Written for the 'Month of Lofe' Valentine exchange on tumblr. While discussing possible prompts for the event, tmwillson3 suggested "historical AU, maybe a crossover with another fandom, rainy day shenanigans, or something related to awkward moments". This is three of those things if you consider being unexpectedly rained on 'awkward', although Marianne and Bog rally quite well.
It also brushes against the crossover idea, because I imagined this scenario based on a stand-up comedy sketch by John Mulaney, where he's imagining what sort of town meeting led to that Connecticut town building a gazebo during the American Civil War. "How'd you like to be indoors and out of doors all at once? Ever walking through the park with your betrothed, and it starts to rain, but you still want to hold hands? Well, may I introduce you to – and my condolences again to everyone – the gazebo!"
(This is actually set in the 1880s, not the 1860s, because I also drew a comic for it and I'm more familiar with 1880s fashion. Marianne is wearing a walking skirt, which means while she does have a bustle as per the fashion of the time, she doesn't have a train dragging behind her, and the hem of the skirt doesn't actually touch the ground.)
The title just means 'Spring Rainstorm', but this sounded more old-timey, and I decided a while back that I had too many Strange Magic fics where the title started with 'S' and so I couldn't do another until I went through the rest of the alphabet. 'V' was the last letter left to do.
By all accounts it should have been a lovely day for a stroll through the park. The last of the snow had melted and the weather was turning properly warm. Leaves were starting to unfurl. Flowers were just beginning to peek out of their buds.
The sky was a solid grey, but it was a light, pearly grey, making the park bright and shadowless.
Still, it was cloudy, and so Marianne and Bog found that they had the park to themselves.
"Since we've no audience to scandalize, perhaps we could duel," Marianne joked. "My parasol against your cane." She felt silly carrying sun protection, but as Dawn said, it might clear up.
"You'd win," said Bog confidently. "I can barely move my shoulders in this new jacket."
Marianne gave those shoulders an admiring look. "You cut a dashing figure, Mr King."
"Thank you, Miss Fay." He kissed her hand, and didn't let go of it. "You look exceptionally lovely, yourself."
The sky had gotten darker without them noticing. It began to rain quite abruptly.
Bog gallantly took Marianne's parasol and held it over her head like an umbrella, freeing both of her hands to pick up her skirts and move faster. With his other hand, he pointed his cane to a split in the path.
"There's a gazebo just ahead!"
They made a dash for it and laughed as they stumbled, dripping, into the shelter.
Marianne took back her parasol and wound her fingers through Bog's again. They stood at one of the half-walls that fenced in most of the gazebo and watched the storm.