A/N: This is my first full length Les Mis fic. I'm not a very good writer, but I couldn't help myself. The only thing I've tweaked a bit is the relationship between Gavroche and Eponine. They are much closer in this fic, and Gavroche spends some nights at home with the Thenardiers as opposed to living on the street. Sadly, I have not seen the movie yet, so if there's any corrections you have for me, feel free to say so. I grew up with the musical and have read other fanfictions, and sadly that's all I have for references right now. But hopefully I can see the movie soon! I do not own Les Miserables.
Seven days until the battle.
Night was the only time that Eponine could get out of the house. Her parents were both either getting drunk or working, or usually both. Sometimes, they would force Eponine to help out too. But usually they were too drunk to even notice that she was there.
In fact, the Thenardiers rarely noticed when their children were gone. Eponine's little brother, Gavroche stayed with the revolutionists at the cafe most nights. Eponine would check up on him while he was there, but the visits were always more for Marius than for her younger brother.
Eponine had been in love with Marius Pontmercy for a while now. They had always been great friends, enjoying each others company, but Marius never noticed Eponine's subtle hints.
Maybe he did, he just didn't acknowledge them.
Lately, he had been hung up on Cosette.
Cosette. Blonde, naive, kind, lovely, rich. Almost all of the things Eponine was not.
Eponine. Brunette, much too aware of the hurt in the world, sharp-witted, dirty, poor.
Eponine remembered growing up with Cosette vaguely. Sometimes she would have to bring her dinner, she spent a lot of time cleaning. She used to pity Cosette, but now Eponine was the most jealous girl in the world.
One night in particular, Eponine was feeling very claustrophobic. Her parents had screamed at her to stay back and help, but she had snuck out. Marius would make her feel better, she just knew.
She wrapped herself in her father's coat and slipped out of the front door, drunk men stumbling to get out of her way. They took a few steps back, taking pulls from their flasks and looking her up and down. Eponine tried not to make eye contact. Sometimes, if you made eye contact with them, they could get touchy.
Just beyond them were hoards of prostitutes, staring over desperately at the drunk men. They all glanced at Eponine shortly, their eyebrows raised. They knew what kind of family she was from. They knew what line of work she would most likely be forced into. She shuddered, picking up her pace. It seemed like each area of the neighborhood made her upset in one way or another.
Eponine picked up a loaf of bread with the few francs she had found lying on the counters at the house. She would claim the bread was for Gavroche, but she knew all the boys at the cafe were starving.
Eponine gave the secret knock. A few seconds later, Courfeyrac answered the door.
"Bonsoir, Monsieur Courfeyrac," She tipped her head at him shortly.
"'Ponine!" He said, grinning. "Come on in."
"Gavroche! Dinner!" She called.
Gavroche appeared at the top of the stairs almost immediately, and Eponine rushed up to meet him. She ruffled his hair playfully and stuck the loaf of bread under his right arm.
"Don't eat all of it, petit cochon," She said, calling him a piglet. He was farthest from that, in reality. Gavroche was a scrawny, little, mousy boy. But what he lacked in weight, he made up for in determination. Eponine looked up, almost nonchalantly, to examine who was here.
Enjolras sat at a desk in the corner, focused intently on a piece of parchment. Courfeyrac followed after Gavroche closely, sniffing at the warm scent of bread that filled the air.
And there was Marius, playing with a loose seam on his coat. Eponine tried to keep from swooning, sighing softly.
"Good evening, Marius," Eponine breathed out. Gavroche smirked up at her, his mouth crammed full of bread. He had caught her a few months before writing in her poor excuse for a diary, which was a few pieces of parchment pinned together, about Marius. Eponine glared over at him.
"Hello, 'Ponine," Marius mumbled, not bothering to glance up from his coat. A deep pain struck her in the chest as she looked down again.
Eponine shook her head, putting a fake grin on her face. She wouldn't even bother to try and greet Enjolras. The best thing she could probably get out of him was a short wave, he was always so enveloped in his work. Always so serious. Unlike Eponine, who liked to joke to mask the pain.
But she doubted Enjolras even felt anything, let alone pain. She had only seen him smile once, and that was when he had finished his speech. He held up the parchment, kissed it jokingly, and grinned. His smile could open the gates to heaven.
Eponine sat down by Gavroche and Courfeyrac, who were both shoving their faces. She picked up a piece gingerly herself, savoring the warm feeling that sat in her hands. There was a knock at the door.
Courfeyrac smirked, "That's for you, Marius."
Marius's head bolted upright, a smile on his face. Eponine's eyebrows pulled together as he ran down the stairs to open the door.
"Cosette." Marius swooned.
"Bonsoir, Monsieur Marius," Cosette's small, petite voice piped up. Eponine heard a swishing, then a chorus of giggles from the girl. Marius stomped up the stairs with Cosette in his arms.
Cosette. Perfect as ever. Her hair tied up in a bonnet, blue green eyes full of light and laughter. Flawless baby blue dress fitting her figure perfectly.
"Hello, Courfeyrac." She laughed lightly as Marius set her down. She cleared her throat, smoothing her dress out. "Enjolras... Eponine." She smiled kindly at Eponine, the girl she had grown up with.
Eponine had never been anything but cordial with Cosette when they were younger. Sometimes, she could even been rude and short. She had always watched Cosette from afar when they were children, giggling a little when she dropped her broom while cleaning. Treating her like some untouchable peasant. But of course someone as perfect and kind as Cosette would forgive her.
"Monsieur Gavroche!" Cosette smiled at the younger Thenardier, patting his back softly. Eponine couldn't help but think what a good mother Cosette would make, another thing Marius admired. They would have beautiful, purebred, rich, proper babies. Fat, lively cherub children.
"Hello Cosette," Gavroche mumbled through a full mouth.
"We're off to dinner," Marius grinned brightly, the brightest Eponine had ever seen.
"Of course you are," Enjolras mumbled from the back of the room.
Cosette said "Je suis désolé", an apology in French, and grabbed Marius's hand tightly, tugging him closer to the stairs.
"Don't have too much fun," Courfeyrac deadpanned.
Eponine's heart caught in her throat as she swallowed, still trying to obtain the friendly smile on her face. She couldn't stand it.
She had fallen for him. Hard.
"Gavroche," Eponine piped up, "I want you home by midnight. Not a minute later." She wanted to leave before she got really emotional. She thought she could make it past the block at least before she started to cry.
"But 'Ponine," Gavroche groaned.
"Don't argue," Eponine scolded. Seeing Marius with Cosette had already put her in a bad mood. She picked up the coat from the back of her chair. "Enjolras... Have a piece of bread, please. You're looking skinny."
"Okay, mother," Enjolras spun around in his swivel chair to set down a binder of papers on the other table. He looked up at Eponine, the beginning stages of a grin on his face. It was rare that Enjolras joked. She glanced over at his desk to notice it was free of all papers. He must have just finished up.
"If you don't eat you can't fight at the barricade."
Enjolras looked at her for a moment, then nodded seriously before picking up yet another stack of papers. He plopped back down in his chair and sighed, setting up a new jar of ink.
Eponine looked down as she wrapped the coat around her tightly. "Midnight, Gavroche." She said shortly before running down the stairs and into the street, letting tears stream freely down her face.
Reviews are very much appreciated.