The best place by the fire

He’s having an existential crisis trying to decide how to court her. He’ll get it right in the end.

Christmas day found Rumford cosy in bed, his body snuggled close to Belle’s. Both were completely naked and despite all they’d done the night before he still blushed when he lifted the blankets slightly to timidly gaze at Belle’s nude body. It was early and he wanted nothing more than to stay were he was, sharing body heat with his beauty and toying with her hair, but the desire to surprise her with his Christmas present won out. 

He crept out of bed and ran to his room for his dressing gown, donning it quickly before fetching the wrapped box with the hairpins. When he returned he saw Belle stretching on the bed, arching her back in a way that had him staring, eyes wide as saucers. When she spotted him she smiled lazily in his direction, drawing back the blankets and giving him another glorious glimpse of her body before she fished out her own robe.

“Merry Christmas, Rum.”

She perched on his shoulders and gave him a messy, sleepy kiss on the lips before going to the kitchen to fix them breakfast. They ate near the tree, exchanging presents right after. Belle presented him with a pair of midnight blue pyjamas, the silk ideal for the weather. In comparison his own gift seemed insufficient but Belle’s face lit up when she opened the box and found the hair pins. They were delicate and colourful and she examined each one with something akin to wonder in her eyes.

“They’re… they’re beautiful, Rum. Thank you!”

He blushed and ducked his head, shaking it.

“You don’t have to lie. They aren’t much, I know.”

Belle frowned but did not press the issue. The phone rang then. It was Marco, who had gotten Belle’s number from the Nolans and was calling to wish them both a Merry Christmas. He also had, apparently, exciting news regarding his son that he wanted to share with Rum.

“You talk to him, I’ll go freshen up a bit.”

Marco’s news were the best. He had received a postcard from his son, August, in which he expressed a desire to reconcile. It didn’t sound like the lad was in a good place but Marco was just glad to know he was alive and have an address to write back to. His enthusiasm was contagious and made the old man prattle on and on, Rum being too polite to find a way to politely end the conversation.

“How does it look, Rum?”

Phone still in hand he turned around, Marco’s voice fading completely as all his senses zeroed in on Belle. She had arranged her hair artfully into a style that reminded of Alphonse Mucha’s Job Cigarette’s girl, most of it tumbling down her shoulders in loose curls and waves and the rest pined loosely on top using the butterfly hairpins. The rest of her was gloriously nude and the sheer contrast between the elaborate hairstyle and the simplicity of her bare skin was exquisite.

He mumbled something akin to “Merry Christmas” to Marco before unplugging the phone from the wall with one decisive tug of the cord, his other hand fumbling to grip his cane as Belle beckoned him with one hand, her smile coy and radiant as he all but lunged at her. She stopped him with her hands on his shoulders and he produced the most embarrassing whining sound in protest, fidgeting inches away from her.

“They are beautiful. You see it now, don’t you?”

He nodded frantically  sighing in relief when she let him kiss her and take her back to bed. It was clear then that he’d never be able to see those damned butterflies in Belle’s hair without getting hopelessly aroused. Much like Belle’s gift to him the little hairpins ended up being their own, private little secret.

I suppose their policy regarding withdrawal was only put in place because they thought very few shippers would wish to withdraw… Now they decided to change the rules because most of the major ships have said “Thanks but no thanks” stating that the poor people who wish to participate (who? All the replies to their invitation were of “No, thanks” in the Rumbelle tag) shouldn’t suffer because others don’t wish to.

Now I’m beginning to get a little pissed at these people. But, really, we have the power NOT to participate… We just don’t. I sent them a polite ask telling them that I was pretty sure the entire fandom didn’t want to participate but if they don’t listen what we can do is present no tributes, no fics, or fanarts or anything. Pretend it’s not happening at all.

They can’t force us to be in the game. So lets not in a way that isn’t rude or offensive. 

Belle at this time is walking onto a trap and Mal is talking to Gold. She’s gonna let it slip that something’s very wrong with Belle and damn it if he isn’t going to go ballistic about it!

… poor Jefferson.

And thanks for the compliments! To think this started as a silly prompt…

I think they might be right. It’d been interesting to see Belle trapped with her memories returned, and they could’ve shown tiny glimpses of her coping or trying to escape without us thinking we were missing on a lot of her story. And it’d made Regina’s interactions with Rumple and her struggle with the Charmings all the better. And imagine if Henry was the one to ask her to set Belle free… Cause he knows how the story ends, that the Evil Queen traps Beauty.

Or imagine if he tells Emma… or Rumple, once he figures out he’s the beast. Great grandpa/grandson moment.

The best think about post Skin Deep Rumbelle dry spell were all the fics we came up with to imagine Belle and Rumple reuniting. That would’ve been a powerful drive behind Rumbelle in season 2 while at the same time giving Belle little screen time till they knew what to do with her.

As good as their reunion was in season one it’d have been better to dedicate it more time (it was one of the biggest reveals of all) and do it once they were ready to tackle Belle’s character.

… now I kinda want to write an AU about this… DAMN YOU, ANON.

Too many. At least 14, possibly way more. But the fanfic ought to keep us afloat.

Remember the time where I thought Rumbelle incest would be too out there so I turned it into faux incest?

Yeah, me neither. Man, I could totally get away with it….!

I don’t think so, I know so. It’s been stated more than once, usually by Emilie de Ravin, that she was supposed to be a guest star and nothing more. It was the utter popularity of the pairing and the character that turned Belle into a main character. Rumbelle is the most popular canon pairing, way above the main one, Snowing (no disrespect, I do like Snowing, but I liked it better back in season 1).

The bad thing is that the producers chose to cash in on the popularity by promising way more Rumbelle than they gave us. Hopefully things will improve. If they down, there’s always fanfiction.

Well, you can find out what the next fic will be about here. Let me know what you think!

I don’t want Belle to have magic because it’d border on Mary Sueism. Belle is already way too awesome as she is. Besides she doesn’t need magic, though I suspect she could very well learn to use magic to her advantage without actually possessing it (using it like Snow used the enchanted bow, for example).

I am, however, toying with making her baby magical. I don’t want it to be too corny or cliched, but it’d be tons of fun. Besides a child born of true love, a mother exposed to high levels of magic and a very magical dad is bound to have a bit of magic, right?

He played a rather cruel card: the safety of SB. How is Belle going to go with them if she needs to stay to protect the town? There’s no time to waste looking for someone else to deliver the message.

I also think Belle doesn’t want to fight him over something he’s doing to make his son proud. At any other time she’d beat him in the head with common sense but at that moment she just sees how he needs to make it up to Bae, and how he wants her not to be in danger because of him, and respects that.

She also wants him to have a reason to get back, not to die in Neverland. She’s gonna be waiting. In a way this parallels the scene near the town line in The Outsider. Damn it, why must this show have such complex subtext but almost no actual text.

I love that even in canon her first thought was “Rum…” and she kisses him before she can even finish saying his name… Such desperation… *sighs*

I think she might have spared a thought for Lacey’s poor taste. My headcanon also states that she wasn’t wearing it for long. Even if it’s really unlikely because of time constraints I believe they had awesome “OMG, she’re back and we’re gonna die and he’s so sad and desperate” sex.

At first it was conceived as a reunion fic where all that happens is told to the readers at the same time as it is told to Rumple and the Charmings, but now with all the additions I just HAVE to write it as it happens and THEN write the reunion. Damn you, rumbellers. You encourage the bunnies in me.