Chapter Text
The afternoon breeze felt cool as it swept past the rose bushes, carrying several loose petals up with it in the air. Napoleon, who was leaning against a tree, reached out to the sleeping body in his lap and carefully tucked a stray hair away from her face. For the first time, he was the one who was watching her sleep instead of the other way around.
This had become a sort of a ritual for them--when Isabella had her day off, they would spend most of it in each other's company. Sometimes it was something as simple as spending time together inside the mansion, talking about their day or venting about something troubling them. Other times it was spent strolling through the Parisian streets to visit a cafe or hang out at the park. This mostly happens on her day off, since they often end up returning to the mansion just before dark.
Today, the weather was lovely with bright blue skies and just the right amount of cold. It seemed like such a waste if they didn't spend it outside, but since the carriage was currently in use, it would take too much time for them to travel up to their favorite spot. Instead, they decided to have lunch in the gardens underneath the giant tree in the corner. The thick canopy also served to provide some shade at any hour of the day, making it a nice little place to have a nap.
With their hunger sated, they had spent a few minutes chatting about various things until Isabella let out a yawn. Upon closer inspection, he noticed the tired features she had on her face. "Hm? Are you feeling okay?"
"Yes, I'm just a little tired." She answered, arching her back as she thrust her arms upward. "Sebastian and I had done some intense cleaning yesterday."
Napoleon closed the basket up, placing it behind him as he moved back closer to the tree. He motioned for her to sit on his lap, stretching his legs out and tapping a hand on his thigh. With a soft laugh, she stood up and complied with his request, smoothing her skirt down and positioning herself in front of him. Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, he leaned back until he hit the trunk, making her rest some of her weight on him.
"What are we doing?"
"Napping." He said, guiding her head on to his chest. "You need it after working so hard."
Isabella nodded and circled her arms around his waist, nuzzling into him. He used his cape to drape it over her legs, feeling her relax into his hold and waited for her to fall asleep first before closing his eyes.
Despite the less than ideal position, Napoleon did manage to get a few hours of rest. The rustle of the grass and gust of cold air woke him up, rolling his shoulders back a bit to relieve the small tension. Looking down on his beloved's face, he gently pushed her hair back behind her ear. The bright sunlight was gone, replaced with a dusty orange hue from the sunset over the horizon. Savoring a few more minutes of this stillness, he gazed at her sleeping face and smiled to himself. He would never tire of this, of seeing her face the first thing in the morning and the last thing at night.
As reluctant as he was to wake her, he knew that he had to. "Isabella," he whispered, caressing her cheek with his thumb. "time to wake up now."
She let out a soft yawn, her eyes fluttering open before they closed again as she pressed closer to him. "Ngh... Not yet..."
"Come on, sleepy girl. We can sleep more when we're back in bed."
Without looking, she reached a hand up in his face, her fingers bumping against his nose. "No. Sleep here."
He chuckled, feeling like some sort of alarm clock being snoozed. It made him wonder if this was a way for her to get back at him when she would struggle to get him up from the bed for breakfast. "Are you sure you want to keep sleeping here?" He asked, to which a single nod from her served as an answer.
Without warning, he shifted positions, leaning forward to gently lie her down on the blanket. Isabella opened her eyes, only to close them back again as he captured her lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck, letting out a soft sigh when he nipped on her lower lip before letting him deepen their kiss. The sweet affection in it soon grew into something more heated, savoring the moment just a bit more before he pulled away.
She looked up at him, cupping his cheek to give him a peck on the lips. "Mn, that's certainly one way to wake me up."
Napoleon couldn't help but give her another kiss. "Did I convince you to get up?"
"Give me a minute to think about it."
"Fine, you made me do this."
Before she could respond, he brought his hands to her waist and tickled her, smiling at the unbridled laughter coming from her. She squirmed and tried to swat his arms away, which only made him more determined as he slid them higher up her sides. "Ahh stop! Napoleon!"
"No, not until you're fully awake." He teased, continuing his assault on her.
It didn't take much longer for her to give up, bringing her arms around her to keep him from tickling her. He stopped when she yelled her defeat between ragged breaths, pulling his hands away from her before running a hand through his hair. Isabella let out a winded sigh, chest heaving from exertion. "I'm going... to get back at you for this."
It was his turn to laugh. "I'll look forward to your revenge on me then, nunuche."
She grinned as Napoleon moved to stand, bending a bit to grab the basket and offered her his free hand. Sliding her hand on his, she got up on her feet and carried his cape and the blanket in her arms as they headed back to the mansion.