Prologue

His breath caught in his throat. Her heart was beating so fast it felt like it was not moving at all. They pressed a little tighter, closer together. He could feel the heat of her skin upon his own. She could feel the pressure of his fingers in the small of her back, so hard she was sure they would leave indentations upon her skin. His heart was beating ferociously, he could hear it in his ears, in the air around. He was flushed with embarrassment as a realization came that it was beating so loudly, she could probably hear it too. Her hands slid over his arms, his shoulders and around to the back of his neck, fingers grasping at his skin and his hair, curling into it. She tugged and he become more forceful as a result.1

Her body was slammed back against the wall, but she hardly felt a thing. His hips pressed tight against her own, the fabric achingly obvious between the two of them. Their breathlessness changed now, into a series of shaky sighs and ragged gulps. The tears which had previously been stinging her eyes began to fall from them. Rolling over the curve of her cheek, dampening her face. He could feel the salty taste of them against her lips as they created more moisture there. His tongue slowly slid across, lapping them up. Just the taste of her tears bought a lump to his throat. Somehow, he managed to swallow it back. 2

She was pashing back, desperate, aching for him in every possibly kind of way. Desperate for the kiss to continue, never to end. Wanting to hold. Wanting to talk. Wanting to smile or cry, laugh or shout, anything. As long as it was with him. 3

Thunder clapped around the heavens, echoing in the empty streets, dancing down the alleyways. The lightening quickly followed, breaking through the dark clouds to illuminate all the shadows, momentarily betraying the place of their tryst. The rain followed now, falling ot the pavement like bullets from the sky. Heavy and fast. They were drenched in a matter of moments, yet their kiss persisted. Their bodies provided so much heat that the rain turned to steam upon their skin. Her hair was washed in front of her face, sticking to her cheeks. He raised one hand and began to brush it away before he lost control of all his actions. 4

His hand reached the back of the head, his fingers went down to the back of her neck. It mirrored the hold she still had upon him. He held her into the kiss and she did not resist. She moulded to him. Body weakened, she leaned against him as he pushed her into the wall, just to remain upright. Her fingers began to skate down from his neck, over his muscles, tracing each part of him as she committed him to memory. Committed this moment to memory. Finally, they broke apart. 5

His face drew back from hers, leaving her lips vacant. She could no longer feel his hands upon her body. She had gone numb. Without her warmth close, the cold ate bitterly at him and he was suddenly aware of how exposed to the elements they both were, standing in the middle of that storm. Their eyes met. A noticeable shiver ran through them both. A shiver which was not caused by any amount of terrible weather. “I’m sorry.” Both barely spoke the words, the volume never breaking that of the storm. But they knew the meaning. With a last look that lasted a few seconds too long, both turned and began to slide away from the alleyway, leaving in opposite directions. Their hair, clothing and minds disheveled. Tears and rain marked both of their countenances. 6

They made their separate way into the storm.