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It was just a rainstorm. It was supposed to only be a rainstorm. That's what he thought, anyways.
The howling winds and rain relentlessly pounded against the window panes. The sky outside was dark, the clouds covering the moon. Even in the cozy embrace of his bed, Rosco still trembled at the loud sounds. They were far too loud for him. At this rate, he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight...
"Jesus..." he mumbled to himself, before pushing the covers off him and getting out of his bed. He recalled leaving his earbuds somewhere on his desk near his PC. He wasn't usually one for listening to things like music or ASMR before going to sleep, but honestly, he was desperate enough at this point for any way to muffle out the sounds outside.
Just as he was sure he had finally found his earbuds in the darkness, a bright flash of light crackled through the sky, illuminating the room and casting shadows on the floor. The sudden loud sound shocked the zombie to his core and caused him to fall onto the floor.
It all reminded him too well of.....
of......
His heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest the way it was beating so fast. He stared at the window, eyes wide with shock and fear as he breathed heavily. His face felt wet for some reason, and it took him a while to realise it was because he was crying.
No... why was he afraid? It's just thunder and lightning. It wasn't like it was going to hurt him.
He willed himself to get back up, trying his best to ignore how his body trembled when another bolt of lightning rumbled through the night sky. He could almost feel the cold metal beneath his body, hear the ear-piercing screams that came from his lungs, see the blood on his hands.....
No... This wasn't good at all.....
He quickly got into his bed, pulling the covers over him to try muffle out the noises outside. The soft blankets offered brief solace, but he could still heard the loud rain outside. He didn't know if any of the boys were awake at this hour, but he could really use something to distract himself from the way his heart hammered against his chest.
He opened his phone, and almost as if the universe was helping him, a fresh notification from Zander appeared on the screen. Curious, Rosco clicked on it. It was just a photo of a drink Zander brewed up at Club Netherbrand. No surprises there, the club had the most visitors at night, and Zander often sent him and the other boys photos of drinks he's served to get their opinions.
Rosco swallowed a nervous lump in his throat, before pressing call. He could always call Zander if he needed some comfort or words of kindness. He'd never admit it, but he really loved the incubus' presence. His effortless charisma, his comforting presence, and the words of kindness he'd extend to him. Rosco usually hid his fondness for the demon behind quips and insults, but he couldn't deny that he made his heart flutter in a way he couldn't understand.
At last, Zander picked up the call. "Hey, Rosco!" he greeted him, the usual cheerful tone to his voice. His voice was rich and still full of energy even this late at night. "How are you doing?" he asked him.
"Hmm, 'm fine.." Rosco replied, his voice slightly groggy and dry and lacking his usual energy. "Couldn't sleep. I... wanted to talk with you".
"Oh? Are you alright?" Zander said, his voice taking on a more concerned tone. "Is there a reason you can't sleep? You should if you can..."
Rosco blinked sleepily at his screen, considering whether or not he should tell him the truth, before deciding there was no harm in letting him know. "It's raining outside right now, and it's pretty loud" he told him.
"Oh, I did hear we were going to have a storm today.." Zander said, "Mostly rain, but I did hear there could be lightning". Rosco mentally slapped himself in the face. How in the hell did Zanny know about the thunder but not him? Was he that dumb?
"Rosco, I hope you don't mind me asking. But are you perhaps afraid of the thunder?" Zander asked him gently. The question caught Rosco off guard, and he hesitated for a moment as he thought about what he wanted to say.
"W-Why would you think that?" he said, deciding to play cocky instead. "I wouldn't be afraid of something like-".
Another bright flash of light illuminated the room, and Rosco let out a scared yelp, dropping his phone onto the bed next to him. "Rosco? Rosco?!" Zander yelled, his voice suddenly panicked and worried. "Rosco?! What's going on?? Did something happen??".
The zombie took a moment to catch his breath, willing his heartbeat to slow down before replying. "Th-The thunder just surprised me is all. Nothing to worry about, eheh..."
Zander was silent for a second, and Rosco was a little worried that he had accidentally said something wrong that alarmed him. "Rosco, are you lying?" he asked him at last.
Rosco's eyes widened in surprise. He knew the incubus was perceptive, but how could he tell? Was he being that obvious? "Zanny, I'm serious. I'm fine!" he told him, faking an exasperated sigh. "It just kinda reminds me of... of..... of when........"
His voice slowly trailed off, and everything was silent for a moment. Rosco almost thought Zander had hung up, and he wouldn't have blamed him. It was late for both of them, and he probably didn't want to listen to Rosco vent about his life story.
He sighed as he turned in his bed. What was he thinking, calling him up in the middle of the night? Zander was busy being in charge of the club, he probably didn't have time for Rosco. Was he just being a nuisance right now? God, he hoped he wasn't. He didn't mean to...
It wasn't until there was a knock at the window that Rosco realised what had happened.
He immediately shot up out of his bed and ran over to the window, where the demon was currently sitting on his windowsill and waiting for him. Zander didn't seem fazed at all by sitting in the cold rain, and his eyes even lit up once he saw the zombie. "Rosco!" he grinned to him, giving him a small wave, as if they were meeting up at some park and not at Rosco's windowsill during the night.
"You fucking idiot..." Rosco muttered under his breath, before opening the window wide open for him. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE!?! IT'S TWO AM!!!"
"I was beginning to think you'd finally gone to sleep," Zanny chuckled lightly as he stepped into Rosco's bedroom. Water was dripping down his hair and horns, and his clothes were soaked and clinging to his skin.
"You didn't answer my question," Rosco grumbled, grabbing a nearby towel off a chair. "And doesn't your nightclub close at three? Why the hell are you here so early?".
Zander softly smiled to him, his smile filled with a tender warmth. "Well, I closed up early tonight so I could see you," he said. "I didn't want to leave you alone for too long, my dear".
Rosco's face went a slight tint of red as he tried thinking of what to say back, which just came out as confused and shocked gibberish. A smirk tugged at Zander's lips as he tried holding back a laugh.
"Sh-Shut up, goofy!" Rosco shouted, chucking the towel at his face. "And dry yourself and get changed, Jesus! You're gonna make my entire room wet at this point!".
"Oh, alright, alright," Zander chuckled, taking the towel and drying his hair with it. "Though I don't think your clothes will fit me, what with our different heights and all".
"Don't worry, dude. Most of my stuff's too big for me anyways" Rosco shrugged, turning his back to root through his wardrobe. "Gale's able to wear most of my jackets and stuff, and he's like- so much taller than me".
He grabbed some clothes from the wardrobe and threw them at Zander, who caught them easily. "Now go change, doofus" he told him.
Zander raised a brow at him, and gave him a small smirk as he shrugged. "Well, if you insist, handsome," he chuckled, before he started to unclasp his harnesses.
Rosco's face immediately flushed a bright red. "I-I meant change in the bathroom, you idiot!!" he shouted at him, to which he was met with laughter from Zander.
"Of course, I knew that. Just wanted to toy with you a little," Zander mused before leaving the room, clothes in hand. Rosco sat back on the bed, putting his face in his hands. God, did he hate that guy. His heart was practically running a hundred miles per hour at this point.
Of course, it was just because he was shocked by Zanny's little stunt. Not like he actually wanted to see him undress, right.....?
"Ugh, what the hell?!" he yelled at himself, slapping his own face. He couldn't be thinking of Zander like that! Sure, he might've been an incubus who's whole thing was that he liked sex and that he was sexy and hot. But he was also his friend! It's weird to think of someone you viewed as your friend that way!
Just as he had that thought, the door opened again and Zander walked in. He had one of Rosco's oversized tank tops and sweatpants on, which fit the incubus almost perfectly, though there was a small sliver of skin above the waistband that was visible. "Holy brap....." Rosco breathed out, eyes immediately drawn to there.
Zander let out a small chuckle, cheeks lightly tinted with a blush . "Hungry tonight, aren't we? I didn't think you'd react so strongly just to me wearing your clothes".
"Wha- Hey!!" Rosco shouted, practically jumping off his bed. "I-It's not my fault! Anyone would be shocked to see someone wearing their clo-".
A crackle of lightning suddenly flashed through the sky then, a loud boom reverberating through the area. Rosco flinched at the sound, frozen in place for a moment as his heart rate spiked.
"Rosco...?" Zander asked him, walking towards him. He clasped his own hands over Rosco's, worry beginning to lace his features. "Rosco? Can you hear me? Rosco?".
Rosco was breathing heavily, eyes wide in fear as he looked down at the floor. The lightning and electricity were still ringing in his ears, and he could feel the metal under his skin and the leather straps holding him down.
He didn't want to be back there again, he wanted to be anywhere but there.
Zander's brows furrowed in worry as he held his hands. He could see Rosco was beginning to shake, his breathing rapid and uneven. "Can you see anything? What can you see?".
"Th-There's metal" Rosco shakily replied, his breath hitching with every word. "A-And leather, and I-I can't move". Tears were starting to well up in his eyes as he trembled. "Zanny, I don't want to be hurt again" he whispered, fear lacing his voice.
"Nobody's going to hurt you, Rosco" Zander reassured him, rubbing his hand with his thumb. His touch was gentle, like he feared hurting him. "Just breathe in... and breathe out. You're safe with me".
Rosco attempted to slow down his breathing, till his heart calmed down and his breathing was equal with Zanny's.
Zander softly smiled to him. "Good," he whispered, brushing Rosco's hair behind his ear. "Do you know where we are now?".
Rosco's eyes looked around the room, his breathing slowing down. "We're... we're in my room," he said. "I'm in my room..."
He looked up at Zander, his eyes still fresh with tears, before suddenly pulling the demon into a hug. The action caught Zander off guard, but he gladly reciprocated as he threaded a hand through Rosco's pink hair.
"I-I'm sorry..." Rosco sniffled into his shoulder. "I-It's probably dumb of me to be so... reactive to this... I know I'm safe here, it's just... It scares me to be back there".
"It's not your fault, Rosco. You didn't deserve any of what happened to you," Zander soothed him, patting down his hair. "I'll keep you safe no matter what, alright? You just need to call me".
Rosco nodded to him, pulling his face away to better look up at him. His eyes were watery with tears, and Zander softly wiped his tears away. "Can you... stay here for the night?" Rosco asked him. "I think I'd sleep better with you around".
"Oh, of course I can" Zander smiled down at him. "Although... You don't have a guest bedroom or spare mattress, right? Will I have to be relegated to sleeping on the couch?".
"What? No, that's stupid," Rosco replied. "We can just share my bed".
It was Zander's turn now for his face to flush as he processed that information. "O-Oh!" he gasped. "How... forward of you, Rosco!".
"Get your mind out of the gutter, goofy. We're just sleeping together. Like literally sleeping together" Rosco told him, although there was a hint of a smirk on his face.
He grabbed onto Zander's wrist and pulled him towards the bed. Zander got into the bed with Rosco, and they lay there awkwardly for a while, staring at the ceiling and avoiding eachother's gaze.
Another flash of lighting crackled across the sky, and Rosco flinched and let out a small whimper. Zander looked over at him, and reached out to hold his hand. Rosco looked over to him, and he squeezed his hand back.
"Hey, just wait" Rosco whispered to him. Zander wondered what he was about to do, before Rosco shuffled closer to his body and lay his head in the crook of Zander's neck. "Mmmmm, cozy" he mumbled, "Goodnight, Zanny".
A blush returned to Zander's face as he looked down at Rosco, before softly smiling, wrapping his arms and wing around him. "Goodnight to you too, Rosco" he said, voice low as he whispered.
He carded a hand through Rosco's hair, and the zombie leaned into the touch, a small smile upon his face. Rosco felt... safe in Zander's embrace. Like nothing could ever harm him as long as he had Zander around.
"Love you, Zander".
That... well, that caught the demon off guard.
Zander stared at him for a moment in shock, before momentarily resuming running his hand through his hair. He stopped for a moment to brush aside Rosco's bangs and to place a kiss on his forehead.
"Love you too, Rosco".
The two lay like that for the rest of the night, wrapped in eachother's warm embrace and forgetting about the rain and thunder outside. Maybe they'd remember the words they told eachother in the morning, maybe they wouldn't. Either way, they found comfort in eachother's presence, and isn't that what matters the most?