Chapter Text
It was late evening. Though it may as well have been the middle of the night. The cloud cover was thick and heavy today, sobbing down upon this old city. You adjusted your umbrella on your shoulder as you looked at the canal you walked beside.
This city had been made to resist centuries of rain. The canals and rivers everywhere helped the water to not flood the streets. Where the water went was unknown. The canals were used as the main city transport, though the trams were much drier.
Personally, you used neither. Your job was only a few blocks down the street from the apartment complex you resided in. You usually worked late nights, but you were asked to take the morning shift tomorrow by a coworker. Being the type of bug that dislikes conflict, you said you'd take it.
So, now, you was trekking home in the pouring rain, tired and exhausted. The good news? At least it isn't a thunderstorm.
There are these alleyways all over the city. They are drier than the streets, but tend to be filthy. You usually avoided them, but today you just couldn't handle the rain. So, down one of the alleys you went.
You shook your umbrella off so you could rest your arms and walked through the humid paths. You new the about path you needed to take, you only hoped that you were right.
Some time passed, and you began to worry you were lost. The sound of rain above you was distant, and you wondered if you could possibly be going downwards. It was all but pitch black, only dull lights on the walls guided you. You gained the feeling of being watched, and tried to shrug it off, but it only grew stronger. It unnerved you.
Your pace quickened, your want to get home growing by the second. You kept your eyes on the ground and moved. Your footsteps echoed in the alleyways and you felt as though you were being followed. Your fear only grew as you rushed. Soon, you could hear rain ahead of you. The streets!
You readied your umbrella as you ran, and within moments you broke into the storm. Out of the alleys you finally stopped and breathed. The feeling of eyes on the back of your head was still strong, and you worried that you may meet the gaze if you were to turn around.
You planned to keep moving; walk to your apartment; and you began to do so. But, a voice called from the alley. Rough, but not old. It sounded as if smoke had been through the owners lungs a fair few times. It bothered you. The voice repeated it's call, clearly aware you had heard it.
"Hey."
You hesitated, wondering your best course of action. In the end, your morbid curiosity won. You had to see what followed you. You turned back to face the alley, expecting to meet the gaze of some disgruntled bug, likely back from a late night at the bar... But instead you found your sight trailing up the tall, cloaked figure of a slim bug.
They looked upon you with scarlet eyes, bright as a sparking flame. Ironically, they froze you to the spot. Their mask was horned and curved backwards, two black stripes dashed above and below their eyes. Their cloak was soaked.
There was a moment of awkward silence, before the other lifted a thin hand from beneath their cloak and waved. You stood a second, then waved back.
"Hi." You said simply.
The other seemed to laugh a bit, though silently. Their cloak shook slightly as their expression was one of humor.
"Hello." That was the voice. It bothered you that it belonged to this other. It didn't quite seem to fit. But you shrugged it off. "I am very sorry to bother you... But I cannot go into heavy rain." they look out at the street, watching the pouring sky.
You had a feeling you knew what they were asking, but you weren't sure if you would be able to help them to wherever they need to go.
Almost as if the other were reading my thoughts, they spoke. "My residence is not far from here, only about half a block west."
Well, if it's only that...
"Alright, I'll help, but I am only so tall."
The other laughs again. "I can duck. It's most important my head stays dry."
You shrug and walk back over, holding the umbrella as far up as you could, and the other ducked, keeping their mask beneath the umbrella.
"This good?"
They nodded, and you both walked.
You stayed quiet for the most part; they had a sort of heat radiating from them. You would've asked, but you reached their place within minutes. It looked familiar... you glanced around and realized it was the very complex you lived in. Just a different part of it. You heard the door unlock and looked back at the other, who was entering the building.
"Thank you, my dear..." you twitched at the word. It wasn't flirtatious or gross in tone, but you always associated the word with creepy men.
"It's Y/n." You replied swiftly.
"Ah, well thank you, Y/n. And if we happen to meet again, I am Grimm." He glanced backwards into his apartment, then back at you. "I hope you have a lovely night, Y/n."
"You too, Grimm." You walked off with a wave and he shut his door.
You were deeply aware of how cold the night was now.