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The clock announced it was midnight at the dark castle when Rum came back from his last deal. He used his magic to make his coat and vest disappear and replace his now soaked shirt and leather pants with dry ones, cold and tiredness showing on his countenance. Gods he hate winter! In the past he had been afraid of said months, as soon as the famine month’s started the cold and the hunger take its price on the old and the weak. He had always passed those months afraid of not having enough food to feed Bae, or not being able to keep him warm.
Now is just an annoyance. Royals were usually stuck at their castles thanks to the snow and were little the amount of people who dared to summon him into their homes. They prefer to keep the likes of him in the dark so no one knows they partake with the devil. And so the only sources of desperation that he found on days like this were the poor. More food, be warm, trinkets for their loved ones, some money for the same issues, diseases. They just strike to close to home for his likening, it bring back some memories he will rather not deal with.
He really didn’t like to leave his home on these times of the winter. But it was necessary; after all it was well known that he feed on the desperation of people!
At last that was the official history.
The truth is that he was running from his maid. Well she wasn’t his maid anymore; he really wasn't sure what their relationship was any longer.
Since her return to him, their interaction had been uncertain. In a beginning it was awkward but, as they fall back into the rhythm that they have before their separation, they start to become closer again; even more that they were before all his secrets drew them apart.
Shy glances and animated banter were soon followed by little touches here and there. Flirting became substantial as the ambient grow tense with attraction, just waiting a moment of weakness to be unleashed.
All reached a sudden culmination one afternoon during tea when his entire control fly out the window as he cornered his love against the table of the great hall filled to the brim with yearning for her touch and kiss.
He was about to ravish her when a tiny voice reminded him of the problem with this plan. He still needed his magic to find Bae, and so, as much as he loved Belle, he couldn't give in without losing his chance to be back with his son. Frozen the Dark One slowly let go the beauty and, pretending not have seen her hurt gaze, stalked out of the room.
So now he attend every little deal, every call, not matter how insignificant, not trusting himself to stay in her presence for long periods of time anymore.
The best way to keep his magic was to stay away from Belle, at last for the moment.
Since that day he started to go in his way without interfere in the day of the other living habitant of the castle, only taking some meals together in a tense silence from his part and run from the room as soon as he could.
But this morning said pattern was broken by Belle when she had gone to his tower to talk with him.
“Tonight we will discuss an important issue during dinner, so try to be on time” Belle said nonchalantly leaving the tray of streaming tea on the work table and promptly leaving the imp to his own devices. He knew that whatever it was they have, it was over, she was going to leave. He had been waiting this moment since her return. So he did the same thing he ever does when things get out of hand between them: he run to the hills.
Of course she was leaving! How could be any other way? After all He was the one that broke all connections with her after she “betrayed” his trust. He remembered all his mental tirades of how “She dared to lie to him with her vile tales of true love and happy endings”. He shunned her; kick her out of his house and his life. “Of course she was a spy of the Queen! Why else will she, a beautiful, intelligent, sweet, young woman will ever fall in love with an old monster like him?! It shouldn’t have taken him by surprise!”
What it did surprise he was how a few months later she come back to the castle.
She just appeared in the middle of the great hall while he was spinning, with scratch marks on her arms, looking worn-out and dirty. She looked at him with hope filled eyes and promptly collapsed, falling on the floor. That set his shock of Belle being back off and he rushed to her side.
Picking her up, he have taken her to her former room to put her in bed. His little one had several cuts and some bruises, but the more serious thing was dehydration and exhaustion. He had given her a concoction to alleviate the ailments that affected her body.
Once he was sure she was completely healed, cleaned and in better clothes, he permitted himself to breath. What in the name of Circe had happened? Why was she here? And who was the, soon enough as he get a name, dead person who did this to his Belle?!!!Answers had to with as Belle sleep for half a day after her dose of healing potion.
The best he could do was return to his spinning wheel and let her rest, but he couldn’t stop staring at her. She was here! It was so easily to forget that she once wasn’t. To go on with the life as if nothing bad had happened and they were the same two persons that chattered friendly of books over tea in the afternoons. That he never believed so easy that she was a spy because he was terrified of the deeps of his love for her. How someone so good and honest like Belle will have anything to do with Regina?! She had easily fallen prey of the Queen for her wish to help him get rid of his darkness, and maybe because of her love for him?
“Yes, and maybe she still loves you” the Dark One chided the little spinner in him “don’t be stupid! Who could do such thing? Not your father, not Mila or Cora. Even if she did, do you believe she will still keep her love for you after you cast her out and these horrible things happened to her? Mark my words, as soon as she wake up she will be out of your life forever!”
But that didn´t happened. Belle was happy to wake up in her bed and find herself in “home” and, more oddly, in his presence.
She talked so fast that at the beginning trying to convey everything that happened, that he really didn’t understand more than a few words until he get her to calm down. So he learned of her adventure with Mulan and the Yaoguai, who was actually a prince in disguise.
“We are only friends” she said quickly after seeing the jealous look in his eyes even when he was trying to hide it; Belle deserved a Prince. “When I leave them they were going to save his true love” that was great! Not that he cared.
Then it come the encounter with the Queen. That had been an especially bitter part for him. Not only his cowardly attitude had made him fall for the lies of such women and her little stunt in the road, he also leaved Belle at the mercy of that witch! Gods if he didn’t needed Regina for his plan she will live only long enough to wish she were dead, and beg for a quick execution!
He was so angry that later he blasted the mirror in the great hall with abundant gusto, not leaving shed of glass big enough for the Queen to spy him. He had hoped that this sends his message: don’t ever come near to Belle or the same was going to happen to you!
Of course Belle was too good to blame him or to curse his being, but he wasn´t. This was his entire fault. He screw it, like everything good that ever came on his way. She deserved better, so much better than any he could ever do. There was nothing he could do for repair all the pain he has caused her. That he was still causing.
So he had started to repay his debt with the truth. He told her about Bae and his life before the curse. In the end he was crying explaining desperately to her that he needed his power to find Bae. That she was more important to him than magic but not more than his son.
In the end he told her everything except for one thing: he loved her. He loved her so much and he needed her all the time! But he couldn’t say her that. Anyways he was sure Belle knew it. She always had given him the impression to be reading him like one of her books.
She seemed to understand and for a while everything was like before she leaved. Until he screw everything again, and started to avoid her presence.
An now the “Tonight we will discuss an important issue during dinner, so try to be in time” that sounded too much like “we need to talk” and, if his short experience on relationships teach him a lesson, that was never something good.
So like the coward he was he returned at an hour in which he knew Belle was already asleep. At least for today he avoided the discussion. With a huff the Dark one entered the great hall only to find he was wrong again. There sitting by the fire, with a glass in hand was Belle
Oh! She was the most beautiful sight he have the luck of see! Draped in a purple velvet dress with lace in the hems that accentuated her figure, the colour was making her alabaster skin glow complimenting the redness of her lips. Her hair in a Half-Down Updo that prompted a quick series of fantasies in which he bury his fingers in her curls to make her move her head back so her luscious neck was expose to his lips. Her blue eyes were fixated in him with fury shining in their deeps...oh.
¨I thought I told you we were going to have dinner together tonight” her voice was clipped and sounded irritated. Oooooh
It was official; He was in such a deep trouble. ...
Since the day she returned and her love finally showed some degree of trust in her, all her plans were focused on make him happy. He has suffered so much already! And she longed to help him in all the possible ways.
At the beginning she didn’t knew how to do such, so she let them return to the routine they have before their fight. But that wasn’t enough anymore.
Even if Rum didn’t tell her so, she could see the love in his eyes when it looked her way and it was driving her crazy. She wanted to be near him, nearest as physical possible, kissing away his sorrow, waking next to his warmth.
The tension finally came to a near explosive end.
All had started in a very innocent way, they were flirting, sitting against the edge of the table as many time before, until Rum become suddenly very quiet looking at her lips. Barely breathing, to afraid to move or talk, Belle waited for him to say something. She was on verge of ask him what was going on but if she started him he may never try to do a move on her again.
“You are hurt” his raspy voice started her out of her thoughts. He reached out, moving the tip of his fingers along her lips barely touching them to quickly retrieve the hand away as if she had burned him. Her lower lip had chipped, because of her unconscious habit of biting her lip, this sometimes happened. Belle moistened her lips with of her tongue to taste a metallic tang.
The reaction was immediate. Rum eyes darkened following her every action. He unconscious drew closer to her, pressing her against the table, never taking his eyes away from her mouth. Her breath quickened, and her heart started to pump faster inside her chest as Rum mouth drew closer to hers. And then he stopped and just like that he leaved.
Belle tried to not fell disappointed. Of course he couldn't kiss her! And it had nothing to do with him not being attracted to her as her silly head feared, after all second ago he seemed to want to devour her. He just He needed his magic to find his son. But that couldn't pass without broken his curse or maybe it could? Maybe there was a magical solution to this problem?
After the incident the idea got firmly planted on her mind. She was decided to find a solution. The best place to start was her library. She had spent days in there looking for answers.
Finally Belle hit the gold pot in an ancient book with no title and almost not covers. A potion invented by a vindictive witch who transformed a earl that didn’t corresponded her love into a flamingo, as this plot could be destroyed by his true love she used said potion on the bird so the true love kiss didn’t make effect. She felt sorry for the earl and his love for the book didn’t said if the find a way to be together again, but at the same time she was happy to finally found a solution to her problem.
Using the time he spends outside the castle hiding from her to gather the necessary ingredients on his tower, Belle followed step by step the guidelines on the book. The potion was meant to be a complicated one but the beauty has spent enough afternoons watching Rum prepare them on the excuse of serving his tea. So it was easy to make herself the potion and thus preserve the secret from her love. Once made, she left the concoction to rest in a cauldron on her library the specific days that it needed to rest, and used the rest of the time to plan how to give the news to the Imp in a slow way so he didn’t freak out and accuse her of traitor again.
Finally she was going to be physically able to show her love to him. Rum was never going to doubt her love or her want for him. No more interruption of the pleasured interactions! She arranged all the preparative to make a lavish dinner to inform him the happy news.
She cooked all the dishes common on her land for the cold months. First plate: creamy soup with chicken, wild rice and wild mushrooms. Second plate: roasted chicken with mashed potatoes, peas and gravy. All accompanied with wine. And for dessert a cherry tart and an old recipe of Egg Nog that she remember from memory from the kitchens of her childhood home. It had always been her favourite drink in this time of the year! She expected that Rum liked it as much as her.
She decorated the Great hall with candles to make it romantic; this was going to be after all their first night as a couple, hopefully. Finally everything was ready to present Rum her proposition.
Except for a tiny detail: Rum wasn’t there when the time come.
“Maybe he got distracted with whatever he is doing in his tower” Belle went on his search only to find out he wasn’t there or anywhere on the castle. She was furious; all her hard work was for nothing!
She tried to eat, but nothing could pass the lump on her throat. So she cleaned the untouched meal and decided to go for something more easily to go down serving herself a glass of eggnog. In the pass this drink in particular had been her favourite but now it just seemed tasteless.
Suddenly the words of the Queen came back to her mind.
Months ago Belle had decided it was time to go back home and check on the sorcerer only to be detained by the Queen and her soldiers. She was quickly frozen after that by the magic of the witch.
Dishearten was so obvious on Belles countenance that the woman stopped her attack to relish in the moment and started to mocker her. How the imp wasn't interested in her now that he believed her a traitor “maybe he never did” in that moment Belle only wanted to slap the evil grin off her face ”Probably he was just trying to get a plaything, some pretty little thing stupid enough to believe herself in love with that beast. Now he will have to find himself a new girl”
The venom in Regina´s voice only got worst as she revealed her plans on Belle´s future. She was to be a Pawn on the war of powers between the magical beings. Frozen Belle keep hearing at the Queen realizing that her first statement of rum don’t caring for her contradict the part of her being an important part of the arsenal against her true love. Not that it mattered; she knew since the trick on the road that the woman was a liar.
Her own insecurities whispered in her mind “how can he love you when he doesn't even trust in you? He cast you out, his power meant more to him than you!”
But she didn't have time to dwell on those thoughts, feigning surrender she had searched for possible routes of escape. And when the witch cast off the spell so a guard could manhandle her into the chariot she quickly step on the foot of the man and simultaneous hit his solar plexus with her elbow, and darted like the wind back into the forest. With the guards following her tracks she ran all the way to the Dark Castle, hiding and using tricks to lost them from time to time. When she had reached the castle she had been exhausted but back in her home. In the end she had been lucky that the Witch had underestimated her and her abilities.
Big tears began to drop on her cup of eggnog. No! Belles draw away the tears that gathered in her eyes,He had trusted in her! He loved her! Even if he didn´t say it aloud she knew that.
To the hell with this, reaching for the Bourbon in the table Belle spiked her drink, she was going to need something stronger to wait for him, but she was going to do it even if she has to be awake all night!
Finally after her fourth glass of spiced eggnog she decided that her plan will have to go in a new direction. Gathering the potion she sit on the table, If she wanted their relationship to advance she was the one that will have to take the initiative. There was no going to be slow and steady as she had initially planned, she wanted results now!
Grabbing the potion in hand, she drink all of it in one go erasing the bitter taste it leaved in her mouth with more spiced eggnog. Her annoyance mounting as the hour passed.
Finally she saw the doors of the great hall opening. There, startle by her presence still gracing his hall, was Rum. He obviously didn't expect to see her here at this hour but she caught his appreciative glance at her person and how his eyes darkened as they dragged all over her. That, with a little help of the alcohol, erased all doubts that started to arise in her and give her the push she needed to go ahead with her plan.
It was time to unleash her plan on the unexpected wizard!
¨I thought I tell you we will have dinner together today“ her voice soon bring him off of his Belle induced stupor “So, What was so important that you couldn't make it to dinner on time? I’m afraid that everything has gone cold now” Belle stand up and start to advance to him “May I know where you had been?”
Usually lies came easily to him but Belle sudden being in the same space than him, and looking him like that, left him quite speechless.
When no answer came she decides to continue “Should I guess? Let me see” she faked thinking “maybe you had been hiding from me? No, of course not, why would you do that?”
Because you are the most temping sight ever and I want to kiss you and lavish every single part of your being, but I can’t wasn’t a good answer, but it was the only thing that came up in the Imp mind. Okay make an excuse ”ehmmmm”
“Yes?” Ask the blue eye beauty. Very good answer; now dig a deeper hole and never came out it again! Mentally kicking himself Rumpel came with a better choice of words “I was summoned on a very urgent business and have to be there at once” that was good “ I left so sudden that I forgot to leave a note, sorry” Perfect!
Or not, she was now looking deep into his eyes, moving her head to a side and lifting her right eyebrow. It was in time like this when he wished Belle couldn’t read him so easily! It wouldn’t be the first time something like this happened; on several times he had been so busy on a matter that he forgot dinner, lunch or sleep all together, but apparently he wasn’t fooling Belle.
She knew he was lying, I mean come on! The guilty face, the fast answers after an indeterminate silence, the hands flying wild around him. It was obvious to her. But he was getting nervous and a fleeting dark one will not serve for her proposes, taking her shot of a possibility she decided to change tactics. She had waited too long, the matter have to be resolved tonight.
“I made this for you to try” Feigning coyness she reached for her cup “It´s a traditional drink from my homeland. It´s has always been my favourite” offering the goblet to him, wanting to entice the man to her side.
“You should left now, say you are tired! She is awake and probably she will still want to talk about…stuff!” His brain presented a good case but the drink seemed a peace offering. And how to deny Belle when she was looking at him like THAT!
She had such a hopeful gaze, waiting for his approval on the taste of the milk like drink. Still unsure he advanced to stand next to her and take the goblet from her fingers. He almost drops it when her fingers caress his on the transaction.
“Really this woman is going to kill me one day!” Huffing he took a sip of the concoction. It was very sweet, with only a hint of some kind of spirits “A glass of Fire whisky will have been nicer”
He was turning to voice his opinion to her when she sizes the opportunity to reach for him.
Graving his wary face between her hands Belle drew his face to her and kisses him with all the love she fell for him.
Many things happen at once after that or Belle´s brain worked very slowly when kissing certain imp. First he froze for a moment out of shock but, when his body finally react at her presence, he gave completely into the kiss.
Only when the glass slip from his hands he pushed away, terrify of his actions. A look of dismay betrays his inner turmoil.
She had kissed him! After he tell her of Bae, of his plan to find him back! Summoning a safe mirror, “we cannot let Regina know of this…Good his magic worked fine!” He take a look and found...nothing. Absolutely nothing had changed! His oddly appearance showed no sign of a broken curse, only the turmoil and desperation in his inside.
“What?” raising his eyes to Belle. True love kiss didn’t work anymore. Did Belle not love him? It was this her way of telling him so? “Yes, that was the dinner for of course! She didn’t loved him anymore, and was going to leave him, and find a handsome prince, get married, buy a castle on the woods with little taxes and a low mortgage, have babies with him, adopt a dog or six and… “
“STOP!” letting her frustration slip Belle decide to try a different approach; bringing him to her again she continued softly “This was your surprise! I found it, a way to kiss you without breaking your curse! It’s a potion; the recipe was on one of my books”
In some place on Rum brain her words registered and the world seemed to stop spinning. Magic was something he knew of.
“Magic…”
“Always come with a price, I know” she smiled shyly at him “but I’m willing to pay any price if it means that I can finally be with you”
“But why?” he asked still confused
“Because I love you, you idiot!” belle answered with impatience “and I want to be able to show it to you” there! It was out.
Graving her waist he gently pulled her to him, kissing her reverently and languorous at first mapping the unexplored territory and taking his time to remember all the places that make her gasp.
He could kiss her now, cherish every little part of her, and, more surprising, she just admitted she wants him to do so! There was time to discuss the consequences later; right now all that matter was Belle.
Soon the suppressed desire took place and the kisses grow exponential in intensity. Her sweet perfume, her soft warm skin, her taste mixed with the same sweet flavour of the drink she made, the whole of her bewitched his senses, making him completely lost all shed of sanity and control.
No losing time, he grabbed her by the waist and settled her on top the dining table. His hands slid down her side to grip at her legs.
Kissing along her jawline to her ear, he heard Belle let out a gasp as he sucked her lobe giving it a light nip. Feeling encouraged he let go her waist to give into his early temptation and finally burying both hands on her beautiful mane of auburn curls, tilt her head back and trail more kisses and little bites along her long neck and collarbone, feeling his love squirm and sigh. God, he had wanted to do this for such a long time! And, by the way his love reacted, she had been waiting for this as long as he.
His kissing his way down on her body he reached her chest. Bringing one hand into play he dips one finger along the inside of the hem. Even barely touching her breast he gets a very vocal reaction from his love. Returning to her mouth he kissed her deeply continuing the light touches to her breasts thought her dress
Finally he drew back to observe his handiwork.
Her hair was in disarray, her breathing was heavy, a crimson flush started in her face and extended down the hemline at her chest “I will have to find out where it ends” he smiled naughtily at the thought.
A few hickeys were already adorning the milk skin at her neck and the top of the left breast. The contrast of colours suited her; she looked beautiful with his marks in the skin, for everybody to see that she had chosen him of all people.
She opened her blue eyes, now almost completely dark with desire, letting an impatient groan fall for her swollen lips.
“Wanton” he admonished her playfully lowering one hand to slightly slap her round bottom.
” For you only” answer her putting her legs around his hips,drawing near to his warm body bringing him flush against her, causing him to moan “and for I can feel, you are as wanton as me”
“Teaser, I will have to teach you a lesson” he growled near her ear hiking one hand slowly up her leg caressing her and under her dress.
"Rum, please..."
“No so witty now dearest?” he pressed his teasing fingers into her thought her underwear. Moaning she tightened her hold on his back as he made a low noise against her neck. Even though the fabric he could feel how wet she was.
Slowly and steady could go to hell! There was going to be time for adoring Belle later, right now his love needed him, and he wanted her enough to disgrace himself if he keeps waiting longer.
“May i?” he continued giving a tug at her dress.
“Y-yes” let out a breathless Belle.
Using his magic to opening al her fastenings he started to slide her dress up, over her head and off of her body, petticoats and undergarment quickly following until he could finally feast his eyes on all her glory. She was so breathtaking, never in all his years had he see someone so beautiful, inside an outside.
So intense was his scrutiny of her person that the beauty shivered on anticipation.
“Are you cold?” asked the imp knowing very well that her reaction wasn’t because of the frigid climate “maybe I have to do a better work to get you warm” Smiling naughty he continuing where he had left.
Drawing circles with his thump on her clitoris, he dipped a finger inside her warm opening, soon he learn that his love was very vocal on her approval. He lowered his mouth to her left nipple kissing it, drawing the bud into his mouth and sucking on it, then moving to the right one repeating his actions so it will not fell neglected.
He continued working her up to the edge of the abysm until she abruptly stopped him.
"Please, Rum, please" she looked at him with passion filled eyes, her voice hoarse already.
How could have negated such a sweet request?
He banished his cloths. After the appreciative glance Belle give to his body, taking her sweet time to stop in certain area “thank god his skin occulted well his blush”, his insecurities died quickly.
Embolden he took himself in hand and began to drag his tip against her warm folds letting out a deep grunt biting back a curse. She was so warm and wet, he will have to gather all his will control to make this last and she looking so absolutely gorgeous during her debauching wasn´t helping.
Belle arched into his touch with a loud sigh, trying to get more of those wonderful feelings he awake on her, but Rum grab her waist with his free hand to still her movements. As much as she loved his teasing it was beyond time to move things along, she had already waited too long for this moment to come true.
Letting her hands fall from his hair, were they had found home during his lavishing attentions to her breast, she grab his ass and push him to her.
Both moaned noisily in unison when her rash movements make him enter her deeps. Her nails scratching his buttock as a strong pinch signalling that the veil that mark her as untouched gave away.
She could fell Rum tense, his face hidden on the curve of her neck, trying to refrain himself of moving to give her time to adjust to his intrusion.
Drawing apart enough to see him in the eyes but without broking their new found union, she caress his face encouraging him to open his eyes.
Opening them he came across with the most beautiful pair of blue eyes, looking at him with love and lust on equal measure.
“I love you Belle” he says breathless. And kissing her he began to move.
Slow at first, he soon started a faster pace at her demands for “more” and “faster”. Between her inexperience and his long none of them were going to last long, and soon enough both feel the static trills of their joined passion reaching the peck almost simultaneously.
Belle let herself fall on the table; the cold surface calming the heated skin at her back, while Rum had to support himself with the table as his knees almost gave up under him, resting his face on her stomach, both trying to catch their breaths.
“I knew this was going to be fantastic” belle started using one of her hands to pet his hair “but it was more awesome that my more lurid fantasies”
“So you fantasy about this?” come his answer muffled by her tummy.
“Well the table was not the first scenario I had in mind, the bed being the most obviously” an amusing tone fills her voice “but yes. Especially since that day when you seemed ready to eat me alive here”
His initial chuckle subsided with the last part of her answer. He let the table go to hug her to him, not moving his face from its hidden spot.
“If I scared you that day…”
“No! I-I was very disappointed” she feel him kissing her stomach on a silent apology for his behavior that start to fuel her want for him again “but it also give me the determination to find a solution for our problem, so it was a bless in disguise”
“I only hope that the consequences of magic don’t come to kick our behinds later” he harrumphed
“I say it once and I will say it until my dying breath. It. was.worth.it!” Pulling his hair in an admonishing way in time for each word “Now you will never have doubt my love for you!”
Finally lifting his face, his dumbfounded look warmed her heart.
“I love you sweetheart, so much” he says looking straight at her eyes awed that such a perfect creature could love him.
“I know” she bites her lower lip; his eyes soon followed the action fascinated, iris darkening once more. Not failing to note this she follow “However I'm not adverse to more open probes”
Catching her eyes on a meaningful look, the imp playfully smiles. A cloud of purple magic engulf the transporting them to his rooms.
After all there were many fantasies he had to enact for her and now that he could, there were no time to lose.