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Geno has heard the guys chirp Sid about being afraid of lots of things. Spiders, women, crowds, sex, birds, thunderstorms, dogs… Most of them he chalks up to just the guys chirping Sid the same way they chirp him about his huge lips and his huge ass and his obsessive tendencies.
Geno feels sure that it’s all just chirping, after all, he’s seen Sid hook up with girls at bars. Sid has a dog. And there was that one time that there was a fucking massive spider in Sid’s locker. Sid had shrieked in displeasure, but he had killed it all on his own.
Geno doesn’t really think much of it when they get stuck in Philly due to a huge thunderstorm making travel too dangerous. The managing staff gets the team hotel rooms and they hole up in the rooms to wait it out.
But Geno can’t help but notice the pink tinge across Sid’s cheeks, his dilated pupils and shaking hands as they get off the bus to go into the hotel. Sid shoves past him and bolts for his assigned room. Sid’s clammy hand on Geno’s arm sends a shiver up his spine. He gives a confused look to Pascal, who puts his finger on the tip of his nose and hisses, “Not it!” A quiet chorus of ‘Not it!’ comes up around him and the guys disperse into their rooms hastily. They keep their doors open just enough to peek out at him.
“Not what?” Geno asks hesitantly as the sky booms outside the hotel and makes the lights flicker. Geno looks over Pascal’s shoulder just in time to see Sid’s door close. “The kid’s terrified of thunder.” Pascal says grimly, hiking his own bag higher up on his shoulder. “Someone has to go be with him and make sure he doesn’t choke to death, and we,” He gestures to himself and the guys peeking out of their rooms, “Are not it tonight. You are.” Geno raises an eyebrow and shrugs.
Pascal slaps his on the shoulder and whispers, “Good luck!” Before edging past Geno and going into the room with Murray. Geno lets his bag slide off his shoulder and grasps the straps in one hand. He frowns at the guys as another boom erupts around the building and they give him sympathetic looks before disappearing into their rooms and closing the doors.
Geno feels a bit like he is walking into the lion’s den as he raps his knuckles against the door and calls, “Sid?” There is no answer, but he thinks he hears a whimper. He presses his hand against the door and it pops open easily. “Sid?” He tries again. This time he is sure he hears sobbing.
Geno dumps his bag onto the floor and closes the door behind him shutting it firmly this time. “Sid?” He calls into the dark room. He hears shuffling in the bathroom and swallows hard before taking the few steps to get to the bathroom door. Another boom echoes around the building and Geno hears Sid gasping and choking as he hyperventilates. He squints his eyes in the light of the bathroom, but doesn’t see Sid.
Hesitantly, he pulls the shower curtain back, revealing Sid sitting with his legs drawn up to his chest and his face buried in his knees. He has his arms folded over the back of his head and his breath is coming in quick, shallow gasps.
“Sid.” Geno breaths, drawing out the ‘i’ and crouching down next to the tub. Sid turns his head slightly at the sound and peeks at Geno from under his arms. Thunder booms again and Sid lurches towards Geno, pushing past him and falling over the edge of the tub as he scrambles for the toilet. He dry heaves three times, with nothing coming up. Geno rubs Sid’s back, hopefully soothingly. When Sid stop’s heaving, Geno pulls at him and plops Sid between his legs as he sits back onto his butt, letting his back rest against the wall.
Sid folds in on himself, shaking and sobbing. Geno rubs his large hands all over Sid’s back and sides, noting the dampness of Sid’s tshirt from his nervous sweating. Another boom causes the lights to flicker again, and Sid moves willingly into Geno’s arms, wrapping his arms around Geno’s chest and clutching Geno’s shirt in his hands. Sid presses his sweaty forehead into Geno’s throat, and Geno can feel his shirt collar becoming wet from Sid’s tears and sweat.
Geno rocks Sid gently and murmurs soothingly to him in Russian as another boom makes the floor rumble. Sid pulls back as the floor vibrates and looks at Geno with wide, panicked eyes, tears running down his face. Geno’s heart constricts and he wraps his arms around Sid as he stands up, pulling Sid with him. Sid clutches him as Geno drags Sid out of the bathroom.
Geno pushes Sid onto the bed and pulls Sid’s shoes and socks off. Sid covers his face with his hands, hyperventilating again. “Shhhh…” Geno hushes softly, running a hand down Sid’s arm and undoing the snaps on Sid’s dress slacks. He pushes Sid over unto his side and pulls the black dress pants off Sid, dropping them on the floor and guiding Sid so he is under the blankets.
Geno strips off his own dress shirt, leaving on the tank underneath and slips his own shoes and socks off pausing to rub Sid’s back as yet another boom broke the silence. Geno lets his own dress pants fall to his ankles and steps out of them.
He lifts the covers and crawls in next to Sid, who immediately curls up against him and buries his face in Geno’s neck. Sid is laying half on top of him, and Geno isn’t sure what to do besides loosely wrap his arms around Sid and hold him. Sid sobs and squeezed Geno hard.
A bolt of lightning flashes in the room, and an impossibly loud boom crashes in the light’s wake. Sid chokes and Geno has to push him over onto his back and say, “Sid! Breathe!” before Sid takes his next breath. Geno sits up slightly, resting the back of his shoulders against the headboard and letting Sid crawl between his legs and press his wet face into Geno’s stomach. Geno strokes the dark, sweaty curls with one hand and lays his other on Sid’s back. He can feel Sid’s heart pounding through his back. As Sid shakes, he sighs and rolls his eyes towards the ceiling. He doesn’t think he has ever felt so helpless. He feels like the absolute worst friend on the planet because he has no idea how to sooth Sid.
The storm finally breaks around 1 am. But Sid is still wrapped tightly around him and Geno wonders vaguely if this tight grip is where Sid got the nickname Squid from. He doesn’t think he could untangle Sid from him even if he really wanted to.
Geno shimmies down the bed so that Sid’s head is on his shoulder instead of being pressed against his belly and turns on his side, loaning his bicep for the nearly asleep Sid to use as a pillow. Sid opens his swollen eyes and whispers, “I’m sorry…thank you. It helps to have someone here.” Geno shrugs his free shoulder and tries to relax. His whole body is tense from sitting in an odd position for so long.
“You could have left. You didn’t have to stay with me. I know how awful I am.” Sid’s voice is raw and scratchy. Geno smiles sleepily and scootches forward, his forhead almost touching Sid’s. “Is okay. Not mind. Wanted to help Sid.” He doesn’t feel like he really did much to help though, since he couldn’t get Sid to calm down. Geno feels selfish pride bubble up when Sid says, “You do a way better job than Duper.”
Sid opens his mouth to say something again, but Geno flops his hand on Sid’s face, leaving it lay there. He smiles when Sid giggles and moves it off his face. “Go to sleep. Shh.” Geno says in a playfully irritated voice. Sid honks slightly and rolls over, wiggling around until he is comfortable. Geno sighs and drapes his arm over Sid. He goes to sleep slightly haunted by the terrorized look in Sid’s eyes whenever the thunder boomed.