(Check end for notes.)


"The line-storm clouds fly tattered and swift,
the road is forlorn all day,
where a myriad snowy quartz stones lift,
and the hoof-prints vanish away.
The roadside flowers too wet for the bee,
Expend their bloom in vain.
Come over the hills and far with me,
and be my love in the rain. " -Robert Frost


The rain has been drizzling down the windows for the past few hours. All her co-workers are already fussing about the technicalities of getting home without getting soaked. The day had started with bright blue skies and rays of sunshine, so no one had even thought of bringing an umbrella. Therese doesn't mind the rain, but she's probably the only person in New York that has brought an umbrella to work today. Not because she was expecting the rain, but because she forgot to take it out of her bag the previous day.

On Wednesday's Therese is in charge of closing the library since she works the late shift. It's her favorite day because she gets to spend a good half hour alone, surrounded by books and the most comforting silence that can't be found in many places around this city.

|The line-storm clouds fly tattered and swift, the road is forlorn all day |

The library closes at 5pm every day so she has to make sure that everyone has left and that the books are returned to the shelves in their respective places or checked out by the reception. People are slowly gathering their belongings, returning or borrowing books and nervously searching for their umbrellas to face the now pouring rain. Therese notices a few students that are still reading and kindly informs them that it is closing time so they make their way out. She looks around once more to make sure no one is left so that she can start putting the books back on the shelves, and that's when she sees her.

She looks like a painting from a distance.

Soft brush strokes of yellow form the woman's shoulder length hair that certainly looks gold under the sun, accurate lines form bold pouted lips and glasses that frame her angelic face. Therese wishes she could see the woman's eyes but they are too concentrated on the book she is reading.

| Where a myriad snowy quartz stones lift, and the hoof-prints vanish away |

One of the books she's holding suddenly slips out of her grip and she's brought back to reality. She doesn't want to tell the woman to leave- actually she wants to do quite the opposite- but she has to do her job or she'll be fired and she can't risk that. So she gathers the courage to approach the woman, and it's as if the closer she gets the more beautiful she becomes.

When she's finally a step away the painting has come to life.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your reading ma'am but it's closing time." Therese nervously says and instantly regrets it.

Carol lifts her head to look directly into Therese's eyes, which are now unguarded since she's moved her glasses on top of her head.

"I realize that its closing time, but it's raining and I'm really into this book, could you wait a little bit before you close up please?"

Therese is mesmerized by the gray abyss that forms in Carol's eyes and for a moment she gets lost in them. The moment is broken when Carol continues.

"Well, could you?"

| The roadside flowers too wet for the bee, expend their bloom in vain |

Therese could never say no to her, would never say no to her even though she hardly even knew the woman.

"I mean...I still have to re stack these books and tidy up, you...You can stay until I'm finished." A thankful smile formed on Carol's face but she went back to her book without a word and Therese wished she'd never asked her to leave in the first place.

Therese went back to the shelves, making sure all the books were back where they belonged. She couldn't help but feel the presence of the other woman in the corner of the room. Somehow it wasn't intrusive; she found the silence between them quite comforting.

Carol had been at the library since noon, trying to avoid going back to an empty apartment. Rindy was spending the week at her father's house who had adopted a little puppy for her last week, and she had fallen madly in love with it. Carol couldn't compete, especially since pets were strictly forbidden in her apartment building on Madison Avenue. Abby was in charge of the furniture shop on Wednesdays so after her morning stroll in Central Park Carol decided to head to the library.

She can't help but constantly glance over at the young woman; suddenly she found the book she was reading incredibly dull. She watches Therese effortlessly climbing a ladder and putting away some books on the highest shelves. She imagines standing underneath the ladder ready to catch her in her arms in case she misses a step on her way back down.

The silence that fills the room indicates that they're the only people left in the building so she closes the book and stands up and starts walking towards Therese, suddenly aware of how fast her heart is beating. She stretches out her arms and hands the book to the younger woman.

"Can't concentrate anymore" she says and a shy smile forms on her lips.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have inter…"

"Oh don't apologize dear; you were just doing your job."

Therese's heart tightens at the term of endearment. She looks down to the book that was just handed to her. It's a collection of poetry. She recognizes it instantly since she'd read it only yesterday and she remembers one of the poems that had stuck out to her.

Carol watches as Therese moves her fingers over the cover and smiles; she wonders what prompted that reaction but she doesn't have to wonder for long.

"I read this book yesterday" she starts, "I found it in the basement while I was looking for something else and I read it throughout the day, some of the poems in here are truly beautiful." Therese looks up to meet Carol's eyes, who are now looking at her amused.

"So it was you" Carol giggles and takes the book out of Therese's hands. She opens it to page 143 and gives it back to her.

|Come over the hills and far with me, and be my love in the rain|

The last line is underlined.

"That was my favorite one too" Carol says and she notices Therese's cheek color turn pinkish.

Therese had forgotten to erase what she had underlined before putting the book on one of the shelves. Usually she'd have cursed her forgetfulness but today she actually is grateful for it.

They talk about their favorite poets and writers, the poems that have made them cry and the writers they wish they could meet. They talk about Therese's job at the library and Carol's at the furniture shop that is only a couple blocks away. They talk about Richard, who moved to France after their break up and Rindy, who was now 5 and spending the week with Harge.

"I'm Carol by the way." She stretches her arm out to shake the other woman's hand and when their skin touches it's as if fireworks have gone off in the lower part of her abdomen.

Therese feels it too. It's as if their hands were made to complete each other. Like two pieces of art that combined make a masterpiece.

"I'm Therese" she says shyly.

"Therese" Carol almost whispers "That's lovely"

-.-.-.-.-.-

The rain is still pouring down, and Carol hasn't brought an umbrella, like every other person in New York today. Therese locks the building and makes her way towards the exit door where Carol is standing. She is watching the raindrops fall violently to the ground.

"You don't have an umbrella with you, do you?" Therese says trying to hide a mocking smile.

"No"

"I can walk you to your place, is it near?"

"It's just a couple blocks from here, but you really don't have to Therese." Therese loves the way her name sounds when Carol says it.

"Come on!" Therese grabs Carol's hand and brings her under the umbrella and Carol feels a chill run down her spine at the unexpected touch.

They press close to each other so that they are both always under the umbrella. The temperature outside is surely below freezing but Therese's cheeks are blushed and Carol doesn't know whether it is because of the layers of clothes she's wearing or because their hands are brushing against each other on the umbrellas handle.

Poems and letters and underlined words circle her mind.

They inevitably step in a couple of puddles along the way and usually Carol would have been annoyed but for some reason Therese finds it hilarious, so she doesn't mind that her new boots are now soaked because she might love the sound of Therese's laughter more than them anyway.

"This is it." Carol steps out away from the umbrella to open the door that leads to her apartment and the absence of Therese's warmth makes her wish she lived further away.

"You're a star for being the only person in New York to have an umbrella with you today" Carol says and smiles.

"Happy to be of service." Therese jokes.

They stand there looking at each other for what feels like an eternity until a passerby bumps into Therese and almost knocks her over.

"Well I should get going" she looks down to the ground hoping to conceal her sad smile.

She wonders if she'll ever see Carol again, oh how she wishes she could see her every day, every hour for the rest of her life and the one after that.

"Thanks again, darling"

Carol watches Therese walk away and she knows that from now on she'll be spending every Wednesday at the library and maybe even other days when she can sneak out of the furniture shop. She can even bring Rindy when she's back home next week and let her borrow some books. Maybe Therese can show her around the library, Rindy loves books.

But as she watches Therese walk away she also knows she will be damned if she has to wait until next Wednesday to see her again.

"Therese, wait!" she calls and Therese immediately turns around and releases a deep breath she didn't even realize she was holding.

"Yes?"

"I'm going to make some tea to warm up and I was wondering if you'd like to join me." Carol asks and she wishes more than anything that the answer will be yes. "Would you?"

Therese's smile reaches her eyes.

"Yes. Yes I would."


(Notes)

I saw Rooney wearing glasses at the Spirit Awards 2016 and i just couldn't get Librarian Therese out of my brains. This my very first time writing fic and English is not my first language (although it might as well be since i write it daily). I hope you enjoy my lil dribble and let me know if you'd like to see more of these two in this AU. You can find me on tumblr at .com