midnight rain [f. colapinto]

f i f t y - f i v e

They finished their ice cream and walked back to the flat, silence falling over them. Evita tried to stay in her own head, her thoughts still tangled in the stress of her midterms, but it was hard to think about with Franco beside her.

As they walked, their hands brushed once, a light touch, barely there, but enough to send a spark up Evita's arm. She jerked her hand back quickly, pretending she didn't notice, but a tiny smile tugged at the corner of her mouth despite herself.

A few moments later, it happened again, a soft bump of knuckles that made them both hesitate. Franco's hand lingered a fraction longer this time, and Evita could feel the warmth of his skin through the cool air. She glanced up at him, catching the way he seemed to be fighting a smile of his own.

"What?" she asked.

Franco looked down at her. "Nothing," he said quietly.

The first few raindrops hit Evita's arm. She looked up at the sky, which was cloudier than when they left the ice cream shop. Her mood immediately soured, like the lemon sorbet she had just finished.

"Perfect," she muttered.

"You worry too much. It's just rain," said Franco.

Evita glared at him. "I was already stressed, and now it's going to pour."

Franco shrugged, still walking at an unhurried pace. "You're really going to let a little rain ruin your night?"

Before Evita could respond, the sky opened up, and the rain began to pour down in sheets. The sound of water hitting the pavement drowned out her words, and she swore as her jacket quickly became drenched. She should have worn something a little more waterproof.

"Great," she mumbled, pulling her hood over her head in a futile attempt to shield herself.

Franco just laughed, the sudden downpour seemingly having no effect on his good mood. "See? Now it's really fun."

Evita looked at him in disbelief. "Fun? Franco, I'm soaked."

Franco shrugged off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. "Here."

"Are you sure?" asked Evita. "I don't want you to get cold."

"I'll be fine, Ev. Chivalry isn't dead, you know," teased Franco as he adjusted the jacket around her. "Plus, you're shivering."

"I'm not shivering," she said, though her teeth were beginning to chatter. The warmth from Franco's jacket was immediately welcome. "And it's not like you care about chivalry."

Franco smirked, clearly enjoying the moment. "Maybe not usually, but I'll make an exception for you. Come on, let's go home."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and continued to guide her down the sidewalk. Evita rolled her eyes, but a small part of her couldn't help but appreciate the gesture. As they continued to walk through the downpour, puddles splashing under their feet, she pulled his jacket tighter around her.

Once they were back at Evita's flat, their wet clothes in the dryer, Evita took her seat at the table, opening her laptop so she could return to studying. Franco went back to his room, and Evita expected him to stay there, but he returned with a blue folder and sat next to her.

"What are you doing?" she asked as Franco opened the folder and searched through a pile of papers.

"If you're going to burn yourself out studying, you might as well not be alone," said Franco. "I'm looking at sim data from this week."

Evita smiled, her cheeks warming. She looked away from him and back to her own work. At one point, she noticed him looking at her.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Just admiring the view," said Franco.

"God, you're impossible," she said, rolling her eyes.

"I'll shut up now."

"Good."

They fell into a comfortable rhythm, working silently, though it was far from awkward. It felt natural, like an unspoken truce. The hum of the dryer and the faint clicking of Evita's keyboard were the only noises to disturb the quiet.

Evita stole a glance at Franco out of the corner of her eye. His brows were furrowed in concentration, his lips moving slightly as if he were murmuring numbers under his breath. He seemed different at that moment: not the frustrating, overbearing driver who often got under her skin, but someone quietly determined and grounded. It reminded her of the Franco she once knew, perhaps the one who had been here all along. The Franco she refused to see because she was too hung up on the past.

The familiar weight of his presence next to her, steady and calm, made her chest feel lighter. She realized she didn't mind having him there. In fact, it was nice.

Evita adjusted her laptop slightly, flipping to a different page in her notebook, the edges of her mouth tugging into a faint smile she couldn't suppress. She wasn't sure if Franco noticed, but it also didn't matter. For now, she simply enjoyed the ease of the moment, finally feeling grounded, despite the stress of her midterms looming over her.

...

an: not gonna lie, this might be my favorite chapter i've written so far, it's so cute. i think the next couple of chapter will be the last for the fall break, then we'll get back to race weeks! i have plans for austin that i'm very excited for :) have a lovely day, willow <3