Rainfall 2
by Redkage
The next morning I woke up pretty late, feeling like I had slept on stone. Although I had ordered young Reynard to go to bed, I had stayed up all night writing my manuscript. So far I had a general gist written, but I still felt that it was lacking something. I wracked my head until one in the morning before I called it quits and flopped into bed. Unfortunately, my mind was still hyped up on both coffee and ideas, so I spent two hours tossing and turning. When I did fell asleep, it was mostly filled with fast paced dreams which I forgot the moment I awoke.I gave a big yawn as I stood up and headed out. When I opened my door I was suddenly hit with the smell of food and coffee, something I haven’t experienced since I was still living with my parents. I rubbed the sand out of my eyes so I could see what exactly was going on.
Ray was in the kitchen preparing breakfast. He was currently trying to fry an egg, but it appeared as if he was struggling a bit. Figuring I could help, I shuffled out towards him.
Ray must’ve heard me or something because he turned his head in my direction and shook his head. He pointed to a sheet of paper on the table which read:
Today I am preparing breakfast for you
So you can sit back and relax.
This is something I wish to do
In order to repay you for your kindness.
He thinks ahead, I’ll give him that. I thought as I flashed a grin towards him, which he returned before he noticed the pan was smoking and quickly returned to making breakfast.
I gave a small chuckle as I proceeded to the bathroom and performed my daily rituals: A hot shower, brushing my teeth, you know, the usual things. Feeling refreshed, I made my way out of the bathroom and back into the kitchen.
Breakfast was already waiting for me on the table when I arrived. Ray was sitting in the opposite seat, his own plate untouched before him.
“Good morning Ray.” I greeted, and he responded with a polite nod. Then we began to eat.
Ray didn’t too bad of a job I suppose, but he didn’t do well either. The egg was too hard and it had small pieces of eggshell still in it. The bacon and the toast were slightly burnt, and my coffee was a little too bitter. Ray obviously tried his best to make me the perfect breakfast, but it didn’t seem like he was an experienced cook at all. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings, however, so I ate and drank every last bit.
After we had finished out meal, I stood up and began gathering the dishes. Ray quickly wrote something and passed his pad to be while I was juggling two plates in one hand.
I will take on the chore myself.
It would not be fair for you to clean up my mess.
“Don’t be silly.” I chided. “Since you cooked me breakfast, it’ll only fair if I do clean up.”
Ray thought for a moment before writing someone on his pad.
Then allow me to assist you in the chore.
It is the least I can do.
When someone offers to help with the dishes, it’s so hard to say no.
The dishes didn’t take too long to clean, even though Ray did make a quite a mess with my frying pan. I washed the dishes, and he rinsed and dried. Before we knew it, we were done cleaning up. That was when Ray handed me a piece of paper.
But now I think it is time for me to depart.
Thank you and Goodbye,
Reynard Frost
When I looked up, Ray was already heading for the door.
“Why are you leaving?” I asked.
Ray turned around, a slightly puzzled look on his face.
“I said that you could stay with me until the rain stops, and if my eyes deceive me, it’s still raining outside.” I jabbed my thumb towards the window. Sure enough, rain was still falling steadily outside.
Startled, Ray rapidly wrote on his pad and handed it to me.
I do not wish to be a burden to you
Or take advantage of your kindness.
I shook my head as I handed back the pad of paper. “I am a man of my word, Ray. When I say ‘until the rain lets up,’ I mean it word for word.”
Ray stared at me, shocked. After awhile he sat down onto the couch, trembling a bit as he wiped his eyes with his thick forearm. Not knowing what to do, I sat down next to him and tried my best to comfort the big teenager. I tried to placed my arm around his shoulder, but he was so broad and so tall that I couldn’t really do it. Instead, I moved my hand up and down his back, feeling all of the bumps and ridges of his powerful muscles underneath my fingertips.
After a minute of doing this, Ray stops shaking and scribbled in his pad.
No one has ever been this kind to me before.
“Don’t worry about it kid.” I moved my hand through his long, unkempt brown hair. “I know you’ve had it rough, so just enjoy yourself, alright?”
Ray nods. Then he grabbed me and pulled me into a giant bear hug. Needless to say I was surprised by his action, and now I was suddenly surrounded by muscle on all sides. Not that I was complaining. His large biceps were pressed into my much smaller arms, showing me how much more powerful he was then I was. His great big pecs were pushing into my face, and if it weren’t for the fact that I couldn’t breathe I might’ve considered staying there.
“Ray…I need to come up for air, please.” My voice was soft and it was also muffled by his big chest, so I wasn’t sure if he could hear.
He seemed to have heard me because he let me go. His ears were a nice red, making him seem even cuter then usual. However, his hair…
“Let’s go get you a haircut.” I announced. I enjoyed watching his eyes grow into big white and blue discs by my suggestion. His hand instantly reached for his pad, but I grabbed his wrist. It was so thick that I couldn’t even reach all the way around it, I noticed.
“No arguing.” I stated. “My word is law here, and I hereby order you to get a haircut.”
I almost lost my composure when he nodded with that stunned look in his face. Before we got up to leave, I remembered one slight detail.
“There’s no way you can go out dressed like that.” I pointed out his clothes. He was still wearing that ugly knit sweater and sweat pants I gave him last night. Although they were suitable for sleeping, there was no way I could allow him to be seen in public wearing those hideous things.
“Wait here while I get you something else to wear.” I said, and headed for my room. This time I didn’t bother going to my dresser, there was nothing in there that could fit him. I’ve been a size medium for almost as long as I could remember and Ray was nowhere near medium size. Instead, I went to my closet and began rummaging through it for something I may have overlooked. It was full of my old clothes and things I would never wear, but they were all sized medium as well. I had almost lost all hope when I reached in the far back and my hand came in contact with cardboard. Frowning, I grabbed it with both hands and pulled it out so I can see it properly.
When I saw what it was, I felt my heart stop. It was an ordinary cardboard box, all taped up securely. Written on the side were two words that made it something much more, however.
Henry Spencer Jones. My late boyfriend.
This box was a can of worms. If I opened it, I knew there was a good chance that I would break down and cry. Henry had been my everything. My true love. He had been my first and best friend since kindergarten. We grew up together. We discovered our sexuality together. We fell in love with each other. We shared everything: our first kiss, our first date, our first night of sex.
But after we graduated college, that all ended.
I shook my head and returned to my task at hand. If there was anyone who had clothes that would fit Ray, it was Henry. It would be a bit painful, but Henry would have wanted his things to be put to good use, and right now Ray needed them. So, taking a deep breath, I tore the tape off and opened the box.
A lot of memories flooded me as I went through those clothes. Memories of him laughing, memories of him holding me close in his strong arms, memories of his warm, gentle smile that would melt me into a puddle.
I didn’t regret opening that box, even though it was tearing at my heart as I took out several articles of clothing. When I thought I couldn’t take any more, I calmly closed the box and pushed it back into the back of my closet. I gathered all of the clothes I had removed in a neatly folded pile and then carried them out into the living room.
“Here, try some of these on.” I said as I handed Ray the clothes. “And don’t try to resist, just take them.”
Ray nodded and then carried the clothes to the bathroom to change. I watched him leave with several mixed feelings. Had I really done the right thing, giving Henry’s old clothes to Ray? I know that he needed them more then I did, but somehow it felt like I was trying to…to replace Henry.
No. No one can ever replace Henry. Ever.
Soon afterwards Ray came out of the bathroom. I looked him up and down, surveying him.
It was a perfect fit. The red long sleeved shirt was loose enough to be comfortable but also showed off his major muscle groups, like his arms and chest. Likewise, his jeans fit him like a glove with enough room in the thighs for his quads and tight enough in the waist so he wouldn’t need a belt. For a moment, I thought I was seeing Henry instead of Ray.
A fought back a surge of nostalgia. Although Ray was taller and several pounds heavier, he reminded me a lot of Henry while wearing those clothes. However, the feeling soon faded away when I realized that Henry and Ray were two completely different people.
“Alright, shall we head out now?” I asked, giving him one of Henry’s old coats.
Ray nodded and put the coat on. It looked really good on him, I had to admit. Next, I handed him my extra umbrella and then we headed out.
It was a perfect day for a walk in the city. The rain had gone from a downpour to a gentle shower. The clouds were dark and foreboding and occasionally lightning would flash, igniting the entire sky in a blaze of glory.
Alright, the day was perfect for me, at the very least, but I’m a rainy day person, remember?
While walking down the street, Ray and I were exchanging small talk about a lot of things. It was a bit awkward reading his words on the pad while walking, but I enjoyed it all the same. Also, there were some interesting things about being with such a big guy that I had forgotten about. For one thing, I felt like a little child again having to look up at him all the time. Also, when I usually walked on the streets I would get occasionally pushed around by the crowd. However, with Ray there, people seemed to naturally move out of the way, providing some room to swing our arms and move around freely. I was enjoying my time with ray so much that before I knew it we had arrived at the hair salon.
The hair salon was a bit…tacky looking. The painted signs on the glass window were in very bright and vivid colors. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open and lead Ray inside.
The bell jingled as we entered the salon. It was a rectangular room painted vivid chartreuse that clashed with every other color. The square tiles were in a white and green pattern that didn’t quite help improve the salon’s d�cor. There were five black leather barber chairs, and mirrors were lined up along one wall so that the customers could see how the stylist was doing. On the other side were a row of chairs for the customers to sit and wait, with a small table stacked with magazines.
“Bryce!” One of the barbers, a short man with spiked dark hair with highlights, broke his conversation with another barber and went out to meet me. “It’s been sooo long since your last cut, how have you been?”
“Fine, I guess.” I replied. “But today I’m not the one getting a cut. He is.” I moved aside and waved my hand back at Ray.
“Ooo, you brought in quite a stud!” He admired Ray openly. “He your new bf?”
“He’s just a friend.” I replied quickly. Ray then placed his hand on my shoulder. When I turned around, he gave a slightly uncomfortable look.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” I said. “Ray, this is Pierre, my barber. Pierre may seem a bit…out of it, but he’s really good at what he does.”
“Ugh!” Pierre feigned shock. “Well I never! Because you mentioned my supreme talents, I’ll ignore that comment you gave me just now.”
“I thought you would.” I grinned broadly.
Pierre gave me an equally broad grin back. “Shall we proceed with the operation?”
“That’s what we’re here for.” I laughed.
Ray seemed to have become hopelessly confused as he listened to our conversation. To give him direction, I led him to the barber chair in front of Pierre’s station and gently sat him down. Then I moved off to the side so I can stand and watch everything in perfect view.
“My, you certainly have a lot of hair on your head.” Pierre remarked as he moved his hand through Ray’s shaggy locks. “Were you planning on growing a mullet or something? Believe me, mullets are so last century.”
A corner of Ray’s lips curved upwards and I did my best to keep a straight face. For a moment I considered telling Pierre that he was working with a homeless guy but decided against it at the last minute. It would have been rude to Ray if I rubbed the fact in his face.
“Let’s give you a hairdo to match that gorgeous face of yours!” Pierre announced as he pulled out the black plastic sheet to cover Ray with. However when Pierre draped it on him, it only hung to his knees and Pierre couldn’t even tie it completely around him.
“I see we’ll have to bring out the big guns this time around.” Pierre tore off the sheet and tossed it away. “Especially when you got such big guns of your own.” He eyed Ray’s large biceps bulging through his shirt sleeves. Pierre turned to a cabinet and opened drawer and pulls out another black sheet and tries to put it on Ray again. This time it fit, covering Ray’s body completely.
“Now, is there any style you wish for me to go for?” Pierre placed his head next to Ray’s while they looked at their reflection in the mirror. “I can give you a Brad Pitt. Or maybe a Dicaprio? Oh, how about a Kurt Russel!”
Ray turned towards me, his eyes practically begging for help.
“Er, he’s a little shy, Pierre.” I lied. No need to tell Pierre that he was dealing with a mute either. “Just do what you think is best.”
Pierre positively glowed at the idea. “You mean I get to do whatever I want to him?”
Ray snapped his head towards me, his face practically screaming.
“Sure thing.” I said, making sure to give my certified evil grin.
“Wonderful!” Pierre cried out and went to get his big scissors.
Ray’s face silently groaned.
Pierre positioned himself behind Ray looking anxious to start, “Now, let’s start cracking, shall we?” And then he began cutting.
Usually Pierre took his time with these things, a little snip here, a trim there. This time Pierre didn’t cut Ray’s hair by the inch. He was chopping it off by the foot! I could hardly contain myself as I watched Ray look at his reflection in absolute horror as great strands of his hair were being removed in a rapid fashion. When his hair reached a more manageable length, Pierre slowed down and began to work his magic. Knowing Pierre, he was probably taking in Reynard as a whole for his hairstyle instead of just the face. Personality, height, build, skin and eye color; These things he pulled all together to create a unique hairstyle that would bring out the best in his customer.
When Pierre finished cutting Ray’s hair, it resembled what I think was called an Ivy League haircut. To top it off, Pierre rubbed in some of his special hair mousse to give it a shiny, spiked look. With that done, Pierre grabbed the sheet and ripped it off so Ray could see how good his hair looked on his body.
Ray turned his head this was and that, surveying his look. He seemed to like it very much. When he turned to me, I smiled broadly.
“It looks great on you, Ray.” I complimented.
“Of course it does.” Pierre said as-a-matter-of-factly. “I’m the one who did it.”
“I had complete confidence in your awesome skills.” I made sure I made my statement.
“Oh?” He seemed amused. “Was that a challenge? Perhaps I should do your hair now, and see how you like it, mistah know it all.”
I backed away. “Er, no thanks. My hair is fine just the way it-“
I stopped when my back hit something big and hard. When I turned around, ray was standing right behind me with an evil look in his eye. He placed his huge, strong hands on my shoulder and started to push me towards the barber chair. Naturally, I tried to resist but he was so strong that I didn’t have much of a choice. When we got to the chair, he firmly pushed me down, forcing me to sit in it.
“Thanks hon, I’ll take it over from here.” Pierre snipped his scissors maliciously. “I’ve been waiting a long time to do something about that mop of yours.”
I craned my head back enough to send Ray a reproachful look, but he sent back another one that read ‘time for some payback.’
It didn’t turn out too badly. I managed to convince Pierre to stay away from the crew cuts and spikes, so he ended up giving me a businessman’s hairdo. It really did suit me, I suppose, though I would have preferred to have kept my hair just the way it was. Especially with Ray standing over me doing his silent chuckle of his.
“Thanks Pierre. I really appreciate it.” My voice dripped with sarcasm.
“Your welcome, sweetie.” Pierre chuckled. Then he leaned in close so he could talk to me quietly without risk of being overheard. “That hunk of yours is a keeper, Bryce.”
I felt my cheeks turn red. “He’s not my boyfriend!” I hissed as quietly as I could. “I don’t think he’s even gay!”
“Oh he’s gay all right.” Pierre told me.
One of my eyebrows rose up. “How would you know?”
“You know I got the best gay-dar on this side of the city.” Pierre stated confidently. “If you’re not going to take him soon, someone else will.”
I sighed. Sometimes Pierre was impossible to deal with. When I pulled out my wallet to pay Pierre, he just shook his head and refused to take any money.
“I ain’t taking no money from either of you.” He adamantly refused. “It was payment enough to cut the hair of that beefcake of yours.”
I rolled my eyes. It figured that Pierre would do something like this. Thanking him anyways, Ray and I left the salon sporting out new looks.
Our little trip to the hair stylist had allowed quite a few hours to slip by us unnoticed. It was already 2 o’ clock and both Ray and I noticed we were actually quite hungry.
“So, what are you in the mood for?” I asked my tall friend.
Ray considered for a bit before writing in his pad and handing it down to me.
As long as it is simple and not too exquisite.
I looked up at Ray. “I know a little Chinese restaurant we can go to. It has the best orange chicken you will ever taste.”
I took Ray’s grin as a yes.
And so we feasted on egg rolls, chow mien and chicken. It took us awhile to finish it all, since Ray seemed to want to savor each and every bite. I completely understood him, because I had done the same thing when I first tasted a bit of the fried rice from Wong’s Wok.
After we ate, we started to head home. However, we got a bit sidetracked when we passed a movie theater and Ray paused briefly to look up at what was playing. That was when I decided to treat Ray and take him to see one of the movies that was playing.
As typical of Ray, he had begun to protest, and I simple refused to look at his pad until he agreed to tell me what he wanted to see. After I had gotten the name of the movie from Ray, he went off to the side to sulk a bit while I went to buy the tickets.
“One adult and one student ticket for Reaper of the Hills please.” I said to the guy in the ticket booth.
“I’m sorry, but I can only give you two adults.” The guy said.
I frowned. “What are you talking about? Why can’t you give me a student?”
“Because he’s not a student.” He nodded his head towards Ray’s direction, who had his back turned on us.
“What are you talking about? Of course he’s a student!” I said a little louder then I had intended. I was quickly beginning to lose my temper with this kid.
“There’s no way someone that big can still be in school.” He said firmly.
I pulled my temper in before it got out of hand. If this guy was going to be stubborn about it…
“Ray, can you come here for a moment?” I called.
Ray turned around and walked over to us, a bit confused to why I asked for him. When he got to the booth, the guy behind the glass gasped and stared at Ray, obviously surprised by how big he was up close and how young his face was.
“Now, does this look like the face of someone in his early twenties?” I asked, waving at Ray’s face.
“N-no, sir.” The kid replied wide eyed.
“And I’d say he’s about…oh…sixteen or so, am I wrong?”
The kid hesitated for a second before shaking his head.
“Then give me one student ticket.” I turned back to the guy in the booth.
The kid gulped. “B-but I n-need to see a s-student ID.”
I leaned in closely, my nose just centimeters from the glass. “You can let it slide just this one time, can’t you? My friend here is a very patient guy, but he hates it when people guess his age wrong.”
The guy looked back over at Ray, taking note of his 7’3” muscle-bound frame. “A-alright t-then sir, enjoy your mo-movie.” He printed out the tickets and pushed them to me along with my change. I flashed a smile as I said thank you and left. The guy had only charged me for one adult ticket, I noticed while I stuffed my change back into my wallet.
While we were waiting in line at the concession stand, Ray tapped my shoulder and held out his pad.
“He was being stubborn.” I answered. “He wouldn’t believe that you were still a student.”
Ray’s face made an expression of understanding, but I also saw something that looked like regret or pain.
And then it hit me. I had completely forgotten about Ray being homeless! Of course that meant that Ray was a high school dropout as well. God, I felt so horrible about bringing it up, but I had been having so much fun with him that I thought of him as a normal, everyday teenager.
“Ray, I’m sorry.” I apologized.
Ray turned toward me, his eyebrows raised.
“I didn’t mean to bring something like that up, I swear.”
Ray shook his head and scribbled in his pad again.
I do not really mind it at all.
After all, I was the one who chose to leave,
So it isn’t a big deal.
And on a lighter note, I’m happy you were able to get a discount.
Though I didn’t feel any better about myself, Ray’s feelings meant a lot to me. I tried to make up for it by buying a large tub of popcorn, drink and a few other snacks for Ray.
The movie was adequate, I suppose. It was one of those teenage scary movies that were more focused on girls, blood and gore instead of a strong plotline. Being a writer, I look at the storyline in my movies and this was one of the weakest storyline I have ever watched. I mentally groaned as I was forced to watch some atrocious story development and horrible dialect.
Ray, however, seemed to be having a blast. He was drawn in, responding exactly how an obedient audience should. He would silently laugh at the small jokes, watch intently at the suspenseful scenes and jump at every surprise.
My attention was drawn back to the screen, where the so called reaper had appeared out of nowhere, swinging his giant scythe. Suddenly I felt Ray grabbed my hand, clutching it tightly in his oversized grip. When I looked over at him, his eyes were still glued to the movie screen. He had probably been surprised by the sudden appearance and grabbed my hand without knowing it. At first I considered gently removing my hand, but then I just let it slide. It felt…nice. Ray’s hand was warm and strong, something I missed feeling. I turned towards him and gave him a good, full look.
Even in the dark, I could see Ray’s handsome features. Clear blue eyes, flawless skin, and his new haircut suited his light brown hair perfectly. The dark room and the light from the big screen caused Ray’s pecs to look fuller then in the regular light, and his arms swelled and filled his sleeves whenever he tensed up.
All too soon Ray let go of my hand and I returned to watching the movie. After that climatic scene, it went downhill from there. I found myself nodding off when the credits began to play and the lights turned back up. The movie was now over, so Ray and I got up and exited the movie theater.
When we reached outside, Ray immediately looked up. I looked up as well and found that the evening sky had cleared up a bit, revealing patches of dark sky and a waxing moon. It took me awhile to figure out why Ray was looking so intently at the sky.
The rain had stopped.
Ray and I looked at each other before he wrote something in his pad, though I already had a good idea what it would say.
You did say I could reside with you until the rain ceases.
I appreciate everything you have done for me
And I will never forget you.
I looked up from the pad. Ray gave a polite bow and then turned to leave.
“Wait.” I reached out and grabbed his arm. My fingers didn’t even come close to wrapping halfway around that thick, hard triceps.
Ray looked back inquiringly, obviously wanting to know why I was stopping him.
Why was I stopping him? “Even though it’s stopped raining, everything is still pretty wet. If you sleep out here, you’ll ruin those new clothes I gave you.”
Ray seemed very surprised by my offer. Heck, even I was surprised by my offer. Ray seemed a bit conflicted, though. A part of him obviously wanted to leave, but another part wished to stay. Finally, after much thought, he wrote his answer.
However, if it is clear tomorrow, I will leave.
I do not wish to take advantage of your kind heart.
“Feel free to take advantage, because I’m giving it away.” I chuckled as I handed his pad back. I felt a bit relieved that Ray wasn’t going to leave yet. Ray was like a close friend to me now, and just letting a friend live on the streets would just be wrong. Sure, I felt a glow of satisfaction at what I was doing, but Ray…he was different.
While we were walking home, I thought about all the things that had happened that day. Though I’ve been to the hair salon with a friend before, or ate out or even went to the movies with a couple of friends, I couldn’t shake the feeling that my day with Ray had been something like a date. But that was ridiculous because I didn’t want a new boyfriend or anything like that. I just wasn’t ready yet.
When we arrived home, I made us a light supper and then we both turned in for the night. As I entered my room, I looked outside of the window. The clouds had began to gather up and cover the skies again, looking ominous and heavy. It was definitely going to rain again soon, and I privately hoped that it would last all day tomorrow.
Having made my wish, I turned on my computer and began typing. If I worked quickly, I would be able to add another chapter to my novel before going to bed.