Summary: Y/N was once an employee at Prince Adam’s castle along with being his childhood friend but she doesn’t remember. Caught up in the curse, she ends up in Villeneuve where she stands out. But circumstances arrive and she somehow returns to the place she once called home, and a beast she once thought a friend.
A multi-chapter fanfiction. MASTERLIST
Author's Note: Here's chapter 19! So close to the dance. But not yet cause I'm evil. I tried so hard to find a gif of Beast in the bath or in his prince makeup but I couldn't and it annoyed me to no end! As usual tags and questions are OPEN but requests remain CLOSED. I hope you guys all enjoy!
He’d done it. He’d asked you to dance. Had he meant to? No. Was he glad he did? He wasn’t sure. As soon as he’d blurted out the question he’d immediately felt like smacking himself in the head, hoping that you had never actually heard him. He didn’t want to be rejected by someone he’d already pushed away once before. So imagine his shock when you had said yes. At first Adam felt pure joy and he let out the large amount of air with relief. You weren’t rejecting him like you had done before (although this time around he hadn’t done half as many stupid things). Then he realised that he hadn’t danced in almost a decade, could he even more? Not only that, what was he to wear? He wanted to impress you but how? He felt the blood drain from his face and he immediately ran out of the room. He practically sprinted upstairs before pausing at the top of the first flight. He was going to need help to get ready. He didn’t even know if he had any appropriate clothes, let alone know if he could even dance anymore. With that thought he yelled for Lumière who, after a long poignant wait for Adam, came running out from the room that headed into the dining room. Lumière paused looking into the ballroom and quickly Adam coughed. Lumière looked up and sprinted up the stairs before climbing up the banister to try and be at Adam’s eye level.
“Yes, master?” He enquired. Adam looked at him and tried to explain what he’d done but he failed. He could feel a blush spreading across his cheeks.
“I… um… I…” He began whilst Lumière stared at him waiting. He then heard a ruffle from downstairs. Adam immediately looked towards the noise and saw it was you leaving the ballroom, arms full of art supplies. He knew you could barely see anything from behind them all stacked up but in all honesty he didn’t want you to see him after he basically ran out of the ballroom. Adam grabbed Lumière and pulled him into a dark corner of the stairwell as you staggered past them both a large smile on your face. Adam’s eyes followed you and Lumière let out a rather large gasp of realisation.
“Did… Did something happen between you two?” He questioned. Adam simply looked down at his feet, remaining silent. This silence was broken when a large squeal was heard from upstairs. “That was the Madame.”
“FINALLY A DRESS! I CAN MAKE A BEAUTIFUL DRESS!”
“I… may have asked Y/N to dance.” Adam whispered. Lumière’s metal mouth seemed to melt as it dropped. “It’s tonight.” Still Lumière stared, slacked jawed. “She said yes by the way.” Adam looked away from Lumière's shocked face, feeling like a small child who had just done something horrifically wrong.
"Mon ami!!!" Lumière exclaimed. "This is wonderful!"
Adam looked up shocked at Lumière's response.
"My goodness. You must hurry! We must get you prepared along with the ballroom. We must have music and a feast with only the finest food!" Lumière quickly jumped out of Adam's paw and began to run down the stairs before pausing and turning back round to face Adam. "Go mon ami! Begin with a trim, then a bath. We will all be with you shortly. I must inform the others of this new development. For preparation obviously." Adam nods and begins to head up the stairs thinking that perhaps everything would be fine.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He was wrong. So very, very wrong. He was not fine. He was well aware that the curse was coming to an end and he needed this to go well but apparently everyone else felt the need to reinforce this piece of information. They also were reminding him of how to act and Y/F/N was simply just there scrutinising him in silence with a clear facial expression that said 'hurt her again and you suffer more that you already have'. Adam gulped as Mrs Potts tried to drill home how important the evening was.
"This is it!" She said enthusiastically, whilst Adam was doused, by Chapeau, in another bucket of water. "Now or never!"
"The clock is ticking." Cogsworth added unnecessarily.
"There are only four petals left mon ami!" Lumière reminded. "Which means tonight you must tell her how you feel!"
Adam sighed. He knew what this night meant. He knew the staff only meant to help, to put him at ease but it was doing the opposite. He knew that you were probably his, their, last chance yet hearing it out loud from so many people did nothing to squash his fear and anxiety. However, that wasn't the main reason he was nervous. It was you. He couldn't understand you, (some of the time) and what he wanted desperately to be able to do was understand your heart, so he wouldn't have to fret over your response if he told you he loved you. He did love you. He had to admit he always had, since you were both children, but he had to grow into his father’s image and pushed you further away. He refused to do that again. Ever again. That was what scared him. That he loved you and he could admit it to himself but not you. He was terrified of you not feeling the same. He still remembered the time when you both fell in the castle lake, or made a book fort in the library, or played on the library ladders and made and obstacle course. He loved you back then, now he could identify the feeling, but you didn't remember those memories. You only knew him now and he hoped that that was enough.
He shook himself as he stood from the water shaking his sodden coat and grabbing a towel whilst his nerves began to get the best of him.
"She'll never love me." He whispered to himself, loud enough for all to hear.
"Do not be discouraged!" Lumière proclaimed whilst Adam dried himself behind the curtain.
"Look at me!" Adam exclaimed as he stepped out from behind the curtain dressed in a striped robe. "I feel like a fool. She deserves so much more than a... than a beast." He added solemnly.
"You care for her don't you?" Y/F/N asked thought it sounded more like a statement of fact.
"More than anything." He mumbled out as he looked at Y/F/N for the first time in the evening. The paintbrush nodded when he saw the look in Adam's eyes. There was fear and so much longing there. Lumière clearly saw the doubt in Adam's eyes and tried once more to encourage him.
"Well then, woo her with beautiful music and romantic candle light..."
"Yes," Plumette added, "and when the moment is just right..."
"But... how will I know when the time is right?" Adam questioned.
“In my experience,” Cogsworth stated after clearing his throat, “you will feel slightly nauseous.”
Adam unsurprisingly felt even worse than before. Lumière noticed and shot Cogsworth a look, silencing Cogsworth in a heartbeat.
“Don’t worry, mon ami,” Lumière reassured turning back towards Adam. “You will do fine. The problem was before she couldn’t see the real you.”
“No. The problem was that she did.” Mrs Potts said disagreeing. A loud poignant silence fell over the staff and Adam. Adam looked at Mrs Potts wide eyed and he felt his guilt and nerves grow. “For years before the curse,” Mrs Potts went on, “she above all hoped that you’d change and be the boy she remembered and loved but you just continued being cruel, selfish and angry. When she left and the curse was set we hoped against all hope that you would change but you didn’t and now we are running out of time. The truth is the staff, all of us, love you.” Adam almost forgot to breath. “Before we loved you despite of who you were but now we all love you because of who you are.”
Adam felt the corner of his mouth twitch. The staff all nodded and Y/F/N stepped forward.
“Most of all Y/N loves you. She never stopped. So you go out there and tell my daughter how you feel or I swear I’ll make Mrs Potts serve you cold tea for the rest of your life.”
“Whilst in the dark.” Lumière added.
“Covered in dust.” Plumette chimed in.
The staff all waited staring at Adam and Adam for once smiled without having to try too hard. He felt he was ready and nodded as the entire staff began fussing about how he looked. This time though, he felt like his looks wouldn’t matter.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the opposite side of the castle in your room you stood still letting Garderobe primp and pamper you. You were struck by a large case of the nerves ever since you had reached your room. You had dumped your art supplies on your bed which had woken the Madame from her slumber. You had told her about the dance and squealed with utter delight. She had immediately started planning a dress and for once you didn't have a single complaint; so in shock from being asked to dance that you didn't mind what she gave you. You trusted her enough to know that she's never make something that was outside of your comfort zone (which was simple garments). Whilst Garderobe began on the dress you drew a bath and washed yourself clean whilst pondering your feelings for Adam. You admitted to yourself that you felt happy around him and you found that you actively sought out his company and reading in the library with him not there felt slightly empty. If you had your father by your side you would have admitted to him that your feelings for Adam had become deeper than friendship but was it love? You weren't sure yet. Now, however you were about to go and spend an evening with him, having a meal and dancing in the ballroom.
After your bath you stood in front of Garderobe as she made the final touches to your dress. She had banned you from looking in the mirror so for the past 2 hours you had either been blindfolded or had your eyes shut whilst she did your hair, makeup and dress. During those past hours your thoughts had switched constantly between pondering how you felt about Adam and how you looked. You remembered how when you first came to the castle the Madame was slightly appalled by your preference of comfort and practicality over fashion. She'd made many dresses for you in the beginning that you were certain that you'd never be able to walk in but as time went on her designs became more and more you, though she had flat out refused to make trousers citing that ‘a lady does not wear them’. You had told her you were a simple country girl who liked trousers yet to no avail and you were content with your new dresses that had pockets.
"Okay I believe you can look." Garderobe said.
You opened your eyes and gasped. Garderobe had truly outdone herself. You almost didn't recognise your reflection. You were wearing minimal makeup only a slight rouge and lip. Your Y/H/C hair had been swept back into a gold head piece and a gold branch wrapped round your ear. You had a golden chain with a red rose pendant attached hanging around your neck and you could see bright red and gold shoes sticking out from underneath your skirts. The dress, however, your dress, was the greatest part of the ensemble. Words really couldn’t describe how beautiful it was. The skirt was full and floated as if it were like a cloud. It glowed like a halo and every slight movement you made caused the dress to almost shine as it caught the light. You smiled up at Garderobe who stretched out her drawers and somehow a layer of gold dust magically fell from the ceiling adding gold, glittered accents onto the skirts and bodice of the dress. You didn’t question how the gold fell from the ceiling; after living in the castle for so long you had just learnt to accept the bizarre and different. Pleased with her work, Garderobe pushed you gently out of the door into the empty corridor. You felt your nerves take over when you heard the door behind you close. You wrung your hands together and realised that your china hand was smooth and shiny. You looked at it to see that it was bare and for the first time in years lacking in paint. You normally would have wanted to cover it so that no one could see how the china slowly blended into skin but this night, you wanted Adam to see the real you, hand included. So with a deep breath you headed away from your room towards the grand staircase where you hoped that your prince for the night would be waiting.
@grippleback-galaxy @loneliestlittlerainbow @bucky-with-the-metal-arm @liviacollettex3 @caseynathan @langinator @casangelcake @scarlinrouge @an-anxiousace-from-outerspace @molethemollie @no-butter-before-marriage @plethora-of-things @quiettranquility-blog @jedi-dreea @allooie @blueinkblot @frozenhuntress67 @iwyr @quickies-with-quicksilver @beastsenchantedrose @i-wished-upon-a-star-one-night @yammering-emma @nerdgirl78 @randomastridoverhere @just-a-blog00 @aknerdchick @ilvermornyqueen @multifandom-slytherin @medivh-the-last-guardian @childoftheshire @910roses @girl-obsessed-with-things @amazingangelaaa @phanchopsticks @ronijdubb @thedarkplume @fanloverelsa @ink-shea @dorkasours @extracrunchymilk @ladywitheclecticheart @starryskylouis @fralackles @sympathyforluci @theeeeens @mcthott @s0nh4dorasblog @bethanystan @come-with-me-and-imagine @by-the-primes @heatherrose121 @wantingtobekorra @bloodangelballerina @ends-of-the-wayward-storm @lunariasilver
I apologise to anyone who isn’t tagged on the above list, I’ve tried everything I can think of to get them to work. I’m sorry.
