Disclaimer: I don't own Les Mis

Thank you to everyone that reviewed last chapter! It looks like there will be one more chapter after this one and *hopefully* the wait will not be as long :)

Thanks to Lilyismilesaway for letting me toss around ideas and helping me with parts of this chapter! (also, blame her if there is an overabundance of feels because she told me it was okay)

Every day since Enjolras found himself logging in and attempting to contact Éponine. However, he would always get the same automated personalized response;

the_flower_that_blooms_in_adversity: In not in front of the computer or if I am I can't talk. Now go away and let me study! (If you are Gavroche, go to bed! And if you are Azelma, get off your phone and do your homework- I know you have it!)

As much as her away message made him laugh it was disheartening. She had been avoiding him with a persistence he hadn't known existed until now. He had his friends had always left very generous tips when she waited on them at the Musain, but it was obvious that every time he was there with his friends she would pawn their table off on someone else. So obvious in fact that the others had noticed and asked Grantaire if he had done anything to offend her when they weren't there, which he swore up and down he didn't. Enjolras even tried walking up to her during her shift, but every time he got close she would suddenly disappear. Despite all of her attempts, however, he was still determined to talk to her.

In was a Friday night a week later and Enjolras was playing with his straw while keeping an intense eye on Éponine. He still hadn't had any luck in getting in contact with Éponine, despite his efforts and he was trying to come up with something to make her talk to him.

"I have a great idea!" Grantaire shouted suddenly, breaking Enjolras out of his thoughts.

The entire table groaned, knowing that Grantaire's suddenly great ideas never turned out all that great.

"It's a drinking game! Okay, so the game is called Truth and you get to ask someone three questions and they have to answer truthfully. If you catch someone in a lie then they have to take two shots. There are no limitations on the type of question you ask, but you can only answer once per round." Grantaire explained while gesturing wildly with enthusiasm.

The table eyed each other warily, not wanting to be the first to talk. Combeferre, however, wasn't so polite and groaned loudly.

"That's the same thing as Truth or Dare only subtracting out the Dare portion! And we play that ALL the time."

Grantaire held up a finger to his mouth and shushed his friend loudly. It was obvious that he was already inebriated, not only by his childish action but also by the spray of liquid that shot at Combeferre because he had forgotten that he had taken a drink before answering. "No, it's not! I just made it up!"

Combeferre held up the wet napkins he had used as evidence, "You are also two drinks passed drunk…"

"I don't care, we're playing anyways. Besides, just think… with how long we have all known each other at least one person at this table will know the answer to any question that is asked. Thus, the fun part of the game will be seeing who tries to lie and fails miserably!"

Combeferre didn't look all that convinced so Grantaire continued on, "You know… this will be the perfect opportunity for you to find out who started blaring 'Let's Get It On' outside your door the last time you had your lady friends over…"

Combeferre perked up at that possibility and nodded his head enthusiastically when R had another brilliant idea.

"Isn't it also around the time when Éponine gets off? She should play too!" He looked towards the bar and cried out her name, motioning her towards the table.

She looked apprehensive as she walked towards the table and Enjolras tensed in anticipation. Grantaire's ridiculous game was sounding more and more appealing as Enjolras realized he could use it to his advantage and finally get to converse with her. The only problem was that he never played these games, to the point that they didn't even bother asking him anymore so he knew that it would look suspicious if he suddenly volunteered himself.

Approaching the table he could see that she refused to look anywhere but in his general direction. "What's up guys? I'm already off the clock so if you need more drinks I am not the person to be asking." She joked.

"Nope! We are all good on that front. We wanted you to join in our game!" Grantaire said as he gave her a quick run through of the game.

Éponine looked at him, her eyes conveying how ridiculous she thought the game sounded but she remained polite. "I don't know, I have to get home to my siblings."

Grantaire put on his best pout, "Please, 'Ponine? You are always so busy that we hardly ever get to spend time with you! And this past week was worse! It was like you were a ghost or something… if it wasn't for the Musain being my second home I might have actually believed it."

Éponine thought about it for a bit, "Fine, I will play."

Grantaire pumped his fist in the air triumphantly. "But… Only if Enjolras plays too." She finished, finally making eye contact with him for the first time in a week.

The only response he gave was the slight lift of his eyes as he held his breath waiting to see what the Amis would do.

Joly frowned, "But… Enjolras never plays. He always refuses..."

Éponine shook her head, "That's my deal."

The Amis turned towards him and began pleading. He made sure to put on an act of saying he wasn't going to play before changing his mind. He figured that if he suddenly agreed they might ask why and he didn't want Éponine to have any idea of his plan.

"Fine, I'll play…" He said dejectedly.

Grantaire cheered and pointed to a member of their group to start. Enjolras only half paid attention to the game around him as his eyes stayed focused on Éponine, mentally trying to figure out the best questions to ask her.

Because of this he only heard the questions and answers that made his friends roar with laughter. He heard Feuilly admit to being responsible for blasting Marvin Gaye and ratting out Jehan for nicknaming Combeferre a 'sex god' after his girlfriend woke everyone up half the house in the middle of the night. There was also Grantaire admitting to switching out Bahorel's Fight Club DVD disc for Beaches (that was also his own DVD) when Bahorel took it to a guy's night for his wrestling team and Courfeyrac getting thrown under the bus for taking some of Jehan's poetry and posting it in an online dating website under a joke profile. And of course there were also groans of the ones that got caught in a lie and forced to do shots before the attention finally settled on Éponine.

She was being questioned by Marius and Enjolras couldn't even register what was being said around him. He had tunnel vision and all he could see was her. He was watching every tiny detail in her facial expression to see how she was doing. He was worried that being callously questioned by Marius, he assumed that he was asking her about Cosette because he didn't seem to think about anything else, and he wanted to make sure she was okay. So far her face hadn't flinched, her mouth remained turned up in a pleasant manner, and her eyes hadn't crinkled at the corners to show that she was just putting on an act. He would be lying to himself if didn't admit this made him want to jump with joy because it gave him hope that she was over Marius.

"Enjolras." His gaze focused as he looked at Éponine.

"What?" He asked confused.

"It's my turn. And I am calling you." She said bluntly, her gaze had taken on a steel-like sharpness.

Enjolras gulped and straighten himself in his chair, preparing himself the best he could. He actually hadn't considered the possibility that she could ask him questions, which should show how hung up he was on her. He nodded his head, encouraging her to go on.

The atmosphere had changed around the table and there was a discernible amount of tension that hadn't been there before. The rest of the Amis hadn't noticed yet because they were too awestruck at Enjolras actually playing the game, but Enjolras could cut it with a knife. Éponine kept her gaze fixated on him as her questions came out in a rapid-fire manner.

"When did you know that it was me on the other end?"

"When you let it slip the last time you played truth or dare that your favorite movie quote was from Mulan."

"Why did you not tell me immediately that you knew who I was?"

"Because by then I had developed feelings for you and I didn't want to scare you away. I also wasn't sure how to handle the situation exactly and I couldn't bear it if I screwed it up and you refused to talk to me." Enjolras said, stressing the last part in particular.

The inflection was not lost on Éponine and her voice dropped self-consciously for the last question.

"Why?"

Enjolras squared his shoulders and his words spilled out quickly, "Why what exactly? That could cover a lot. Why did I respond to an anonymous comment on my website? Because you were the first intelligent person to comment on it and I felt compelled to find out more, good thing I did too because without your help then we never would have been successful with the scholarship protest. And then there is why I started talking to you about things other than the protest. It was because I found you fascinating and I wanted to know more about you. You have already asked me why didn't I tell you immediately and I hope my answer was sufficient enough for you, but let me add this- I decided to tell you when I did because I could no longer hold it in. I wanted to be able to celebrate with you, to hold you, to kiss you, to just be able to see you talk with you without using a keyboard and screenname."

Enjolras paused for a breath and leaned into the table, "And lastly, there is why do I have feelings for you. I assume this is the one that you had originally intended. However, given the fact you have avoided me all week despite my numerous attempts I wanted to make sure I gave you all the information. That way if you do walk away and never talk to me again, you have all the facts. I like you because you are brilliant; you are singlehandedly responsible for our success last week. I like you because you are caring, you take care of your two siblings when you don't have to and it is obvious that you love them with every fiber of your being. I like you because you are hard-working, you work two different jobs and go to school full time all while managing to keep a 3.76 GPA. And lastly, but certainly not the least, I like you because I can't imagine you not in my life. You have seeped into my very being, Éponine."

He finished that last portion of his answer in a rush. Ignoring the open-mouthed expressions of shock his friends were wearing he leaned even further into the table, like a lion stalking its prey. He was finally going to get his moment and he would be damned if anyone took it away from him.

"Éponine." He said simply while still maintaining eye contact with her. Éponine flinched slightly but kept her gaze cold.

Grantaire raised his hand up; about to protest the rule breaking that was occurring in his precious game. Jehan batted it down harshly and glared at him, effectively shutting him up. The rest of the Amis, sans Courfeyrac, were still too stunned to say anything. Courfeyrac on the other hand, visibly slouched in his chair and pouted because it was obvious the game had fallen into chaos and he hadn't gotten a turn.

Enjolras delivered his questions in the same manner as Éponine did to him.

"Do you still have feelings for someone?"

With that question he could see Éponine's eyes widening. It was apparent that she hadn't anticipated this question and her shoulders sagged as she withdrew into herself.

"I don't know" Enjolras could hear the timidness and uncertainty in her tone and it resonated within him, snapping him out of his intense mode.

"Do you still trust me?" Enjolras asked softly, his eyes pleading.

Éponine's answer was quiet but strong and without hesitation, "Yes."

Enjolras sighed in relief before taking a deep breath and asked the question he had been desperate to know since he found out who she was.

"Do you have feelings for me?"

There was a moment's pause and all the Amis' gazes were switching rapidly between the two of them, unsure of how to handle the situation.

Éponine looked down for a moment before looking back up to answer. When she did look up, Enjolras could see the tears glistening in her eyes and his heart broke. He prepared himself for the inevitable no when he heard,

"Yes."

She said it so softly that Enjolras thought he might have imagined it. Éponine darted out of her seat and ran out the door, not ready to face the situation.

However, Enjolras was not going to let her escape again and immediately raced after her, leaving the Amis staring after them both wondering how the heck they even know each other well enough to have feelings for each other.

Joly broke the silence when he said absentmindedly, "He left his bag."

With the silence and the seriousness of the moment broken, Courfeyrac whined, "And I NEVER get to play…"

Enjolras ran down roughly two blocks before catching up to Éponine.

"Éponine!" He called her name out breathlessly when he had finally gotten close enough for her to hear him.

Éponine stopped but didn't turn around. She looked ready to bolt at any moment and Enjolras just hoped that she waited until he caught up to her completely.

"Please, Éponine. Just talk to me… No computer, no games, just us." He begged breathlessly, still winded from his run.

Éponine turned around reluctantly, "Go on."

Enjolras began pacing in front of her, running his hand through his golden curls in frustrations. The situation wasn't logical. He thought that the common occurrence that happened when two people had feelings for each other was that they talked; got to know each other better… date even.

"I just don't understand. I tell you my feelings, feelings that I have never had for another person and can hardly make heads or tails of myself and you tell me that you have feelings for me too and you run off. This doesn't make any sense and I just don't understand, please help me understand. I have been racking my brain this past week and it just isn't working, and what just happened in there didn't help." He finished, his clear-blue eyes pleading with her to give him something.

Éponine looked at him sadly, "I don't know the specific reason I am avoiding you… I should be embracing this… but I can't. You bring the hope, the possibility of happiness and in my life happiness always comes with a price, with strings that can be used to manipulate later. It makes happiness into a joke, a child's dream that never comes to reality."

She paused, wiping her eyes and composing herself before continuing. "And then there are my feelings for Marius. While my feelings are changing it doesn't stop the fact that just a few weeks ago I was in love with him, and it ended up breaking my heart. I don't know how to sort it all out yet… I need time. I just need more time…" She stressed. Her hands were clenching around her bag, the only physical act that conveyed how stressful she found the situation. Enjolras knew how much she didn't like talking about something without having a clear, conscious thought but he couldn't bring himself to stop. He needed answers and as he let what she said sink in he latched onto the one thing that could give him hope.

"Wait… you said a few weeks. Does that mean… does it mean you started developing feelings for me before I told you that I knew who you were?" He asked, grasping at whatever he could.

Éponine sighed and shifted bag, "I think my feelings started changing when you admitted that your favorite movie was Mulan. It was the first time I got to see you as something more than the activist. I got to see the person underneath and I found that I liked that person. The rest developed from there."

Éponine could see his eyes light up and felt terrible. She stepped forward and placed her hand gently on his arm. His eyes stayed focused on hers as if trying to glean the information directly from her mind. "Enjolras, this doesn't change the fact that I still need time. Please, just give me that time. I can't tell you what will be the outcome or how long it will take, but I promise that when I am ready to talk I will come to you."

Her eyes were gentle as Enjolras slowly nodded his head, his heart in his eyes as he let her go. He was the first to leave; a move that he felt was symbolic of his acceptance and took the long way home.

He slammed the front door of his home and made a beeline for the couch, resting his head in his hands.

The next thing Enjolras recalls is that Amis walking rather loudly through the front door. He had lost track of time within his own misery and upon hearing his friends he looked up for the first time since arriving home. They can see the wariness in his face, the sweat on his brow and they know that it didn't end well.

They are all staring at him with varying expressions of pity; except for Joly who was looking at him with a look of horrified disgust.

"Um… You know you are currently sitting on the couch-the couch we all sit on- drenched in sweat, Right? It's becoming a breeding ground for germs with every passing second." He shuddered.

Joly was immediately silenced by a resounding slap to the back of his head from Feuilly.

"Damn it, that hurt!" Joly exclaimed, rubbing the back of his head and wincing.

"No shit, It was supposed to hurt. Do you think he wants to hear about your hypochondriac paranoia's right now when his love life has gone to shit?" Feuilly hissed.

Enjolras cracked a small smile at their antics before returning to his previous position. The guys move to surround him before Combeferre ventures to ask him what happened. In a cold, uninflected tone he begins to tell them everything. He starts at the beginning, the night that he read her comment and emailed her back and continues on to what occurred between them that night. He never once stopped in his speech and remained in the detached tone; the only indication of him being affected was the gentle sloping of his shoulders the further he got into his story. It was like he was trying to withdraw into himself like a turtle wanting to hide from the world. The Amis can see how much he is hurting and start suggesting ideas of how to win her over.

"You could write her poetry." Jehan suggested, but then quickly backtracked after seeing his facial expression, "Or I could write it for you and you could give it to her."

"You could stand outside her apartment with a boom box." Suggested Bahorel.

Courfeyrac glanced at him in speculation, "Do you have EVERY 80's rom com memorized?" Bahorel looked away sheepishly while Courfeyrac continued, "No, what you need to do is show up at the Musain, take her in your arms and kiss the daylights out of her! And then of course carry her out and take her back to your place…"

"And you say I have rom coms memorized? You just stole the ending to An Officer and a Gentleman!" Bahorel said indignantly and was promptly ignored.

Enjolras was beginning to feel overwhelmed. He held his hands up to get the guys to quiet down, "Guys, she said she needs time…"

Courfeyrac scoffed, "Girls always say that though and they hardly ever mean it. Just do a big declaration to show how you feel and she will melt in your arms."

Enjolras stared at him incredulously, "How the hell do you even get girls? I am honestly surprised you don't come back to the table soaking wet from all the drinks I suspect get thrown in your face." He turned to face the group, "Besides, this is Éponine we are talking about. She says what she means and doesn't play games. I am going to respect her request. Now if you will excuse me, I am going to go shower, grab a cup of tea, and plan for the next Amis meeting to get my mind off of things." He said as he stood up and left.

The next few days passed painfully slow for the Amis. They could see that both of their friends were hurting and it was starting to wear on them. Enjolras threw himself into his projects with a vengeance and refused to allow his disaster of personal life to affect his work. Because of his tenacity allowed the next meeting to go off without a hitch his friends could see an aura of sadness surrounding him, especially when anyone brought up the success of the scholarship protest.

Éponine on the other hand was harder to read and they probably wouldn't have been able to pick up on anything had it not been for Enjolras refusal to go to the Musain since their confrontation. According to him he was respecting her wishes by not going and he intended to keep it that way. However, the first evening they showed up without him was a disaster. Éponine was their waitress and she had approached the table with reluctant determination.

The guys had greeted her warmly while still keeping a close eye on her mannerisms. They saw her approach slowly, stopping right behind Bahorel so that she would be hidden from most of the table. Only when she began to take drink orders did she slowly look around the table, as if she were mentally preparing herself to interact with their blond leader. When she noticed he was absent she didn't say anything, but her eyes held a glimmer of disappointment and when she walked back to the bar they could see an air of defeat hanging around her. They decided that night that something needed to be done, but every night since Enjolras refused to join them.

Finally, about three nights later Grantaire had enough.

"Enjolras, it's time for you to stop moping. You are coming with us tonight and I won't hear a word against it."

Enjolras opened his mouth to refuse but Grantaire stopped him before he could. "No, I said you couldn't refuse. Now go put on a shirt and you shoes or I will have to dress you myself."

"She doesn't want me there, R. Why should I go where I am not wanted, it could end up pissing her off and then where will I be? More miserable then I am now, that's for damn sure." Enjolras grumbled as he stood up and walked into his room to grab his clothing.

Grantaire ran his hand through his hair in exasperation, "And I am telling you that you haven't been there for three days, you haven't seen her facial expression… she wants you there Enjolras."

"I highly doubt that." He said as he begrudgingly pulled on his shoes before following his friends out the door.

They had just grabbed at table at the Musain when Éponine started to approach their table. She had a pleasant smile on her face and was oblivious to who all was in their party. Her cheerful façade seemed to just increase the depth of Enjolras scowl as he thought that he must be the only miserable one of the two and immediately dropped his head, focusing his eyes on the table and avoiding her stare. Because of this he failed to see her eyes widen and fill with apprehension and longing when she noticed him there.

Her eyes seemed slightly wetter as she glanced back at the rest of the table, "What can I get you guys? The usual?" Her voice broke slightly at the end.

The Amis could see how much she wanted to escape and quickly nodded their heads to confirm their drink orders. However, when she turned to walk away a rough voice stopped her,

"A scotch." Enjolras muttered.

Éponine turned around with a slightly hopeful look in her eyes that immediately disappeared when she saw that he couldn't even look at her to order his drink.

"A double." He finished after a pause.

The Amis gasped and looked at Enjolras in shock. It was his subtle way of telling them that he wasn't okay and how difficult he found the situation. He rarely drank aside from the occasional beer when the Amis could convince him to relax. But on those rare days where the day seemed to last forever or a protest/meeting had gone bad he would barricade himself in his room with a glass of 10 year old, double-barrel scotch he kept hidden in his desk. He would only ever allow himself a single finger on days like that and so far they had never seen Enjolras drink more than that.

Even Éponine knew this and she gazed at him in shock, her eyes sad. She started to take a step towards him instinctively to comfort him but caught herself at the last moment and turned quickly to walk to the bar and grab their drinks. As she turned the Amis could swear they saw a single tear run down her cheek. A suspicion that was later confirmed when she reached across the bar to get a napkin and dab her eyes. They could also see her reassuring the bartender that she was okay before returning with their drinks quietly.

Enjolras stayed in his brooding mood the entire evening. He ignored all attempts at conversations, choosing to stare at this glass of scotch as if it held all the answers he needed. However, by the time was got halfway through his glass his eyes would sneak up and pick out Éponine in the crowd before darting back down so she wouldn't catch him watching her intently.

He continued this behavior with the longing in his eyes increasing as the night wore on. Éponine, on the other hand, avoided their table unless she needed to refill their drinks until it was time for her to clock out and she needed to close their tabs.

"Alright guys, it's time for me to go home so here are your tabs."

Enjolras' head snapped up and looked at her for the first time that evening. Their eyes made contact and it appeared that both of them refused to look away first. He handed her his card and let his hand brush up against hers gently. She shivered slightly and for a few moments she just stood there staring. They were lost in their own little world before a slight cough from Grantaire snapped them out of it. Without a word to anyone else she gathered up the rest of their cards.

When she returned she had their credit slips and her bag slung over her shoulder. She walked around and handed each of them their slips, leaving Enjolras for last. When she got to him she leaned over, letting her hair create a curtain between them and the Amis before placing his directly on the table. She drew back so that her mouth was directly by his ear,

"I'm ready… Can we talk?" Her voice broke, betraying her nervousness.

Enjolras stiffened when he felt her breath caress his skin. He nodded stoically before following her outside, missing the looks of confusion and delight from his friend's faces.

He followed her into a small alley right beside the Musain and watched her against the brick wall in support. She fiddled with her bag for a few moments before speaking,

"I'm ready to talk."

Enjolras nodded his head for her to continue. He was feeling too nervous to trust his words at that moment.

"Actually… I think I was ready to talk to you the next night… I just didn't know how to approach everything and honestly, I still don't think I have it quiet right."

Enjolras nodded his head slowly, "Why don't you start where you feel comfortable?"

Éponine laughed, "What part about this is supposed to be comfortable? But I will start off with what you want to know most… I like you… I mean, you already knew that but…"

She took a deep breath before continuing,

"I didn't know how much until that first night when you didn't show up. It felt like my heart was breaking, and it was my own fault. I asked you to give me time and you were only respecting that. But that feeling was so overwhelming, so much stronger than anything I ever felt for Marius that it made me think. No… not think… more like realize. It helped me to see that what I had for Marius was nothing more than latching onto the first person to show me any sort of genuine kindness. That it was you who really knew me, who really accepted me for who I am… and you liked me for it. That's never happened to me before, and it's wonderful and scary all at the same time. But I know that I want to make this work." She said decisively, looking back up at Enjolras.

Enjolras tried to contain his glee and intense yearning to pull her in his arms and never let her go. He managed to contain his impulse before replying softly,

"Just one date, that's all I ask."

"Okay," She answered with an incandescent smile.

Enjolras could feel the happiness radiating off of her and stepped forward and rested one hand on the wall in front of him, trapping Éponine. He leaned close to her, stopping just inches from her mouth. He could feel her breath hitch and his eyes darted to her lips.

"Tomorrow. I'll kick the guys out of the house and you can come over." He brushed his knuckles against her cheek and was rewarded with another shaky breath. "We can have the place to ourselves and not have to worry about the pains of a crowd; we can just focus on each other. I'll cook." His voice was a seductive caress, one the made Éponine's knees weak.

She didn't trust her words so she nodded her head in agreement, missing the fact that shaking her head brought her closer to his lips. Their emotions from the past three days combined with the talk they just had caused the tension around them was so thick that neither of them had the ability to pull away. They continued to stare at each other, so close to each other that they were breathing the same air.

Enjolras eyes once again dipped down to her mouth and he instinctively dipped his head even closer. Éponine, acting involuntarily, closed her eyes as if she were anticipating their lips meeting. Enjolras drew back slightly, searching her expression for any hesitation. She seemed to sense his apprehension and opened her eyes to meet his.

Desire and hesitation rolled around in his stormy, blue eyes. He wanted nothing more than to lift her up against the wall and kiss her senselessly; releasing the emotions he had kept at bay for a month now. But at the same time… what if it was too soon? What if she wasn't ready for the intensity of his feelings and if he acted on his desire… would it make her run again? All of the thoughts were swirling around in a haze of unfamiliar emotions but when he noticed that she wore a content smile and nodded her head slightly as if encouraging him Enjolras head dipped back down meeting her lips fervently.

The kiss increased in passion as his free hand drifted up and brushed back her hair. He tucked it gently behind her ear before letting his fingers trail lightly down her arm, finally settling at the small of her back. He pulled her close to him, as if he feared she would slip away at any moment. He groaned feeling her flush against him and let himself relax into her warmth. He groaned, losing himself within the kiss as his hand slipped from the wall and buried itself within her hair.

The joyous hollering of his friends broke them apart suddenly. Éponine's face turned red with embarrassment as she tried to look anywhere that wasn't at him or his friends. Enjolras, still breathing heavily, pulled her against him and turned so that she was hidden from his friends as she burrowed into his chest.

Enjolras glared at them and waved his hand to motion them onwards. "I'll catch up with you momentarily, now please continue walking. We are not some attraction at the zoo to ogle!"

The Amis made kissing faces at him before finally disappearing around the corner, leaving them in privacy once more. He sighed and stepped back from Éponine. He instantly missed her warmth but knew that if that stayed like that they would never leave.

"So, tomorrow then?" He probed.

Éponine smiled shyly still looking anywhere but at him, "Yes. Tomorrow is good."

He stepped forward and put his hand under her chin to lift her face to his, "I look forward to it." And with a gentle press of his lips to hers he turned and walked away with a smile.

As always, I love to hear your thoughts!