Hello everyone! Are you ready for another fluffy chapter?

I must be honest and tell you all that Gavroche does not feature heavily in this chapter but he will in the next one. He helps Courfeyrac with a certain plan in this chapter, and has to be sneaky about it. Don't worry, his absence will not be long, he will get the attention in the next one. This is Eponine and Courfeyrac, I hope you enjoy it.

Eponine couldn't remember a time that had been as good as the last week she had spent living with Courfeyrac and Gavroche. If there had been a time as good as this, it must have been many years ago when everything was alright, when they had money and they were a family. She had been there a week already and she loved it. Even though she argued about Courfeyrac insisting she sleep in his bed and he would sleep on the couch, she even offered to share Gavroche's bed if it meant Courfeyrac would get to be comfortable but he insisted. That was typical Courfeyrac. She wanted her and Gavroche to be comfortable before he was.

She loved every part of living there. She loved waking up every morning to see Courfeyrac singing along to the radio to entertain Gavroche as he made breakfast. She loved being able to see Gavroche every day and be there when he needed her there. And she loved spending time with Courfeyrac. She couldn't stop her heart from fluttering with excitement every time she was with him, smiling at him like an idiot when he kissed her cheek and laughing when he turned from the sensitive loving adult to the silly overgrown kid as he ran around the apartment in some crazy game Gavroche had made up. She wanted to be there all the time.

She didn't know nor did she understand what exactly there was between her and Courfeyrac. One could say that they simply felt comfortable enough in each other's company to relax around each other. In the evenings, after Gavroche had gone to bed, they would watch television together. She would sink against his side, her head on his shoulder with his arm around her. It felt good. She felt secure, she felt loved.

….

"Bedtime 'Roche" Eponine smiled picking up the little boy. Having spent the day at the park with her and Courfeyrac, Gavroche was more than tired. With the early dinner and cuddles with papa, the tiny boy could barely keep his eyes open. "Come on baby, let's get you to bed".

Gavroche nodded. "Okay 'Ponine, goodnight papa" he smiled leaning back down from Eponine's arms to kiss Courfeyrac's cheek, giving his papa a thumb up sign when Eponine wasn't looking. He smiled cheekily, giggling when Courfeyrac kissed his nose and ruffled his hair.

"Goodnight little man" He smiled.

Eponine smiled, carrying the child into his bedroom and gently laying him into his bed. "There we go baby" She said softly, sitting beside him and stroking his cheek. "You are such a sleepy boy"

"Story?" He smiled holding up a small children's story book.

"Are you sure you could stay awake through a story?" Eponine said with a giggle. He nodded. "Do you want Papa to read your story? You said he makes it funny"

"No" Gavroche replied with his eyes wide. He needed to keep Eponine in the room with him. "Ponine read the story, pwease"

How could she resist that? Eponine smiled taking the book and shifting to sit beside him, the boy cuddling up to her side. "Alright, alright, I'll read the story" She smiled.

….

Courfeyrac smiled to himself once he had heard Gavroche's bedroom door click shut. Now, he could put his plan into action. It had taken some work, but after a while he had managed to convince little Gavroche to go to bed early, so that him and Eponine could have dinner together once he was asleep. The trip to the local park had all been a part of the plan. That way Eponine would go along with the story that the little boy was extra tired and needed his sleep.

He used quickly grown used to having Eponine living with them in the apartment. He didn't mind sleeping on the couch if it meant that she was comfortable. He enjoyed having her there. In a way, he could not describe how he felt about Eponine. He felt as if the room lit up whenever she entered and how by living with them rather than at home, her entire world had changed. Maybe, just maybe, the princess story he had told her could finally reach its happy ever after.

As Eponine left the room to put Gavroche to bed, Courfeyrac knew that the little boy had it all under control. He would beg for a story, keeping Eponine with him for as long as possible until he fell asleep. That would give Courfeyrac enough time to set up the dinner and put the flowers in the vase. All ready. He would really have to think of something to thank the little boy for his help on the plan. He wasn't sure if he could consider the entire idea of a meal for just the two of them as romantic, but he liked it nonetheless. He really liked spending as much time as possible with Eponine; he just hoped that she loved the idea of the meal. In the time Gavroche had Eponine distracted, he set up the table for two with a delicious fish dinner and candles on the table. It looked romantic. The idea of that had Courfeyrac smiling to himself.

He grew nervous when he heard the footsteps in the hall, a sign that Gavroche had fallen asleep and Eponine had left the room. What if she didn't like it?

It was the dimmed light of the room and the gentle glow from the candle that caught Eponine's attention first. When she fully stepped into the kitchen, she saw Courfeyrac standing by the table a meal set out for the both of them. She gasped "Fey, what is this?"

"Well, I thought…" He stammered. "It would be nice for us to have a meal together, just the two of us. Grown up food, no pasta shapes and chicken nuggets"

She laughed "Grown up food indeed, Fey this looks amazing, thank you"

He blushed. He loved that she called him Fey, a loving little nick name. "I'm glad you like it"

She nodded. Eponine had never had anyone do this for her before. "It's great, honestly." She smiled. "It looks kind of romantic". She was blushing down.

Courfeyrac nodded sitting with her. Many may have described him as a ladies man, but now he was silenced. No smart chat up lines, just him. He smiled at her, tempted to say something very cliché like 'You look beautiful in the candlelight'. What was happening to him? Where was the ladies' man that women adored? He chuckled to himself, looking at her. He had to say something. "Has anyone ever told you that you are beautiful?"

Eponine looked up at with a shocked expression. "Not since I was very small, no one thinks that now. Look at me, clothes don't fit, hair is knotty all the time, and I am just plain. You've had prettier girls with their perfect hair and designer clothes throwing themselves at your feet before"

"Well… I think you're beautiful" Courfeyrac said, his confidence returning to him. "And don't call yourself plain. I happen to have a thing for brown haired, brown eyed girls. I don't care for fancy clothes and hair that takes too long to style"

Eponine blushed "You're a flirt" She giggled. "You're trying to make be blush"

Courfeyrac laughed "I am doing no such thing, can't I just compliment a girl that I think is beautiful and deserves to be told that she is"

"If we are complimenting each other let me say, I do love curly hair and dark eyes on a man" Eponine smiled looking across the table at him as she ate. "And you are a very good cook"

"I try to be a good cook" Courfeyrac smiled. "And I thought you had a thing for freckles" He added thinking of Marius Pontmercy, the young man that Eponine used to follow around like a puppy, hanging on his every word. He had a new love now, apparently, some new girl he had seen working in a local book shop.

"Freckles add character, but it is not a must on my ideal man" Eponine giggled. "Something else that adds character is big dark eyes with a cheeky light"

Courfeyrac blushed looking down. "Well my ideal women would have big brown eyes and the cutest dimples I have ever seen and hair with just enough curl that it would bounce back into place if I were to run my hands through it"

"That is very precise" Eponine giggled "I never knew you had such specific ideas for the perfect women"

"It doesn't hurt to dream does it?" Courfeyrac smiled taking a sip of wine as excitement bubbled through him. Was she describing him? Was he describing her?

"I guess not" Eponine smiled. Talk continued like this for the duration of the meal, talking until the candles had nearly completely burned out. "Now Courfeyrac" Eponine said, smiling like an idiot again. "Let me ask you one more question? Will you let me sleep on the couch tonight? I've been in your bed every night; it can't be comfortable for you sleeping on the couch"

"Nonsense, its fine" Courfeyrac replied "You can more comfortable, I don't care"

Eponine rolled her eyes at his stubbornness. "Alright then, a compromise maybe" She said "Why don't we just share the bed. It isn't like we haven't done it before"

Courfeyrac nodded, the idea seeming incredibly pleasant. Both had slept well when they had fallen asleep in each other's arms. "I think I can agree with that" He smiled. "Like you said, we have slept in the same bed before"

Romance!

I really enjoyed writing this chapter, talking about their little dinner date and them trying to subtly flirt with each other. It was really fun to write!

I hope you liked it :D Please review and let me know what you thought