Everyone has those days once in a while, where it seems that no matter what happens, everything seems to go wrong. And then, suddenly, it all changes, and you feel as if it doesn't matter what happens, or what people think, that it will all be all right, if you could just stay in one certain moment forever. Sometimes, we don't know this important fact.... we live our life in darkness, never daring to chance the warmth of the flames or the cool sensation of arctic winds. I never knew how to truly enjoy life.... and then, I discovered it. Oddly enough, love has little to do with it. Well, perhaps that isn't true... after all, he was the one who showed me the pleasure of simplicity, the power of love for life and for another.. combined, it is a powerful force, greater than any on earth, and greater than either of the two alone. Ah, I remember that day so well...
He had always had a bizarre tendency to persuade me to do whatever he wanted to... not that I minded, of course, but my friends always found it quite amusing to watch him work his magic with me, as he clung to me and looked up at me with those huge, sweet eyes.... So, that was how I found myself with him at the computer store on that fateful Saturday, smiling as I watched him flit about and giggle like a schoolgirl at a mall. He always seemed to go a bit crazy around brand new computer equipment, and that day was no exception...
"Oh, look, Jyou, aren't these just fabulicious?"
I blinked and stared at the bizarre objects he held in front of my face, not as easily amused as he was. "....They're mice, Koushiro. Just mice."
"Yes, I know, but they're a new KIND of mice! Supermice! Oh, I've heard they're sooooo fabulous.. I've got to get one for my computer! Yes, yes! I have to!" He grinned insanely and set the mice down, eyes twinkling with a light that, though I had seen it many times, still disturbed me slightly. "Don't you agree?"
I had been in this position before. If you have never seen Koushiro when he is in a computer store, I pray you never will. He goes completely insane, and ends up nearly buying out the entire store. Which, naturally, leaves him owing me more money than he's comfortable with, once he's out of there and sane again. It's not that much of an inconvenience, really.. but sometimes, it gets a little ridiculous. So now, I had to be firm. "No, Koushiro. I don't agree," I said dryly, giving him a stern look. "You don't need a new mouse. Remember, we only came here because your laptop battery was dead. So we're going to be leaving here with a battery, only a battery, and nothing BUT a battery. Got it?"
He stared at me for a moment, blinking and obviously shocked at my little outburst. Yet, in seconds he recovered and was gave me a pathetic, pleading look which he normally wouldn't allow himself to be caught dead using in public. "But Jyoooooooou," he whined, clinging to my arm and looking up at me with large, obviously fake tears in his eyes. "I waaaaaant one!"
Though I could feel people's eyes on us, I couldn't help but smile. "Sorry, Kou-chan, but you're not getting away with it this time,"I said as I put my hand on his shoulder and steered him toward the battery rack. "Not if I have anything to do with it, that is."
It wasn't long before we were out of that place, and he was transformed from a bizarre personality so similar to Mimi back to his original self. And, of course, I was very grateful for that. As much as I loved him when he was being a goof, it always felt so much better to have him in my arms and actually sane again....
"I'm sorry about the thing with the mice, Jyou.... I just couldn't help myself. I mean, they had whiskers! Whiskers, Jyou!"
I smiled, and slipped my hand into his. "Yes, Kou-chan.... I noticed."
The sound of pouring rain brought me out of my little dream state. It was raining cats and dogs outside... there was no way we'd be able to get home dry. And of course, me being the crazy hydrophobe, I didn't want to go out there... not even Koushiro could have begged me to. Or so I thought...
"Hn," I muttered, sighing. "It looks like we're going to have to call your mom, Koushiro..."
"What're you talking about? This is just a drizzle!" he replied, grinning as if he had been drinking a few too many cups of espresso. Before I knew what was going on, he grabbed my hand and dragged me towards the doors, a mischievous look in his eye. It was similar to the one he always had around computers, and yet, strangely enough, sane. Which somehow disturbed me even more.... "Come on, Jyou, a little rain won't kill you!"
I pulled back and stared at him, eye twitching slightly with annoyance and disbelief. "Are you nuts?" I asked, taken aback not only by his perkiness, but by his willingness to go out in the rain. He was usually so calm.. totally against stupid things like that.
"Oh, Jyou....," he murmured, shaking his head. "You baka... it's just rain! Just water! Sure, it's falling from the sky, but you can't be THAT hydrophobic that you get scared in rain, right?"
"Of course it scares me! I mean, any sane person WOULD hate rain! I mean, it's cold and it's wet and it's full of chemicals and it'll make you sick! I'm not going out there, Koushiro, and if you don't like that then you should just go!" And I crossed my arms and turned my back to him, quite annoyed indeed.
One would think that this would be a very immature thing for me to do. However, at the time I was in a very weird mood... and it mattered a lot to me. Water in large quantities had always frightened me a little.. all right, a lot. It was just... water. Evil. I didn't want anything to do with it. No one, not even my dear Koushiro, could take away my fear of water. So, at the time, my reaction felt very reasonable... but Koushiro didn't agree.
"Is that what you think, Jyou?" he asked, voice taking on an angry tone. "Is that what you think?"
"Yes," I answered, coldly. Yet somehow... it felt like the wrong answer.
"If that's what you think... then fine. I'll go alone." And he turned and left, out into the pouring rain.
Looking back, I realize that I must have been a very predictable person, because when I rushed outside to follow him and apologize, he was there waiting for me, a smile on his face. "I knew you'd cave," he said, laughing.
"Yeah, yeah, okay. You've had your fun. Can we go back inside now?" I muttered, brushing my now-soaked hair out of my eyes.
"Go back inside? Are you kidding?" He was smiling.... not an evil kind of smile, merely... mischievous. Before I could wonder what he was up to, he grabbed my hands and stood up on his toes to kiss me, his warm lips sending a sweet sensation to my heart.
I don't know how long we stood there kissing in the pouring rain... now, I'm sure that people stopped and stared at us, but at the time it didn't seem to matter... And somehow, during that time we were out there in the rain with our hair and clothing plastered against our skin, the rain somehow didn't seem so cold and dark anymore. In fact it seemed inviting, friendly... perfect.
As he pulled away, eyes sparkling, I smiled within my heart and soul. He had washed my mind, and now I could see joy clearly.... As I leaned down to kiss his cheek, I whispered....."Now I know why you like the rain."
And now, only a few years after, as I hold him in my arms on this dark night, I hear the rain pouring outside and remember that day. Whenever the rain falls and thunder roars and lightning flashes in the sky, it comes back to me... and it always will.
End notes: Aah! Sap! -_- Oh well. I think I made Koushiro a bit too... er... weird no da. I wanted to make him more feminine than usual, but it kind of blew up in my face. No matter. Si le poisson ecoute bien... or something. ^_^