Lisette

Chapter 21 ~ They're All Tosticated Now, and Doesn't Care Nothink for Nobody

As we walked back home that evening, Enjolras asked how my afternoon had been.

"Well, you needn't worry overmuch - I haven't got myself hurt!" I smiled.

"That's good, though it doesn't entirely answer my question."

"It was fun. Bahorel's a better teacher than I thought he would be, and between him and Grantaire I think I'm getting to the point where I can defend myself well enough. It was strange using a sword instead of a cane, but I think I'll get the hang of it. Not that I'll actually end up using a sword to defend myself at any point - the cane can at least pretend to be a walking stick. And what Grantaire's taught me about how fight without any weapons - that'll probably be the most useful, if the worst comes to the worst."

"We shall have to find you a walking cane at some point, then."

He didn't speak for a while, and then said hesitantly:

"What you said about Grantaire the other day..."

"What of it?"

"You said that he - that he adores me?"

"Yes. You seem to be the only person who hasn't noticed."

"But why?"

"Why haven't you noticed?"

"No - why would he love me? We're so completely different!"

"Oh, I don't know. Your intelligence, charm, passion, kindness, generosity... Though admittedly you don't show him much in the way of kindness and generosity."

"I lack patience with him, I know. And yet he still..."

"Yes. For all your disdain and rebukes."

"That's why he stays? I'm why he stays?"

"It's definitely a big reason."

Enjolras sighed. "What should I do about it?"

"Do?"

"Well, for all that he annoys me, I don't want to hurt him. I don't want to hurt anyone."

"Try a little more patience, perhaps, and be gentler with him, but beyond that there's nothing really you can do, save falling in love with him in return."

"That's not something I think I'd manage," he smiled, sadly. "We have so little in common, and our temperaments are so different, I struggle with him even as a friend. At any rate..." he trailed off.

"If it helps, he was resigned long ago to the fact that you'd never love him in return."

*

The following day, Gavroche came and found me as I was on my way to visit Monsieur Mabeuf. The violets he had given me were (somewhat to my surprise) still alive, and had flowered beautifully over the last couple of months. Gavroche had found me a chimney sweep who was quite willing to talk to me, and so we agreed that we would go and visit him at his lodgings after visiting Monsieur Mabeuf.

Mere Plutarque showed us through to the garden, where he was to be found with Marius, the old man showing the young man the different flowers and plants he had cultivated, some of which I knew had come from the garden of Marius's father. Many of these were tulips, which were blooming beautifully in a riot of colours. They straightened up when they saw Gavroche and me, and Marius smiled in greeting. His coat was even more worn than it had been when I last saw him, and he looked pale and tired. We joined the two men on the rest of the tour of the garden, Gavroche taking more interest in the insects than the flowers, and it was lovely to see Marius's face light up whenever Mabeuf talked of his father, the Colonel.