So, just a drabble to keep everyone entertained and a way to give myself a break from the huge fanfic I'm working on. It's actually a joint fanfic that a friend and I are working on together. Cool, huh? Anyway, this came to me while I was in the shower. I was thinking about Trembling Breath by Digital Glitch (amazing story, by the way) and took the idea of Glitch's fear of thunder to turn it into a short work. So, I typed it up really quickly. Here it is!
Glitch sits alone on the couch absently watching the cartoon images on the TV screen. He knows that a storm is coming and he tries hard to focus on the TV. Thunder sounds but it is quiet and though it worries the teen, he manages to stay on the couch.
A loud, echoing clap of thunder, however, has Glitch leaping off of the couch and running to the bathroom where Mo is showering. He pulls the door open and runs inside.
"Wha' the Hell?" Mo shouts.
"'S me," Glitch states shakily.
"Ya aight, Kid?" Mo asks getting worried.
"Y-yeah."
"Ya sure?"
"Yeah."
"Ya don't usually walk in on me in the shower, Kid."
"S-sorry."
Another clap of thunder makes Glitch yelp and jump. Mo chuckles.
"Ya 'fraid of a storm?"
"Nah, Man!"
Another clap of thunder.
"Yes I am!"
"Ya been watchin' the news?"
"Nah, 's boring," Glitch replies quietly.
"Aight. Do me a favor," Mo says gently.
"Hm?"
"Next time ya see lightnin', keep track of how many seconds until you hear thunder. Tells how many miles away the actual storm is," he explains.
"Aight."
Glitch pulls out his cell phone and pulls up the stopwatch on it. He watches for a bit until he sees a flash of lighting then starts the timer. Thunder sounds nine seconds later and he jumps but manages to stop the timer.
"Nine miles," he tells Mo who's still showering.
"Keep track of it fer me."
Glitch repeats his process and manages to keep track of the steadily approaching storm.
"'S practically on top of us," he informs Mo.
There's a flash of lighting followed immediately by the loudest clap of thunder Glitch has heard in his whole life. It shakes the house and echoes away causing the ebony-haired teen to drop his phone and cover his ears. The power fails and the lights go out.
"Damn," Mo's voice says over the running water. "Lemme finish up 'n I'll be out."
A whimper is the only reply Mo receives. Just as Mo's ready to get out and comfort the terrified teen, tornado sirens begin to sound.
"What the Hell's goin' on?" Glitch shouts.
Mo pulls the curtain aside quickly and grabs his orange towel to wrap around his waist. Glitch catches a glimpse of the darker male but looks away out of respect.
"Get yer phone and grab some clothes fer me," he instructs the terrified teen calmly.
Glitch does as he's told and finds Mo grabbing some blankets and pillows.
"Wha's goin' on?" Glitch asks.
"Just follow me," Mo answers.
He leads the teen to the basement and sets up a makeshift sleeping space. The sound of the siren is muffled in the small finished, and well insulated, basement.
"Mo, is somethin' bad gonna happen?" Glitch asks in a shaky voice.
"Nah, Kid, we're gonna be fine," Mo answers gently.
Mo takes the sky blue pajama set from Glitch with a chuckle.
"The stuff ya got me fer Christmas," he says with a smile.
"They were right there!" the prodigy defends turning away so that his mentor can get dressed.
"'S fine, I planned on wearin' these anyway," Mo says comfortingly.
Once Mo is changed, he settles on the little bed he's made. He pats the space next to him and Glitch lies down.
"Mo, wha's goin' on," the nervous teen asks Mo for what feels like the hundredth time tonight.
"Guess they're preparin' fer a tornado," Mo replies.
"Fer real?" Glitch exclaims.
"Yeah, we're okay, though. Ya learned 'bout this stuff in school, right?"
Glitch nods and then jumps as another clap of thunder sounds. Mo pulls his frightened apprentice against him.
"Yer okay," he says soothingly Glitch's ear.
Mo strokes the boy's silky, ebony hair as the sound of thunder rumbles through the night. Calmed by his idol, Glitch slowly falls asleep. Mo watches over him, soothing him when he tosses or turns, caught in a nightmare. The sleeping prodigy relaxes after a while and Mo finds himself drifting off.
Morning comes and the dancers wake up to Mo's alarm. They rub sleep from their eyes before Mo leads Glitch upstairs to inspect the damage; there is none.
"Mo," Glitch says quietly.
"Yeah?" Mo replies.
"Do ya think I'll have school today?"
"Don't matter."
"What'cha mean?"
"It don't matter 'cause yer stayin' home."
"Why?"
"As good a time as any fer a break from school."
They find out, however, that school is cancelled anyway due to the loss of power throughout the area. They spend the day watching the news and learning of the extent of the damage that the tornado caused when it touched down a few miles away from where Glitch goes to school. Luckily, there were no lives lost in the event.
"Mo?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks fer not judgin' me."
"Everyone has fears. 'S aight to be afraid."
"What's your fear?"
Mo's chocolate eyes gaze into Glitch's emerald orbs.
"Losin' my closest friend and apprentice. I was scared last night, too, Glitch."
Glitch looks away as a light pink dusts his cheeks.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Wow."
"C'mon, let's practice a bit."
Glitch nods and helps Mo move things around so that there's more space for the pair to dance. Glitch finds that he appreciates Mo a little more, not many men are willing to admit that they're scared and the older male did. Mo has always been his idol and mentor but Glitch understands now, that they're friends too.
I'm not really sure how I feel about this one. I'm not really used to writing shorter short stories. Thoughts?