I wish you would write a fic where Theodule and Marius saw more of each other as children, so they're not basically strangers by the time Georges dies.
“Hullo,” Théodule says to the boy standing outside his aunt’s home. “Are you lost?”
The boy certainly looks lost – no parent in sight, staring out into nothing with a furrow on his brow – but he shakes his head all the same. Théodule supposes he would know. It wouldbe tactless to press the point, so he switches conversational gambits.
“My name’s Théodule,” he says, sticking out his left hand.His right is occupied in the important business of holding a newly purchased pastry.
“Marius Pontmercy,” the other boy replies, then seemssurprised to hear himself speak. He opens his mouth again, then shuts it quickly.
“What’s that?” asks Théodule. Marius just shakes his head. Théodule runs through a series of advanced calculations, and arrives at the most probable answer, viz., what he himself would have said in Marius’ place. “Here,” he says, and with great magnanimity he breaks his pastry in half and presses one part into Marius’ hands. (The smaller part; magnanimity has its bounds. But it’s almost half, and he’s fairly sure that counts.)
Marius nods and accepts it, then continues to stand stockstill. The furrow in his brow is even deeper. Clearly the weight of the conversation continues to rest on Théodule.
“Your hair’s shiny,” he tells Marius. It is – so black itlooks like its glistening. He bets it’s soft. Maybe when they’re friends Mariuswill let him touch it and see.
“Oh. Is it?” Marius raises his pastry-less hand a little, as if he’s going to touch his hair to check, then lets it drop back down to hisside.
He still hasn’t touched the pastry. Théodule nods towards itand asks, “Aren’t you going to eat that?”
Marius’ mouth pulls down into a little frown of confusion. “Won’t you want it back?”
“Of course not, it’s yours now!” says Théodule.
“Oh,” says Marius. He looks at the almost-half a pastry like it’s Théodule’s Latin book; utterly incomprehensible. “Are…are you sure?”
Hasn’t anyone ever shareda sweet with you before? Théodule almost asks. He realizes the answer before the words are out of his mouth. With a rush of determination and admiration of his own selfless nature, he takes Marius’ other hand and places the second (larger) pastry half in it. “Here. This is for you too. You should eat it, it’s nice!”
“But what about you?” asks Marius. “You don’t want it?”
“I’ll asks Auntie Gillenromand to give me money for another,” Théodule says proudly. “She like to buy me things.”
“She’s never bought me anything.” says Marius. He doesn’t sound resentful or surprised, just like he’s logging a new fact. Théodule still feels the need to explain.
“Yes, well, she is my aunt.”
“She’s my aunt too,” says Marius.
“Oh!” says Théodule. “Then you’re my cousin! My cousin Marius!” He hadn’t known he had a cousin Marius, but he likes the sound of it.Cousin Marius will have to be his friend and let Théodule touch his shiny hair. Because they’re cousins.
Marius smiles a little at that – so small and quick Théodule would have missed it if he’d blinked. “I think…it could be nice to have a cousin.”
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