One Stormy Night
Title: One Stormy Night
Pairing: Gabu/Mei
Rating: Will go up from T to M (T for this chap is for language)
Summary: Human Mei and Gabu and form an unlikely friendship (It is slash but let's make them friends first shall we); Mei a short blonde artist with far too much energy and Gabu a chain smoking lay about in the town's most feared gang. Of course things are gonna get between them; life just has to be difficult doesn't it?
A/N: Baby please, I know you all want some Gabu and Mei stuff so I wrote some -grin- Hopefully, this will be a long!fic. Enjoy, review if you enjoyed it muchly.
Thoughts written in Italics
The grass parted as Tap and Mei trudged through it, it was still wet with the dew of the morning and it stuck to the sides of their jeans, the sodden fabric feeling uncomfortable to their calves. Tap looked over his shoulder, "Mii, stop dragging behind." He grinned as the girl sighed, glared at him and called back,
"I'm going home, it's freezing and my pants are messed up beyond reason. See you later guys."
Tap chuckled, ran a hand through his copper hair and pressed forward just behind Mei, "well that gets rid of her then." Mei rolled his eyes and pushed a small branch out of the way, "Here, isn't it just gorgeous." He stepped into the clearing and sat on a reasonably dry piece of grass next to the babbling stream, "I'm gonna get a great piece done if I sketch out this place."
Tap sat down next to him as Mei withdrew his sketchpad and a small pencil laden with bite marks from his rucksack, "It is nice up here; I'm surprised your grandma didn't mention it before." Mei's eyes drifted to the stream,
"Actually, the field next to here," he shook his arm in a general direction, "it's where mom got shot." Tap tensed up and patted Mei's shoulder,
"If you want, we can put some flowers on her grave later Mei."
The blonde haired man shook his head, "no, it's fine. I got work to do anyway." Tap stared down at the slightly smaller man and tilted his head, "It's fine really!" Mei chuckled and pushed the other man away. He started sketching out the brook in front of them when the first drop of rain splattered the page, smudging the lead lines. Mei lifted his head and squinted at the gathering clouds.
"Oh god, I knew this was going to happen! The weather always seems to be against me." Tap laughed and produced an umbrella from his bag,
"I came prepared this time Mei." The blonde smiled at his friend and continued work as the rain began to worsen. Soon the sound of raindrops pounding on the umbrella became distracting and Mei sighed, "I can't work like this, common we'll come back another day Tap."
The down pour hit their backs as they ran down the hill back to town. "Shit!" Mei skidded to a halt and stared back at the clearing, "I left my damn rucksack. I need to go back and get it, you go on ahead Tap."
Tap nodded and jogged away as Mei ran back to where they had been sitting, scooping up his drenched rucksack. "Ugh, my sketchbook is going to be ruined." The heavens seemed to open more, if that was possible, and Mei narrowly avoided skidding on his butt as he ran down the hill.
It's no use; I've got to find some shelter. The blonde covered his eyes from the rain and gazed around; a large wooden barn next to an old gnarled tree caught his eyes and thanking the gods he jogged over to it. The door moaned as he prised it open and slid in, "Damn, it's too dark in here…" He shook his hair out, water droplets splashing the side of the barn closest to him.
Mei looked up suddenly as the shutters at the top of the barn swung to and caused an almighty crashing noise. He sighed and settled on a small bale of hay, setting his rucksack in front of him and coaxing out his dripping wet sketchpad, wonderful. Luckily most of his important work was in a folder in his cottage over the other side of the town.
Mei smiled at that thought; at least he wouldn't have to redo the commission he painted last week. He imagined it sitting on his desk at home then shivered, the cottage is going to be freezing when I get back. The young artist was given the cottage by his late mother in her will; he knew he could never sell it even if he was lacking funds sometimes. When he breathed in the air around the house he could almost imagine his mum calling from the kitchen to him to come in and eat.
He was brought out of his day dream as the door creaked open and someone slipped in. "Hello?" Mei called out into the darkness, eyes slitting slightly trying to see the other person. The person laughed, okay so it's a man, thought Mei as he heard the deep rough voice, sounds like he smokes.
"Gave me a fright there whoever you are," the other man said slowly, his voice just as scratchy as his laugh. Mei shook his head and laughed, "I'm sorry, it's kinda dark in here, and I was making sure I wasn't seeing things."
The stranger chuckled, "No need to apologise, I probably shouldn't have been scared in the first place…my mates never seem to be phased by anything, so there's no need for me to be." Mei saw the man rub his neck in an embarrassed fashion."
Mei's eyes, which were slightly glazed over from straining to see the man, swivelled up to the rafters which were groaning, "My friends are the complete opposite; one sign of danger and they're gone. Only this morning my friend Mii ditched me and another guy because the bottom of her pants got wet from the grass."
The man laughed then stopped suddenly, "Wait-you're a guy?" Mei frowned and slid his sketchpad back into his rucksack, "yes! Why…why would you think I was a woman?" The stranger seem to struggle to find the right words for a minute, then said, "You're voice is just a bit-" he paused,
"Feminine?" Mei finished for him.
The stranger chuckled uneasily, "Well, I was going to say something else but…yeah…" he sighed and though Mei couldn't see it; blushed ever so slightly. "Why were you down here anyway girly man?"
Mei tilted his head slightly at the nickname, "Well I'm an artist, and there's a wonderful clearing around here; perfect for drawing. Some guy wanted a painting of a stream; moron didn't specify anything so I decided to do a piece of the place I told you about."
The other man let out a grunt in understanding,
"I myself was here for business," he stopped abruptly then continued, "Just for business really." Mei started to ask what the man did as a job but a crack of lightning sounded about the barn and he jumped suddenly and let out a startled shriek. He fell on his knees and put his hands over his head, "W-wow…that scared the crap out of me."
The man nodded, "Me too…man I think I need a cigarette." His eyes swept over to where the faint outline of Mei lay, "Mind me lighting up?" Mei wrinkled his nose, "well, I don't usually like the smell," he sniffed, "But I have a blocked nose, I think I may have caught a chill out in the rain." He stranger's head lowered and his lighter snapped open lit up a stick.
"We should meet tomorrow," Mei looked over to the other man,
"Yeah…maybe we can meet back here, and go for dinner tomorrow night?" The other man chuckled, "Sounds great but how will I know it's you?" Mei thought for a second then smiled to himself, "When we get both get here, we should say "One stormy night"." The other man agreed and stood up, looking up to the rafters, "Look like the storms clearing. Well, until tomorrow little guy."
Mei laughed and stood up but fell back down on his ass, "Crap, my foot's gone to sleep…you go on ahead." The man looked back but then exited the barn. As he walked off into the night hands in pockets he realised he really just should have asked the cute little guys name.
Mei stood up and flexed his toes in his trainers, ow… He stepped out of the barn, rucksack on his back and smiled up at the sky which held a purple hue. I should of just asked for the guy's name. He sighed and shoved his hands into his jacket pockets; man was his voice a turn on. He giggled slightly and set off home in the early afternoon light.