Title: Between the Margins

Rating: T

Pairing: Belle/Adam

She first finds the scribbles in the margins of her favorite book.

She's in the library, fingering through the musty old book, as she sits in the same chair she always has. The writing is slanted and uneven and distinctively male. She can't read all of the words, but decides that it must be a poem or a song. She shrugs and reads the book, not giving the scribbles a second thought.

The second time she find the words, they are in the Robert Frost book she has been reading every day for a week. She scans the words, which are slightly more legible this time. She swears she can see her name written in the margins. Belle raises her eyes from the book and glances at her surroundings. The same people come to the library every day, and she sees all familiar faces. The boy with long ginger hair is sitting at the table to her left, just like always. The girl with pretty blonde curls is to her right. They all coexist in the quiet domain of the library. She shrugs it off.

She finds the words multiple times, and becomes surprised when she doesn't see the familiar scribbles in the book she's reading. She has finally deciphered what the writer is trying to say. She reads over her latest finding.

I'm falling

Fast and hard.

I'm crawling

Through the dark.

I make mistakes.

We get one chance on this earth,

And there are a lot of fakes.

I'm not one.

I'm strong through and through.

But my mistake is

Being head over heels for you.

There's a tap on her shoulder and her eyes fly up to meet a pair of crystal blue ones. It's the boy with ginger hair, smiling sheepishly.

"Is that the copy of Hamlet?" he asks.

She nods, closing the book slowly. "Sorry, did you need it? I don't really have to see it right now."

He pauses. "We could share it if you'd like?"

She pats the chair beside her, and he sits. He grabs a notebook, full of scratchy male handwriting.

Belle recognizes the script immediately. She says nothing, but she scribbles something down in her own notebook.

I know.

They meet in the library, it becomes the new routine. They share books, she wonders what's going on in that wonderful head of his.

His name is Adam, he's in her year. They've had classes together.

How had she not noticed?

The begin hanging out in the union after they finish at the library. That turns into him walking her to her dorm. And somewhere along the way, Belle finds herself having deep feelings for him.

Adam sings sweet songs in her ear, and she thinks of the words between the margins.

He holds her hand and kisses her temple, and her mind goes blank.

When they reach her door he looks into her eyes, and says, "I like you."

She smiles, "I like you, too."

His eyes bore it her soul, "No, Belle. I like you. I've always liked you."

She can't speak. She just looks into his eyes until he gives further explains.

"I've liked you since freshman year," he chuckles. "I wrote in the margins of your favorite books, hoping you'd notice. I hoped you'd find me."

She smiles brightly and kisses his cheek.

"This is exactly where I'm meant to be."