Author's note: Thank you to Rasha007, Sam0728, NotMarge, NicoleR85, Guest, KEZZ 1, partygirl98, ss, and EpicPurpleFish for the reviews! I felt so bad about leaving it on a cliffhanger like that, but I had to. Otherwise that chapter would've been ridiculously long. But here it is, what you've all been waiting for. Hopefully it lives up to fluffy expectations!

Acceptance

I flinched, waiting in a horrific, ceaseless eternity for Zoey's screams to rip through the air.

That's it. She hates me.

I wanted to turn and run for it rather than face Zoey's disgust, following so closely on the heels of our reconciliation. My disappointment and despair were crushing, like a tidal wave, and I felt myself falling into a sorrowful abyss.

There would be no happy ending for this Beast after all.

"Oh, Hank!" Zoey squealed.

And then she started to giggle, laughing giddily like she hadn't a care in the world. Like her boyfriend hadn't just turned into a blue version of Lon Chaney, Jr. in The Wolf Man.

My eyes sprang open in shock just in time for me to react to Zoey jumping up into my arms. I caught her easily round the waist as she threw her arms around my neck, her feet leaving the ground completely.

The elated, relieved smile on Zoey's face barely registered in my brain before she pressed her lips to mine.

To say I was surprised would be an understatement. This was far from the revulsion I still half-expected, despite her reassurances to the contrary. Could this really be happening?

I was too bewildered to even respond to the kiss before Zoey pulled back, her face remaining mere inches from mine. She was still smiling.

I had to be imagining her expression. Wonder, love, acceptance- it was all there, shining out of her eyes and warming my soul from the inside out.

Is this a dream? No, it can't be. My imagination isn't this good.

One of Zoey's hands came up to stroke my face, her fingertips brushing my skin like gossamer wings while she looked me over. I leaned into her touch automatically.

"You're beautiful, Hank" she said softly, with no trace of a lie in her luminous green eyes.

Beautiful?

For a moment my composure completely deserted me and I couldn't even speak. I could only bury my face in Zoey's neck and hold her tight, trying to silently communicate my gratitude and love.

I let out a bone-deep, shuddering sigh of relief- almost a sob. It felt like a heavy burden had lifted itself off of me, leaving me feeling weightless and euphoric.

Zoey accepted me. All of me. It was something I never thought would be possible, but this girl- this beautiful woman, found it within herself to love every part of me completely.

And I was so profoundly thankful. Thankful to her, and to whatever powers at be in the universe for allowing me to find her when I stepped into a random cafe one day. It felt like fate was smiling down on me for the first time in my life.

I am not crying. There's just something in my eye.

"Shh, it's ok," she murmured, stroking the fur on the back of my neck. "I love you."

She loved me, she truly did. And I loved her, wanted her with every fiber of my being. I knew what it was like to be without Zoey now, and it wasn't an experience I ever wanted to repeat. I wanted to be with her for the rest of my life. I wanted to be the man she saw me as, so worthy of her esteem. To be her Prince Charming, to have a "happily ever after," together.

I pulled back so I could see Zoey's eyes again. I held her securely around the waist, so her feet still weren't touching the ground.

Her bunny slippers had long since fallen to the floor, her hair was a mess, her face was still streaked with tear stains, and she looked like she hadn't slept for days. Zoey wasn't exactly dressed for hearing a proposal, but I didn't care. If I couldn't accept her at her worst, I didn't deserve Zoey at her best.

"Will you marry me, Zoey?"

Zoey's mouth fell open in a perfect "O" shape, and her eyes were suddenly as round as saucers. She looked more than a little shocked.

Say "hello" to the new, carpe diem Hank, my love. Old, over-thinking Hank almost lost you and we're never doing that again.

"I love you, Zoey. I've loved you since the moment I first saw you," I explained earnestly. "I want to spend the rest of my life loving all of you and being loved by you. Please, marry me?"

"Yes," Zoey said, nodding happily. Her smile was dazzling, her eyes shining from what I hoped were tears of joy. "Yes, I'll marry you."

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding while waiting for her answer, suddenly feeling lighter than air. I had a suspicion that there was a big stupid grin on my furry blue face, but in that moment I was too elated to care about unnerving Zoey with the sight of my fangs.

And besides- she really didn't seem to mind, anyway.

"So Alex, of all people, gave you a pep talk?" Zoey asked incredulously.

We were now snuggled up on the couch, and she was stroking my hand. My other arm was around her shoulders, holding her close.

The feeling of her fingertips gliding across my palm was a little distracting because it felt so tantalizing, like tiny electric shocks shooting along my nerve endings. All of my senses and emotions were heightened when I was like this, so Zoey's touch was making it difficult to concentrate on conversation.

But I was still behaving myself. I tried to focus on soaking up her presence, reveling in the fact that I was here next to Zoey. After thinking for a time that I would never be with her again, now more than ever was there nowhere else I'd rather be than at her side.

I managed to nod. "Charles promised him a new engine for his car," I explained.

Zoey laughed. "Oh, I doubt that's all there was to it. But even if it was, I can't say I'm upset over his selfish motives. Remind me to thank him."

"Ok," I agreed absently.

I reached up and ran my claws through her hair, marveling again that she didn't flinch away from me. My face must have reflected my amazement, because Zoey picked up on it immediately and frowned.

"You don't scare me, Hank," she said, turning slightly so she could cradle my face in both hands. "You look like a cuddly blue teddy bear."

She leaned in and kissed the tip of my nose.

"So you have a thing for teddy bears?" I quipped sardonically.

The comment was reflexive, despite the progress I'd made, and fueled by a lifetime of insecurity. It was meant to be self-deprecating, but then I realized a split second too late that it was actually almost an insult to her by implying that she had some sort of fetish.

Zoey glowered at me and shook my face a little. Like she was trying to knock some sense into me.

"No," she said sharply. "I have a thing for you, Hank McCoy. My fiance."

"Fiance." My stars and garters, we're getting married.

I grinned weakly, trying to mask the flood of nervous excitement that rushed over me. "My apologies, Dr. Dubois," I told her, trying to make amends.

She appeared to be mollified. Or perhaps I'd just distracted her, because Zoey's expression immediately became thoughtful and maybe even a little shy.

"I guess there's going to be two Dr. McCoy's now, isn't there?" she mused, a hint of a blush coming to her cheeks.

"Dr. Zoey McCoy." I like the sound of that.

"I guess so," I agreed, grinning.

She closed her eyes and turned her face upward for a kiss, an invitation to which I responded eagerly. I'd been dying for it the entire time she'd been gently caressing me, but I was too afraid to make the first move. But now that we'd started I wanted more than just a peck on the lips. Thankfully Zoey replied enthusiastically.

Our kisses started out soft and reassuring, but they quickly escalated as my feral instincts took hold. It was a completely new experience, being with Zoey when I was like this. She tasted sweeter, her skin felt softer, and her scent... her scent just about killed me.

Before I knew it we'd adjusted so Zoey was laying down on the sofa cushions, my body covering hers. My claws tangled in her curls while I kissed her hungrily, fervently. Finally letting go of the stranglehold I'd always maintained on my self-control felt amazing.

The air crackled with the passion between us, and any vague fears that I was pushing her too far disappeared as she matched my ardor with her own. She wanted me, by some miracle. It took everything in me not to simply fall down and worship at her feet.

Zoey's hands wandered under my shirt, discovering the contours of my chest and back in my Beast form. My hands explored too, relishing every inch of smooth, bare tummy I found because her tank top had ridden up. When she broke away from my mouth with a gasp I moved to kiss down her chest instead.

"Hank," she said, in a breathy whisper. Her fingers were buried in the fur on the back of my neck.

"Hmm?"

"I- I think we're getting a little- carried away."

I immediately stopped and pulled back, going against my more base impulses. I felt properly chastised for pushing too far- it was a pertinent example of why I'd always been rather reserved with Zoey before. The second I let go just a little...

"I'm sorry," I muttered.

It was completely mortifying, and I couldn't even look Zoey in the eye as we both sat up and composed ourselves.

Does she think I proposed to her just to get her in bed- er, couch?

"Stop brooding," Zoey scolded lightly, snuggling against me once more now that we were upright. "I was the one getting too hot and bothered. That was fun."

I grinned sheepishly, noting that her cheeks were bright red.

It was a little boost to my ego, to be truthful. Up until now I'd always been the way to pull away and stop us, for fear of my feral side coming out. But the fact that Zoey stepped away this time, because she was on the verge of losing her own self-control... I was almost proud of myself, in a way. Who doesn't like to hear that their girlfriend- fiance- wanted them?

"It was," I admitted.

"I'm looking forward to marrying you, Hank," Zoey said shyly.

My entire body warmed at the thought. It felt like my cheeks were about to melt off.

"Oh, your face is turning purple!" she suddenly gushed. "That's adorable!"