I decided it's high time I started doing something with my life besides, well, nothing, so I'm going to start doing the 30 Day OTP challenge. Just to keep myself writing something small everyday. I have a word goal of at least 1,000 words per story, so hopefully I'll get somewhere by the end of this.

Feedback is appreciated!

Maybe I'll even convince somebody out there to ship this while I'm at it lol.

If it wasn't for the wind, Eponine's perch upon the stone castle wall might have been the least bit pleasant. The sun was shining, at least, but the wall was tall, and the wind was blowing harder than usual. She'd slept in late, that morning, completely by accident. So she told herself. And, by consequence, had left herself no time to prepare for these morning patrols. Leaving her with hair pulled loosely into a low tail at the base of her neck instead of wound tightly into braids. It was a mess, red strands blown every which way, even around into her face. Thankfully, she had stopped caring, taking to staring off at the horizon.

"Why do we even have to patrol," she muttered to no one. She slumped forward, legs crossed beneath her, head resting heavily in her hand. Eponine was bored, blowing off her actual task for sitting up, in the heavy breeze, and staring. Staring at nothing in particular, at the horizon, where nothing in particular happened.

Kanna, bless her dear brother's heart, had decided, in all his noble bad attitude, that he didn't want to patrol with her today. Something he clearly picked up from Father, changing plans at last minute and deciding his time was better spent elsewhere. So, there she sat, so early she dared think only her demented family was awake, watching absolutely nothing take place in the nothingness that surrounded this castle.

She was absolutely, entirely, particularly sure that this castle wasn't even on the same plane of reality as the rest of the world. Nothing else really seemed to be. That made patrolling useless, and how she wanted to return to bed. The wind didn't blow there.

Another sigh, and Eponine sat up straight, stretching her arms up into the air. There was no way she could make the best out of this situation, but the least she could do was not make it worse with a slouched back. But, she stopped sort of her stretch, opting instead to absolutely jolt out of her skin at shock at the rise of a sudden voice.

"Oh? I didn't know someone else was up here."

Too familiar. Eponine knew exactly who it was, and it was all she could do to let her arms drop down normally. Anything to make it look like her heart wasn't racing. Either from shock or embarrassment, she wasn't sure, but it didn't change the fact that Shinonome always seemed to show up just where Eponine didn't need him.

"Yeah, uh, up early!" she laughed nervously. If she could've smacked herself without being questioned, she might have, but Shinonome would've questioned that. Instead, she slumped, slouched back be damned.

Shinonome walked down the way himself, then hopped up on the wall next to her. His legs dangled off the edge, something oddly bold about it. The drop down was far too long. She couldn't help but glance over him, and couldn't help the curse under his breath. Of course, he was entirely put together. As well put together as his hair had ever been, but he looked less like he'd just rolled out of bed, and more like he did this every morning.

"What are you doing up here?" he asked, turning to catch her lingering gaze. She jerked, looking back out over the wall. Head in hand, frown on face.

"Pretending to patrol," her voice was muffled.

"Patrol? Does uh," he leaned close, like it was a secret, "Alcira ask you do to that?"

Eponine turned to face him again, eyebrows raised, "Why are you whispering?"

"No reason," he moved back quickly, leaning on his hands.

Eponine rolled her eyes, "Mother's not going to kill you for talking about her. I think she likes you, anyhow. So," she shrugged, "no dead Shinonomes today."

He laughed, weakly, but it was a laugh, "Likes me, huh? She scares me."

"That's only because you don't know her."

"What, she doesn't freak you out a bit?"

"She's my mother?" Eponine couldn't help the glare that formed.

Shinonome let the topic drop immediately, a weird silence falling between them as he struggled to find the next thing to say. Maybe something right, at least. He sighed, shifting his weight back on one hand and using the other to rub the back of his neck.

"Sorry," was the best he came up with.

Eponine giggled, "Yeah, yeah. Don't get me wrong, Mother can be scary. But, well… She's a mom at heart, ya know?"

Shinonome nodded, "Of course…" he glanced at Eponine, a once over, from head to toe. She was missing her headband, hair wild and blown around her face. Even her clothes had taken quite the abuse from the wind, wrinkled and resting weirdly on her shoulders.

"How long have you been up here?" he had to ask.

Eponine took a minute to think, "Uh. Few hours? I honestly don't know," a giggle, "I've been dreaming."

"Oh yeah? Any good stories this time?"

Eponine glanced over at him, from the corner of her eye, "What, like, you want to hear?"

"Isn't that what good boyfriends do?" he reached over, a sudden bout of confidence, and tapped his fingers on her hand. He wouldn't force it, but it was enough to hint that he might want to.

"B-boyfriend, huh?" she frowned, but her lips smiled regardless. She flipped her hand over, moving to entwine their fingers.

"Well, I mean…" he trailed off. "Doesn't have to be that, I guess I just assum—"

"NO! No, no! No, I mean, no, uh," Eponine caught her breath before she panicked, and ended up squeezing his hand. A smile on her face. "Boyfriend. That makes, uh, me the girlfriend, right?" she was beaming, but couldn't bare the eye contact. That was too much.

Shinonome smiled, "Yeah. And as a good girlfriend, you'll tell me your story, right?"

She rolled her eyes, "I mean, yeah, if you want."

He nodded encouragement.

"Okay, so, it started with a knight…"

By the time she had finished, Shinonome had zoned out at least three times. But, the ending was just as dramatic as she'd promised, and he listened eagerly. One fight after the next, a final betrayal, a kiss goodbye. For all he rarely understood her ramblings, this one was particularly good. When she finished, faking a curtesy from where they sat on the wall, he gave her hand a light squeeze.

"That was good," an eloquent comment.

"What, only good?" she frowned, puffing out her chest. "I lost you there at least a dozen times, I saw!"

Shinonome laughed, "Not even close. I counted. But the ending—that was something. You ever consider writing these down?"

Eponine slouched again, her eyes going wide. Then, she frowned, "What, so you can make fun of me?"

"What?! No, never," he yanked on her hand, then, and pulled her head into his shoulder. Her palm was clammy, they'd been holding hands since her story began. It'd been at least another hour. Maybe two.

"Like, you know," he shrugged, jostling her a bit, "books. You'd be a hit, I'm sure of it."

Her eyes stayed wide, shock from the collision with his shoulder, and even greater shock from his comment.

"You…think so?" the disbelief in her voice was painfully evident. Painfully.

Shinonome leaned his head against hers then, another squeeze to her hand, "Absolutely."

Therein, it was, his soft spot for her. Even, for all the gods, if he did not understand her fascination. He would, by any means, support it until the ends of the earth.