Well, I managed to write this today, bewteen a few scenes of Othello! It's so frustrating to be inspired when you have to learn hundreds of pages about some philosophers' POV on the Glorious Revolution... Anyway, here is another chapter, and as I promised, it's super fluffy! (compared to what I usually do, at least).

I'll try to set regular updates, but now I really need to prepare for next week's exams, so I guess I'll post another chapter on Sunday!

Thanks once again for your lovely reviews, they really motivate me!

Enjoy your reading, and, as always, don't forget to let me know what you think! :-)

Chapter 5

For more than fifteen minutes, I remain seated against the door, lulled by the sound of water and the thought of her. I feel fine at first, with her sari falling over my shoulders and the slumber that starts to weigh on me. But then I realize that I can't hear her. Of course, I don't expect her to sing or whatever, but I should at least hear things, like the bottle of shampoo opening, or splashes louder than others. It's weird. And when I take a look at my watch, I realize that she's been in there for a lot longer than necessary. I know, I'm being paranoid, but if something happens to her now… I don't even want to think about how I might react.

I knock on the door lightly, then a bit harder when there's no response. I bit my lip and open the door slowly, not knowing what I might find inside. I shriek when I see her sitting against the tiles of the shower, still in her underwear.

'Fang,' I cry out, rushing to open the door of the shower. 'Are you okay? Please tell me you're okay!'

'I'm fine', she says softly, lifting her chin, letting the water fall freely on her face. 'I just… Missed the rain.'

She smiles sheepishly at me and I sigh of relief. She made me worry because she missed the rain? Really? I push a strand of my hair away from my face and try to compose myself a bit. The last thing I want is to be the overprotective kind. I don't want her to know every time she'll be away for more than a few minutes, I'll automatically assume something terrible has happened to her. I'm about to leave pouring out apologies when she grabs me by the wrist.

'Enjoy the rain with me?' she whispers, looking at me with hopeful eyes.

In any other circumstances, it would have sounded awfully childish, but right now, it sounds incredibly sweet and romantic to my ears. It has to be one of the most charming propositions I've ever heard. She pulls me gently to her and I immediately oblige, entering the confined space without hesitation. I should have hesitated.

'Fang!' I squeal with a ridiculous high-pitched voice. 'It's freezing!'

The water that is now falling on me is so cold, it feels like I'm naked in the middle of a goddamned blizzard. She tries to contain her laugh as I start shivering madly, goose bumps appearing on my skin. I don't see the funny side of this, but she obviously does. She's keeping a hand over her mouth to muffle her laughter, but it's useless – and she perfectly knows it. I know I probably look ridiculous, soaked, and trembling so much I'm still wondering how I can stand properly. I clench my teeth to prevent them from chattering and try to give her a hard stare, which only results in making her laugh more. And I don't mind at all. This time, I don't shiver because of the cold, but because of that precious laugh the reaches my ears and echo on the tiled walls. Finally, she decides to put an end to my torture, tugs on my arm and makes me sit across her lap. She wraps her arms around me and nuzzles my neck gently, as she tries to warm me up. I don't know what she's made of, but her skin feels hot under my fingers when I hug her against me. My body captures her warmth, and after a few minutes, I don't find the water that cold anymore. I smile against her cheek as her thumb strokes my arm and her lips brush against my pulse point. That rain is not unpleasant, in the end.

'I know this is gonna sound cheesy,' she breathes on my neck, sending chills down my spine. 'But when I was in that pillar I only missed two things. The rain. And you.'

'Fang…'

'And I missed you even more,' she continues, her lips travelling on my skin, 'when I understood how you felt. I wanted you so much. You think you hurt, but believe me, what I experienced was way worse. I heard everything you said or thought, I felt your pain, and there was nothing I could do about it. Because you couldn't hear me. You couldn't see what I wanted you to see. Every time I tried to communicate with you, through your thoughts or your dreams, you saw me and thought you were going crazy. All I wanted was to make you feel better, to let you know I was there somehow. And it did the exact opposite. Day after day, I could feel your hatred and your fear grow, and I perfectly knew I was the one to blame. It's my fault you suffered this much. But please, believe me when I say I didn't mean it. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just wanted you to know… I loved you. And that whatever happened, I would always be there for you.'

I feel my heart swell in my chest when I hear these words, and all I can do is close my eyes let my tears mingle with the water running down my face. I should have known. The visions weren't real, but they weren't a figment of my imagination either. I should have known it was her way of talking to me. I guess I just didn't want to look at it that way because I was scared. Scared to hear what she wanted to say. Scared to find out that she might never come back. Scared to find out she didn't love me. I should have listened.

'It's not your fault,' I acknowledge bitterly. 'You did everything you could, and I rejected you. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine, not yours.'

'It's our mistake, then,' she whispers, twisting a strand of my hair around her finger. 'But now… We can make up for it.'

She smiles slightly, her hand coming to rest on my cheek, and she turns my face toward hers. She's so close, and yet so far… I can see drops of water hanging on her eyelashes, but her mouth seems untouchable. I feel her breath on my skin, all I need to do is get an inch closer. Her arm tightens around me, and with a blush I realize that our breasts are touching – and are very sensible because of the cold. I clench the soft fabric across her shoulder and take a deep breath, before she finally grants me my silent wish. Her hand slips behind my neck, she draws me closer, and finally, she kisses me. I think I'll never be able to get enough of this. It feels wonderful. She's so gentle, so tender, she tastes so sweet… Every brush of lips feels incredibly good. I shift into her lap and straddle her, because the position is starting to feel uncomfortable. She doesn't seem to mind, and let her hand wander down my back while I put my hands on her cheeks. Soon, she is licking my lower lip, and, Etro, do I really need to be that loud? I open my mouth, and it doesn't take long before she invades it. Her tongue finds mine and they began dancing a languorous ballet together, which leaves me all flushed and bothered. As her fingers press my hips, as I swallow her own moans, the cold water suddenly turns into a hot tropical rain. But then, she finally breaks the kiss, and I'm finally able to breathe again – though I'm a bit frustrated it didn't last longer. She rests her forehead on mine and smiles, bringing my fingers to her mouth to kiss them.

'You should get out now, sweetheart,' she says softly, finally turning off the water. 'You'll get sick.'

I nod and rise to my feet, supporting myself with the door of the shower. It's true that I feel cold, and the soaked tank top and shorts are not helping. I reach for a towel and a bunch of warm clothes I always keep in my bathroom. I take a look at her to make sure she's not staring – I know it's stupid, it's Fang, but I don't want her to see me naked just now. It doesn't feel like the right moment. I quickly take off my wet clothes, dry myself and slip into the thick sweater and sport trousers. I can already feel my nose blocked, but I don't mind. At least, I got to enjoy the rain. I take a quick peek at Fang that turns into a lingering stare of appreciation when my eyes land on her naked back. She's drying her hair, and I take in the beautiful sight of all the perfect curves and the muscles moving under the wet skin. She looks so strong, so beautiful, so…

'I know you're staring,' she declares lightly as she starts rubbing the towel on her neck and chest.

I try to say something but I can only babble incoherently, and I feel my cheeks starting to burn. And I feel even worse when she turns to face me, putting her hands on her waist. I do my best to not look at those proudly exposed breasts, but I fail miserably. My eyes follow the thread of her necklace that ends precisely between them, and I just can't help it. I swallow hard, unable to believe this can have such an effect on me. I mean, they're just breasts. But it awakens something in me, something I haven't felt for an eternity. Desire. I take a deep breath and finally turn on my heels, not wanting to torture myself any longer.

'You don't have to be embarrassed,' she says softly, and I can already feel her behind my back. 'I like it when you look at me.'

And I like to look at you. I stop breathing as soon as I feel her arms wrapping around my waist. She's pressing against my back, her chin on my shoulder, her hot breath tickling my ear. She's definitely oblivious of the fact that I'm not embarrassed at all, but rather excited. She doesn't seem to realize she has me going all hot and flushed. This is wrong. It's really not the time to think about things like that. Yesterday I was beating the hell out of her, thinking she was an illusion, and today all I can think about is sex? Really? I close my eyes and try to forget the fact that she's naked against me – I have to admit, easier said than done. Oh Etro… Of course I'm excited, how can it be otherwise when all I need to do is turn around to touch her and let my fingers wander on her skin? This is not my reason talking, it's just my body. There's nothing I can do about it. I'm attracted to her and it just shows.

Plus, I perfectly know I want so much more than that. Obviously, I want sex, but this is far from being my priority. No. All I want are long talks on the couch to learn more about her. I want romantic escapades and I want dinners with candles on the table. I want to both of us to flop into an armchair and eat noodles while watching movies. I want to cuddle up in bed with her on Sunday mornings. I want simple things. I want a normal life. That's all I'm asking for.

I turn on my heels and stare into her eyes, my hands on her hips. I don't care if her chest is bare anymore, because I've just stopped thinking about that. I know what I want.

'Tonight, we're eating noodles,' I smile brightly as I pat her cheek.

I hand her the tee-shirt she's supposed to be wearing and head for the kitchen, humming happily to myself. Half-way, I sneeze violently, and I can hear her at the other end of the corridor:

'Well, that was cute!'