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The knocking at her door woke Belle from sleep. She yawned and stumbled towards her chamber door, there was only one person who would be disturbing her at this hour.
“It’s midnight, what do you want, Rumple?”
“Can you braid?”
Belle blinked at him blearily and lifted the loose plait that hung over her shoulder. Rumple flutter his fingers together, probably feeling a little silly for asking a question when the evidence was right before his eyes.
“Good, good. Come along I need your skill.”
“Could this not wait until morning?”
“No, no, needs to be done in moonlight. Come along.”
Belle sighed and grabbed her robe from the bottom of her bed. Rumple guided her along the corridors and staircases to his laboratory. Belle was drowsily leaning on his shoulder by the time they got there. He gently nudged her towards a sofa, and pulled on a thick pair of gloves. She rubbed at her eyes and tried to focus on what he was doing. He offered her a hank of silvery fibre. Tired as she was she still wasn’t daft enough to take it from him.
“Don’t I need gloves?”
“No, not at all, this is only unpleasant to dark magic users. Won’t hurt you at all.”
She was still cautious, but trust that he wouldn’t let her come to harm. It felt silky and strong in her hands.
“What is it?”
Rumple was shucking off his gloves.
“Hum, oh unicorn tail hair, from a very rare breed of the animal.”
He huffed as she kept running it through her fingers.
“Yes, yes I’m sure it feels delightful, but the quicker you braid it for me the quicker you can get back to bed.”
Belle smothered another yawn in the crook of her elbow and did as she was bid. Rumple leaned close as her sleep clumsy fingers found their rhythm and began to braid the hair. She fumbled a little at the start but quickly corrected and produced a perfect braid. Rumple nodded and took it from her with a pair of tongs.
“Oh yes that will do nicely.”
He turned back to his work bench and was rapidly absorbed in completing the potion. Belle curled her feet up under her and pulled her robe close around her, unsure if Rumple still needed her help and unwilling to disturb him as he worked.
She woke in the early hours of dawn to find a thick blanket covering her and a note on the table from Rumple.
Back by lunchtime. Thank you Belle.