Rumple had spun late into the night. The day's events had left him pleased but confused. He had no idea why he'd reacted to her the way he did. Why he cared about her opinion or her safety. She was just a girl he'd acquired in a deal wasn't she?
Midnight came and he realized that the spell which shut the dungeon door, though no longer locked it, hadn't gone off. Curious Rumplestiltskin made his way back up to the library and was greeted by a rather lovely sight.
Belle sat slumped in one of the armchairs her eyes closed and face peaceful. Her pale pink lips smiled at whatever pleasant dream was passing through her head. A part of him longed to brush back the chestnut locks of hair that had fallen on her face but he held back. Such a beauty should not be tarnished by the touch of a beast.
It was evident she had fallen asleep here on accident given the book that precariously dangled from her fingers. Rumplestiltskin moved forward and swiftly plucked it away before it could fall and wake her.
He supposed he ought to make a fuss over her not going back to her assigned "room" but he couldn't really bring himself to work up the annoyance instead he waved his hand and a blanket appeared over her. He'd let her sleep. After all he could always scold her in the morning.
OUAT
Belle awoke to find herself in the library apparently, she had fallen asleep while reading. However, she didn't recall ever using the royal blue blanket she found draped over herself.
Belle smiled as there was only one place the blanket could have come from. Glancing at the clock her eyes widened she had less than 20 minutes before Rumplestiltskin's breakfast was supposed to be served! She jumped up and raced down to the kitchens to prepare everything.
It was a quarter past breakfast time when she finally brought the tray up into the great hall. Rumplestiltskin gave her a stern look.
"I do expect my meals on time dearie."
"Yes, I'm sorry I didn't mean to oversleep."
"Or not go to your assigned room to sleep?" asked Rumplestiltksin pointedly.
"It wasn't intentional. And we did have a rather long day. As I recall SOMEONE insisted on needlessly trekking through a forest for a majority of the day," replied Belle before she could think about what she was saying.
"That was because SOMEONE else decided to free a prisoner they had no business going near and needed to be taught a lesson," replied Rumplestiltskin and she would have taken it for a scolding were it not for the slight hint of humor she thought she detected in his tone. She looked up and saw him raised an eyebrow at her.
"If you're waiting for an apology for letting him go it won't be coming this side of forever," she quipped. Rumple snorted and sipped his tea from the chipped cup.
"You know most servants aren't this impertinent."
"Most Master's don't give their servants usage of library's," replied Belle who was beginning to enjoy the verbal sparring matches with her employer.
"Well, one would hate to be like most people dearie," he answered and Belle smiled softly as she took the empty tray and turned to leave.
"Now that we can agree on."
She made it halfway towards the doorway leading out of the hall when she stumbled over the golden ballgown. Not for the first time. It was now wrinkled and slightly dirty but it was more the cumbersome aspect of its design that bothered her. In an instant it seemed Rumplestiltskin was at her side catching her and vanishing the tray before it could drop.
"My, my dearie you do seem to be accident prone," suggested Rumplestiltskin and Belle huffed though she couldn't summon up much annoyance.
"I'll have you know I'm perfectly graceful thank you very much. It's this silly gown. Perfect for sweeping across dancefloors while attempting to avoid an oafish knight's feet or sewing in a salon but not very practical," she said as he steadied her.
"If you say so dearie." said Rumplestiltskin in a mock skeptical tone.
"You wouldn't happen to have anything a bit more practical, would you?"
"Why on earth would you think I'd have women's clothes lying around?" he asked she only then noticed that he had yet to let go of her arm.
"Well, you seem to horde everything else like a dragon it was worth a try," quipped Belle with a shrug. Rumplestiltskin seemed to suddenly realize their close proximity for he pulled away causing Belle to feel an odd sense of disappointment. Setting it aside she moved to leave the room but he suddenly called.
"Wait."
"Yes?" she asked.
"Turn around," he told her. Perplexed Belle spun on the spot as he waved his hand and suddenly her ragged golden dress transformed. Gold faded to pale blue, the hemline rose to just above her ankles. The overdress had brown lacing up the front and around the edges of the bodice. Beneath it was a white undress with cap sleeves. The golden colored slippers she had worn that were caked in mud from their trek in the forest also transformed, into low silver heels. Belle looked down in awe.
"I trust this is satisfactory," said Rumplestiltskin and she could tell he was trying to sound bored. Belle smiled brightly.
"It's perfect thank you," on an impulse she briefly grasped his hand. "I truly appreciate it."
OUAT
Belle had nearly fallen and against his better judgement Rumplestiltskin rushed to her side to catch her. He simply didn't need her breaking anything and it had nothing to do with wanting to hold her even for a brief moment. Or an immense dislike of even the slightest form of harm coming to her.
"My, my, dearie you do seem to be accident prone," he quipped in an attempt to brush off the action.
"I'll have you know I'm perfectly graceful thank you very much. It's this silly gown. Perfect for sweeping across dancefloors while attempting to avoid an oafish knight's feet or sewing in a salon but not very practical." Rumple resisted a genuine laugh at her description.
"If you say so dearie." he replied
"You wouldn't happen to have anything a bit more practical, would you?" she asked him and Rumplestiltskin took in the state of her dress which now had a very haggard appearance though it didn't change her loveliness. Gah! Where had that thought come from?
"Why on Earth would you think I'd have women's clothes lying around?" he asked suddenly realizing he still held her arm. Swiftly he pulled away.
"Well, you seem to horde everything else like a dragon it was worth a try," she answered in a wry tone before turning to leave. Then on a whim Rumplestiltskin called out to her.
"Wait."
"Yes?" she asked.
"Turn around," he said enjoying the slightly adorably perplexed look that came to her face. He waved his hand as she turned and the tattered golden dress transformed into a much more practical blue dress that matched her eyes. Not that that had at all be intentional.
"I trust this is satisfactory?" he asked her rather flatly and Belle smiled at him. How he was coming to enjoy that smile.
"It's perfect thank you," she said before grasping his hand, "I truly appreciate it." Rumple looked down in shock. The way she continued to willingly initiate physical contact with him was strange. First with the hug in the forest, then the library, and now this.
"No matter," he said as she released his hand and departed to begin her chores. Rumple closed his eyes. It seemed he was going to need to do quite a lot of spinning if he was to clear his mind after THAT encounter.
OUAT
Belle loved her new dress which was both pretty and functional. It seemed Rumplestiltskin certainly had good taste. Although given how he usually dressed it wasn't a complete surprise.
When he wasn't trying to dress up to look terrifying like he did for most of his deals he actually looked quite nice.
Belle decided to dust the portrait gallery today. For all his collecting Rumplestiltskin at least generally had the consideration to sort his objects by room. She might have worried about some of the objects being dangerous had Rumplestiltskin not assured her that anything that would actually harm her was locked away and as long as she wasn't foolish enough to try and get through said locked doors she "probably wouldn't end up as a pile of ash."
Belle smiled slightly as she remembered the quip. She wasn't sure if it was a good or a bad thing that his dark sense of humor was starting to rub off on her.
Certainly, laughing at such a thing would have scandalized her dear Papa. In fact, he'd have been quite scandalized by the complete disregard for propriety she often showed when speaking with Rumplestiltskin.
Back home she'd often thought many of the sorts of quips and comments that she exchanged with Rumplestiltskin but rarely did she ever voice them.
Yet Rumplestiltskin didn't seem even slightly perturbed by her "smart mouth" as her tutor's might have called it. In fact, he seemed to enjoy their verbal sparring as much as she did. It was a strange dynamic perhaps given their positions but she couldn't say she didn't appreciate it.
Belle had expected to be completely miserable, although she intended to make the best of the situation, but while she couldn't say she was happy, she wasn't exactly unhappy either.
The day passed by smoothly with her work no longer hindered by the ballgown. She took a brief break to bring him his afternoon tea but didn't see him in the great hall. As he'd made no comment about going out for a deal Belle suspected he was in his tower and brought it up there gently knocking on the door with her foot.
"Enter," he called and Belle stepped inside.
It really was a fascinating room there were several different types of dried plants hanging from the ceiling. The shelves on the walls contained everything from spell books to jars of substances Belle wasn't quite sure she wanted to know the contents of on a long wooden table there was a black cauldron, currently wafting purple steam, and next to it a pestle and mortar. Several scrolls and books were littered around the table with his ingredients.
Belle stepped inside and placed the tea tray on the one available square of tablespace.
"I figured you'd like your tea on time since breakfast was a bit late." she said.
"Thank you, dearie," he said setting down the knife he'd been using and finally looking at her.
"Well, I'll be going now if that's all," she said beginning to move away but Rumplestiltskin surprised her saying.
"Would you care to join me?"
OUAT
He wasn't sure what prompted him to say it but before he knew it the words were out of his mouth. Belle looked surprised but thankfully not displeased.
"Certainly, I'll just run and get a second cup."
"No need," said Rumplestiltskin gesturing to a stool next to his worktable and summoning a second tea cup.
Belle sat down primly, like the princess she had once been, and poured the tea.
"I still don't understand why you insist on using the chipped one," she said as she handed him said cup.
"It has character," said Rumplestiltskin with a shrug and Belle gave one of her lovely musical laughs. Truthfully, he wasn't entirely sure why he now only used the chipped cup it was just something he did.
Belle sipped her tea for a moment.
"What are you working on?" she asked and he could tell it was more than just polite curiosity
"I'm not sure you want to know dearie," he answered ominously. Her lips twitched upward.
"Now you've just made me more curious."
"Curiosity killed the cat dearie."
"But satisfaction brought it back." Countered Belle and Rumplestiltskin snorted.
"Well, that or necromancy." Belle giggled. It truly astounded Rumplestiltskin that he could make her laugh. Genuinely laugh, most people found his jokes off-putting but she seemed to have picked up on his morbid sense of humor.
"Well?" she pushed.
"Some foolish King wishes his daughter to be considered the most beautiful in the kingdom. He wants every man she meets to be attracted to her." Rumplestiltskin scoffed.
"What seems to be so bad about that? I mean aside from the fact that its rather frivolous?"
"Dearie natural beauty is one thing. Magically enhanced beauty, that's the sort of thing that will start infighting and dissatisfaction among your court." Belle's eyes widened and he was pleased to see she had caught on.
"All the single men will be fighting over her already leaving the unmarried women upset, but if the magic makes EVERY man attracted to her that would include the married ones which will breed resentment among the married women as well." Rumplestiltskin giggled.
"It'll be immense chaos."
"What if people get hurt?" asked Belle concerned.
"Then they'll learn the danger of wording their requests in such a way and for requesting a magic solution for something so petty."
"What do you get out of it?" asked Belle.
"Oh, they have a certain amulet in their possession I find rather desirable." answered Rumplestiltskin.
"I feel awful for anyone getting caught in the collateral but why are you teaching them a lesson NOT to make deals like that? Doesn't that lessen your business?"
"There will ALWAYS be desperate souls ready to make a deal, dearie but for those who wish to waste my time with such foolish requests it only seems fitting they be shown the error of their ways. I told you that you wouldn't like it," he added. Belle tilted her head.
"I'm not sure I like the idea of people being hurt. But even I can admit that they got themselves into the situation in the first place so I understand the principle of the matter. People really do need to be careful with their words."
Her answer surprised Rumplestiltskin. Belle was most certainly a good person so he'd expected her to be entirely against the idea of anything that cause harm to another. But there was no judgement in her tone.
"Indeed, they do dearie. You're one of the few I've made a deal with who has ever seemed to understand that." he replied remembering how she had specified exactly what she expected him to do in exchange for going with him. It might have been his imagination but Belle seemed to brighten at the praise.
"It seemed like the sensible thing to do. Especially as ours was a verbal arrangement."
"I find sensible and desperate rarely go hand in hand."
"Then, it's a good thing I kept my wits about me when the Dark One came to call hmm?" She said setting down her empty cup. Then her face softened slightly and she glanced down.
"I've been meaning to apologize." Rumplestiltskin furrowed his brow.
"For what? I didn't think I was getting an apology for letting the thief go this side of forever." Belle's mouth twitched up slightly as he quoted her but she shook her head.
"No not for that. For calling you a beast. I was distressed but I shouldn't have taken that out on you. It was an inaccurate and uncalled for assessment of your character." Rumplestiltskin wasn't quite sure what to say. He didn't think anyone had ever apologized to him in his time as the Dark One without being threatened into it.
"Most would say it was not that inaccurate a description dearie. And if you were unfair then I was even more so. You are neither foolish nor gullible." It felt slightly freeing to apologize to her. He didn't think he'd have been able to make the first move in that direction but it was easier following her lead. Belle smiled softly and placed her hand over his.
"We all say things we regret when we're angry. What matters is we recognize our mistakes." Rumplestiltskin glanced down at their hands. Feeling slightly awkward Rumplestiltskin cleared his throat.
"Indeed. Now off you go I need to get back to work."
"Of course," said Belle collecting the tea things.
"I'll be expecting my dinner on time dearie," he added as she began to leave.
"Keep bothering me about it and I'll serve it cold!" she called over her shoulder as she made her way out the door and Rumplestiltskin giggled. It was nice having someone around who could keep up with him when it came to wit. However, he took her warning to heart. Her cooking wasn't bad but he had no doubt she'd follow through on her threat.
Author's Note: So, a little bit of fluff a little bit of comedy and some discussion of how Rumple's deals work. My version of Belle is still very much in the good camp but she's able to be a little more objective and understanding about situations like Rumple's deals even if she doesn't agree with them. Thanks to everyone who has liked and commented! If you enjoy the story do please let me know what you think below. It really helps.
