Heh… Well… Hello all...

So umm… Yes. It's… Kind of been ages since I updated this one. Umm… Life has just been… Well, hectic, to put it mildly, and I haven't had super much time to write. I'm currently on break until the 13th of January, though, so hopefully I'll be able to write a little more than usual. Indeed, this is my second update of the break! So yeah. There's that.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and let me know what you think!

~Rosey

Chapter Seven:

Madame Combeferre hummed quietly to herself as she stirred the soup in the boiling pot on the stove, glancing towards the door, expecting Etienne to be home from the Enjolras's any time now. She smiled to herself as she thought about how much her son was enjoying spending time with little Julien… How he would come home and ramble for hours about everything they did and talked about. Amilie and Claire, Etienne's younger sisters, would gawp openly at how wonderful this Julien sounded, and how much they wanted to meet him. Indeed, Madame Combeferre could hardly wait to meet him herself, and she knew her husband felt exactly the same way.

Suddenly, the door opened, and Etienne walked inside, his head slightly ducked down. Madame Combeferre grinned upon seeing her boy home and hurried to embrace him. "Hello, darling! I'm so glad you're home!"

Combeferre hugged her back tightly, burying his face in her dress. His mother blinked in surprise at how tightly he embraced her, and she glanced downwards at him, concerned. "Baby? Are you alright?"

Etienne just took a deep breath and buried closer against her, his trembling voice muffled in her blouse. "Thank you for loving me."

Shocked, Madame Combeferre pulled back a little as she lead him over to sit at the table, watching him in concern. "What ever do you mean, darling?"

Etienne's voice trembled as his glasses clouded with tears. "Julien's p-papa w-was so mean to h-him…"

Deep, concerned lines etched across his mother's face as she embraced him tightly again. "His father?"

The bespectacled young boy just nodded weakly before letting out a sob, shaking in his mother's loving embrace. She rocked him gently, whispering soothing words until he calmed enough to speak again in a still-tremulous voice. "He t-told Julien that he w-was a b-burden and that he should stop acting like a c-child. But Mamman, he's only five!"

Madame Combeferre continued to rock her son, kissing his head, her heart breaking both for Etienne and Julien. "Where was his mother? Was she at home?"

Etienne shook his head. "She was o-out running errands. And h-his father just came back all of a s-sudden and started yelling at him."

"Well aren't you glad you were there to help, then?" Madame Combeferre whispered gently as she wiped away her son's tears, taking off his glasses gingerly to clean them on her apron.

Her son nodded, sniffling, his tears slowing but not completely stopped. "But Mamman, what if I wasn't? What if he yells at him again? Julien thought he wasn't even supposed to cry!"

His mother closed her eyes and pressed her lips tightly together at this news before opening them again and offering Etienne a small smile. "Tell you what. How would you like for Julien to come stay the night here?"

The young boy looked up with wide hopeful eyes. "Can he? Really?"

Smiling, Madame Combeferre nodded. "Of course, darling! We would love to have him!"

Getting excited, Combeferre jumped up and down a little, happily. "When?"

"Right now, if you'd like!"

Etienne quickly dried his tears and scurried towards the door. "Yes! Can I go get him? Please?"

His mother beamed at her son's joy, nodding. "Of course. I'll prepare the guest bedroom and get out an extra plate for dinner."

Her son hugged her quickly, planting a quick kiss on her cheek before darting out of the house happily, grabbing an extra jacket for Julien on the way out of the door just in case.

XXXX

When Etienne arrived, breathless, at the Enjolras household, he darted happily up to the door and reached up to knock. His hand was stilled, however, when he heard the loud voices from the other side. Monsieur Enjolras was yelling harshly, the words piercing Etienne's heart deeply.

"And furthermore I come into your room to find you crying of all things! I never want to see another tear from you, boy, you understand that?"

"Adam, please!" Madame Enjolras's voice begged. "Listen to yourself! He's just a child!"

Unable to listen anymore, Combeferre knocked angrily on the door. Adam's voice grew louder as he neared the door, still scolding his son angrily as he went to see who the visitor was. "Just a child?! He is five years old, not two!"

When the door opened, Etienne was standing there glaring at Monsieur Enjolras, his hate for the man growing by the minute. "Monsieur."

All but shaking with rage, Enjolras's father crossed his arms angrily. "How may I help you?" Julien peeked around his father's pant leg towards Combeferre, his eyes wide and puffy, looking sadder and more scared than any child should ever have to look.

Hate pouring out of his eyes, Etienne crossed his own arms. "My mother wants to know if Julien can stay at my house tonight."

Monsieur Enjolras gave a short, harsh bark of laughter, shoving Julien from out behind him towards Combeferre. Clutched tightly in Enjolras's hands was the giant book he and Combeferre were reading together, Gulliver's Travels. He held it close against him like a security blanket as his father spoke coldly. "Keep him as long as you like. When he gets too big of a burden, send him back. How much would you like for him staying the night there? It's a rather big task, you know."

Combeferre gently took the book from Julien's hands and wrapped his other arm around the blond's tiny shoulders. "We won't be needing any money. It's no trouble."

"Hah. You'll see about that," Monsieur Enjolras snapped before slamming the door shut, causing Julien to jump about two feet in the air.

Etienne shot another glare at the door before letting his face soften as he knelt down to Enjolras's height. "Are you alright?"

Julien gave a tiny nod, refusing to look up. "I'm fine."

Combeferre embraced him briefly before standing up, taking Enjolras's hand in his. "Come on. You can meet my family."

The little blond looked hesitant as they walked. "Will they mind me coming over?"

Etienne shook his head instantly. "Not at all. My father is still at work, but my mother and sisters are home! They will love you."

The younger boy still looked uncertain. "What will your father think of me?"

"He will love you," Combeferre promised, squeezing Enjolras's shoulder softly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I promise."

Enjolras was quiet for a while, eventually blinking up at Combeferre again. "Ferre? Have you been crying?"

Etienne opened his mouth to deny it, but then decided it wouldn't help Enjolras's ideas about it, so he nodded. "Yes. I have."

"How come?"

"I was sad for you."

Julien furrowed his brows, looking beyond confused. "How come?"

Combeferre frowned. "Because your father was so mean to you."

"Oh," Enjolras looked down at his shoes as they walked. "But Ferre, I deserved that. You should not cry for something I deserved."

Etienne stopped in the middle of the road and bent down so they were eye level again, putting a hand on Enjolras's shoulder. "No you did not. No one deserves to be yelled at like that, ever. Especially for something like playing."

Big blue eyes looked at him, wide and scared. "I didn't mean to make him mad… Honest I didn't, Ferre…"

"I know you didn't," Combeferre nodded as he put a gentle hand to Enjolras's cheek. "He got mad for no reason."

Julien swallowed a little, closing his eyes and composing himself before opening them again and offering Etienne a small smile. "Alright. I think we should go to your house now because it is getting dark and I do not want to have to fight off a bunch of little people, like in the book."

Etienne have a chuckle and stood again, taking Enjolras's hand once more. "Alright. We don't have much longer to go."

And there you go! Chapter Seven, complete. I hope you all liked it! Please, please REVIEW! It means so much!

Also! If you like Enjolras and Combeferre fluffiness, you should check out my story "The Call." It is REALLY suffering review-wise, and I'd love some more feedback!

Stay revolutionary!

~Rosey