Begone with the Thunderclap

Contest submission.

Rain pelts the thirsty Earth, giving back what it seeks the most. But you and I, as we watch the other shyly, know what we want. The water of life coats us, making our clothing stick to us like a second skin. I can already see you shiver some from the cold, but we don't want to move at this point. In the distance I can hear the roll of thunder as it grows close, the sky blackening like the breath of a sleeping dragon waking from a thousand-year-old rest. His wings blanket the sky, his fire coming to life in the lightning hitting the Earth's sweet, supple surface.

I move close, swallow back those fears of it all, and I stroke at your cheeks with my thumbs. I offer a smile, then press my lips against your own in a sweet, shy touch of pale flesh. Devotion, faith, and a rekindling heart seems to roar louder as I feel you kiss back, fears melting away with the rain's glistening touch. I press you against the car behind you, gentle as I let my heart flow it all out. I even feel tears welling up. It's been so long since I touched you, I cant believe my lips are really touching yours. Are you real? Are you my lover of so many years, lost in the tides of time? I feel you push me against the car, switching us, and I blush darkly along with a laugh in my throat, brushing hair from your eyes. The dragon above roars so loud, I tremble slightly, only to feel you curl up against my chest and tell me I'm safe.

I never felt more powerful.