Tropical rain is warm. The sky opens and pours water on the sea, on the land, on lonely engineers standing on lonely islands in the middle of the Pacific. It was evening and the sky was grey, the sun a dull golden glow through rain somewhere to the west. Virgil stood on rock, his bare feet in contact with the wet basalt, its young surface rough against his sole. He had been standing here for some time, eyes closed, experiencing. He let the rain caress his skin, the sensation a soft movement, parting hairs, trickling down his bare arms, clinging to his sodden t-shirt, dripping from his fingertips. The ground around him sung, the gentle percussion of raindrops on rock, earth and foliage played counterpoint to his heartbeat. Breathe. Feel. Live. Be. A pair of hands landed softly on his shoulder blades, sliding across his torso, under his arms, to wrap around him. A slight body moulded to his wet back, and he shivered lightly despite the evening’s warmth. A kiss caressed the back of his neck. “Come inside.” His hands wrapped around those on his chest a moment, before he held them and turned to face the woman behind […]