Madelaine// Gaston |1|

8

A day had passed. A night actually.

Gaston was tossing and turning in his bed all night. The same reoccurring nightmare flashing each time he fell back asleep. He was standing in front of the villagers one second with a torch, then next he's shooting the prince in the back.

Not the beast, the prince.

Every time. Every night. For the next week. He didn't attend the wedding of Belle and Prince Adam, leaving Madelaine alone. She danced with Lefou and other villagers who had always welcomed her, but it wasn't the same. She was alone. And hurt. Just like Gaston was.

But tonight was different. Gaston had woken up again from the dream, this time Madelaine was watching him murder the prince in cold blood. He saw her, then woke up only seconds later. He almost fell out of his bed when there was a knock at the door.

"Gaston?" Madelaine said from outside the door. She hadn't seen him in a week, she had every right to be concerned right now.

Gaston quietly walked to the door, but just stood there once he reached it. He was about to open the door, but stopped himself. He didn't want to be near her.

He was a danger to himself and everyone else.

"Gaston, please open the door. It's been a week," Madelaine said, knocking again. She tried looking through the window, only to see it had been covered by a curtain. He never put up curtains. Madelaine's heart broke a little, and she leaned against the door. "Gaston?"

The door opened slightly, and Madelaine stood up straight when it did. She saw the messy long hair and half naked body of Gaston. He was leaning on the door, poking half his body out of it.

"I thought-"

"You didn't tell me anything, before you say something like that. And now, I am going to give you a little pep talk to get your butt out of your house." Gaston stared down at Madelaine, wondering how she could stand up to him. How she could be so brave.

"Well don't let me stop you, sweetheart," he said, waving a hand forward. She nodded, shifting her weight.

"Can I just start with saying, you are not a monster. It was the heat of the moment. You were jealous." Gaston glared down at her, offended by her words.

"Of that beast? Because he got Belle in the end and all I got was a broken heart?!" Gaston yelled, motioning to the rest of the village as if it were the castle.

"No because a monster got a chance at happiness!" Madelaine remarked, not realizing how loud she got. "You think you're a monster, so you can't get the happiness you deserve. Well Gaston, you can be happy. You just have to let yourself be happy."

"How can I be happy when I almost murdered two people in the span of one week!?" Gaston yelled, getting angrier than before.

"You can start by trusting me!" Madelaine screamed, then exhaled deeply. "You have to trust me."

"How?"

"Just let me in, and let me help you," Madelaine whispered, grabbing one of his hands. Gaston looked at their hands, unsure how to feel. He let go of her hand, stepping back so Madelaine could come into his house. She slightly smiled, stepping inside.

*****

Gaston had put on some pants, but still sat shirtless by the fire. Madelaine was sitting across from him in the smaller chair. As Gaston stared into the fire, Madelaine kept her eyes on him. She didn't think he would actually let her in, but she did have the hope. She had only gotten as far as the door getting slammed in her face.