Kissing in the Rain
Rain drizzled lightly as city life carried on. Cars zoomed by, causing mini tidal waves on the streets. Pedestrians sloshed through the puddles, faces turned and hard, focused on where they wanted to go.
Francis had no such destination. He simply loved rain. He loved the light showers that came and went like breezes of spring. He loved standing in storms, watching the lightening flash and feeling the thunder rumble through his bones. It was the reason he had taken an umbrella and slipped outside at the first pitter patter on his window.
He needed to feel fresh and clean, content to wander without purpose.
His high heeled boots, the first pair of footwear he stumbled upon, clicked against the wet tarmac, leaving little ripples in the sidewalk puddles. The sound of rain against the umbrella was steadily getting louder, the clouds roiling. He took a deep breath, the air as clean as a city during rain could be.
He had already danced in the sparkling rain drops before the sun had been completely covered. The shoulders of his top were nearly see through, his hair curling and sticking to his neck and forehead. His smile was a secret one.
Quietly, with the same secret smile, he stood at the road crossing and watched the way car wheels churned up water. He examined the sea of umbrellas on the other side of the street, and knew he was small, just one of many. Across the way, he saw a man without an umbrella, droplets of water rolling down a pale neck, black blazer drenched, shaggy blonde hair dripping.
"Arthur." He mumbled to himself. The light turned green. Arthur didn't move, jostled and bumped as people pushed by around him. Francis walked over, boots clicking, and held his umbrella over the lowered head. Arthur looked up, eyes puffy and red, rain and tears mixing on his cheeks.
"Francis...." He breathed. Francis was about to ask what was wrong, tease him until he got a smile or a slap. But Arthur cut him off, throwing his arms around his waist and sobbing into his chest. Francis felt his eyes widen.
It was vaguely reminiscent of the times many years ago when Arthur was small, running from his older brothers, leaping into his arms with tears in his eyes. It had been a long time since he had last done that.
"Petit lapin, what's wrong?" The rain fell harder, soaking through his shirt as puddles grew and lapped at his feet. Arthur sniffled, gasping for air to control himself. He was long past the point of caring for pride, or thinking that Francis was his enemy. With his free hand, the other still wrapped around the umbrella handle, Francis pat Arthur's hair, shaking out raindrops. He let Arthur hold him and sob, others passing them by as the clouds over head darkened.
He smiled, feeling clean.
Slowly, tiny shoulders stopped shaking, Arthur's face still pressed into his chest. The embarrassing reality of the situation had sunk in.
"Are you going to tell me why you were crying?"
Arthur drew a shaky breath. "Alfred is a fucking asshole." He whispered his voice raw and wet. His fingers clenching in the soft white shirt as he tried to cope with pain, tears building up again. "He picked the worst fucking day to dump me." Francis let the umbrella fall to the sidewalk, properly drawing Arthur into his arms, hushing him, listening to soft hiccups.
"No petit lapin. He picked the best possible day." Arthur looked up at him and frowned, emerald eyes shining with skepticism. "It's raining. Rain washes everything away, makes everything clean. So that you can just start over."
Gently, Francis pushed their lips together. Arthur's mouth was chilled and relaxed, moving with his own. He tasted like the rain, fresh. The drops of water rolled over them, between their entwined fingers, cold and clean. It was a soft kiss, slow and sweet, burning the pleasure of it into their bones, only to be soothed over by rain.
When Francis pulled away, he studied the water droplets on pale eyelashes, the slight part of wet pink lips. Arthur sent him a weak smile, giving his hand a little squeeze that was kindly returned. He bent to pick up the umbrella, holding it over them. "I think...." he started slowly with a shy smile, letting Francis sling his arm around his shoulders. "Starting over sounds like a good idea."
Owari