Theme 4

Based off AnnamaeTezuka's 100 themes. Simple little sort fics revolving around my favorite crossover pairing, Clopin/Belle (The Hunchback of Notre Dame/Beauty and the Beast respectively.) I thought about writing all these in one connected story, but I think it would be more fun to write them all as separate stories.

Clopin kept his eyes on his target as he  wandered casually through the market.

Many of the people in this small village were traders and every couple of weeks there was a fair of sorts in the square as the villagers brought back what they obtained in their trades to exchange with the other members of their small community.

Being new to the village, Clopin didn't have anything to trade, nor did he exactly have the money to afford anything that was on sale, so of course he had only one option.

He crept closer to the cheese vendor.  Every year at the Festival of Fools Clopin got his share of exotic cheeses, and had gotten quite a taste for them, and as he moved along the line of temporary shops toward the vendor his mouth started to water a bit.

As a gypsy theft was one of Clopin's many talents, he'd mastered the art at a young age. It took patience and good instincts, Clopin had both. He was about three displays from the cheese vendor when a particular young man and woman caught his attention.

Belle and Gaston, the two most talked about villagers were walking by. Gaston was pestering Belle about it not being right for a woman to read and something about marriage. Clopin thought briefly perhaps he should go stick up for the girl, but a whiff of the cheese changed his mind fast. Besides, he'd seen Belle get away from Gaston without help daily since he'd arrived at this village, Belle could take care of herself.

He had to stay focused.

Clopin moved to the next display, glancing casually over the pretty stones this vendor had on his cart. "Anything in particular I can help you with?" The man asked.

Clopin turned over a stone, feigning interest in them, "Hmm?" he replied, "Oh no, just looking." He moved on. The gypsy king glanced back in the direction of Gaston and Belle. The hunter was storming off down the street, but Belle was no where in sight.

Well good for her.

Clopin was in an arm's reach of his desired cheese now. All he needed was a distraction. A woman came up to the vendor, asking about the cheeses. Not to quickly Clopin grabbed his cheese, as if he were just picking it up to look, and then casually slipped it into a pouch on his belt and moved along just as casually as he had been. Safely away from the vendor, Clopin turned around with a smirk, silently gloating over his private victory.

And there was Belle.

Clopin's smirk turned into a slight jaw drop as the two stared at each other. Her expression told him she had seen what he'd done. Clopin's heart skipped a beat. If Belle told anyone he'd be lynched for sure. He gave her a nervous smile and walked casually back to the cheese vendor. The moment the man at the cart was distracted, Clopin reached into his pouch, pulled the cheese back out, and while it  almost hurt to do so, he put it back on the display and turned from it again.

He was a king of thieves, liars and beggars, but that didn't mean he wasn't above righting a wrong every once in a while, besides, once Belle was out of sight he had all day to steal the cheese again.

Belle stood where she had been when he noticed her after she'd seen him steal the cheese. Clopin was just going to pass by and continue down the square, but suddenly Belle stopped him.

"Hold this." She said placing her book in his hands and running to the cheese vendor. Clopin wanted to bolt as she picked up the cheese he'd been after. Was she going to tell the man at the cart what he'd done?

Belle said something to the vendor, and reached into her coin purse to…pay for the cheese?

Clopin's jaw dropped again as she approached with the legally obtained dairy product and held it out to him. "Here." She said. Clopin's eyes narrowed suspiciously, wondering if this was some sort of trap she had planned. Belle pushed the cheese into his hands and took back her book, "Its better I give it to you, than risk letting you try to steal it again." She added with a smile and brushing a loose stand of hair from her face.

Clopin felt his face get warm, "M-merci." he muttered quietly.

Belle nodded and turned around, heading toward her house and opened her book to read. Clopin watched her go, glancing from Belle to the cheese in his hands to Belle and back again.

He slid the cheese into his pouch for the second time, "Hhm…"  Clopin mused and reached over, casually, to the jewelry vendor on his right which was currently unattended and slipped a pretty bracelet in next to the cheese. "Interesting girl."