Hey Everyone, I love that you all appear to still be loving this story :D
In this author's note, I thought I thought I would take the chance to say sorry for the longer update wait on Gavroche's puppy love, it's just that I have so many ideas for it I am struggling to sort it all out in my head and need some more time to sort it all out and get it down into something that makes sense. I apologise, it will be up soon.
I hope you all like this new chapter and I hope it makes you smile!
Combeferre, although surprised to hear the news, smiled. Everyone around him now wore a smile, admittedly small at the moment, but the happiness was there. He looked up at Enjolras then smiled to Eponine who stood in the doorway having returned from her night time at the correct moment to hear the news. Gently, the young doctor stood carefully laying Gavroche back into the chair as the child still remained asleep. "Is Courfeyrac awake?" he asked looking to Joly.
"Not in this moment mon ami, but he is in a restless sleep" Joly replied.
Combeferre nodded. "Eponine come with me, Enjolras can you stay with Gavroche in case he wakes and you know that Grantaire will be here soon. He is always here at the crack of dawn"
"Of course Combeferre" Enjolras replied "When Courfeyrac wakes, I think we should let Gavroche in to see him"
"Absolutely" Combeferre agreed before following Joly into the side room with Eponine following behind. Enjolras stayed with Gavroche, listening to the voices of those in the side room whilst he watched Gavroche curl more into the seat as he slept.
As they entered the side room, Combeferre saw Courfeyrac stirring restlessly in his sleep. Gently he placed his hand on the young man's forehead and gave a sigh of relief. Joly had been right, Courfeyrac's fever had broken. Although still warm, it wasn't painful to the touch. Courfeyrac seemed more comfortable, his breath less laboured and his muscles less tensed in pain. "Courfeyrac" Combeferre said gently pushing his damp curls away from his face. "Can you hear me Mon ami?"
Courfeyrac, working through the limbo land between sleep and consciousness, gave a soft groan. Eponine, hope and excitement building through her, sat at the edge of the bed watching the scene unfold in front of her. "Come on Courfeyrac" She said softly, taking his hand. "We need you back here"
He could hear the voices, hear them around him as he laid there trying to fight against the urge to sleep. Although his eyes were closed, he could picture them there. He could picture Combeferre, his glasses slipping down his nose. He could imagine Joly standing there, concern written on his face and his cravat untied. He could picture Eponine and feel her holding his hand. He hoped, although he couldn't hear his little voice that Gavroche was there, sitting beside him. "Come on Courfeyrac, I can see it in your face, you know we are here" Combeferre said watching his friend in his attempts to stir.
He was trying, everything felt heavy. Were his eyelids suddenly made of lead? He gave a deep breath, squeezing Eponine's hand. He could picture her smiling. He needed to open his eyes.
"There we go Courfeyrac, come on just open your eyes now ami" Combeferre said gently.
With another deep breath, he could feel himself pushing through the limbo. "Ferre…" he breathed.
"Oui" Combeferre smiled "That's it"
Courfeyrac could hear them clearly now, Joly, Combeferre and Eponine. He wanted to see them. He wasn't sure how long he had been like this, hours were days and days could have been weeks for that entire time, he wasn't aware, nothing was clear at the moment. He squeezed Eponine's hand once more, trying to force his eyes open. Eventually, he began to see the light of the room around him, blurs of colours constructing the outlines of his friends. Everything was blurring around him, but he could see them. He was awake.
"Ah dear Courfeyrac, there we go" Joly smiled, adjusting the blanket around his form.
"Welcome back to the land of the living, you have been dearly missed" Combeferre said with a smile "How are you feeling?"
"A little sore" He breathed "How long have I been sleeping?"
"You've been in a restless delirium for a number of days, Mon ami, you had us all quite worried" Joly replied measuring out a tankard of warmed watered down wine.
Courfeyrac gave a small nod. "I can't remember" He said gently, now taking a moment to look around the room. "Where's my boy?"
"Well Courfeyrac, when you first went into the fever Gavroche was beside you" Eponine said brushing Courfeyrac's dark tight curls back from his face. "You didn't recognize anyone around you, and… well you scared him"
Thoughts of the young boy that Courfeyrac had come to love so much came to him. The image of his terrified face when he told him to go with Eponine to get away from his father, the way he had been crying when he first him hurt. Courfeyrac bit his lip. "I scared him… 'Ponine, what did I do?"
"You told him to get away from you, called him boy. He said you sounded like papa" Eponine sighed looking down. Courfeyrac looked terrified at the idea that he had scared Gavroche, caused him unnecessary pain and tears.
"I need to see him, where is he?" Courfeyrac said using all of his strength to push himself up from the cot. He winced in pain, his breath coming out in a hiss.
"Careful now 'Fey" Combeferre said, quickly putting his gentle hands on the young man's shoulders, lying him back down. "I will go and get him for you; he was sleeping when I left him, with Enjolras keeping an eye on him."
Courfeyrac nodded, allowing his head to sink back into the pillows, still holding onto Eponine's hand. "I didn't scare you did I?" He asked
"Not with your words, I was worried for you wellbeing Courfeyrac, you really did make us all worried" She replied.
….
Enjolras looked at him as soon as he saw Combeferre walk through into the main room. "Is everything alright?" he asked
"He is awake" Combeferre smiled. "He doesn't remember the last few days, including what happened with Gavroche. I came to get him, Courfeyrac wants to see him"
Enjolras smiled and nodded going to the small child sleeping in the chair, his feet curled up underneath his slight frame. He lowered himself to his height and placed a hand on his arm. "Gavroche?"
"Gavroche, wake up petit" Combeferre said gently
The little boy stirred, looking up at the two young men through sleep filled eyes. "What's goin' on" he said sleepily
"Courfeyrac has woken up" Combeferre smiled.
Gavroche went wide eyed, a smile falling onto his lips. "Really? He's really awake"
"Oui" Combeferre said helping the sleepy little boy sit up. "And talking"
As excited as Gavroche was at the idea of finally seeing his best friend awake again, fear crept upon him once more. What if Courfeyrac didn't remember him? What if he spoke to him like that again? Shyly, he bit his lip and sunk back into his chair. "Is he still all feverish?" he asked looking up at Combeferre
"No, are you worried he won't remember you?" Combeferre asked
Gavroche nodded looking from Combeferre to Enjorlas with a worried expression on his face. He wanted to see Courfeyrac, of course he did, but he couldn't stop himself from being scared. When Courfeyrac had last spoken to him, he had sounded just like his papa telling him to get away from him as if he could not stand the sight of him and never wanted to see him again. "He sounded like my papa, not like him, is he still like that?" he asked picking at the blanket that was still wrapped around his small body, keeping him warm in the early morning chill.
"No" Combeferre said "It's alright to be scared, but Courfeyrac really is starting to feel better. His fever has broken; remember what we told you about that?"
"When his fever breaks, he will have more energy to stay awake and get better?" Gavroche said
"Absolutely" Combeferre smiled. "It took him a little while to wake up, but he's awake now, he's been talking to us"
"He doesn't remember what happens when he last woke up Gavroche" Enjolras said softly, looking at the child. "He doesn't remember how he last spoke to you, and I am sure that he is sorry"
"Oui" Combeferre nodded. "He was asking to see you Gavroche, he tried to get up to come get you, but I stopped him and said that I would come and get you"
Gavroche smiled and nodded, still a little nervous but ready to see Courfeyrac. Nervously, he stood thinking for a moment before leaning against Enjolras' side, gripping onto his waistcoat.
"Come on Gavroche, it's alright" The chief said gently. When the child made no effort to move away from him, Enjolras nodded to himself before carefully lifting him and holding him. "Better?"
Gavroche nodded "Oui, Merci" He smiled, allowing his head to rest against the leader's shoulder as he carried him into the side room, Combeferre following quickly behind.
….
Courfeyrac heard the door open and quickly looked up, looking towards the door. He felt sore and he felt tired but none of that mattered to him; he wanted to see Gavroche. He smiled seeing Combeferre then that smile grew when he saw the child in Enjolras' arms. The sight of a small boy in the marble man's arms was humorous, never before had he seen the chief show a great interest in the boy. "There he is, there's my boy" Courfeyrac smiled
Gavroche smiled brightly, seeing that Enjolras and Combeferre were telling the truth. Courfeyrac was awake, and that cheeky smile was there, and he recognised him. With a smile to Enjolras, who smiled back and lowered the boy to the floor, Gavroche ran to Courfeyrac "Courf" he smiled
Courfeyrac smiled brightly, taking Gavroche's hand as he climbed onto the cot "There's my boy" He smiled, seeing his little face light up
"I missed you Courf" Gavroche smiled, carefully lying down beside him and resting his head on his shoulder, wrapping his arms around his chest.
"I missed you too 'Roche" Courfeyrac smiled kissing his head "and I'm sorry for how I spoke to you before, you know I didn't mean it right?"
Gavroche nodded. "That's what Combeferre and Enjolras said, that it was all the fever"
"They're right, I didn't mean it. I would never talk to you like that" Courfeyrac said gently, wrapping his arms around him "You're my boy, and that's very special"
"I know Courf, It was just scary" Gavroche replied "Enjolras and Combeferre made me feel better"
"So I see" Courfeyrac smiled "Is the marble man broken? Carrying a child on your hip?"
"He wanted me too, and he wouldn't let go unless I picked him up" Enjolras smiled, shrugging his shoulders.
"Yeah Enjolras carried me and I fell asleep with Combeferre holding me" Gavroche smiled resting against Courfeyrac's shoulder
Courfeyrac smiled and nodded looking up to Combeferre and Enjolras "Thank you for looking after him when I couldn't, it takes a lot to get him to trust someone new"
Combeferre nodded. "No need to thank us, we are brothers and a sister" He said smiling to Eponine. "We all have to look out for each other"
"Oui, we do" Courfeyrac replied running a hand through Gavroche's hair
"You should rest, you have been through a lot and you know that Grantaire will be here soon, he will want to see you" Combeferre smiled. "Gavroche, you can stay beside him like that if you wish"
He looked to the small child, his blanket draped around him, and smiled seeing him already sound asleep, resting against Courfeyrac's shoulder with his arms wrapped around him.
And there we go I hope you liked it! Please review and let me know what you thought of it!