A/N: set in the same universe as Perfect Compliments! ^^

Ryeowook was sitting on the floor by the glass door leading to the porch in the hallway upstairs, his fingers pressed against the glass and his eyes closed. A smile twitched on the corner of his lips as another loud boom spread throughout the house and his face was lit up by a flash of lightning a moment later. He sat in the stillness that followed for a minute or two; then, he pressed his cheek against the cool glass, wanting to slide through the door and stand out on that porch, desperate for the feeling of raindrops pounding against his skin. He sighed softly, his breath fogging up the glass slightly, and leaned back, watching the trees flail back and forth in the wind.

Downstairs, the front door opened and closed quickly, but Ryeowook was too focused on the storm raging outside to feel the barely-there tremble of the floor as the door was slammed shut. It wasn’t until he felt the heavy thumping on the stairs that he realized Jongwoon was home. He dipped his head back, watching the older man race up the stairs and he smiled, lying on his back and holding his arms straight up, watching the worry in Jongwoon’s eyes slowly subside as he took the younger man’s hands.

Jongwoon swung his boyfriend’s arms in the air for a moment before pulling him to his feet and crushing him in a tight embrace, communicating all the words he couldn’t say, all the feelings that he couldn’t properly express. How worried he was that Ryeowook might have been caught outside in that storm, how frantically he’d tried to get home from work to be with him, how distraught he’d been when he remembered that one tree in their yard that always looked like it was about to fall on the roof.

Ryeowook relaxed in his grasp, slowly wrapping his arms around his waist as he closed his eyes, resting his head against his chest. He felt bad for not remembering their pact; that whenever they were separated and something drastic happened – even something seemingly as simple as a thunderstorm – they would text each other, just to let the other know that they were safe. He had a rather innocent fixation on rain, how it looked and how it felt, and often forgot to text Jongwoon when something happened anyway, but he should have remembered. Especially today. Especially in this storm.

He leaned back, glancing up at his hyung’s face, on his own a mixture of regret and sorrow. Jongwoon immediately smiled, shaking his head slightly to show that he didn’t mind, and bent down, pressing soft kisses across his cheeks. As long as Ryeowook was okay, nothing else mattered.

They stood like that for a moment in the hallway before the lights flickered and died altogether, causing Ryeowook to shiver slightly and grip the back of Jongwoon’s t-shirt. The older man smiled, turning around and bending down slightly, signaling for Ryeowook to get on his back, which he did immediately, wrapping his arms around his hyung’s neck and his legs around his waist. Ryeowook pressed his face into Jongwoon’s hair as the elder slowly headed back down the stairs and toward the kitchen, where they kept a collection of candles in the cabinet, all in the scents that the younger man liked most; apples and cherry blossoms and clean, fresh cotton.

Jongwoon hit Ryeowook’s leg gently and his dongsaeng peered over his shoulder, lazily pointing at the fresh cotton scented candles as a flash of lightning lit up the room. Ryeowook held out his hand, grabbing a candle as Jongwoon handed it to him, smiling cheekily as he twisted the top off and stuck it under his hyung’s nose. He felt the older man laugh as he snagged a box of matches and shut the cabinet door, Jongwoon’s chest bouncing up and down slightly under his legs.

They made their way into the living room, where Jongwoon set to work lighting the candles after setting Ryeowook down on the couch. A warm glow filled the air around them, so starkly in contrast to the raging winds and cold, pounding rain outside. They glanced at each other and smiled; rainy days were always good for naps and cuddling.

Ryeowook pointed at the fireplace, stretching out across the couch while looking up at his hyung hopefully. Jongwoon sighed softly but nodded, bending down and fiddling for a minute before the gas logs roared to life and he smiled in satisfaction. He turned back to his dongsaeng, who reached out his hand once again. He took his hand, helping him sit up before he sat down as well.

A clap of thunder rang through the house as Jongwoon lay down on the couch a while later, Ryeowook moving to lie in front of him with his face pressed into his chest. He wrapped his arms around his boyfriend’s small frame and began to sing softly, knowing Ryeowook liked feeling the vibrations at the base of his neck when he did so, but wishing that he could hear the gentle love song too.

It wasn’t long before Ryeowook drifted off to sleep, lulled to sleep by the steady movement of Jongwoon’s chest as he breathed. The older man glanced down at the other’s peaceful, innocent face, pressing a soft kiss against his forehead before tightening his grip around him and closing his eyes himself, letting all of the sounds that Ryeowook would never hear (the beating of the rain, the crackling of the fireplace, the booming thunder) sing him to sleep.

When they woke up, the moon was shining brightly in through the windows, the raging winds having calmed and the pouring rain having slowed to a drizzle.  Ryeowook was up first, pressing gentle kisses to Jongwoon’s lips and eyelids to awaken him as well.

Jongwoon sleepily blinked open his eyes, staring into Ryeowook’s, which were so full of love and care that he felt his heart swell and he wondered for the millionth time how he could be so lucky as to have this angel cherish him so. Ryeowook nuzzled his face into Jongwoon’s neck, kissing his skin softly, feeling his hyung slip his hand under his shirt and sign ‘bed?’ against his bare skin. He nodded, yawning cutely as he let Jongwoon sit up and blow out the candles. The older man smiled, scooping his dongsaeng up in his arms and carrying him bridal-style up the stairs to their shared bedroom, where they both collapsed on the bed. Ryeowook rolled over, poking Jongwoon’s side gently to get his attention before smiling and signing ‘thank you; I love you’ quickly.

Jongwoon just beamed, signing ‘anything for you’ back to him before pulling him close and beginning to rub his back gently, trying to lull him back to sleep.

Half-asleep, Ryeowook reached up, placing his fingers across his hyung’s throat. Jongwoon smiled, murmuring “I love you” and watching as his boyfriend’s face lit up.

Ryeowook always knew what Jongwoon was trying to say.