Chapter Text
August
Dear Marius,
What a surprise to hear from you after so long!
Forgive the letter, I still can’t get a hang of e-mail, and the computer keeps flashing a blue screen at me when I try to get on. Letters are much nicer, anyway, aren’t they? Your grandfather’s doing fine, although his heart has been giving him some problems. Theo’s been very helpful since you left. He drives us around, helps around the house. Such a good boy, and your grandfather just adores him, especially now, when we need a man of the house. The doctors say your grandfather needs to avoid stress, so I’ve convinced him to take a water aerobics class. He complains, but he’s quite the ladies’ man at the pool. I’m thinking of signing up, too, to be honest – there’s an awfully handsome lifeguard who I’d bet my bottom dollar winked at me last week!
Speaking of clandestine romance…it doesn’t surprise me a bit you’ve managed to fall head over heels with some girl. I remember when your mother brought your father home. I think it would be best if you did the same – whatever happened after, your father was very gentlemanly before the marriage. If you’re as serious as you implied, bring her over. But don’t let her distract you from your studies. Everyone at the pool always wants to know how our little lawyer is coming along!
Anyway, call anytime, and we’ll set up a date for you and…is her name Ursula or Cosette? I got a bit muddled listening to the voicemail. Either way, we’ll set up a date for you both to visit. I’ll wait for your reply before I talk to your grandfather. I’m afraid your old aunt’s got some housework to do, and Theo’s coming over in a bit to help with the gardening. Just give us a call, Marius. A proper one.
Hugs and kisses,
Your silly,
Aunt Gilly
P.S. I hope you’ve been going to church, Marius. I think it would do you some good.
~
November
~
It was the sun that woke her, the sun and the feeling of fingertips lazily drawing small, steady circles on her arm.
“Marius?” she whispered, but he was still asleep. There was something to be said for waking up like this, nose-to-nose and tangled together. She could drink him in slowly: his curly auburn hair, his beautifully curved lips, the liberal dusting of freckles that covered him – all of him, she thought with a pleasant squirm. The memory of the previous night warmed her like the sun through the window and she burrowed closer into his chest. Marius shifted, arms tightening around her.
“Good morning,” he murmured.
“Good morning,” she replied. He blinked awake, his eyes crinkling with a smile.
“How are you?” he asked with just a hint of neurosis, and it was just so Marius that she couldn’t help but laugh.
“I am wonderful,” she assured him and his smile widened. “And I have practice today,” she went on, ignoring his groan, “and, much as I would like to stay here all day, I have to get up.” Marius rolled over onto his back, flinging an arm over his head.
“Cosette, it’s Saturday,” he complained.
“And I have to do my practice logs,” she retorted. “This is why you don’t date music majors, darling. It’s kind of – ” She blinked. He had the goofiest look on his face. “What?”
“Say it again.”
“Don’t date music majors?”
“Darling,” he breathed, nuzzling behind her ear, and she did and he repeated it and so on and so forth, and all the while she marveled, not for the first time, that they had only known each other five months. Five months since they’d first met, four months since he’d plucked up enough courage to ask her out on a date, and, if he didn’t stop doing that with his teeth, approximately thirty seconds from making her late to practice for the third time this week.
“Marius,” she said warningly, pushing herself up to glare at him. He looked up at her, equal parts baleful and affectionate.
“I know, I know,” he grumbled good-naturedly. “At least stay for breakfast so I don’t feel so much like a one-night stand.” Cosette tweaked his nose.
“I will stay for breakfast,” she conceded, sliding out of bed. He stretched, reaching out an arm to check his phone on the bedside table.
“What time do you have to be there?”
“Ten-thirty.”
“It’s nine, Cosette,” he cried, looking for all the world like a wounded baby giraffe. She pulled on one of his shirts.
“I’ll make the coffee,” she said firmly, heading toward the kitchenette.
“But don’t you want to take a shower first?”
She turned. He was doing his best sexpot pose, sheets strategically rumpled and one hand propping his head up.
“Mr. Pontmercy,” she remarked, eyebrows raised. “You’re trying to seduce me, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” he said immediately and she laughed. He sighed. “Go make the coffee. I’ll take a shower. By myself. All alone. With nobody there.” She crossed her eyes at him. He grinned.
Five months, she mused as she padded into the kitchen area, grabbing two mugs. It didn’t feel like five months at all. It felt like they’d known each other a lifetime, and it scared Cosette as much as it thrilled her, because she had not been looking for this, oh, no, not by a long shot.
She started up a pot and filled a saucepan with water, setting it on the stove to boil. She actually wasn’t that much of a coffee person, truth be told; as a vocal student, she preferred tea. But her father couldn’t function without it, and by necessity, Cosette had learned her way around a coffee machine. She couldn’t cook to save her life – she left that up to Marius – but she could make a mean cup of coffee, and thank goodness, because Marius was addicted to the stuff. She’d noticed, however, that a little box of Lady Grey had appeared next to the filters, despite his dislike of tea.
Listening to the burble of water slowly filling the pot, she wandered into the little living area, squeezing around the couch to look out the window. It was going to be a beautiful day. The sky had the look of imminent spring about it, cloudless, sunny, and colored a light, creamy blue that reminded Cosette of when she was very little. She’d look up at skies like this, daydreaming about castles and silly things, lying in the garden watching bees drone past. She still loved gardens, the way newly-turned earth smelled. Which reminded her, she needed to pick up more fertilizer, her little tray of lavender was starting to look very sad indeed -
“I’m letting you know I’m here because I don’t want to scare you.”
Cosette swallowed a shriek, whipping around.
“Hi,” said the guy on the couch.
She stared at him.
“I’m the roommate. I got here last night at about three. I promise I’m not a murderer.”
Cosette blinked.
“Okay,” she said. “Um.”
“You’re Cosette, aren’t you?” the guy on the couch went on as if she were not wearing a shirt that hit just above her knees and gaping at him like an idiot. “Marius won’t shut up about you. It’s kind of adorable.”
“Oh,” Cosette said intelligently. The guy on the couch grinned, a warm, happy grin that lit up his entire face under his mop of unruly black hair.
“I’m Courfeyrac,” he told her, still beaming at her. “This is really awkward.”
“Yes,” she agreed, and then, because she couldn’t think of anything else to say, “Would you like some coffee?”
“Oh, I like you,” Courfeyrac declared, and that was how Marius found them, sitting side by side on the couch sipping their coffee and tea, talking and joking as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Courf?” he asked, doing a double take. His hair was still wet from his shower. Courfeyrac smiled that huge smile again, propping his chin on the back of the couch to regard his friend with genuine pride.
“Congrats on the sex!” he cheered, flinging his arms into the air, and Cosette dissolved into giggles.
~
“But I thought you weren’t getting back until tomorrow,” Marius repeated for the umpteenth time. Courfeyrac sighed.
“Yes, but Enjolras called and said he was going to kill someone, and Enjolras has never been known for his sense of humor,” he explained patiently. “The wedding was over, I figured I’d just drive down, and here I am.” He popped two pieces of bread in the toaster while Marius stirred his scrambled eggs. Cosette was taking her turn in the shower, and they could hear her singing absentmindedly through the wall. “If you’d warned me, I would have stayed at Combeferre's,” he commented, grinning. “I like her, Marius. She’s like a Disney princess or something.” Marius went red from his collar up all the way to the tips of his freckled ears.
“Don’t scare her off,” he warned him, brandishing the spatula at Courf, who was now rummaging through the fridge in search of some cheese. “I’m serious.”
“We won’t scare her off,” Courf assured him vaguely. “She should come to the meeting tonight, if you're coming. And if you promise to behave,” he added sternly, popping his head back out to glare very pointedly at Marius. “Enjolras told me what happened. Dishonor on your cow, Pontmercy.” Marius bristled.
“He told me, and I quote, ‘nobody cares about your lonely soul,’” he muttered defensively, reddening. “Which doesn’t even make sense, because I am definitely not the lonely one here.” Courfeyrac threw back his head and laughed, closing the fridge. “It’s not funny, Courf, what if he says something to Cosette?”
“He won’t,” Courfeyrac chuckled. He pulled out his phone and played with it, taking a bite out of a block of cheese Marius had not even known they’d had. “You know Enjolras. Every once and a while he needs to stomp his feet and pull out his hair, especially when exams roll around.” Marius looked doubtful. He grabbed a plate, scraping the eggs onto it. Courfeyrac studied him, tucking his phone back in his pocket. “I’m serious about bringing her to the meeting tonight.” Marius made a face. “What? Don’t you want her to meet everyone?”
“It just hasn’t worked out yet,” Marius hedged, and it wasn’t entirely a lie. Between Cosette’s sporadic practice schedules and classes, avoiding taking her to the meetings hadn’t been all that difficult. She’d expressed interest in attending one, and Marius really did want to introduce her to everybody – he just wanted to introduce her when they’d managed to get through at least two consecutive meetings without anyone bursting into tears or screaming at someone. And, he admitted, he did feel a little possessive, maybe even a little selfish. Was it so awful to want her to himself for a while?
Courfeyrac took a bite of his block of cheese, looking almost as die-hard as Enjolras.
“Well, we’re making it work out today,” he said decisively. “I’ve already texted everyone and they’ve promised to be on their best behavior.”
“Courf!” Marius cried. Courfeyrac looked wounded.
“Do you want her to meet your friends or not, Pontmerdouche?”
“Yes, of course I do, but this is kind of new for me and I think it’s new for her, too, and I don’t want to jinx this,” Marius moaned. He caught and held Courf’s gaze, serious and more than a little imploring. “This is a really good thing, Courf. Like, really good.” Courfeyrac remained unmoved.
“They’re going to love her,” he said exasperatedly. “Even Enjolras, once we drag him out of his laptop. Leave it to me, Marius, I’ll make this thing happen.” Marius opened his mouth.
“Make what happen?”
Marius jumped. Cosette, twisting her wet braid into a bun, snagged a piece of toast and began piling eggs onto it.
“You’re meeting the ABC’s today,” Courfeyrac informed her brightly before Marius could get a word out.
“Am I?” Cosette remarked, glancing between the two boys. “What time and where?”
“Nine o’clock at Musain's,” Courfeyrac supplied instantly. Marius entertained a brief daydream in which he set himself on fire and jumped off a cliff. Cosette considered, taking a bite out of her toast and eggs.
"I think I can do that," she said after swallowing. A sudden smile dawned on her face, and Marius' stomach flipped with equal parts panic and a giddy rush of endorphins. "Yeah, I think I can do that, definitely. If someone picks me up. I don't think I've heard of Musain's."
Courfeyrac literally spasmed with glee.
"Marius and I will!" he shouted, clapping Marius on the back. Yes, right off a cliff, Marius thought, where sharks promptly devoured him. "It's an Italian place, our friend works there, the fried cheese is amazing."
"It sounds wonderful." Cosette kissed Marius on the cheek and smiled at Courfeyrac. "I'm really sorry I have to dash so soon, but I'm probably going to be late as it is - it was really nice to meet you!" She pecked Marius again, scooped up her bag, and left, humming as she went.
"Oh, relax," Courfeyrac snickered as he spied the expression on Marius' face. "It'll be fine."