𝖍𝖝𝖍 𝖔𝖓𝖊𝖘𝖍𝖔𝖙𝖘

midnight storm

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Summary: after a brewing storm scares him awake, shalnark goes to uvo, knowing he'll protect him from the thunder outside.

Author: mossymoon (on ao3)

💛🤎

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"uvo? are you awake?" a small voice whispered to him in the darkness.

"yup. can't sleep again?"

he sat up from his place on the floor, eyes already adjusted to the darkness from laying there for a while. he wasn't tired in the first place, but he made sure to not make an effort to sleep after saw how the sky was greying overhead as the sun set. he knew shal didn't like storms.

and surely enough, there the boy was, standing above him with a frown on his face and his pillow tucked under his arm. uvo patted the ground next to him, watching intently as he knelt down beside him.

"what are you doing sleeping without a pillow? you're gonna hurt your neck!"

he chuckled, allowing him to shove the part of cushion under his head. "you callin' me weak, shal?"

"no, i'm just looking out for you, dummy. my neck always aches in the morning when i don't have something comfy to rest on. just imagine trying to duke it out with someone and then you get distracted because of your neck!"

"just because you're a sissy about pain doesn't mean everyone else is."

the blonde boy huffed, resting his head next to uvo's and scowling at him. a thin finger jabbed into his broad chest. "i'm not a sissy."

laughing quietly, uvo's hand rose to his head, ruffling his hair affectionately. shalnark's expression tightened at the low rumbling of thunder outside, brow knitting anxiously as he cringed from the sound. the pitter patter of rain had began against the cement walls of the decrepit building, already quite heavy despite it just now starting to fall.

wide green eyes stared up at uvo, trying to distract his ears from the impending thunderstorm. he relaxed a bit, lips perking into a small smile as he felt fingers playing with locks of his hair.

"soft." uvo commented absentmindedly, pulling a giggle from the boy.

"i hope so. it's hard to take care of it when we're staked out like this. it doesn't look like you mind much about how your hair looks."

he scoffed in reply. "i like it how it is. it's manly."

"if unruly is manly, then i guess you're right on the money."

more thunder, much louder and drawn out than the last, clapped in the night sky, a faint flash of lightning illuminating the room for a brief moment through the broken windows. shalnark flinched, instinctively grabbing for his friend.

he could feel his heart skipping uneasily in his chest. he never understood why he was so frightened of storms, just that being in the company of someone that made him feel safe eased the fear that lumped in his throat. the large hand that had been toying with his hair now gently gripped the back of his head, pushing him forward so his forehead met with uvo's. the gesture brought a red flush to his cheeks, at the same time allowing him to breathe a soft sigh of relief.

he wasn't alone.

"uvo," he murmured, releasing his momentary hold on him, "what do you think about when you want to fall asleep?"

he watched him mull the question over for a moment, so close he could see the way his forehead creased with brief thought.

"i don't think about anythin', really.."

"of course you don't," shalnark teased, "there's nothing going on up in that big head of yours."

"not true. i think about things sometimes."

"like what?"

"like.. nobunaga, killing people, stealing things, you... yeah that's all i can come up with r'now."

uvo felt himself soften at the sight of the blonde boy laying in front of him, fingers wandering back to play with his soft, fair hair. he could feel his small breaths fanning over his face, smiling once more, hand resting on uvo's forearm wordlessly telling him to keep going. the rain was much less bothersome now that the thunder had silenced for the time being, allowing him to enjoy the pleasant intimacy of his position.

his eyes fluttered shut for a moment, lips pressing a soft kiss onto his cheek. he laughed at the bewildered look on his face, giving his wrist a squeeze.

"is that not how you show your gratitude to me?"

uvo grinned sheepishly, nodding his head. "you're right. it is."

his hand moved to the nape of his neck, gingerly guiding his face forward enough to meet his lips. shalnark hummed, fingers tracing up his arm and shoulder until they found his neck, hand cupping his jaw as they found a slow rhythm.

his short-lived joy was interrupted by another low boom of thunder, letting out a soft whimper against uvo's mouth, body tensing with fear. he could feel his fingers running through his hair once more, trying to sooth him and distract him at the same time as he continued gently kissing him.

he gradually relaxed, thumb rubbing affectionately over uvo's scruffy cheek. pulling away, he smiled up at the man holding him close, shuddering when another rumble echoed through the night sky.

"i wish i could stop hearing it.." he whispered, eyes shining with dejection.

"i have an idea." uvo said, turning onto his back and patting his chest, "put your head here."

scooting closer, shalnark laid his head onto uvo's body, feeling the comforting warmth of his bare skin pressing against his face. one ear rested just over his heart, the slow, steady beating perfectly audible from his proximity. a large arm snaked around his waist, holding him tightly as a large hand covered his other ear, effectively muffling every other sound so all he could hear was the stable drum of uvo's heart rate echoing in his head. he sighed softly, nestling himself further into his firm chest.

"thank you, uvo.." he murmured, eyes shutting peacefully.

gazing up at the ceiling, uvo stayed awake through the storm, feeling the boy in his arms begin to heavy as his breaths slowed, eventually falling completely asleep. he smiled to himself, just now remembering how small his friend felt in his arms like this. if he had any worries about the future, he surely couldn't think of them now. he was happy that he could protect the small boy, even if it was from something as small as the thunderstorm outside.

he would always protect him, no matter what.