"Sainte Marie mère de Dieu! What was all that ruckus?" One of the castle servants panicked as he was opening the door. He was followed by a young maid.

"Lumière! What's happening?" She demanded, half-whispering.

"That's what I'd like to know, ma douce. Messieurs, may I ask what does all that noise in the middle of the night mean?" Lumière almost ordered Gaston and LeFou.

Petite Crêpe looked at him.

"It's… it's nothing. Really." He awkwardly stuttered.

"Bien sûr. The man who almost killed our Prince and doomed our village AND yet was mysteriously accepted inside these walls is bawling like a dying boar… and smashed a crystal goblet!" The French butler dreadfully noticed. "But sure it's nothing!" He scolded.

"Lumière, please calm down. You will awake the whole castle." The girl next to him reminded before she eventually glanced in front of her. She remembered these men. Especially the chubby one in a gray nightgown. She had "fought" a bit with him two days ago. She knew now he wasn't really the battlefield guy. How could have he battled after the soldier currently in a bed had horribly let him down -figuratively and literally? Oh, she felt bad for teasing the small man back then. But she just was defending the castle and herself. And what was he doing among an angry, war-thirsty mob if he didn't want to fight to begin with? She wondered how he could still care for that heartless, ferocious man. If her beloved Lumière had abandoned her like that, she wouldn't even see him again.

"Don't you talk to my sweet Jacques that way, you low…!" Gaston steamed up as his ribs started to hurt again. He growled and put his left hand on them.

"Gaston, calm down. It's no big deal." LeFou whispered as he caressed the said hand.

Plumette couldn't help thinking this man –LeFou; now she recalled his name- was behaving a bit like her.

"Je vois. I'm sorry messieurs but it's currently nighttime. We're hundreds here who need to sleep. And you, monsieur…?"

"LeF-" The fluffy nurse started.

"No…" Gaston whispered in a high-pitched voice.

"Jacques." Petite Crêpe asserted as he heard a sigh of relief.

"Monsieur Jacques. You have to go." Lumière told him.

"What? But Gaston…"

"Well I heard he didn't want to be taken care of, did he? And if you stay here, I think he's more likely to prevent everyone from having sweet dreams. I also think… you're not safe in this room."

"What?" The dumbfounded crêpe chuckled in disbelief. "Of course I am!"

"Please, do not pretend, Monsieur. We all heard his loud voice. We all witnessed how he… handles a battle. And his companions. Look at that glass." Lumière said pointing the shattered pieces on the floor. "What makes you think it won't be you next time?"

Petite Crêpe couldn't reply anything. Was he… agreeing?

"Allons, you must come with us." Lumière told him in a sympathetic voice. As if he felt sorry LeFou was still caring for that madman. "And go back to you room." He almost reached Petite Crêpe's wrist.

"No! I want to stay with him!" He protested.

"Why?" Plumette found herself asking. "Why do you want to stay here?"

"Isn't it obvious? Because…" He noticed a few feathers in the girl's hair. Was she the bird duster from before? "Because I am the protecting one!" The zealous nurse claimed as he hugged his hunter against his chest.

The maid let out a small gasp. Now she understood. She understood why LeFou had come to the castle in the first place; and why he was still here. She was almost admiring him but still was confused. That Gaston was a horrible monster. A demon in dashing clothes. How was it even possible to love him?

"What do you mean? You are the one in need of protection here!" Lumière retorted. "How can you be convinced of the opposite?"

"I love him, alright? I fucking love him!" The sobbing pancake yelled.

Except for LeFou's soft whimpers, the whole room went silent.

"Très bien. As you wish. But if I and my jolie Plumette hear any noise again, you'll have to go, Monsieur Jacques. Understood?" The butler asked, ready to close the door.

"Understood, Monsieur Lumière." Petite Crêpe terribly mimicked him as the door was closed at last.

Then he sighed; as much out of annoyance as of relief.

"What kind of bullshit passed through your head?" The not very talkative hunter suddenly spat out.

"What?"

"You… just told… a stranger… an enemy!... you want… to shag with me? Are you… are you an actual fool?" Gaston boiled up.

"He's not an "enemy"! And 'fool' does not mean 'fou'! And… I don't want to 'shag' with you! I just want to help you!"

"What kind of help risking both our asses to be thrown in an asylum, a prison, or stake is?" Gaston accused him before he grumbled and sharply pushed Petite Crêpe back.

Jacques received that gesture as a heavy punch in the face. Or rather in the heart.

"You've noticed… how people's opinion about me was... my only concern."

"What's more, you have the balls to claim you are 'protecting' me? Who do you think you are? My mother? You think I didn't look foolish enough after Belle's rejection and my f-fall?" The furious captain abruptly stammered. "I must be publicly humiliated even more? Is that it?" He showed his fangs.

"Wha…? No!"

"People's opinion about me was... my only concern."

"You really are stupid, le fou! I don't know why I'm still allowing you by my side!"

"G-Gaston, I don't understand… Y-you just were…" The curly nurse's eyes began to blur.

"I was… I wasn't thinking correctly! I remind you my head was fucking smashed, abruti!" Gaston cursed as he pushed the lost-minded pancake to the floor.

"Gaston…" He barely breathed.

"People's opinion about me was... my only concern."

Jacques slowly backed off and started crying again. But not out of joy this time. He was scared. Again. Gaston terrified him again! The hunter was his lifelong friend and he'd always been used to his short temper but…

Moments ago, he was apologizing. He was opening his heart to me. He was hugging me. He was… kissing me! So why?

"You should look for someone better."

"Ma petite crêpe…"

"You're so much more important."

WHY? WHY?

Petite Crêpe was so lost.

"People's opinion about me was... my only concern."

People's opinion IS STILL your only concern! Jacques painfully deducted.

"Oh no. I didn't want… Don't be… I didn't want to do that…" Gaston stammered as he was clumsily trying to get off his bed.

Jacques was sure if the ex-captain came close to him again, his life would end here. He got up and kept on stepping back with eyes still locked on him. He knew him, he loved him, and yet… In the shade, he tripped and fell on his bottom on the marble floor.

"Ow!"

"Jacques! Are you ok?" Gaston asked as he was getting closer, trying to move on all four.

"DON'T TOUCH ME! LEAVE ME ALONE!" LeFou screamed, his brown eyes full of tears.

"But… but… Jacques…"

"No! Don't touch me! Don't go near me!" He pleaded as he was slapping thin air.

It was dark and he wasn't even touching him but Gaston could see well his Petite Crêpe was trembling. As he was hearing sobs and soft whimpers.

"So I do scare you…" He assumed in a sigh.

LeFou didn't reply.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm… that way." He spoke out not to say 'short-tempered' or 'irascible'. "Just… let me help you to get up…" He offered his damaged arms.

"NO! Don't touch me!" Petite Crêpe smacked his hands away.

The captain took a deep breath –like his sweet pancake always told him to. He still wasn't used to being rejected. But he didn't want to hurt his pure angel even more.

"Alright. I won't touch you, Jacques. I won't. I promise I won't. Just… try to…" He stopped his sentence.

Try to calm down.

Yeah, tell someone you probably snapped the nerves of to calm down! But your nerve is the biggest, mister man among men! Look at him. He's no better than you when you were at the asylum! Except in your case, it wasn't the deed of someone you love more than everything else.

His poor tiny pancake kept on whimpering, had even curled up into a dark gray ball and started to rock himself softly. His fluffy locks faintly dangling on his knees.

Oh my God. What have I done? I want to hug him so bad! But I can't.

Gaston looked around the room and then got the simplest idea. He turned around, took one of the blankets on his bed and covered trembling LeFou with it. It wasn't much but it was all he could do.

That Lumière guy was right. You need protection. From me.

"Don't… catch a cold, ok?" He tried to ask with the gentlest voice he could make. "Er… maybe… maybe I should call back the servant from before? So they… take you back… to your room?"

A room you should never have left to begin with.

"No… No… I don't know… I don't know anything…" Petite Crêpe cried.

"Just… let me do something for you. Ok? Something that'll make you forgive me. No! Just something that'll make you feel right. Anything! Ask me anything, Jacques. Even the impossible! I'll do it for you. Please, what must I do so you won't cry again?" He sincerely asked as his own eyes started to blur. "Just tell me."

"Go away… Go away…" LeFou begged more than ordered.

The hunter's heart ended just like his glass. Smashed into pieces. He sighed again.

"I wish I could, Jacques. But… right now, I can't go… any further… "

"…"

"I'm sorry for the way I behaved! I'm sorry! I… didn't think! I didn't want to scare you! I didn't want to… hurt you."

Again.

"…"

"Just tell me." Gaston whispered. "How can I be a better friend?"

Petite Crêpe remained silent as his face remained between his knees.

"Teach me… how I can… properly love you…" He wept before his gently put his rough hand over LeFou's small trembling ones. The precious pancake didn't protest. "Please…"

"You… you promise… not to get angry?" Petite Crêpe asked in the tiniest and most tear-strangled voice.

"No! No! I won't! Of course I won't!" Gaston swore as he took the shaking hands in his. "I… I promise from now on, I won't get angry ever again! Will… will that make you happy?" He enquired with a sprinkle of hope in his hoarse voice.

He heard Jacques' fluffy head nod against his night gown.

"And… try not… to get into fights… anymore…?" The small pancake asked in the same cracking voice.

"I won't! I promise I'll never fight again, ma jolie petite crêpe! Never again!" The hunter swore before his put a soft kiss on LeFou's forehead. "I do love you. I do love you." He sobbed into the glossy dark locks.

Now Gaston finally said he loved him, Jacques' doubts about it kept growing. He wholeheartedly hoped it'd stop soon.