The Man Behind The Beast (BWWM) ✓

Chapter 9: Prepare The Food To The Melody

The song is Johanna from the musical Sweeney Todd. Please listen!! It's sooo beautiful and fits the scene so well. On the off chance that this video doesn't work, here's the link: https://youtu.be/SI0rTwpIE24

The dinner had gone well... Besides Mariano doing everything in his power to get me to come be his personal cook. I would be lying if I said I didn't consider it, but I had already grown so attached to this job. Lumiere, as much as an handful as he was, also had this humor to him that made cooking with him enjoyable... Of Course, after he tried heating the salad, I told him to stick to pulling out the ingredients and chopping the vegetables.

Mrs. Potts had been the breath of fresh air in this madness. She would sing to me as I cooked, or as she helped me do the dishes. Her voice was beyond anything I had ever heard before... It was so raw and beautiful.

Chip, on the other hand, was definitely a handful. I would find him in the pantry, curled up with a bag of chocolate chips as he played on his hand held device almost every day during his lunch period. I swear, I was about to put a lock on that door.

-

I was awakened by the sound of faint music as my body slowly stirred. I wasn't usually a light sleeper, so I couldn't necessarily figure out why I was up, but needless to say I got curious. Tossing the thick comforter off my body, I slid my feet into my house slippers, and got up.

House slippers were mandatory in this castle. December had arrived a few days ago, and the days had gotten much colder. While this home was heated perfectly, the wooden floorboards were still a cold, unpleasant surprise on my bare feet.

The music was still faint as I entered the hallway, but I could now distinctly hear that it was a piano. The way it was played was... Something I've never heard before.

I followed the sway of the melody as it brought me down corridor after corridor. Some looked to be familiar, but the lighting became more scarce, the further down I wandered, so I couldn't be too sure.

I ended up outside a door I did indeed recognize. It was propped open against some books, and there inside, at the right corner, sat Mr. DeGramont on the piano. I almost couldn't believe my eyes because first off: he wasn't in a suit, he was in a loose fitted shirt and some sweatpants, and secondly: his hair was in a carefree bun. The man I saw playing the piano had every resemblance of Mr. DeGramont, but there was just no way he could be him. I never saw him this... This relaxed before.

I almost felt as if I was intruding.

Almost.

Instead, I walked further into the room. I wasn't sure how, but immediately, it was as if he sensed me there because his body tensed up and he stopped playing. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you." He spoke, his voice low and rough, but this time, not as scary. I walked further up and took a seat beside the piano, so that I could see his face and clarify that this was really, in fact, Mr. DeGramont.

"It's okay." I replied, my voice slurred from sleep. "Please don't stop on my account." I added.

He nodded, placing his large hands gently back onto the keys, before he started once more. I noticed this song from the movie Sweeney Todd almost instantly. It was the melody of Johanna. The sound carried through the room, surrounding me as if it were a blanket of warmth.

As he played, I couldn't help but stare at him. Id never been this close to him before, yet, it didn't scare me like his proximity usually did.

If anything, I felt... Safe.

The song was beautiful, and he was playing it in such a soothing tone, I couldn't stop myself from laying against the edge of the piano. He glanced away from the keys to look at me every so often, and a few times, we held each others gaze.

Were his eyes ever this beautiful before?

I could feel my eye lids grow heavy.

Stefan DeGramont's POV

I couldn't help but stare at her, as her chocolatey brown orbs stared back. It was as if I was solely transfixed on her, and nothing else. I hadn't even noticed I was still playing until her head slightly moved with the rhythm of the music.  She propped her arm up against the side of the piano, and laid her head into it.

When she first entered this home, I couldn't believe her... Her beauty. She had this weird charm to her that drew me in, and it frightened  me.

I glanced back at her resting self again, and she was now fast asleep, as I reached the hook of the song. It had been a long while since I had even touched the piano, yet I forgot just how far the sound could carry through these empty halls. I had no intention of waking her, yet I was glad to see her. The week had been a busy one to say the least, and I hadn't spent much time at home.

As the song came to an end, a different problem presented itself. I wanted to go do some work before the sun came up, yet I didn't want to leave her in this room alone. I also didn't want to wake her.

Sighing, I finally came to a decision. I stood up from the bench, and walked around her. "Elle." I whispered, trying to see if she was still somewhat awake. I got no response.

I slid one hand underneath her legs, and the other, around her upper back, before pulling her up into me. She weighed close to nothing in my arms, as I carried her bridal style out of the piano room. Before I could even make it past the first hallway, I ran into Mrs. Potts.

"Well well well, what do we have here?" She asked, smile playing on her lips.

"She fell asleep while listening to me play. I'm just bringing her back to her room." I replied, dodging Mrs. Potts knowing eyes. She could read any and every emotion I expressed better than anyone else. I couldn't let her catch the faint redness of my cheeks, yet I was sure she already had.

"Mm, carry on, love." She nodded, walking past me and disappearing down another corridor.

Once I made it to her room, I was surprised to see that she had completely curled into my side. Her body emitted waves of warmth, and as I laid her down, I all but whimpered at the loss of heat.

She stirred slightly, before cuddling into the pillow as I pulled the comforter back over her. I took one last glance at her beautiful complexion, before leaving her chambers, and closing the door behind me.

-

"She glanced this way, I thought I saw
And when we touched she didn't shudder at my paw
No it can't be, I'll just ignore
But then she's never looked at me that way before..."

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