Bricktober day 7 (with half an hour to spare)- Chains
@lesmis-prompts
Did i create a soulmate AU out of nowhere and finish it at 23:30? Yes. Yes I did.
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In this world there are soulmates. How it works is thus: from the second you meet your soulmate till the second you kiss them, you have a feeling like chains are wrapping around your neck. Simple enough to realise, you would think, and in most cases the answer is yes. Not, however, in this one.
Javert met his soulmate when he was transferred to Toulon. His superior officer led him around the yard, telling him things about various prisoners. All was well until he called across to one of them. “24601!” The prisoner in question walked over, defiance tucked in his eyes like a secret. “24601, this is the new officer, Javert. I trust there will be no problems?”
“None at all… Sir. Can I go now?”
The prisoner was dismissed and the officer’s attention was back on Javert.
“Are you alright, Monsieur?”
No. No, Javert was not at all alright. He had the distinct feeling of being practically strangled by chains. No. His soulmate could not be a convict. It must have been a fluke. An anomaly. His soulmate could not be that- that criminal!
Valjean, already bound with physical chains, didn’t notice the addition of soulmate ones. Prison collars were tight and left no room for feeling.
When Valjean was released, he didn’t even notice the collar being removed. In hindsight, that should have been the first clue. Yet twenty years of imprisonment affected him and why shouldn’t the feeling of the chains remain?
In M-sur-M, he finally realised that he had met his soulmate. By this point he was the mayor, he had met many, many people and to tell the truth he had little care to find his. After all, that would either be one more person to lie to or one more person to keep safe.
He had other things to worry about; his factory was growing and his town improving; he saw Javert near-daily, every time his heart was in his throat, yet somehow the inspector never realised.
Life carried on as usual- that is, until he was nearly caught by Javert. He had been expecting it, to be fair, yet now he had a child to find. He overpowered the other man and ran, never noticing his chains tightening around his throat.
Javert noticed, of course he did. He’s spent years thinking about his chain and his soulmate, trying to deny it. It never worked, in his heart he knew it to be true; Valjean was his soulmate.
The inspector’s blood boiled as he realised that Valjean had escaped once again. He would not let this stand for much longer, he would find 24601 even if he had to search all of France!
He purposely didn’t think about the man’s hands on him, how the chain around his neck loosened for a second then tightened when he was flung to the floor, Valjean running out the door.
Years later and he is returned to Paris. There is more to do here, arrests to be made daily. He still tries both to find and to forget about Valjean, neither works. Well, not until he comes upon Thenardier harassing a gentleman, a gentleman who turns out to most likely be Valjean. He is a bloodhound fresh on the scent, he searches every alley, every street, every shop.
Does he want him or does he want to capture him?
Valjean has barely thought about Javert or his soulmate for a long while, focused on keeping Cosette safe and happy.
He only really remembers that he has a soulmate somewhere when Cosette is laughing and talking at lightning speeds, saying that she met him, he spoke to her, it must have been him for he clutched at his throat and she felt chains around her wrist.
If he had been more focused he would have pointed out that your soulmate’s chains are on your neck unless you have more than one, and she would have told him that there had been chains on her neck for nearly as long as she can remember, since she was left at the Thenardiers’.
However he doesn’t, too distracted by thoughts of Javert. Decided, he tells Cosette that they must move to England. They will leave in a few days.
Javert has to halt his relentless searching as news spreads of a barricade being made near the Musain. At the day of Lamarque’s funeral it will rise. He decides that he should be there, fool them into thinking he is on their side.
He is found out, damn that gamin Gavroche! Tied up, he waits in the cafe, watching the students move around. Either one of them will shoot him or he will be used as a hostage. Neither concerns him, he doubts they have the spine to shoot him in cold blood and at least hostages must be kept safe.
A boy climbs over, bleeding. He is revealed to be a girl, a girl in love with the feeble Pontmercy at that. She dies in his arms. How.. tragic.
Then Valjean is there. He is afraid then. Revolutionary students are one thing, a man with every right and desire to kill him is another. Never mind that he is his soulmate, he doubts the criminal is aware of that at this point.
It doesn’t take too long to come to terms with his death. He has wanted to die on many occasions, to tell it truly, but always evaded it. Valjean has every right to kill him, none would fault him for it.
He has readily accepted his imminent demise. He has no problems with it, although he cannot resist spitting hateful words at the man. The man who then lets him go.
He is struck dumb.
This convict, this criminal, his god-forsaken soulmate who has every right to kill him, who should want his death fervently; Javert is the only person who has hounded his footsteps through his life, moreover the only who knows his current identity as Fauchelevent thanks to the lovesick mutterings of Pontmercy. His death would free Valjean. Then why-
He refuses to believe Valjean is a good man, despite the nagging voice in his head reminding him how M-sur-M thrived under his mayorship, how many gamins, prostitutes and beggars were given his money, how many people he helped…
What is there for him to do? He cannot arrest the man, regardless of the address he was given. He cannot return to the police station, he could not. Not now he owes this thief his very life.
He agonises for hours before his decision is made clear to him. Soulmate or not, he will not let another have his life. Therefore he must take it himself. The solution is simple.
He leaves and begins to walk to the river Seine. No-one will miss him.
Valjean has barely got Marius to the doctor when his soulmate chain pulls sharply, cutting away all of his breath. With little idea what to do he lets it lead him through the streets of Paris.
He arrives at the bridge over the Seine. He looks around, curious, then notices the figure standing on the parapet.
A figure he knows very well.
Everything clicks into place. His soulmate chain must have been formed that day in Toulon. That explains why he never noticed it. Javert, his soulmate? The idea is not as ludicrous as he first thought. After all, who else knows his true identity, who else has followed him throughout his life, who else has been the one constant presence when everything constantly changes…
He looks up and sees Javert fall. All thoughts leave his mind as he pulls off his greatcoat and jacket and dives into the icy depths of the river.
The river which no man has ever escaped alive, but if anyone could do it it would be Jean Valjean.
"who cares about your lonely soul" is so cunty like enjolras could've stopped at "now there is a higher call" but he thought no. i need to destroy this horny straight man's self-esteem. and it worked
