Authors' Note: I'm very sorry about the lack of updates recently! I've been busy with school but don't worry I didn't forget about it! Thank you for your patience so I'll reward you with a nice long chapter. :)

Before the Barricades Arise

Chapter 14

I wake up to the sound of rain still hitting the roof of the café.

Marius' arm is still around me and I am nestled up against him.

I just smile. He looks so peaceful when he's sleeping.

I roll over and kiss him on the forehead

He blinks awake and sees me.

"Good morning, beautiful." He says and kisses me on the mouth.

"Good morning to you, too." I say, kissing him back.

"That was good last night." He whispers in my ear.

"Yes it was." I agree, smiling at him.

We lay there in silence for a few minutes, gazing deep into each other's eyes.

"So, what are we going to do now? Keep fighting, leave the barricade, stay here?" I ask him.

"I don't know 'Ponine. I want to keep fighting but I can't risk losing you. By staying here we are in a lot of danger." Marius says to me. "I need some time to think about it. But for now, let's go downstairs and see what there is for food. I'm starving."

I let out a laugh "Of course, take all the time you need."

"We might not have that much time left…" He says trailing off.

"Shh, don't think like that." I tell him and give him a kiss.

"As long as you're mine, I'll make every last moment last." He says.

I smile at him.

"You're hungry? Let's get moving then."

I slip out of bed and remember that I am still only in my undergarments. I pick up my clothes off the floor and begin pulling my pants on.

I can't help but glace across the room at Marius, who is also still only in his underwear.

Damn, he is hot. It's kind of hard to see his full body in the dark tangled up in sheets.

He notices me staring and just laughs.

I try to pull my shirt on but my shoulder is very stiff this morning and it hurts a lot.

"Marius, can you help me with my shirt?"

"Your shoulder hurts?"

"Yeah."

"We'll get you some more pain medication and we should probably get Joly to change you're bandages."

"Okay."

I have one arm in one sleeve of the shirt and Marius grabs the other sleeve and helps me get it on over my shoulder.

"Thank you, monsieur." I say, as I button up the shirt.

Marius tidies up the room and makes the bed so that no one will ever know what went on in here last night.

He takes me by the hand and leads me out of the room and downstairs.

"Hey Marius, Eponine." Grantaire greets us. "Sleep well? Sleep at all?" he says winking at us.

"Oh, shut up." Marius says.

"C'mon, nothing happened last night?" Grantaire asks skeptically.

"I said shut up." Marius says, turning a deep shade of red.

"Oooh, you dirty love birds." Grantaire says.

"Leave it, Grantaire." I tell him.

"Good way to make the most out of your days…or nights." Grantaire remarked.

"What is there for food?" Marius interjected, hoping to change the subject.

"There's some oatmeal." Grantaire sighed.

"'Ponine, you go see Joly about your shoulder, I'll get us food." Marius tells me.

"Okay."

I walk over to Joly's medical station.

"Hey Joly, my shoulder hurts. I definitely need some painkillers and Marius said my bandages might need changing."

"Sure thing, Eponine." Joly says, gesturing for me to come over to a tabletop.

Joly hands me the painkillers and a glass of water. I swallow the medication and Joly begins to peel the bandages off my shoulder.

"So how was you're night?" he asks me.

"Fine." I reply.

"Just fine? Nothing exciting happened?"

"Not much exciting happens around here." I answer.

"What, Marius isn't exciting enough for you?" he says with a smirk on his face.

"Oh lord, not you too!" I groan.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't pry. It's not really my business." Joly says.

"You're right. It's not." I snap.

"I can't help but be curious though. Marius has been my friend for years and he's never really shown an interest in a girl like he shows an interest in you."

"Except for Cosette." I mutter under my breath.

"Well yes, I suppose so. But he must really like you if he went the distance" Joly says. He rubs cream on my shoulder and wraps it back up in clean bandages.

"Joly, just stop."

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry."

I just glare at him.

"Well, you're shoulder's been fixed and cleaned. It should be fine for another few days. I have more pain medicine if you need it."

"Thanks, Joly." I tell him.

"Not a problem."

I hop down off the table and go back to the table where Marius is waiting for me with food.

I sit down and start shoving the oatmeal down my throat. I didn't realize I was so hungry.

"Does everyone around here know about us and what we did last night?" I ask Marius.

"It's not a very big place 'Ponine. Things get around." He replies.

"Ugghh" I groan and put my head on my arms on the table.

"Well, it's not really a secret that we're together now." Marius says.

"And I don't want it to be. On the other hand, I really don't need everyone knowing about our private life." I say to him.

"I know, I know. It's just hard."

"I understand that but why did Grantaire and Joly seem to know?"

"Grantaire's had a dirty mind since he hit puberty and he probably told Joly."

"Of course." I knew that Grantaire's mind was a dirty place. I remembered that he hit on every girl in class in school.

"You mean, you've never thought about sex and stuff like that?"

"Not really until I met you." Marius confessed.

"What?" I say, confused.

"You're the first girl I've really been in love with."

"What about Cosette?"

"I barely knew her. I just knew she was gorgeous."

"Yes, but… I just… gah, I can't explain it." Marius says. "I just never felt the same way about her as I do about you now. I can see myself with you in the future. I couldn't see myself with Cosette."

I sit there in stunned silence for a minute.

"Why didn't you say so sooner? I've liked you for years now." I confessed.

"I know. But I don't know why I didn't tell you sooner."

"It doesn't matter when you told me, it just matters that you did." I whisper, grabbing his hand across the table.

So what'd you guys think?

PS-It may be another little while before I update again due to dance recital rehearsals over the next few weeks but I will do my best okay?