#Rainy Day Comfort | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

serenefreakgeekao3 · 4 days ago

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Rainy Days

Jim Halpert x GN! Reader (reader has hair, they/them used briefly, reader is fine with masc clothes)

Summary: You work at Dunder Mifflin Paper Company in Scranton, PA. It's often rainy in your town, which is fortunate enough for you as you love the rain. Though, watching it leads to a walk through the rain, leads to the expected sick day. But- that doesn't explain why your best friend is at your door?

(Hurt/Comfort, sick fic, mutual pining)

Prompts used: "You're my new pillow" & "Sorry for borrowing your clothes." "Don't be. You look good in them."

A/N: If i have to read one more word of this then it’ll never get posted. Have a non-beta-read fic and i hope you enjoy! Turned out to be way longer than a quick request should’ve been but also that’s just how my brain works i guess so have at it

[My Readers Masterlist can be found here]

It was storming in Scranton, and anyone else might call it a bad day or a ‘normal’ day out here in Pennsylvania, but you chose to see it as a good day. You loved the rain- the smell of it, the look of it, the refreshing quality that it brings- and you couldn’t help the smile that was brought to your face as you stared out of the double doors into the parking lot of the business park you currently stood inside. With only one other person in the lobby, Hank the security guard, you felt practically alone as you took in the sight before you. Hank was busy behind his large desk doing who-knows-what, so he paid you no mind as you opened one of the double doors- the farthest one from his computer since you didn’t want the rain to start pouring onto the electronics- and kicked the lock down so the door stood open. You smiled brighter, breathing in deeply the fresh scent of petrichor.

Lightning strikes nearby and you look up to the storming clouds outside, trying your best to avoid the rain splashing on your clothes as you do so. You were tempted to go out and feel the rain splashing on your face, and almost took a step to do so when you heard the ding of the elevator opening. Glancing behind you curiously, you weren’t expecting to find anyone from the Dunder Mifflin coming down, as they usually get rather gloomy during the rainy seasons and tend to stay inside. So that is to say, it was a rather pleasant surprise to see not only a coworker, but your best friend walking out of the doors of the elevator by himself. Jim was looking at the ground, hands in his pockets as he walked, but as he raised his gaze he looked at you through his lashes and you could feel your breath catch in your throat. Sure, he’s your best friend, but you were also down pretty bad for him. A smile slowly alights on his face as he walks to stand next to you, directing his attention out toward the rain as you had been just a moment ago.

“‘Was wondering where you scurried off to,” Jim practically whispered, his voice low enough to make the setting intimate, but loud enough to be heard over the rain pounding against the concrete. You couldn’t drag your gaze away from him until he spoke finally, and you felt yourself jump and turn your gaze back out toward the rain. Lightning cracks across the sky, lighting up the dark clouds for a moment before fading away just as quickly.

“I just wanted to watch the rain for a bit,” You admit just as quietly, taking in another deep breath. You reach your hand outward, feeling the splash of multiple drops against your skin, watching as the cuff of your jacket begins to absorb some of the water. You reach your other hand out with a larger smile, feeling the drops against your skin. You glance over toward Jim, spotting a soft smile aimed in your direction before he turns away, nodding out toward the storm.

“You planning to go out there?” He turns back toward you, a silly smile on his face that makes you laugh, shaking your head.

“Well, I was thinking on it, but probably not. Wouldn’t want to get my clothes wet in the middle of the work day.”

“Ah,” Jim starts, nodding his head, stretching his arms so his elbows are no longer bent, his hands still in his pockets as he rocks back and forth on his heels. After you finally drop your hands, shaking the water off, he speaks up again. “Well, it is our lunch break. Thought you were heading out for a bite to eat.”

“In this weather?” You chuckle, shaking your head as you wipe your hands along your jacket. After Jim is quiet for a beat too long, you glance up and see a mischievous smirk directed toward you.

“Yeah. Why not? You like this weather.” You hesitate, still unable to remove your grin from your face while looking at him.

“Yeah,” You drag the word out, more as a question than an answer. You watch him remove his hands from his pockets finally, walking outside while turning his body to continue facing your direction. Once outside, completely under the rain and getting soaked by the second, he extends a hand out in your direction with a large grin.

“Well, don’t keep me waiting!” You laugh, taking his hand and allowing him to pull you outside. The rain immediately begins to splash you- the top of your head, soaking into your jacket rather quickly and drowning your clothes. “I noticed a food truck right around the corner, want to go get some?” He yells out over the rain, pulling you closer by the hand he’s still holding. Even through the coldness of the rain, you can feel the heat lighting your cheeks up from his touch.

“Yeah!” You yell out, nodding and squinting through the rain. Jim laughs, reaching behind you and raising your hood up over your head. It’s soaked already, sure, but it does help to keep the rain out of your eyes. You don’t know what look you’re giving him right now, but you can’t help it. You’re absolutely enamoured by this man. He pulls you by the hand, directing you to the sidewalk before finally dropping it away, and you begin to walk side by side to grab a soggy bite to eat.

By the time the both of you returned to the office, there was not a single part of your wardrobe that wasn’t soaked. Same for Jim, of course, but neither of you really cared. You had eaten your food on the walk back, balancing the takeout container in a way that hopefully wouldn’t get your food wet, but it was easier said than done. However, it brought a good laugh to both of you during the journey. Once inside, you both started wringing your clothes out in the lobby next to the door and tried to duck your head away from Hank’s glare for getting the lobby wet. You both ran to the elevator, Jim pushing the button quickly. As soon as the elevator doors were closed, you both burst out laughing, shaking your heads. You throw your hands out, looking down at yourself.

“I’m soaked!” You look up, shaking your head but still unable to keep the smile away, seeing Jim’s soft look toward you. “We’re soaked! See, this is what I was trying to avoid downstairs!”

“I think you look great. In fact, I think you should stay like that for the rest of the day.” You scoff, widening your eyes at him in offence.

“Like this? Cold and miserable?” Jim barked out a laugh, throwing his head back with the force of it. You could feel your own grin softening, watching his brilliant laughter. He finally starts shaking his head, one hand holding his stomach as the other raises in front of you as if asking for mercy.

“No, no, listen!” Jim laughs again, getting it out of his system before shaking his head. You both turn to look as the elevator dings, no one standing outside of it. He reaches to grab your arm before you can leave the elevator, so you leave your foot in the opening so it doesn’t close on the both of you. “It’ll be hilarious. We just walk in as if nothing is wrong, and just go about our day like nothing happened.” You chuckle, shaking your head at the foolishness.

“And, what? Say we don’t notice anything when anyone asks?” Jim nods enthusiastically, and you laugh again, nodding. “Hell, why not?” Jim lets go of you, jumping once for joy while pumping both arms.

“Yes! Let’s do this!” He rushes past you, giving you time to compose yourself into a neutral but pleased expression to try not to give yourself away immediately. You follow behind Jim, thanking him politely as he opens the door for you, walking past Pam’s desk and giving her a gentle greeting. She goes to return it, though when she finally looks up at you her words are caught in her throat. With her mouth hanging open, she glances between both Jim and you, then covers her mouth and coughs to cover up a laugh. Jim says a quick ‘hi’ to Pam as well before he passes after you do, moving to take his seat. You take your own seat, at the desk in front of Dwight’s, ignoring the cold glare he was giving you the whole time.

“Yeah, hey,” Pam responds to Jim from behind you, clearing her throat, “Uh, real quick Jim?” He stops halfway to the desk before turning around and moving back- even going so far as to lean on her desk like he normally does. She laughs again, shaking her head. “Do you guys need a change of clothes?”

“Change of clothes, Pam?” He shoots his head back, furrowing his brows in mock-shock. “So forward of you, wow!” He backs away, and as you turn around you can see Pam eyeing the wet spot left on the top of her desk before reaching for some tissues and standing to wipe it off. You finally drag your gaze away as Jim sits down, moving to awaken his computer from sleep.

“This is hazardous.” You expected Dwight to say something, of course, but you hear Jim sigh at the same time that you feel yourself involuntarily sigh as well. “You are being a workplace hazard. I demand that you both go dry off immediately.” You glance toward Jim, meeting his eyes before finally letting your uninterested gaze rest on Dwight.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about?” You turn, waking your own computer up.

“The soaked clothes! The water you both are carrying in will get into the electronics, it’ll short-circuit everything and electrocute you! Or worse!” Jim hums, and you glance from the corner of your eye to see him resting his chin on his fist, staring at Dwight.

“And,” He draws the word out, long enough for you to try to suppress a smile, unsuccessfully. “What exactly would be worse than electrocution, Dwight?”

“A power outage!” He responds immediately, tapping his files onto his desk as if he’s won something. Jim scoffs out a laugh, shaking his head and mumbling, ‘We could only hope…’ under his breath. Dwight’s head turns so quickly that you’re afraid he might get whiplash. “What was that, Jim?”

“I said that’s a slippery slope,” Jim mocks, glancing at Dwight again before resting his eyes on you. You meet them, smiling softly toward him, and receiving the same in response. You hear a long groan from Dwight, but nothing else, and you consider that a mercy. You tossed your head back, feeling the water fling from clinging to your head around behind you, and turn your attention back toward your work. You hear Jim’s muffled laughter, after probably watching the rain splash around from your fast movement, and you peak to see him covering his mouth with his hand before dragging it down, pulling a frown onto his face to maintain composure. You chuckle, then pay attention to your work.

The rest of the workday went by without a hitch. A few people had bothered to ask if you knew that you were dripping wet, to which you would respond with some form of ‘Of course, I’m not!’ before going back to work, as did Jim. You were getting fairly cold, though, for this silly prank. The office’s air conditioners were on, for some reason, even though it was reasonably cold outside. You ended up taking a few trips over toward Pam’s desk throughout the day, stealing the use of her secret space heater to warm yourself back up (while also filling Pam in on the prank that she sort of figured out on her own anyway).

By the end of the day, your clothes were dryer than they had been, but definitely weren’t dry. And the same could be said for Jim, who stood up with all of the chalance of a man who had just worked an entire day tirelessly- and not like someone who had spent the last few hours of their shift sitting in a pile of water and soaked clothing. You pinch your lips together, trying to keep your laughter in. While you had gotten up and moved around- mostly to Pam’s space heater and back- he had managed to stay seated the rest of the day. In doing so, he was much less dry and much more showy about it. He flung his hand outward toward the office, slinging water across Dwight’s shirt and face, causing him to splutter and rub his face with his hands as Jim spoke up.

“T’was a lovely day, one and all,” Jim calls out to the office, not looking at any one person, and as you glance around you can already see that no one is paying attention to him- either packing up or already leaving. “But alas!” As he says this, he swings his hands around again, splashing Dwight once more, throwing it from the outward position back down across his chest, “I must bid you, adieu!” He bows, flinging his head down so the water from his hair splashes across Dwight once again, who finally stands up in a quick movement that almost looked threatening- if it hadn’t been Dwight.

“I hope you have more respect for your workplace tomorrow, Jim!” Dwight yells back, roughly grabbing his suitcase and storming out past Jim. You wait until Dwight is in the hallway before bursting out laughing, Jim joining in with you, resting his hands against his desk and bending at the waist as he does so.

“That was a stupidly ridiculous prank, Jim,” You murmur, moving closer to him and leaning against his desk, watching the rest of the office filter out. You watch as Pam gathers her coat, giving you a wave before heading out, and you shoot a small wave back before she’s out the door.

“Sure,” Jim mumbles, standing fully and moving closer toward you. “But it was a fun one.” He leans closer to you, and you back up slightly after watching a few drips from his jacket drip onto you. He laughs, leaning even closer. “What, don’t want rain on you or something?” You chuckle again, standing from your lean on his desk to move a few steps away. His eyes scan your body, then do a double take and scan you slower, a furrow between his brows. Slowly, he stands, turning to face you. “Why don’t you look as wet as I do?” You widen your eyes, tilting your head in mock confusion.

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“I mean,” Jim mumbles, narrowing his eyes with a small smirk, taking a step toward you. “You look dry. Not completely, but you’re not dripping like I am.” You glance around quickly, noticing that everyone has left the office aside from Michael, who still sits in his own little office, unaware of the rest of the office.

“I have no clue what-”

“You dried yourself off!” Jim accuses, pointing a finger at you and taking another step forward. You take a hesitant step back, biting your lip guiltily.

“Well, no! I didn’t!”

“Then-!”

“Pam has a heater, okay!” You exclaim, not quite yelling but raising your voice just slightly. Jim holds back a laugh, but his chest moves with mirth as he narrows his eyes further, taking another step toward you.

“Oh, a heater, huh?”

“Yes! And- and I was cold!”

“I’ll show you cold,” Jim mumbles before rushing forward as if to tackle you, grabbing you around the midsection and standing up fully, lifting you off of your feet while hugging you close, pressing you against his drenched clothing. You squeal out- although you would adamantly deny that- and start pushing against him. He lets you down quickly enough, although if you had thought that whole interaction through as it was happening, maybe you wouldn’t have pushed him away quite so quickly. Jim had been hugging you close and you pushed him away? You sigh at yourself, playfully glaring up at him, arms outstretched to the side. It didn’t really do the intended effect of what Jim was going for- trying to make you more wet from his own clothing- since your clothes were already technically still wet, but you wanted to play along.

“Now look what you’ve done.” Jim just scoffs, rolling his eyes before pulling you by the arm toward the exit, dropping you just as suddenly.

“Yeah, yeah, you’ll hate me forever and whatnot. Let’s get home so we can finally change.”

Waking up hurt. Did it always hurt this bad?

You groan pitifully, rolling over in bed and blearily opening your eyes to blink at your alarm clock. The bright red of the light, even in the morning light filtering in through your bedroom windows, hurts your eyes and brain to look at. By the time you closed your eyes to gain some reprieve, you didn’t even comprehend the numbers on the screen.

You shivered, curling up into a ball under your covers and pulling them in tighter. You let out a small breath through your mouth, though when you tried to breathe in through your nostrils you realized they were blocked. You groan again, slowly realizing what’s going on as you raise a hand to your forehead. Obviously you couldn’t tell if you had a fever by touching your own head, but applying pressure to where it hurt somehow helped.

When you could no longer justify laying in bed- mainly in part because your bladder is about to explode- you finally get up and use the toilet. After washing your hands, you glance up to the mirror and hesitate. You were flushed, nose red from blowing it repeatedly, and your eyes were bloodshot. You looked absolutely horrible. You sigh, reaching into a cupboard for a thermometer, sticking it in your mouth as you dig around for some kind of cold medicine. Thankfully, you had an old bottle lying around, about three-quarters full from the last time you had been sick. You slam the bottle onto the bathroom counter as the thermometer begins beeping, and you pull it out to see the temp.

Yep, definitely a fever. You measure out enough of the cold medicine, taking note of the time before downing it and taking out your phone. You didn’t bother to call, just shoot a text to Michael about being sick and not coming in. After laying in bed and thinking better of it, you shoot Pam the same text, figuring Michael either wouldn’t care or wouldn’t bother to check it. Afterwards, you’re quick to fall back asleep.

Jim wasn’t worried at first.

Of course, he’d been late to work- but that was only because he was halfway to work when he remembered the umbrella he wanted to bring (maybe he liked taking walks in the rain, who knows?) and had to turn around and go back to his apartment to pick it up. He couldn’t help the soppy smile that crossed his face as he grabbed the plain black umbrella, the memories from the day before flitting to the forefront of his brain. Watching you skip along in the rain, throwing your head back to feel the drops fall upon your face- he even chuckles at the memory of you jumping into a large puddle with the sole intent of splashing him. You were both completely soaked at that point, it didn’t really matter. But it also did. The way your eyes lit up, the face you had made, directed at him no less.

So maybe they can take that walk down the food truck again? Maybe they could do it without being soaked, even if Jim had to hold the umbrella slightly more on their side. Besides, it's just a little rain, isn’t it?

So he ‘rushed’ into work late- not really worried about being docked or having a talking to from Michael, mainly just worried that he’ll miss valuable time with yo- his friends. All of his friends. Except, once he turned the corner, his steps slowed when he noticed the desk next to his was empty. Not Dwights, unfortunately, but yours. Jim glances quickly to the side, eyes immediately searching for an explanation from Pam. What he doesn’t notice is his large grin, the smile he had when he had been thinking of you, slowly diminishing to a worried frown. Pam waves him closer, and he approaches before even setting down his briefcase.

“They texted this morning right before work- said they’re sick with a fever and they’re not making it in.” Jim’s brows furrow further, pursing his lips in worry. Pam reaches up and takes his hand, squeezing it with comfort. “Maybe playing in the rain wasn’t the best idea, hm?”

“It’s not- we weren’t-” He hesitates, brow furrowing further as he begins to blame himself. “Is that what they said? That the rain…?”

“They didn’t say a reason they were sick, per se, but-” Pam sighs, tilting her head to the side and dropping her hand away from him. “I mean, I kept trying to keep them warm with my space heater, but they were shivering the rest of the day at work yesterday.” Jim shook his head, taking a step back and tapping lightly on the top of her desk.

“If they were that cold they could’ve changed? I would’ve been-” He huffs, shaking his head again, “It was just a stupid prank.” Pam sighs, her eyes softening as she begins to realize what’s happening. She leans forward, reaching to take his hand again, but he pulls away before noticing she has tried.

“Hey, don’t blame yourself. They knew that too. They told me they were having a ton of fun with the prank, they enjoy doing things with you. I even told them to change, and they refused. It was their own choice.” Jim seems too distracted to fully gather and comprehend what she’s saying, and he turns his unseeing gaze toward their empty desk, biting his lip as he gets lost in his thoughts.

So, yeah, Jim wasn’t worried at first. But the storm was still raging on outside, and they were suffering through a fever alone right now. You were an adult, of course you could handle yourself at this point. You shouldn’t have to, though. It’s always nice having someone around to dote on you when you’re sick, isn’t it? Or would that be too much? He is only a work friend, technically. Even if you meant much more to him than that, you probably didn’t see him that way. He taps Pam’s desk twice as a sort of goodbye before walking slowly back to his desk, lost in thought.

He’s not sure how long he’s spaced out for, thinking of you. He’s done his work, of course. He’s taken calls and ordered paper and done all the other boring stuff that becomes a whole lot more fun when you’re around to distract him. It’s a while into the day, though he’s not sure how far along, when the lights begin to flicker overhead. Everyone in the office raises their gazes up toward the ceiling, hearing the booming of thunder outside their walls as the building fights to maintain power. The lights come back on, stable, and Jim lets out a huff of displeasure. The sudden and intense thought of: ‘If the power goes out, everyone goes home and I can take some soup over to them!’ Is suddenly dashed across the grey-stained carpet. He drops his gaze back down to the paperwork in front of him, hitting a quick save to the document before continuing to fill it out.

An even louder thunder sounds, followed by an almost vibrating of the walls and flickering of the lights before everything goes dark. A feminine scream is heard from far off- probably Kelly- and a few whoops go through the office as people realize what this means. Jim smiles to himself, gathering his belongings as Stanley brushes past, the first to leave the office before Michael even comes out to announce that everyone should go home- “But feel free to stay! We can make pillow forts and watch Die Hard! It’s going to be exciting!” Michael holds his arms to his chest and jumps up and down excitedly before finally moving to gather everything together, tossing every stray pillow and blanket he can find into the conference room.

The camera crew tries to stop Jim on the way out, but he dodges them, waving the camera away and shaking his head at the interviewer behind the scenes. He hopes the video they got of him speeding out of the parking lot was good enough for them, though he really doesn’t care either way. This thunderstorm was the perfect excuse to go check on you, and Jim wasn’t about to pass this opportunity up. Except, Jim started to notice something the closer he got to your apartment- which, admittedly, didn’t take too long, considering you were practically neighbours with the business park.

Jim turns into your complex’s driveway with a wary expression, scanning every window he can see for any flicker of light- though he found none. He parked in the first spot he found available, uncaring of the rain, and dashed out of his car toward the building he had dropped you off at once or twice before. The problem here was that he’d never visited your apartment before, so he was unsure which door actually belonged to you. He hoped he was remembering your address correctly as he looked for the number ‘3’ on the door, climbing some outdoor stairs before finally discovering the number he was looking for. Nervous, both at the thought of seeing you and possibly at having the wrong door altogether, he lifted his fist to knock steadily against the door.

You were in and out of sleep throughout the night- no, day. It was definitely daytime, according to your alarm clock on the nightstand. Although it was so dark out it could practically be nighttime, you realized you could hear the rain pounding against your walls and rattling your window. You knew why it was dark out, at least.

You tried your best to get some rest, staying in bed for the majority of the day. But you couldn’t hold onto sleep for longer than an hour, either waking from a cough or a thunderstrike outside that could’ve been right outside your window for how loud it was. Sure, Scranton has seen its fair share of rainstorms. But this was a whole different story.

You had tried getting up for something other than the bathroom for once, though immediately regretted it. Your stomach turned and you would’ve thrown up if you had anything in your stomach. Which was the reason you had been getting up in the first place, making your way to the kitchen to heat up some soup. You grab a can of chicken noodle soup right as a loud crack pierces the air, followed by some flickering of your lights. As you stare up at your kitchen ceiling your light decides to finally shut off altogether, and you huff out a long sigh. No warm soup for you, it seemed. You just gave up, letting yourself fall into bed and bundle into a ball of starvingness. You laid there for quite awhile, doing nothing and thinking about everything.

You thought you were imagining it at first. Then, you hoped that it was your neighbours who had someone banging on their front door. Eventually, you resigned yourself to get up and at least go check who was at the front door. You wrapped yourself in your blanket, dragging it across the floor with you as you wiped the freshly flowing snot from your nose with a tissue you held in your off-hand. Once you got to the door, you began wondering if your mind was playing tricks on you as you looked through the peephole. To make sure your mind isn’t conjuring up just what you want to see, you throw open the front door without fully thinking it through.

Jim looked like he had been on the verge of walking away, but his head snapped toward your direction at the sound of your door opening. A smile replaces a small worried frown, although it drops slowly as he takes in your appearance. You can’t say you look your best, dressed in your pyjamas and wrapped in your blanket, clutching a tissue, staring slack-jawed at your crush standing on your doorstep.

“Hey,” Jim begins, jolting himself as if reminding himself that he should be the one explaining why he’s here. “I heard from Pam that you were feeling sick?”

“Yeah,” You pause, giving yourself time to think by coughing into your tissue, shaking your head to attempt to rid yourself of the lightheadedness (it doesn’t work), “That didn’t mean you had to come drag me to work?” Jim laughs, which at least proves you didn’t manage to lose your sense of humour while sick, which is good to know.

“Oh, no, that’s not-” He shakes his head, his fluffy but drenched hair spewing droplets every which way, chuckling awkwardly as he does, “We were let out early because of the-” He looks past you, over your shoulder into your apartment to notice that the power had gone out here. “The- uh, the power went out. Over there.” You tilt your head, furrowing your brow with confusion.

“If it went out in the office, how did you know it went out here?”

“Oh,” Jim widens his eyes, throwing his hands up passively, “No, no, I just meant- well, the office’s power went out so we were allowed to go home. And because you were sick I wanted to come check on you.” He chuckles again, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. “I’ve kinda bungled it all up, haven’t I?”

“No, no,” You disagree immediately, realizing that your tone and posture might’ve been a bit off-putting. “I would invite you inside, but,” You look over your shoulder once again at the dark interior, pursing your lips. “I couldn’t even heat myself some soup,” You mumble to yourself, eyeing your dead microwave.

“I can do it!” You jump at the sudden sound of Jim’s voice, turning to look at him with wide eyes. He clears his throat, shrugging as if unaffected, “I just mean, you can come over to mine? My apartment keeps a second generator that kicks on if the power goes out, so I can guarantee some lights and hot soup if you want to come over?” Pursing your lips, you consider it.

“I wouldn’t want to be a bother-”

“No bother, really!” You sigh, wiping your nose with your tissue again.

“I’m sick though, I’ll get you sick.”

“If I was gonna get sick, I would’ve gotten sick yesterday when we were soaked to the bone.” He shakes his head with a small smile, taking a step forward and grabbing a piece of the blanket hanging off of your form. “Come with me, it’s my fault you’re sick anyway. Let me take care of you.”

And who could say no to that?

You move back inside to put some shoes on as Jim grabs the box of tissues from your room, wrapping it in a plastic bag to keep the rain from ruining them. You want to keep your blanket with you, but with how stormy it is outside you don’t find that to be a viable plan. You leave your blanket behind, clutching your bagged tissue box to your chest as you make your way outside under the overhang. By the time you get to the edge and watch the sheets of rain falling to the ground, Jim orders you to wait. He jogs into the rain, to the other side of the parking lot apparently, then drives over. He parks next to your building, then jumps out and yells out for you to wait, pulling a sleek black umbrella from the car. He opens it, already covered in rain himself, and moves over to hold it over your head as you walk a few feet into his passenger seat. You were still rained on a bit, the wind pushing the rain past the umbrella, but nowhere near as much as you should’ve been. You thanked Jim once he got back into the car.

The drive was rather short, in all honesty. If it had been a sunny day, and no one was sick, you could probably even walk between the two apartments. The walk would be along some busy roads, but there were sidewalks, you assuaged. By the time Jim had found a suitable parking space close to his building, he did much of the same. He ordered you to stay in, taking the umbrella with him and opening it before you were able to leave the car. He tries his best to make sure you’re not rained on as you make it to the overhang once again, waiting as he lowers the umbrella and shakes it out, folding it back up into its compact version. Finally, he glances up at you through his eyelashes, smiling.

He jumps, as if remembering what he’s here to do once again, then begins to climb the stairs, looking behind himself constantly to make sure you’re following along. At the third level, the top of the complex here, he ushers you over to a nearby door. He huddles close to it, unlocking it with his key and jiggling the doorknob around before it finally unlocks and swings open. He gives you a sheepish look, holding the door open for you before closing it behind the both of you and relocking it. You take the chance to look around the rather bare apartment.

There was a single grey fabric three-seater couch, which looked as if it was stained at one point before someone tried to clean it, with a small coffee table in front of it- one of the legs resting on a thick book, the spine turned inward so you weren’t able to read the title. A thick television sits atop a TV stand facing the couch, and the little entryway you stood just to the side of as Jim fuddles with the front door’s lock once again. Past the little living room was a small kitchen separated by a small bar, the fridge yellowing and the stove looking old- although the microwave sitting on the counter looked practically shining new. You could see a small hallway that breaks off from the living room right before the kitchen bar, which you assumed led to a bathroom and bedroom.

Although you admitted, Jim was right. The power was certainly on in here, even if it was a rather small apartment.

“I hope you don’t mind,” Jim mumbles right next to you, causing you to jump and turn toward him. He appears to be done fiddling with the door, hanging his keys on a hook in the entryway and looking over at you, smiling once again. “I know the place is really small and looks a bit bare, but I’m kinda building everything up now that I moved out of my roommate’s place.”

“Oh, no, I don’t-” You cough suddenly, turning to cough into your tissue after it takes you by surprise. By the time you’re done, you feel Jim’s hand on your back, and you blink away tears. “I don’t mind, sorry-”

“Hey, don’t apologize. How about you take a seat, I’ll make you that soup I promised?” You nodded, circling around the back of the couch to take a seat on the side of the couch pressed against the wall, letting your back rest against the armrest so you could watch Jim mess around in the kitchen. He was opening and closing a lot of cabinets- practically all of his cabinets- before finally turning to you with a long sigh. He places his hands on the kitchen bar, letting his head hang between his shoulders. “So, bad news on the soup front. I don’t have any.” He looks up, a pouting look on his face that immediately makes you start shaking your head, ready to tell him that everything is okay, but he speaks up before you’re able to. “But that’s alright! If you’re cool with just chilling here, I can run to the store and grab some? I can grab some of that cold medicine too, that I saw you were out of when I went to grab your tissues. Sound like a plan?”

You were nodding slowly, not fully comprehending the situation as Jim rushes over, grabbing something and immediately holding it out for you to grab. You only realize it’s the tv remote once you have it in your hand, staring at it like it’s some sort of alien technology.

“If you want to watch something, feel free. I have cable. Or- or you could sleep on the couch, or on my bed! Feel free to use the bed, too, if you need to. Uh,” He’s a bit antsy, shuffling from foot to foot as he glances around his apartment self-consciously. “Anything you wanna do, really.” He smiles at you before rushing for the front door again, grabbing his keys and fuddling with the front door before yanking it open with force. You watch him leave, waiting until you hear his front door close fully and his footsteps recede before finally coming back to yourself.

So, you were in Jim’s apartment. You glance back down at the remote control, lightly setting it down on the coffee table before standing up. You were in Jim’s apartment, sick and alone. What a weird experience. You begin to take a small tour, seeing his kitchen from a closer angle, but also walking down the small hallway- which only led to two doors. The first door was a bathroom, nicely furnished in that it didn’t look like everything was two steps from falling apart as the kitchen did. The second led to his bedroom, which had a fully put-together bed and a dresser, with what you assumed was a closet attached with a shut door.

You were feeling grimy, really. You hadn’t showered that day yet, sickly with sweats, and you were now in your crush’s apartment. You still could hardly get over that, but in your realization that there was a bathroom with a working light, you figured you could at least solve one problem while Jim was away. So you showered, and you smelled like his body wash and shampoo, which felt a little too intimate like maybe you were breaking a few boundaries, and you hoped he wouldn’t mind. Then, you were standing in the bathroom with a towel wrapped around you when you realized- oh, right. You weren’t in your apartment, with all of your clothes just readily available.

You peeked out of the bathroom, listening for something that apparently wasn’t there. At the sign of- well, nothing, you rushed out of the bathroom and down the hall to Jim’s room. He was a rather tall guy, he would have something that could fit you, right? By the time you were dressed in clothes that mostly fit, though were slightly longer than your usual clothes, and you were on your way to the bathroom to throw the towel into the laundry basket you had seen there, you realized Jim was home. You paused in the hallway, watching as he opened and shut different cabinets once more, likely putting things away. You toss the towel where it should go, then slowly walk out of the hallway into his line of sight. He pauses his hasty storing of his groceries to stare at you, slightly wide-eyed.

“Sorry,” You begin, shrugging and throwing a thumb over your shoulder. “I wanted a shower.” His eyes scan your form again, and you realize he’s taking in the fact that you are wearing his clothes. You could feel your cheeks heat up with an annoying blush as you looked down, trying to picture what you must look like to him. “Sorry for borrowing your clothes.”

“Don’t be,” Jim begins immediately, and you look up quickly to find him meeting your eyes, a small smile playing on his mouth finally. “You look good in them.” The compliment freezes you now, instead. Your brain plays the sentence on repeat, wide-eyed as you stare over at Jim before you realize he is talking and try to shake yourself out of it, tuning back into what he is saying.

“-didn’t know what you’d like, so I grabbed chicken noodle soup, just ‘cause, y’know, it’s the sick-soup that people usually get. But then I worried what if you were vegetarian, so I grabbed bean and bacon soup,” He begins to pull more and more cans out of the bag in front of him, looking as if he’s talking himself into a tizzy. “But then I thought, well what if you had some allergy to beans that I didn’t know about? So I grabbed tomato soup also, but then I figured, well, you’re sick and tomato soup is a bit acidic so-”

“Jim,” You interrupted him, slightly worried that if you didn’t he would just keep talking forever. You take a few steps forward, looking over the many cans in front of him, then direct your attention up to him once more. You were smiling- trying to keep yourself from laughing, honestly- as you finally released him from his misery. “Chicken noodle soup sounds fantastic.” You watch his shoulders relax finally as he lets out a breath, nodding and pulling a bowl over from another spot on the counter- prepared, like he was ready to make it as soon as he knew which one you wanted.

You wander over to sit on the couch one more, playing with the hem of the shirt you’re borrowing as you watch Jim move effortlessly throughout his kitchen. All he’s doing is heating some soup up in a microwave and putting away a lot of cans, but you can’t help but feel enamoured by what you see. That is, until you’re pulling another tissue from the box you un-bagged, then blow your nose into it. You decide to use the plastic bag as a makeshift trash can, keeping it tucked away against the wall so Jim wouldn’t have to worry about it.

“Here you are,” Jim presents the bowl, complete with a large soup spoon and a pot holder underneath to keep the heat from hurting your hands. You take it gently, thanking him distractedly as you make sure not to spill. Jim takes a seat on the other side of the couch, reaching for the TV remote and flicking through a few channels as you take a sip of your soup. It’s not too hot, and you suddenly realize how starving you are. It’s not long before the bowl is empty and you’re setting it all down on the coffee table in front of you. With the channel now stationary on a sitcom, Jim leaning back with one arm slung across the back of the couch, and the food in your stomach, you began to feel content and sleepy.

You fidget in place for only a few moments before you think, ‘Oh, fuck it.’ You scoot a little closer to the middle of the couch before laying down, laying your feet where you had been sitting and then placing your head on Jim’s lap, blinking up at him quickly to see if he’s turned horrified. A distinctly horrified-less face awaited you, instead a soft little smile gracing his face that you’re unsure he’s aware of. Fingers gently brush against your forehead, pushing hair from your face and pressing lightly against your skin as if to feel your temperature. Jim hums lightly in thought, but you relax more into your spot, wiggling to get extra comfy.

“You’re my new pillow,” You mumble, opening your eyes to glance up at him with a smug smirk, “Sorry, I don’t make the rules.” Jim chuckles, feeling the movement of his body from under your head, and you take pride in the fact that you can still get him to laugh.

“Sure,” Jim agrees easily, running his fingers through your hair once more as if he enjoys doing it as much as you enjoy feeling it. “Whatever you need, to get you through this trying time.” You nod accordingly, snuggling into his lap as your eyes finally drift over toward the TV. It’s only a few minutes later when you feel movement from under your head, and you glance up to see Jim leaning practically halfway across the couch, reaching for something. He snags a blanket, leaning back down and unfolding it out above you, letting it settle down on top of you. When he finally tucks it in properly and looks back down to you, he startles when he realizes you are staring. “Sorry, just wanted to make sure you were comfy.”

“I am,” You whisper, love pouring out of every pore of your body. This crush is turning into something much more unfortunate, it seems. As Jim lightly finishes tucking you in, you turn your attention back to the TV, tucked in nice and tight with his lap as your pillow. How did this happen?

(and how is it still platonic?)

#jim halpert x reader #gender neutral reader #rainy days #sick fic #hurt/comfort #mutual pining

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rainbowfey · 2 months ago

Text

27 Rainy Day

@flufftober

The weather had been stable for the longest part of his mission but now, it finally gave in to the temptation of soaking Giyuu to his bones. He glanced up at the sky when the clouds opened and sent a downpour like no other after him. He quickly jumped under a particularly wide tree, silently cursing to himself. The sky had turned dark grey a few hours ago, sure, but Giyuu had truly hoped he would make it back to his mansion in time before the downpour came.

Very obviously, he had been mistaken. And now he was stuck under a tree with a crown thick enough to veil the sky but apparently not thick enough to shield him from the rain. When the first raindrop ran down the collar of his haori, Giyuu shuddered and wrapped his arms around himself. Of course, this was not his first time getting caught in the rain but this one was particularly icy and since Giyuu had already fulfilled his mission, he was not keen on keeping on walking at all costs. In fact, he was rather displeased at the prospect of having to grit his teeth and bear the rain for another few hours until he finally reached his home.

With a sigh, Giyuu nestled closer to the trunk of the tree, hoping that the leaves would protect him from the worst of it. It was not even noon yet but the rain clouds covering the sky sucked up so much of the daylight that the world was bathed into a grey twilight. While he now indeed felt less raindrops hitting his head and shoulders, it was a rather uncomfortable position to sit in and Giyuu glanced around, trying to spot a better shelter. His eyes wandered over the trees and thickets lining the path and while he did spot an even more massive tree up ahead, its crown had already lost most of its leaves that now made for impressive piles around the foot of the tree. For a moment, Giyuu asked himself whether he should crawl into one of those piles of leaves but then he grimaced at the thought of what else might be scuttling through the leaves. He averted his gaze, suppressing a shudder, and instead looked at the path leading deeper into the forest. It was one of many paths leading back in the direction of the Ubuyashiki headquarters and Giyuu’s home but this path, Giyuu rarely ever travelled. And thus, he jolted up and hit his head on the tree trunk behind him, when he suddenly remembered something about this path.

“Ouch,” he yelped, rubbing the back of his head, distracted for a moment before he remembered his realization. “The house with the wisteria crest!”

Giyuu did not frequent it often as he usually did not travel through that region but if he remembered correctly, it was not far from where he was right now. And he was fairly sure it would provide better shelter than the tree he was hugging right now.

With this newfound resolve, Giyuu got up and pulled his haori over his head. Now, he probably looked hunchbacked and the haori was not rainproof either, but the warm cloth gave him a sense of security when he braced himself for his sprint through the rain. For the last time, he peered at the sky but the front of grey clouds stretched as far as his eye could see in every single direction. And since it did not seem like there would be a break in the rain any time soon, Giyuu took a deep breath and fixed his eyes on the path ahead.

Then, he broke into a sprint. He dashed through the rain, leaving the tree that had offered him at least some shelter behind quickly. The ground was covered in puddles, slowly but surely turning the path into a muddy bog and more than once, Giyuu felt the mud trying to swallow his shoe. Each time, he tugged at it and his foot came free with a squelch. He did not dare to look down as he could vividly imagine how his legs now looked. Instead, he sprinted through the ever green and brown trees, shielding his face from the rain with one arm. Within no time, his sleeve was soaking wet and the icy cold of the rain made him shiver. But he kept running since if he stopped now, he probably would freeze solid before he could decide to get moving again.

The path seemed endless and Giyuu’s legs started feeling heavier with each step. His skin felt cold and his haori was drenched, water slowly dripping down from it, sending shivers down Giyuu’s spine. His breath came ragged and he absentmindedly asked himself how a downpour could be more intimidating than any demon he had ever met. And finally, when he already contemplated just laying down somewhere and accepting his fate turning into a Giyuu-shaped puddle, he saw a light through the dim twilight of the forest.

He heaved a sigh of relief that came out more like an ‘eugh’ and headed for the silhouette of a house standing out against the darkening forest. He had given up on shielding his face in the meantime and thus, he stumbled more than he walked when he made his way to the house. He squinted, water running from his wet hair down his forehead and into his eyes. And while his legs started feeling like they would give in at any moment now, he finally walked the last ten steps to the house, nearly collapsing on the doorstep.

It took Giyuu all of his remaining willpower to knock at the door, once, twice, three times before his hand fell down. He leaned against the wall, trying to catch his breath again. And when he heard footsteps from behind the door, he almost sank down to the ground in relief.

The door opened and an elderly woman popped her head out of it. She looked around and when her gaze fell on Giyuu, her eyes widened. “Oh, you poor thing,” she gasped and quickly took a step back, holding the door open for him. “Come on in, dear, quickly now.”

And with an overwhelming sense of relief, Giyuu followed her into the house. She quickly closed the door behind him and eyed him visibly concerned. A soft dripping sound caught his attention and when Giyuu looked down, he saw water and mud dripping from his clothes to the ground. He grimaced and bowed apologetically which only led to another cascade of drops sullying the ground.

“I’m very sorry,” he muttered timidly, staring at the puddle forming around his feet helplessly.

But the old woman only laughed and shook her head. “It’s fine, dear,” she said with a warm smile. “I’ll take care of it. But now, let’s get you out of those wet clothes.”

She motioned for him to follow her and Giyuu reluctantly walked along the short hallway she led him through, leaving a muddy trail on the floor tiles. The further they walked, the warmer the air grew and Giyuu sighed contently when the rain’s icy grip around his bones finally faded. The elderly woman stopped at a door and smiled at him. “Take a bath, dear, and when you’re done, I’ll bring you something to eat.”

Giyuu looked at her speechlessly, desperately trying to find the right words to express the gratitude filling his mind and heart at her kindness. “Thank you,” he whispered and when she smiled at him gently and shooed him into the bath, he finally felt warm again.

It took him longer than expected to feel clean again. Though it had taken Giyuu quite some effort, he had finally slipped out of his haori and reluctantly set it down with his other dirty clothes where the old woman had told him to. Then, he found himself slinking into the hot water of the bath and at the same moment, his hesitation was forgotten. The heat had warmed his body to the bones and when his teeth stopped chattering, he finally felt human again. Washing his hair had proven more of a challenge as he had somehow managed to decorate it with both mud and twigs on his way to the house with the wisteria crest. But finally, even this hurdle was overcome and his hair now flew freely down his back, not tied in the usual ponytail for once. When he got down bathing, he walked back to the anteroom, only to find a change of fresh, clean clothes waiting for him. Thankful, he slipped into them and a few minutes later he found himself trailing after a young man leading him to another room.

“Hisa-san told me to take you to our other guest,” the young man chattered happily while walking through one of the endless hallways.

Giyuu listened to him only with a half-ear as he was busy studying the paintings scattered along the walls. The most interesting ones of them showed who he thought to be the ancestors of the young man and the elderly lady called Hisa. Some of them were portraits but other seemed to show the history of the family with the wisteria crest. Giyuu only reluctantly tore his gaze off a giant painting showing a demon slayer protecting a frightened family from several demons when the young man came to a stop and gestured towards a door to their left.

“In there,” the young man said with a smile. “The food will be ready soon, we’ll bring it to you once it’s done.”

Giyuu bowed and thanked him. When the young man walked off, he opened the door, asking himself what the man had said while he was marveling at the paintings. If he was not mistaken, he had said something about another visitor. And while Giyuu still processed that thought, the door slid open and revealed a large, beautiful room facing the garden. On the other side, the door to a terrace was opened and sitting on the floor, staring out into the rain was …

“Obanai?” Giyuu gasped when he noticed the white snake wrapping around the man’s shoulders.

While the man did not move a muscle, the snake turned its small head around and hissed softly when it looked at Giyuu. Giyuu returned the gaze out of its ruby eyes, frozen in place. The words of the young man now finally sunk in and his legs almost gave in when he realized that Obanai had to be the other visitor the man had mentioned. And still, Giyuu did not entirely believe his eyes when he stared at Obanai’s back. He had never seen Obanai without his haori with black and white stripes, small but fierce and never relenting in his unwavering vigilance. And now, Obanai was dressed in the same white, fluffy clothes that Giyuu was wearing, making him look younger than he was.

Giyuu hesitated and uncomfortably shifted his weight from one leg to the other, unsure of what to do now. He had never been alone with Obanai before, at least not for longer than a few minutes. And he could not even remember if he had ever had a real conversation with him. He nervously glanced at the door behind him and contemplated whether he could just up and leave but he quickly realized he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. If he left, Obanai would surely consider this an offense. But if he stayed, he did not know what expected him, should he try and talk to Obanai. And since Hisa expected him to be in this room, it was not a good idea to just leave without telling anyone.

Giyuu swallowed hard when he made his decision. He felt Kaburamaru’s gaze still on him when he straightened his shoulders and slowly walked closer. Obanai was sitting on the floor facing the garden and, plucking up his courage, Giyuu slowly sat down next to him, keeping a safe distance between them. Instead of looking at Obanai, he chose to stare out into the rain as well.

“I didn’t expect to meet you here,” Giyuu said after a while when the silence grew unbearable. “Were you also caught off guard by the downpour?”

Obanai did not answer and after he had waited for at least a minute, Giyuu glanced at Obanai. He had turned his head away from Giyuu, his black hair falling into his face, veiling it from Giyuu’s view. But what really caught Giyuu’s attention was how tense his body looked. It almost seemed like Obanai was frozen in place, his whole body tensed up as if he was expecting Giyuu to jump at him at any moment now. Giyuu gulped and regretted his decision to stay, but now it was too late to get up and leave again. Helplessly, he looked at Kaburamaru whose red eyes looked almost concerned.

The snake looked up at Giyuu and then at Obanai before he softly hissed and nudged Obanai’s shoulder. And when Giyuu listened closely, he could hear the faintest sigh before Obanai quietly replied, “Yes.”

Giyuu hunched up his shoulders, unsure of what to do now. He turned back to the garden and silently watched the endless rain flowing over the trees and stones of the garden. The ever-calm pattering of the rain slowly got to him and he felt his shoulders relax. And when even the last bit of tension had left his body, he quietly asked, “Is everything alright?”

For a moment, Obanai stayed silent but then he heaved a deep sigh, his face still turned away. „Why would you care, Tomioka?” he asked, his harsh voice cutting through the silence between them.

Giyuu winced. He had not come to know Obanai as an overly friendly person but this seemed unnecessarily hostile, even for him. He slowly backed away, bringing more distance between them. “Sorry,” he muttered. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”

Kaburamaru hissed quietly and gave him a look that Giyuu could not quite place. For a moment, it seemed like Kaburamaru was pleading with him to show patience. And when Giyuu hesitated, unsure of whether to get up and leave or remain sitting, Kaburamaru lifted his head to Obanai’s cheek and gave him a fierce nudge. “Ouch,” Obanai said under his breath. “What do you want, Kaburamaru?”

The snake hissed, this time sounding more insistent. His red eyes seemed to burn holes in Obanai’s cheek. And after a moment, Obanai sighed again, his shoulders sinking down.

“Fine,” he murmured, more to himself. And then he said a bit more loudly, “Sorry. That was unkind of me.”

Giyuu froze, staring at him. The whole situation had been strange enough from the start but now it had taken on another kind of weird and he was not sure what to make of it. While wracking his brain for something to say, Obanai seemed to make a decision. His shoulders straightened and he took a deep breath. And then, he turned around.

The first thing Giyuu noticed was the pained look in Obanai’s eyes when he met his gaze. And while he still wondered about that, Giyuu realized why Obanai’s face looked so different. Where the lower half of his face was usually covered in a bandage, Giyuu was now met with a sight he had never seen before.

“There,” Obanai said bitterly. “And now you can tell me what’s on your mind.”

Giyuu’s heart fluttered in his chest as he helplessly stared at Obanai. He could hear the hurt in his voice, sensed that Obanai was provoking him because sometimes, offense was the best defense. And yet, all he could see was his face. This pale, slender face, the big, uneven eyes and the prominent scar around his mouth that Giyuu had never seen before. And the vulnerability in his eyes, the tension in his face and the way he pressed his lips together.

And suddenly, Giyuu saw another face before his inner eye. A different boy, on a different day, but the same vulnerable mix of anger and fear when he showed Giyuu his scar, awaiting a reaction that would hurt him. But Giyuu had never seen anything but kindness and beauty in Sabito’s face. His scar had always been a part of him and therefore, it was no flaw but rather another part of the person Giyuu cherished. And when Giyuu now looked at Obanai, he saw the same fear of rejection and disgust in his eyes that he had seen in Sabito’s face all those years ago.

“It’s good to see you,” Giyuu finally said quietly, holding Obanai’s gaze. And to his surprise, he realized that he meant what he said. For the first time, he had the feeling of seeing the real Obanai, the one that hid himself away behind his bandages and his coldness.

Obanai’s eyes widened and the shock on his face reminded Giyuu of Sabito’s reaction when he had cupped his face with his hand, gently stroking his scar. His heart felt warm at the memory and when he now looked at Obanai, he felt the same warmth spreading through his body.

“I …” Obanai stuttered, for the first time ever seeming unsure of what to do next. “Aren’t you … disgusted?”

Giyuu stared at him in disbelief. “Why would I be?” he asked and Obanai winced.

Kaburamaru gently touched Obanai’s cheek and when he looked back at Giyuu, it almost seemed like the snake was smiling at him. And when Giyuu did not look away, Obanai’s expression changed. His face softened and when his shoulders sank down, the tension leaving his body, Giyuu’s heart felt lighter.

“Thank you,” Obanai said quietly after what felt like an eternity. “I needed to hear this.”

And when Giyuu carefully smiled at him, the corners of Obanai’s mouth moved. Only slightly, of course, but noticeably enough to see the hint of a smile on his face. And for the first time ever, Giyuu felt like maybe there was the chance for a bond between them after all.

#flufftober2024 #alt 2 #demon slayer #kimetsu no yaiba #kny #giyuu x obanai #obagiyuu #giyuu tomioka #obanai iguro #kaburamaru #scars #rainy day #romance #hurt/comfort #fluff #fanfiction #writing

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