Rain and Dumplings

       Kimiko woke up to a familiar fragrance spreading around the room. The rising sun beamed down through the windows of the bedroom, which revealed the beautiful view on the other side. The front yard glistened with the touch of morning dew, and she could already imagine the scent of petrichor outside. She stretched her arms and let out a yawn before changing out of her pajamas into her usual black kimono. She walked out of her room to the kitchen to engage in her morning routine.

       "Good morning, Kimiko!" greeted her boyfriend, Reinku. He was sporting his usual humanoid half-dragon form, his head adorned with antlers and his tail lying on the floor.

       "Morning, Reku!" she said, with a healthy smile on her face. She was always happy to see her soulmate, even if she was not exactly looking forward to what he was waiting to give her.

       "I've cooked a nice helping of beef noodles," he said, handing his girlfriend a bowl of the breakfast.

       "Thanks!" she answered, keeping up her grin. Truth be told, she did love Reinku's delicious cooking, but this was probably the seventh or eighth time that month that he had cooked the same thing. Beef noodles was the dish he was most familiar with making, but she wished that he would one day cook something outside of his comfort zone.

       "Hey, Kimiko," he said, as they finished their bowls. "You mentioned last night that you wanted to visit Tokiro today."

       "Oh, yeah!" she beamed. "I haven't seen him in quite a while. He'll be so happy to see us!"

       "Yes, well..." He looked down at the floor, a feeling of worry visible on his downcast eyes.

       "Oh, Reku, you don't need to worry! I'm sure Toki's warmed up to you by now!"

       "I'm... not so sure, honestly. He doesn't seem to be the type to let go of grudges like that."

       "It's not a grudge, silly!" Kimiko got off her chair and walked over to Reinku. "He's just like that to most people he doesn't know that well, but I promise you he's a sweetheart when you get to know him!"

       "Sure, if he lets you get to know him..."

       "Oh, stop being such a skeptic, Reku!" she frowned, annoyed. "You worry too much! Come on, just give Toki a chance!"

       He sat still a moment, resting his chin on his fist, before letting out a sigh and standing up, stifling his best smile.

       "My apologies, Kimiko. I'll try to get to know him better, don't worry."

       "Thanks, Reku!" She tightly hugged Reinku for a few seconds, before skipping merrily toward the front door. "Come on! Let's not keep him waiting now!"

       "Right," he answered, as he walked briskly over to her side. Holding hands, they opened the door and stepped out of their house, before moving toward her car.

       Once she got into the driver's seat and Reinku into the passenger's, she did not hesitate to turn on the vehicle and set off to Tokiro's house, listening to a peppy pop radio station all the while.

       "You know, Kimiko?" he suddenly spoke, as they were driving down the street under increasingly grey clouds.

       "Yes, Reku?"

       "I was... thinking about taking driving lessons again."

       "Really? Are you sure?"

       "Well, I don't like to have to rely on you to get me places, is all. I don't want to be an inconvenience in that regard."

       "Reku, you're not bothering me at all! I'm always happy to take you places!"

       "I know, but... I just thought it would make things easier for you, is all."

       "Oh, it's all good!"

       Suddenly a thought occurred to her.

       "Wait, why would you need to drive yourself anyway, Reku? You can turn into a dragon, can't you just fly?"

       Reinku paused.

       "...Oh, good point."

       As they got closer to Tokiro's, the clouds overhead became darker and darker, and soon enough, the low rumblings of distant thunder could be heard.

       "Hmm..." Reinku pondered. "Looks like bad rain today."

       "That it does, Reku, that it does." Kimiko agreed, with a slight, momentary frown.

       The atmosphere only grew more and more ominous as time passed, until the sky became completely blanketed in dark grey. She put on her headlights, as did all the other nearby cars. As if on cue, it began to rain heavily immediately afterward.

       "Oh, boy..." she sighed, as drops of water clanged against the hood of the car. "If we weren't already almost there, I'd probably turn around. It's starting to look pretty nasty."

       "Ordinarily I don't mind the sound of rain at home," Reinku mused. "In a car though... it makes me rather nervous."

       "Oh, don't worry, Reku!" She put on a soft smile. "It's just a thunderstorm, they happen all the time! Not that it's good to drive in, obviously, but it doesn't look like tornado weather, at least!"

       At that moment the radio began airing a warning message.

       "Attention! A severe storm warning has been issued in the area! Citizens are advised to stay in their homes for the remainder of the week, in order to avoid the hazardous weather. Reports are coming in that this storm will carry a risk of floods, tornadoes-" 

       Kimiko cut off the radio.

       "This does not bode well," her antler-wearing boyfriend observed.

       "It'll be alright, Reku." She bore a wide smile as she slowed the car down. "Look, we're already there!" She pointed in the direction of a nearby house, its front lawn decorated with training dummies, swaying in the wind.

       They parked next to the sidewalk, and the couple ran through the harsh rain and wind toward Tokiro's place. She knocked loudly on the front door, and a few seconds later, it opened to reveal a man with black hair and glasses; Kimiko's brother. Though his usual perpetual frown stayed put, his eyes lit up as they found his precious sister.

       "Kimiko! Get in, quickly!" The bespectacled man motioned for her to quickly get in, before finally noticing her boyfriend. "You too, Reinku," he said, with a noticeably less pleased tone.

       "It's so good to see you, Toki!" she said, once all three were in the living room past the entrance and the door was closed tight. 

       Heavy rain and winds clattered relentlessly on the walls and shingles of the house, punctuated by the occasional blast of lightning and thunder. Beyond the windows, the trees around the house jerked and bowed violently against the winds, which seemed to gradually be getting faster and faster. Eventually, the rain was accompanied by clattering sleet.

       "What were you thinking, driving all the way here today of all days?!" Tokiro questioned, his eyebrows furrowed in anger. "Haven't you watched the news?"

       "Oh, well..." Kimiko began, "I don't really watch that much TV these days, Toki."

       "Well, at least watch the news, Miko! We're caught in the middle of a huge tropical storm right now! You should've stayed home!"

       "But I really wanted to see you, Toki! I haven't seen you in ages!" his sister let out a smile. He hesitated, before taking a second to calm down.

       "Well... it's good to see you too, Miko. I'm just glad you're safe... You too, Reinku."

       Once again, this last point was coupled with a sharp aura of distaste.

       "Greetings, Tokiro," Reinku said.

       "How have you been, Toki?" Kimiko asked.

       "Same as usual, honestly." He looked down at the floor, getting a bit lost in thought. "Bunch of sword training. I've been meaning to get my sword reinforced, actually. It's a bit chipped in places. Might want to get some new training dummies too, actually..."

       Suddenly his head jolted upward, and his eyes met Reinku's. "And... how's the new living arrangement going, Miko?"

       "Oh, we're so happy together, Toki! Reku's such a sweetheart!" She and her draconic lover shared a hug as if to present this point to Tokiro.

       "It's true," Reinku said. "Throughout this past year, our lives together have been incredible! She's... well, she's very good to me. I try to be good to her too, of course. I made her a fine bowl of beef noodles this morning."

       Kimiko's brother ignored his statement.

       "Well, I'm going to go to my room and catch up on my reading. You two can do... whatever, just don't make a mess of things. And, this goes without saying, but don't leave the house. The storm's too dangerous."

       With that, he gave her a tight hug before marching over to his room, closing his door quietly.

       "Well..." Reinku sighed, "so much for a warm welcome."

       "Oh, that Toki's just being huffy today, is all!" Kimiko frowned. "I mean, I get it, it was a bad day to go visit with the storm and all, but still..."

       "No, Kimiko... I don't think he trusts me at all..." He held his chin in his hand for a minute, humming in thought.

       "Whatcha thinking, Reku?"

       "...I think I'm going to talk to him."

       Her eyes shot a look of surprise at Reinku.

       "Are you sure?"

       "Well, I thought about it. If he still doesn't trust me, maybe I should try getting on his good side. It probably won't work... but for you, it's worth a shot." 

       "Toki doesn't really like having his reading interrupted, Reku. It might not be a good idea to do that right now."

       "I don't think there will be such a thing as a 'good time' with him. Better sooner than later, I think."

       "Well... good luck with that, then! I'll cook us up some dinner while you go do that."

       "Thank you. I love you, Kimiko."

       "Love you too, Reku!"

       The two gave each other a loving hug and kiss before splitting off. Reinku walked off down the hallway toward Tokiro's room, thunder and rain roaring in the distance. He was nearly in disbelief at what he had just committed to; he was not usually one to say such hopelessly optimistic things, especially when it came to trying to win the trust of someone as untrusting and stubborn as Tokiro. But still, he was more than willing to make the attempt, if it made Kimiko happy.

       After hesitating for a moment, he knocked on the door gently.

       "Yes, Miko?" a voice answered from the other side.

       "Actually, it's Reinku. I wanted to talk."

       A brief moment passed before Tokiro creaked the door slightly open to scowl at his visitor.

       "What do you want?"

       "Listen, I just want to talk a moment. I want to know why you... why you hate me so much. What am I doing wrong?"

       "I... Look, I don't hate you, Reinku, but if you must know, your presence around my sister... perturbs me. Any brother would be worried about strange men hanging around with their sisters."

       "But... it's been a whole year! I've never done anything to hurt her, we've both been happy together this whole time! What will it take to make you trust me?"

       "I don't know!" Tokiro blurted, with a sharp twinge of annoyance in his voice. "I just... I'm just... paranoid, I guess. And I can't help my feelings, so stop bothering me about them."

       He started to close the door, and Reinku could feel that he was losing this debate. Desperately thinking about a topic to connect to him through, he thought back to the training dummies outside the house.

       "You sword fight, Tokiro?" he asked. The brother kept the door open in response.

       "Um... yes, I do, obviously. Mostly training, though. Why?"

       "Well... It just so happens that I do, too. I also train sometimes!"

       "Sometimes, huh?" He swung the door open and crossed his arms. "Describe 'sometimes'."

       "You know... every once in a while, maybe a few hours every couple of days..."

       "Then you don't train enough. Skilled swordsmen require constant training, Reinku."

       "Well, I have to dedicate some of my time to Kimiko, you know! I can't spend all of my time train-"

       To his shock, Tokiro suddenly jutted forward, and the next thing he knew, the humanoid dragon found the tip of a sword touching his chest.

       "Huh?!"

       "I could have killed you right then and there, Reinku. You need to work on your reflexes."

       "...Were you just holding on to that sword this whole time? Are you really that scared I'm going to do something? I would never hurt Kimiko, you know that!"

       After a short pause, the black-haired swordsman sheathed his weapon and shut his door.

       "What is his problem?" Reinku whispered to himself. Tokiro was being rather difficult and inconsolable, just as he had predicted he would be. "How am I going to get through to him...?"

       The storm progressed throughout the day, and by the time the sun had set and the moon hung over the thick blanket of clouds, the sleet had upgraded to a hailstorm, and the rain and winds were louder than ever. Miraculously, the house had not lost power, and he was still holed up in his bedroom, reading. Kimiko and Reinku decided to take their minds off of the weather by watching a romantic comedy in the living room.

       "Oh, Richard! This is so beautiful!" Pamela shouted in excitement. Richard had decorated the front side of their house in Christmas lights, arranged to say "RICHARD AND PAMELA FOREVER".

       "I would hope so!" quipped Richard. "Worked very hard on it! These lights, they shine as bright as our future together! Is what I think it represents, anyway."

       "It's gorgeous. I love you, Richard!" Pamela hugged him tight, and the two shared a loving embrace and kiss as fireworks went off in the night sky.

       "This movie is just so sweet, Reku!" Kimiko commented, enthralled in the delightfully cheesy romance.

       "Yes, quite..." Reinku murmured, lost in thought.

       "Huh? What's the matter? Do you not like the movie?"

       "What? Oh, no, it's nothing, I was just trying to think..."

       "About Toki? Reinku, you don't need to try so hard, you know. It's alright."

       It was true that Tokiro was a large concern for him, especially now that they were effectively stuck in his house for the duration of the storm. At that moment, however, Reinku's thoughts gravitated toward a different plan forming in his head.

       "Tokiro? Oh, don't worry, I'm not thinking about him right now."

       "Oh, well then... What's on your mind?"

       "Ah, nothing, nothing."

       "Hmm... Well, you can tell me when you're ready, then!"

       They continued to watch their movie, Kimiko sporting an enchanted grin, and Reinku's head concocting a surprise for his love. By the end of the movie, the two fell asleep on the couch, holding hands and leaning against each other, while the raging winds and hail whipped against the walls.

       Kimiko woke up to the continued cacophony of the rainstorm. The clock on the wall indicated that it was mid-morning, yet it was still just as dark and gloomy outside the windows as the previous night; the storm had clearly not ceased at any point.

       "Reku? Where are you?" she groaned, wiping the heavy sleep from her eyes. Reinku had evacuated the couch at some point. At that moment, however, she noticed the familiar aroma of pork.

       She followed the scent to the kitchen to find him with a food steamer, preparing another breakfast.

       "Good morning, Kimiko!" he said, as the food finished steaming. "At least, I think it's morning... Can't really tell with this storm, you know?"

       "Yeah," she yawned, stretching her arms before eyeing the steamer. "Haven't seen you use a steamer before!"

       "Well, it occurred to me that you might be getting sick of the usual beef meals, so I thought I'd spice things up a bit. I've cooked up some pork dumplings!"

       He turned the steamer off and opened the lid to reveal a collection of delicious-looking dumplings, leaving Kimiko drooling at the sight.

       "They look yummy!" She quickly took a dumpling and popped it in her mouth, before immediately dropping it back into her hand in a pained panic. "Ouch!"

       "They literally just came out of the steamer, Kimiko. They need to cool down first!"

       "Haha, of course! I knew that I just couldn't wait to try it, is all!"

       "Actually, while these dumplings cook, I wanted to show you something."

       "Ooh, whatcha mean, Reku?" A look of wonder washed over her face.

       "Well, I've set up a little something in the guest room. Close your eyes and follow me."

       Kimiko grew an excited grin as she closed her eyes and took Reinku's hand. He slowly walked his girlfriend through the living room and down the hall to the guest room, next to Tokiro's room.

       "Can I open my eyes now, Reku?"

       "Just a little moment, Kimiko." The thought of showing her the surprise he had set up that night made him crack out into a little smile. He was incredibly excited to show her what he had made.

       The moment Reinku had opened the door to the guest room, a bright bolt of lightning shot down just beyond the guest room window, along with a deafening clap of thunder. All of the lights in the house shut off as the storm finally robbed the house of power.

       "...Umm..." the surprised boyfriend hummed.

       "Wow, that was loud!" Kimiko said. "Was that the surprise?"

       "Actually... Um, Kimiko. The power's down. My surprise kind of needed electricity to work."

       "Oh, really?" Reinku could hear a small twinge of disappointment in her voice.

       "I'm very sorry. We'll need to wait for the power to come back on before I can show you."

       "Oh, you don't need to apologize!" She hugged Reinku, still keeping her eyes closed. "These things happen, you know! It's not the end of the world!"

       Her soft embrace and soothing voice lifted his spirits somewhat. He hugged her back.

       "Let's go back to the kitchen and eat those dumplings, love!"

       Suddenly Tokiro's room door slammed open, and Kimiko's brother ran down the hall to the living room, failing to see the other two in the darkness.

       "Miko! Reinku! Are you alright?" He said worriedly.

       "We're right here, Toki!" she answered, making him turn around to face them.

       "Oh. So you are. Are you two alright?"

       "Don't worry, Tokiro," the draconic man answered. "We're just fine."

       "Good to hear. I've brought a few candles with me. Let's head over to the living room."

       And to the living room, they went, Reinku making a quick trip to the kitchen to fetch the steamer of dumplings. They all sat around the living room coffee table, the steamer and candles placed upon it. Tokiro lit the candles before noticing the kitchen appliance.

       "What is the steamer doing here?" He eyed his antler-headed visitor in sharp suspicion.

       "Reku cooked pork dumplings!" Kimiko said. "They're quite delicious!"

       "Are they, now?" He proceeded to lift a dumpling from the container, holding it close to his eye, as if he was inspecting it.

       "Come on, Toki!" she interjected, "They're not poisoned or anything! They won't bite!"

       He then popped the dumpling into his mouth, and his eyes widened immediately. A few seconds later he had already consumed half the batch.

       "How did you make dumplings this good, Reinku?" he asked, impressed. "They're delicious!"

       "Are they really that good?" the chef responded. "First time I've cooked dumplings. I was quite lucky you had pork in the fridge."

       "I'm impressed! You've quite a talent for cooking!"

       Tokiro was smiling for the first time since the couple arrived, and both were delighted at this; especially Reinku, who had thought he would never be able to make him happy with anything. Considering it was simply a matter of his cooking, he assumed that Kimiko's brother probably did not trust him just yet, but he hoped that this would kickstart the process.

       "See, Toki?" she piped up. "Reku's not a bad guy at all! Would a bad guy really be able to cook such amazing dumplings?" She ate dumpling after dumpling, ecstatic that her love had finally cooked outside of his usual menu, and that he had cooked the new food so wonderfully.

       "I'm certainly thinking about it," Tokiro answered between dumplings. "But then, dumplings this good mess with my head quite a bit. He's discovered my weakness!"

       She noticed Reinku blushing a little, before giggling and giving him a warm hug. Her brother took a look at their display of happiness, and her boyfriend could not help but notice that he did not seem entirely displeased this time.

       "Guess I should cook dumplings more often, huh?" he pondered. Kimiko suddenly realized that she would probably be eating pork dumplings the next several times her boyfriend cooked, and made a mental note to give him a few cooking suggestions later.

       After the pork dumpling party, the three of them relaxed in the living room for about an hour, the candlelight flittering slightly all the while, as the thunderstorm marched on. The rain and hail refused to let up the entire time, and the lightning only got more and more intense. Even through the chaotic noise of the weather, Kimiko soon fell asleep, leaving the other two to stare into the illumination of the candles.

       Tokiro broke the silence. "Reinku,"

       "Yes?"

       He hesitated for a second, as if nervous. "It could just be the dumplings talking, but I just wanted to... apologize for my attitude toward you today. Testing you with that sword earlier might not have been so polite, in retrospect."

       "It's quite alright, Tokiro, I get it. A strange man, a... dragon man, no less, hooking up with your sister out of the blue like that? I'd be surprised if you didn't freak out a bit, honestly."

       "Don't get me wrong now, Reinku. I still have my reservations about you, and that's not going away anytime soon. It's... just how I am, is all. But that being said..."  Tokiro let out a small sigh.

      "It has been a year now, hasn't it? I suppose by now I should try not to be so uptight about it. It's just..."

       "Yes?"

       "...It's not so much that I'm worried about you being with her, Reinku. I know you wouldn't hurt her."

       "Of course not! I love her!"

       "I know, I know... I'm more worried about if someone or something else tries to hurt her. If your fighting skills aren't up to par, I'm afraid you won't be able to defend her, you know? I've been watching over her for so long, and now that she's moved out to live with you, I haven't been able to watch her, and I'm just terrified that..." He trailed off.

       "Tokiro." Reinku sternly cut him off. "I promise, on my life, that I will never let anything hurt her. If she is ever in danger, I will be there in a heartbeat. I swear.

       Tokiro hesitated for a second and took a deep breath. "You'd better live up to that."

       "Don't worry, Tokiro. I'm a man of my word."

       They both nodded to each other in understanding, before falling into the throes of sleep. Reinku felt somewhat delighted at the exchange; he could feel some level of trust forming between him and the swordsman. And, as he fell asleep, the thought brought about another small grin.

       The next morning arrived, yet electricity had not yet been restored to the household. The three found themselves eating the apples and bananas on the kitchen shelf for breakfast, since most of the items in the fridge had undoubtedly gone bad, and it was impossible to cook with the electric stove or oven. The storm was still as strong as ever, although the hail had at least disappeared.

       "Kimiko, Tokiro, look!" Reinku suddenly spoke up.

       "What is it?" she said, moving over to the window where her boyfriend and her brother were, only to find a terrifying sight beyond the glass. "Oh, my God!"

       The entire neighborhood had flooded over overnight; almost a foot of violent, surging water coated the streets, and cars and downed trees were floating past the house. It was a wonder that it was not leaking into their current shelter. There was no ground anywhere to be seen, almost as if the town had become a small, angry ocean. Reinku could not help himself from becoming rather nervous about their predicament.

       "I probably don't have to say this, but do not open the door," Tokiro mentioned. "The storm should end tonight, but we're stuck here until the flood stops."

       "Oh, man," Kimiko said, with a worried expression. "I hope everyone's okay out there."

       "I think rescue boats should show up soon," Reinku reassured her. "Besides, I don't see anybody out in the water. I'm more worried about our safety, actually."

       "That should not be a problem," the black-haired man answered. "I think this house is reinforced to protect against flooding. I'd probably have sought shelter, but I honestly did not expect the weather to get quite this bad. Certainly didn't think it would flood overnight!"

       Reinku's concern was still clearly visible on his face before his girlfriend smiled and offered a suggestion.

       "Hey, why don't we play a game to pass the time? You have any ideas, Toki?"

       "I've got some cards. We could play a game of Go Fish or something."

       "Sounds great! I don't know if I've told you guys, but I'm the best at card games!" She wore her biggest smile as Tokiro went over to his room to pick up a deck.

       "Kimiko," Reinku started, "aren't you at least a little worried about the flood? Can houses even be built to resist flooding?..."

       "Reku, just calm down. Nothing's going to happen to us, we'll be just fine! A good game of cards will put your mind at ease!"

       No matter how bad the situation could be, she always bore that same unbreakable cheery demeanor. He could not wrap his head around how she did that, but it warmed his heart to see all the same. It was certainly one of the things he loved so much about her! Still, he could not shake the feeling that something terrible would happen...

       Tokiro returned to the living room minutes later, carrying a pack of cards. "Here we go, guys! I'll deal."

       Just as he took the cards out of the pack, the sound of a tremendous crash rang throughout the house. All three jumped and yelped in surprise, causing the cards in Tokiro's hand to fall and scatter onto the floor.

       "My cards!" he shouted, distraught.

       "What was that?" Reinku asked.

       "It sounded like it came from the guest room!" Kimiko said, pointing toward the hall.

       "Stay here. I'll check it out," her brother ordered, walking down the hall to see what had happened. They could not help but notice that the sound of rolling rain and wind had suddenly become much sharper.

       "I hope everything's alright..." She sounded rather worried and shaken.

       "Don't worry, Kimiko. I'm scared too, but if anything happens, I'll keep you safe." Reinku took her hand.

       "Thanks, Reku. I'll protect you too, however, I can. I love you."

       "Good lord!" Tokiro's cry rang down the hall, as the sound of water rushing down the hall rolled across the room, soaking the floor of the corridor. The flood water rammed into the living room, and eventually, the whole house became filled water up to the knee.

       "Oh God!" she shouted, as the rising water began to lift several objects off of the ground.

       "Stay close to me, Kimiko!" Reinku grabbed her and held her tight.

       "Are you guys alright?" her brother yelled, running toward them.

       "Yeah, we're fine!" she said.

       "Can't really say the same for the house though..." the dragon mused. "What happened?

       "The wind's getting so much worse! The whole wall of the guest room got torn off like cheap cardboard!"

       The flooding waters were only rising higher and higher, and soon half the living room was underwater.

       "Guys, let's get on the couch!" she suggested, pointing toward the floating furniture. All three scrambled to the sofa, drawing nearer and nearer to panic as they wondered what would happen next. They took a good look at the aquatic carnage taking place, as the couch bobbed and drifted all about the flooded room.

       "Oh, God..." Tokiro groaned, grabbing his hair anxiously. "My house... it's become a giant... fish tank! What am I gonna do?"

       "We should probably figure out how to get out of this mess, first!" Reinku retorted.

       "As long as we're on the couch," Kimiko smiled, "we should be just fine!"

       "I'll be honest, I feel like this situation is a bit more dire than that..."

       Tokiro grabbed Reinku's kimono angrily. "Hey! Stop saying stuff like that, you'll make my sister freak out! You'll make me freak out, and I'm already freaking out!"

       "Guys," she interjected, "calm down! Yeah, this is pretty bad, but there's no way we're gonna die here! The flood can't get much higher than this, right?"

       "Well, if it stops raining soon, yeah," said her boyfriend. "But if not..."

       "Maybe we should try to get outside," her brother suggested. "There might be a rescue boat!"

       Tokiro's attention was suddenly brought to a strange object drifting on the water: a clump of Christmas lights.

       "What are those doing there? I had those on a high shelf, they shouldn't be in the water."

       Reinku grew somewhat nervous. "Well, I..."

       "You what?"

       "Those lights... were a surprise, for Kimiko."

       She turned toward him, with a surprised gasp, and gave him a loving hug. "You were gonna give me Christmas lights, Reku? I love Christmas lights!"

       Tokiro was less enthused. "You were gonna give her my lights? Thief!"

       "No, no, no!" the flustered boyfriend said. "It was what I wrote with the lights! I had them arranged to say 'Reinku and Kimiko Forever'. But I ran out of lights, so I had to write 'ever' in marker..."

       "You wrote on my wall!?"

       "With a non-permanent marker! I was gonna rub it off!"

       As the two were bickering about the lights, a deafening crash thundered across the room, as a wall collapsed near them, allowing the storm's rain and wind to wreak havoc directly into the living room. Reinku quickly grabbed the others in his arms, hoping that the ceiling would resist falling on top of them.

       "Hang on a moment!" Tokiro shouted above the chaos of the storm. "Reinku, you can turn into a flying dragon, right?"

       "Oh yeah!" Kimiko agreed. "Quick! Transform and get us out of here!"

       Reinku had managed to forget about this ability, amidst the disorder that had taken hold of the house. And yet, before he had the chance to transition into his dragon form, the ceiling finally collapsed above them, dropping an immeasurable pile of rubble on top of them, as the turbulent water continued to surge in waves through the hole in the room.

"Ugh... Huh?"

       Reinku awoke on a white boat drifting on the flood waters in the street. The storm had not stopped, and the boat rocked violently against the surges and waves.

       "You alright there, strange antler man?" said an attendant on the boat, looking over him. "You were knocked out pretty good! You're lucky we got here when we did!"

       The dragon had found himself on a rescue boat. He jolted up from the floor of the boat, before inquiring the attendant.

       "Did you happen to rescue a girl in a black dress? A man with black hair and glasses?"

       "We did find such a girl, actually. She carried you here, in fact!"

       His girlfriend then appeared, running toward Reinku with tears in her eyes.

       "Reku! I'm so glad you're safe!"

       "Kimiko!"

       They hugged each other for another good while before he broke off.

       "Where's your brother?"

       "I couldn't find him! The wave swept everything out of the house into the street, and I don't know where it took him!"

       "Oh, God..." He stood up, groaning in pain as he began to feel his headache. "We have to find him as soon as possible. I'll transform, you get on my back and we'll look for him together!"

       "Yeah, good thinking!"

       Without wasting another second, Reinku hopped off the boat and transitioned into his full serpentine, blue-scaled dragon form, to the shock and confusion of the attendant. She hopped on the dragon's back, and they flew off into the distance.

       "You see Toki anywhere?" she yelled, through the raging winds and rain.

       "Not yet! Keep looking!"

       They zoomed across the desolate neighborhood as fast as they could, struggling to see anything past the clustered rainfall. Occasionally they dove into the flood, in case her brother was struggling underwater, but he was nowhere to be found.

       "Tokiro!" Reinku roared. "Where are you?"

       After a few minutes of searching, Kimiko perked up and looked down below.

       "Wait, Reku! I've found him! He's down there!"

       She pointed down to the waters below. Amongst the drifting cars and trees was a familiar couch, upon which lay a familiar man with black hair and glasses, unconscious.

       "Tokiro!" The dragon yelled as he swooped down to lift him in his arms, before rising back toward the sky.

       "Toki?" she asked. "Are you okay?"

       "Ugh..." her brother stirred, waking back up. "Huh? We're flying? Am I dreaming?"

       "Oh, thank God! Toki, I'm so glad you're okay!"

       "Miko? Where are you?"

       Reinku took the screaming man in his hand, and placed him on his back with Kimiko.

       The swordsman breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, right. Dragon. How did I forget? You okay, Miko?"

       "Of course! Reku shielded me from the falling ceiling!"

       "Huh... Well... That's good to hear."

       The blue dragon soared across the air, away from the flooded town, in search of dry shelter away from the storm. He could not have been more relieved; thanks to him and his girlfriend, they had made it out of this horrible situation safe and sound. He hoped dearly that they would never be caught in such a terrible storm again.

       "Kimiko, I've got a surprise for you!" Reinku said, walking into the kitchen where his girlfriend and her brother were gathered, eating pork dumplings and watching the morning news.

       "Ooh, a surprise?" she asked, utterly delighted. It had been a good while since the events at Tokiro's house, and she never did get to see the true beauty of her boyfriend's surprise.

       "I sure hope you didn't steal someone else's lights this time," her brother chuckled, before popping another dumpling into his mouth. Kimiko closed her eyes and got off her chair, before following Reinku to their guest room.

       He slowly opened the guest room door, grinning slightly in anticipation, before gently holding her hand. "You can open your eyes now."

       She gasped as soon as she saw what he had prepared. Blinking Christmas lights adorned the wall, spelling out a heartfelt message:

                             

                               KIMIKO AND REINKU FOREVER

       

       "I made sure I had enough lights this time," he quipped.

       "Oh, Reku, it's lovely! I love it!" She hugged him tightly, jumping with joy.

       "I'm glad you like it, Kimiko! I imagined, you know, the light could symbolize our... you know..." He let out an embarrassed smile, as he tried to remember his line. "These lights, they... umm..."

       "They shine as bright as our future together! They really do, Reku!" She squeezed him even tighter and smiled even wider. "I love you!"

       "I love you too, Kimiko."

       They hugged and kissed in the hall for a little while. She was elated that he would go so far as replicate a scene from the romantic comedy for her, and Reinku was excited to see that his theatric stunt had paid off. Corny as it might have been, it was undeniably romantic.

       Eventually, when Kimiko let go of him and retreated to eat more dumplings, Tokiro appeared in the hallway to meet up with him.

       "Hey, Reinku," he said. 

       "Yes?"

       "I just wanted to say... Thank you, first of all, for letting me crash in your house while I get mine rebuilt. It really means a lot."

       "It's nothing, Tokiro! You're family, after all."

       "Yes, well... After the way I've treated you, and after you saved us from that storm, I just wanted to..." He was visibly nervous, and a light blush grew in his face. "I apologize for my distrust, Reinku. It's foolish of me to hold on to my reservations for so long. You saved my sister from the falling rubble, after all, and you clearly want nothing but the best for her."

       "Tokiro..."

       "I have a suggestion... And I hope to God you didn't spike those dumplings or something for me to say this, but... Why don't we go train together sometime?"

       This caught Reinku by surprise. "Wait, really? You mean that?"

       "Well, it was just an idea... but I figured I could see your fighting skills first hand, maybe even help you improve your fighting ability and whatnot. And maybe, you know, we could develop a sort of bond. And, maybe I'll be able to let myself fully trust you, after some time..."

       The draconic man held his hand forward. "I would love to, Tokiro."

       The brother looked at the hand for a moment, hesitating, before complying with a firm handshake. "Thank you."