self-destructive empathy ; setosolace

10

"Towels, get the towels!" Tyler ushers us inside, hollering from someplace deep within his lungs. "Hurry up, Seto's shaking!"

I still don't comprehend why the situation around the brunet's well-being is such a cautionary trait amongst everyone else, but I digress. I stand towards the side, a towel, given by a rushing Tyler, had been draped over my shoulders while a cup of piping hot coffee rests in my hands. I'm shivering slightly, considering I'm still damp and there's no heater in Adam's house, but not as much as Seto.

He's sat there on the couch, his body quaking with vigor. He looks to be deathly ill, it's quite uncanny, but what disease could allude to this type of reaction? Is he allergic to water or something? I snicker at that thought as it's followed by images of him swimming within the ocean as a sort of mermaid.

The car ride turned out to be a fluke, as nearly all the roads held some sort of debris on them. Branches, glass, scrapped wood from houses; it seemed like the storm had grown stronger from our time sitting idly in the car. I parked it towards the side, leaving it who knows where.

"Highway's closed and there are blockades all over the streets," I pointed out while having signed. "I think we'll need to walk."

"Both of us don't know where we're going," Seto deadpanned, but then hastily shook his head once lightning had struck once more over the horizon. "Well, I'm sure Adam's house must be up the street."

Adam's house wasn't up the street, in fact. It was a good ten minute walk from where we had parked Seto's car. Alas, within the confusion of the storm, ten minutes turned to thirty and water turned to frightened tears as branches fell among us. At some point, Seto's umbrella came undone as well, flying away due to the howling winds. We still made it back to Adam's house nonetheless. We would've been stuck there for the remainder of the night if we hadn't done anything, possibly until the next evening as well, due to flooding.

"Here, I got you some spare clothes," Adam appears next to me. He passes me a hoodie and joggers, as well as some underwear. "Before you grimace, that underwear is new and clean."

"Thanks, Adam," I nod my head slightly in gratitude. I hand him my cup of coffee, to which he places on the nearby coffee table, and points me towards the staircase. I head upstairs towards the bathroom to change, making sure to lock the door behind me.

It's nearly pitch black in here, asides from the candle Jason had lit when he went upstairs to use the bathroom. It smells of cherries, as well as cinnamon. I move the candle slightly, letting the light bounce under my face. I stare at my half-lit reflection for a while.

I look awfully tired, as if I hadn't slept for days. My hair is less gravity defying, much to my own disappointment. I spot a couple pimples on my temples and jaw as well and grimace. I don't know why I'm worrying about my appearance out of the blue, but oddly, I feel obligated to.

I shake my head and attempt to get the water out of my hair and clothes. To no avail, it seems, that I am drenched. I hastily take off my soaking clothes and place them into the bathtub. I figured I'd leave them there and retrieve it later once they're more dry. Maybe I'd ask Adam for a hanger.

Speaking of Adam, I change into his spare clothes. The hoodie is a bit large, considering that Adam is sightly bigger than me, but the joggers fit just fine despite being baggy at the legs. The underwear, as weird as it is, fits fine too. I really hope Adam was telling the truth about this, because the thought of sharing the same unpackaged, used underwear as him, whether clean or not, is repulsive. I exit the bathroom and head downstairs.

Seto's asleep with a stack of blankets securely wrapped around him. I notice a damp cloth on his forehead as well, then the apparent grimace on his face. Ty looks as if he's about to cry.