Work Text:
1.
“Marius, Grantaire says he’s not coming to the meeting tonight, and he hopes this song explains why.”
and I should be allowed to blurt the merest idea
if by random whim, one occurs to me
Marius frowns at the radio as though Grantaire can see. Grantaire doesn’t, as a rule, miss Les Amis meetings. He’s rarely even late. He can’t think of any arguments between Enjolras and Grantaire that have gotten out of hand in the past week.
Then again, that could be the reason. When Grantaire isn’t goading Enjolras into an argument, they don’t really speak to each other. And, with the rally coming up, Enjolras has been spending more time with Combeferre.
So he ducks into the storeroom, and dials the number for the campus radio station.
2.
“Grantaire, Marius says that this song probably explains the reason a little better.”
If you would only turn around
Isn’t it obvious?
Mr Oblivious
Grantaire pauses, brush hovering over the canvas. It is entirely unfair, he think, that Marius knows him so well.
Being basically ignored by Enjolras was one thing, but seeing him so focussed on someone else was entirely another, even if his relationship with Combeferre was entirely platonic.
The radio stations’ music request time is over by the time the song finishes, so he taps out a text with one hand, trying not to smear paint over the screen.
R: Fine, I’ll go. But don’t expect me to like it.
M: I’m sure everything will be fine.
Grantaire snorts.
Sometimes, he think, Marius is too much of an optimist for his own good.
3.
“Marius, Grantaire wants you to know that he did warn you yesterday, and so you are at least 40% to blame for this. Sometimes I really wish you boys would give me context. I mean, your lives are your lives, but seriously.”
All the people on the street, I hate you all
And the people that I meet, I hate you all
And the people that I know, I hate you all
And the people that I don’t, I hate you all
Oh, I hate you all
The meeting, which was the final group meeting before the rally, had not gone well. Not as bad as the first time Grantaire and Enjolras had met (nothing got thrown at anyone else’s head, at least), but Grantaire had taken one look at Enjolras and Combeferre, leaning together over a campus map, and scowled. Marius thought it was probably a small miracle that he’s managed to keep a hold of his cynicism until Enjolras had actually begun to speak.
Although, he thought, it probably would have gone a little better if Grantaire had let him finish his sentence.
And then Grantaire had announced that he wouldn’t be coming to the rally. Which had put Enjolras in even more of a bad mood, if Courferac’s assessment of him was anything to go by.
Courf: srsly, R needs 2 do smthng, E is in srs bsns RAGE MODE in this class
Courf: shit he jst sw me txtng u, tlk l8tr
Marius was very thankful he didn’t live with Enjolras. Even Enjolras’ texts to him, confirming when and where to meet for the rally, seemed frighteningly angry. He couldn’t even imagine what Enjolras would be like tomorrow.
4.
“Grantaire, apparently some person called Courf is making Marius worried, he really hopes you’ll reconsider going to they rally tomorrow. I’m going, just so you guys know! It starts at 3pm tomorrow!”
But when you talk about destruction
Don’t you know that you can count me out
Grantaire ran a hand through his hair, the paint making it sticky in some places. He’s said, in a moment of compete and utter frustration at Enjolras, that he wouldn’t go.
And Enjolras had gone still, furious gaze focussed on him, and he’d said, “I’m not going to force anyone to go who doesn’t believe in our cause.”
Grantaire had left after that. Not very mature of me.
He’d even left his bag and sketchpad, thank God for Marius.
Although Marius wasn’t being much of a help now. He didn’t want to go. Enjolras didn’t want him to go. That, as far as he was concerned, was pretty much the end of it.
5.
“Hey guys, this is our first show back. Uh, wow. I don’t know how many of you went to the rally last week, but I hope you’re all okay. So, let’s start off with a ol’ good standard of this broadcast, a request from Grantaire, dedicated to Marius. No message this time, I’m sure you know what it’s for.”
Marius isn’t at work today, but he is in the cafeteria (which plays the campus radio station too, university policy). The rally had turned into a nightmare, and Enjolras had gotten a concussion while trying to take on one of the campus security guards. Marius had to drag him away, and Enjolras had been furious (“Marius, what are you doing, we can’t let them get away with this!”).
He’d been even more furious when Grantaire had shown up at the emergency room. Grantaire, extremely hungover, was maybe not the best at communicating how worried he was. Grantaire had paused at Marius’ side when he arrived, touching him on the shoulder. Marius’ face felt sore and hot.
“Really, Grantaire, I’m okay, we’re all okay.” Grantaire’s eyes darted over the group and back to Marius. “They’re just checking Enjolras over as a precaution.”
Enjolras came out of the screened off area then, leaning a little on Combeferre. There was still some dried blood in his hair, but he was smiling.
“Just a slight concussion, I’ll be fine. You should all –“ He stopped when he saw Grantaire. “What are you doing here?”
“What am I doing here?”
The conversation went downhill from there.
Grantaire had driven Marius home, silent. The first thing he’d done when they’d gotten in was stomp up to his room and slam the door. Marius hadn’t seen him all weekend.
Grantaire was pretty much an expert at avoiding Marius when he didn’t want to talk. Marius, for his part, was content to leave Grantaire be, leaving sandwiches by Grantaire’s door so he at least knew Grantaire was eating.
He hadn’t even seen Grantaire leave the house that morning, so the music request was unexpected.
God only knows what I’d be without you
Instead of calling the radio station, he walks to the art studio.
Grantaire is absorbed in a massive painting (it looked like the beginnings of a fire, flames taking shape in one corner of the canvas), and he taps Grantaire on the shoulder for attention.
“Hey, thanks for the lift the other day.”
In response, Grantaire wraps him in a bear hug.
He gets splotches of red and blue paint on his new t-shirt, but he doesn’t mind.
+1
It’s Valentine’s Day, which is the only day of the year where the radio request station plays all day (well, 10 – 3, with short news breaks). It’s also the only day of the year where music requests can be made anonymously, although Marius doesn’t really take advantage of the service.
He’s requested three songs for Cosette so far (and she said she liked them!), and he’s thinking off suggesting they head off for dinner and a movie early (which, perhaps it’s not the most adventurous of Romantic Plans, but they’re playing Cosette’s favourite movie at the old cinema. She’d smiled when he’d told her, and Marius fell in love all over again), when the café’s loudspeaker announces that:
“This next song is for Enjolras, from an anonymous caller. He, the requester, hopes you can appreciate the message of the song, even if you don’t always appreciate his presence.”
Yeah, I’ll tell you something
I think you’ll understand
When I say that something
I want to hold your hand
It’s a woman’s voice, a cover of the Beatles from a movie he and Grantaire had watched last week. She’s turned the quick, poppy song into a love ballad, and he remembers Grantaire saying he quite liked the cover. When he looks over, Grantaire is staring purposefully at his notebook, although his hands aren’t moving.
“Enjolras,” says Courfeyrac from his position on Jehan’s lap, “It looks like you’ve got a secret admirer!”
Enjolras just looks confused. “What?”
“Maybe we could call the radio station and ask who it is,” Courfeyrac is already reaching for his phone, and oh God, Marius has to stop this, because this is defiantly the opposite of how Enjolras should figure this out.
“But that ruins the mystery!” It’s the first thing that comes into his head.
Courfeyrac stops scrolling, and Jehan nods, smiling at him, “A mystery is much better.”
“What” says Enjolras again.
“I wonder who it is,” says Jehan.
“Does it matter? Enjolras is hardly likely to do anything anyway,” says Grantaire, not looking up from his sketchpad, “the whole thing was pretty pointless if you ask me.”
Marius hates when Grantaire has that tone, all his bitterness turned inwards. “Well, I’m sure Enjolras can figure it out, if he just thinks about it.”
Grantaire looks up at that, avoiding Enjolras and looking straight at Marius. “Well that would certainly be very romantic. Perhaps after he figures it out, they can run towards each other in slow motion in the rain.”
Marius refuses to be deterred. He doesn’t know what caused Grantaire to request the song, but he will be dammed if he’s going to let Grantaire feel upset that he did. “Or maybe it will be something simpler, like giving him a lift home in the rain.” Wait, shit.
Grantaire pales. Combeferre looks up from the book he’s been reading, and looks consideringly at Grantaire, then Enjolras.
Enjolras stares at Grantaire. Grantaire stares back at Enjolras.
The conversation moves on from there, but Enjolras keeps getting distracted from his train of thought (and he keeps staring at Grantaire, and Marius seriously hopes they are going to actually talk to each other about this instead of trying to burn each other’s clothes off with their eyes).
Eventually, Courf and Jehan leave, and Combeferre heads out as well (Enjolras declines a lift home). As they leave for the movie, Enjorlas gets up too, and for a moment Marius think he’s just going to leave. But instead, he sits next to Grantaire.
“Do you mind? I still have some studying to do, and it’s silly to take up extra tables.”
Grantaire smiles, shoulders relaxing a little for the first time all afternoon. “I don’t mind at all.”
Grantaire gets home after he does, and he doesn’t think he’s ever seen Grantaire smile so bright.
~*~Bonus Soundtrack~*~
1. I Should Be Allowed To Think – They Might Be Giants
2. Oblivious – Fisher (apparently it’s imopossible to find a non-fanvid version of this on youtube, sorry)
3. I Hate Everyone – Get Set Go
5. God Only Knows – Beach Boys (although in my head, Grantaire requested the Ben Kweller cover)
+1 I Want To Hold Your Hand (cover) – TV Carpio (this version was featured in Across the Universe)
In case anyone was curious, the songs Marius requested for Cosette were: