AUTHOR's NOTE Special thanks for all of you who had read my fics and reviewed, your support is really important to me! And here I bring you another fic, I hope y'all enjoy it...! I believe it's not written in the most perfect English, but I'm still trying! This is the first chapter of 3.
Pour of Rain
A train's whistle could be heard far off in the distance...
"Who goes out in days like this?" – wondered a tiny girl, leaning her elbows on the windowsill, resting her chin in her hands.
It's just an ordinary autumn day, one could say, but not for her. Where have all the autumn colors gone? Everything was taken by the grayish colors of winter, the fallen leaves were long gone with the wind and the rain was pouring…
It's not that she hated that weather, but it had been raining for the past 4 days and being stuck at home gave her a suffocating feeling of claustrophobia as she remembered her days as a "captive princess". No, she tried to convince herself, it won't happen again…it's over!
And there she stood at the window, watching as raindrops hit the glass, serene and beautiful as if there was where she belonged.
She wore a sad expression. Her eyes were as clouded as sky was that day, making her look even more like a lifeless porcelain doll. Glazed eyes staring into the oblivion for too long…
Inside, the atmosphere was filled by melancholy. A dark room lit only by an old abat-jour, which gave the room an inexplicable feel of comfort, enjoyed the "Moonlight Sonata" playing on the radio.
In that same room, a young dark-haired boy was sitting in an armchair reading that day's newspaper. Everything was perfectly still…
Now and then, the young man would raise his eyes up from the broadsheet and catch himself staring at the girl, lost in her beauty. That used to happen quite often now, whenever she was not aware he would enjoy looking at her. However, at her slightest move, he would quickly look away and focus on those monotonous lines on the paper.
She seemed so far away… she was there but her thoughts, her heart were not… or so he thought. After all, you can't seem to avoid those thoughts…
He settled the newspaper down on a near table and closed his eyes for a while. She had been quiet all day - not a single word had come from those cherry lips that day. She was bored and he knew it. When there were no significant pieces of chaos for her to reconstruct she would fall deep into her thoughts. He also knew those thoughts were painful ones… he just didn't know how to make her forget them. He needed to do something but…
He got up and approached her small form silently, trying not to disturb her apparent tranquility. He stood behind her and called out for her gently:
"Hey, Victorique"
"What, Kujo?" – answered the girl in a low voice, not looking at him.
"Do you want to go for a walk?" – asked Kujo.
A few seconds had passed when she finally turned to face him, blinking a few times, her eyes confused – "Walk in the rain? Don't say stupid things, Kujo…"
You're the one to blame; I always do stupid things for you! – He thought to himself before speaking again – "That's why we've got umbrellas and raincoats!"
"But-…"
"Come on" – his voice softened – "You've been stuck at home for almost a week. Let's get some fresh air and-…"
He stopped when she reached out a hand to touch his face. His eyes met hers; she didn't need words to leave him speechless.
"Are you out of your mind, Kujo?" – She asked, their eyes locked.
"Totally…!" – He retorted, placing a hand over hers.
Her lonely eyes, for a brief moment, seemed to acquire a glint of joy. Her expression lightened up and for the first time that day, she smiled.
"I'll be ready in 5 minutes!" – She declared, before dashing into her room.
Kujo wore his raincoat and waited for Victorique at the door. He opted for taking only one umbrella, one they could share. He really wanted to spend some time close to her…
When she got ready, he offered her his arm and together they left the house.
For the first minutes, they walked in silence. Victorique stretched out her arm to feel the cold raindrops splashing on her hand and was apparently delighted, a lovely smile forming in her lips. Her eyes were radiant; if the clouds wouldn't let him see the sun, he could always find it shining through her eyes. From the corner of his eye, he watched her secretly…
"Oh, Kujo!" – She exclaimed, pulling his arm – "Have you seen those roses?"
She pointed at a small cottage's fence, where climbing roses grew over it. She let go of his arm and ran towards it, holding up her dress in order not to trip on its hem. Kujo ran after her – "Victorique, wait!"
She stopped at the fence and cupped one scarlet rose in her hands carefully.
"Hey, you could have wait-…" – he complained as soon as he reached her, but was interrupted by her.
"Look, Kujo! Raindrops look like small crystal beads on its petals" – She uttered in a cheerful voice. He took a close look and nodded – "It's beautiful…"
She picked the rose up and brought it close to her nose, so she could feel its sweet scent. Then, she took one of Kujo's hands and gave the flower to him – "You don't dislike beautiful things, do you?"
"I think there's something wrong here…" – he played – "I should be the one saying that"
"Idiot" – she giggled and began walking again. He put the flower in his coat's pocket and hurried to match her pace.
"Say, Victorique…" – he started, offering her his arm once again.
"What?" – She asked, taking his arm.
"Is there something bothering you?"
She kept quiet for a few seconds as if thinking about an answer, then shook her head.
"Are you sure?" – He insisted.
"Kujo, why…" – she paused – "why have you been working so much lately?"
"Y-you know…it's just my job" – he tried to stay calm.
"But why? You always bring work to do at home. That didn't use to happen before. You can't even sleep some nights…you go to work earlier and come home much later than usual. Why?"
"Well, that…" – he muttered, trying to avoid her gaze. Why was she even asking in the first place? He knew she could easily deduce the reasons behind all that "hard work", maybe she had already deduced. Then why? Did she want to hear it from his lips? Come to think of it, she has been doing the same thing for a while now, he thought to himself, instead of guessing what I've done all day, she simply asks me how was my day at work…
Was that her way of telling him she trusted someone else that not herself? That she could listen to what he had to say without any doubts, that she had faith in his words? That made him feel extremely guilty, but…he had to keep it a secret. For her…she would understand.
"That's something really important to me… and I'd like to keep for myself a little longer. I'm sorry…" – he tried his best not to look at her, but failed hopelessly. She sighed and looked away from him; that felt like an arrow piercing through his chest. Couldn't he really tell her? No, he tried to convince himself, I don't want her to worry or to tell me it's unnecessary…
"Ok…" – she said in a whisper, letting go of his arm and folding her arms over her chest, as if trying to protect herself from the cold.
He glanced at her, walking quietly beside him, watery eyes trying to hold back tears. No, he didn't mean to make her cry and he knew she was having a hard time trying to understand her own feelings…she needed care; she needed him to show their love was, in fact, mutual.
After some time thinking about something to cheer her up, Kujo ears were filled with a soft melody. At first, he didn't noticed it at all, but it seemed to become clearer with each step forward…someone was playing a piano. And that music overwhelmed him.
"Can you hear this…?" – he asked as he stopped walking.
"Yes…" – she replied in a low voice.
He dropped the umbrella on the ground and took one of her hands. On bended knee, he kisses her hand and asks:
"May I have this dance?"
Her eyes widened in surprise at his sudden request, but she consents. He wraps one hand around her hand, the other around her waist and leads her in dance.
If someone had seen them dancing in the rain like that, would certainly think they had lost their mind. But you tell me, who in the world stay in his or her right mind when in love? They couldn't care less about the others; it was just the two of them…and that's what mattered.
He wished that song would never end, that that moment would last forever. The way she smiles as her dress sways, an overtaking passionate feeling as they gaze into each other's eyes.
Her heart fluttered in her chest and she felt an urgent will to know how he felt too; she lays her head in his chest. The hand that had held hers finds the back of her head and holds her there; the other hand wraps around her waist protectively. Their eyes close; his heartbeat, she could hear, as calm as breaking waves in the sunset.
When the music seems to be fading away, she looks up at him and finds his eyes looking back at her. She could feel his warm breath, so close they were. He brought his face closer to hers and on her tiptoes she tried to do the same, leaning on his chest, their lips almost touching…
…But…
Something was not right. Kujo felt something sharp poking his side and he knew it wasn't coming from Victorique. He kissed her forehead softly and turned his head to find the culprit of ruining his perfect moment. Startled, he took a step sideways…
"Whaaaaaa-…"
…just to end up slipping in the wet grass and falling backwards in the mud. Victorique, who had been in his arms all the time, fell clumsily on top of him.
"Ouch, my back…!" – He groaned in pain.
"Kujo, are you okay?" – She asked, concerned.
"It could have been worse…" – he answered as he sat up, Victorique between her legs.
On their side, a goat was casually chewing a rose; the rose she had given to him. He glared at the animal; it must have been sent directly from hell, he thought, trying to act like an ordinary goat, chewing my rose ridiculously like a cow! I can see a mocking aura around you, you son of a-…
However, something broke him out of his trance: Victorique's laughter; small tears in the corners of her eyes, a hand over her mouth in an attempt to smother the sound.
"Why are you laughing?" – asked Kujo, confused.
"Your face…" – she tried to hold her laughter back – "The way you were looking threateningly at the goat, as if trying to burn it just with your eyes"
"I'm serious, look at his face! He's making fun of us!" – He said pointing a finger at it. The goat gave him a nonchalant look and turned its back on them, making its way out of their sight.
"On top of all, it's a bad mannered goat!" – He murmured, upset.
"You look like a child speaking like this…" – she said in a jolly voice, playing with his messy hair.
The way she spoke made him chuckle. He reached out a hand to touch her face, her eyes closing as his thumb rubbed her cheek gently. She placed her small hands over his, feeling his warmth. Her hands are so cold…
He took out his hand when he noticed her cheek got dirty with mud from his hand. Why is this so familiar…?
His smile gave place to an empty expression, as if consciousness had just been snatched out of his body. Victorique noticed this and placing her hands on his shoulders, she tried to bring him back.
"Kujo…?"
Thanks for reading!