[PAST] A Tale as Old as Time (Rumpel, inv/closed)

[innerbeauty]

((Forgive a girl her fantasies /shot))
((some MOOSIK))

Belle stepped lightly into the sunroom of the Dark Castle, carrying a tray holding a tea set close to her breast. No matter how long she stayed here, she doubted she’d ever really get use to such household chores. And she certainly didn’t want to chip another cup; Rumpelstiltskin may have dismissed the act, but the girl still felt utterly terrible about it. Who knows, it could be some sort of family heirloom for all she knew, though she highly doubted such a thing, and she’d almost shattered it.

Today, she had felt especially chipper and had dressed in her bright blue dress with the shoulder-sleeves. It had been a pretty hot week for weather and so her hair was held up in a low pony tail by a strip of blue ribbon. She was wearing her white shoes with the two-inch heels; which probably wasn’t a good idea, considering she was carrying a tea set. Setting the tray on the dining table in the center of the room and poured Rumpelstiltskin a cup of tea, setting the cup on his place on the table.

“Forgive my interruption, but here’s your tea, Rumpelstiltskin.”

Belle retreated from the table, not looking at her should-be captor, and made for the door. She could feel her face heating up slightly, remembering the conclusions she’d come to the night before. A lot had changed since their deal, for her at least. Somehow she suspected she was starting to see an entirely new side to this supposed ‘Beast.’

Stopping in the doorway, Belle placed a hand on the door’s frame and risked a glance back at Rumpelstiltskin. There’s something sweet, and almost kind, Belle thought, but he was mean and he was coarse and unrefined. And now, he’s dear and so I’m sure....

“I wonder why I didn’t see it there, before.” Belle mumbled to herself under her breath as she escaped the room. She didn’t get very far, however, as she immediately turned and rested against the wall. She placed a hand to her breast, willing her speeding heart to slow, if only a bit. Could it be? Well, who’d have known! Well, who, indeed.

New and a bit alarming; who’d have ever thought that this could be? Belle's thoughts raced a mile a minute. True that he’s no Prince Charming... but there’s something in him that I simply didn’t see!

Who’d have guessed they’d come together on their own? Perhaps there may be something there that wasn’t there, before...

[Mr. Gold]

The presence of Belle had made Rumpelstiltskin's life much better than it had even been since Baelfire had left and Rumpelstiltskin barely even knew it. True Love was a concept he thought was only for those who didn't lose everything they'd once had in the search for magic. It had never occurred to Rumpelstiltskin that he may eventually find True Love. In fact, not only had it ever occurred to him, he'd made it an outright impossibility in his mind. But Belle... Belle was something different. Something that could certainly change his mind, if she stayed long enough.

Rumpelstiltskin knew she would not be staying long, if she ever got the chance to get away. It put a certain dilemma in his mind. She clearly did not want to be with him in the castle, but he knew that he did love her. But what was he supposed to do with that love? She would never love him back anyway. Perhaps if he kept her there long enough she would love him...

Just as he was thinking about her, Belle entered the dining room with tea. "There was no interruption, dearie~" Rumpelstiltskin replied, watching as she poured the tea. If he was still alone he would have likely made his own tea with magic by this point. But, what would keep Belle there if she was told he didn't need her for making tea? Just as Belle left the room, Rumpelstiltskin caught her mumbling something that he couldn't make other. "What was that?

[innerbeauty]

Once she was sure that she was adequately composed, Belle searched the hall for an excuse to reenter the room. Around this time, she'd probably have climbed to the upper rooms of the castle and washed his clothes, mostly anything to keep her hands and mind busy. She was sure that she was falling for her captor, though she wasn't yet sure if it was True Love. After all, didn't Rumpelstiltskin say that he simply needed a caretaker when they first made their deal? Belle was almost sure that he didn't return her feelings; but then, he seemed... different than when they had first met.

Her eyes alighted on the short ladder propped against the wall. It was the ladder she'd used to open the curtains of the castle. Of course, by "open" she meant rip through the nails Rumpelstiltskin had used to keep the curtains in place. That little disaster had been quite the scare for Belle; it was very fortunate Rumpelstiltskin had been there to catch her. Her cheeks heated slightly once more at the memory. Shaking her head to rid her mind of embarrassing thoughts, Belle grabbed the ladder and hefted it up. She hadn't been able to find a suitable place to put it, first finding it within a room crowded with all sorts of boxes, utensils, and knick-knacks. However, she was slowly creating a space for it; she'd made a sizable dent in the room the previous day, she just had to keep at it.

Returning to the sunroom, Belle glanced at the Dark One once more, feigning ignorance. "Hm? Oh! It was nothing." Belle placed the ladder in front of the window and climbed halfway up. This castle certainly had very tall windows. Reaching for the frame's lock, she turned to Rumpelstiltskin with a smile, probably more compassionate than need be. "What do you say we open some windows? Summer's already upon us and I can't imagine it doesn't get at all stuffy in this castle." Inwardly, she smirked at her successful use of a double negative; if there was one thing she prided herself of, it was her knowledge and execution of her vocabulary. The girl took a moment to focus on the dastardly lock, struggling with it more than any normal locking mechanism. Honestly, one would think the man wanted to be completely cut off from the world so entirely. Well, of course he did and Belle knew it too; but she couldn't help feeling that he deserved more than that. She didn't think he should be completely shut out from the world. "A good summer breeze may be just what this place needs!" And you, she thought to herself.

Belle finally managed to undo the wretched lock and pushed on the window, letting a nice, gentle Summer wind blow lightly through the room. However, she overcompensated for herself and pushed just slightly too far. Momentarily losing her balance, Belle wobbled on the ladder for a moment before grabbing the structure with an iron grip. "I'm alright!" She called to no one in particular, looking hesitantly down at the rickety legs of the ladder and waiting for the thing to settle. As she stopped swaying, she slowly climbed back down to the floor, releasing a shaky breath. "I'm... perfectly alright, I think." Belle looked herself over, just to make sure everything was in working order.

Sometimes, she really lost contact with the real world and ended up going just a tad too far. Then again, she supposed that's what you get when you spend more time reading than anything else. If there was one thing she absolutely knew she had unconditional love for, without admitting her true feelings about Rumpelstiltskin, it was her books. Between her father's troubles and Gaston, her stories had been her only real joy in the world. They were the things she missed most, here in her life in the Dark Castle; well, besides her father, of course. With all the work she did for Rumpelstiltskin, she barely had any time at all to herself, and she hadn't even been given enough time to take some of her favorite books with her before the 'Beast' had whisked her away to his abode. Without realizing it, Belle breathed a soft sigh, remembering the adventures she had had while delving into her books.

[Mr. Gold]

Once Belle left, Rumpelstiltskin sighed quietly. It was quite a shame the girl would never return his feelings. The Dark One didn't expect her to do so. Who could ever love him, after all? If his own son hadn't loved him, a girl he captured to be his caretaker certainly wouldn't. He stood and stepped over to the spinning wheel that stood in the corner of the room. The wheel had been there as long as Rumpelstiltskin could even remember. It brought back the memory of his little deals with Cora, who would later be Regina's mother. She'd somehow managed to worm her way out of the deal and all because Rumpelstiltskin had been so foolish as to give her a hint about it. But, it didn't matter anymore. So what if Cora had been able to keep little Regina with her? The Dark One chuckled a bit about just how much could've been avoided if he had gotten Regina.

Maybe that was just one deal that was never meant to be fulfilled. Pushing the thought out of his mind, Rumpelstiltskin sat down at his spinning wheel and began spinning the straw into shining gold. Spinning helped Rumpelstiltskin forget about everything that had happened in the past... especially losing Baelfire. Rumpelstiltskin practically beat that thought out of his mind and continued spinning the straw into gold. How foolish it had been of King Maurice to assume that he needed gold when he could make it out of mere straw! Rumpelstiltskin chuckled impishly before returning to his work. It was a blessing that he was able to clear his mind with something like spinning. He assumed it would be much more difficult when he was trying to think of ways to keep certain thoughts out of his mind.

Belle entered once again. Rumpelstiltskin didn't stop his spinning, but greeted her with a simple "Hello, dearie~" before returning to spinning. Belle began to speak about pulling his windows open and letting sunlight and breeze in. Rumpelstiltskin was... hesitant to accept. The dark castle wasn't called that for no reason... Not to mention that Rumpelstiltskin much preferred locking himself away from the outside world. But, his new-found love for Belle insisted that he do as she says. If not, she would find some way to leave. "If you wish. They're just windows." He replied, seemingly preoccupied with spinning. In actuality he was more occupied with watching Belle try to get the lock undone. The last time she'd attempted something like this, he'd ended up having to catch her. As soon as she'd managed to open the window, a breeze swept in. It was... actually quite nice.

But then he noticed Belle was about to fall from the ladder. Rumpelstiltskin was about to teleport over and catch her once more... But she managed to grab hold of something and get down by herself. So, Rumpelstiltskin just continued spinning. When he glanced up, he noticed that Belle seemed... sad. Well, who would't be? Rumpelstiltskin had snatched her away from her home and locked her in the castle. "Something wrong, dearie?"

[innerbeauty]

Yes, Belle missed her father, her home; she probably even missed Gaston to an extent, if only to have someone to roll her eyes at. However, she knew that she would never be able to see them again. It was no longer just about her deal with Rumpelstiltskin, which, in itself, prevented her from returning to see them. No, living here had changed her. She couldn't tell how, but there was something there, something more. She had never really felt at home in the little town her father had governance over. It was such a boring, provincial life; she'd often imagined leaving to go on grand and fantastic adventures, hoping beyond hope that she could do something more with her life. Rumpelstiltskin had given her just that opportunity. Sure, now she was stuck in this foreboding castle doing meaningless chores, but she had done something! How many people, how many women of her poor, provincial little town can say that they stood face to face with a Dark One and made a deal to save her home?

No, this new life she was living wasn't completely intolerable, but it would be much more tolerable if she at least still had something she loved. Her father and home were out of the question, and she's come to terms with that. If only she'd had enough time to... prepare! Rumpelstiltskin had whisked her away so fast, she couldn't even take her books with her! Her books, her stories, were her escape. More often than not, she'd used them to flee to a place where Gaston and her village could not follow. And her town had the most quaint little bookshop; the owner was so kind and had often let her keep some of his books. But, now, they were all gone. She'd abandoned them without realizing it until it had been too late. Giving her time to pack for their journey had not been part of the deal. The deal was her and her alone, so Rumpelstiltskin had taken her and nothing else.

Belle heard Rumpelstiltskin's inquiry and quickly snapped out of her reveries with a shake of her head. She plastered on a smile that was only partially fake. "No, it's nothing..." However, a moment later, her smile fell and her head fell back so that she was staring towards the ceiling of the room. What was she thinking? She didn't like lying and she hated doing it. Taking a deep breath, she thought over how to propose her sadness. After all, she didn't want Rumpelstiltskin to think she wanted to back out of their deal or otherwise show uneasiness at their terms. "I just wish...." Releasing another sigh, she glanced at the Dark One in apprehension, realizing she can't think of any other way of expressing her grief. "I've come to miss my stories." The last word left her in a breathy voice as she fondly remembered of the heroes and journeys held within their pages.

"I loved them so much. You probably think it silly. But, they held so much wonder; far-off places, daring sword fights, magic spells, and princes in disguise~!" She had become so energetic while telling the magic being of her books that she'd even twirled her way to stand before him with the brightest smile one could ever muster. Belle felt her face heating up slightly, realizing where her thoughts had lead her while speaking of disguised royalty. She quickly turned from Rumpelstilskin and walked away from him. Trying to dismiss her thoughts, she poured herself a cup of tea and sat in a chair; noticeably doing her best to not look at the man. She realized she'd taken the tea she'd meant specifically for him until she stubbornly told herself that she made it in the first place and she deserved some, if she wanted.

[Mr. Gold]

Stories? Rumpelstiltskin raised an eyebrow as she spoke. She had everything in the Dark Castle. Certainly, she had to serve him food and clean up, but all she needed to do was ask and Rumpelstiltkin would magically provide. Of all the things she wanted... it was books? How... confusing. Now, Rumpelstiltskin had no aversion to reading (he had a rather large library, actually), but it was certainly not the thing he'd request if he could have anything he wanted. No, he would ask.... for Baelfire. His son was all he needed, now that he'd found... well, love. Something he never expected to find.

"Then let me show you something." Rumpelstiltskin said as he stood up and snapped his fingers. In a moment, the two were standing in a large, magnificent library filled with massive bookshelves. See, Rumpelstiltskin had no idea that Belle was someone who enjoyed reading. He actually had no idea what it was that Belle liked, before this. "This, Belle, is the Dark Castle's library. Every book you could ever want and more." Rumpelstiltskin pulled a book from it's shelf and flipped through the pages, before handing it to Belle.

"This should be something close to what you want." He said. It was a book of heroic tales, just like the ones Belle had described. Hopefully, that would be enough to make her happy and keep her at the Dark Castle. Rumpelstiltskin knew that she was his only chance at true love... he could never allow that to leave him like he'd allowed Bae to leave him before.