Street Mouse [Yandere Archduke x Female Reader]

43. Summer Fireflies.

Summer came with barely any interactions between the Archduke and his ward. Even though things had stopped being awkward between them from the bathhouse incident, both were still very nervous about interacting with the other.

That is why it came as a surprise to Y/N when one fine late afternoon, she left the ballroom after her lesson with Ilidoro to find Frosino standing in the hall waiting for her. He told her to change into something suitable for riding and to meet him in the courtyard.

After Y/N put on a navy blue riding dress, she hurried down to the courtyard with nervous butterflies filling her stomach at the thought of what Frosino was planning. As she descended the staircase she saw Frosino fastening the last of his saddlebags closed. The butterflies re-emerged as she noticed that she and Frosino were wearing riding clothes in a matching color navy.

"Oh Y/N, you look lovely this evening," Frosino said as he turned to face her, not noticing her flaming cheeks. "I thought we should go for a ride and have a picnic together since it has been so long since we have done that."

Y/N nodded her head in agreement as her mouth had gone too dry for her to form words. Frosino offered his had to Y/N, and as she took it Frosino helped her up into the saddle. After that, the Archduke mounted his horse and led the way across the lowered drawbridge.

Y/N followed him down a very familiar path. Even though it had morphed and changed over the years, it was still recognizable. After a while, the pair reached a very special hilltop.

The view of the mountains sloping down into the village was the same as ever, but the hill itself had changed just as much as the two riders. The tree that stood at the very top had been a small sapling, but it had grown over the past few years and was now nearly a full-grown tree covered in sweet-smelling flowers.

After Frosino dismounted from his horse, he walked over to Y/N and picked her up from her saddle and spun her around. Y/N let out a small squeak as she felt Frosino's hands around her waist. He set her feet on the ground and turned to begin taking the picnic ingredients out of his saddlebags, again not noticing the blush on Y/N's cheeks.

They laid out the blanket together on the cool grass as the last rays of the sunset painted the mountainside a lovely shade of fire before the last light disappeared from the sky and the sun set beneath the horizon.

As the sun's light faded, one by one, the enchanting fairy-like fireflies emerged from the long grasses on the hill and began there courting dance, twinkling like the stars in the sky.

Frosino handed Y/N one of the sandwiches that Tola had specially packed for them. The pair ate in silence for a while, until Frosino finally broke it. "This view is truly magnificent. It is amusing to think that over the many years that we have come here, the view has remained the same. It would have been the same in the time of my father, and in the time of his father. One hundred years from now, I am sure that the mountains will not have changed at all. It is interesting to think that these mountains don't change as easily as people do over time."

Frosino was distracted by his philosophical rant that was much to complex for Y/N to understand. Having already finished her sandwich, Y/N decided to try and take Frosino's while he was busy rambling.

She stretched her arm out to grab it, but just as her fingers were wrapping around the fresh-baked slices of bread, Frosino's hand shot out and grabbed her by the wrist. "Hey, don't think I wouldn't see you trying to steal my food, you little bandit."

Y/N tried to scramble away, a bashful smile on her face, but Frosino pounced on her before she could. "Taking food isn't a very kind thing to do, I think I should teach you a lesson." He said in mock seriousness, a look of mischief in his eyes.

Before Y/N could wriggle out of his clutches, he pinned her arms down and started to tickle her furiously. Her shrieks of laughter cut through the stillness of the nighttime ambiance and were quickly joined be Frosino's deeper laugh as well.

Finally, the girl was able to gasp out, "A-alright, alright, I give up." After he heard this the Archduke stopped tickling her and just stayed there, as they struggled to catch their breath.

Y/N looked up at Frosino with large E/C eyes and a rosy tint to her cheeks. Frosino felt warmth creep up into his face as well as he continued to stare down at Y/N. The atmosphere that had been so innocent and playful a moment before dissipated as the sound of their laughter faded into nothingness.

The flush on Y/N's face deepened as she noticed just how close Frosino's face was to her's as he held her. The sweet perfume from the flowering tree on the hill filled the air, and the winking lights of the fireflies added to the intimacy of the moment. 

Frosino felt short of breath. He leaned his face closer to Y/N's, unable to resist the temptation of her rosy lips. Y/N's heart was pounding out of her chest as she saw Frosino's face coming nearer and nearer to hers.

Just before Frosino's nose brushed against Y/N's he came to his senses, and sharply pulled away. He quickly sat up and turned his head away so that Y/N couldn't see the embarrassed blush on his cheeks.

He was still having trouble catching his breath, and his head felt dizzy from being so close to Y/N, I can't believe that I almost kissed Y/N, Frosino thought, feeling an odd mix of relief and disappointment.

Y/N sat up as well, clutching at her burning cheeks as she tried to calm her still racing heart. I can't believe it, for a moment I thought that Frosino was going to kiss me, Y/N thought, a twinge of sadness gripping her heart.

"Let's s-see if there's anything else in the picnic basket, shall we?" Frosino asked, trying to distract Y/N from the awkward situation. He dug around in the basket for a minute before he re-emerged with a triumphant look on his face.

"Tola packed us some of her wonderful apple cider from last fall, that woman is blessed," Frosino said, happily taking the bottle and two glasses from the picnic basket.

He poured them each a glass, and they enjoyed the wonderful apple cider together and did their best to forget about what happened earlier.

A/N

I find it amusing how so many of the people reading this story have expressed displeasure whenever things start to get romantic between Frosino and Y/N.

I don't mind, I just think it's funny that you know this is going to happen in the book. Ever since you read the description, you knew, but still get triggered by it.

Anyway, I hope you are enjoying the book so far. Only ten chapters left now, so the end is coming fast.

Until next time I'll see you one the other side

~J. C. Coltt.~