cafes and bloody noses
Eponine was always a big admirer of the aesthetic.
She could easily get lost just by looking at the sky when it’s at its most colorful. Or at good recreations of movie posters. Or at really good photography. Or even at beautifully arranged pebbles.
She liked when things were pretty.
That was why when she had needed to stroll by that new café on her way to the library, she couldn’t help but admire the rustic décor of the shop. She was caught up in the moment as she admired how the décor fit well with the season, with the air chilly, leaves on trees turning red and orange, she couldn’t help but sigh happily. So it was no surprise that she found herself with an aching nose a few moments in.
It was a blur, one moment she was appreciating the décor of the café, next thing she knows she got hit in the nose. It happened so fast, Eponine couldn’t have reacted even if she wanted to.
As Eponine cupped her hands to her nose and groaned in pain, she could hear loud, booming, laughter and frantic pleas of “oh my god,” “sorry,” or a combination of the two, repeated over and over again. She tried to placate the person –who she assumes to have hit her from the franticness of the voice, by putting out a hand to signal her she was fine, saying “No, no,” she grimaced “it’s fine.”
“Oh my god you’re bleeding!” cried out the blonde girl, eyes wide, cheeks flushed, gesturing wildly –and from what Eponine can gather she can piece somewhat how a girl wearing such a flowery dress could’ve possibly hit her so hard.
“What?” Eponine asked a bit bewildered amidst the other guy –she assumes the other girl’s companion, loud cry of “oh my fucking god she is!” and louder laughter.
Eponine looked at the hand she had raised to placate the other girl and saw blood. She brought down her other hand and saw blood too. “Well shit,” Eponine grimaced as she looked down to see if any of the blood got into her shirt.
“I’m so sorry! I was talking to my friend here –Courfeyrac, stop laughing! And I’ve always been told I gestured too wildly but this never happened before! Trust me, you’re really really pretty and I wouldn’t hav—wait, no, I mean, yes, you’re pretty but that’s not the main reason, I mean, I, shit –,” the other girl rambled hands going up and down, still gesturing wildly, cheeks turning redder as she went on.
The other friend –Courfeyrac? – had stopped laughing enough to help his friend and placed his hands on top of hers to stop the gesturing. “Cosette, you’ll probably hit the nice girl again if you go on with the gestures,” he said in amusement.
“What she means to say is she is very sorry and would you like to have coffee?” he continued, turning to Eponine and winking, eyes twinkling madly.
Cosette had been nodding along till she fully understood what Courfeyrac had actually said and now Eponine hadn’t known it was possible for Cosette to get any redder.
‘Well she is cute,’ Eponine thought amusedly, “I don’t think I’d be let in the library anyway at this point,” she played along mouth up in half-a smile.
Courfeyrac laughed as Cosette turned a brighter red again.