#Rumbelle AU

[notonlymice]

AU where Rumplestiltskin hires Belle to be Bae's teacher.

[shiftingmuse]

continuation of x {Rumbelle; Arranged Marriage AU}

Gold would return with a secondary cup still steeping, as he would sit the item down on the table near her but not directly next to her. "No, my dear, no acceptance just yet." He tells her as he stands there next to the table, holding himself up by the cane in his hand. "We need to flesh things out properly, both your stipulations and my own." The way this arrangement was going to work, if it would work at all, was by understanding one another and working together as a partnership rather than two people in love.

"Remember, even if we don't agree on all the terms, we can figure out a way to make this work. That's why we both need to discuss this and make certain everything we both want is equal." 

[bookwormchocaholic]

Here is the second installment. Hope you like it!

[ace-cf-cups]

@notonlymice

if I may combine your two Cinderella moodboards/au versions, and inspired by them suggest a third AU / fic idea:

in which her mother's spirit with a little volunatary help helps Belle attend the royal ball of which she dreamed but prince Gaston turns out as dull as a stump after just a 5 minute conversation while Belle's curiosity is peaked by a mysterious stranger / neighboring realm's reclusive king

also feat. wish!Rumple as Rumple's sort-of nosy matchmaking twin (who has his own wish!Belle, the leatherclad adventuress that never ceases to amaze him with her sharp mind, kind soul and the ability to save a village, reunite True Love and make delightful pies for tea time and all of that by 5 o'clock, so he is more than happy to ensure his widowed twin-from-another-realm's happiness) and this Belle is OG Belle who has been written back into existence by Henry but for her to restore her full memories, leave the boundaries of her fairytale and truly become the Belle we know and love, she has to share a True Love's kiss with her beloved

[once-upon-a-rewrite]

My rewrite is actually so precious to me and it's been a huge impact on my writing and creativity. I just love it and the characters I started it for in the first place. My beloveds!!

[deepinthelight]

AU: Tess Harding & Nicholas Rush

[ace-of-spaders]

A silly little WovenBeauty AU where Tilly seeks Weaver out to inform him that there's someone new about to appear in his own family while he's... otherwise preoccupied.

( I was looking through @desperatemurph's rumbelle aus - which are things of beauty, in more ways than one 🥰 - and then this idea came to me, so here you go... it's nothing special but it made me smile 😅 )

[dealmxkerofgold]

Thanks to @bluebellestorybrooke and this, now all I can think about is an AU in which Princess!Belle meets Rumplestiltskin under different circumstances, ones that don’t make her his maid.

Perhaps, they form something along the lines of a friendship — Rumplestiltskin, with all his knowledge and love of books and an actually quite good sense of humor when he doesn't purposefully tries to scare you off is one of the most interesting and delightful companies Belle ever had and Rumple... he can’t quite explain even to himself why he's so drawn to her (perhaps, he saw her in a vision and knew she was important? I'm making this up because it's true, could be a good explanation as to why Rumple wanted her and gives me an excuse to have Rumple interact with Belle without any deals involved).

Perhaps, later on, when the war with Ogres reaches its peak, Belle suggests calling onto him precisely because they know each other well at this point and she knows, without a doubt, that he'll come.

Perhaps, Belle expressed her woe over being ignored by everyone at the castle, including her father, and feeling rather isolated and trapped as a result and over being forced to marry Gaston at one point and Rumple making her his price is actually him helping her escape the suffocating walls of the castle where no-one listens to her and a loveless marriage with an evil man and they discussed this prior her father calling onto him.

Imagine then him, being a gentleman ( and already head over heels in love with her ), telling Belle as soon as they are a safe distance away from her father's castle that she's free now to do whatever she wants and go wherever she wants and can finally fulfill her dream of seeing the world but Belle taking one good look at him, at this sad, lonely man who became a great friend ( and is beginning to become something much more than that ) for her and who has a big, kind heart under all the beastly exterior and smiling and saying that she'd promised him forever and that is a promise she fully intends to keep, leaving Rumple looking at her with astonishment and awe (and falling even deeper in love with her) because she actually wants to go with him? out of her own free will? and not because of some deal, not because her loved ones' lives are at stake but because of... him?

[bibliosauruswrecks]

Ships that pass in the night, and speak each other in passing, Only a signal shown and a distant voice in the darkness; So on the ocean of life we pass and speak one another, Only a look and a voice, then darkness again and a silence.

-- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Abram Gold was a 16th century captain cursed to sail the seas for eternity in retribution for his hubris, only allowed ashore once every seven years.  Belle French was radio operator for the WRANS during World War II, wanting to do her part.  A ghostly encounter one night in 1944 would alter their fates forever...

[notonlymice]

I don't know if you've seen the show Lucifer but can u do a moodboard that features Lacey as the Devil instead & Detective Weaver? Please?

woven lace + lucifer au moodboard

[shiftingmuse]

AU Wishlist; {The Spinner's Return}

Let's all be honest. One thing that could have been an interesting AU on OUAT would be Rumple becoming 'The Spinner' after his dark one curse is taken from him, and he loses his memories of Belle as he becomes the man he was before the curse.

Do you see how amazing and tragic this would be?

Belle is trying to convince this man of who he was to her and who he was during the curse. I feel like he would be terrified to know what he became… but also it would be interesting to see how he would try to regain the curse to accept that he was truly worthy of Belle. 

[bookwormchocaholic]

The new questions for fic writers - 1, 8 and 16

Hello again!!! Thank you sending in these asks. :)

What fic of yours would you recommend to someone who had never read any of your work? (In other words, what do you think is the best introduction to your fics?)

Whenever someone in real life asks me to share something that I've written/published, I usually suggest My Brother's Keeper. It's free to read, it's a short story, there's nothing scary or graphic in it, and I have a soft spot for it. It's the most true to life story I've ever written.

8. What song would make a great fic (to either write or read)?

I feel like there's a story behind the song "Am I Losing You?" by Anika Paris. One that I'd love to read.

16. What’s an AU you would love to read (or have read and loved)?

I'm a sucker for any Rumbelle AU, particularly historical or contemporary. What OUAT did to canon Rumbelle just crushed my soul, the only way I could cope was turn to fanfic and fanart. Season 7 was better, but still heartbreaking since they killed my ship off. Yeah, give me Rumbelle fanon over canon any day.

[ryik-the-writer]

Or a season 7 twist where Belle(or hell even counterpart Lacey) is alive and included and not totally fucked over.

“Oh…hello Belle.”

[ace-cf-cups]

A year hasn't passed and I uploaded my Rumbelle ficlets to AO3 😅

[ace-of-spaders]

This was initially a starter set in an alternate timeline ( because f*ck the 6th season — these two deserve to experience this pregnancy, and another one or two to come 😌, together and be blissfully, blissfully happy while at it ) I wrote for my Belle over on my rp blog (I've got both Rumple and Belle blogs, actually, so if anyone wants to roleplay Rumbelle with me, just hit me up and I'll point you in their direction) in a spur of a moment after watching the last episode of Hamish Macbeth ( I dunno how or why but something about emotional young Bobby triggered this flood of emotion in me ) but then I decided to also post it as a ficlet on my personal blog, too, so that all my fellow Rumbellers could read it because the mental image is just too precious to not share it 🥺💗🥰

Alright, enough with the rambling 😅 On to the ficlet itself:

(Oh, and @thinkofscotland I blame your pfp for my urge to dive back into the marvel that is Hamish Macbeth, so I guess this fic also came into existence partly because of you ❤️ )

"He kicked," Rumple stated the obvious in a voice that's gone hoarse with emotion, his gaze slipping from his wife's beautiful face to her round stomach, where their hands were resting, intertwined, united forever in spite of everything that life had and will throw at them, his thumb stroking her belly through the thin material of her blouse.

"He kicked, Belle," he repeated, astonished, as if his wife was not the one who got to experience that significant moment first-hand, and when amber gaze rose to meet the sky blue one again, there were tears shining in his eyes.

"Oh, sweetheart," the endearment was no louder than a whisper, breaking with emotion, as Rumple raised his free hand to cup his beloved's cheek, but it was enough for her to hear it and, hopefully, the feeling welling up inside of him even before it spilt out of him in the form of tear-soaked words, "I love you so much."

He then leaned in to kiss her – sweet and firm at the same time, the unspoken proof of just how much he loved her and a way to let the overwhelming emotions out before they choked him – but pulled away after a few moments to kneel slowly in front of his wife, truly grateful for what seemed like the first time ever to have his ankle permanently healed, not just numbed. Lifting the fabric of her loose-fitting blouse just enough to place a kiss on her stomach, on the very place he felt their son kick against just a few moments prior, he did just that, whispering in the same tone, wrecked with emotion, as tears finally slipped down his cheeks:

"And I love you, too, son, with all my heart. I will always love you and be there for you, for as long as you and your Mama need me. I promise."

His voice broke completely on that last word, sacred for him, and he could speak no more, so he wrapped his arms around Belle's legs, rested his cheek against her belly and closed his eyes, trying and failing to rein in the storm of love and fear, anxiety and elation going on in his soul.

[bookwormchocaholic]

Okay, I won’t be able to read this until later but.....AHHHHH, it’s BAAAACK!!!! Thank you for the update! 

Love and Happiness, ch 9

Fandom: OUaT/Rumbelle

Rating: Teen

Word Count: ~3,200 for this chapter; ~31,800 total so far.

A/N: this chapter is for @reolf for their birthday. I'm so lucky to have you as a friend. <3

-

Walking into Storybrooke Island University Library felt like coming home. 

Belle stopped just inside the doors, closing her eyes and breathing in the smell of thousands of books. It was a little ritual she had, just taking a moment to remind herself of how lucky she was to be here, in this fortress of knowledge. The small sounds of a working library washed over her… patrons’ feet tapping on the floor. A hushed conversation from the circulation desk. High-pitched giggling from the children’s section. Books being stamped as they were checked out. 

“Belle! You’re back!” 

The Head Librarian’s voice made her open her eyes. Archie Hopper stood before her, arms loaded with books. 

“Yes. My honeymoon is over, and I have my husband’s permission to work. I’m hoping that I can resume my internship here.” 

“We could certainly use your help,” he nodded. “Two more staff members have left in the past month, either to get married or because they are expecting a baby.” 

“Oh, really? Who left? Here, let me take some of those for you. I’ll walk with you and you can catch me up on everything that’s happened.” 

She followed him down an aisle, helping to reshelve books as he told her about the staffing changes and everything else that had happened in the past month. He was called away to deal with an irate patron, and she finished the chore on her own. It didn’t feel like a chore at all, really. She loved this work. 

She paused in the act of stepping down from a stool, attention diverted by a book at eye level. The Bear and the Bow, the spine read. The cover showed a large bear, towering over a woman with long red curly hair who was notching an arrow into her bow. The woman looked not at all afraid, glaring back at the bear with defiance. 

Hmm. This must be a new acquisition since she’d been gone. A bit of heroic fantasy would certainly be a nice break from all the historical and legal texts she’d been reading for the past month. It was a wonder that the book was on the shelf at all; a story featuring a courageous heroine was not the sort that Queen Regina normally allowed in her library. Tucking the book under her arm, she walked slowly down the aisle, scanning the book spines to see if anything else caught her eye. 

The quiet click of a door closing carried to her ears as she pulled down another book for closer inspection, right before Henry Mills walked around the end of the bookcase. 

“Mrs. Gold!” he gasped, pulling the large book he held close to his chest and staring at her with wide eyes. 

She spied a distinctive red sticker on the spine of the book he held. Only books kept in one section of the library had that sticker, and there was only one door that Henry could have just exited. 

“Henry… did you take that book from the government archives?” 

“My mom asked me to pick it up for her,” he claimed. 

“Mmm. I doubt that, considering how tightly that area is regulated.” She held out her hand, and he surrendered the book with a sigh. “How did you even get in there?” 

“My mom’s the Queen and Mayor,” he shrugged. “I have my ways.” 

She wanted to ask him more about his methods, but restrained herself. 

“If it were up to me, I’d let you take it. I’m not one to inhibit the pursuit of knowledge.” 

“So I can have it back?” he asked hopefully. 

“You’d never make it out of the library without getting caught. There’s a sensor embedded in the spine, that will set off alarms as soon as you walk out the door.”

“Really?” He peered at the book as if he could see the offending piece of security. 

“Yes, really. You’d better go, Henry. I’ll find a way to get this back where it’s supposed to go.” 

He gave one last glance at the book she held, before he turned away. He’d only taken two steps before he turned back. 

“You won’t get in trouble, will you?”

“No. I’ll be fine, Henry. You should go.” 

He nodded and left. Belle looked both ways to be sure no one else was near, before peeking at the title. The Mills: From Laborers to Ruling Family.  The author was listed as Isaac Heller. Flipping through, Belle got the impression of a tell-all book, in the style of a tabloid. How in the world had this gotten published? No wonder Henry had been interested… but why would it be kept in the tightly restricted government archives? 

Curiosity gnawed at her, as she tried to think of some way she could get it out of the library without being caught, so she could take it home and peruse it at her leisure. When no ideas presented themselves, she sighed and went to the circulation desk, mentally rehearsing the lie she would tell Archie. 

*

“Can we talk freely here?” Belle asked, as they entered the house that evening and hung up their coats. 

“The house should be safe. I had Dove here all day, watching for anyone who might try to plant a listening device.” 

“Good. I want to tell you about something that happened at the library.” She launched into her tale, finishing with, “I told Archie that I found it on a table near the government archives, and had no idea how it got there. He praised me for turning it in.” 

By this time, they were sitting down to a dinner prepared by his housekeeper. With their honeymoon period officially over, Mrs. Potts had returned to her duties. Whatever she’d cooked for their first post-honeymoon dinner, it smelled delicious. 

“And young Henry didn’t tell you how he got in?” Mr. Gold asked.

“Only that he had his ways,” Belle smirked, amused by the idea of the Queen’s son defying the rules. 

“Hmm. Well, all children go through their rebellious phase.” 

“Did Bae?” she asked, hesitant but she felt that he needed to talk about his son. When had he last had anyone in his life that he could talk to about his son, and the devastating loss of him? 

There was a barely perceptible pause in the motion of his fork, as he scooped up more food. 

“Only a little,” he said briefly, then immediately followed it with, “you didn’t tell me the title of this contraband book that Henry had.” 

She nodded, accepting that he didn’t want to talk further about his son, before reciting the title. 

“Really? That book?” He actually smiled, a rarity for him. 

“You know it?” 

He chuckled. 

“I have a copy in my library. I’m surprised you haven’t run across it already.” 

She dropped her fork with a clatter. 

“Where in the library?” she asked, already sliding off her stool. 

“Miss French, it’s been there for over a decade. I doubt it will disappear while we’re finishing our meal.” 

“Oh. Right. Of course.” She returned to her seat, abashed at her questionable manners. “I just… get excited about books.” 

“Really? I hadn’t noticed,” he said wryly.

Belle was able to laugh at herself, picking up her fork to resume eating. 

“I was really surprised to see that book in the Government Archives. I only skimmed through it, but I would expect that the Queen would want all copies destroyed.” 

“Most were, believe me. My guess is that Regina held on to one copy so that she had proof of the lies Isaac Heller told about her family. Should he ever attempt anything like that again, she could submit evidence in court that he’d done it before.” 

“What a miserable pair of women. It’s sad. Nothing has ever been enough for them. Nothing will ever make them happy.”

“You’re correct about Cora. Had she ever achieved all the power and status she craved, then perhaps she could have been happy for a while… but then she would have wanted more. Power feeds on itself and is always hungry. Regina, though… she might be a different story. There’s a glimmer of hope for her to change, because she’s found something that makes her happy.”

“You mean her son.” 

“Yes.”

“I saw them together, the day of our interviews. She really loves him. Anyone could see it.” 

*  * * 

Weeks passed, during which their lives settled into a surprisingly mundane routine. They rose each morning, had breakfast together, and drove into town, where they went their separate ways for the day. 

Belle had resumed her studies, and only took a couple weeks to catch up on the work that she’d missed while on her honeymoon. When she wasn’t at school, she was at the library working at her internship. It was a relief to settle back into her former routine and realize that she was still on schedule to graduate on time. 

At the end of the day, she would meet Mr. Gold at his shop, and they would share the ride back to his house -- which she was increasingly beginning to think of as not just their house, but their home. They would share stories of their day over dinner, and usually spend a quiet evening together in the den. She would study or read, while he worked on his rental ledgers or sat with his own book. 

Their life together was wonderful, Belle had to admit. It was nearly perfect… if not for the shadow of a government threat hanging over them, and the worry over Bae’s safety. There was no way to know if Mr. Gold’s aunts had been able to deliver the crucial message to his son. They could only hope, and wait, knowing all along that they might never get confirmation. The best they could hope for, Mr. Gold told her grimly, was that nothing would happen. No change meant that the government hadn’t captured Bae. 

It was an imperfect solution, and Belle could tell that the uncertainty was taking its toll on her husband. Though he was as kind to her as always, she caught him sometimes staring off into space when he was supposed to be reading, and the grim twist of his mouth said that he wasn’t thinking happy thoughts. She’d heard him walk past her door in the middle of the night, and surmised that he wasn’t sleeping well. 

She knew he had continued his work to aid the Queen behind the scenes. She wasn’t happy about that, but accepted it as necessary to insure Bae’s safety. For now, they were biding their time. Hopefully, one day soon, they could talk again about challenging the government’s unfair practices, but now was not the time. Not when his son’s safety was at stake. 

*

“I think I found something!”

Belle rushed down the hall toward Mr. Gold’s office, arms wrapped around a large book, and turned into his office just as he was exiting in response to her call, causing the two of them to collide. She rebounded from the impact and would have ended up on her derriere, if not for his quickness in wrapping an arm around her waist to steady her.

She found herself pressed against him, with only the book she still held forming a barrier between their bodies. His face was so close that she could feel his breath when he exhaled, and she realized with mortification that she was staring at his mouth. She forced herself to raise her focus to his eyes and found him staring back at her, his face reddening.

She stepped back and he released her immediately.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes, and thank you for catching me. I’m sure that would have been a very undignified fall.”

“No matter,” he assured her, using one hand to smooth his waistcoat. “You said you found something?”

“Yes! It’s in here.”

She passed him to enter his office, no longer feeling like a stranger in his work space. There was a small table by the window, and it was there that she laid the book and opened it to the bookmarked page in the sunlight.

“That’s a very old book,” he commented, reaching out to touch the yellowed page edges.

“Yes. And even this is only a reprint of the original, which is hundreds of years older.”

He gave the words themselves only a quick glance before turning to face her. “You’ll have to tell me what you found; you know I can’t read this language.”

“Right. So… we know that the current constitution, including the arranged marriage law, is based on a model of government established hundreds of years ago, written down in a book that our previous ruler dug out of an archive somewhere.”

“Yes. Always seemed a bit convenient that she found a document that described a government that gave her exactly what she wanted.”

“Very convenient… and badly translated.”

“How so?”

“This section here--” she outlined a paragraph with her finger without quite touching the page— “is the basis of the marriage law. The modern translation of these words reads, ‘the government shall choose for each citizen a life partner, and offer whatever support necessary to insure the success of each marriage.’” She opened her eyes, only then realizing that she’d closed them as she recited the words by memory, and saw Mr. Gold staring at her, lips parted and body tense.

He cleared his throat and glanced down at the book between them.

“So you’re saying that’s not what this book says?”

“It’s not how I would translate it, no. I read it as, ‘the government shall support each citizen in choosing their life partner, and offer whatever support necessary to insure the success of each marriage.’ Mr. Gold… they reversed the verbs in the current translation. There’s a world of difference in meaning between ‘support’ and ‘choose’ and they reversed them!”

“How sure are you of your translation?”

“I’m very sure of how I translated this book. The problem is, this is a later edition of the original. It’s very common for each edition to have minor edits, or changes in translation. What we need is to see the original.”

“Do you know where it’s kept?”

“According to my favorite professor at university… in the Government Archives of the University Library, where I have my internship. It’s theoretically possible to receive access to the documents kept there, but permission is granted to very few. The most commonly approved applications are from academics and scholars, like my professor. That’s how she knows where it is; she’s seen it there.”

“Hmm….” He leaned back against the table, tapping his fingers on his cane as he thought. “It’s unlikely that either of us could be approved to see these documents. There are other ways, though. How about you let me work on that? You’ve done your part by finding this information, and translating it. My skills are more suited to procuring items of value, especially those most difficult to procure. I’m going to enjoy this challenge. Well done on your part, Miss French.”

He gave a small salute as he went back to his desk, and the wink that accompanied it made her stomach flutter. He picked up the phone and started dialing, his attention already intent on his task, so she picked up her research and left, closing the door behind her.

*

The clock next to her bed read 2:08 when she opened her eyes, wondering why she was awake. She got out of bed and went to her door, opening it a crack to look out in the hallway. It was empty, but the light from downstairs told her that Mr. Gold was awake. 

Wrapping a robe around herself, she went downstairs and knocked on his closed office door. She didn’t wait for his answer before opening it and stepping inside. 

“Miss French. What are you doing up at this hour?” 

“Wondering why you’re up at this hour,” she countered. 

He sighed. “I’m sorry if I woke you. I found myself unable to sleep, and thought I might get some work done.” 

“You’re worried over Bae,” she stated. He simply nodded. “I can’t imagine how hard it must be, to not know. Can I help in any way?” 

“I’m afraid there’s nothing that anyone can do, Miss French.” 

“Well, I can keep you company, at least.” She saw him start to protest, and cut him off. “You shouldn’t be alone. Just let me grab a book, and I’ll sit with you.” 

He only nodded acknowledgement when she re-entered his office, The Bear and the Bow in hand, and made herself comfortable on the small couch that she’d never seen him use. She didn’t try to draw him into conversation, but focused on her book. She felt his eyes on her occasionally, but continued to read, till her eyes grew heavy and she let her head fall back against the cushion. 

She didn’t know how much later it was, when he shook her awake, whispering her name urgently. 

“Miss French! Miss French, you must wake up now.” 

His panicked tone chased away the last traces of sleep-induced fog. “What is it?” she asked, sitting up. A blanket fell away as she did, and she had the passing thought that Mr. Gold had covered her as she slept. 

“Someone is in the house.” 

“What?” She was fully awake in an instant. 

“I heard footsteps upstairs. I need you to stay here, and lock the door, while I investigate.” 

He stood up from where he’d been bending over her, and for the first time she saw a gun in his hand. The sight made her go cold; she’d never known that he owned a gun. He strode toward the door as quickly as his injured leg allowed, and left, closing the door behind him. 

What danger was he walking into upstairs? She couldn’t stay here, safe behind a locked door, and let him take all the risk. Not when she could possibly help. Crossing to Mr. Gold’s desk, she scanned the items in plain sight and grabbed a glass paperweight in one hand, a silver letter opener in the other. 

As quietly as possible, she left the office and tip-toed up the stairs. Mr. Gold was already out of sight, so she hurried to the top and looked down the hall, to see him pressed to the wall outside Bae’s room. A light shone from beneath the closed door. She moved to the wall herself, and crept closer. She was still several feet away from Mr. Gold when he turned suddenly, opening the door and pointing the gun into the room.  

“Stop where you are!” he commanded, and Belle shivered at the menace in his voice. “Turn around with your hands up, or I shoot!” 

“Don’t shoot!” A man’s voice. “It’s me, Papa. It’s Bae.” 

The color drained from Gold’s face, and the hand holding the gun fell limp to his side. 

-