Coming Clean 5

When Marius was making tea the next morning he heard the strangest sounds coming from what seemed to be Éponine's apartment. He left  the pot on the hotplate and went to see what was going on. Walking out into the hallway and knocked on her door loudly since it sounded almost like she was vacuuming.

"Since when does she own a vacuum?" Marius muttered as he knocked again and awaited for an answer. When she didn't he simply reached for the nail at the top of the door frame where she kept a spare of the old skeleton key that kept her door shut. When he maneuvered the door open he saw that her furniture was not the way it usually was and she was, as he suspected, vacuuming her raggedy rug with a very old Kirby vacuum. It wasn't until he shut the door that she even bothered to look up at him.

"What the hell are you doing?" Marius asked.

"Spring cleaning," Éponine shrugged.

"Uh huh... You and I both know that there are a million different things you would rather be doing on a Saturday morning then cleaning your apartment," Marius folded his arms across his chest.

"Have you ever thought that just maybe I don't like living in a trash heap?" Éponine copied his pose.

"Okay but you've moved everything about, I didn't even know you owned a vacuum-"

"And a Swiffer."

"And a Swiffer- wait do you really?" Marius raised an eyebrow.

"No," Éponine smirked, "I'm a singer, not a house wife."

"You shocked me enough with the vacuum," Marius shrugged.

"Like I said some spring cleaning was in order," Éponine replied as he adjusted the headband that was keeping her long hair away from her face, barely...

"Would you like some help?" Marius asked.

"Are you actually offering to help me?" Éponine knitted her brows together.

"Four hands are better than two, besides I can maybe help you fix some things," Marius stuck his hands in his pockets.

"You? Fix things?" Éponine scoffed.

"You don't trust me do you?" Marius smiled.

"Let's see, how many Marius Pontmercy's does it take to change a lightbulb?" Éponine asked innocently, "all without blowing up Éponine's apartment?"

Marius narrowed his eyes, "Do you want my help or not?"

Éponine smiled, "Of course, now take that mop, start in the kitchen and I'll finish with the rug."

"You've got it," Marius picked up the mop and bucket and went over to the sink.

Éponine flipped the switch of the vacuum and started up again, and yet with the loud noise of the vacuum Marius swore he could hear her humming. He smiled slightly as he started mopping the floor, he worked hard until the dull and scratched wood shined with all it's might. Éponine had turned of the vacuum and Marius could clearly hear her humming to herself now.

"What song is that?" He asked.

"Huh?" Éponine cocked her head.

"What song are you humming?" Marius asked again.

"Oh it's nothing," Éponine's face flushed slightly.

Marius smiled slightly, "You writing a new song?"

"Ummm... No?" Éponine then flushed to a deeper shade of red, "no, I'm not, now can you take out the trash for me?"

Marius laughed, "Sure thing," he was about to pull the bag out when he noticed a small collection of spoons at the top. He picked one up and examined it, "'Ponine? Why are all your spoons in the trash?"

"No they aren't!" Éponine called out but he could see her face turning red again.

Marius picked up some of the spoons and noticed the scorch marks, "How did they get-" he stopped himself mid question because the wheels clicked in his mind. Without saying anything he dropped the spoons back into the trash, tied up the bag and carried it down the three flights of stairs to the trash cans in front of their building. When he came back up Éponine had busied herself by trying to move her furniture around. While stronger than she appeared the singer still struggled with pulling her couch to where she wanted it.

Marius walked around to the other end of the couch and lifted it, the sensation of it becoming lighter surprised her so much that she dropped her end.

"Ow!" Marius let go of the couch as well.

Éponine covered her mouth with her hands, "I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay," Marius shook himself out, "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Éponine looked at him with wide eyes.

"Yep, don't worry about it," Marius smiled, "let's try it again, shall we?"

Éponine smiled again and the two of them once again picked up the couch and moved it back into place. Marius then put her coffee table and chair back while she sorted through the magazines, mail and other assorted things that had been collected on the table.

"Okay, this is going a lot quicker than I thought it would," Éponine commented as she put her magazines back on the table. She got up from her spot on the floor and went to turn on the light over by her door. The switch clicked but light bulb went out with a pop, "Damn," she cursed in a low tone.

"Want me to fix it?" Marius asked.

"Nope" Éponine replied walking past him, she opened one of her cabinets and pulled out a spare bulb. She then grabbed a three legged stool   that she kept in the kitchen and dragged it to the the light socket.

"Careful 'Ponine," Marius cautioned.

"I'm always careful," Éponine replied as she stood up on the stool and took out the burnt out bulb. "Here," she held out the used bulb for Marius to take, he took it and placed on the side table with her keys hung.

Éponine was twisting the new bulb into the light socket but the stool began to shake. She gave it a few more good turns when the stool gave way.

Marius leaped into action, he wrapped his arms around her waist and broke her fall as they hit the hard wood floor. Éponine hastily got up from on top of him, "I... I..." she began to stammer, "are you okay? Do I need to call an ambulance? Did you break any-"

"'Ponine chill!" Marius laughed as he slowly sat up, "I'm fine, besides, I should be asking about you, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Éponine gave a slight shake of her head, "god, if you hadn't been there-"

"Let's not think about it, what's important is you are okay," he then began to chuckle slightly.

"What's so funny?" Éponine raised her eyebrows.

"You could have at least warned me about how dangerous it is to clean your apartment," Marius smirked.

"Hey you offered to help, that's just as good as signing a liability waiver," she countered.

"Whatever, let's just get this done," Marius smiled.

Over the next two and a half hours Éponine's apartment became clean in the first time since she had moved into the place.

"I want to thank you for helping me find my floor," Éponine smiled at Marius.

"Just the floor? Not your bed, dresser, counter tops, table-"

"Okay, okay, I get your point," Éponine giggled, "thanks again."

"The pleasure was all mine," Marius smiled, then he remembered the water he'd left going on the hot plate, "Shit!" he dashed quickly from the apartment.

"Marius?" Éponine quickly followed him into his apartment, "what's wrong..." She saw Marius lifting the now empty pot and putting it in the dink and then unplugging the hot plate.

"Damn, I hope it still works after this..." Marius sighed as he began to wipe up the spilled water.

"I'm sure it will be fine," Éponine tried to speak brightly but she couldn't force the right inflection out.

"I really do hope so," Marius grumbled, "I can't exactly go out and buy another one at this point."

Éponine wanted to be rid of the tension that hung over them, then she remembered the rest of her weekend plans. "Hey Marius."

"Yes?" Marius turned to her.

"I-I've been looking for a second job and I've come up dry," Éponine stammered slightly, "think you could help me?"

"You need a day job?" Marius asked, "are things really that bad?"

Damn, she should have known this would worry him, "N-no..."

"'Ponine is something wrong?" Marius continued, "why do you need a second job?"

"I-I," Éponine was struggling with her words.

"You really shouldn't strain yourself, after all you just got out of rehab and-"

"I know!" She snapped, her face turned scarlet, "I'm sorry..."

"'Ponine, please tell me what's wrong, I'm your friend," Marius looked at her with pleading eyes.

She couldn't very well tell him that she was heartbroken, especially since it was over him, but perhaps she could entrust him with her plan, "I want Gavroche back."

"Gavroche?" Marius cocked his head, "your brother?"

Éponine nodded her head, "I want him out of the system, to come and live with me..."

Marius' face turned dark, "'Ponine, I don't know if that's possible."

"I know," Éponine let out a sigh, "but I'm trying my hardest, "I want to be able to show child services that I'm capable of being his guardian."

"And I know that you are," Marius smiled slightly.

Éponine then pursed her lips together in thought,  she's turned to Marius, "What if he doesn't forgive me?"

"Forgive you, for what?" Marius raised an eyebrow.

"I should have gotten him sooner," Éponine frowned.

"There was nothing you could do," Marius tried to comfort her, "I'll do whatever I can to help... Wait..."

"Yes?"

"There is an opening for a clerk at the book shop, come with me on Monday," Marius smiled.

"Really?" Éponine's eyes went wide, "how can I ever repay you? How about I take a look at that hotplate?" she smiled.

"You can fix it?" Marius asked.

"Well can't fix what ain't broke so let me take a took," Éponine began to examine the hotplate, "well I've got to get the water out, and your ground at hot wires melted, shouldn't be too difficult to fix."

"How do you know so much?" Marius asked.

Éponine slightly shrugged her shoulders, "A little brains and talent never hurt no one."

"You really are quite smart don't you know that?" Marius nodded.

"So?" Éponine raised her eyebrows.

"Did you ever consider going to college?" Marius asked.

"I'm an artist, I don't need it," Éponine replied although deep down she was envious of Marius.

Marius simply sighed, "Whatever you say."

There was a knock at the door and Marius went to answer it.

"Hey, I'm looking for Miss. Éponine- Marius?" Andre looked at Marius in confusion, "you live here?"

"Yeah, you're looking for 'Ponine?" Marius asked.

"Uhh... Yeah," Andre blushed slightly, "I have something for her."

"Well she's here, come on in," Marius let Andre in, he carried a guitar case with him.

"Hey 'Ponine," Andre greeted her, he pushed his blonde hair out of his face and put the case down.

Éponine smiled, "Hey, what's up."

"Well I was walking past a pawn shop and saw something that reminded me of you," Andre began to explain but he was steadily getting more nervous, "I just had to get it for you."

"No Andre, you really shouldn't-"

"I know," Andre smiled, "but how can an artist do work without the right tools?"

"What do you mean?" Éponine cocked her head to the side.

Andre said nothing he just picked up the case and handed it to her, her jaw dropped, "A-Andre... You shouldn't have," she could tears forming in her eyes. She had sold her guitar last year in part to pay off Montparnasse and her rent.

"Did I do well?" Andre looked at her hopefully.

Éponine put the case on Marius kitchen table reveling at the touch of the leather under her hands. With a smile she slowly undid each latch and opened the case. Inside the case was an old and slightly battered Gibson acoustic guitar. She lifted it out of the case and began to tune it, a smile slowly spread across her face, "yeah, you did good."

"I've got a couple more things," Andre reached into his bag.

"But you've already done so much," Éponine looked at him in shock.

Andre handed her a bag containing replacement strings and a notebook full of staff paper.

"I-I don't know what to say," Éponine was in shock, no one had done anything this nice for her in the longest time.

Marius let out a slight cough in order to get their attention, the two artist blushed.

Éponine hastily closed the guitar, and went to the door.

"Sorry for intruding," Andre laughed nervously and followed Éponine to her apartment.

"Well that was embarrassing," Andre smiled at Éponine as they went into her apartment. "Wow it's clean," he noticed as soon as they walked in.

Éponine set the guitar down, "Okay, what was the guitar for?" she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Can't I do something nice without being torn to shreds?" Andre countered.

"Something nice is buying a girl a drink, or taking a person out for a movie," Éponine replied.

"And a guitar?"

"Unreasonable," Éponine answered, "seriously, why?"

"Well I love you," Andre turned to her and smiled.

"You what?!?" Éponine's eyes went wide, "n-no..."

"But I do," Andre replied, "I was intrigued ever since I first laid eyes on you at Montrieul."

"No," Éponine shook her head again.

"'Ponine, you've inspired me more than anyone else."

"No," Éponine paled, "no, please stop staying that!"

"But 'Ponine," Andre began to look disheartened.

"I can't, I don't love you," Éponine looked to the floor, "you are like a brother, but nothing more."

"'Ponine?"

"I'm sorry Andre," Éponine reached for the guitar, "here take this."

"No, you keep it," Andre held up his hand, "think of it as a token of friendship instead of love."

"Andre..."

Andre simply walked out of the apartment leaving Éponine alone with her thoughts. Slowly she walked over to her couch and curled up into a ball trying to protect herself from all the pain.