Jeongguk was always the one to make fun of the way hyungs often screamed and pleaded for him to "get that ing bloodsucker out" when they'd witness an insect at the dorms. Like a restless child he'd chase them around with the cockroach hanging from his fingers by nothing but a single leg (just about to break).
He'd laugh for hours at the way they'd jump during thriller movie nights and spend days making vicious plans on how to recreate movie scenes and make their heart drop behind every lonely corner. He'd almost suffocate when they'd scream at sudden electricity shortages and yell "it's not funny!!" at him when he'd turn the lights off while they're in the shower. Yes, Jeongguk was the one who wasn't scared of anything, everyone knew that. But when Jeongguk lost his breath last night it had nothing to do with laughing. It was that time of the year he hated most, when summer blends into fall, the slow process of it melting away and transitioning into a storming hell. The first thunder hit and he wished he was home at least, grabbing onto one of his plushies he refuses to admit exist. He wished he was in Seoul, at least, with a well known city shielding him from everything and anything his silly mind feared. He wished Taehyung was awake, at least, even though he doesn't really know why.

Taehyung was Jeongguk's favorite part of any trip, he knew that much. Of course, it took long for realization to hit - but when his heart pounced five times as hard at the mere thought of sharing a room with Taehyung - he decided it's time. 
Things with Jeongguk always take time. It's a well thought of process he puts himself through before he completely leaves denial aside. But when the very next thunder shakes the ground with a loud swoosh he almost squeals and without even slight hesitation weeps for Taehyung's name in desperation. 
It comes abruptly, as an instinct, and Jeongguk slaps his own mouth as soon as he realizes how much of a crybaby it'd make him seem if Taehyung wasn't as heavy of a sleeper. He pulls the covers over his head in shame and tries counting back and forth between the first decade, hoping for imaginary comfort.
It doesn't come.
He tries sheeps and stars and whole galaxies, but the sound is just too scary for him to concentrate on anything else.
In moments of exquisite bravery he peeks an eye out to check on Taehyung, but Taehyung doesn't move a single inch in the bed beside him.
Can he not hear it, Jeongguk wonders.
Because for him it's as loud as planets colliding in full speed on the day this world ends. (Or what he imagines the sound to be, precisely) 
And after a while he just can't take it anymore. At this point he's curled in a ball, shivering like he picked up the deadliest fever, arms firmly wrapped around his knees and eyes tightly shut.
He doesn't move for a full hour, and only God knows how long it would last if he wasn't pulled out of it by surprise.

"Jeongguk? Are you alright?" A very sleepy, but extremely worried voice speaks up.
It takes time for Jeongguk to absorb the thick drowsiness, but when he figures it out it takes him everything not to scream.
Jeongguk was never meant to look vulnerable and the thought of someone, Taehyung, doubting his well being now made him beyond anxious.

He immediately unwinds his arms and stretches his legs in a hurry then quickly turns away from Taehyung, murmuring something unintelligible and going back to sleep, or seemingly so.
, how to play this off? He hides the terror written all over his face from Taehyung but when his sense of gravity shifts out of nowhere, he forgets about secretes entirely. It seems to Jeongguk like the storm washed his sanity away but he can clearly feel his bed reshaping underneath him. So when he turns around in urgency, seeing Taehyung sitting right beside him comes together with the word shock.
"Wha-"
"Move over." He commands, voice still so impossibly gentle 
-t. He finishes the word silently. Not even surprise can take away from this strange sense of excitement and when Taehyung stares at him with determination Jeongguk's stomach drops a few floors.

When Jeongguk just stares back at Taehyung for a long minute Taehyung takes matter into his own hands. He makes do with the third of Jeongguk's bed, pulling his own covers over them both.
"You're such a baby." Taehyung teases tactically and when Jeongguk protests immediately by moving away he can't help but chuckle.

They both lay there on their backs in silence for a while, Jeongguk careful and aware of his every body part and its closeness to Taehyung's carelessly sprawled limbs. And Taehyung slowly falling back to sleep until a lightning drapes the sky and he, sadly, knows what's coming.
He bursts into a little muted chuckle at anticipation and fear written all over Jeongguk's face, wondering if Jeongguk would let him live if he'd retell this story to the hyungs. But his mind wanderings are cut in half when the noise spreads all over the room, and even Taehyung must admit, it's an ugly one . As soon as the rhythm of it bangs, the windows of their hotel room bang as well, the floor is shaking and Jeongguk is gripping Taehyung's wrist suddenly, nails so deep in his flesh -Taehyung thinks he's bleeding out. 
He almost rips his arm out of Jeongguk's hold in self-defense but when his eyes scan the expression written on the younger boy's face he just rubs the back of his hand sympathetically.
Jeongguk's eyes are closed, squeezed tight, and his lower lip just can't stop shaking. The breaths he takes are rare, loud and scary. Taehyung's chest ache at the sight because he never thought it could actually be this bad, it's Jeongguk after all. But it's terrible and now Taehyung regrets not waking up sooner. Even so, he doesn't really know what to do. 
For a while he just uses his free hand to gently brush against Jeongguk's fisted grip and after some time the boy finally lets go. Jeongguk's breathing still screams of panic and Taehyung is now afraid. He wishes, oh how he wishes he could just stop time for his Jeongguk or fight the Greek gods for an eternal summer. Because Taehyung likes fall, it used to be his favorite season but now he quickly learns to despise it. 

Jeongguk on the other hand is not only scared, he's embarrassed. If there was anyone he wanted to stand his ground before - it was Taehyung. It was Taehyung he'd always hold by his shirt when he almost runs through a red light, it was Taehyung when Seokjin's meal turned into a fire and Jeongguk rushed him out of the place fighting Hoseok for the fire distinguished. And every time when he's "full" and drops half of his lunch into Taehyung's plate because he can't handle seeing him lose weight, yes, it was all Taehyung and Jeongguk was always there to protect him. (even if seemingly secretive)
Right now he is keeping him awake over an irrational fear and for that he can't forgive himself.

"I'm sorry." Jeongguk whispers but it comes out as a breath about to become a cry if he'd ever continue so Taehyung immediately turns to his side to face him and shakes him a little by his shoulder.
"Shh, shhh...it's okay." He whispers and Jeongguk can see his lopsided smile even through his eyes closed. 
When he feels like he regained some control over his actions Jeongguk tells Taehyung to go back to bed and sleep because they have a tight schedule tomorrow but Taehyung doesn't even want to hear it. 
Instead he drapes the covers over their heads and sits up, urging Jeongguk to sit up too so they can make a sheet fortress just like how he used to do it when he was little. (And well, last week)
Jeongguk follows Taehyung's command but his eyes don't ever go up to the older boys face because he can't handle the embarrassment just yet.
"Hey, hey. Hey." Taehyung pleads gently, reaching out for Jeongguk's knee, legs curled. "It's me Jeongguk, come on buddy. This is the safest place on Earth, you know! Whatever happens here is just for us to know, so it's okay." 
Jeongguk shivers at Taehyung's touch, because of course he knows "it's him". Out of obligation though, he looks up to him, trying not to cry, because how much weaker could he even seem right now. He thanks God for the pitch black room and the fact that they can't see each other because otherwise he'd most likely break. 
"Jeongguk why didn't you wake me up, you know I'd get up in a second." 
Of course Jeongguk knows. The way Taehyung doesn't even care about why he fears something so ridiculous warms him up a little and he can finally speak.
"Yeah, exactly." 
Taehyung catches on right away and right now he feels somewhat happy to finally be able to give back. Even with just support. 
So he doesn't ask questions anymore, he just talks on and on about food and TV shows and friends and family and pets and fans and music and everything and Jeongguk manages to listen well and he couldn't be more thankful. It seems like the storm is stopping but both of them are on needles because obviously, it could break out again anytime. 
And indeed, they feel a ray of light even from under the sheets and Taehyung is quick to grab Jeongguk's hand firmly. Jeongguk starts mumbling incomprehensible words of panic and Taehyung would lie if he'd say it didn't scare him. 
"Hey, Jeongguk, Jeongguk listen, hey." he calls until Jeongguk shuts up "it's okay, it'll be over in a second I swear."
But Taehyung lied to him because the thunder is loud and long and protruding, and now Jeongguk has pulled his hand away to hide his face behind his palms, sobbing quietly as fear washes over him.
Taehyung isn't a thinker when it comes to comfort and within a second he has pulled Jeongguk, curled into a ball,  between his legs, hugging him into his embrace. The littlest boy on earth as it seems, grabbing onto his shirt desperately, burying his face in Taehyung's chest. Now Taehyung is the one slightly embarrassed because he wishes he had more of a comforting upper body, but Jeongguk thinks Taehyung's hold must be his favorite place on earth. Because Taehyung's actions come naturally, when he shushes him in whispers, when he rubs his back or pulls him even closer, when he soothes Jeongguk's heartbeats brushing through his hair rhythmically, then messing it up again, trailing lines from behind his ear down his neck .
It's easy for Taehyung to love people and show it, but there's something other than just easiness here and if he had time he'd think it through. But the thunderstorm is persistent and he has to rethink ways of comforting Jeongguk instead. When the tight hold on him stops working and Jeongguk still shakes in his arms, Taehyung hopes Jeongguk won't mind his substitute tactics. He intertwines his fingers with Jeongguk's and brings his hand up to leave a butterfly kiss on it for warm up, Because the butterflies fly everywhere soon. And now Taehyung is pressing his lips to wherever he can reach, Jeongguk's hair and forehead and cheeks and shoulders and when another loud thump breaks through - even the tip of his nose and right where his eyelids end. The kisses barely count because they're light and muted but Jeongguk is freaking out, more about Taehyung than the weather now. In any other situation he'd run away from it but the obvious truth is that he needs him now. 
He can't help but slightly vibrate under Taehyung's caressing and the older boy wonders if he's being too much. Especially when suddenly Taehyung's mouth fall under Jeongguk's jawline, then even lower, tattooing a sinful line leading to his collarbone and Jeongguk's whole body jerks at the sensation.
"I'm sorry! God! S-sorry." Taehyung reacts at Jeongguk's shaking right away
"I just wanted to distract you, ah, Jeongguk, I'm sorry!" He repeats, but Jeongguk honestly just wants to shut him up.
"It's okay.." is all he's able to mouth without getting breathy but it's somehow enough for Taehyung to ease out on being tense.
He takes it as a green light and now he doesn't really care about where he's kissing Jeongguk anymore, expecting every next thunder in a welcoming manner. And Jeongguk isn't even flinching and the fear is put aside long ago but he still lets Taehyung lay him down, throw the covers off and make one out of his own self. His weight is perfect on Jeongguk's chest and Jeongguk wraps his arms around him because this is how he feels it should be. Taehyung is sure Jeongguk's chest are way more comfortable than his are as he feels like he's in heaven now. His arms around Taehyung are strong and possessive and Taehyung feels like treasure in his hold. It's not often Taehyung feels important to anyone, really, and now he's savoring it like it's his last day on earth.
And Jeongguk finally feels in control and Taehyung's body is warm and beautiful on his own and he isn't even sure if the storm is ongoing because his every last bit of concentration is drawn to the way Taehyung's heart pulses against him a bit faster than what's normal. 

"I think it stopped." Taehyung announces through a whisper and Jeongguk unwinds his arms from Taehyung immediately, ruthlessly pulled into reality.
"O-oh.." he stutters, shortly after clearing his throat 
But Taehyung doesn't move.
"Are you alright?" Taehyung continues
"Yes, thank you."
No one says anything for a while and Jeongguk feels like maybe he should, but the words are all hidden at impossible places. Taehyung knows and it's okay because he speaks up first. His voice is gentle and sleepy but so low (so, so low) when he calls for Jeongguk's name suddenly.
"Yes Taehyung?" 
"Can I .. stay?" 

Jeongguk pulls the covers back onto them both, and Taehyung moves a little so that now only his upper body is sprawled over Jeongguk's torso. Jeongguk presses him closer like his life depends on it and when Taehyung kisses him one last time before he drifts off, it's on the lips. 

Jeongguk doesn't waste a second sleeping that night, and how could he when Taehyung's face is inches away and there's so many things to observe and remember. (For Jeongguk, though, it's mostly revising.)