Once Upon a Time Rumbelle in the Rain

Heavy raindrops pounded the deserted pavement, the inhabitants of the small town safely locked away behind closed doors in front of warm fires sipping at their hot chocolates, shutting out the late afternoon downpour. Outside, thunder clapped and lightening flashed, freezing for a tiny moment the image of one lone figure strolling along the pavement, looking for all the world as though it was a bright sunny day and she were going for a pleasant walk in the sunshine. Long, dark hair was plastered down the back of a navy blue coat, absolutely drenched, stockings poking out the bottom, and anyone watching would have thought that the slim young lady ought to be frozen to the bone.

Belle raised her face to the large droplets plummeting down from the skies, welcoming the freezing cold splashes against her cheeks. She had thought about calling Rumple to come and pick her up after she had finished work at the library, but she did love to walk in the rain. Even if it was a little stormier than she would usually go out in.

In two minutes Belle was thoroughly, unexpectedly, drenched, from her hair right down to her bare feet, preferring to walk barefoot through all the puddles than in the small heeled ankle boots she'd been wearing that day. She hadn't thought it was raining this hard. Nevertheless, she revelled in it.

Belle raised her arms and twirled mid-step, laughing as hundreds of tiny beads of water flew off her clothes and hair and collided with the falling drops, creating a kind of watery explosion all around her for a split second. She stopped and looked ahead at the empty pavement stretching before her, a childish grin spreading across her rain streaked face. Taking a deep breath, Belle tightened her grip on her boots and suddenly sprinted forwards, twirling at the same time, laughing in pure happiness at the sensation of the water all around her, the thousands of tiny water droplets flying in all directions.

Belle came to a breathless stop, giggling to herself. What Rumple would think if he saw her behaving like such a child! Belle caught her breath after a few seconds and briefly continued on her way before she stopped again and slowly realized that she was actually quite cold. She was, in fact, saturated and positively freezing. And now that she'd stopped moving and noticed, shivers were making themselves known, and her teeth began to chatter. Belle unconsciously curled in on herself, wrapping her arms about her chest and hunching her shoulders. Not that that would do her much good now that she was soaked.

Well, that would teach her for going out in a winter storm when she ought to have called Rumple.

Belle began walking again, this time angling across the road. Originally, she had been aiming for her and Rumple's home, about a 15 minute walk away, but now she changed direction for Rumple's pawnshop, a much closer 3 minute walk. She dreaded the fuss he would make, knowing how worried about her he would be over something as small as getting a bit wet. But he would make an even bigger fuss if he arrived home after work in 10 minutes and found that she was still walking in this storm. Belle quickened her pace.

* * *

><p>It had been a slow day for Rumple. A whopping one customer had come in all day, only to wander around for a few minutes and then leave again. But that was okay; Rumple had plenty of other business to keep him occupied until he could return home to his Belle.<p>

Rumple had received a call from a customer about half an hour ago, and had decided to close up the shop while he sat in the back office making the necessary arrangements for them. It was hardly likely that anyone else would come in this near to closing time, particularly with this storm ravishing the tiny town.

So when Rumple heard the bell tinkle, indicating someone had entered his shop, he was very surprised indeed. If it had been an ordinary customer, they ought to have seen his 'closed' sign and came back tomorrow. Rousing himself from the paperwork he was immersed in, he glanced briefly at his watch, realizing with a shock that Belle ought to have finished work by now, and he hadn't received a call from her to come and pick him up. He rose from his chair, smoothing his suit against his stomach. Surely she wasn't out walking in this st-

Rumple suddenly had a hunch about who his mystery late afternoon customer was.

* * *

><p>Belle hesitated briefly outside the door of the pawnshop, ignoring the 'closed' sign hanging in the door, before softly pushing it open, setting the bell tinkling. The faint sounds of a chair scraping across wood and then a cane hitting the ground announced that Rumple was on his way, so Belle waited in the entrance, shivering violently and dripping all over the floor.<p>

Rumple emerged from the back office and Belle's chocolate brown eyes met his darker, almost black ones, registering first happiness, then amusement as he took in her bedraggled state, which turned into concern as he noted her severe shaking and pale skin.

Worry creased his forehead, the contrast between his lined face and her smooth one showing the obvious age gap between them, but neither of them noticed. When they were together, neither of them so much as gave a passing thought to the 2 decades separating their ages. It didn't matter. All that mattered was that they had found each other again.

"Belle, darling," Rumple said softly, immediately making his way across the shop towards her, his limp slowing him only slightly. He cupped her face delicately with one hand, wiping her plastered down hair off her face and attempting to rub some little bit of warmth into her cheek with his thumb. By God, but she was cold!

"I'm s-s-s-sorry," Belle got out between shivers. "I-I know I sh-sh-should have c-call-"

Rumple cut her off with a worried frown. "It's okay dearie, what's important now is that we get you warm and dry. Come on, sweetheart." With one arm around her he lead her gently but swiftly through the shop, completely disregarding the trail of water she was leaving, and out into the back office.

Rumple's mind was in overdrive. What on earth had she been thinking? Only his Belle would be wild enough to attempt to walk home in the middle of a winter storm. Why she would do such a thing was unfathomable to him, but it was not important; what was important was that he should have known she would do it, and he should have been outside waiting for her when she finished work.

Rumple glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. Belle's beautiful chestnut waves were dyed black with rain and plastered to her scalp. Her usually rosy cheeks and healthy coloured skin was pale and washed out. No one as fiery and warm as his Belle should ever look so pale.

"Take off your coat, sweetheart," Rumple said as he moved to a cupboard, reaching up to retrieve a thick blanket. When he turned back, Belle hadn't moved an inch.

"M-m-my hands-" She looked up at him helplessly.

Rumple moved to her side. "Alright, here, let me help."

Rumple navigated Belle's arms down to her sides and, after some awkward shuffling, managed to remove the coat. Underneath it, the warm blue dress she was wearing was just as soaked, but there was nothing to be done about it at the moment. Rumple swiftly grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around Belle's shoulders. She grasped it as tightly as she could with her numb fingers and held it as snugly about her as possible, glancing up at him with an attempt at a smile in thanks.

Rumple smiled tenderly in return. "Come on, dearie. Let's get you home."

* * *

><p>Rumple ushered Belle up the stairs, one arm around her blanket covered form, and towards the bathroom. He turned the shower on to a nice warm temperature, not too hot, not too cold, and went to fetch her night clothes, dressing gown and slippers while he waited for it to warm up. Belle remained stock still in the bathroom where he'd left her, following his movements with her eyes, hugging the blanket tightly around her.<p>

Rumple's face was creased with worry as he went about his task, his shoulders tense, the knuckles of the hand gripping his cane were white. His dark brown hair, hanging down to his shoulders, was slightly damp from the rain. His mouth was tight, and his whole posture was incredibly rigid. Belle felt a wave of guilt at the stressed state she'd put him in. If only she hadn't been so foolish as to think she could walk home in such weather!

She knew how worried Rumple got over her. But she couldn't blame him. Belle felt the exact same way about him. She would be nothing without her Rumplestiltskin, and she loved him with every part of her being.

Rumple laid her clothes over the towel rail, slippers on the floor, and turned back to her.

"Thank you," Belle whispered. Her shivering had almost stopped now, and feeling had returned to her fingers and toes.

"I love you, sweetheart," Rumple replied, moving over to stand in front of her, placing his hands delicately upon her shoulders. "Now warm up in the shower, and I'll go downstairs and get a fire going and make you some hot chocolate." He smiled, gently rubbing his hands up and down her arms.

"I love you too," Belle tried her best at a smile in return, but ended up looking like she had toothache. "I love you so much. My Rumplestiltskin," She struggled for a moment before getting one arm free of her blanket, stiff fingers coming up to stroke the side of his face. Rumple wrapped his arms around her, around this most precious girl, and softly pressed his lips against hers. Belle kissed him back just as gently, tenderly holding him to her as best she could with one arm, her chest swelling with love.

Rumple was the one to gently disengage himself, Belle protesting feebly. But she needed to get warm and dry. Rumple leaned in quickly for one more kiss, allowing himself a brief grin as he met her eyes, and then let himself out, closing the bathroom door behind him.

Belle remained still for a few moments after the door clicked shut, remembering his touch, but then she opened her eyes and saw the steam coming off the water in the shower. Belle let the blanket drop and swiftly undressed, peeling her soaked clothes off her soaked skin, and stepped gingerly into the hot shower.

The first contact her skin made with the water was searingly painful, but as she stood under the jet of water she felt her body slowly begin to warm up. The water was pleasantly warm, and she felt the heat seeping into her bones, warming her all the way through as she stood under the spray, droplets running down her face.

When Belle felt the hot water beginning to run out, she shut off the flow and reached for her towel, quickly drying herself before the steam had time to dissipate and leave her cold again. She slipped into her night clothes and wrapped her dressing gown tightly about her, pushing her feet into her cozy slippers, and heading downstairs to find Rumple.

Rumple had changed out of his suit, the arms and front damp from being in contact with Belle, and put on a pair of comfy jeans and a dark, long sleeved, button up shirt. He'd started a roaring fire in the living room and was in the process of making Belle a hot chocolate when he heard quiet footsteps behind him. He turned to see Belle wrapped snugly in her chocolate brown dressing gown and puppy shaped slippers, chestnut hair semi dry and ruffled from the towel, pink cheeked and smiling sheepishly. Rumple grinned in relief, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders, and opened his arms to her.

Belle skipped over to him and thumped into his chest, wrapping her arms around him as he leant back against the counter. She pressed her head into his chest, and Rumple leaned his head on hers, his arms enfolding her and holding her tightly against him.

"What were you thinking, dearie?" Rumple mumbled into Belle's hair.

"I like the rain," Belle whispered back. "Just not quite that much."

Belle felt the vibrations in his chest as Rumple laughed quietly. She raised her head so she was looking him in the eye, and leaned up on her tippie toes to press a gentle kiss against his lips.

Rumple smiled, stroking her face tenderly. "Shall we go and sit by the fire?" He asked softly, keeping his tone quiet so as not to disturb the peaceful mood.

"That sound like a fabulous idea," Belle replied, the same happy grin stretching from ear to ear.

Keeping one arm around Belle, Rumple finished making her hot chocolate and handed it to her, and they dawdled together into the living room where a fire crackled away in the fireplace. A small two seater couch had been dragged in front of the fireplace, and they relaxed into it together. The fire lit the room with a warm orange glow, creating a cozy atmosphere, and Belle let out a content sigh. She curled up snugly against Rumple, sipping her drink and staring into the flames, and Rumple wrapped his arms protectively around Belle, holding her safely against him.

Outside, the rain beat down heavily on the roof.


End file.
