Happy Holidays, crucified!
Title: N/A
Recipient: crucified
Artist: Anon
Rating: G
Characters/Pairings: Rumbelle, Rumpel, Belle
Warnings (if applicable): N/A
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Title: Blue Eyed Girl
Recipient: crucified
Author: Anon
Rating: G/PG
Disclaimer: Wish they belonged to me, but alas, they do not.
Characters: Rumpelstiltskin/Mr. Gold, Belle, small bits of Ruby, and mention of other characters.
Word Count: Approx: 2, 061
Warnings: None
Summary: After Emma Swan decides to stay in town, all of Mr. Gold’s memories come flooding back.
A/N: I wasn’t sure if my recipient wanted Belle to be more of her Lacey counterpart in the prompt, so I decided to just roll with whatever came out and just had Belle, not Lacey.
Every day at the same time and same spot he passed by a woman with the most intense blue eyes he’d ever seen, but not once spoken to her. He’d never had a desire to. Until the night Emma Swan came into town and it all came flooding back to him: the curse - his reason for creating it, his previous life as the Dark One, and finally… that woman with the beautiful blue eyes he passed everyday on his way to his shop… Belle.
He looked down at his watch and realized Belle would be passing by on her usual route to Granny’s diner as she always did. He never knew what she ate or drank, only that she marched in happily and was sometimes greeted by a just as happy Ruby, who sometimes acted more like a happy puppy when Belle came into the diner.
Mr. Gold put on his suit coat and limped out of his shop, cane in hand, and locked up his place of business. Up ahead he could see Belle carrying a couple books under one arm while chatting with Dr. Archie Hopper about one thing or another. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t feel inclined to pull the cricket away from her, but for now he resulted to simply walking slowly behind them.
Gold was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t notice Belle had literally stopped in the middle of his tracks, causing him to bump into her and stumble a little.
“Mr. Gold, I am so sorry!” she quickly apologized, grabbing onto his arm so that he was steady on his feet again. “I called your name a couple of times but it seems you’re lost in your own little world.” Belle smiled at him as another form of apology and finally let go of his arm when she realized she was holding onto him for too long already. He seemed like the kind of man who didn’t like to be touched. Ever.
“It’s alright, now what were you trying to say?” he asked her, leaning forward on his cane.
“Well things have been a little slow at the library lately and because it’s such a huge place, I’m…” her voice faltered. He made her entirely nervous and small, and he wasn’t exactly a big man, but he was a powerful one. The whole town knew it.
“You’re… what?” he asked, not breaking his usual decorum.
“I know you’re not normally lenient on things like this, but I may be a couple days or so late on rent. I promise to get the money in as quickly as I can… it’s just rather difficult right now. I’m-”
“It’s fine,” he told her calmly, smiling at her shocked expression. Belle or not, even Gold had to admit he loved eliciting that reaction from people.
“It’s fine?” she asked, a brighter smile on her face than before; a mixture of relief, disbelief, and gratitude.
“You sound surprised.”
“I am! I mean… no offence, Mr. Gold, but - you’re not exactly known for giving people time past their due date to give you the rent. I guess I expected the same kind of treatment, I guess you’d say.”
“Well Ms. French, I am indeed known for being rather harsh, demanding, and… unmoving in certain situations, but let’s just say I’m having a good day.”
“Oh, may I inquire as to what put you in this good mood?” she asked, still smiling cheerfully at him, books cradled in both arms against her chest.
Mr. Gold only smiled at her, hoping she knew the reason for his good mood was because of her. He was certain that smile of hers, or those eyes and that accent could put him in the best of moods even on his worst days.
Belle looked down at her feet and blushed, only to look back up at him with a tint of pink rising to her cheeks. “Well, I do thank you for the extra time, Mr. Gold. I promise it won’t be longer than a week.”
“Of course,” he shrugged, adding nothing more to the conversation.
“Right… well, I’m going for lunch at Granny’s.” Belle pointed over her shoulder at the diner where Ruby was outside keeping a close eye on the two of them, pretending she was adjusting the new sign on the sidewalk. “Would you like a bite to eat?”
Mr. Gold looked across the street and saw Ruby looking through her bangs at the two of them. “No thank you, Ms. French, I had an early lunch.”
“Okay, well if you ever stop in, have a burger with an iced tea, it’s fantastic.” Belle smiled one last time before walking away, looking back and forth to make sure no cars were coming.
“I’ll do just that, Ms. French,” he called out to her.
“Belle!” she corrected as she started her descent to the other side of the street.
“Belle,” he repeated, watching her go off to have her usual lunch. And now he knew what she ate.
It was nearly a week later when Rumpelstiltskin found his courage (and the time) to actually go across the street to for lunch - hopefully with Belle. He knew she was already there. She was always there.
He crossed the street to Granny’s, noticing the people averting out of his way as if he had the plague. A smile crossed his lips at that, knowing full well that they were afraid of him. Good, he thought to himself.
Mr. Gold walked right into Granny’s, followed by a small hush of the patrons that suddenly stopped talking with one another. Even Granny and Ruby had to look up and stop what they were doing. Gold was never in the diner, and only stopped by to pick up the rent, but even then he only stopped in at the bed and breakfast.
Belle looked up from her book and smiled as cheerily as she always did.
“Mr. Gold… you finally decided to stop by.”
Gold walked over to her and stood next to her table. “Well I admit to being tempted by this hamburger and iced tea of yours.” He sat down across from her when Belle gestured with her hand to do so. She bookmarked her book and put it away in her bag.
“They’re delicious, though I never even have to order these days. Ruby and Granny know me more than anyone in this town, so my meal is almost always near ready when I arrive.”
“Nothing wrong with that; I take comfort in repetition - sometimes.” The past twenty eight years was certainly not comforting or pleasant now that he could look back on it.
Belle smiled across the table at him, as she always did. She suddenly looked up when the scantily clad waitress when she approached the table and slid a warm plate in front of Belle. “Anything for you, Mr. Gold?” she asked, looking at him as if he were about to grow another head.
“I’ll have what Ms. French is having please,” he replied, only looking at Ruby once before turning his attention back to Belle. Ruby shrugged and went off to put in another order. “So what were you reading before I rudely interrupted you?”
Belle went on to talk about her latest favorite book, pulling it back out of her bag to show it to him. She was nearly finished with it, and she’d only started this morning. When business at the library was slow, as it usually was, Belle was able to go through at least a book a day, sometimes two days.
This ritual of theirs continued for another two weeks, their conversations ranging from books, to his business at the shop, and eventually to her recent dreams of living in a castle with a man with golden skin and intense eyes. She’d described his castle in great detail, even including what she usually wore - a long gold gown with off the shoulder straps.
Rumpel was fascinated of her dreams, only they were memories, and he needed to get her to remember. He wanted her to remember their first kiss, and hoped she still loved him after he kicked her out of his castle.
Before the third week approached, Rumpelstiltskin invited her for lunch at his shop, away from prying eyes who were no doubt trying to gather why such a beautiful young woman would spend her quiet lunches with an old man with a limp that everyone, except Emma and the Mayor apparently, were frightened of.
Rumpel looked up with a smile as the bell over the door chimed. In walked Belle with her usual perky smile while wearing a black coat, and underneath it a midnight blue dress with a skinny red belt fastened around her waist.
“I’m glad you made it. I thought it would be nice to have a lunch without prying eyes for a change.”
“To be honest I’m a little surprised you asked. I mean, a private lunch is so-”
“Intimate?” he finished for her while pulling out from behind the counter a brown basket filled with delicious treats. None of which he really made himself except for the sandwiches.
“Yes,” she blushed, shrugging off her coat and let Gold hand it up behind his counter, then grabbed a small white and blue teacup with one tiny chip on the rim and set it beside on the counter when she wasn’t looking. Belle was too busy looking around his shop at all the wonderful items he’d collected while smoothing out her dress nervously.
“Well as I said, I thought it would be nice to have lunch with you, away from people who are wondering why you’re so kind as to have lunch with a man people fear.”
“I’ve never understood what people say about you. I don’t believe what people say about you, in fact.” Her eyes averted to the cup, and gently she picked it up and cradled it in her hands.
“And what do they say?” he asked, watching her for a moment before pulling out the items he’d packed for their lunch.
“I’d - rather not say,” she said cautiously.
Rumpel chuckled. “Nothing I haven’t heard before, I imagine. When you own the entire town and you try to do business… I’m afraid people are too quick to assume that I am a bad man.”
Belle looked from the cup to him, still cradling it in her hands. “Well if it makes you feel any better, I don’t believe you’re a bad man.”
Gold simply nodded, trying to suppress a smile while he spread out a red and white checkered table cloth over the counter and looked down at the cup in her hands. “Do you like that cup?”
“Yes, I’m sorry for picking it up.” Belle set it back down gently. It was already chipped and she’d hate to damage it further.
“No, it’s alright. It’s a delicate piece - very beautiful. The blue nearly matches your eyes,” he whispered, arranging the food on the counter while not looking at her. He didn’t want to see her expression just yet, and he knew she was looking at him. Inadvertently, he’d just called her eyes beautiful.
“Thank you,” she said very softly, setting the cup down so she wouldn’t break it more than it already was. “Is… is this supposed to be our first official date?”
Rumpel had the good grace to blush. He tried to fend it off. The Dark One did not blush.
“Are you bothered by the idea?” he answered her, putting the basket down on the floor.
“Not at all, Mr. Gold. In fact, I was wondering what was taking you so long to ask me.” Gold looked up at her finally, loving the way her blue eyes shined like the ocean. It was incredible how intense her eyes were.
“Well then, Ms. French,” Rumpel grabbed a stool and brought it around to her side of the counter and held out his hand. She took it and sat down slowly, and before he parted from her, he kissed her hand like a proper gentleman. “I hope you look forward to many of our dates in the future.”
Belle couldn’t stop the red rushing to her cheeks, especially when Gold kissed her cheek next - and in all honesty, she didn’t want to.
Title: Enceinte
Recipient: crucified
Author: Anon
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Wish they belonged to me, but alas, they do not.
Characters: Rumpelstiltskin/Mr. Gold, Belle
Word Count: Approx: 1,073
Warnings: None
Summary: Prompt: Belle has to tell Rumpel she is pregnant with their first child.
A/N: Enjoy! :)
Belle was marching back and forth in the living room, racking her brain of how to tell her husband of only six months about her recent condition. She thought about making him a special dinner - he loved her cooking, but wasn’t sure if there was some sort of ‘theme’ she was supposed to follow, like making all of his favorites all the way from appetizers to dessert. It wasn’t a horrible idea.
She then contemplated surprising him at work, the possibility of him closing the shop early and having some sort of celebration that would probably involve food. Belle only doubted this plan when she thought of all the times she and Rumpel were interrupted in his shop when they were trying to have some sort romantic picnic or to fill his fantasy of having sex behind the counter.
No, not that one, she said to herself. It would only end badly.
Belle was suddenly startled by Rumpelstiltskin himself, standing there with his coat and gloves removed and cane propped against the wall and couch.
“Sorry?” she asked, her hands fumbling in front of her nervously.
Rumpel laughed and walked up to her slowly, taking her fidgeting hands in his. “I asked if you were all right - you look as if you’re going to tell me you broke another cup.”
Belle grinned and laughed nervously. “No, not this time; I can break a whole tea set if you’d like,” she teased.
He simply smiled and kissed her forehead. She never ceased to make him laugh and smile.
“You’re home rather early - I didn’t expect you for another hour. I haven’t even started supper yet.”
“Well, since the curse was lifted, I’m afraid business has been rather slow, and it’s been pointed out to me several times that half the things I have in my shop I technically don’t own. So, when people come in for something of theirs, I can’t really charge them for it.” He wanted to. He knew people would pay because they were afraid of him, but if Belle found out, she’d make him give the money back anyway.
“No, Rumpel, you cannot, and I’m very proud that you’ve realized it.”
Rumpel nodded and slowly leaned in to kiss his beautiful wife, his fingers sliding into her chestnut hair to cup the back of her head. Belle’s arms wrapped around his shoulders and neck, enjoying the feel of her body pressed against his.
He finally had to pull away when they needed to breathe. “I’ll tell you what, instead of cooking, how about I take you out to a nice restaurant? And not Granny’s…”
“I like Granny’s.”
“I know love, but honestly I prefer a more intimate setting as opposed to a diner that smells like grease.”
Belle kissed him chastely again and pulled away to go grab her nice dress coat from the bedroom. While she was away to find her coat in her jungle of a closet, Rumpel went to the bathroom to wash his hands.
“Belle?” he called out to her.
“Yes?” she asked, finally finding the right coat.
“What are all these slender test things aligned on the sink?”
“Oh fuck,” she whispered under her breath. She’d forgotten all about them and she meant to remove them before he got home.
Belle slowly walked into the bathroom, fumbling with the tie on the coat that fastened around the middle. Rumpel was looking down at the tests and then reading the back of the boxes. They appeared to be all positive according to the boxes.
“Belle?” he asked, dropping the boxes onto the sink next to the tests.
“I was trying to figure out how to tell you, but after you asked me about breaking another cup, I forgot…” Belle laughed nervously and moved to throw the tests in the trash, but he stopped her. Rumpel held her hands gently, then tilted her chin up to look at him.
“Belle?” he said her name again.
“I’m pregnant, Rumpel… you’re going to be a father again.”
Rumpel tilted his head to the side and immediately enveloped his now-pregnant wife in his arms. A breath of relief passed through her when she realized he wasn’t angry or unhappy. Belle felt him tremble against her. He was cry. He sometimes trembled when he cried.
“Are you happy?”
“I’m overjoyed, Belle. I don’t know what to say.” His heart was pounding hard against his chest. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” she whispered as she wiped away his tears. “Looks like our dinner is now going to turn into a celebratory dinner.”
“Can we go by Granny’s and give everyone the good news?”
“Let’s wait till tomorrow… I want to celebrate this night with you. Just us.” His voice turned into a whisper the more real this became to him. He was going to have a new child in just a few months. “Come - we can think of baby names along the way.”
Belle cupped his face and kissed him again before nearly pulling him like a rag doll into the living room where his coat was draped over the couch.
Belle started suggesting names to him as he put on his coat again and grabbed his keys and cane. “Certainly not,” he frowned when he heard the name Sebastian. Not only did he know of Ariel’s true story, but he’d heard about that outlandish “cartoon” version of her, and he was not going to have a child that reminded him of a crab - or lobster, or whatever the hell it was.
“Why not - what’s wrong with Sebastian?”
“I’ll tell you about it when we come back home,” he promised, locking the front door, then escorted her to the car.
“Okay, how about…” Belle gave him name after name after name while he opened the door for her. She continued exploring names on their way to the restaurant, none of which he was too thrilled about, but he was happy to just think of the fact that he was going to be a father again, and with the most gorgeous woman he’d ever seen.
He wasn’t going to mess this up. Rumpelstiltskin made it his duty to assure himself, his wife and his child that he was not going to abandon them the way he’d done with Baelfire. No, this time, he was going to be the perfect father, and this was going to be their happy ending.
Title: Little Girl Gold
Recipient: crucified
Author: Anon
Rating: G/PG
Disclaimer: Wish they belonged to me, but alas, they do not.
Characters: Rumpelstiltsin/Mr. Gold, Belle, bits of Red/Ruby, and mentions of other characters.
Word Count: Approx: 1, 530
Warnings: None
Summary: Prompt: Rumpel and Belle raising their first child together.
A/N: Hope this is all right! The first story I had written with this prompt was deleted by Microsoft Word, so I had to start all over, and it didn’t come out the way it was originally written.
I also left the child unnamed so you can name her yourself. :)
Rumpelstiltskin looked on at his lovely Belle holding their baby and singing quietly. It seemed to be the only thing to stop the baby from crying, aside from Rumpel’s use in colorful magic, which Belle wouldn’t really let him use. She didn’t want him using magic, but he needed it, so they came to a compromise, and using magic around their child was not part of that compromise.
“You know…” he started, walking into the room quietly and leaning on his cane.
“No,” Belle said immediately he started. She turned to face him and gave him that look that told him not to press the issue, but today, he wanted to at least try. “No magic around the baby.”
“You didn’t even let me finish,” he said, standing beside her to look down at the swaddled bundle with beautiful blue eyes like Belle’s. “There is a difference between using magic on someone rather than using it around them.” Rumpel held up a purple glittering ball over their baby, letting it spin slowly.
As he expected, the baby reached up for it and made adorable baby sounds.
“See?” Rumpel grinned, still holding the ball over their baby while his free arm was wrapped around Belle’s waist. “Just the smallest bit of magic will not hurt her…”
“I suppose not, but…”
“I know - you’re worried I might start using magic for evil again.” He understood that, and he had to admit that he’d thought about it a couple of times, but Belle had anchored him. Rumpel didn’t need magic as much as he thought he did, but he had to admit to himself that it was more than helpful in certain situations.
Belle nodded her head, guiltily. “I’m sorry Rumpel, I know I need to have more faith in you.” He laughed at that.
“It’s your love and faith in me that keeps me going, and now this little one.” He let the purple ball disappear slowly as the baby started falling asleep - finally. “I will not make the same mistakes I’ve already made with Baelfire… or Neal, or whatever the hell he calls himself these days. You and this baby are my life and redemption, and I swore to you once that I wouldn’t use magic in an evil form again.” Unless it was necessary, he thought to himself.
Belle leaned against him, believing and trusting his words. Before the baby, she wasn’t sure if Rumpel could truly give up any type of dark magic, but once he saw his new born child, she saw something in his eyes - something that told her she could trust him no matter what.
“I know you won’t, Rumpel,” she whispered. “I suppose as a new mother I grow cautious. Not of you,” she added quickly. “I trust you and I know you’re going to be a wonderful father, even if no one else believes it. I suppose we could… amend our agreement about magic a little. But don’t think magic is going to get you out of changing diapers by hand.”
Rumpelstiltskin laughed at her and kissed her head lovingly. “I know that. Apparently this is just one thing I’m going to have to learn then.”
“Just be thankful we’re here in Storybrooke where things are modern and not like they were back home.” She didn’t want to go washing nappies and clothes by hand every single day. “All we need are disposable diapers, baby powder, and baby wipes - unless she gets a rash on her bottom in which we’ll have to rub on cream as well.”
Rumpel sighed a little. Things would be so much easier if she’d allow him to “magic on” a new diaper onto the baby while taking off the dirty one.
“Oh come on, don’t be so glum. There’s really nothing to changing a diaper.”
Well, that’s what she claimed, but for the following two to three years changing diapers was a bit of an ongoing process, and so was putting their child in new clothes. He didn’t remember Baelfire being this messy, and anytime he went to Regina for advice, she simply laughed at him rather evilly and continued walking. Though, she did give him bits of advice here and there, as he seemed to be at wits end sometimes.
He and Belle took turns bringing the baby to their places of business so that they could still work without having to put their now-toddler in daycare. Belle wasn’t quite up to that part of motherhood yet. She didn’t really want many people watching after their child unless it was someone she trusted, like Neal, or Granny and Red.
These days, no one really came into the shop anymore, but Rumpel surely did love showing his little girl new little items he’d found or had stashed away somewhere and finally brought them out. He showed her how to be gentle with certain items and let her play with other little things like dolls or Baelfire’s old ball.
“And one day, these things may be yours,” he promised her.
“Can I have ‘em now?” the little girl asked, playing with the little Mickey Mouse phone.
“Well, not all of them…” mostly because a lot of it wasn’t his to begin with. They were put in his shop once the curse was enacted and one day someone was going to come in looking for something of theirs and it wouldn’t be in the shop, but instead, it would belong to his little girl. “Maybe just a couple things here and there.”
The little girl laughed and smiled brighter when her mother came in for their usual lunch together. Sometimes they had lunch in the shop or in the library, but often they ate at Granny’s too.
Rumpel closed up his shop and trekked across the street to make their way to Granny’s, looking like a normal couple in love. Some were still under suspicion about them, wondering if he’d used a magic spell on her and got her to bear his child, because what kind of a young, lovely woman would fall in love with someone like him? He was the Dark One, a beast, a ‘thing’ people in town were still afraid of even if he hadn’t done anything horrible since that child was born.
Belle often saw their looks but brushed them off much easier now than she did when she married him. So easy to judge, she thought to herself. She knew what they thought, and she didn’t care. Belle knew these people would continue thinking what they’ve always done for years.
When they reached the block Granny’s was on, the little girl saw Ruby crouched down in front of a sign on the sidewalk - probably re-touching it. The little girl sneakily crouched down, hoping to surprise the waitress, but when she reached the sign and jumped with an adorable growl, she found Ruby gone. She looked around but didn’t see her, then frowned.
Belle and Rumpel stopped to watch, smiling when they saw Ruby jump behind their toddler, eliciting a surprised shriek from her. Ruby was one of Belle’s best friends and much like a big puppy to the little girl.
Ruby picked her up and nodded for Belle and Rumpel to come inside where a booth was already waiting for them. She set the toddler in a booster seat where Belle slid in beside her, and Rumpel sat across from his beautiful ladies.
“You called ahead?” Rumpel asked his lovely Belle.
“How did you know?”
“I think the already placed booster seat and coloring crayons with a coloring book for our little one was a good indication,” he laughed. The little girl was swinging her legs underneath the table, ready to eat as she started to color in a fish.
“I want one of those!” the little girl pointed to a giant chocolate milkshake Red had just given to one of the customers.
“I’m afraid that’s too big for you, my dear,” Rumpel said. “But if you eat all of your food, you can have a small one.”
“Okay daddy.” Belle smiled at her husband across the table. He’d gotten much better at not giving their daughter everything they asked for. A year or two ago, any time she wanted chocolate or pizza and no vegetables, he’d give her exactly what she wanted.
While the little girl colored quietly, Rumpel looked at his family, smiling to himself. How a woman this wonderful fell in love with him, he’d never know, but he knew that he was never going to let them go. He would be the perfect father - the perfect husband.
Red broke his thoughts when she brought them their food and drinks, just the way they liked it. “What were you smiling about just then?” Belle asked her husband as Red walked away.
“Just looking at my beautiful wife and child,” he replied his voice a near whisper.
Belle grinned and leaned across the table to kiss him. Rumpel met her half way, and half way through their kiss they were interrupted by the “eewww!” from their child.
“Guess we’d better get used to that,” Belle laughed.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Recipient: crucified
Artist: Anon
Rating: G
Characters/Pairings: Rumbelle, Rumpel, Belle
Warnings (if applicable): N/A
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Title: Blue Eyed Girl
Recipient: crucified
Author: Anon
Rating: G/PG
Disclaimer: Wish they belonged to me, but alas, they do not.
Characters: Rumpelstiltskin/Mr. Gold, Belle, small bits of Ruby, and mention of other characters.
Word Count: Approx: 2, 061
Warnings: None
Summary: After Emma Swan decides to stay in town, all of Mr. Gold’s memories come flooding back.
A/N: I wasn’t sure if my recipient wanted Belle to be more of her Lacey counterpart in the prompt, so I decided to just roll with whatever came out and just had Belle, not Lacey.
Every day at the same time and same spot he passed by a woman with the most intense blue eyes he’d ever seen, but not once spoken to her. He’d never had a desire to. Until the night Emma Swan came into town and it all came flooding back to him: the curse - his reason for creating it, his previous life as the Dark One, and finally… that woman with the beautiful blue eyes he passed everyday on his way to his shop… Belle.
He looked down at his watch and realized Belle would be passing by on her usual route to Granny’s diner as she always did. He never knew what she ate or drank, only that she marched in happily and was sometimes greeted by a just as happy Ruby, who sometimes acted more like a happy puppy when Belle came into the diner.
Mr. Gold put on his suit coat and limped out of his shop, cane in hand, and locked up his place of business. Up ahead he could see Belle carrying a couple books under one arm while chatting with Dr. Archie Hopper about one thing or another. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t feel inclined to pull the cricket away from her, but for now he resulted to simply walking slowly behind them.
Gold was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t notice Belle had literally stopped in the middle of his tracks, causing him to bump into her and stumble a little.
“Mr. Gold, I am so sorry!” she quickly apologized, grabbing onto his arm so that he was steady on his feet again. “I called your name a couple of times but it seems you’re lost in your own little world.” Belle smiled at him as another form of apology and finally let go of his arm when she realized she was holding onto him for too long already. He seemed like the kind of man who didn’t like to be touched. Ever.
“It’s alright, now what were you trying to say?” he asked her, leaning forward on his cane.
“Well things have been a little slow at the library lately and because it’s such a huge place, I’m…” her voice faltered. He made her entirely nervous and small, and he wasn’t exactly a big man, but he was a powerful one. The whole town knew it.
“You’re… what?” he asked, not breaking his usual decorum.
“I know you’re not normally lenient on things like this, but I may be a couple days or so late on rent. I promise to get the money in as quickly as I can… it’s just rather difficult right now. I’m-”
“It’s fine,” he told her calmly, smiling at her shocked expression. Belle or not, even Gold had to admit he loved eliciting that reaction from people.
“It’s fine?” she asked, a brighter smile on her face than before; a mixture of relief, disbelief, and gratitude.
“You sound surprised.”
“I am! I mean… no offence, Mr. Gold, but - you’re not exactly known for giving people time past their due date to give you the rent. I guess I expected the same kind of treatment, I guess you’d say.”
“Well Ms. French, I am indeed known for being rather harsh, demanding, and… unmoving in certain situations, but let’s just say I’m having a good day.”
“Oh, may I inquire as to what put you in this good mood?” she asked, still smiling cheerfully at him, books cradled in both arms against her chest.
Mr. Gold only smiled at her, hoping she knew the reason for his good mood was because of her. He was certain that smile of hers, or those eyes and that accent could put him in the best of moods even on his worst days.
Belle looked down at her feet and blushed, only to look back up at him with a tint of pink rising to her cheeks. “Well, I do thank you for the extra time, Mr. Gold. I promise it won’t be longer than a week.”
“Of course,” he shrugged, adding nothing more to the conversation.
“Right… well, I’m going for lunch at Granny’s.” Belle pointed over her shoulder at the diner where Ruby was outside keeping a close eye on the two of them, pretending she was adjusting the new sign on the sidewalk. “Would you like a bite to eat?”
Mr. Gold looked across the street and saw Ruby looking through her bangs at the two of them. “No thank you, Ms. French, I had an early lunch.”
“Okay, well if you ever stop in, have a burger with an iced tea, it’s fantastic.” Belle smiled one last time before walking away, looking back and forth to make sure no cars were coming.
“I’ll do just that, Ms. French,” he called out to her.
“Belle!” she corrected as she started her descent to the other side of the street.
“Belle,” he repeated, watching her go off to have her usual lunch. And now he knew what she ate.
It was nearly a week later when Rumpelstiltskin found his courage (and the time) to actually go across the street to for lunch - hopefully with Belle. He knew she was already there. She was always there.
He crossed the street to Granny’s, noticing the people averting out of his way as if he had the plague. A smile crossed his lips at that, knowing full well that they were afraid of him. Good, he thought to himself.
Mr. Gold walked right into Granny’s, followed by a small hush of the patrons that suddenly stopped talking with one another. Even Granny and Ruby had to look up and stop what they were doing. Gold was never in the diner, and only stopped by to pick up the rent, but even then he only stopped in at the bed and breakfast.
Belle looked up from her book and smiled as cheerily as she always did.
“Mr. Gold… you finally decided to stop by.”
Gold walked over to her and stood next to her table. “Well I admit to being tempted by this hamburger and iced tea of yours.” He sat down across from her when Belle gestured with her hand to do so. She bookmarked her book and put it away in her bag.
“They’re delicious, though I never even have to order these days. Ruby and Granny know me more than anyone in this town, so my meal is almost always near ready when I arrive.”
“Nothing wrong with that; I take comfort in repetition - sometimes.” The past twenty eight years was certainly not comforting or pleasant now that he could look back on it.
Belle smiled across the table at him, as she always did. She suddenly looked up when the scantily clad waitress when she approached the table and slid a warm plate in front of Belle. “Anything for you, Mr. Gold?” she asked, looking at him as if he were about to grow another head.
“I’ll have what Ms. French is having please,” he replied, only looking at Ruby once before turning his attention back to Belle. Ruby shrugged and went off to put in another order. “So what were you reading before I rudely interrupted you?”
Belle went on to talk about her latest favorite book, pulling it back out of her bag to show it to him. She was nearly finished with it, and she’d only started this morning. When business at the library was slow, as it usually was, Belle was able to go through at least a book a day, sometimes two days.
This ritual of theirs continued for another two weeks, their conversations ranging from books, to his business at the shop, and eventually to her recent dreams of living in a castle with a man with golden skin and intense eyes. She’d described his castle in great detail, even including what she usually wore - a long gold gown with off the shoulder straps.
Rumpel was fascinated of her dreams, only they were memories, and he needed to get her to remember. He wanted her to remember their first kiss, and hoped she still loved him after he kicked her out of his castle.
Before the third week approached, Rumpelstiltskin invited her for lunch at his shop, away from prying eyes who were no doubt trying to gather why such a beautiful young woman would spend her quiet lunches with an old man with a limp that everyone, except Emma and the Mayor apparently, were frightened of.
Rumpel looked up with a smile as the bell over the door chimed. In walked Belle with her usual perky smile while wearing a black coat, and underneath it a midnight blue dress with a skinny red belt fastened around her waist.
“I’m glad you made it. I thought it would be nice to have a lunch without prying eyes for a change.”
“To be honest I’m a little surprised you asked. I mean, a private lunch is so-”
“Intimate?” he finished for her while pulling out from behind the counter a brown basket filled with delicious treats. None of which he really made himself except for the sandwiches.
“Yes,” she blushed, shrugging off her coat and let Gold hand it up behind his counter, then grabbed a small white and blue teacup with one tiny chip on the rim and set it beside on the counter when she wasn’t looking. Belle was too busy looking around his shop at all the wonderful items he’d collected while smoothing out her dress nervously.
“Well as I said, I thought it would be nice to have lunch with you, away from people who are wondering why you’re so kind as to have lunch with a man people fear.”
“I’ve never understood what people say about you. I don’t believe what people say about you, in fact.” Her eyes averted to the cup, and gently she picked it up and cradled it in her hands.
“And what do they say?” he asked, watching her for a moment before pulling out the items he’d packed for their lunch.
“I’d - rather not say,” she said cautiously.
Rumpel chuckled. “Nothing I haven’t heard before, I imagine. When you own the entire town and you try to do business… I’m afraid people are too quick to assume that I am a bad man.”
Belle looked from the cup to him, still cradling it in her hands. “Well if it makes you feel any better, I don’t believe you’re a bad man.”
Gold simply nodded, trying to suppress a smile while he spread out a red and white checkered table cloth over the counter and looked down at the cup in her hands. “Do you like that cup?”
“Yes, I’m sorry for picking it up.” Belle set it back down gently. It was already chipped and she’d hate to damage it further.
“No, it’s alright. It’s a delicate piece - very beautiful. The blue nearly matches your eyes,” he whispered, arranging the food on the counter while not looking at her. He didn’t want to see her expression just yet, and he knew she was looking at him. Inadvertently, he’d just called her eyes beautiful.
“Thank you,” she said very softly, setting the cup down so she wouldn’t break it more than it already was. “Is… is this supposed to be our first official date?”
Rumpel had the good grace to blush. He tried to fend it off. The Dark One did not blush.
“Are you bothered by the idea?” he answered her, putting the basket down on the floor.
“Not at all, Mr. Gold. In fact, I was wondering what was taking you so long to ask me.” Gold looked up at her finally, loving the way her blue eyes shined like the ocean. It was incredible how intense her eyes were.
“Well then, Ms. French,” Rumpel grabbed a stool and brought it around to her side of the counter and held out his hand. She took it and sat down slowly, and before he parted from her, he kissed her hand like a proper gentleman. “I hope you look forward to many of our dates in the future.”
Belle couldn’t stop the red rushing to her cheeks, especially when Gold kissed her cheek next - and in all honesty, she didn’t want to.
Title: Enceinte
Recipient: crucified
Author: Anon
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Wish they belonged to me, but alas, they do not.
Characters: Rumpelstiltskin/Mr. Gold, Belle
Word Count: Approx: 1,073
Warnings: None
Summary: Prompt: Belle has to tell Rumpel she is pregnant with their first child.
A/N: Enjoy! :)
Belle was marching back and forth in the living room, racking her brain of how to tell her husband of only six months about her recent condition. She thought about making him a special dinner - he loved her cooking, but wasn’t sure if there was some sort of ‘theme’ she was supposed to follow, like making all of his favorites all the way from appetizers to dessert. It wasn’t a horrible idea.
She then contemplated surprising him at work, the possibility of him closing the shop early and having some sort of celebration that would probably involve food. Belle only doubted this plan when she thought of all the times she and Rumpel were interrupted in his shop when they were trying to have some sort romantic picnic or to fill his fantasy of having sex behind the counter.
No, not that one, she said to herself. It would only end badly.
Belle was suddenly startled by Rumpelstiltskin himself, standing there with his coat and gloves removed and cane propped against the wall and couch.
“Sorry?” she asked, her hands fumbling in front of her nervously.
Rumpel laughed and walked up to her slowly, taking her fidgeting hands in his. “I asked if you were all right - you look as if you’re going to tell me you broke another cup.”
Belle grinned and laughed nervously. “No, not this time; I can break a whole tea set if you’d like,” she teased.
He simply smiled and kissed her forehead. She never ceased to make him laugh and smile.
“You’re home rather early - I didn’t expect you for another hour. I haven’t even started supper yet.”
“Well, since the curse was lifted, I’m afraid business has been rather slow, and it’s been pointed out to me several times that half the things I have in my shop I technically don’t own. So, when people come in for something of theirs, I can’t really charge them for it.” He wanted to. He knew people would pay because they were afraid of him, but if Belle found out, she’d make him give the money back anyway.
“No, Rumpel, you cannot, and I’m very proud that you’ve realized it.”
Rumpel nodded and slowly leaned in to kiss his beautiful wife, his fingers sliding into her chestnut hair to cup the back of her head. Belle’s arms wrapped around his shoulders and neck, enjoying the feel of her body pressed against his.
He finally had to pull away when they needed to breathe. “I’ll tell you what, instead of cooking, how about I take you out to a nice restaurant? And not Granny’s…”
“I like Granny’s.”
“I know love, but honestly I prefer a more intimate setting as opposed to a diner that smells like grease.”
Belle kissed him chastely again and pulled away to go grab her nice dress coat from the bedroom. While she was away to find her coat in her jungle of a closet, Rumpel went to the bathroom to wash his hands.
“Belle?” he called out to her.
“Yes?” she asked, finally finding the right coat.
“What are all these slender test things aligned on the sink?”
“Oh fuck,” she whispered under her breath. She’d forgotten all about them and she meant to remove them before he got home.
Belle slowly walked into the bathroom, fumbling with the tie on the coat that fastened around the middle. Rumpel was looking down at the tests and then reading the back of the boxes. They appeared to be all positive according to the boxes.
“Belle?” he asked, dropping the boxes onto the sink next to the tests.
“I was trying to figure out how to tell you, but after you asked me about breaking another cup, I forgot…” Belle laughed nervously and moved to throw the tests in the trash, but he stopped her. Rumpel held her hands gently, then tilted her chin up to look at him.
“Belle?” he said her name again.
“I’m pregnant, Rumpel… you’re going to be a father again.”
Rumpel tilted his head to the side and immediately enveloped his now-pregnant wife in his arms. A breath of relief passed through her when she realized he wasn’t angry or unhappy. Belle felt him tremble against her. He was cry. He sometimes trembled when he cried.
“Are you happy?”
“I’m overjoyed, Belle. I don’t know what to say.” His heart was pounding hard against his chest. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” she whispered as she wiped away his tears. “Looks like our dinner is now going to turn into a celebratory dinner.”
“Can we go by Granny’s and give everyone the good news?”
“Let’s wait till tomorrow… I want to celebrate this night with you. Just us.” His voice turned into a whisper the more real this became to him. He was going to have a new child in just a few months. “Come - we can think of baby names along the way.”
Belle cupped his face and kissed him again before nearly pulling him like a rag doll into the living room where his coat was draped over the couch.
Belle started suggesting names to him as he put on his coat again and grabbed his keys and cane. “Certainly not,” he frowned when he heard the name Sebastian. Not only did he know of Ariel’s true story, but he’d heard about that outlandish “cartoon” version of her, and he was not going to have a child that reminded him of a crab - or lobster, or whatever the hell it was.
“Why not - what’s wrong with Sebastian?”
“I’ll tell you about it when we come back home,” he promised, locking the front door, then escorted her to the car.
“Okay, how about…” Belle gave him name after name after name while he opened the door for her. She continued exploring names on their way to the restaurant, none of which he was too thrilled about, but he was happy to just think of the fact that he was going to be a father again, and with the most gorgeous woman he’d ever seen.
He wasn’t going to mess this up. Rumpelstiltskin made it his duty to assure himself, his wife and his child that he was not going to abandon them the way he’d done with Baelfire. No, this time, he was going to be the perfect father, and this was going to be their happy ending.
Title: Little Girl Gold
Recipient: crucified
Author: Anon
Rating: G/PG
Disclaimer: Wish they belonged to me, but alas, they do not.
Characters: Rumpelstiltsin/Mr. Gold, Belle, bits of Red/Ruby, and mentions of other characters.
Word Count: Approx: 1, 530
Warnings: None
Summary: Prompt: Rumpel and Belle raising their first child together.
A/N: Hope this is all right! The first story I had written with this prompt was deleted by Microsoft Word, so I had to start all over, and it didn’t come out the way it was originally written.
I also left the child unnamed so you can name her yourself. :)
Rumpelstiltskin looked on at his lovely Belle holding their baby and singing quietly. It seemed to be the only thing to stop the baby from crying, aside from Rumpel’s use in colorful magic, which Belle wouldn’t really let him use. She didn’t want him using magic, but he needed it, so they came to a compromise, and using magic around their child was not part of that compromise.
“You know…” he started, walking into the room quietly and leaning on his cane.
“No,” Belle said immediately he started. She turned to face him and gave him that look that told him not to press the issue, but today, he wanted to at least try. “No magic around the baby.”
“You didn’t even let me finish,” he said, standing beside her to look down at the swaddled bundle with beautiful blue eyes like Belle’s. “There is a difference between using magic on someone rather than using it around them.” Rumpel held up a purple glittering ball over their baby, letting it spin slowly.
As he expected, the baby reached up for it and made adorable baby sounds.
“See?” Rumpel grinned, still holding the ball over their baby while his free arm was wrapped around Belle’s waist. “Just the smallest bit of magic will not hurt her…”
“I suppose not, but…”
“I know - you’re worried I might start using magic for evil again.” He understood that, and he had to admit that he’d thought about it a couple of times, but Belle had anchored him. Rumpel didn’t need magic as much as he thought he did, but he had to admit to himself that it was more than helpful in certain situations.
Belle nodded her head, guiltily. “I’m sorry Rumpel, I know I need to have more faith in you.” He laughed at that.
“It’s your love and faith in me that keeps me going, and now this little one.” He let the purple ball disappear slowly as the baby started falling asleep - finally. “I will not make the same mistakes I’ve already made with Baelfire… or Neal, or whatever the hell he calls himself these days. You and this baby are my life and redemption, and I swore to you once that I wouldn’t use magic in an evil form again.” Unless it was necessary, he thought to himself.
Belle leaned against him, believing and trusting his words. Before the baby, she wasn’t sure if Rumpel could truly give up any type of dark magic, but once he saw his new born child, she saw something in his eyes - something that told her she could trust him no matter what.
“I know you won’t, Rumpel,” she whispered. “I suppose as a new mother I grow cautious. Not of you,” she added quickly. “I trust you and I know you’re going to be a wonderful father, even if no one else believes it. I suppose we could… amend our agreement about magic a little. But don’t think magic is going to get you out of changing diapers by hand.”
Rumpelstiltskin laughed at her and kissed her head lovingly. “I know that. Apparently this is just one thing I’m going to have to learn then.”
“Just be thankful we’re here in Storybrooke where things are modern and not like they were back home.” She didn’t want to go washing nappies and clothes by hand every single day. “All we need are disposable diapers, baby powder, and baby wipes - unless she gets a rash on her bottom in which we’ll have to rub on cream as well.”
Rumpel sighed a little. Things would be so much easier if she’d allow him to “magic on” a new diaper onto the baby while taking off the dirty one.
“Oh come on, don’t be so glum. There’s really nothing to changing a diaper.”
Well, that’s what she claimed, but for the following two to three years changing diapers was a bit of an ongoing process, and so was putting their child in new clothes. He didn’t remember Baelfire being this messy, and anytime he went to Regina for advice, she simply laughed at him rather evilly and continued walking. Though, she did give him bits of advice here and there, as he seemed to be at wits end sometimes.
He and Belle took turns bringing the baby to their places of business so that they could still work without having to put their now-toddler in daycare. Belle wasn’t quite up to that part of motherhood yet. She didn’t really want many people watching after their child unless it was someone she trusted, like Neal, or Granny and Red.
These days, no one really came into the shop anymore, but Rumpel surely did love showing his little girl new little items he’d found or had stashed away somewhere and finally brought them out. He showed her how to be gentle with certain items and let her play with other little things like dolls or Baelfire’s old ball.
“And one day, these things may be yours,” he promised her.
“Can I have ‘em now?” the little girl asked, playing with the little Mickey Mouse phone.
“Well, not all of them…” mostly because a lot of it wasn’t his to begin with. They were put in his shop once the curse was enacted and one day someone was going to come in looking for something of theirs and it wouldn’t be in the shop, but instead, it would belong to his little girl. “Maybe just a couple things here and there.”
The little girl laughed and smiled brighter when her mother came in for their usual lunch together. Sometimes they had lunch in the shop or in the library, but often they ate at Granny’s too.
Rumpel closed up his shop and trekked across the street to make their way to Granny’s, looking like a normal couple in love. Some were still under suspicion about them, wondering if he’d used a magic spell on her and got her to bear his child, because what kind of a young, lovely woman would fall in love with someone like him? He was the Dark One, a beast, a ‘thing’ people in town were still afraid of even if he hadn’t done anything horrible since that child was born.
Belle often saw their looks but brushed them off much easier now than she did when she married him. So easy to judge, she thought to herself. She knew what they thought, and she didn’t care. Belle knew these people would continue thinking what they’ve always done for years.
When they reached the block Granny’s was on, the little girl saw Ruby crouched down in front of a sign on the sidewalk - probably re-touching it. The little girl sneakily crouched down, hoping to surprise the waitress, but when she reached the sign and jumped with an adorable growl, she found Ruby gone. She looked around but didn’t see her, then frowned.
Belle and Rumpel stopped to watch, smiling when they saw Ruby jump behind their toddler, eliciting a surprised shriek from her. Ruby was one of Belle’s best friends and much like a big puppy to the little girl.
Ruby picked her up and nodded for Belle and Rumpel to come inside where a booth was already waiting for them. She set the toddler in a booster seat where Belle slid in beside her, and Rumpel sat across from his beautiful ladies.
“You called ahead?” Rumpel asked his lovely Belle.
“How did you know?”
“I think the already placed booster seat and coloring crayons with a coloring book for our little one was a good indication,” he laughed. The little girl was swinging her legs underneath the table, ready to eat as she started to color in a fish.
“I want one of those!” the little girl pointed to a giant chocolate milkshake Red had just given to one of the customers.
“I’m afraid that’s too big for you, my dear,” Rumpel said. “But if you eat all of your food, you can have a small one.”
“Okay daddy.” Belle smiled at her husband across the table. He’d gotten much better at not giving their daughter everything they asked for. A year or two ago, any time she wanted chocolate or pizza and no vegetables, he’d give her exactly what she wanted.
While the little girl colored quietly, Rumpel looked at his family, smiling to himself. How a woman this wonderful fell in love with him, he’d never know, but he knew that he was never going to let them go. He would be the perfect father - the perfect husband.
Red broke his thoughts when she brought them their food and drinks, just the way they liked it. “What were you smiling about just then?” Belle asked her husband as Red walked away.
“Just looking at my beautiful wife and child,” he replied his voice a near whisper.
Belle grinned and leaned across the table to kiss him. Rumpel met her half way, and half way through their kiss they were interrupted by the “eewww!” from their child.
“Guess we’d better get used to that,” Belle laughed.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”