Disclaimer: I do not own Les Miserables, the novel or the musical, both of which are amazing.
Title: The Note
Summary: Enjolras has never been fond of the female affection thrown his way. Yet, he finds himself strangely compelled when he discovers an anonymous note in his pocket. Who was the one to put it there? And, when he discovers the truth, will he then be able to convince her that he is indeed the one the note was intended for?
Author's Note: This chapter obviously took me a bit longer to write. I do apologize for the lengthy delay. I actually wrote this one a couple of times, trying to find the best one. There were a few directions I thought of going in. Finally, I decided upon this one. Enjoy.
Chapter 6 – Between Friends
They were all treating him differently, looking at him differently now, particularly Marius. It had been two days since his public confession and Enjolras had yet to see any sign from Eponine. It was as if she was purposefully staying away, which he wouldn't have been surprised at in the least if that was exactly what she was doing. In the meantime, he found that it was near impossible to continue to stay away from his friends and from the Café Musain. So, he had mustered up his courage and had joined his friends at their usual table for their usual drink that evening.
"Stop it," Enjolras muttered.
Courfeyrac shrugged nonchalantly. "Stop what?" he questioned; although, the large grin on his face made it clear he was already aware of what he was doing.
Enjolras raised one of the mugs to his lips. "Stop looking at me like that," he said before indulging in the drink.
Combeferre chuckled along with his friend. "It's just that we never thought this at all possible, Enjolras. You must let us have our reaction."
He waved his hand dismissively at them, pretending not to care. Truth was, he hated that he felt as though they respected him less. He appeared a hypocrite now. That was partially why he had avoided such things in the first place. He would have given anything to be able to maintain his previous reputation. He still felt the same, after all, if perhaps with a slightly different fire in his belly. His head also seemed to be more occupied these days with thoughts of Eponine, in particular.
"Of all people," Combeferre continued on, "I never thought it would be Eponine."
Enjolras eyed him curiously. "What do you mean?"
"Well, hadn't we been saying all along that it would happen to you one day? That you would eventually fall in love and know what it feels like?"
"Has she said anything to you yet?" Marius cut in.
It caused everyone else at the table to stop momentarily and turn his way. Enjolras, especially, set the mug down silently and finally faced him. He had felt a strange tension in Marius' gaze, which he had chosen to ignore, at least while in the presence of the other young men. He hadn't even expected to find Marius there that evening and had been a little put off when he had. For whatever reason, it had seemed more appropriate to confront Marius alone about what had transpired. Unfortunately, he had never had a chance to do so.
Enjolras paused then shook his head slowly. "No, I haven't even seen her yet."
"I suspect she must have been scared off, Enjolras," Grantaire added, glancing between the two of them.
"And who wouldn't be?" Courfeyrac chimed in. "The only approach Enjolras knows is head on."
"Don't you know that it's much more successful to be a bit more subtle and carefree?" Combeferre told.
He glanced suspiciously between his friends. "What is this? What's going on here?"
Though Combeferre and Courfeyrac peered at each other knowingly, Enjolras was quite aware that Grantaire and Marius kept staring at him. It was his own curiosity and concern that distracted him from them.
The large grin returned to Courfeyrac's face and played now on Combeferre's as well. Suddenly, Enjolras felt very exposed. It seemed that there was some sort of surprise or secret that was about to be revealed—something much unexpected.
"We're trying to help you, you idiot," Combeferre explained.
"You want to get the girl, don't you?" Courfeyrac joined, but they all knew the answer.
Enjolras scoffed. "And you think you can help me convince Eponine, do you?"
Grantaire held his arms out. "Look at who you are talking to, Enjolras," he replied quietly. "Not only are we more knowledgeable than you, but we could be considered experts in the subject."
"Experts?" he mocked.
Grantaire leaned in, his elbows resting on the table. "Who else are you going to go to, huh?"
Enjolras' eyes darted toward Marius, who was still staring very seriously at him. They darted away just as quickly. He considered their offer. It wasn't the most attractive proposal, but he really didn't have anybody else to confide in. Besides, they were right in saying that they had much more experience than he did in this subject. It was quite possible that they could give him some pointers on how to approach Eponine as the young woman she was.
He shrugged, pulling his mug close to him again. "I suppose I have no choice, do I?"
Courfeyrac chuckled. "That's the spirit!" He lifted his own mug, motioning for the others to do the same. "Shall we toast to new endeavors?"
"How about we toast to Enjolras finally getting laid?" Combeferre corrected.
"That's not what-" Enjolras started to retort, but suddenly he found himself interrupted by Marius.
"To love," he cut in sharply, too seriously.
He had a mug raised and stared at Enjolras with an odd gleam in his eyes and an unsettling smirk on his lips. Enjolras paused, considering the gesture and the expression. Finally, though, he raised his mug a little higher in Marius' direction.
"To love," he repeated quieter.
The five friends each took a sip of their respective drink.
"So," Grantaire said, setting the mug back onto the table, "where do we begin?"
xXx
Enjolras stared up at the stars that had finally emerged from beyond the clouds. He leaned against one of the buildings in the entrance of an adjoining alleyway just outside of the café. After talking with his friends for a good couple of hours, he finally needed a break. While they had good ideas and advice, his mind had started to go numb.
"I thought I'd find you out here."
He looked toward the voice, spying Marius within a few feet, a bottle of wine clutched in one of his hands. He wore a familiar grin.
"I needed some air," Enjolras admitted, smiling back. Marius offered the bottle of wine, which he was only able to recognize as about half empty once he accepted it.
He took a long swig from it and wiped his mouth with his hand once finished. He handed it back to Marius, who did the same. It was the first time they were alone together since Enjolras' confession.
"I'm glad it's just the two of us," Enjolras began, believing it only right for him to initiate things, "because I've been wanting to speak with you."
"I figured as much," Marius muttered, his expression now somber.
"You did," Enjolras confirmed. It was a statement, not a question or a comment of surprise.
Marius hesitated then offered him the bottle of wine again. He paused, watching Marius, who watched him back. Both pairs of eyes dared not waver. It was as if they were involved in some sort of standoff, though Enjolras couldn't say why.
He was the first to blink and to look away. As soon as his gaze danced down onto the bottle, he snatched it and took a swig. He stared down at it as the liquid slipped down his throat, warming his body. It was only because he couldn't bring himself to meet Marius' eyes while their conversation continued.
"I'm sure that all of this has come as quite a surprise," he stated carefully and neutrally.
Marius scoffed. "That's an understatement."
"Believe me," he continued swiftly, "I wasn't prepared for the words that came out of my mouth just as much as you weren't, I'm sure."
Marius didn't wait for Enjolras to hand over the wine. Instead, he snatched it from Enjolras' hand. "I highly doubt that," he insisted then drank deeply from the bottle.
Enjolras glared at his friend. He didn't know why he was getting the strong impression that he was meant to defend himself, but he definitely did not like it.
"It's not like you have feelings for Eponine," Enjolras hissed. "I don't see why you are so upset."
Marius dropped the bottle from his lips in one swift motion. "Did I ever say that I was upset?" he snarled.
"You didn't have to! Your behavior and attitude are indication enough," Enjolras spat back.
Marius glared at him, his chest heaving with his heavy breathing. After a pause, he stated much more calmly, "I'm not upset, Enjolras. It's like you said, I was just taken off guard, that's all."
He shook his head and kneaded his forehead with two fingers. Scoffing, he reassured, "It's this wine, really. I haven't had much to eat today and it is going straight to my head."
Enjolras studied Marius. He wasn't completely convinced that he could believe the young man. He had never known Marius to get so worked up, unless it was over a woman. Yet, this was different, and this was the worst he had seen him get. But, he had even thought his approach to be quite abrupt and disturbing. He had only ever considered how it could have affected his friends. He had never actually seen it firsthand, though.
Enjolras sighed.
"Listen," Marius said with a small smile, "take your time. Finish this wine. You'll need the alcohol. Join us afterward, but there's no rush. I'll stall the others."
He handed over the bottle then pivoted on his heel and stalked back toward the café.
Enjolras stared after him. He held the wine bottle loosely in one hand. He had thought that the talk with Marius would have made him feel better. He thought that it would give him some sort of closure, if that's what he was looking for. Truth was, he had no idea what he was looking for from Marius or what he seemed to have to prove to him.
All Enjolras knew was that the conversation had left him feeling even more unsettled than before.