For the full effect, I suggest these songs: Slow Dancing in A Burning Room, Gravity by John Mayer and When I'm Alone and Glitter by F(x)
To all my peeps who are snowed in, this is especially dedicated to you! :)
This isn't the storm before the calm
It's fucking cold, but even Riley Matthews can appreciate snowflakes and the light reflection of the ice on the pavement.
10 p.m. and Riley rubs her eyes. The bay window is lonely without Maya. Or Lucas. Or Zay. Or-
His beanie is a little too big for his head or maybe he put it on in a hurry. His coat has snowflakes stuck to it and Riley sucks in a breath. It's quite, the snow is falling, and Farkle Minkus is at her window in all his glory.
"Farkle," Riley asks softly, "What are you doing here?" It's 10:05 pm and he's usually studying for finals. It's below freezing and he's here at her window.
"Maya can't get to you, but I thought I would try anyway." His voice is quite, his fingers brush with hers as he enters and closes the window.
"Farkle," Her voice is a light chuckle, "I'm okay, I'm safe."
"But I came anyways." There is a calming silence between them.
"Mom had a charity event in Vermont and Dad is in China." He answers her unasked questions, "It was lonely."
"Oh Farkle." Her head lands on his shoulder, "You came to the right place." His fingers find themselves in her hair, and the snow comes down harder. She doesn't know how she'll answer for Farkle when Josh comes to check on her. She has half a mind to believe Josh wouldn't care.
"Have you talked to your parents?"
"Dad's been calling every hour." Riley chuckles, raising her head to look outside the window.
"Isn't it beautiful?"
"Yeah." He breathes out. Riley slowly turns to face him, the wheels turning in her head. She gets up, getting her coat. Sliding it on, she puts a finger to her lips and motions for Farkle to follow her by offering her other hand.
Speechless, he takes Riley's hand and she leads them out of the apartment. It's icy and chilly and Farkle is worried that they'll both be sick.
But her hands fit his perfectly, like he imagines when he's lying in bed at 12 am. Her face is slightly red and she doesn't know where she is taking him. But when she pulls him by his other hand to her, Farkle thinks he likes this new adventurous Riley.
"Dance with me." She whispers, and Farkle blinks.
"We could have just done this inside." But he lets her lead, without any music, his arms wrapped around her waist.
"It's far less romantic that way, Farkle." Riley hums, just short enough to curl her head in between his shoulder and his neck. His grip on her is tighter.
He didn't know what on earth he did to deserve Riley Matthews, to make her want to dance with him in the snow at 10 pm at night, when everything was vacant and there were only a few stragglers.
He didn't know what caused this chain of events that lead to him caressing her pink face, snowflakes falling and her eyes are shinning.
Where there planets aligning? Was there something about the red string of fate and destiny and fate? Did Pluto get to finally be a planet?
Riley reaches up, pulling Farkle's face towards hers. Farkle lets the snowflakes determine his fate as Riley Matthews pulls him into a deep, fervent kiss. As though she had been waiting for years to do it. He lets the snowflakes decide that destiny was finally his, she was finally his, and any sickness afterwards be damned.