A/N: I've only just realized I have not posted this on fanfiction. It's been up on A03 for a while but thought I should probably add it to fanfiction as well! Hope you enjoy this bit of fluff!
There's something sweet and almost kind… Belle mused as she stepped away, peering over her shoulder to watch the Beast interact with Philippe.
Philippe shook his mane and the Beast did the same and Belle suppressed a small giggle.
She made her way over to the small bridge and paused to watch them from a distance, a small smile pulling at her lips as she marveled about how he had seemed to change so quickly.
But he was mean and he was coarse and unrefined.
Her smile widened as the Beast tenderly and hesitantly stroked Phillip's head and the horse leaned his head towards him curious but unafraid.
And now he's dear and so unsure...I wonder why I didn't see it there before.
It was truly almost hard to believe that the same Beast that had imprisoned her father, and then imprisoned her, whose temper flared at the easiest provocation was also the same Beast who stood tenderly, respectfully petting her horse.
There was a soft and gentle side underneath all that anger and gruff exterior.
She hoped to continue to let it emerge.
As she took another step, her feet crunching on the snow suddenly gave her an idea.
A small test, perhaps to see how deep his kindness ran.
She smirked mischievously and carefully gathered a snowball into her hands.
The Beast was fully engaged with Philippe and did not even seem to notice she had even walked away. She almost felt a little bad to disturb him but quickly pushed that thought away.
She hitched her arm over her head and then launched the snowball toward the Beast.
The Beast jumped as snow suddenly splattered across his broad shoulder and for a moment his body tensed, the fur on his neck standing up, a snarl ready in his throat as he looked round wildly for the source of the attack.
Then his sensitive ears picked up a small giggle and his eyes landed on Belle standing on the small bridge, her face lit up in amusement.
He instantly relaxed knowing there was no threat present and the sound of her laughter pierced straight through to his heart.
She actually dared to throw a snowball at him. His lips curled around his upper fangs in a smile but he quickly pushed it down.
For a brief moment Belle wondered if her test had failed as he looked around wildly but as his eyes fell on her she saw no trace of anger or danger in him.
She saw his lips twitch and then before she knew what was happening, the Beast had bent down, gathered snow into his large arms, formed it into a very large snowball and then tossed it in her direction.
A gasp rose in her throat as she saw the large object whizzing towards her and then before she could react the snowball collided with her face.
She let out a small squeak as the impact sent her flying to the ground. She felt nothing but the cold sting of ice on every inch of her face and beneath her as she lay in the cold snow.
She blinked, her lips parted as she tried to process what exactly had just happened.
She shivered as snow dropped down the front and back of her dress leaving an icy trail on her skin.
Then she heard a deep rumble which brought her back to reality. She propped herself onto her knees and then crawled over to the wall.
Slowly she peeked her head over it and saw the Beast still standing near Philippe, his lips curled up in a grin, revealing sharp teeth that in that moment were anything but terrifying, and then she realized that the deep rumble was him and he was laughing.
It was a raw, animalistic sound but so absolutely genuine and she wondered how long it had been since he laughed.
She gaped at him for a moment longer, her brow raising in shock and then a smile slowly spread across her face.
She quickly ducked down behind the wall and worked swiftly to gather another snowball in her hands. She bit her lip as she crawled along the ground moving her position a few feet away.
Then she popped back up and tossed the snowball once again in his direction, watching in anticipation as it hurtled towards him.
The Beast clearly saw it coming and dodged it, the snowball barely grazing his back.
His blue eyes flashed as they once again met hers, seeming even more vibrant against the white backdrop of snow. He slowly started to take a few graceful steps towards her.
Her eyes widened and she dropped out of his view again, stifling a laugh beneath her hand. She quickly started to build more snowballs, piling them up beside her.
She gathered a few into the crook of her arm and then pushed herself back up. She grabbed one snowball and raised her arm to throw, a smile wide on her lips.
Then she froze when she saw Philippe was all by himself in the expansive garden, swishing his tail lightly back and forth with no sign of the Beast.
She spotted a few of his paw prints heading towards the bridge and then they stopped and disappeared along with him.
Her smile fell slowly and she lowered her arm, tightening the arm full of snowballs to her body as she trailed her gaze across the expanse of the yard, looking for any sign of him.
Her heart pounded as the seconds ticked by and there was so sound but the the gentle wind blowing past her and Philippe's soft grunts.
Had she upset him that time? She thought she could read his expression and he seemed amused. Or at the very least he didn't seem angry.
She slowly rose to her feet, her fingers tightening around the snowball in her hand and she could feel her fingers starting to grow numb from the cold.
"Hello?" She called out and Philippe snorted in response to her voice, turning his head to look over his shoulder to look at her but there was still no sign of the Beast.
A gasp rose in her throat as she was suddenly struck hard in the back by what felt very much like a large snowball.
In her surprise she dropped her armful of snowballs and whirled around to find the Beast perched on the edge of the other side of the bridge, his lips curled in a mischievous grin, his eyes vibrant.
She gaped at him for a long moment and then let out a small surprised laugh.
Then acting quickly she narrowed her eyes, tightened her grip on the snowball in her hand and launched it in his direction.
She let out a small squeal of delight as the fast flying snowball hit the Beast square on the nose, splattering snow all over his face.
He let out a snort of surprise, shaking his head to clear the snow off his fur and she brought her hands to cover her mouth, giggling quietly.
He looked quite the sight, the fur on his face dusted with white, his blue eyes wide with surprise.
There was a few long seconds of silence where they studied each other, both waiting for the other to make a move.
Belle turned her head slowly, raising her eyebrow. The Beast echoed her movements, crouching down and turning his head, keeping his eyes trained on her.
She slowly lowered herself down to grab another one of the snowballs at her feet and his eyes darted down and then quickly flashed back up to her.
His lips curled around his teeth and a low growl rumbled in his throat as he leaned further into a crouch.
Her eyes widened as she realized he was getting ready to pounce.
As he launched himself off the bridge, flying towards her, she let out a small squeak and threw another snowball in his direction before quickly turning on her feet and running in the opposite direction.
She grinned in satisfaction as she heard the resounding hit and his grunt as the snowball hit its target and then not a second later the thud as his paws hit the ground.
She glanced over her shoulder to find him pausing to gather snow in his large paws. She quickened her pace, even though she knew deep down there was no way she could outrun him.
Sure enough a few seconds later she felt another blow to her back as the snowball hit her. She stumbled against the impact but quickly regained her balance. She darted behind a tree, panting heavily, her heart pounding.
She grinned to herself as she heard his slow approach through the crunch of snow under his paws. She slowly lowered herself down to gather another snowball.
She twisted around the tree and launched the snowball at him, holding her breath to see where it'd hit.
The snowball hit him in the center of his chest and he only paused for a moment to glance down at the splatter of snow.
She took that opportunity to quickly gather another snowball and as he looked up again, she threw it and it hit him on the top of his head just between his horns.
He straightened up in surprise, letting out a small snarl. Then he shook his head, shaking the snow out of his fur and met her eyes for a moment, eyes glinting mischievously and then slowly lowered himself onto all fours.
He rose back up with a large snowball between his paws and her eyes widened as she slowly started to back up, realizing that she was now defenseless. She knew if she made any sudden move to gather her own snowballs, he wouldn't hesitate to throw his own.
Despite the fact that he was a very large creature, approaching her like a predator stalking its prey she felt no fear of him.
Her heart was racing, pounding in her ears but it was only the thrill of fun...something she had not experienced in a long time. Something she didn't think she ever would in this castle.
They both froze just silently staring at each other, waiting for the other to make a move.
The thought of being hit with yet another one of the Beast's massive snowballs was daunting yet not enough to will her surrender.
Her only move was to run as fast as she could and hope the blow would be less if she was able to get far away enough.
She raised an eyebrow as if daring him to make his move and as his lips pulled back, his eyes dancing in mischief she knew he would.
She flashed him a grin and then quickly spun around, bounding through the snow as fast as she could.
She heard his low rumbling chuckle and then a few seconds later the snowball left his grasp.
The blow combined with her own momentum of running knocked her off balance and sent her flying into a snow drift piled near a tree.
She let out a horrified squeak as she was suddenly buried beneath the white fluffy snow.
The cold snow instantly started to seep through the fabric of her dress, dampening it so it stuck to her skin.
She laid still for a few long moments, trying to catch her breath.
"Belle?" She heard the Beast's call and was suddenly aware of the snow covering her face. She quickly brushed it away and threw her arms up in the air from underneath the snow pile.
"Very well! I surrender!" She sighed in defeat and collapsed her arms back down and then laughed as the action showered snow over her.
She wiggled her body around trying to free herself from the snow's grip and finally managed to lift her head.
She looked around for the Beast and found him standing several yards away, watching her curiously. His expression and stature almost reminded her of a curious puppy dog and she couldn't help but smile at him.
"Well?" She prompted in exasperation, the smile still on her lips. "The very least you could do is help me up." She extended her arms out towards him.
He straightened up, his ears perking, his head tilting. An unreadable expression crossed his features and then he slowly, hesitantly approached her.
He paused near her and from her position on the ground, he he towered over her, seemingly even larger than he was.
However there was a certain gentleness and uncertainty in his eyes that kept her from fearing him at all.
She raised her brow expectantly and wiggled her fingers.
He slowly extended his arm out towards her and once he was close enough she grabbed a hold of his paw, her whole hand wrapping around one of his long fingers.
With no amount of difficulty, he pulled her out of the snow pile.
She let out a small 'oof' at the force of his pull and wavered on her feet for a moment, gripping tighter onto his paw.
He glanced down at their joined hands and her tight, comfortable grip around his finger.
Her palm slid across his as she finally released his paw and slowly he looked back up at her in slight awe.
There was a smile on her lips and a few peels of laughter escaped her lips as she attempted to brush the snow off of her.
"Well I do hope you are happy." She said teasingly, stealing a glance at him as she wiped a particular large glob of snow off the front of her dress.
He blinked at her for a moment and then bristled, frowning with a huff. "Need I remind you who it was who started this little war."
Her eyes lifted to his and she let out a delightful laugh. "My snowball was harmless." She pointed out. "Yours…."
"I was only using my own skills." He grumbled and she grinned, reaching out to place a reassuring hand on his arm.
"I know." She said gently and squeezed his arm before letting her hand fall back to her side and continuing to brush herself off. "Perhaps you could have used a little more restraint?"
She smirked as she looked back up at him but it quickly fell at the haunted look in his eyes.
"I did not injure you, did I?"
His voice was so quiet and filled with such concern, Belle's heart twisted.
"Oh heavens no." She assured him quickly, taking her step toward him and reaching out to take his paws.
He visibly tensed against her touch so she dropped her hands, instead giving him a warm smile.
"I am not hurt." She told him. "It was fun."
His eyes lifted to meet hers in surprise. "You….enjoyed yourself?"
She giggled quietly and nodded. "Very much so. Didn't you?"
"I…" He suddenly tensed, his head lifting. "I suppose." He said gruffly.
She raised her brow, smirking knowingly. He grunted as his lips twitched and she knew he was trying to hide a smile.
She huffed a small laugh, shaking her head as she continued to brush herself off.
A sudden cold breeze whipped past them, heightening the feel of the cold, wet fabric against her skin. She shivered and pulled her cloak further around herself.
"Perhaps we should return to the castle. You look cold." He offered.
She hummed looking at him with a small smirk. "I am indeed. That often tends to happen when one is forced into a very large pile of snow."
The Beast stole a glance over to the snow drift and she followed his gaze to see the clear deep indent of her body in the snow.
He grunted, shifting on his paws. "Sorry."
She laughed with a smile. "That is quite alright. As you said, I was the one who started the war. I must also therefore accept it's consequences. Besides it is nothing a change of clothes and a nice fire won't fix. Shall we?" She offered her arm out to him and he seemed to stare at her outstretched arm as if it was nothing he had ever seen before.
He finally took a few slow steps toward her, extending his own arm out. She smiled at him as she slipped her hand onto his arm, meeting his eyes for a moment before looking forward towards the castle.
He stared at her in awe, the feel of her gentle touch on his arm warmer than any fire that could burn.
They walked in silence back towards the castle, Belle only calling Philippe to follow as they passed the horse.
They led him back into the stables and Belle placed him back in his stall before she once again placed herself at the Beast's side.
The warmth inside the castle was an instant relief to her freezing body but still Belle ached to change out of her wet clothes.
"I shall leave you to change." He said once they reached the staircase leading to the East Wing and her bed chambers.
She smiled and nodded. As he turned away she fiddled a little nervously with the ends of her cloak, playing with a bit of snow frozen to the fabric.
"Perhaps," she called after him and he froze but didn't turn around. She swallowed thickly, wondering if she had somehow offended him after the snowball fight. "Perhaps we could meet up again in the sitting room by the fire?"
His shoulders visibly tensed and then he slowly looked over his shoulder, his expression calm but wary and she gave him a small, encouraging smile.
He blinked and then nodded his head once. "If that is what you would like." He spoke slow and careful.
Her smile widened and she nodded. "I would."
"Very well. I shall see you there."
Then without another word he turned around and continued down the corridor.
She smiled at his retreating back and then started up the stairs.
When she reached her room she found Madame Garderobe had already laid out a fresh dress for her on the bed.
She laughed in delight as she rushed over to it, taking the clean, warm fabric in her hands. "However did you know?" She asked turning around to face the living armoire.
Madame Garderobe flapped her drawers. "I heard your laughter, dear. It practically echoed through the entire castle."
Belle smiled, her cheeks growing warm. She placed the clean dress back on the bed and then began to untie her cloak.
"Laughter has not been a sound heard around here in sometime." Madame Garderobe said wistfully and Belle frowned as she folded the wet cloak.
"It was so very nice to hear the Master laugh again. It's a wonderful sound."
The smile returned to Belle's lips as she thought back to the deep rumble of the Beast's laughter.
"It is, isn't it?" Belle agreed with a small hum.
She never would have asked to be put in this situation - trapped in an enchanted castle with an actual Beast as as a captor. However, she found more and more recently she was actually enjoying her time here. The Beast was not as dangerous or evil as he first appeared to be - he had saved her from the wolves and during the time she helped him recover she began to see what lay beyond the beast.
What more she was glad she was able to bring some joy to the lonely master of the castle. Not only him but also the cursed staff who had not had anyone but each other for years.
Her plan had always been to escape and return to her father but now...she found herself in no hurry to do so and was almost reluctant to leave. True, the Beast had chased her out before but when she came back to rescue and heal him she knew he would not release her so easily again. Still, she didn't find it so bad anymore. She was not itching to escape like she had been before - she was intrigued by the Beast and his cursed staff and had even started to come to like them.
There was a strange tingling in her belly she had never felt before at the thought of the Beast waiting downstairs for her. She truly enjoyed being in his company - he was intelligent and made for good conversation, despite his disinterest in Shakespeare.
She found herself hurrying to change and despite the new dry dress, Belle could still feel the ache of the cold crawling across her skin and down to her bones.
She hurried down the corridors towards the sitting room, her heart racing, a smile tugging at her lips.
Her breath caught in her throat as she came to a halt in the doorway. The room was dimly lit with just the light of the fire and Lumiere standing quietly on a corner table. The Beast stood in front of the fire, his body in shadow and he looked so positively regal it stole her breath away.
She had first seen him hidden in shadow where she had been terrified for her father and threatened by the mysterious beastly figure hiding in the shadow. There had been nothing but malice in those cold blue eyes as she gazed upon them for the first time.
"Bonjour Mademoiselle!" Lumiere's charming voice greeted from the corner and the Beast lifted his head, turning around quickly to face her.
The light of the fire flashed across his eyes, eyes that now held nothing but kindness and she felt nothing but awe at the sight of him.
The Beast had been so lost in his thoughts he had not heard her approach. It was only when Lumiere greeted her that he knew she had arrived. He turned around and his breath was stolen at the very sight of her.
The orange glow of the fire lit up her pale face, her dark hair hung in damp curls around her shoulders and she looked positively radiant in the simple, soft pink dress. Her eyes were wide and bright and there was a small, gentle smile on her lips.
"I do hope you enjoyed your time out in the snow." Lumiere continued joyfully and Belle smiled in response but didn't take her eyes off the Beast.
She walked slowly into the room, keeping her eyes on him and he followed her every move.
She finally turned her head, casting a kind smile towards Lumiere who was smiling at her.
"I did enjoy myself, Lumiere."
"Tres bien!" The candelabra waved his arms enthusiastically and Belle giggled.
"You should join us the next time."
"Ah, no, mademoiselle I am afraid that snow and fire do not make a good pair, no?" He waved his flames pointedly.
Belle giggled again, bringing her hand to her lips. "Quite right, Lumiere. Well then, do not worry we shall find another activity."
Lumiere glanced behind her towards the Beast and then back at her and bowed gracefully. "I do thank you for your most gracious offer Mademoiselle."
Her eyes twinkled in delight and she gave him another kind smile as she then turned around to face the Beast.
He had fixed his gaze on Lumiere but as she turned, his gaze shifted to her.
There was a soft, kind expression on his face that almost instantly tightened as their eyes met.
She smiled warmly and his expression softened again. Then he quickly took a step back and motioned to a pile of books stacked neatly against the wall. "I thought perhaps you would like to read."
Her face brightened in a wide smile. "Oh, yes! How thoughtful!" She hurried past him, meeting his eyes for a moment as she passed in front of him.
She looked through the collection of books, her brow arching, a smirk forming her lips at the note of quite a few romance novels. A definite favorite of hers, however not so much his.
She cast a subtle glance over her shoulder at him to find him watching her in quiet anticipation.
She suppressed a laugh as she turned back to the books. She was almost tempted to choose one of the romance novels but decided against it. As much amusement she got out of teasing him about his choices of literature, she felt now was not the time for arguments.
She finally just turned around to face him with a shrug. "There are simply too many good titles here for me to choose from. You choose."
His eyes widened in surprise. "You would like for me to choose?"
She nodded, smirking in amusement. "Is that not what i just said? After all you are the one with more…" She raised her brow. "...particular interests."
He grunted, narrowing his eyes and she laughed quietly.
"If we are going to read we should choose something we would both enjoy."
His face softened again, blue eyes pooling with tender emotion. "You...want us to read together?"
The genuine surprise and uncertainty in his voice pulled at her heartstrings. Her smile widened and she nodded again.
"Well of course. While I do enjoy reading alone I do it often enough and there is always joy in sharing a story. Please…" She motioned to the pile of books. "Choose one."
He stared at her in stunned silence and then slowly walked towards her. He paused only for a moment just beside her, their arms just barely touching and she gave him a small, encouraging smile and a nod.
As he continued on to look at the books, her gaze lingered on his back for a moment and then she took a few steps forward towards the fire.
A smile lit up her face as Mrs. Potts came into view on her tray with Chip.
"Hello dearie." Mrs. Potts greeted sweetly. "Would you care for some nice hot tea?"
"Oh yes please, that would be lovely." Belle replied, smiling sweetly as she took another step towards them.
Mrs. Potts poured out the tea into Chip who was grinning happily and then Chip hopped carefully towards her.
Belle smiled warmly at the adorable little teacup and brought the cup to her lips and took a sip.
She let out a sigh as the warmth of the tea flooded down through her system instantly warming her from the inside out.
"Thank you, its wonderful."
Chip giggled in her hands and she laughed quietly along with him. She was slowly getting used to all of the enchanted objects but she didn't think she'd ever really overcome drinking from something that was alive.
Holding Chip secure in her hands, feeling the warmth of the hot liquid inside seep into her palms, she settled down on the soft rug near the fire, tucking her legs beneath her.
She took another long sip of tea, relishing in its warmth and then stole a glance over to the Beast.
He was still hunched over the pile of books but had two in his hands and looked to be contemplating between the two.
"Difficult decision, is it?" She teased.
He glanced over his shoulder and straightened up, letting out a deep huff. "I would just like to be certain I have made the right decision."
She smiled fondly. "If it has intelligible sentences then any book will do. I have yet to come across a book in your library I did not like."
"Your library." He corrected gently and she smiled further at the reminder. "There are quite a number of books in that library." He finally set one of the books down on the pile and brought a brown covered book over to her.
"I am aware and I do so look forward to reading them all." She continued to smile at him as he awkwardly settled down beside her, keeping a good distance between them.
"Starting with this one." She nodded towards the book in his paws and then looked up at him, her eyes twinkling in anticipation.
He looked over at her and then held out the book towards her. She shook her head, folding her hands over his and the book and pushing it back towards him.
He frowned. "You did not even see what it was."
"I do not need to. I trust your judgement...mostly." She smirked and he grunted, rolling his eyes.
"Then what is the problem?"
"There is no problem. I just would prefer if you read it to me."
His eyes widened in astonishment and she lifted Chip up in the air with a sly shrug. "I do have my hands full, after all."
There was a small giggle from Chip and Belle bit her lip to suppress a small giggle of her own.
He grumbled quietly, his claws very lightly digging into the book. "I don't think my voice is very much suited for reading."
"Your voice is just fine." She assured and he continued to stare at her in silence.
"Please?" She prodded sweetly. "I do wish you would."
His intense blue eyes seemed even more intense in the glow of the fire and had it been a few days ago she might have been intimidated by that stare.
Finally he let out a rather large sigh and grunted. "If you insist."
Belle smiled, satisfied. She then watched in slight awe as he opened the book with a gentle care that should not be possible for a creature his size.
With every minute she spent in his presence he continued to surprise her in the best ways possible.
She shifted her legs under her to get more comfortable and took another sip of tea.
He ran a claw tenderly down the title page as he read aloud the title. Then he carefully turned the page and stole a quick glance over to Belle. She smiled as she met his eyes and she swore she saw his own lips twitch up and there was a certain light in his eyes that was not due to the fire.
He turned back to the book and began reading.
It was not something she recognized but Pere Robert's collection was not nearly as extensive as the Beast's. However she knew by the end of the first page that she would enjoy the rest of the book and relaxed, settling in to listen.
It did not take long for the fire to do its job and warm her and the tea only helped to warm her further.
Once she finished she carefully set Chip down beside her and the small team cup hopped back towards his mother.
Neither Belle or the Beast had noticed their departure or that they had paused near Lumiere where the candelabra and teapot had shared a hopeful, knowing look as they watched the engrossed pair sitting before the fire.
By the end of the first chapter, the warmth of the fire in combination with the Beast's deep but somehow soothing voice, Belle felt herself growing drowsy.
She blinked, trying to keep herself awake but as time drew on and the Beast kept reading, she felt herself swaying.
The Beast had become so engrossed in the book that the world had seemed to fade away so it was only him and Belle. He was constantly aware of the young woman beside him, her very presence sent an odd tingle through his entire body, but he dare not look at her.
He didn't know why she had insisted so fiercely that he read the book. His voice was not much to be desired - deep and hoarse and so beastly he didn't even like to hear it most of the time. He hardly wanted to subject her to listening to it for extensive periods of time.
Belle had been full of surprises that day, from the moment she joined him at the breakfast table, chirping a delightful greeting, to her suggestion that they go outside together and that she introduce him to her horse. To that rather enjoyable snowball fight she started and then finally to suggesting they spend even more time together there in front of the fire. If he dared let himself hope, which he couldn't, he might even say she enjoyed being in his presence. He wondered if she would have any more surprises for him that day.
Sure enough, nearly halfway through the second chapter, he suddenly froze when he felt a soft weight land on his arm.
He slowly glanced down and his breath was stolen at the sight of Belle leaning against him, her eyes closed, face relaxed and a small, content smile on her lips.
He could do nothing but stare at her, completely stunned that she felt comfortable enough to touch him at all, yet alone rest her head.
He wasn't sure how long he sat there just simply watching her, too afraid that if he looked away she may very well disappear. He certainly did not expect this to happen very often and attributed it to the fact she was worn out from the day's activities.
His chest tightened as Belle suddenly hummed sleepily and wearily blinked her eyes open and soft pools of brown stared up at him.
"Why did you stop?" She wondered quietly. Her voice was thick and sweet with fatigue and it had to be the most lovely sound he'd ever heard.
"I…" He started and was amazed to find how raspy his throat was. "I thought you had fallen asleep."
Her lips twitched up and her eyes closed again and she pressed her head further against his arm as she inched just a little bit closer to him. "No...not quite yet. Please continue if you don't mind. I am enjoying this book." She let out a soft little sigh and cracked open her eyes again. "You chose well."
"I do have remarkable taste." He answered swiftly and as a quiet laugh left her lips he then decided that that was the most lovely sound he had ever heard.
Her eyes fluttered closed once more and she inched that much closer so now her side was pressed against his arm.
He thought his heart might burst as she adjusted against him but he dared not give into the small but persistent feeling of hope rising inside of him.
She was just merely tired, she couldn't, she wouldn't have any sort of affection for a beast like him. The soft, serene smile on her lips would say otherwise but he couldn't think about that either.
Finally he returned his gaze to the book but found it hard to concentrate on the words with the feel of Belle's soft warm body against him.
He scanned the page several times trying to find his place and then quietly began reading again. He finished that chapter and read through another before he dared take another look at Belle.
She had now completely relaxed, her head curled partly towards her chest, still resting on his arm. Her soft, even breathing indicated to him she had fallen asleep and his heart did another little flip that she would feel so comfortable with him to actually fall asleep.
He considered waking her so she would be able to return to her own bed but he simply could not bring himself to disturb her. Nor did he particularly want this moment to end. If it was to be the last he would enjoy it for all it was worth.
He returned back to the book and continued reading aloud. Belle would not be able to hear him but he knew he'd also read it again to her in a heartbeat if she had asked.
It almost felt like a dream. A dream that was far too good to be true to happen in his miserable life. Yet, there she sat, no hesitation, no fear. He absolutely marvelled at her very existence.
She really was a remarkable girl, that Belle.