Marius sits alone in his and Cosette's room, looking down at his bare arms and slightly bare legs; his eyebrows furrowed together in a mixture of disgusted emotions as he observes the scars that he had obtained at the barricade months ago. There's healing gashes scattered on his forearms, a bullet wound still looking quite painful marring his left shoulder. It still pains him to look at it, for it reminds him of when he has passed out only to wake up in the hospital; suffering immense pain and not quite so long after hearing he was the only survivor of the barricade and all of his friends' corpses were piled up on a cart, ready to be taken to a public pit and thrown in just like trash in a landfill.
He's still healing from the injuries, but his arm is finally out of that annoying cast. Though, he still has to be careful with moving that specific arm around so he doesn't damage it and make it worse. He obeyed that rule, mostly because he barely has left the house the last few days, spending most his time in bed while Cosette goes and checks on him daily and lays with him to keep him company, cuddling him close and telling him that everything is going to be okay; the worst is all over. But he doesn't think anything is going to get better at this point.
He rests his hand over his healing left shoulder to cover the bullet wound, not wanting to even glance at it. Keeping his eyes trained on the wall, he blinks back tears and presses his lips into a thin line at an attempt to hold back a sob. He still doesn't want to accept the fact that all of his friends are dead, everyone he worked with in the revolution now most likely buried in an overcrowded, unimportant grave.
Giving up, he lets out a sob, bringing his free hand up to cover his mouth as he shuts his eyes tightly, tears running freely and trailing over his freckled cheeks. He always finds himself giving up like this and weeping, wishing this was just all a cruel joke and he would wake up again and make his way to the café musain, greeting everyone and discussing random subjects and laughing, drinking. But as much as he wishes for this, it would never happen. And he can't accept that, not yet.
Cosette is in the kitchen when she hears a muffled sob sound from the bedroom, and she instantly places down what she was doing and made her way with swift steps into the room; seeing a broken Marius clutching his shoulder and covering his mouth.
"Marius," She whispers, as if she's talking to herself, making her way over to Marius and sitting next to him on the bed, placing her petite hands on his bare shoulders; one of her hands resting over his on top of the bullet wound. Marius wants to pull away, wants to curl up and be alone, but he knows that Cosette worries about him. She just wants her husband to be happy, to live life the way he used to. "Marius, I'm here. It's okay," She shushes him, squeezing him slightly in her embrace and rocking slightly, as if Marius was a small child and she were the mother. Marius has lost it by now, quiet, shallow sobs escaping him as he hangs his head to hide his face twisted up in self-hatred.
Marius is muttering under his breath, and Cosette can just make out the word "hate" and "disgusting" out of his babbling, and she hugs him tighter. This wasn't the first time this has happened to him, the first time he has broken down and allowed Cosette to hold him and shush him like a child. Ever since the day after the barricade, everything for him has been going downhill. His emotions, physical condition, mental stability, and so on. Cosette wants to take care of him every step of the way, want to make sure he's happy again and living life to the fullest and not wanting to disappear or be one of those bodies in the landfill.
"Marius, shhh. It's okay, you're okay. I'm here," Cosette repeats, placing a kiss on Marius' shoulder where one of the wounds had ripped open his light, freckled skin. "I love you, Marius. I love you so much, and everything's going to be okay." She speaks lowly to him, pulling him closer and kissing over his scarred skin, giving each and every one of those injuries love. Even though Marius is battered, bruised, and scarred she still loves him with all her heart, and she wants to show him. She wants to tell him how much he means to her, but instead of speaking it, she kisses over the wounded skin softly and whispers sweet nothings to him as she does so. He stays silent, muttering to himself here and there as she kisses along his skin, but he clings to her and holds back a sob from escaping him once more, wanting her in his presence, for her to hold him close and make him feel special again.
Marius listens to her love filled voice as she whispers to him, calming him down so he's sniffling and tears still run down his cheeks, watching as she kisses the scars on his arms and forearms, and she looks up at him. He can see the care and adoration filling her eyes, her baby blues glossy as if she wants to cry too. But she doesn't, not wanting for Marius to worry for her and have to calm her down. For now, she wants to focus on Marius and make him feel important and not worthless like he thinks of himself.
When she goes down and kisses the scars on his thighs and legs, his cheeks flush from embarrassment but he doesn't move, his eyes focused on his wife and her dainty, pale hands guiding his down so they rest in between hers; giving his shaking hands a small squeeze as her thumb strokes along the back of the right one.
She kisses every one of his scars and wounds, and the last one that she goes up to his the bullet wound. She runs her fingers along the broken skin and flesh gently before leaning in to place a kiss against it with soft, rose petal lips; pulling back with a sweet smile and glossy eyes as she leans in to kiss her husband softly on the lips. He returns the kiss, the two pulling away after a moment and Cosette getting back on the bed and pulling him into a tight embrace. Marius tenses up for a moment, but allows her to hug him and he does so back, wrapping his arms around her slender waist.
"Marius, I love you more than anyone or anything in the world. You mean so much to me, and I wouldn't be anywhere else than here holding you right now," Cosette starts, speaking lowly with a caring tone in her feminine voice," You're not worthless, and these…wounds, these scars, are much more than you. You survived. Papa, he saved you. I know that you're friends, they're-they're gone. But remember the good times. Remember when you laughed and spoke with them, how you spent hours with them together." By now, tears are running down Marius' cheeks gain and dampening Cosette's clothed shoulder. "But Marius, remember this. You're an amazing husband, and such an interesting, exquisite man. You're perfect, to me."
And with that, she buried her face into his neck and sighed, allowing for Marius to cry on her shoulder and let it all out. She didn't mind one bit that he was getting her clothes wet, she didn't even notice or care at the moment. She just wanted for Marius to let it all out and calm down. She ran her fingers through his short hair, shushing him lowly and rocking back and forth as she did before.
"Th-Thank you, Cosette," Marius' voice is muffled, but he pulls back and his hand stay on her hips as he gazes at her through blurry vision induced by the tears. "I love you so much." A moment passes, and a small, genuine smile makes the corners of his lips turn up gently. Cosette returns that smile and leans in to give him a kiss on the forehead, leaning in to rest her forehead against his. They stare into each other's eyes, both full of understanding and pure love.
"It's nothing, Marius. For you mean the world to me, and I would never lie to you even if I had to," She rubbed her nose against his, and he couldn't help but chuckle at how adorable his wife was. The childish innocence that still clung to her as if it wouldn't let go, her petit face lit up with content and caring and her soft lips curved up into a warm smile.
With Cosette, Marius feels hope. And he prays that the hope will stay with him and not drain from him like water from a leaky faucet little by little until he's a mess again, just like those few other times that this situation came up. But this is the first time the scars and wounds had come up, and it was all overwhelming for the brunette. But now that he has his hope restored, even if for a little while, he's content. As long as he belongs to Cosette and they love each other unintentionally and truthfully, he will have this hope renewed for him often.