Wet, dripping, slowly washing away the pavements and darkening the windshields, the rain sheeted down as Payson Keeler slipped along street, struggling with the wind which threatened to bowl her over. Although she had gladly volunteered to walk into town and get some last minute provisions for tonight's meal, she hadn't counted on the weather turning barbaric and was now deeply regretting her scorn for the umbrella which had been left waiting patiently in the rack at home. Dodging puddles and darting into the grocery store, Payson laughed as she contemplated the poor sodden piece of paper that had been her shopping list.
As she filled her basket with what she hoped was on the menu for tonight, Payson's thoughts kept wondering, remembering the embarrassment of yesterday, but more importantly, Sasha's words.
"You and me, starting afresh."
Sasha Belov was giving her hope, and slowly her faith was returning, thanks to his guidance. What was odd was that she had dreamt confused, erratic dreams into which he kept appearing and, laying silently awake in the morning, she had secretly smiled.
"Will that be all Miss?" asked the bored looking man at the counter who had just finished wrestling her items into a plastic bag which now looked as if it would break when she pulled the handle.
"Yeah, thanks."
As she turned to pay, she heard the door jangle open, and since curiosity was so common in young girls, turned absentmindedly to look at the figure in the door.
"Sasha!" she exclaimed, an involuntary smile billowing across her face.
It was not, as Payson believed, a coincidence that Sasha Belov entered the store. He too had been walking in the rain, but unlike her, he walked without reason, ploughing on through the puddles with his trusty umbrella, giving himself time to think.
His mind was in chaos, reeling with such a mixture of emotions that it seemed impossible it still managed to contain them. Amidst the commotion he could only discern one truth, one shining beacon of light which was Payson Keeler, and the warmth that she was spreading throughout his soul.
And yet he hated his position: he couldn't act, he couldn't do anything lest it looked like he was pursuing his advantage, lusting after his gymnasts like some uncontrolled animal. The torture at nights was killing him, knowing that whatever was happening between them lay in the hands of a 16 year old girl who probably couldn't understand what she was feeling. Not that anything actually made sense to Sasha either.
Then through the guilt and shame he remembered her smile, the look she had when she watched him. Payson Keeler longed to be protected, to feel trust and safety. Sasha Belov ached to be the one showing her comfort, defending her and holding her hand.
Walking near the shops so as to gain some shelter, he had noticed her and, without thinking, as if by some primordial instinct, had entered the very same shop. His stomach seemed to melt at the joyous expression on her face when she spoke his name, even though she tried to cover it.
"I don't think I've ever seen anyone so wet!" Sasha said, his concerned eyes taking in Payson's drenched form.
She gathered her items from the till, shrugging her shoulders as if it was nothing. Inside though, a tiny spark flared at the thought that he cared.
"I just forgot my umbrella," laughed Payson.
"Here, have mine," he offered without hesitation, almost thrusting it into her hands. She attempted a polite protest, but his caring smile and eyes insisted, so she saw that there was no point putting up a fight.
"Thank you," she chirped, taking the umbrella from him, and brushing another strand of sodden hair from her eyes.
"I hope you've finally decided to invest in some proper food?" she said, half-teasingly as she gestured around the shop.
Sasha gave an embarrassed groan, remembering his cereal-for-dinner episodes.
"Definitely," he assured her, "though my skills as a cook are somewhat limited."
"How limited?"
"Picture a burning microwave, melted plastic and a dishevelled bowl if you will…"
Payson laughed. It felt so normal, just talking like this, not about gymnastics, not about ballet, not even about anything or anyone to do with The Rock. She hesitated, then opened her mouth again.
"I mean you could have dinner at my house if you wanted?"
Sasha suddenly remembered his dreams of coconuts and lemons.
"Dinner with you?" he asked, a little too slowly.
"With my family."
Straight away they both felt foolish. Payson's heart beat a little faster. Had he thought she meant dinner just with her? She smiled at the thought, and something buried inside her seemed to hope that he had.
"Thank you," he nodded, "but I'll brave my own cooking again, it's sort of become routine to eat badly."
"The trials of a coach," she grinned.
"Indeed."
The shopkeeper seemed to be tiring of their babble and was hastily rustling the coins in the till, as if to push them into leaving.
"Come on," Sasha whispered into her ear, tucking his arm behind her elbow and steering her quickly out of the door.
They came back into the heavy downpour which instantly drenched them as they looked up into the sky.
"Umbrella!" shouted Sasha over the howling wind and deafening rain.
Struggling, Payson tried to open the umbrella which was stubbornly staying firmly shut. The wind wiped their faces, blowing Payson's hair back and round so that it lashed into Sasha's face. He held her tightly as they tried to move through the oncoming storm, pulling her into his own body so that he was shielding her from at least some of the ferocious elements.
"I think it's stuck," Payson tried to yell over the noise, but the wind seemed to sweep away the words from her lips.
"Give it here it's stuck!"
"Sasha I can't open it, it's stuck!"
"I can't hear you! The umbrella's stuck Payson, give it here!"
Their battle of soundless speech continued as nature robbed them of communication and continued the downpour. Watching her struggle with it, Sasha leant across to the umbrella. His hands closed onto the wooden handle, slightly above hers. As they both tugged, hers slid upwards, his thrust themselves down until they were resting on top of hers. Their fingers meshed, blending into one set as they tried to open the umbrella, soft, delicate fingers caressed by larger, enveloping hands.
The umbrella went up.
"Finally!" breathed Sasha, as they hurriedly scampered under it. Being a solitary man, Sash's umbrellas were, as expected, only meant for one person, and so Payson slid closer into his chest, his arm wrapping itself across her shoulder and pulling her into the sheltered cover of the umbrella.
Payson knew their hands were still intertwined on the umbrella's handle, but she didn't move them. She was breathless, soaked and cold but the confines of the umbrella seemed to comfort her, the warm steam of Sash's breath warding off any other onslaught from nature. The atmosphere seemed to grow steamy, hot and exalting as he looked down into her eyes.
They stopped walking as a particularly large gust of wind thrust Payson closer into his arms. In the brief second in which he closed his eyes, Sasha imagined this was what it was like to hold her as a couple, feel her breath tickle the nape of his neck and her legs unconsciously lean against his.
The wind seemed to abate, and she pulled away. They looked at each other. Payson's hand moved slowly to Sasha's face, where her thumb gently rubbed a remaining water droplet away from his forehead. The noise around them seemed to fade away as he brushed her hair behind her ear.
Nothing was said, they simply looked up into each other's eyes, discerning the slow flame lighting them.
He almost bent forward and kissed the top of her forehead. He wanted to to flurry his lip quickly across her skin, feel the tingling sensation spreading throughout his body. But he didn't. Payson sensed something was wrong, and she drew herself into his chest. He held her close, through the wind, through the rain, as they stood silently entwined. As natured battled around them they felt like the last two humans alive in the world, safe in the arms of each other. But with this momentary happiness came the destructive sense of painful desire, erupting in both of them. Sasha pulled away, but she lingered her hands upon his.
"Goodnight Payson," he murmured.
He began to walk away, huddling his shoulders against the rain.
"Sasha-"
She didn't know why she called out his name, breathless and biting her lip as he turned around. He looked so pathetic without an umbrella, rain streaking his face and hair yet he continued to smile at her all the same.
"Nothing," Payson murmured, swallowing and shaking her head gently.
They both turned around, each itching to look back, but they walked on, reason overpowering emotion for perhaps the last time.
Ok don't worry, slow and steady ends here, don't worry, expect much more rapid development in the next chapter! :)
Please review if you can :)