#batb week

"Yes, thank you."

She kissed his cheek before running off.

"Put your arm around me," Adam ordered and gently scooped him from the floor and carried Lumière to his bed. "What happened?" he asked, sitting on the edge of the bed and held Lumière's hand to his chest.

"One of the villagers," he groaned. "He had me cornered with a torch, h-he was trying to melt me. Cogsworth chased him off." He shook his head. "I thought you were dying?"

"I'm not now," he soothed, carefully stroking back Lumière's hair. "I was healed when the Curse broke. I just don't understand why it didn't do the same for you."

"Forgive me, but…the Curse was never about me."

Adam nodded thoughtfully. "No, you're right." He shook his head. "All of this is my fault. I'm so sorry."

"You were a child," Lumière argued. "A difficult one, perhaps, but only a child. It was unfair to put that burden on you."

"Hush now," he admonished gently with a fond smile. "We just got you human again, let's not tempt fate."

"So long as it is not storming, I think we will be alright," Lumière laughed tightly.

"Even still," he chuckled.

"How bad does it look?"

"Do you remember when I was trying to help Mrs. Potts make cookies and I was so excited that I forgot to put on oven mitts and I burned my hand?"

Lumière chuckled. "And you had blisters for weeks after? Yes, I remember."

"It looks like that. I can see the lines where your wax had melted. I'm so sorry, old friend."

"No,-"

"I should have listened when you told me we were under attack. I should have helped you, protected you."

"The only thing that would have done was lead that brute to you sooner and you were heartbroken. You were in no state to fight."

"I'm here!" Belle announced as she rushed back in with a jug of water and Plumette, carrying a hand full of rags, in tow. "Papa told me what to do. He's gone back to the village for help." She pushed the jug into Adam's arms then shooed him away from the bed to sit in his place and began soaking one of the rags. "There's a woman he's bought salves for his hands from, he's going to try to bring her."

Lumière smiled faintly as Plumette knelt by the bed. "Hello, my love," he greeted.

"Oh, mon cœur," she tutted, petting his hair. "What did those brutes do to you?"

"Never mind that. Are you alright? That one was ripping your feathers-"

"Tore my petticoat," she assured. "Nothing more."

"Good," he breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "That is good."

"Alright. Now, this might hurt a little, but he said we need to cover as many of the burns as we can with wet cloth to draw out the heat," Belle explained and folded over one of the rags. "Try to be still. Alright?"

"I trust you," he answered.

Belle gingerly draped the cloth across his forehead.

Lumière hiss and arched his back, gritting his teeth, as he dug his heels into the plush bed and tried to not turn his head or scream. Plumette murmured to him gently and stroked his head. There was something soothing about the coolness of the wet cloth, but the material itself felt like rough bark on his red and blistered skin. He cried out when she rested a second cloth over his cheek. "Sorry," he swallowed, tears running down his face. "Sorry."

"Shh. It's alright," Belle soothed. "Don't be sorry; I know it hurts. We'll have someone here soon that can help. We're almost done," she promised before gingerly laying down the last few strips.

He smiled bitterly as Plumette sat by his head and stroked behind his ear. "So much for getting to see what I really look like," he laughed painfully.

She smiled. "I see you just fine, mon amour. I see that little curl in your hair," she combed her fingers through his bangs. "I see the same brown eyes that I so often have gotten lost in. That same adorable nose. I see you," she promised.

He stared up at her, face throbbing in the worst pain he'd ever experienced. "This isn't how I imagined this moment would be," he muttered, chest still heaving. "I was going to lift you into the air and spin you around then hold you close like you read about in all those love stories."

Plumette giggled, a deviously glint in her perfect brown eyes. "I was going to run at you as fast as I could and tackle you in a hug as revenge for all those times you dropped me when I did not have arms to catch myself with."

"That was only a couple of times!" he argued with a laugh. His breath caught in his throat, face spasming suddenly, as the skin on his cheek protested at his smile. He whined, pressing his head back into the pillow.

"Hush, my love," Plumette soothed and rubbed his chest. "You must be still," she admonished.

He tried to slow his breathing, tears running into his hair. "I'm scared," he found himself gasping. "What if no one can help? What if it always hurts like this?"

"It won't," Adam promised, kneeling between Belle and Plumette. "We'll find someone who can help."

"But if it caused by magic-"

"Then I'll find someone who knows magic! I'm not going to sit by and leave you to suffer. I'll find a way to fix this, I promise."

"They're in here!"

Adam raced to the door when he heard Cogsworth just outside, quickly pulling it open before they had a chance to knock.

"How is he?" Cogsworth asked anxiously.

"Belle has been keeping wet rags on him, and it's helping a little, but he's still in a lot of pain," he explained and led them to the bedside.

"May I?" a tall woman in a cloak asked as she came near the bed.

Belle quickly stood and nearly stumbled to get out of the way. Plumette remained planted by her beloved's head.

Without introduction or warning, the healer began peeling away the cold, damp rags. It hurt a lot less to have them removed than it did to have them placed, but it still left him wincing and hissing in pain.

It was another matter entirely when she patted his face dry. That left him gasping and crying in pain.

Cogsworth scrambled to his side, not caring in that moment if it was proper to have one's shoes on another's bed, and took his hand. Lumière smiled gratefully at him, even as he lay trembling from the pain.

She was silent as she turned his face to look more closely at the wounds.

"Can you help him?" Adam asked worriedly, trying not to pace as the healer took in Lumière's condition.

She nodded. "It will take time, but he'll be alright. I have some things that can ease the pain and help it heal. Do you have a basin I may wash my hands in?"

Adam didn't think twice before simply bringing the whole thing over to her, holding it out almost eagerly.

She blinked, but thanked him and rinsed her hands before drying them on her apron and opening a jar from her satchel. "Be still," was all the warning she gave before smearing it over the strange burn marks that looked like liquid running down his face, coating even just beyond the red and inflamed skin, and more heavily coating the few blisters. Not roughly, but certainly not gently either.

Lumière groaned, his chest heaving and jaw clenched tightly, but didn't pull away. The ointment was strangely cool on his skin, leaving behind a cold tingle when she was done.

"You're lucky it missed your eye," she told him, and wiped her hands on one of the damp rags Belle had used to cover his wounds. "That would be much harder to deal with. After a moment she brushed her thumb over his forehead.

He flinched reflexively, but a look of surprise came over his face.

The woman nodded as if she had expected this. She took out a second jar, this time giving no warning before smearing it over his skin. When she was finished, she pressed strips of cloth over the burns.

"These need to be removed carefully," she ordered, glancing between Belle and Plumette and wiped her hands again. "Use a damp cloth to soak it through before taking them off to ensure they do not stick to his skin and tear it. Always start with the brown jar. Always end with the blue jar. Always keep them clean and covered. Change three times a day. Morning, mid-day, and before bed. It should clear up in about a fortnight."

Adam nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

She turned and glanced him up and down. "I am to believe you are going to be his caregiver at this time?"

Adam nodded. "I'm going to take care of him. Just as he has always done for me."

She arched a brow, not bothering to hide her disbelief, then took out a final jar, this one full of dried herbs. "This will help him sleep through the night." She held out to Adam, as if to test him.

"Thank you," he said, sincerely, and accepted the jar. "Does it need any special preparation?"

"No, prepare it like a normal chamomile."

Belle rested a hand on his shoulder. "Do you want me to take it down to Mrs. Potts so you can stay here with him?"

He frowned a moment, then shook his head. "No, I'll take it and explain what's going on to her. I know she's anxious to hear how he's doing." He let out a breath and glanced to Cogsworth. "Can you help me find some bedclothes for him?"

Cogsworth nodded. "Yes. Yes, of course." He kissed Lumière's hand. "I'll be right back, old boy. Try to rest now, alright?"

"I'll stay with him till you get back," Belle promised.

"Thank you," he kissed her cheek. He turned to the healer, who was gathering her things, "How much do I owe you?"

She regarded him for a moment. "There are some herbs in your gardens I want to examine."

He nodded eagerly. "Of course. Take whatever you like."

"You're not worried I may take more than what is a fair value for what I've given you?"

"No. You at least need to be able to replace what you've given us and he's my friend. Making sure he's taken care of is worth more than my gardens."

The woman nodded. "I'll return in the morning to collect my due and to see how the treatment is affecting him."

"We have plenty of room, you may stay here if you like," Adam offered. "It's very late and you shouldn't have to travel in the dark."

She nodded again. "Thank you."

Plumette rose. "I can show you to a room," she offered, but Adam shook his head.

"No, I know you want to stay with him as long as you can. I'll send someone up to take care of it. Try to be gentle with him?" he teased.

Plumette suppressed a smile. "I'll be careful," she promised and cast a wink at Lumière, who was glad his face was already burning red.

"You are suppose to be nice to me while I am injured," he pouted, but interlocked his fingers with Plumette's anyway as she bent to kiss his cheek.

—

Changing wasn't nearly as bad as Lumière was worried it might be. Whatever was in that first salve seemed to have functionally numbed his face, which, while an odd sensation, was a relief. Even still, Adam took care to not touch the bandages during the whole ordeal and in just a few minutes time, Cogsworth was tapping a warning on the door before entering, once more escorting the healer into the room.

She held out a steaming cup of tea. "Drink this," she ordered, holding it out to him. "I will check on your bandages in the morning."

"Thank you, my lady," he said wearily and accepted the cup.

She gave a curt nod and disappeared again.

"How is everyone else?" he asked over his tea.

"Everyone is just fine," Cogsworth assured him. "A few bruises here and there, but nothing sever. I do fear you've gotten worst of it." He patted Lumière's hand.

Lumière snorted bitterly. "Better me than anyone else, I suppose. Especially you. You would insufferable."

"I would not!" Cogsworth laughed indignantly. "I'm not near as dramatic as you are."

Lumière hummed and settled back into the pillow. "I'm afraid I am too tired to argue with you too much, but just know, that I think you are wrong, mon ami."

Cogsworth smiled and took the teacup from him, setting it on the bedside table. He took Lumière's hand and his kissed knuckles. "Get some rest, my dear. You can fuss at me more in the morning."

—

The Healer stood close by, watching carefully as the prince tended to his patient.

He moved carefully, warning before each step of the process, pausing and checking in if ever Lumière seemed distressed, giving him space to breath if ever the pain was too much.

She nodded when the bandages had been fully replaced. "Good. Remember, three times a day for a fortnight. If there is still any pain at that time, send for me again. It may scar and I'm afraid there is little I can do for that, but if there is ever a fever or other sign of infection, send for me immediately. Other than that…it'll simply take time."

Adam nodded. "Thank you, for everything. As I said, you may take what you like from the gardens and if you are ever in need of anything from them, just let me know."

She nodded once, "Thank you, my prince."

He turned back to Lumière once she had left. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"As well as I can be considering I cannot feel part of my face," he shrugged with a faint smile. "Thank you for taking care of me."

"You've taken care of me my whole life, it's the least I could do."

—

"Chip's been asking after you," Cogsworth told him.

"How is the boy?"

"Same as he's always been," he chuckled. "Full of energy and running amok. It's… You know he always behaved like he wasn't aging all those years, always that same bright and smiling six year old little lad. But it's odd to actually see it. He's still only six years old. Despite the fact that he should be nearing seventeen and he's still only six. The Master's definitely aged, of course, but…I don't think the rest of us have."

"Hm. Now that you mention it, you do look as ridiculous as you did before the curse," Lumière answered thoughtfully, barely hiding a sly smirk. "And here I was worried about suddenly having as much grey hair as you."

Cogsworth snorted, "That would be devastating for you, wouldn't it? Mustn't lose those perfect curls of yours."

Lumière's smile turned bitter. "Well, let's be honest, I have never been the most handsome one around. And I certainly will not be after this."

"You think it's going to scar then?"

Lumière nodded, taking sudden interest in the ceiling above him. "I'm fairly certain the healer Maurice brought was the Enchantress. Or at the least one of her kin. You should have seen the look she gave him when he said he intended to be the one taking care of me. Something about it…" He shook his head. "She looked…like a more human version of her. Not the old woman disguise, not her true form. Just. What she would look like if she were a normal person. I think she wants it to scar to remind him and so it will."

"I'm sorry, old boy," Cogsworth offered.

"We should have protected him better," Lumière murmured. "He was child. Not that much older than Chip is now."

"His parents should have done that," Cogsworth corrected. "We were ill equipped to be raising a child."

He frowned. "We never heard anything about whatever diplomatic nonsense they left for, did we?"

"No. I'm afraid we…never heard from them after they left. Not even if they arrived where they were going. And it's been ten years now. I don't imagine they're able to return anymore."

"Has he asked about them?"

"You know he hasn't. Not since the day he turned sixteen."

"But since we are human-"

Cogsworth shook his head. "I don't believe that's a hope he's willing to entertain. To him, they are dead. Perhaps it's best they remain that way. He's grieved them once. No need to make him do it again."

Lumière nodded. "Of course."

—

Cogsworth's head snapped at the sudden whimper that came from the bed. Lumière twitched in his sleep, chest heaving and face spasming in fear and pain. Cogsworth shot to his side when he shrieked for help.

He took Lumière's hand, holding it to his chest and gently stroked his cheek with his other. "I'm here," he promised. "I'm right, dearheart. I'm here, it's alright. Wake up now. Come on, wake up!"

Lumière swung away from the touch, flicking his head back and forth as if looking for something. He threw an arm across his face and shrank into the bed, screaming in unbridled terror. "Cogsworth, help!" he cried.

"Lumiere!" Cogsworth shouted, shaking his shoulder.

Lumière bolted upright, with a short scream.

"It's alright, love," Cogsworth assured gently and stroked his cheek as tears began to fall. "I'm here, old friend. I'm here, you're safe."

Lumière fell into his arms with a choked sob, gripping tight fistfuls of his shirt in trembling hands.

Cogsworth patiently stroked his back and gently rocked him. "I know, dear. I know. It's alright now, I promise. You're safe now."

"I'm sorry," Lumière croaked when he finally ran out of tears.

"No," Cogsworth answered gently, stroking his head. "No, darling, there's no need for that. You had an awful scare, it only makes sense it'd disturb your sleep. You're safe now, though, I promise. I'll keep you safe."

Lumière laughed wetly. "I suppose I should thank you for not being as big of an ass as you could about saving my life."

Cogsworth chuckled and squeezed him tighter for a moment. "You could just thank me for saving your life in general."

"Thank you," he whispered.