Gaston strode off from his meet and greet line, glad for the respite. Still, it was pretty typical for him to go check on his tavern before going backstage. Besides, he had grown accustomed to seeing if his favorite guest was nearby, eating yet another cinnamon roll.

She sure loved those things. Thank God. It seemed like the only reason she put up with him were the sugary carbs. Not that he blamed her at all—they were delicious.

Lo and behold, she was sitting at a table, staring at her phone with a disconcerted expression that he immediately wanted to go away.

It was a good thing he was so great at distractions. "Nora!"

She looked up, placing her phone face down immediately, a smile spreading across her face. "Gaston!"

He grinned, glad their bump in the road was behind them. He had seen her a few times since his apology, which had been a bit tense, but now it seemed they were back to their old eager quipping. "Wow, you're actually showing that you're happy to see me."

"I just can't keep my feelings from showing any longer." Nora rolled her eyes. "Nah, the cinnamon roll is worth the possibility of running into you."

"Best in the kingdom." He leaned on the counter, flashing his ever charming smile. "But of course, that's just an excuse to come see me."

Nora plopped the fork into her mouth, eyebrows raised. "Oh yeah. Definitely. Which is why I stayed in here instead of going to see you."

"You knew I'd come in here. It's my tavern, after all."

"Sensed my presence?"

His grin widened. "More like your resentment."

She gave him a wry smile. It was so nice to have her not despise him anymore.

Yay.

"Busy day?" he asked.

"You know how it is. I don't usually have much of an agenda."

"Besides cinnamon rolls." He pointed to himself, eyebrows waggling.

She groaned. "If we open the dictionary, we're not going to see a picture of you as the example."

"We're not going to open a dictionary at all." He leaned, all seriousness. "What a waste of properly good trees, turning them into paper."

"Hey. I never said thank you," Nora replied, clearly ignoring his anti-reading sentiment.

He frowned. "For my awesomeness?"

"For talking to me that first time. I wasn't having a good day and you're actually the reason I started going to do character meet and greets. Before, I was too afraid to. But talking to you wasn't so bad, so..."

He blinked, momentarily speechless. He was used to having an impact on guests, but this was a pretty big deal. "I guess you understand why everyone thinks I'm so great now, don't you?"

She gave a quick smile. "Yeah. I guess I do."

And now he was expected to go through the rest of their interaction, as if she hadn't just moved his soul. "If you're not afraid of meet and greets, why don't you ever go meet with me in my actual line?"

Except that one time. He was probably already on thin ice as it was and shouldn't even be mentioning meet and greets, but he couldn't help himself.

"You don't need another guest in line added to your ego. Not to mention the last time went badly." She propped her chin up with her fist. "Besides, I like feeling special."

Gaston almost rolled his eyes. He'd spoiled her, coming in here to look for her all the time. It was part of his job, coming into the tavern every once and a while, but obvious guest favoritism to always seek her out when she was in here.

The other CM's had started to notice. He'd pretended not to notice their noticing.

"So, you like me making you feel special?" he asked, batting his eyes.

"That must be how you feel all the time by all your adoring fans."

Something like that. He changed the subject. "What are those?" He poked at her mouse ears, all raggedy with their skulls and crossbones. She wore them pretty often and usually ignored them.

Her cheeks colored. "Just my pirate ears."

"Pirate ears, huh?" he mused, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice. "Seems like you go to see a certain pirate now that I've inspired you to meet everyone."

Because of course she'd had to be hanging out with Levi of all people the one time she came to see him.

"I just love the ride is all."

Was she just playing dumb? Still, he kept his voice smooth as butter. "Is that so?"

She was now scarlet. He really shouldn't say anything more. He wanted to make sure their relationship stayed on as good of terms as possible. But seriously, why was Jack so special to her? And why would he just blatantly break the golden rule of telling a guest his identity? Did it impress her? Why would Levi impress her? Gaston was so much more popular. Ladies flocked to him like he was the ninth wonder of the world. Jack was just some washed up drunk.

"I just like the ride." This time, her voice was quieter.

Great. He'd plunged himself into shark infested waters, even though he'd held back. Fine. He could fish himself right back out. "It is pretty good," he mused. "But I have the best cinnamon rolls, as we've agreed upon."

"Yeah, but you don't make them yourself."

"Isn't that better?" Gaston crossed his arms. "I employ the poor townsfolk who would otherwise not have work. I boost the economy."

And what did pirates do? Lie. Cheat. Steal.

His eyes absorbed Nora again, lips pursing. At one point, he'd been the only one she'd talk to. He could steal her back.

"Isn't Belle your favorite princess?" he asked.

"I'd probably say Rapunzel."

Oh, for the love of muscle. "Come back next time with some Belle ears. Show your support."

Nora frowned. "I don't think that's going to get her feeling wooed by you."

"I'm taking a break from Belle," he said. "Let me know if you hear if anyone else is interested."

"Hm, I don't know, maybe your legion of fans?"
"A legion?" He smirked. "That's a lot of women."

"Yep. So go enjoy them." Nora slipped past him with her cinnamon roll, leaving him reeling.

Gaston rapped his gloved knuckles against the counter. She'd be back. And next time, he'd be ready.

He frowned. Scratch that. He could go talk to the pirate trying to maroon her away on his island. That sounded like a better approach.

Oliver twisted his mouth into a smolder that would put Flynn Rider to shame, winking at his clean reflection. Not a smidge of Gaston in sight. Well, except the remarkable confidence.

Ever since getting the character gig, he'd made his rounds through the cliques of Cast Members, starting with face characters. Most of them were older and more experienced and wanted nothing to do with him (rude), but that was just fine with him.

They were probably just jealous, anyway. People didn't click on videos of meeting princesses. They clicked on Gaston arm wrestling, Gaston doing push-ups, Gaston flirting and melting hearts.

There was a reason he was the most popular.

He loved the little princesses—Not in a creepy way. They reminded him of his little sister, still so young and innocent. He loved seeing them in their dresses, or their Mickey shirts, shyly approaching him. It was all he had not to pick them up and twirl them around, but he made do. He wanted each one of them to feel like a princess with him, giving them the royal treatment. And they ate it up.

It'd been a good day of princes and princesses, but he had a pirate to deal with.

Oliver made his way over to Adventureland underground, glad not to have to go above into the hot sun. Still, Adventureland wasn't his favorite place. Not that anyone gave the pirate any attention. Oliver had heard the rumors. While Jack Sparrow was the most notorious Adventureland meet and greet, he left something to be desirable when it came to the man behind the myth.

Really, the most Jack Sparrow thing about Levi was that he'd gotten the job at all.

Oliver rubbed his hands together as he approached his mark. He may as well be on stage.

It only took a minute of leaning up against the dressing room's outer wall before Jack himself popped out, looking much less like Jack than Oliver looked like Gaston.

He put as much excited emphasis in his name as he could muster, "Levi."

Levi raised an eyebrow at him. "Yeah?"

Oliver raised his hands. "Wow, I didn't know you just got done being Elsa all day. So frigid."

Levi adjusted his pack over his shoulder and started walking down the utilidor. "What is it, Oliver?"

"Oh, nothing. Just haven't talked to you in so long."

"You mean since we were both cast and you told me you had bigger fish to fry?"

"Or the other day when you got in my meet and greet line with a girl. Nora." He paused, waiting for Levi to give any indication of wanting to contribute information willingly. Of course he didn't. "What do you think you're playing at, fraternizing with guests?"

"That's not any of your business."

"Oh, it kind of is. Especially when you get in my line after I know we both got the Tom talk."

His grim expression stayed. "What I do as a guest is none of your business."

Oliver eyed him up and down, not finding anything particularly threatening or appealing about him. Seriously, how did Nora end up with him? Not that they'd exactly seemed together together. And Nora hadn't defended their relationship or anything. So were they together, or not?

And since Oliver wasn't very good at being tactful, especially with Levi, he said, "I guess it all makes sense. Word in the kingdom is there's a certain guest who's smitten with Captain Jack Sparrow."

"That's not news."

Oliver's fingers twitched. "Since when do you hang out with Nora?"

"I don't owe you an explanation. And for you to ask her when you don't know her off stage is inappropriate, as usual."

"So it's not inappropriate for you to know her off stage?"

Levi swallowed audibly.

Oliver knew he was vain, conceited, and too competitive for his own good, but he'd done a superb job of keeping things professional between him and the guests. None of them had been worth it, after all. Well, except... "Was that your game all along? Using your Disney fame to get a girl? Which is funny, because she didn't defend you at all when I said you were a pretend boyfriend."

A hand came around Oliver's wrist, tight and demanding.

"Maybe I'll go ask her what's going on between you myself," Oliver mused. "You know, since you don't seem up to talking."

His grip tightened before he let go. "You don't know her."

Oliver smiled. "But I could. It wouldn't be so weird to bump into her in the parks. You know, on my day off. And just so happened to tell her I was friends with Gaston...that's not against the rules. Clearly."

"Do what you want."

"Oh, I will."

Oliver took his leave, sauntering down the hallway. He'd get his Belle, mark his words.

Okay, what do you guys think of Oliver?

Question of the Chapter: What is your favorite roller coaster? It doesn't have to be a Disney one, but kudos to you if it is.

-Flips