Here With Me | OC oneshots

Beauty and the Beast

Casper is my self insert of sorts and also a name I've been considering for myself, so here's a little story about them and their girlfriend, Coral. Lmk if I've written black hair wrong, as I am white and my hair is like wavy at most.

Warnings: fluff

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Casper sat with their head perched on their hand. They blinked slowly in that bored way one does when confronted by a sudden wave of sleepiness. Rolling their shoulders, they scooted their chair backwards and stretched, lithe like a cat. Their lanky frame allowed Casper easy access to the top shelf of their personal library, or at least the part kept in their room. 

Grabbing a book by tipping it forward and into their waiting hands, they padded down the corridor of the manor with light feet. At first glance, their life was perfect. They had a manor for heaven's sake! But what good is such a large space all alone? Casper had tried to make friends with the servants, but they had simply ignored their attempts, retreating behind a shield of 'proper behavior.' Alone and friendless was no way for a 19-year-old to live their life. Casper rubbed their eyes, clearing them of all the wetness that had built up. They truly were lonely, but hld they escape the confines of their privilege? Privilege, like anything else, had a price to pay after all. Financially cared for, but socially stunted - that was their life.

They shook their head, trying to shoo away the gray rain cloud their thoughts had become. Just as they had settled in their new spot, an overstuffed plush chair in the corner of the library, a loud clank resonated through the stone walls.

Then another.

And another.

Then a creak.

"Hello?" A distant voice called from where Casper would place as the entryway.

"Hello?" It called again. "Is anyone here?"

"Yes?" Casper yelled back stupidly. They instantly slapped a hand over their mouth. What if this person were a robber? An assassin!? An assassin sent to kill them and steal their wealth!? Well, they supposed should they be killed they wouldn't be very attached to their pocketbook anymore, being dead and all. But still, they'd rather not die, thank you very much.

"Oh, wonderful!" They heard the echo of an exclamation. "So there is someone here! This is just marvelous!"

Footsteps ran towards them, as fast as Casper's ever increasing heart rate. As they drew nearer, Casper cowered farther into the chair, trying to be consumed by the velvety black fabric.

Doomed.

They were doomed. They'd given away their location and now they'd face the consequences.

The footsteps rounded the corned; they squeezed their eyes shut.

"Um... Hi!" The previous voice exclaimed brightly, though with a hint of confusion.

They cracked an eye open.

Before them stood a dark-skinned girl with pink braids and a wide smile. She was wearing a yellow sweater underneath a pair of blue overalls, both splattered with what one could only assume were rain drops. Casper couldn't help but think she was very pretty.

"I knocked on the door, but no one answered, so I decided to try it anyway because the rain was getting pretty heavy and it opened, so..." 

Casper nodded, feeling dizzy. How had they been fearing for their life just moments ago? Then again, this girl could certainly still be out to get them. No, no, they were being paranoid. She was probably perfectly harmless.

"Right... Well, we ought to get you dried off, haven't we?" Their parental side took over. On autopilot, they bustled around, getting the girl a towel, change of clothes, and a hot cup of tea. The staff helped where they could but they knew not to get in the way of Casper's whims - it was often known to go awry for those who tried.

With the girl in the washrooms, Casper had their home all to themselves again, but it felt emptier already. With the presence of another person, one actually interested in speaking to them, changed the atmosphere to almost a ridiculous degree.

Settling back into their chair, they stared at space, gripping the armrests tightly, as though they'd get up and walk away if Casper let go.

A few minutes later, the girl walked out, clothed in Casper's mother's old college sweaters and some black spandex shorts. Casper's parents had all but disowned them when they came out, leaving them in the summer home and taking their brother as well. Their precious daughter could only be a daughter and not just a child.

"Hi!" She waved, smile equally as big as before. 

"Hi," they repeated with less vigor.

"I'm Coral!" Coral stuck out her hand; Casper tentatively took it. With a firm grip, she shook their hand up and down, exactly two times. It felt so practiced they wondered if it was. "I think we're gonna be great friends!"

"I think so, too." Offering a softer smile, Casper took her hand and led her off on a tour of the manor.