AN: Based on the 1991 animated movie (aka my favorite Disney movie)

The Friendly Man and the Little Beast

Chapter One

One year. It had been one year since he had seen a human person. One year since he had found himself trapped inside the castle. Adam frowned as he looked down at the floor of the master bedroom, the cold bricks. He had seen his father maybe eight months, ten months ago. He had been rejected by his father at the same time.

Still he lived and sometimes even living, breathing, that was the problem. Adam looked up at the tapestry in front of him, he looked at where his claws had ripped through the portrait. This was apparently his goal. This was what he was supposed to look like when he grew up. This was what he would look like when the last petal dropped or he would never look like this at all.

That pain was too much for him. Adam looked out the window. He was supposed to be celebrating his twelfth birthday today. There was supposed to be some kind of party. Maybe he would have gone riding with his father, maybe he wouldn't even know that his father's love for him had a very measurable depth.

"Don't you want to do something, Adam?" he heard a voice and Adam paused as he turned to look at the teapot.

"Don't call me that!" he roared as he pushed his paw through the fur covering his face. "Shut up you stupid teapot!" he said and Mrs. Potts smiled weakly. She knew he didn't mean this but each year would get harder for him and each year would harden his heart making it even more difficult for him to be loved or even to love.

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Maurice felt his breath catch in his throat as he looked around at all of the signage in the wood. He had been on his way to the inventors fair and he had left the eight-year-old Belle with a friend of his. Maurice hoped that this would be a good time for him to show an invention and then he would make money and they would move to the city and become rich and he could provide the opportunities for his daughter.

That was until he had gotten lost in the forest. He tried to steady himself and calm himself before hearing the sound of wolves. He tried to ease Phillippe as they continued their way into the unknown direction. Suddenly there was the roll of thunder and Maurice heard the wolves approaching

He felt himself trembling but Phillippe was getting more and more intimidated and finally the horse sped off. Maurice had to cling on tightly as he tried to keep his breath. Maurice didn't even know what had happened until he had fallen to his side and was trying to struggle up.

He saw Phillippe nervously cowering beside a large gate, "Where have you brought us!?" he asked the horse and looked back terrified that the wolves were going to follow. What he saw instead made him shudder in fear. An animal of an unknown origin standing like a man, the devil himself was approaching the wolves.

"Get inside…peasant!" the beast snapped as if having plain politeness was too much for him. "They don't attack me," he said as he went to the wolves and Maurice stared at the creature.

"You can speak?" he asked and Adam refused to look at him.

"Peasant! Do what I order unless you want to be food for these wolves!" he roared and Maurice didn't know what else to do but get inside the safety of the castle. He looked around. The place seemed completely empty and he reached out, grabbing hold of a candelabra and struggling in fear.

"Hello!?" he called out before hearing something scrambling and then heard the lock of the door. The beast animal had hurt itself, cut his arm…its arm. Maurice stared at the animal. "What are you? Are these the gates of -"

"You shouldn't go out until morning," Adam said looking at him dismissively. "Do not touch anything with your filthy hands! Do not look at me with contempt! I just saved your life, peasant! Yours and that of your pony!"

Maurice gaped again not sure how to respond to that, he looked at the monster who was acting like a troubled young boy. He was talking? Was this a good demon from hell? What about when his father, the major demon came or the devil himself? Was this the entry to hell?

'Get your hands off of my servant!" he said before looking away. "Do you manhandle your friends, peasant!?" he snapped and Maurice stared at him.

'Where are your parents?" he asked him and Adam took a step back.

"I am the master of this castle. I am the one in charge!" he roared and Maurice whimpered a little seeing the anger. This monster could rip him apart and feed him to the demons. Still, if that was the case, why would he save Phillppe as well.

"Sorry," he apologized, "Wh-What are you?"

Adam stared at him, he had his fists at his sides. "Why!? You hear something!? Is that why you're here, to stare at the beast, to understand what a monster looks like!?"

Maurice stared at the creature in front of him. He could see from the features that definitely did not look human that the animal he was facing was young, it was frightened. "I'm sorry," he said before his voice softened, "Who are you?" he asked and saw the beast look around nervously. Maurice saw the candle stick hop towards the monster.

"It is okay. I believe he wants to help," he encouraged in a strong French accent.

"My name is Maurice," Maurice said kindly and Adam watched him nervously. "I'm an inventor. I come from the village. I have a young daughter named Belle who I love more than anything. How about you?"

"My name is…" the monster said as he flinched, "Adam. I was….I live here….I was a prince but….but I got…I…."

"Cursed?" Maurice asked him as he studied the monster who was retreating. "Adam," he said and saw the creature - no, he was a boy, he was a boy who was facing a curse. "Adam, how old are you?"

"Twelve," Adam replied before looking at him scornfully. "It is of no business of yours peasant," he snapped again. "I offer you hospitality. I offer you safety. I do not know why you think you deserve to ask me any of these questions. I should have you thrown out" he said and Maurice looked at him sadly. "What do you want!? Do you want my head!? My body!?"

"I'd like to help," Maurice replied and Adam stared at him in complete shock.

"Help?" he laughed, "How can you ever expect to help me? What skills do you have as an inventor. I doubt those inventions even work."

Maurice smiled as he came and put a hand on Adam's shoulder, not phased by the fur he was feeling. "Adam, when was the last time you had someone listen to you?" he asked. The two of them were about the same height and that was something Adam wasn't used to.

"I cannot leave this castle!" Adam yelled and Maurice nodded.

"Then I will come and visit you here again," he suggested and Adam looked at him stunned.

"You're not running from the beast?" he asked, "You don't want to slay me?"