This part is a bit shorter - there may be three or four parts, I haven't decided yet. DISCLAIMER: I don't own Les Mis, if I did I'd be a much cooler person.

Part 2 - Falling

They start to meet up, once a week, at the same time, in a field near the village, sitting together and talking – about anything and everything. He brings books for her, teaches her how to read and write; he will never forget the look on her face when she managed to write her name for the first time. She pesters him with questions about The Republic, picking apart his ideas to allow him to improve them, and, when they're not occupied with political or educational topics, she teaches him all the old folk songs that her father taught her before he died or they dance around the field together, laughing and having fun.

Winter starts to set in, and after one meeting where they have to huddle up together for warmth, Laure says, "How about you come to meet my family next time – as I don't fancy sitting out here in the cold." She can see he's slightly hesitant, so she tempts him by saying, "You'll get to see first-hand how we poor people live."

"Alright, then," he smiles at her, noting the way she blushes and looks down. She tells him how to find her address, and with a brief hug, they part ways.

The next week, Laure is up early, sweeping the floor, and making sure the house is completely tidy. "We're having a visitor, Maman," she says, stirring the porridge as her mother bustles around, getting herself ready for work. "I've told you about my friend, Alexandre Enjolras?"

Her mother frowns, but says nothing, heading out of the door. Laure, feeling nervous, supervises her siblings' baths in the rickety old tub with water boiled over the fire, threatening to send Louis out into the cold to wash when he complains about the temperature of the water. Then she potters around, tweaking the curtains, and the tatty table-cloth. She knows that Alexandre won't be judgemental about the way her family lives, but she still worries.

At eleven o'clock on the dot, there's a knock at the door; Laure is alone in the house as the children have gone out to play. She rushes to the door, overcome by excitement, and her nerves, and throws it wide, revealing her friend stood in the doorway. "Bonjour!" she smiles at him as he steps into the warmish, slightly smoky room. She's pleased to see that he's wearing what are obviously his oldest clothes, so he doesn't stand out as much as he might have.

"Bonjour," he returns the greeting, looking around curiously as he passes her the basket he's been holding. "I begged food and supplies off the cook for you," he smiles. "Said I was giving alms, but she's not to know it's for you."

Laure is extremely touched by this – he's brought food for her before when they met in the field, but this basket seems to contain shawls and things as well – things that all the family will make use of. "Thank you very, very much," she says, the gratitude showing in her voice as she places the basket on the table. "This is very kind of you."

He sighs. "Laure, it's nothing. My family have far more possessions and food than we need – it's only fair to give some of them to people who actually do need them."

"I guess," Laure says. She takes his wrist and tugs him further into the main room. "Sit down, sit down. It's freezing outside, and we've built up the fire, so it should be warm enough. I've still got some chores to do…"

"Is there anything I can do?" Enjolras immediately asks.

"If you'd like to help me wash my siblings' Sunday clothes, then that would be greatly appreciated," she smiles shyly.

"You'll have to show me what to do," he says, taking off his jacket and rolling up his sleeves as Laure drags the bathtub into the centre of the room.

"We use this for bathing and laundry," she explains. She shows him how they boil water over the fire, and then add it into the tub, using a small amount of soap, and then scrubbing away at the clothes as hard as possible. After she's explained, they begin to work in companionable silence, sitting next to each other and cleaning the clothes. Laure is very aware of how their arms keep brushing as they pick up different items of clothes – and she is disconcerted, as whenever their arms brush, a shiver runs up her spine.

As December merges into January, Enjolras comes to the little house more and more often, helping out with the household chores and, with Laure, teaching the younger children their basic letters and numbers. For him, it's a chance to get away from his parents, who seem to be pressuring him to spend more time with his brother-in-law, or to go hunting, or find himself a girl. For Laure, on the other hand, the days when he visits are always more fun – she finds herself missing him more and more acutely on the days that he doesn't come.

Their little routine never changes, though. They always do the work first – wash, cook, sweep, clean, then they teach Louis, Annette, Daniel and Gerard more from whatever learner's book Enjolras brings with him, then after that, they sit on the floor together, his arm around her shoulder and her head resting against his shoulder, and they read a political book or discuss whatever latest law the monarchy has put in place. And slowly, ever so slowly, they start to fall for each other.

He starts to notice things about her that he never noticed before – the fact that her hair is more red than brown, and her eyes change colour from green to brown in different lights. She starts to realise that his hands are becoming calloused, from the work that they do when he comes to visit. His parents remain blithely oblivious to the fact that their son is walking around the village, hand-in-hand with a poor working girl, and her mother starts to accept the fact that her daughter is falling for this young, rich, gentleman.

With February comes Enjolras' sixteenth birthday – as the weather is warmer, he and Laure escape to the field that they met in during the summer. "Happy Birthday," she tells him sincerely, as they lean against the gate posts. She hands him a wrapped package.

"You didn't have to get me anything!" he protests as she shoves the present into his hands. She pulls a face at him.

"You're my friend. 'Course I have to get something," she says, keeping her tone and expression nonchalant. But inside, her heart is pounding – she really, really hopes that he likes it, as she spent ages trying to decide between this and something else. He keeps looking at the package, so she elbows him playfully. "Go on. Open it," she says, keeping her fingers crossed behind her back. He bites his lip as he starts to carefully open the present – for a second, she wonders what his lips would feel like against hers. No, Laure, she sternly forces her thoughts back into check.

In the meantime, he's rid the present of the coarse brown paper, and is holding up, a smile lighting up his handsome features. "A cooking book!" he grins, opening the front cover. "This will certainly come in useful when I go to university."

She smiles wanly as he puts an arm around her shoulders, giving her a quick hug. "Thank you, Laure," he says, tucking the book under one arm. "I really like it."

"You may have to hide it from your parents," she warns, a slightly teasing note in her tone.

"Oh, I'll think of some way to explain how I acquired it," he says. "They don't pay much attention to me anymore, not with my sister expecting." He doesn't sound annoyed that his parents are ignoring him. Laure thinks this is slightly strange, but doesn't comment, as she knows the tenuous relationship between father and son.

"I'd probably better get going," she says, reluctantly. "Maman wanted me to get some flour from the mill today as her hours have been extended."

He bites the inside of his cheek, suddenly nervous. What is wrong with you, Alexandre? He asks himself as Laure smiles at up at him. He puts an arm around her, intending to give her a hug to say goodbye and thank you, but before he can stop himself, he's leaned down, and hesitantly pressed his lips to hers. His heart pounds, and relief floods over him as she puts her arms around his neck and kisses him back. They break apart, staring at each other. Enjolras is suddenly embarrassed. "Sorry," he mutters, breaking their eye contact, and looking down at the floor.

"Don't be," Laure's voice is cheerful, happy. He darts a glance at her to see that she's smiling widely. She loops her arm through his. "I've wanted to do that for ages, but I worried that you'd think I was too forward," she admits, the smile never leaving her face.

"I wouldn't," he says, starting to smile himself. "Laure, we've been discussing equal rights between women and men, and you're worrying that I'd think you were too forward? That shows a serious lack of faith." She catches the teasing note in his voice, and laughs.

"I guess," she starts to skip a little bit. "I can put off going to the mill."