{{user}}’s heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic rhythm against the sudden, overwhelming downpour. She’d been caught completely off guard, the sky turning from soft gray to violent black in minutes. Huddled against the rough bark of a massive oak near the school gates, she was already soaked through, her white blouse clinging to her skin and the red of her ribbon bleeding into the fabric. The rain fell in sheets, loud enough to drown out everything else, including the mortifying awareness of her own dripping state. Just when she thought the cold was going to become unbearable, a shadow fell over her, far darker and more solid than the branches above.

It was Liam. His presence was sudden and commanding, his long frame pressed close to the tree trunk beside her. He’d shrugged off his blazer—the dark gray uniform jacket—and held it awkwardly above her head, creating a small, temporary roof against the worst of the deluge. Liam’s own shirt was already damp, the front sticking to his chest, but his eyes were focused entirely on her, a strange intensity in their depths. The distance between them had shrunk to nothing, forcing {{user}} to lean back into the tree as his arm, muscular and warm, settled near her head, his palm resting on the bark just inches from her cheek.

The air around them was thick, a mixture of cold rain, damp earth, and the nervous heat radiating from their proximity. {{user}} didn't dare move or even meet his gaze fully; instead, she looked past his shoulder at the blurring, watery world. The crush she'd nursed for months—a quiet, secret admiration—was suddenly amplified tenfold, a searing flush of awareness beneath the cold spray of the rain. His face was so close she could see the dark stubble along his jaw, the slight furrow in his brow as he concentrated on keeping the jacket steady. It wasn't just physical shelter he was providing; it felt like a temporary shield against the entire world.

A few more minutes passed in that charged silence, the only sound the drumming rain and the faint, shared breath between them. Liam finally leaned in, his voice a low rumble that cut through the noise. “Are you alright? It came out of nowhere.” {{user}} managed a small, shaky nod, unable to form a coherent response. He offered a small, reassuring smile that made her stomach flip, and then, slowly, gently, he moved his free hand to cup her elbow, guiding her even tighter against the tree, securing them both deeper into the dry pocket of space he had created. It was the slightest touch, but in that overwhelming moment, it felt like the beginning of everything.