The rain hadn't stopped for hours. It drummed steadily on the tin roof of the dorm building, gray clouds pressed low against the sky. Nio stood at the stairwell window, his fingers curled loosely around the railing, watching the water flood the pavement outside.
He was supposed to go home this weekend, but the storm changed everything.
A part of him was disappointed. His mom had called earlier, checking if the roads were too bad. They were. But another part of him - one he didn't like to acknowledge - wasn't that upset. Because it meant he'd stay here. And Tee was here too.
Nio turned away from the window and walked slowly back to the dorm room. His socks made soft squishing sounds against the floor - he had forgotten to take off his shoes when he ran in earlier, caught in the downpour.
Tee looked up from where he was sitting cross-legged on the bed, a book open in his lap, though he clearly hadn't been reading it.
"You're soaked," Tee said, brows furrowed.
"It's fine," Nio mumbled. "Just went to check if the rain stopped."
"You'll get sick."
"I won't."
Tee stood up anyway, walking over to grab a towel from the tiny closet. He tossed it to Nio without looking him in the eye. "Dry off."
Nio caught it with a small smile and started rubbing at his hair. The silence between them was calm, warm even. Lately, it'd been like this more and more - quiet moments that felt loaded with something neither of them said out loud.
When Nio finally looked up, he saw Tee watching him.
"What?"
Tee shook his head. "Nothing."
There was a pause. The kind that made Nio's heart race for no real reason.
"Hey…" Tee started. "Wanna go up to the roof?"
"The roof? Now?"
"Yeah."
"It's raining."
"So?"
Nio blinked. "Are you having a crisis?"
Tee laughed, a soft, low sound that always made Nio feel weirdly warm in the chest. "Just wanna show you something."
They ended up on the rooftop five minutes later, Nio wrapped in Tee's hoodie and muttering under his breath about "stupid boys who like rain." The rooftop was slick and wet, but not dangerous - just a little dramatic. Tee led the way, kicking aside a crate to sit on.
"Come here," he said.
Nio sat beside him, their shoulders brushing.
"It's stupid," Tee said suddenly. "But when I was little, I'd come up here when it rained. Felt like I was in a different world."
Nio looked out across the rooftop. The city beyond was blurred by the sheets of rain, lights flickering hazily through the mist. It did feel like another world.
"I like it," Nio said softly.
They sat there a while, listening to the rain, saying nothing. At some point, Tee leaned his head against Nio's shoulder. Nio froze.
"Tee…"
"Just let me," Tee whispered.
Nio didn't say anything else. He didn't move. His heart beat faster than it should've, but he didn't tell it to stop. Tee's hair was damp against his shirt. The rain slowed around them like the world was waiting.
"Why are you being so nice to me?" Nio asked after a while.
Tee didn't answer right away. Then, quietly: "Because I like how you look when you're with me."
Nio turned to him, eyes wide.
"I mean…" Tee looked down at his hands. "You always look like you're trying not to smile. But when you do, it's just… different. Makes me want to see it more."
The words hung in the air like fog.
Nio's cheeks went hot. "You're so weird."
"I know."
But Nio didn't pull away. He stayed there, close, Tee's warmth pressed to his side, and for once, he let himself smile - just a little.