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cracking marble
act two, winter
chapter eleven, something there

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( decembre , 1831 )

WHEN MATHILDE AWOKE the following morning, it took her a few moments to realise just exactly where she was and the circumstances that had led to her being there.

She glanced over to her right to see Amélie still sleeping soundly, curled up in the blankets of the bed. A soft smile graced her features at the sight, before she rose to her feet.

She changed quickly into one of the dresses that Madame Houcheloupe had gifted to her about a month previously, before entering the washroom to fix up her hair and wash her face.

Looking in the small mirror in the washroom, she brushed out her hair before pinning up the fronts and leaving the rest to cascade down her back.

She examined her face in the mirror and, in that moment, she knew exactly what her mama meant. It was true, she did not look like herself. Or rather, she didn't look like the person she used to be.

Her face held more colour than she'd ever seen it hold, her eyes were brighter and wider and she'd developed little crinkles at the edges of her mouth from laughing too much. She felt stronger, more agile and healthier.

Mathilde stifled a small chuckle; her mama was wrong. She did look like herself, her mother just never knew her at all.

A feeling coursed through the girl that she could only describe as alive, and knowing that her mother would have no further input upon the life she would now lead, she felt like a bird set free from a cage.

She walked back into the bedroom with a large smile plastered on her face as she adjusted my dress at the shoulders; its deep red colour bringing out the brown in her eyes.

Walking around the bed, she knelt down beside Amélie who was beginning to stir.

"Wake up, chérie." She whispered, stroking her hair gently out of her face as she moaned slightly, hiding her face in the pillow, causing her elder sister to chuckle a little, "Come on, now."

"Too early." She mumbled, her eyes opening a little.

Mathilde gave a light tut as she rose to her feet once more, a smirk on her lips.

"I guess I'll just have to tell Gavroche that you didn't want to see him today."

"Wait!" Amélie cried, suddenly fully awake and sat up straight in bed. "Don't!"

A hearty chuckle left Mathilde at her younger sister's state of panic, before picking up her clothes from the nearby cabinet and giving them to her.

"Change quickly." She told her, pressing a quick kiss to her head, "I expect we'll be leaving soon."

She gave a fierce nod, and the blonde girl twisted the door handle in hand and stepped through the threshold into the sitting room, where Enjolras and her brother were sat conversing.

"Good morning, mon cher." Ferre smiled as he stood to greet the girl, taking her in his arms for a prolonged embrace. "Did you sleep well?"

Pulling out of the hug with a small smile, Mathilde gave him a quick nod.

"Just so." She replied, contented, sparing a glance at Enjolras who was wearing a small smirk.

"I'm ready!"

Amélie burst through the door into the room, slightly out of breath as she skidded on her heel and grabbed onto Mathilde's leg for support - very nearly taking her out.

Combeferre let out a chuckle at the young girl's clumsy antics, bracing his other sister, helping to her to find her footing.

"In that case, I guess we'll be off." Combeferre stated, glancing back for Enjolras' approval, as he slid his bag over his shoulder.

Enjolras gave him a quick nod and gestured for him to lead the way out of the door, while pulling his own bag over his shoulder. With the approval he needed, Combeferre swept Amélie up in his arms and carried her on his back out of the door with her squealing in delight.

Mathilde shook her head at the two of them as they, less than elegantly, made their way out of the door and down the first few steps. Her gaze travelled back to Enjolras who nodded towards the door.

"After you."

She followed his instruction and took a couple of steps forward out of the apartment and waited for the leader to lock the door behind him.

"Are you alright, now?" Enjolras asked her, as they descended the stairs together side by side.

"Much better, thank you." She nodded, sparing him a quick smile before removing her gaze from his and sending it straight in front of her.

"Mathilde?" He asked, grasping my attention once more, she looked to him only to see concern lingering in his eyes. "Don't lie to me."

She gave a soft chuckle as they continued our descent; the marble man could see right through her as if she were nothing more than a sheet of parchment.

"Perhaps I'm a little apprehensive." The blonde confessed as they reached the bottom floor of the building.

Enjolras cast her a look of understanding; she didn't even have to explain her feelings to him; he already knew.

"You're no longer bound by her." He told her, simply as though it were a plain fact he'd include in one of his speeches. "The world's yours for the taking now, Mathilde."

He opened the front door of the building, revealing the girl's brother and sister running around in world of white.

"So come with me and take it." He said just loudly enough for her to hear.

Enjolras descended the first few steps before looking back at Mathilde to see she'd not moved from her spot.

"What's stopping you?" He asked with a faint chuckle, grabbing her hand and pulling her down to his level.

"Look at the world - so close, and you're halfway to it!" He hummed to the blonde, causing her to let out a slight laugh. "Look at it all - so big - should you even dare?"

Still holding onto her hand, Enjolras progressed down the steps with Mathilde in tow as his words sunk in.

"Look at you - here at last! You just have to do it." He said, as the girl brought herself to face him.

"Should I?" She voiced hesitantly, looking over the streets. "No."

Enjolras quirked an eyebrow at the response, causing her to reconsider.

He was right. Her mama was no longer responsible for her, she had certainly made sure of that. Mathilde was free from her, completely. She could do whatever she pleased.

"But here I go..." The soft melody left her, hesitantly.

Enjolras shut the door behind them and they jogged down the steps leading up to the building until their feet landed in the snow residing at the bottom.

Mathilde looked over the street once more but she saw it through different eyes. It was as though for the first time in years she could see clearly, my view was no longer interrupted by her mother's expectations.

It was beautiful. The snow had stopped falling and white clouds were formed in the sky with small patches of blue sky peeking through, casting down daylight upon a street blanketed with snow where townsfolk walked up and down bidding polite bonjours to one another and small children played in the snow on the pavement.

A breathless gasp left her lips as she soaked in her surroundings, gradually drifting away from Enjolras as she trod further into the street.

"Just look; the sky! The snow! What lovely things to see!" The blonde cried, not caring about passing onlookers, "Just feel that winter breeze - the way it's calling me."

She span on the spot, gleefully, nearly skidding over causing Enjolras to let out a large laugh.

"For the first time ever, I'm completely free!"

Mathilde grinned, her eyes landing on the adjacent street, knowing if she followed its road it would lead her to the Musain, where all her dear friends would be.

"I could go running," She began, taking off in a sprint down the street. "And racing, and dancing, and chasing, and leaping and bounding, hair flying, heart pounding!"

With everything she listed, her pace increased. Tearing down the Parisian streets, the cold winter wind caught in her hair causing me to laugh at its liberating feeling. She could hear booming laughter of her siblings and Enjolras behind her, following her closely as they tore down the streets.

"And splashing, and reeling, and finally feeling!" She cried, beginning to steady her feet as they entered the street of the Musain. "That's when my life begins!"

Nearly slipping on the snow underfoot, Mathilde came to a halt outside the Musain, her warm laughter filling the air and combatting the icy chill of the breeze, her face flushing red from the wind chill - but she was too overjoyed to care.

"Are you alright?" Combeferre asked amidst a chuckle, as he arrived next to the girl while Amélie who was holding onto Enjolras' hand for dear life was not far behind.

"Positively elated, darling brother." The blonde grinned, ruffling his hair, carelessly.

"So I can see." He chuckled, attempting to fix his hair as he made his way indoors with her two sisters and Enjolras not far behind him.

The four of them made our way into the café, its doors unlocked and yet the sign in the window boldly stated CLOSED as it had done last night when they had come back.

Amélie ran up the stairs before the three adults and therefore entered the room before them, earning a series of welcoming cheers as she did so.

"Good morning, everyone!" Combeferre cried to the room as he entered to be quickly followed by Enjolras and Mathilde.

A compilation of responses followed from Grantaire - who looked as though he hadn't moved from his stool all night - Musichetta and Joly, who were sat together as usual eating their breakfast together. Jehan waved from his seat next to Madame who was reading one of the poems, he would often be found writing. And, last but not least, there was Courfeyrac and Gavroche who were jovially welcoming Amélie, who could now be found on Courf's shoulders.

"And what can I get you four for breakfast, then?" Madame asked, as she rose to her feet, shooting expectant glances at the newcomers.

"Pain au chocolat, please, Madame." Amélie giggled from Courfeyrac's shoulder.

"Combeferre, love?" She asked, as she passed him, approaching the stairs.

"Just a croissant, if it's no trouble." My brother replied, taking a seat next to Joly and taking out various papers from the bar slung over his shoulder.

"Enjolras?"

"I'm just fine, thank you, Madame." The marble man replied.

Mathilde rolled my eyes before looking over at Madame.

"He'll have a croissant, Madame." The blonde stated, as Enjolras made to interrupt. "And so will I, s'il te plaît."

"Of course." The lady grinned at the girl, as she descended the stairs into the bar below.

Enjolras regarded Mathilde with a speechless expression.

"What?" She asked, with a little quirk of her eyebrow. "I would trust you to know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day."

He shook his head at her, setting down his bag on a chair but just as Mathilde made to pull out the chair next to it, a thought suddenly struck her.

"Oh!" She cried, catching Enjolras' attention and subsequently the attention of everyone else in that room. "I've just remembered I need to be going to the bookshop." She added as she tucked back in her chair and began to make her way towards the door.

"I'll join you."

Those three words stopped the blonde in her tracks, she was stood in the centre of the room where Enjolras was now approaching having discarded his bag on his chair.

"You will?" She asked, furrowing my eyebrows with a quick smirk appearing on her lips.

"I actually have a book to collect." Enjolras clarified, standing opposite her, folding his arms. "Or am I not welcome to accompany a lady to her destination?"

"Oh, please!" Taire cried from his seat at the bar, with a deep chuckle, "Mathilde, a lady?" He ridiculed, taking a swig from his bottle. "And I thought you were the serious one, Enjolras."

Enjolras sent a harsh glare in Grantaire's direction but the blonde just laughed off his comment, shaking her head at his antics.

"Of course, you may accompany me." She told Enjolras with a small smile.

"Very well." Enjolras said, sparing the girl a quick smile. "I guess, we'll see you all soon."

He passed a quick wave to the rest of the room, before taking Mathilde's arm in his own and leading her down the staircase.

"Excuse me!" Madame Houcheloupe's voice rang out as the duo were just about to exit the café. "Just where in the world do you think you're going?"

"To the bookshop, of course." Enjolras replied, as though it was blatantly written across both of their foreheads.

"What about your breakfast? It'll be stone cold by the time of your return!" The woman exclaimed to us, all the while wearing a small smirk, probably noticing the exchanges between the pair.

"We won't be long, Madame." Mathilde said, straining a smile, "I promise."

She only responded with a small smirk, looking over the scene before her; Mathilde's arm linked with Enjolras', his gaze stubbornly fixed on the girl whenever she spoke, as though she was the only person in the room.

"I'll see what I can do." Madame said with a defeated sigh and a fond smile, ushering the pair out of the door. "You two go."

The duo emerged once more onto white streets of Paris with cry following us stating;

"If they burn to a crisp, it's you two who are to blame!"

A small laugh left Mathilde, just as Enjolras replied with;

"À bientôt, Madame!"

The pair quickened their pace down the street and away from the Musain, careful not to skid, as they progressed along the snowy street.

"To tell you the truth, Mathilde." Enjolras began, causing her gaze to fly in his direction. "I have no book to collect from the bookshop."

"Do you not?" Mathilde asked, with an eyebrow quirked and lips fixed in a smirk.

"No, I don't." He repeated, before explaining, "I just didn't want that Monsieur Antoine to give you any trouble."

Mathilde's gaze suddenly dropped from him to the floor, as a blush rose up her cheeks, before looking back up and sending him a bashful smile.

"I appreciate that, M'sieur."

They continued a few more paces down the street, Enjolras looked as though he terribly wanted to say something but was struggling to find the right words.

"What is it?" The blonde asked, quirking my eyebrow once more.

The marble man cleared his throat before replying,

"You - um - you look very nice today."

Another blush rose up the girl's cheeks as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, nervously, having been caught off guard by his compliment.

"Is it the dress?" She asked, using her free hand to swish the skirt of my dress a little, while a warm smile spread across her features.

"It's red." Enjolras nodded, with a small smirk, as the girl noticed for the first time that morning; her dress was the exact colour of his jacket.

"The blood of angry men, that is." She smirked, knowing the saying would strike a chord with him.

Enjolras heard the words and his mouth immediately curved into a large smile. It was the largest smile Mathilde had ever received from him.

"Did you just smile?" The blonde asked, knowing full well he would shy away from her confrontation.

"No." He stated, the smile vanishing quickly from his features, causing the girl to chuckle at his response.

"You did smile." She corrected him, smirking as she did so. "The marble man cracks at last. What a day this has turned out to be."

"By that regard, he's been cracking for a very long time." Enjolras replied, once again catching the girl off guard. "You happen to make me smile, Mathilde."

The girl pursed her lips, as he continued to smirk upon her.

"Is that a problem?" He asked, pointedly, quirking his eyebrow.

"No." Mathilde answered, shortly.

"Good." He stated, readjusting her arm in his. "Then I'll keep on smiling when I'm around you, if you don't mind."

She chuckled slightly, shaking her head as they turned the corner into the square where the library resided. But before they could take more than a few steps towards the shop, the sight ahead of them rooted Mathilde to the spot.

"Oh no."

Ahead of them, a partnership was riding along on two pristine horses in the middle of the square. One of them was stout and squat, riding along on more of a pony than a horse, and the other sat tall and rigid, with all of his medals of valour on display, on a gigantic black stallion.

"What is it?" Enjolras asked the girl, noticing her behaviour, his eyes immediately filling with concern.

"It's him, Antoine." She whispered, nodding in the general's direction, nervously looking around for a place to conceal herself. "Hide me!"

Enjolras looked back at the general who was fast approaching on horseback, however had yet to notice the presence of the pair.

"No, no." The marble man dismissed the girl's plan, causing her eyes to widen with disbelief. "I've a better idea."

Before Mathilde could protest, Enjolras took her arm out of his and quickly laced his fingers through hers, before continued their walk.

"Now grab onto my arm." He whispered to her, just as Antoine noticed their presence.

Enjolras didn't need to tell the girl twice, with the hand that wasn't intertwined with Enjolras', she reached across her body and fastened it onto his bicep.

They continued walking along the street, looking - for all intents and purposes - like a lovestruck duo. Mathilde kept her gaze stubbornly ahead, careful not to meet the eyes of Antoine, for fear he might see through their current façade.

But, out of the corner of my eye, the blonde could see his face noticeably harden as he looked in the direction of Enjolras and herself - rather resembling a child who'd had all of his toys confiscated.

The blonde had to bite her lip to stop herself from bursting out into laughter and from the look on Enjolras' face, it seemed that he too was attempting to suppress a chuckle.

The sound of hooves echoing upon the road began to grow more and more distant, as Antoine and Marceau exited the square and were out of earshot.

"I don't think he'll be giving any trouble for a while, Mademoiselle." Enjolras told her, amidst a chuckle.

"His face!" The blonde whisper-cried as laughter shook through her. "Oh, I've never seen someone look so distraught."

"I thought he was going to throw a tantrum in the middle of the street." Enjolras replied, which only caused Mathilde's laughter to prolong.

"Thank you," The girl stated earnestly, once she'd calmed herself down. "What would I do without your intellect?"

"Probably become the wretched housewife of a military general?"

"Oh, shut up!" She cried in a laugh, hitting his forearm as he smirked upon her. "We're here now, anyway."

And just as she had said, there they were. On their right was the bookshop that Mathilde has so regularly frequented, with the sign in the door reading OPEN in italic writing.

"After you." Enjolras nodded, opening the door for the girl as she let go off his hand and arm at last, and made her way through the open door.

The shop was as empty as it usually was, with Madame Baptiste stood at the counter, logging the books that had been taken in and out. She spared the girl a small nod and a smile, before returning to her log.

"I'll only be a second," Mathilde told Enjolras in a quiet voice, looking over her shoulder at him.

"Take your time," He replied, with a small shrug, "I can entertain myself."

Mathilde shook her head at the man with a small smile before making her way over to the Shakespearean section.

Enjolras nodded his head at the girl before striding over to a different section of the bookshop.

"There's something sweet and almost kind." The girl hummed to herself as her fingers graced the edges of various books, "But he was cold and he was coarse and unrefined."

After skimming along ten books or so, Mathilde found the play her heart was so set on and she pulled it from the shelf, leaving a gap just big enough for her to see into the next aisle, where Enjolras could be seen flicking through a history book.

"But now he's dear, and so I'm sure," She hummed to herself, as I clutched the book to her chest. "I wonder why I didn't see it there before."

***

MATHILDE, SATISFIED with her book of choice, made her way over to the counter and exchanged in conversation the owner, Madame Baptiste.

Enjolras watched after her, his cool eyes taking in every move she made, like a lion stalking his prey.

Mathilde spared a glance over at him with a small smile and quite simply took his breath away.

"She glanced this way, I thought I saw." He muttered to himself, reinstating the books he'd taken off the shelves in their rightful place, "and when she glanced her gaze struck me right to my core."

He attempted to shake the thoughts out of his head. Of course he esteemed Mathilde greatly but she could never feel anything towards him; not when he acted so emotionlessly, what would she see in him?

"No it can't be, I'll just ignore." He told himself, exiting the aisle and catching Mathilde's gaze once more. "But then she's never looked at me that way before."

***

THE BLONDE GIRL tucked the book under her arm as she walked across the shop to Madame Baptiste at the counter, sparing Enjolras a glance as she went by.

"Bonjour Madame Baptiste." She greeted, as she reached the counter and set down her book in front of vendor.

"Bonjour." She replied politely, while her gaze was across the room. "Who's your friend?"

"That's Monsieur Enjolras." The girl told her, briefly, pushing the book a little closer to her. "How much will this be to borrow?"

"Ten francs." She said, opening the front cover and stamping the first page with her ink stamp.

"Those prices aren't coming down, are they?" Mathilde muttered with a gentle sigh, withdrawing ten francs into her palm from her pocket.

"They'll be snow in August before they do." Madame Baptiste replied, taking the money from me, "He's very striking, isn't he?"

"Yes, I suppose he is." The blonde acknowledged, sparing Enjolras another glance, as the lady began scribbling down a receipt.

"Attractive too." She winked as she handed Mathilde the book and receipt.

"I- I can't say that I've particularly noticed." The girl stuttered, her gaze dropping to the floor, as she took the book from the lady.

"I've never taken you for one to be dishonest, Mathilde." Madame Baptiste tutted, with a small shake of her head.

"I am not dishonest, Madame." Mathilde snapped more defensively than she had meant to, looking back up at the woman behind the counter.

"Then you're mistaken and a fool." Madame Baptiste set the girl straight, picking up her pen to continue logging. "You're evidently very taken with him ... and he, you, from what I can see."

She nodded in Enjolras' direction where he briefly caught the blonde girl's gaze having been looking at her, as he reinstated books on shelves.

"Hush now. I'm sorry, Madame, but it is none of your business." Mathilde said, quite taken aback by the woman's forwardness on the topic. "There is nothing between Monsieur Enjolras and I except a mutual fondness."

"It's a bit more than fond, Mathilde." The lady chuckled, clearly finding the girl's state utterly amusing.

"Please, Madame-" She began, but cut herself off as Enjolras came within earshot and stood next to her by the counter.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow, glancing between the blonde girl and Madame Baptiste.

"Uh, yes." She said, hesitantly, cautious of leaving the shop before Madame Baptiste said anything more. "Merci, Madame."

She bid the lady farewell, clutching her book in hand as they hastily made their way out of the shop.

"Au revoir, Mathilde." The woman chuckled, as the bell rang over the door signifying their departure, before nodding at Enjolras. "Monsieur."

"Au revoir." Enjolras replied, returning her gesture before shutting the door behind them. "She seemed pleasant."

The marble man clasped his hands behind his back as they began to walk.

"Just charming." Mathilde could hear herself mutter, not looking at the man.

Madame Baptiste's words had made her realise just how fond of Enjolras she was and she now found herself nervous to look at him.

The blonde tucked the receipt inside the front cover of the book in her hand, as she clutched the book close to her and stepped out into the road.

Suddenly, she felt a sharp tug on her arm and found herself in Enjolras' arms and back on the pavement as a horse and carriage made its way down the road.

"Careful." The man chuckled slightly at the girl, as apparently she'd nearly been run over by a horse in the middle of the street.

Her thoughts indeed had her completely rapt.

Mathilde escaped his embrace and shook her head, avoiding her gaze.

"I'm fine."

"Evidently." He scoffed, taking her arm back in his and leading her across the road and into the market. "Did your father never teach you to look before you cross a road?"

Mathilde couldn't hide the chuckle forming in her throat.

"I suppose I'm not much of a learner, as you would say." She retorted with a small smirk.

Something suddenly caught Enjolras' eye up ahead in the market, he loosened his grip on her arm and turned to the girl before saying;

"I'll be one second."

The marble man walked briskly into the market ahead, leaving the girl near the fountain in the middle of the square. The pool of water at the bottom had glazed over with ice and the spouts from the statue in the middle were dripping into the pool below as a result of ice melting.

"It's new and a bit alarming." Mathilde hummed to herself as she took a seat on the edge of the fountain. "Who'd have ever thought this could be?"

The sky above was beginning to clear of cloud now and revealed a brilliant blue sky.

"True; that he's no Prince Charming," The blonde chuckled, as thoughts of him plagued her mind. "But there's something in him that I simply didn't see."

Enjolras returned just as quickly as he had disappeared, however this time, he had a bouquet of flowers in hand. Mathilde rose, from where she was sat, to meet him with a small smile reminiscent on her features.

"For you." He said, presenting her with the bouquet of purple flowers, a small blush rising up his marble cheeks.

"Oh really?" The blonde asked, taking them from him, and lifting them to her face to smell them; heavenly. "When did you become so mindful, Enjolras?"

"I don't understand Mathilde, am I not always so?" He asked with a furrowed brow as they progressed back towards the Musain.

"No." She answered flatly, but shot him a small smile to compensate for her tone, as Enjolras simply rolled his eyes at the girl.

"And here I was thinking you'd respond with a thank you."

Mathilde looked down at the floor, finding her cheeks flushing once more before looking back up to face him.

"Thank you, Enjolras."

"My pleasure." He bowed his head a little, before she took his arm once more.

As we turned out of the square, a question struck Mathilde's mind. Over the course of ten steps or so, she debated whether or not to ask it.

"One might think you'd have an interest in me." The blonde confronted him, boldly, keeping her gaze firmly ahead. "Your actions are misleading, M'sieur."

"Are they?" The man on her right said, furrowing his eyes in mock confusion.

"Very." She answered with a small smirk. "Perhaps you should clarify, the kind of actions one would expect from you if you did have an interest in a lady?" She suggested, as they approached the Musain.

"Well, I'd think it'd be obvious." He replied, a crease forming between his eyebrows as he furrowed them, a smirk appearing on his lips. "I would compliment her on her appearance, accompany her to destinations and, of course, buy her flowers whenever she was nearly run over by a horse."

Mathilde pursed my lips at his response and stifled a small chuckle just as they reached the café.

"Here we are." Enjolras smiled, opening the door and entering the Musain with the blonde girl not far behind.

"Well, I can't say he doesn't have nerve." The blonde muttered to herself as she followed him inside, clutching her book and flowers tightly.

***

GAVROCHE AND COURFEYRAC were wedged onto the window sill of the window that faced the street below, excitedly awaiting the return of Mathilde and Enjolras.

"Look, they're coming back!" Gavroche suddenly cried, causing most of the people in the room to crowd around the small window in order to get a peak.

And sure enough, the boy was not wrong. Arm in arm, the marble man and the fair haired lady were approaching the Musain, rapt in conversation.

Musichetta let out a breathy laugh, happy for her friend and confidant who was positively glowing in the company of the fearless leader.

"Well who'd have thought?"

"Well bless my soul." Courfeyrac chimed in, nearly lost for words at the behaviour of Enjolras.

"Well who'd have known?" Madame Houcheloupe chuckled, looking fondly over the pair as they proceeded their walk.

"Well who indeed." Jehan cried, getting a better look at the scene on the street done below. "And who'd have guessed they'd come together on their own?"

"It's so peculiar." Courfeyrac stated, getting up from his seat at the window sill before turning back to the gawking group, "Wait and see."

"We'll wait and see." They all agreed, stepping away from the window in attempt to look natural, "A few days more, there maybe something there that wasn't there before."

"And here's a thought." Madame piped up, "Perhaps there's something there that wasn't there before."

"What's there?" Gavroche asked, his little eyebrows furrowing in confusion at what the adults were talking about, but he was quickly shushed as two figures entered the room.

"Good trip?" Courfeyrac asked, offhandedly, as though he hadn't just been watching them out of the window.

"Yes, thank you, Courf." Mathilde replied with a broad smile as she went to show her bouquet of flowers to Musichetta across the other side of the room.

"Thoroughly agreeable." Enjolras nodded, sparing a quick glance at the girl with blonde hair, which did not go unnoticed by one member of l'ABC.

Grantaire watched the scene intently; faint smiles, quick glances, caring looks.

"Perhaps they're right," He muttered to himself, setting his bottle down on the table behind him. "There maybe something there that wasn't there before."

"Grantaire, what is it?" Gavroche asked the drunk eagerly, having overheard his mumbling, "What's there?"

Grantaire smiled down at the young boy, fondly, "I'll tell you when you're older, Gavroche."

The small boy looked down at the floor and with a defeated sigh.

"Oh, alright."

***

THE MEETING HAD finished at around five o'clock, by which time the group had successfully evaluated the rally of the previous day and plans were in place to organise another for the new year.

The room upstairs that they all occupied was now filled with chatter and laughter as the boys all talked about who-knows-what.

"Mathilde?" The blonde felt a tap on her shoulder, which tore her away from my conversation with Feuilly, causing her to come face to face with Enjolras.

"Yes?" She answered, quirking an eyebrow, attempting to mask the smile that appeared on her face.

"Come with me." He said in a low voice, nodding towards the door, outstretching a hand towards her. "I've got something to show you.".

"Well, you have me officially intrigued, M'sieur." She muttered, narrowing her eyes in slight suspicion as she took his hand and rose from her seat.

He led the girl out of the room and down the stairs to the ground floor which by this time was buzzing with local customers and in the air hung a stench of cigar smoke.

The girl's nose crinkled at the smell but she find that she wasn't victim to it for very long as Enjolras took her through a door that she had not seen before.

He pushed it open with ease and allowed the girl to enter before him. Stepping out into the cold air, Mathilde noticed that they were in a courtyard at the back of the Musain.

"Is this what you wanted to show me?" She asked, turning around to face him as he slipped through the door to the Musain and closed it gently behind him.

"Actually, no." He replied with a smile, reaching for something on his belt. "This is what I want to show you."

He withdrew a small hand pistol from his gun belt, Mathilde's eyes widening at the sight of it. Of course, she'd seen a gun before but never so closely. It was immaculate; shining silver. So simple and yet so terrible.

"So, you brought me out here to execute me?" The blonde asked with a small smirk, and Enjolras stepped closer to her, his own smirk resident on his lips.

"Of course not." He laughed, looking down at the pistol in his hand, "I thought you might like to learn how to use one of these."

"Excuse me?" She faltered, a smile growing on her face at his asking. "Me? Shoot a gun?"

"I can show you how." Enjolras smirked, quirking an eyebrow, seemingly amused by the girl's eagerness.

And he did just that. He quickly unveiled a rough target that had been drawn out in chalk on the back of an old cabinet that resided in the courtyard that was littered with many other bullet holes. Clearly, this courtyard was the ideal shooting range for young men.

"Ugh." Mathilde groaned, clutching the pistol tightly in hand, as it had refused to fire for the second time. "I give up. I can't do it."

"Of course you can." He said, calmly, walking over to the blonde and turning her back to face the target. Mathilde held up the gun once more, blowing the hair out of her face. "Here. You're clutching it wrongly that's the problem."

His hands slid over the top of hers, sending chills down the girl's spine, as she tried to remain focused.

"Hold it there." He said, as he correcting the positioning of her hands upon the gun, "Now, focus."

"I'm sure you'd understand if I told you that I'm finding it hard to focus when you're standing so close to me, Enjolras."

Mathilde could sense his smirk as he removed his hands from hers, but didn't step back, instead remained in place whispering soft words of encouragement in her ear.

"Look at the target. Fix the barrel. Pull the trigger." He said, softly, a small smirk found its way onto the blonde's lips as she followed his instructions. "You can do it."

Pull the trigger echoed in her mind, she gave a sharp inhale of breath and clicked the trigger with her index finger.

The successful click sound followed by the crack of the bullet leaving the gun sent adrenaline coursing through her veins as she stumbled backwards into Enjolras, having been victim to the recoil of the gun.

He steadied the girl, his hands on her waist but she was far too elated to notice as Mathilde could see a small bullet wedged not to far from the bullseye of the target.

"I just shot a gun!" She cried in glee, letting out a laugh, "Enjolras, I just shot a gun! Thank you! Goodness, if my mother were here she'd have a fit! Thank you! Thank you!"

Setting the gun down on the window ledge, Mathilde threw my arms around his neck and enveloped him in a tight embrace, successfully catching him off guard as she did so.

"You're welcome." He said into her hair, with a small smile reminiscent on his lips due to her excitement.

Withdrawing from the hug, Mathilde made to thank him once more but found it quite difficult as she found that he had planted his lips on hers and was kissing her softly.

She could feel an electric current run through her, she felt as though her soul has been set alight - like an inferno had started in the pit of her stomach and refused to die out.

The kiss was the opposite everything she thought it would be. She had imagined that it would be heated and fierce but was pleasantly surprised at his gentility and softness, kissing her as though she could break at any moment.

The blonde returned his soft kiss almost automatically, as her hands found their way onto his shoulders. Enjolras pulled her closer, his hand running through strands of her hair as they continued in an almost trance like state.

But before things could go any further, Enjolras pulled away from the girl, shock written legibly over his face. Mathilde withdrew her arms and took a step back from him, both of them breathing heavily, cheeks flushed bright red.

"I'm so sorry." He said hastily, as Mathilde stood quite awestruck. "Forgive me, I don't know what came over me. That was unintentional-"

"I heard a gun shot." Enjolras was cut off. Combeferre stood in the doorway looking marginally alarmed.

Mathilde could feel her heart shatter at Enjolras' words, his horror-stricken face etched permanently into her brain after he'd kissed her. She wished the ground would've swallowed her up there and then.

"It was just me, Ferre." The blonde said, in a small voice, not daring to meet Enjolras' gaze.

"You shot a gun?"

"I shot a gun." She confirmed with a small smile, brushing her hair away from her face.

"Well, that explains why Enjolras looks so agog." Combeferre chuckled.

"Yes, that explains it." The girl muttered, closing her eyes ever so gently, attempting to try and regain some composure.

"What is it, Combeferre?" Enjolras' voice asked, she could hear the curiosity in his tone.

Hearing his voice hurt her inside, it felt as though someone had shot her with the very pistol she'd just fired. She didn't dare look at his face, she couldn't bear meeting his eye and seeing the panic she'd just seen.

"There's a man here." Combeferre explained to the marble man. "Laurent, he said his name was. Friend of Pontmercy. He wants to join."

Mathilde assumed that Enjolras nodded, she could his face in her mind; stoic once more, as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened in the last five minutes.

"Very well," He said, his voice more quiet than she thought it would be. "Let's see him."

Exhaling a deep breath, Mathilde looked up to see Combeferre give a quick nod and disappear back inside the building.

The blonde made quickly to follow so not to interact with Enjolras but her plan was quickly foiled as a soft touch grazed her arm and spun her around to face him.

"Mathilde." He said, breathlessly. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"I know." She said in a quiet voice, "It's fine."

"You're not fine, Mathilde." He told her, sternly, "I can read you like an open book. I've upset you and-"

"Yes, you have upset me." The blonde retorted, harshly, "You claim you can read me Enjolras, but if you don't understand why I'm upset now, you clearly can't read me at all!"

"Mathilde, please-"

"Open your eyes, Enjolras!" She snapped, "Why are you so damn oblivious?!"

"Mathilde, I didn't know. I'm- I'm sorry, please tell how I can fix this."

"I'm not upset that you kissed me."

The girl's gaze was on the floor. His look of apology faltered into one of confusion; she gave a derisive chuckle at his response.

"Until you open your eyes a little there's nothing you can do." She told him in a small voice, taking a step back from him, "Just leave me be for a while, please."

And with that, Mathilde made her way back into the Musain leaving Enjolras behind her, for the first time in his life; lost for words.

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