I'm Siiiinging in the Rain~! (Kiara)

[Aiden Laveaux]

"...Beach towels... Sunscreen... Swimming trunks... I think that's everything!" Aiden clicked the luggage case closed, grinning broadly. It was the Friday before spring break, and he had just gotten out of his last class for the day. He had teleported back to his room without hesitation, eager to get to the beach as he had planned to do with Kiara. They had settled on driving through New Hampshire to Portsmouth, a small town on the coast that would be perfect for a few days in the sun. And now Aiden wanted nothing more but to get out of the Institute and start driving.

He stuffed the rest of his clothing in another bag, pocketed the couple hundred dollars he had for food (he would buy ingredients once they got there - he already had shrimp etouffee in mind!), and shoved on his sunglasses in preparation for the heat. True, Vermont wasn't known for being particularly warm this time of year, but he was determined to hope for the best.

He slung his bag over his shoulder and grabbed his other luggage, then teleported with a puff of smoke down to the student garage. He unlocked his blue sports car and stuffed the things inside, hoping Kiara would get there soon. She wouldn't be able to move as quickly as he because of his ability to get to anyplace in a split second, but he knew she was excited too, and probably wouldn't take too long. He sat down as his usual dizzy spell hit, an unfortunate side effect of his ability. Nevertheless, he was still thrumming with energy at the thought of spending the holiday with one of his favorite people in the world.

[Deleted]

”Aiden!” Being as excited as she were, Kiara was not bothered by just how ridiculous she might be looking while running over towards him as the suitcase wobbled behind from the left to the right, from one small wheel onto the other. The fact that her best friend was still there contributed to the happiness. Usually she was on time, but this time around she had struggled with cutting knots when it came to leaving which dresses behind. Therefore part of her had feared that the young man… wouldn’t have waited. No matter how ridiculous that might sound. Of course Aiden wouldn’t abandon her, but still. A girl could panic, right?

As she came close enough to the car, she slowed down until she stood right in front of it. ”I am so so so sorry.” It being the indication that a ramble fest would follow soon enough. Ki often found herself lost under a pile of guilt… even though there was hardly ever a decent reason to apologize. Like now. ”But there were just so many dresses in my closet and then I had to decide how to fill up the last space in my trunk and…” She would have gone on, but as blue eyes fell upon Aiden’s face, she could tell she was babbling too much. So, to try and move on, a sheepish grin followed and her gaze settled on the vehicle and then on the passenger seat. ”Shotgun!”

Despite them being only by themselves… Kiara just had to come up with something to keep herself from apologizing. Plus, Aiden should know her well enough to know this was what she was like – when around him of course. Around others who weren’t as close, she tended to keep more to the side. In reality, however, the blonde was as bubbly as they would come.

”So,” she plopped down and buckled up after her suitcase was taken care off. ”Do you think it would be best for me to let you sign a contract that says you can’t get annoyed with me during the next couple of days?” This was merely a joke, but hey… it was always nice to hear that she wasn’t a pain in the ass, that he actually liked her around.

[Aiden Laveaux]

Aiden tried to hide a chuckle at Kiara running across the parking garage, tugging what looked like an over-stuffed suitcase behind her. Knowing her, she had probably fit as many dresses and other 'necessities' as possible into that one package, even if she really didn't need them. Nevertheless, she did always manage to look cute, even now with her golden curls bouncing around her as she frantically made her way towards him. Of course, he felt totally platonic about her looks. She was just a nice friend to have around, and happened to be pretty too. Unfortunately, this also attracted many wooers, not all of which had the best intentions... But that wasn't important. She was here! They were about to leave!

"You better be sorry!" he said in a gruff tone, furrowing his brows and doing his best to appear angry. It didn't work, and he ended up cracking up a second later. He wasn't allowed to get in another word, though, as Kiara started rambling on as she usually did about what had taken her so long... He just had to laugh again. "Ki, really, it's fine. I actually just got here myself, I'm kinda surprised you're here so soon. I though it would be at least another ten minutes, knowin' how indecisive you can be sometimes." He winked, knowing she knew he meant that in the nicest way possible. "Let's just get goin'!" He spoke with an obvious southern accent, a trait he continued to possess even after moving away from Louisiana.

He hopped in the front seat and waited for Kiara to take her place next to him as he revved the engine, grinning as he felt the power in his hands. Yes, he would drive over the speed limit to get there, but he trusted his own skills, as well as Ki's and his own abilities, to keep them safe. He had never crashed before, and wasn't planning on it anytime soon. As they pulled out of the garage he cast a sidelong glance at Kiara and grinned. "I don't think that's necessary. I mean, you are my best friend. We should be to the point in our relationship now that we never get annoyed with each other. Of course, there could always be exceptions... But I think we can take a chance, yeah?" He offered a hand, taking on an air of seriousness and saying calmly,"I, Aiden Laveaux, promise that no matter how many times you need to fix your hair, talk about cute boys, or do anythin' else that I may not agree to, I will never get annoyed with you." He shook her hand and reached up to run his hand through his own hair, messing up the already messy tousled look he had. "Good enough?" He flashed another grin.

[Deleted]

While the promise might have not been necessary for Kiara knew their bickering was never that of the worst kind, it would be handy to have something that could be used against him if he were to complain or make a comment about her babbling or girly behavior. ”Deal!” Was what she exclaimed upon shaking Aiden’s hand. She then slumped down some, getting comfortable in the seat before placing bare feet against the dashboard after having shed the ballerinas. Luckily they were still rather new, meaning there wasn’t a horrible smell spreading the moment she took feet out of the shoes. Ki made sure to get the seat more to the back and to tuck some fabric of the dress between her knees to prevent anything from showing. ”Oh, and just so you know, the only reason why you arrived on time was because I influenced your luck.” Blue eyes settled on the side of his face, scanning it for a reaction, yet she was already convinced he would either laugh it off or smirk. Not that she minded though. It always made her feel good to see him amused. He was definitely one of the few guys she felt comfortable enough around to be herself and to act all foolish. Normally friends would go on a little trip with a minimum of four people, but the blonde didn’t need anyone but Aiden there to have fun. In fact, it would probably be way more entertaining than when others would have tagged along. She would have nothing to be ashamed about.

As a moment of silence took over, Kiara pondered about something and then reminded herself about his promise. Might as well test it right now. ”So, um, you remember my roommate? Lukas, Lukas Wolf? He’s pretty cute.” Surely Aiden would not be pleased with that statement, if only because the other man didn’t look like the type of guy she would find herself falling for. She was someone who almost literally needed a Prince Charming from one of the Disney movies. That, and her best friend never seemed too pleased when she mentioned a guy because the risk of ending up hurt was attached to it. ”But no worries,” she continued. ”He has a girlfriend.” Who was way prettier and whose Kiara’s body could not compare to when it came to feminine curves.

Her gaze drifted outside and she just began to say what was on her mind. ”You know, maybe we should organize an evening of speed dating. We could both benefit from it.” Kiara did not complain about being single though. She just, well, did miss it whenever she saw a couple being affectionate towards one another. Luckily she could count on Aiden to provide her with hugs though. He was close to the only person she would embrace without having the fear of the hug being used to gain something from it. ”Or at least it could possibly give me the confirmation that you aren’t gay.” The blonde added jokingly upon shooting him a bright grin. She had yet to see him really together with a girl and Ki got along with him damn well… She always used that to teasingly claim he must be swinging to the other side.

[Aiden Laveaux]

Aiden eyed Ki's shoes, raising his eyebrows suspiciously. "You better not stink up my car with those disgusting feet," he chided. Of course he was kidding - Kiara was a girl, and girls didn't let their feet stink. Or at least, he hoped not. "You influenced my luck... Right." As she guessed, he smirked. He didn't know if it was true or not, but he wasn't about to thank her for making him be on time, even if it was true. "Maybe next time you should work on making yourself on time, eh?" He laughed this time, knowing she would blow the comment off easily.

However, he felt himself bristle at the mention of Lukas. It wasn't so much as he disliked the guy (he didn't really dislike anyone all that much), it was just the fact that he had caught his best friend's attention, and he didn't think anyone deserved her. He didn't count - he was her best friend, not anything else - and it made him super protective of anyone she was interested in. Especially some guy with freaking body control. He could easily take advantage of her... In ways he didn't want to think about. "I suppose he's not bad-looking," he finally replied slowly, taking his gaze off the road briefly to glance at her. "But you know how he is. I think you could do much better... And with someone who couldn't potentially try to literally take control of you. Trust me, you'll find someone." He managed to smile at her, trying to take the edge off of his words. Maybe he was being a bit paranoid, but that's how he was... He couldn't bear the idea of her getting hurt.

He almost swerved off the road at the mention of speed dating. "Benefit from it?" he repeated, regaining his composure. He supposed it wasn't a terrible idea... But he already sort of had his sights on someone, and he wasn't sure speed dating would be good for him. He liked to know someone before he got involved with them... Otherwise, things could be awkward, which was why he hadn't made the move on this girl yet. At her last comment, a bubble of laughter burst out of him. "Oh, it would, would it?" he chuckled good-naturedly. "Well, I'm sorry it's so hard to tell whether I am or not." He puckered out his lips, lowered his eyebrows, and adopted a high-pitched, lisping accent. "I'm totally straight," he said, trying to imitate the most gay men he could think of. He could only hold it so long though - he laughed again, and returned to his earlier composure. "Actually, I've sort of been thinking about asking someone out," he said hesitantly. "Do you know Therru? Well, I guess her name is Gilleon... But anyway, she seems... nice. And not too high-maintenance, which is a plus." That was another thing he liked about Kiara - she didn't bathe herself in cosmetics or slather her face with so much make-up that she was unrecognizable. "She kind of reminds me of you. Although you ARE a bit more annoying." He said this with a grin.

[Deleted]

She would find someone. How many times had the girl heard this coming from his mouth? With a small smirk, Kiara shook her head. Aiden was so protective and always made assumptions when it came to other guys. “Mhm, I do know how he is. He is nice, which some might not expect based on his appearance.” She refrained from cocking an eyebrow to indicate he was clearly one of the persons who judged. She didn’t mean it in a bad way though. It was some sort of attempt to soothe his concerns. Her roommate was a decent guy. But, of course, in order to make sure Aiden truly believed her words, she just gave his ego an extra boost. “No worries though, he still isn’t as awesome as you.” Such statement was easy to make because no sarcasm nor lie was involved. If only they were not best friends, things might have headed into a different direction already. Kiara always blamed their close friendship for feeling so comfortable, safe and happy around him. It supported her subconscious denial of liking him just a tad bit more.

Kiara ever so slightly shifted in her seat to look at him. Surely she didn’t have to explain to him what the benefit of speed dating could be: to end up in a relationship. Cheeks rose and dimples became visible at his reaction to her comment about him being gay. She even was about to retort something in return, but then Aiden me became more serious again and brought up the fact that a girl had caught his eye. Upon feeling her smile diminish at a rapid pace, Ki shifted and quickly made sure to increase it again. ”Oh” she mouthed, hoping it would sound as if she found this an interesting topic. In reality, the curly one could feel a very unpleasant feeling gripping her stomach, unable to put a finger on it. For a moment her thoughts drifted off and blue eyes settled on the road ahead. The comparison provoked a soft smile, even though it was probably just there to hide the change of emotion. “Then why don’t you ask me out?” Ki had looked over at him again, but the second those words had slipped from her lips she quickly shoot a grin in his direction. It got her to ponder though; why had that been said so naturally, so seriously?

She then shook her head, slumping some more and gazing out of the window by her side. ”How did you meet her though? What is she like? Other than her being less annoying than me.” Might as well show interest and find out some more details. Kiara was somewhat scared though. Relationships often ruined friendships. While Aiden had only mentioned this Gilleon right now and just once, she already feared he would end up spending much less time with her because of this. ”Any chance one of her friends is cute? You know, to make sure I won’t end up as the only pathetic single one.” Self-pity. Kiara was not a dominant person, but she couldn’t help but feel as if Aiden shouldn’t be shared. How naïve to think that. She began to realize this now. He was handsome. Surely he could make that girl swoon.

[Aiden Laveaux]

"If you say so," Aiden replied, still unsure what to think of Lukas. Was he just being overly protective? Was he really a nice guy? He didn't know. Maybe he was biased. Whatever. He imagined Ki ending up with someone good, not just good for her, but good. And funny. And someone that he knew wouldn't hurt her. Like him, for instance. But they were best friends, destined to forever look out for one another in the games of the heart. Right? "But you're right. NO one is as awesome as me." He flashed a grin. "And Therru obviously isn't as awesome as you, either." It, too, was true. Although he really didn't know Therru well enough to judge, he couldn't imagine someone being a better friend to him than Ki.

Aiden noticed Ki's sudden quietness at his mention of her, though, and he shot a glance in her direction. She smiled again, though, and he took it as her simply not knowing what to say. He didn't really know how to respond either. Her response to the comparison, though, threw him a bit. Asked her out? It crossed his mind sometimes, yes, but rarely. Ki was great, really great, but he didn't know how that would work, if it would end up ruining their relationship. And besides, he had convinced himself they were better fit to just be best friends, since they were so open to being themselves around each other. His best friend that he openly admitted was beautiful, talented, and could always make him laugh... But no, romance could end up ruining that. He saw her shoot a grin at him, and hoped that she felt the same. "To be completely honest, Ki, you're so important to me that I... Don't want to risk losing you by trying to take our relationship farther." Even as he said it, a sour taste filled his mouth. He added,"Besides, I think we would just drive each other even more crazy!", just to lighten the mood. They were going on vacation - no need for heavy topics!

He grimaced at her questions. "At the risk of sounding shallow, I really don't know all that much about her. I have a couple classes with her, and... I don't know, she just caught my eye, I guess." He sensed the subject was not something Ki really wanted to discuss, despite her questions, and he frowned. "I actually don't think she has a lot of friends. She seems really quiet. But hey, if you ever need a wingman, you know I'm there. I could make any guy want to date you in a heartbeat." It was true - he could brag about his best friend to no end.

"But ANYWAY." He cleared his throat and turned up the radio, bobbing his head along to the Rascal Flatts song playing on the radio. "What are we going to do first when we get to the beach, eh?"

[Deleted]

Ah yes, the typical response. It would possibly ruin their friendship. Kiara knew this, but she couldn’t help but wonder why this answer inflicted somewhat of a sad feeling upon her. She was more than happy with their current bond and it was awkward to imagine him as something more than her best friend, so yeah. Not wanting to stir any questions, the blonde mirrored his smile and nodded. What was worse? Driving each other even more crazy by being together or by being apart? Her statement had been intended as a joke, but right now it consumed most of her thoughts. Why had it been brought up in the first place? Aiden’s reply should have been expected though, especially since another girl had caught his eye, hence the reason Ki opted to not dig any deeper as he seemed to be avoiding the topic as well. “You know I wouldn’t want just an guy, Aiden. Besides, even though you might be capable of achieving that, it’s not as if you would allow any of them to actually date me.” Corners of her lips curled ever so slightly as she rested back in the seat, once more slumping in order to be able to plant feet on the dashboard once more.

“First thing I’ll do is bury you in the sand. Oh, and I claim shotgun on picking a bed first!” If there were even two beds. She had let Aiden arrange everything since she would have been too stressed about the chance that something would be forgotten. If something went wrong now, the young man could be blamed for the failure. Kiara glanced out of the window again, glad to see progress was being made as they had gotten much closer to the ocean during their conversation. She hadn’t really been paying to their location during it.

“I want to see a sunset and sunrise. Oh, and to picnic on the beach. We can collect seashells.” That list could go on forever. Surely Aiden should have expected such plans from his best friend.

[Aiden Laveaux]

As with Kiara, Aiden suddenly found his head filled with thoughts of them taking their relationship further. He knew laughing the idea off had been the right choice, right? So why did the thought of.... Like, kissing Ki and holding her hand in a more intimate way seem so normal? He mentally shook off the image, hoping she couldn't read the conflicting feelings on his face. He turned up the radio a bit louder to cover what he hoped wasn't too much of a flush on his face. It was warm out, so he turned up the A/C too. Maybe she would just think he was too warm. Because that's what he was. Too warm... For the moment, all his occasional daily thoughts about Therru vanished.

He had to laugh at her statement about him not letting her date anyone, though. Sadly, it was true, to a point. "I just haven't met anyone that I approve of yet," he argued, still laughing. "Maybe one of those nerds in Precalculus. They seem harmless, if not the most attractive guys around." He giggled at the thought. Beautiful Ki with an acne-prone, glasses-wearing geek? It was ridiculous. "Well, at least that would be better than dating a muscle-head."

But back to the present. "Bury me in the sand? Hot." He laughed again. "Only after you let me toss you into the water." As for beds, his eyes widened and he put on a mock look of terror. "Beds? Who said anything about beds? I just rented a cardboard box for us to stay in. With hotel prices these days, I couldn't afford anything else!" He let this hang in the air for a moment, holding back a grin to see what her reaction would be. He had, indeed, rented a two-bed motel room, but she didn't know that.

As they talked, they crossed the border into New Hampshire without noticing. It wouldn't be too much longer until they arrived. "That all sounds good to me," he replied to her plans. They all sounded a bit, well, feminine, but hey, he wasn't going to complain. Maybe he could even get her to go sandboarding or surfing if the weather was alright, and she didn't insist on constantly wearing one of her silly (but, yes, pretty) sun dresses. "Let's just do some manly things too," he snickered, but not unkindly.

[Deleted]

Toss her into the water? No way. All the sand would stick to her then if she were to bury him. Kiara just smirked though, shaking her head while being aware she would not have a lot of choice if Aiden were to decide differently. He was so much stronger than she was. When it came to the beds, the blonde did not believe him. Others might, but she knew her best friend would never make her sleep in a cardboard box. Nevertheless, she did fake buying the story and even throw in a little fit of panic. “Aiden, c’mon, you aren’t serious, right? At least you could have asked me to look for a cheap hotel. I am so not going to sleep in a cardboard box. I’m not even going to sleep in the car!” Kiara had slightly turned in her seat and managed to keep her expression from fading into a smile to make it seem more real, but given she feared him possibly believing this, she soon enough threw one of her biggest grins into the game. Surely he would have felt bad if she really believed him.

With a shake of the head, the girl slumped back in the seat and gazed outside as she could see they were close to reaching their destination. The environment gave away they were getting closer to the shore. ”Manly things? You mean sitting on the couch like a couch potato with your hand tucked in your pants?” That was out before Kiara knew it and there was a grin too, but she soon realized it held too much of a sexual connotation than she was comfortable with, especially since this involved her best friend of whom she should not imagine anything in her mind. Avoiding the thoughts, of course, merely made it worse. The blush that settled upon both cheeks might have made this obvious.

”Okay, soooooo,” Kiara began in an attempt to talk about something completely different. She smoothed a strand from her face, casting a brief look at Aiden. Thank god he just pulled up at this motel before something else could be said. ”I believe we’re here!” She declared, mentally thanking God. Once her best friend parked the car, she got out and moved inside with him in order to collect their key. The moment they did, Ki headed back to the vehicle to take out her luggage, waited for him to do the same and then followed him to the room that had been assigned to them. It was clean and well-maintained; this was the first thing she took notice off upon entering. Good.

She immediately claimed the bed furthest away from the door. It made her feel safer. ”Maybe we can grab something to eat and then head to the beach? Explore a little bit?”

[Aiden Laveaux]

Aiden nearly choked on the coffee he was drinking at Ki's 'manly things' suggestion, sputtering as he sat the cup back down and wiped at his mouth. "Ki!" he gasped. He was amazed she would say such a thing. "You surely know me better than that!" It took him a moment to get a hold of himself again, and then he burst out laughing. "Please. I get enough REAL action that I don't need to resort to that kind of stuff." Partially a lie. He didn't really go out with girls that often, but enough so that he didn't need to.... Well. He cleared his throat, eager to change the subject.

Fortunately, it wasn't too much longer that they reached the hotel. "It's not toooo shabby," he commented, nudging a loose board in one of the walls. "It'll have to do." He followed Ki inside, grabbed the key, got his luggage and winked at her. "See you there," he said, and vanished, reappearing a moment later at the door, which he had seen from the parking lot. He waited a few moments for Ki to get there before actually going inside, opening the door for her to go in first. Ladies first, right? Even if he hadn't had the kindness to teleport her and all of her belongings as well; she could use the exercise! And besides, it might have been too much for him to transfer anyway - he did have his limits.

He threw his stuff on the closest bed, nodding around the room. "Not too bad. I only see one ginormous spider in the corner, and at least we have a microwave." He hadn't really seen a spider, but he knew they were probably around anyway. "Food sounds good!" He grabbed his wallet and a baseball cap, putting it on as he glanced out the window. "It looks like it might rain." It was getting pretty cloudy, he saw to his dismay. It was the beach - it was supposed to be sunny! "I saw a seafood place on the way here, I think I can teleport us there. Unless you would rather have good ol' hamburgers and fries?" After she made her decision, he grabbed her hand and concentrated, focusing on the spot until he felt himself go into the void for an instant and returning to the world before he could even think about being in nothingness. The world spun and he reached out a hand to steady himself against the wall, blinking. "That was farther than I thought," he admitted. "Let's get something to eat." Again, he opened the door to let Ki in first, and also pulled out a chair for her to sit in before getting seated himself. Soon the waiter came, and they got their menus. He read it eagerly, asking his best friend,"What do you want to get?"

[Deleted]

Seafood! Without a doubt. If Kiara wanted fastfood, all they had to do was go to a supermarket and buy a pizza or, like he suggested, hamburgers and fries. The decision had been made rather fast, which was quite surprising for she tended to be overly indecisive, and within seconds they arrived at their destination. She thanked Aiden for the gentleman behavior as he pulled out the chair and neatly smoothed the skirt of the dress under her upon taking the seat. The blonde opted for prawns with a home-made dressing and some bread. They were served quite fast as well and the waiter was polite. This was a restaurant she wouldn’t be opposed to visiting again during their stay. As her plate was close to empty and her stomach protested due to a lack of additional space, Ki picked up the napkin, wiped her mouth clean and placed it back down. Her best friend finished not long after, the bill got requested and paid and then both found themselves strolling outside again. More clouds had gathered above them, but being her optimistic self, Kiara did not wish to belief it would rain anytime soon, hence the suggestion (or, rather, decision) that followed. ”Let’s go to the beach!” All they had to do was walk into the dunes that surrounded the seafood place. It possibly wouldn’t take longer than five minutes to do so.

Anyway, without awaiting an answer, Kiara’s fingers laced with his and she practically tugged him along until she could feel him picking up the pace. That’s when Kiara let go and happily skipped ahead, praising herself for having picked boots over flats at this point. Otherwise shoes would have been lost already. ”Come on, slowpoke!” She called back over her shoulder before she found herself stumbling down a dune and onto the beach. Laughter escaped into the night, almost in unison with the waves clashing on the shore, pushing and pulling the sand along. Once down, the brown leather boots got shed, along with socks, and she took a couple more steps to the water. A little gasp indicated just how cold it was, but she couldn’t care. Kiara spun around with a foolish grin, one that diminished for a second as thunder could be heard in the distance. Eyes flashed up to the sky and that’s when the first raindrop fell upon her nose. A hand moved to wipe it off, but clearly this had been a waste of time as clouds tore apart and the water came pouring down upon them without a warning.

Any normal person might have rushed back to their shoes, but not Ki. No, the blonde’s initial plan to do so got replaced by a bright smile. Arms were spread widely as she squealed with delight, spinning circles barefooted as if to attempt to catch as many drops as possible. Her blonde hair, full and long, soon was plastered to her head, neck, shoulders and back. Mouth stretched in earnest smile and arms rose above her head with palms up to invite the shocking rain. Her head tilted back as the deluge rushed over her. Her dress was no longer loose, but pressed against her skin like a protective, delicate coating. For a moment Kiara seemed to be oblivious to the fact that Aiden was there as well, but blue eyes soon enough drifted towards him and she gestured an invitation. A pout got added as well and limbs slacked in disappointment as Aiden shook his head. She did take note of the smile of his lips, aware he would probably join her either way, but she opted to add some extra drama by turning her back to him. Might as well give him the idea he could fool his best friend.

[Aiden Laveaux]

Aiden couldn't help but think how date-like the situation was as he ordered the same meal as Kiara, only asking for Cajun spices to go with the meal. He paid for both of them, even against protests from his best friend, but he insisted on it being his treat. Yet another reason why it felt date-like. He assured her she could pay next time, and they left with full stomachs and happy, seafood-created grins. Until Aiden caught sight of the sky - it had gotten cloudier since they had seen it last! "Oh, Ki, I'm sorry that-" he was about to apologize for his bad timing of their vacation to the beach, but he should have known better. Kiara was so happy-go-lucky, apparently she didn't care that they might get soaked. He just laughed at her enthusiasm and went along with it, quickly picking up the pace as Kiara tugged him along. "I may be a slowpoke, but you should look where you're going!" he laughed as she tumbled down a dune, seemingly unharmed. "You okay?" He chuckled some more, seeing sand plastered to the sides of her dress. At least it would wash off easily enough, but he knew how uncomfortable it could be. He followed her down the dune towards the water, making sure to keep his footing as he did so, so he didn't end up tumbling like she did. He wasn't looking forward to getting sand all over him - especially inside his clothes, and even worse, his underwear.

After only a few steps he, too, shed his shoes and socks, and, since it was not just humid, but also quite warm, he decided to take off his shirt too - at least that way it would be easier to get the sand off, he supposed. And it was warm enough that he wouldn't get too cold, or at least he thought so until he followed Ki into the water. BRRR. It was freezing! But he put on a bold face and splashed and Kiara a bit, laughing at her reactions, and just at being free and happy.

Until the thunder and lightning began, and the rain started pouring. His first reaction was to grab his clothes and find shelter as soon as possible, but apparently Ki thought otherwise. He paused, watching her as she began to spin around, dress and hair plastered to her body but hardly noticeable compared to the huge, beautiful grin on her face. He stood and just watched her for a while, feeling an odd stirring in his chest as he watched her delicate form dance so gracefully and carelessly in the rain. How did he deserve a friend like her?

He hesitated when she motioned for him to join her, but her pout got the best of him and he eventually joined her, sure he was making a fool out of himself but not really caring. They were out of the water now, on the beach, and Aiden found himself tripping over the sand and towards Kiara, and before he knew it they were in a tangled pile on the wet sand, his arms trapping her against the ground as though protecting her from the storm. "Uh... Hey." He laughed, heart pounding along with the steady beat of the rain against the sand. She was so close, and so beautiful....

[Deleted]

Kiara was so happy as her best friend decided to join her. She had taken both his hands into her own, twirling around in circles as she arched her back some, tilting her head back until a little nausea began to settle in. That’s when the girl straightened her back again, laughing at the goofy grin on the man’s face. With hands still connected, they ended up on the beach, far enough from the water to make it easier to move about, without their steps being restricted. Or, well, at least for her. There must have been a little well somewhere, possibly dug by children, for Aiden to trip. Kiara saw it happen; she grew aware of him coming forward sooner than expected and she even attempted to catch him, as silly as that was. Of course that failed. Her weight compared to that of a feather and Aiden was much broader as well. She felt herself stumbled backwards, landed onto the sand on her butt… and then back because the boy lacked balance.

The blonde contracted arms to her chest and had legs bend, too, as far as possible without kicking him, as laughter rocked through her body. Giggles escaped and it took a few seconds for her to regain some composure, wiping at her eyes for tears from joy had begun to appear. Kiara relaxed as a few more chuckles escaped while gazing up at him and then a soft ‘mmmm’ joined in, suppressing more laughs that threatened to slip past her lips. ”Hey,” She mused in return, smiling brightly. Her expression softened, but eyes never tore themselves away from his face. Instead they lingered on his, despite the nervous feeling that began to claim every fiber in her body. A hand reached up to meet his cheek and she lovingly caressed the slightly stubbly patch of skin as her gaze fought to not drift down to his lips. What Ki did not seem to realize while her main focus was on that, was the fact that her hand was guiding his face closer to hers. No objection on his part made the girl very much oblivious to this… until he was practically only a couple of inches away. That’s when optics did settle upon that kissable mouth. So tempting and so within reach. Her own ready to be pursed, ready to meet his, but then lightening illuminated the night sky and brought Kiara back to reality. It handed her back a decent amount of common sense. He was her best friend for God’s sake!

With a soft, somewhat embarrassed chuckle, the blonde did lean forward but nuzzled her face into the nape of his neck instead while arms loosely snaked around Aiden’s shoulders. Slender fingers raked through his soaked hair as warm air hit his skin as she spoke. ”I love you.” Kiara whispered, closing eyes to cherish the moment. For a moment the girl paused, but then added something to lessen the load of these words. ”You’re my best friend.” With that said, the embrace ended and she relaxed onto the sand again. ”Dance with me?” A slow one, if only to avoid either one of them being clumsy again.

[Aiden Laveaux]

Aiden could feel his heart pounding wildly as Kiara reached up to stroke his face. So what if they were soaked and covered in wet sand and he was starting to get cold from not having his shirt on? This felt.... Right, somehow. He couldn't quite understand why, though - they were best friends, they had agreed upon that. So why did kissing her in the rain begin to sound more and more appealing? As these thoughts whirled through his mind, he felt himself slowly lowering his head, both by his own movements and with Ki's hand seeming to pull him closer. His gaze was drawn from her eyes to her mouth, a perfect red Cupid's bow against porcelain skin. So close.... And she seemed to want it, too. Without thinking about their relationship and whether or not being friends was what they should continue to be, he let his mind wander and began to bend down, aiming for her lips.

But then lightning flashed across the sky, and Kiara seemed to break out of the trance. Aiden was still moving downwards when Ki's head moved and she nuzzled his neck instead, leaving him with empty space in front of his face. He blinked for a few minutes, a little confused, but then reality snapped back in place and he sighed, wondering what he had almost done. He was glad she had had the sense to change direction; he had very nearly changed their relationship from friends to oh-God-what-the-heck-are-we. He felt her fingers caress the back of his head as he wrapped his own arm under her head and kissed her forehead, replying,"I love you too, Ki," breathlessly. That was all; he knew she knew they were best friends, and he felt no need to repeat her words. Nevertheless, he couldn't shake the feeling he had had - best friends didn't feel the want to kiss each other. Right?

Too soon their embrace ended and he sat back, feeling the rain run down his back and shoulders and sending shivers down his spine. "Of course I'll dance with you," he smiled. "But let's try to go a bit slower this time." Pushing aside his confusion he stood up, leaning down and offering Ki a hand.

She looked so petite and helpless lying down there on the sand, he thought as he pulled her up. Her dress was clinging to her figure too, making her appear more thin than usual. He felt a surge of protectiveness well up within him, and he motioned towards an abandoned snack and sports shack a few hundred yards up the beach. "Maybe it would be best to try to find at least a little cover," he said, knowing that being out on a beach in a thunderstorm was not the best of ideas. He grasped her hand and they dashed over to the place. It was locked, but he peered inside, found it was as empty as it looked, and teleported both of them inside. It was dry, and warm, and he sighed in content. "Hey look, they even have a stereo!" He walked over and turned it on, finding an oldies station playing some slow dance song. Raking a hand through his soaked hair, he offered the other hand to Kiara. "May I have this dance?" he asked, a crooked smile lighting up his features.