Original Prompt: taepyo astraphobia ;3;

From: tumblr - ewkpop

Note: Astraphobia – fear of thunder and lightning

What had started as a bright, clear day when the sun rose had darkened to an angry grey by the time they left the studio late in the afternoon. The wind whipped through the streets, funneled by the buildings, carrying the wet smell of atmosphere with it and threatening to knock even the tallest of the four men over.

Jaehyo had remained behind to re-record his part (again), and Kyung had stayed to make sure they weren’t there until the next morning. Minhyuk, who had originally planned to go back and hang out at the dorm, had a change of plans due to the weather—laundry to be brought in before it got washed all over again.

That left just Taeil and Jihoon when Yukwon waved good-bye and headed in the opposite direction. The first rain drop hit Taeil’s arm just as they reached the car, and by the time the doors closed, the downpour had begun.

It wasn’t the rain that was the problem—aside from some slower-than-usual driving, and being sopping wet by the time they made it back (perhaps more so than necessary, due to a stop at the corner convenience store for snacks). They each had their turn in the shower, and had settled down onto the couch in the living room with their comfortable home clothes and snacks, ready to spend a few hours catching up on dramas they had been missing due to their schedules, when the storm outside decided to kick it up a notch.

The first flash of lightning was barely noticeable, a small flicker that could have been passed off as the television turning on. The slow, deep rumble that followed, however, had them both looking over to the window just as another bolt of light streaked through the churning sky. The clap of thunder was almost immediately behind it, before the younger of the two even had a chance to relax from the jump the lightning had caused.

"Oh? We haven’t had a thunderstorm in a long time," Taeil observed, staring out the wall of windows at the rainy grey city beyond them, "…Cool!"

Cool? Yes, of course. That was the word for it. Jihoon chuckled, an awkward, stilted sound, pressing himself back into the corner of the couch and fiddling with the wrapper of the candy bar in his hand before setting it on the table, suddenly disinterested in it.

Taeil was completely focused on the storm, two more bolts of lightning framing either side of the view from their living room, rolls of thunder and the distant sound of a car alarm almost drowning out the TV, “I used to love watching thunderstorms when I was a kid,”—there was another, more distant flash of lightning—“this one looks like it’s pretty big.” And the thunder finally reached them.

It was the shifting of weight on the couch next to him and the rising volume of the TV that brought his attention back inside the dorm’s living room, turning towards Jihoon. The other man had drawn a blanket up close around him, completely covered all the way up to his neck, with just the hand holding the remote control peaking out of the wrapped covering.

"Are you cold?" He blinked, glancing over at the air conditioner—which was turned off, "Did you not dry your hair enough?"

Jihoon only shook his head, struggling with a smile and shrugging the blanket up further, “It’s nothing.”

Taeil frowned, brows furrowing as he took in Jihoon’s pale face, “You look like you’re going to be sick. You’re not catching a cold are you? Maybe you should go to bed. Do you need medicine or something? Should I—”

An exceptionally bright flash of lightning and particularly loud boom of thunder had the younger man yelping, flinching down into the protection of the blanket.

Taeil stared for a moment, “Are you…” A teasing smirk twisted at the corners of his lips, “Are you scared of thunder? Pyo Jihoon, are you really scared of thunder??” He laughed, unable to help himself, as he watched the other man trembling next to him.

Jihoon’s jaw stiffened (as much as it could with his teeth practically chattering together), “I-it’s not funny…”

"Oh, man! Wait until I tell Jiho. I can’t believe you’re afraid of thunder!”

“Hyung...” He whimpered, and had opened his mouth to protest further, when more lightning and thunder stole his words and, combined with Taeil’s bubbling laughter, he felt the first hot sting of tears in the corners of his eyes.

"Minhyuk’s going to love this, you—" His laugh died as his eyes opened and he looked back over to Jihoon, "you—, are you crying?”

“No.”

"Are you really that scared of thunder?"

“Shut up!" The younger spat, collecting the blanket around him and stumbling up from the couch, making for his room and jumping halfway there as more thunder erupted outside before he could get in and slam the door.

He was huddled under the blankets, on his bed, completely oblivious when the door cracked open and Taeil peeked in, all teasing gone from his face. Jihoon had his back turned, forehead pressed against the cool surface of the wall and headphones up loud enough that Taeil could hear the muffled music from the doorway.

He didn’t react until Taeil sat on the edge of the bed, first jumping slightly and then tensing his quivering shoulders, squaring them and turning further away from the older man.

Taeil shifted uncomfortably on the mattress, not quite sure what to do with himself. He finally reached over and put a hand on the other man’s shoulder, “Jihoon…?”

Of course he couldn’t hear, with music that loud. And he didn’t respond to the light touch, either. Taeil sighed, biting at the inside of his cheek before he moved his hand and pulled one side of the headphones away from Jihoon’s ear, “Hey. Ah… I’m, uh… sorry.”

Bad timing—even through the closed door, the thunder reached them and the youngest flinched.

"Whatever," He mumbled, voice shaking as much as he was, turning his head in an attempt to get the ear piece back in place.

"I’m sorry,” Taeil repeated, “I didn’t know you were really that scared.”

"Yeah. I know. Why don’t you go text everyone and let them know?"

It was Taeil’s turn to wince, then, hand falling back to his lap, “I’m not going to tell. I was… just joking. I’m sorry.”

Jihoon didn’t respond, and the silence dragged on uncomfortably. Taeil found himself worrying that it would be thunder that broke it before either of them.

So he tried again.

"It was mean, I’m sorry. I just—I didn’t know anyone was actually scared of thunder?" Clearly the wrong thing to say, and from what little of Jihoon’s face he could see, the younger was frowning, "I mean—I mean, you know you’re safe, right? We’re inside. And there’s… lightning rods and stuff. And thunder is just noise…” He was digging himself even deeper, and he knew it, his voice getting more desperate as he went on, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself, “And cloud-to-ground lightning is only the third most common type, it’s more likely to just go around the same cloud… and…”

The little sound Jihoon made drew him back from the weak flow of words, and he frowned, having to focus for a moment longer to understand it.

"Are you… laughing at me?”

And he was—even with the sharp intake of breath caused by another echoing blast of thunder, that airy laugh couldn’t be mistaken for anything else, “You’re really bad at this.”

It took Taeil another moment to process, “Uh… does that mean you forgive me?”

Jihoon rolled over to his other side, facing Taeil, and frowned hard at him, eyes red and puffy, “No. You were being a jerk.”

"I said I was sorry! I didn’t know. I didn’t think it was that bad!"

"It’s not nice to make fun of someone for being scared of something."

"Jihoon…! Come on! What do I have to do so you’ll forgive me?”

The younger man jumped and withdrew into the blankets quick as a flash as the loudest explosion of thunder that night shook the floor of the apartment.

"What can I do to help?" Taeil changed his words, placing a hand on the lump that was Jihoon’s blanket-covered form.

"…Nothing. It’s stupid," Came the quiet reply.

"It’s not stupid. If there’s something I can do to help you be less scared, tell me.”

There was a long, long silence, and then: “Can you sing something?”

Taeil gaped at the piled of blankets, not quite able to come up with a response.

"Nevermind. It’s stupid. I told you." Jihoon tossed about under the covers, twisting back to face the wall.

There was more thunder, and Jihoon slowly began to shake again, while Taeil just watched the quaking mass.

And then he sang, quietly, feeling awkward.

And he scooted up the bed and moved his hand to the expanse of blanket over Jihoon’s back, where he rubbed little circles.

And he sang, and comforted, and listened as the thunder continued and Jihoon slowly calmed down.

And he continued until he was sure the younger man was asleep.

And then a little more, just in case.