A very merry (and ugly-sweatered) Christmas present for @thepiecesofcait , by @youknewyouwerelost
Caitlyn, I hope this little fic finds you well and brightens your day a little. Happy holidays and all the best for the following year! :)
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The back room of the Café Musain - usually dimly lit and barely decorated, a utilitarian headquarter for a group of very motivated students - was shining in a multitude of colours today. Candles were lit, strings of fairy lights were haphazardly put up on every vertical surface, and a tree was placed near the door, adorned with baubles and lights; everything smelled like mulled wine, hot chocolate and pine needles.
Courfeyrac and Combeferre watched their handiwork with a smile on both their faces. Their annual Christmas celebration, the one time a year the Les Amis decided to leave politics behind for a shared evening of companionship and unbound joy, was about to start.
This year, however, things were about to look a little different, which led back to Eponine’s cunning plan at one of the latest meet-ups: To spice things up a little the evening would be completely by their first ugly Christmas sweater contest. The winner, with the ugliest and most hideous sweater chosen by the group of fourteen, would not only receive bragging rights for the upcoming year, but also a package filled with a small gift from every single one of their friends. No one fully knew what the price actually contained, but that was half the charm.
The first guests began to filter into the room as soon as Courfeyrac tossed the door open, one by one. Joly, Bossuet and Musichetta were the first to step into the Musain, all three of them in matching, hideous sweaters in glaring reds and greens. The LED-lights built into the reindeer’s noses on each of their garments reflected brightly on Bossuet’s head, which was adorned with a red bow tie.
Courfeyrac welcomed them with laughter and pats on their backs, already handing out drinks for the first arrivals. He kept his sweater hidden underneath his jacket, waiting for the moment of the reveal when everyone had arrived.
Next through the door was Feuilly, looking… decidedly normal, if not almost elegant. His sweater was dark red and white; he wore his nice clothes, yes, but there was no sign of an even remotely ugly looking Christmas sweater underneath his jacket.
He held a present in his hands, and had the most brilliant smile as he looked around the room.
“Good evening,” Combeferre greeted him near the door. He raised an eyebrow behind his glasses, clearly surprised.
“You’re not joining the… contest?” he asked politely. There was some tinsel in his hair that had clearly been courtesy of Courfeyrac, earlier, and his sweater – a dark blue, rather moderate one actually - read in swirly letters ‘I’m a doctor, of course I’m on the nice list.’ That had most likely been courtesy of Courfeyrac, too, but nobody mentioned it outright.
Feuilly smiled, and then shook his head, always modest.
“I had this one at home already, and I like it very much, so why not wear it for the opportunity?”
“You’re quite right. And I have to say, it looks fantastic on you.”
Combeferre clasped his shoulder as he walked in, followed by Eponine (in a short dress, no less, which she wore over a pair of trousers that looked like ridiculously decorated stockings) and Gavroche (in a painfully colourful and definitely self-made sweater of his own design).
“Thank you!” Feuilly said, taking off his coat and then following Combeferre into the living room-like structure of the Musain, where everyone was already beginning to drink some mulled wine. Courfeyrac had already taken off his jacket, and he did look like a tree himself, complete with string lights woven into the fabric of his sweater.
Joly greeted them with a more than bright smile and waved happily at Feuilly, indicating the spot next to him.
The table was already heavily decorated with tinsel and presents, and the friends were having a good time. It was too rare that they got together out of nothing but leisure - their lives were busy enough, and their regular meetings were stacked with current topics and calls to action. This was a rare pleasure which all of them cherished.
Feuilly squeezed himself between Joly and a just arriving Bahorel, who’s sweater read ‘Brodolf the red nose Gainzdeer’, complete with a very muscular reindeer-slash-man flexing his oversized muscles. He leaned into Feuilly’s side and clapped him on the back in cheerful greetings.
Prouvaire brought a stack of gifts, a Christmas sweater with cats of all things, and Marius and Cosette along.
“Almost all of us are here already!”, Courfeyrac said with a big grin around a mouthful of cookies. He took a quick headcount.
“Looks like only our fearless leader is still missing!“
“And Grantaire,” Eponine said from where she was sitting with a mug of wine in hand. She had barely finished the sentence when the door slammed open once more, and a very cheery, very much… decorated Grantaire approached the table.
“Season’s greetings,” the artist chimed with his sweetest voice, arms loaded with presents. He didn’t even wear a proper sweater; it was a ridiculous, glaring green-and-red cardigan with Santa on its front, holding a wine bottle and saying 'Merlot-Ho-Ho.’ It looked horrendous enough to have Gavroche fall off his chair laughing.
Courfeyrac instantly jumped up and went in to hug him fiercly, toppling over a few of the presents. His laughter was full of happiness as he helped picking them up again, relocating them to the tree near the door.
“You, Sir! You look fabulous!”
“I try,” Grantaire said, wild hair adorned by an equally green-and-red Christmas hat that jingled with every step. He sat down opposite Feuilly once his hands were cleared, a mug already in front of him.
“I’ve never seen this much elegance compiled in a single room.”
“Well, thank you!”, Bahorel muttered with an exaggerated bow. Combeferre slowly went towards the counter, ordering more drinks and snacks for the growing group.
Eponine’s eyes narrowed with a sudden plan, and she leaned forward, elbows on the table.
“R, what do you say… We could decorate Feuilly’s sweater to make it match our own.”
"You defintiely don’t need to - ” Feuilly began, but Grantaire was already shaking his head with a grin, hat bobbing happily.
“Nonsense!” he declared, taking a rope of tinsel from the table and wrapping it round Feuilly’s neck like a tie. “You can’t have me look like a proverbial Christmas tree alone, my dear friend. No, no, you must agree to some… additions.”
“I agree!” Bahorel chimed in and grabbed another colourful rope, wrapping it around Feuilly’s arm.
“Be nice to the young man,” Musichetta cried as all of them dissolved into laughter, decorating a smiling Feuilly with tinsel and baubles. He still was the most elegant of all of them, but at this point he matched the chaotic attire of all his friends.
Bossuet put his head down on his hand, smirking at the door. “I wonder what Enjolras will wear.”
“Man, I hope he’ll be here so-”, Eponine muttered, right as there was a ring, announcing the last missing piece to arrive. Combeferre headed to open the door, and was greeted by quite a sight…
“Good evening,” Enjolras said, scarf wrapped around his throat and covering him op to his nose. The rest of him was well-hidden underneath his long, red coat, but his pants…
“Don’t tell me,” Combeferre muttered as Enjolras passed him. His legs were clad in what looked like a Christmas sweater, but as pants…
“I tell you… I came to take part in this contest,” Enjolras said with a lopsided grin. He took off his scarf and coat, and then stepped into the main room, clad in quite a hideous suit.
No, “hideous” didn’t even cut it. The suit was well tailored to his measurements, but everything - the jackets, the trousers, even the slightly askew tie - was printed in a red, green and white Christmas sweater pattern, complete with stars and trees on the fabric. Grantaire’s mouth dropped open as everyone yelled in joy, and he said, loud enough for the entire room to hear, “If I wasn’t already head over heels for you, I’d be gone by now.”
“Is that so…?”, Enjolras answered with a raised brow, a strange, but happy gleam to his eyes. He didn’t step away as Grantaire approached him from his spot on the table to greet him with a ferocious hug.
Just as they separated Eponine let out a cheer and grabbed her mobile phone from its spot on the table.
“Okay, you two, look alive! You’re underneath the mistletoe! Time for a KISS!”
“What?” Grantaire squeaked, his voice almost breaking on the sound. His hat jingled merrily as Enjolras turned to him, the same gleam still in his eyes, and a smile ghosting across his features.
“Seems we have to do it…”, Enjolras muttered sweetly.
“I mean, we can’t disappoint Eponine, can we?”
“Certainly not,” Grantaire said… And then stopped speaking altogether when warm, solid lips pressed against his own, without hesitation or second guesses. Enjolras’ lips tasted sweeter than the wine he had and spread a fire inside of him that threatened to overtake his rapidly beating heart…and the moment did not stop at that. Long, pale fingers were on Grantaire’s cheeks, curling into his hair, and Enjolras deepened the kiss softly, his tongue exploring R’s mouth.
Grantaire was lost in the moment, in the kiss, his hands touching Enjolras’ long, untidy hair. He let out a shuddering breath as they parted for a second, then simultaneously rushed back in for another, hotter kiss, in front of their cheering and yelling friends…
When Enjolras finally moved his head back he licked his lips, and there was something in his gaze that Grantaire couldn’t fully name…
“….I wanted to do that for so long….”, the blonde whispered.
Grantaire flushed at the words, his eyes wide and mesmerized. “Does that mean you’re going to do it again,” he muttered lowly as soon as his voice returned to him.
“If you… permit it… I won’t stop anytime soon…?”, Enjolras whispered, smiling softly now.
“… What do you think, Apollo? Permission enthusiastically granted,” the artist breathed against his lips, going in for another kiss.