The silence is eerily complete.
It is far too quiet.

A name is frozen on his lips.
He wakes with one person on his mind.

Fearing the worst, he runs as fast as his thin legs will take him.
Through the haze of alcohol, he sees the body pinned against the wall.

He runs and runs; to the barricade, to the Musain.
He stumbles over in disbelief.

Among the carnage there, one body stands out.
The corpse wears a red jacket and clutches a flag in its lifeless hand.

Courfeyrac.
Enjolras.

The object of his affections, the beloved centre of their entire group, lies in a pool of his own blood.
The marble lover of liberty, the Apollonian leader, has fallen.

(I never got to tell him that I love him.)
(He is the only thing I ever believed in; the only man I ever dared to love.)

He falls to his knees and kisses Courfeyrac, ignoring the cold hardness of the cadaver's lips.
The cynic breaks; loud, ugly sobs wrack his entire body.

Sharp ears then register muffled sounds coming from the second floor.
He doesn't care who hears his laments.

Cautiously, he climbs the stairs.
He hears footsteps, but he could care less.

He reaches the second floor and finds a familiar face.
Silence reigns once more; he forces himself to turn around and face whoever has come.

Grantaire.
Prouvaire.

The drunkard stares at him with bloodshot eyes.
The poet who everyone believed to be dead is standing right in front of him.

Wordlessly, he approaches.
He meets him in the middle of the room and embraces him.

His arms wrap around his friend as tears begin to stream down his face.
He continues sobbing into Jean's shoulder.

He takes comfort in being held and having someone to hold on to.
For that is all he needs at the moment: a shoulder to cry on.

They stand there for a long time; more than enough time to think.
Then realization hits him with the force of a cannonball.

(We're the only ones left.)
(Only two of us survived.)

His grip on Grantaire involuntarily tightens at the frightening truth.
He pulls his friend closer; he doesn't want to let go just yet.

"Sometimes you just need someone to be there, so the dark isn't quite so big."