'True beauty is found within...' I absolutely LOVE Beauty and the Beast! It is such a beautiful story with such a powerful message! I have been completely and utterly obsessed with Disney's new live action film version, so this story is in its honou...
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"Yoo hoo, Gastoooon!" called the triplets from the doorway of the dress shop. Gaston did his best to ignore them.
"We didn't see anything, not one deer, and there were barely any tracks to track, only old ones," he told LeFou. It was the day following his outing with Belle.
His friend nodded. "We've had word from our neighbouring towns that it's the same in those areas."
"But Belle enjoyed herself. You should have seen her, skirt hiked up, mud all over her boots, hair falling in her face-" He stopped and stared.
Speaking of. There she was, wandering through the market going about her morning errands, wearing her dress with the hitched skirt. She received stares of course, but instead of hiding behind her book as she usually did she held her head high and smiled proudly. "Hello. Good day. Bonjour."
He grinned and approached her. "Someone is catching eyes this morning."
She couldn't help but smile. "It really is very practical for me, seeing as I'm always working in the garden and with the animals. It makes it easier to move around."
"And looks very good."
She gave him a look. "Was that a compliment, from you?"
He grinned. "Maybe. See, perhaps I have changed." He winked.
"Perhaps." She smiled back. "So I was thinking for my choice of activity tomorrow-"
"-Let me guess, another reading session?"
"Well yes. I've got another book that I think you will quite like. But I was also thinking, why don't you take me back out into the woods. We can read in that little clearing where we had lunch, and do some more exploring and tracking. And the weather is so nice, so why not?"
He had to admit he was surprised. Here was Belle, suggesting that they go back out hunting, his activity, using up her choice of activity for this. He smiled as he realized this meant she really had enjoyed herself yesterday if she wanted to go again. "You have yourself a deal."
"See you early tomorrow morning then," she said, and continued on with her errands.
"Did you just get a genuine smile from Belle?" LeFou asked, rejoining Gaston.
Gaston stood there, staring after her. "What did I tell you LeFou? Of course she would warm to me."
"A smile that big, she might as well have said she'd marry you."
"Might as well," Gaston agreed, still grinning. "She wants to go out hunting again."
"Oooo. Making progress I see."
"Yes, indeed I am."
--------------------------------
As she continued wandering through the market, Belle found herself smiling. With this realization, and the realization of her conversation with Gaston, the smile fell. Whoa, slow down Belle. They were barely even friends. She knew Gaston had a tendency to rush things - the whole wedding ordeal - she couldn't let herself get caught up in that. She had to take this slow, keep him at a distance. But it felt as though they had grown so close in the last little while...
She had been so excited about finally having a friend in the village that she sometimes managed to forget - somehow - who that friend was. She needed to stay conscious and pace herself; she couldn't let this get out of hand. But then again, she really had enjoyed going out to the woods, even with Gaston for company...
This realization was alarming to her - she had actually come to enjoy Gaston's company. That is the way things are with friends, that is why you're friends, because you both enjoy each other's company, she told herself.
But enough of that. She had another adventure to the forest to prepare for for tomorrow.
(Two sides of the same story :) thanks so much for reading! And thank you so much for the 400 almost 500 reads! :D)
