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For years your mother tried to marry you to some rich man. The family name was big because your father is a very successful merchant. Everyone knew you would inherit a lot of money one day. And your mother was pleased about the fact you were beautiful and “blessed with wide hips, ideal for childbirth”. You had three other sisters, and they all were successfully married. Your two brothers were married too. But you didn’t want to marry some rich bloke you couldn’t stand. To be honest, every man you’ve met was boring. No one had caught your interest. And no one shared your interests. And a girl, who loves riding, the hunt and couldn’t care less about flowers and dresses wasn’t the ideal housewife, according to your mother.
So, it was a relief when your mother finally gave up. But she wasn’t thrilled, neither was your father.
“You should do something with your life, (Y/N)”, he told you one day, and you agreed.
You were tired of the big balls and feasts of Paris, of hours and hours in the tailoring or the endless and boring tea hours with the daughters from the other families. They all couldn’t wait to marry someone rich and get children and be happy, naïve and little lovely wives.
Yes, Paris was the most beautiful city, but it could be incredibly dull. And you prefer nature and the countryside much more.
One day, your father called you into his office and showed you a letter from your grandmother. She lived somewhere in France and was in the lead of a farm – and she needed help, but most of all, company. She was getting old, and the farm was no longer profitable. Your father knew you were clever. You’ve learned everything from him. Mainly because you were the only one, besides his sons, who cared for the family business. So, the moment he asked you to move to your grandmother, you said “yes”, without a second thought.
You hadn’t seen your grandmother in a long time. She came once a year to Paris to visit everyone. Besides that, she only wrote letters. Grandmama Dupont was a lovely woman, and you loved her very much. She wasn’t tall but already very old, but still very clever and agile.
You arrived at the farm on a summer day and felt incredibly happy. Finally, you were far, far, far away from Paris and any kind of social obligations. You could ride, hunt and most of all, do whatever and whenever you felt like it.
You quickly settled down in the big house and the small village, which was right next to the farm, lovely and you really liked it. In the first months, everyone eyed you suspicious, but you quickly gained their trust.
Your grandmother spends most of her days helping you. Whenever she had time, she would go riding or hunting. Sometimes you saw her with a black-haired guy, who was waiting for her by the forest. But you never saw him at the farm. You never asked your grandma because it wasn’t your business.
You finally met him when it was Christmas.
You were cooking the Christmas dinner in the kitchen when you heard a soft knock on the front door.
“One second!”
You put the deer your grandmother brought early that day back home into the oven and rushed to the door. When you opened the door, you looked into the most handsome face you’ve ever seen.
With a puzzled look, the man looked at you.
“I’m…looking for Mamie Dupont?!”
“My grandmère? She is in the village.”
“Oh.”
The man stared at you for a second. That young girl in front of him was gorgeous. He blinked, realizing he was staring at you.
“I’m sorry. You are her granddaughter?”
“Yes.”
“Ah. She told me about you.”
“Did she?”
You raised an eyebrow.
“Yes. She talked about you. Sometimes. When we’re hunting.”
“Oh! You’re the guy who accompanies her.”
“Yeah, I’m that guy.”
The man showed a bright smile, and you wondered how someone could have such a fantastic smile. You looked closer at him. He was tall, very tall. His dark brown - or was it black? - hair was perfectly coiffed in a ponytail, his face was almost clean-shaven, just some little stubbles were visible. They suited him very well. His eyes were mesmerizing, and his face was perfect: the concise chin, the high cheekbones, the full lips. And his suit was well-tailored. He was the definition of perfection and looked like one of these Grecian statues you’ve read bout.
Too late, you realized, he was talking with you. You were too busy looking at him.
“What did you say?”
He showed another perfect smile.
“I said, my name is Gaston.”
“Oh. I’m (Y/N). Nice to meet you, Gaston.”
“Pleasure is all mine.”
You shook his hand and smiled.
“Gaston?!”
He turned around. Behind him was your grandmother.
“Hello, Mamie Dupton.”
“Of course, you would come. You’re such a sweet guy. Oh, and LeFou is waiting for you at the gate.”
“I know.”
Gaston smiled and pulled something out of his coat.
“This is for you.”
He gave your grandmother a small package. A big smile appeared on her face.
“Thank you very much. Have a lovely Christmas.”
“I’ll try. You too.”, he added and walked down the stairs.
You looked after him while your grandmother was entering the house. Then, before you closed the door, Gaston turned around, looked at you, smiled, and waved. You waved back, and for some reason, you were blushing.
You quickly closed the door and went back to the oven.
“So, that’s the guy you always meet for hunting?”
“Yeah, Gaston. Sweet boy, poor boy. His family is horrible. Father drinks and is aggressive; mother basically does not exist. I met him some years ago when I was in the woods. He tried to hunt a deer. The poor boy nearly got killed. I’ve taught him everything I know about hunting. Sometimes he’s helping me with the farm. He’s actually a hero, you know.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. You remember the war we had many years ago?”
“Father told me about it.”
“Gaston defended the village. He’s our hero.”
“My, what a guy, that Gaston.”
“Yeah, he’s some kind of paragon. Everyone’s admiring him.”
You nodded and moved to the next topic.
But you couldn’t stop thinking about Gaston.
As it turned out, your grandmother didn’t make an understatement. Everyone really loved Gaston. Especially three girls who would follow him wherever he went.
The more time you spent in the village, the more you heard about “the Great Gaston” and “his adventures”. And you realized he was pretty bigheaded and self-centred. And while you didn’t meet him earlier, you now met him nearly every time you visited the village. You never talked much, just “Hello” and “Goodbye”.
And while your grandmother had never mentioned him before, she now would talk about him now and then. Listening to her, it felt like she was talking about a different Gaston. But maybe, your grandmother was just old and had a soft spot for him in her heart.
For the next two years, nothing changed.
You learned more about Gaston from your grandmother and heard many tales and stories from the villagers or saw Gaston publicly. Gaston wasn’t the most likeable person, but you couldn’t say you disliked him. It…was hard to put in words. There was something special about him, and everyone could see it. But you sometimes got the feeling there were two Gastons.
On your fourth Christmas, you saw the package again. It was the same Gaston gave your grandmother some years ago.
“What’s that?” you asked curiously.
“Gaston’s Christmas present.”
“What’s the present?”
“Candy.. I’ll get it every year.”
“Candy?”
Your grandmother smiled widely and opened the package.
“Yes. And it’s delicious! It’s homemade.”
“You’re telling me that the Great Gaston is making his own candy?!”
Your grandmother rolled her eyes.
“He’s not a bad guy. Just…complicated.”
You raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
The next day, Gaston knocked at your door. You were surprised to see him.
“Gaston, what you’re doing here?!”
“I’m invited?!”
“You are?”
“Yes, he is!” you heard your grandmothers voice from the background. “He is going to celebrate Christmas with us.”
You let him in, and your grandmother hugged him.
“You’re going to love (Y/N)’s dinner! Best Christmas dinner you’ve ever tried.”
You felt your cheeks blushing.
“Grandma is exaggerating very much. Before I moved to her, I couldn’t cook a potato. Then, she showed me how to cook.”
“Yes, and she is excellent. A perfect wife.”
You gave your grandmother a dirty look.
“Did you know she’s also a good hunter?” your grandmother continued.
“Really?!”
Gaston seemed surprised.
“Well, like the grandmother, like granddaughter.”
You laughed a bit.
“Why don’t you two talk about hunting and riding, and I finish our meal. (Y/N), have I told you that Gaston is the best hunter in the village?!”
“You’ve mentioned it.”
You made no effort to hide the undertone.
“It’s true. I am. No one is better than me, except your grandmother.”
“I’m sure there are other people who are good.”
“Yeah, maybe. But I’m the best.”
You nodded slowly.
“Tell her about the one time you killed the bear!” you heard your grandmother from the kitchen.
Gaston grinned and looked at you.
“Want to hear a story?”
You sighed and smiled.
“Do I have a choice?”
“Not really.”, Gaston answered, and for a brief second, you thought, he winked.
In the end, the evening was pretty lovely. In the beginning, Gaston was full of himself and the self-centred person you knew, but the more you two talked, the more he stopped being an idiot. Gaston was, for sure, a really fascinating person with an exciting life. He had a lot to tell, listened to your stories, and seemed genuinely interested. You felt a bit of sadness when he had to go.
After this Christmas, something changed. Whenever you two met, you would talk with each other. Sometimes, he would escort you through the village, helping you with your purchases. He was also helping a lot more at the farm. And sometimes you would accompany your grandmother and him for a hunt, or you two were just riding out and talked.
Yes, he was an egoist and sometimes he could be an idiot. Still, there was also a friendly, compassionate side he sometimes showed when the two of you were alone.
At some point, you realized you two were friends. You liked him very, very much.
Sometimes, when he was visiting the farm, he brought flowers. And sometimes, when your grandmother returned from the village, she had flowers too – from Gaston.
“I wonder why he’s giving you flowers.”, you said at one point to your grandmother.
“Oh, they are not mine. These are for you.”
Surprised you looked at her.
“Why should he give me flowers?”
Your grandmother just smiled.
“Oh, dear (Y/N), you’ll find out. By the way, have I told you that one time, Gaston….”
You rolled your eyes and listened to another Gaston story from your grandmother.
Next Christmas, Gaston was invited too. Like always, he brought candy. A long time ago, you had found out, he did this for many, many years. And your grandmother was right. The candy was delicious.
And your grandmother wouldn’t stop talking about you two.
“Isn’t it a shame, (Y/N), that such a handsome and nice guy like Gaston isn’t married?!”
“If you say so, grand-mère.”
“And Gaston, can you believe it that such a sweet and clever woman like (Y/N) isn’t married yet.”
“Hardly.”, Gaston answered and smiled at you.
Your cheeks blushed – a thing they did whenever Gaston was smiling at you.
“And I think it’s so lovely you two go hunting.”
“Well, it’s hard to find a company who can keep up with me.”
You rolled your eyes.
“Yeah, we know. You’re the best hunter ever.”
Gaston grinned.
“It’s true!”
“Ha! The last times, I was better.”
“You think so.”
“I was!”
“Look at you two. Bickering like an old married couple.”
You two stopped and looked at your grandmother.
“Well, time to get the dessert.”
And before you could say anything, your grandmother rushed to the kitchen.
“Married couple…grand-mère tries to be funny.”, you muttered under your breath.
Gaston looked at you and cleared his throat.
“Yeah. She is a lovely woman.”
“Yeah.”
There was silence.
“But why aren’t you married? I mean, every guy in the village would marry you immediately.”
“Well, I guess I haven’t found the right man. I want to marry someone because I love him. I want someone who respects me and my interests. What about you?”
“Well, I have to admit, it’s highly unusual that guy like me isn’t married…” he started. You rolled your eyes, and Gaston showed a grin “…but I guess it’s the same. Haven’t found the right woman.”
“Really? Not one of the Bimbettes?!” you joked.
“I would never marry one of them.”, he said, and suddenly, he sounded earnest.
“Too dumb?”
“Maybe. But I want a strong woman. Of course, a woman who wants kids and be my lovely wife, but also a self-confident wife.”
You smiled, and there was silence again. Suddenly, Gaston chuckled.
“What?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Come on. What’s so funny.”
“It’s just…your grandmother praised you so much…at one point, she even told me….”
He stopped and looked down at his plate.
“She told what?”
“Nothing, really. Forget it.”
“Come on. Whatever it is, tell me. I mean, she talked about you so much and praised you so much. I know what you’re talking about. At some point, she even suggested we should go out. Can you imagine?!”
You laughed. Gaston didn’t laugh.
“Would you?”
“What?”
“Go out with me?”
Taken aback, you looked at him.
“Well…I mean…why not?! Spending time with you is always great. And it would make grand-mère happy.”
Gaston smiled a bit.
“Yeah, that’s true.”
“We should do it.”
“Do what?”
“Go out. Maybe grand-mère will stop if we go out.”
Gaston went silent for some seconds and nodded.
“Okay. Let’s go out. For Mamie.”
“For grand-mère.”, you answered and raised your glass.
“Here is the dessert!”
Your grandma entered the room, and you looked at Gaston. You both started laughing.
Two nights later, you two would go…on a date. On the one side, it felt strange to go on a date with Gaston. But on the other side, you felt really nervous…and excited. And you couldn’t say way. Your grandma was very excited. When Gaston picked you up, she had the biggest smile on her face.
“Have a lovely night!”
The night was lovely. You two went to Gaston’s house, and he cooked for you. Later, you went to the tavern, where everyone celebrated, and you danced the whole night, mainly with Gaston. You couldn’t remember the last time, you had so much fun and felt so happy.
It was nearly morning when Gaston escorted you back to your house. You talked about this and that. When you arrived at the house, you sat down at the steps and talked. When you started freezing, Gaston put his jacket around your shoulders. You smiled at him and continued to chat.
At some point, you yawned, and you two walked up the stairs.
“Thanks for the lovely night. I had a lot of fun.”
“Me too.”
You two smiled at each other.
“Maybe we should do this again. You know, for Mamie.”, he suggested.
“Yeah, sounds like a plan.”
You two stopped in front of the door and looked into each other eyes. You felt something in your stomach…and your heart jumped. Gaston’s eyes were stunning and mesmerizing. He looked up, and you followed his gaze. You both saw a mistletoe. You couldn’t remember it had been there before.
“Looks like we’re standing under a mistletoe.”, Gaston said and looked at you again.
“Yes.”
“Isn’t there some myth?!”
“You have to share a kiss under a mistletoe, or you have bad luck with love.”, you answered and looked briefly at Gaston’s lips.
You wondered what it would feel like to kiss these full lips, who looked so soft, for a second. Gaston looked at you and put his hand on your cheek.
“Well…we don’t need more bad luck…right?!”
“No…”
You swallowed, and Gaston’s face came closer.
“To be honest, I enjoyed the night very much.”
“Me too.”
“And I wanted to ask you out for a while. I was glad Mamie suggested it.”
“Why didn’t you ask?”
“I wasn’t sure what the answer would be.”
“Why on earth could the Great Gaston be shy?”
“Because I…have feelings for you.”
You felt your breathing stops.
“And I really want to kiss you right now, but not if you don’t want it.”
And with that, you kissed him. You felt how Gaston was putting his arms around you, and you put his hands on his chest. And kissing Gaston was the most beautiful thing you’ve ever done.