Hello, me again. If you have read any of my other les Miserables stories (especially A father figure) you may have worked out that I love the ship Courfeyrac/Eponine. This is the main focus of this story, as well as some Gavroche fluff because he is my baby and I love him. I will warn you now that this story is very fluffy, but I hope you all like that :D
With how this story works, it is all based off of the quote you will in italics below. I plan to write a chapter for each sentence, each like a little one-shot.
Please enjoy and please review to let me know what you think
I swear, I will do anything to keep you happy. I'll take care of you when you're sick. I'll cuddle you when you're cold. I'll tell you funny stories when you're sad. If you need to bitch, I'll listen and bitch with you. I'll cook for and with you. I'll sing to you when we're on long drives. If you want to go travelling, you know I'll be right by your side. We can do absolutely crazy and adventurous things together
Chapter one: I swear, I will do anything to keep you happy (POV Courfeyrac)
There were times before all of this that I thought I had everything I could ever ask for of the world. I had an amazing job at a local law firm, a perfect apartment, money and good friends. My parents always said that I had made them so proud doing everything I could to find my place in the world. All they wanted for me now was for me to find the perfect girl and make a beautiful family. I remember the smiles on their faces when I first told them about you. I was glad that my parents are not like those of my best friends. If Enjolras, for example, had taken a girl like you home to meet his parents, he would have been in trouble, big time. Sure, you may not be from the best background. You may not have been from a family of my 'class'. Your parents are crooks and they treated you and your siblings like the dirt under their feet. But I don't care. I adore you; I worship the ground you walk on. You mean everything to me. You make me happier than I have ever been before, dear Eponine, and I swear to you that I will do anything to keep you happy.
Do you remember how we met? I do. I was at the café Musain, like I often was after work, with my friends. Together we run a human rights group, campaigning for equal rights and less unequal treatment of those who do not have what the rich have. It was a cause that I have always believed in. I had been and raised in the world of the rich, always looking down to those who did not have everything. I wanted everyone to have the opportunity to be treated fairly. We all believed in that. It was through this group that I met you, Eponine. You came in, trailing behind Marius Pontmercy like a lovesick puppy. You caught my eye straight away with your beauty and I didn't listen to single word that the group's leader, Enjolras, said that night.
It took weeks of offering to walk you home and cleaning up your cuts and bruises after your dad or one of his gang members got to you, to get you to see that there was more than just Pontmercy. I could see it in your eyes. The pain of years spent hiding away from the world, locked away in a world where everything was wrong. Marius had been your light for years, as you told me; he was your only friend. When I had gained your trust, you began to tell me about your past and your life. You told me about the years when everything was alright and when you were happy, when your family had the hotel and made lots of money. Then everything went wrong for you and your world began to fall apart. Your pained expression made my heart feel as if it was bleeding and I took your hand, squeezing it in hope that it could make the pain go away in any way.
It was the story of your siblings and your relationship with them that broke my heart. You told me about Azelma, your sister who is only a few years younger than you. Your father lets men come upon her, you as well, to treat you like scum. He treats you like slaves, not daughters. And then there is Gavroche, at only five years old. You told me about the nights he spends hiding under his bed when your father goes on drunken rampages and the nights where he complains of hunger because your mother 'forgot' to make dinner. I know that you took the beatings for your siblings, especially little Gavroche.
I tried to make things better for you. When we finally became a couple, the first thing I did was to ask you to move in with me. I wanted, no, needed to get you away from there. I needed to bring you to safety. I love you, which was all I could think about. Keeping you safe, keeping you happy.
"Move in with you" you had said; as if it was the maddest thing you had ever heard. "Oh 'Fey, I love you I really do but what about Azelma and Gavroche?"
That was how the decision was made. You had begged Azelma to come with you. I had said we could get a bigger house, a real home for the family we were trying to form. But she refused, staying that she would stay with your parents. You had told me that she was the one to always obey your parents; she felt it was better that way. There was one thing that you, Azelma and I agreed on. Gavroche would come with us. We made a home, you, me and little Gavroche. Your eyes filled with tears when you saw how happy he was, running around the garden playing soccer or cuddled up to our side in the evening as we watched television. He was so special to you, you practically raised him, and he became very special to me when he came and lived with us. We had a routine, me and him and you would always laugh that Gavroche followed me around in a game of follow the leader. He was my mini me, he still is, and we get on like we have been best friends forever.
Every night is the same in our house, and I love the way that you smile with your dimples showing every time you watch this little night time routine. I always let Gavroche sit up with us and cuddle up to our sides until he grows sleepy eyed. Maybe he should go to bed earlier but I think of all those nights he was sent to his bed without anyone to kiss him goodnight and I can't bear to put him to bed until he wants to go.
"Are you ready for bed bud?" I say as I feel his tiny body press up against my chest.
"Yes Courf" Gavroche nods, holding onto me with one hand whilst the other arm is wrapped around his favourite toy monkey. He kisses Eponine's cheek and I match his gesture before carrying the little boy to his bedroom and tuck him into bed, kissing his head and lying with him until he is sound asleep.
It is all a part of our routine, and all part of the things that make you happy. Gavroche makes you happy, Eponine, and I try everything I can to make you happy.
"You make me happy by just being here" You always say when I ask what I can do to make you happier. I love it every time I see your eyes light up or I see your adorable dimples. I bring flowers home at least once a week and I make dinner when you are tired. Before meeting you, I thought I had everything. When I met you, I realised I had nothing, nothing that meant anything to me anyway. When we became a couple and you moved in with me and Gavroche become the 'baby' of our little family, I realised that this was everything that I needed.
My parents adore you, they see you as a daughter and even though Gavroche is your brother, they see him as a precious grandchild. They spoil him and they spoil you. I remember them buying you beautiful clothes and jewellery and Gavroche has more toys then he could ever wish for. I am telling you, we could easily lose him under a pile of cuddly toy dinosaurs and Disney characters. He loves my parents. He calls them Grandma and Grandpa. Who knows maybe one day we will make that official. If we were to marry, one day it could happen. When you first met you were shy, but they took to you right away. They learnt about your past and not one negative comment was made. They welcomed you in as a part of our family. When Gavroche first met them, he melted their hearts with one cheeky little smile. This is our family now.
Sometimes I wonder what makes you happiest. Is it when I bring home flowers and gifts for you, simply because I love you to the moon and back? Is it when you sit at the back door watching me stumble around as I attempt to play soccer with Gavroche in the back garden? He may be only 5 years old, but he is better at the sport than me. My failed attempts to get a goal make him laugh, so I don't complain. The sound of his laughter could light up anywhere. No, I think it is a mixture of many things that make you happy. It is the flowers and the gifts, it is the sight of me making a complete fool of myself just to entertain Gavroche, and it is the nights we spend cuddled up together on the couch, watching movies after Gavroche has gone to bed.
I love the fact that you never talk of your past anymore. Of course, you still have contact with Azelma to make sure that she is okay. It turns out she is stronger than you think and is handling herself just fine. But you don't talk of them anymore; you don't talk about your parents. The pain of your past is not in your eyes anymore; instead it is replaced with laughter and light. I did that, I brought you away from that world which you hated into a world where you wake up with a smile on your face every morning. I don't think I could be any happier.
"You shouldn't spoil me so much 'Fey" You always smile, placing your hands on my cheeks and kissing me. "If you have to spoil someone, spoil 'Roche, you know it makes me happy to see his little face light up"
I do spoil Gavroche, you know I do. We've been living as our little family for about 6 months now and I see him as my little boy. He is our light, greeting us every morning with that same big smile. He appears to have completely left his past behind. At first, he seemed surprised to have a full meal put in front of him every night and I had to tell him that it was alright to eat it all because there was going to be more if he wanted it. He wouldn't go hungry again. He has nightmares sometimes, so do you, but we have our ways of combatting those. With Gavroche snuggled between us, his tiny form taking up barely any space at all, we wrap our arms around each other. We keep him safe between us and you realise that you are safe in my arms. You do always say that nothing bad can happen when we are together, the three of us.
If we were to marry one day, I can tell you that one of my promises in my vows would be to always do anything I can to keep you happy. I live to see that smile, those sweet dimples. I live to keep you happy. I think one of my favourite moments in the day is when I come home from work and find you in the kitchen making dinner. I wrap my arms around you from behind kissing your cheek, more often than not presenting you with flowers. Then I hear little footsteps and turn just in time to swing Gavroche up into my arms. I bring sweets home for him on most days, and give them to him when you aren't looking. He gets so excited, I just can't resist.
Over these six months, I have fallen in love with you, Eponine, so deeply that I don't think I could ever escape. Not that I would want to of course. I never want to go a day without seeing you or Gavroche. You both mean the world to me, that is the only way I can describe it. If I go a day without making you happy, I will have failed. I never want this to happen, Ep, I will do anything.
What did you think? Shall I continue this?
