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Valjean, at last, we see each other plain…

2 hour speedpaints! Alright okay yes I will cool it with the Les Mis, I was just in withdrawal for a while so I had to get it out of my system

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laclefdescoeurs:

Partie in der Esslinger Altstadt, 1880, Gustav Schönleber

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Christmas

Even though they hadn’t been settled long in one place, Valjean made it his solemn duty to make sure that this Christmas was nothing like the previous year when he had found Cosette with the Thenardiers, starved and shivering half naked. He wanted her to forget everything.  He had the maid, a kindly woman who had ended up becoming a sort of nanny and feminine presence in their home, cook up a feast of Cosette’s favorite foods as well as traditional Christmas meals. There was a tree in the corner, tall ad glistening and he’d asked her to help him decorate it.  Beneath it and tucked onto the boughs were wrapped gifts in all sizes. There was a gold coin in her shoe, and a new outfit in one of the boxes, a duplicate of her outfit for her doll in a smaller one,  a humble, if beautiful necklace in another on the tree, and every sort of treat and sweet imaginable. Perhaps he’d gone a little over the top, it wasn’t exactly austere or sensible, but he wanted to make up for as much that she’d missed out on all these years as he could. 

He was seated at the table with a newspaper, quietly smoking a pipe and waiting for her to wake up. 

petite-alouette

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Valjean grabbed Javert’s arm and started to tug him toward a side door that he could remember lead to the street. Another round of cannons fired and more debris, dust and smoke filled the room. He kept a tight grip on Javert’s arm as he forced his way toward the door.  A deep, wooden groan sounded overhead and Valjean’s eyes widened. He grabbed Javert and threw them both forward. One of the beams cracked from the ceiling and crashed to the ground with a resounding boom. His head was still ringing when he forced himself to his feet and tugged Javert after him. He could still see the smoke billowing toward the door and he hoped that meant that it was open. 

Masquerade

Javert narrowed his eyes. “When will you give this little game of yours a break?” He hissed, still in disbelief. “Go on, now. You’ve mocked me enough.”

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"It is no game Monsieur. Trust-" there was a deafening boom and the walls of the room shivered. "Cannons!" Valjean grit his teeth and stood, ready to pull those poor boys from the barricade when the cannons sounded again. This time it must have struck the room above them because paint and chips of wood fell onto them both. Another volley and a wall crashed in front of the door. Valjean stumbled toward Javert with his knife poised. He grabbed him and cut his wrists loose.

Masquerade

“I have no reason to. Just as you have no reason to forgive me.” The man stated, remaining fixed in his stubborn mindset.

Javert stiffened when Valjean grabbed him, opening his mouth to demand that the man release him, but stopping before any more words could leave his mouth, defeated. 

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Valjean shook his head. “You are most welcome my boy, and I mean it. If you want for anything, I will provide it for you. Teaching you is the last that I could do.”

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“I would like to, monsieur! Definitely!”

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Valjean’s smile brightned. “Then, perhaps I will see you there tomorrow? At two o'clock in the afternoon?” 

forty-sous

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“Only if you wish to. The bishop is a kind man, and there would be many also willing to help to educate you - again, only if you wish.”

forty-sous

“It’s the pie shop on the Rue Saint-Denis. Near Le Café Corinthe.” Gervais nodded firmly and smiled a little proudly. “I managed to remember it now…”

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“Ah, yes. I know it.” Valjean wrote down the address, smiling a little. “I do a lot of work with St-Étienne-church. We intend to build a school in Paris for the children. Every afternoon we hand out bread on the steps, perhaps, monsieur would be interested in joining us?”  

forty-sous

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“There is no shame in that monsieur, I did not learn until I was older than you.” He dipped his pen. “If you tell me your address, then I can write it down for both of us.”

forty-sous

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“Would it be alright to ask you your address, monsieur?” Valjean took up a sheet of writing paper hopefully. “And, I mean no disrespect, but can you read and write my son?”

forty-sous

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“And now you have found me, and I shall help you. If you can stand on stable footing, perhaps you can pull others up to join you. If you tell me your dreams, if you tell me your plans, I will see them done. But...I am afraid, that when you leave tonight I will never find you again...where do you stay?”

forty-sous

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Valjean gazed back at him seriously as he mulled over his words. “That is true... more than it should be.” He let go of his arm and turned to his window. “Since that day I have spent my life trying to give back everything that I can.”

forty-sous

Gervais wiped his eyes on his cap again and paused briefly to stuff the coin into his pocket, before practically flinging himself at Valjean and hugging him tightly. “I-I don’t know how I can thank you enough, monsieur.” He looked up at him. “You don’t need anything fixing or…or any jobs that need doing, do you? I won’t even ask any money for it!”

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Valjean returned the hug gratefully and patted Gervais’ back. “You seem to have forgotten that it was me who took it from you.” He drew back to meet his eyes and gave his arm a squeeze. “I only want to help you - to make up for what I have done.” 

forty-sous

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Valjean watched him. At first he was frowning, watching him nervously for his reaction, but at the joy on Gervais’ face his own face lit up, and for a moment, with his smile wide and his eyes bright, he looked quite a lot younger. He looked down, a shy combination of ducking his head and a humble bow. He was overwhelmed, and so he just stood there, smiling and blushing and crying as the years of relief flooded through him. “You...you’re very welcome.”

forty-sous

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Valjean and Cosette share a happy moment at the convent for threadbaremillionaire by nisiedrawsstuff for the merry misfest exchange :)