A/N: This is an alternate scene to Chapter 21 of my 1991 AU fic, A Prince in Disguise, otherwise known as "the chapter after Belle and Adam's romantic night together." You will need to read that story to understand the full context of this one-shot. The key differences between this scene and the original are that Belle and Adam sleep in much later, and Belle is the primary narrator instead of Adam. It is completely cliché, unrealistic, self-indulgent and doesn't fit with the fic's original tone and continuity, which is why I consider it an AU, or an AU of an AU (Does that even make sense?).

Also, as it's been nearly ten years since I published A Prince in Disguise to FFN, consider this a tenth anniversary present to all of you who have read or reviewed that story in the past decade. My writing has changed a lot since 2011, but it still warms my heart to receive messages from you all, telling me how much you enjoyed reading APID, or still come back to reread it after all these years. Your words mean a lot to me, and I can't thank you enough for your support!

A special shout out to CarolNJoy, LovelyLadyAllie, Michaela Martin and Shiloh Grace for being my betas. They've all written some excellent B&B fanfics on this site, so please check them out if you have time. Also, a huge thank you to Drawnby27emilys, who let me use her drawing of Belle and the Prince as a cover photo. You can find more of her gorgeous artwork on Tumblr and Instagram.

Last but not least: Since pre-marital sex is one of the main focuses of this story, you can expect it to contain some sensual moments and one short sex scene at the end, though nothing explicit enough to be higher than a T rating. Please read at your own discretion.

And now, on with the show!

The first thing she noticed when she woke up was that the sun was coming from the wrong side of the room. Her bed in the castle was situated to the right of the window, but the light shining through this room was coming from the left. She rubbed her eyes as her waking mind caught up with the rest of her senses. Then, she remembered.

Last night, she'd snuck into the West Wing, hoping to find the Beast who'd plagued her dreams for the past few weeks. Instead, she'd found an empty room and the remnants of the enchanted rose lying in the bell jar. She'd started to cry, angry at herself for getting her hopes up, when Adam found her. They'd exchanged some heated words before he'd kissed her on the lips. She should have been revolted, angered by his unwanted advance, but she wasn't. His kiss was warm, comforting… and strangely familiar. In a burst of courage, she'd removed his hood, shocked to discover that he was the one she'd been dreaming about all along. Adam was her Beast! Only he was alive, and he was human.

After that, everything blurred together like a wild fever dream. Adam explained how he'd survived his fall from the tower thanks to the Enchantress—the same woman who'd cursed him to be a beast for a decade. She'd undone his spell for reasons unknown to him, then disappeared without a trace. But he still couldn't stop thinking and worrying about the girl he'd set free. And after seeing the threat Gaston posed to her in the village, he'd felt compelled to rescue her and her father and bring them someplace safe. He'd disguised himself as "Adam" because he didn't want their history to hinder her chance at freedom. Moreover, he'd assumed that Belle hated him for imprisoning her, and wanted nothing more to do with him.

He couldn't have been more wrong. In the darkness of the West Wing, Belle expressed her true feelings for him and how much he meant to her. It took some prodding, but eventually, he admitted he felt the same way.

And then... well, the rest of the night spoke for itself. They'd kissed each other fervently, feelings of mutual relief soon turning into feelings of intense, lust-filled passion. For the first time in her life, Belle shut out all rational thought, listening only to what her heart was telling her to do. Yes, they weren't married, but she loved him, and she needed him, and he was being oh so very careful with her…

There was an unexpected pinch of pain when he first entered her, but it passed quickly, replaced by waves of pleasure beyond her comprehension. In time, she could only think of how glad she was to share this moment with him, a moment where they were one and whole, and all their misunderstandings were a thing of the past.

Slowly, she slid her hand across the mattress, longing to feel him, to know that what they had done last night was real—that he was real.

But she felt nothing. Only the soft, but faintly warm bed sheets beneath her fingertips.

No!

She bolted up from the mattress, eyes frantically searching the room. It couldn't have been a dream. She couldn't have imagined it! It had been too real to be some erotic fantasy she'd invented in her mind. She couldn't even bear to think of living in a world where her beloved Beast—now a man—did not exist. For one fleeting second, she swore she'd rather die than live without him.

But then, she found him sitting by the windowsill next to the bed. Immediately, her heart began to beat normally again, and she breathed a sigh of relief. He was facing away from her; clad only in the dark breeches he'd worn the night before. The morning sun cast a soft glow around his body, allowing her to admire his well-toned arms and back, and the way his red hair took an especially fiery sheen in the sunlight. He was absolutely gorgeous—like a Greek statue come to life—leaving her warm, light-headed, and filled with the desire to be with him in any capacity.

Carefully, she slid out of the bed. She was still naked from last night, her clothes discarded in a heap on the floor. It wasn't until she'd untangled herself from the blankets that she realized how chilly the room was. Shivering, she stood up from the bed. A sharp pain shot up her left foot as she touched the floor, causing her to cry out in alarm. She lost her balance and fell forward…

…right into Adam's waiting arms.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, face flushing as she met his startled blue eyes. "Good morning!"

"G-Good morning," he stammered as he helped her stand upright. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." She let out a nervous giggle. "Just not used to getting out of bed with a sprained ankle. That's all."

He smiled at her tenderly, which was the only communication that passed between them before their lips came together again, lost in a frenetic wave of hunger and desire. Belle didn't know how she could have lived without the taste of his lips and the feeling of his hands against her skin. Every place he touched her left her giddy, breathless, and yearning to join with him again...

Adam seemed to be of a different mind. After several minutes of uninterrupted kissing, he pulled away and examined her with a concerned expression. "You must be cold." Quickly, he grabbed his black shirt from the windowsill and slipped it over her. A bit of an overly chivalrous gesture, considering Belle's clothes were only a few feet away, but his shirt was big and cozy, and she liked that it smelled like him.

After seeing that Belle was fully attended to, Adam pulled her into his lap so they could sit on the windowsill together.

"Why did you leave the bed?" she asked in a voice that nearly sounded like a pout. "Is something wrong?"

He lowered his eyes, and Belle tensed, fearing what he was about to say. Had she been snoring? Or… could he be having second thoughts about their relationship? The thought filled her stomach with dread until she remembered how overwhelming this all must be for him. After all, he was still adjusting to being human. Maybe he hadn't even known he could make love to someone until last night. If their night of passion had been indescribable to her, she could only imagine what it must have been like for him. All things considered, maybe she shouldn't be so quick to jump to conclusions.

"Gaston is looking for us," he said after a moment's pause. "I saw him just now in the mirror. He's slow because he's moving on foot, but he's following our trail. I don't know if you and your father will be safe here for much longer."

Belle shifted in place, deeply unsettled by this new information. "Then we'll leave," she said with a curt nod. "We'll go someplace far away, where he can't find us."

It was the most sensible solution in her mind, but judging by the frown on Adam's face, it wasn't the one he wanted to hear. "It's not that easy," he told her.

"Why not?"

"Belle, when I fought Gaston back in the woods, he wasn't just angry at me for taking you away. He was livid. He was going to shoot me just so he could get to you. He's violent and dangerous, and he'll stop at nothing until he makes you his wife. But there's still a chance for you." He gently cupped her cheek. "You and your father can slip through one of the secret passages at the back of the castle and leave here completely unnoticed. Gaston wouldn't know you'd left, and I could face him here alone—"

"No!" she shouted, pulling away from him sharply. "Don't even say that. Don't even think it!"

"It's the right thing to do!" he insisted. "I took away your freedom once. It was a selfish decision; one I should have never forced you to agree to in the first place. There's no way I'm going to let Gaston do the same thing. As long as he keeps pursuing you, you'll never be free. But if you leave now, you might still have a chance to escape and start a new life somewhere. Just do what I say, please. I know I can stop him before he gets to you."

"I won't!" she retorted. "I'm not going to let you do this. And I'm not leaving here without you!"

"What other choice do you have?!" he shot back, raising his voice in a manner that was highly reminiscent of the Beast. "I swear I'm not doing this to be a hero. I'm doing this because you're too important to me, and I can't stand the thought of seeing you hurt again."

The pained look in his eyes immediately cooled Belle's rising anger. She reached out to squeeze his hand, wanting to allay his fears, however slightly. She knew he was only trying to protect her, but she refused to be put on a pedestal. There had to be another way they could confront Gaston without sacrificing their chances of being together.

Then, a solution came to her. "The only reason Gaston is after you is because of me," she pointed out. "Because I'm unmarried, and he wants me to become his wife. But if I were to marry someone else, he would no longer have any claim on me."

He raised his brows curiously. "What are you saying?"

"Maybe, instead of running away, we could get married. We could do it right here in the castle chapel, even. All we'd need is someone to marry us. We've already… consummated"—it was awkward to say the word out loud—"so a wedding would be the next step."

Adam's eyes widened as he took in the weight of Belle's suggestion. But only for a moment before he turned away from her and shook his head. "No. I can't. It wouldn't be right. I couldn't ask you to do that for me."

"Why not?" She frowned.

"Because you have so many other opportunities available to you. Or... at least you did. Until I defiled you."

She flinched, taken aback by his harsh choice of words. "Are you saying you regret what we did last night?"

"Yes. I mean, no! I mean..." He sighed, hand gripping the back of his neck so tightly he was probably going to leave a mark. "It's complicated."

"Try me." Her eyes narrowed at him.

Feeling the burn of her stare, Adam ran his hand through his hair and nervously cleared his throat. "Belle, I've spent ten years living and thinking like an animal. There was a time, just before you came to the castle, when I could live purely on my instincts. I would spend hours in the forest, hunting for wild prey, never feeling any guilt or disgust over my actions. All I cared about was satisfying my hunger. What we shared last night was like that, but the opposite. I felt everything... as if I weren't in my body anymore. Nothing else mattered, except you. I never knew it could feel that way—that I could feel that way. Maybe it had crossed my mind a few times during the curse, but it was an impossible dream then. All I knew was that if I could be intimate with anyone, it would be you. And it happened, and it was perfect and beyond anything I could have imagined..."

His voice grew breathy, and Belle's stomach filled with butterflies at the raw sincerity of his words.

"But I'm worried I was too hasty," he finished. "And maybe... it wasn't the right time for us."

Belle bit her lip, torn between wanting to tell Adam how ridiculous he sounded and wanting to respect how seriously he was taking their relationship. Eventually, she settled for resting her head on his shoulder. He didn't try to draw away from her, which she took as a sign that he would listen. "You didn't 'defile' me," she said indignantly but gently. "I gave myself to you, willingly. I share the responsibility for what happened as much as you. And I can tell you with all my heart, that I wouldn't have agreed to be with you unless I was certain I loved you and trusted you." She pulled away, taking a moment to clasp her hands around his cheeks and gaze directly into his glistening eyes. "You're not a monster anymore, Adam. Don't think you are just because we didn't plan for last night. You set me free, you've saved my life and you've helped me and my father escape from Gaston, all while expecting nothing in return. After all this time, how can you sit here and think that I don't care for you? I've spent the past three weeks thinking you were dead, and it was agony. Now that we're together again, I can't imagine my life without you. Look me in the eyes and tell me you don't feel the same way."

"Of course I feel the same!" he asserted. "But Belle… are you really sure you want me for a husband? I was a prince before the curse, but after ten years, I'm not sure if I even have a title anymore. I can't promise that I'll be able to provide for you or give you the life you deserve when all this is over."

"Then we'll work out a solution together," she resolved. "Trust me, I won't run away from you this time. I know there'll be challenges we'll have to face as a married couple, but I want to face them with you. That's what a partnership's all about! And," she added shyly, "despite what you may have assumed last night, I enjoyed our time together very much."

He shivered. "I felt the same way," he admitted with a lopsided grin. "And um… Even if it wasn't entirely expected, last night was the greatest night of my life. Thank you for that. I've never felt more human, truly."

She laughed, unable to get over how awkward and sweet he was being. "So then, what do you say to my idea?"

With a deep breath, he clasped her hands in his and stared at her intently. "Belle... you are the most important person in my life right now. I've loved you since the day you mended my arm... maybe even sooner. Every moment I spent pretending we were strangers was absolute torture. Nearly losing you to the wolves was even worse. And after what we… did last night, I know I can't go on without you being somewhere in my life."

He paused, his face suddenly turning as bright as his hair. "S-Sorry. I'm not very good at this. If we had more time, I would have prepared some fancy speech or poem. Something I would have rehearsed with Lumière and Cogsworth at least a hundred times, and with a romantic dinner and dance to set the mood. And um… I'd be wearing more clothes, obviously."

Belle snorted uncontrollably, and Adam had to take another moment to recompose himself before continuing. "So… I guess it's best I get straight to the point. Belle?" He stared at her intently, albeit nervously. "Will you... do me the very great honour of becoming my wife?"

Belle gazed into the depths of Adam's eyes, which were full of endless love and hope, and her heart fluttered. Even though he was a man now, his soul and the Beast's were one and the same. There was no doubt in her mind that this was exactly where she belonged.

"I'd like nothing more," she answered.

His smile was even brighter than the light shining through the window. Instinctively, they came together for another kiss, one more passionate than any they'd shared before. Not long after, their mouths began to eagerly explore the rest of their bodies. Belle felt a familiar ache build inside her as Adam touched her in all the ways that had given her the most pleasure last night. It felt so thrilling to be loved by him and to know that with a few strategic touches and caresses of her own, she could make him feel the same way.

More time passed. Adam carried Belle back to the bed, where they made love once more, lost in a haze of lust and wild abandon. Belle knew they had many more pressing matters to attend to, but in her current state of mind, she couldn't bring herself to care. Her body was coursing with need, demanding her engagement to her new fiancé be celebrated here and now.

By the time they had finished savouring each other, Adam was lying with his head buried in Belle's bosom, while she clung to him as though her life depended on it. The room permeated with the smell of sweat and lovemaking—something she didn't even know had its own scent, but it already enthralled her. She planted a kiss on Adam's hair, feeling nothing but peace and contentment for this new life they would soon venture into.

Neither of them wanted to leave the bed, but realistically, they couldn't stay in the West Wing forever. In fact, both found it strange that none of the servants had come to check in on them yet.

Eventually, they got up and got dressed. Adam helped Belle slip back into her nightgown and peignoir, even though she was perfectly capable of dressing herself. She suspected he wanted another excuse to admire her body, and she had no reason to refuse after the incredible moment they'd shared. Once she was fully dressed, he put on his own clothes, minus his cloak, and they came together for another impassioned kiss.

"I love you, Belle."

"I love you too, Adam. With all my heart."

The shadows of the past behind them, they walked out of the room, hands entwined and hearts alight. Gaston was still a force to be reckoned with, but as long as they had each other, they were ready to take on the world. Strengthened by their newfound confidence, they sought out Maurice and the servants, eager to announce their engagement and start putting their plans into action.