Rumplestiltskin was VERY rarely caught unawares. With the combination of his power of foresight and a healthy (or perhaps unhealthy) dose of paranoia it was exceptionally difficult surprise him. But the blasted fairies had managed it.
He'd been summoned to an obscure village on the outskirts of King George's kingdom supposedly to help some farmers who were doing poorly under the ruthless king's regime. Never one to ever fully shake his roots Rumplestiltkin usually was more than willing to help out peasants for a far less steep price than the one he exacted from nobles.
He'd teleported to the appointed spot and nearly straight into a net of fairy magic. It stung him like a thousand needles.
In front of him floated four fairies. On red, one yellow, one purple, and one orange. Luckily, he'd missed the center of their magic and was thus able to rip a hole in the shimmering silver net that covered him. However, this did give the fairies time to get in a shot at him the spell ripping through his clothes and cutting deep into his chest.
"Really dearies did you think trying to capture the Dark One was a good idea?" he snarled sending a wave of darkness that pushed all four fairies back despite the shield that they had erected.
"Once we have captured you Blue will reward us for ridding the realms of such a great evil," answered the yellow fairy as she sent a jet of light from her wand that he swiftly blocked.
"Oh yes, I'm sure the sanctimonious bug clearly did a number on you lot. Such a shame you won't live to tell her the tale of your failure." answered Rumple who had been blocking their magic while focusing on what remained of the magical net they had created to trap him.
He was rebuilding and corrupting it with his dark magic. These were obviously minor fairies for the magic itself was easy to twist. However, he was starting to have difficulty focusing, clearly a result of the deep gash in his chest which must have been magical in nature.
"Good always triumphs over evil!" piped up the purple fairy and Rumplestiltskin sneered.
"Not today dearies." with a flick of his wrist he cast the completed net over the fairies trapping them. Normally he would have drawn out their suffering for having dared to try and harm him but he was swiftly having more difficulty concentrating so instead he sent jets of black light at each of them and one by one they exploded in a shower of colored sparks.
Rumple raised his hand and disappeared in his usual pillar of crimson smoke. His fatigue must have been more serious than he first realized because instead of appearing in the privacy of his tower, Belle was forbidden from entering without him being in there, he appeared in the great hall.
To top his embarrassment off Belle was in the room. She cried out as he stumbled slightly, using the table to steady himself.
"Rumplestiltskin!" she exclaimed tossing aside her feather duster and running to grab his arm to help him.
"What happened?" she asked and oddly enough he thought he actually detected concern in her tone.
"I need to get to my tower," he answered as sharply as he could manage. Anymore magic would just weaken him more quickly. Ever the practical one Belle shook her head.
"There's no way you'll be able to get up all those stairs even with my help."
"Oh, so I suppose I should just bleed out dearie," he snapped. Belle shook her head.
"No, you should sit down by the fire here and tell me what I need to get you from the tower. Unless you actually DO fancy bleeding out trying to climb up seven sets of stairs," she added this last bit sharply.
Annoyed as he was Rumplestiltskin could see the sensibility of the suggestion and with Belle's help limped over to the settee in front of the fire.
"Now what do you need?" asked Belle and Rumple tried his best to concentrate through the pain which was now searing through him.
"There's a dark green bottle in my work room on the third shelf to the left get a rag as well as... the yellow bottle next to the scales."
Belle was off in a flash running from the room. His breathing was labored. The spell the fairies at used was one that prevented him from healing himself via his usual magic and designed to weaken him. It wouldn't kill him, only the dagger could do that, but it would leave him quite out of sorts.
Footsteps rang out behind him and Belle reappeared in his line of sight with the required objects. She knelt in front of him.
"Got them, now what?"
Rumple barely managed to grab the yellow potion and bring it up to his lips. Immediately his breathing steadied slightly and his mind became less fogged.
OUAT
Belle had been utterly shocked to see Rumplestiltskin in such a weakened position. He had only ever exuded strength yet here he was growing weaker every second. She hurried as fast as she could to return with the potions. He took one from her and drank it leading Belle to presume the second was for the rag.
She soaked it in the green potion and gently moved to undo his shirt. Immediately Rumplestiltskin recoiled.
"What are you doing?" he demanded and Belle pulled back slightly.
"What do you think?" she said holding up the rag.
"I'm perfectly capable," said Rumplestiltskin and Belle rolled her eyes. Despite his protests she could still see he was only just starting to regain his strength.
"Would it really kill you to let someone help you for a change?"
"Nobody wants to help a beast dearie," he answered though she thought she detected a hint of sadness in his tone.
"Well, it's a good thing you aren't a beast then," said Belle. "Now do hold still." They had a brief staring contest blue eyes meeting amber. Belle refused to flinch despite the way he narrowed his eyes and at last Rumplestiltskin looked away.
Once again Belle reached forward and tentatively undid the buttons on what remained of his shirt, pushing them aside to reveal the deep gash that went right across his chest. Gently she began to dab at the wound with the cloth. Rumplestiltkin hissed but made no other sign of pain.
As whatever solution was on the rag met his skin it slowly began to knit back together. And after a few minutes of her soft assistance the wound had disappeared. She wondered why he hadn't healed it like he did her burnt hand but was more concerned about how he got that way in the first place.
She could feel Rumplestiltkin's piercing gaze upon her but felt no need to shrink from it. Perhaps it was foolish but he no longer frightened her in the slightest.
"What happened?" she asked at last. Rumplestiltskin cursed.
"Blasted fairies," he answered with a glare.
"Why would fairies attack you? I thought you were just going off to make a deal?" asked Belle in surprise.
"It was simply a few foolish knats trying to gain favor with Reul Ghorm their leader by capturing the Dark One," he scoffed. "As if they could ACTUALLY manage it. Fairies have never liked me nor I them."
"Well at least you don't go attacking them for no reason," huffed Belle feeling strangely indignant on his behalf.
"Only when the situation requires it. As this one did. Those four certainly won't be troubling me again," she wasn't sure she liked the slightly nasty sneer that crossed his face but shrugged it off.
"I see." Rumplestiltskin raised an eyebrow.
"What no speeches about how immoral it was to kill fairies?" Belle sighed.
"I'm not fond of murder but if someone is foolish enough to try and attack the Dark One unprovoked, they may as well be prepared to face the consequences." She wasn't sure how she felt about his implication that he had killed other fairies under less understandable circumstances but then again it was in the past and wasn't her business.
Rumplestiltskin giggled.
"Well said dearie."
"I aim to please," she said in a slightly teasing tone. Rumplestiltkin snorted and for a moment Master and Servant shared an amused look.
Carefully she took his hand.
"You will be alright then?" she asked softly. Rumplestiltskin looked at her in surprise he leaned forward slightly searching her eyes for something. Belle once again wondered how long it had been since someone genuinely cared about how he was doing. Was she truly the first in a long time?
"Why would you care?" he asked and his tone held genuine curiosity. Belle bit her lip and then shrugged looking up at him.
"Because you're more than just my Master. You're my friend. Or so I'd like to think." And it was true. Belle found herself constantly looking forward to tea time each day when they would have a chance to talk and banter. It was still new but she found she was going to care for him. Perhaps friends was a bit presumptuous but she couldn't find another word to fit.
OUAT
Resistant as he had been to her helping him Rumple couldn't deny he liked the feeling of her taking care of him. Indeed, for a moment he truly wondered if she might have any genuine feeling towards him.
However, he brushed the thought aside. Surely not. The only emotion she likely must feel towards him would be bitterness for depriving her of the comfortable life she had come from.
"Why would you care?" he asked and Belle bit her lip seeming to ponder her answer. He waited on tenterhooks.
"Because you're more than just my Master. I'm your friend. Or so I'd like to think," she answered gently. Rumplestiltskin blinked because surely, he had misheard her. She had called him her friend. A part of him wanted to believe it for her words struck a chord inside him that he hadn't felt in centuries.
But he hid his emotions behind a mask of indifference. She might sound genuine but she could also be faking it in the hopes of being released from their deal. It would be the clever thing.
"I'm the Dark One dearie. I don't have friends."
"Is that a mandatory part of the job description or just you being stubborn?" asked Belle raising an eyebrow. Rumplestiltskin shook his head regretting it as it made the room spin slightly. He wasn't back to top form yet.
"You are a strange one." Belle stood taking the cloth with her a slight smile on her face.
"You aren't the first person to say that. Anyway, I said I was your friend. Whether I choose to care about you as my friend is my decision. The only thing up to you is if you return the feeling. Now is there anything else you need me to help with?"
A tiny part of him longed to ask her to stay and keep him company. After all Dark Ones didn't sleep but he would certainly find it more peaceful to relax with Belle at his side. But it was too strange and intimate request. Especially after having just denied her claim of friendship.
"No that will be all." he told her.
"Goodnight Rumplestiltskin," she said and left.
"Goodnight Belle," he whispered softly once she was out of the room.
OUAT
The following day things returned to normal with Rumplestiltskin back to his impish self. The previous night's conversation had been the closest they'd gotten to any sort of truly emotional discussion.
Belle wasn't really surprised at his refusal of her friendship. At least at this point. He was a very closed off man. She'd just have to keep working on him. After all she had forever to convince him to let her in.
After she'd come to clear the dishes that evening from dinner Rumplestiltskin asked her to follow him. Curious Belle agreed and he led her up to the fourth floor of the castle and a room with an arched doorway.
Rumplestiltskin turned the nob and pushed open the door gesturing for her to step inside.
Belle did so and gasped. It was the most beautiful bedroom she'd seen in her life. The walls were painted a robin's egg blue with gold trim, the ceiling was fairly high and in the back center was a large four poster bed with a canopy of gold curtains. Against one wall was a vanity, though it lacked a mirror, and against another a large wardrobe. The slightly open door revealed several dresses in different colors. All that would be perfect for working in.
"I don't quite understand what is this?" she asked.
"This is your new room dearie. I don't like being in the debt of another and I figured you deserved a reward for your assistance yesterday," answered Rumplestiltskin who was still leaning in the doorway.
"You did all this just for me?" Rumplestiltskin snorted.
"Don't make it sound so special, this is a castle it has plenty of spare rooms." Belle smiled at him and stepped forward to give him a brief hug. She wasn't sure if it was overstepping her bounds but she wasn't sure how else to thank him.
"Thank you, it's beautiful and it's very kind of you." Belle said stepping back.
OUAT
She'd hugged him again. Once again taken off guard Rumplestiltskin found himself frozen on the spot unable to do anything but stand there. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately she stepped back soon.
"Thank you, it's beautiful and it's very kind of you." Unsure of how to reply despite enjoying the way she was beaming at him he huffed.
"I'm the Dark One I'm not kind." Belle's smile became indulgent like that of a parent playing along with a child's whims.
"Fine. It's very amicable of you."
"I think I need to remove the thesauruses' from your library." said Rumplestiltskin realizing too late that he had said your instead of the.
Belle only laughed.
Author's Note: So another original chapter. Fair warning bar Tink and Nova fairies aren't going to be portrayed very nicely in this fic. I hope I didn't make Rumple seem too weak in the fight but I wanted to figure out a reason for him to need Belle's help so that he'd give her the room. He's still at the point where he's unwilling to do things without a cover for why even if his real intention is far purer. If you like the story, please leave your thoughts below in the comments.
