Belle was thankful that her son wasn't into drama, as it would have been one too many extra curricular activities. It didn't mean she was excused from attending the winter production, since each class had to put on a program of some sort and the fifth grade kids were doing the Wizard of Oz. Bae was a tree, and if she was being completely honest he wasn't a particularly good one. The only part of the production he'd seemed even remotely interested in was the part where he got to throw fake apples at Emma (who had landed the role of Dorothy) and Belle grimaced a little when she saw just how hard he'd been throwing them at her. They were going to have to have a talk about that later. A very, very long one.
The winter production was also a mixer for the parents, and served as an end of year party for the kids before they took their tests. It was also six days before Arthur's birthday, and Belle still had to plan for that. But for right now, at least, all she had to do was sit in the dark next to her son's father and be grateful Bae didn't have anymore opportunities to lob things at his friend on stage. Their hands were so close that Belle could feel the heat coming off of him and she spent the entire second half of the play debating whether or not to reach out and grab his hand.
All too soon, though, the play was over and Dorothy was victorious and it was time for the kids to take their bows. Bae and his fellow trees had taken their trunks off, but were still fairly leafy (and a little glittery). The drama teacher then came up and gave her own bows. She was a tallish woman with red hair and a rather toothy smile. Belle hadn't met her before because she was new this year, but Bae hadn't seemed particularly fond of her. Belle was thankful that the semester was over and he would be doing art in the spring and she wouldn't have to worry about his drama grade anymore.
After the lights went up and all the parents began to rise and file out of the auditorium, Belle slid her arm through Arthur's to keep from getting separated in the crush.
"Are you ready to say that was the absolute best production of 'The Wizard of Oz' you've ever seen?" she asked him. "And that your son was the best tree?"
"He was a spectacular tree," he replied with a wry smile. "Never seen one more committed to driving out Dorothy."
"Yeah," she said. "We're definitely going to have to discuss that. At least now I can guess why he hasn't been getting along well with his teacher."
He chuckled a little as they reached the cafeteria where the reception would be held.
Bae dashed over, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Did you like it?" he asked. "Miss Greene said I did a good job."
"I did like it," Belle exclaimed happily. "You were a fantastic tree."
"With a great arm," Arthur added and Belle shot him a quelling look.
"Did you have fun?" Belle asked Bae. "You looked like you were having a great time."
"I did," he admitted. "But I'm glad it's over."
It didn't take long for Bae to run off with a few of his friends to discuss something that was incredibly important to eleven-year-old boys, which from what Belle could guess from the hand motions largely revolved around explosions and getting hit in the face. She had long ago given up on trying to figure out little boys and their interests.
Usually she'd spend these things circulating with the other moms and teachers, but this year she found herself not wanting to leave Arthur's side. Not that they were talking or anything, but the silence was itself was thick with potential. They were on the cusp of something and she didn't want to waste a perfect second.
"Belle, Arthur!" Mary Margaret said with a cheerful smile as she came up behind them. "I haven't seen you since Halloween!"
Her friend was beaming at both Belle and Arthur, and Belle knew right then that Mary Margaret knew something she wasn't telling.
"I know," Belle agreed. "I got pneumonia right after and then with the holiday it's just been insane."
"Bae had told me," Mary Margaret replied. "He said his dad moved in to help out. That's just wonderful!"
"I've gone back to my house," Arthur said with a quirk of his mouth. "It was just a temporary thing."
"It was still a big help," Belle replied, rubbing his arm fondly. "I don't know what I'd have done without him."
Mary Margaret was making a strange face now and Belle wasn't sure at all what was going on.
"Before I forget," Mary Margaret said finally. "I need to talk to you about something for school. You don't mind if I borrow her, do you?"
The last part was directed towards Arthur who shook his head. Belle barely had time to register what was going on before her friend was pulling her bodily across the room.
"What's going on?" Belle asked. "Is it something with the kids?"
"Did Arthur talk to you yet?" Mary Margaret asked excitedly, practically vibrating with her excitement.
"About what?"
"On Halloween he told David that he has a thing for you!"
Belle felt her jaw drop as she looked back over to where Arthur was now chatting with the drama teacher. She'd known about this (insomuch as one could know another person's feelings, anyway) but having confirmation that he'd actually discussed it with someone else...it was time to tell him.
"Belle?" Mary Margaret seemed almost concerned now. "Is...do you not feel the same?"
"No, that's not it," Belle hurried to reassure her friend. "I do, I just hadn't quite realized how serious he was about it."
"Well, if you like him and you know he likes you, are you going to tell him?"
That was the question, wasn't it? It was time to act - it was past time to act, actually.
"I am," Belle said finally. "I'll tell him tonight."
"That's so great!" Mary Margaret was gushing. "I'm so happy for you guys, and for Bae."
"Well, it's not set in stone yet," Belle reminded her. "It could all go very wrong."
"Well, you have to have faith," Mary Maret replied. "And I'll hope for the very best."
Hope. Hope sounded good. What was love, after all, besides hope?
Something was strange when Belle returned to Arthur. She'd been floating before, buoyed by newfound faith that he loved her, but her mood was soured when she was Miss Green had her hand on Arthur's forearm now and was laughing uproariously at something he'd said. Belle felt a cold stab of jealousy shoot through her on her approach. She tried to plaster a smile onto her face, but was afraid it wouldn't stick.
"You're so clever," Miss Green said coyly. "How are you still single?"
Belle couldn't tell if he was flattered or being polite, but either was a possibility.
"Well," he replied humbly. "Not everyone shares your high opinion of my sense of humor."
The redhead was touching his arm again, and it took Arthur longer than usual to realize that Belle had come back. She stood off to the side for awhile and watched as they continued talking.
"Belle," Arthur said with a little smile as soon as he noticed her. "How was Mary Margaret?"
"She's fine," Belle replied, trying to be as normal as possible. "Just needed to ask me about a fundraiser."
"Is it something I could help with?" he asked her earnestly, and she almost wished she wasn't fibbing.
"A bake sale," she said. "She's thinking of doing a bake sale for Valentine's day, so she's asking some of the moms for help."
Miss Green was looking between them as they spoke with the smile on her face rapidly fading.
"Oh I'm sorry," Arthur said finally. "Belle, this is Zelena Green, the drama teacher. And this is Bae's mother Belle French."
"It's a pleasure," Zelena said dully as they shook hands and Belle knew right then that neither woman liked the other.
She had never been in a feud over a man before, and she had no idea how to handle it. Thank God that Bae would be done in her class in a couple of weeks.
"So what were you two talking about?" Belle asked, keeping her smile plastered on her face.
"Arthur was just telling me about his shop," Zelena cooed, touching his arm again. "It just sounds delightful."
"Yes, it's very nice," Belle agreed. "Like Aladdin's cave, nothing but treasures."
Zelena shot her a look, and Belle was feeling a little smug at having scored this point.
"Well, I'll just have to make sure to visit it," Zelena said, turning to Arthur with a flirtatious smile that made Belle realize just exactly how manic her eyes could look. "Maybe we can get lunch sometime and you can show me?"
Arthur didn't seem to have been prepared for this at all, and he was now looking back and forth between the two women as though they'd caught him in a trap.
"I'll have to check my schedule," he finally said. "I'm very busy with Bae. And Belle."
Zelena narrowed her eyes at Belle as though it was her intervention that had caused her overtures to fail. The truth was, Arthur was free to go out with the teacher if that's what he'd wanted. Belle could hardly object. He wasn't hers to lose, really.
"Well, some other time then," Zelena said after awhile. "I have to go meet some of the other parents, though, if you'll excuse me."
Zelena made her way through the room, and did engage a few people in conversation, but she eventually settled across the room glaring at Belle.
"What a strange woman," Arthur said at last. "She came over almost as soon as you left."
"She thinks I'm competition," Belle replied. "She had her eye set on hot single dad."
His eyes shot to her before she realized she'd just called him hot. Well, that was certainly one way to go about this.
"Look, Arthur," Belle said finally. "I know this isn't good timing, necessarily, but…"
"Can we go home?" Bae said from so close behind Belle that she just about jumped out of her skin. "I'm bored and all my friends are leaving."
"Yeah," Belle said quickly. "We can go."
Arthur was looking at her strangely, but he nodded in agreement, ushering them out of the room and to his car.
The trip home did nothing at all for Belle's bravery. It could wait, couldn't it? There had to be a better time to tell him what was going on than at a winter mixer at their son's elementary school immediately after he got hit on by the drama teacher.
Arthur followed them into the house where Bae flung himself onto the sofa and flipped on the television.
"Anything special to want for your birthday?" Belle asked Arthur as she hung her coat on the rack. "I still have to take Bae to get you a present."
"Nothing in particular," he replied, and Belle could hear a little bit of sadness in his voice. "I'll just be happy to spend it with him."
"Well he's getting you something anyway," she said. "And Christmas, too. So let me know if you can think of anything."
"Your company will be enough," he said with a smile. "But I'll let you know if I see anything."
It was enough, wasn't it? Because it had to be, for both of them. They had to make this work for Bae.
"Are you staying for dinner?" she asked, hoping the answer was yes and that she could have some time to figure out what to tell him and reclaim some of her lost bravery, but she would be disappointed.
"Not tonight," he replied. "Tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow sounds good.
"Goodnight, Bae!" Arthur called into the living room.
"Goodnight," Bae called back, distractedly.
He didn't say goodbye to Belle, but he didn't have to. The smile on his face told her that he'd miss her, and she would miss him more than she liked admitting.
Suddenly, Belle realized, this wasn't enough anymore.
"I forgot to tell your dad something," she blurted out, rushing out the door before Arthur could leave without hearing what she had to say.
Bae made some noncommittal noise from his seat on the couch. He had no reason to care about his parents' little drama, or even a reason to suspect that there was one going on as far as she knew.
"Arthur," she called out as she shut the door. "Wait."
He turned around in surprise from the bottom of the porch stairs and she suddenly realized she had absolutely no idea what to say next. She'd never gotten this far in her plans, and somehow even when she'd thought about telling him her entire focus was on what would happen afterward, not in the lead up to the words I love you escaping her lips. She was entirely lost here, and the only things keeping her grounded were the doorknob that was still in her hand and his eyes focused on her face.
"Is everything okay?" he said after she didn't speak. "Something with Bae?"
"No," she said simply. "I forgot to tell you something."
"Oh," he replied, and her eyes traced the motion of his Adam's apple as he swallowed before continuing. "What was it?"
That she loved him, that she didn't want him to go, that she couldn't stand the thought of going to bed one more night without having told him how she felt and what she wanted. That she hadn't wanted anyone like that in a decade at least, and maybe even longer. But she couldn't say any of that, because he was still looking at her so delicately and she wasn't sure if he was afraid he'd break or if she would, but she needed him to keep looking at her because it was all that held her here.
It was his gaze that finally spurred her into movement, the way he was looking at her as though she were something beautiful and rare and valuable, something he was afraid of losing as much as she was afraid of losing him. She could be brave, she would be brave – he deserved her bravery.
He had half-turned, one foot on the first step as though considering returning to her, when she felt her legs begin to carry her towards him. Her hand slipped off the doorknob, but she didn't need it to anchor her to the earth anymore because she was being drawn into him by something more powerful than gravity. Arthur seemed almost startled, by her proximity or her determination she'd never know, but he didn't pull away when she stopped one step above him and reached her hand out to rest on his cheek.
"Belle…" he began, but never had a chance to finish the sentence. The sound of her name on his lips was all she'd needed, the only confirmation required that he wanted her, too.
She brushed a strand of hair back behind his ear, and then craned her neck upwards and pressed her lips against his. It was a chaste kiss, just the brush of their lips, but she felt all the tension of the last few weeks ebb out of her. She had done it. For better or for worse, she had kissed him and now all her cards were finally on the table. The ball was entirely in his court.
She let out a sigh of relief and closed her eyes, and apparently that was all the encouragement he'd needed because suddenly his arms were around her waist and he was pulling her flush to him with a feral growl that had her toes curling in her shoes. His lips were back on hers, but his tongue was tracing the outline of her mouth and she willingly parted her lips and let him in.
He tasted like nothing else, and she was drunk on him, which was the only explanation she could think of for why her ability to think was so cloudy all of a sudden. All she knew was how badly she'd wanted this, and how relieved she was that it had finally happened. Belle had never been kissed like that in her entire life, and she never wanted to be kissed any other way ever again. She had her arms wrapped around his neck and holding him closer even though he didn't seem inclined to go anywhere that she wasn't.
It hadn't been nearly long enough when he finally pulled away from her with a dumbstruck look on his face that made her feel sexy and powerful in a way she didn't remember ever feeling in her life.
"I forgot to tell you goodnight," she whispered, surprised at the huskiness of her own voice. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
Arthur nodded, still looking at her like he wasn't sure if she was actually there or not, and she was struck with the urge to kiss him again. This time was a little less desperate, but still beautiful. She'd never known she'd want to kiss someone this way.
"I've been wanting to do that for a long time," she confessed after they broke away again.
"Oh," he said simply, his hands still resting on her as though he was afraid she'd pull away if he let go. "Why didn't you?"
"It took me awhile to figure it out," she replied. "And then I wasn't sure how to go about it."
"That was a good way," he said simply, still looking confused and happy in turns. "A very, very good way."
"I'm glad," she said, sliding her fingers through his hair one last time before stepping away. "Goodnight, Arthur."
"Goodnight, Belle," he replied. "I'll be back tomorrow."
She smiled at him as he began to walk towards his car, turning back three times to make sure she was still there before getting in and driving away. She waved as he left, and hoped he didn't have an accident on his way home or anything after that distraction.
It occurred to her then that they hadn't actually talked about anything, and she'd never told him how she really felt, but that could come in good time. This was just the first step on a much longer path, and she was looking forward to every bit of it.