#WTTEF
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Author’s note: The long, loooong awaited smut for Welcome to the Enchanted Forest. It can also be read as a standalone smutty medieval roleplay oneshot as well. If you’re into that kind of thing…
Summary: It’s after hours at the theatre and Belle and Gold sneak in for some naughty roleplay action. I Read on AO3
A Command Performance
Belle waited just offstage, bouncing on the balls of her feet while she waited for Gold’s cue to walk onstage. Butterflies were dancing around in her stomach, but she was more excited than nervous.
They had decided against a script, settling instead on a simple scenario and leaving the rest to be improvised, which had suited Belle just fine. After all, there was nothing she liked more than performing improv with Gold.
Belle smirked. Well, maybe one thing…
Tonight was definitely not their first time - not by a long shot. She had barely been able to hold out a week after their first kiss before dragging him into her apartment by his tie and pouncing on him. Yet, between tonight’s sneaking around and the rather public location, Belle’s heart was racing just as fast as it had that first night they had spent together.
Sneaking in really hadn’t been that difficult. They’d merely waited until the rest of the staff had left for the night before getting ready. The idea had always been a joke between them, but as their six month anniversary had drawn closer, it had seized hold of Belle’s imagination in a way that refused to let go.
When she’d presented the idea to Gold, she’d found that he was also rather excited about the prospect. Then again, she could have suggested the backseat of her car and he probably would have raced her there.
At the sound of Gold clearing his throat, Belle pulled back the heavy red curtain. This stage was her second home and she knew the set so well she could navigate it blind.
But tonight, it was a new and exciting place. Anything could happen.
Gold’s back was turned to her as he pretended to study a tapestry with the crest of the show’s royal family on it. It gave Belle a chance to peek at his costume - a fitted black leather vest over a white tunic, black leather pants, and matching boots. She couldn’t help but admire how good he looked in his leather pants, which hugged his backside in just the right way.
If Belle had any say in the matter, he’d never be allowed to wear any other pants ever again.
She took a deep breath, sinking into character. She had played the princess of the Enchanted Forest hundreds of times, but tonight, she would finally be able to play out the fantasy she’d held for almost a decade.
Belle was finally going to get to bang the Evil Chancellor.
Barely containing a squeal of excitement, she stepped onto the stage, letting the curtain drop behind her.
“Lord Chancellor?” she asked, announcing her presence.
Gold spun around dramatically, looking at her with an expression of feigned astonishment. His look of surprise quickly become real as he took in her costume, his eyes widening as they swept over her, his gaze lingering at her bodice and the ample cleavage it showcased. Though she wore a corset for every show, it was a fairly modest one. The corset she was wearing tonight left very little to the imagination.
“Belle..” Gold choked out, before remembering that they were supposed to be in character. A blush rose on his cheeks and Belle decided the corset had been worth every cent she’d paid.
Though it would have been fun to wear their costumes from the show, they had quickly decided against it. Not only would Cruella DeVil, the theatre’s costume designer, have ripped their heads off for any damage or stains, but even worse, she’d have never let them live down the fact that she knew exactly how it had happened.
Instead, they had picked up their outfits while visiting the renaissance fair in the nearby town of DunBroch. She’d actually run into Merlin Emrys, Storybrooke’s notorious theatre critic, when she was looking at leather corsets. He hadn’t said anything, merely smirked as he’d walked by.
Despite his current support for The Enchanted Forest, Belle had almost picked up a turkey leg and threw it at him.
The dress Gold was currently staring bug-eyed at was simpler than what she usually wore. It was of a similar shade of dark green as her velvet dress, but made of much more breathable cotton. She was also wearing nothing underneath, since any extra layers would only get in the way of their activity tonight.
After a few moments, Gold was able to pull himself together. She saw the moment he slipped back into character, transforming from the befuddled actor to the suave manipulator.
“Princess, whatever brings you to my tower in the middle of the night?” he asked, his voice dipping lower and his accent becoming thicker.
Belle bit her lip, trying not to let on how much he was affecting her. While she loved the good and decent man that Gold was every day, there was something just a little bit thrilling about being seduced by the bad guy.
She smiled shyly, embracing the role of the naive princess wholeheartedly. It had been a long time since she had played the character that way, but for tonight, she didn’t mind in the least.
Sliding closer to Gold, she licked her lips nervously, knowing the effect it would have on him.
“I came to return the book you lent me.”
He quirked an eyebrow. “At this time of night?”
“Well, I only just finished it.”
He chuckled. “Most young ladies would have waited until morning, your majesty. There’s no telling what monsters lurk in the dark.”
Belle smirked, turning her back to him as she pretended to add the book back to the bookshelf. “This is my father’s castle. I am safer in these walls than anywhere in the world. Unless you’re saying that you - my father’s most loyal adviser - would wish me harm?”
His footsteps grew louder as he came to stand directly behind her, leaving only a hair's breadth between them. She could feel the warmth radiating off his body, even without the direct contact.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say it like that,” he whispered, his breath tickling her ear. “But I do have...ambitions.”
His hand slid around her waist, pulling her roughly towards him. He held her fast while trailing the fingers of his other hand down her arm lightly.
“Do you know what they say about curiosity, highness?”
“I prefer the one about the cat that got the cream,” Belle replied.
“Hmm,” he rumbled in agreement, raising her arm to kiss her wrist. “I should think so.”
A small noise left Belle’s throat at his lips touched her skin. She heard his answering chuckle as he proceeded to nip and suck at her pulse point, making her heart flutter in her chest.
“Books can teach you many things, highness. But I’ve found that some things require a more..hands-on approach.”
Belle couldn’t help the slight giggle that passed her lips. “You clearly don’t know the types of books I read, Lord Chancellor.”
Without warning, Gold whirled her around, pressing her against the end of the table and covering her body with his.
“Do tell, princess.”
Belle opened her mouth to reply, but was immediately distracted as Gold’s hand, which had been resting near her waist, began to travel slowly down her dress, taking an agonizingly long time to travel the small distance. His hand bunched the material of her dress, dragging it up to her waist so he could reach under it.
As ready as she was for him, even the slightest brush of his fingers against her entrance was enough to drive her near the edge. Belle could do nothing but lean against the table for support as his nimble fingers caressed her center, making her blood sing in her veins.
Breaking character, she grabbed his face and kissed him fiercely. Gold growled against her lips, his tongue darting inside her mouth as he slipped two fingers inside her, pumping her in time with the thrust of his tongue.
Belle’s head fell back as she began to see stars behind her eyelids. His lips descended to her neck, sucking at the juncture that always made her squeal. Between the growing pleasure between her legs and the sensitive spot on her neck, she quickly unraveled, letting out a sharp cry as she climaxed.
Gold held her tightly as she sagged in his arms. He placed light kisses up and down her neck as her racing heart slowed.
Setting her down on the edge of the table, Gold stepped away, his expression smug. One by one, he slowly sucked each finger clean, keeping eye contact with her the entire time.
Belle licked her lips, anticipation growing. “I stand corrected, my lord. I do not believe any book has brought me such pleasure.”
He smirked, clearly pleased with himself. “I am here only to serve,” he said, sweeping into a deep bow. “But perhaps it would be wise for your highness to retire for the evening, before any other...misadventure occurs.”
Belle knew his words were only part of their game, but she was getting too impatient to play it much longer. She wanted him inside her now.
She stood up and strode towards him purposely, stopping right before him. Trailing a finger down his chest, she looked up at him under long eyelashes. “You know, I don’t think we’ve had enough adventure yet. I certainly haven’t had my fill...” She let the last word trail off suggestively.
A chuckle rumbled deep within his chest. “Are you trying to seduce me, your majesty?”
Gold was doing a marvelous job of staying in character. Belle decided to fix that.
Standing up on her tiptoes, she whispered in his ear sweetly. “What’s a princess got to do around here to get fucked?”
Gold’s eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets. Belle considered it a win.
It took him a moment to find his tongue. “Your highness is very...forthright.”
Belle shrugged. “Perhaps I got tired of waiting.” She gave him a pointed look. “Again.”
“Fair enough.”
Before she could respond, Gold scooped her into his arms, lifting her off the floor. She hung tight as he spun her around and set her on top of the war table again.
“Is that quick enough for you?” he growled in her ear.
Belle gasped as he pushed her down on the table, dragging up her skirt and setting his forearms on either side of her to balance himself.
The table let out a warning creak. Belle suddenly wasn’t so sure that the old war table was up for that much action.
As they sat up, she looked around for something a little sturdier. Her eyes alighted on the throne.
Gold stepped back as Belle hopped down off the table, then followed her somewhat mystified as she led him to the throne.
His confusion cleared as she sat down upon it, pulling up her dress and resting her ankles on the velvet armrests, baring herself to him.
With a smirk that was entirely too sinful, he sank to his knees before her. “What do you wish of me, your highness?”
Belle had never thought she’d enjoy commanding Gold in this way, but the rush of power was rather intoxicating. Perhaps they should try this more often.
“Put that silver tongue of yours to good use for once, Chancellor.”
He crawled closer, until his face was near where she wanted him to be and his breath was hot on her center. “I live only to serve, my lady.”
Before Belle could think of a reply, his mouth was on her. His tongue swept over her entrance, tasting the wetness that had gathered there. He found her clit and teased it, laving it with his tongue as she gripped the throne’s armrests.
With his lips and tongue working together so effortlessly, it wasn’t long until she was panting, begging for him not to stop. He knew just what she liked and it wasn’t long until Belle began to see the constellations again.
His fingernails dug into her thighs as he sucked at her clit, the sensation finally pushing her over the edge.
She cried out, desperately glad for the support of the armrests keeping her from falling out of the chair.
With a self-satisfied smirk, Gold licked his lips, his tongue gathering up her juices.
“My but you taste good.”
Still breathing heavily, Belle stood up on shaky legs. Gold quickly rose to join her, the prominent bulge in his trousers obvious.
She reached out and cupped him through the leather, smiling as his head fell back and he moaned with pleasure. Locking eyes with him, she loosened the drawstring of his pants, freeing his hardened cock and giving it a few firm strokes. She let him revel in the feeling for a few moments before dragging him by the hand across the stage once more, until her back bumped up against the stage wall.
“Get inside me,” she growled. “Your princess demands it.”
Gold’s soft brown eyes were dark with desire. “If that’s what my lady commands - ”
Belle cut off his quip with a fierce kiss, swallowing his words. Gold, picking up on his cue, raised her up against the set before lining himself up and entering her smoothly with a grunt.
She groaned at the feel of him sliding into her. With every thrust, she bounced against the wall, his hands sure to leave bruises from where he gripped her so tightly, but Belle didn’t care. It was the fantasy she’d imagined for years, and it was just as incredible as she’d always dreamed.
Her hands were tangled in his hair, holding on for dear life as he thrust deeper and deeper into her.
“Come for me, princess. I’ll fuck your royal cunt until you scream my name.”
Belle came with a sudden shout, Gold’s name falling from her lips, as her fingernails dug into his shoulders. She gasped for air as the waves of her orgasm shuddered through her, pleasure coursing through her entire body.
Beneath her, she could feel Gold reaching his own peak as well, moaning her name as he came.
As their breathing returned to normal, they rested their foreheads against one another, Gold cradling her close to his chest. After a few minutes, he gently disentangled them from each other and set her back on her feet.
Belle sank back against the wall, thankful for something else to hold her up. Gold leaned against the wall beside her, looking tired but sated.
“Same time tomorrow?” she quipped.
He let out a bark of laughter. “You might need to give me a few days off for good behavior. I’m not as young as I once was.”
She giggled. “Alright, but only a few days.”
He groaned. “This is what I get for dating a beautiful young woman.”
Wrapping her arms around him, she snuggled into his chest. “Yes, I’m sure it’s just terrible.”
Gold laid his chin on her head. “Well, I suppose there’s a few perks.”
Belle’s answering laughter echoed throughout the empty theatre.
“It’s rather romantic here, isn’t it?” Gold asked, a curious tone to his voice. “Perhaps we’ll have to sneak in again sometime.”
Belle could tell he was already planning something, but she was feeling too comfortable and happy to try and pry it out of him.
She’d find out soon enough, after all.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Author’s Note: This is dedicated to @b-does-the-write-thing who never gave up on me writing this, despite it being many, many months after her birthday. Love you, B!
P.S. I'll be posting the epilogue to Welcome to the Enchanted Forest this week!
#rumbelle#rumbelle fic#rumplestiltskin#belle french#A Command Performance#Welcome to the Enchanted Forest#WTTEF
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When The Evening Falls
Title: When The Evening Falls (6/?)
Pairing(s): Victor/Yuuri, other tbd
Rating: M
Warnings: Violence, some sexy times (Not yet though)
Summary: Nights in the aquarium were always very quiet until the day that Yuuri started working overnight. He made friends with all the sea creatures, especially the rays. So when Victor stays late one night, he finds out the real truth about Yuuri and soon learns what his mission is. It also doesn't help that he starts to fall in love. (Merman AU/Fantasy AU) Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13554708/chapters/34436894
(Updated with Chapter 6)
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Say hello to our newest addition to the cast of characters: Brody Abernathy!
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Author’s Note: It’s been 84 years…or maybe just a year. Still, too long. If you’re reading this epilogue, I love you forever <3 There’s a fair amount of exposition early on, but I promise there’s some really cute stuff after that ;)
P.S. There was smut published yesterday in this verse as a oneshot. It happens canonically before this chapter, but can be read whenever. Enjoy!
~ Winner of Best Mr. Gold in the 2016 TEA Awards ~ Read on AO3
Chapter Fourteen: Epilogue
One Year Later
Belle stood alone on the stage of the Enchanted Forest, enjoying the unusual quiet for a few moments.
The stage was mostly dark, the overhead lights giving off only enough light for her to make her way around the set without tripping on anything. She had expected to find Gold waiting for her after she received his cryptic text to meet him there, but she didn’t see any sign of him.
Or anyone else for that matter.
“Hello?” she asked, warily. At this point in the evening, at least a few people should be around. “Is anyone there?”
Someone was obviously around as the lights were still on. If everyone had gone home, only the ghost light would have been on. Perhaps Gold had just stepped out for a moment.
Belle blushed when she remembered the last time she’d met him here when the theatre was deserted. If that’s what he was hinting at when he’d asked, he really should have been more specific.
She would have been happy to grab her princess costume from wardrobe if she’d known.
It certainly would have been a memorable way for them to celebrate their one year anniversary. Today was one year to the day that she and Gold had finally admitted their feelings for each other and had their first real kiss - an intimate moment that they had happened to share with an auditorium full of strangers.
Just the memory was enough to bring a goofy smile to her face. In the days following their kiss, she had been so happy that her face had actually begun to hurt from grinning so much.
The show had been a complete success that night. The crowd ate up the changes and tickets for upcoming shows had begun selling faster than ever, thanks to word of mouth and the glowing review Merlin had given them in the newspaper the next day.
Her and Gold’s date with Cruella and Ursula had also been a success, but not necessarily as a double date. They’d barely made it through one drink before the costume designer’s patience had worn thin.
“Alright, that’s it,” Cruella finally said, setting her glass of mostly gin and less tonic down on the table rather loudly. “While I am overjoyed that you two have stopped being idiots, you should probably just get a room already, because I am tired of getting kicked while you pretend you’re not playing footsie.” She shot Belle a dry look. “Also, Granny’s is a family establishment, Belle. If you could keep your hands above the table, that would probably be best for everyone.”
She and Gold had left pretty quickly after that, giggling loudly as they exited Granny’s, leaving behind a laughing Ursula and an amused, if rather exasperated, Cruella.
Despite Cruella’s suggestion, they hadn’t gotten a room or gone back to either of their places. As well as things were going, they had both felt it was too soon for that step. Though from the way they had spent the rest of the evening making out as they wandered around Storybrooke, Belle had known it wouldn’t be too long before they stumbled their way towards a bed. Or a sofa. Or anything that had a horizontal surface.
Once Gold had finally gotten over his fear of kissing her, he couldn’t get enough. It was like a dam had broken. Every chance he got, he’d sneak a kiss or wrap her in his arms for a quick makeout session when no one else was around.
Not that she had complained. In fact, Belle hadn’t known if it was possible to be any happier than she was at that moment.
But as the weeks and months rolled by, Belle realized she couldn’t have been more wrong. Life was only getting better by the day.
The theatre’s business flourished under the new script, bringing in steady customers week after week. Sidney had been the first to admit that he had been wrong not to embrace a change before now, and had to frequently be reigned in by Tiana from making unnecessary changes to the script, menu, stage, seating arrangements, interior and exterior of the building, and literally anything else that could be changed in any way, shape, or form.
Their workshop classes had also taken off, providing an excellent space to experiment with the show’s script and giving Belle a chance to strengthen her improv skills. The students, especially a few of the girls, never grew tired of setting her and Gold up to perform romantic scenes between the princess and chancellor. For the most part, the two of them were happy to indulge the paying customers, especially if it involved an excuse to flirt unashamedly.
Despite its rather rocky start, her relationship with Gold had been free of the drama that had plagued their earlier interactions. They spent most of their free time together, despite seeing each other every day at work. Their free nights often found them cuddled up on Gold’s sofa, watching old movies and eating popcorn that they’d made in Belle’s air popper, which had somehow taken up permanent residence in Gold’s house, along with half a dozen of Belle’s dresses, a handful of her favorite books, and one or two medium-sized boxes full of shoes.
Gold was also teaching her to ride one of the theatre’s horses, a small Appaloosa mare named Chip. The horse had a white coat with leopard-like black spots and blue eyes that Gold said reminded him of Belle’s. Chip had gotten her name a year ago from Henry, who had observed that she looked just like a chocolate chip cookie.
They’d been slightly worried about how the rest of the cast would react to their dating, but they needn’t have worried. Everyone - including Regina - was just relieved that they’d finally figured it out. Tiana had given them a wink the first time she’d seen them holding hands. Leopold had given them an awkward thumbs up while Jefferson and Killian had made some rather inappropriate hand gestures that August had immediately chewed them out for.
Emma had just rolled her eyes and murmured, “Thank god” into her coffee.
But surprisingly enough, it wasn’t only their relationship that had flourished. Despite Cruella’s assertion that marriage was not for her, she and Ursula had ended up eloping to Paris six months after their double date. They were now happily living in Cruella’s townhouse with two dalmatians and a large aquarium full of tropical fish. Belle and Gold were invited over for dinner frequently, and always showed up to work the next morning with a hangover while Cruella cheerfully walked by them with a smirk.
A sudden creak up above her head brought Belle back to the present. She craned her neck towards the lights but couldn’t see anything, though she could swear she heard a muffled laugh.
She shivered. Perhaps this was why actors didn’t hang out in empty theatres by themselves. It was too easy to imagine they were haunted.
Beginning to grow impatient, Belle wondered again where Gold was. His text had made it seem urgent, so she had rushed over. Her brain automatically leapt to the worse-case scenarios. Could he be hurt? Could his new job offer have fallen through?
Gold had finally confessed to her that he had been planning to put in his two weeks’ notice the day she had first joined The Enchanted Forest. The fact that meeting her had convinced him to stay was a great boost to her ego, even as her heart had raced at the idea that they had almost missed working with each other and, consequently, falling in love.
But thankfully that had not been the case and they had gotten an amazing year and a half to work together. Things had only gotten better in the past year as the theatre had become financially stable and even begun to make plans for expansions. As much as Gold loved his castmates and the character of the Chancellor, it was a good time for him to move on. When the theatre had been in trouble, it had felt like a betrayal to leave, but now that it was a success, Gold could leave with an easy conscience.
He’d finally accepted Zozo’s offer to join the company at the Dagger Theatre, where he’d be able to perform in a variety of shows throughout the year. His first play with them would be Macbeth and she knew he couldn’t wait to sink his teeth into Shakespeare again.
Belle would miss performing with him every week, but she knew it was time for him to try something new. She was pretty sure any lingering guilt he might have felt about leaving evaporated when August announced the new script and her leading role in it.
Not only would Belle’s part be expanded, but she was being promoted to queen. Both she and Regina would be queens of warring nations who put aside their rivalry to unite against their true enemy, Killian, after they discovered his plot to play them against one another.
Having seen Regina in fight mode in real life, she knew the other woman was up for the task. Belle only hoped she could match her onstage.
The fact that she got to stab Killian each night was an added perk. Even if it was only a fake sword that -
Belle froze, hearing something moving in the dark. She paused, trying to figure out where the noise was coming from.
A click echoed overhead, loud in the otherwise silent auditorium. Immediately, the dim lights brightened, bathing the stage in a warm glow.
Belle spun around, gasping as she saw the giant pink heart projected onto the castle wall behind her.
Gold appeared from behind the set, dressed in full armor, and carrying a rose exactly like those the knights gave away during the show.
Belle blinked, wondering if she had fallen asleep on stage while waiting. Surely this wasn’t actually happening?
He extended the rose to her with a slight bow. “Belle, you’re the only one I want to give roses to for the rest of my life. I am head over heels in love with you and want nothing more than to spend forever by your side. Would you make an honest knight out of me and be my -”
“Yes!” She leapt into his arms, causing him to drop the rose, and kissed him soundly.
After a moment or two, he pulled back. “I wasn’t finished yet. I had an entire speech prepared!” he said, trying to sound sulky but failing miserably as a broad grin spread across his face.
Belle laughed. “You can tell me later,” she whispered suggestively, grabbing his collar and raising her face for another kiss.
“You forgot the ring!” yelled a voice from up on the lights.
Belle’s head swung upward. “Is that Ursula?”
Before Gold could answer, a second voice chimed in. “Of course, it is! You didn’t think we could let this moron try and pull this off by himself, did you?”
Gold grimaced. “Thanks, Cruella.”
Belle stifled a giggle. “Ursula’s right, you did forget the ring.”
“No, I didn’t! It’s on the rose.” Gold bent over and grabbed the flower. Sure enough, a ring was tied around the stem with a red ribbon. “If you’ll have it?” he asked, the corner of his mouth quirking into a shy smile.
“She already said yes!” Cruella yelled. “Just put it on her finger already.”
“Drink your vodka and give the man a second,” Ursula chided. “Honestly, he’s probably a nervous wreck after how long it took you to figure out the lights.”
“I am a costume designer, darling, not a stagehand. These hands were made for art, not working lights!”
Gold ignored them, pulling the ring from the ribbon and holding it up for Belle’s approval. A sparkling blue sapphire with a halo of small diamonds adorned a simple rose gold band. It was perfect.
She nodded emphatically, letting out a giggle as he slipped it onto her finger.
“I rather thought it matched your eyes,” he said, soft enough so only she could hear.
Tears sprang into her eyes. As he pulled her close for another kiss, a cry of excitement went up on the lights.
They both laughed as they kissed, too overjoyed to care about their audience. As always, everything fell away but the two of them when they were on stage together.
They broke for air, grinning at each other and probably looking like a pair of love-struck fools. Belle couldn’t have cared less.
A feeling of contentment washed over her, as if her life had come full circle at last. The Enchanted Forest’s stage was where she had first seen Gold, where she’d gotten to know the man behind the Chancellor, and where they had fallen in love. It seemed only right that it had become the setting where they began the next chapter of their lives together.
With a goofy grin still on his face, Gold offered her his arm. “May I escort you to dinner, my queen?”
Belle took his arm, ignoring the catcalls from up above. “Oh, I think dinner can wait a while, don’t you, Chancellor? I can think of a few other ways to celebrate.”
He smirked. “As you wish, your highness.”
As they walked out of the theatre’s entrance into the parking lot, they both glanced back at the building. No matter what paths life took them down from here, the large stone building with its giant banner would always be their real home.
Snuggled up against Gold with the comforting weight of her engagement ring against her skin, Belle smiled up at the old theatre. Perhaps The Enchanted Forest had its own magic, after all.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Author’s note: Shout-out to @beastlycheese for prompting an onstage wedding proposal and @rumpledspinster-art for sending me a video about Medieval Time’s current script which inspired Belle’s new role as queen - thank you both! (Sorry it’s been sooooo long in coming!)
Also, a big thanks to everyone who has loved on this story over the past four years! I really enjoyed writing this zany bunch of characters.
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Summary: Mr. Gold has been working for the dinner theatre company “The Enchanted Forest” for years, performing the same boring show every weekend. Nothing has ever changed, until Belle French joins the cast to play its princess.
~ Winner of Best Mr. Gold in the 2016 TEA Awards ~
Chapter One I Chapter Two I Chapter Three I Chapter Four I Chapter Five I Chapter Six I Chapter Seven I Chapter Eight I Chapter Nine I Read on AO3
Chapter Summary: Belle and Gold hold their first class and get a bit carried away with their improvisation.
Chapter Ten
Just when Belle had thought things might finally be happening between her and Gold, those girls had brought in that stupid yearbook picture.
She’d seen the moment it had happened. Gold’s face had literally paled at the sight of the photograph. Whatever had been building between them since that moment on the lights disappeared, replaced with Gold once again keeping her at arm’s length.
He wasn’t avoiding her this time, which was an improvement. But it was obvious he was uncomfortable around her. No doubt seeing a reminder of how young and inexperienced she was had killed his sudden interest in her from before.
His attachment must not have been that strong in the first place, Belle reflected sullenly. That fact stung even more in some ways. She could see how such a photo might be a bit off-putting, but if Gold had been seriously interested in her, it shouldn’t have mattered that much.
As it was, they remained good friends, still sharing jokes and spending time together. But the littles touches and shy smiles had disappeared, replaced with an almost paternal attitude toward her that infuriated her to no end.
His self-deprecating jokes about his old age didn’t help matters either. Belle couldn’t decide if he truly believed what he was saying or if he was trying to let her down easy.
Either way, the teenage girls currently fawning over them were not helping.
After several weeks of planning, they were finally holding their first workshop. They’d scheduled it for a Tuesday night since they didn’t have a performance and the stage would be available.
Gold and Belle had agreed to keep things short and simple for their first class. The workshop was only two hours long and covered just the basics of acting. It was also fairly relaxed, allowing the students to help guide the activities based on what they were interested in.
“What about improvisation?” Tilly asked.
Tilly and her friends, Ivy and Jacinda, had been the first to sign up, unsurprisingly. The three were her and Gold’s self-proclaimed biggest fans, and had spread the news of the workshop to the rest of their high school, resulting in a dozen attendees for their very first class. Belle was thankful for their help, even if she still held a slight grudge over them showing Gold that yearbook photo.
“Great question,” Gold said. “The first rule of improv is to go along with your scene partner. It may be a cliche, but the old rule of using ‘yes, and’ instead of ‘no, but’ is still true.”
Belle’s eyes wandered as Gold continued on, her attention drawn once again to the unsubtle flirting happening between Jacinda and Henry. Even though he was already in the show, Henry had joined the class to pick up some more acting tips. At the moment, he looked far more interested in picking up Jacinda. From the way the girl was blushing in his direction, the attraction seemed entirely mutual.
“Can you show us something now?” Ivy asked.
“Sure,” Gold said. “What did you have in mind?”
“Oh I don’t know,” Ivy said nonchalantly. “Maybe the princess has refused another suitor and the chancellor wants to find out why?”
Belle narrowed her eyes. Despite the innocent expression on Ivy’s face, she smelled a rat. Unfortunately, Gold didn’t pick up on this little deception and looked at her expectantly.
“Why not?” Belle said, faking a smile. It’s not like she had any self-respect left at this point anyway.
Gold walked several feet away before striding back towards her, slipping into character instantly.
As always, Belle envied how effortlessly he could become the chancellor. While she had grown comfortable in the role as princess, it still took her a minute to get into character.
“Princess, forgive me for the intrusion. I just heard a rumor that you have turned down the prince’s offer of marriage.”
“You are well-informed, Lord Chancellor. I sent him away this morning.”
“May I ask why? Prince Hans comes from a noble line of kings and is well-respected for his swordsmanship.”
Belle sniffed. “He may have slain a dragon, but I found his manners less than heroic.”
“Forgive my candor, your majesty, but this is the third offer of marriage you’ve rejected this year. Our country has a finite number of allies and fewer still with eligible heirs. Soon there won’t be any princes left for you to reject!”
She took a step forward, crossing her arms over her chest. “Good. Princes are overrated.”
He sighed, running a hand through his hair wearily. “Perhaps if we held a ball…”
She let out a snort. “And be paraded about like a prize mare for sale? I’d rather walk on broken glass.”
Gold’s eyes twinkled at her joke. Belle struggled to keep herself from smiling in return. She’d missed the easy banter they’d enjoyed before. It was nice to have it back, even if only for a short time.
“Besides,” she continued, “I fail to see how my love life is any of your concern.”
She’d expected him to fire back with another comment. Instead, Gold’s face fell.
“Is there...someone else?” His eyes searched hers. “Someone you’re in love with?”
“Wh-what?” Belle stuttered. “Of course not.”
The rational part of her knew they were still acting, but her heart was beginning to race. Why did Gold have to be so damn convincing all the time?
“You know everyone in the kingdom,” she said, trying to keep herself from getting even more flustered. “Surely you would know if there was someone.”
He grimaced. “I’ve learned it’s safer to ask than assume when it comes to a young woman’s heart.”
“Really?” Belle said, stopping a few feet in front of him. “That hasn’t been your practice in the past.”
“I uh...” Gold floundered. “I did not wish to pry, my lady.”
She took another step closer. “You should really make up your mind about what you want, chancellor. Otherwise, it might not be there when you want it.”
Their eyes locked. Gold moved towards her as if pulled by a magnet, uncertainty clear in his face.
“You make it sound so simple,” he said wistfully.
He was only inches from her now. If she wanted to, she could have reached out and touched him easily.
“Sometimes the best things are. You just have to be brave enough to go after it.”
Gold’s gaze had wandered down to her lips as she spoke. “I think - ”
“Omg, just kiss already,” Ivy grumbled.
Gold’s eyes widened and Belle blushed. In the back of her mind, she’d remembered the kids were there, but the rest of her had been completely focused on the conversation she’d been having with Gold. It had felt like they were actually getting somewhere. As much as she wanted to hear what he had been about to say in response to her challenge, perhaps it was best that they finish the conversation elsewhere.
While it was embarrassing to be called out by one of their students, at least this settled things once and for all. After that little performance, he wouldn’t be able to deny his feelings any longer.
As good of an actor as he was, Gold couldn’t talk his way out of this one.
He spun away from her. “And that, ladies and gentlemen, is acting.”
Ivy rolled her eyes. “Sure it is.”
Belle fought back the urge to scream in frustration. For the first time, she agreed with Ivy wholeheartedly.
At this rate, she was going to have to snog the man senseless in front of an audience before he’d admit that there was something between them.
The rest of the workshop passed by without any more excitement, for which Belle was grateful. Tilly winked at her when Gold mentioned how much he loved his coworkers, but otherwise the students behaved themselves.
Despite the class’s success, Belle was relieved once it was over. The entire experience had thrown her for a loop and she was more than ready to head home so she could think everything over.
“You did a great job today,” Gold said, helping her clean up afterwards. “You really have a knack with improvisation. It took me years to learn.”
When she realized he wasn’t going to mention anything else about their scene, Belle decided to push him a little. “So you enjoyed our scene then?”
She could see the wheels turning in his head as he decided how to answer.
“Um, yes. Of course.” He stared at a spot just above her left ear. “I think we work really well together.”
“I wholeheartedly agree.” She flashed him a coy smile.
Gold froze in place, staring at her nervously. After a moment, he tapped the watch on his wrist, not even bothering to glance at it. “Look at the time! I should be getting home.” He gave an unconvincing yawn. “Old men like me need their early bedtimes.”
A mad impulse to invite herself along floated through Belle’s brain, but she pushed it away. He was shy enough as it was now. A suggestion like that, quip though it may be, would probably give him a heart attack.
“I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Hopefully by tomorrow, she’d have a better plan of attack. Until then, she’d let him pretend he was geriatric.
“Good night, Belle.”
She drew hope from the wistful tone in his voice, watching silently as he exited through the lobby doors, leaving her alone in the theatre.
Belle sighed. She didn’t want things to stay this way. At the end of the night, she wanted to be walking out of the theatre with Gold, not without him. There was no reason for them to be apart when they both clearly cared for one another.
Her resolve strengthened. He might be willing to walk away from what they had, but Belle wasn’t. She could be just as stubborn as him, if not more.
What she and Gold had was worth fighting for. She wouldn’t give up.
Author's Note: Sorry this chapter is a week late! I got distracted by editing The Fairy Gardener which - SURPRISE!!! - is finally finished! Starting next Wednesday, I will be posting a new chapter each week until it is done. Feel free to check out the first eight chapters in the meantime! (Full disclosure: I've spent the last 6 months finishing it up, so yes, I'm gonna pimp the crap out of it! :P )
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Summary: Mr. Gold has been working for the dinner theatre company “The Enchanted Forest” for years, performing the same boring show every weekend. Nothing has ever changed, until Belle French joins the cast to play its princess.
~ Winner of Best Mr. Gold in the 2016 TEA Awards ~ Read on AO3
Chapter One I Chapter Two I Chapter Three I Chapter Four I Chapter Five I Chapter Six I Chapter Seven I Chapter Eight I Chapter Nine I Chapter Ten I
Chapter Summary: An emergency during the show forces Belle and Gold to put their improvisation skills to the test.
Chapter Eleven
The kissing was driving him nuts.
Gold glared as Jefferson and Belle exchanged a kiss onstage, receiving cheers and whistles from the crowd.
It was a quick kiss, barely a peck on the lips. But that didn’t stop Gold from wanting to rip the other man’s head off.
The kiss wasn’t anything new. It had always been part of the show. As someone who had been acting for a long time, he knew it was just part of the scene. It didn’t necessarily mean anything.
Of course, Regina had met Robin that way, but that was an outlier. Just because Belle was smiling didn’t mean she had personally enjoyed that kiss anymore than all the others she’d exchanged with every other good-looking man in the cast.
Or at least, that’s what he reminded himself for the dozenth time, as he continued to glare daggers at Jefferson’s back.
It had only been the last couple weeks that it had started to bother him that Belle regularly kissed some of his coworkers. As the villain of the show, Gold knew he would never be on the receiving end of one of those kisses.
In fact, it was his death that led to the kiss each evening. After defeating him on the battlefield, the triumphant knight would meet the princess onstage, telling her of his success and proclaiming that it had all been done out of love for his kingdom and his princess.
The king would appear afterwards, congratulating the knight on his victory and giving his blessing for the two to marry. The princess and knight would exchange a kiss and the show would end, the cast gathering onstage a few minutes later for their curtain call.
It was all fairy straightforward, even if the timing leading up to it was a bit tricky. Once Gold’s character was defeated on the arena floor, the lights would drop and he, the knight, and the knight’s squire, Henry, would quickly exit through a tunnel that led backstage. While he and Henry would take the horses back to the stables, the knight would dash up the backstage stairs in order to make his appearance on the stage moments later.
The stable hands were waiting at the end of the tunnel, so Gold was always back by the time the kiss took place. In the past, he’d always taken those few minutes to relax before curtain call. But for some reason, he’d begun watching the end of the show recently, for reasons he didn’t want to examine too closely.
He pushed away the annoying voice in his head that told him exactly why he was upset. It also reminded him that if he wasn’t so stubborn, he could easily be kissing Belle offstage any time he wanted.
Gold grit his teeth and turned away from the stage. He knew he was being irrational, but it was getting harder and harder to listen to logic these days.
The truth was he wanted Belle. He wanted her so much it drove him half mad some days.
She had brought new energy into the theatre, breathing fresh life into his world. Her presence had made the same old routine exciting and fresh again. Playing opposite her was exhilarating.
Even offstage, he liked nothing better than her company. She was witty and clever and beautiful and…young. While he’d been aware of the age gap between them, it had taken seeing her yearbook photograph for it to truly sink in.
And sink in it had. It had lodged itself deep in his brain, wedged in among all the other insecurities he’d had for decades.
Despite what Belle and probably half the cast believed, he wasn’t ignorant of her interest in him. However, he also knew that any feelings she might have for him were based off an idealized version of himself that he could never measure up to.
He wasn’t young or adventurous. He tripped over his words more times than he could count, especially around Belle. The man she actually liked was the charismatic chancellor who had inspired her to act. He was just…Gold.
If they did get together, she’d see that soon enough. Milah had certainly wasted no time in moving on to greener pastures once she’d realized he wasn’t what she’d wanted. While he had no fear that Belle would cheat on him as Milah had, the eventual outcome would be no different. Belle would realize her mistake and she would leave him. If that happened, he knew he wouldn’t have the courage to continue working with her every day, knowing he hadn’t been enough for her.
No, it was better to keep things as they were. Belle’s infatuation would eventually wain and she’d find someone more worth her while.
As long as it wasn’t Jefferson, he thought grumpily. Gold could endure a lot, but even he had his limits.
“Speaking of,” he thought moodily as he saw Regina walking towards him, a familiar gleam in her eyes that set alarm bells off in his head.
He held his hands up. “Whatever it is you’ve come to taunt me about, I’m not in the mood.”
Regina pretended to look offended. “When have I ever…” She trailed off, unable to suppress a grin. “Oh alright, guilty as charged. But you can hardly blame me for trying to have a little fun.” She gestured to her very large belly. “There’s only so much trouble I can get up to right now.”
“Counting down the days?” Gold asked.
She groaned. “Feels more like years, but yes.” She nodded towards the stage. “Are they almost done?”
“Just a few more minutes,” he said, his attention once again drawn back to Belle.
Regina followed his gaze. Noticing her interest, Gold quickly dropped his eyes.
Seeing the smile on her face, he realized he hadn’t been fast enough.
“So, what’s going on with you and the princess these days?”
He cleared his throat. “Nothing. We’re just friends, as you well know.”
Regina let out a bark of laughter. “For a smart man, you can be incredibly stupid sometimes. If it was any more obvious how you feel about her, it would be tattooed on your forehead.” She pointed towards Belle. “And you’d have to be blind to miss the way she looks at you.”
He frowned. “Looks at me?”
“Oh come now, Gold. Even you’re not that dense.” Regina caught his eye and her smirk fell. “Oh god, you’re really that dense, aren’t you?”
He shook his head. “Sometimes I wish I were.”
She frowned, and Gold sighed, realizing he’d have to explain.
“You’ve know the type of person I am, Regina.” He gestured helplessly at himself. “How could I possibly be enough for her?”
Regina raised her eyebrows. “Gold, that girl worships you like the sun shines out your ass!”
He made an inarticulate growl. “That’s just it! She thinks I’m some sort of dashing knight who always sweeps in and saves the day.”
Regina snorted. “I don’t think she’s that delusional.” Her expression softened a moment later. “I don’t think Belle is under any illusions about you, Gold. She likes the real you, bumbling idiot that you are.” She gave his arm a quick squeeze. “Now you just have to see if you can accept yourself or not.”
He cleared his throat, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the entire conversation. “When did you get so wise?”
“Apparently it comes with being a mother.” Regina placed a protective hand on her stomach. “Or at least, I hope it does.”
“You’ll do great,” he said, his voice a bit thick. “You’ve always taken care of me, after all.”
Regina waved off his comment, but he could see how much it pleased her. “Well, you’re just an overgrown baby, so it’s not - “ She paused, clutching her stomach and wincing. “Speaking of babies…”
Gold’s eyes grew wide. “Is it coming? What should I do?” He racked his brain for any memory of what people in the movies did in this kind of situation. “Boiling water and towels, right?”
Regina just stared at him. “I’m fine, moron. I’m not due for another two weeks.” She gave him a level look. “But seriously, if I do go into labor, will you do me a favor?”
Gold nodded. “Anything.”
“Run in the opposite direction.”
The cue for the curtain call played, and he was saved from having to reply. He gratefully ran off, leaving Regina to berate his intelligence to herself.
The next few hours flew by, letting Gold push his conversation with Regina to the back of his mind. With two shows on Sundays, there was very little time between when the matinee’s audience left and the evening crowd arrived.
There was always the danger of running through the second show on autopilot, but Gold always tried to give it his best.
Even so, he was glad to be finished with the fight that night. As experienced as he was with the routine, it was still physically challenging to go through twice in one day.
He, Henry, and Robin had just stepped offstage and into the tunnel with the horses when their stage manager, Isaac, ran up to them in a panic.
“Regina’s in labor!” he hissed, careful to keep his voice down that close to the stands. “Her water broke backstage!”
Robin stood in shock for a moment before leaping into action. He tossed his sword to Henry and took off down the tunnel, going the opposite direction of the stage where he was due to appear at any moment.
“Wait!” Isaac cried helplessly, taking off after Robin, no doubt hoping to convince him to finish the final scene before going to his wife’s side.
Gold and Henry turned to stare at one other.
“How do you feel about playing a knight?” Gold asked.
Henry paled slightly, clutching the reins of Robin’s horse, Arrow. “I think I’d rather stick to the horses, if that’s alright.”
Gold sighed. He couldn’t really blame the kid. There wasn’t time to come up with any kind of plan. In less than a minute, Belle would be stuck on stage talking to herself.
He handed Ogre’s reins to Henry. “Looks like I’m about to make a miraculous recovery.”
Without waiting for a response, he raced down the tunnel and towards the stairs that would take him up to the stage.
He had some improvisation to do.
Reaching the entrance, he took a few deep breaths, not wanting to rush onstage out of breath. He still wasn’t exactly sure how they were going to pull this off, but he hoped Belle would be up for the challenge.
After all, wasn’t this what they had been asking for a chance to do?
In a moment of inspiration, he grabbed a cane off the wall and stumbled onto the stage, favoring one leg heavily as he dragged the other behind him, leaning on the cane for support.
Belle’s mouth fell open at the sight of him. After a moment’s pause, she rushed forward. “You’re alive?”
“Of course!” He looked out at the crowd, giving them a toothy grin. “It was only a flesh wound.”
That got a laugh out of the audience, as he had predicted. If he could keep them laughing, perhaps they wouldn’t notice or care that the end of the show made no sense whatsoever.
“Where is my brave knight?” Belle asked, still looking at him like he was completely insane.
“You mean, him?” Gold waved his hand dismissively at the field below. “He beat me in our sword fight, but I persevered in the end. My hidden dagger made quick work of him.”
“Your hidden dagger?”
“Yes, it is extremely efficient at getting the job done,” Gold said proudly. “And uh, very pointy.”
Belle’s mouth trembled, but she managed to keep a straight face. Her gaze flicked down to his trousers. “It’s amazing that you manage to conceal it so well.”
Before he could reply, she turned away. “However, that does not excuse your conduct here today. You have betrayed our kingdom. What possible excuse could you have for doing something so vile?”
He hesitated. What possible motivation could the chancellor have – apart from the obvious need for power – that the audience would believe? They needed to wrap up the scene so they could finish the show, but they couldn’t do that without giving the crowd some kind of resolution, perhaps even a happy ending, if possible.
At this point though, he wasn’t picky. He’d settle for any ending, as long as it worked.
He cleared his throat, letting his real anxiety show for the audience. “I didn’t do it for love of my kingdom, princess.”
She snorted. “That much is obvious.”
“But I did do it for love.”
Belle spun to look at him, actual surprise on her face. She didn’t know where he was going with this scene, not that he really knew too well either. He only hoped she’d catch on soon.
Otherwise, they were in real trouble.
“I did it for love of my princess.” He took a couple steps closer, drawing on his real feelings for her as he spoke.
Belle looked stunned. “For – for me?”
He nodded, walking up to her until they were only inches apart. “I couldn’t stand to see one of those worthless knights win your heart. I thought if I could offer you an empire to rule over, you might find me worthy enough.”
Belle’s smile was so brilliant, he almost couldn’t believe it was fake. “Silly chancellor. Don’t you know you’ve always been enough for me?”
“I - I have?” he stuttered.
She laughed softly, putting her hand in his and squeezing gently. “Yes. There’s never been anyone but - ”
Leopold burst onto the stage, brandishing his sword. “Stop right there, ruffian!’
Gold clutched at Belle’s hand, barely stopping himself from groaning at the interruption. They were so close to finishing the scene. If Leopold messed this up, he was going to kill him.
“Father,” Belle scolded, “put that thing away before you put someone’s eye out. Especially your own.” She smirked, no doubt remembering the practice where Leopold had nearly done just that.
“But daughter, this man is a traitor! He just attacked one of our knights.”
“Killed,” Gold corrected. “I killed one of your knights.”
Leopold gestured at him helplessly. “See?”
Belle rolled her eyes. Gold couldn’t tell if it was an act or if she was just as impatient as he was to finish the scene.
“Father, the Chancellor has united all of our enemies against us. He’s defeated our best knight and now has control of the city. I think a marriage between him and myself would be most prudent at this moment, don’t you?”
When Leopold looked at her in confusion, Belle hissed, “Give us your blessing!”
The audience laughed, prompting Leopold into action. He gave them the standard blessing he recited every show and held their joined hands up in the air for the crowd’s approval.
The crowd leapt to its feet, cheering and clapping louder than Gold could ever remember hearing. In all his years at the theatre, he didn’t think he’d ever seen such enthusiasm from the audience.
It wasn’t until the lights went down a short time later that he finally let himself relax, taking in a deep breath.
Belle sagged against him and they exchanged relieved looks.
“That was crazy,” she mouthed silently.
He smiled. “I know.’
Belle smiled tiredly before resting her head on his shoulder. He held her close, laying his head against hers.
Whatever fallout would come from their little performance, they would face it together, knowing they had tried their best.
The rest of the cast joined them onstage. As the lights came up, the audience began to shout and clap again, their excitement energizing Gold all over again. He looked at Belle who returned his smile with equal delight.
Perhaps they hadn’t done so bad, after all.
Author's Note: Shout out to @rumple-belle for suggesting dagger innuendos late last night when my brain broke.
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Summary: Mr. Gold has been working for the dinner theatre company “The Enchanted Forest” for years, performing the same boring show every weekend. Nothing has ever changed, until Belle French joins the cast to play its princess.
~ Winner of Best Mr. Gold in the 2016 TEA Awards ~
Chapter One I Chapter Two I Chapter Three I Chapter Four I Chapter Five I Chapter Six I Chapter Seven I Chapter Eight I Read on AO3
Prompt: They're up on the lights together, both of them needing time away from the rest of the cast.
Prompt: Belle brings in an old photo of her and Gold after a show back when she was in high school and she stayed for autographs. He is delighted she held onto it, but it reminds him of how young she is and, most especially, how old he is.
Chapter Nine
Gold watched in half-amusement, half-concern as Belle paced back and forth in front of him, twisting her notebook in her hands.
They had a meeting scheduled at nine o’clock with Sidney to discuss Belle’s idea. It was only half past eight now, but Belle had made him promise to meet her early, so they could talk things over again. She’d claimed the extra preparation would make her feel better, but Gold was starting to suspect that the extra time was only making her more stressed out.
“What if he doesn’t like the idea?” she asked nervously, pausing to look up at him. “What if he thinks it’s stupid?”
“Then we respect his decision and complain about it in private later.” Gold winked at her, but she didn’t laugh. He reached out and laid a hand on her arm, stopping her before she could start pacing again. “Hey, it’s going to be fine. It’s a wonderful idea.”
When Belle still didn’t look reassured, he gave her arm a gentle pull. He needed to get Belle’s mind off the coming meeting and he had just the thing to do it. “Come along, I have something I want to show you.”
He’d had the idea the other day when he’d been helping Gepetto fix one of the lights. He knew Belle had probably been up on plenty of catwalks during her college theater days, since most theatre courses included some stage crew training.
But to his knowledge, she hadn’t been up on this catwalk.
“Where are you taking me?” Belle asked as he led her backstage.
“I think I know a way to make the meeting seem less scary.”
Belle gave him a skeptical look. “Really? And how are you going to do that?”
He gestured to the spiral staircase behind him. “Fancy a trip up to the grid?”
Belle’s eyes grew wide. “Now?”
“Nothing like being two stories up in the air to put a meeting with your boss in perspective.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, but dug her phone out of her pocket, setting it and her notebook on a nearby table. “Alright, I’m ready.”
He set his own phone and wallet on the table as well. It was never a good idea to take any items up on the lights that you didn’t absolutely need. Any employee of the theatre was aware how dangerous a phone or other item could be when dropped from two stories above onto an unsuspecting crew member’s head.
As much as he wouldn’t mind if that person was Killian, he figured it wasn’t worth the lawsuit.
Grabbing a flashlight from the wall, he clipped it to his belt, making sure it was secure before he and Belle began making their way up the staircase.
With Belle following right behind him, he was distinctly aware of how close they were, making him rethink the wisdom of taking her up on the lights. Though it was more dusty than romantic, they’d still be up there all alone.
Suddenly, his brilliant idea didn’t seem so great, after all.
As usual, the stairs seemed to go on forever, but finally they reached the metal catwalk that served as the lighting grid. From there, they could see the arena below them, as well as the front of the stage.
Gold gazed down at the set proudly. No matter how many times he had been up here, he never got tired of seeing it from this view. He probably spent more time walking across that stage than he did in his own house. Far from being his home away from home, Gold realized that in the past ten years, The Enchanted Forest had become his true home.
He was glad he hadn’t quit, and not just because of Belle. Gold never would have forgiven himself if he had left and the company had gone under. He still wasn’t sure what he could do to help, but he would do whatever he could to keep his little theatre going.
He glanced over at Belle, who was busy taking in the view. They stood in silence for several moments, just enjoying the experience. Only a few people were in the building right now, leaving the theatre oddly silent. Most of the stage crew would be in soon, but for now, the two of them had the whole auditorium to themselves.
“It’s like another world up here,” she whispered.
He nodded. “I love the view. I find myself looking at things differently after being up here.”
“I’ve been doing that a lot lately,” Belle said, grimacing. “And that’s without the two-story change in perspective.”
“Anything I can help with?”
She looked over at him, big blue eyes searching his. “I’m...not sure.”
In the low light, he could almost imagine that the way Belle was looking at him meant more than it did. She looked so hopeful, as if he somehow held the key to her happiness.
But that was ridiculous. Only last week she had shot down Marian’s suggestion that they were a couple as a laughable joke.
If so, that didn’t explain why she was looking at him the way she was now. It was almost enough to make him believe that perhaps he had been wrong - maybe there was something there, after all.
Either way, now wasn’t the time to act on it. If he was wrong, he’d only make things more stressful for Belle before their meeting with Sidney. If he was right...well, he’d hardly want to go to a meeting with Sidney when he could be making out with Belle.
Best to wait in either case until he could be certain. Being safely on the ground probably wouldn’t hurt either. If Belle actually returned his feelings, he could very well swoon to his death from this height.
“We should get going,” he said, breaking whatever spell had fallen upon them. “We don’t want to be late.”
Belle’s expression fell and she nodded. Gold’s heart gave a bit of a flutter. Perhaps he wasn’t just imagining things.
They walked back down to the ground level in silence, concentrating on where they were stepping until they made it safely to the stage.
“I forgot how dusty it is up there!” Belle frowned down at her clothes, brushing them off vigorously. “I look like a dust bunny.”
Gold chuckled as he brushed himself down. “But a very charming dust bunny.”
She shot him a mock glare. “If Sidney starts sneezing during this meeting, I’m holding you personally responsible.”
He held a hand to his heart. “I would deserve nothing less,” he replied solemnly.
Belle rolled her eyes at him, but there was no real annoyance behind it. Gold considered the adventure a success. If his suspicions about Belle’s feelings proved correct, he’d consider it a miracle, as well.
They had just enough time to get to the meeting without having to hurry. As they arrived outside of Sidney’s closed door, Belle grabbed his hand, giving it a quick squeeze.
“Thank you.”
The feel of her skin, soft and warm against his own, momentarily short circuited his brain. “For w-what?” he stuttered.
Her smile sent another wave of warmth through him. “For being you.”
Before he could think of a reply, she gave his hand a quick squeeze and then let it go, raising her hand to knock on Sidney’s door. At their boss’s yell to come in, Gold followed Belle inside, unsure of why he was suddenly much more nervous than he had been only a minute before.
The meeting went smoothly, with both Sidney and Tiana loving Belle’s idea, as he had predicted. He’d known Tiana would jump onboard right away and that she’d tow her father along whether he liked it or not, but Sidney was just as enthusiastic as his daughter.
Once she’d realized her audience was in support, Belle’s nerves had fallen away. They’d spent the rest of the meeting discussing the details and making plans to begin holding classes soon.
As they made their way back to the staff lounge an hour later, Belle let out a tiny squeal, twirling around in place.
“We did it!” she yelled, stepping towards him.
Gold raised his hand, thinking she was moving to give him a high five, and was taken back when she threw her arms around him, hugging him fiercely.
“Thank you again,” she said, the sound slightly muffled by his hair.
“Glad to help,” he managed to say, still unsure of where to put his arms. His brain had several ideas that were incredibly unhelpful, so he settled on placing his hands around her lower back.
She pulled back a short time later, smiling sheepishly at him. “We make a really good team, you know.”
He swallowed. “I’ve noticed. Maybe...maybe we could - ”
August stepped out into the hallway, eyeing their embrace. “Practice is this way, folks.”
They quickly dropped their arms, ignoring the smirk on their director’s face and following him to rehearsal. Gold wasn’t sure if he should curse August’s untimely interruption or thank him for it. He wasn’t exactly sure what he had been about to say, which meant he most likely would have stumbled his way through it as usual. No, it would be much better for both of them if he came up with something beforehand. The day would be busy getting ready for the performance, but perhaps after the show had ended, he might be able to steal a few moments with Belle to finish whatever he had been about to say earlier.
His time seemed to come later in the lobby that night as the lines of audience members began to dwindle. He made his way over to Belle, who was talking to the last three fans in her line. He recognized them as the teen girls who had visited previously, and silently hoped that they would be leaving soon so he could talk to Belle alone.
As he drew closer, he saw one of the girls hand Belle an open book. The contents of the book must have surprised Belle, because her eyes grew wide, her mouth forming a small “o”.
“What’s that?” Gold asked, curious about what had caused such a reaction.
Her eyes leapt up to his. “Oh, it’s nothing,” she said, holding what he now recognized as a yearbook closer to her chest. “You wouldn’t be interested.”
The blonde teenager snatched the book out of Belle’s hand and held it up to him excitedly, pointing to a photograph on one page. “It’s a picture of you and Belle!”
Gold’s eyes zeroed in on a teenage Belle standing next to a slightly younger version of himself, clad in his chancellor costume. She looked so young, beaming up at the camera, as the “younger” him, looking old enough to be her father, gave his typical perfunctory smile.
“Splendid,” he said, his stomach sinking. “I’m so glad you showed me this.”
Author’s Note: Apologies to whoever sent in these wonderful prompts! I think Tumblr ate the original asks, so if either is yours please tell me and I’ll give you credit. Also, huge thanks to @b-does-the-write-thing for teaching me about lights. She is the only reason anything in this chapter is accurate.
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Summary: Mr. Gold has been working for the dinner theatre company “The Enchanted Forest” for years, performing the same old shows to the same old crowds every weekend. Nothing has ever changed, until the day Belle French joins the cast to play its princess.
~ Winner of Best Mr. Gold in the 2016 TEA Awards ~
Chapter One I Chapter Two I Chapter Three I Chapter Four I Read on AO3
Chapter Five
Belle felt as if her childhood dream had come true as she posed for yet another photo with fans after the show.
Less than ten years ago, she had been the one asking to have her program signed and standing in line for a picture with cast members. Now she was the one on the receiving end of teenage squealing.
It seemed fitting that everything had come full circle tonight. Now that the performance was over, she realized that it had been part of the reason she’d been so nervous. The first show she had ever attended had been a dress rehearsal just like this one when she had been a student. It had also been the performance where she’d seen Gold onstage for the first time.
That was the night everything had changed and the acting bug had truly bit her. She’d done a bit of theatre in high school before that, but never considered it as an actual career. Her plan had been to study library science at a big university, preferably somewhere far from her well-meaning, but controlling father. He’d thoroughly approved of her plan to become a librarian - a nice, safe career path for his shy and timid daughter.
That plan had dissolved after she’d seen Gold prowl around the stage as the evil Chancellor. Watching him revel in the villainy of the character, Belle had realized she didn’t just want to read about complicated and layered characters, she wanted to bring them to life.
She’d told Gold before that his performance had inspired her to become an actress, but she’d left out a few details. Like the part where teenage Belle had stood in line for twenty minutes to get her picture taken with him after the show and how she’d gotten woozy from merely standing in his presence.
Of course, he’d been sweet about the whole thing. Had he been as nasty as his character, Belle doubted she would have developed such a crush. But the difference between the devious man on stage and the kind one before her had been the final straw. Her teen heart had fallen head over heels for the older actor then and there.
They’d taken a photo with her old polaroid camera and she’d told him of her newfound dream of acting. He’d smiled encouragingly as she talked, letting her ramble on for several minutes before signing her program with a message to follow her heart wherever it led.
The phrase had become her mantra through the next several months of school. Through her arguments with her father about her major. Through four years of theatre courses and plays in tiny theatres that barely drew a crowd.
Was it a coincidence that her heart had led her back to where it all began? Or was it fate? Either way, Belle was determined to find out.
One of her biggest worries in getting the job had been meeting Gold again. She’d built him up so much in her mind that she’d braced herself for disappointment when she met him again.
He hadn’t been what she expected. The tongue-tied, awkward man she was getting to know was miles away from the confident, enigmatic actor she had idolized for years. He was still that man onstage, of course. Stepping out into the spotlight seemed to transform him, allow him to be someone different than he was in his day-to-day life. But the real Gold was rather shy, prone to tripping over his words and making terrible jokes. Far from being disappointed, Belle actually preferred this version. He was more relatable, more real to her than the idealized version she’d fantasized about all these years.
Even now, amidst the compliments she was receiving about her dress and performance, she was having trouble keeping her eyes from straying to him. He’d come to her aid when she’d floundered on stage and she didn’t know how she could ever pay him back.
The irony was that it had been the sight of him in his full costume - everything from the fur-lined cloak that billowed behind him to the leather breeches that clung in all the right places - that had caused her brain to short circuit in the first place. If he ever found out how many times she’d imagined a similar scene in her daydreams over the years, he’d be tongue tied for sure.
None of his signature awkwardness existed now though. Like onstage, Gold was in his element with the fans. He had a small horde of teenage girls hanging off his every word. He clearly loved being the center of attention, his smile wide and his gestures much more flamboyant than usual now that he had a riveted audience.
At least she knew she didn’t have to feel silly for her reaction now. The teens crowded around him were clearly just as in awe of him as she had been back then. In hindsight, perhaps she should have realized that seeing him again on stage in full costume would have the same effect on her as it had all those years ago. Gold and she had practiced the scene many times together since she’d started, but the combination of the lights, stage, and costume had magically transported her back to that night when she’d first laid eyes on him.
Yet another reason why theatres shouldn’t do their dress rehearsal in front of a live audience, she thought wryly. They were lucky that she only forgot her lines. If she hadn’t been busy panicking, she might have jumped the Chancellor’s well-dressed bones onstage instead.
“Is there something going on between the Chancellor and the Princess?”
Belle’s full attention snapped back to the three girls she had just taken a photo with. “I’m sorry?”
The girl who had spoken was petite with a shoulder-length brown bob. Her arms were crossed over her chest in a relaxed posture and her smile seemed all too knowing for someone so young.
“I asked if the Chancellor and the Princess had a thing for each other.”
“Uh,” Belle stalled for time to think, acutely aware that she had several pairs of inquiring eyes upon her. “Not to my knowledge. There’s nothing in the script to indicate that.”
“Huh.” The girl seemed to think that over for a moment. “So it’s just you and Gold that are – ”
“Friends,” Belle blurted out before the girl could finish her sentence. “Just friends.”
Despite her wish that they could one day be more than that, Belle wasn’t about to admit that to a high school know-it-all. Unfortunately, the teen’s keen eyesight wasn’t Belle’s biggest problem. If her attraction to Gold had been that obvious from the audience, how in the world could the man himself have missed it?
Her gaze darted over to him again and this time their eyes met. Belle blushed and dropped her gaze immediately, hoping he wouldn’t read anything into it. To her horror, she looked up to see that he had excused himself from his fans and was making his way over to her.
As nervous as she was at the moment, she didn’t miss the way the girls around her straightened, each perking up at the approach of the infamous Evil Chancellor.
“Dear god, he’s gorgeous,” one girl whispered, tugging on her long brown curls excitedly.
The third teen, a blonde with a cheeky grin and an English accent, elbowed her friend with a laugh. “Thirsty much, Jacinda?”
Gold, oblivious to the fervor awaiting him, smiled widely as he joined them. “Good evening, ladies.”
“Evening.”
“Hi.”
“Good indeed.”
Gold’s smile faltered for a second before quickly recovering. “Ladies, do you mind if I borrow my co-star for a moment?”
All three girls giggled, shaking their heads enthusiastically.
Still in a slight daze from the last few minutes, Belle nodded politely at the girls before gratefully following Gold as he led her away from the group. They ducked into a hallway off of the main room that lead towards the staff rooms, giving them some temporary privacy from the crowd.
“Thank you,” Belle said once they were out of sight, sinking back against the wall with a sigh of relief.
Gold chuckled. “You looked a bit panicked. I figured you could use a break.” He leaned against the wall next to her, gazing at her with amusement.
With only a few inches between them, Belle’s heart began to speed up once again. She immediately scolded herself for reacting in such a way. Was she no better than those lovestruck teenagers she had just been talking to?
From the way her heart was racing, probably not.
“They weren’t horrible,” she finally said. “Just a bit intense. And nosey.”
Standing this close to him, Belle noticed for the first time how good Gold smelled. Though romance novels tended to describe a man’s scent with at least three different descriptors - sandalwood almost always being one of them - Belle didn’t think she could describe Gold’s scent in any more detail than “slightly sweaty, but nice man smell”. With further study perhaps she could get more specific, but she somehow doubted Gold would appreciate her shoving her nose in his personal space and sniffing him up and down like a bloodhound.
Before he could ask any more about the students, Belle hastened to add, “I’m sure you’ve had your share of crazy fans.”
He laughed, but the sound was a bit strained. As comfortable as Gold seemed with the fans, Belle was surprised that someone could unnerve him that much.
“You’d be right about that,” he said. “Most are harmless, but there’s been one or two troublemakers over the years. Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do.” He shook off the thought. “But let’s not talk about that. We should be talking about you on your big night,” he said, gently bumping his shoulder against hers.
Belle flushed, more at the contact than from his teasing.
“Well, so far you’ve had to rescue me from myself twice.” Belle kept her tone light as she rested her shoulder against his, hoping she wasn’t being too forward. “If it happens a third time, I’m afraid I’m going to have to give you my firstborn in exchange.”
To Belle’s delight, Gold leaned in. “I’m sure we could come up with something less….” he paused, searching for the right word. “...stinky.”
Belle let out a whoop of laughter, clapping her hand over her mouth a moment later. Gold’s eyes sparkled in return.
“Quiet,” he warned. “They might find you.”
She removed her hand. “They’re teenage girls, not hyenas.”
He shrugged. “Could have fooled me.”
Belle didn’t argue, since Gold was more right than he knew. She hoped she hadn’t been that obvious when they first met. As shy as she had been back then, she at least knew she hadn’t been that direct.
Glancing back at the lobby, Belle was torn between continuing her conversation with Gold and knowing that her job required her to return to her guests. She sighed. “I suppose our duty is to return to our paying customers now. Hopefully those horrid girls are gone.”
“I can beat them off with my sword, if you like.”
Belle smothered a chuckle. “No, I think they might enjoy that too much.” At Gold’s confused look, she quickly added, “Never mind. I think I’m fine.”
“You sure?” he asked, concern evident in his expression.
Belle’s insides melted but she managed to stop herself from throwing her arms around him in response. She leaned towards him conspiratorially. “I think I can slay the next few dragons.”
“I know you can, Belle.” His eyes twinkled. “In fact, I’d like to see someone try and stop you once you’ve made up your mind.”
His words oddly choked her up and Belle blinked away a tear before Gold could see. She didn’t want to have to explain what getting his approval meant, because she barely understood it herself. It wasn’t just because Gold was so talented or because she had a crush on him. The Enchanted Forest was the theatre where her dream of acting had begun. Here, more than anywhere, she wanted to prove herself. If she could prove her worth to everyone in the cast, especially the man who had inspired her down this path in the first place, then maybe she’d finally believe she had made the right decision to pursue acting.
She didn’t hold out hope that her dad would ever be convinced or that Maurice would suddenly forget his intense dislike for the theatre that had robbed his daughter of her respectable future. But it would be enough for Belle to know that her choice to become an actress had been brave and not foolhardy, after all.
“Shall we?” she asked, entwining her arm around Gold’s.
“Where my lady leads, I shall follow.”
Belle ducked her head, hoping he didn’t see the goofy smile forming on her face. If she was lucky, he might just mean those words one day.
Author's note: This chapter is dedicated to @b-does-the-write-thing who asked for another chapter of this long neglected fic for her birthday! There's even another chapter ready to go for next week, so look for that update as well!
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Tagged by @rumple-belle and @thatravenclawbitch. Share the last sentence you wrote, then tag/challenge as many people as there are words.
She and Gold would never be more than friends, but at least she had their playful banter and his friendship back.
(Uh-huh, Belle. Suuuure.)
-Chapter Eight, Welcome to the Enchanted Forest
Tagging: @b-does-the-write-thing, @thescholarlystrumpet, @bellegold, @bad-faery, @ishtarelisheba, @toseehowthestoryends, @worryinglyinnocent, aaaand anyone else who wants to do it because I give up ;)
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I’ve tried to end this epilogue three different times, but it refuses to go quietly...
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I'm reading through WTTEF for the first time and I'm going so slowly because I want to savor every morsel of this wonderful, fluffy extravaganza of HAPPINESS. Point being: I *love* your fic and hope to see another update. This fic is truly like a lovely cup of tea and a warm blanket. It's wonderful.
Aww, I remember you commenting on another post that you might read it and I’m so glad you did! Lovely comments like this are the fuel that keeps me writing. (And having it compared to comforting things like tea and blankets is just the nicest compliment to receive!) I’m currently working on a smutty one-shot that takes place in the future (it didn’t feel like it necessarily fit in the main WTTEF story) and then an epilogue to wrap everything up. I like to go all out on the fluffy, cheesy endings, so be prepared! Thanks again for reading
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WttEF: the dagger joke had me nearly laughing so hard mint chip ice cream came out of my nose! Belle: don't you think you need to explore what Gold was saying on the stage a bit more? We need a kiss, at the very least!
Oh, I have no doubt Belle knew what he was really saying. Probably better than he himself did. She won’t be forgetting that any time soon.
As far as a kiss, they’ll get there. Things were still a bit too hectic this chapter. You don’t want to rush a good kiss, after all!
P.S. Sorry about the mint? But that’s also hilarious ;)
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