It's Friday night, a few days from their tryst, that she sees him again. He is with his usual friends, ending the work week at her bar. She rounds up Bahorel from the back, already instructing him of the cases of beer to cool in the walk in fridge.

It's a busy night for her too. There was a festival on her block and there are many people eager to continue partying until the night ends. The manager, Elise, even made Montparnasse work even though it wasn't his shift. They needed the extra pair of hands if the crowd turns awry.

Eponine worked and she knew that Enjolras was on the other side of the room in their favorite booth. She graces all of them with a smile, and lets Hanna, the waitress take their orders. Her gaze doesn't linger there. She doesn't even make eye contact with Enjolras most of the time. It's a courtesy, she guesses. Why bother him with longing gazes when they clearly were just fucking on the regular, nothing special. It's not like Enjolras' eyes follow her everywhere either.

It doesn't hurt her, this arrangement. She's not Cosette. She doesn't bump into a stranger and move in with them six months later. She loves Cosette with her dear heart, but sometimes Eponine can't fight that jealousy, where it always seemed to go right for Cosette and horrible for her.

Granted, the circumstances from their childhood were reversed. Fate really does what she wants.

She hears someone holler from Enjolras' table and its Courfeyrac with his freshly refrigerated bottle of beer. He raises it in greeting, the others do the same. She gives them a two finger salute and a wink in response. For a second, her eyes meet Enjolras'. A moment passes and nothing more, as Eponine goes back to her work.

xxx

Eponine works at nights at the bar. During the day, she mostly attends to her errands. Sometimes she bothers Gavroche to make sure he is still alive. He is on the last leg of his college years. He only has a few units left and an internship to complete and he could be the first Thenardier to have a college degree. Eponine is proud of him, immensely. Scholarships and back breaking labor on Eponine's part was enough to get him by.

She on the other hand, she only gets a certificate after completing a course on software engineering. She doesn't say she's the best, but she does enough to get commissions once in a while. At first, it was a good option, since the labor market favored software and IT skills. She had enough to make a career for herself but when she overhead Gavroche tell his friends that he wanted to go to college, she placed everything aside and got multiple jobs to even cover the fees to process the admissions.

So when Gavroche comes into her apartment and tells him that he has internship, she was over the moon. When he said that he would also be paid, she was happy enough to cry.

"Good," she said, nodding her head, "that's great." She tries to calm herself. "I'm very proud of you."

"Thank you," Gavroche grabbed her hand. Eponine looked at their joined hands, her callous ones and his still smooth palms. "Eponine, there's still a long way to go but I'm sure if I just make enough of an impression then guaranteed, I can get hired just right out of graduation."

Eponine was relieved to know that Gavroche had a plan.

"Great, are you going to move in here after graduation or?"

"Some of my dorm buddies are planning on getting a flat on the last sem, see how we fare on our own."

"Good, I guess."

"So you can spend more money on yourself 'Ponine. Maybe quit the bar and do that startup you and Cosette have been talking about." Eponine waved her hand, dismissing the issue.

"Anyway," Gavroche continued, "Enjolras says that they are willing to wait for me to graduate and it seems that we're all set." Eponine's eyes widen as only one thing registered in her mind.

"Who?"

"Enjolras, you know the guy you've been sleeping with?" He said, sarcastically. "Are you even still together?"

"We're not together." Eponine blurted out. "Wait, he was the one who hired you?" Suddenly, Gavroche realized Eponine's train of thought.

"It's not like that 'Ponine. Wait!" But Eponine already grabbed her purse and was out the door.

xxx

Eponine has never been to Enjolras' office before. She knew the address sure, sometimes people leave behind wallets or phones or an entire briefcase. So she already knew where to deliver it the morning after but she hasn't been inside the office itself.

The elevator dinged and opened onto their floor and Eponine reminded herself why she was even here. The bustle of people in suits and skirts running about, the sound of printers and copying machines whirring and even the tapping of keys on a keyboard was enough to send her out of here. But she was a woman on a mission and there was enough righteous anger in her that let her take one step in front of the other.

She scanned the doors and cubicles hoping to find his name. On the corner office she found it, written in clena neat white script on a black sign. She trudges over there and sees his secretary. She's the same age as her, she thinks. Her blonde hair tied up in a chignon with red lips and a pair blue eyes that could cut glass.

"Is this Anton Enjolras' office?" Eponine asked."Yes, do you have an appointment?" The woman said without looking at her. Eponine could see Enjolras on his desk, engrossed on today's newspaper.

"Uhh, no. I was just hoping -"

"Sorry, you have to schedule an appointment." The woman still refuses to look at her and a part of Eponine wanted to deflate. This was not what she was expecting. She wasn't even wearing heels! Nothing but a loose sweater with a collar that keeps slipping her shoulder.

"I..." She started, but someone called her.

"Eponine?" She turns and sees Courfeyrac carrying reams of paper. "Well you're a sight for sore eyes. It's been like what? Two weeks since we drank at your bar. What are you doing here?"

Eponine was on the midst of forming a lie when the door behind her opened.

"Eponine." Enjolras called. She turned, already red in the face. She has half a mind to just start running.

"Come in. How long have you been waiting?" Enjolras opened the door wider. He stepped closer and led her with his hand on the small of her back.

"I'm sorry, Anton. I thought you didn't want to be disturbed?" his secretary batted her eyelashed at him. Eponine raised her brows at her calling him by his firstname. Enjolras paused as well, he stared at his secretary, probably thinking of an excuse.

"It's alright Ms. Allard." Enjolras dismissed her. Then they walk to his office. Enjolras slides his hands off her and turns to her. The noon high sun makes his hair gold and Eponine is trying to remember why she was here.

She was about to speak when Enjolras gaze lifts to something behind her and he instantly frowns.

"Wait a moment," he mutters and he goes to his windows and shoves the cord, shutting the blinds closed.

"What are you doing here?" He said, still frowning.

"What? So you can barge into my life whenever you want and I can't?" Eponine bit back, regaining her surly attitude. Enjolras eyes widen and Eponine covered her face in frustration. She was feeling a dangerous concoction of anger, anxiety, and overwhelming amount of embarassment.

She took a deep breath and faced him again.

"You hired my brother." Eponine decides that the direct approach was necessary.

"You came all this way to talk about your brother?" Eponine looked a the her shoes. She can see the scuff marks on them, she decides to look away. She already knows she doesn't belong here. No need for any further reminders.

"Why else would I be here?" she asks. She doesn't know if its still the light in her eyes but she thinks she saw his disappointment for a second.

"Of course." He swallowed. "Please sit." He gestured to the chairs at his desk. Instead of sitting behind the desk, opted to sit beside her.

"Did you hire him because of me?" She asked once she sat down.

"No," was his reply. She searched his eyes and found nothing but the truth.

"Good."

"Why would you think that?" He leaned back. Eponine shrugs, when she did, the collar of her sweater slipped down her shoulder and onto her arm. She clicked her tongue and readjusted the garment, not seeing how Enjolras' gaze followed her fingers.

"I don't know. We sleep together, sometimes. Then I hear you hired my brother..."

"You make it seem as if what we have is transactional."

"Isn't it?" Eponine holds his gaze and waits for his answer. She could see the gears of his brain working, whether to affirm her or tell her otherwise, even she doesn't know the right answer.

Enjolras is the first to look away. He pushes himself off the chair and grabs a folder.

"In my defense, your brother's accomplishments are plentiful and of a degree that saying no would be a mistake on my part. He sat back down, but now, he sits on his big chair behind his desk. He passes a folder to Eponine.

She takes it and opens it to see Gavroche's picture smiling back at her, his sandy blonde hair slick back and that shit eating grin ever present. She takes a look at his CV, smiling at the awards that he has won through his extracurriculars.

"I remember this," her finger pointing at the International Debate Competition held in Singapore, of which Gavroche's team won first place. "Had to take double shifts just to pay for the ticket and board. He was so happy. He didn't think he would even afford to compete."

She looks back at Enjolras and sees him smiling at her, the way he did when he greets her in the morning after a night sleeping on her bed.

"I'm sorry. I... I don't know what's wrong with me." She pinches the bridge of her nose. "I know you're not that type of guy."

"That's good to know," he chuckles, "But really, I understand. Rest assured, there were other candidates considered and your brother was chosen unanimously by the board."

"Okay. I don't want him or other people to think he bought his way into this. I don't think I can stomach the thought of people thinking he was entitled, because he's not."

"And he isn't. In fact, that's why we chose him. Not that we pitied him, no. But, look at everyone here 'Ponine. Look at me." He gestured to himself.

"I never had to think of money until I had to start making my own. I never had to feel as if I had to get on my knees and start scrubbing floors, and I know, for a fact, that most of the people here, share the same sentiment. Gavroche is a man who values hard work and perseverance because of circumstances special only to him. It's what sets him apart and it'll help everyone here to learn from him."

"Thank you," she whispers.

"Any time." Enjolras' eyes gaze downwards and Eponine notices her sweater collar slid down again.

"Well, I won't take too much of your time."

"It's alright, you can stay."

"No, I don't want to disturb you." She starts to stand. Enjolras looked as though he was about to object but after a pause he nods his head and stands. Again, he places his hand on the small of her back and leads her to the door.

Courfeyrac is seen loitering by the door, toying with the desk decorations of the secretary nearby.

"I'll see you around." Eponine turns, smiling up at him for the first time that day.

"Yeah, yes." Enjolras stutters, his cheeks blushing.

Eponine walks to the elevator and he doesn't hear Enjolras tell his secretary,

"Next time she comes here, tell me immediately. No appointment needed." His secretary, with wide eyes turn to him.

"But Sir, I thought the policy on ..."

"Doesn't matter," Enjolras said, his brow sweating from Coufeyrac's gaze, "She's an exception."

Author's Note:
I will make sure this story ends and by the will of the Spirit these two will kiss kiss fall in love.