Rain

My web page is back up and running, for anyone who might want to know. ::shrugs:: It's at http://members.xoom.com/crystal_keep/index.htm That's all...bye!

Rain spattered down on the deck of the ship, turning everything wet and slippery with its liquid coolness.

The sky had been white-hot and hazy for over a month now, the humidity oppressive and the temperatures soaring. Short tempers among the crewmembers kept them apart as much as possible, trying to find shady spaces to be alone. Water was rationed for drinking only, which meant they could only eat what could be prepared without the use of that precious liquid, and there was no opportunity for a cooling bath to quell the heat.

But then, two days ago, the sky had clouded over. The humidity increased, if that was even possible, and, less than ten minutes ago, the clouds ripped apart, sending a warm, gentle rain into the ocean and upon the deck of the Nomad.

Every porthole belowdeck was open, the sun-baked ship steaming as the cool water poured down upon it. The crewmembers relaxed in the galley, smiling tiredly at each other as the cool rainy breeze washed over them.

Well, most of the crewmembers, that is.

Bryn stood on the deck itself, barefoot, eyes closed, letting the soft raindrops pour over her. She gave a small smile and twirled around, thankful for the respite from the humid heat of the past several weeks.

Unbeknownst to her, a pair of bright blue eyes watched her every move from beneath a head of sopping wet brown hair.

Bryn reached out with both arms, palms upraised to catch the fat raindrops as they softly pelted her skin. She realized that she was quite soaked, but she didn’t much care. It felt good to be cool and semi-clean again.

"You’re all wet," a soft voice remarked, laced with humor.

Bryn whirled around and came face-to-face with her captain. Her soft brown eyes opened wide as she stared at him, snapped out of her rain-induced trance by his voice.

"Me?" she asked, "what about you, Captain?" She pressed her lips together in the tiny, amused smile she so often wore. Without really thinking about it, she reached up and pushed a dripping hank of hair out of his face. Her hand brushed against his wet forehead, and she froze.

Sinbad froze as well. He stared deep into brown eyes, the clearest, softest eyes he’d ever seen in his life. Raindrops clung to her dark eyelashes like tears, sparkling briefly like the finest of diamonds. Very slowly, almost hesitantly, he reached out and traced the path of a raindrop down her face. Her skin was smooth and, though they stood in the rain, softly warm.

"Crazy sorceress," he said fondly, a smile playing upon his face, "you’re going to get sick if you stay out here like this, and then where would we be?"

Bryn, freed from her momentary paralysis, smiled beautifully. "We’d be in the middle of the ocean, Captain, on a ship that’s getting rained on, and you’d be in a great deal of trouble from Firouz for allowing me to get sick in the first place."

He gave a mock-astonished look. "Me? Why is it my fault?"

Bryn shrugged. "You’re the captain."

"And you’re the sorceress that has me wrapped around her little finger," Sinbad grumbled, bringing her hand up and kissing the palm. Bryn shivered, but remained still.

"Come now, Sinbad, you don’t have to act so upset about it," she said, laughing.

Her captain smiled, entranced by that laugh. The rain continued to pour down upon them but he didn’t care. Her laugh was like music, and it filled his entire being with sunshine…figuratively speaking, of course.

"I’m not," he said, just before dipping his head and pressing his lips against hers.

Bryn’s body sparked instantly at the touch of his lips upon hers, and she kissed him back, her arms sliding around his neck and feeling his wet hair cling to her skin.

Sinbad’s arms wound around her waist and pulled her close, his lips gentle and firm at the same time. He kissed her sweetly, gently, feeling happy that the rain came and gave them this moment to be together again.

Doubar opened the door to the galley a crack and chuckled as he saw his brother and Bryn out on the deck, thoroughly soaked and not caring in the slightest.

"What are you looking at, Doubar?" Firouz asked, looking up from a metal thing he’d been hunched over for more than an hour.

The first mate grinned. "A couple of lovesick fools getting rained on!" he chuckled before closing the door and going back to the table. Rain definitely had its good points.