Reunion (for onceaheroine and keepshimhuman)

[with_aprice]

Following this thread

He calls Belle from the cabin, to let her know that he'll be late.  He'd been caught in the storm, he explains, and is closer to the cabin then the house.  He'll be home when the rain lets up.  His hand is tight against the table when he speaks, the wood biting into his palm.  The pain helps to focus him, to stop from blurting

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[keepshimhuman]

Any house, he thinks, would feel like a palace to him, after a week of wandering alone, sleeping in the woods. And the faint memory of the life he had before, the life he had to leave, to save himself.

Welcome home, lad.

The man was so vague on the details of how they know each other, but he's starting to piece it together now, starting to suspect the truth. They must be related. It's too much to hope that this is his father, that he might have a chance to be part of a real family again. If it is his father...why did they separate? Why did he leave? Had this man hurt him, too? He glances at him silently over his shoulder, and feels a flicker of pain, amongst the affection. He did hurt him, but it was different, far different from the physical abuse. And still not enough to make him afraid.

He steps further inside, looking around, taking it all in.

And then he just nods, silently.

[onceaheroine]

It's a cold, wet night after an uneasy, grey sort of a day and Belle's been antsy since about three-thirty for Rumplestiltskin to just come home. Baking and cleaning have filled the time for her, so the house is spotless and there's two different kinds of bread baked and three sorts of cookies, including the white chocolate and dried blueberry that he'd been so delighted by

[with_aprice]

"We'll be there in just a minute." He gives Bae what he hopes is an encouraging smile, but his emotions as so jumbled he doesn't know if he's pulling it off. It seems to work, though, since the boy goes through the open library door. It's hard to let him even that far out of his sight, but he needs a few minutes to talk to Belle. if anyone can give him enough strength to make it through the evening without breaking down it's her.

"I found him in the woods. I was restless, took a walk before coming home and he was just there. He doesn't know who he is, but I do." He takes a deep shuddering breath, and rests his forehead against her shoulder. "It's Bae. All this time looking, and he's just here."

[keepshimhuman]

It feels natural, seeing the woman there. Belle. People should have a family, they shouldn't be alone. He wonders if there are children, but something tells him...there aren't any...more. There aren't more, but any more than who? He thinks he knows the answer, but there's something blocking it. The fire feels nice, as he takes a seat near it, tucking his legs beneath him. The kindness from the man isn't that curious; he would help someone in a similar fashion if he could, but they have a history.

This man...loves him.

After Baelfire is in bed... (for <lj user="onceaheroine">)

[with_aprice]

Bae is still exhausted, and falls asleep quickly. Not wanting to disturb the boy Rumpelstiltskin limps to the doorway, but he has trouble going any farther than that. His Bae, the son he's been trying to get to for centuries, is here for now, but what about tomorrow? What if he leaves or this has been a dream?

He stands in the doorway, leaning heavily on his cane, and watches the blankets rise and fall with each breath his boy takes.

[onceaheroine]

She gives them space, puttering around downstairs, wrapping up bread and cookies. Some for tomorrow, some for the freezer, some for friends (although she doesn't intend to let Rumplestiltskin see that pile

[with_aprice]

He stands in that doorway for an eternity, or just a pause between breaths. In all reality it's probably a couple of hours. Bae hasn't moved in all that time, and finally he tears himself away and limps back down the stairs. Belle, when he finds her, is on the sofa with a book open against her chest and closed eyes. She's fallen asleep waiting for him, and his already overflowing heart seems close to bursting.

Carefully her takes the book from her and sets it on the table. Closed, of course, because she says leaving the book open is bad for the spine. He watches her, each breath he takes making his body shake. Bea is back, and Belle is here. He has to two people that he loves more than life or anything else, both under the same roof.

[onceaheroine]

She stirs when he takes the book from her, slowly drifting back to wakefulness. When her eyes open, he's watching her and Belle smiles drowsily up at him.

"He's sleeping, then?"

In the middle of the night... (for with_aprice)

[keepshimhuman]

He sleeps soundly for a while, hardly moving or shifting from the position he'd fallen asleep in. It's sometime around 3 a.m. when he begins to toss and turn, old memories, bad memories infiltrating his dreams. He sees flashes of a life, a life in a village with a gentle man, a man he loves more than anything. And then that gentle man darkens, and begins to hurt people, and he knows that he must save him. He has to save him, he can do nothing else.

But then the man -- his Papa -- abandons him. He can't go through the vortex, because he's afraid, so afraid that he'll let his son fall away, into the great unknown. Coward. He falls through the vortex and lands in the woods near a road. It's a blur, being taken into foster care, shuffled from one person to the next, and then taken in by a family. The woman, the little girl. He remembers them now; the little girl would sneak into his room at night, to hide from her father. She was safe with Sam, her adopted brother; he'd protect her, he'd always protect her. He remembered his Papa,

[with_aprice]

He's asleep, but only barely, curled protectively around Belle because she's the one he can touch right now. She's his strength and solace. The moment he hears the shout he's sitting up, and only a second later he's standing. for the millionth time he curses his knee; he may have to give in to Belle's gentle nudging and have the downstairs guest room turned into a master suit. He hears Bae running but it takes him three times as long to get down the stairs.

the door's open, and thank the gods there's a full moon otherwise he'd be in full on panic mode. He can see Bae, enough to know that he hasn't fled completely. The fact that he's run out of the house at all, though, worries him.

"Bae?" It's eight more steps from the front door down to the path the leads him to his son, and those steps take too long too. Finally, though, he's able to crouch beside the sobbing boy. He presses his hand to Baelfire's back, rubbing in small circles like he had when the boy was small. "What's wrong, son?"

[keepshimhuman]

The touch startles him, and he recoils, puling away and falling back onto the grass. He remembers everything. It's an overload for his mind, so much pain assaulting him all at once. He shuts his eyes tightly, and many long moments pass before he opens them again.

"You..." He looks up at his father, eyes bright with unshed tears. "Papa?"

His voice cracks, and then he swallows deeply. When he speaks again, his voice is stronger, full of pain and anger, disappointment and regret. "i had to go alone."

Because you were too afraid to come with me.

"You didn't come with me."

[with_aprice]

You coward! You promised! Don’t break our deal!

Everything in him wants to draw back his hand, to pull in on himself but he doesn't. This is Bae, and if he's ever had a reason to stay strong this is it.

"I'm sorry, son. Every breath I've drawn since that moment has been full of regret, and everything I've done has been about following you." He was scared, and cowardly, but that's only an excuse and Bae deserves more than excuses.