A/N: So, uh, hey. I saw Les Mis in London not long ago, and I've always been a fan, but that kind of turned me into an obsessive. I will be the first to criticise this as making no sense, as I have little knowledge of university or of renting an apartment. So forgive me for inaccuracies in story or character. The soul mate idea is not mine. I've seen it in fanfics here and there and wanted to try it out. And this is Eponine/Montparnasse, in case you didn't realise. No abusive relationships here, though. Montparnasse is a good guy, as far as he can be.
Reviews and constructive criticism appreciated. I don't own.
She knows her soul mate isn't Marius, because his first words to her are sweet and polite – it's the day after their freshman orientation at their new college, and he asks her whether she's going to Enjolras' meeting that night. She isn't planning on it, but she ends up going with him and secretly hoping that her tattoo might be wrong.
She's not sure if that's ever happened before.
Eponine's tattoo showed up when she was sixteen, burning itself into her shoulder blades and making her scream in the middle of a particularly boring Chemistry lesson. She had to get Grantaire to read it to her after school, and discovered that the first words her soul mate would ever say to her were, Get out of the way, bitch.
Rude.
Grantaire had laughed forever.
Marius shows her his tattoo after a few days, inked on the inside of his wrist, and despite the fact that she already knows they aren't meant to be, she's disappointed when the words say, Tonight? I'd like to, but I'm very sleep deprived right now.
Those were most definitely not her first words to him.
She's at least comforted by the fact that most of her friends haven't found their soul mates yet either, except for Grantaire and Enjolras. R seems to spend most of his time rolling his eyes at Enjolras' idealism, but the truth is that Eponine has spent more than a few evenings listening to a slightly drunk R waxing lyrical about how gorgeous and smart his boyfriend actually is. They're happy. It's great.
The rest of Les Ami's (as Enjolras named them) are surprisingly passive about the whole thing; Combeferre, especially, seems to be too busy studying to give the prospect of a soul mate much thought. To be fair, he is a med student, and frighteningly competent at everything he does. The others sat him down once and interrogated him as to why he didn't want to find the person he was destined to be with, and he shrugged and said, "I figure I'll be in the right place when the time comes. These things usually just happen, don't they?"
As far as Eponine is concerned, Ferre has the right attitude.
Eponine meets Cosette about a month into her first semester. The girl is sitting on a bench outside the English building, drawing in a sketchbook and taking a sip of coffee every so often. Eponine doesn't mean to interrupt her, but she's been carrying extra books across campus to donate as part of Enjolras' new venture, and she's tired.
The girl gives her a smile as she all but falls onto the bench, and closes her book. "Hey," she says, her blonde curls falling over her shoulder softly, "aren't you friends with Grantaire?"
Eponine looks at her, probably a little suspiciously, but she doesn't really care right now. "Uh, yeah. How do you know R?"
"We have Art Theory together," the blonde says simply. "He told me I should come listen to one of his boyfriend's speeches, actually. I was planning on going today; I heard that he's started this big campaign."
"That's what these are for." Eponine gestures to her bag of books.
"Do you need some help?"
She seems far too nice. Eponine isn't sure if she's being genuine or not. "No, thanks."
"I'm Cosette, by the way," the now named girl adds as she packs her little sketchbook into her bag.
"Eponine," replies Eponine, standing. "Are you coming or what? I'm already late." She sounds too abrasive. She's not sure that she feels bad about it.
"Sure." Cosette stands too, brushing something imaginary off the hem of her pristine white skirt. Eponine glances down at her jeans she hasn't washed for three days and ratty Star Wars shirt she stole from R years ago, and then decides that she doesn't give a crap. "Let's go then."
It takes a while for Eponine to warm up to Cosette, especially after Grantaire brings her to the Cafe Musain one afternoon and Marius, after staring at her from across the room for about five minutes straight, walks up to her and asks her out for drinks. Cosette replies, "Tonight? I'd like to, but I'm very sleep deprived right now."
Marius breaks into a huge grin, just as Cosette smiles brightly herself and continues, "Of course, I can do tomorrow. I think we need to talk."
"Yes, yes, of course," Marius says, and he doesn't stop smiling for the rest of the day.
So Eponine tries to hate Cosette for a while, but she's far too nice, and turns out to have a fierce streak that Eponine can't ignore, and she goes from reluctant acquaintance to female best friend in the space of one eventful Saturday night that includes tequila shots and a creepy groper who wouldn't take no for an answer.
Eponine is halfway through her first year of college before things really start getting interesting.
Not in a particularly good way, at first. Gavroche starts getting into fights at school and comes home more than once with a black eye and a split lip.
"Who did this to you?" Eponine asks him one evening while she's digging an ice pack out of the freezer.
"Just some guys at school," Gavroche mumbles.
"I need names." She hands her little brother the ice pack. He just looks at her.
Eponine sighs and runs a hand back through her hair. "Can you try to stay out of trouble, Gav? Please?"
After a moment's hesitation, he nods. "Yeah."
"Okay." Eponine picks up her phone and, fingers poised above the screen, continues, "I was going to go to Musichetta's tonight. You okay with Azelma?"
"Yeah, I'm okay."
Eponine ruffles his hair, and the glare he gives her could kill.
Her phone vibrates in her hand. The number on the call screen isn't one she recognises, but in this house, they've learned quickly: always answer.
She does, with a little trepidation. "Hello?"
"Darling," says a voice on the other end. "How's my little 'Ponine?"
Eponine ducks out of the kitchen into the hallway as quickly as possible, so Gavroche can't hear. Azelma is watching some reality show in the living room, but the sound is turned up so loud that she has no chance of overhearing anything. Eponine hisses, "What the hell do you want?"
"Catching up. Was hoping you could pay me a visit one of these days, actually."
"I'm not gonna be one of your cronies, Dad," Eponine replies coldly, repulsed at even calling him that. He's no father to any of them really. Just sends a percentage of the profit he makes (and only because Eponine can't afford to put herself through college, rent an apartment and send Azelma and Gavroche to school). Eponine hates being dependent on him.
"Of course you're not," he says, voice dripping with slippery false cheeriness.
"Really. I'm not getting back into any of that, and neither are Gav and Zel. Alright?"
"I know, I know. Just come visit your dad, alright sweetheart? You know how your mother worries."
Eponine almost laughs. If anything, their mother cares less about them than their father.
"Why should I?" she asks.
"Well, I've come into some money recently," he says, nonchalant, "and I've heard that there's been a landlord knocking on your door of late. Be a pity if you lost your place because you couldn't pay rent on time."
"How do you know that?" Eponine snaps.
"Eyes everywhere, love."
Eponine hates him, and tells him as much.
"Yes, yes. See you… Mmm, tomorrow evening, I think."
She writes down the address, noting without surprise that it's in one of the worse parts of town.
"If I come talk to you, I'll get the money?" she asks.
"Of course. Lovely chatting, 'Ponine. See you," Thenardier breezes before hanging up.
Eponine resists the urge to punch the wall. Instead, she just yells to Azelma over her shoulder, "Don't stay up too late!" and slams the front door behind her.