Love Beyond The Barricade

Chapter 2

    The sky is cloudy and overcast as Les Amis build their barricade with help from their fellow citizens and revolutionaries. A man approaches Enjolras and tells him: "I have spied on the government and I know they won't attack tonight."

"Thanks for the information," says Enjolras relieved to have more time to finish building the barricade.

    However, whilst the stranger and Enjolras were talking, Gavroche was eyeing the unknown man and just as he is about to walk away, Gavroche pipes up: "Inspector Javert exposed!" Everyone around them understands and immediately reprimands Javert.

"You're so cancelled!" Bahorel tells him.

    The people take Javert to be tied up in the café Corinthe, but Enjolras stays behind to talk with Gavroche. "Thanks for spilling the tea, sis," Enjolras says, proud of Gavroche.

    At sunset, a battalion of troops marches towards the barricade.

"Who's there?" they shout.

"French revolution!" Enjolras barks back.

"Fire!!!!!"

    The clouds gather, dark and terrible over the barricade. But the revolutionaries barely notice as adrenaline courses through their veins. Each second begins to feel like an hour and they can hear the beating of their hearts as loud as gunfire.

    With that, the battle begins. The people of the barricade try to hold their own against the soldiers, but it's clear the battalion has the upper hand.

    As Marius is about to be shot, he makes eye contact with the man standing before him and doesn't fear. Cosette is moving far away and he'll never see her again, so the only thing that matters to him anymore is the revolution and he's glad to give his life for it.

    However, the moment before the soldier pulls the trigger, somebody suddenly jumps in front of Marius, taking a bullet to the abdomen. The soldier stands shocked and Marius takes the opportunity to slash his chest open with his bayonet.

    He kneels by the person who saved him and is struck with recognition. It can't be! There's no way it can be, but it is.

"Marius..." rasps Éponine, Marius's long-time friend.

    Marius makes a spontaneous decision to run to the top of the barricade. He finds a barrel of gunpowder and a torch. Then he proceeds to lift them over his head. "Retreat now! Or else I'll blow up the barricade!" says Marius with a half-mad look in his eyes.

"And yourself with it?" asks a soldier with disbelief.

"And myself with it," says Marius with complete conviction.

"Retreat!" yells the soldier.

    The battalion backs off and a torrential rainfall begins. The bodies on the ground look ethereal as they glisten with rainwater. Simultaneously, they project a sort of eeriness, with their eyes half half-opened and clothes completely soaked through.

    Marius runs to Éponine. The people of the barricade shout things at him, both dissent and praise, but he doesn't hear them. He just holds Éponine as she dies in his arms and softly whispers comforts and reassurances to her.

    Meanwhile, Enjolras and Grantaire sit together and watch this scene play out. They look into each other's eyes and are thinking the same thing.

"We'll probably die soon too. It's clear that we'll be overpowered," says Grantaire quietly with his eyes lowered, as if he doesn't want to believe what he's saying.

"Yes I know, but at least it will be for an honourable cause. However, there's so much that we haven't done yet," Enjolras says. He rolls up his sleeve and shows Grantaire the inscription of the last words of his soulmate. "Do you permit it? That's what my soulmate is supposed to say last. It's truly a shame that I'll probably never meet them." Grantaire takes a swig from his bottle and shows Enjolras his wrist.

"And mine says "Vive la France."

"Well, whoever they are, they have some good values," Enjolras replies.

    When Enjolras looks away, Grantaire gazes over at him, at Enjolras's blond curls, slicked with rainwater, stuck to his face, messy, but in an absolutely perfect way. In many ways, he is like the sun. He makes the world around him brighter, he's above everyone else and he's completely unattainable. If Grantaire were to picture Apollo in human form, he would look exactly like Enjolras.

    There's a sharp pain in Grantaire's heart every time he looks at Enjolras, knowing he'll never be worthy of him. There, Grantaire sits in the rain, feeling an inexplicable emptiness.

    When Grantaire looks away, Enjolras watches him. Being honest with himself, Enjolras has always been fascinated by Grantaire. Through his facade of pessimism, Enjolras sees somebody who fears that his life will mean nothing. It's clear to Enjolras that Grantaire uses alcohol and cynicism to shield himself from his emotions.

    Seeing Grantaire in this state is like a stab in the heart to Enjolras and all he wants to do is lift Grantaire out of his misery, but he doesn't exactly know how to do so. There, Enjolras sits in the rain, feeling an incomprehensible longing.

    Side by side and drenched in rain, Enjolras and Grantaire watch as Éponine takes her last breath and goes limp. Marius lets out a ragged cry, chilling everyone to the bone.

Notes:
1.
If you are enjoying this fic, please vote on it. That would mean sososo much to me :)).
2.
The next chapter will be short and quickly published because it's an Enjoltaire poetry break!
3.
I'm not including the part where Marius gives Gavroche the letter then Valjean saves Javert.  I'm sorry if this disappoints anyone.

This is a fanfic mainly about Enjolras and Grantaire so I don't find it necessary to recount the story of Jean Valjean and Javert. It doesn't really involve any main characters or move the plot forward.