Fandom: Ikémen Vampire
Reader-insert: Female
Pairing: Jean d'Arc x reader
Genre: Romance
Warnings: None
Word Count: 890+
(a/n): This piece is my contribution to the Unloved Characters Month event that @the-moonlight-dreams is hosting!
Day 2 - Prompt: Picnic
Also, I've slightly introduced/mentioned my OC John Dryden here~ 💜 I hope you all enjoy it!
Special thanks to @tsukisukiworld and @lyrical-cynical for being such wonderful beings who always help me out~ 💜
When you proposed changing the time of the reading and writing lessons, you were met by Jean's outright refusal. You understood why he did not wish to study during the day, but unless he would prefer to skip the class, he had no other choice but to accept, for that night, Le Comte was hosting a masquerade party at the mansion. There would be too many guests and it would be hard to focus and practice with all those noisy guests around.
Heaving a long, resigned sigh, Jean considered that the best option was to hold the meeting earlier that day. So under the condition that the lesson took place somewhere where neither of you would be seen or interrupted, he accepted. And that is how you and the tall man ended up in a vast, verdant field decorated with a great number of exquisite and colourful flowers.
"Read the next verse and we are done for today," you informed him.
He nodded, grabbing the book firmly in his hand and began to read:
"When I consider Life, 'tis all a cheat;
Yet, fooled with hope, men favour the deceit;
Trust on, and think to-morrow will repay:
To-morrow's falser than the former day;
Lies worse; and while it says, we shall be blest
With some new joys, cuts off what we possesst."
A proud smile spread across your visage as his sonorous voice kindly blessed your ears. It was impressive how much he had improved ever since you offered to give him a hand. It took some time but now he was able to read complex works like John Dryden's plays and poems with little to no difficulty.
"Well done, Jean. You've become so much better at this!" Your praises prompted a faint blush to creep across his face as a gentle smile tugged at the corners of his cherub lips.
"Thank you, mademoiselle," he spoke in a low tone.
"It was so sweet of John to give us one of his most famous works," you said as Jean handed the book back to you. You let your fingertips run delicately over its finely-crafted cover, silently thanking the greater vampire for the wonderful gift. Nothing escaped his keen, golden eyes and upon discovering you've been teaching Jean how to read and write, he had given you a copy of Aureng-Zebe, his best heroic work as a token of his gratitude for helping one of the residents of the mansion.
Jean's eyes shifted to the basket resting next to you on the blanket you two were sitting on. "I've been wondering..." his voice trailed away for a moment.
"Yes?" you inquired as you gingerly put the book away in your satchel.
"What's that for?"
Following his gaze, you understood what he was referring to. "Oh! It's such a lovely day that I thought we could have a picnic after the lesson," you beamed.
He shook his head lightly. "Mademoiselle, I think I told you that food is nothing but a wasteful indulgence for us vampires."
"Well, I'm not forcing you to eat. But, if you want to indulge yourself... I won't judge you," you smiled sweetly at him.
"Besides, I've brought two bottles of Blanc for you," you informed him, fishing one of them from your satchel before handing it to him.
"One will suffice," he stated in a firm tone as he gently took the bottle from you.
Jean's amethyst eyes carefully followed your every move as, one by one, you placed the contents of the basket on the blanket.
"Mademoiselle, may I ask you a question?" he queried.
You lifted your gaze and were met with a frowning stare. "You're full of questions today, Jean," you joked with a smirk plastered on your beautiful face.
The raven-haired male cleared his throat clearly embarrassed by your teasing. "Why? Why do you insist on helping and spending your precious time with a monster such as myself?"
"I don't like it when you speak so ill of yourself, Jean. You're no monster." His frown deepened but before he was able to reply, you continued: "I like spending time with you. I enjoy your company very much, you know." You spoke, staring at the wonderful mauve clematises dancing with the breeze a few centimetres away from you.
A faint noise that sounded similar to a scoff escaped him. "It baffles me..." He released a sigh as you picked one of the clematises and softly twirled it between your thumb and index finger.
"You claim to be a monster but, really, someone so kind as you could never be one." Carefreely, you leaned closer to the older man and tucked the clematis behind his ear. Your hand lingered there as you played with his silky hair. "Ah, would you look at that~" you lilted. "You look like an angel now: ethereal and gorgeous."
You heard Jean's sharp, shocked intake of breath over the swift gust of wind that caressed his midnight locks of hair. His mouth was slightly ajar as he stared at you while his hand took a tender hold of yours. Your words shocked him greatly and he felt his cheeks ablaze. Never before had he been compared to a celestial being. He could not fathom the way you perceived him nor he was able to comprehend why his heart was racing wildly in his chest.
