Summary: A telling of Beauty and Beast through the eyes of Gaston, who desperately loves Belle. Audiences tend to peg him as the bad guy, but he's not really. This is his story of how he came to be the way he is. Gaston-centered with Belle and Beast appearing throughout.
Rating: T for violence, mildly suggestive adult themes, character death, and just maybe a few swears. (Rating may change depending on where the story goes.)
Disclaimer: The very original story was by Jeanne-Marie le Prince de Beaumont, but this is based off Walt Disney's version. The scenes of the movie in which Gaston appears or is mentioned will be as they were in the animated movie.
A/N: If you read this, I'm going to assume you've seen the movie. Enjoy.
Chapter 1: Meeting Belle
"Beast!" Belle cried, her voice just carrying over the pounding rain.
"Belle?" The Beast looked up at the balcony, which Belle looked over with relieved eyes. She extended her hand to him. He began to scale the castle tower, and when he reached the railing he flung himself heavily over the side. "You came back!" he sighed, caressing her face with a large hand.
The lovers shared a relieved look, and stared passionately into each other's eyes. Belle lovingly took his hand in both of hers. Neither took notice of the freezing rain.
The moment was interrupted as Beast roared in pain, arching his back. Gaston had snuck up behind him and stabbed him. He pulled the knife free from the cursed prince's flesh and swung his arm back to strike again. The Beast began to fall, and Gaston suddenly lost his balance. A helpless Belle reached forward and grabbed the collar of Beast's shirt, saving him from doom. The less fortunate Gaston dropped the knife as he lost his grip, and he plummeted from the tower, arms pinwheeling. The last he saw was Belle, and the Beast in her arms.
It wasn't fair at all, Gaston thought in the split second before he hit the ground.
"Leave him alone, you big bullies!" cried a righteous voice behind him.
The three boys looked up and made to sneer in reply, but then turned tail and ran shouting when they were pelted with rocks. She chased them a little ways before slowing and hurling the last of her arsenal, then wiped her hands on her blue skirt and turned back.
A lanky preteen wiped his icy blue eyes with the back of his hand as the pretty girl approached. She was his age, and had kind brown eyes that complemented her soft auburn hair. The girl brushed a lock behind her ear as she bent down. "Are you okay?"
He nodded his head of jet black hair but didn't meet her gaze. His ears stuck out rather far, and his skin had a severe case of acne that clashed with his freckles. His gangly limbs seemed too long for his body, and his cleft chin was far too big for his face. His eyes were certainly the boy's best feature, but now they were rimmed red from crying.
"Don't mind them," she said sternly. "They're just bullies. They do it to feel better about themselves." When he didn't reply, she stuck out a hand. "I'm Belle."
He stared at her hand dumbly, then took it in his own. She pulled him to his feet, and he dusted off his breeches. There was no helping the grass stains on his stockings. "Gaston LeGume," he replied, looking down at her. He was several inches taller than her.
"Gaston," she repeated. "I've never seen you here before."
"No," he said, looking around to see that they were alone. "I just arrived here yesterday."
"Really?" Belle asked. "Then have you been around the town yet?"
"Uh, not really," Gaston replied.
"Would you like to go with me? I can show you around," she smiled. "I also have to return this book." She reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out a small picture book.
"O-Okay," Gaston stammered.
Belle took his arm in her own and led the way toward the dirt path that ran past the field to the town. It was spring, and the flowers were in full bloom, exuding their sweet scents into the cool air. A gentle breeze played, and a flock of birds called above them. All in all, it was a beautiful day.
"So, Gaston," Belle said as they walked, "what do you like to do?"
A grin broke out on his face, revealing straight white teeth. "I like to do lots of things. I'm good at hunting, archery, and, uh, eating," he said.
Belle laughed. "You must have quite the talent, Gaston! Me, I like to read. Adventures in far-off places, brave heroes who rescue damsels in distress from terrifying monsters...I love those."
"Heroes?" Gaston repeated thoughtfully. "Have you ever met a real hero?"
"Well, no," she admitted. "They are just stories, after all. But if you have imagination, anything is possible! That's what my father always says."
"Really," he said in a tone that suggested he had lost interest in the conversation. "Well, I don't read much anyway. Boring."
Belle looked slightly put out. "Oh," she said. "Okay. I guess we like different things, then." She laughed a little awkwardly.
They had reached the town.
"Here's the-Gaston?" She looked back at him when he stopped.
His icy blue eyes studied her. "If it's all the same to you," he said suddenly, "I think I'll go back home. I don't want a grand tour of this dumpy town."
Belle seemed very confused, but released his arm and watched his back as he walked away. When he glanced over his shoulder, she had continued on her way to the bookstore and disappeared into the crowd. He went onwards, kicking a stone ahead of himself as he walked.
Gaston wasn't sure why he had decided to turn her away. She had been nothing but nice to him from the moment she helped him. After a moment of reflection, he surmised that she was weird and he would avoid her. It had nothing to do with that he had suddenly been reminded of his parents; he was over that. It didn't matter that she spoke in the same kind manner as his mother had, or that she liked to read almost as much as his father. No, she was simply annoying him.
He looked out over the green field and spotted several small cottages in the distance. Belle lived in one of them, he was sure, since she had come from that direction. Gaston turned in the other direction, toward the forest. There were fewer houses there, but that only meant fewer neighbors, which he thought was fine. He had just moved into the house nearest to the town, bringing what little belongings he had managed to salvage from the ashes of his former home.
The owners of the house were his aunt and uncle. They had a son his age, who instantly befriended Gaston despite the fact that they had never met. Gaston could never call his cousin by his name with a straight face: it was a girl's name no matter how you looked at it. Petit LeFou, it was. Gaston called him LeFou.
As Gaston approached the home, he spotted LeFou on the doorstep, tossing a ball to himself. He was terrible at catching, and dropped the bean-filled sack each time. He seemed to be enjoying himself, however, so Gaston said nothing and simply sat down beside him.
"Hi there, Gaston," greeted the chubby boy. His button nose was squashed between two rosy cheeks, and his front teeth were gapped and crooked. He was also rather short for his age.
"LeFou," Gaston said. "Do you think I'm ugly?"
"Eh?" LeFou dropped the ball again but didn't bother to pick it up. He turned to his cousin. "What do you mean? I think you're great!"
"No, I mean on the outside, LeFou."
LeFou laughed. "Of course not. Everyone looks different, and looks don't really matter, anyway."
"Yes, they do," Gaston said vehemently, and LeFou sobered immediately at the tone. "If you aren't beautiful, you have to work all your life and get nothing out of it. This world is run by good-looking people, LeFou."
"Maybe," LeFou replied. He reached down and retrieved his ball again, and tossed it into the air.
Gaston stuck out his hand and caught it before it hit the ground.
"Wow, you're good!" exclaimed LeFou. He grinned broadly at the older boy. "I'll bet you can do everything."
Gaston smirked. "Ever been hunting?"
He shook his head.
"Want to?" Gaston offered with a glint in his eye. "I brought my musket."
"You mean you'll take me with you?" LeFou's brown eyes widened. He grinned when Gaston nodded, but then his face fell. "But my parents wouldn't let us go."
"We don't have to tell them, LeFou. What they don't know won't hurt them. So let's go."
LeFou was of course persuaded easily, and the boys went inside to get the gun. Mother LeFou was in the kitchen, scrubbing a large pot. Her back was to them, so they snuck past to the boys' room undetected, and then went out the window. They snickered as they ran off into the woods.
"The most important thing is to be quiet and still," Gaston whispered when they slowed down. LeFou nodded, his eyes wide with excitement. "There's wildlife all around, if you take the time to look. Squirrels, rabbits, deer, wolves," he grinned at his cousin's shudder.
The boys picked their way carefully through the woods, Gaston holding the gun at the ready. He stopped as he spotted a movement in the tree ahead. He deftly raised it and fired, and a squirrel fell at LeFou's feet.
"Wow! Gaston, you hit one!"
Gaston merely smirked and reloaded the gun. "Of course. I'm a great hunter. As long as you're with me, we'll always be able to get some meat."
LeFou grinned goofily. "You're so good at everything, Gaston. I think you'll have it all when you grow up."
"What do you mean?"
"You're talented, Gaston!" LeFou cried as Gaston raised an eyebrow. "You just shot a squirrel out of a tree. You're the only one I've ever met who can do that. You're an amazing hunter, you can fire a gun, an arrow, you can eat anything without getting sick. You're the quickest runner, and you're strong."
"Not that strong," Gaston muttered as he remembered the bullies from earlier.
"But when you get older, your muscles are sure to grow, Gaston," LeFou insisted. "Me, I think I'll be dumpy like this forever. But you'll grow tall, and handsome, and all the girls will swoon when they lay eyes on you." He clasped his hands and fluttered his eyelids, mimicking a lady.
Gaston snorted. "You really think so, huh." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully as LeFou stared up at him with adoration. Then he grinned and punched LeFou's shoulder playfully. "Hey, I bet we can bring home everything I hit and have a big supper!"
"That'd be great, Gaston!"
LeFou picked up the dead squirrel by the tail and followed Gaston deeper into the forest.
A/N: While writing this, I was listening to a soundtrack compilation of Beauty and the Beast on YouTube. It helped immensely. :3 Not to mention I was singing along. I'd forgotten what a good singer Richard White is...It's perfect.
The title of the story is "Battle on the Tower" because it's one of my favorite soundtracks from the movie.
I made LeFou Gaston's cousin because Disney never explicitly states that they're not related, or that they're just friends, or just master / minion. I rather like them being related. They have the same sense of humor, and spend almost every minute together. They behave like brothers, I mean come on. Watch the movie again and pay special attention to their relationship.