Alex is back at it again with some content for you nerds. I'll add another chapter to my Newsies fic soon, but for now enjoy this little Enjoltaire drabble.
Grantaire was on the floor, which was not an unusual thing at this time of the night. It was around midnight, where his drunken acts were at their peak. He sat up against the wall in his usual corner, and Enjolras had stayed behind to keep watch over him. Enjolras detested Grantaire's drinking habits and drunken ravings, but he still worried for his friend, who was now giggling at something which was unknown to Enjolras. "Oh, Grantaire..." Enjolras murmured, going over to the corner and sitting next to Grantaire on the floor. Grantaire's face lit up immediately as he noticed Enjolras, and he stumbled up into a slightly straighter position. Once Enjolras sat down, Grantaire leaned on his shoulder, his thick, dark curls lightly tickling Enjolras's neck.
Enjolras was still, making no move to either encourage or discourage Grantaire's actions. He simply looked at the drunk one with a tired sigh. "'Taire?" he said softly.
"Hmmm?"
"Must you always drink like this?"
Grantaire let out a loud giggle and nodded.
Enjolras sighed once again. "You should be getting home," he told him, standing up now. He reached his hand down, offering it to Grantaire, who took it and stumbled into a standing position next to him. Enjolras grabbed Grantaire's arm and wrapped it around his own neck so that he could support him as they walked. "C'mon,'Taire," he gently urged, beginning to walk out of the café with an arm wrapped securely around Grantaire's waist. The drunk one leaned into Enjolras without making a sound and complied to walking along with him. Enjolras lead him outside and began walking him down the street. Grantaire began to start mumbling something, one of his drunk tangents that Enjolras never paid attention to. He was saying something about the unfairness of the government, and Enjolras couldn't help but agree, chuckling softly as they walked along.
By the time they reached Grantaire's apartment, Grantaire was growing tired, leaning on to Enjolras heavily, his eyes occasionally fluttering closed for brief moments. Enjolras lead him to his front door and opened it for him. He lightly pushed Grantaire inside, not expecting him to lose his balance and fall on the ground in front of him. Grantaire let out a small whimper as he sat up, and Enjolras shook his head as he reached down and picked Grantaire up. He dragged his friend to the couch and laid him down, then sat next to him. Enjolras watched him in concern, head tilted to the side and his brows knitted together. He hummed to Grantaire softly, running his hand through his mop of curls and undoing every knot and tangle he made contact with. That's when Grantaire sat up. He gripped on to Enjolras's arm and rested his head on his shoulder.
"Are you alright?" Enjolras asked, nudging his friend off his arm.
Grantaire pulled away, staring up at Enjolras. He had an upset look on his face, like a sad puppy, and Enjolras couldn't help but feel a small stab of guilt at the tears brimming in the corners of his drunken friend's eyes. "Grantaire?"
"I-i'm sorry."
Mood swings were not usually something Grantaire went through when drunk, resulting in Enjolras being slightly confused. He wasn't exactly sure what Grantaire was apologizing for, but it sounded sincere enough. "Sorry? For what?"
"It's just that..." Grantaire paused to take a deep breath, squeezing his eyes shut for a single second. He composed himself, then continued. "You- you have to deal with me. Nearly every night. And I'm just... Just a useless drunk!" He spat out the word 'useless' like it was a curse word, letting out a small huff as he finished. Grantaire looked down at the floor now.
"Grantaire..." Enjolras mumbled softly, having not been expecting this sudden outburst. It was now one of those rare occasions where he didn't know how to reply, how to put his thoughts into words. If he was honest, he felt bad for Grantaire. If Grantaire interrupted his speeches at meetings, Enjolras would often retort by saying he was useless, a word he didn't think affected him until now. His friend didn't do much of anything with his time, was almost always a bit tipsy, and took pleasure in playfully mocking Enjolras's plans to overthrow the French government, but he was still a friend. One of the best friends Enjolras had. He reminded Enjolras to get rest, soothed him when he was frustrated, and, in the same way, Enjolras took care of him when he had too much to drink.
"I'm- I'm sorry. You should just... You should just go," Grantaire said, nodding a bit. His words still sounded slurred, but his expression was hurt, his lips pursed in a thin line and his eyes sad.
Enjolras wanted to reach over and tightly hug him, to hold him and tell him that he would be there for him. But Enjolras remained still. "No," he said, voice firm. "I'm staying."
"But why? Why would you want to stay with- with me?" Grantaire asked, cocking his head to the side.
"I care about you, Grantaire," Enjolras told him, now placing his own hand over his friend's. "I have to make sure that you're alright."
"But- but you really don't have to!" Grantaire protested quickly, nearly snatching his hand back.
Enjolras shifted to holding on to Grantaire's hand, giving it a light squeeze. "Ah, but I do," he replied.
Grantaire shook his head, opening his mouth to protest, but instead rested his head on Enjolras's shoulder. Even though his thick curls were covering his face, Enjolras could tell he was crying or on the verge of it from the sniffing noises and small whimpers that he tried to stifle.
Enjolras held on to his hand tightly. "You're alright, 'Taire; everything's fine."
"You- you don't hate me?"
"Of course not."
"Are you sure of it?" Grantaire looked up at Enjolras now, biting his bottom lip.
"I'm certain," Enjolras replied, smiling softly.
"Th- thank you, Enj," Grantaire murmured, the corners of his mouth turning up into a gentle smile. "Thank you," he repeated.
"Of course." With that, Enjolras wrapped his arm around Grantaire, pulling him close. Grantaire let out a soft laugh as he nestled himself next to his friend. He closed his eyes as he felt Enjolras rub his arm soothingly, letting him relax into the curve of his body. He eventually fell asleep next to Enjolras.
