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It was rarely in life these days that Enjolras got particularly worked up over anything. But the rally he'd just been attending -alone, mind you- hadn't been going the way he wanted. So he'd resorted to drastic measures.
It was rather lucky he still owned his earrings, lip ring, and tongue stud.
So he had, indeed, donned them, and used a bit of conditioner and red drink mix to temporarily stain his hair bright red. It was all very reminiscent of when he was a teenager, but the people attending the rally had been primarily of that sort of scene. They all listened to his speeches far better when he fit in among them.
But now he was back at university, yet to see anyone. He was working, any number of textbooks and notes spread out on the bed around him. He hadn't bothered getting changed or removing the jewellery; he had a paper due soon.
Grantaire had wasted his day away rather nicely. After a morning class he'd briefly gone out for drinks with Bahorel, Bossuet and Joly, hanging around the Musain and enjoying the company. There had been vague murmurs of Enjolras being somehow occupied - likely some sort of rally or protest he had decided to attend - until later afternoon, so he hadn't bothered looking for him until he thought it late enough, and bid his goodbyes to the others. Which brought him here; outside Enjolras' dorm.
"Hey Apollo, you in?" he called through the door as he walked in - the door was open and they all had a habit of just waltzing into each other’s dorms - only to catch sight of a head of bright red hair. He made a surprised noise and paused in the doorway. Enjolras held up a hand to indicate he needed a minute. He finished typing out his thought before shoving his books and laptop to the side turning to look at Grantaire.
"Are you just going to stand there, or are you coming in?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, setting his books and notes aside so as to make room for Grantaire.
"Uh, I might stand here for a moment." Grantaire replied, not taking his eyes off Enjolras. He took in the piercings, the clothing, the hair, and huffed, half in amusement, half in appreciation, as he closed the door behind him. "This is so much better than Courf's photos." He added eventually, walking over to the bed.
"Shut up. It was to make a point." Contemplating a moment, he smiled deviously and stuck out his tongue at Grantaire, the stud in his tongue clinking softly against his lip ring.
"Oh that's unfair." Grantaire murmured under his breath.
"I don't understand why it's such a big deal to you."
Grantaire shook his head and lounged back in an attempt to seem casual. "I don't know, I guess I just never imagined you as the punk-rock dye-and-piercings sort of guy. I never thought the look would suit you but damn does it." Grantaire cleared his throat slightly and hoped the heat he could feel rising to his face didn’t show.
Enjolras snorted. "This? This is nothing. I've done much worse than dye my hair in and wear some piercings. You've seen the tattoo," he pointed out. "I tried being an anarchist for a while there, you know." He added, studying Grantaire while he waited for a reaction. Anarchy had been... interesting, to say the least. He hadn't stuck with it, but it had taught him how to command attention, regardless of how he looked.
Grantaire nodded and whistled lowly. "Anarchist, huh? Actually the more I think about it the easier it is to imagine." Somehow the mental image it called was Enjolras, fierce - Enjolras was a passionate speaker but controlled, but outside of his usual audiences of university students and the occasional young worker, Grantaire could imagine him unrestrained, especially in a bout of teenage rebellion; his hair bright enough to match the fire he undoubtedly seemed to burn with as he commanded the attention of the crowds. If Grantaire loved to see Enjolras speak now, he could only imagine seeing him with his impeccable self-control lowered; the heat of a hearth fire against a blazing bonfire.
"I was an angry teenager." Enjolras stated flippantly, idly toying with his lip ring. It was a habit he'd developed when he first got the piercing, and the urge to do so was apparently still there.
"What I'd give to see you as an angry teenager." Grantaire laughed.
"There's probably something somewhere- the rebellious sons of important politicians end to get news coverage." Enjolras shrugged idly, pushing bright red bangs from his face. The two sat for a few moments in comfortable silence. Enjolras frowned almost thoughtfully, drumming a hand on his knee. "R, I want you to draw me something."
Grantaire blinked at Enjolras' request and raised his eyebrows. "Something? Like a specific something or an anything something?"
"I've thought about it a lot, and I want another tattoo." Enjolras grabbed one of his textbooks and settled it in his lap, idly flipping through the pages to where his class was.
"Really?" Grantaire asked, then after a moment, "Wait, you want me to draw you something for a tattoo? Seriously?" Grantaire had drawn designs for tattoos before - some art class in his teenhood, where he drew a few tribal designs and some which resembled the style of ancient Greek vases - but never specifically for someone, and certainly not for a specific someone of Enjolras' calibre.
"Yes, really. You can even decide where I'll get it done." Enjolras stated. Tattoos were very permanent things, but he wouldn't be considering another one if he wasn't confident about it.
"Wow... yeah, yeah okay." Grantaire said, nodding slightly. Already his mind was flashing ideas at him, though to say he was entirely confident in this himself would be a lie. To be drawing a design that would become permanently etched into Enjolras' skin filled him at once with a rush of happiness and a flash of fear.
"Excellent, much preferable to something generic." Enjolras paused, looking up from his textbook. "I swear to god, if you pick somewhere indecent, I am revoking your deciding rights."
Grantaire smirked wickedly. "Well, now that you've put the idea in my head..." He teased.
"You are a child." Enjolras shook his head and stared back down at his textbook, once again fidgeting with his lip ring. "I'm taking these off. Object now or hold your peace."
"Well hey, if you hadn't said anything." Grantaire told him. He shifted slightly closer to Enjolras. "Actually, I am going to object. I demand you kiss me at least once before you take them off." He smirked slightly again, tilting his head to offer his lips.
Enjolras rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. "Don't think I'm going to make a habit of wearing these." He shoved his textbook aside, the heavy volume landing on the floor as Enjolras shifted his weight to one of his hands to lean in and kiss Grantaire.
"Shame." Grantaire murmured, bringing one hand up to thread into Enjolras' currently bright red curls as their lips met.
"They're apparently distracting." Enjolras murmured, hooking his free arm around Grantaire's waist.
"Yeah okay I don't think I'd ever let you get anything done if you wore them all the time." Grantaire admitted, catching Enjolras' lips again and worrying the ring gently with his own lips.
Enjolras jerked a bit in surprise. "Alright, that might convince me otherwise." He murmured. He pulled Grantaire just a bit closer so they were pressed flush together, making a soft, satisfied noise.
Grantaire chuckled softly as he moved to let Enjolras pull him closer, one hand finding its way to rest on Enjolras' hip. "Oh really?" he asked, repeating the motion, enjoying Enjolras' reaction.
Enjolras made a pleased noise, leaning his forehead against Grantaire's. "Have I been known to lie?"
"Probably." Grantaire smirked, teasing. "You don't quite have Combeferre's straight record of honesty."
"That's because he's a terrible liar and he knows it." Enjolras rolled his eyes, but his expression was more fond than anything else.
Grantaire laughed, deep and honest. "Yeah, I can't see Combeferre being a good liar."
"He used to try, he figured out rather quickly he's unconvincing." Enjolras shifted to lie on his side on the bed, beckoning Grantaire to join him.
"Does he do the obvious shifting-side-to-side-looking-away thing?" Grantaire grinned as he stretched himself out beside Enjolras. "Or maybe he has a nervous tic every time he lies."
"Both, actually." Enjolras said after a moment. "He does it if he only gives part of the truth, too."
"Oh that's great." Grantaire laughed again. "A bit inconvenient though."
“So we discovered.” Enjolras chuckled. He rolled over slightly to press himself against Grantaire, kissing him again. He could feel the click of his tongue stud against Grantaire’s front teeth, and if the pleased noise Grantaire made and the way the brunette once again pulled gently at the lip ring was anything to go by, so did Grantaire.
“You still planning on taking these off?” Grantaire breathed softly into Enjolras’ mouth. Enjolras smirked.
“I suppose I can keep them on a while longer.” He murmured. Grantaire seemed to give his enthusiastic approval, pulling Enjolras until he was almost on top of him, and Enjolras went willingly.