I feel like apologizing for the lack of Enjonine interactions last chapter so this one is pretty fluffy imo (as fluffy as bromance can be). Enjoy!

Chapter 10. Friends Will Be Friends.

It's not easy love, but you've got friends you can trust,
Friends will be friends,
When you're in need of love they give you care and attention,
Friends will be friends,
When you're through with life and all hope is lost,
Hold out your hand cos friends will be friends right till the end.

(Friends Will Be Friends, Queen)

"Éponine?"

"Go away this is my spot. Find another place to sleep."

"Éponine wake up. It's me Enjolras."

Éponine's eyes sprang open, she almost jerked away from Enjolras's hand placing on her shoulder.

"What…What are you doing here?" she couldn't believe her luck. Why was it that the more she wanted to avoid him, the more she was prone to see him?

"I was on my way to see my professor. What are you doing here under the bridge, for that matter?"

"I'm sleeping." She gingerly replied, trying to turn the right side of face away from him. "Isn't that obvious?"

His eyebrows knitted together. "I thought I made it clear that you could come to me whenever you need a place to sleep. You left early last night. Is there any problem?"

"None of your concern." Éponine snapped back. Stop, what are you doing? She scolded herself. Why are you always so goddamn defensive?

"Éponine is that a bruise?" He pulled her up and turned her face to him. "Tell me what happened."

"Why do you care so much?" she blurted out. Éponine was suddenly hit by a pang of anger. Ever since she met him her life had been so much more complicated. Not only had he found out that she was a prostitute, he was constantly questioning her life as well. She shoved him out of the way and started walking beside the river. Enjolras wasted no time catching up with her.

"I care because you are my friend Éponine." He reached out for her arm and stopped her. "Maybe you don't consider me a friend, but I do. I worry about you."

Éponine stopped midway, her shoulders tensed up and started shaking. It took him three seconds to realize that she was silently sobbing.

She did nothing, nothing for Enjolras. And yet he cared about her more than Marius ever could. She didn't want to blame Marius, but boy was he oblivious to anything other than his beloved Cosette.

"If you don't want to tell me what happened, then I won't bother you anymore." His voice softened. "Are you hungry Éponine?"

"Not really." She sniffed and wiped her nose. "Recently I've been well fed. I ate last night."

"Well I am." He straightened up. "Would you like to join me for lunch?"

Éponine smiled faintly. "What is it with you boys and always wanting to feed me? First Courfeyrac, then Joly. I thought you wouldn't do this to me, but you have disappointed me greatly."

He chuckled and held out his right arm. She took his elbow and together they walked along the Seine.

She told him after all. She told him what happened. How she followed Marius to Rue Plumet and stood there waiting for him. Her encounter with her father and Patron-Minette. Enjolras was nearly flipping the table when he heard what her father did to her.

"Abominable man, how dare he treat you like that!" exclaimed Enjolras. "Had he no shame?"

Éponine shook her head. "Poverty twists a man in ways you can never imagine Enjolras."

"I suppose." He frowned. "Éponine…" his eyes lighted up. "Would you like to get a job?"

"I already have one."

"A real job." He emphasized.

"Why yes." She smiled. "There is nothing I'd like more than to work honestly."

Then maybe I can save up money and get Azelma out of that place.

Enjolras stood up and grabbed her hand. "Follow me."

He took her into the kitchen behind the wooden door. "Hello?" He spoke loudly. "Would you happen to be hiring? Hello? I would like to meet the owner of the café please."

A plump, short man with a red face walked up to Enjolras, scolding him.

"Boy what are you doing, disturbing my kitchen?"

"Excuse me rudeness Monsieur." Enjolras shook his hand. "I was wondering if you were in need of assistant."

"Why?" the man glanced at Enjolras. "You seem well off enough, I don't suppose you want to work here do you?"

"No Monsieur." He pushed Éponine forward, who had been hiding behind his back the whole time. "My good friend Éponine, erm…"
"Jondrette." She filled in, realizing she never really told him her last name. It wasn't even her real last name.

"Yes, Éponine Jondrette. She is seeking a job."

The man looked at her suspiciously. Éponine couldn't blame him. She had a giant bruise at the corner of her mouth and her clothes were still dirty and tattered.

"This young grisette is your friend?"

"Yes Monsieur. A very good friend indeed." Enjolras flashed a smile. For a moment she was stunned by his ability to be charming when he wanted to be. How come she never quite saw it? Enjolras wasn't mischievous like Courfeyrac, but there was something in Enjolras's smile, an assured kind of quality that appeased to the person he was speaking to. People could trust Enjolras with their life just looking at his smile.

"Well…" the man hesitated. "I suppose we can always use an extra pair of hands. Are you good with Paris's streets young lady?"

"Why yes Monsieur." Her eyes lighted up.

"No one knows Paris better than Éponine." Enjolras chimed in.

"You'd better be. The little girl who used to run errands for us, Beatrice has found another job, and we've been desperate to look for a substitute since." He glanced upon her bruise one more time. "Show up tomorrow morning at 5, we need to buy the freshest meat there is. If you're late for one minute then don't bother."

Éponine bowed her head as low as she could. "Thank you so much Monsieur. I won't disappoint you."

"All right, now you youngsters need to get out of my kitchen." He waved impatiently. "You've wasted enough of my time."

There began Éponine's work at cafe Grande Tasse. Every day she showed up on the back door at 5 in the morning, received the grocery list then ran to the market. Occasionally she went out to buy coal and oil, but she usually finished at 3, when she would grab a quick bite from the guest's leftovers. Éponine had moved into Enjolras's apartment as he insisted (she insisted on sleeping on the couch). She would come back to his apartment when she was done with work and began cleaning as well as cooking his dinner. ("You needn't do this Éponine!" "Eating out is expensive. And since I'm putting all the ingredients on your tab, it's not like I'm paying for anything! At least let me pay you back for letting me stay here."). She had learned much from the kitchen she worked at, where she would wander around observing the cooks. If she still had free time, Éponine would settle down and read a book that she had borrowed from Jehan or Marius (Enjolras's books were mostly too political or philosophical, she was uninterested). Around 9 they usually walked to café Musain together. At first Les Amis would tease them restlessly. Though Éponine was hardly a proper grisette, it was still strange that she was living alone with a young man like Enjolras. However, a serious stare from Enjolras and various snarky remarks quickly put a stop to all gossip and rumours. They had made it clear to everyone that they were no more than friends, and Éponine frequently expressed the desire to move out as soon as she could. Only Courfeyrac would still sometimes glance at the two of them and smirked, as if he knew something nobody else did, not even Enjolras and Éponine themselves.