A/N: Hey! Early update!
So... surprise! Haha.
This isn't a normal thing, but I have spent the last three days with no internet and when all there is to do is study and write... yes early updates are definitely expected. I'm also doing this for I am not sure how long it will be until my next one. It's the end of the semester and I will be very busy for the next couple weeks or so. Again, I present you with an extremely long chapter. I hope you all like this, it's definitely one of my favorites so far that I've written (:
Chapter – 9
Face to Face
Belle looked up from her book as she heard the chiming begin for the Vespers. Immediately she felt excitement as she realized that she would soon be able to speak with Quasimodo. Based on what he had told her last night, today had been his chore day and he had been very busy spending the whole day polishing the bells, replacing frayed ropes, and ringing a few special masses.
She of course had had no problem with this and even offered her assistance. Though Quasimodo politely, but quite firmly turned her down for reasons she figured she already knew.
It wasn't hard for her to find something to do in such a special place. She had been staying in the Bell Tower for going on five days now and was able to maneuver it pretty well. It was like being in a completely different world and yet Belle almost felt as if she had known about this place all her life. Or rather, she had seen it somewhere in her dreams. Quasimodo had similar visions to her; he had managed to create in reality all that she had imagined in her mind.
They were very similar, her and the bellringer. She was coming to realize this with the more time she spent with him. This was something that she was very happy for; she had never had a friend that viewed things so similarly to her before. It was very refreshing and special.
Friend.
By now she would have liked to call Quasimodo her friend, though she was still unsure if he trusted her. A big part of friendship was being able to trust and considering he hadn't let her look at him yet, Belle couldn't help but wonder…
True there was something she hadn't shared with him yet either, but she figured he knew. She hadn't really brought up the fact that she read. He obviously had to know though being as how he had found her book in the folds of her apron when she had been unconscious. Belle could not decide if it was a good thing or not that he had yet to say anything about it, or even if he was waiting for her to speak of it.
She couldn't say for certain why she hadn't. Maybe it was because she was afraid once more of getting chided for being a woman who read – though that was highly doubtful considering Quasimodo was perhaps the kindest person she had ever met and would never judge someone.
If that wasn't it… then why had she not yet brought it up?
Belle realized then that she was reluctant to possibly discover that yet again there was another who could not read and therefore could not understand. Now, she didn't know for sure if Quasimodo could read or not, but taking into consideration that he had spent all his life locked away with a cruel man who not only refused to be addressed to as father, but also heavily sheltered him… the ability to read did not seem all that likely. She also couldn't find any books anywhere other than a copy of the bible. Belle had a feeling though that if he were unable to read, he would still maybe try to understand to the best of his abilities because that was just who he was.
It couldn't hurt to share this special part of her with him though. Especially being as how she was going to be living here for quite some time until she could figure out what to do about her situation. Her heart ached for her Papa and she worried dearly for him as she did for Philippe. If in fact her father had been arrested as she almost had been… then, once his food and water ran out- there was no one to care for the poor horse.
With great difficulty, Belle tried to force her mind back to her previous thoughts of sharing the fact that she read with Quasimodo. An idea suddenly came to her then.
She would share with him her love for reading when he shared with her what he looked like.
It seemed like a perfect compromise to her!
Besides, she really was getting anxious to see him for who he truly was. Though Belle didn't like to admit it, she often found herself dreaming of what he might possibly look like while she slept at night.
Because he was able to ring the bells, he had to be extremely strong, yet Belle could not picture him with obnoxious, bulging muscles like that rude and conceited man back in her village that she often tried very hard not to think about. Gaston. Even though he was incredibly good looking, his heart was black and his intentions were unjust. He had always been so determined to 'woo' her and earn her as his. But, Belle could see past his charming façade. He not only made fun of her, but her Papa as well and that was crossing a very big line. It was men like him that often made her feel distant from regular society – they all believed that a woman's rightful place was in the house, cooking the meals, doing the chores, and raising the children.
Even though Belle did not mind that idea of doing those things too much… she did not want to live that way all her life. And, she certainly was not going to live it with Gaston. She wanted so much more than that. But he didn't matter right now, for she was currently thinking about the mysterious man who had been captivating her mind for several days now.
In her dreams, she envisioned him to have obvious strength on him. His face was hazy, but she imagined his eyes – though they changed color frequently – to tell a story. Belle just knew that his eyes would hold so many things. For someone to see all that they had in such a sad living condition… there was no doubt. With how soft Quasimodo's voice was, she couldn't imagine him to be very tall – taller than her of course… but still she could not picture too much height on him.
That was all she could imagine clearly, everything else was a blur. She could not see his face very well no matter how hard she tried. But, it made sense being as how she never had actually seen it.
Belle knew she had told herself that she would wait until he was ready to show her himself, but after five days she was beginning to wonder if he ever would.
As the bells continued tolling, Belle decided that she would start to head up to where Quasimodo had his craft table set up. This was her favorite place to speak with him in all the Bell Tower and he had grown used to finding her up there.
And besides, she had spent a majority of the day in her room reading her book and creating a new ribbon out of spare cloth that she could tie her hair back with; she had grown tired of it always falling in her eyes constantly.
It was definitely time to start moving again.
She stood from the mat and stretched, her muscles almost groaning in satisfaction. It was true; she was beginning to get a little stir crazy. The outside world was so beautiful and full of life and adventure and here she was – locked in a tower like one of the damsels in the stories she read. Belle knew for certain that if she did not have Quasimodo to talk to and her book to read, she would probably have foolishly tried to escape by now. That would only end badly.
When she began to walk, Belle noticed how her ankle barely hurt anymore. She was practically fully recovered. This knowledge alone was enough to give her some hope that everything would end up okay and how it should be. Sure the future was foggy now – only gypsies knew what was in store – but she just knew that fate was on her side as was God. He had brought her protection when she had needed it, He had brought her shelter, and… He had guided her to a friend.
Belle's eyes brightened the minute the sight of the colorful, unique room of wood, stone, and light all tinted with luscious hues of orange and purple due to the setting sun came into view.
The floor beneath her vibrated slightly at the extraordinary tones of the bells. It was so much louder more up here than it was down in the room where she slept, but Belle had grown used to it.
The minute the ringing started to fade, she squinted her eyes to see if she could catch sight of Quasimodo swinging and winding his form about the bells, but she saw nothing.
In fact… once the bells stilled, it had grown very silent. Not even the sound of his footsteps squeaking the floorboards on the platform above her could be heard.
"Quasimodo?" she questioned the quiet air.
There was no response.
Belle did not find herself getting too concerned by this due to the fact that just yesterday he had told her that he was a little hard of hearing because of the loud tones of the bells. Perhaps he had simply not heard her.
After waiting a few minutes more with still no sounds other than the occasional noise far below in the streets, Belle decided that he was probably still busy with something. She decided to just try back later.
She was just about to turn and head back down the ladder when a sound that she had heard before stopped her in her tracks and stilled her heart.
It was quiet, but still very prominent. Someone was singing and its haunting sound wasn't anything short of angelic.
It was coming from the platform higher up. Was… was it Quasimodo? Surely not…
Belle found herself drifting a little closer to the platform. She quickly recognized the song as a Latin hymn sung in mass. Though she had never heard it sung with such longing and hope before. And she had never heard it sung by such a lovely voice.
Almost as if hypnotized, she was soon slowly climbing the ladder to the platform that lead to where all the bells were.
When she reached the top, she almost gasped. There were so many! She had never even guessed that all these bells resided up here. No wonder it had taken Quasimodo all day to care for them!
Belle did not dwell on these thoughts for too long however for the singing had her complete attention and she was determined to find the source of its moving sound. The rational part of her told her that she was certainly intruding coming all the way up here, but she told herself that Quasimodo had never forbidden her from exploring wherever she liked. Ma maison c'est ta maison, had been exactly what he had told her. And Belle decided she would not question it.
The beautiful music was coming to the left of her and she continued in its direction. As she kept going, the sight of a giant bell was suddenly right in front of her. Belle had to tilt her head back quite a bit in order to be able to see the entire thing. What a glorious, powerful instrument! Belle almost felt the need to fall to her knees before it.
With the singing still filling the large room with its pure sound her eyes first took in the ancient argent high above and then they soon fell to the crown, followed by the shoulders. She continued to lower her gaze over the bell's entire body until she reached the very bottom of it
Belle froze up when she realized that on the other side of the lip, she could see a pair of feet and crooked legs. The way the legs didn't match up right was troubling to her and she couldn't tell if it was just the way the person was standing or if they were naturally shaped like that. She furrowed her brow and looked harder.
It was then she realized that Quasimodo was on the other side of the bell and was still unaware of her presence.
He continued singing on without a care in the world as he polished the last of the bells.
The more he sang, the more Belle wanted to sing with him, finding that she knew the hymn rather well. Unable to contain herself any longer, her voice soon joined his, their haunting and harmonic music filling the normally solemn Bell Tower with the glory of their resonating sound.
It did not last long though unfortunately for only a few seconds after Belle began to sing, Quasimodo completely froze up and stopped. Without waiting a second longer, he dropped the polish and the rag and turned to flee to the second nearest bell behind him and ducked underneath it; the only thing visible being his feet partially hidden by shadow.
"Wait!" Belle cried, slowly coming around the other side of the bigger bell.
When she saw where he had gone, she would have laughed at the sight of his feet sticking out from beneath the other bell if it weren't for the fact she felt quite terrible for startling him like that.
Despite her cry for him to wait, Quasimodo did not move.
From what Belle could see of his legs, it wasn't hard to tell that his trembling knees were knocking together.
Belle stood there for a very long time, feeling a mixture of grief and determination. She felt absolutely awful that she had cornered him like this, but she also felt that there would be no better time than this moment to be able to finally meet him the way she should have long ago.
There was nothing but silence. And, it wasn't even a pleasant one. It was the kind that roared in her ears like an invisible demon, picking at her… jabbing.
Clenching her fists, Belle looked away from where the terrified bellringer hid obviously just as much at a loss on what to do as she was.
Finally… she spoke.
"Please…" she whispered, "please let me meet you."
An audible tormented sigh was heard emitting from the bell he hid under.
"Belle… I-I can't. You don't understand…"
"I won't until you let me try to," she said, wanting to know, wanting to understand.
"I-I-I want to…" he said, his voice just above a whisper, "I-I want to, b-but…" It was plain to hear how badly he was shaking just by the way his voice even quivered.
Belle could not understand how he could possibly be so scared. She wanted to understand! She wanted to help – it was awful hearing him like that. Belle never wanted to hear him like that again.
"You are my friend, Quasimodo…" she said in the most soothing and reassuring voice that she could. It seemed important that he knew that. Belle knew that she had not said this to him before and if there was any hope… this would be it.
Quasimodo did not think he had heard her right. Friend?
Friend…
She was his friend. He was her friend.
Like the gargoyles. The bells.
Only better. So much more than that.
So much better…
If… if she was his friend then she would not run. She would accept him. That's what friends did. But... would she change her mind once she saw him?
Oh what a gamble it was!
Quasimodo squeezed his eyes shut. It all came down to one choice. And… he knew, he just knew that this choice would forever affect the course of his life no matter which way he chose to go. Frantically he wrung his hands together.
If he showed her… he risked losing her by his ugliness.
If he didn't show her… he risked losing her by rejecting her friendship.
Either way held a possibility of losing her, and even though she had only been in his life for a short while… she had given him such hope, such happiness. He would never be the same if she fled.
Oh…
He opened his eyes.
Belle took a small and hesitant step forward.
He did not move.
She took another step.
Still no movement.
Her elegant, swan-like shadow was creeping ever closer to him.
Before he knew it, he could see her tiny feet from outside the bell.
Quasimodo held his breath. It was now or never.
Exhaling, he gently grasped the bottom of the bell and very slowly raised it towards his fate.
Belle remained rooted to the spot, her limbs seizing and her heart speeding up as she realized that he was lifting the bell.
This was it…
Massive, giant hands appeared at the lip as the bell lifted and shadow was slowly exposed…
Following his large feet and crooked knees were muscular, stocky legs.
The bell kept rising.
The light then hit a stooped and tucked torso and large, bold elbows. Belle could tell already that he was shaped funny, but she did not move. Her eyes were completely fixed.
Still, the bell kept rising.
Soon, the light exposed his neck (or lack thereof) and strong chin, but it was there that the bell haulted for a moment, hesitation strong within him. His arms shook fiercely and it was unknown if it was due to the weight of the bell or the weight of his fear crushing down on him.
Finally… finally the bell was lifted completely up and over his form and her eyes widened as the unknown, mysterious face that had haunted her dreams for several days now was truly made real.
His sights remained on the floor, arms resting limply at his sides after he had released his hold on the bell behind him.
He did not want to look into her eyes and see his shame.
He could hear her hitch in a breath and he fought the urge to run.
The intensity of her stare burned him, seared him. Quasimodo feared at any moment he would be reduced to nothing more than ash.
It was unknown to him how long he stood there, completely exposed, but it seemed to last forever and a day. He had not stopped looking at the floor and he didn't plan to. She had not run yet, but he knew it was only a matter of time – she was simply frozen in fear… it was the only thing that seemed accurate.
Quasimodo nearly jumped out of his skin when suddenly… he heard her voice.
"D-does… does it hurt?" The innocent question drifted through the air like a lullaby.
He could not help but bring his eyes up to meet hers. There was fear as he expected… but also something else. Something he did not recognize.
What did she mean 'did it hurt'?
Did it hurt him to be this ugly?
Belle sensed his confusion it seemed and after swallowing hard, she spoke once more.
"I mean your… your…"
Ah! His misshapen, twisted, and crooked form.
Yes, it did hurt. But only sometimes.
"N-no…" he began, "only if it h-hurts you to see it…"
His hideousness. His sin. His shame. His cross.
His eyes dropped back to the floor and he lowered his head.
To his complete and utter astonishment, he felt a cool and unbelievably soft hand gently touch his cheek and tilt his face back up.
Her eyes were still wide… but there was no fear in them as they poured over his face.
"It doesn't," she said with a little smile.
It was indescribable, the waves of emotion that suddenly washed over him. The tide, restless and wild carried him out to sea. The sea of hope and promise. She… she saw him. She wasn't running. She was here. Belle was right here.
Hunchbacked. One-eyed. Lame. To her, it didn't matter
As she pulled her hand away then from his face, Quasimodo fought the overwhelming urge to suddenly catch it, grasp it in his own and place a humble kiss of gratitude there. But he refrained.
Instead, he found himself falling to his knees before her as a heavy burden was suddenly lifted from his heart and the weight of all this emotion proved to be too much to keep him standing. For the first time in his life, the pressure of his shame left his chest and he felt a rainfall of relief wash all the burning doubt away.
It took a lot of her will power not to back up several steps when he suddenly fell to his knees. It had been unexpected and she was still quite a bit on edge.
Everything made sense now. All of it…
The fact that he had to stay up here for his own protection. Why he was so shy. Why he had not wanted her to see him…
It was true, the first few moments of when she had laid eyes on him had put her in a bit of a shock.
He was unlike anything she had ever seen before… or imagined. He was roughly her height if not a half an inch shorter, but it was only because his form was pathetically stooped over by an unfortunate raise in his vertebra, leaving him with hardly any neck at all, his great head cradled between his hunched shoulders. Just like some of the statues, he appeared to have been shattered and then wrongly put back together again. A mismatched puzzle of the human body.
That wasn't even the worst part of it…
His face… oh his face.
It wasn't the fact that he was so hideous that pulled painfully at her heart. In fact, she saw right through it. It was his eyes. They held so much fear, so much pain. Belle had never seen anything like it before. The tormented intensity… the sleeping wisdom. All of it swarmed around in the color of dark cyan and moss green. His eyes were the color of the ocean after a storm, all stirred up and wild… yet vibrant and shimmering due to the sun just coming out. Unlike so many people... they were open windows to his heart, his soul. He had held her gaze for only a moment, but it was long enough for a connection to form. A connection she had been waiting for for a very long time.
Was she frightened? No.
Had she been alarmed? Certainly.
Did it make her think any less of him…? Definitely not.
Belle was not afraid of him as he had thought her to be. She did not feel disgust or hate. Only overwhelming pity filled her heart and a desire to erase the dark pain in his eyes and replace it with happiness he had for so long been deprived of.
Touching him had not been as hard as she thought it would. For even though he looked alarmingly different… His eyes and his expressions were striking and undeniably human.
It broke her heart to see him on his knees in front of her now. This wasn't right. He wasn't meant to be stooped below her like a slave… he was meant to stand beside her as her equal. Belle didn't care what his master said. He had helped her, saved her and she wasn't going to let some petty thing such as his appearance get in the way of the appreciation she felt and the friendship she still wanted with him.
Without any hesitation, she knelt down as well and placed her hand on his forearm.
Belle was not expecting the obvious flinch and jump of surprise he gave from her touch and she almost pulled her hand guiltily back, but decided against it. Quasimodo was simply not used to being touched.
After giving him a couple seconds to compose himself, Belle gently tugged on his arm in an attempt to pull him to his feet. The boy obeyed her soft pressure without even thinking about it, clumsily getting himself into a standing position. His awkward knees made it hard to do so seamlessly, but he managed all right.
Still he refused to meet her gaze.
That was going to have to change.
"Quasimodo… please look at me," she said, trying to coax him into feeling more comfortable. But the poor hunchback had never revealed himself to anyone before. This was a big change for him and would take a while to adjust.
Very slowly, he raised his eyes to hers again and this time he held her gaze.
He longed to say something, anything to her, but his lips were numb and it almost felt as if he no longer had a voice. She wasn't the only one who had been shocked.
Belle continued to smile at him in support and held out her hand.
"It's nice to finally meet you," she said.
Quasimodo looked at her hand for a moment as if unsure of what to do with it.
Slowly and cautiously, as if he was afraid of her dissolving away in a dream, he reached out and took her hand. Even though her skin was cool to the touch, it was like a sudden wave of heat rippled up his arm at rapid speeds and struck his heart, sending it beating just as it had when he had first held her to him after he rescued her.
Feeling as if it would be wrong to touch her for too long, Quasimodo reluctantly dropped the hold he had on her so very soft hand and let his arms rest at his sides again.
"You're… y-you're not afraid?" he finally was able to say.
Belle shook her head.
"Afraid of what?" she asked, with slightest hint of a teasing tone in her voice.
He could not help the small, shy smile that graced his features as she made it obvious that his appearance didn't matter to her. Though he couldn't guess for the life of him how that could be.
The look he had given her was almost enough to make her want to just throw her arms around him and squeeze him. His master was so very wrong when he told him that he wouldn't be accepted. Quasimodo was far too kind... Though she could understand that first impressions were against him. If no one knew how gentle he was, then it would make sense why they would be fearful. Belle however was not afraid. The odd and the different appealed to her.
"It seems quite rude for someone to be afraid of their own friend, doesn't it?" Belle teased once more, trying to make the situation even lighter for him.
Quasimodo chuckled softly at this; not so much because it was funny but because he was just filled with an unbelievable happiness that he had a real, true friend for once. A friend who, by some miracle, wasn't afraid of him.
It just made everything else not matter as much anymore. His fear of her seeing him… his worry of hurting her… It was all gone. In its place was hope.
He… he wanted to do something for her. Anything. He glanced past her and towards the opening in the tower where the beautiful sunlight was leaking in as it set.
An idea hit him.
"Would you like t-t-to see something beautiful?" he asked.
Belle's eyes lit up at this and she grinned at him in excitement. He wanted to share something with her!
"Absolutely," she said, watching his own eyes light up and shimmer again.
"All right… f-f-follow me," he said, gesturing as such with his arm.
He then set off with his hobbling gait, Belle close behind him. She tried not to pay attention to how much his deformities challenged his ability to walk; it just made her feel bitter towards God for making him so wrong. Trying not to dwell on such a thing, she directed her focus on the bells all around her that she passed. Again she was amazed by their vastness and their amount. Belle made a mental note to ask Quasimodo more about them later on.
When they rounded the corner of yet another rather large bell, the sight of a long ladder leading up to a rectangular opening in the wooden ceiling where light from the outside pooled in came into view. Belle's eyes sparked in anticipation as she thought of what could possibly be up there.
The bellringer climbed up the ladder with ease and she was soon to follow. When he reached the top he turned and, with a few seconds of deliberation, held out his hand to help her the rest of the way up.
Smiling at this, she took his hand and allowed him to guide her to the top. She marveled at how massive his hand was in comparison to hers, it enveloped her small digits completely. If she were to try it, she would just barely be able to hold simply his thumb in her entire palm. His hand was rough and calloused, but warm and gentle as it carefully held her own.
Even when she was up from the ladder, she did not drop her hold for reasons she wasn't sure. Quasimodo looked over his shoulder at what waited for them outside and then turned back to her.
"C-c-can you trust me?" he asked softly, holding her gaze for as long as he could even though it made him feel uncomfortable.
Belle nodded her head.
"I can and I do," she said, giving his large hand a squeeze.
Quasimodo tried his hardest not to allow his body to tremble.
"Close your eyes…" He whispered.
Giving him a rather curious look, Belle did as he told her, applying a bit more pressure to his hand with hers seeing as how that was now her only guide.
Being blind opened her other senses and as he gently pulled her out into the open of wherever it was that they were at, Belle felt as if she could suddenly feel and hear everything.
She could feel that the late summer air had faint chilling hints of the approaching autumn in it as it blew past, rustling her hair and pulling a few strands from her ribbon. She could feel the last rays of the setting sun warm her face. And, she could feel Quasimodo's heartbreakingly gentle hand guiding her.
Belle could hear the wind whistling through the tower, creating a quiet, but prominent moaning sound. She could hear the people below going about their evening business before suppers. And, she could hear her heart beat pounding in her ears.
Quasimodo continued to pull her along until they stopped quite suddenly.
"Are you ready?" he asked softly. Belle nodded her head.
Reluctantly, he dropped the hold he had on her hand.
"Open your eyes."
Belle savored the moment of anticipation before once again doing as he asked.
What she saw… for a moment, caused her to lose her breath.
If a few days ago, someone had told her that there was something more beautiful than the rolling hills of her farm outside of Versailles, she wouldn't have believed them… until now.
Before her eyes was a place that was surely not far off from what the Kingdom of Heaven would look like. The sky was fuchsias, honey, mangoes, and wildfire. An oil pastel painting of the glory of nature. Only… it wasn't a painting, it was the real sunset as she had never seen it before – atop Notre Dame's South Tower. Belle found herself leaning further over the stone wall, completely mesmerized.
Both hunchback and girl remained silent, the two of them soaking up the natural beauty that everyone else below them hardly noticed as they went about their lives.
Belle found herself peeking out of the corner of her eyes at Quasimodo. The boy had a serene smile on his face as he stared off into the loveliness before him. She found she rather liked the way the sun hit his vibrant, auburn hair, making it appear as if it was slowly dancing flames. Truly, he wasn't as hideous as he thought himself to be and now that she could actually see him… it was hard for her to stop looking at him, memorizing everything that she had been deprived of for so long. Suddenly he turned his eyes in her direction and Belle abruptly averted her gaze towards the view in front of them again- not wanting to make him uncomfortable with her staring; she didn't see the endearing smile that suddenly stretched his lopsided face as he looked at her.
They stayed that way for a long time and it was only when the first set of stars started to appear that Belle finally turned to look at her friend and broke the silence.
"This is… wonderful," she said, her voice breathy with awe that had still not worn off.
Quasimodo's eyes grew soft at this and he suddenly jumped onto the stone wall, sitting on the ledge.
"This is my favorite time of both day and night," he said.
"I can see why… I've never seen anything so beautiful in all my life…" Belle said.
I have… Quasimodo thought to himself as he gazed at how the woman beside him closed her eyes and let the wind caress her face and rustle her hair.
When Belle opened her eyes again, she finally seemed to realize just how close to the edge Quasimodo was sitting and her eyes widened.
"Be careful…" she suddenly warned.
Quasimodo could only look at her in confusion. What was she talking about? Looking over his shoulder and at the far drop below, he realized then that she didn't know just how well he could maneuver himself around this place… His eyes sparked mischievously as he realized that now it was his turn to tease her. He didn't know what led him to feel this way, perhaps the joy of the moment… the knowledge that he actually had a friend to tease with.
"C-Careful? Of what? This?" he asked before suddenly letting himself fall backwards over the ledge. Just as his body started to drop, he grasped the gargoyle head not too far below him.
"Don't!" he heard Belle scream from above. Sure enough, her face appeared from the over the ledge, peering down at him simply dangling there.
Chuckling softly, Quasimodo swung his powerful form back up to the stone ledge. Once he was back on solid ground he turned to face Belle, a goofy, playful grin on his face.
Belle did not look nearly as amused.
"You scared me to death!" she cried, swatting his shoulder gently.
Immediately Quasimodo felt a little bit of guilt reach him… but he also still could not deny how funny it was.
"I-I'm sorry," he said, humbly bowing his head. For some reason, it filled him with warmth to know that she cared that much for him.
She patted his hand for a moment, not wishing for him to be guilty.
"It's all right… I just wasn't expecting it," she said, her tone much softer now that she had stopped to think about it. Of course he would be able to go wherever he wished on this place…
Once Belle regained composure, she looked from him to the ledge and the distance to the ground from there.
"You… you can climb this?" she asked. What couldn't he do? Well there was the obvious… but it wasn't important.
"Oh yes! Everywhere. See?" he said, leaping back on the ledge again. He was just about to jump over once more until Belle suddenly rushed forward and caught his hand.
"No!" she cried. Yet shortly after she said this, she looked over her shoulder at the ground she stood on and then back at Quasimodo and the promise of an exciting adventure, a chance to experience something she had never known before. Maybe… possibly…Belle could not believe the thought that suddenly filled her and tried to shake it off, but found herself saying it aloud before she could crush it. "Take me with you…"
Quasimodo laughed out loud at her sudden change of mind.
"You sure?" he asked, not wanting to frighten her.
Belle eyed the ground hundreds of feet below her skeptically, but then she saw the warm, strong, protective arms of Quasimodo and knew that she would be safe
"Hurry before I change my mind again…"
Smiling broadly, he tugged on her hand, pulling her up on the ledge with him. With just a second's hesitation, he reached out and scooped her up with one arm and hoisted her onto his unfortunate back. With the same arm he had used to pick her up, he reached behind him and firmly, but not too tightly pressed her legs to his back to keep her safely perched. Without being told to, Belle wrapped her arms around what little neck he had and seated herself comfortably over the arm that held her where she was.
"Ready?" he asked.
Squeezing her eyes shut for a moment as she decided one more time if this way a good idea or not, Belle snapped them open again with a determined light. What did she have to lose!
"Let's go," she said.
She was not expecting what happened next when suddenly… they were no longer on solid ground. In fact… she saw nothing but rapid, blurred colors shooting upwards as they fell through the air.
Before she could even gasp, Quasimodo had clutched onto a gargoyle neck with his free hand. They hung there for a few seconds as he got himself situated. As they swung back and forth a little, Belle found herself face to face with the ugly grimacing stone thing he was hanging on. Unable to stop herself, she made a face right back at it. Quasimodo looked over his shoulder at her just in time to see this and burst out in laughter.
Belle realized then with chagrin that she had seen her childish action, but couldn't help but giggle as well. With strength that she was only just beginning to grasp the concept of, Quasimodo swung himself on top of the gargoyle he had been holding onto and was standing on it.
To her amazement and terror, he started hopping across the path of the gargoyle necks before them as if he were some great frog jumping from lily pad to lily pad in the pond behind her cottage. Even though he was obviously well balanced, she couldn't help but wonder what he would do once their little gargoyle trail ran out.
She soon found out as when they reached the end, he dropped once more. Belle gasped and tightened her hold on his neck, burying her face in his good shoulder. Quasimodo couldn't help but smile at this. If he weren't so focused on supporting his precious cargo, he would have surely trembled at the contact.
They fell through the air for several feet until he grasped yet another stone ledge and then pulled them both over onto solid ground. Belle lifted her head. They were suddenly on the long, narrow walkway between the two bell towers.
Belle heard fluttering from somewhere above her and looked up just in time to see a flock of birds fly past. She studied them and their wings against the wind.
A wild idea suddenly struck her…
Quasimodo started running then, this time towards the back of the cathedral. Scaling the stone ledge, he was soon on the gigantic, long rooftop of the very sanctuary itself. As she looked around, statues of saints and gargoyles alike blurred past her. Deciding to try out her idea, Belle slowly released her hold on the bellringer's neck and found herself sitting up higher from her perch on his shoulder.
I am absolutely insane… she thought to herself before opening her arms wide like a bird spreading its wings to take flight.
The rush of impact was incredible.
This sensation – it was amazing! The wind rushed through her, caressed her as Quasimodo continued to run on the roof top. Belle closed her eyes and tilted her head upward
Everything faded away then. For one, fleeting moment she was free. Not just from this stone prison but from life itself. She was a cloud in the sky, a dolphin leaping in the waves of the sea, a butterfly fluttering in a meadow, an eagle circling the mountains. She was a carefree young woman without fear and without burden. Belle opened her eyes and laughed again, clutching on to her friend once more.
Quasimodo didn't know what exactly it had been that had caused her to laugh, but it made him smile to hear that she sounded... happy.
When he reached the towering steeple, he did not slow his paces at all and instead, bounded on to it.
With much leg strength, he used his one arm to climb to the very top. Belle felt as if she were high up in heaven. She could see everything from here! All of Paris was tinted blue, bathed in the full moonlight and the Seine sparkled and glowed with the reflection of a thousand stars.
He hung there for a few minutes, letting Belle marvel at everything and giving her a bit of a break. Quasimodo wanted to say something, anything – but silence seemed the most appropriate thing right now. Even with the wind blowing quite fiercely from up where they were, it was very quiet and all was calm.
The surrounding area went on for miles and miles, Belle almost wondered if on a clear day she could see traces of some of the farmland that lead into Versailles.
Neither felt the need to talk. They let their silence speak for them. Belle knew then and there that she had made the right choice in experiencing this with him. It just made him seem even more human to her; that he could experience these things, feel the same things, and love the same things.
She tore her eyes from the lovely view and instead found herself staring at the top of Quasimodo's huge, malformed head. Yet again she was captivated by his fire hair and the way it danced in the wind.
Was it normal for her to be unafraid of him and only see the things that made him lovely such as his hands, his eyes, his hair? If it wasn't, then she did not care. Since when had she ever followed the norm? She had a friend now, a friend who was very kind. That was all that mattered
After a minute or two, Quasimodo began to slowly descend.
When he finally reached there, Belle almost screamed when he started running down the slanting roof.
As they reached the stone ledge at the base of the roof, he hopped on to the top of it and then onto a long, stone gutter filled with running water.
They were sliding!
Water sprayed up all around them as they slid and Quasimodo could not help but laugh at the sheer thrill of it all; Belle too had a large smile on her face. The water ride seemed to go on for miles, but they both enjoyed every moment of it. Just as they reached the end, Quasimodo grasped the pillar on the side and perched himself onto the gargoyle spouting the water for a moment before dropping below it.
With a lot more swings and jumps, they were back on the front side of Notre Dame again. Swinging from statue to statue, Quasimodo finally landed on the stone parapet in front of the celestial Rose window. He remained still this time to catch his breath. Carefully as possible, he lowered Belle to the ground.
Her legs had grown numb from having not used them in several minutes and the moment they were planted on the stone floor, they wobbled and she found herself beginning to fall over. As if by instinct, Quasimodo reached out and caught her hand, stilling her flailing body.
Belle held tightly onto his hand as she regained composure and when he went to eventually pull it away, she continued to grasp on to it. All that she had just experienced had been so overwhelming in so many different ways… she needed to be able to grasp onto something familiar and comforting.
Quasimodo could not understand this, but allowed her to hold on to his hand with a hidden joy in his heart.
"I didn't scare you did I?" he found himself asking, concern swimming in his turquoise eyes.
Belle shook her head and smiled.
"Not at all. I'm just… so in awe. I've never done anything like that before…" she explained.
Quasimodo tilted his head.
"You c-can't do much with just a barn…" he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Even though he had been serious, for some reason Belle laughed at this, trying to picture herself climbing around the barn on her farm like Quasimodo had just climbed the cathedral. The visual was not a pretty one.
Again, he didn't know why she laughed, but found he liked the sound and smiled anyways. It reminded him of the tinkling chimes he rang.
"Did you like it?" he finally asked. He had just shared a big part of his world with her… he couldn't help but be eager to know how she felt about it.
Belle grinned at him before pushing a stray piece hair from her face.
"No," she said.
Before the smile could even disappear from his face, she spoke again.
"I absolutely loved it." She would have never imagined his crooked and awkward shape could be so flexible and acrobatic.
Quasimodo's whole face seemed to light up at this and for a moment… just a moment, he was handsome underneath the moon's rays.
Belle turned from him and looked up at the beautiful Rose window behind her. She could now see every picture clearly and how they told a story. It almost made her want to fall to her knees in prayer.
"It's beautiful," she said, dropping her hold on his hand and walking towards the ledge. "Your world is beautiful…"
"You make it beautiful…" Quasimodo whispered almost inaudibly, thankful that she was busy gazing out at the moon over the Seine and not really listening closely to him.
This whole thing seemed too good to be true. He had shown her his face, the truth that he was a monster… and she had not run. She had stayed. She had smiled at him. She had touched him.
Was she a dream? Was she an angel?
Even though he could hardly believe it… this was real. This was not a dream. She had fallen into his life and, by the looks of it, she was here to stay for quite a while.
"Belle?" he began, finding he could not hold in this next question.
The beauty turned to look at him.
Quasimodo pressed his lips firmly together and lowered his gaze. No… it was a foolish question and one he was almost afraid to know the answer to.
"What is it?" she inquired.
Taking a breath, he looked back into her eyes.
"C-c-can you really be f-friends with a monster?" he asked finally.
At this, her hazel eyes widened significantly.
Monster? Monster?
"Quasimodo… you are not a monster," she said firmly.
"Let's not fool ourselves, l-look at me," he said in a practical tone. His master had told him this countless times. This was something he was completely certain of.
Belle was surprised to hear him actually tell her to look at him. Since she had first laid eyes on him earlier that evening, he had almost seemed determined for her not to ever meet his gaze.
But, she did as he requested and really looked at him.
With how close she was and how focused, Quasimodo could see himself reflected in her large eyes and he almost covered his face again. But… he didn't. He had asked for this.
"I see no monster," she said, "I see a man. A man afraid of who he is. But, a man who has a beautiful mind and incredible talents that he could show the world should he ever find the courage to break out of his shell…"
At this, tears filled his eyes and Quasimodo turned away from her unable to conceive what it was that she had just told him. A man… he was a man.
Closing his eyes he sighed, whether in relief or pain it was unknown to Belle and she reached out then and placed her hand on his shoulder. Just as he had earlier, he jumped a bit at her touch, but accepted it none the less.
She was always building him up it seemed… Now that she was here, he couldn't imagine a life without her.
"You are so very kind…" he murmured, hesitantly reaching over and placing his hand over hers that was on his shoulder.
Belle smiled but said nothing at first. Instead, she just looked at him as he looked at her.
"Do you want to know why I'm not afraid of you?" she asked then, seeing the question swimming in his restless ocean eyes.
Quasimodo nodded his head.
"I got to know you. I learned about you. And, I realized someone who is as kind as you, who saved my life, selflessly gave up his room, and took care of me when I was weak could not possibly be a monster no matter how they looked… You are right. You're not normal, but I like you for that," she explained.
His eyes glazed over in deep thought as he processed all of this. Things were very slowly beginning to fit together for him. It wasn't much, things were still foggy, and there was still a lot that he didn't understand… but it was a start; he was on his way.
The two remained in a comfortable silence after that, just staring off at the pearly moon and the glory she held over the city.
The moon rose higher and higher in the sky, but still they did not move – too much enjoying the company of the other.
He did not know at all how much time had passed, but he was suddenly forced back into reality when Belle quite suddenly leaned against him. He jerked his head towards her in alarm. It was only when he saw how heavy her eyes were that he realized she must be getting tired. Quasimodo smiled.
"Are you ready to go back up, Belle?" he asked.
Only a small sound left her as she closed her eyes and pressed her head to his shoulder. He let her stay like that for a little while longer and before he knew it… she was completely asleep.
A small chuckle leaving him, Quasimodo backed up so that she slid neatly into his arms. He cradled her there for a moment. Belle's eyes opened for a second as she was jostled by the new position she was put in, but she quickly turned her head towards his chest and was out again.
That same overwhelming feeling and instinct of protectiveness filled his pounding heart again as he watched the sleeping angel in his arms. He would never tell her this, but she just looked so fragile and helpless in her sleep; and he wanted nothing more than to shield her from everything that was a threat to her.
He did not want to disturb her with his risky jumping and climbing and so instead decided to take the long way up via the secret passage staircase that only he knew about that was on this parapet.
It led directly up to the South Tower where his kingdom of bells was.
Quasimodo walked all the way to the very end of the parapet. He shifted his hold on her for a moment to push aside the stone door that revealed the hidden staircase. Closing it behind him, he began the long ascent up the stairs.
Eventually he found himself back in his tower. Belle had not stirred once in his arms and he almost laughed again at how deep of a sleeper she was.
Just as he had the first night he brought her here, he carried her to his room dimly lit by the dying candle. As carefully as humanly possible, he set her upon his mat and pulled the wool covers over her form. He simply stood by then and gazed at her, all that had transpired today swirling around in his head.
This woman… this incredible, miraculous woman was changing his life before his very eyes. Even though he had only known her for a certain amount of days now, she had been brought to him for a reason and, in God's hands anything was possible.
Anything was possible.
Beyond any control of his, he reached out and tucked that stray strand of hair that so often appeared in her face behind her ear. In her sleep, Belle smiled and snuggled closer into her pillow.
It was as if all that he had known had stopped around him and held him there in that moment. Even though he had seen, it was all blindness until now; even though he could feel, it had been numb until now… and even though he had lived, he had been dead until now.
What… what was this?
Quasimodo stood there a moment longer and then slowly began to back up. Once he was out of the room, he closed the curtains and turned to climb up the ladder to his craft table.
Sitting at his model town, he picked up a small, rectangular block of wood and began whittling away at it with his little carving knife.
As he worked, he mused then on the events of the day and what on earth it was that he had felt back there in his room. The way she had smiled…
It was unlike anything he had ever seen, ever known.
The feeling was sweet as honey and soft as feathers; warm like the sun and shocking as a jolt of lightening. The lightening was in his eyes now as clarity very slowly came.
It was in then and there that he began to understand. Not very clearly, but it was enough.
The bellringer was falling in love.
A/N: Aww. Dear little Quasi. Wow this was a lot of fun to write and turned out quite long. Sorry about that for those who prefer short chapters... Anyways, I hope you guys all enjoyed this one - please let me know what you think.
FUN TRIVIA: Belle and Quasimodo were both animated by the same person! James Baxter. He also animated Rafiki, but still... I just thought that was the coolest thing and in case you didn't already know, I wanted to share =D
Have a great rest of the week everyone.
-QuasimodoLeBossu
