Also not my sequel to Purple Fairy, but hopefully it'll be enjoyable anyway.

It's a little different than what I usually write, but I like this idea and needed to write it.

Updates are sporadic.

Basically a Captain Book, (Belle and Killian) College Roommate AU fic, FRIENDSHIP not romantic.

It will fluctuate between one shots and mini arcs.

A Dropped Book

Maybe Ruby was right, although Belle hates to admit it, her best friend did have a point when she said that Belle was packing her car with far too many books.

But what choice did she have? Her father was going to get rid of any book she left behind and the brunette couldn't bear to part with a single item in her precious collection.

So what if she couldn't resist browsing the used book store in town. There were always hidden treasures to be found.

It was what had her in her current predicament, balancing a heavy box of hard cover books as well as her duffel bag filled with clothes on her way up to her third floor apartment.

Ruby always complained to her about how she could have more books than clothes. To Belle, Books were more valuable. She didn't need three of everything like Ruby did after all. It wasn't like she was clubbing often.

(She only did that when her best friend dragged her out to get 'lit')

Every step she took made her feel just a bit off balance, books sliding back and forth in the box, the duffel's straps falling from her shoulder to her elbow making Belle make a sound in protest against the heavy weight.

She should have made two trips.

"Shoot." She 'curses'.

(Another thing Ruby teases her about)

Belle watches in dismay as one of the books, her childhood favorite if the blue cover is any indication, topple out of the box and back down the stairs. She groans, trying to decide how best to maneuver herself back down the stairs to retrieve the escaped reading material.

"What do we have here?" Says a voice. Belle peers down behind her and sees a figure in black pick up the book. "Her Handsome Hero?" He reads aloud before looking up at her. "Drop something love?" He asks.

Belle nods smiling shyly.

"Sorry." She says. "Everyone warns me about biting off more than I can chew when it comes to my books." He chuckles journeying up the stairs towards her, placing the book in her box.

"Aye, I can see that." He muses. Belle recognizes an accent in his voice. Irish she thinks. "Let me help you, which floor are you headed to?" He asks, gently grabbing the duffle bag that she's trying not to drop.

The guy is attractive in that bad boy way, dark leather jacket and a bit of a scruff with piercing blue eyes. But the man's smile seems genuinely harmless, as if he just wishes to help without an ulterior motive.

"Thank you." She replies with a smile back. "I'm on the third floor." She tells him. He nods.

"Me too. I guess we'll be floor mates." He says with a smirk. "That's a nice change of pace." Belle looks at him curiously.

"My last neighbor had a band, played music through the night. Generally speaking, reading is a quiet activity." Belle rolls her eyes at that. She hates noisy neighbors. It was why she could never room with her best friend Ruby Lucas.

"I don't know some people like to read books aloud." She replies. "I could be a wannabe audiobook."

The man chuckles. "As long as you don't spoil books, that's fine." He says. "I'm an avid reader myself, mostly text books as of recently though." H admits sheepishly.

"You're a student?" She asks. Most people in this apartment complex went to the local university, but Belle was never one that judged.

"Aye, majoring in Mechanical Engineering." He tells her proudly.

She nodded. "Sounds intense." She said softly. "I'm History and English double major" She replied. He nodded knowingly.

"I guess I know who to turn to for help with writing a paper?" He said amused.

She nodded, meeting his smirk with one of her own. "And when I need a calculator I know who to ask."

They slowly arrived at the third floor, chuckling. Belle sighed in relief.

"Well, Thanks for your help." She replies. "I can take it from here." She said gesturing to her bag on his shoulder.

"Nonsense, let me bring it to your door. It appears your door is in the same direction as mine." He assured her. "Perhaps you can recommend my next book to read after I finish getting through my studies." He prompted.

She smiled. He certainly came to the right person for that.

"Well, since you rescued my copy of Her Handsome Hero, I'd suggest that. It's a little old fashioned, typical story of a hero rescuing a heroine by being brave." She described. "But it's not just that, it's so much more than the cliché." She emphasized. "The heroine, she's real, just a girl trying to do the right thing, for her people and her family, and her heart."

The man was smirking.

"What?" She snapped, blushing.

"You certainly love your books." He mused. "Very passionate." He insisted.

She looked away, tightening her grip on her box.

Got carried away again. She chastised silently. Ruby was always telling her how over the top she tended to get when describing her favorite book. It wasn't her fault that these writers had a way of creating such beautiful words, creating worlds from ink and-

"Thinking about your books?" He asked.

She pulled her head up to look at him.

"Whatever." She snapped irritated at this strangers teasing.

"I mean no offense lass." He replied. "It's always good to see someone talk about something they love. My brother says that says a lot about a person's character."

She blinked, keeping his gaze, before the man blushed.

"Perhaps I'll borrow it." He inquired, obviously changing the subject. "The book I mean, if that's alright with you of course."

Belle hesitated. She liked lending her books to her friends, but this man, regardless of how helpful he was, was still a stranger. She didn't know if she'd ever got her book back again. She didn't know if he was a despicable page folder or if he would put his cup on the cover or-

He chuckled besides her at her hesitation. "Should have known a book worm like you would be protective of her treasured books." He teased.

"I am not a book worm." She replied only a bit insulted. How she felt so comfortable with this stranger's teasing she did not know.

She stopped in front of her door, itching to respond with a proper comeback.

"13." He read with an odd expression. "Do you live here all by your lonesome?" He asked. "Not to sound creepy." He added with a shy smirk.

"I have a roommate, it was supposed to be my friend, but she backed out last minute, her sister had an episode so she decided she needed time to go home to her." Belle explained. Her new roommate was someone she'd never met before, but Belle had faith it would be fine. It was mostly college kids like her that lived in this apartment building, so it shouldn't be too weird.

She knocked on the door. The land lady was supposed to be here to let her in and go over last minute details.

The door opened, revealing an older lady with bleach blonde hair and a sort of creepy smile, her eyes were clouded and unseeing, hand curled on her walking stick

"You must be Belle." She said with a grin and a breath, as if breathing in her air. It made Belle shiver. Ruby wasn't kidding when she said the land lady here was creepy. She replied.

"Yes mam." She replied. "I sent you the deposit and my rent already, all I need is the key." Belle asked. Serena nodded.

"And is that lovely man with you Killian Jones? Your roommate?" She asked, taking another breath. "Hmm…salt and leather." She said under her breath.

"No, he's-" Belle tried, but the man scratched behind his ear as he dropped both bags onto the ground.

"Aye, I am." He replied. Her jaw dropped.

"You mean-" He nodded.

"I guess we'll have lots of time to discuss books now." He mused. "Killian Jones, at your service."