SÉRAPHINE POV
"There he is!" Grantaire exclaimed as he went over to the blond man, wrapped his arm around him, and rustled his tousled hair. "Now let's get going, eh?"
The men continued their loud chatter and picked up the pace, wanting very badly to get something to eat. A few of the men introduced themselves to me as we journeyed: a kind and loving brunette named Courfeyrac; a gentle, sweet man called Joly; and a dreamy-eyed lad named Jean Prouvaire. All three of them were remarkably nice, and so far I had completely understood why Éponine enjoyed their company so much. They were gentlemanly and personable, but I had not the slightest doubt that they were capable of tremendous things. I very much wanted to spend more time with them and become close friends with them.
A few moments later, we arrived at a small, inexpensive eatery I had never seen before, let alone been into. It was cozy and intimate, with only one floor and about ten tables. There was no heavy lighting, but I did not mind because the rest of the environment was pleasant and comfortable. Marius waved to one of the hosts, calling him by his first name and flashing him a smile that indicated their familiarity. It made sense; I gathered that this was their everyday choice of dining.
"Donatien, good sir! There will be two additional guests with us today, two lovely madams by the names of Éponine and Séraphine. We will need a table for eleven."
The man called Donatien grinned and led us to what was by far the largest table in the room. It was a secluded table towards the back, with ten chairs: five on each side of the table. Marius grabbed an eleventh chair and placed it at the head.
The blond man from earlier was the one who decided to sit at the head of the table. Without knowing this man at all, without knowing his name or the slightest thing about him, I knew that to have him sitting anywhere else but where he was would be strange and out of place. A man like him belonged at the head of a table or in the center of a room, any place where he would be noticed most immediately. He was mysterious and enigmatic while still retaining extroversion and power, so I wanted to talk to him and made it a point to try and sit near him. Unfortunately for me, Marius and Éponine sat across from each other on either side of the blond man. I instead took a seat next to Éponine while Joly sat across from me. Donatien quickly took our orders and went off to prepare the food.
"Well, this is the group," Éponine told me. "Nine of Paris's most talented schoolboys."
"They're all lovely so far," I replied to her. "By the way, would you like me to buy you lunch?"
"No, thanks. I've been saving up for something like this," she said as she stole a glance at Marius across from her. I felt all at once jubilant and saddened: poor Éponine had to save up so much money solely to enjoy lunch with her companions, but the exalted look on her face as she spent time with friends softened her situation.
"Hey, have you met Séraphine?" Marius suddenly prompted the blond man at the head of the table. As Marius nodded in my direction, I sensed my face flushing. I felt vulnerable and wanted to make myself seem presentable, a similar feeling as when I would introduce myself to a new client that I would potentially work for. I have always had a desire to impress, especially people like him who seemed worth impressing.
"My name is Séraphine Beaulieu," I introduced as I reached across Éponine to shake his hand. "A pleasure."
"Enjolras," he stated.
Enjolras! What a beautiful name. It rang out like a bell, a perfect name for someone who carried himself so passionately.
"You have a lovely name, Monsieur."
"Thank you."
"Of course!" I said enthusiastically. The more I observed and spoke to this man, the more preoccupied and lost in his own head he seemed to be. It seemed as if something was troubling him. Not wanting to press but eager to indicate that I was a friend, I gave him a warm and gentle smile. He returned a small smirk and simply resumed staring at the table.
YOU ARE READING
My Moon: An Enjolras Love Story
Fanfiction"You cannot pretend any longer, Enjolras, that your priorities have not changed. It is clear that you are just as devoted to our country as you always have been, but now you have a reason to make it back alive. And she is that reason." Enjolras/OC...
