it's asking for the taking
come run with me now,
the sky is the color of blue
you've never even seen
in the eyes of your lover
vi.
On May 19th, Eponine experienced her first plane ride, and thanks to a lovely little sleeping pill from Cosette, was knocked out cold for most of the flight. That was just fine with her, considering she was slightly terrified of flying and didn't really want Enjolras to know it. (She suspected he figured it out by her death grip on his thigh during take off, but he was nice about it, as usual.) When she woke up with her head resting lightly on his shoulder, it was to see a bird's eye view of New York City.
"Oh my God! Wow. Oh, wow. It's so beautiful!" Eponine practically plastered her face to the window. "Oh my gosh! Is that Central Park? I can see everything!"
She turned around to see Enjolras grinning and filming her with his iPhone, and she lightly shoved him. "Stop it! Why are you filming me?"
"Because your reaction is cute." He smiled and stopped filming, leaning closer to look out the window with her. "It is pretty awesome, isn't it?"
"It's unbelievable. I've never been to such a big city. You could spend your whole life here and never run out of new things to see."
"That's probably true. I know you made a list – what do you want to do first?"
"Shit, I don't know! I don't even care if I look like a stupid tourist – I want to see the Empire State Building and Statue of Liberty, and the MET, and Times Square...all of it." Eponine smiled, but when the plane bounced a little bit from turbulence, she quickly jumped back in her seat and closed her eyes. "I want to see all of it if I don't die here first."
Enjolras put his hand on her leg and rubbed it soothingly with his thumb. He didn't laugh, but Eponine could still hear a trace of amusement in his voice. "I never in a million years thought you'd be scared of flying."
"I'm not scared," Eponine said stubbornly. "I'll get used to it; just give me a minute."
"You've had three hours, hon." Enjolras looked at her out of the corner of his eye as she suddenly grabbed his arm as the plane dipped down for its descent into New York. Eponine's cheeks colored at the term of endearment, but not in embarrassment. She liked it, which was just another surprising thing to add to her ever growing list of surprising things when it came to her relationship with Enjolras.
Once they made it safely to the ground, Eponine could barely contain her excitement again. She was ecstatic she lived, for one, but also everywhere she looked, she saw something she'd read about or seen on TV. It was so loud and busy, and unlike anything she'd ever seen, but she loved it. And Enjolras had a permanent smile on his face, too, just because he liked watching her. Apparently he had underestimated her excitement over this trip in a big way.
They made it to their hotel in once piece, and Enjolras insisted on unpacking everything first so the wrinkles would fall out of his suits. Eponine only made fun of him a little before she retreated to her own room to do the same. She put her clothes away in record time and simply stood looking out the window for a solid ten minutes. Their rooms were on the 28th floor and offered a beautiful view of the city. It hit her as she stood looking at the hustle and bustle far below that never in a million years did she think she would be where she was. Life had already had its fair share of twists and turns, some good and some bad, but her favorite surprise, so far, was undoubtedly Enjolras. Since she'd met him, he just made everything better, for both her and Gavroche. She couldn't imagine her future without him.
After a few more minutes, there was a light knock on the door adjoining her room to Enjolras' and she hurried to open it, letting out an uncharacteristic squeal and quickly wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight hug.
Enjolras stumbled a bit as she barreled into him and laughed in surprise, tentatively putting his own arms around her waist. "Whoa. Hi. You just saw me ten minutes ago. Did you forget I was over here?"
"I just can't believe I'm here. And we have a whole eight hours to ourselves before you need to go to sleep to be nice and rested for your meetings tomorrow."
"Eight hours, huh? So you're telling me I have to go to bed at 10?" Enjolras pulled away a little to raise his eyebrows skeptically.
"Yep. This trip is important to you, and you need to be on your game, not exhausted because I've been dragging your ass around all night." Eponine disentangled herself with a smile and grabbed a smaller bag of work stuff she'd brought with her. She pulled out a schedule of everything on his professional itinerary and handed it to him. "Just so you have it. I have more copies, too, so don't worry if you lose it."
"You're always prepared. And to think, I didn't want to hire you."
"Which clearly would have been the worst decision of your life."
"It would have been," Enjolras said seriously, and gently touched her back as he walked past her to the door. "So where to first?"
Eponine grabbed her purse and double checked to make sure she had her key before they stepped into the hallway. "I'm starving. Deli food?"
"Whatever you want."
For the next few hours, they wandered around the city aimlessly, stopping whenever Eponine saw something she was interested in. They even made it to the Empire State Building just in time to watch the sunset, which was absolutely something she would never forget. It was unintentionally romantic, too. Before going back to the hotel to settle in early, they ate a light dinner at a little sidewalk cafe, and took a minute to look over Enjolras' work schedule.
"You're pretty busy the next few days," Eponine remarked. "I'll have a lot of alone time! It kind of sucks that you have to work all day on my birthday and early again the next day. Guess I won't be getting you drunk!" Since Enjolras mentioned doing something special for her birthday the first time, he hadn't mentioned making any plans since, or even given an indication that he remembered her birthday at all. She wondered if it just got lost in the void of all the things he constantly juggled.
"Hm, that does suck. Damn." He frowned at her, and Eponine looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to say something else – a promise of celebrating another day, or some other kind of consolation, anything. When he just stared at her blankly, Eponine tried to disguise the sting of what felt a little like rejection by folding the schedule up and putting it back in her purse.
"Yeah. Oh well, I guess. There's still plenty for me to see on my own."
"I'm sorry," Enjolras said sincerely. "Maybe we can still have a late dinner that night, though – I'm done by 8."
"Sure." Eponine tried to shrug off her disappointment, but it stuck with her the rest of the night, especially when she got back to her hotel room and was faced with the very nice dress she had brought especially for her birthday. Cosette convinced her to buy it on a spur of the moment shopping spree a few days before the trip, insisting that she looked better than she ever had in it, but now Eponine deeply regretted her decision. The dress was incredibly sexy, but in a sophisticated, adult way – she looked like a woman, and not just a skinny, awkward girl. Delicate black lace covered a nude slip that hugged her figure like a glove; the neck scooped just low enough to show a demure amount of cleavage, but the real show stopper wasn't the front. The dress dipped dangerously low to expose almost her entire back, making what she thought was her best physical feature, her ass, look great. The back was what had drawn her to the dress in the first place – it was subtly sexy. She had admittedly wanted to stop Enjolras in his tracks by wearing it, but not everything was meant to be. At least she hadn't removed the tags yet – if she was lucky, she could even return it here in New York and forget all about it.
For the next two days, Enjolras had to work what were basically his regular hours of 8 to 5. Eponine worked a little bit in the morning, too, mostly taking calls and messages. She did quite a bit of sightseeing by herself, but didn't even really mind – going to a museum alone was kind of a treat, since she could browse on her own time and see everything she wanted. She only had to sheepishly duck into a bathroom to take a work call twice, which she considered victory.
The night before her birthday, Eponine reminded Enjolras that he didn't have anywhere to be the next day until 9, so she planned on taking advantage of his later than normal start time to give herself the gift of sleeping in and neglecting her own work a bit. Enjolras, however, apparently had different plans.
A knock on their adjoining door woke her at 7 am.
"I'm going to murder you," she mumbled once she was semi-coherent. "You can't even let me sleep in on my fucking birthday?"
Eponine threw the covers back and grumbled threats of castration all the way to the door, forgetting about her slightly embarrassing sleepwear – simply a long t-shirt with little pictures of pigs in sunglasses all over it. She opened the door slowly and was about to tell Enjolras to fuck off when he grinned with that ridiculous charm and nudged the door open farther with a little rolling breakfast cart he must have gotten from room service.
"Happy birthday, Eponine."
Eponine's eyes widened and she stumbled back, letting Enjolras farther into the room. "I...what?! Thank you...what is this?"
"Breakfast, obviously. And it's supposed to be in bed, so get back in." Enjolras took her arm and guided her back to the bed, fluffing up her pillows before gesturing for her to climb under the covers. "Nice pajamas, by the way."
"Gabe! You're ridiculous!" Eponine laughed, suddenly wide awake, but did as he asked and sat back against the pillows, looking at him with a bemused expression. "And here I thought my birthday wasn't important to you."
"Well good, then my plan worked." Enjolras put a folding tray across her lap along with a plate covered with a silver lid. "I kind of just guessed at what I thought you'd want for breakfast, so I hope you like it."
"I'm sure it will be great." Eponine removed the cover and giggled when she saw a big pile of waffles topped with whipped cream, strawberries, and blueberries. Atop it all was a single candle, which Enjolras quickly fumbled to light. "Wow! Even a candle?"
"Of course – what kind of birthday would it be without that? Make a wish, Eponine."
"Hmm...wow. It's actually kind of hard to make a wish when I have almost everything I want for the first time in my life." It felt strange to be so content, almost like she was in a dream she half expected to wake up from at any moment.
"I'm sure you can think of something." Enjolras waited patiently while Eponine closed her eyes and finally blew out the candle. She opened them to see him staring at her with what she could only describe as a loving expression. "So are you going to tell me or is it a secret?" he asked.
"It's a secret, obviously! You can't tell someone your wish or it won't come true." Eponine picked the candle out of her food and dug in, letting out a low moan of exaggerated pleasure as she took her first bite. "Oh my God. This is delicious."
Enjolras pulled a chair up next to the bed and grabbed his own breakfast from the tray. "I'm glad you like it. It's the least I can do since I won't see you all day and everything."
"Oh, yeah. That part does suck. Maybe I missed a wish opportunity there." Eponine reached out and briefly squeezed Enjolras' hand, saying quietly, "But it's okay. I know you're busy and this surprise was more than thoughtful. Don't feel too bad about missing the rest."
"Ah, so you didn't wish for me to be around today?" His eyes sparkled as her looked at her.
"Again, I'm not telling." Eponine stuck her tongue out playfully before taking another bite.
"Well it just so happens that I might have lied to you. You may have hidden your disappointment well, but a little bird named Cosette told me quite the opposite is true."
Eponine's cheeks burned. "Well of course I was disappointed. And what do you mean you lied?"
"I do have a meeting with a potential new client at 9, but I'm going to finish by noon. Then I'm all yours until noon tomorrow. 24 full hours." Enjolras almost looked nervous, like he wasn't sure whether she would have a favorable reaction or not.
Eponine slowly put her fork down, staring at him incredulously. "Are you serious? You jerk! Do you have any idea how sad I was about you abandoning me?!" Eponine reached over and punched him as hard as she could in the arm, but couldn't stop a smile from spreading across her face.
"Ow! Fuck." Enjolras rubbed his arm, but laughed. "I just wanted to surprise you!"
"Well, you did! I was so disappointed I was going to just take back the dress I bought to wear tonight! And I never buy dresses."
"I can't have you disappointed or sad now, can I?" Enjolras reached over and stole a bite of waffles and a strawberry, and Eponine thoughtfully chewed on her lip, remembering the first time he did that with her dessert at dinner. He did it all the time now, and in every single instance, it somehow turned into an elaborate fantasy that involved her feeding him with her bare hands. Naked.
"Thank you," she said sincerely. "Honestly, I mean it. I wouldn't have wanted to celebrate my birthday with anyone but you."
"You're more than welcome." Enjolras finished his breakfast and stood, leaning over to lightly brush his lips across her cheek. "I have to go, but I'll be back here by 12:30. You pick whatever you want to do this afternoon, but we have reservations at 7...and I definitely want to see you in this dress you mentioned."
There was no mistaking the look he gave her and Eponine bit her lip. Before she could think better, she said quietly, "If you have any more incredible surprises planned you might end up seeing more than that."
Enjolras' eyes widened and Eponine swore she actually saw a bead of sweat break out on his forehead. He stared at her and slowly rubbed the back of his neck, clearly torn between leaving and climbing into bed with her right then and there. "Okay, then." Eponine stifled a laugh as his voice cracked and his face turned red. "I'll see you in a few hours."
Eponine watched Enjolras leave and covered her face with her hands once the door clicked shut, laughing out of sheer giddiness. She felt like a teenage girl in love for the first time. And now she had added a healthy dose of anticipation, expectations, and nerves to everything she was already feeling, even though she was still conflicted as to what they should actually do. Was she really reckless enough to risk her stability just to be with Enjolras?
Probably. Because that vibrator was just not cutting it anymore.
At precisely 12:30, Enjolras arrived back at the hotel, changed out of his fancy suit, and let Eponine lead the way to Central Park. Even though he was reluctant at first, all Eponine had to do was bat her eyelashes a few times to convince him to rent a rowboat. They spent an hour on the lake laughing and talking, and things seemed back to normal. The fluttering in her stomach hadn't stopped, but lately, it always happened in Enjolras' presence.
After Central Park, they made their way to the Brooklyn Bridge to take the obligatory NYC tourist pictures there, and Eponine didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around Enjolras' waist as a stranger took their picture. Once they had walked the bridge and taken in the city's skyline, it was time to go back to the hotel to change in time for dinner. Enjolras insisted on taking a cab to save time. No matter how much she bothered him with questions, he wouldn't give her the slightest hint about where they were going for dinner.
Eponine took a quick shower and dried her hair when they got back to the hotel before finally clipping the tags off her dress, thankful now that she'd bought it after all. She shimmied into it, carefully adjusting the tight material in front of the mirror.
"Damn," she breathed once she was satisfied. She looked amazing, and that was a pretty big deal for her to admit. Her looks were always the least of her worries, but it was surprising how good it felt to look beautiful and sexy.
She turned to look at the back of the dress and frowned as she realized that if she kept her hair down, she was obscuring the whole reason for wearing it. Well, Enjolras would just have to wait a few extra minutes, she decided, and ignored him telling her they were going to be late from the other side of the door as she put on makeup and pinned up her hair. She made a face when she was finished and tried it again, cursing like a sailor as she tried to make a few curls fall around her face. She wasn't used to doing this kind of thing. When she was finally satisfied with the finished product, she grabbed her purse and jumped as Enjolras knocked on the door again just as she was about to open it.
She took a deep breath, suddenly extremely nervous about his reaction, before slowly opening the door. He was slumped against the wall across the hall, hands in his pockets and head tilted backward in a position of perfect boredom. He straightened when he heard the door open and Eponine felt her whole body flush as his eyes slowly roamed over her.
"Eponine..." Enjolras sucked in a breath and shook his head, apparently at a loss for words. His eyes widened comically the more he looked at her and Eponine noticed his hands clenched into fists at his sides. Very slowly, she turned around and coyly looked at him over her shoulder.
"Well?" she asked cheekily. "Are you happy I didn't take the dress back?"
"I...yeah. That's..." Enjolras trailed off, still staring at her, and Eponine laughed, turning around to face him again.
"I don't think I've ever seen you speechless. This is really doing wonders for my ego." Eponine stepped forward and closed the door behind her, finally noticing how good Enjolras looked himself. There were not many men that could pull off a three piece suit, but he was more than adequate for the job. The dark grey material hugged him in all of the right places and Eponine smiled in appreciation, managing to resist reaching out and touching him.
"You look stunning," Enjolras finally managed to say. His voice was lower than usual, his eyes dark. "Those words don't even do you justice."
Eponine flushed. "Thank you."
Enjolras nodded towards the elevator at the end of the hall. "Are you ready to go?"
Eponine nodded and started walking, realizing after a minute that he wasn't beside her. She turned around to face him and raised her eyebrows. "Gabe? I thought we were leaving?"
"I know. I just..." Enjolras sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He looked more nervous than Eponine had ever seen him. "You know that line we've talked about? That we're not supposed to cross?"
"Of course. I hate that fucking line."
Enjolras snorted in laughter before sobering again. "Me, too. But, Eponine, I don't...I mean...fuck." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to gather himself.
"It's okay, Gabe," Eponine said quietly. "Can we just forget about the line for a while?" She held out her hand expectantly and Enjolras only hesitated a second before taking it and intertwining their fingers.
They managed to make it downstairs without ripping each other's clothes off in the elevator, and once they were out on the street, Enjolras tugged Eponine to a stop. "Notice anything?" he asked, a grin on his face.
There didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary, and she looked around in confusion. "Uh...no? What am I looking for?" Enjolras gestured to the street in front of them and Eponine gasped when she saw it. "A limo? What?! Is that for us?"
"Of course. We're forgetting about the line, remember?" He smirked at her and opened the door. "Ladies first."
"You are unbelievable." Eponine carefully climbed in, looking around in wonder. She had never been in a limo before – had never really cared or wanted to be, really – but it was another incredible and unexpected gesture to make her feel special that she appreciated from Enjolras.
He slid in after her and leaned forward to talk to the driver for a second, telling him in a hushed voice where to go. The driver then raised a partition to give them some privacy and Enjolras turned to look at her. The air between them felt heavy and charged with electricity now that they were in such an enclosed space; it took all of her self control not to jump him then and there.
"You really spoil me, you know. I don't deserve all of this."
"Yes, you do. You deserve more than I could ever give you, but I'll try."
Eponine bit her lip and was about to reply when the limo stopped. When the driver tapped on the glass, Enjolras reached over to open the door and said sternly, "First stop. But stay here – I'll be right back."
"Okay..." Eponine tried to watch where Enjolras went, but he disappeared up the street before she could see. About five minutes later, he slid back into the car and abruptly handed her a hot dog from a street vendor.
"Enjoy your dinner."
Eponine stared at the hot dog blankly, wondering if he was serious or not. "Uh. Okay?"
Enjolras laughed and took a bite of his own hot dog. "What, you were expecting something else?"
"Quite honestly, I never have any idea what to expect from you, so this actually fits in pretty well." She hesitantly took a bite, wondering if there was a catch to all of this.
"I'm full of surprises. I promise there's a point to this, though, which you'll understand in a few minutes. Eat up."
Eponine obediently finished her hot dog. "I'll admit it was good. But seriously, where the hell are we going if that was my dinner?"
"You'll see. It involves one of your favorite things, though," he hinted.
Eponine's eyes narrowed as she contemplated what it could be. "Another hint?"
"It's very appropriate for a birthday."
"One of my favorite things and appropriate for my birthday...I have no idea, just tell me!"
Enjolras laughed and put his hand on her thigh. "No."
"Damn it. Okay, I'm playing dirty now. You asked for it." Eponine sidled closer, turning to face him and pressing her body to his side. She laid her hand high on his leg and squeezed, satisfied when she felt him draw in a deep breath. She didn't know what had come over her.
"After all of these surprises, you decide to torture me?" He slipped his arm around her so she fit more snugly against his side.
Eponine leaned up and pressed her lips to his ear, deciding to not just forget about the line, but leave it so far behind in the dust it wasn't even visible anymore. "It's my birthday – I get to do what I want. So maybe I'll start with this..." She ran her tongue along his ear lobe and felt his grip tighten on her waist. "And then this..." She kissed his neck, beginning to nibble on his skin ever so lightly. It was hard to hold back, considering she wanted to do nothing more than climb onto his lap and kiss him senseless, but she also wanted to see just how much he could take before he cracked.
"Eponine..." he moaned softly. "If you don't stop, we're never getting out of this car."
"Hm. Maybe I don't want to." She moved her hand back to his thigh, sliding it dangerously high up his leg and then barely ghosting over his crotch. He let out a strangled grunt and closed his eyes, letting his head fall back against the seat. "But, then again, if we don't get out of the car, I won't get to see this big surprise."
Quite cruelly, Eponine abruptly scooted as far away from him as she could, crossing her legs demurely as she smirked at him from the corner of the seat. Every single inhibition she'd ever had was gone. Nothing mattered but making him happy...although she might have just succeeded in inflicting more misery than happiness with that little stunt, she figured.
Enjolras opened his eyes and glared at her. "You're evil."
"I know."
The car came to a stop and Enjolras groaned, shifting uncomfortably. "Fuck. You're going to have to give me a minute."
Eponine laughed, feeling extremely pleased with herself and ridiculously turned on just by seeing the effect she had on him. "Take your time."
After about a minute, Enjolras sighed and opened the door, getting out and discreetly adjusting his pants. He took Eponine's hand as she got out of the car, still shaking his head in disbelief. When he finally pulled himself together, he turned and gestured to the building in front of them. "I promised you would like this surprise because it has to do with something you love. So...here we are."
Eponine cocked her head as she read the sign on what looked to be a very small restaurant. "Cupcakes, cakes, and wine..." She gasped. "Oh my God, is this strictly a dessert place? Is there chocolate waiting for me in there?"
"All the chocolate you could ever possibly wish for." Enjolras grinned and looked down at her in amusement.
Eponine turned and said frankly, "You are so getting laid tonight."
"Well, that's...good to know." He pulled her closer to him and reached up to cradle her cheek in one hand, running his thumb along her jaw. His other hand rested low on her waist. "Does that mean I can kiss you now?"
Eponine nodded, taking his jacket and tugging him closer. "Please." Their lips were just about to meet when she pulled away a bit and said hastily, "But I'm getting my chocolate before any of the funny business happens."
"Eponine." Enjolras practically growled her named in frustration and she laughed. It was quickly stifled, however, when Enjolras quickly pressed his lips to hers. She closed her eyes and whimpered against his mouth, feeling like she had suddenly been struck by lightning. Her legs turned to jelly and she slipped her arms around his neck to better hold herself up, tangling her fingers in his hair.
His lips were hungry against hers, all the months of pent up frustration and flirting and drawn out foreplay being channeled into one moment. When his fingers touched the bare skin of her back, Eponine melted against him even further, pressing herself as close to him as she could. She was vaguely aware of the catcalls and whistles coming at them from the busy sidewalk, and though she was definitely not one for public displays of affection, she really couldn't care less at the moment. Finally, he tried to pull away, but Eponine's mouth followed him unwittingly, messily drawing him back to her with a quick bite to his lower lip, which only increased the ardor with which he kissed her.
When they finally parted a minute later, Eponine realized she was practically bent over backwards, locked in the kind of passionate embrace she'd only ever seen in movies. Her eyes widened as she stared at Enjolras' blue eyes, dark with desire, hovering above her. He slowly straightened and pulled her up with him.
She could barely breathe and her lips felt swollen and bruised. That was the best kiss of her life, hands down. The line was now absolutely obliterated.
It was obvious neither of them knew what to say, but the silence didn't feel uncomfortable. Enjolras smiled crookedly and gently ran one hand down her spine, making her shiver at his touch. "So. Are you ready for your chocolate now?"
"I'm always ready for chocolate." She gave him another quick, chaste kiss before pulling away and following him inside the little building. They were immediately led upstairs to a completely private room and Eponine chose a corner booth on purpose so they could sit next to each other. The menu offered every flavor of cupcake and cake imaginable and Eponine sighed in contentment as she curled into his sighed and read the choices.
"These all sound so good. I don't know what to get!"
"See why I made you eat the hot dog now? I couldn't let you eat just dessert."
Eponine looked at him skeptically. "Yeah, because that one hot dog made a huge difference. How bad will you judge me if I get three cupcakes?"
"Get as many cupcakes as you want; believe me, it will not stop me from fucking you into tomorrow." Enjolras smirked as Eponine gaped, her cheeks turning red once more. She couldn't think of an appropriate reply, so she simply grabbed his jacket and pulled him to her again, kissing him hard.
They broke apart only when their server cleared her throat in front of them, and Eponine apologized sheepishly. She ordered three cupcakes – a triple chocolate, chocolate peanut butter fudge, and red velvet. Enjolras echoed her peanut butter and red velvet, and then surprised her by reminding the server of the chocolate cake he'd ordered earlier to go. "For later," he said simply when the waitress walked away, "so you can have your chocolate fix tomorrow, too."
"Oh my Lord, that is amazing. You are amazing. I am going to let you do so many unspeakable things to me tonight," Eponine said teasingly. "Limos and chocolate and canceling all your plans just to be with me...you're really setting very unrealistic expectations for men."
Enjolras frowned said seriously, "And how many other men do you plan to have around?"
Eponine shrugged. "Absolutely none. I don't want anyone else." She smiled tentatively, a little afraid she was suddenly laying too many cards out on the table, but Enjolras' eyes softened as he gazed at her.
"You've completely turned my life upside down," he said softly. "I know in reality we've only known each other less than a year, but I feel like I've known you my entire life."
"I feel the same way," she reassured him. "And honestly, it's strange for me...I've never become so close to someone before sleeping with them. I usually fall into bed and then convince myself I have to like the person or it's wrong. It's the exact opposite with you. I want you because I know you."
Enjolras stroked her leg under the table and leaned over to lightly kiss her cheek. The mood was less heavy now, less weighted with their powerful desire, and sweeter. She had never been so comfortable being honest with someone.
"So before I lose you to chocolate heaven, I wanted to give you something..." Enjolras reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a suspiciously ring shaped box. Eponine's eyes widened and she sat up straighter, her heart pounding in her chest. "It's not a ring!" Enjolras said hastily, correctly interpreting Eponine's body language.
She laughed weakly and nodded, realizing with a start that she felt just crazy enough to actually fucking say yes if it would have been. Dear God, I love him. The thought almost knocked her over, her vision actually going black for a minute as she forgot to breathe.
"Eponine?" Her eyes snapped back to his and she took a deep breath, shaking herself out of her abrupt realization.
"I'm okay! What is it?" She took the box and slowly opened it. Inside was a necklace, in the shape of an infinity symbol; it was simple in its design, but obviously expensive and well made. And clearly bursting with some kind of cryptic, or maybe incredibly clear, message from him.
"I love it. It's absolutely perfect..." Tears stung her eyes as she stared at the necklace, slowly tracing the figure-eight shape with her finger. "Infinity, huh? Forever. What does that mean?"
Enjolras let out a shaky breath and leaned forward, kissing both of her cheeks and then her lips, murmuring, "Don't cry," against her mouth. He pulled away just enough to look at her, his hands still cupping her face. "I'm just trying to say...I mean...I'm not good at this. I've never felt this way about someone. And I know we're doing something here that is supposed to be morally wrong since you're on my company's payroll, but it doesn't feel wrong. Nothing has felt wrong since you walked into my office and argued with me to get me to hire you. I'm in love with you, and I have been for a while. I love you, Eponine. And I just..." he sighed in frustration and said desperately, "I never want you to think that this has been something casual for me, or just a friendship. It's not. It's anything but. You're everything to me and I will literally spend this long..." he gestured to the necklace, "...showing that to you."
Eponine stared at him with wide eyes, her mouth open in surprise. She stared so long he began to look worried, and asked quietly, "Are you okay?"
"I never thought I would feel this way about someone," she finally admitted. "But I love you, too. I'm not even afraid to say it. I love you." She quickly wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his neck. She could feel Enjolras relax against her, probably out of relief that everything was now out on the table. They held each other silently for a few moments, until Eponine once again felt his hands stroke her bare back.
"It feels so good to finally touch you." Enjolras kissed the curve of her neck and shoulder and Eponine tilted her head to give him better access, her eyes fluttering closed as she buried her fingers in his hair. Her skin tingled as he sucked and bit at her neck, his hands pulling her closer until she was almost in his lap.
"Gabe?" she finally moaned quietly as he sucked just below her ear. He didn't respond, instead moving one hand around her body and gently squeezing her breasts, his lips moving to her chest to kiss every bit of skin he could find. "Oh...oh, God. Gabe, stop," she whispered weakly. In another minute, she would have let him take her then and there, regardless of the potentially embarrassing consequences.
Eponine grabbed his face and brought it up to hers, turning her head away when he tried to kiss her. "Slow down there, Tiger," she teased, a bit breathless from his attention. "We're still in public."
Enjolras groaned and reluctantly moved his hands to a safer place on her waist. "I want you so much."
Eponine noticed their waitress coming and scooted farther away. "Can we get all of this to go?" she asked once the server reached their table. "I'm so sorry, we're just...preoccupied."
As soon as they were alone again, Enjolras reached for her, but Eponine batted his hands away. "Stop!" she hissed, snickering at his eagerness. "Not here!"
"I'm sorry," he said sheepishly. "I'm acting like a teenage boy that can't control himself."
"It's okay," Eponine laughed. "I like this side of you."
When the server brought all of their dessert back in a to go bag, Enjolras threw more than enough money down on the table and they hurried down the stairs and to the street hand in hand. Their driver was leaning against the car smoking a cigarette and gave them a knowing look when they appeared. "Where to now, you two?"
"Back to the hotel," Enjolras said sheepishly. "And then I think you're free to go."
"You know you paid for three whole hours, right?"
"I know. Believe me, I'm not worried about it." Enjolras grinned as Eponine tugged him into the car and shut the door. Wasting no time, she climbed onto his lap as soon as he was settled. His hands were suddenly everywhere as they kissed, his lips almost bruising. It was messy and frantic as they both fought for control, teeth and tongues clashing. When Eponine ground her hips against his, Enjolras groaned and pulled away, looking at her with dark eyes.
Eponine moved to kiss his jaw, roughly pushing his head back against the seat. When she got to his ear, she grinned and said quietly, "What would you say if I told you I wasn't wearing anything under this dress?"
Enjolras stilled for a minute, then abruptly reached under her bottom and flipped their positions so she was under him. He slid down to the floor of the car, kneeling between her legs, and looked at her for permission as his hands began to push her dress up. She nodded breathlessly and began to help him, whimpering impatiently.
"Your dress is too damn tight," Enjolras growled, and leaned forward to begin kissing and licking the inside of her thighs. When he finally managed to push her dress up high enough, he stopped, looking at her splayed and wet before him. "God, Eponine..." His voice was lower than normal due to his desire, his cheeks flushed and lips swollen from their kisses. He had never looked so good.
"Gabe, please," she begged, pushing his head impatiently forward by tugging on his hair. When his warm breath hit her folds, she gasped, letting out a sharp cry when she felt his tongue flick out against her clit. As he covered her opening with his mouth, Eponine arched her back, her breath coming in short gasps. As her pleasure grew, Eponine slipped further down the seat, her legs weak. Enjolras wrapped an arm around her thigh to hold her in place, his eyes meeting hers as he thrust his tongue inside of her to drink in every drop he could.
Eponine keened helplessly, her hands gripping the edge of the seat and then his shoulders, finally finding his hand as he reached up to soothe her. He squeezed her hand as he pulled away for just a moment to draw a breath. "Come for me, Eponine," he said softly, and lowered his mouth again, kissing and sucking in all of the right places to finally push her over the edge.
She cried out his name as she came, desperately pushing her hips against his mouth as her walls clenched around his tongue. Once she stopped shaking, Enjolras gave her one final lick and raised his head, her juices still wet on his chin. Eponine moaned; she had never seen something so sexy in her life. "How can I still be so turned on after that orgasm?" she said desperately, and Enjolras laughed low in his throat, rising to hover over her. He grabbed a napkin from the to-go bag and wiped his chin, then cleaned Eponine up a bit, as well.
Eponine smiled as she felt his erection brush against her leg and he growled when she reached down and abruptly squeezed him through his pants. He moved from atop her, falling back against the seat, and closed his eyes as Eponine touched him. She wanted to fuck him right there in car, but a quick glance out of the window told her they were only maybe two blocks from their hotel, and she had a feeling it would be even more satisfying if they waited to have more room and privacy up on the 28th floor.
"I'm sorry..." she said quietly as she removed her hand, "but look out the window. We're only a block away from the hotel."
Enjolras opened his eyes and scowled at the sight. "Damn."
"I mean, we can make it a quickie," she teased, giggling, "but I thought it might be a little more satisfying in my room."
"Nothing about this is going to be quick," Enjolras deadpanned, and sat up, tugging her closer to him. He kissed her neck lightly, trailing his lips over her skin almost chastely compared to before, and whispered, "You tasted so good. Better than anything I've ever had in my life."
Eponine bit her lip, fisting her hand in his shirt. "I didn't expect this from you," she admitted, and he raised an eyebrow in question. "I thought...well. I thought you might be kind of a boring lover?"
He looked affronted and Eponine laughed, cupping his face to give him a quick kiss. "But you're not! God, not at all. You're the farthest thing from boring."
"I'm offended. You thought I was boring when you met me, you thought I was going to suck at sex..."
"Well, remember," Eponine reminded him, "we still haven't had sex yet. So." She smirked as she felt the car stop in front of the hotel. Eponine reached for the to-go bag, but Enjolras grabbed her hand and gestured to his very obvious arousal.
"Uh...I'll take that. I might need it to disguise my little problem here."
"Well it's definitely not little," Eponine teased as she opened the door. "And now it's a problem?"
"It is when you have to walk through a crowded lobby and ride in an elevator for 28 floors." Enjolras thanked the limo driver, carrying the bag not so discreetly in front of him, and followed Eponine into the hotel. She took his arm as they waited for the elevator, trying not to laugh at his slightly pained expression. Unfortunately, the elevator was crowded, and Eponine found herself pressed against him in the back, which wasn't so bad, considering she used the time to slowly press her bottom against his still very much there erection. He finally wrapped an arm around her waist and leaned forward, biting her ear and whispering in warning, "You're really enjoying my pain here, aren't you? You're going to see how fucking boring I am when this fucking elevator finally stops."
Eponine snorted and turned her head to lightly kiss him. "Bring it on."
After stopping a torturous seven times between the ground and 28th floors, Eponine and Enjolras finally found themselves on their floor. Enjolras immediately started power-walking to the end of the hall where their rooms were, but when he realized Eponine wasn't beside him, turned around impatiently to see her nonchalantly, and very leisurely sauntering down the hall.
He glared at her, asking tightly, "Eponine? Sometime today, please?"
"I happen to think it's kind of fun getting you all worked up. So I thought I'd just take my time." She leaned against the wall and smiled innocently.
"Eponine, I love you, but I swear to God..." Enjolras growled and stalked back down the hall, effortlessly scooping her up with one arm to carry her over his shoulder. She shrieked with surprised laughter, almost delirious with happiness, and let him carry her to his room, where he impatiently fumbled to open the door. "Fucking door," he mumbled.
"You have quite the mouth when you're turned on, too," Eponine mused, and grinned when he finally pushed it open. He tossed the bag on the table and gently lowered Eponine to the floor, sighing in relief. "Finally."
Eponine pushed his jacket off his shoulders, tossing it aside, and glared at him playfully as she began to unbutton his waistcoat and shirt. "You wore way too many clothes tonight."
She kissed her way slowly down his chest as each button fell away, until there were none left and Enjolras shrugged his shirt off. Eponine looked up at him appreciatively, admiring his lean, but toned, stomach, chest, and arms. He watched her through dark, hooded eyes as Eponine pushed him backwards to the bed, unbuckling his belt and pulling off his pants and underwear, finally freeing his throbbing manhood. She knelt on the floor and took him in her hand first, slowly pumping his shaft.
A strangled sound escaped Enjolras' throat as she leaned forward and swirled her tongue around his head, taking him into her mouth a little bit at a time. "Fuck. Eponine! Oh, God." He fell back on the bed, his hands clutching the sheets as she sucked and licked his arousal. He groaned after a minute and reluctantly pushed her away, standing and tugging her up with him.
He wrapped his arms around her waist as she hooked her leg around his, his hands squeezing her bottom as she rubbed against him. She reached behind her and guided his hand to the small zipper on the back of her dress. Once it was undone, he pulled away a bit and pushed the straps of her dress down, helping her shimmy out of the tight material. He stared at her breasts for a minute as her dress pooled around her feet. Eponine's nipples were already peaked and hard, and Enjolras moaned as he ran his hands over her ass and stomach before cupping her breasts.
"God, you're so beautiful," he breathed against her skin as he kissed down her neck to her chest. He lowered his mouth to one breast as he kneaded the soft flesh of the other, and Eponine felt desire pooling heavily in her stomach as he sucked and bit at first one nipple and then the other. It felt so good it hurt, and she whimpered, grasping at his arms and shoulders and frantically wrapping her leg around his waist, trying to bring herself some relief from the throbbing between her legs. She rocked her core against his erection, gasping as he rubbed against her clit and screwing up her face to keep from screaming it was so deliciously painful.
"Gabe! Oh, fuck. Please. I need you. Please!" she begged, feeling him smile against her skin.
"What do you need, Eponine?" He moved his lips to her ear and pulled her earlobe into his mouth, biting down just enough to hurt and making her writhe against him. His hands held her bottom still as he gyrated against her hips and she cried out, scratching his shoulders in frustration.
"Fuck me! God, I need you to fuck me. Do it now."
Enjolras growled, her words making him grab her hips and roughly push her onto the bed. They scrambled farther up to the pillows together, hands still wandering and mouths kissing any bit of sweaty skin they could find. Eponine opened her legs, reaching down impatiently to touch herself, and Enjolras groaned at the sight as he hovered above her. "Fuck, Eponine." He took her hand and raised it above her head as he settled himself between her legs, positioning himself at her opening. "You're beautiful," he said again. "God, I love you."
Eponine threw her head back as he finally pushed himself into her, going as far and deep as he could before pulling almost all the way out again. "Oh, fuck. You're so wet." Enjolras leaned down as he began thrusting in and out of her sex, sometimes moving agonizingly slow, sometimes with short, fast movements that left Eponine gasping against his shoulder, her legs desperately trying to wrap around his waist. His mouth was everywhere – on her neck, her jaw, her lips, her breasts – and his hands grasped hers tightly. Their eyes met as he buried himself deeply inside of her and Eponine lifted her head to kiss him desperately, sucking hard on his bottom lip.
Without warning, Enjolras suddenly began pounding into her in a fast, steady rhythm, making her cry out in pleasure every time their bodies met. "Look at me," Eponine begged, and Enjolras opened his eyes and gazed at her, his face red and pained from the effort of holding back his release until she reached her peak.
"Oh! Gabe! Oh, God!" Eponine felt her walls tighten as she finally began to climax, her thighs clenching as he still pumped steadily into her. Her orgasm was violent and she shuddered beneath him, moving her hands to grab frantically at his arms and back and screaming as she finally came. Seeing her let go was all the impetus he needed for his own release, and Eponine sighed in pleasure as she felt Enjolras slow down and spill himself into her with a few final movements. When he was finally spent, he pulled himself out with a groan and settled next to her on the bed, drawing her into his arms.
They were both still breathing hard, and stared at each other in amazement until they could speak coherently. Enjolras kissed her deeply, stroking her still flushed and heated skin before mumbling against her lips. "Do you still think I'm boring?"
Eponine laughed and brushed her nose against his. "No. You're not boring. That was perfect."
"It was," Enjolras agreed, running his hands through her hair, which had somehow come loose during their love making. "I think I'd like to do that every day for the rest of my life. With you," he added, just to make sure his point was clear.
"I love you," Eponine whispered. "I don't know how that happened, but I really do."
Enjolras smiled and kissed her nose. His eyes were startlingly blue as he gazed at her, and so honest that it made her breath catch in her throat. "I love you, too."
Woooow. That's one of the longest chapters I've ever written. And one of the most challenging, honestly, because I realized when I came up with the idea for this story that I have NEVER written something where E and E fall in love before they actually do the nasty. So I wanted to try.
And I'm super nervous because I really don't know if I pulled it off. I feel like you guys are either going to LOVE this or HATE it and there won't be any in between.
I hope you love it. If you do, please let me know. PLEASE. Reviews make me feel so wonderful!
And if you hated it, feel free to let me know, as well, but please do it respectfully. There's no reason to ever make someone feel like an ass, after all.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading!