Chapter 7: Joe

I like you those three little innocent words bounced around Eponine's head till they almost lost all meaning, Eponine's whole body trembled as she stumbled back.

"What the hell do you know?", there was a pain to Eponine's voice that shocked Enjolras, he took a step forward when an outstretched hand stopped him.

"Eponine"

"You don't know anything about me…so what the hell do you like?" Enjolras grabbed Eponine's wrist and pulled her to him.

"What are you so scared of Eponine?... I might not know you completely…but I want to",

"Just because you want something doesn't mean it can happen", Enjolras let go of Eponine's wrist and gently rested his hands on her shoulders.

"I get it Eponine you're dark and twisty, and I'm a stranger who has no right to know why… but I will die if I don't find out", Eponine sighed

"I just want to be left alone", slowly Enjolras closed the remaining space and pulled Eponine into the gentlest of embraces.

"I can't die not knowing so I'll make you a deal…give me a month of your time to make you curious about me, if at the end you want nothing to do with me I'll not only leave you alone... I'll transfer you to a branch of your choice far away from my sister, your ex and me", Eponine sighed into his chest.

"Do I have a choice",

"It's either you let me willingly bother you for a month, or unwillingly for an eternity" Enjolras pulled away to look at her face. She held his gaze calmly.

"One month…I can do that" Enjolras dropped his arms.

"Well okay then", a clearing of a throat broke them out of the trance, turning Eponine made eye contact with the past.

"Marius", Enjolras hated the way she said his name, not with love or hate just with feeling.

"Can we talk", Eponine sighed she was already so exhausted, but she followed she didn't have any more energy to fight. As she started to walk away Enjolras whole body wanted her to look back but she never did, not for a second.

"You have two minutes", Marius rubbed his eyes.

"I wanted to apologize for what my wife may have said to you…she's very dramatic", Eponine nodded slowly.

"Okay then", Eponine started to walk away but Marius grabbed her wrist.

"Is that it…don't you have anything to say, don't you want to catch up- "

"What are you doing? what are you doing right now?"

"Eponine", she yanked her hand out of his grip.

"We dated a lifetime ago, we broke up, we lived our lives and now we're strangers Marius…we're not friend's we're not lovers we are nothing…so please spare me the chit chat I have no interest in your life or sharing mine with you…so just stop", Eponine started to walk away but not before turning for a second.

"and just one bit of advice never insult your wife to another woman…it's just disrespectful".

"So we can't even be friends…is that what you're saying" Eponine held those hazel eyes like she'd done a million times before.

"We've never been friends Marius, even when we were dating so just stop", gently smoothing out her skirt Eponine turned and walked away.

When it was finally home time Eponine was emotionally drained, she didn't want to stay in the office anymore, she didn't want to go home to her empty flat, just her and her thoughts, so she went to a quite bar in hidden alleyway.

"A young lady shouldn't drink so much all by herself", Joe the kindly bartender said to Eponine a customer he wished he didn't see so often.

"You are a good man Joe, but you're a terrible judge of character", Joe absorbed the pained look in those big doe eyes and sighed.

"What happened today ?"

"I got found out today "

"Who found you out"

"A man I don't know very well.. or at all actually "

"What did he say to you", Eponine paused took a sip of her drink and looked Joe dead in the eye.

"He said I'm dark and twisty", Joe tilted his head and stroked his stubble.

"aren't you?", Eponine smiled.

"Yes Joe…but no one is supposed to know, it's not supposed to be so obvious".

"it's not obvious Eponine…maybe this person sees you my dear", Eponine ran her hands through her hair.

"But they never see me Joe…I'm either mysterious or intense, or darkly sexy, I'm a cliché Joe, to every guy I've ever dated so why did this one calls me dark and twisty …that's not a good thing Joe to be dark and twisty that's a bad bad thing…but he said that to me and in the same breath he said he liked me…what is that"

"Why don't you find out Eponine, if you're so curious?", Eponine pushed the drink away and wiped her eyes they were wet.

"I can't be curious Joe...it'll kill me", Joe took the young woman's hands in his.

"Eponine living the way you are, ...trying so hard not to feel anything will kill you" thick silent tears rolled down pale cheeks, before she lay her head against the cool bar surface and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she found curious blue orbs staring at her.

"Enjolras", she said quietly.

"hey Eponine", Eponine rubbed her eyes to make sure it wasn't a vision.

"How?", Enjolras looked at Joe and Eponine looked at him too.

"I thought you could use someone "

"why him Joe…how did you even call…why," exasperation was clear in Eponine's voice.

"You put him down as nobody Eponine. No one goes to that match trouble to put someone down as nobody", and then Joe walked away and Eponine sat up and looked at the man sitting next to her.

"You called me dark and twisty", Enjolras poured himself a drink

"I did", Eponine nodded

"Does that mean you're light and carefree", Enjolras smiled and in Eponine's hazy mind she thought he's crooked smile was quite beautiful.

"Ask me again at the end of the month Eponine …if you're still interested…now let's take you home", Enjolras gently grabbed her arm and pulled her up when she suddenly gripped his jacket.

"No no no... please don't take me home. I can't go there…I hate being alone... I hate it. please please", what started as silent tears were now shaking panic inducing cries, Enjolras was taken aback so he just hugged her tightly, he read in a medical journal that it calms the nervous system.

When the sun finally came up things had changed, Eponine opened her eyes surrounded by bedding that was too soft, a bed that was too big, a smell that was unfamiliar filled her nose, light clung to her skin from strange angels, and that's when she looked up from the sheets wrapped around her naked skin into calm blue eyes.

"Eponine", panic began to rise in her chest

"How did I get here".

"You got drunk, your bartender called me, you didn't want to go home, I bought you here… this is my place. I slept in the guestroom. I had to change you …you threw up on yourself so that's about all of it" there was a long silence.

"Why did you come to the bar", Eponine's white knuckles tightened around the sheets.

"Because I'd get to see you" Eponine's lip tightened

"Why…did you want to see me" Enjolras walked towards the bed till his body hit the frame.

"You know the answer"

"because you like me"

"because I like you".

AN: here's the next chapter it felt a bit off but let me know what you think positive or negative and as always likes, favourites and reviews are always supper welcome.