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“So… Do you usually just drive along dark country roads and pick up young, impressionable women or are you making a special effort for me?” R winced- she’d meant to be joking, teasing, but her tone had come out more acerbic and cool. She hated that, her accidental way of talking to people like she hated them.
The goddess just laughed though, her blonde hair shimmering in a waterfall over her shoulders. Keeping her eyes on the road, she said, “We’re on our way to my friend’s place. Courf. I got a bit lost. Where are you headed?”
Looking at her hands, her bitten nails and flaking nail varnish, R bit her lip. “The nearest town, I guess? After that… I’m not so sure.”
“Don’t you have anywhere to go?”
“I’m… between dwellings, let’s say.”
The blonde girl raised an eyebrow at her and scrunched her face up in thought for a moment. Another car passed them on the near-deserted road, its lights flashing as it bounced along the country path. She tilted her head towards the hoodie-covered figure curled up on the back seat. “Do you want me to take you into the town to the King’s Head? It’s the only B and B in the town, right next to the station.”
“Oh, no, it’s ok. I don’t really have enough money for that… Just drop me near the station or something and I’ll work it out.”
The girl nodded, like she’d expected that. R fidgeted uncomfortably with her fingerless gloves and the dirty sleeves on her parka, feeling gross and suddenly aware that she looked as if she’d been sleeping rough for days. “So what are you doing in the middle of nowhere walking along a road with no pavement carrying all your possessions?”
“Ah,” Grantaire quirked an eyebrow. “The tragic ballad of R. Um, I move around a lot, I guess. Started out in London, but some stuff happened and I wanted to get out of there as fast as I possibly could and I ran away. And I travelled all over for a bit, spent the most time down in Brighton. I loved it down there, but it didn’t last and I went up north as far as I could get.” She smirked and shrugged. “And then once I’d gotten up there I decided to come back. Travelling seems to be the easiest when you’ve got nowhere to go- if you’re always on the move, you don’t have time to think about things. So I hitch-hiked down to the town a few miles back and then I met this guy who offered me a lift to the station.”
Enjolras looked at her sharply as she shivered and pulled the drawstrings on her hoodie.
“Um. Yeah. He drove me out here and then tried to… proposition me. And I told him I wasn’t interested and he punched me in the face and called me an ugly dyke and then kicked me out of the car and told me to have fun walking.”
Eyes wide, Enjolras bit her lip and looked at her sympathetically, watching the shadows of the trees illuminated in the headlights slide over her bruised cheek. There was the slightest split, dabbed with the tiniest bit of blood. She gritted her teeth, angry. “Fuck, what a dick. Do you want me to take you to a police station?”
R gave a bitter half-laugh that almost broke Enj’s heart. “Nah, it’s cool. I’ve had worse happen.” Her hands betrayed her anxiety, twisting inside her over-long hoodie sleeves.
“God,” Enjolras muttered. “Are you sure? That’s awful.”
R shrugged. “Come down from your tower, princess. That’s life.”
“Well, it shouldn’t be.”
“Can’t disagree with you there, but sadly I doubt that things are going to change any time soon.”
Enjolras shook her head. “You shouldn’t have to live like that.”
“It’s my choice.” R frowned. “And I don’t appreciate the tone you’re taking.”
“What tone?”
“All high-and-mighty, I’ve known you all of five seconds and you’re already trying to fix my life. God, can’t imagine what it would be like to be friends with you.” Then she winced, obviously prepared for Enjolras to pull over and kick her out.
Instead, she laughed. “I guess you’re right, sorry. I tend to come off a little strong sometimes. I’m a human rights activist, I work for a charity in town. I’ve just got the habit of taking work home and dragging it into people’s lives. I’m sorry. Ignore me.”
R frowned. “No, I’m sorry. I’m not exactly… good at conversation anymore.”
“It’s ok,” Enjolras said with a smile. There was peace for a moment, only broken by the sound of Combeferre’s soft snores on the back seat.
It was a fragile peace between the two of them, calm for a moment.
Enjolras just had to break it. She paused, and opened her mouth. “You should stay with us a while.”
“Oop, and you’re back trying to fix my life.”
“No, I’m serious. You’ve got nowhere to go for the night, so let me help you.”
“No, no, I couldn’t!” She met Enjolras’ eyes and laughed at the absurdity of the situation. “I don’t even know your name!”
“Oh, sorry! I forgot!” She grinned and R marvelled at her perfect white teeth, and tried not to stare too hard. “Enjolras.”
“Um. Bless you?” She got side-eyes for that, well deserved, and winked. “I’m Grantaire. Friends call me R.”
“Huh. French puns. Funny,” the blonde goddess- Enjolras- smirked sarcastically and tilted her head back towards the back of the car. “That one’s Combeferre.”
“Been driving a while, then?” R eyed the sleeping pile of blankets suspiciously.
“Yeah, we came from Edinburgh actually, drove all the way down.” She paused. “It’s Courf’s birthday, so all my friends are going up to see her and staying at her place for a while.”
“You’re Scottish? You don’t sound Scottish.”
“No, I was actually born in France. Moved to London when I was younger and just sort of stayed but Fantine- that’s my foster mum, I guess- always wanted to move up to Scotland and then when my sister, Cosette, married this guy from up there, Marius… They all moved up there. I just came back from visiting them.”
“Huh, cool,” Grantaire said, smiling slightly, and Enjolras groaned.
“Sorry, I’m talking too much, aren’t I? I do that a lot.”
“No, no, it’s fine! I don’t mind.”
Enjolras raised a sceptical eyebrow.
“I don’t! I like your voice.” Grantaire blinked and then blushed and covered her face with her hands. “No, that came out wrong. I didn’t mean that. Oh god, just keep on talking, that way I can’t say anything else stupid.”
Enjolras spluttered out a laugh and covered her mouth with one hand, the other hand clutching onto the steering wheel. “It’s fine! I’m flattered.”
“God,” R groaned through her fingers. “I’m crap at dealing with people.”
“Oh, stop it, you seem very nice.” She paused. “You don’t have to come and stay with me, not if you don’t want to. But I don’t want you to end up sleeping at the station or whatever, that’s not a good plan. It’s freezing out there, and it’s only getting colder.”
Grantaire raised her head, her expression finally sober. “I’ll be ok…”
“No, you won’t. I don’t want to pressure you, of course! I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”
R closed her eyes, wrinkling her nose as she thought. “Will your Courf friend be ok with this?”
“Courf’s family home has, what, 7 bedrooms I think? And that was before they built the extension. It will be perfectly ok.”
“Ok, fine. Fine. Thank you so much. If you’re sure it’s ok.”
“Of course it’s ok.”
“Just one night. I’ll be gone by morning, thank you. And if there’s anything I can do to repay you, I will. Anything.”
Enjolras blushed at the implied innuendo in the words and decidedly did not look at the girl blinking up at her beside her. “I… No! I don’t need anything from you, I promise. You can stay as long as you need, don’t worry about… Repaying me.” She cleared her throat. “It’s ok.”
“Ok.” Grantaire nodded slowly, chewing on her lip and a smile seeping through. “Ok.”