Bambi and the Duke

Vivian was woken up by the dip of the bed next to her, making her eyes fly open in surprise in the dark to see Leonard who had come to lie down next to her. With her sleep filled eyes, she looked at me, a soft smile on her lips.

”Go back to sleep, Vivi,” she heard Leonard whisper to her gently.

But Vivan didn’t want to go back to sleep. Now that he was back home, she wanted to talk to him, ”What time is it?” she asked him sleepily.

”Past five in the morning. Sleep, darling,” he gently ran the back of his hand over her cheek.

”But you are here,” she spoke childlike making him chuckle.

”That I am. I am not going anywhere. I will still be here when you wake up in the morning,” he replied back. Vivian had been sleeping very soundly and it wasn’t that he wanted to wake her up or maybe his subconscious mind wanted to wake her up, to see those black eyes that stared at him sweetly.

”Hmm,” she hummed, her eyes beginning to close back again to fall asleep. In sleep, she caught one of his hand to bring it to her chest as she drifted to the dreamlands.

When morning arrived, Vivian felt an arm around her waist which was none other than Leonard’s. She did remember him coming to bed early in the morning but she had wondered if it was part of her dream. Seemed that it wasn’t, thought Vivian to herself. Not turning around to cause many movements, she slowly turned her head to look at the blonde hair in front of her.

Leo’s cheek was pressed against the pillow. It felt like this had happened before and then she realized it was the time when she was still a maid here. When Leonard had come to visit her room and had fallen asleep in the small bed. His long lashes touched his cheek, his pink lips closed. Long strands of his blonde hair rested on the pillow haphazardly.

She couldn’t believe a man like him had fallen in love with a girl like her. She was a simple looking woman, maybe a little pretty but not pretty enough to compete with other women of society. She felt fortunate to be loved by him. Her chest felt full just by looking at him. It had been a few days since he had kissed her or hugged her fully.

Sure he had kissed her forehead to wish her luck but she missed his lips on hers. Pressing it on her as he tasted her. She blushed by her own thoughts. Wanting to see if she could sneak in a kiss while he was still asleep, she leaned slow and steadily. Her lips aligned perfectly in front of him.

Though she hadn’t kissed him yet or made her lips touch hers, she could feel a magnetic pull form between their lips and right now, her lips only drew closer to his. Right before she could close in the gap, the eye that was closed opened to look right into hers in such proximity that it made her head dizzy.

In less than second, Vivian was rolled over with her back pressed against the mattress and both her hands that were pushed on either side of her head by his hands. Seconds turned to minutes but they didn’t speak. Staring at one another and waiting for the other to speak.

”What were you doing?” he asked her, his morning voice deep and husky.

”You were asleep,” she commented to see him not respond immediately.

”A mouse kept moving around me that I couldn’t ignore its advances,” he held her wrists securely on the bed, ”Were you about to kiss me, Bambi?” he asked, his words full of tease. Though Vivian wanted to respond to him with a smart answer, she could hardly think of one with the way he was looking at her.

”I wanted to kiss you,” she murmured, her eyes evading his. Feeling the grip tight, she looked back at him and the grip on her wrists loosened.

”Is that so,” he asked, his eyes freely roaming around her face while he sat with his legs on either side of her waist, not putting his weight on her he leaned forward. Vivian felt her heart hitch the way he was no with her, this predator like look in his eyes as if he were about to gobble her up.

He leaned enough, such that this time it was him who had his lips hovering above hers. His long strands of hair fell on her forehead.

She gulped, waiting for him to do whatever he wanted to do but the man was teasing her. Like he was the cat and she the mouse, dangling the little animal in front of the paws of the cat.

”Shall I kiss you?” he whispered sweetly on her lips.

Too shy to answer his question, she could do nothing but part her lips in anticipation. She saw him part his lips and she could feel her heartbeat this early in the morning like it had begun to exercise by the sight of the man in front of her. The closer he got to her, her eyes only began to close slowly on its own. She waited for the kiss, for his soft lips to touch hers but it never came. Confused she opened her eyes to see him staring at her, her heart dropped down.

”Can I taste you, Vivi?” he changed his previous question and saw the look of confusion still lingering those hauntingly beautiful eyes when they changed to one of embarrassment.

Vivian wasn’t naive to not understand what Leonard was talking about. His ruffled hair and unbuttoned shirt which showed the muscles beneath the shirt he wore made her toes curl. This feeling what she felt wasn’t foreign anymore. She had come to learn that it was always brought in the presence of Leo, his presence and words.

He was never one to speak much, his words were reserved for a very few people. And for Vivian, his words had always been gathered and thoughtful. She was special after all. The woman he had fallen in love years ago and was going to make her his forever.

It was funny how one couldn’t wait to seize the love while the other was ready to be seized.

Leonard’s lips slowly pulled up and then said, ”I won’t know unless you tell me. I need to know that this is what you want, Bambi,” he let go of her wrist. Moving aside, he stepped out of the bed leaving her confused as to where her kiss had disappeared. She sat up on the bed quickly.

Did he not want to kiss her? It couldn’t be that his feelings were transparent in front of her then why? Was it because she didn’t answer his question?

”What happened?” she asked him perplexed.

Leonard who was rolling up his sleeves looked over his shoulder to see Vivian with a lost expression as she waited for him to speak.

”Hmm?”

”Y-you, don’t want to kiss me...” the words came out of her mouth with a mix of a statement and question.

Understanding what had happened with him teasing her, she looked at him anxious which only made him want to take her back to bed. Not to sleep but to do things they both would savor and enjoy.

Walking to stand in front of her, he said, ”Believe me, Bambi when I say I very much do but right now it’s better to hold it off,” he touched her lips with his finger.