Little Gaston

Chapter 6

When a knock sounded on the door, Gaston gave a tiny yip. He didn't feel ready to face anyone at the moment, his mind still down in his headspace, and he tried his best to break out of it as fast as he could, but was unsuccessful.

He looked up from his knees and stared at the door, not answering, hoping to buy more time, but a moment later and it opened, revealing Belle with a tray of food.

"Hi there," Belle said smiling at him, even though he must have been quite the sight, with tear-stained cheeks and his hair loose and in disarray. His mind drew up blank for a moment, before he managed to react.

"Hi," Gaston said, his mind not really catching up until he smelled the food and felt his stomach growl, "smells yummy,"

"It does, doesn't it?" Belle said, smiling even wider when she wheeled in the rolling table. She went a bit further in the room and closed the door behind her, which did relief Gaston a little.

"No Beast?" Gaston asked, and Belle shook her head.

"No, he's not here. You asked me to come alone," she said, and Gaston felt a little calmer. At least now he knew that the beast wasn't lurking somewhere outside of the hallway, ready to barge in at the slightest provocation.

"Is for me?" Gaston asked, uncurling himself a little more and ignoring the pain as much as he could, even though the movement left him wet with sweat. But his stomach was empty, and the gnawing emptiness seemed almost more crippling than the hurt ribs.

"It is," Belle said, wheeling it close to where Gaston sat. She glanced at the corner where the wet diaper had been discarded in, but she didn't let her gaze linger, "I hope you like eggs and sausages,"

"Like eggsies a lot," Gaston said, remembering the chickens they had and the only food they sometimes had available. They had been easy to hide and eat on his own as well, when his father sometimes threw him out to learn him a lesson, "ate dozens of 'em,"

"You did?" Belle asked, amused when he nodded empathically.

"Yes. Need to eat eggsies to get strong and big," Gaston said, showing of his bulging biceps and then winced when the muscles pulled his wounds.

"You are big and strong indeed," Belle said, unrolling the bib, and seeing Gaston frown at it.

"What's that?" he asked, his thumb going back to his mouth while he looked at the piece of cloth with suspicion.

"Just something to help you keep clean," Belle said with a smile, making Gaston frown even harder.

"Don't need it," he said with a pout, and Belle looked at him and then at the bib.

"You don't?" Belle asked, and Gaston shook his head, seemingly sure of himself.

"Mmh, well, let's make a deal then," Belle said, not wanting to push on the issue and make it become a problem. She first wanted to get to know Gaston in his little headspace a little more, to see where she could push best and when she needed to back down.

"A deal?" Gaston asked, the word distorted because of the thumb still in the mouth. The sight did make Belle smile.

"Yes, a deal," Belle repeated, "why don't you try to eat without spilling, and then I won't bring a bib anymore, but if you spill, you need to wear it,"

Gaston looked at her thinking it through.

"Only if I spill?" Gaston said, not feeling too sure that he would succeed, but he also felt as if he couldn't back away from that offer either. Otherwise Belle would be sure that he would need it.

"Yes. That's what it's for, so if you manage to keep completely clean, you don't need it, but if you don't..." Belle said, and Gaston nodded.

"Okay, deal," the little said, "can I eat now?"