Drrrrum. Somebody dropped a bag of breakstone up there in heavens. The sound soon disappeared in an ocean's voice amplified tenfold. Wave after wave, it furiously struck the roof, hoping to get through and destroy the little house that dared to shelter three mortals from the wrath of the element. Slim arms behind my back clung tighter, feeling it.
 
"No choking," I jokingly warned.
 
She answered with a wet noise.
 
"Jesus, are you really?"
 
Red circles under Lilly's eyes spoke for themselves.
 
"Shhh, girl, what are you so scared of?"
 
"I happen to," her voice broke for an instant, "dislike storms."
 
"Our first one, isn't it?"
 
"It is."
 
There was little to say, again. Moments like these had left me helpless in the beginning, but as time went on, the ancient saying that love is a shared silence found its way into our relationship as well. Wiping off moist trails off her cheeks, I sneakily licked my finger to taste the salt. There was absolutely nothing left to do with our electricity off due to an unfortunate lightning and ecliptic dusk all around.
 
"What in the world did you just do?"
 
"Err, nothing?"
 
"The noise won't mask anything that happens right next to my ears," she set herself straight on the couch, then mumbled one more word, "creeeeeeep."
 
CRACK!
 
"Ow!"
 
She jumped up and immediately made a sour face.
 
"It's just thunder, silly."
 
Actually, it may have very well been the worst downpour on my memory, but why did she have to know? Sweet, sweet little lies, come and weave our lovely ties.
 
"Is it? I failed to notice."
 
"Yeah, and I'll hold your hand through it, so try not to crush it."
 
Those slim fingers to this day stay impossibly strong.
 
"Guys?"
 
Hanako, wet as a lost puppy, walked in through the front door. The newspaper trip had made her more social and turned her life around completely, but the poor thing remained weird. Staying under the rain staring into the sky weird.
 
"Anyone about to use the shower?"
 
"Go ahead, by all means," Lilly hastily brushed her hair aside to look less crumpled, which didn't spare her a judging look from the girl.
 
"May I ask for this one couch to remain clean, please?"
 
"Oh come on, we'd never do anything funny outside of our room, Satou's house or not," I reassured.
 
"She didn't believe us," Lilly sighed as the sound of running water came from inside of the house as well as the outside.
 
"Not a single time. Wonder how she'll manage washing without the lights."
 
Lilly drew closer, enveloping us both in a cascade of blonde hair, and whispered something right into my ear.
 
"Want me to make sure her back is shiny?"
 
I answered nothing.
 
"Hmm?"
 
I answered nothing because another flash had just torn through the dusk veil like a blinding white knife.
 
BOOM!
 
"Aah!"
 
How much I cursed the weather that evening did not amount to any measure known to man.