A/N This was requested for by Runforititsjavert. I hope you like it! There are more chapters to come!
Eponine closed her eyes tightly.
She wouldn't cry. She would not cry.
"Don't cry." She heard a slightly older voice come from beside her. And it took everything in her, to obey.
She turned to see the young boy that stood next to her. He had a defined jaw, and dark hair that made his green eyes look even brighter than they were.
"You're old enough to know better!" Screamed a rough voice, and Eponine watched as her father's hand flew towards her cheek.
She clenched her fists, and squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the blow.
Eponine heard the loud crack that came as the punch connected.
But she didn't feel anything.
"How old are you? I forgot. Are you fifteen?" Her father slurred, stumbling on his own feet. And treating her as though he had not just tried to punch her in her already tender and bruised cheek.
"Nine." Eponine managed to squeak out, to which her father muttered something, and made his way out of the children's room. Most likely to go get even more wasted. If that was possible.
When the door snapped shut behind her father, Eponine turned to the boy next to her and covered her mouth when she saw his right eye was already starting to swell, and her unasked question was answered.
He had been what had stopped her father's fist from landing against her skull.
"Parnasse, why did you do that? He was mad at me. Not you."
The boy named Montparnasse, smiled slightly, then winced in pain, "I'm fine. It's my job, ponine."
Eponine swallowed the lump in her throat, and then shook her head, "No. It's not."
Montparnasse brushed away the dirty hair that fell in front of her eyes as she struggled to hold back tears.
"Hush now, little one. It's time to go to sleep."
Eponine allowed the boy to call her by the nickname she usually scolded him for using, because at the moment she felt guilty.
As she climbed up onto the only mattress in the room, she glanced back down at Montparnasse, who sat on the bedside, and began to pet her hair gently. Treating her as if she was a fine china plate.
"Parnasse can you sing to me? Before I go to sleep?"
The boy obliged, and allowed his young sing-song voice to carry through the small room, nearly turning the dark into light as he did so.
Sweet little eyes, close them, little one.
The day is over, and the night has come.
Little ears, forget the lies you've heard.
Remember truths, and only sweet words.
Your little hands will be safe in mine.
For I will stay with you. Here, you see.
I'll stay here.
Little one, it's you and me.
Little heart, rest at last.
Look towards the future, and forget the past.
The day that dawns is not a dream.
And when you wake, you'll be here with me.
Eponine drifted into sleep easily, to his voice, and the warmth of his hand over hers.
Little did she know, that he didn't sleep that night. The boy called Montparnasse.
He stayed awake. And watched over her.
Nor did she know that his softness, and ability to trust, was wearing. Just as was his sing song voice that lulled her to sleep every night.
FIVE YEARS LATER
"Ponine!"
Eponine jerked awake to the calling of her name, and pulled on her only jacket, which was stained and ripped but kept her a bit warmer none the less.
"Coming!" She yelled back, and rushed down the water damaged stairs.
"We've got a few kids coming in. Looks like they have quite a bit of extra luggage. Go lighten their load."
Her father didn't wait for her to respond as he turned back to one of the many young ladies in the establishment and began to explain to her unsteadily just how a shoe had come to be in her food.
Eponine rolled up her sleeves, and walked towards the door. Determined to get a good load out of the boys who looked to be about her age. One maybe a few years older, but the other no older than she.
They both had blonde hair, but one had glasses with a crack down one of the lenses and the other had a brighter blonde to his hair. Along with curls that continuously fell in front of his blue eyes and would cause any girl to be jealous.
Just as she stepped towards the boys, a fake bright smile plastering her face, Montparnasse stepped in front of her and grinned cheekily at the boys.
"Welcome, Monsieurs! How are you this fine evening? Will it be one room. Or two?"
The elder boy with glasses squinted and then cleared his throat. "Ah, one."
Montparnasse nodded, and extended his hand out, "I'll take your luggage for you."
The first boy allowed this, and handed over his bag that must have been storing books for it weighed far more than it looked to.
But when Montparnasse held out his hand for the second boy's bag the boy beamed and his light colored cheeks turned a healthy pink, as if it was taking all his courage to speak in front of someone.
"No need for that, citizen. I can carry my own."
Eponine noticed Montparnasse's face change from polite, to enraged in a split second.
And, she knew what he was thinking. If they didn't get enough from these boys, it would be trouble for Eponine because it had been her job to start out with. And her father had gotten to the point to where he refused to allow Montparnasse in the room when Eponine was 'in trouble.'
He offered to carry the bag once more, and when the curly haired boy refused once more, Montparnasse snapped. And in a second, the boy was flung across the room, and slammed against the wall.
Blood streamed from the boy's nose and his eyes lit with confusion as he watched Montparnasse charge towards him, and then punched him and the elder boy until they both allowed their luggage to be taken away.
Eponine shoved Montparnasse as hard as her frail arms would allow and forced him away. She began apologizing, to the boys and asked for their name so that if they met again (for they would not be staying in that inn) that she would be able to make it up to them somehow.
They had replied, the elder said his name was Combeferre before asking if he was going to get his books back. Which much to his dismay would not be.
The other responded quite shyly that his name was Enjolras.
They left the inn shortly after the event, and Eponine made her way over to Montparnasse.
"Would you like to explain to me what that was?!"
Montparnasse's eyes shone with hurt, and a bit of confusion.
"It's-It's my job.. It's our job. Remember Ponine?"
Eponine's throat refused to allow her to respond, and so she turned on her heels and walked to her room.
Hours later, she lay on her bed and sleep refused to find her.
When she heard the door open, and Montparnasse's feet shuffle quietly across the room then settle down in the corner of the room where he slept, she pretended to be asleep.
"Ponine?" He called across the room, "Are you awake?"
She bit down on her lip, he sounded upset. And she couldn't help but wonder if her father had hurt him for what he had done. For costing them a customer.
"Are you ignoring me?"
Eponine let him sit in the silence of the room. Refusing to respond.
"Can you not sleep? Do you want me to sing to you?"
Eponine's gut told her to stay quiet, and yet her heart ached as she heard his voice full with such innocence.
Though he didn't hear her respond, he began to sing barley audible to her ears,
"Sweet little eyes, close them. Little one.
The day is over, and night has come.
Little ears, forget the lies you've heard.
Remember truths, and only sweet words.
Your little hands will be safe in mine.
For I will stay with you. Here, you see.
I'll stay here.
Little one, it's you and me.
Little heart, rest at last.
Look towards the future, and forget the past.
The day that dawns is not a dream.
And when you wake, you'll be here with me.
At the end of the song, Eponine heard a strangle sob escape the seventeen year old boy's throat.
"Your dad gave me a new job, today."
That was the last thing he said that night.
TWO YEARS LATER
"We need the knives cleaned before we go out tonight." Montparnasse said in Eponine's direction. Not bothering to look away from the target he threw the said knives at. Hitting it with amazing accuracy.
"What's he having you do?" Eponine immediately regretted the question after it escaped her lips. But she couldn't take it back now, and she knew he wouldn't sugar coat it like he used to.
Not this Parnasse. The one who had spent the past two years being trained to kill, and to kill without question.
The Parnasse that had killed more people than she ever thought he would, in the past two years.
Not that she ever dreamed her boy would kill. Not ever.
"He owes a family money. And doesn't want to have to pay it back." He answered her, detachedly, taking a drink out of the cup of wine that sat in front of him.
"A family?" Eponine squeaked out, "You mean there's children."
Montparnasse turned to Eponine for the first time since they began to talk, and nodded. And for a moment, she saw a hint of regret flash through his eyes as he said,
"It's my job."
He returned that night, with bruises lines on his throat that showed they had been made by hands, in an attempt to strangle him.
She told Brujon to lay him on her bed, and after a brief argument, he obeyed.
She knew he had gotten the job done, because the knives that she pulled out of the inside of his jacket, were coated with blood.
"Parnasse," She whispered, "What've we become?"
There was no response, and she knew he wouldn't wake up for a while.
"It's gonna be ok." She murmured, "We're going to be okay." She pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, then leaned back.
She would have never of had the courage to do such a thing if he had been awake, because he had changed so. As she waited for the right chance to tell him how she felt.
There was once a time when she thought he might have loved her. And that they would grow up and marry, perhaps have children together.
But not anymore.
He didn't love anything anymore. At least she thought he didn't. And the sweet voice he used to sing to her with, continued to roughen. Most likely from the pipes that he smoked, and the wine that he drank. But also from the things he had seen.
And the things he had been forced to do.
A voice can only carry so much joy after seeing certain things.
A/N This is the first chapter, what do you think?! Please review, favorite, and follow! Thanks guys! God bless!