The Beast And His Belle

Chapter 13

Once he was under the covers she pulled him close, sharing her own body heat to warm his frozen limbs. Forcing his head to rest on her breasts she gently combed her fingers through his hair as he relaxed listening to her steady heartbeat. She was the first woman in years to show him this kind of loving affection. The way she said those words, did she care about him? Did she care if he lost his life like her mother to the same battle? Jackson smiled at the hope, feeling her steady rising and falling chest as his heart exploded through its cage of ribs and bones, and before long the exhilaration of being in her arms, of smelling her scent, of feeling her touch, sent him into a deep sleep.

Somehow during an unconscious drift, their bodies had repositioned and Belle found herself against his chest with his head resting on the top of hers and his arms wrapped around her. She didn't want to ever move from her place but it was Jackson's twitching in his sleep that woke her and he was covered in a thick sweat as the fever overtook his body. She knew it was time for her to care for him the way he did for her. She quietly broke free of his arms and went to the bathroom for a cold wet washcloth to place over his forehead. His body was fighting the fever and there was nothing more she could do while it ran its course so she made her way to the kitchen to have some food ready for him when he woke up.

Belle let out a quiet laugh to herself stepping through the door and seeing the gigantic mess of pots and pans, cutting boards, and knives Jackson had left during his frenzy of cooking for her. It made his efforts even more adorable in her eyes. Once she tidied up the mess she went to the fridge to see what she could make. It didn't matter what time of day it was for they had both been awake and asleep throughout the weekend at peculiar hours.

Jackson wasn't lying when he said he found any and all kinds of vegetables and used them all up so the fridge was quite sparse. Seeing a box of spaghetti in the pantry with jars of tomato sauce she grabbed the last onion he left along with a package of tofu. Her father had always said she had a knack for combining the most random ingredients and creating delicious meals. She thought about Jackson and the spaghetti with bolognese sauce his mother used to make and she decided to attempt to recreate it as best she could, using minced tofu rather than meat. By the time it was done the kitchen had flooded with the most amazing aroma it even had her stomach rumbling in excitement. She plated a dish for Jackson as well as herself and carried them on a tray back to his bedroom.

"Oh, you're awake!" To her surprise, she saw him sitting up in bed as she entered. He had woke to the feeling of his arms and bed being empty and although it was a new feeling for him to have someone sharing his bed, he didn't like waking up and not feeling her against him.
"You should be in here resting, Belle."
"I'm fine, it's your turn to be the patient now," she said placing the tray down next to the bed and he grabbed her hand pulling her closer.
"You've been through way more than me. How's your head?" he asked caressing her cheek but she ignored his care while she took his wet washcloth off his head and rose from the bed to soak it in cold water again. When she entered back in the room she saw him eyeing the plates of food.
"What's all this?" he asked in surprise.
"Well, it's not your mom's but I tried. Plus, it's the meatless version so..." she said shrugging.
"It smells amazing, just like how I remember it." She handed him his plate and they both dove in feeling hungry. When Belle lifted her head to see how he liked it, he was staring at her perplexed as he chewed.
"What?"
"This tastes exactly like my mom's," he said stunned but Belle just rolled her eyes.
"Come on, you don't have to lie to me."
"I'm not! This is her spaghetti and sauce. It's how I remember it used to taste!"
"It can't be. Bolognese is made with meat, this is tofu!"
"I was a kid at the time and didn't bother to know how she made it but I'm not lying when I say this tastes exactly like hers!"
"It's probably just been so long since you've had it you don't remember."
She put her fork down, instantly feeling terrible for bringing the memory of his mother to the forefront of his mind and then reminding Jackson her passing had been so long ago.
"I-I'm sorry," she bowed her head knowing she ruined his uplifted mood but she felt his hand lift her chin to look at him again.
Seeing the astonishment and honestly in his eyes, she was blown away but couldn't fathom she had quickly whipped up the same meal his mother made for him all those years ago.
"Don't be. It's nice to have her around the house again. The roses, the food..." he smiled gently at her and she felt her heart flutter. "When you first woke up, you even called me Jack. She was the only one who called me that." They were both caught staring happily at each other and neither one could peel their eyes away until the sound of the doorbell chiming spooked Belle.
"You stay in bed. I'll see who it is."