Hope the wait wasn't too long, but it's time for our lovebirds to meet!
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, everything (including my soul) belongs to Disney and Victor Hugo.
The shadows still couldn't hide him completely, though a small voice in the back of Belle's mind said that he was probably ashamed of his appearance and had tried to hide so as not to frighten her. Not that it worked really.
She was honestly more shocked than frightened. He was a bit shorter than her, his large humped back bending him over. His legs were stumpy and bowed, but his arms were large and corded with muscles, crossed protectively in front of his chest. His face though - it appeared as if half of it was squished, and the other side was just a little stretched out. Bright red hair fell across his face, as if he could hide from her behind it, and his nose was a bit larger but had a traditional button shape and rested oddly between his features. His eyes though…he was looking at the floor and not at her, but Belle was oddly struck at the depth of expression in those large green eyes, even if they were oddly mismatched in size.
There were sizeable welts and rope burns across his arms though, and a chord of pity rung though Belle's chest.
He stammered "I-I'm sorry, I should have…um, it's…I…" he sighed, and he shuffled back, trying to melt further into the shadows.
Belle took a step towards him, about to tell him not to worry or something along those lines, when a voice thundered darkly behind her.
"I thought I had told you never to come here."
Belle whipped around to see Frollo standing in the doorway, his face a mask of rage.
"It was nothing, I was just -"
"Do you realize what you could have done?"
"Please, I was just -"
He grabbed her by her wrist, making her drop all of her supplies, and seethed in her face "Get. Out." With that, he roughly shoved her out of the door.
Belle fled, feeling distraught and terrified and a number of other things. She ran past the servants, who had crept into the foyer at the sound of raised voices.
"Hey, wait a minute, where are you going mademoiselle?"
"Promise or no promise I cannot stay here another second!" Belle called, her voice shaking as she wrenched the door open and ran out into the yard. Phillippe was in the stable, and Belle clambered on him, riding bareback as she made her way to the gates.
She pulled at them until they budged open, got back onto her horse, and fled from the manor
Quasi reeled back as Frollo struck him across the face. "You insolent boy! You let her see you? Has what I taught you your entire life been for nothing?"
If anything the experience had proved what Frollo had taught him his whole existence. He was deformed, he was ugly, and the world would indeed show him no pity.
Quasi remained silent, trying to hold back tears as little prickles of pain danced across his cheek. He had always been emotional, sure, but he tried to never let Frollo see him cry. But her face…
But is that really what you saw? A small voice questioned in the back of his mind.
He reconsidered and went back through their encounter, ignoring Frollo's tirade. She had definitely gasped (and dropped the bowl no less), probably disgusted by him…then again, she didn't run away. What did that mean? She didn't say anything either, but had taken a step towards him, not away. She had only fled when Frollo scared her off.
He made his decision. For once in his life, he decided he wasn't going to hide.
"I'm going after her."
Frollo smacked him again. "How dare you. After all I've done for you, and this is how you repay me? By throwing away my guidance? You would go back to her, this woman whom you were not even supposed to meet, and who was obviously disgraced and disgusted by you." He took a deep breath, held it for a minute, and then smiled down at Quasi. "Oh Quasimodo, you are safer here. No need to trouble yourself over her actions. She has nowhere else left to go, no one to turn to. She will be back, mark my words." He patted Quasi on his hump, and tried to usher him further back into the room.
He repeated softly "I'm going after her."
Frollo lost all composure then. "Fine! Let your misery be on your own head then, for that is all she will bring you!"
Quasi barged out of the manor, following the trail of hoof tracks left in the mud. He ran past the gates for the first time in his life, and followed the track and the sound of the horse into the woods.
And then he saw them. A pack of wolves had descended, cornering them, and the girl was trying to ward them off with a large stick. She was doing a fairly good job, Quasi noticed admiringly, but the wolves were gaining ground.
"Mademoiselle! Over here!" he called, running towards her. She looked up in shock, but he fancied he also saw a little relief there too. The wolves started to turn their attention to him, growling low in their throats. One lunged at him but he batted them away, thankful that all his years in the bell tower had provided him some strength.
Belle managed to get back on the spooked horse, and rode straight for him. She leaned out, reaching towards him and shouted "Grab my hand!"
Quasi didn't hesitate as she rode by, though in hindsight he later realized he probably could have dislocated her arm. He jumped like he did when we was swinging from the bells, and landed behind the girl on the horse.
The horse broke into a run, and they raced all the way back to the manor, the wolves trailing and nipping at their heels the whole time. Quasi wrapped his arms around the girl's waist to hold on as the horse sped back to the manor, and blushed when he realized what he was doing. Eventually though they got a little ahead of the wolves, swept past the gates, and Quasi leaped off to shut them closed right as the wolves reached them. He stumbled back and lost his footing a bit, making him fall to the ground. The girl swung off the horse, and started his way, then slowed.
"Are - are you alright?" She asked as she cautiously approached him.
"A little bruised, but nothing to worry about." He cringed then, feeling a stinging pain on his arm. He looked down, and saw a large cut on the backside of his forearm. Apparently one of the wolves had gotten him in the middle of the fight.
"Let's get that cleaned up then."
Quasi looked up at her, only to see her reach out a hand to help him up. She was staring at her shoes instead of him, which made his heart sink, but he took her hand anyways. She flinched a little at the contact, but wrapped her fingers firmly around him and helped him to his feet. She tentatively placed an arm around his back, and helped him into the manor.
As they walked, Quasi quietly asked "I'm sorry, but they never told me your name. But still, thank you, I guess."
He glanced up at her, and caught the tiniest smile playing on her features.
"You're welcome. And Belle - my name is Belle."
YAY, they met! But now what? It's honestly so much fun to write this friends, thanks for following along!
Review?