I don't own OUAT

"Sit down. This will not be easy on your body." His eyes ran down her delicate form appreciatively, smiling at her eager posturing. Leaning forward ever so slightly, her bright eyes were sparkling expectantly. You could just see the gears spinning inside her mind. A soft smile graced her lips as she prepared herself for her next lesson in magic, perhaps hoping for an entirely different kind of magic afterward. She always was hopeful, of course. But then, strangely enough, he found himself longing for her more and more lately. He had thought to abandon her once he had taken her child, but this new deal changed everything. A deal that he had made in the passion of the moment that he now must keep. A deal he ought to despise keeping, and yet somehow didn't. A deal he found himself eager to fulfill.

It was at that point that he noticed that she was disobeying him, still standing tall with a self confident grin on her face. Still so innocent after all this time in his company. She believed herself to be immortal with her magic and her hold on him, something that was dangerous to believe of the Dark One. No one had that strong of a hold on him. He would have to teach her the price of her impertinence.

"I can handle it." The corner of his mouth turned up for a brief moment at her bravery before shoving his hand straight into her chest. She let out a sharp cry at his sudden action before allowing a little whimper to slip out as his grip tightened. At the sound, his lips turned down again, the grip ever-tightening. He could see tears streaming from her eyes, leaving tracks in their wake, but she did not allow any sounds to escape.

"I suggest you do as I say next time, dearie." He pulled his hand out of her chest, heart in hand. With a single thought, her tears dried and she was sitting on the small stool he had been on just a few minutes before, moments before he suggested they amend their deal. "Do you see, dearie? Holding someone else's heart can be quite empowering. You control them, as I now control you."

She stood, casually as ever, and draped her arms over his shoulders. A cocky smirk crossed his face as she did so, snaking his own arms around her waist as he made sure to keep his hold on her heart light but firm. Her eyes momentarily became blank as the signals he was sending started mixing, his calm control breaking in favour of his fantasies. Lust filled her eyes as she leapt onto him, legs curling around his hips. She clung tightly to him, pulling him into a passionate kiss. His mind started growing fuzzy, losing himself in the moment. Something wasn't right, though. He couldn't take her this way. He squeezed her heart.

"Stop!" She quickly scrambled off of him, sitting back on the stool with a look on her face that would shame the sweetest pup in the kingdom. Her usually fierce brown eyes had transformed into those of a poor doe with an arrow in her flank. He noted that his grip on her heart was still tighter than need-be, slackening his grip immediately. She hadn't even protested the pain he put her through. Good girl. Letting out a frustrated sigh, he put his hand back into her chest, releasing her heart back into its cavity. She clutched the edges of the seat, panting heavily.

"Holding someone's heart is one of the most difficult things to do; only the most powerful sorcerers and sorceresses could even think to do such a thing. With it, you as good as own another person. That is no easy task."

"I understand now, Master. For it is I who has a hold on your heart." He blanched, staring at her. All of the torture he'd just put her through, and she still thought she owned him?

"No woman has ever touched my heart, nor ever will!" He paused. "You will practice on yourself." He sat down, briefly amused by the hurt that was clear in her eyes. But that woman, that damned woman, had spoken true. She had touched him in a way he didn't want to think about, and the hurt he had caused in her... it was causing this horrible ache in his heart. He was about to repeal his statement when her eyes grew hard, becoming cold mirrors rather than he windows they had once been.

"Teach me. I know the process, but what must I focus on?" That woman never ceased to surprise him. His harsh words did not seem to ever effect her for long. He took her hand, gently placing it on her ample chest.

"This one is different and yet the same. You must think in the same way that you did while spinning gold, but you cannot afford to be vague. There must be a genuine hatred for the person whose heart you are taking."

"And so you have me practice on myself. Understandable, I suppose, but I have one question. From what did your hatred of me breed?" There was no anger or hurt in her voice- merely curiosity. It was not hard to think of what had caused that hatred, but to admit it? His weakness was why he hated her, because she did it! She was his weakness in every sense of the word. And now he had to show her what he had always been able to cover in the darkness of night.

"I'll show you." He handled her delicately, as though she could break at any moment. Pulling her into a kiss, he allowed his practiced control to fall. He acted far more passionately now, working for their joint pleasure rather than her safety. And then the tingling began, first in the tips of his fingers and then up his spine. He pulled away from her for a moment. "Open your eyes." She did as he asked, and he pulled her in for another kiss. However, as their lips were moments away from each other, close enough to breathe in one another's breaths, she moved away from him, the disgust evident on her face.

"What is happening to you?" She trembled, staring into the face of a true beast. Half of the face bore its normal appearance, but the other half was that of a man. He looked to be the same man on either side, but the human side was utterly disgusting. Little bits of scaly flesh clung to the sides as though torn off to reveal the pale skin that could be seen beneath.

"I was once a man who was told his curse would never end. But now... it seems you are breaking it." The confusion was brief as his clever apprentice discovered what was happening.

"You're losing your magic, aren't you?" His silence was answer enough. She sat down on the stool once more. One deep breath and a silent cringe later, her heart was beating in her hand. "I understand now. The hatred one would need. It was love, wasn't it?" When she looked back at him, his skin had returned to normal. Thank God.

"Yes, I would say so." He looked down on her with shame at the pain he was causing her. It was not her fault that they were falling in love or that it was affecting him in this way.

"I see." He took a minute, shocked by the utter lack of emotion in her voice.

"Put it back now." She clearly was not understanding what he was saying, so he gestured to the heart that rested in her palms.

"No. I'm stronger without it. As are you." She summoned a little box, placing the heart inside. With a flick of his wrist, the little box flew into Rumple's waiting hand.

"I said put it back." He stomped toward her, pulling the delicate heart from its box. He squeezed it tightly, and she fell to her knees with a harsh cry. It was a place he liked to see her. "You need to learn your place, my dear Princess."

"Yes, Master." Her body was trembling terribly, and he felt bad for a moment. It went away quickly enough once he got her to stop trembling. He couldn't allow her to get to him. It hurt too much. Stepping closer still, he put his hand through her chest once more, returning her heart. Anger crossed her face briefly, a clear sign that she had once again taken control of herself.

"You were clearly strong enough to do that. Congratulations. But you are never to do that to yourself again, do you hear me?" She nodded silently. He sat beside her, taking her hands in his own to run his finger down the lines that laced her palms. "Don't worry about me. If I have you, I do not need my magic."

She stared at him, shocked by his response. He was a bit shocked by it as well, his golden face soon covered in a pinkish tint- a blush. She took his face in her hands, he finger stroking his cheek.

"You have me." He pulled her close, kissing her with a new-found passion that came from a new confidence, assurances that life would go on after magic. Ensnaring her hair with his fingers, he forced her perfect hair to fall down her back.

"I won't take a woman in her wedding dress. Not unless it's for me. Take it off." She complied, slipping it to the floor. She stepped closer to him once more, curling up on his lap. He flicked his wrist, sending her wedding gown to hang itself over the wardrobe. "There. Perfect."

"Shall we go to your castle, Master?" He nodded, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist protectively. There was a brief pause before that unfortunate blush covered his face once more. Understanding instinctively, she transported them to his bedroom. A small smirk lit up on her face. "I quite like you vulnerable, Rumple. Now I am the master."

And master him she did, taking her specific mastery quite seriously. Playing rough seemed akin to worship in comparison to the pleasurable torture she put him through. After a few rounds, she stood, summoning a new gown to cover her figure.

"I'm off to kill the King. I will meet you in my garden in two hours. Do not be late."