Dedication: simply_steffv who left a prompt of an "au chance meeting in a non super-powered/super-people world between them"

Stand Under My Umbrella

Tonight, the sounds engulfed the air. The pitter patter against the pavement, the thunder that woke up even the soundest of sleepers. Only she wasn't sleeping, far from it. No, instead she had to actually catch a cab or walk home in this, a feat easier said than done considering the time of night.

Normally, she would turn around and sleep at her desk, it was probably safer that way, but she didn't feel like breaking her promise to her cousin that she would be home tonight. Besides, a little rain never hurt anyone, right?

Unfortunately, the plan to walk home was a bad one from the start, as she wasn't wearing a raincoat and her umbrella had somehow disappeared from her desk, leaving her with little option but to run down the streets, ducking under awnings whenever possible.

It had worked for about a block until a slight lift in the pavement caused her to trip, causing the files in her purse to fall out. Cursing inside, she gathered them as fast as she could, knowing that there was no way to avoid getting soaked, but she couldn't afford the files to get ruined.

She was so focused that she barely noticed the voice calling out to her, nor the umbrella being held above her head. Snapping from her trance, she shoved her files into her purse and prepared herself for anything. "What?"

"I said... do you need any help?"

Before, she had been all ready to say no, but there was something in his voice that she wanted to trust. Turning slowly, she now took note of the black umbrella above their heads, the concern in his eyes and the way he was likely holding back the fact he was freezing too. Clad in a white t-shirt and jeans, not exactly rainproof clothing, his lips pursed as he waited for her response.

Only she was stuck on his proximity, on how she didn't mind because the umbrella was keeping her dry... and his body heat probably didn't hurt either.

"I... I'm okay," she finally managed. "Thank you."

He peered momentarily over his shoulder and she can see that he's about to speak, but the sound of splashing behind her causes her focus to shift. Turning her head, they see the cab approaching, so he quickly transferred the umbrella to her hands before walking closer the curb. Before she has a chance to say anything, she notices him extend his arm out to hail the cab... the genuine smile that highlights his features as the cab begins to pull over.

After the cab pulled up, he opens the door for her, waiting for her to enter. Passing him back the umbrella, their eyes meet and somehow, it feels as if more is shared than just a glance. It's broken soon after as she gets into the cab, grateful for her change in luck, but she soon finds a collapsed umbrella in her sights, leading her to find his eyes once more.

"Take it," he says softly, fully knowing that the rain hadn't stopped pelting on him, that his hair's soaked through already and there was little use for the shirt that clung to his skin.

Her mouth gapes open, barely managing the single word that escapes her lips. "But..."

He acknowledges her hesitance, but he shrugs almost instantly. "There's more where that came from." So he brings it closer to her and after a second, she takes it. "Take care," he says with a smile before closing the door, tapping on the roof for the cabbie to take off.

She unconsciously says her address to the driver as she looks out the window in disbelief. She wondered what he was thinking staying out in the storm like that... why he would give her an umbrella when she was warm and dry in a cab. Yet it's this moment, when the cab takes off, that she notices a car parked down the block, the door left wide open for him to get inside. Looking out the back window, she could only see the headlights turn on before the cab took a left turn, and yet even though the car disappeared, its driver Chloe would not soon forget.

~End~