The next day was a rainy one. Dark and somber clouds gathered heavily across the sky, blocking out the sunlight. The rain made soft clicking noises as it fell down the window by which Darcy sat. She watched it with the awe of a child while her professor rambled on about Romantic poetry. While her classmates wrote about Wordsworth, Darcy lived his words. She loved rain. There was always something nostalgic about rain for her. If asked, she would not be able to describe this feeling of familiarity. But the smell, the sound, the sublime of rain; it made her feel as though she was one with the universe.

She had purposefully forgotten her umbrella before she left the dorm, though she also loved the sound the rain made against the fabric.  As soon as the lecture was over, Darcy skipped cheerfully out of her college, surrendering herself to the cold and gentle touch of the weeping skies. She watched with superiority how everyone either covered themselves or ran away, or both. Weaklings. Nothing beats an after-rain cold, Darcy thought, already thinking about stopping by a pharmacy to buy cold medicine. Arriving at her new-favorite spot, which was at the back of the campus, Darcy sat under the roof of a backdoor that no one used anymore. She hugged her wet jeans to her chest, and watched the rain for a while. Her phone rang and Darcy frowned. She hated when people interrupted her precious time with rain. As annoyed as she claimed to be, she automatically smiled bashfully once she read the contact’s name.

“Hey...”

“Was it you walking slowly in the rain outside? I saw you from my window.” Quinn laughed through the phone.

“Yeah, probably.”

“Did you forget your umbrella? Dummy.”

“Well yeah, on purpose.” Darcy chuckled mischievously, “I really like rain, you see.”

“I’d like to hear you say that when your snot’s rolling down your mouth.” Quinn’s voice sounded vibrant.

“Then stop by a couple of days from now, and I’ll let you hear it.”

“About that, can I stop by today?” Hearing Darcy’s soft gasp, he added, “We can just hang out, you know? No need to get all stiff.” Quinn was all smiles as he talked. 

“That sounds a little suspicious.” Darcy teased, internally thinking about ordering pizza later.

“I got no inner motives, I swear.” Quinn defended himself. “Though I might just steal a kiss or two, so be warned.” He heard Darcy chuckle through the phone, and it made his heart all fuzzy.

“Sure. When will you come?”

“Now? If you’re free, that is. I am skipping my lectures today.”

“Why are you skipping them?”

“I don’t wanna go out. Rain will fuck up my hair.”

Darcy scoffed at this. “But wouldn’t you go out anyway? You can’t teleport to my place, can you?”

“Okay fine. I just don’t wanna go to college. Sue me.” Quinn confessed.

“Thought so. Anyway, I am free but I am not in my dorm yet. So if you like we can meet in front of my room.”

“Hmmm...” Quinn seemed to consider this suggestion. “You’re at your usual spot, right? Then I can just go there and we can go to your place together.” Darcy sighed.

“We can be seen, dumbass. We gotta keep this a secret, remember?”

“Right.” Quinn fell silent for a moment. “Well, in that case, I’ll wait for you in front of your room.”

“Okay. See you.”

When Darcy got up to leave, the rain got heavier, as though not wanting her to go. Alas, this only excited Darcy more. She jumped right into a puddle, and shivered at the feeling of her socks getting wet. She then laughed to herself, and began walking towards the dorm.

Quinn, who was covered from head to toe and had a closed dripping umbrella by him, stared in surprise at the sight of a disheveled and drenched Darcy arriving to the door. Her steps made faint squeaks, and left wet marks on the hall. Her face, however, was flushed in a child-like excitement, and her eyes beamed with happiness. Quinn’s surprise melted into a loving smile.

“You’re soooo gonna get sick.”

Darcy sniffed and grinned at him, then turned to open the door. The two got in, and Quinn placed his umbrella in an empty corner. Darcy walked to sit on the bed, but Quinn pulled her back.

“Hey, are you serious? Go take a shower. I’ll wait for you.” He scolded.

“Don’t wanna. If I take a shower I won’t smell like rain anymore.” Darcy pouted.

“Rain-freak.” He teased, smiling. “At least change your clothes and dry your hair.”

“Ugh, fine, mom.” She began to remove her sweater, but then saw Quinn’s excited smile. “Turn around.”

The smile melted into a pout. “But I’ve already seen you naked. Where’s the problem?” He whined in a boyish manner.

“Geez, I swear, men.” As she was feeling neither particularly embarrassed nor bold, Darcy turned her back towards Quinn, and removed her soaked sweater. With one swift throw, the fabric joined its fallen friends in the laundry basket. Feeling Quinn’s silent eyes on her skin, she shivered slightly, and, with a racing heart, walked towards the closet, taking out a new pair of undergarments and her warm baggy pajamas.

“Oh man. Can I hug you?” His sudden voice startled her. Darcy glanced at him. “No.” She stuck out her tongue at him. “You can only hug me after I wear my clothes.”

Quinn crossed his arms like a stubborn child. “Fine.” With a smile, Darcy proceeded to take off her pants, socks and shoes. It was only a matter of time before they joined the god-forsaken basket. She was now only wearing her underwear. A sneeze escaped her before she got to remove them. She heard Quinn’s footsteps. And then, there was a sudden overwhelming warmth engulfing her.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help it.” His face was on her shoulder, and his arms locked on her waist. His body was too warm to resist, and Darcy leaned back against him, savoring the sensation. Quinn kissed her neck and jaw line. Darcy hummed pleasantly, placing her own hands on his.

“I need to change.” She commented, relaxing on his shoulder.

“Yeah, you do. But I don’t wanna let go.” Quinn muttered softly, rubbing his lips against her neck seductively. Darcy shivered.

“Just for a moment, then.”

The two stood in front of Darcy’s closet soaking in each other’s warmth until Darcy sneezed again. Quinn instantly released her, and unhooked her bra hurriedly.

“Hurry up. You’ll really catch a cold at this rate.”

Darcy was surprised at how easily he undid her bra, and it reminded her that Quinn was used to doing these things. This invited dark clouds to gather in her own skies. Darcy silently removed her wet underwear and put on the new one.

“Is something wrong?” Asked Quinn, feeling the atmosphere change around her.

“Nope.” She replied coldly, putting on her yellow pajamas. Quinn frowned in confusion. She had been cheerful just a moment ago. Did he do something wrong? Before he asked again, Darcy turned towards him with a smile.

“I’ll order some pizza.” As she picked up her phone from the nightstand and dialed the number, she thought bitterly that these things were only firsts for her. Feeling her throat starting to burn, she tried to distract herself by focusing on her phone. They had already had that conversation, she told herself, so why was she still so hurt by it? The cracks on the screen reflected her fragmented expression.

Feeling Quinn appear at her back again, she flinched and shut her eyes. He placed his arms at each side of the nightstand, caging her against him.

“What’s wrong, Darcy?” He repeated, now in a worried whisper. His voice was so close to her ear that she trembled slightly.

“...N-nothing.” She muttered weakly, lowering her head.

“You have to tell me, or I won’t know.” He kissed her nape tenderly.

“It’s nothing, really...” She pressed the dialing option, and brought the phone to her ear. The employee’s monotone voice somehow relieved her. It was easier to act calm now. She glanced at Quinn.

“What do you want to eat?”

“... Anything is fine.” He was not convinced; she could tell. The man on the phone asked her again what she wanted to order, and suddenly, Darcy could no longer talk. Shoving the phone to Quinn, she rushed out of his arms, and sat down on her bed. Quinn watched her with concern as she dried her hair in a towel, while he made the order. Placing the phone back on the nightstand, he sat next to her.

The weight of his gaze only unnerved her more. She didn’t want him to think that she was childish. But at the same time, she couldn’t convince herself that whatever happened in the past no longer mattered. She had wanted to be Quinn’s first as well and she could not deny it.

“Darcy_”

“How... how is Karl?” She jumped at the first topic that came to her mind. Quinn’s eyes darkened slightly.

“Is this because of Karl? Was he stalking you today too?”

“No! it has nothing to do with him! Rather, it’s nothing in the first place.”

“Darcy, I think I have enough experience to know what a girl’s ‘nothing’ means.” To say the least, that was not the best thing Quinn could have said.