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Before Marius asked her out on a proper date, Eponine had joked to her that dating Marius would be like dating Grantaire as well. They seemed to arrive and leave as a pair, and honestly the only time she had seen one without the other was when they were heading towards meeting each other. They didn’t even seem to realise they were doing it.
In truth though, now that she’s actually dating Marius it’s not really like that at all. She would have expected Grantaire to put up some sort of fuss about stealing away his friend’s time, lord knows she’s experienced it before with some boys she’s dated in the past. But, if anything, the opposite seems to be true. Grantaire seems just as happy to see her as Marius, and excuses himself quickly and neatly whenever it’s clear that they’re about to head out on a date.
When they go out as a trio, it’s usually to the movies or the second-hand bookstore around the corner from Grantaire and Marius’ house. She’d thought it was a little odd to take so many trips there, until she realised that the little old lady who runs it absolutely adores both boys, bringing out homemade biscuits and snacks for them, insisting that “you boys don’t eat enough, I think I have some casserole leftovers in the back, you should take that home too”. But even then Grantaire is more than content to let Marius of Cosette browse the stacks together, chatting away to the old lady about his art class, Les Amis meetings, catching her up on the week’s events.
(She also notices that sometimes the boys bring her groceries. Just little things, a loaf of bread here, some milk there. She wouldn’t have expected it, and when she mentions it to Marius he just shrugs, “it seemed like the right thing to do, I mean, she gives us things all the time”.)
The first time she’d stayed over, she was very glad it was a weekend. Marius made it hard to want to get out of bed, all sleepy smiles and warm hands. They’d managed to get up before it technically became afternoon, Marius holding her hand as he led her downstairs.
Grantaire is awake, barely, staring at the kettle as it boils. He blinks at them sleepily when he sees them, and smiles. It’s softer, she thinks, than his usual smiles.
“Tea?” Grantaire’s voice is still a little scratchy from sleep.
“Yes please,” says Marius, “have you eaten yet?”
“Just got up. Toast?”
Marius hmms, and gets out the bread. “Did you want any?” he asks, smiling at her.
She nods. She wonders if they’re like this every day, puttering around the kitchen before class, Grantaire pouring cups of tea with his eyes half-lidded, Marius making breakfast, whistling some pop song off-key. It’s peaceful.
Grantaire joins in, and the song becomes a little more recognisable. When they get to the chorus, she adds the lyrics. Her singing voice is only okay (it’s first thing in the morning after all, and it’s been years since she did choir for school), but when they get to the end Grantaire and Marius applaud. She bows.
Marius serves up the toast, and Grantaire serves up the tea (he knows how she likes it, which she’s pretty sure is Marius’ doing). Grantaire mentions he’s going to the park to sketch landscapes for class, and Marius says the parks sounds lovely, and that’s enough for him to start organising a picnic.
The boys don’t have much in the way of picnic foods – a bunch of grapes (which Grantaire apparently took from someone’s still life display: “they used real grapes Cosette, they were going to go bad over the weekend, I’m doing them a favour”), cheese, and some slightly stale crackers Marius finds in the back of the cupboard.
It feels strange to spend her Saturday lazing around in the sun, Marius making up stories about the people that pass them by (they’re never just ordinary people as far as Marius is concerned - they’re Gods in disguise, they’re wanted art thieves, they’re pirates on holiday), Grantaire interjecting with his own ideas every so often, the sound of charcoal rubbing along paper.
Usually she spends Saturdays catching up on homework, or working on something for Les Amis. She can do it tomorrow though; one day won’t make her fall behind. She’s almost sad to get back in her car at the end of the day and leave them behind.
Which is a little ridiculous, she thinks, I’ll see them both on Monday.
Before she gets in her car, Marius kisses her goodbye (and he always looks at her afterwards like she’s a miracle, like he can’t believe she let him do that).
Grantaire hands her a sketch. She had no idea he’d done anything but classwork, but it’s a sketch of her and Marius lying together on the picnic blanket, legs tangled together. She hugs him goodbye, even they don’t usually do that, she’s not usually a hug-goodbye-everyday person.
“Thank you, I love it,” she says.
Grantaire smiles. Marius slings his arm around his shoulders, and smiles at her too. They both wave at her as she drives away.
Eponine smirks at her as she enters their dorm room. “I take it your date went well then, if you’re only getting in now.”
“Yes,” Cosette smiles at her, “very, very well.”