Gaston wiped the mud off his face, scowling as he looked back at the castle. That Beast had another thing coming if he truly believed a little roaring and some teeth were enough to scare off Gaston. Was that monster in love with her? No, not with the way he'd treated her- like she was his to keep and claim as some sort of... prize.

Gaston stood in the mist for a moment, dejected. With himself, more than anything. He sat on the cold damp ground and pondered as the wheels in his head began to turn, slowly.

That- that was once how he'd treated her, too. Not how he saw her, of course. Never how he'd seen her. But, that was why she had stormed off on him. His house- their house. Their life together. He'd told her all the dreams that he had for them. And she had been waiting for him to ask her about her own. He'd been as horrible as the Beast who locked her up.

Well, he would just prove himself to her. And, then she would see how he really was and she would come with him on her own. How could she not? She could never honestly want someone else when she had someone like him.

Determined, Gaston rose to his feet and marched to the gate, banging on it and demanding to see Belle. He raised himself up to what he knew was his impressive full stature, prepared for another brawl if that's what it would take to get his beloved away from this awful place. Instead of the Beast, however, Belle was the one who opened the door, arms crossed over her chest as she glared at him.

"I just wanted to ask you, monsieur, to assure my father I'm all right. And, to ask how he has been. Then, I'll thank you to leave."

"Oh," he fumbled anxiously, caught off guard by her question and slightly frightened of her temper. "Your father is fine. I left Lefou to take care of him and the house until you come home."

"This is my home now," she insisted, and he was surprised to see a small, stubborn-looking clock, wait, clock? staring? at him from the floor, along with a very small, almost child-like teacup, each flanking her as if on guard. He shook his head in disbelief, then looked down again, his eyes widening as he realized the delusion was still there.

"It really is enchanted," he blurted, mouth agape as he took a moment to process. Then he took Belle's hand, trying to drag her out the door. "We need to go, Belle. You can't stay here."

"Oh, and why is that, Gaston?" She dug her heels in, refusing to leave the entry hall.

"Because, the village is your home. You belong with us, with your father and our town. You don't belong locked up here! He's dangerous, Belle."

"Not to me. Not anymore!" She ignored his attempted protest. "Besides, you'd rather I just go along with you, where instead I'll be trapped in that provincial, monotonous village, nothing exciting or magical ever happening?" While she glared at him, he did his very best to figure out what "monotonous" meant, eyes inadvertently raised to the sky and tongue out while he contemplated. Then she indicated the magical castle around them. "Look around you, Gaston- I'm living the greatest adventure I ever dreamed. Living here is like a fairytale, and every day I wake up to more surprises. This is what I've always wanted, monsieur. Freedom and adventure."

"Freedom and adventure?!" he scoffed, well familiar with the form of a cage when he saw one. "If you're so free, come with me, just to the forest. Join me to assure your father that all of your dreams have come true. Then, you can come back here and live out your "happily ever after," alone, with that creature. Or, you can leave with me for good and stop all this madness. Have the type of life you should have."

"I want more than that little town and those little people!" she insisted stubbornly, arms crossed and face set as she refused to even acknowledge her captivity or invisible chains. Gaston was just about to continue the argument with her, despite knowing he would lose, when suddenly, his head whipped up in hurt and surprise.

"They're not little people. Just because that is their life- that doesn't make them little people," he got out sadly, and a little shocked, his mouth opened and closed once, lips agape while his mind searched for a response. Finally, he steeled his jaw and stared at her with determined eyes. "I'll be back," he promised with a low growl of his own. "Every day, if I have to. Somehow, I'll convince you."

"What, you're going to muscle me out of here against my will? Who's the beast now?" Her tone was fierce and more than a little angry.

He simply shook his head, assuring her he would return the same time next week, and the one after that and the one after that. He wasn't a beast, but he wasn't too kind and gentle to not fight for her, even if this was a different type of fight to what he was used to. He loved her too much to simply let her go.