Focus: Kalin/Rain

Time Period: Post-Canon

Additional Notes: Let's be real. This one's more than an implied ship. [Established Relationship]


It Is Thursday


I spread my stance, and the spurs of my turquoise cowgirl boots tinkled. The matching leathers hugged a note too tight on my chest, but I resisted the urge to adjust. In this situation, I couldn't move an inch. The brim of my black, ten-gallon hat was pulled low.

The black scorpion in the corner of the room pinched its claws. Its barbed tail aimed at me. I held my breath. The sweat pouring down my neck caused my long, white hair to cling to my skin. A breeze passed through the window and kissed my cheeks. Outside, signs creaked in their regular swing.

My gaze was locked with the creature in my room.

I screamed a war cry, dashed forward, and stomped the scorpion. My spurs spun, and my eyes were shut. I cracked one open. Guts were splatted on the floor. I breathed out and tipped my hat up. The fiend was vanquished.

Clapping caught my attention. Its origination was the guy leaning on the doorframe, one heel crossed over the other. His messy, ice-blue hair fell just past his chin, and with the way his head was tilted, I could spot the braided portion near his right temple. "Top form, partner. I rate it a nine out of ten, at least. Point off for the ten-minute standoff, of course."

"Were you- were you just watching the whole time?"

"Oh yeah."

I puffed my cheeks full of air before shouting, "You could've killed it, or helped, or done literally anything!"

"Hell no! Scorpions are fuckin' scary! 'Sides…" He placed his hand over his heart, closed his eyes, and said with fake sincerity: "You had it all under control. You're my hero."

"Shut up, you poser!" I said. "What're you even doing here? You're supposed to have work!"

"Yeah, well, you're not the only one with the day off."

"Did you get in trouble or something?" I mumbled. "'Cause I can't imagine any other way a workaholic would sit at home."

"You've got it all wrong. I have plans for today." A corner of his mouth quirked up. His hazel eyes thinned ever so slightly. "Lots of plans just for you, Rain."

I swallowed. It didn't do anything for the lump in my throat. "W-what does that mean?"

"Tch. Don't you know what today is?"

"It's, uh, Thuuursdaaay?"

His eyes widened, and his relaxed pose changed to a straight, stiff one. "You seriously don't… Seriously? Nah, I should've seen that coming…"

"Eh? What're you talking about?"

He tossed up his hands and smiled in a sweet way. "Don't worry about it! Uh, I'm gonna go for a walk. Be back later."

He walked outside the house at a brisk pace. I blinked. The calendar hung on the wall of the kitchen. I folded my arms over my chest, tilted my head, and observed the date. Thursday, February 14th. Was there anything special about it? I squinted. In tiny letters beneath the numbers, it read, "Valentine's Day." That told me a whole lot. I puffed out a sigh and fell back into a chair beside the breakfast room table.

"Rain!"

A younger girl and boy stomped into the kitchen and pinned me with a pair of glares. I said, "What're you two so angry about?"

West pointed at me and shouted, "You did something to Kalin!"

Nico smoothed down her pink dress's skirt. "When he was leaving, he acted really, really sad. Did you reject him or something? He's been looking forward to today for months…"

"Dunno why he would," I grumbled. "It's just some random day in the middle of the month. What's everybody freaking out about?"

Their jaws dropped. West fell back on the floor laughing. He said, "She! She doesn't know! About Valentine's Day!"

The corners of Nico's eyes tilted down. "I get it. He probably didn't tell you because he knew you'd feel bad because you haven't gotten him anything."

"Was I… supposed to get him something?"

West hopped to his feet and pointed at me. Again. "I'm nine and three quarters and even I know about Valentine's better than you! Your Valentine is the person you're lovey dovey smoochy smoochy with, and you're supposed to get 'em gifts and go on a date or whatever other lame stuff!"

I looked to Nico for confirmation. Her smile was apologetic. "That's pretty much right. It's a day for romance! That's why Kalin was so excited…"

I thought about everything he'd said earlier. A cold claw clenched my heart. My mouth twitched down wildly, and my hands shook. I grabbed my temples and shouted, "I didn't get him anything!"

My knees hit the floor, and tears poured down my face. Nico patted my back. "There, there. Don't be so dramatic."

"But I ruined everything!"

West grumbled, "Now I get why he didn't tell you."

"How about we help you come up with a present idea?" Nico said. "It's not like the day is over. It's only just begun!"

I sniffled and rubbed a knuckle beneath my wet left eye. "It's difficult to come up with something I could do today… I could sing him a song! No, I'm terrible at that. I could play something on the piano- no, I've already done that. I could try sewing him something. No, with the time limit I'd mess up all the stitching…"

"You could buy him something," Nico offered.

"Meh. I haven't been working for long, so I don't have much money. If I'd known I should've been saving up for today, it'd be better."

West sighed. He stuffed his hand into his pocket. "Rain, I wouldn't normally do this, but I'll lend you the money I've been saving up, okay? Just this once!"

He reached forward and dropped some crumpled bills into my palm. I said, "This is two dollars."

"Yeah! That's a whole allowance I've been keeping!"

"The allowance Kalin gives you is two dollars?"

West lifted his chin. "Heh. Bet you're jealous. He probably doesn't give you anything."

"Riiight. Jealous. You can keep the allowance. I don't think I'm buying anything too expensive…"

"Have you figured out what you're getting?" Nico asked. "You have to tell us!"

I hadn't figured anything out. I wanted to write his name in the stars, to dance with him atop the water's surface, to draw him with the constellations. Those were silly dreams and ridiculous to say out loud – ridiculous to feel – weren't they?

"Didja come up with something, Rain?" Nico asked, startling me out of my imagination. I shook my head. "Aw, darn. I saw you blushing and thought you'd finally done it."

"I wh-" I slapped my hands over my warm cheeks and said, "Um, I, I'm gonna go clean myself up and think about it more."

Without a couple of kids staring at me. Seriously, why'd they have to bring up every single little thing? I hadn't even been blushing. Had I? I shook my head, tore off my clothes, and hopped in the shower.

It wasn't fair how difficult buying for my partner was. He was stubborn enough to hate getting new things and wearing out whatever he owned until it literally fell to pieces. The soles of his single pair of boots, for example, had been reattached no less than three times.

I was reminded of the anxious hell Christmas became when I found out I had to pick a present for Kalin. I almost broke down and adopted-

In the steamy mirror, my eyes widened. What'd I been whining for? I had the perfect idea all along.

\/\/\/\/\/\

A pair of glass doors slid open when I walked towards them. I squinted at the open doorway. I always thought the doors were spooky. How did they know when I was close enough? Were they watching me? I grasped the hood of my black jacked and tugged it over my head as I entered the mall.

Busy crowds bustled in the massive food court. I stuffed my hands into my pockets as I walked through. I almost made it through. On the far end, someone grabbed the back of my coat. I stepped away from the offending kid. He hopped closer and said, "Aren't you Rain Orichalcum?"

"U-um…"

The kid pumped a fist and said, "You totally are! Can I have your autograph? Oh, and you have to show me Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon! Guys, guys, c'mere!"

Before I could get a word in, a flock of children surrounded me. I was pelted with questions and demands from all directions. I thought my heart would explode before an arm hooked around my shoulders. The familiar, leathery scent of his brown coat was enough to calm me down. Kalin said, "Hey, Rain… looks like your runner's being towed."

"W-what? But I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Better catch 'em."

He guided me away from the gathering crowd in a hurry. I said, "I'm parked the other way."

"Damn. Guess your runner's gonna be gone forever."

"H-hey!" I broke away from him and noticed him laughing.

"I can't believe you thought I was serious! Nothing's happening to your runner. I just thought I'd throw you a lifesaver since you looked like you wanted to jump out the nearest available window."

I grasped the sides of my hood and pulled it lower. "It was that obvious?"

I risked a glance at my partner. Because of his height, I had to crane my neck to meet his hazel eyes. He was scanning the room, tapping his foot, and one hand grasped the sunglasses on top of his head. Their shiny blue lenses reflected the sunlight from the wide windows in the ceiling. I asked, "Are you bothered?"

His eyebrows lifted as he looked at me. "Were you staring at me?"

"Uh. No."

His smile put a shine in his eyes and gave them a wrinkle that made my heart flutter. "I give that lie a solid two outta ten. Anyway, yeah, I'm pretty bothered. I didn't plan for it being this busy on a weekday afternoon. If you'd rather just go home, we can."

I crossed my arms. "Please. I am completely fine!"

"Uh huh," he said. "It's alright, Rain. We can't all handle a life of fame with perfect grace."

"Okay, first of all, I'm handling it, and second of all, you're not even famous!"

"Call it like you see it," he said, "but I feel pretty goddamn special whenever you look at me the way you do."

His grin grew with my blush. I said, "Y-you only say the cheesiest things!"

"Oh, yeah," he said with a wink, "but have you figured out yet it's only 'cause it works?"

"Shut up!"

He snickered under his breath and held out his hand. The bag he held crinkled. "After I invited you, rescued you, and thought to get you one, this is the thanks I get? Damn, you're cold-hearted."

I picked up the bag, which contained a large, soft pretzel. Its warmth influenced my skin. I mumbled, "You know I… I really am grateful. For everything. For you."

"Yeah, I know. I was just screwing with you."

"Mm," I said while munching on the pretzel. Salt sizzled on my tongue. "Have you been here long?"

"Eh, half an hour, maybe." He caught my hand on the backswing and interlaced his fingers with mine. "I mean, I was so excited about today I could barely sleep last night."

"But you were totally okay with ending it like-"

I snapped my fingers. He shrugged his shoulders. "If you found out you were supposed to get me something today and you hadn't, you would've just felt guilty and miserable the whole time. No way was I about to let that happen."

I let go of his hand, crumpled the empty pretzel bag in my hand, and hugged onto his arm instead. "Uh, I might've cried a little bit when Nico and West told me."

"That sounds right. Oh! Except the 'little bit' part." He looked to me, and my expression gave all the answer he needed. He laughed, saying, "Anyway! What'd you get me?"

"I'm not gonna tell you!"

He tossed his focus to the skylights. "I bet it's a balloon."

"Just one, single balloon?"

"Nah, I bet you got me the classic: chocolate."

"You told me you were lactose intolerant…"

"Must be a pretzel, then."

I shouted, "You had one of those a few minutes ago!"

"Oh, oh, I know! You bought a camel!"

My brows pushed inward. "As in the animal?"

"Yeah, see…" He had a sentimental, faraway look in his eyes. "Ever since I was a little kid, they've been my favorite animal. Always dreamed one day someone who loves me would get me one."

"R-really?" Yeesh. I guessed I had gotten him the wrong thing… I had no idea-

"Hell no. I'm not that kind of crazy."

I shoved him. He laughed. Once he had finally recovered, he said, "We're here, by the way."

The towering storefront was designed to resemble the stones and towers of an ancient castle with streaming banners. Within, lords and ladies wearing capes and dresses mingled with knights in armor. I muttered, "What… what is this place?"

A corner of my partner's mouth lifted. "Oh, don't worry. You're about to find out."

\/\/\/\/\/\

I exited the massive arena in stunned silence. My paper crown fell forward. I pushed it back onto the top of my head with my thumb. "Did- did you see that part when the dude with the mace rolled to the right and bashed the other dude's shield away?"

"Mhmm. Pretty cool," Kalin said.

"And, do you think they were honest when they said we were eating roasted dragon? It was really good, but… isn't that cannibalism?"

"Probably," he said, and my hands flew to my temples. "No, wait! It was a joke, okay? They meant it as a joke!"

I exhaled. "They really train knights in this age? That's amazing… who trains them to cross blades? Who forges their steel?"

My partner pointed behind me and said, "Why don't you ask them?"

I spun around and gasped. The knights who'd clashed on the battlefield during the show were lined up in the lobby talking to each other and fans. I sprinted towards one alone on the far left; a blue cape was draped over his silver armor. "Um, hello Mr. Blue Knight."

His dark eyebrows lifted. He broke into a bright, white smile and said, "Hello there, young lass! How are you fairing? Did you enjoy the competition?"

All thoughts I had fled. "Uh. Um. Yes. Yeah. I. I really liked the thing you did. The rolling with the mace. How did you learn to do it?"

"The roll is a well-practiced maneuver," he said. "The captain of the king's guard taught me himself in secret."

"Is that why you're a knight? For the king? What is he a king of?"

"Of all the land!" he responded, spreading his arms wide. "He is a fair king as well. In times of famine, I've seen him spare turkey legs for the court jesters in place of himself."

"Woah," I breathed. "Is your blacksmith renowned?"

He shifted from one foot to the other and gave me a curious look. "Er, yes! The greatest in the country!"

My jaw dropped. "C-could I have his or her name?"

"I, er, I'm afraid I do not know him personally," the Blue Knight said.

I frowned and said, "Okay. Oh! Would you sign my saber?"

The flat of the dark green blade caught the lobby lights. The sharp stench of his permanent marker followed after. Once he left his signature on the flat of my blade, he said, "Is this real?"

My hands clasped together. "Yes!"

The Blue Knight scanned my face. "Are you Rain Orichalcum perchance?"

"Yeah, that's me."

He snapped into a stick-straight salute. "It is this knight's honor to meet you! Oh, and…"

He glanced around the busy area. "Could I get a pic with you? Big fan."

"R-really? You are?" He nodded with enthusiasm. I said, "Um, yeah, sure!"

He called someone else over to take the photograph, and we separated with fond farewells. I also heard him mutter something about how his friends would be jealous. My partner awaited my return with a small smile on his face. I said, "That guy said he was my fan."

"Yup."

"And he's a totally real knight."

"Uh-huh."

I halted outside the entrance. My eyes shut tight, and I held my fists in front of my chest. I shouted, "That was so cool!"

I tackled my partner in an embrace and said, "Best. Gift. Ever."

"Careful," he warned. "You'll break your fan's heart."

"I don't care about that!"

Kalin gave a snort of laughter. "Let's head home, okay?"

"Mmkay, but, um, could I ride with you?"

His instant smile answered for him. I took his hand as we walked through the crowds, which were thicker than before. My folded paper crown was tucked in my pocket, and my hood was pulled over my head. It was a miracle I reached the exit without being recognized.

Dark clouds clustered the open skies, and rain poured in buckets. The magical doors slid closed of their own accord behind us. The wheels of cars and runners glided past, and ruby taillights left their crimson residue in the mist. My partner said, "It's really coming down, huh. Want to wait?"

"Nah, I don't mind it," I said.

He shrugged his shoulders, saying, "Me, either."

"Y'know, I expected you to say something like, 'I love the rain!' Or anything equally as cheesy."

Kalin's expression was perfectly neutral, and the headlights shining through the heavy rain highlighted his irises. He said, "I love you."

I blinked. "W-wait, do you mean- was that a joke or- stars above, I don't even know anymore."

He crossed the busy street without responding. I followed close behind. The slosh of the rain against my hood drowned everything out. Kalin stopped ahead and squeezed my hand. He spoke, but it was lost in the downpour. I put volume behind my question: "What'd you say?"

I lifted the lip of my hood so I could see him speak. The rainwater covering us both gave the bright yellow criminal mark racing down the right side of his face a glowing sheen, which highlighted his hazel irises. Water sparkled in his lashes, and his wet hair clung to his neck. He spoke again, but I was distracted by the raindrops dripping down the bridge of his nose and over his lips. He rolled his eyes and leaned toward me to try again.

I cupped his cheek with my hand. My thumb brushed his criminal mark. My hand slid up, my fingers tangling in his damp hair, and I pulled him towards me. My open mouth caught his. The hood of my jacket fell back over my shoulders. The rain didn't bother me for all the warmth from my body arched against his. His hand moved beneath my hair to grasp the back of my neck, and his arm wrapped around my waist to pull me closer. My lips slowly shut against his as my other hand curled into his shirt's neckline.

Kalin broke away and dipped his head. He laughed a little, muttering, "God. I was just trying to ask who was driving."

I held my hand in front of my still-warm, smiling lips. My tongue ran over them, savoring the taste. "I'll let you this time."

He held the helmet out to me and winked. "Whatever you say, princess."

I straddled the seat behind him and wrapped my arms around his midriff. My chin rested on his right shoulder. I shifted forward so my thighs pressed against his hips. He tossed a grin back at me. "Ready?"

I squeezed tighter. "Absolutely."

\/\/\/\/\/\

Water dripped from my bangs clinging to my forehead as I retrieved a couple of towels from the closet. Satisfaction Town's dry air was already doing wonders for my drenched clothes. I threw mine over my head, returned to the living area, and passed the other to my partner. He threw his soaked jacket over the back of a chair and draped the towel over his shoulders. Kalin looped his arm around my shoulders and planted a kiss on my temple. "Thanks."

I had a silly grin. The front door whined on its hinges. Nico captured me in a hug and said, "Welcome home! You… you're all wet."

"Yeah, it was raining pretty hard."

West followed her in and marched up to Kalin with a firm frown. "Hey."

"Hey," Kalin said.

"I'm mad at you."

"Cool."

"It's not cool!" West hollered. "I found out Nico gets a twenty-dollar allowance! That's, like, five times as much as mine!"

"So you want five times as much as yours instead?"

"Yes!" he shouted.

Kalin fished his wallet out of his pocket, flipped it open, and handed West a ten-dollar bill. "Mkay, there's your new allowance."

West's brow wriggled. "But this is…"

"Five times two," Kalin said. "Ten dollars."

"That- I didn't- you tricked me!"

Kalin faked a gasp. "Me? Why would I ever do something so underhanded? I gave you exactly what you asked for. Maybe you'll have better luck in negotiations next year."

"Next year?" West exclaimed.

"Hey, yeah, maybe work on your math a little bit before then."

West attacked him with a flurry of tiny fists and shouted, "You suck! I'm gonna keep your present to myself!"

"Oh, yeah," Kalin murmured. "Forgot about that."

"Want it now?" I asked.

"No!" West immediately hollered. "He doesn't get it!"

Nico pushed his face out of the way and said, "Do it!"

I told my partner, "You get the tiebreaker vote."

He sighed as though we were doing him a great disservice. "I guess it's okay."

I sprinted to the back room, eased the door open, and slipped in without letting him see. I crouched to pick up the gift. For a second, doubt seized me. I swallowed the lump in my throat. If there was anything in this life worth being brave, it was him.

I toed the door back open and walked to the entryway. I kept my focus on the gift and not anyone else in the room. I located my partner by his shoes, held it out to him, and said, "H-h-happy Valentine's Day!"

Silence. I peeked at Kalin. He was utterly dumbfounded. "For… for me? Are you serious?"

"Um," I squeaked, "yes?"

He reached forward, snatched his hands back, tried again, and tenderly lifted the bundle of long, white out of my hands. His eyes widened as he watched the puppy, whose pink tongue hung out of its open mouth. The puppy's tail wagged as it woofed and licked Kalin's face.

My partner broke out into a massive fit of laughter and dropped to the floor, letting the pup sprint back and forth over his chest and sniff his face. West joined the dogpile by jumping onto Kalin and grabbing the puppy in a hug. By this point, everyone was laughing except for me. I had a trembling smile, and tears built at the corners of my eyes.

Nico tugged at my sleeve. "Is something wrong?"

"Not at all," I whispered. I swept the heel of my hands against my wet eyes. "I- I'm just really, really happy."

Nico searched my eyes. She said, "It's so different in all the romance books I read. They always go through all these problems and finally admit they like each other by the end. But, you guys, you make it seem like it's all about making each other happy. Is it really that simple?"

Simple?

My gut reaction was that my relationship with my partner had been anything but. There were nights of cleaning blood off his face in our shared Facility cell, days of longing for his touch knowing he was dead and gone, and the twilight of him asking me to set the world on fire with him.

But it was all so long ago it felt like those times belonged in a museum. Dark memories lasted forever but lived in the shadows of brighter images. I recalled the goldenrods he'd picked for my hospital bedside when I was comatose, and how everyone except for him had told me he was at my side every day possible. I touched my still-wet jacket, which he had gotten me to help with my anxiety. The gold bracelet at my left wrist was the most thoughtful gift I'd ever received, and he'd given it like it was any old birthday present. Even today he'd planned for no other reason than he was excited to do something that'd make me happy.

My silly, simple dream of wanting to make my partner smile every day never fled. I could say with absolute certainty his was the exact same. Whether the day turned sunny or stormy, that would never, ever change.

"Check it out," Kalin said, ruffling the puppy's fur. "I'm gonna name him Cloud 'cause he's this floofy white thing, and I'm gonna teach him to shake, and then I'm gonna teach him how to wake up West early."

"Hey!" West shouted. Cloud barked to join in the commotion as my partner laughed.

"Yeah," I said, unable to hold back the tears running over my wide smile. "Yeah, it's just that simple."