'm broken"
Evanescence - "Lost In Paradise"
Rumpelstiltskin had spent a long day of dealing. He found himself biting his cheeks and tapping his fingers together with malicious glee at most of them. Oh, how willing they were to give up what they treasured more than anything for a mere want. As far as he was concerned, sacrifice was never altruistic. There were always motives at the bottom- mainly self-serving motives to benefit themselves in some way. As long as they received what they wanted at the moment, all consequences went out the door. Until he came to collect.
The begging and attempts to make a counter deal had amused him, quite truthfully. He found it humorous. During the deals he'd made them a promise. And they believed in him.
But the Dark One always had tricks up his sleeves. He knew the human heart and mind well enough to know how it worked. Always living in the moment, never planning for the future. Pathetic. Weak. Foolish.
Yet, he also knew of desires. How fleetingly they came into flesh and how quickly they could be ripped away. Even as the Dark One, even as a beast, he had human desires. Desires of the flesh. Desires of dwelling, even for a moment, in the light as opposed to the darkness of his own heart and soul.
He scoffed at these thoughts, dismissing them. He had done his business. He had collected on his end yet again. This was how it was always to be with him. He knew, perhaps more than anyone, the cost of deals with a devil.
After finishing her duties in the castle, Belle had retired to her chambers. She was grateful for the brief respite she'd had. She'd taken this opportunity to mediate and to repair her walls, repair her own shattered psyche.
The past few days had been exceptionally draining for Belle. For some reason, Rumpelstiltskin- or so it seemed to her- had been dwelling ion his own prison of darkness and hopelessness.
Belle had long ago realized the duality of the soul. There was a darkness to them and also a light- most people could live companionably with both sides of their nature- accepting it and embracing it. There were some who had chosen to walk in the light, shunning the existence of any possibility of darkness within them. There were some who fully embraced the darkness. Those who dwelled in the shadows, hidden away in prisons of their own consciousness. In the world, but apart from it.
Her darkness was not her own- her darkness was from the pain of others. She had never felt herself capable or any darkness, not accepting it, but not rejecting it. And as for Rumpelstiltskin…She sighed, her eyes filling with tears. He was a creature of darkness- utmost and pure. He -was- the Dark One, after all. She had seen glimmers of light in him, but they had vanished just as rapidly as they had been seen.
She could see how broken he was, how alone. Perhaps that's what drew her to him. For the past several months of her new life at the Dark Castle, she had felt it. And even in her own heart, she had begun to feel the flames of desire.
Desire for what? Companionship, however limited, she had with him. In a small way, she had a friend. He had been kind to her. What could she want so desperately?
"You're crying, dearie," Rumpelstiltskin said, slowly stepping towards her.
Belle gasped in shock. She had known he was quite capable of stealth, yet it still surprised her when he did so.
"Oh," she said, making motions to wipe away her tears. Rumpelstiltskin grabbed her wrist, moving his free hand to wipe the fallen tears himself.
His touch sent jolts of raw emotion through her. She could feel pure power, pure darkness in his touch. It terrified her and enthralled her.
Desire was now coursing through her body. This scared her more, unsure if it was his desire or hers.
"Is something the matter?" he asked, his voice masking a knowing curiosity.
Belle opened her eyes, her heart beating tightly against her chest. There was no pain, however. She knew, in a way, that she was taking something of his for herself. It wasn't his power or his darkness. Well, maybe it was his darkness. But the wound had not opened, the wound had not hurt.
Boldly, he placed her hand on his cheek, smiling as she saw his eyes close. Belle focused, a slight smile forming on her face. She brought forth her own emotions, her own desires and felt no emptiness as she usually would have, but an odd fulfillment.
Rumpelstiltskin had been playing games with her, toying with her and her emotions. He desired some entertainment on any level and was shocked to find the tables suddenly turned on him. His heart throbbed in his chest wildly as sudden feelings of desire entered his body and permeated his soul.
He moaned softly, his hand tightening its grasp on Belle's wrist. It was such an odd sensation, something to foreign and unfamiliar. He felt another wave of desire score through him before he pulled her hand away from his face.
"What games are you playing?" he asked, his voice deadly.
"Only the games you have been playing with me," Belle replied, no fear in her voice.
"Dearie, dearie, dearie. This is not a game you'd want to play. Especially not with me," Rumpelstiltskin hissed, tossing her hands away from and leaving the room.
Rumpelstiltskin had done his best to avoid Belle, ignoring the dark desires in his mind. He had not spoken to her in two weeks, refusing to let her be that near to him when he had magical artifacts on him. He'd known they'd likely affect humans, but was shocked when the handful of silken hair he had collected from his deal affect him.
He'd spent a significant amount of time in his lab, pouring over his massive tomes and manuscripts. He had finally acquired all he needed for this particular 'experiment', one that took an utmost amount of concentration.
He slowly transferred the light heliotrope fluid into a small glass vial, slightly mesmerized by the patterns and swirls it created.
As he placed it down to simmer, he heard a knock.
"Enter," he said, his voice taking on the sing-song tone.
Belle had entered, wearing a shawl over her shoulders and tied in the middle of her chest.
"I've brought what you've asked," she said, walking to a small table and placing a small bundle on it.
Rumpelstiltskin moved quickly to the table, opening it and examining the reeds she had collected. Angel's Breath was notoriously difficult to find, let alone collect. Yet, here she had brought him twelve long and slender reeds.
He moved to put them away when he noticed a dark stain seeping through her shawl.
As Belle turned to leave the room, he spun her around, forcing her to face him. He began to untie her shawl, oblivious to her whimpers.
He threw the shawl down and saw blood seeping through her gown from her chest.
Belle had begun to cry, her body and mind feeling invaded and violated.
"What happened?" Rumpelstiltskin had asked, sitting her down and gently removing the sleeves from her shoulders.
Belle began to struggle.
"I have no intention of harming you. I do not plan on it. I simply want to examine the wound."
Belle had stopped struggling, but her body still trembled.
Rumpelstiltskin had removed her arms from the sleeves of the dress and gently pulled the bodice of the gown, not far enough to make her feel exposed.
The wound was ugly. Seeping blood and jagged, almost as if she had been stabbed.
Rumpelstiltskin conjured a small bowl of warm water and a cloth to clean the outside of the wound.
As he cleaned it, he felt a dark desire enter him. He willed himself to focus on reality, not on foolish notions of desire.
"What happened?" he asked again, gently tracing the wound with his forefinger. Belle felt a warm sensation of magic as he ran his finger over the wound, healing it.
"I don't know," Belle lied. "I was searching for the reeds and when I returned, I felt the wound."
As Rumpelstiltskin touched her wound, she felt her body flooded with Rumpelstiltskin's dark desire.
Her wound had healed, yet his hand remained over her heart.
He looked into her eyes, his own darkening while hers glazed over with lust.
He brought his lips to hers with a stunning ferocity, letting all the desire and darkness he had been feeling out with this kiss. Belle wrapped her hands in his hair, her walls completely down as she surrendered to the dark desire that had been consuming them both.