[I] Peace in the Rain

Giacinto sat slap bang in the middle of the large open area of the roof.

Her eyes were shut and she was completely relaxed, face upturned.

Her black wifebeater and plain black jeans clung to her skin with her hair as the heavy rainfall beat down on her.

Giacinto loved the rain. It was calming. Even when heavy winds beat at you and the rain felt like shards of ice piercing your skin.

Tonight was not like what she was used to on ships. Tonight was pleasantly cool for an Italian summer, the rain was light and warm. There were no harsh winds, just a gentle breeze.

Orion slowly walked up the large staircase that lead towards the roof with sluggish unfocussed footsteps. He had been trapped inside his head all day, he had too many questions floating in his mind recently and once again he chose to fight alone, to find his own answers by himself no matter how long it took. He did not want to unload his problems and feeling onto others so he kept the locked inside, it gave him a headache and always made him grouchy, so some fresh air seemed like a good idea.

Stopping himself just before the roof door he questioned whether or not he really wanted to go outside at that time, he could always lock himself back into his room like he normally did, they had a window that he would open after all. He was about to turn himself around and slump back to his room when he heard the rain.

He loved the rain, the sound was calming and almost hypnotic...maybe...yes, he would go outside. With his mind made up he stretched his long arms forwards and pushed the cold door open slowly, the door squeaking in protest, and walked out onto the roof.

A soft sigh of content escaped his lips as he felt the rain on his soft skin.

The Succubus' eyes flickered open when she heard the door opening.

She hadn't expected anyone else to come up here. Most people she knew hated being out in the rain.

Her dark red eyes turned over her shoulder and she gave a soft smile.

Orion. "Evening," she greeted softly.

His head snapped up at the sound of another voice on the roof, it seemed that the Elder Giacinto has the same idea as he. He lifted his hand to the back of his head in a fast nervous action before taking a step backwards.

"Ah, Evenin' Gia.... It seems I have intruded in on your time alone once again... I will....uh.... go?" He greeted with uncertainty in his voice.

Giacinto shook her head gently, her damp hair moving around her a little.

"No, it's fine. Stay. I'd like someone to share the evening with."

She loved company on rainy days. Sitting and sharing the simple joys of being out in the rain was something she had always loved but rarely got to do. A lost of people didnt like sitting out in the rain.

Orion nodded and smiled softly through the rain, all previous thoughts forgotten.

"The rain has a calming effect, does it not?" He whispered as he started to walk towards the woman, hearing small splashes of his footsteps against the wet roof as he went.

He walked until he was by her side, standing now slightly damp thanks to the little time he had spent in the cold rain.

"May I?" He asked voice still in a whisper, gesturing to the space next to her.

"Yes, it does."

Rain did wonders for the woman's mood. It calmed her and helped her think about things. It looked and sounded beautiful.

There was nothing she could fault about rain.

"Go right ahead." Her lips quirked upwards a little.

He nodded and slowly sat down; the water from the cold hard floor now seeping through the rough material of his jeans, though he did not mind at all, water was water after all.

His arm brushed Giacintos gently as he relaxed his shoulders, leaning back into a comfortable position. He sighed once again in content as he tilted his face to the sky, letting the droplets of rain run down his cheeks. It had been a while since he had talked to anyone let alone gone outside, he missed it.

The last time I saw anyone... was the opening of the pool, that was quite a while ago... where has the time gone?

"It has been a while Gia, hasn't it." He stated, head turned a fraction towards his company, a small smile on his face.

She smiled softly when his arm brushed hers.

Orion seemed like the type of person that didn't like contact. If he had the choice between sitting next to someone and sitting in the corner, he'd choose the corner.

Giacinto liked that he had sat next to her. it mean that, even if only a little, he liked her enough to attempt to socialise.

"Yes, it has. How have you been since I last saw you, Oreo?" There was a soft smile in her voice. She enjoyed the boy's presence and she was sat that she didn't get it as often as she'd sometimes like.

"...Honestly, I have been an antisocial sod." He chuckled softly, "I've not been out anywhere for a long time, not since the pool party. I am guessing I have missed a lot?"

He quite liked this. Finally being able to clear his head and just sit and talk, and though he never did much of it in the first place, he missed it. Closing his eyes he focused on the falling rain, hearing each beat clearly as a bass drum.

Giacinto gave a soft laugh and pat his shoulder gently.

"Well, we all have our flaws. You're just a little quiet."

It wasn't a bad flaw compared to some flaws that she had seen and some of the flaws she possessed. He was quiet which meant he got a lot of peace. He could sit around and, because he didn't socialise often, could just sit. There wouldn't be someone coming up to him ever five minutes to talk.

"You've missed... A fair bit." There have been some important goings on lately. "But nothing important."

She smiled softly as the hand on his shoulder slid downwards, skimming over the skin of his arm to rest on his forearm gently.

He nodded in agreement, he was quiet, sometimes too quiet.

"Aye, that seems to be the case. Though the quiet is not always what people expect. With nothing but quiet it is all but too easy to get lost in ones thoughts."

He had been thinking an awful lot lately, about the past, about the present and of course he also thought about his future. He had tried to free himself of all though so he could finally just relax but it seemed that his thought had a different idea.

"That's good, I hope to be more social though so I don't miss out on anything. Besides, being along lock up in me head is lonely and I have missed ya." He paused before quickly continuing, "A-and others in the mansion too."

"Being lost in one's thoughts can be nice sometimes."

Her gaze turned to the younger Vampire and she gave a soft smile, her hand skimming downwards yet again to grasp his hand lightly, thumb running over the back of his hand gently.

"But not always. Sometimes its nice to get out and be social." She spent most of her life in large social groups; sharing jokes and pleasantries and perversions. It was nice to just socialise with one person.

"I've missed you, too," Giacinto murmured softly.

When he corrected himself, she cleared her throat a little, eyes flickering away. "We've missed you," she corrected.

Orion looked away and blushed when she told him that she had missed him too. He did not know why but his heart started to beat at a faster pace, faster that what is normally was when he was around the woman. He mentally shrugged and brushed it off.

It was just because his body wanted to warm up from the rain.It was just because my body wanted to warm up from the rain...right?...maybe...

He stayed silent, not knowing what to say next. Being awkward in a conversation was his specialty after all. After a few minutes he turned for face Gia with a question.

"I..uh... Could I ask for your... advice?"

The silence didn't feel quite so awkward for Giacinto as it did for Orion.

She enjoyed the peacefulness. All she could hear was a mixture of their gentle breathing and the rain pounding against the stone tiles that made up the roof. It was nice. Calm.

So much different from what she was used to. She enjoyed this.

Her carmine eyes fluttered open when he broke the silence that had descended upon them.

"Of course. What can I help you with?" Her gaze turned to him as she awaited his answer.

He fidgeted with his fingers, suddenly becoming nervous around the Elder beside him. He had wondered about this particular thing for so long that when it came to finally ask, it was hard.

Orion took a small breath before opening his lips to ask his question.

"W-well, you see, I think I kind of... like someone. How does someone know if they actually like someone? Sorry if it is an awkward question... I just have had no one around to ask these things to."

The woman's lips quirked upwards.

"You like someone, do you, Oreo?" she chuckled softly. The man thought he liked someone and was confused and awkward about it. It was adorable.

"Well... How do you know you like someone, hmm?"

She pursed her lips. "You lie to be around them. Their presence makes you feel happy. You find yourself smiling a lot around them." A soft smile pulled at her lips. "You find yourself thinking about them even when they're not around."

Orion turned his head away from the woman, trying to hid the small blush that crept its way onto his face. He indeed liked someone, and it was quite embarrassing asking the very same woman about it, but he guess it was his only choice as the other person he could have asked was Jace.

"I do. But it is just a little... confusing. It must be amusing, a 68 year old vampire who is confessed at love..."

'You lie to be around them.' He would never lie to her, but lie to be around her? Maybe.
'Their presence makes you feel happy.' Check.
'You find yourself smiling a lot around them.' Check, she brought the smile out of him.
'You find yourself thinking about them even when they're not around.' Check.

The redhead blushed deeper.

"I-i see."

"Perhaps."

It was amusing, yes. But that was more the amusement at him being awkward and blushy than him being confused at love.

Her head tilted back, letting the rain bathe her face during the silence that Orion used to get his thoughts in check.

Tony's bright wine eyes flickered open and turned to Orion.

"Did it help much?"

"It did. There are other questions floating around in my head but I am no longer as confused." He turned his head and flashed a sweet smile in her direction before placing his hand above hers in thanks.

At first he had thought that he had only liked her because she was the first to accept him, to always have her door open if he needed her and had enjoyed his company just as much as he did hers, but he now understood that it was nether of those reasons he liked her and he was quite relieved.

He liked her because she even though he could not see her, he could feel her shine though the darkness, he knew she was in the room simply because he felt better around her and he knew that no matter where the coven went, he would follow just to be with her. He was just too nervous to tell her.

"If you need any help answering those other questions, I'm here."

She'd answer any question that he had for her.

She liked helping out her coven members and she admittedly had a soft spot for Orion. She really liked him.

As much as she knew she shouldn't, she also knew that she'd probably let him off or make exceptions for him when other members wouldn't get those.

Picking favourites.

She returned hos soft smile, turning her hand to lace her fingers with his.

He nodded his head in thanks at her offer, he would defiantly come to her with any questions he may have to do with relationships from now on, no hesitating or siting on his own for hours on end trying to figure it all out by himself. That was something he needed to drill into his head; He was no longer alone.

"Thank you, I will defiantly keep that in mind." He replied, smiling as he felt her fingers lace between his own, not pulling away but instead tightening the grip slightly in a small gentle squeeze.