A Stolen Heart

Chapter 6

Chapter 6 -

Ok so I haven't done warnings before but I'm pretty sure this chapter needs them so...

Warning - Contains violence, abuse and swearing.

So if you are a child or bothered by those issues then please don't read on, just skip to the next chapter when it's been posted :)

Eponine tapped her pen against the counter impatiently.

"No, not like that. Ask them where the leaders are." She scribbled down 'rhetorical questions' onto the page. "Shows them you want them to think for themselves. Gets them to think about it actually." She chewed on her bottom lip as Enjolras's pen flew across the paper in swift, fluid motions.

"Okay, how about this?" He cleared his throat and passion swelled in his voice.

"Where are the leaders of this land? Where are the swells who run this show?" He looked to her for her approval. Eponine giggled, still finding it surreally funny whenever he practiced his speeches in the domesticity of his kitchen.

"Better, much better." She nodded, biting back another laugh. He swatted her arm with his notes and tried to look disapprovingly at her but the upturned corner of his lips displayed his mirth.

Eponine had been living with Enjolras for almost three weeks now. They had settled into a comfortable routine and both felt quite at ease with the situation. She had begun to sleep easier and so her mornings were increasingly later until she finally synchronised with Enjolras's usual 7.30 wake. She would brew coffee for the both of them and he would attempt to make breakfast which generally amounted to a bowl of tasteless porridge. Enjolras was a terrible cook. On Monday's, Tuesday's, and Thursdays he would go to classes at the university whilst Eponine was free to do as she pleased. She still enjoyed being outside for most the day when he was out and so he trusted her with his money to buy groceries when she went about town. On days when Enjolras did not have classes they would spend their time composing speeches and flyers either at the counter in the kitchen or down at the Musain.

The students had found out about the arrangement promptly after it had begun as Courfeyrac and Combeferre had visited the apartment to run through some potential rally dates and had found Eponine wandering about the place in the nightshirt she had permanently adopted from Enjolras. Their utter shock had been hilarious as they immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion. It had sent Eponine into a fit of laughter at the thought of the rebel leader luring her back to his place for intimate affairs. At the time nothing was more absurd than a seductive Enjolras. He had to explain their deal whilst Eponine attempted to contain her amusement. When Combeferre warily asked;

"So you two didn't... sleep together?" It set her off again into another tremor of giggles. Enjolras looked at his friend reproachfully.

"Please, you know I have no interest in such affairs." He had said to dismiss the matter but Eponine could have sworn she had heard Courfeyrac mutter under his breath,

"We will see..."

As the weeks went by and she grew accustomed to living with Enjolras, the thought of him as desirable was no longer a laughing matter to Eponine. She had always thought the man to be spectacular and undeniably attractive but she had not thought of him as independent to the revolution. The only time when she hadn't thought his motives were political was when he had saved from Montparnasse in the alley that night. When she had stayed at his the first time she had believed he could not stand to be in anyone's debt with all his talk of égalité. She now saw a different side to him however. Eponine was starting to notice and grow fond of all his habits and mannerisms. The way he would not utter a word before his first sip of coffee in the mornings. How he would run his hand through his hair as he opened the door to leave as if making sure he had not forgotten anything. The look of admiration he gave her whenever she would ink a new word into his speeches. How his gaze softened when he said goodnight. The way he said her name, every time. It was all these little things and more that had Eponine developing strange new feelings for Enjolras. It was not like it had been with Marius though, it was not a silly infatuation because he had noticed her. No, many of the students had befriended her now but none made her feel the way Enjolras did. She didn't feel shy around him like she had with Marius, she felt like she could just be herself and he still wouldn't judge her because hadn't she seen sides to him that few else had?