For Thee, and Only Thee - Part IV

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You woke up the next morning in a horrible mood to Cosette shaking you awake.

"Miss (Y/N), you must get up for work!"

"Cosette, I can barely move my legs never mind climb down the stairs..."

"Oh, miss, you wouldn't want to miss your second day!"

"Tell Valjean I'll be right down for breakfast, if I could ever move my legs."

"Miss, you must be there in half an hour -"

"Aw, HELL!" you moaned, causing Cosette to back away.  "Sorry," you muttered, smirking.  "Language.  Right."

You struggled to stand, stretching your legs and wincing in pain.  "I'll be fine..."

"I'll have Papa get you a carriage..."

"I'm walking, hon," you muttered wearily.  "No good-for-nothing bougie students are going to get me down today."

Ten minutes later, you were on your way to the Musain, and you burst in, ready to take out your anger into scrubbing those wine glasses clean and not particularly in a rush to serve Grantaire.

"Will you extinguish the lantern today, (Y/N)?" barked Madame.  You huffed and turned around to head outside.

You were outside, having just extinguished the lantern, when you felt a gentle hand on your shoulder.  It was Combeferre, and you were at first angry to see how sympathetic he looked.

  It was Combeferre, and you were at first angry to see how sympathetic he looked

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"Please, (Y/N).  An apology, and a request for friendship after that much-needed wake-up call for all of us last night."

He seemed genuine, so you nodded, a bit surprised.  "Ok."

"Your words...we needed to hear them.  Honestly, we did.  We haven't had much experience with women, and it's clear that the system is to blame.  The university system, I mean, by not allowing women to pursue their intended field of study, and so how are the students to know, when the only women we are exposed to just want a husband?  It's clear you have ideas, and ambitions, and it angered me that the systems built in place...they've let you down."

"They have clearly let you down, too," you added.  "It has raised many of your friends to see me as-"

"Please, (Y/N), the other students...aren't used to women with actual thoughts in their head," he said, shaking his head.  "I, for one, am so excited to hear your ideas, and I know the others will want to apologize to you as well."

"Monsieur Combeferre, I...don't know what to say.  I appreciate it immensely, but Madame will have my head if I'm not working, and I agree with you on what you've said so far."

"That's funny," he commented, pushing his glasses into place.  "I didn't know the Musain had a guillotine."

You laughed, and he smiled, then continued: "By the way, I am here so early this morning because a brain like yours doesn't deserve to be waiting on Grantaire and scrubbing candle wax the rest of your life.  Last month, I just got promoted to supervisor at the library just down the Rue and I asked my supervisor in turn if I could hire my friend."

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