Ink and Insurrection || Enjolras

04. A kiss

Paris, France
1831

        Louis' shoulders straightened out as he saw Jo rushing towards him.
        "Sorry I'm late! My sister insisted on doing my hair." She sighed, "I feel overdressed. And silly."
        "You look beautiful." He went to brush a strand of hair away but she recoiled her head.
        They went inside and were given a menu as they sat down. Jo glanced over it, never once looking up. Why did Louis want a dinner with her? She doesn't feel attracted to him so why was she here? It was all too confusing but one thing she was most confused about was, why did her mind keep wandering to a certain rebel leader who lived in the apartment below her?
        Her mind was so consumed by him. By his hair, his eyes, his lips, oh how she wished to feel his lips on hers. But she also thought of how they matched tonight, she wished the dress she was wearing was the one she was wearing at one of the meetings. She wished the man opposite was him.
        "Your mind is somewhere else." Louis voice broke the silence and Jo looked up from her menu.
         "I'm sorry," she whispered, "it's just I'm not sure why you invited me."
        "Don't you see why? You're beautiful Jo. You're perfect for me and I know we just met but I wish for you to be my wife some day." Louis was upfront and cut straight to the point.
        Suddenly, Jo dropped her menu and stood, "I'm so sorry. I-I have to go."
        She ran. She ran straight to the Musain, away from Louis. She ran up the stairs and burst through the doors of the meeting room. All eyes turned to her and she just froze.
        Enjolras ushered everyone out and soon it was just Amelie, Marius, Jo and Enjolras.
        "What's wrong? Jo, tell me what's wrong." Enjolras said, sitting her down in his chair.
        "He wanted to marry me." At this, Enjolras shifted uncomfortably, Amelie gasped and Marius' mouth dropped open in shock.
        "What did you say?" Amelie asked her sister, standing behind Enjolras.
        "I just left. I left and I ran because I could never marry someone like that." She whispered.
        "You don't know him." Amelie matched Jo's tone.
        "That's why. Because I don't know him and yet I still had a bad feeling about him." Jo said to her, "I don't even know why I came here. I just want to be alone."
        Enjolras turned to Amelie and Marius, nodding at them, "I'll stay."
        When Amelie and Marius left, Jo looked up at the blonde man before her, "Why did you stay?"
        "Because, you obviously need someone to comfort you and usually I would be the first one out, leaving it to someone else, but you're special and you deserve someone to stay with you." He rambled, but Jo just looked at him.
        "Enjolras," He looked at her but she had nothing to say. She began leaning closer and so did her and soon their lips brushed. She was nervous but she closed the gap and kissed him.
        The kiss was soft and gentle, filled with security and it was perfect. Enjolras' placed an unsure hand on her cheek and brought her closer, the kiss deepened to one of passion and all Jo could think about was how he was made for her.
        But none the less, they broke apart. Enjolras offered to walk her home and she accepted, so arm in arm, they left the Musain.
        The kiss was something she couldn't get out of her head when she went to sleep and it was still there in the morning, the feeling of his lips lingered on her, but she ignored it.
        She couldn't fall for him, so when she went to the meeting that night, she stayed out of the way and avoided any encounter with Enjolras. When the meeting ended, she was first out.
         She was scared, and she didn't want to face Enjolras knowing he could regret it. What would she do if he did? So she thought it best to ignore the feelings and ignore him.

****

        "Why is she ignoring me?" Amelie was the only person that Enjolras could speak to. He knew that Jo would have told her so when he saw her in the hall, he asked if they could talk.
        "Enjolras, she's scared. She thinks that you'll reject her and she's scared of getting hurt." Amelie sighed.
        Enjolras glanced up from his hands, "Why would she think that?"
        "Because you're a very difficult person to read. You're not the most open person." Amelie told him but the door to the meeting room swung open.
        It was Jo. She had planned on arriving early to speak with Enjolras but now she saw him with her sister. Alone.
        A look of hurt flashed between her eyes and she turned from the pair, running out of the café, ignoring the calls of Enjolras and Amelie.
        She was about half way home when she heard footsteps behind her. Suddenly, an hand grasped at hers and she felt Enjolras pull her back.
        "Jo, let me explain." When Jo turned to him, he saw tears swelling in her eyes, threatening to fall, "Jo, don't cry. It was nothing. I simply asked Amelie to talk because you've been ignoring me and I miss you, Jo. I miss you so much."
        He pulled the girl into his arms and she cried, "You promise? I miss you, Enjolras."
        The two of them held each other, but neither brought up the kiss. They knew they should but both were too scared. So, they just continued as friends. For now, that is.