Bambi and the Duke

~263 chapters updated until now~

It rained continuously and Vivian ran in the rain, her feet that were covered in boots stepping on the water that had accumulated. Stopping in front of the tower bell, her eyes searched for something or rather someone before her shoulders slouched in disappointment. Going to sit on the bench which was attached to the wall, she let her legs rest there for a while as the rain continued to pour down.

Closing her eyes, she consumed the sound of rain and the silence that it brought along with it. Suddenly the water droplets stopped falling on her as if the rain had stopped. Opening her eyes, she saw a pair of shoes which were covered in dirt at the top of it. Following the shoe up to see who it was she saw it was Leonard who held an umbrella with him.

"You are here," said Vivian looking at Leonard.

"I never went away," though his words were serious with his aloof expression looking at her, there was some kind of warmth in them which was enough to warm her up in this chill rain that she had been drenched in, "What were you going to do if I didn't come? Planning to spend the night out here?" he asked her as he held the umbrella for both of them but more on her side.

"I forgot and when I realized I came here immediately. I thought I missed you," that wasn't what it meant but it came out differently as she said that.

"Did you?" it was a simple question of yes or no but she took seconds to reply to it.

"Yes."

"Good," he seemed satisfied with her response, "I will forgive you with that. Come let's get you warm before you catch a cold," he offered his hand for her to take and she placed her cold ones to feel the same coldness on his which spoke the truth of how long he had stood here waiting for her.

Stepping under the umbrella but not too close to him at the thought of getting him drenched, she stood a few inches away. Out of nowhere, her nose tingled and she sneezed. He took out the coat he wore and put it around her, "Better..."

The simple gesture made her heart flutter further. She held the sleeve of his shirt to stop him, "Wait," she said looking up anxiously in his eyes.

"What is it?" he asked in a questionable look.

Due to the rain, her cheeks had turned pink and flushed in colour, "You...It was raining. You could have gone back home. And I was late," she said the last line in guilt for making him wait for so long.

"I did not wait for you after you didn't arrive. I got drenched in the rain and left," Vivian blinked in confusion.

"But...you are here."

"Something told me that you would come here, to fulfil a promise from my dreams. And just like an idiot, you came here without an umbrella."

She felt the word 'idiot' weigh heavily on her. Realizing something from his sentence, she asked, "What promise?"

Leonard walked to stand right in front of her. He stared into her eyes without blinking even once which made her heart stutter sweetly, "You promised to wait for me until I returned... and you did." A piece of her blonde hair fell on her face and he raised his hand, first testingly and then to tuck the hair behind her ear. Leaning forward, he hovered his lips on hers very slowly and it was when she raised her neck like a sunflower following the sun did he close the gap by placing his lips on hers.

He sucked on hers, biting and nibbling it before letting it go to say, "You taste just as I imagined you. Sweet," the word rolled out of his mouth before her eyes turned wide and her cheeks turned red with his unexpected remark.