The Beast and His Youthful Beauty (GaaLee)

The Beast and His Youthful Beauty (GaaLee) 2

The Beast and His Youthful Beauty: GaaLee

Chapter 2: Poor Beauty

At the ripe age of seventeen, Lee turned into a fantasy reader. Every day he would go to the village's only book shop and consider buying many of the fiction works offered. There were always a few that captured his eye and it was hard to decide which to buy with his small amount of money. Today though, Lee especially looked over a book with fancy scripture on the cover. It had a beautiful green leather cover with a page marker made of purple colored silk, a piece of art that no one appreciated. Looking to his left then his right, Lee turned to the first page and started to read out loud to himself.

"In a certain kingdom, there once lived a poor miller who had a very beautiful daughter. She was shrewd and clever, and the miller was so vain and proud of her that he told the King of the land that his daughter could spin gold from straw.

"Now this King was very fond of money, and when he heard the miller's boast, he ordered the girl to be brought before him. Then he led her to a room filled with str—"

"That's a very popular book nowadays," said a low voice to Lee's left. Giving out a small squeak of surprise, Lee dropped the book.

The shop owner bent down and picked it up with agility. "It's called Rumpelstiltskin. I read it a few days ago. It was well written but short." The book was indeed small, with few pages at all. The store owner was more interesting to Lee than the length of the book, though. This store owner had an air about him. A controlling air that suggested that he liked to be the best and have the best in return. His looks added to this fact. He had jet black hair that trailed down his back in a sloppy pony tail. The eyes that were place in the center of his face were onyx and intimidating. His skin was pale and said that he didn't work in a field or outdoors but rather had others to do such work.

Shrinking back a bit, Lee nodded and responded, "How much is it?" No matter how awkward it was around this man, Lee still wanted to purchase the book.

The store owner smirked, "Five dollars. For you, a usual costumer, I'll lower it to three." The man gave another contorted smirk and added, "By the way my name is Itachi. I've seen you around and so far, I like what I've seen. How would you feel about going on a date with me sometime? Just you and me. No disturbances."

Lee's brown eyes widen in shock. What he had heard was 'where no one can hear you scream.' Shoving his hand in his pocket, he pulled out five dollars and pushed them at Itachi, not taking the discount. Snatching Rumpelstiltskin from him, Lee ran out of the book shop.

The door to his simple farm home was open and a loud bang came from the basement. Sighing, Lee closed his book, first placing the delicate purple silk page marker on the page he was on, and ran to the house.

Lee was the sixth son of a farmer. Having lived in Konoha all his life he had known nothing other than his own life style. Sometimes he would glance up at the abandoned castle that towered over the village. Two years before, the illegitimate son of the king attacked his family and brutally killed them all. Another rumor said that the half-prince had sent the daughter, Temari, to the older brother in the east but still had murder his parents. Glancing again at the ruined dynasty, Lee gave it a smile. Maybe that boy still lives up there, all alone. These sorts of thoughts were always running through his head. Much like how he liked to imagine that one day his life would become a fairy tale. With a curse, a lover, and a happily ever after. As another loud bang came from the basement, Lee thought, 'But that will never happen. Not for me. The closest I'll ever get to a fairy tale is in my books.'

"What are you doing, Father?" Lee questioned as he stepped into the small basement.

Lee's father was much like himself. Gai had long black tresses that covered some of his face. His eyes were a chocolate brown that showed gentleness, though there was always a sharpness and awareness to them. The thin figure was due to the fact that Gai was always active on one of his inventions or in the field working. On the topic of inventions, this month was special. Gai was attempting to create something to automatically chop wood. By pulling a certain lever you would be able to chop wood in half the time it would take with a normal ax.

"I'm just trying to perfect it you see. Oh, and Lee one of the cows got loose. Bell, I think. She probably thought Castle Hill would be a better feeding ground. Could you go find her for me since I'm busy?" Lee could go up to Castle Hill? He was never allowed to go up there before. Instantly, Lee nodded. Rushing out of the basement, he slipped his shoes back over his thin socks and a brown jacket over his thin tan shirt.

Lee was about halfway up the hill by now and it was already getting dark and cold. This was taking longer than the youthful boy had thought it would. Rumpelstiltskin had lasted for around ten minutes before Lee had been finished with it and had to resort to imagining. Which was one of his better qualities.

"Perhaps she found a male cow to run away with," Lee thought out loud. Then laughed at how ridiculous it sounded. Male cow. Highly unlikely. "Perhaps she found out something and would be killed by the monsters that wanted to keep it secret." Shrugging, Lee considered this in his head. "Perhaps."

For a few more minutes, Lee walked in silence. Listening to the rustle of the wind against the branches. What they whispered, no one knew. The scuffle of his shoes hitting the fallen leaves and crumbly dirt, watching as nature flew by him. The careful greens, the bold pinks and yellows, the neutral browns. It was all so surreal to Lee. How could God create every little detail himself? Every creature and speck of dirt made by one being? It should be impossible but here it all was.

"I wonder if he really does still live up there," Lee murmured, while letting his eyes stray from the woods, to the top of the hill, to the rock fortress above. It was abandoned looking and obviously been through many struggles. The walls were falling apart and the towers were looking dangerously tilted.

Whipping his head at a sound, he came face to face with Bell, the cow. So she didn't venture all the way up the hill. Bell was an adventurous cow but always came back eventually. You just had to trust her a bit.

Grinning broadly at the heifer, he said, "Hey there, Bell! Father has been worried about you!" Clutching onto her cowbell, he started walking back the way he had come. Unexpectedly, he tripped over a fallen tree branch. Lee gave a quick yelp of surprise before hit his head hard on a large rock. Lee instantly blacked out.

--

'What a stupid boy,' Gaara thought as he jumped down from a tree branch above. He had been carefully watching the boy as he climbed his hill. First he had read his book and seemed content with what lay in the words. But when he had finished the tale he started talking to himself. Gaara had thought he had gone mental but he seemed alright. They were crazy thoughts, the ones the boy spewed out into nowhere but entertaining nonetheless. Thoughts mostly about a cow named Bell, which he was apparently searching for. After a while, the black haired boy went silent. Figuring he had learned to shush up, Gaara stopped paying complete attention to him and just followed.

"I wonder if he really does still live up here," the boy murmured with sadness in his voice. Gaara was so shocked to hear the proclamation that he almost fell out of the tree. Did the kid know about him? There's no way! Gaara shrugged it off. Convincing himself that he had misheard the black haired boy.

There was small yelp of shock.

Putting his attention completely back on the boy, he noticed that he was unconscious with a small river of blood flowing down his temple. Sighing, Gaara jumped down from his branch, frightening the cow. It mooed and quickly skittered off. This close up, Gaara was able to see just how lovely this boy looked. With his perfectly kept tresses to his tanned skin covering slightly muscled features.

Gaara knew though. He knew that this boy would react the same as all the others had. All the girls, those few boys, that screamed at his monstrous inside. This shell was all that kept him safe anymore. Gaara picked the boy up bridal style and started the short journey left up the hill. The boy should at least get tended to. Wouldn't want him freezing to death on his land.

That would just be tragic.