Running

10

Running Ten

It didn't take long for Marius to get a good idea of where Eponine had possibly run off to. He remembered where she had grown up and where her sister had been buried. He was willing to bet money that she was there. It was familiar and held memories, even if they were bad ones. Now he just had to wait for a time he could take off work for a bit. Once he got the chance, he would travel there and teach his little wife a lesson once and for all. She would certainly learn that it wasn't okay to run out on him. And she would never run again.

****

Weeks passed, and Eponine was happy. Ever since she had told Grantaire about her past, of course leaving out the gory details, things between them were less guarded and lighter. She was falling for him, hard. She was pretty certain that he felt the same. They hadn't talked to Enjolras about anything yet because things had finally started to quiet down, and she wanted to keep it that way for a bit.

One afternoon, Grantaire showed up at the library to see Eponine. It had almost become a habit for him. Eponine invited him around the desk, and he kissed her head.

"Are you free Friday night?" he asked, intertwining their fingers.

Eponine knew that he already knew she was free, but figured he wanted to ask anyway.

"I think I can make an exception for you," she smiled.

"Wonderful. The theatre department's opening night for Cats is Friday, and since I have to be there since they are my students, I was wondering if you wanted to come as well? You've mentioned that you like theatre."

"That sounds amazing!"

Grantaire smiled before planting a quick kiss on her lips, "Perfect. It's a bit of a dressy event. Unfortunately I have a class to teach in the next half hour. Until then, mon cheri!" he beamed, walking away.

Eponine laughed out loud.

"Au revoir!" she called after him.

****

Friday night, Eponine rushed home to get ready. She put on the best dress she had, a royal blue number with a fitted top and a flared out skirt. Her make up was her only accessory since she had pawned all her jewelry, but even then she applied very little to her face. She had never been a fan of the stuff. Her dark hair had a natural wave, so she just let it do as it pleased. Shortly after she had finished getting ready, she heard a knock on the door.

"Coming!" she called as she slipped on her flats and hurried across the house.

She opened the door to Grantaire, who she observed was especially handsome that evening. He was wearing a grey suit and vest with a red button up and black tie. His eyes widened when he took in the sight of her.

"You look...stunning, Ep," he said.

Eponine could feel the blush crawling to her cheeks.

"You don't look too bad yourself, Grant," she giggled.

Grantaire leaned in and stole a kiss before offering his arm to her, "Are we all set?"

Eponine nodded and took his arm, stepping outside and shutting the door behind her. They walked over to his car, and he opened the door for her, something no one, not even Marius, had ever done. As they backed out of the driveway, Grantaire's hand found hers, and they enjoyed the comfortable silence. The ride was only a few minutes long, but being in the silence of the car with Grantaire, Eponine felt more at home that she ever had before. Everything seemed right. They walked together into the theatre and took their seats, which were pretty good, which Eponine guessed was because he was faculty. Eponine thought the show was absolutely amazing, and when it was over, she have the cast a standing ovation with the rest of the audience. As the cast took their final curtain call, Grantaire slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her into his side.