Something Bittersweet- In which the Beast finds himself discomforted. (AKA he learns more about himself and doesn't like what he finds…)
His library felt different now. The second she'd stepped into it the atmosphere had changed. All of a sudden it wasn't just a dusty room with some rotting pages. It was some sort of miracle, a spectacle to explore and cherish. She had changed a lot of things. He wasn't sure how to fix it.
He now stood in the first of the three sections, staring out at the moonlit forest.
Somewhere out there her home was resting in a tiny village, her father worried sick. He wondered if she'd been the one to look after him, cook for him, clean the house. It seemed like something she would do out of habit. Not that he'd been taking much notice of her at all, of course. He just assumed the man was probably very distraught.
And that was because of him. But he shouldn't care, the man was a no-good thief. The Beast had no reason to care.
Right?
Another petal had fallen tonight.
He'd long ago gotten used to the anxiety it caused, but now that she was here there seemed to be more panic with every day passing by. One could say she was a bit of a nuisance.
That thought made him shift uneasily, and he turned away from the window and her home and all that she ever loved and cared about and began to pace. Suddenly the library didn't seem to grand and massive, but instead small and growing tighter, too big for a monster like him.
A growl ripped through his throat, and he swung his fists at the bookcase nearest to him, ready to rip and tear until it was shredded to the dust it sat upon.
A tiny squeak made him freeze in his tracks. He whipped around to find Belle, a short candle in hand, standing a few paces away. Her eyes were wide with fear, and it took him a moment to realize she was afraid for the books.
What on earth? They were just books.
But even as he said that he knew it was a lie. They were so much more than that. They were an escape.
"P-please don't." It was barely a whisper from her, but it was enough to twist his stomach into a knot.
He grunted and stalked towards her small frame, tempted to see what it was take to get her to admit she was more afraid of him than the fate of the books. There was a part of him that just wanted to see how long it would take for her to break. For her to cry or beg to be let go. For her to be at his mercy.
But she wouldn't let him win, wouldn't give him an ounce of power.
Anger began to mix with the guilt toiling away at the cage around his heart, and he bared his teeth at her, challengingly.
Her features twisted into a little scowl, and his eyes widened as he watched her. There wasn't an ounce of intimidation from her now. She hadn't spoken yet, so he took the moment to take her in.
Belle was dressed in a long white nightgown, with embroidered roses curving around her collarbone and down her waist. It was as if they were there to tease him, to torment him. To mock the irony of the situation. It didn't help that the nightdress did nothing to hide her figure, or that her hair was a swath of auburn curls tumbling around her shoulders. Or that her eyes were sparkling bright in the candlelight. Or that her petal-pink lips were drooping in a slight pout-
He turned away, growling furiously.
Curse her! Curse fate, curse it all, blast! Why did it have to be so cruel?
And why of all things couldn't she have been ugly, or stupid, or a prissy simpleton?
Belle tapped her foot impatiently, and he twisted back to see what she could possibly want now.
"You weren't serious, were you?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Oh come now. You weren't actually planning on destroying those books were you?"
He shrugged and avoided her fervent gaze.
How on earth could she make him feel this sheepish?
"It's my library, I can do as I please with it."
"From the looks of the pictures in the hall, I'd say this isn't yours at all. It's your fathers. What ever happened to him?"
His blood ran hot and he turned to see her again, his lips curling back into a snarl.
"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK OF HIM. OUT! NOW!" The walls shuddered as his voice echoed through them. Belle didn't seem nearly as phased.
She stamped her foot.
"No! I think if you're going to keep me locked away, that I at least deserve some answers. Where is your family? Do they look like you? Is your fath-" She was cut off as his arms wrapped around her shoulders.
"I said. Get. Out. None of this is your business, and it never will be."
Belle was cowering in his arms, but she still shook her head vehemently.
"He's the reason you're like this, isn't he? That's why you hate him?" The question shook him off guard, and he dropped her to the ground in surprise. She stumbled a bit, and that snapped him out of it.
He snarled again and lurched for the doors, replying as he left.
"You're nothing but an impossibly stubborn girl. You're a nothing, a peasant. I have no reason to answer to you."
He could hear her suck in a sharp breath as the door shut behind him.
~An Hour Later~
"Oh Master, how could you? That is never how you treat a lady, no matter how...eh, 'impossible' she may be."
"She's infuriating, Cogsworth! I don't have the time to deal with her."
"You're quite right Master." The Beast turned in surprise to glance at the portly little clock. He hadn't been expecting an agreement. "You're quite right about not having the time. You certainly shouldn't deal with her. You should woo her."
The Beast rolled his eyes and turned back to his window. It was the balcony in the west wing, and from his view he could see the lights still flickering in the library. She hadn't left yet. For some reason that thought made his heart begin to thump painfully.
"We already learned I'm not particularly skilled in that field of expertise, Cogsworth."
They both cringed at the memory of his attempt at a smile. It had looked more like he was trying to pull a thorn out of his side. He couldn't help thinking a thorn in his side represented Belle perfectly. But the other side of his mind refused to agree.
"Nevertheless, you must try, Sir. She's the only chance you've got, and it's foolish to deny that she isn't the one." The Beast glared at him sharply, but Cogsworth just shrugged and sauntered off, leaving him to brood.
~Five Minutes Later~
He couldn't believe he was about to do this. He couldn't believe he was about to do this.
His massive paw was hovering over the doorknob, just an inch away, claws extended, fur standing on end.
He did not want to do this. And no one told him what to do. Ever.
So why was he doing it?
He pushed the thoughts out of his head and shoved the door open. It creaked and banged against the panels of the wall loudly. He would've flinched if he wasn't already so tense. The library was just as he left it, clean, dusty, and non-demolished. She was nowhere to be found.
The Beast frowned and walked further into the room, confusion building.
Where in the blazes could she have possibly gone? The lights were still-
The lights! He turned to the left section of the room and walked through, and sure enough, there she was.
The Beast shuddered to a halt at the sight of her.
Melting candles swimming in a pool of wax were perched around her, forming a warm circle of light. She was curled up with her knees underneath her on the chaise, books scattered all across her body. They were digging into her waist and dangling precariously over her head, wrapped in her arms and tucked under her feet. She seemed to have a glow in that moment, and the Beast had to blink a few times before stepping closer.
Her hair was swept up behind her and dangling over the armrest, so he could see her pale pink mouth as she muttered in her sleep.
"Oh Pa…no, he hasn't hurt me...not as bad as we thought...just scared..." She twisted a little in her trance and his head shot up in time to see the book above her head begin to fall. He lunged forward, catching mere moments before it would have crashed into the pack of her neck. He was now bending over her, and the scent was drifting towards him.
He closed his eyes in shock at all of the new senses occurring at once and leaned hard against the side of the chaise as he involuntarily set the book down.
She smelled of vanilla and fresh soap, the kind of smell after you've cooked something delicious. He couldn't bring himself to look at her, just kept his eyes squeezed shut while she continued to mumble.
"He's just scared, Papa...doesn't know how to...how to trust. I love you...papa...but I wanna stay...to…" Her voice grew dim and in a panic he forgot his unspoken rule and lifted his eyes wide open, trying to read her lips. He had to know what she was about to say. What was her reason for staying? What!?
"To...to help him. He...he needs me." The Beast fell backward on his heels, edging away from the chaise and the halo and the Beauty.
It had been foolish to assume it would be anything close to what he needed. She could never grow to care about someone like him.
For who could ever love a beast?
To the literal hundreds of viewers I got today, it'd be great if you could leave a review and send in some requests! I have about three to five more ideas, but I want to create more than that, so I need your help!