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It was pouring outside.
It happened suddenly, the skies clear one minute and stormy the next. Zanka cursed as tiny droplets landed on his face, looking up at the sky in annoyance.
“Fuck.. just my luck,” Zanka muttered to himself.
He lifted his bag over his head, eyes scanning for somewhere he could take cover to wait out the rain. He spotted a clear phonebooth further down the street, a little cramped but empty and dry. Good enough.
Zanka sprinted for it as the rain picked up, closing the door behind him as he panted to catch his breath.
“Shoulda checked the weather forecast before I left..”
Zanka brushed raindrops off his jacket, dropping his bag on the ground next to his feet. Leaning back against the wall, he closed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair, shaking out the water droplets.
He gazed out at the street. Hopefully this won’t last long. In the meantime he checked his inbox for any messages about new missions, but it was blank. He sighed, letting himself relax for a moment.
He watched puddles form on the pavement, a few people across the street splashing through them as they sought out shelter. The rain was coming down hard, little drops thudding against the walls of the phonebooth.
Out of the corner of his eye he spotted someone running towards his shelter, panting as they threw the door open and hopped in before slamming it shut. They took a second to catch their breath, hands resting on their knees.
“Ahhh man, it’s comin’ down hard out there!” Their face was hidden by a hood, but Zanka could tell by their voice that they were young, maybe around his age. He blinked at the intruder, suddenly very aware of how small the space was as he moved back to give them some space.
They chuckled, lifting their head bashfully. Their hood slid down, revealing the face of a boy with sharp features and long, loose dreadlocks that swung halfway down his back. He had cheerful pink eyes and a bright smile, although for some reason Zanka couldn’t help but feel a little unsettled by it.
“Sorry to barge in like this. I just had to get out of the rain—I got work soon and I can’t show up lookin crazy.”
He grinned, eyeing Zanka up and down. Zanka shifted awkwardly under his curious gaze, his tie suddenly feeling a little too tight.
“That’s okay, I jus’ needed to get out of the rain too.” He rubbed the back of his neck, eyes shifting to the cars passing by.
The other boy didn’t say anything. Suddenly, he broke out into a giggle, eyes squeezed shut and clutching his stomach.
Zanka quirked an eyebrow, taken aback by his sudden outburst. He stared as the stranger laughed breathlessly for a bit, their hand coming up to the wall to support themself.
“Sorry, your face looked so funny just now,”
He kept laughing, covering his face with his hands after a moment as he suddenly dissolved into a sob.
Zanka stiffened in surprise, panicked. He reached out hesitantly.
“Are you-?”
Their sobs became soft breaths, shoulders no longer shaking from laughing or crying. Zanka’s hand paused halfway, unsure as the boy lifted his head and wiped his eyes with lithe fingers adorned with shiny silver rings. He took a deep breath, straightening a bit.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. I just realized you kinda look like my dog that passed away.”
Zanka’s eyebrow twitched. He didn’t know what to say, a little irked that this dude just said he looked like a dog. Droplets fell from their face, but Zanka couldn’t tell if they were tears or if he was wet from the rain. He was torn between feeling bad and feeling offended.
A drop slid down their cheek. The boy wiped it quickly and started digging in his pockets. “Hold on, sorry, I think I’ve got a handkerchief somewhere..”
Zanka watched him for a moment before he remembered something. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a little white daisy he was given earlier for donating some money to charity, holding it out to the other boy.
“Sorry to hear that,” he offered.
The boy paused, giving him a surprised look before he grinned, giggling at Zanka’s attempt at comforting him.
His hand was clutching something in his pocket, but he let go as he moved to take the flower.
“For me? That’s sweet.”
Zanka felt cold metal brush against his fingers as he took the daisy. “You don’t look too happy though, Mr. bad attitude.”
Zanka frowned. The hell?
He huffed. “Well, you did just compare me to a dog. And called me funny-lookin.”
The boy laughed, twirling the flower in his fingers. “Fair enough! Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.” He leaned closer, amusement sparkling in his magenta eyes.
A short dread slipped into his face. He tucked it behind his ear, smiling at him innocently. “Thanks for the flower.”
Zanka nodded, cheeks turning pink. He’s pretty. He looked away, crossing his arms over his chest.
The boy giggled at his shyness.
“You’re cute! I like you.”
Zanka flushed deeper, turning and opening his mouth to speak when the other gasped, pressing a palm against the wall of the phonebooth.
“It stopped raining! Thank god, I was abouta be so late,” he swiftly opened the door, slipping out as the sky cleared.
He spun around as Zanka grabbed his bag and stepped out into the sun.
“You should come to this cafe I work at up the hill,” the boy leaned forward, clasping his hands behind his back. “The food there’s alright, but the old man makes good coffee. If you come by, I’ll give you something for free as a thank you,” he grinned, his tone persuasive.
Zanka hesitated before nodding. He couldn’t say no to free stuff. “Uh, sure thing. You don’t gotta thank me though.”
The other boy just smiled wider, eyes little half-moons. “Mm. Hopefully I’ll see you soon then. Bye-bye!”
He waved, turning and jogging off in the other direction.
Zanka waved back, watching him go around the corner. He rubbed his hand where their fingers brushed. That had to be one of the strangest interactions he’s had in a while, and he dealt with devils for a living.
What a weirdo.
Glowing pink eyes flashed in his mind.
He’d have to check out that cafe later.