Here we go, Chapter 3 – and little Gavroche is poorly – What will Courfeyrac do?

I hope you like it

Gavroche slowly crossed the floor of Courfeyrac's bedroom, digging his blanket behind him and carrying his monkey plush toy. In the early hours of the morning, the young man who occupied the bedroom was fast asleep. Coming to stand beside the bed, Gavroche gave a whimper of discomfort. "Courfeyrac?" He whispered. "Courf, wake up pwease, I feel sick"

Courfeyrac stirred, slowly lifting his head from his pillow. "Feel sick?" He said sleepily.

"Yes, my tummy 'urts and…and it's too hot" Gavroche whispered, absentmindedly rubbing his hand against his cheek.

With his eyebrows raised in concern, Courfeyrac sat up quickly and reached across to turn on the bedside light. "Well, that's no good is it little man?" He said. As the light turned on, he turned to see Gavroche and gasped. Gavroche's sweet little face was covered in angry red spots and he appeared feverish in appearance. "Oh 'Roche look at you"

"What? Why?" Gavroche asked looking up at him with bloodshot eyes.

With a sigh, Courfeyrac picked up the little boy and carried him to the bathroom, holding him so that he could see himself in the mirror. The child went wide eyed when he saw his reflection and whimpered looking to Courfeyrac "Courf! I have spots!" He cried

"Indeed you do, it's called chicken pox" Courfeyrac sighed kissing the boys head and feeling how hot he was. "Do the spots itch at all?"

"A little bit" Gavroche said rubbing his stomach and leaning his head on Courfeyrac's shoulder. "Tummy 'urts"

"I know little one, shh I know" Courfeyrac said softly, lifting his top to see spots on his stomach and arms also "Must you mustn't itch them, you will get scars that will never go away".

Gavroche whimpered tears in his eyes wrapping his arms around Courfeyrac's neck. "I don't like the chicken pox"

"Nobody does 'Roche, but it's alright, we can get some special cream that will make the spots stop itching and some medicine to make you feel less hot" Courfeyrac said carrying him through to the lounge and sitting him on the couch with his blanket wrapped around him tightly. "We can sit here together and watch some movies, your choice of course; do you want Eponine to come?"

"Yes, want 'Ponine" Gavroche said keeping his arms around the young man's neck as he started to cry softly. "Courf, my tummy…"

Courfeyrac sighed picking him up and holding him close as he walked to the kitchen and filled a small cup with water. It may have only been 5am but he knew that he would not be getting back to sleep now. He gently held the cup to Gavroche's lip encouraging him to drink "There we go; it's alright, little sips kiddo". Gavroche took a few sips before lying back against Courfeyrac's chest, rubbing his eyes. Keeping him close, Courfeyrac sat down on the couch with Gavroche laying against him and grabbed his phone from the table, texting Eponine. 'Hi, sorry it's so early but Gavroche has woken with the chicken pox and he wants you' he wrote.

When Eponine heard her phone buzzing beside her, she stirred and sleepily grabbed it peering at the screen. 'Oh my God, I'll be there soon Courfeyrac, my poor baby' She wrote climbing out of bed careful to avoid the squeaking floorboards as she dressed in her holey jeans, white vest shirt and leather jacket. She was used to sneaking out; she didn't care what her father did to her when she got home. She wanted to be out of there, she hated being at home. Now, knowing that her precious baby brother was poorly, she was in a hurry to get out of the house. Lifting the window up, she snuck out of her luckily ground floor bedroom and shut the window behind her. She made her way to Courfeyrac's apartment quickly knocking on the door.

Courfeyrac opened the door and smiled to her. "Hey, sorry to wake you so early" He whispered. Gavroche was still in his arms, sniffling as he nuzzled his little head against his neck with his blanket held tightly around him and his monkey hanging from one hand. "He asked for you and I couldn't say no"

Eponine gave a gentle smile. "He has you wrapped around his little finger" She said stepping inside and following him to the lounge. "How is he?"

"Feverish and clingy" Courfeyrac sighed resting back on the couch and lifting Gavroche, turning him so he faced his sister. "Chicken pox are silly aren't they little man?"

He nodded, looking at Eponine and giving a tiny smile, that cheeky light hiding under glassy sleepy eyes. "Icky" He said with a pout, his thumb finding its way into his mouth.

Eponine smiled at him, reaching across to brush curls of blonde hair behind his ears. "Poor baby 'Roche" She cooed. "It's alright, we can cuddle, have you got movies to watch. That will make you feel better". Gavroche nodded pointing to a pile of Disney and Pixar DVD's by the television as she carefully picked him up and held him on her lap.

Courfeyrac smiled watching the siblings wrap their arms around each other and little Gavroche rest his head on her chest, sucking his thumb. "I don't really know what to do with chicken pox, but I made sure he still had his blanket and that he had a lot of water" He said, somewhat nervously as he looked at Gavroche's little red cheeks stained with tear tracks

"You did good Courfeyrac, have you got medicine and rash cream?" Eponine said running her hand gently up and down Gavroche's back.

"Well, no, not yet, I need to go and get some. Will you be alright watching him for a minute, I won't be long" He replied putting on his shoes.

"Yeah, we'll be fine" Eponine smiled holding Gavroche as she set up 'Shrek' to start playing. "Won't we 'Roche?"

"Where you goin' Courf?" Gavroche asked reaching up to him. "Stay here"

Courfeyrac chuckled, shaking his head as he kneeled down to his height as he sat on Eponine's lap. "I won't be long I promise little man, I'm just going to the shop to get some medicine and some special cream that will stop all these silly spots from itching" He smiled holding his hands and rubbing his thumbs over the tiny knuckles. "Alright buddy, you stay here with Eponine and I'll be right back"

Gavroche pouted "Pwomise?" he said in a tiny voice holding up his little finger

"I promise" Courfeyrac laughed linking his little finger with Gavroche's and kissing his hand before kissing his forehead. Eponine smiled watching the exchange. When Gavroche gave a little nod and lay back against Eponine, Courfeyrac stood. "I'll be right back, before Shrek meets Donkey, that's how fast I can be" He smiled going to the door

"And you've watched this how many times Courfeyrac?" Eponine laughed watching him go. She was happy to see that Gavroche and Courfeyrac had bonded so closely, and appeared to both light up in each other's company. Wrapping her arms around Gavroche's tiny body, she smiled allowing herself to relax as she stroked his hair and rested her cheek on his forehead so that she could feel if he got any warmer.

When Courfeyrac returned he carried a bag full of fruit juice, medicine, rash cream and books. Gavroche sat up when he saw him and smiled, wiping his eyes. "Courf!" He cried to get his attention from his place in the kitchen

"Hey Little man" Courfeyrac smiled going to him and picking him up, smiling to Eponine. "I thought you would have fallen asleep by now, mr sleepy head. You need to sleep to get better" He said carrying him on his hip. "You going to take some of this medicine, it will make your tummy better"

Gavroche looked at the medicine and pouted. "That looks yuck" He said looking to the young man with a look that would have been very determined had his big blue eyes not been so bloodshot with tiredness and illness.

"It won't taste yucky, it's strawberry flavoured" Courfeyrac chuckled skilfully pouring the medicine into the measuring lid with one hand as he held the child. "A big boy would take his medicine, are you a big grown up boy or a baby?"

Eponine giggled and smiled as she watched Courfeyrac with Gavroche, trying to get him to take the medicine. He seems like such a natural, like everything he said was instinct. It made her smile just to watch them together.

"A grown up boy" Gavroche replied unwillingly letting Courfeyrac give him the medicine.

"A good boy, that's what you are" Courfeyrac smiled holding him close. "Now we need to put some of this cream on, don't we?" Gavroche nodded. Courfeyrac smiled and sat him on the kitchen counter, removing his pyjama top and checking all the spots. "Eponine, can you hold him whilst I put this on? He's ticklish so the cheeky monkey will probably squirm"

Eponine nodded, surprised that Courfeyrac appeared to know more about her little brother than she did. Sitting on the counter beside the little boy, Eponine held him on her lap as Courfeyrac began to dab the pink lotion onto the spots

"No, that cold!" Gavroche complained clinging to Eponine and trying to squirm away "Don't like it Courf!"

"I know little man, but the coldness is what makes the itch go away" Courfeyrac said "Stay still and it be all be done. Then we can finish watching Shrek and you get some sleep" Eventually, they managed to get Gavroche covered in the lotion before Courfeyrac carried him back to the couch and sat with him. "Lay down 'Roche" He instructed. Gavroche gave a little nod, lying down with his head on Courfeyrac's lap as Eponine spread his blanket over him and kissed his cheek. Courfeyrac stroked the little boy's hair until he felt him relax to sleep.

"So, Monsieur Courfeyrac, I saw you brought him books too, still spoiling him?" Eponine smiled looking up at Courfeyrac.

"Yeah, I thought he would like some books so that I could read him a bedtime story. I can't really remember the fairy tales my mum told me when I was his age" Courfeyrac smiled showing her a number of children's books with cartoon cars and trains on the covers

"He will love them. I never really got fairy tales when I was younger" Eponine replied looking through the books. "No princesses for me"

Courfeyrac nodded. "Then I'll have to remember a princess fairy tale story to tell you, every girl needs a princess story in their lives"

Eponine laughed "He's made you go soft Courf, fairy tales and cuddles and animated movies" She giggled "Do you have the mental age of a four year old?"

"Sometimes" Courfeyrac laughed "Well, he brings out the best in everyone. Maybe the best of me is a four year old trapped in an adult's body"

"Maybe" Eponine giggled looking at Gavroche. "He's the best of our family, he always was"

And there is part one of this little plot bunny

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