The snow from the previous week had melted into slush, leaving the city damp and gray. By late afternoon, clouds gathered heavy overhead, and when Jade left his last lecture, rain began to fall in a steady sheet. Students scrambled across campus with umbrellas, jackets pulled tight, huddling against the wet chill.
Jade, of course, had forgotten his umbrella. He stood at the building entrance, books hugged to his chest, watching the downpour with quiet resignation. His glasses blurred instantly when a stray gust sprayed water against him.
“Guess who came prepared?” a smooth voice teased.
Jade turned to see Adrien approaching, a sleek black umbrella in hand. Raindrops beaded across Adrien’s coat and dark hair, yet he still looked infuriatingly composed, like the rain had chosen to make him look more charming rather than disheveled.
Jade blinked. “You… always seem to appear at convenient moments.”
Adrien’s smirk widened. “Maybe the universe just wants us in the same frame, Jade.” He twirled the umbrella lightly. “Come on. I’ll walk you back.”
Before Jade could protest, Adrien had stepped close, lifting the umbrella to cover them both. The space shrank instantly. Their shoulders brushed, their breath mingled with the damp scent of rain. Jade felt heat creep across his face despite the cold drizzle around them.
They set off across campus, boots splashing in shallow puddles. The rain pattered rhythmically above, creating a pocket of silence beneath the umbrella.
“You’re quiet,” Adrien noted after a moment, his tone softer now. “Thinking about something?”
Jade adjusted his glasses nervously. “Just… the weather. I wasn’t expecting it.”
Adrien chuckled. “That’s a lie. You’re overthinking again.” His voice lowered, almost conspiratorial. “I can practically hear the gears turning in your head.”
Jade bristled. “I do not overthink everything.”
“You do.” Adrien leaned closer, the edge of his coat brushing Jade’s. “But it’s one of the things I like about you. You notice details. You care. Most people just rush through without looking.”
Jade’s heart thudded. Compliments from Adrien always carried weight, delivered so effortlessly yet aimed with precision. He tried to steady himself, but Adrien’s proximity made it impossible to think clearly.
They paused at a crosswalk. Traffic lights glowed faintly through the rain, reflections rippling across the wet pavement. Jade stole a glance at Adrien. His profile was sharp, illuminated by the neon glow of a storefront sign. Drops of water clung to his lashes, his lips curved in that perpetual half-smile.
Without meaning to, Jade whispered, “You’re too good at this.”
Adrien turned, brows lifting. “At what?”
“At… making people feel like the center of your world.”
Adrien’s eyes softened, and for once, his smile faltered into something rawer. “That’s because right now, you are.”
The words lodged in Jade’s chest, leaving him momentarily speechless. His throat tightened, his pulse quickened. For the first time, Adrien wasn’t teasing, wasn’t performing. The sincerity in his gaze was disarming.
The light changed, but neither of them moved. Rain hammered on the umbrella, drowning out the rest of the world.
Adrien shifted, his hand brushing Jade’s as if by accident, lingering deliberately. “You don’t believe me?”
Jade’s voice came out faint. “I… don’t know what to believe.”
“Then let me prove it.”
Adrien leaned closer, so close that Jade could see the droplets on his lips, could feel the warmth of his breath mingling with the cold air. The world blurred; it was only the two of them, a fragile silence balanced on the edge of something undeniable.
Then, a voice cut through the rain.
“Jade!”
They both startled. Danielle stood on the opposite side of the street, hood pulled up against the downpour, his expression tense. He jogged across as soon as the traffic cleared, eyes flicking from Jade to Adrien with something sharp behind them.
“You’ll catch a cold out here,” Danielle said curtly, ignoring Adrien. He tugged gently at Jade’s arm. “Come on. I’ll walk you back.”
Adrien’s smirk returned, but it was colder now, defensive. “Already taken care of,” he said smoothly, tilting the umbrella to emphasize his point. “No need to worry.”
Danielle’s jaw tightened. His gaze locked on Jade, searching, almost pleading. “Jade, you don’t have to ”
“I” Jade stammered, caught between them. The tension was palpable, thicker than the rain. Adrien’s hand brushed his again, grounding him, but Danielle’s intensity pressed just as heavily.
For a moment, Jade wanted to disappear. He hated being the center of this invisible tug-of-war. Yet beneath the discomfort, there was something undeniable: Adrien’s presence had drawn him in, and Danielle knew it.
The walk back to the dorms was painfully awkward. Adrien stayed close, umbrella tilted protectively, his silence simmering with unspoken frustration. Danielle walked on Jade’s other side, hood dripping, his eyes forward but his shoulders tense.
Jade felt like he was trapped between two storms, each step heavy with unvoiced words.
When they reached the dorm entrance, Danielle finally spoke, directing his words at Adrien. “Thanks for the umbrella. I’ll take it from here.”
Adrien’s smile was sharp. “Oh, but Jade hasn’t asked you to.”
Jade winced. “Please… stop. Both of you.” His voice cracked slightly, surprising even himself. The sudden honesty silenced them both.
He turned quickly, fumbling for his keys, desperate to escape the weight of their gazes.
Inside his room, Jade collapsed onto the bed, soaked not from the rain but from the tension still clinging to him. He pressed a hand over his chest, feeling the wild rhythm of his heart. Adrien’s almost-kiss replayed in his mind, colliding with Danielle’s sharp warning look.
He didn’t know what to do, who to believe, or what he wanted most. But one thing was clear: the storm outside was nothing compared to the one brewing inside him.
Later that night, Jade’s phone buzzed.
Adrien: Don’t let him scare you away from me.260Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBCkTA9K0q7
Danielle: Please… be careful, Jade.
Jade stared at the two messages, his thumb hovering uselessly over the screen. The rain outside hadn’t stopped, and for the first time, he wondered if it ever truly would.
ns216.73.217.22da2
and then Add to home screen.