When Benedict Bridgerton was a mere twelve years of age, he had his first kiss.

He was playing hide and seek with a friend in the Bridgerton house, which was more or less a ruse so that they could hide from his father, who insisted on teaching him to hunt.

He was almost under the settee in the drawing room before he felt a hand grab his leg.

"Aha! You are much too slow to best me at this game, Stubbs. Or any, for that matter." Madeleine feebly attempted to drag Benedict out by his long, and seemingly constantly growing, limbs. Benedict laughed, standing from the floor and dusting himself off.

"Oh, do humble yourself, Oly. I will best you when you are least expecting it." He messed up her hair and ran off, stopping around the corner to cover his eyes and count.

Madeleine and Benedict had been friends from a very young age, Madeleine having moved into the house directly behind the Bridgerton household. Their backyards met up with one another, separately only by a line of lilacs and lillies, which the two would carelessly hop over, much to their mothers' dismay, to play with one another.

As they grew older, the two learned that they were quite similar in their disdain for good society, neither one too eager for their own turn to enter the marriage market. Benedict wished to be an artist, a hobby he had discovered drawing on his father's paperwork one day. His father had given him a good scolding, but nonetheless, showed up the next day with a beautiful sketchbook for his second born son. When Madeleine learned of this new hobby, she began to refer to Benedict as Stubbs.

George Stubbs was one of the only painters Madeleine knew of, thanks to her mother's not-so-subtle collection of his horse paintings that decorated their home. Benedict retaliated by nicknaming her Oly, having been no stranger to his friend's passion for womens rights. Olympe de Gouges was a French lady who wrote on women's rights and abolition, and Benedict thought it rather fitting. Both snorted at the name though, and settled on Oly for short.

Madeleine giggled to herself as she found the perfect hiding spot, between two large flower pots near the entrance of the house. She squatted down, smoothing out her dress and waiting for her friend to find her, which would inevitably take ages.

"And, oh, I must remind the maid of this spot on the floor, it is rather hideous." Madeleine heard Violet Bridgerton's voice, as two sets of footsteps entered the room adjacent to where she hid. Lord Bridgerton chuckled at his wife's displeasure toward the mess on the floor.

"My love, you forget we have five young children running around this house, and another troublemaker ready to break out of her crib any day now. You must learn to accept these messes, for they will be here for years."

Violet laughed, making Madeleine smile slightly. Violet had a lovely laugh, fitting for one of the kindest people Madeleine knew. She watched as the two smiled at each other. Their love had always been something that nagged at the back of her mind. She could not be less excited to enter the marriage market herself, but she couldn't help but wish for a love like that one day. For a love that her mother and father had also shared.

"Aha, I knew I would best you!" Madeleine jumped a bit as Benedict ran up behind her, pulling her out of her thoughts. She hushed him and grabbed his arm, pulling her down next to him in her hiding spot.

"What are you- oh. Oh dear, if he finds me I'm going to have to spend all day hunting with my brother." Benedict whispered as he groaned, sinking down more to try and remain hidden. Still, following Madeleine's gaze, he kept a watchful eye on his parents. They were speaking to each other too quietly now for either child to hear, and within a moment, his father kissed his mother, a hand on her cheek.

Benedict grimaced at the sight, none too pleased by the public affections of his parents. He glanced at Madeleine, expecting her expression to mere his, but alas, it did not at all. Quite the opposite, in fact. Benedict couldn't help but think that his friend was looking at his parents the way she looked at a sunset. He looked back to his parents, who had separated and were now walking together into the dining room.

Both children sighed in relief that they had not been discovered, before looking at each other and beginning to laugh. Benedict shushed her, trying to keep his own giggles under control. He grabbed her hand and pulled her up with him, running across the main room and out the front door before his parents could hear. The two laughed loudly now as they ran to the back of the house, finding themselves seats on the swings in the Bridgerton yard.

Their giggled died down and Madeleine gazed down at her lap, her mind seemingly elsewhere. This did not go unnoticed by Benedict, who poked her side when his voice did not get her attention.

"Penny for your thoughts, Oly?"

Madeleine looked up at him and laughed a bit, shaking her head. "You're going to make fun of me."

Benedict feigned hurt, his hands on his chest. "You wound me, do you truly think me as a bad friend who would make fun of you?" He couldn't hide his sly smile, both of the children knowing well enough that it was all he did.

"It's just.. Your parents. I want that." She said quickly, and under her breath as if it was something to be ashamed of. Benedict's brows furrowed.

"But you do not wish to marry. How can you want that all of a sudden?"

"I do not wish to marry. But my mother has made it known that I must eventually, and if I must, I want that. I want to know how that feels." She smiled softly at the thought.

"How it feels?" Benedict still did not understand, his quick mind a bit too oblivious at times.

"Your father.. when he kissed your mother, they seemed so in love. I wish to know how that feels one day. You know what, nevermind, it's silly. I know it is." She shook her head, laughing softly to herself.

Before she could react, Benedict put his hand under her chin, bringing his lips to hers as he had seen his father do many times.

The two immediately jumped up and away from each other, both laughing hard and wiping their mouths in disgust.

"Well, you said you wish to know how it feels!" Benedict managed out, holding his ribs as he laughed more.

"And now I shall never wish to again!" Madeleine swatted at him, her own sides beginning to ache from how hard the two were laughing. He retaliated quickly, tickling her sides, making her laugh even harder than she had been.

"No, no, okay, I give! I give! Please, Benny!" Madeleine shrieked in laughter, the two falling to the grass and lying face up, attempting to catch their breath.

Their laughter faded as Benedict's name was called, the two turning to find his mother exiting the back door of the house and announcing it was time for dinner.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Stubbs?"

"Indubitably, Oly." He feigned a terrible posh accent, bowing to accentuate the ridiculousness.

"Goodbye, Lady Bridgerton!" She called out politely, giving her a wave. The woman gave the girl a warm smile as she patted Benedict to go inside.

"Goodbye, Madeleine. Tell your mother I say hello." She called out, as Madeleine ran through the flower bushes to her own backyard.