This was a side to him that she knew no one saw. She understood the worry surrounding him, she knew what he was. She was no fool and she'd known from the very start. She'd made her own deal after all, walked away from her life willingly to live with him and that had been long before she'd come to love him, and before he had loved her. He'd thought he couldn't love again, she knew that too. The loss of his boy and that boy's mother was a story she'd never managed to get from him in the end much as he'd promised her. He owed her a story but it seemed there would be time for that later.
They likely couldn't stay here, she knew that too. Emma had made that very clear when she'd stormed out, fury crossing her face. Oh Belle had seen it, ridiculously happy as she had been to have her love in this strange and confusing world, she had not missed Emma Swan's fury. Only a fool would have missed it. And there would be other worries. Young Henry had excused himself, and Ruby, and one by one they'd left, made excuses until it had just been the two of them.
It didn't matter though, not right now at least because he was was here with her, and little else was taking the place of that in her mind. He was telling her he loved her and it seemed she would never tire of hearing it. He admitted it now, no longer hiding behind his fear of true love, of letting her in. And after so long, she needed to hear it as many times as he would give her. He embraced her and Belle tilted her head up slightly, he was still taller even in this world though he leaned on his cane. He hadn't needed that at home.
"Don't be sorry, you're here now and whatever else happens, I have you now. You're with me in this strange place and everything will be alright." Oh people could say what they wanted, think what they wanted. There was nowhere else she'd rather be. Her eyes told him that story of course as she leaned in to kiss him, without fear of his anger, without fear of being accused of collusion with Regina.
There were many benefits to this world. "I love you." she told him again with a smile of her own. Seeing him smile meant the world to Belle, he didn't smile enough.