And here is the continuation…
Poorly little Gavroche does feature here, of course he does, but he isn't the main focus here
I hope you like it!
Courfeyrac, making sure that the blanket was still tucked around little Gavroche and gently running a hand over his head of blonde curls, looked up at Eponine with a comforting smile. She may have said everything with a smile but he could see pain in her eyes. "What do you mean by that?" He asked looking at her referring to the comment she had made earlier that day, about how Gavroche was the best of her family. "Why was he the best of your family?"
With a sigh, Eponine turned to him. "He was always smiling; he would always come and give me a cuddle after dad went on a drunken rage or mum 'forgot' to make dinner one night." She said. "He was my little light at home, him and Azelma. Gavroche didn't seem to even notice when Azelma died, but I was quite glad of that. He asked where she was, but he wasn't upset."
Courfeyrac nodded placing a hand on her arm in attempt to offer her some comfort. "I'm sorry Eponine, for what happened to Azelma and what your parents did to you"
"I can handle what they do to me, it isn't that bad. I just wish they had never sent Gavroche away, or that they had sent me away with him. It was just one night, and I thought it was normal, but my papa came in and told me to go to my room. I didn't want to leave Gavroche with him, and tried to take him with me but my papa grabbed him away. That was the last time I saw Gavroche at home" Eponine said finding herself leaning against his hand, taking comfort from the touch
Courfeyrac nodded. "I'm glad you can see him now and that you are together again" He said. "I'm glad I could help in that way"
"You've done so much more than help Courfeyrac" Eponine said with a smile looking from the young man to the tiny boy sleeping with his head on his lap "Look at him, this is the happiest and most settled I have ever seen him. He was happy at home but he could feel that something was wrong there. Here, it's perfect"
"I try and make it nice for him, even if it looks like I am spoiling him. I love the way he smiles when he gets out a new toy or when I sit and watch cartoons with him" Courfeyrac smiled. "We get along; it's starting to feel like he is my little brother too"
"He adores you" Eponine smiled "And I can see that you adore him"
Courfeyrac nodded and smiled. "I wish I could have got him out sooner, so he didn't go to the orphanage"
"That can't be helped 'Fey, we didn't know where he was" Eponine said. "What you doing know is perfect"
"Courf, 'Ponine" Gavroche said in a tiny voice when he stirred, rolling onto his back and wiping his eyes.
"Hey little man" Courfeyrac smiled lifting him up to sit on his lap. "Are you feeling better?"
"No" Gavroche pouted looking at him and picking up his monkey toy "Still icky"
"I'm sorry buddy, you'll feel better soon" Courfeyrac said kissing his head "Do you want to play, or watch a movie, or I got you some books"
"Story?" Gavroche said, a little smile coming onto his lips. "'Ponine, we can hear a story"
Eponine giggled. "Yeah, Courfeyrac got you some books" She smiled. "You want a story?"
He nodded. "Yes pwease, story pwease"
Courfeyrac smiled setting the little boy on Eponine's lap and moving to pick up the books. "Trains, planes or cars?" He asked holding up the little books.
"Trains" Gavroche smiled pointing to a book with a red cartoon train on the cover "Pwease"
"Trains it is" Courfeyrac smiled sitting close next to Eponine and Gavroche and starting to read the story, putting on silly voices for each character and laughing whenever little Gavroche laughed and nodded along with the story. Eponine watched and listened, giggling at Courfeyrac's voices and overacting as well as Gavroche's reactions.
"I like the story Courf, you funny" Gavroche giggled when Courfeyrac finished the last page of the book.
"I'm glad I entertain you little man" Courfeyrac smiled. Even though Gavroche was poorly, it was good to see him smiling and laughing.
Gavroche giggled, nodding. "more story?"
"One more if you say you will lay back down and get some more sleep afterwards" Courfeyrac smiled tapping his nose playfully, careful not to touch any of the spots in case the touch made it itch again.
"Ok, I pwomise" Gavroche smiled picking up the book with the plane on the front "This one"
Courfeyrac chuckled taking the book and nodded. "Okay, let's see what this little plane is going to do on his adventure" He smiled looking at Gavroche's joyful expression at the idea of another story. He began to read, with the same silly voices and playfulness to his reading. He could feel Gavroche leaning across from his perch on Eponine's lap to lean against his shoulder as he read and quickly looked round to kiss his head. "You like books kiddo?"
"Yes I do, finish the story Courf!" Gavroche said, sleepily wiping his eyes as he smiled and looked at the brightly coloured illustrations on the books pages.
"Alright, you demanding little thing" Courfeyrac laughed, continuing the book until he was finished and Gavroche knew that the little plane was safely back on the ground.
"More story" Gavroche asked, a pleading look in his big blue eyes
"Later" Courfeyrac smiled handing Gavroche a drink and watching him take a few sips. "You're poorly so you need to rest and you promised"
With a pout, Gavroche crawled off of Eponine's lap and moved across to Courfeyrac. "Pwomise more story later?"
"I promise" He replied holding him, bringing to rest against his chest and rubbing his back gently.
"You're so good to him" Eponine whispered watching him with the little boy. She watched as Courfeyrac settled Gavroche back to sleep and laid him down gentle kissing his head before headed to the kitchen.
"He deserves it" Courfeyrac smiled as he made two cups of hot chocolate and brought one to her. "Here, my speciality"
"Thank you" Eponine smiled as she took a sip of the sweet chocolaty mixture and watched him as he sat beside her with Gavroche sleeping at the other end of the couch, clutching his monkey toy. "Fey, can I ask you something?"
"This sounds ominous, but sure" Courfeyrac smiled turning to face her as he drank his hot chocolate
"What made you want to do this?" She asked leaving her mug on the table and tucking her feet up underneath herself as she leant against the back of the couch.
"Make hot chocolate? I was thirsty?" Courfeyrac said with a chuckle, wiping cream off of his upper lip.
Eponine laughed "No, not make the hot chocolate, you silly thing" She giggled. "I mean, what made you want to do this? Foster Gavroche and raise him?"
"Oh, well that was an easy decision" Courfeyrac replied "I have this apartment, with the spare room, and the income from my internship. Why not do something good with it. I can use it to give Gavroche everything that he needs. And he make's good company"
"I wish there were more people like you, who want to use what they have to help other people" Eponine replied. "There must have been a lot of children in that horrid orphanage, with no one to care for them"
"Yeah, there was. Gavroche was the youngest one there" Courfeyrac said with a sigh "I am glad that I could get him out of there and bring him here when he can be happy. And it makes you happy, which is a wonderful extra"
Eponine, to her surprise, found herself blushing at his comment, her cheeks turning pink and her dimples on show when she smiled. "Thank you for that, he does make me happy" She said with a nervous giggle as she looked up into Courfeyrac's eyes. He laughed at her blushing, it made his eyes sparkle.
Shaking herself out of that thought, she sat up and nodded to herself, checking the time. 7pm. "I should get going, when Gavroche wakes up tell him that I'm sorry but I had to go" She said hurriedly standing up.
"Eponine, wait, no no don't go yet" Courfeyrac said moving up and taking her hand.
"Courfeyrac, what are you doing?" Eponine laughed, trying to hide her nervous feelings and playing along with the game instead.
"I promised you a princess story, didn't I?" Courfeyrac smiled. "I've given Gavroche his stories, now I can give you a story"
Eponine giggled. "You were serious about that? Do you even know any princess stories?"
"Yeah, I do" he smiled. "Now, come on"
"Fine, I'll humour you" Eponine said with a smile, allowing him to lead her back to the couch and sat down beside him.
"Alright, a princess story" Courfeyrac smiled sitting with her and leaning back, his feet on the table. "Once upon a time, there was a princess trapped in an old castle. She would sit for hours alone, just wishing that she could be out and could be exploring, seeing the world that was around her, the world that she was locked away from. She dreamed of finding everything that she loved, everything that had been taken away from her one night whilst she slept. One day when the king and the queen were away, she snuck out and met a handsome prince who took her breath away"
Eponine, oddly comforted by his tone of voice, laid her head against the back on the couch and curled up her legs as she smiled. "Continue" She said softly
"This handsome prince wanted to do anything in his power to protect the beautiful princess from the castle which she was trapped in but she was kind and honourable telling him first to find everything that she loved and to protect it in his care. He agreed wanting to see the smile on her face when he returned what she loved to her. How she smiled. The biggest smile he had ever seen. When she returned to the castle, where the king and the queen would care for anything but her, that smile disappeared. She didn't live to be at home in the castle. She lived to sneak out, to see everything that she loved, to see her prince. He lived to protect what she loved, lived to protect when he came to love as well. He lived to see his beautiful princess. To see her smile and hear her laugh. There was only one thing he wished and that was to save her."
When Courfeyrac finished speaking, he smiled at the sight before him. Eponine was curled up small in her seat, her head forward with her forehead against his shoulder, fast asleep. With a smile, he looked at Gavroche sleeping beside his sister and nodded to himself. First he carefully moved Eponine back so her head was resting against the couch pillow before moving to pick up Gavroche "Come on little man" He whispered wrapping an arm around him and holding his head to rest against his shoulder as he carefully carried the sleeping child to his bedroom and laid him down without him stirring. "There's a good boy, goodnight 'Roche" He said carefully before leaving the room.
Returning to the couch, he saw that Eponine was still sleeping. He couldn't let her sleep on the couch, whilst he had a nice and comfortable bed. With a warm smile, Courfeyrac gently lifted her petite frame into his arms, holding her to his chest as he carried her to his bedroom. He would sleep on the couch. He laid her down on the bed and carefully laid the covers over her, making sure that she was comfortable. Silently, he brushed her hair behind her ears and laid a gentle kiss on her forehead.
Awwww, what did you think of that?
I hope you liked Courfeyrac's fairy tale
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