Two people set out for the same destination. It had been a long time coming, but now that the hour had come, both were unsure of what would meet them. The terrain was not new, however; indeed, both travelers were confident that they had mapped out an accurate view of what to expect once out there. But despite their knowledge, there was always the slight possibility of meeting something that was hiding. Regardless, they went into the jungle unarmed, free, and uninhibited.

Éponine paused at the door open to the Musain. She was sure that she'd be the second of the two of them to arrive; she always was. A few breaths. She had been waiting for this moment for weeks now. Why should she be? It's all in your head. Without another thought, she pushed the door open.

It was soothing to be inside. The familiar murmur was a comforting sound, and Éponine forgot a few of her misgivings. Immediately she spotted his blond head. Curiously, though, it was not bent over. Éponine could not see his eyes, but she guessed that he wasn't passing time with a book, as was his usual habit whenever he waited for her walk to the Musain from work. But she had stopped again. If she didn't move soon, he'd turn and see her staring. Steeling her nerves, she walked purposefully up to the table and took her seat without preamble.

They said nothing, but gave each other careful looks. They were almost like strangers once again, wary and analytical. Finally Enjolras smiled. "I'm glad to see you again, Éponine."

"It's good to see you too," Éponine said. "What have you been doing?"

"Lots of work," Enjolras said. "More than normal," he added, "but I like it. It makes me feel productive." As if almost compulsively, his fingers quivered, like they were instinctively following the motions to twirl a pen, and he discreetly closed his hands. Éponine wondered if he hadn't deliberately come with anything to not give himself a distraction.

"And the rest of Les Amis? I haven't seen any of them in a while."

"They're fine. Cosette's father is going to be coming to one of our meetings soon; that'll be nice. He doesn't have a huge network of connections because he's such a quiet man, but he used to work in public service and has some ideas that we could use," Enjolras said. He sounded excited, for which Éponine was glad. He had been so despondent before.

"And yourself?"

Éponine shrugged. "More of the same. You know me; I don't do much."

"Don't be so self-deprecating," Enjolras scolded lightly. He waited, and then said, "You're right. I do know you, and I know you like to paint yourself as humbly. An admirable quality, no doubt, but it does you good to indulge every once in a while, doesn't it?"

"I wouldn't know," Éponine said, suddenly teasing.

Truth be told, Éponine remembered quite clearly the frantic worry over him she had felt...but didn't feel like disclosing those exact details to him right now. The discussion she'd had with Musichetta had resulted in Éponine learning something about Enjolras that she was sure he would like to keep for himself, or at least have the ability to reveal himself. She didn't doubt this for a second. No matter how comfortable they were with each other now, Éponine didn't think it wouldn't be wise to mention her knowledge, not on their first day after the break, given the nature of said break.

"What do you want to hear?" she inquired instead. "A prompt might serve me well, if you want to get something out of me."

"All right...what are you doing tomorrow? Other than work."

Éponine ran her schedule through her schedule mentally. "Nothing that I can think of."

"Then how about we have lunch together?"

Éponine frowned. "Here?"

Enjolras gave a shake of his head. "I know somewhere we could go, or if you want to go somewhere else—"

"A date?"

Enjolras stopped. "Well—no. Unless you classify two friends having lunch together as a date..."

"I don't," Éponine said quickly.

"Then no, it's not one. There's no problem, is there?"

The slight shock hadn't quite left Éponine, but she had to respond somehow. "No, there isn't. What time?"

"Eleven o'clock. I'll meet you at your apartment."

"You still know where I live?"

"It's the same building as Marius and Courfeyrac, is it not? I remember it."

"Okay. Fine," Éponine agreed.

Silence fell between them. There was a ringing in Éponine's ears. She felt flushed all over and hoped it was only the warmth in the café. Enjolras had dropped his eyes, thankfully choosing the lull to take a drink of his coffee: his intense gaze was sometimes disconcerting, and he never seemed to realize (or care). Éponine guessed that he liked it, in secret. Having such a gaze probably came in handy.

Forget that, though. Another thought had entered her mind, one that would require a little more daring on her part.

"In that case," she ventured bravely, "you wouldn't mind if I returned the favor, would you?" Enjolras's face was curious, so she continued: "Musichetta, she has recitals from time to time. She asked me once if I'd like to go to one of them…her most recent one I missed, but another one should be debuting at the beginning of next year. When the time comes, would you like to accompany me?

Enjolras blinked. "I'd enjoy that. Yes, I'd be happy to."

Éponine's face lit up. "I'm looking forward to it, then."

"I as well," Enjolras agreed. "My parents too. I used to go to the opera and ballet quite often as a child when I lived at home…I haven't much time to ever since I began university and especially Les Amis, so they'll be pleased to hear that I'm getting out again."

"Do you miss them?" Éponine asked.

"Occasionally. They are not too far, so I can visit when I want to. I just did, in fact; they hadn't seen me for some time. It's always nice to be back at home. It's more them that miss me, rather than the other way around, I suppose," he said after a moment's meditation.

"Your parents."

"Yes." Enjolras spoke the work anxiously. He was dithering, Éponine noticed. She waited for him to continue: "I told them about you, you should know."

"You did?" Éponine said, taken aback. "Why?"

"I thought it would put their mind at ease," Enjolras explained. "They don't worry about me at school; they know I can take care of myself. But like I implied, sometimes they wish I took it a little easier. They're grateful that I have someone here for me." He paused, and then frowned. "That is, I hope I'm not incorrect in saying that."

Éponine couldn't help but smile. "Of course not. I didn't know anyone thought of me like that."

Now it was Enjolras who was surprised. "Truly? You never thought I might think of you so highly?" She shook her head. "Because I do. And truth be told, I don't think I would be as content as I am now had I not met you."

Éponine was now well and truly mixed up. What was he saying; what did he mean? Was this some circuitous language Enjolras's way to disguise a confession of love? She did not want to believe it for fear of being mistaken. "What are you saying?" she managed.

He appeared to find her confusion amusing, because his eyes were lit and bright. "I'm not saying anything, mademoiselle. What were you thinking?"

Éponine colored; this time she was sure of it. "I..."

"Come, now, Éponine," Enjolras urged, suddenly serious. "What secrets are you keeping? You must have something you have been wanting to tell me."

Éponine wavered. If she spoke, she did not trust herself from sounding forward. But she agreed with Enjolras: she did have to speak her mind, or she would lose her chance and there would never be another time to bring it up without awkwardly broaching the subject first.

"I don't know what I am to you." Éponine took a deep breath. "I...I think that we are friends, perhaps even close friends. But to be honest with you, for a while now, I've been...questioning. Forgive me for being frank, but based on what you've told me just today, I would believe that you want to be more than close friends."

Enjolras said nothing, his face passive. Éponine took it as a signal to continue.

"I knew that before now I couldn't possibly bring the idea up, not when you were still engaged in the remnants of another relationship. But now? I don't know what to make of you. You told your mother and father that I'll be there for you, and that's true, but it sounds so oddly intimate a way to associate with a first mention. Then you ask me for lunch but insist it's not a date, so what is it?"

"Exactly that," Enjolras said. "A lunch." He paused, and then went on, "Éponine, if you don't want to—"

"No. That's not what I mean," Éponine said. "I want to, and I will. But I don't know if I can without you giving me your own understanding of what we are—because I don't know." There she stopped.

Enjolras examined her. "Well, you are correct on a few fronts. I've been acting ambiguous at best towards you, and I apologize for it. The fact is...well, the fact is that I've closed that chapter in my life...but I'm not ready to be in another relationship right now. It's not like it was a world-wind that knocked me off my feet, but these last few months haven't been easy. I've been caught up in my emotions and thoughts, often times not nice ones. And though I have put my past behind me definitely now, the fact remains that I am exhausted…it's too soon for me to think about love again."

"You've been among the best of friends," Enjolras said seriously. "Sophie was as well. But I don't want my life to become one in which any female who has done me a significant amount of good is immediately to be my girlfriend. We may not be officially a couple, but that doesn't mean I don't care about you any less than if you were, or that I don't want to spend any less time with you...I want to be able to be able to say that there is someone who is someone important to me, but she isn't a romantic partner, no, because you don't have to be one in order to matter to me." He stopped speaking, very agitated now. There was his look again, direct and piercing, but also heated. Éponine imagined this was something he had been nursing for a long time, and she remembered being told of Enjolras's unexpected depth of sentiments. He actually stood up and walked a few paces next to the table, contemplating the floor.

"When I said to my parents that I had someone who was there for me, I meant just that. When I asked you now if you would like to meet me tomorrow, I meant just that. Nothing...more," he muttered finally with a sigh, almost indistinguishable to Éponine. He took his seat again and another drink was taken. "I'm sorry, Éponine. If I misled you, or made you think that we were going to be—that's not what I intended."

Éponine nodded. She wasn't sad or angry, because she understood. It had to be difficult to be emerging from a relationship and feel obligated to jump into another one right away, simply because she herself had been there with him.

Moreover, though, she knew the importance of having a friend. Enjolras already had them; Éponine didn't doubt the closeness between Enjolras and any of Les Amis. But she was new. It must have been nice for him to be able to talk to her and not wonder what she might have been thinking, if he was worrying about him. Enjolras didn't like having people worry over him…and as much as his current friends might have tried to hide it, they had been there when he had retreated into himself, and they wouldn't forget it. Enjolras knew that they were always anxious about him, and he didn't like the extra concern he seemed to place on his friends just by virtue of being there. With Éponine, he could enjoy being someone who didn't give anyone else any troubles…and though that luxury would be lost when he decided to tell her of his past, it was replaced with trust.

Why change the nature of their relationship when it was one that Enjolras had been deprived of for so long? And one that Éponine, too, enjoyed. She was not dying for something more. It was true that she didn't think she would have objected to an advancement, but when it came down to it, all she had wanted was a definite placing of their relationship, and now she had it.

They spent a long time in the Musain, until the sky glowed a soft pink over the building tops. Enjolras walked home with Éponine, discussing a great deal, from books to music to the newspaper headline from that day. It was the most casual conversation they'd ever had. Éponine was disappointed to see it end when they reached her door.

"I'll be here at eleven, then," Enjolras reminded her.

"Shall I bring anything else?" Éponine asked.

Enjolras shook his head. "Not unless you want to."

Éponine gave a small half smile. "Okay. See you tomorrow, Alexandre."

He didn't say anything in return, only nodded. They locked eyes for a moment, until Éponine opened the door and stepped inside. She was about to close it when Enjolras's foot appeared in the doorjamb.

"Éponine, wait."

She obliged and opened the door again.

"I was thinking a lot on our way here. I don't take back anything I said at the Musain," Enjolras said. "I don't know when I might be ready to love again; it could be next week or next year. I only…I only don't want you to think that I won't ever be able to again," he said. "I will, one day, and well, if I know anything in the world, it's this. When I do, you'll be the first to know."

Éponine was stuck. A mixture of adrenaline and elation was all she felt at the moment, stripping her of other senses. "Why are you telling me this?" she said when she could.

"Because I wanted to," Enjolras said. "But also because I thought it would be an apt way to end the night."

Éponine gave a shaky laugh. "You weren't wrong. Good night."

"Good night." Enjolras withdrew and started down the sidewalk again. Éponine secured the door shut once more. The entry way was dimly lit, but enough so that she caught her reflection in a mirror that decorated the wall. She barely gave it a glance, though, as she began to climb the staircase. She never did. The mirror would show, like it always did, a normal-looking girl who always felt a little unhappy. For right now, that couldn't be further than the truth.

-fin-

A/N: A HUGE thank you to everyone who has read, supported, and/or reviewed this story. This was the first multi-chapter that I really worked on (I discount everything I wrote before entering high school), so I was/am very appreciative of the wonderful response. I had a lot of fun writing it and hope you guys liked reading it as well. I'm thinking of possibly writing a prequel in the future, but I also have other stories for other fandoms that I want to get started on too, so we'll see. Just be sure to keep an eye on my profile in the next coming weeks and months :) Again, thanks so much to everyone!