A/N: A modern wake following a funeral is a chance for family and friends to get together, not only to mourn but to celebrate the lives of those passed. A wake can be therapeutic as it brings back good memories that help balance out the grief. This chapter shows the group at The Musain and it's an Irish-style wake, where it's a celebration of the departed lives, and is in no way meant to be disrespectful to the dead. It's in the atmosphere we find Enjolras and Eponine in the aftermath of his text. Will things be awkward?
Also, in case anyone is interested, I pictured The Musain to be like a famed Greenwich Village venue called The Village Underground. It's exactly how I pictured Musain in my head. Check out the site if you're interested.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters from Les Miserables, but I do like to take them out for a spin once in a while to play. I've played with timelines from both the story by the marvellous Victor Hugo, and the actual accounts of the Occupy movement. Be kind, it's about reader enjoyment after all. Thanks for reading!
Songs listened to:
'First Time' by Lifehouse
Copyright for the songs in this chapter belongs to their respective owners as noted.
Chapter 25
We're both looking for something
We've been afraid to find
It's easier to be broken
It's easier to hide
Looking at you, holding my breath,
For once in my life, I'm scared to death,
I'm taking a chance, letting you inside.
Feeling alive all over again,
As deep as the sky, under my skin
Like being in love, she says
For the first time
Maybe I'm wrong,
But I'm feeling right where I belong
With you tonight
Like being in love
To feel for the first time
The world that I see inside you
Waiting to come to life
Waking me up to dreaming
Reality in your eyes
Looking at you,
Holding my breath,
For once in my life
I'm scared to death,
I'm taking a chance,
Letting you inside.
- Lifehouse, 'First Time'
Darkness had finally descended upon the city. The Village had begun the transformation to the other side of its Gemini personality. The lights of the coffeehouses and clubs sputtered into life, people were gathering at the many boutique eateries lining the streets. Even in the chill of the night air, the Village was a hive of cultural activity.
The scene outside The Musain was bedlam. Even though the wake was by invitation only for friends and family, there was still a large crowd outside. The club was only meant to hold four-hundred and fifty patrons at capacity. Eponine had seen the crowd as Michael and Sara's car approached the block, and asked them to stop further up the street to help them avoid getting in a jam with the ten or so cabs that were jockeying to pull up near The Musain.
As she walked up to the entrance, she kept glancing down to the cell in her hand.
"I love you. Forgive me".
When she'd first read the text, she'd felt a warm shock run through her. It was so utterly unexpected and disarmingly beautiful that at first she'd thought perhaps Jehan had gotten hold of Enjolras' phone. But, sitting in the car and thinking it over while Gavroche' eyed her suspiciously, she realised sending a text with such a declaration of feeling was totally within Enjolras' character. She wondered if he'd ever said it out loud to anyone. She wondered if he'd do it now. How do I even approach him? At what point in a conversation do I even bring it up? Did he expect a text back with the same message? Do I love him too? The thoughts whirled around like a dervish in her mind. Just relax tonight, she finally told herself. What will be, will be.
Eponine walked around to the side of the crowd at the door, catching the eye of Gus; another member of The Musain's security team. "At least you're one I don't have to mark off the list", he said motioning to the large folder in his hand. "How you going, love?" he asked, opening the door.
"Bit of this, bit of that Gus", she replied, "Take it easy out here", she said, smiling as she made her way in.
It took a minute for Eponine's eyes to adjust to the darkness of the club. Sam, the owner of the club had put in some effort for tonight, she noted. He was an entrepreneur with clubs on both coasts, and she knew despite what others had thought of Grantaire, that Sam had trusted him. Grantaire had practically been the unofficial manager when Sam was away which was fairly frequently.
The club was darker than usual, alleviated only by the pinlights in the ceiling and large glass jars filled with pillar candles on the tables and sidebars in the club. Gothic. Kind of morbidly humorous. The boys would have loved it, she thought. Making her way through the crowd she saw there was no band tonight. Instead, on the stage two empty chairs had been placed a few feet apart, with soft spotlights shining down on them. On each seat, several photos of Grantaire and Courfeyrac had been placed. To the right of the stage a DJ had set up an old school booth. Vinyl. Sam's gone to a lot of trouble, she mused appreciatively.
"It looks amazing, doesn't it?" said a voice in her right ear.
Turning around she found Jehan standing there, hands on hips looking around just as she had been.
"It does. I think the boys would really have liked it. You know I didn't see Courf's family here..did they make it?" she asked him.
"No, I have a feeling it was all too much for them today", he replied. "Henre' was a mess, understandably. They might show later, but I doubt it".
As they were speaking, behind Jehan, Eponine spotted Enjolras on the opposite side of the room, leaning up against the bar and talking with someone. He still had his jacket on but had undone his collar and tie which now hung loosely around his neck. He looked slightly dishevelled and gorgeous. Stop it! she told herself. This is not the time or place. Only Enjolras had seen her as well, and was watching her with his head cocked to the side, occasionally taking a sip from a water bottle.
As she continued to talk to Jehan, every so often she could feel his eyes on her, chancing a glance in her direction. Something stirred within her…remembering again the warmth of him against her, his surprising vulnerability in Washington Park, and how close they had almost come to..
"There's a place for us, someday there'll be a place for u-"
"Jehan, you're not quoting West Side Story at me? Really", she said.
"I wanted to see if you were actually listening to me, and it seemed pertinent", he smirked.
"I – I don't know what you mean, J", she shot back.
'Oh come on "Ponine, you two have been staring at each other for the past five minutes. And Enj has been acting odd since we left…"
"Considering what we had to do today, Jehan, I think all of us are probably acting a bit weird, no?"
"I know', he said sadly, "but I'm just…I think we could all use a little happiness that's all".
She leaned over, kissing Jehan on the cheek. "You're a lovely man J, you know that? I need a drink, do you want one?"
"I'll take a beer. The others are over at the usual table 'Ponine".
"See you in a bit", she said, snaking her way through the crowd to the bar.
When she got to the bar, she realised Sam must have employed staff from an events company for the night – none of the staff looked familiar to her. She waited patiently for ten minutes trying to get their attention. Damn it! I just want one drink to settle my nerves. She'd just about given up when she heard an ear piercing whistle beside her. She turned to find Enjolras next to her, fingers in his mouth, summoning the bartender.
"What'll it be?" asked the bartender, walking up to them.
"Just a beer, and a vodka tonic, twist of lime please", she said.
She turned to Enjolras, "Thanks". He was looking at her expectantly. God this is so awkward! She thought.
"I thought your speech for Grantaire today was really good. I, uh, I never knew that it was him who hired you". Get yourself together man; you're a bundle of nerves. Are you man or mouse? He silently admonished himself.
"And yours too, was lovely. I'm sure Courf's family really appreciated it as well", she replied, searching his face for a clue as to what was going on in that mind of his. The bartender came over with her drinks. As she pulled out her wallet to pay, the bartender put up his hands defensively, "I'm so sorry I didn't recognise you – Eponine isn't it? Your drinks are on the house, the band's too".
"Oh, thanks", she said, before picking up the glasses. 'I have to take this beer to Jehan", she said to Enjolras. She went to move away but felt a warm hand on the small of her back.
"Eponine?"
"Yes?" She turned drinks in hand, waiting.
"Can we talk?" he said,
"Here? Ok, just give me a minute". He waited for her as she made her way over to the table where Combeferre, Feuilly, Jehan, Cosette and Marius were sitting. When she returned, he grabbed her hand and she could feel the familiar electricity between them when they touched. Pulling her gently through the crowd, he guided her into a little alcove in the back corner of the club. There was a plush two seater and the small space was decorated as the rest of the club with two candles burning in glass jars.
Sitting down next to her, he asked her directly, "Did you receive my message?"
"The text? Yes".
"And…?"
"You know I have feelings for you, Enjolras", she said plainly.
"I mean what I said to you".
"But that's just it, you didn't say it to me, you texted it to me. It was beautiful, and I can appreciate how hard these things are for you. But it's not the same as hearing it from your lips".
Turning to her, he placed his hands on each side of her face.
"I love you. I'm in love with you", he said pulling back to look at her. "Alright?"
"I don't know", she said cheekily, "Kiss me so I know for certain?"
He leaned in as if to kiss her then stopped, millimetres from her mouth, "This is a lot of pressure you know, am I being rated out of ten?"
"Shut up and kiss me already", she whispered into his ear.
Heart pounding, his eyes dropped to her lips. Placing his hand behind her head, her pulled her in and kissed her gently, hesitant at first. Feeling her respond, he deepened the kiss slowly. It felt like all the emotions of the past week were contained in it. God how he wanted her.
"Sweet Jesus, will you look at this! Enjolras our fearless leader engaged in a public display of affection! With our Ponine, no less!" Breaking the kiss, they both turned to find Feuilly standing in front of them, drunk as a skunk.
Eponine felt a deep blush rising up her neck. She pulled away from Enjolras reluctantly and stood up. She looked over to the bar where the rest of the group were now standing. People were getting up on the bar and exchanging stories about Courfeyrac and Grantaire.
"We should go over there", she said both to Enjolras and Feuilly.
Combeferre was standing on top of the bar, orating to the crowd below him:
"And I remember fondly the time Rihanna came into the club, right over there", he pointed, "and Courfeyrac tried unsuccessfully to hit on her. But for the next week he walked around singing 'Umbrella'". That got a loud laugh from the crowd.
Next up was Jehan, who climbed atop the bar next to 'Ferre. "Anyone who knows me, knows my love of poetry", he said to boos from the crowd including Les Amis, "Oh shut up you lot. But what you may not know is that Grantaire loved poetry too. To me it is blasphemy but now I shall recite his favourite verse:
There once was a man from Gosham
Who took out his bollocks to wash em
his wife said Jack if you dont put em back
I'm gonna take those Bastards and squash em!
That got a loud guffaw from the crowd. Grantaire was indeed, very fond of dirty limericks. Eponine was standing in front of Enjolras in the crowd with the others. She smiled to herself as she felt his hand on her hip, massaging it with his thumb, sending a tingle up her spine. She reached behind and gave his hand a squeeze before disconnecting from him and going up to the bar herself. She carefully climbed up, assisted by Combeferre who grasped her hand.
"I don't know if many of you realise this", she said loudly, "but Grantaire as well as being New York's finest bartender, was also quite possibly New York's biggest Monty Python fan", she motioned to the DJ, "And so, I'd like to dedicate this song to his memory, even as we grieve for him". She stepped down, hearing the melody begin to Python's 'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life'.
Some things in life are bad
They can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear and curse
When you're chewing on life's gristle
Don't grumble, give a whistle
And this'll help things turn out for the best
And always look on the bright side of life
Always look on the light side of life
If life seems jolly rotten
There's something you've forgotten
And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing
When you're feeling in the dumps
Don't be silly chumps
Just purse your lips and whistle, that's the thing
And always look on the bright side of life
Come on!
Always look on the right side of life
For life is quite absurd
And death's the final word
You must always face the curtain with a bow
Forget about your sin
Give the audience a grin
Enjoy it, it's your last chance anyhow
Life's a piece of shit
When you look at it
Life's a laugh and death's a joke, it's true
You'll see it's all a show
Keep 'em laughing as you go
Just remember that the last laugh is on you
And always look on the bright side of life
Always look on the right side of life
Again another cheer from the crowd, many people were whistling and singing the song. Just as many people though, also had tears in their eyes. The bar was getting rowdy but far from thinking it inappropriate, Enjolras thought it fitting. Somewhere in the hereafter, Courfeyrac and Grantaire would be loving the spirit of camaraderie in the club. Beautiful women mourning them, and friends and family having a drink in their names.
In scattered conversations around the room, he heard people reminiscing about the boys, some laughing, a lot crying, but all fondly.
And so it went, long into the night, the tributes and stories for both boys pouring in, and for a time, even though they knew the reality – it felt like Grantaire and Courfeyrac were with them once again.
As the crowd started dwindling, they all decided it was time to leave too, it was close to two a.m. Chatting amongst themselves they made their way out onto the street as a group. "Should we go for coffee?", suggested Marius. The others agreed, except for Eponine who hung back.
"I think I'm going to go, guys. See you tomorrow?" she said.
"I am too. I'm going to escort Eponine home", said Enjolras. Ignoring the knowing smiles from the others they said their farewells again and hailed the closest cab, despite her apartment being only three blocks away.
As they got in, he paused for moment, taking her in with his dark blue eyes. "Let's get out of here", he replied huskily.