Title: Will You Love Me?
Summary: Éponine and Enjolras weren't friends. At least that's what everyone thought. Their fights were something all the Amis enjoyed, screaming matches neither of them could win. But what happens when Enjolras starts getting curious about her? What happens when he discovers that she is the only one who can help him?
Note:And I'm back! This story is completely different to the last one, but still I hope you'll like it. I decided to split the story in two chapter, it was impossible to cut my train once I began writing this. As always I tried not changing them too much, still adding some of my own stuff. Massive thanks to my amazing beta-reader Judybear236, your opinions are gold! You are awesome! I would like to know what you think about this, your opinions and thoughts are a massive part of this story. Thanks to those who take time to read this, this one is for all of you. Now, let's begin.
Their fights were legendary. Every time one of them rose up from where they were sitting, everyone would sat back and enjoy the spectacle. The screaming match would last until one of them left the Café or the other decided to shut up and ignore the other. Enjolras was the leader of Les Amis, a group of students which organized rallies, protests and campaigns in order to promote their ideas about freedom, equality and justice. When they weren't out on the streets rallying the people or giving flyers all around, they would gather in the Café Musain. Since their first year at college, the Musain had become their meeting spot, the place where they would relax, study, and every night, discuss a certain topic.
As the leader, Enjolras would choose the subject of their discussion, and after that, the argument would evolve from there. The only thing that Enjolras wasn't counting on was Éponine.
Éponine was a student from psychology. She was also the barista from the Musain. She was a petite brunette, with tanned skin and wide chocolate eyes, which could be capable of killing with just one look or persuade anyone to do anything with another. But that was not the reason why Enjolras felt exasperated every time she talked. Yes, she was a very sweet girl when she wanted to be, sometimes even funny. She was witty and stubborn, something all the Amis rather enjoyed, except when she reduced one of them to tears with her sarcastic replies. Despite all of that, Enjolras did enjoy her presence.
But that was until she began challenging him.
That night everyone was left speechless when she decided to question the methods he was suggesting on using to help students who were attending school on scholarship grants. Éponine's head snapped up and in a moment, both of them were on their feet screaming words at each other, cheeks flushed and eyes burning with anger. From that night on, it was almost weird when their meetings didn't end with them fighting. Grantaire had once whispered something about "sexual tension", and Courfeyrac decided to form a heart with his hands, pointing at the fighting pair in front of them with a wink. Even Jehan had once written a poem about how the next step of hate was love.
But they were all wrong. Enjolras and Éponine were far from falling in love with each other.
They barely acknowledge one another outside of the Café, and they would only talk to the other when it was barely necessary. But that changed on a Saturday morning. Éponine didn't work during the weekends, so she would often grab a book and head towards the Musain. She saw him reading a book in deep concentration, sitting near the window with a cup of coffee in front of him. Éponine knew that the man was an avid reader, probably managing to read a book per week. Even though Éponine would've enjoyed the company of one of the Amis during that morning, she was completely sure that Enjolras was not that guy.
She knew he hadn't noticed her come in, and if he had, probably he would only ignore her. The night before, their traditional fight had been over when he stormed out of the building, leaving the girl behind furious. As Éponine waited in line to order her Cream Frappuccino (Coffee always gave her a terrible headache) she pondered if he would mind her company. With a shake of her head she quickly dismissed the idea. He would never want her company. Everyone had always said to her that he was emotionless, cold, serious, severe …practically, that he was made from marble. That description might scare some other girl, but not Éponine. She knew that he was introverted, silent and sometimes rude, but aside from that, he was a nice guy when he wanted to be.
Enjolras had noticed her as she walked in. He felt his blood stir in his veins at only the sight of her, the memories of their last fight still fresh in his memory. At first, he had been quite impressed when the brunette had interrupted him during one of his speeches, surprised that someone would question his ideas. But as the days went on, he began growing frustrated with the girl every time she opened her mouth. She always had something to say, challenging him in a way no one had ever done before. Sometimes she would even use psychology against him, while he tried to maintain his composed façade, but failing miserably when a frown appeared on his face.
His eyes followed her while she took a cup of a drink he had never tasted before, her dark hair hanging in wavy layers down her back. She walked to a seat in the corner of the Café and from her bag, pulled out a book. Enjolras tried to see properly the cover of the book, but unable to make out the title, he averted his gaze, not wanting anyone to catch him staring. He continued to read his book, groaning quietly when he realized that he wasn't understanding a single word he was reading. Enjolras knew that the night before he had gone quite far during their argument, and he had known that the exact moment he realized she was about to slap him. He wasn't a bad guy, he had been raised to be a gentleman, and he knew that he needed to apologize.
Éponine settled deeper into the couch, drinking her Frappuccino slowly and enjoying the sweet flavor on her tongue as her eyes flew from a word to another. She hadn't noticed him until she heard someone clear his throat. She looked up confused, surprised when she met a pair of clear blue eyes.
"Uh, hey Éponine" He greeted with a nod of his head.
"What? You want to keep telling me how my inferior knowledge isn't helping your cause?" She snapped, her eyes never leaving the book she was holding.
Enjolras felt his blood boil, but fought to swallow the anger in his throat "No."
"So what do you want?" she asked dryly.
"Actually, this was a mistake" He said, turning around to glance at the other side of the room "Sorry I interrupted you."
And with that he turned around completely and walked towards his seat fuming. That had been the first conversation they had ever had without yelling at each other. And still, they both had managed to end up angry. The next Saturday, however, Enjolras decided to ignore her. She noticed him in his usual spot that morning, and after an internal argument with herself, she decided to approach to him.
"Can I sit here?"
She didn't sit down, deciding to wait for his response. When his only reply was a shrug of his shoulders, she pulled out the chair and sat down. They read in silence, neither of them daring to speak first. Enjolras enjoyed the mornings when he would just drink coffee and read, but the fact that there was someone else with him made him feel quite nervous. Éponine looked at him from behind her book, frustrated by the fact that he didn't seem disturbed by her presence.
"So" she cleared her throat and rested her elbows on the table, taking a sip of her Frappuccino "What are you reading?"
He barely looked up from his book, just moving slightly so she could see the cover properly. She stifled a giggle when she read Pride and Prejudice written in golden letters elegantly across the dark blue surface.
"Me too!" she gasped excitedly turning her book around so he could see it.
He rose and eyebrow mockingly "Are you enjoying it?"
She shrugged and leaned back drinking from her cup eagerly "I always do. This is my fifth time reading it."
"Really?" he asked, trying to hide the surprise in his voice.
"Yup" she beamed "I have a thing for Mr. Darcy"
Enjolras blinked. He stared at the young woman in awe and had to inhale deeply to keep himself in check. He was sure she had never smiled, well, not at him specifically. And he found the whole experience quite breathtaking, the way her whole expression morphed and a bright smile formed on her lips, her dimples appearing and making her look younger than she was.
He closed his book and leaned forward "Éponine…about what happened a week ago…"
"Stop" she ordered raising a hand "Let's forget that. Sometimes I'm not really in a good mood, others I am, but you just bother me"
His eyes widened as a frown appeared on his face as he muttered quietly "Sorry."
"I was only joking, pretty-boy" she stated with a chuckle leaning forward "I like nagging you, in case you haven't noticed"
"Sometimes you are really frustrating" he mumbled before placing his lips over his cup.
"I was born to annoy you" she said casually leaning back in her chair and opening her book once more.
He chuckled "I could say the same."
And from that day on, they continued to sit together every Saturday morning, reading in silence and enjoying each other's company (although neither of them would ever admit it). Despite their morning meetings, nothing changed when they were with the Amis. They would still shout at each other and defend their points of view. Then, one morning after she had stormed out of the Musain furiously, he approached their table and put a cookie in front of her. Éponine took it as a silent apology and smiled, cracking the cookie in two and sliding the other half to him.
Enjolras never thought that he would find her company pleasant, but he rather enjoyed the small talks they would share, getting to know each other with each spoken word. But there was something about the girl that always had made him curious. She didn't share much about her past with him, the only thing he knew was that she had won a scholarship and that she lived in the dorms, sharing the room with Marius' girlfriend, Cossette. But besides that, he didn't know anything more. Slowly, both of them began opening up more, although neither of them was aware of that. He shared with her small facts about his childhood, why he had decided to study Law, his favorite books or movies. She shared her favorite things to do, her favorite places, she even had given him book recommendations, and he had done the same. Every Saturday morning they would read the same book, and after a while they would began talking and learning more from the other. Little did they know that his marble was cracking and her ice was melting.
It was two months later that he began to notice during the day that he would be watching her from a distance, as she prepared coffee, wiped down the counter or tables. As he continued his silent observation, he had started to notice things about her. How she always wore a bracelet in her right hand. How she would always get her books out and do homework whenever she could. Little things that nobody else but him would notice. Enjolras suddenly was aware that she would be absent for a couple of hours, returning to the Musain the exact moment he would always begin their meetings. Enjolras tried to ignore the little voice in his head that told him to stay away. But as always, he felt curious.
He decided to follow her, against his better judgment, and grabbing his bag stiffly, he walked out of the Musain. Looking around for any familiar faces, he caught quickly sight of her. She was walking down the street, a huge brown box in her arms as she made her way through the crowd. I must be crazy, he thought. Taking a deep breath, he followed her from a safe distance. He was completely sure that if she discovered him she wouldn't be pleased. It wasn't until she walked into an alley that he noticed that she wasn't wearing her usual clothing. Instead she had a large shirt, the shirttails knotted in front. She wore a pair of old jeans and brown boots, her dark waves hidden under a cap. He frowned but kept walking, stopping to hide every time she turned around or knelt between alleys, placing something on the floor, then the sound of the flash of a camera and finally she would wave goodbye and keep walking.
When she turned around the corner, he walked hurriedly to peek into one of the alleyways she had entered. A homeless old man was sitting against the wall, chewing slowly what seemed like a donut, a box of juice with a straw beside him. Enjolras frowned, his heart beginning to beat faster as he caught sight of another man resting on the opposite wall, nibbling pieces of a muffin, another juice box by his side. Taking the loose change he had in his pockets, he gave it to the men and kept walking, a deep frown in his face, lost in his thoughts.
She was feeding the homeless and poor. Éponine Thenardier, the girl who worked double shifts to earn money to survive, was spending what she earned on others. Enjolras felt a rush of adrenaline surge through his body as he realized that they all had underestimated her, every time they discussed the homeless, she had been the one who had been right. And this had been the proof that she was better than all of them. Éponine Thenardier knew more than any of the Amis would know, she knew more than Enjolras would ever know.
He stopped when he heard low voices coming from somewhere up ahead. Stepping slightly behind a garbage can, he knelt and narrowed his eyes as he caught sight of her. Éponine was kneeling in front of an old woman, a warm smile in her lips as she listened to the woman who was chatting animatedly, a scone in her bony hands.
"I brought your favorite" Éponine stated with a smile.
The woman giggled happily, as if she had suddenly forgotten how bad her life truly was. "My dear 'Ponine, you know me too well! Why don't you sit and eat with me?"
"Pattie, you know I need to visit the others" Éponine sighed, although she was already sitting down on the damp floor.
"So tell me, sweetie, how's university going?" the old woman asked as she chewed the scone soundly.
"As always" Éponine answered sipping some juice from the box "Have you seen Marcel lately?"
"The last thing I heard was that the kid had been caught stealin' from a bakery" The old woman answered with a shake of her head.
Éponine sighed "Things are going worse and worse every day…"
"But what about your friends? That group of boys you always tell us about? Don't you think they will help us?"
Enjolras felt his breath catch in his throat at the words of the old woman. Éponine had been telling them about Les Amis? He looked around, his mouth suddenly dry. She had been working on the cause more than any of them. She had known the people, and the people knew her. Somehow she even had talked about the cause.
"I don't know, Pattie, I really hope they will" Éponine whispered patting the old woman's arm fondly.
"Well, enough of sad things" Pattie said reproachfully with a wave of her hand "Now tell me, has someone already managed to steal that big heart of yours?"
Éponine laughed, a dark blush coloring her cheeks "You are crazy, Pattie!"
"I might be, 'Ponine, but still I can't believe that no one notices you!" The old woman complained popping the last piece of her scone into her mouth.
"Well, you better believe it because it's true" Éponine stated with a smile that didn't reached her eyes.
"You will see, someday love will come, perhaps it is already there and you just haven't noticed" Pattie said with a smile, showing her two missing teeth.
Éponine chuckled "Maybe I will die alone with 27 cats."
"And what about those friends of yours? I can't believe that they don't notice you!" The old woman insisted somewhat childishly.
"They don't, Pattie, to them I'm just…'Ponine" she said with a shrug.
The old woman sighed "You are so stubborn, sweetie…"
"Oh come on, now let's take your picture, I need to continue"
Éponine jumped to her feet and took an old Polaroid from her bag. She kneeled in front of the woman and snapped a quick shot of the smiling woman. Placing the new picture inside her bag she knelt and hugged the woman tenderly before grabbing the huge box from the floor and continuing to walk down the alley.
Enjolras waited for couple of minutes before standing up and following her, his heart beating faster than he had ever felt before. He had underestimated her. Éponine wasn't just a barista and a girl who always challenged him. She was the one who could teach him about the world.
It had been two days since he had followed her and discovered something that had turned his world upside down. He, the marble-man, had been left speechless. And all because of a girl, no less. That night he hadn't been able to close his eyes without seeing Éponine in that alley, a warm smile in her face as she gave away donuts, cupcakes and pastries to the homeless. It was then that he realized that he didn't know her at all. And he was ready to change that. The next Saturday morning came as usual, the two of them sitting, the books closed and resting on the table as they talked animatedly.
"I really don't believe that there is a hidden pyramid underneath Washington" Éponine stated firmly grabbing her Frappuccino.
Enjolras looked up to her "Perhaps it's just figuratively"
"Dan Brown is known for using real information and transforming it into something unreal" she continued, wanting to win their literary fight for the first time.
"Man can believe the impossible, but man can never believe the improbable" He said with a small smile.
Éponine gaped at him before leaning back on her seat and crossing her arms, sending him a glare. He chuckled before leaning forward. When they finished reading Pride and Prejudice, they continued with The Great Gatsby (chosen by Enjolras), then The Outsiders, by Susan E. Hinton (chosen by Éponine). Then Enjolras chose A Tale Of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens, Éponine continued with To Kill a Mockingbird, and now they were reading The Lost Symbol, by Dan Brown. They had argued about the stories, characters, the background of the author, every detail they could talk about. Enjolras had found her point of view somewhat refreshing and new, and even on one occasion she had changed the way he saw the whole novel. Éponine, on the other hand, had grown confident about her opinion and was learning to organize her ideas before opening her mouth.
"What?" he asked with a silent laugh at the sight of her glare.
"I hate when you quote famous writers and end up being right" she complained.
He chuckled before placing the cup in his lips, prepared for what she would have to say. She opened her mouth and the words flowed from her lips freely as he listened intently to her speech. At some point of the conversation, they began talking about books. Different genres, favorite authors. Éponine had read hundreds of books, just as he had. He had spent days hidden in the library, just reading. While Enjolras used it as a way to gain knowledge, she had used it as an escape from her reality. She would be able to be in any world that she could imagine, she could be anyone she wanted to. At some point the conversation turned into something more serious as they began talking about the opportunities people had, and the opportunities they didn't get.
Enjolras remained silent when he noticed that she was beginning to close in again. Please, don't shut me out, he thought, turning his gaze down to his cup. The silence was almost unbearable for her, she hated when the conversation gave a turn and suddenly they were talking about her. She glanced up to meet his eyes.
"Come on, tell me" she blurted out.
His head snapped up "What?"
"I know you are hiding something" she said with a shrug "Tell me"
"I just…I've realized that I don't know much about you" he said quietly. When she opened her mouth he raised his hand "Wait, let me finish. I do know this Éponine Thenardier, the one who is ready to fight and attack, who doesn't let anyone, especially me, tell her that she is wrong. But I've realized that…you are the only one who can teach me what I don't know. I talk about equality and justice, about the homeless, the analphabets, the prostitutes, the orphans. But I don't know them. I don't know how it feels to live what they live. And I know you are the only one who can help me."
Her eyes were wide with surprise "I don't understand-"
"I know what you do every Wednesday, Éponine, I followed you. I know you feed the homeless and the poor. And that, I must say, is something I admire very much. Please, don't take it the wrong way, I'm really surprised in the good way about what you have been doing. You are the one who has done something for our cause. I would like to know that Éponine, if you'd let me, of course. You can teach me about the world…and about you. What you have done for those people...you might have just saved their lives. It might be a little action, but just with that, you are helping them in a way no one else does. It's really amazing, Éponine, what you do…I would like to help you. I would like you to help me."
Éponine stared at him speechless. For the first time in her life, Enjolras had left her without words. He had followed her? She didn't knew if she should be shocked by the fact that he had been observing her all that time, or insulted because he had been poking around into what she considered her own private affairs. But what she hadn't been expecting was the wave of warmth that traveled down her body. Without knowing the exact reason why, she didn't feel angry or upset. The fact that Enjolras was asking help from her was something that didn't happened very often…well, it never happened.
She stared at him quietly, his eyes boring into hers with something akin into desperation…did he really think she could help him? Éponine was vaguely aware of the fact that Enjolras was clenching his fists tightly underneath the table, at that moment she could only stare into his eyes. Had they been always that blue? Éponine shook her head and exhaled.
"I'll do it" she answered quietly, her gaze dropping to the wooden surface of the table "I will show you what you want to know."
Enjolras blinked surprised and blurted out "You will?"
"Yeah…don't ask me why. But if we are going to do this, we'll do it my way" she stated severely pointing a finger to her own chest.
"I'm aware of that" he stated solemnly.
"Very well, in that case you will accompany me this Wednesday. It's sandwich day."
Enjolras stood where she had instructed him, his back resting on the cold surface of the wall of one of the buildings near the alley she frequented. They had agreed on keeping these visits to themselves, neither of them willing to endure the jokes the Amis would surely make. Besides, Éponine still wasn't ready to let them all know her whole past. She wasn't completely sure about letting Enjolras in, too afraid of being hurt again. If she had learned one thing throughout her life, it was that you should never trust anyone. They ended up letting you down always.
As he caught sight of the brunette walking hurriedly down the street towards his direction, he straightened and walked towards her. She was using the same clothes he had seen her wear, her long tresses underneath the cap, some tendrils hanging loosely around her face. As soon as she was close enough, he took the huge brown box from her arms and held it in his. The box was heavier than he had thought it was, not for him of course, but for her to carry.
"Thank you" she said, sounding breathless.
"No problem. Now shall we begin?" he motioned turning around to enter the alley.
"Wait. I think you look too proper for the occasion" Her eyes traveled from his face down to his feet very briefly. She took a step back and raised her hand to her lips.
"What do you mean?" he asked confused gazing down to his own attire. He was wearing a brown jacket, a red plaid shirt and dark jeans.
"You can't approach them dressing like that, the last thing they want to be reminded of is of what they can't have. They will feel intimidated, and we want them to be comfortable around us. And if you give them food looking like that they will think it's charity. And they don't want charity."
Before he had a chance to speak, she was already taking the box from his arms and placing it on the floor before hurrying to stand behind him and began tugging at his jacket from behind, sliding it down his arms. He was aware of her proximity, the scent of vanilla suddenly overwhelming him. As soon as his jacket was off, she tugged it into her bag and returned to face him quickly. Without a warning, her fingers traveled up to his shirt and unbuttoned the first two buttons. He stared at her dumbly, the warmth of her body traveling to his own as she worked on his shirt, rolling his sleeves up. She stepped back and looked at him with pursed lips.
Enjolras almost jumped when she stood on her tiptoes and ruffled his hair, strands of his blond curls falling to his eyes. With one hand he removed some of them and looked down at her with a questioning gaze.
"Perfect" she smiled before turning around and grabbing her bag once more. "Let's go"
They made their way down the alley silently, the two walking side by side. Enjolras had never thought that the Éponine they all knew was capable of doing something like this. She knew all the names of every single person, man, woman or child. The way she spoke to them was something he would treasure forever, her voice warm, soothing and calm, as if she tried to make them forget the world in which they were living.
He was completely sure that she was oblivious to the reaction of her presence to the poor. Their faces brightened when she came into view, kneeling in front of them and placing a sandwich in their laps as she talked animatedly with them. He realized how important she had become to all of them, and how she had become their only hope. Enjolras was trying to take in every single detail about her and what she said and did. He did not miss the glint of sadness in her eyes every time she turned around and walked towards the next person.
She had even dragged him by the arm and forced him to speak about their cause. He had no idea how she expected him to win the confidence of the people, something she had done. He was left speechless when one of the old men had began asking him questions about the projects he and the Amis had to improve the living conditions of people like him. Enjolras had forgotten to answer, suddenly feeling overwhelmed.
Éponine had been telling these people about the Amis. She had lit the spark of hope in them.
When he felt her warm hand squeezing his shoulder gently, he snapped from his trance and answered the question the old man had asked. When Éponine reminded them that there was still a long way to go, Enjolras shook the man's hand firmly and stood up by Éponine's side as she knelt and took a picture of the smiling old man. Despite his resolve not to ask her, his curiosity got the better of him. He had to ask why did she took all of those pictures. With a smile, Éponine grasped his hand in hers and guided him to another section of the alley.
Both of them tried to ignore the current of electricity that ran up their arms when their skin made contact.
Éponine sat down and he did the same. She pulled from the depths of her bag a handful of photographs, some of them older than others. She handed them to him and he began observing each of them slowly. The same persons, different days. On one photograph, they were holding a baguette, on others, a muffin, and at the bottom he found the ones where they were holding sandwiches.
Éponine had been taking pictures of their progress.
As he flipped through the photos, he noticed how the smiles of the poor began being bigger, brighter…more honest and open. Éponine explained to him how she had first decided to begin this project. She had spent most of her youngest years without anything to eat, and whenever she could afford a piece of bread, she would give it to her sister and brother. Her siblings had practically forced her to go to college and leave them in an orphanage. She promised them that as soon as she could, she would go and get them out of there. Éponine left, the first months being the hardest for her. One day she came across a boy who reminded her of her little brother, he was asking her a coin. It was then when she realized that she didn't want anyone to suffer what she had suffered, feeling hungry, that kind of hunger that blinded you and made you wish to die. So she decided to save some of the money she earned at the Musain and buy some food for them. Enjolras stared at the ground as he considered her words, every single word sinking deep into his brain and heart. Without knowing it, Éponine had given him a direction for his revolution. He looked up at Éponine to see if he could figure out what she was thinking and noticed that she was already studying him.
Éponine smiled at the ground as she whispered her next words "I don't want you to feel sorry for me."
"No, Éponine. I would never feel sorry for you." He said intensely, reaching his hand and grabbing hers softly "I just think you are extraordinary…the bravest girl I've ever known."
Éponine smiled, her cheeks coloring with a soft pink. She gave him a sandwich and took one for herself. They ate it quickly before standing up and resuming their work. They walked in comfortable silence before they reached the next person, both of them in deep thought. Éponine didn't miss the way that Enjolras would gaze in her direction every few seconds, his hands gripping the box tightly.
"My dear 'Ponine, you're back!"
Enjolras stood behind Éponine with the box in his hands as he recognized the same old woman he had seen with Éponine a week before. He watched silently at the affectionate interaction between the two women, a smile tugging from the corner of his lips. As if sensing that she was being watched, the old woman looked up and met Enjolras' gaze.
"And who is this handsome boy?" the old woman questioned with a toothy smile.
"Oh Pattie, this is Enjolras. Enjolras this is Pattie" Éponine introduced them with a grin, stepping back as the old woman tried to sit straighter.
"A pleasure, Madame." Enjolras said politely shaking the old woman's bony hand.
"Oh my, what a gentleman" The old woman giggled as she let go of his hand "You never told me you already had a boyfriend, ´Ponine!"
Éponine blushed furiously as she began to stammer "No, no, no he's not my boyfriend, Pattie. He's just my friend."
Enjolras felt the tips of his ears go warm as he rubbed the back of his neck embarrassedly.
"Oh, I'm sorry, dear" Pattie apologized, turning to Éponine and giving her a discreet wink "But I do believe you make a very adorable couple"
"You crazy lady, take your sandwich and stop messing with the poor man!" Éponine laughed, glad of taking the attention away from her.
"So why have you brought him here?" the old woman asked as she chewed her sandwich.
"Remember the guys I talked you about? Les Amis? " Éponine asked. Pattie nodded so she continued "Well, Enjolras here is the leader and he wanted to meet you and the others. More specifically, he wanted you to meet him."
"Why?" the woman asked curiously sipping from the straw of her juice box.
"My friends and I are organizing a rally, and we would like very much if everyone assisted, listen to our ideas, about the future, change, about new opportunities."
She hadn't expected him to become so open and confident so quickly when talking with the people of the streets as they visited. Enjolras was an excellent leader, capable of leading a group of men. But at first, when it was just one person, he had been quite nervous (his clenched jaw had given him away) and he indeed became a marble-statue. But what was she expecting? He was Enjolras, after all, the marble-statue, powerful and majestic Enjolras. Éponine then understood that he wouldn't be able to approach the people on his own, he needed her help. The first time Éponine had helped him had been with Laurent, an older man who lived with his nephew. Both of them had lost their home in a fire and now lived in an old abandoned factory. Gradually Enjolras had opened up and become animated as he spoke of his vision for a free Patria. Now Éponine saw the familiar spark burning in Enjolras' eyes as he explained passionately to Pattie about his ideas and plans, the eyes of the older woman shining with hope as she listened excitedly.
"You've got my word young man, I will tell everyone about this rally of yours!" Pattie exclaimed joyfully.
"We need to keep going, Pattie" Éponine said with a warm smile as she kneeled, the Polaroid in her hands. Pattie smiled immediately and Éponine snapped a quick shot, grabbing the new picture and fanning it before placing it inside her bag.
"Would you like me to take a picture of you two?" the old woman asked innocently "I would like to keep a picture of you for myself, if you don't mind…"
"I know what you're doing…" Éponine whispered to Pattie handing her the Polaroid.
The old woman giggled as she held the camera tightly with her delicate hands. Enjolras cleared his throat and moved closer to her, kneeling beside her. Éponine held her breath as she felt him placing his hand tentatively behind her back.
"Smile!" the woman grinned cheekily, clicking the shutter.
As the flash sounded, Enjolras felt Éponine placing her hand shyly on his knee to keep balance. He tensed, relaxing immediately. I don't want her to think I don't like her, he thought to himself. As the old woman clicked the shutter two times more, he squeezed her waist reassuringly. He heard her giggle, and despite his attempt of not looking down, he did.
It had been a month since Enjolras had begun accompanying Éponine to feed the poor, and with each passing day he learned more and more about the homeless and about her. They continued to meet every Saturday morning at the Musain, where they would relax and enjoy the company of the other. Also, Enjolras had explained to the Amis the main subject they would approach during the up-coming rally: the homeless, the ones who were starving and went days without proper meals. They would talk about the public kitchens, or more specifically, about the lack of them. Enjolras met Éponine's eyes, who just smiled at him before disappearing behind the counter.
That Wednesday, they walked hurriedly down the alley without having the time to talk to the people . Éponine hadn't been able to leave the Café on time and they had lost an hour, so that meant that they needed to run if they wanted to arrive to the meeting on time. Éponine had suggested they split up so they could finish on time. Although Enjolras felt a little reluctant, at the end he agreed and watched as she walked hurriedly down the alley carrying her bag full of juice boxes and baguettes, turning around the corner and disappearing from sight. With a heavy sigh he grabbed the brown box and continued on his way, placing baguettes on the lap of every person.
Éponine almost groaned in frustration when several juice boxes fell from her bag. She turned around and knelt and began picking them up. Suddenly she felt it, a familiar prickle at the back of her neck. She hadn't felt it since a long time ago, and it had only happened when she was in the presence of…
Trying to calm down her beating heart, she stood up and turned around slowly. Montparnasse. The young man stood in front of her, an unpleasant smirk on his lips, his dark eyes shining with malice as he stepped closer to her.
"Well, well…look who we have here, little Éponine Thenardier." His voice was low and dark, making her shiver with fear.
"Hello 'Parnasse" she said quietly, taking a step back discreetly.
"Long time since we've seen each other. How's life? I see you have changed…" The man stepped closer, one of his long fingers tracing her jaw.
She jerked her face away "What do you want?"
"Can't I say hello to my old friend?" he laughed darkly, circling her as a predator circles its prey "Besides…you didn't said goodbye when you left…"
Éponine felt her heart start beating hard inside her chest, so hard that she could swear he could hear it. Taking in a sharp breath she turned around and began running as fast as she could. She had barely made it to the end of the building when she felt a strong hand gripping her wrist and tuning her arm painfully to the opposite side. She cried out in pain before Montparnasse pushed her against the wall, the scent of alcohol filling her nostrils.
"You thought you could escape that easily from me 'Ponine?" he whispered, a horrible smile creeping in his lips, his breath hitting her face as she squirmed against his body trying to push him away "You thought you could escape from your own past?"
"Let go of me" she muttered "You are disgusting, let me go!"
"Since you decided to run off with your burgoise friends and tried to become smart, now you think that you're better than the rest of us?" he sneered maliciously.
Éponine stopped struggling and looked at him straight to the eye fiercely "I am better than all of you."
Montparnasse chuckled darkly "Oh 'Ponine, you don't understand, do you? Doesn't it get through that thick skull of yours?" he asked mockingly tapping her head with one finger "You think you're so intelligent, but you're not. You're scum, you're dirt…like all of us. No one cares about you. You can't change what you are."
Éponine spit into his face hatefully, a look of sheer anger and fury in her face. He opened his eyes and began laughing darkly. Éponine felt goosebumps run all over her body at the sound, she knew she had gone too far and now he would punish her. Scream, someone will hear you, anyone, she thought. She felt his forceful hands pinning her against the damp wall again, harder than the first time. She inhaled a cold gulp of air and let out a scream. He hissed angrily, and before she could tell what was happening, she felt his hand making harsh contact with her cheek. Her face turned to the other side completely, the pain was sharp, her skin burning.
Without a warning he crashed his lips over hers roughly and started kissing her hungrily. Éponine fought him as best as she could, moving her arms desperately but failing repeatedly. She tried to scream again, but he was faster and grabbed the back of her head by the hair, painfully yanking her head down as hot tears fell down her cheeks. She felt his hands creeping under her large shirt, and she began squirming more violently. She was ready to give up, she hadn't the strength to fight him. Closing her eyes she angled her face and bit his lip as hardly as she could.
Montparnasse roared in pain before slapping her once more, grabbing her by her forearms and pulling her in for another kiss. She felt her body go numb as she began wishing she had listened to Enjolras, they shouldn't have separated. She wanted Enjolras to find her. Someone…anyone.
Suddenly, the weight of his body was dragged away from her as she heard a loud crash against the garbage cans. She opened her eyes fearfully, and it was then when she saw it. Enjolras was standing a few steps in front of her, but she could still see his face properly. His normally serene and calm expression had morphed into something completely different. He had an outraged expression, his cheeks flushed with anger, his blue eyes storming with fury. He had dropped the box and two juice boxes had fallen onto the damp street. Slowly, Montparnasse rose to his feet, but Enjolras didn't move, his fists clenched tightly as he breathed heavily. For the first time in all her life, Éponine witnessed how Montparnasse hesitated.
"Don't you dare put your filthy hands on her again!" Enjolras hissed, his voice low and menacing.
Montparnasse chuckled maliciously "You want that whore? Fine with me, you can have my leftovers."
Enjolras reached the man and punched his face with a swift movement. Montparnasse stumbled and tried to punch Enjolras back, but he was faster and punched him again, sending him to the floor. Éponine walked slowly to stand behind Enjolras, who just stood above Montparnasse, his lips curved in a snarl.
"Do not speak of her like that. Now listen to me carefully" Enjolras growled "I don't want to see you near her ever again, don't come back here. If I ever see you again, trying to take advantage of her or assaulting her, what just happened will be nothing compared to what I will do."
Éponine saw his muscles tensing in a menacing way, and without realizing it, she grasped his hand fearfully. At the feeling of her hand in his, he felt himself relax.
"Leave!" Enjolras demanded.
Montparnasse pulled himself up and walked down the street, sending Éponine a hateful glare before turning the corner and disappearing. The moment he was out of sight, Enjolras turned around to face her, his expression changing instantly into a worried frown, his eyes becoming gentler and soft. They looked at each other in silence, before his eyes darted to the reddened skin of her cheek. Slowly he raised a hand and traced the sore skin with his fingertips.
"I should've come sooner" he whispered in a way that she had never heard before.
"I'm sorry" she answered quietly, her eyes darting to the floor.
"What for?" he asked genuinely concerned.
"Not listening to you" she muttered, looking up to his eyes.
Enjolras felt as if he was meeting a completely new Éponine, the one who felt scared and lonely. He saw the girl shaking in front of him, weak and frightened. Without thinking, he pulled her into a hug, resting his cheek on top of her head. She tensed at the feeling of the proximity, but in the end she relaxed and circled his waist with her arms, burying her face in his chest. He didn't know if she was crying, and if she was, probably he would never know.
After a moment she pulled away and straightened, a small smile forming on her lips, but she didn't speak. Neither of them felt the need to speak after that, they were used to the comfortable silence between them, and Enjolras was pleased to just watch her, as she did with him. Her brown eyes searched his, trying to find something he didn't understand. At the same time, he was doing the same with her, his blue eyes boring into hers. Looking into my soul, she thought, trying to not give away anything.
"Éponine, there's something I need to tell you" he blurted out.
She raised an eyebrow "Go on"
He closed his eyes, and taking a deep breath he opened them, a frown appearing in his face "I-I think I might have feeli-"
"Stop" she interrupted him smoothly, her voice lost in the air like smoke "Don't do this. Not now, please."
His frown deepened but he just nodded. She gave him a sad smile that didn't reached her eyes. Standing on her tiptoes, she placed a kiss in his cheek, his skin burning where her lips had touched. As soon as it had been there, her lips were gone and she was walking towards the brown box. He followed her slowly and watched her from behind. Curious to what she was doing, he peeked over her shoulder and felt his breath catch in his throat. She was holding the photo Pattie had taken of them, her thumb grazing it tenderly. He also had their photo, hidden in his wallet. Just that his was different. Pattie had given him the one in which he had looked down to see her. Quickly she put it inside her bag and turned around to face him, a genuine smile in her lips.
Suddenly, he felt all his worries disappear as he stared into her eyes. He felt too comfortable with her by his side, he realized how much he yearned for her, how he woke up every Saturday morning, excited to meet her. How he secretly enjoyed every screaming match they had at the Musain, and the small talks they shared, confessing things no one else would ever know. He knew one thing was clear. He wanted to be with her, to have her close, to see her smile and see how her dimples showed, how her eyes came to life and sparkled with joy. He wanted more than anything to protect her from the world, to take her away.
Somehow, he had fallen for Éponine.