A/N: Thank you for your patience. In the meantime, if you're on tumblr, I (accidentally) started an enjonine piece. You can find it on my tumblr; the link is on my page. I'd be honored if you checked it out!
(Also, there's no more accent over Eponine's name because something happened with my computer. Sorry!)
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter Three: Introductions
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June 12th; West Bath, Maine.
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At ten o'clock in the morning, the phone rang in Combeferre's apartment. A collective groan sounded throughout the living room where eight men lay on the floor, sick with hangovers.
"Jehan, get the phone!"
"I can't feel my face – "
"Seriously, someone get that – "
"What if they got my test results back and I have – "
"Shut your trap, Joly. You do not have cancer, for God's sake!"
"Jehan!"
"I'm going. I'm going!" Jehan stood up on shaky limbs and hastened across the hardwood floor, his socks skidding as he came to a halt in front of the phone. "Hello?"
"Jehan?"
"Enjolras? Jack Enjolras?" Jehan pulled the phone away from his ear, a broad smile painted across his face. Five heads popped up from the floor, eagerly looking toward the phone.
"Yeah, this is Enjolras – Eponine is here, too."
Jehan gasped, clutching the phone harder as he yelled, "Eponine is there too?!"
With a heavy sigh, Enjolras said, "Yes. Is – is 'Ferre there?"
"Eponine! You found Eponine?!"At this, all seven men scrambled up from the floor – hangover or not. They rushed to Jehan's side, fighting to grab the phone from his hands.
"Did no one tell you?"
"There are real tears in my eyes, Jack – Courfeyrac, stop it!"
"Could you put us on speakerphone, maybe?" Eponine asked, chuckling softly.
"Wonderful idea, Eponine!" Courf yelled over Jehan's shoulder, shoving the skinner man out of the way. "There. Go ahead – we're listening."
From the back of the group, Grantaire stood on his tiptoes. "Hey, Ep!"
"Oh my god," Enjolras groaned; the group could practically see him shaking his head. Eponine spoke next: "Hi, guys!"
The small room erupted into chaotic noise as each man professed their undying love for both Eponine and Enjolras, how surprised they were to hear her, and lamented about how no one had told them she had been found. It was a good five minutes before Enjolras literally had to yell through the phone to get them to shut up.
"Well, we have some news for you," Eponine said, her tone light and slightly clipped with nerves.
The air in the room stilled. "Yeah?" Bahorel squeaked.
After a few seconds, Enjolras and Eponine spoke at the same time: "We're getting married!"
Bossuet hit his head off the wall he was jumping up and down with so much excitement. Jehan's scream nearly pierced Joly's eardrum. Bahorel cried a little (but would go to his grave denying it). Combeferre and Grantaire shot each other knowing smiles and Courfeyrac jumped onto the couch, roaring with excitement.
"Wait! Wait! That's not it!"
Feuilly grabbed the phone, lifting it above his head. "There's more!"
With a whimper, Jehan clutched his forehead. "She's pregnant," he whispered, tears shining in his eyes.
"The wedding is in West Bath!"
Jehan passed out.
.::.
June 12th; Denver, Colorado.
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Enjolras hung up, rubbing his eyes as he shook his head. Eponine wiped the tears from her eyes, laughing as she leaned back against the headboard. "I think they took that pretty well," she said, laughter bubbling from her stomach once more.
Enjolras scoffed. "I forgot how expressive they can be."
"Did Grantaire and 'Ferre really not tell them you found me?"
"I guess not." He shrugged and turned around. "Are you sure you want to have the wedding there?"
Eponine nodded, smiling. "All of our friends our there – "
"What about Adri – "
Eponine slid off the bed, pulling up her pajama bottoms from the floor. She grabbed Enjolras' shirt from beside them and shrugged it on. "She's no longer my friend."
Enjolras nodded solemnly and blew out a short breath as he turned to grab some clothes from his drawer. The door opened and Gloria peeked her head in. "Breakfast is – "
With a shriek, Enjolras whirled around, blushing deeply as he covered himself with a pillow from off the floor. "Mother!"
Eponine covered her mouth and turned to the side, hiding her laughter. Gloria laughed and waved her hand. "Nothing I haven't seen before, little love." She glanced at Eponine and her smile became a sneer. "Apparently, nothing she hasn't seen either."
"Mother!"
Gloria held up her hands and took a step back. "Sorry, sorry. Breakfast is ready. And you'd better come down quick because Gavroche has eaten all of the pancakes almost." She closed the door behind her and Eponine turned around, dissolving into fits of laughter all over again.
Enjolras pulled on sweatpants and a t-shirt, chucking the pillow in his hand at her face, a deep scowl on his mouth. "Shut up," he mumbled, slamming his drawer shut.
"Look, your mom may be a total bitch, but she's hilarious."
Enjolras shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "No, she's rude and imposing – "
"And hilarious."
Enjolras clamped his jaw tightly and threw open the door. As Eponine passed him, she grabbed his elbow. "She's not going to be happy when we tell her the wedding isn't here."
"She's not happy about the wedding at all, so she can shove it." Enjolras bent forward and kissed her, making a face as he pulled back.
"I guess you're right." She bounced down the stairs and into the kitchen, ruffling Gav's hair. The boy looked up and grinned, shoveling his face with pancakes. Auguste held a cup of coffee out toward his son, who took it with a tight grin.
"Your mother had quite the story to tell as she came downstairs," the older man said, glancing toward his wife. Gloria looked up from the magazine at the kitchen table.
"I'm sure," Enjolras said slowly, giving a pointed look to his mother as he cocked his head toward Gavroche.
"You mean the story about you being naked? Yeah, I heard that one."
Eponine sighed and poured herself a cup of tea, standing protectively by her brother's side. Since the day Enjolras' parents had arrived, Auguste had become quite pleasant. Eponine enjoyed talking with him, and he didn't seem too opposed to her engagement to Enjolras. It was Gloria that was the problem. She constantly stuck her nose in every relatively private conversation Enjolras and Eponine attempted to have. She had already started planning their wedding down to the last detail – even Eponine's dress – and given the people actually getting married little to no say.
"Great," Enjolras whispered, piling up his plate with pancakes. He sat down across from his mother and looked at Eponine. "So, Mother, we have something we'd like to tell you?"
Gloria looked between her son and her son's fiancee. "She's pregnant?"
Auguste sputtered, clearing his throat. "Gloria!"
"I'm sorry! Merely a question. If it's not that, then what?"
"We're not going to have the wedding here," Enjolras said slowly.
Gloria raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Eponine went to Enjolras' side and rubbed his shoulder. "No. We were planning on going back to West Bath."
Auguste smiled first. "That's lovely idea. All your friends, Enjolras, and – "
Gloria held up her hand. "But we already chose a venue?"
Eponine looked at Enjolras for a moment and then shook her head. "Actually, you picked a venue. All of our friends are in West Bath. We'd like to have it there."
"I suppose I'll have to let go of the deposit then."
Eponine heart sank to the pit of her stomach. "Deposit?"
"What deposit?" Enjolras asked.
"Yes, Gloria. What deposit?" Auguste stepped forward, taking the seat beside his wife's.
"I put a deposit down on the venue," Gloria said innocently. "I thought we'd agreed on it."
Enjolras curled his hand around Eponine's wrist so tightly she thought it might break. "You what?"
Gloria rolled her eyes. "You heard me, Jacky."
"How could you do that, Mother?"
Feigning innocence, Gloria shrugged her shoulders. "I thought I was being helpful – "
"Helpful?" Enjolras let go of Eponine's wrist and stood up.
"Jack," Eponine whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"You have been nothing but the opposite of helpful since you got here three days ago, Mother!"
Auguste looked up sharply. "Jack, do not speak to your mother in that tone."
Color stained Enjolras' cheeks and his stance slackened. "Eponine and I want to get married in West Bath, not Colorado!"
"Well, Jack, you should have told me – "
Gavroche pattered to Eponine's side, tugging her shirt sleeve. "Uh, Eponine."
Waving him away, Eponine whispered, "Not now, Gav."
"I did tell you that. You just didn't listen! Like usual."
Auguste stood up abruptly, pointing a stern finger at his son. "I am not going to ask you again, Enjolras!"
"Eponine, really, you need to come to the door," Gavroche said, nervously glancing at the arguing adults.
"What is it?" Eponine looked sternly at her brother, keeping a firm hand on Enjolras' arm.
With face brimming with contained excitment, Gavroche answered. "It's Jason."
Eponine blinked. "What?" she breathed, pushing Gavroche over a step.
"Jason – he's at the door."
"You're kidding?"
Gavroche shook his head. "No. Just go look for yourself."
She didn't have to be told twice. Eponine fled out of the kitchen and through the living room, ignoring the comments of Enjolras and his parents. Sure enough, Jason stood in the doorway, anxiously rubbing his hands together. Eponine stopped in the center of the living room, breathing heavily.
She'd never thought she'd see him again, but there he was and... things, feelings unearthed that she'd forgotten about. He looked the same – maybe thinner – but everything about him was the same: the same disheveled back hair, the same stupid polo shirt she hated, the same scuffed tennis shoes.
"Jason?"
He faced her and instantly took a step forward, but stopped himself, his face contorted in concern. He took in her standing there, dressed in Enjolras' clothes, her hair mused from sleep and other activities. "Eponine."
Unbidden, tears sprung to Eponine's eyes as she threw herself at him, clinging tightly to his neck. Jason relaxed and folded her against his body, hesitantly touching the back of her head. He whispered something against her skin, but Eponine didn't catch the words. He breathed heavily against her neck and Eponine couldn't tell whether he was crying or laughing or simply having a difficult time breathing because of the thin air. Behind her, she heard Gav drag Enjolras into the living room, of course followed by his parents.
"Who is this?" Gloria asked, no doubt pulling a rude face.
Eponine forced herself to pull away from Jason. She wiped at the stray tears on her cheeks and sighed, holding his arm tightly. She spoke directly to Enjolras, who regarded her with a peculiar stare, when she said, "This is Jason Renolds."
Jason stood straighter, smiling through tight lips. "Hello."
"Who is he?" Gloria asked again, raising her eyebrows.
Blinking, Eponine glanced up at him, question swimming through her head, feelings pooling in her stomach. "An old... friend, you could say."
"Her ex-husband." Enjolras' dead-pan voice caught Eponine off-guard; really, it caught everyone off-guard. Eponine's stomach clenched as Enjolras stared at her, his eyes deathly cold.
"Is that true?" Gloria glanced between her son and Eponine, moving to take his hand. Her voice sounded soft, pity-filled even.
Eponine nodded. There was no point in lying. "Yes."
"I don't.." Gloria frowned. "I don't understand."
Enjolras wrenched his hand out of his mother's grasp and took several steps forward, vibrating with anger. Eyes wide, Eponine took a step back, ramming into Jason, who took a protective hold on her shoulder. Enjolras saw the fear in Eponine's eyes, but what he focused on was Jason's hold on her shoulder.
"Jack," Eponine whispered, pulling herself free of Jason.
Enjolras stopped at the base of the stairs, staring up toward their bedroom door. "I think I might go on a run." Before Eponine could stop him, he bounded up the stairs two at a time. Eponine's hand fell away from the banister, her heart trembling in her chest. She felt Jason touch the ends of her hair and – unwillingly – her stomach fluttered.
"Would you please explain yourself?" Gloria took a step forward, her hands on her hips.
Eponine opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She turned to Jason and he looked at her with such warmth she wanted to puke. "I need – I need to – " She swallowed, the world spinning slightly.
Jason grabbed her shoulders as she lurched forward. "Eponine?"
"Please, just – just give me a moment." And with that, she fled from the house.
