Work Text:
It’s all starts because it’s Grantaire’s birthday.
Or, to be more accurate, the day before Grantaire’s birthday.
About three seconds after Marius hangs up the phone from making the song request, he realises that, shit, Grantaire’s birthday isn’t today it’s tomorrow shit shit shit.
So what else can he do but hit redial, and quickly requests the Back to the Future theme music, with the message “for tomorrow!”.
There, he thinks, fixed it!
And, anyway, he and Grantaire share a flat together, so it’s not like they’re not like they haven’t already planned to go out for his birthday, so Grantaire probably won’t think he forgot the day at all.
In retrospect, it was pretty obvious how Grantaire would respond.
Marius is rearranging the Shakespeare section (mainly out of boredom – they don’t get many customers during class periods), when the radio announces that the next song is dedicated to “Marius Pontmercy, in response to his previous dedications”,
Won’t you come see about me
I’ll be alone, dancing – you know it, baby
And it takes Marius until the chorus to get it because he didn’t forget! It was a momentary lapse! So he ducks into the storeroom, and quickly requests –
“…and we have another request from Marius today, Grantaire, this one is for you again”, and then a heavy guitar riff of Happy Birthday screeches out of the speakers. His supervisor glares at him and pointedly turns it down. He waits until the song ends to turn it back to its usual volume.
“Now, I really have to ask if you two boys have phones, because here is another request from Grantaire, dedicated to Marius. He wants you to know that all is forgiven.”
I used to wonder what friendship could be
(my little pony)
Until you all shared its magic with me
Marius laughs.
It becomes something of a thing with them after that. It’s not really a secret thing; it’s just that their friends don’t really listen to the campus station. Jehan listens to their hour on poetry and literature (and sometimes contributes), and most of them try to catch the Campus News segment since it usually features Les Amis or Enjolras in some way, but most of them have class or work during the two hours of music requests (weekdays, 2pm – 4pm).
Marius is technically at work too, but since his workplace is the campus bookstore, it’s practically store policy that the ancient radio be tuned to the on-campus station. During the first week of class, Grantaire booked all his studio time for the entire semester as 1 - 3, three days a week (although sometimes he trades with Feuilly), and generally has a radio or his ipod on while he works, “for background inspiration” (he actually just hates the quiet. He leaves the tv on low volume, usually on the news or a documentary, whenever he’s home. Marius has learnt to tune it out). After his birthday, he leaves the radio on the campus station constantly.
Marius has stopped mentally classifying it as something strange by the third week of requests. And so, from the hours of two and four, Monday to Friday, the campus radio station becomes their message service.
“… and it wouldn’t be a request session without this, so here’s one from our old friend Grantaire, who’d like to remind Marius to pick up milk on the way home.”
“Grantaire, Marius says that you seemed kind of down this morning, so he wants you to know he’s always here if you need to talk. Jesus, you guys are sickening sometimes.”
“Grantaire, Marius wants to know your thoughts on this song as a possible candidate for the mixtape.”
“Okay, before I say Grantaire response, I just have to ask, do you not realise that the phones in your hands, the ones you use to request songs, that they can be used to tell things to each other directly? (sigh) All right, Marius, Grantaire says that’s too much on the nose, how about this one.”
“Marius says that it is perfect, and wants you to know he means every word of this next song. You know, that’s actually really lovely.”
Sometimes, the songs aren’t even related to the message. It actually becomes a good way to keep up with Grantaire’s emotional state. Marius can tell if he’s seen Enjolras on the way to the studio (who do you think you’re changing/you can’t change things, we’re all stuck in our ways), if he’s just spoken to his parents (I guess you’ve got another advantage / ‘cause you could blame me for everything) or his sister (take a sad song and make it better), and it makes Marius wonder what Grantaire can tell now about him.
(Grantaire, for his part, can pinpoint the moment Marius had decided to ask out Cosette (if you like me / then say you like me), knows when Marius has received another curt email from his uncle (who cares if you disagree? / you are not me), and when Enjolras has been a little too harsh in his criticism that day (and when you ask them, “how much should we give?” / oh, they only answer more more more).)
When they get home (Grantaire’s first usually, unless he’s gone out with Behorel and Feuilly after class, or Marius’ shift finishes early), they grin at each other.
“Good song choice today.”
Or
“That last song was stuck in my head all day, I hate you.”
Or
Sometimes nothing at all.
Grantaire’s half sitting, half lying on the couch, staring at the blank page of his sketchbook, and he doesn’t look up until Marius lifts his feet up to sit on their old, faded couch (is the colour blue or green or grey). Marius slouches until his head rests on Grantaire’s knees, and Grantaire puts the sketchpad on the floor (still blank, because if he sketches anything right now it will turn into Enjolras, furious and disappointed), and moves so that Marius is slouch-sliding onto his stomach. They lie like that, half-piled on top of one another, until after Grantaire’s leg goes numb.
~*~Bonus Soundtrack~*~
The Song for Grantaire’s birthday: Lana Del Rey - Born To Die*
Because Marius genuaionly thought this would stop Grantaire from mocking him: Back to the Future theme
Grantaire responds: Don’t You (Forget About Me) - Simple Minds
Marius is such a good friend: A heavy metal version of happy birthday
He requested it because he knew it would make Marius laugh: The My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic theme song
Song for the reminder to pick up the milk: 500 Miles - The Proclaimers
Song for Grantaire seeming “kind of down”: Count On Me – Mat Kearney
Possible song for Cosette: At Last - Etta James
The song that actually gets put on Cosette’s mixtape: All I Want Is You - Barry Louis Polisar
Marius’ thanks song: Best Friend - Weezer
Song for Grantaire after he seen/had a fight with Enjolras: Rise Up With Fists!! – Jenny Lewis and The Watson Twins
After Grantaire has spoken to his parents: Runaway – Kanye West (although I am partial to this cover)
After Grantaire has spoken to his sister: Hey Jude – The Beatles
Marius decides to ask out Cosette: Say You Like Me - We The Kings
Marius gets an email from his uncle: King of Anything – Sara Bareilles
Enjolras is maybe a little too dismissive of Marius: Fortunate Son - CCR
*obviously Grantaire’s love of Lana Del Rey is from Talk Revolution To Me Baby by duskjolras, which you should all read if you haven’t already because it is actually gr10.