Vivaldi's Rain - Chapter One: On My Way Home
Chapter One: On My Way Home
Sountrack - Chapter One: Dante's Prayer
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The flowers were out at this time of year, and they turned their faces up to drink in the rain.
Vexen sighed as he pushed open the door and walked outside, into the spring rains. It had been another day at work - another long, boring day. He didn't particularly care for his job - manager of advertising with a well-kown pharmecutical company - but it paid well. He was definitely looking forward to a quiet night with a glass of wine and a good book.
He shuffled his briefcase so he could pull out his umbrella. It hadn't looked like rain in the morning, but he was always prepared. Sudden storms sprung up all the time around here.
Right on time, he thought, looking up as he reached the end of the street.
They always walked home together. The other man was just as punctual as Vexen was, always meeting at the same time, and walking together down the long road in tandem as if nothing was out of the ordinary. He didn't even know his name.
To be honest... he intrigued Vexen. He was like nothing he'd ever seen before - radiating a beauty that almost bordered on feminine, long hair the color of the summer sky, eyes like liquid amber... Vexen shook himself inwardly. He wasn't exactly a poet, but something about his... friend? made the metaphors come easily.
And, of course, there was the way he dressed.
Today, like most days, he was wearing a tiny pair of shorts, a ripped shirt, and clunky high boots. Vexen had always wondered what kind of place he worked at, that they allowed him to dress like that.
It was cold and wet, and from the looks of it, he'd been out in the rain for a while. His blue hair was slicked down to his skull and his clothes were soaked, and he looked cold.
They walked along for a silent minute, when suddenly Vexen realized that he had an umbrella, and the other man didn't. He offered it, acknowledging his prescence for the first time.
He looked up, startled... then wordlessly joined Vexen under the umbrella.
Another silent minute passed.
Vexen looked over again. He was still shivering... finally, he muttered, "Don't you have a coat?"
He looked up, amber eyes wide. Then he shook his head sadly.
Something about the way he'd responded caused Vexen to frown. "You don't have a coat... at all?"
He shook his head again, clinging to himself and shivering.
Vexen paused, then quietly took the coat off, cursing himself every second of the way. "Here," he said gruffly. "Take it. I've got others." They had arrived at the crossroads, where they usually parted ways. "Where do you live?" he asked, suddenly concerned for the man's health. If it was too far away, and walking in the rain...
"It's... a ways up the street, yet," He replied as he pulled the coat over his shoulders, and Vexen was surprised to hear that his voice was low and musical. "You don't have to..."
But Vexen began walking straight, instead of making his usual left turn, and the other followed quickly, huddling close under the umbrella.
It was a very long ways along the road; longer than Vexen would have ever walked. He must not have a car, he thought.
They stopped in front of a small, pale yellow, run-down cottage at the edge of town. Weeds choked the flowers in the front yard, and there was evidence of neglect everywhere - newspapers tossed, forgotten, in a corner, broken pieces of roofing and twisted metal scattered on the overgrown lawn. There was suddenly a crash and a loud, cheerful curse from indoors.
He flushed then, and Vexen could tell that he was embarrassed. "Thank you..." he murmured, his voice breathy and uncertain. "...what's... your name?"
"Vexen," he muttered. It was a strange name, and he didn't like it very much. It had spawned a lot of teasing when he was young.
But his companion smiled. "Pretty," he said softly.
Vexen felt himself - blush? "And yours?"
"Oh..." if he was blushing, he wasn't the only one. "My name is... Saix."
That, too, was a strange name, but somehow it didn't surprise him. Everything about Saix was strange, and not in a bad way. Just... intriguing.
He only realized he was staring into Saix's eyes when the other cut away, and glanced at his house - Vexen could swear that he saw a flash of regret passing over his handsome features.
"I... should go," Saix muttered. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," Vexen replied in a low voice, knowing what he was apologizing for. "I didn't you to... catch a cold, or something."
Saix smiled, and it was a sad smile. "Thank you."
Vexen looked away, and shook his head. They paused, unmoving, for a long moment... finally, he nodded his head and lifted a hand to wave goodbye - but Saix caught it with his own, and before Vexen could form a coherent thought, he reached up and pressed their lips together.
Vexen was so stunned he couldn't even move, and for a second didn't even feel the soft, warm pressure of the other's lips on his own. Then, just as suddenly, it was gone.
"...Sorry!" the apology was nothing more than a breath on the wind, and Saix ran for his front door, still graceful even in flight.
Vexen stood there for a long time, quite unable to move. Finally, his hand lifted up and brushed over his lips... and the memory of the kiss was stronger than the experience, searing itself into Vexen's mind.
He turned around and began to walk home, not seeing the pavement in front of him, not hearing the sound of the rain as it came down all around him, reliving one moment over and over and over again.
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Next Chapter -+
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A/N: Okay. My brain wouldn't let me alone until I wrote this. This is going to be a fairly long fic when it's done... Please don't knock it just because it's Vex/Sai. It's AU. Grah.