↬thirteen.

She heard the bell ring; her heart pounded in excitement.

Listening to the soft footsteps, she waited patiently for him. He stopped behind the counter, then leaned down and tilted his head to look at her.

He was met with a sweet smile.

"Hi, " he said, smirking.

"Hi, " she replied, barely containing her laughter.

He sighed as he sat down in front of her. "Beautiful day, isn't it?"

She looked out the window and chuckled. "Oh, definitely. Thunderstorms are great, especially with lightning."

"I'm glad you agree, " he winked.

A loud laugh escaped from her. He grinned as he gazed at her happy expression.

It was like watching a living masterpiece.

"There aren't any new paintings out there, right?" he asked and she shook her head. "That's alright. But the last one, did you see it?"

"Yeah, I did."

"It's beautiful, isn't it? I got so emotional from looking at it."

"Me too, " she murmured, her eyes glazing over as she got lost in thought.

He took off his jacket, which was dripping with rainwater, and neatly folded it. She gave him a small smile before setting it down on the counter for him.

"Thank you."

She nodded in response.

As he straightened his shirt, rolling up the sleeves, she gazed outside in fascination. The phenomenon of a simple storm was her earliest memory as a child.

The spontaneous flicker of light, the deep rumble of thunder, and the perfect droplets falling gracefully to the ground. It was a sight to remember, yet it was always ignored.

And because of that, she fell in love with it.

He noticed the way she looked at outside, the way her lips curved slightly in a peaceful sense, and the way her eyes shined passionately. She made him smile, without even trying.

He saw her as the quintessence of beauty, although others might find that debatable. But it was all in the details.

In his eyes, the small things were the most beautiful.

"You came here in the middle of a storm, " she stated, breaking the comforting silence, and turned to face him.

A sheepish grin grew onto his lips. "I felt like seeing you."

"Why?" she asked as her cheeks turned pink.

"I enjoy our talks, " he shrugged nonchalantly. "Don't you?"

"Of course. You're pretty much the only person I can actually talk to..."

"I feel the same way, " he smiled and she returned it. For a moment, they stared at each other. Their hearts hammered and their souls called for the other.

It was there, in the middle of a storm, where alley guy and drugstore girl realized, they felt something special. They found someone special.

Someone who would listen.

A/N: my first update of Paintbrush in 2018! Is it vote worthy? How about, dare I ask, comment worthy?

Thank you for reading :)