Here's a one shot for a reviewer of mine: TheJondretteGirls
Love,Ire and Revolution
The Cafe was just as he had left it the week before, and the week before that. No one wanted to move anything; it was used as a memorial for the fallen of the Barricade. Marius placed another red rose at each if his friend's graves and sat on a solitary chair overlooking the disturbed soil. Marius had been doing this once a week since he was well enough to be on his feet again. He knew Cosette worried for him but the guilt pained him as much as a bullet would have done. And this weekly vigil was his way if remembering them and honouring their names; it wasn't much, but at least it was something. Tears welled up in his eyes as the ghosts flickered around the cafe. Enjolras stood on the table in mid-speech; Combeferre stood at his side interjecting with rallied support, Courfeyrac flirting with a passing fancy; Grantaire cradling his wine bottle and sporting a cynical smile; Bossuet tripping over the tear in the rug; Joly and Musichetta picking up their lover from where he was sprawled on the hard wood floor nursing a bruised elbow; Feuilly and Bahorel having a light-hearted argument over a bottle. He missed them with all his heart.
Unknown to Marius, this week Cosette had followed him to the Musain to see what he did on these mysterious trips. She peered round the corner with tears glistening in her eyes. She knew it had to be to do with his friends but it still hit her hard. She had never met the boys but if Marius loved them then they had to be good men and she hated it when good men died. He hadn't seen anyone to do with the barricade since that day but Cosette had been doing some digging of her own. She talked with Musichetta about her lovers/husbands and what they did; these meetings usually ended in tears but it helped them both move on and come to terms with their losses. It was like Marius was dead to Cosette; the survivor's guilt was tearing him apart and he was a ghost at home. He only left for these weekly sessions then came and sulked at home again. That was the only word to describe it; he just sulked. Cosette couldn't stand it anymore; she had to confront him but she needed to know what to confront him about first.
That evening, Marius returned submerged in the haze of despair he had been living in. Cosette had made a large spread of all his favourite foods but he just walked past it and sat staring out of the window like a man possessed. Cosette sighed and sat next to him, slowly as not to alarm him. "Marius darling," she whispered, lightly tapping his arm. He turned around slowly; his eyes were glassy with unshod tears and his demeanour radiated sorrow. "It would help to talk about that day," Cosette comforted softly and was shocked when he spontaneously broke out of that trance and sobbed onto her shoulder. After the momentary lapse of shock, Cosette cradled her crying husband while trying to sooth him like she would a baby. They sat like that together for a few minutes before Marius finally composed himself.
"I-I think, I can talk about it now," he sniffled slightly, sitting up straight again. Cosette nodded, attempting to stay composed when actually her heart was racing with joy.
"It all started at Lemarque's funeral," he began with his whole body shaking. "We were singing and marching around the funeral cart when a bullet hit a peaceful old lady... A national guardsman had shot her," he mumbled. "Enjolras called for the barricades and we all ran to the Musain. I stole a horse and a flag and rode there directing the men. All was going according to plan until the guards climbed the barricade. I was terrified, 'Sette, all I wanted was for everything to go back to how it was when we were just planning the barricade," he sobbed onto Cosette's ivory dress. She held him through his strenuous confession and softly ran her fingers through his hair. Marius took a deep breath and began again. "I threatened to blow the barricade. It was to save everyone but I would never have been able to do it. I didn't want to die, I wanted to come home to you and marry you but I couldn't let them kill my friends ... But I couldn't stop them. They killed Eponine when she was saving me. They shot me but your wonderful Papa saved my life. But they all died," he choked up curling into a ball. "They all died," he repeated while rocking slowly.
"Shhh Marius. All will be well," she soothed. He had needed to get all that out for a long time so he could move on. Cosette couldn't help but smile softly when she saw the ghost of Enjolras stand in the window. He just nodded once and added a jokey salute before fading away. Marius had been looking the other way but she knew that when he returned to the Musain, the ghosts would be gone and Marius would return to her. They sat like that long into the night but Cosette didn't mind. Her Marius was alive once more.