"Belle, I know we've only known each other for a few months," Adam began, looking nervously into the warm brown eyes that gazed lovingly back at him. "But I feel like I've been waiting for you for all of my life. And I wasted so much of that time before I met you, that now that we've found each other, I don't want to waste any more of it. Er, not that I feel like this is a waste of time," he was quick to amend, motioning between himself and his companion with hurried gestures. "Because I've never been happier! But this isn't just about my happiness - it's about our happiness, yours and mine. Right?" He cringed as the eyes blinked back at him, silent and unreadable.

He cleared his throat. "Right," he continued, focusing on the ring he was anxiously twirling around his fingers. "What I mean is, the short while that we've been together has completely changed my life. You saw something in me that I don't think anyone else would have been able to see. You've given me hope and happiness when I had forgotten what those things even felt like. And I know that I want to spend the rest of my life doing that for you. I want to give you everything that you've ever wanted. And that's why I hope that you'll agree to ... to ... marry me?"

Adam looked up expectantly and was rewarded with a wet, sloppy lick. "Ugh!" he grunted, wiping saliva from his face with the back of his hand. He shot a disgruntled look at Sultan, who gazed down at him from the chair with an adoring expression, tail thumping eagerly against the richly embroidered cushion. Well, at least the dog would say 'yes,' the prince thought to himself. Aloud, he said "No, no, no, that was awful."

He rose from his stooped position and began to pace before the fireplace, running a hand anxiously through his hair. He thought he had been nervous when he had asked Maurice for permission to marry Belle, but this was easily ten times worse. "Belle will be here any minute, and I still have no idea how I'm going to do this," he moaned, looking beseechingly at his furry friend. Sultan's only response was a happy little yip. "A lot of help you turned out to be," Adam grumbled.

Why was this so hard? In all of the fairy tales he had read with Belle, the princes had always made it look so easy. Effortless, even. Almost as if they had been assured, before they had even posed the question to their princesses, that the answer would be "yes." They certainly hadn't spent hours rehearsing a dozen awkward speeches before a dog. But then, none of them had been proposing to a girl like Belle. The princesses in those fairy tales had all been lovely and kind, but none of them had anything on the woman who he hoped would agree to be his wife. Belle was more than beautiful and sweet. She was smart, and brave, and she had saved him - not to mention every other person in the castle - in more ways than one. He loved her with all of his heart, but finding the words to adequately express those feelings - without humiliating himself in the process - was proving to be impossible. He wondered whether he should put the proposal off for another day, perhaps one when he was feeling a little more articulate, but the thought of enduring this anxiety for even one more moment made his stomach churn in protest.

"Okay, okay," Adam resolved, getting back down on one knee in front of the chair. "How about this?" He took a deep breath, looking seriously at Sultan as he held out the ring. "Belle - "

"Adam, what are you doing?"

Adam toppled over at the sound of Belle's voice. He quickly shoved the ring into the pocket of his jacket as he scrambled to his feet and turned to face her. "What? I, uh, nothing! I was ... I was just trying to teach Sultan a ... a new trick," he finished lamely, smiling innocently as his face flooded with warmth. Sultan bounded from the chair and ran to Belle, leaping excitedly around her legs.

"Oh ...," Belle responded slowly as she reached down to scratch the dog's ears. "Well, I'm sorry if I caught you by surprise. I didn't mean to embarrass you."

"What?" Adam exclaimed. "I'm not embarrassed," he scoffed, with an embarrassed laugh.

"You're not," Belle said dryly.

"Nope." Adam shook his head, and flashed her another innocent smile.

"Well then why are you blushing?" Belle countered.

"Why am I what?" Adam sputtered incredulously. "I'm not ... I don't blush!"

"Adam," Belle began patiently, "your face is bright red. Even" - she giggled - "even your ears are red." She reached a finger out to trace the shell of his ear, smiling in amusement.

"I don't blush," Adam insisted. "I never have."

"Well, you do now," Belle said smugly, folding her arms across her chest. She gazed thoughtfully at Adam's sulking expression, so adorably like the Beast's. "I bet you've always done it, and it just wasn't ... visible. You know, beneath the fur," she murmured, reaching out again to stroke his smooth, still red cheek.

"Great," Adam muttered sarcastically, wondering how quickly it would be possible for him to grow a beard.

"I think it's cute," Belle said softly, her hand still cupping the side of his face as she studied him.

"You do?"

"Mmmhmm," she answered, smiling up at him.

"Huh," Adam breathed, reflecting on this new information. Well if she thought it was cute ... it occurred to him that perhaps he could use this recently discovered ability to his advantage. He patted his pocket unconsciously, fingers brushing over the almost imperceptible lump created by the ring. Then he reached for Belle's hand, leading her to the recently vacated chair. "Well since you're here, I do have a question I'd like to ask you ..."