First attempt at Theta/Koschei, don't kill me if it's terrible... Written for the 100 themes prompt of the same name. Spot the cameo~ And enjoy!
Koschei has always loved thunderstorms. Partly because he's also always had a flair for the dramatic, partly because there's something exciting about them he can't name, and partly because the thunder and rain drown out the sound of drums that's constantly in his head. So when this one hits, late at night, what else can he do but sneak out of bed to go and watch?
Oh, he tries not to. He knows he needs sleep, and if he's too loud sneaking out he'll wake his roommate, who's an extremely light sleeper and a worrier at that. In fact, he suspects that Theta is already awake. But somehow, he manages to get out of their shared room without having his wrist grabbed by a half-awake Theta, being called after by a mostly-awake Theta, or being followed out by a fully-awake Theta, as has happened many times before. Once he navigates past the creaky floorboard by the door, he can be as loud as he likes—the girl across the hall could sleep through anything. Seriously, they've tried to wake her multiple times, but nothing save the smell of formaldehyde will make her open her eyes. Theta has joked that she lives off of it, and Koschei is beginning to agree with him. Still, she has her uses. Koschei smirks, thinking of the infamous Giant Spider Incident, and opens the door leading out of the dorm.
A few seconds later, he's out in it. The rain is warm, which is infinitely preferable to the sort of disgusting cold shower they've been getting lately at the Academy. He tries to enjoy it, he really does, but he can't help wondering if Theta has woken up. Whether he's afraid of the storm. He doesn't understand why, but Theta doesn't like thunderstorms. Theta has told him it's because they're chaotic, but Koschei doesn't mind that, even though in everything else he likes order and Theta likes chaos. Well, what passes for chaos in Koschei's mind, anyway. But really, Koschei thinks it's because they're dark. Theta has a black-and-white mentality, and he doesn't like things he doesn't understand.
And yet somehow he likes Koschei.
Koschei, who no one understands, who everyone thinks is mad. Koschei, with the drums in his head and the strange thoughts that everyone else brushes off. Theta listens to him, and comforts him when he has nightmares, which is increasingly more often now. Theta, his childhood friend. Aren't childhood friends supposed to grow apart? They haven't. If anything, they've grown closer at the Academy. Perhaps it's because in a way, neither of them has really grown up.
Although he could do without Theta's constant worrying and fussing over him. He doesn't need to be taken care of. (Perhaps he does, but he won't admit it.) All that worrying, it's... well, it's rather sweet, actually. But that's, that's beside the point. It doesn't matter.
But it does matter, and Koschei knows it.
Frustrated with himself for thinking such silly thoughts, he turns as if to go inside, but turns back again quickly when there is a particularly beautiful flash of lightning. Its power is amazing, and not for the first time, he wishes to harness it for himself. He knows, of course, that it's all electricity anyway, but electricity flowing through his own veins would be—
There are footsteps behind him. He doesn't turn around, although he doesn't quite know why.
"You okay out here?"
It's Theta, of course it's Theta, and now the idiot is outside in the rain, already drenched, and why has he done this? For me, Koschei thinks, and wonders what that means.
"I thought you hated thunderstorms," he says, still not turning around.
"You love them," says Theta, as if that's explanation enough, and unexpectedly he wraps an arm around Koschei's shoulders. Koschei tenses, unsure why he's doing this and wondering if it Means Something.
"You must be cold," says Theta, and that's apparently all the explanation he's going to get. But explanation or not, it's kind of... nice, standing here under the rain together.
"For the record, I wasn't cold," he mumbles into Theta's shoulder.