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: So this is it. I want to thank everyone for tuning in and for giving feedback. It is a rather cheesy ending, but I suppose there was no other way for this one to go. I do hope that it is rather satisfactory, though. Anyway, here it is. Again, I want to thank everyone for the support. ^.^
Chapter 11 – The Long-Awaited Kiss
Enjolras sat inside the Café Musain in the early afternoon on an otherwise pleasant day. The weather wasn't something to be enjoyed, though. For him, it was just another nuisance. He was drinking a concoction stronger than the wine that was typically served, something he had been indulging in as of late. There were many things he brooded on, as well as many things he just wanted to forget and never be burdened with again. The drink seemed to help him in some aspect.
Sighing, he got up again to relieve his bladder. He didn't know how long he had been sitting there, but the looks he was getting from the other customers, though few as they were, gave him a hint. It didn't help, either, that his hair was a mess and his clothes were stained and in disarray. He couldn't find the energy to care, though. Not after he had lost Eponine.
It had been so strange and so sudden to discover that he actually cared for her. But once he had recognized and accepted that feeling, his world had changed. Never before had any woman received his affections, so his pursuits had been new for him, as well. The devastation came from losing his best friend and the only woman he had ever learned to care for. It was also due to the rather unwarranted opposition to these new and wonderful emotions that he had never experienced before.
Even learning the truth, he had only ever been concerned for Eponine's feelings. He hadn't wanted her to find out because he knew it would hurt her. Her ties to Marius were deep, but he had hoped and even thought that perhaps she had had a change of heart. Now, though, she would have reverted so far from him that it would be impossible for him to ever get her back. And that was the worst part of all.
Finished, Enjolras prepared to return to his seat. He tugged on his white shirt and open vest, hardly caring about his appearance, but only doing so to straighten it out for better comfort. Then he ambled dejectedly back to the table. He slumped down into the seat, hesitating with a hand on his half-empty cup. He stared at it, unseeing and unsatisfied.
All he could think about was her. All he could see was her. It was agony, to say the least. Yet, he had finally fallen victim to love and all of its demons. He didn't really know where to go from there. He didn't know how long before he returned to his previous self, or if that was even possible. He didn't know if he would be consumed by another, stronger emotion and all of this heartache would be swallowed up. It could be that these feelings of utter sadness and longing would never go away, though, and he would be stuck pining after Eponine until the end of his days.
That wasn't him, though. But, he had also thought that love was beyond him.
Groaning over the confusion battling in his brain, Enjolras downed the rest of the liquid in the cup then, after removing his jacket from the back of the seat, punched his arms into its sleeves. Perhaps a stroll would help to clear his mind, though the bright sunlight was the last thing he really wanted to experience. He stood up and straightened out the red fabric.
That was when he felt it and stopped.
Slipping his hand into the coat pocket, he extracted a small folded note. His heart skipped a beat as he began to open it slowly. His mind recalled the very first note that had begun this crazy adventure. Perhaps, this one was the same. Or, his more pessimistic side added in, it was another trick from Marius.
In any case, he read:
Our spot at Notre Dame. This is far from over.
He got the definite feeling that this time this note was meant specifically for him. He was still unsure if Eponine wrote it or if it had been Marius attempting to pull the two together still. Either way, he figured, he would go there. He wouldn't expect some kind of happy ending, though. He would only expect to find Marius in wait.
xXx
The square held some couples enjoying the view of the cathedral and the nice weather. He glanced about, but he failed to see Marius or even Eponine for that matter. He frowned, wondering if perhaps he had been tricked. He was feeling rather paranoid these days, after having learned that his best friend had set him up.
Enjolras could feel the heat from the sun through his long-sleeved shirt, vest, and wool coat. He longed for the cool shade of the café. He would have been better off staying put instead of giving this new note a chance. He should have known better. The sight of the happy couples made him frown. He turned around, about to head back, when he heard a voice that stopped him in his tracks.
"So you came here after all," Eponine said, approaching from some unseen location.
He turned in her direction, trying to keep his expression unreadable and attempting to keep in mind that anything could still happen. He didn't want to drop his guard because he was afraid of getting hurt and disappointed again. However, he couldn't deny that the sight of Eponine caused his heart to flutter with hope.
Enjolras shrugged. "Call me a masochist, but I had to see if this note was any truer than the first."
"Marius had no part in this one, I can honestly tell you that." She hesitated, though. "Well, I suppose he did offer to deliver it safely into your care, but other than that he played no part in it."
"I suppose that is a relief to hear." He sighed. "Eponine, why did you bring me here?"
The small smile on her face faded, and her gaze dropped to the ground between them. "This whole situation has gotten completely out of hand. I'm sure you can understand that it is terribly difficult to know what to believe anymore."
His hope began to ebb. He figured she would only want to forget that anything between them had only been a fabrication of their imagination. It would be best to simply go back to the way things were before. He had to admit that he was disappointed. He had been hoping that there would still be some way to work things out between the two of them, even if it meant starting over.
"So Marius explained everything to me."
Enjolras crossed his arms over his chest, upset. "I tried to do the same, but you wouldn't listen. I should have known that only Marius would get through to you."
She glared at him. "Don't think that I he would have any more sway over me than you. You have to understand how confused I was and how betrayed I felt. You must have felt it too."
He eased up, for he certainly had felt the same. He allowed her to continue.
"He met with me and told me that it had been his plot from the beginning and you were merely a pawn like I was. Basically we were both led to believe in something that had been nothing but a set up."
Enjolras studied her longingly, ready to try again. "Eponine, please don't think that it was all untrue. I-" he whispered. But she held up a hand to silence him.
"Yet, love is not something you can force upon someone," she admitted, a small blush on her cheeks.
Enjolras' heart leapt. Suddenly, all of the doubts he had had seemed to disappear. He was reassured with her reluctance and her sincerity. He resisted the urge to grab her in his arms. He knew that she wasn't quite there yet. She was still laying everything out for him that he might have questioned before. She was showing him the truth—how she really felt.
"Throughout all of this, Enjolras, I have been trying to deny my true feelings. I attempted to find any excuse I could in order to push you away, but you kept coming back. You never gave up. Finally, though, when I overheard you and Marius, I figured that that was it. It seemed to explain everything, and I didn't have to worry about getting hurt. But…" She hesitated, wrapping her arms around her frame, hugging herself for comfort.
"Eponine," Enjolras replied in a sigh of relief, placing his arms on her shoulders, as if that would help her understand, "you know that everything I told you, everything I felt was real—is real."
She nodded sheepishly. "I do. I believe I do." She sighed. "So, I think I must apologize to you, Enjolras."
He shook his head. "Apologize? Apologize for what?"
"For suspecting you of being anything but sincere. For putting you through…well…everything."
"Eponine, there is nothing that you need to apologize for. There is nothing that you need to ask forgiveness from me. All I wish is, from what you've said, that perhaps now I might have a piece of your heart."
Eponine scoffed. "A piece of it? Enjolras, I don't know how it happened, but you have all of it."
Enjolras couldn't resist any longer. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in close and embracing her. He closed his eyes softly. "I didn't know it until now, but I believe that is all I want. I just want you."
Her arms traveled reluctantly up his back, wrapping gently around him. The longer they embraced, however, the tighter her grasp became, before she immersed herself completely. She closed her eyes, as well, giving herself over to him. She let his scent fill her nostrils, though it was heavily overlaid with alcohol. She didn't even care in that moment.
"So," Enjolras hesitated, "what do we do now?"
"I'm not entirely sure," she admitted. "We are both new to this." She took a step back, a sly smile on her lips. "But, I suppose I can think of something. And this one is most definitely meant for you."
Eponine slid her arms around his neck, pulling in close to him, and laid her lips gently upon his. It didn't take long for him wrap his arms around her waist and hold her against his body. His lips tingled with the very touch of her, and he never wanted it to end.
For that moment, there was nobody else around. Though it had taken a while, they had finally found each other, and they had finally found love.
"Eponine," Enjolras whispered, tearing himself just inches away from her, though it pained him to do so, "I do have just one request."
"Yes," she urged, just as breathy.
"No more notes," he said with laughter in his voice.
"Agreed." And, she resumed the long-awaited kiss.