FicWad

I sat on the window sill, staring out into the wet street. It was raining again. I refused to touch the window, even though the rain was on the outside.
I watched people outside, running to get to their cars, or taking a stroll down the street with an umbrella. My whole body shivered, the simple thought of touching the rain made my stomach knot and my fists clench.
No one understood my fear, not even the doctors. Some said it was just in my head, embedded into my brain, while others deemed it a cry for attention. Only when I was forced out into the rain, people began to realize it wasn't as simple as they thought.
For years, my parents talked about treatments. Some involved medication, where others were more gruesome.
It wasn't until I moved out, at the age of sixteen, that everyone gave up. I moved into my own apartment, not far from home. I went to school, went shopping, everything normal people did, with the exception on rainy days.
I locked myself up on rainy days. The windows were closed and locked, as well as the front and back door. Towels were rolled up and placed by the doors, blocking any sprays of water.
I would have starved so many times if it wasn't for my boyfriend. On rainy days, he'd come to my house, bags of groceries in his arms, and a cup of coffee too.
He knew the rules, just like everyone else who visited. Feet were to be wiped, shoe left outside, jackets on the hanger in the hallway and, if need be, hair wrapped in a towel.
My fear, my phobia, it killed me. I felt like the world hated me, like it wanted me to die. If there were any signs of dark clouds rolling in, I stayed home, missing school, missing a planned evening with my boyfriend or family.
I'd skipped out on another dinner, because of the rain. It was only five-pm, but it was already getting dark. The rain was pelting down, sounding more like golf balls on my roof, rather than drops of water.
I had my head resting on the wood that held my window in place, unable to touch the glass while the water dripped down.
My breath fogged the glass, obscuring my view until it evaporated.
Through the fog, I saw a dark figure jogging up to my veranda. I turned my head, looking for my clock. Five-seventeen. He was early.
I didn't move. He had his own key, for days like this.
The front door opened, and slammed. I didn't flinch. I barely blinked. My mind was set on the rain, the thin, oh so thin, sheet of glass that kept it from me.

'Frankie?' A quiet voice called. I barely heard him. I turned to face the hallway door, where Gerard stood, his hair wrapped in a towel, his shoes off and his shirt un-buttoned, the material hanging from his shoulders. His chest gleamed with water droplets, one or two dripping from the stand of hair that had fallen from the towel.
'There you are.' He smiled, his hazel eyes almost glowing.

'You're wet, Gerard.' I murmured, my breath hitting the window again, blocking my entire view. Usually, after he'd dried off, I would embrace him, and I wanted to.

'I know. Come here.' He whispered, taking a step back into the hallway. He took a towel from the rack, wiping his chest and stomach down, throwing his shirt into the hamper basket.
I stood slowly, my body tensing as my bare feet hit the cold, wooden floor.
'Come on, I want you to see something.' He held his hand out to me, his silver bracelet shining from the lights in the hallway.
I followed him into the hallway, stepping over the tiny droplets of water. My heart was racing, my mind telling me to go back to the window, where it was safe.
I took Gerard's outstretched hand, my fingers lacing with his.

'What are you showing me?' I asked, my voice wavering as my heart pounded against my ribs, my body nearly shaking from the force.
He lead me to the front door, making me stand in front of it. He dropped my hand, and reached for the handle. I jumped back, my eyes wide.
'No! Gerard, then rain!' I yelled, stepping back into the wall.

'Frankie, don't worry. I'm just showing you something.' He whispered, pushing the door open. He stepped forward and grabbed both of my hands, pulling me towards the open door.
The rain was falling harder, the sky a deep black, rather than the ugly grey it had been earlier.
I tried to pull back, to hide in the safety of my home, but Gerard held onto me, smiling at me.
'Trust me, baby.' He murmured, stepping out onto the veranda. I squeezed my eyes shut, clutching his hands for dear life. I almost fell as Gerard pulled me out the door, down the one step.
The veranda had a roof, a tin roof. The rain seemed louder than it had inside, more like marbles hitting the lino.

'Gerard, please. Let me go back inside.' I cried, the first wave of tears falling. My chest hurt, from my heart hammering against it, my head was spinning. Gerard just smiled at me, squeezing my hands.

'It's not touching you, love.' He said, helping me over to one of the chairs out the front. He sat me down, sitting in the chair next to mine. I had to grip the arm rests, my jaw clenched.
'Look across the road.' He whispered, taking one of my hands from the arm rest. My hand ached as I let go, my hand turning from the sickly white, back to the normal pink-ish.
I peered up, across the street. At first, I saw nothing but the dreaded rain falling, hitting the ground then splashing, the tiny drops scattering.
I had to close my eyes and take a few deep breaths before I could look again. When I did, I saw something quite beautiful. One of the gutters had clogged, blocking the water out. The water gushed against the blockage, creating almost a water fall. One of the street lights was perched above the flowing water, the light reflecting and forming a rainbow.

'It's... beautiful.' I whispered, standing up, needing to be closer. I only stopped when a splash of water sprung passed my face, narrowly missing my skin. I jumped back, falling straight into Gerard's arms, my back against his bare chest.

'Shh... Just look, Frankie. How can something so... pure, so beautiful, be so threatening to you?' Gerard whispered in my ear, his hands skimming down my arms, his fingers twisting to mold with mine.

'It's dirty. It's contaminated.' I whispered, my eyes still fixed on the rainbow.

'It's not going to hurt you.' Gerard murmured, reaching his hand out to the water falling from the gutter could land in his palm. I tried to step back and he brought his cupped hand closer to me, but his body blocked me, and his free arm kept me in place. I struggled against his grasp.
'Frankie, stop. It's just water.'

'It's dirty.' I whimpered. The water in his hand was seeping through his fingers, dripping to the concrete beneath my feet. I tried to step back, trying to get away from the water.
'Please, Gerard. Don't.' I mumbled, my eyes filling with tears again. I would have wiped them away if I wasn't gripping Gerard's forearm tightly.

'I want to show you that there is nothing wrong with the rain. It's harmless.' He whispered gently.

'It's not harmless, it's dirty.' I whimpered, curling into his chest.

'Frank, I just touched it. It's fine, darling.' He said, wrapping his arms around me. I closed my eyes, willing my mind off to a better place, a desert. The heat, the sand, anything but the cold, offencive rain. My body calmed down, but my mind was raging, forcing me from the dry, happy place. I tried to grasp onto it, to stay there, but I couldn't. My breath was quickening, my heart pounding, sweat forming on my forehead. Gerard held me tighter, stepping backwards slowly.

'Why are you doing this?' I cried, pushing my body away from his, stepping backwards, towards the front door. Gerard looked up at me, one hand outstretched for me to take. I stepped back, my hand on the door handle. I wiped my face, blinking a few times to clear my eyes.

'I'm sorry, Frankie. This was stupid, forgive me?' He whispered, stepping forward, gently touching my face, his thumb wiping away the tears. I nodded slowly, my grip on the door handle tightening.
'Let's go inside, okay? I'll make some coffee and we can do whatever you want.' He offered, smiling gently at me.

'Tell me why you brought me out here.' I whispered, willing myself to let go of the door.

'It doesn't matter anymore.' He murmured, reaching around me to open the front door. I grabbed his wrist, pulling his hand away from the door.

'Tell me.' I said, trying to sound firm. My mind was betraying me, though. I felt weak, like I was going to faint, or run back inside and hide like a little girl.

'I've always wanted to... kiss someone in the rain, like in those cheesey romance movies. But, I want it to be special, not just with anyone. You're special, Frankie.' Gerard murmured, brushing his fingers through my hair as he smiled, his eyes following his hand.
'But, it doesn't matter.' He whispered, cupping my cheek gently.
I bit my lip, raising my hands so they rested on his bare chest. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, my jaw clenched tight.
I took a step forward, pushing against Gerard so he stepped backwards. I kept pushing him, till he was perched on the step, inches from the falling water.
'What are you doing, Frankie?' Gerard asked, laying his hands over mine, resisting as I pushed lightly once more.

'Trust me.' I whispered, pushing a little harder, making him stumble, and almost fall, down the two stairs that lead to my veranda. Within the few seconds he was out in the open, he was soaked. His hair was plastered to his face, his chest glimmering.
I stayed on the veranda, my eyes following Gerard's movements. In my head, I was chanting "It's just like a shower" over and over, urging myself forward until the rain hit my toes softly. My skin prickled, the hairs on my arms and the back of my neck standing straight.
'It's just like a shower.' I murmured softly, stepping to the next stair, my hands clenching into fists.
I edged forward more, the water dripping down my face. My mind and body were screaming at me, my short nails digging into the palms of my hands.
"You're almost there. Just one more step." I told myself, stepping onto the pavement. My hair, like Gerard's, was plastered to my face, the shoulders of my shirt drenched.
Tears fell from my eyes, but merged in with the falling rain as I looked up at Gerard, a small smile on my lips.

'Frankie...' Gerard whispered, reaching forward to touch my face, swiping the hair from my face.
'You're so beautiful.' He murmured, brushing my flushed cheeks with his thumbs. I held onto his arms, trying to stop my hands from shaking.

'Are you gonna kiss me or what? I didn't do this for nothing.' I whispered, my voice shaking just as much as my hands.
Gerard smiled, gripping my hip gently, holding my body against his chest so his body created a sort of shelter for me as he leant over me.
"It's just like a shower." I thought one final time as Gerard pressed his lips against mine, the water on his face dripping, his hair sticking to my face.
The kiss was slow, wet and warm, even though the rain was falling harder, faster. My grip on Gerard's body loosened, so I was carressing his arms, rather than holding on for dear life.
I slid my hands, quite easily, up his arms, feeling his wet skin beneath mine.
My heart was speeding, my face flushing once more as Gerard bit down on my lip, smiling to himself as he leant back, letting the rain fall on my skin.

'Why are you doing this?' He whispered, taking hold of my hands, snapping his head to the side so his hair flung away from his face.

'You've been so good to me, Gee.' I whispered, squeezing his hands.
'You saved me so many times. I would have starved, or gone crazy, maybe both, if you hadn't had come around. I would have had a heart attack during the times when we got caught out in the rain. The little things you do for me mean so much.' I said, pulling him in for a hug, my soaked shirt sticking to his bare chest.

'So... You're cured?' Gerard asked after a moment, rocking us back and forth, the puddle beneath our feet splashing softly.

'It's just like a shower, only cold and I'm fully dressed.' I smiled, looking up to the sky, the rain falling around us.
My skin still prickled, my heart still raced, but I felt better, not like I was going to pass out. I felt more of a need to make Gerard happy, rather than hide and let my fear control me.
'Thank you, for everything.' I murmured, leaning up to kiss Gerard again, my arms finding their way around his neck, the rain falling into the back of my mind for that one moment when everything felt right, perfect almost.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+--+-+

This is an entry on a contest on Mibba.
Dunno who won yet. Fingers crossed though (: