There was a silence at the breakfast table, as usual. They didn't talk, not anymore. He remembered when he'd just gotten her back. His Belle, his beautiful Belle. They'd been joyful, made love on every possible surface, snuggled up on the couch at night. But that had faded. No children came, more conflict came, indifference came, he fought it, he didn't win.

He sneaked out at night now. Left Belle in the bed, went out, got drunk. He knew she could smell it on his breath when she woke up in the morning, but she never said anything. Not anymore. Those days were long behind them.

Sometimes he wondered if he still loved her. He did, of course he did. But it wasn't the same anymore. He'd still give his life for her, he'd still take a bullet for her, but it wasn't the same. It wasn't the gut-wrenching, soul-on-fire type of love they'd had before. It was... almost comfortable, but not really. He texted her when he'd be home, he'd get groceries when she'd forgotten, he'd hold her when she cried, but it wasn't the same. He missed it, deep down, but he couldn't quite bring himself to care.

''Rumple...'' Belle said. Her voice broke, as it always did when she spoke for the first time in a day. ''Rumple, what are we doing?''

He looked up from his newspaper, startled. She hadn't spoken to him over breakfast in at least two weeks, and the last time was because his bacon was burning. ''Eating breakfast.'' He replied matter-of-factly.

''You know what I mean.'' She said, annoyed but at the brink of not caring.

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes. If he admitted it out loud, it would be real. He didn't want it to be real. He wanted his Belle back, he wanted their love back, but she was growing older and he wasn't. ''I don't know what we're doing.'' He admitted truthfully.

''Do you want to keep going like this?'' Her eyes were still big and blue, the exact same eyes that he had once gazed into believing bliss would never end.

''No.'' He sighed. ''I don't. But I don't want you to leave.''

''I'm not leaving.'' She said in a small voice. ''But we need to fix us.''

Yes, yes they did. There was so much that needed to be fixed. He needed to kiss her again when he got home from work, he needed to wrap his arms around her when she was cooking, he needed to pull her close when they fell asleep. Most of all, he needed to want that again.

''I remember when you sent me away from the Dark Castle. I was so... devastated. I wanted you, Rum, I loved you. I was coming back. I never told you that. I was coming back when Regina took me.'' She let out a small sob and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. ''I don't want to believe I spent 28 years being tortured for this. I don't want to believe this is our life now. I refuse to believe that.''

Rumple let his fork drop. He suddenly didn't feel like eating. He stared at his plate, thinking of what to say. Nothing he could say now could fix all those years of emptiness.

''Do you love me?'' Belle whispered softly.

That was it. All that he needed to break. He pushed back his chair forcefully, walking around the table and pulling her up and into a tight hug within seconds. He held her as her shoulders shook, lacing his fingers through her hair, his hand running over her back soothingly. ''Of course I bloody love you, you idiot. I just... Don't know how to do this anymore.''

''I know.'' She nuzzled his neck, hands locking behind his back. ''What are we gonna do, Rum?''

He held her a little tighter, breathing in the scent of her shampoo. He'd almost forgotten that. He'd forgotten lots of things, now that he thought about it.

''How about we start with tea?''