It's been months, but she still sees him falling.
She'll stop something she's doing in the middle of the day and begin to see it. Any sort of loud sound triggers it.
Sometimes she even dreams about it.
But even in her dreams she can't save him.
The way his body hits the pavement with that thudding sound. That sickening thudding sound that makes Eponine scream. She watches the blood drain from his body at a quickening rate. His eyes are searching frantically for her.
Not her as in Eponine. But Cosette.
Eponine rushes to his side, trying to pick him up and failing. She settles down next to him, pulling up his torso and holding it to hers. His head rests on her chest. Her whole body is shaking, racked with horrible gasping sobs.
His eyes are slowly closing now, and he stutters something out, his words slurring together like his own blood and the blood of others running together on the pavement. It's something about Cosette. Eponine holds his face close to hers.
She wants to kiss him so badly. This is her final chance. She needs to tell him how she feels. How she's felt all of these years. How she will feel once he's gone.
And he'll be gone soon.
"Marius..." Eponine manages to croak out, "Marius... I..."
"Please... 'Ponine... Tell Cosette... That I love her."
His head drops into her lap, his eyes fluttering. Eponine screams, her hands holding at his hair, trying to hold on to him. Trying to hold him to life.
"Th-Thank you..." Marius continues, swallowing heavily. "For being... such a... great friend."
He gasps his last breath, and dies.
Eponine lets out a loud cry, looking up at the dark sky. As she tries to wipe away her tears, she feels warm, sticky blood smear across her face. She looks down at her hands, noticing they're spattered with the dark red of Marius's blood.
Eponine looks around frantically. Everyone stares away, straight forward, focused on the battle.
But Enjolras stares back, his teeth clenched.
They'd never passed more than fifty words, but this is enough. The shocked and hurt expression on his face says more than any of those words.
Eponine stares up at him helplessly, keeping her spot on the pavement. She should move, but she can't. She is stuck there. Stuck by the weight of Marius's dead body and the sullen stare of Enjolras.
He just nods at her once, trying to look away, loading his gun.
But Eponine stays there, still staring at him.
This is usually the point in which she jerks awake, sweat dripping from her forehead. She clamps a hand over her mouth to keep from panting and crying, trying not to wake everyone else up.
But the stare of Enjolras still hangs in the air, haunting her.
Always there.