Notes: Alternative Universe means basically this is my interpretation, it's also modern. I don't name cities, places or anything because it can happen anywhere (that and I don't have to butcher the French language). It's also slow burning, seriously you should see my plan. I have five more chapters planned, and that's really only because I haven't worked on part two of the graphic. It's inspired by a graphic I did on tumblr with the small little blurb. (onmyeponine tumblr c * m /tagged/les+mis+au if you want to spoil yourself for how it goes, it's the first one). I also explain my decisions at the bottom.
Disclaimer: I don't own Les Mis. God I wish I did.
Song: The Nicest Thing - Kate Nash.
all I know is that you're so nice.
you're the nicest thing I've seen.
i wish that we could give it a go.
see if we could be something.
It's unseasonably warm but it's summer in the busy city with no name and you can expect hot weather. Not at the end of a long hot summer, the weather is supposed to be cooler and everyone's supposed to be a little less crazy. Hot drinks are supposed to cool you down, so they say. So that's why it was fairly busy and why she decided to test the water with the theory. When she looks back on this day, part of Éponine wishes she had gone with the iced tea in a takeaway cup instead.
There's not enough space to have a table to herself, which she had been rather looking forward to. So she decides to sit on the opposite side of a blonde man about her age reading a book with a title she's pretty unfamiliar with. He doesn't make a sound, he's too engrossed in his book to tell her to go away so she takes this for permission to stay. She carefully places the hot cup on the coaster and she tries to deduce why anyone would be interested in foreign literature.
"Is it a book you'd recommend or should I go with the latest craze of vampires and young girls desperate for death?" Éponine asks the boy, still staring at the book cover.
She'd really love to know how pronounce that book title. She's not sure what language it is, she never really bothered with languages at school. Éponine only needed to know the important things, how to calculate the small numbers and how to read something written in the language she knew.
"If you like stories about vampires, this book probably isn't suited for you." He replies rather bluntly, one could almost mistake it for rudeness.
It's a challenge for Éponine. She wants him to notice her, if her life depended on it, he would notice her. She thinks he looks just as beautiful as one of those famous actors you see on movie posters. She knows it's attraction because of how he looks because she doesn't know enough about him to know if she could love him. You'd have to know some for a while before that could happen, she assumed, she'd never experienced love at first sight.
Then again, who has time for love at first sight? Certainly not Éponine. Two jobs, two siblings to look after whilst her parents did who knows what. Fallen from grace, that's what they were. Before everything looked so much brighter for her and now she was reduced to taking something that paid minimum wage to survive.
"I like your attitude, sir, I'd rather go out and do things instead of reading anyway." She smiles, he still doesn't notice.
Maybe this was harder than she first anticipated but Éponine was no quitter, that would would mean defeat and you do not defeat someone who still has spirit left in them. There's not much there but there's enough to stop her from drowning.
"Enjolras. Sir would be my rather, miss." He caught the stress on sir, he threw it right back at her.
Maybe he wasn't so difficult after all?
"My name's Éponine. I'm not a formal type of girl." She grins, though he doesn't seem to look up.
They spend the afternoon talking about things Éponine is sure she doesn't understand as well as Enjolras. He's got an eloquent way of speaking and she's just ready to rush in with her opinion, no matter how unformed they actually are. She manages to make him laugh every time she does that. She's still sure he doesn't notice her in the way she'd like.
If she had it her way, they would be off to some sort of bar to have a real drink and a real talk. They would get to know each other and then if it was worth anything, they would continue at a later date. If it wasn't great, she wouldn't bother again. There's something interesting about him though. She's not sure what she sees in him.
Maybe she was being silly, only silly girls did things like this. Chasing after men who who are maybe just a step above them. She has time to kill though, there's at least five minutes before she has to go. He doesn't seem to mind the talking though he hasn't put his book down once. Her mother told her men can't multitask but he seems to be doing it just fine. Maybe it's only the men her mother knew who can't multitask. She's never seen her father watch tv and clean at the same time.
"So if you're so smart, how would you bring about world peace then?" Éponine teases, placing both her hands palm down on the table in mock aggression.
He has to pause to think to answer until he notices the time on his watch.
"I'm sorry, I have to go. I didn't even notice the time, I've been distracted by our conversation." He'd been distracted by her, it made her oddly impressed with herself but slightly disappointed he rarely looked up from the book.
She stops him, tells him to wait a moment and pulls a pen and paper from her bag to write her phone number down. She's hopeful he may call, she's hopeful that he might just take it to be polite. Or maybe he'll just tell her he has a girlfriend.
"Take it, I don't always come here and I'd like to know the answer."
He shoves the items back in his bag but he forgets the small piece of paper left right in front of him because he forgets to look. He rushes out of the door and she tries to not look hurt. He waited when she asked him to wait so why didn't he take it? She has so many questions in her mind that only he could probably answer.
We could have been an us, some day, she thought. Éponine foolishly dreams sometimes, they're rare but they do happen. He seemed interesting enough to captivate her attention, more than any one else ever had. Maybe they could have gone on a first date next week. She'll never know though because she's got to get her siblings from school... that and he forgot the piece of paper. The tea had gone cold, she had forgotten all about it. He had distracted her too without even realising it.
She drinks it quickly, after all she paid a stupid amount for it to be in a mug so she could sit down and drink it. Wasting things was something she did not do. She grabs the piece of paper with her number on it and shoves it her bag. With that, she goes on her merry way to reality and she would forget about him for a little while. After all, he was just a quick fleeting memory. Though she makes a mental note to return because the cafe seemed like a nice place.
It only takes Enjolras five minutes to remember he forgot to take the number, he was unsure whether he would call, but it was the right thing to do to take it regardless. He goes back to the table and there are two new faces, she's not there.
"Was there a piece of paper on the table?" he asks with urgency, not even sure why he's so bothered about sparing a girl some embarrassment.
He receives a no and there he goes. He wants to answer her question though. Part of him wishes he had taken it just so he could answer it. He doesn't have an answer but he has time to think of one. For now the thought fleets away because he's about to do battle with his father again.
So he walks on home back to face the music, maybe today will be the day his father gives in and lets him find his own path. He's not entirely sure what he wants. But he knows he dreams of a normal life where his future isn't planned out for him, like a road map straight to a personal hell. He keeps this inside, he doesn't bother his friends with his silly little problems. He's strong, he fights but he does not pour his soul out.
"I'm not going to join you, dad. I've got dreams too." He starts off shaky but his strength is in the last sentence.
"You live under my roof, you'll do as I say." The elder gentleman is stubborn, his son is even more stubborn though.
Enjolras resolves this is it. The next time he refuses to do as his father tells him, he will leave and he will never come back. He doesn't really think that any other normal person would jump at the opportunities he is being given. Then again, he doesn't really think at all what normal really is.
He decides to leave the battling for another day. He's tired of the same answer. Next time, he thought, next time I'll do it.
AN: I can only describe it as Éponine hasn't fallen for him, she just wants to be noticed. Like any other female would by a good looking man. She kinda sees it as a challenge. She also dreams the things up, but I'm also sure she knows reality. She gets on with life. I guess the next chapter will explain things better. I also guess the bottom half of this chapter explains why Enjolras is in no position to be noticing anyone. His story gets expanded next chapter, promise! If you've got thoughts, feels, questions, things you want to see next, feel free to lay it on me!