Spring Storms
A WEISS KREUZ FANFICTION
"I'm going out." I said my shift ended.

"Aa." Ken said as entered to take my place.

I took out an umbrella and decided on a walk in the park. The day was cloudy and drizzly, in other words, just perfect for such a walk and I really didn't feel like visiting my sister. I navigated through the wet sidewalk not bothering with the umbrella. The refreshing cool wind ruffled my hair. The rain was light and warm, falling gently on my shoulders, like the assuring pats of my mother. Walking in it, I could almost feel happy, almost forget. I suppressed the urge to skip though I felt some bounce add to my walk. The scent of fresh greenery was so strong that I could almost taste the mint-greenness on my tongue. Finally, I settled under a wide spreading tree.

I sighed, as I looked unseeing into the mist, it was raining out in Tokyo. The steady drizzle wasn't that strong to discourage the fan-girls from coming to the Koneko, it had the unpleasant side effect of packing them into the shop to escape the wet. They had been getting on my nerves all day. It was good to walking in the rain especially when the wind was so strong. With everyone too preoccupied with their umbrellas to even notice me, I can let my guard down a bit. Too ease up on the ever-vigilant control that I had on my emotions.

I marveled at the wet grass, bushes and trees. They looked so clean and vibrant in the shining fall of rain. I was tempted to laugh at the passersby, holding onto their hats that threatened to fly in the errant breezes, or shoving hair out of their faces, slipping and sliding on the sidewalk now and then. I settled for a small contented smile. With no one was paying me the least bit of attention, I could relax and enjoy the sights.

Then my breath caught as I saw a familiar figure walking with an unopened umbrella in one hand. The man was out of the usual suit, wearing jeans and a tee shirt. Black hair was charmingly tousled and moistened by the drizzle. Blue eyes gazed about without their usual shutters. The usual smirk softened to something more accessible, making the man look younger than his twenty-odd years. The expression was something I'd never thought to see on the face of the Schwartz leader.

He's sexy as hell…like that…and sort of vulnerable…almost kind…

I was not as disturbed by the thought as I should be. Crawford was still our enemy that was true but that accident that happened two months ago more or less let me know that the man was human, not some evil villain out of a comic book. We had weathered the teasing of Weiß and Schwartz about our supposed affair quite well though a few relatively anonymous supportive calls by cell phone helped a lot. It didn't make Schwartz or Kritiker the least bit suspicious, thinking that we were just being discreet in our affair.

Shows a lot of what they know…

There had been absolutely nothing going on. It was only the guys' creative imaginations working overtime.

If we had sex half the time and half as wild as they thought we had, we won't have any energy at all for missions… much less minding the Koneko on my shifts…

It seemed that the Schwartz leader was enjoying the drizzle as much as I was.

Something else we have in common…

The thought disturbed me.

How can I fight him if I think we're almost the same? I suppose he has his own reasons for being Schwartz, as much as I have my reason for being Weiß…

Then blue eyes met mine and I was transfixed where I stood.

"Aya?" Crawford said in that deep voice of his. I watched him cautiously as he walked towards me. There wasn't even a hint of hostility in the man's posture.

"Aa."

"Fancy meeting you here…of all places." The precog tossed his damp hair out of his eyes. He looked absurdly like a young boy who had decided to frolic in the rain not like the ruthless assassin he was now. I found it rather endearing…

Stop that, he is still Brad Crawford of Schwartz… Nothing can change that fact…

"Hn."

You, too…

"You like to walk in the rain, too?"

Can you read minds like that crazy German?

"Aa. As much as I like reading and painting…" I said before thinking better of it, gracing my companion-enemy with an absent smile.

Why did I say that?

Even after that fuss over their supposed affair, I never let Crawford learn anything about me. We were never so open about our lives other than to complain of the teasing. Tension screamed on the air, much like Youji's tautly wound wire just before the kill.

I'm giving more of myself to him… Is that wise? Besides he may not want that…

"I like reading, too, and music…"

I sighed. Potential embarrassment averted. But now, the blue eyes were intent on my face, making me feel hot all of a sudden. Crawford suddenly raised his hand to trace a burning line on my cheek. Something quivered in my stomach. The tension was back again but it was different somehow.

"Hn?" I asked, as much to voice my confusion at this new thing that seems to hang subtly between us, delicate as a spider web glittering with morning dew--or rain. A hand came above my shoulder, resting there, as Crawford leaned forward. His blue eyes were glowing with some emotion. I felt suddenly like a fly in that web except that I discovered I didn't really want to struggle too much.

Not to the risk of breaking it…

"I--"

I was promptly cut-off as something fluttered to my lips. Then I felt a gentle tongue probing sweetly into my mouth tasting me. I kissed back, tasting the same mixture of cigarette smoke and something unidentifiable with the underlying mint of day. It was so much different from the kiss we had shared in the motel. So much nicer at that…

It seemed that time stopped for an instant. Then we separated… Soft breaths, panting…

"Why? I'm Weiß, you're Schwartz. Enemies." I asked, unsteadily. I set my body into defensive posture.

What is he playing at! Is this some plot of Schwartz…?

"I don't know. It's that, just now…" Crawford said shaking his head a bit, letting a scatter of drops fly everywhere.

Just now...you and I were just two people in the rain... Two people who love the rain, who love to read, who might even care for each other... Two lovers meeting in the rain... No stop that...

I stopped my traitorous thoughts from betraying me.

"Hn." The indignation in my voice didn't have any heart to it. Though I didn't relax my guard.

I do know--sort of--what you mean… For a moment there, you didn't look like Crawford of Schwartz either…but we are who we are…

"So where does this leave us?" He asked. A few strands of hair waving free but otherwise looking only mildly tousled.

He's almost adorable… Scratch that! Crawford can't look adorable… He's Schwartz…

My mind screamed at me to stop it.

Your doing it again... At this rate, I won't be able to fight him the next time we meet in battle…

"I don't…I didn't plan this… You know." Crawford stumbled over the words.

I just stared fascinated at the soft uncertainty on his face.

Is this the self-assured leader of Schwartz?

"Aa. Truce…for now?" I replied, believing him. No one could fake that puzzlement. I relaxed back and leaned on the tree trunk.

"Truce." Crawford said, leaning back tentatively on the trunk as well. He sidled slowly until we were side by side on the trunk. Somehow it didn't see odd to let him.

It feels right… Comforting even…

I let the warmth of another body comfort me, a silent reassuring presence but it was more than just that. I was quietly aware whom I was with, but somehow it didn't matter as much anymore. The contented silence grew between us. Steady, pulsing with the pitter-patter of raindrops on the leaves.

~Owari~


Author's Notes:

I love walking in the rain, don't you? ^__^; This piece is supposed to be WAFF but I'll understand everyone doesn't think so. The title was inspired by Christie Golden's Summer Storms.