This is the fourth of seven one shots I have for Aro Spec Awareness Week.
Combeferre sat in the pilot's chair, staring out into the blackness of outer space. He could see the cluttered, unorganized barricade of space junk stretching out ahead. Although he was unable to see it from here, he knew that it was night on the side of the planet behind them, and by the time that side faced the sun, the intersystem police would have reached them. And when they did, this resistance, this small group of spaceships, surrounded by a barricade of trash, would end.
His friends, the group of rebels who called themselves the Amis de l'ABC, had taken this ship for themselves. Right now, most of them were off in the main room, celebrating what was likely to be their last night together. Combeferre had been with them earlier, remembering the good times of long ago, drinking and singing and trying to memorize every detail in case he survived and they didn't. But he needed some time alone. A moment of quiet to himself.
"Hey." He whirled the chair around, startled, and found Courfeyrac standing in the entryway.
"Don't you have somewhere else to be?" he asked, a little annoyed to have his peace disturbed, even if it was by Courfeyrac.
"Not really. The warning systems are set in case anyone comes close, the escape pods are in working condition, the weapons are undamaged, everything's fine and prepared for tomorrow. I checked. And the party in the main room is great, but I wanted to talk to you." Courfeyrac sat himself in the co-pilot's chair, and Combeferre swiveled around to face him.
"Is something wrong?"
"Not particularly. It's just, well, what if this is our last night alive?"
"It doesn't do any real good thinking about it now. There's nothing we can do now. What happens tomorrow will happen, for better or worse."
"I know." Courfeyrac shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "I know that we have almost no chance of winning. But there's so many things we haven't done yet, so many possibilities, and so many things not said, and it makes me angry that I can't do all of it. But there's still some time, there are still a few things I can do, a few things I can say, a few possibilities I can make reality."
A thought struck Combeferre, leaving him feeling cold in fear and dread. Courfeyrac wasn't about to confess some long hidden love for him, was he? If this was like any story Combeferre had heard, Courfeyrac would. He desperately hoped he would not.
"I don't know how to say this..." Courfeyrac continued, doing nothing to soothe Combeferre's worry. "I love you. I'm sure you already kind of knew, but I've never directly told you. You're my best friend, and I would die for you. I'm eternally grateful that you're in my life. I wish I had more time with you, that we were closer, but I'm glad for what I have. If we die, I want you to know that I appreciate you more than you can imagine."
"Oh," Combeferre said in relief.
"What?" He looked faintly worried at his vague response.
"I was worried that you were going to tell me you were in love with me."
"Don't be silly," Courfeyrac chided. "I don't fall in love with anyone. I thought you knew that."
"I didn't. But me too. I don't fall in love."
"I figured," Courfeyrac laughed. "You never seemed interested or understanding of our group's love affairs."
"And, you know, I love you too," Combeferre said, realizing that he still had not responded to Courfeyrac's original confession.
"I'm glad!" Courfeyrac exclaimed in happy relief. He jumped up and reached for a hug. Combeferre stood up, wrapping his arms around the shorter person. After a few long moments, they let go of each other and sat down on the floor, leaning against a wall.
"I wish that it wasn't so hard to tell people you love them without it sounding romantic," Courfeyrac said. "Otherwise I would have told you earlier. I didn't want you to misinterpret it, but this was my last chance, so I went with it."
"I feel the same. I always wanted to live with you and Enjolras after we graduated from the university, but I didn't know how to ask. Especially with you and your flirting."
"Romance isn't the same as sex, you know. And flirting's fun."
"If you say so."
"If we make it out of this alive, and escape the authorities, we'll get a house together," Courfeyrac promised
"It would have to be on one of the outer planets so we aren't found by the government," Combeferre pointed out, allowing himself to share Courfeyrac's fantasy.
"Of course. What about Azlan 5? I've always wanted to go there, and it's pretty remote."
"I've never heard of it."
"Exactly!" Courfeyrac beamed. "It's perfect! And the rest of the Amis will live close by. We can each have a different job and occasionally trade with a small, nearby village."
"I could study the native wildlife. It would be interesting to see how it's similar and different to those of the planets I'm familiar with."
"You could find the most friendly animal and we could have a pet! Or several pets! And at night, when you're looking over the notes you've made during the day, we can cuddle on the couch. And each day, someone else in our community is in charge of cooking so we have something different every day. I mean, we all come from very different backgrounds, so there'll be a lot of variety in food we can cook."
"We could have a school for that village you mentioned earlier."
"We could take a small spaceship and secretly travel the galaxy for abandoned and rebellious kids and take them to that school and teach them about the injustices and oppression of the government. We could raise an army to take down the monarchy!"
"Or we could let them go after graduation and they would individually make their own small changes that over time make a lasting impact."
"Party pooper."
"If we raise an army, they could always easily turn on us."
"Oh, right, of course. I should have thought of that."
"We should live by a pond that we could go swimming in on hotter days."
"And pillow fights! If we live in the same house, it's like a never ending sleepover, so we should have lots and lots of pillow fights!"
"Yeah." Combeferre smiled softly, pulling himself out of that dream world that he knew could never be. "I hope we can do all that."
"Me too." Courfeyrac's tone changed from a joking excitement to something more gentle, more serious, and full of longing.
"Maybe if we can survive tomorrow or escape somehow..." he suggested.
"Maybe," Courfeyrac agreed, even though they both knew it was impossible.