CLOCKWORK LOVE.

Okay guys, I don't even know. A Beauty and the Beast fanfic involving much slash and angst between Lumiere and Cogsworth. I blame DD Agent for this one! XD

I do not own the characters in here.

Lumiere knew how Cogsworth felt about him. He'd have to be blind and stupid not to. Cogsworth wasn't exactly adept at hiding his feelings. Cogsworth never had gotten over that stupid fling. Because that's all it was. A fling. Lumiere liked Cogsworth well enough. He was good at his job, fiercely loyal, and he was secretly funny. Plus it was great fun to wind him up (both figuratively and literally). But, Lumiere liked the ladies. And he didn't like to be tied down (both literally and figuratively again, although he didn't mind tying other people down). Cogsworth just wasn't right for him. they weren't meant to be together.

Besides, since they'd returned to human form, the Master had hired a bevy of new chambermaids, all young and pure and innocent, and just waiting for Lumiere. He wasn't going to go back to Cogsworth when he had all these sweet young things to play with. And it's different now that they're human. Before, they were a clock and a candlestick. It didn't count.

Cogsworth had caught him with Babette once. That hadn't been fun. But Lumiere had never tried to hide his nature from Cogsworth. Cogsworth had known from the start that Lumiere was just sleeping with him as a novelty, and because he wanted Cogsworth to relax for once. He'd been clear. It wasn't his fault that Cogsworth felt hurt when he found Lumiere having sex on the table. He hadn't promised anything.

And yes, it was true that sometimes he missed the robust shape of Cogsworth's rotund body beneath him, and the softness of the man's hands. That he missed the feeling as he pounded into the tight warmth, being rougher than he dared with Babette or the other maids. And that he even missed being pounded into by Cogsworth's surprisingly heavy and large cock.

But it had nothing to do with finer feelings. It was an itch that was no longer being scratched. That was all.

Cogsworth was a friend, yes. A brother even. But nothing more.

"Lumiere, what is wrong?" a feminine voice cooed. "You've been sitting here, staring into the walls for hours, now!"

"Nothing, mon cher. Nothing at all."

He stood, and swept her into his arms, pressing a kiss to her mouth. She giggled and writhed and her hands rasped against his skin, roughened from years of work. It felt wrong, and he closed his eyes tight. His hand found the swell of her breasts and he tugged sharply down on her dress, ripping it a little, to free the shapely mounds with their round, dark nipples.

She gasped.

He felt her reach into his breeches and free his cock. It was only half hard. He bent his head to suck a mark on her throat, and received a flash of doing the same thing to Cogsworth. He groaned and leaned his forehead against her clavicle as the blood rushed to his member. She giggled again, breathily and he felt inexplicably irritated. He pulled up her skirts and thrust roughly into her. Her nails were like claws on his shoulders. He suckled at her tits and dragged a hand through her hair.

"Oh, Lumiere!" she moved with him, breathing heavily, and tossing back her head. They were up against the wall, her back pressed against it, the wallpaper cold and rough on her skin. They kissed and he bit her lip a little harder than he meant to and tasted blood. It brought him back to himself. He was thrusting into her roughly; one hand tangled in her hair, pulling sharply, the other clawing marks into one of her breasts. There was a large hickey on her neck and a thin trail of blood spilling down her chin from her fat bottom lip. He stopped abruptly, pulling out and stepping away. He covered his eyes wearily.

"What's wrong?" she tugged up her dress and wrapped her arms protectively across her breasts. "Did...did I do something...? I mean..."

"No!" he turned to her, and realised he still had his breeches round his ankles and tried to sort himself before continuing. "I am sorry, you did nothing. I did not mean to be so rough with you. I was angry before we started."

"Do you," she frowned, and tried to fix her dress before giving up, sitting down, and continuing, "I mean, do you want to talk about it?"

He laughed. It was a high, hysterical sound and it didn't suit him. She looked truly afraid for the first time.

"I don't mean to laugh. I just don't know how to answer. I thought, I thought I knew what to do. That I had it all sorted in my head, but I obviously don't."

"Come and sit down, and explain." She frowned. He stepped forward, and joined her at the table. "No, wait. Have a glass of brandy first. You're shaking apart." She poured him a glass from the decanter on the table. It was technically the Masters, but he wouldn't begrudge them a drop.

He drank the brandy down in one and she shook her head.

"I truly am sorry. Did I hurt you?"

"I don't mind it a little rough, truth be told." She smiled. "You did no lasting harm. Now," she clapped her hands together sharply and leaned in as though expecting him to whisper. "What is so terrible that you lost yourself so?"

"I," he turned his face away, "I have lain with a man as I would lay with a maid."

"Yes?" she said, mildly confused when he did not continue.

"That's all? You aren't disgusted with me?"

She laughed, and he felt it sting his tender pride.

"Why would I be?"

"Is this a joke to you? I have done something terrible!"

She sighed.

"Was it safe?"

He bit his lip, unsure, and then nodded slowly.

"Neither of us was hurt. We were careful."

"Was it sane?"

"I... I don't know. We were swept up in our passion. It seemed sane at the time, but now..." He shrugged.

"Was it consensual?"

"Yes! I am not some sort of monster!" he almost shouted at her, and immediately regretted it. She had good reason to think ill of him, after all. She held up her hands defensively and pulled back a little.

"Then what are you so fussed about?"

"I..." he scrubbed a hand through his hair. "It's wrong."

"No, it isn't." she put her hand on his. "I promise."

"Yes it is."

"Why would it be? It doesn't do any harm, does it? No one with any brains thinks of it as wrong."

"Did you just call me an idiot?"

"I didn't mean it like that, and you know it!"

"It's not just that. I mean, that's a big part of it, but there's more."

"Tell me."

"He loves me."

"That is a good thing, no?" she patted his hand and smiled.

"No! I'm not like that!" he stood up and began to pace. "I'm not made like that, for one person. I don't, I can't..." he trailed off, frustrated.

"You don't love him?"

"I didn't say that. I care about him. He's a friend, but I that's why he needs to stay away from me!"

"Oh, I see. You are not worthy of being loved, is that it? Lumiere, you are the last person I thought would have self esteem issues!"

"I am too great to be loved by one man alone!" he said smugly, hand on his heart. She laughed, genuinely and it was a sweet sound.

"You care about him, you're paramour?"

"I said I do!"

"And you respect him?"

"Well, sure! He is a clever man, and a good man." Too good for me, he thought.

"Then respect his choice. If he is a smart man, then respect that. He's probably smart enough to see right through you! And he loves you just the same."

"Right, sure." He shook his head. "He will leave me. He will see how I am. Or worse, I will break him. Shatter his heart. I do that. I leave people behind."

"Stop being so melodramatic! And come and sit back down, I can't talk to you properly when you're wandering back and forth over there."

He came back to sit at the table a little bit sheepishly.

"I am simply telling the truth."

"You are making too much of this. If you truly love him, it will all work out. You will not want to hurt him, and you will stay by his side." She nodded wisely and he snorted.

"I do not know that I love him! And even if I did, is that supposed to change my entire personality? Besides, I have already hurt him. I do not wish to do that again."

"Then don't."

"It is that simple?"

"Yes!" and she laughed again. "You know now, and you can do better. Go to him. Tell him you are sorry."

"He shall not want me back."

"You said you respect him. Do you respect him enough to give him the choice? Are you brave enough to hear him say no?"

He looked at her for a long time. Then, he stood up, bowed to her and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand.

Then, he turned and left without another word. She smiled, and congratulated herself on a job well done, and then wondered how she was going to get back to her room with her dress torn around the bodice.

So. Yeah. Sorry for ruining your childhood memories! Brain Bleach is available from every good chemist and bartender*. Before you remove the memories for good, how about leaving me a review?

*please use Brain Bleach responsibly.