114Hello, everybody! I know, I know. It's been a while. But if you follow my other stories, you'll know that I've been taking a summer class, and it takes up an awful lot of time. However, I will continue to try and update as much as possible! I'm VERY excited about my other story, "The End." If you all aren't following it, PLEASE give it a go! It's only one chapter so far, so it's VERY easy to catch up on, and it even has a beautiful new cover picture that I will explain in chapter two of said fan fiction.
But for now, without further ado, enjoy chapter ten of "Catch Me, I'm Falling!"
~Rosey
Chapter Ten:
Combeferre sat in a chair by Enjolras's bed, stroking golden curls and watching as his friend slept. A few hours had passed since the big scare, and luckily Julien was sleeping peacefully now. His fever had gone down, though not yet broken, and he was not having as much trouble breathing as he had been. Combeferre refused to let his guard down, however, and continued to press cold rags to Julien's forehead and shoulders, waiting for the moment when the fever finally broke for good.
All of a sudden, the medical student was aware of a presence at his side. He turned to face Courfeyrac, who had been sitting silently in the corner with wide eyes since Julien got so much worse a couple of hours ago. Carefully, as if afraid to break Enjolras, Courfeyrac sat on the edge of the bed, biting his lip and looking down at Julien with teary eyes. Combeferre frowned at his friend's obvious anxiety and gently reached over a hand to rest on the younger boy's shoulder. "Hello, Francis."
Courfeyrac looked over at him with tired eyes, frowning and chewing his lower lip. "Hello."
Combeferre sighed sadly and squeezed Courfeyrac's shoulder gently. "How are you doing?"
"I feel like a terrible friend." The young brunette looked back down at Julien and ran a hand over his face. "I'm... I'm so sorry..."
"Courf, please, don't blame yourself," Combeferre begged softly, empathy for the young boy swelling in his heart. "It's not your fault."
"But it is, though, Ferre. I yelled at him. And I hate when people yell," a tremor found it's way into Courfeyrac's voice. "I should have known better. He was sick. He was just defending himself."
Combeferre smiled sadly. "And you were just concerned for him. I know he was scared, but you were too."
There was a long, heavy silence, and then Francis spoke in a barely audible whisper. "He hates me."
Instantly, Combeferre shook his head, eyes serious, pressing Courfeyrac's shoulder harder. "No. No, he would never hate you."
The younger boy shook his head. "He does. You didn't see how he looked at me."
The medical student planted a kiss on Francis's curls. "Courfeyrac, he was already sick. He wasn't thinking straight."
Not looking up, Courfeyrac continued. "He ran away from me, 'Ferre. He was scared of me. And I was so horrible to him..."
Combeferre squeezed his hand gently. "Courf, you were just worried for him. And with obvious and good reason!"
"But I couldn't even be worried about him without him running away and getting worse! I messed everything up!"
At this, Combeferre held the younger boy very close, fiercely whispering into his shoulder. "Hush. You did nothing wrong. As much as he won't admit it, Julien is a very haunted little boy. And he gets scared."
Courfeyrac looked up with wide and confused eyes. "He is?"
"Yes. Very much so."
The smaller child blinked and bit his lip. "I wouldn't have guessed that."
Combeferre nodded, stroking Enjolras's curls and looking down at his friend in deep concern. "He's... Basically horrified of becoming a burden to anyone."
Francis's eyes went wide, and he backed up a little on the bed. "I made it sound like that..."
The bespectacled student took a deep breath and nodded. "I know. But you didn't know. You couldn't know."
Courfeyrac looked up at Combeferre with worry all over his usually happy and glowing face. Worry didn't look right on Courfeyrac. "Do you... Do you think he'll ever forgive me?"
Combeferre gave a small smile, kissing his little friend on the head. "I know he will."
The other child grew very quiet for a long moment, looking down at Julien and worrying his lip between his teeth. The last thing Courfeyrac ever wanted to do was hurt anyone, much less any of his friends. Especially not Julien or Combeferre. And now he had hurt them both. "I hate disappointing people," he finally whispered, a hand going to rest in Enjolras's golden curls. He leaned in towards the blond, mumbling directly to him, holding his hand with the one that wasn't stroking Julien's hair. "Enj I... I know you can't hear me. But... I'm sorry. I know I already said that, but I really, really am. I didn't mean to yell at you, but I was worried about you and I never think before I talk so what I'm thinking comes out wrong... But I did not mean that you're a burden. You aren't. I just know that Ferre can help you if you let him and he wants to, he really does. But you have to tell him. That way it won't be this bad and we won't be scared. Because we're so scared, 'Jolras. I'm scared. I'm scared that you'll hate me forever. I promise I'm never going to yell at you again, or at anyone, I... I hate yelling, and I'm so stupid for doing this to you, it wasn't fair. So... I'm sorry. I'm just so, so sorry."
There was a brief silence after Courfeyrac finished this speech, and then suddenly Enjolras pressed his hand gently. There wasn't any strength behind it, but it was there. Francis quickly leaned in closer to the blond, eyes wide. Julien spoke in a raspy, barely audible voice, not even opening his eyes yet. "I... Forgave you the day I left."
Courfeyrac blinked in surprise, putting a gentle hand on Enjolras's flushed cheek. "Y-you did?"
Enjolras slowly blinked open glazed blue eyes, nodding tiredly. "Mmmhmm."
The other boy gave a tiny, weak smile. "I thought you hated me."
At this, Julien instantly shook his head, frowning. "No. I could never hate you. I thought it was you all who hated me."
Courfeyrac blinked back tears and shook his head, rubbing tiny circles in Julien's cheek with his thumb. "No. No, 'Jolras, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you think that. I was being stupid."
Coughing weakly, Enjolras managed the smallest of smiles. "So was I."
"You were sick. It's not your fault," Courfeyrac countered as he planted a kiss to the sick boy's head.
Enjolras shook his head. "Yes it is. I should have listened to you. I messed everything up, and now look where we are."
Francis pressed Julien's hand harder. "Enj, I'm so sorry for yelling at you. I know better than to yell, it never helps."
The blond pressed his hand back with heartbreakingly little strength. "I didn't mean to yell either. Thats... Actually something I really need to work on." He took a shallow breath, closing his eyes tightly shut, his heart starting to pound. "I'm... I'm so sorry. I... I let myself get this sick I... I scared you all and left and abandoned the cause because of some stupid childhood fear."
Combeferre spoke up now, shaking his head. "You can't control if you're sick, Jules. You didn't abandon anything. You are still fighting for the cause. You just need a little break."
"For a whole w-week I thought about myself rather than the people. I... I'm sorry... I probably deserve this," Julien coughed weakly.
Courfeyrac teared up at this and shook his head. "No. Julien, you do not deserve this. Everybody gets sick. You're going to be fine."
Enjolras took a shallow breath and looked up at Courfeyrac tiredly. "I want to... But I'm just so tired, Francis..."
"Julien Rene Enjolras, you are one of the strongest people I know. And you will beat this," Francis spoke more confidently now, pressing his hand.
"I'm not as strong as you."
At this, the other child blinked incredulously, arching an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"
By now, the blond was struggling to stay awake, but he spoke anyway. "You're always so happy and so... so loved and... And I admire you so much."
Courfeyrac looked at him in shock before gingerly sliding onto the bed next to him and taking the smaller boy in his arms, resting Enjolras's head against his shoulder. "You admire me?"
Enjolras nodded tiredly, limp and heavy against Courfeyrac's side. "More than you will ever know. I'm sorry that I can't be everything I should be for you."
Instantly, the brunette shook his head. "No. You are. You are everything you need to be and more. I love you, Julien. Now rest."
The blond gave a tiny, almost unnoticeable nod. "I'll do my best."
Combeferre smiled softly and gently covered both boys with a blanket. "Both of you need sleep."
Courfeyrac looked up at him, wanting to protest, but Enjolras looked up at him tiredly, taking his hand in his own fevered one. "Please stay?"
The other child smiled and nodded, wrapping an arm lovingly around Julien. "Alright. I'll stay."
"So will I," Enjolras whispered in a voice one had to strain to hear. But the words meant the world to the others in the room, and they gave a broken smile when he repeated them one more time. "I'll stay too."
Alright, all! There's the end of chapter ten! Julien seems to be doing a little better! But will he continue to heal? Or am I an evil author? (I think we all know the answer to that one.)
So! Please review, and keep an eye out for and update on "The End" very soon!
Stay revolutionary!
~Rosey