Paige and Walter ran inside and they were drenched. The rain had definitely proved its worth. They got in the garage, immediately leaving puddles underneath them.
Paige looked up at Walter. His curly strands of hair were soaked, and his shirt left him pretty exposed. She was able to see a few abs from his shirt. "Walter didn't work out, did he?"
Walter glanced over to Paige and flashbacks of Cuba reappeared to him. Her hair was the same way; pulled back from her face, and he could see every angle of her face. Now, she was wearing a dark blue shirt, the type that Walter would usually wear. It was completely saturated with water. He could see her undergarments from underneath, like in Cuba. He told himself not to look.
"Okay one look," he thought. All he saw was extreme beauty.
"Well that was fun, huh?" Paige said.
"Not entirely." Walter replied. "I guess I could say... I don't exactly like being soaked in water."
Paige laughed. "I can see the lie right through you Walter O'Brien. Something tells me, you enjoyed the rain. I can tell you that."
"Well not re-"
"Learn how to lie better!" Paige laughed as she walked towards her desk to get her dry pair of clothes.
Walter winced, but then he laughed at himself quietly. She was definitely right about that one. He enjoyed it for sure. The feel of Paige. Someone he'd been looking for so many years. Surely, it was junk science, but it was science he was beginning to understand. Something he'd starting implementing into his lifestyle.
Walter realized that he was still standing in the same spot, and the puddle began to flow over the floor. He quickly stepped away when he realized he was near Sylvester's desk.
"Oh Sylvester is not going to be happy," he thought to himself before heading for the loft.
He looked around for Paige and realized that she was changing in one of the empty rooms upstairs. He decided not to bother her, but secretly, he really wanted to be near her.
"Wait, Walter snap out of it," he said to himself.
He changed in an instant, and went to check on Paige. "She'd for sure be done changing right?" As he entered, he realized he was wrong.
Paige had one leg in her stretchy tights and the other bare.
"Oh I'm so sorry!" Walter said, turning himself at a 180 degree.
He didn't want to turn.
"No it's fine, it's a leg. We've been through a whole lot more," Paige chuckled as she fitted her tights into place on her hips.
Walter turned back around and gave Paige another one of his tight grins.
"So I'm still not over how you fooled me into getting into this treacherous rain. You looked genuinely... Like hurt. I still don't understand how I didn't realize that you were faking it," Walter said while scratching his temple.
"197 IQ of yours and you didn't realize!" She said with a sarcastic smile. "Walter, you know pretty well that you'd come for me in a split second if I was hurt. Even if I was faking it." She moved closer to him. There was a brief pause. They both stared at one another. "That, and. I'm really good at acting remember?"
Walter laughed knowing what she said was true. She looked at him laughing and smiled. She loved that smile. That glimmer in his eyes. No matter how much he tried to deny it, Walter was capable of having an EQ.
"I'm still going to get back at you, Paige." Walter said.
"Another fun fact, you're not very good at revenge. You're all good. I can't see a single streak of evil in you." Paige exclaimed.
There was another moment of comfortable silence and then they both heard a growl.
"Something also tells me you're hungry?" Paige asked.
"Very."
They almost skipped down to the kitchen to see the soup cold. Paige started to reheat it and Walter checked the news. Nothing new, so he walked back towards Paige and started to help her with the dinner. They sat down to eat after a few minutes, and Walter drank most of the soup. He was pretty hungry, and Paige could tell.
"Here's the rest Walt, I'm going to set some coffee up."
"That's sounds good Paige; thank you. This meal is very delectable by the way," Walter said, as he licked his lips.
"Oh it's an old recipe. I learned it in the dorm, and I've been adding things to it since." Paige was happy she learned another one of Walter's favorites.
The news was still on, and the reporter was talking about how there was a chance that the lights would go out.
"71 percent chance, that the lights may go out in the city of Los Angeles, and cities surrounding it," the news reporter announced.
"Well that's not too great," Paige said. "How am I going to get home?"
"It's still not a good idea Paige," Walter replied.
"Is it okay if you just stay here today? It gives me a piece of mind. You driving out there would guarantee my worries."
"Well, that sounds like a solid plan. I am extremely afraid of the dark and thunder sometimes." Paige said with a sigh.
Walter looked at her as he had just figured a new fact out about her.
"You learn something every day don't you?" He muttered under his breath, to which Paige heard.
"True that," she said with a light chuckle.
"In that case, I have a small condition." She continued. "You are not giving up your loft and bed for me. You need the same rest I need, and I'm not going to let you sacrifice for me."
Walter sighed. That's exactly what he was going to do. Then he taught of something. Before he had the time to suppress his words, they slipped out. "Is it okay if you sleep next to me? There is no way I would let you sleep on the couch."
Paige blushed, and Walter internally slapped himself.
After a few quick seconds of silence, Paige agreed, and Walter was relieved.
"One more problem, This outfit," she pointed to her hip long blouse, and tights, "are not exactly sleeping material." She let out a chuckle.
"Well I think I can help with that," Walter said.
He took her to the loft, and she picked up a pair of sweatpants that had the nasa logo printed on it. They looked familiar.
"When did you get this? You hardly wear sweatpants."
"Aah, yes because they aren't exactly professional.. But comfortable indeed. I received them when Ralph and I went to the Columbia Memorial Space Center."
"That's where I remember them from! Ralph has a pair in the back of his closet. Same excuse... Not professional enough," she said with a chuckle.
He gave her one of his shirts he would sleep in, and let her change.
As Paige entered the empty room to change, he noticed the very evident smell of Walter on his clothes. It was a mix of his experiment generated odors, and that deodorant he used. She liked it. In fact, she loved it. She was just about to put on the shirt when the lights started to flicker.
Suddenly they went out, and a roll of thunder boomed into her ears.
The first thing she did was scream, although she didn't want to, and Walter came running.
"Walter, where are you?" She had completely forgotten that she wasn't wearing a shirt.
"Paige...Right here. Don't worry, I'm right here," he felt around until he found her hands and held on to them. "Let me find a flashlight, one second." He found one at the corner of the table and turned it on. He shined it towards Paige, and found her in nothing but her...bra.
"Oh! Paige, I'm sorry. I'll be over there, sorry to disturb you-"
"No Walter don't leave. You can stay here. I just have to put this shirt on."
After she was done, she grabbed Walter's hand and held it tightly as they went into the loft together.
"So where do I sleep?" Paige asked.
"Wherever you'd like, though I'd prefer you be comfortable and sleep on the bed. There's an inflatable somewhere I think, if I could find it," he said as he trailed off.
"No Walter, you're not sleeping in any inflatable mattress, you'll have to sleep next to me. I won't let you sleep like that. That plus the fact that I won't be able to sleep anytime soon," Paige said with a stern look on her face.
"Okay." That was all that Walter said, but he felt so much more.
Paige got into bed sooner than Walter did, because Walter went to turn on the system Happy built in times like these. It would give them temporary lights in the garage.
Thunder boomed on them again, and Walter knew Paige had probably been frightened, so he rushed upstairs to find her waiting for him.
"I'm done, Paige. The lights are back on."
"I can see that. You geniuses have a way to make everything better," she said with a smile.
Walter was nervous at first but slowly climbed into the bed that Paige was currently in. It felt like a dream. His dreams coming true.
"Goodnight Walter," Paige said.
"Uh Goodnight Paige. Let me know if you need anything," Walter said.
"One thing," Paige said
"Yeah?"
"Snuggle me?"
Snuggle? What did that mean?
"Um, I would, but I don't know how...to."
"Let me show you," Paige replied.
Paige held him closer than ever before. They were able to hear each other's hearts beating, and they let out all their stress. There was nothing between them. No barriers, no interference. Walter didn't seem to freeze, and he held her like she held him.
Before they knew it, they were fast asleep in one another's arms and the storm cleared out around them.