Combeferre has a way with words, it's true, but there are flaws to this plan – or, at least, she sees flaws. And there is the conflict.
"Have you ever been so hungry you would do anything to stop the gnawing pain of it?
There is very little true anger to her words, or to his – they speak with an edge of exasperation to their voices, and lowly, not wanting to draw attention away from the picture Combeferre paints of a better world.
"That is exactly why this revolution is necessary," is his response, quiet and powerful, "to bring an end to their suffering."
She shakes her head, "they are – are – tired of this pain. You can't ask all this of them, can't speak of uprisings when pain is the only thing they really want to forget. They – don't care about anything beside it, they would be numb before they let themselves go through that, these words will not convince them!"
"Then perhaps these will."
But – no, she does not like that look of determination, and it only takes a moment for her to see why, because now he is striding forward into view, taking his place beside Combeferre.
She suppresses a groan and watches in what feels like morbid fascination. There is no way this can end well.
…and yet, regardless of how it ends, the beginning is something to behold. When he speaks, they listen. There is an inimitable air about him that's hard to place, but difficult to turn away from.
Combeferre may paint the picture, but it is only groundwork in comparison; Enjolras brings the plans to live in such vivid detail she finds herself waiting with bated breath for the next phrase along with the rest of them.
In fact, Éponine might gladly have conceded some small defeat – getting them to listen is not the same as convincing them to take up arms, to turn their streets into barricades and give their lives for the cause, but it could be the first step in the march of their revolution – if there hadn't been some loyalist in the crowd.
Who it was, exactly, she'll never know, but she recognizes the distinctive tension that precedes the appearance of law enforcement, and she is moving forward even before they appear.
Fortunately, most of those that share the room have reason to fear this appearance for one reason or another, and so her call to the two Amis – "les cognes, les cognes!" – is not as noticed as it could have been.
Combeferre is in a better position to run, having stepped down and aside to give Enjolras the spotlight, and if she weren't suppressing panic she might have laughed at how he manages to simply dodge past the ones at the door and disappear from sight.
Éponine reaches for Enjolras' sleeve and tugs him down. "Come on," she says, "we'll go out through the alleys."
Éponine has to dig her elbow into someone's stomach to be let past, but then, it only takes a moment to slip out the side door and into open air.
A right turn or a left. One is darkened, and the other is in the direction the police came from.
Éponine hesitates – a known exit with higher risks, or a path to nowhere with less chances of stumbling into someone? – and Enjolras takes the lead.
They take the path to the right, which winds on for a while.
"–out and to the docks," she catches, but little else, because the next turn leads so a sight that makes her still.
It's a dead end.
Back the way they came? One of those other turns must lead to an opening, but now, now she can hear voices, and they are growing clearer.
"Alright," she breathes, "alright." And then she moves. She pushes down her cap upon his head, obscuring as much of his bright curls as possible.
"They don't know what you look like – they can't beyond vague descriptions," she hisses out, "so follow my lead."
It only takes a few steps for her back to hit the wall. To his credit, he understands what she is getting at and does not resist when she urges him forward, but he does not seem to know what to do from there.
"Oh, honestly," she mutters, a spark of amusement flaring up despite herself.
His arms hand limply at his sides, and so she pulls his hands to her hips. One of her own rests on his back – it would look more convincing to tangle her fingers in his hair, but that risks making him more noticeable.
"Just hold on tight, bourgeois boy," she murmurs, "and pretend you want to be here."
And she cups her hand around his neck and drags his head down.
They are close, close enough for his forehead to rest against hers, close enough that their breaths mingle, close enough that she could move this from the appearance of intimacy to the real thing if she only tilted her face up and stood taller, but it's a thought that registers dimly within her mind, already dull with the fear that they will be caught, discovered, that Les Madelonettes would be kind in comparison to the fate that could await her –
"Who's there?"
Her fingers twitch at his neck and her breath hitches.
There is a pause, long enough that her heart beat begins to thud in her ears. She hears a faint noise of disgust, and then, "it's just some whore."
She would sag in relief if it wouldn't give them away.
Someone else clicks their tongue, and then speaks. "Right then, you lot, clear out!"
Running is suspicious, always too suspicions, so she drops her hold and leads him by the hand, sauntering past the two police and nodding excessively and mock-drunkenly when one adds, "and don't let me catch you around here again, you hear?"
She piles on more of an accent and forces out a giggle. "Wouldn't dream of it, lovelies."
When they are down the street and out of sight, she lets her hand drop from his and clutches at the fabric of her skirt instead.
Several minutes pass like this, neither speaking, until he breaks the silence.
"I think perhaps this signals the end to public speeches," he says.
His eyes dart to her, and at his side, Éponine can only agree.
A/N: From what I could find, prostitution in France was not illegal. Standing in public places in the hopes of soliciting customers was, but not the act itself.
And fear not – the Barricade Boys should be returning to their Barricade shortly.
Thank you so, so much for all the wonderful input! I originally intended this to just be a silly little AU – I didn't even know where this was going to go. And… wow, I mean, this is just sort of unbelievable! I can only hope I don't disappoint, really.
(And oh gosh never, never apologize for a long review, they are absolutely wonderful!)