great wide somewhere

belle french. house diorama. 17. year 3 at disigny institute. lover of books, adventure, and more books.

[adam-leroy]

Beauty and the Beast

[bellefrxnch]

adam-leroy:

“Well, yes… I did have to find someone to fall in love with.  But, that almost seemed too easy.  Because you were the only one who refused to give up on me, no matter what I did to you,” he insisted.  The corners of his mouth turned up into a smile at her words.  Proud of him.  He couldn’t remember the last time someone had told him they were proud of him.  He added it to the ever growing list of the reasons he loved the girl in front of him.

She could insist all she wanted that he didn’t need to do anything.  He knew better.  That there would no doubt be multiple occasions where he’d try to find little things to do for her.  “You know,” Adam said, letting himself laugh at her question.  “I think that we were supposed to do something.  But I just… We’ll go if you want to.  I’m just so caught up in all of this that I can’t imagine anything else.  But, I’ll go if you want to.”

“I’ve loved you for a long time, that’s why. I’ve come to realize that. It just differed in the amounts and forms of it, I suppose. Love doesn’t just come in the same packaged box with a bow on top. Sometimes you’ve got to fight for it. I’m glad we did.” There was a point in time where she was sure he would never like her, no matter how hard she tried, but she was used to it, the whole outcast role she’d played her entire life. It wasn’t until he realized he was one, too, that suddenly everything just fell into place, the way it should be.

Belle couldn’t help but laugh at his response, finding the back of her hand subconsciously reaching for his forehead. “No, really, it’s fine. As long as I’m with you. You feel...warm,” she decided finally, pressing her lips where her hand once was to be sure. “Mhm. A bit warm, I’d say. Maybe just out of shock. You’re the one that just had a whole curse lifted from you and whatever else, so I’ll leave it up to whatever you feel like, yeah?”

[adam-leroy]

Beauty and the Beast

[bellefrxnch]

adam-leroy:

She said it again.  Those three words that had changed his life.  Literally.

“You can deny it all that you want Belle, but without you… I would still be that lost boy that I was when I came to the school.  The things I did to you were unforgivable, the things I’ve forced you to endure because of me… I’m just glad that you didn’t leave.  If you had, then I’d be a monster forever.”

“But I do,” he insisted.  It was a little frustrating that she couldn’t figure out just how big a deal it was what she had done.  “You deserve the world for what you’ve done for me.  And I want to try and give it to you.”

With a small laugh, she shook her head. “I refuse to believe that this was all me. You had to fulfill your end of the bargain, too, remember? I’m just so…overwhelmingly proud of how far you’ve come. How far we’ve come,” Belle whispered insistently, a sad smile curling at her lips. There were so many times she could recall off the top of her head that she was sure there was no way she would be in the very position she was now.

“You can try all you want, but all I really need is you. You’ve already done it all. Really. I swear. I’m just happy that you’re okay now, that you’re who you were meant to be.” Though she let her eyes flutter closed briefly, they flew open as her mind wandered elsewhere. “Weren’t we supposed to be going somewhere? Not that I wouldn’t just ditch it to stay here. I just can’t remember after all this…stuff happening,” she inquired, cringing at the word.

[adam-leroy]

Beauty and the Beast

[bellefrxnch]

adam-leroy:

“But see, that’s where you’re wrong,” Adam insisted.  His hands went to her face as she talked, trying to figure out the best way to put into words everything that she had done.  Everything she’d done for him.  “You’ve done everything, Belle.

“You met a beast in the body of a man.  And you never gave up on him, because you were one of the only people who saw the good in him.  Everyone else who was around him… they were forced to be.  But you… you saw the man that I could be, and you love me.  That’s something that enchantress never thought I would experience, but she was wrong.  You proved her wrong.

And now, now I’ll do whatever I can for as long as I live to try and repay you for what you’ve done for me.  But I don’t think that’ll ever happen.”

“I--” she started, but decided to leave it to him to finish his argument. She clasped his wrist as he spoke, leaning her forehead forward to rest against his. “No, really. It’s you that’s changed. I mean, I have, too, but think about where you were a year ago. Are you the same person?

“You;re not. And that’s...that’s why I love you. Because you’ve made it possible to. I just tagged along for the ride. There have been times where I’ve done things so awful I thought you’d never speak to me again, and you found it in yourself to forgive me. There is nothing that you can do that will top that.

“You don’t need to do that,” she assured him with a smile. “You’ve already done it all. There is nothing more I can ask from you.”

[adam-leroy]

Beauty and the Beast

[bellefrxnch]

adam-leroy:

Despite the fact the rooms were tiny, it seemed to take forever to get to that mirror.  After pushing himself up into a standing position, Adam was careful to keep his eyes locked on his feet until he was right in front of it.  If the curse hadn’t broken, then he didn’t want to know until the very last moment.

Part of him felt that it might be too good to be true.  That he’d look up and see the same monster in the mirror that almost always seemed to greet him.  His hands clenching into fists, he finally steeled himself enough to look up into the mirror.  Expecting long, shaggy dark hair, fangs, horns, and a borderline snout, Adam was thrilled to find that was not what greeted him.

A young man.  Fair skinned.  Curly blonde hair.  Human.  The only things that seemed to not have changed were his eyes.  Grasping at the mirror, a laugh louder than any he could remember escaped him, before he moved to Belle.  Without thinking twice about the size of the room, Adam picked her up, spinning her around.  “You did it!  You broke the curse.”

Belle stood and waited. It was all she could do--she couldn’t see inside the mirror for him, nor could she keep telling him the way he looked to her. It hadn’t struck her until then that he hadn’t seen what he looked like for the last ten years, and yet she hadn’t known him any differently. Her breath held, it was only released when his laugh pierced the air.

Before she could join in his joy, Belle found her feet lifted from the floor and her arms grasped around his neck. She continued the chorus of laughs with her own, tucking in her legs to make sure they didn’t hit the dresser beside her. 

“I didn’t do anything,” Belle insisted with a giggle as she was set down. “I just said some words and magic happened. Really. So now you know what I mean when I say you’re handsome,” she beamed, hands clasped around his stomach. 

[adam-leroy]

Beauty and the Beast

[bellefrxnch]

adam-leroy:

He wanted to laugh at her statement about his parents hating her.  Wanted to reassure her that they would come around.  And if they didn’t, then they would be hated together.  He wanted to kiss her back.  He wanted to grin at the fact she loved him too.  But the second she had uttered those words, something happened.

Adam’s hands went to clutch at his chest, feeling as though fireworks were going off inside of it.  While not extremely painful, it was still uncomfortable enough to cause the young man to fall to his knees, eyes closed tight against the sensation he was experiencing.  And for a moment, he had a terrible thought: What if that sorceress from so long ago had installed a fail safe to her curse?  Should he ever truly find love in her timeline, it would backfire and kill him instead.

But almost just as quickly as the sensation started, it passed.  Carefully opening his eyes, Adam held up his hand to the girl to help him up.  “Belle…”  And suddenly, he knew there would be a surefire way to know whether or not the curse was broken.  “The mirror.”

“What the--” For a moment she thought he was dying, and only then did it strike her that he was cursed. She remembered him telling her that such a long time ago, only when he had begun to trust her, that the thought often passed her mind. He looked so in pain, and she wanted nothing more than to hold him, more for her own reassurance than his. 

The mirror. It was the one thing she never forgot to cover before he came into the room, or even came close to it. Nodding her head frantically, Belle pulled the sheet off of the mirror nailed to the back of her closed door, throwing it onto her bed swiftly. 

The only thing she could do was wait. “Anything?” she asked quietly, almost afraid. He hadn’t turned twenty-one yet--there was just a day left--but there was always the slight chance that something had gone wrong. Magic is weird in that way, she had concluded. It failed to work when you needed it most.

[adam-leroy]

Beauty and the Beast

[bellefrxnch]

adam-leroy:

He couldn’t help but grin at the expression on Belle’s face.  Even though her words were hesitant, the look on her face was exactly the reaction he was hoping for.  Hope.  Hope for him, for a future-their future.

“I have no regrets for what I did.  I’ve been thinking about it ever since I found out about the engagement.  Besides…” he smirked once more, grateful for the fact there was one fail proof plot point in everything.  “I can threaten to leave the throne as much as I want, and it’ll never happen.  My little brother… he can never be heir to the throne, as he isn’t my mother’s son.  And the country would sooner change their rule about my marriage than have a bastard on the throne.”

“They’ll have to change the law.  Then the engagement will be over, and I’ll be free of that idiotic part of my ruling.  And then my son will be able to have the choice to marry who he wants as well.  I’ve done what’s best for my country, I’m certain of it.”

He paused, still unsure of whether or not to say it.  But, the look on her face was still driving him.  “Because I love you, Belle.”

Of course he had a backup plan. He probably had a backup plan since before he knew what one was. There were so many things she could say, so many thanks she could give him, but all that came out was, “Your parents are going to hate me.” As if they already didn’t. Although his parents were lovely, really, they scared her more than anyone, and she knew quite well how much they despised her, too.

“I can’t believe you’re doing this. Seriously. I can’t--I can’t thank you enough, really. You’re going to change everything...just for this. For us. That’s amazing.” Lips in a quivering smile, Belle pressed them to his quickly before continuing. “I’m so proud of you. Thank you.”

She had heard the phrase once before, just once, but hadn’t really known how to react the first time, nor did she when the three words that changed everything left his lips again. Belle wanted to say them, too, but there was a part of her that wouldn’t let them go, like she was afraid to pull the trigger. “I--” she started, “I, um...mhm,” Belle hummed, biting her lip before blurting, “I love you, too.”

[adam-leroy]

Beauty and the Beast

[bellefrxnch]

adam-leroy:

“Of course, those are my father’s words, not mine.”  Pulling himself up to his full height and bringing his arms behind him like he had been trained, Adam smiled.  “I told my father that he was insane if he expected me to leave this school behind and enter into a marriage with a girl I knew nothing about, and who I have not spoken to since I was about seven years old.  Of course, he insisted that it was tradition and that a future king had to do what was expected of his people.”

Taking a few steps closer to Belle, Adam reached out, wrapping his arms around her waist.  “So, I told my father that if, to be king, I would have to lead a life without you, then I would not want to be king at all.  If it came down to choosing between my title and you, then you would win every time.

“Of course, I don’t know what that means for my current title.  I don’t know if my mother will be able to convince him to keep me on as his successor, but right now, I don’t care.  I don’t have to enter into a marriage I don’t want with a woman that I don’t love.  Because…”

But he stopped himself.  Not for emphasis this time.  The last time he had told her he loved her was months ago, and it was greeted with a less than welcome response.  And even with his deadline looming so close, he wasn’t about to chance it.  He couldn’t take that heartbreak.

“Wait, what?” was all Belle could muster, her jaw nearly dropping to her bedroom floor. “So you--you told your father, the king, that you would rather not....” Though the words could not seem to come, her face, mixed with appreciation and happiness and hope all at once, spoke for her. 

“You can’t--Adam, really. You don’t have to do this. I can’t--” She let out a sigh, her hands running through her hair and then finding his. “Really. I--this is your whole life. All the training and the ordeals...for nothing. You’re going to look back at this in ten years and think, ‘I shouldn’t have done that’. And I don’t---I don’t want that for you.”

“That isn’t to say,” she started, “that I don’t want you to do this. I do. Absolutely. But I just don’t want you getting into trouble with your family, your country, for me. I can’t ask that of you. And I...I trust you. Do what you can, okay?” Belle asked quietly, almost whispering. “Do what you think is best.” He paused, and she couldn’t tell if it was for meaning or because he couldn’t think of what to say. “Because what?”

[adam-leroy]

Beauty and the Beast

[bellefrxnch]

adam-leroy:

“Well, you succeed.”  It was rude, he knew, to invite himself into her room as he was about to do.  But, what he had to discuss he felt was far to important than to mention in the halls.  Anyone could walk by and hear, and that wasn’t what he wanted.  Which might be why he didn’t think too much about pulling Belle inside her own bedroom, hardly able to contain his smirk at the sight of the hidden mirror.

“Alright.”  Adam dropped his grasp on her hands, trying to figure out how to begin everything he needed to say.  “My father… Well, you know how he called me home to meet my fiance.  She was one of these girls I used to be forced into little ‘dates’ with when I was younger, which I feel I told you about. He wanted me to realize that she is to be my future, and that what you and I have, can be no more than a fling.  At best, he informed me, you could submit to being my mistress, but that would be the highest position you would ever be able to hold in my life.  I am set to inherit the kingdom after all, and a girl of your stature is not worthy of me.”

Maybe it was cruel, but he stopped talking then.  Damn his need for a dramatic flare.

“As do you,” she countered, her flash of a smile falling as she stumbled once the door supporting her back opened. Eyes widened, Belle found her legs turn to lead in the middle of the wooden floor, unable to bring herself to sit anywhere. She was okay, though. At least, she would try to be, no matter what he was about to say. Exhaling slowly, Belle braced herself for the wave of news about to crash.

Not as bad as a deadly disease, but still pretty awful. She’d seen this day coming from the beginning, though she tried to convince herself that royal rules wouldn’t apply despite his father’s rigidity. Opening her mouth as he finished, Belle found nothing coming to the surface, not even the slightest wince of pain. Her body grew hot despite the lack of sleeve on her dress, and she willed the knot of incoming tears back down with a pained smile. “Mhm. You’ve told me. I know.”

[adam-leroy]

Beauty and the Beast

[bellefrxnch]

adam-leroy:

At the sight of the girl on the other door, Adam couldn’t help but grin.  He had such big news to tell her, news he couldn’t wait to share.  As she wrapped her arms around him, the young man leaned down, pressing his lips to the top of her head.  “And you look radiant.  As always.”  Compliments-as well as smiles- came more freely these days.  Each one seeming more sincere than the last.

Pulling out of her embrace, Adam’s hands moved down her arms, grasping her hands in his own.  “But, before we do anything else.  There’s something I need to talk to you about.”

There was a part of Belle that was somewhat used to the increasing amount of compliments, but the other was responsible for the obviously reddened cheeks whenever one leaked from his hardened facade. “I try,” she mumbled modestly, slipping her fingers between his as if it were routine. The only issue she found with the whole hand holding ordeal was that she had to bend her arm awkwardly thanks to the height difference, but Belle had grown used to the feeling by now.

Brows furrowed, Belle’s mind skipped to the worst case scenario she could possibly think of before anything. He could have cancer. Or some deathly disease. Or both. He didn’t look sick, though, so she shook the thought from her head and inhaled sharply before asking, “Yeah? What’s it about?”

[adam-leroy]

Beauty and the Beast

To say that there had been a change in Adam would be an understatement.  He had come into this school bitter and angry, refusing to talk to anyone who so dared to look him in the eye.  He hated his fellow students, and it was safe to say that they probably despised him as well.  Many of them took weeks, months to get them to speak to him again.  But, there was one person, who Adam had truly been horrible to, and who had still insisted on talking to him whenever she saw him.

Belle.

Beautiful inside and out.  It hadn’t taken long after they had started dating for him to fall in love with her.  And he had hoped that his curse might be lifted.  But there had been a stipulation.  Although he loved her, she had to love him in return.  And with the dealine of his twenty first birthday arriving this week, he was starting to fear that he might be cursed forever.

So many obstacles had stood between them up until this point, but each one had seemingly passed.  If they could only get past this last one, he might not have to worry about much anymore.  Dressed in his royal blue suit jacket and black slacks, he knocked on her room door, eager to see the girl who had captured the majority of his waking thoughts.

[bellefrxnch]

To think that it had been almost a year since Belle had ditched her provincial life for a far more adventurous one was something she couldn’t quite wrap her head around. As cheesy as it was, the moment she set foot on the tiled floors of the castle was one that had changed her, and she was glad to finally claim that it had been for the good.

Although a year ago she would have never thought it would be true, the boy she slipped on her favorite yellow dress for was the one who had changed her the most. Rough around the edges, to say the least, Adam had given her the hardest of times just months ago, but things just sort of fell into place. A good place at that.

And here she was, heart pounding as it had the first time she heard the same three knocks on her door, except this time out of sheer joy rather than nerves. Checking her mirror one last time, Belle yanked open the door with a goofy grin plastered on her face. “Hi,” she breathed, tilting forward to wrap her arms around his stomach. “Don’t you look handsome.”

[adam-leroy]

Barely Even Friends

[adam-leroy]

bellefrxnch:

“You don’t suck,” she insisted, shaking her head. “Better than me.” Though she’d never gone as far as demeaning herself for a guy, it was the truth, according to the small television screen above them. Belle had never found it necessary–it was as if people like Gaston had expected her to because she didn’t have what he did, but Adam was different. At least, he was different now that he quit magnifying every issue he had with her.

Even if all of the pins were still standing, Belle still would have clapped her hands gently in support. “You’re doing just fine. Archery might be your strong suit, yes, but still fine here nonetheless.” Hauling a similar green ball to the lane, all Belle could do was roll it and hope for the best, resulting in the same fate as Adam’s first throw. The second, though, managed to wobble a pin to collapse to the wood before disappearing.

“Here, I have an idea,” Adam said, picking up his ball for his turn.  After all, he figured that he was already doing horribly.  So, he figured he might as well have fun with it.  And, since he had already broken tradition once with his laughter, he figured he might as well do it again.  This was Belle, after all.  The girl who had continuously been there to talk to him, even through the weeks where all they did was yell at one another.

Taking the ball in his hand, Adam started walking as though he were about to bowl like any of his previous turns.  But, at the last second, he turned completely around, and rolled the ball through his legs.  It went horribly off in the gutter, but Adam didn’t care.  Instead of getting mad and frustrated like he knew the old him would have done, he laughed instead.  It still sounded strange to him, but not as unfamiliar as it did the first time.  “I think that way works better,” he insisted, turning to Belle before getting another ball and bowling exactly the same way.  Sure, it gave him the same result, but it went a little farther down the lane than the first time, which he counted as a small victory.

[bellefrxnch]

Adam's ideas were never too far fetched, but from the moment he picked up the ball, there was no telling what his plan would consist of. Biting back a laugh as the bowling ball made its way between his feet, Belle watched his same fate reoccur with the new technique, still clapping for his new strategy. Once again came his laugh, one that was so natural she could hardly believe she'd never heard it before. "I'll try it that way," she shrugged as she cradled the ball, figuring it couldn't go any worse. Belle dropped what seemed like the rounded weight between her shoes, pushing it gently forward down the lane. The ball remained centered, unlike her previous attempts, and somehow managed three pins down in its tracks. The next throw, however, only took down one. "Well, seems like you've found the trick here."

[adam-leroy]

Barely Even Friends

[adam-leroy]

bellefrxnch:

Adam’s excitement was almost worse than hers, and it was all over a mundane little pin knocking over at the end of an alley, while a sweep took the other nine down for her. “No, we did it,” Belle insisted, nearly throwing her arms around him in pride. Mixed in with her own giggles was another sound, one so foreign she didn’t even recognize it at first. 

Belle could distinctly the first time she’d seen Adam smile. His teeth were ground together like it was painful, and his lips stretched as wide as he could make them. She remembered thinking that it was the beginning of change; somewhat of an upward tilt from their relationship that’d hit rock bottom, and with the simple sound of his laughter, it began upwards once more. Of course, she decided to keep the mention of it to herself–she didn’t want to embarrass him or anything–but the action was a sign of trust, she knew, and the feeling was nothing short of brilliance.

Adam couldn’t really think of how he had anything to do with her small victory, but he decided not to question it.  If she wanted to make him a part of it, then he would happily accept the position.  He was also grateful that she didn’t say anything about the sound that he emitted earlier.  It would be too awkward having to explain that.  So, instead, he kissed her forehead.  “I told you that we would suck together,” he said in his attempt to make a half-hearted joke.

“I guess that means I have to go now.  How I’m going to follow that though, I don’t know.”  Picking up his own bowling ball, Adam rolled it down the lane only to have it end up in the gutter.  He went to get another one, which did knock over two pins.  “I think this is proof I should just stick with archery.”

[bellefrxnch]

"You don't suck," she insisted, shaking her head. "Better than me." Though she'd never gone as far as demeaning herself for a guy, it was the truth, according to the small television screen above them. Belle had never found it necessary--it was as if people like Gaston had expected her to because she didn't have what he did, but Adam was different. At least, he was different now that he quit magnifying every issue he had with her. Even if all of the pins were still standing, Belle still would have clapped her hands gently in support. "You're doing just fine. Archery might be your strong suit, yes, but still fine here nonetheless." Hauling a similar green ball to the lane, all Belle could do was roll it and hope for the best, resulting in the same fate as Adam's first throw. The second, though, managed to wobble a pin to collapse to the wood before disappearing.

[adam-leroy]

Barely Even Friends

[adam-leroy]

bellefrxnch:

“Yet so far away,” she muttered, forcing a fake smile to plaster upon her face. The second ball wasn’t as heavy as the first, and she made a mental note to keep selecting the blue ones instead of the green. “You can do this,” Belle whispered to herself, “it’s just a ball, and some pins,” she insisted to herself, swinging the ball back once more.

And let it go. The ball flew down the middle of the lane, jeering to the left at the last second. It was as if some higher being had knocked the one pin down itself, because the small brush of the ball was enough to send it tumbling and a small one appear next to her name, turning her once pained smile wider.

He watched her once again prepare to launch the ball down the lane.  Were his palms actually sweating over this?  But as he glanced at them he realized that yes, they were indeed.  Wiping them off quickly on the front of his pants, Adam watched and waited as the ball moved once more toward the pins.And she got one.

Standing up, Adam’s own smile grew at the sight of Belle’s.  “You did it!”  True, they were both terrible.  True, they had a long way to go before they even wanted to consider entering any sort of tournament.  But, it was fun.  And the fact that they sucked together somehow just seemed to make it more enjoyable for him.  But something strange happened after he uttered those three words.  Adam did something he hadn’t done for close to a decade.  He laughed.  He was so excited for the girl, that he actually laughed.  The sound was foreign, even to Adam’s own ears, and it took him a second to realize that it came from him.  Quickly though, to hide his astonishment, Adam made his face go neutral again, so that hopefully, Belle wouldn’t think it strange.

[bellefrxnch]

Adam's excitement was almost worse than hers, and it was all over a mundane little pin knocking over at the end of an alley, while a sweep took the other nine down for her. "No, we did it," Belle insisted, nearly throwing her arms around him in pride. Mixed in with her own giggles was another sound, one so foreign she didn't even recognize it at first. Belle could distinctly the first time she'd seen Adam smile. His teeth were ground together like it was painful, and his lips stretched as wide as he could make them. She remembered thinking that it was the beginning of change; somewhat of an upward tilt from their relationship that'd hit rock bottom, and with the simple sound of his laughter, it began upwards once more. Of course, she decided to keep the mention of it to herself--she didn't want to embarrass him or anything--but the action was a sign of trust, she knew, and the feeling was nothing short of brilliance.

[adam-leroy]

Barely Even Friends

[adam-leroy]

bellefrxnch:

All Belle had to do was knock down one measly pin within two tries to prove herself not so terrible at this thing. Her determination seemed to get the best of her, because even when the ball half slipped off her thigh while trying to position her fingers in the right holes, she still managed to clutch to it as if it were her life. Granted, she was almost sure she’d picked the heaviest ball in the entire rack, even if the side of the green marble color read eight pounds.

“Here goes nothing,” she murmured, stepping forward before releasing the ball from her fingertips. It spun gracefully across the glossed wooden lane–much more smoothly than Adam’s had–yet still managed to nearly brush the side of the end pin before dropping itself into the gutter, leaving all ten standing. “See, you’re not the worst,” she called before hauling another ball into her arms.

He held his breath.  Adam actually held his breath.  To anyone who knew him, they would think he was being ridiculous.  He was a future king, and he was actually nervous to see if Belle’s ball would hit a pin.  Ridiculous.  But, when it fell into the gutter, he found himself feeling more disappointment than she probably did.  “So close.”

“You’ve got another shot,” he said, smiling up at her.  “You’re going to get it this time, I know it.”

[bellefrxnch]

"Yet so far away," she muttered, forcing a fake smile to plaster upon her face. The second ball wasn't as heavy as the first, and she made a mental note to keep selecting the blue ones instead of the green. "You can do this," Belle whispered to herself, "it's just a ball, and some pins," she insisted to herself, swinging the ball back once more. And let it go. The ball flew down the middle of the lane, jeering to the left at the last second. It was as if some higher being had knocked the one pin down itself, because the small brush of the ball was enough to send it tumbling and a small one appear next to her name, turning her once pained smile wider.

[adam-leroy]

Barely Even Friends

[adam-leroy]

bellefrxnch:

Before his second throw, Belle couldn’t say she’d realized the extent of his athletic aggression when he spoke of it. He was a fine archer, and that took such precision and accuracy, but the moment the bowling ball left his hand and bounced on the lane, she couldn’t foresee a bright future for the attempt. Still, she clapped her hands together stupidly in attempt to encourage him, but her failure was almost as bad as his.

“You are not so bad. I think I can top you in worst bowler,” she assured him, lifting the first green ball in her arms gingerly, as if she were carrying the heaviest book in existence. “This is already not working out,” Belle mumbled, blowing a stray hair that’d blocked her vision. “I can do this. I can do this,” she echoed, more for herself than him. “Just give me a minute.”

As she started clapping for his obviously putrid attempt at a second go, he thought for a second about bowing.  But, for now, he thought he’d pass on that.  There were certainly going to be other tries that were just as bad, and he’d have time to acknowledge just how bad he was then.

Leaning back in the chair, Adam watched as she seemed to gather herself.  It was amusing, almost, how she felt the need to concentrate so hard before rolling a ball down the lane.  He had already proved himself to be terrible, so it wasn’t like there should be a lot of pressure on her to perform.  For a moment, he thought about calling out to her to picture him naked and see if that helped her loosen up, but thought better of it.  Instead, he clapped his hands a few times.  “You’ve got this.”

[bellefrxnch]

All Belle had to do was knock down one measly pin within two tries to prove herself not so terrible at this thing. Her determination seemed to get the best of her, because even when the ball half slipped off her thigh while trying to position her fingers in the right holes, she still managed to clutch to it as if it were her life. Granted, she was almost sure she'd picked the heaviest ball in the entire rack, even if the side of the green marble color read eight pounds. "Here goes nothing," she murmured, stepping forward before releasing the ball from her fingertips. It spun gracefully across the glossed wooden lane--much more smoothly than Adam's had--yet still managed to nearly brush the side of the end pin before dropping itself into the gutter, leaving all ten standing. "See, you're not the worst," she called before hauling another ball into her arms.

[adam-leroy]

Barely Even Friends

[adam-leroy]

bellefrxnch:

Placing a reluctant kiss on his cheek before sliding into one of three chairs on the side of the ball dispenser, Belle watched as he took his shot at the sport. Although it was only one pin down, she was still certain her ball would wind up in the gutter at least twice before even coming close to success.

“You’ve got another shot at it. I’m sure you can knock down another pin or two,” she said reassuringly, giving a deciding nod of her head. “Absolutely. You have got this.” Sports weren’t big back in the French countryside beside hunting, leaving Belle frazzled as to what to cheer in encouragement. Her tries seemed good enough for now, but if the sport dates kept up, she’d be in serious trouble before too long.

Picking up another ball, Adam furrowed his eyebrows.  He needed to concentrate, he knew, but the fact that his cheek was still burning from her kiss made it hard.  Taking a deep breath, the boy hauled back and flung the ball down the lane.  It seemed to bounce… in a concrete block sort of way, before starting to roll towards the pin.  It was slow, no doubt because of his poor form, but it eventually made it’s way to the end of the lane.

And knocked down one more pin.  Sheepishly scratching the back of his neck, Adam moved to sit out and wait for Belle’s turn.  “I think it’s safe to say I might be the world’s worst bowler.”

[bellefrxnch]

Before his second throw, Belle couldn't say she'd realized the extent of his athletic aggression when he spoke of it. He was a fine archer, and that took such precision and accuracy, but the moment the bowling ball left his hand and bounced on the lane, she couldn't foresee a bright future for the attempt. Still, she clapped her hands together stupidly in attempt to encourage him, but her failure was almost as bad as his. "You are not so bad. I think I can top you in worst bowler," she assured him, lifting the first green ball in her arms gingerly, as if she were carrying the heaviest book in existence. "This is already not working out," Belle mumbled, blowing a stray hair that'd blocked her vision. "I can do this. I can do this," she echoed, more for herself than him. "Just give me a minute."

[adam-leroy]

Barely Even Friends

[adam-leroy]

bellefrxnch:

Although she was certain the pair of shoes was just a scratch on the surface of his family’s wealth, Belle still felt odd accepting such a gift. The only ones she’d ever gotten were from the bookshop owner back home, and Adam had already topped his generosity in just weeks. “Hey, you can’t forbid me from doing anything,” she teased, “but…if you insist.”

Scaling the computer screen before her, Belle gave a small nod at his suggestion and began to type the letters to her date’s name in the system. “I probably should’ve put in my name first so that I don’t look so bad when you get a strike on the first try, but whatever,” she shrugged, pressing the button gently to enter their names. “Alright. Your turn.”

Adam shrugged at her words.  Technically speaking, he really couldn’t forbid her, solely because she wasn’t a citizen of his country.  But, he still liked using his title just to make his point  “I do.”  Hesitantly, Adam leaned forward even more as she typed, resting his chin on her shoulder as he watched her.  He wondered what exactly would classify him as creepy, but found himself worrying that the fact he was studying the way her hands were moving across the screen had him heading that way.

“I can tell you now that I’m not getting a strike,” he said, standing up from the chair.  The shoes made him feel as though all of his movements were awkward, Adam tried to keep his regular posture.  Picking up a ball he figured would work, Adam moved to the lane.  Swinging his arm back, the prince took a step forward, releasing the ball and watched… as it only hit one pin.  Turning to Belle, he shrugged.  “Told you.”

[bellefrxnch]

Placing a reluctant kiss on his cheek before sliding into one of three chairs on the side of the ball dispenser, Belle watched as he took his shot at the sport. Although it was only one pin down, she was still certain her ball would wind up in the gutter at least twice before even coming close to success. "You've got another shot at it. I'm sure you can knock down another pin or two," she said reassuringly, giving a deciding nod of her head. "Absolutely. You have got this." Sports weren't big back in the French countryside beside hunting, leaving Belle frazzled as to what to cheer in encouragement. Her tries seemed good enough for now, but if the sport dates kept up, she'd be in serious trouble before too long.