"We're just going to meet Marius, that's all!" Cosette urged Eponine further by pressing her hand into the girl's elbow. Eponine, irritated, pulled away sharply and continued walking at her own, slow-as-molasses pace.

The thing was, Eponine did not want to "just go meet Marius." Truthfully, she wanted to go back to where she'd spent the majority of her time for the past couple days: sitting under the large oak in the park, wallowing over how humiliating her life had become. Although, even more truthfully, she knew she could not keep up with this habit, that she eventually had to stop indulging in her self-pity and contribute to society (or, more accurately, her parents' inn, as every night when she returned to the relative safety of her room, her parents goaded her with all the tasks she should be doing but wasn't).

"Cosette…" Eponine slowed even more. She did not want to say it. She shouldn't have to say it. Shouldn't it be obvious? Eponine guessed not, and so tired she was of having so many thoughts that were left bundled up in her head, unshared, that she caved in and for once spoke of her worries. "What if he's there?"

Cosette, who had been walking swiftly in hope that Eponine would finally hurry to catch up with her, slowed to a halt. She turned slowly. "And if he is?" That question hung grotesquely and mockingly in the air, like a sticky humidity that clung to your skin, begging for acknowledgment. For an admission of some long-kept secret.

Eponine sighed drastically, not giving Cosette the satisfaction of a real answer. "Just…after the dinner, it will be quite…different."

Cosette rolled her eyes, tired of playing this game. "You are such a child. Do you want to see him or not?"

Eponine bit a hanging piece off her fingernail and flicked it into the dirt. She shrugged.

To her surprise, Cosette began laughing. Eponine's stomach flamed up angrily.

"I'm sorry, Eponine. You're just…come on. He may not even be there. You're acting like a schoolgirl. It's actually a little amusing. I apologize, I shouldn't laugh at you." She patted Eponine's back gently. Eponine, insulted and not about to take Cosette's offense lying down, started forward determinedly.

"Come on, Cosette. Don't want to be late to see Marius." She marched forward fearlessly, Cosette scurrying to catch up.

By the time they reached the familiar café, Eponine's mask of boldness was beginning to wear down. What if he was there? She would have to say something to him. She would have to at least acknowledge his presence. Why was she so scared? She'd never been this scared of anyone before, and she lived with Monsieur Thenardier.

When she reached the door, she waited for Cosette to catch up to her. Once she did, there was a slight pause. Eponine looked to Cosette, who smiled slightly raised her eyebrows in challenge. Eponine took in a deep breath and pressed her palm to the doorknob.

"Afternoon, ladies!" The jovial and intelligent voice of Combeferre rang out behind them, scaring Eponine out of her wits. She jumped noticeably and as she turned quickly she fell back against the door.

She had prepared herself for the moment when she opened the door and saw him for the first time since the dinner. What she could never have prepared for was this: turning and meeting his eyes immediately, his eyes which had already been fixed on her before she had even turned around. They were glittering, and the remnants of a good laugh were still visible on his face. When their eyes met, his seemed to relax, while she felt hers widen in terror.

"Bonjour, Combeferre, Enjolras." Cosette smiled widely at the men who made their way to the door.

Combeferre took in the sight of Eponine. He smiled warmly. "I did not mean to frighten you, mademoiselle. My apologies." He bowed his head towards her.

Eponine pulled herself out of the shock and smiled back shakily. "That's quite alright, Combeferre. I wasn't expecting you. It startled me." She let out a nervous giggle, glancing back at Enjolras, who seemed to be amused by her fear.

"Something funny?" She raised her eyebrows sassily at him.

He seemed taken aback that she had spoken to him. He smiled gratefully nonetheless. "No, not at all. You just look like you're about to be attacked by a bear."

Eponine rolled her eyes, but good-naturedly. "Right." She couldn't think of anything better to say.

Cosette was smirking openly. "Let's go inside, shall we?" She was talking more to Combeferre, as if suggesting that Eponine and Enjolras should be left alone outside.

Eponine, of course, would be having none of that, so she butted in with a "Yes, let's." and made a face at Cosette.

Enjolras moved to hold the door open for everyone. Cosette and Combeferre walked inside easily, but as Eponine walked through her toe hooked on the raised threshold and she tripped. Enjolras quickly grabbed her elbow to prevent her from falling. Once she was steadied she cleared her throat, embarrassed. A quick glance inside told her that the whole group had seen what just happened.

"You alright, 'Ponine?" Enjolras asked, letting go of her arm.

"I'm fine, I'm fine! I can take care of myself, Enjolras." She smiled fakely and continued inside.

When they both walked inside, Cosette and Marius were in a life-or-death discussion about engagement party-related things, and Combeferre and several other men, all Friends of the ABC, appeared to be happily in deep political debate.

Eponine scanned the room, feeling lost. Where was expected to go?

"Eponine, I was hoping to speak with you about something."

She heard Enjolras next to her, but she refused to look at him. She was not going to have any sort of talk with him. "Actually, I'm supposed to be helping Cosette and Marius plan their party, but perhaps later?" She didn't wait for a response, but instead sped off in their direction and sat down in a chair at their table. She felt Enjolras' eyes on her, but refused to return his gaze. After several moments she heard him join the noisy group discussing the importance of moral law.

Eventually the whole group at the café found themselves squeezed around one table, chatting like the good friends that they all were.

Slowly people drifted out, until it was rather late in the day and only a few of the original group remained.

"I think it's time that we leave, as well. Cosette's father will be wondering where we've gone off to." Marius rubbed Cosette lovingly on her back as they both stood and bid their farewells.

That left just Eponine, Combeferre and Enjolras.

"Eponine," Combeferre began. Eponine's eyes met his pleasantly. She was very relaxed after having spent several hours talking and laughing with the group. "I've always been curious…what is it you'd like to do someday?"

Her eyebrows folded downward in confusion. "What I'd like to do?"

"Yes, for a profession, or maybe even just for fun. What's your passion?" He stared at her in genuine curiosity.

My passion? Eponine had never really considered the idea that she could have a passion. She'd always assumed that women of her position weren't supposed to have those. "I…ha, I honestly don't know…I guess I don't really have one."

"That's impossible. Everyone has a passion. Perhaps you just haven't had opportunity enough to find one. That's fine. I'll find it for you," He cleared his throat. "Alright…is there anything that you've ever done or seen someone do that you thought, wow, that's pretty neat?"

Eponine smiled thoughtfully. A thought occurred to her. "Well…I've always wanted to write…the thing is, I can't."

"That's preposterous, you can do anything you want to!" Combeferre smiled.

"Well, the thing is, I don't really know how," She couldn't believe she was revealing this him. There was just some sort of air about Combeferre that told you he was trustworthy. "I learned how to read a little bit when I was a little girl, my mom even started giving me lessons. But eventually she just sort of gave up. I know a little bit though. But I'm still far from being able to read an entire book, much less write one."

"I repeat myself, you can do anything you want to." Combeferre said simply. "So you'd like to be a writer, eh? I could definitely see that. All the children of the future will talk about your books, all the scholars will be taught your writings in all the universities," He turned to Enjolras. "She'll be the next Voltaire."

He smiled, agreeing. "Yes, she will."

Combeferre pulled out a pocket watch and feigned surprise. "Well look at that! I really ought to be going, I'm going to be late!"

"Late for what, exactly?" Enjolras narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Late! Late, late, late! Good evening, m'dear lady, it was quite a pleasure. Enjolras, I shall see you another day, perhaps, brother. Good evening to you both!" And with that, Combeferre rushed from the building, a mischievous twinkle in his eye as he did so.

The two sat in silence for several moment, awkward and nervous.

"So you want to be a writer?" Enjolras asked quietly.

Eponine shrugged. "Maybe. It was just something I said in the moment, nothing I've really thought about extensively."

"Well I'm sure you'd make an excellent writer if you were to put your mind to it." Enjolras smiled encouragingly.

Eponine smiled right back, looking him straight in the eye. "Thank you."

Enjolras sighed anxiously. "Eponine, about dinner the other night…" Eponine's shoulders tensed. "I don't want you to think that I've been going around saying things to people, or that I expect anything of you…Like Cosette said, it's all speculation. Speculation that I have in no way encouraged. I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "It's fine…They're just all idiots, and they like to create things to make life more interesting." She chuckled stiffly. "Just speculation, nothing more." She kept her eyes on the table as she spoke.

Now it was Enjolras' turn to tense up. His jaw set slightly and he was silent for a little while. "Yes…speculation."

Eponine nodded.

A moment of apprehensive silent passed. Then another. Enjolras opened his mouth to say something, but snapped it shut, thinking better of it.

"So are you excited for the masquerade ball?" Eponine asked nonchalantly.

Enjolras didn't answer. He stared at Eponine with an almost confused look on his face, his head tilted as he looked at her.

"What?" Eponine asked self-consciously.

"Noth…Eponine, how can you—" he paused, unsure of whether or not he should go on. "How can you say it's simply speculation? Have we honestly given the others no reason to think there might be something between us? Can you truthfully say that Combeferre being so sure that we have 'fancied each other for quite some time' it something he conjured out of boredom? Am I wrong or was there something very real between us at some point?"

"You're…wrong." Eponine stared at the table, forcing the words to come out. "I don't know what you're talking about. You've always been my friend, nothing more. You…you can see whatever you want, and so can they, but that is the truth." She choked out the words, knowing they didn't sound the slightest bit believable.

Enjolras sat looking at her for a moment, very guarded, very angry. "Is that the truth, or are you just afraid of getting your heart hurt again?'

Eponine was silent.

"Are you afraid?"

Again, she remained silent.

He asked again, louder this time. "Are you afraid?"

She refused. Refused to answer. To defend herself. To admit defeat. To look at him.

He moved in closer to her, forcing her to look at him. "Why are you afraid?"

Finally, she broke. The war-torn glass vase that had always held all her emotion shattered into a million pieces and she no longer had anywhere to hide anything. "Why aren't you afraid?!" She shouted.

Enjolras was taken aback by this, but only for a moment. "Eponine, I'm afraid of a million things that have to do with you, but being in love with you is not one of them."

"How can you say that?! How can you so easily say you're in love with me? We haven't even been friends for that long! We're friends! And being in love…being in love with your best friend is dangerous! Enjolras…" She didn't know what to say, and her throat felt like it was closing up. She gulped for air, begging herself not to cry.

A look of concern swept his face. "Eponine…just because this didn't work out for you in the past doesn't mean it can't work out now. Eponine," She looked away from him, breathing heavily. "Look at me." She turned reluctantly. "I would never hurt you."

"It's not that easy Enjolras! You say that now, it's easy to say it, but it's not that easy!" She shook her head violently.

"You think I think it's easy? You think I think it's easy for me?" His voice became shaky and bitter. "This is the very thing I promised myself I wouldn't let happen. Fall in love with a woman? When our country is in shambles? No, I could never let that happen." His voice quieted now, just above a whisper. "But that's the thing Eponine…I don't have a choice." His voice cracked and he looked at her with such intensity that she couldn't look at him without wanting to cry and console him.

"Enjolras…" She shook her head slowly.

"Please, Epona." She gasped softly, surprised that he used that name for her.

For once in her life, she acknowledged it. She acknowledged the longing, the feelings she had for him. How much she wanted to reach over and hold his face and tell him that she loved him too.

But then, in typical Eponine fashion, she denied herself that release. She denied herself the only thing she truly wanted at this moment. Because it was stupid. It was reckless. Dangerous even. Not worth the risk

She touched his fingers with hers, lightly, briefly and gazed at him. He looked right back at her, so frank, so openly admitting his love to her, waiting anxiously for her answer. A single tear slid from her eye and danced on her cheek as she quietly and without any real conviction, gave him her answer.

"I can't."

Author's Notes:
Hello hello! Such drama, I know. Enjolras opens up his heart and Eponine gives him NOTHING. Holy muthaofgawd.

I hope you enjoy this chapter, I enjoyed writing it, but then again these are two different things now aren't they?

Give me feedback and let me know what you think. Get all analytical if you'd like, but remember guys: At the end of the day, it's just FANFICTION. I'm a teenager who's got some extra time because it's summer so I stay up late and once it's dark and there's nothing left to do I write stories based on someone's actually successful book and musical until 3 in the morning. Then you read them and go on with your daily life. You're not paying to read this, so don't act like it.

I haven't really gotten any bad or super duper, completely unnecessary feedback so far, but I just felt like ranting about people and their attitudes about fanfiction. Now I'm going to go eat my Taco Bell burrito (see? I have a real life outside of fanfiction! Although I don't know the quality of that real life if I'm sitting at home eating Taco Bell…) I love all my readers! You guys are awesome!

KISSES :)