𝘽𝙀𝘼𝙐𝙏𝙔, 𝘼𝙈 𝙄 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘽𝙀𝘼𝙎𝙏? | dreamnotfound

Chapter Two

"Belle! We're going to be late!"

He called loudly, tying up his shoes on the sofa of their apartment. They had moved a few years ago, when George had decided their old flat reminded him too much of Anne and the middle of the city wasn't really suitable for a growing baby anyway.

He certainly missed her, with her tired green eyes and black hair that was always so soft, despite how greasy it was, but it was more Anne's company than actually her.

He also didn't hate her for walking out. He did at first, but after a while he didn't really blame her. He isn't sure he would have been happy with the arrangement anyway, of spending the rest of his life with someone he doesn't love.

Maybe he would have grown to love her eventually, but that just seems sad.

Still, it would have been nice for Belle to grow up with a mother figure. The few weeks he had spent perfecting a french plait using YouTube tutorials had paid off, though. And now he could successfully do one that lasted at least four days, so there was limited hairdressing time done in the George household.

"Belle!" he called again. "Beauty, I love your surprises but if you don't get your ass here in the next thirty seconds we're going to be late for Gran and Pop-pops."

"Bad word Dada." a young, clearly British voice said from the doorway of her bedroom. "No bad words, Gran-Gran said so."

"Did she now?" George takes in the mess of hair clips and bows tucked into his daughter's plaits and internally sighs. "Baby what's in your hair?"

Belle's face lights up and she twirls on the spot, letting George see just how many ribbons were actually on her head. "Do you like it Dada?"

George debates breaking his daughter's heart and telling her to get them all out, but at the end of the day she's only going to her grandparents, and if it's that bad then his mother will definitely be able to do it without causing a temper tantrum.

"I love it." he smiles inwardly, "now, shoes on?"

She rushes forward, almost colliding straight into the coffee table but dodging last minute, and crouches down in front of the small shoe rack George had bought on their last trip to IKEA.

(His daughter has an addiction to their meatballs. Seriously, it's sort of unhealthy at this point.)

"Can I do light-light?" she points to the Beauty and the Beast light up shoes George had bought for her last birthday and grins up at him hopefully, revealing her almost full set of teeth.

"Of course, Beauty." George smiles, gesturing for her to sit next to him on the (also IKEA... George may also have a bit of an addiction) blue sofa.

He grabs the shoes as she perches on the edge, shuffling onto his knees so he's sat in front of her. She begins excitedly kicking backward and forward and he sighs as she giggles when she catches him on the ear.

"Baby I can't put your shoes on if you keep doing that, don't you wanna see Gran-gran and Pop-pops?"

"Nope." she declares stubbornly, and George mentally curses his genes.

"Okay then." he smirks cheekily, watching her face fall. "Guess we're doing this the hard way."

She squeals loudly as he scoops her up into his arms, tickling her sides relentlessly as she twists and turns in his arms. "No!" she gasps, "no Dada- no, stop!"

He pauses, holding her upside down from her leg, "are you going to sit still?"

She nods firmly and he slowly lowers her back to the couch, huffing when she instantly begins kicking.