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The rain was an unending torrent that ceaselessly thundered against the windows and walls of your home. It had been like this all day, the bad weather unending.
You watched the downpour from the window of your room. It was getting darker now, the day nearly over, and all of it had been wasted stuck inside.
Yes, you had been able to fully reorganize your chests, but you were restless now, sick of the rain.
You turned away from your window with a sigh, just about ready to go to bed, when a sound caught your attention. You nearly did not hear it over the pounding of the rain. You stopped in your tracks, your ears straining.
It sounded like... Scratching...?
The noise could've been mistaken for the sound of rain pelting the wooden walls of your home, but no. This stuck out. This was not the rain. It was different.
You slowly looked back at the window, unsure and even a bit afraid of what you'd possibly see.
Instead of meeting your reflection, your eyes met the eight eyes of Lenny, the cute humanoid arachnid who had taken a liking to watching you from afar and occasionally gifting you presents.
He had his face pressed against the window, his long, lanky fingers leaving thin scratch marks on the glass as he slowly dragged his hands down the thin panes.
He was absolutely soaked, his furry body all wet and soggy like a mangy dog. He looked downright pitiful out there in the rain by himself.
He didn't say anything. He normally didn't speak unless it was copying what you said (albeit poorly). But you knew what he wanted even without words.
You walked over to your front door and opened it wide for him.
"Lenny. You can come in." You shouted out to him. It was impossible to see him, especially because of how dark it was outside. The sun had set, and the usually bright moon was covered completely by the dark storm clouds above.
Even if you squinted, you could just barely make out his tall figure moving towards you in the darkness. But then the rain whipped at you and you were forced to duck your head back inside, not wanting to get wet.
He was there now, ducking underneath your doorway just to get inside because he was too damn tall to fit without hunching over.
His dark fur dripped water all over your floors, and your brows furrowed in slight displeasure. Yeah... You'd have to grab him a towel before he came in any further.
"Stay there. I have to go grab something." You started towards your bathroom only to find him immediately behind you, not even two steps away from you. He was practically breathing down your neck! As much as you loved him, you needed a moment to grab a towel.
"Lenny. Please. Stay here." You pointed at the floor in a piss poor attempt at conveying what you wanted.
Fortunately, he seemed to realize what you were asking and didn't follow you again. Thankfully, you were able to retrieve a clean towel for him.
He was still standing a few feet from the door when you came back, rainwater gradually dripping off his furry body and collecting in a puddle beneath him.
Even though he was thoroughly soaked to the bone, he seemed content just to be around you. Seeing him standing there like that, just smiling, was enough to bring a smile to your face.
"I'm sorry, I've been in a bit of a sour mood. This weather just gets me down, you know?" As you spoke, you began to dry him off with the towel, tousling his fur in the process. You knew he didn't understand your words very well, but you still felt like you owed him an apology.
And in any case, just because he didn't know what you were saying, didn't stop him from being a good active listener. He just nodded and smiled, like all was forgiven even before you apologized, which, in knowing him, it probably was.
You stepped back for a moment. He was definitely still damp, but at least he wasn't exactly dripping rainwater now like he was before.
"Now... Why were you even outside? Don't you have some place to go when the weather gets bad like this?" You questioned him as you draped the towel over his shoulders and wrapped it around his body, trapping his arms inside its warmth.
He only tilted his head. Sometimes he did this whenever you spoke words that he had not heard from you before. He knew you were asking him a question, but had no way of understanding.
There did not appear to be a single thought in that head of his. He only stared at you blankly, that same cute smile on his face.
You laughed a little. You couldn't help it. He was adorable.
"It's okay. You don't have to answer." You reassured him by snaking your hand in his, your fingers intertwining with his own.
The language barrier really wasn't such a problem. After all, you both got along well enough from just body language alone.
"Now, come on, Lenny. Let's get you warmed up by the fire."
You led him to your living room, the place where you shockingly had been able to build yourself a nice little fireplace without burning down your home in the process. It was a miracle.
"Don't sit too close." You warned, even though you probably didn't need to. Lenny most likely understood that fire was hot, but sometimes you liked to care for him, even if he didn't need it.
You sat down on your carpeted floo,r and he followed suit, plopping his body down right beside you, copying your exact position too because of course he did.
After only a few moments of stillness, however, Lenny must have gotten a bit restless. So he grabbed you with his free hand and pulled you over so that you were sitting in his lap.
"Lenny-!" You yelped in surprise. You hadn't been expecting him to act so unpredictably. And now his semi-damp fur was soaking into the fabric of your clothes and sinking straight into your skin.
As much as you wanted to be annoyed with him for getting your clothes damp, you couldn't help but find him endearing. He was so touchy, and normally that'd be annoying, but with him? It was kind of cute that he always craved your presence and touch.
You sighed and leaned into him. "You're lucky that I love you so much." You muttered as you closed your eyes, settling to sleep right there for the night.
The very last thing you knew before drifting off was the feeling of his lips against your forehead; a chaste kiss, another thing he had openly copied from you.
Perhaps he was not the only lucky one here... You, too, had much to be grateful for.