It's a Long Way Down

Chapter Forty-Two: Petrichor

Rain had walked over to Sunshine, who was cooling some food for the ghouls in the kitchen, wrapping his arms around her waist, "Good morning, my little ray."

She giggled and said, "Rain, it's almost 2 in the afternoon."

"Is it?" Rain said a small smile on his face. Sunshine nodded, "Yeah."

"Well, It's morning somewhere," He shot back, a playful smile on his face. Sunshine just shook her head, "Oh, Rain. What will I do with you?"

She turned around and noticed he was in a suit, "Are you going somewhere?"

"More we are going somewhere," Rain responded. Sunshine looked down at her sweats and the shirt she had stolen from Rain, "I don't think I'm dressed the part."

Rain shrugged, "I've got it taken care of, love. Either way, you look stunning. Just finish up what you're doing. Your first gift is on your bed."

He pressed a kiss to her temple, telling her, "Any further instructions are in the box."

With that, he walked away, leaving Sunshine confused. "In the box?" She spoke to herself, shrugging afterward, continuing with her cooking. Once she was done, she went up to her room and saw a rectangular box sitting on her bed. She walked over to it, opened it and she saw the red and black dress laying in there. The read was layered under a black lace with intricate details in the bodice, making Sunshine gasp, "This is gorgeous."

She looked in the box and found the note.

Get dressed, my love. Your night has just begun. Meet me in the courtyard. Right by our favorite place.

Sunshine smiled softly, quickly stripping off the shirt and sweats she was wearing, and pulling the dress on. It fell just above her knees, the dress fitting her perfectly as if it was made for her. She paired it with some simple black combat boots. She didn't know what Rain had planned, but if it was starting outside, she could only assume they would be out there for a while. She quickly ran a brush through her hair, double-checking she looked decent, before rushing out the door and going out into the gardens. As she got closer to the little shade spot that she and Ran would hide out in sometimes, she noticed little rose petals lining the floor. She slowed down, turning the corner and letting out a gasp.

Rain was standing above a picnic blanket, holding a small bouquet of sunflowers. He smiled when he saw his mate, "You like it?"

"I love it, this is amazing," She said, walking over, taking his face into her hands, and kissing him. He held her waist with his free hand, returning the kiss. When she pulled away, he handed her the flowers, "I thought sunflowers would work best since you're name is Sunshine."

"You're so cheesy, Rain," Sunshine said, giggling. She sniffed the flowers as Rain said, "Now, I do have a picnic planned, I don't know if you wanna spend all day smelling the flowers."

"Shut up," She said, playfully smacking his arm. He chuckled and helped her sit on the floor, taking the flowers from her and putting them in a small vase, putting them off to the side before sitting down next to her. He started unpacking the little picnic basket, taking out chocolate-covered strawberries, grapes, little sandwiches, and 2 juice boxes. Sunshine let out a small laugh when she saw the juice boxes, "You couldn't stop yourself, could you?"

"Hey, don't you make fun of the juice boxes. Apple juice tastes better this way," Rain defended. Sunshine just laughed harder, making Rain throw a grape at her, hitting her forehead. She gasped, "You did not just throw a grape at me!"

"Yes, I did," Rain said while he chuckled. She simply grabbed a grape and threw it at him, just for him to lean back and catch it in his mouth. She huffed and mumbled, "You're no fair."