Laurent pressed closer to Beast’s body. “Why would you want that?”
Beast exhaled, pulling Laurent closer, and the memory of his old face, of all the things he missed out on for the last twelve years, flooded his mind along with that story about a man getting back his lost limb. “There are things I want.”
Laurent pressed his palm against Beast’s chest. “Is there no other way to get them? You never know what the devil might want in return, and… it could change you. Contact with this creature is best avoided.”
Beast’s heart beat faster against Laurent’s palm, and when they looked at one another, Beast knew one thing: he wanted the creature to change him. He wanted to be a man people didn’t turn away from, and who wouldn’t look odd next to Laurent when the two of them were out together. The name of Beast had become almost synonymous with him, but he still mourned the loss of his old self. “No, I can’t. I need those things. I need them. That’s why I collected all those notes in the office. I just never really believed I’d succeed.”
Laurent kissed Beast underneath the jaw. His lips were so soft and his touch so tender it almost physically ached to be such a monster next to him. If only Beast could become the man he should have been all along, Laurent would never leave him. He didn’t even need to live life as he used to, fucking around and hooking up with new people all the time. He’d changed since then, both in looks and on the inside. But no one ever saw his true self, only the scars, visible no matter how much ink he’d covered them with.
“I could try. For you. But I haven’t contacted him since I appeared here.”
Beast leaned closer, sensing heat spread throughout his body. His hands were so ugly against Laurent’s smooth, graceful ones. “Can you do it now? Please.”
And yet, Laurent still leaned down and gave Beast’s knuckles a kiss before getting up. “Let’s go to a mirror.”
“A mirror?” asked Beast but already rolled out of bed, briefly wondering if he shouldn’t wear something more formal than black pajamas, but he decided infernal beings likely didn’t care about such earthly issues. The sole thought made him choke out a laugh. Was it possible? Would he finally get what he’d been seeking?
In truth, Laurent’s story was still difficult to believe, even if Beast has chosen not to doubt him. Getting to experience the supernatural himself, would give him the evidence he needed.
Laurent seemed distant, but he was most likely just tense. “Yes, he came to me through a mirror, and I believe every mirror in this house could be a doorway for him.”
Beast’s breath caught when he remembered the never-ending frustration dusky mirrors caused in the house. “Is he... looking at us through them?” he asked, squeezing Laurent’s hand on the way out the door.
“I think so.” Laurent’s nose wrinkled when he frowned. “But I never think about it much when I wash my face or brush my hair. I don’t think he… The whole house is his domain, and I believe he knows of everything that goes on in it anyway.”
Beast licked his lips, suddenly uncomfortable. A being not of this world witnessed his and Laurent’s intimacy, and Laurent didn’t even care? “Okay. That doesn’t bother you?” he asked but followed Laurent to the only room in the apartment that contained a mirror. The bathroom.
Laurent groaned. “Whatever this devil is, he’s not a peeping tom. I doubt he thinks the way we do. Would it bother you if the trees were watching you?”
Bright light illuminated the modern bathroom, and the muddy residue on the tiles reminded Beast that they’d discovered a grave last night.
“The trees don’t have eyes,” grumbled Beast, curling his shoulders and psyching himself for... something. He had no idea what to expect so he tried to just calm down and be as open-minded as possible. Still, he flinched when Laurent opened the little cupboard, revealing the mirror image of them both in the sickly white light of the lamp above. The brightness only stressed the discoloration of Beast’s skin.
Laurent glanced up at him. “How do you know?”
The question gave Beast a nasty shudder, and he focused on the mirror instead. Despite the bright light, the glass seemed dimmed at the edges.
Laurent cleared his throat and stood on his toes to reach it over the sink. He rubbed his hand over the surface, giving Beast a nervous look. “I’m not sure how to go about it, so please bear with me.”
What if Laurent had found out about the skeleton buried on the property in some other way and this was an elaborate scheme after all? But why would anyone go through this much trouble? Hadn’t Beast decided to believe Laurent? He should stick with that decision and stop overthinking every single detail.