21. “We’re in the middle of a thunderstorm and you wanna stop and feel the rain?”
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“Come on,” a low chuckle filled the damping air.
The heavens rumored, dark clouds above them and the sound of fast dropping rain almost covered up her voice.
He could still hear her clearly.
There was amusement in her movements, something that had turned out to be so rare. He was happy to find that within her again.
The last months had been not only stressful, but also very exhausting. She had lost someone close to her, even though ‘lost’ was not quite the right word. He had left. Sure, he left behind a bag full of money, but no matter how hard she tried, money wouldn’t fill up the guilt and betrayal.
She didn’t show it.
The young con-woman moved over to a small shelter. She was soaked, slightly freezing because of the cold air.
He didn’t follow up, instead he stood still, felt the rain dropping down on his body, his skin. The rain felt soothing yet forceful, energetic somehow. It reminded him of her and his mind wandered.
He was amazed by her sheer personality. Nothing seemed to touch her in a bad way. She worried about others but found the time and the strength to worry about herself as well. He lacked that talent and looked up to her.
“How long are you planning on standing there?” she asked, a quirky smile on her features. Teasing, taunting but in the most loving way and he was amazed again.
Vaughn couldn’t help himself but to feel drawn to Fiona from the moment they had met. She hadn’t noticed him that much, but that hadn’t been new. Vaughn had never been outstanding. He still wasn’t.
Vaughn was constantly looking for himself. He had found pieces of the person he was on Pandora, but the image didn’t look right yet. Not to him. Sometimes he wondered if it ever would. Fiona on the other hand was an almost finished piece. There was confidence in her. But not the kind that showed off. The kind that makes you either want to be her or want to be with her.
He wanted to be with her. She didn’t know about his feelings.
Fiona shook her head slowly. They had been out on something like a mission together. She was at her Vault Hunter training and he tagged along because there wasn’t much to do for him at the base. Or at least that was what she guessed and it didn’t really matter anyway.
Vaughn was there. He was standing a few meters from her while the rain kept on dripping down. The sky rumbled lowly and Fiona’s smile went softer.
“What are you doing Vaughn?” she asked as the other was still not moving a muscle while the rain soaked him in mercilessly.
“Eh ….”, he was dumb folded for a moment, smiling in an apologizing way, trying to save the conversation. “I am feeling … the … the … rain?”
His answers always sounded like questions, doubting and insecure. Fiona wanted to wash that insecurity out of his words. There was no reason for it, she thought.
“We’re in the middle of a thunderstorm and you wanna stop to feel the rain?”
Vaughn shifted, still soaked wet and chuckled faintly. “Mmmm.”, he made a sound. “Guess so.”
Fiona rolled her eyes and stepped out of her shelter, accompanied by another grumble from the sky.
Vaughn was incredible. He was the most goodhearted person Fiona had ever met. It amazed her how forgiving, how caring, how friendly and yet how balanced Vaughn was. He had come a long way from insecure accountant to Bandit Leader.
Fiona admired him and kept around him, hoping he could influence her heart that had to become rough in order to survive on Pandora.
She met him in the rain.
He didn’t know about her feelings.