A/N: It's been a while! In sight of recent events (I.E. the fighting in the fandom at the moment) I really haven't been getting any inspiration or been wanting to contribute into any e/é or e/R. Also I've been in this thing called Hell Week, where our Drama Club practices for our show every single day until who knows when... But it's been five weeks of it since I've had two shows to prepare for each two weeks apart! Gahhh! But anyways, here is chapter 25! Hope you enjoy it.
The next morning came agonizingly fast, Eponine laid curled on Courfeyrac's couch, arms slung over her stomach in an almost protective manner. Her eyes were still a bit puffy from the crying, but other than that she looked to be in completely normal repair... Not that she was feeling that way inside- not by a long shot. She had told Enjolras 'Yes', that was what had kept her up longer than she had thought she could stand. It was the first night in a very long time she hadn't fallen asleep in his arms, and though she almost hated to admit it, the night made her feel a bit empty.
When she woke Courfeyrac had been awake for a few hours, unable to sleep and worried about Eponine. It was only six in the morning, Eponine realized with a groan, she hadn't gotten any sleep at all it seemed though strangely she felt well rested. Her brother still slept silently in his bed, his arm splayed across his eyes, his pillow askew. Courfeyrac gave her a worried glance in greeting as she looked out the window and into the mist that had formed from the nights rain. People already sauntered through the small alley, most of them women.
"Thank you for letting me come here last night." She murmured softly, Courfeyrac, who had been reading though, obviously, he was paying more attention to her than the book in front of him, nodded in response.
"Of course, Ep. Anything for you."
Enjolras was ahead of her across a table, talking with an enthused Bahorel whose eyes flickered to hers when she walked in, Courfeyrac and her brother trailing behind her.
"Good morning, Mademoiselle Eponine." He greeted cheerfully, Enjolras looked at her sheepishly and she smiled back at her.
"Morning." She replied, walking over to the golden leader and raising and eyebrow at him in amusement. He blushed only slightly, a determined set jaw plastered onto his face, a certain calm fell over her at the sight of him, like she was only truly able to relax when he was in her presence.
"How are you?" He asked quietly, giving a pointed look at Bahorel who trotted off towards Feuilly and Joly, casting amused glances back at her as he went. Enjolras' blue eyes grazed her fiercely, and she couldn't help but smile at them.
"I'm much better, how about you?" She said back, though she wasn't feeling upset anymore, she had woken up with a horrible headache she usually never got. Enjolras smiled back and her heart fluttered for a second in response.
"Enjolras!" Jehan's voice surprised them both, as they jumped, not even noticing how close they had gotten to each other. A blush ran the length of Eponine's cheeks and Enjolras chuckled. He took her arm briefly, brushing his thumb over her shoulder gently and then turned towards Jehan who stared at them both. Eponine smirked and then turned away and found Courfeyrac and Grantaire in the back, knowing whatever Jehan had to say it wouldn't make much difference to her at the moment.
"Good morning, Grantaire." Eponine greeted, a bit more cheerfully than even she thought was possible. The drunk groaned, bottle in hand and head in between his arms. He looked a bit worse than usual… even to Eponine's standards; hair a mess on his head, eyes only half open, smelling like alcohol… and of course her brother jumping on his back gleefully trying to get him up in the worse possible way ever. Courfeyrac ran a hand through his dark hair and shook his head, eyes rolling.
"You may think it's a good morning." Grantaire grumbled, shifting his weight so that the next time Gavroche jumped on him he slid back off and onto the ground. In a second it seemed that he had fallen asleep again.
"Alright!" Enjolras' voice rang out through the Musain and easily silenced everyone inside it. He looked almost pleased at the effect and ruffled his shoulders, moving the red trademark jacket back a bit on his back. His golden hair seemed to glow in the rising sunlight as he turned to look at all of them one by one, lingering a bit longer on Eponine's face than all the others, the shortest being Grantaire, who he barely left a glance.
"The time is near, even nearer than we may think. What we have done is nothing to compare to what we shall do next. What we have to do next. We need to prepare for this, take up arms, and learn how to fight back." Enjolras started to pace, back and forth on the floor, calculating everything.
"So, today we are going to start with the weapons." Eponine's world twisted a little at the words, they would be holding weapons. In the right hands unless purposefully used there would not be the chance of any of them harmed. But… in such extremely inexperienced hands, no one could tell what would happen. They were already putting themselves at risk. "How to hold a gun, weak points in the body- that will be mainly Joly's part. Let's get started, we break for lunch at twelve, where we will start with actual combat. Remember, we do this for Patria."
Eponine frowned as the men wandered off to corners, each taking up guns and swords Eponine hadn't seen laying on the tables before. The Musain must be closed today, otherwise this would be a disturbance. Combeferre stood with a disheveled looking Feuilly, who was holding a gun in the completely wrong way, seemingly upset he was holding one in the first place; looking extremely awkward and almost confused.
"What is on your mind today, Eponine?" Bossuet asked, walking over and groaning as he sat down next to her. She grimaced as Enjolras took up a gun and aimed it- though correctly- at a transparent target.
"I'm not exactly sure yet." She replied, looking away as even her brother picked up a weapon himself and started to play around with it. She felt sick. Damn it.
"He knows what he's doing." Bossuet murmured to her, and she nodded. Of course he did. Letting them get used to using weapons now gave them a few percentages more chance of living then the men picking them up the first time right before they fought. But that didn't make it any easier for her. She had gotten used to these boys and their unwavering bravery and belief in their leader. Thinking that there was any possibility that they would not survive the oncoming revolt shook her in a way she wasn't used to. They had changed her. That was a fact. She was no longer the stoic, brave, and harsh Eponine. She had emotions anywhere else she would have pushed down and forgotten. That was all Marius' fault. He was the start of it all, and then of course, Enjolras. She caught herself wondering even through the wonderful idea that she may actually get married to this man- though of course that was only a dream for the both of them. He was the leader, and in the end he will be the one with the money on his head for his arrest, and in it's time, his death- if it was even worth it. Of course it was, in its own way. All in all Eponine couldn't help but wonder, and it was this that would be her downfall.