Who: Various Amis and Cosette What: Visiting baby Fantine Where: The infirmary When: Backdated to Wednesday Rating: Low Status: Closed
Fantine grew stronger and stronger. Marius and cosette's friends all came to see her, but it was a few days before she could come out of the incubator and be held.
When she could, there was a line of people waiting to hold her. "Godfather first!" Courfeyrac said. He beamed at marius and held out his arms.
Marius smiled and carefully moved Fantine in his own arms. "Hold that arm up. Remember her head. And she's a little sore from the machines. So watch her little arm."
Courfeyrac let marius arrange his arms just right and smiled as he cradled her. "I have her. Hello, lovely. She feels even smaller like this."
--
Cosette smiled warmly at them. She was still feeling tired but she was just glad that Fantine was starting to get stronger.
Jehan grinned as he watched Courfeyrac take the baby, so excited to be holding her.
Enjolras smiled but stood back from the others that were lining up to hold her. She was so small and he didn't know if he should even attempt to hold her. What if he did something wrong?
--
Courfeyrac cuddled her for his given time and then reluctantly handed her back so Combeferre could have a go. He waggled his eyebrows as marius arranged the baby in his arms.
"Get lots of practice Combeferre." He winked at him, then grinned at penny. "She'll want playmates." He wrapped an arm around jehan.
Grantaire chuckled. "Not that there's any pressure," he added, meeting penny's eyes.
--
Penny moved closer to Combeferre when he took the baby and she blushed at Courfeyrac's words.
She smiled at Grantaire. "There is time," she said, looking back at Combeferre.
--
Combeferre smiled at her. "There is," he agreed. But he couldn't deny that the idea of children with penny was... Very nice. Eventually.
Marius took her back after a moment. "Penny? Do you want to take her next?"
Grantaire bit his lip. He would get his turn.
--
Penny smiled and carefully took her. She was so tiny but so perfect. Yes, she wanted babies with Combeferre at some point.
Jehan took her next and cooed over her for a few moments before looking at Grantaire.
"Would you like to take her?"
--
Grantaire nodded. "Please." He moved forward. Marius started to transfer her carefully but awkwardly as he had been doing, but Grantaire took her confidently. "She's fine. I have her." He settled her against his chest, rubbing her back carefully. She whimpered a little. "Oh I know so many people are trying to hold you. It's okay. You're just very popular."
Marius blinked. "Oh. You - you're good at that."
Grantaire grinned. "I am a man of many talents." He rocked Fantine gently.
--
Enjolras watched as Grantaire took her. He seemed very eager and very much at ease. Grantaire was just... made for this. He was so natural. It made Enjolras wonder. If there was a way.... But he has told Enjolras he has never considered it. Perhaps he didn't want babies of his own.
"That you are, my love," he said.
--
Grantaire smiled at Enjolras.
"Where did you learn that?" Courfeyrac asked.
"I had lodgings above a family with a small child once. I got lots of practice." He looked down at Fantine. "Not with a baby as small as this. But she's beautiful."
Courfeyrac grinned. "An ideal babysitter then."
Grantaire nodded, looking at marius and cosette. "Any time you need one. I'd be happy to help."
--
Cosette smiled at him. "You may regret that offer."
Enjolras stood just watching Grantaire hold her. Grantaire would make a wonderful father. If he wanted to be one. He shook himself slightly. It was a silly idea. They couldn't adopt even if they wanted to. And while Grantaire would be wonderful, he would probably be terrible.
--
He grinned. "Oh I won't. I'll look after her whenever you want."
Marius smiled. "Thank you." He looked over at Enjolras. "Do you want her, Enjolras?"
--
Enjolras wasn't sure what to say at first."I think they would both protest that idea."
--
Grantaire looked at him. "I could be persuaded to give her up." He smiled. "If you want."
--
Enjolras wasn't very sure it was a good idea. "She seems settled and...." He trailed off, not wanting to voice his fears.
--
Grantaire smiled. "I'll keep her. Gladly."
Marius raised an eyebrow. "Not for very long."
Grantaire sighed. "If you insist. But she's lovely."
Marius smiled. "We do." He wrapped an arm around cosette, smiling at her.
--
Enjolras was glad he didn't make a fuss out of him not taking her. He would probably only make her cry. And she was content with Grantaire.
Cosette leaned against Marius and smiled. Yes, she will need to be fed soon."
--
Grantaire kissed her head softly. "Yes so that she can grow big and strong."
Marius nodded. "Definitely."
--
Enjolras smiled widely as he watched Grantaire with her. He stepped closer to them, just wanting to be near his husband.
--
Grantaire smiled. "Say hello to uncle Enjolras, Fantine. He's going to teach you so much. Like how to blow things up." He glanced at Enjolras.
--
Enjolras reached a hand out carefully to run a fingers along her cheek. "And taking a stand and fighting for what you believe in," he said, smiling at Grantaire warmly.
--
Grantaire smiled at him. "Yes. And he'll stand up for you, too. He'll look after you."
--
Enjolras stepped closer still and placed his hand on the back of Fantine's head. "As will Uncle Grantaire."
--
He nodded. He looked at how tiny her head was compared to Enjolras' hand. He shook his head. "So small." He'd never seen a baby this tiny before. Not that he had been around many. Just the one, really.
--
Enjolras nodded and quickly withdrew his hand, just in case he might hurt her in any way. "Yes, she is," he said, brow furrowing.
--
"No, no. You weren't hurting her. Was he? No of course not." He looked over at cosette. "Do you want her back?"
--
Enjolras stepped back. Grantaire was much better than he was at all of this.
Cosette nodded her head. "Yes, please." She held her hands out for her.
--
Marius watched a little nervously as Grantaire moved over and handed Fantine to cosette. But he was really fine. He smiled. "Thank you. I think Courfeyrac has some competition for favourite uncle."
Courfeyrac gasped. "Never!" He grinned.
Grantaire ducked his head. "We'll see who Fantine prefers."
--
"Oh I think that there will definitely be strong competition," Enjolras said.
Cosette smiled at Fantine whose eyes drifted closed when she settled against her.
--
Marius leaned in to kiss cosette's forehead. Seeing them like this caused something inside him to melt. He loved them both so much.
Grantaire slid a hand through his hair. "Should we leave you to it?" He asked. If she needed to be fed they might appreciate some privacy.
--
Cosette nodded her head. "Maybe for a few hours. We will both need to sleep after I've fed her. But you are all welcome to come back later."
--
They all got to their feet, taking their leave. "We'll come back in smaller groups," Combeferre said. "And if you need anything let us know. I'll bring you dinner later."
Marius smiled. "Thank you. All of you." He smiled.
--
"Yes, thank you," Cosette said. Fantine started to whine a little as she got hungry.
Enjolras walked to the door promptly, wanting to give them space. He stood outside, wanting for Grantaire. Penny took Combeferre's hand and Jehan took Courfeyrac's.
--
Grantaire slid his arm around enjolras' waist. "I think I'm going to paint. Want to join me?" He asked, nuzzling enjolras' neck. Since Enjolras had mentioned he would like to spend time with him as he worked Grantaire had invited him to the studio more often.
--
Enjolras smiled. "Yes, that would be great." He paused. "You really were great with her, you know. You seem so comfortable and natural and...." He wasn't sure what he was trying to say. Seeing Grantaire hold her had made him think a little more about the idea of babies. Maybe one day.... When they got off the TARDIS... If Grantaire was interested. But was he? He didn't know what to think. He didn't want to hold Grantaire back from being a father if that was something he wanted.
--
Grantaire leaned against him as they walked away from the others. "I had lots of practice." He bit his lip, looking serious. "The baby - he was left in the hall. Just outside my rooms. Their rooms were damp as she took in washing. He would cry and cry and one morning I was too hungover to bear it anymore. So I picked him up. He came to like me, I think. Or the faces I pulled."
--
He wrapped his arm around Grantaire as they walked. "Why wouldn't he come to like you? You are wonderful. And... Any child would be lucky to have you in their life."
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Grantaire smiled. "It didn't do him a lot of good. Not in the long run. He got sick and ... Then the family moved away shortly after."
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"That wasn't your fault. And if we.... if we were to adopt at any stage I know that you would be be amazing. And you'd keep them safe and warm and well looked after."
--
He nodded. “I know it wasn’t. It … wasn’t anyone’s fault, really. It happens. Happened. Thankfully people like Trixie have made that much, much rarer.”
He raised an eyebrow. “That’s the second time you’ve mentioned us adopting. Do you… want to adopt when we leave this place?”
--
"Yes. There have been many advances that help in many ways, which is good."
He glanced at Grantaire. "I... The thought has crossed my mind. And seeing you with Fantine. You were born to be a father. I don't know how much I can do for a child but even with you they would be well taken care of. But I don't know if you would want it."
--
Grantaire leaned against him “You would do so much for a child, Enjolras.” He squeezed his hip.
“I think… yes. That little boy, Gavroche… there are so many children that need care that their parents can’t or don’t want to give them.” His jaw tightened at the thought of the Thernardiers. “I think we should look into it, wherever we end up going.”
--
Enjolras wasn’t so sure that was true. He wanted to try though. To try to give a child a better life.
“Really?” he asked. “Yes, we should look into it.”
--
Grantaire kissed his cheek. “We should. After you win us the right to.” He winked at him, then let them into his studio.
--
He smiled. “Yes. I will need to make that a priority for us,” he said. He stepped inside the studio. He had a little area set up for himself in the studio now. A chair with some books on it left in the corner.
--
Grantaire settled in to paint, glancing over at Enjolras occasionally. He liked this, getting to share more of his day with him.