iv. a fear of slowly dying

She liked the way his hand felt in hers. She'd never felt the want to be protected, but now as she walked down the street hand in hand with the one person who she could always depend. As much as she had tried she couldn't shake the feeling that she could be with him forever. She'd never admit it though. The club slowly came into view and she sighed. She couldn't let him near it. She needed him safe.

"Stop here." She turned to him, "I don't want you to get caught up with my work." Liar. You don't want him to see Montparnasse. He nodded solemnly.

"Be careful, 'Ponine." She grinned wickedly.

"You know I will." Their hands that felt as if they were molded into each other perfectly were now separated and away. The past day had all been a silly dream. They could never work out.

She waited for him to walk away. He did and she turned walking into the club. It wasn't hard to miss. The old beaten up lights spelling out 'The Violet' in big floresent purple letters, black sillouette's of girls on the tinted windows.

"Almost late, Eponine. I see you're blonde savior is back." Eponine scowled. Montparansse was waiting and watching her. She was his property. "Wouldn't want me to get your Daddy involved." She ignored him. It worked best considering she was terrified. He rolled his eyes. "You're on in five." She rolled her eyes and walked back to the back room less than willingly.

She was wrong. They were working it out. They needed it each other. It was slow of course. Nothing to insane. Just the two of them trying to work things out. She made it clear that he wasn't to visit her at work. I don't need a battle. He made it clear that she wasn't just going to run away from him this time.

It started with him walking her to work daily, then driving. Then he'd wait at the café until her shift was up and drive over to the place she always made him stop. He respected her wishes to keep him away no matter how much it killed him and she respected him enough to understand that he was a curious. "One Day" She'd say each time. One day she would quit and it would all be behind them.

After a few weeks she found herself barely at her apartment. She had a drawer of clothes in his closet, her toothbrush was in the bathroom and she found herself walking into his apartment instead of her own most nights. He'd make her dinner she could eat after her shift and would make sure Gavroche did his homework. They weren't even technically dating either.

During the first week of Gavroche's summer vacation, she found herself at a beach. After weeks of begging from not just Gavroche but also Enjolras, she'd agreed to take a couple of days off and go to the beach. It wasn't that she didn't love the beach she just needed money more. So here she laid in the white sand, a pair of sunglasses she'd stolen back in high school on her face, and an old black bikini hugging her body tightly. She felt the eyes looking at her.

"If you think my job is objectifying but staring at me in a bikini isn't then we need to have a talk mister."

"I'm not. It's the same one you had in high school. The one time we jumped into the lake." She smiled at the memory.

"That it is." She sat up on her elbows and looked over at him. He was reading Nineteen Eighty-Four, she almost laughed. It certainly fit him. She looked around frowning. "Where's Gav?"

"Courfeyrac and Combeferre took him down over there." He said pointing in a direction behind him. She nodded. If anything he wasn't alone.

"Okay."

"No need to freak out, Eponine." He frowned as she shrugged and laid back on the sand.

"You'll burn."

"I don't burn, mister marble statue. I just tan." She smirked. He rolled eyes and put down the book, a rare occurence.

"Come on, let's go for a walk." He offered her his hand and she grinned.

"Oh, fine."She said with a fake non-excitement. "I guess." She took his hand and got up, she didn't let go but he didn't either. The hand holding was a habit they picked up on as teenagers and as their relationship ,if you could call it that, progressed they fell into it again. Enjolras was going on about something that had happened while she was working the other day. She would've listened but she was too distracted by him. They both wanted their relationship back, that was obvious enough. The problem was saying it out loud. Right now there wasn't anything wrong. If they talked about their relationship there would be. They'd have to discuss the past. She took a breath. Just say it 'Ponine.

"Enjolras?" He looked down at her, his blue steely eyes staring at her.

"Yes?"

"I-""'Ponine! Enjolras!" Fuck."We found a jellyfish!" Gavroche yelled running up to them. Thankfully not caring the creature. She smiled, despite the interruption, she was happy that her brother had that much enthusiasm. He'd never been to the beach so she could sacrifice her moment for him. She would do anything for his happiness.

"Where is it, Gav?" Enjolras said looking at the boy. He wasn't much of that anymore. He was fourteen and taller than Eponine.

"It's down there!" He said running after it. Enjolras turned to Eponine.

"What was it you were going to say?"

"Oh...just that I'm glad you made me come with you." Oh well.

A/N: This chapter's dedicated to Maddie who complained every day that I wasn't updating and then spammed my phone. So congrats Maddie, your goal is complete. Review? I would like to say thank you for all you amazing people who have favorited, followed and reviewed. It means the world to me.