Clouds formed, bringing a late warning of rain. Every hue and color that was barely left to the sun, dimmed in the grey dark engulfment govern by the clouds. One drop, then the next, no thunder, only the constant sound of splattering.
A drop hit her cheek as if it was flicking her awake, crushing her eyes in retaliation. But a gut feeling pushing them open to greet her sight.
Damp hair glued to skin, new drops of rain recycling ones that dripped, streaming down in a dance that curved over bone and shaped low onto the last step which then met a chin and fell. Breath hanging in the air only seconds with the rain.
Eyes hovering;still;frozen, imitating the gloss of rain, skin robbed from color, and clouds left wondering if they were to blame.
His face stood there, stopped, inches from hers.
Gawking almost, then quickly stiffing. Her mind was blank or there were just too many things going through all at once.
"C'mon, i'll take you home." he breathed, breaking the long built silence. His sight fell as though he found something on the floor but rapidly dismissed it, softly shaking his head and chuckling. Heaving his upper body up, pulled open an umbrella and his other free hand offering it down to her.
One minute he had all and now he had none;none of her attention. Bringing a hand to shake her bangs from the rain. Then all in one motion snatched the umbrella from his grip, stood, dismissed his offering hand and leisurely bended down slightly to dust her pants from water. Sauntered off while she finished adjusting a red lock behind her ear.
'Lost' was an understatement, perhaps awed? or shocked? The twisting feeling in his stomach cut his thought as realization hit him, he breathed in through his teeth, smoothing his furrowed brow. Red was pissed. At him. And he knew digging his grave, wearing a fat suit, in a middle of a crowded beach, wouldn't compare to what Red had in store if he covered up with a half cooked lie. Plus, real manly of him if he went covering up intentions like that.
He payed no mind about the rain and all of it at the one striding in front of him. 'Tell her' or 'act like nothing happen' he didn't like how either of those sat. He never was one to fess up; well his sober-self wasn't. And suddenly acting like a teenager with too much hormonal changes to give a damn about anything an brush things off, was something he would never do, right now, it was likely he would.
Although it was a long way from the Canals to Highrise on foot, a little rain would surely have him soaked at arrival if kept going.
So it was.
Abruptly being stopped by a fisted umbrella handle bumped into his chest. He grabbed it and closed it with a sigh, that was both for his current state of dampness and for the evident evidence of Red being enraged. Kicking a heel on the ground shaking a bit of excess water from his shoes. He leveled his head, finished. Umbrella gripped hard by the middle, a game of who will last longer without breaking him or…. the umbrella.
He glanced at her, unreadable, eye avoiding-turned face. And swallowed easing slowly in a conversation. A little humor to start, its how he always did it.
'hormonal teenager'? he cursed himself as he started "No allnighters tonight, ok? Don't want you snoozing off on the mic while on st-"
"What... were you doing back there?"
All the punches he took to the stomach didn't push out all of the air as good as she did. Gazing up as if to find the words, he winced admitting to myself he had no other choice than giving up the act.
"Red, i wont hide my intentions…if your mad-"
"Come here." one daring index finger angling him down towards her.
He had an idea of what was coming. Lowering, he offered his face, eyes closed.
A hundred questions rushing all at once. Will she forgive me? After this? Ignore me? never again drag me home after a few drinks? Clothes rustling brought different thoughts. Last guy that got slapped by Red, got punched by the floor right afte- frowning he scratch that off too. All this waiting gave the worst anxiety, which cheek? Left? Right?Left? Front! Wait.
...what.
The rain soften;thinking, then, coming to a conclusion of its own, crashed down, with an umbrella. Drops kissed same surface one that opened and captured. Sparking the floor, and chastising the plants. Splashing feet that lost balance and regained with forward force. Then finding space in cracks to stream through, like hands through fabric.
She smooth out lowering her head, known only to her, the stupefaction in it. Likewise for him, albeit for the sudden halting. Reclaiming his attention he snapped his sight at the already quickly striding figure.
"R-!" useless. Turning a corner she was gone, and he stood there awkwardly in his tense muscle. He glanced and glared down at the dropped umbrella before defeatedly picking it up.
i let my guard down... i didn't think there were anymore walls Red could break through.
He chuckled shortly losing his humor to thought. Sudden remaining hotness clouding, intruding, penetrating his thinking. Instinctive hunger taking over, recalling what it tasted, but not knowing enough for a flavor. Non-stop imagining of what could had been, could have pleased.
Snap.
"...dammit." he exhaled, looking down at the snapped umbrella, the unnerving results of his current state. Not very pleased with the evenings turn out, he tested the umbrella. Grunting and scoffing at a simple switch, losing his cool by the second to the unresponding mechanism. With a click the umbrella flung open...not so gracefully. Shoving a hand in a moist pocket, he stormed into the rain with an umbrella that pathetically served its purpose.
Umbrella or no umbrella I'm damned to be soaked today.