Title: Lucky I'm In Love With You
Summary: Éponine and Enjolras were best friends. Everyone always says that a woman and a man can't be friends without one of them falling for the other. They usually laugh at this. But what happens when one of them begins falling? Or perhaps both of them?
Note: I'm really grateful for all of your comments! You are so amazing! This story is completely different than the last one, but still I tried to add some of my usual stuff. Thanks to my amazing beta-reader Judybear236, who keeps surprising me with her help! I would like to know what you think about this, your thoughts are something really important to me. I would like to know what kind of stories do you like the most or stuff like that. Thanks to those who take time to read this and to those who always leave their thoughts, I really appreciate it! Enjoy!
The light that streamed through the window was enough to let her see clearly the words she was reading. Usually, he would've insisted on turning on the lamp at the nightstand, but for some unknown reason, he was silent as he read his own book. For someone who didn't know them, the position they had would be found very odd: the girl was resting with her head at the foot of the bed, her feet propped up on the wall, while he was sitting against the headboard as any normal person would. But then again, nothing in their friendship was what any person would call normal. They were two different persons who just happened to be best friends. Probably it was the way she had managed to crack his cold exterior, or perhaps the fact that he had won her trust in a very short amount of time. It still was a mystery to them.
But they were friends, best friends. She would hang out in his apartment for long stretches of time, not that it bothered him, in fact, he though his place looked brighter when she was in it. He loved when she managed to get him to relax, something not even Grantaire had ever accomplished. The way their friendship had blossomed was something that neither of them could understand until that day. Marius one night had brought to the Café the exotic brunette, who had managed to win all the Amis in a minute, all but Enjolras. It had taken a few more days until the marble-man had finally succumbed to the girl's charms, her dimpled smile that made everyone smile back involuntarily. Éponine had been trying to talk to the man for a couple of days, intrigued by all the things the Amis had told her about him. So when one day she arrived to the Musain and found him all alone reading a book, she decided that that was her chance. It had taken her a great amount of witty comments and sarcasm to finally manage to make him smile openly, and that night , they became friends.
If someone was more reserved than Éponine was, that would probably be Enjolras. And that was probably one of the reasons they had become close friends. Éponine would find in Enjolras support, someone who would listen to her and still she would be completely sure that would never repeat what she told him. Enjolras on the other hand, could find in Éponine everything that he himself didn't possess: she was free, in a way he couldn't understand. There was a certain boldness in the way she always moved, talked or even reacted that made Enjolras smile. She was odd, and he was odd too. They were odd. But they were best friends.
Of course they still hung out with the rest of the group, Enjolras would still enjoy talking with Combeferre or (to his frustration) smile when Grantaire began nagging at everyone when the alcohol reached his head. Éponine could still talk with Musichetta and Cosette about anything, although when Marius joined them, she would discretely walk away and go to wherever Enjolras was. He understood. Despite all the Amis' jokes, they were actually best friends. And that was all.
It was normal to them to share his bed as they lost themselves into two different kind of stories and worlds. While Éponine loved reading English and French literature (her favorites were Dickens and Shakespeare), Enjolras would find pleasure in his old copies about History (war, revolutions, stories about how men had fought for their beliefs). They would enjoy each other's presence, perhaps talk for a while or even tease the other. Later, when Enjolras declared that it was too late, he would order something to eat and then she would take off. Sometimes she would stay and sleep on his couch (because she was too proud to accept his bed), and still that felt too normal to them. Because they were best friends.
Éponine lifted her book so she could get a view of him, his brow furrowed in concentration as his eyes flew from one sentence to the other. Probably he was too blind to see it, but Éponine wasn't, and she was a woman, a woman who had a very handsome man for best friend. The guy didn't even care about his looks, his gold messy curls arranged perfectly around his face, one particular curl falling on his eyes. He had a sculpted jaw which he always kept clean shaven, but Éponine had had the privilege to witness how some days he would wear a scruffy jaw, too busy to have time to shave. He was tall, at least a half a head taller than she was, something he sometimes used against her. And still, when his clear blue eyes met hers, she jumped with surprise and lowered her book quickly. He chuckled.
Yeah, she had a quite good looking best friend.
"Were you staring at me?" his voice came as a mock.
She closed her book with a huff and placed it at her side "No I wasn't, I was just thinking."
He laughed and marked the page he was reading before closing it and placing it at the bed table before asking with a raised eyebrow "About what?"
"About how much I don't want to go to the reunion tomorrow" she groaned, placing her arms over her eyes.
"Come on" he said, straightening up "Everyone's going. And if you don't go probably Grantaire will drag you there."
"What's the point?" she whined "You have to admit that sometimes Marius and Cossette are really frustrating. Some day they will drown us with the amount of honey they pour."
Enjolras laughed, a sound that made a shiver run up Éponine's back. She lifted her arms enough to get a small view of his white teeth and smiled back.
"Yeah, they really are annoying" he nodded and then frowned "I still can't believe that they don't understand that it's gross to see them exchanging saliva."
"Ok, that was gross" Éponine laughed.
"Yes, sorry" he smiled back, his eyes softening "But still you should come, who will save me from Courfeyrac when he takes out the karaoke and tries to make me sing?"
"You'll survive" she stated with a grin as she patted his leg in a comforting manner "I've taught you well enough."
He poked her in the ribs "Please? Come on,´Ponine"
The brunette sighed dramatically before letting her head loll to one side, her cheek resting on the soft sheet "All right, but just because Courfeyrac always has the best alcohol."
He rolled his eyes but smiled. Éponine had been devastated when she found out that one of her best friends was dating the guy she liked. Although Enjolras had tried to assure her that everything was all right and that Marius was a complete idiot, still he had allowed her to have a time to get over it. That had been almost two years ago, and he was sure that she still wasn't over it completely, no matter how hard she tried to deny it. He slid one of his hands to her shin and squeezed it softly to get her attention. Her eyes shot up, meeting his. Sometimes he still was amazed at how her eyes seemed to glow, even when there was not enough light to cause it. They were wide and brown, warm.
"You sure you've already got over him?" he asked carefully, but still the concern in his voice was evident.
She felt a jolt of pain in her chest but fought it back and smiled "Of course."
He sighed and shook his head before chuckling "God, you are right about the honey thing."
She propped herself on her elbows, her eyes wide "I know, right!"
"I don't think I'll ever do that stuff with my girlfriend in public" he said with a disgusted expression "And if I ever do it, please slap me."
"What?" she gasped "The day you get a girlfriend I will shake her hand and wish her good luck!"
His jaw dropped with mock offense, and before she could comprehend what he was doing, his hands were already flying all over her sides and stomach tickling her, making her squirm as she slapped his forearms.
"I surrender! I surrender! Please stop!" she managed to gasp between laughter, her slaps becoming slower as he grinned and returned to his original position, a satisfied smirk in his face.
"The day I get a girlfriend I'll have to warn her about you" he said slowly, his arms crossed.
"The first thing you have to do in order to get a girlfriend is to actually interact with another female" she stated "And stop saying that your only love will always be Patria or whatever you say"
"But why do I need a girlfriend if I have you?" he asked, and although she wasn't aware of it, he was actually curious about that.
Éponine raised her head with her eyebrows up. At the sight of his slight frown, she realized that he actually was being serious about that. The day Enjolras had a girlfriend, that would probably be the end of their friendship, because Éponine was sure that no girl would approve her boyfriend laying on a bed with another girl (although they only were reading, but of course no one would believe that) Trying to ignore the stab of pain at the thought of Enjolras abandoning her, she jumped out of bed and turned to face him, her hands on her hips.
"Aside from that, someone will steal your heart someday, and you will have a girlfriend" she said as if it was the most obvious thing "Now, let's go get some ice-cream. I heard Feuilly said that they had new flavors"
She turned around to leave but then stopped and looked back, a mischievous smile in her lips, something that Enjolras was too familiar with. She had the same smile every time she had an idea.
"I'll begin teaching you about women" she stated before raising one finger "Rule number one: ice-cream always makes everything better for us. Always."
And with that she hopped out of the room, leaving Enjolras behind with an amused expression. He would never know that sometimes she imagined what it would be like if instead of falling in love with Marius, she would've fallen for him. She would never know that he sometimes wondered the same. She would never understand that for him, she was everything that he had been looking for.
Éponine never thought that it would hurt her like that. But it had. And she couldn't stand it, so she decided that the best idea was to run away. The reunion was going as usual: Grantaire was already lying on the couch, a bottle in his hand. Jehan and Joly were blasting to a Spice Girl's song while Musichetta and Éponine cheered them enthusiastically, making it almost impossible for Enjolras to hear what Combeferre was trying to say to him. Éponine loved her friends, every single one of them, and sometimes she would find herself smiling while she looked at them.
But when Marius burst through the door with a silly smile on his face and dragging a very flushed Cosette with him, her smile faltered. Her eyes looked immediately for Enjolras, who she found to her own surprise, was already looking at her.
"We have an important announce to tell you" Marius chirped as he pressed Cosette tightly to his side.
All the Amis were now looking at him with expectant eyes, even Grantaire, who had woke up when Bossuet had slapped him at the back of his head which was dangling precariously from the edge of the couch. Éponine stood behind the couch, her arms crossed as her eyes darted from Marius to Cosette impatiently.
She should have seen it coming. The constant nervousness of the man when he was with his girlfriend lately, the fact that they could barely be somewhere without the other. They had arrived late, and when they did, they had something to announce. She should have seen it coming. But she didn't.
"We are getting married!" He exclaimed with a jubilant voice as Cosette raised her hand with a giggle to let them all see the sparkling diamond in her finger.
It was all a blur from there. She remembered the feeling of a stone sinking in her stomach, how her hands turned suddenly cold, the worried expressions in all the Amis' faces as they turned to see her. And most of all, the look in Enjolras' eyes. As Grantaire stood up and approached the couple stiffly and saying with sarcasm "You have the perfect timing" to Marius, who just looked at the man with a questioning glance before hugging him back, all the Amis followed him and congratulated them. Éponine felt as if her body was moving to its own accord, her feet slowly retreating from the couch before turning around and disappearing from the apartment.
But Enjolras had seen her. And while he had been trying to shield her from the pain of losing Marius, once Marius had announced his engagement he realized he could no longer do so. His reaction had been too slow and now the brunette had escaped into the night. He decided to follow her, not before turning around and catching Grantaire's eye, who just nodded. Enjolras nodded back before disappearing behind her. There would be only a place in which she would hide. And he knew it because he had shown her there.
Éponine ran as fast as her feet would carry her down the street, tears falling down her cheeks as the wind hit her face. She was so stupid, how could she ever believe that this would not happen? Sooner or later, it was obvious that Marius would propose. But still, a small part of her still had hope. Hope that perhaps one day he would notice her. But tonight the little part of her had been crushed, and finally, she was free.
But it hurt. And how much it hurt.
Enjolras couldn't breathe properly until he finally saw her. She was exactly where he thought she would be. Their hiding place. Probably to anyone the roof of his building would be something unpleasant or dirty, but for them it was the opportunity of being above everything, the world at their feet. The view was something incredible, the lights of the city making it even more breathtaking. And Éponine was there, sitting against the wall, her gaze lost somewhere else.
"I thought you said you were over him" he said quietly with a sad smile.
Her head snapped up, her eyes meeting his. She should have known that he would come after her, he was always her knight in shining armor, and this time he didn't let her down. He slid down the wall and sat by her side, their shoulders touching. The warmth from his skin was enough to make her feel a little bit better, but still the pain on her chest was still there. She bit her lip to stop more tears from falling down. She hated crying, it made her look weak. And she wasn't weak.
"I am" she answered with a dark laugh as her eyes drifted towards the city once more "It's just, I got this incredible need to get out of that apartment and come here to enjoy the view."
"I'm sorry" he muttered, not really sure of what he was supposed to say. Buy ice-cream? Watch romantic movies with her? Pat her hair and tell her that everything would be all right?
She laughed quietly before leaning more against his shoulder "What for? This is probably what I needed. I knew this would happen someday, the thing is that I needed it to hit me straight into my face to realize that what I wanted would never happen."
"He's an idiot, you know that" he chuckled and glanced at her.
"I know" she sighed, resting her head on his shoulder "But you know what? I feel a lot better now, it's like if I'm finally able to breathe properly, I think I really needed this to finally be able to move on."
"So you are better now?" he wondered with confusion as his cheek rested on her hair.
Enjolras was not the best at handling emotional women. He wasn't good at handling women in general, let alone feelings and emotions. Sometimes when he was with Éponine his tongue would get twisted and he would end up saying what he wasn't supposed to say, but she would brush it off and forget it. That was one of the reasons they were best friends. Because she understood how difficult it was for him to express what he was feeling. They remained silent for a long time, the only sound were the cars down the street, the night's wind and their slow breathing.
"Rule number two" she whispered, and although he couldn't see her, he knew she was smiling "When a girl says something is all right, you better worry."
He chuckled "Does that apply to you too?"
"Nope" she giggled, taking his hand in hers and slowly intertwining their fingers "I'm not like most of the girls."
"You sure you want to do this?" he asked for the hundredth time that evening.
He had his back to her as he pressed the buttons on his stereo, the soft sound of a piano suddenly flowing from the speakers. Éponine had asked Enjolras for dancing lessons, and although at first he had been a little reluctant about the fact that she wanted to learn for the wedding, in the end he had given up and now they were at his apartment, just about to begin what would be the most interesting two hours in Enjolras' life.
"Of course" she said with a tired sigh before standing up and placing her hands on her hips and tilting her head to one side "What kind of maid of honor would I'd be if I cannot dance?"
Enjolras rolled his eyes "I still can't believe you actually agreed to be her maid of honor."
Éponine would never admit it, but not even she could understand why she had said yes on the first place. Surely those big doe eyes of Cosette had a lot to do with it. But after all, Cosette was one of her closest friends, and she had done nothing wrong, just fallen in love. The pain in her heart was beggining to fade away, and now she was able to see or talk to Marius and nothing would happen inside of her. Enjolras had said that probably everything was for the better, and that finally she would be able to move on. Éponine had secretly accepted to be Cosette's maid of honor mainly because she wanted to prove to herself that she was far over Marius. Besides, it was the first time any of her closest friends got married, and helping her with all the things that needed to be done would be a great opportunity to spend more time with her friend.
"Me neither" Éponine sighed "Well, she's my friend…and I couldn't let her down. I owe her a lot, to her father and to her. So I think it's the most honorable thing to do. I really care about her…she's one of my best friends."
Enjolras stared at her with wide eyes, glowing with what could only be described as surprise. Feeling rather nervous underneath his gaze, she brushed her hair with her hand trying hard to fight the heat that was threatening to burn her cheeks.
"Well, are you going to teach me or not?" she asked raising an eyebrow.
He shook his head before walking to stand in front of her and holding out his hand. She took it, feeling Enjolras pulling her closer. He showed her where to place her hands, one on his shoulder and the other still locked with his. She felt his arm wrapping around her lower back tentatively, giving an encouraging squeeze to her hand. Éponine couldn't believe that her best friend was able to dance, to be precise, that he had been forced to learn by his mother.
"She insisted that her son needed to learn the delicate art of dancing" he mocked as he slowly rotated them around the living room.
Éponine laughed at his expression before stepping on his feet for the third time. He let out a soft cry before shaking his head and assuring her that he was fine. She stepped on them a couple times more but slowly she began to learn how to do it, her feet moving with his in a constant rhythm. At some point, she looked down to watch their footwork, trying to avoid hurting him a ninth time.
"Eyes on me," he said quietly, lifting her chin with one finger before returning his hand to her back "Just let me lead you."
She let out a sigh. Their eyes never broke away from each other from that moment on as they danced. It was in moments like this when Éponine let her mind wonder in what might have been. What if Enjolras was more than her best friend? What if she would've fallen for him instead of Marius? Would he be like this with her? Her train of thought was interrupted when her foot was over Enjolras' and somehow she managed to trip with the rug. In one swift movement, his arm tightened around her and steadied her. She looked up with wide eyes, meeting his blue eyes which were sparkling with amusement.
"I really can't dance!" Éponine whined as Enjolras tried to begin moving again, but she let go of his hand and stepped away "Actually I don't understand why I'm doing this if I don't even have a partner."
"Do you need a partner?" He asked confused.
"No, I don't" she admitted with defeat "But Cosette put in my invitation "Plus One" which means that she expects me to bring someone. In other words: that my love life sucks."
Enjolras chuckled at her expression before reaching her arm and pulling her close so they could dance again. She sighed and rested her forehead on his shoulder. He continued to move, the soft sound of the piano calming her somehow. After a moment of silence, she felt him talk as his chest rumbled slightly with his voice.
"If you want to, I could be your partner" he offered quietly.
She leaned back and tilted her head with wonder "Really?"
He gave her a smirk before averting his gaze "Yeah, why not? You are my best friend, after all"
It was in moments like this when Éponine really wished that they were together, that Enjolras was that special someone who taught her how to dance, who would listen to her fears, or buy her ice-cream when she was sad. She blinked and leaned her forehead once more against his chest. Perhaps there were things that were not meant to be.
"Thank you," she whispered with her eyes closed, before a mischievous smile appeared on her lips "Rule number three: When a girl says she can't dance, she can't dance."
Éponine felt the slight rumble of his chest before they continued to dance in silence. Although Éponine would never know, Enjolras would've died if she appeared in the arm of another man. Éponine wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but she could've sworn that he held her tighter this time.
Enjolras stood up rubbing his eyes as he approached the door. It was barely past midnight but he had managed to fall down asleep at his desk, papers sprawled everywhere. He rubbed his aching neck before pulling the door open. Éponine stood at the other side, her eyes wide and an apologetic smile in her lips. She lifted her hands slightly to show him the box of pizza and the pack of beers she was holding. She looked tired, and if anyone else would've seen her, they would've thought that she was fine. But Enjolras knew better. The dark circles underneath her eyes were almost imperceptible, but he noticed. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, tendrils of her dark chocolate curls hanging loose around her face. With a quick glance he noticed that she was wearing his grey hoodie (the one she had stolen from him like a month ago) with denim shorts. Her eyes were weary, but still, she had a smile on her lips.
"Éponine?" he asked with a slight frown.
"I've got pizza" she offered with an embarrassed smile.
He opened the door wider to let her in before she skipped inside with a giggle. She knew pizza was his weakness. He closed the door slowly before turning around and taking the box and beers from her hands. She sighed and threw herself onto the couch, her legs hooked over the back and her head dangling at the edge of the couch.
"I'm so tired" she whined lifting her legs up "Cosette has gone mad!"
Enjolras grabbed her legs in an attempt to keep her from falling on her head, which only made the brunette laugh. He sighed and let go of her legs, circling the couch and placing the pizza and the beers on the table before kneeling in front of her so now his eyes were at the same level as hers.
"And you are about to follow her there too. Now get up and sit so we can eat" He ordered before placing a hand under her neck and helping her up.
Éponine grabbed her purse and took out a DVD, a smile appearing in her lips at the expression of disgust in Enjolras' face as he read My Best Friend's Wedding. The movie played in the television as they ate the pizza comfortably on his couch, her legs folded beneath her as she chewed the food slowly, her eyes never leaving the screen. Enjolras had grown accustomed to the fact that Éponine did enjoy the cheesy romantic movies, but she also liked the fact that he hated them, and she did it just to have an excuse to tease him. Despite that, he always stayed with her. Probably because he liked when her face beamed when the main characters discovered that they were in love. Or perhaps that she would curl up against him when something bad happened to the girl. But they were best friends, and that was what friends did.
"The day before your wedding I will watch this movie." He whispered before she began nibbling the border of her slice.
"In that case it should be me the one to watch it" she clarified, taking a gulp from her beer before continuing "I will be Julia Roberts."
Enjolras chuckled and raised a brow, asking with a mock tone "Oh, so that means you will be crazy in love with me?"
Éponine almost choked on her beer before she began coughing frantically. Enjolras laughed and began patting her back so she could breathe properly again. Her head snapped up, her eyes shining with tears, a mocking brow up.
"Wow, you really have a big ego, don't you?" she teased, trying to hide the fact that she indeed was feeling nervous.
"I try" he nodded before returning his attention towards the movie.
Éponine smiled to herself and did the same, grabbing another slice of pizza. Although she was fighting hard to ignore the lump that had formed in her throat, she couldn't deny that the feelings that she was beginning to develop for her best friend were something scary. And despite the obvious fact that it would never happen, she still let her mind wonder what it would be like if one day they ended up together. She tried to imagine what it would be like to be his girlfriend. She let her lips turn up slightly when he put his arm behind her casually. Stealing a glace to him, she tried to ignore the disappointment when she realized that he had done it without realizing it.
They continued to watch the movie. Enjolras fought the impulse of moving his leg to the rhythm of the music as the cast began singing "I Say A Little Prayer", while Éponine was singing it cheerfully. It was then when an idea came to her.
"Rule number four" she instructed, turning herself so she could face him "When a girl says the guy from the movie is cute, you need to ask if she believes he's cuter than you are. Don't know why, but we found that adorable-You know what? Let's practice!"
He raised an eyebrow but moved so he would be facing her "You are crazy."
"Shut up and do what I say!" she ordered before morphing her expression into a childish one, moving her eyelashes in a girlish way "Oh My God! He is so cute! Just look at him!"
Enjolras stared at her dumbfounded before the girl slapped him on the arm urging him to go on.
"Do you-Do you think he's cuter than me?" he stuttered, feeling more stupid with each word he said.
"Oh! Of course not, honey" she answered with a fake laughter before inching closer to him "Nobody is cuter than you are!"
And before he could realize what she was doing, she had already thrown herself to him and began kissing his cheeks soundly. Enjolras squirmed beneath her as the girl planted wet kisses on his cheeks, laughing happily as he tried to push her away. Finally, she jumped away and continued to laugh leaning back onto the armchair, grabbing her ribs as she fought for air. Enjolras kept his eyes on her, his eyes sparkling with amusement although he rubbed his cheeks furiously.
That night, as Éponine rested against him, the credits rolling on the screen of the television, he thought that for the first time in his life, he had felt what Éponine's lips felt like. Soft and electric, burning his skin in a way nothing or no one had ever before. He glanced down to see her, her head resting on his shoulder while her arm circled his stomach. Enjolras felt his cheeks warm at her closeness, his arm around her shoulders as he had unconsciously pulled her closer to him. Of course he had seen her sleep before (not in a creepy way), she sometimes crawled into his bed when it was raining and he would hold her gladly. But this time, something felt different, as if he didn't wanted to let go of her.
He wasn't good with women. He wasn't good with feelings. But with Éponine, everything was different, as if he could be himself and would never get judged by it. He wasn't used to hugging someone or showing any kind of affection. But then again, when he was with Éponine, a part of him appeared that not even he knew existed. An almost imperceptible smile grazed his lips before he leaned his head against hers, his eyes closing. Yeah, he could get used to this.
Éponine was sitting on the table Cosette had assigned to the Amis. Except for the fact that she was all alone. Glancing around the room, she caught sight of Courfeyrac's dark curls as he danced a slow song with the girl he had brought, who was stunning. Continuing her exploration, she decided to admit that they had done a pretty damn good job with the with the decoration. The soft lights added a violet glow to the room, the beautiful ice sculpture shining in the opposite corner, while the bar looked incredible. Including the very highly intoxicated Grantaire who had spent almost the entire night there. She chuckled and turned around, grabbing a cracker and popping it into her mouth.
Although she had been quite nervous when the couple began saying their vows, Éponine had managed to stay calm and composed, surprised when she felt nothing as the priest pronounced them husband and wife. Probably the fact that Enjolras had held her hand tightly throughout all the ceremony had helped her a lot, the constant reminder that she wasn't alone helping her to not feel any pain. Although she barely felt nothing at all now. Enjolras had offered her the comfort she needed, he had stayed by her side all the time, before the ceremony began and even as she walked down the aisle, his eyes had found hers and given her a reassuring smile. After the newlyweds shared their first kiss (something Enjolras tried to spare her from seeing by hugging her), they began taking the photos, of them, the couple with their families and then with the maid of honor and the best man, Courfeyrac. As soon as the last picture was taken, Enjolras was already by her side, offering his arm as they descended the stairs.
Although Éponine had assured him that she was completely fine, he still remained by her side, being the caring friend he always was. With her, of course. Somehow, Musichetta had found out that he knew how to dance, and in a blink of an eye, the redhead had dragged him to the dance floor, leaving a laughing Éponine behind. She hadn't seen him for a while, and somehow the Amis had dragged her to dance. Combeferre was by far the best dancer, probably because he had taken classes like Enjolras had, but there was nothing like dancing with Jehan, who moved with a delicacy she really admired. She tried to do everything Enjolras had taught her, and in a while, she found herself truly enjoying the party. Popping a cherry into her mouth, she decided that she felt a thousand times better than she did when she was head over toes for the freckled guy.
"Would you dance with me?" Enjolras held out his hand towards her, a playful glow in his eyes.
"I thought you would never ask" she answered politely before taking his hand and giggling, letting him drag her to the dance floor.
His hands found her waist rapidly, her hand on his shoulder as he lifted their locked hands and began moving slowly. Soon, the usual calmness that her body felt whenever she was with Enjolras flooded her, the warmth emanating from his body comforting her. His hand was on her back as he absent-mindedly drew circles with his thumb, sending shivers up her spine. Lifting her head, his eyes met hers. Even under the dim light, his clear blue eyes were sparkling, his powerful gaze piercing her soul. He smiled. She loved when he smiled.
She smiled back. He loved when she smiled. Although the room was filled with women, somehow he found himself gravitating towards her the whole night, his eyes finding her quickly. Probably it had something to do with her dark blue dress, the silk almost as soft as her skin. Or perhaps it was the way the stylist had done her make-up, making her cheeks look sharper, her eyes bigger and even warmer. Or the pale pink on her lips, making them look even fuller. No. It was her smile. The way the room seemed to brighten at that moment, her dimples making his knees weak.
Éponine felt her head heavy and soon her forehead was resting on his shoulder, her hand letting go of his and circling the back of his neck, intertwining her fingers together. She almost jumped when she felt his other hand resting on her hip almost tentatively, bringing her closer. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of his hands around her, making her feel protected and needed. Éponine imagined that he was embracing her, pulling her close because he needed her closer, because he wanted her to be closer.
It was in moments like this when she really wished that he loved her as much as she did.
The song came to an end, but the next began almost immediately. She opened her eyes, blinking repeatedly and returning back to reality. She felt Enjolras lean forward before his breath hitting her temple made her shiver.
"What do you say if we get out of here?"
As he parked the car, Éponine narrowed her gaze and tried to see what was outside as she pressed her face to the window. As soon as she agreed, he had taken her hand and guided her out of the room and straight into his car. He smiled at her excited face as he drove full speed down the highway in a direction she had never seen before. He had already loosened his tie, complaining about how he was choking, her only answer a giggle before she turned up to music and began singing cheerfully. Turning off the car, he hopped out and ran to open her door, offering her his hand. Éponine took it and stood up, faltering as the high heels Cossette had made her wear clicked against the pavement.
"Wait" Enjolras said glancing down at her feet "You better take those off, I don't think you'd like stepping on grass and walking with them."
He didn't needed to say it twice before she had already take them off and threw them inside his car before continuing their journey. The night was silent, the only sound were the crickets, the wind, and…if Éponine was right…was it water? As the grass caressed her toes, Éponine followed Enjolras as he walked down the deserted park, the moonlight guiding somehow their way. She shivered involuntarily and in a blink of an eye, Enjolras was already placing his jacket on her shoulders. She began complaining but he seemed to ignore her, chuckling slightly before grabbing her by the hand and pulling her by his side, walking faster.
After what seemed an eternity to her (which were practically no more than ten minutes), Enjolras stopped and motioned her to turn around. Slowly, she gasped with surprise as the pond came in sight, the water glowing with the reflection of the moon, some fireflies dancing around it. Placing a hand in the small of her back, Enjolras pushed her forwards until they were only meters apart from the water, the scent of flowers she couldn't see overwhelming her. She smiled.
Éponine sat down and Enjolras followed her, placing a hand at her side from behind. She leaned back, her eyes never leaving the view as they sparkled with excitement and awe. She rested her back against his chest, a content sigh leaving her lips. They stayed silent for a long time, enjoying the feeling of the other. Perhaps it was there where she should've been all night. She should've been with him. He had been there for her every single time she needed him, or even if it was just to read in silence or watch a movie, even tease the other. Somehow he had made her get over Marius…because he was the one, the one she had always dreamt of. Her knight in shining armor.
"You never told me what you think of the dress" she whispered quietly, a smile in her lips.
"You look beautiful" he answered.
She felt her breath catch in her throat as she straightened and turned around to face him, her eyes wide and a soft pink coloring her cheeks. He had never told her before that she was beautiful. That she looked good or pretty, yes. But never beautiful.
"You always look beautiful" he breathed out, lifting his hand and placing a tendril of her hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering more than it was needed on her cheek. "I think it's obvious that there's something going on right now…well, not right now, but for a while. You are my best friend, but I want more. I don't know if that's what you want too, but I've realized that whenever I'm with you, everything is better and I just want to know if that's wha-"
The next thing he remembered was that her lips were pressed against his. His eyes were wide, although Éponine closed hers, trying to not see his surprised expression. Soon, she felt that he began to respond to her kiss, one of his hands flying to the back of her neck and pulling her closer to him. He moved back, pulling her down with him as she left out a gasp of surprise as she laid atop him. He leaned against her, trying to feel every curve of her body, her hand traveling up to tangle in his curls.
She had wanted this for such a long time, and as he answered to her kiss, she felt every atom in her body scream. Their tongues danced against the other, fighting for control as his began outlining the contour of her lower lip before he deepened the kiss, smiling slightly against her lips as a gasp left her mouth. She broke the kiss, despite his attempt of pulling her close again. Her breathing was heavy but not better than his.
"I love you" she blurted out, her eyes nervously scanning her face.
His eyes were wide before a bright smile appeared on his lips. He pulled her down again, crashing his lips against hers. Every thought slipped her mind, his lips demanding and sweet at the same time. He broke the kiss once more, but his lips remained close to hers.
"Rule number one: don't tell a man you love him before he gets the chance" he smirked, his breath tickling her face.
"Shut up" she ordered playfully before silencing him with her lips.
So it seemed that in the end, a man could never be best friend with a woman without falling for the other. But that didn't matter to her at that moment. Her best friend was a damn good kisser.