To quote Honest Trailers: "Well, Disney may be able to change their release schedule but it's now or nothing for us."

I didn't plan for this story to be out but I wrote and typed it a month ago, after having been thought of about two years ago. Now Mulan's coming out today so I thought it was a good time to publish. (Scratch that, I wrote that AN a while ago. The movie's release has been postponed but I'm not delaying this story).

This story idea came from when I read the novel that came after the live-action adaptation. I still remember sitting in a coffee shop and reading it. Like, I can tell you what table I was at and which location, but I forget the name of the book. And it's also an entry for My Failed Love Life series. More information on that will be at the end.

This is my first story for Beauty and the Beast so I apologize in advance if anyone is OOC. This, the 1991 version, is one of my favourite movies so I hope this story doesn't ruin it.

Disclaimer - I don't own these characters :)

Human:

Beast has been standing outside the castle's library. It hasn't been that long since the tea on the tray he's carrying is still steaming. He had a plan: walk in there, set the tray down in front of Belle, pour her a cup of tea, and join her for some reading.

He's done this before. Many times before. So what's stopping him now? The library door is half-open and he sees her sitting at the end of the table, surrounded by piles of books while her eyes are glued to the inside of one.

Beast can see her eyes moving across the page as her mind processes and draws the story. Her lips are slightly parted as if she's surprised and intrigued although she's read that book before. Many times before. A single strand of hair is out of place in the middle of her forehead but she still looks beautiful. She's always beautiful.

He's trying to learn that beauty isn't just having a pretty face. It needs to come with a beautiful mind, heart, and soul. Belle has all those and more because she has a beautiful face and a matching story that people open but never finish because they don't understand it to make it to the end. Meeting her, getting to know her, and slowly falling in love with her wrote the best story ever told. He opened the covers and the book did what all books do: get him out of where and who he was to transform him into someone better.

Beast can only hope that the latter goes a bit further but even if he stays like this forever, it'd be worth it because he read her story. Now, she cares for him, tolerates him, laughs with and at him, treats him more like a human than people did before the curse, and he'll remember that forever. She'll always be memorable because she made an effort when he wasn't lovable.

But the further he falls and reads, there's always something in the back of his mind that calls this love impossible. Unrequited. Imaginable. Fictional. Even a beast can be loved and it could love back, but that won't change its nature. He's cursed. Beast can't do this. He can't allow her to spend her life tied to a monster. She doesn't know the truth. She doesn't know how hard it's been for him to suppress the monster he's always been.

And yet … monsters don't hold tea trays for ladies. He'd better get in there before it gets cold.

Without bothering to knock, Beast walks in. Belle's brown eyes flicker up from the pages for a moment to watch him enter. When their eyes meet, he's getting used to not tripping over his feet. That was a mistake he would keep in the past if she didn't laugh at him.

Beast always knows Belle would be here because it's her favourite place in the castle. There's a familiarity for her when she's surrounded by old leather- and velvet-bound books. Belle would always go to the bookshop in town to find a book to read when she didn't want to deal with the real world, which was often. She could travel from her provincial life to this new world with so many new books to explore but, at the end of the day, close the covers and return home where she could tell people who cared enough about her adventures. He cares.

One story he hopes she'll stay and read is his own.

Beast's paw shakes as he pours the tea. She doesn't notice due to her preoccupation with the book, but she looks at him when he's done with the teacup and thanks him.

Beast lightly smiles back. His staff told him that a girl who loves books has the sweetest love to give. He thought that was an attempt at false hope but he believes it. Belle's so headstrong, so genuine, so pure… But the staff also said not to trick girls who love books because bibliophiles have seen everything. Access to the castle's extensive library gave Belle his words and let him have her attention even if it's on a book. She just doesn't know it.

Finally, Beast takes a seat next to her. He looks at the books she's selected and is impressed at the titles. He's read many more books than her since he's the time and resources. He looks at the one she's reading and has a sudden sense of déjà vu.

"Again?" Beast asks, referring to the book in her hands. "But you've read thousands of times and it's made you cry all those times."

Belle looks at him with a small grin. "One day, it won't."

Beast nods as she returns to her book. Maybe today will be the day she closes the covers dry-eyed. He watches as she flips another page in the worn-out paperback. He peers into her as she slightly raises her head. She smiles at something she reads and he mirrors her.

They remain silent, not needing to utter words to check how the other is doing because they know. There's a full library of conversations passed on by knowing looks and many books.

A concept of this story happened to me in real life. Nobody gave me a library or some tea, but … you can read it yourself in My Failed Love Life which you can find in my bio.

Thank you to everyone who read this story! I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you thought in the reviews. If you have a story idea that you want me to write or a story you want me to beta, don't be scared to ask!

~ MysteryGal5