A/N: Hey guys! So, I thought that I've been to harsh and mean to the characters, so I decided to give them a little break. So here is a (mostly) stress-free chapter for you guys.
In other news, EXTREMELY IMPORTANT NEWS. Like, really READ THIS PARAGRAPH. I will be going to camp for the next week, so I will not be able to update. The next possible chance will be around a week from now. I'm also involved with my school's summer musical and as soon as I get back, we are chopping down on rehearsals, so I might not get to update as frequently as I would like. But I'm not abandoning this story. I will try and get an update to you as soon as I get back, so bear with me.
That is all.
Disclaimer: I don't own Les Miserables. I also don't have a white picket fence and 2.5 grandchildren. (Gold stars to those who understood that reference)
Jehan woke up to the delightful smell of freshly brewed coffee wafting in from the kitchen. He opened his eyes to find Courfeyrac sleeping with head on his stomach. His eyes were closed, and he snored lightly, making Jehan giggle. He gently lifted Courfeyrac's head and replaced his own stomach with a pillow. He ruffled Courfeyrac's dark curls before tiptoeing into the kitchen to see Cosette dancing around gracefully while making coffee. He saw Musichetta sitting on the counter, so he decided to jump up and join her.
"Morning, 'Chetta." He said cheerily.
"Hey, Jehan," Musichetta yawed, wiping the sleep from her eyes, "How did you sleep?"
"Fine," He replied, "But when I woke up, I found a sleeping Courf on my stomach."
Cosette, listening in on the conversation, chuckled and said, "I can imagine that. He's a very affectionate person. Even while he's half-conscious."
They all laughed softly and made quiet small talk, awaiting the rest of Les Amis as Cosette made scrambled eggs. Bahorel soon stumbled into the kitchen, his hand over his eyes, trying to block the light. He groaned and sat down at the dark brown kitchen table and laid his head down, throwing his arms over the top of his head.
"Ugh," He groaned, "Why am I awake at this ungodly hour?"
Musichetta chuckled, "Sweetie, it's 11 o'clock."
"My point exactly," Bahorel retorted, not bothering to lift his head from the table.
Just then, they hear a scuffle and the loud sound of a door banging open and closed. They all turned around to find Combeferre, waking up, looking confused.
"What was that?" Cosette asked Combeferre.
"Um, I think that while he was in the kitchen last night, Courf drank a bit too much." He replied, scratching his head.
"I wonder how that happened." Musichetta pondered sarcastically.
They looked around to see most of their friends still asleep in the living room in very predictable places. Grantaire was huddled in a corner, caressing an empty bottle, Joly and Bossuet were lying on the floor, tangled in each other's limbs. Feuilly was in a position that made him look like a snail with his butt up in the air, but with his head turned sideways, his cheek probably indented with the pattern on the carpet. Marius was also on the floor, holding a pillow, stroking it in his sleep while muttering something that sounded a lot similar to "Cosette." Then their eyes landed on Eponine and Enjolras, still wrapped in each other's arms, spooning on the couch.
Jehan sighed, and dreamily commented, "They look so peaceful"
"Yeah," Musichetta replied, "He hasn't left her side since Hadley bothered her in class."
Combeferre added, "I wish he would just man up and ask her out already."
"They just look so cute together!" Cosette chimed, clapping her hands together, "I just can't wait for them to start dating."
"Yeah," Bahorel said, finally picking up his head from the kitchen table. "You all know that cutsy relationships make me want to vomit, no offense Cosette, but for real. They just need to make out already."
They all nodded in agreement, when they heard loud retching from the bathroom.
"I guess I'll go check on Couf." Jehan announced, before taking his leave and making his way to the bathroom.
He quietly walked to the bathroom, passing the two oblivious should-be couple. He shook his head as he softly knocked on the bathroom door.
"Courf? Can I come in?" He asked.
He heard a groan and took that as a yes as he turned the knob and opened the door. He saw a disheveled Courfeyrac on his knees, bent over the toilet bowl, his brown curls falling in his eyes. His face was quite pale, and he looked, for lack of a better word, like shit.
"Courf, you look like shit." Jehan said, leaning against the door, observing the scene,
Courfeyrac chuckled before heaving over the toilet once more. Jehan rushed to his side, and brushed Courfeyrac's hair back from his face as he rid his body of the alcohol he consumed the night before.
As soon as that wave of vomiting finished, he leaned against the pale, blue wall of the bathroom and groaned, "Why did I let Grantaire talk me into having a drinking contest?"
Jehan just laughed, rubbing the hungover boy's back and replied, "The world may never know."
Enjolras woke to the sounds of his obnoxious friends laughing and talking about something that he probably didn't care to know about. His eyes fluttered open and his breath hitched in his throat at the sight that lay before him. Eponine, a small smile on her face, lay wrapped in his arms, the sunlight breaking through the window shades danced across her olive skin. He gently brushed a chocolate curl from her face, and traced down her cheek with his finger tips. He suddenly realized what he was doing and pulled his hand away as if he had been electrocuted. Much to his dismay, the sudden movement caused Eponine to stir. She groaned and her eyes opened. Her chocolate brown eyes widened when she realized where she was and what position she was in. Her face flushed as she muttered, "Um... Good morning.'
He followed suit and stammered out, "Hi. Um, how did you sleep?'
Clearly uncomfortable with the situation, she replied, "Good, well, um, I'm going to get up. I think Cosette is making eggs and bacon."
"Yeah, of course," He said, as they untangled themselves. He noticed how cold he became as soon as she got up, and wished that she would come back. He shook his head. He shouldn't be thinking like that. He had finals coming up and didn't need distractions. He didn't know what he was feeling. Eponine made him feel different. He had always been distant, not really affectionate, marble, his friends called him. But when Eponine was around, he felt warm, he no longer felt like stone, and he was worried. He didn't want to feel that way. He didn't know anything other than closing himself off from those kinds of attachments. He never enjoyed feeling vulnerable, but she made him feel that way, and the most confusing part was, is that he didn't mind it all that much.
His inner monologue was interrupted by the reason for his thoughts, leaning against the entrance of the kitchen, a concerned look on her face. "You alright, Enj?"
Her eyebrows were furrowed, and her eyes narrowed at him. She never knew what he was thinking, and it troubled her. He sat there for a good while after she stood up, just sitting there, his head of golden locks resting on this soft hands. She looked at him sideways, wishing she could read his mind, because God knew he never let on what he was feeling if it wasn't relevant to the situation. He was usually so stoic and stiff, always being practical, but yet, there was that soft side that was always protective of his friends. Of her. He was always there for her when she needed him to be, and when she was troubled, he wasn't the same marble man as he was with the others. She always felt safe with him. His arms were a barrier that kept away the dark and the shadows that tried to take her away. He was that first sip of hot chocolate on a cold winter day, comforting, and reassuring. When he held her hands, and wrapped his arms around her, she felt a stirring in her stomach, butterflies dancing around and the feeling terrified and excited her, both at the same time.
"Yeah," Enjolras replied, calling her out of her own mind,
"Well, if you don't come soon, Bahorel is going to eat all of the bacon, and I just might kill you myself because I love bacon!" Eponine said, amusement shining on her face.
"Okay, okay," Enjolras surrendered, standing up and meeting her at the kitchen. He saw Cosette scrambling eggs, making it look like an art form with her graceful movements, Bossuet, just awoken, tripping over Bahorel's chair. Musichetta was sitting on the countertop with Joly, sipping a mug of fresh coffee, and Combeferre was sitting at the table reading the newspaper. He turned around to look into the living room to see Feuilly, Grantaire, and Marius still asleep and noted the absence of Courfeyrac and Jehan. He opened his mouth to speak, but Eponine beat him to the punch.
"Where's Jehan and Courf?" She asked. Then a loud gurgling sound was produced from the bathroom.
"That would be Courfeyrac," Musichetta replied, "Jehan in there with him. No one likes being hung over alone."
Eponine threw back her head and laughed, "Preach it!"
Then suddenly, a small blond figure jumped onto the kitchen table, a large grin plastered onto his face.
"Morning folks!" Gavroche announced, his head almost touching the light fixture above the table.
"Gavroche, get down from there." Eponine scolded, her hands on her hips.
"Make me," Gavroche defied, proceeding to fold his arms across his chest.
They both began a fierce stare-down, and neither of them noticed Enjolras tiptoe around both of them until Gavroche's back was to him. In a quick, fluid motion, Enjolras scooped up the little boy into his arms and ran around the kitchen with him all the while, Gavroche making sounds of protest between his laughs.
Enjolras, getting tired of running around with the 90 pound boy in his arms, set him down in the seat next to Combeferre. With the small scene finished, the rest of Les Amis went back to what they were doing, or not doing, because Cosette and Eponine were the only ones working in the kitchen.
"Hey, Eponine!" Cosette greeted.
"Morning, 'Sette!" Eponine replied, stationing herself by the eggs as Cosette put bacon in the microwave,
"So," Cosette started, "I was thinking that, due to all the stress of the past few days, Me, you and 'Chetta could use a girl's day. Go shopping, maybe go out, watch a movie, you know, typical sleepover stuff! We haven't had one in so long."
"Hmm, I don't know, Cosette." Eponine replied uncertainly.
"Please! Pretty pretty please!" Cosette begged, her eyes growing wide as she put on her master puppy dog face.
"But what am I going to do with Gav?" Eponine protested.
"I'm sure that any of the guys wouldn't mind watching him for the night. And Gavroche would love it. Please, Eponine." Cosette replied.
"Okay, okay," Eponine relented, "We can have a girls night. But if Gav gets into any trouble, it's on you."
As soon as the words left her lips, Cosette began doing a little happy dance on her way to the microwave so she could pull out the bacon.
Eponine watched her friend and laughed. She turned her head as Courfeyrac and Jehan made their way into the kitchen. Courfeyrac was more or less slug across Jehan's shoulders, looking miserable hung over. Eponine quickly went over the the pot of coffee and poured the poor guy a warm mug and placed it in front of him at the table.
"Morning, Courf!" She said, placing a loud kiss on his cheek and running over to the frying pan to continue cooking the eggs.
Courfeyrac just grumbled in reply as Jehan rubbed small circles onto his back. The young poet looked at Eponine with a mock pout and complained, "Why don't I get a good morning kiss, 'Ponine? Do you love him more than me?"
She just laughed and said, "I love you both equally!" Planting one on his cheek as well.
"Wait, hold up!" Bahorel protested, "That is just not fair! I want a kiss too, Mom!"
Combeferre sighed, and set his newspaper down, fixing his glasses. "Stop badgering 'Ponine. She can kiss whoever she wants to."
"Why thank you, Ferre!" Eponine said gratefully, ruffling his hair. She hurried over to Bahorel's side and kissed his cheek with, "It's okay, sweetie, you get a kiss too."
"You should stop that before you get some kind of disease." Joly whimpered.
Eponine just laughed and looked over to see Gavroche looking dejected into his lap. She smirked and ran up behind the little boy, wrapping her arms around him and placing kisses all over his head and face. He laughed and giggled loudly, protesting for her to get off him, when he really did love the attention he was getting from his older sister.
Soon, the rest of the boys staggered into the kitchen. Grantaire poured himself a cup of coffee and slipped something into it that was more likely than not alcoholic. He took a long swig of it, noticing Courfeyrac glaring at him.
"What?" He asked.
"How are you not a hungover mess?" Courfeyrac grumbled.
"You get used to it." He shrugged.
He sat down next to him, and took another gulp from his coffee. Soon, Cosette swept in, placing plates on the tables with a cheery, "Breakfast is served!"
She and Eponine took a bow, "Courtesy of yours truly."
They all applauded as they dug into their meals. Within the hour, most of them had finished and were either cleaning up or filing out of the apartment. Feuilly was the first to scurry out, saying something about, "Having to be at work 2 hours ago."
Soon, the only ones left were Gavroche, Cosette, Eponine, and Enjolras and Combeferre, which was reasonable, because the last two lived there.
As soon as the last dishes were put into the dishwasher, Cosette announced, "Well, we should get going, it's noon now and we have things to do!"
They all nodded in acknowledgement. Then Eponine asked, "Do you guys mind watching Gav for the night? We wanted to have a girls night and don't think he wants any part of that."
"Sure," Combeferre replied, "It's not a problem."
"Thanks so much!" She said gathering her purse from the counter. "I guess I'll see you both later then."
Combeferre and Enjolras nodded as she, Cosette, and Gavroche made their way out the door, and back to their own apartment.
A/N: So that's that. Thanks so much for reading. I hope you guys liked it. Please, tel me what you guys think! It really makes my day.
And again, I'm so sorry I won't be able to update for a week or so, but please, don't give up on me! I'm sure not giving up! *cue inspirational music*
Also, I hope you liked Eponine and Enjolras's mental monologues. It won't be too long now! Or will it... I'll never tell...
