KIRO’S STORY / CHAPTER 09 OF 36
Warm
by hasira · about 10 min read
The rain had gotten heavier.
At first it had only been a few drops hitting the roof around them.
Now it was constant.
Kiro and Susie were still sitting where they had been before.
Empty mugs beside them.
The town below was wet and dark.
Streetlights reflected across the roads.
Farther away, the forest had almost completely disappeared into the evening.
Only the tops of the pines were still visible.
A flash appeared somewhere behind the trees.
Susie looked toward it.
A few seconds later...
Thunder.
Low.
Distant.
Kiro's ears lifted.
Susie glanced at him.
“You saw that?”
“Yeah.”
Another flash.
Kiro watched the horizon.
He smiled slightly.
Susie noticed.
“You like storms?”
Kiro shrugged.
“Kind of.”
“Kind of?”
“I like them when I'm not standing in the middle of one.”
Susie looked around.
“We're sitting on a roof.”
Kiro paused.
“...Right.”
She laughed.
The rain got worse.
Drops started hitting Kiro's shoulders and running through the fur around his ears.
Susie's hair was getting wet too.
Another flash.
Brighter this time.
Thunder followed only a few seconds later.
Susie rubbed her paws together.
“It's getting fucking cold.”
Kiro glanced at her.
“Already?”
Susie looked at him.
“We've been sitting on a wet roof for how long?”
Kiro looked toward the forest.
“I thought you liked it.”
“I do.”
Another cold drop landed in Susie's hair.
She pushed it away.
“I can like it and still be freezing.”
Kiro smiled slightly.
“Fair.”
Another flash lit the trees.
Thunder followed a few seconds later.
Susie stood and looked toward the window.
“We should go inside.”
Kiro stayed seated for another moment.
He looked toward the forest one last time.
Orange and red leaves moved between the dark pines.
Rain blurred everything farther away.
“Yeah. Probably.”
Susie climbed through the window first.
Kiro stayed outside for another few seconds.
Cold rain hit his face.
Wind moved through his ears.
Thunder rolled across the sky.
He liked it.
Then a drop went directly into his eye.
“Fuck.”
He climbed inside.
Susie looked at him.
“Beautiful moment?”
“Shut up.”
Kiro closed the window.
Immediately, everything changed.
The storm was still loud.
Rain against the house.
Thunder somewhere outside.
But now there was glass between them and it.
Warm air surrounded Kiro again.
Susie looked through the window.
Another flash lit the room.
Thunder followed almost immediately.
“That's getting closer.”
Kiro nodded.
“Yeah.”
She checked her phone.
Then looked outside again.
Kiro noticed.
“You planning to go through the forest in that?”
Susie smiled slightly.
“I was considering my options.”
“Your options are getting soaked or getting fucking electrocuted.”
“That's only two.”
“You can also get lost.”
“Three. Nice.”
Kiro stared at her.
Susie laughed.
Another crack of thunder shook the window slightly.
Kiro rubbed the back of his neck.
“You could just stay here tonight.”
Susie looked at him.
Kiro immediately continued.
“On the couch.”
Her mouth moved slightly.
Kiro's ears lowered.
“Don't.”
“I didn't say anything.”
“You were going to.”
“I was going to ask if you're sure.”
“Oh.”
He looked away.
“Yeah.”
A pause.
“I mean, unless you really want to walk home through that.”
Lightning filled the room again.
Susie looked toward the window.
Then back at him.
“I think I can survive one night on your couch.”
“Probably.”
“Very reassuring.”
“It's a decent couch.”
“You've really sold it.”
Kiro smiled slightly.
Something warm moved through his chest.
Small.
Immediate.
Don't.
He ignored it.
For once.
They started downstairs.
Halfway there, Kiro stopped.
Susie almost walked into him.
“What?”
Kiro looked back at her.
“If you're staying anyway...”
“Yeah?”
“We could watch something.”
“A movie?”
Kiro nodded.
“Unless you want to go directly to sleep at...”
He checked his phone.
“...9:30 PM.”
Susie looked offended.
“I'm not eighty.”
“Don't know.”
“Fuck you.”
Kiro smiled.
“So, movie?”
“Movie.”
Kiro made himself another hot chocolate.
Susie chose tea.
By the time they sat down, the storm had gotten worse.
Rain hammered against the windows.
Wind moved through the trees outside.
Every few minutes, lightning turned the entire living room white.
Kiro turned the lights off.
Susie looked at him.
“Planning something?”
“Better for movies.”
“That's exactly what somebody planning a murder would say.”
Kiro handed her the tea.
“You know where the door is.”
Thunder cracked outside.
Susie looked toward the window.
Then back at him.
“Actually, I don't anymore.”
“Thought so.”
They sat on opposite sides of the couch.
Kiro picked up the remote.
One movie.
Next.
Another.
Next.
Susie watched him.
Five minutes passed.
“Kiro.”
“What?”
“Pick something.”
“I'm choosing.”
“No. You're judging pictures.”
“That's how choosing works.”
Another movie.
Next.
“Kiro.”
“It's been like six minutes.”
“It has been eleven.”
He looked at her.
“You counted?”
“I started worrying.”
Kiro ignored her.
A romance appeared.
He skipped it immediately.
Susie slowly turned toward him.
Kiro noticed.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Don't.”
“I didn't say anything.”
“Your face did.”
“What did my face say?”
“Something annoying.”
Susie smiled.
Then held out her paw.
“Remote.”
“No.”
“Kiro.”
“I can choose a fucking movie.”
“You clearly can't.”
Thunder cracked outside.
Kiro looked toward the window.
Susie stole the remote.
“Hey.”
“You were distracted.”
“Give it back.”
“No.”
“Susie.”
She was already scrolling.
Less than a minute later, she stopped.
An old horror movie.
Terrible cover.
A dark house.
Something badly edited standing behind it.
Kiro stared.
“This looks fucking awful.”
“Perfect.”
“How?”
“If it's good, we watch it.”
Susie pressed play.
“If it's bad, we make fun of it.”
Kiro considered that.
“...Fair.”
The movie was bad.
Very bad.
Someone on screen slowly walked toward a basement door.
Kiro frowned.
“Don't.”
The character opened it.
Kiro sighed.
“Fucking idiot.”
Susie laughed.
“You say that like you wouldn't do the exact same thing.”
“I absolutely wouldn't.”
“You climbed through a window onto a wet roof.”
“That's completely different.”
“How?”
Kiro looked at her.
“...Shut up.”
Susie laughed again.
Kiro smiled.
For a while, everything was easy.
The movie was stupid.
The storm was loud.
His drink was warm.
Susie kept insulting the characters.
Kiro joined her.
He stopped thinking about whether he was talking too much.
Whether she was bored.
Whether she was only staying because the weather forced her to.
Just for a while.
A character walked into another obviously dangerous room.
Kiro pointed at the television.
“If he dies, that's his fault.”
“He definitely dies.”
“I hope he dies.”
“That's mean.”
“He's had seven opportunities to leave.”
The character turned around.
Something appeared behind him.
At the exact same moment, thunder cracked directly above the house.
Susie jumped.
Kiro looked at her.
She immediately pointed at him.
“Don't.”
His smile grew.
“I didn't say anything.”
“You were about to.”
“I absolutely was.”
She pushed his shoulder.
Kiro laughed.
Actually laughed.
Susie looked at him for a second.
Then back at the movie.
Kiro's smile stayed a little longer.
Don't.
He took another drink.
Somewhere around the middle of the movie, Susie shifted.
Their knees touched.
Kiro noticed immediately.
His body went slightly stiff.
Susie noticed too.
She moved her leg away.
“Sorry.”
Kiro looked at her.
“What?”
“You froze.”
“Oh.”
She shifted farther to her side of the couch.
“My bad.”
Kiro stared at the space she had created.
He didn't like it.
“No.”
Susie looked over.
Kiro swallowed.
“You didn't do anything.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah.”
A pause.
“I just...”
He stopped.
Susie waited.
Kiro shook his head.
“Nothing.”
She didn't ask.
Good.
They kept watching.
Kiro tried to focus on the movie.
He lasted maybe five minutes.
Then he shifted slightly.
Their knees touched again.
This time because of him.
Susie noticed.
He knew she did.
She said nothing.
Even better.
Kiro stared at the television.
His heart was beating a little faster.
Not panic.
Nothing close.
Just enough that he noticed.
Don't.
He swallowed.
The movie continued.
The storm got worse.
Rain hammered against the roof.
The thunder was close enough now that sometimes only a second or two passed after the lightning.
Susie jumped again.
Kiro didn't even need to look at her this time.
“Shut up.”
“I haven't said anything.”
“I can feel you smiling.”
“That's impressive.”
She pushed his shoulder again.
When she settled back, she didn't move as far away.
Their shoulders touched.
Kiro noticed.
Of course he did.
But this time he didn't freeze.
Not completely.
A few minutes passed.
Then ten.
The contact slowly stopped feeling like something he had to monitor.
It was just there.
Warm.
Susie yawned.
Kiro glanced at her.
“Tired?”
“No.”
“You just yawned.”
“Didn't happen.”
“Sure.”
“You passed out at a birthday party like four hours ago. You're not allowed to judge me.”
Kiro looked at her.
“Fair.”
Susie smiled.
The movie continued.
Another quiet stretch.
Kiro realized she hadn't insulted anybody on screen for several minutes.
That was suspicious.
Then Susie shifted.
Her head rested against his shoulder.
Kiro stopped moving.
Completely.
He stared straight ahead.
Every part of his body suddenly became noticeable.
His shoulder.
His neck.
His paws.
His legs.
How he was breathing.
How close she was.
Her hair lightly touching the side of his face.
Move.
Kiro didn't.
Susie didn't react either.
Maybe she had done it without thinking.
Maybe she was still watching.
A minute passed.
Then another.
Kiro carefully looked down.
Her eyes were closed.
“...Susie?”
Nothing.
Kiro stared at her.
She was asleep.
“Oh.”
He looked toward the television.
Then back at her.
She was supposed to sleep here anyway.
On the couch.
Just not...
on him.
Kiro could wake her.
Tell her to lie down properly.
Go upstairs.
Bring her a pillow.
Something normal.
Wake her up.
He didn't.
His shoulder was already becoming uncomfortable.
His mug was on the table, just far enough away that reaching it would move her.
The remote was beside Susie's leg.
Also useless.
Kiro stayed still.
This is weird.
“You're weird.”
He whispered toward himself.
Susie moved slightly.
Kiro froze.
She only settled closer.
His ears lowered.
“...Great.”
The movie continued without him.
He had no idea what was happening anymore.
Someone screamed.
Something broke.
Kiro didn't care.
He looked at Susie again.
Slow breathing.
Relaxed face.
Nothing she needed from him.
No problem.
No request.
No midnight message asking him to fix something.
She wasn't crying and telling him he was the only person who understood.
She was just asleep.
Because she was tired.
Because she felt comfortable enough to fall asleep beside him.
Against him.
Something warm moved through Kiro's chest.
His head reacted immediately.
Don't get attached.
Kiro looked back at the television.
You know how this ends.
“No.”
The word was barely audible.
The credits started a few minutes later.
Susie didn't wake.
The television returned to its menu.
The room became quieter.
Only the storm remained.
Rain.
Wind.
Thunder.
And Susie's breathing.
Kiro closed his eyes for a moment.
She'll wake up.
“Obviously.”
Another flash filled the room.
She'll leave.
That one stayed.
Kiro looked down at her.
Of course she would.
Morning would come.
The storm would stop.
Susie would wake up.
She would go home.
That wasn't the same as disappearing.
Kiro knew that.
At least logically.
His head wasn't convinced yet.
Everyone leaves.
Kiro's expression changed.
He looked toward the dark window.
“No.”
Silence.
Thunder rolled across the sky.
Eventually.
Kiro swallowed.
Then looked at Susie again.
She was still there.
Right now.
That had to be enough.
Kiro slowly relaxed his shoulder beneath her.
A little.
Careful not to wake her.
His eyes moved toward the stairs.
His bed was upstairs.
He didn't.
Instead, he rested his head against the back of the couch.
A few minutes passed.
His eyes became heavy.
Another flash.
Another long roll of thunder.
Kiro listened.
The storm was loud.
Really loud.
For once...
louder than everything inside his head.
He closed his eyes.
Don't get used to this.
Kiro stayed where he was.
“...Shut up.”