Chapter Text
Jasper always loved how everything looked when it was raining.
The grey skies felt welcoming to him. Not the kind of welcoming that felt warm like a flame, but the kind that simply reminded you that you were there and existing. Granted, he could say the same for all things in nature, but rain was something that he could always rely on, even when growing up in the city.
He was sitting on the floor of the van watching the rain, the door open as the wind blew away from the opening, leaving the inside dry. They had stopped at one of the pullouts on the side of the road because Harry needed to use the bathroom, and Jasper took this moment to enjoy the rain instead of just driving in it.
They were on a trip to one of the neighbouring cities to Aratera by the mayor himself, Antony suggesting the two take a visit for the city's stunning seaside views and sunny days
But the trip would take two days of driving, which was both daunting and exciting. So he and Harry agreed that they were going to sleep in the van or find some hotel along the way for the two nights they were travelling. Hoping to reach one of the smaller towns within the city's stability field by the third day.
A cold breeze flew into the van. Jasper wrapped one end of his scarf around his shoulders again. He knew it would make sense to just close the door, but he wanted to hear the sound of the rain directly, and not through a car door.
As Jasper sat and stared at the rain, Harry walked out of the bathroom, having heard the rain start right as he got inside to do his business. So walking out of the restroom, Harry stood at the small awning looking a bit miffed over what he was about to do.
Closing the door behind him, he shrugged off his jacket and held it over his head as a makeshift cover. Harry lined himself up with the straightest route between him and the van door, and began to make a beeline towards it, hoping to not get wet
Jasper, who was watching this from the van, shuffled to the side to give Harry some space for when he entered. Despite the distance between them not being that far it still felt like a race against the clock, and he was cheering Harry on from the sidelines.
As Harry approached the car and got closer to the door, he gripped his jacket and half-leaped into the van, colliding with Jasper in the process as they fell to the car floor in a pile of laughs and giggles.
The two stayed there for a moment, enjoying the other's warmth and weight against them. It was so casual, so familiar, it was like being welcomed home.
Eventually they pried themselves off the floor and sat up, staring out the door as they noticed the rain had stopped. The smell of petrichor coming from outside as a warm breeze swept through the van. The sound of a bird chirping in the distance as sunlight returned.
"Made it back alright?" Jasper asked contently, looking out the van but with a fond tone in his voice.
"Ugh," Harry shook his head with a smile. "I really should have brought an umbrella."
"At least you made it back home all dry!" Jasper replied, not realizing he's referred to their van as home now.
Harry's gaze softened, looking at the blue sky outside and smiled. "Yeah. Home."