Chapter 2: Like Gaston
Without question Belle was odd. The provincial village of Vouvant had never seen her likeness, and neither had Gaston. With a wrinkled dress and a pencil shoved behind one ear, the girl looked almost wild. Gaston thrilled at the thought. He preferred wild things. He hunted them. The image of hunting this beautiful, strange, freckled girl made a smile spread across his handsome face. Her brown locks were unbound and mad with spiral curls. When brushed, it shone like liquid amber down to her waist. Gaston had long desired to run his fingers through that hair. Today, though, his fingers would likely get caught in the tangles. The possibility intrigued him. An expectant look from the girl made him come back to the present. What had she said? Something about a book she was writing. No reading. No…well never mind.
"You look lovely today, Belle." He said the first thought that came to mind. Belle pointed a single eyebrow to express her doubt, but Gaston could not deny the truth of his words. Even with her tousled hair and her appearance disheveled, Belle was the loveliest girl he had ever seen. Sometimes it was all he could think about.
"Thank you, Gaston." She responded, following a pregnant pause.
"Now, you tell me I look handsome…" Gaston prompted with a wicked smile.
Belle blinked twice and looked away with a "humph" sound, but her cheeks were decidedly pinker. Gaston smirked in acknowledgment of the effect he had on her and pushed further.
"No? You don't find me handsome? Hmm, shall we ask a less biased observer?"
When he turned around in the busy square Gaston was met with many worshiping eyes. Belle was not the only girl who blushed under his gaze. Three girls, in particular, were never far away. For the most part, Gaston found their constant adoration vexing but today he was glad to discover them nearby. Following Gaston's stare, Belle's eyes widened.
"Gaston, don't you dare!" She ground out through clenched teeth and made a grab for his thick wrist. A jolt of lightning coursed down to his fingers and Gaston sucked in a silent breath. In a flash, he linked a reluctant Belle by the arm and strode over confidently.
"Babette, Bebe, Bernette!" He called out with his most dimpled grin. "How goes the day?"
The girls turned immediately from their conversations and beamed brightly up at Gaston. They spared no attention for Belle, who stood a little straighter and lifted her chin. Gaston smiled even broader at her spirit.
"Better now, Gaston!" answered one of the girls. He couldn't exactly say which one it was. The triplets had no discernable physical difference, and try as he might, Gaston could never tell one from another.
"Yes, much better!" Purred the second.
"Much, much better!" The last female agreed as they pushed themselves closer to Gaston's heavy chest. Belle tilted away in response and Gaston pulled her closer to his side. This instinctual response earned a frown from both the sisters and Belle. He chuckled lightly under his breath and pretended not to notice.
"Ladies, I still can't tell which one of you is the prettiest. Darned vexing too! I was just telling Belle, I think you are the best-looking girls in town!"
At this statement, the triplets went into such fits of squeals and sighs, Gaston was sure one of the fragile females would faint. Belle, on the other hand, simply lowered her lovely eyes and fought back a smile. Deciding it was time to interrupt, a determined Gaston went on.
"We were also having a hard time deciding on who is the finest fellow in town. Belle said she's taken a fancy to Jack, the miller's son. And I admit, he does have those dreamy blue eyes." Gaston paused and comically batted his lashes before chortling deeply.
"But I think we can do better than that!" He looked at the girls with arms spread wide and waited expectantly. The three women turned and stared at Belle with outraged expressions.
"What's wrong with you?" Asked the first, pulling at her long blond ponytail.
"You're crazy!" Announced the second.
"He's gorgeous!" Spoke the third, leaning slightly to the side and gazing dreamily at Gaston.
Belle flicked her eyes up at them innocently and asked in a dry tone, "The miller's son?"
Gaston laughed loudly and slapped his knee.
"Of course not, Belle. Gaston!" a triplet answered with wide, serious eyes.
"Who else?" Asked her sister, appearing to be genuinely confused.
"You are so odd!" The third triplet, (Bebe? Never mind.) stated decidedly as she regarded Belle with an incredulous look.
"Oh, Gaston!" Belle exclaimed in mock surprise. "Do you find him handsome? Hmm...well I suppose he does have some good qualities."
Gaston felt Belle's eyes pass over him and his flesh heated. Her teasing expression gently mocked him. Unafraid, he nodded for her to continue.
"He has a good head of hair. I'm almost positive he won't go bald, though he spends so many hours combing it. Also, his boots are so shiny he could use them as a mirror, and has," she paused for effect. "on multiple occasions."
Belle smiled innocently as the giant man crossed his arms over his broad chest and began to slowly rub his clean-shaven chin. His eyebrows raised at her words and he gave her an amused smirk.
"But alas," Belle continued, "no matter how I might admire him, he is not for me."
Belle stepped closer to the triplets and whispered behind her hand just loud enough for Gaston to hear, "I have heard tell that his heart belongs to another, and I am no match for her blonde beauty." The triplets gasped and each reached their hands into their identical yellow hair.
Belle turned away from the excited twittering that followed. She placed a light hand on Gaston's shoulder and whispered quietly under her breath. "Good luck!"
Then she hurried down the lane to her little house on the hill.
Gaston's eyes followed her with unabashed adoration before turning back to the ladies fighting desperately to get his attention. Good luck indeed, he thought as he tried unsuccessfully to detach himself from the sisters for the next half hour. Belle had gotten the better of him and his odd little prey had escaped. He smiled to himself, this time.
A.N. All characters belong to Walt Disney.
Hello, all! Well, here is your first meeting with Gaston in all his dimpled smirkiness! What are your thoughts? Do you prefer your bad boy with a wink and a smile, or would you rather have him be an all-out villain? As for the triplets, (whose names I had some fun with), I simply went for 17th century mean girls. I'm sure I've met a girl or two like them in my life, (though like Gaston, I couldn't tell them apart!). Let me know if you've met a Bebe in your past and you'll get a shiny boot as a reward!
Thank you all for reading, reviewing, following and/or favoriting! - S.
