Jesper Fahey Imagines

Rainy Days

It's a dismal day in Ketterdam. You've been up for many hours, relaxed for a scant few, slept last night for even fewer. The Barrel is a delicious rush of a place, sure, you've never felt quite as free in any other city, but when that high ends you always seem to be stuck until you manage to dislodge yourself and carry on. The only problem is getting to that stepping off place, where you can unburden yourself once again. You can't seem to manage that right now.

You're in your room, sitting on your bed with your legs curled up beside you, back leaning against the wall as you stare at the ceiling. The skies are dark and swollen with clouds in the window across the room, so you don't even have the usual bare few Kerch sun rays to cheer your mind. No, there's nothing here to save you, nothing at all.

Or, you'd thought this was true until a knock sounds at your door. You have a feeling that you know who's dropping by even before you cross the room to check yourself. Sure enough- it's your boyfriend, Jesper Fahey. He raises an eyebrow as you let him in without another word. "You didn't even check to see who it was. Do you trust the other Dregs that much?"

You laugh as you shut the door behind him. "Of course it was you- who else would it be? No one else would drop by on a day like this, Kaz wouldn't bother to knock, and Inej would simply appear in my room so she could startle me when my back was turned. It had to be you." Jesper shrugs, walking across your room so he can stare out the window. "That's fair. I can understand that."

His grin is infectious. "You'll allow it?" You ask, unable to not poke the bear at a time like this. However, Jesper's not likely to ever get mad at you, even if you stole both his revolvers and banned him from the gambling halls for a month. This is why he mirrors your smile in the span of about half a second. "I'll allow it." His fingers tap absentmindedly on the ledge of the window before he flings it open, leaning through and breathing in the fresh air.

You fold your arms across your chest, watching. "Are you enjoying the usual ashy aura of the Barrel, Jes?" He emerges from the window again, rolling his eyes. "It's different than usual, love. It's raining." This last sentence is said with enough of a fervor that you half expect him to burst into song. Your voice turns incredulous. "It's raining?"

Jesper nods, eyes closed so he can savor the rhythmic drum of the rain on the rooftops outside. "It's raining," he confirms, "and that's enough for me." He holds out an arm to you, and you walk to stand next to him. He pulls you close, and you find a home for yourself tucked against his collarbone. From here, you can smell the crisp bite of the rain, too, but you can also smell the slight woody scent of his cologne and the fresh press of his jacket. You press closer to him, just in case the storm-soaked breeze washes the scent of him away from you.

All of a sudden, Jesper straightens up, no longer content to merely stand and watch the raindrops as they pour down on the heads of the unsuspecting pigeons fleeing for the relative comfort of the Barrel's many gambling dens. "Let's go." You walk with him towards the door, unwilling to relinquish even an inch of his embrace. "Where are we going, Jesper? It's pouring rain, in case you haven't noticed, and we're free and clear of any criminal activities until at least later tonight."

Jesper pauses before the door. "I very much noticed the rain. That's why we're going out, in fact." Your brows raise in surprise. "Do you enjoy hypothermia? Pneumonia? General water-based death?" Jesper grins. "Oh, I love them as much as the next guy, but this is different. We are going to have fun, Y/N dearest, which is something that we all need very much." You tilt your head in acknowledgement- it's an awful day, or at least it was up until now. You're willing to go along with Jesper's plan if it means a change to the boring repetition of being stuck indoors- but then again, when haven't you gone along with him?

So, you let him take you by the hand and lead you out of your room, down the stairs, and out the door until you're blinking up at the rain-clogged sky. Thanks to the storm clouds and the familiar overall smog that comes with living anywhere in Ketterdam (except perhaps the richest of the districts, they always seem to have clean air), the sky is a mottled gray and you're not sure that you could spot the sun even if you tried.