Rainy Days

Chapter Forty-Six: Knight In Dirty Clothes

[hargreeves house–thursday morning]

JORDAN PACED anxiously. The elevator was obviously on its way down, and he was ready. He had to get Five out. He had too.

He repressed a yelp of surprise when the elevator let out a ding! and opened its doors. The key sat there, grimy and old. He practically ran forwards and got it, smiling as he held it up.

Stepping out of the elevator, his stomach suddenly swirled and the world tilted. Jordan groaned and grabbed the wall.

He felt light-headed, like vomiting, and he could feel panic start to overwhelm him. His breath was coming out short, raspy gasps, and he blinked furiously to battle the rising tears. He couldn't do this, not now! Jordan's panic attacks had always come at bad times, but this was by far the worst.

He took a step forwards. His stomach was growling, head swimming, heart erratic, breathing unsteady. Jordan pressed his lips together and closed his eyes, covering his ears. He reached out to the network of pipes overhead, their slow motion calming. The water was moving in a steady wave, into the sewers and sewer treatment plants and all the other places.

Jordan could feel the water on his skin, smooth and gliding over the pale flesh, swirling through his curls. Finally, his breathing started to steady. He continued taking deep breaths, the motion of water relaxing. When he finally opened his eyes, he gaped in surprise.

The water on his skin hadn't been imaginary; droplets of clear liquid where dripping off his face and arms.

Jordan ran a hand through his hair; his curls where damp, plastered to his face. Shock was flooding him, but he had to focus.

He started walking, the pain in his head and stomach subsiding to dull throbs.

~

Five had his eyes closed. His head pounded, his throat dry, eyes watering, dried tears on his cheeks. He wanted to go. Anywhere. To die, to go to the donut shop, to Jordan's, anywhere but here.

Five ran his hands through his hair and tried again. He hadn't ever realized how terrifying it was, to not have his powers. He couldn't even shift the air in front of him; it stayed stale. It was fucking horrifying.

As he sat in the dark, the voices finally started to subside. He wondered if he was dying. That'd be nice.

The door creaked open.

Five shot to his feet, wobbly as unsteady. He rubbed his eyes harshly and glared.

"Five?" Jordan whispered.

Five gaped, his shoulders falling. Jordan looked a whole lot better than he did, even though Jordan looked like vomiting. "Jordie?" Five said, voice cracking.

"Hey," Jordan smiled weakly, and Five couldn't help it; he ran forwards and threw his arms around the boy, squeezing as tight as he could. Jordan was slightly wet (strange, but he wasn't concerned) and he smelled like the ocean, smelled like sugar cookies and lavender and sweat and alcohol, and all Five wanted to do was smell it forever.

The two stumbled backwards slightly, but they held on tighter than necessary. Five was practically suffocating Jordan, but Jordan was sure he was suffocating Five as well. They both where holding back tears, clinging onto one another as if the world had flipped upside down.

"Are you okay?" Jordan asked after a moment.

"Yeah," Five mumbled, his face buried in the crook of Jordan's neck. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"I think that's bullshit, but we'll deal with it later," Jordan replied. "Can you take us back to my house?"

Five thought about it; a wave of nausea flew over him. "No," he muttered sheepishly. "I can take us out of here though. But not all the way to your house."

"Okay," Jordan said. The two where still clutching each other, noses buried in the scent of sweat and the familiar smells of their own uniqueness. "We have to go soon, though. Your dad is showing up at anytime."

"Alright," Five said. They didn't move.

"Alright," Jordan repeated softly. He felt Five move his hands up to his curls and smiled gently, feeling tears prick his eyes again. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this loved.

He didn't think he ever had.

"Jordie?" Five asked, his voice nearly silent. "Why are you wet?"

Jordan blinked at the absurdity of the situation. Had it even been a week? Shit, man, time flies.

He laughed, loud and clear, his shoulder shaking. Five lifted his head off his shoulder and stared, eyebrow arched as he waited for an answer.

"I almost had a panic attack, and, well..." Jordan offered a crooked grin. "I messed with the water pipes a smidge."

"You blew up the pipes?"

"No," Jordan shook his head, still smiling. "I reached out to the water, and it reached out to me."

Five shook his head in disbelief, a smile gracing his features. "You and I are going to have a hell of a talk about these fucking powers f yours, Jordie."

"I know."

They smiled at each other, alone in a damp hallway, both sweaty and hungry, neither caring.

Five brushed some curls off Jordan's forehead and kissed him.

A/N:
hey it's an update
i'm not super proud of this chapter? idk, i feel like it didn't turn out as well as it could have.
( also guess who had their first anxiety attack at work?? me! )
either way, i hope you enjoyed this chapter and that you have a lovely day!!

[ p.s: thank you so much for 25k?????? it's such a big milestone for me, you have no idea how excited i am to have twenty-five thousand people having read my silly fan fiction.
also, we are officially at part 50 being published! wow, so long! and nowhere near done!
have a nice day lmao ]