Come Find Me

"We can go for my last night before I'm shipped off to the front again," Will decided. He took another bite, allowing his mind to drift back to what was to come. His life, at the moment, was in a weird state of feeling very normal, and yet so painfully odd. The looming battles he would have to face were the cause.

"It'll be a nice memory to keep while I'm off wherever they're going to send me," Will continued. "Keep my spirits up. I can drift off to sleep thinking about dancing with a pretty French girl."

Margot smiled a little at his suggestion, blushing faintly as he spoke about having a nice memory when he was off at the front. "I suppose it would be nice being able to remember dancing with a handsome English soldier..."

"Don't you have another week before you get shipped off? Or do you have to leave for the front early?" She asked curiously, although a little frown spread across her features at the thought of him leaving early.

"I've got ten more days," Will said. He paused, pulling up his hands and counting on his fingers quickly. He wasn't sure he'd actually got that right. "Yeah, ten. I've got loads of time before I'm back to hell on earth, don't you worry."

He gave her a smile, then continued on his sandwich and coffee. It wasn't long before he was finished the food and was onto the pastry he'd gotten. It was like heaven.

Margot nodded a little as she watched him count out the days on his fingers, giggling a little as she reached over to count out with him, gently tapping her finger to his as they counted. "Huit... neuf... dix. Oui, dix jours." She smiled. "Dix jours... Que ferez-vous avec vos dix jours?" She asked curiously.

She too finished her sandwich and started eating her pastry, smiling a little at the sweet taste. "Is yours good?" She asked softly.

---

"Eight... nine... ten. Yes, ten days."
"Ten days... What will you do with your ten days?

"Yeah, it's great," Will nodded. He held it out towards her, giving it a pointed look and eyebrow raise. "Try a bite. I don't have cooties, I promise I won't get you sick."

He scratched his head for a moment, contemplating her other question. "I'm not sure what I'll do, really. Try not to think about anything military related. No guns, no ammunition, no planes, no trains, no Nazis. None of that shit- sorry, stuff. I'm just going to try to be a normal bloke."

Margot blinked a little when he offered her a bite of the pastry, leaning forward across the table to take a small bite, humming a little as she nodded. "Mmm. It's good. Do you want to try mine?" She offered, holding her pastry out to him, wanting to be kind and return the favor.

She smiled a little as he spoke about being normal and not thinking about the war. "Hm. That seems reasonable... Maybe you can go swimming in the river with the other soldiers. I heard a group of them talking about going tomorrow, the weather is supposed to be very nice for it." She suggested as she sat back in her seat and finished her glass of lemonade.

He leaned forward to take a small bite of her pastry, making a 'that's good' face as he leaned back into his chair - though he liked his more. This place was good at what they did, to say the very least.

"Is there anywhere on the river we could go swimming instead?" Will asked. He was positive she wouldn't want to go swimming with the other soldiers, and he frankly didn't want to either. The less he was around his fellow combatants, the better.

Margot smiled a little as he made a content face after he'd tasted her pastry. "French pastries are the best. I bet once you return to England you'll miss them, and you'll be forced to come back for more." She teased softly, giggling a little as she finished her pastry.

Her face flushed red when he asked her if there was a place to go swimming with him, shrugging a little as she shook her head. "I.. I don't know... I can't swim, so I wouldn't know.. Although, I've heard Marie talk about a spring somewhere nearby where she likes to bring her dates.. N-Not that you're my date, or anything.." She was quick to correct her mistake, not wanting to assume that this was something it wasn't. After all, it couldn't be anything, he would be gone in ten days, and she'd go back to her life.

"I wouldn't let you drown, don't worry," Will said, finishing his coffee. He stretched his hands over his head before standing up and streching his back as well. He held his hand out after he was done for her to take, a grin across his lips.

"You find out where the spring is, and I'll take you. Maybe even teach you to swim. Then at least I can tell people at the front I accomplished something while on leave."

Margot blushed as she took his hand, standing and linking her arm through his once more as they began to walk away from the cafe. "But I don't have a swimsuit, and I'm fairly certain swim trunks aren't a part of a soldier's uniform." She teased with a little laugh, imagining how silly he would look at the front wearing nothing but swim trunks. "It would be very impractical."

She let him lead the way to whatever spot he'd decided to take her, happy to just follow along if it meant she could spend time with him. She knew she'd be upset when he had to leave, but she figured she should at least try to have some fun now while she could, before her life went back to it's old routine.

"What would you do for work when you go home?" She asked after a while, looking up at him.

"We could always go swimming in our knickers," Will pointed out. He was only half joking when he said it. He wasn't opposed to swimming in his undergarments, but he supposed someone as shy and reserved as Margot definitely would be. "I guess you're right though, it is a little impractical. I guess we can skip swimming."

He lead her towards a path that one of the other soldiers had told him about, but he wasn't even sure if they were going the right direction.

"I was a carpenter," Will said. "Built houses. Nothing exciting, but I'll probably go back to doing that."

Margot blushed as he suggested they swim in their knickers, squeezing his arm a little. "Hmm, I don't know... Do people usually do that sort of thing when they take people out on swimming dates? It seems a little odd to me, but if it's something you'd like to do..." She shrugged a bit. She wasn't entirely opposed to the idea, surprisingly, but she wouldn't dare go unless it was only him going with her, not wanting to run into any of the other soldiers.

"Did you like it?" She asked curiously as he talked about his old job, smiling up at him as she followed him along the path. "I bet the houses that you built are lovely.. Maybe you can build your own house one day, or a home for your mother and sister."

Will decided they'd revisit the swimming issue if the opportunity to go arose again. He wouldn't want to pressure her into doing something she didn't want to do - like swimming in her underwear. He understood that there were a lot of risks involved in that for a woman, especially with a man she hardly knew.

"I didn't mind it," Will said, giving a small shrug. "I was on part of a team, my boss was my uncles friend's cousin or something. I don't really remember how we knew them. But anyways, half the team is dead from the war, now, so I don't think I'll be making many good houses for a while. We'll have to rebuild the whole business, I think."

It wasn't funny, but he forced a small laugh and gave another shrug. He knew it would all work out for him if he managed to get back home, he just didn't know how.

Margot frowned as she listened to him, giving his arm a little reassuring squeeze. "I'm sorry about your friends.. I'm sure you'll figure something out, though. My cousin is a carpenter, and has always wanted to go to England, maybe after the war he could come work for you." She suggested with a little smile. "He can learn English from you, and you can practice your French with him."

She laughed a little at the idea before looking around the path they were following, trying to figure out where he was taking them. "So, where are we going? Or are we just getting lost?"

"No, some of the other soldiers talked about a path that was nice to walk down..." Will said, looking along the edge of the forest they were beside. "They said its somewhere here, it just goes into a meadow in the middle of the woods."

He gave a little shrug as they continued to walk. It wasn't long before there was a small opening in the trees, and a dirt path was evident. Will pointed triumphantly down the path, turning to lead them down that way.

"I wasn't lied to. Marvelous."

"Hm. Hopefully we won't get lost.." She murmured as he led her along the trees, smiling a little when he pointed out the path. "Alright, soldier, lead the way." She said encouragingly, although she was mentally taking note of how far they'd walked from the town, wanting to remember the way in case they got turned around.

"Why do the soldiers like to come here?" She asked curiously after a while, looking around the forest to see if any of his fellow soldiers were around. She'd always stuck to the fields and town, and had never wandered too far into the trees, but she thought it was beautiful the way the sun shown through the leaves.

Will wasn't sure if he should answer her. He didn't want to lie to her, but he also didn't want to say that he was bringing her to a place that soldiers would come to get away from the young woman's parents and get a quick lay before they went back to the front. Perhaps a more gentle way of putting it?

"Well, most of them come here for a bit of privacy and some, um," Will paused again, trying to think of how to say it, "some womanly comfort... before they get shipped back to the front. Thats not why I brought you, I swear, I just thought it would be a place you enjoyed since you didn't seem to like the hustle of the dance floor. It should be quiet and a nice place to just... be."

Margot's cheeks turned bright red as he explained why soldiers came all the way out here, tensing up a little despite his reassurance that that wasn't why he was bringing her here. She knew that if he really wanted to have her that way he could, as he was much stronger than her and could overpower her easily if he wanted, but she didn't think he was the kind of person to do that, and so she told herself to relax as he continued to lead her down the path, nodding a little as he explained why he thought she'd like to go to the meadow.

She smiled faintly up at him, giving his arm a little squeeze. "It... It sounds nice.. Although I hope there isn't anyone there now doing... You know.." She blushed brighter, clearing her throat awkwardly as she looked away.

"Well if there is, we can just turn around and leave," Will said with a laugh. "I apologize in advance if you have to see some gross GI's arse."

He could tell she was a bit more on edge now that he'd mentioned why people usually come out onto the path. He didn't blame her. He knew that he could easily force himself on her, he was about a head taller and a lot more muscular. He wouldn't do that, though, so she really had nothing to worry about. But he did understand her concern.

"I don't how how far along into the forest it is," Will confessed. "Hopefully we're not in here until night fall."

Margot blushed at his comment about seeing a soldiers butt, although she giggled a bit when he laughed, relaxing a bit as they continued to walk. "That would definitely not be something I would want to see.."

She held onto his arm a little tighter the further they walked into the woods, especially when he mentioned them being out until night. "We can always turn back and look for the meadow some other day, it's supposed to be cold tonight... And if we do end up back at the house late, you can come inside and warm up before bed, I'd hate for you to catch a cold.."