Work Text:
Rumplestiltskin was the fearsome Dark One, whose name was never whispered more than twice, who was known for taking a special pleasure in despising 'true love', whose mere mention could send even the bravest warriors into spasms of utter terror. He was the beast, the most horrific monster in all the land, who was absolutely not in love.
He couldn't be.
He really couldn't be. There was no way.
The glowing pulsing heart fluttering around his head like a gleeful bird was an utter impossibility. A freak of nature. A contradiction. A paradox.
He snarled and tried to ignore it, dancing just out of his blastedly short reach. Everything might've been quite alright except, a soft sweet voice asked through the door before it opened, "Rumple?"
Rumplestiltskin jolted, leaping upward to grab at the heart which danced out of his reach, it was probably laughing at him the cursed thing!
Soft footsteps, the creak of the door, his scaled claws closed around the delicate beating heart and he swiftly put his hand behind his back as Belle padded into the great hall. She frowned kindly, "You seem out of breath? Is everything quite alright?"
He tried to casually lean against his spinning wheel, hand still behind his back, "Dark Ones don't get out of breath, dearie." He let his free hand nonchalantly spin the wheel.
He could tell she was confused, but for once she let her wonderfully frustrating curiosity lie and turned to shelve the books in her arms.
Another heart popped into the air above his head as he observed her. Rumple started and he grabbed at it, but missed. Stupid stubborn thing! He would've cursed viciously but Belle was right there and he needed to get that telltale heart without her noticing!
Another leap and the heart darted towards the long table in the middle of the hall. Belle dropped a book with a thump and she bent down to pick it up. He stuffed the first heart in his vest and then bolted towards the table where the second heart fluttered teasingly close. It danced away and Belle had finally finished the books!
He disappeared in a puff of golden smoke, reappearing next to the elusive heart and he snatched it right out of the air.
Belle turned, raising a brow at his frazzled appearance. He snapped from anxiety, voice coming out far harsher than he'd met it too, "What are you looking at?!"
She blushed, "Nothing!" and turned and left.
Rumplestiltskin collapsed against his table, a third heart popping into existence and sinking down to rest in the empty chipped cup mischievously.
He snarled and failed to resist the blush creeping up his scaly skin as he thought of the kind smile Belle had given him when she'd entered the room.
Belle huffed and blew hair out of her face as she lugged three large tomes across the hallway. Organizing the library and moving some of the books back to their proper places places in the great hall was a difficult task, but organizing her library was worth it.
She paused before the door of the great hall, face turning a flushed pink as she announced her presence with a, "Rumple?"
She pushed open the door. Rumple was leaning against his spinning wheel, and he would've looked relaxed except for his breath coming out in short puffs. Belle frowned. Had they had a visitor or something?
"You seem out of breath? Is everything quite alright?"
He waved around his expressive spindle fingers in the air, "Dark Ones don't get out of breath, dearie."
Belle wasn't impressed with that statement, for she knew that wasn't true, but she headed over to the bookcase to put away the wayward books who had migrated over to the library and lurked, awkwardly out of place.
Belle sighed and put away a book, thinking of Rumplestiltskin. She blinked and sucked in her breath, managing to keep it quiet. Another one of her hearts had appeared! She didn't dare look around to see if Rumple had noticed! Carefully, she picked it up and tucked the pulsing blue object in between the pages of the book she was putting away. He surely wouldn't read one of these books. They were just there for display. He'd told her so.
She sighed when she heard no protests from the imp behind her, thank goodness. Rumple didn't need to know about her silly thoughts. They were just that. Thoughts. She flushed thinking of him and she grimaced at the sight of another heart trying to dance out of reach of her arm.
Bad Belle. Stop thinking about him!
She jumped and snatched it, dropping a book in the process. She froze. Had Rumple noticed? He didn't say anything. Belle picked up the book and shoved into place, temporarily tucking the second heart into the shoulder of her bodice.
As soon as she got out of the room she could get rid of it.
Belle whirled around, anxious to leave the room, and immediately turned red at the sight of her employer. Now at the table, he was only half turned toward her so that she had a rather pleasing view of his backside.
He obviously didn't like her shocked staring, "What are you looking at?!"
She blushed, "Nothing!" And pattered out of the room, the door closing behind her.
She pushed tendrils of hair out her hot face, more little blue hearts popping up. She didn't know how much longer she could keep this up.
Belle bit her lip and hurried up the stairs, her trail of blue hearts following her the whole way up.