For Sasha.


Get Inside

"It's about to rain, get inside."

On the back steps of the lodge, Amber propped her chin on her hands and studied the grey haze descending from the rolling purple hills in the distance. Hmm, so it was. Another five to ten minutes, she reckoned, and the rain would be upon them. Not such a bad thing. She wondered how Hiwatari would look wet then she squashed the notion. That way led to trouble.

The subject of her musings leaned against his axe and watched her, brown eyes narrowing on her face. "Go inside."

"It's just rain. I don't know if you've realised this Hiwatari, but I'm Irish. Rain doesn't bother us." She wanted to sit on the steps and breathe in the fresh air that held a hint of the incoming shower mingling with the crisp scent of pine trees and woodsmoke drifting from the chimney at the side of the cabin. Earlier, the group had lit the fire to make the lodge cosy and warm, but then the firewood had dwindled; Kai, who always had to be master and commander of every situation, had huffed out a breath and stomped outside to "chop more wood since you assholes keep wasting it".

"Please yourself," he muttered, grabbing up the last armful of logs and carrying them up the path to the back door. She pressed into the wooden bannister as he passed her, taking all three steps in one long stride. Once he disappeared inside, she mentally followed the clump of his boots, the irritated snap of his voice as he ordered Tyson to help him out, and the snarky retort before Hilary berated them both. She smiled. This was nice. Kind of bizarre too. She wasn't as familiar with this particular group of people but a flooded road had delayed the rest of the group. They would arrive the next day.

A splash of rain hit the bottom step staining the wood, followed by more. A soft roar ascended from the forest around them. She shivered, giddily snuggling into the oversized hoodie she'd stolen from Hiwatari. Probably another reason he'd snapped at her. He'd have to burn it now-if she ever gave it back. It was comfortable and it smelled good.

He'd have to pry it from her cold lifeless fingers.

The rain turned to a steady downpour, hitting the roof, dripping from the gutter and puddling in the crevices along the path. The world turned quiet and insular, closed in by silvery sheets of rain.

Wood creaked and a warm body sank down onto the step beside her. She curbed the urge to sink into the heat.

"Go inside. You'll get wet and sick. I'm not nursing you back to health."

She snorted at his absurd comment. "I'm not going to get sick from the rain." That was fucking stupid.

"Why? Because you're Irish? You're as bad as McGregor."

"One"-she held up a finger-"no one is as bad as Scots boy, though you do give him a run for his vault of money and two, it's rain. If I get wet, I'll go inside and shower." Jesus Christ, she was not five years old.

He got back up with a sigh that screamed annoyance and she subtly flipped him off. She could hear him muttering under his breath as he opened and slammed cupboards in the kitchen. Well, served him right for being an idiot.

A few minutes later he returned and pushed a mug of tea into her hands, the steam rising from the liquid that was just on the darker shade of tan. She blinked then took a sip and shivered with pleasure. Hiwatari knew how she took her tea.

Something flipped inside her and she held the mug a little tighter.

He might complain about her existence to anyone who'd listen but he knew how she took her tea and that spoke volumes. She smirked and eyed him from under her lashes as his thigh pressed against hers, though he kept his eyes glued to the mountains concealed by the rain. She was growing on him. He might not even suspect it yet, she thought as she took another sip of her tea, but she was definitely growing on him.


Another drabble I've rescued from Tumblr.