You honestly didn't care if Chen was seeing you like this anymore. You were too frightened to be self-conscious of it. Still, you try your best to remain as calm as possible, taking deep, albeit shuddering, breaths and counting backward from one hundred. Those were your back-up storm counteractions, ideally distracting you to sleep when Chen wasn't available (which he usually was but, there always was that occasional lonely phone call-less night). You want nothing more than to ask him to sing right now. The only problem was you didn’t think you could form a coherent sentence if you tried.

Tonight's storm was just terrible, horrible, monstrous, terrible, terrible, terrible—

"Hey," Chen places his hands over yours and gingerly lifts your head, "look at me, you're alright. You're perfectly fine, just focus on me." he says softly with a small encouraging smile. You want to believe him and do as he says, you really do but, you're nothing short of a nervous wreck. You think you may just snap at the next lightning strike.

Seeing he was losing you he opens his mouth to say another round of consoling words then thinks better of it. Instead he envelopes you into a tight embrace, the gesture feeling almost foreign in the state you’re in. His arms wrap securely around you and he tucks your head under his chin.

"It's okay, you're safe. Nothing's going to hurt you. Not while I'm here." he murmurs, tightening his arms around you protectively. You cling to him and bury your head into the fabric of his shirt. His distinct smell of musk and rain surrounds you in the safe cage of his arms. The storm still roars rampantly outside but, he holds you so the storm is completely blocked from your view.

As he continues to speak you force yourself to listen to what his reassuring and comforting words. They do slightly ease your fear and as he rocks you slowly you think you may get through the storm. Nature deems otherwise, lightning and thunder overpowering Chen’s voice at times. When it becomes too much again you listen, instead, to the sound of his heart.

Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum.

Its calm steady beat gives you a sense of security. It reminds you that no matter what, Chen would always be there for you. He was the one person you could always depend on. The one person in your life that would never change, never leave. He was your best friend through good times and bad. He was your dork. You were his idiot. Nothing could change that.

Not even this storm.

"You still hanging in there?" he asks, voice low and concerned.

Not trusting your voice you nod, feeling Chen sigh in relief as resumes his rocking. You feel like a child in his arms, gently being rocked and consoled while you cling to him like a life line. Still, you are almost surprised that you feel significantly more relaxed while the storm becomes nothing more than noise in the background.

That is, until you think about it.

"C-Chen?" you stammer trembling. You bury your head deeper into his chest as thoughts of the storm fill your mind.

"What is it? Is everything alright?" he replies immediately, worry clear in his voice.

"Y-yeah, I just... Could you... Sing..?" you mumble almost inaudibly. The storm is suddenly a lot louder and clearer after noticing it again.

He chuckles lightly, the sound making your lips quirk up slightly. "Encore? Alright, show must go on."

Just like every phone call you listen to him take a deep breath before expelling the first rich note of a lovely ballad. It's a different experience hearing him sing in person. There's no static to hiccup his voice over the hum of your phones. No spotty connection in the raging storm. Nothing interferes with the sound of his voice emitted from his lips, not the tiny speaker of your phone. Yet…

This is an entirely new aspect of Chen you've never encountered before.

Sure, you've listened to him sing in person, countless times growing up, even now. But, not ever like this. You've never been this close to him when he was singing. Never close enough that your head was cradled into his chest and you could feel each rise and fall of his breath. Never close enough to literally feel the emotion coming from him as he forms each syllable. Never close enough to realize he always hit that perfect goose bump inducing pitch from start to finish. Never close enough to feel the energy he put into every song, every word he sings. Never close enough to hear the heart wrenching emotion and clarity his voice holds.

Never close enough.

Yet, as you listen, really finally listen to him sing you feel as if those times are being made up. Compensated for right now the longer you let yourself get lost in his voice. You slowly forget about the storm, nothing else occupying your mind. Including time.

Hours could've passed, and probably did, but, Chen still diligently sings song after song without the slightest pause. He was such a good person, no, an amazing person. No, there wasn't a word that could sum up just how unbelievably incredible he was. You are certain that there is no one else on the planet-definitely not your at your university-who'd do this, even for their best friend. Chen really was one of a kind and always went above and beyond.

You are so lucky to have this dork.

"Hey, you still awake?" he asks keeping his voice low in case you were.

"Yes," your voice is small but, surprisingly solid. "I am a little tired though." you say through a yawn, instantly contradicting your words. You figure it was his infectious calm at work. Not to mention singing lullabies and ballads are bound to make your eyelids droop.

"If you want I can carry you to my bed. It's a lot more comfortable than the couch, and ground if you just wind up passing out here." he offers, pulling back to see your face. He doesn't look tired at all; in fact he looks ready to run laps around the building. You on the other hand, felt close to sleeping for days on end at any second. How does he always have so much energy?

"No, it's alright I'm fine here. There are a lot of blankets and I'm not that tire—-" A much larger yawn overcomes you and you can't finish your sentence. Struggling past it you try to speak again. This time your eyes begin to flutter. Ugh, you just can’t win.

A small grin grows on his lips and he shakes his head disapprovingly. "You're the worst liar ever. I don't get why you even try. Now, come on, think light for about thirty seconds." he instructs readjusting his grip on you.

"Chen, I'm okay, really. I'll be fine out here. I don't want-"

"What? To be a bother? A nuisance of some sort? Because you're not and you're my best friend so, you kind of can't be. Besides, if you stay out here the storm is that much closer and louder than from my room." he points out. You open your mouth to protest then close it. He had a point and you've just calmed down. Better to stay as far away from the storm as possible. Otherwise you may regress into that state of hysteric fright and snap.

"I see I've made my point then." he says smugly with an amused smile.

You begin to retort when he scoops you up and starts carrying you out the fort. Startled you grab onto his shirt and hope you aren't too much of a burden. Holding you easily in his arms he walks to the very end of the hall and pushes open the door with his shoulder to enter the bookcase lined room (you didn't call him a storm chasing dork for nothing). Taking three long strides to the bed in the middle of the room he places you carefully onto it. Pulling the covers over you snuggly he tilts his head to the right and studies you for a moment.

"There, all tucked in. Now, are you going to be alright alone? Storm's still crazy out there and—" As if to make his point an obscenely loud thunderclap shakes the room. You can feel it at your core, its deep boom resonating in your bones. On impulse you grab his arm, holding onto it as if your very life depends on keeping him in your grasp.

"Stay, please, just stay." you ask—no, beg—feeling the beginnings of your anxiety resurfacing.

"No worries, I'll stay as long as you need." he assures sitting on the edge of the bed beside you.

"Are you sure? You won't just leave? You won't just leave me here alone? You're not going to just bail all of a sudden? You're not—"

"I'm staying here, right by your side until this storm stops. I promise." he says firmly, cutting off your doubts. He says it with so much conviction and sincerity you wonder how he manages to be like this all the time. That was the thing about Chen; he was always one hundred percent about everything. Never acting differently with anyone or getting self-conscious. Maybe that’s why he was so confident all the time. And why he was still here comforting you without a single judging thought.

How are you even a real person?

"Okay... Can you..?" your voice begins to falter, more obscene thunderclaps frightening you. With have half a mind to hide under the covers, or bury your face in a pillow to hide, your knuckles become white from how tight your grip on Chen is. Noticing your growing distress he gently tugs at his arm asking for you to let him go, at which you instantly panic and shake your head.

“I’m not leaving, just trust me.” His voice tells nothing but truthfulness. Letting him go, somewhat reluctantly, you’re surprised when he takes it into his own hand. “I thought this would be a better source of comfort than my forearm, as comforting as that always is.” he jokes with a smile.

“Have I ever told you how much of a dork you are?” you mumble, laughing weakly.

“Oh look! It’s working, you’re actually shooting me down now!” he cheers giving your hand a squeeze. You can feel yourself grin as you settle yourself more comfortably into the bed, the slight smell of Chen emitting from the covers and pillow. It was nice, relaxing even.

“Since you’ve had your breakthrough for the night I’m going to sleep now.” you mutter, closing your eyes.

“Fine, just ruin my accomplishment streak why don’t you.” he replies making you smile. On a more serious note he gives your hand another squeeze and takes that familiar deep pre-song breath.

You really have to find a way to thank him for this later.