That night, Montparnasse found himself staring upwards again, restless. Thenardier had indeed called him out for returning so soon, but Montparnasse wasn't going to sit through the man's venting and so threw an insult at Thenardier and stormed upstairs. And now he could do nothing. He could not return downstairs; Thenardier most likely was still angered. Sighing, he went over to the window, wrenching it open and cringing as it squawked. He leaned his head out, taking in the cool night air. The sky was a deep indigo, and the first stars glinted in the heavens. But Montparnasse wasn't one to admire the beauty of the world; he always wanted to race along. Surmising that his window was not incredibly high off the ground, he climbed out, dangling above the ground for a moment before loosening his grip on the windowsill. Down he went, legs absorbing the shock of his fall. Allowing the breeze to rush over him, Montparnasse strolled his way off to town.
The square was much less congested, and the only ones on the street were the ones who lived there. A few beggars tugged at his pant leg, but he moved past them without a glance. With Thenardier taking all the money Montparnassse ever stole, he never had a thing to spend. He had barely been able to hide the ten francs he'd won in the bet.
"Why do I even work for the man?"
Montparnasse muttered beneath his breath, regretting leaving his jacket behind. He wandered about before concealing himself in one of the alleyways, blending in with the shadows. Leaning up against the cold stone of the wall, he closed his eyes and took in a breath. A little song came to mind; he remembered his mother sang it to him many years ago when he was small.
"Night has come to still the land,
Stars, the only ones awake.
Time for you to sleep, my dear.
Dreams outreach, their hands you take.
Surrender to the night, my dear.
The sun now rests, and so do you.
Never fret, I'm always here.
Always know that I love you."
Once he had reached the final line, singing in his hoarse, throaty voice, his words suddenly became whispers. Always know that I love you...He knew nothing of love; it had been so long since he had seen his mother. An orphan on the streets, learning that there was no pity and the weak will never survive. When the Thenardiers brought him in, he learned greed and conniving from them. And now...he had no idea who he was. Love was the one thing that never graced his presence. Eponine...Did he love Eponine? How could he know if he hardly knew what love meant? Eponine seemed to know.
"Is that all it is, then? Wanting someone til it hurts?" Montparnasse growled to the night, clenching his hands. "Guess I've known love all along."
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Miraculously, Montparnasse managed to sneak back into the inn going unnoticed. He slunk up to his room, aggravated and wanting to rest. However, someone awaited his arrival, sitting on his bed.
"'Parnasse?"
"'Ponine, what're you doing in my bed?"
"I'm not in it, I'm on it," Eponine corrected, "and I was tryin' t' find you."
"Well I'm here. What do you want?" Montparnasse could see his harshness was saddening Eponine, but at the moment he just wanted to go to bed.
"I...I can't sleep. I'm sorry, I'll jus'-"
"It's fine. Just...lay down."
Eponine slowly climbed into the bed, and Montparnasse kneeled by her side. He began to hum softly, the song of so many years ago. When Eponine appeared to become more relaxed, Montparnasse went to singing.
"Always know that I love you..."
Eponine's eyelids fluttered and closed, her breathing slowed. Sure the girl was sleeping, Montparnasse carefully picked her up from the bed and carried her to her own room, laying her down and leaving quietly. When he returned to his room, he kicked off his boots and flopped into bed, not bothering to undress. As the night dragged on, he slowly fell into sleep, the wind whispering a familiar song.