Another long one-shot! Kinda got carried away with the description but oh well, it is by far my favourite thing to write! Anyways enjoy :)
Closing her eyes, the woman tipped her head up to the sky. Rain danced in the humid air. Shimmering, damp blonde curls hung from her head like stretched springs. Droplets kissed her porcelain skin, drawing away warmth with every touch. Soon enough she was colder than ice; even then, she refused to give in and gain some respite from the heavy rainfall. And so she continued her journey towards the train station, an aura of mystery surrounding her like a fortress. Heart pumping, a smile pulled on her pink lips, betraying her happiness and complete bliss. Onlookers had no idea why she insisted on standing, with no umbrella or cover, in the middle of a huge downpour (and even with a smile on her face). But it was certainly clear for everyone to see that the blonde, solitary figure slowly walking down the street was in a passionate love affair with rain. She loved everything about it. Petrichor: the smell of dust after rain. Electric atmospheres preluding a downpour; somehow, nature manages to warn people of the impending rain, although many choose not to listen. Dark, circling clouds bruising the otherwise clear sky. Heaven. Everything about rain was exciting and perhaps slightly foreign to the blonde; as a consequence, she not only admired, but revelled in any spouts of wet weather that came to Wyvern.
Although she loved the rain with all her heart, this adoration was most certainly unrequited. Droplets of cold water plastered her hair to her forehead and trickled down her sleeves, infiltrating her dry inner clothes. Rivers of mascara had long run through the valleys of her sculptured face. As always, the sheer power of nature never failed to astonish her. Within a matter of minutes, the clouds had produced a perfectly natural and efficient cleanser - there was no feeling more pure than that of washing in the rain. Her previous life in the army had leant her to dry, arid conditions in places all over Afghanistan; as a result, she treasured any wet weather. Back in the desert, the heat constantly threatened to suffocate her, stripping her of the little oxygen and moisture present in the harsh conditions. Rain was nothing if not a miracle. Tipping her head back further, rapid droplets pelted her skin, causing it to sting slightly. Unrequited love indeed. Goosebumps involuntarily rose all along her skin - by now, the woman had become undeniably frozen. Chills from the weather seeped into her bones, soaking into her skeleton and sending a shiver down her spine.
Finally, the rainfall began to slow until it had ceased. The woman's heart began pumping at a normal pace as the rain abated. With moisture still in the air, streams of water ran down the pavements. Boats of leaves and twigs sailed down the flumes, dodging the perilous drains. Soon enough, as a consequence of the now powerful sunshine, only a few puddles remained as memoirs of the previous downpour. Head still tipped back, she basked in the sunlight, allowing it to dry her hair and clothes. In the distance, a rainbow began to glimmer in the blue sky; more proof that nature was far more powerful than anything else. Humans cannot hope to ever control not predict Mother Nature - she does what she wants, when she wants. Hints of colour arced across the sky, gracefully symbolising the end of the cleansing. For now, there would be no more rain.
"Bernie!" A shout came from across the road. Car honks closely followed. Still no reaction. "Bernie!" A beautiful, brunette doctor leant out of her car window, insistent on making her voice heard. "BERNIE!"
Finally, a response. The blonde woman, her curls still damp, sharply turned her head to face the source of the shouting. She had been focused on reaching her train on time; tunnel vision had prevented her from hearing the shouts, until now. A smile lit up her face, reaching from ear to ear and filling her hazel eyes with undeniable happiness.
"Hey Serena!" Bernie replied. Unlike Serena's light voice, her deep and husky tone easily travelled across the distance between them. Still smiling, the blonde began walking back to Serena's small car. Watching Bernie strut towards her caused an involuntary gasp to escape Serena's parted lips. Her eyes lingered on the sunlight reflecting off Bernie's golden curls. As if she doesn't look beautiful enough, she has to go and unwittingly look like a fucking angel. Just my luck. As always, Serena found her thoughts preoccupied by only Bernie. Her eyesight flitted across Bernie's soft lips, still arced in a graceful smile. I wonder if they feel as soft as they look. I have never seen anyone, let alone a man, with more beautiful lips than her. As a matter of fact, I have never seen anyone more perfect than her. Full stop.
"Hello! I thought you'd like a lift-" Serena looked up to see the blonde who was, as always, struggling to open the car door. Tanks may've been her forte, but cars certainly weren't. Suddenly, a breath hitched in Serena's throat as she saw how wet the army medic was. "Good grief Bern! Why on Earth are you so wet?"
"In case you hadn't noticed, there was a rather large downpour around 30 seconds ago?" Bernie replied, an incredulous edge to her tone and cheekiness glimmering in her eyes.
"Of course I noticed!" Serena scoffed, running her hand over Bernie's damp overcoat and ignoring the blush now burning on her cheeks. "But any sensible person would've put an umbrella up!"
"Well I don't have one. Anyways, I love the rain."
"As do I. But that doesn't mean I'm going to take my chances with hypothermia to experience it first hand!"
"I'll happily risk it to stand in the middle of a rainfall. I'll admit it's a bit strange, but it's just the way I am." Bernie replied, smiling as she gazed past the windscreen wipers. Serena, head still shaking, began to drive down the road. She roughly knew the way to the blonde's hotel, having had driven her home several times before. Sometimes Bernie was too proud and stubborn to accept a lift, arguing that it would cause Serena an inconvenience and it'd be much easier for her to get the train home. Thank God she didn't argue this time..
"So, Ms Wolfe, why do you like the rain so very much?" Serena asked, both sarcasm and curiosity seeping into her tone and breaking the comfortable silence between them. Upon hearing Serena call her 'Ms Wolfe', Bernie's heart began pumping even faster. Just getting into such a confined space with the brunette had caused noticeable palpitations; the use of this nickname had most definitely sent her heart into tachycardia. For God's sake woman! Bernie gave a small sigh as she tried to focus on Serena's question. But all she could think about was how the car smelt like Serena - deep Shiraz, cinnamon and rain. Oh how she smells of rain. How funny; the smell I love most in the world belongs to the woman I love most. Hey! Focus on the bloody question! Once again, the army medic's thoughts refused to obey. Her eyeline traveled down to Serena's hand gripping the gearstick. Pale knuckles, manicured nails, elegant fingers. How the fuck do I find even her hands attractive? Is there any aspect of her that I'm not in love with? Bernie questioned herself, her gaze now moving up to Serena's face. Every feature was in perfect accordance: pronounced cheekbones, sharp eyebrows, beautifully red and slightly pouted lips. Very kissable lips. Oh dear. The army medic felt like she was being pulled under by a riptide. She was powerless and defenceless against these emotions she felt for Serena, of which were constantly threatening to overwhelm her and pull her deeper underwater. Bernie wanted to tell Serena how she felt more than anything in the world; and yet there was still something holding her back. Perhaps it's the fear I'll be rejected. Or, worse still, that she'll actually reciprocate my feelings. Imagine if she felt this way for me. It would only make matters worse. Not only would it give me even more motivation to kiss her, but it would definitely lead to hurt. Eventually I know I'd mess up and break her heart. Deep down, Serena is more fragile than a China doll; I could never risk causing her any kind of pain. And that is why I can't tell her how I am head over heels in love with her.
"Bern?"
"I-oh. Sorry, I was deep in thought.." Bernie flashed Serena a small smile, accompanied by a shrug. Inside, the blonde was begging her eyes to not betray her true sadness. "I love the rain because it's amazing. In Afganistan any weather that wasn't blazing sunlight, let alone rain, was a rarity to be celebrated. I suppose that now I'm back in Britain I can truly appreciate how powerful and undervalued rain really is. And it is absolutely beautiful." Just like you.
"Irrefutable logic Bern. I like the rain; hearing it on my windows at night is the most comforting sound in the world. Next time, call me and I'll bring an umbrella!" Serena gushed, earning a deep laugh from Bernie. A deep ache pooled in the brunette's chest upon hearing Bernie's laugh fill the car.
"Certainly Ms Campbell. Anyways, my hotel is at the end of this road." Bernie replied, gesturing vaguely with a wave of her hand.
"I know, I remember the way from last time. Do you know how long you'll be staying in the hotel?"
"To be honest, I'm not really sure. I do know that I can't stay there for much longer; Marcus seems to currently have autonomy over our savings and a four-star hotel room is certainly making a dent in the money I have left. Perhaps this week I'll have to relocate to a motel." Bernie mumbled, a faint blush on her cheeks betraying her embarrassment. Anger built up inside her, threading to cause a flood. "It's ludicrous. I work away for ten years and return to hardly enough money to pay my hotel bills. How dare he do this to me? How dare he-"
"Look Bern. I know you're upset and angry. Trust me, I really do understand. So I propose you come and stay with me after you've ended your stay here." Serena asked (yet it sounded much more like an order) as she parked in the hotel car park. Her set brow and smile hinted at the brunette's infamous stubbornness - she wasn't going to accept 'no' for an answer. Could I be any more obvious and desperate for Bernie to stay?
"Oh no I couldn't possibl-"
"I must insist. With Jason staying in the spare room and Elinor gone, both her room and my couch are completely free. It would be nice to have some company of my own age around the house."
"Well...I cannot say no to that!" Bernie joked, unclicking her seatbelt. Turning to face the smiling brunette, the army medic grasped Serena's hands. Tension in the air twisted like a knife. Suddenly the car felt hotter than a furnace. "Thank you. For everything." The blonde murmured, her voice quiet and husky. With this, she lightly kissed Serena on the cheek, turned around and got out of the car.
"Y-you're very welcome." Serena whispered to an empty car. She dreamily waved at the retreating blonde, before starting the car. Absentmindedly humming, she couldn't ward off the huge smile on her face. Wildfire spread on her skin where Bernie had kissed her. The brunette's hands were still tingling where the army medic had held them. That perfect woman...will soon be living in my house. How the hell did I get so lucky?