"I Love You"
Chapter 4
As the next morning dawned, Enjolras lifted his head from his folded arms on the café table and briefly pondered where he was. Within a moment's time he remembered the events of the night before and a smile began to play upon his supple lips. In the clarity of daybreak, the memories were much sweeter. He recalled Eponine's gentle words and compassion as she relived him from his tedious work the previous night, when he was so very fatigued; he recalled her hand gently pushing away the obstinate tresses that fell in his face as he labored over the intricate battle plans; he recalled the melodious lullaby she hummed as he drifted to sleep, her smooth, mellifluous voice filling the emptiness of the large room.
Glancing to his left, Enjolras found himself disappointed when Eponine was not there beside him. But the square of parchment in front of him caught his eye.
Upon its surface were meticulous markings and scribbles, each of them linking together to form a magnificent combat strategy. Enjolras inspected it closely, searching for a flaw, but found none. Every move was planned perfectly; not a single detail was lacked.
Recollecting the previous night once more, Enjolras knew who must have written this work, but he could not believe that such elaborate plans belonged to Eponine! How could she manage to create something so incredibly magnificent?
Nevertheless, he knew very well how intelligent she was. He smiled inwardly at the shrewdness of his dear girl.
Every day, her vigor and astuteness stunned him, no matter how well he thought he knew her. Enjolras decided she must have been granted a mind more lucid than any man's, for Eponine always had a way of solving problems none of the other Amis could decipher. Seeing as how all the Friends of the ABC were bright, educated young men, this was quite impressive.
Still beaming, Enjolras fixed his eyes on the smallest corner of the paper. Three minuscule words were present, yet they were so tiny they were nearly illegible. The boy had to squint and bring the parchment closer to his eyes to read them at all:
"I love you."
Their meaning sent a faint chill up his spine, shocking and wonderful at once, and he let the document float back to the table.
He hadn't the slightest idea how to feel, and his thoughts stirred wildly through his mind. For once, it was not the revolution that excited him.
A vague idea crossed his sharp mind, and he pulled out a new square of paper. Picking up his abandoned quill, Enjolras scribbled a short note, folded it, and carried it with him out the door.
* * *
Hurrying up the steps of his friend's apartment, Enjolras raced to Marius' door and pounded on it with more force than he had intended to.
The lovely young man appeared at once, obviously shocked at the thunderous knocking, but smiled when he recognized Enjolras.
"Enjolras! Come in," he welcomed, opening the door a bit more and broadening his already wide grin.
"No time," panted Enjolras, glancing around him as though expecting Eponine to emerge from the hallway. He knew very well that she neighbored Marius, though he had never seen the inside of her apartment.
Thrusting the letter at Marius, he tore his eyes from Eponine's door and flashed a pleading look at his friend.
"Give this to Eponine," he whispered. "Don't tell her who it's from."
The knowing smirk he then received from Marius annoyed him slightly, but he hadn't time to retaliate. The sound of footsteps suddenly echoed from inside Eponine's apartment, growing steadily louder until Enjolras could stay no longer.
"Please," he hissed with uncharacteristic desperation, and fled.
* * *
At dusk, Eponine left for Le Café Musain, worrying slightly about Enjolras, whom she was certain had not slept enough the night before. Over the weeks the two of them had spent together, Eponine had begun to fret over the boy's health, for he never went to bed at a decent hour and constantly obsessed over inconsequential details. The poor boy!
Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when Marius appeared from behind her, breathing heavily from running to catch her.
"Eponine," he gasped, clutching a square of parchment as well as his burning chest. "Wait a moment! I have to give you this letter!"
"Oh," the girl replied, surprisingly calm around the boy she once worshiped. "Another letter for Cosette? I shall deliver it as soon as I can."
"No, no, Eponine," Marius laughed, despite his short-windedness. "This is not for you to deliver. It is for you to read! A.friend asked me to give it to you."
Eponine's eyes brightened as she took the small scrap of paper into her hands. A letter for her! This was something she was hardly accustomed to.
"Thank you, M'sieur Marius," she beamed, unfolding the parchment as the young man hurried ahead to the café. Eponine was surprised at herself for not even saying farewell to the boy or watching him depart. But she had a letter of her own! She could not bother herself with goodbyes.
Weeks ago, she would have longed to speak with Marius, even if only to say two words. However, he now seemed to be just another young man in Les Amis de l'ABC, friendly and pleasant, but nothing more. Her lack of interest in him was only one of the many changes in Eponine now that she cared for Enjolras.
Anxious now to read the paper clutched in her hands, Eponine stepped under the light of a street lantern and peered at the writing, which was almost disappointingly brief.
The three words scrawled on the note struck her as odd upon reading them the first time, for she knew not whom the message was from. But reading it once more, she recalled the words she had written on her battle plans the night before and gasped. These blessed words were from none other than her precious Enjolras!
Nearly skipping as she continued her walk to Le Café Musain, Eponine recited the heavenly message in her head over and over:
"And I, you."
Chapter 4
As the next morning dawned, Enjolras lifted his head from his folded arms on the café table and briefly pondered where he was. Within a moment's time he remembered the events of the night before and a smile began to play upon his supple lips. In the clarity of daybreak, the memories were much sweeter. He recalled Eponine's gentle words and compassion as she relived him from his tedious work the previous night, when he was so very fatigued; he recalled her hand gently pushing away the obstinate tresses that fell in his face as he labored over the intricate battle plans; he recalled the melodious lullaby she hummed as he drifted to sleep, her smooth, mellifluous voice filling the emptiness of the large room.
Glancing to his left, Enjolras found himself disappointed when Eponine was not there beside him. But the square of parchment in front of him caught his eye.
Upon its surface were meticulous markings and scribbles, each of them linking together to form a magnificent combat strategy. Enjolras inspected it closely, searching for a flaw, but found none. Every move was planned perfectly; not a single detail was lacked.
Recollecting the previous night once more, Enjolras knew who must have written this work, but he could not believe that such elaborate plans belonged to Eponine! How could she manage to create something so incredibly magnificent?
Nevertheless, he knew very well how intelligent she was. He smiled inwardly at the shrewdness of his dear girl.
Every day, her vigor and astuteness stunned him, no matter how well he thought he knew her. Enjolras decided she must have been granted a mind more lucid than any man's, for Eponine always had a way of solving problems none of the other Amis could decipher. Seeing as how all the Friends of the ABC were bright, educated young men, this was quite impressive.
Still beaming, Enjolras fixed his eyes on the smallest corner of the paper. Three minuscule words were present, yet they were so tiny they were nearly illegible. The boy had to squint and bring the parchment closer to his eyes to read them at all:
"I love you."
Their meaning sent a faint chill up his spine, shocking and wonderful at once, and he let the document float back to the table.
He hadn't the slightest idea how to feel, and his thoughts stirred wildly through his mind. For once, it was not the revolution that excited him.
A vague idea crossed his sharp mind, and he pulled out a new square of paper. Picking up his abandoned quill, Enjolras scribbled a short note, folded it, and carried it with him out the door.
* * *
Hurrying up the steps of his friend's apartment, Enjolras raced to Marius' door and pounded on it with more force than he had intended to.
The lovely young man appeared at once, obviously shocked at the thunderous knocking, but smiled when he recognized Enjolras.
"Enjolras! Come in," he welcomed, opening the door a bit more and broadening his already wide grin.
"No time," panted Enjolras, glancing around him as though expecting Eponine to emerge from the hallway. He knew very well that she neighbored Marius, though he had never seen the inside of her apartment.
Thrusting the letter at Marius, he tore his eyes from Eponine's door and flashed a pleading look at his friend.
"Give this to Eponine," he whispered. "Don't tell her who it's from."
The knowing smirk he then received from Marius annoyed him slightly, but he hadn't time to retaliate. The sound of footsteps suddenly echoed from inside Eponine's apartment, growing steadily louder until Enjolras could stay no longer.
"Please," he hissed with uncharacteristic desperation, and fled.
* * *
At dusk, Eponine left for Le Café Musain, worrying slightly about Enjolras, whom she was certain had not slept enough the night before. Over the weeks the two of them had spent together, Eponine had begun to fret over the boy's health, for he never went to bed at a decent hour and constantly obsessed over inconsequential details. The poor boy!
Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when Marius appeared from behind her, breathing heavily from running to catch her.
"Eponine," he gasped, clutching a square of parchment as well as his burning chest. "Wait a moment! I have to give you this letter!"
"Oh," the girl replied, surprisingly calm around the boy she once worshiped. "Another letter for Cosette? I shall deliver it as soon as I can."
"No, no, Eponine," Marius laughed, despite his short-windedness. "This is not for you to deliver. It is for you to read! A.friend asked me to give it to you."
Eponine's eyes brightened as she took the small scrap of paper into her hands. A letter for her! This was something she was hardly accustomed to.
"Thank you, M'sieur Marius," she beamed, unfolding the parchment as the young man hurried ahead to the café. Eponine was surprised at herself for not even saying farewell to the boy or watching him depart. But she had a letter of her own! She could not bother herself with goodbyes.
Weeks ago, she would have longed to speak with Marius, even if only to say two words. However, he now seemed to be just another young man in Les Amis de l'ABC, friendly and pleasant, but nothing more. Her lack of interest in him was only one of the many changes in Eponine now that she cared for Enjolras.
Anxious now to read the paper clutched in her hands, Eponine stepped under the light of a street lantern and peered at the writing, which was almost disappointingly brief.
The three words scrawled on the note struck her as odd upon reading them the first time, for she knew not whom the message was from. But reading it once more, she recalled the words she had written on her battle plans the night before and gasped. These blessed words were from none other than her precious Enjolras!
Nearly skipping as she continued her walk to Le Café Musain, Eponine recited the heavenly message in her head over and over:
"And I, you."