Beyond The Barricade | les misérables

seventeen

After a few minutes I pulled away and looked up at him to meet his eyes. He planted a kiss on my forehead then took my hand in his. I stared into his eyes as my breathing slowed back down.

"You've gone soft," I mumbled, a smile pulling at the corners of my lips. He laughed and held my hand up, placing a kiss on my knuckles.

"Only for you."

He let go of my hand and leaned closer to me, his hands going to my waist again. Our lips were seconds from touching when the door flew open. We jumped apart and stared at the door. Marius walked in with an angry glare in his eye. Courfeyrac gave me a sympathetic smile and patted me on the shoulder. Grantaire walked up to me and put an arm around my shoulder. I could smell the alcohol on him as he stood next to me. I glanced over at Enjolras who was clearly fighting off an annoyed look in his eyes as Marius walked toward him.

They engaged in conversation and walked up the stairs, leaving us all behind.

"What's wrong with him?" I asked quietly.

"That man called you some choice names and told him if he didn't return you there would be intense consequences. Marius didn't take it lightly and yelled. Earned himself a punch in the jaw," Courfeyrac said.

"Is he okay?"

"He is. Are you okay?" Grantaire asked.

"I am, thanks to you all."

"Les Amis have your back," Feuilly smiled.

I looked toward the stairs and wondered if we should go join them or leave them alone to discuss whatever they needed to discuss. Courfeyrac must've read my mind because he immediately walked up the stairs in front of me. I separated from Grantaire and followed.

Their two voices became audible but I couldn't tell what they were talking about. I walked up beside Courfeyrac and tried to listen carefully. I was overly curious about what was so important. Then, Marius turned. He shut his mouth instantly and sighed loudly. I glanced over at Courfeyrac beside me who was staring at Enjolras.

Everyone else walked up and stood in silence. We had gotten more word out, sure, but we were interrupted only a few minutes in. None of us anticipated that.

No one spoke. We all just stared at each other silently. Then, Courfeyrac cleared his throat and raised up his hands.

"What now?"

Enjolras sighed and turned to the window, his hands in his pockets. I watched him closely, tracking his movements.

"You can go if you please," he said. "If you stay, we can discuss more plans."

Courfeyrac nodded and sat down. Everyone took their seats silently and exchanged looks as they did so. I sat down by the window and just watched them all. I smiled at the fact that no one left and saw Enjolras sigh in relief as he looked out at them all. None of them had abandoned him. They stayed with him. He went to sit next to Marius slowly, his eyes meeting mine from across the room. Marius began to speak but I caught none of it. I was caught up in Enjolras' bright blue eyes as he stared back at me.

Word had gotten out that the planning for General Lamarque's funeral was almost complete. The boys had studied the notes they had taken long before I arrived and spoke with fire in their souls. Their voices were filled with passion for this movement. They spoke of a Republic and all the things they would do after the barricades. After they had won.

"And when we win," Enjolras said. "We will all live in joy. Knowing that we fought for the people's rights will be the highest honor." He looked at me with a smile that seemed to say much more than what he had actually said.

But as he spoke I felt a terrible, gut wrenching, feeling. It was like all the air had been sucked from the room. My stomach twisted into a knot and the walls started to close in around us. I looked out at the street through the window. The quiet street that I had grown to love would soon be a place of war. Soon, the people I cared for most would be staring death in the eye with only passion for France in their hearts.

I looked back toward them as Courfeyrac walked over with a book in his hand. He sat down in front of me and handed it over to me with a smile.

"Thought it might be beneficial for you to look at one too," he said. I nodded and took the book from him, flipping through the annotated pages. They had been planning this for a year. They had been studying their books and making notes and sharing ideas together. Their plans were finally coming together and I could feel the energy in them as they all came to this realization. Combeferre was hunched over his book with Grantaire at his side. Bahorel was standing over Prouvaire's shoulder with his eyes down on the pages. Feuilly was talking with Marius and Joly.

I stared at the pages of Courfeyrac's book and scanned over the words, taking notice of the notes scribbled into it. Certain phrases were starred or underlined to make them stand out. They were all things that would help them draft the plan they had created together in this room. There were sections about other revolutions that had been circled and key factors of these successful revolutions were heavily underlined by Courfeyrac. I glanced up at him sitting in front of me. Somehow I had not taken into account how much work they had each put into this. I hadn't realized how late I had shown up. How long Marius had taken to involve me.

"You've been planning this for so long," I mumbled. He nodded.

"Little over a year."

"And you all just let me into it? I mean, I came into your plans so late. I've barely done anything compared to this." I held the book up to him, my hand in between the pages.

"You had a spark. There was something about you. You've done as much as any of us. You're the reason that first rally went the way it did. Marius had ensured us he had someone who was the perfect person and we trusted him. We always do. Doesn't matter how late you came into the picture because you've certainly helped us out."

I felt the corners of my lips pull upward as he spoke, feeling some kind of validation of what I had done. I knew that I had helped. I knew that they were thankful for my plans and appreciated my ideas but hearing it made it more real.

I looked over at Enjolras, who was encapsulated in a book, and smiled.

The best part about Marius dragging me into this was meeting that blond revolutionary.