OF SYCOPHANCY

“Okay, so a third chance. If you prove yourself then you’ve more than earned it. Either way, I’m not going to give up on you.” Adam was now determined to help LeFou redeem himself so long as he kept up his end of the bargain. “So when you reported to Maleficent what orders were you given? Sneaking into the castle so she had eyes and ears?”

“Sometimes we do the wrong things for the right reasons. Being forced to do such horrible things because it’s all you know is one of those times.” He might not be a huge fan of LeFou but Adam was going to give him sanctuary. Those days of a past so long ago flashed through his mind. Had Belle not helped him overcome his anger, what would have become of him? So many years later and Adam still could not quite answer that for himself. On the darkest days when the moon was high in the sky Adam wondered whether he would truly feel human. “Belle taught me that second chances are vital. How could I not show you the same kindness?”

“I suppose you are right. Who am I to judge your happiness. As long as you are happy once this is all over then that is what matters, right?” He hoped he was helping LeFou out, even if he honestly didn’t feel like it would be much help. He wanted to help the man become confident in who he was. Much like Belle did for him during their time together so long ago when he was still a beast.

never one to be the interior decorator it had taken ruby three hours of just sitting painstakingly still until she cracked under the pressures of boredom to sit up on the small chair in the room and look around. there had always been a few strangers in each sitting room as they were still sharing everything from the large list of party goers. but rising up ruby began to push the chair to the opposite side of the room until she found another spot and then she moved onto the next, even if said chair was occupied. “please get up. im moving this place around, i don’t think the king or queen will notice and maybe it will make this place seem less cramped.” she simply said to the man before giving his claimed chair a shove. “you wanna help me?”

Adam couldn’t help but want to help this man, despite the fact that he had tried to kill people he cared for before. If he was willing to help them with the curse then by all means Adam would return the favor. “We can arrange that,” he finally spoke as he thought about it. “Working for the palace until we can help you find the confidence you need to live your own life. A life living for others is not much of a life, is it?”

Adam couldn’t help the light chuckle that escaped his lips as LeFou seemed to panic more about living his own life than setting up Maleficent. There was just so much raw honesty there that he couldn’t help it. “Okay, okay. We’ll get you set up with a job in our palace if that makes you feel better. We can work on the ‘live your own life’ thing. Either way, if you’re willing to help us I’m more than willing to help you. This is how you can prove you can be trusted.”

“I understand that you might not have wanted to get involved with her but you did. However, I appreciate you being honest with me. It shows that you do not wish to do harmful things to others.” Adam appreciated everything that LeFou was doing to help them. It wasn’t easy to come clean about doing something wrong and that alone meant Adam would do whatever he could to help him out. “Once this mess is completely over, I will help you set up your own life.”

Adam did have to admit that would be a small problem but if they could keep him on their side and have him report back anything that was asked of him it could work. “All you have to do is what you’ve been doing. Tell no one else that you’re involved, I’ll take care of telling the proper people. You just have to give me a heads up on anything you know. If you’re truly here to help us, if you want to make amends, then we can do this.” Adam wanted to trust LeFou after his confession but there was still a part of him that just couldn’t do it.

“LeFou, you’ve clearly gotten yourself involved with something you didn’t willingly ask to be apart of. I understand that you try to do what is asked of you because it is all you have ever known.” Adam didn’t feel like LeFou would have done it if he any choice in the matter. “So yes, I can protect you from all of that. But you have to cooperate with us. Right now we have no leads to even start getting us out of here. But I think if you help us then we might actually have a shot.”

Adam should have known that Gaston would have something to do with this whole scenario. To hear he had practically sold LeFou to Maleficent for her own inferior plans had his entire body tingling with anger. Yes, LeFou had wronged him the past, but he now truly believed he was sorry for all the pain he had caused then. “I’m not going to expose you, well not in that way. Would you be willing to help us out of this mess? If I offered you protection afterwards?”

Adam was attempting to follow his sudden ramblings. Something about needing help and how he was afraid of what this person would do to him. Rather suddenly, the gears in his head clicked into place and it hit him all at once. “LeFou,” his voice was sharp as he turned his attention to the man. “I need you to calm down and explain it all to me. What did you get yourself into? I cannot help you if you do not stop to explain it to me.” He refused to lose his cool, not wanting to become angry. If he was willing to ask for help and admit his faults then Adam would do what he could to help.

Adam once had also felt like a prisoner, was a prisoner, to his own curse. He only had to feel that way once a month these days. Even then, he knew what freedom felt like which seemed to be something that LeFou had never felt. “You’re free now, you can always learn. I know how hard it is to adjust but it’s never too late to start. I’d be willing to help you if you really want to learn.”

“You don’t have to be a servant, not here. You were invited as a guest, therefore it is not your duty to please others. It is kind of you to do so anyways,” Adam replied thoughtfully. “If you continue to think like that then you will never truly be free from it.” Adam wasn’t sure how he could help, even if he had never liked this man and might not ever. He felt like it was his duty to try anyways.

“It should matter to you. You’re not still a servant, you’re allowed to have your own interests and dreams outside of being one,” Adam replied simply, looking over the man once more. Did LeFou do anything for himself? Or just whatever others wanted from him? That seemed like such a sad way to live. It almost made him feel sorry for him.

He was pleasantly surprised to hear that LeFou was actually helping out where he could. Adam was very skeptical about the whole idea behind LeFou being here. Maybe he really was here to help. “That’s kind of you to offer your services. Do you enjoy cooking and cleaning? Or is that just all you’ve known?” Adam hadn’t thought about LeFou’s past before, how he came to work with Gaston, or what he had done since the fight at his castle.

Adam didn’t know exactly how to tell him to build trust, it was just something that happened over time. With the right actions, of course. “I cannot tell you how to build the little trust I have in you. It’s something you have to do in your own time.” He was starting to feel like LeFou was actually trying and Adam really had no idea what to make of that. “Why don’t we start with what you’ve been up these days?” He was trying, really trying, trying to not make it feel forced.

Adam mentally cursed himself as he listened to the other man’s words. He hated how soft he gotten over the years sometimes, how he could find it in himself to forgive others for the harm they had done to him, just as others had forgiven him. He didn’t trust LeFou, by any means, but I was willing to give him a chance. People change. “Trust is built. Prove you have changed and we will work on being friends.”