"…oh gods, could you believe that? He called the dove Nox!"
"Marius…"
"And he kept going on and on about how much he feels loved and cherished now that she's with him!"
"Marius…"
"And it really broke my heart, I had to pretend I hurt my foot to explain my tears! Oh Cosette, my beloved Cosette, I don't think I can..."
"Marius!"
The god of love stopped talking. "Yes my love?"
"Eponine is in the exact same situation. We might have a problem."
"Oh. Oh!" Marius' shoulders slumped. "Those poor souls… Oh Cosette, it's only been a week, the spell is supposed to be more than strong, but they already remember! How can a love so fierce and so beautiful be doomed?"
Cosette smiled sadly. "We need to tell Mother, don't you think?"
"Must we tell her, Cosette? Enjolras and Eponine have already suffered more than anyone has ever suffered. If we tell Mother that they remember a pale echo of what they had, she could tell Father! And they might decide that the spell isn't enough. They could decide the cat and the dove might bring dangerous memories back. They could make them disappear! Cosette…"
"I know. I know" the goddess whispered, her clear eyes brimming with tears. "But we can't ignore this. What if they remember it all? What if the spell breaks and they're able to meet? What then? We can't risk the destruction of this world. We just can't, Marius."
Marius hung his head in defeat; his cheeks were wet with tears. "It's not fair. It's not fair."
Cosette hugged him tightly. She didn't need to say anything to make sure he knew she wholeheartedly agreed with him.
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Being the god of the sun, Enjolras naturally loved spending his time outside under the hot golden rays. Fields, meadows, prairies, he walked and walked through them all, caressing leaves, flowers, blades of grass. Nature all around him grew stronger, taller and more beautiful, his influence as deity of summer bestowing a brighter energy to the vegetation.
Nox usually fluttered about in his proximity, perching on his shoulder every now and then to peck his cheek affectionately with her beak.
One day Enjolras lost sight of the dove, and after calling for her in a mild panic for half an hour, he reached a bubbling stream of clear water. He kneeled and washed his face, letting the cool drops slide down his face, neck and chest. A silvery laugh draw his attention; he looked around and saw the silhouette of a man, knee deep in the water, walking towards him. The man had unruly, curly hair, and he was laughing softly at something Enjolras couldn't see.
"Grantaire?"
"Hello Enj. I just met your lovely dove; she led me to you."
Enjolras' eyes widened. "Nox? Where is she?"
Grantaire smiled. "She's right behind you."
The blonde god turned, and there she was: on the grass, surrounded by daisies, looking almost... smug. Enjolras crouched down beside her and caressed her tiny head with a finger. "You had me worried sick, you know?" he murmured softly. She just cooed, closing her eyes.
Grantaire flung himself down on the damp grass, looking at Enjolras with his blue-green gaze. He wondered, noticing how calm and serene the god of the sun appeared, how unfair the whole memory-wiping spell had been.
Grantaire was the god of earthly pleasures and divine inspiration, the god of fevered passions and steadfast perseverance. In a way he had very much in common with Enjolras. When Grantaire felt his passions rise, be it for a cause, for a person, for whatever caught his fancy, he was able to focus all his attention and care towards it. But unlike Enjolras, he wasn't able to draw a line, he didn't seem to know his limit. He wasted his energies on the object of his passion to the point that more than once the golden god had had to drag him away and make him see reason. So they were also the opposite of each other, Grantaire and Enjolras. Enjolras, who never let destructive emotions take control of his actions, who never indulged in lust, who fought his battles with a passion that never clouded his judgement. The same Enjolras who had fallen so deeply for the goddess of the Underworld that he had dared to challenge all the gods in the attempt to defend his right to love and be loved. Grantaire asked himself how was it fair that he could live every day of his life at the mercy of his passions and always get away with it, while Enjolras had had to endure such a cruel punishment for surrendering to true love just once in his life. Since he had been forced to witness Mother and Father cast their spell without being able to do anything to stop them, Grantaire had been living with guilt gnawing away at his heart.
Without a word, he reached out and pulled Enjolras to him. The blonde god made no resistance and settled himself with his head on his friend's lap, sighing contentedly when long, cool fingers started stroking his hair tenderly. Grantaire always showed his affection to him that way, but Enjolras couldn't imagine that this time was different. This time Grantaire's touch carried much more than fondness; it carried sorrow, support, a request for forgiveness.
"Enj," Grantaire began. "I hope you know that I love you."
Enjolras chuckled. "Of course I know that. I love you too." He turned his head so that he was able to look at his friend. "Why are you suddenly so unsure?"
"No reason. I just want to make sure that you know you can always trust me."
"I know that, R. I trust you completely." Enjolras took his friend's hand and squeezed it tightly. Right on cue, Nox flew on Grantaire's shoulder, cooing softly. Enjolras smiled. "See? She also trusts you."
The curly haired god felt a tiny bit of guilt disappearing from his conscience. He smiled faintly and kept on stroking Enjolras' hair and forehead.
"R? Can I ask you something?" the blonde said after a while.
"Of course."
"I know I am supposed to leave earth at dusk to spend my nights at the palace of the gods, and I know it's always been like that. But... I guess lately I've felt the desire to look at the night sky from here. I don't know why, it just... it seems so strange to me that I've never lingered on earth after sunset. Do you think... do you think I could ask Father to let me stay here, just for one night?"
Grantaire's heart missed a beat.