☐ ℬeauty & the ℬeast

[Clear]

No, marriage was out of the question. It was clear neither of them were even close to considering marriage, so forcing a permanent bond on the duo would shatter their fragile hearts. Or, at least his delicate and complex one.

Nikolai's eyes grazed across the room as he took a seat negligently on a random, plush chair.

When he finally spoke, it was in a bored tone. "No, I do not advise us doing that." His face was masked in the - per usual - stoic look; however, on the inside, his brain ticked in deep thought. He needed to find a way out of this, and it had to be quickly. Cheers to Nikolai's grandmother for being the crazy bitch she was.

He could think of many excuses to weasel Bea and himself out of this, but all plans centered on throwing Vera and Charlie into the spotlight and them flying away to another country where his grandmother would never find him. But that, of course, is a total douchebag move. The only other option plausible enough at the moment was to convince his grandmother that Bea was already married to someone else, and thus, it was illegal for her to wed. His grandmother would still force the marriage, even if they weren't ready. This was the only thing he could think of.

His gaze shifted sternly to Beatrice, and when they're eyes connected, he mouthed "play along".

At first, Nikolai attempted to speak to calmly to his grandmother in Russia about the makeshift predicament, she only brushed him off with saying "I don't care, I don't care."

But she did care. She had heard of Nikolai's past lovers, and then that girl who ripped his heart apart, and Bea's fake situation reminded the elderly woman of her. The older female slowly became more and more enraged and before the two knew it, there were necklaces and pearls spilling across the floor. His grandmother threw various objects at Nikolai's head, screaming about how 'it would end up like last time' and how he was an 'idiot, just like his father'. When Nikolai received a sharp blow to the face, blood starting oozing from the rather small gash.

Vera came into the room after hearing all the ruckus, and quietly guided Beatrice away before she became the center of attention. The bad kind of center of attention. Anger issues seemed to run in the family.

"What's happening?" Beatrice demanded, staring holes into the other female. Vera puffed out her cheeks in thought, and then led the Englishwoman to another room where things were a bit less quiet.

Beatrice was seated on a soft couch by a large bay window. The sun told the duo the time: twilight. Vera walked across the room from where Bea sat. Her heels were the only sound that resonated through the achingly silent room. "I 'm not accusing you of not loving my brother. But all I'm going to say is that you don't know sufficient details to be happ with him." Vera's back was faced towards the now confused Brit. When Bea spoke, it was evident that she had no idea what was, or what was going to happen. "I don't understand."

Vera sighed, and began pouring her entire being into the next few sentences. "Not to be rude, Ms. Fontaine, but truthfully...I hated you in the beginning. The way your personality was, or is, reminded me so much of her. She was what caused my brother to snap. She was the one who made him extremely distrust all humans... She was the one who turned him into a Beast." Vera's voice broke in several places, as she was speaking English. She made her way back over to Bea, and sat upright on the love-seat next to her.

"She was a blonde beauty, as well. Her hair was like satin and her eyes were those of a doe's: large and innocent. She was similar in appearance to you. The only difference was your eyes. Yours are pretty gems while hers were a warm brown. Her looks were enough to make men fall in love, but her personality literally screamed otherwise. She was just like you in that area too, an open spitfire with a prideful streak. In some ways, you two were the exact same, but only now do I realize you two are on the opposite sides of the playing field." Vera took a deep breath, contemplating whether or not she should tell Bea the full story. But, Vera trusted her.

"This...nameless woman had stolen Nikolai's heart within a blink of an eye. He was completely infatuated with her at first meeting. But you see, she was betrothed to someone else. This is why grandmother got so worked up over his excuse. But personally, it was dumb as shit to say that in the first place. That's also why you were bombarded by the press. They had thought you were the same woman from years prior. When they realized you were, in fact, a different woman, it was juicy gossip. Yes, well, now you can see why every Romanav that has crossed your path has been particularly nasty..."

"But you see, I don't hate you anymore. You are different. That...that bitch did terrible things to my brother. She broke him, and returned to haunt him every so once in a while to make sure he didn't forget that pain. I hate it so much!" Vera's face was contorted into a look of pain and misery at the same time. Remembering her only living sibling left broken like that...It made her want to scream until she could no more.

"Due to that woman's marriage and background-- as she was a poor commoner -- Nikolai and she would meet up once a month on the full moon. It was romantic, but tragic in a sense. He loved her enough to go out of his way to see her when he knew they would have to part eventually. Yet she couldn't leave without taking everything from him."

"The January of Nikolai's twenty-second birthday rolled around the same time their meeting was arranged, but she didn't show up. Nikolai became worried enough to track her down, but upon finding her, he was shell-shocked to see that she had become pregnant. At first, Nikolai thought it was her real fiancee's, but she had said it was his baby she was carrying. As a twenty-two year old man with a now pregnant girlfriend who was having an affair, he did the only thing he could and support her with money. She gained two-thousand dollars per month in support."

"Nikolai did not see the woman for the next eight months, as it would have been too risky for her and him alike. He did not complain, he did not attempt to seek her out once again, nor did he become hesitant to keep giving her money. It was obvious she was still around, as the money was being used. After almost half a year past, Nikolai finally saw to it to find her. He had wanted to give her enough time to raise 'their' son, and he assumed six months should have been enough time. When he arrived on her doorstep, that was when everything went out of control."

Vera turned to the very silent Beatrice who sat on the couch, saying nothing. She didn't even appear to be living until she told Vera to go on.

"So, this woman invited him into her humble abode while the husband was out, but within the first moment everything seemed out of place. For a poor family, this couple had oddly expensive furniture and sleek, modern decor. One might not have thought of it at the moment. Neither did my brother, but he was too happy to even notice this detail until the finality of what happen sunk into his brain. He requested to see his son, but every time that woman would deny with 'he's sleeping' or avoid the question. Finally, it struck Nikolai that she was being incredibly suspicious. As she was preparing food for a little snack, chopped strawberries to be exact, she would constantly ask how his work was going or ask if he would be able to make this month's deposit for her. Never once did she utter an 'I love you' or 'I'm glad to see you'. It was all about the money."

"Then, it all shattered. She turned around with the knife in her hand and asked: 'hey, I'm in your will, right Nikolai? You put me in there because you love me, yes?' Nikolai was too taken aback to say anything other than the truth--- yes. She sneered at him with a disgusting smirk, and giddily told him about how she loved him very much as well."

Vera took Beatrice's hands, holding back oncoming tears. "Alright, not to bring up you escapades but do you remember your little bath fiasco with my brother? Did you see the scar on the left side of his ribcage?"

She didn't wait to acknowledge and answer before she went on.

"Nikolai was stabbed there; he was stabbed with the knife she used to cut the strawberries with. She stabbed him. Stabbed him without remorse. The worst part of that was what she told him while he phased in and out of life: 'thank you for the money, Nikolai. I'll always love it. Especially after you pass.' She never loved Nikolai, never. Not once. The only thing she was after was all of his income. And in his will, Nikolai left all of his money to her while I gained his estates. She sucked his bank dry while he have her his undying love in return. Nikolai feigned loosing consciousness in order to make her flee. After she left, he crawled his way to a phone and called me first instead of the police to keep information from leaking out. I never knew if that was because he was still foolishly in love with her or he was clinging to the last bit of pride he could muster. I made my way over as fast as possible, but he had already fallen into black depths."

"Nikolai was in the hospital for a year. He had been in a coma. That whole time, our Grandmother and I prayed and cried at his bedside, fearing his death. However, the July of next year he awoke from that slumber. He was never the same after that. He was irritable, grumpy, and became what he was before he met you. It took me three years for him to tell me everything that happened. I had tried to hunt down that woman, but she had long since fled the country with her husband. I haven't seen Nikolai smile since he met you. To be honest, I was extremely jealous that you could make him do that while he felt miserable around me."

Vera closed off her story in tears. She was flinging her hands around wildly, and talking in half Russian and half English.

"Y-You want to know the worse part Beatrice?" The Russian woman rubbed her eyes dry while composing herself into a more ladylike posture. Beatrice only nodded in response.

"There was never even a baby. She never had gotten pregnant. She pretended she was to get child-support money from him. That's why her house was so nicely decorated. I wish he'd never met that...tha--" Vera took large gasps of breath, covering her face with her hands. She babbled to Beatrice in undecipherable Russian, but only one sentence came out clear:

"That's why, that's why you have to do your best to love my brother, okay?"

 

[Malfis]

Bea sat their listening. Her knuckles clenched whiter and whiter. Her face paled at every slight detail Vera mentioned. The white wedding dress hugged her body coldly. From what she heard, that woman was a wretched bitch. A emotion playing witch. She could nodded her head understanding how it felt. After all, she herself had once been engaged. However he said he wasn't "ready". What a lie. He was an uncommitted jerk that she broke away from. But then that bastard had the nerve to come crawling back. As the quote always stayed in her head, you can forgive but never again shall you trust.

Attempting to comfort Vera, she embraced the saddened woman was shaking at this point.

"Hm... I don't know if I could stop caring about Nikolai. Even though I'm young, I've had my share of relationships. And the one I have with him is special. It's indescribable. Delicate and true." Bea said softly, assuring her that she wouldn't dare hurt Nikolai. Worse come to worse, she herself would end up causing self harm on herself rather than another being.

Thinking about all that she had learned she quickly excused herself back into the room with Nikolai and grandma. Speaking calmly to the grandma, she explained that she would indeed marry him. The grandma gave her a look, as if to question why they weren't wedded yet. Pulling out her family card, she explained the family requirements of her parents. Something made up along the lines that she would get married only after the age of 24. The grandmother sighed, finally stopping. Surprisingly, the old woman seemed to have some fondness in Bea. The old woman unwillingly departed, still hollering about a wedding within two years. Bea sighed, glancing at Nikolai who seemed relieved.

"Mhmm what an eventful evening." Bea whispered.

As dinner was served later and things played out like usual. Bea took occasional glances at both Charlie and Vera who seemed in a full on battle against each other. Bea felt a new revered respect for Vera now that she heard about his past. As the clock ticked by, Bea snuck out like usual. Finding Nikolai's room, she plopped herself onto the bed with a sigh.

"Vera told me everything. I'm sorry..." Bea said, as a few glistening tears were about to brim out of her long eyelashes.

Bea wiped away the falling tears and sighed. At least he wouldn't be worried about her being a gold digger. She had status, title and money. Everything else was just utter crap and talent. It had already been three months, and their lives felt so peaceful and easy. Bea couldn't admit anything just yet. After all, she had first promised herself to study abroad and then worry about everything else.

"You know, I think that woman was horrible, even if you did marry her." Bea said softly, her hand gently running her fingers through his dark locks.

I can't bear to see you hurt.

Those words remained silent and unspoken but she hoped he acknowledged how much her feelings were growing. Strong and unrelenting.

 

[Clear]

He knew it would have come to that eventually. His story being let loose, to be exact. But, Nikolai was almost thankful Vera did it. If Nikolai had been the one to tell Bea about it, he'd leave out so many parts and probably cut his story short in fear Beatrice would become upset. And she had, but not as much if he had done it.

"Don't be upset, my dear," he spoke in his more calming, accented voice. He didn't want her to be sad, nor did he wish to see her tears. Nikolai pulled the woman into a tight embrace, rubbing imaginary circles into the center of her back.

"I honestly...don't care anymore. I know you might think I should, but I don't want to give a shred of my feeling to her. I want to work on expressing that anger into somewhere else; such as in the form of love and giving it to you and Vera---and even Charlie and my Grandmother. So please, don't worry about this. It's in the past, but that doesn't mean I will forgive her. Not now, not ever. All I need is for you to care about me. That may sound cliche, or maybe selfish, but I would probably be in more pain if you left than I would if my past came back to haunt me."

To reassure her some more, Nikolai kissed the top of her head, her cheek, and then the nape of her neck light enough for it to be almost undetectable but heavy enough for the sweetness to linger. He restrained from going any further. It would have been wrong, anyways. Nikolai just wanted to feel her warmth, and wanted her to feel his.

He closed his eyes and prepared for sleep, but the nights events rested on his mind. He was happy his grandmother had left, but was worried about how Beatrice would look at Nikolai after hearing his tragic history. Or at least part of it.

From out in the hall, Vera screamed at Charlie to get out of her sight. A few seconds later there was a loud, resonating 'thump' sound and undetectable shouts and protests against whatever was being thrown at, and or hit.

Nikolai smiled.

Their constant fighting was oddly soothing at this type of night. He was happy those two wouldn't change in the time of Nikolai's transition from being a beast to being a more dignified person. He want to show off his justified pride, he wanted to show off Bea as his, he wanted to tell everyone about how perfect his sister was. But more than ever, Nikolai wanted people to care about him instead of his money or looks. But for that to happen, he needed to change his outlooks.

Slowly, Bea was changing him. His sister too, and for that he was thankful---grateful.

More hollers and wild fighting came from out in the corridor. A low chuckle came from Nikolai. He closed his eyes and sighed in relaxation. Even in the midst of chaotic hell...

Everything would be okay for now.

 

[Malfis]

A few weeks later ...

Bea was wrapped around in a thick plaid blankets while laying almost half asleep on the couch. She had gotten a fever thanks to Charlie. A few weeks ago, her idiot of a brother decided to spend the night partying again. This time he returned with germs, which affected everyone around him. Charlie himself had been terribly sick, the common loud racket of his voice and Vera was numbed down from the pass weeks. Nikolai had a light cold and nothing more. Vera on the other hand had fallen into a fever just like her. As Charlie himself had gotten better, he spent his time teasing Vera. He still got a few occasional hits but their relationship was still quite amusing yet sweet. Bea had observed her brother actually showing concern for a girl outside of family blood ties. There was seriously something interesting going on behind their dramatic scenes and arguments. She vowed to interrogate him sometime.

On the other hand, Nikolai took care of Bea. She hated being sick. Ever since she was a child, she had hallucinations when it came to fevers. Many of the things she did could be embarrassing and stupid. The last thing she wanted to do was shame herself around Nikolai.

As she laid on the bed, sipping the hot chocolate, she felt herself becoming cooler.

She fell into sleep dreaming about Nikolai. Vivid imagery played in her mind. Oh how she thought up about ridiculous scenarios.

To her embarrassment she woke up finding herself clinging onto Nikolais neck who was carrying her into his room. She felt his body shake as she realized within a few seconds that he was laughing.

"What are you laughing about?" Bea murmured a pout on her face.

"Oh nothing, nothing at all love." He said, his strong arms still wrapped around her as he easily carried her away.

His reply was a lie, she knew it. She must have said something really stupid. Or amusing, but whatever it was, it cracked him up. She was curious but didn't have the energy to ask. As he set her down on the bed, he checked her temperature with the palm of his hand. Bea sighed, the heat unbearably hot. Pushing away the layers of blankets, she laid on the bed with her silky link pajama nightgown . The fabric was smooth and expensive, gentle and soft against her fair skin.

Sitting up and letting her long blond curls fall down, she grasped forward for kisses. Leaning in, her hands rested on his cheeks, slowly moving around his neck again. She wanted to indulge herself in so much more but common sense still kept her intact, refusing for her to continue. Her soft lips pressed against his as her fingers had trailed off, her grip on his shirt tightened. So many things she wanted but she couldn't. Not unless she wanted to die and break her childhood promise of abstinence. Letting go and parting she found her head rest against his broad muscular shoulders, finding immense happiness with his gentle grasp around her waist. Falling slightly asleep she whispered one more sentence before blacking out into the starry blue darkness.

"I want all of you, but will you have me?"

Unusual choice of words placed strategically for him to decipher.

 

[Clear]

A cruel thing to do was laugh at the flushed face of your girlfriend's face, but she was so hilarious at the moment, it didn't occur to Nikolai that it was sort of a douche mood to do that. Bea had been swaying back and forth, unsteady and unbalanced. Her cold was much worse than his; a simple cough and slight sinus pressure was all.

As she popped a quite surprising question for the unsuspecting male, he withdrew his hand from her forehead and smiled. Such a tease.

Nikolai leaned down to kiss her lips softly. He was wary about exchanging viruses, but he didn't care after the first touch. "Of course I want you." It was a mixture of the truth and the aching pain he felt in his heart. He had Bea at his fingertips, but he wasn't allowed to touch. Only a slight look before he ushered himself along. She was exactly like a glittering gem enclosed in a sealed box.

"I want everything," he answered with a smirk, "but you don't know how bad I can get."

"Jealousy, anger, temper. You'll have to deal with my flaws. You're going to get the full package, and you can't back out once you're in. Understand? You'll be mine without an escape." Bittersweet. His love was bittersweet indeed.

Nikolai shifted himself so he was laying on top of Bea, holding her arms at the side of her head. She was unlikely to move. Being sick was a huge disadvantage for the poor girl.

At moments like these, there was usually an interruption. It happened in every cliche fairy tale. However, there was no interruption between the duo's little party. The Russian man peered down at Beatrice who's eyes were closed. Her mouth was twisted up into a smile. He suspected she thought she was dreaming. Or, something like that. Nikolai reluctantly removed himself from the position he'd been in, and climbed off the bed with a little sigh. Screw knives, Bea's provocation was going to be the real killer in the end. Looking back towards the bed, Bea was staring at him with a wide-eyed look. He made his way back over, and pushed her back into her usual sleeping curve. Nikolai covered her with a quilt, saying nonsensical things about how 'she had to sweat out her fever'. The male left the room for several minutes, and returned with a glass of water and some pills.

She had long since fallen asleep.

He left with a silent 'get well soon' and made his way down to the den where Vera and Charlie were watching some sort of zombie movie. Nikolai popped up behind Charlie, who jumped at the sudden materialization of him. Nikolai's eyes flickered back and forth between his sister and Charlie. Surely, Bea noticed this too. Nikolai placed a wide smile on his face, and climbed onto the couch between Charlie and Vera. It was a tight fit, and their arms were squished painfully together.

The room was silent except for the sounds of zombie shrieks and gun fires. A few moments later, Vera bursted into a coughing fit to the point of her struggling and gasping for air. Nikolai's gaze flickered quite angrily towards Charlie, whom stared worriedly at the woman. The brother of said woman, whispered some words in Russian that sounded oddly like "this is all your fault."

 

[Malfis]

The previous nights memories were barely recalled as Bea woke up sniffling, her eyes watering. She sat up, wrapping herself in the heat of the blanket. At least her temperature had gone slightly down. And her throat was no longer tingling in pain. Nikolai was no where in sight and Bea felt her heart drop. Even though they weren't exactly 'serious', she still liked waking up to his face. She gagged at the thought of being one of those girls, the clingy needy little child baby. Unwillingly, she got up from the bed and trudged into her room, showering and feeling much better now that she was refreshed. Pulling over a long sweater and leggings, she felt great.

Just as she was about to open the door, Charlie appeared looking like a crazed dog. His eyes darted around as he forcefully entered, locking the door with a click. Confused, Bea looked at him with utter puzzlement.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" She asked accusingly.

He paced back in forth for awhile until he turned around glancing at Bea straight in the eye, his cheeks flushing pink. "I- ... You know that feeling when you care for someone more than your own being? Not just because of family connection?"

Bea smirked, knowing full well of what he was trying to state. "Yes brother, why do you ask?"

"Let me just say that I nearly- nearly confessed something yesterday night. You know how fucking akaward it is...?" He said, looking more panicked and worried.

Bea stiffed her laughter, amazed at how flustered he could get. So a special someone had changed his heart.

"My best advice is to put your emotions out there and wait for acceptance or rejection Sitting around and playing guessing games will get you know where."

Charlie didn't even bother to nod or agree, instead he ran out of the room slamming the door. Bemused, Bea went downstairs to find Vera still looking sick. Despite the sickness, she seemed to be distracted with something else hidden inside her thoughts. The woman stirred the oatmeal, playing with it but never lifting it to her mouth. Bea herself grabbed a quick piece of toast and drank down the cup of milk. Asking one of the servants where Nikolai was, she found out that he was in his private study room, resting from breakfast.

Happily she went to search for him like a child wanting her toy. She didn't bother knocking and opened the door. Nikolai was silently snoozing, his breathing went up and down at a consistent rate. She placed her hand on his forehead. At least he wasn't sick, seemed like he was exhausted.

 

[Clear]

Nikolai twitched awake at the sound of a crash and screaming. His sister's screaming. The man stumbled over Bea, who had been taken aback by the sounds, too. The two of them rushed out of the office with confused faces. Their looks only contorted into more wonder when the two figures of Vera and Charlie popped into sight. Vera was clutching what seemed to be an oatmeal covered spoon in her right hand while an empty coffee cup was in her left hand. Charlie was soaking wet.

"Don't fuck with me!" She flung her spoon at his face, hitting his forehead right on mark.

"That's so low! To lie about your feelings like that! Did you think I was stupid?! How do you love me when you go out and whore around every night. And you got me sick from it, too! Get out of my sight, get out of my sight, BASTARD!" Vera crumpled to her knees, coughing and clutching her chest where her heart was.

Charlie attempted to rush over to help, but he was only rejected once more by blitzing Russian insults. Nikolai guided the poor man out of Vera's sight while Beatrice helped Vera up and attempted to find some ailments for her spastic coughing. The only thing Bea could feel was guilt for kind of forcing her brother into this situation, but she didn't expect him to immediately tell Vera he was in love with her.

"Are you okay? Does anything hurt?" She asked as she handed the other woman liquid medicine. The nasty cherry kind, of all things.

Vera gulped it down without complaint, but gagged at the disgusting taste. "Yes," she spoke in a low tone, "my head and my heart." She looked away with a frown. Looking so weak in front of others always put her in an uncomfortable state. "Why would he stoop that low? D-Did you tell him that I... I had feelings for him?"

Bea forced a smile down and replaced it with a serious look. "No. I didn't. But you should listen to him Vera. Something tells me Charlie isn't lying. Trust me, I'm his sister."

Something in the back of the Englishwoman's mind told her that her brother and a very mischievous Russian man were having a similar conversation. Only, Nikolai was probably messing with Charlie's head.


Bea was right, as Nikolai smirked in satisfaction at every sentence that he spoke. However, he would revert to being solemn and understanding at Charlie's pitiful attempts to explain. It was big brother's duty to act as a tough man in front of his sister, but in times like this (and only for Charlie) Nikolai would reveal every little thing about Vera for Charlie to win an advantage. "Good luck."

 

[Malfis]

By afternoon, Bea lurked around her brother and Vera. She could feel the tenseness as she had managed to trick them into one room. Locking the door like the clever girl she was (sarcasm). Peeping through a small hole in the wall, she listened attentively. Glad to see that no one was around to watch her being a strange snoop. The view was just perfect, she could see that Charlie was trying to explain something while Vera simply glared at him. Her arms crossed. Thankfully neither of them had anything in their hand to cause another loud racket.

Bea watched as her brother said something, his face more serious than she usually saw it. There was no sign of mischief or lies, instead he actually keeled down in front of her and said something that seemed to move Vera's heart. Though she still punched him in the chest she ended up smiling. As Bea watched, she could only giggle to herself. The two could be perfect soap actors and actresses. They sure had a dramatic flair with everything.

Just as they walked out of the room, Bea casually stalked behind him. They walked outside in the cold, stopping at one of the old garden benches. His arm was around Veras and then he pointed at something in the sky. An overhead airplane loomed and buzzed about. Bea gasped, her eyes widening. Right there in the sky pronounced for all of Russia to see.

"Vera Alexis Romanov, will you have the honor of being married to an idiot like me. - signed, Charlie Fontaine"

Bea could barely contain her surprisement and excitement. Nikolai had nearly scared the crap out of her when he appeared out of nowhere behind her. She pointed to the sky and his own eyes widened. They barely had a relationship, sure it had been sixth months but all the things that had happened, what the hell really happened??? Still hiding and observing, she watched Charlie get on his knee and actually propose to the speechless Vera, who of course yelled at him before turning red and nodding her head shyly.

Bea quickly took out her phone and emailed her parents. Hell, their father would be amazed that Charlie was the first to actually settle down. Mother and father had betted on James being the first to get married out to a lovely pretty trophy wife with some kind of smarts. But Bea was sure both her mother and father would approve, hopefully. Even if they didn't, Charlie wouldn't have given a fuck about it. As they sat there for awhile, Bea crawled back into the house, bathing in the heat. Sitting next to Nikolai she yawned.

"Alright, I swear. I never thought he would do something like that. But I'm proud of him, when he's committed, he's committed." Bea felt a twinge of envy but knew she should be happy for the two of them. After all, she was right. They did have something deep. Love, yeah that's what it was. Love.

 

[Clear]

Nikolai laughed nervously, but he would have to lecture the fuck out of Charlie later.

Especially: No touching my sister until you two are married.

Because then, he would feel similar the similar pain Nikolai was under every time he resisted himself. That wasn't the point, anyways, the point was the Fontaines were returning to the manor and dear God, Nikolai's grandmother. Bea, who stood next to Nikolai, clutched his arm as her phone rang out a shrill sound. Instead of an e-mail, this was a call.

Bea was excited, nervous, happy, and awestruck at the same time. Her face expressed it all. She chatted rapidly into the speaker. There was a huge smile on her face. The way her emotions changed so quickly to one mood to another amused Nikolai quite a bit. He wrapped her into a hug and dragged her back into the house. Someone who was just recently sick should not be out in the cold weather.

Nikolai waited until she was done on the phone to ask what the verdict was.

Of course, they were coming.

Three weeks hadn't even passed before the Fontaine family came whirling into Nikolai's manor once more. He was glad however, that the attention wasn't on his relationship with Bea. Nope, now it was his sister in the spotlight. It was even kind of funny how they all looked at her like she had three heads. She hadn't been here the first time the Fontaine's came to visit. And Nikolai supposed she wasn't like the other women he brought home on occasion.

 

[Malfis]

Bea laughed nervously as they interrogated Vera. Their mother had been the most welcoming and sweetest, greeting her now future daughter in law with great kindness. On the other hand her father seemed impress with Charlie. He chatted in Russian with Vera, surprising both Bea and Charlie. They both managed to ramble on about the stupid things Charlie could do. Charlie himself rolled his eyes slightly embarrassed. James had a poker face expression as usual but cracked a smile, congratulating Charlie. Stephen on the other made a few jokes and turned around asking Bea when she herself would wed "her knight in shining armor," as he stated towards Nikolai.

Bea merely brushed off is comment. Sure a part of her wanted to be able to declare that she was going to marry Nikolai. But it was official, the two weren't ready just yet. They still had a long road of things up ahead. Charlie just happened to be quick in decisions and tended to know what he wanted. And when he had it, he never let go. Bea on the other hand preferred to wait things out and explore her options. Figure out her choices before falling down one concrete path.

As the afternoon continued, it could be stated that the family was impressed with Vera. Bea's mother declared that the wedding planning should be held either in England or Russia. By the looks of things, Vera had graciously said she would think about it. They weren't in a rush after all. They had a couple of months to plan and such. Plus savoring an engagement was another way to strength her and Charlies relationship. Though the most fazed was still their father who shook his head with slight laughter, stating that he never saw this coming.

While they were chatting among themselves, James pulled Bea aside. Whispering something which caused her to look at him in surprise. Apparently he had asked for both father and mother to plan an engagement and they were actually going through with things. He said that he didn't want to break the news to Charlie who would blab about things and Stephen was too "young" to understand anything just yet. He requested that Bea come home sometime and judge the eligible bacheloretts. Since her opinion was quite important to James himself.

Bea sighed, going back home to England. Now thinking about things, she was starting to get homesick. Sure she loved Russia but she wanted to see the familiar gray fog and the small streets, let the rain fall and cool down the temperature. At least everything would be unfrozen. But she didn't want to part with Nikolai. Maybe if he was willing to go with her, they wouldn't be separated.

That night, Nikolai had gratefully offered the whole family to stay for the night. Both her mother and father accepted. James seemed cool about it since he found keen interest in the library that held volumes of text. Stephen on the other hand played with the dog, finding company among the servants and employees of the house.

At night, Bea was now accustomed to sleeping besides Nikolai. She broke the news about James request. Hoping he would agree. She planted a soft kiss upon his lips, hoping to sway him into agreeing. It would be nice for him to visit her home country after all. But she knew once she went back, the flood of suitors and balls would follow. So long as she had Nikolai besides her, no one would dare to approach or ask. She waited earnestly.

"Will you? For me?" She asked, her eyes large, acting like a pleading puppy.

She laid down, leaning into him as she waited for him to speak. The warmth of his body temperature and the sheets made her feel at ease. She wanted him to say yes. Yes. But if he didn't, this would be like a test of their relationship. To see if it could survive with distance. She didn't want to think about the options of no. No, what a pessimistic word. No. Rejection. That's what the word "No" was. A horrible complex way of turning down a person's thoughts or ideas. Silently she hoped he would agree. She knew that he loved living in Russia ... but a little trip would never hurt anyone.

 

[Clear]

Going to England only seemed fair to Nikolai. Beatrice has been residing in his manor for the past half a year without much complaining. He pondered over the pros and cons, but his mind had already been made up. Of course, he said, "yes."

Nikolai's mind wandered of as Bea smiled and hugged him. She seemed excited to introduce him to her homeland. He himself hasn't really been to any European countries. Business mainly had him travel to exotic places and the Americas. He had heard rumors of it raining buckets and buckets there; being from Russia where it snows, this was a foreign concept to him.

"Although I am interested to see your country, Beatrice, don't you pity your brother a little bit?" Nikolai started speaking in his native tongue due to his weariness. This whole day just wore his body out to unexplainable extents. "I mean, isn't he a little bit upset that he can't fall in love with someone out of a selective group?"

Nikolai was well aware this man was perfect. No exaggerations. James was a perfect Prince Charming. Bea had explained to him that he was virtuous in every way possible. Not one had he strayed out of the pre-painted lines of his monochrome English life as an heir.

To Nikolai, and anyone for that matter, it seemed almost robotic. But hopefully -Nikolai was praying- James would fall in love with one of the specially hand-picked girls. That way he could have some fun for once in his life.

"No, James is James. I'm sure he'll be fine with whatever is thrown at him," Bea smiled, planting another kiss upon her boyfriend's lips. He just simply nodded and let his mind trot back into a dream-like trance. He was infatuated with the idea of rain. He hadn't seen it in one or two years. Not once has he ever been in a thunderstorm, however. The cracks of thunder and the bright lashes of lightning dazzled his mind. People thought they were scary, Nikolai assumed they were like Nature's arguments.

"Hey, Beatrice, what's England like?" He looked down on the drowsy figure. He smirked at her cute, tired face and wrapped his arms around her torso to distribute warmth.

 

[Malfis]

Thoughts about James roamed Bea's mind as she thought of her brothers marriage arrangement. He never objected against traditions and he always did things with simplistic manners. Mother and father must have been content with James choices, as he fulfilled the ideals of Fontaine nobility. Never did Bea remember James rebelling, sure he got angry but it was always reasonable. He only had a girlfriend once and it wasn't even a relationship. The girl was pretty and admired James while James saw her pretty and a wonderful ballet dancer. Nothing progressed and the two ended up being best friends. Strange.

"England ... is rainy and foggy but its beauty lies in its history and old remnants." Bea said yawning a bit. She was tired. Within a few weeks they would be flying back home and going home meant trouble.

She had recently kept getting calls from friends. Plus she still had the responsibility of finishing her studies. If either mother or father found out that she had been slacking, they would lecture and kill her ... well her father would do the killing. With all the years of studying and education, she could conclude that education was useful but burdensome. Like a sheet of paper determined one's intelligence ... ridiculous.

Bea kept her arms wrapped around him but she didn't feel exactly at ease that night. Her mind kept planting seeds of doubt. Would things be alright if they went to England? Would she and Nikolai still have their strong relationship? She didn't know. But she remembered the promise she kept with Vera and she held it close to her heart.

 

[Clear]

Thoughts popped through Nikolai's mind at a rapid-fire pace as well. Was this considered a "next level" in someone's normal relationship? Probably no, but considering how abnormal things were, i.e., the way the two met, their pasts, their untrusting hearts, a 'normal' relationship did not apply to them whatsoever. Even if they weren't what you would call the usual, Nikolai was happy with the way things were now. He wouldn't change a thing about it. He could only help Beatrice felt the same way about this---and everything. If he was the only one to be fretting about such small things, oh how embarrassing that would be to his iron pride that had almost gotten him slaughtered.

"Good night, love," he whispered softly in Russian. It was evident that Bea fell asleep minutes after that. Her breathing evened, and she loosened her grip on Nikolai's fingers. He didn't even notice she was holding them until her piano player-like fingers unlaced themselves from his and fell free. Not long after that did he fall asleep.

Nikolai rose early, earlier than Bea, at least. He slunk out of bed in zombie-fashion. The sun wasn't even peaking over the horizon so it was still a sunken blue color outside. Silently, he clambered down into the kitchen. Surprisingly enough, Vera was down in the dimly-lit room. She was leaning against a counter, staring at her ring finger on her left hand. She was smiling.

"Good morning," the Russian brother stretched his limbs; they popped in relaxation. She barely lifted her head up to acknowledge his existence as she mumbled out a "you too".

Nikolai poured himself coffee and plucked a semi-stale piece of bread from a cabinet. He munched on it in silence, staring at his sister's pleasure-filled face. "I'm leaving for England soon. I'm going to trust Charlie to stay here. He better not do anything," Nikolai said between the mouthfuls of his crunchy, yet surprisingly soft, rye slice.

Vera only said 'okay'.

Nikolai gulped down the last piece and shook his head as he walked out of the room. He headed back towards his and Bea's room to pack a bag. The thought of 'their room' made him smile. Gradually, she had made that into her room equally.

Once he passed through the threshold, it was obvious to him that she was awake. Bea had her arms cradling a pillow while her mischievous eyes peered up to his own from under her long eyelashes. "Good morning, you had a good sleep, da?" He asked, as he made his way over to bend down and plant a kiss on her temple.

He shuffled away from her shortly after to beginning packing for the trip. It looked like she wanted to say something, but she never did.

 

[Malfis]

Going back home was scary yet exciting at the same time. Bea remained quiet on the whole trip while she listened to the music in her headphones. If she wasn't eating or watching tv, the girl was sleeping. She braced herself because back at home, many people were ready to greet her. Some she didn't want to see while others were dearly loved ones. Once the plane had finally landed, Bea saw the familiar outlined structures of her hometown. The familiar governess had appeared, her wrinkly skin staring at her with slight disapproval but it was cast aside with a glimmer of happiness. This woman had been the tutor of her life, like a second mother. She could already see the stares that Nikolai was getting but Bea brushed the glances casually aside.

As the private car drove, Bea hummed to herself as her head rested on Nikolais shoulder. The car eventually pulled up to iron gates, the land wide and green. The house was somewhat fairy tale like with bits of modern fashion. She saw her father standing at the door to greet her. He had a cautious look on his face when he saw Nikolai. Though the old man greeted the two warmly. He whispered that since the two had spent quite awhile together, Nikolai might as well propose to Bea and get her off their hands. Bea rolled her eyes, saying "dadddd" with a whine. As she headed inside, her luggage was dropped onto the floor as the older maids quickly carried them away. The two had some time to relax before night, when the official mixer would begin for James.

Bea re-entered her room. The familiar stuffed animals laid on the crisp clean bed like she had never left. Her wardrobe was etched with gold. Everything was so sweet and innocent, like a child hood memory. She too a quick shower and dressed in a simple cocktail dress and wedges, nothing too glamorous or over the top. Luckily, Nikolais room was just across the hall from hers and she knocked on his door. The clock had already struck 6 and the dinner party was starting. Making their way to the grand hall, she found her mother and father both dressed quite nicely. There was a huge swarm of ladies, of all different heights and ages. Some stared hungrily at Nikolai but Bea kept him close. James had appeared and she saw some of the girls attempting to attract him like a bee to honey.

The evening was tiresome but Bea was happy. A few of the girls were quite friendly and lively, like a cute petite redhead named Brianna. Though she found a few irritating as they clung torwards James or herself, fishing for answers to please them. In the end, James seemed to have narrowed his selection to Brianna the charming red head, a blond smart ass named Victoria and a sweet yet blunt girl named Cecily. Her parents approved and things would just start rolling from here.

As the party ended and Bea went back into her room, she saw the number of missed calls on her phone. And they were all from the same person. Daniel Leroy. He was a very close friend to Bea who had continually and persistently tried to date her. He wasn't a bad guy since Bea always ended up going to him for comfort. But Bea was a bit scared of his obsessiveness nature. He was a man with wealth and status that could match the Fontaines. As she listened to his voice over and over again, she heard him plead and beg. Bea was surprised all of a sudden when a pebble hit the window of her room. The familiar figure of Daniel stood outside, dressed in black. He was lean and athletic as he climbed up to her room, which wasn't too difficult.

"Beatrice Fontaine, I've missed you." He said giving her a hug.

"Hello to you Daniel, it's been awhile..." Bea said, her inner turmoil whirling like a violent sea. This boy- this man, he was jepordizing her relationship with Nikolai.

And Bea remembered Daniel well. He helped her, sacrificed things for her, even cared for her when her engagement with Thomas broke off. He was dear to her but now that he realized his mistakes, he wanted to do anything to have Bea. Even if it meant destroying Nikolai.

 

[Clear]

Nikolai had immense jet lag. He left his girlfriend alone for all of fifteen minutes to relax his muscles in a warm bath, rose-scented, of course. He returned to the room dripping wet and in only a towel only to find Bea with some man around her age. Alone. In a bedroom. Hugging.

Alright.

That lit the fire to jealousy. He stared at the man, and then back to Beatrice. He couldn't help but to give her a cold stare; the same look he had when he first saw her. Nikolai was about to protest in extreme anger, but the voice in the back of his head screamed at him not to be so clingy. The other part of his brain began remembering his past girlfriend, and the Russian man almost gave himself a panic attack. Instead, he did the sensible thing and said, "excuse me, but could you two reminisce in the hall. I need to get dressed." He didn't mean for his voice to sound so venomous, but it came off as extremely annoyed. It was justifiable though, the way he saw it. Your girlfriend hugging a strange man who gave off the obvious vibe of being in love with her. The window was open, and it looked like he climbed through it. Wonderful.

When the man didn't budge, Nikolai took his clothes from the dresser and left the room, slamming the door. He got changed into a simple black shirt and jeans. Outside of Russia and work, he didn't need to be so fancy.

The thoughts of moments earlier loomed in his head heavily. Nikolai had to remind himself she wasn't like 'her'. But, the only person he could go to was James. He would be unbiased, and logical about this thing. He found the said male surrounded by his "choices"--- the girls he chose to fight over his spot for a bride. Nikolai introduced himself to the three of them briefly. He sat next to James while Cecily was on his left.

It was like James knew something was wrong. He, as predicted, asked what was wrong. Nikolai, also as predicted, spilled the beans. After finishing the story in a less than happy manner, everyone was listening in. Cecily, like her personality stated, let off everything that popped into her mind. None of it was really useful except for the "we should get a background check" part. However, James deemed that unnecessary since it seemed he knew the male Nikolai spoke of.

 

[Malfis]

While Bea was chatting with Daniel, ignoring everything else. The scene moved towards James.

He had paid attention to mostly Cecily for the time being, find her to be intelligent and quite straight to the point. He found Victoria's sass quite intimidating at times and being around Brianna sometimes left them with nothing to talk about. Though James kept this to himself, wanting to get his parent's approval as well as Beas.

James attention was turned to Nikolai who looked quite furious and desperate at the same time. James sighed, Daniel Leroy. That man was troublesome but he always had good intentions for Bea and himself but no one else. The man was creepily infatuated with his sister. Ignoring the voices of the three lovely ladies, James decided to explain.

"Daniel Leroy was a family friend, his mother being friends with ours. From childhood, he always attempted to assume the role of a big brother to Bea. We took him in as a sibling since he was the only child his mother had born. He was a quiet and kind child, thinking about others before himself. This caused him a lot of regret in the future.

When both Bea and Daniel grew up, they had become best friends. Bea had never saw Daniel in that light but Daniel saw himself with her. But he didn't mention one single thing. The poor boy kept quiet through all of Bea's relationships, always there for her when we were sometimes absentminded. Eventually it came to a point that Bea had whole heatedly trusted him but we all warned her that it was dangerous.

The true reason for Beas broken engagement to her ex-fiancee was because of Daniel. Not directly though. Thomas was a selfish man who liked to keep things for himself. When he continually saw Daniel and Bea together, the man himself got envious. Not that I would blame him. So eventually Thomas broke off their engagement, too terrified to see what would happen after marriage. After all, marriage requires faith and trust and sad to say, many men doubt my sister.

When their engagement broke off, Daniel had decided to beg Bea for a chance to date. And they did temporarily but Bea ended up breaking up. It was crazy, for he called almost every single day. Trying to ask for forgiveness. Daniel stuck to her like glue, continually reminding her off the things he did for Bea. One of the main reasons for Bea leaving England was to escape Daniel. Now that she's back, that man will stop at nothing to have my sister. Even if it means getting rid of you. So Nikolai Romanov, you better do something quick. Because Bea's heart swinging back and forth like a pendulum. "

The liveliness of James attitude died down as the girls around him listened attentively. Despite the ugly truth, it was something Nikolai needed to know. James himself personally found Daniel to be a parasite, an unfitting match to for his dear sister, Beatrice.

 

[Clear]

Do you know that feeling like you're being stabbed in the heart? Oh wait. Yeah, Nikolai had a pretty clear idea of that.

"So you say, James," he finally broke the silence with a sad ring to his voice, "I don't...I care immensely for your sister, I trust her deeply, and I don't want to let this David guy get in our way." Daniel was now David the Douchebag in Nikolai's fantasies. "But...I'm...or actually we aren't ready to admit love to each other. And don't you think she should realize that I'm not going to fling myself at her to stop her from leaving. Sure, I'm going to fight like hell, but I can't do anything about it if she goes with Daniel because then I know the truth and how she sees me."

Nikolai hadn't realized it, but his face was starting to melt into the epitome of sadness and he looked downright pitiful. He really, really didn't want to loose Bea, but if she left him for Daniel, all he could do was respect that decision so their break-up wasn't as nasty as the last. But, you sure as hell better believe it that Nikolai would weasel his way into everyone of their meet-ups, their conversations, and run-ins. Nikolai wasn't letting David be alone with her. He knew he couldn't touch him, though, as past loves for Bea always seemed to have some kind of emotional attachment. She was too sentimental, damn it.

He had to play this like a game of chess.

For his first act; introducing himself to Sir D. Douchebag.

He would purge his weaknesses from the depth of his body. He already knew the main one, Bridgette. Kissing her, holding hands...if he did all those things in front of Daniel, he may snap like some insane shojo yandere and attempt to kill Nikolai in his sleep. He would need other things to use to his advantage.

"So, I'm guessing everyone around here knows about Douc- Daniel? Are you the best to ask for information or what?" If needed, Nikolai was going to go around and beg all of the maids to tell him every.single.detail. For now, he could only rely on James.

It's something called Brotherly Bonding.

 

[Malfis]

"He has a temper ... and tends to act out quite irrationally when angry." James said softly.

He was happy to help Nikolai, not because he felt like it but because he saw Nikolai as something eminently important to Bea. Even though she might not have realized it yet, she was going to need Nikolai more than Daniel.

Elsewhere, Bea pushed Daniel slowly away from her. She was getting frustrated. She was flattered by his emotions but her heart was set on Nikolai on the moment. And it was petrifying to say "at the moment", what if chose to do something else. She didn't want to. She simply didn't want to. Angry at the fact that he was so stubborn. At this rate, she would become an old spinster. Waving him to get out, he attempted to kiss her on the cheek but she shoved him away. He was so sweet but so dense at the same time. He just couldn't understand. She didn't want him. The more he got involved, the worse of events occurred.

She found Nikolai looking a bit irritated, but she quietly entered, his eyes staring at her with such a painful expression.

"I know you saw." She said softly, placing her body against his.

"I don't like him but he won't leave." She said quietly.

"Sometimes I wish I was just ordinary. Whatever that means."

She placed a kiss on his lips, reassuring him that she wanted little to do with Daniel. But he seemed too deep in thought. In truth, Bea was just tired. Tired that her life had to be so busy with all these pointless factors in her life. She just wanted to be blissfully happy.

 

[Clear]

Funny thing was, in the pit of his gut, Nikolai couldn't trust her words. It's not that his mind didn't screamed at him to trust every letter of every sentence (because you better believe it was) but he couldn't get over the things with Thomas and how she always seemed to cling to the men from the past. Not that she was anything short of a whore. Beatrice just couldn't let go of the men she'd dated. Nikolai on the other hand, just kicked all of the females who attempted to break-up his relationship with her off to the side.

He shoved down his whirring emotions -ranging from jealousy to anger to frustration- and embraced her into a warm hold. He would probably end up suffering through this process, but the only thing he could do was make it so that Bea knew he was starting to fall in love with her and would be damned if some punk from the past came back to snatch her away.

"Please don't leave me," his voice trembled as he clutched onto her delicate body. He realized he was acting like a total woman, but for fuck's sake, if he had to be separated from her he mine as well walk through life not trusting another woman again. Either Beatrice was going to keep her promise with Vera, or she was going to destroy his life.



---- Time Skip; 2 weeks (approx.)

 

[Malfis]

Weeks turned into months as the problem with Daniel and Nikolai continued. Beatrice ignored everything, instead, she spent her time studying. She had long grown sick and annoyed by Daniel and she was trying to comfort Nikolai. She knew and remembered what she had said to Vera. And she had no intention of doing harm. But when worse came to worse, something inevitable might just happen.

Another week had passed by and Beatrice had enough. Daniel was like a parasite and pest. She loved him like a friend but his intentions and troubles were so annoying that she wanted to strangle him. And so, Beatrice made it clear that she and Daniel would be nothing more than friends. She threw him out of the house and basically gave him the finger to get out or else. She was on her breaking point at that moment. And she was happy that he was now gone. A few days later, it seemed like he had decided to hook up with a few girls from a bar. Bea didn't give a damn. She was content with Nikolai.

But everything was perfect rainbows and unicorns. With completing most of her studies, she had found a job offering. However the job was located in Canada somewhere in Toronto. Bea doubted that she would be able to handle work and Nikolai at the same time. Plus since he was getting distracted from his own work, this was doing either of them any good. And so that's when Bea decided that she would leave on her own. Leaving a message recording on the phone, she explained everything, leaving only an email behind. Before she left in the night, she planted one last kiss on Nikolai, saying a soft goodbye. It wasn't permanent but it hurt.

On the plane by herself, Bea found her eyes watering up. She didn't want to leave but it was for the best. With a job like this, she couldn't afford to let anything in her way. And since it was two years of training, she would be busy like a workaholic. No more time for fun and games, simply work. She kept Veras words close ot her heart. She would see Nikolai again within a few years ... maybe on the year of Charlie and Vera's marriage.