A low, loud rumble pulled Gordon from his already restless sleep—the first real rest he had been able to get in the days past.
Things had been relatively calm in White Forest since the Resistance had managed to sever the Combine's off-world communications—so much so that Barney had finally been able to put Gordon at ease, somewhat. He coaxed him out of the HEV suit, and even got him to relent his weapons as well, but not without letting him keep his crowbar as a compromise.
So, needless to say, being awoken by a sound so loud it rattled the metal of his bed frame had him sitting upright immediately. He fumbled around in the dark for his glasses and the aforementioned crowbar he kept at his bedside, before throwing his blankets aside and rolling out of bed.
He almost ended up throwing himself to the floor. He felt lighter than he was used to. Bringing his free hand to his chest, he could actually feel his own touch, causing a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He wasn't wearing the HEV anymore.
Dammit. He knew this was going to happen. He shouldn't have let Barney convince him otherwise, but his argument had been hard to refute when he had held him close, gently reassuring Gordon that he and everyone else was safe here.
Brain muddled with sleep, he desperately tried to gather his wits about him as he stepped out of his room and into the hall. He expected to be met with panic, but the hallway was startlingly quiet. The only sign of life was the quietly echoing footsteps of a Resistance member further down, her back to him. She was armed but didn't appear to have any sort of urgency or panic about her. He briefly considered trying to get her attention, but the probability that she didn't know any sign was too high. The time it would take for the both of them to puzzle their way through that conversation was more than Gordon could afford to lose. Did she even know what was going on? Did anyone?
If that was the case, he needed to find Barney, now. Gordon may be The One Free Man but he was admittedly not the most proficient at giving orders. Barney, on the other hand, was a field commander for a reason. Gordon needed to tell him what was going on, and more importantly, to make sure he was alright. He headed towards the other end of the hall and turned a corner, stopping in front of Barney's door.
He got no response from his first frantic knock. However, his second attempt was more successful, as there was more urgency behind it. He breathed a sigh of relief when he finally saw a bit of light seep out from beneath the door.
"I'm coming, I'm coming. Hold your horses." He heard a tired, somewhat annoyed voice say from inside. When Barney opened the door, said annoyance was evident on his face. The older man glared at Gordon for a moment, bleary-eyed. He blinked a few times in an attempt to restore clarity to his vision. When he properly made out the person in front of him, any previous annoyance was replaced with concern. "Gordon?" Barney looked him up and down for a moment, noticing he had the crowbar with him. "What's wrong?"
"S-T-R-I-D-E-R." He frantically spelled. Barney watched with scrutiny, making sure he made out each letter correctly.
"Strider?" Barney repeated questioningly for confirmation and in hopes of prompting an explanation. Gordon nodded.
"It woke me up. I can't be the only one that heard it."
"Gordon, if Striders were anywhere near here, everyone would be on high alert by now. I'm not sure what you heard but it wasn't Combine."
Just then, the sound boomed again. Gordon could feel the tremors it sent through the floor. He flinched violently, staggering back and quickly looking around, scanning for a threat that wasn't there. "Woah! Take it easy there, Gordon. You're alright. It's just a storm, that's all." Gordon regarded him questioningly, eyes wild. "Here, listen." Barney stepped out of his room and into the hall where Gordon pensively stood. He put one hand on his shoulder and the other around the wrist that was gripping the crowbar. They both stood there in silence until another roll of thunder sounded. Gordon flinched again, seeming as if he was going to move away from Barney, but he stayed. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment until the sound passed. When he opened them again, he looked more lucid but still uneasy. Barney let go of him and stepped away, giving him some space.
Gordon avoided his gaze sheepishly. He just now realized how ridiculous he must look. Here he was, standing at Barney's door, crowbar in hand, having just woken him up in the middle of the night because he was afraid of a thunderstorm like a child. "I'm sorry." He signed, keeping his head low, ashamed.
"Now, Doc, you know there's no need for that." He gently returned his hand to Gordon's shoulder, ushering him into his room. "Come on. And give me that thing. Keep trying to tell you, you don't need it anymore." Gordon looked down at the crowbar in his hand.
"Makes me feel safe." He still kept his eyes downcast. Barney sighed, sympathetic.
"I know it does but you're not gonna need it tonight." Barney took the crowbar, eliciting a quiet noise of protest from the other man but he didn't fight him, letting the tool slip from his grip. "I promise," Barney assured him, propping it up on the wall by the door.
Another louder rumble of thunder sent a spike of fear through him. He let out a whimper, folding in on himself and falling to his knees. He brought his hands to his face, trying to hide tears of frustration he couldn't hold back. He felt pathetic. Something as harmless as a thunderstorm crippled him with fear. Every loud roar sent his mind plummeting back into that adrenaline-filled terror, Strider blasts and gunfire ringing in his ears.
Barney knelt down beside him, hands hovering, afraid that if he were to touch Gordon while he was in this state it would just send him further into his spiral. "Gordon? I'm right here, Gordon, stay with me." He was trying to keep his voice level, failing to keep the tremor out of it.
"Barney, please make it stop."
"I would if I could, darlin', believe me. C'mere." He held his arms open, inviting Gordon into an embrace should he want it. Gordon quickly threw himself into his arms, clinging to Barney as if his life depended on it. He was shaking like a leaf. Thunder sounded again and a sob escaped him. He just clung to Barney tighter. Barney rocked him back and forth gently, rubbing circles into his back as he cried.
Barney couldn't help but curse the weather, as good of a fortune as it was. Rain had gotten so scarce over the years that to get a few drops was a miracle. Now he only willed it away for the sake of the terrified man in his arms.
Gordon eventually slumped against him, having tired himself out, his cries dissolving into small sounds and occasional sniffles.
"It's alright, Gordon. You're gonna be alright." He pulled back from him for a moment, cupping the side of his face. "What do you say we go back to bed, huh?" Gordon blinked away any remaining tears before nodding. The younger man wiped his eyes and took Barney's hand. Barney helped him to his feet and led him over to his bed, letting Gordon climb in first before getting in himself. Barney had barely settled before Gordon was clinging to him again, tucking his head under Barney's chin and burying his face in his chest. Barney readily wrapped his arms around him, humming to him softly. It wasn't long before he felt Gordon's breathing even out as he slipped into a much-needed rest, deep and unplagued and safe.
Barney followed not too long after, lulled to sleep by the sound of the other man's gentle breaths and the rain hitting the roof of the base.