Marius and Cosette. Cosette and Marius. Thinking about one of them meant thinking of the other. The god of love and the goddess of marriage. When they got together no one was surprised; their happiness spread over, and deities, mortals, animals, trees, rivers, everything was filled up with warmth, contentment and renewed energy. They loved each other fiercely, with loyalty and tenacity.
Of course their gentle souls were the most affected when tragedy struck Eponine and Enjolras. Not to mention that they both had a special kind of friendship with the unfortunate couple. Marius and Enjolras were always very close; they shared the same ideals, they passionately discussed every topic that would catch their attention, they had fought together alongside mortals, always for a righteous cause, for justice, for freedom. Cosette had been raised alongside Eponine, and despite a rocky start (they were so different, after all) they had soon managed to find common ground, and they had been inseparable ever since.
After Eponine and Enjolras' memories of each other were wiped away, Marius and Cosette tried very hard to interact with their friends like they did before. They found out that keeping such a heavy secret from them was almost unbearable. They didn't dare disobey their Father's will because they were painfully conscious he had done the right thing. But Cosette's eyes were often red-rimmed, and Marius' smile had lost quite a bit of its dazzling force.
A dull pain took permanent residence inside their chests. Every night Cosette spent walking bare-footed on the dewy grass alongside Eponine, every golden afternoon Marius passed conversing with Enjolras in a sun-kissed field, every moment felt as if both of them were being crushed under the weight of the secret; only the knowledge that without their friends they would have felt even worse made them carry on.
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"He won't stop staring at you, you know. You might as well go back looking at me while we talk" Eponine said, smirking. Cosette chuckled. "I'm sorry, he just has those hypnotic eyes. He's so beautiful" she answered, reaching out to pet Eponine's cat on his head, smoothing down his glossy black fur. He closed his blue eyes, purring.
"Yes, he is. I'm very lucky, he's… quite special." Eponine murmured with a soft smile.
"What do you mean?" Cosette asked quietly.
Eponine lifted her head to gaze at the starry sky. "He came to me a week ago. I was down in the underworld, staring into a pool of water so clear I could see every detail of my appearance. It was a lovely place, really. Thousands of shiny stalactites, whiter than snow. And then, suddenly, he was there with me. I felt content in that cave, at peace. But as soon as I saw him, I felt… It felt like…" Eponine stopped talking, a frown marring her forehead.
"…yes?" Cosette gently prompted.
"It's difficult to explain. I suppose… oh, it sounds utterly stupid, but I suppose it was the feeling you get when you're with Marius. You know… love." Eponine concluded shyly. She let herself fall to the ground. The grass was soft under her body, and she closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation. She didn't notice Cosette's expression going from shocked to heartbroken, her eyes filling up with tears. The goddess of marriage turned away from her friend, paced a bit to calm herself, then said with a slightly forced smile "I'd better go now."
Eponine opened her eyes. "Sure. I'll see you soon?"
"Of course, Eponine". The two goddesses smiled at each other, then Eponine settled on the grass more comfortably, the light of the stars reflected in her eyes. The cat moved next to her, curling up against her side.
Feeling like a hand was squeezing her throat to prevent her from breathing, Cosette asked "Eponine, what did you name him?".
"I called him Sun."
Cosette flinched. Eponine misinterpreted her reaction, and rolling her eyes she said "I know, I know, he's black, this black sky is probably a shade paler than he is. But, I don't know. I have the feeling that name belongs to him."
Cosette nodded, then left without a word, knowing she was dangerously close to a breakdown. She needed to find Marius, and then she needed to talk to Mother.
