Chapter Text
“Oh, hi.”
Joly’s friend had found Enjolras searching for his coat to make his usual discrete early departure from the Annual ABC End Of Year Windup.
“Hi.” Enjolras pauses his hunt to address the newcomer as the man shakes a small flurry of snow loose from his hair. “You’re late.”
And okay, maybe he can hear the snippy tone Courfeyrac’s been accusing him of using on the rare occasions he spoke to this guy. But it’s not like it’s totally unwarranted. There’s only so many times someone can declare you a optimistic idiot before you start to take it personally.
“And you’re… leaving?” The man - ‘R’ - unzips his jacket and adds it to the small mountain of things no doubt burying Enjolras’s coat. Helpful. “Already?”
“I’m not really a… uh. Party person.” Enjolras resumes his search, trying not to topple the pile of clothing to the floor. R stays standing nearby, apparently content to watch Enjolras struggle. His skin prickles at the attention, and he wracks his mind for a topic to break the awkward silence that won't absolutely sour his mood. “‘R’, was it?”
“Grantaire.” The man replies with a burst of rapid blinks. “But R works. Whatever you want.”
“Grantaire.” Enjolras repeats. Grantaire had been attending - and interrupting - Amis meetings for the better part of the past two months, so it was probably time to lock the name in. The silence returns, prompting Enjolras to nod towards the living room. “I’m fairly certain that they’re in the process of drawing up the Guitar Hero tournament brackets, if you care to take part.”
Grantaire’s eyes flick towards the noise but he doesn’t move, apparently not registering the dismissal for what it was.
Enjolras begins debating whether he can make it to the warmth of the nearest underground station without his coat when-
“Here.” Grantaire holds out a small rectangular package carefully wrapped in red paper. “You don’t really strike me as a, uh. Christmas kind of guy, so this totally isn’t a Christmas present. It’s just… an end of year… windup… token?”
Enjolras takes the ‘token’ with a cautious “Thank you?” as Grantaire buries his hands in his jean pockets.
“Everyone’s getting one, so like. No big deal.” The man’s gaze flits around the room to look at everything that isn’t Enjolras. “I was just- it was for Joly and Boss to start but I got like, carried away. And fucking hate sleeping apparently. So.”
“Okay.” Seeing as it isn’t a Christmas present, Enjolras assumes the polite thing to do is open it now.
The parcel is thin and light, about the size of a pack of envelopes. He carefully peels the tape of one edge up to reveal a small canvas. The picture on it is entirely drawn in a sketchy black pen, and even with his limited awareness of art history Enjolras clocks it immediately as ‘Liberty Leading The People’.
“Did you draw this?” He asks. A flush-faced Grantaire nods in response. “It’s good.”
Grantaire shrugs, moving towards the living room before turning to face Enjolras again.
“You should stay.” He says, jerking his head towards the sudden outburst of laughter from their friends.
It’s been a long time since anyone has asked Enjolras to stick around. The ABC are all acutely aware of just how jam-packed his days are, and most could probably recall how much of a heap he was falling in before he got strict on his schedule. He knows staying is off the cards for him - too conscious of his looming thesis deadline - but he does hesitate at being asked.
“It’s barely been an hour.” Grantaire adds, chewing on his lower lip.
With a jolt Enjolras checks his watch and yep, he’s late. “I can’t.”
Grantaire smiles a wonky smile and drops his gaze to the ground. An eyebrow quirks. “That your coat?”
Looking down, Enjolras spies his sleeve just barely peeking out from the gap between the shoe rack and the hallway bench.
“Yes!” He exclaims, scooping it out of the darkness before reaching a grateful hand out to briefly clap Grantaire on the shoulder. “Thank you, Grantaire.”
He barely hears the response as he races from the apartment.
“Anytime, Apollo.”