Thank you for the amazing response that the first chapter had! It was amazing!
This chapter works in the same way that the last chapter did, with the normal text being in the present and the italics being flashbacks
I hope you all like this, more Gavroche fluff!
Courfeyrac, who had always been a light sleeper, awoke to the sound of tiny footsteps padding down the hall followed by an equally tiny voice "Courf?" With a smile, he pushed himself up out of bed and checked the time on his phone. 7 Am. As he pulled on a button down shirt and a pair of jeans, the bedroom door opened to reveal a sleepy eyed Gavroche, his blonde curls wild around his face. "I found you" He smiled walking to the young man and lifting his arms up in a gesture that meant that he wanted to be lifted. "'Thought you were hidin'"
"Indeed you did find me kiddo" Courfeyrac smiled, picking the little boy up and holding him on his hip. "And no, I wasn't hiding, I was sleeping. You woke me up with all your walking around. Were you having an adventure?" He smiled as Gavroche nodded and carried him to the kitchen to get him breakfast, bouncing him as they walked and laughing when the child broke into giggles at the movement. For a child who had been through so many rough times, from being given away by his parents to being kept in a filthy slum orphanage, Gavroche was such a joyful little boy with the cheekiest smile Courfeyrac had ever seen. "Right, breakfast" He smiled sitting him down. "Cornflakes?"
"Yes" Gavroche smiled "Courf? You have some too?"
Courfeyrac nodded "We can both have some" he smiled checking his phone as it buzzed to reveal a number of messages from Eponine. 'Is Gavroche alright? Did he sleep okay? Is he settled?' He chuckled sitting beside Gavroche and giving him his cereal. "There we are little man"
"Tank you" Gavroche smiled stuffing a mouthful of cornflakes into his mouth. "What were you laughin' at on your phone?"
"Messages from that sister of yours" Courfeyrac smiled "Asking lots of questions about you. She wants to know that you are happy here"
"I am! I am happy" Gavroche said showing Courfeyrac a big cheesy grin with one of his front teeth missing "Look big happy smile!"
Courfeyrac laughed ruffling the boys hair "Here 'Roche, smile big and cheesy again, we'll send Eponine a picture". He snapped a photograph of Gavroche with his big smile on his phone and showed it to him, chuckling when he laughed.
"That's funny Courf! Take 'nother one, with you it in too" He smiled cheekily "For 'Ponine"
"Oh, you want me in the picture too? Alright, a picture with silly smiles?" Courfeyrac smiled lifting the little boy onto his lap and positioning his phone so that they could both be seen by the camera. "Ready? Big cheesy smiles?" The little boy grinned, laughing when Courfeyrac matched his expression. Taking the photograph, he showed it to Gavroche "You want me to send this one to Eponine?"
"Yes" Gavroche giggled, putting his empty cereal bowl on the table. "She'll like it because it's funny Courf"
Courfeyrac smiled and nodded, running a gentle hand through Gavroche's hair as the boy laid with his head on his lap. He relaxed feeling the slight weight of him lying there and smiled sending a text message to Eponine with the photograph attached.
'All smiles here this morning!' he wrote 'It's been great, you want to visit? Doors open. Ps: 'Roche wanted to that picture of me and him instead of the one of just him, he said you would find it funny'
When Eponine received the message, she did laugh at the image amazed to see her little brother looking so happy. "Tell him I love it' she text back 'I'll treasure it forever, and I'd love to visit, I'll be there soon. I've missed my little 'Roche"
They called it a bonding day, trying to sound official even though he still wasn't convinced that the orphanage was legal. It was simply a day where Courfeyrac could take Gavroche out for the day to get to know him before he officially became his guardian. The orphanage probably saw it as a day where they did not have to feed him themselves. Courfeyrac was excited to spend the day with Gavroche as the two of them had instantly hit it off. He also wanted to surprise Eponine by taking the little boy to the café to see her; after all, it had been 2 years since she had last seen him.
When Eponine arrived at the café, assuming that there would be a meeting on this night, she was surprised to see everyone appearing relaxed. Enjolras wasn't pacing, instead sat discussing politics with Marius. Combeferre wasn't reading, but instead sat playing cards with Grantaire, who appeared less drunk than usual. "What's going on" She asked, setting her coat on the table and sitting down beside Joly and Jehan who appeared to be in the middle of an in depth discussion about literature "Where's Courfeyrac?"
"Now" Enjorlas said looking up at her "That is why we are waiting for the meeting to start. He text and said he was running late, the annoying idiot, said he had to pick something up on the way here"
"Oh, and we all know how the great Enjolras hates to be kept waiting, especially at his meetings"Eponine replied with a cheeky smile. Marius chuckled, earning an angry glare from the group's leader. As his phone buzzed, Enjolras seemed to forget about his momentary anger as he concentrated on his phone before nodding to himself and then to Grantaire. The young artist, who was rarely seen without a beet can in his hand, quickly set down his cards and stepped behind Eponine, covering her eyes
"What?" She stammered "'taire…what are you doing? What game is this?" With her eyes covered, Eponine was vaguely aware of the sound of the door opening and footsteps crossing the room, stopping not far from where she was sat
"Surprise Eponine"
Grantaire lifted his hands and took a step backward, revealing the scene to Eponine. Before her stood Courfeyrac, a child's size red backpack hanging lazily over his shoulder. In his arms was a little boy who she instantly recognised. It was Gavroche. He still had his wonderful blonde curls, framing his cherub like face with its tiny button nose, the blue of his large wide eyes standing out against his naturally pale complexion. "Oh my God" She breathed jumping up and rushing around the table to him. "Courf, you got him…Gavroche"
Courfeyrac smiled brightly and nodded "I got him for today, and then I officially take him home at the end of the week" He said moving closer to her and encouraging the little boy to move into his sister's arms
"Oh Gavroche, come here, you remember me don't you" She smiled. "It's me, Eponine, 'Ponine that was what you called me"
Gavroche nodded, pieces of his early memories coming to him. Whenever he had cried as a toddler, a girl with long brown hair and big brown eyes had always been there. 'Ponine, his big sister. He smiled reaching to her "'Ponine, 'Ponine"
Eponine beamed tears of happiness in her eyes. "'Roche" she smiled holding him to her chest and bringing her hand through the fair blonde curls she loved so much. "Oh I've missed you baby"
"Missed 'Ponine, wanted to come home for you" Gavroche murmured into her neck.
"I know that the orphanage wasn't nice, 'Roche, but it was better than home. Now, it's going to be much better when you are living with Courfeyrac, I promise" Eponine smiled kissing his cheek and sitting with the little boy on her lap.
"Courf" Gavroche smiled pointing to the young man who sat beside them, passing Gavroche his backpack. "Courf got me this bag, it got a race care on it, and this because I'm a little monkey" He enthusiastically showed her the bag and the plush toy monkey he pulled out from inside it
Eponine grinned holding him close and looking to Courfeyrac. "Spoiling him already Fey?" She giggled, the happiest that she had been in years.
"Hey, the little man deserves some spoiling" He smiled, reaching across to tickle Gavroche's stomach as he played with the toy and laughing as the child squirmed and giggled.
Eponine laughed with them "Thank You Courfeyrac, for everything" She smiled looking him in the eye
"You're welcome 'Ponine, looking after them one is going to be my pleasure" He smiled "It's going to be a lot of fun"
"It's open!" Courfeyrac called as he playfully wrestled the extremely ticklish Gavroche into some day clothes
Eponine walked in; closing the door behind her "Good morning" She smiled "Courfeyrac? Gavroche?" She only had to wait a minute before she broke into a grin as Gavroche came running to her. He wore a pair of dark blue jeans along with a red shirt with a cartoon lion on it. "Hey" She smiled reaching her arms out to him "There's my baby brother" She swept him up into her arms and peppered his chubby cheeks with tiny kisses.
"It's good to see you with a smile on your face again Eponine" Courfeyrac smiled coming into the lounge carrying Gavroche's toy box. "Smiling suits you, you've got dimples"
Blushing, Eponine put Gavroche down and sat on the couch "You're such a sweet talker" She smiled watching Gavroche run to his toy box and get out a number of toy trains and planes "What you got there then 'Roche?"
"Toys!" He laughed pushing a toy train along the floor and beaming when Courfeyrac set up a small wooden track.
"I'm glad you two are getting along so well" Eponine said looking to Courfeyrac as he helped the little boy position the trains on the track. "'Roche seems to really like you and trust you"
"He's a good kid" Courfeyrac smiled moving to sit up next to her on the couch and watching Gavroche play "A wonderful kid. He's very smart, very funny and great to have around. I haven't been bored since I brought him home. This is the perfect arrangement. He's happy and you get to see him whenever you want"
Eponine nodded in agreement, watching Gavroche play carefree. He looked up to her, smiling brightly. She smiled back, unable to believe that she had daily access to see her brother again. As he played, his eyes lit up with laughter and his blonde curls waved around his face, falling into his eyes. She smiled. "Oh Gavroche, you are so gorgeous"
"Hey! That's what people say to baby girls!" Gavroche protested looking up at her with a pout on her lips. "I'm a boy!"
"Oh I am sorry; Mister Gavroche, then I shall correct myself" Eponine laughed "You are such a handsome little man!"
And there we go, was that cute enough for you!
Please review and let me know what you think!
