Storm Brewing in the Heart

 Rain poured from the skies, tapping against the rooftops and windows of the now quiet city.

 Azul sat in his study, reading his favorite book in front of the fireplace, as he looked out the window.

 Not a soul could be seen wandering the streets; no voices chattering as they passed by.

 Everyone was hunkered down inside, bracing for the huge storm that was about to hit.

 He wondered if Sira was at home too and what she was doing.

 Was she curled up in bed, reading or browsing her phone? Maybe she was on the couch curled up under a blanket watching a movie.

 Had she eaten yet? Did she prefer warm foods or cold foods during rainy weather?

 Now that they were husband and wife, he felt like he saw her less than before.

 Business behind the scenes at picked up and he wasn't in the office as much – his excuse being that his freelance services weren't needed for the time being, and Sira had picked up a part-time job after work that took up the rest of her free time.

 He slid a bookmark in his book and picked up his phone off the side table.

 No new messages from Sira.

 'Should I ask how she's doing? If she's at home and staying safe?' he thought as he typed out a few drafts.

 The building she lived in was pretty run down, and the owners clearly didn't care about upkeep or maintenance. Would it be able to withstand the impending storm?

 Thoughts of her lounging comfortably and safe in her apartment were replaced with images of her roof leaking and her apartment flooding.

 Azul rubbed his chin as he typed and retyped his messages to her.

 'What do I say?'

 His mind couldn't form a satisfactory message, so he discarded the idea of texting her.

 He picked up his book and began reading again.

 'If she needs me, she can text me.' He thought.

 After a few minutes he placed his book down and rubbed his chin again.

 'Would she text me though? She doesn't seem to want much to do with me now that we're married. Maybe she's trying hard to differentiate and put space between us, so the lines don't blur…'

 He placed his book on the side table and leaned against the window, staring out at the gray landscape.

 'I should check on her, or at least let her know she can lean on me…'

 As he went to grab his phone, the lights went out and he heard a loud mechanical groan shoot through the air.

 'DING! DING!'

 [EMERGENCY ALERT] A Power Outage has occurred throughout the city due to the storm. Please stay indoors until the issue is resolved.

 Azul hissed and began to chew on his thumb nail.

 All of the hesitations he had previously were pushed aside as he dialed Sira's number.

 It rang a few times before she picked up and answered with a shaky voice, "H-Hello?"

 "Sira? Are you okay?"

 "I-I'm f-fine."

 "What's wrong with your voice?" A look of concern washed over his face; her voice reminiscent of the night they first met – the night she was terrorized in the haunted house.

 "H-Heating went out a wh-while ago h-here, it's f-f-f-freezing. I-I don't l-like the d-dark either…."

 Azul could practically hear her teeth chattering over the phone.

 "Pack your bags. Prepare to stay here for a day or two, I'm going to go get you. You'll stay here until the storm has passed."

 "W-Wait! I-Isn't it g-going to be d-dangerous for you to d-drive over h-h-here?"

 "What kind of man just leaves his wife in a situation like that? Pack your things, I'm on my way."

 He hung up the phone before she could protest and grabbed his coat and an umbrella before heading out to his car.

 Forty minutes later, he arrived outside her building and parked his car.

 [Text à Sira] Come to the lobby and let me know when you're there.

 Azul waited for her text, his umbrella in hand, ready to go escort her to his vehicle.

 However, Sira instead dashed out into the rain and ran towards his car, a backpack in hand.

 He quickly unlocked the doors and leaned over, opening the car door, his eyes wide.

 "What are you doing?!" He yelled, his voice laced with concern as she tossed her backpack in the back and slid into the passenger seat.

 "I w-was getting in y-our c-c-car!"

 Water dripped from her bangs as Azul reached over and buckled her in, "Now you're all wet. Tsk. I was going to get you from the lobby and bring you here so this didn't happen."

 "It's just water, it's fine."

 Azul shook his head as he began to drive off, turning the heater on higher.

 "You can get sick. Who is going to take care of you, huh? Your husband that you refuse to live with?"

 "Hey, it's n-not like you ever off-offered to come l-live with m-m-me. Don't m-m-m-make it all my f-f-fau-fau-fault!"

 "Tsk. Okay, okay. Don't talk and just warm up, your teeth are going to shatter with the amount you're chattering."

 Sira pursed her lips, the corners of her mouth turning upwards ever-so-slightly.

 She hugged herself, trying to produce extra warmth in addition to the car's heater.

 By the time they reached his house, Sira's stomach growled loudly.

 Azul stared at her with wide eyes.

 "Was that your stomach? I thought my car was breaking down."

 She shot him an annoyed glance, "Ha…ha…"

 "Wait for me this time."

 He walked over to her side, the umbrella covering him and reached into the backseat to grab her backpack.

 After slinging it over his shoulder, he opened up her door and held his hand out for her.

 She grabbed onto him, her hand looking so small and fragile in his.

 For a moment, there was a spark, but neither of them could revel in it as Azul yanked her out of the car, pulling her close to him.

 "You go upstairs and change. Grab a towel from the bathroom and start drying your hair. I'll make you something to eat. What do you like? Warm or cold?"

 As he ushered her inside and shook out the umbrella in the entry way, a wave of confusion washed over Sira's face.

 "What do you mean? Warm or cold? Are those dishes from Blue World?"

 "Yes and no. I meant," he said as he placed the umbrella in its holder, "do you prefer warm dishes or cold dishes during the rain."

 Sira hugged herself as she walked up the stairs, her phone illuminating the path in the darkness, "I like warm~" she called out from above.

 Azul nodded and headed to the kitchen to begin preparing a meal for them.

 When Sira got to the bathroom, she locked the door behind her and leaned against it, her heart pounding from their earlier touch.

 'This is like something out of a romance series…..' she thought as she placed her backpack and phone on the counter.

 She stared at her flushed face in the mirror, unsure if it was due to the cold or because of their interaction.

 'Should I…lean into this romantic comedy of mine or should I tether myself to reality?'