I posted this a month ago on Tumblr for a prompt Ceara (ConcreteAngelRoxHerHalo) gave me. I was going to wait until I completed the story to finally post it up here. This is only three parts and I'm currently working on the second one. Story title and lyric in the beginning is from Stanfour's song, I Will Be.

i

'All the thoughts in your mind,

You can say them to me.

All the tears in your eyes,

You can let them fall free.'

From his side of the mattress, Enjolras examined the scars on her back. They were already beginning to fade but he also noted the appearance of a few new ones. He forced the thought out of his head and instead focused on the natural glow of her skin. Though it had been smudged with dirt and ruined with bruises, it still maintained a subtle beauty.

His thoughts were interrupted when Eponine began to stir. She shifted her weigh onto her back and stared up at Enjolras through sleepy eyes. "Good morning," she said, her hand coming up to rub the sleep off her eyes. Her voice was raspy and tired. It was far from gentle and angelic, yet it stirred something from within the pit of his stomach.

Enjolras slowly leaned forward and planted a kiss upon her rough and dried lips. Eponine responded immediately, raising a calloused hand to cup his cheek. It was lazy yet full of passion, each pulling, sucking, and conquering. It was a short moment of complete bliss, one that Enjolras was sure to forever store in his library of memories.

Enjolras completely forgotten how the sky looked before the whole world practically ended. He does not recall the sun's warmth on his skin, nor the white clouds that would float across the blue sky. Instead, all he knew was the endless sight of gray clouds. He did not pay much attention to them before, but now…

He let out a long sigh before he shoved a hand into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette. He really needed one at the moment.

"Why do you need that?" Grantaire asked. He stood five feet away from Enjolras; he did not dare to move even an inch closer. He knew Enjolras as a character who preferred solitude over company. Unlike the rest of them, he did not desperately search for contact. He did not have that natural human desire. Yet again, Enjolras was not exactly human. "There's barely any people here to overload your senses."

He, along with Lesgle, Feuilly, and Bahorel, watched Enjolras for a moment. The man stood still and simply watched the sky. He mulled over his thoughts before he bothered to answer Grantaire's question. "It relaxes me," he said nonchalantly. Once again, the question whether this Apollo had the ability to feel crossed all of their heads. Never have they ever, in the months of knowing Enjolras, seen him display any sign of emotions. He was solely seen as a marble statue, a cold warrior determined to fulfill his sole obligation.

"Come on," he said suddenly, startling the silent ambience. "We need to continue moving."

Not only was Eponine trying to survive, she was also hiding. From what, she would never tell Cosette. It was only a few months ago that she and Marius came across the two Jondrette siblings. Both were on their guard, hesitant to accept any help from strangers. It did not take long for the thirteen year old blond with the lopsided grin to open up to them. Eponine, on the other hand, required an amount of three weeks before she discussed her likes and dislikes with Cosette and Musichetta.

The sight of the ruined streets and abandoned buildings always saddened Cosette. Each time they passed by the remains of an old convenient store, Cosette would look through the windows only to see a wreck, a disaster that was left when everything fell apart. She'd tried to imagine their surroundings in the days before, when people would walk across the streets without a care. It was strange to say that she actually missed waiting in line to reach the register. She missed the regular, normal, ordinary life.

Now, her life was all about survival.

"Want a Twinkie?" Gavroche asked with a glint of child-like joy in his eyes. He held two Twinkies in both hands, one was held closely to himself while the other was stretched out towards Cosette. She offered the little boy a smile before taking the desert. "Thanks, Gav."

Gavroche smiled and began to eat his Twinkie. They were currently at an abandoned grocery store in a place that was once known as New York City. Marius, Joly, and Jehan stood at the entrance, working as guard while the rest of them collected necessities. Eponine was grabbing a whole stack of chocolate bars and stuffed all of it into her bag. "We're going to need these one week for every month," she had explained discreetly to Musichetta.

"Should we continue moving west?" Jehan asked once they gathered outside. "Or do we move south?"

This question left on Eponine on edge. She was constantly checking her surroundings, making sure that whatever she was hiding from didn't appear out of nowhere. What she hated the most was being taken by surprise. Every time the wind blew, she would hold on tightly to her hair, hoping that her scent would not blow towards the very thing she dreaded. Cosette would stare curiously whenever she did that but never spoken out her concern. Eponine was too much of an enigma and even if she laid out all of her secrets for all of them to see, she would still remain a mystery.

Eponine was running as fast as she could, though her feet were begging her to stop. The monsters were right behind her, so she was not stopping any time soon. Her heart was beating frantically and she already felt the blisters forming on the soles of her feet. It was becoming hard to breathe through her nose instead of gasping for air. Still, her life was on the line and she desperately needed to get to Gavroche.

She stopped at a dark alley and crouched behind a dumpster, praying that the monsters weren't able to smell her. She put a hand over her mouth in an attempt to stop the sound of her breathing and tried to regulate her heartbeat. Since the disaster broke out, she has not stopped running. They have been after her from the beginning and she was not going to let them get her.

After a few moments passed and no sound was made, she decided that the coast was clear and that it was okay for her to come out. Keeping her cross-bow close, she walked out with deliberate steps. Just because the streets were empty did it mean that she was safe. She was, now more than ever, in deep danger.

She stood there for a moment before a giant claw grabbed her by the shoulder. With a scream, Eponine began to struggle as three demons tried to gag her. She punched and kicked, doing anything she could to release herself from their grasps. She even bit one of their hands, earning herself a growl from one the demons.

The sound of gunshot startled her. One demon, with red skin and black tattoos that covered his entire body, fell to the ground and clutched tightly to his shoulder. He dropped her legs in the process and Eponine took this as an opportunity to kick the side of his skull. Another gunshot sounded and another demon fell to the ground, blood oozing from his temple.

The last demon that remained quickly held on to Eponine, one arm wrapped around her neck while the other on her waist. He frantically looked over their surroundings while Eponine kept struggling against his hold on her. They ceased once a third gunshot sounded and the demon's grip her loosened. Eponine turned around to see wide, red eyes staring back at her. There was fear in his eyes and blood flowing out of his mouth. Eponine was used the sight of gore and horror; she did not yelp when the demon fell at her feet.

She was startled by a voice. "Are you alright?"

Eponine spun at her heel and was taken aback by the man that stood in front of her. He was tall and lean with an intimidating presence. His mop of golden curls fell in front of his eyes but she was able to see the color of crystal blue in his eyes. He wore a black leather jacket on top of a navy blue t-shirt and a pair of beat-up denim jeans. Just like herself, he was covered with smudges of dirt and bruises. Still, he managed to look unearthly beautiful.

"I'm okay," Eponine said, her voice hoarse from days of not using it. "Though, I could have handled those goons on my own."

A smirk graced his lips. "I'm sure you could had, but I think if I hadn't intervene, you would have been dead by know."

They wouldn't have done that, Eponine thought. They need me alive.

"Thanks, anyways," Eponine said, trying to end the conversation. "I should be getting back to someone. Stay safe, stranger."

"You shouldn't be walking out here alone," he said before she had the chance to walk away. "I'm coming with you."

She let out an exasperated sigh. "I don't have a choice, do I?"

"Nope."

They crashed in an abandoned motel for the night. Feuilly and Lesgle took the two beds while Bahorel took the sofa chair. Grantaire drunkenly took the tub and slept with a bottle of wine in his arms. Enjolras stayed outside with a cigarette between his lips. His eyes were focused on the view before him: an empty street with beat-up cars and discarded trash on the concrete ground. The only sound was movement of the wind as it moved from east to west. He took a long, deep breath and leaned against the railing.

She was somewhere out there, he told himself, each and every day. It was a mantra he always told himself. It was what kept him moving.

He'd even replay all of his memories of her just to motivate him to keep going forward—to search for her. He need to find her and he would go through the ends of the earth just to find her.

Enjolras sniffed the air as it breezed pass him. No scent.

He continued to smoke his cigarette.

"You're not human, are you?" Eponine asked one night while an eleven year old Gavroche was asleep.

They have been walking among the remains of the planet for several months and with each passing day, they've grew closer—too close, Enjolras noted. They both sat in front of the fire, allowing its warmth to comfort them. They were in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by lanky trees and fallen leaves. Part of Eponine's figure was illuminated by the blaze while the rest remained in the darkness. Her hair, which was tied in a ponytail, was completely coal black and her dark brown eyes appeared darker than ever. They were fixated on Enjolras and he would be lying if he said that they did not entranced him.

"What makes you say that?"

"You have heightened senses," Eponine stated. "I can tell whenever you sniff the air. And you're stronger than you look. You can't be an ordinary human being."

"Well," Enjolras said slowly. "If it's just between us, I also know that you're not exactly ordinary either."

They stared at each other for a moment, blue eyes to brown. Without even knowing it, they were slowly gravitating towards one another, until they were just inches away. Enjolras's eyes drifted to her pink lips, which looked very inviting at the moment. When his eyes returned to hers, he was surprised to see the hint of lust swirling within their depths. With no thoughts on his mind, he reached up and trailed a finger gently down her cheek. Eponine did not flinched from the contact, instead, she leaned into it.

"Um..we should probably go to sleep," Eponine whispered. Her voice sounded too delicate for her liking.

Enjolras nodded and forced himself away from her. He felt cold all of the sudden.

Eponine sat with Gavroche's head resting on her lap. Everyone, besides Eponine, was in deep slumber. She could not sleep, not when paranoia kept her wide awake. For safety measures, she kept her hair in a ponytail. It wasn't going to do much, but it was at least going to do something.

Her scent was forever engraved in his memory, she knew. That was one of the downfalls of having been associated with a soul-warrior.

They were in the middle of nowhere, a scene all too familiar to Eponine. Memories flooded her head, happy ones that caused her to feel sick to her stomach. She hated those memories and hated how they caused her stomach to flutter. She was training herself to hate the man. Though, she was doing a terrible job at it.

She focused her thoughts on now, on Gavroche and keeping him safe. That was her sole purpose, keeping them safe.

They decided to stay the night at an abandoned house they found on an old suburban neighborhood. It had two bedrooms and one bathroom with a nice living room and kitchen. The thought that she never had a chance to live that sort of life saddened Eponine. All she's ever known was survival.

Enjolras stayed in one room while Gavroche and Eponine stayed in the other. Gavroche easily fell asleep beside Eponine but she, on the other hand, was wide awake. Her thoughts were too enthralled by a certain blonde warrior. She thought of his stern, blue eyes, his impressive biceps, his low and strong voice. Finally having enough, she forced herself out of bed and went out the door to walk to across the hall to Enjolras's room.

She took two deep breaths before finding the courage to knock on the door. She heard him rummaging inside before opening the door. He stood in front of her with no shirt on, the only clothing on was his pair of black boxers. Eponine felt her cheeks flush and forced her eyes to focus on his eyes instead of his muscular chest. Enjolras's eyes also trailed up and down her body, which was only clad in volleyball shorts and an oversized t-shirt.

"I can't sleep," Eponine explained in a soft whisper which highly contrasted with her tough personality. She has only ever felt vulnerable with Enjolras. "I came to check and see whether you were still awake."

"Yeah, I was just reading," Enjolras said, his voice deep and husky. It caused heat to flood between her legs and goose bumps to appear on her arms.

"Do you mind if I hang out here?" Eponine asked despite her throat going dry.

"Yeah, sure. Come in."

Just like the night in the woods, they were slowly beginning to gravitate towards one another. She had to arch her neck to meet his intense gaze, which were full of nothing but desire. Without thinking, she placed a hand on his chest just when his came up to cup her cheek. He slowly inched his face closer to hers, giving her time to pull away if she wanted to. But she did not, so Enjolras leaned far enough that their lips finally met in a heated kiss.

Their lips moved in sync and they fitted perfectly together, it was too good to be true. They started to make their to the bed, where they fell together and got lost together.

Enjolras and the rest of the group were walking down an empty road when they ran into Combeferre and Courfeyrac. Lesgle and Feuilly held their guns at the ready but with a gesture of his hand, Enjolras told them that it was alright. He knew those men.

"It's been a long time, Enjolras," Courfeyrac said as he went to shake the man's hand. "How have you been? Your assignment going well?"

Enjolras was silent for a moment and both Courfeyrac and Combeferre received their answer. "My assignment is a difficult one. She may have ran away when she discovered what I was."

Combeferre shook his head shamefully. "Enjolras…"

"I broke the code," Enjolras admitted regretfully. "I did what they told us exactly not to do."

Both Combeferre and Courfeyrac stared at the golden-haired man with sad eyes. It was Grantaire who spoke.

"It's not your fault, Enjolras."

Eponine rested her head on his chest. He had one arm wrapped around her waist while the other held was entwined with her hand. It's been a year since they've first met and three months since they finally succumbed to their attraction. He, Eponine, and Gavroche have basically been living like a happy family.

"Should we continue to move north, or should we head south?" Eponine asked, lifting her head to get a better look at him.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Whichever way you want to go."

"Let's continue going north."

"As you wish."

Eponine watched as Marius wrapped a reassuring arm around Cosette. She felt jealousy swirl within her. It has been nearly a year since she had loving arms wrapped around her. The memory of his breath against her ear caused her to shiver involuntarily.

"They look like they were made for each other," Musichetta observed. She hugged her jacket closer when the cold front passed them. "It's sweet how they could stay like that despite living in this mess."

Eponine forced her eyes away from the sight of Marius and Cosette and, instead, watched as Gavroche, Jehan, and Joly ran around the forest. They all looked so carefree; Eponine envied it. "You think they have any tips on how to stay positive?"

Musichetta shrugged. "Each other."

Eponine held back a frown. How do I become that happy again?

Eponine jolted awake one night, her eyes wide and glowing green, her breathing frantic. She scattered onto her feet, trying to get as far away from Enjolras as she could. He was still sound asleep, and Eponine took this opportunity to sneak out. She gathered all her belongings, quietly stepped out of their motel room, and went to get Gavroche.

"What's going on?" Gavroche asked, his voice dripping with sleep. "Where's Enjolras?"

"Enjolras can't come with us," Eponine whispered. She had to practically carry him out of his motel room. "We have to keep moving so the monsters won't catch us."

"Why are we leaving Enjolras?" Gavroche was beginning to become frantic. Eponine told him to hush and pushed him down the stairs and towards the exit. "We can't leave him behind."

"We have to, Gav," Eponine whispered, her eyes were beginning to get teary. "We can't trust anyone, remember?"

The day Eponine dreaded came too soon for her liking. They were walking along the streets of a place that was once called Chicago when Jehan became alarm that someone else was there. Eponine, too, felt it, and advised everyone to hide. It played out like a game of hide-and-seek, until everyone met at the middle of an intersection.

She caught sight of his blond hair and hid behind Joly, pressing herself onto his back and praying he wouldn't see her. Enjolras, though, sniffed the air and immediately knew she was there. "Eponine," he said under his breath; no one but Eponine heard. A second passed before Eponine bolted—Enjolras following closely—behind her, leaving the rest of them completely confused.

Just like the day they met, her feet were aching and her heart was beating rapidly. "Eponine," he shouted. "Eponine, come back!"

"Get the hell away from me!" she shouted back. "I ran away for a reason."

She turned at a alley and cursed when she saw a dead-end. She stopped and waited for Enjolras to reach her. "Why won't you leave me alone?!"

Enjolras's eyes narrowed. "Because it's my job to protect you. I swore to keep you safe from Thénardier."