Title: If it's not baroque, don't fix it
Pairing: Lumiere/Cogsworth
Warnings: Slash
Spoilers: Uh. If you haven't seen the end of Beauty and the Beast
Disclaimer: Not mine
Summary: Cogsworth has some unusual burns on his wood...
“Toast for ze mademoiselle,” the candlestick called to the kitchens, clapping his candles together.
“Oh no Lumiere,” Belle said kindly. “Really. You mustn’t.”
“I insist!” Lumiere said in his thick French accent, waving a candle around. “We are here to take care of you. Breakfast!”He motioned to the breakfast table and Belle gave him a small smile before sitting down. Lumiere grinned at her before hopping off into the kitchens.
Just as Mrs Potts appeared on the table to fill a cup full of tea for Belle, Cogsworth waddled into the room slowly, trying to bypass the table and enter the kitchens unnoticed.
“Oh Cogsworth, there you are!” Mrs Potts noticed him of course. Cogsworth froze, and then carefully turned to the table before speaking.
“Mrs Potts. Can I be of some assistance?”He mumbled, his clock hands twitching.
“Would you be a dear and speak to the brooms today? They have been sweeping the dust under the rugs again-I say dear, are you alright?”
Cogsworth bent bright red, nodding his head feverishly. “Of course. Everything is fine. Nothing to see here!”
But Belle was already at his side, picking him up with gentle hands. She held him in front of her and eyes him curiously.
“Cogsworth!” she exclaimed when she saw what he had been hiding. “Your wood is all burnt!”
The glasses, which had previously been sitting silent on the table all hopped over to observe Cogsworth.
“Ohhhh Cogswooorth,” they whined. “What haaaaaapened?”
“Don’t whine glasses!” Cogsworth said automatically, and then remembered himself, and struggled to get out of Belle’s arms. “It is nothing mademoiselle,” he assured her. “I stepped too close to the fire, of course.”
Belle only held him tighter, turning him around to observe the damage and indeed; his wood had little burns down both sides, and a few down his back. They weren’t even, and didn’t look like they could have been made all at once, from the same fire.
“Lumiere!” Belle called, and Lumiere’s head appeared at the kitchen door.
“Mademoiselle?” he asked.
“Cogsworth is hurt,” Belle informed him, holding Cogsworth up as if to prove this.
Lumiere frowned, and hopped over to Belle with a severe look on his face.
“Let me see!” He motioned for her to put Cogsworth down on the floor. She did. Lumiere took Cogsworth face in his candles, looking him over with creased eyebrows. “What is wrong with you mon amie?”
Cogsworth was bright red by now, his clock hands ticking in a disjointed rhythm, hands by his side and fists curled in defiance. “Nothing!” He declared. “Nothing at-“
“His wood is all burnt,” Belle told Lumiere, pointing to the burns on Cogsworth’s clock.
Lumiere’s face went blank for a moment as he peered at the burns on Cogsworth’s wood, and then his face split into a wide grin. “Ahh mademoiselle, I feel that you have misunderstood. These burns-“
“Fire!” Cogsworth squeaked, swatting Lumiere’s candles away. “From being too close to the fire!”
Lumiere regarded Cogsworth with a smirk before nodding at Belle. “So you see, mademoiselle. Cogsworth has learnt not to stray too close to the fire. Breakfast, yes?”
Belle looked at Cogsworth with some concern, before sighing. “Yes, that would be lovely Lumiere.”
---
A few days later, a very impressionable Chip wandered into a cupboard out of innocent curiosity, and happened upon something that he wasn’t meant to see.
“Mama!” He cried, jumping into the kitchen. “Mama!”
Mrs Potts turned to her son, her brow furrowed in worry. “What is it my dear?”
“Mama!” Chip stopped, short of breath. “I saw Lumiere...he was burning Cogsworth with his candles. I saw him Mama! And Cogsworth was laughing!”
Shock flashed over Mrs Potts’ face, before it settled into amusement and a small blush on her usually white pot. “Oh my...” she murmured.
“What is it Mama?” Chip asked in confusion.
Mrs Potts shook her pot with a small smile, “I’ll tell you when you’re older dear.”
---
Everyone was quite surprised when the curse was lifted, and the first person Lumiere planted a kiss on was Cogsworth. They were especially surprised when Cogsworth returned the kiss with some passion, and then the two weren’t seen for hours and hours...
Well, everyone except Mrs Potts.