The rain had started soon after Combeferre had reached the park but he ignored it, simply curling up even further and allowing the rain to blend with the tears already staining his cheeks. After a few hours (he had lost track of time early on) he stood shakily and made his way home, stopping in the doorway when he saw how many people were in the house.

"Jesus Christ 'Ferre you're okay!" Eponine squealed, throwing herself down the stairs and her arms round him, hugging him tightly. Combeferre just stood there, looking round at them all.

"Little late for a social call isn't it?" he said softly, too emotionally drained to bother trying to pretend he was happy to see them.

"Dude, you left over four hours ago," Bahorel pointed out. "Jehan was worried after ninety minutes, Courf rang us all after two hours. I mean, it's nearly midnight. You could have been murdered or something. Joly was about to phone the cops and report you missing or something."

"What's up?" Eponine whispered, pulling back and seeing the look of complete and utter dejection on his face. "Combeferre, what happened?"

"She left me," he whispered, only just managing to stop himself from breaking down again. Next thing he knew he was once again in the smaller girl's arms, head buried in her hair as he struggled to keep in the tears.

"...That explains everything," Courfeyrac sighed, pulling Combeferre into a hug once Eponine had moved away again. Combeferre, normally the one everyone went to for comforting, the solid one who always knew the right thing to say in any situation, who never seemed to need comforting himself, just clung to his friend helplessly. "What happened?"

"She's sleeping with him. Hugo."

"The little bitch," Bossuet growled, surprising them all. "Who in their right mind would cheat on 'Ferre?"

"Come on, let's get you some dry clothes before you catch your death of cold," Eponine said softly, Joly nodding frantically in the background. "Jehan? Will you go up with him?" The poet ignored Combeferre's protests, simply taking his hand and heading up the stairs with him. "Fuck," she sighed once he was out of earshot. "This is bad."

"He loved her," Courfeyrac told them all quietly, eyes keep flickering back to the stairs. "He admitted to that early on. Too early, if I'm honest, but I've no doubt he meant it. This is 'Ferre after all. If anyone was going to take things all serious and fall in love too easily, it would be him."

"This will destroy him," Bahorel muttered, glaring at the front door as if Rachael were standing there.

"Not if we don't let it," Eponine said firmly.

"I warned him," Grantaire murmured from his corner, ignoring the looks they all gave him.

"Not helping," Courfeyrac snapped, but Grantaire simply shrugged.

"True though."

Eponine had insisted on sleeping on their sofa that night. She knew that all the others in the house had either lectures or work the next morning and didn't want Combeferre to be on his own when he was still so crushed.

"How you feeling?" she asked as soon as he entered the kitchen next morning, holding out a mug of coffee which he gratefully accepted. It was surprisingly late for him but the shadows under his eyes along with the exhaustion present in them told Eponine he hadn't slept.

"Shit," he replied honestly, dropping into a seat with a sigh. "I think I'm starting to understand how Grantaire felt though."

"They're both idiots," she said scornfully, passing him a plate of bacon sandwiches. "And I don't care how unhealthy you think these are. They always make people feel better."

"Thanks," he mumbled, tucking in.

When the hesitant knock on the door came, again later than Eponine had been expecting, she refused to let Combeferre answer it, instead forcing him to stay in the kitchen and opening the door instead.

"What the fuck do you want?" she said bluntly, glaring at Rachael who was standing there nervously.

"I need to talk to him."

"Fuck off."

"Just let me see him."

"You broke his fucking heart, now turn around and walk away like the bitch you are." Eponine folded her arms and the glare intensified. "Why aren't you leaving?"

"Because I have to talk to him."

"And I told yo-"

"Eponine, it's fine," Combeferre said tiredly from behind her.

"No it's not fine," Eponine snapped without turning. "She doesn't deserve to get to talk to you after what she did."

"But I do need to talk to her," he sighed.

Rachael had wisely stayed quiet whilst the two friends argued, waiting until Eponine finally gave in and stepped to one side, still glowering at the other woman.

"Alone," Combeferre continued.

"I'll be in the lounge then," Eponine allowed, turning and storming up the stairs.

"Who the fuck does she think she is?" Rachael demanded as soon as Eponine had left, forgetting for a moment why she was there.

"A good friend," Combeferre replied coldly, taking Eponine's place in the doorway so as to still not allow Rachael inside the house. "You wanted to talk to me, now talk."

"'Ferre, I'm sorry," she started, but Combeferre interrupted her, laughing emotionlessly.

"You're sorry? You're sorry? Seriously? You think you can do this then walk in and just say sorry?!"

"Well what else would you like me to say? I am sorry!"

"What, that you fucked him or that I found out? How long has this been going on for?" When she said nothing, he shook his head sadly. "God I really was stupid."

"Combeferre..." She sighed. "What exactly do you want me to say? If I could go back and change things then I would, but I can't."

"I really did love you," Combeferre said softly. "Now you need to leave. I've nothing else to say to you. Don't bother coming back." And with that he shut the door in her face.

Turning, he rested his back against the door and sank down to the floor, drawing his knees up to his chest and fastening his arms around them before burying his head. The next thing he knew, there was a pair of arms encircling him and soft lips brushing over his forehead.

"She's not worth it," Eponine whispered. When he looked up at his friend, blinking away the tears that were threatening to fall, she smiled at him. "Plus she's just a selfish idiotic bitch. I mean it. Now, you look like you could do with a drink. Not coffee, a proper drink."

"It's eleven am," he murmured.

"And? Today, you're allowed. So get dressed, we're going out. By the time we reach a decent pub it'll be after lunch, so no problems."

By the time the clock in the pub reach six, both friends were completely and utterly hammered.

"Fuck her!" Eponine announced finally, holding up her half-empty pint. "Fuck 'em both! Actually, you know what? Don't fuck 'em. Forget her! She ain't worth your time and tears. She's a useless little bitch. Never fuck her again, now there's an idea." She frowned slightly. "I'm rambling aren't I?"

"Am I really so dull?" Combeferre asked, words slurring slightly as he leant over the table towards Eponine. "And... And boring, that she has to fuck him? Am I that bad in bed?"

"No to the first two," Eponine replied, leaning forwards as well, "but I have no idea to the third." Clicking her fingers, she grinned at him. "That's what you need! One-night stand. Helps you forget useless bitches like her. Don't fuck her, fuck someone else."

"Who?" he shrugged, having been drinking for too long to even consider how far from his normal self this was.

"Anyone you like." Eponine spread her arms out and glanced round the pub. "You're a free man. You can hit on any girl you like. It's not like you have to remember her afterwards, she's just going to help you forget the Bitch."

"I've never had a one-night stand."

"That's because you never got laid before her," she pointed out. "Just try flirting with someone."

Standing, Combeferre stumbled and nearly fell, only saving himself by grabbing the table quickly.

"...Or not," Eponine shrugged.

"We should head home," Combeferre muttered, finishing his drink whilst still holding on to the table.

"Mine's closer," Eponine decided, standing herself and taking Combeferre's arm, dragging him out of the building and in the opposite direction to his house.

Eponine fumbled slightly with the key as she tried to unlock her flat, almost falling into the flat when the door finally opened.

"You should still try for a one-night stand," she told Combeferre once they were settled on the sofa, his arm tucked round her shoulders and head resting on hers. "When less pissed."

"Any girl I like?" Combeferre asked.

"Any."

Moving slightly, Combeferre bent his head and kissed her, softly at first but firmer when she returned the kiss, the arm around her shoulders moving her round to face him more. The kiss grew more heated as clothes were lost, Eponine pushing Combeferre down until they were lying on the sofa, a small smirk playing across her lips.

"Let's make you forget then," she whispered into his ear, kissing him again.

It was the headache which woke Combeferre first, pounding away like Thor himself was in there somewhere.

"Fuck," he groaned, not noticing he was on a sofa or how close to the edge he was until he'd rolled slightly and landed on the floor. "Fuck," he mumbled again, jumping to his feet and charging into the bathroom.

It was ten minutes before he was conscious enough to realise he was naked and not at home.

Leaning back slightly, he peered back into the lounge, eyes widening when he saw Eponine sprawled over the couch, having spread out as soon as he moved, still fast asleep and in a similar state of undress. Concentrating as hard as he dared with the headache showing no signs of ceasing, he tried his best to remember what had happened the night before, but was forced to draw a blank.

"Fuck," he said for the third time in fifteen minutes, sighing and running a hand through his already-messy hair. Sneaking back into the room, he grabbed his clothes and dressed as quickly and quietly as possible, replying to worried messages from friends demanding where he was with a vague answer when he found his phone.

Seeing the pad of paper by the door Combeferre quickly ripped a sheet out and jotted down a quick note.

Sorry, gotta go. See you later. C

Leaving it in plain view, he made his escape.

Later that day, he breathed a sigh of relief when he got the text through.

Eponine: I vaguely remember one-night stands being mentioned, so hope it worked and helped you forget a little. If not, then it was probably fun anyway. See you later.

Combeferre had never been more thankful that he wasn't the only person to have forgotten something.