Love is Everlasting - An Enjonine Romance

Chapter 13: Sympathy For A Thief

A/N:
Dedicated to the lovely enjoninefeels! Happy birthday, I hope you have an awesome day! :)

Enjolras' POV

The gloomy grey sky is slightly darker when we leave the grim prison. We retrace our steps back to Joly and Musichetta's apartment silently. I am in such an absent-minded state of sorrow that my foot plunges right into a puddle of dirty rainwater. My shoe and the hem of my pants are soaked. I know Éponine would have laughed at me if our world wasn't falling around us.

"Hey, 'Ponine!"

Éponine turns swiftly toward the sound, her almost black tresses swaying. A lanky man with scrawny blonde hair is waving and walking towards us. He's clad in a torn and muddy coat and ripped brown pants; he's obviously from the slums. Not unlike Éponine, before I found her.

"Um... Éponine?" I question. "Do you know him?"

Her eyes flash with anger and her expression darkens. "Unfortunately, I do." she growls. "And I really don't want to see him right now." She grabs Musichetta and I and tries to drag us to a nearby alleyway to hide, but the stranger sprints up and reaches out and clutches Éponine's arm.

"Where you going, 'Ponine?" he grins sarcastically. "Running away from my beautiful self?!"

Éponine yanks her arm away and glares at him. If looks could kill, this guy would be very dead.

"'Beautiful'? In your dreams." she scoffs. "What do you want, Montparnasse?"

"Just to say hello," Montparnasse simply answers. "And tell your father where you've been."

He chuckes nastily as Éponine widens her eyes in fear. She narrows them again quickly.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Oh yes I would!"

I protectively move Musichetta behind me and put an arm around Éponine's tense shoulders.

"Ép, is everything alright?" I ask quietly. This Montparnasse person isn't exactly the friendliest person I've ever met.

Montparnasse then seems to notice me. "Oh!" he sneers, looking me up and down. "Who have we here, 'Ponine? Got a boyfriend, have we?"

"Yes," I retort hotly. "Why do you care?"

Éponine cringes and looks at me like I've made things worse. I shrug my shoulders, not knowing what I've done.

"I'm warning you, Montparnasse," she once again glares at the man, "do not tell my father. I beat you up once and I can do it again."

"Hmm, I suppose I could make an exception," Montparnasse pretends to sigh woefully. "After all, he's been in a good mood for the last few days and this would make him really angry. We've just pulled a massive string of successful robberies and you know how much your father loves taunting the police. They know it's him but Thénardier's in hiding right now. Javert is after his blood!"

"So you won't tell my father?" Éponine asks, almost hopefully. I can feel her shoulders tighten even more in anticipation.

"Only if you pay me!" Montparnasse cackles. "Hand over the money." He holds out his hand expectantly and Éponine's hopeful face quickly disappears. She doesn't have anything to give him.

"Well, where is it?!" Montparnasse demands impatiently. "Hand it over, I want to see my next meal!"

I feel a twinge of sympathy for Montparnasse. His instincts for basic survival have led him down the wrong path of thieving and conning people into giving him money. This man is probably one of the many people who were hoping for a different tomorrow after the revolution, and one of the many people I've let down.

"Excuse me," I say to Montparnasse. "Montparnasse, is it?"

"Yeah, that's me." he replies suspiciously. He looks sideways from me to Éponine.

"Well, Monsieur," I say, digging into my pockets. I produce a small purse filled to the brim with coins. "Unfortunately, Éponine has no money to give you, but I do."

I press the bag into his hands and he stares at me, jaw hanging open. "I-I can't-" he splutters.

"No need to thank me," I tell him. "Just be sure to use these coins wisely, understand?"

Without waiting for an answer, I take the two mademoiselles' arms in mine and stride off, though they are both tugging on my arms and demanding why I did what I did. Montparnasse is left staring after us, dumbfounded.

"Enjolras!" Éponine hisses. "Why did you do that?!"

"Don't fret, dear Éponine," I answer calmly, much to her annoyance. "I'll tell you when we get home."

"That man was scary," Musichetta shudders, drawing her shawl closer around her. "I'm glad he didn't cause too much trouble."

I smile to myself as I hear a faint voice in the distance. It's Montparnasse saying "thank you".