A/N: I'm positively amazed at the response to this story. 115 views in three days! You guys are the bomb. This chapter wasn't all I wanted it to be, but I felt that anything I added would only muddy it up. I kinda had to write about rain, because I got a week off due to it, which was why I am able to post this without (a lot of) apprehension. So, here you go! Chapter 2!

The next day at NASA, I was just kinda hanging around in the main room when I heard dripping water. Where was it coming from? I really wanted to go find my Pathfinder murdering drill and gouge a hole in the wall until I found the leak, but I don't think that would classify as 'Socially Acceptable.' Damn. It was driving me nuts. I stole a glance outside, and what did I see? Rain. Yup. I totally overreacted. It's a little scary, how easily I can be put off now.

'I gotta go touch it. Right now,' I thought compulsively. Running to the door, I threw it open and darted to the driveway. I tipped my head up, and let the rain splatter on my face. Man, if never thought about this before, but it's so WEIRD that water just falls from the sky. When did that become a thing?

I didn't want to go back inside. It just seemed like such a novelty, spontaneous water dropping from the sky. Like, 'Hey! Free water! Just cause we feel like it! Unlike our asshole cousin Mars, we want you to live!' Our atmosphere is so cool. Why do we even bother with a space program? Earth rocks!

Anyway, I just stood out there for a while, drenching my new sweatshirt. If you look up during a shower, it looks like the sky is falling on you. Bizarre.

How did rain become a thing, anyway? Martinez would say that God just made it that way, but I'm not sure if I buy that. Hey, I'm a man of science! Not as sciencey as Vogel, though, who would tell me some chemistry shit, which I don't want to think about. It's boring! But seriously, rain. It's odd. And storms are weirder, what with them literally making electricity. I can't decide if storms are more cool or dangerous, because one did its best to kill me. More thought is required.

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Mindy hated rain. It was wet, cold, and really inconvenient. She coasted by the door on her way to the break room. Suddenly, there was a giant clap of thunder. Mindy startled, and glared out the window. 'Stupid storm,' She thought, shaking her head.

As she gazed out the glass panes of the door, she saw something strange. There was a big shape running around sporadically outside. As Mindy pushed open the door, a screaming sound met her ears. As she cautiously approached the figure, she saw that it was a man, darting around randomly like a drunk, and screaming his head off.

"Hey!" Mindy called. The figure turned to her.

Oh God. Not again. It was Mark Watney.

Why did the universe hate her so much?!

She never got the chance to ponder that question, however, because Mark was barreling towards her at top speed.

"RUN!" He shouted as he grabbed her arm. She was pulled off balance, and fell into a puddle. Mindy had grabbed onto Mark's wrist, so he tumbled after her.

"WHAT THE FUCK, WATNEY?!" Mindy screamed at him, scrambling to her feet. He gave her a terrified glance.

"It thundered! Thunder equals storm! Storm equals DEATH!" He babbled randomly.

Mindy sighed, annoyed. "Mark, get inside," she said tiredly.

He shot her a desperate look. "But how will we escape?!"

Mindy rolled her eyes sadly. "Just... Come in." She begged. The storm was cold!

Mark gave her puppy eyes. "Okay," he said, resigned.

"Thank you," Mindy said, and she led him to the door.

As they passed the front desk, the clerk gave them an odd but sympathetic look. "Stuck in the rain?" She asked.

Mindy glanced at Mark, who was staring at the floor. "Yeah, it's really pouring now; isn't it?" She told the clerk, who nodded. Mindy grabbed Mark's arm, and dragged him to the SatCon break room.

"Why were you out in a thunderstorm?" She asked incredulously, handing him a blanket from the emergency supplies. Mark gave her a weird look as he sat down. "Mark," she pressed.

"Um.. Well..," he stammered, "I... I just had to touch it. You know, to make sure it's real. And guess what?" He raised his eyebrows and wrapped the blanket around himself. "It was real! Uh, you can tell, 'cause were both soaked."

Mindy gave him a glare. "No shit," she responded. "What was with tackling me?"

Mark stared at the ceiling. "You weren't moving. You might have died. I had to help. Dying sucks. I can personally attest to that."

Mindy sighed. "Mark, he probability of getting struck with lightning is so low, people barely even think about it. Seriously, what gives?"

He looked at her sadly. "I.. Just... Really hate storms. You know, sol 6 and all. And cause I almost died, it's almost essential for me to steer clear of them. But I just had to go touch it. I mean, water that falls from the sky. Pretty weird, huh? But then it thundered and my amygdala just had a flip out. Fight or flight still on overload. And.. I just felt the instinct to help you. Uh, sorry you're wet now," he finished sheepishly.

Mindy grinned, getting herself a blanket. "Eh. I got a free shower!" There was a moment of silence, then they both burst out laughing.

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I liked Mindy. She didn't seem too pissed that I tackled her into a puddle. And she understood that I HAD to see the rain. It just seemed... Right, I don't know. I'm no sap.

I looked up at Mindy. She was curled up in her blanket with a cup of coffee. She caught my eye and I smiled. She grinned back, but her teeth were chattering.

"Cold?" I asked, concerned.

"A bit," she replied.

"But you have coffee," I pointed out. "Coffee solves every problem we have!"

Mindy laughed. "Mark, coffee may have kept me awake for two and a half years, but it isn't a holy grail."

I was confused. Coffee was perfect! 100% perfect! I really didn't get her. Time to be invasive and annoying!

"So, what EXACTLY is your job?" I asked.

Mindy glared at me. "I manage satellites, just like everyone assigned to SatCon," she said in a guarded way. "What did you think I did?"

I gave her a look. "Which satellites?"

"Um... I'm in charge of the MRO and Super Surveyor 3," she told me. Great. Mars.

"How long?" I asked.

She squirmed. "Um, maybe... 3 and a half years? But I've worked at SatCon for 5."

3 years... 533 days with the Rich Purnell Maneuver, plus my 549 sols on Mars...

"So you started watching Mars during Ares 3 and didn't stop at sol 6? You were stalking me?" I was astounded.

She gave me a pained look. "Well.. Maybe..."

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Oh God. He knew. Mindy was freaking out. Mark was giving her a hard-to-decipher look, and she felt constricted.

"So you were watching me. For 3 years. When did you sleep? A sol is 40 minutes longer than a day." He asked, confused.

"I slept when you did. That's why there was foil over the window," Mindy responded, embarrassed. And cold. NASA was a cold place, and being wet too sucked.

Mark was looking at her oddly.

"What?" Mindy asked, bemused.

Mark stood up, came over to her, and draped his blanket over her shoulders. "Thank you. Thank you so much. Holy shit, you saved my life. Just, wow. Wow. Shit. Thank you so fucking much."

Mindy wrapped the blankets around herself tighter. "Please don't make a big deal about it. I was just at the right monitor at the right time. I didn't do anything, and I wish people would shut up about me being so special. Just, please don't bring it up-"

Mindy was suddenly silenced as Mark wrapped his arms around her. She buried her head in his shoulder, squeezing him hard.

Mark spoke from her side, voice slightly muffled by her hair. "Mindy Park, you are one of my 4 favorite females on this planet, rivaled only by Lewis, Johanssen, and my mom."

Mindy squeezed him harder. "But I didn't do anyth-"

Again she was cut off by Mark, who pulled her tighter to his chest. For no reason apparent to her, Mindy began to cry. She just clung to Mark's shirt, and he stroked her hair as she sobbed. Eh. At least he was warm. Mindy found herself relaxing into his embrace.

"Thank you," she said to Mark. He just looked at her and smiled knowingly. Man, he was awesome.

She was being oddly emotional, and told herself it was just happening because she was tired and overwhelmed. And, oh my God, she was so embarrassed. Mindy hardly ever cried, and all the recent instances had something to do with Mark.

Speaking of Mark, he was looking at her in a very bizarre way.

"What?" Mindy asked.

Mark gave her a small smile. "Will you go to the movies with me?" He asked suddenly. Mindy stopped. "Just as friends," he clarified, embarrassed.

Mindy sighed in relief. "What movie?" She asked. Mark shot her an elated grin.

"How about... One of those late-night screenings of Star Wars. I think that either VII or VIII is playing on Friday. Up for it?"

Mindy thought. There was a weekend the next day, so she could get some recovery sleep. Star Wars was awesome. Mark was awesome. And she loved the movies.

"Sounds great," Mindy replied. "What time?"

Mark gave her hand a squeeze. "I'll be in touch. What's your number?"

Mindy told him, and he promised to text her.

They said goodbye, and parted ways as he went to his car to go home. 'Well. That didn't go nearly as badly as I thought it would,' Mindy thought to herself. She pulled out her tablet and got back to work, snuggling into her blankets contentedly.