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Buck jolts awake.
Thunder rumbles in the distance, as the wind howls and swirls outside; the rain pelting loudly against the windows.
This is the first thunderstorm he's been in since the day he got struck by lightning, and he doesn't like the surprise.
Buck shivers, feeling cold and alone. He reaches around the couch for his blanket, but it's nowhere to be found.
He stretches his hand down towards the floor, but before it reaches its target, a flash of light pierces through the darkness and he recoils back in fear.
His chest constricts, his breathing quickens.
Buck pulls his knees up to his chest and counts.
One Mississippi.
Two…
A cacophonous crash of thunder breaks through the silence.
Buck trembles and scrunches his eyes tightly closed.
He's about to resign himself to an uncomfortable night without sleep, when he hears a faint new noise. He strains to listen and realizes it's the floorboards creaking.
"Hey Buck? You awake?"
Just hearing those four words helps Buck breathe a little easier.
"Yeah - yeah, I'm awake," Buck whispers back.
"The storm woke me up," Eddie admits, his cadence familiar and calming.
"It woke me up too."
"I guessed…Uh, that's why I'm here, was worried about you."
"Well you're not here yet. You going to join me?" Buck asks hopefully, receiving a huff of laughter in return.
After the longest minute, Buck begins to relax as Eddie arrives.
"Think you might need this," Eddie whispers as Buck feels the comforting weight of his blanket being wrapped around him, and he wonders if he imagines a soft touch of lips against his forehead.
"Thanks Eddie."
A flash of lightning strikes once more. Buck mumbles "one", and another loud thunderclap reverberates round the room, and Buck can't stop himself wincing.
"Hey, I got you," Eddie murmurs, before the couch dips and Eddie squeezes himself next to Buck.
"Shouldn't you be getting rest?" Buck asks, automatically seeking out Eddie's body heat. "You have a shift tomorrow," he adds even though he hopes Eddie stays.
"I want to be where you are," Eddie admits, as he gently grasps Buck's hand. "So, if you want me to go, you have to tell me to leave."
"Never," Buck confesses. "I'll never want you to leave."
Eddie maneuvers them both to be lying down, his free arm wraps around Buck, and he tangles their legs together. "I'll stay."