Work Text:
“Is everything alright?”
Cosette jumped a little. Marius was standing in the entrance to their living room.
“Oh! You startled me.”
“Sorry.” He shifted on his feet, then moved to come sit down on the floor next to her armchair. He reached up his hand to touch the doll she was holding. “What’s Catherine doing out?”
Cosette gripped the doll tighter for a moment. “I was feeling lonely. I miss Papa.”
Marius nodded. “I miss him too. I barely knew him and he was nicer to me than anyone else except Courfeyrac and Mabeuf had ever been. I can’t imagine how much you miss him.”
Cosette looked at Marius. He was right, he had barely known Valjean. But she knew that even if hadn’t known Valjean at all or if Valjean had been cruel to him he still would have shared in her sorrow. She slid to the ground and placed Catherine so that she was sitting in both of their laps at once.
“It’s better with you here.”
Marius looked at her, puzzled. He had missed what she’d said or hadn’t understood what she meant.
“It’s better with you here. It’s not alright-I don’t think it ever will be-but when you’re here I can be happy even...when he’s dead.”
Marius put an arm around her and she leaned her head on his shoulder.
“I love you, you know,” he said. He paused for a moment. “You keep on taking Catherine out of the trunk. Maybe she should stay out for a while? She could sit there, on that nook between those two windows. Just so she’s always there for you. I could sew her a cushion to sit on.”
Cosette laughed. It was a little wet and Marius’ arm tightened around her. “You know, that sounds nice.” She brushed her lips against Marius and he kissed her back, Catherine falling gently to the floor in front of them.