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Eponine very rarely felt genuinely confused. She was street smart, she knew how to handle the grab ass guy at the club she worked at, how to sweet talk her landlord into giving her a few extra days on rent, and how to make the guy think he was the one leaving her the next morning. She might not be a rocket scientist but she understood the basics of science and math, and her writing skills were above average, if only because she used full words instead if acronyms and expressed her emotions instead of using smiley and frowny faces. But when Combeferre handed her a brightly wrapped box she had accepted it like one accepts an atomic bomb. "What's this for?" She asked.
Combferre lay out on her couch, stretching out in a way that made his scrubs rise up, showing just a little bit of skin (though she tried to ignore the wince of pain). Her reaction to the gesture baffled her because she sometimes didn’t understand how they had gotten to this point (secretly hooking up) and how he could not realize what the mere act of stretching did to her (it made her feel very warm.)
"I believe it's called a gift." He replied. He felt something that seemed like a foot gently nudge his shoulder, its owner searching for further explanation. He rolled over on his side (his good side) to look at where she was sitting in a huge easy chair. He was fairly certain if he could move from where he was, which was not happening after close to a 24-hour shift at the hospital, he could also fit in it. She might have to sit in his lap a bit.
He wouldn't mind.
"I know what a gift is, you dork, I just don't get why. Is this some Marius thing where you have been keeping track of the first time we slept together? I feel like I should remind you that fuck buddies don’t have anniversaries," She joked, as she picked the box up and held it to her ear, shaking it carefully.
"Right I know," he replied, though it hurt a little more then his ribs. "I just thought of you, and so I got it for you."
“It's not lingerie, is it? Because that would be the stupidest gift ever, and I would kick your ass out."
"Just open it," Combeferre said, as close to exasperation as he ever got (which is to say almost never). She carefully opened the wrapping paper, showing the restraint of someone who saved wrapping paper growing up. She opened the box and picked out a small ornately carved wooden jewelry box. She examined it before breaking out in a smile. "Cosette mentioned that your old one broke when he went on a rampage. I saw that and thought you would like it."
"I do," she said smiling. She stood up and stretched, knowing full well what it did to Combeferre, before leaning down to kiss him on the cheek. "I love it."
Combeferre turned pink, though if anyone else had been there and mentioned it he would have become extremely indignant, and grabbed her hand. "I don't think I can make it to your bed, can we just sleep on the couch?"
"I know you just bought me a very pretty present, but no we can't." He groaned and she smiled wickedly, "I'll tell you what my thank you will be when you wake up tomorrow if you get up though." She said, leaning down and whispering in his ear. Combeferre went from a light pink, to bright pink, to very red. Eponine thought it was cute. He sat up and she gave him her hands to help pull him up. "Come on, you look like you could sleep for days."
"Not after what you just said. Maybe only 6 hours."
She smiled and kissed him, "You'd be useless now. Let’s save it for tomorrow. Anticipation makes the heart grow fonder."
"That's not how that goes." She kissed him again, and he smiled, saying, “Close enough.”