The Show Must Go On
Neuvillette/Furina 🌧️🍰
Summary: Neuvillette always puts work above all else. But one day, Furina decided to drag him to a small theatre performance. He didn't even expect that such a simple outing would be so fruitful.
A summons to a murder trial… A summons to a trial on… A summons to…
He blinked a few times as the letters danced before his eyes. He signed another document and then set it aside. He felt as if he had been going through over a hundred pages since morning, but when he looked up, the pile of summons was not getting smaller—quite the opposite. Now and then, Meluzyna would come in with another stack of documents.
He sighed quietly, feeling the throbbing in his head growing. He couldn't bear to look at the summons to the trial any longer. Even a few seconds' break would be a relief. He stood from the desk and heard a soft crack in his spine. He should start stretching more often.
He went to the window and looked at the city panorama. The sun was slowly setting behind the horizon, painting the sky with shades of orange. The streets were almost empty at this hour; only some shopkeepers were still standing behind the counters of their shops as if waiting for a lonely traveller who would decide to buy something.
Now and then, a couple would pass by, enjoying the cool evening air. Neuvillette watched them with curiosity. Human behaviour was incredibly fascinating to him, especially anything related to feelings.
His gaze fell on one of the couples—a girl dressed in a long, puffy dress the colour of the morning sun. In one than,d she held a small umbrella in the same colour, and in the other, the hand of a young man, who was swaggering next to him like a peacock. Besides, in his red outfit with purple accessories, he resembled the bird a bit. The young man leaned closer to her ear and had to tell some funny anecdote because she smiled slightly.
Neuvillette watched them carefully as they approached one of the large houses. The girl was about to leave when suddenly the young man bent down and picked one of the rainbow roses growing in the small garden under the windows of the house. He moved closer to his chosen one and slowly inserted the plant into the strands of her hair. Even from here, Neuvillette could see that she was slightly embarrassed, and if he had been standing on the street, he would probably have noticed her cheeks turning red. The young man leaned down again, but this time, he took her hand and placed a gentle kiss on her skin.
Suddenly, the door to his office flew open. Before he could turn around and see who had entered, he heard a melodic and well-known voice.
"Monsieur Neuvillette~"
Furina burst into his office as if she lived there. Although, considering how many times she had spent the night here while he worked late, that statement wouldn't be so far from the truth.
Neuvillette turned and looked at her. He saw her almost every day, but each time,e something drew him towards her even more than before. Maybe it was her cheerful nature or the characteristic twinkle in her eye. Neuvillette had no idea. However, he was aware that something was drawing him to her.
"Lady Furina, I did not expect you to grace me with your presence" If he had known that she would visit him, he would have cleaned up the mess on his desk.
"I thought you could use some rest and..." In the blink of an eye, she was in front of him, completely ignoring the importance of personal space. "I managed to get two tickets to the latest play" She practically shoved a small piece of paper under his nose.
Sumerian Night's Dream
That title sounded like he had heard it somewhere before. But where? It took him a moment to remember that Steambird used to announce upcoming plays.
"I hope you like it", Furina said, a mischievous smile appearing on her face.
Neuvillette looked up and only now realized how close they were. Their bodies were only a few centimetres apart. He knew that Lady Furina often acted as if she didn't know the term personal space or deliberately ignored it, but now he was able to see the smallest details.
"See you the day after tomorrow~"
Neuvillette followed her with his gaze until the door slammed shut, and the footsteps in the hallway died down. He glanced once more at the ticket he was clutching tightly in his hand. Maybe a night off wouldn't be so bad after all.
***
The hearings dragged on endlessly. He tried to focus on listening to the accusations, but in the back of his mind, he kept thinking about the evening meeting. But inside,e he felt a very strange feeling. As if his heart had sped up and his body temperature had risen. He hoped that this was not the beginning of an illness. After all, he could not disappoint Lady Furina by not showing up.
Finally, the last hearing of the day ended. Neuvillette hurriedly left the building before anyone could stop him with information about another hearing or another urgent matter.
Fortunately, the hearing and the performance were taking place in the same building. He still had plenty of time, so he decided to take a walk in the gardens. The night was still young, but he could already feel the cool air on his skin.
The strange feeling he had felt during the hearing had not passed at all. I guess he really would have to rest for the next few days. He couldn't get sick when there was so much to do. So many hearings...
Enough.
He thought firmly. Lady Furina was right. Tonight, he should relax and leave his work behind.
With that, though, he continued his stroll. Even at nig, ht the gardens had an amazing atmosphere. Tall bushes provided privacy, and there were a lot of rainbow roses growing around. Neuvillette was slowly beginning to understand why he always met so many couples hanging out here when the trials dragged on until late.
He stopped at one flower that grew much further away from the others. What if he picked it for Lady Furina? Would she like it? Or maybe she liked other flowers?
"I didn't keep you waiting for so long, did I?"
At that moment, all his thoughts disappeared. He looked at her as if he had forgotten about the flower.
"Of course no,t Lady Furina, "he replied almost immediately.
She walked closer to him, a big smile on her face. She grabbed his hand and pulled him along. Neuvillette felt his heart speed up again.
"We'll talk inside. We need the best seats, preferably at the very front!"
They were among the few who ran inside. Furina ran down the stairs with real grace and sat down in the first row. Neuvillette did the same. The stage was covered by a large curtain. Now and then, you could hear hushed voices and the sounds of something being moved across the floor. The set was probably almost ready.
"So what is 'A Sumerian Night's Dream' about?" he asked, taking advantage of the time they had left before the performance.
"Oh, it's a comedy about three couples. One aristocratic heroine has to marry an aristocrat, but she's in love with a poor worker, but he's staring at a stage performer, and she's promised her heart to a water creature. That's it in a nutshell," she replied. "The critics rate this play very highly. They say it's a love comedy of errors."
Before long, the room began to fill. Neuvillette took one last look at Furina before the lights went down, and he saw a glint of excitement in her eyes, her fingernails gripping the armrest of her chair.
Finally, the curtain parted, and the show began.
***
"That was amazing!" Furina said as they left the building.
Neuvillette had to admit that even he liked this romantic comedy. However, some of the plots ended as he had expected. The aristocrat was left alone; the aristocrat married the worker when he stopped looking at the stage performer, and she found happiness with a water creature who turned out to be a dragon.
Furina continued her monologue, breaking down each scene into individual elements that she liked. Neuvillette liked it when she delved into the play like that. Besides, he could listen to her voice for hours.
The moon had long since entered the sky with its presence as they walked between the gardens. After a while, Furina fell silent and looked at him. Neuvillette stopped as well.
"You know, that dragon from the play reminds me a lot of someone... I know someone who also closely observes the surroundings but hesitates to make the first move..."
She moved closer, and Neuvillette felt his breath catch. Furina slowly ran her fingers along his sleeve.
"You're unsubtle, Neuvillette. I've seen every sneaky glance you make my way or accidental touch," she stood on her tiptoes and leaned forward.
Their lips met, and Neuvillette froze for a few seconds. His heart was pounding like crazy, and it was as if there was no oxygen in his lungs. However, after a few seconds, he returned the kiss. Furina clasped her hands behind his neck, and he slid his own onto her hips.
Eventually, they pulled away from each other, but they didn't even think about moving their hands away. Furina's cheeks were slightly pink, and Neuvillette's breathing was much faster.
"I love you, my dragon..." she whispered, digging her nails gently into his neck.
"I love you too, my lady..."













