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“I don’t remember giving permission for guests!” Rumplestiltskin told his maid as he entered the Great Hall. The dining table was set for two with side dishes and candles decorating the tableau.
Belle turned around at hearing his voice and gave him one of her sweet smiles.
“It’s for you! Meat pie. Just like the spinsters used to make when you were a boy”, she said with a proud smile.
He knew this would come back to bite him in the arse. What the hell was he thinking when he told her about his childhood home with the spinsters? It was the wine, he decided even though he knew it was a lie.
The previous night had all been a mistake really. Once again drinking tea with Belle turned into them having dinner together and then he sat by the fire with her to drink wine and talk. She was talking about one story that she particularly liked and before he knew it, he started telling her about his past.
Belle looked at him fascinated. He couldn’t tell if it was because of the revelation that the Dark One was once a hungry and lonely child or because he was sharing something at all. But she had such kind eyes and such a soothing voice that he couldn’t help it. She made him want to tell her everything. She made him want to open up and let go, surrendering himself to her.
So he told her about the spinsters who raised him, about the meat pies and the spinning lessons. It was a hard life, to be sure, but he couldn’t complain; others had it worse. They might be poor but at least he had a roof above his head and food to eat. So what if things got more and more difficult every year and he had to work more and eat less and go to bed tired and hungry every night, thinking about his papa while the tears threatened to choke him.
Thankfully, he managed to stop the overflow of words before he told her about his wife and his son.
Belle hadn’t said a word when he finished the story. He expected she would hug him as she was prone to do but she didn’t do that either. She merely looked at him and then got up, caught his hand in hers and squeezed it.
“Thank you for telling me, Rumplestiltskin. Goodnight.” She disappeared to her room and he was left alone, staring after her.
And now she was there, smiling up at him and expecting him to sit beside her and eat dinner. Meat pies. Like the spinsters used to make. It was too much. He couldn’t do it. He looked into her eyes and saw all the compassion she had for him. Rumplestiltskin had met a lot of faces in his time. He knew how to recognize the tricksters, those who wanted to take something without giving anything back. Belle had honest eyes. She was sweet and kind and innocent. He told her a story about a small and frightened child finding some happiness in meat pies and that... that wonderful creature went ahead and made them for him. Whether it was to show him some kindness or to say thank you for opening up to her, he didn’t know. It didn’t matter. Belle was good and pure and he was a scaly monster who didn’t have time for love.
“Can’t stay. Have a deal to make.”
That brought an end to her smile.
“A deal?”
“Yes, yes! A deal. Have you gone deaf? Is it all the explosions in my tower? Perhaps I should forbid you from entering again.”
“No please don’t! It’s just that… well, it is dinner time. Couldn’t it wait?”
“Wait?”, he scoffed. “Deals don’t wait, little maid”, he said with an exaggerated accent. “It’s urgent. A man two towns over has come to the possession of a capricorn and I must get to it before the fool decides to sell it or worse.”
“Capricorn?! I though they didn’t exist.”
“Of course they do! You’re thinking of unicorns.”
“Well, if it can’t wait… I’ll wait. We can eat together when you get back.”
“No, no, that won’t be necessary. You eat. I don’t know when I’ll be back.”
And with that he exited the Great Hall and went out into the chilly night. He had reached the garden gates when with a silent poof! he disappeared from the grounds of the castle and found himself in a forest nearby. He couldn’t go back while Belle was still awake and she was known to have many a late night. He would just have to wait her out. It was going to be a long night.
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Rumplestiltskin didn’t go back to the Dark Castle until the wee hours of the morning. He’d spent the whole night wandering around in pubs in hopes of scaring some poor villagers. When it turned out he wasn’t in the mood, he just sat in the corner and drank.
He didn’t expect to find Belle curled up in one of the big chairs, with a thin blanket thrown over her and the fire dying, not keeping the place very warm. He looked around the room. The table was just as he’d left it! She had actually waited for him to come back and ended up falling asleep on an empty stomach.
He sighed and with a move of his hand the food disappeared and the table was clean again. He silently walked closer to where Belle was sleeping at the chair. He couldn’t help staring at her now that he was sure she wouldn’t know. She really was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, he thought in amazement.
He leaned down and looked at her closer. Poor thing must have been exhausted if she didn’t bother to put her book aside and just let it fall to the floor. Had she stayed up all night? Just so they could eat together? He felt guilt well up inside him at the thought of Belle sitting here alone waiting for him to come back. Her eyelids twitched and she let out a small sigh. It wouldn’t do for him to go down that train of thought again. He knew what he was and he knew what Belle was. He couldn’t afford to be led astray from his path of finding his boy. If he let his feelings for Belle be known, that would be the end of him. Love was a sickness. It killed more than any disease.
Just as he was considering what sort of life they could have together, Belle startled awake and let out a gasp seeing him so close to her. Surprised, he gave a yelp and almost jumped back.
“Rumplestiltskin!” she said when she saw it was him. “You… you scared me. When did you get back?”
“Uh… just now really.”
“Were you out all night?” she said and did she look disappointed in him?
“Yes. Business proved to be more complicated than I thought. It couldn’t be rushed.”
“Well… I hope everything went well.”
“It was quite alright.”
An uncomfortable silence threatened to take over until she stood up and with a cheerful voice she said “Well, why don’t I go and make us breakfast then? We could both use some food.”
“Yes, yes! Off you go. You’ve had enough lying about.”
She turned around and was almost to the door when Rumplestiltskin called her back.
“Belle! Wait.”
“Yes?” she said as she looked at him.
“Why don’t you make meat pies again? For tonight? I’ll make sure to not have any disturbing business and we can try your hand at cooking them together.”
“Really?” she said surprised.
“Yes, of course! I have to check your progress in the culinary arts, don’t I?”
“Of course you do” she replied with a knowing smile. “I’ll make them for tonight then.” And with that she walked out of the room as Rumplestiltskin watched her.
Yes, he rather thought they could do this. Belle didn’t have to be his disaster. She would be his light amidst an ocean of darkness.