They had sat in silence. Everyone inside was having a good time and chatting. Rumpel and Belle sat on the step together, side by side, just being. They had not spoken and had fallen into an uncomfortable silence. His expectations of what would have happened after Gideon had revealed his engagement to Lilly had been totally blown out of water by real life. He had not expected to feel hurt. A new understanding of seeing it from Belle's point of view. Saying sorry did not change things. Yes, it was nice to hear. Like he had told her once, words do not hold much meaning, actions spoke louder.
Rumpel rubbed a hand over his hair and then held his head in his hand, leaning onto his knee to look at Belle beside him. She had fell silent after pleading that she loved him. It was not about love. It was how it seemed no matter how hard he tried. She was never going to trust him. Where were they with no trust?
A hand touched Rumpel on his shoulder. He gazed up to see Lilly and then scooted over on the step to allow her to sit down. Belle shifted as well, a bewildered look on her face as the young woman came to sit between them. Lilly linked her arm around Rumpel's, leaning against him, as she took hold of Belle's hand. They just sat there together.
After nobody saying anything for a bit, Lilly asked. "Are we going to sit here all night?"
"Hunnie, you should go back inside and celebrate." Belle told her, gesturing to the party behind them.
"I'm not going back inside till you two come in." Lilly said, her hand on Rumpel's forearm squeezing his arm. "You two need to hear something."
"What?" Rumpel mumbled, his fingers sliding into his hair, as he twisted his head to see Lilly beside him.
Lilly paused choosing her words. "For seven months, I have watched the two of you. You two are my first real experience of seeing what it is like to have both parents. Granted, Gideon's up bringing has been unconventional with him being brought up by his grandmother and being mistreated." At her words, Rumpel closed his eyes trying to forget that truth. "But you two have been there for him. You are so strong together, it's scary."
"Yes, and we're very good at hurting each other." Belle added.
"Hurt is part of love." Lilly told Belle before continuing. "If you didn't feel hurt, then you wouldn't know that you love each other. That is all I see when I see you two together. You love each other so much. I want that for Gideon and me. And I want my future husband to be happy."
Rumpel opened his eyes and said. "That's your job, sweetie."
"It's your job as well. You have spent all week making sure that we were happy and taking me under your wing, treating me like a daughter. But you're too stubborn to allow yourself the same courtesy." She told him. Rumpel smirked at her words. For someone so young, she had a very wise head on her shoulders.
"This is what you're going to do." Lilly pulled them closer to her. "We're going to kiss and make up, and then we're going to march into that ballroom and boogie. Understand?"
"Okay." Rumpel leaned into Lilly and kissed her on the cheek, pausing as he leant back to whisper. "Thank you."
She smiled at him before standing up. "I'll leave you to kiss and make up. I'm going to find Gideon, but if I don't see you in there in ten minutes I will be back."
He watched her cross the patio and slip into the ballroom through the patio door. His son definitely knew how to pick them, he thought to himself as he allowed his eyes to go to Belle beside him. She was staring at her toes. Scratching behind his ear, Rumpel shifted across the step to sit closer to her, their shoulders brushed against each other. With the contact, Belle coyly looked at him from the corner of her eye.
Rumpel reached out and took her hand. "I love you."
A small tear ran down Belle's cheek. "I love you too."
He leaned into her and turned her face with other his hand. Belle clenched her eyes shut as he kissed her softly. Her hands pressed into his face whilst she opened her mouth, begging for the kiss to deepen. Rumpel could not refuse her and shifted from the step, not breaking their kiss, to kneel on the step so he was in front of her. She pulled him closer with her hands snaking around to the back of his neck and opened her legs to allow him closer. The invite was gladly taken. He opened his mouth to her, leaning into her with his hands supporting his weight on the step she was sitting on.
Rumpel groaned disappointedly when Belle pulled away to rest her forehead against him, whispering to him. "She said kiss and make up, and then go inside."
"Did she indicate that we had to go inside there?" Rumpel was breathless as he spoke and wrapped his arms around Belle to prevent her escape.
"No loophole." She stroked the side of his face. "She said inside the ballroom."
"Well, dearie," He said releasing her to stand up, offering his hand to her. "Let's go join the celebration." Belle placed her hand into his, but she refused to let him pull her up when he tugged. He gave her a questioning look.
"Not dearie." Belle stated and then said. "Call me sweetheart, like you always do."
Rumpel smirked knowingly at her and then yanked her off the step, she had no choice but to stand and land against his chest. "Come on, sweetheart. Party time."
Leading her across the patio, he glanced at her over his shoulder as they entered the ballroom. A few people looked at them. Rumpel did not care as he drew Belle closer and placed a guiding hand on her lower back. Finding a space on the dancefloor, Rumpel turned Belle into him and smile at her as they began swaying with the music. She slid her arms up his chest and around his neck with his arms encircling her waist.
He scrunched his face in annoyance. "What the hell are they playing?"
"It's the dance music of this world." Belle informed him. He raised an eyebrow at her and then smiled, pulling her closer to rest her head against his chest. He had no care for the music that was playing, or for the eruption of groans, as the music changed. Rumpel was smirking into Belle's hair as the music they danced to on their honeymoon started playing. Everyone was looking around the room, complaining to the DJ, who stood dumbstruck, and claimed that his equipment was being hijacked. Rumpel carried on leading Belle in a sway to the music, her body shaking with laughter against him. They must have been the only ones dancing with the amount of curses the DJ was getting.
"Let them have their music back on." Belle told him, looking up at him from his chest.
He chuckled. "Really, dearie?"
"Yes." She pulled his head down to her and kissed him while the music returned to the previous track.
They abruptly jerked apart. Rumpel spun as Belle yanked away from him. Confused, he looked around to find Maurice had hold of Belle's wrist and was dragging her out of the ballroom. Rumpel shook his head and clicked his fingers to disappear from the ballroom to appear on the front porch of the mansion. Good timing prevailed, when seconds late Maurice was pulling Belle through the front door and out of the mansion. Rumpel clasped his hands in front of himself and reminded himself not to kill her father.
"Maurice." Rumpel's voice was dark as he spoke, scaring Maurice to a halt in front of him. "Let go of her." Some of the people that were hanging outside had edged their way towards the doorway of the mansion on hearing Rumpel's voice. Everyone knew better than to stay when that voice came out.
"You keep putting these spells on her!" Maurice bellowed, his finger accusing Rumpel. There was activity in the doorway before Gideon and Lilly came through the people.
"If you knew anything about magic," Rumpel chuckled at the close mindedness of his father in law. "You would know I could never make her love me with a spell."
"Father, let go of me!" Belle cried out, trying to pull herself away from Maurice.
Rumpel took a step forward. "Let go of her, Maurice."
"Go on, do your worse." Maurice goaded Rumpel. "Show her what you're like. Show them all."
"I don't have to." Rumpel gestured to everyone that was watching them. "They all know what I am. I am the darkest person here. But, you," He pointed to Maurice. "Are showing them how pathetic you are. You have the audacity to think you're being the hero. Saving your daughter. When all you have done is ruin our son's party."
Maurice glanced around at everyone and then at Belle. "He's a liarer!"
"He's my husband!" Belle hollered at him and snatched her hand out of his hold. She quickly moved behind Rumpel, her hand touching his back.
Maurice shoulders fell as Rumpel spoke to him. "I would advise you to" The larger man punched Rumpel in the face cutting off his sentence. It dazed Rumpel for a moment, but it astonished him that he was still on his feet. Blinking his eyes a couple of times, he felt Belle tighten her hold on him, trying to talk to him. He shook his head trying to clear the strange feeling from his head.
Rumpel reached up and touched his face where it was now sore, and drew his hand back to see the bright red blood on his fingers. "I would advise you to" Again Rumpel was cut off. The other man had decided to try to choke the Dark One, his two large hands clenched at Rumpel's neck.
A quick snap of his hand and Maurice let go of Rumpel. "As I was about to say before being rudely interrupted." Belle pleaded with Rumpel whilst Maurice looked baffled at them, ignoring her he carried on. "I would advise you to leave this party. You're just causing a scene."
"You're only going to do something to me when I leave. You just don't want her to see." Maurice pointed his finger at Rumpel again.
"Father, just go!" Belle told him sternly, her hand still on Rumpel's back.
"No! I won't have another grandchild be corrupted by this beast." Maurice was red in the face, his temper getting the better of him now.
Rumpel rolled his eyes. "There is no child. She's not pregnant. When I said growing the family, I was on about Gideon and Lilly."
"That's not what Belle told me!" Maurice said. Rumpel's eyebrows drew down on top of his eyes. He swore he heard Maurice correctly. Shuffling on the spot, Rumpel blinked at his confusion staring at Belle who was standing very sheepish beside him. She bit her lip, he liked that, but that was distracting.
"What?" Rumpel blurted at her.
Belle flashed a brief smile at him and then gave her father an evil look. "Yes, well… I was going to tell you…"
His face hurt with the smile that pulled at his cheeks. "You're pregnant?"
"Yes." She said returning his smile. Everyone else was forgotten. Rumpel grabbed hold of Belle and forced her into his chest. He held onto her for dear life, clenching the material at the back of her dress. Fate had given him so many chances and he had blown nearly all of them. Now, here was another chance at being a father again. Nothing would make him happier.