a/n: Had this idea floating in my mind for a while. Decided to quickly write it down before the next episode. Hope you enjoy :) (oh, and by the way, I know little to nothing about showers, though I have an understanding that Romans created a similar device. If you know more, please just play along.)

The Shower

It was a strange device to most who had heard of his wheel powered shower. Only the the mighty Queen herself was rich enough to own something similar to what he had created. True, a bit of his magic might have gone in it, but it was still something he pondered and created himself out of sheer…well…boredom. Being The Dark One had its perks and some interesting days, but since he had no companions and nothing else to do, the shower was the peak of his creative sparks. It had four different settings, nine different nozzle heads, and the water temperature could easily be changed by just a turn of a button. It was hooked up around a large wooden encasement about eight feet high and 5 feet wide. The wood was dark and study, yet had little peak holes that he never bothered to fill. Although this truly was an advanced system far beyond the rest of those around him, Rumpelstiltskin had never used it.

He just never found a reason to. After his hard work was done and he stood back to look at his creation and gave the wheel that controlled it a spin, he found he was a not interested in it at all. He gave it a moment, undressed and stepped it. Yet, standing underneath the warm water similar to that of a rain storm, he actually disliked it. He found the water getting in his eyes annoying and his hair plastered to his face a bother. To say the least, he quickly got out and into the frigid air. He never thought of it again, until he heard the slow creak of it. It was early afternoon and he was at his spinning wheel when it hit his ears. He did not even recognize the squeaks at first and wondered who would bother trying to break into his estate. But as he opened the broad doors leading outside, he found that darn contraption steaming up and running.

"What the…"He started to himself but stopped when he saw a soft white hand escape the wooden box and drop a blue and white dress onto the ground.

His mouth dropped a bit when he saw this. He never thought that girl would have the nerve to wonder outside of the door or even realize that he had this invention, but this did interest him. He had just won the girl, Belle being her name, in a deal a few days before, taking her from her land in a simple trade to help her little kingdom protect themselves in this ridiculous war. His estate was messy, after all, and he was too busy being bored to take care of it. Looking at the wooden box, he become irritated that she could enjoy something that he could not. He had brought her here to beat his rugs and wax his polish, not bask in his heated water. With a quick stride, he rushed out into the bright sun and towards the wooden box. Different versions of this conversation went on his head, many where she begged for forgiveness, those dark lips in a slight pout…those were the thoughts he pushed away in his head. There was no reason to see this girl anything other than a caretaker.

He came onto the shower and was about to throw open the door when a spark of what could only be called humanity struck him. This young innocent woman was as nude as the day she was born in that wooden box. True, he was not a man and should not have to follow by their moral law, but at one point he was. He remembered shooing young teenage boys away from girls windows late at night, trying to preserve any matter of childlike ways they still had. That was years ago, though, and now instead he traveled the lands taking what he could, killing who he must, and destroying whatever stood in his way.

So instead he decided just to take a little peak.

There was nothing wrong with that, he figured. The girl was his property, legally by the deal he struck with her father, and she was in his shower. Lightly, he placed his hands on the door and found a tiny hole in the wood. There she was, this Belle, this heroic young girl, bare to the world and lightly humming to herself. It had been years, no, decades since he had seen a woman as stripped as she was now. Her head was tilted back, her long brown hair being drenched by the warm water. Her back was to him, letting him see the virgin paleness of her body, leading down to the curve of hips and rounding to a soft little bottom. There was a slightly rhythm to her humming and she allowed her hips to move to the beat. His sight went to her feet, lightly tapping to her voice and moving her body around. When he looked back up, she was facing him, her eyes still shut as the water worshiped her. This was a scene he hadn't seen in a long while and he soaked it in. Young breasts, ripe with the blooming of age, leading up to light pink nipples standing strong in the water. Her body curved into lush hips and to her womanhood…

"Done looking yet?"

Belle's voice startled him, the sound taking him out of his trance and made him stumble back onto his heels. Caught red-handed in the act of peeping. He was not a simple school boy though, he was her master, her owner and he had the right to act on that. He promptly stood up and brushed himself off.

"Dearie, did I say you could come out here to shower?" He cleared his voice, not daring to look into the box. That did not matter though, for she swung the door open.

There she stood, as proud as the mightiest lioness, her lips turned into a quiet grin. She let her arm stretch above her, resting that hand onto the door frame and lightly popping her hip. He did not believe this maidens boldness…but it fascinated him.

"Are you going to join me?" She questioned, running her hand down the door frame and onto his shoulder.

"This is ridiculous behavior, you know?" He quipped as her hand sent shivers down his spine.

"I thought you liked ridiculousness?" She laughed, her nose bunching up while she did so. "I promise, it won't hurt."

Something about those eyes, dark and dancing with each crinkle sprouted from little nose of hers. Those teeth, blinding and strong, guiding out words that produced the strangest feelings in his stomach that were stronger than every ocean and all the wars. This magic she possessed was fiercer than any he had ever produced as his bare feet felt the wet stone beneath him and her soft hand gripping his own.

"There, that wasn't too bad," She laughed, her hands gripping the edge of his tunic. "You should know better than to get into the bath with your clothes on."

Giving her a smile, he put up a single finger while pushing her grip away, unsuccessfully, with his other hand.

"Ah, ah, ah, let's not do that," He whispered, but it was too late. Belle had his shirt over his head before he could push her fully away and she pulled him into the water. His pants stuck to his calves as the droplets as big as summer rain landed onto him. This, though, this did not interested as much as the soft drops falling onto Belle's soft skin, slowly rolling down her collar bone to her breasts. Never had the urge to touch someone been so strong.

"Come now, you bought me as a caretaker," She spoke gently as she pulled him closer to her. "I am to take care of house and body, am I not?"

He let her pull him to her body and they molded into one another. Her soft breasts pressed against his chest, her left leg cradling between his own and her right securing him close. The hips pressed against his soaked pants had never felt so warm in his entire life. For once, he felt like a man and not the monster he created himself to be.

"Clean me…" He choked out, uncertain why he spoke the words he did.

Belle did not protest and reached behind her to grab a clean white cloth. Wrapping one arm around his neck, she washed his back in light slow movements. She smelled like fresh winter snow and the smell intoxicated him. Running his hand down her back, he rested it right above her bottom.

"You know what you are doing, Dearie, getting caught up with me?" He tried to retain his composure, but could not help his voice leaking hope.

"No, but that is the exciting part. This is my decision to make, Rumpelstiltskin, and I'm choosing you."

Those dark lids shut and her lips lightly pouted and this was the hardest magic to fight. He was the most powerful being in all the lands, more powerful than any witch, any queen, and any warrior, but those lips absolutely stole all of his strength from him and he took them in his own. Every feeling he had ever felt as a man came rushing into his body, every heart break, every happy tear, every laugh and every sob. Every warm summer day, every lesson he had ever taught his son, every town festival and it was the most happiness he had felt in years.

When he let the kiss end, when he pulled his lips away from her, he saw she was not horrified by him. Smiling from ear to ear, she let out a slight laugh before putting her hands on his face and pulling him in for another. He let her press closer to him. He clutched her hair and pulled her in by her waist. He touched her bare skin, remembering the feeling never being this beautiful as it was now. When his dizzy enchantment broke, he felt her nails lightly scratching his face. He found specks of gold flying in the air around them. Belle had gold specks lightly on her dark lips and under her nails yet she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. A golden curse he had possessed, but she wore gold so beautifully. When two and two connected, though, he quickly went to touch his face to find golden glitter falling into his hand.

"What…what have you done?" He asked, not upset but dazzled. But when he tried to face her, she was gone. He was standing alone under the pouring warm water, his pants sticking to his legs, his hair plastered to his face, and the gold glitter flying in the air. He turned around, frantically searching for this girl he had taken, bought, bartered for to clean his home, do his dishes and was now fascinating him beyond his control.

Instead he found the Queen standing just outside the shower door.

"So…you let the girl take it from you? Not sure if that was the wisest of choices…" The Queen spoke, striding up to him. The water didn't touch her as it had doused Belle.

"Taken what?" He asked.

"Well…your power of course." She arched her eyebrow and let out a wicked laugh.

He shook his head and tried to turn the water off, yet nothing. He tried to disappear back to his dining room, but nothing. He had nothing left and the Queen stood there laughing. Belle had taken it all from him with just a kiss. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to remember his powers. He could not remember what magic felt like, what it sounded like, or what it looked like. All he could think of was how amazing her skin felt against his own…

The first thing he noticed when he opened his eyes was how dry he was. His surroundings were the simple room he slept in and the realization that it was all a dream finally crept into him. Running to a mirror, he quickly threw off the covering and had a quick peak. He did not want the Queen to see using her silly spies, but he had gotten the confirmation that his face was the same, his skin was the same, and by covering the mirror with only a flick of his wrist, he knew his powers were the same.

"What a strange dream…" He mumbled to himself as he walked out of his room. As he came onto the main hall, he found Belle already rolling up a carpet to take outside. She was on her knees rolling the heavy thing and it was obviously giving her grief. Her brown hair was falling in front of her face and a bit of blush had risen on the top of her cheeks. She was a beauty…no, a dangerous beauty. Dangerous, though, he thought to himself, not really…she was no more dangerous to him than a pebble is to a wave. He was safe with her disgust towards him and in that safety, he feared nothing. Best to treat her as he would with anyone else. Yet, as he watched her struggle, he couldn't stop himself.

"Dearie, here, let me help you." He ran towards her and helped her roll the heavy thing.

In return, he received a soft smile, which was a price he willingly took.

"Did I ever tell you about that wooden box out back?"

She shook her head but looked amused. He grinned, knowing that the day had just got a little more interesting.