11/09/2015 - I'm beginning a rewrite so expect some variation in quality between chapters as I work them over. For more resent fics in the same universe, check out my unofficial series 'Storytime with Courfeyrac' for more humour and cuteness.
A/N This has probably been done before, but I wanted to put my spin on it. Basically I'm going to do a one-shot for each of the Amis, each detailing something unexpected about their character. Just for the record, in this fiction Marius is already with Cosette so we don't have the whole unrequited love saga. And, yes, this is an eventual Enjonine story. Don't like it, don't read it, but you cannot sink my ship!
Enjoy!
Well that was Unexpected…
Marius
It had all started going wrong that morning when she had woken up late due to her phone dying in the night and taking her pre-set alarm with it, therefore missing the bus that would get her from her halls of residence to her morning job at a greasy spoon café situated just off the university campus.
She had barrelled in ten minutes late, gasping for breath, hoping she would be able to grovel with an apology and possibly gain some sympathy. No such luck.
When she was cornered by the manageress near the end of her shift she hoped it was only for a minor tongue-lashing. It wasn't. The bitch made her work ten minutes over her usual shift time to make up for her lateness, ignoring all of Eponine's pleading that she would be late to lectures. And she was late, nearly quarter of an hour late, in fact, and of course this was the morning Professor Valjean's back spasm was plaguing him, meaning he was in a bad enough mood to give her a public dressing down in front of the whole class. She kept her head down, cheeks aflame, and concentrated very hard on taking notes for the rest of the lecture.
Finally released from the tense atmosphere of the lecture hall, she hurried to the refectory, stomach growling for more sustenance than the apple she had wolfed down as she ran to work. But, of course, today it couldn't be that simple. In her rush she had left her purse at home. That meant no student card, no buss pass, and no money. Therefore, no bus ride home and, more importantly right now, no lunch.
"This is just bloody fantastic," she muttered as she slouched out of the refectory, her bag seeming to weigh more by the second.
She really should have known better, her muttered complaint obviously acting as a challenge to the Fates. Those three capricious sisters responded gleefully as she was walking out of the building. It was a somewhat narrow doorway, a fact that often caused congestion, but could easily accommodate two people side by side if they twisted slightly to the side. Today was, of course, the day she arrived at the door at the same time as some ass who had a large coffee in one hand and his phone in the other, hood pulled up over his head and a fierce scowl on his face. In short, she twisted, he didn't and the hand holding the coffee collided with her shoulder and tipped all over her chest, the hot liquid running down to stain the entire front of her shirt, the turquoise one she was especially fond of.
Both of them swore simultaneously, her in pain and he in irritation.
"Watch where you're going," he snapped, barging past her and the huff of frustration, pausing only to drop the now empty cup into the recycling bin just inside the door – oh, well at least the environment wouldn't be impacted; thank heavens he had his priorities in order - before charging off up the stairs that led to the politics classrooms.
For a few seconds she simply gaped after him, more expletives than she thought she knew raging after him. Then the pain from her scalding kicked in, along with the knowledge that it she didn't do something soon this shirt was going to be ruined with coffee stains. Actually….
She sniffed the fabric, and it was not the harsh scent of coffee that reached her nostrils, but the softer, richer tones of hot chocolate. Oh, even better. She would have to throw this shirt away now, or bleach it to death, because chocolate was not coming out with leaving a stain.
Dashing off to the bathrooms she then had to spend a good ten minutes desperately trying to wash the huge stain out of her shirt and soothe the rather painful burn that spread across most of her torso. Thankfully her jacket, the leather and sheepskin garment the only piece of clothing that she owned of which she was genuinely proud, had been tucked into her bag and had escaped unscathed. As an added bonus she was able to pull it on over the slightly damp shirt and hide the stain.
Things didn't get better that afternoon. Her pen broke in her second lecture, covering her hand and her whole page of notes in ink. Although, to be fair, there was a very nice person sitting in the row behind her who passed her packet of tissues and a new pen, the latter of much higher quality than her discount multipack biros. She muttered a thank you but didn't look back, worried that if she made eye contact she might just start to cry, something she would never live down. After that she had an essay workshop with a few classmates from History, but her dinosaur of a laptop, that had been on its last legs for a while now, just started shrieking at her for updates that would take about three years to complete and couldn't access her essay.
After that very long, frustrating, and utterly disheartening afternoon she set off walking to her second shift at the café, hungry, damp, and tired.
It was at this point that it started to rain.
As she felt the first drops hit the leather of her beautiful coat she had to laugh – the choked, bitter kind of laugh that encourages people to give you a wide berth and avoid eye contact. Before it got heavier she pulled off her coat and stuffed it into her bag, shivering slightly as the chill wind hit her still damp t-shirt. A minute later the heavens opened and she was soaked to the skin in no time.
So there she was, hungry, tired, and drenched to the skin, seriously considering just not going to work and instead going back to her room so she could make it to the shower in the shared bathroom first and possibly even get something to eat before crashing into bed as soon as possible. That sounded like a decent plan – unfortunately she would probably wake up the next day with an email saying she was fired and while her job sucked, it was paying for her food each week until her next grant came in. Therefore, a shower, food, and sleep would just have to wait. Such was her state of misery that she didn't notice the car that had pulled up alongside her until the driver rolled down the window and called out to her.
"Need a lift?" The voice sounded friendly, if a bit nervous.
She stopped in surprise, and a little bit of fear, rising onto the balls of her soaked feet in preparation to flee. After living around some of the people she had grown up amongst, her flight reflex was just as developed as her fight reflex. She shuddered briefly as thoughts of her ex, Montparnasse, flitted through her brain. He now, thankfully, was behind bars for a good long time and the rest of his gang, the Patron Minette, were in the wind for now.
Shaking herself from her dark thoughts, she turned to peer suspiciously at the driver of the car. He looked young, fresh-faced with an air of innocence; his hair was the colour of cinnamon and heavy dusting of freckles trailed across his nose. His hazel eyes were alight with concern, but a friendly smile hovered around his mouth. It took her a moment to realize she recognized him.
"Marius, right? From history with Professor Valjean?" She replayed a moment from earlier in the day, a hand reaching down to pass her a pen and tissues. "You gave me your pen this afternoon."
He nodded, relief melting across his features. "I hoped you would recognize me, or else you might take me for a crazy stalker or something! It's just, I saw you walking along in the rain and I was driving to meet my friends and you looked pretty miserable so I thought…"
For the first time all day, Eponine felt herself smile at his anxious rambling. "You're the best thing that has happened to me all day, both times." She opened the door and gingerly hopped in, cringing as she saw the expensive leather upholstery. "I'm afraid I'll get your seat wet."
He smiled again, insisting it was no bother, and Eponine decided she really rather liked him. This was how a guy should behave – take notes jackass with the drink.
The silence in the car was slightly awkward, broken only by Marius' random and slightly nervous bursts of speech that made Eponine want to laugh and give him a hug all at once. He was obviously painfully shy, yet he had offered help and asked for nothing in return.
He stopped in front of a café that was much nicer than the one she worked at and she sat in the car a moment, trying to gain her bearings when Marius spoke again.
"I suggest you come inside for a drink and to dry off before I drop you to where you work, you look frozen." He flushed suddenly, something Eponine was discovering he did regularly. "It's not a…a date or anything…I wouldn't want to go out with you… I mean, there's nothing wrong with you, you're very pretty, but…um, I have a girlfriend… and, sorry, I'm really bad at this… and…"
Eponine grinned. "Marius, stop talking and breathe." He did as she asked, still an endearing shade of pink. "Now, you seem like a pretty cool guy to be friends with and I'd like to see more of you, but let's just establish some things first. I am not hitting on you, and you are not hitting on me. You are in a relationship, and I'm a walking disaster." She held up a hand to stop whatever stupidly chivalrous statement had been about to come out of his mouth. "Don't say anything, it's a fact. Thank you for saying you think I'm pretty though, I can't remember the last time someone said that to me." She shoved her slightly soggy beret back onto her head and smiled. "I have half an hour until my shift starts which I now, thanks to you, don't have to spend trekking across town in the rain. I don't have any money for a drink but being warm again sounds wonderful."
"I think I can buy you a drink," he protested, "and if you don't like it then you can agree to look over my last essay as payment. I see you getting you're A-grade essays back."
His tone was teasing but both offers were sincere and Eponine smiled, feeling just a little light-headed at the thought of a hot drink. "Throw in a doughnut and I'll even edit it for you."
The deal struck they both hopped out of the car and rushed towards the promise of hot beverages and comfort.
He held the door open for her, inviting her into the warmth of the café with a shy smile she returned. She didn't really have any friends on campus yet; having Marius around was nice.
She was unfamiliar with the café, but Marius seemed to know where he was going, striding over to a group made up a several guys and two girls; probably from the university. One or two she recognised, but only by sight - she didn't know any names.
She stood still for a moment, revelling in the warmth and the friendly atmosphere of the café, studying the faces of Marius' companions. They were all obviously very good friends from the way they were interacting with each other, greeting Marius with shouts and good-natured jabs, and she suddenly felt a strange longing pull deep in her gut. For someone who had styled themselves as a lone wolf since before she could remember, the desire she felt to be a part of a group like that was a little unexpected. The question was, was she brae enough to try?
Shifting from damp foot to wetter foot her eyes fell on a form tucked away in the corner, head bent low over a laptop that probably cost more than her rent for two months. With a jolt of burning rage, she realized that she recognized him, the red and black hoody slung over the chair behind him prompting the connection. Her good mood rapidly disappeared and she stormed across the café, a furious glare stamped onto her features.
He was sat slightly apart from the main group, head bent over his work, paying no attention to the conversation going on a few feet to his left. He did not look up when she came to an angry halt in front of him and made no indication he was aware of her presence, even when she cleared her throat loudly. His rudeness was the straw that broke the camel's back, only in this case it was Eponine's temper that snapped.
"I think you owe me an apology!" she hissed, not noticing the stunned looks she was receiving from Marius and his friends from the other end of the table.
Icy blue eyes rose from the table top to meet her blazing brown ones. "I beg your pardon?" He raised a neat golden eyebrow, his face and vocal tone the epitome of irritated politeness.
"The refectory doorway? Lunch time today?"
He gave her a questioning look. It seemed he had no memory of the incident.
This only made her angrier. "I was on my way out, you were on your way in, staring at your phone – which I might add is a really bad idea. You weren't looking where you were going and barged straight into me, emptying your cup of coffee over me in the process!"
His brow furrowed as he responded. "It was hot chocolate actually, meant for a friend." He nodded towards one of the group. "Jehan's blood sugar was dropping a little low so I was bringing him something. The reason I was staring at my phone was that I was texting him to stay where he was so I could bring him his drink. Only thanks to you, I lost it and he had to miss the beginning of his lecture to go and find something else. I think the apology that is owed is from you to him." His eyes fell back to his notes, indicating he considered the conversation over.
"Actually," the boy called Jehan spoke up a little nervously, "I wasn't too late so you don't need to apologise…"
"You pretentious, self-righteous bastard!" Eponine's focus was centred solely on the blond in front of her.
His head snapped up again upon hearing her words.
"No offense to your friend, but I don't care if you were carrying the bloody Holy Grail. And I haven't been able to get anything to eat since seven o'clock this morning, so you know whose blood sugar is running a little low right now? Mine. Along with my patience. You burned me with your drink, then left without even considering giving me an apology, and now you dare to say that I am the one at fault!Because, of course, you couldn't possibly be in the wrong here, at all! Look what you did, you jackass!" She hauled her damp and still stained shirt up over her head and threw it at him, feeling vaguely triumphant when he winced at the sight of the bright red scald mark spread across the top of her chest and the obvious stain spread across her cotton camisole. She outright smirked when he then flushed with embarrassment and averted his eyes away from the portion of exposed skin, her damp shirt held gingerly in his hand.
"On top of that, you ruined my shirt, one of the few nice ones I own. Not all of us have money to burn on designer button ups." She curled her lip in distaste at the obvious expense of the grey shirt he was wearing, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and the top two buttons unfastened.
He flushed again and began to speak but she cut him off.
"So," she braced herself on the edge of the table, quite intentionally giving him a good look at her scalded cleavage, and changed the tone of her voice so that it became syrupy sweet, "if it's not too much trouble, and if you can pull your head out of your own arse for long enough," she smirked at the colour that rose in his cheeks before raising her voice and injecting as much venom as she could, "I would like an apology!"
He looked around the room, shifting slightly when he noticed all eyes were on him and a lot of people were shaking their heads disapprovingly. However, Eponine noticed that despite the few disapproving looks displayed among his group of friends, several of them were desperately trying to not to laugh. Whether at her or their friend she wasn't sure, and she didn't really care. After this altercation it seemed unlikely they would want her in their friend group – another chance blown and another thing to add to the list of crap that just kept piling up on her today.
"Enjolras," the voice was grave and belonged to a scholarly-looking young man with fair hair and a set of glasses perched half way on his nose. "It does seem to me that you are in the area of greater wrong here and, if I might say so, it really is only polite to apologize to…?" He turned his gentle rebuke into a question and Eponine realized she hadn't been introduced by Marius before she had flown off the handle at the blond jerk… Enjolras… well, she knew his name now at least.
"Eponine." Her tone was curt and she glared pointedly at Enjolras, who promptly glared right back before uncomfortably clearing his throat.
"I apologize Eponine for my behaviour, both earlier today…and now. It was insensitive... and impolite of me and I sincerely…regret it." He ground each word out as if it physically pained him. He glanced at the student with the glasses as if to say 'happy now?' Apparently not as Enjolras turned back and Eponine briefly wondered what freaky telepathic shit these two had going on. "If it will make it up to you, I will provide money for a new shirt for you."
She glared again at that, unhappy with the thought of charity, but then again… what the hell, she couldn't afford to be proud at the moment. Even if she didn't get any new clothes she could put it towards the rent.
"I accept you offer and your apology." She kept her tone as formal as his, but the effect of her statement was ruined by the fact that she then promptly had to sneeze into the crook of her elbow. Damn, she forgot how easily she caught a chill.
A skinny young man with dark hair jumped to his feet and began fussing around her, insisting that she come and sit by the radiator, sending Marius to get her a hot drink. One of the girls, who said her name was Musichetta in an accent that spoke of Italian heritage, came to sit next to her, chattering quietly in her ear about how sorry she was about Enjolras' behaviour, and that she really liked her necklace and where had she got it? In no time, she was surrounded by laughing, joking, friendly people who seemed partly worried about her health, and partly impressed that she had taken on Enjolras, who was apparently some kind of rising star in the debate club. Could have fooled her…the last thing he had seemed to her was eloquent.
As for Enjolras, well, he stayed ensconced in the corner with his books and laptop, occasionally looking up to glare at the newcomer who had embarrassed him so thoroughly and his traitorous friends, still obviously unhappy above the whole situation.
Eponine knew he was glaring at her, but she really didn't care. Because for the first time today, something had gone well for her, and for the first time in a long time she felt somewhat wanted, eve if it was just for a little while.
'Maybe this wasn't such a bad day after all,' she thought, sipping on a hot chocolate that this time wasn't poured all over her front. "Unexpected, but not too bad."