The wind came before the rain.
It came in fierce that swept through the small coastal town, shaking windows and bending the palm trees by the pier. The sea, which was calm earlier, now had turned black and violent. Waves crashed against the rocks loudly, and flashes of lightning lit up the sky.
By night, The Coastal Brew had closed early. The streets emptied, and shop windows glowed faintly through the curtain of rain. Elena stood by her window, hugging her sketchbook to her chest, watching as the storm grew stronger.
She wasn't afraid of thunder. She had grown up by the sea, where storms were part of life. But tonight felt different, almost personal.
Her thoughts kept going back to Adrian. He had gone into the town earlier to help a few neighbors secure their boats before the storm came. He told her he'll be back before the dark. That had been two hours ago.
Elena bit her lip and checked her phone again. No messages. The network was probably down, but worry still filled her chest with each minute.
When the lights flickered, and the room turned dark, she whispered to herself, "He's fine. He always comes back."
By the time Adrian reached her apartment, the storm was at full force. Rain drenched him completely, and wind pushed against his back. He could barely see through the downpour, but when he saw the soft light in her window, he felt relief in him.
He knocked twice before she opened the door quickly, eyes wide open with fear and relief.
"Adrian!" she gasped. "You're completely wet!"
He managed a tired grin. "You told me to come back before dark. I tried."
She pulled him inside, shutting the door against the wind. "You shouldn't have gone out there. It's dangerous."
"Some of the boats were about to break loose. I couldn't just-"
"I know" she interrupted softly. "You never can, but for my sake. Please keep yourself safe."
Her voice wasn't angry. Just tired. She fetched a towel and wrapped it around his shoulders, her fingers trembling as she brushed water from his hair. For a moment, neither spoke. The storm's roar filled silence between them.
The lights flickered again, then died completely.
Darkness swallowed the room, broken only by the faint glow of the lantern near the window. The wind howled, destroying everything outside. Elena took a shaky breath. "I'll light some candles. Stay here."
As she moved to the cupboard, Adrian's voice came softly behind her. "You were worried about me."
"Of course I was." she replied.
"I didn't mean to scare you," he said. "It just felt... wrong to do nothing while everyone else was out there."
Elena placed a candle on the table, the flame shaking from the wind. "You always think it's your responsibility to fix everything."
Adrian gave a faint, weary laugh. "It's the soldier in me, I guess."
She met his gaze, the candlelight danced between them. "You're not a soldier here, Adrian. You're just... you. And that's enough."
He looked away, his jaw tightening. "Sometimes I forget who that even is."
They sat on the floor together, backs against the wall, the candlelight dancing across their faces. The air between them was warm despite the storm outside.
Adrian spoke after a long silence. "Do you ever think about what it'd be like if I'd never gone to war?"
Elena blinked. "All the time."
"Would I still be me?"
She thought carefully before answering. "Maybe not the same. But you'd still be kind. You'd still look at people like they matter."
He stared at the flame, voice low. "Sometimes I dream of it, the sound of explosions, the people calling my name. And when I wake up, I don't know if I should be grateful or guilty for surviving."
Elena's hand found his. "You don't need to apologize for living."
"I'm not apologizing," he said, but his voice broke on the last word. "I'm just... tired of carrying ghosts."
She leaned her head against his shoulder. "Then let me carry some of them for you."
He looked at her, eyes soft and wet in the candlelight. "You already do."
Outside, the wind grew stronger, shaking her apartment until it felt as if the whole world were shaking. The lantern by the window blew out, once again the room was filled with darkness. Elena flinched, holding on to his arm.
He shifted closer, wrapping an arm around her. "It's alright. I've got you."
She pressed her face against his shoulder, listening to the calm rhythm of his heartbeat despite the chaos. It grounded her, proof that he was there with her, alive and safe.
"You know," she murmured "when I was little, my grandmother used to tell me that storms are just the sky cleaning itself. That after every storm, everything feels new again."
He smiled faintly. "Then maybe we need the storm."
"Maybe we do," she whispered.
Hours passed like that, the candle burning low, rain hitting relentlessly against the windows.
When the storm finally began to calm, the apartment felt smaller, safer somehow. The air was filled with the scent of salt, wax, and damp earth. Adrian stood, stretching slightly. "Looks like it's ending."
Elena nodded. "Stay here tonight. The roads will be flooded."
He hesitated. "Are you sure?"
She gave him a look. "Adrian, if you try to walk home in this situation, I'll lock the door and keep your shoes."
He laughed, that rare warmth returning to his voice. "Alright, alright."
She brought out a blanket, and they sat together by the window, watching the rain fade into mist. The moon appeared slightly through the clouds, shining on the wet world outside.
Adrian turned to her, voice quiet. "Elena... I don't say it enough, but thank you. For waiting. For believing in me when I can't."
She smiled, resting her head against him. "Then say it now, so I can remember it when you leave again."
His hand found hers. "Thank you."
The storm was gone, but in its place lingered something gentler, a stillness that held them both like a promise.
And as the candle burned its last, the sound of the waves returned to its usual rhythm.
The next morning, sunlight spilled across the cliffs, washing away the night's chaos. The air smelled clean, almost new.
Elena opened the window, letting the sea breeze in. Adrian stood beside her, his hair a bit messy, his expression softer than she'd seen in weeks.
She looked at him and smiled. "Looks like the sky cleaned itself after all."
He slipped his arm around her waist. "Yeah. And left something beautiful behind."
Outside, everything sparkled with dew. Inside, two hearts rested quietly, stronger than before, ready for whatever storms may come next to their lives.