The Sound of Rain

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Ethan sat at his favorite corner of the campus library, his notebook open, though he hadn't written a word in the last twenty minutes. The rhythmic patter of rain against the tall windows drowned out the soft murmurs of students, creating a cocoon of sound. He often found solace in the rain—it was predictable, unlike the turbulence of his thoughts.

"Mind if I sit here?"

Ethan looked up, startled, to find a tall boy with unruly dark hair and an easy smile standing beside the table. His hazel eyes sparkled like they held secrets Ethan wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"Uh, sure," Ethan mumbled, motioning to the seat across from him.

The boy sat down, pulling a sketchbook from his bag. Ethan tried not to stare, but the way the boy's fingers moved over the paper, confident and precise, was mesmerizing.

"I'm Leo, by the way," the boy said without looking up.

"Ethan," he replied, tucking a strand of brown hair behind his ear. "Are you an art major?"

Leo chuckled softly. "No, just a hobby. You?"

"English literature."

"Ah, the brooding writer type," Leo teased, his grin infectious. "What are you working on?"

Ethan hesitated. "A story, kind of."

"Let me guess—tragic romance?" Leo asked, tilting his head.

Ethan's cheeks flushed. "Not... tragic, exactly. Just complicated."

Leo set down his pencil and leaned forward, his gaze locking onto Ethan's. "Complicated can be beautiful."

The words lingered in the air between them, and Ethan found himself smiling despite his nervousness.

---

Over the next few weeks, Leo became a regular presence in Ethan's life. They would meet at the library, sometimes talking for hours, other times sitting in comfortable silence. Leo's sketches often found their way into Ethan's stories—a delicate hand reaching for an unseen light, a boy standing in the rain, his face turned skyward.

One evening, as the rain poured heavier than ever, they walked together under Leo's umbrella. The city lights reflected off the wet pavement, casting a golden glow around them.

"Do you ever feel like..." Leo began, his voice softer than usual, "like you're standing still while the world moves around you?"

Ethan nodded. "All the time."

Leo stopped walking and turned to face him. "But what if you didn't have to? What if you let someone stand still with you?"

Ethan's breath caught. The vulnerability in Leo's eyes mirrored his own, and for the first time, he didn't feel the urge to run from it.

"Like this?" Ethan asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Leo smiled, his umbrella tipping slightly as he leaned closer. "Exactly like this."

The rain blurred the world around them as their lips met—soft, tentative, and yet, undeniably certain. In that moment, standing together in the rain, complicated felt beautiful indeed.