"So how's everything going with our resident prude?" Grantaire asked as he sat down at the bar in front Éponine as she diligently scrubbed the same spot over and over again. It was a knot in the wood that wasn't going to go anywhere, yet it was satisfying to scrub it monotonously over and over again.
"Huh?" Éponine's eyes widened as the memory of Enjolras' lips entered her mind's eye. "He's as prudish as ever." She replied quickly, trying to cover the fluster in her voice and no doubt the reddening heat in her cheeks.
"Come on 'Ponine! I was expecting you to be making headway with the old boy! You haven't tried anything with him?"
"You don't want me to run him off do you?" Éponine snapped, crossing her arms.
"You haven't even tried to kiss him?"
"I've been flirtatious and I've done everything that should get his attention." I've kissed his lips and tasted him. He tastes like mint and books. "He's a hard case, Grantaire. It's going to take time."
"Apparently, though, he isn't a hard case around you or you'd be paid off by now."
Éponine blushed at his words. She couldn't help but find the irony in the fact that she, of all people, would blush at a sexual innuendo. But, when it came to Enjolras she wished that she were as naive as he was. She wished she could match his shy innocence.
"Have you tried placing a warm hand against his leg, just higher than anyone being friendly?" Grantaire asked crudely, motioning for a mug.
"I don't want him to think I'm a floosy."
"You are."
"I don't want him to think that I'm just using him for a quick release. He's not going to go for that." Éponine bit her lip as she poured him a mug. "I do care for him. I wouldn't mind staying friends with him after this endeavor."
"Well, Mademoiselle Care, you want money don't you? Stop pussyfooting around with him and do the deed."
"Grantaire!" Éponine snapped, slamming the mug down in front of him. "If you would care to know, I'm making headway. Alright? Leave it at that."
"Oh," Grantaire smirked. "What has Éponine got into?"
"Leave it. I'm working on it." Éponine licked her lips, "Trust me when I say, that your foolish plan might actually work." Inwardly she begrudged the fact that she was being paid to romance Enjolras. She cared for him. She wandered whether or not they would have been together if they hadn't been so very different.
"Has Éponine got a kiss yet?"
"On the cheek." Éponine blushed, knowing that it was outright a lie. But, Grantaire didn't need to know that they had kissed and passionately. He would only make things more difficult if he knew that much.
"Are you going for a lesson tonight?"
He had told her not to. "Yes."
"Make it count."
"Hush!"
~o~
She had stood outside of the café long enough that she figured someone would call a gendarme on her. The door was incredibly daunting today. She had, for so long, breezed in and out without a second thought but today it was difficult.
"Oh, dear 'Ponine what nonsense is this?"
"Monsieur!" Éponine gasped, spinning round to see Marius smirking at her. "I-"
"Have been staring at that door for quite some time."
"You were watching me?"
"It was entertaining."
"Well, Monsieur Marius, it is my pleasure to know that I bring you great amusement." Éponine flirted, feeling the ever there feelings for him soar in her heart. "I was actually just about to leave."
"No, no. I insist that you come in with me and have a warm drink and some quiet conversation." Marius offered her his arm.
Éponine couldn't resist the offer, she placed her hand on his arm and let him lead her inside. Enjolras would be furious with her for showing up.
"Éponine I thought I-" Enjolras looked up from the desk, "Ah, Marius what a pleasure!"
"What did you think?"
"I thought that she wouldn't be able to come for a lesson tonight." Enjolras gritted, avoiding Éponine like the plague.
"Things changed." Éponine replied softly, taking her hand away from Marius.
"I can see that." Enjolras turned back to his books. "I am unfortunately rather busy currently, I'm sorry but I just don't think a lesson will happen tonight."
"That's alright." Éponine muttered, moving across the room to fill a cup of ale for herself. She glanced backwards, catching Enjolras watching her. He quickly turned back around and continued to ignore her.
What irritated him more than the fact that he desired to kiss Éponine and enjoy the fleeting feel of her lips, was the fact that she had waltzed in with Marius as though nothing had even happened between them. He had kissed her!
That had obviously been a mistake. She was showing him loud and clear exactly why he didn't bother with women. They lead you on and lead you astray. They drive you to the brink of insanity.
"I don't mean to be rude, however the café is usually empty in the evenings. If you could both, possibly, find another place to converse?"
"Of course." Éponine whispered, staring down at her mug of ale.
"Well, I was only passing by when I saw Éponine standing outside. Staring at the door like she was stuck."
Éponine looked up at Marius, "It was hardly that long! I was trying to remember something."
"A good quarter of an hour had passed, just while I was watching! Who knows how long you had been there." Marius laughed, "Dear 'Ponine, whatever kept you standing there?"
"A sort of daydream." Éponine replied, glancing towards Enjolras and meeting his gaze. "Sometimes I get caught up thinking about what ifs."
"Ah, a daydreamer. Enjolras hear is a daydreamer as well. Always dreaming up some plan for a revolution."
"A noble concept. I'm certain he'll make his dreams come true as long as he doesn't let anything distract him." Éponine couldn't help but let the bitterness sink into her words. She was that thing that would distract him, so he would have said.
"I'm diligent in that." Enjolras retorted, shutting his book loudly. What exactly did she think she knew about his plans? She could be for certain that she was not part of them. She was not part of them in his mind until she met his gaze, or was near him, or was kissing him.
Damn women!
He could see now why his men were always distracted by some pretty girl passing by or a witty girl in their bed. He only had to kiss one to have the thought fully ingrained into the very fibre of his being, that deep desire to repeat that moment over and over again.
"Enjolras?" Marius questioned, "I see that you're doing that daydreaming as well. Has everyone caught the daydreams?"
"I just thought of the title of a book I've been thinking of." Enjolras retorted, rising to his feet. "I will see you all soon, then."
"Of course." Marius grinned, watching Enjolras stroll out of the room. "Always in the books, he is."
"I know." Éponine watched as Enjolras left, desperately wanting to follow after him. "I guess we should go ahead and leave. No need to make him angry."
"Enjolras is only mad at the rulers of this country, not his friends." Marius chuckled, placing his hand at the small of her back. "Come along then."
"Actually, I wanted to look for a book Enjolras had loaned to me. I can't find it."
"Then I will see you tomorrow, 'Ponine." Marius gave a short bow before excusing himself from the café.
Éponine took a deep breath as she followed the hallway that Enjolras had taken, towards his library. She didn't bother knocking on the door, she didn't want to be outwardly told to leave before she had a chance to say anything. Instead, she burst through the door.
"Look, Enjolras, what happened yesterday shouldn't have happened. But it did. I don't think either of us would say that it was a bad thing, either."
Enjolras dropped the stack of books that he had held in his arms. "Éponine, dammit." She had rarely heard him curse, unless he was truly aggravated. "I thought you had left with Marius."
"No. I didn't want to tag along with him, no doubt he was going to see Cosette. I wanted to stay and talk with you. I stood outside of the café for God knows how long debating whether or not I should talk to you." Éponine shut the door behind her, leaning against it in a vain attempt to keep him from making her go.
"We don't need to talk about it."
"We kissed."
"I'm aware of this." Unconsciously he drew his lip across his lips. He busily started to pick up the scattered books.
Éponine took a bold step towards him, "Stop with the books."
"No." Enjolras insisted, batting her hands away.
"Enjolras, please. I don't want to make you angry."
"Well you are." Enjolras spat, grabbing her hands. She made his blood boil.
This was a moment where she could make or break this whole situation. With a burst of courage, Éponine leaned forward pressing a kiss to his cheek, a second kiss to his other cheek, a third kiss to his chin, and then as she pulled away he planted a kiss against her lips.
She noted that this kiss lacked his anger and ferocity that she had first witnessed from him. He was slow to move, his kiss was a more curious one this time. He was exploring the technique of it. Was it true that he had never kissed a woman? He was so different any other man she had been with. Her own first kiss had been followed by her first experience with a man. Montparnasse, and though she cared for Montparnasse as her closest childhood friend, she hated him for that night.
"Enjolras-"
"Shh." Enjolras brushed his fingers through her hair, keeping their lips a breath apart from each other. Every time they started to talk, they argued. They seemed at piece teaching and learning and kissing. The later was far more appealing at the current moment.
"Not to question your skill, but had you ever kiss-"
"No." Enjolras said simply before pressing his lips against hers again and tracing his tongue across her lip, his teeth scraping across her lower lip.
All Éponine could picture was money and Grantaire. A job well done and a pay off and she would be left feeling like a terrible person for stringing Enjolras along. But at the same time, he was sending waves of intoxication through her. Feelings she rarely felt when she was with any other man. But that was just part of her job.
No more virgin lipped Enjolras. Could she bribe Grantaire to change his rules and allow her to only have to kiss Enjolras to get the money? Because she could deal with that. It would carry far less guilt.
She was surprised to find how courteous Enjolras was, even while passionately kissing someone. His hands had not ventured anywhere other than her cheek and her hair, and now her waist. But he didn't try to push her any farther and she didn't try to push him.
"I can't." Éponine rasped as she rose to her feet quickly, leaving Enjolras gaping on the floor. "I can't do this, I just can't. We're too different."
"Damn differences. I'm fighting to blur the lines of social classes in Paris. To be with you would fuel my beliefs."
"No." Éponine whispered, staring at him longingly as he stepped towards her.
"Have you ever had a man want to worship you and you alone?"
"No." She leaned into his touch as he reached out to cup her cheek.
"Have you ever been with someone, so naive and innocent in the means of all of this?"
"No." Éponine reached out and ran a finger along his lips. "I won't ever be."
Enjolras stepped away from her, hands on his hips. "You're right." He nodded, trying to convince himself that it was a good idea. He had yet to come to grips with the emotions that coursed through him, the longing and the desires.
"I should go."
"Stay?"
"It's probably not the best idea."
"Please." Enjolras asked sincerely, gathering up his books. He felt as though if he had books in his arms then he couldn't grab her and kiss all over again.