Disclaimer: God, I hate disclamiers. Anyway. Characters aren't mine. Got it? Good.

Fallen in the storm

By Pirate

The rain was falling faster, like tiny comets showering down from the dark angry clouds above. It was like the skies were crying over a great loss, something so special that they would never see again. Uncaringly, as per usual, life continued. Cars darted passed the tiny park, the shapes becoming mixed with the stains of rain, until they were nothing more than ghosts and flashes of reality. Nature too was in hiding from the storm; not an animal to be seen, the scattered trees glaring menacingly at the shadow that didn't belong, every time a bolt of electricity struck.

Wind gnawed and bit at the skin of the creature that didn't belong. The teenage girl didn't notice the wind or the blonde hair it was whipping harshly into her face. The gentle scent of rain had banished, washed away in the weather's fury. The small girl ignored it all, her eyes focusing on but one small dirty teddy bear gripped in her left hand. Her right was occupied with the simple task of stroking the matted wet fur. In the background the storm raged on, flashing and shouting for her undying attention like the rest of nature was giving it.

Kagamine Rin knew the park like the back of her hand; green benches, a faded blue swing-set, a red set of monkey bars and her favourite; the orange painted metal cylinder more than big enough for her entire body. It was a haven against everything bad in life - the school bullies, when no one seemed to care; or for the occasion like today when she just felt like relaxing among the laughter of children. The laughter that had sent her into a peaceful slumber was the sole reason she was in the park instead of at home, watching the power of the skies from a sheltered window.

Rin was frightened. She held a fearless face though, should someone stumble across her in her little castle she didn't wish to appear weak. Every crash, thump and blinding flicker of the tempest was met with her blue eyes mashing shut and the soaked bear clutched to her chest fiercely. Her face turned a little paler with every squeeze of the old toy.

Smash!

A noise so close and deafening it caused the very ground it struck to shake in horror, the white light that came with it was similar to the brightness of a camera being used up in one's face in a room that had been pitch black – or close to it – for an hour. It was unbelievable. Rin gasped. The wind took her moment of surprise as the advantage it was searching for to cause the girl pain. With a silent laughter, her tattered furry companion was ripped from her hands and before she could react, it was gone. With a horrible cheer, the gust claimed its prize. Rin whimpered, one outstretched hand fading in the downpour.

The only thing keeping her safe was gone.

Rin pulled her arms around her in a tight self-hug and cried, cried from sheer overpowering terror. The world was against her and was sentencing the young lady to a torture maybe even as bad as death; alone in a nightmare that seemed to hold no end in sight, let alone a happy one.

An hour - or was it no more than a few minutes? Time had become stuck together, hours were minutes and minutes, seconds - had passed before the small blonde willed her terrified heart to become brave as she took a step out into the cold needle-like weather. The cupful of bravery drained quickly. Rin dove backwards to her safety zone. The wind cackled at her melancholy, taunting her with the insignificant sound of her bear calling, calling her name in vain.

Again and again, the young Kagamine battled a losing fight. But the war was yet to be over.

Inch by agonizing inch, her red, shivering body left the cylinder of her comfort. Her breath came in quick, scared gulps. As if she was worried the very air would turn and bite the gentle girl as she stood. A damp smell hung in the air, as well as the distant ever so faint scent of bush fire smoke. The rain was heavy enough to put out any small spark though, so Rin didn't let the thought take her mind for long. The missing item she cherished mattered more. Determined, Rin pushed forwards.

Wind smashed her hair, her face, everything it could get at, sneering comments in every howl; rain stabbed at her fingers, her eyes, her ears in anger. Lightning photographed her suffering while thunder applauded the pictures. Everything hurt to that almost pleasurable numb feeling that swept over your body when it was near to collapsing. Still, she fought for the life of her friend.

Until she really did fall.

Dirt licked at her face as the water drops threw it upwards. Rin laid still, almost as if she was listening to the ground for advice. How does she go on? What is there waiting at the end of the road? Questions, questions, never ending questions about her not-so-distant future. Her small body shook as she sat up finally, coughing violently. The weather was still at the same pace; wild and terrifying.

Standing took such a painful amount of effort that she cried out.

And fell again.

This time however, her fall was softened sooner and much more gently than the hard muddy grass had before. In surprise, Rin flinched. The touch was unusual, strange, and foreign. But it had brought with it the undying feeling of protection and so she didn't go to move. Not even to find the source of her much so sudden comfort. She pushed against the mass, curling herself against it. It brought with it a musky smell of rain… and was that banana?

Her eyes jumped open in a snap.

The male stared at her, his face pulled into an emotion Rin couldn't begin to read as she tried to get her thoughts right. He did nothing but stare, his dangerous eyes almost daring her to run while his perfect lips smirked lightly. Her calm protected feeling faded as she grew over the shock of the stranger and took a good look at her 'white' knight.

Or rather, black knight.

His hair was a similar shade to her own, a yellow-ish blonde. It was held up in a high ponytail by a simple elastic band, so Rin could get a good view of his face, which was covered in water droplets like her own. His features were sharp with a pair of intelligent blue eyes; his face would have been pleasant to look at if it wasn't for that nasty smirk gracing his mouth.

His clothing sported mystery as they weren't something you'd think would be worn around the area. An open black shirt made from a thick material laced with pretty elegant golden swirls; his bare chest supported some muscle and showed more skin than his neck, which was mostly hidden by the shirt's high collar and Rin wondered how the hell someone could show so much skin on a night so cruel. The wild weather bounced off the thick shirt, giving it a shiny appearance of silver, gold and black. Pants and shoes were of little concern; plain and dark trousers with black golden buckled shoes. That may have been something more common to the world Rin knew, if it wasn't for the large rips and dirt plastered over the legs. Yet; any thought she had began to think that he was normal in any sense of the word was brushed roughly away by his wings.

Yes. Wings.

The man's shirt had been roughly sliced with what could have been a rusted pair of scissors, and two incredible black structures jutted out. The wings were like a blackbird's; powerful and strong but a small size curling to reach just below his waistline. They were both a brilliant midnight black in colour and were only visible due to light bouncing from lamppost to raindrop to feather. Each wing held one small spot of brightness; a dab of orange melting into yellow - like a sunset - placed just above mid-wing. Both appendages were held firmly in place against his back and sides, the conditions having turned what would have been magnificent items into scruffy wet seemingly useless weights.

Rin wasn't sure if she had gone from the storm to the cyclone; or the storm to the sun-shower.

It took a few moments longer before the blonde realized her body was still being cradled in the strong arms of the strange creature staring at her with still that emotion that she didn't know. She watched him with tired eyes; well, whatever he had planned, there wasn't much she could physically do at that point in time. Her energy had deserted her to the mercy of the winged-man and Mother Nature.

"What… are you? Who are you?," she murmured; her voice was squeaky with fear and curiosity. His pale face grew a shadow as the sky lit up for less than a second, his wings casting their own terrible shape on the dirt ground. Rin cowered as he cracked a smile and bent his head towards her. She could feel his warm breath against her neck as he searched for words.

"What do you think I am, sweetheart?" His deep husky voice surprised the girl and she stretched her neck as much as she could away from his sound. A shiver zapped through her body though whether it was from cold or not, she wasn't too sure. "And my name… that isn't important. However, I'll tell you. Len is my name. Hush, don't be afraid. I'm not here to hurt you."

He stroked a smooth finger across her cheek, wiping away rain that was much too quickly replaced. Blue eyes bore into blue eyes as Rin witnessed a caring compassionate depth in the orbs, threatening to take her hand and lead her away into a world she could never understand. Despite the miserable freezing atmosphere, Rin felt heat rush to her face and she was soon well aware of the blush making her skin tingle. "I-I…" Her sentence was stopped by the feelings Len was bringing up from down inside of her. It was like the storm was too scared to come near the feathered blonde, leaving the two in a strange utopia, a bubble inside a raging sea. She leant towards his touch; a movement that surprised the both of them.

Len's expression moved from an almost daze to alarm as he tore his eyes from Rin's and gently lowered her body until her feet touched the ground. At the moment his heat left her smaller body and her feet hit muggy mud, the world came crashing back. She made a sound close to a whimper and wrapped her arms around as much of her body as she was able to while shuffling away from the man; she couldn't bring herself to call him a creature or monster so she'd settle with 'man' even if he didn't appear to be any more than three years older than her. Wind and rain roared through her clothing and soon enough her skin was back to a pale colour. Rin was smart enough not to go running back to a man she didn't even know, so she just stood by, tilting in the strong wind as she peered at him over the edge of one arm.

"Sorry. I just… Are you cold~? I can fix that." His question carried with it a slight tease, as if he was rubbing in the fact he could wear what he was wearing in the weather and completely get away with it. Curiously, Rin gave a slow hesitant nod. This…. boy might try anything; but she was cold, as chilled as an ice cube with her feet planted solidly on the floor. Anything would be better than that feeling of numbness, and skin so frozen it was burning.

A sudden tug on Rin's clothing and she was pulled into a gentle embrace before she had the chance to think up a protest. Len's arms were around her shoulders with a touch so light it was like being tickled by the very feathers hiding his back. With a grin that gave nothing away, his grip tightened. She was trapped in the hands of a possibly dangerous male. A short noise, close to a squeak escaped her lips at the movements and in panic she pushed her palms against his chest as hard as she could in her weakened state. The attempts to get free did nothing and the blonde watched her, amused. "Trust me."

Two simple words and the girl's thrashing halted. For support she singled out his eyes. They didn't show the care and affection she had seen before but she liked to believe it was there… somewhere deep down but still there. He loosened his arms ever so slightly and successfully urged her closer. Rin's front was now pressed against his chest. He'd be able to feel her shivers and twitches at the claps of thunder that were now starting to fade – though the rain and wind were still to give up. It probably humoured him to no end that she was as scared as she was when the sounds struck, or that's what the grin that had never left him told her.

As two huge black shapes moved towards Rin from her sides, she pressed her head against Len, squeezing her eyes shut. She wrapped both arms around his waist, rebelling completely against everything her head was telling her to do. The rain and wind disappeared. Rin's astonishment opened her eyes. Darkness had engulfed the pair in the form of wings as feathered limbs brushed against the back of her neck. Already, warmth was seeping into her body and she gazed up into the tender eyes of her protector. The light of the moon shone back at her from the parts behind the boy's head that he couldn't physically shield her from, covering most of Len's face in a thick blackness.

Wait. Moonlight?

Realisation fell on her shoulders as heavy as her feet felt, caked with sludgy cold mud. "The rain… it stopped. Len… why?" He pressed a finger to her lips and his eyes twinkled lightly with mischief. Knowing she couldn't get free from the clutch that demanded her attention, her questions were silenced but confusion still hung in her blue eyes.

"I've wanted to try this for a long time. Close your eyes." His whispered voice teased her cheek. Rin's eyelids slid shut on their own accord as she felt a smooth thin hand cup her chin, stroking it gently. "You're… just like a princess. Beautiful." The compliment ended with his kiss.

The touch, the taste, the smell; it was all Len. And real. Rin's initial surprised flinch gave way to warmth she had never felt from any other boy. This Len… he was different. And it wasn't just his other-worldly look that said that. Rin found herself pressing back just as softly as she tangled her right hand in the soft locks of Len's hair. Once again a light flush fell upon her face, as they stood together as one in the shade of his wings.

As his mouth left hers, his wings lifted and the shine of light lit them up. He licked his lip slowly, face spreading out into a grin happier than anything Rin had seen him display before. She made no comment however as her head was still pounding with the force of the kiss so gentle it had made her dizzy.

"You enjoyed that. Good." The tenderly spoken words finished with a clear drop in Len's happiness. "I can't stay here anymore. I wasn't even supposed to do anything in the first place. But… I had to help you. And now you are safe, love." He brushed a strand of dripping wet hair from the side of her face with a weak smile.

"Goodbye."

One word with so much passion and a deep sadness that Rin could say nothing, could do nothing but stand there, searching his sad eyes. There was still so much left unanswered. So many things she didn't yet understand about the stranger that had held out his hand to her when she needed the extra help. She didn't want the questions to stay there.

An arm shot out impulsively as Rin reached for the one figure she thought she could trust without thinking about the consequences of her trust being wrong; the one that had showed her another world in the space of minutes. "W-wait!" Her cry fell short just as her arm did. Without looking back, wings spread wide and a powerful gust drove her to bending and shielding her gaze from the muck it kicked up.

When she could look back, the person she knew so little about was gone, his figure in the sky reflecting a lean lone shadow on the moon's huge surface. Straining her eyes, Rin gasped as a silvery shining drop fell from the face that had looked back to her for one last time. Her hand flew to her face as Len's sorrowful voice placed words in her mind, bringing both questions and answers;

I caught you tonight because I couldn't catch myself;

I'm a fallen Angel, Rin.

Because an angel was never meant to love a human,

And I refused to give you up.

As the blonde's knees met with the grass, tears split down her face. They were the tears that fell from an unbelievable pain and wanting that had come with his words; tears that didn't belong to her but a masked stranger whose entire world had been thrown upside-down by the laughter and smile of one young human. She understood more about the angel than she had ever dreamed of.

Mumbling his name, her eyes fell to the surface of the ground. The creature was gone; taking with it a history and love she'd never know.

On the ground laid two small objects. With a choked sob, she picked them up. One in each hand. Her left carried the drenched body of her childhood toy, the bear that had been taken by the storm. As she twisted her gaze from hand to hand, the light tickle of wind half-heartedly tried to move the feather squeezed in her right hand. It was a black feather, easily mistaken for a large bird's. However, Rin knew better than that. It was the symbol of her protection, the literal form of love.

Rin clutched the item to her chest and as tears littered down her cheeks as if the sky was still pouring upon her frame, she spoke.

"What if… that human could love the angel in return? Would you come back to me?"

As this is one of those rare stories I like, you should definitely review it. Make me happy. 8D

I'm also half thinking of writing a sequel. But I dunno.