Come Find Me

The next couple of days weren't very exciting for Will, but he did enjoy the much needed rest and relaxation. He ended up playing football with the other soldiers, the American ones calling it 'soccer'. He went back to the bar the following night and had a bit more to drink. That trip was a bit more fun, but he found himself wishing that Margot was there to have the same sort of fun he had. He didn't want her to miss out on the stuff that everyone else experiences, but he wasn't even sure why.

He hadn't seen her in two days, so he decided he'd take a trip into town to get her a little surprise. He picked up a bouquet of flowers, and on his way back to her house he planned out a little date idea in his head. He'd heard from the other soldiers that there was a nice path and a meadow that they liked to take girls to 'for a fun time'. He'd be taking her there just for a nice place to sit, not the fun time they were talking about.

When he was back at the barn, he waited until he knew that her parents were gone. He saw them leave, so he went up to the front door and gave it a few knocks, the bouquet behind his back. He knew her parents wouldn't approve. No parents did. Who wanted their daughter to engage with someone who she'd only know for two weeks, after all.

Margot had been upstairs in her room when she heard the knock, getting dressed after the bath she had taken. She knew her parents would be gone for the night, visiting her sick grandfather in the next town over, and so she was surprised to hear the knock at the door, although she assumed it was some soldier who was expecting dinner soon, despite her father having informed them that they would have to fend for themselves tonight.

She was surprised to see William standing at the door, however, blinking up at him in surprise. "William? Do you need something?" She asked, glancing around a bit nervously before her pretty eyes settled on him again.

Before speaking, William pulled the flowers out from behind his back and held them out to her with a smile. He looked her up and down, she looked quite beautiful in the dress she was wearing. Perhaps it was the colour that complimented her very well.

"Would you like to go on that date we talked about?" He asked, somewhat timidly. He was slightly afraid she'd been too off put by their last encounter to want to. He hadn't seen her since that night, but he didn't know how much soldiers usually saw her to judge if she'd go missing for days at a time. He felt like she was avoiding him nonetheless.

There was a moment where confusion clouded her features, but it quickly gave way to one of surprise and happiness, a blush creeping up her cheeks as she carefully took the flowers from him, pressing her nose into them to smell the delicate blooms. She looked up at him again when he asked if she'd like to go on the date, nodding a little, without any hesitation.

"Oui. Merci pour les fleurs. Je dois les mettre dans l'eau, et ensuite nous pourrons y aller." She said, hurrying back into the house to put the flowers in a vase of water before returning with a shawl wrapped around her shoulders. "Prêt?"

---

Yes. Thank you for the flowers. Let me put them in some water, and then we can go.
Ready?

"Oui," Will said with a smile. He turned and offered her his arm. Once she took it, the pair headed off the porch and down the road, towards the town. It was early afternoon, so he figured they could have a nice day long event, assuming one of them didn't decide to end it early.

"I thought we could get a small snack at that coffee place beside the grocer? Then I've got somewhere for us to walk, if you'd like."

Margot gladly took his arm when he offered it to her, smiling as they walked into town. "That sounds nice. Maman and Papa are out of town today and didn't leave much in the house to eat, so I was planning on going to the grocer anyway to get something to make for dinner... Do you need to get anything? I don't know what you will all eat if Maman isn't here to feed you.." She said worriedly as she glanced up at him. She wasn't sure if the army gave him rations or not, but she was sure that if he did have any they were likely not nearly as good as home cooking or fresh food, so she figured he might want to stop and get something for himself as well.

"We have money to get food, don't worry," Will informed her with a small smile. "We do get paid for fighting. Most people send their wages home, but usually they keep some when we get our break from action. Don't worry about making them food. It'll be okay."

He gave a little shrug, "Besides, we're used to barely having anything. We're used to skipping meals because we're under extreme fire. No need to worry about them having to fend for themselves sometimes. You need some time for yourself."

"Maman told me not to make food for anyone but myself, and not to let anyone in the house.. She's afraid that if I let any of the soldiers in they'll steal from her or do something terrible to me.. I had been planning on sitting inside all day, but I'm glad you showed up.. It's such a beautiful day, it would have been a shame to sit inside." She smiled a little as they walked, resting her head lightly against his arm, still a bit tired from the cold she was getting over.

"Do you send your wages home? To your mother?" She asked curiously after a few moments, lifting her head to look up at him.

"Hopefully she doesn't reprimand you for leaving with me," Will said, glancing at her before looking ahead again. "I wouldn't want you to get in trouble because of me."

He nodded in response to her questions, "My mother and my sister. My father died a year and a half ago, so me and my brother had to take over paying for everyone. My brother died a few months ago in the pacific, so now it's just me. I don't live with my mother and my sister, but they get most of my wages. I kept a bit for me for this two weeks, and mum puts away a little bit from everything I send for me if I get back alive."

"They don't get home until tomorrow, so I doubt she'll find out." Margot said with a little shrug, looking up at him intently as he spoke about his family, a small frown appearing on her features.

"I'm sorry about your father and your brother.. That must have been hard for you and the rest of your family... And you will make it back home alive, William. I'm sure of it." She gave his arm a little squeeze and offered him a reassuring smile.

"I'd rather plan on not," William said honestly, "Though I appreciate the optimism. I'm less scared if I just assume I'm not going to come home, I'm not sure why. More willing to do what I have to do to help the soldiers in my unit too. I'm not scared to die."

He stopped speaking for a few moments before continuing, "Not to be morbid or sad. But if you prepare for and expect the worse, you can only be pleasantly surprised."

Margot nodded a bit in understanding, although she squeezed his arm again. "I understand, but I'm sure your mother and sister are hoping you return home safe and unharmed, because I hope the same. I'd be sad if anything happened to you, Monsieur William.." she admitted softly as she turned to look back ahead as they approached the cafe.

"Ah, you'll live," Will said with a small laugh. He didn't mean it in a rude way, he was more joking and trying to lighten the mood a bit for her sake. He was okay with dying, but most people were very opposed to death.

He opened the door to the cafe once they reached it, leading Margot inside. There was only a small line, and soon it was their turn to order. He looked at her, not wanting to be rude by ordering first.

@ poe dameron

Margot thanked him as he held the door for her, looking over the menu while they waited before ordering a sandwich and a pastry before turning to William. "I can order for you, if you'd like.. And are we eating here or going somewhere else?" She asked, looking over all of the pastries behind the counter.

"We can eat outside, the little chairs weren't full," Will said. He looked around at the pastries quickly, before turning his attention to the lady who was working. He knew his accent wasn't very good, but he at least knew how to say coffee. "Un grand café au lait s'il vous plaît... Et..." He pointed at one of the pastries with a smile. "Et... un sandwich au fromage et jambon."

The lady nodded and gathered their ordered items. She told him the total and they exchanged money for goods. Will gathered it all in his hands, surprised he could balance both their orders, and nodded towards the outside. "After you, m'lady."

@ poe dameron

Margot smiled as he suggested they eat outside, and couldn't help but giggle a little as he ordered his food, quietly offering him the correct pronunciations of the words he'd especially butchered, although he was better at speaking the language than most of the other soldiers in town. Once they had their order she led the way back outside the cafe, holding the door for him before heading over to a little table in the shade, carefully taking the cup of coffee from his hands before he spilled it, setting it down as she took her seat.

"So, what have you been doing the past few days? Have you found a better dance partner?" She asked with a little smile as she took a bite of her sandwich, humming a little in satisfaction at the taste. This happened to be her favorite cafe, and she hadn't eaten here in years because of the war, so it was nice to be able to eat her favorites again.

"Nothing too exciting, honestly," Will stated, putting everything down onto the table she'd picked. He settled into a seat before picking up his sandwich and taking a bite. Nothing special, but it was still a good ham and cheese sandwich. "Playing some sports with the other soldiers, talking and laughing. Went back to the bar the other night, too. Stayed longer that time, had a bit more fun. Probably because I drank more."

He laughed and gave a little shrug, picking up his cup of coffee and taking a small sip. Much, much better than the stuff they had at the front.

"I wish you were there though. Would have been more fun with you as my partner again."

Margot nodded a little as she listened to him talk about what he'd been up to while she ate her sandwich, taking a sip of the lemonade she'd ordered. She was glad that he seemed to be having a good time on his time away from the front, knowing that it must be like heaven for him here compared to the front, although she'd never experienced it herself, so she was only assuming.

She blushed as he said he wished that she'd been his partner again, looking up at him sheepishly as she finished her sandwich. "Really..? But I kept stepping on your toes, and we didn't stay out nearly as late as everyone else.. Wouldn't you rather dance with Fleur or Colette?"

"If I'm honest, I don't think Fleur is... I shouldn't finish that, never mind. I don't remember which Colette is. So many of the girls your age look the same."

He wasn't meaning to be rude, but none of them stood out to him the way that Margot did. Sure, she had the same hair colour, makeup style, and clothing as everyone else. But there was something about her that stood out to him, something that made her seem different and special.

"You're the partner I want."

Margot blushed brightly as he spoke, looking at him with wide eyes. A slow, faint smile spread over her lips after a moment, looking down at her plate shyly while she took another bite of her sandwich. Every boy in school growing up had always wanted to go out with Colette or Fleur, and the soldiers that had been staying in town were no different... Except for William.

"...Maybe we could go dancing another time, if you wanted.." She offered softly after a moment, glancing back up at him after a moment.