Present day ~ December 3rd
Gaston was hard to soothe, especially now that his marital situation was not the greatest. So Gaston used his friend’s mishaps to rightfully direct his anger at him. His lips became a straight line, his eyes narrowed, and his nose was restlessly inhaling and exhaling the cold air. Obviously, Gaston was angry. But why? Such questions belonged to the enigma riddles.
Gaston could be upset about anything. Weird gaze cast at him, inappropriate words, or inaccurate hand movement. Sometimes his anger resulted from successive overlapping of unfortunate events. The balloon slowly filled until it burst with a loud bang - Gaston would lose control. Sometimes he revealed where his sudden impulsiveness came from. Sometimes he expected his interlocutor to figure it out themselves. But it wasn’t required to understand why Gaston was upset… what was necessary was an apology. LeFou knew it perfectly well. The first thing he did was mumble those magical words. Gaston frowned, and as they walked in silence, he thought long about what he should do about that fact.
Has the plea been accepted? Could Gaston forgive so quickly? No. Certainly not. If someone offended him, it was remembered forever. Kept in a specific archive and brought to the surface when it could hurt the most. He shouldn’t make an exception for anyone. It would be unacceptable. “LeFou.” He started again, but this time it wasn’t about the books. “Next time… try to stick to your cup.” Now, it was the last time. The second time, Gaston wouldn’t forgive him that soon. No. Certainly not.
People hid in shops or rushed quickly to their apartments. Gaston and LeFou steadily headed for the bookstore - no snowstorm could ever stop them. Although fate gave him clear signs that it would be better if they turned back. Good thing Gaston didn’t believe in such things. He considered himself a pragmatic man - although he did not know for sure what it meant.
His friend followed faithfully alongside him. He accompanied him silently, his unbuttoned jacket flowing in the breeze. A soft sweater, exposed to the ungrateful weather, protruded from underneath it. “LeFou,” Gaston spoke suddenly. Without looking at his friend, he muttered… nicer than usual. “Button up. It is cold.”
Talking about himself was something Gaston adored. He did it every day. Such a self-centered routine to make himself even more aware of his perfection. Women praised him too. They admired his hair and muscular chest. LeFou was undeniably the only man in Gaston’s life who was not ashamed to verbally cherish him. Praise poured out of him like sweet candies from a piniãta. The men were used to it, and no one wondered if it was out of the ordinary for male friendships or not.
“I know… I know it’s a good plan,” but every praise from LeFou caused a sharp sensation to flow through his veins. An electrifying excitement, that was. This time, Gaston blamed it on the cold air. It was probably because of it that he trembled slightly. It couldn’t be his friend’s compliment.
Yes, it must have been because of the snow, which was falling more and more. The blizzard was getting stronger and stronger - a sharp icy hail aimed straight at Gaston’s cheeks. His face grew more ruddy with each stroke. The icy road did not help. They couldn’t go faster… then the possibility of falling would turn into a fact. The man covered himself with his jacket, wrapping his arms around his body. He hid his shaking hands under his armpits.
The frost obviously froze not only Gaston’s fingers but his friend’s brain as well. Did he really not understand what Gaston meant? “LeFou…” he whimpered, looking up. LeFou did not give up despite his friend’s protests. He assured Gaston could tell him anything. The man pulled his hands out from under his armpits. They got warmer already. “I’ve always wanted sons.” Gaston continued evasively, although his friend should know what he was referring to. It was obvious. Bright as the sun. Maybe even more dazzling. Everything about Gaston shone brighter than the largest star in the galaxy. “I mentioned it to her last night. I thought she knew that offsprings were very important to me. Six handsome sons - that would be something." He continued without slowing down, even though the road was getting slippery. “And she said, you wouldn’t believe it… she said there was nothing to rush into. I thought I was going to punch something,” he confessed. “Before, when I had given her some attention, you know what kind of attention, she seemed almost… well, unconvinced.” Gaston snorted. Belle didn’t treat him like a wife should treat her husband. Yet, the unsaid part of the marriage vow said that the wife is supposed to please her husband. It was not mentioned aloud because it was not appropriate to state around the guests. “Anyway, I can’t even explain it rationally. All her excuses are just frustrating. ‘I am too tired, Gaston. I won’t be of any use at that state’.”
He wondered if LeFou agreed with his vision of an ideal reality? Gaston thought about that a lot. He was sure that the world he created was an imagination of the needs and dreams of every human being - such a universal utopia. Everyone would like to have six sons and a beautiful wife. Besides, to live in a grand, extravagant house away from the city’s hustle and bustle. A mansion with a gorgeous garden, two dogs, and a nice car. Who could wish for something else?
LeFou was a mystery to Gaston because he did not seem to pursue this dream. Already in his youth, he was not hanging around potential candidates for a wife. Gaston decided it was his job to find him a perfect bride. Redhead girl seemed to be a good match, but Gaston thought LeFou was unlikely to form a long-term relationship with her. Against all odds, his friend deserved someone more interesting. After all, his wife would, in some mysterious way, represent Gaston himself. She had to maintain a certain standard.
Ever since Gaston started dating Belle, he had come to the strange conclusion that his friend was surprisingly hurt by this. He tried not to wonder why. On the other hand, it was directly related to him and his wife… he had to think about it a bit. LeFou always seemed to be tenser when Gaston talked about how beautiful his future wife was. When the planned wedding finally happened… Gaston realized why that was. He understood when he was standing in front of the altar, and his friend was there, holding the written wedding vows.
He couldn’t believe his astonishing deduction first. There was simply no other reason for the change in his companion’s behavior. LeFou had to… he had to love Belle. There was no other answer. Gaston didn’t blame him. He didn’t even get upset when he came to that conclusion. Belle was the most stunning woman he had ever seen. Anyone would be soft on her.
LeFou was faithful to Gaston. He would never try to have an affair with his friend’s wife. Even if, let’s face it, he didn’t stand a chance with Gaston.
Despite the discovery of this revelation, the man pretended not to know anything. He had no intention of confronting LeFou since that would put him in an unpleasant situation. He preferred to avoid it and wait for his friend to tell him this inconvenient secret himself.
“So, LeFou… now you know why.” Here he fell silent. He felt he had revealed enough. LeFou will have to figure out the rest himself.
@ethereal ~ Marcel LeFou
I am in love with you post! And the song, omg, it made me cry. Mine is… well, you can see for yourself :’)))
But, hey, at least I’ve written 10 sentences!
