The final bell rang, and the school started to empty. I took my time packing up, hoping to avoid any more surprise run-ins with Tom.
But as I stepped outside, I was greeted not by peace… but by a sky that had turned completely gray.
And then—crack!
Thunder rolled, and the rain came down like someone had flipped a switch.
"Perfect," I muttered, pulling my jacket over my head and breaking into a half-run across the schoolyard.
I was halfway to the gate when I heard fast footsteps behind me.
"You again?" I sighed before even looking.
"I should really stop asking that."
Tom appeared beside me, slightly out of breath, a bag slung over one shoulder—and, of course, no umbrella.
"Didn't take you for a runner," he said, squinting through the rain. His hair was already getting soaked, a few drops trailing down his face. "Or is this your dramatic attempt at escaping me?"
"I'm escaping the rain, not you."
"Well, I'm flattered either way."
We both stopped under the tiny awning by the old storage shed—the only dry spot in sight. It was barely big enough for the two of us.
Close. Too close.
His arm brushed against mine. Neither of us moved.
"You know…" he said after a moment, his voice softer than usual. "I think I like the rain now."
I raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"Because it's quiet. And you're not yelling at me."
I let out a small laugh, rolling my eyes. "Give me five seconds, I might start."
He smiled, but this time, not his usual smug one. It was… gentle. Real.
Rain kept falling all around us, loud and steady, but it felt like we were standing inside a bubble—separate from the world.
For a second, I looked at him. Really looked.
His lashes were damp, his hair sticking to his forehead a little, and there was something in his eyes I wasn't used to seeing.
Not teasing. Not mocking.
.
.
Just... soft.
"You're staring," he murmured.
"I am not," I said way too quickly, turning my face away.
"You are."
I didn't reply, and neither did he.
The silence stretched—but it wasn't awkward. It was warm, like maybe we were both waiting for something… or maybe we already knew it was coming.
His hand brushed mine again. This time, he didn't move it away.
And neither did I.
The rain kept pouring, but under that tiny awning, the world felt still. Quiet. Like if I breathed too loud, I might break the moment.
His eyes flicked to mine. "You know," he said softly, "if I lean in right now, are you going to shove me again… or—"
SLAM
The sound of a door swinging open behind the shed made us both jump.
"OH MY GOD—am I interrupting something!?"
We practically leapt apart like guilty cartoon characters. I turned to see Mia—my classmate and occasional partner-in-homework-procrastination—standing with her umbrella half-open and eyes wide in complete shock.
"I was just—he was just—WE were just avoiding the rain!" I blurted, waving my hands like that would erase what she clearly saw.
Mia looked between us, eyebrows high, a grin slowly spreading. "Right. Sure. Looked like a very romantic kind of rain-avoidance."
Tom, cool as ever, casually leaned against the wall again and smirked. "You know, you really do ruin the mood, Mia."
"Good. That's what friends are for." She winked at me. "Anyway, the rain's slowing down. You two lovebirds can go back to making googly eyes later."
I groaned, covering my face.
Tom chuckled beside me. "I like her. She gets it."
"Shut up," I mumbled, cheeks burning as I stepped out into the drizzle.
But even with Mia's teasing, even with the rain soaking my shoes…
I couldn't stop smiling.
The next morning, I walked into school with my best this-is-totally-normal face.
I wasn't blushing. I wasn't thinking about how close Tom's face had been.
And I definitely wasn't thinking about the way his hand had stayed on mine. Or how I didn't hate it.
Nope. I was calm. I was cool. I was composed.
…Until Mia spotted me at my locker.
"Good morning, lovebird," she sang, leaning way too close.
"I will throw this book at you."
She gasped dramatically. "Violence won't erase the chemistry, Grace."
Before I could even roll my eyes properly, Ali—one of the girls from the student council—passed by and smiled way too knowingly. "So… you and Tom, huh?"
"What?!" I practically choked. "There is no me and Tom!"
"Hmm. Sure." She winked and walked away go to the classroom.
By the time I got to canteen, two more people had commented on "how cute" we looked in the rain, and someone had changed my name in the group chat to "Mrs. Almost-Rain-Kiss."
I dropped my head on the desk.
"This is a nightmare."
"Having a rough morning?" came that way-too-familiar voice behind me.
I didn't even look. "If you say lovebird, I will push you into a puddle."
Tom pulled out the chair beside me with a lazy grin. "I wasn't gonna say that. I was going to say future Mrs. Handsome."
"I hate you," I groaned, hiding my face in my hands.
He leaned in, voice low near my ear. "No you don't."
And unfortunately… my heartbeat agreed with him.
Mia was busy harassing someone else, the group chat had moved on to a meme war, and thankfully no one had called me Mrs. Anything in the last hour.
I found a quiet spot behind the library—a small bench hidden by overgrown hedges and a half-broken trellis. It was my favorite place to breathe when the day got too loud.
So naturally, fate sent Tom there too.
He appeared around the corner like he belonged there, hands in his pockets, gaze softer than usual.
I groaned. "Do you have a tracking device on me or something?"
He shrugged. "Maybe. Or maybe I just know where you run off to when you're overwhelmed."
That made me pause.
Usually, Tom's words were all sarcasm and smirks—but now his voice was quieter. Real.
He sat beside me, not too close this time. Not teasing. Just… present.
We sat in silence for a while, listening to the rustling leaves above us.
Then he spoke.
I know I joke around a lot. But yesterday... that moment under the rain? I wasn't just messing with you."
I blinked. Slowly turned my head.
He wasn't looking at me. He was staring out toward the garden wall, jaw tight, like it took effort to say.
"I wanted to lean in because... I wasn't sure when I'd get a moment like that again. You always look away. You always run." He laughed a little, but there was no smile. "But under that rain, for a second, you didn't."
My heart skipped.
He finally looked at me. Really looked.
"I know you think I'm full of myself—and maybe I am—but when it comes to you, Grace… I mean it."
The teasing mask was gone. Just Tom, bare and honest, with vulnerability peeking through the cracks in his usual confidence.
I didn't know what to say.
So I didn't.
Instead, I reached over quietly and plucked a tiny leaf out of his hair.
He blinked in surprise.
"Payback," I murmured.
He chuckled softly, but his eyes stayed on me. Warm. Gently.
And for once… I didn't look away.