Speak Up // Lams

Chapter 30

a/n: guys it's the necessary storm chapter™️! I feel bad for putting alex through all this but it can't be a Lams fix without a cliché storm chapter so here we goooo

- John -

Alexander wouldn't leave my mind all day. I just can't believe he wouldn't let me know what Thomas was doing to him! He's been suffering for so long, and now all of this... it's horrible.

I made my way through all my classes like usual, ignoring questions from people about why I missed first period and why Jefferson was attacking Alexander. I just wanted to get through the day so I could make sure he was okay.

After the longest day ever, the last bell finally rang and I ran off to the office to pick up Alexander. They made him stay there the whole day, because they were afraid of sending him home alone and something happening, or him going to class and getting beat up again.

He was reading a book, propped up against a pillow when I walked in. He smiled brightly at me but winced slightly. I returned his smile sadly and walked over to him, pressing gentle kiss to his forehead.

"Ready to go?" I asked, helping him onto his feet. He nodded and grabbed his backpack from the corner of the room, struggling to keep the weight on his bruised shoulders. I grabbed it from him and slung it over my shoulder with mine, and he smiled and signed a thank you to me.

"It's no problem." I said, kissing him again. He grabbed my hand and held onto it tightly as we walked to the car.

The drive home was quiet as usual. I figured Alexander didn't want to be questioned about the whole thing anymore than he already had been, so I just let it be for the moment.

By the time we got back to the apartment, the sky was darkening a little bit, but I didn't think anything of it. There was probably going to be a storm in a little bit.

Alexander went to our room to work at the desk on an essay he was writing, and I sat at the kitchen table to do my homework.

I was almost done with all my work when I heard rain starting to drizzle, and a roll of thunder boomed. I walked around the apartment, making sure all the windows were closed. Lighting struck and the light flooded through the windows, illuminating the apartment.

I walked to our room to check on Alexander and make sure the window was shut, but I didn't see him in there. Just before I walked out to go find him, I heard a small whimpering noise coming from under the desk.

Oh my god, how could I forget?

The rain began to pour now, with lighting and thunder hitting frequently. I ran over to the desk as the noise got louder.

Alexander was curled into a ball under the desk, shaking and trembling, tears slipping down his face as strangled noises escaped from his throat. I felt my heart pang, feeling more guilty than I ever have in my life. How could I forget that he's terrified of storms?

I carefully picked him up and maneuvered him out from under the desk. He clung onto me immediately, hands tightly wound in my shirt. He shoved his face into my neck and I could feel his tears falling from his eyes onto my skin.

I carried him over to the bed, wrapping the blankets around him. He began to cry more when I moved away from him to help get the covers on him, so I let it be and climbed under the covers quickly to comfort him.

His frail body trembled heavily as he curled into me. I wrapped my arms around him and tried to make sure he couldn't see the lightning flashing outside. With every crack of thunder, he jumped and whimpered, tears still falling.

"Shhh, shhh. I've got you now, it's okay. You're safe and I'm here and nothing can hurt you, I promise." I mumbled to him. But it was almost like he was in a trance and he couldn't seem to hear me.

I pulled him closer to me, holding him against my chest and resting my chin on top of his head, stroking his hair gently. I began to hum lightly, hoping the vibrations of the sound would calm him down a bit.

And I'll rise up, rise like the day,
I'll rise up, I'll rise unafraid, I'll rise up,
And I'd do it a thousand time again,
For you, for you, for you...
For you...

I hummed through the chorus of the song, and by the time I was almost done, Alex wasn't shaking quite as much anymore. He was still sniffling and occasionally releasing small squeaks and whimpers, but it wasn't as bad as before. I hummed the song until the end, and by the time I was finished, the storm was almost passed and Alexander had been lulled to sleep.

I kissed his head again and pulled the covers over us a little more, before wrapping my arms around him and falling asleep too.

a/n: trying to update all my books today since it's my birthday!!