Chapter Text
Cogsworth stood on the steps of the grand staircase brandishing a long metal pointer furiously. The staff had gathered around him – some looked quite excited, others looked a little skeptical. Cogsworth cleared his throat and glanced around the group amassed around him.
“Alright. Any questions?” He asked, peering at his colleagues. They were planning a bit of a Christmas Feast for the beast and Belle, and although it would mean extra work to set everything up and to prepare the feast, Cogsworth couldn’t help but think that this was an entirely worthwhile endeavor if it helped the beast and Belle get together. Time was running out – and so far, all the beast had managed to do was not completely terrify Belle. Limited though his experience in this area was, Cogsworth couldn’t help but feel like that wasn’t the best recipe for romance. A bit of a romantic candlelight dinner complete with a glimmering Christmas tree was a perfect means of showing love and affection…or at least Cogsworth thought. Having never been much on the receiving end of ‘flowers, chocolates, and promises you don’t intend to keep,’ he could only speculate that dinner to soft candlelight was the way to go. The romance novels he sometimes snuck from the library seemed to indicate that much, at least.
With no reply from the group of servants, Cogsworth nodded once, waving the pointer wildly. “Alright then, you know your jobs. Get to work!”
The staff dispersed quickly, eager to be finished with another long-winded lecture, and Cogsworth hopped down the staircase. This had to work – and although the beast had gotten them into this horrible mess, Cogsworth was only too happy to help out, especially if it meant the beast might be closer to wooing Belle.
Cogsworth snorted. Who was he kidding? The beast had just spent all of last evening rampaging on how he was canceling Christmas and locked Belle in the dungeon. Oh well.
Still though, he thought with a flicker of hope, there was no harm in trying to get them together. Especially if this was in all likelihood, their very last chance at breaking the spell. He felt the familiar presence of a certain candelabra sidle up next to him before he saw him.
“Planning a romance, mon ami?” Lumiere asked mischievously throwing a golden arm around Cogsworth’s wooden shoulders.
“Well, I certainly think it’s a worthwhile endeavor if we’re to break the spell,” Cogsworth said somewhat haughtily, pushing Lumiere’s arm off with a disgruntled look.
Lumiere just chuckled. “Relax, mon ami, zis is a great idea! With my expert planning, the girl will have no choice but to fall in love with the master!”
“YOUR expert planning!”
“Oui,” Lumiere said somewhat cheekily, smiling at the angry blotches of color quickly rising in Cogsworth’s cheeks. He pulled Cogsworth closer into a bit of an awkward side hug.
“Come now mon ami, we both know you laid the groundwork, but true romance requires…how you say… Délicatesse, a certain debonair charm,” Lumiere said with a winning smile.
Cogsworth just rolled his eyes. “Fine, you fool, have it your way. I am going to supervise the main ballroom set up. Someone has to stop the rest of the servants from getting too carried away,” he said sticking his nose in the air.
“Yes, and we can’t have that,” Lumiere said somewhat sarcastically. At Cogsworth’s withering look, he just smiled sheepishly. “Very well. I will speak to the chef… And see about the music! Every man knows music is the way to your lover’s heart,” Lumiere said waggling his eyebrows suggestively.
Cogsworth looked flabbergasted. “Music!”
“Oui, mon ami, music! That is just what the master and Belle need – a bit of dancing, following a romantic candlelight dinner!” Lumiere said excitedly, grabbing Cogsworth’s brass hand and twirling him around. Cogsworth turned bright pink.
“Lumiere…! N-Now really… Highly inappropriate,” he flustered, swatting Lumiere’s hand away.
But Lumiere only laughed, and began hopping towards the kitchen, presumably to speak with the chef. “Even you can’t be such a stick in the mud, Cogsworth! Everyone loves dancing!”
“I…I certainly do not,” Cogsworth spluttered, but Lumiere was already too far down the hallway to hear him.