A/N: A few things before we start:
1) Someone messaged me about this just after the last chapter was posted, and I did answer, but I thought I'd clarify for all of you. Eponine is 22, Enjolras is 24, Gavroche is 10, and the others vary.
2) This is set in Paris – well, I think. I always imagined it in Paris, but I didn't really do any proper research so I've left all the university names/café names/street names/etc. blank. Hope that doesn't bother anybody!
3) I have no clue what time of year this is set. Finals time in Europe, I guess.
4) All of this is very vague because I live in Australia and we do a lot of things different. I hope I haven't confused the shit out of anyone (well, not a lot at least).
5) (Yes, this is the last one, I promise) This story is called a 'slow burn' for a reason. It's a slow build-up to romance. I hope it's not getting too frustrating – well, it's kind of meant to be frustrating, but I hope it's not getting to the point where you want to tear your hair out. It's just how I imagine both Enjolras and Eponine would act, because they're both stubborn as shit and not exactly 100% open to love (though Eponine is probably more willing than our man of marble).
Wow, that's a lot of talking. Sorry. Moving on! (Also, love-never-dies-90 is the best beta a writer could ask for.)
The next few weeks passed by slowly for Eponine.
Each day seemed to drag on for much longer than it should've, and it was doing her head in. Gavroche was now back at school, so every day she would wake up and get her brother dressed and fed, before he took the train to school (she had gone through the route four times with him before allowing him to go by himself, but she still worried each morning that he'd get lost or miss his train or get into some kind of trouble).
Things were gradually getting more and more stressful, as Eponine's drama performance was in a few days, and finals were the week after that. She was at the end of her major, and only a few months away from the beginning of her major
She was thankful, but slightly disgruntled, when Enjolras pulled her out of her script-revising reverie on Wednesday night, three days before the performance, and demanded that she come with him to the café.
"You know that thing back to front." He insisted.
"Enjolras, if I fuck up-"
"You're not going to. Come on, you've been stressing out all week. Have some fun."
After barely a moment's hesitation, Eponine agreed. "But only because it's gotten to the point where Aidan 'High-Strung' Enjolras is telling me to relax."
The man in question rolled his eyes and grabbed her coat off the hook on the kitchen wall, only to throw it at her so it hit her right in the face.
"I am not high-strung."
Eponine laughed as she pulled the offending article of clothing off her head.
"Keep telling yourself that, pretty boy."
Grantaire, Courfeyrac and Jehan were the only ones at the café when Enjolras and Eponine arrived. The pair took a seat with their friends and both accepted drinks immediately, eager to get a start on the night.
"How have you guys been?" Jehan asked with a smile, looking up from his laptop even though he was obviously working on something important.
"Good." Enjolras and Eponine answered together, before grinning at eachother in response to their synchronisation.
"Stressed?"
"Not really." Eponine answered alone this time, as Enjolras was too busy snorting. The girl turned to her friend and raised an eyebrow. He met her gaze before bursting out in laughter again.
"Ep, you have got to be kidding me. You've been crazy these past few days!"
"I have not!" Eponine cried.
"I had to drag you out tonight."
"You did not!"
"You almost sent Gavroche to school without pants on!"
"I did not!"
"And you're responding to all my claims with the same answer."
"I am not-" Eponine cut herself off as she realised what she was doing, much to Enjolras' enjoyment. "Screw you. You've been just as stressed as I have."
"At least I didn't send a 10 year old boy out the door half naked." The blonde muttered into his beer bottle before taking a swig, avoiding Eponine's eyes.
"One time that happened. He came back before he could get too far, anyway."
"Because the landlord dragged him back."
"That's as much Gavroche's fault for not realising that he wasn't fully clothed."
Enjolras just smirked. Eponine huffed and punched him lightly on the shoulder, before breaking out into a grin.
"I win." The man declared, an air of childishness about him that reminded Eponine of the persona he adopted when he was drunk. Her eyes locked on his face, and she was kind of struck by it for a moment.
She had never properly taken in his features before, for various reasons – like being too wrapped up in Marius, or being worried that he would catch her staring and be creeped out – but now she was truly appreciating the curve of his jaw, the lines on his forehead (the group teased him about them, claiming he was aging faster than the rest of them because he was so damn stressed all the time, but Eponine recognised them as the signs of a worrier, because she was a worrier too), how the right corner of his mouth would turn a few seconds before he smiled (as though his smile was being pulled by a string).
Eponine caught herself before she stared at the man too long, but from the look Grantaire was giving her, she hadn't been particularly casual about it. She tried to avoid his gaze, expecting him to start loudly teasing her, but when she finally couldn't take it and her eyes flickered over to look at him, he was staring intently at the table, brows furrowed.
This time, she actually tried to catch his eye, but he seemed intent on continuing his staring match with the table, so Eponine allowed herself to be drawn back into conversation, this time with Jehan, Courfeyrac and Enjolras, instead of just with the latter (which was good, because back-and-forth banter between her and Enjolras was just plain dangerous and would very likely end in her doing something stupid like inching closer to him or even brushing back one of his curls – well, there was one dangling right in front of his eye, just asking to be pushed back, but no, she would not give in to temptation).
"I've already bought us all tickets." Jehan was saying excitedly.
"Tickets for what?" Eponine asked, eyeing the worried look on Enjolras face with curiosity.
"For your performance." Courfeyrac smirked.
Eponine did a double take. "Wait – what?"
"Did you really think we wouldn't come?"
"Think? No. Pray with all my heart? Yes."
"Oh, come on, Ep, it won't be that bad."
"Yes it will!" The brunette insisted. "With you all you idiots in the audience, I'll lose my mind! I'll forget lines and blocking and probably bump into everyone and completely fuck it all up. Please don't come! I'm bad enough as it is without you guys distracting me."
"Eponine, the theatre is huge. I've seen it. You won't be able to see the front row, let alone us." Courfeyrac insisted.
"Actually, the tickets I got are in the front row. I booked early." Jehan smiled.
The brunette fought back a curse.
It's Jehan. He's the sweetest guy you know. Do not hurl your drink at him, no matter how much you want to.
"Jehan, while I understand your excitement, maybe you should have consulted me and Eponine before purchasing tickets." Enjolras said.
Eponine shook her head wearily. "No, it's fine. I'll deal." She directed the next part to Enjolras. "But don't blame me if I fuck up one of our big scenes."
"I won't." Enjolras replied with a chuckle. "You're not going to fuck up, though."
"Ha. Just you wait and see."
The man sobered immediately. "Seriously, Eponine. You're amazing. You're going to blow everyone away."
Eponine stared at him for almost a full minute. How was it possible that he had more faith in her than she did?
"Thanks, Enj." She said quietly with a small smile. Just as he opened his mouth again, Grantaire suddenly stood up and stormed out of the room. The others stared after him in shock.
Eponine got up and followed him after a moment.
"R, what's going on?" She asked when she finally caught up with him on the street outside the café. It was dark and cold, even though it was only 7pm, and Eponine could feel goose bumps appearing on her bare arms and legs.
Grantaire turned to face her, eyes wild and angry. "What do you think is going on?" He spat.
"I've got no clue! That's why I'm bloody asking!"
"Of course you've got no clue. That's the two of you, all right. Lost in oblivion, never aware of what's going on around them. So goddamn innocent and idiotic that they can't see past their own nose. God, you're both irritating.
"I seriously don't know what you're on about."
"You and Enjolras!" Grantaire yelled suddenly. "Being all fucking flirty and cosy together!"
"What? We're not-"
"I thought the guys were insane when they asked you if you were going out, but they were right."
"We don't feel that way about eachother." Eponine tried again.
"Bullshit."
"Okay – he doesn't feel that way about me, but I... I don't know, I think I might have feelings for him." The girl admitted after a moment, feeling a weight lift off her chest as she uttered the words. "It doesn't matter, though, because he's not interested in that kind of thing."
"Could you even see yourselves in there? Actually, not just in there – this entire time! You think you have feelings for him, but you don't realise that it's more than that! You don't realise that-" Grantaire stopped abruptly, as if he had suddenly remembered something.
"What?" Eponine asked. "What were you going to say?"
Grantaire continued after a moment of silence. "You don't realise that you're affecting people around you."
Oh, fuck. I've been such an idiot.
"I'm sorry, 'Taire, I completely spaced. I forgot about the messy shit with you and Enjolras, but... but I thought you were in a better place. Isn't that what you said? That you thought you would be okay with someone dating Enjolras? Not that I'm dating him, or planning on dating him – he doesn't even think of me that way – but I thought you were feeling a bit better about this."
"I thought I was too. I guess I was wrong. But by all means, don't let me and my feelings ruin your night." With this, Grantaire stormed off yet again. This time Eponine didn't follow him.
As soon as Grantaire was around the corner and onto another street, where Eponine couldn't see him, he sank to the ground and put his head in his hands. His back was pressed against a cold brick wall, and the rough stone jabbed into him, not that he really noticed, or cared.
He had so thought he was over Enjolras. Seeing him didn't hurt Grantaire as much as it used to. The pain had subsided – the pain of knowing that Enjolras would never feel that way about him – but when he had seen those two together, it had been replaced with white hot rage.
Grantaire had never been so angry with Eponine. She was a good friend – a good person, too – and if anybody deserved Enjolras... well, who deserved Enjolras, really? He was stand-offish, and perpetually stressed, and a bit of pain in the ass at times... but then there were those times when he spoke about what he truly believed in, and Grantaire could see – everyone could see – the person that was hidden beneath the marble man.
Grantaire had given up hope a long time ago, because it seemed that Enjolras would never crack for anyone. But it seemed that for Eponine, he had. Grantaire would've been happy for the man (finally expressing his emotions and what-not) if it wasn't so damn irritating that he had to open up for Eponine and not him.
You'd be bad for him, and you know it. A voice in his mind accused. Just because you're sobered up, doesn't mean you're a saint. All your pessimism would get him down. He needs someone who makes him happy. What if that's Eponine?
Grantaire thought back to his conversation with Eponine.
You think you have feelings for him, but you don't realise that it's more than that! You don't realise that-
Involuntarily, he sucked in a sharp breath. He had almost told Eponine what she obviously hadn't figured out herself. That it was deeper than she thought. That Enjolras obviously felt the same way too.
If Grantaire had been an incredible person, and friend (the way Eponine was), he would've let her have the happiness that would come with finally knowing her feelings were not one-way (he had watched her trip and stumble over her feelings for Marius, and that had been heartbreaking).
But he wasn't an incredible person. At least, not right that moment. At that moment, he was still fucking angry.
A/N: Hope you guys didn't mind the Grantaire POV! I just needed it to finish off the chapter the way I wanted to.