Home Is When I'm With You - Cynonari

Comfortable and Unaware - 17

He sat on his butt, on the floor, the rain continuing to pour down on him.

But...he was laughing. I couldn't help but laugh with him. I quickly set my bag down in the shade before running over to him. He was only a couple of paces away. As I took my quick steps towards him, I felt the slippery wet floor beneath my feet, I felt how it threatened my balance. I took another long stride towards him. Mistake.

Before I realised it. I had fallen backwards much like he had. I'd also managed to fall backwards in a puddle.

This only fueled Tighnari's laughter, I couldn't control mine either.

He stood up and took a slow step towards me, he offered his hand to help me up and I took it immediately. He was still laughing that happy laugh of his. We stood there laughing with each other as the rain continued to pour on us.

As Tighnari calmed down, though, he was still chuckling a bit. I watched as he held out his arms upward to catch the oncoming rain.

"I love the rain! it's been so dry recently," He laughed, willingly letting the rain fall on him.

As I continued to stare, I felt a smile stretch across my face. He looked so at peace, so calm and...just...amazing...

Well, until the water pooling in his hands splashed at me, as he laughed. Not that it made a difference to the state of my already-soaked clothes.

"Hey!" I shouted playfully, kicking up water from a puddle.

He jumped out of the way before the muddy water hit him, laughing loudly from his stomach as he did so. We ran around the rainy courtyard like playful children, splashing water at each other even though we were both already drenched from the pouring rain.

I tried again to kick the water from a puddle up at him but failed even worse this time. I felt myself fall backwards again. As I hit the ground I couldn't help but laugh again. Tighnari jogged over to where I had fallen, offering his hand the same way he had earlier.

He smiled brightly at me as I stood up. Despite the cold rain beating down on me, I felt warm. So weirdly warm staring at him, his ears drooped and water dripped off them, his tail looked heavy and his skin slick and glossed over but even then he still looked...perfect.

I pulled him in, wrapping my arms around him in a tight hug. It took a second for him to reciprocate. He wrapped his arms around me as tightly as I did. The rain had begun to calm down to a lighter drizzle around us.

We stayed in place for a few short minutes. Just holding each other. Another moment later, he pulled back slightly, still holding one another and lightly kissed me for a brief moment.

And in that second, staring at him in the dark rain, I felt 3 words on the tip of my tongue. 3 words I'd acted and felt, but never said. I felt the words teeter. Like I wanted, maybe even needed to say them. But maybe the words were hanging there because I was hesitating.

I pulled him back into a tight hug.

"I..." I said trailing off for a few moments, the words still hanging on my tongue.

"Hm?" he sort of said to fill the wordless void.

"...I'm really glad we met," I finally said after a few long seconds.

He hugged me tighter, before whispering "Me too," only loud enough so I could hear.

***

Lights far too bright for comfort littered my eyesight, illuminating every part of this tense and humid room. Far too much incessant shuffling, coughing or loud breathing. Stood up against a plain wall in a plain room that was typically empty. Despite the noises, the folding of paper and the tapping of pens and legs. Despite the air in the room being suffocating and the beads of sweat rolling down my back, I kept my eyes sharp and focused. A focus much like the students stressed over an exam most of them were too confident to prepare for.