𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐢 𝐜𝐫𝐲 [ 𝘫. 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘴 ]

14, rêve de fièvre

a/n: somehow when i copy paste my stories from docs to wattpad, the italics and bold texts don't copy properly. if a formatting or intonation looks weird, that's probably why.

The next Monday, Joseph wasn't in school. Eponine had looked everywhere, but he was nowhere to be found, and neither was Michéle.

Simone quietly entered the gates of the school, and approached Eponine. She looked down, and her usual fluttery voice was sombre. "What's up with you, Sime?" Eponine queried.

Simone's eyes filled with tears. "Last night, I was over at Jean Pierre's place. Michéle wasn't supposed to be home, but.." Eponine frowned. "Did she find out?"

"Yes, and now she hates me!" Simone wailed. Eponine wrapped her arms around the girl. "I'm sure she doesn't, Simone. She'll come by, eventually." She comforted her.

Simone sniffled. "We had a fight. Michéle said she knew she couldn't trust either of us, because she'd seen you kissing Descamps yesterday and caught me with Jean Pierre," she panicked, "I'm so so sorry, I didn't want to ruin your friendship with Michéle."

Eponine's stomach dropped. "I- I'm sure we'll be okay, Simone. We just have to stick together, okay? We've been through worse things, you and I." But her hands were clammy, and a panicked sweat covered her forehead. She thought of what happened with Vergoux. She told Simone what happened when Simone opened up about her miscarriage, as some for  "Let's just get to class."

. . .

After school, her mother sent Eponine to Joseph's place. He fell ill yesterday morning, and his parents were out so she needed to take care of him. She'd been given a key to his house a few weeks ago, so getting in wouldn't be an issue.

She turned the lock, and opened the heavy front door. After putting away her shoes and jacket, she went to the kitchen. Upstairs, someone cursed and stumbled. Must be Joseph.

"Jo?" Eponine called. "Are you okay?"

"Get out!" he bellowed, voice weak.

'Weird.' Eponine frowned, and put a pan on one of the pits. "Get back to bed, Jo." she screamed back. "I'll bring you some soup when it's done, okay?"

It was silent for a moment, before she heard a door slam. 'Someone's in a pissy mood,' she thought, laughing silently.

Joseph.

Joseph knew something was off the moment he opened his door to see Michéle Magnan on his doorstep. But nothing could've prepared him for what she was going to tell him. She left as soon as she told him, leaving him to his own thoughts.

How could she do this to him?

He bared his heart, offered it to her on a silver platter, and she just discards it like nothing mattered? He couldn't say if he expected it or not. He knew he was unlovable. But for it to come from Eponine, the one who seemed to take him as he was, left his heart pierced with shock and betrayal. Maybe he'd painted her to be a saint in his head, when she'd been nothing more than a devil. Maybe his feverish mind had made it all up. Or maybe, it was all true, and he'd been too blind to see it.

Joseph laid on top of his deep blue covers, covered in sweat. He'd caught a virus when he went out to the woods with Dupin yesterday, and now his parents had called in the last person he wanted to see to take care of him.

He wiped his undershirt's sleeve over his forehead, leaving a damp spot on the cloth. His body was working the virus out, so his body temperature was all over the place. One leg swung over the edge of his bed, and he spread out his arms.

The door opened. Light footsteps made their way over to his bed, and he didn't bother to glance up. "I made you your favourite," her angelic voice spoke. Usually, he'd be thrilled to see her. But he felt conflicted. Eponine seemed to take notice of that too.

"C'mon Jo. Sit up, eat your soup."

He grumbled something about poison, but pushed up against his mattress to sit. She pushed a warm bowl and a spoon into his lap, and the scent of mustard soup wafted in his nose. "See? No poison," she said with a chuckle. But she didn't hear what he said. She was the poison.

He didn't laugh at her joke. Instead, he sipped the soup until it was finished. He bit out a thanks, and laid down on his side so he didn't face her.

"You've got a bad case of Complaineritus, I see," she laughed. She hit his back slightly, and left the room. "I'll be back soon, to check up on you. Scream when you need something, alright?"

He stayed silent, but slightly waved his hand to dismiss her.

Eponine.

Joseph was acting really weird.

She knew how people acted when sick, and this was something else. She just couldn't pinpoint what.

It was now well over an hour since she'd brought him his soup, and she finished her homework. Deeming it time to collect the bowl, she silently stepped up the stairs.

When she pushed open his door, she heard a soft snore coming from his bed. The bowl was placed on the floor, and she tiptoed over to get it. His curls sprawled over on his pillow. He faced her, and she couldn't tear her eyes off of him.

The spoon rattled against the ceramic when she picked up the bowl, causing Joseph to open his eye. He groaned, and seemed to be half awake. "Hmm? Nine?" he grasped her wrist. "Yeah?" she asked, her free hand feeling his temperature against his forehead.  "You're so pretty, mon ange." he slurred, eyelid fluttering shut. Eponine smiled, and slightly moved his mop of curls away from his face. Her breath hitched when she noticed he wasn't wearing his eyepatch.

The scar was ragged and red. It didn't look irritated, but it was a nasty scar nonetheless. 'It kind of makes him look even better,' Eponine thought. But she quickly shut that thought down when she realised where her thoughts were going.

"Sleep well, Jo," she whispered. He grumbled. "Promise to only kiss me?" he asked, eye closed. His hand loosened its grip on her wrist. Eponine's brow furrowed. "An odd request, but of course."

He smiled in his sleepy state, his snores soon continuing. Eponine pressed a soft kiss to hir forehead, and he sighed in his sleep. She left the room to let him sleep soundly.

When she sat down in the living room, she thought of what Simone had told her. Eponine didn't realise Michéle hated Joseph that much, and didn't think it'd affect their friendship much.

All above all she just hoped Simone was okay.