"Will you join us?" said Beauty kindly. The beast looked a little shocked at this, and then turned his gaze to his paws. They were certainly not fit to do anything but tear furniture. Beauty quickly amended with, "Will you allow me to read to you? I do love to read out loud." The beast nodded shyly, and Beauty felt heat flood to her cheeks. She quickly shook her head and attested the redness to shyness. She hid her face while she searched through the books she had gathered. He sat down softly beside her, cross-legged with an elbow on one knee. As she scrambled through the volumes, she tried to think which one he would most enjoy. Nothing with vicious horrible beasts that hurt people, obviously. Clearly not a philosophical or book of science. She was not going to cater to his more animal instincts and read to him from dirty novels. She finally chose "The Frog Prince." as a quick way to have more time to think of something enjoyable for the both of them. But instead of the extreme boredom or rage she expected, he looked absolutely fascinated.
"So he really was a prince all along? Why didn't he just tell her?" curiosity all over his furred brow.
"Well, maybe he wanted her to really love him for him. But don't you think it's unfair to ask a girl to love someone based off of personality, while the boy is allowed to be attracted to her for her looks?"
Beast didn't respond to this, but leaned in closer to Beauty, and cupped her chin in his paw, and tipped her head upwards. "Maybe..." he growled. He just kept staring at her uplifted face. He lifted his other paw and stroked her cheek softly, and Beauty shuddered. She gently put her hands on his and forced him to let her face go.
"Please...sir...it tickles."
He laughed, but then said, "Call me Kiba."
♥ ♥ ♥
She laughed too, but was still slightly uneasy. She didn't know how to react to him, what made him angry and what didn't. "I will go and get another book. Please wait here...Kiba." He grunted, but did not look up from his scourings through the books.
She lost herself in the bookshelves, and browsed frantically. She was selecting possibilities, when she saw a strange statue in the corner. It was a little dog, not surprising in this place, but different in its intense realism. She reached out to touch it, and half expected it to lift its nose and sniff her hand. Instead, as soon as she touched its head, it immediately disappeared under the floor, and where a shelf had been, was now a door. Like all good heroines, Beauty wanted to know what was beyond the door, and figured she could take a peek as the Beast seemed highly distracted. She left her book selections by the door, and slowly turned the knob. Inside was a dank staircase, smelly and old. Beauty slowly crept up the stone steps, careful to step lightly on each step first. She made it to the top quickly, and found herself in a circular room lined with glass windows. The floor was creaky old wood, and a number of torn items were strewn about. But in the center of the room was a stone rectangular structure. It was small, but words were inscribed into the top.
It was a tomb.
She crept closer to the miniature structure, and read the words upon the lid. "Akamaru. My best friend."
She quietly turned around and flew down the stairs.
♥ ♥ ♥
Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto
Notes for the Reader
• This is a slightly promotional fanfiction for my other fanfiction, Dream.
• Please review!
