oh, my heart is aching

we're coming to the edge,

running on the water

coming through the fog,

your sons and daughters

vii.

For a moment the next morning, Eponine wondered if she was still dreaming as her eyes fluttered open. Sleeping next to someone, let alone next to an incredibly hot naked man, was pretty foreign. She was nestled into Enjolras' chest and felt more relaxed and happy than she ever had before, especially considering she wasn't a morning person at all. Eponine slowly scooted back, trying not to disturb Enjolras, who was still sleeping peacefully. She just wanted to look at him, even though it felt slightly creepy to watch him sleep. He didn't stir as she pulled away and sat up, wincing at the slight ache between her legs. Since losing her virginity at age 15, she had slept with more guys than she was proud of, mostly through her tumultuous teenage years. She hadn't been with anyone in over a year, however, just because she didn't feel the need. Needless to say, being fucked into next week throughout the night had taken it's toll in the most amazing way.

Enjolras looked young when he slept, Eponine decided. His hair was adorably sticking up every which way, his mouth slightly open, and his face absolutely worry-free. Eponine had no idea how someone who literally looked like a living, breathing incarnation of a Greek God had fallen in love with her, but she refused to ruin what might be the best thing to ever happen to her by being preoccupied by insecurities.

After about five minutes of staring, Eponine's stomach growled and she remembered the plethora of dessert laying somewhere in the room. She stood quietly, stark naked, and found the bag on the floor. She chose the first container inside and sat back on the bed, sighing in delight as she opened it to see the triple chocolate cupcake she ordered the night before. It tasted just as delicious as it looked, but she made herself take small bites, savoring it for as long as she could. Halfway through, she glanced back at Enjolras to see him awake and watching her with amusement.

"Good morning," he said quietly. "This is quite a sight to wake up to – you naked and eating chocolate in bed."

"Better get used to it," Eponine joked. "Because I'm starting to think this is the only good way to wake up."

Enjolras laughed and put his hands behind his head. "Is it as good as you're making it look?"

"See for yourself." She crawled back up the bed and kissed him quickly before putting a small bite of the cupcake in his mouth.

"God, that is good." Enjolras watched her finish the cupcake and asked hopefully, "Come back to bed for a few minutes?"

"Sure." Eponine crawled back under the covers and turned onto her side to face him. "Did you sleep well?"

"Exceptionally. I think I could get used to sharing a bed if it's with you."

"You haven't had me steal your covers yet. You might change your mind then." Eponine kissed his nose as she ran her hand through his hair, trying her best to tame it a bit. She laughed when she only succeeded in making it stick up more.

Fuck, I want to have his babies; babies with really great hair, Eponine thought out of nowhere.

Her eyes widened and she froze, embarrassed at even thinking in such ridiculous terms. Her abrupt change of expression must have alarmed Enjolras, for he immediately frowned and ran his hand down her side, asking in concern, "Eponine? Are you okay?"

"I...what? Yeah! Yeah, I'm fine," she said, her face red. "I just...you know, this is...it's strange," she stuttered, completely thrown off.

"Is it? Eponine, if we're moving too fast or you're uncomfortable, it's okay. You can tell me and I promise I'll back off." Eponine could tell he was sincere, but unhappy about having to say it. He clearly didn't want to back off at all.

"No! No, it's not that. I just...it's stupid, Gabe. I just thought something stupid." She smiled and shrugged. "Forget it."

"Nothing you think is stupid. Tell me." He lightly tickled her stomach and she squirmed, trying to bat his hand away.

"Stop it! Stop!" she shrieked as he kept tickling her.

"Tell me," he grinned, and pulled his hand away, waiting expectantly.

"I was just thinking about...well, like...the future," she mumbled. "I'm sorry, I sound like an idiot."

"No, you don't," Enjolras said reassuringly. "So let's talk about this future. Where do you want to start?"

Eponine raised an eyebrow, wondering how in the hell he could be so calm. "I don't know. I have a hard time thinking in those terms."

"Why?" Enjolras smoothed her hair back, his eyes probing. "We're going to have to talk about what happens when we go home."

"What do you want to happen?"

"I want to be with you, but I have a feeling it's not going to be that simple."

"It can't be. I still work for you."

"I know. Do you want me to fire you?" he joked.

Eponine sighed and rolled her eyes. "You know I need a job. You know more than anyone. I don't know what to do."

"I know. I do. Damn it." Enjolras rolled onto his back to stare at the ceiling. "You're going to tell me that we can't be together when we go home, aren't you?"

Eponine didn't say anything. He was right. She'd known it even last night, though she ignored it and chose to just give in to her feelings instead. "How can we? If we got caught, you could lose your job, too, Gabe. And what the hell would I do? I can't let Gavroche go back to my parents, but if I can't pay the rent, I wouldn't have a choice. It's not just my life I'd be potentially screwing up, but his and yours and...we can't do that."

Enjolras turned his head to look at her, taking her hand under the covers and squeezing tightly. "I know. I understand, and I would never be mad at you for it. To put it eloquently, though, it really fucking sucks. I never even wanted to be with someone until I met you. It feels like a big joke from the universe that the one person I've ever loved is also the one person I can't have."

"You do have me," she insisted. "You do! I'm not going to work for you forever. And hopefully not even for very much longer."

"Are you telling me I need to start looking for another administrative assistant?"

"Hopefully. I'm going to start sending out resumes as soon as we get home. Maybe I'll actually find something this time that has to do with my degree. And then hey! It's a double win. I get a boyfriend and a good job."

Enjolras laughed and turned back onto his side, pulling her towards him. "So we'll think positive. You'll get a new job and then we'll be able to do this..." He kissed her forehead, her nose, and then her lips, mumbling, "...whenever we want, wherever we want."

Eponine hooked one leg over his hips. "We'll be careful. No physical stuff at work or around anyone. I don't want to tell a single person, not even Cosette. Is that okay?"

"The less people that know, the better. It will be strange if we completely stop seeing each other, though," he pointed out, "considering we've been hanging out alone for months. Does that stop now, too?"

"No, it would be a red flag that something changed between us. We just need to be careful, and not be overly affectionate if our friends are around. No sleep overs. And we have to keep it away from Gavroche! I don't want him to open his big mouth to the wrong person, aka Courfeyrac. Because then the entire planet would know we're sleeping together."

Enjolras laughed. "Okay. So, try and act normal around everyone, at work or outside of it, unless we're alone and in private. No sleep overs. And we'll make it work as long as it takes to find you a new job. We'll then wait an appropriate amount of time before going public. Deal?"

"Deal." Eponine felt like a weight had been lifted from her chest – it was really the best they could do under nearly impossible circumstances, but it could work. And maybe this time she would get lucky and find a job right away. There could be absolutely nothing to worry about.

"Good. And look, we resolved that a whole hour before I have to get ready for work. I can think of some really great ways to spend it..." Enjolras leaned in and began trailing kisses along her jaw and neck, having already discovered all of the places that drove her crazy.

"Gabe?" she asked after a minute, suddenly curious.

"Hm?"

"So, are we...are we really together? Like an actual couple? Even though we have to hide it?"

He paused in his ministrations to look at her. "Yes. That is, if you want it. I do."

"I do, too." Eponine grinned and pushed him onto his back, moving to straddle his hips and leaning down to kiss him. "And we still have an entire week here in New York to be together however we want."

"Let's not waste it then."

The next week flew by way in a dizzying blur. There were days they actually left the hotel room to sight see, and days when they were both done with work and could think about nothing but making love for hours. All too soon, though, it was time to go home.

Eponine was quiet again on the flight, this time not from fear, but from the heavy feeling of dread that had settled in her stomach. Now that they were getting closer to reality with every mile, the questions and uncertainty of what could happen in the coming weeks was becoming unbearable. Enjolras was just as anxious as her, she could tell, though he tried to hide it. They took a cab to his house from the airport, since she'd left her car there before the trip. He put her bags in the trunk and sighed as he gazed at her wringing her hands in his driveway.

"Come in for a second, okay?"

Eponine nodded and followed him into the house, making sure not to touch him until the door closed behind her. Enjolras quickly gathered her to his chest then, kissing the top of her head as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "I hate this," she mumbled. "I just want to stay here with you."

"I wish you could. I wish both you and Gavroche could be here all the time."

Eponine lifted her head and looked at him incredulously. "Really? You seriously wouldn't mind living with a thirteen year old boy going through puberty?"

"I was a thirteen year old boy going through puberty once, so no. And besides, you're kind of a package deal."

"Well I'm glad there's no doubt about that already. I swear, it is like he's my kid – I couldn't be with someone that doesn't understand he comes first."

"I do get it. It's part of why I love you." He kissed her forehead and then pulled away. "It's going to be okay. We'll stick to the plan, you're going to find a new job within the week, and we won't have to hide at all."

"Right. Think positive." Eponine forced a smile and pulled him back to her, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him deeply just in case it was the last time she'd get to for a few days.

Enjolras kissed her back, backing her up against the counter and making sure she could feel him from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. They each tried to pull away a few times, but in each instance, the other would greedily follow, keeping the kiss going until they were both breathless. She'd felt that way a lot in the last week. Finally, with a reluctant whimper, Eponine broke the kiss and rested her forehead against his. "I should go. Courfeyrac is still with Gav and I'm sure he'd like to get home."

"Yeah," Enjolras agreed, but didn't move his hands from her waist.

"That means you have to let go of me," Eponine said as she kissed his nose and tugged on his hair.

"Fine, fine..." After one last chaste kiss, Enjolras stepped away and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "You better go before I change my mind." He smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I'll see you tomorrow at work," Eponine said as she opened the door. "And I love you."

"I love you, too." Enjolras closed the door after her and Eponine hurried to her car, afraid if she didn't leave quickly, she'd cry, and then Enjolras would be upset and try and comfort her and then it would lead to sex and then it would be even more difficult to leave.

She drove home in a daze and attempted to give herself a pep talk. "I have no right to complain," she mumbled to herself in the car. "This is just a temporary setback. Someone fucking loves me. Gabriel freaking Enjolras loves me. You should be in the best fucking mood of your life, Eponine! Who cares if you can't be with him every single second? It's only going to be a little while before literally the rest of your life starts. Holy shit."

She pulled up in front of her apartment and rested her head against the steering wheel, her head spinning. It was an exhilarating, slightly sickening, feeling, being certain down to her very core that she'd found the person she was going to be with for the rest of her life. She was going to marry him, have babies with him, grow old with him, and be there for him through all of the things sappy wedding vows talked about. And he would be there for her. The cynical side of her that usually won out was shouting that all of this was too good to be true; it was too easy, she was just swept up in the moment, and once the novelty wore off, they would break. The hopeful, optimistic side of her that had grown a little bit every day since she'd met Enjolras, however, was the one she decided to listen to.

Eponine got out of the car with an extra spring in her step, ready to conquer the world.

The next morning at work, when Jennifer asked how the trip to New York was, Eponine didn't lie – she just left out a few very important details. Enjolras called her into his office around 9 and Eponine closed the door behind her just to be safe. "Hi," she said quietly, and sank down into a chair across from his desk.

"Hi." He looked tired; just like her, he probably hadn't slept well, even being back in his own bed. "How was your night?"

"Long. Kind of lonely. What about you?"

"The same. I missed you." Their eyes met and Eponine physically twitched, clenching her fingers around the arms of the chair to keep herself from vaulting over the desk to devour him. This was going to be even more difficult than she thought if he kept looking at her like that.

"I missed you, too." She sighed and stood, crossing her arms. "But I have to go. We can't do this at work all the time, remember? Do you have anything work related for me?"

Enjolras groaned and rubbed his face before nodding. "Yeah. Here – it's just some case files. Type up the notes and then file them. That's it."

"Okay. Let me know if you need anything else."

"Yes, ma'am." Eponine snorted as Enjolras gave her an exaggerated wink before she left the office.

That afternoon, Eponine started sending out resume after resume, having flashbacks from the year before when she did the exact same thing. She crossed her fingers and prayed every time she hit send.

Five days later, when she still hadn't gotten a single phone call, her spirits sank a little, but Enjolras gently reminded her not to lose hope.

May soon turned to June, however, and before she knew it, June turned to July. She had gone on two interviews and thought they had gone well, but in both cases, someone with more experience was hired. And to make things worse, she and Enjolras had barely seen each other in the last month – because of his work with Amnesty International, they had unexpectedly asked him to go to London for three weeks with only about four days notice. Almost four entire weeks had gone by and they had barely spoken the entire time.

Eponine missed him so much it drove her crazy; she was short with Gavroche, barely talked to Cosette for fear of giving herself away, and felt fairly miserable in general. The optimism she had felt at the start of their relationship was dwindling, and her insecurities were rearing their ugly heads. What if Enjolras started reconsidering his feelings being so far away from her? What if he met some gorgeous British woman and came to his senses? Or, even worse, a beautiful, intelligent, American lawyer just like him? What if he realized he didn't have any interest in being stuck raising a thirteen year old kid? What if he realized he just didn't love her like he thought he did when the fantasy of New York was taken away?

He got home on a Saturday, and even though Eponine knew his exact arrival time, and was alone since Gavroche was spending the weekend with a friend, she decided to pace restlessly in her own apartment rather than show up at his house unannounced, and possibly, unwanted. When her phone buzzed with a simple text at 3:00, her heart fell even further.

Can you come over? We need to talk.

"Oh, fuck," she whispered. It was obvious what that meant. Eponine closed her eyes and clenched her jaw, refusing to cry. Whatever he said, whatever happened, she would be fine. No one knew that they were together, anyway, so there would be no awkward break-up to explain away.

Sure. I'll be over in a few minutes.

The drive to his house felt like a death march, and it was over way too fast. She pulled into his driveway and parked, checking her makeup quickly in the mirror. She'd taken most of it off, anyway, just in case she cried – it would be humiliating enough if she couldn't hold back tears, but to add running mascara to that would just be pathetic.

Enjolras opened the door as she came up the walk, his smile faltering as he saw her expression. "Eponine? Is something wrong?"

"No." She slipped past him into the house and sat on the couch, staring at her hands as she waited for him to join her. "How was your trip?"

"Fine..." She heard the hesitancy in his voice and bit her lip, waiting for the axe to fall. "Listen, I wanted to apologize for something, but do you have something to say? Because after not seeing you for 24 days, I expected a little bit more than five words and a glance."

Eponine finally lifted her head to look at him. His jaw was tight and eyes guarded; he didn't look like a guy that was about to break up with her, she reasoned. He looked like someone who was preparing to receive bad news, just like her. Maybe she was wrong?

"I...no, I just...you said you wanted to talk," she said weakly. "I thought you were going to break up with me."

Enjolras sighed and deflated. "Eponine, why would you assume that?"

She shrugged and scooted closer on the couch, inviting him to close the distance if he wanted to. "I don't know. I guess I convinced myself of a lot of horrible things while you were gone."

"Like?" He reached out and brushed his hand over her cheek.

"Like you'd probably come to your senses being so far away, or met some other smart, gorgeous lawyer that doesn't come with the baggage of a teenage kid...do you need me to go on?"

"I think I get it." Enjolras leaned closer and touched the necklace he gave her for her birthday. "You're still wearing this, though, so I don't know if you really believed all that or not."

"I don't know what I think," Eponine admitted. "Everything sucks right now. I can't find a job, we're stuck in this fucking limbo, you've been gone...I just hate it."

"Do you want to break things off?"

Eponine met his eyes and slowly shook her head. "No. Do you?"

"No. Not at all, even a little bit." Eponine closed her eyes as he gently pressed his lips to hers, one hand tangling in her hair to hold her head still. He pulled away after a minute and said in embarrassment, "I may have broken our agreement a little bit, though, which is why I wanted to talk to you..."

"Which part of our agreement?"

"The part where we weren't supposed to tell anyone."

"Who did you tell?" Eponine expected him to say Combeferre, since he was Enjolras' closest friend and confidant. She really wouldn't have minded that much, because she knew he was trustworthy and loyal.

"Uh...my mom?"

Eponine blinked. Well, she didn't expect that.

"You told your mom? Gabe! What the hell!"

"I'm sorry! She practically forced it out of me one night while we were Skyping! I was in a bad mood and I missed you and she just guessed. It was like she could read my mind! And I really, really wanted to talk about you and so it just...happened," he finished lamely.

Eponine's cheeks colored. Shit. How was she supposed to deal with meeting her secret boyfriend's parents? What would they think of her? What if they hated her? She could be so damn awkward when she was nervous.

"What did she think? Was she mad that I work for you? Oh God, she probably thinks I'm such a slut." Eponine groaned and flopped over on the couch, face first into the cushions.

Enjolras chuckled and rubbed her back. "No, she doesn't! Not at all. She can't wait to meet you. When I told her everything, she actually cried."

Eponine raised her head, looking at him curiously. "Because she was upset?"

He gave her a stern look. "No. Because much like my friends, apparently my parents were convinced I was going to die alone and unloved. So when I told her how fucking crazy in love with you I am..." He shrugged.

"Crazy in love, huh?" Eponine bit her lip, feeling all of her forgotten optimism creeping back in. Now that he was here in front of her again, it was easier to remember why they were doing all of this.

"Very." Enjolras scooted to the other end of the couch and beckoned for her to join him after he reclined back against the arm. "You don't need to be worried about my parents," he assured her, kissing the top of her head once she was resting between his legs, her head on his chest. "They're going to love you. They know this is a huge deal for me to even start dating someone, so believe me, they are more than supportive."

"Okay. It's still a little nerve-wracking, though. I don't know how to treat normal parents." Eponine slipped her hand under his shirt, reacquainting herself with the smooth planes of his stomach and chest.

"I missed you," Enjolras said, abruptly changing the subject. "I was going crazy without you."

"You know...Gavroche is spending the night at his friend's house. He's not coming home until tomorrow," Eponine said suggestively.

Enjolras faked offense. "Wait, are you saying we should break another rule and have a sleepover?"

"I like breaking rules."

A routine became quickly established over the coming weeks: Monday through Friday, nothing changed. Enjolras still came over every Thursday to have dinner and tutor Gavroche, they attended business dinners or lunches as needed, and at work, mostly ignored each other. Eponine was eternally grateful for Saturdays, the only day where she and Enjolras had any alone time at all. Gavroche finally made a good friend on his soccer team, an only child who happened to have a great mom that loved to have Gavroche spend the night on weekends. So even though she didn't spend the night every Saturday, Eponine did it enough that she now had her own drawer in Enjolras' dresser and her own set of toiletries in the bathroom. Every Sunday morning that she woke up in his bed, surrounded by his smell and nestled against his chest, was by far the best part of her week.

So far, there had only been one big fight that left her marching out of his house and back to her own on a Saturday night – a stupid argument about a missing case file that Eponine insisted she filed at the office. When Enjolras had gone to retrieve it, it wasn't there. He immediately blamed her, and instead of acting like a human being about it, acted "like a neanderthal" instead, according to Eponine. When he finally started searching through the pile of junk in his home office, lo and behold, the file was found. He called her later to sheepishly apologize, after he finally remembered he had actually taken it out of the file drawer two days before. Instead of running back to his house like he expected, however, Eponine's sore feelings told him she was staying home instead, since an apology didn't fix the way he'd talked to her. That set him off again, which made Eponine abruptly hang up the phone in the middle of his ranting. An hour later, however, he showed up on her doorstep with the biggest Hershey bar she had ever seen and remorseful, puppy dog eyes, and Eponine caved. She couldn't resist a man who used her chocolate addiction for good. And that night the sex was more passionate than ever, making her finally understand how arguing could probably sometimes be good for a relationship.

In mid-August, Gavroche started high school, now a fourteen year old freshman, and Eponine still had no luck finding a new job. She could tell Enjolras was impatient, considering he had started giving not-so-subtle hints that he would like her and Gavroche to move in as soon as they could. His mom also made her feelings perfectly clear – she wanted to meet Eponine, and called to leave voicemails every Saturday night they were together, threatening that one of these days she was just going to show up uninvited. Eponine was pretty sure she would die from embarrassment if she had to meet his parents in their current situation, however, and begged him to get her out of it until she was no longer working for him. He agreed, though he warned her that his mom was definitely not happy about it.

Sometimes Enjolras' eagerness to start their life together took Eponine aback, and she wished she could talk to someone about her nerves and fear that all of this was going to fall apart. It was baffling how she could feel like they were moving too fast even though they had barely crawled forward at all. Even though Enjolras had even less experience than her when it came to relationships, he seemed so sure all the time that she was it for him. She knew he was a driven and ambitious man, considering everything he'd already achieved before age 30, and he had a tendency to push full steam ahead with everything he undertook. She just wondered if the instincts and habits that had guided his career were as fool proof when it came to romantic feelings.

Still, there was no denying that she was crazy about him, too.

In mid-September, after almost four whole months of secretly being together, Eponine finally caught a break on the job front. Her cell phone rang mid-day, just as she sat down with her lunch in the break room. She didn't recognize the number, which usually meant she didn't bother to answer, but for some reason, this time she picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this Ms. Thenardier?"

"Yes, this is her." Eponine rolled her eyes, figuring some kind of telemarketer had somehow gotten her number.

"Hi, this is Jean Bursett – we spoke a few months ago about the social work position at Haynes Elementary?"

Eponine dropped her fork, leaving her lunch untouched, and rushed into the private bathroom so she wouldn't be overheard. "Oh! Yes, hi. How are you?" She had actually interviewed for this job back in June, and thought she stood a chance of getting it, until Mrs. Bursett had apologetically called to tell her they hired someone else, based solely on the other woman's extensive experience.

"I'm doing well, but we're actually in a little bit of trouble here at school. I was calling to see if you'd found a position at another school yet?" Mrs. Bursett's voice was hopeful, and Eponine felt her heart begin to pound.

"No, I haven't. I'm still working at the law office, actually."

"Oh, well, that might be good news then! The woman we hired for the position here unexpectedly had to quit last week because of a family emergency. She's not even in town anymore, which leaves us without a social worker, which is tough since we have such a high population of students that need those services. So, basically, I was wondering if you were still interested in the position?"

Eponine fist-pumped the air and jumped up and down for a few seconds before gathering herself enough to respond. "Wow. Yes! I'm definitely still interested!"

"Wonderful! Everyone is on board here with the decision to hire you based on your previous interview, so the position is yours if you want it."

Eponine closed her eyes and sent a silent 'thank you' to the universe. "Yes. Absolutely. Wow, thank you! What are our next steps?"

"Well, I'm assuming you need to put two weeks notice to your current job, so why don't we just be safe and say October 1st will be your first official day here? And you can come in and sign paper work in the next few days and learn about your benefits, if that sounds good."

"It sounds wonderful. Thank you. Seriously, thank you so much for remembering me; I can't wait to start."

The call ended after a few more minutes and Eponine did another happy dance to let out her emotions before going back to the break room. She didn't want to give anything away or say anything before she could tell Enjolras at the end of the day. It was a good thing he was actually in court for the afternoon or it would have been impossible to keep the news from him. Eponine managed to only eat a few more bites of her lunch, too keyed up to even feel hungry anymore. As soon as she was back at her desk, she typed up her official letter of resignation, printed, and put it in an envelope.

Everyone in the office had already left for the day by the time Enjolras came back at 5:15. He looked surprised to see her still sitting behind her desk.

"Hey – I figured you would have left by now. What are you still doing here?"

"I need to talk to you actually," she said hesitantly, using her best acting skills to look nervous. There was nothing she loved more than freaking him out. "Can we talk in private?"

He narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out what she was up to, before nodding. "Of course. What's going on?"

She followed him to his office and closed the door behind her, sighing dramatically as she handed him the envelope and trying unsuccessfully to summon tears to her eyes. "See for yourself, I guess."

Enjolras looked concerned as he ripped it open and took out the letter, reading it through quickly. He glanced up at her before reading it one more time. "Eponine, why are you quitting?" he asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Well...I can't work here if I got another job today, can I?"

Enjolras' mouth fell open. "You what?! Eponine! Jesus, I thought you'd act fucking happy about that!"

"I know, I just like to torture you." She gave him a cheeky grin and laughed. "But I really did get one, and it's amazing. It came out of nowhere today – it's actually at one of the schools I interviewed at before. The person they hired quit already, so they called me!"

Enjolras tossed the letter aside and abruptly pulled her towards him, cupping her face and kissing her soundly. "I'm so proud of you," he said sincerely. "You deserve it."

"Thank you." She kissed him again, intending for it to be short and sweet, but as Enjolras ran his tongue over her bottom lip, gently coaxing her mouth open, it definitely turned into something more. Before she knew it, her arms were around his neck and his hands were on her ass as he kissed her senseless. Enjolras moaned as Eponine wrapped one leg around his waist, pushing her hips against his. She pushed his jacket off his shoulders and loosened his tie, unbuttoning the top buttons of his shirt to suck hungrily at the hollow of his throat.

"Fuck, Eponine...we shouldn't do this here," he said reluctantly, but still made no move to push her away.

"No one's here anymore," she whispered. "But we can stop if you want to..."

His hands squeezed her ass one more time before he gently pushed her away. "Can you come to my house?"

"No...Gavroche doesn't have practice tonight. He's home already waiting for me to make dinner."

"Shit." Enjolras sighed and leaned against the door, not so subtly adjusting his pants. "This is beyond tempting. Do you know how many times I've imagined you naked on my desk?"

"This desk?" Eponine asked, walking over and perching on the edge. "And me? What in the world could you possibly be imagining that involves me being naked on this desk?" She feigned innocence and crossed her legs demurely, making sure her skirt rode up nice and high on her legs.

Enjolras raised his eyebrows, swallowing visibly as he looked at her. "We need to leave before I show you exactly what I've been thinking."

"You do know there's no one else here, right?" Eponine repeated, trying her hardest to fight temptation, but not quite succeeding. The rational side of her knew that even with a low risk of getting caught, it still wasn't the smartest move. "I mean, you're probably right, we shouldn't, but..."

"We could." They stared at each other for a solid ten seconds, each waiting for the other to make the first move.

Finally, Eponine sighed and abruptly pulled her shirt over her head. "Fuck. Let's make it quick."

Enjolras grinned and crossed the small office in a flash, stepping between her legs and pulling her towards him. His mouth was suddenly everywhere as his fingers dug into her hips. She loosened his tie some more, breaking their kiss only so he could pull it over his head. He was hard against her already and whimpered when she rocked against him, her own sex swollen with need, too. She loved this about them – how sometimes they made love and sometimes, they just fucked. Whatever they did, it was never boring, though so far, they hadn't dared to do more than steal a glance every now and then when at work. The forbidden, dangerous nature of their surroundings made everything seem more urgent than usual, and Eponine whined as Enjolras moved his lips to her neck and chest. He bit and nipped at her skin like a starving man, and Eponine gasped as he expertly unhooked her bra and lowered his mouth to her breasts. She tugged roughly on his hair, just the way she knew made him crazy, and he growled low in his throat, biting just enough to hurt in retaliation as her nipples hardened into peaks at his touch.

"Fuck, Gabe. Please!" She also knew her begging made him crazy, since, surprise, surprise, he tended to get off on being the dominant one when it came to sex. She pressed her hips against his again as she leaned back on the desk and braced herself with her hands.

Enjolras wasted no time in reaching under her skirt and pulling her panties off, tossing them aside and moving his hand between her legs. "You're so wet already," he mumbled, his eyes dark with lust. When Eponine pressed against his hand, desperate for friction to relieve the ache between her thighs, Enjolras got the hint and slid one finger against her clit, moving it in rapid circles until Eponine began to moan and writhe beneath him. Her arms were too shaky to hold her up anymore and she laid down flat on the desk, not even noticing when she knocked a stack of papers off. Just as he brought her close to the edge, Enjolras abruptly pulled his hand away.

"No, no. Fuck you," she whimpered.

"Patience, baby." He smiled and leaned forward to kiss her stomach. With shaking hands, he then quickly undid his belt and pants, pulling them down roughly, along with his boxers, before tugging her back up to sit on the desk. He kissed her again, taking her hand on placing it on his erection as his tongue clashed with hers.

She pumped her hand up and down his shaft until he panted with need, his forehead pressed against her shoulder. When she moved her hand to squeeze his balls, his hips bucked against her and he cursed, biting down hard on her shoulder. He impatiently knocked her hand away and positioned himself to enter her, kissing her eagerly as he slowly began to push inside of her hot, wet cavern. Eponine moaned as his length filled her, scooting to the very edge of the desk to make it easier for him to thrust against her. He went slow at first, burying himself inside of her as deeply as he could before pulling almost all the way out again. She clawed desperately at his back. "Gabe, oh God. Please, please! Harder, go faster."

Enjolras pushed her down flat against the desk and pulled her legs up straight against his chest. She gasped at the new angle this allowed him to reach as he began pounding roughly into her, his hands holding her legs in place against him. "Fuck, Eponine. You're so fucking beautiful." He moaned and turned his head to kiss her leg before meeting her eyes again.

She could tell he was close as his movements turned more erratic, and not wanting him to come before her, Eponine reached down and began touching her own clit, crying out in pleasure as he batted her hand away after a minute and used his own. She came fast and hard, her back arching off the desk as her body trembled, her walls clenching around Enjolras' cock still buried deep inside her. He let out a strangled cry as he reached his own climax, and she felt his hot liquid pouring into her in several long spurts. After he was spent, Enjolras gently lowered Eponine's legs back to the desk, bending down to gather her into his arms as he slipped out of her.

He trailed kisses all over her face and eyelids, pulling her hair back and over her shoulders as he cradled her against his chest. "I love you," he mumbled.

Eponine felt his heart pound against her cheek and she turned her head to kiss his chest. "I love you, too."

They were still for a few minutes as they both calmed, content to just relax against each other. After a few minutes, Eponine said quietly, "I need to go. I'm already running late. Hopefully Gavroche hasn't burned the apartment building down trying to cook himself dinner."

Enjolras chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "Okay. And just so you know, having you in real life was much, much better than any fantasy could ever be."

"Of course it was," Eponine smirked, and accepted the tissues he handed her to clean herself up. He did the same, cursing a bit when he noticed everything they had knocked to the floor.

After they were both dressed, Enjolras asked hopefully, "Call me tonight before you go to bed?" Eponine nodded and stood on her tiptoes to press one last kiss against his lips before she left. She glanced back briefly before she shut his office door behind her, and the sight of him standing there so disheveled, with such a look of adoration on his face as he watched her leave, had her slamming the door and crossing the room to kiss him one more time.

He laughed as he caught her in his arms and pressed short, sweet kisses against her lips. "I thought you were leaving?"

"I am! I just...you know. I don't want to."

"I never want you to leave, but you have to," he reminded her sternly. "Gavroche? Dinner? Potential fire?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah...okay. I'm really leaving now." She kissed him again, then quickly pulled away before she could change her mind. "I love you!" she tossed over her shoulder as she shut the door.

When she turned to go retrieve her purse from her desk, Eponine stopped short as the last person she expected to see, Enjolras' boss, Mr. Franklin, stood at the end of the hallway. Frozen, she felt the blood drain from her face; judging by his expression, he had heard more than enough to know exactly what was going on. Her bottom lip trembled. This was literally her worst nightmare coming to life.

"Ms. Thenardier?" His voice was cold. "Is there a reason you're at the office so late?"

Enjolras must have heard Franklin's voice, for she felt his office door fly open behind her and his warm presence at her back. She squeezed her eyes shut for a minute, not afraid for herself at all, but terrified for him. He was about to lose everything he'd worked for his entire life because she couldn't fucking control herself for five minutes. She had single-handedly wrecked his career and his life.

Enjolras cleared his throat and laid a reassuring hand on her back. "Hello, Sir." His voice was resigned, but strong.

"I think we need to have a talk, Gabriel. Please dismiss Ms. Thenardier for the evening and come to my office." Mr. Franklin turned and stalked to the elevators at the end of the hall, going up to his office on the third floor.

"Oh my God," Eponine whispered, and realized she was trembling.

Enjolras turned to her as soon as Franklin was gone and cupped her face in his hands, kissing her forehead soothingly. "Eponine, hey. Hey, it's okay. It's fine! Everything is going to be fine."

She looked at him like he was crazy. "How can you say that, Gabe? He knows! He fucking heard! Probably everything! Oh my God..."

"Eponine," Enjolras said sternly. "Stop. He probably did, but what's done is done and we can't change it. Whatever happens, I'll be fine. And you already have a new job, baby. You don't have anything to worry about. I won't let this affect you."

"What about you?! Shit!" Eponine tried to pull away, but Enjolras wouldn't let her, instead pulling her closer and whispering in her ear.

"Go home. You need to go before Gav starts to worry about you. I'll come over as soon as I'm done here, okay? We'll talk."

Eponine nodded weakly and let him kiss her cheek before he turned away to go face whatever his fate would be. She held back her tears until she was halfway home, and even then only allowed herself to cry a little. This was her own damn fault. How had she expected this to end, with rainbows and butterflies? This is what happened when idiotic women fell for their bosses. God, she was such a fool.

How could he ever want her after she ruined everything like this?

Thank you so much for all of the feedback from the last chapter - I know I disappointed a few people, but you can't please everyone! For everyone that was unhappy and expressed so in a nice, mature, respectful way, I very much appreciate the constructive criticism. For those that sent nastier messages, well...thanks for the hate, I guess? I feel kind of like I've arrived now, since I'd never gotten any before. ;)

Anywho. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, although it definitely didn't end well! As always, please review and let me know your thoughts and feelings!