The Barricade Girl (A Les Miserables FanFiction)

Chapter Six

I lead the way back into the Café Musain as Enjolras holds the door open for me, the courteous gesture tainted by the loud sigh and roll of the eyes that he gives in his reluctance to be gentlemanly towards me.

"Oh wow...such a gentleman...chivalry isn't quite dead after all!" I sarcastically roll my eyes back to him – two can play at this game. As we walk across the room, a smirk starts to work its way across Madame Houcheloup's face.

"Are you okay now, dear?" She asks.

"I'm fine, thank you, Madame..." I smile as I nod politely.

"I hope you're being nice to her, my boy!" She points a finger at Enjolras.

"Oh, he's the nicest!" I answer sardonically.

"Of course, I'm being nice", he grins, playfully, and quite roughly, putting a hand around my shoulder. But the feeling of his hand on my shoulder is almost electric. Something about it excites me, and I wish it wouldn't. I want to hate this guy, but for some reason I can't. And, judging by the way his hand seems to gently rest and ease itself around my shoulder, and the way he quickly removes his hand when he realises what he's done – I wonder if he's feeling the same way.

"Take good care of her, Enjolras" Madame Houcheloup smiles a toothy (and sort of sweet and maternal) grin. "...and be nice!" She slaps the back of Enjolras' head, making me snort laughing at this seemingly macho man being mothered and disciplined by this little woman.

"Awww! She likes you!" I taunt him as we head through the other door and up the stairs again.

"So! Did you kiss and make-up?" Grantaire staggers over to us.

"Uh...yes, we –" I start to answer before reminding myself of my pre-requisite for Enjolras. I smugly turn to look at him, smiling from ear to ear, and well and truly pleased with myself. "Why don't you tell them, Burgundy Boy?" I smirk as I look at him, nudging him with my arm.

"Oh...yeah...I was wrong..." He says under his breath, quickly and quietly so that only I and a few others can hear him. I clear my throat, folding my arms across my chest as I playfully raise an eyebrow at him, staring him down until he gives in and drags a chair out from the table. I smile to myself, holding in my laughter as he climbs up on the chair. The other young men can do nothing but stare at him in dumbstruck wonder. He stands there and looks down at me, giving me one last look before he looks straight ahead to focus on staring of the large window. He clears his throat. "I was wrong!!!" He proclaims, projecting his voice as if he was making a speech. He stops and looks at me again to see if I'm satisfied.

"And???" I say, waiting for the last part of his apology.

"And I take back everything that I said about you", he smiles a fake smile and jumps off the chair, landing right in front of me. I hear sniggering coming from the corner and see that Gavroche, as well as Marius and some of the other young men, are trying to hold in their laughter, with their shoulders shaking, going up and down as they laugh. Madame Houcheloup and a few of her waitresses have also snuck upstairs and poked their heads around the banister to take a peek at what the commotion was, and they stand there, giggling in complete pleasure. Enjolras looks around and is less than impressed, and starts to go red again. "Happy?" He asks as he stares me down, his face just a few inches away from mine.

"Mehhh..." I shrug. "I guess it'll have to do, Burgundy Boy..."

"Burgundy Boy?" What is that?" He scoffs.

"You tell me – you're the one wearing the burgundy jacket..." I nod towards him. "And...you know...it wouldn't hurt to do up your cravat every once in a while –" I lean in and whisper to him.