Work Text:
“Combeferre, have you seen my keys?” Enjolras calls from inside his bedroom.
“They’re out here, on the coffee table,” Combeferre tells him, not bothering to look up from his crossword puzzle, even when Enjolras makes a triumphant noise as he picks his keys up from before Combeferre. “Going to see Grantaire?” he asks.
“Yeah,” Enjolras says, and waits for Combeferre to say something about how often he’s been going over to see Grantaire recently.
“Wear a coat out,” Combeferre tells Enjolras, instead. “The weather forecast doesn’t look too good. And don’t forget to say hi to Grantaire for me.”
“I won’t,” Enjolras tells him. “I won’t be back for lunch, so don’t wait for me.”
“I won’t,” Combeferre says, and then looks up at Enjolras, shaking his head in amusement. “You’re going to see Grantaire,” he says. “I’m not expecting you back till dinner, at least.”
Enjolras flashes him a quick smile before he leaves.
———
Enjolras is just packing up in his office when Marius comes in.
“Hey, Enjolras,” he says. “Lamarque wants the briefs on the Lexington case done by tonight because the client suddenly changed his appointment date and is apparently coming in first thing tomorrow morning?”
Enjolras frowns. “It’s Tuesday,” he tells Marius. “I have a standing date with Grantaire on Tuesday nights. Lamarque knows that.”
Marius gives him an apologetic look. “She said to apologise for not giving you more notice, and to reiterate that it’s urgent. Also-” Marius cuts himself off suddenly, pressing his lips together, looking skittish.
“Also?” Enjolras prompts, frown deepening. He checks his watch; he’s still early.
“I don’t think Grantaire is going to mind if you’re a bit late,” Marius mumbles.
Enjolras’ gaze goes sharp at that. “I will mind,” he snaps, a little too loudly, and then sighs when Marius starts to look a little uncomfortable. “Tell Lamarque I’ll take the work home, and that she’ll have them before the client is in tomorrow. I’ll work through the night if I have to, but I’m not missing my date with Grantaire to stay back to work.”
———
The meeting drags out longer than it should, and normally Enjolras wouldn’t mind, because he loves strategy planning sessions, but his car is in the workshop today, and it’s notoriously hard to get a cab from the street the law firm he’s working in is on, which means that he has to take a bus across town to see Grantaire.
A bus that he’s going to miss because he just knocked his neatly compiled documents down to the ground.
He curses as he bends down to try to scoop them all up.
“You’re in a mood today,” Courfeyrac observes, and crouches down next to Enjolras, gathering Enjolras’ papers up for him.
“I’m supposed to be seeing Grantaire at eight, and I’m probably going to be late,” he tells Courfeyrac.
“Ah,” Courfeyrac says, and glances down at his watch. “If you run, you’ll still make the bus, and you’ll get there just in time. I’ll pack your papers for you and leave them in your office.”
“Yeah?” Enjolras asks, already pushing his papers into Courfeyrac’s hands as Courfeyrac laughs.
“Yeah,” Courfeyrac says. “Say hi to Grantaire for me.”
“You’re a good friend, Courf,” Enjolras says.
“I know,” Courfeyrac replies. “Now go, run!”
Enjolras does.
———
“Good job just now,” Montparnasse tells him, as they are walking in courthouse parking lot. “Your cross-examination was flawless.”
Enjolras snorts, and doesn’t point out that his cross-examination only went so smoothly because Montparnasse hadn’t fully prepared his client for the trial. He says, instead, just as he reaches his car, “Thank you.”
Montparnasse leans against Enjolras’ car and smiles at him, all teeth and charm, “Now that the case is technically over, what say you I buy you dinner? I’m pretty sure between us, we can figure out some pretty exciting ways to celebrate closing this case.” He winks at Enjolras.
“Sorry, but no, thank you,” Enjolras tells him. “I already have a boyfriend.”
Montparnasse arches an eyebrow. “You mean Grantaire?” he asks, derision dripping from every syllable of Grantaire’s name.
Enjolras clenches his fists, tries to tell himself to calm down, and to not react by yelling to Montparnasse’s face that Grantaire is easily worth ten of him, because Montparnasse isn’t worth Enjolras losing his temper over.
Some of his anger must show on his face anyway, because Montparnasse lets out a sharp bark of laughter.
“I don’t think he really counts, given the current circumstances,” he tells Enjolras.
Enjolras punches him in the face. “He’s the only one who counts,” he spits out before he gets into his car and drives away.
———
“Hello, Cosette,” Enjolras says when he sees Cosette behind the counter of the flower shop. “Is Jehan not here?”
Cosette smiles at him. “You’ve missed them just by a little,” she tells him. “They just went on delivery, but there’s only two houses on the list today so they should be back in about half an hour? Did you need Jehan for something?”
“I’m here for a bouquet,” Enjolras tells Cosette. “It’s my third anniversary with Grantaire today.”
“Oh,” Cosette says, and smiles. “I could help with that, if you don’t mind. Do you want to take a look at our pre-assembled bouquets? Jehan has been trying to teach me to be bolder with colour selections, so I’ve just finished with this one and it’s the most colourful bouquet I’ve ever assembled. I’m still relatively new at it, and Jehan obviously makes more professional-looking bouquets, but it looks like a fun bouquet? I think Grantaire will like it.”
“That sounds nice,” Enjolras says, and means it, “but I already had something in mind, if you don’t mind putting it together?” He reaches into his pocket, pulls his phone out, quickly going through his gallery before he settles on a photo of him and Grantaire together on their first anniversary, and passes his phone to Cosette. “Jehan put that together for our first anniversary,” Enjolras tells Cosette, referring to the bouquet Grantaire is holding in the photo. “I’d like something similar, if not exactly the same. I think Grantaire would appreciate the gesture.”
Cosette’s smile widens. “This doesn’t look too complicated, I could give it a go, and if it doesn’t work out, Jehan will be back shortly?” At Enjolras’ nod, she makes her way to the coolers and starts picking out peonies. “Grantaire’s really lucky to have you.”
Enjolras smiles. “Oh? How so?”
“You obviously love him a lot,” Cosette says, looking over her shoulder at Enjolras.
“Then by that logic, I’m really lucky to have him too,” Enjolras tells Cosette.
———
“You’re right on time,” Floréal tells him, smiling. “But no surprises there, though. You’re always on time.”
Enjolras returns her smile, briefly. “Is he-”
She shakes her head, as she has done so many other times, but Enjolras still feels the sinking sensation in his stomach — disappointment. He doesn’t think he’ll get ever used to Floréal shaking her head.
“I hope today is the day, though,” she tells Enjolras.
“Me too,” Enjolras says softly, and going into Grantaire’s room.
He presses a kiss to the corner of Grantaire’s lips, then settles into the slightly uncomfortable chair by Grantaire’s bedside as he’s always done the past couple of months, and begins talking.
“Hey, Grantaire,” he starts, and then pauses, waiting —hoping— foolishly for a reply.
Grantaire doesn’t respond.
Enjolras sighs.
“I was just at Feuilly’s showcase before I came over. He’s got a few statues on exhibition, they’re great, they look very…artistic. I’m not actually sure what they were supposed to be, but it seemed rude to ask. I wish you could’ve been there, you would’ve known what they were. Feuilly said to tell you that he misses you.” The words feel heavy on his tongue. He thumbs lightly over Grantaire’s cheek, reaches down to take Grantaire’s limp hand in his, and then continues softly, “I miss you too. Every day. All the time. It’s been five months, R. You’ve been sleeping for a really long time now, won’t you wake up?”
He feels the prickle of tears in his eyes, and he blinks them away quickly. He refuses to cry, not here, not in front of Grantaire.
“I think it’s about time to,” he tells, squeezing Grantaire’s hand tightly. “I miss hearing your voice. I miss the things you say. I miss you, Grantaire, I miss you every day. Everyone else, too. We all miss you. And I think you miss us, too, so… Please wake up, R?”
Grantaire’s finger twitches in Enjolras’ grasp.