There Was a Time

Chapter Ten: Yours

Felix and Fantine raced each other to Blanchevelle's place, their hands intertwined. They didn't stop giggling the whole way there. Felix knew he should probably be working right about now, but he did not care. He had Fantine with him, and that was all that mattered.

The two of them sat on the couch and began their reading lesson. Although Fantine caught on very quickly to the concepts Felix taught her, they hardly got anything done. They were too deeply in love to pay attention to the reading lesson. Between every word she read, Fantine would lean over and press her lips against Felix's, which was, to say the least, rather distracting to both of them.

"Wait, Fantine," Felix said, gently pulling himself away from Fantine. He picked up a piece of paper and a writing utensil and wrote down three words. "Read this," he instructed her.

Fantine squinted down at the paper. She looked so cute when she was concentrating. "I...l-low... love... y-you... I love you!" She laughed triumphantly and looked up at Felix. "Do you mean it?" she asked.

"Always," Felix promised.

Fantine smiled and put her head against Felix's shoulder. He could feel his heart pounding as their bodies made contact. "I really mean it," he told her. "I would do anything for you." Fantine looked up at him, her eyes curious.

"Like what?" she asked.

"Well... I would give away everything I own for your sake. Even my pocketwatch."

"What's so special about your pocketwatch?" Fantine asked.

"It's been in my family for generations," he explained. "It's my most prized possession, but I would give it away in a heartbeat for your sake."

"Well, I would do anything for you as well," Fantine declared.

"Like?" Felix prompted.

"I would die for you," Fantine said immediately.

Felix shook his head quickly. "No, I wouldn't be able to live without you," he said.

"All the same, I would give my life for you," Fantine said, her voice certain.

"Fantine?" Felix asked.

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"And I love you."

"No, Fantine, I mean I really, really love you," Felix said. "More than anything. I was thinking that maybe it's time I met your parents."

Fantine was silent for a long time. "You can't," she finally said.

"Why not?" Felix asked. He vaguely remembered the day the had first met, when Fantine had refused to tell him her surname. Maybe she was ashamed of her family. If that was the case, she needn't be ashamed. Felix would love her even if her parents were murderers.

"I don't know my parents," Fantine said softly.

"What do you mean?" Felix asked.

"I mean exactly what I said," Fantine told him. "They're dead, or they abandoned me. I don't know which. All I know is that I have no family. I don't even have a surname. I'm just a worthless orphan." She turned sadly away from him. "I understand if you don't love me anymore."

Felix stared at her in surprise. "Why would I stop loving you just because you're an orphan?" he asked her gently.

"Because I have no family! That means I don't have any money or a dowry."

"I don't care!" Felix said. "I have enough money to support the both of us."

Fantine looked up at him, her eyes shining with tears. "Really?" she asked. "You don't care that I'm an orphan?"

"Of course not! If anything, it makes me love you even more."

Fantine gave him a watery smile. "Thank you, Felix," she said.

Felix wiped the tears from her beautiful eyes. Gently, he kissed her forehead. "I love you," he whispered, and kissed her cheek.

"I love you, too," Fantine said. Her lips found his. The kiss was passionate, much more passionate than any kiss either of them had ever experienced. Suddenly, Felix lost his balance and fell forward on top of her. Fantine giggled and continued kissing him. Her hands pulled gently on the fabric of his shirt, pulling him towards her. Felix touched her exposed neck. Her skin was soft and vulnerable.

"I want to be yours," Fantine told him, her voice serious.

"Are you sure?" Felix asked her, his heart pounding as her hands wandered underneath his shirt.

"Yes," Fantine said. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

Then, Felix's shirt fell on the floor with a very faint thud.

 (Author's Note: OK so I normally don't write scenes like this in my stories, but it was kind of necessary for the plot, so sorry. Anyways, thank you to everyone who reads, votes, and comments! Sorry I haven't been updating this story very often, but I'm focusing more on A Promise. Once that's done I'll start updating this more often.)