Javert awoke the next morning under a pair of strong arms.
It was warm there… with Jean, sharing his bed. While one of his sledge-hammer arms wrapped around his waist, the other cupped the man under him and held him close to his broad and very bare chest. He sighed in contentment, turning over to face Jean. He inhaled deeply; the man smelt of soap and linen, with a touch of aftershave. Javert wasn't surprised.
The light outside was blinding and made Javert's head throb. He groaned a touch louder than he meant to, which stirred Jean from his restful slumber. His headache was greeted with a smile, a grumble of "Gimmie a minute." From Jean, a cold body for a few minutes, and then a pill with orange juice to accompany it.
After Javert downed the pill, he laid face down back into the pillow. "Do you get drunk often?"
"Nah. Not as often as I used to." He replied, laying back down and taking Javert in his arms once again. The two men snuggled together, enjoying the precious moment. Alas, only a moment it was, for then the doorbell rang and Jean's eyes widened in terror.
"Cosette. She's supposed to come today!" Jean jumped out of bed as fast as he could, rummaging for a couple of t shirts and throwing one to Javert. "Hurry! To the living room!" he said, running into the closed door on his now clothed back while putting on a pair of Columbian blue gym shorts.
The doorbell again, and a knock to accompany it. "Dad? Are you alright in there?" was the muffled honeysuckle voice that came from the other side of the door. Javert huffed and got up from the bed, taking a pillow with him and trudging over to Jean's oversized couch, sitting down with the pillow behind his head.
Jean slicked his hair to perfection and promptly opened the door to reveal Cosette, standing in all of her wonderful glory. The two greeted and hugged, then Jean introduced the two.
"Cosette, this is Javert. He was rather sick the past couple of days and had no caretaker, so he has been with me for the time being. We've been friends for a very long time. Javert, you've heard of Cosette before."
"Hello, Javert." Cosette shook Javert's hand with a soft, knowing smile on her lips. "I am sure we will get along fine."
"I am sure of this as well." He gave her the same smile, feeling much more comfortable under her accepting gaze.
"Yes, my father and I are always close. It would be a pleasure to make nice grounds with my fathers," she giggled and blushed, looking between the two of them "very good friend."
Jean paled and Javert laughed lightly, watching Jean shuffle around the house making breakfast. Javert went for the phone in his pocket to read a quick chapter on his favorite story to let the two talk.
When Cosette finally made her goodbye, the rest of the day was long and very happy. Jean and Javert spent most of their time talking and cuddling on the couch, telling stories of Cosette when she was young and talking on the years missed.
"What were your previous boyfriends like?" Javert asked as Jean sat down with two glasses of iced tea and turning on the telly.
"Well…" Jean began carefully. "Andre was not much. He was a previously married man with children of his own who despised me because he spoiled the kids; being with me kept him from doing so. He drank a lot, and once I caught him involved in drugs. We got him rehab and I supported him every step of the way, but it was too much. He broke things off with me due to the fact that I wouldn't expose my teenage daughter to that sort of wrongdoing. I'm telling you right now that she'd think me a hypocrite had I stayed with him."
"Did you love him?"
"No… I don't think so. I immensely cared for him, yes. But… love? No."
"What about Lyle? Tell me about him?"
Jean's deep grimace turned into a gleaming, faraway smile. "Lyle was a perfect man… an angel, he was. He was beautiful, and everyone knew it but him. We were together for four years..."
Javert's mouth was agape in surprise. "You were with the man for four years and you two never had your way with the other?"
"Oh, we did some things to each other that got us through the sexual tension buildup… but he never took me, nor I him. I left him because he did not love me… how could he? I saw the way he looked at one other man. It was not the friendship way… no. He was immensely in love with that man and I left him because I wanted him to be happy. Turns out he is now married to said man and adopting his fifth child. I am glad for him."
Javert nodded solemnly, understanding Jean's reason to let go and still be happy. "And the other?"
Javert literally saw Jean's face darken. "Let us not talk about that one. He hurt Cosette and I very severely and I don't think his name being said in this house would help anyone."
Javert nodded in understanding. "I can proudly say that I can count the boyfriends I've had past high school on my fingers because I've only had one. Only lovers aside from everyone else."
"Why is that?" Jean inquired.
"No time, I suppose. I am resigning from the force in a few days, so I won't be as busy as I used to be."
"Why are you doing that?" Jean's eyes were wide in surprise.
"Because I want time to settle down. Preferably with you."
He did not mistake Jean's blush for anything else; Jean smiled, kissed his forehead, and stretched out on the couch to lie down, pulling Javert with him. The two cuddled while watching a very interesting game show before they slowly drifted off into sleep.