Come Find Me

"Doesn't everybody want the people they lo- uhm, love being around in one place?" Will asked, somewhat sheepishly. He was going to use the broad term 'people they love', but he didn't want her to take that as a confession. He didn't love her, not yet anyways. With how he felt currently, however, it wasn't a bad hypothesis to assume that wasn't far off.

"I can't promise you I'll come back, though," Will said pointedly. "I don't know if I'll survive. But I... I know if the next week between us goes the way I think it will, I can at least say that if I do survive, I'd want you in England with me."

@ poe dameron

Margot bit her lip to try to hide her smile while she squeezed his hands again, nodding a little. "I'd want to go to England with you too... If you wanted to have me there." She murmured softly as she reached up to gently rest her hand against his cheek, her thumb brushing over the light stubble there as she looked up at him. "I hope your mother and sister would like me.. I'd hate for them to think poorly of me for coming there when we haven't known each other for very long.."

"Oh they won't care, as long as I'm happy they're happy," Will said honestly. "And besides, I think my mum thinks I'm old enough that I should probably have a wife already. She'll just be happy someone was stupid enough to want to be with me."

He gave her a small wink, ripping his head into her hand a little. This is when he heard a man loudly clear his throat. His head quickly turned to see Margot's father standing there, watching them. Will, slightly panicked, looked back to Margot.

"So, um, yes and that's how I nearly got my eye blown out with a faulty gun," he said quickly putting both hands on his hips. "As you can see though, no real damage done."

He wasn't even sure if her father could understand English, but he was rather certain he didn't want Margot cuddling up with any of the soldiers on their property - why would he?

He looked over to Margot's dad, offering what he hoped was a friendly, completely non panicked smile, "Bonjour. Ca va?"

@ poe dameron

Margot tensed and quickly turned when she heard her father clear his throat, a blush creeping up her cheeks as she looked at him. "Papa, c'est pas à quoi ça ressemble, nous-" she started, but was cut off when he held up his hand to silence her, ordering her back to the house. She frowned worriedly as she picked up her empty laundry basket, glancing back at William nervously before she hurried back inside.

Once Margot was gone her father turned his full attention to William, narrowing his eyes suspiciously as he took on the soldier. "What is this I hear about you finding a wife and going to England?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked at the young soldier. The last thing he wanted was some young soldier filling his daughter's head with false promises and getting her hopes up.

---

Papa, it's not want it looks like, we-"

"Sir, I was just mentioning what my mother wants for me. I'm nearly twenty seven and have no wife. Mother isn't a fan," Will said, trying to sound casual. He didn't want to get kicked off of the farm, and he really didn't want Margot to get in trouble for this. He gave a shrug and put his hands into his pockets. "I was walking by to go into town, and I offered to help your daughter with the laundry. She just asked a few questions out of curiosity, I guess. I didn't think it was wrong to share the answers to what she'd asked. It wasn't anything more than that."

He wasn't sure that lying to this man was the right way to go, but he was just trying to make sure Margot didn't get into trouble. He did want to continue to see her, after all.

@ poe dameron

Margot's father frowned as William offered his explanation, not really buying it. "Is that why you were holding her hands? And she was touching your cheek and talking about going to England with you?" He asked suspiciously as he studied William.

He didn't seem to be as bad as some of the other soldiers currently staying on his farm, as he'd seen some of them simply grabbing and shouting at the girls Margot's age in town. But William seemed like a put together man, but that didn't mean he wanted him flirting with his daughter when he was just going to leave in a week's time.

Will offered him a somewhat sheepish smile, taking a deep breath. Well he had a choice. Stick to the lie, or tell the truth. He'd wished her dad had just accepted it and let it go, so he wouldn't have to keep pressing. Will didn't feel good lying.

"Alright, you caught me," Will said, nodding his head in a sort of defeated away. "Everything I just said was a lie. We were talking about England because I came over to talk to your daughter because I care about her, sir. I told her I didn't want to hurt her, and that we shouldn't spend time together because I can't promise her anything. I don't honestly think I'll make it out of this war, sir, and I didn't want to tell her I'd come back for her when I don't know if I will. But I know I would, if given the chance. If I survive, I would have to come find her again. I wouldn't be able to forget someone like her, sir. She's... Well I know I've only know her a few days, but I know she's special. I've never felt this way about anyone."

He didn't mean to lay it all on the table like that, but he didn't really see any other way out. He didn't want her father to think he was just some horny soldier who needed to get a woman in bed before he shipped off again.

@ poe dameron

Margot's father listened to William speak, giving him the same stern look as before. William seemed genuine, like he was telling the truth, and he was inclined to believe him, but that didn't mean he approved of him seeing his daughter.

"You say you don't think you'll survive the war.. Is it because you don't want to survive? Margot is a child, satisfied with 'ifs' and 'maybes', but they don't mean anything in the long run. You say you care about my daughter, and want to be with her after the war, yet you plan to not live to the end. I understand not wanting to promise anything when it is so uncertain, but you act like you know you will die, like you'd rather give your life than live to be with my daughter. She doesn't need someone filling her head with false promises, who will get themselves killed trying to be the hero and end up breaking her heart. Either you will do everything you can to survive and come back to her, or you won't. I don't think you will." He partially wanted to scare the boy, but he also wanted to get him to understand that what they were talking about was serious, something that's not a game.

"No, sir, I don't want to die," Will said after listening to what Margot's father said. "I want to survive the war. I don't think anyone fighting wants to die during the war. I've just seen... My brother died. I've had so many men die in my unit that only one guy is still there from when we were training. The rest of the team is either a replacement, or a replacements replacement. Sir, with all due respect, it has nothing to do with what I want. It's what I've seen and its what I know. Those men that died wanted to come back to their families, to their loved ones. We don't all get a choice."

It upset him that he was being reprimanded for not thinking he'd come home. It wasn't like this guy had seen what he'd seen. Done what he'd done. Even if he fought in the last war, the weapons were worse now. There were new tactics and it was harder and harder to survive.

"If you don't want me to see your daughter, I can't change that. But don't make it out to be because I don't want to come back to her. If I don't come back it's because I lost my life trying to make sure that she'd have a better future. That you, sir, would have a better future."

@ poe dameron

Margot's father frowned as he listened to William, not particularly liking the tone that William was taking with him, although he had to admit that he was impressed that William was standing up for himself. After a few moments of silence he uncrossed his arms from his chest and turned to head back to the house, although he paused after a few steps and turned back to William.

"If you want to keep seeing my daughter, that's fine with me. But I'd rather have you stay in the guest bedroom inside, so she doesn't have to go near the barn or any of your... friends.. if she wants to see you." He said before heading back to the house. Margot met him outside, and after a brief conversation in French she came running back over to him, looking up at him with wide eyes.

"What did he say to you..?" She asked nervously, fiddling with her fingers anxiously.

Will was not expecting that reaction. He had gotten a bit angry with her father and probably shouldn't have spoken to him that way, but it seemed to have worked out. He stood in the yard, a little dumb struck, until Margot came running up to him. It took a moment for his eyes to focus on her, as his eyes were still following her father as he walked into the house and disappeared. He blinked a few times, and changed his focus.

"He told me to stay in the house," Will said, in probably a confused voice. "He doesn't want you near the barn."

@ poe dameron

Margot frowned worriedly as William didn't immediately focus on her, worried that the conversation between him and her father had not gone well. She was shocked to say the least when he said her father had invited him to stay in the house with him, looking up at him in confusion.

"He.. He what?" She asked softly as he looked at her. "Are... Are you going to?"

"I mean... I guess I have to if I want to keep seeig you, right?" Will asked, looking towards the house again. Confusion was written all over his face. If he hadn't been part of the conversation, he wouldn't have believed it happened.

"Honestly that was one of the weirdest things I've experienced," Will said honestly. "And one time I watched my brother swallow a golf fish whole because I told him he'd be able to talk to fish if he did."

@ poe dameron

Margot frowned a little as he spoke, shaking her head a little. "You don't have to if you don't want to, William... I can talk to him, promise I won't go to the barn." She assured him, resting a hand on his arm gently as she reassured him, not wanting him to feel pressured into anything just because her father had caught them together.

"I'm sorry about him, William... He can be..." She tried to apologize, but she was unsure what to say to him now that her father knew about the two of them.

"No, don't apologize," Will said, looking back to her and shaking his head. "It was fine. Vaguely threatening, but fine."

He gave her a shall laugh then pulled her into a hug, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. If her father was okay with him staying in the house, that had to be a good sign, right? Granted, it was probably to keep an eye on him, but hey, it was a step in the right direction.

Will let her out of his arms so he could look at her as he spoke, "I'll accept the generosity."

@ poe dameron
(OMG I THOUGHT I REPLIED IM SO SORRY)

Margot was surprised when she heard him laugh, and the next thing she knew she was in his arms again, and he was pressing a kiss to her head. All she could do was smile and return his hug, tucking her face into his chest. William wanted to be with her, and was willing to risk being around her father to do it.

She smiled up at him as butterflies filled her stomach, keeping her arms around him loosely despite him pulling back, not quite ready to let go of him. "I'm glad.." she murmured, glancing back toward the house to make sure no one was watching, but because of the laundry hanging up and billowing in the wind, it provided the perfect cover for her to stand on her toes and press a kiss to his cheek without her having to worry that her father was watching.

(no worries! I haven't been on until literally right now )

"Not that I don't want your kisses," Will said, taking a small step backwards from her after she'd kissed him on the cheek, "But I don't want your father to come out here and see this and take back me being allowed to stay in the house. Better keep the affection to places your parents aren't, at least for a few days."

Really, he'd be happy looking like a love sick idiot. He was never adverse to showing affection for people, even though his dad would call him names for it. But, given the present circumstances, he just thought it better to keep things slightly more proper - in the eyes of their parents generation.

@ poe dameron

Margot blushed a little as he spoke, nodding a bit in agreement, although all she really wanted was to have him hold her like he had last night during the storm. "I suppose you're right... Would.. Would you want to eat dinner with me? We could go to the orchard I was telling you about, it's not too far, and my parents never go because they're afraid that bears or something will be there eating the fruit, even though there are no bears for a hundred miles." She explained, stepping away to feel the laundry to see how it was drying, unsure what else to do knowing her father was probably watching.

"Do you want me to hang up your clothes on the line? I'm sure they'll dry faster here than hanging in a tree.."

"Um, yeah, that would be nice," Will agreed, glancing over his shoulder. He held up a finger and jogged over to the tree. He grabbed his clothes and jogged back to where Margot was. He wasn't going to make her clean up after him, so he flung his clothes over an empty spot on the line, making sure they were laid flat and wouldn't crease up.

"The orchard sounds good," Will acknowledged once his clothes were up and properly drying. "It's a nice day, might as well make the most of the evening."

@ poe dameron

Margot watched as he ran off to get his clothes, frowning a little as he simply threw them over the line, moving over to straighten them out a bit more once he'd finished fussing with them. She nodded in agreement when he mentioned that it was a nice day, looking up at the clear sky before looking back at him. "Yes.. You wouldn't be able to tell that it had rained last night.." She murmured, tensing a bit when she heard her mother calling for her, but it was only to come help her with supper.

She turned back to William, a little blush on her cheeks as she looked up at him. "I can meet you here with dinner for the both of us, if you'd like... I can bring a blanket so we don't have to sit in the dirt." She offered nervously, hoping he'd agree.