That past few days had been agony, mostly because I found myself fighting between telling Belle the truth. It wasn't that I'd lied to her, simply that I hadn't told her everything. This anniversary wasn't just the date of my transformation…but the excitement on her face from her somewhat surprising idea was too beautiful to pass up. So instead I was sent through a multitude of baths, the fur on my body trimmed and combed, my horns polished before putting on a pair of navy blue trousers, beige vest, and freshly pressed white button up. I felt uncomfortable when I looked at myself in the mirror, not because of the clothing I was wearing, but because of the realization of what Belle would be see me as today. Yes, I had made the decision to let her see me as myself, but I still couldn't fight he almost painful churn in my stomach.
Gracefully I gave the woman a low bow, holding out my hand as she descended the stairs. She slid her silk covered hand into mine and a spark twisted up my arm to my cheeks as I stood up straight and smiled. "You look…breathtaking," I hummed close to her ear, shifting her hand to rest in the crook of my elbow. A blush crept to her cheeks as she lowered her eyes with a small nod.
"Thank you, you look quite handsome yourself." A small cough from Cogsworth alerted us to the ballroom that was ready. From there I lead Belle into the extravagant room, the gold accents sparkling and the massive chandelier in the center glittering with elegance. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed this room, how much I enjoyed the parties and especially the dancing. It was something that took over my body after we finished an elegant supper.
I stood from my seat, the table far small than normal which allowed us to sit much closer, and held out my hand to Belle with another bow. "Might I have this dance?" String instruments had been playing throughout our evening and so dancing I the massive room seemed inevitable. Belle looked at me nervously, before giving a coy nod as she stood and took my hand. I settled my free hand at her waist as she crooked her arm to lift her dress to a more manageable length. And from there we were sliding across the room.
"You are far lighter on your feet than I imagined," Belle remarked as I smirked and bowed my head slightly.
"I did dance quite a lot in my younger days," I remarked as I spun her from her place and then pulled her back. She gave a surprised giggle only to gasp as we found our noses brushing. Her hand rested on my chest, mine on the small of her back, and for a moment I thought she might push away, but I was far from right. Instead the hand slid up and around my neck, her other joining and I slid mine around her waist as we continued to slowly sway and spin on the floor.
I wasn't sure if the music stopped or if we simply quit listening to it, all I focused on was the beautiful woman that had found her way into my life. To think I had gone for so long without any hope to change what I was and now here this woman was that made me wonder otherwise.
The only issue was that our dancing had distracted me from what I meant to tell her, from my confession as to what this evening entailed. And soon enough it came back to bite me.
"Beast…" Belle began as I gave a small smile to show I was listening. "These past few weeks…they've been more than I could have ever hoped for. And-"
Bong came from the large clock in the grand hall and my body tensed. She looked at me curiously as I let go and stepped away from her. "Beast what are-"
Bong, my hands trembled as I attempted to give her some sort of a comforting smile. "Belle…this night is more than an anniversary," my body began to heat up as I dropped to my knees.
Bong, she started to move towards me and I held up my hand to stop her. "No…it'll be okay," I panted, holding my head as it began to throb. A deep growl came from my throat as I gritted my teeth together, the pain beginning in my haunches.
Bong, "Beast…what is going on?" She begged as I looked up through watery eyes, watching Cogsworth, Lumiere, Ms. Pots and more attempting to pull her back. I howled as my legs gave a firm snap, forcing the rest of me to the floor as I tried to take in air.
Bong, "Mademoiselle, do not worry, she will be fine," Lumiere tried to explain as she pushed them back and fell to her knees, dropping her head as I clawed at the ground. Slowly my claws retracted became hands, nails clear and well manicured.
Bong, cautiously she reached her hand out to me and I found myself reaching for it as my muzzle shrunk and my nose returned to its human form. I tried to smile as tears streaked my pained face. Another snap made me pull my hand back as I curled into a ball.
Bong, I gave another howl, though this time is sounded much more like a shriek as my ears lost their fur and immense size.
Bong, the horns were next, sinking back into my skull despite there being nowhere for them to go. I opened my eyes slightly, looking through the dampness to find Belle had laid herself out on the floor, hand still out stretched towards me.
Bong, again I attempted to reach out to her, this time shifting slightly closer as her fingers wrapped tightly around my hand as my teeth flatted and the points were grinded down.
Bong, my clothing had slacked on my body as the fur on my body began to shed.
Bong, I gave a loud yelp as my tail was snapped back under my sink and my tailbone returned to a human length. For once, though, I found it easier having a hand to squeeze during it.
Bong, finally, the last of the fur fell from my body, exposing my porcelain skin and my golden hair curled at inhuman speed from the top of my head down to my shoulder blades.