Thunderstorm

By Ms. Kinnikufan

Disclaimer: Characters owned by Pixar, "Kiss the Rain" song lyrics I think are owned by Billie Myers

November 15, 1998,

74 year old Scott Angierston stepped out on the porch during a thunderstorm.

Thunderstorms always made him think about Nick Thor, better known as the super called Thunderhead.

Every time he would come back, often beaten up, sometimes bleeding a little. But injured or not, Scott was always glad that he came back. You always want your loved ones to come back alive.

40 years ago to this day, he didn't come back. His cape had snagged on a missile instead.

Every super Thunderhead had known wish Scott sympathy. Scott especially appreciated Elasti-Girl's card: "Wishing sympathy on the death of your spouse ."

Even though Thunderhead and Scott could not legally be spouses (at least not then), he appreciated the acknowledgment that they were far more then roommates.

The only other person to acknowledge this was Gazerbeam, who helped prevent their children from being re-swallowed by foster care.

Of course to be fair, some of the other supers probably thought they really were just roommates.

They did a pretty good job at hiding it. They had to. The 1950's weren't exactly a period of love for same-sex couples. They slept in separate rooms, and they didn't even hold hands unless the kids were out of the house, it was really late at night, and all the binds and curtains were closed, they didn't even sit next to each other at the NSA picnics.

He wished Nick were still alive. It still wasn't "normal" to be gay, but in most states it was illegal for people to beat them up for holding hands. He also would have loved being a grandpa. They did have 5 kids, so there were many grandchildren.

Scott was suddenly aware of the wetness on his face. In the past he had waited for Nick to come home in all sorts of bad weather. Back then he had never felt the wetness of rain, the coldness of snow, or the chilly sharpness of hail because he was so impatient for Nick to return home safety.

Scott suddenly remembered a pop song that was popular last year. He couldn't name the artist (a one-hit wonder he guessed) but some of the lyrics came to mind.

"Kiss the rain, whenever you need me! Kiss the rain, when I'm gone too long! Keep in mine, we're under the same sky! And the night's as empty for me as for you!" Scott hummed/ sang off-tune.

The wetness on his face wasn't from the rain.

"Hello, do you miss me? I hear you say you do! But not the way I'm missing you!" It was ridiculous, but Scott couldn't help but picture Nick sitting on a storm cloud, listening to his off-key singing.

His grandson Spencer came out to the porch.

"Grandpa Scott, mom says you have to come back in now. She's worried about you getting pneumonia because you're old and old people get sick easier!"

Scott didn't budge.

"C'mon Grandpa Scott, getting sick really sucks even if you do get to stay home from school." Spencer tugged at Scott's sleeve.

"I miss you." Scott said to the rain.

"But Grandpa, I'm right here!" Spencer replied.

Notes: I made up Scott's last name and Thunderhead's real name.