Oh my gosh, I can't believe this is the last installment of this fic. Really, it feels so final - I'm graduating college in a week and a half, and now this is finished, and aahhhhhh!
Some thanks: first, to all of you wonderful people who have read this, have stuck by patiently as I put these characters through hell and heartbreak (sorry not sorry?), and have been even more patient between increasingly sporadic updates. Thank you to you amazing people who have left the kindest, most encouraging, most exciting reviews ever.
SO MUCH THANKS TO INGE. WITHOUT HER, THIS WOULD NEVER HAVE TURNED OUT THE WAY IT DID! I know you guys will miss this, but seriously, go find her on tumblr (textsfromumbridge - idk who she had to kill to get that url, btw, but it's incredible) or here on ffnet (ThinksInWords) and read her stuff. She's in the process of writing the most epic Enjonine fic ever called "My Best Friend's Wedding," which everyone needs to go read and review and love as much as I do.
Because of her awesomesauceness, this epilogue is officially being dedicated to Inge. Thank you for your help, my dear!
Edit: Thank you SO much to tumblr user jolsette, who made the brand new, beautiful cover image for Tides! I'm genuinely touched that someone thought this was good enough to make an edit. I can't even, thank you!
Come find me on tumblr! My url is thisislavieboheme, but I'm also in the process of creating a fandom-specific blog on tumblr (eponnjolras) that my IRL friends won't know about. That way, I can post my writing and my graphics and be more involved in the Enjonine/Les Mis/other fandoms I'm part of communities. Send me prompts there, I can't promise to be speedy, but I'll try! So come visit me on one or both!
THANK YOU ALL! I hope this epilogue gives you some closure. It was originally supposed to be much shorter than the other chapters, but that didn't work out - I think it's either the longest or second longest one so oops. At least you all get a super-long goodbye!
Remember - there's still a deleted scene! I'll probably post it in a week or so. Then it really, really will all be over.
Disclaimer: Ok just stop asking
The sun was shining through the window, casting bright, hot rays directly across his eyes.
Damnit, Enjolras thought. He had forgotten to close the shades again. He sighed, rising to let them the rest of the way down, before glancing at the clock. It read 9:30.
He hated waking up too early on the weekends. Perhaps 9:30 wasn't terrible, but still. Just once, he would like to sleep uninterrupted.
Sliding back into bed, Enjolras was unable to help grinning at the sleeping form beside him.
Eponine was rolled on her stomach, the covers bunched around her hips, exposing her bare back. Her dark hair was splayed in every direction, and he wasn't sure whether she was facing him or not.
She was without a doubt the weirdest sleeper in the world. She tossed and turned all night, whether she went to bed wrapped tightly in his arms or not, and usually ended up either completely tunneled under the covers (if it was cold out), or hopelessly tangled in them. She rarely managed to keep her head on the pillow either.
It had not started out like this, of course; when they had first started spending the night together, they usually stayed in each other's arms the whole night. But since they had moved in together – out of their separate bedrooms, out of their shared apartment, into a place that was solely theirs – she seemingly had gotten even more comfortable. It showed in the way she slept, in the way she walked around on warm days in a sports bra and thin shorts, in the way she would attack him when he came home some nights in the living room or in the kitchen without ever having to worry about someone walking in on them.
Realizing that she was turned towards him, Enjolras smoothed back some of her hair, careful to do it gently enough that he did not wake her.
Sometimes he could not believe that it had been three years since they had gotten together officially. He often grinned when thinking of his graduation, how this small girl with the giant personality had shoved their friends aside to answer his ultimatum with her lips, proffering an unspoken one of her own, in which he knew she was promising to give him her heart so long as he never broke it.
He had done his best to hold it as close to him as he could. It was not always easy; Eponine was even more of a firecracker, it seemed, as his girlfriend – his first ever girlfriend – but not in a demanding or needy way. It was hard to put into words, how sometimes she seemed angry over nothing, how many days Enjolras still woke feeling as though he were sleeping next to a stranger, how she often seemed to try to shut him out more than she ever had before they were together. Even now, his drowned soul had yet to reach the darkest depths of her, where the true monsters dwelt, where they seemed to be waiting to surface.
No, it was anything but easy being with her. She still seemed to have more down days than up ones, though he was happy to see that he could pull her out of it for the most part. That said, Eponine had been happier in the last three years than he could ever remember her being as long as he had known her.
Enjolras looked around their bedroom. They had only been in this apartment for five months or so, but it already felt more like home than anywhere else ever really had. It was because of her.
It had taken him a while to convince her to take this step, but a lot had changed since they had gotten together.
First, Enjolras passed the bar exam, just a few months after graduating. Despite all of his prestigious job offers around the city (and the country), he chose to stay on as a lawyer at the firm where he had interned. It was a great firm, though, with an incredible reputation, and he loved it.
Towards the end of the summer, just coming up on Marius and Cosette's first anniversary, in fact, Joly and Musichetta got engaged. They were married the following March.
That fall, Eponine officially won permanent custody of Gavroche. It had not been easy; they had to work very hard to prove that him living with a bunch of 20-somethings was better than him living at home (though there was no doubt that that was the case) or with a more structured foster family.
That spring, after Joly and Musichetta were married, Combeferre proposed to his college girlfriend, Camille, though they waited a year to finally have a wedding.
Right around Eponine and Enjolras' first anniversary together, several things happened. First, Feuilly and Bossuet, who had been dancing around each other for years (something that frustrated the group even more than Eponine and Enjolras had), finally got together. Then, Grantaire met a girl at the Musain, Natalie, who he had been with ever since – he had even gotten sober for her (though she helped a lot).
The fall and winter were quiet following those developments, save for Jehan, who moved in with his girlfriend, Claire, though the early spring saw Gavroche's acceptance into several universities. He decided to go to a school in the city, where he had received nearly a full ride, and would be in a pre-med program. He wanted to be a doctor, he announced, and help kids like himself, who got themselves in bad situations and needed medical attention – and, potentially, help. Enjolras could not ever remember seeing Eponine so proud, and he felt quite the same.
At their second anniversary, Azelma and Montparnasse got engaged. Enjolras had expected Eponine to be angry that her younger sister, who was now only 22, was getting married, but to his surprise, she was thrilled. She had even come to love Montparnasse – probably because of how loyal and supportive he had proved himself to be during the whole the Gavroche episode. They were married in front of Eponine, Gavroche, and Enjolras, as well as Montparnasse's parents and brother, at the town hall in the fall.
Also in the fall, Bahorel got himself a steady, serious girlfriend, which was pretty notable since he had always been such a ladies' man. His friends knew he must be serious about this girl, if he was willing to give up his life of bachelordom for her.
Late in the winter, Courfeyrac proposed to Clémence. Then, only two weeks later, Cosette announced that she and Marius were expecting their first child.
Their group of friends had now been through several showers, bachelor- and bachelorette parties, and weddings, but this was the first baby. Enjolras didn't think there had ever been so much excitement amongst his friends, who were simultaneously thrilled and almost as terrified as the parents-to-be.
Now, just a few weeks before Eponine's mid-May graduation, the four-month-along Cosette was beginning to get fairly big. She was a small woman, and her friends began to notice her growing belly by the beginning of April, but it took a while for her to actually start to get noticeably bigger to the rest of the world.
Eponine herself had changed a lot over the last three years, just as Enjolras was sure he had. She had worked her ass off, taking extra classes during all the available sessions – even in the summer – as well as waitressing at the Musain. She had been serious about working in art, and was getting both an art history and business degree. After a year and a half in school, during which she had almost enough credits to graduate (including her credits from her first year of college when they all had met), she got an internship at an art museum. At that point, he felt as though he rarely saw her, but he was incredibly proud of her hard work and her accomplishments. She finished up her art degree quite quickly, and was soon finished with her business degree, but had added an extra year on to her program to achieve her masters. Now, at 28 years old, she was graduating with two bachelor's degrees, a master's degree, and a full-time job offer at her beloved museum, working as the assistant cultural director.
"Hasn't anyone ever told you that it's really fucking creepy when you stare at someone while they sleep?" a groggy voice asked, pulling him from his reverie.
Enjolras grinned at his girlfriend, tenderly, affectionately brushing the hair off her face. He slid down off his own pillow so as to be even with her where she was laying on the mattress. His hand slid from the soft tresses spewed across the pillow to her back, where his fingers left behind a trail of goose bumps as he grazed her bare skin. It delighted him that even after all this time together, his touch could still elicit such a response from her.
Eponine was smiling at him sleepily, though he didn't miss the slight shiver that went down her spine as he touched her.
"I was just thinking," he replied, smirking.
"Oh yeah?" She was grinning as she reached out and smacked his ass over the covers. "What about?" she asked suggestively.
He shrugged against the bed. "Some girl," he said dismissively. But when he leaned forward to kiss her, she turned her head to the other side.
"Is there some other bitch in your life?" she huffed, though he could hear the smile on her voice.
He pulled himself up on his elbows, and inched towards her, throwing an arm over her torso and slipping a hand between her skin and the mattress. Eponine hummed into the pillow, accepting Enjolras' lopsided kiss as he leaned over to find her mouth.
When he deepened the kiss, she rolled over beneath him, pushing her exposed chest into his and wrapping her arms around his back, pressing him into her.
Eponine moaned when he kissed her jaw, her neck, her collarbone, down to her breasts before working his way back up. When he nipped lightly at the vein she knew was protruding from her neck, she smacked him lightly on the head, delighting in how his blonde curls bounced.
"I have to go to work tomorrow, asshole," she told him breathily, doing her best to sound angry. "I can't go in with hickeys."
Enjolras didn't respond, only covered her mouth with his own – partially to taste her, partially to shut her up – before going back and playfully nipping at her again.
He could tell that she was about to chide him again, so he slid his hand down her torso, making her squirm as he successfully distracted her.
She was breathing heavily against him, but grinned as she said, "I knew I felt something down there!" She leaned away from him, addressing his hips as she called, "Good morning, little 'Jolras!"
Enjolras pulled away from her neck suddenly, regarding her through narrowed eyes. "Little?" he repeated indignantly. Then as if just processing the whole thing, he asked, "Wait, did you just nickname my penis?"
Eponine giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him back in for a kiss.
"No, no!" he said, pulling away, pretending to be angry. She just grinned at him. "You can't nickname my penis, Ep. This is why we can't have nice things!"
She laughed loudly at that, then mockingly reminded, "I can have whatever I want."
He rolled away a bit, teasing her. "Can you?" he asked, grinning at her pout.
"No! No, I'm sorry, I take it back, I won't nickname your penis and its not little, I promise, just come back!" she begged, grabbing his arm and trying to yank him towards her again.
Enjolras just sighed, pretending to be bored, rolling away from her on his side and yawning loudly. "Eh, I think I'm going back to sleep now."
He expected her to protest loudly, but instead she just scooted over to him, pressing her heat against him and snaking her arm over his waist. "Are you?" she asked seductively, nipping his earlobe and kissing his neck.
He inhaled quickly, trying to keep from groaning. But it became too much for him entirely too quickly; he flipped over her, pinning her beneath him and kissing her with fervor. She rose to meet his challenge. The atmosphere between them had shifted drastically in only a few moments; it was vigorous now, urgent, hands groping and a sweaty sheen quickly covering them both.
Three years, and they had not lost any of the hunger, any of the passion. It was what made Enjolras sure that they had been made for each other. They fought like they made love like they laughed; everything they did together was just so them, so fun and lighthearted, but so enthusiastic and frenzied. It was hard to put into words, but he had, of course, never felt this way about anyone before, never been interested in anyone like this before. And although it was like pulling teeth, getting Eponine to admit anything, he could just tell (because he knew her better than he knew himself) that she had never experienced anything like it either.
He knew that as long as they never lost their passion and their ardor, that they would last. In fact, he had never been so sure of anything in his life.
Enjolras' parents had an interesting relationship. They fought more often than not, they had been on the verge of divorce more times than he could count, yet somehow – even after he had moved out for college – they had stayed together. Part of the reason he had never been interested in anyone before was because he was so afraid of living a life like that. Of course, he loved them dearly, but he didn't want that. Couldn't handle it. He was so afraid of the affect their marriage had had on him – what they had taught him about relationships – that he had never wanted it. He didn't want to live like that, and what if he had ended up with a kid who would be raised the same way?
But then he had met Eponine; 10 years ago, she had kissed him in his dorm room. She had wormed her way into his heart in a way that no woman ever had before – or ever would. She was more than he had ever wanted, but suddenly it hadn't been about wanting her, especially after they became friends with benefits. It had become about needing her.
And it was that feeling that made Enjolras sure that there had never been two people more right for each other. They had this strange dynamic, of course, possibly the weirdest relationship that he had ever seen out of any of his friends or acquaintances, but they needed each other, and he felt sure that that made all the difference.
So when they were finished, covered in one another's sweat, hair plastered to foreheads and necks and, in Eponine's case, shoulders, his heart was pounding as he whispered against her lips, "I love you."
It continued pounding, as always, until she murmured back, "I love you," and then still pounded afterwards, slowing as his core temperature returned to normal.
She was his.
After Eponine's last final, she met her friends in the Musain for dinner. It was delightful to finally, finally be done with school – she often regretted dropping out, and although going back had been one of the best decisions she had ever made, it had been tough work and there were times when she wasn't sure she was doing the right thing. She had been lucky, in those times, to have Enjolras to talk her down.
He hadn't arrived yet – most of her friends already had, but as they were all coming straight from their jobs, it took some of them longer than others – but she was excited to see him, to see the look of pride and love he gave her when she told him she had killed her last final.
Enjolras was the last to arrive, and since they were all there and hungry, he had texted her his order (by this time, they all knew the menu by heart). It was just coming out as he arrived. Eponine's mouth was full of mozzarella stick when he strode in, but he kissed her anyway, tenderly stroking her head as he dropped into the open chair to her side.
It was all the PDA they partook in, tame kisses of greeting and goodbye. Many of their friends would trade a lot of kisses, some more passionate than others, but Eponine had always hated PDA, and Enjolras was hardly fonder of it.
When he was settled, Grantaire raised his beer – he had limited himself to one alcoholic drink a day, and was working on even cutting down from that (he had never truly been an alcoholic, though he was well on his way, but his girlfriend was able to put a stop to that) – toasting to Eponine's hard work and her graduation the following week.
At some point during the meal, Bahorel's girlfriend Anna, who was still rather new to their group, and who had been eagerly listening to Clémence discuss wedding plans with Musichetta and Cosette, caught sight of Eponine and Enjolras, who were whispering affectionately to each other.
"So when are you two getting married?" she asked them. The table grew silent, save for the snickers of Bahorel, Grantaire, Clémence, and Courfeyrac.
Eponine's cheeks had grown uncharacteristically red, juxtaposed with Enjolras' paled skin. They avoided looking at each other.
Bahorel took Anna's hand, and, still chuckling, said, "Babe, it took them more than a year to even start dating. See, Eponine here is a bit of a commitophobe, and Enjolras is too whipped to try to get her to step out of her comfort zone–."
"Excuse me," Enjolras interjected indignantly, "I'd like to point out that I was the one to instigate being in an actual relationship. Remember that time I threatened to move away if Ep didn't agree to start officially dating me?" He turned to Anna, and explained, "We had been hooking up for over a year, and we had feelings for each other, but we both had our reasons for not taking things further, but then it kind of became ridiculous that we weren't together, so I made her make up her mind and we worked it out together."
Eponine looked uncomfortable, but he took her hand and squeezed it, then planted a kiss on it.
Anna looked a little sheepish. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to pry, I just know that you've been together for a few years–."
Enjolras stopped her by holding up his hand. "Not at all, Anna. It's a question we've been asked a lot." He affectionately nudged Eponine, who finally graced him with a shy smile. "We're getting there," he told her with a wink, taking her hand again.
Anna was still clearly a bit embarrassed, and was gazing apprehensively at Eponine, who did her best to give her a warm smile. Then she glared at Bahorel. "Commitophobe?" she asked him. "Really? I committed to sex with Enjolras right off the bat. It was him who needed the convincing."
Several of their friends snorted, and some of the tension dissipated.
Eponine shared a very private look with Enjolras as conversation picked up again. His arm snaked around the back of her chair, and his thumb gently rubbed the part of her arm that it touched. She reached out, almost unconsciously, and put her hand on his thigh, squeezing affectionately as she leaned into him.
It made her smile that, despite her loathing of gratuitous PDA, they could still share intimate moments in public. It made her smile even more when he snuck a light kiss on her cheek. She teasingly smacked his leg, but nuzzled her head into his neck anyway.
This wasn't the first time that marriage had come up, of course. They had eaten dinner at his parents' house just a few weeks ago, and she had overheard one of his cousins asking about when they would be getting engaged.
Enjolras' family was small – just his parents, an aunt and uncle, two cousins (one of whom was married with a baby), and two remaining grandparents. They had welcomed her in immediately. Of course, she had known his parents for years, but when the rest of his family met her, they were so shocked that Enjolras was dating anyone at all, let alone seriously, that they had immediately insisted on calling her their cousin and referring to her as anything from "the ltg" (long-term girlfriend), to "fiancée," and even, when alcohol was involved, "wifey." It was embarrassing, but she and Enjolras had gotten used to – or at least resigned themselves to – being considered as a unit, as a "we," and a "they," and a "them." And after a long while, Eponine found she had even liked it.
But recently, they had begun to ask more and more about the prospect of she and Enjolras getting married. The women in his family had pointedly talked about wedding plans around her (his female cousin was getting married in a few months), bringing up venues and gowns and cakes and flower arrangements whenever she was within earshot, and handing her magazine after magazine that catered to brides.
They had talked about it too, once the questions went from being teasing to semi-serious. Eponine, who was quite afraid of marriage herself and had never really wanted it before he came into her life, knew about his family and his parents' marriage and his fears of turning out the same way. She did her best, especially after the idea of them getting married had become a little more cemented and acceptable in her brain, to assure him that they would not turn out the same way, should they ever decide to take that step. But she could tell sometimes that he was thinking about it, just by the look he had on his face.
Sometimes, when they would be around his parents, he adopted this certain expression. It was hard to read, and she still was not entirely sure what it meant or even if he realized he was doing it, and she was too afraid to ask. It was some combination of apprehension, hurt, and fear, though even that didn't quite describe it. And sometimes, this same look would appear on his face when they were sitting together in silence. After some time, Eponine had learned that this expression indicated that he was thinking about marriage. He was often quite irritable with her and with others, too, when he was thinking about these things.
It had all scared her at first; his family, his parents, his own fears about his future, but she had resigned herself to it all months ago. When they moved in together, she accepted where this was headed. It was something that he had taught her, learning to take things in stride – good things, things that would make her happy – and to stop fighting them. She still struggled frequently with the thought of something as permanent as marriage, but whenever she got too scared, she tried to think of Enjolras, her best friend and the man that she loved. She taught herself to be less scared of a future with him because it was him, and they had their thing, whatever it was, that kept them together and kept them happy. She had always wanted to spend her life with him as her best friend anyway, but this would come with rings and a permanent roommate and tax breaks and sex whenever she wanted it. And, as much as the thought still amazed and frightened her, it would come with something she had never thought she would experience: love. True, unconditional, and, for them, passionate love.
Of course, Eponine knew that it was silly to think of being married to Enjolras like that, but when the fear and uncertainty overwhelmed her, it helped to think of it all in such black and white terms. And now, the thought of marrying him was almost pleasant, even if it still terrified her. Neither had a good model to work off of for how to build that new kind of relationship, but she told herself that it was better that way, that they know what not to do, at least, so they can figure it out on their own.
Eponine walked across the stage when they called her name, beaming as she was handed her diploma with a series of firm handshakes. She could hear her friends hooting and hollering and shouting for her with pride, could see the sun glinting off Enjolras' golden hair.
She worried for a fraction of a second that she would fall down the stairs on her way back to her seat, but she made it, shooting a goofy grin in her fan club's direction. She was impatient for the ceremony to end – she had her diploma, she wanted to celebrate!
When the President of the university announced them graduated, Eponine tossed her cap into the air with the rest of the students, catching it easily as it came back down. She briefly hugged her friends and the people around her, before running through the crowds in search of her audience.
She saw Gavroche first, tall, lanky, and just as blonde as Enjolras. He pulled her into a bear hug, then the others surrounded her offering hugs and congratulations. Enjolras' parents and his cousins had come, as well, though he was nowhere to be found.
His mother was just pulling out of a hug when a hand tapped her on the shoulder. Eponine spun, and found herself face to face with Enjolras, who was holding a huge bouquet of bright flowers and wearing a glorious smile. He folded her into his arms, lifting her off her feet and spinning her so much her flats fell off, then he lowered her and kissed her sweetly. She accepted the flowers and his kiss with a smile, which widened when he hugged her again, murmuring, "I'm so proud of you," into her ear.
When he released her, she turned to her friends and his family, all of whom seemed to be gazing at them with odd expressions. Most were looking on with fond smiles, but there was something about the way that a few of the boys were looking at them that she couldn't pinpoint. It made her uncomfortable though. Sure, she was against PDA, but couldn't they give her a break on her damn graduation day?
Later that night, everyone was packed into her and Enjolras' apartment. They had luckily moved only a few blocks away from their old building, and as this was their friends' "neighborhood," they were within walking distance of everyone else's apartments, as well as the Musain – where the takeout, of course, was from.
There was copious alcohol, too, and Eponine found herself being coaxed into several shots by Grantaire, who was sticking to his one-drink rule, but still poured himself several shots from his bottle of beer so she didn't feel alone. She ignored Enjolras' somewhat disapproving gaze in her direction. She only graduated once!
After her third shot of tequila, Courfeyrac, who had been acting weird around her all night, as though he had some sort of big secret that he was hiding from her, intervened, pressing some food into her hands and insisting that she stop drinking so heavily.
"You want to remember your graduation party!" he insisted.
Luckily, she had eaten so much that she was no more than tipsy, and an hour later when they were cutting her giant graduation cake, she was more or less sober.
Sober, and a little irritated (though still having fun). Everyone else was getting drunker and drunker, and besides wine, everyone was keeping her away from the alcohol. She reflected for a moment that this must be what pregnancy was like – though on a daily scale – and a wave of sympathy swept over her for Cosette, who seemed perfectly happy anyway.
She was mostly irritated because Enjolras had been acting weird around her for the past several days, and even though she had desperately wanted him glued to her side all night (capping off their celebration before bed with some congratulatory sex, of course), he had seemed to almost be avoiding her.
He would pop up at her side, offering a tender kiss on the lips or an affectionate one on her cheek, but would quickly run off, insisting that he had to play "host." Why he was so intent on taking care of their goofy friends now, especially when he had never given two shits before, was beyond her.
His parents left at 10:30. They were huddled close to him, clearly deep in conversation, so Eponine kept her distance. She hated to interrupt. When Enjolras caught her staring in her direction, he actually flushed, and stepped back from his parents. She walked up, gazing at him suspiciously, but smiling at his parents, hugging them and thanking them so much for being present at her graduation and party.
At 11, Eponine was feeling a little tipsy again, and was much happier for it. Combeferre had tried to take away her beer, but she had snapped that it was her party and she could drink if she wanted to. Bahorel and Grantaire, at least, smirked at her obscure reference.
It was then that Enjolras found her. She was standing next to an open window, letting the breeze cool her warm cheeks.
His hand found her lower back, and even though she was a little annoyed with him and slightly tipsy, she leaned back into him. His voice was low, a little hoarse, as he whispered in her ear, "What do you say we get out of this madness for a while?"
Eponine turned to him, staring at him before turning her gaze on her friends, who were singing along with loud, bawdy songs on the karaoke machine Grantaire had insisted on bringing. She nodded gratefully, allowing him to slip his hand in hers as he led her out the door.
The cool night air felt heavenly against her warm face, and she happily sighed, leaning into Enjolras. He slipped his arm around her shoulders, just as she did around his hips, and they slowly made their way to the small park a few blocks from their building.
When they arrived, there was a blanket spread on the ground, a pillow and an extra blanket for warmth dumped unceremoniously on top. A bottle of champagne and two plastic glasses were lying there as well.
Eponine stared at the setup in surprise, then gently shoved Enjolras' shoulder. "You sneaky fuck!" she giggled. "No wonder you were being so damn secretive all night! I should've known you were up to something."
"Oh, you have no idea," he replied with a smirk, kissing her gently and fidgeting – fidgeting! – with his hands.
She pulled away, gazing at him in slight confusion, before going to the blanket and starting to crouch down.
"Wait!" he cried, loud enough that it actually startled her.
Eponine stood. "Ok, what's going on? Why are you weird?" she asked suspiciously, straightening and facing him with crossed arms.
Enjolras took a deep breath, but looked up at the moon instead of answering. It was full, and seemed so close tonight. She had once remarked that if she was water, as he had insisted on several occasions, then he was fire. Though mostly she just said that he was like the sun, like Apollo. Well, if he was the sun, he thought, she was the moon. They complimented one another, and did not the moon control the tides in the sea, just as the sun was a star burning with white-hot fire?
So it gave him confidence, to look at the moon, because there was so much of her in its beautiful face.
Enjolras leaned in to give her another kiss, which she eagerly accepted despite his weirdness. Due to her preoccupation – and her closed eyes – she didn't notice him reach into his pocket.
He abruptly broke the kiss, and she felt her lips form into a pout. However, when she opened her eyes to insist that he come back, her lips dropped from the pout, and she found herself staring at him, open-mouthed with shock. Her mind went blank.
Enjolras was down on one knee in front of her.
"Wha–?"
"Eponine, I –." he murmured, his voice breaking with anxiety. It was so unlike him, she reflected somewhere in the back of her mind, to be anything but confident and self-assured. He was a natural orator, so eloquent when he was speaking to giant crowds. Yet here he was, kneeling before her, voice shaking with nerves and the hands that shook as they held – oh god, he was holding a box in front of her. It was open, it took her a moment to realize, and there was a simple, yet beautiful, diamond ring inside. Her mind was moving too sluggishly to process any of this!
Enjolras cleared his throat. "Eponine," he began again, voice a little stronger now. She tore her eyes away from that black velvet box clutched in his quivering hands, and met his anxious gaze. "I love you. You're my best friend, Ep, and you've changed my life in so many more ways than you can ever understand. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, even if it sucks sometimes and even if you're depressed or I'm being a jackass, because you are the most fun, unique person I've ever known and I can't imagine a day of my life passing without you. I never imagined that love could happen to me, never wanted it, yet here you are standing in front of me, everything I never even knew I wanted until we met. So, will you marry me, Eponine?"
Eponine listened to his words in a daze, and wasn't sure if a half a moment or half a year passed before she felt her head, as if of its own accord, bobbing up and down. A smile broke across his face – relieved and beatific – as he pulled the ring out of the box (his hands were still shaking a bit) and, taking her left hand, slipped it onto her ring finger.
Enjolras kissed her hand before standing and kissing her enthusiastically. Eponine must have still in shock, because when he pulled away, his hand caressing her cheek he asked, "Are you ok?"
A bunch of vowel sounds – at least, that's what she thought it was – spilled from her mouth. She was feeling slightly panicked as the realization that she was engaged, fucking engaged, suddenly began blaring through her brain.
But when Enjolras moved his hand to her chin, gently lifting her gaze to his blue eyes, his face both tentative and concerned, the panic dissipated almost instantly. Somehow, she knew it would all be fine.
Her face broke into a hesitant smile as the feeling returned to her limbs, and she heard herself giggling uncontrollably as Enjolras, seemingly relieved at her smile, swept her into his arms, hugging her tightly and kissing her passionately.
They fell onto the blanket in a state of utter bliss, and after a while – neither was sure of how much time passed – they broke into the champagne, unable to stop smiling and laughing and kissing, lighted by the pale silver glow of the full moon.
Even though it was nearly a year, they waited until the following April to get married.
To Eponine's delight, the day was bright, warm, and sunny.
They were married outside, in one of the city's beautiful parks, beneath a large oak tree whose limbs had been decorated with ribbons and strings of colorful flowers. Unlike Cosette and Marius' wedding, or that of Courfeyrac and Clémence or Joly and Musichetta or so many of the others who had gotten married over the last few years, their wedding was small: just their friends and their wives or dates, Azelma and Montparnasse, Gavroche and his pretty redheaded girlfriend, and Enjolras' small family – his parents, cousins, aunt and uncle, and his surviving grandmother and grandfather.
Everyone sat in folding chairs outside, and bright little bouquets were placed strategically along the aisle and around their small area of the park.
Eponine was attended by Cosette, Musichetta, Clémence, and Azelma, her maid of honor. They wore dresses in varying shades of purple, and doted on the very nervous bride. Cosette did her makeup, light and natural, emphasizing the brown and gold of her eyes and her natural beauty. Clémence and Musichetta styled her hair into loose curls, pulling some of them away in a rather bohemian way from her face. Instead of a veil, they tucked a headband in between the pieces they had pulled back from her face; it was delicate, reminiscent of a flower crown, and was made of small, fake daisies.
Her dress was simple – long, chiffon, and flowing. It was empire-waisted, breezy, and strapless. The only jewelry Eponine wore was the anchor necklace her groom-to-be had given her for Christmas a few years before.
Then it was time.
Musichetta brought Eponine a shot of tequila – for nerves and for luck – and she and Clémence grasped her hands as they walked toward the wedding. Cosette walked in front, carrying Eponine's and her own colorful bouquets, and Azelma spread out the dress behind her older sister.
Cosette went first, walking down to gentle music played by a few guitarists who were friends of Grantaire's. Musichetta, then Clémence followed. Azelma escorted her sister along, stopping just before they came around the bend to the small ceremony.
She turned to the bride, smoothing her sister's dark hair back tenderly. "You nervous, sis?"
Eponine just stared at her with wide, somewhat terrified eyes. Azelma just giggled and kissed her sister's cheek. "You're going to be fine. It's not as scary as it seems."
"It seems pretty scary," Eponine breathed out.
"Do you want me to go with you?" she asked.
Eponine just nodded, her mind going blank with panic. Was this a mistake? A lot of marriages ended badly, and what she had with Enjolras was so much more than she ever thought she would get out of life. Was marrying him risking their relationship? They were in love, of course, as much as she still hated to say it aloud, but he was first and foremost her best friend. Getting married was a mistake, and it would ruin them.
Her sister, unaware of Eponine's increasingly colder feet, smiled supportively at her.
Clémence was just reaching the end of the aisle when Azelma took Eponine's arm, looping it through hers. She must have noticed that Eponine's hands were shaking, so she laced their fingers together. Eponine's palms were clammy with nerves, and when Azelma took her hand, she found herself squeezing it tightly.
Her heart was pounding in her chest, but she felt her legs moving beneath her as they walked towards the crowd. Enjolras was standing facing the officiator, but Combeferre, his best man, Courfeyrac, Grantaire, and Gavroche, his groomsmen, grinned when they saw her.
The guests stood as she and Azelma approached the aisle, and she realized that she was gripping both her sister's hand and the bouquet for dear life.
She kept her eyes on what she could see of Enjolras as they approached, her heart pounding in her chest and her ears. She could hardly hear the music.
She saw Combeferre lean towards Enjolras and whisper something with a smile as they approached the aisle, and he turned.
The look he gave her almost made her heart stop. His eyes were shining with nervousness and excitement, and he was looking at her with wonder.
As soon as her eyes found his, Eponine felt her nerves almost completely dissipate. She felt a shaky smile form on her face, one that was mirrored on his, and she knew that everything would be all right. It only took seeing that beautiful, chiseled face of his, so full of anticipation and excitement and love and even a little trepidation, to know that she was doing the right thing.
Suddenly, Eponine was excited.
She couldn't take her eyes off him as she and Azelma slowly approached – a little too slowly for her taste, actually, as she suddenly felt like running to him and leaping into his arms. He looked very dapper – they all did, dressed casually in khaki pants and different colored shirts that were rolled partway up their forearms or to their elbows, light waistcoats and dark bowties around their necks. Enjolras, of course, looked the best, with his dark red tie pulled loose and the top few buttons of his shirt undone (she had argued with him to button it the whole way up, but he had argued adamantly that he didn't like tight things up in his neck business). She found she liked seeing the hollow at his neck, though, rather than having it covered with a stupid shirt.
After what seemed like forever, Azelma delivered her to the handsome young man, who replaced Azelma's hand with his own cool one. Azelma took Eponine's bouquet and kissed her on the cheek, then retreated to where the other bridesmaids were standing.
Eponine remembered very little of the ceremony itself; it was all a blur as the officiator talked. Then she and Enjolras were repeating their vows to one another, and slipping on simple rings with shaking fingers. And suddenly she heard the officiator say, "Enjolras, you may kiss your bride."
Her heart skipped as Enjolras turned to her with a goofy smile, placing a hand on her cheek and planting a loving kiss on her waiting lips. She felt her heart beating in her ears and her breathing become shallow as he gathered her in his arms, hugging her tightly.
When they broke apart, Eponine became aware of her and Enjolras' family and friends cheering loudly, and they were suddenly walking down the aisle, tightly gripping one another's hands, "All You Need Is Love" being played on the guitars as they receded.
They went to the limo they had rented, flying inside and collapsing in each other's arms, laughing and kissing.
Eponine was unsure how long they were there before the Gavroche came and fetched them to take pictures, and a short while later they crowded into the limo together, going to take some photos around the city.
A few hours later saw the bridal party arriving at the restaurant they had rented for the reception. It was on the top floor of an old building in the city. The inside was exposed brick, with a few long tables set up with a buffet and their small cake, and five round tables, each with three small and colorful bouquets set in mason jars, for the guests.
The bar (Eponine had insisted on having an open bar) was copper, and the band was set up next to it. There was a terrace that was covered by an arbor, lovely-smelling wisteria clinging to the wood, woven in with lights and paper lanterns and jars with little candles in them. The doors to the terrace were open – it was serving as the dance floor later on in the night, and the band was set up in one of the wide doorways so their music could be heard both inside and out.
As Eponine and Enjolras walked inside, everyone stood and began cheering. They were both starving by that point – having been mostly unable to stomach any food the whole day – so dinner happened first.
Afterwards, they shared their first dance together to the band's cover of "Crystal" by Stevie Nicks. Eponine couldn't help but remark to Enjolras as they danced about how much the band's female singer actually sounded like Stevie, even though the song had been changed from it's original key.
Then suddenly, it was over and they were playing "As Time Goes By" while she danced with Gavroche and Enjolras with his mother, then she was dancing with Enjolras' dad – her dad, now – and Enjolras danced with Azelma.
Then everyone was out on the dance floor as the music became more upbeat, and the party really picked up, especially once her crazy friends joined her.
Before they got too mussed up, the photographer talked Eponine into a few really funny pictures at the beautiful copper bar – the first had her standing and her bridesmaids sitting on either side, and they took a picture that made it look like the girls were knocking back the beers and chugging their contents. Then, Enjolras lifted her to the bar, and she was given a shot glass and a half-full bottle of Jack as the boys all collapsed in the chairs, on the bar, and even on the floor around them, looking as though she had out-drank them all. It was absolutely hilarious, and just so reminiscent of her and Enjolras and her friends.
Then they were smushing cake in each other's faces, and dancing some more – they were, of course, the center of attention, but they were also the life of the party, dancing harder and having more fun than anyone.
And then it was suddenly over, she and Enjolras were in the limo and then in front of their apartment building, on each other before they even made it into the elevator.
They did not sleep much that night, despite the fact that they would be spending the following night on an uncomfortable plane as they flew to Paris (Enjolras' parents had paid for a month and a half-long trip around Europe for their honeymoon as a wedding gift).
No, they were much too wrapped up in each another. Eponine, in spite of herself, could never remember being so blissfully happy as she and Enjolras clung together throughout the night, kissing urgently, too full of energy and happiness to even think about sleeping.
She was certain she didn't deserve it, didn't deserve him, but he had found her and picked her and changed everything about her. He had taught her how to be happy and how to move on from her unfortunate past and, most importantly, how to love. Eponine owed him everything, and even though she was sure she would never feel like she actually deserved him – that she was either just really lucky, or he was just really stupid – she knew he was the best thing that would ever happen to her.
"Auntie Ep!" a tiny voice called.
Eponine strode out of the small office that she had turned into a library and office, and caught a little strawberry-blonde child in her arms.
"Hi, Fantine!" she exclaimed, kissing the 7-year-old on the cheek.
Cosette strode in behind her eldest daughter, and Eponine could hear Marius struggling in the doorway with the others – two boys, Jean and Samuel, who were 5 and 3, and little Ange, who was just about 19 months.
She and her friends were all around 35 (a few were older, a few younger) now, and Cosette and Marius had four children – and Cosette was pregnant with her fifth, and, she insisted, her last.
Eponine didn't know how she did it. Three was enough for her and Enjolras – often too much.
They were together for three years before Eponine finally got pregnant. They wanted to wait so that they could enjoy their life together, and although it was a little bit of surprise when she found herself missing a period and hunching over the toilet bowl in the mornings, she had begun to want it to happen soon, and so had Enjolras.
Gabriel, named after Enjolras' father, was born that November, and neither Eponine nor Enjolras could ever remember feeling so in awe or so terrified. They were afraid of breaking the small child, of failing him, though their friends – most of whom had children, by now – insisted they would be fine (and hey, at least they had a lot of support and a lot of babysitters).
Gabe had just turned four, and he was a precocious, argumentative, and smart child. She shouldn't have expected anything less to come from her and Enjolras, but sometimes it still surprised and frustrated her how much like the two of them – especially stubborn Enjolras – he could be. He had Eponine's dark hair and olivey complexion, but his father's bright blue eyes and curls.
Then, two years ago, Eponine found herself pregnant again. This time, and sometimes she still wanted to kill Enjolras for this, she was pregnant with twins.
Sebastian was born first, then Marie, late in September. These two were even blonder than Enjolras, and even now as toddlers had unruly curls sprouting every which way, eyes that were impossibly blue, and pale complexions.
They were just as stubborn and loud as their older brother, and, as they were now learning more and more words, seemed to have picked up on the argumentative side as well.
Enjolras strolled in from the kitchen, with Marie hanging from his neck, Bass from his arm, and Gabe wrapped around his leg. Eponine couldn't help but crack up at the sight of him and whipped out her phone to take a picture rather than trying to help her poor husband.
He flashed her that smile of his, the one that still made her heart speed up and her stomach flutter, and planted a tender kiss on her lips as she took Sebastian, a mama's boy through and through, from his father.
It still surprised her sometimes how good Enjolras was at being a dad. For someone who had been so uninterested in any of the things he had come to have over the last several years, he was amazing at it. The perfect playmate, but still firm when it was necessary, and so, so loving.
He was nothing like his father. Of that, she was sure.
In fact, their marriage was nothing like what he had always illustrated his parents' to be. They fought, of course, but even when they were so angry that they couldn't be in the same room, she found that she still had fun. That said, they really didn't fight very much.
They also still loved to have sex. On three separate occasions now, a kid had walked in when they were in one another's thralls; Enjolras always got so flustered and panicked and embarrassed – he could be so overprotective sometimes – and Eponine found his discomfort entirely too funny to deal with her kids herself on these occasions, watching as Enjolras found his boxers and walked around, wincing from not being able to fully act on his desire, as he took the interrupting child back to bed.
She hoped that didn't make her a bad mother, but the way he would always come back and admonish her about being more careful next time and how none of it was funny only made her laugh more, and he would get back into bed in a huff and pretend to be angry until she rolled back over to him and, still laughing, did her best to make him feel better.
As annoying as her kids could be – mostly because they seemed to have gotten a very exaggerated combination of hers and Enjolras' most frustrating traits – she loved them dearly. They amazed her each day, and taught her so much about the world, about Enjolras, and about herself.
It wasn't always easy, but she couldn't imagine anything else. She loved coming home from the museum each day to relieve the babysitter, loved when Mr. Junior-Law-Partner-Enjolras walked in, loved when he kissed her passionately, even if it was in front of the kids.
She wanted them to know that their parents loved each other very much, and loved them even more.
Just then, Sebastian squirmed out of her arms, following Gabe as he ran to Aunt Cosette and Uncle Marius and their brood. Marie followed as quickly as her chubby little legs would allow and grabbed Cosette's hand. The pregnant woman, who was absently rubbing her swelled belly, let the toddler lead her into the apartment's foyer, where Eponine could hear Clémence and Courfeyrac arriving, and what sounded like Bahorel or Feuilly, and the chatter of several others – adult and children alike. They were celebrating Gabe's fourth birthday, which had been the past Wednesday.
Eponine moved to follow her kids into the foyer to greet her friends, but Enjolras caught her hand. She spun back towards him slowly, into his waiting arms. He was smiling at her through hooded eyes – the smile that he gave her when it was just the two of them, the one that cheered her when she was depressed, calmed her when she was upset, and reminded her just how much he loved her when she was having doubts.
He put up with a lot from her, even after all these years, but he never seemed to get any more tired of trying to help her than he had when they had first started sleeping together, first started falling for each other.
Eponine's insides warmed, and she kissed him, smiling against his lips, eagerly opening her mouth to him, pressing her body tightly against his.
A throat cleared behind them, and Enjolras reluctantly pulled away, grinning at her before looking over her shoulder.
His smile widened, and Eponine turned to see Grantaire.
"Will you two stop making out? There are impressionable children around, and it's just fucking gross."
"Impressionable children, and you drop the f-bomb?" Eponine challenged with a laugh.
Grantaire shrugged and walked back towards the crowd that was spilling into their living room.
Eponine turned back to Enjolras, and she was sure her expression mirrored his own. He bent to kiss her lightly one more time, and Eponine was certain that she had never been so happy.
A crashing sound in the foyer, followed by the cries of someone's child – she wasn't sure if it was one of hers and Enj's or if it was one of her friends' – broke them apart. Enjolras grinned at her, and Ep sighed, rolling her eyes.
"Fuckin' children," she muttered, flashing that trademark smirk at him.
Enjolras laughed, slipping his hand into hers as they went to go see about all the commotion.
Fin.
=D
I hope that was happy and fluffy enough for you... I tried to give them as unangsty and happy an ending as I realistically could.
Ps - here is Eponine's dress, if anyone wants to see the inspiration!
jcrew wedding/Wedding_Bride/gowns/PRDOVR~
See you all one last time for the deleted scene!