Day One - Holding Hands

Lee had one thing going for her in the Grove: she had one friend. And it happened to be raining.

Day One - Holding Hands

The long, drizzling rain in the wet town was, well, expected by now. It never went long without a good rain, but that didn't bother the hazel gaze that watched it trickle down her window, chihuahua settled in her lap with those radar dish ears erect and alert. Glancing toward the sound of cursing, both dog and owner raised their heads and looked at Marie, the owner letting out a soft but gentle chuckle. Her eyed widened a bit at the choice of words, but she wasn't going to be angry; Marie did have a mouth on her sometimes, which only made the raven laugh a bit. Lee really did find Marie endearing and adorable, and it was nice to actually connect to someone for once after leaving her ties to family behind.

She raised her voice as the chihuahua put her black and brown head back down onto her owner's lap, those brown eyes curious as ever; "What?" she teased, "that? You've never seen a bitchy Ohio summer, then. Storms almost every day, then it'lll clear and just as soon as you want ta start somethin' again..." She trailed off for a moment, then smiled at her friend. "Then it starts all over again. You poor, poor California girl. Pampered in the good life, ain't ya?" The common and gentle fondness Lee spoke with around Marie was rare coming out of those lips, except to a few of her closest friends. She only spoke this way if her currently cursing friend was around to soothe Lee's loneliness. Sure, Lee had her small dog, but she did crave the attention of other gamers or, in the least, a fellow writer. Standing up and putting the sleeping chihuahua down onto the couch, Lee walked up to Maire with that classic playful smirk and glint in those speckled eyes.

"Hmm. I could walk you back," she started as she glanced outside at the proposed 'cats and dogs', "if you don't want to go alone. It's really not that far, and I do have an umbrella we can share." Lee offered a grin at Marie, then bumped the brunette's shoulder with her own. Lee might have been an outcast in her own hometown, but here she felt safer and less vulnerable. She didn't have anyone to hide from, and her best friend currently rubbing her belly all over the clean couch was helping that transition from outcast to a semi-normal lifestyle. Hazel orbs fell to the forest in the distance as she waited on Maire to reply to her question, her mind slipping to the small patchworks of Ohio's dotted woods that she had loved so much at home. This place was a haven for the recovering addict, and Marie didn't even know how much /she/ was helping in Lee's life. Recently, Marie was the one person Lee was wanting to see, even if it was just to watch a movie or show off a new and cutting-edge Final Fantasy game.

"Really? That's be great!" Marie's chipper reply had the rebellious raven smiling. On the desk in the front room laid a stack of music CDs, many of which she'd play for Maire sometime soon. Black Veil Brides, Motionless In White, Pierce the Veil, and Green Day were just a few names on the sides. Sure, her tastes in music wasn't exactly liked in Ohio, but she'd never cared then and wouldn't care now. Letting her eyes go back to Marie, the raven chuckled again before going to get the said umbrella, passing the desk and letting her eyes fall onto the current CD still laying out. She didn't move to touch it, however, and retrieved said umbrella. Okay, normally she'd never use this damn thing and just let herself get soaked to the bone on a walk; but she wasn't gonna let Marie get drenched just because Lee was a stubborn-minded rocker.

"Just so you know, we'll still probably get soaked. You do know that, right?" Marie asked as she grabbed her coat. Lee replied with a shrug and chuckled again.

"It's a risk I'm willing to take," she said as she zipped up the black hoodie and adjusted her collar; it was easy to choke oneself with the damn thing. "Come on." She grabbed the umbrella off the table and smiled warmly at Marie, "Gotta get ya back before eleven, right?" Marie gave Lee a smile, and the older woman only shook her head fond as she listened to Marie talk of Emma, going outside and trying to open said umbrella. It was about half as stubborn as the raven trying to open it. When it gave in and opened, it was shockingly smaller than Lee or Maire would have guessed.

"That's what I get for trusting the colour alone," Lee mumbled to herself, rolling her eyes slightly before looking at Marie. Well, this just got interesting. The two girls tried to fight for dominance over who would stay dry, and after locking up the apartment, they started their walk. It would be a wet one, Lee knew, but it would be a good reminder of why she'd left Ohio for this rainy place.

"I'm walking you 'ome; I insist you use it," Lee told the younger girl with a push of the umbrella over Marie's head. Marie frowned and stubbornly shoved the pitch-black umbrella back over Lee's head as they bickered. However, through it, the two girls kept trying to give the other the umbrella and both failed rather badly at it. Their hands touched constantly, but neither noticed this as they went on their walk, both still getting soaked in this long process of arguing in the icy rain. Sooner than Lee had expected but still thankful, they were soon at the doorsteps of Marie's college dorm. The two stopped the gentle bickering and looked at each other, blinking in surprise. Lee took in Marie's soaked form before laughing, grinning at her friend.

"Well... that didn't go as planned," she said, tone dripping with good-natured sarcasm. Marie laughed at the raven, and when Lee followed Marie's gaze with a questioning hum, her eyes went wide as she saw their fingers were entangled for either warmth or company, but either way they were clasped together.

The blush on Marie's face made the raven quickly pull back, her eyes going to the door before she laughed nervously. "Um... so how about you come in and we can dry your clothes? It shouldn't take long and I'm sure Emma wouldn't mind," Marie offered, and Lee shrugged slightly, unzipping her hoodie some and shaking out her hair. She was soaked, but it wasn't so bad. However, the invite made Lee relax some.

"Probably a good idea. You've got something for to weak until my clothes come out of the dryer, right?" Lee had to admit, Marie was very much so interesting; even when blushing like a fool, the girl was still ready to help out in any way she could.

"Of course," came the flitted reply as Marie opened the door with her ID card, and Lee followed the younger girl inside. The comment from Marie about an Emma scolding made Lee chuckle softly, but she wasn't going to mind that at all. Taking off her jacket and folding up the umbrella, she wondered silently to herself what her younger friend was thinking in her own mind. Lee didn't like physical touches very much, but with Marie, it was sweet and natural. Glancing at Emma with bright eyes and a fond smile, Lee only stood against the door with her arms crossed, one leg resting over the other in a calm fashion as Emma stared on them, a smirk playing at the rocker's lips. This wasn't so bad, honestly, and she knew Emma would get on her for letting the younger Marie get soaked. However, most of it was ignored as Lee watched Marie curiously, still wondering exactly what her little ray of California sunshine was thinking about, and if it was the same thoughts that ran through Lee's own mind.

"I know," came the distracted reply from Lee as Emma droned about being late, "but at least I got 'er 'ome, yeah?"

Author's Note

These are original characters, so please do ask permission before using! Thank ya.