Flash and Clap (Two Brothers)
Disclaimer: Well, the boys still aren't mine. However if anyone is interested, I'm currently working on a kidnapping scheme. Until then, I own nothing.
A/N: This is the original version of "Lightning and Thunder" so the start of it is the same, but it breaks off into it's own story in due time.
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Sodapop Curtis awoke with a start as a loud boom sent tremors through the small house, rattling his nerves as well as the lumpy double mattress he shared with his kid brother Ponyboy. A flash of light quickly followed by another bed-shaking boom brought about the realization of why he had woken up. With the knowledge that it was merely a thunderstorm, the sixteen-year old was content with going back to sleep when he noticed the bed continued to shake even after the roar of thunder had subsided. The small room was illuminated for a brief second as another blinding bolt of lightning flashed, the light allowed Soda to make out the trembling from of his brother before it was replaced by another earth-splitting crack of thunder
"Hey Ponyboy, you scared of a little noise?" He asked rolling over and slinging an arm across Pony's huddled body.
"I ain't scared." He replied unconvincingly as he melted against the protection his brother offered.
"Sure." Soda murmured into Pony's soft hair but tightened his grip nonetheless. Another white flash followed by a window-rattling clap of thunder had him smiling against the back of the younger boy's neck.
"What've you got to be smiling about?" Ponyboy couldn't understand what about the sky being ripped apart and thrown down on their heads could make his brother grin.
"Be quiet and I'll tell you a story." Soda licked his lips and began, "A long time ago, back when the world was still new, there were two brothers." When his father had told him this story when he was a young boy, it had been about a father and son but he decided it would work better if it were about two brothers. "Now these brothers, they lived in the sky. The younger one hardly ever listened so he would wind up in all kinds of trouble and had some tough times to go through. But no matter how hard life got, he would make it through just fine 'cause he had an older brother who'd always look after him." He paused as another clap of thunder shook the room. He leaned in until his lips were almost brushing Pony's ear. "Always." Settling back onto the pillows, he continued. "This older brother knew when the younger one needed him most. Whenever the little brother was in trouble, he would send a great flash across the sky and the other one would let him know he was there with a booming clap."
"What's he got to be so loud for?" Pony winced at another boom.
"Well, it's'cause that's his little brother and he's got to make sure he hears him wherever he is and knows that he's there for him." Soda unconsciously pulled Pony closer before continuing. "You can tell how much trouble the younger one's gotten himself into by how much time there is before the older brother responds. When there's a flash and the clap comes after it real quick, that means he really needs help and needs to know his brother's there for him. When there's some time in between the flash and clap, trouble's moving out and the brother's are going to be OK." A flash lit up the room. "One-one thousand, two-one thousand," Soda quietly counted until the thunder cut him off. "C'mon Pone, count with me next time. When you can make it all the way to ten-one thousands, you know the trouble is gone."
So the brothers lay there counting in quiet unison the seconds between the flash and clap until they could successfully reach ten-one thousand and only hear a distant rumble and then silence.
"Soda?" Pony murmured, his voice thick and drowsy.
"Mmhmm?" He replied his eyelids drooping as he leaned his head against his brother's shoulder.
"You're my thunder." Pony whispered before he gave into a sleep so deep he didn't feel Soda's face lifting with a smile.