A/N: I wrote this because there's almost no Bailey/Poppet fic on FFN and AO3 (and very little Night Circus fic in general, actually), and that makes me sad. Title is a Catching Fire reference, but the fic itself has no connection to THG.
Bailey reaches for Poppet's hand, as he has so many times before. But this time, rather than taking his, she draws away, as if repelled by the wrong side of a magnet.
He turns and faces her, surprised — and, though he does not wish to admit it, hurt. "What is it?" he asks.
She stares at her sleeve. "I shouldn't have kissed you yesterday," she says. "I'm sorry."
Bailey is now more confused than ever. "You … don't love me?" he whispers.
"I do love you," she replies, visibly frustrated. "I was just foolish and … I thought you loved me. I didn't realize it was the circus you loved. Not that I'm not glad for it," she adds hastily. "It would be nothing without you. And I am nothing without it."
Bailey studies the pebbles his shoes disturb with each step. "Well, I did decide to come for the circus. It makes me feel alive." He pauses. "But when you kissed me, I wasn't thinking about the circus. It was you I followed." He stops in his tracks, and so does she. "I'll always follow you."
Poppet scoffs, but even as she does so, she blushes. "You can't do that, Bailey. You're tied to the circus now," she says, a bit harshly.
"Then I'll have to hope you never leave," he replies under his breath, as much for his own benefit as for hers."
For an instant, Poppet's eyes grow wide, but she quickly recovers and squints. "Are you telling the truth?" she asks.
Bailey grins. It is the first time he has smiled in what seems like a very long time. "Why don't you try reading it on me?" he suggests.
Now Poppet scowls. "You know Widge's better at that than I am."
"How could I convince you, then?" Bailey asks, aware of the edge of desperation that has come into his voice.
"I'm not sure," Poppet says with a frown.
They stand silent for a moment, then Bailey steps closer to Poppet. She does not step back. In an instant, he finds her lips with his, cradling the back of her head with his hand. Both of them subconsciously close their eyes in pleasure, yet still their arms find one another as they embrace.
When they part, Poppet sighs. Whether it is from relief or infatuation, she is unsure.
"Are you convinced?" Bailey asks, smiling softly.
"Yes," she says. "I am."