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The crack of the thunder and the strobe light effect of the lightning didn’t bother you. Not really. In fact, the louder the thunder, the better, you thought excitedly whenever a decent boom shook the windows. And lightning was only an annoying visual when you weren’t out in the elements. So, no, thunderstorms weren’t inherently awful.
Unless they were like this one. This one howled.
Your fingernails dug into your palms as a hideous gust of wind blasted the wall of your room. It was always the wind that terrified you. The sheer sound and feeling of it shaking your bed through the exterior wall caused anxiety to pool in your stomach, and you found yourself alternating between fretful pacing and crouching on the ground willing the storm to move through quickly.
In the latter position, you scanned your phone for weather alerts and a text message. Seeing neither, you huffed in exasperation, clutching the phone in a vice grip.
One would think that living with three huge men would have made you a little less frightful of such things. And, to be honest, you were loads better at dealing with storms than you used to be. But only when they were here…
You whined as another gust slammed the room. You could hear the trees bending and creaking in the yard outside, the leaves at this distance sounding like the ocean. It should have been a comforting thought, but it wasn’t.
You checked your phone again when the wind died momentarily. One new text message. You opened it greedily.
Baton down the hatches tootz. Gettin bumpy out here.
You rolled your eyes and replied. No kidding, Dean. You’re only twenty minutes too late with that one.
You grimaced as you sent it. Dean would know that you were terrified. You always resorted to sarcasm when your emotions were high. You hated sounding so scared, but while you could maintain an air of indifference to a lot of things that frightened you, the wind had always managed to make you feel small and alone...not to mention like the roof was about to be ripped off the building.
“Fucking phobias,” you muttered into your knees.
Another blinking light on your phone heralded a message from Roman. We’re sorry we’re not home, sweetheart. Traffic looks pretty spotty with this weather. I didn’t realize that it was supposed to be like this. I tried calling, but the line won’t connect. We’ll be home as soon as we can.
You sighed deeply, a half-hearted smile tugging your lips. Roman was forever the care-giver. Always looking after everyone.
He was the best at comforting you during the storms that hurled through in the summer months. While Dean was occasionally effective with his loud, long winded story-telling, Roman seemed to understand that not much could distract you from bad storms, and instead let you cuddle up to him on the couch. Hiding your face in his shoulder or chest was the best way to pass the storm. Dean would get a laugh out of you every so often with his hilarity, but Roman’s brick-wall presence was more comforting.
Just sitting near him and listening to him and Dean talk about whatever crossed their minds was the best way for you to ignore the weather as much as you could.
But they weren’t here.
Don’t worry about me, Ro. Don’t try to drive in this weather, seriously. I’ll be okay. I think.
You couldn’t help the last addition to the text. He’d know you weren’t fairing well, anyway. You chewed your lip in the brief quiet outside. The rain kept coming down, and you tapped your fingers against the phone wondering…
Another text.
Seth’s home.
You winced—whether at the wind or the message you couldn’t say.
You had known all along that Seth was home. Right before the storm hit you’d heard him arrive and move around the house before he settled into his room down the hall.
Living with the guys had been a trip since day one. You’d immediately gotten along with Roman and Dean, but the relationship between you and Seth had been tenuous at best. You really didn’t know why; he was just as fun as Roman and Dean, and always courteous to you, but you wouldn’t say you two were friends. Maybe you didn’t have enough in common. Or maybe you were too similar, as Dean liked to point out.
“People like to say I’m the quiet one,” Dean said over dinner one night in the early days. Seth hadn’t been there owning to being at the gym, and you’d been fretting about his thoughts on you. “I am, but only around people I don’t know well. Seth’s pretty quiet all the time when there aren’t cameras rolling.”
Roman nodded in agreement. “And you’re pretty quiet, too,” he smiled, nudging your arm. “Two introverted peas in a pod.”
“Yeah,” Dean laughed. “Just a pod with a door in between.”
Despite their reassurance, you had never really cultivated a friendship with the other Shield boy. After a while your pride became a little bruised and you figured he just didn’t like you. Your smarting pride led you to lash out, and you’d had a few spats every now and again. Nothing serious, but it was enough that the two of you usually found it easier to avoid one another.
You leapt to your feet as the wind picked up again, screaming outside and making the siding sound like it was about to fly away. Once again you paced, wondering why this storm wouldn’t go away. You looked at your phone for a weather update, blanching when you saw the red tornado warning symbol flash across. A pent up whine escaped your lips as you looked toward the window.
There was nothing left but to head toward the basement. Phone in hand, pillow tucked under your arm, sanity barely being held in check, you spun toward your door.
Seth stood there. He had clearly been getting ready for a night in. He was in sweat-shorts, an old band tee, and had his glasses on. His hair was up in “that damn man-bun” as Dean liked to chide.
“Oh,” you said intelligently. “What’s up?” The hitch in your voice reflected the snapping of what could only be hail. You tried not to look like you were ready to hurl yourself out the door.
Seth glanced around your room and at the window, frowning at the sound of the storm. He looked back to you, eyeing the pillow in your arms. You remained silent, wondering if you should just book it around him. Dean and Roman would find you asleep in the basement, everything would be fine.
But the basement didn’t appear to be your destination that night. Seth looked back up from the pillow you held and started to turn back out into the hall. “Come on.”
You stood frozen for a second, wondering if you should really follow. You didn’t want to pester him with your problem. If that was indeed why he sought you out. Roman or Dean must have texted him, you thought, embarrassed. Seth probably didn’t know you had such fears. Another heave of wind sent you pelting through the door after him.
Seth’s room looked pretty much like the other bedrooms in shape. The only difference outside of personal taste was that it was a little smaller than Roman and Dean’s. Neater than the latter’s but more decorated than the former’s. Band posters and wrestling paraphernalia were framed up on the walls, which were a deep red color. There was a TV on the dresser across from the bed, but it wasn’t on. You were honestly shocked that you all still had power now that you thought about it.
Seth seemed pretty at ease for having you in his space. You’d never gone in, instead leaving any of his belongings you found throughout the day outside his door, so it was interesting to get a glimpse at the man behind the curtain so to speak.
He didn’t say anything as he climbed back into his bed—it had looked like he’d been sitting in it—and settle back against the mountain of pillows. You smiled in spite of yourself. You had a mountain of pillows, too.
Once he came to rest he looked at you. You chewed your lip, feet fidgeting as you glanced around the room, eyes lingering on the huge window on the far wall. It was even bigger than yours and the lightning was leaving nothing to the imagination as the storm raged. You must have winced because he said, “You can shut the blinds if you want.”
You looked back at him and immediately to your feet. “Oh…well. It’s okay. I can never decide it it’s better to see what’s coming or not. Not that it matters now I guess, with it being nine o’clock at night and all.”
Your face felt hot as you rambled. God, you hated nervous rambling. Stupid. Stupid weather. Stupid phobia. Stupid. You were about to say you’d just go back to your own room when he sighed and got back up. You watched him cross the room and shut the blinds with a snap. He cocked an eyebrow at you as he sat back in the bed. “You can sit, you know.”
You hugged the pillow closer to your chest. Seth didn’t have armchairs in his room like Roman did. The only place to sit would be the bed. Next to him. It was a big bed. The pillows could make good dividers. And you knew better than to try to set up camp on the floor.
You sighed and came forward. The damn bed was so high off the floor, how the heck did the man glide into as easily as he had done? Probably some CrossFit trick. A normal person needed a running leap…
You threw your pillow up next to him and set your phone on the end table flanking that side of the bed. No messages. You turned around and braced your hands on the mattress to hop up backward. Once up, you decided to go ahead and make yourself at home. He’d invited you, after all, why not rearrange some cushions.
Seth watched you organize yourself among his pillows, looking amused. You ignored him and picked your phone back up and started scrolling for a weather update. Still in the red zone. You groaned and tossed the device onto the blanket.
The minutes ticked by and the storm was still raging. What a squall. Out of the corner of your eye you could see that Seth was reading a book. There went the TV idea. But your phone was dying and you needed to check the weather…
“You’re not turning that on,” Seth warned.
“How did you know I was looking for the remote?”
He put his book down. “You’ve been on that phone and off that phone looking at those damn weather updates. I know that’s what you want to do with the news. Stop obsessing and relax.” He picked the book back up, not waiting for an answer. Thunder cracked and you jumped, displacing some of the pillows. You scooted closer, breathing shallowly.
“What are you reading?” A book might make a good distraction.
Wordlessly, Seth tipped the cover up so you could see.
“That’s my favorite one!” You exclaimed, only mildly embarrassed by your over reactive gasp.
Seth glanced at you briefly. “Mine, too. I don’t even reread the other ones before I decide to reread this one.”
You stared between him and the cover of Prisoner of Azkaban. “Is it your favorite movie?”
“Well, yeah.” He shrugged. “I like the first three the best.”
“Me, too!”
He grinned slightly, but remained looking down at the pages. Silence crept in. You stared at your phone, trying very hard not to pick it up. In the end you did.
“I’m just texting to see if the guys are okay,” you explained. Seth simply snorted.
“They’re good,” you announced a few minutes later. “They’re still held up downtown, though. It’ll be awhile. Apparently there are a lot of downed trees on the main roads.”
The wind was still thrashing your area. You grumbled in your throat, wondering when it would clear out. The thunder had subsided, but that didn’t mean anything if another burst was on the way. And you couldn’t be sure unless…
“Hey!”
Seth placed your phone on the table beside him. “Stop obsessing. It won’t do you any good.”
You threw yourself back into the pillows. “Sure. Just that it would be helpful to know if there was a fucking tornado barreling at us.”
Seth sighed and dropped his book down, looking at you in disgust. “Those readouts are accurate within fifty miles. It’s highly unlikely we’ll get a tornado right on top of us. And even if we did, there’d be jack shit we could do about it.”
You gaped at him as he went back to reading. “Thanks so much for that.”
“You’re welcome.”
Suddenly angry, you snapped at him. “Look, you don’t have to hang out with me. I get Roman texted you about my stupid anxiety, but I can go downstairs.”
Seth turned. “They didn’t text me anything.”
“What?”
The man beside you sighed audibly. “I’m not blind or deaf, you know. I know how much storms freak you out.”
You frowned, completely unaware he had paid any attention. “Really?”
“Yeah, really. I didn’t want you agonizing by yourself in your room. Especially without Dean and Roman here. Fear sucks, man.” He fiddled with the book.
“What are you afraid of, Seth?”
Thunder quietly rumbled in the distance while you waited to see if he’d answer. You hoped he would. It was always nice to know other people had fears that might be construed as nonsensical. You wondered if it was spiders. Or sharks. Or commitment…
“I’m afraid of getting hurt. You know. Like last time.” He jiggled his knee, frowning ruefully. “And of being lonely.” You didn’t reply as he went back to reading.
The rain was picking up again while you sat there twiddling your thumbs. And with it, the wind could be heard rebuilding itself. You couldn’t stand it anymore and sought out the best comfort you could get, and slid up against Seth.
Surprisingly, he didn’t seem bothered. He didn’t even flinch. He just kept reading like you weren’t practically in his lap. You couldn’t decide if this offended you or not. Roman would usually put an arm around you when you cuddled up against him. The window shook in the wall and you sank down into the covers some, your cheek against the top of Seth’s shoulder. You waited until he turned the page and then started reading over his shoulder. Your paces matched pretty well. Every so often you’d stick a hand out to hold down the page until you were done. He still didn’t seem to mind. You threw caution to the damn wind shrieking outside and tucked one leg up over his. A very slight tense of muscles met this movement, but before you could consider it, the lights blew out.
You inhaled sharply and dug your hands into Seth’s shirt.
“It’s okay,” he murmured. You felt his hands gently unhooking your fingers from him. “I have a reading lamp if you want to keep reading.”
As good as a distraction as Harry had been prowling Honeydukes in his invisibility cloak; reading was no longer an option. The thunder was back in a resilient round two. You shook your head and buried your face in his side. His arm came up around you in a natural movement. Your arm slung across his stomach and you squeezed closer. His thumb made absent circles on your shoulder as you lie there and listened to the storm.
It was dead silent when you opened your eyes some time later. The storm was over—you must have fallen asleep. Something very warm and secure was tucked around you, and it took some time for you to remember you were in Seth’s room. In his bed. With him. You were the little spoon, but your face was pressed into his chest, one arm curled up between your bodies, and the other resting over his hip. Shocked as you were, you found yourself pulling him closer to you, and you smiled as his arm tightened around you.
Lying there, listening to him breathe, you began to notice the room was lightening. Morning was on the way, and you blearily wondered if Dean and Roman had made it home. You also realized that somehow, you’d ended up on Seth’s other side. Carefully, you turned over to reach for your phone, hoping there was enough juice left…
A blinking light.
You grabbed the phone and held it under the covers so as not to disturb Seth. You had two texts, one from Dean saying they were on the way home, timed at about eleven p.m.
The other one was from Roman timed about a half hour later.
Peas in a pod ;)