You and Dominic had blended seamlessly into the crowd, your hands gripping the front railing with the perfect view—thank God artist privileges. Music pulsed through the night, and vibrant lights flared overhead. While you lost yourself in the rhythm, swaying carefree to the music, Dominic's anxious glances kept flickering down at his phone, fingers tapping nervously. He kept sneaking peeks at his screen, occasionally typing something, his foot bouncing anxiously to a completely different beat—when an LED displayed a proposal on-screen.

"Ugh, that's so cringe." you groaned, wincing, completely oblivious to the gradual look of horror taking over Dominic's face. He froze, eyes widening in horror as the words sank in—just as drones buzzed above them, about to give a spectacular show in neon lights. A panicked look crossed his face, and he fumbled with his phone, typing furiously:

"ABORT. ABORT."

Still blissfully unaware, you went on, "Seriously—one time Talia's boyfriend pulled a whole scene like that? Almost gagged right there. It's waaaay too much—"

Desperation etched into his features, Dominic's fingers flew over the screen, his face visibly paling as he typed, "DON'T DO IT."

"Oh! And there was this one guy—he tried to pull something like that with me. I bolted out of that date so fast," you laughed, mocking the gesture with all your heart.

Dominic was on the verge of collapsing, but he kept typing furiously, his eyes glazed with a look of utter defeat as he typed, "DO NOT."

Meanwhile.. up in the sky, you saw drones start malfunctioning—zigzagging awkwardly. Almost creating a shaky H—flickering erratically between 'Abort' and 'Do Not' in a chaotic, glitching pattern. Dominic's eyes followed the skyward spectacle, a resigned smile written all over his face as the drone sputtered—then collided in the air with a loud boom, igniting an unexpected explosion of color overhead like fireworks.

The crowd gasped, and you looked up, eyes wide in amazement. "Wow.. that's so beautiful.." you mumbled. Dominic, who had been on the verge of a meltdown a second ago, glanced over at you. Your face lit up with awe as you stared at the sky—and he found himself more captivated by you than the fireworks—drones. Your eyes reflected the colors of the explosion, a soft smile playing at your lips, and for a moment, he just watched you.. and he felt a soft smile perked on his lips.

But then he watched your expression scrunched. "Wait—is that.. fire?" you asked, pointing to the drones' wreckage still smoldering in the sky.

Dominic's gaze darted toward the flames, eyes wide. "Uh—nope! Definitely not!" he stammered, clearly trying to cover up the disaster. "It's, uh, the latest firework technology, super cutting-edge. You know, AR and all that—"

But as the crowd's awe turned to nervous gasps, a legitimate flame blossomed up above, curling like a plume of smoke from a small inferno. Dominic deflated, smiling with a twitch of desperation. His eyes reflected the fire about to swallow him whole like Drogon pulled a Dracarys on him—

Just as the sky opened up with rain! The unexpected shower doused the flames, sending the crowd into wild cheers of relief. With a busted face, Dominic glanced around, before exhaling, "Well that went well."

The rain began pouring down harder, drenching you both in seconds. Dominic's eyes widened, and he gave a quick, bouncing nod before grabbing your hand.

"What are you doing?" you asked, confusion clear on your face.

With an even dumbfounded expression on his face, he shouted back, "What? It's raining!"

"We're already in the front! You're such a whiny kid," you teased, smirking as you turned back toward the stage, signaling for him to stay and enjoy the show. Behind you, he scoffed, shaking his head but grinning.

Trevor, the lead singer, called out to the crowd, "Alright, everyone! I'm going to sing a song that always reminds me of my wife, back when we were still figuring things out. She wishes anything to be here, I know that, so—I'm singing this song with her in mind. If you're thinking of this special person, you can join me on this one," the crowd let out a collective 'Awww' as Trevor continued, "This rain feels like a paid actor, right?" and the audience erupted in cheers, catching on to what song was coming up. Feeling the excitement in the air, you lit up, glancing back to catch Dominic's reaction.

"If you're here with your loved ones, hold them close. Because when everything gets cold and falls apart, their warmest arms will always hold to keep me sane. This is 'How Can I Tell You'."

As he sang, people in the crowd leaned into their loved ones, drawn into the sweetness of the moment. The rain poured down around you both, the night illuminated by soft.. colorful pinkish lights from the stage, each raindrop making the moment feel even more magical. For a brief moment you looked up, couldn't help but smile, lost in the atmosphere—

When from behind you, you felt Dominic's hand reach over, hovering gently on top of your head. Eyebrows raised in confusion, you meet his eyes.. only to find him smiling softly. "So you don't get a headache from all this rain," he murmured softly, before nudging you to turn back to the stage.

You turned, acting casual. But as your eyes rested far on the stage, a sheepish smile tugged at your lips, cheeks flushing by this fuzzy feeling. With every sway of your head to the music, his hand followed, now resting protectively on top of your head.

When the chorus hit—as if inspired by it—he shifted behind you, arms sliding around your waist while his chin resting lightly on the back of your head. You froze, breath hitched—holding back in a gasp. Your pulse racing as you try to calm yourself. But a weird sense of familiarity washed over you—so you leaned back, feeling the warmth of his chest. Slowly, you reluctantly put your hands over his that's been resting on your stomach. You were both soaked, getting colder. But you hugged him closer to him—feeling the warmth of his embrace igniting like a fireplace.

His hands gently intertwined with yours, and you can't help but grip him tighter. The world faded away—only the melody.. the rain soaking through your clothes, and his heartbeat beneath your fingertips. All the lyrics you've known by heart—gone. The melodies now a distant backdrop to the two of you, heck—you never knew how the sound of his heartbeat blurred into yours could feel like this.

Never knew that it somehow felt more.. beautiful than your favorite song.

When the song neared its end, he whispered, lips close to your ear, "You said it's odd how everybody seems to be happy and sad at the same time?"

You nodded, letting him know you were listening, eyes still fixed on the stage.. until he finally murmured,

"Because when you think of love, you think of pain."

You turned slowly, facing him. Now.. you witness how the rain dripped from his golden hair.. how his face glistened with the rainfall.. how his eyes gazed at you.. softer than you'd ever seen.. And how.. his white shirt now damp.. revealing his hard chest behind it—and blush crept on your face as you quickly dart your gaze to his face again. The rainfall kept sliding down him, and despite the biting cold.. he looked so beautiful.

"You.." he started, then scoffed softly as he gazed down, shaking his head. But when he raised his gaze to you again, his eyes filled with an intensity that sent shivers down your spine.

"I don't know how you made me like this."

Despite the thumping beat of your heart, you still try to play it cool—your hand that's been resting on his arms clutching to them harder. Smiling, you tried so hard to hide the sheepish grin from surfacing on your face as you teased, "Like what?"

A little smile tugged on the corner of his lips.. before he replied, "You seemed so wrong. Heck, there ain't no way I could picture us—together, if that makes sense."

You chuckled, completely agreeing with every word that he said. And as if in an instinct, your hand slowly went to rest on his shoulders, circling behind his neck.

"But—fuck, you're the worst kind of wrong," he cursed as he looked down, voice dropping to a low murmur.

You knitted your eyebrows, playing with your fingers as anxiety kicked in, wondering where this is going. Is this where he's leaving me in the middle of the desert? Is this where we end—?

But his hands stopped you from your circling thoughts—as they softly placed on your cheeks, reluctantly curtaining your damp hair that's been disturbing his view of your face behind your ears. With a slight trembling hand, he stroked the lower of your cheeks near your jawline.. his gaze followed the line where his hand moved—and you gulped.

Lowering your hands from his shoulders to his damp chest, you stare at him. And you notice how his gaze now lingered on your lips, making you do the same. Until with an exhale.. you heard him whispered,

"You're so wrong it feels right, and that makes me feel completely out of control, love."

As if on cue, people in the crowd began to disperse, leaving a small—almost magical bubble around the two of you. It was as if the world slowed down, granting you the moment. Even the rain seemed to soften only for you, making each drop—each touch.. falling delicately to his skin.

You feel your heart pounding harder in your chest. He's getting closer.. and closer as his left hand now gripping your waist, pulling you. His gaze held yours, intense and unwavering, and you instinctively clenched the fabric of his shirt, biting your lip. Nervous was an understatement, but you gathered every feeling you'd buried within you, letting them rise to the surface. With a shaky breath, you whispered,

"And you taste like a memory I won't end up forgetting, Dominic Hunt."

His gaze darkened. His right hand slid to the back of your head, fingers threading into your damp curls and braids. His gaze trailed slowly, lingering on your collarbone. Warmth surfacing on every touch, and the way his fingers hover over them—

You gasped, and his eyes flashed back to your face. You could feel his ragged breath against your skin, his hand trembling slightly as it grazed your cheek. Both of you hesitated, eyes flickering between each other's gaze, down to lips, and back again, and—

In a heartbeat, he closed the space between you. His lips brushed against yours, tentative at first, until both of you couldn't hold back anymore. The kiss deepened, and you clung to him, feeling his fingers dig into your waist as he pulled you closer. Your hands fisted in his shirt, feeling the damp fabric under your fingers—

Thank you for reading! Don't forget to vote, comment, and add to your library!

Check out some additional content on social media:

Cecylia Costania @rcpcs

You can elevate your experience by also listening to songs I added to this story's playlist! I'll reveal the Playlist by the end of this story, so.. Stay Tuned!

The song that matches this Chapter's vibe:

https://youtu.be/k2ytSs-Iqy0

This is How Can I Tell You.

https://youtu.be/lcHnwNggUoU

"You're so wrong it feels right, and that makes me feel completely out of control, love."

https://youtu.be/qcpzfAM3nzg