Let Me Be Your Heroine (1/3)
Title: Let Me Be Your Heroine
Summary: Rumpelstiltskin becomes stuck in a trap left for the wolf and bound by magic. Red Riding Hood finds him, almost frozen to death. She brings him home and tends to him and in return he rewards her with anything she desires. She chooses to know what a being like him would be like as hers.
Rating: PG-13 for this chapter
Spoilers: 1x15
Word Count: 4,646
Pairing/Characters: Red Riding Hood/Rumpelstiltskin, Blue Fairy, mentions Granny and others
Disclaimer: Once Upon a Time is not owned by me, but by ABC. I’m simply borrowing these characters for non-profit entertainment.
A/N: One of my fills for the ouatkinkmeme. And the woodsman is an OC.
~~
Chapter 1, Snow Blind:
With Granny being cared for by her parents at their cottage on the other side of the forest, even despite the old woman's many claims that she didn't need it, Red Riding Hood had begun to adapt quite well to her newfound responsibilities and even to somewhat living on her own. True her granny could be back any day, to hear the old woman tell it, but it was beginning to make her feel even more self-sufficient than she normally did. This had also allowed her to feel she had a bit more free time than she might have ordinarily since they had sent her to grandmother's cottage alone.
"You will be protected there," her mother insisted.
"And you can protect everyone better there in knowing Granny is being cared for here," her father had added.
Red had agreed in part because she knew she had to, but also because she knew it was their bid to keep her granny from worrying more about her or the Queen's bloodthirsty wolves. Now with a few days having passed, Red found her grandmother's cottage actually had been nice to spend time by herself in. She would still patrol her village for the wolves for most of her day, dispatching any who threatened her or the other villagers and occasionally chat with any friends who happened by. But mostly it had been quiet of late. And most of that had been thanks to the traps that had been set by the fairies, binding any wolf in magic until she arrived to either kill the wolves or set them free, depending on if they meant harm or not.
Red grinned as she came to a denser part of the forest to see another trap had clearly done its job. From her vantage point it seemed a rather large wolf had gotten itself caught, likely days ago as it was partially covered beneath the fallen snow, and she was all too happy to help in whichever way the moment would call for. Perhaps she would be truly fortunate and the beast would already be dead. If it had been one of the Queen's, at least. She would never wish such a fate on the wolves such as those who had raised her dear Huntsmen friends.
Only as Red stepped closer she realized it was no wolf at all and a hint of fear began to tug at her nerves. It was a man, lying in the snow, seemingly both frozen and unconscious. Had the fairies known? she wondered. If they had, why hadn't they helped him? Why had none of the woodsmen come to help either? How long had he been out here? How long had he been like this?
She fell to her knees at his side even as the questions continued to swirl in her mind. Another thing she forced herself to wonder instead was how she would manage to get him back to her granny's cottage if he couldn't walk. Thinking, and glancing back over her shoulder, Red sighed in relief to see they weren't too far from her grandmother's cottage after all. They were at least close enough to the path she used to get to and from it. If he could still be helped, she knew she could take him there since it seemed no other help would be near.
All that stopped Red from immediately helping him when she finally got a clear look at him, and his clothes, and truly saw his face was the realization of who he had to be. His wild brown hair, though matted and wet by the snow and ice. His golden skin, that the cold was likely to blame for having given even the slightest blueish tint to in some places. His mostly leather clothes...
"Rumpelstiltskin," she breathed at the realization. It was clearly him who had been caught in the trap and Red knew that not even his own magic could have set him free from the fairies' curse. Not when they had been proud enough to boast that they knew how to bind his powers. But Red could free him, just as she could free any creature caught in those traps, if she chose to.
For a moment Red wondered if she should. So many stories had spread through her village over the years about him and none were particularly favorable or flattering.
"He's pure evil," her granny had warned.
"He thrives on tricking any he meets, particularly young girls like yourself," her mother had told her.
"You have learned how not to trust wolves in sheep's clothing. He is worse than any wolf you have ever faced, or even heard of. If there is one thing in all the forest you trust less than the wolves you've never met, you let it be that Imp," her father had told her.
Even if their stories were true, as she had presumed they were, did he deserve to die for all of that? She felt sick at knowing what her family's answer would be. To her mind he had done nothing to her. He had never harmed her, had never tricked her, had never even spoken to her. In fact this was the first time she had truly laid eyes on him. Right or wrong, no matter the scolding she may receive from her parents or Granny should they find out, she knew she couldn't leave him there. Even if they were right about him, even if he was the worst evil in all the land, Red knew she couldn't have lived with herself if she didn't at least try to help him.
"Rumpelstiltskin?" she tried with a gloved hand to his shoulder, hoping to wake him. He didn't stir. In case he could hear her even if unable to respond, she added, "You'll be alright now. I'm freeing you and you'll be safe soon." She was still uncertain if that was the truth even as she kicked the pieces of the trap away, but she hoped the curse would wear off much sooner than the chill that had threatened to claim him.
When he still didn't respond or even open his eyes even as she lifted him to a mostly seated position, she called to her horse and managed to raise him onto the animal's back. Taking hold of a reign, she led them back to Granny's cottage. Her home, she corrected herself, until Granny was back on her feet. For the first time since her granny had taken ill, Red was relieved it could be a while before that happened. She couldn't imagine just how much worse things could get should Granny or her parents find Rumpelstiltskin, even a possibly dying Rumpelstiltskin, in that cottage or in her company.
Red doubted they would be any happier if they knew she was helping him into her bed as soon as they reached the cottage, but she wouldn't allow herself to care about that or even think any more about it as she turned and threw a few logs into the fireplace of her bedroom and set a fire as quickly as she could. They weren't there and wouldn't be any time soon. He was and he was freezing and she knew all too well the one thing that would help the most in keeping him from getting any worse.
Without a second thought about it, she untied her cloak and laid it over him before she yanked off her gloves and dropped them to the floor. She untied her corset as quickly as humanly possible, then letting it fall to the floor behind her. She pushed her dress off of her shoulders next and let it drop and pool at her feet. Her skirts were next to join the growing pile of her clothing. Her boots were last before she turned her attention to his own.
Deciding to work her way from bottom to top with his clothing, she unlaced his boots first and tossed them aside with a heavy thud. Next, she got to work unbuttoning his vest before taking it off of him and then made quick work of his flowing shirt. His breeches were next and she was thankful she had already laid her cloak over him, wanting to keep this from being any more awkward. At least for once she wasn't worried about her reputation, but there were still things she knew she wasn't yet privy to see even if she was hoping to save the Imp's life.
Briefly Red thought how it was just her luck that this was her first experience of undressing a man. Her focus always having to center around her family or protecting the forest, there wasn't much room for romance. Certainly not when there had been that fear that any one of her fellow villagers could have been the wolf from long ago. At least none of them had to worry about that at the moment with the next full moon being weeks away.
When she had finished undressing him, she quickly laid his clothes over the nearest chair to dry and hoped to shut her thoughts off completely. Yes she was about to be nearly completely naked with a man in her bed for the first time, but it was solely to share body heat and help him survive. As quickly as she could manage, she righted her cloak back over him and reached for her blanket to cover and surround them both. It was then she moved as close to him as physically possible, facing him, as much of her skin to his as she could manage.
That was the first time she really noticed how different he was from the human men she knew, or even herself. Quite a time to think of that, she knew, but while he had been known for his golden skin and clearly she had just seen more than she had ever imagined she would, somehow the texture of his skin had never occurred to her. And frankly, as she was noticing, it might have actually felt quite nice against her own skin had he not been so robbed of any actual body heat of his own.
With that in mind, Red dutifully returned to her task in trying to warm him, her free arm slipping around him so she could reach his back and hopefully create enough friction to get his circulation working there again as well.
Meanwhile, though he couldn't be certain if it was a dream or perhaps a mirage brought on by his delirious state, Rumpelstiltskin knew something had greatly changed. He could feel what seemed to be a smooth and slender female body against his own and he could feel, presumably, that same someone touching him. Still too weak to even open his eyes to either see his rescuer or be forced to realize it wasn't real, he simply tried to focus on what little he could feel and even smell. The air had changed, he realized. It was a bit warmer and it was dry. He also realized that he no longer smelled snow, instead finding he could smell the burning wood from the fireplace. He decided then it had to be a dream and dared to let himself drift further back into it. At least if he was about to die he could pretend he wasn't alone.
Red could hear her granny's voice in her head even as she held the Imp's body to her own, still trying to create friction over his golden skin with her free hand as she ignored the reaction certain parts of her body were having to the coldness against her. She could hear her granny telling her she shouldn't have cared about him, how she should have treated him like any wolf, how her kind nature would bring her nothing but trouble. She tried to drown it out, but her fear was getting the better of her. What would happen if this wasn't enough and he did die? What if one of her friends had seen her bring him back and went to tell her family? Or worse, what if another woodsman appeared thinking he would be helping her by dispatching of the Imp?
Red knew she would have to do something, at least say something to prove this had been her choice and beg them not to breathe a word of it. But first she had to be sure she could leave him, and that wouldn't happen any time soon. For the time being she just hoped that luck would be on her side.
Eventually Red's arm tired from the exertion at his back and she could feel the minutes dragging by. She guessed by then even an hour had past since she had found Rumpelstiltskin in that snow. And finally, as his breathing had calmed enough to make her believe he had fallen into an at least mostly restful sleep, Red found she couldn't keep her own eyes open any longer. Not when her earlier panic and subsequent relief of him at least still being alive had exhausted her and now all of that was becoming coupled with the sounds of his breathing, beginning to lull her to sleep. She knew she had done all she could for the moment, and now she could only hope that when she did awake again she would be awakening to find that she had managed to help him. Of all the times to not be able to make a deal with him, and the sheer irony of wishing she could make a deal to save his life.
By the time Rumpelstiltskin found he could even ever so slightly move again, or open his eyes despite his vision being slightly blurred, night had fallen. The only light was that coming from the dying fire a few feet away and a nearby window that the sliver of the moon was peeking outside of. It was enough though for him to see he wasn't in his castle, nor still upon the snow. Bringing his gaze forward, he could also see there was a young, dark-haired young woman beside him in what he had realized to be a rather soft and warm bed.
It surprised him. He had tried willing himself to his castle and had failed. Then he guessed his only hope would be the Queen, or perhaps any other royals who wished to throw him into the nearest hole they called a dungeon. Instead he was in a cottage, with a young woman, saved from the winter hell he had spent however many days in.
He tried to think, trying to place any of this; particularly the woman. The last thing he could remember, guessing it was from that day, was seeing was a flash of red while the sun was still shining as brightly as it did most mornings.
Then he looked to see a bit of red material peeking out from under the thick blanket lying atop both his companion and himself. He could only imagine one person in all the forest to surround herself with red, given he had been the one to enchant that cloak in a deal an old woman had made with him, but he couldn't make himself believe the girl that woman had talked about the cloak having been for had been the one to save him. True that girl also had similar long dark locks that he realized he could not only see, but even smell from his proximity to her. However none of that could make him believe Red Riding Hood had been his heroine. As it was he had only seen that bit of red material, it wasn't as though he was able to see if it was in fact a cloak.
Wanting to get out of what was sure to soon be quite an awkward situation, even more so when he sensed his clothes were gone, Rumpelstiltskin tried to leave. He found he still couldn't much move, but he knew he wouldn't need to if he could conjure a puff of smoke and transport himself to his home and into his own bed.
Only, it wasn't working. Clearly the fairies' magic had been stronger than he had thought, and he was also clearly weaker than he had wished to believe. But that didn't stop him from shutting his eyes to concentrate and attempting to try again.
The shifting of the bed, slight as it may have been, began to wake Red. For a moment she had almost forgotten that morning had been quite real. It was only at seeing she wasn't alone that brought it all back for her.
"Rumpelstiltskin?" she asked just above a whisper. "Are you awake?"
Opening his eyes again, he met hers. "Where am I?" he managed, his voice hoarse from days of his throat remaining dry.
Sitting up slightly, she answered, "You're in a cottage, my granny's actually but you needn't worry about her for the time being. You're safe here. I found you in the trap the fairies had set for the wolves and brought you here to help you recover."
He tried to nod as he took it all in. "And you, dear?" he asked her.
Red smiled. "I guess you wouldn't be able to tell in the dark. I'm Red Riding Hood."
Part of Rumpelstiltskin wanted to vanish even more than he had before. Red Riding Hood had in fact been the one to save him? And was claiming to help him? He couldn't help but be suspicious. But then he calmed as he guessed that like most she too had done this because she had hoped to gain something from it. However, as she shifted closer to him, he supposed there might be a bit of something in it for him as well. Clearly his clothing had been removed, but as he felt her body against his, he realized hers had been as well. True he may not have been as able to enjoy it as he would have liked, but it was clear the cold was still getting to her, the goosebumps he could feel rising upon her skin, the pebbling of her nipples against his chest; perhaps he would die happy after all.
"You're still so cold," she commented, genuinely worried her efforts had been for naught.
"Not as cold as I was," he replied, realizing he at least wasn't shivering anymore.
"I should get you into a hot bath and then fix you some tea and soup. Unless you would rather wait until morning when it’s warmer for the bath and skip now to the tea and soup. How long as it been since you've eaten?"
He couldn't be sure. He knew he had to have been out there for days, but exactly how many was beyond his memory. After a while they had all begun to blur together in a sea of white. Still, he decided on the simple answer of, "Days, or more."
Red nodded. "I'll be back as soon as I can be."
With that she slipped out of the bed and grabbed the first thing she could find to put on, which ended up being one of her bed dresses from the night before. "Stay warm," she added as she fixed what had been her side of both her cloak and the blanket to all but cocoon him there in her bed.
Rumpelstiltskin watched as she carefully lit a large candle and then a few more as she made her way to the kitchen. There wasn't much else he could do as he still couldn't really move nor muster the magic he would need to send himself home. He was at least thankful she had left the room's door open for him to see her as she moved about the cottage, musing slightly that even that dress of hers was red.
With the wood on for the stove, the fire going and the kettle started, Red tried to think what else she might need. Soup and tea seemed to be the easiest, and likely the most he could handle at the moment so she chose to start there.
She glanced back to him as she waited for both to warm. Finally she was finding she could drown out the overwhelming thoughts from earlier. She wasn't sure which bothered her most; the fact she knew she was going against everything she had been told or that she didn't find herself caring about that anymore.
All she had to ask herself was if he would have done the same for her if she had been the one in that trap instead. She was sure he would have. It would have been for his own gain, of course, but that didn't change her answer. She knew he would have certainly gotten her to make a deal with him and would have only freed her once said deal was in place. But the end result would have been the same; he would have still been the one to help her and free her.
Unable to sit or stand still, Red headed back into her bedroom to put another log on the fire there as well.
"Do you treat all your guests so well?" she heard him ask from behind her.
Red turned to him with a smile. With a chuckle, she answered, "I guess so." She was just about to ask him if he was feeling even a little better, but the shrieking of the kettle stopped her. Without another word she was back out of the room and in the kitchen.
It was a few moments later that Rumpelstiltskin got to watch her come back into the dim room, a steaming bowl in one hand and an equally steaming cup in the other. He tried to sit up in anticipation, but quickly found himself wishing he could wring the Blue Fairy's neck, or maybe just manage to break it between a pair of his nimble fingers when even that proved to be a chore.
"Hey, let me help," Red was quick to tell him, setting both the soup and tea down on a bedside table before sitting beside him.
"You shouldn't need to," he told her, his voice lower than earlier as his anger began to get the better of him.
"I know," she agreed. "But for now you need help, and I'm here. So, here," she offered as she helped him sit up and rearrange the pillows behind him well enough so he could lean against them while he ate. Only first she reached for the tea and held it for him as well, blowing carefully on it so it wouldn't burn either of them.
"You seem used to this," he told her after that first long sip.
"Sometimes when Granny gets sick, I'm the one to take care of her. When she gets worse my parents have to take over until she's well enough to come back. This is one of those times which is why she isn't here."
He nodded before taking another long sip of the warm liquid. He still wasn't sure what to make of this hospitality of hers, or whether it was because she wished to make a deal or if she just simply needed someone to care for. But now he was far too thirsty and hungry to ask, only managing to indicate to her which, between the soup and tea he wanted and when.
By the time she was able to anticipate him, Red was almost having fun with it; at least for the brief moments when she was able to forget the reason for all of this. She was just as quick though when she realized he was getting tired again. First she set the nearly empty bowl and cup back on the bedside table and then put an arm back around his shoulders as she tossed the pillows that she had placed behind him aside before finally helping him lay back down.
Finally he decided he was able to manage asking her that question, bracing himself for her answer even as he asked, "Why help me?" He couldn't help but still be curious as to how worried he should be given this was in fact the famed huntress' home.
"Because not even you deserve to die like that," she answered. "And I'm sure what you must be thinking, but I told you before, you're safe here. No one knows you're here and they won't unless you wish to tell them yourself."
"You must be quite brave, dearie. Alone with me in your home, knowing what I'm sure you do about me? Yet here you sit, giving me a warm place to lay and tea to drink. Is it simply that you feel I'm too weak for you to be afraid? Or is it something else?"
"If I was so frightened of you as most would wish for me to be, I wouldn't have saved you at all. But I did because there are times you aren't the worst monster in the forest. Nothing I've heard of you implies you chose to be what you are. Few of us have. Sometimes a little understanding, monster to monster, can go a long way."
She was right. And he smiled. He wondered what all they might have in common given that statement of hers, but he could feel sleep once again attempting to claim him. He knew he had done well to fight it this long, but if the girl was going to go to so much trouble to help him, he decided he may as well not let her efforts go to waste.
"Do you think you'll be okay for a few minutes?" she asked as she covered him back up with both her cloak and blanket.
He nodded as he managed to slowly turn over onto his side.
Red gave him a small smile before she headed back out of the room again. She knew she needed to get something to eat and drink herself, maybe even head outside for a few seconds and pretend to do a patrol. Or at least go and get some fresh air.
For the next several minutes Red just found herself going through the motions. It did at least feel normal to have someone else in the cottage aside from herself and to be taking care of them. Even if tonight it was the forest's most feared creature in place of her grandmother. Red guessed she had managed a full two seconds of fresh air before cleaning up what she needed to and getting herself some water and a bite to eat.
It was when she found herself about to sit in Granny's favorite chair that she truly felt the weight of her day begin to settle upon her shoulders. This was another secret she would have to keep. Not only having brought Rumpelstiltskin into her grandmother's cottage, but if any time in the future she heard stories from her friends about how he had tricked them, or forced them to give up their most precious possession, then she knew she would have to bear that burden. This one act of hers would be what would make it possible for him to continue to do either of those things.
Truly Red could think of no one she could tell of this. Even her closest friends would likely judge her for it or accuse him of planning it all. Even if one in particular would know why she felt such a strong need to help those she could. But as she stepped quietly back into her room and crawled back into her bed beside Rumpelstiltskin's sleeping form, she still couldn't force herself to wish she had made any other choice.
Summary: Rumpelstiltskin becomes stuck in a trap left for the wolf and bound by magic. Red Riding Hood finds him, almost frozen to death. She brings him home and tends to him and in return he rewards her with anything she desires. She chooses to know what a being like him would be like as hers.
Rating: PG-13 for this chapter
Spoilers: 1x15
Word Count: 4,646
Pairing/Characters: Red Riding Hood/Rumpelstiltskin, Blue Fairy, mentions Granny and others
Disclaimer: Once Upon a Time is not owned by me, but by ABC. I’m simply borrowing these characters for non-profit entertainment.
A/N: One of my fills for the ouatkinkmeme. And the woodsman is an OC.
~~
Chapter 1, Snow Blind:
With Granny being cared for by her parents at their cottage on the other side of the forest, even despite the old woman's many claims that she didn't need it, Red Riding Hood had begun to adapt quite well to her newfound responsibilities and even to somewhat living on her own. True her granny could be back any day, to hear the old woman tell it, but it was beginning to make her feel even more self-sufficient than she normally did. This had also allowed her to feel she had a bit more free time than she might have ordinarily since they had sent her to grandmother's cottage alone.
"You will be protected there," her mother insisted.
"And you can protect everyone better there in knowing Granny is being cared for here," her father had added.
Red had agreed in part because she knew she had to, but also because she knew it was their bid to keep her granny from worrying more about her or the Queen's bloodthirsty wolves. Now with a few days having passed, Red found her grandmother's cottage actually had been nice to spend time by herself in. She would still patrol her village for the wolves for most of her day, dispatching any who threatened her or the other villagers and occasionally chat with any friends who happened by. But mostly it had been quiet of late. And most of that had been thanks to the traps that had been set by the fairies, binding any wolf in magic until she arrived to either kill the wolves or set them free, depending on if they meant harm or not.
Red grinned as she came to a denser part of the forest to see another trap had clearly done its job. From her vantage point it seemed a rather large wolf had gotten itself caught, likely days ago as it was partially covered beneath the fallen snow, and she was all too happy to help in whichever way the moment would call for. Perhaps she would be truly fortunate and the beast would already be dead. If it had been one of the Queen's, at least. She would never wish such a fate on the wolves such as those who had raised her dear Huntsmen friends.
Only as Red stepped closer she realized it was no wolf at all and a hint of fear began to tug at her nerves. It was a man, lying in the snow, seemingly both frozen and unconscious. Had the fairies known? she wondered. If they had, why hadn't they helped him? Why had none of the woodsmen come to help either? How long had he been out here? How long had he been like this?
She fell to her knees at his side even as the questions continued to swirl in her mind. Another thing she forced herself to wonder instead was how she would manage to get him back to her granny's cottage if he couldn't walk. Thinking, and glancing back over her shoulder, Red sighed in relief to see they weren't too far from her grandmother's cottage after all. They were at least close enough to the path she used to get to and from it. If he could still be helped, she knew she could take him there since it seemed no other help would be near.
All that stopped Red from immediately helping him when she finally got a clear look at him, and his clothes, and truly saw his face was the realization of who he had to be. His wild brown hair, though matted and wet by the snow and ice. His golden skin, that the cold was likely to blame for having given even the slightest blueish tint to in some places. His mostly leather clothes...
"Rumpelstiltskin," she breathed at the realization. It was clearly him who had been caught in the trap and Red knew that not even his own magic could have set him free from the fairies' curse. Not when they had been proud enough to boast that they knew how to bind his powers. But Red could free him, just as she could free any creature caught in those traps, if she chose to.
For a moment Red wondered if she should. So many stories had spread through her village over the years about him and none were particularly favorable or flattering.
"He's pure evil," her granny had warned.
"He thrives on tricking any he meets, particularly young girls like yourself," her mother had told her.
"You have learned how not to trust wolves in sheep's clothing. He is worse than any wolf you have ever faced, or even heard of. If there is one thing in all the forest you trust less than the wolves you've never met, you let it be that Imp," her father had told her.
Even if their stories were true, as she had presumed they were, did he deserve to die for all of that? She felt sick at knowing what her family's answer would be. To her mind he had done nothing to her. He had never harmed her, had never tricked her, had never even spoken to her. In fact this was the first time she had truly laid eyes on him. Right or wrong, no matter the scolding she may receive from her parents or Granny should they find out, she knew she couldn't leave him there. Even if they were right about him, even if he was the worst evil in all the land, Red knew she couldn't have lived with herself if she didn't at least try to help him.
"Rumpelstiltskin?" she tried with a gloved hand to his shoulder, hoping to wake him. He didn't stir. In case he could hear her even if unable to respond, she added, "You'll be alright now. I'm freeing you and you'll be safe soon." She was still uncertain if that was the truth even as she kicked the pieces of the trap away, but she hoped the curse would wear off much sooner than the chill that had threatened to claim him.
When he still didn't respond or even open his eyes even as she lifted him to a mostly seated position, she called to her horse and managed to raise him onto the animal's back. Taking hold of a reign, she led them back to Granny's cottage. Her home, she corrected herself, until Granny was back on her feet. For the first time since her granny had taken ill, Red was relieved it could be a while before that happened. She couldn't imagine just how much worse things could get should Granny or her parents find Rumpelstiltskin, even a possibly dying Rumpelstiltskin, in that cottage or in her company.
Red doubted they would be any happier if they knew she was helping him into her bed as soon as they reached the cottage, but she wouldn't allow herself to care about that or even think any more about it as she turned and threw a few logs into the fireplace of her bedroom and set a fire as quickly as she could. They weren't there and wouldn't be any time soon. He was and he was freezing and she knew all too well the one thing that would help the most in keeping him from getting any worse.
Without a second thought about it, she untied her cloak and laid it over him before she yanked off her gloves and dropped them to the floor. She untied her corset as quickly as humanly possible, then letting it fall to the floor behind her. She pushed her dress off of her shoulders next and let it drop and pool at her feet. Her skirts were next to join the growing pile of her clothing. Her boots were last before she turned her attention to his own.
Deciding to work her way from bottom to top with his clothing, she unlaced his boots first and tossed them aside with a heavy thud. Next, she got to work unbuttoning his vest before taking it off of him and then made quick work of his flowing shirt. His breeches were next and she was thankful she had already laid her cloak over him, wanting to keep this from being any more awkward. At least for once she wasn't worried about her reputation, but there were still things she knew she wasn't yet privy to see even if she was hoping to save the Imp's life.
Briefly Red thought how it was just her luck that this was her first experience of undressing a man. Her focus always having to center around her family or protecting the forest, there wasn't much room for romance. Certainly not when there had been that fear that any one of her fellow villagers could have been the wolf from long ago. At least none of them had to worry about that at the moment with the next full moon being weeks away.
When she had finished undressing him, she quickly laid his clothes over the nearest chair to dry and hoped to shut her thoughts off completely. Yes she was about to be nearly completely naked with a man in her bed for the first time, but it was solely to share body heat and help him survive. As quickly as she could manage, she righted her cloak back over him and reached for her blanket to cover and surround them both. It was then she moved as close to him as physically possible, facing him, as much of her skin to his as she could manage.
That was the first time she really noticed how different he was from the human men she knew, or even herself. Quite a time to think of that, she knew, but while he had been known for his golden skin and clearly she had just seen more than she had ever imagined she would, somehow the texture of his skin had never occurred to her. And frankly, as she was noticing, it might have actually felt quite nice against her own skin had he not been so robbed of any actual body heat of his own.
With that in mind, Red dutifully returned to her task in trying to warm him, her free arm slipping around him so she could reach his back and hopefully create enough friction to get his circulation working there again as well.
Meanwhile, though he couldn't be certain if it was a dream or perhaps a mirage brought on by his delirious state, Rumpelstiltskin knew something had greatly changed. He could feel what seemed to be a smooth and slender female body against his own and he could feel, presumably, that same someone touching him. Still too weak to even open his eyes to either see his rescuer or be forced to realize it wasn't real, he simply tried to focus on what little he could feel and even smell. The air had changed, he realized. It was a bit warmer and it was dry. He also realized that he no longer smelled snow, instead finding he could smell the burning wood from the fireplace. He decided then it had to be a dream and dared to let himself drift further back into it. At least if he was about to die he could pretend he wasn't alone.
Red could hear her granny's voice in her head even as she held the Imp's body to her own, still trying to create friction over his golden skin with her free hand as she ignored the reaction certain parts of her body were having to the coldness against her. She could hear her granny telling her she shouldn't have cared about him, how she should have treated him like any wolf, how her kind nature would bring her nothing but trouble. She tried to drown it out, but her fear was getting the better of her. What would happen if this wasn't enough and he did die? What if one of her friends had seen her bring him back and went to tell her family? Or worse, what if another woodsman appeared thinking he would be helping her by dispatching of the Imp?
Red knew she would have to do something, at least say something to prove this had been her choice and beg them not to breathe a word of it. But first she had to be sure she could leave him, and that wouldn't happen any time soon. For the time being she just hoped that luck would be on her side.
Eventually Red's arm tired from the exertion at his back and she could feel the minutes dragging by. She guessed by then even an hour had past since she had found Rumpelstiltskin in that snow. And finally, as his breathing had calmed enough to make her believe he had fallen into an at least mostly restful sleep, Red found she couldn't keep her own eyes open any longer. Not when her earlier panic and subsequent relief of him at least still being alive had exhausted her and now all of that was becoming coupled with the sounds of his breathing, beginning to lull her to sleep. She knew she had done all she could for the moment, and now she could only hope that when she did awake again she would be awakening to find that she had managed to help him. Of all the times to not be able to make a deal with him, and the sheer irony of wishing she could make a deal to save his life.
By the time Rumpelstiltskin found he could even ever so slightly move again, or open his eyes despite his vision being slightly blurred, night had fallen. The only light was that coming from the dying fire a few feet away and a nearby window that the sliver of the moon was peeking outside of. It was enough though for him to see he wasn't in his castle, nor still upon the snow. Bringing his gaze forward, he could also see there was a young, dark-haired young woman beside him in what he had realized to be a rather soft and warm bed.
It surprised him. He had tried willing himself to his castle and had failed. Then he guessed his only hope would be the Queen, or perhaps any other royals who wished to throw him into the nearest hole they called a dungeon. Instead he was in a cottage, with a young woman, saved from the winter hell he had spent however many days in.
He tried to think, trying to place any of this; particularly the woman. The last thing he could remember, guessing it was from that day, was seeing was a flash of red while the sun was still shining as brightly as it did most mornings.
Then he looked to see a bit of red material peeking out from under the thick blanket lying atop both his companion and himself. He could only imagine one person in all the forest to surround herself with red, given he had been the one to enchant that cloak in a deal an old woman had made with him, but he couldn't make himself believe the girl that woman had talked about the cloak having been for had been the one to save him. True that girl also had similar long dark locks that he realized he could not only see, but even smell from his proximity to her. However none of that could make him believe Red Riding Hood had been his heroine. As it was he had only seen that bit of red material, it wasn't as though he was able to see if it was in fact a cloak.
Wanting to get out of what was sure to soon be quite an awkward situation, even more so when he sensed his clothes were gone, Rumpelstiltskin tried to leave. He found he still couldn't much move, but he knew he wouldn't need to if he could conjure a puff of smoke and transport himself to his home and into his own bed.
Only, it wasn't working. Clearly the fairies' magic had been stronger than he had thought, and he was also clearly weaker than he had wished to believe. But that didn't stop him from shutting his eyes to concentrate and attempting to try again.
The shifting of the bed, slight as it may have been, began to wake Red. For a moment she had almost forgotten that morning had been quite real. It was only at seeing she wasn't alone that brought it all back for her.
"Rumpelstiltskin?" she asked just above a whisper. "Are you awake?"
Opening his eyes again, he met hers. "Where am I?" he managed, his voice hoarse from days of his throat remaining dry.
Sitting up slightly, she answered, "You're in a cottage, my granny's actually but you needn't worry about her for the time being. You're safe here. I found you in the trap the fairies had set for the wolves and brought you here to help you recover."
He tried to nod as he took it all in. "And you, dear?" he asked her.
Red smiled. "I guess you wouldn't be able to tell in the dark. I'm Red Riding Hood."
Part of Rumpelstiltskin wanted to vanish even more than he had before. Red Riding Hood had in fact been the one to save him? And was claiming to help him? He couldn't help but be suspicious. But then he calmed as he guessed that like most she too had done this because she had hoped to gain something from it. However, as she shifted closer to him, he supposed there might be a bit of something in it for him as well. Clearly his clothing had been removed, but as he felt her body against his, he realized hers had been as well. True he may not have been as able to enjoy it as he would have liked, but it was clear the cold was still getting to her, the goosebumps he could feel rising upon her skin, the pebbling of her nipples against his chest; perhaps he would die happy after all.
"You're still so cold," she commented, genuinely worried her efforts had been for naught.
"Not as cold as I was," he replied, realizing he at least wasn't shivering anymore.
"I should get you into a hot bath and then fix you some tea and soup. Unless you would rather wait until morning when it’s warmer for the bath and skip now to the tea and soup. How long as it been since you've eaten?"
He couldn't be sure. He knew he had to have been out there for days, but exactly how many was beyond his memory. After a while they had all begun to blur together in a sea of white. Still, he decided on the simple answer of, "Days, or more."
Red nodded. "I'll be back as soon as I can be."
With that she slipped out of the bed and grabbed the first thing she could find to put on, which ended up being one of her bed dresses from the night before. "Stay warm," she added as she fixed what had been her side of both her cloak and the blanket to all but cocoon him there in her bed.
Rumpelstiltskin watched as she carefully lit a large candle and then a few more as she made her way to the kitchen. There wasn't much else he could do as he still couldn't really move nor muster the magic he would need to send himself home. He was at least thankful she had left the room's door open for him to see her as she moved about the cottage, musing slightly that even that dress of hers was red.
With the wood on for the stove, the fire going and the kettle started, Red tried to think what else she might need. Soup and tea seemed to be the easiest, and likely the most he could handle at the moment so she chose to start there.
She glanced back to him as she waited for both to warm. Finally she was finding she could drown out the overwhelming thoughts from earlier. She wasn't sure which bothered her most; the fact she knew she was going against everything she had been told or that she didn't find herself caring about that anymore.
All she had to ask herself was if he would have done the same for her if she had been the one in that trap instead. She was sure he would have. It would have been for his own gain, of course, but that didn't change her answer. She knew he would have certainly gotten her to make a deal with him and would have only freed her once said deal was in place. But the end result would have been the same; he would have still been the one to help her and free her.
Unable to sit or stand still, Red headed back into her bedroom to put another log on the fire there as well.
"Do you treat all your guests so well?" she heard him ask from behind her.
Red turned to him with a smile. With a chuckle, she answered, "I guess so." She was just about to ask him if he was feeling even a little better, but the shrieking of the kettle stopped her. Without another word she was back out of the room and in the kitchen.
It was a few moments later that Rumpelstiltskin got to watch her come back into the dim room, a steaming bowl in one hand and an equally steaming cup in the other. He tried to sit up in anticipation, but quickly found himself wishing he could wring the Blue Fairy's neck, or maybe just manage to break it between a pair of his nimble fingers when even that proved to be a chore.
"Hey, let me help," Red was quick to tell him, setting both the soup and tea down on a bedside table before sitting beside him.
"You shouldn't need to," he told her, his voice lower than earlier as his anger began to get the better of him.
"I know," she agreed. "But for now you need help, and I'm here. So, here," she offered as she helped him sit up and rearrange the pillows behind him well enough so he could lean against them while he ate. Only first she reached for the tea and held it for him as well, blowing carefully on it so it wouldn't burn either of them.
"You seem used to this," he told her after that first long sip.
"Sometimes when Granny gets sick, I'm the one to take care of her. When she gets worse my parents have to take over until she's well enough to come back. This is one of those times which is why she isn't here."
He nodded before taking another long sip of the warm liquid. He still wasn't sure what to make of this hospitality of hers, or whether it was because she wished to make a deal or if she just simply needed someone to care for. But now he was far too thirsty and hungry to ask, only managing to indicate to her which, between the soup and tea he wanted and when.
By the time she was able to anticipate him, Red was almost having fun with it; at least for the brief moments when she was able to forget the reason for all of this. She was just as quick though when she realized he was getting tired again. First she set the nearly empty bowl and cup back on the bedside table and then put an arm back around his shoulders as she tossed the pillows that she had placed behind him aside before finally helping him lay back down.
Finally he decided he was able to manage asking her that question, bracing himself for her answer even as he asked, "Why help me?" He couldn't help but still be curious as to how worried he should be given this was in fact the famed huntress' home.
"Because not even you deserve to die like that," she answered. "And I'm sure what you must be thinking, but I told you before, you're safe here. No one knows you're here and they won't unless you wish to tell them yourself."
"You must be quite brave, dearie. Alone with me in your home, knowing what I'm sure you do about me? Yet here you sit, giving me a warm place to lay and tea to drink. Is it simply that you feel I'm too weak for you to be afraid? Or is it something else?"
"If I was so frightened of you as most would wish for me to be, I wouldn't have saved you at all. But I did because there are times you aren't the worst monster in the forest. Nothing I've heard of you implies you chose to be what you are. Few of us have. Sometimes a little understanding, monster to monster, can go a long way."
She was right. And he smiled. He wondered what all they might have in common given that statement of hers, but he could feel sleep once again attempting to claim him. He knew he had done well to fight it this long, but if the girl was going to go to so much trouble to help him, he decided he may as well not let her efforts go to waste.
"Do you think you'll be okay for a few minutes?" she asked as she covered him back up with both her cloak and blanket.
He nodded as he managed to slowly turn over onto his side.
Red gave him a small smile before she headed back out of the room again. She knew she needed to get something to eat and drink herself, maybe even head outside for a few seconds and pretend to do a patrol. Or at least go and get some fresh air.
For the next several minutes Red just found herself going through the motions. It did at least feel normal to have someone else in the cottage aside from herself and to be taking care of them. Even if tonight it was the forest's most feared creature in place of her grandmother. Red guessed she had managed a full two seconds of fresh air before cleaning up what she needed to and getting herself some water and a bite to eat.
It was when she found herself about to sit in Granny's favorite chair that she truly felt the weight of her day begin to settle upon her shoulders. This was another secret she would have to keep. Not only having brought Rumpelstiltskin into her grandmother's cottage, but if any time in the future she heard stories from her friends about how he had tricked them, or forced them to give up their most precious possession, then she knew she would have to bear that burden. This one act of hers would be what would make it possible for him to continue to do either of those things.
Truly Red could think of no one she could tell of this. Even her closest friends would likely judge her for it or accuse him of planning it all. Even if one in particular would know why she felt such a strong need to help those she could. But as she stepped quietly back into her room and crawled back into her bed beside Rumpelstiltskin's sleeping form, she still couldn't force herself to wish she had made any other choice.