NaruHina: Postscripts

Sixty-two

Here's a #drabblerequest! I've been seeing a bunch of really great artworks depicting Naruto and Hinata as Beast and Belle. You think you can make a drabble based on it? Like preferably the scene where Beast almost dies and eventually transforms back? I know this might be challenging but that would be so cool! ️

Note: For reference of this scene in the movie, go to: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjgeSxMcojc&ab_channel=ScreenThemes

God, this rain was making everything so slippery!

His claws grasped the wall, and he hung on to his life with a death grip even as the wet tiles made him almost lose his footing.

"Were you in love with her, Beast?" Gaston taunted, and his voice was close.

Naruto could hear him, but he had to concentrate, even as the words pierced him because his enemy had a point.

She was too pure, too wonderful to ever come back to him again.

He shook his head.

No, don't think about that right now.

He had to focus.

The rain was steady, pelting him, making his fur wet.

But his enemy was relentless. "Did you honestly think she'd want you when she had someone like me?"

Still, Naruto silently made his way across the edge of the wall. He just needed to be out of the rain and try to get somewhere safe, away from this Gaston person who was hunting him.

"It's over, Beast! She is mine!"

No.

The thought sent adrenaline rushing through his body.

A burst of anger at his words made Naruto suddenly reach out and grab the heavy weapon in Gaston's hand and throw it over the ledge.

Gaston, seeing Naruto's form lurking over him, cowered in fear. "No, don't hurt me!"

Naruto curled his lip in derision, turned around, and headed for the safety of the tower.

But she was suddenly there, her dark hair whipping around her as the wind blew. Her lavender eyes flashed with worry as lightning cut through the night sky. Her hand was cupped over mouth, and she was calling his name.

His heart leapt with happiness. She was back!

But he felt a stab of pain between his shoulder blades, making him roar out in surprise and agony. He tried to shrug off the suddenly heavy feeling flowing through him even as he realized that there was also warm, sticky blood mixing in with the rain.

He heard a scream and knew that Gaston had loosen his hold on him and had fallen off his back.

But all he saw as he fought for consciousness was her eyes looking at him even as she struggled to pull him up onto the stone floor.

Then her arms were wrapped around him, cradling him gently even as the tears came and she tried to paste a reassuring smile on her face.

It didn't matter.

"You came back," he said softly, fighting through the pain, fighting to hold on.

"Of course I came back," she murmured as she took his paw and held it to her cheek.

He smiled at the incongruity of it. His large, ferocious claw looked so grotesque against the fragile beauty of her face.

But it didn't matter. These would be the final moments he would remain in this beastly form.

As gently as he could, he caressed her skin. The darkness was stronger, but he had to say it. "At least I got to see you one last time," he whispered and felt his eyes closing, her hand tightening against his.

"No, no!" she cried even as the tears came and panic flooded her. "Please don't leave me."

But she knew it was too late. He was gone.

She sobbed against his chest, still warm but it would soon fade. "I love you..."

Inside the castle, the final rose petal fell.

In the silence outside, Hinata herself crying, felt the rain pelting her, making her feel cold and alone.

But something tingled underneath her, from him. The rain abruptly stopped as a shower of sparks fell from the sky, bounced off the tower floors, multiplying all over as the night was illuminated by the dizzying show of light.

She gasped as the beast was lifted off and she didn't understand what was happening but she only felt him disappearing from her grasp so she tried to reach for him.

But he was suspended up in the air now, away from her reach; the wind blew and spun him gently around. As he did, Hinata saw him slowly change, the fur disappearing and his arms suddenly became human, light glinting off his finger tips. He tilted around again, his blond hair so normal, his body transformed, and his normally crouched legs straightened to resemble a man's.

He slowly dropped down to the floor and Hinata watched as he slowly stood up.

She couldn't see his face, but when he finally turned around to face her, she didn't see the beast anymore, but an unfamiliar-looking man, and his gaze flicked down to the hands he was holding in front of him.

He brought his eyes to her face and his voice held a hint of wonder when she heard him say, "Hinata, it's me."

Her hand came up to her mouth, pressing against her lips as she looked at him suspiciously.

No.

He was so different, so at odds with the beast she'd known during her captivity and when he slowly softened towards her.

Hinata slowly brought her hand up to touch his hair, feeling how soft it was.

Still, something made her hesitate to believe him completely.

But she gazed more deeply into his eyes, found the familiar glint, the hesitation as he continued to ask for cues to guide him, and her heart constricted.

Yes, it was him. The memories came flooding back. That was the same look he'd shown her when she'd taught him to eat more neatly, when she'd shown him how to gentle his tone, when he'd taken her in his arms during their dance.

"It is you!" she cried, no longer in doubt—especially now as she laid a palm on his cheek and saw him breathe in deeply and close his eyes in response.

Her hand dropped down to his chest, to the heart beating so strongly there and felt him touch her arm.

Her face tilted up to meet his, and his hands came to cradle her cheeks and brought her mouth up to his lips.

Her heart filled with warmth even as his arms tightened around her and she continued kissing him, happy to see him alive and well.

In the back of her mind, she heard the happy cries of the castle staff, and Hinata felt love fill her as he twirled her in his arms, his joyful laughter echoing in the night.

The curse was lifted.