They shared the food in silence, but Laurent kept close to Beast, constantly pressing against his side, and Beast didn’t have the heart to ask him for a bit of space, so he could use his chopsticks comfortably. Hound lay at their feet, having fallen asleep soundly as soon as he realized he would not get any of the human food. It was all very homely and yet so odd. Beast couldn’t remember Laurent being so subdued in recent weeks.
Thunder rumbled behind the windows, and the rain was a constant background noise. After they had dessert, they cuddled for a while, but then Laurent got up, checking his watch with lips pressed into a thin line.
“Can you please wait here for a moment?” he asked Beast, who watched him with a smile slowly surfacing on his face.
Laurent likely wanted to apologize for that horrendous fit at the tattoo parlor. And if that included some kind of sexy surprise for Beast’s birthday, he would not say no. “Sure. Tell me when,” he said with a widening grin.
Laurent smiled back, but then rushed out of the room in an oddly nervous fashion, which made Beast confident that he was up for a birthday treat. There were still two hours to go until midnight, so he was happy Laurent wasn’t making him wait any longer. He thought back to the tattoo on Laurent’s skin. How now no matter what happened, Laurent would have a piece of Beast with him. If that was a kind of compromise between just being boyfriends and becoming Beast’s property, Beast could accept this. Clearly, Laurent cared for him if he wished to commemorate him in his own flesh, so maybe Beast should chill out and stop overthinking everything so much.
Laurent’s feet thudded against the floor as if he were wearing boots, but when he emerged from the corridor, he was in the same historical outfit as when they’d first met—indeed wearing boots—but without his glasses. Despite being happy to have it back after the dry clean, Laurent has never worn it since and just kept it in his room. From the tips of his boots, to the white collar of his shirt, he looked as if he’d stepped out of a costume drama. He was squeezing something in his hands.
Beast watched him, somewhat taken aback, and yet his brain was working at full speed, wondering what it was that Laurent expected. Did he wish to be fucked in those beautiful clothes that so complimented his natural beauty? “You look... lovely.”
Laurent stepped closer, even though his smile remained tense. “I would like you to have this,” he said and held out the pin that he’d gotten from his mother.
Beast looked at it, slowly growing cold. It was a priceless gift. One of such importance to Laurent that it should never be given away, and after a day of tense atmosphere the offer was getting Beast on edge. Something wasn’t right, and he didn’t know what.
All at once, his mind filled with horrible things, such as Laurent dumping him and wanting to leave behind something for Beast to remember him by. With his heart aching already, Beast asked, “What’s going on?”
Laurent swallowed, and since Beast sat on the sofa, he was the one looking down at him for once. The outfit seemed to make him taller and more mature as well, even though it was just an impression, and a kid in suit was still just a kid in a suit.
“I want to apologize to you. Where I thought you wanted to trap me, all you were offering was protection and affection. You must understand that I had been property before. For years, I lived as a servant, and all that I dreamed of was freedom.”
Beast’s head felt light when he leaned forward and squeezed Laurent’s hands above Hound’s massive sleeping body. They were warm, and soft, and wonderful, and Beast wanted nothing more than to take Laurent in his arms and keep him like that forever.
“That’s okay. That vest will be yours whenever you’re ready for it. I still want to see you wear it.”
Laurent’s breaths were heavy as he spoke. “I can’t take it. I don’t deserve it. You’ve been so kind to me, you gave me the gift of healthy eyes, and I’ve kept so many secrets from you.”
Beast exhaled and pulled Laurent closer where he eventually settled next to Beast on the sofa. Hound didn’t even stir.
“Don’t say that.” Beast sighed, gently massaging Laurent’s hands. They were so small, so full of grace when compared to Beast’s paws that all Beast wanted was to cherish them. He brought them to his lips and kissed each knuckle, overwhelmed by tenderness. “I keep secrets too. Like... that I really do care that I look this way. That I have been searching for a way to connect to your demon, because I hoped if I were my old self again... you wouldn’t want to leave,” he said softly, not daring to look into Laurent’s eyes and see disappointment. It sounded so pathetic, and yet there was such a visceral need in him to be truthful, to tell Laurent just how much he felt for him.