Junhong does not like thunderstorms. Just rain is perfectly fine and enjoyable, but loud, sudden thunder is a completely different story.

He was trying to go to sleep, curled up in bed under a few blankets, a pillow over his head to try and drown out at least some of the noise. The crashing, rumbling monsters in the sky, however, did not want to quiet down, no matter how hard the boy may wish that they did.

A few particularly loud bangs and a startled whimper or two later, Junhong decided he had had enough of this. He didn't want to bother anyone, and he knew most of his hyungs would be disappointed and maybe even angry with him if he woke them up for something as silly as being afraid of a small thunderstorm. He would have to get over it someday, because not many people would willingly lose their sleep for him just to assure he wasn't afraid. Yongguk might be too angry, though he would effectively hide it. He thought about climbing into bed with Jongup like usual, but he needed his sleep just as much as anyone else. Youngjae or Daehyun might tolerate him for a night, but Himchan was probably too caring to let the baby of their group be scared and alone.

He still felt slightly guilty as he walked over to Himchan's door and knocked lightly. He didn't want to bother him, no, never. He knew deep on the inside that he wouldn't be bothering his hyung, but still he couldn't help but feel a bit guilty for disturbing the older's sleep. This wouldn't be the first time he's gone to Himchan during a thunderstorm at night, and each time there would be no complaint, yet still Junhong felt bad. If there was one thing he never wanted to be to Himchan, or any of his hyungs for that matter, it was a burden.

When he didn't hear a response on the other side of the door, he almost considered going back to his room and hiding himself away from the world and the storm again, cowering and whimpering like a small child, but another strike of lightning accompanied by a loud roar of merciless thunder changed his mind instantly. He opened the door slightly, peeking his head in. "Himchan hyung...?" he asked hesitantly, keeping his voice down so as not to wake up anyone else.

He heard a faint, "Hm, what is it?" and Himchan rolled over, opening his eyes to look at Junhong. He wasn't completely awake yet, but he knew of Junhong's fear of thunderstorms and with the way the latter was shaking, it would be very much visible to anyone that he was scared. A sigh escaped the elder's lips as he scooted himself over to make room, patting the space next to him with a small, sleepy smile.

Junhong made his way into the room, closing the door behind him and going over to Himchan's bed, his eyes already adjusted to the dark enough to see. He crawled into the bed, mumbling a quiet, "Thanks, hyung," and made himself comfortable next to Himchan. Another strike of lightning lit up the bedroom, accompanied by another loud, booming noise. Junhong let out a startled squeak, pressing himself closer to Himchan to the point where he could hear the elder's heart beating steadily beneath the skin of his chest. It was a reassuring and comforting sound, steady and predictable unlike the thunder, which came out of nowhere, angry and loud and terrifying. The relaxing sound made it much easier for him to curl up beside his hyung and try to relax enough to sleep.

Yet still, Junhong's breathing had sped up quite a bit, along with his heartbeat, which Himchan almost immediately noticed. He put his arms around Junhong, rubbing slow, soothing circles on his back. "It's okay, don't worry, Junhong. Himchan hyung will protect you." The words whispered into his ear calmed him significantly, though he was still scared. More thunder met his ears, and he hesitantly slid his arms around the elder, knowing that at least having Himchan closer would be enough to relax him, if only a little. He may pretend to have a dislike for his hyung sometimes, but he was always really grateful for him. He seemed to care the most, and even though it was probably more of a brotherly type of affection, maybe even motherly, it still meant a lot to Junhong.

Soon enough, he found himself relaxing in his hyung's grip, his eyes slowly drifting closed. He was still shaking slightly, but not as visibly. He lifted his head slightly to look at Himchan, almost surprised to find a pair of dark, pretty eyes looking right back. Junhong blinked, whispering, "Aren't you going to go back to sleep?"

Himchan shook his head, a small smile appearing on his lips. "Only when I'm sure you're asleep. I told you I would protect you, didn't I? Well, I will. I'll stay awake as long as you are, to make sure you're not scared." Junhong couldn't think of anything to say in response to that, so he just nodded and returned his head to its previous place on Himchan's chest.

It took a few minutes before he could think of anything to say, and when he did, he whispered softly, "Thank you, Himchan hyung. You're great, y'know?" He wasn't expecting an answer, and all he got was a small chuckle and a gentle pat on the back.

He began to fall asleep shortly, to the sounds of Himchan's steady breath and heartbeat, along with the feeling of the soft hand rubbing small and gentle circles on his lower back.

He wasn't sure if he imagined the three words accidentally leaving his mouth, so small but so huge at the same time. He wasn't sure if he imagined the pair of soft lips on his forehead, or the hushed voice whispering for him to sleep. He wasn't sure if he imagined the same hushed, gentle voice saying the same three words back to him, either. There was no way for him to be sure whether it was merely a dream in his half-asleep, half-aware state. Nonetheless, he fell asleep happy. The roaring sounds of the merciless monsters in the sky couldn't reach him anymore, and he wasn't scared. His hyung was going to protect him, and that was all the reassurance he needed.

I hope you liked it! It's unbeta'd so I'm not sure if it's any good or not.. Mostly just attempted fluff that I wrote because I was bored and had an idea. Bam. ^^' Please comment and tell me if you liked it! And please point out if I made any spelling/grammar mistakes~ >.<