Combeferre had hoped that upon crumpling in defeat that the features of not! Marius would change, that Eponine might see why Combeferre knocking him out was a necessary, even a good thing. Unfortunately, that was not to be the case, and the only real way he had of protecting Eponine, although she very rightly, given her perceptions, hated him now, was to get her out of here before he managed to regain consciousness. Since Combeferre was sure that he was not even quite human, they might have very little time for that.
"Eponine, I am sorry, but it needed to be done." He followed after Eponine, using her distraction to wrap his arms around her shoulders, giving a tug to get her up and out of here.
"I swear to you, should we find the true Marius among us once again, we will help him and I shall do my best to show him he could love you, and the reasons why and how he should."
It was the sort of promise that obviously was painful for him to make, for even if Marius never returned, he did not suppose that Eponine would ever wish to love him either in the face of that. The true Marius would have protected Eponine; he would have never used her as his shield or allowed for her to come to harm. And he would certainly have never struck her, even though it had been accidental, and had happened rather quickly. Certainly, those were things that both he and "Marius" had failed at rather badly here.
It surely meant that Combeferre was not yet ready to love someone again, perhaps that he never COULD be ready. After all, his last relationship, at least the last reciprocated one, had ended with a knife and a slashed throat. It was a heavy thought, and rather an awful one, but it was hard to deny a truth that stared straight through you all the same.
In any case, it was a truth for later, when Eponine was safe again. Right, getting her out of here mattered far more. Though he was not much taller than her, he had the advantage of weight, and strength, and could use that to pull her up and along with him, as he was trying now. “Eponine, we must get out of here.” He spoke again, quite somberly, as he continued hauling her to her feet. “Hate me if you must, but your safety is something that I will ensure, right now.” No matter what he had to do to make that happen.
no subject
"Eponine, I am sorry, but it needed to be done." He followed after Eponine, using her distraction to wrap his arms around her shoulders, giving a tug to get her up and out of here.
"I swear to you, should we find the true Marius among us once again, we will help him and I shall do my best to show him he could love you, and the reasons why and how he should."
It was the sort of promise that obviously was painful for him to make, for even if Marius never returned, he did not suppose that Eponine would ever wish to love him either in the face of that. The true Marius would have protected Eponine; he would have never used her as his shield or allowed for her to come to harm. And he would certainly have never struck her, even though it had been accidental, and had happened rather quickly. Certainly, those were things that both he and "Marius" had failed at rather badly here.
It surely meant that Combeferre was not yet ready to love someone again, perhaps that he never COULD be ready. After all, his last relationship, at least the last reciprocated one, had ended with a knife and a slashed throat. It was a heavy thought, and rather an awful one, but it was hard to deny a truth that stared straight through you all the same.
In any case, it was a truth for later, when Eponine was safe again. Right, getting her out of here mattered far more. Though he was not much taller than her, he had the advantage of weight, and strength, and could use that to pull her up and along with him, as he was trying now.
“Eponine, we must get out of here.” He spoke again, quite somberly, as he continued hauling her to her feet. “Hate me if you must, but your safety is something that I will ensure, right now.” No matter what he had to do to make that happen.