One Week
A/N: As always, much love to the reviewers. I can't believe these little drabbles have garnered over fifty (as I write this) reviews from you guys. I figured it would be best to get this up before Monday, when the crazy chaos of another week begins (last week before Christmas vacation though! Whoo!). It's another short one, I'm afraid. I promise the next chapter is longer. It's not long, but it's longer. And then we get the conclusion ;p
Friday
It was raining today.
He managed to convince himself that it was only sensible to wait out the sudden shower in the coffee shop. He could take some time to warm up and dry off and, hopefully, the rain would have stopped by the time he had to leave.
He pushed the door open and crossed the threshold, suddenly aware of how very wet he was and how he was dripping all over the floor.
"Oh!"
He looked up to see her gazing at him in dismay, and he felt horrible for making her worry.
All of a sudden she was by him, pulling him across to his table and sitting him down. "Look at you, you're soaked!" she cried anxiously. "What happened, did you forget your umbrella?"
"I didn't think to bring one," he sighed. It was the truth; he was used to being driven around. "Besides, I don't mind the rain."
She shook her head. "You won't be saying that if you catch a cold."
"The rain is soothing," he insisted.
She tsked at him, amusement now vying with worry in her eyes. "Let me get you a towel."
"What?" he asked in confusion. He was no expert, but he was fairly sure that fetching towels for customers too stupid to bring umbrellas out with them was not in the job description of most waitresses.
"I said I'll go and get you a towel," she repeated patiently. "You're dripping all over your nice suit – oh! And do you want your coffee?"
She didn't wait for him to answer; she simply skipped off out of view. Syaoran shivered slightly, not knowing what to think of this. If she was anyone else, he'd say that she liked him, that maybe she still had some sort of feelings for him, even if they were subconscious. But she was like this with everyone – always going out of her way to help others. Besides, the shop was virtually empty seeing as most people didn't like venturing out in the rain. Maybe she was just bored.
By the time she had reappeared and handed him the towel, she was giggling slightly.
"What?" he asked, peering up at her through cream towelling and soggy bangs.
"You look funny," she laughed, as though this was explanation enough.
He supposed it was. He laughed too, his first real laugh in ten years. This only made her smile more, and by the time she'd gotten him his coffee, she'd decided to offer him her umbrella.
"I couldn't –" he started to protest.
"Why not?" she asked. "I get the bus home and it stops right outside. Besides, I'm sure it will have stopped raining by the time my shift ends."
He looked at her. Her cheeks were a soft pink, either from embarrassment or from the harsh weather that had lowered the temperature so drastically. Her eyes glittered at him, and her auburn hair framed her face in soft ringlets; the rain had obviously made her fine hair curl slightly.
He took the umbrella. He also promised himself he wouldn't be going back to the coffee shop the next day.
He was getting far too close.