Once Upon a Time 1. Coming Home

Summary: AU FTL, Belle returns to Rumple after defeating the Yaoguai. Rumple wishes to fulfill all of Belle's adventure needs. AKA Rumbelle traveling wherever Belle's heart desires!

A/N: Hello! Welcome to my first series! At the moment there is no curse, though I haven't quite decided what to do with Bae. Huge thanks and love to Meaghan for reading this, helping me pick the title, and just being awesome. I do not own any part of OUAT.

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Rumplestiltskin, was past emotion. In all the years he had been living, just about 300 if he actually stopped to think about it, he had never really wished to be void of emotion. He was the Dark One, the Spinner, the most powerful and feared sorcerer in all the realms. He made a living off of broken dreams and desperate pleas. Many a night, Rumplestiltskin had returned home to the Dark Castle, sated with the feeling of mastering another being. But then all that had changed, changed in the blink of an eye.

Belle. The word, the woman, at the cause of all this. Rumple blinked looking up into the void he knew was the ceiling of his laboratory, one of the towers in the Dark Castle. He wasn't precisely sure how he had ended up on his back beside his work bench, but the cold stones offered an appropriate level of torture making the maelstrom inside him.

When Avonlea had summoned him, a minor duchy that relied heavily on trade for its survival, slightly more valuable due to its proximity to the ocean, Rumplestiltskin had been more annoyed than intrigued and took his sweet time answer the call for help.

That was when everything went wrong.

He can still see her brilliant blue eyes peeking out from behind a comically tall knight, the gold of her dress glinting in the light, her carriage proud and unbending.

Rumple rolled onto his stomach, so his face was connecting with the rough stone. He didn't even deserve to think fondly upon their meeting. He didn't deserve the comfort of his memories.

Unbidden, the memory of their first, and only, kiss popped into his head.

And then what had happened afterwards.

That had been three months ago and frankly, Rumple couldn't remember most of it. He suppressed a grunt as thunder rumbled outside the castle walls. It seemed only fitting that the weather would reflect the attitude of the castle's sole inhabitant. Rumple figured he could clear the storm but instead chose to bask in its anger.

Another hour passed, or perhaps it was three, Rumple didn't bother keeping track, though he had once more rolled onto his back, when he felt the wards in place around his land ripple. Rumple cursed out loud. The wards had been strengthened ten fold since Belle had left, nothing or no one could get in unless they possessed a great amount of magic, and experience using it.

That narrowed the pool of suspect visitors down to a handful, and none of them were welcome.

The entire world could be crashing down and Rumplestiltskin would willingly let it happen. Though, the more he contemplated, the more he realized he didn't want Cora, or Regina, or whomever else was at his door standing their pounding on the front door, lest they get an insane idea about coming inside.

He struggled to his feet, swaying slightly as the world righted itself again in his vision, and sighing heavily began walking down the turret steps. He could've magicked himself downstairs in an instant, but took heart in the fact that he was annoying his guest by prolonging the inevitable.

He had made it to the top of the grand staircase, framing the foyer, when the knocking ceased. Rumple paused at the top of the stairs, for neither Cora nor Regina were ones to give up at such a slight hinderance such as him not answering the door immediately. The great wooden doors to his castle creaked suddenly as weight was thrown against them from the outside.

Rumplestiltskin froze. No one could enter the castle but him. That was how he set up the wards. He braced himself against the wall, whoever this was, they were more powerful than he could have anticipated. Then a thought ran through his head, a flash of memory dragging itself along his mind's space. There was one other person who could come into the castle unhindered; its mistress. He had changed the wards many moons ago as she had crept her way into his life.

Belle.

There was no way, no way she was back. He kicked her out, he ruined everything, why in her right mind would she return. Rumplestiltskin leaned heavily on the wall utilizing every inch of shadow to conceal his presence, more than happy to stay hidden until Belle could make her presence known. Perhaps she was here because something was wrong, not because she wanted anything to do with her former monster employer. He continued to watch her, his reptilian eyes tracking her unsteady steps into the foyer, picking out the status of her clothing even in near pitch darkness. Just as he was about to step forward, Belle pitched forward and fell onto her knees.

At that Rumple darted out from his hiding place and without thinking landed in front of her in a dusting of magic. Sinking to his knees in front of her, he reached out towards her hood and gently pulled it back. Before he could even glimpse the eyes that had been haunting his every waking moment and following him through every dream, her hand recoiled and then slapped him across his face.

Rumple dropped the fabric, rocking back on his knees, a stinging sensation dragging across his face.

At that, Belle's hand dropped back down to her side as she fell forward again onto her hands. Rumple sagged against the floor every nerve ended screaming to take stock of Belle's condition but feeling a wall of anger pressing against him.

"I'm mad at you. I've been dreaming about slapping you for weeks." Belle's voice made itself known from beneath the folds of her cloak. It sounded like she was gritting her teeth. "We need to talk, but I think I'm hurt." Her voice caught as it declared she was hurt, needing the help of the magician but not wanting to admit to weakness when anger was the desired emotion.

"Hurt?" Rumple breathed. It was all the permission he was going to get and it was all he needed. He scooped her up into his arms and in an instant transported them to her old chambers. Some part of his unconscious magic had kept Belle's rooms pristine. A snap of his fingers wrought new fire into the grate at the foot of the bed and Rumple gently laid her down taking care not to jostle before he knew what was the matter.

Belle groaned and clutched a hand to her side, curling inwards towards the pain. Rumple's heightened senses picked up the blood pooling through the fabric of Belle's shirt and the heavy woolen cloak. There was far too much blood. With the blood pounding loudly in his head, Rumplestiltskin stretched out his hand towards Belle, took a deep breath, and sent the purple cloud of magic towards her wound.

A small whimper escaped Belle's lips, the only indication that Rumple had had any effect upon her body. Another tense moment passed before her breathing evened out.

Rumple sighed in relief. Everything was fixed. Well, everything physically was fixed. With the immediate danger dealt with, Rumple again took two steps back, giving Belle space to readjust.

Belle's eyes snapped open and flickered around the room, searching for Rumple. They landed on him after a tense second and her voice broke the silence.

"Thank you for healing me, Rumple."

"Who did this to you Belle, I won't stand for it."

"The Queen's Guard, Regina's men." Belle exhaled. She pushed herself up so she was sitting against the headboard of her bed. Rumple eyed her from beyond the opposite end of the room, uncertain if he was welcome any closer. "I was able to see a little of the world beyond my village. Defeated a monster, well not an actually monster, merely a misunderstood prince." She smiled, gone in that moment back to her memory. "I tried to become everything I thought I wanted, but what I thought I wanted had changed. I couldn't spend another moment fighting, seeing, or exploring the world, without you by my side." She looked down at the blanket as she finished her speech.

Rumple moved through the silence, he reached the side of her bed and sank to his knees. He gently removed her hands from the covers and grasped them in his own.

"Sweetheart, I cannot ever find the words or the actions adequate enough to beg your forgiveness." He began, "I've been alone so long, I didn't know what to do when faced with the possibility of someone to care about."

Belle moved one of her hands upwards, gently cupping Rumple's face in her hand as he continued, "I've learned that the more you care, the more you lose. If I didn't care, I wouldn't have anything to fear. I would never have to worry."

Belle moved her hand down tracing Rumple's lips with her thumb. "I chose to come back" She began. "I choose to be here. I know there is brokenness between us, but there's the chance for something great. Whether you like it or not, admit it or not, we have the most powerful magic of all, True Love, right within our grasp, that's not something I take lightly, or would lightly throw away."

She leaned down intending to seal her forgiveness with a kiss, but Rumple jerked back watching the hurt creep into her eyes.

"You'd still break my curse, love," he explained, "but don't think I merely aimlessly wandered in your absence." Rumple shook his head, not wishing to dwell too long on just how miserable he'd been without Belle, let alone reveal how desperate he had been. "All I need is onestrand of your hair."

Belle looked quizzically up at him but reached up and pulled a strand out of the slightly disheveled auburn curls piling around her. She offered the strand to him as he pulled out a small vial. He carefully took her strand and plucked one of his own from amidst the sprightly curls atop his own head and combined them in the vial. He waved his hand over the vial and a gold light began to glow, softly then more and more brightly.

Just when Belle was sure she would have to look away, it was gone and in its place was a necklace, the pendant on a chain wrought from gold. The pendant was simple yet stunning, a teardrop pearl attached to the chain by a cradle of gold.

"Rumple, what did you do?" Belle breathed, leaning closer to peer at the jewelry.

"These are a product of us," he said as he flourished the trinket, "made from the love you just attested to" his gaze softened as his amber eyes met sapphire, "it reflects our love, and protects our love, creating a boundary that allows interaction without repercussion."

"Repercussion?" Belle looked a little amiss, "You make it sound like our True Love could be bad."

"Oh not bad, per say." Rumple looked sheepish. "We'd be able to kiss, or anything else," A blush stole over his face, "without you breaking my curse, but we won't be able to bear a child. One day, we shall be able to dispose of the necklace, and face the world with much simpler magic."

Rumple then took Belle's necklace, smiling gently at the woman who shared this gift with him, and placed it around her neck. The delicate chain perfectly reflecting the shade of pure white it rested on. Rumple slid his hand from the necklace up to her face, cupping her head in his hands. He gazed into her eyes, not wishing to break this moment for anything, and drew her closer to him.

The moment his lips met hers, the hesitancy was palatable. Rumple stood slightly, coming to sit on the bed at Belle's feet. She parted her lips drawing Rumple in closer, arms twining around his lithe figure. A nibble at his bottom lip alerted him to her mounting desire.

Sliding his own arms around his Beauty, he pulled them down onto the bed, slanting his lips and seeking access with his tongue. Belle gasped, opening her own mouth in the process, allowing Rumple to begin tracing patterns on the roof of her mouth, entwining their tongues in the most enchanting dance. The dance grew faster and faster as each one clung harder, trying to lessen the space between the other.

Belle had never dreamed kissing her True Love could be so safe and so wild all at once, the greatest adventure and the happiest homecoming.

At long last, she drew back, dragging much needed air into her lungs. Resting her forehead on his, she peered into his eyes.

"I forgive you, Rumplestiltskin. I forgive you." She murmured over and over, punctuating the words with kisses along his jaw and neck.

Rumple felt an onslaught of emotion, as he hadn't in centuries, at the whisper of forgiveness settling over his skin. He didn't know why Belle was here, why she was in his arms, why she was kissing him like he was the ultimate adventure, but he never wanted it to stop.

"Belle."

She hummed, still peppering his skin with her soft lips.

"Belle, look at me." She looked up, eyes heavy lidded, lust doing its best to draw them closed. He had swollen her lips in his attempts to seek forgiveness, and since it had somewhat worked, he didn't quite feel regret. He caught a curl in his fingers, silken though wet. His eyes roamed down her body, noticing with a pang how the blood had stained her cloak.

"Belle, I love you. You are my greatest adventure. You will be my greatest adventure, for I can't imagine any life without you."

She looked up, eyes fully wide, glistening with tears, shimmering in the firelight. Her hand once more cupped his cheek.

"I love you too Rumplestiltskin, more than you could ever know. I need not worry with you beside me. You are enough." She drew down and captured his mouth with hers, biting softly and pulling him close. They tangled in each others arms, each trying to seek out the greatest pleasure in the other.

Rumple flipped Belle over onto her back, pushing the pillows over the side of the bed onto the floor. He spread her arms above her head pinning her wrists against the mattress. Rumple moved away from her mouth to place kisses down her jawline, biting the skin as he reached the sensitive spot below her ear. Pulling on the skin, Rumple bit enough to leave a bruise, marking her as his. She would always be his.

Belle's breathing grew heavier as Rum left her jaw for better places. Nipping as he slid down, he loved on collarbone, chest, pausing at the top of her breasts. He looked up from his vantage point, to make sure his Belle was enjoying this as much as he was, and had to swallow the giggle that bubbled up in his throat. His love had her head thrown back, eyes closed, mouth slightly askew.

As his pause, her eyes flew open and met his with a twinkle. "I do hope you're not finished," she quipped.

"Not even close, darling." Reaching up, Rumple undid the clasp holding her cloak closed letting it pool behind her. "We're just a little too…covered for this."

At his words, Belle slipped out from under the sorcerer and landed lightly on the floor. She plucked her bloodstained cloak from the bedspread and dropped it onto the floor.

"Shall I fix that little problem?" She asked, peaking up at Rumple still perched on the bed. He nodded as she untied the hidden bow on the back of her dress. Reaching down, she pulled off one boot at a time, dropping them each with a plunk. Tugging lightly at her dress, it soon joined her clock on the floor. Clad in only her shift and stockings, Rumple's eyes hungrily drank in her shape.

He gulped, "Want some help?" Belle's tongue darted forward to wet her lips as she nodded. Rumple jumped down from his perch and ran his hand lightly along her collarbone, pulling aside the strap of her shift in the process. Seeing the milky white of her skin sparked something in Rumple and he quickly tore at her shift and watched her shimmy out of her stockings leaving her bare on the floor.

Rumple's eyes didn't know what to look at first. Her pure, unblemished skin gleamed in the firelight. Smoothness radiated off her body and he ached to touch, to feel the planes of her body against his. Belle looked up shyly at Rumple before taking a step forward.

"Now you're the only one covered," she remarked. Rumple took her hand and snapped his fingers with the other. Instantly he was as bare as she was and he watched the situation reverse itself as Belle's eyes began to roam the contours of his body. Every nerve screamed to curl inwards, to hide from her, but he forced himself to stand, aware of the point a certain part of his body was making.

Seemingly satisfied, she closed the distance between them and kissed directly in the middle of his chest, over his rapidly pulsing heart. Squeezing his hand she pulled him over to bed, giggling at the bewildered look on his face. She sat on the bed and patted the space next to her. Rumple wasted no time in joining her on the mattress.

She grinned and leaned back against the pillow as she felt Rumple's hot breath ghost across her straining nipples. Never before in her life had she realized her breast could be subject to such pleasure. She gasped as his tongue leaped out and touched against her nipple, causing her back to arch against the bed. Rumple drew her left nipple into his mouth while his hand snaked up to grasp her right between his thumb and forefinger. She felt him smile against her breast as his teeth grazed her nipple before he suddenly bit down, pinching the other at the same time.

Belle gasped again as the sudden pain followed by Rumple sucking on her left nipple, simultaneously rolling her right deftly with his fingers. To Belle's surprise, the pain of Rumple's bites and pinches, followed by his skilled plucks and sucking overwhelmed her senses. The pain gave way to an even stronger pleasure and the strangest feeling building inside her. Not quite pain, but not quite pleasure it was more than she'd ever felt in her life. Whatever Rumple was doing, it was entirely new, nothing any book had covered.

Releasing her breast with a pop, Rumple tracked kisses across the valley to reach the other nipple. Grasping the aching bud in his mouth the wonderful sucking sensation returned as well as the pinching and rolling. The feeling inside of her was getting stronger, more and more uncomfortable. Belle wasn't sure how much more she could take.

As if he could read her mind, Rumple stopped suddenly and began to pay attention to the skin between her breasts and the curls at the apex of her thighs. Rumple's mouth was doing unmentionable things to the state of both Belle's body and mind. Reaching up with her limp hand, she found Rumple's head and began to stroke the sprightly curls ever so gently. Was he gong to stop, she wondered, as he traveled further and further down her stomach. As Rumple reached her curls, Belle's hand tightened in his curls.

"Trust me, sweetheart," his voice floated up from between her legs. Belle swallowed but stared up at the ceiling, until she felt his breath against her most private place.

Rumple dared to stoke one finger up Belle's slick folds, swallowing his surprise and pride and how wet he had made her. He felt Belle arch back against the bed as he slipped his tongue out to taste the essence of her pleasure.

Belle wasn't sure entirely what Rumple's intentions were as he began but they quickly became clear with the introduction of his finger tentatively seeking out her secret places. Belle couldn't stop the reaction her body had, she was helpless in Rumple's care. Her breathing almost stopped as his finger was removed, the loss of contact feeling odd alongside the weight of his head resting above but Belle then felt something replace the missing finger; his tongue. His tongue?!

Rumple felt his heart nearly stop as Belle's pleasure made itself known to him. The taste was unlike anything he'd ever experienced and he began seeking it deeper and deeper as Belle grasped his hair more and more tightly. He knew he was close to her ultimate pleasure as her hands curled tighter and tighter, the pain on his head becoming almost as distracting as the hardness between his legs. Then, suddenly, he knew he had succeeded. Belle's thighs closed around his head as a flood of arousal overwhelmed his senses.

Belle didn't know if it had been minutes or hours since Rumple had taken the pressure building inside of her and drawn it to a place so intense she wasn't sure how she was still breathing. Rumple had kissed his way back up her stomach and held his weight above her leaning down to capture her lips with his. Tasting herself on her love's lips was a completely foreign yet completely erotic experience.

"How was that?" Rumple inquired.

Belle could do scarcely more than nod, though her books, maids, and friends prodded the back of her consciousness, alerting her to the fact that it was her turn to bring Rumple to a similar form of high. In fact, as she took stock of her weak limbs, she felt Rumple's need making itself known against her leg. As Rumple was nuzzling her neck, pressing kisses to her neck, Belle reached down to explore exactly how to bring her love pleasure.

Her hand connected with the only part of Rumplestiltskin she had never experienced. Even his backside had been glimpsed in a completely accidental way. As soon as her fingers brushed the appendage, Rumple froze.

"Now you're going to have trust me, darling," Belle exhaled. She shifted her weight and pushed Rumple over onto his back straddling his thighs. Flipping her hair away from her eyes, she looked down at her True Love delighting in the power she felt flooding through her. It didn't matter that she was inexperienced in the ways of loving, she was a quick study.

Her hand snaked down and again felt Rumple's manhood reveling in the softness of the skin and the steel underneath. Rumple's breath came out in a hiss as she stroked tentatively feeling the skin move slightly. Feeling braver, she brought her other hand up to tease the tip, spreading the clear moisture that had begun to pool. Belle felt her own pleasure begin to coil again as she watched Rumple's eyes close succumbing to her ministrations.

"Belle, I'm not going to last if you continue to do that," Rumple hissed from between clenched teeth. Belle paused knowing instinctively that this was the moment, the moment they were to join. Rumple felt her pause and reached up, lowering her back down onto the mattress. She wiggled around, seeking friction, trying to dispel the pressure by any means possible.

Rumple leaned down and began suckling at the skin covering her jaw leaving kiss after kiss. Belle's breathing quickened as Rumple found her lips and covered them with his own.

He deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue into her mouth, seeking out all the places in her mouth he had learned would make her gasp into his mouth in return. As he thoroughly distracted her with his kisses, he reached between them for his hardened manhood, straining to keep control over himself. It didn't matter that this was the first time he'd been intimate in centuries, he was not about to make a fool out of himself with the woman he knew to be his True Love. He knew the first time Belle accepted him, it wouldn't be entirely pleasurable and kissed her all the more soundly.

Belle felt the tip of Rumplestiltskin nudge against her slick entrance, and she bit down on his lip as he gently pressed against her. Moving on instincts she didn't know she possessed, she spread her legs further and lifted them up to wrap around Rumple's waist. The movement drew Rumple inside of her more and the feeling was painful but pain quickly dissolved into pleasure.

Rumple felt Belle's legs wrap around him and the motion brought him even further into her warmth. Rumple opened his eyes, making sure the emotions flashing across Belle's face weren't unpleasant. He couldn't stop his hips from thrusting forward seeking out the warmth of Belle. Pressing forward while simultaneously sucking on her bottom lip, Rumple eased into Belle. He held there, his weight entirely on his arms, as Belle opened her eyes.

"Rumple," she stuttered, "move."

At his lady's command, Rumple pulled almost completely out before thrusting back in, Belle's hip tilting to meet him where they joined. Belle unwound her legs and placed her legs on the mattress. She pushed off suddenly, flipping Rumplestiltskin onto his back and she felt him slip out of her at the same time.

Hovering over his manhood, now slightly shiny with her arousal, Belle reached out to grasp it gently leading it back to her aching center. Lowering herself onto him, Belle was full of Rumple in a moment. Rumple offered her his hands and she intwined their fingers in a quest for something to push against. Raising up slightly and tilting her hips, she quickly ground down taking Rumple's formidable length completely.

"Faster," Rumple growled, "faster, Belle."

Belle grinned and moved faster, feeling Rumple arch up into her as fast as she could meet him. He detached one of his hands and reached between them, seeking out the nub that was peaking through brown curls. Pinching it between his fingers Belle moaned, her head thrown back as her senses overloaded.

Rumple could feel her walls shudder but not completely come apart, he needed to bring her to pleasure before he could allow himself to lose it, and he was extremely close to losing it. He snaked a hand around her waist and once more flipped their position. With his blushing Beauty underneath him once more, he thrust harder and harder, again reaching for her nub. Belle clenched deliciously around him.

"Rumplestiltskin!" She exclaimed, and he felt he finally, gloriously fall apart. The shaking of her walls made her tighter than ever before and Rumple couldn't stop himself from shuddering in return spilling his seed deep into Belle's core. Belle felt Rumple's pleasure hot inside her, rope after rope pulsing into her.

Her name was a breath on his lips as he collapsed beside her. "Belle, sweetheart, you're perfection. You're perfect. That was perfect. You're beautiful." She reached up a hand to brush the hair from his forehead, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"I love you too, Rumple," she giggled, earning a smile from Rumple in return.

At long last, there was silence. Belle lay on her side, curled into Rumple's side. His arm was her pillow while the other wrapped around to draw patterns on her back.

"I know you want to see the world, all the different things it has to offer. I want to show you, I want to take you everywhere you wish to go," he tightened his grip on her. "Name your place."

Belle smiled into his chest, breathing the scent of him tinted with the scent of herself. "I've always wanted to see a beach."


	2. Life's A Beach

Summary: Rumple and Belle take their first trip, traveling to a beach outside Atlantica. Also, someone forgets to pack sunscreen.

"Rumple! Rumple! Look! There's the ocean!" Belle screeched, as soon as the purple magic used to bring them there had dissipated enough for her to see. She dropped Rumple's hand and went racing across the sand.

Rumplestiltskin, the Dark One, the Spinner, was left holding his maid's bright blue beach bag, towel, and their umbrella, helplessly watching his pretty caretaker stick her toes into the clear water. He silently thanked himself for whisking them to a beach were there wasn't anyone else around to witness the spectacle.

"Rumple! Come on! The water is beautiful!" Belle hollered back towards the sorcerer. Rumple grumbled then set off across the sand dragging their belongings behind him. He stopped about midway between the ocean and the palm trees further up the beach. He plopped the things down then continued to where Belle stood, waiting for him to join her.

"Do you like it?" Rumple gently inquired, selfishly wanting to see his Belle happy. Wanting to know he could make her happy seemed very important at the moment. Belle stopped gazing out into the ocean and instead turned her eyes on the imp standing behind her. As soon as her sapphire hued eyes trained on his, Rumple would have sworn some of the ocean itself was trapped in her orbs.

"I do. It is nothing like I imagined, yet so much more." Belle smiled gently, "Just like you."

Rumple looked away, hiding the flurry of emotions rolling through him. He wasted so much time basking in his own doubts. Time that could've been spend showing proper adoration to his Belle. If he wasn't so cowardly, he would've handled True Love's Kiss so much better, but then Belle would've missed out on an adventure. He shook his head. It didn't matter now. She was back. She was his. He would make it up to her.

Belle let Rumplestiltskin turn away from her, watching the thoughts flicker across his features like the clouds above them scattered across the sky. After a few moments of silence, on both their parts, she reached out her hand and gently ran it down his arm, twining their hands together in between them. Her touch wrought a small shiver through her Dark One and he gradually turned his head back towards her.

"I know what you're thinking Rumple."

"That doesn't make the thoughts any less true, dearest." Rumple countered. "I could've avoided so much. We could have taken this trip months ago."

"Stop that." Belle commanded. "We're taking this trip now and I for one plan on enjoying it. You can't change the past," he looked down at her a bemused twinkle in his eye as she continued, "well the entirety of the past, but we can change our future." She brought her other hand up to his face and tilted it down, lightly brushing her lips against his. "Besides, I know you'll want to see what I brought to wear swimming."

She coyly ran her hand across his chest as she turned to walk back towards their things. Rumple smiled after her before following up the beach. Stopping at their haphazardly thrown together pile, Belle looked down with her mouth twisted into an unpleasant shape.

"There's sand. Everywhere." She grimaced. "Literally everywhere!"

"It is a beach, dearest, sand is part of the package." He suppressed a giggle at her mire. Belle threw an eye roll over her shoulder as she reached down to pick up the umbrella.

"Oh no, there'll be none of that from you!" Rumple said as he lunged towards her. Belle squealed as Rumple picked up up bridal style and raced towards the water.

"RUMPLE NO!" Belle yelled as she quickly realized where he was heading. She turned and hid her head against his shoulder as Rumple splashed both of them into the sparkling water. Belle yelped as Rumple took her deeper into the waves, completely soaking all their clothing.

"There you go dearest. No more sand." Rumple stated, sounding entirely too pleased with himself. He looked down to Belle and was greeted with a view of the top of her head.

Belle mumbled incoherently into the space between his neck and his shoulder.

"Didn't catch that, love."

Belle unburied her face from his arms and looked him straight in the eye. The reprimand died on her lips as she saw the mischief in his eyes, the salt in the water making his curls hang just a little more loosely. She smiled up at him, "You didn't even give me a chance to show you my bathing suit."

Her eyes now held the light of mischief inside them. He giggled again and began to walk back to shore, moving more swiftly as the water got shallower. The waves were gentle against his legs and he set Belle down at water's edge. He swallowed as she stepped back, allowing him to fully see the shape of her body, made clear by the clinging of her wet dress.

"Alright, let's see." Rumple said, expecting Belle to rebuke him. For all they had mended in the time since Belle had returned, even with their coupling, there was still a slight embarrassment when it came to revealing their bodies to each other outside the bedroom. Belle began turning red, a blush stealing itself over her face and down her neck. She looked down at the sand as she grasped the hem of her dress, before a steeling expression settled on her face and she whipped it over her head. It landed with a 'plop' a few feet away and Belle stood before him in the least amount of clothing imaginable.

"I'm not sure what it's called besides 'bathing suit', but my books said it's the best way to enjoy the water and get some sun in this part of the world, well for humans." Belle stammered, not quite knowing what to make of the gaze now settling over her. "You mentioned we'd be around the Kingdom of Atlantica, and I did some research," she continued, stumbling over her words in an effort to fill the silence.

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on." Rumple stated, the sincerity of his words not at all diminished by the fact that he was dressed in his standard leather pants and silk shirt and dripping wet.

His eyes drank in her appearance appreciating the display of her, ahem, assets, while at the same time, thanking the gods this clothing wasn't customary in their part of the realm. He wasn't sure how the outfit would serve as anything but a distraction. The top, if one could call it that, was a mere slip of blue material covering Belle's perfect breasts, only her breasts. Well, covered in a certain manner. The material didn't hide the fact that there was another emotion Belle was feeling besides embarrassment. Her nipples strained against the strangely clingy material causing a twitch deep in Rumple's groin. His eyes tracked down her perfect stomach watching the sunlight play with the curve of her stomach. The bottom of her outfit was as tempting as the top. Fashioned out of the same material, it clung tight enough to hint at the curls Rumple new were hidden just beyond his sight.

He motioned with his hand for Belle to turn, which she slowly did, only taking her eyes off him for a breath. As she turned, Rumple could see how much the suit showed her delightful ass off to him, causing another twinge in his own pants.

Completing her twirl, Belle beamed at him, the blush making her skin all the more rosy in the bright sunlight, "You're quite handsome yourself, darling." She replied. He waved her words away with a flourish of his hand, but took a step to lessen the area between them. She held up her hand to stop his advances, and he complied, a question in his eyes.

"My books also spoke of what you're supposed to be wearing, shorts made of a waterproof material, like mine." Belle said, the mischief making a reappearance in her eyes, "I'm sure the most powerful sorcerer in all the realms can figure out how to make something like that?"

Rumple blanched, then nodded, actually having an idea of what she was after, but feeling overwhelmed at the thought of her seeing him clad in something so ridiculous. One more glance at her in her outfit, though, and he was resolved to give her what she desired, even if he didn't quite understand the desire itself. Rumple was learning very quickly that he not only was powerless to deny his Belle anything, he wouldn't wish to deny her anything. He would lay the world at her feet, even if she wished to walk away.

The purple magic encased Rumplestiltskin and cleared all too soon. A gasp that lent more towards delight than dismay leapt free from Belle's throat and she quickly came to stand directly in front of the now much less clothed wizard.

The sunlight was glinting off the green-gold of the Dark One's skin making it almost sparkle in places. Belle licked her lips before laying a hand against his chest.

Rumple wasn't sure if the heat was making both of them delirious, or if the excitement of the day was making Belle brave. Either way, he was powerless in her quest to explore his skin. She spread her hand open upon his chest, figuring out quickly which spots were smooth and which spots were rough. She slid both hands up towards his shoulders, then down both his arms until their hands were once again clasped. She brought their hands up between them and peaked into his eyes.

"Perfect." She declared, again bestowing the gift of her smile upon Rumple. She pushed up onto her toes, sinking a little in the sand and touched her lips to his once more.

"Let's go swimming! Properly this time." Belle dropped their hands as she spoke and stepped once more into the water, reveling at the sand shifting under her feet as she stood. Rumple stood behind her making sure no strong waves or currents would surprise either one of them.

Belle, despite hailing from the coastal kingdom of Avonlea, hadn't ever been to a proper beach, let alone in the ocean itself. Watching the water from atop seaside cliffs, as she had so often as a girl, was nothing like wading into the powerful entity itself. Nevertheless, with Rumplestiltskin behind her, Belle knew nothing harmful would happen and she stepped forward. The water drew up to her waist now, the cadence of its pull soothing in a way.

The water was crystalline enough to allow Belle to distinguish some fish darting around their feet. She giggled as she watched their antics, completely absorbed in the colorful creatures. Rumple noticed a much more astonishing sight a few feet to their left. A green head poked up from the waves, breathing for a couple seconds before vanishing once more. A peak into the water told Rumple he was looking at a sea turtle. He tapped Belle on the shoulder and pointed towards the animal, before she could be entranced by the fish.

"What is it?" Belle inquired, "I don't think I've ever read about a creature like that!"

"I believe it's called a sea turtle," Rumple answered, "They're harmless creatures that can hold their breath for much longer than you, though probably not as long as I could." He chuckled thinking of a breath holding contest with a marine animal.

"He's incredible." Belle sighed. She watched the turtle swim out of sight before turning back to see what else was hiding in the waves. Her eyes picked up more fish darting through their legs as she took another step forward. The water was up past their waists and all to soon Belle's toes hit something hard.

"Ouch!" She exclaimed. "What's this?!"

Rumple had snaked an arm around her waist at her outburst, not entirely trusting the aquatic environment, but was relieved to notice the thing hindering Belle's quest was a coral reef.

"That's coral," he explained, "It's actually living, a home for many smaller fish and creatures. It's sharp to protect itself from you." He chuckled, "you're a formidable enemy to a piece of coral."

His petite Beauty laughed at that. "It's nice to know I can be a little scary to someone," she remarked. Rumple tightened the arm that had been resting against her pulling Belle flush against him. Her hair, damp from the water, had begun to curl and smelled of the salty air. He rested his head against hers, enjoying the simple act of holding her. The water bent around them, its tide pulling and pushing them into a gentle sway.

Belle turned in his arms, dragging her attention away from the gorgeous view in front of her, "Thank you for bringing me here, darling." She looped her arms around his neck and prompted him to bend slightly allowing their lips to meet. He tightened his grip on her as he felt the delicious taste of Belle mixed slightly with salt on his mouth.

The kiss was intensified by the fact that most of their skin was already touching thanks to their beach attire. Rumple was helpless with his arms full of Belle, he turned his head nipping on her bottom lip, sucking ever so gently. His tongue quickly replaced his teeth as Belle moaned into his mouth. The sounds she was making were driving him crazy, causing his movements to become more hurried.

His tongue found hers and began to claim it, finding all the places he knew Belle especially liked to have attention minded. He felt his arousal unhindered by his unique swimming attire, the water allowing the fabric to move. It was a most curious sensation, made all the more curious by the fabric covering Belle's chest rubbing against his bare chest.

Belle leaned into Rumple's arms, perfectly happy to continue exploring his mouth. Her tongue fought with his for control and she made a noise of delight as he allowed her to seek out his pleasurable spots. The waves were making it hard to stand their ground yet Belle wasn't about to let that deter their enjoyment.

Without breaking their kiss, Belle tightened her arms on Rumple's shoulders and pulled her legs up under the water, wrapping herself around his waist. She smiled into his mouth as she felt his manhood against her core, only the fabric of their bathing suits between them.

As soon as Belle was settled, her hands twisting in his wet hair, Rumple moved his arms to splay across the perfect skin of her back. He fingered the knot he knew was holding her skimpy top together. One flick of his capable fingers would dissolve the hinderance and he'd be able to fully appreciate his Beauty. Though as tempting as the idea, he slid his hands down into the water to gently cup her ass as it bounced lightly against him.

Belle tightened her legs bringing herself closer to Rumple as she felt his exploration reach her butt. The pressure she had come to associate with the epitome of pleasure had started to build as soon as Rumple had pulled her into his arms. Frankly, it was hard to focus on other things whenever he was close enough to kiss. At the moment, however, Belle was able to take things into her own hands, or rather, hand.

Making sure she was able to keep herself steady, she trailed a hand down Rumple's chest and slipped it into his swimming shorts. Rumple's breath caught as Belle's perfect little hand found his aching cock. She stroked down lightly, reveling in the sensation of Rumple's hardness surrounded by the ocean water.

The stroking sensation, combined with the ocean movement, combined with Belle wrapped around him was enough to make Rumple's self control extraordinarily small. Not that he had an abundance of self control when Belle was concerned, but he didn't want to end their embrace early for anything.

Belle turned her attention to Rumple's lips while keeping her hand busy with his cock, the pressure making itself known more and more insistently. The waves were doing a wonderful job of creating rhythm between them, but the friction Belle was so desperately craving was alluding her no matter how hard she kissed Rumple or brought forth moans from him.

"Rum," she breathed, breaking their contact and resting her forehead against Rumple's. The desperation crept into her voice as the hand pleasing Rumple tightened.

Rumple looked up into his True Love's eyes, as clear and as full of as many mysteries as the ocean around them and slipped his hand down to cup her through her bathing suit. Though the water meant he couldn't feel her wetness, the moans against his neck told him she was more than ready.

Rumple moved the bottom of Belle's suit to the side, holding it aside while slightly rubbing her folds. Belle moaned against Rumple's neck, louder this time. Grasping his cock in her hand, she lined them up as Rumple used the ocean's waves to sink inside Belle.

"Gods Rum." Belle exhaled. "Yes."

The movement of the water made it incredibly easy for Belle to rock against Rumple fighting to gain more and more friction.

She gripped Rumple around the neck all the tighter, whispering nothings into his ear as he moved, fingers twisted into the hair at his nape.

"Rumple, I'm so...close," she gritted out.

Rumple leaned back to capture her lips once more while his hand not surrounding her ass found its way to the bundle of nerves between them. He rubbed lightly at first, laughing to himself when Belle ground herself into him on his next thrust.

"Harder." She panted. "You're not going to break me."

He began to rub harder, struggling to time himself to his thrusts as they became more and more erratic. Belle cried out as he pinched down on her most sensitive place and he felt her walls begin to shudder, her orgasm rippling through her like a wave. He moved his hands up to her waist holding her steady as he thrust twice more before his own pleasure crested and he spend himself deep inside her.

Rumple was all too thankful for the weightlessness of the ocean as they both gasped for air. Not that his Belle was too heavy for even such a slight man as himself, but their mutual ravishment had left him feeling a tad weak kneed. Belle was feeling the same way if her sagging against him was any indication.

Belle was quite content to stay wrapped around her Rumple and nuzzle into his neck, completely sated by their ocean tryst. After a few minutes, she began to shiver and Rumple wasn't about to let his True Love become cold.

"Ready to head in, sweetheart?" Rumple nudged the slide of Belle's face with his nose. "The water will make you colder the longer we stay in, and I don't want you catching anything."

"You'd fix me up in a jiffy." Belle mumbled, not quite read to leave their oceanic cocoon.

Rumple chucked as he turned to head to shore. "Be that as it may, love, I don't like seeing you in any discomfort."

Before long, he was able to pick up his feet in the water of the shallows. Shifting Belle in his arms, he tucked one arm beneath her legs and fixed the other around her waist, cradling her bridal style once again. She leaned down and covered his mouth with hers once more.

Belle was soft, so so soft, gently pressing against Rumple, teasing his mouth open with her lips. He sighed into the kiss, allowing Belle to nibble on his bottom lip before pulling away.

"The sun should be about ready to set, shall we watch?" Rumple offered. Belle couldn't think of a more perfect way to end their day. Rumple set her on her feet, trailing hands down her arms to entwine their hands at the bottom. She led him up the beach to where their belongings had been left earlier in the day.

"And here I thought I'd be bored." Belle laughed, causing Rumple to shiver at the sound. She located their blanket under the umbrella and her bag and spread it out onto the sand.

Rumple sat on the edge, not wanting the sand coating his legs to end up on the blanket. Belle sat gently next to him, wiggling to create a more comfortable hole in the sand.

The sun had already begun to change in hue, moving from gold to golden and orange and red, taking with it the heat from the day. Rumple slid an arm around Belle, drawing her into his side. Belle pillowed her head against Rumple's shoulder conflicted from watching the profile of her True Love or the breathtaking scenery in front of her.

She settled for watching Rumple out of the corner of her eye, amused as she caught him doing the same. She pressed a kiss to his cheek, snuggling closer to him as the sun continued its trek. Surprisingly quickly, the sun was gently resting against the ocean waves creating bursts of red, pink, orange, and gold through the sky.

"Wow." Belle breathed, "It's so beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you."

Belle used her hand to turn Rumple's face towards hers. She pressed a kiss to his lips this time and sat back, a contented smile on her face.

Turning their attention back to the ending of another day, the sun did not disappoint, slipping beneath the waves in an explosion of color ushering in the twilight. The moment was perfect in a way Rumplestiltskin knew he didn't deserve. How he had earned the right to such a beautiful moment, with such a beautiful woman, his True Love no less, was beyond him.

Belle looked up, intuitively knowing Rumple was doubting without saying a word. She knew they'd have to work on his self-doubting. They had a long way to go on their journey, and Belle wasn't only going to use physical attraction to smooth over the thoughts that had plagued Rumple for longer than she had lived. No, she'd take it merely one day at a time.

The absence of the sun was felt sooner rather than later as the wind picked up and the temperature began to drop. Belle shivered in the cool beach air, and Rumple drew her closer to him, lending her some of the heat he always seemed to radiate. Belle found that one of the most useful side effects of his curse.

"Best be heading home, yes?" Rumple asked, drawing her to her feet to gather their belongings. Belle took the simple shift dress she had worn over her bathing suit and drew it over her head. Rumple waved his hands towards himself and was clothed in his customary leathers and silks once more.

Belle sighed, "I wish we didn't have to leave. I feel like there's so much we left unexplored!"

"We can always return," Rumplestiltskin promised. "If you don't get more enchanted with another place first, that is."

Belle giggled, "I feel like I'm going to adore all the places we visit, but there's only one I'm truly enchanted with."

Rumple picked up Belle's bag, magically folding their blanket to fit inside it, "Which one is that?"

"The Dark Castle, our home."

Rumple smiled at the words, agreeing with her in his heart, feeling surprised to feel a want to call the Dark Castle his home. It had so long been a mere fortress, that it was difficult to call it anything but. But a difference had been wrought upon both the castle and its master, brought upon by a love bigger than anything he could understand.

Bending to pick up the umbrella, Belle offered her hand to Rumple. He took it, making sure they hadn't left anything behind.

"Take me home." She commanded.

"As my lady desires." Rumple answered and the purple cloud of magic enveloped them both. A moment later they found themselves in Belle's chambers, or rather, their chambers as she had decided they were to be now.

As the magic cleared, Belle dropped the umbrella by her settee, muttering something about needing a bath to take off all the salt. Rumple hastily dropped her bag as well, not wanting to miss an opportunity to make sure his lady was extra clean. He waved a hand over himself once more, removing his clothes so he'd be better prepared to offer Belle assistance.

As he entered the bathroom, he froze, seeing Belle next to her large bathtub, naked and bright red.

He rushed to her side, immediately angered at what had inflicted such a mark on his Beauty's perfect skin.

"Belle, what happened." He demanded, gently reaching out and brushing a hand over her back, the skin radiating much more heat than it should have.

She looked down at herself, wondering what he was inquiring about. To her dismay, the front of her body was bright red, save for her breasts and where the bottom of her swimsuit had rested. She laughed as her brain realized what the problem was, a thing her book had mentioned, a side effect of sun, a burn of sorts.

"I believe it's called a sunburn, my love." She laughed, "My books warned against it. Apparently one can acquire a small burn from prolonged exposure to sunlight. It doesn't hurt much, just makes my skin feel a little tight."

He blanched as she mentioned the word burn. His love was as red as a tomato!

"This doesn't seem like something to brush off, Belle."

"Well, I guess not," she giggled, attempting to stifle her laughter, "as it seems you're suffering from the same problem."

He looked down. Sure enough, though it was less noticeable with the odd hue of his skin, he was indeed distinctly red. He looked back up as he heard Belle's laughter ring through their bathing chamber.

He placed his hands on his hips as he regarded his crimson companion.

"It's not funny, Belle."

"Rumple, you're red, I'm red. It's really funny." She snorted.

Rumple's eyes roamed over her once more, then turned to glaze over himself. He shrugged, not wanting to reveal to Belle that he did indeed find the predicament rather humorous.

"Alright," he admitted, "it's a little funny." He rolled his eyes. Leave it to Belle to not only get him, what had she called it, sunburned in the first place, but laughing about it as well.

"Come on," she said, offering her hand and stepping into her perfectly warm bath, "let's get cleaned up and then I'm sure one of my books has a remedy."

Rumple rolled his eyes, but followed her into the tub, he'd no doubt that one of them would be able to find a way to fix their little issue. He only hoped it was sooner rather than later. Red wasn't exactly a good color for the Dark One.

He pushed the thought out of his mind as Belle settled between his legs, reaching for the soap, he had more pressing matters to attend.


End file.
