Summary: Enjolras is pretty sure they meet Cosette by accident.
Enjolras sees Marius at Courfeyrac's apartment every few days. His small pile of belongings have moved out of his suitcase and into a small chest-of-drawers that Courfeyrac had found at a junk sale and the room that had originally been a kind of study area has been converted into a make-shift second bedroom, complete with a considerably more expensive inflatable mattress then the one Enjolras had tried to use when he was seventeen and sleeping on the floor in Courfeyrac's bedroom. So clearly Marius is planning on staying for some amount of time.
However, he seems to go out of his way to avoid the rest of the group. For the first three weeks, whenever he had dropped by Courfeyrac's apartment Marius had tried to sneak out when he though Enjolras wasn't paying attention. Unfortunately, subtlety does not appear to be Marius' strong suit, and more often than not he kicks something that had been lying on the floor, or practically slams the door in his haste to get out, and Enjolras pretends he doesn't notice, because Marius clearly needs some time to get over the embarrassment of his first disastrous meeting. But after three weeks of no change Enjolras calls out to him as he is making another failed attempt at sneaking and tells him to come and watch television with him and Courfeyrac. Neutral ground is always a good way to start, and before long Marius is comfortable enough to contribute to Enjolras and Courfeyrac's running commentary over top of the news. After that, Enjolras starts bringing Combeferre with him to Courfeyrac's and while Marius spends the first time hiding in his bedroom, he eventually joins the three of them around Courfeyrac's coffee table, taking up the lone armchair while the other they squeeze onto the couch.
Regardless of Marius apparently finding a safe space for conversation at Courfeyrac's apartment, he continues to actively avoid the rest of Les Amis, which is why it's a surprise the day that he turns up at the Corinth. Enjolras is pretty sure that he mentioned once or twice that they met there in the hopes that Marius would come along, but he never expressed any interest beyond what was required to be polite. He's not sure if Marius simply forgot that this was their meeting place now, or if he just remembered it as a place that Enjolras mentioned for some reason and thought it would be a good place for food and drink.
Because Marius is clearly not here for the meeting. In fact, he doesn't even seem to have noticed the rest of the group, eyes caught as they are on the tiny girl with him, all soft brown hair and soft curves and high stiletto heels. He doesn't even notice Courfeyrac approaching them until he's swooped down on the girl and spun her around in a circle. She laughs, the kind of laugh that can't help but make you smile along with her, and plants a kiss on Courfeyrac's cheek and Enjolras realises this must be Cosette. He's only heard about her from Marius once because after the first time he told him he did not care about his love life, but Courfeyrac had rolled his eyes and grinned happily in a way that spoke volumes about how often he'd heard this speech from Marius.
After almost no cajoling, Cosette is convinced to sit with the rest of them, and Marius follows. And though he casts nervous glances at everyone at the main table, no one makes any comment other than to welcome him back.
The meeting continues on as planned from that point, but after everyone other than the core members have left, Courfeyrac manages to convince Marius and Cosette to stay and tell them the story of how they met. It's a ridiculous story, like something out of a movie, where the boy wakes up to see the girl he's always known but never noticed before and while Enjolras is happy for them, he truly is, he also truly has no interest in watching them make eyes at each other.
Instead, he lets his eyes and his mind wander, and they settle on Grantaire. Grantaire has moved from his customary table in the corner and taken the seat opposite him since the meeting ended. He has a glass of wine in front of him, but only a glass instead of the bottle, and he has a faint smile playing across his lips as he sketches something on his notepad. Enjolras likes him like this; mostly sober and surrounding himself with his friends - happy. He leans forward to catch a glimpse of the drawing. It's Marius, but his eyes are hearts and Cosette next to him has angel wings and a halo. He must feel Enjolras' gaze on him and he looks up, just as Marius tells of the way birds had literally been singing when he saw Cosette across the park and Enjolras can not help the way his eyes roll. Grantaire snorts with laughter at whatever else is showing on Enjolras' face, and everyone else falls abruptly silent and turn to stare at them. Grantaire looks immediately back to his sketchbook and Enjolras frowns at them all, but when they turn back to continue their conversation, Grantaire looks up again and grins at him.
Enjolras smiles back.
Cosette comes back to the Corinthe the next week without Marius in tow. She seats herself with a cheery hello to everyone between Musichetta and Jehan, and listens intently to every word spoken in the meeting. There is an awkward silence after everyone else leaves, while they try to think of anything else to talk about, other than surprise that she's here. She had been invited, of course, but with Marius' refusal to attend, they hadn't thought that she would.
Cosette must sense the question, regardless - it's not as if they're subtle about it, after all - and unprompted, tells them the most dramatic tale of abuse, welfare fraud and woe that any of them have heard happen to someone they know. By the end of her sad tale, Bahorel is sniffing quietly to himself and Musichetta has wrapped her bright red nails around Cosette's arm, but Cosette is focused on Jehan, who is looking at her in frank disbelief.
"When I was growing up..." he croaks, coughs, and starts again. "When I was growing up, my parents told me stories about a man who used to live on their street before he was arrested for hiding his sister and her son from the police to keep them from being deported. His name was Jean Valjean. His story is why I became an activist. Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me."
Cosette laughs, delighted, at Jehan's admission, and takes his hand that is resting on the table in two of her own. "Papa will be happy to hear that he has inspired good works." And Jehan smiles shyly at her in a way that he is never shy.
Enjolras marvels at how Cosette can laugh after telling what has happened to her; there is no falseness to her smile, no bitterness hidden behind her eyes. Just a true and honest belief that everything can get better, that pain and suffering have an end.
As Cosette turns from Jehan to ask the others how they became involved in activism, Enjolras has the sudden thought that their group is now complete.