Mari cannot help but smile as she stared up at Jude, her arm resting on him. The couple walking slowly in the moor, the cold breeze messing their hair up.
The weather's not perfect, she is certain it'll rain but Jude insisted they'll go out now, and so, they did. Mari fetched the intricate cane his brother gave him a few months prior.
"This isn't so bad," she blurted out, leaning closer to him, a satisfied grim still plastered on her face.
Jude answered with a curt nod, leading the way to the unknown though every now and then, Mari would maneuver them to another direction without saying anything.
They were walking and talking for half an hour now when the rain began to drop. Mari bit her lower lip, fearing that Jude would get angry - insisting that this is one of the reasons why he prefers to stay indoors.
She eyed the raindrops falling down on their shoulders wearily.
"Stupid me, we should've gone tomorrow," uttered Mari, and before he could reply, she leads him to the nearest oak tree but when they reached it, they're already half-drenched, their hair soaked.
Their back against the trunk, Mari frowning at the now hard downpour. Wincing how far away they are already from the manor, and by the time they returned, they are already long drenched in rain.
Her eyes shifted from the rain to her companion, their bodies pressing against each other, squeezing as they tried to avoid the rain, his arm around her shoulder to keep her from slipping.
To her surprise, her ears picked up his soft chuckle, confused, her brows knitting, and said, "Yeah, yeah, laugh all you want, Master Jude,"
His grip around hers tightened, her cheek only a few inches from his chest, "You know, I've never experienced playing in the rain, or getting soaked in one intentionally," he responded with a hoarse voice, his beard and his long hair soaked to the fullest, dripping into hers which he seems not to notice but she decided not to comment about.
"Really? Even as a child?"
"Really. My father, well, let's just say he opposed such acts as this, confining me and Charles in the house, forcing us to dedicate our time studying," he replied, his voice far-away as if in his head, he is reliving those moments.
Looking up at him, Mari felt a tug in her heart. Oh, she cannot imagine this man being deprived of such mundane things as this. When going back to her childhood, playing in the rain, whether alone or with kids back in Eyam always comes to her mind.
No clue what to reply, she just rested her cheek against his bosom, his arm still wrapped around hers.
"He was so damn scared, my father, despite how my mother always reassures him. Thinking a little rain would kill his delicate little heirs," he added, followed by a frustrated chuckle.
She looked up at him, still, her cheek against his chest, gently brushed the rain from his temple with the back of her hand, before saying, "it's not too late. How old are you? 38? 39? We could still play in the rain like we're little kids,"
Instead of smiling as she expected him to, he frowned, "I'm only 34, Mari. Do I look like a man at that age? A man almost half your age?"
Wincing at her honest mistake, "The point is, we are never too old to play, so come on now, please," she replied, not answering him, flashing him a faint smile despite knowing he won't see it.
Still, he did not drop the subject. "But really, do I look like that age? Damn, you must've looked like my daughter all this time," he looked so frustrated as if it's the end of the world. Then shortly apologizing for cursing in front of her to which she only nodded, forgetting his blindness.
Mari let out a soft chuckle, lightly pinching his cheeks, "You're only a few years older than me, no biggie,"
That only made him frown more, slumped his shoulders, and replied in a stressed voice, "12 years is not considered as a few years, Mari,"
Eager to end the subject, tiptoeing, she planted a quick kiss on his brow before saying, "It is to some,"
"I'm pretty sure everyone would agree with me, young lady,"
Wincing once more, "But the issue of age gap can be subjective, you know,"
But he did not reply, as if his mind is busy calculating, stressing over their age gap, if he truly looks like her father or hermit uncle.
"Come on, let's enjoy the rain," she exclaimed, changing the subject, holding both his hands to lead him but he only shook his head.
"Forget it, I'm in no mood anymore. I'll most definitely look like a father chasing his daughter in the rain. Just how ridiculous would that be?" he grumbled which made her chuckle.
"It's not like people would see us, besides, really, Master Jude. You do not look like my father, I am not joking with you," she insisted, slightly shaking his arms but again, he remained standing in the shade, frowning, frustrated.
"And besides, how can you have a child when you're only 12?" she added with such a blithe voice.
"God works in a mysterious way, my darling," commented him, lightly trying to shake her hands off his.
"As you say, Father," she teased and without any warning, she dashed away from him, unto the rain, her laughter filling the surrounding.
"What did you say?" He roared back, though his voice amused and then chased her, not bothering to use the cane for he knew he's safe since the ground is stable, only grass, besides, despite being blind, he could follow her with just her voice.
"Forgive me, I meant grandfather," she responded, grinning, thus raising both her hands upwards, feeling the raindrops.
"You bad girl, you ought to be punished for being naughty," teased Jude, chuckling as he followed her voice, his hands lifted midair, trying to catch her.
"I really don't know about being a bad girl for I am already twenty-two, Master, though comparing from your age, I am not only a child, but more like a fetus, maybe?" roared Mari in laughter.
"You better be sure I would not catch you, you minx!" hollered Jude back, grinning as he attempted to catch her by following the sound of her laughter.
"Scratch that, you're my great-great-great-grandfather. Tell you what, I wouldn't be surprised if it was you who gave the stone to David to defeat Goliath," with that, both of them laughed as she dodged him, encircling him.
"Don't tell me you were there when Moses presented the 10 commandments and when he parted the sea," she added, slowing down a bit since her clothes were all drenched now, so was his.
When at last, he did manage to caught her, embracing her from behind since Mari only moved from one spot to another only a couple of times, making sure her voice can be heard still despite the loud downpour, Mari tried to escape momentarily but Jude's had her secured already in his broad arms, his soaked beard tickling her.
And so, pressed against him, Jude sat in the ground, dragging her with him, thus, her sitting in his lap, both all wet, laughing, Mari trying to unclasped his hands over her waist then without any warning, he began tickling her, causing her to abruptly laugh like a madwoman, squirming against him.
"Sto-stop, please," she pleaded in between her laughter but he did not listen, instead, he continued tickling her waist then to her shoulders, all while her hands were trying to stop his hands from moving.
When at last, he surrendered, Mari felt too tired from laughing to say anything. And so, she rested her head to the crook of his neck while catching her breath, still sitting in his lap, his hands still secured protectively around her waist but dared not to tickle her no more, all while the hard downpour continues.
They just sat there, clinging to each other in their drenched clothes, now silent, her head still rested on his shoulder, his chin on top of her head, caressing her short soaked hair.
Mari is well aware of their state, her boobs pressing against his chest but both said none about it, afraid that as soon as they uttered one word regards it, the spell would soon shatter.
"It's been months, why does your hair take so long to grow? Not that I hate it, well, I do hate it because it makes you seem so goddamn young," he exclaimed a moment later, stroking her medium-length blonde hair, his other hand wrapped around her waist, steadying her.
"Perhaps because I did cut it without bidding goodbye to it and yes, Master, that is a thing, don't give me that look," she answered then chuckled when he saw his brows knit in disbelief.
As a reply, he only kissed her, biting her lower lip. "Nevertheless, that's your punishment," he murmured hoarsely, their lips still lightly touching.
"And this," added Jude as he rained kisses down to her neck which tickled her even more.
It was minutes later when they decided to head back, walking with her hand around his hip, his arm enveloping her shoulders, grinning.
When they reached his room upstairs, Mari immediately rekindled the fire, all while Jude sat all drenched up in the bed, and by the looks of him, he was freezing.
Quickly after fending to the fire, she fetched a fresh set of clothes for him, but he remained sitting there, his teeth chattering.
'oh, my poor muffin,' thought Mari as she searched for his clothes in the drawer a few feet away from her freezing companion. She should've insisted they go back after only a few minutes in the rain.
Kneeling before him, she began wiping his face then his hair with the clean towel.
"You should change first, Mari," he murmured, his trembling cold hands trying to unbutton his three-buttoned shirt but seeming to struggle with it.
Without any second thoughts, with the towel now around the back of his neck, she began unbuttoning his shirt for him then with ease, her hands went to the end of his shirt, then took it off him.
Her eyes staring at the numerous scars around his body, it was not the first time she saw these. She already saw them many months ago, it was when she entered the room with his fresh set of clothes she just mended and he was at the bath that time, oblivious to her presence. She was surprised, of course, but she dared not to comment about it. Afterward, she felt guilty for looking then, her heartache as she thinks of what really happened to him.
However, at this moment, she seemed dazed at quickly changing him to a set of dry clothes since her eyes swiftly ran over his angry-looking scars all across his skin as if she saw them for a million times as they proceeded to undress him.
Then, she grabbed the towel around his neck then began dapping into his chest then to his back, "I could manage, darling. You should go to your room and change before you catch a cold," his voice sounded frustrated and desperate as if he was in utter pain.
However, Mari seemed oblivious regards it since she swiftly continued drying him off then she shook her head, exclaiming, "Nonsense, it is you who I am worried about,"
Then she began unbuttoning his trouser when she felt his hand gripped her. With that, she looked up, and there, she saw him breathing hard, catching his breath, his brows slightly furrowed, his mouth into an ajar, and said in such a strange tone, "Please, darling, could you just follow me?"
Confused, " bu-but-", her hand still near the opening of his trousers.
"For the love of God and all the saints in the world, just let me be for a minute, please, Mari, I beg you," he exclaimed, his neck turning red and when her eyes shifted back to her hand, her eyes caught sight of his bulging manhood, bulging than usual, not that she looks at it but the point is, he's aroused.
In that instant, her eyes turned wide, rose from the ground, feeling red from head to toe as she raced towards the doorway, back to her room but before she fully left him, she saw him pulling his hair in frustration, his skin still flushed, his eyes closed tightly, as if still in pain.
As she began stripping down in her bed-chamber next door, her heart was still beating fast, her head throbbing as if she was torn between confusion and excitement.
Letting out a soft long sigh, she forced herself to stop thinking nonsense, that it's improper for such a lady to think of obscenities. Even staring at that part of a male is highly prohibited, what more thinking about it, worse, when she'll be all naked here knowing he, too, is naked behind this thin wall.
Shaking her head, she swiftly changed into a dry frock then sat in her bed, staring at the hard downpour outside.
Before, when she recalls the rain, the first thing that'll pop into her mind was her playing with the other kids back in Eyam. Now, it is with Jude, her sweet Jude, all their laughter and kisses.
Perhaps, even if it rained, his first day outside after a year, it isn't so bad. Laggardly, she stretched into her bed, closed her eyes, and before she knew it, she was fast asleep, smiling as her mind recalled what occurred outside.
Meanwhile, in the next door, Jude quickly changed into his dry clothes as soon as Mari left, his manhood still throbbing.
He cannot believe his darling just tried to cloth him, truth be told, it was both arousing and degrading, feeling all useless.
Especially now that she definitely saw his humiliating scars. Scars he tried hard to hide, she probably thinks he's a monster now. Of course, he knows he is, he just can't digest Mari thinking that.
Somehow, he thought of that blind friend of hers back in Eyam. He cannot help himself from wondering if they too played in the rain and she assisted him to change his clothes, stressing over if she saw that Benedict was naked or not. Jude shook his head from such thoughts.
For the numerous months she'd been here, he had too-many-to-count arousals in which he all forced them not to take notice.
He is a human, after all, sometimes, he'll let himself masturbate in the middle of the night, the time where the reason behind all this is fast-asleep next door but never did he do it during the day since he knew she has a habit of going inside without knocking.
And so, now, despite his painful eagerness to just slip his hand down his manhood, he dared not to do so. Worse, whenever he does that, he ends up imagining it was Mari's hands that were wrapped around his aching cock, that perhaps, she'll lick his shaft with her sweet warm tongue of hers, and always, he ends up whimpering, moaning her name.
Instead, he buried his head to the pillow, forcing himself to just freaking sleep since as usual, any minute now, Mari would enter the room and if not, in just a few hours, she'll arrive with the supper in which for the whole time, never did she left his side, talking while he eats.
Not gonna lie, Jude has gotten used to his companion. In fact, he anticipates it greatly, loves how she never left his side despite how immature he is, how douche he is, how worthy he is of leaving, how undeserving he is of such a sunny girl like her.
God, what did he do in his past life to bless him with a girl like her, she's everything he had no idea he wanted until she stormed right here. Well, thank the heavens for his brother.
It was not just lusting he feels for this girl, that's he's sure of. He's no foreign to lust, all the time he spent on the court, it's all about it. Wealth, lust, and power but never about love.
With Mari, it's all that matters. That word he remembered wincing from back then.
This may sound corny but she is his safe haven, with her, he always felt safe, felt that life back then is nothing but a joke, that this is what he yearns for. Sometimes, he finds himself happy that he got blind since it brought her to him.
He fell asleep smiling.
Jude was awakened by the sound of Mari's soft footfalls, he dared not open his eyes since he doesn't really change anything. Whenever he does this, his brother would let out a disapproving sigh but with Mari, she doesn't seem to mind.
Jude sat, his back against the wooden headboard, his nose automatically registering her comforting floral fragrance.
"Oh, Master Jude, I do pray you won't catch a cold," she uttered as she placed the tray in his lap then sat beside him, putting the back of her hand onto his forehead.
He jolts in joy whenever she calls him in that intoxicating endearment.
"Don't worry, that wouldn't happen," he replied, flashing a grin, feeling slumped beside her.
"Just make sure because if you do, then that only proves you're an old, old man, Master," she exclaimed, and now, it is his turn to slumped his shoulders, frowning.
It was then followed by her laughter, then she told him to eat his meal all while they sat together in his bed as if nothing embarrassing happened a while ago.
"Now kiss me so that wouldn't happen," he said, grinning.
She looked at him with brows meeting, arching her brow, confused and so, when she did not answer, he explained, "Prevention is better than cure, my sweet darling,"
She jokingly rolled her eyes heavenwards but still, she planted a quick kiss on his cheek which was so quick, he barely felt it, then she was rewarded with a teasing frown from him.
"Finish your meal and I'll see what I can do, you naughty muffin," she concluded, grinning.
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Hope you're all well and safe, loves! Sorry it took long to update. Also, a little update concerning my future works. I was thinking of writing a m/m historical romance, what do you think?