Looking at Alex’s directions caused his stomach to twist and turn. She made him nervous. He didn’t know what to say or what to do when she was around. He would fear he would say something and she would laugh at him. She hasn’t, but there’s always a possibility.
He walks up to her, lip between his teeth. “Would you um. . . Would you care to go on a walk with me?”
Alex stares at him for a moment before looking up at the sky. The clouds clumped together like bits of cotton, thick and large. It looked like rain would come soon, but they hadn’t darkened in color yet. She supposed they had some time before then.
“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” he follows up.
Alex shakes her head. “No, it’s fine. It feels like it’ll rain today. I was estimating how long we had.”
The uneasiness he felt within himself grew stronger, tightening in his core. He swallows the lump in his throat before motioning for the female to move forward. She takes his motion and begins to walk.
°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
“Are you alright? You’ve barely spoken a word to me this entire walk,” Alex says, kicking at a rock. “It’s like you’re trying to court me.”
This causes him to stiffen.
“Dante, what’s going on?”
Letting someone down easy and defending your village are two different things. Strangely, defending a village is much easier than looking someone in the eye and telling them you are not interested.
“Well, I heard from someone that–well, um. This is only awkward because you've started to remind me like a sister. But Alex, I'm not into you like that.”
Alex is confused. She understood what she meant, but she was hoping she misunderstood what he was telling her. “. . . Like what?”
“Romantically. I'm sorry.”
Dante closes his eyes, giving himself deniability in the case he upset her. He didn't want to see her cry, so he refused to be able to see. Alex is quiet for a moment longer, changing her confused expression to angry.
“Who told you that stupid idea?”
Dante opens his eyes once again. “Well, Laurance said–”
Alex holds her hand up to cut him off. A few trickles of water tattered against the top of her head and shoulders. The two look up at the sky, seeing the darkened clouds suddenly dropping tears.
She shakes her head, taking a step towards the direction of shelter. “Laurance is an idiot. Don't listen to him about anything romantic.”
°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
It was peaceful in the guard residence. There was a recent shift change that happened prior to the rain starting. Not much happened in the rain, anyway.
Garroth stares out the window onto the pouring landscape. It had been raining for quite some time now, and it picked up rapidly into a downpour. He felt bad for anyone who was caught in it.
Laurance walks over to Garroth, placing a hand on his shoulder and looking out. “Wow, it's really pouring out there. Eh?”
“I'm glad my shift is over with. Imagine switching in this.”
This causes Laurance to laugh. “Dale is probably soaked.”
Garroth's lips curve up into a smile. He doesn't let out a laugh, but it was funny to remember Dale was on duty. Perhaps it'd sober him up.
Female rage ruins the aura of the room. The door slams, and stomping feet trail their way towards the two men. Garroth looks over, shock written on his face when he sees Alex dripping before him. His shock is overridden with uneasiness when he sees Dante trail in slowly behind him.
Laurance behinds to laugh at the sight, unable to form proper words. Garroth sneaks off to receive towels. He throws one towards Dante but gingerly wraps one around Alex's shoulders. He wasn't sure how he could touch her.
“What happened to you?” Laurance asks, a coherent sentence finally forming.
Dante lifts up his boot, watching drips of rain slide off the leather. It's considerably heavy. “It's more like what's going to happen to you,” he grumbles, tossing the boot in the corner.
Alex grips onto the towel, holding it tightly against her shoulders. “Because of you, Dante relieved a misconception that I was in love with me. When trying to turn me down, we got poured on.”
“Why would you take a walk in the rain?”
“Why would you lie?”
Laurance blinks. He didn't come to this on his own. Kandi had brought the change of her behavior to light, and Laurance connected the dots. How was he supposed to know it wasn't the case?
“I'm sorry, Al. I truly thought you had a romantic interest in Dante. You two worked so well together in training that I–”
He cuts himself off when he sees her glare. He pouts, hanging his head down.
“You know what would make this better? A biggggggg hug from my big brother.” Alex's smirk is evident in her voice, just like the puddle at her feet.
