(1703 words) 

Your POV 

"Why would I do that? When neither of us is certain I won't get hurt all over again?" 

Getting off of him, I helped him get up from the floor. 

"Both of us have had some rather, painful lives. But that doesn't mean we can't have a pain-free future. You'll never know what could be if you're always stuck on what was." 

He looked at me for a second before he pulled me closer to him. Looking at him as I put my hands on his shoulders he leaned down and kissed me. Kissing back slowly, I smiled gently and wrapped my arms around his neck. 

Pulling away for air, he looked at me. Putting his forehead against mine he smiled. "How's that for a start?" 

Giggling gently, I kissed him again before I stepped back. Looking at him I smiled. "I think it's about time I head to bed. Goodnight, Rumpelstiltskin." 

Going up to my room, I looked back at him as he was standing in the same spot we kissed. Smiling at him, I blew a kiss to him. After I got to my room, I got out of my gown and got changed for bed. Stretching as I stood there, I sighed. 

It was nice to be back in my room, and in my bed. That damn cell could burn in hell before I stayed in it again. Getting cozy under the covers, I fell asleep slowly, Rumple on my mind. 

~A Few Hours Later~ 

I woke up to the sound of glass breaking and yelling. 

"How dare you steal from me!" 

Recognizing the voice as Rumple's I started to kick the blankets from me. Getting out of my bed, I reached the door before turning around. I can't leave this room looking this indecent. The sound of more things breaking caught my attention. Oh yeah, I could. Leaving the room, I made my way down the stairs quietly. 

I found Rumple holding someone who looked like a thief in the air. Moving to him quickly, I grabbed his arm as I turned him to face me. He dropped the guy as soon as he saw me, he coughed as he was on his knees holding a hand to his throat. 

"Rumple what are you doing?" 

"He tried to steal from me!" he said as he pointed to the thief. 

"So? You have more than enough trinkets in this castle, why can't you let one go?" 

"Because no one steals from the Dark One!" 

"Why not? I know you don't care about these items; they just sit and collect dust." 

"Dust you're supposed to clean, now go back to your room, this might get messy." grabbing a sword from a display stand he rose it to slice the thief into tiny thief pieces. Grabbing his wrist, and prying the sword from his hand, throwing  it on the floor. Hearing it clang loudly as while he was staring daggers at me. 

"I will not stand by while you hurt someone." 

Narrowing his eyes at me for a moment before he wove his hand at the guy, making him disappear. Gasping before spinning around to see Rumple pick the sword up, examining it for a moment before seeing his eyes flick to me. 

"Where did you put him?" 

"Somewhere out of my sight." 

"That could be anywhere in the Enchanted Forest!" 

"That's the point, dearie!" 

Sighing while stepping over to him, taking the sword from his hands gently and putting it on the table I put my hands on his vest, smoothing some wrinkles. 

"What has gotten into you? You were fine when I went to bed." 

My voice was hushed as I spoke to him, hoping to calm him down. Wrapping his arms around my waist he tucked his face into my shoulder and sighed deeply. Almost as if he was taking in my scent. Wrapping my arms around him and stood there for a moment. 

How long has it been since you've been held, Rumple? We stood there for what felt like forever but was only a few minutes. Feeling him pull away and looking at me, going to say something, before closing his mouth and moving away from me. 

Tilting my head for a moment before watching him look down. "Will you at least tell me what he was here for?"

Looking at me for a moment he blinked as if he was pondering what he should say. The truth would have been a good start, but that wasn't going to happen as I saw him be enveloped into a puff of deep purple smoke. Sighing I crossed my arms. 

"Rumple! I thought we had gotten past this!" 

Turning I made my way to the steps, walking up them, growling under my breath. Hearing a small puff behind me, I turned to see Rumple at the top of the stairs, his hands behind his back.

"Normally I like it better when a woman growls for other reasons," he said as as he smirks at me. 

Raising a brow, and crossing my arms while looking at him. "I wouldn't give you the pleasure." 

Humming while nodding for a moment stepping closer to me slowly. Once he was in front of me, sighing, and his face fell. 

"I'll show you what the thief was here for." Pulling his hands from behind his back, he held a long dagger. The blade was waved a little at the end. the blade a reflective silver, holding little designs on each side. Looking at it for a moment noticing  his name was on the center of the blade. 

"I know it is certainly yours since your name is literally on it." 

Looking up at him, as he didn't give me a chuckle, let alone a smirk, rubbing my palms on my dress for a moment then clasping them loosely in front of me. 

"What's it for?" 

"This is known in the land, and to everyone who hates me, as the Dark One's Dagger. It's where all my power comes from." 

"Is that why he wanted it?"

Nodding as he put his hands behind him as he held it. Walking down the corridor slowly, turning to follow and walking with him. "If one of my enemies were to get hold of this dagger, then they could control me with it. Making me do anything they wanted to do. They would most likely use it to exploit a weakness that I have." 

"Do you even have any weaknesses?" 

Stopping in his tracks and looking at me, glancing away from me for a moment before looking back at me and nodding slightly.

"Recently a girl come into my life, well she more of flung the front doors to my castle open and then told me she would be my maid for all eternity. Other than her and my son, who isn't in this world, that's about it." 

Gasping gently I smile. "Who is this girl? Why have I not heard you speak of her before now?" 

Chuckling gently and looking at me for a moment. "We both know who I'm speaking of," he said as he put his free hand on my side, pulling me closer, looking down at me. 

"I'm not sure that I do, will you enlighten me?"

Smirking while looking down at me before leaning down, planting a kiss on me gently. Returning the kiss for a moment before pulling away and humming. "Is that all the enlightenment you need?" 

"That was all of it and then some." 

Grinning for a moment before stepping away and grabbing my hand, we began to walk again. "If they found out that you were a weakness of mine, then they could force me to hurt you, or worse in an effort to break me entirely." 

Nodding gently while processing everything, looking at him. "Who would be out to hurt you like that?" I asked while he gave a gentle sigh. 

"More people than I care to list, I would be writing names for the rest of my immortal life." 

Giggling gently at his little joke. "How did you get the dagger anyway?" 

"I was tricked by the Dark One, Zoso, the one before me. The only way for someone to gain the Dark One's power is for them to kill them, but the only weapon that can kill the Dark One is this dagger," he said as he held it up and waved it for a moment. 

"How do we keep them from getting it?"

"I keep it stored in a place that only I can get to, which is why I vanished for that brief moment. I know that I shouldn't run from you, but it's something I've always done." 

"Because people called you a coward? Rumple, people will only believe what they want, you can't let them make you into anything just because of what they say." 

Hesitating before for a moment before we got back to my room. Looking at me smiles gently. "You should get back to bed, you need your rest." 

Yawning as it hit me how tired I was, stretching and walking into the room. I had only gotten a few steps into the room before getting pulled back into Rumple. Looking up at him while raising a brow gently, leaning down and kissing me. 

"One more thing before you go back to bed." 

"What is that?"  Wrapping my arms around his waist and resting my head on his chest. 

"I never told you why you're my weakness." 

Raising a brow and liking at him, blinking tiredly. Only for him to pick me up and carry me to the bed, laying me down  before he looked at me. "What were you going to say." 

Stopping for a moment as if he didn't want to or he was having second thoughts. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he looked at the dagger for a moment, before looking back to me. 

"You're my weakness because." Pausing he drew in a breath, hesitant as ever. "I love you, (y/n)."