Stuck

It started out as simple drops, a random one dropping onto a cheek or eyelid, but almost too quickly they pelted down like bullets, drenching everything unsheltered. The downpour of rain was so sudden, and the pair was unprepared for it. Any warning of the storm was not known by them, since they were in the movies for the past hour and a half. With the rain quickly soaking them, they took off into a run, their destination being the parking garage--more specifically, the elevator.

The soles of their shoes slapped against the puddles of water, causing their feet to squish in their shoes as the water soaked into the sides of their footwear. His finger was pressing repeatedly against the up button, although he knew it wouldn't bring the elevator to them any faster. As they waited, they splashed each other's legs with the gathering rainwater on the ground, giggling like they were still in high school.

Finally, the doors parted, and they got into the dry, confined space.

"Wow," was all Frank could say, pulling the hood of his jacket down, shaking some raindrops from his dark locks. "That was a little random. It was nice, though," he murmured, watching his boyfriend press the 4, and felt the floor below him move upward.

Ray muttered a hmm in reply, not sure what to respond to that with. After a moment, they waited in a comfortable silence for the elevator to reach the floor, but it came to a sudden stop.

The doors didn't open.

Not even after a whole minute of waiting. They stayed shut, and anxiety began to nip at the pair's nerves.

"What's going on?" Frank finally spoke, his voice quivering; he wasn't a fan of small spaces for an extended amount of time.

"I-I don't know," Ray admitted, pressing multiple buttons, and when it gave no effect, he pressed all of them. Again, nothing happened. He racked his mind for any idea of what to do. "Jump," he muttered.

"What?"

"Jump," he said again, turning to Frank. "If we jump, the elevator might think no one's here, so it'll just go to the floor it's closest too." Whether or not that's completely true, neither one knew, but they wanted to believe it would be, so on the count of three, they jumped into the air and the floor seemed to lift, and drop a small bit under their weight. They waited, and no movement. Groaning, Frank began to pace in the small amount of space.

"No, no, no, we're gonna be stuck here, we'll be stuck and no one will come, no one will no we're here! Fuck!" He began rambling and shouting, saying his train of thought aloud, as he normally did when stressed. The shorter man entangled his fingers into his own hair, tugging lightly, his brow furrowing in worry and fear as his thoughts became more on worst-case-scenarios, and what would become of the pair.

Ray, however, was trying to keep calm, and was thinking of what they could do to get the elevator moving. He learned to let Frank just ramble and ramble and ramble when needed, otherwise his feelings would get pent up and when he'd let them out, it'd be a shower of rage, depression, fear, and a combination of many other emotions he couldn't name at the moment. It took a moment to realize he no longer heard a long train of jumbled words, but a cracking voice, sniffing, and the sound of soft wails.

He turned to see Frank, who had slunk down against the wall, onto the floor, holding his head in his hands as he cried and continued to say his thoughts out loud. Abandoning of thinking of a way to get any sort of help or get the elevator moving, he sat beside his lover, and pulled him into his lap, and let him cry, and cry, and cry, and bury his head in Ray's Metallica hoodie.

Frank was unaware of how much time passed, but he soon felt his feelings of discomfort and anxiety and fear slowly drift away as he focused more on Ray's strong arms embracing him, the fabric of the hoodie, the warm of his body, and the familiar cologne Frank bought Ray for his birthday a couple weeks ago. The flow of his tears slowed, and he felt drowsiness overcome him like a wave crashing into him. He let his arms drape around Ray's waist, nuzzling his face against his boyfriend's chest.

Time seemed to be meaningless as they sat there, content in the presence of one another. The sound of the rain relentlessly pounding against the outside walls of the building were audible, but calming in an odd way neither of them would be able to describe. The taller of the pair looked at the petite bundle in his lap, whose eyelids had fluttered shut long ago--or perhaps even minutes ago, he couldn't be sure--and his sides rose and fell with deep breaths. Ray, using his fingertips, moved some strands of hair from Frank's face, the tips lightly brushing his warm forehead. Unable to control himself, he craned his neck and gently pressed his lips to the top of Frank's head, however he was careful not to wake him.

His thoughts weren't running through his head anymore; they were going at a slow pace, probably slower than a walk. He thought about all the time he had ever spent with Frank, since the year they met--when Frank was a freshman, and Ray was a sophmore at Belleville High. The years following their kindling of a friendship, they flirted, but it always seemed playful, with little to no meaning behind it. Until four years later, when Frank graduated from Belleville, he planned on going to a college in California that was a school for the Arts, which meant music, which was what Frank always had wanted to do. Ray professed his love for his best friend, and they became an official couple. And here they are, another three years later, after hardships and fights and romantic nights, they're stuck in an elevator together, with the rain pouring just outside.

He had been absent-mindedly running his fingers through the ebony locks that belonged to Frank, who began to stir. "Ray?" he yawned, his voice a soft murmur as he spoke. Ray's thoughts were interuppted, and he was brought back to Earth as he realized the man in his lap was no longer asleep.

Frank looked up at Ray, his eyes foggy with sleep, and part of his hair ruffled from it being against Ray's hoodie for the amount of time it has. The comfort he felt between them, of just simply holding each other, the strong bond they had, and how he felt so secure knowing Frank was his and no one else's made Ray think, and hard. Seeing Frank like this made him think of every morning; since they live together, he gets to see the love of his life every morning when he awakes, already brightening his day, even if it was a little bit.

In that moment, he knew exactly what he wanted, without any doubts at all.

He smiled down fondly at Frank, who returned the smile a little crookedly, still groggy from his nap.

"Frank, I love you."

Frank smiled widely and replied, "I love you too, Ray."

"Will you marry me?" There wasn't any hesitation in his voice, there wasn't a moment's pause before the question--it was straightforward, nothing really leading up to it besides the exchange of I love you's.

His smile vanished, and his hazel eyes searched his partner's for any hidden signs, but all he could find was love, and certainty.

"Are you sure about this, Ray? This isn't a spurr of the moment thing?" If there was any chance his partner would later back out of it, Frank didn't want to do anything he'd regret. His answer was a nod, and eye contact to show he wasn't lying.

That smile returned, and Frank said, now fully awake, "Yes, yes!" He crashed his lips against Ray's, who happily kissed back, absolutely thrilled at the answer he recieved.

As they held each other, the rain outside still pelted against the building, eventually calming them both into another comfortable silence, content just holding each other.

Then Frank spoke, breaking that silence.

"When are they coming to get us?" he asked, his eyes widening a little.

Ray chuckled and gently pressed his lips to Frank's forehead, allowing him to ramble once more.