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Donghyuck's eyes snapped open the moment he heard the crackle of thunder. Before his vision could even adjust to the darkness of his room, his heartbeat was already speeding up to the sound of the rain outside getting increasingly heavier. He winced and gasped as lightning struck, turning his body away from the window just as the sky let out another loud, terrifying grumble.
Oh no, was the only thought that crossed his mind and it repeated itself over and over again. It didn't help with the fear that was growing inside Donghyuck, his nails now digging into the mattress of his bed. He hadn't felt this terrified in years—he thought he'd gotten over his fear of thunderstorms a long time ago.
With trembling hands and while actively trying to block out what was happening beyond the comforts of his room, Donghyuck reached for his phone. Though his mind was clouded with fear and anxiety, he could still recall that the presence of another person would always make him feel better through a storm, so his first thought was to reach at least one of his best friends. He knew they'd pick up and stay on the call with him through the night, no questions asked, but to his horror his phone didn't light up no matter how many times he pressed the power button. He had forgotten to charge his phone.
Don't panic, he told himself. You're a grown-up. You can get through this on your own, Lee Donghyuck.
Just as he managed to collect his breath and wanted to force himself back to sleep, there was another strike of lightning seemingly very close that had him ducking under his blanket for safety. He tightly tugged his blanket around his head, almost whimpering when the angry sound of thunder followed the sharp bright light.
He couldn't do it—he couldn't be alone.
Making sure his blanket was still wrapped around him, Donghyuck got of bed, shaking in his steps. He opened his bedroom door and for once, was pleasantly surprised to see his roommate laying down on the couch with the TV on low volume.
"You're awake," he breathed out in gratitude, but Jiseol only saw it as a statement of the obvious.
"The rain is too fucking loud, I can't sleep," she said with a bitter tone. Her nimble fingers continued knitting as she watched one of those scary movies she liked so much.
Donghyuck hated those movies. But without a second thought, he took the remaining empty space on the couch next to her and quietly asked if he could stay with her. Jiseol furrowed her eyebrows at him; had this been any other time she would actively protest against being in the same room as him, but because of the fact that he even asked, she agreed despite not completely understanding why he seemed so timid and scared.
When the next set of lightning and thunder came, as Jiseol barely flinched, she saw the way Donghyuck tensed up and she immediately understood. Understanding didn't mean she wanted to do anything about it. She pretended she didn't notice, focusing on the movie and knitting, until she couldn't help but realize that Donghyuck was shivering.
