No Light

by cosettedaae

Marius and Enjolras have been growing closer and Grantaire has been growing jealous. After a heated argument one night, Enjolras takes Marius home relishing in his friend's jealousy and the opportunity to spend a night with another. Marius/Enjolras.

It wasn't too late into the night, maybe seven or eight, before the students of Paris decided they needed more than studying to get them through the night. A group of boys, friends and classmates, gathered as they often did downtown for drinks at the cafe they'd learned to call a home away from home.
And it wasn't a night too unlike any other night. The summer heat maybe had gotten to them or maybe it was the anticipation of the semester's end. The cafe felt louder than usual, maybe more had decided to join them or maybe they'd decided throwing one night away on liquor wouldn't harm anyone. The wine was flowing so the crowd was rowdy. Three friends shared a table towards the back of the upstairs room, drinking and talking as they often did about nothing in particular.
Graintaire held his own bottle of wine tight in a fist, taking sips between every other sentence; the other two merely playing with their soon-to-be-empty glasses, scared to finish them too soon, scared to admit how drunk they were becoming. Enjolras held his in his hand, swirling it but hesitating to bring it to his lips. He already felt the effect it had over his body, felt his head become lighter and his laugh become louder. He leaned in close as he spoke to Marius, bringing his lips to his ears to ensure he could hear him. It didn't matter what he was saying, he didn't really have much to say. But Marius laughed at the jokes and the stories Enjolras told, hesitating much less as time went on to bring his wine to his own lips.
But Grantaire didn't like feeling left out, didn't like it when Enjolras told Marius things that he couldn't hear and Marius laughed and blushed at words that could've been anything. He tipped his bottle back, finishing the last of it off as he reclined in his chair glaring at the pair across from him.
"Going to share the story with the rest of us maybe?" he snorted.
"Oh, it was nothing," Enjolras said, his face flushed from a combination of heat and alcohol. "Not worth retelling."
"Of course not," Grantaire placed the bottle down on the table and leaned forward.
"God," Marius said, bringing a hand to his forehead. "If I drink anymore I'll have to crash here for the night."
"Or pass out in the gutter," Grantaire said beneath his breath. No one responded, Enjolras simply shot him a glare before turning back to Marius. He knew that his friend of much longer didn't like Marius, either because he didn't think him loyal enough a friend or if it was all jealousy Enjolras couldn't tell. It was probably both, on that night it felt much more like jealousy.
"Have one more drink Marius," Enjolras said. "And we'll all walk home together."
Grantaire rolled his eyes, sighing loudly before lifting a hand to signal a barmaid over.
"I think you've had enough, Grantaire," Enjolras said with a sharp tongue, eyes piercing Grantaire's.
"Oh, of course. I forgot you were my mother, Enjolras. How rude of me," he stood up and slammed his chair against the table, holding onto it for just a moment for stability. "Perhaps I'll grab one for you and your girlfriend then?"
He walked around the table, behind Marius and Enjolras, ruffling Marius' sweat matted hair as he passed by. Marius reflexibly swatted at him, turning quickly around in his seat to meet Grantaire's eyes. His hand was raised in self defense, the wine certainly already gone to his brain. Grantaire laughed, raising his hands and taking a step back.
"What, are you going to hit me, Pontmercy?"
Marius stayed still, seated. Enjolras racked his brain for a way to intervene but couldn't think of a thing that didn't involve making a scene.
"Or they don't teach you how to throw a punch in finishing school?"
Marius stood up quickly, clutching Grantaire's collar in his fist and pulling him in close. They could feel the other's hot breath on them. Marius didn't want to hit him, he didn't have a reason to hit him, not really. But everyone in the cafe was staring at them now and he wanted to throw him down on the ground and run home, but he didn't want to humiliate either of them though he felt like he'd already done that.
"What are you waiting for?" Grantaire egged him one, the stench of liquor hot on his breath.
Marius shook his head, let go of his collar and threw him backwards. Grantaire caught his balance quickly, hobbling only for a minute under the watch of the entire room. They were still waiting for something to happen.
Enjolras stood from his chair, joining Marius by his side, sending a threatening look to Grantaire.
"I think it's time we all headed home."
"You two go. I'm not walking home with a couple of pansies. I'd rather spend another night under the table," Grantaire let out another laugh going to walk past Marius. He caught his eye as he neared closer. "Anything to say for yourself?"
"I think you're a real prick."
"I think you're a spoiled brat. You don't even know what you have. I feel sorry for you," this time as he turned towards the bar he spat down at Marius' shoe and then laughed aloud. The room around them had grown loud again, thinking there was nothing else to see.
But Marius couldn't take it anymore, Grantaire had been picking on him for weeks and this was the final straw. He grabbed him by the shoulder, forcefully turning him around and raised a fist inching it towards the man's face. Though, he was too slow and Grantaire caught on, raising a hand of his own to push Marius' fist aside and send his own hurling towards his face.
Marius fell back onto the table, knocking a chair over in his fall. The room fell dead silent, some gasped. Grantaire was the most silent of them all, staring down at a now unconscious Marius.
"Get out," Enjolras snapped loudly at Grantaire. "And don't bother coming to tomorrow's meeting."
Grantaire shrugged. "Have it your way," and hobbled out of the cafe with all eyes on him and complete silence in the room until he had gone.

Marius woke up in his own bed much later in the night. His head pounded and his face felt swollen. He couldn't remember a thing, especially how he'd managed to get into his own bed. He attempted to sit up, groaning from the pain in his head. He gave up, falling back onto the hard mattress, waiting for his mind to adjust to what was going on around him.
It was a minute later he noticed the candle burning on his desk, illuminating half of the room and just enough to reveal Enjolras sleeping upright in his chair near the door. Marius laughed to himself, few events of the night coming back to him as he let his heavy head sink back into the pillow.
"Enjolras," he said in an audible whisper. He was fast asleep, probably with as much of a headache as Marius. "Enjolras."
His friend's eyes opened and Marius met them with a smile.
"What are you doing?"
Enjolras out-stretched his arms with a yawn before answering Marius. "You're up," he said. "How's your nose?"
Marius didn't understand. He raised a hand to touch his nose but instantly flinched out of pain. The more he became aware of it the more he began to notice other regions of his face ache, his right eye specifically. He flinched again as he moved to touch the swollen skin beneath his eye.
"You got bruised up pretty bad. I learned a long time ago not to mess with a drunk Grantaire."
"What happened?"
"Bar fight. With the master of bar fights himself."
Marius shook his head but out of good humor. "I'm never touching a drop of wine again."
"We've all said that before," Enjolras rose from his seat, moving to sit at the edge of Marius' bed. "You're pretty bruised up, there." Enjolras leaned in closer, the light too far off and too dim to fully illuminate his friend's face. He reached a hand out to touch his left cheek, the side of his face unharmed by Grantaire's fist. Marius smiled at the touch. "I'm sorry," Enjolras said, breaking the silence that had formed between them.
"For what?" Marius said shaking his head. He didn't want to move too much because he didn't want Enjolras to move his hand. "You brought me back here, didn't you? I should be apologizing to you. For fighting with your best friend and forcing you into this situation."
"No, I'm sorry for Grantaire. He knows better but it's my fault that he acts like this."
"You're not responsible for his actions, Enjolras. You don't control him. This isn't your fault. And besides, it's just a black eye and a bloody nose, nothing to cry over."
Enjolras sighed and lowered his hand, letting it fall onto the sheets just above Marius' thigh.
"I know," he said. "I did it all on purpose a little. I know he gets jealous over all of my friends, especially when I'm..." He paused, looking up into Marius' eyes before quickly looking back down at his own hand. "When I'm close with them."
"Enjolras," Marius clapped his hand onto his friend's back. "It's just the wine. I know you're a good man, liquor changes us all."
Enjolras looked back to him with a smile.
"Now, am I allowed to laugh a little at the thought of you dragging me all the way back to my room?"
They laughed, Enjolras looking aside to hide the blush blooming on his cheeks, hoping the dim candle on the desk did it's job at hiding it.
"You weren't unconscious the whole time," Enjolras reassured him. "I didn't have to physically carry you too far."
"Too far?!" He laughed louder. "God, next time anything like this happens you have every right to let me just spend the night in the gutter."
"Or maybe we could just owe each other. Next time Grantaire punches me out, you'll have to be the one to carry me home."
"And I'll tuck you into bed, too," he laughed, this time falling back onto his pillow, his eyes remaining on Enjolras. "You can rest your head, Enjolras, you look exhausted."
"Just for a minute," he said softly as he lowered his aching body onto the thin mattress beside Marius. "Then I suppose I should head over to my own apartment."
"No rush," Marius said, eyes fixated on Enjolras.
The pair lay in silence for a minute, both thinking solely of the other with the small exception of Enjolras who, aside from thinking about the warmth of Marius' body beside his and the strange beauty of his face - half bruised, half unscathed - also thought of Grantaire and how fumingly jealous he would be to see the two of them as they were in that moment. He smiled at the thought of it, because Grantaire would never know of Enjorlas carrying Marius' limp body through the streets of Paris and minutes later joining him in his bed.
"Have you ever hit anyone before, Marius?"
"Sorry?" Marius was distracted, lost in his own mind and maybe lost in the warmth Enjolras' body brought to his bed.
"You've never been in a fight before have you?"
"Could you tell?"
Enjolras laughed, turning his head to face Marius. "Don't worry, I doubt anyone else could."
"How many people saw?"
Enjolras shook his head trying to remember, "Most of them had turned away by then... but I guess everyone knows."
"Great," Marius laughed, turning his head similarly to face Enjolras. Their faces were closer than they'd intended, the small width of Marius' bed becoming more apparent to them both. It wasn't made for two people to share. "I guess worse things have happened to people in public though."
"I mean, you could be Grantaire."
"I have to give him some credit, he gets drunk night after night - he's always screwing up - but still has the courage to face everyone again in the morning. I guess that's why you're all friends with him, there's something endearing about a man like that."
Enjolras' initial response was a sigh. He kept his eyes fixed on Marius' green eyes, bright enough to shine despite the poorly lit room. It was clear Enjolras was through talking about Grantaire, whether he was actually angry with him or not Marius was unsure. Maybe he was just tired, done with talking for the night.
"Am I keeping you from something, Enjolras?"
"No, not at all," Enjolras let out another low breath, smiling at Marius, and stretching his left hand - the one that lay on his friend's thin mattress - and bringing it closer to Marius' cheek. He brushed a finger over his smooth skin, under the unbruised eye and down to rest near his lips. Marius stayed still, unsure of how to react. Enjolras teased his finger over Marius' lips, pulling the skin down as he grazed over it. Marius let a smile slip out as he took pleasure in Enjolras' touch on his mouth. He pursed his lips, letting a kiss leave it's mark on Enjolras' index finger. He thought for sure he'd move after that, take his finger back for his own, leave Marius' room and not speak with him until the following afternoon, if not later. But Enjolras' finger remained on Marius' lips, so he kissed it again and again before looking into Enjolras' eyes and taking note of the tension rising between them. His eyes egged Marius on so Marius obliged, parting his lips to let his tongue and mouth take Enjolras' finger in slowly. Their eye contact never broke, not as Marius sucked lightly on his friend's finger before letting it slowly fall out of his reach.
They took note next of their increased breathing, something Marius could never control - whether it from nerves or sexual energy or even from running down the block. He shook his head, shaking the thoughts of Enjolras away and rolling quickly onto his back to catch his breath.
But Enjolras was not yet ready to catch his breath and he resented Marius for pulling away because all at once he wanted much more than just a kissed finger. He sat up sharply in response, hovering for just a moment over Marius meeting his anxious and slightly terrified eyes, before dipping down to place a rough and unsteady kiss on his lips. The fear inside them both lasted for just a moment but fled soon after Marius' large hands took hold of Enjolras' strong shoulders, parting his lips and letting Enjolras' tongue explore what his finger had just a moment ago.
Marius felt it getting out of hand fast. He felt it when he reflexively bucked his hips in response to Enjolras' taste; Enjolras, taking the action as an invitation to wedge his leg between Marius' thighs. He squirmed in response but pulled his hands up to tangled his fingers in Enjolras' hair, pulling lightly at the surprisingly soft dirt-coated curls. Marius sat up, pushing Enjolras back as he did, letting his hands linger on his chest as he toyed with the buttons of his friend's sheer white shirt.
"We can't do this, Enjolras," Marius said, looking down at his own fingers as he unwilling pulled upon a button on Enjolras' shirt, exposing a section of his bare chest.
"Why not?" he responded, taking the moment to catch his own breath.
"Because..." He failed to come up with a coherent excuse.
"We're already going to hell, Marius, don't you know that?" Enjolras said as he scooted forward, positioning himself accordingly in Marius' lap. He wrapped his arms around his neck while playing with the hairs on the back of his neck as he spoke. "There's a thousand reasons that god will send us to hell. For rebelling against the government alone. I don't pray enough, I don't repent. I haven't attended a church service since I last visited my mother and last week I took a piss on the back wall of Notre Dame."
Marius laughed, tilting his head to the side to nuzzle it against Enjolras' arm.
"And for having these thoughts alone is enough to send us clear away. We're sinning just by letting our lips touch, Marius," Enjolras moved in closer as he spoke, pressing another kiss on Marius' lips.
"It's not hell I'm afraid of," Marius said in a soft whisper. Enjolras tangled his fingers further in Marius' hair, pulling himself closer in to grind his pelvis closely against Marius'. "I know I'm a sinner but..."
"But what?"
Marius could find no words to express his thoughts and the only excuse he could come up with for that was because his only real concerns were within himself, his own fear of why it was he wanted this so badly with someone whom he'd only ever regarded as a close friend.
"Nothing," he relented. "I have no excuses, I'm afraid I may want this as much as you." As he finished speaking, he popped another button open on Enjolras' shirt.
"It's late Marius," Enjolras said, pulling Marius in closer to his chest. Marius continued pulling the buttons of Enjolras' shirt open, further exposing his chest until the thin material simply hung gracefully off his sturdy shoulders. "And I think you're still a little drunk."
"So are you," Marius said, burying his face in his chest, sucking at a patch of smooth skin just above his nipple.
Enjolras groaned, wrapping his legs tighter around Marius' body while indulging in the marks he'd surely leave behind upon his chest. Marius pushed the shirt away, letting it fall onto the bed and letting his hands examine the length of Enjolras' back. He couldn't decide where to let his hands rest, he couldn't stop moving and touching, he didn't want to stop.
It was from there things escalated because it was from there the pair realized there wasn't much room for going back. Not with Enjolras now taking his turn to run his hands down Marius' back, lifting the fabric and pulling it up to reveal bare, pale flesh as opposed to going through the torture of undoing buttons. Marius pulled his lips away from Enjolras' chest only to allow him to remove his shirt. It was then he caught sight of his eyes and they stared unblinking for only a moment, their bare chests nearly touching and Enjolras' hips began rocking in a steady rhythm.
Marius didn't question him, he figured Enjolras knew what he was doing - at least to some degree - far more than Marius did. Though he'd heard others mock Enjolras for his persistent focus on freedom and revolution, his love of France and disinterest in women like the ones Grantaire and Courfeyrac and the others occupied their time with.
But it felt like Enjolras knew what he was doing, or at least knew what he wanted. He pushed Marius down onto his back, continuing to straddle him while leaving a trail of kisses down his cheek, neck and chest. Marius' skin tingled with each touch, his whole body feeling like it was on fire by the time Enjolras had his fingers looped around the waistband of his trousers, tugging down the material in an effort to remove it.
Marius lay frozen, thirsty with lust but still unsure of what he wanted and what he was going to get out of this. He watched Enjolras watch him, look down on his body with a look in his eyes he'd never seen before. Marius sat up, raising to his knees just inches in front of Enjolras in order to help him to pull his own trousers down.
"Marius," Enjolras breathed, lowering himself down onto the bed, pulling Marius down into a seated position beside him. "This is new to you?"
"Yes," he stammered in response, unable to tear his eyes away from Enjolras' naked frame. Shadows from the flickering candle across the room cast shapes and illuminated contours on his body that fascinated Marius and made it difficult for him to look away or think of doing anything aside from watching.
"Me too," he said and Marius was more surprised to hear those words than he should have been.
He met his eyes as if to ask, "So this is it?" Enjolras responding with a meek grin and a glance down towards his own recently uncovered private parts as if to beckon Marius to work.
And Marius didn't question nor raise comments or concerns but simply lowered his head to kiss Enjolras' hipbones before lowering his mouth down further.
It felt odd at first, placing his mouth over a piece of flesh he would've never thought to touch on another man. For the first time in his life, however, he knew he wanted this. The satisfaction he was giving Enjolras alone was enough to please him but the thought at what would follow pleased him even more.
He felt as if he was finally getting the hang of it, had reached a steady rhythm and was receiving moans of gratitude and pleasure from his companion, but it wasn't long after that when Enjolras pushed his head away, smiling down at him while his breath caught up with him.
Marius was concerned he'd done something wrong or Enjolras was bored with him but Enjolras continued to smile down on him as he sat up, pulling Marius in closer to a fervent kiss that ended with Marius on his back once more and Enjolras on top of him.
He was quick to work this time, not hesitating to spread Marius' legs around him, to allow Marius to suck on his first two fingers and then to tease those fingers at Marius' entrance. Marius' mind was elsewhere and all he could think was there was no way this was Enjolras' first experience of this nature, Marius would be lost were he in charge of the situation. But suddenly his thoughts were blurs, interpreted by what was both a sharp pain and a unique pleasure caused by Enjolras at his rear. He looked down at him, pressed between his legs, thrusting and moving in a way so beautiful, rugged yet exquisite, he couldn't help but smile at him. Even though his moans and cries that he was unable to keep in, he smiled at the beautiful man he was more than grateful to be sharing that intimacy with.
Enjolras' thoughts were single and focused as well, staring down at the thin, freckled frame below him. He thrust into him gently, knowing it hurt him slightly no matter how much he tried to hide it in his face. Slow worked just as fine for him, he was new at this as well.
Marius' flushed cheeks turned to a darker shade of red as a noise uncharacteristic of the ones prior left his lips, his chest heaving and his thoughts consisting only on Enjolras and the wonderful sensations his body was experiencing. He arched his back as he called out coming hard and not worrying if he awoke any of his sleeping neighbors or not at the moment. Enjolras followed shortly after, with a few final thrusts and a vision only of Marius writhing in his own delight.

Marius awoke far too late into the next morning, unsure entirely of the events of the night before. He recalled pieces here and there but nothing major until he rolled over to his other side and saw Enjolras fast asleep beside him. His forehead coated in beads of sweat, blond curls sticking to his skin and out in every direction. His breath was soft and he was perhaps the most peaceful Marius had ever seen him.
He watched him sleep until he slowly, moments later, awoke on his own. He awoke with a smile on his face, as if he too instantly remembered the night before after just one look at Marius.
"Nice bruise, Marius," he said in a groggy, low voice. "Are you going to use that to win a few women over?"
Marius laughed, cuddling in closer to Enjolras and wrapping an arm around his warm body. The sheets were tangled down by their feet, the air around them hot and sticky from the humid summer air.
"I don't think I want to worry about winning women over," he responded in a near whisper before nuzzling his head into Enjolras' shoulder, hoping to stay there far into the day or longer, not being able to think of anything more important that could drag him away.