She stared at him, her eyes tracing his features as she came to terms with his words. Finally, she nodded, and before losing her nerve, she gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Okay," she said, pulling away, smiling. "I'll allow it."
He seemed extremely surprised, and her actions earned a light blush. "I... Oh. Really?" he grinned. (Aahhh)
"That's what you wished for?" she asked easily, despite the fact that her heart was still pounding. "I can't imagine it."
She paused, hearing the tremor in his voice, and raised a hand, hesitating for a moment before resting it on the side of his neck, her thumb just lightly grazing his jaw. Her fingers were uncertain, but they were warm against his skin. "Oh?" she asked gently. "What else did you wish for?"
He leaned into her hand slightly. It was a feeling that he hadn't felt in a long time. "Well.. I can't tell you, or it won't come true. That's how it goes, right?" (This is adorable and I might die.)
"Hmm," she murmured, smiling slightly. "I suppose you're right. I wouldn't want to cancel out your wish. Wouldn't be very polite on my part." (I HAVE TO KEEP LEAVING MY DESK TO FLAP MY HANDS LIKE AN IDIOT.)
He scooted closer, putting an arm around her. Using his free hand, he brushed her back, and lightly placed a kiss on her temple. "I'm hoping the rest of it comes true throughout however long were here."
She relaxed under his arm, and rested her head on his shoulder. The action was unfamiliar with him, but it felt right, and she exhaled. "Well," she said lightly. "Given your current trend with wishes, I'm sure it'll all work out. God knows that we have time."
He sighed. His touch revealed that his hands were almost always trembling, likely from his bad habits. "Good. I think it will all turn out just fine," he said, his voice soft.
She glanced up at him, pulling the sheet tighter around her frame. She kissed his cheek lightly, marveling how every action felt new and yet familiar. "Hm. I think I like optimistic Francis," she teased. "It's refreshing."
She noticed his tenseness and pulled away slightly, looking down at her fingers. She was quiet for a moment, her shoulders barely brushing his. "So, I've heard that our next area is a city," she said, obviously trying to relieve some of the tension. "Although I get the feeling that it's less... fun than Opiren. There's a lot more of a police presence there, supposedly."
Francis knew he unintentionally added a bit of strain to the conversation. He looked back to the stars, eyebrows furrowed. "Then I feel it will be a bit tougher to convince them this time."
"We'll figure it out," she said, sliding down to lie on the floor, her gaze not leaving the stars. "I'm pretty sure we'll be getting more details tomorrow." She gave him a wry smile. "Another one of those needless meetings."
"I always find them so boring, but we have to go to them anyways," he said tiredly, but decided to continue sitting up.
"They're not so much boring as they're unnecessary," Poppy said with mock annoyance, placing her hands on her forehead. "Do they really need to set up a giant meeting hall just to tell us things that could be sent in a letter? Or they could even just call us."
"That's true. We'll have to deal with it, though," he said, looking down at her with a warm expression.
