Touch: Aftermath
by always-a-time
[Marius X Cosette]
Enjolras' Funeral - 1832
"I think I was a little bit in love with her."
There had been no burial for Éponine. Marius had not been able to claim the body while he had been recovering, and he was sure her parents wouldn't have bothered. Most of the unclaimed corpses had been burned. He and Cosette were in a fiacre, on their way back from Enjolras' funeral. The only sounds were those of busy streets and Paris' poorest inhabitants. Eventually, though, the sounds faded to the lone sound of horseshoes on pavement. All Marius could think about now, however, was the poor gamine girl who had been in love with him.
Cosette was clutching his arm tightly because she was afraid that if she let go, he would disappear. Marius was her whole life now that papa was gone. Of course, Cosette remembered Éponine all too well now. The little round-faced girl who had been the object of her envy. Éponine had had her parents' love - her sister and brothers' love - while all Cosette had had was the memory of a woman in white who sang her lullabies in her dreams.
"Not that I don't love you, Cosette," Marius was quick to reassure her now, a nervous smile hovering on his lips. Cosette bobbed her head up and down, returning his smile without thinking too much of it, as she was still deep in thought. Éponine had been a dear friend, in the end, hadn't she? Éponine had given her Marius. Éponine had given her life for Marius and delivered him to Cosette. If Cosette had been asked a month ago, she would have been hard-pressed to feel sympathy for the girl who had only served to further her misery when they were children. Now Cosette had still forgiven Éponine easily, even before their two paths had met again. Even before she had seen that Éponine was the lonely, starving one in the end.
"You're the only one for me, Cosette." Marius was still rambling on about her, and it made Cosette laugh inwardly a bit. In some ways, Marius was still a little boy, just as she was sometimes a little girl lost in a wood. It was definitely one of his more endearing traits. "It's just - just - I think Éponine deserved better than what her life gave her."
"Did you tell her?" Cosette found herself asking. "That you love her?"
"I did." Marius looked uncomfortable for a moment, maybe crestfallen. Concerned, Cosette gently placed her hand over his. "Before she died. I - I didn't mean it then, though. I wish I could have."
They fell quiet, then, as the horses came to a whinying halt for another carriage to pass by.
"I think Enjolras loved Éponine, too. A little bit." Marius remembered the expression on the young revolutionary's face as he had gazed upon Éponine lifeless form. Marius had only ever seen that look when Enjolras had talked of Republic, of revolution, of Patria. The resolve and determination in Enjolras' stiff jaw and firm gaze shone clearly in his mind's eye, even though it was only what seemed a distant memory. The two of them together, Enjolras and Éponine, his golden locks contrasting obscenely with her dark ones, even in the dim light as the sunset on the faithful night.
It was the most prominent memory Marius had of Éponine's death. Never again would Marius know a friend who had given up more than Éponine had for him. Someday, when the time was right, he would tell the tale of Éponine Thénardier.
It was the best memory he had of his long-gone friend. Never again would Marius know a man who had given up more than Enjolras had for Patria. Someday, when the barricades rose again, perhaps they would recall and remember Enjolras' name.
"They might have been happy together," he finished.
Cosette's voice was a soft, yet it still pierced the clip-clop of the horses on pavement drew to a close. "Perhaps they are, Marius. Together in the garden of the Lord." Her hand squeezed his as the fiacre slowed. Marius let out a quiet breath.
"I hope so, Cosette, I hope they are."
AN: I know this is probably not what you all were expecting as an update - however, the plot bunnies have been running extremely rampant over the past few days. To top it all off I had a terrible cold, so there wasn't much time for writing. There is a silver lining, however. I have most of the next three chapters already written and planned out. I had a bit of a crazy week trying to add in new parts as I thought of them. There will be a bit more wait as I edit and revise them - after that you'll be guaranteed updates! Now isn't that nice. I hope this little post can tide you over until then.