You can stand [under my umbrella].

Pairing: Myungjong

➙  www.rainymood.com  ♪

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On rainy days, Myungsoo used to change his mood. More than the usual.

He became more quiet than he was and his brief answers could turn the most patient person on the earth to crazy.

He really turned irritable and he knew it very well on a random rainy day.

He really didn't want to talk so much with anybody, not even with his best friend. He made the most elaborated pretext to not meet with him and instead, he took his black umbrella to leave home. He only wanted to meet with the bad weather and its rain.

Followed by a need to escape and only meet with the rain sound, he moved his feet to the street. It was raining with persistence so he covered himself with his umbrella and started to walk without a direction in mind. His purpose just was to enjoy the sound of the multiple raindrops falling down. He loved the way it sounded; little water drops hitting with an incredible fury his umbrella. Most of them splashed his face, making him blink and catch a bit of cold. He wore a thick black coat matching with his umbrella and boots. His boots let him to step in all the puddles along the streets.

Sometimes it seemed it was going to stop raining fiercely but as Myungsoo tried to walk without the shelter of his umbrella, it started to rain as the beginning: in abundance. Naturally, nobody tried to walk under the powerful rain falling over the city during all the day, just a guy as Myungsoo was doing such madness. As he stepped away from his house, leaving the residential zone, he could hear further thunders roar. All his inexplicable worries were fading as the rain accompanied him all the way, a persistent sound that made him not feel so alone.

Somewhere a lightning blinked and made a soft glow though Myungsoo's dark umbrella.

The lonely boy went to the most quiet streets, away from his house and the city, somewhere between the civilization which he was avoiding. If it wasn't for the consistent raindrops and the sound of the footsteps on the puddles, he could hear his own thoughts out loud. Silent were the streets where he was going until the city bus appeared in a corner and parked at the nearest bus stop. That distraction made him frown, staring at the wet bus leaving its passengers discovering what the weather was keeping for them.

Only a couple sharing his familiar showy umbrella got out of the public transport and could protect themselves. Another person, a boy in fact, was not so lucky to have an umbrella and covered his head with his arms, running along the street for a shelter from the rain. Myungsoo felt a bit sympathetic staring at the boy getting wet. There wasn't any place close to shelter except for his umbrella.

Then, somehow, the boy stopped a few meters of distance from the quiet boy holding a black umbrella, making his expression darken. Through the incessant million drops, an evident tension could be noticed between the boys. A few minutes ago they were strangers, but as a lightening illuminated them, that seemed to change.

“Myungsoo.”

The following thunder wanted to hide his little voice, but Myungsoo heard it perfectly. He had heard that soft voice before, when he went for a walk under the rain in company.

“Sungjong,” he replied, holding the umbrella firmly, his knuckles turning white.

“It's been a long time...” Sungjong said softly, his lips were trembling because of the rain or maybe the nerves that Myungsoo's encounter caused on him “About three months.”

Remembering the endless days he spent without him, made Myungsoo took a deep breath and spoke in a clear voice after it. 

“Yeah. Come here”

Myungsoo didn't know why the words seemed to escape from his mouth. It was done. He invited Sungjong to come to his side. He hesitated a bit; he knew how difficult it was to be near Myungsoo and not touch his warm skin to find protection against the external agents. On a rainy day like that, he needed so much Myungsoo's warmth. Somehow, he found himself walking towards him, meeting the boy under the umbrella he had given him as a birthday present months ago. It always seemed to be smaller from the exterior but underneath it was like a firm roof.

Their eyes met again, a lightning reflected in its. Memories danced in their heads. The raindrops hit their faces. They needed some unknown time to consider the other's presence.

“Thank you so much. I've just caught the wrong bus and now... I am stranded far from my house.” Sungjong smiled a little, trying not to damn himself during the explanation.

“I see... Luckily I was here” Myungsoo smiled too, a more defined smile than Sungjong's one to remove some tension. “I can take you home.”

“It was a coincidence...” Myungsoo frowned as Sungjong looked away. “It's not necessary, Myungsoo.”

“Why not? Now you are here. I can take you home, I said” To meet him and start a conversation with somebody wasn't on his plans in that day. But Sungjong wasn't just like everybody else.

“Alright. Over there, please.” Myungsoo had already known where Sungjong lived. Instead, he nodded.

It was raining more than ever. Only raindrops broke the silence.

While they were walking in silence Sungjong was biting the inside of his cheek, looking desperately for something to say. But he found nothing.

What could he say? Or ask? How had he been without him these months?

Stupid thoughts were colliding in his mind and he had low defenses, so much that a thunder scared him. His hands dropped Myungsoo's arm and he blushed when he noticed his biceps under his coat. He blushed even more knowing that Myungoo was staring at him. A smirk seemed to cross his lips but disappeared, not being more visible than a couple of seconds.

“Sungjong, you don't believe in coincidences”

That wasn't something Sungjong expected to hear and less to reply to. Raindrops were shooting at his eyes because of a sudden wind, making them blink.

“Yes, I don't”

But he did not want to think if that encounter with Myungsoo was more than a simple coincidence. Destiny was the first word to appear in Sungjong's confused mind. It couldn't be.

“You're thinner”

“What? I'm not”

“Are you eating right?”

“I'm fine, Myungsoo”

A lie came. Both knew it for similar reasons.

“I don't like you to hide me things, Jongie”

“I can do whatever I want...” Sungjong grabbed Myungsoo's arm tightly as it seemed not to be a problem. It was really cold and Sungjong did not have anything better to wrap himself up. Well, it had never been anything better than Myungsoo's permanent warmth. “I'm not hiding you anything”

“You are, “he curved a smile” and it's ridiculous if you know I can catch you”

Silence gripped both.

“And you... Are you okay?” Sungjong broke the ice, avoiding Myungsoo's appreciation and hiding his overwhelming interest.

“Yeah. Uhm... An advertising company bought my photographies”

“Myungsoo, that's wonderful! I... I remember how frustrated you were when your photos were a bit ignored. It wasn't like that really, you just needed to sponsor better your work...”

“And it's just what I did...You were right”

“I hope you didn't change your personal style...” Sungjong pattered Myungsoo's shoulder with his cheek which was turning red as the conversation reminded him of a lot of scenes with a Myungsoo photographer in the past.

“I didn't, Jongie. It liked you more than anything.”

“Yes... Are you still taking photos of the sky?”

“Of course. If we had met on a sunny day, I would have shown you a few” Myungsoo said, patting his phone in his pocket.

“Great... I'm sure they are still incredible” Sungjong looked up at Myungsoo's eyes to ensure his words. He saw longing in them. Then, he wondered if in his own eyes Myungsoo could have seen a clear longing too.

They didn't need to force the conversation from here. Sometimes silence spoke for itself. Sometimes Sungjong enveloped Myungsoo's arm and Myungsoo brought closer. They felt comfortable talking nonsenses without resentment. What they have been feared it didn't happen at all.

“I am so proud of you, Myungsoo.”

Sungjong's confession turned rain in a flood on Myungsoo's fortress. His steps lost velocity. They stopped at the middle of the street, in silence, near to Sungjong's home. Myungsoo's intense glare at Sungjong was the only reply he received. Sungjong cleared his throat. In that moment he wanted to run and hide in his house. On the other hand, he wanted to explain his deepest thoughts. He didn't share it with anybody, except with Myungsoo at the old times.

“Really, Myungsoo. You've fulfilled your wish and I am a little sad to not have been there, seeing how fascinated you were. I could have been really happy to see you”

“Sungjong...” Myungsoo bit his lip, but Sungjong shook his head and unconsciously moved away from the boy and the shelter of the umbrella, his back was getting wet again. “Wait,” Myungsoo interrupted him, not wanting to let go Sungjong “come here”

He gave no option for him to choose because he reached his wrist and Sungjong's foot placed him in front of the boy. Sungjong did not really want to do that, his eyes were starting to mourn and Myungsoo could realize.

“We spent a good time” Myungsoo finally said.

“Please, don't. I already know it”

Myungsoo snorted, Sungjong was quiet. There was something in Myungoo's voice that made Sungjong blush immediately and also damn himself for being so weak.

“Sometimes I wish it could have gone better. I regret it. Also I wished I could apologize to you”

“You don't have to, Myungsoo. You've always been forgiven” As Sungjong spoke gently, Myungsoo sighed relieved.

“There was love”

“Of course, I was really happy” Sungjong shuddered.” but it wasn't our problem, Myungsoo. There were... other complications”

Then, they remembered all of that complications and felt the most stupid boys in the world.

“Can I kiss you, Sungjong?” Myungsoo asked, words slowly escaping from his wet lips as he these.

“Yes, you can”

That was the most beautiful answer he heard from Sungjong on that rainy day. In Myungsoo's mind, the sun started shining again.

Over their heads, the darkness from the umbrella seemed to change to clearer, rain becoming less powerful. Myungsoo took that chance to let the umbrella fall down, his entire body met the water coming from sky.

They managed to be closer in just one step. Myungsoo took Sungjong's little face, admiring how drops were accumulating on his eyelashes. Sungjong blinked as Myungsoo removed the drops carefully, confused with his tears. His lips were parted as a mute invitation to receive Myungsoo's ones. When it was accepted, Sungjong grabbed Myungsoo's wrists, marking his five digits on its because of his nerves; his mouths finally stamped, perfectly fit in. The coats were falling heavily on their shoulders, but meanwhile they felt light during the kiss. His lips were melting cold water drops and their hands found the way to care the other's wild and wet hair.

It could fall a flood but they knew it really didn't matter. They had shared many kisses under the rain on purpose.

Sungjong let Myungsoo's tongue get inside his mouth, feeling hot their breaths when their mouths crashed well to fit in, tongues had already met in a silent dance without any music but their synchronized heartbeats and the raindrops hitting their faces were less persistent. Sungjong sighed as their lungs needed a little bit of oxygen and Myungsoo was pleased to give him more from his breath. Sungjong pressed himself to Myungsoo's body, searching his wide and pleasant chest under the coat he was wearing. Sungjong had always loved how it was suited on Myungsoo. Nobody wanted to break that precious moment. The idea to leave their embrace was something horrible to think of so that's because they were letting pass minutes in the other's arms, feeling like home.

"You are like home" Sungjong had told him once. Myungsoo hold him tightly, a little moan came into his mouth from Sungjong. It was simply deadly and at the same time really, really comforting. Gently touches of the textures from their soaked lips, were becoming increasingly faster and needy. Those last longing months were finally solved in that kiss, their mouths realizing how they missed the other through shy prickles.

It was too difficult to break the kiss, they knew it so they created a smaller separation. Their lips were still touching when Sungjong smiled. He knew that if Myungsoo asked him for a good bye kiss, it would mean that he needed him so much. He still had love for him in his heart. Automatically, Myungsoo smiled too. Cold was dissipated and his lips were burning after the kiss. He knew that if Sungjong accepted him, it would only mean that both wanted to make that kiss in every way possible. They weren't kissing anymore, but they felt butterflies flying in their stomachs, even when they stepped back.

"You have grown, Jongie. But you still fit in my arms"

"You...idiot" Sungjong hugged himself, his blue coat did not give him the warmth he really needed. For some reason, he felt shivers again from missing Myungsoo's cuddling. "Nice to see you"

"Same. Eat more" Myungsoo said, his lips. Its tasted like Sungjong.

Sungjong chuckled a bit, his cheeks burning with a pink-reddish blur. "Eat less"

Myungsoo chuckled too, sharing a long stare. They always had the capacity to talk without saying a word. There were things that wouldn't change. "I'll miss you"

"I'll miss you too, Myungsoo"

"I hope.. I see you on a rainy day like this, taking the wrong bus.”

"… Or maybe you can call me if you need it. I promised you" Sungjong eyes remind to Myungsoo the promise they shared after being finally separated.

"I know. Just... Be careful, Sungjong. I wish you the best"

"Be happy, Myungsoo"

Rays of sunlight were filtered through the clouds, which were turned whiter than minutes before. In seconds, the rain was something missing, something only to be appreciated on the wet ground and at their hair. Myungsoo grabbed again his umbrella, Sungjong turned back to go home under the watchful eye and sincere smile of Myungsoo.

Rain helped them to be together again.

Rain always was a symbol of their relationship. One of the most perfect kisses were given behind a flood.

Rain was a kind of agent that helped them not to be so lonely when days were awful without the other.

To Myungsoo, raindrops were like Sungjong. Small but able to move everything else little by little. Sungjong could be a little person but his heart was so big and on its day was only for him.

To Sungjong, raindrops were like Myungsoo. Quiet and calm. Without saying nothing, he said everything its heart wanted to say out loud. For Sungjong, his heart was always opened.

Raindrops recreated memories that are worth to be remembered.

And someday raindrops would be again something magical for them.

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