A/N: These chapters are getting written surprisingly easily. This one is back to the Beast's POV. Hope you enjoy!
Belle was unlike anyone the Beast had ever met. She should have hated him. She should have been angry and cruel. It was the least he deserved after the way he had treated her.
But she was not cruel at all. She was steady and diligent in her care as she nursed him back to health. She kept him company while he was awake. When she spoke, she did so kindly and earnestly, without a hint of accusation in her tone. He did not feel like an atrocious creature in her presence. He felt like… a person.
And she stayed.
Despite everything he had done, she still stayed. The Beast had not once mentioned her imprisonment; not since he had furiously locked her in the dungeon. He knew in his gut that if she left tomorrow, he would not have the physical or emotional strength to stop her. She was too generous. It was a miracle she had stayed as long as she had.
Belle did not cower in fear or spit in disgust at his monstrous appearance. She was simply there, at his side, day in and day out. Something had changed in her eyes when she looked at him now. There was a determination in her gaze, and an intelligence unlike anyone he had ever known. The Beast did not understand why she stayed, but his heart inadvertently fluttered wildly in his chest every time she walked into a room. He ceased breathing entirely the first time that she smiled at him.
It shouldn't have been possible. Perhaps he was hallucinating. The Beast tried to ignore the odd change, and yet a foreign feeling still managed to worm its way into his heart — something he hadn't felt in decades.
She had given him an inkling of hope.
The Beast was far from stupid. He knew that true love could free him from his prison. Lumiere believed Belle to be The One destined to break the curse and save them all. The entire castle staff had gotten on board with the idea, and encouraged him to pursue the potential romance.
But he was a Beast. And she was like a precious gem, shining light and beauty upon his dark castle. She was a gift, more than anything, bringing moments of joy to a lonely, ugly creature. Believing that her pitiful acts of kindness could be anything more than that was a fool's errand. Even if he did express his own affections, why would she? What could she possibly find in him to love?
Hope was a dangerous thing. It made the Beast do things he had never done before. He gave her his library. He listened to her read stories for hours on end. He went for long walks with her in the snow-covered garden, and let himself smile and laugh despite his horrifically embarrassing fangs. He found himself remembering his childhood again — joyful memories he had buried with his mother long ago. Belle touched his claw-ridden paw in a way that made him feel worthy of it, despite the darkness in his heart. It made him believe, even just for a moment, that he could be better. It made him believe that he was not alone.
And when they danced in the ballroom on that magical night, she gazed into his eyes in a way that made him feel truly human again.
The Beast was a fool. It couldn't last, it could never last. The final petal was about to fall, and instead of exchanging vows of love, the Beast watched helplessly as Belle left to save her father. She ran from him, taking the last bit of Adam's hope with her.
He didn't cry. He didn't lose his temper. He didn't even reprimand himself for his inevitable failure. Instead, he simply sat, mourning his broken human heart and the miracle that would never come.
A/N: Please leave a review with your thoughts!