London Rains

Damn the rain.

It was the first time Robin wished it rained harder. The three day long drizzle was annoying her to no end. She was beginning to loath the continuous cold, dampness and humidity that hung in the air. Why didn't the clouds pour out all the water and clear off?

Her head dipped low, her arms wrapped tightly around herself, she trudged towards her home. The hoodie provided only so much protection from the water and the cold, biting wind. It was an exceptionally dark and forlorn night. Not a soul could be seen on her street.

A sleek black car was parked in front of her apartment, like a warning sign. She should have-it would have been better for her that way-but she didn't pay no attention to it. She hurried up the stairs and into the main lobby, the warmth engulfing her like a blessing. She removed the hood and sighed. Home.

She smiled and nodded to a few of her neighbours on the way to her apartment, turned a final corridor and stopped dead in her tracks. Her pale face went paler as she stared at her open door. Of all the people she knew, only one man had the habit of leaving the door open. Her landlord was paying her a visit.

Her feet moved forward off their own accord, a suicidal trance taking over her. She knew it was coming, she had to face him someday. It was a confrontation pending for too long. Why had she not paid the rent for three bloody months?

As she neared her door, telling herself that she was ready, she heard loud voices coming from her living room. Her landlord’s baritone was easily identifiable, but there was another voice, much smoother, softer, interrupting every now and then. Was Mr. Reeves not alone?

Mere curiosity had her standing there for a long moment, who was with Mr. Reeves? She considered going inside, more interested in quenching her curiosity than facing Mr. Reeves. That is, until a man appeared at her doorway, his hand outstretched for closing the door.

She didn't wait to see who it was. In a split second, she had wheeled around and was fleeing for her life. Because-who was she kidding?-she wasn't ready.

She blindly turned the corner, ignoring the calls of her name, and hurried out of the building. The black car seemed to give her a cold stare as she passed it, controlling the urge to kick its tyre.

Within seconds, she was rushing down the street with no sense of direction. Where was she supposed to go? Kristy’s? No, Sammy was staying the night and she didn't think she could bear the noises from the bedroom. She couldn't go to some bar either because-let’s face it-she didn't have the money.

Theo. The restaurant must be open. Yes, of course. She'll simply ask for another shift. Even if avoiding Mr. Reeves meant ruining her night, she had to do it.

She blinked, looked up at her surroundings to find herself a block away from her apartment. She glanced back to check if she was being followed, then deemed herself stupid for doing that. Time to spend the night serving stupid, drunk, pissed off customers.

On her way, a certain person occupied her thoughts. The reason she had been so stressed out lately. The reason she was working on weekends. The reason she couldn’t pay the rent for three months. But, no regrets. It was all worth it, she knew it was.

Consumed in her darker-than-the-night thoughts, she entered the restaurant for the second time that day. Theo was at the counter, as usual, and he glanced up at when the little bells on the door jingled.

“Robby?”

“Hey Theo,” She gave him a small smile, drumming her fingers rather nervously on the counter.

“Hey. Forgot something?” Theo turned back to his computer, oblivious to her demeanor.

“No. Uh, I was wondering if I could do another shift?” She asked, biting on her lip, praying that he let her.

“Like now? I thought you didn't work late at night.”

"Erm, yeah, but y’know, I could just do with a few extra tips. Helps me at the uni, y’know,” She quickly gave him her usual excuse for just about anything.

Theo’s expression was skeptical as he considered. He scanned the tables and shook his head slightly. “I don’t have a problem, Rob, but we’re so busy. Can you handle it?”

She noticed the sarcasm dripping in his tone. Turning around to follow his gaze, she realised that not more than five tables were occupied. A grin found its way to her lips as she turned back to the counter.

“Don’t worry, sir. You know I’m the best you've got,” She winked cheekily at him.

Theo chuckled and gestured her in. “Flatter yourself, love.”

“Thanks Theo,” She told him sincerely before heading off to staff room.


The clock struck ten, marking the completion of the first two hours of Robin’s night shift. She sat at a far table with Larissa, watching maybe the last customers of the night nibble on their dessert. Her finger danced along the patterns on the table cloth, her mind off in Neverland.

Larissa giggled quietly at the phone in her hand. “Guess what, Robby? Flo caught Mr. Cracker and Ms. Osborn at Starbucks! Hand in hand!”

“Shut the front door. No way,” She smiled at her friend’s mania for their teachers’ personal lives. She, however, was not even mildly impressed.

“Yes all the way, baby. It’s so official now,” Larissa smirked, typing away feverishly.

The customers finally got up to leave. She sighed and sat up. “You wanna take that, Larissa?”

“Huh? No,” Larissa mumbled, Robin wondered if she even knew what she was talking about.

“Alright,” She half-shrugged before getting up and walking over to the table.

A couple of fake smiles, ‘thank you’s and ‘visit again’ later, she pocketed the not-so-handsome tip. She let her shoulders slump as she collected the dishes and went in to put them away. She returned after a minute, her apron now removed, and began restoring the table to its former glory. The restaurant being deserted except for the employees, she allowed herself to sink in one of the chairs.

All of her being was waiting for Theo to call it a day so she could go back to her house, hopefully not find Mr. Reeves there, have something to eat and bloody sleep already. Her heart dropped when the bell jingled, indicating they had another customer. Who the heck-

She forgot to breathe when she saw who had graced her workplace with their presence.

The guy had the warmest brown eyes she’d ever seen, eyes that shone under the restaurant’s lighting. His brunette hair was set in a quiff, with light stubble highlighting his jawline. He wore a black trench coat over a red and black checked shirt and black skinny jeans. She would've called the combination weird, but he pulled it off like a pro.

Her eyes were glued to his tall figure. Her heart skipped a beat, she blushed. What made matters worse was that he was looking straight back at her. How funny, she didn’t even know him.

With a dashing smile, he started walking towards her. Her vision zeroed in on him, everything else melted into indistinctness.

“Hey,” He said when he reached her, taking a chair opposite to her.

“Uh, hi,” She replied politely, not really sure what was going on.

“Sorry I’m late. I know we planned at 9, but my uncle had some business to take care of and he only just let me off,” He explained quickly, his Wolverhampton accent thick. She wasn’t certain, but she thought she had heard that voice before.

“Oh, uh. It’s okay, I guess,” Why was she still talking to him? She should tell him he’s mistaken her for someone else and excuse herself like any sane person. And if he was on a date here, being an hour late was not okay.

“Have you, um, been waiting for me this long?” He frowned slightly, she could tell he was getting suspicious. Had she seen that coat somewhere?

“I, uh, had dinner. I was hungry, so,” What rubbish was she talking?! She tried to change the topic desperately. “They have nice croquettes here.”

She mentally gave herself an almighty face-palm.

“Good evening, sir. What would you like to have tonight?” Larissa appeared on her side, a notepad in hand and looking at her weirdly.

“Oh, yeah,” He muttered and opened the menu, skimming through it. “I think we should just skip to the desserts then. I’m not much hungry and you've had dinner. Is that alright, Estelle?”

He looked up at her for her answer. She figured Estelle was the name of his date. She shrugged and nodded. “Yeah, yeah.”

His lips tugged upwards slyly, but he quickly hid it with a frown. “I think I’d like...fruit and berry tart. And she'll have...”

“Chocolate brownie,” She completed when he looked at her expectantly.

“Will be right up,” Larissa mumbled, shot her a what-the-hell-are-you-doing look and departed.

Awkward silence filled the air. She chanced a look at him and caught him watching her. Her cheeks burned and she looked away, staring out of the window.

“Are you okay with this, Estelle?” He asked softly, gesturing between them. “I’m not making you uncomfortable, am I?”

“What? No. No, you’re not,” She couldn't help but smile at him. He was sweet. Estelle was missing out.

“Nan’s been pestering me to see someone,” He smiled back. “She’s always like, ‘Liam, next time I see you, it better be at your wedding.’”

Point to be noted, his name was Liam.

Robin let out a small, polite laugh. “Guess she wants you to settle down, have a family.”

“Yeah, but that’s hard when you’re in police, y’know,” He shrugged. “And I think it’s still a bit early for all that.”

He’s in the police. Wow.

“Yeah,” She drooled out. “Quite a job, isn’t it?”

He nodded. “We have the bladder capacity of five people combined. Real fun.”

She laughed as Larissa dropped by to serve them their orders. Her eyes shot daggers at her and Robin gave her a sheepish smile. She owed her an explanation.

“So, how’s the university?” Liam asked, once they were left alone again.

At least now she knew what they were talking about. “Good, good. Second last sem, loads of work.”

“Oh,” He nodded again, mouthing a spoonful of tart. She began devouring her brownie too, trying not to look like she’d been starving.

They grew quiet again, except it wasn't that awkward this time. Robin was focused on her food, glancing occasionally at the rain through the window. Liam didn’t seem to mind the silence, he was busy with his own food.

When their eyes finally met after a couple of minutes, they exchanged smiles. He reignited their conversation, making small talk about their common interests, life in London, the weather and the like. It came easy with him, though she was impersonating someone else.

Along with chocolate, she had a new reason for loving the colour brown. His eyes, they enchanted her. They crinkled when he smiled. And, good Lord, his smile. He was the sun when he smiled. Never failed to make her blush. His voice had a special texture to it, it was deep and smooth as silk. His pink lips-okay, enough.

“And how are your parents?” He asked out of nowhere.

Her heart nearly stopped beating. She stared at him, eyes wide, unable to form meaningful thoughts because of two reasons. One, he had hit a nerve. The topic was sensitive, people who knew her knew not to bring it up.

Two, the trench coat, the voice, everything about him fitted only one person. He was, she realised, the man she had a glimpse of back at her house.

“I, uh, sorry. I've g-gotta go,” Robin quickly fetched some money out of her pocket, tossed it on the table and stood up.

“What-but-hey, wait!” Liam called after her as she hurried out of the restaurant; Theo, Larissa and the rest watching her with confused expressions.

She only managed to cover a few feet before someone grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Her body almost collided with Liam’s.

“What do you want?” She spat at him, yanking her arm free from his grip and stepping away.

“Why are you running away like this?” He questioned, frowning as he took a step closer.

"Doesn’t matter, Liam,” She shook her head, her voice softer than before. “I’m not the girl you think I am. I’m not Estelle.”

A slow smile spread across his face. “I know.”

She blinked. “What?”

“I know you’re not Estelle. In fact, I don’t know anyone by that name,” He clarified, leaving her more confused.

“Then why...why did you-”

“Call you that?” He shrugged, almost grinning now. “I was just checking.”

Damn. She played right into his trap.

Liam gave her a small, sincere smile. “You’re Robin, aren’t you? Saw you at the apartment.”

He remembered her. She felt her face flush. “Yeah. Yeah, I saw you there.”

She shook her head, still not comprehending it completely. “So you knew who I am. That I wasn’t your ‘date’.”

“Yes,” He nodded.

“And you still sat there talking and eating with me? Why?”

He scratched the back of his neck, his ears turning slightly pink at the corners. He mumbled out, “Cause I wanted to, I guess.”

Whoa. He, basically perfection in human form, wanted to sit with her. The heat radiating off her cheeks could've cooked a meal.

“Oh,” She breathed out. “That’s...well. Um, I need to get home.”

“I could walk you home,” He offered, inching closer again.

“Uh,” She took a moment to think, though the offer was irresistible. She didn't want to bother him, but it was late in the night and she was enjoying his company too much. “Okay, um, thanks.”

He smiled, probably happy that she was letting him tag along. She returned his smile and started to walk.

“Hey, what about the bill though?” He called from behind her.

She turned around to find him looking at their table through the big glass windows. Larissa was there, cleaning up and watching them curiously. Behind his back, Robin quickly signaled her to cover it up on her behalf.

Larissa understood and held up the money Robin had left. She gave her a small smile, a thumbs up and went back to her work.

“Taken care of,” Robin told him, as he turned back towards her.

“We’re ready to go, then,” With a smile, he jerked his head towards the road and began walking. She trotted after him with a smile of her own.

The tiny rain drops hit her face annoyingly and there was nothing she could do but pull the hood back up. She kept her head low and her hands deep in her hoodie’s pockets, trying to fight the cold.

Liam noticed her discomfort. Stopping in his tracks, he immediately took off his trench coat and let her have it. “Here, take this.”

She stared at him like he’d gone crazy. Walking her home was one thing. But he was giving up his coat for her! Why? Did he really think she-a girl with an almost worn out hoodie, rather wild red hair, and jade eyes that she thought were unnecessarily wide-was worth his amity, much less his attention?

“It’s alright, Robin,” He smiled, draping the coat around her shoulders and adjusting it on her frame so she was properly shielded.

“But won’t you get cold?” She asked. No matter how nice and warm his coat felt around her, she couldn't take it if it meant he was freezing.

He chuckled, pulling the coat’s collar to cover her front. “No, I won’t. It’s alright.”

Wow. She wasn't dreaming. This was real. He was real, and right in front of her.

"Th-thank you, Liam,” She stammered. Her face felt warm, half from embarrassment and half due to his soft expression.

Robin lowered her gaze, biting on her bottom lip. She heard him clear his throat and murmur a soft ‘let’s go’. She nodded, still not looking at him, and started walking with him.

She snuggled better in his heavy coat while he thrusted his hands in his pockets. Chancing a glance at him, she took him in as he took in their surroundings. He had an impressive built, broad shoulders and muscular arms. Red was so his colour.

She had no clue why, but she was so, so much more happy than she had been a couple hours ago. Scratch that, she was ecstatic, unable to stop smiling.

“So, do you live here?” She asked him, eager to hear his voice again.

“Not this side of London, no. I live in East Ham,” He told her. She was slightly disappointed, but didn’t let it show.

“Oh. What brought you here, then? Thirteen miles away from your home, in my apartment?”

Liam, chuckled. “Your landlord, Mr.Reeves, happens to be my uncle. I was visiting him, and had a date afterwards. He said he could drop me off at the restaurant, he had some business to attend to in the nearby area-which involved dropping by at your place. So that’s how a ended up there.”

She let out a low whistle, then realised it was rude and apologised. He laughed, saying it was fine.

“And what about your date?” She was curious, but hoped she wasn't being too nosey.

“She must have left. I was an hour late, can’t blame her,” He shrugged.

“Hmm.”

“But I ended up having an amazing date, didn’t I?” He gave her a cheeky smile. “Only, my partner got changed.”

Robin blushed deeply. A small, bold part of her told her to hold his gaze, there was nothing to loose. Once again, the rest of the world became a blur; all she could see was him and his smile.

After a moment, they both looked away.

“What about you, though? Why were you sitting there all alone this late?” Liam asked.

“I work there. It was almost closing time and we didn’t have any customers, so I was just stealing a break when you came in,” She explained, hopping over a puddle.

“Funny how that worked out.”

They turned a corner silently.

“If you don’t mind me asking, Robin,” He glanced at her. “Why did you run away when you saw me at your place?”

“Oh, um. I...I heard Mr. Reeves from outside. I didn’t want to see him because, well, I haven’t been able to pay the rent. Running a bit low,” She muttered.

“I thought I scared you,” He snickered.

She giggled. “You’re not scary. No where near it.”

“Oh yeah?” He grinned at her. “But you ran away again, from the restaurant.”

Her smile dropped. She turned her gaze to the pavement, chewing her lip.

“Robin?”

“My parents-” She gulped, looking up to meet his concerned gaze. “My parents are dead, Liam.”

The words echoed around her head, haunting, just like the first time. Ghastly memories filled her mind, it was like she had been transported to her personal Hell. The night, if possible, became darker. What scared her the most, and what she was told to tell no one about was how she lost her parents.

“I’m so sorry, Robin,” The feeling of Liam’s hand on her arm pulled her back to the present, his eyes were wide with guilt. “I-I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

“You didn’t know,” She mumbled.

“I...I’m sorry, love,” He told her again, whispering quietly.

“It’s alright.”

That was the biggest lie she had ever told anyone, including herself. It had been six years of lying, trying to believe the lie. But she still kept running away from the topic. It still terrified her, still seized her like a phobia. How the fuck was it alright?

The pair walked silently onwards. The tension was too heavy to bear. It made her uncomfortable. Robin was pretty gloomy now, minutes ago she had been jolly, and couple hours ago she had been almost depressed. Too many mood swings for one day.

“So, uh, that girl back at the restaurant, she’s your friend?” Liam asked, hoping to lighten the spirit.

She managed a small smile for him. “Yeah. Her name’s Larissa.”

“She was giving you some pretty nasty looks back there.”

A small, breathy chuckle escaped her. “Yeah, well. She deserves an explanation.”

Liam smiled, glad that he could get her to laugh. “I almost skipped the date, you know. I wasn’t coming.”

Her building emerged from the darkness.

“Why?” She frowned. Why wasn’t he coming? Why did her house came into view so soon?

“I just...didn’t want to,” He shrugged. “The girl I was gonna see, I’m not very interested in her. She’s not my type, really.”

The information pleased her, making her smile. “I could’ve gone somewhere else too. But I went there, out of all the places.”

They stopped when they reached her building.

“But I’m glad I came. I had a lovely time,” He smiled at her.

“So did I,” She said, reluctantly removing his coat and handing it to him. The world felt so cold without it. “Thanks, Liam. For the coat and for the surprise, uh, date, I guess.”

He grinned as he put on the coat. “Thanks to you too, Robin, for not telling me I had mistaken you for someone else.”

She laughed and dropped her gaze to the ground, already wondering if they would meet again. If he wanted to meet her again.

“So, um, if its alright with you, can I, you know, have your number?” He asked hesitatingly, looking at her through his lashes.

Robin’s eyes widened as she looked up at him. Was he reading her mind or just having the same thoughts as her?

“Of course!” She nodded quickly, jumping slightly on the balls of her feet. He chuckled at her enthusiasm and she blushed. “I mean, yeah, yes.”

He took out his phone and she typed in her number. He smiled as he saved it.

“Cool. I'll, uh, text you?” He asked, putting the device away.

She nodded again. “Sure.”

He watched her for a moment. Neither of them knew what to do, but they knew they didn't want to say goodbye. Then, as if on cue, both of them moved forward and wrapped the other in a hug.

Robin was more than surprised at her own actions. Where were these nerves coming from?

Liam’s arms felt so snug around her, all she wanted to do was close her eyes and sigh. He was holding her carefully but close and tight enough to make the butterflies in her stomach go crazy. The hug wasn’t even awkward, maybe a little damp due to the showers.

He pulled back after a few seconds, beaming contagiously at her. She grinned back, though a little unsure of how to act.

“Good night, Robin,” He said, taking a step back.

“Good night, Liam,” She replied and slipped her hands in her pockets again so she wouldn’t do anything stupid with them.

He gave her another smile before turning around and starting to walk away. The sight didn’t sit right with her. It felt like something was missing.

“Hey Liam!” She called and he turned to face her again.

She quickly jogged over to him, not knowing what she was going to do. But when she reached him, one of her hands came up to cup his face and she swiftly leaned in and kissed his cheek.

The look on his face when she pulled back made her giggle. She spun around and skipped back to her building, enjoying the drizzle on her face.

Notes

Sorry for the wait, was over at my gran's. But Lima Bean's finally here! What say? What is Robin hiding? Can they make it work with her being secretive and him being a smart, curious cop?

PS: Is it just me or do you guys feel weird calling the boys by their old nicknames because they aren't boys anymore but HOT GROWN UP MEN?