"Ahem..." Belle cleared her throat as they stop near a seafood restaurant.

"This is the great Cranky Seafood Paradise." Belle introduced the restaurant to Nicolas.

"Okay," Nicolas said rubbing his chin. "I'm still waiting to see the greatness in it."

Belle fake coughed at his comment. She looked at him as if he had quality of the greatest blunt individuals ever existed.

"Come on! Can't you show some excitement? It feels as if you are about to doze off. This is my favourite restaurant." Belle said.

Nicolas took a few steps towards the shop and then stared at the board of the shop for a while. And then he pulled out a photo out of his bag.

"Indeed, I wasn't wrong. This is that very shop." He said.

"Is there something wrong?" Belle asked confused.

She took a glance at the photo Nicolas was staring for a while and saw the photo of a young duo of adults standing infront of the very shop they are standing infront of.

"Of course, how could I have not figured it out. This is the very shop which rivals with Sunshine Cuisine." He said.

"Sunshine Cuisine? It's the rival of Cranky Seafood Paradise, right? Oh my! Jack has got a pretty tough competitor." Belle said.

"Wait! You know Jack?" Nicolas asked suddenly turning towards Belle and grabbed her shoulders on instincts.

Belle flushed red at his sudden act. She gave him a push on his chest making him realise what he was doing.

"Oh sorry! Goddamn! That was just on instincts. I'm sorry!" He apologized.

"Okay, okay. Don't get so worked out. So, how do you know Jack?" She asked.

"He is the bestie of my cousin here." He said.

"That means my bestie is your cousin's bestie too? Dude, I gotta ask him whose his bestie." Belle pouted.

"It's such a big coincidence!" Nicolas said his eyes gleaming as shiny stones.

"You just can't imagine how long have I been searching for this restaurant! My cousin won't tell the destination and dad won't let me out of the house for this cause which he finds quite silly." He ranted on and on and then suddenly he grabbed her hands out of blue.

"Are you an angel that you helped me in this noble cause? I am so glad that I met you!" He exclaimed, eyes filled with some kind of shine.

"It's my pleasure. So, are we going inside?" Belle tried to pry off his hands and change the questions.

"Yep and take this as my treat. Thanks for bringing me here." He said.

Both of them soon found Jack as they settled inside the restaurant. Jack was quick to recognise Belle and invited her in when he finally saw Nicolas behind her.

"Woah! Belle, did you find yourself a boyfriend? I thought your mom had the idea to keep you single till the last day of your life." Jack said as he eyed Nicolas and inspected him from top to bottom.

"Hmm...Pretty boy. Cool hair, nice eye colour, sharp jawline, a little toned chest...Belle, seriously! How in the world did you find him? If I were to be a girl, I would have just married him on the first sight!" Jack awed.

"Okay, I admit he looks good but we don't have that kind of relationship." Belle said.

"Really? Then propose him! You can't just let him go like that." Jack said.

"Um...Jack, I think you don't remember me. I'm Andrew's cousin. We have already met in a contest if you remember." Nicolas said blushing because of the earlier comments the latter made on him.

"Andrew's cousin? You are Nicolas?" Jack asked.

"Yo...seems like you do remember me." Nicolas said and gave a friendly laugh.

They all chatted for a few minutes after which Nicolas and Belle took a table near the windows along the streets.

Both of them had lunch and and discussed about their lives.

"So, what do you do for a living?" Belle asked as she picked on her food, twirling the pasta on her fork.

"Well, I just completed college and right now on a short break. Then I will be taking over our family business." He said. "It isn't something I am very happy about but, I atleast got liberty to tour around."

"Nice." Belle replied pushing the piece of pasta in her mouth.

"What about you? What do you do for a living?" Nicolas asked the same question back to her.

"Well...living...I come from a decent well doing family and I have a younger brother and sister. Right now, I am at college and do a part time job in the bookstore." She said.

"Well, that's what everyone else do too. Do you have something...like hobbies?" Nicolas asked as he fixed his eyes on the girl whose face glowed up at the familiar conditions of the question.

"In that case, I love reading books. I just have my world spinning around books and secondly, I love to write. A few lines of poetry or a piece of fiction, I eagerly enjoy each of them." Belle said.

"Wait...you write?" Nicolas questioned excited about the answer that awaits.

"It's not something too awesome. Only you are the one who is giving a positive vibe about it." Belle said.

"Ah! Can't say for sure but instincts of a fantasy reader...I guess." Nicolas said scratching the back of his head. "By the way, I want to know the gist."

As Nicolas cupped his cheeks and took a more relaxed form, Belle took deep breaths and made herself ready for the gist.

"Here it goes. Once, there was this little girl who wasn't loved by his stepmother and father, was locked up in a room for punishment of some mischief. During that time she met ab owl whom she told about her miseries. Then, they both dived in to a series of life - death adventures. The girl grew up with the owl and the other fantasy animals but in the last she was granted two options. One was that she would forget all her connections with the human world and forget all means of communication or she would forget about the world the owl had taken her to and it would be destroyed forever." Belle took a break and looked at him.

"I actually haven't thought of an ending right now." She said.

"The gist was as clear as water. I loved you theme. Tell me, do you also wish to gain a little freedom from your family?" He asked.

Belle was clearly taken aback by his question. This guy saw straight through her which made her feel quite vulnerable under his gaze.

"It's okay that you don't wanna discuss it but maybe some talking can serve as answers to your questions." He reassured.

"Sir, your bill." The waiter brought the bill along with the dessert.

Nicolas nodded and paid the waiter the money. Both he and she looked at each other and giggled when they heard Jack mumbling some nonsense.

"Hey! Hey, lovebirds! Stop giggling there and Belle, restrain your boyfriend." Jack scoffed.

Belle's face turned a bright red shade as she shouted, "What are you saying, Jack? I just met him today. He is not boyfri-" Belle was abruptly cut in between as Nicolas stood and grabbed her wrist.

"Well, Jack I have some things to deal with. So, we are taking our leave." He helped Belle stand. "Wanna watch the rainbow after the rain?"

He dragged her outside in the hope to see a rainbow by chance. Though they didn't get to see a rainbow, both of them were smiling to their own selves trying to find that when did they started finding each other so comfortable?

"Today, it felt like as if we were on a date." Belle said. "I had never felt so happy with some in my life before."

"I am also happy having you for company. I also had never felt so happy with some I just met from nowhere. Indeed it felt like a date." He mumbled loud enough for Belle to hear.

Nicolas had stopped momentarily as Belle stopped a few steps ahead of him looking back at him.

"Belle...Would you please be my girlfriend?" He asked from nowhere.

"What?" She found herself confused.

"I...Forget about it. Those words just toppled out of my mouth." He said ashamed.

"Ok." Belle answered.

"Huh?"

"Okay, I will be your girlfriend." She said quickly.

"What? Really?" Nicolas was at loss of words.

"My mom won't let me date and today is your last day here. I don't know if I will be able to date anyone in the future. So, why don't we make it special and let it be like we are enjoying?" Belle gave a sincere smile.

Nicolas stood like a statue fixed on his feet. He suddenly moved forward taking big steps and embraced Belle into a tight but comfortable hug.

"Thank you." That's all he uttered before letting silence take over and both of them drown into each other's warmth.