Chapter 11 -

"Eponine, what the hell are you doing?"
Eponine jumped right out of her skin upon hearing the voice, skittering back into the shadows of the cellar. She looked up warily at the open hatch, just making out in the moonlight Courfeyrac's curls framing his face.

"What are you doing here?" She hissed back, after having recovered from the initial shock.

"I followed you, obviously. Now get out here and talk to me." Courfeyrac barked the order, impatiently flinging open the hatch fully so it lay across the grass. Eponine flinched at the crack of the hinge, fearing it to be broken, then moved slowly to climb the ladder up to a seemingly very angry man. She had never seen Courfeyrac so much as glare at someone before, the thought of him enraged was a terrifying thought indeed. Emerging from the hole presented her with two very broken hinges and one seething Courfeyrac holding the gate open into the alley. Eponine wrapped her arms around her stomach and hurried past him, not daring to look him in the eyes. He yanked the door shut behind them, Took a deep breath, then turned to the girl shrunk back against a wall.

"Explain yourself." He ordered in a restrained undertone.

"I- I didn't want to go home after Enjolras treated me like he did. You wouldn't understand."

"Oh please, I know what happened." Eponine gaped at him.
"I went to get my jacket, which I would really like returned, and Enjolras was in a state so we talked. His behaviour, however, does not excuse yours."

"I was returning it." Eponine mumbled, tugging the garment off her shoulders to return it but Courfeyrac stopped her, pulling it back over her exposed skin.

"Don't be ridiculous, you'll freeze." He muttered before continuing his scolding.
"How could you do this to us? What if you were taken again? Do you have any idea how scared I was that I might've lost you forever. All the others too, Jesus, even Musichetta was cut up about it and she's only met you once." He let out a sigh and when he resumed, his voice was much softer than before.
"You forget how you're not alone anymore, Eponine. You have so many people who care about you, you can't just go disappearing like you used to." He reached out to cup her face in his hands and tilted it up so that she was looking him in the eyes.
"If you won't go home to Enjolras then you also have a home with me. Okay?"

"Okay." Eponine submitted, too exhausted from the confrontation to protest. It felt rather cyclical, having Courfeyrac take her from the streets just like Enjolras had before. However, she could not help but think how she wished it were Enjolras's hand in hers now instead of Courfeyrac's.

When the heavens opened and rain began to pour down upon them it alleviated the mood considerably. Eponine squealed as Courfeyrac laughed in delight, beaming back at her as droplets splashed onto his face. Eponine grinned in return and they both began to run. The pair sprinted across the shining cobblestones all the way home to Courfeyrac's. They let out peals of laughter as they pushed through the door into the dry and yanked off their jackets.

"You can have this back now." Eponine joked, handing a sodden coat back to her friend who chuckled and threw it over the back of a chair.

"Drink?" He offered, retrieving glasses from the cupboard. Eponine nodded and Courfeyrac splashed an amber rum into the tumblers and handed one to her.

"I didn't think of you as someone to like rum." Eponine noted as she took a swig.

"I didn't think of you as someone to handle it as you just did." Courfeyrac laughed, impressed that she had not spluttered at the taste as most girls did. Eponine grinned smugly in return and took another gulp. Seeing this as a challenge, Courfeyrac tipped his down his throat and splashed out another round.

Not long after, they were both falling about, laughing and dancing to the rhythmic drumming of rain on the window pane. It was a joyous sight to witness, Eponine felt careless and free for once, even if it was the alcohol coursing through her blood that was causing the feeling. She came crashing down to reality again though when it happened. Courfeyrac clasped her hand and twirled her round into his arms. She smiled up at her friend as before she could register what was happening, he had leant down and pressed his lips to hers.

A few moments passed, Eponine could taste the alcohol on his breath. Then he attempted to deepen the kiss. She snapped out of her haze and squealed, shoving against his muscular chest, pushing away until she managed to wriggle from his grasp and slammed her spine into the wall behind her. She stood there gasping as Courfeyrac swore under his breath.

"Shit. Shit, Eponine I'm so sorry."

"No, I'm sorry, I can't go there with you, you're my friend, Courf." Eponine stammered, crashing down from her rum-fuelled high as the image of his fierce blue eyes pierced her soul. She wished now that she had just gone home earlier that night. She felt almost as if she had betrayed him now, though he had betrayed him now, though he had been the one sending her mixed signals.

"No, of course, I know. Maybe we better call it a night." He replied, running his hands through his dark hair whilst shaking his head. Eponine nodded in agreement, fidgeting with skirt as the tension hung thick in the air.
"I must've just drunk too much, let's just forget about all this, yeah?" He offered and Eponine nodded eagerly as the tension began to dissipate.
"Friends?" Courfeyrac grinned, holding out his hand to her.

"You can't get rid of me that easy." She shot back, grinning widely now as she grasped his hand for a firm handshake.

"Wouldn't dream of it." He laughed and tossed a deep blue blanket to her.
"Goodnight, 'Ponine."

"Goodnight." Eponine called half-heartedly, a deep sinking feeling overcame her then, as if her heart had turned to lead.

It didn't feel right. She missed the crimson comfort of her plush flag and the way his voice would linger on her name as he softly wished her goodnight. No. She would not feel that way, she would only be grateful for Courfeyrac's kindness tonight.

The next morning, Courfeyrac woke before Eponine and left her to sleep in the safety of his home as he ventured out to the Musain. It was not yet eight in the morning but Enjolras was already there.

"It's happening again. She's gone. What if they've taken her, what time did she leave last night? Christ, I should have never let her out of my sight." He exclaimed at the sight of his friend, gushing, stumbling over his words for once.

"Relax, friend, she's safe. She stayed at mine last night." Courfeyrac interrupted before he could panic himself further. The relief that flooded into his face was pharaonic. Then a concern crept back into his eyes.

"Why would she stay at yours?" He asked suspiciously.
"What happened?"

Courfeyrac shuffled his feet nervously and cleared his throat before attempting to answer I'm a delicate manner.

"Well I found her wandering the streets by that cellar you told me about and so I offered her to stay at mine for the night. We went home, had a drink and we, um well..." He trailed off.

"Well?" Enjolras prompted impatiently.

"We kissed. But she stopped it right away and nothing happened, I swear."

Enjolras took a moment to let this sink in. Why should this be a concern to him? Yes, he and Eponine had shared some heated moments but it was not as if she belonged to him. It was not as if he loved her. So why did the thought of her kissing Courfeyrac make his chest tighten and his stomach turn? He dismissed the feeling.

"Why should it matter to me whether something else happened or not?" He said finally, his voice monotonous. Courfeyrac frowned.

"But, you and her?" His confusion obvious.

"I have no time for romantic relations. There is a revolution to plan." He said, looking down at his papers on the table beside him and pretending to sort through them.

"Of course. Never mind then." Courfeyrac sighed. Perhaps the man had not changed at all and was still very much the marble man.
Then, out the corner of his eye he glimpsed Enjolras gently run his thumb over a note scribbled onto one of his documents. Scribbled in a scrawl that was not his own, but a girl's. Courfeyrac smirked.

Then again, perhaps the marble was melting.

A . N -

Nope. No excuses. I have been terrible with this update and for that I am truly sorry.
Thank you for being so patient and for all your favourites and reviews. They do motivate me but this month has been crazy with exams and stuff so I'll try harder now!

Keep the reviews coming, I love to read them!

Jess x