inside, the living room is warm and loud in that familiar way. someone's got music playing low from a phone propped against a beer bottle. pope's arguing with kie about something neither of them actually cares about. john b's laughing at his own joke nobody else heard. the noise is comfortable, the way it always is when they're all together.

but maddy notices the shift before anyone else. the way the air gets heavy. the first distant rumble that makes the windows vibrate just barely.

she looks up from where she's sitting on the floor, back against the couch, and jj's already looking at her from across the room. he's sprawled in the armchair like he owns it, legs too long for the space, one hand wrapped around a half-empty bottle. his eyes catch hers and hold.

neither of them says anything.

the rain starts. slow at first, a few scattered drops against the glass. then it opens up, a wall of sound that drowns out the music and the arguing and everything else.

maddy knows what he's asking. she's known since the first drop hit the window.