Hallelujah! Spring has finally come to Dryden, Ontario! It was actually up to 18 degrees yesterday, and a week ago it was still below zero! Of course, there's still a bit of unmelted snow on the ground (and it's going to be May in a few days, too), but hey, spring is finally arriving in Northwest Ontario. I blame it on the fact that the Maple Leafs are still in the playoffs. No, I'm not a hockey fan, I'm just a Canadian and therefore I know Canadian jokes, which are mostly hockey, beaver, bear, and snow related. And knowing that it's spring because the Leafs are out is a Canadian joke. Oh, and don't get me started on Canadian Fast Food... Anyway, just r&r while my fellow NW Ontarians and I celebrate the end of Second Winter.

Chapter 12

"Are you completely mad?" Eponine yelled, ignoring the smash as Grantaire's wine bottle that she somehow hadn't noticed before fell to the ground, as Enjolras stared at her, completely baffled by the slap that she had just given him.

Grantaire coughed. "I think I'm just going to go," he said quietly, suddenly sobering up before leaving. Eponine simply continued her stare-off with Enjolras.

"We are lucky that we all made it out alive last time, and now you want to go and do it all again? What if we all die this time?" She was furious, nearly as furious as she had been with Marius.

"What do you mean by 'we'?" Enjolras replied, ignoring the first part of her question. "Do you really think I'd let you be there?"

"Do you really think you can stop me?" she retorted without pause. Her dark eyes were steely as she glared at him, arms crossed over her chest.

"I just don't want to see you get hurt," he said softly, reaching out with one hand, but she jerked away.

"And I don't want to see you get killed!" she replied sharply. "So you can either drop this ridiculous barricade nonsense, go back there and apologize and try to resolve things peacefully, or I'm leaving and not coming back!"

He stared at her, mouth hanging open, completely unsure of what to do. He had never seen her so angry, at least not at him.

"Eponine, I can't just-"

"Fine. Goodbye." She turned and walked towards the door.

His eyes widened in horror and he quickly rushed forward and grabbed her wrist, stopping her. "All right, I'll talk to them," he said quickly. "First thing tomorrow, I promise."

Her expression didn't change, she still looked upset. "You promise that you won't go and get yourself killed at a barricade?" she asked quietly, her voice cold.

"If it means that much to you, then of course I promise it," he replied, placing one hand on her cheek.

"I don't want to lose you," she whispered, stepping closer and leaning her head on his chest.

"You won't, I promise. They just made me so mad, and I got lost in the heat of the moment. I'll talk it out with them in the morning, I promise," he told her gently, wrapping his arms around her. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she whispered before pulling away. "Now that that matter is settled, you might be interested to know that we have a wedding invitation."

Enjolras blinked, surprised. "Who's getting married?"

Eponine smirked. "Who do you think? Marius and Cosette, of course. I was trying to tell you when you stormed in ranting about the government not listening."

"We're going to have to go, aren't we?" Enjolras asked, frowning.

"Of course we're going to have to go, and I would appreciate it if you could at least try to act excited about it!" Eponine laughed as Enjolras scowled.

"They're going to act all lovesick the entire time," he groaned.

"Of course they are, but Marius is your friend, and it's his wedding, you can't not go," she told him, amused by how annoyed he was by the prospect.

"I suppose you're right," he sighed. "But you're going to have to make it up to me."

"Oh really?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "How so?"

He grinned and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her towards him. "I'm sure I'll be able to think of something," he replied.

"I don't think that's necessary," she said after a moment. "You nearly scared me half to death with your ridiculous barricade nonsense, so you going to the wedding can be your way of making that up to me, in which case, we're even."

He sighed. She did have a point. "All right, you win," he said softly, and she reached up to kiss him quickly on the lips.

"Good. I knew you were smarter than you usually act."

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

"You were threatening to build a barricade because people weren't listening to you. That is hardly reasonable," she replied, smirking. "Anyway, I'll be back later, I'm going to go see Musichetta. Au revoir!"

And with that she turned and hurried out the door.

Enjolras sighed and sat on his couch. He couldn't believe how quickly things could change. Several months ago, if anyone had told him that he would be living with a woman – a woman that he was in love with – he would have laughed, especially if they had told him that the woman would be Eponine Thenardier, whom he had always used to view as Marius' shadow.

He smiled. He couldn't believe how lucky he had gotten. He could almost understand what Marius had been saying when he had first seen Cosette. Almost, but not quite. Marius had taken a single look at the blonde before falling head over heels, whereas Enjolras and Eponine had gotten to know each other before falling in love. Because of that, Marius would always be an idiot in his eyes.

At the thought, he nearly laughed. It was because of the idiot that he had gotten so lucky. If Marius hadn't been an idiot, he would have noticed how Eponine had felt about him, in which case, it would be their wedding he would be getting dragged to. If Marius hadn't been an idiot, then he and Eponine wouldn't be together now.

His happiness was thanks to a lovesick idiot. The thought was even more hilarious than the thought that he was in love with a woman and living with her. Things really had changed for him.