The couple are in their third month of dating when Les Amis notice it. It's pretty late at night and the group are huddled around a table in the Musain. Grantaire and Joly are engaging in an in depth conversation about something that sounds pretty boring from Courfeyrac's point of view. He can see Jehan smiling slightly as he gently scribbles in his floral notebook, every now and again mouthing the words along with his writing. Combeferre, Bahorel and Bossuet are having an intense conversation with the happy couple when he sees it for the first time.
Enjolras and Éponine had been a big question mark in the group of friends for a long time. Of course, being as loveable and utterly hilarious as Courfeyrac was, he was very close with both of them. He was, to his absolute honour, in Éponine's high ranking good books which were, in accordance to where other people placed in them, very selective. Enjolras, needless to say, was one of his oldest friends, so he didn't really need a reason to pry into his social life.
He first thought they were going to get it on when he had caught Éponine staring at their leader's neck. I mean, actually, it was a very nice neck, he couldn't really blame her. But then he'd see Enjolras staring at Éponine's legs, which was a particular shock, because what- Enjolras usually never paid attention to any physical feature, nevertheless the sexiness that was Éponine Jondrette. Then the shy glances turned into sly glances and the small smiles turned into smirks and winks. Courfeyrac likes to think that he was the first to notice that something was going on with Enjolras and Éponine, so he feels slightly responsible for them.
The time they actually admitted to being together, their friends weren't actually surprised. That may be because Courfeyrac had initially lied and told them two weeks before that the happy couple had already confessed their love for each other to Courfeyrac but that they shouldn't question the couple about it because reasons. Who knows.
But anyway, they had always been pretty vague in their obvious love for each other, and Courfeyrac was always looking for interesting quirks in their relationship- something that proved that they were utterly in love and devoted to each other.
Which is what he got that significant Thursday night. Pretty normal day, nothing big had happened to Courfeyrac that day. He thought he was in for a casual night with the boys, fighting oppression, serving justice to those who deserved it, the usual.
Grantaire had just scoffed loudly in Joly's disgusted face, which then prompted a chain reaction of Jehan gasping over exaggeratedly from the loud noise and jumping slightly, which caused Bahorel to stand up intimidatingly as if to defend Jehan from a foe, which meant Combeferre sighed and Enjolras and Éponine stopped chatting immediately, a confused yet annoyed expression on both of their faces. Courfeyrac revelled in these moments, when he saw the progression of a situation that showed his friend's personalities without them even knowing. It always made him laugh.
"What the hell, R?" Bahorel proclaimed, his hands slowly unclenching.
"What?" Grantaire looked around slowly, obviously unknowing of what he just caused.
"You made me break my pencil!" Jehan said wistfully, a small frown on his face.
"Wh-"
"Éponine and I were in a very important conversation with Combeferre and Bahorel about my latest speech, and you ruined it." Enjolras added stoically, his classic frown making a very implemented appearance. He couldn't help but let out a poorly covered chuckle/ cough at the contrasting sight; Enjolras, a stony face plastered on his features, with his hand tightly clasped in Éponine's, his other hand wrapped around her shoulders, gently rubbing his thumb in a small space on her arm. Courfeyrac couldn't tell if it was Éponine's amused face or the way Enjolras almost had her on his knee that made him giggle openly.
"Bu-"
"Oh, I don't want your excuses, R. Save it." Jehan sighed, pointedly turning his head away from the dark haired man.
"You-"
"You do this every meeting, R." Bahorel said, "you make us all lose focus."
"Well-"
"Éponine!" The door slammed open and a drenched and frizzy Cosette stumbled through. She seemed to have been out in the rain and, from the looks of it, running through it hazardously. Courfeyrac quite wanted to know why, but he didn't think he was that close with Cosette yet, so he left it to the girls.
All eyes flicked to the girl, who stood there clutching her bright red coat against her soaked body. "Éponine, I need your help, please." She looked like she wanted to say more, and tears were starting to flow from her eyes, so, with short and wavering breaths, she scuffled towards the bathroom.
Éponine just sat there, blinked once with a blank look on her face. When the women's bathroom door flapped shut, she seemed to jump in her seat, and realise what just happened. She sat up straight, and looked around the room quickly. Everybody was now staring at the brown haired girl, wondering what she was going to do. She jumped out of the booth she and Enjolras were sharing, shrugging out of his arm. Courfeyrac's eyes quickly switched to watching Enjolras. His frown deepened when his arm fell from around her shoulder. He seemed to not want to let go of her hand, as he kept leaning over the seats a little to keep their hands connected, despite Éponine's clear annoyance which was conveyed by the heavy sigh.
She turned to look at Enjolras with a warning look, and Courfeyrac could only describe Enjolras' face then with the look of a wounded, lost puppy. When Éponine walked too far away from Enjolras, and their hands left each other's, Enjolras made the most faintly distressed whimper Courfeyrac had every witnessed.
And that was it. That's what set his night off to be hilarious.
Éponine walked determinedly to the bathroom, rolling her eyes when she turned around and saw Enjolras still staring at her with wide eyes and a small pout. When the door shut, the room was silent.
That was until Bahorel broke it with disbelief in his voice. "Did you-", he cleared his throat, "did you just whimper?"
Enjolras, whose eyes were still on the door, turned around and looked confused at them. "What?"
"I think he did." Joly said slowly, his face turning into a grin.
"What do you me-"
"I honestly never expected you to be the completely attached, lost-without-her type guy." Grantaire chuckled.
"Wai-"
"That was the funniest thing I've ever heard." Bahorel started off with small giggles until it transcended into a full on, belly laugh that made everyone else join in. Enjolras sported an indignant look on his face, which only made Courfeyrac laugh harder.
"Guys- guys! Stop it!" Enjolras' face had turned a wonderful shade of red, and his eyes were trained on the glass of water in front of him.
"Yeah, come on guys, just because Enjolras here is the new Marius, doesn't mean we should make fun of him." Combeferre joined in with the most fake sympathetic voice ever.
"Do not compare me to Pontmer-"
"Never mind Pontmercy, he's a full on Romeo." Bahorel added.
"Or Pablo Neruda."
"Maybe even a Mr. Darcy. He's stoic enough for it."
"I am not stoic, I am determined." Enjolras said loudly. There was silence.
"I think it's cute." Jehan said softly.
"That's true. He does sort of suit the boyish, loving, domesticated boyfriend look." Bahorel responded.
"What's to bet he grabs her hand as soon as she sits down next to him again?" Grantaire chuckled.
"Definitely. He'll probably do something loving like kiss her cheek or snuggle close to her."
"Can we hide her coat? Then turn the heating off so that he has to give her his jacket."
"What about if we-"
The door to the bathroom opens again and Éponine, along with a consoled and fresh looking Cosette walks through. The group is utterly silent and Enjolras is giving Éponine a shy smile. Cosette takes a seat next to Courfeyrac, and Éponine resides next to Enjolras. Combeferre immediately continues a conversation about maps or something about oppression and unjust policies which makes them all seem cool and casual. However, all the boys have one thing in common: they're all secretly glancing at the couple every now and again.
Enjolras and Éponine are close, but, since Eniolras has stopped talking, which is a rare phenomenon in itself, and Combeferre has taken over again, they are free to communicate. Enjolras doesn't even hesitate in taking Éponine's hand in his and brushing his thumb over her knuckles, smiling at her as she whispers something in his ear that makes him nudge her shoulder and giggle quietly.
He hears Jehan let out a content sigh, and Bahorel chuckle silently.
Honestly, I don't even know what brought this on. It just happened.