Belle finished setting the table, lit all the candles, dished out their food, and changed into a dress she had brought when she first moved to Adam's, but had never gotten a chance to wear it. The dress was a lovely shade of burgundy, had a sweetheart neckline, clung to her bust and waist, and flowed down a little just above her hips down to just under her knees. It made her curves look exquisite. She also tied back her hair with a white ribbon, wanting to look good in case she did decide to tell Adam about her feelings for him.
About an hour after David left, Mr. Gold summed up what he was doing and slipped on his wool coat ready to go home. Stepping outside, he noticed the sun had already set and there was almost no one out on the sidewalks or streets.
Ensuring the door to the shop was locked behind him, he set off toward home. Hopefully Belle would already have dinner on the table; he was starving after having skipped breakfast and not eating lunch.
Once he arrived at his house, he trekked slowly up the front stairs, careful not to slip on the ice. It had already begun to snow again and there was an eerie feel to the air. It was like something was following him, but he knew that was impossible. He even glanced behind him once, but there was nothing there. He brushed it off to the fact that he was alone out in the snowstorm.
Placing his hand on the front doorknob, he was about to turn it with the plain gold knocker morphed into what looked like a face of his old partner, Regina Mills. Startled, he jumped backwards and at the same time a chilly wind blew by almost knocking him off his feet. After regaining his balance, he glanced back toward the door. This time the knocker looked completely normal. He huffed. His hunger must've made him hallucinate.
Grabbing the doorknob again, he slowly turned it, cautiously watching to see if the same thing would happen, but nothing did. Hurrying inside, he shut the door quickly behind him, trying to shake the weird feeling he had. He didn't think about it long, however, because the delicious aroma of roast beef filled his nostrils, taking his mind off of it.
When Belle heard the front door open, a small smile formed on her lips and she quickly did a few touch ups on the table, meal, and herself before placing herself beside the table where Adam always sat, planning on pulling his chair out for him. She knew that the smell of her rather delicious dinner would lead Adam to the dining room so she stood where she was with her hands folded in front of her, a small, warm smile on her lips.
Removing his coat, gloves, and scarf, Adam hung them on the bench in the foyer. Making his way toward the dining room, his slow and steady gait along with the tap of his cane echoed a little through the dark rooms. Most of the very large house was unused and he only allowed a room to be lit if he or Belle was in it.
When he entered the dining room, although subtle, the first thing he noticed was the Christmas decorations. "What is this?" he demanded, a slight hint of irritation in his tone. His eyes landed on Belle right after he spoke and the way she looked took his breath away. He did well to keep the grimace on his face.
Belle bit her bottom lip when he came in, brushing a stray curl behind her ear. He hated it. She knew it. He hated all of it. The decorations, the food, the way she looked…"My attempt at apologizing for what I did earlier without actually saying it…" She slowly pulled out his chair and motioned for him to sit. "I made all of your favorites including your favorite tea and a glass of whiskey to relax you from your day of hard work…" Where Belle sat, she had a simple glass of water to drink. In the lighting, she couldn't help but notice how exceptionally handsome he looked. The way the candlelight lit up his features even if he was grimacing.
He visually relaxed just a tad. His frown disappeared, but there was still no hint of a smile. Despite her good intentions, she knew he hated Christmas. Why would she try something like this?
However, his thoughts were drifting away from the decorations as he continued to stare at Belle. She looked absolutely gorgeous, more so than usual; the dress she was wearing, how her stray hair hung down on her shoulders, and the way the candlelight bounced of her beautiful features just right. It all added to her beauty.
Finally realizing he was standing there staring and letting his eyes roam up and down her body, he cleared his throat. He didn't want Belle to think he was a lustful old man who had nothing better to do but leer at his maid. "Where did you get that dress?" he asked, giving him a reason to stare and not look away. She would assume he was worried she spent his money on it. Wait…had she purchased it with his money? It surprised him to realize that hadn't been the first thing that popped in his mind. Honestly, in that moment he really didn't care if she had or not.
When Belle heard his worry about the dress, she instantly knew he would think that she had bought it with his money. "Don't worry, Adam, I got this dress back when I had been living with my father. It was what I had worn for Christmas that year before… You.. um.. Brought me here.." Her heart ached a little from the memory, missing her father dearly. She had bumped into him on the streets every once in a while but she could never stay long because she knew that either Gold would get mad at her for talking to him or for taking too long to get back.
"Won't you please sit? I spent a long time on this meal.. And before you question me, Yes I did all my chores."
Mr. Gold nodded, not saying anything else about the dress. He longed to tell her how beautiful she looked in it, but he knew that would only be weird after he was just staring at her like a love struck schoolboy.
Doing as she asked, he walked over to the table and sat down in his chair. Looking down at the meal, he smiled just a little. It smelled absolutely wonderful; she had made all his favorites. Bae was right-she did go out of her way for him.
When Adam came and sat down, it was Belle's turn to visually relax. Letting out a small sigh of relief, she pushed his chair in a little before she went and sat at the spot she had set for herself. "I hope you don't mind that I am joining you. I want to trick my mind into thinking that this is Christmas dinner but I can't do that when I am alone." Normally, Belle ate either before or after Gold but if he was in a good mood, he sometimes asked—more like told—her to join him.
His little smile managed to fade when he heard her words. He wasn't sure what was upsetting him more: the fact that she was basically forcing Christmas on him or the sorrow he could see in her eyes when she spoke of it. It was clear to him that she missed it. This was her third Christmas at his house and he had made her go without it the first two years.
Well perhaps he could make an exception-just this once. He could play along if it would bring her a little happiness. Besides, she hadn't terribly overdone it with the decorations and he couldn't wait to eat the delicious food she had prepared.
As long as she had no other surprises in store for him, he felt he could handle it. It was just the two of them-nothing could go wrong, could it?
Finally he nodded, indicating she could stay.
When Belle saw him nod, she let out another sigh of relief. She was rather surprised that he didn't get mad at her for wanting to pretend that it was Christmas dinner. She had been regretting the words from the moment she said them but luckily, it seemed that he didn't mind. "Thank you."
As they began to eat, the girl would occasionally glance up at her employer, taking a moment or two to admire how handsome he looked. She couldn't help the fact that her heart felt like it was trying to pull itself closer to him. She just wanted to make him happy. All she wanted was to see a smile on his lips. His lips… Gods, how she wanted to kiss him sometimes. She wanted to do it so badly that sometimes it physically pained her.
They ate their dinner in silence, but Gold noticed she kept glancing up at him with a look on her face he couldn't quite place. He assumed she either wanted to say or do something, but he didn't know which. He wondered if it had anything to do with her and David's conversation he had overheard that morning. Of course that had to be it, what else? "I believe there was something you wanted to ask me," he noted between bites.
When Belle heard him, she thought that he had caught her glances. Gods, she hoped not. Putting down her fork and knife, she took a sip of water. Then it clicked; could he be talking about what David and her had been discussing in his shop earlier. Or was he assuming that she wanted to ask something because she kept looking over at him. "I did?" she asked a little confused.
"Yes," he replied, taking another bite. "When you came in my shop this morning, you were planning on asking me something before we were interrupted."
Belle understood now and took a deep breath, nervously brushing a curl behind her ear. "Well. You see, David said that I looked nice today and asked me if I have any plans. When I said no and that you were going to make me work today and tomorrow like every other year, he asked me if I wanted to come over to his house to have dinner with him and his family."
"Ah," he said averting his eyes away from her and pretending he didn't know that already. She still hadn't asked him if she could go; she only explained to him what they were discussing. "Is this what you want to do then? Have dinner at my employee's residence?"
When she heard him, she nervously glanced over at him. "Well, he is my friend. And if I don't have anything that I need to do, I would like to go." She folded her hands in her lap and wrung them a little as she remembered what she had told David. "But I don't think it would be possible.. There is a snowstorm tonight and we will probably be snowed in tomorrow. So when I finish my chores, I will have to shovel the walkway and the rest of the front yard like you always want me to."
"It has already begun to snow," he told her, not sure if she knew or not. Besides the chores, he wasn't sure what else she did when he wasn't at home. It was possible she hadn't been outside since this morning.
Taking the last bite of his food, he placed his fork down gently. "That was delicious Belle," he told her. It was the closest to a thank you she would ever get, but he was also being nicer than usual. He wasn't sure why.
He was also trying to change the subject-to deter telling her if she could go to dinner at the Nolan's or not.
When she heard what he said about the snow, she turned her attention to the nearby window and saw the white flakes falling. "So it has…" She had always had a love-hate relationship with snow. It was beautiful to look at, but living in a house with someone who was too poor to pay for heating ruined her outlook on snow.
But when he told her how good the food was, she was very taken aback. There was a hint of appreciation that she was picking up on. "Th-Thank you." She couldn't help but smile a little as she got up and began to collect their plates and walk to the kitchen. "Is there anything else you would like?"
He thought about it for a moment. He wasn't hungry anymore, but he also wasn't ready to retreat to his room like he usually did after dinner. On the very rare occasion he wanted to stay downstairs just so Belle could keep him company. This was one of those occasions.
"Perhaps a warm cup of tea?" he said with a little smirk. "That is if you were able to venture out to the grocery store and pick some up today?"
Belle put the dishes in the sink to wash them and grabbed the tin of tea she had bought for him earlier before she peeked at him through the door that lead from the kitchen to the dining room. "That I did. It is even your favorite kind that comes out around winter. It was the last tin."
She filled up the kettle with water and put it on the stove before she began to wash their dishes. It didn't take her very long and soon enough, she was bringing in two mugs of tea, both the perfect drinking temperature. "Would you like me to make a fire in the living room?" she asked softly. On nights like this, he usually had her build a fire in the fireplace for him so he could sit in front of it in his big comfy chair.
"That'll be nice," he replied and took the mug of tea from her. Just like in the shop, he didn't much care to waste money just to heat the house-especially since it was a very big house. However, since Belle was here all day and night, he allowed her a little more freedom so she wouldn't freeze to death-nor did he enjoy hearing her complain about it constantly. After hearing about it the first few days of her coming to his home, he finally gave in just to shut her up. She was still only allowed to heat the rooms they used the most, but it was more than he had allowed her before.
Belle gave him a small smile before she placed her mug down on the table and turned, walking to the living room. Once in front of the fireplace, she built the perfect size fire to heat up the small room. Compared to the rest of the rooms, it was one of the smaller ones-the bigger ones being his room, his study, the kitchen, the sitting room and the dining room. When she finished, she went back to where she had left him and grabbed her mug. "It is all set."
He nodded to show he understood. After grabbing his cane, he stood and began walking toward the living room with the mug of tea in his other hand. About halfway there, he stopped in his tracks and swung on his heels to face Belle. He raised his eyebrows at her in an accusatory manner. "Before I go in, I must know, have you treated my living room in the same manner you did my dining room-decorate it with all these ridiculous baubles and greenery?" Using his cane, he pointed toward the Christmas decorations. "I'm not much in the mood for surprises, so I'd prefer to know beforehand."
Belle walked behind him to make sure that the fire was to his liking, planning on going back to the dining room to clean it all up.
When he suddenly stopped, she couldn't help but jump a little. As she heard his question, she chuckled a little and shook her head. "No. I left your precious living room alone. Except for one candle—that is not festive—because the room still smelled like smoke from the fire I made for you a few nights ago. Hopefully, the room should hopefully smell like ginger and sandalwood." Belle knew that those candles were the only ones that he tolerated.
Adam nodded. He was relieved. He had managed to hold his temper when he saw the dining room, but he could only take so much at once. Turning back around, he walked into the living room, sat down in his big chair by the fire, and placed his mug of tea on the little side table. The room did indeed smell like she said it would. It was pleasant.
Belle followed him into the room, mug between both her hands. "If everything is to your liking and you don't need anything else, I will just go and clean up the dining room," she said, turning to leave the warm room.
"Stop," he said abruptly before she could leave the room. "I didn't dismiss you." He was lonely for her company, but he didn't want to come off that way. The only other thing he knew to do was play it out like Master and Maid.
Belle raised a brow and chuckled softly before she walked back to stand by the side of his chair. "I didn't know I needed dismissing." She took a small sip of her tea, a small smile on her lips. She felt like she was in a good mood but she wasn't sure why. "What is it that you need?"
"Nothing in particular," he said trying to keep what he really wanted subtle. "Have a seat." He motioned toward the floor since there was not another chair in the room. "You can clean later."
"If you say so…" Belle smiled a little more and did as he said, taking a seat by his feet so she could be in front of the warm fire. Her arms and legs were awfully cold in the dress that she was wearing so the fire was very much appreciated.
He sighed contently and leaned back in his chair. At least she was indulging him, more than he expected her to do. "I expect you had a productive day," he asked trying to strike up conversation.
Belle placed down her mug beside her before leaning forward to warm up her hands. "I did. I swept and mopped all of the hardwood and tile floors, I did your laundry, I swept, I did some grocery shopping and bought the things on your list and I obviously made you dinner. How was work today?" she asked softly.
He shrugged his shoulders and stared at the fire. "Less profitable than any other day of the year. Most of my precious time was wasted dealing with deadbeats who want an extension on their rent or beggars who want money to give to the poor. Christmas, bah, always brings out the worst in people."
Belle chuckled a little and looked up at him, a small smirk on her face. "Only some people." She placed her hand on his good knee. "I personally think Christmas brings out the best in most people. They want to help one another, they care for one another. When somebody is down, people help them back up onto their feet."
He scoffed at her, clearly not believing that. "People should learn to care for themselves. Why should I give my hard earned money to the poor when they have soup kitchens and poor houses?" He leaned toward her a little as if he was challenging her.
Belle crossed her arms over her chest and turned to look up at him. "Because do you know what they feed us… I-I mean them." She swallowed hard, straightening up a bit. Most nights when she had lived with her father when she had been younger before she could work, she and her father had to go eat at the soup kitchen. Many of the nights, she got food poisoning because things were under cooked or expired. "Not to mention that if you were in the same situation, barely having enough money to pay for clothes, food, heat, wouldn't you want someone to help YOU?"
He ignored her slip up that implied she had eaten at a soup kitchen or been to a poor house. He wasn't sure which because he didn't know much about her life before she came to live with him. He chuckled at her question. "Now you see dearie, that's where you're mistaken. I would never be in that situation. I'm smart enough to know how to handle my money, how to hold a job, how to keep from wasting what little I have on useless frivolities."
Belle's jaw clenched as she heard him, her eyes narrowing at his insensitive biased opinion. Not only did it feel like he was taking a cheap shot at her father like he did when he was mad at her to make her stop talking back, but also it showed that he thought he was better than everyone else. "Well guess what, if you were getting sick constantly from being freezing cold, not having enough to eat and not being able to pay for medicine, you wouldn't be able to keep your job because of how often you had to stay home, which would lead to you losing money which would lead to you unable to pay rent and soon you would find yourself at a soup kitchen which would only begin the cycle again because of horrible the food is and how sick it can make you," she said, knowing that with how she worded it that time, she made her point and he wouldn't be able to argue back. And if he did, she would be leaving the room.
He stared down at her, watching her carefully. "I had no idea you were so passionate about this," he said, making note of how infuriated the subject seemed to make her.
Belle practically glared at him, her blue eyes holding pain and something like jealousy because she knew that for the past twenty years, Adam had been having a wonderful life; living in a big home, having more money than he could ever spend, and a son who loved him with his whole being. "That is because that was my and my dad's life for ten years," she said through clenched teeth.
Mr. Gold frowned, highlighting the deep wrinkles in his cheeks that had formed over all those years of being unhappy. "Belle, I had no idea…" he said honestly and sympathetically, his hand mindlessly coming to rest on top of hers which was still sitting on his knee.
He already knew that Belle and her father were not well off-that was obvious considering the deal she had to make to get out of debt-but he had never realized it was that bad. Now he felt a pang of guilt, which was rare. He had tried so hard over the past three years to keep his distance from Belle-to only learn the bare minimum about her, just so he wouldn't have to feel things like that.
Belle scoffed and continued to glare up at him, jaw still clenched. "Of course you didn't. Because you don't care about anyone besides yourself…"
When he placed his hand over hers, her words stopped and her gaze fell down to look at what she had been dreaming about for months. Her face softened a little as she felt the warmth of his large, rough hand spread over her cold, smaller one.
She felt all her anger leave and her heart ache and beat fast in her chest as she continued to stare at his hand, his ring on his middle finger sparkling in the fire light. "I…. I-I…."
He waited for her to finish her sentence, but as the seconds went by, he didn't think she was going to. Her focus seemed to be on something else. What was she staring so intently at? Glancing down, he noticed she was looking at their joined hands. He hadn't even realized he had grabbed hers, but obviously he had. And judging by the way she was acting, it was clear to him she wasn't happy about it. Swiftly, he jerked his hand away, not wanting to make her uncomfortable any longer. "Forgive me," he said, feeling he had stepped out of bounds. First, he was drooling over her in her new dress, now he was grabbing her hand. Gods, he wouldn't be surprised if she tried to leave.
When he pulled his hand back, Belle had to resist grabbing for it like a child who had their favorite toy taken away from them. When he spoke, she looked up at him with her crystal blue eyes, all the anger and pain gone from them, now only holding longing. "No matter…" She said softly, gazing up at him a little as she reluctantly pulled her hand away from his knee. "I'm sorry for snapping like that…" She dropped her gaze, a stray curl falling onto her face. "There is no way you could have known about that…"
She had looked at him funny again; he just didn't understand it. Was she still mad? She didn't look or sound mad anymore. She was definitely a mystery to him.
He could have known about her past if he had only asked, but he didn't. And he didn't want to consider that her words might be the truth: that he only cared about himself.
"Well, there's no need to worry about that now," he assured her, "you live here now, where there's a roof over your head and food on the table."
Belle nodded her head and sighed a little bit, turning back to the fire with her shoulders hunched slightly. "Yeah…." She picked up her tea mug and took a small sip. "And I appreciate more than you could ever know…" She said only loud enough for him to hear. Taking a deep breath, she looked over at him over her shoulder. "Thank you, Adam. It may not seem like it, but I DO enjoy being here most of the time."
His tiny smile returned when he heard her say that. He wanted to believe her-he really did-but he just couldn't. Despite the food and roof over her head, why would she want to be there instead of with her father? She had been reluctant to leave him in the first place, only doing so because she had no choice.
Adam never gave her any time to herself and he caught her daydreaming every once in a while. She wanted something more and he knew it didn't involve living in his mansion for the rest of her life. However, she still seemed content most of the time, so he never really gave it a second thought.
Despite everything on his mind that screamed he was a fool, he ended up asking something he already knew the answer to. "Belle, are you happy here with me?" Of course she wasn't happy. Why did he even ask?
The woman looked back at the flames in front of her when she saw his smile, her heart fluttering madly. Gods, she loved his smile more than anything. It always seemed to lighten and brighten her day.
When she heard his question, a smile of her own fell onto her lips as she looked down. Perhaps it was the day to tell him how she felt. It was what she had been planning all along. "Well, despite how often you yell at me and how many chores you pile on me, yes. I do quite enjoy being here with you. Especially during moments like these. It's times like these that make me happy to be here with you.."
He nodded and turned his gaze toward his lap. Her words were so lovely, but he just didn't believe they were the truth. But why would she say them if they weren't true? The only explanation he could come up with was she was just trying to ensure he remained in a pleasant mood. She didn't want him screaming at her and breaking things. Either way, he wasn't going to sit there and pretend anymore.
Grabbing his empty mug, he stood to his feet. "I best retire for the evening," he told her as he turned to exit the room. He paused, however, turning his head just slightly so he could address her. "And Belle, if you'd like to join the Nolan's for dinner tomorrow night, you have my permission." He started to leave again.
When he spoke to her, his voice was soft, barely above a whisper, with a hint of sadness in it. For some strange reason, he did want her to be happy and he knew that allowing her this little outing would be step in the right direction.
Belle felt her heart ache a little when he said that he wanted to go to bed. She wanted to stay up longer and talk to him more. She wanted to spend more time with him and maybe learn things about HIS past. But if he wanted to go to sleep, then she would reluctantly have to go to sleep as well. "Alright…"
He seemed to be full of surprises tonight. He only added to that when he told her that she could go to David's house tomorrow. "Really?" She put out the fire and blew out the candle before she ran a little to catch up to him, following close behind him. She noticed the hidden sad tone in his voice. She didn't want to leave him alone on Christmas. She would only go if he was going somewhere as well. "You know, you could come too. You could be my date." She said in a slight teasing way but a hidden bit of hope in her voice because she would truly like that.
As they arrived in the kitchen, she walked over to the sink and placed her mug into the sink. Suddenly she smelled something. "Uh-Oh… I think I left a candle burning. Could you place your mug in the sink? I'll wash it in a minute." She turned and quickly went into the dining room to blow out the candle.
Date? Bah! He knew she was entirely in jest now.
Doing as she asked, he took the mug and went into the kitchen. "I think it's better I spare Mr. Nolan the hassle of my company," he called after her to answer her question. "I'm quite certain he wouldn't want to entertain his boss on the only day he doesn't have to deal with me."
After placing the mug in the sink, he turned and went to leave the kitchen, his sights set on going upstairs.
"I think it would be a great opportunity to show David and Mary-Margaret that you're not always as grumpy as you are at work," she said with a small chuckle.
Belle walked into the dining room and blew out the candles before turning to walk back into the kitchen, a soft smile on her lips. Covering her mouth, she yawned and closed her eyes for a moment.
Mr. Gold was about to reply to her statement, when he glanced up and saw she was about to run right into him. Pausing briefly in the doorway from the kitchen to the dining room, he held up his free hand and caught her by the arm before she did so. "I think you should watch where you're going," he said in a slightly teasing manner. He did that with her on occasion, when she had somehow managed to brighten his mood.
Belle gasped a little as he suddenly grabbed her arm. Opening her eyes, she looked up at him. He was so close… She could smell his intoxicating cologne. She could see the gold flecks in his eyes… She could feel his warm, rough hand on her skin. Biting her bottom lip, she suddenly remembered something else and nervously glanced upwards, motioning for him to look to. Above them hung one of the most classic items of Christmas: Mistletoe. But instead of backing away, she studied his features as he looked up, hoping that he wouldn't break the tradition. She wanted to kiss him so badly.
Cocking an eyebrow, he looked at her curiously. Why did she look so nervous? And what was she staring at now? Glancing up when she motioned for him to do so, he saw there was something hanging above them. At first he didn't register what it was, having spent most of his years trying to avoid anything to do with Christmas.
But as he went to turn his attentions back to Belle, it hit him. "Mistletoe," he accidentally said aloud.
Why in the devil would she hang something like that? She couldn't possibly want to kiss him. Or did she? Why else would she hang it? It wasn't like she could expect to kiss anyone else besides him. They were always to only two people in the household. He never had any visitors and even if he did, the snow would have kept them away that night.
Swallowing thickly, his eyes ventured down to meet Belle's once again. He was torn about what to do. On the one hand, he could just ignore it and continue on his way, but on the other he couldn't deny that he really did want to kiss her. This would be the perfect opportunity to do so. If she didn't like it, all he had to do was blame it on tradition and yell at her for hanging the confounded piece of greenery in the first place.
However, he was a coward and he already felt like he had stepped over the line that evening after staring at her in her new dress and then grabbing her hand. So, he stood there like a statue, his hand still on her arm, unsure of what to do.
As Belle studied his face when he finished realizing what was above them, she found no anger or reluctance. But instead, confusion, shock and a whole lot of nervousness. He was just as nervous as she was and she knew in that moment, right now was the time she would tell him. She would tell him about how her heart ached to always be close to him, how her lips burn to be kissed by his, how her skin was always so cold unless he touched her, how she feels so empty when she is not by his side.
Her eyes that had found his milk chocolate ones slowly and carefully flickered down to his mouth. Usually his lips were thin lines on his face because of how often he frowned. But right now, they were relaxed and fuller than normal. Licking her own lips a little, her little pink tongue darting out to moisten her dryish lips, her eyes trailed back to meet his, telling him exactly what she wanted without saying any words.
She did this a few more times as she very slowly began to lean a little closer and go up on her toes, praying to whatever god above that he wouldn't back away.
She was moving closer to him; it was just a small movement, but very easily noticed. And she kept looking down at his lips, licking her own as well. By gods, she did want him to kiss her, didn't she? He thought so…but then again, he didn't have much experience with women. It could very well be his eyes playing tricks on him or his heart having him see just what he wanted to.
That didn't change the fact that she was moving closer-he was certain he wasn't imagining it. Not only that, but he wasn't backing away. No, without thinking about it, he realized he was moving closer to her as well. He didn't know where this sudden urge to kiss her had come from, but he wasn't going to deny it any longer. If anything went wrong, all he had to do was blame it on that stupid mistletoe-that stupid mistletoe that he was forever thankful for right now.
After several agonizing seconds, his head had inched down toward hers and his lips were lingering just barely a mere centimeter away from hers. So close, he could feel her light breath wisp across his lips, making his heart beat faster in anticipation.
When Belle found that Adam was leaning down too, a happy, joyful gleam appeared in her blue eyes. Once he was close enough, she waited a few moments, giving him some time to pull away if he wanted to. But when he instead moved even closer, she let her eyes close as she closed the distance between them, her soft pink lips connecting with his. Her heart practically exploded, causing millions of butterflies to erupt in her stomach. She had never kissed anyone before but it seemed to come naturally to her with her lips on his.
As their lips met for the first time, Adam's immediate reaction was panic. His body stiffened and his palms began to sweat. What in the world was he thinking? Right as he was about to pull away, he managed to catch the flash of happiness shine bright in her gorgeous blue eyes, just before she closed them. The thought that she might truly want this was all it took to keep him from backing down.
After a few seconds, he finally relaxed and his eyes drifted shut to enjoy the kiss. Her lips were so soft, so sweet; they even still had a hint of the tea on them they were drinking earlier. They were better than he had ever imagined and being the greedy man he was, he wanted more.
Wanting to hold her close, he let his cane clatter to the floor to free his other hand. In one swift motion, he wrapped it around her waist and pulled her closer so he could kiss her properly.
Belle was kissing his lips tenderly when he wouldn't kiss her back, almost trying to MAKE him kiss her back. When she heard a loud, crashing-like sound come from beside them, she was about to pull away to see if they had knocked something over but she felt his now freed hand slither around her waist to pull her closer and she knew that it had been his cane. He had dropped his cane in favor of holding her closer.
Smiling against his lips a little, she moved her hands up his chest to wrap her arms around his neck, savoring every second of the kiss as he took over. He tasted like whiskey and tea. A surprisingly delicious mix on his lips. She couldn't get enough of it.
She wanted this! She really wanted this! That was obvious to him now. Not only was she kissing him back, but also she had wrapped her arms around his neck. And not only that…but it felt right, like they should have been doing this all along.
She felt so delicate in his arms, as if one wrong movement would shatter her to pieces. However, her small body seemed to fit together perfectly with his, just like two pieces of a puzzle.
That still didn't change the fact that he was incredibly nervous. He was rusty with this kind of thing-not having kissed a woman since Bae's mother. And he wasn't quite sure how experienced Belle was, but he moved his lips against hers slowly and gently, not wanting to frighten or overwhelm her. Any moment now she could come to her senses and break away from him. He couldn't see why she wanted this in the first place, but he was going to enjoy it while it lasted.
The only pulling back Belle did was moving her hand from his neck to his cheek so she could stroke it soothingly, feeling that he was still tentative about the whole situation. Her small, soothing movements let him know that this was what she wanted and that she was happy about what was happening.
As she continued to kiss him, a soft, happy sigh fell from her lips. She loved kissing him and she hoped he felt the same. If he rejected her feelings, she didn't know how she would react. She had been smitten with him for months and months and sometimes, she could have sworn he felt the same. She only hoped that if he didn't feel the same, he would let her down gently and he would still let their deal be intact because she still needed to pay for her father's debts.
A quiet, happy hum escaped him when she began to stroke his cheek. Her skin was so soft, but he knew his skin was rough, especially with the stubble that had grown since shaving at the beginning of the day. Did she really enjoy this? He still had his doubts.
But gods…this was amazing. He had Belle in his arms just like he had imagined more than he wanted to admit. As stubborn as he was, he wouldn't admit, even to himself, that he had had some feelings for the girl for quite some time. Feelings were a weakness and he couldn't afford weakness.
However, in that moment he didn't care. It felt like they were the only two people in the world and he was gladly giving in.
Feeling bolder, one of his hands ventured up from her waist and found her cheek, where he gently stroked it, before running it through her perfect brown curls.
Belle pulled herself even closer to him as her fingers laced themselves into the hair at the nape of his neck. The only sounds in the room were the sounds of their slightly heavy breathing, their lips moving against one another's, and the occasional hum and groan of contentment and pleasure. She was enjoying this more than words can say.
When she felt his hand in her hair, she let out a soft groan, her cheeks turning bright red. As her lungs began to burn with the need for air, she pulled back a little a rested her forehead against his, panting softly. Between breaths, she would press small, tender kisses to his lips. How was she going to tell him how she felt? How would she word her feelings?
Keeping her eyes closed, she continued to occasionally press kisses to his lips as she stroked his hair.
Adam wasn't sure what to do once Belle finally pulled away from him. All he knew was he was feeling the loss immediately. He just wanted to continue kissing her, but he knew it was asking too much. With even as little he knew about Christmas, he knew they had already surpassed what was deemed a traditional mistletoe kiss.
However, it appeared she didn't want to go anywhere seeing as she remained in his embrace and rested her forehead on his.
Her actions continued to both amaze and shock him. The little kisses she kept placing on his lips were sending a warm feeling through his body, making emotions erupt inside him that had lain dormant for so many years.
He stood there, watching her carefully as she caught her breath. His one hand still rested at her waist and his other continued to lightly stoke through her hair.
She looked so content and happy and the redness of her cheeks made her all the more beautiful. A tiny smile formed on his lips, feeling a little happiness himself.
When Belle finally caught her breath, she let her eyes flutter open to look up at Adam. When she saw his smile, she couldn't help but smile back. "That was…. That was…" She brushed a piece of hair out of his face, gazing up at him. "That was amazing… I've been dreaming of doing that for MONTHS…." She leaned into his soothing touch, loving how his hands felt as they ran through her hair. Her heart began to race when she finished speaking, knowing her feeling were out in the open now. Whether he chose to embrace them or trample them, she would soon find out.
"Months?" he repeated, making sure he heard her right. His brow furrowed in confusion. What was she getting at? Had she planned this all along? What was her motive behind it? It couldn't be because she felt something for him. That was impossible. There was no way she could really have wanted this. She had to have just been caught up in the moment, lonely for the touch of another human being.
Belle continued to smile up at him and nod her head when he repeated one of the words she had said. "From the moment you moved me up from the basement and gave me the room with all those books in it, I felt my heart long to be held by you….." She said softly, her cheeks turning a brighter shade of red. "And when you smile, you brighten my day. I don't care if you yell at me or don't appreciate what I do, I can't help but always want to be by your side."
Now he knew she was lying. Why would she feel that way after the way he treated her? He knew he didn't treat her the best. There were times he felt guilty for yelling at her or being inconsiderate, but being the coward he was he would force those feelings away. Then to make up for it, he would only treat her worse, trying to hide how he really felt. Even she admitted to his poor treatment. Why would she not care? There was something else to this, he knew it. She was after something. He just didn't know what.
He hid his skepticism. His head motioned upwards toward the mistletoe. "So was this your idea all along? You set up the mistletoe in hopes you'd find us standing under it simultaneously?"
Belle glanced up at the greenery above them and shook her head. "Actually, no… I just put up a few to make the room look subtly festive without overdoing it. But I can't say that I am not happy with how putting them up turned out…" She brought a hand up to his cheek and stroked it again. "I know that you probably don't feel the same way because we are on two different ends of the spectrum; your handsome, rich and smart and I am just some maid. But I hope that perhaps you could put that behind us and give me a chance… Give US a chance…"
Her hand on his cheek distracted him briefly, causing him to shut his eyes and bask in her delicate touches. He was still so close to her; he could smell the vague scent of the ginger candles lingering in her hair.
Then her words rang in his ears and his eyes popped open. Rich and smart? A maid? Ahhhh…he knew what her ulterior motive was now. She wanted him for his money. Of course! Why did that never occur to him before? It made total sense. This was all an act so she could ensure she would never return to the poor house. That's why she had gone so long without telling him about her past. She feared he would grow suspicious! Luckily, she had slipped up this evening and he now knew the truth.
Still, he didn't let on that he knew what she was up to. He wanted to see if he could coax the truth out of her. "And what feelings would those be?" he queried.
Belle bit her bottom lip a little when she heard his question, her cheeks turning bright red. "I-I… I don't know… I've never felt this way about anyone before.. I don't know what these feelings are. I've only ever read about them in books. I think they are… Longing… Love…. I don't know… But I do know that I can't get you out of my mind." She looked up at him. "And don't tell me that you have never felt that way towards me before. I've seen that glimmer in your eyes when I am around or when I smile at you." Her heart kept racing in her chest as she waited for him, desperately, to accept her feelings. She didn't know if she could take not being with him anymore. Belle didn't care what people would think if they ended up together. She felt like she could bring out the best in Adam.
Love? LOVE? How preposterous! Any doubt he had left that she was lying to him completely faded away. He knew for a fact now that she was lying. There was absolutely no chance she felt that way towards him. And now she was trying to tell him how he felt? How dare she! She didn't know the first thing about him.
His small smile began to fade as it was replaced by a pure look of anger. He couldn't keep pretending that he didn't know what she was up to. It was too infuriating. "Who do you think you are trying to tell me what I feel?" he questioned her with a snap in his voice. "Love? Bah! If you're going to try and play me at least come up with something better than that dearie!" His hands fell away from her and hung at his sides.
Belle looked up at him with an extremely confused look. "Adam? What are you talking about? Why would I play you?" When he called her 'dearie', She knew any smidge of tenderness he had been giving her was gone. He only called people he didn't care about, dearie. She swallowed hard as she took a step back, realizing what he meant; he thought she was lying to him and trying to get something out of it. "Please… I let down my walls for you… Why can't you do the same. I'm not lying! I swear on my mother's grave!"
"Sure you're not…" He said with a scowl. "That's why you set all this up." In a flamboyant manner, he motioned around the room at the Christmas decorations and finally at the mistletoe. "That's why you made my favorite foods. You were trying to soften me up!" Every word he said he spat at her like it was poison on his tongue. "Trying to make me believe something so preposterous! I know you could never care for me! I know what you come from…and that means you're only after one thing: my money."
He began stepping toward her in an intimidating manner, but it didn't work out as well as he would have liked. His mind was too focused on Belle's betrayal that he completely forgot he dropped his cane in favor of kissing her. When his bad foot hit the ground, it gave out underneath him and he collapsed to the floor. Unable to catch himself, he landed hard on his side.
Belle felt her breath catch in her throat and her heart break as she heard what he said. He thought she was after his money? She didn't care about money! He could be poor for all she cared.
When he stepped towards her, she glared daggers at him, feeling like he had just thrown her into the wall and beat her with his cane, focusing on the area around her heart.
As he fell to the ground, she resisted the urge to catch him and closed her eyes for a few moments instead, tears burning her eyes. She wanted him to hurt. To feel the pain she felt. But that want didn't last long as she jumped over him and ran into the kitchen, grabbing ice pack before running back and falling to her knees beside him, the tears streaming down her cheeks and blurring her vision. She wanted to say so many things to him, but they were cut off by her silent sobs as she quickly put the ice on his bad leg where she knew—from experience—exactly where the pain was.
"Get off me!" He screamed, shoving away from her. He grabbed the ice pack and tossed it forcefully across the room. It landed against one of the snow globes, causing the thing to fall to the floor and shatter into a million pieces. The 'snow' and liquid began to seep out onto the floor.
His temper was so out of control in those few moments that he didn't care one bit. It also blinded him from seeing the hurt in Belle's eyes and the tears rolling down her cheeks. "Just go!" He exclaimed, wanting her as far away from him as possible. After pulling a stunt like that, he didn't want to have anything to do with her.
Belle gasped loudly as he pushed her away, causing her to fall back onto the ground. As she blinked away the tears, her vision cleared away just in time to watch the snow globe—her mother had given her the Christmas before to died—fall onto the ground and smash. She sat there for a few moments, unmoving and unable to breath. The only part that had survived was the base and written on the bottom of it was 'To my darling, Belle. May every Christmas you have be merry and bright.' Her mother had known she was going to die because of a terminal illness so her message to her daughter was there to give her strength and tell her that even if she was not there, Belle would find happiness.
As he yelled at her and told her to leave, she got up on shaking legs and ran to the front door, wanting to leave and never look back. But then she remembered the storm. She wouldn't be able to leave. Letting her tears fall again, she ran up to the room she called hers and slammed the door shut, sliding down it until she lay, crumpled up in a sobbing ball.
