𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑷𝑯𝑬𝑪𝒀 || 𝐄𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐥𝐫𝐚𝐬

12. 𝑳𝒆𝒔 𝑳𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒔 𝑸𝒖𝒊 𝑼𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕

Chapter 12.

✎ᝰ

February 24, 1832.

Elizabeth stirred, the heavy curtain of sleep falling from her eyelids like a weight lifted. She blinked in the dim light of her living room, raw afternoon sunlight spilling in through the cracked window. It took her a moment to remember where she was-a curled-up figure on the couch, a quill in one hand and a crumpled piece of parchment in the other.

The remnants of a dream began to dissipate, replaced by a fog of consciousness and an inkling of discomfort as she felt a gaze studying her.

"Mari," she murmured, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," Marius said, amusement lacing his voice. "I thought perhaps you had decided to take up permanent residence on my couch."
"Our couch."

"You're a terrible sleeper. I swear you were about to drown in ink," he teased, noticing the various ink stains on her fingers and the smudged parchment around her. "Did you happen to get home late last night? I was wondering who you were with."

With a quick movement, Elizabeth sat upright, raking her messy hair back into place. "Not now, please. I'm too tired to talk about it."

"You look like you've wrestled a chimera and lost," Marius smirked, watching her trying to fix her hair. "Was it Courf?"

Elizabeth groaned, partially in annoyance and partially because her thoughts hung over her like a storm cloud. "It was just Enjolras and me. We had a... spirited discussion at the café a few days ago. I did most of the talking."

"A spirited discussion?" Marius raised an eyebrow. "Is that what we're calling it now?"

"For the record, Marius," she countered, a hint of a smile playing on her lips, "it's not my fault he can be infuriatingly stubborn!"

Marius chuckled. "And you're not?"

"Touché," she replied, smirking, then sighed. "We fought, like always. But yesterday, he invited me out for drinks afterward to clear the air. He felt badly for reading one of my stories without permission."

"And did that help at all?" Marius asked, a teasing glint in his eyes.

Elizabeth hesitated, fiddling with a loose thread on her robe. "Maybe... I think we finally have a truce. We might not kill each other anymore."

Marius laughed, unable to hide his enjoyment of the situation. "You and Enjolras, settling your differences over drinks? The mighty Enjolras and Elizabeth, rivals turned companions? I'm surprised the world hasn't turned on its axis."

"Well, don't be too pleased. I'm certain the same rivalry is lurking beneath the surface," Elizabeth chuckled, allowing a hint of amusement to slip into her voice, masking the slight fear fluttering through her stomach.

Marius raised an amused brow, backtracking, still confused. "What kind of truce ends with you two out drinking together?"

"It was unintentional," Elizabeth shot back, irritation creeping now into her voice. "For once, I thought it would be beneficial to listen to him."

"Really? You think a drink with the great leader of our revolution will bring peace to your arguments?" Marius teased, struggling to stifle a laugh.

"It actually worked," Elizabeth said firmly, a half-smile betraying the full story. "For now. I think we've reached a... well, a sort of understanding."

Marius chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief.

"It's for the sake of the revolution, we need to focus. Besides..." Elizabeth trailed off, unsure how to voice the inexplicable mix of confusion and exhilaration bubbling within her since that night.