Beauty and the Beast | Vergil Sparda x reader

Chapter 10- filling emptiness

The grass is still wet with the freshly melted snow, shiny in the morning haze. What drew you out here is unknown, but whatever it is, you're here. Dispite the rapidly approaching spring the cold still held. Your shoes slosh through the puddles of slightly muddy water that cover the courtyard, it chills you to the bone but somehow it's still feels nice.

Your bandaged arm is held in a sling, resting against your middle. The cold air helps numb some of the already dulling pain. It's been a month and a half, it's still healing, especially the deeper parts. You fear it might not have the strength it used to, but if you truly are to stay here for the rest of your natural life, that shouldn't matter much.

Taking in the beautiful scenery, the trees have started to grow back their leaves, and the in the distance the sounds of birds ring out. You're glad you chose to come out here this morning. The feeling of dew drops slipping from tree branches and into your hair helps you keep awake.

You wonder back to the doors and pry them open, the cold of the inside greeting you. Breakfast should be ready soon, you've already memorized the pattern. You've come to look forward to breakfast, or any time with him at all. Dispite his reserved and rough nature he seems to enjoy talking about literature, especially poetry.

As you wandered through the halls the echoes of something far away wafts through the corridors. You stop, standing in the middle, you close your eyes and the sounds of giggling floods your hearing. Two sets of footsteps barrel down the hall, the two small beings stop around you. Running around constantly trying to catch one another. Soon enough their presences faids.

What was that?

You round the corner, slamming straight into Arkham. "Oh! Madam, I've been searching for you. Your meal is ready." You nod, slipping your arm in his as you both make your way to the dining hall. This palace has become less of a prison, and more of a home. You mostly know your way around, only the places you need be.

Your shoes and skirt hem dripped onto the floors as you walked. You hadn't noticed until you reached the dining table, when you almost slipped as you sit down. You're just glad he wasnt here yet to see. You waited, and waited, and waited for him. Even eventually eating without him. 'Where could he be? He doesnt seem like the type to sleep in.' You leave the table, in pursuit of the places he frequented.

First the den, nothing, just books stacked on top of books. The smell of frankincense wafted through the air as you passed the cold hearth. Next, bedroom. The previous broken furniture had been cleaned up by Suzie a while back, a open book on a mostly unused work desk. You didnt like to snoop, but the book was a journal of some sort. Everything was neat.

How he managed to keep such small and clean cursive with such big hands is beyond you.

'...With everything comes an end, theres must be a way to break these bindings and to be as I once was. If I ever truly wish to be free of these chains and have someone, anything, I can not stay in this form. No one can love something like this, who could ever love a beast? '

You backed away, confused, and brushed it off. As someone of the academics, he could've just been being poetic. Unless..

No. On to the library.
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You hummed to yourself as you paced around the library, his eyes fixated on a book as you returned to the lounging area. You neal by the side of his chair, resting your arm and chin on the arm. "Do you know how to Dance?" For a second he spares you a glance. "No." You sit up, looking directly at him. "No as in you can but won't, or you you actually cant?" He shoot you a glare, the one you have learned not to be afraid of.

You get up, offering him your hand, he looks at it for a minute. "Theres no music." He states before going back to his book. "We don't need music." You place your hand on his, he tenses as you try to pull him up to no avail. A pout forming on your lips. With a sigh he stands, the book being placed in his seat. You start to guide him, but he quickly takes over. Engulfing your waist with his hand.

As he leads, you hum softly as your cheeks burn hot. Resting your head gently on his lower chest. At once he moves you, spinning you around before drawing you back into him. "You're very graceful." He says, in a tone so much softer then his normal one.

Your stomach flutters.

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Days have passed since the dance, all the while isolating himself from everyone. His room door has been locked shut for days, you've come every single one. Sitting outside, talking to him through the door. He never responds, but sometimes you can see his shadow blocking the light from under it, or feel his body heat though the door. "You have to come out some day, you cant just let yourself starve."

You place your hand on the neatly painted wood. Theres a soft clicking sound, but nothing blocks that light. You try to door handle, and it turns. You slowly slide the door open, not enough to make any noise, just enough to slip through. Your breath catches in your throat at the sight before you. Wings out, boney, mangled flesh is the first thing you see. They twitched as he stretched the scarred flesh.

You can only imagine the pain he must've gone through. He kneels in the ground, quite obviously in pain from stretching them. His breath is heavy and ragged. You step forward, the sounds of your shoes clacking on the ground makes him more tense then before. As you get close he trys to move away from you, but the closer you get the more damage you see.

The bones of his wings have been broken and have healed incorrectly. "Go." You place your hand on his massive shoulder, He flinches almost rearing away from your touch. Not as if he's afraid of you, but afraid of what he can do. Your chest aches, hes trying to hide it, but he's a terrible actor. He's scared and in pain.

You get closer, sliding your arms around his neck in a warm embrace. "I'm not letting you suffer, not alone, not anymore."
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The sun is at it's highest, your hand in his larger one as you pull him through the halls. You passed both Arkham and Suzie on your way through, filled with shock as you so easily pull him around. They can only imagine the fate of an another, if they tried to do as you. You push through the front doors into the bright courtyard, the melted snow has brought several patches of early flowers.

You usually spend your mornings out here, enjoying the earth's annual rebirth. Its obvious he didnt seem too thrilled at being pulled out here after weeks of isolation, but if he genuinely had a problem he could've used his strength and.... abilities, against you. Sitting in your favorite spot you hold a one sided conversation that he looked disinterested in, but you kept it up. He might be more focused on the ground that's currently soaking the tail of his coat... and his tail.

What you didnt know is that he listened, he held onto every word as they so effortlessly slipped for your tongue. He noticed when you stopped talking and chose to look down at your lap, your fingers at work on the braids of flowers in your hands. You eventually look back up with a smile as you finish. Standing up to place the crown of flowers on his head. Your voice slips through the sounds of nature so sweetly, as if every word was dripping with honey.

"Its been so lovely out here the past few days, you deserve to see it."

His stomach flutters.
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1,387 words.
Happy holidays, I'll try to push out another chapter soon.

Or not *cardi b laugh*