A/N Alright, sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter up! My week has been pretty busy and exciting. I started my acting camp (I got a lead! Antiphalus of Ephesus!) And I was an extra in a movie where I met Jonathan Bennett from Mean Girls, so that was pretty exciting. Fun fact, Jonathan Bennett is a fan of Les Misérables, and he, my sister, and I sang Red and Black in between takes. (He also likes Wicked, Phantom of The Opera, and Next to Normal. We sang songs from them, too), and apparently he goes to the same gym as Aaron Tveit *screams and jumps around wiggling my butt in excitement before sitting back down* (he showed me a picture on his phone of Aaron Tveit sitting on a bench outside the gym as proof). Sometimes living in Alaska has it's perks. :) If you want proof that this actually happened, you can go to standing-in-the-clouds on tumblr and scroll down until you find the picture of us. Don't forget to follow me! Anyway, that was my week in a nutshell, I hope your week was just as exciting. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter seven

Claire woke with sunlight filtering in through the window and shining onto her face. She rolled over slowly and gasped when she saw Enjolras sprawled on the bed next to her. He was on his back, his right arm behind his head, his fingers entwined in his dusty blonde hair, and his left hand resting lazily on his bandaged stomach, which was rising and lowering with each slow inhale and exhale. The events of the night before came back to Claire quickly.

She slowly, so as not to wake Enjolras, climbed out of the bed and walked around the foot of it, making her way to the chair. As she was pulling the comb that was in the top drawer of the dresser through her hair, she heard a long, content sigh from the direction of the bed, and then the sound of Enjolras rolling over.

Once Claire had finished combing her hair, she turned to see Enjolras watching her groggily.

"Good morning," Claire said cheerily as Enjolras rubbed his eyes and sat up against the headboard. "How do you feel?"

"I feel fine." He said, throwing the covers off his legs and scooting so that he sat on the edge of the bed.

"I still want to check the bandages." Claire said, walking to him. "Can you stand up?"

"Of course I can stand up." Enjolras said, getting to his feet.

Claire saw him wince, but she pretended not to notice.

"I'm going to take the bandages off, okay? I'll put them back on when I'm finished rewashing the wounds." Claire explained. "This will be so much simpler because you're not lying down..."

She untied the knots from the bandages around his chest and gathered them up and turned to set them on the chair. She turned back and examined his bruises and cuts. She walked all the way around him with her arms folded before coming to a stop before him.

"Well, the bruises don't look nearly as bad as they did yesterday, however, that may be because they were covered in blood."

Enjolras snorted.

"Anyway," Claire continued, ignoring him. "The cuts have scabbed over and aren't actively bleeding, so that's good, as long as you don't pick at them or accidentally cause them to open again. I am a little worried about that one there-" She pointed her finger to a particularly nasty gash that went from right below his left breast to his left collar bone. "It's long, and looks deep... He must have been wearing a ring or something really sharp... Keep an eye on it. I don't think I need to put the bandages back as long as you're careful."

Enjolras nodded and sat back down on the edge of the bed so that Claire could unwrap the strip of sheet around his head.

"Ugh," Claire grimaced as she unwrapped the bandage. "Here, one moment, let me grab the rag-"

"Why, what's wrong?" Enjolras asked, twisting on the bed to try and see his reflection in the window.

"It's just... Umm, a bit... There's a bit of pus," Claire explained as she poured the remnants of water from the pitcher onto the rag and went back to Enjolras. "It's the one by your hairline... It looks really red-" She pressed the rag gently on the cut and smiled apologetically when Enjolras took a sharp intake of breath.

"I'm sorry; I just need to get this pus out of the wound. There, okay, let me see..." She pulled the rag back and looked at the cut.

The edges of the cut had sealed back together, but all around it was red and enflamed.

"It looks a bit infected," She said, trying to sound calm, but her voice shook.

She knew that infections could kill people. If even the smallest cut got infected it could become life- threatening. She turned around, trying to think of something she could do, and she felt Enjolras's hand on her wrist.

"Hey," He said, turning her back around so that she was looking at him. "Calm down. I feel okay." He said reassuringly. "I could do with something to drink, though-"

"Alcohol!" Claire exclaimed, turning around again and striding towards the dresser.

"I was thinking more like water or-" Enjolras said, but Claire cut him off.

"No, no! That's not what I meant, one second-" She said, opening the drawer that Grantaire had opened the day before.

She pulled out the clothes and set it on top of the dresser, and then she carefully lifted the false bottom up.

"Come on, Grantaire, you must have something in here..." She muttered, picking up the numerous bottles of opium and setting them aside. "Here..." She muttered, pulling out a slightly larger bottle of slightly greenish liquid.

"What is this?" She asked, handing it to Enjolras.

She returned the bottles of opium and the fake bottom, and then she put the clothes back in the drawer and shut it. She turned and walked back to Enjolras.

"Absinthe." He said, handing it back to her. "It seems Grantaire has more of a drinking problem than we thought."

Claire stood in front of him struggling to pull the cork out of bottle.

"Here, I can-" Enjolras said, reaching for the bottle again, but Claire shook her head and took a step back.

"No, I've got it." She said.

She brought the bottle up to her mouth and put the cork between her teeth. She twisted the bottle to the side sharply, and she felt the cork give a little.

"Almost got it," She said around the cork.

She gave the bottle one last tug and the cork came out with a pop. She staggered back a few steps then looked up triumphantly. Enjolras shook his head, trying not to smile. Claire walked to the bedside table and picked the rag up again and poured a little of the Absinthe onto it. She set the bottle down and moved closer to Enjolras.

"I don't know how well this will work," Claire said.

She pressed the rag back onto Enjolras's enflamed cut. He sucked in a breath and his jaw hardened, but he stayed where he was, and didn't pull away.

"Let's just call that payback for when you put wine on my cut two days ago." Claire said, taking the rag away and winding the bandage back around his head.

"Is that cut getting better?" Enjolras asked her, gesturing to her left arm.

"Yes, it's fine. Almost healed, actually. It wasn't as deep as I thought." She said, twisting her arm around so that Enjolras could see her elbow.

"Wow. It's completely scabbed over." He said.

Claire nodded as she walked over to the chair where she had placed Enjolras's clothing.

"Here's your pants, your boots, your jacket-" She said, tossing each item at him in turn.

"Ahem." He said, and Claire turned around questioningly.

"What? Stop looking at me like that and put your clothes on."

He obliged by pulling on his pants and boots, but he stopped there and looked at Claire, smirking.

"What?"

"I need the rest of my clothing." He said, looking her up and down.

"What do you mean? I handed you your-" and then she remembered.

She was wearing Enjolras's white shirt, and she looked down at it, blushing.

"Sorry, I forgot. Turn around and put your hands over your eyes." She directed, and Enjolras did as he was told, turning to face the bed.

Claire slipped out of the shirt quickly and pulled her dirty dress on.

"Okay, here." She said, throwing the shirt at the back of Enjolras's head.

He turned quickly and caught the shirt before it hit the floor. He pulled it over his head and then tucked it into his pants. He pulled his blue waistcoat over his shoulders and buttoned it up expertly. He looked at Claire and confusion mixed with recognition flashed across his face.

"I've only ever seen you when your face was covered in dirt and had uncombed hair," He said quietly, taking a few steps closer to her and studying her face.

"Well, I washed both last night, and I used your comb to brush my hair this morning." Claire said, looking away from his face and instead stared intently at the floor.

"No, look at me." He said, and Claire lifted her eyes. "No, I want to see your face, too."

"Why?" Claire asked, lifting her chin and looking at him grumpily.

"I saw a woman who looked very similar to you about two weeks ago." He said.

"That's odd." Claire said, unsure of what he was talking about.

"It was at the rally when we were given a large amount of money by a 'young angel', as Grantaire says." Enjolras said.

"Thrilling, I'm sure." Claire said.

She knew what Enjolras was talking about, now. On that day she remembered making eye contact with him as he was speaking passionately about the cause. She remembered it because as her eyes had met his, and his voice had faltered.

"She was in a blue dress. I haven't seen her since. She looks like you." He said, frowning.

"Oh, yes, I know who you're talking about," Claire said nonchalantly. "I saw her. She was not from around here, I think. I think she was British..." Claire lied.

"Oh, yes, well, funny how similar unrelated people can look." Enjolras shrugged, pulling the comb Claire had just used through his own golden curls.

"Very humorous."

"I need to find Marius," Enjolras said, and Claire nodded. "Do you mind unlocking the door?"

"Right. Okay." Claire moved to the door and used the key to unlock it.

Enjolras moved passed her and swung the door open.

"Claire," He turned back to her. "Thank you for helping me yesterday."

"I'm just happy I got there in time." Claire whispered, handing the key to him.

He took a step towards her and lowered his face towards hers. Her breath caught in her throat as he turned his face to the side and kissed her on her right cheek. He straightened up again and went back to the door.

"Will you be here again tonight?" Enjolras asked.

"I wasn't planning on it... I thought you said that boy Clark-" Claire started, but Enjolras cut her off.

"Well, he might not be here tonight. Be here anyway?" He asked, looking at her.

"Yes, of course." Claire said, melting inside.

Enjolras smiled and was just about to close the door, but he turned back one last time and smirked at her.

"Also, you don't smell... Too much." He slammed the door closed, laughing, before Claire could come up with a good comeback.

Claire stripped from her dress once the door had closed and slipped into her boy clothes. As she left the room she folded her hair up under her hat and pulled it down so that it cast a shadow over her eyes. Fifteen minutes later she was standing in the crowd at that days rally. Marius was doing most of the talking today, because Enjolras was using all his strength to stay standing. She cheered with the rest of the crowd at the end of it, and then she wandered around the streets. She found a few sous that must have been dropped accidentally, and she picked them up and bought half a loaf of bread. She as she continued to wonder until it was almost time for the meeting. At eight o'clock she was on the second floor of the Café Musain, sitting dutifully in her corner as the rest of the Friends of the ABC assembled, and that's where Enjolras found her, sipping her wine slowly and chatting lightly with Grantaire.

When Grantaire saw Enjolras making his way towards them, he gave Claire a look and scooted away, but stayed close enough so he could hear the conversation.

"Are you feeling any better?" He asked, almost too politely.

"Yes, I'm feeling fine." Claire said,staring up at him.

"Are you still staying in my room?" Enjolras said, not making eye contact.

"No, I've found a new place to sleep, but if I could still keep my bag there-" Claire lied smoothly, knowing this conversation was going to happen.

"Yes, yes, of course you can. I hope you don't feel that I've kicked you out." Enjolras said stiffly.

"No, not at all. Thank you for your charity." Claire said back just as curtly. Enjolras nodded curtly and turned to address the men.

Grantaire scooted back to her.

"So where are you staying now?"

"Enjolras's room." Claire said, downing her wine and setting the cup on the table.

"But you just told him...?" Grantaire said, confused.

"Oh, what does it matter to you?" Claire asked, smiling half-heartedly as she stood to stretch. "I'm going to get some water. Do you need anything?"

Grantaire shook his head and watched as Claire's malnourished form made it's way through the crowd of men and down the spiral stairs.

Claire left the meeting much earlier than she ever had before, because she wanted to have enough time to change into her peasant dress by the time Enjolras went back to his room, if he was even going to go back to his room. She was there and in her dress in less than twenty minutes, but she needn't have rushed. Hours passed and Enjolras didn't show. She sighed and slipped her dress back over her head and put on one of Enjolras's white shirts. She climbed onto the bed and curled up under the covers. She was asleep almost instantly.

By the time Enjolras had returned to room eleven, it was nearly four in the morning and he wasn't surprised to see Claire curled up under the covers, sleeping soundly. He pulled his boots and pants off, unbuttoned his waistcoat and shrugged it off, and pulled his shirt off. He climbed into the bed next to Claire and pulled her small form to him, causing her to sigh slightly and roll over unconsciously. He suppressed a laugh when he saw her frown in her sleep, her eyebrows furrowing together. He wondered what she could possibly be dreaming of to cause that look of vexation on her face. He sighed and closed his eyes, knowing that in only a few short hours, he would have to wake again.

Despite my interactions with celebrities and my lead in a Shakespeare play, I still can't end a fanfiction chapter well. I know the ending of this one sucks, I'm sorry! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, the next one will be up soon! And remember, DON'T LET THE COMMENT BOX STARVE! IT'S BEEN A WEEK SINCE IT'S EATEN AND IT MUST BE RAVENOUS, SO PLEASE PLEASE FEED IT! Thanks for reading!

Adequate amounts of love,

~Jedss