"She seemed dressed in all of me
Stretched across my shame
All the torment and the pain
Leaked through and covered me
I'd do anything to have her to myself
Just to have her for myself…"
Slipknot - Vermillion, Part 2.
Rumpelstiltskin had never felt more alive as he kissed Belle. In all his time as the Dark One, he had focused his energies- all of them, on the power he could achieve. At the amusement. Of the weakness and cowardice of others, thereby ignoring his own.
He had known he was weak. He had known he was a coward. For those reasons, it was why he had enjoyed being the Dark One. He enjoyed the unadulterated power and control it gave him.
Belle had moved her arms around Rumpelstiltskin's neck, gently drawing him closer to her as she fell back to the bed. Rumpelstiltskin followed her lead, putting a hand down on the mattress to support his body weight. He gave himself over to the sensations of the experience.
As the Dark One, he still had human desires. He'd spent his lust and carnality on tavern whores, refusing to offer anything except satisfaction for his own selfish needs and desires.
Yet, here he was, in the arms of such a beautiful woman- beautiful in appearance and spirit, he had no other thought than enjoying the intimacy of the encounter.
He moved his hand from Belle's waist to her cheek, stroking it and gently moaning in pleasure at the softness of it.
Rumpelstiltskin broke the kiss, moving his lips from hers to kiss the slim column of her neck. He heard Belle gasp softly, feeling the pulse in her throat beat heavily against his lips.
Belle's hands tangled in his hair, eliciting further moans of pleasure from the Dark One. Rumpelstiltskin moved his attention back to her lips, adjusting the pressure of the kiss until Belle whimpered softly, wanting more.
He broke away, staring into her eyes as his hand still stroked the side of her face.
Belle felt such lonliness and emptiness from Rumpelstiltskin's touch, causing her heart to ache.
"You've been lonely for so long," Belle said. It was not a question, but a statement of truth.
Rumpelstiltskin's eyes darkened, feeling the darkness in him rise.
He scoffed as he withdrew his hand.
"When one dwells in darkness for centuries, lonliness is to be expected, dearie. Not all of us are blessed to be touched by the light," Rumpelstiltskin said, the last sentence carrying bitterness. Belle winced, hearing and feeling the emotion in his voice.
The Dark One left the room, ignoring the hurt look on Belle's face.
The next few days were torture for Belle. She'd been locked in a maelstrom of pain and torment from her own emotions and from the Dark One. He had shown glimpses of kindness, shadows of affection. Perhaps that's all they -had- been. False glimpses into a reality that could never be.
Yet, her mind kept back tracking to the night he had kissed her with such...what? Tenderness. Desire. Yearning.
In her months at the Dark Castle, she had grown to care for Rumpelstiltskin. She had been drawn to him like a moth to a flame. Belle had full knowledge of his known capabilities. She'd seen his acts of cruelty. She had seen his power.
Despite this, she had seen something in him. Something he had kept so well hidden from the world.
"Doomed to be the martyr," Belle whispered to herself as she dusted the rooms in the castle.
Despite his cruelty, despite his darkness- Belle had seen- no, experienced- such tenderness and longing with the Dark One.
Frustrated, she threw down her duster and walked to the parlor he spun in.
She was not prepared for what was beyond the door.
Rumpelstiltskin sat at his wheel, spinning the straw.
He wasn't wearing a shirt. The firelight illuminated his body, emphasizing the golden tone to his skin, a slightly scaly texture to his upper body.
His body was lean, yet sculpted. Belle's fingers ached, longing to run themselves along his sking.
Her heartbeat increased, her body seeming to take control over any logic she had.
Rumpelstiltskin looked up, feeling Belle's prescence more than seeing it. The look in her eyes was hungry, a dark lust and desire darkening them.
Belle walked slowly to Rumpelstiltskin, eyes locked. She gently put her palm to his cheek, feeding him her desire, gasping softly when he moaned and buried his cheek into her hand.
She didn't know what was controlling her- if it was her need or his. What more, she didn't care. All she wanted was to feel his skin against hers.
Rumpelstiltskin stood up, enraptured by the sensations. He had begun to feel desire creep slowly through his veins as Belle's hands touched him. He noticed her eyes had darkened significantly, from the beautiful ocean blue of them darkening to a midnight black.
Belle drew him closer to him, both of them gasping as Belle's power caused desire and passion to flush through their bodies.
"Belle," Rumpelstiltskin whispered raggedly.
She pressed her lips against his, forcefully. Her nails buried into his back as his hands tightly gripped her hair.
Rumpelstiltskin could feel himself haren with desire and need as Belle slowly opened her mouth to receive him.
The sweet sensation of being so close to Belle- so near her soul- almost drove Rumpelstiltskin to a point of no return.
As swiftly as it had happened, he broke the kiss, his hand still gripping her hair.
"What are you doing?" he asked, his voice husky and slightly furious. Belle's mind was elsewhere, still longing to touch him.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" he yelled, forcefully shaking her. The sudden motion and change in the situation had snapped Belle back to reality.
"I..I don't know," Belle stammered.
Rumpelstiltskin released her, pushing her away from him.
"You are toying with things beyong your understanding," he said darkly, turning away from her.
"Toying?" Belle asked, slightly incredulous.
Rumpelstiltskin scoffed, turning to her and approaching her.
"Or are you trying to tame the Beast?" he yelled.
The sudden anger had caused Belle to stumble back, feeling the wound on her heart open and the warmth of the blood seep through her gown. She glanced down, praying to the Gods that the blood wasn't visible.
She looked up at Rumpelstiltskin, noting a confused look in his eyes as the blood began to drip freely.
Scared, Belle ran from the room, clutching the wound over her heart and crying.
Rumpelstiltskin stared after her.
He'd had enough of the games. He wanted answers.
"Gods be damned!" Rumpelstiltskin screamed, throwing another one of his ancient tomes to the floor. He had spent hours poring over them, desperate to find an answer.
He cursed again, pulling books and books out of the stacks, furious.
Rumpelstiltskin had nearly given up when he noticed a very small book, hidden behind the massive tomes of his dark magic.
The book was dusty, unused and unopened for so long that the pages had curled and faded to a dark yellow. All books had a purpose for his magic, but this one must have become…neglected, cast aside in lieu of darker, stronger magic.
He sat in a chair, opening the book. Dust and the scent of despair lingered as he flipped through the pages.
He had just neared the end of the book when he found something promising.
"Durere Mâncător - The Pain Eater
Forms of true and pure magic are exceedingly rare, most individuals of the land having to rely on the powers of the Factorii de Decizie de Afacere or Zânăs- the ancient deal makers and faeries.
Yet, there are individuals who are born with magic inside their hearts and souls, magic of the purest and untapped form. They are called Pain-Eaters.
Pain-Eaters are the rarest of all humans blessed with true magic. Pain-Eaters have the ability to take away the pain, sufferings, and despair of others, replacing it with emotions of comfort, peace, and serenity with a simple touch.
They are receptive to all emotions around them, feeling them without needing the physical contact they use to transfer emotions.
Although many of the few Pain-Eaters are creatures of the light, there is a darkness that comes with their magic. While they have the ability to take away pain and replace it with joy, they have the ability to take away joy and replace it with pain.
Rumpelstiltskin closed the book slowly, not bothering to read the last few sentences.
He had heard of Pain-Eaters. In all his centuries of life as the Dark One, one was bound to learn more than a bit of the different types of magic that existed in this world. He had heard of them in passing on his many deals and travels, dismissing the notion as fodder.
Yet, a floor below him, was Belle. A Pain-Eater.
He strummed his fingers together as he began to giggle darkly.
A/N: The terms 'Durere Mâncător' (Pain Eater), 'Factorii de Decizie de Afacere' (Deal Maker), and 'Zânăs' (Faeries) are Romanian. I speak Romanian slightly and wanted to give a little something extra to the English words. That, and Romanian is such a beautiful language.
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