"When the rain falls, I know you're seeing the same thing through a different window."

"Hey! You listening to me?" a voice shouts from behind me. It's obvious I'm not. It's raining again today, I'm never here when it rains. It's been two months since he left. They sent him on a mission while I was in recovery. I should be with him, no one else knows him like I do. No one else loves him enough to watch his crazy ass when he goes out of his way to do the job. I don't care enough about the job to risk my life, I risk it for him.

"Reno, I swear to Sheva, if you don't get your head on straight I'm just going to take it off," Tseng hisses at me across the table.

"Alright, alright. Get your panties out of your ass," I chide half heartedly. I look more pathetic than I want to, like a puppy waiting for his master. He turns his attention away disgusted with me, I don't blame him.

I turn back to the window and disappear into my head again.

******

The inn at Kalm is quiet today. The rain keeps everyone inside. I stare out the window while Elena listens to voice chatter on a receiver. I miss him, too much. Those damn red spikes won me over. He understands me way too much considering I barely speak to him, I never know what to say. He always seems to know though. I've only told him how I truly feel once, and he was unconscious.

"Got something, we need to move, now." I stand up and adjust my tie. Another day, another dollar, another chance to die.

******

I stand in front of my apartment for awhile. I don't want to go inside, it's too empty and messy. I b-line for Rude's. He left me a key once when he was sick, I conveniently forgot to give it back. I step in and inhale his scent. His place is immaculate, like him. It feels emptier than mine ever could. The only decoration is the picture I forced him to put on the mantle of us.

"Partners foreva," I whisper to myself. His room is the dirtiest place in the apartment. I take blame for that, this isn't the first time I've invited myself over. I clean up absent-mindedly. I fall back onto his bed and stare out the window again, it's still raining. I curl into myself and drift to sleep.

******

It hurts to breath. The explosion knocked me flat on my ass. Elena yells at me something inaudible, I think I lost my hearing. Everything screamed trap, but the kids were screaming louder. I look around and see the kids are alive. At least it wasn't for nothing. It's still raining, but some drops are hot on my skin. Elena must be crying. Turks don't cry, I want to tell her but I can't speak. I'm probably dying, that would make sense as to why she's crying.

Damn.

I was hoping to see him again before I bit the big one, or be with him when it happened. Yeah… Him and me, hand in hand, one blaze of glory to take us both out. But no. At least it's still raining.

I must have third degree burns because it hurts to smile. I do anyways. One last time, for him.

******

I wake up crying, sobbing actually. He's dead, I know it. I should have been there. It would have only taken a couple hours if I stole a bike. There is so much I still need to tell him. The rain pours down angrily. It knows my pain.

Everything he told me that day in the hospital comes to mind. He never knew I heard him.

I love you, come back. I don't care if you ever feel the same. No matter where I am, when the rain falls I'll know you're seeing the same through a different window, and that's enough to keep me going, forever.