It was like no other greater feeling in the world to see my humble abode again and this time with Belle on my side. We had managed to get off the island and we both were in no state to travel so I disappeared us back home. Once we were home I got Belle properly washed, fed and rested. She slept until noon but when she came around the next day she looked better.
I moved her out of my dungeon and into my bed chamber. However I slept on the ottoman nearby to keep an eye on her. I wanted to give Belle some space in that perspective. I knew she wouldn't say it but I could tell by the look in her eyes she was grateful. It was a hard transition for the both of us. Most days Belle weeped and I would just take her in my arms until she stopped. I couldn't offer her any words of comfort because every time she started to weep my mind went right back to the state that I found her in. It made me want to rip Hook apart but I had to remind myself that I already did. We didn't speak much, I could tell she was still trying to wrap her mind around what had happened. I wanted her to come around in her own time and I would be ready for her whenever that would be.
I wanted to do something special for her. I knew exactically what I wanted to do. I told Belle to meet me in the ballroom after sundown. She was wearing her yellow dress that I secretly adored.
"So what do you want to do tonight?" Belle asked. I could tell by her eyes that she was still sad even though I could make her smile.
"I thought we could start with a dance," I held out my hand to her.
She took my hand but pointed out, "there's no music."
I pulled her in close and put my hand on her waist, "I can fix that."
With the snap of my fingers of my other hand the ballroom was filled with slow orchestral music coming from nowhere in particular.
Belle looked around for the source of the music, "I like your magic."
We slowly started to move together to the music,"do you really mean that?"
"Of course," Belle reassured, "I didn't before but things are different now."
"What made you change your mind dearie?" I questioned.
"Well, I don't know. I just knew that you would come for me but I knew you would never find me with out it. I just missed you...but I realized that you wouldn't be you with out it. It's apart of you, I know you've done horrible things but I have faith in you," Belle said stepping closer to me.
I put both my arms around her waist holding her close and Belle wrapped her arms around my neck. I've never felt so peaceful in all my life.
"I was ready to give it up for you," I stated to her.
"Thank you, but I don't want you to change. If you don't change I know that I don't have to worry about anything like this again."
"I promise you that as long as you wish to stay here that no harm will come to you again."
I could tell Belle's demeanor had changed. She had walked out of my arms and went to the window. It was a clear perfect night, with an almost full moon.
I went over to her and saw tears streaming down her face, "what is it Belle?"
"I just can't believe that my father did this to me. After all those years, I'm his daughter," Belle said in almost a whisper, "I just can't believe that he gave me up that easy."
"I'm sorry Belle," I said trying to comfort her. I knew how she felt, "but I promise you that you wont ever have to be alone again. I went to see your father you know."
"You did? What did he say?" Belle asked with concern.
"I just had to talk to him. I didn't kill him, I knew you wouldn't have wanted that. I just told him that I was going to find you and make sure that you're never harmed again."
Bell put her arms around me and held me tight. We hadn't been that physical since her return, I could tell that she wanted her space. Having her arms around me and feeling the warmth from her body felt amazing. It would be a lie to say that I didn't want her. As much as I wanted her I wasn't sure that I would ever be able to bring myself to touch her. Not after the way Hook did, it felt like I would be violating her the same way as he did. If I were ever to make love to her I wouldn't want her to be thinking of all the pain Hook brought to her while she was with me. However I was sure about one thing.
"Thank you Rumple," Belle said and buried her face into my neck.
"Belle, do you want to stay here with me?" I asked now feeling tense. My stomach was starting to churn from the nerves.
"Yes," Belle answered quickly holding on to me still.
I moved out of her grip and tried to build of my courage, I felt more nervous now that I was stepping into Tortuga but I was positive about what I wanted. So I sank down to one knee in front of her, "Belle you bring out the best in me. You are my reason to be brave, I don't ever want any harm to come to you again. I promise to never use my magic again except for the intention of protecting you. I know that the world had turned it's back on you, it turned its back on me as well. So I want us to turn our backs on the world together. Belle, will you marry me?"
I conjured out a ring that I had created. It was a gold band with a sapphire stone, I had engraved 'You're my reason' on the inside of the band. I had spent all of the last week using my magic to create it.
Belle looked as if she were about to cry again, but this time I could tell it was tears of joy. She couldn't speak much but she nodded her head and whispered, "yes."
I stood up and slide the ring onto her finger as my nerves faded, I had never felt such joy in most of my life. Belle was nothing like Mila or Cora, neither of them truly understood me the way Belle does. Belle placed her soft perfect hand on my face and pulled me in. And just as before I could feel the power of love coursing through me as her tongue danced with mine.
I carried Belle bridal style into out small cabin for the night. She was laughing and holding onto me tightly. I couldn't help but smile and laugh too, I spun her around in our cabin and placed her down and pulled her into a deep kiss just as before.
We had gotten married in the woods. Belle had even found a wedding band for me, it was a simple gold ring with her name engraved on the front. I used my magic to create a perfect setting for two. We didn't have anyone to invite, both of us having no friends or family to come. It seemed like it didn't matter to her, we only needed each other. I wasn't positive that it was a legal wedding, I was the one who married us. I decided that get away from the dark castle, I wanted to take Belle somewhere new.
It was a perfectly warm summer day, it was just as it was in my first dream. We layed in a field and watched the clouds roll by. Only this time with Belle's fingers laced in between mine it brought me more serenity knowing it was real. Once the sun started to set I held our 'unofficial' wedding.
Belle looked even more beautiful, I fashioned her a white off the shoulder gown. She was the woman I had always dreamed about, if not better. She let her hair fall down her back perfectly and her eyes seemed to be shinning brilliantly blue more than usual.
I had found a cabin in the woods and decided that it would do for a honeymoon sight. It was a simple one room cabin with a fireplace and simple furniture. It had a nice homey feel to it which is why I wanted to bring her out here. I had covered the cabin with white roses and white candles. The fire in the fireplace gave the whole cabin a warm glow. More than anything I wanted her to be comfortable.
"Belle, you are truly a vision. Better than anything I have ever wanted," I confessed bowing to her.
She just giggled and bowed making me want her more, "Thank you."
Belle pulled me in closer and pulled me into her. Her lips were just as soft and perfectly delicious as they always were. Belle broke the kiss and pulled me closer to the small couch in front of the fire. I could tell by her eyes what she really wanted, I wasn't sure if I was ready to give it to her.
Me and Belle plopped down on the couch, and she seductively crawled onto my lap. This was going to be a lot hard than I thought. She started to kiss and lick my neck, the desire in me was growing.
"Belle," I moaned, snaking my hands onto her waist, "Belle...are you- are you sure about this?"
Belle moved off my neck with lust and love in her eyes, "Yes, I want you to make love to me."
"I know Belle," I said trying to think of a way to explain it to her. I didn't want to hurt her,"It just doesn't seem right."
"Why?" Belle asked looking concerned now, "do you not want this?"
"No that's not it, I've dreamt about this a lot more than you know..." I explained, "It's just that...Hook, you and him-"
"Rumple," Belle said desperately, "this isn't about me and Hook. This is about you and me."
"I know but if I were to ever hurt you the way that he did I would..." I started to say feeling the frustration fueling through me.
"You're not going to hurt me," Belle confided.
"How do you know that? Me and Hook are both monsters," I replied. Belle used to be innocent, Hook ruined that. I didn't want to be another one that ruined her. I couldn't hurt her.
"You're not the same, you rescued me."
"We're pretty close,"
"No you're not," Belle said and she placed her hands on my face and looked me in the eyes, seeing her like this always sent shivers down my spine, "I trust you Rumpelstiltskin."
"Do you really?" I whispered to her beginning to relax a little bit.
"Yes..." she whispered back, "He's hand me in a way that you haven't. It's not fair to you, I want you."
"Just promise me one thing," I started.
"Anything,"
"If I'm hurting you or making you uncomfortable I want you to tell me to stop."
"I know, but it's ok. I want you."
"Ok..." I said, I suppose we could try. Besides everything she was doing me made me want her more, "Lie down. In front of the fire."
She snaked her way down and layed down on her back. The fire made her skin glow warmly, I wanted to have every inch of her but I was going to take it slow. I got down on top of her and began kissing her and slowly moved down to her neck. She began moaning making me want her more and more.
I started to move on to her dress, I used magic to undo the corset. Her dress was now loose. I looked into her eyes for permission. Her breathing was getting shallow and I slowly started to peel her dress down. I slid it down past her concealed breasts,down her torso and eventually she slipped her legs out of it. She wasn't wearing much underneath but seeing her so exposed but comfortable made me more excited. I snaked my way up her body, planting kisses here and there.
I stopped at her neck and ran my hands down her thighs up to her chest. I slipped my hands under her brassiere and gently teased her with my fingers. Her eyes rolled back into her head and began moaning my name. Hearing her, seeing the way she reacted was only building my desire harder and harder.
She opened her eyes to look at me, seeing her face staring back at mine sent more shivers all through me. She sat up and wrapped her arms around me, I let my hands roam all over her back, feeling every inch of her soft delicate skin. She started to unbutton my vest and then slid it off of me, then she pulled my shirt over my head. She was getting nervous, I could see it in her.
"Are you ok? We don't have to do this if you're not ready," I tried to comfort her.
"No it's alright, just overwhelming. I'm not used to someone being this gentle with me," Belle admitted.
There was a depressing truth in this statement that made my heart burn with rage, but now wasn't the time to think about that.
"I want to do something for you, something to make you happy," Belle whispered running her hand through my hair.
"Belle, you don't have to. I don't expect anything from you," I explained.
But she didn't listen, she ran her hand down my neck, slowly down my chest towards the hem of my pants. The anticipation was driving my mad, part of me wanted her to slow down another part, a specific part of me, was desperately yearning for her touch.
She was responding perfectly for my silent yearning. She slowly loosened the strings to my pants and slid her hand down. My heart skipped a beat when she finally had a hold on me. I layed down on my back and Belle took her hold on me sitting next to me. She slowly started to move her hand, I could tell she was nervous and inexperienced and yet it was still so perfect.
She slowly slid my pants off and kept her grip on me, but I could tell she was lost. It was sort of cute actually, "lie back down."
She did as I asked and resumed her position. I asked her, "you ready for more?"
She nodded her head in nervous excitement. I leaned down and placed my lips upon her claiming her mouth as mine, meanwhile I slid one hand down her body past her torso. I slowly slid my fingers down past her undergarments to her most intimate place. I went slowly to make sure this would be what she wanted so I slowly slid into her. She was perfectly warm and wet, she really did want me.
She whimpered at my entrance but I could tell by her deep breathing she was satisfied, but I wasn't through with her yet. I went on to kiss her neck as she wrapped her arms around my bare back.
I was beginning to understand Belle in a whole new way, a way that I knew that only I would know. For instance, the deeper I planted my fingers, the harder Belle would dig her nails into my back making me want to push her harder. Once I felt she was ready I removed the rest of her clothing.
"Are you ready?" I asked crawling to be more on top of her.
She opened herself more to me and kept her hands on my back, "Yes...make love to me."
"I love you my beautiful Belle," I replied breathing into her neck. I slowly sunk into her, she felt so perfectly tight around me, I had never felt so perfectly whole with anyone before. She wrapped her whole body around mine and stung my back with her nails in response, it was almost as if they were meant to fit perfectly. The beauty and the beast.
A few weeks had passed since our one night honeymoon at the cabin. We returned to my castle and we had fallen back into our daily live. I would spin, she would read a book and we would make love again and again and again. It almost felt to perfect to be true. I had never been so content with my life as it presently stands.
Even when I didn't see Belle I could still feel her. My back was covered with scratches from her, and every time I moved I could feel the sting from them. I loved every tingle from them, I would push harder on her just to make her drag her nails up and down my back harder. Everyime we came within a 3 foot radius of each other, I ended up taking her where ever we happened to be. She would tease me and I would tease her in return. It had became a game for the two of us, one that both of us were determined to win. In the end we both always won.
Everytime I saw her ring sparkle it made my heart melt, everytime I moved and felt the tingle on my back in made my desire grow. Nothing could ruin this for me.
It looked to be another normal day in my castle, I was sitting on my wheel thinking of this morning's intimacy and she was sitting on a nearby chair buried in her stories. It was all going just as well as the next...until...
I felt it. Something new, I could sense that something was coming. My heart had been nothing but full and warm since I got Belle. But now it felt as if my heart was dropping to my stomach and getting colder. I stopped spinning.
Belle noticed and came to my side, "Rumple, what is it?"
I stood up and wandered over to the table, "Something's coming this way."
The feeling was growing at a staggering rate, I was beginning to get colder and light headed.
"Something? Or someone?" Belle asked with fear in her voice.
Then I remembered.
Regina. No she couldn't have...
Could she?
It was impossible.
I made my way to the window and looked out. It was possible, and it was happening.
It made my heart go ice cold.
There was a huge black cloud consuming the mountains and the forest coming at my castle fast. It was the curse Regina often spoke of doing. I created the curse, which meant I could no longer stop it. Once started no one could stop it.
This couldn't be happening, this curse would drive me and Belle apart because despite me creating the curse, Regina had the power to design the curse. Surley the evil queen would not shed mercy on me or Belle.
I ran over the Bell and pulled her into my arms, "Belle listen to me, I need you to understand something."
"What is it?! What's going on Rumple?" Belle frantically asked.
"I love you Belle, and no matter what happens I promise I will come find you!" I tried to make her understand. I looked over my shoulder, the black cloud was getting closer.
"What is it Rumple?" Belle asked again.
"Just hold on to me!" I said and pulled her closer to me than over and closed my eyes.
"Rumple-" she began but I could see the smoke surround up and swallow the room and swallow her as well...