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Rusty began to breathe harder and quicker as rain continued to pour from the sky. He felt as though he would collapse any second. The distance from his shed to Pearl's shed wasn't terribly long and yet the poor steam train was practically wheezing by the time he had finally reached it. Just where had all his energy from the races gone?
Fumbling with his key to her shed, Rusty just barely managed to smile as he quickly skated into Pearl's pink shed, slamming the door behind him. The smell of peony flowers in her shed calmed his racing heart and mind a little, but the young steam engine was still on edge. His hat drenched in rain, and some other splotches out it on his body, Rusty became self-conscious suddenly, realizing that he was dripping wet.
"I'm just thankful that my rust didn't get any worse," Rusty thought to himself.
Rusty began to pick at his hat, not really sure how Pearl would react to him suddenly visiting, in a thunderstorm no less. But she'd understand, right?
"Rusty?"
Rusty's head snapped up from his hat suddenly, and he sighed softly, as his question of if Pearl would understand was about to be answered. Running a hand through his wet, curly hair, he managed a soft "hi" and skated towards his coach.
"You know I'm glad to see you," Pearl started, pressing a kiss to Rusty's forehead, "but how come you're visiting?"
Rusty tried to play it cool, responding, "Can't I just visit my lovely girlfriend without a reason?"
But as luck would have it, thunder crashed and lightning struck outside, Rusty yelping in response. And with his reaction, Pearl put the pieces together. Her face softened.
"Oh, Rusty," she softly said, "you came because of the weather didn't you?"
Seeing there was no point in denying it, Rusty simply nodded his head, a pink tint appearing on his face.
"I guess I just…" the young steam train paused, searching for the words to say, "...didn't wanna be alone. I really, really, don't like this kind of weather. Makes me remember things I don't like to."
Pearl nodded her head, and put her hand on her boyfriend's cheek. Rusty leaned into it, feeling more at peace now he was with his girlfriend. Noticing the amount of water that was on the floor, Pearl giggled, Rusty smiling wider as a result.
"Let's get you cleaned up, hm?", Pearl said, a giggle still in her voice, "I'll fetch a towel real quick, then we'll dry you off. And maybe after that…"
Pearl leaned closer and Rusty's blush grew.
"We'll have some snuggle time together, okay?"
Rusty nodded excitedly and gave Pearl a toothy smile, Pearl grinning back as a result. She knew her boyfriend loved snuggling with her and if the rainstorm brought up bad memories, then, by Starlight, she'd make her dream train feel better as soon as she could.
Rusty idled by the door a little while longer, then Pearl returned with a towel. She placed it on Rusty's arms and back, then gently went up and down with the towel. The first class observation coach was gentle, but swift, drying Rusty's body rather quickly. When she had finished, she pressed another kiss to Rusty's forehead.
"There we go," she said, taking her hands in his, "my knight in rusted armor is all cleaned up."
Rusty blushed a bit more at his nickname, then he chuckled, "Do you like seeing me blush, Pearl-y? Is that why you do all this stuff? To make me blush?"
"Maybe I do…" Pearl giggled, "Now come on upstairs to my room, snuggle time remember?"
"Of course, lovely," Rusty said in reply, taking her hand.
The two lovebirds skated upstairs, rolling into Pearl's bedroom, decked in several vibrant shades of pink, along with the rest of her shed. Pearl got into her bed, and Rusty followed, both of them wrapping their arms around each other and cuddling into one another. They had been silent for a couple minutes, just enjoying the peace, when Pearl suddenly asked a question.
"Rusty? Can I ask you something?"
Rusty, with a finger wrapped around a lock of Pearl's hair, nodded, "What's up, Pearl?"
"I know you said that thunderstorms bring up bad memories," the coach started, "but…erm..what memories exactly do they bring up?"
Seeing Rusty tense up, Pearl immediately added, "Don't tell me if you don't want to! Just thought I'd…no, it was a stupid question, and I'm very sorry-"
"Pearl, Pearl, it's alright!" Rusty reassured her, but his smile began to fade, if only a little, “It’s just kind of difficult to talk about, I guess…but if you really do want to know, I can tell you!”
The pink coach placed a hand on her dream train’s cheek, “You sure?”
The steam train nodded, “Postive.” Rusty’s smile faded again, “Ok, uh…the reason I don’t like this weather is because…erm…”
“Rusty--”
“It’s fine, Pearl.”
Rusty swallowed hard and continued, “The reason why i don't like this weather is because I..I-I got my rust in a thunderstorm.”
Pearl gasped, and immediately hugged Rusty, burying her face in his chest, and hearing his heart beating in her ears. “Rusty…oh goodness , Rusty, I’m so, so sorry.”
Rusty shook his head a little, “D-don’t apologize, Pearl, nothing happened that you’re responsible for, okay?”
She nodded her head and looked Rusty in the eyes. The young steam train continued, “My rust, as you can see, is already quite bad, but…well, everytime it rains really hard like this, I get terrified that..somehow, my rust will get worse, I guess? I know it’s silly, but my brain keeps thinking that’ll happen.”
Thunder crashed outside and Rusty flinched, Pearl hugging into him again the second she saw fear flash in his face. Rusty awkwardly chuckled, “That’s why I hate thunderstorms. And why I came to visit you…I just didn’t wanna be alone during a storm again. I get really afraid when I’m alone during a thunderstorm.”
Pearl nodded in understanding, then her face lit up a little, “Well, if there’s ever another thunderstorm, and you want me to be with you, just whistle for me and I'll come to you instead of you coming to me! That way you don’t have to worry about skating in the rain!”
Rusty looked a little surprised, even though her proposition wasn’t anything shocking, “You’d do that for me?”
“Of course!” Pearl replied, then giggled softly, “But it’ll have to be a loud whistle so I can hear it. We both know I like softer and sweet whistles, but I’ll make an exception for my Starlight.”
Rusty giggled along with her, blushing a little at the nickname, “You’re my Starlight, too, Pearl. Thanks so much for being here for me. You’re the best girlfriend a little steam train could ask for.”
Pearl nodded and pressed a kiss on Rusty's lips, giggling as she watched him start to blush, “And you’re the best boyfriend a coach could ask for.”
The two trains snuggled and cuddled together for a while, when Pearl noticed that there hadn’t been any thunder or lightning for several minutes. She glanced at the windows in her room and saw that the rain stopped! The pink coach sighed in relief, knowing her Starlight would be happy now. She looked at him, and realized he fell asleep! Pearl giggled softly, and gently caressed Rusty’s sleeping face, listening to him softly whistle and snore, before cuddling back into his warm embrace and falling asleep herself, a rainbow forming outside as she did so.