Of course it was raining.
It was fitting after all.
The thunderous downpour at least masked the tear tracks staining your cheeks, the recent news of your boyfriends infidelity evident in the way your lower lip trembled, eyes hooded as your head hung forward. Your arms wrapped around yourself as you sat on the porch of his house, pathetically waiting for the rain to ease up before you drove home.
It was supposed to be your last year of college spring break; you'd bought a pricey last minute plane ticket to fly out to your home town to surprise him, only to find another girl laid up in his bed, sheets covering the secret affair he'd been seeing on the side while you were away studying. The girl had awkwardly slipped out of the house amidst the screaming match between the two of you, before he ultimately got in his car and drove away.
Leaving you sitting on his porch. Alone.
Seconds dragged into excruciatingly long minutes, the rain unrelenting as it sinks into your clothes, clinging to your skin in damp discomfort. The sun was long gone, the bitter cold sinking in only furthering the ache settling in your chest, a cruel reminder of your broken relationship.
Bright headlights slowing down in front of his house has your head tipping up, being met with a large 4x4 truck rolling into the driveway. The engine cutting has you internally groaning, the unfortunate chain of events just rubbing everything that could go wrong in your face.
The heels of your palms are quick to erase the slick streaks on your cheeks, the shadowed figure walking up the steps slowing down as his features come into view under the porch light, his head tipping slightly. The military duffel bag is slung over his broad shoulder, his eyes drinking in the sight in front of him.
It had been a while since he'd seen you, your departure to University having left little time for home visitations. He notices your weak attempt at trying to rid the evidence of your sorrows, making his eyebrows pull as he stops in front of you.
"Hallo, Fräulein. What are you doing out here in the cold?" His deep voice rumbles in slow hesitation, head turning over his shoulder as he notices the absense of his son's car.
"Um, I'm just waiting on the rain to ease up. I shouldn't be long, I'm sorry," you mumble out nervously, fingers sliding down your shins as you gaze up at him, his eyes gazing right into your glassy ones. His teeth sink against the side of his tongue slightly as he looks over his shoulder once more, before returning his gaze to you.
"Why don't you wait inside? I can make you some tea? And you can tell me how to punish my son while we're at it," he says with a subtle grin on his face, making your eyebrows raise, sniffling slightly as you feel a warmth creep up your neck, threatening to visualize in a soft pink on your cheeks.
His hand extends out, watching as your smaller hand grabs onto his, the seeping cold radiating from you making him quickly unlock the door. His hand falls from yours to gently rest on your lower back as you step inside before him, making your breath subtly hitch. He shuts it as he tosses his duffel bag down, biting the inside of his lip to hide the conflicting thoughts inside of his head.
"How long have you known?"
Your voice catches him off guard, sighing as he steps out of his combat boots, running a hand through his rain damp hair. He isn't sure how to start explaining, his hands falling back at his side as he looks at you again.
"A couple months. His mother and I recently divorced and he took it pretty badly. It doesn't excuse his actions, of course, but I'm sorry you had to find out by coming all the way out here," he says, his words meticulously calculated as he watches your facial expressions change from shock to realization, not missing the warm blush on your cheeks despite the freezing cold.
