Work Text:
“The Pain of Moving On”
BloodDrenchedRose
Sunlight pricked the back of her eyelids, and she registered the weight of the arm lying across her waist. Six weeks. It had been six weeks since she had banished Rumpelstiltskin from Storybrooke. Surely he couldn’t have—
No. It wasn’t him.
Everything came flooding back to her memory in a rush. The outings, the visits, the insistence of coffee every morning for the past couple of weeks… In a moment of wishing for the pain to end, she did the one thing she swore she would never do.
She moved on.
An irrational part of her reasoned that one day Rumpel would return. Belle would inwardly shake her head at that notion, making herself remember that the curse Ingrid had put on the town line would prevent anyone who crossed it from ever returning.
And yet she missed him beyond belief.
Most people would probably think ill of her if they thought too hard about the situation: a woman recently separated now in the arms of another man. Had she really not loved Rumpel if she was able to move on so quickly?
If anyone ever asked her that to her face, she’d deny it in a heartbeat. Yes, she’s moving on. Yes, she loved Rumpel more than anyone—even the Nolans—could ever comprehend.
This is just the only way she could think of to numb the pain. Everything else was too gory and over-the-top.
And cheating on your husband isn’t considered over-the-top?
The thought was accentuated by Will pulling her closer into his arms.
Was it really considered cheating, though? The chances of Rumpel returning were slim to none. Nothing could change that unless magic was involved. There was an even slimmer chance of that happening since there’s no magic outside of Storybrooke.
The rest of the town will soon come to realize the one thing she’s been denying for six weeks now.
Rumpel was never coming back.
Never.