A/N: 3% iPad battery left, there was only like a 20% chance you'll be reading this on the 18th but you got lucky （＾ν＾）So...yeah. Also, if you haven't checked out me and the lovely Rainbow-Bunnii's joint fic, 'Hugo High', then please do! Enjoy, mis amigos :)
Prompt: Marius, Éponine, Cosette and Musichetta baby shopping.
"That's adorable, but that would go so much better with your colour theme...oh my gosh that is amazing...no, you have to get this one...I can't choose!"
"'Sette, calm down!"
"Sorry. I get over-excited shopping."
"Because none of us had guessed that" Éponine said with an eye roll and a smile.
The group were strolling through an indoor market that specialised in children just outside Paris. So far they'd picked up a large pack of ten napkins, a small but pretty silver rattle, four burping cloths, two blankets and two "dream catchers" (one for the baby and one for Éponine, who insisted they looked nice and wanted to hang one above their bed. She wasn't about to admit it was that she was worried about nightmares coming, although Marius had probably guessed already).
Though they still had to select some furniture to be delivered.
Cosette had really come in to her own there, having been designing her own bedroom since she was twelve. And none of the others could deny she was good, although her taste was a little expensive for their budgets. She could instantly pick out a complete furniture set based on a colour or style given, and was darting about left, right and center.
Musichetta was mainly there to congratulate and catch up with Éponine. She'd been away training as a ballet dancer for a few of months, leaving little spare time, and had only recently got back. Joly said it was the pain of losing Bossuet alongside her love of the art, making her need a distraction. She was certainly quieter than she had been the last time Éponine had seen her.
The three of them had never been openly affectionate with their somewhat unusual relationship, as there was a pretty strict taboo on it. Musichetta and Joly had both been disowned, Bossuet voluntarily moving out, but they'd been happy together. Even without Bossuet they were doing alright, but both still missed him terribly.
"What about this one?"
They walked over to where Cosette was standing by a raised, hand-woven hamper for ten francs. It was stable and not too heavy, with a small cover long enough to shield the baby's eyes from sunlight, and came with a small pillow-mattress, which fitted it perfectly.
"I think it's ideal. 'Ponine?"
"Brilliantly made, good size. What do you think, 'Chetta?"
The older girl studied it, tipping her hat to one side. It was unusual to see a woman wearing a mans hat, but it had been Bossuet's, and she never went anywhere without it. "Nice, clean, would go well. I'd say buy it."
"Lets take it then."
Before too long the hamper was safely in the carriage they'd rented, and Marius was beginning to think there would be enough room to store a crib there too, if they put the hamper inside it. They'd seen a gorgeous ebony one, but it had been thirty seven francs, which was out of the question.
After another twenty minutes strolling, Musichetta called them over. "What about this one? Fifteen francs, sturdy, no splinters, varnished wood, comes with a mattress and one side can be remover for easier access. We can fit it in the carriage, and it's a good size."
Marius smiled. "Sounds perfect" he said, to which Éponine grinned, nodding. "We'll still have about ten francs left over, right?"
He nodded, fishing the right amount out of their purse and paying. It took Marius, Cosette and Musichetta to carry it (Éponine had wanted to help, but Marius had stopped letting her carry or move heavy objects, claiming it was bad for her. She felt a bit useless, but brushed it aside) as there was weights in the bottom, to stop a child from pushing it over later on.
"Still got a few things left on the list, but I'm exhausted. Little cake break, anybody?"
The four of them all agreed to stop for some food and a rest now, Marius insisting they sit indoors to stop Éponine overheating (seemingly forgetting that she'd previously spend every single day out in the sun from dawn 'til dusk. But she found his concern sweet, if a little irritating sometimes, and went with it).
It didn't take long for each to have a large slice of cake and a glass of water. Éponine was digging in to a chocolate, whilst Musichetta went for cheesecake and Marius and Cosette choosing an English sponge. For a while all that could be heard was silent cake appreciation as they dug in, none of them realising quite how hungry they were.
Éponine was the first to finish, despite having the largest slice. Her intense hunger patterns still hadn't left, but her excuse was that she was supposed to be eating for two people anyway, leaning over to take a forkful of Marius' dish and chewing thoughtfully.
"So, 'Chetta, what's things like with your dancing?"
"Good. I'm at it eight hours a day so I'm always tired coming back, but Joly and-Joly, I mean, is always there with a meal ready. We've got a performance early December, actually."
"Let us know when" Éponine replied, deciding it was best to ignore her slip of the tongue. "Well be there."
"Thanks. I'll see what I can do in regards to tickets."
"Count me in too, I don't know you that well but I'd like to" Cosette said, being the last to finish. Éponine always marvelled at her dainty eating habits, wondering how she could eat so slowly. Then again, aside from her time at the inn, she hadn't known what it was to be properly hungry, so wolfing down her meals was never a necessity.
Musichetta nodded, smiling.
"So, how's things going with Claude?" Marius asked, Cosette, who blushed profoundly. "Good. Father lets me go out with him by myself now, he approves."
"Any kisses yet?"
"'Ponine!"
"Don't act so embarrassed, you started talking about my wedding night may I remind you."
Cosette huffed. "If you must know, then yes. He took me to a restaurant and kissed me on the way back."
"Good?"
"Very."
Marius and Musichetta were both feeling a little uncomfortable at Éponine and Cosette's "girl talk". Musichetta had never been one for girly conversations. Well, technically neither had Éponine, but she was now.
"So, Marius, 'Ponine tells me you think it's a boy?"
He nodded. "I do. She insists it's a girl though."
"Thought of names?"
"Not yet, no. I've had a few whirling about in my brain, but I'm not sure."
"Well, you've got another month. Moving in to the cottage next week, I hear?"
"Yep, on the tenth."
"That's good. I don't know how much use my Joly is going to be though, I swear I'm stronger than him."
"You probably are" Éponine chipped in, causing a couple of chuckles. "If we're all done, I think we've got a couple more things to get."
Everyone nodded, and Marius paid the waiter, tucking an arm around Éponine as they headed back to the marketplace to complete their shopping.
About half an hour later, they'd picked up two cuddly toys, another rattle, some soft building blocks for later on, a thicker blanket for the winter, two bibs (again, for later on), two small pillows and an assortment of neutrally-coloured baby clothes. Plus three tins of light blue paint, having had to have chipped in to their housekeeping money, but knowing this was more important.
There was hardly much room to move in the carriage on the way back, even with Éponine sitting on Marius and the other two squished up tightly. The journey took about twenty minutes, and they went to the cottage instead, as the elderly lady had already moved in with her granddaughter, leaving the couple to do what they wanted.
Having stored everything in the small room that would be the baby's, not worrying about where they'd arrange it, the four got back in the carriage to drop Musichetta and Cosette home. Musichetta was the first to leave, bidding everyone a goodbye and being greeted back with a deep hug from Joly, and then Cosette, who's father was waiting.
Once they were both gone, Éponine lay across the seats, resting her head in Marius' lap as he gently played with her hair. "I feel so sorry for Joly and Musichetta" he said, kissing her forehead as she nodded. "Me too. They couldn't publicly display their relationship as it was, having to keep everything in private. Anyone could see those three were some of the happiest people on the earth, despite their relationship often being frowned on. According to Joly, Musichetta gets a lot of nightmares about Bossuet being shot, poor girl."
"At least they still have eachother."
"Mm. And thank God they have. If she'd lost both, she'd be absolutely broken."
Marius nodded sympathetically. "I know. I almost lost you, remember."
Her hand instinctively went to her shoulder, where she'd been shot attempting to save Marius, and there was a dent in her skin. "Worth it, though" she murmured.
"Let's not live in the past, and think about how we're now fully kitted out."
She smiled as he leaned down to kiss her deeply, other hand reaching down to stroke her cheek. The last time they'd been in this position had been just after their wedding, and it was a nice sense of déjà vu of both of them.
"Let's do that indeed."