The main plaza in Traverse Town was speckled with newborn raindrops. A fierce thunderstorm was passing through, causing most of the night-time shoppers to scatter, and abandoning their routine prowling to seek a dry place. Most, but not all. In the awning of a dimly lit café, a silvery, almost white haired youth clutched a paper cup full of warm coffee, watching the rain splatter on a few people straggling behind to seek shelter from the angry downpour. The boy wasn't concerned. On the island where he'd been raised, storms came, and storms went. In fact, it was almost amusing, watching people squeak and jump at the flashing lightning and booming thunder.
The pale boy casually tossed his hair out of his face and took a sip of his brew, closing his eyes as the dark, aromatic liquid traveled down his throat, warming him. As he lowered the cop and opened his eyes, a black flash streaked across his vision. It was a girl, draped in a thick black coat, her short, cropped ebony hair sticking to her face, wet from the rain. She darted across the main plaza, ziz-zagging in her movements, her frantic eyes darting left and right, searching for something…but what? The lad gave a faint gasp, realizing at once who the little inkspot was.
"Xion! Up Here!" The boy shouted, waving his free hand to signal to the girl, who quickly responded to his cry.
"Riku!" Xion shouted, scurrying up the stairs separating the main plaza from the side shops on the upper levels. When she ran under the awning, her lower lip was trembling so violently that Riku, a normally stern and collected boy, couldn't ignore.
"What's wrong, Xion? You're shaking like a leaf." Riku quietly asked, reluctantly extending his hand to brush the wet hair out of the frightened girl's face.
"I-I came into t-town to clear my head, then the sky started f-flashing and it sounded like—EEP!" Xion shrieked mid sentence as another thunder clap washed out the sky.
Riku bit his lip, trying to quell the faint laughter pulling at his lips. Little Xion, caught in her first thunderstorm.
I'm guessing it sounded like that?" Riku questioned, a faint smirk cracking his cool exterior.
"Y-yes! I got so frazzled I couldn't even remember how to RTC, so I've just been r-running around, looking for help—I'm so glad you were here!" The pixie faced girl exclaimed, throwing herself at Riku, wrapping her cloaked arms around him. Riku threw his arms up in surprise, gingerly gripping his coffee cup. Xion was drenched, but despite the cold raindrops that were now gathering on his clothing, he was sure he'd never felt warmer. As Xion clung to the bemused boy, he felt a crimson flushing on his cheeks that he hoped and prayed would be undetectable in the dark. When Xion loosened her grip, he noticed a peachy blush had swept across her face, paler than his, but definitely noticeable.
"I'm s-sorry, Riku. I got you all wet." Xion brought a hand to her mouth, embarrassed. She had mistaken the blushing of Riku for anger, rather than affection.
Riku at this point had to chuckle, sitting his now lukewarm coffee on the nearest windowsill.
"No worries. Did that make you feel any better. Less scared, at least?"
Xion nodded, a small smile gracing her lips.
Riku took a small step toward the wet girl, wrapping his arms around her waist, and planting a small kiss on her head as she curled towards his chest.
"Good. I think I can keep this up until the storm passes."