Stories For A Rainy Day

"I find peace in the rain"

He knelt beside his fallen friend, tears slipping free as he gently lifted the blonde and held him close, gently brushing the hair from his dark blue eyes. The other male coughed violently and groaned as he weakly opened his eyes and gasped for the breath that he knew he needed but his body refused to take. "Please try and relax, don't push yourself..." the brunette said softly as he shifted the male in his arms. "Please. You'll pull through this I swear, just let me help you."

The blonde shook his head and smiled faintly. "N-No need to lie t-to me, Eric. I know I'm dying." He stopped to try and catch his breath. Once his lungs stopped feeling like they were on fire he looked up at Eric and when he spoke, it was barely above a whisper and a smile crossed his lips. "You know, all of my best memories deal with the rain," he said as he looked up at the overcast sky. "I would always walk in the rain. Most people don't seem to understand how beautiful it truly is." He turned his attention back to his friend.

"Josh please save your strength. The others will be here soon and we'll get you help I promise."

The blonde shook his head no, trying his hardest not to fall into another coughing fit. "Again I know my time is short. Let... Let me go in peace after I tell you this. I promise it's not much."

Eric frowned and looked away, trying to fight back the tears before turning his attention back to the male in his arms. He shifted slightly and shrugged out of his jacket, gently covering his friend with it. "Alright I'm sorry."

Josh tried to wave off the comment but couldn't muster the energy to do so. "I promise it's fine, there's no need for apologies." The blonde's eyes drifted shut for a moment as his breathing slowed a bit more, if it was even possible, then he looked back up at the male. "All of my best memories are in the rain. Do you remember Mark?" he smiled when the brunette nodded. "The first time I had the courage to kiss him was the first night he had stayed over. It was raining and he practically begged me to walk with him. I did and after four years of knowing him, I finally had gotten the courage to tell him how I felt. All these years later we were supposed to get married." He chuckled at the shocked expression on Eric's face then coughed. "Yeah I know, the same guy who swore he'd never marry. Well, we were actually supposed to get married last month but he died in a drunk driving accident. It was a bad night for me, but the day of his funeral it rained. I suppose that wasn't a good memory at all but the same night I met back up with you. But I digress. Anything good that happened was while it was raining. My first pet, my first job and apartment." The blonde began to cough and turned his head to the side as he spat out blood. "Sorry...."

Eric held the male closer as a soft whimper escaped him. "It's alright, please don't apologize... Just rest..."

The blonde nodded and closed his eyes, shivering harshly from the cool breeze that seemingly came out of nowhere. He coughed and the brunette could feel the blood from his friend's wounds spill onto his hands and through his fingertips only to drop so carelessly to the ground. Breathing began to become a burden once more and looked up at Eric, a soft smile crossing his lips as the rain began to fall, so light and gentle, almost mist like at first then falling harder in sheets only moments later. "I find peace in the rain," the male said quietly.

"I know you do," Eric said as he held the other closer, trying to protect him from the wind driven rain. He looked up when he heard the sound of distant sirens approaching. "Josh, they're almost here, just hold on okay? Just a little longer, please." The brunette looked down at his friend and broke down in tears when he realized the other male had passed already. His dark eyes were closed but he still wore the same soft smile. Eric held him and sobbed until the ambulance arrived. The pain of everything he had been through then the loss of the best friend he had ever had finally caught up with him.

A week later, Eric attended Josh's funeral in the best suit he had. A soft smile crossed his lips even as tears flowed freely down his cheeks as he stood beside the grave when it was his turn to speak. A light rain began to fall and the male couldn't speak for a moment as he choked back a faint sob. Once calm the brunette looked over at the other mourners, still with a smile. "Josh had told me all of the best things in his life happened when it rained. The last thing he said to me though was he found peace in the rain. I now understand why."