“Marius” Courfeyrac drawled in the middle of the night. His roommate had the perfect name to be drawled in a mixture of disbelieving and frustration, seasoned with a little more fondness than the dandy Courfeyrac would ever admit. So he said it again, as he lay, blinking at the light of the candles, which had suddenly materialized in the small apartment. Indeed, it seemed every bit of wax with the smallest semblance of a wick he’d ever had had reappeared on the trunk which served as dresser and table. They burned like little stars, and their glow threw rather sensual shadows onto Marius’s form, as he came to bed.
Which was truly a rather impressive gift the candles offered, as one did not often think of the darling little potato of a fool that Marius was as sensual. But tonight, in a stark white shirt, borrowed from Courfeyrac, and loose linen trousers that were thankfully not borrowed, as Marius, being shorter, always got the cuffs of his borrowed trousers scuffed, and with his dark curls all tousled from the cold October air outside, Marius Pontmercy did look quite sensual.
“I know that money, in all its glittering glory both confounds and terrifies you, but surely even you, lord of bubble-land, must realize that sleeping while candles are lit is terribly dangerous, expensive, and frankly rather gauche.”
Marius, on his side of the mattress, mumbled something.
“What was that? I can’t hear you over the sounds of my father’s fortune disappearing as candles melt to wax.”
A slightly louder mumble.
“Hmm? I’ll have you know my father did not affix that damn particle to his name for his money to be spend upon little scraps of wax. Why, if it is a fire you want, we should have a grand one! A bonfire of the very vanities of the government! We could–”
“Of politics? Yes, we all know that.”
“nuhh…” the noise was a little like a no, if a no was said when one’s face was smushed against a Courfeyrac’s shoulder.
“you have a very cold nose, Monsieur.” Courfeyrac gave in to temptation, and let his hand ruffle through the inky dark curls, the only part of Marius above the line of the scratchy green wool blanket they both shared. “Is your cold nose the reason you wanted candles? For I’ll have you know, there’s a wonderful invention called a hearth, in which a fire far larger than a candle might burn, and provide us with delightful warmth. Say the word and I shall re-acquire the supplies needed to keep us toastier than chestnuts. Or, even better, let us go out and acquire chestnuts, roasted fresh in one of those darling carts.”
“Ghosts.” he finally mumbled.
Marius had the blanket back over his head and the words muffled into incorrent rumbles. Sighing, Courfeyrac moved to hold him a little closer. “Speak, or I shall start tickling you.”
When that was met with silence, Courfeyrac let his fingers twich over Marius’s ribs. The dark-haired young man let out a soft laugh. It was that sound that did him in, every time. The sort of laugh that made one put up with things like listening to lectures on Napoleon, and terrible fashion sense, and a general fear of every woman over the age of thirteen and under eighty. The sort of laugh that was bright like a star in it’s sudden appearance.
The sort of laugh that was all the sweeter, and to the listener, sadder, because it was apparent it had not occured often.
It was a mystery Courfeyrac tried not to ponder, how one could grow up so devoid of joy, and still laugh like that.
So, instead of pondering, he got to tickling, and only after Marius was laughing hard enough that tears of humor sparkled in eyes as dark as the night sky, did Courfeyrac blow out the candle.
A creak of a floorboard. A whistle of the wind.
Courfeyrac whispered. "perhaps we should light the candles after all.”