Eponine flipped herself once again, careful not to stir Gavroche's sleeping form. She was finding it increasingly difficult to fall asleep, as her thoughts screamed louder as the silence of night stretched. After running away from the café earlier, she had rushed home and changed into the clothes she wore as a gamine and quickly exited the tenement without anyone knowing.
She headed for the slums; cautious of the time she had before her brother was due home and Montparnasse's warning about Guillaume. She pulled her cap low on her head concealed her eyes and dirtied her face as she went around.
She took everything in: the smell of vomit and piss, the sight of children almost naked in the streets whose bones stuck out disturbingly, she could hear drunken men and the beggars' calls, she could feel the dirt clinging to her skin and she could almost taste the acid creeping up her mouth threatening to make her sick.
Now on her bed, she recalled the things she saw and the things she felt; she recalled how not so long ago she was there, living among them and Azelma was still alive. Try as she might, but it was difficult for her to not think about Azelma when she thought of her life in the slums or the other way around. She took her leave earlier firstly because she feared revealing herself to Courfeyrac. Her familiarity with the life they wished to change would raise suspicions, and she was starting to get emotional over it then.
As she was walking earlier, she also thought about the bloodshed. She thought about Grantaire, his blood mingling with the wine from the shattered bottle. She pictured Combeferre's body limp and cold while Elodie sobs and cries for him to wake up. She thought about the men in the café, how young they will die. And then her thoughts drifted to Enjolras, he would die as the symbol of revolution yet the people will not remember him. And despite herself, she thought about Gavroche, the young boy would surely be there amongst his brothers unless she locks him up for his own safety. She couldn't bear to think about her brother staring lifelessly up to the heavens, blood spilling out of his little body.
The thoughts were replaying in her head on a loop that made her act as if she was moving in a trance. When Gavroche arrived earlier, he took notice of it and worried but thought better to bother her, instead giving his sister a warm embrace before getting ready for bed and willingly went to sleep.
After hours of tossing and turning, Eponine realized she wont be getting any sleep, and once again taking advantage of the fact that Gavroche was deep in slumber, she slipped out of her nightgown and into her simplest clothes and grabbed her coat from the chair near the door where her dagger was too. She put both on before venturing outside.
Enjolras has been walking aimlessly along the river for about an hour now. He concentrated on the beating of his heart and his breathing, and was satisfied when his mind began to come to peace.
On the other side of the river, a little figure walked with light steps, her hands buried deep in her pockets. Unlike our young gentleman, her mind was nowhere near being at peace. The usual musing and daydreaming that happened in her solitary midnight walks was replaced by the same thoughts mentioned earlier, only now with less intensity.
She scanned the area and noticed a man on the opposite side. He seemed ruffled, yet his movement reflected calmness. She would've mistaken him for some stranger, but the unmistakably red fabric of this coat shown even with the little light the Seine had provided and the tricolor badge shown proudly on his chest. She halted and watched as he crossed the bridge and stopped to lean against the railing somewhere in the middle. When he didn't move for minutes, Eponine decided to go to him.
Enjolras didn't hear her coming. He didn't even see her when she situated herself merely a meter away from him on the bridge. It only dawned on him that he was no longer alone when he heard an all-too-familiar voice to his left.
"After what you've been through, I didn't expect to see you alone so late at night, monsieur." When he took a moment to look at her, he saw her staring at the Notre Dame, just as he did before she arrived.
Her voice caused the thoughts he worked hard to silence to come back with a vengeance. He tensed, yet unlike before, he caught himself before giving in to the mess of questions in his head. He breathed in deeply and replied, "Is this a habit of yours? Walking the streets of Paris at night, mademoiselle?"
She strained to hear the hint of accusation in his words, but found none. "One that is quite hard to break… I actually enjoy searching for men in distress, I quite like playing the hero." She ventured to joke, her tone playful, and was rewarded when she saw the corner of his mouth turn up to smile.
"I couldn't sleep."
She raised a brow, mildly amused. "Me neither. What's keeping you?"
"I was wondering if there's another damsel in distress to save tonight." He said. Unlike Eponine his tone was serious but his features was struggling and failing to match his voice, to this she laughed.
"This is rather strange, don't you think, you and I?" She said breaking the comfortable silence that fell around them. "Night seems to conspire for us to meet."
"Perhaps we're drawn to it because it offers a sense of tranquility that we both yearn."
"Perhaps." The silence fell once again as they both stared at the majestic cathedral. Unconscious of how silent their thoughts have been, now that their bodies seemed awake with the warmth radiating from the other.
After a few minutes of just standing still beside each other, Enjolras spoke, his voice soft. "I heard everything you said earlier."
"Just my luck." She thought to herself. She then replied, "We're going to argue about it aren't we?" She turned to look at Enjolras, "You're going to tell me that I was wrong, and that I shouldn't have planted a seed of doubt in Courfeyrac. And then I'm going to want to prove my point, and in doing so I'm going to be terribly upset. And the peace that this night has offered us will be for nothing. Must we really speak about this?"
He too turned to look at her she looked tired. "What are we missing?"
"I…" Eponine was wide eyed. She didn't expect this. "You're not telling me I am wrong?"
"Mademoiselle, I believe you merely voiced our fears as much as I detest to admit it."
"What are you missing…" She drifted, taking a moment to compose her thoughts. "Well firstly, you don't know the people and the people don't know you. Yes, they've seen you on top of crates and podiums, but to them, you are merely a young student with fancy ideas that captivate them for a while before they have to face their lives again. You give them pamphlets when most of them can't read, and would do better with the sou you used to pay for it. You speak to them with beautiful but complicated words – words that will not stick with them for too long…"
Enjolras listened to this young woman intently as she explained her thoughts. He didn't dare interrupt or question her ideas, and he admitted he found it odd that he didn't. She was giving him another perspective, one that his friends even failed to cover.
"…you speak of ammunition, that's good. But you need to remember that you don't have people to use them yet. Concentrate on getting them to fight for this first. I'd hate to think what would happen if you and your friends continue to move in haste." She spoke the last line slowly and almost to a whisper, her eyes showing concern.
He was contemplating on resting a hand on her arm to give her some comfort when she spoke again, "they are dreamers, monsieur, dreamers who've been given too many nightmares that they've forgotten how to dream. Tell them what they want to hear, besides, isn't it the same as what this revolution will bring if it succeeds? Stir not only their hatred for the crown, but also their dreams for their families… you'll find that it'll be a better flame to feed."
Their eyes met and they held it like that for a while. Enjolras was silent, his features telling her he understood. His eyes were intense and she could see the passion this man had for change burning in his blue orbs. She blinked, suddenly apprehensive, as the bells of the cathedral signaled the hour after midnight.
"I probably should be going. I hope you'll get to sleep well, monsieur. Bon nuit." She motioned to go and turned, but before she could take a step further, Enjolras had reached for her arm and kept her in place. She turned to look at the young man, confused.
"I... I would like for you to come to our meetings mademoiselle, you have sound ideas that I think would be valuable to us."
She nodded, unable to speak and overly aware of the warm hand on her arm and the way the hairs on the back of her neck stood up, giving her chills.
"Would you like me to walk you home?" The question startled Eponine, it went against Enjolras' whole being. Not that he was not a gentleman but because he could not understand the nature of his proposition or the unmistakable urge to stay in her presence for a little longer. But asking anyway, felt right to him.
She scoffed good-humoredly, "Perhaps you've forgotten how capable I am in defending myself, monsieur. I think it should be me asking you if you want me to walk you home."
Enjolras let go of Eponine to cross his arms on his chest, and she almost wished she didn't make that jest. She feared that she might have set him on one of his moods again, but when she registered the look on his face, she found him with a perfect brow raised and a lopsided smile to match. He looked like he was ready to take on a challenge.
"Really, don't worry about me, I can manage on my own." With that said, Eponine once again turned and left. Enjolras stood there looking on as her figure disappeared. He let out a small laugh, thinking to himself "What an unusual woman that one is."
Ok, I know I said it was going to take me long to update, but I had this chapter in hand already so I figured: WHY NOT?
I know my Enjolras is not as cold and guarded as others would write him, but then again, almost all of my major characters are out of the usual too. I'm just worried that you may not like this Enjolras as much.. What do you think?
Sending my love. How bout sending some back? review please.
*the law of demand and supply applies here. so the more reviews/follows/favorites the sooner the updates. not that i'm forcing anyone, it just really does help with the writing process... motivation, if you will. :)