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The tires crunch as they turn onto coarse gravel, causing the small car to rumble and jostle in turn. Rain trickles down the window in narrow streams, pooling at the bottom where glass meets metal. Thick, smoky clouds obscure the night sky, crackling and rumbling as thunder roars and lightning flashes through the darkness. Caesar takes a deep breath in the chilly, stale air of the car and it hits just right, filling up his lungs and sending good feelings through his head. He takes another look out the window and presses a finger to a raindrop, following it as it dribbles down the glass to collect in the seam.
He’s suddenly aware of a warm grip against his free hand, and a soft smile creeps up his face as he grips back, feels Joseph’s thumb run snug over his index. The thunder crumbles loud above them, and the rain beats down just a little harder now, the sound of water rushing and rolling strangely comforting, in a way. Caesar’s always liked rain, especially heavy rain like this, for some odd reason he’s never quite been able to understand. Lightning sends a flare of radiance through the sky overhead, and it’s in that split second that Caesar can make out a small patch of trees in the landscape that’s otherwise too dark and rainy to notice.
Sure enough, that’s where they end up driving, down the rough path of gravely mush into the dark expanse of trees around them. Caesar’s not entirely sure of why they’ve driven out all this way tonight- Joseph told him they were going someplace special about two hours ago and to get in the car, and they’ve been driving ever since. There’s nothing special in particular about today, at least not that Caesar can remember. So what’s so important that they’re out in the middle of nowhere, on a Thursday night, in the depths of a raging thunderstorm? He turns his head to look over at Joseph, who returns the glance and smiles knowingly.
“You’re about to say ‘Where the hell are you taking me, Jojo?’” he remarks, and before he can finish his sentence Caesar’s already started talking.
“Where the hell are you taking me, Jojo?” he asks in turn, and his eyes narrow when he realizes Joseph’s used that stupid word-predicting thing he does on him again, glaring at him for a moment. His expression softens not long after, because he’s not even upset, really, just tired and confused. “I really hate when you do that.”
Joseph’s smile eases up. “I know,” he sighs, squeezing their joined hands. “We’ll be there really soon, okay?” Caesar nods and feels his chest tighten at nearly nothing, a strange sense of comfort and all-around really good feelings surrounding him. “I promise, it’ll all be worth the wait. I hope so, anyway.” An embarrassed look comes up on Joseph’s face, and Caesar can’t help but lift up his hand, pressing a soft kiss to the back of it.
Voglio passare il resto della mia vita con questo idiota.
After a few more minutes of driving through the trees, Joseph looks around, clearly satisfied, and separates their hands, pointing his indexes upward as if to say ‘wait for a second’. He then unlocks the car and reaches for the door handle, but Caesar darts his hand forward to touch him on the shoulder before he can leave.
“Idiota, did you forget it’s pouring down rain outside? Plus, it’s the middle of November and you know how chilly it gets at night. You’re going to catch a cold.”
Joseph lets out a hushed laugh. “You don’t get colds from being in the cold, Caesarino. And I don’t mind getting a little wet. There’re towels in the back, I’m gonna go get ‘em.” Caesar gives him a hesitant nod and slowly withdraws his hand, after which Joseph heads out into the roar of the storm and pops open the trunk of the car. After a minute or so of nothingness, giving Caesar’s nerves adequate time to build and fester, Joseph opens up the passenger side door and extends a patterned umbrella out to him, smiling bittersweetly. Tucked under his other shoulder he’s got a roll of towels and a brightly lit flashlight that makes Caesar’s eyes squint up just a little.
“Should I be on my guard, Jojo?” he asks, teasingly enough he hopes that Joseph won’t take it seriously. Luckily for him, he doesn’t, flashing Caesar a menacing smile and laughing under his breath.
“Of course you should, my bubble boy,” is his response, taking Caesar’s hand and hoisting him upright. “Be very afraid.” Caesar loops his arms around Joseph’s neck and looks up at him, pressing their lips together for no more than a second, rain battering the plastic of the umbrella overhead.
“I could never be afraid of you, tu manichino. To be honest, I don’t think you’d know where to begin if you wanted to intimidate me.” He gives Joseph a sly smile, kissing him once more before letting go and taking the towels, leaving room for the two of them to join their hands together again.