Pairing:Qingyang and Nana

The light pitter-patter of the rain splattering against the pavement surface turned into a heavy roar of ploppy drops that came later drenching, every thing that came beneath it. The air was ripe with the pleasant, dewy petrichor of the first rain of the year mixing with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee.

The young barista peeked through the glass windows of the cafe, blurred from the fog formed with the downpour. His lips turned into a frown as he waited for the comforting sound of wind chimes that would ring, when familiar figure always passed through the doors.

Afraid that she had been stranded without an umbrella, drenching in the cold weather had him running on his toes in search of an umbrella. Grabbing his phone, he asked through text about how further she was from home, so that he could go to her instead. Her reply was quick, letting him know that she would be with him in just a few minutes. This immediately appeased his anxiety and he moved to wait on her outside the cafe.

Umbrella in hand, he stood in view of the street filled with bustling figures holding umbrellas and raincoats, shielding themselves from the rain. Soon, he was greeted by the view of her approaching figure, who quickened her pace when she found him waiting for her. After the young woman approached closer, his lips drew into a thin line as the sight of her half-drenched figure despite holding a sorry excuse for an umbrella. Strands of her black hair lay wet around her rosy and cold cheeks, while the sleeves of her blouse were completely soaked along with the edges of her skirt.

“QingYang, why are you here? Didn’t I tell you I would be reaching soon?” she exclaimed with a pout on her lips, while both hands gripped the handle of her broken umbrella.

“I know” , was all he said with a dismal look and gripped one of her hands to usher her under the protection of his own umbrella. While the dazed woman readily complied by shutting her damaged umbrella, his fingers gripped her shoulders drawing her closer to him. She slipped eagerly into his arms, basking in the cozy warmth of his body as the couple trudged down the path back to the cafe.

Pushing open the doors to the cafe, he set down both of their umbrellas to dry and asked her to change into drier clothes. Realizing that her beau sounded upset, she pouted at him with pleading eyes, grabbing his large hand into her petite ones. Her rosy cheeks and icy hands that held his own were clear indicators that she was freezing in her drenched clothes.

“Go change. I’ll prepare a warm cup of coffee for you.”

He finally relented and smiled warmly as she brightened instantly at the mention of coffee.

She swiftly made her way into her room forming a trail of water dripping from her clothes. Qingyang mopped up the mess of rain water and moved back to his station to recreate the magic of his god-like coffee that his winsome companion loved. Returning with warmer clothes on, she was highly delighted at the view of her boyfriend working his magic again. She sat across him from the counter and let cheery call of his name to draw his attention.

Satisfied at her warmer appearance, he slid the freshly brewed coffee to her who grabbed it by both hands with a joyous appreciation. As though expressing her happiness , she let out a puff of delight, enjoying the heat spreading through her body. After emptying her cup, she glanced back at her boyfriend, idly wondering what he had been upset about a while ago.

“QingYang, are you still upset?”

She titled her head while arching her body to the side to get a better look at his face, letting her ebony locks fall freely mid air. Her adorable behavior  spread a small smirk on his face, as he peeked at her slyly from his work. The slow shake of his head, expressed that all was well between them and she squeaked in delight standing on the balls of her feet.

“Where’s Pa? Is he not home yet?”

She inquired after her father while scanning across the room in search of his affectionate and sheltering presence.

“He called to tell me that he will be late.”

“Did he tell you where he was going?”

“No, he did not.”

“Do you think he went to see my mother? ”

Nan Xingtian would often go see the late mother of his child as he spent time at her grave talking to her, trying to make up for their lost time. He never took Nana with him because he would always end up crying and his daughter never liked it. It made her realize how much her father loved the woman and how big of a crybaby he was.

“I’m not sure. He never said where he would be going.”

Nana nodded her head in understanding, followed by an impish grin as she tiptoed behind the counter to catch the barista off-guard. After she was close enough to him until they stood face-to-face, she flashed him a silly grin which caused him to raise a brow at her closeness.

His eyes wandered over her face, coming back to her eyes. Not only was the rosiness of cheeks still prevalent but also a few wet strands framed her face. All of that along with small smile of her dewy lips, had his heart racing in a crazy fashion. This had been happening for a while now, letting him realize that he was head over heels in love with her.

His desire to be with her, hold her and to take care of her, had grown immensely with the time they spent together. Everything about her illness and the depth of his feelings, were out in open which allowed them to be more honest and closer with each other.

Whether it was him being there till the wound of her surgery recovered or she being there to help get over the hurt of loosing his parents, they held each other through the thick and thin.

“It’s a kind where you have feelings for someone..it makes your heart flutter. When you spend time alone with him, you uncontrollably want to look at him. And you even want to get closer to him. I admit that I can’t live without Pi Yanuo.”

QingYang recalled Zifeng’s words when he was battling his feelings for Yanuo, now fully understanding the true depth of those feelings. Each word seemed true to him now, since he too admitted lately to his buddy that he couldn’t live without Yang Nana.

The two buddies were indeed fools in love, since it took a long time for both of them to admit their feelings for their respective beloveds. The women were more vocal about their feelings since it was always them who first confessed in the relationships. Yanuo for Zifeng and Nana for Qinyang were the firsts ones of make a move.

“QingYang, why were you upset with me earlier?”she started at him up-close to read his expressions, tugging on his arm with both her hands.

“It’s nothing…” he trailed off with a frown on his face earning a whine from his girlfriend.

A huge sigh of frustration left his lips as his brow knotted in slight annoyance.

“I was upset because you could fall sick being drenched like that. You should have allowed me to come fetch you, instead of coming home with a broken umbrella.”, he confessed with a serious tone.

“Wei QingYang”, she called out his name in exasperation and said, “You are so silly.”, which made him pout in annoyance.

“The bus stop is just a few minutes away and my umbrella was not broken then. On the way, the wind was so strong that it butchered my umbrella upside-down. It happened after I messaged you and it was not that far away.”

Her explanation drew out the silliness of his behavior, which caused him to counter argue that a call should have still been made after the said incident.

“Okay, the next time it happens, I will make it a point to call you.” she convincingly offered grabbing the edges of his coat so that he would look straight at her.

“I won’t fall sick so easily. See, I’m warm now.” she grabbed his palms and placed them on her now warm cheeks to make a point.

Although, her cheeks wer,e indeed warm but her fingers still felt cold against his skin when she touched him. He cupped her cheeks in his palms, slowly moving his fingers to brush out the wet strands sticking to her face. Her hair was still very damp from the rain since she had probably not dried her hair, earned another look of disapproval from him.

“Your hair is still wet and you lecture me not to worry about you.” he chided her as he dropped his hands and left the room.

Assuming that he was upset again, Nana sighed in defeat and moved towards one of the glass windows of the cafe to stare at the heavy shower falling outside. Suddenly her vision blackened by the towel that was placed on her head. She could feel his fingers gently kneading on hair trying to soak all the moisture onto the piece of fabric. After he was satisfied with his work, he dropped his hands on the bare upper-arm, rubbing his palms against her skin to generate warmth. His fingers felt smooth & warm against her skin. His hot breathe fanned the nape of her neck, as she stood with her back to him.

Nana grabbed his hands from her shoulders, interlacing their fingers in a slow fashion enticing QingYang with her touch, as her fingers warmed with heat of his own. She wrapped his arms around herself in such a manner that they rested on front of her waist , lightly pressing her back against his chest. Their fingers were still interlaced and the feeling of having his love in his arms tempted him to draw her closer to him, such that her back was firm against his chest and she was completely engulfed in his arms.

“You are so warm, QingYang. Hug me whenever I’m cold.” , she cooed at him as he dropped his chin between the gap of her neck & shoulder. commenting on all the tricks she had up her sleeves.

When she felt him pull her closer, the material of his sweater rubbed against the skin of shoulder and felt a thrill up her spine as his breath tickled her bare skin when he dropped his chin on her shoulder. She enjoyed his embraces on many occasions but few like these, were the most intimate ones where he held her firmly against him.

One of them was when she returned back after running away from home in a fit of misunderstandings of his feelings for her. He had accepted her back with open arms despite her doubting the sincerity of his feelings, also promising to take care of her for their lifetime in front of her parents. She found herself lucky for finding love with such a warm and kind, averse of his cold front.

The other moment was when she was leaving for surgery. He kissed her forehead and held her close, asking her to come back safely to him. She later realized, how much pent-up emotions he must have held while trying to hide his worry for her, so that she would not see through their facade.

His deep-rooted emotions for his missing parents before he got closure on their death, must have been heartbreaking for him. When she had promised him that he would always have her, that had been enough for him. The pain of loosing your parent was hard but he had it rougher since he never got to be with them even in their last moments, like she did. However, she hoped that her immense love for him would be enough to compensate their absence.

“QingYang” she called him while he hummed in response, “Do you like the rains?”

“I’m not sure. I know that I don’t hate it.”

He responded unsure as he gazed as the rain droplets on the windows.

“Tell me what do you like about rains?”, she tried asking again.

“I’m not really sure what to say, maybe having a warm cup of coffee in the cold weather.”

He said trying to answer her questions to the best he could, rather he was just enjoying being close to her in their rare intimate moments. She giggled as he rubbed his cheek against her skin, sensing the almost non-existent stubble. He was always a well dressed and clean-shaven man, whose skin was smooth as a baby but it was these rare days when she could feel it. However, she was glad that he never let it get out of control as she would have hated it.

“Do you want to know what I like to do when it rains?” she offered not really waiting for a response from him.

“This.” She pointed as she parted her right hand from his, while Qingyang simply continued holding on to her waist. She traced her fingers on the fog formed on the glass windows, in the shape of a heart adding their initials ‘Q& N’ inside as finishing touches. He shook his head at her childishness with a small laugh.

“Do you also want to know what I used to like about the rains?” she asked him again and felt him nod inquisitively.

“I always loved the hot chocolate milk my mom made to warm me up in the chilly weather of the rains. ” she reminisced the memories of her late mother.

Her mother who had left her in the care of her father through her own mysterious ways. Who was she to defy her mother who also helped her find the man she loved through the taste of her coffee. According to her mother, each person had their own special person who would become their own exclusive little sun in their lifetime. The sun who would fill their life with the warmth of love and gleaming sunlight of abundant happiness.

In this lifetime, Nana had found her little sun in the form of the man whose embrace she was currently lost in. The man had given her the warmth of her a friend and helped her regain the taste of her mother’s coffee He also played a pivotal role in mending relations with her father.

Ever since, she met him, she forgot the loneliness in her life after the death of her mother. She never really had a chance to make long lasting friendships from the frequent moving and change of schools. She left her friends behind and they would move on from her. Later, her health allowed her little chance to have time to befriend anymore people. She only ever had her mother.

But with Qingyang, she found dear friends in Zifeng and Yanuo, the four of them were more like a family unit with Zifeng as her older brother and Yanuo as an older brother/ sister. She often admitted of being jealous of their strong friendship and loyalty to each other as brothers. Sometimes, she wondered if her parents had not broken up, she would have grown up in the company of such wonderful people. Even if they had known each other from childhood,she was sure that she would have still fallen for Qingyang.

” Nana, what else do you miss about your mother?”

His question pulled her out of reverie as she began narrating on how she missed her mother’s voice, her touch, her food and even her corny little jokes. Though, their lives were filled with financial voes, it never detered the jubilant spirit of the mother and daughter.

His thumbs drew circles on her skin underneath them so as to soothe her pain away. He could understand the pain she felt from loosing one’s parents. Though her loss was more recent than his, but the confirmed truth of his parent’s death was new to him too.

Nana, was the only one he confided in about the shattered hope of ever getting to see his parents again. She had been there for him through his grief, offering to be a part of his family. The past seven years were gray for him becoming cynical about the concept of happiness. But watching her hold fort despite being severely ill and all alone, made him appreciate his friends and elders more, especially Zifeng and his Uncle. Coincidentally, she became a part of his little circle as hid s friend and later the daughter of his Uncle, who he considered as a dear family member. She was bound to be a part of his life, sooner or later.

She cupped his cheek with her free hand, turning her face to look at him over her shoulder. Simultaneously, he turned his head to gaze at her through hooded eyes, their faces merely inches away from each other. A little movement further from either one of them and they would be sharing their first kiss.

Nana could feel Qingyang’s palm kneading her hips in soft touches through her clothes and he held their interlaced fingers in a tight & manly grip. Though his touches were soft ,it burned the skin beneath it. She was thankful that it was not her bare skin.

“So, Qingyang is there any thing that you used to like about the rains? ” she asked warily breaching borderline on the topic of his parents.

He never talked much about his parents with her, her father or Zifeng. Sure they used to talk about the possibility of finding them after the return of Zifeng’s foster father. But it made things harder for Qingyang when he couldn’t find answers out of his elder. However, he always reassured everyone that he understood the situation, no matter how heart broken he was inside. Only, she broke through his barrier and whisked him away to fly kites to convey his prayers to God,so as to make him feel better. She wanted him to openly talk about how much he misses them, like Zifeng shared his inner thoughts with Yanuo. She learnt from her father about how wonderful they were but she wanted first hand details from him. How was he as a child, what he liked and enjoyed about that part his life before the tragedy. She wanted nothing but to be a part of every little thing of his life in times of both joy and sorrow.

He kissed the palm against his cheek before holding her firmly against his chest

“I miss the beef noodle soup my mom made, whenever I was cold from the rain. I never tasted anything better.”

“Oh, anything else?”, she asked trying to get him to share as much as possible.

“I miss the times, when I played football drenching in the rain and mud. Those were fun times, because whenever I reached home my mother would sneak me in through the backdoor , so that my father wouldn’t lecture me about discipline. He didn’t really mind me playing or drenching, but he would get mad when I skipped my sparing or taekwondo lessons. ”

“They sound wonderful Qingyang. Pa told me that they were one of the most kind and forgiving people he ever met.” She spoke sweetly delighted that he decided to share stories with him.

Qingyang’s had not described his parents to any one before, as it held a sad and tearful emotions. He was afraid that if he spoke of missing them, it would mean that they would never return. Truthfully, they never had a chance to come back, since they went missing. But like them, his dearest woman was now his family as well. He promised that his girlfriend and her parents that he would take care of her for the rest of their lives.

QingYang was a man of his words and held pride in it. If they were to spend the rest of their lives together, he had to be honest and give in to her with his heart, body and soul. His heart was already at her mercy and by body, they would take each slow step at a time, before they completely gave in. Before that, it was time to bare his soul to her even if he meant talking about painful memories. She was honest with him, so he could also do the same.

“What kind of parents were they? ”

” My mom like yours was sweetest woman in the world. Me and my dad were her entire world. She had a vibrant person and was a close friend of Aunt FengJie. My father on the hand, was a strict man and very idealistic. Me and Zifeng bro would often get punished by him from being mischievous or defying rules. But he was one of the kindest and most loyal men you would ever meet. I wish be a great man like him someday.”

“You already are like your , Qingyang. You are one of kindest, sweetest and most loyal person I have ever known. Your loyalty to your brother Zifeng, my father and the other elders. Also, the hidden kindness you bestow on others behind your cold exterior makes you a wonderful. Those are the things that I like the most about you.”

The sincerity of her words bought tears to his eyes. His throat constricted and un-shed tears stung his eyes.His face suddenly softened and huge tears began to flow from the corner of his eyes. He turned his head and buried his face in her neck, not allowing her to see his tears. She could feel the wetness of his tears on her bare skin, as he held on to her silently sobbing.She his hair and kissed his forehead, while tears coursed down her cheeks as well.

He shifted his head on her shoulder so as to face her.His eyes blinked and opened, slowly focusing on her face. Lifting his head, he gazed down at her with look of fondness and longing. His eyes were probably bloodshot as he whispered her a hoarse thank you and pressed a soft lingering kiss on her bare neck. Warmth ran up her neck and she bit her lower lip.

“The rains for the past seven years were always dull and cold. I never liked because I felt alone and depressed. However, now being with you, it feels warm. ”

He put an arm around her shoulders, his gaze warm and admiring. The warmth of his body made her senses tingle with both need and happiness. She gazed up into eyes that were full of tenderness.

“Wo Ai Ni( I love you)”, she whispered raggedly with parted lips, as his eyes hovered between her eyes and lips.

“Wo Ye Ai Ni(I love you too.)”, he confessed with an intense gaze as he watched her eyes widen in mild surprise.

He confessed before that he liked her and even promised to spend a lifetime with her. It was evident that his feelings were sincere and he loved her, but hearing it in actual words pleasantly surprised her. On various occasions, she declared her love to him without expected a response, because he was a man of action rather than words. He never had to prove to her in words.

His arms surrounded her in a warm gentle embrace that had no urgency. He slowly lowered his head, while she eagerly leaned into him and welcomed the warm lips that sought hers. They were warm and firm as he brushed her lips lightly with his own. His arms wound tightly around her waist, holding her back firmly against his chest. His first kiss was light, as if he were testing her. It was a soft kiss, not demanding but more inquisitive. She glanced up at him dazed as he moved back,as his mouth held a faint smile and his eyes twinkled.

He spun her around his arms so that they were facing each other. One arm wrapped on the small of her back and other cupped her jaw drawing her closer to him while her palms lay flat on his chest.She snuggled up close to him and his lips found hers again.His second kiss began softly, slowly gaining passion, while her lips were warm and responsive. The hand cupping her face moved to her nape, holding her head firm against his. Lips covered hers in a long warm kiss that left her short of breath. He could taste the bitterness of the coffee she had consumed, against his lips.He planted a final lingering press on and drew back.

Breaking from her dazed stupor, she touched her lips with trembling fingers, her face burning. He gazed down at her, a wry smile on his lips – his eyes mocking her, as let her free from his embrace . She squeaked in surprise, flailing her arms wildly in the aftermath of their intimate moment causing an equally embarrassed QingYang to turn his back, while rubbing the back of his neck.

He was glad that he had honestly expressed his love and desire for her through his actions, but was now  worried if it had too much for her. Guilty thinking that he took it too far, he was about to apologize but was stopped by a shy press of her lips on his once again, before muttering an apology for her over exaggeration.

“Qingyang don’t apologize. It’s just that I suddenly felt very embarrassed.” she said while being shy and avoiding his gaze.

“That’s okay.” He reassured her while wrapped his arm around her leaving a feathery kiss on the top of her head. In turn, she wrapped her arms around his waist and glanced up at him.

“Do you really like beef noddle soup, Qingyang?”

“Yes.”

“How about I make it sometime for you?  I know it won’t be as good as your mother, but it will be decent enough.”

“I would really like that. But do you know how to cook it?”

“Yes I do. ”

Qingyang nodded in approval at her offer.

“You know, just because you and Dad always prepare the meals, I never really got a chance to cook. You two never let me do anything around here. It’s annoying sometimes.”

“I never really knew you could cook.” Qingyang confessed.

“Of course, I do. I may not be be great at everything. But I’m confident in the dishes, I already know to make. You just wait and see. ”  She as Qingyang marveled at the new talent of hers.

“I always had to cook for myself whenever mom was busy at work or sick. Likewise, I cooked for myself for a long time before I moved in here. After that I never did, because I loved being pampered by you two.” She confessed while he smirked at her.

Suddenly, they heard the wing chimes on the door as two known figures entered the room. Their dear friends, Zifeng and Yanuo stood hand-in-hand completely drenched with silly smiles on their faces. Not really expecting them, Qingyang moved to greet them with a surprised expression with Nana following on his heels.

“What happen to you two?”

“Nothing. We were just having fun, getting wet in the rain.” Zifeng laughed as he helped his wife take off her wet coat.

“Well now, Qingyang is going to be upset again.” Nana commented while giving a sly look to her boyfriend as she went retrieve more towels for the drenched couple.

Zifeng and Yanuo shared confused glances at Qingyang who just shook his head in denial, while looking embarrassed and followed his girlfriend inside to help her.