Summary: (one-shot) Romance between Enjolras and Éponine. Probably more movie/musical-based rather than book-based.
Disclaimer: I don't own Les Mis.
He had first seen her with Marius.
And felt his heart plummet at the thought that she was Marius' girlfriend. Her tangled dark hair rippled over the back of her ragged dress, but all Enjolras could see was her bright, expectant smile as she laughed at something Marius had said.
Momentarily forgetting the barricade and all his plans, Enjolras watched as the girl said farewell to Marius and turned away.
"Who was that?" Enjolras demanded.
"Éponine. She's like a sister to me," Marius said distractedly. He didn't notice the relieved sigh Enjolras heaved or the longing glance at Éponine's receding figure. Enjolras turned away, but for the rest of the evening he couldn't keep his mind off the dark-haired girl named Éponine.
The next time he saw her was the next meeting at the café. With Marius again. She barely even acknowledged Enjolras or any of the students and left in a swirl of tattered skirts. Enjolras didn't even notice when Grantaire came up behind him.
"She's pretty" he smirked, noticing Enjolras' rather forlorn expression as he watched Éponine walk away.
"Pardon? Oh, yes I suppose she is" was the vague reply.
Enjolras sometimes wanders the streets. He always hopes he'd catch a glimpse of her, even if it's just the dark tendrils of her hair escaping around a corner. And one day he actually does come face to face with her. Literally face to face into her.
Crossing a busy street, he's watching for carts, carriages, or anything else that would possibly run him over. He never even sees the girl until he drops the packet of pamphlets he was carrying.
He scrambles, trying to collect all of the loose papers and looks up, only to gaze into a pair of brown eyes framed by tangled brown hair.
"Sorry…I uh…guess I wasn't looking…" Enjolras trails off, embarrassedly running a hand through his curly hair.
"Neither was I," the girl confesses, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks.
She turned away, and then Enjolras catches a glimpse of her face.
"Wait. You're Marius' friend. Éponine."
"Well, it's nice to know I'm referred to as 'Marius' friend'" she responds tartly. Enjolras takes a step back, surprised by her attitude.
"I only meant—" he stammers. Ruefully he thinks how amazed the students would be that a mere girl could render the great Apollo speechless.
Something in Éponine's face softens and she replies, with a small smile, "it's alright."
"Well…I should be going" Enjolras hesitates uncomfortably.
"I should be too…" Éponine regretfully turned away.
She comes again to the café, this time to meet Marius. She flashes a shy smile at Enjolras and leaves.
"Wait!" Enjolras sprints after her, taking the rickety stairs two at a time. He catches her sleeve just before she steps out of the door.
"What?" she turned, confusion in her eyes.
He pulls her into a kiss, at first awkward and then so perfect that at once his plans for a revolution, for a free people, are forgotten. Éponine resists, but then her arms twine behind his neck and she returns his kiss.
They finally break apart and both smile.
Éponine's kiss leaves a lingering sweetness on Enjolras' lips for the rest of the night. He's in a daze and keeps touching his lips as though to make sure their kiss was real.
The last time Enjolras sees her is at the barricade. And there's crimson running down her shirt and her hands. Marius is cradling her and looks up in surprise as Enjolras kneels next to him.
Éponine gives a painfully forced smile as Marius shifts her over to Enjolras.
"Don't you fret M'sieur" she smiles up at Enjolras and he thinks that he has never seen a more beautiful smile.
Although it's obvious that she's dying, Enjolras still pulls her close and whispers "don't leave me 'Ponine."
"I won't. I promise" he doesn't even realize that he's crying until a tear lands on Éponine's face, mixing with her own tears.
Her eyes slip closed and Enjolras knows she's dead. He presses a shaky kiss to her forehead and then carries her into the café.
Almost too quickly the guards arrive at the barricade. Enjolras watches as his comrades, the boys he called his friends, drop one after another. He sees the man who knows Marius drag Marius into the sewers. Enjolras smiles wryly, at least Marius will be able to get home to his love.
Then he faces the "firing squad" with Grantaire. As a last tribute to France and Éponine, he raises the red flag as the bullets rip through him.
The last thing he sees is Éponine's beautiful smiling face surrounded by light as he falls back.
THE END.
Hoped you guys enjoyed!