it's asking for the taking

trembling, shaking

oh, my heart is aching

we're coming to the edge,

running on the water

coming through the fog,

your sons and daughters

viii.

"Gav, I'm home!" Eponine called as she opened the front door. "Sorry I'm late."

Eponine threw her purse in a chair and looked longingly at the couch. She wanted nothing more than to curl up in a ball and not speak for days. Shame burned through her veins, a shame worse than any she'd ever felt before. She knew shame – she'd felt it every day as a child when she looked at her parents, when a school friend accidentally found out where she lived, or when one of her teachers gazed with pity at her dirty clothes. That shame spurred her in a positive direction, however; she'd done nothing to earn it, and had always understood that even when she was very young. It was a shame she knew she could fix, that she could fight her way out of. This shame, however, she had brought on herself.

Robotically, she began to make dinner, only vaguely aware that Gavroche had come into the kitchen and was watching her warily. After a minute, he asked, "Eponine? Are you sick or something? You're really pale."

"No. I'm fine."

"I can make myself dinner, I just didn't because you said you'd be home. But it doesn't bother me..."

"I'm fine, Gav," she snapped, even as she realized she absolutely wasn't. Her hands shook so badly she almost dropped a plate, which she quickly put on the kitchen counter. "Shit."

Gavroche looked alarmed, and she felt guilty again as she realized she was scaring him. "Seriously, Eponine, are you okay? What's going on?"

"I just...something bad happened at work. I'm just worried about Gabe."

"Is he okay? He isn't hurt, is he?" Gavroche walked to the stove and flipped the hamburger patties Eponine had already forgotten about. "Should you call him?"

Eponine sank down into a chair and rested her head on top of her folded arms. "No. He should be coming here in a few minutes to talk about it. I did something really stupid. Really stupid."

Gavroche knew better than to ask what, and finished making his dinner in silence. "Do you want some food?" he asked hesitantly, and Eponine shook her head.

"No. I'm not hungry."

"Okay. Well, uh...I'm gonna go eat in my room. I have homework to finish and stuff."

Eponine nodded and watched him leave the kitchen. Normally, she would insist he stay, eat, and talk about his day with her, but tonight she just couldn't summon the energy to do it. She glanced at her phone – it had already been 45 minutes since she left the office, and every minute that went by, she grew more anxious and sick to her stomach. It seemed like he should have been there by now, but she didn't want to call or text in case he was still with Mr. Franklin. Finally, thirty minutes later, the doorbell rang. Eponine flew to the door and stopped short when she opened it.

"Hi..." Her heart sank as she looked at him – Enjolras looked like he had aged five years in the hour and a half since she'd last seen him. The calm, reassuring man she'd left at the office looked more than a little like the walking dead now. He carried a small box in his arms, and a quick glance inside told Eponine all she needed to know – all of her personal things were there, mostly pictures from her desk.

"Hey." He came in and put the box on the couch, turning to look at her with the most beaten down expression she'd ever seen him wear. Her stomach twisted into knots. "I brought your stuff so you wouldn't have to go back."

"Gabe..." she whispered. "What happened?"

He inclined his head toward her bedroom. "I don't want Gavroche to hear us," he said, and Eponine followed him in and closed the door behind her. With a heavy sigh, he sank down onto the bed, waiting for her to sit next to him before he spoke. "So, you don't have to finish your two weeks."

Eponine nodded. She'd kind of figured that, and she didn't care. The only thing that mattered was whether or not she'd ruined his life. Eponine bit her tongue, trying to keep from asking again, even though she had a feeling she knew that answer, too. Enjolras was silent and stared straight ahead. He flinched ever so slightly as Eponine touched his arm and finally glanced at her.

"He fired me."

She thought she might actually be sick; there was absolutely nothing she could do to fix this, and feeling so helpless was horrible. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Literally everything I worked for my entire life is gone. Fucking everything."

Eponine's heart pounded so hard she could almost hear the blood rushing through her veins. She'd never been so affected by someone else's pain before, and wanted desperately to just fix everything for him. There was no way to do it, though, and it killed her. "I'm so sorry," she whispered again. "This is all my fault, God, I fucked up so bad. I..."

"Eponine," Enjolras interrupted. "I'm not mad at you. But I also really can't comfort you right now. So please stop."

Eponine sucked in a breath, taken aback by his cold, distant tone. "I'm sorry," she said again weakly, now incredibly self conscious. "I just...I don't know what to do. I want to fix it for you, but I don't know what to do."

"There's nothing you can do. This isn't something we can fix." Enjolras took a deep breath and stood, walking over to the window and standing with his back to her. "It's not your fault, though, okay? I'm not mad."

Eponine stared at the stiff set of his shoulders, absolutely wracked with tension. He said he wasn't mad, but he could have fooled her. He probably wasn't mad at her, though, she reasoned, but at the situation, and at himself. His whole life had just changed in the blink of an eye and it was hard to process.

"Fuck!" Enjolras suddenly exploded and punched the wall before Eponine even realized what he was doing. The impact of his fist rattled the window pane and left a sizable, ragged hole in the plaster. Eponine jumped and covered her mouth, absolutely shocked. She'd never seen this side of Enjolras, and it scared her. Before she could even react, the bedroom door flew open.

"Eponine?" Gavroche stood in the doorway with a baseball bat, clearly ready to defend her however he needed to. His eyes found Enjolras and he looked between them with a puzzled expression, lowering the baseball bat to his side and looking to her for an explanation. Enjolras didn't even seem to notice Gavroche as he still stared at the wall and cradled his bruised, and possibly broken, hand to his chest.

"It's okay, Gavroche!" Eponine said, even though her heart was still in her throat. She sprang into action and pushed him out of the room and back towards his own bedroom door. "He's just upset about work, but he's not going to hurt me. You don't need to be worried."

"Are you sure?" Gavroche looked wary as he glanced over her shoulder and back into the room.

"I'm sure. Go in your room, okay? He just needs to calm down, and I need to take care of his hand."

"Maybe he shouldn't be here, Eponine. We don't own this fucking apartment and now we have a hole in the wall because he decided to act like an asshole."

"Watch your language, Gavroche," Eponine said sternly. "And thanks for the advice, but I'm the adult here and I decide who can and can't be in this apartment. Have some compassion, okay? He made a mistake – everyone does."

"Fine, whatever." Gavroche finally relented, but left his bedroom door open a crack just in case. Eponine sighed and went into the kitchen, quickly grabbing an ice pack for one of Gavroche's many soccer injuries and filling it with ice. Enjolras was still standing where she left him when she got back to the bedroom, looking at the hole in the wall with a perplexed expression, like he couldn't even fathom how it had gotten there.

"Here," she said quietly, taking his hand and leading him to the side of the bed. She inspected it under the light of the bedside lamp, noticing it was already swelling around his very red, but thankfully not bloody, knuckles. "It's a little swollen already, can you move it?"

Enjolras nodded, shamefaced as he stared at the floor. "I'm sorry. That was really fucking stupid. I'll pay to have it fixed."

"It's okay. Sit down." She gently pushed him onto the bed and stood in front of him, making sure to keep the ice pack on his hand. Having something to fix had calmed her down a little, though her stomach was still churning with remorse and uncertainty. Their eyes met as he glanced up at her, and Enjolras sighed, unexpectedly leaning forward and resting his head against her chest. The gesture melted her.

She leaned down and kissed the top of his head, running her other hand through his hair soothingly. "I love you, and I'm sorry this happened. I'd give anything to take today back."

"What the fuck am I going to do?" he mumbled. "I can't fucking fix this. I don't know what Franklin's going to do, if he's going to tell other people or start a smear campaign against me or what. I bought a fucking house. How the hell am I going to pay for it without a job?"

Eponine squeezed her eyes shut, trying to fight back tears. Enjolras was so good to her, and had been since the day they met, and this is what he got in return by getting involved with her. This is what happened to things around her; they just fell apart.

"Everything will be okay," she said weakly, even though she didn't believe her own words. "You'll find something else, something even better."

Enjolras sighed and pulled away, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Yeah," he said sarcastically. "I'm sure this is something I'll laugh about in a few months."

Eponine bit her lip, taking the ice pack off his hand for a second to look at it again. It was definitely going to hurt for a few days. "Do you want to stay here tonight?" she asked uncertainly. She knew she wanted him to – she didn't think she'd be able to sleep at all unless he was next to her.

"No. I just...I need to be alone for a while." Enjolras looked away, unwilling to meet her eyes, and Eponine felt her heart fall again. He'd never been anything but direct with her, and suddenly, she felt walls flying up between them.

"Oh. Yeah, of course. Okay."

He tried to give the ice pack back to her, but she shook her head quickly. "No, take that with you. You need to keep it on, and probably fill it up again when you get home, okay? Take care of your hand or it's going to hurt like hell."

"Okay." Enjolras managed a small smile and stood, his eyes drifting back to the hole in the wall. "I'm sorry about that, again. That was an asshole move."

"Sometimes we do stupid things when we're upset, Gabe. It's alright."

She followed him out of the room, almost running into him when he abruptly stopped in front of Gavroche's door. "Shit," he muttered. "He's probably furious with me, isn't he?"

"He'll be fine, I just need to talk to him..."

Enjolras gave a deep sigh and suddenly looked ready to explode again. "Fuck! Fuck, I didn't even think..."

Eponine quickly stepped in front of him and put her hands on his cheeks, forcing him to look at her. "Stop. Stop it, okay? Gavroche is fine. You're in no shape to talk to him right now. I want you to just go home, take some Tylenol PM or something, and go to sleep, alright?"

"If I have to, you do, too. Please don't beat yourself up about this, Eponine."

"Okay." It was a total lie – she knew she would. They would both probably have miserable, sleepless nights. She led Enjolras to the door and closed her eyes as he leaned down to press a lingering kiss to her temple.

"Good night, Eponine." She watched him walk away sadly, feeling like he was literally taking her whole world with him. It felt so dramatic to think that way, but she couldn't help it. For the first time, there were cracks appearing in their foundation, and she was terrified they would only get worse.

The next day, Eponine's nerves were beyond frayed. She picked her phone up what felt like fifty thousand times, trying to will Enjolras to call or text and let her know he was alright, but there was nothing but silence. Around one in the afternoon, she finally broke down and texted him, which ended up making it worse since she kept expecting a reply that never came.

To keep herself occupied, she made an elaborate dinner for Gavroche, along with a double batch of brownies for dessert. She made herself be pleasant and sociable at dinner, though she could tell Gavroche was still guarded and dying to ask her what the hell the previous night was about. She promised to tell him the next day, but wanted to talk to Enjolras first. There was an ever growing feeling in her gut that this was going to change things between them, that losing his job was going to make him realize he had been acting like an idiot. Basically, that he had blown his life and career into pieces because, for the first time in his twenty-eight years, he'd given into temptation instead of acting like his usual, rational self.

To say all of that to him now, however, would be selfish and stupid. She was the one with stability now, who didn't have to worry about making a mortgage payment or how she was going to put food on the table. He was, and if Eponine was honest about her anxiety over their relationship, it would be making everything about her, and distracting from the real problem. He'd already told her once – he couldn't comfort her right now.

He didn't call her that night at all. It was the first day since they'd met that she didn't speak to him for at least a few minutes.

She got maybe an hour of sleep total, spending most of the night tossing, turning, and fighting back tears. Around 4, Eponine decided it wasn't worth it to try anymore and got up to make Gavroche a massive breakfast before school. At least it would keep her mind on something other than her problems.

Gavroche eyed her warily as he ate his eggs, and finally asked, "Did you guys break up?"

"No, not that...wait." She narrowed her eyes and said incredulously, "I never fucking told you we were dating!"

"Oh, please." Gavroche rolled his eyes. "I've known for months, Eponine. I think everyone has, or at least they thought so. You were kind of obvious."

Eponine's mouth fell open, astonished. She really, truly thought that no one had a clue. "Who is everyone?"

"You know...everyone. Courf, and Bahorel, and Combeferre...those guys. They all know."

Eponine groaned and closed her eyes. "They probably think I'm such a slut. I worked for him. Oh my God...and please don't use that word; if I ever hear you call a woman a slut, I will kill you. I'm such a horrible influence. I should never be allowed to raise a child."

"Oh, yeah - you're totally unfit to be a parent, with your college education and respectable job and the way you actually make me food and pay for my extracurricular activities and make me do my homework," Gavroche said sarcastically.

It made her smile, but it didn't last long.

"You need to get to school. Get going or you'll miss your bus. And remember that Courf is bringing you home tonight after practice." She grabbed his backpack from the floor and handed it to him.

"Just go to his house or something, Ep. I'll see you later." Gavroche gave her an unexpected, slightly awkward, one-armed hug before he left, bringing another brief smile to Eponine's face. Whatever happened, at least she had her brother.

Once he was gone, her smile faded and she chewed on her lip. Thinking about going another day with no word from Enjolras made her feel physically ill; what the hell was he doing? She had a feeling probably absolutely nothing, judging from the way he'd behaved the other night. It was easy to imagine him sitting and staring at a wall for days, trying to fathom what had just happened. He probably wasn't even eating, which he had a tendency to forget to do anyway when he became preoccupied with other things.

By noon, with still no word from him, Eponine made up her mind. She drove to the grocery store, picked up everything she needed to make sure Enjolras wouldn't starve, and went to his house, steeling herself for whatever she might find. He might kick her out, for all she knew. His car was in the driveway, but when she unlocked the back door with her key, everything was silent. She brought the groceries in with only one trip back to the car and began putting them away quietly. At least she'd leave him with food if she was finished by the time he realized she was there.

She sensed him in the doorway watching her before she turned to look at him. Enjolras gazed at her for a solid minute before he asked in a disgruntled tone, "What are you doing?"

"Trying to be a good girlfriend and make sure you don't starve."

"I'm fine."

"I know you're fine," she said gently, finally turning to look at him, "but I still get to worry about you." Her eyes widened a bit when she looked down at his hand, which was practically purple and badly swollen. "Shit, Gabe! Did you ice that like I told you to?"

"No." He glanced at it and shrugged. He seemed listless, and his eyes held none of the familiar good humor she had come to know. Even though it had only been a few days, he also seemed thinner, his cheeks rough with stubble and hair getting greasy. He looked at her like she was just another person all of a sudden and not like the love of his life. It hurt, but she ignored it and plowed on.

"It might be broken...God, that had to have hurt. Why didn't you tell me it was so bad?" Eponine walked over and took his arm, raising it up to look more closely at his hand. Even if he had decided he hated her, she still loved him, and would act like it. "Shit. I should probably take you to the ER."

He raised an eyebrow and said sarcastically, "Oh, yeah. I can totally afford an ER trip now that I have no insurance. Great idea; by far the best idea I've heard since the one about us fucking in my office."

His words stung, but she rallied with a deep breath, fighting her own instincts to defend herself and turn it into an argument. He was probably right, anyway, though it wasn't the nicest thing to say.

"Have you eaten?"

"I don't know."

"Well, you certainly haven't showered," she joked, trying to lighten the mood. "But it would probably hurt your hand, so I'll help you. Come on."

She grabbed a cup from a cabinet, then took his arm to lead him upstairs to the master bath. Enjolras followed obediently, like Eponine hoped. It would probably just waste energy he wasn't willing to expend to put up a fight. Once they were in the newly remodeled bathroom, complete with the enormous jacuzzi tub Eponine had begged him for, she got to work.

"We're going to take a bath, okay? It will be nice to at least feel clean, trust me." She turned the bath on and made sure the water was nice and hot before adding a generous amount of bubbles.

"We're taking a bath?"

"Someone has to get you clean. That's your dominant hand," she said practically, "so you can't use it. And a bath will help you relax. And you stink, so." He glared at her for a minute, but she smiled sweetly, trying desperately to make him smile and show him that no matter what he did, she wasn't going to just walk away. "And just so you know, I'm now going to take off your pants."

He flinched, suddenly looking self conscious. "Seriously?"

"Gabriel, I have seen you naked probably a hundred times now. I have literally licked chocolate sauce off your penis. I'm taking off your fucking pants."

Finally, his serious countenance cracked a bit and he rolled his eyes, his lips twitching into a slight smile. "Okay, okay. Take off my pants."

"Good boy." Eponine quickly tugged his comfortable sweatpants and boxers down his legs, kicking them aside as he stepped out of them. "I'm going to try not to hurt your hand, so..." She lifted his left arm and had him pull it through the sleeve of his t-shirt, then gently peeled it over his head and down his other arm, trying not to touch his swollen right hand. She had a bad feeling it really was broken, and knew she'd have to at least convince him to let Combeferre look at it.

"Climb in," she said quietly, "and scoot up." She helped him get settled into the tub, then pulled off her own clothes, folding them neatly before pulling her hair up into a high bun so it wouldn't get wet. The water was comfortably hot as she stepped in and carefully sat behind Enjolras, leaning against the back of the tub and stretching her legs out alongside him. "Lean back, Gabe."

He glanced at her over his shoulder with a dark expression, just to make sure she absolutely knew he wasn't happy about this, before sinking down against her. His back was against her chest, the rest of him nestled comfortably between her legs. The physical weight of his body felt reassuring, like the anchor she'd been missing the last few days (even though he was apparently mad at her). They didn't speak, and he was still stiff and closed off, but she didn't care, because at least she was with him. Eponine kissed his temple and draped her arms over his shoulders, tracing light circles over his chest and stomach in an attempt to get him to relax and hopefully soothe him enough to talk to her. After a few minutes of her attention, Eponine felt Enjolras' energy begin to change as he laid his good hand on her knee and gently squeezed. His shoulders finally drooped as he released his tense muscles and he sighed deeply.

"I'm sorry I didn't call. I knew you'd be worried, but I just...I'm not used to having to answer to anyone. A year ago if I wanted to wallow in misery and not speak to anyone for a week, it didn't matter."

"You don't have to answer to me. I'm not here to chastise you; I was just worried, and I want you to be okay. And, I guess if you want me to leave, I will. It'll hurt," she added hesitantly, "but if it's what you want, I'll do it."

Enjolras didn't respond for a minute and Eponine held her breath, her hands frozen against his chest as she waited for his decision. Whatever it was, it felt like it would be final. He finally shook his head, picking up her hand and kissing it lightly before saying, "I don't want you to leave. I really don't."

Relief washed over her and they lapsed back into contemplative silence as Eponine coddled him a bit more. She could tell he had finally let go and just given in, comfortable with the fact that she was taking care of him. With everything he'd done for her, it felt nice to be the one to bring him some measure of comfort, even though she was the reason he was fucked up in the first place.

"My hand really fucking hurts," he finally admitted.

"I'm sure. It looks horrible."

"It's my own fault; I guess I deserve it."

"No, you don't," Eponine said firmly. "And since you won't let me take you to the ER, I'm going to at least call Combeferre to come look at it. But if he thinks it's broken, we have to go."

"Fine." He grumbled a bit more, mostly berating himself for doing something as stupid as punching a wall before Eponine finally got tired of it and covered his mouth with her hand.

"Shut up about it – you did it. Unless there's a time machine I'm not aware of somewhere around here, you can't go back and change it."

"Fine." Enjolras was quiet again for the next few minutes, leaning his head back against her shoulder.

"What the fuck am I going to do?" he finally whispered. "I've worked so fucking hard. I stayed late at the office, went in early, traveled wherever they asked me to, practically won every case I had...and I explained everything to him. I told him I loved you, I was honest about everything that's happened. And I really thought he might understand, that I might get suspended for a while or something, but...Jesus. I'm right back where I started, or maybe worse off. My reputation is probably going to be ruined."

Eponine sighed and squeezed his good hand. "I'm sorry. But Gabe, you're not back where you started. You've been so successful, and that has nothing to do with the firm you worked for – that was all you. Someone else is going to see everything you've done and freaking jump through hoops to hire you. Potential clients are probably going to find out you don't work there anymore and follow you wherever you go, because it's you they want, not your firm. It's going to be okay. You're the most amazing, wonderful, intelligent, passionate man I've ever met, and I'm not the only one who thinks that."

Enjolras twisted around to look at her for a second and managed to smile. "You know, I'd kiss you right now, but I haven't brushed my teeth in like, two days, so I'll spare you."

Eponine laughed, relieved that he seemed to be feeling better, slowly but surely. "Gee, thanks. Now come on, let's get you clean and wash your hair."

Eponine nudged him forward a bit and grabbed a washcloth and soap, moving carefully onto her knees to wash his back and chest.

"This is the first time we've been naked without going at it like rabbits," she remarked curiously as she massaged his shoulders, trying to work the knots of tension out of his muscles.

"What does that mean?" He almost sounded like his usual self, she noted.

"Maybe the honeymoon phase is over."

"Is that bad?"

"I don't know – I've never gotten past that phase in a relationship before." Eponine turned the water on again, filling the cup she'd brought with her from the kitchen. "Tilt your head back," she instructed, and slowly poured the water over him, shielding his forehead and face with her hand. She raised her eyebrows when she noticed his hair was barely wet at all, the water barely penetrating his thick strands of hair. She did it again, finally getting it soaked enough for shampoo.

"You know, your kids are going to have great hair." Eponine blanched when she realized what that implied about them, grateful he couldn't see her face, and slowly began working the shampoo into a lather as she blushed.

He seemed fully relaxed now and leaned into her touch like a cat. "My kids?" Enjolras asked nonchalantly, "or our kids?"

Her hands stilled in his hair as her heart sped up in her chest. "Oh, are we having this conversation now?" she asked lightly, not quite sure why she was trying to dodge it since it was a discussion she'd been craving for weeks, and especially since she'd been desperate for reassurance during his radio silence of the last few days, half convinced he was going to tell her that none of it had been worth the sacrifice.

"I don't mean anything by this," he said seriously, "but when would you like to have it? When I give up my life's work for you? Because – oh wait! - that already happened."

Eponine raised her eyebrows, not appreciate of the comeback of his sarcasm, and unceremoniously dumped another cup of water over his head, this time with no warning. It left him spluttering and spitting in front of her as water ran into his mouth and eyes.

"Oops," she said innocently.

"Damn it, Eponine! Really? Are you 5?"

"Sorry, babe." She kissed his shoulder affectionately, the sick feeling she'd been carrying the last few days dissipating at their familiar, easy banter, even with the conversation looming over them. "Okay, I'm ready to talk."

"You started it by talking about our kids, you talk."

"You said our kids," she said indignantly, "I was just remarking on your great hair."

He sighed impatiently. "Okay, so how are we supposed to do this? Do I ask you what you want?"

"I guess...like I said, I've never done this before, either..."

"Right. Well. What do you want? Do you want to get married? Not like, now, but...eventually..."

Eponine grinned as the back of his neck turned red in embarrassment, and said honestly, "Yes. I do want to get married. To you. Eventually."

"Okay. Well, good." He cleared his throat and asked hesitantly, "And do you want kids?"

"Of course, if they're yours." She smiled shyly and rested her chin on his shoulder, all the negative thoughts of an hour before forgotten as she indulged in this fantasy life for just a little while.

"How many?"

"Uh...I don't know." She scrunched her nose for a second and finally said with certainty, "Four. Yep, four."

Enjolras twisted around to face her at that, his eyes wide. "You want four fucking kids?"

Eponine laughed and shrugged. "Maybe? I mean, really, think about it." She reached out and ran her fingers through his wet, and now thankfully, clean, hair. "We'd make really cute babies."

"We've practiced enough."

Sensing a golden opportunity for torture, and still trying to make sure he knew that nothing had changed between them, she bit her lip, and said with false worry, "Would this be a really bad time to tell you I'm pregnant?"

Enjolras' eyes widened comically, and she was pretty sure he actually stopped breathing. She gazed at him for a full ten seconds before finally cracking. "Oh my God, breathe! I'm just fucking with you."

"Jesus Christ, Eponine! Stop fucking do shit like that." Enjolras' chest heaved dramatically as he leaned forward to rest his head against her. "I'm close enough to having a nervous breakdown as it is."

Eponine giggled and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, soothingly rubbing his back. "I'm sorry. It's just so easy to freak you out – you take everything so seriously. And you know I'll never stop doing that, it's my favorite entertainment. You're signing on for a lifetime of torture, unless you get smart and stop believing me all the time."

"I guess I can live with it, but it's your fault if you do genuinely give me a heart attack one day."

The water was now lukewarm, and Eponine shivered. Enjolras' arms tightened around her, or at least his unhurt left arm. "Are we good?" she finally asked quietly. "Because I've really been freaking out the last few days."

"We're good. I love you." Enjolras pulled away just enough to kiss her forehead.

"I love you, too."

"Good." Enjolras reached over and pulled up the bathtub drain, then looked back at her sheepishly. "I have a question..."

"Hmm?"

"Will you make me food? I'm starving now."

Eponine raised her eyebrows in amusement. "Oh my God. Okay, I take back the four kids thing, because you already count as one. How did you survive without me? You're as helpless as a baby. You do realize I literally just bathed you, right?"

"I know. And I very much enjoyed it, so feel free to give me a bath whenever the mood strikes you."

Eponine rolled her eyes and stood, grabbing a towel and wrapping it snugly around her before doing the same for Enjolras since he couldn't really use his hand. "Come on. I'll make you some grilled cheese."

Two hours later, Combeferre arrived with every piece of medical equipment known to man besides an actual x-ray machine. Eponine busied herself making coffee as he patiently poked and prodded at Enjolras' hand, even amidst the curses of pain.

"Are you going to tell me how you did this?" Combeferre asked curiously. "You're not really one to get into a physical altercation..."

Eponine kept her back to the guys, wondering what Enjolras was going to say. They hadn't admitted to any of their friends that they were together yet, though after what Gavroche said, she figured they all knew anyway.

"Do you want the long or short version?"

"Long, of course. I have a better attention span than Grantaire."

Eponine snorted as she filled one mug of coffee for Combeferre and one for Enjolras. Combeferre watched her put the correct amount of cream and sugar into Enjolras' coffee and gave her a knowing look.

"The short version is he couldn't resist and fucked me on his desk at work." She smiled smugly and took a sip of her own coffee, gazing evenly at Combeferre even as his cheeks turned red. He sat down heavily on a barstool next to Enjolras and scratched the back of his neck, finally looking away from her in embarrassment.

Enjolras rolled his eyes, but seemed appreciative that it wasn't him she teasing and making uncomfortable for once. "Well, yes. But then I got fired, which made me understandably upset, and I sort of punched a wall at Eponine's apartment. It wasn't my smartest moment," Enjolras muttered, avoiding Combeferre's eyes.

"Uh...no. I'd say it wasn't, you dumbass. A wall?"

"Better than my boss for being a horrible, condescending human being who implied some pretty filthy things about my girlfriend that I'm not going to repeat." Enjolras glanced sheepishly at Eponine and said quietly, "I'm sorry, I didn't tell you that part before."

There was that shame again, creeping back into her gut, but she shrugged and forced it away. There was no sense thinking about it now. "It's alright. So, what do you think about his hand, 'Ferre? Is it broken?"

"I think so. I hate to break it to you, Enjolras, but I think we need to go to the ER. I need an x-ray to be sure."

"Fuck." Enjolras groaned and leaned forward, banging his head against the kitchen counter dramatically. "Fuck, fuck, fuck."

Eponine reached over and put her hand under his head so he wouldn't hurt himself more, rolling her eyes at Combeferre. "It's already 5:30 – Courf is going to have Gavroche home at 6, so I can't go with you," she said apologetically. "Can you take him, 'Ferre?"

"Yeah, of course. The upside to me taking you is that at least I can give you really, really good pain meds."

"Joy," Enjolras said sarcastically, and raised his head to look at her. He wore a contemplative expression, and she had no idea what he might be thinking. Finally, he inclined his head toward the living room. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"I'll go. You two lovebirds chat." Combeferre hopped off his stool and left the kitchen, leaving Enjolras and Eponine alone.

Eponine walked around the counter and stood in front of him. "What do you need? Do you want me to make you some dinner for later before I go?"

"I don't want you to go at all."

"Well, I kind of have to. A hungry fourteen year old boy is going to be at my apartment soon." She leaned in and pecked his lips, saying apologetically, "I wish I could stay, though."

"What do I need to say to convince you to come back?"

Eponine frowned. "I don't know. I mean, I can't leave Gavroche alone. Well, I could, but I don't want to..."

"He can come. There's a room ready for him upstairs, Eponine. I even put an X-box in there, and my wi-fi is faster than yours. We might as well use it until I lose my damn house to foreclosure or something."

Eponine blinked, cocking her head. "Are you asking me to move in with you?"

"Why not? There's nothing stopping us now."

"I...I don't know. I mean, I want to, but I need to ask Gavroche. I can't just tell him I'm uprooting him again."

Enjolras put his good hand on her waist, gently stroking her side with his thumb. "We don't have to decide right now. If you want to go home and ask him, then do it, but if you don't feel comfortable, it's alright. I just missed you the last few nights...but hell, I'll probably be so damn loopy from whatever pain meds Combeferre gives me tonight that I'll be knocked out cold."

Eponine laughed. "True. But I haven't slept in two nights, either, and I miss you and your bed. So, yeah. I'll ask him."

Enjolras smiled slowly, his eyes sparkling as he looked at her. "Good."

An hour and a half later, Eponine was back in Enjolras' house with an ecstatic Gavroche, who had jumped at the chance to go spend the night there, even after hearing the entire (more G rated version) of the story that had brought them to the boiling point of the last few days. Though he was angry in the moment the other night when Enjolras punched the wall, Gavroche had already forgiven him; he idolized Enjolras too much to be mad for long.

"Holy crap, this house is freaking amazing!" Gavroche bounced from room to room with an amount of energy Eponine couldn't even fathom as she followed behind making sure he didn't break anything with his gangly limbs.

"It is. He had to practically gut it, though, and redo everything. And I decorated it, just so you know," she said proudly.

"What room am I going to sleep in?" Gavroche took the stairs two at a time, only stumbling once when he was almost at the top. Eponine rolled her eyes at his antics, but didn't chastise him. More than likely, Gavroche had never even been in a house this nice. He was like an oversized, excitable puppy.

"I think the one at the end of the hall." She pointed to the bedroom furthest from the master, a strategic move on Enjolras' part.

Gavroche bounded down the hall and opened the door, stopping short in the doorway. "Whoa. Wait, are you sure this is just a guest room? It looks like someone lives here. There's a freaking X-box!"

Eponine followed him in, her eyes widening as she took in the room. The last time she'd seen it, it looked nothing like this. The walls were now striped in light grey, green, and blue; curtains hung in the window, and a few posters of Gavroche's favorite soccer players were framed on the wall above the bed. There was a full size bed, dresser, desk, and nightstands, and craziest of all, an amazing gaming chair sitting in front of the TV. There was absolutely no doubt about it – Enjolras made this room specifically for Gavroche, and he had done it without telling her.

Just when she thought she couldn't love him more, he went and did something like this. She couldn't believe that just that morning, she had been so desperate and worried about him that she'd thought everything might be over.

"Can we move in here?" Gavroche asked in amazement. "Because I could totally live here! This is way cooler than my room at home."

Eponine turned away, trying to hide the tears that suddenly sprang to her eyes. She swallowed hard, too overcome to speak for a minute. Gavroche walked across the room and stood curiously in front of her, raising his eyebrows when he saw her face. "Eponine? What's wrong?"

"He made this room for you," she said quietly. "Gabe wants us to move in. I didn't know he did this. God, Gavroche..." She laughed and covered her face, embarrassed at her reaction and the fact that she was spilling her guts to her little brother. "I freaking love him. I'm so in love with him, and I want to be here with him all the time. I want to move in, but I also have to do what's best for you, and I don't want to be too rash or make this decision lightly..."

"Eponine, if he wants us to move in, then let's freaking move in!" Gavroche practically screamed. "Look at this place!"

Eponine laughed and shook her head, sitting down on the bed and bouncing a little to test it out. "Look, I'm not going to say yes or no right now. Let's have a trial period, okay? A few weeks. Don't get sucked in by the glamour like he wants you to, the sneaky bastard. He knew you'd love this, and he knew I'd love it because it makes you happy...he's playing us."

"He can do whatever he wants. Look at this chair!" Gavroche sank down into the gaming chair and fist pumped the air. "This thing is so cool."

"Don't get comfortable," Eponine said sternly. "It's after 6:30 already and you still haven't eaten dinner, done your homework, or taken a shower. So get started on that stuff and only then can you play video games. Bed time is still 10."

"But, Ep..." Gavroche whined. "Tomorrow is Friday! I can be tired one day. Or, even better, I can play hooky! I haven't been absent a single day this year. One day won't kill me!"

"No, but I will, so don't even think about it." She lightly smacked his head as she walked to the door. "Get started on your homework. And when Gabe gets back from the hospital, you need to come straight down and thank him for this room. There aren't many people who would do something like this for us, you know."

"I know," Gavroche said seriously. "Believe me, I know."

Eponine grinned and shut the bedroom door behind her, comfortable with giving Gavroche his privacy. And secretly, she wouldn't be too miffed if he didn't quite finish his homework or decided to stay up all night playing video games, though she'd never let him know that. Either way, his ass would still be in school tomorrow, though, because she was strict about that.

Though she was still anxious about his job situation and feeling guilty beyond belief for the part she'd played in it, she was confident now that they were going to be okay. They could move past this and have a future together.

She made a simple dinner of spaghetti since it was fast, and also for sentimental reasons, since it was the first dinner the three of them (plus Courfeyrac) had ever eaten together. It was rather fitting for their first night all staying in the same house, almost like a family, she thought. Just as she finished, she heard a car door slam in the driveway, and Enjolras and Combeferre came in the back door. Not caring at all that she had an audience, she strode up to Enjolras without a word and kissed him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. He kissed her back once he got over the surprise of it, and gave her a lopsided grin when she pulled away.

"Hi. I guess you came back?"

"I did. And you...you are in so much trouble," she teased. "You have a kid upstairs who literally never wants to leave your house again."

Just as she finished the thought, she heard Gavroche pounding down the stairs and into the kitchen. He skidded to a stop in his sock feet in front of her and Enjolras and started talking a mile a minute. "Holy shit, Enjolras! That room is amazing! It..."

Eponine was just about to chastise Gavroche for his language when Enjolras beat her to it, and the sight made her smile so wide she had to turn away, busying herself putting spaghetti on plates. Combeferre appeared beside her as Gavroche continued to extol about his room. She glanced at him and grinned. "Sorry, you kind of walked into a mad house."

"I see that – I kind of feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone."

"Oh, shit, I didn't even ask..." She rolled her eyes at herself, feeling horrible. "How is his hand? Is it broken?"

"Yeah, but not bad. Just a small fracture. It's in a splint and he has to keep it on, so watch him. But he seems to be in an okay mood for just losing his job. I thought he'd be devastated, but..."

"Oh, 'Ferre, you didn't see him earlier. Believe me, there was an intervention. It was bad."

Combeferre looked at her thoughtfully, and for so long she started to feel a bit uncomfortable. "What?" she finally asked. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I just...I mean, I knew he really liked you. I knew there were serious feelings there. But he really freaking loves you. I just never thought I'd see the day."

"Oh." Eponine blushed and looked away, biting her lip. "Well. Yeah. He's pretty great, too." She glanced back over at Enjolras, who was patiently listening as Gavroche explained all the different features of the gaming chair (though he probably already knew them), and then looked back at Combeferre, changing the subject. "Can you stay for dinner?"

Combeferre smiled and shook his head. "Nah, thanks, though. I'm gonna let you guys be alone." He leaned over and hugged her tightly. "I'm glad you're here. Seriously, be hard on him about that splint. He has a tendency to not follow directions very well."

"I will. Thanks, 'Ferre."

Combeferre said goodbye to Enjolras and Gavroche as Eponine put the spaghetti on the table. She finally forced Gavroche to calm down a bit and eat his dinner, though he ran back upstairs as soon as it was over, and Eponine looked at Enjolras and slowly shook her head.

"This has been the craziest week of my life. And what you did for him...Gabe. I can't even. You're never going to get rid of him."

Enjolras smiled and shrugged. "That's the plan, Eponine."

Even though it was only 8 o'clock, they were both so tired they could barely stay awake. Eponine cleaned up dinner with Enjolras' help, though he couldn't do much with only one good hand. Before going up to bed, he took the pills Combeferre had given him for pain, and within minutes, was practically sleepwalking. Eponine giggled at him as he brushed his teeth with drooping eyelids, and was sure he would be fast asleep by the time she laid down.

She crawled into bed with a sigh; even though there was still a lot of uncertainty as far as Enjolras' job, she felt one hundred percent more optimistic than she had that morning. And now she was back exactly where she belonged, gazing contently at Enjolras as he slept, even though her eyes hadn't quite adjusted to the dark. He still hadn't shaved, and Eponine had never seem him with so much stubble; she actually rather liked it. Unable to resist, she reached out and ran her finger over his jaw and cheek, smiling sheepishly when he opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to wake you up."

"You didn't." He scooted closer and kissed her, affectionately brushing her nose with his.

"How does your hand feel?"

"Not too bad, I guess. It could be worse."

"'Ferre told me to make sure you keep your splint on. No taking it off," she said sternly.

"I won't. I prefer to be on your good side." Enjolras yawned, his eyes heavy, as he rested his forehead against hers. He closed his eyes and they fell into silence. Eponine thought once again that he had fallen asleep, when he suddenly said quietly, "You make everything better, Eponine. Who fucking cares if I lost my job. I'll find another one. But I'm only ever going to have one of you, and you were worth losing it for."

"Thank you." Eponine bit her lip and sighed, feeling like a weight had been lifted off her chest to know he really, truly felt that way. It was an incredible feeling. "Now go to sleep, Gabe. You're getting cheesy, so I know you're delirious," she teased.

He smiled, eyes still closed, and nodded. Eponine had almost fallen asleep herself when he whispered in her ear, "Marry me, Eponine."

She opened her eyes slowly, strangely calm, to find him looking at her in the dark. "Excuse me?"

"Marry me?"

She didn't answer for a minute, trying to figure out if he was serious or not.

"Yes," she finally answered, but quickly added, "But I very, very seriously doubt you're even going to remember this conversation in the morning. So ask me again in a few days when you're not exhausted and hopped up on medication."

Enjolras smiled smugly and shrugged. "I'm going to remember. You said yes. I'm holding you to that."

Eponine laughed and turned over onto her other side so her back was against his chest. "You do that."

I have found my sweet spot and it is fluff, y'all. I've fought it for years, but I give up. Go with what you're good at, I suppose! And honestly, I feel like I'm accomplishing exactly what I set out to with this story, which is JUST A SIMPLE, PURE, FLUFFY, UNAPOLOGETIC LOVE STORY.

I so rarely see them, honestly, when I really think about it. So. I hope you enjoyed. PLEASE, please, please let me know what you think! Help me break 100 reviews! :)

And, everyone that celebrates, I hope everyone has a wonderful, and safe, 4th of July!