A/N: For clearascountryair. A lighthearted direct follow up to Outtake 1.
20: Wagers
It was a fact that no discussion with the Thenardier boys, particularly on serious matters, could ever really go according to plan. 'It probably does not help that they guessed the situation even before last night,' Enjolras thought as he listened to the brothers' chatter over their usual breakfast of bread, cheese, eggs, and dried fruit. He caught Eponine's eye as she grimaced while setting aside a glass of milk. 'It will take a while till she gets used to not drinking coffee,' he realized.
The truth was that this change in habits would only be the first of many things they would have to get used to over the next few months, or for that matter for the next few years. It was just as well, Enjolras decided, for everything in his life over the past few months had been one upheaval after another, thankfully mostly for the better. He took a deep breath before sipping from his own cup of coffee. Perhaps he and Eponine shouldn't have stayed up so late just talking. 'Then again there was much we needed to have out before getting any rest,' he reminded himself.
Eponine wiped her mouth with her sleeve before squeezing Enjolras' arm. "You're staring again," she whispered teasingly.
He merely shrugged, but even then he knew that the smile forming on his face already gave him away. Sometimes he still found it difficult to believe that for the past year, rowdy breakfasts with the Thenardiers and their friends had become part and parcel of his life. After last night, he could dare to hope that the coming years would only bring more lively memories of this sort.
Across the table, little Jacques let out an obnoxious burp. "Ponine and Enjolras have to tell us something," he said in a singsong tone.
"Yes, they're having a baby. I told you so," Neville drawled. "Why else would Ponine always be so sick in the mornings?"
"There are other reasons for that sort of thing, but yes you're right," Eponine said, sounding a little discomfited at the fact that her brother had picked up on this unusual occurrence. "You boys are going to be uncles."
Neville made a face. "We're too young!"
"It happens in some families. My oldest niece is older than some of my younger cousins," Enjolras pointed out. He noticed Gavroche watching them with a sly expression. "Well then?"
"You'll do better than Rousseau," Gavroche quipped before stuffing a chunk of bread in his mouth. "So when is that little one coming?"
"August," Eponine deadpanned as she rubbed her still flat stomach. "It's a long way boys, but I s'pose it gives us a little more time to be ready," she said as the younger boys groaned and made faces.
"I want the baby to be a boy," Jacques declared.
"Not if it's a boy who is as noisy as you," Neville muttered.
Jacques pouted indignantly. "I'm not the one who didn't want to go to sleep last night."
"Why do you have to tell everything?" Neville snapped.
"Now don't start that, you two. You'd better finish your breakfasts before you're late for your classes," Enjolras warned them sternly.
Meanwhile Eponine was biting her lip thoughtfully. "Could you boys do something for us?" She paused as she watched them nod eagerly. "Can you please not tell anyone about what we just told you? I'd like it to remain a little secret for a while."
"But why?" Jacques asked impetuously.
"Because there will be no end of clucking once everyone knows," Gavroche remarked. "I'll make sure they keep their mouths shut, Ponine."
"Do it nicely, Gavroche," Eponine said. She rolled her eyes when Gavroche merely gave her a cheeky salute before chasing their younger siblings upstairs. "You'd better remind him in a little bit. Sometimes he heeds you better than me,' she said to Enjolras.
"Sometimes being the important word," he reminded her.
She smiled before finishing her own glass of milk. "I s'pose now we can write to your parents, and I probably should tell Azelma later today or she'll make a fuss. I don't want to tell anyone else outside of family for a little while."
"She's going to tell Jehan at the very least," Enjolras pointed out. He knew that his sister-in-law was now making it a point to disclose as much as she could to her intended, if only to prevent any other debacles like the scandal that had nearly driven them apart. "He'll be discreet about it though."
Eponine glanced upwards at the sound of running footsteps. "Aside from Combeferre and Claudine, no one else knows, but it won't be long till Joly figures it out too. Maybe Musichetta as well."
"Cosette is likely to guess once you begin asking her for advice," Enjolras pointed out.
"I s'pose Grantaire will guess it easily too."
"Well then, how?"
"Grantaire will guess the next time we are all together and I do not pick up his glass of wine for him," she said. "I always do that to help keep him sober."
He scoffed quite audibly. "Then anyone would be able to guess, and not only him."
"The question is guessing first," she said, swatting his arm. "You know what happens after."
He laughed knowingly. "The point of secrecy then becomes moot."
She smiled as she leaned in to run her hands through his hair and kissed his jaw when his breath caught at her touch. "I'm still willing to bet that Grantaire will guess first."
Enjolras' eyebrows shot up curiously. "Are you actually making a wager in earnest?"
"Something like it, but it would be silly to use money though," she said in a mischievous tone. "Are you still insistent that Cosette will guess first?"
"Certainly," he said, not willing to lose this harmless competition to Eponine, of all people. "What will happen if you win?"
She bit her lip thoughtfully before running her hand over his shoulder. "You have to do what I tell you to do for three days."
"That is very vague."
"You asked. I don't know how well I'll be feeling or how busy we'll both be, so it wouldn't work to be too exacting. Anyway if you win, I'll do the same."
Enjolras nodded, seeing the advantage in the flexibility of this arrangement. 'I cannot suggest anything too difficult for her to do in her state,' he thought. He clasped her hand and brought it to his lips as he met her eyes. "Then it is an agreement."
Unfortunately for them it seemed that over the next few days their friends were utterly oblivious to any changes, or if they noticed anything, no one made any comment. At least that was how it seemed to Enjolras until a whole fortnight later when everyone was at Courfeyrac's new home near the Quai de Ecole. This house was large enough both for Courfeyrac and his little son Armand, and also provided enough space for Courfeyrac's personal office. 'Apparently there is also enough space for revelry,' Enjolras noted as he watched Eponine and some of their friends running circles around Grantaire in a new game called Twenty Questions, while others were exchanging stories and gossip over wine and some refreshments.
At that moment Courfeyrac walked up, carrying Armand. "You may as well practice. You'll need it in a few months," he said amiably as he handed the giggling little boy to Enjolras.
Enjolras would have dropped his godson had it not been for his presence of mind. "What do you mean?" he asked cautiously.
Courfeyrac laughed as he clapped Enjolras on his shoulder. "So when are you and Eponine welcoming your own little one into this world?"
"Next summer," Enjolras replied as he wiped some drool off Armand's chin. "How did you know?"
"She's smiling a little like how Paulette used to," Courfeyrac said with a wistful look. "It's one thing to care for younger siblings or relatives, but it's a completely different situation when it's your own."
Enjolras nodded by way of agreement as he chucked Armand under the chin. The truth was that fatherhood had changed Courfeyrac more profoundly in ways that a successful revolution could not. He wondered if the same would be true for him as well. "Have you ever told your parents about Armand?"
"I notified them but they did not deign to write back," Courfeyrac replied. From his tone it was evident that he viewed it less as a cross to bear and more of a loss on his parents' part. "Do your parents know that they will soon be grandparents?"
"I expect to hear from them soon," Enjolras said, already imagining how voluminous and enthusiastic his parents' missives would be.
"That and they'll surely be back in Paris next year to meet the newest member of the family," Courfeyrac remarked as he let Armand tug on his watch chain.
Enjolras clasped Courfeyrac's shoulder, silently wishing now for a similar good turn of fortune for his friend. "Has anyone else figured out as well?"
At that moment a chorus of cheers and laughter came from the group playing twenty questions, followed by Bahorel's enthusiastic shout of "Congratulations!" Courfeyrac laughed again and shook his head. "You may as well ask who hasn't!"
"Indeed," Enjolras said before handing Armand back to his father and motioning for them to join the group. He found a seat beside Eponine, who was very red in the face but clearly on the verge of laughing. "Who?" he asked.
Eponine now began giggling quite unabashedly. "Feuilly guessed too, and so did Nicholine!"
"It was only a matter of time, my friends. My congratulations to you two," Feuilly said with a broad grin.
Enjolras nodded gratefully. "Since we both lost our wager, we have to undergo the same consequence," he told Eponine.
She gave him a conspiratorial grin. "I can think of ways to make the next three days interesting for us."
He smirked as he discreetly squeezed her hand, allowing himself to imagine for a little bit what she could possibly have in mind.