She glanced up at him with her solemn eyes, almost the same color as thunderclouds. "I love you too," she replied. She paused and then continued. "Completely and utterly."
Eventually, her breathing slowed, and her muscles relaxed. If Francs took a moment to look at her, he would see that she turned her face towards him instinctively, buried in his shoulder. She took small, quiet gasps in her sleep, but was also very still, her only movements being the rise and fall of her shoulders.
(So cute!) He continued reading his book, only stopping to look at her every once in a while. After a bit, though, he ended up carefully setting his book down and shutting his eyes, slowly drifting off.
(World domination!) Poppy's eyes fluttered open when the announcement came over the speaker. "Now approaching Abrus station," the voice said duly before clicking off. Poppy turned her head slightly to kiss Francis' cheek. "Francis," she whispered quietly in his ear. "Time to wake up."
He shifted, slowly opening his eyes. "Mm. Alright, alright," he said slowly, stretching. "Are we there already?"
"We are," she said sleepily, stretching her arms out. She stood up and offered her hand to him. "Ready to go?"
The train slowly slid to a stop as they walked back towards the boarding entrance. The train squealed as the breaks activated, and the door opened onto a small station, much less established than the one that they had seen earlier. The station was really more of a platform, and bright sunlight hit green grass just ahead of them with a firmly packed dirt road that ran along it.
"Just down the way a little bit," Poppy said as they stepped off the platform and began to walk. She glanced up at him with a wry smile. "You don't have to say you like it if you don't, you know. You're a city guy. That's okay."
"Lovely," she said as they walked down the path. "I'm fond of it." They walked down a small road, and they turned down a small lane almost hidden by the bushes. "Here we are," Poppy said quietly. The drive winded through a crowded wood, sunlight spotting through the leaves above them. Poppy turned her head slightly and then pointed. "Look." A rabbit stood at the edge of the road and the forest, its nose twitching furiously as it stared at them.
He was quiet and still as his saw it, frowning slightly. "Vermin," he said lowly. "I've always hated those things."
She shot him a look, frowning. "That's a shame," she said. "I've always loved them." Suddenly, from the woods came a frenzied barking. "Nickel! No!" A large golden retriever came bounding out of the woods, tongue lolling out of its mouth as it bolted towards the rabbit. The rabbit fled, disappearing into the woods, and a small girl chased after the dog, no more than five years old. The similarities between her and Poppy were striking; the hair was the same reddish brown curls, with the similar freckles, except her eyes were a bright and curious golden brown.
Francis stepped back, a bit surprised. "Oh... A dog. And a child. Hm. Are you two related? She looks kind of like you."
"That's Beatrice. Bee. Clara's daughter," Poppy murmured to Francis before speaking louder in a clear, stern voice. "Nickel, stay!" The dog stopped immediately and looked up at Poppy, his head tilted curiously. Bee looked up from her place holding the dog's collar, and her expression changed from panic to excitement. "Poppy!" The girl ran over to them, stumbling on uncoordinated legs, and Poppy picked her up when she got close enough, balancing her on her hip. "Hello, sweet girl," Poppy said quietly, kissing her cheek. Bee glanced up at Francis with cautious eyes, one of her hands resting on Poppy's neck and the other tugging on one of her curls. "Francis, this is Bee. Bee, this is Francis," Poppy said, playing the ambassador between the two. Bee studied him intensely, evidently unsure.
Francis put his hands behind his back, a smooth look on his face. Inwardly, he felt pretty awkward, but didn't show it. "Good morning, Miss Bee," he said kindly. "It's nice to finally meet you." (Francis doesn't know how kids work or how to talk to them haha)
(This'll be a learning experience then!) "Good morning," she murmured back, obviously a little intimidated. She tugged on one of Poppy's locks, and, as if they had some sort of unspoken agreement, Poppy set her down. The girl took a moment to regain her balance, and then clicked her tongue. "Nickel, c'mere." The dog stood up with a sigh, and lumbered over. His tail wagged gently as he approached Poppy, and he licked her free hand. "This is Nickel," Poppy explained to Francis. "Short for Pumpernickel. Bee, sweetheart, who else is here?" "Mama's here," Bee replied. "And Dad. And Em. And Papa. And Ed. And Clare. And Nickel." She wrapped her arms around the dog's neck as Poppy straightened up. "Mama said that George is coming in a while. He's going to teach me to play soccer." "Oh?" Poppy asked, amused. "Well, let's head back to the house, okay?" Bee nodded and turned without another word, trotting up ahead with the dog following her faithfully.
(Watch Francis play soccer with her and give her no mercy. There is no winning when he is around. No winning.) Francis followed, taking Poppy's hand again as he seemed a bit more uncertain than before. "Suddenly I feel all the weight coming down onto me. This is fine. Totally alright."
