Here comes the sun (K)

[Deleted]

Maebelle loved the park. Especially when hardly anyone was around and she could enjoy the sounds of nature. The fact that she had opted to head over there quite late also meant that the fall of darkness was not far behind. It might not have been the smartest idea, given the surrounding and the possible danger that lurked within the bushes and behind the trees, but it brought her some peace to be surrounded by the flora. The last three hours, Mae had been surrounded by people. Some friends had invited her over, kind of like a belated Halloween party. She hadn’t had the motivation to dress up, but she had opted for a leathery skirt, a black and white pantyhose and a white sweater with bat print. It did feel good enough for Halloween. It had been sort of too crowded for the girl though, so she needed a breather after she left. Going there where she felt comfortable had been the best solution.

While it was dark, just like it had been during the camping trip and her little walk through the woods, Mae did feel more at ease. The plants over here were familiar with her, and she trusted them. If danger approached, she would be warned. It might be the reason why the young woman stayed there for so long. She only said her goodbyes when it was time to catch the last bus home. What she had not anticipated was the sudden tearing of clouds. Rain came pouring down within a matter of seconds, and Mae was already soaked before she even hurried out of the park. Wearing high heels didn’t help with the pace… and the hands above her hand didn’t block a single drop. Didn’t mean she didn’t try though.

Once on the street again, the brunette rushed over to the bus stop. Right on time! Or so she assumed. According to her cellphone she had two minutes left, plus no vehicle had passed by when she had crossed the street. Surely it was yet to come. That thought, however, began to erase itself as two minutes passed by. Three. Four. Ten. Still no bus. Perhaps it was delayed? Maebelle didn’t want to take the risk of starting to walk home. What if the bus would appear then? Walking home would take a while though, especially while having ankle boots with high heels on your feet. And she was soaked already… Waiting another minute or so wouldn’t change a thing. She wasn’t going to bother her friends with this.

[Kieron Sharpe]

It wasn't uncommon for the people of Pilot Ridge to see Kieron wandering around in the middle of the night. His shifts at Hammel meant he didn't get the chance as much as he would like without the risk of him being exhausted the next day, but whenever he thought he could get away with it he loved little more than wandering around the picturesque town long after the crowds of the day had dispersed. Sure it was hardly the safest time to be out and about, but he had no fear of dark places and he was pretty well equipped for if anything did go wrong. Few had a getaway plan quite as reliable and effective as his.

The cool, crisp autumn air sent a quiet thrill down his spine and he couldn't help but smile as he walked. The town looked beautiful in its autumn blanket of reds and golds and he could almost imagine just how pretty it would look during the day with the dappled sunlight creating stunning patterns over the crisp blanket of freshly fallen leaves. The world looked so different when seen constantly through shades, but in the darkness of night Kieron got to see a world so few others did. The birds roosting up among the branches, the soft rolling of the water on the lake in the moonlight, the bats snatching moths around the tall street lamps. The clouds suddenly parting and the downpour beginning...

With his thick jacket pulled tightly around his shoulders Kieron started to run back towards his house. Even though it wasn't too far away he was soon quickly soaked, the rain soaking through his clothing and causing a chill to begin working its way towards his bones. As he turned onto one of the streets near his home he caught sight of a woman stood at a bus stop, but it was only as he got nearer that he realised who it was. “Maebelle? What are you doing out here in the rain?!? Here.” He quickly shrugged out of his jacket, moving to put it around her shoulders, hoping that the certainty of his movements would stop her from arguing about it too much. His burgundy long-sleeved shirt underneath was already damp and the rain wasted no time in soaking it, the droplets running like ice cubes against his skin down the long slits in the back. “Please? Trust me.”

[Deleted]

“Come on, bus.” Maebelle practically whined at herself as the tips of her boots just ended at the edge of the sidewalk. She was slightly leaning forward while dipping her head to the left, trying to spot the public transportation. The downpour limited her vision, but she should have been able to detect two spotlights in the distance if the bus were to approach. Something else did catch her attention though. Or, rather, someone else did. While the person was still a couple of houses away, Mae could not distinguish a single detail. All in all it was a black figure heading over in her direction. Instinct took over and she turned her head away, avoiding any provocation that staring might cause. Hands no longer hovered above soaked locks, but instead arms folded against her chest as the last bit of warmth got washed away by the endless amount of raindrops.

Despite the sound of those clashing down on the sidewalk, she could still hear the footsteps growing louder. Maebelle felt herself grow tense with each step taken, mentally begging for the bus to turn around the corner. Nothing. In the corner of her eye, the figure continued to lack details… until he spoke up and she was quick to turn her head. The breath that she had been holding, totally unaware of it in the first place, slipped past her lips when eyes landed on a familiar face. Optics merely lingered for a split second though. Instead they soon travelled to the jacket being offered, and to one of the hands that moved to drape it over her shoulders. Up the length of his arm and back to those handsome features. “W-what about you?” She wasn’t refusing – just worried about him getting soaked.

How ridiculous and embarrassing was this though? By now it was slowly starting to dawn upon her that she must have missed the last bus. Some explanation was in place. “I’m waiting for the bus.” Hopefully Kieron didn’t know too much about the busses around here. It could save her the shame. Once he would be gone, the gardener was going to walk home. “It should be here soon. You don’t have to give it to me. Nothing left for the rain to soak.” With a weak chuckle, Mae subconsciously shifted the jacket for both hands to hold it above her head like a self-made umbrella. Of course it was either that or being warm. She couldn’t put it around her shoulders and hide from the rain.

“You… don’t have to wait.” Since K was still standing there. She did not say it to be ungrateful of course! But simply to have the possibility to start walking before she would freeze. The subtle hint of clattering teeth was the first sign of that.

[Kieron Sharpe]

Kieron didn't know much about how the buses ran here, besides the fact they tended to be unpredictable and unreliable. Though he had few memories of Ireland he had spent many years listening to his parents moaning about how much the public transport in small-town America sucked compared to back home, and he had offered little resistance when they had offered to pay for driving lessons for him. Kieron rarely used his car when he could avoid it, he much preferred to walk whenever possible, but it was nice to know it was there to fall back on if he needed it. Like now would have been super.

Quickly taking in Mae's current state he did feel very sorry for her, even though he was hardly in a much better state himself, but the jumper she was wearing did caused a brief flicker of a smile to play across his lips. He owned many bat-related things himself, all of them presents from friends and family over the years. Clearly they hadn't cottoned on to the fact that joke had gotten boring for him long ago. There was only so many 'Batman' references one could take before they started to get thoughts that were more akin to those that might have been found inside the Joker's head. “I'll be fine, I promise. I don't live far, and you look like you need it more than I do.”

He was relieved when Mae did accept the jacket, even though she had draped it over her head rather than around her shoulders where it would have been more use in keeping her warm. “Yeah, the buses here aren't great, so I've heard.” He indicated to the jacket. “If nothing else, it's an extra layer to help keep some of the chill out.” The hairs on Kieron's arms were raised and his skin covered in goosebumps, thankfully unseen through the soaked shirt. He didn't want her to feel guilty about accepting the jacket. His long arms folded across his chest, trying to hug some warmth into his torso. The sight of her standing there with the coat above her head was pitiful, and hazel eyes scanned the area to make sure no one was around before he spoke again. “Okay, I'm going to do something that will help... Promise me you wont freak out?”

Without really waiting for an answer Kieron concentrated, focussing all his attention back and out. For a moment his upper body tensed with a quiet discomfort and then a pair of giant, dark brown leathery wings began slowly unfolding from his back, sliding through the slits in his shirt and stretching out into the night air. Their vast span, easily the length of a city bus, stretched out for a moment before moving over the pair, shielding them from the rain like a gigantic umbrella. The soft sound of rain against wing drummed above them and Kieron's face was scarlet, his eyes on the ground by their feet. “Not as pretty as your flowers, but they have their uses...”

[Deleted]

Oh, great. Maebelle could not help but feel bad when he mentioned living not too far away from where they were located. This was a fancy neighborhood. Her wasting his time didn’t give any added value to his life. If he could see her apartment, it would make sense. Kieron was better off just being on his way again. But yeah… the jacket did feel nice, and so did the small amount of warmth that came along with it. She couldn’t get herself to hand it back. Instead an appreciative smile rose both cheeks as lips curled ever so slightly. This reminded her of their little journey into the woods during the camping trip. K would get his jacket back within the next couple of days. The gardener was about to inform him about this, in another attempt to make him leave… but she had not included what happened next in those calculations.

At first Maebelle felt terrified. Nothing was showing yet, but his words made her tense. He was going to do something? What was he going to do? Why would it possibly make her freak out? Could his actions harm her? Was… he going to kill her? That would indeed help and solve the entire situation. Her mind was dealing with all those thoughts that it, for a second, did not acknowledge the transformation Kieron was going through. Heck, she even wanted to ask what he had meant! At least until the pourdown stopped and relief rushed over. Mae had spotted the unfolding wings in the corner of her eye, yet reality had not hit her at that point. It seemed to be catching up with her in slow motion.

So slow to the extent that she considered cheering that it had stopped raining. At least she could have fully grasped that made up assumption if he weren’t for the soft drumming noise above her head. Eyes finally drifted up at a slow pace, darting along to the source of those wings. Honestly? Maebelle was freaked out… Slowly she lowered the jacket to cover both shoulders again, blinking at the profile of Kieron’s face in disbelief. Calm. Breathe. Not harmful. Just weird and scary. Nothing special. Nightvision should have been a warning. Own fault.

Maebelle quite probably would have replied in an unpleasant manner… if it weren’t for K speaking up again. It eliminated some of the tension as a warm feeling spread within. This man wasn’t hostile. He risked being shrieked at by showing his wings, and that meant a lot. As her mouth opened to speak, an unplanned nervous sound broke the silence. “I… am not freaking out.” Mae informed him, for whatever reason. Afterwards, she mentally cursed at herself. Kieron was not blind! Especially not at night.

She still seemed to be slightly tense though, shifting weight onto her other leg. No way the brunette was going to be able to get rid of him now. Tilting her head back slightly, blue eyes settled on the dark brown texture hovering above her. Mae wanted to touch it, poke it, but she refrained. Instead she looked over at Kieron again. “Wings, huh?” Another overly intelligent remark.

[Kieron Sharpe]

It wasn't very often at all that Kieron spread his wings in public. There was a reason he had picked a house that was so very open plan and that was scarcely furnished save for the essentials, fish tanks and book shelves. If he didn't at least stretch out every few days his shoulders cramped something awful and the pain had on occasion been enough to near-cripple him, but it was hard when they were so big. Most of the people with wings go little delicate things that fluttered harmlessly. No, he got huge great intimidating leathery sheets. Still, when he did get a chance to fly the dragon-like shadows he cast onto the ground always made him smile.

The fact Maebelle didn't instantly run or scream was a promising one, even though her expression made it clear that she was anything but okay. He couldn't blame her of course; Kieron was sure he would have reacted much worse if the situation had been reversed. It was hardly normal after all. Her continued silence did begin to get a little worrying though, and her rabbit-in-headlights expression caused a little of the colour to drain from his face as he slowly began to realise that maybe this had been a really stupid idea. It had seemed like such a neat little fix but now; what the hell must she have been thinking? He had just been trying to get them both out of the rain, but it dawned on him that this had been a really, really stupid move. What if she would have freaked out and ran into the road and got hit by a suddenly-appearing bus?

Long fingers rubbed at his eyes and Kieron softly shook his head at himself. He'd done it again. Stupid, stupid idiot! What the hell was wrong with just saying good night and walking the other way? Sure it was hardly gentlemanly, but neither was this. This wasn't even human!

The way Maebelle spoke and leaned away from him confirmed to Kieron that she was in fact freaking out, even though perhaps not quite as dramatically as she might have been. With a resigned sigh Kieron clutched his arms tighter around his torso, his voice coming out quiet and distant. “Yeah, wings... Some people can read minds, I can accidentally scare other people.” He gave a soft shrug of his shoulders, lifting his eyes to look down the road for the bus that seemed determined not to come.

It came to Kieron then that this was definitely a lost cause. He had tried, he really had; but between his multiple hiccups when they had gone to the woods and now this, he failed to see why she wasn't just running and screaming. As his shoulders drooped his vast wings did too, staying above their heads but visibly sagging with the tips brushing against the ground. “This was... really really stupid. I'm sorry... As soon as your bus gets here I'll go; I wont bother you again.”

[Deleted]

It was not stupid. Only kind of unexpected and too much to deal with in such brief moment. Maebelle was barely aware of the shocked expression that appeared on her face, and the fact that it began to break whatever confidence Kieron had had in the situation. Until the man’s body language brought her back to reality. While social interactions were not her forte, she did not need a guide to be able to tell that he would have undone it all if possible. The words that followed simply confirmed this. And she felt bad… again. All reactions had taken place automatically, but at least she should make an attempt to think it through next time!

Features softened as an almost sad look settled on her face. Kieron was feeling this miserable because of her. Mae shook her head to deny that he scared her, but he tried to spot a bus instead and she didn’t state it out loud. Instead it was the man again who spoke up. What? No. She shook her head once more, ever so slightly leaning forward in an attempt to catch his eyes for he was avoiding looking at her. Maebelle’s hand reached out before fingertips just barely rested upon a lower arm that was so tightly pressed against his torso. “It’s… it’s not stupid,” she spoke softly while attempting to get a soft smile upon her lips. She then reluctantly withdrew her hand, readjusting the jacket on both shoulders. Mae didn’t understand why, but she wanted to see a smile again. She actually felt awful because she could tell that was how K was feeling. Normally the gardener could not care about other humans’ feelings, but…

For a second Mae focused on his wings, and then back at his face. “And I kind of think that I missed the bus…” Chuckling weakly and in an embarrassed manner, the brunette offered a more genuine smile. Then she sighed and averted her gaze to across the street to nothing in particular. Mae knew she had yet to say something to prevent him from stopping to ‘bother her’, like he called it. “But I’m glad I did.” It once more was nothing above a whisper, yet it should been loud enough for Kieron to hear. Hopefully he would get what she meant by it. If she had the possibility, she would not rewind.

“Sorry for wasting your time. I probably should start walking now…” If it was a short walk, she wouldn’t have tried to catch the bus in the first place. With the little ‘secret’ out, Kieron had no more reason to stick around, which kind of made her sad. She had been hoping for him to leave, and now that he probably would, she disliked it. “Thank you for the umbrella and the jacket.” Mae slowly began to pluck it from her shoulders as a small shiver went down her spine. Lower arms also sported goosebumps, but she tried to ignore those. Soon she would be cold enough that she wouldn’t feel it anymore.

[Kieron Sharpe]

Kieron still wasn't entirely sure why he had tried to go to such an extent to help Maebelle. He always tried to help anyone that he could, even if it meant going out of his way, but he'd never gotten his wings out in public like this. Granted there had been some times in the past when it had been unavoidable and he'd had to just try his best to ignore the concern and fear and sometimes outright hatred that he had seen in the eyes of others. It always hurt to see it – he tried to be a good person, he really did, but sometimes all it took was one look at his wings to send people reeling away from him like he was plagued. He often wondered if people would react the same way if his wings were made of majestic, angelic feathers instead being all leathery and bat-like.

For a long moment Kieron considered letting them slip and fade away again, but that would put them both under the assault of the rain again and that would have just been even ruder. In hindsight he knew that his actions made no sense and he wished he could have just turned the clock back and just passed her with a 'hi' and maybe a wave. But no, in his attempt to be polite he had instead been an idiot, again, and he looked down at the fingers on his arm as though fully expecting them to slap him across the face, and he was resigned to that. He couldn't imagine how creepy and weird this must have seemed to her. The tip of one mighty wing was drooped into a small puddle on the curb and it flicked at the water distractedly.

It had been a very long time since Kieron had spread his wings in the rain, and as the clouds thundered down around them he began to recall why. The incessant downpour was quickly soaking the fine fur along the fingers of the wings and it was running down them and therefore down his spine like an ice-cold river. Even though the sensations along his wings wasn't entirely unpleasant the cold very much was so, making him shiver despite all his best attempts at seeming perfectly comfortable out in the November rain. He gave a small nod of agreement as Mae announced that she thought she'd missed the bus, but her next comment caused his head to turn to face her, a quizzical look across his features. He knew exactly what he wanted those words to mean, but he didn't allow himself to hope that his thoughts were true. “I'm... not sure I follow.”

As Mae announced that she was going to start walking concern flickered across Kieron's features and he went to protest but made himself shut up before the words came out. If she had been waiting for a bus that meant her eventual destination was hardly around the corner, and in this weather that was just asking for a chill. As she went to remove the jacket he quickly tried to stop her. “No, no! Please, I only live a few houses down, keep hold of the jacket for now...” He pondered something for a moment. “I... I only live there, the house with the green mailbox. If you wanted, you could maybe... wait there until the rain stops?” He verbally back-pedalled quickly, holding his hands up. “Or not! No pressure! I mean, if you want to walk you can, you can keep borrowing the jacket, I just thought if you wanted to maybe dry off a bit and wait for the downpour to end you could and I wouldn't mind but you don't have to and-” He paused, actually taking a breath. “It's up to you, of course.”

[Deleted]

Maebelle wished he could have laughed at the conclusion that she might have missed bus. Not one to make fun of her, but more out of amusement? At least it would have made her feel less bad about having attempted to get rid of him, even though it might not make sense. As for the comment that slipped past her lips after that… Did he really not get it? She couldn’t even consider wording it differently. The thing was, she couldn’t just brush it off either. What followed after that was a mumble. “I’m glad… Or, well, not really glad about having missed the bus, but since I did miss it... glad that you came along.” Another nervous smile could be spotted as the briefest of glances at him took place before blue eyes drifted past Kieron. Nope, no bus. She could officially conclude that there was no chance at taking the public transportation home.

When Mae started to peel the jacket off of her shoulders, she should have expected a train of protest to follow. It almost felt like a literal flashback to the camping trip. Maybe Kieron was hoping to find another thank you message in his pocket… if he did find it in the first place. Either way, the brunette obliged and simply had arms folded against her chest again for they maintained some warmth as well. She was back to wanting to send him away though. Why on earth was he still standing here while he could be hiding from the rain inside a house? Once that actually looked really fancy, in her opinion, as her gaze drifted over to the house that matched the description. Mae was about to comment on its beauty, before K continued… and invited her over? Her head was quick to turn to the man again, giving him a clearly startled expression. Was he serious? He did seem to be.

The ramble fest made it obvious and Maebelle smiled. “I would love that.” Not a single sign of hesitation, even though she soon tried to look less excited because, god, how creepy might that have come across. “I mean… that would be nice.” She nodded, and then waited for the man to lead the way. While he had given away where he lived, she was not going to take the first step in that direction. It kind of felt rude. When Kieron moved, Mae shuffled closer to his side, making sure to remain located underneath the wing. What also hit her at that moment, realizing just how soaked she was, was the fact that she wouldn’t dare to move from the doormat (if he did have one). She wasn’t going to make a mess in his house.

“Hopefully it doesn’t rain too long.” It was getting late already. The woman did not want to be a burden and keep him from sleeping.

[Kieron Sharpe]

Even if he hadn’t have been currently internally cursing himself it wouldn’t have ever occurred to Kieron to laugh at her for missing the bus. That was an unpleasant thing to happen to anyone at any time, never mind in the middle of the night in the middle of a downpour. As Maebelle clarified what she had meant a small smile began to pull at the corners of Kieron’s lips, his shoulders (and therefore his wings) lifting slightly again. The quiet surprise, and hint of relief, was evident in his voice. “Oh! Well, umm… I’m glad to. Not that you got stuck in the rain, I mean glad that I found you. Before you got even wetter, I mean.”

Kieron made himself shut up then, giving another check around to look out for prying eyes. Though he highly doubted he’d bother putting his wings away at this point; if someone had seen him then it hardly mattered any more. He didn’t really know his neighbours anyway, save for the man next door who fed his fish while he was away on the camping trip with the rest of Hammel.

The startled look on Mae’s face following his suggestion of a chance to wait out the rain at his house caused Kieron to begin to start apologising for yet another stupid idea, but her instant response stopped him before he had a chance to utter more than a quiet “Sor-.” The smile on her lips was definitely reassuring, and as it sank in that yes she really had said yes one slowly crept across Kieron’s lips in turn. “Oh! Well, I think it could be nice too. Or I hope so. Not that I’m hoping for anyth-“ Kieron stopped himself again, smiling softly with colour flushing his cheeks as he indicated towards the house. Shall we?”

Setting off towards his house, Kieron smiled again as she moved closer to him and he pulled his wings in tightly, still over their heads but taking up slightly less of the pathway around them. Which was also handy because it lessened the risk of him accidentally smacking them against a wall or tree. He nodded in agreement with her. “Hopefully it’s just a short downpour.” As they got to his front door Kieron felt his jeans pockets and then turned to Mae. “I think you’ve got the keys; front right pocket.”

[Deleted]

As if Mae could have ended up even more soaked than she was before his arrival. She didn’t comment though. Seeing him smile was worth letting him keep that assumption. What he definitely had offered was some warmth, despite it being drained now that a small wind seemed to be picking up as well. It helped her to accept his offer, not needing to think it through twice. She could tell, however, that Kieron didn’t seem to have expected her to take him up on it. This amused her… and his rambly reply actually was cute. Half of the time Mae’s mind didn’t even interpret his replies wrongly. It was only when he began to correct himself that she would detect the possible second meaning behind it. A soft chuckle was given at herself. He might not realize it, but his nervous behavior made the gardener feel at ease.

One hand held the jacket close around her neck to prevent it from falling onto the ground. Mae could have slipped arms through the sleeves, but that would soak them as well. Only when they reached the door and K remarked that she might have his keys on her, did the woman reach in the pocket. Of course, despite him having said it was the right one, she first checked the left one. Directions had never been her forte. With a little sheepish grin, the brunette handed it over to him. Once he unlocked it and opened the door, she did not step inside until he gave her a cue to go ahead.

It definitely was warmer inside. Maebelle took a small step away from the door for Kieron to have space to move inside as well. After that, she did not move from her spot. Water drops seemed to be streaming down like mini waterfalls as she stood there, already starting to apologize for the mess being created. Not that it really was her fault though. Clothes were soaked and the only solution to end this was for her to put on something dry (which she didn’t have with her)… or to stand in his shower or bathtub until clothes were dry. At least then the floor wouldn’t end up looking like a pond.

“I’ll clean it up.” Mae spoke up while looking over at Kieron who was in the same boat as her. It did limit some guilty feelings, and she tried to eliminate them even more by tugging her thoughts away from it by making a little joke. “Only my mess though.” Because, hey, the span of his wings led to him bringing in way more water than she did.

After that, moving in a small circle, still in the same spot, Mae turned ever so slightly to take in the hallway. “You live here by yourself?”

[Kieron Sharpe]

It was strange even to Kieron how different situations seemed to bring out different sides of his personality. At work he was calm and sedate, perfectly at ease with his surroundings and with exceptional bedside manner. He was confident, precise and took no nonsense from anyone. And yet outside the confines of the medical room he lost all of that confidence and self-assurance. Sure he wasn't usually quite this rambly and awkward but he had always noticed the difference. He had tried to bring some of that confidence and boldness home with him, but it never seemed to work out. He just ended up whittering and talking himself into holes he couldn't dig himself out of again. Like now.

Kieron really hadn't expected Mae to take him up on the offer, especially not quite so enthusiastically, and it was a few moments before his brain registered that yes, this is happening. The walk to his front door seemed to stretch for miles, Kieron fully expecting her to turn and bolt at any moment, and it was no small relief when they did eventually step up his porch and to his front door. The rain continued to thunder down onto his wings as he took the key from her with a soft “thank you” and unlocked the front door, gesturing for her to go inside first. Kieron was glad he had remembered to make sure the heating was on when he had gone out so the house was snug inside, and once Mae was inside he stood in the doorway and shook out his wings. Rain spattered off them not unlike a dog shaking out its fur, and once the heavy of the water was off them Kieron rested a hand on the doorway as he focussed his energy down and in, his wings slowly folding inwards before once more disappearing into his spine.

Letting out a quiet sigh Kieron stretched out his arms and shoulders, relaxing and calming the muscles again before he too stepped inside and shut the door behind him. Thankfully the majority of Kieron's house was hardwood flooring so he waved a hand vaguely at her offer to clean up her mess, laughing softly as she clarified by saying only her mess. “It's okay, I can mop it up once we're not freezing. There's hooks there by the door if you want to hang up the jacket and stuff. And the radiators are on if you want to put your shoes on them to dry.”

Kieron did just that, slipping off his soaked grey Vans and putting them on the radiator. To her question he nodded. “Yeah, it's just me. Well, me and the fish, if they count.” Opening the door into the living room, Kieron suddenly realised something. “Oh... yeah... there's no lights in the fittings. Some of the tank lights are on so you should be okay finding your way around. Umm...” He rubbed a hand through his soaked hair, trying to decide what would be best. “If you'd like to go through and start warming up, I'll go and grab some towels.”

[Deleted]

Maebelle felt rather confused about why he didn’t step inside right away. From where she was standing, all she could see was him placing a hand on the doorway and having a focused look on his face. The way she interpreted it, however, was him being in some kind of pain. If it weren’t for him to step in not long after that, Mae probably would be feeling embarrassed now for she would have asked about it. What kept her busy instead was how on earth those wings fitted in his back! For a second she considered to peek behind his back, but that would have been incredibly awkward. Plus, Kieron soon moved to place his shoes on the radiator, perfectly putting his back and the slits in the shirt in sight. If it wouldn’t have been creepy, the gardener might have reached out by now to feel where those wings might have gone to. Luckily she managed to refrain and instead bend down to tug out the high-heeled ankle boots. Since they had not been hugging her legs tightly, it felt like feet were being taken out of pools. Therefore she was quick to open the door again, pouring out the small amount of water that had gathered within them. Then both got placed next to his Vans.

It felt slightly more comfortable to move around now, despite the pantyhose making a slurping sound with each step taken. She only moved to take a peek into the living room once he opened the door, being greeted by an even more pleasant warmth. “Fish counts”, Mae concluded before eyes did drift up to the fittings. It kind of made sense. “Oh, okay. That’s fine. Don’t worry.” She wasn’t going to expect a special treatment either. And it was more pleasant to look at him without the sunglasses hiding his beautiful eyes. Not that Mae really paid attention… except subconsciously.

When K offered to get some towels, Maebelle nodded and wobbled back to her previous spot. There she hung the jacket on one of the hooks before gazing down at her soaked outfit. No way that towels were going to soak every single drop of water out of the clothes. She only had to consider it for a second before tugging the bat jumper over her head and hanging it there as well. Underneath the young woman wore a white tank top, all soaked and not leaving the black bra under that layer up to imagination. The less wet things she wore, the faster her body might regain some warmth. Same went for the pantyhose. Mae struggled to take them off before they got draped over the radiator.

Feet left a faint wet print as Maebelle moved into the living room… which kind of looked like he had just moved in, minus carton boxes. It was so empty. Not that she minded at that moment though. Less change of stumbling into anything. Lots of aquariums though. She wasn’t even sure what to think of this… other than currently being fascinated by this. And to assume that perhaps her life was more interesting than his. Anyhow, Mae stepped over to what seemed to be the biggest aquarium before blue eyes drifted from one pretty fish to the other. Then down to some sort of black eel that looked like a zebra. She slightly bend forward. Her finger touched the glass, but without tapping it. That would just scare it away.

“Hi there. Aren’t you pretty?” When Kieron stepped into the living room as well, Maebelle straightened up and took a small step to the side to look over at him without the aquarium being in the way and retorting her vision. “Can I call it Stripey?"

[Kieron Sharpe]

Kieron hadn’t actually been in the house all that long; he had moved in around a month before he had started working at Hammel. He had never been a fan of clutter, at all, but the absence of much more than the basics also served a more practical purpose. His wings had to be stretched out at least every couple of days, and sometimes it was very difficult or even impossible to do that outside of his home. Sofas and tables and other furnishings everywhere would only get in the way, and besides, he lived alone and was hardly the house-party type. What need did he have of lots of furniture and décor?

The bathroom was one of only two rooms in the house that was completely devoid of aquatic life (the other was his bedroom), and as he grabbed a handful of towels Kieron took a moment to look in the mirror. The heavy rain had pretty much plastered his hair to his forehead; the usual soft curls making him look more like a soggy spaniel. Kieron sighed softly as he used one of the towels to start rubbing his hair dry as he headed into his bedroom, dumping his sodden socks into the laundry basket.

Kieron quickly towelled off the heavy of the water, changing into a dry pair of dark green sweatpants and a plain black t-shirt. He could always shower and clean up properly once Maebelle was safely on her way home again. Speaking of Maebelle… Kieron pondered for a long moment, tapping the fingertips of his right hand against the tip of his thumb distractedly, and then thought ‘fuck it’ and pulled a pair of Batman logo pyjama bottoms and a t-shirt out of the drawers before heading back downstairs.

At first Kieron didn’t see Maebelle as she stood behind the tank housing his zebra moray eel. When he caught her movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to face her his dark eyes went wide and he dropped the towels and clothes he was holding. For a moment he stared wordlessly, like a rabbit staring at an oncoming car, and then his brain actually caught up to the rest of him and he quickly tore his eyes away as he scrabbled to pick up the dry towels and clothing. Kieron tried to speak but for a moment the words came out as nothing but senseless sounds. And then he found his tongue again. “I brought you some dry clothes I didn’t know if you would want them but you can get changed if you like it might help you get warm and you can put your clothes in the dryer but you don’t have to if you don’t want and ohhhhh… I’m still talking aren’t I?”

Sweet baby Jesus on a pogo stick she looked good. Kieron could feel the blood rushing to his face and to… other areas and he stammered for a moment before he was able to find the words to answer her question. “Umm, sure you can. He doesn’t answer when I call him so you might have more luck with Stripey.” Kieron took a deep breath, trying to calm his head and the swarm of butterflies having a riot in his stomach, and he held out the clothes and towels towards her. “The bathroom is upstairs, second on the left. Would you like some coffee or hot chocolate or something?”

[Deleted]

Maebelle didn’t really think a lot of her current appearance. All that had to be covered still was. She had tugged at the white top a couple of times, trying to keep it from hugging her too tightly, but in the end it just suck itself to her skin again due to being soaked. Surely Kieron could handle this. He was a good-looking man. It shouldn’t be a rare sight for him. Or at least that was what the woman had been assuming until he dropped everything in his hands the second he looked over. In turn it made her self-conscious… but it also made her feel incredibly flattered. While men had stared before, no reaction had ever been as genuine and surprised as this one. It actually made Kieron even more appealing in her eyes – if she would allow herself to acknowledge the butterflies that were starting to flutter. “You, um, kind of dropped something.” Way to rub it in, Mae. Way to rub it in. She just had no freaking idea what else to say!

The gardener would have stepped forward to help him out… but he was just too cute to interrupt at that moment. His attempts to speak made her softly chuckle at herself; his rambling even more so. With a smile upon her lips, she nodded. Yeah, he was still talking. Mae probably should have stepped forward to take the clothes and towels from him, to limit just how on edge he was, but she almost feared that he would have a heart attack on the spot if she were to move closer. So instead she waited for him to hold them out and then gratefully took them. All was hugged to her torso, removing the bra from sight, which hopefully would help him regain the ability to speak without stumbling over every single word.

Maebelle pretty much refrained from saying anything else other than a ‘thank you’ and the confirmation, that yes, a hot chocolate would be nice. Then she excused herself to grab the panty hose and jumper in the hallway before heading upstairs where she located the bathroom. The young woman was quick to change. The shirt (which she judged to be awesome) was a tad bit oversized and she had to tie the pajama pants to keep them from falling down, but she was more than happy with the dry outside. Amazingly enough, though she figured that the leather-like skirt had contributed to it, her underwear was dry. The same couldn’t be said about the bra. Mae rather didn’t shed that one, but it was what it was. Soon all soaked clothes were stuffed in the dryer. Then a towel got dragged through her hair.

She was still rubbing it through the wet locks while stepping into the living room again. Kieron was not there, so she opted to simply following the sound of a microwave. Within seconds, Mae stepped into the kitchen. For a second Mae considered holding arms out by her side, twirling in a small circle and asking how she looked. Instead she opted for a more timid approach though, moving over to where the man was taking care of the hot chocolate, practically taking a peek over his shoulder with her head slightly dipped to the side while a few strands got rubbed between the towel.

“So… what’s Stripey’s real name? And is there anything I can help with?” Simply being in a warm house already helped. Teeth didn't clatter anymore, yet her skin continued to feel like ice. Did his as well? Mae probably should have figured that, yes, same went for him. Instead, however, fingers reached to touch the man's lower arm. He had been blushing so badly earlier that the shame and shock must have caused warthm to spread anywhere - or so she assumed. He sort of did feel warmer, which did confirm that suspicion.

"You're warmer than me... Lucky." At least that explained what she was doing.