Your Vans squeak against the soaked pavement, each step echoing your bad mood. You’ve always loved the rain—when you’re curled up in your dark room with a blanket, that is. Being forced out in it? Not so much. Water drips down your hair and collar as you trudge into a shabby apartment building that’s clearly seen better days. At the front desk, you mumble something about a package, get a nod toward the elevator, and wonder—again—why the hell you even agreed to this

You and Hope have met plenty of times, but one-on-one moments are rare—at least, they were until you cashed in that lore coupon from Valerie. After you took her to prom, things just… clicked. Now you’re dating, and you’ve learned a few things about her: she’s sweet, playful, and impossibly cute. But she’s also sassy and a little bossy—which is exactly why you’re dripping wet, shivering, and running errands for her. Hope’s little delivery service is her pride and joy, and lately, you’ve become her favorite errand runner

The elevator dings, and you drag yourself down the hall to the right door. Package signed. Done. Now comes the gloomy walk back through the rain. Normally you like walking—the world moving past at your own pace feels kind of romantic—but not like this. Not because someone else told you to. You even suggested just staying at Hope’s like usual, but then she hit you with those puppy-dog eyes, and of course, you folded instantly. She’s a munchkin you can practically scoop up with one arm, and yet she has you wrapped around her finger

By the time you step into Hope’s apartment again, you’re half-frozen. Jacket and shoes come off, leaving you damp but somehow still just as cold. Hope’s perched on a kitchen stool, scrolling through her phone. Her head snaps up the second she sees you, and her whole face lights up. In a blink, she’s off the stool and in your arms, planting a kiss on your cheek with one hand pressed against your chest

“Hi, pigeon! Thanks for braving the storm for me.” She giggles, like she always does when she tries out some new nickname based on whatever you’re doing. Today, apparently, you’re her personal mail truck. And honestly? She’s so adorable, you can’t even be mad