A/N: Hello! This is Kira-chan! .
Anyway...
Before you say it, this may seem mary sue now, but this is just the beginning. Trust me, the same thing was said about one of my other stories. Ask Howleron.
Sadly, I do not own any of Les Amis. But I do own Kiera, and some of this storyline!
-------------
Chapter One: A Sigh for Help
--------------
She ducked through the heavy rain, drawing the raggedy black hat she wore more over her face. The wind whipped around the tatters she wore that may have once been a dress. Since her head was ducked against the rain, she wasn't watching where she was going. Within moments she walked right into something solid and fell back onto the pavement. She looked up, blinking the rain back from her eyes to see a young man standing in front of her, holding a few books in one arm and a package of what was seemingly meat in the other. A few stray black curls had fallen out from under his hat to frame his pale face. He immediately stretched out his hand to help her.
"My apologies, Mademoiselle! I-I'm afraid I wasn't looking where I was going..."
"It's fine..." she muttered, picking up her now sopping hat from the ground with a sigh. The student looked her up and down, his eyebrows raising slightly at the ratty condition of her garments. He cleared his throat and looked away politely.
"So, um...are you from around here?"
She shook her head mournfully, green eyes downcast.
"Is it that obvious?"
The young man smiled faintly, nodding.
"Your accent is decidedly foreign; anyone could notice. Where are you from?"
She didn't reply; instead, she just clutched her tattered shawl more closely around her thin shoulders. It was then that he noticed her hair, which was a golden yellow colour and hung down her back in tangled curls. As if she noticed him staring, she brushed her hair back off her face with another sigh. The young student decided to switch topics.
"I'm sorry, but I don't believe you've mentioned your name...."
She looked up again, their gazes connecting for barely a second before she looked away again.
"Kiera" she replied "Kiera Lynnia"
"Kiera..." he repeated, surprised at her strange name. Shaking his head to get rid of any impolite thoughts, he responded
"Mine is Marius Pontmercy. I am a law student at one of the nearby schools. What are you doing in Paris? Perhaps I can assist you?"
"Ah..." she whispered, then added so quietly he could barely hear her "I-I don't....I'd rather....I-I'm fine..."
"Do you have any place to stay?" the kindhearted young man asked "For surely you do not plan to stay out here and sleep in the streets!"
She bowed her head and muttered something unintelligible that he took as a no.
"Well...I'd have you stay at my place, but..." He trailed off, staring into space. She quickly shook her head, replying
"It's fine...I don't have any money to pay you for your troubles anyway..."
He was about to respond when he heard a familiar voice calling his name over the pouring rain...
.......
Courfeyrac had been on his way to the Cafe Musain when he saw his friend standing in the rain next to a young woman dressed in rags. Quite amused, the boisterous young man could not even think of missing this chance to tease his friend.
"Hoy, Marius!"
The young man turned, as well as the girl next to him. She looked like she really just wanted to get out of there, and saw him as means of escape. She bowed to him and was about to turn and run when he, with a grin, addressed her.
"Bon soir, Mademoiselle, and who might you be? Could it be, Marius Pontmercy has finally found himself a wo-"
" Hello, Courfeyrac." Marius interrupted, knowing full well where his friend was going. He turned to the girl next to him. "Kiera, this my friend and local idiot, Courfeyrac. Courfeyrac, this is Kiera. She just came to Paris, and has no place to stay nor any money to procure one."
" Sacre bleu! But of course, I insist she stay with me! To think; a young girl, left alone on the streets! Poppycock! And besides" he added " surely you cannot house her?"
Marius shook his head mournfully, rain dripping from his hair as he did so. Kiera stared from boy to boy, the dropped her head in defeat.
"I guess I could...but I don't want to cause Monsieur any trouble!"
Courfeyrac winced
"Just Courfeyrac, please. And besides, it'll be no trouble at all; my dear parents are paying for everything." he grinned "Adieu, Marius!"
Said boy tipped his hat to them both and turned towards home. Courfeyrac turned to Kiera, still smiling.
"Let's get you home, then. I suppose it is necessary to get you some new clothing...ah, but that'll have to wait until tomorrow; the shops are closed...well, you can just borrow some of mine...."
"But, Monsieur Courfeyrac-"
He winced again.
"Just Courfeyrac, if you don't mind. I hate all that formality; makes me feel like some rich young priss..."
She chuckled, then covered her mouth and mumbled an apology, as if she'd done something wrong. Courfeyrac sighed dramatically.
"You are one strange, sad little woman: I have my work cut out for me it seems..."
"What?"
He just grinned in reply.
"Oh nothing..."
........
Here you are, then!"
The yellow-haired girl took the proffered clothing, still having not said more than 10 words to her new companion. Thankfully, Courfeyrac wasn't one to ask many questions or pry into other people's business. She sighed as he left the room, giving her some privacy to change.
"Of all the stupid things to happen...letting myself accept charity..." She muttered, tearing off the sopping rags and, shivering as the cold air hit her wet skin, pulled on the older boys clothes. It was merely a shirt and pants, but to her, it was like all her dignity being swallowed in foul swoop. running a pale hand through her hair, she called out.
"I'm decent!"
The young student smirked as he walked back into the room. He too had changed from his wet clothes. He also had a towel, which he was using to dry off his face and hair. After he was finished, he tossed it over to her. With a nod of thanks, she commenced drying herself off. Courfeyrac, not liking the uncomfortable silence, decided to take the initiative.
"So...what're you doing here in Paris?"
She froze, opening her mouth, yet no sound came out. After a short silence, she hesitantly replied.
"I...I don't really know....I had to leave home after...after...after something happened....and...yeah, I guess I just wandered, and eventually I made it here."
She looked back up at Courfeyrac and noticed him staring at her, a strange expression on his face.
"What?"
"What happened...why did you leave there?"
"What happened to make it any of your business?" she retorted, turning away from him to face the window.
"Sorry" He quickly replied "I did not mean to pry...."
"I know..." she mumbled "I just...I don't want to talk about it...it's...hard..."
He nodded, putting a hand sympathetically on her shoulder, then drawing it back when he thought about what he'd just done. They sat in silence for a few minutes as Kiera dried her hair absently.
"Thank you."
Courfeyrac, who had turned to leave again, swung back around. He paused for a moment, then broke out into one of his characteristic smiles.
"You're welcome..."
.......
"Courfeyrac! By god, what's been keeping you, lad? You're usually the first one here!"
The smiling student took off his wet coat and hat, replying to Feuilly, who had spoken.
"I had to attend to a damsel in distress, mon ami."
" Ah, and who's the un-lucky lady?" Grantaire called out, his words slurring ungracefully, laughing. Courfeyrac sat down and, putting his feet up on the table, answered
" A foreigner; I found her talking to Pontmercy on the street and, her having no place to go nor any money, I invited her to stay at my place."
As he friends chuckled and teased him, Courfeyrac secretly decided to not say anything more. If she wanted to share, she could do it by herself, when she wanted to. It wasn't his place to go spilling he secrets to everyone else.
.......
"Kiera?"
She jumped at the sound of her name, turning to see that it was only Courfeyrac standing in the doorway. She hadn't moved much except to fold herself onto the window seat. She hadn't even seen him come in: she hadn't been looking at the street. Rather, she had merely been daydreaming, awaiting for his return so that she knew what to do.
"Bon soir, Monsieur."
He winced, then sighed.
"I've already told you: I'm just plain Courfeyrac. No other titles, please."
"Alright, mon-Courfeyrac."
He smiled, ruffling her now fully dry hair.
"Thank you. Now, let's get you a place to sleep, shall we?"
He pulled off one of the two mattresses on his bed and laid it on the floor along with a few blankets and a pillow he had gotten from the landlady. Meanwhile, Kiera got down from the windowsill and slowly walked over.
"Where were you?"
"Hm? Oh, just a meeting with some of my friends. I can take you with me tomorrow if you like. "
She nodded absently, picking at a loose thread on her shirt. Or, rather, his shirt....she sighed again. Feeling uncomfortable in the silence, she asked
"Is that man we met earlier...Marius....is he one of those friends?"
"In a way..." Courfeyrac replied "But he doesn't come to our meetings anymore."
"Oh...why couldn't I stay with him? Not that I don't like staying with you" she added quickly "I'm just curious."
It was the student's turn to sigh, lying back on his bed , staring at the ceiling.
"Because he's quite a stubborn ass who won't accept any help when he needs it. He's not very...well off, I guess, to put it politely."
"Oh, I see..." Kiera flopped back onto her own mattress. Just as the young man was about to blow out the candle, she asked
"Do you know of anywhere I could a job fast?"
He sat and stared at her, replying
"I...don't know. I can help you look around, though" he added, smiling at her reassuringly. She smiled back at him for a few seconds before turning back to staring at the ceiling.
"Thank you. I just don't feel like completely imposing upon you-"
"For the last time, Kiera: you're not imposing. Remember-I'm the one who asked you to stay here."
"I know, I know..."she grumbled. "Goodnight, Courfeyrac."
"Goodnight."