Work Text:
“Hey Mic…”
“Hmm?”
“When will it stop raining…”
“Soon.”
Crystal clear raindrops that formed in the clouds trickled and danced on the clear roof of the bus stop shelter. The rain has gradually increased, from a quick drizzle to a pounding storm. Puddles formed on the paved walkway, the concrete bricks turning into a darker shade of gray than it usually was. A lonely, yellow bus stop sign stood out in the rain, awaiting for the arrival of its friend, the bus, nowhere in sight.
In the small bus stop, two teenagers of twins sat there in silence, sitting next to each other yet with a gap between them.
The shorter one was Microphone, age of 16, who sported a light blue bucket hat and a blue-grayish oversized hoodie that complimented well with his pastel yellow horns and wings that protruded out. Under the hoodie was a simple shirt, accompanied by navy cargo pants that slithered down to his ankles. Light blue sneakers and white socks gave comfort to his feet that would likely be shivering without it. Behind a black framed glasses were eyes of hazel that displayed a mix of calm with sorrow, as if something was bothering him internally and yet he didn’t wish to speak about it. At least not to his younger brother next to him.
The taller one — yes, the taller one — was sweet, quiet Megaphone, age of 15. He wore a transparent rain coat, and under it was a makeshift hood made out of a dark blue cloth that wrapped around his head and ended in a simple knot under his chin. Two pairs of lavender horns — one pair bigger, one pair smaller — stuck out of the top and side of his head. He wore a pastel blue collared shirt, with dark blue cotton arm warmers that wrapped around his arms. The same dark blue painted his shorts and his sneakers, with soft white socks that accompanied it. On his exposed shins were patches of bandages that scattered here and there, mainly out of falling on the ground over and over again during school. On his back only sprouted one lavender wing, and his only eye darted around, looking at the environment and situation left and right. The one responsible for the disappearance of his other wing and eye is disclosed to public.
It was the weekly free clothes Friday, where students didn’t need to use uniforms and can choose to wear a clothing of choice. Usually, Mic and Mega — mainly Mic — would find something flashy to wear and show it off to their high school friends. It was mainly caused by their natural fame for being demi-deities, grandchildren of Firebrand, the wielder of the flames. But that day, they decided to suit up in matching cozy colored outfits that they were comfortable with. It was lucky they chose that, as rain was already pouring on the streets of Crossroads by the time they were dismissed.
Umbrella, their foster caretaker and advisor of the fire god, had given them — you guessed it — umbrellas, to “prepare for any weather”, they said. Which, it was lucky, but the winds were so strong at one point that Mega’s umbrella decided to do a 180° turn and flick upwards, the umbrella, though open, no longer providing shelter. The brothers ended up resorting to squeeze under Mic’s umbrella, their last hope before reaching the bus shelter. It was somehow a miracle that body of Microphone hadn’t blown away with the wind.
The wind gently blew, carrying the rain with it. It caressed the cheeks of the children and played with their hair, now flying in the wind like flags raised high into the sky on a stick. The air was cooling out, and if it wasn’t raining so heavily, it would be a good time to play in the drops from the clouds. Splish, splash, they would go, one foot after the other in the rain puddles, with no care in the world but the care for each other. They’d likely be gently scolded by Umbrella or Firebrand again, or at least Umbrella. They haven’t seen their godly grandfather in a while after the incident.
A lightning suddenly struck the sky, surprising them. Microphone was rather unfazed by it, only tensing up for a moment before relaxing to see the rain again. Megaphone, however, was shocked, palms beginning to sweat already. But he couldn’t scream. His (originally) loud voice was what annoyed the majority of people around him that led to a bit of scolding and even bullying.
Megaphone was born loud, and frankly louder than Microphone. His name is his gear after all, and some found it ear deafening. Since then, he chose to appear more silent and introverted, resorting to little chuckles instead of booming laughter. Though it resolved the noise complaints from neighbors — a.k.a the Swords — it was also the cause of the loss of his wings. He would have been dead, were it not for Microphone alerting the entire family like a siren on fire. Even under that situation, Megaphone couldn’t find his voice to scream, to plead for help.
No, he forgot how to do that.
He looked down at his umbrella in his hand, that looked like it was going to blow away at any moment. Megaphone picked it up and tried to fix it, but the metal rods of the umbrella was being stubborn, as it refused to be pushed down like how he refused to open up. The umbrella canopy playfully fluttered in his face with the help of the wind, gently slapping him as he tried harder to fix it.
Microphone eventually stopped gazing at the rain to notice his brother struggling. His hand under his oversized hoodie sleeve reached out to help, but received a push back. Megaphone was really certain he could do it himself.
“You-“
“It’s fine,” Megaphone squeaked out before he heard a snap of one of the rods. “…Never mind…”
“Can I take a look at it?”
“Why would you? It’s already broken!” Megaphone insisted, but his brother’s hand was reached out towards him, a smile still on his face. “…Fine.” Megaphone handed over the presumably broken umbrella, to which Microphone took it with a giggle. He started to work on it, and after a few seconds, the umbrella was fixed and back to its original shape, save for the rod Meg accidentally broke.
“How-?”
“Just pushed it down gently, but firmly too,” Mic responded. He clicked the trigger on the umbrella and pulled down the umbrella canopy, closing it and giving it back to his brother. “Besides, you only broke one of them, no biggie.”
“Never took you for someone gentle.”
“Pfft, what did you see me as?”
“Impulsive.”
“Am not!”
“You literally jumped onto me when you saw me awake after… you know what happened.”
“You don’t get it! I thought you were DEAD!”
“You really thought it’d be that bad huh?”
“YOU WOULDN’T UNDERSTAND! I WAS WORRIED TO DEATH!”
That was when Megaphone could see Microphone’s tears behind glassy eyes, away from the rain in the sky. Of course, the two were still getting used to everything after what happened a year ago, on a fateful summer. It just so happens that it was on a rainy summer day that day. Coincidence?
“Hey, hey- I- I didn’t mean it… oh shit,” Megaphone muttered. He scooted closer to his brother and wrapped an arm around Mic’s back. “Hey, I thought I was the emotional one here.”
“I was worried sick,” Mic sniffed, wiping away his tears with his sleeve. “And yet I knew you were the one actually hurt. I don’t deserve this.”
“I’ll remind you: you deserve everything in the world,” Mega laughed, bopping Mic on the nose. Mic giggled a bit, his head tilting to feel Meg’s shoulder.
“And you deserve everything in the universe.”
They didn’t care how long the bus was delayed for, or how long they’d be waiting outside in the rain covered Crossroads until the rain clears out. They’ve got each other for company and comfort, and that’s all that matters.
They can wait out the storm a little longer.
*•☆•★•☆•*
“Dawww, gloomy weather today,” Valk frowned, in his hand was a cup of peach boba tea he and Dom picked up from a nearby café. The idol was disguised in head to toe with an autumn color schemed knitted sweater and long cozy pants, with a red beanie that accompanied the look. A little ring was placed between the split of his horn, just to make him feel a bit “cooler”. He and his brother were standing under the shade of a bus stop as the first raindrops began to fall.
“Didn’t you see the news? Or hear the weather forecast?” Dom questioned. Contrasting Valk’s fairly cozy fashionista outfit, he simply wore a big, gray hoodie with matching gray pants. Two pins — a smiley face and a heart that looked like it was a graffiti art — was pinned onto his hoodie, as Valk said it was “rather too plain even for disguises”. A white eyepatch covered his eye scar, just to make sure Inphernals wouldn’t notice him from the familiar scar. Sure, anyone could have a missing eye, but perhaps it was specifically “Dom-coded” according to the internet? Who knows.
“Naaah, too lazy to listen to all that boring yapping.” Valk took a sip out of his drink, unfazed by the weather.
“You’re actually insufferable,” Dom sighed as he went to sit on the bench provided under the small shelter. No other demon seems to be around to wait for the bus at that hour.
“So? You’re stuck with me now and you won’t and can’t ever get rid of me!” Valk happily exclaimed as he jumped over the bench that lacked a back rest and hugged his brother from the back. “Besides, you’re handling me better than poor Paint Buckét, teehee~”
“You’re the reason why she always comes into the room with bad mood whenever it was my turn for the dressing and makeup,” Dom shot back at his brother. “Poor woman can’t deal with you whenever you’re always flicking left and right while she tried to put on make up.”
“Not my fault, it stings!”
“You should be aware that I have a scar prone to infections and yet I am perfectly fine compared to the tornado you’d pull up whenever she comes around.”
“Tell her to be gentler with me then!”
As the two bickered off playfully, they forgot about the environment around them, only the cooling breeze of the rainy day embracing them for another long storm ahead.
The weather’s calling for another cloudy day.
♡