The dimples

Summary: "Yeah, we decided on 'dimples' as a code word for Éponine so that you would finally admit that you like Éponine. We figured it would be easier for you to admit it if you didn't have to say her name." Combeferre glares at the ground, he didn't think he would be the one to blow the cover. He thought either Jehan or Joly would mention 'the dimples plan' to Enjolras. They are usual the blabbering idiots.

Author's note: This story is based on a dream I once had, but instead of Combeferre asking questions about dimples, it was actually Ellen Degeneres. So if Combeferre seems out of character, it is because I based the conversation on my dream. Also I don't own Les Misérables, if I did, I would be building barricades.


Chapter 1: It was better without you

If we only die once, I wanna die with you.

(If we only live once, I want to live with you.)

One Republic, Something I need.


"You like the dimples."

Combeferre tries not to shout as he walks into the apartment he shares with Enjolras. But he can't help that his voice is a little louder than it normally is, he is just really enthusiastic. He has waited for this moment for quite some time now and it is finally here, operation dimples is in action.

He knows that his roommate is probably in his room, writing or reading something important in his mind but not important to Comberferre. At least not at this moment when there are more important business to discuss.

But Enjolras doesn't come out of his room, he doesn't even open his bedroom door to see what all the commotion is about which is what Comberferre had hoped for. So instead of waiting patiently for Enjolras to finish whatever the hell he is doing, Combeferre goes into attack mode.

A minute later he is pounding Enjolras's door with his fist.

This does get the desired effect and Enjolras opens his door in less than a minute, effectively stopping Comberferre before he can finish his fifth pound. His hand is still mid-air but he quickly lowers it when he meets Enjolras's glare.

"What do you want?" Enjolras grumbles, clearly not amused by the interruption. Combeferre ignores his friend and simply slips in his bedroom, sitting down on his roommate's bed as if it was his own. He can't help but let his body bounce a little on the bed, he really should suggest a jumping party on Enjolras's bed next time they have a meeting with Les Amis. He is sure someone of the Amis likes jumping on beds just as much as he does.

Enjolras apparently doesn't appreciate him getting comfortable on his bed because Combeferre can see him glaring from his position at the door. He knows he only has a few more minutes of bullshitting around the bush before the glare that Enjolras is giving him will change from 'I don't know what the fuck you are doing, but I don't like it' to 'Get the fuck out of room before I will kill you'.

He has often reached the precious borders between the glares (it tends to happen when you are Enjolras's roommate for as long as Combeferre has been) and one time he had dared to cross this border. It had happened with Grantaire in the room (because when does shit ever go down without Grantaire around), both completely drunk and they might have gotten a bit loud with their musical impressions. Enjolras had had enough after hearing them sing 'As long as you are mine' from wicked and he had literally picked Grantaire by his coat and he had dragged him out of their apartment. Combeferre had received the same treatment but he had been dragged to his own room and Enjolras had said he should stay there or he would kick him out. Combeferre had been afraid, stupidly drunk but still very much afraid. (He suspected Enjolras probably knew how to shoot someone, which didn't help with the fear thing)

So after that experience he had decided to never cross the border again. But he knew he was dangerously close to the border now, because he could see the vein on Enjolras's forehead appear which was a very good indicator of how angry the man was. It was time to get to business.

"You like the dimples." Combeferre said in calm tone, much calmer than he felt because Enjolras was still glaring at him angrily from his permanent stand at the door, ready to kick Combeferre out. But the thing that Combeferre had said must have baffled Enjolras because the marble man lost his posture for a few seconds. He uncrosses his arms and stands a little less stiff. A little less ready to kick Combeferre out of his room. Combeferre takes this as a good sign, Enjolras's bed is really comfortable.

"You like the dimples, you freaking like the dimples," Combeferre continues because he figures Enjolras is just teasing him and if he goes on long enough about the dimples, the other man will just give in and admit to it.

(And he is also kind of giddy, operation dimples was his plan after all.)

But that doesn't happen.

Instead he is met with a blank stare and instead of the baffled expression that had crossed Enjolras face earlier when Combeferre had first mentioned the dimples, the glare is back on his face. In fear of his life, Combeferre decides to go with another strategy.

"We figured that since you are in denial about liking Éponine, we would come up with an object that defines Éponine to us," Combeferre quickly says. After this simply explanation he dares to glance over at Enjolras to gauge his reaction, Enjolras's face has returned to a blank state so Combeferre continues.

"Grantaire wanted to call her little princess but Joly objected saying that she is not really a princess considering her troubled past and all that and then Jehan came up with invisible girl but I think he wanted to be poetic about this and it didn't really matter because Feuilly was against that idea because it would be too obvious. So we finally decided on dimples." He is still rambling, once he has started he can't seem to stop. And Enjolras making him nervous doesn't help at all.

"You finally decided on dimples?" Enjolras repeats. Combeferre thinks Enjolras is just repeating whatever he says to annoy him (he has done it before) so he ignores the comment. It took almost a whole week for the whole Amis to agree on a code name for Éponine so he was not having the object on which the plan was based complain about the codename.

"Yeah, we decided on 'dimples' as a code word for Éponine so that you would finally admit that you like Éponine. We figured it would be easier for you to admit it if you didn't have to say her name."

Combeferre glares at the ground, he didn't think he would be the one to blow the cover. He thought either Jehan or Joly would mention 'the dimples plan' to Enjolras. They are usual the blabbering idiots. But now he is the one who has done the blabbering deed and he is going to hear about it tomorrow at their meeting. And then for the rest of his life.

He is sure of it.

And Enjolras didn't even admit that he liked the dimples yet.

But he had been so sure when he heard of the sighting of Enjolras and Éponine at the library together a few days ago. They were sitting at the same table, even though there were other tables available. Other tables with no people working at them, other tables where they could read in silence. And Combeferre knew for a fact that Enjolras liked to study alone at the library.

But instead they chose to sit together, in the back of the library (where students usually came to make out, but that was a minor detail).

And if that wasn't enough, occasionally they would both look up from their books at the same time and glance at each other. Sometimes they would even smile at each other for a brief moment.

Other times one of them would look up and just stare at the other person for a while and then get back to their reading. It was romantic, or at least it had seemed so when Jehan retold the story (he had been the one who saw them together in the library).

But now he was seriously doubting every word coming from Jehan's mouth when it came to love and romance. The man had a tendency to over romanticize things. And the dance between Enjolras and Éponine was no exception.

"Look Combeferre," Enjolras starts and Combeferre looks up to meet the other man's eyes. He didn't even realise Enjolras has moved from the door to his desk, his arms crossed in front of his chest again. "I don't like the dimples."

Combeferre couldn't stop the sigh that escapes his lips. Here comes the lecture.

"I mean, I like her as a friend but I don't like her in a romantic way," Enjolras explains friendly as if he was explaining it to a child. Combeferre nods his head though he keeps his head down. He is sad, it could have been such a beautiful love story. Now Jehan will be disappointed, he was so excited, he has even started a novel about their friends. The title would have been superboy and the invisible girl (because even though they changed the name to dimples, Jehan still called it operation invisible girl in his head) or something else completely poetic and romantic that would have both Jehan and Cosette swooning.

Apparently Enjolras doesn't know how to deal with a sad Combeferre, especially because he is sad about something so trivial as his and Éponine not-so-romantic-relationship. He just stands at his desk awkwardly, his hands resting on the paper he was writing earlier, wistfully hoping he could just go back to the moment he didn't know about the dimples plan and his only problem was whether or not he should quote Goethe again.

After a few moments of awkward silence Combeferre has enough, he should let his friend get back to his writing. And he really needs a drink but he doesn't think he should tell Enjolras that. He stands up and walks over to the door, but before he walks out, he turns to Enjolras. "Please don't tell anyone about this tomorrow."

"My lips are sealed, mon ami."


Author's note 2: I don't know if anyone is interested but I'm looking for a beta reader because I'm working on chapter 2 as we speak but I'm not really sure about it. So any help is welcome.