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I met him on a day of rain. I was walking back home from uni, trying to cover myself from the raindrops with my umbrella. People were running in the street, but I didn’t —I’ve always liked rainy days.
He was about to cross the street, without looking to the sides. Perhaps he thought there was no need to do it, because there were no cars at the moment.
Or that's what he thought.
A car was approaching at full speed. That boy stood, shocked in his place once he saw it.
Something strong inside me, like a pull of magic in my stomach, made me run to save his life. I didn’t care if my things fell to the wet floor.
Everything happened in slow motion. My hands pulling him back by the fabric of his shirt, the car braking abruptly and honking the horn, both of us falling on the pavement, my arms around his body.
I was sure my head did hit the floor with the fall, but this boy was alright. I preferred my head to hurt, that a stranger’s life gone.
“Are you okay?” I whispered. He looked at me, all pale with fright. A blue gaze locked with mine.
The boy nodded. “Shit, thank you. For saving my life.”
I gave him a grin. The few people around us were murmuring about what happened. It was still raining, the raindrops falling in my face, making me more wet than before.
"It was nothing." Then, he realized we were still laying on the floor, he still upon me and wrapped by my arms. He stood up, and then helped me to do the same.
I took up my backpack from the pavement, and the umbrella —now broken and useless—. Everything was wet, even me.
I was still at least ten blocks apart from my flat. Before, I was glad to walk them, but being wet and messy was a very different thing; I started to think I’d probably call a taxi, when the blue-eyed boy offered me something.
“This might sound very weird, but I can’t let you go on your way like that.” I gave him a gaze of confusion, trying to figure out what was he saying. “I mean, look at you, you have water dripping from your clothes, you might catch a flu.”
My eyes went down to my coat. I nodded, mainly because I didn’t want to risk myself and got sick, but there was also something else. Something about his blue eyes, or his bronze curls, or the way he talked to me. Something about him was pulling me close.
Don’t get me wrong: I’ve never believed in things such like love at first sight. But at that moment, I felt like I had met him for my entire life.
I followed him to the next block, all the way up through the five floors until his front door.
“Penny, I’m here!” His greeting didn’t get an answer. Instantly I regretted of following him. Whatever my mind was working out, got broken.
“Looks like your girlfriend isn’t at home.” I said. I realized, then, that I didn’t know his name yet.
He looked at me with a smile, almost like a laugh, on his lips. “She’s not my girlfriend. She’s my best friend, and also my roommate.”
Well, I was relieved to know that. I laughed nervously, my mind blank.
My eyes travelled to everything in the room but him. The pictures in the wall, with fairy lights around caught my attention —especially a cute one of him holding a girl in his arms, probably Penny, both laughing.
“You have a nice flat…”
“Oh, fuck, I don’t even know your name. You literally saved my life and I’m being this idiotic.”
“Just call me Baz.”
“Well, Baz, thank you again. I’m Simon.” My name came out from his lips in a way I never heard before.
“You’re welcome.”
We were both so invested trying not to look directly to each other more than necessary, that we forgot about being wet and cold.
“You can take a shower, the first door of the hall. I’ll bring you some warm clothes and prepare tea, if you like to.”
I showered and wore his clothes, that didn’t fit me well. He prepared mint tea that I drank while he was showering.
I waited until he came out of the bathroom, ready to leave, even if I didn’t want to. Night was getting closer and the rain was getting heavier.
“How can I thank you for saving my life? These words and warm clothes don’t feel enough for me.”
I knew I was attracted somehow to him. If destiny had something prepared for me, and him, I had to discover.
“Go on a date with me.”
The night passed by so fast. I was amazed by Simon, absolutely lost by his eyes and his laugh.
After the dinner we walked through a near park, the only people there in the middle of the night.
Whatever were the feelings I started to developed for him, seemed like a mutual thing. His fingers were brushing mine, still afraid of holding my hand entirely. All of my blood getting in my cheeks.
Ironically, and as a reminder of the time I saw him for the first time, a light rain started to fall down. I couldn’t help to laugh, so he didn’t.
I felt brave for a moment, pulling him towards me, my arms wrapping his waist. I made him dance with me, covered by the raindrops again. His soft laugh made my heart feel warm, as his hands held my jaw, leaning into my mouth.
That close, his eyes looked brighter. My lips brushed against his, and then I finally kissed him.
It was kinda insane, you know? I had only seen him two times, but my heart knew something that I didn’t. Probably that we’d fall hopelessly in love with each other by a matter of time, or that he’d be the man I always dreamt of.
After years of dating, of loving and sharing good and bad moments, we still do that. When it’s raining, I still take him to the closest open space we can find, and hold him in my arms, whispering in his ear how much I love him. And he still gives me that smile, as bright as the sun, before kissing me.
After all these years, we still dance under the rain.