Love is Everlasting - An Enjonine Romance

Chapter 5: The Gift

Enjolras' POV

"Éponine!? Is that you?"" I blurt out, barely believing what - or rather, who - I am seeing.

The girl standing in front of me doesn't look like a street rat anymore. She is wearing a simple purple dress with a little pattern on the bodice. I can tell that she suits plain dresses rather than gowns with extravagant details and trimmings. Her usually messy brown hair is now untangled and clean, the dirt and blood rinsed out. A matching violet ribbon keeps her hair out of her face, but still allows it to cascade down her back like a waterfall.

"Joly, I want to show you the blouse I bought!" Musichetta strides over to Joly, taking his arm and escorting him out of the room. I see her wink at Éponine. They're up to something.

"So..." Éponine breaks the silence when the other two are out of earshot. "What do you think?" She shyly does a little twirl, her dress moving lazily around her ankles.

"Ép! Wha- I mean, um- you look really, really pretty!" I barely know how to describe the beauty standing in front of me. For once, I am lost for words. I continue to stare at Éponine speechlessly.

 "I guess that's a good thing." she smirks. Then I remember what Joly and I prepared earlier. I reach into the pocket of my red jacket and take out a small box.

"Um, I wanted to-" I cough to hide my nervousness. Get it together Enj, if you can plan a whole revolution then you can give Éponine a simple gift! I had cleverly devised a way to see if Éponine liked the present before she knew it was hers.

"I bought a gift for someone and I don't know if they'll like it. I want your verdict on it before I give it to them." I hold out the box nervously and Éponine reaches out to take it. It quietly pops! when she opens it. She pulls out a silver necklace with a small raindrop charm on it.

"Wow, this is really pretty." she admires. "Whoever gets this is going to love it. Who's it for?" I sigh in relief; she like it. But the hardest part is yet to come.

"You. Ép, it's for you."

Éponine's POV

"Ép, it's for you." Enjolras' words ring in my head over and over again. When I extracted the chain from its box, I thought Enjolras was going to give it to some girl that had won his marble heart. I was crushed, until he revealed it was for me.

"Do you still like it?" he asks anxiously, raking his hand through his uncontrollable curls. He's so adorable when he's embarrassed...

"Like it? I love it!" I grin from ear to ear. "I told you just then: whoever gets this is going to love it!" I repeat. "Can you put it on me?"

Enjolras smiles and steps toward me. I give him the necklace and lift up my hair. His warm breath on my neck makes my heart beat faster as he fastens the chain. After some fumbling, he steps back to see how the necklace looks on me. I look down at it; I think it suits me well.

"It's beautiful," I admire, putting my hand over the charm.

"Just like you," Enjolras remarks quietly, almost to himself. I lift my head to glance at him.

"Pardon?"

Enjolras quickly looks up to meet my eyes. "Um, no, what I meant was... uh-" he stammers.

I saunter closer to him. "It's not a crime to call someone beautiful, you know." I smirk. He nods, relieved.

"No, I guess not. But in all honesty, you are beautiful, Éponine."

My breath catches in my throat. Enjolras slowly leans in, his face centimetres from mine. I close the distance, planting my lips on his. We kiss slowly at first, both unfamiliar to this foreign sensation. I reach up and tangle my fingers in his messy blonde hair and I feel the hand on my back tighten. He pulls away, breathless.

"Éponine, I think I'm in love with you," he whispers, just for me to hear.

I smile widely at him. "I love you too, Enjolras."

Thanks for reading my story! If you like this, please read my oneshots, you might like them too :)