F I F T E E N ✧ R U M B L E
. . .
MINGYU AND I watched the fireworks until it was over, whereupon the Gods apparently decided to end our day with a shower.
The storm was unexpected, to say the least, and the moment a single drop of rain fell onto my nose, I panicked and quickly grabbed Mingyu's hand. I started pulling him towards his car in the parking lot, and thankfully enough, we managed to reach it without getting too wet.
It's still cold, though.
The air conditioner in the car doesn't help much, quite obviously, but Mingyu had given me his coat that he keeps in the trunk of his car. The coat is huge on me, extending nearly to my knees, but it's comfortable enough for me to curl into a ball on the leather passenger seat.
"Hey, hang on, alright?" We're almost there." He says, placing a hand on my knee and worriedly glancing at me through the rearview mirror.
"I'm fine," I wave him off, sneezing as I do and contradicting what I had just said. Mingyu briefly takes his eyes off the road, alarmed, before cursing under his breath and stepping on the gas as if I'm bleeding to death instead of at risk of catching a cold.
Not long later, we finally pull up in my driveway. Mingyu turns off the ignitions and jumps out of the car immediately, and being the gentleman he actually is, opens the passenger door for me and covers my head from the rain.
We scurry in the house with sodden clothes and weary looks on our faces, the two of us mutually agreeing to take a nice hot shower in our respective bathrooms without even having to talk about it.
But to be honest, at this point, I couldn't care less if I'll be having a cold tomorrow—today had been the best birthday since my parent's death, and it's a day I'd remember for years.
After scrubbing myself clean, I towel myself and put on some slightly-oversized flannel pyjamas before heading downstairs to the living room. I'm pretty sure that I look rather ridiculous with these on, but if Mingyu is going to be staying here for some time then he might as well get used to seeing me in these. Besides, they're the warmest thing I can find in my closet at the moment. I wouldn't want to freeze overnight as I sleep.
When I reach the bottom of the staircase, I spot Mingyu nodding off on the couch while some cheesy rom-com is playing on the TV. I start tiptoeing back up the stairs, not wanting to disturb him, but he must have heard me anyway because he snaps his head at my direction and calls for me.
"Yes?" I say, offering him a wan smile.
"Where are you going?" He asks, his sleepy voice raspier and deeper than usual.
"Um," I scratch the back of my neck, suddenly feeling awkward for some unknown reason. "You seemed really tired and I didn't want to bother you."
"Nonsense," Mingyu drawls, gesturing for me to come to the couch and patting the spot next to him. I reluctantly oblige, playing with my sweater paws as I walk over to him.
Plopping beside the boy, I cross my legs underneath me on the ever-so-comfortable couch and lean back, tired but for some reason not ready to fall asleep just yet. Outside, the storm rages on, the heavy pitters and patters of raindrops on the roof overpowering the sounds emanating from the TV.
Just then, a flash of lightning strikes, separating the night sky. It is quickly followed by the loud crash of thunder rumbling through the neighborhood, making me whimper in fear.
"What's wrong?" Mingyu asks, features slightly more alert now.
"I... I'm scared of thunders." I sheepishly admit, knowing that there are probably people with worse fears than this.
"Hey, it's okay..." He says, lazily sitting up and opening his arms. "Come here."
"N-no, it's fine, really."
Mingyu sighs, and scoots over to me instead. I am about to protest and insist that I'm alright, but his long arms protectively wraps around me, instantly shutting me up. He gently pushes my head towards him, making me lean on his shoulder as he tries to soothe me, and I can't help but feel my cheeks go flush at our close proximity.
Another lightning strikes then, and I prepare myself for the loud boom that is yet to come. My eyes are screwed shut, hands balled into fists by my side, but instead of thunder, I only hear Mingyu mumbling something incoherently as a set of hands are pressed against my ears.
My eyelids flutter open, and I look up at his face. He's not showing much emotion, to be honest, and I can't quite read his expression even though his face is so close to mine I can practically feel his breath on my face.
Once the thunder has passed, he takes his hands off my ears but one stays on my arm, and lowering his face, he mutters, "Go to sleep, Crystal."
I don't know how he expects me to sleep when it's raining wildly outside and my heartbeat is running like a racehorse, but I nod anyway as I am rather tired after all.
I shut my eyes and regulate my breathing, forcing myself to think that I'm on my bed instead of on the couch with Mingyu.
And soon enough, I fall asleep to his light, shallow breaths, my head on his chest as his one arm drapes fondly over my torso.
