Beauty and the Beast 3
The Beast watches from above, the lines in his monstrous face deepening. Something had happened, he knows it. The castle hasn’t had this type of energy since before they’d all been cursed. A soft rumbling comes from his chest and he narrows his eyes. His tongue clicks and he moves from the balcony, walking into his darkened bedroom.
The Beast paces the floors, he feels the brush of his tail as it sweeps across the wood. Growling he picks it up, the weight of it alone was a constant reminder of the monster he’d become. Why has no one come to tell him of the news? Clearly, there was something to be told.
He was too impatient to wait.
The Beast storms from his room and down the wing. He makes his way to the stairs and bounds down them. Natasha was in and cleaning the fireplace when he came. She falters and blinks, “S-Sir.”
He huffs and crosses his arms against his broad chest. “What is it?”
Natasha swallows and smiles softly, calmly, “Nothing, Sir.”
“Do not lie to me,” the Beast growls. He pauses when a strange scent lifts to his nose. Sniffing again, he catches a whiff of the smoky, earthy smell. Not the usual dusty smell that came from the Manor. “What. Is. That?”
Internally, Natasha curses. Of course, there was no way of avoiding this. But she’d hoped she’d have enough time. She looks down at her pale arms and brushes at the dust and soot from the fireplace. “Well...”
“Tell me,” he growls again, eyes piercingly sharp.
“We have a guest,” Natasha raises her head to stare Beast down. She stands firmly where she was, “A girl. A woman.”
“Kick her out.”
“She needs help,” Natasha protests. Not surprised by the Beast’s coldness. “The village has chased her out.”
“And for good reasons I’m sure,” the Beast replies. He no longer paid attention to Natasha. He follows the scent closer to her however until he stands behind the large chair that sat in front of the fireplace.
Natasha sees before he does and snatches Y/n’s satchel from the chair. He goes to grab it from her but she holds it behind her back. “It’s not yours.”
“Anything that is in this Manor belongs to me,” he speaks with sharp teeth exposed. The Beast holds his hand out to Natasha, palm up, waiting. “Give.”
“This is all that she has,” Natasha murmurs. She takes some steps backward, warily.
“Then she shouldn’t have left it so carelessly.”
“You’re being stubborn.” Natasha raises her chin and levels her eyes with his. “What if she can break the curse?”
That makes him pause for only a moment. It’s true that he’s tired of this. Living constantly the way he does. But it was only a moment before he internally hardens from the idea. “A woman did this to me, why should I rely on a woman to solve it?”
“She’s very kind,” Natasha speaks softly, a faint smile grows and he cheeks warm as she recalls. “But strong. I saw.”
“Natasha,” the Beast says in a warning tone, he can feel the uncontrollable anger start to build.
“Please.” There was hardly a moment that you’d find Natasha begging. And now they had spectators, the Beast felt their eyes. “Sir, I’ve never asked for anything in all the years I’ve served you. Just this once, allow it.”
The Beast glares at Natasha, she stared straight back with her own eyes of piercing sapphire. He lets out an animal like grunt and turns around. “If she’s to stay,” he speaks as he walks away, “it is not for free. Put her to work.”
“Yes, Sir.” Natasha bows automatically. She straightens back up and watches as the Beast lumbers his way up the steps and back to his side of the manor. She lets out a shaky breath when the Beast is no longer in her sight and reaches up to cup her own heated cheek.
There was a time where she could stare the Beast down and win, where he could never manage to instill fear into her. But that was a long time ago when he was still human with a simple human temper.
“Natasha,” Wanda steps from the shadows. “Are we playing with fire by doing this?”
"I don't know about you," Natasha sinks to the chair in front of her, setting the bag on her lap and resting her head in her hands, "but I'm tired of being an animal. And living with one."
"Is he finally giving up on clothes?" Wanda mused, referring to how the beast had no shirt. She joins her friend by the fireplace, taking the seat beside her.
Scoffing, Natasha grins amusedly at Wanda, "I don't think so. I think it's simply him lazing about today."
"I'm surprised," Wanda murmurs. She inhales deeply and crosses her arms, "But I understand." She gives Natasha a knowing and playful grin as she plays with her hair
"Of course you would, you're a cat."
They laugh but fall silent. Natasha knows she's only prolonging the necessary conversation she'd have to have with Y/n. "Did you hear?" She asks.
"Hm?"
"He says that she can stay, but only if she works."
Wanda's lips turn down into a small frown. "I suppose... I suppose that's fair. In a way."
"In a way," Natasha echoes. She was unsure of how she’s supposed to tell the girl. Y/n. She saw the fiery spirit behind her eyes. Knowing that the Beast would not take too kindly of her and Wanda sitting about she sighs and pushes herself up. “I suppose I should return this to her.”
“What is it?” Wanda asks, tilting her head and eyeing the bag.
Shrugging, Natasha answers, “All of her possessions I suppose.”
“That’s it?”
“She was run out of her home, I doubt there was time to pack.”
*
Natasha knocks softly on the door before bending down to scratch the impossible itch she had at her ankles and feet. She curses quietly under her breath before straightening up when Y/n opens the door slowly.
Y/n’s eyes widen when she sees Natasha and her mouth forms an “o” before she smiles as if pleased. “Last time I answered the door after someone knocked, there was no one there.”
“They’re shy at the moment,” Natasha says. “But they’ll warm up to you.” She takes in Y/’s appearance as Y/n steps back to let her in. “I see you like your clothes.”
“Yes!” Y/n exclaims, reaching down to lift the skirt and twirl. “I’ve never had such nice clothes before!”
“It looks nice.” Natasha walks to Y/n’s bed and sets down the satchel.
“Oh!” Y/n is flooded with relief. She looks at Natasha with thankfulness and Natasha returns the look with a tight-lipped smile.
“Might I suggest not leaving your items next time.” Natasha sits down on the edge of the bed. “It’s not that I don’t mind, it’s the master.”
“Will I ever meet him?”
“Let’s hope not.”
Y/n frowns at how displeased Natasha seemed at the idea. She seemed to tense at just the mention of it. “Alright.” Y/n deflates a little. She was curious and when her curiosity is not sated, it leaves an itchy feeling underneath her skin. When Y/n looks back up at Natasha, she can tell that her mind is elsewhere. Her fingers were knitted together and her mouth moved ever so slightly as she spoke silently.
Making her way in front of Natasha, Y/n asks softly, “Is something wrong?”
Looking up, Natasha feels sad. This was a girl who was just chased from her home and left to die in the worst of the forest. All she wanted to do was take Y/n and wrap her in a blanket, keep her safe and warm, and away from the Beast. The Master.
“Natasha?”
“I... I am happy to say that the Master has agreed to let you stay here.”
Y/n smiles softly and sits down next to her, “I’m sensing a ‘but’.”
“Yes,” Natasha laughs softly and licks her lips. “There’s a but.”
“Whatever it is, I’m willing to do.”
“The Master has agreed to let you stay on the terms that you work while you’re here.”
“That’s it?” Y/n stares at Natasha expecting more before letting out a small laugh. She reaches to pat Natasha’s shoulder and smiles reassuringly. “That’s alright!”
“That’s not a job for a guest,” Natasha scowls.
“I’m no dutchess, Natasha. Not a queen or a noble lady. I’m a girl from the village who loved to work with plants and animals. That’s all!”
Huffing, Natasha crosses her arms and stares sharply at Y/n. “Still,” she protests, “it doesn’t matter your status.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Y/n stands up and puts her hands on her hips, “Tell me what I should do and I’ll do it.”
“Tomorrow.” Standing, Natasha moves to the door. “For now, relax and rest. I know you’ve had a hard day.” She wraps her pale hand around the door’s handle before pausing. Y/n watches confused that Natasha’s paused. She watches as her shoulder rise and falls with a heavy sigh before Natasha turns to look at Y/n and with a stern, warning expression. “Do not leave this room at any time.”
“If I have to use the bathroom?”
Natasha points to a door to the side of the room, “There’s your lavatory. I mean it, Y/n, do not leave.”
“I’ll be here.”