He nodded, kissing her cheek, obviously still worried about her. "Okay, we can do that. I'll grab the stuff," he said, turning to get the bedding.
She bit her lip, trying to keep her tears from welling up. You crying will only hurt him. Stop being so selfish. "Is there anything I can grab?" she asked, her voice slightly tremulous.
He shot her a look, but shook his head. "No, it's okay. I've got it. I just you to open the door and stuff."
"I can do that," she murmured, walking over and opening the door for him. She looked down at the floor, obviously distressed, and bit her lip, her hair draping over her face slightly.
As he walked by, he managed to free a hand and brush her hair out of her face. "I don't know what it is, but everything will alright, okay?"
She closed her eyes at his touch, and she nodded. This has to be this way. It has to. She barely stifled a sob as she followed him out the door, clicking it quietly behind her as they left.
He occasionally glanced back her, wishing her knew what was wrong and how he could help her. He sighed, and smiled for her. "It'll be nice. We'll have a good time."
She nodded as they climbed the stairs towards the observatory. "It will be lovely," Poppy responded in a voice that was barely a whisper.
"Lovely is a good word to describe it," he said, setting up the blankets once they got in, making sure it wouldn't be cold. "It fits well."
She sat down on the blanket, still obviously upset. She watched him with wide eyes before burying her head in her hands.
He sat down next her, and took her hands, looking into her eyes. "Poppy, everything is going to be fine, alright? Trust me."
When he pulled her hands away, he would see that her eyes were filled with tears. "Oh, God, Francis," she said despairingly, shaking her head. She reached out and cradled his face with a trembling hand. "Damn it. I really love you."
"I know," he said, his voice soothing. "I know. I love you, too. Everything is okay." He brushed back her hair and touched his forehead against hers. "I love you, too."
She gasped lightly and kissed him, her lips trembling against his. "Okay. Okay. Please don't forget that, okay?"
"I won't, I promise. I would never forget that," he said reassuringly, kissing her again. "And don't forget that I love you, too. Okay?"
This declaration of love seemed to only upset her further, and she buried her head in his shoulder, her arms wrapping around his torso. "Okay," she murmured. "Okay."
He gently rubbed her back, questioning what would cause this. "Everything is okay," he said quietly. "It's fine."
He pulled away from her, looking into her eyes. His expression was stern. "What's this about, Poppy? What happened?"
