Beauty, Her Beau, and Her Beast (A Rumbelle/OUAT Fanfic)

The Kiss

*~ I think I'm more excited to move this story along than you guys are, haha! Don't forget to vote for my last few chapters 😊 ~*

Belle's POV, The Cottage

Graham looks a bit apprehensive after he knocks on the door, as if he's expecting something bad to happen. But if that were the case, why were we here in the first place?

He tenses up further when he hears the lock clicking open. The door slowly creaks open, and in the doorframe there stands a small, elderly lady. She squints up at us through her large, round spectacles, her lips puckered up as though she tasted something sour.

"Yes?" She says, "Yes? Can I help you?"

"Laura," Graham sighs, "it's me."

Suddenly, her eyes open to be almost as wide as her glasses, as though she can't believe her ears. Her previous sour look melts away into an expression of complete warmth and kindness. "Graham? Goodness me! Where have you been all this time? I knew you would come back, I swore it!" And then she throws her arms around him in a hug, a wide smile on her face.

Graham laughs nervously and hugs her back. "Oh, you know, just out and about." He stands back to reveal me. "This is Belle."

"How do you do?" I say, giving a curtsy.

"Oh my, you're rather pretty, aren't you? Graham was wise to pick a girl like you."

"Laura, please, it's nothing like that," Graham quickly says, embarrassed. "I'm just... helping her with a situation."

He then turns to me. "This is Laura. My parents were killed when I was little, and she was the one who took me in. Made me who I am."

"Well, she did a fine job." I smile at him, and he quickly looks away. Is he... bashful?

"Oh my, what are we doing standing out here? Please, do come in! It's a miracle I felt like cooking extra for supper. Just wait at the table," Laura says before she bustles off inside.

We have a lovely supper, and become refreshed, complete with new outfits and clean bodies. I feel like a new person after all that time living in filth in The Queen's Dungeon. Soon it is dark, and we gather in her sitting room, sitting around her fire.

"Oh, please tell me you plan to stay, Graham," Laura says, a sad tone in her voice.

Graham looks uncomfortable. "We'll talk about it in the morning."

With a sigh and a nod, she stands. "Well, goodnight." She leaves and goes upstairs, and I hear her door open and shut.

Graham and I sit in identical armchairs beside each other. I turn mine to face him. "Graham, we are staying, aren't we? Where else could we go?"

He shakes his head and turns his chair to face mine. "The reason I left in the first place was because of my... disagreements with everyone in town. They didn't like my way of thinking, called me strange for valuing nature. I left to get away from that." He chuckles, looking up at me. "Didn't do much good, seeing how those accusations followed me everywhere. Even landed me a job from The Queen herself. And that was no perk."

I smile and look into the fire.

"I don't suppose my reputation was much better. 'That Strange Girl Who Ran Away With The Dark One.' Doesn't have quite the ring I expected it to."

Graham laughs. "Yes, why did you, anyway?"

"To save my kingdom," I respond, "against the will of my father and my... fiancé."

"So you're set to be married, then?" Graham asks, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Not anymore, I suppose," I look back at him. "Now that I think about it, nothing about it was really remarkable. I guess I'm a pretty unremarkable kind of girl."

"Woah, I wouldn't say that. You are definitely remarkable, and unique." Graham looks at me with sincerity. I stare into his eyes for a few moments, which are red orange from the reflection of the flames and stand suddenly before I do anything uncalled for.

"I suppose I should be getting to bed..." I say, turning to leave.

He stands just as suddenly and lightly grabs me by the arm, pulling me to face him.

"Belle..." Graham mutters, "you're remarkable. Don't think any different, no matter what anyone says. You're beautiful, and funny, and a very deserving and respectable young lady. That's why you should forgive me for..."

"For what?" I reply, gazing up at him expectantly.

He pauses before he leans down and presses his lips to mine. His scruff tickles my chin, and I feel fireworks going off in my head. With that I return his kiss, wrapping my arms around him and pulling him to me. I feel his hands on my waist, bringing me closer, like he can't stand to have an inch of space between us-

And just like that, we break apart, staring at each other like neither of us knows what just happened.

"I really should be getting to bed," I repeat hurriedly, quickly dashing upstairs and into the guest room that will be mine for the night, slamming the door behind me. I slowly sink down onto the small, cozy bed, staring at the wall opposite me.

What was that?

Graham's POV, The Kiss

I don't know what I'm doing when I grab her by the arm to face me.

"Belle..." I mutter, "you're remarkable. Don't think any different, no matter what anyone says. You're beautiful, and funny, and a very deserving and respectable young lady. That's why you should forgive me for..."

I can't believe what I'm about to do, but I can't stand this any longer. I'm beginning to fall in love with her, and I have no other way to express myself.

I hesitantly lean down, waiting for a sign of resistance, and when none comes, I kiss her.

I expect her to move away immediately, but to my surprise she returns it, pulls me closer, in fact. My emotions take over and I yank her to me, kissing her like I am suffocating and her lips are the open air, and-

It ends much too soon. I stand back and stare at her wide eyes. It seems she's equally shocked.

"I really should be getting to bed."

And with that, she's gone, and I'm left staring at the spot where she stood.

I sink into the armchair beside me, turning my gaze to the fire, comparing it to the feelings raging within me at this moment.

What was that?

*~ WOWOWOWOWOW, seems like they're developing something! But why is Graham so hated by Belle in present day? I suppose you'll have to keep reading. :) Thanks guys! Please vote! ~*