AN: again thank you for your continued support, and as always your reviews are super welcome!
Chapter 10: Affected
As a heavy silence filled the room, Enjolras paused momentarily wondering why he always got so close, as he pulled back from a few dark strands brushed against his cheek, he paused and gazed into the slightly strained brown eyes. He was so close he could hear the rhythm of her breathing, close enough to inhale her springlike scent, his eyes flickered down to her lips which she was biting, realising he'd been staring for longer than comfortable, he staggered back.
"You can go", he said clearing his throat. Eponine said nothing simply turning and leaving the office. When she emerged Jenny said nothing, watched silently as Eponine picked her bag and left.
The next couple of days passed by pretty uneventfully, Cosette didn't turn up again, Eponine avoided being in the office as much as possible, and Enjolras remained cooped up in his office. The peace however never lasted long for Eponine because as she made her way to the canteen, a frantic Marius suddenly appeared, moving straight towards her.
"Hey 'ponine can we talk", the sandy texture in her mouth returned as she stared into his eyes, noticing a slight cut above his eyebrow, a fleeting discomfort clung to her chest.
"What happened to your face..", asking was out of courtesy, she knew what had happened, restraining an overwhelming feeling to reach up and trace the wound, she grasped her skirt.
"That's what I need to talk to you about", without waiting for a reply he grabbed her elbow leading her outside of the building.
"What is it", Eponine asked tiredly.
"She came to see you about our relationship…didn't she", he stated nervously, Eponine sighed.
"Yes I guess you two talked about it", her voice had a monotone like quality, simply responding to Marius' words.
"Talk.. we've been going at it for a few days", he ran his hands through his hair looking at her a little wearily. You still run your hand through your hair when you're stressed.
"What's that got to do with me", the frustration of being pulled into someone else's domestic seeped into her voice.
"Come on 'ponine…this is all about you Cosette's convinced I still have feelings for you", there was a slight plea in those hazel eyes as they stared at her intently.
"Tell her she's got it wrong…tell her it's over... completely", Marius eyebrows dipped his expression sagging, stepping forward he reached out placing his hands on either side of her face, it all seemed to happen in slow motion as he brought their foreheads together pressing gently.
"You don't honestly believe that...do you", his voice drifted out in a soft warm whisper, the stillness was broken by a hard kick to the shin, he jumped back wincing, resisting the overwhelming urge to bend down and rub his aching limb.
"You really don't listen to anything I say... I told you to stay away from me", you shameless bastard her eyes narrowed coldly, her face twitching with anger.
"'Ponine..", he breathed edging closer, but froze on the spot, seeing an unfamiliar look in those beautiful brown eyes, he thought he knew.
"I know you still care about me 'ponine", he continued keeping his gaze steady.
"'Ponine, what kind of relationship do we have, that you call me so affectionately... maybe you think because I'm the daughter of a prostitute, and a criminal that I'm easy, someone to mess around with and throw away...if you're desperate to see what kind of person I've become, try calling me that one more time", there were a few moments of intense silence as they stared at each other, and then turning on her heel ,Eponine walked away purposefully never once looking back.
Raising his hand to blot out the overwhelming rays of the sun, Enjolras glanced around the garden, the fact that people had to walk past his office to get to the garden meant, it was almost always empty, he glanced around until his eyes rested on a sleeping figure, well almost always . Standing over her, he watched for a little while, her long wavy black hair fluttered in the wind, her pale skin made her rosy lips seem even more…Enjolras stopped himself and kicked her, Eponine jolted upright, she sighed when her eyes fell on Enjolras.
"I get burned, flicked, smacked jolted and now kicked...am I even a human being? ", she glanced up at him expectantly, all that happened was he rolled his blue eyes, huffing she stood up, straightening her clothes.
"You have a bad habit of running way and hiding", he said, Eponine extended her arms pressing them gently against his chest and lightly pushed him away, literally keeping him at arms length.
"And you have a bad habit of standing waaay too close...is it some strange fetish", she eyed him with mock suspicion, as her arms started to fall away he grabbed her wrists and pulled her back in.
"How are you...always so unaffected by everything", a reflective curiosity seeped into his normally cold voice, as if trained his gaze latched onto her light brown eyes, Eponine sighed trying to pull away but he held fast, those penetrating blue eyes had a habit of rendering her immobile, so she looked away, although she could still feel them boring into her face.
"Is that what you really think...it's not like that, I have... too many people dragging me to the edge of a very high cliff...they won't push me because they want me to make the jump myself...but I won't do it, how can I give them the satisfaction", Enjolras' grip tightened on her wrist, she still wasn't looking at him.
"It must be scary on that edge" he stated simply Eponine finally looked back at him.
"You should know", Eponine felt a slight shift in the atmosphere once the words left her mouth.
"What do you mean", his gaze was unwavering.
"You're there as well on that cliff...truthfully you're closer to the edge than I am...but unlike me no one's pushing you...you want to jump... you really want to jump", a light discomfort weaved itself into Enjolras' frown, after seeing his mask crumble away on that vulnerable night, every now and then Eponine would get extra glimpses at emotions, he was desperately trying to hide.
"I don't understand what you're saying", he spoke evenly, but Eponine detected curiosity in his voice, just a hint.
"Are you going to hold my hands forever...it's a little uncomfortable, if you let go I'll explain what I mean", Eponine's sudden light tone broke the tension, slowly he released her wrists.
"Well", he asked, her smile widened folding her arms across her chest, Eponine tilted her head and looked at him, the way a mother stares at an impatient child.
"What I'm saying is that people are trying to make me into the tragic heroine in their stories...but you, you're writing your own tragedy, making you're self the tragic anti-hero, I'm dragged to the edge, but you, you went there willingly ...it wouldn't take a lot for your to simply turn and walk away...but you seem addicted to self-destruction...whereas I seem to be addicted to being destroyed...I'm affected by everything just like you... truthfully I'm a little curious about whose going to break this cycle first" and just like that Eponine's heavy expression melted into something much more innocent, sighing she stretched and sighed. Noticing her companions silence and eerie expression, she laughed nervously "I know you're shocked that I can be so deep... besides what the hell do I know anyway", Eponine waited but the tension wasn't diffused, so with a light shrug and smile Eponine quietly made an exit, leaving Enjolras alone on the roof, her words milling around his head.
Once back in the office Eponine began browsing through her emails, she perked up seeing an official correspondence from another department, she skimmed through the contents her eyes widened in surprise. Eponine sat anxiously tapping her fingers against her desk, her eyes flickering to the door, waiting, and then Enjolras entered the front office, Eponine stood so quickly she hit her knee against the table. She winced and rubbed gently, Enjolras paused and gave her a strange look before continuing into his office, pushing her chair aside she quickly followed him, he turned as he reached his desk.
"What do you want", he asked curtly leaning against the desk.
"My proposals...you read them", her mouth a little agape, her eyes wide, she looks like a bunny he thought before shaking his head wondering why that image had suddenly seeped into his mind.
"Well you did threaten me", he said offhandedly
"...but you gave them to other departments", Eponine continued ignoring his last comment.
"One of them...wasn't too bad", he said calmly, Eponine staggered forward towards him as if in a trance. And then she smiled, but this wasn't like the others, it reached all the way to the core of her earthy irises, illuminating a spark in those large brown eyes, a toothy innocent genuine engulfing smile enveloped her rosy lips, and it was all directed at him. Without warning she grabbed his hands and began jumping happily, looking at him, he was so entranced, that he just let her holds his hands as she bounced up a down like an excitable puppy, perpetually on the edge of laughter. Finally she dropped his hands, a little part of him, a very small part missed the sensation of her warm touch but only a small immeasurable weak part.
"Is that why you came to the roof...to find me...you should have said something", she was still smiling , only now she was punching him playfully as her small fists connected gently with his chest, he wondered why he was letting her, he grabbed her wrists before they could do any more damage.
"You're going to bruise me ", still smiling Eponine looked down a little sheepishly, he pretended not notice the blush creeping up the side of her pale neck.
"Sorry...I tend to get a little over excited", he released her wrists.
"Aren't you over reacting", he asked seriously, she seemed to regain her posture, calming her smile, although it seemed to be simmering under the surface, barely contained.
"If you can't enjoy the little victories what's the point of living", he blinked slowly taking in her words, staring into those endless brown eyes, brimming with such a raw, genuine innocent energy, that for a few moments his mind blanked. Unable to contain her excitement any longer, her smile broke out again, and she actually started skipping towards the door, Enjolras eyes followed her with odd bewilderment, and when she reached the door she paused, turning around abruptly and he was with hit again, with that intoxicating smile.
"Thanks...I knew you couldn't be a complete bastard", with that she closed the door, he stood there for a second did she just insult me, sinking into his chair he leaned back closing his eyes she's completely crazy was all his brain could offer him as explanation for what had just happened another part of his brain however was less vague, you're supposed to be pushing her off that ledge not pulling her back to safety...you're weak.