Poppy rolled her eyes, and then gave Vivienne a small smile. "Right. Neat. Anyways, lovely to talk to you again, Vivienne." She shut the door quickly and dropped her smile immediately. She leaned back against the door and shuddered, before slowly sliding down until she sat with her knees to her chest and her eyes staring straight ahead.
Vivienne grinned when the door closed, and sauntered off, disappearing without another word. (Noo Poppy I'm so sorry)
Poppy was completely quiet, her arms wrapped around her knees as if she were holding herself together. Her pot of mint sat in her lap and she breathed in its sharp scent. In and out. In and out. (She'll figure it out. Hopefully.)
A bit later there was another knock, this time louder. "Poppy?" Francis called, his voice much more calm than before.
Poppy flinched as she heard the knock, and she took a deep shuddering breath. It took a moment for her to stand up, and the lock clicked duly as she opened the door. She pulled it back, and said nothing, her expression almost hollow. She studied him intensely, trying to pull the truth merely from his face.
He smiled when she opened the door, but quickly noticed her expression and frowned, taking a step closer. "Are you alright?" (I have no idea how I didn't realize this, but Vivienne is emotionally abusive. I somehow didn't see that before.)
She shied away from him, and met his gaze, and although her eyes were dry, there was a heavy despair that was evident. "I need you to tell me about what happened when you went to go get ice," she said, her voice terribly quiet. (Oh, yeah. Absolutely.)
He looked a bit hurt, but spoke. "I got lost on the way to the kitchen and ran into Vivienne. She tried to get close to me, hence the messy hair and tie, but I told her to step off. I got away, found the kitchen, and came back. Now please, tell me what's wrong."
She didn't meet his gaze, holding the mint close to her chest. Her breathing came out in small bursts, and her hands trembled as she intertwined her fingers around the pot. "When your ex-fiancé comes to my door," she said quietly, her shoulders shaking. "And she tells me that you're good to hook up with, and her hair is all astray, and she says that she had an encounter with you... I'd think that would be enough to cause anyone concern, wouldn't you?"
He felt his heart drop, and took another step towards her. "Oh my god. Poppy, you don't believe I would- Don't believe anything she says. She's a liar." His hand brushed through his hair anxiously. "God. That is too far."
Poppy shuddered slightly, but she shook her head, still clutching her mint plant, her breaths still coming out in tiny gasps. "I..I don't want to jump to conclusions," she said. "But... you can imagine that it'd be a little difficult."
He wrapped his arms around her protectively, then spoke quietly, whispering into her ear. "Poppy, I would never do that to you. My love for you is so much more than that. It's my fault you're thinking this, I shouldn't have even regarded her. I'm so sorry."
She buried her head in his shoulder, smelling his cologne, and still, he would be able to feel that she trembled all over. Her breathing was still small and short, and she tried to get it under control. "Listen though," she said, trying to speak clearly. "If you... If you really do love her, then you should be with her, okay? I'd rather have that than have a cheating situation."
"Poppy, I don't love her. I love you. I don't want her near you or me again. Please believe me. I don't want her. I don't love her. I love you. I love you." He rubbed her back, hoping that he wasn't messing anything up. His words were soothing and sincere, but seemed nervous, like he was afraid she wouldn't believe him.
The muscles in her back were tight, and she was quiet as she considered his words. She wanted so badly to believe them. Please. Please. "Okay," she said eventually. "Okay."
He stood there, stroking her hair and rubbing her back. He was angry at Vivienne, terribly angry, but didn't let it show as he was trying to soothe her. "I'm sorry this happened to you. It shouldn't have. You don't deserve this. You deserve so much better."
She inhaled deeply, feeling her lungs full with the air she desperately craved. She let him hold her until she pulled away slightly. "It's not your fault," she murmured. "This wasn't in your plans either." She hesitated, trying to figure out how to phrase her next sentence. "Just... you'll let me know, won't you? If you get tired of... whatever this is... you'll tell me before moving on, yeah?"
He felt his heart sink a bit, but smiled reassuringly, nonetheless. He let her go, stepping back. "The only way you're getting rid of me, is if you leave. I'm not going to get tired of this, but I promise to tell you everything honestly, just as I have been." He crossed his arms, feeling sick from emotions. "I don't want to move on."
She finally met his eyes, and she put her plant on the floor. "I don't want you to move on either," she murmured quietly. "I think I'd miss you too much."
(hnnnnng that's so cute) He took her hand, intertwining their fingers. "You don't have to worry about me moving on, because I think I'd miss you too. I couldn't stand spending my days without you."
