Man, the rain didn't just "start"—it went from zero to monsoon in like, two seconds flat. One minute you're chilling, maybe roasting a marshmallow or whatever, and the next, boom, it's like the sky just snapped and dumped a whole swimming pool on your heads. "Go get the car!" Ava yells, practically screaming over the roar. Your girlfriend bolts for the trail—she's fast, gotta give her that—while you and Ava make a break for this sketchy-looking cave nearby.
So, yeah, you both dive in, soaked to the bone, hair plastered to your faces, shoes squishing. Cozy? Not even close. The place is all shadows and pointy rocks, and there's this constant drip-drip somewhere that's driving you nuts. But hey, it's dry, so you're not about to complain. Ava shakes her head, water flying everywhere, and wraps her arms around herself. "Well, this is definitely not picnic weather," she grumbles, half-laughing, half-miserable.
You can't help but snort. She looks... honestly, kinda hot for someone who just got caught in a rainstorm. Clothes stuck to her, breathing all ragged. You toss her a grin. "Yeah, but I could do way worse for company."
She turns, gives you this look like, wait, what? "Company? Dude, it's just me," she says, and you swear you see her cheeks go pink even in the dark. Her eyes flick away, like she's avoiding a pop quiz. "Plus, aren't we, uh, waiting for your girlfriend to come back?"
Oof—yeah, that word just hangs there. Heavy. You ignore it, lean in a bit, drop your voice low. "Nah. I meant you. You're the best company I could hope for."
She freezes. Seriously, it's like you just told her aliens landed outside. She messes with her sleeve, not meeting your eyes. "Don't—don't say that kind of stuff. The echo in here makes everything sound weird," she mutters, voice all shaky.
You grin wider. "Echo or not, I'm dead serious. Anyone would be lucky to have a goddess stuck in a cave with them."
Her breath catches for a second, and you're pretty sure her heart's going nuts—hell, you can practically feel it thumping in the air between you. "Stop... wait, are you actually serious right now?" she whispers, barely audible.
The cave suddenly feels way smaller. Like, you could count every heartbeat. She bites her lip, trying to laugh it off, but yeah, she's rattled. "You're ridiculous. You have to be joking. Right?"
You lean in, barely a whisper now. "Does it sound like I'm kidding?"
Outside, rain just keeps hammering down, but honestly, the real storm's right here—her cheeks flushed, your pulse racing, the whole world narrowing down to just the two of you.