Her heart seemed to beat quicker and almost feel like it stopped as he spoke those words. Every time he said them she felt like it was the first time she'd heard it. And yet this time was different wasn't it? He'd told her he'd never stopped loving her. Meaning what he'd said in the Dark Castle about his power being more important than her, it wasn't true. He'd simply been scared. If true loves kiss would break any curse, then it would break his and he needed that power.
He needed the magic.
Belle had a dozen questions about that, about why, about what could be so important as to deny himself the chance to be free of it again but those could wait. There was no sense in ruining what was a beautiful moment. His first night here, their first night lying like this in...well ever actually from her point of view. And he'd told her he'd never stopped loving her.
Resting her head at his shoulder and feeling entirely comforted by his closeness to her, Belle drifted off into the most blissful sleep she'd slept in a long time.