A Franc or Two - Les Misérables [IN EDITING]

The Barricade - Chapter 61

"Why is there blood all over her?"

"Um... she'd rather I not share."

"Well, is she alright?"

"She... Well, she isn't injured, if that brings you any comfort."

Grantaire had carried you to the barricade. There wasn't a better place to go, to be honest- though you would be in danger, with the furniture falling from up high while a war was close to breaking out, you couldn't bear to look at what you had done.

You were sitting against a wall with a broken window, underneath a balcony so you wouldn't have furniture fall on top of you, and you couldn't help but grow numb with shock... God, that was beyond liberating, but you had killed somebody- something you had grown up thinking you were incapable of.

"M'selle [Y/N], is you alright?"

You looked up to see Gavroche, his blond hair a mess as he stared at you with concern glimmering in those eyes of his. He glanced behind him, watching as Grantaire and Courfeyrac bickered over what to do with you (before Enjolras could get involved), and Gavroche let out a jaded sigh.

"These children is going to be the end of me," Gavroche sighed, shaking his head as he facepalmed and looked back to you. He eyed the spot to your right, and he let out a tired sigh while keeping up his father-figure sort of façade. "May I?"

You nodded with a smile, and with that returned grin of his, he took his seat next to you. He was about a head shorter than you as he squatted, so, for obvious reasons, he still had to look up at you- and after those large eyes examined your expression, he caught your emotions. His grin faltered.

Gnawing at the inside if his cheek, he made the decision to continue investigate, reaching over to hold your face in his small hands.

"Why's you crying?"

The amount of innocence held in his caring voice was enough to make you tear up a little more. What had you done to deserve such a little angel in your life?

"I'm just... I'm still a little tired, that's all," you said, flinching as a piano burst into distorted music as it broke by your feet. Gavroche jumped and gasped, holding onto you for a few moments before slowly relaxing. He gulped, looking over to you again as his lips broke into a sheepish smile- and he watched as furniture continued to rain from the second stories of buildings.

"I'm really sorry to hear that," Gavroche said, giving a soft nod as he rested his head against your arm. "You's gone through a lot, and I wish... I wish the world would just give you better. I doesn't deserve a lot of what I has, and I just... it isn't fair what's happening..."

Gavroche sniffled, and you glanced over to see him looking at his knees, a tear making a path down his face and threatening to fall from the tip of his nose.

You wished more men would so freely show their emotions.

"You haven't truly got a lot, Gav- especially with those selfish men running France- but believe me when I say that you deserve the entire world," you said, adjusting your arm a little to pull him to your side. He wiped his nose with the back of his arm, frowning as he saw a little snot on his jacket, and he wiped his forearm on his leg before looking up at you. He was waiting for you to continue.

"It's... it makes me terribly sad, what happened to your little brother, but you and me... we still have to figure out a way to live out our lives," you said. You said those words without the intent to believe it. "And now... Well, we've got your brother Clement-Hadrian looking out for us from Heaven."

When you were still pregnant, Gavroche had gotten confused whenever you called your baby by that name— so, instead, he insisted on naming the baby after one of his best mates, Clement-Hadrian.

"We's got the other one, too," Gavroche said, his eyebrows furrowing. "We's got two Clement-Hadrians."

"Pardon?"

"Clement-Hadrian... My mate, he died of pneum-oni-monia." Gavroche, though hesitant, gave a gentle nod and wiped his face using the palm of his hand. "Looked really bad... He was pale and coughing and he was skinny as a bone when I found him. It was weird to see him like that... But I's glad he isn't hurting anymore."

Unsure of what to say, you sat in silence, trying to find the wisdom to say something to bring the boys comfort... But to your surprise, he seemed at peace with it- still terribly sad, sure, but he was... well, he knew that what had happened was for the better.

Gavroche opened his mouth to ask another question before he gasped a little, looking in the direction right behind you.

"[Y/N]- oh, hey Gavroche- [Y/N], come with me," Courfeyrac said. Gavroche was quick to get to his feet so he could hold his hand out to you. Considering that it appeared that Courfeyrac wanted to talk to you somewhere more private, Courfeyrac shot you an almost desperate glance.

Gavroche didn't quite catch the fact that he wasn't supposed to come with...

Eponine, however, was quick to come to the rescue.

You noticed the all-too-familiar cross dress that she sported— her hair was tucked up under a cap, her coat and trousers were a size too big, and she had even dirtied her face to the point that it was almost difficult to recognize her.

"Gav, [Y/N] and I need some alone time," she said. "We'll return Courfeyrac to you soon— she and I just need to do some girl stuff."

Immediately at the mention of girl things, Gavroche gave an exaggerated gag before looking to Courfeyrac.

"Well, I'll help carry her there, and then I'll be off," Gavroche said. "I doesn't want to do girl things. I'm very manly, remember?"

"Yes, that you are," you said, flashing him a smile before you stumbled to your feet. That pain from your stomach, while still painful beyond belief in some moments, had subsided quite a bit— while you were still incredibly sore, it wasn't nearly as unbearable as it was before... however, you still had to be held up.

The lot helped you into an abandoned Café Musain, in which you sat on top the stool-less bar and leaned against the portion by the wall.

Gavroche was quick to run out at Grantaire's promise for a gun.

"Alright, [Y/N]... Just stay put for a moment. I'm going to go and fetch Enjolras for—"

"You're not going to get Enjolras— are you mad?" Eponine chimed in, interrupting Courfeyrac mid-sentence. "He'd go mental, knowing she's out here."

"Well, he's going to figure out one way or another. What's your bright idea?"

"Well, I've tricked Marius by dressing as a man— she could easily trick Enjolras."

Courfeyrac shot her a look. With his eyes, he seemed to say something along the lines of "that's different— because Marius doesn't love you," though before you could register Eponine's heartbroken and murderous look, the door flew open...

And it seemed that the murderous looks were thrown around everywhere. You were greeted with the near murderous eyes if Enjolras.

A/N: That's the tea ☕ Haha, also, shout-out to New-Identity for giving me the inspiration to keep writing this book, since she reminded me that people actually read it lmao. Don't worry, the ending is still going to be... well, like that of my other books, and it'll also be coming out soon. Here's that emoji thing again, btw :)
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