Beauty & the Beast [Narry]

Chapter 7

How's the new cover? I like this one better than the last one tbh.

*

He was beautiful. The beast decided. Could he be in love already? Niall was so sweet, so perfect, so fucking beautiful . . . he's never felt anything like what he feels for the blonde boy. Is it love?

Harold knew he would never be human again. His 21st birthday was coming up in merely three days. If Niall didn't fall in love with him by then. . . .

"Sir?" Perrie was at the door. "I, um, could you come out to the living room, please? We want to talk to you about something."

"Fine." Harold scowled. He didn't want to be around people right now. Couldn't they tell he was sad? When he was sad, he was angry too.

He followed Perrie to the living room. Danielle and Eleanor were there too. "Where are the boys?"

"There's someone in the forest," Perrie sat down on the arm of the chair. "I know I usually take care of those things, but the boys told me they'd do it this time. Besides, we have to speak to you."

"Oh?" The beast wasn't worried about people in the forest. They were always taken care of. "Fine. Tell me."

"Do you love Niall?" Perrie asked. The beast nodded. "And you want to be with him?" The beast nodded again.

"We'll help you, alright? You must be proper if you want him to love you." Perrie had left Niall alone upstairs with green tea and a book. She knew he'd be fine.

"You must control your temper," Eleanor said. She noticed the beast had been doing good with that since Niall had been here. "that is the key thing."

"You're sure you love him, right?" Danielle asked, because if the beast didn't actually love Niall . . . that could be a big problem.

The beast looked at Danielle. "He . . . he's beautiful. He's perfect, I just . . . I can't imagine he'd fall for me."

"You must change for him." Perrie said softly. The beast wasn't upset at her anymore. In fact, he was grateful. Niall was . . . he was perfect. He was everything Harold could want. "Respect him. When he speaks about a book, do not interrupt him. Reading is his passion. Support him, care for him, protect him, and just love him."

"He is scared of me." The beast said. "He will not love me. He will only fear me."

"Not if you talk to him." Perrie said. "Ask him if he will have a dinner between just the two of you. I'm sure he will agree. Be polite, however, and don't get upset if he declines."

Harold nodded stiffly. He was nervous. He didn't want to be rejected. How absolutely horrible would that be?

"Ask him now." Perrie encouraged. "He's up in the library in his room. Don't wake him if he's asleep."

Harold made his way upstairs and down to Niall's room. The door wasn't closed, so he didn't knock. He checked to make sure Niall wasn't in bed before he went into the library, where Niall was about halfway through a book.

"Niall," Harold stated, flinching when Niall jumped. Niall smiled, trying to cover his fear. Was the beast going to kill him? "I was just wondering . . ."

Niall waited, but the beast seemed awfully hesitant. Niall tried to stop his hands from shaking. "Yes?"

"Will you have dinner with me tomorrow?" Harold's voice didn't shake. He was surprised at that. "Alone?"

"Like a date?" Niall hadn't even meant to say it, and he probably should not have. The beast didn't seem mad, however.

"Yes," Harold confirmed. Was Niall going to reject him? "Like a . . . like a date."