"Oh, hush," she said, silencing him with a kiss. "You know as well as I do that I'm incredibly lucky to have you."
She laughed lightly and shook her head. "I'm not the one who is so desired that my ex literally blackmails you into leaving forever."
He buried his head into her shoulder. "Don't leave me forever again, okay?" he asked, his voice muffled.
She put her hand on the back of his head and kissed his temple, her fingers brushing through his hair soothingly. "I wasn't planning on it, my darling," she said quietly. "I'm not going anywhere."
Poppy was quiet, holding him steadily for a long time. The sun warmed them, and her heartbeat was strong and consistent as she gently ran her fingers through his hair.
He lay silently, listening to her heart beat comfortably as they rested, his fingers combing through the grass. "I love you."
She kissed the top of his head lightly. "I love you too, Francis," she said, her voice sounding sleepy but loving. "I'm so glad I have you."
"I'm glad I have you, too," he said softly, turning his head up to kiss her cheek. "I'm terribly lucky."
She turned her head into the kiss, sighing lightly. "You have no idea how awful that first day was," she said quietly. "I felt like I had lost a piece of myself.
She buried her head into his neck, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Yes," she murmured. "Everything is okay now."
Poppy did eventually fall asleep. Her nose lightly brushed his neck as she slept, and she murmured every so often, although any of the words that Francis would be able to make out wouldn't really make sense.
He was quiet, only glancing down at her occasionally. He took her hands gently, lightly brushing her fingers.
She turned her head into his shoulder sleepily and said nothing, her breathing slow and steady. Her fingers intertwined with his instinctually, and Tom came over and sniffed her hair curiously before licking Francis' face affectionately.
