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It was raining. No, it was pouring.
Raindrops hit the windows of their apartment harshly, the sky was black with dark clouds, hindering Jeno and Jaemin from seeing anything outside their windows.
There’s a bright light that flashes by their bedroom window and Jeno cowers under the sheets of their bed. He covers his ears with his hands, eyes shutting tightly as the sound of thunder echoes through the air.
His heart races and he can’t seem to calm down, the thunder sounding all too loud in his ears. The rain is loud and Jeno can’t hear his own breathing. He shuts his eyes again, in hopes that he can fall asleep and forget about the storm but thunder sounds again and Jeno is flinching.
Jeno is too focused on trying to calm down, hiding under their blankets, he doesn’t realise that Jaemin had arrived home. How? He wasn’t sure but he was just glad the other did.
The door bursts open, Jaemin not taking his time to rush next to Jeno and pull him into his arms. Jeno sits up, hugging the other tightly as he buries his head into Jaemin’s shoulders. It doesn’t take long for Jaemin to start rubbing Jeno’s back, uttering comforting words to Jeno as another lightning strikes.
Jaemin brings his hands up and covers Jeno’s ears, closing his eyes as thunder echoes loudly in his ears. Jeno flinches a little, hugging Jaemin tighter and he frowns. He quickly removes himself from Jeno, giving him a small smile.
“It’s okay, Baby.” He runs his hands through Jeno’s hair, pressing a kiss to his lips. “I’m right here. Don’t be afraid, it’s okay, I’m right here.”
Jeno nods, small tears forming in his eyes. Jaemin coos and wipes them away before they can even fall, smiling at Jeno. He lays them down, trapping Jeno in his arms as he continues playing with his soft hair.
The rain is loud but Jaemin makes an effort to hum a song, hoping that it would calm Jeno down. Another flash of lightning crosses his vision and Jaemin covers Jeno’s ears, preparing him for the piercing, loud sound of thunder.
When it rumbles, Jeno hugs Jaemin tighter, fisting the latter’s shirt in his hands as he buries his hand in Jaemin’s chest. He can hear his heartbeat beating against his chest and Jeno sighs at the feeling of Jaemin’s warmth surrounding him in the cold weather.
He was never good with thunderstorms, liking the rain more. Thunder and lightning scared him, always hearing of accidents where people got struck by lightning and the sound of thunder was too loud and sudden for him.
The first time he and Jaemin went through a thunderstorm was during a sleepover at Jaemin’s house. It started pouring out of nowhere and it was all alright until the rumbling of thunder echoed in the air. Jeno flinched, covering his ears and shutting his eyes, mumbling incomprehensible words, trying to drown out the sounds of fear.
Jaemin had immediately gone to comfort the boy, pulling him into a hug and telling him that it would soon pass. He gave him his earpiece and played loud music, in hopes that Jeno wouldn’t be able to hear the thunder.
Jeno had given him a smile and pulled Jaemin back into a hug. Now, whenever there was a thunderstorm, hugs were the first thing Jaemin did to calm Jeno down.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t come home sooner,” Jaemin leans down and whispers into Jeno’s ear.
Jeno looks up at him and shakes his head, a small smile spreading across Jaemin’s lips. He knew what that meant. Jeno flinches again, burying his head into Jaemin’s chest as thunder roars.
Jaemin closes his eyes and rubs Jeno’s back, his other hand running through Jeno’s soft hair, covering his ears every now and then. It was a short moment, one neither enjoyed but having each other there was enough.
No storm was easy, literal or not. And throughout their years together, it wasn’t always a smooth journey. There have been many lightning scares and roaring thunder that would make them shake but no storm lasts forever.
It was never always sunshine and rainbows but Jeno and Jaemin made it through anything, together. The same way thunderstorms would pass, hardships and trials passed even now (though it was a lot less and they knew how to handle it better compared to the past).
So Jaemin knows that they’ll make it through any storm, real or not. Because they would never give up on each other, and never leave each other.
Jeno flinches slightly as a particularly loud thunder rings in his ears and Jaemin hugs him tighter, letting the other hide in him.
Jeno knew Jaemin would always protect him, just like he would protect Jaemin. He wished and hoped that there would never be a day that he would spend these thunderstorms alone. And he knew he wouldn’t because he was never letting Jaemin go.
There was going to be no storm that they wouldn’t handle together – and not one they wouldn’t spend cuddling in their bed as Jeno wants.
Because who needs umbrellas when you have Jaemin?