Look for a sign that enhances chances

She'll be his Special One

Adam stood on top of the grand staircase that led down into the ballroom.

It had seemed a lifetime ago that he had danced with Belle in that very room yet the memory remained clear as day.

He remembered his panic as the staff worked to make him presentable for such a dance and debating with himself whether he had made a horrible mistake asking her to dance.

He had felt foolish in clothing he had not worn since before the curse. It was an outfit made for a prince, not for a beast.

He remembered his heart racing as Lumiere practically forced him into the ballroom.

Then how his breath had been stolen as Belle appeared opposite of him, glowing in warm yellow.

He remembered having to concentrate on every step just to walk down the steps to meet her and how he was completely stunned that she was actually smiling at him.

A soft blush coated her cheeks as she placed her hand onto his arm and they descended the rest of the way into the ballroom.

He imagined the ballroom must have been beautiful but all he could see was her.

He had kept wondering when Belle would change her mind. When he touched her hand? When he held her waist? When would she decide that she was far too close to him?

To his surprise and delight as they danced across the ballroom to a beautiful melody Cadenza had composed, she did not pull away but moved closer. Touched his head, his back, his arms, did not flinch as he dared to lift her into a spin.

She remained confident and trusting and he had been blown away.

It was that that almost led him to confess his true feelings for her before things had gone terribly awry.

It had been undoubtedly one of the most romantic moments of his life. Only succeeded by the moment just hours later where their love had broken his curse and he was human again and knew in fact that Belle truly loved him in return.

That had been three weeks ago and between trying to restore the castle to working and living order and trying to become reacclimated to his life as a prince he hardly had anytime alone with Belle.

It was finally one of those rare quiet evenings where he could. However, as he searched his expansive home she was nowhere to be found.

Eventually Mrs. Potts informed him she had been seen wandering off in the direction of the ballroom which led him there.

He could see her through the open doors on the balcony.

A smile crossed his lips at the very sight of her, his heart racing in anticipation of finally being able to alone with her.

He practically flew down the grand staircase and crossed the ballroom only to pause at the open doors.

His breath caught in his throat at the sight of her. She leaned up against the balcony, her eyes closed with her head tilted up, a small, serene smile on her lips and a gentle summer breeze tussled her loose, brown hair around her shoulders.

She looked so peaceful that he didn't wish to disturb her. He took in the sight of her for another long few moments before turning his gaze out to the sky.

The sun was just beginning to set casting a warm glow of orange and pink across the land.

"Are you going to stand there all night or will you be joining me?"

His attention was drawn back to Belle st the sound of her voice. She had not opened her eyes but her smile had widened.

He smiled and crossed the remaining distance between them to stand beside her.

"I did not wish to disturb you."

Her eyes opened and she turned her head towards him, officially greeting him with a warm smile. "You aren't." She assured.

He moved in closer so their arms brushed and she leaned in towards him.

They shared a loving smile, holding each other's gaze before Belle turned her head forward.

"It's so beautiful." She whispered in awe.

He managed to tear his eyes away from her to follow her gaze.

"It certainly is." He agreed, in a state of his own awe.

Belle peered at him curiously, her lips twitching in a smirk. "You say that as if you've never seen it before."

"I haven't." He answered simply and then turned to her with a soft smile. "Not really. It's true I have lived here nearly my entire life but back then I certainly did not stop to think or care about nature's beauty." His brow furrowed as his smile fell. "My mother appreciated things such as these. She designed the gardens, you know. She used to take me out very frequently before she fell ill. After she passed...my father did not care to bother with such simple frivolities. They maintained the gardens in her memory but only because Cogsworth and the others took it upon themselves to do so. My father did not stop them but he did not encourage it either and had it been left to his decision he just would have let it all wither away."

Belle frowned deeply and slid her hand over to take his.

As he met Belle's sympathetic gaze, he realized with a small pang that that was the first time he had openly talked about his parents with her.

He knew she knew about the kindness of his mother and her passing and the wickedness of his father due to the staff but he had never spoken of them himself.

It felt odd at first, being so vulnerable in front of her, for he had never been vulnerable in front of anybody in his life. Then he relaxed against her comforting touch and lost himself to her sweet brown eyes. Belle had seen him at his worst, had taken his cold heart and warmed it, and she held such a profound love for him, he knew his heart was safe with her. She had also shared with him the loss of her own mother. It was a shared loss between them.

He curled his hand around hers and drew himself in closer to her.

"Now that I've opened my eyes and my heart I can finally see what she saw. The beauty of this country...our land, our home." He shook his head slowly. "The great walls of Versailles are nothing compared to this."

Belle smiled softly and looked back out across the landscape. The sun continued to dip lower over the horizon sending the French countryside into nightfall.

"I think your mother would have been very proud of the man you have become."

Belle's kind voice and quiet words went straight to his heart.

Not long after her passing, he pushed all thoughts of his mother aside for it had been too painful and his father scolded him for being so emotional.

Those same emotions rose up in him now and caused a tightening in his chest and a thickness in his throat.

Once he started becoming self aware of how selfish and cold hearted he had become, a near mirror image of his father, shame and guilt flooded him whenever he thought of his mother.

He was someone completely different just a few months ago, he wasn't even human and he doubted she'd be proud of him, which only caused his self hatred to fester. He knew his actions would disappoint the one person who had truly loved him.

Belle had come into his life like a light and had inspired him to become the man his mother would have wanted him to be.

He still felt shame when he thought of the years he wasted as a spoiled prince but for the first time finally began to feel that maybe he had become someone to be proud of.

"One can only hope." He answered quietly.

"I know I certainly am." She turned to him and their eyes met and she smiled. "I do not wish to speak on behalf of everyone else here but I believe they are too."

His throat tightened again as he thought of his ever faithful staff. He knew they had always done their duty to him as his servants, taking his commands without fuss. Only recently had he realized how much they actually cared for him. He wouldn't have blamed them had they wanted to leave after the spell was broken but they all decided to stay.

He dared not think of his servants as anything but servants before the curse.

Old friend he had called Lumiere once the curse had been lifted, overjoyed to see him, them all, human again. Those words had never been more true. Lumiere had always been there, remaining faithful even in the dark days of the curse, and now truly was a friend.

He was lively with spirit and he found they got along quite well.

Cogsworth remained ever the advisor he had been. Except now, Adam was willing to listen to the advice the older man had to give.

And dear Mrs. Potts...the sweet woman had always taken care of him as a child and even now was quick to attend to him, not out of duty to her prince, but out of her deep affection for him.

There was a softness and love in her eyes that simply could not be faked.

Deprived of words and filled with emotion, Adam simply drew Belle closer to him and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead.

"Thank you." He finally murmured against her hair.

She smiled up at him as she slipped her arm around his middle, giving a gentle squeeze.

Her attention was then pulled back to the setting sun but his attention remained fully on her.

The angle of the sun reflected a soft glow off her pale face, enhancing her already beautiful features.

She was simply breathtaking and he would never tire of being in her presence.

He was suddenly struck with the memory of the first time they had stood there together.

He had been awestruck by her beauty then too and fraught with nerves as he contemplated his feelings for her and how admitting them, or not, would change the course of his life forever.

Feelings that were as clear to him now as hers were for him but needing to voice them anyway.

"I love you."

They were words he had said more times in the last few weeks than he ever had before in his life. Words he had not said to anyone since his mother passed. Words now that belonged only to the woman beside him.

Her face lit up in a smile as she turned her head to look at him.

"And I, you." She hummed and he could feel the bright smile that spread across his face.

It was knowledge that was so uncertain that night but was certain now in the shine of her eyes.

"Do you know I was going to tell you that night?"

Belle's head twitched, her brow furrowing in adorable curiosity.

He cleared his throat and smiled a little sheepishly. "That night we last stood here together."

Belle's eyes widened and then softened in realization and a delightful blush tinted her cheeks. "You were going to tell me you loved me?"

He could feel his own cheeks burning now as he nodded. "Yes I...I knew the last petal was due to fall very soon and I was running out of time. You were my only hope. I knew I had fallen in love with you but I wasn't sure if you returned my affections."

Belle suddenly frowned. "You never said…" She shook her head. "You knew you needed me to break your curse and you never told me."

He smiled softly as he reached up to brush a strand of her her hair away, blown into her face by the gentle summer breeze.

"Your love was not something that could be forced, Belle. If we had told you...it wouldn't have been true. You had to learn to love me of your own will."

Belle blinked up at him, emotion pooling in her soft brown eyes. "Still you let me go." She whispered. "Your very last hope and you let me go."

He nodded quietly his smile dimming at the memory.

She let out a breath and brought her hand to his cheek, tilting his head so their eyes met. "That alone speaks more to your love than any words could ever dare to." She paused a moment and softly bit her lip. "I suppose it does not matter now and it does not good to dwell on the what ifs but….had you told me that night...I would have told you as well."

His heart leapt at the revelation. Of course it should not have come as a surprise, after all it was the very same night that Belle's love had broken the curse but to know as they stood there, that she had felt the same for him at a time when he was so uncertain it warmed his heart.

"Truly?"

She nodded with a smile. "Yes. I had already known for sometime that I held some sort of affection for you but it was our dance that truly made me realize how deep those affections ran." She caressed her thumb against his cheek and he smiled as he leaned into her touch.

His hand moved to capture hers and he brought her palm to his lips and laid a gentle kiss.

He clasped their hands together as he brought them down to rest between them as he turned his head towards the ballroom and saw Belle do the same.

A small smile crossed both of their lips as they remembered their dance.

Feeling the sudden need to have her in his arms again he quickly turned back to her. "Would you care for a dance?"

Her brow lifted, her lips twitching at the corners. "What, now?"

He nodded enthusiastically, a smile spreading across his face. "Yes, now."

She glanced between him and the dimly lit ballroom. "There is no music."

"We do not need music."

She let out a laugh as he suddenly gripped her hand tight and led her into the ballroom.

She practically pranced along the floor as he pulled her towards the center of the room.

"I know I am not the expert on dancing but I do believe music is a rather important element." She told him in amusement and let out a small squeal of delight as his arm slid around her waist as they stopped and he pulled her against him, beaming down at her.

"I refute that argument, dear mademoiselle. There is you and there is me and there is a beautiful room to dance in. As far as I am concerned that is all that matters."

She giggled quietly, clearly amused by his sudden excitement and her arms wound around his neck.

All the nerves he had felt during that first dance was gone now, replaced only with love and joy.

"What on earth has gotten into you tonight?" She asked, smiling up at him in wonder.

He smiled brightly, his eyes twinkling in delight. "I am just happy. Am I not allowed to be happy when I am with the one I love? Am I not allowed to want to share the intimacy of a dance alone with the woman who has stolen my heart?"

Belle's eyes lit up, her smile widening. "You are most certainly allowed that." She said a little breathlessly.

He leaned in to press a sweet kiss to her lips, tightening his hold around her waist as he dipped her slightly backwards.

She sighed against his mouth, melting into his arms.

As he brought them back upwards, his hand slid across her back, then moved back to her hip to rest there for another moment before he finally released her as he took a step away.

Belle let out a breath, her eyes opened and she blinked at him, a little dazed and then a lazy, happy smile crossed her lips.

He smiled warmly and then lowered into a low bow. As he lifted, Belle bowed into a courtesy, keeping her eyes on him and his heart fluttered at the familiarity of the scene.

He lightly cleared his throat and extended out his hand. "My lady?"

Belle smiled and softly placed her hand into his. "My prince."

He paused only a moment to glance at their entwined hands, human skin on human skin and his heart swelled in his chest.

His heart raced in anticipation as he slowly drew her in closer to him, his other hand moving to her hip as hers moved to his shoulder.

It all felt so similar yet completely different. He could hold her close without fear of crushing her. He could hold her hand without fear of scratching her. His difference in height and body structure allowed him to be intimately closer and feel the warmth of her body radiating against his.

Their eyes remained locked on each other but they remained still and as an awkward silence fell over them as they posed ready to dance with no music, Belle bit her lip, her eyes twinkling in amusement.

"Again...I am no expert at dancing but I do believe it generally requires at least some movement."

His eyes narrowed playfully and a smirk tugged at his lips. "Yes." He agreed curtly and she giggled quietly. He cleared his throat and lifted his brow. "On my count, then?"

He tightened his grip on her, then she on him and she nodded, awaiting. His lips formed the numbers, the words barely leaving his mouth and he nodded on the upbeat after the fourth count and led them into a dance.

They took a few synchronous steps across the ballroom before Belle erupted in another fit of giggles, ducking her head as she followed his lead.

He lifted his brow but could not keep the smile off his face. "Is there something amusing?"

She glanced back up at him, eyes dancing in amusement. "This is rather silly, isn't it? The silence is near deafening."

She let out a small grunt as he pulled her closer so their hips were now pressed together. She stumbled once over her footing as she tried to adjust to the new position but quickly regained her composure.

"I find I am rather enjoying myself." He told her matter of factly as he turned them into a fast, quick spin. She gripped him tighter until they had regained normal rhythm, taking calculated steps all across the ballroom.

"However, if you insist on music…" He trailed off and she lifted her brow expectantly.

He gave her a charming smile and cleared his throat before he started to hum. He could see the recognition almost instantly on her face - the same song they had danced to that night. A song that Cadenza had arranged solely for that occasion. (He knew because he had asked him later on. "A special night deserved a truly special song." The musician had told him. A song...their song.)

A smile lit up her face and she relaxed into his hold.

He led her across the ballroom, slowing down their pace to be in time with the song. As they moved he had become so entranced with Belle that he hardly even realized he was humming anymore, his own voice seemed to fade in his ears as he was taken back to that enchanting night.

"Why, Adam…" Belle breathed, a dreamy smile on her lips. "I did not know you could sing."

A low chuckle interrupted his humming and he smiled. "I would hardly call this singing." He paused only for a moment to twirl her out and then back into his arms so her back was pressed against his chest.

His arms wrapped around her middle and she leaned back against his chest, smiling as he pressed a nuzzling kiss to her cheek. Then he took her by the hand and twirled her around to face him again and they shared a smile before they resumed their previous steps.

"I suppose I can sing." He continued and she smiled up at him in interest. "I was forced to take lessons as a child...didn't much care for it then."

Her brow twitched as she smirked. "All as part of your expensive education?"

He chuckled. "Indeed. Monsieur Cadenza was my tutor. I am sure he could tell you how difficult it had been to have me sit still and then not only listen to him but to repeat what I had learned."

Belle let out a small giggle, holding back a wide smile. "Yes, your um..your staff has been particularly enlightening about your youth."

His eyes widened, his heart dropping into his stomach as he feared what horrible stories they had told her, for he knew they had witnessed nearly everything he had done and said over the years .

He relaxed a moment later, seeing only fond amusement in her eyes and a small smile twitched at his lips.

Then he groaned dramatically, tilting his head back. "Oh I can only imagine what they must have told you. I shall have to have a word with them about sharing my torrid past." He threatened half heartedly.

"Don't you dare." She laughed and the smile finally broke across her face. "Please do not be angry with them, Adam. It was I who asked and I have loved hearing about you. I know you're a prince, your upbringing may have been different from mine but it's not surprising."

A half hearted smile tugged at his lips. "I am not angry with them. Recollections of my carefree boyhood do not bother me."

It was the years as he grew into a man that shamed him.

He only let himself dwell on those memories for a moment. Those days were gone and behind him, he had moved on, become a better man and he would not sully the romance of the evening with Belle by thinking about it any longer.

He forced a larger smile to his face, one that quickly became genuine and soft the longer he gazed down at Belles sweet, loving expression.

"I shall just also have to ask your father for stories from your childhood."

Belle laughed and the sound sent flutters to his heart. "Oh, be my guest! I assure you I am not as interesting. Most days were spent with my nose in a book."

"That is very interesting." He said. Truthfully, anything he could learn about Belle would be interesting.

She raised her brow skeptically and he smirked. "Of course, as long as the book was not Romeo and Juliet."

She scoffed and rolled her eyes as he grinned at her.

She raised a single brow, defiantly. "It was, in fact and if you are going to love me, you will have to accept that."

He let out a dramatic sigh but the smile remained on his lips. "Ah, the perils of love."

She narrowed her eyes slightly and shook her head with a small smile.

He chuckled and then drew back, stretching their arms between them and she did the same.

As they moved back in, he raised her hands to his lips, pressing an affections kiss to the back of both her hands and her face softened in a warm smile.

As they once again fell into silence, simply getting lost in each other's eyes and their graceful movements across the floor, Adam began to hum again.

Belle's smile was instantaneous, her eyes softening as she inclined her head just simply taking it in.

They continued to sway and twirl across the room all in time to Adam's deep yet smooth and soft vocals.

Soon enough he had become so swept away by their constant, fluid motions and the ever present feel of her against him, his humming faded away and they were once again left in a dim and silent ballroom.

This time neither of them cared, being too involved in each other to notice.

He led her with all the expertise of the very many dances he had held over the years. There had been dozens, hundreds perhaps, of women who had danced in his arms on this very floor...but only one who mattered now and the only one he ever would dance with for the rest of his days.

Without even realizing it they had started to mirror their dance from that night, following the steps as if they were laid out in front of them.

Slowly, his arm drifted lower around her waist until he had a firm grip around her. Then nearly effortlessly he lifted her off the ground, holding her tight to his side as he twirled them around.

Their eyes connected and his breath was stolen for the hundredth time. Belle's expressive brown eyes pierced into his very soul.

It had been a particularly easier move to make when he was a beast but Belle still felt weightless in his arms and enjoyed the direct contact, the heat of her body pressed against his own, much more as a human.

He gracefully placed her back onto her feet and immediately they were once again moving across the floor in synchronous rhythm.

They made one more circuit around the ballroom and then Adam twirled her out to one side, brought her back to him, secured his arms around her for a lingering moment then twirled her out to the other side and then brought her back to him.

He knew their dance would be ending soon and one thing had become abundantly clear. He never wanted it to end.

He had come to find her with a specific purpose in mind. One he had forgotten momentarily as he became distracted by her beauty, the sunset and their spontaneous dance.

Now that purpose had suddenly come back to him and his heart leapt and raced inside his chest.

He held her tightly to him and they swayed together to nonexistent music for another few lingering seconds, both holding onto the moment for as long as they could.

Then with one final twirl he turned her to face him and their eyes met and they shared a smile. Then Adam first bowed his head and waited for Belle to do the same. Then he brought her hand to his lips, brushing a soft kiss across her knuckles as he slowly lowered himself to one knee.

His heart was pounding rapidly and he closed his eyes tightly, fighting against the sudden swell of nerves that churned his stomach. He kept his lips hovering over her hand and knew Belle could no doubt feel his breath, hot and heavy against her skin.

He slowly lifted his head to meet her gaze and found her staring down at him in curiosity, a small little smile on her lips.

He swallowed thickly and inhaled deeply as he remained on his position on the floor. "Belle…"

Her brow twitched as his voice shook and he cleared his throat, tightening his jaw to compose himself.

However as he stared up at her, with her bright, wide, brown eyes, and her face glowing in the candlelight he found himself utterly speechless.

It was something he had been going over in his head for days yet he simply could not get the words out.

How could simple words ever express the amount of love he held for her? How could he express the very desires of his heart to her without looking like a complete fool?

"Every day I find myself in complete awe of you…" He started quietly and Belle's eyes widened further but a small, watery smile tugged at her lips. "Your strength, your courage, your heart, your brain, your beauty...you are...completely astounding to me. Most of all, I am astounded that you have chosen to love me for with all the horrors of my past I have never done anything to deserve your presence in my life."

"Adam…" She whispered and he silenced her with a quick shake of his head.

She pressed her lips together quietly, her eyes already starting to brim with tears.

"Yet I will be forever grateful that you are here." A smile broke across his lips as his bright blue eyes shined brightly up at her. "You have saved me in every way possible. You brought me back from death and warmed my cold, hardened heart. You inspire me to be the best man I can possibly be. These last several weeks with you have been the happiest of my life. I know there will be trials to face in the future but I would love nothing more than to face those trials together, with you by my side. I truly cannot imagine my life without you in it and I never want to live a life without you in it. Will you do me the greatest honor and joy and let me live forever with you?" He inhaled deeply, his body trembling. "Will you marry me?"

A single tear rolled down her cheek as she stared at him in silent stunned awe.

A smile slowly spread across her lips as she slowly lowered herself to the ground to be at eye level with him.

Then she lifted her free hand to his cheek, looking deep into his hopeful, hesitant eyes, mirroring her actions of the night of his transformation.

The same overwhelming love filled him as he gazed back at her, holding his breath, awaiting her response.

"Yes." She whispered, a bright smile blossoming on her face and before he even had a chance to process, she grabbed his face in both her hands and brought herself up to kiss him.

His hands flew to her waist and he remained still as he processed what happened.

Then a flood of joy and love surged through him as he finally registered her words and her actions.

Without breaking their kiss, he slowly started to rise to his feet, pulling her along with him.

Her arms wound tight around his neck, pressing their chests together. His arms completely surrounded her thin waist and he grinned against her mouth as he lifted her feet off the ground.

She let out a small squeal of delighted laughter and his joyous laughter joined hers in between sweet, loving kisses.

"Yes, Adam." She whispered again with a grin, after breaking the kiss, pressing her forehead intimately to his. "I would love nothing more than to marry you."

He set her back onto the ground and she tilted her head back to meet his eyes. He thought his heart may very well burst with joy.

He thanked the Lord in Heaven every day for bringing her into his life and thanked Him again a thousand times over that she would not only agree, but love him enough to marry him. He knew very well Belle was not one to marry for riches or title. Belle could not have cared less that he was a prince. Her heart was full of love for him, love he perhaps did not deserve, but love she gave him all the same. Love that shone bright in her eyes as she grinned up at him.

His own happiness must have shown on his face, he knew he was smiling like a damn fool but nothing mattered except for Belle. His future wife.

With that thrilling thought, he leaned down to capture her lips in a tender kiss. Belle smiled against his mouth and thread her fingers through his loose hair.

"I am so relieved." He whispered to her once they parted and Belle lifted her eyes to his in surprise.

"Did you honestly believe I'd ever reject you?"

His lips twitched in a small, hesitant smile.

"Oh Adam…" she breathed and gave him a warm, loving smile as she moved her hand to his cheek, caressing it softly. "Never doubt my love for you. It is unlike anything I have ever felt and doubt will ever feel again for another. You speak of how I changed your life...well you have also changed mine."

"That was the cause of my doubt, you see." He said and her brow twitched in confusion. He let out a soft little sigh. "I know that you are unaccustomed to this way of life. The life of glittering royalty...of being a princess…" He raised his brow pointedly and her own eyes widened as she seemed to realize her soon-to-be title. "I know you agreed to stay and live here with me but marrying into my life is something else entirely. Something I was not sure you would be prepared for or even want."

Belle's eyes crinkled for a second but then smoothed out with a soft smile. "Perhaps I am not completely prepared for what is to come but I am more than willing to accept anything that should. Within reason, of course...I wish to spend my life with you, Adam. I love you and all that you are. In truth I have never felt more comfortable or at home than when I am here. If marrying you and becoming your wife means I am to be a...a princess than a princess I shall be." She raised a brow, teasingly. "I just hope I do not become a shiny trinket on your arm."

His eyes widened in horror and guilt and shame formed a hard knot in his gut at the thought of what he used to be. How he used to treat the hordes of women that paraded through the castle walls, how they were nothing but decorations on his arm. The thought of using Belle in that way repulsed him.

"Never." He vowed almost harshly. "Let that beautiful mind fall to waste? I would sooner die."

She blinked up at him but a smile crossed her lips. "That is a tad dramatic but I appreciate it all the same." She ran her thumb along his cheekbone, smoothing out the sudden tension. "I was teasing you, Adam...I know you would never treat me in that way. I would never have agreed to marry you if I had any such doubt."

He released the tension from his body but the frown still remained on his lips and he swallowed thickly. "I was that man once, Belle, not so long ago."

"I know." She said quietly. "But you aren't now…you're a good man, Adam. I don't care about the actions of the man you used to be. I care about who you are now...who you have proven to me that you are. The man who has such a deep love and respect for literature. The man who took me to see my childhood home. The man who let me go, sacrificing his own happiness, to save my father's life. The man who spent hours talking to his people after he had just risen from the dead! The man who started making amends for all his past mistakes as soon as he was able and has never stopped for a moment to even realize the amount of good he has done in such a short time and how happy he is making people. How happy he has made me. That man is the man I love and that man is who I will gladly take as my husband." A beautiful smile spread across her lips as she looked intently into his eyes. "And incase I have not made it clear enough, that man is you, my dear Adam."

Tears burned at the back of his eyes and he could do nothing but stare in awe at the remarkable woman before him. He thought his love for her could not possibly grow anymore and he was happily proved wrong.

"I love you." His voice broke as he spoke the words from the depth of his heart and her echoing smile sent his heart soaring.

"I love you." She slid her hand back into his hair and then leaned in to press a soft kiss to his lips.

After a few seconds, Belle pulled away in giddy laughter.

The sound put a smile on his face and as he opened his eyes to look at her, as their eyes met, she giggled again, biting her lip as she turned away.

"What?" He laughed in faint amusement. "What is it?"

She pressed her lips together, trying to hide a smile and a soft blush coated her cheeks. "It's nothing."

He lifted his brow inquisitively. "Keeping secrets from your husband already?"

She gave him a knowing look and slid her hands down to rest on his chest, patting it lightly. "You are not yet my husband. I think I am allowed a few little secrets of my own."

He did not argue but kept an unwavering, pleading stare on her.

She smirked and another small little laugh left her lips as she relented. "I was just thinking of how the girls are going to react when we tell them."

"The girls?"

She nodded with a hum. "Plumette and Madame De Garderobe, especially….Mrs. Potts had a say in it as well but not nearly as much."

His brow pressed together as he narrowed his eyes curiously. "Had a say in what exactly?"

A deeper blush coated her cheeks. "They discussed, to rather some large extent, when they thought you would propose to me."

His eyes widened and she giggled again. "They discussed it? With you?"

Belle nodded again with a small grin. "Madame de Garderobe was almost thoroughly convinced we were already engaged by the end of the day after the curse was broken."

He let out a slow breath, attempting to process the revelation. The curse had been broken for three weeks and his staff had been discussing with Belle his plans of their engagement. Not that he had any real plans back then though he would be lying if he said it had not crossed his mind once or twice.

Well then, in hindsight it was no wonder Belle had seemed more swept away and awestruck by the moment itself than shocked. She had been expecting it for nearly a month.

He shook his head with a small laugh. "Was I truly that predictable?"

Belle lifted her shoulders with a sweet smile. "They aren't blind, you know. They were here watching us fall in love...they probably knew it before we did. They all knew our engagement was inevitable. It was all just a matter of time before it happened."

He nodded slowly and his lips twitched up in a small smirk as he suddenly seemed to recall Lumiere giving him some very subtle glances over the last several weeks. Whenever he and Belle were in the same room together, the staff seemed to hold their breath, giving them knowing looks as if waiting for something to happen.

"And did you?" He suddenly prompted and she lifted her brow inquisitively. "Did you know it was inevitable?"

She flushed and smiled as she nodded. "I knew what I felt for you was forever. I certainly hoped you felt the same."

His heart seemed to skip a beat. "Then I sincerely apologize for making you wait so long for me to work up the nerve."

She shook her head slowly, her arms once again circling around his neck. He then tightened his grip around her waist in response.

"I would have waited forever for you."

The warmth of love swelled in his chest and he smiled before he ducked his head to press a soft, sweet, quick kiss to her mouth.

They shared another loving, giddy smile and then Belle lowered her head to rest on his chest, smiling as she nuzzled him affectionately.

He rested his head gently atop hers, tightening his hold on her. Then Adam slowly, gently began to sway back and forth and Belle closed her eyes, humming at the comforting motion.

"I am afraid I shall have to disappoint your dear lady friends." He murmured against her hair. "For if they are indeed waiting for an announcement they will have to wait just a little bit longer." He pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head. "I am not prepared to let you go just yet."

Her arms tightened around him. "You will never have to let me go again."

Time seemed to stand still as they swayed in each other's arms, reveling in love, hope, and the joy of this new adventure in the journey of their lives together.