Storytime
It was around noon when Hugo's hand slipped into Isabelle's outside of the flower shop. A sly smile was shared between the two as he pulled her towards one of the tiny entrances to inside the walls. No words escaped either's mouth; ever since Isabelle got overly excited about one of her books and shouted through the tunnels, scaring everyone in the station, they'd made the rule that Hugo had to speak first when they crawled through the walls.
They crawled through the door into his world, passing through secretly and silently until they reached the special spot that overlooked Paris and the Eiffel Tower. Isabelle sat leaning against the wall, positioning herself so that she could shift her gaze from the Paris skyline to Hugo's stunning blue eyes with just a slight movement of her head. She put her bag hesitantly on her lap, pulling out the book that she hadn't been able to exchange at the bookstore yet.
She glided her fingers over the cover, eyeing Hugo, who was busying himself by winding the clock effortlessly. He then plopped down across from Isabelle, stretching his legs out in front of him. Hugo raised his eyes as her book.
He could see the desperation in her face, the aching for him to ask about it, to say something. He chuckled, nodding towards it. "What's that, then?" Isabelle let out a sigh of relief and sat up excitedly.
She crossed her legs and shoved the book in his face. "Peter Pan! It's frightfully fascinating, written by J.M. Barrie. It's about a boy who didn't want to grow up…" Her face was enlightened as she spoke, giving her detailed synopsis of the story.
Hugo listened, as he always did, delighted by the way she spoke so passionately. She talked for a long time, keeping him entranced by the light in her normally dark eyes. When the clock struck 1, they were both exhausted.
Isabelle reluctantly put the book away and stood as Hugo suggested lunch, giggling as her stomach growled. The gnawing in the back of her mind started again as he intertwined their fingers. A shock ran through both of them when they touched, but neither knew about the other.
Following along, Isabelle gulped and watched as Hugo maneuvered through the walls. Their hands still connected, he helped her out of the hidden doorway and into the real world. The Station Inspector was with Madame Lisette, as usual, and Madame Emilie and Monsieur Frick's dogs were playing together outside the cafe. The inviting smell of ham and cheese croissants drew Hugo and Isabelle in, and Madame Emilie smiled when she saw them.
"Ahh, Isabelle, Hugo! Bonjour to you both. Care for some lunch? A spot of tea?" She gestured to the table behind her, full of steaming croissants and dozens of filled teacups.
Hugo nodded furiously, not speaking in fear of drooling from the scent. Isabelle laughed and squeezed his hand before letting go of it.
"Bonjour, Madame. Oui, I think we could both use some food. Could we have two H&C croissants?"
Madame Emilie nodded graciously, handing them each a plate with a croissant and a warm cup of tea. "On the house, loves. Have a seat wherever you like."
Isabelle grinned. "You're absolutely lovely! Thank you very much, Madame!"
They sat down at a booth near the band, happily filling their stomachs with the warm and delicious tea and croissants. The music grew livelier around 2 o'clock, and Isabelle could hardly sit still.
"C'mon, let's dance! Just one dance. Please? I'm really quite good! I could teach you! Please?" She pleaded, too distracted by the dancing couples to notice that Hugo had already agreed four times.
He rolled his eyes and grabbed her hand, pulling her up towards the dance floor.