Hello everyone! This is my first Beauty & the Beast story, so I'm sorry if I get a few things wrong! This is really going to focus on OC/Gaston, however, there's going to be a lot of Adam/Belle as well! I hope you guys enjoy, and leave a review to tell me what you think! This is going to really be based off of the 2017 movies, since Gaston from the animated film was... ya know, a barge lol.
So this story heavily revolves around Gaston/OC, and it brings in a lot of original characters and a lot of Beauty and the Beast characters a bit more later on. I really hope you guys enjoy this story and find it as enjoyable as I did having fun making it. If that makes sense. I don't know how to word that.
Edit: I am finally getting to revise this story, and I plan on making it a speedy journey, yet thorough. I am sorry for saying that I was going to do it months ago, and not getting around to it until now. But I promise this time, this story will be nice and polished. Ooh, that sounds like a good sequel name. Jk.
The girl had seen the trails of blazing torches miles away from her home, by gazing out of her bedroom window. She had known her parents to be asleep, and which path to take so that the servants wouldn't catch her on her way out of the chateau. They were sweet, but they would most certainly question her for leaving in the middle of the night, and many would not hesitate to wake her strict mother. That was an undesirable path. Her father would just chastise her, but her mother would have a meltdown, believing she was running away to meet a boy. She rolled her eyes at the thought.
No, instead, she silently made her way out of her room, through the corridors, and went through the back doors. Once she tacked her horse up in the barn, she had hopped on her black mare and made way to the spectacle she had viewed from her window. She was dressed in simple riding clothes; one of the few odd liberties her mother had permitted her was tight pants to ride in when she had an accident with a dress a few years ago. It seemed to be a bit of a long ride but she knew, somehow, it would be worth it. So she went after the torches.
She saw the village in the distance after a small while and she noticed the fire was leaving the little town. Her curiosity grew and she changed her direction to where it was all going, noting that up ahead the woods seemed to change in a darker, more twisted appearance. She was a distance away from the last bit of fire, which she knew now was the villagers from the distinct shape of humans, and, well, the fact that they had come from the village. Why on earth would they all be going this direction? She glanced back at the village and she didn't see a single light coming from there but a small dying one from the area of the townsquare.
As she grew closer she could hear screams and shouts. She spurred her mare on and galloped through the route the villagers had taken. She tried to forget that she was going through such dark woods, and that she felt chills and even snowflakes on her skin. She soon noticed that there was snow on the ground, indeed, and it had grown increasingly cold the more she followed the path. Snow in June set goosebumps onto her skin as her clothes weren't made for this weather. Her teeth chattered as she sped through the trees.
Her breath caught in her throat as she pulled her horse to a stop, her dark curls flying into her face. Before her loomed an enormous castle, far larger than her home, surrounded by dead gardens that covered acres worth of land. And she saw the castle lit up from the inside, filled with the shrieks she had heard on her way here. A small bit of fear entered her heart, but she had to know what was going on. And so she moved forward, her horse being tentative.
"Shh, Kimora, you'll be alright. 'Tis just a fair amount of loud voices is all," She spoke low and calmly, effectively putting more confidence in her mare's steps. It took a few minutes but she was standing before the grand steps that led up to the main doors. The doors were oddly wide open. People whizzed by the doorway in panicked states. If she didn't know any better, she would think they were in a brawl. They were throwing things and punching at thin air. But what were they fighting? In a dark castle such as this, there was probably only a handful of workers due to its poor state, if that. A memory sparked inside her mind. It nagged at her until she spotted some townspeople making their way through the doors and towards the steps she stood in front of. She couldn't let them see her if they hadn't already- the trouble she was risk with here was immense, that much was clear. It would be a painful route to kissed to her horse and sent her cantering to the right, hiding under the edge of the staircase, covered by shrubs overhead. She quickly hopped off to grab her horse softly by the face, effectively calming her down. She watched in amazement as the people ran out, screaming in fear. Once it seemed the last person had gone, her curiosity peaked, and she ground tied her horse and went to see the situation at hand. Her steps up the stairs were slow, but she could hear her heart beating quickly.
She kissed to her horse and sent her cantering to the right, hiding under the edge of the staircase, covered by shrubs overhead. She quickly hopped off to grab her horse softly by the face, effectively calming her down. She watched in amazement as the people ran out, screaming in fear. Once it seemed the last person had gone, her curiosity peaked, and she ground tied her horse and went to see the situation at hand. Her steps up the stairs were slow, but she could hear her heart beating quickly.
When she reached the doors, she peeked in. No people were seen, but she did a double take when she saw the furniture moving. And they were speaking.
"What did I tell you Lumiere, of course we did it," Said a... clock. The girl had to rub her eyes after she had caught that, but when she reopened them there was still a moving clock. And moving furniture in general.
"Oh hush Cogsworth, perhaps now the curse will be broken! It is no time to brag," The candelabra, Lumiere she supposed, said.
"Right indeed, dear," Came a motherly voice from a tea kettle who had steam coming up from her top happily.
The astounded girl watched on, but noticed a small teacup looking straight at her. It had a small chip in it, but it looked at her like a little warrior with its fierce glare. It moved to the tea kettle, and whispered into her ear (was it an ear, or just her side?). Then the tea kettle made eye contact with the girl, and she went flying back. Nope. Nope, nope, nope, talking antiques was too much. She had to get out of here. No wonder the villagers ran away. She could still see many of them trying to run through the gardens as she sped down the steps and over to her horse.
She was just getting on when she heard a gunshot not too far off. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared in the general direction the horrid noise had come from. She quickly debated on whether she should let her curiosity take control, and when a stone seemingly dropped into her stomach and she had a feeling that someone was in danger, she decided she should follow the gunshot. It was ingrained into her by her father; always help those in need. Though she did not know the villagers, if she had been shot she would have liked being saved. She sent her horse in the direction she heard the jarring noise come from, and she flinched when she heard another gunshot. But she heard more. She heard a roar, and falling pieces of the castle hitting the ground. She moved quickly and carefully, trying to avoid the crumbles that were increasing on the ground.
Finally, she heard a third gunshot after moments of silence, and a loud breaking noise. She immediately stopped her horse and hopped off. Her heart seemed to stop when she saw a man falling down to his death. "Oh sacrebleu, someone save him!" She shouted, but unwittingly to her, someone had heard her. As quickly as a pin drops, a large bush grew right in front of her, and the man fell into it rather hard.
She tried to not let the panic sink into her further than it already had. She hesitated, but then decided to waste no time in questioning the events, certain this was all some sort of freakish dream, and tried to get to the man in the center of the large plant. She was happy she was not in a dress, as this would have been impossible. The brambles were already snaring onto her coattails, despite lacking any type of thorn. She saw the man now, and gasped at the sight of him. He had blood covering his body, and she saw immediately his arm and leg were broken, and his shoulder possibly out of place. She'd take a bet on her life he had broken ribs as well. She could barely tell if he was alive.
She struggled to get him out of the bush, but after a few minutes she managed. She had to help this man. She had to take him home, where she knew there was trustworthy medication. She noted he was particularly handsome, and she entertained the thought that he was a damoiseau in distress, rather than a damoiselle. But that thought quickly fleeted from her mind after she struggled to get the breathing, barely living man onto her mare. She knew it was adrenaline allowing her to lift such a large man, for she wasn't strong as he seemed to be. Light enveloped the castle, she noted, and it was changing.
"Right, time to get out of here," She spoke to herself and she hopped onto her horse behind the man, one hand holding onto his torso so he wouldn't fall, the other on her reins. She difficultly cantered through the grounds, and when the light caught up to her she was astounded to see the blood on the man fade, as if the sun had evaporated it. But, she also noted that his arm and leg were still clearly broken. This was a nightmare she certainly wouldn't forget.
It took a few hours, but she had managed to get the man to her home. She made a direct path to the barn however, and was determined to not have any servants see her. They knew that the horses were her sole responsibility, and she disliked it whenever she was bothered, so the man should be safe from discovery there. She hopped off of her mare and gathered old hay stacks together. She pulled the man off and nearly buckled under his weight. She managed to get him onto the hay, albeit a bit roughly. Her muscles ached incredibly now, she could barely walk herself. She breathed heavily for a few moments until she started to form a plan in her mind. Horses needed fed, or they'd continually make noise. So, untack Kimora first, then feed everyone, then tend to the man. Right.
She worked quickly and quietly, the four horses eating to their hearts content. Her mare had been very thankful to be let in her stall and rest. The young woman sighed, and went over to the man, whom she noticed was stirring. He groaned when he opened his blue eyes. He lazily held them open but then he drew in a sharp breath and sat up, panicking.
"Woah, woah, woah!" The brunette said, putting her hands on his chest gently.
"W-who are you? Where am I?" The man questioned, looking at her in exasperation.
"I'm Hélène, you're at my home. You were hurt," She answered. "What is your name, monsieur?"
He stared at her for a moment. "It's Gaston. My name is Gaston."
Hélène nodded, a soft smile at her lips. "Nice to meet you Gaston. Now, you're rather hurt from a fall, so will you allow me to help you?" She asked.
Gaston seemed to pause once more. "A fall? Yes, yes I suppose so."
Confused by his behavior, she got up and went to grab the first aid kit she had at all times in the stables. She also grabbed some splints normally used for injured horses and made her way back to the man. Though she had limited knowledge of the human anatomy, a horse couldn't be all that much different from a man in terms of broken bones, right? She sat down beside him and grabbed his left arm gently, applying small amounts of pressure to different parts of it to see where the break was. When he winced, she knew she found it. She applied the splint with care, and did the same for his right leg.
As she was doing so, she decided to speak to him, create a conversation and get some answers. "You're lucky you broke the smaller bone in your forearm. And far more lucky to have not broken your femur," She said, a disbelieving tone in her voice. As far as his fall was, he should be dead, magical bush or not.
"Well I wouldn't consider myself lucky. Broken bones aren't a nice thing," Gaston said.
Hélène shrugged. "Perhaps you're looking at it the wrong way. I'm not sure how you even survived."
Gaston shifted on the hay. "Yeah, you said I fell. But I can't remember that much."
"Well, what do you remember? We could go from there..."
Gaston made a pained face, as though thinking wasn't something he was used to. It almost made Hélène want to chuckle. "I.. I was leading a raid on a castle. There, there was a beast there, and dark magic. It was something that had to be done. But, after reaching the roof, I don't remember what happened."
Hélène looked at him strangely. "What were you doing on the roof? There's no way that was safe. And a beast?"
Gaston let a small laugh out. "Yes, a horrible beast. But I knew what I was doing, I am a man after all," He said cockily though his eye squinted in pain.
That was arguable- well, the middle part. Gaston was certainly a man. He was rather large, not unlike a barge of a man. Hélène gave a small smile, applying some pressure to his leg, just near the break point. Gaston breathed in sharply.
"Nothing unsafe for you, indeed," Hélène said sarcastically. Gaston replied in a small glare, but it didn't seem meaningful. His mind was surely filled to the brim with pain. "Well, your memory may come back in time. It is common for people to lose memory of the few minutes right before an accident."
Gaston raised an eyebrow. "Are you a nurse or something?"
Hélène smiled and shook her head. "No, just well-read." At this, Gaston groaned. "What?" She questioned.
"Nothing. I just don't do well with people who are 'well-read'," He answered, not looking at her.
"Well with that cryptic response, I must bid you ado. I have gauze here, please wrap your chest. You don't seem to have any breaks, so a little bit of movement may help your muscles out. I doubt your rib cage went unscathed however. I must go to my... house. Yes, house. There are things I need to take care of, and get us both some food," She explained, getting up and wiping hay off of her riding outfit. "You should be alright with the gauze by yourself, but if you need help I will be back soon."
"Yes, yes, that makes sense, go do that," Gaston said.
Hélène paused, looking at Gaston. "What?" He questioned.
"What do you say for me saving you, getting you food? I certainly have not met a man with so few manners," Hélène explained.
Gaston seemed stunned by her reply. "Well, I was going to thank you, but I suppose with your manners, I won't."
Hélène rolled her eyes, but a small smile was on her face, as well as Gaston's. He was an odd one, that was for sure. "I'll be back soon. Don't move too much," She said, walking to the barn door. Gaston nodded and then put his head down on the makeshift hay pillow. She was surprised she could smile right now however. Perhaps it was the exhaustion setting in.
Once she was outside and had closed the door, Hélène leaned on it and took a deep breath. What in enfer did she get herself into by letting this man heal in her home?
The first chapter is cleaned up! See a mistake? Let me know! ;D
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