The Magical Raincoat

Wally

"Home?"

Wally called into the dim house. Home's eyes were closed, which meant little outside light was getting in, which wasn't a problem for Wally and his near-night-vision but wasn't at all convenient, either.

The house didn't answer, and Wally took that as he was being ignored.

He sighed, his smile faltering as he made his way upstairs to fetch a brush for his hair. He could just as easily have brushed and fixed his hair at Barnaby's, but then his best friend would have wanted to help, and Wally sort of just wanted to do it himself, however patient that meant Barnaby had to be.

The silence kept on as Wally climbed the steps. His expression turned dull.

"Okay, if you're going to not talk to me, maybe I'll just stay with Barnaby for a while longer!"

A wall somewhere creaked, and a horizontal sliver of light crept up the stairs. Wally turned to look back down in confusion.

"No, you're right. I am a little on edge. I'm sorry, Home..." A squeak. "A gift for me?"

He started going a little faster up the steps and nudged his bedroom door open to see the package, not on any table in his room but directly on his bed. Home creaked again, the door behind Wally moving slightly. "No, I know exactly what it is."

He didn't bother opening the package, reaching for the light and then heading to his vanity to brush his hair out and throw it up into its usual style. He didn't spend much time on the whole ordeal, only until he was satisfied, before rushing back out with the package and a final brief apology to Home.

Once back outside, he ignored Barnaby and threw the box into the rain.

"Woah, hey!" Barnaby called as Wally ran back inside to retrieve his orange, non-magical raincoat so that he could run into the rain and beat the box more.

The cardboard quickly became soaked, tearing under Wally's kicks. The contents spilt out as the box broke down, the clear plastic raincoat that he recognised all too well now lying haphazardly over the grass.

Barnaby's big hands snuck under his arms and pulled him away from the mess, and Wally simply froze before hanging limply from his friend's hands.

He didn't even realise the rest of the neighbourhood had started watching. His smile returned to his face in fright.

"Hello."

Julie and Sally waved, while Eddie just looked worried from where he was stood at the side of his and Frank's house. Howdy and Poppy must have gone inside the bodega.

"I'm going to put you back on the ground, okay?" Barnaby asked above him. Wally nodded.

His feet touched the ground, and he had to plant himself hard in the wet grass just to stop himself from continuing to attack the box. He crossed his arms, still smiling, watching Julie and Sally approach.

Sally looked at the remnants of cardboard on the lawn. "I came here to apologise for pushing you yesterday. Is that why you're upset?"

"No," Wally answered quickly, seeing Sally flinch. "I mean it."

Sally breathed a sigh, mimicking Wally's crossed arms. "That's good. But then, why are you doing this? Even I think it's a little dramatic."

Wally couldn't respond, his eyes trailing to the coat on the ground. "Speaking of apologies, have either of you seen Frank today?"

"They were around earlier! I think they went off to the far corner of the neighbourhood, to the woods behind Sally's!" Julie said, grasping for her friend's hand. "They had on their butterfly coat, though I don't see the point in this rain, and they were carrying a bag of things--usually books, but they'd just get wet in this weather!"

Eddie walked back around from the front of his house with a puzzled look on his face and called to the group. "Anyone seen Frank? Didn't leave a note for me like he usually does."

"I think it's time to head to the forest."

,

Frank paced back and forth, their hair a mess under the hood of their blue, butterfly-patterned raincoat.

They couldn't believe they even had it on, after all the fuss they'd made the day before. They'd hated how their compulsive side won and they'd refused to take off the coat Julie had let them try out. But now they had their own, and that was fine, right? They could do what they wanted with the weather! They loved the rain!

He felt the need to reiterate that to himself when the thoughts of his friends not liking it as much popped into his mind. He liked it, that's what mattered.

"Frank?" A familiar voice was calling, but he was ignoring it--he was ignoring her, his best friend. "Frank?!"

The voice got clearer, until her face popped through the rain and fog. He wasn't angry at anything in particular, but he was feeling particularly lonely all of a sudden, so maybe that's why the fog showed up?

"I see him, guys!"

More familiar faces showed through the fog and the worry in Frank's mind got worse. They're going to stop me! I can't, I can't!

In the moment those thoughts started, he didn't realise he was suddenly surrounded. Wally was at his feet, wearing a much more familiar look, but carrying a new one in his arms. Orange and yellow. Yellow and blue underneath.

"Frank, what are you doing out here? This isn't even your usual butterfly grounds!" Julie raised her arms, then shivered as water ran down her sleeves.

Had the rain suddenly gotten colder?

Wally tilted his head, the same knowing look on his face that he'd had yesterday. "You don't have to take it off this time, it's yours. Just come back to Home so we can all enjoy the weather together. Doesn't that sound nice?"

It does sound kind of nice... Frank thought, but he couldn't voice it. He stepped closer to his bag that he'd hidden the coat in to get here.

"You're doing this?" Sally asked. Her teeth chattered once as the air grew more frigid.

Barnaby hugged his arms and stepped away from everything. "Boy, that heat wave sure did it to ya, huh? Turning us into pup-sicles now?" He tried to make Frank laugh, but the rain didn't stop.

"Frank, come on." Julie tried, knowing she might be the only one left who could fix this without Eddie here. She reached out and held Frank's hands before he could pull away. "Deep breaths."

Wally looked down at his coat and did what Julie was telling Frank as she guided him through the calming exercise. Surprisingly, it was working for both of them, and Wally hadn't even known he was anxious.

"That's it. Good job, Frank!" Sally cheered, and Frank even managed a small smile at someone whom they weren't particularly close to. She smiled genuinely back at him, her face shining in the dark forest.

Julie looked up at the sky. The rain did calm but it didn't dissipate completely. "Maybe that's as good as we'll get it. That's okay!"

"Guys?" Wally spoke. "Eddie's coming."

Frank's face went a little redder at the mention of his husband's name and he spoke the first word since everyone had arrived, "Eddie?"

"Sorry to be late to the party. Is everything all right here?" His blue cowl hood pulled over his hat simultaneously pressed down his red hair, and it made Frank laugh a little. Eddie scratched his neck with a smile. "What?"