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Christa sat on her couch watching a movie with her mom, wishing it was Ymir beside her. She stared out the window, watching the downpour and hearing the first crack of thunder. Her phone buzzed repeatedly, and Christa picked it up, reading the texts with increasing concern.
[Ymir: CHRISTA]
[Ymir: CHRISTA I]
[Ymir: CNA YOU COME OER]
Christa paused the movie and tossed the remote to her mom, moving the blanket off her lap.
“I’m sorry, Mom, Ymir needs me. I’ll be back later.”
She threw on a jacket Ymir had left there, flipping the hood up and flying out the door, accidentally slamming it behind her. She ran across their yards, noting that Ymir’s aunt’s car wasn’t there. When she let herself in the front door and walked down the hallway, there was a boom of thunder, and she heard a whimper from Ymir’s closet, door open a crack.
“Ymir?”
Saying her name to let her know she was there, Christa opened the door, accidentally leaving it open. Ymir’s breathing was rough, and Christa sat down as carefully as possible, putting her arms around Ymir. The way Ymir stiffened at her touch, and how she refused to let go of her phone told Christa something was seriously wrong.
“Hey, ‘Mir, what is it? Are you okay?”
Ymir shook her head, and Christa finally realized she was crying. Scooting closer, Christa laid a gentle hand on the back of Ymir’s neck, hoping that, if anything, would help her calm down. There was a crack of thunder loud enough to rattle the house, and Ymir screamed, pressing herself to the walls. Christa winced, rubbing her thumb over Ymir’s hand.
“It’s okay, hon, come on, you’re alright. I’m here.”
Through the unblocked window, a flash of lightning lit up the dark room and darker closet, Ymir whimpering. Christa dropped her hand, getting an idea. She sat up to leave and Ymir grabbed her arm. In the dim light, Christa could see the fear and utter panic on her face. She moved her hand to hold Ymir’s, smiling gently and earnestly at her.
“I’m going to be right back, Ymir, I promise.”
She stared at Christa and loosened her grip, letting her go. Christa left their corner, quickly going over to Ymir’s messy bed, yanking the comforter off and displacing all the clothes that were on top of it. Looking around for Ymir’s headphones and finding them on her dresser, next to one of Christa’s shirts. Blushing at the memory, she took the headphones and went back to Ymir’s closet, dragging the blanket with her. After closing the door, she tucked the edge of it in between Ymir and the wall, the other down at her feet, and then slid in next to her. Turning Ymir’s iPod on, she scrolled through to select the Christa playlist, trying not to laugh at the fact that someone as outwardly tough as Ymir would have a playlist named after her. She turned the volume up and awkwardly slipped the headphones onto Ymir’s head with a kiss to the back of Ymir’s neck.
“Is there anything else you need, ‘Mir?”
She shook her head, slowly slumping over to use Christa’s chest as a pillow, taking a deep breath. Christa ran her hand down Ymir’s side, settling on her hip, perfectly content to sit with Ymir as long as she needed her.
They sat there in Ymir’s closet as the storm passed, rain and thunder fading away. When the rain finally stopped, Christa nudged Ymir gently, helping her sit up and she took her headphones off, avoiding Christa’s eyes.
“Thunder’s gone, right?”
“I think so…”
Christa grabbed Ymir’s hands, making her look up for a moment.
“Come on, Ymir, don’t be like this. What’s wrong?”
Ymir leaned against the wall with a sigh, staring at her hands and Christa’s.
“You’re gonna tease me about being afraid of thunderstorms, aren’t you?”
Christa shifted closer, lacing their fingers together.
“After seeing you like that? Ymir. I would never. If you need me, I’m there, no matter what.”
Ymir smiled, but it wasn’t genuine, and Christa sighed, letting go of one of her hands to brush hair out of Ymir’s face.
“C’mon, you’ve always been there for me, always. I don’t care what you’re afraid of, love, just as long as you’re not alone with it.”
She tried to get Ymir to look at her, and finally she did, hesitantly meeting Christa’s gaze, seeing nothing but love in her eyes.
“You... you really mean that.”
Ymir rubbed her eyes, trying to keep her composure.
“I’m sorry, it’s just… Thunderstorms remind me of when I was really little and my parents fought all the time.”
Christa watched her face anxiously, tugging Ymir out of the corner and hugging her, rubbing her back. Ymir set her head in the crook of Christa’s neck, breathing in. Christa waited until her breathing was steady to speak, back beginning to cramp.
“As much as I want to stay here with you forever, can we get out of your closet?”
She snickered at the accidental joke, Ymir groaning softly at it.
“Fine, as long as you’re sure it’s not storming anymore.”
Christa smiled, untangling herself from their nest of blanket and each other, opening the door and looking out the window.
“Mhm, you’re fine. Come on, it’s still raining, I bet there’s a rainbow!”
Ymir let Christa drag her out of her room, following her out to her backyard, watching Christa’s face instead of the sky. The rain was cold, but Christa kept close to Ymir, looking at the vibrant rainbow with a smile, that in Ymir’s opinion, was more beautiful than anything else she could be looking at.