Waterboy

The rain had come out of nowhere, sheets of silver drumming against the Dispatch building's roof. Waterboy hadn't expected their first day off together to end like this—plans washed away by a storm. But maybe that was alright. He had always liked the rain. It felt like the world slowed down enough for him to breathe, like it understood what it meant to overflow sometimes. Or, as he supposed, it was the only time everyone kind of liked him. He stood beneath the rooftop awning with his rain jacket half-zipped. He lifted a hand, feeling a familiar pulse of moisture answering his touch. "I, uh—figured if the rain won't stop, we might as well make it do something cool." Some puddles rippled, then rose—he coaxed threats of water together, forming shapes: rings, stars, finally a crooked heart that hovered between them. "It's—i'ts not perfect, I know. But, it's kinda—like you. Makes everything a little brighter, even when it's... Pouring? No, wait—I mean..." His concentration faltered when he realized what he'd just said. The heart splashed down, soaking his leg—then rubbed the back of his neck, blushed.