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"Belle!" Mr Gold cried, throwing open the door to find her tied to a chair.
Besides being gagged and looking a little bedraggled, she seemed unharmed. It wasn't enough to stop the rage boiling up inside him, but luckily this was momentarily doused by his relief. He ran forward and pulled the gag down from her mouth. He kissed her, fueled by passion and alleviation at her safety. When he pulled away she smiled weakly and said;
"If I had a penny for every time I was kidnapped I'd be as rich as you right now,"
He moved to the back of her and began untying the knots.
"Who was it?" He asked, anger making it's way slowly back into his voice.
"The Pi-pirate, with... the hook," He stopped, noticing her slurred speech and slumped posture.
"Belle, are you alright?" He asked, his voice laced with concern. He caught her as she fell to one side.
"I've been drugged, Rumple. But I'm alright, I'm just recovering,"
"He drugged you?" Belle recognised the warning signs in his voice, how it shook with rage.
"...Rumple,"
"He DRUGGED you?" He was growing louder and louder.
"Rumplestiltskin, please," She sighed, "Leave it okay?"
He finished untying her and lifted her to her feet, his hands on her waist, steadying her.
"I can't leave it Belle! Look at what he's done to you,"
"He did it to bait you, to make you angry!" She placed her hand on the side of his face, looking deep into his eyes, "Don't let him succeed,"
Mr Gold paused, emotions running through him. Eventually he smiled at Belle, placing his hand atop hers and stroking her knuckles with his thumb.
"Lets get you home," He said.
Belle sat opposite him on a wooden chair. He dipped the cloth into the bowl of water, wrung it out and brought it to her face. The cut wasn't deep, it was barely bleeding; although she had tried to get him to leave it he insisted on treating her. It was a step that she refused magic, although she noticed that her headache was clearing up a lot quicker than it should have, and she suspected he played some part in it.
When the warm clean cloth touched her face she winced and inhaled sharply. Mr Gold brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear and the contact made her skin prickle. He dabbed the cloth onto her wound, and she scrunched up her face in pain.
"Are you okay?" He asked her for the hundredth time.
"Fine," She mumbled through gritted teeth. He sighed and put the cloth down in the bowl, moving her chin until she was facing him.
"What's wrong?" He asked her, and she bit her lip and looked down into her lap. She felt tears threaten and pushed them down.
"I'm sick of being your weakness," She finally admitted.
"What?"
"Back in the enchanted forest you were unstoppable, Untouchable! But now because of me, you're vulnerable. I am your vulnerability and I hate it,"
"No no no," He said, shaking his head and putting his hand on her cheek beneath her ear.
"It's true," She said, letting tear slide down her face. "I'm holding you back, putting you at risk,"
"Stop," He commanded and she did with a quiet sniff. "That's not true, not even slightly. Alright, they tried to use me to get to you, but has it worked? You're too good for them Belle; and don't you ever believe that love is a weakness. Dearie, you're not my weakness; you're my strength. Without you who would I be? A bitter, vengeful man with all the power in the word and nothing to do with it, no purpose. I need you Belle. I love you, Belle," And his hand tensed, and drew her into a passionate kiss.
Her hands moved to his neck, grabbing his hair as his kiss grew more urgent. He got to his feet, still kissing her, and pushed her back against the wall, pressing himself up against her as she moaned into his mouth.
"Rumple," She moaned, her voice barely a whisper. He shushed her as his mouth moved down, kissing and softly gnawing along her jaw line. He nipped her jaw and she gasped, gripping his hair at the base of his neck. He moved further down, sucking and biting at her neck until she began to pant, each rise and fall of her chest prominent against him. He pulled back, kissing her once more with an urgency. She kissed him back, pushing against him until he pulled away.
She rested her head on his shoulder and they embraced. She fell so safe, enclosed in his arms.
But she couldn't help smiling and mumbling "Maybe you're still vengeful," She looked up at him "Can I convince you to leave going after the pirate, if I can offer you something more worth your time?" He smiled at her impish smile, and kissed her forehead. With her looking up at him through her eyelashes... that innocence...
"I believe you could dearie," He said, "I believe you could..."