Alarm went off at 3am and it's cold outside so here's my jacket AU
He wasn't sleeping, obviously. Nighttime is for the dreamers, for those who have nothing to look forward to in the night except demonic thoughts, and need to sleep away the terror. Enjolras had always seen himself as a down-to-earth kind of guy, serious rather than a dreamer, with his feet in the street, and certainly not in the clouds.
So, at 3am on that particular morning, he was awake, eyes fixed on his computer, one hand absentmindedly stroking the side of his coffee mug as though it were a lover's breast. Clouds drifted to cover the moon like numerous blankets, dancing and taunting it with their motion. But all Enjolras saw was the case file gazing back at him from the bright screen.
He adjusted his jacket, curling it tighter around himself. As a self-employed law student, he found himself more often than not without heat (although his friends constantly teased him about his statuesque nature, how the cold had long ago crept down to his bones and frozen his heart).
As a down-to-earth kind of guy, Enjolras took it upon himself to ignore their remarks, to change the topic of conversation to something more profound, more educating. Even the subject of wine was preferred by Enjolras to their declarations of his non-existent heart-
A shrill wailing pierced the air, causing Enjolras and his computer to jump approximately a foot off of the couch. Oh shit what was that wait the alarm why is the fire alarm going off holy shit raced through his mind as he grabbed his jacket absentmindedly off the couch. His mind went to his computer, and what would happen if the fire were to reach it. A second's hesitation, and Enjolras found himself sliding his laptop into his tote bag.
Probably nothing, he couldn't help but think. But still, better safe than sorry.
His long legs carried him down the stairs at a swift pace, pausing occasionally to swerve around various parents, children, or a combination of the two. Five flights, he'd always taken the elevator, and his legs were feeling the ache much sooner than he'd hoped. By the time he reached the door with the crowd, his muscles were burning, the bag was digging into his shoulder, and with each breath, he could feel sharp jabs in his chest.
Maybe Combeferre's suggestion about the gym wasn't such a bad idea, might help ease the stress anyway, he thought absently as his eyes scanned the sidewalk for an open spot, one not occupied by a wailing child, or exhausted-looking elder.
There, an empty space, one that seemed to call to him so invitingly. He practically fell down with a sigh as all of the pressure left his shoulder and sank into the ground.
"Don't go to the gym much, do you?" Enjolras jumped, but the surprise left his features almost instantly and was replaced with a scowl.
"My personal fitness is none of your business," he replied curtly, turning to the whomever had spoken.
Brown eyes, face half in shadows, half drowned in the red lights of the screaming firetruck. Her black hair was tied up in a quick bun, out of which a few rebellious strands had already escaped. The left side of her mouth was slightly curved upward, as though she found something very funny, a private joke Enjolras knew he would never understand.
"Just trying to make conversation," she shrugged, that little curve never leaving her mouth. "I don't go much either, haven't got the time. You're a student, too, right?"
The forwardness of her questions surprised him the most. Enjolras had exchanged perhaps twenty words altogether with half as many people who lived in his building in the year he'd been living in his apartment.
"Yeah, law student." He gestured to his bag. "Now, if you'll excuse me-"
"I knew you looked familiar!" She exclaimed. "I'm in your government seminar, you're the guy who keeps interrupting the professor!"
"Because his lectures are outdated, and his evidence weak," Enjolras replied calmly, before raising an eyebrow. "I'm afraid I don't recall ever seeing you."
"My name's Eponine, I sit in the back."
He nodded. "Enjolras."
Eponine stretched out her hand, and Enjolras took it, eyes widening at how cold it was. In hindsight, he supposed he shouldn't have been surprised, considering how strong the wind was. She clasped his hand for a moment, and then turned towards the loud mess that was currently unveiling in front of their building.
"All for a couple of girls who decided to make mac-and-cheese at 2:30 in the morning," she chucked. "What a mess."
"Yeah," he whispered, focusing on the moonlight in her hair and letting the wails and yells and cries fade away into the background. Eponine wrapped her arms around herself and pulled her knees close to her chest. Faster than he thought his sleep-deprived limbs could function, Enjolras slipped his jacket off of his own shoulders, and draped it around hers.
"Here's my jacket," he said with a smile, and glanced back toward their smoke-less building. "Fire or no fire, it looks like it's finally warming up."
Fun fact: that actually happened in my friend's building, some girls decided to make mac-and-cheese at 2:30 in the morning, and set off the fire alarm.