Page 30 of After the Rain
Rain has been fidgeting in his seat and picking at his fingers the whole way here. We arrived at the station five minutes ago, and he hasn’t taken his eyes off the entrance to the station. Corey’s train is due any minute. It can’t come quickly enough. I just want to get them both home, where I know where I am and who is around and can keep them safe.
Nash, Archer, and Cole offered to come with us this morning. They all came over last night for pizza to keep us distracted. Sam, Chris, and Poppytoo. Wren stayed at home for some reason that Rain seemed to know. I know I need to sit down with Wren at some point, but right now, I have to be a bit selfish and focus on Rain. Quite what my brothers thought they would do if trouble followed Corey, I don’t know. Whip out a weapon and go hell for leather on the cunts?They’d have to get in fucking line,I think to myself.
I reach over and take Rain’s hands in mine to stop him from making them bleed with his stress fidgeting. He looks at me and I see so many emotions on his face. Gratitude, anticipation, nerves. All of those, but the one that I hate the most is the fear in his eyes. Fenside Common, our house, and the boat yard have become safe spaces for Rain since he arrived. He has settled seamlessly with my friends and family, and he even has Pax wrapped around his little finger. Pax, who is snoring in the back seat, his head directly behind Rain, as close as he can get to him without climbing into the front.
“It’s going to be fine. I promise.” He nods jerkily, and I know he doesn’t believe me. I don’t blame him, as that is a promise I can onlyhopeis true.
Movement catches my attention from the corner of my eye, and I turn to see a young man emerge from the station. He has a black backpack over his shoulder, a pair of very scruffy skinnyjeans and a pair of chunky Dr. Martens boots on his feet that make them look out of proportion with his skinny frame. A frame that is drowning in an oversized hoodie and a green parka with a fur-trimmed hood. The hood covers almost his whole face, and if Rain hadn’t leapt out of the car at the first sign of him, I wouldn’t have been entirely sure that this was the right person, given that I can’t even see his face.
I watch as Rain rushes across the car park and the man, Corey, drops his backpack to the floor before he’s engulfed in Rain’s arms. The grip they have on each other is tight, and I can see the slight shake of both their bodies with what I can only imagine are tears. I hop down out of the Land Rover and open the back door to attach Pax’s lead. He jumps down and sticks close to my side as I head over to join Rain and Corey. As I approach, I see Corey tense, his face visible now that he’s pulled his hood down. Rain looks over his shoulder quickly and visibly relaxes, a smile spreading across his cheeks. Rain pulls away from Corey, keeping hold of one of his hands as he leans into me, and I put my arm around him.
“Corey, this is my… Aidan. My Aidan. I’ve been staying with him, and we’re…” I don’t step in and label us in front of Corey. That’s Rain’s decision if, and when, he wants people to know what we are to each other. We know. The people closest to me know. And if the only friend he has in the world doesn’t know, then I am fine with that. Totally fine. Yep. Not a probl—
“You’re in love?” Corey asks, perceptively. Rain blushes and clears his throat with a cough wrapped around a laugh.
“Uhm…yes. I am. Very much.” He leans into me, and I let out the deep breath I hadn’t realised I was holding.
“It’s nice to meet you, Corey. I’m glad you’re here safely.” I hold my hand out to the smaller man, and he takes it in his. His hand is soft and delicate, but his grip is strong.
“Well, you’re a massive improvement,” he mutters under his breath before saying, louder this time, “thank you for inviting me. I er, was really up shit creek there for a minute.” I smile reassuringly at him.
“We’ll get it all sorted. Let’s go and get home. This is Pax, by the way. He’s a great big softy.” Corey leans down to scratch Pax’s ears, and I know that he’s immediately won my dog over. It’s a good job Pax is an unofficial emotional support animal and not a fucking guard dog. He’d be shit at his job if that were the case.
We make our way back over to the Land Rover, and Corey and Pax climb into the back seat, my dog immediately going back to sleepwith his head on Corey’s lap, his eyes wary as if he can sense the anxiety Corey must be feeling. He’s not alone. I think we’re all a bit on edge. I take another look around while Rain gets into the passenger seat. I can’t see any suspicious black cars with tinted windows or white transit vans for utility companies parked out of place in his rural train station car park on a random Wednesday morning in December. There are a handful of passengers dressed in business wear visible through the glass building waiting on the platform, and a couple more queueing up at the coffee van that is parked up in the corner of the car park under the trees. It’s fucking freezing today, so I’m not surprised people want a hot drink before they catch their trains.
Satisfied that nothing is amiss, I climb up into the car and head towards home.
We turn into the roughshod driveway that leads to our house. It still hits me every time I think that this is, in fact, our house. Since the very first day Rain arrived, it has felt entirely right that he’s here, in my space, in my life, in my home. Our home. Fuck. I feel like the biggest shit in the world that I can be glad he came into my life while knowing that the only reason it happened is because of the shit he went through. The pain. The fear. I have to reconcile myself to the factthat he was going through all that anyway. It had already happened. I can only thank any and every deity that may or may not exist that when he escaped, and put his finger on that map, he ended up here.
I pull up in my parking spot next to the workshop, and we all pile out of the car, Pax immediately running over to the open door of the workshop to find the source of the high-pitched mechanical sound of sanding that we can hear. I had a feeling that my brothers, and probably Wren, would all make an early appearance today, curiosity just too much for them to ignore. I hear the sanding stop and Pax’s satisfied grumbles telling me he’s been spotted by whoever is already here. I turn and watch Rain leading Corey up the steps into the house, a deep satisfaction filling me when he looks over his shoulder to catch my eye. I smile and gesture for him to go on ahead. He knows I won’t be far behind him. I never am.
A second later, I hear the sliding door of the workshop open and am only mildly surprised when not only Archer and Cole, but Nash as well, emerge. While Cole and Archer are wearing their usual work clothes, Nash is not wearing his. He lives in button-down shirts and chinos when he’s working, but today he’s wearing a form-fitting pair of dark jeans and a navy, knitted, zip-front cardigan with a roll neck that admittedly, looksgood on him.
“Morning,” I say, a hint of resignation in my voice. “I’m not sure if it’s a good idea for Corey to be bombarded with everyone all at once.” They all nod in agreement.
“We just wanted to be here. Just in case,” Archer says.
“Yeah, if somehow he was followed, we wanted to make sure that you weren’t just here with the two of them. We brought the muscle,” Cole adds with a glimmer of his usual cheeky humour in his voice. I appreciate the gesture more than I can say, although the thought of Rain dancing in his studio, his body extended away from the pole as if it defied gravity, reminds me that he is stronger than he looks.
“Rain is pretty strong.” I can’t help but defend Rain, even though I know it’s ridiculous and totally unnecessary. “I don’t think he was followed. I was looking, but there was nobody around.” My brothers all nod, and I hear more than one exhale in relief.
“Right well, we’ll stay out here working, but maybe give us a shout for a cuppa in a bit so we can say hi? Depending on how he’s doing?” Archer says tentatively.
“Yeah. Sounds good. He seems OK, I just want to let him settle in. The Fosters can be a lotwhen we pile in together,” I say around a laugh.
“Shall I come in and see if he’s OK? You know, physically?” Nash asks.
“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea. C’mon.” I slap Archer and Cole on their shoulders before I turn away to head inside, Nash at my side.
As we enter the house, the lights from the Christmas tree twinkle their bright colours and the few gifts we have put under the tree so far add to the festive picture. I can hear the rumble of the kettle boiling and Rain’s quiet voice in the kitchen.
“…amazing. He’s so kind and sweet. Honestly, the complete opposite of him. His family will no doubt all turn up for some reason or other today, but they actually will just want to meet you and make sure for themselves that you’re OK. They’re all really lovely. I feel like, I dunno, like…”
“Like you have a family,” Corey says.
“Yeah,” Rain whispers. “It’s really fucking nice.” I hear a few wet sniffs, and when I enter the kitchen, they both wipe their eyes, Rain moving into my arms in an instant. He leans in and tilts his face up to me for a kiss. I oblige, happily, only now feeling like I can settle after the eventful twenty-four hours we just got through. Rain spots movement over my shoulder as Nash walksin.
“Told you,” Rain says over his shoulder to Corey, who laughs quietly before choking on the sound. He gazes at Nash with wide eyes and an open mouth.
