Chapter Text
Yellow lights flicker overhead as another lightning strike hits outside. Thunder follows shortly after. I decide to take a small detour through the aisles of CVS to get an umbrella before heading out.
They’re all the way by the front entrance, hanging cheerfully on various hooks at the end of a display. There’s so many to choose from. I take a teal one with white polka-dots of the hook, but somehow it flies out of my hands and goes sprawling behind me. Vaguely I hear the doors behind me slide open and closed.
I spin around, trying to catch the umbrella before it rolls too far, but instead I find a handsome young man crouching on the floor with the umbrella in his hands. Water drips into his eyes from shaggy black hair that’s clearly lost any volume it has from being drenched in rain. The man straightens, and it turns out he’s quite tall once he’s at his full hight. He hands the umbrella to me.
“You dropped this,” his voice is smooth and warm like honey in tea.
Caught off-guard, and slightly intimidated, I can only manage a small “Thanks,” while trying not to blush too hard.
I hastily take the umbrella from him, but in my rush I manage to loose hold of the pill bottle I’m holding.
Almost before I can register it’s absence, the stranger bends over as quick as a flash and catches it in mid-air. He straightens again and hands it out to me. This time I can’t hide it. Heat flushes my cheeks and suddenly I can’t wait to be outside in the cool rain.
“Sorry about that,” I mumble, “you’ve caught me on a bit of an off-day.”
His smile turns into a full-on grin. “I guess I should hold onto this, to keep it safe.” He winks, “Can I help you with any other items?”
“No, no! It’s fine, really, I was just going to the check-out anyway,” I reach for the pill bottle, but he doesn’t seem to notice.
“Great! I’ll walk you over then,” he says, and proceeds toward the kassa with such long strides I have to hustle to keep up. Making sure not to be dropping any of my other items, of course.
I catch up to him at the end of the line. He’s got his back towards the cashier and the rest of the line, patiently waiting. I wouldn’t say he’s necessarily smiling, but it seems like he’s the kind of good-natured person who just seems to radiate joyful kindness. So that even when he’s not physically smiling, it still seems like he is.
I smile back at him.
“So,” I say, mustering up my courage once I’m beside him, “What brings you here this fine, rainy evening?”
His lips quirk up in a half-smile. “Oh, I’m just getting some Tylenol for my little brother. He hasn’t stopped coughing since last night, but he refuses to take any medication. He’s stubborn like that.” The stranger gives me a conspiratorial side-eye. He whispers, “I’m planning on hiding it in his soup tonight.”
A laugh bubbles out from my chest, “Won’t he notice Tylenol in his soup?”
He waves a hand around in the air, “Ah, the taste won’t matter much, tonight’s soup is his least favourite, and we’re not allowed to leave the table until we’ve finished all our food. It’ll work.”
“If you say so.” I grin. “You’re also pretty stubborn, aren’t you? Force-feeding your brother medicine?”
He feigns offendedness, “Force-feeding? Never! I’m just trying to be the best older brother I can be.”
“I’m sure he appreciates it.”
We take a step farther down the line.
“Or at least he will, someday.”
The stranger softens, and suddenly he sounds tired. “I sure hope so.”
And just like that, it’s my turn at the register. I pay with cash and decide to spend the extra 20 cents on a plastic bag, thanking the cashier at the end of our transaction. I’m about to thank the kind stranger too, especially since he stayed and made conversation even though he could have easily left once I was in line, but he speaks first.
“Let me walk you to your car, its not safe out in the dark and with all this rain.”
“Oh no, you’re too kind, I’m fine, really.”
He tilts his head a fraction of a degree, “This isn’t a very safe part of the city.”
I laugh, “What part of Gotham is?”
He shrugs, “Still.”
“Fine,” I smile, hand him the polka-dotted umbrella, “but you’ll have to be the umbrella holder, make sure we don’t get too wet.”
He grins, puts out his hand, “deal”.
We rush out of the store, huddling together under the umbrella, the plastic bag thumping on my leg.
When we get to my car, I take a peek out to the sky. Clouds as far as the eye can see, blocking any possible starlight. Not that there’s usually any to see with all the city smog and light pollution.
I press the umbrella further into the stranger’s hand. “Here, for on the way back.”
His eyes widen, “Oh no, I’m fine, you should keep it.”
He tries to push the handle toward me, but when I put my hand on his wrist, he freezes.
“Wouldn’t want you to get sick too,” I smile, “then who will be the one hiding Tylenol in your soup?”