Embracing Rain

7 - Chance

7 - C H A N C E

When Noah wakes up about an hour later, it takes him a while to notice that he's moved across the bed to be closer to my right side. His back is pressed against my straightened legs and he's hugging my right arm, leaving me with only my left arm to turn the pages of the book that rests on my lap. But when he does notice, he moves away abruptly, sitting up and clutching his head. The sudden lack of warmth makes me shiver.

"Sorry," he says, not meeting my gaze. He scratches at the back of his neck uncomfortably. "You should have moved me."

I shake my head, not understanding why he's suddenly so shy since he'd been the one to ask me to come up with him. Well, I'd asked him, but he'd accepted with what seemed like a minimal amount of hesitation. Almost the same thing. "It's okay," I reply, smiling lightly to reassure him. "You looked comfortable. I didn't want to wake you up. Don't apologize. Besides, you were warm. It was nice."

He pouts, a small blush still visible on his cheeks and ears despite the way he's brought his hands up to cover his face. "Okay. Sorry." Then, after rubbing his eyes and stretching, he turns back to me. "Want to go now? It's early enough that we should still have time."

"Sure," I agree, putting down the book on the nightstand and standing up. To be honest, I hadn't really been reading it. I'd actually been staring guiltily at Noah's face out of the corner of my eye, trying not to seem like too much of a creep. But he doesn't need to know that.

When I pull the curtains back open, Noah lets out a pathetic whine. He covers his eyes, rolls back over, and pulls the covers over his head. "Chance," he groans. "Don't do that! It's too bright."

I laugh. "What are you, a vampire?"

He shrugs good-naturedly, barely peeking out from the covers. His gaze meets mine, but his mouth is still covered by the comforter, so his words are slightly muffled. "I might as well be. I hate social interaction and sun is gross. Though I guess I hate the taste and smell of blood, so I can't possibly be a full vampire. Maybe I'm half vampire!"

I gape at him. "What do you mean 'sun is gross'? You're joking, right? Please tell me you're joking."

"No? I don't know, I like the rain better. Is that weird?" He holds his hands up in the air, making a gesture that's somewhere in between helpless and defensive. "I wish I liked the sun, because everyone always hates on me for it."

"No, no, I'm not hating on you," I assure him frantically. "It's just that I've never met anyone who likes the rain more than the sun. But I guess I haven't really talked to a lot of people, so I'm not really sure. But why would you like the rain? It's so dreary."

"It's not dreary at all!" Noah protests indignantly. "The sound of rain on the roof when you're inside is really nice! It's so rhythmic and soothing and constant. And if it's raining outside, it makes it feel really nice and cozy inside. I love sitting on my bed by the window under a bunch of blankets and just staring out the window, listening to the rain."

"I guess. I'd never thought about it that way before. I haven't really every found a place that feels like home to me, so I never get that coziness."

It's true; we rent a house whenever we move, but we never end up unpacking our things, so the homes always feel bare and unwelcoming. There's an element of safety and comfort necessary for a place to be considered home, I've learned, and I've rarely ever had that.

"Maybe I can help you! If it rains tomorrow, let's hang out with Emma. I'll bring a bunch of blankets here and it'll be cozy!"

"Yeah, sure! That sounds really fun." I can almost imagine it, and it fills me with excitement. It's been so long since I've had the opportunity to just hang out with a friend. Since I've interacted with someone for fun rather than just professionally. It's one of those things that I didn't realize I was missing until I had it, and now I don't think I'll be able to go back to how I was before.