~•𝓞𝓹𝓪𝓵𝓮𝓼𝓬𝓮𝓷𝓽 •~

4🪙

The glaring lights breaking through the greenery brought in Neuvulette's attention, making him worry even more about Wriothesley. He knows too well that the duke hated crowded areas.

As he exited the carriage with Furina, the summer air hit him in the face. It felt nice.
He walked over to the courtyard, lights aglow in all directions. As he walked further in, the people surrounding them crowded together in a dance.

Neuvulette looked around for the duke, but to no avail. He then looked for Furina, and of course, she was entertaining the crowds.
He sighed, and walked to a balcony overlooking a river. The greenery shrouded around him, covering his entrance.

After waiting for what seemed an hour, he still saw Furina mindlessly entertaining, yet no Wriothesley. He started thinking that the duke had forgotten or just didn't come, until...

"Hey."
Wriothesley appeared behind him, spooking the ludex.

"Oh, it's you."
"Sorry I'm late, I... Had troubles." The duke leaned on the railing.

Neuvulette leaned with him. "It's alright. I wasn't doing anything."

An uncomfortable silence fell over them.

Neuvulette peered over to wriothesley, seeing the side of his face aglow with the lights behind them. It made him look a little angelic. His heart hurt, after realizing that he had dragged him into spending time with him wriothesley never wanted to spend.

"I'm...sorry. I shouldn't have brought you here, you probably don't want to be here." Neuvulette could feel his face turn red from embarrassment. He felt silly saying his feelings out loud.

It took wriothesley a second to respond. "No, no, I'm sorry if I made it seem like that-" he stopped after seeing neuvulette turn away into the main area, the lights around him illuminating him.

Wriothesley reached out to grab his hand, but neuvulette had already turned the corner. Wriothesley wasn't ready to give up yet, and he pursued the ludex through the greenery. He was taken to a small bridge crossing a river that lead into a waterfall. Neuvulette saw wriothesley following him, and was confused.

"Why did you follow me? I thought you-"

"No." The duke cut him off. "I wanted to come here. I don't know why, but I feel..."

Neuvulette knew what wriothesley was going to say, and took his hands in his and held them as a sign of understanding.
They both smiled at each other, not knowing what to do.

"I'm not sure why I feel so embarrassed for bringing you here." Neuvulette said his thought out loud.

"I don't either. I'm... glad to be here with you." Wriothesley admitted.
In the darkness, on the bridge, the lights and commotion away from them doesn't bother either. Slowly, they both lean in until the ludex goes ahead and kisses the duke. Neither of them really care what might be happening around them, and only cared about each other.

When they pulled away, neuvulette smiled briefly before hearing louder commotion off to the courtyard.