A/N: I know you've all been insisting that I change the name "Seth" to something else. I think the name suits him, because its quite a raw name… however, to save arguments between myself and you, I have taken someone's suggestion and will now refer to the Beast as simply 'Beast'. In the meantime, can you suggest some French male names you'd like to have used? I only know Jeanne or Pierre and I think they're a bit boring! Cheers very much for all the reviews – very good feedback! (P.S. the next chapter is the ballroom scene, which will be very exciting I promise!)
Mrs Potts arrived back from the kitchen, her eyes glaring at the unconscious Beast, draped in the armchair, he still looked fearsome and more than capable of murder.
Fortunately, Belle was in the room, which detained Mrs Potts from pouring her entire contents onto that stubborn face. However, because she was full of boiling water, she refrained and contented herself with glaring viciously at her master for the time being.
Cogsworth shot her a suspicious look before coughing loudly, alerting Belle to the presence of hot water.
'The servants are running you a hot bath upstairs, Madame,' Lumiére said grandly from the doorway.
Belle turned and smiled, still unused to talking to a living candelabra. 'Thank you.' She said quietly. 'I will be up there in a minute. Lumiére – could you get someone to see to Philippe? I didn't have time to rub him down and if he isn't seen to he'll freeze.'
Lumiére smiled and nodded, bowing himself out.
Seeing Mrs Potts with the hot water made Belle cross to the chair, where the Beast sat, head lolling, his teeth red with wolf blood.
Belle shuddered, but nonetheless pushed her hair out of her face and poured out the hot water into a small bowl, the steam rose, releasing her numb fingers from their stiff state. She worked them as she rubbed a cloth, soaking it thoroughly through.
She turned to Cogsworth.
'Where are those oils I asked for Monsieur Cogsworth?'
'Over there Madame,' Cogsworth said superiorly, gesturing to the tray on which Mrs Potts had arrived on. Belle chose peppermint and tea tree oils for cleansing and healing, and rubbed them into the cloth, humming as she worked to keep herself distracted from the task at hand.
Gingerly, she shuffled closer to the chair, cringing as the beast stirred in his sleep. Tentatively, she took his arm, which bore the worst wound- a gaping cut, not really deep, but very ragged and pressed the cloth down, cleaning away the dirt and caked blood, combing through the matted fur with her fingers. She worked carefully, sewing the worst of the wounds together with needle and thread.
She was about half way through cleansing a wound on his right arm when he stirred and sat bolt upright.
'Easy,' she whispered, but he was already backing away from her cloth, holding the wound out of reach like a child refusing to accept a remedy for a nettle sting.
'Just-hold-still!' she snapped, darting after the wound. She forgot her inhibitions about being in such close proximity to him, and pressed the cloth down.
She wished she hadn't.
An ear-splitting roar ripped through the air, so loud she withdrew.
'THAT HURTS!' The beast growled, making her hair fly back with the force of his yell.
Belle glared at him, suddenly seeing his avoidance as petulant and silly. She had just saved him – and he was still determined to frighten her!
'If you'd hold still it wouldn't hurt as much!' she yelled back, glaring malevolently into those stunning blue eyes. She offered the cloth again but he backed away, eyes livid with anger at having someone answer back.
'If you hadn't run away this never would have happened!' he accused, pushing her away roughly with his paw.
Belle stood, as angry as he, hairs tumbling over one side of her face, making her clear face all the more beautiful. Why was she here?
'If you hadn't frightened me I wouldn't have run away!' she shrieked, bearing down on him with a fierce glare.
The Beast paused… but it was her who had committed the crime! How dare she talk to him so?
'Well you shouldn't have been in the West wing!' he growled triumphantly.
'Well you should learn to control your temper!'
Silence met this remark, like the surface of water after it has boiled, steam roiling away to reveal something calmer underneath.
When no remark came Belle felt her stomach do a little flip. She had won her argument!
'Now,' she said firmly, taking a grip on his arm to show that she wasn't going to be intimidated. 'Hold still. This might sting a little.'
She dipped the cloth in the oily water and wrung it out.
Gently, she pressed it against the wound. The Beast flinched, and she ignored him.
He was more human than she thought, she realised, and, feeling calmer, she looked up at him.
He had been staring at her, and meeting her eyes made him look away. Belle hadn't missed the warmth in his gaze. He was grateful. She could live without his thanks being spoken, that look was enough.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mrs Potts beam at her, white porcelain glowing red with triumph. Belle hid her smile.
'By the way.' She said, dabbing the dirt away. The beast cringed, and then realised she wasn't going to reprimand him again. She looked at him seriously. 'Thank you. For saving my life.'
His blue eyes glowed. 'You are welcome.' He said. Though it was quiet, it still rumbled through her and she found the riposte to be genuine.
'Belle…'
Belle looked up. He had used her name. She thought he didn't know it.
'Thank you. For saving mine.'
Belle took his paw and squeezed it. 'You are welcome.' She replied.
000
It had snowed again. The landscape and wood around was thick with that carpet of white, and Belle ventured out after Fleur found her suitable outdoor wear. It was flattering: a rose pink dress made her feel ethereal and colourful in the white landscape, and the thick velvet cape, though not entirely sensible made her feel like a princess.
She had watched the beast carefully for the last few weeks, and couldn't believe the character she'd found in him. Together, they had shared literature: books the whereabouts Belle could only guess, but she had found something sensitive in this Beast, something tender, like the rose he was so determined for her not to touch, and she sensed that something about the rose marked his doom, though she couldn't find what.
Up in his tower, The beast watched her walk in the snow, her figure so beautiful in the light of the wintry scene.
He remembered a snowball fight they'd shared, and he had heard her laugh: what a laugh! A tinkling, high and musical sound that made him shiver with pleasure when he heard it. Lumiére, Mrs Potts and Cogsworth, balanced on the balcony, watched their master with keen interest.
'I've never felt this way about anyone.' He mused, the words taken away in his ability to breathe, just by watching her, his entire being was infatuated: his thoughts plagued of thoughts where he could not have her, and he had cried so bitterly at the thought. Who could learn to love a beast?
Still, even if she could not love him, he must try to love her.
'I want to do something for her,' he declared, and then frowned. 'But what?'
He turned to Cogsworth who raised an eyebrow.
'Well there's the usual, Sir, flattery, chocolates, promises you don't intend to keep…' he listed them in a bored, irritated voice.
'So romantic.' Mrs Potts remarked sarcastically, just as Lumiére interrupted.
'No, no, no. That's not enough… its got to be something that sparks her interest.
Mrs Potts nodded in approval. 'Any ideas?'
'Aha…' Lumiére thought, pondering this, his mind returned to the walk in the corridor and Belle's exclamation when they'd said she might want to look at the…
'Aha! I know!'
000
'Where are you taking me?' Belle asked, enthralled to be taken somewhere she hadn't seen.
The Beast clutched her hand in his paw, and narrowed his eyes at her with a fang-studded smile.
'I shall show you now… but first, you have to close your eyes.'
Belle raised a suspicious eyebrow.
A surprise? From him? Belle's heart fluttered but she complied, closing off the world as she dropped her eyelids.
The warmth of his paws made her feel safe as he guided her carefully through a door. His breath was low and excited and Belle suppressed a sigh of her own excitement. She contented herself with an expectant smile, and kept it and he left her, walking out from what appeared to be the centre of a room.
'May I open them?'
'Not yet…'
The sound of curtains being drawn distracted her and she felt light across her face.
'Now can I open them?'
The beast's voice from a little way. Was he standing by the window?'
'Alright: now!'
Belle opened her eyes, and her heart gave a huge thump of thrilled excitement.
Books! The library! Shelves upon shelves of books stretching up the vast ceiling overhead, tall ladders leading up to every shelf, and each section cornered off by genre and type and author…
'You… you like it?' The Beast asked eagerly.
'Oh my…!' Belle exclaimed. 'I've never seen son many books in all my life!'
She turned to him, her look of pure tenderness, her hazel eyes beamed.
'Its wonderful!'
She reached out to him and kissed his nose, eyes swimming with excitement, then ran to the nearest shelf.
The Beast stood, frozen, the kiss lingered on him for many moments after… and he couldn't breathe for the feelings that swam inside him.
