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Hiiro was sitting on his bunk bed, looking over at Aira, who was playing some rhythm game on his phone. From his bed, Hiiro had a good view of Aira, and he could admire his features. His pretty face, and how excited he always was when enjoying himself.
Tatsumi and Mayoi weren't around. Apparently, their work has been delayed by a few hours, which will result in them coming home very late. Everyone felt bad for both of them, especially for Mayoi, who wasn’t good with any sort of delays, miscommunications, or troubles. He was always weak in social situations, that's why he was usually assigned work together with Tatsumi, so he wasn't alone in case something happened to him. Hiiro and Aira sent comforting texts over to the older two, saying that they hope they will get home safe, and that their work is going well.
It was currently the evening. Their room was dark, except for Aira’s phone screen making it brighter, especially his face, and a faint light coming from an old table lamp, which was standing on a nightstand next to Aira’s bed. Hiiro was trying to get some rest. Observing his boyfriend was his priority, though, and he enjoyed doing so, even if Aira probably wasn't even aware of it. But there was something else keeping Hiiro awake.
“It's raining, hm?” Aira looked away from his phone screen, and stared outside the window. The curtains weren’t closed, giving them a clear look at what was going on. Aira went back to playing on his phone, not paying the weather much mind.
Hiiro, however, couldn't stop thinking about what was going on outside.
He wasn't particularly afraid of the rain itself. It was the storm, and the thunder. The bright strikes in the sky, lighting up the whole area, always sent shivers down Hiiro’s spine.
In his hometown, there wasn't much protection from the strikes of thunder. The only thing small Hiiro could do, was to cling to his brother's leg, and have him hug his small body, giving him some sort of protection and comfort. Rinne never seemed scared of the thunder, and Hiiro tried to be brave too, but he always failed. He never managed to tough it out.
It wasn't stormy yet, but from what the weather forecast said earlier on today, there was a high chance for it. For now, it was okay.
It was okay, right?
Surely.
Aira was awake, so he had some protection and company. Even if he wasn't going to tell him he was scared, of course. He couldn't say that. Would Aira understand his fears? He didn't know. They were irrational, possibly. So simply the fact of Aira being around was probably good enough for Hiiro.
“I'm going to sleep, Hiro-kun… Tell Mayo-san and Tattsun-senpai I said hello, alright?” Aira turned off his phone, as Hiiro’s heartbeat sped up.
“Umu… Sleep well…” Hiiro answered hesitantly. His voice was a little shaky, and Aira picked up on it.
“Hiro-kun? Is something wrong?” Aira questioned, as he was about to turn off the small lamp. It wasn't bright enough to make Hiiro’s facial expression visible for the blonde boy.
“I'm alright, don't worry! Get some rest, Aira.” Hiiro tried to shake off the stressful feeling. He didn’t want to worry his boyfriend, who deserved a peaceful rest.
“...? Okay, then… Good night, Hiro-kun…” Aira switched off the light, and covered himself with the blankets, laying down, and probably quickly falling asleep.
So Hiiro was alone, after all. Of course, Aira was still in the room, and if something happened, then he could reach out, but was it good enough for Hiiro? He had to try and get some rest too, though.
Hiiro laid down, facing Aira, who was laying on his own bed. He didn’t want to feel alone right now.
He covered himself with layers of blankets and covers, even if it wasn’t cold tonight. He needed some sort of warmth, since it reminded him of his brother’s hugs. It wasn’t enough, but it was more than nothing. He could probably tough it out, right? Instead of embarrassing himself in front of Aira.
Hiiro felt himself slowly drifting away, falling asleep. When he wakes up, the storm will have passed by then, and he will be safe. Without embarrassing himself.
That was what he thought, until he saw the sky light up.
The room became bright, as the thunder strike reflected in Hiiro's now wide opened eyes. Some could say it was a beautiful sight, maybe even making him look pretty. But currently, Hiiro was terrified, gripping the edges of his blanket, as if he was fighting for his life. He threw the covers over his head, not caring about cutting himself off from fresh air. He didn’t want to see or hear anything right now.
He could hear the rain getting heavier, and the wind getting stronger.
Right, Mayoi and Tatsumi were still outside, too. Were they okay? Would they end up getting hurt? What if the thunder struck their vehicle?
Hiiro gulped, gripping a plushie in his hands. It was a gift he got from Aira a few weeks ago, and since then, he’s been getting better sleep with it. It reminds him of Aira, since it was a cute teddy bear, with a red ribbon around its neck. They slept together occasionally, but they were both too nervous, and the beds were too small to fit two people comfortably, unless they snuggled very closely. Aira was apparently too shy to do that, though.
Another lightning striked, and Hiiro let out a quiet yelp, hoping Aira didn’t hear it. It was getting scarier and scarier, with the boy not calming down even slightly. At this point, he just wanted to pull out his phone, and text someone on Hold-Hands. Maybe Mayoi, to know if the two were alright, or Rinne, to have some comfort. Hiiro decided against it, though. His heart was beating out of his chest, and his hands were shaky, there was no way he would manage typing out a message, or leading a conversation. He sniffled, not noticing the tears welling up in his eyes. So he still couldn’t sit through a thunderstorm normally, could he.
“-kun?” Hiiro heard a voice, yet it was unclear, and he wasn’t able to understand it, nor tell who it was coming from.
He opened his eyes, as his head was still covered by the blanket, so it didn’t change much. He didn’t want to take a peek outside. Maybe it was just his mind playing games?
“Hiro-kun?” The voice repeated, yet this time, Hiiro could tell who it was.
“Ai… ra?” Hiiro spoke up, his voice quiet. His hands were still tightly gripping the blanket, his fingers painfully digging into it.
“What’s going on, Hiro-kun?” Aira’s voice was calming.
Hiiro could feel familiar, delicate and warm touch on his hands, rubbing his fingers. “Can you even breathe under the blanket…?”
“...” Hiiro didn’t respond, but loosened his grip. Aira’s touch was soothing.
Another lightning struck, and the rain hitting the window was getting aggressively louder. Hiiro was shaking, which Aira could feel under his touch.
“Are you scared?” He asked, and sat down next to Hiiro. “I haven’t fallen asleep yet, so you didn’t wake me up, don’t worry… I saw you curling up, and I got worried…” Aira’s voice was unusually soft. Hiiro loved how nice it sounded, and how comforting it was.
Hiiro let out a simple umu, hoping the blonde wouldn’t judge him.
“It’s the first time since we’ve moved in here, isn’t it? I’m talking about the storm. We haven’t experienced such a strong one together yet…” Aira kept talking. “Can you come out from under the blanket? I’m worried…”
Hiiro peeked out his head, looking over at Aira, who was sitting next to his curled up, laid down body. He didn’t notice it himself earlier, but his eyes were tearful, and his lips were chapped. He wasn’t feeling good either, strange nausea suddenly hitting him. It was probably due to anxiety, his own body was refusing to stay strong.
“Do you want a drink, Hiro-kun?” Aira reached out for a water bottle, which was standing next to Hiiro’s bed. “Here…”
Hiiro took a sip of water, and put the bottle down. He nodded, as a way of saying thank you, and sat up, staring at the floor.
“Sorry…” He apologized, blinking the tears away from his eyes. “It’s weak of me, I know… You should be sleeping instead, too.”
“Don’t apologize…” Aira scooted closer. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it. Is it the thunder that’s scary..?”
Hiiro nodded, not saying anything.
“Do you… want to come closer?” Aira opened his arms, making a gesture inviting Hiiro for a hug.
The blonde was definitely blushing, but he seemed to try and keep it minimum. It wasn’t the time for that.
Hiiro moved over closer to Aira, the blanket falling off of him. It made him shiver a bit, which the younger noticed, and threw the blanket over Hiiro once again. He pulled him in for a warm hug.
Hiiro leaned his head against Aira’s shoulder, his nose digging into his skin, but the blonde didn’t seem to mind. He wrapped his hands around his back loosely, breathing in Aira’s pleasant scent.
“Let’s hope it stops soon…” Aira looked out of the window, sighing. He was talking quietly, so he wouldn’t startle Hiiro, since his ear was close to his mouth. “Mayo-san and Tattsun-senpai are still not back…”
“Can you… message them?” Hiiro didn’t want to worry about more than he already did.
“Mhm, I will… You need to let go though, Hiro-kun…” Aira slipped out of Hiiro’s embrace, going to grab his phone.
The red-haired boy didn’t like the sudden lack of comfort and warmth, but he patiently waited for him to come back.
“There we go.” Aira took his phone from his bed, and came back to Hiiro’s, getting back into the previous position. “I’ll text Mayo-san…” He started typing on his phone, with Hiiro also looking at the screen. “There. I hope he responds soon…”
Hiiro wasn’t saying anything, only cuddling up to Aira, trying to relax in his embrace. His hands were wandering on Aira’s back, playing with his shirt, sometimes lightly squeezing it. He needed to distract himself somehow, as he was tense the whole time, worrying about when the next lightning strike would occur.
Aira seemed calm and understanding of Hiiro’s emotions. He wasn’t the type to pick on anyone in situations like these, especially not on someone that he deeply cares about. The boy hesitantly brought his hand to Hiiro’s hair, brushing his fingers through the strands.
Aira tried to distract the older one somehow. He started talking about anything that could come to his mind, maybe stories from his childhood, or how was his day today, while keeping the rants lighthearted and easy to listen to, not expecting Hiiro to reply to any of them.
“Are you feeling any better, Hiro-kun…?” Aira asked, but with no reply.
He felt Hiiro’s body relaxing more, and soon the blonde could hear soft snores coming from the redhead.
Aira planted a soft kiss on top of his head. “Sleep well.”
The blonde got into a more comfortable position, and laid down, still holding Hiiro tightly against his chest.
Mayoi and Tatsumi appeared in the room a few minutes later, quietly entering, since after all, it was already late at night. They didn’t say anything about the view they encountered, except for exchanging soft smiles with each other.
Aira was snoring quietly, as his and Hiiro’s breathing synchronized, laying softly next to each other.
It could still be a peaceful night.