This is my first Les Mis fic, and my first fic in a long time. I'm really quite happy about how this turned out. I don't care what idiots say about Enjonine, they give me warm and fuzzy feelings.
Nothing could be seen in the darkness outside the window, but it was obvious that it was flying by quickly.
Montparnasse was drunk again and his buzz from whatever he had shot up hadn't seemed to fade quite yet. Of course, that meant his focus on the road was lacking. Eponine rode alongside, her hand hovering near the wheel in case intervention was necessary. He never let her drive when he was like this, claiming that it felt good to drive and he would be fine. Lately Eponine had been less concerned with his safety than her own.
He swerved and her hand flinched towards the wheel. He batted it away angrily, "Get your fucking hand out of the way. I'm fine, I can drive." She knew there would be no way of reasoning with him, but she didn't relax her hand.
"Look your hand is in my way, so move or I'll move you." He looked away from the road as he shouted and Eponine lunged forward, ready to guide them back onto the road. "I said move your hand." His voice was tense and intimidating, but Eponine didn't move a muscle. Suddenly the car screeched to a halt and she flew forward, almost hitting the windshield.
"Get out." He turned, glaring at Eponine. She glanced out the window at the night, and weighed her options. Though walking home would take quite some time, it had occurred to her that it could very well be safer than riding with Montparnasse. Now it seemed there wasn't much of an option, seeing as he wasn't interested in discussion.
She had become well accustomed to this stage in his drunkenness. He would go to the grave trying to get his way at this point. It was much easier to let him have his way than deal with the consequences.
"With pleasure. Goodnight. Don't kill yourself." She slid out of the car and as soon as one foot was planted firmly on the asphalt, the car flew away from her, almost throwing her to the ground. She stood and watched the lights swim off into the distance, making swirling patterns in the darkness. It was colder out than it had been earlier, and she looked up and down the deserted road. It was always a quiet street, that's why Montparnasse chose it so often, but Eponine knew her way around and figured she could find a way home.
She retreated to the side of the road and wrapped her arms around herself, following in the direction she had seen the car fly off.
As she walked her mind wandered. She considered the outfit she was wearing. Her jeans were dark and covered in holes, her shirt hung low and revealing. A sensible passer-by would quickly assume her to be some sort of prostitute, or immediately connect her to someone like Montparnasse. The group she was constantly surrounded by was not something she was proud of and the last thing she wanted was to be seen as one of them.
The party she was just attending, for example, was full of old triggers and she had found herself aching to fall back on shameful past habits. Smoke had encompassed the room from all of the different pipes and joints being passed amongst the group. Cans of cheap beer had littered the ground and wherever she stepped she heard the crunch of aluminum underneath her shoes. Music was blaring so loudly that it just felt like a dense rattling, shaking the entire building, void of melody or pitch.
Most of the girls were dressed in less than she was and were throwing themselves around like idiots, convinced that these men were the ones deserving of their hearts and hopes. She saw herself in all of them, and felt herself blushing occasionally at their indiscretion.
No matter where she went within the room, she felt repulsed as though she would be nauseous by the mere sight of what she knew used to be her life.
That was most likely Montparnasse's motivation in taking her to the party in the first place. She had been slipping away and he was as possessive as ever, and would not stand for her to leave his sight. He probably thought that she would be sucked back into the lifestyle that he found to be glamorous, but it had the opposite effect. The evening was spent with her dodging into rooms that she thought were empty but never were, or weren't for long. It was impossible to be alone in a place like that. Eventually she had convinced him to take her back home early, which was the kick starter to his horrible temperament.
Walking in the cool air felt much more relaxing after remembering where she had just been. The heat and smell had saturated her clothes and the light breeze now cleared her head and made her feel much lighter.
She reached in her pocket and pulled out her phone, but, as she had expected, there was no reception. Digging into her other pockets she found that she had five dollars, a tube of chapstick, and a peppermint. Nothing that would save her from starvation or against a deranged murderer, but she somehow felt safer having taken inventory.
Stopping for a moment, she looked around her. All that could be seen to her left or right was darkness and the faintest line of where the ground met the sky. Ahead of her was just a plain street, one that she knew very well but felt different clouded by the night. Looking up, she picked out a few dim constellations that reassured her, and the moon hung lazily above everything. She took a deep breath, clutched her money in her left hand and her phone in her right and exhaled calmly as she continued to walk.
After about twenty minutes the first sound hit Eponine's ears that she had heard since Montparnasse's trashed car had sped off without her. She turned around, watching as a pair of headlights snaked up the road. The light illuminated everything around her that hadn't been able to see. It was all just limp grass, and she found she had enjoyed what she imagined more than what was actually there.
She stood boldly on the street, her hand out, waving in the air. She couldn't tell if the car was slowing down or not, but continued to signal for them to stop. Despite her frantic motions, though, the car flew past, leaving her behind. It tore a breeze through her in its wake that sent chills throughout her body. With a grunt, she turned and kept walking.
Fifteen minutes or so after the car passed, she checked her phone again. The most beautiful little bar had appeared in the corner and she smiled thankfully. She found her friend Musichetta's contact and shot her a text as fast as her fingers could muster in the cold. Parnasse ditched me on the road, could you pick me up?
She suddenly noticed how cold her extremities had become. Her fingers ached slightly after moving so much and she didn't have much feeling in her toes. She shoved her hands in her pockets and wiggled them as she continued, though she kept a firm grip on the phone.
Every minute or less she found herself checking her phone for an answer, which was granted to her on her fifth check. Musichetta was calling and she quickly answered it before the first ring was completed.
"Musichetta! Did you get my text?" Her voice was slightly hoarse from the cold and her silent walk down the street.
"Yeah, and I'm so sorry hon, I'm out of town with Jolly for the weekend. Where are you?" Eponine couldn't help her heart from dropping to her stomach. She felt herself begin to get tense out of nervousness, but she made herself relax as not to worry Musichetta.
"Oh, I'm just a little ways out of town. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." She willed her words to bore into her own mind and reassure herself.
"I could Google a taxi service to go pick you up." The request was logical, but Eponine felt the small creases of her five dollar bill and then slipped it back into her pocket.
"I don't have enough money for that." It was a statement she said far too often.
"I could ask Jolly to talk to some of his friends, they might be able to pick you up."
Eponine imagined it. Grantairre would be far too drunk, and possibly less safe than Montparnasse had been. Marius, of course, would probably be a gentleman and pick her up, and she wouldn't be opposed to spending time with him, but not like this, not in this particular situation. Enjolras was kind and chivalrous, but it would be an embarrassment to ask for his assistance. They had just begun to be friends. Or whatever a girl could consider herself towards the strong, unsentimental Enjolras. She didn't want him to consider her a pathetic little girl. No matter who Jolly called for the duty, she would be made out as a damsel in distress, a pitiful girl who couldn't take care of herself.
"No, I can handle myself. Thank you, though. Have fun." She resigned from the conversation, convincing herself that she would be fine.
"Alright, are you sure? Just let me know when you get home!" Eponine muttered her consent and then hung up, pushing the phone back in her pocket.
She was beginning to realize that walking all the way wasn't going to be an option. She had to get a ride somewhere. Her mind wandered back to Marius, something that she was quite accustomed to.
The reason she had acceded to going out with Montparnasse was really that she was lonely with thoughts revolving around Marius and a love that he would never reciprocate. While she had been dragged to party full of bottom-of-the-barrel nobodies, he had probably been out somewhere wonderful and posh with his beloved Cosette who possessed his heart and mind like Eponine knew she never could.
Then she realized something. She was still one of those girls at the party, throwing her entire heart into one person and then not understanding why she got denied. Wandering out in the middle of nowhere she could think of at least twenty ways she could die off the top of her head, but she wasn't willing to call the boy who could save her because she was hopelessly and embarrassingly in love with him. In the darkness, her cheeks turned a deep scarlet and she suddenly became increasingly more angry with herself.
She ripped her phone out of her pocket and texted Marius a similar message to the one she had sent Musichetta. Filled with a flame of self-loathing she strode on, confident in Marius's quick reply. But as minutes passed and her phone remained unlit and silent, she questioned herself again.
The cold was creeping into her bones. Her joints ached and creaked as she walked and her body had become tense, not from nervousness, but the temperature. Her breathing had become unnaturally shallow, which she had assumed was from being angry, but as her fury began to ebb, her breathing didn't.
She became anxious again and dialed Marius's number. The ringing seemed bizarrely loud compared to the silence she had been absorbed in. At the sound of his voice she jumped, stumbling slightly in the excitement. It turned out to only be his voicemail though and she ended the call, only to dial again almost mechanically.
Her feet kept moving, seemingly on their own, though she couldn't feel them very well at all anymore. The call rang through to voicemail again, but she tried again anyway. She tapped her finger incessantly against the phone as she walked. After hearing the voicemail request a third time she shoved the phone back in her pocket.
Every inch of her body was tired and her head felt like cement from being filled with too many thoughts. Suddenly Musichetta's voice came back to her, asking if she should have Jolly call somebody. She thought of the list of boys again, and Enjolras stuck out in her mind's eye. His chiseled face, wavy blond hair, wise and piercing eyes. She could also imagine his disapproving stare if he came to pick her up, but she didn't seem to care anymore. She was desperate for sleep and dreamed of drifting off in his car which she was positive had soft, leather interior and heated seats.
Without another thought, she raised her phone and found his name in her contacts. With each ring she felt her dream slipping away from her, so she closed her eyes in order to imagine it more fiercely. She could see the car pull up with those obnoxious LED headlights. The door would open without squeaking and she would collapse in, a blast of heat hitting her face, and Enjolras would turn to her and say… "Hello? Eponine?"
Her eyes flew open, in her daze she tripped over her feet, but caught herself. He had answered.
"Enjolras! I need…a ride. I've been walking for…for a long time. I'm really…tired." Her words seemed to escape her in some way. It felt as though her brain was moving in slow motion and she couldn't force her words out any quicker. She felt like an idiot speaking so numbly to a man known for his eloquent speeches.
"Are you okay? I'm on my way. Where are you? Do you have a jacket?" She could hear him bustling around his apartment and she laughed wearily.
"I'm fine…I'm on a road…outside of town. No jacket." Though she was still freezing, the mere sound of his voice was soothing, but it also made her even more tired. It was like a lullaby to her ears and she felt her eyelids drooping again.
"Eponine, this is very important, just keep talking to me. Don't hang up. Keep moving, stay by the road, and talk to me. We can talk about anything. First tell me how to get to you." Eponine forced her eyes open to help her think more clearly.
"Don't talk…and drive." Her legs wobbled underneath her and she felt like she was drunk. That quickly brought the previous events of the evening back into the forefront her mind and she forced herself to act as sober as possible.
"Just tell me where you are." She reached into her mind for that perfect map of the entire town that was emblazoned into her mind from living there for so long. As Enjolras drove, she told him which way to go at each stop sign or intersection, following him in her mind like a GPS. Along the way, he asked different questions, making her wake up parts of her mind in order to answer him.
"Where were you before this?"
"Stupid party."
"What was your favorite subject in school?"
"Mm…I guess…nothing. I dropped out."
"Did you ever have a pet when you were a kid?"
"I had a…dumb dog."
"What was its name?"
"Shit Face."
"'Shit Face'?"
"My dad…named him. Ouch." She tripped over her feet again, but this time wasn't quick enough to catch herself. Hitting the ground, she almost dropped the phone, but luckily it was still clutched in her hand.
"Are you okay? What happened?"
"I fell. I'm on the ground now."
"Can you get up?"
"Mm…" She pushed with all the force she could muster, but her shivering had gotten so bad that the coordination of her limbs was harder than usual. "Nope."
"I'm on the right street I think, just give me a minute, I'll be there soon. Just keep talking."
With a deep breath, she began rambling as best she could. "Marius…didn't answer me. 'Parnasse…is a douche. I…promise I'm not…drunk." She could hear the car behind her, and tried to prop herself up well enough so she could see the car she had dreamed about. "Your headlights…aren't obnoxious."
The car squealed to a stop and the tall blond man shot out of the driver's side of the vehicle. He pocketed his phone and Eponine looked down at hers, doing the same. He pulled the door open brusquely and then bent down by Eponine. She held out her hand for him to help her up, but the next thing she knew she was in his arms and then in the car. She was engulfed by the heat she had imagined and a small smile spread across her lips.
"Okay, 'Ponine, same rule applies here, you have to keep talking to me. Just stay awake." Eponine sighed in exasperation. The beautiful fantasy of taking a well-deserved nap didn't seem to be working out for her.
"You don't realize how tired I am." Enjolras let out a sigh of his own at her pitiful statement.
"Just talk." And thus the ride back to Enjolras's apartment was filled with every random, trivial question he could think of. Eponine slowly began to enjoy the game, though she still hungered for sleep. The warmth of the car and her driver's deep comforting voice was enough to satisfy her momentarily. He had grabbed a blanket on his way out of his home that she wrapped up in, burying her head deeply into the folds. He was constantly glancing her way to make sure that her eyes were open in spite of her constant replies.
Finally, the car came to a halt and he shifted the car into Park. "Now do I get to sleep?" Eponine asked, looking over at Enjolras's stern face. He shook his head and exited the car, coming around to the passenger side.
He opened the door and leaned in slightly, "Can you walk?" Eponine took a second to appraise him, his face was always very stoic but now there seemed to be some lingering worry that he was trying not to show. His hair was unkempt, which was strange for him, and he was wearing sweatpants and a plain long-sleeved shirt. She had never seen him in something so casual. Somewhere in her mind she had just assumed that he slept in his ironed, structured pants and loafers.
She let out a strange guffaw, "Of course I can walk…I'm fine." He took her hand as she stepped out and was ready to catch her when she stumbled over the blanket she was clutching to her small frame.
"Alright, nice try." He closed the door behind her, locked the car, and then lifted her up into his arms again. He walked quickly, trying to jostle her lightly to keep her awake. They reached the elevator and he had her stand for the short trip to his level before he picked her up again.
"You're…good at this." Eponine said simply as he reached the door he had been looking for.
He set her down and unlocked the door, "I have to do this with Grantairre every time he loses his keys when he's drunk. Maybe now my neighbors won't think I'm gay." At the realization of his own statement, Enjolras flushed a light pink color, but Eponine didn't notice. She prepared to walk into the apartment, but was soon in Enjolras's now familiar arms once more.
He laid her down hastily on the couch and ran to his room for another blanket. When he returned, he froze for a moment. She was so tiny, so vulnerable, not the tough and sarcastic girl he had come to know. Her arms were gripped together tightly and her knees had tucked themselves up to her chin. A few dark strands of hair fell across her face, covering her clenched eyes. She was unusually pale and her entire body shook slightly.
He suddenly woke up from the daze he had fallen into. He scolded himself for wasting time staring at the weak and broken girl that didn't seem to connect herself to the Eponine he knew in mind. Throwing the blanket over her, he rid himself of the etiquette that was so ingrained in his mind and any of his remaining hesitance. He swiftly pulled his shirt over his head and discarded it. Sliding onto the couch he hugged the frail girl up against him, sharing his own body heat with her trembling figure.
Every part of her was frozen and everywhere they touched sent chills through Enjolras's body. It only made him hold her closer, though. The embrace was like fire and ice, and Enjolras could only hope that he was melting her.
She buried herself into him, pushing her body flush against his. Her breathing had a strange steady pulse in its raggedness. He could feel her grip loosening as she drifted out of consciousness and all he knew was that he couldn't let her go.
"Remember, Eponine, talk to me. What were you like in high school?" He pressed his arms against her back and ran them back and forth, building up as much heat as he could. Her eyes fluttered open at the vibration of his voice.
"Um…I was a dumb girl. That's when I met…Montparnasse. He was…a dumb boy." Another shiver ran through him as she pressed her hands against his back forcefully.
"What's your favorite book?" His warm breath on her neck made her raise her body up towards him even more.
"I never…read much. I thought…Lord of the Flies…was cool." Suddenly she wrapped her legs around him, something no girl had ever done to him before. It made his breath catch in his throat, and he lost track of his train of thought.
"Um, what…were there any other things you read in school that you liked?" Being a practiced speaker, he rarely rambled or spluttered, but he found himself doing exactly that to cover his surprise at her actions.
"I liked…Romeo and Juliet. I guess…that makes me…a sappy girl." Enjolras smiled slightly, letting his fingers run through her hair for a moment.
"No, Shakespeare was an amazing analyzer of the human condition. I appreciated Romeo and Juliet." Eponine chuckled softly, a breathy, strangled sound. It still sounded better than what Enjolras had heard from her earlier that evening. He was unsure as to what she was laughing about, but he smiled anyway. "What is your family like?"
"I don't like that question." She didn't stumble over those words, though her body was still shaking in Enjolras's arms and her voice still sounded throaty like she was sick. He didn't question her further on the subject even though her response had only made him more curious.
"What do you want to do with your life?"
"…Live it."
Enjolras closed his eyes for a moment and then pulled the thin girl even closer to himself. Eponine took his hands softly from her back and placed them on her ears which he hadn't even thought of, but were frozen cold to the touch. He looked down at her, now cupping her face, and just stared at that impossibly strong, tough, and gentle girl. Suddenly everything felt different. He knew he was just trying to help her, to save her, but he felt the urge to fall asleep holding her in that position and dream peacefully of her. He was hyperaware of every move she made, every breath she took, and the slightest sound she made.
He was scared.
"F-frostbite. I didn't check for frostbite." He awkwardly pulled himself up, leaning on his outstretched arm as he checked her ears for blistering or waxy skin. Both were fine so he asked for her hands and carefully examined them, noticing tiny scars flecked here and there like a smattering of freckles, but her fingertips had retained the correct pigment. Finally he pulled up her feet, removing the shoes that they had both had forgotten about. Her toes were bitterly cold, but all of the symptoms he had been looking for were absent.
Eponine enjoyed watching him work. He had that studious look on his face that was so characteristic of him. Every touch was soft and kind like he was terrified of breaking her. She was aware of the fact that he didn't have much experience with women and she humored the fantasy that this was the closest contact he had ever had with a girl before. It brought a smile to her face. After being touched by men like Montparnasse who abused the feel of a woman, she indulged in Enjolras's charming clumsiness and slight awkwardness when faced with such a situation.
She willed her eyes not to close just so she could take in a few more minutes of the man before her. A violent shiver ripped through her body out of nowhere and Enjolras's eyes snapped back to her face. Without a word, he jumped up and Eponine felt significantly colder in the absence of his warmth. He was back after a few seconds though, hands full of what looked like his wardrobe.
He set to work helping her pull on the sweatshirt, pants, and thick socks. After she was sufficiently clothed, he sat down next to her again and covered her ears with his hands. Even with the extra insulation, Eponine curled up close to him. Enjolras removed his hands for a moment to cover both Eponine and himself in the blankets, and her head soon found a home on his chest. Her ear was pressed close enough that she could hear his heartbeat, and he hoped she wouldn't realize that it was abnormally quick at that moment.
"What's your…mother like?" She still had hesitancy in her voice when she spoke, but it wasn't as bad as before.
Enjolras glanced down at her, somewhat surprised, "It's my job to ask questions." He sounded so innocently protective of his job and Eponine tried not to laugh.
"I will stay awake…to hear the answer." She pulled her knees up closer to his body and he couldn't help but indulge in her game.
"How about a question for a question? I answer yours, you answer mine?" Eponine turned her head up to shoot a judgmental glare at Enjolras.
"I've answered all...of your questions….M-my turn." Her fierce stare reminded him of the girl he was familiar with and it made him smile.
"Okay. My mother was a conventional woman. She was smart, but didn't flaunt it. She was usually forgiving, but she had high expectations. Such that I still strangely strive to fulfill. We had clashing political views, I doubt she's very proud of me." He surprised himself with the honesty of his answer, but after all, she did answer all of his questions.
"Why do you…talk about her in…past tense?" Eponine caught him slightly off guard. He hadn't noticed, but she was right.
"I don't know. I haven't seen her in years. I suppose that could be why." The soft brunette head nodded slightly on his chest.
"I would be…proud. Of you." He smiled and pulled her closer again.
They traded questions for an hour perhaps, but neither really paid attention to the time. If a bad topic came up it was kindly averted. For example, Enjolras ignored Eponine's question regarding his raised heartbeat and she his inquiry about the small scars on her hand.
Eponine only regretted one question, "Why am I…still cold?" Enjolras had quickly wrapped her up in the blankets and then removed himself from the couch. He prepared two cups of coffee from his Keurig machine, and handed one to her though he didn't sit with her again. She held the mug close to her body and sipped from it, missing his warmth. Meanwhile, Enjolras drank his coffee in large gulps as he searched through Mayo Clinic articles about hypothermia and frostbite on his phone.
After a hushed curse, he scooped the warm mug out of Eponine's hands and placed it in his kitchen sink.
"What was…that for?" She complained in frustration, looking over to where he stood.
"Caffeine reduces body temperature faster. Eponine, you have a lot of symptoms of hypothermia. I think we should probably get you to the hospital." Without another word or further negotiation, he was up and collecting things again. Soon she was dressed in a hat, scarf, sweater, jacket, warmer socks, and a pair of mittens. She stood, much thicker than usual, with a blanket as a cape.
He appraised his work, and must have considered it adequate because he grabbed his keys and headed towards the door.
"Don't forget…a shirt." He looked down in embarrassment at his bare chest. Snatching a discarded sweater from his room, he headed back out to find Eponine slowly waddling toward the door.
She turned around when he walked into the room. "I know you're nervous…but I think I can make it...to the elevator." She grinned at him and he acceded. He began to think that this girl could rule the world with her smile if she was cruel enough.
She did make it to the elevator, and even out of the building. The difficulty came in facing the brisk night air that had only gotten colder since she had last been out. Enjolras wrapped an arm protectively around her and led her slowly to his car. She was determined to get there on her own, so she held her trembling legs firm and clenched her teeth to keep from chattering as she walked. Enjolras was quick to open the door for her, and in the short time between him closing her door and opening his own, she allowed herself to be completely exhausted. As soon as the opposite door was yanked open, she was fighting once more.
The ride to the hospital was difficult. Eponine found her eyelids drooping more and more as she listened to the deep hum of Enjolras's car. He eventually turned on the radio and switched it from National Public Radio to what Eponine informed him was the only station that didn't play 'shit music'. For the rest of the ride he insisted upon her singing to every single song that came on until they had reached their destination.
And she did. Poorly, but she did.
The stark white walls and rubber glove smell of the hospital lobby was enough to make Eponine want to turn around and retreat back to the car. She hadn't mentioned that she hated hospitals. However, Enjolras held tight to her arm and guided her to the front desk. A kind, smiling woman listened intently to everything he said and she soon had them headed toward a room in which a doctor would meet with them shortly.
Enjolras gave Eponine a boost on to the tall hospital bed that was sheeted with a long piece of white paper that only made sitting on the bed more awkward and uncomfortable. He pushed himself up so he was sitting next to her, their legs touching softly. Eponine found herself hungering for a closer touch, and then blushed as she realized that the thought did not originate from survival instincts. She focused her eyes on her knees as to avoid any eye contact with Enjolras.
A knock came at the door and it soon opened, revealing an older man with light grey hair and dark brown eyes. He smiled congenially as he entered, shaking the hand that Enjolras offered him.
The check up began at a nice tempo, but Enjolras was tapping his foot for the duration anyways. Occasionally the man would scribble something down on his clipboard, but if he had any conclusive results, he didn't feel the need to share them.
Finally he turned to the young, blond man who he assumed was responsible for the woman. "You were right to bring her here. She has a mild case of hypothermia. Luckily that is all. Her temperature was probably lower when you found her, but she is now at about ninety-three degrees. Of course, that isn't ideal. Unfortunately, there is little we can do for her here. It will take some time, but you have to warm her up again. In a few hours let her get some rest," a relieved grin appeared on Eponine's face, "she should recover by tomorrow."
As the pair walked back to Enjolras's car, Eponine lingered close to his side. "I want…ice cream." He looked at her in wonder.
"Maybe tomorrow. Maybe." Above them the sky was getting lighter, preparing for the sun to rise. "So what are we going to do to get you warm?" Eponine shrugged as Enjolras opened the car door for her and she slid into the passenger seat. She was surprised to hear a muffled, yet familiar tune and realized that it was her phone beneath all of the layers of clothing. After moving the sweater, sweatshirt, and jacket out of the way she was able to pull down the borrowed sweatpants and pull her phone out of her own jeans.
Musichetta's name was illuminated on the screen and Eponine remembered her promise to keep her best friend updated. That brief exchange seemed to have occurred ages ago, though it was only a matter of hours earlier. She brought the phone to her ear and with the strongest voice she could muster said, "Hey, 'Chetta…sorry, I forgot to…call you." Enjolras glanced over, but didn't ask questions for the first time that evening. Instead, he just started driving, and though Eponine wondered where they were headed, she knew she had to focus on her friend at the moment.
"So you're okay? Jesus, I was really worried 'Ponine!"
"I'm really sorry…I'm fine…don't worry." The gaps in her speech were painfully obvious to her own ear, she could only imagine what Musichetta would be thinking.
"Why are you talking like that? Are you stoned?" Just like she had imagined.
"Yes…I am totally stoned." Enjolras raised an eyebrow in her direction and she let out a slight chuckle.
"Eponine!"
"I'm kidding….I'm with…Enjolras."
"Eponine!" This time her tone was completely different and Eponine rolled her eyes, though she felt her cheeks flush slightly. For the first time that evening she was glad for her hypothermia, at least her face wasn't showing any pigment. "You better jump on that, girl. He is fine-" then, away from the phone, "calm down, I'm just talking about you, Jolly. Anyway, 'Ponine, I'm going to let you do your thing, though I expect all the details when I get back. Bye!" Eponine tried to cut her friend off, but she was completely ignored. She looked at her phone to see that she had been hung up on.
Looking up, she saw that they were turning into a diner that she had been to multiple times on late nights such as this one.
"I'll be back in a minute, don't fall asleep." Enjolras smirked before exiting the car and heading into the diner. Eponine sunk down into the scarf still wrapped around her neck and breathed in the smell of the owner as she watched him walk into the dimly lit building. She felt butterflies flutter in her stomach, something she hadn't experienced in quite some time. She chose to welcome the sensation and smile girlishly while he still couldn't see it.
The idea of a 'crush' seemed so childish but as she sat in the car and watched him stand at the counter with his straight back and firm shoulders, even in his mismatched sweatpants and sweater she couldn't help but think that it was the perfect description for what she was feeling. And maybe there was nothing wrong with feeling like a middle schooler again and getting enraptured just by the idea that she was wrapped up in his clothes.
As he walked out of the diner he sent a small smile her way and then got into the car, handing her a paper bag.
"What's this?" She asked as she started to pull a styrofoam cup out of the bag.
"Soup. Hope you're a fan of chicken noodle." He began to pull out of the parking lot as she reached for the plastic spoon in the bottom of the bag. She looked up and saw that they weren't headed back toward the apartment.
"Where are we…going?" Right as Enjolras began to answer, though, he was interrupted by Eponine's phone. Marius's name was illuminated on the screen this time which surprised her, but she answered it nonetheless.
"Marius?" She noticed Enjolras's slightly unnerved glance in her direction.
"Eponine, I am so sorry I didn't tell you, I'm with Cosette and her father at their cabin. I didn't get your calls because I'm in a different timezone so I was asleep when you called. Is everything okay? You called three times, I was worried it was an emergency." Eponine almost laughed at the irony.
"I'm fine…don't worry." She yawned lazily and slurped some of her soup while Marius erupted back into conversation.
"Okay, I really am sorry that I didn't tell you about leaving. It kind of happened out of nowhere. I'm glad you're alright, though. I have to leave for breakfast now, sorry."
"Okay, enjoy…your trip." Enjolras kept sneaking glances at her, surprised at her bored tone. She hung up and dropped her phone in her lap, returning to her soup for a moment. "So, where are…we going?" A smile pulled at Enjolras's lips but he tried to keep it subtle.
"Well we have to get you warmed up, right? So I thought we might chase the sunrise. After all, what will warm you up better than the morning sun?" He turned to look at her and he swore that her grin was going to be the death of him.
Thanks so much for reading! Review if you want to, I really appreciate feedback. I want to thank my lovely friend who took time to Beta this, Jamie, she's the bomb and phenomenal writer. I really appreciate her time because I know that it must have been difficult to deal with all of those French names.
Have a lovely day!