Fear and Love (Zayne)

It was a quiet afternoon, and Zayne was reading his newfound book on psychological brain matter (don't question it), and I was focused on the new video game Zayne bought me a few weeks ago. I have noticed Zayne watching me play the game, though, he seemed to be more interested in the characters and play than the boring book he got. 

"Don't forget about the mushroom box there," Zayne chimed in. I looked at him for a moment, laughing slightly and listening to his advice. "Why are you laughing?" Zayne placed his book down, sitting up to be right next to me, and slightly nudged my arm to mess with me. 

"Nothing, just funny that Doctor Zayne is more interested in a video game than a book." I chuckled softly. Zayne placed his arm over me, his hand on my shoulder, far from him, and he watched as I almost got defeated by a goomba. 

After just a couple of minutes and a level completed, outside the house was a loud thundering sound. My spine instantly covered in goosebumps, and my heart pounding in fear. Thundering sounds mean there is lightning, and where there is lightning is a rainstorm. My worst nightmare since childhood. Zayne stood up, took the controller from me, and turned off my game after he also heard the thunder. I didn't bother to really pay attention to him, morely just hugged a couch cushion to hide my face in and keep my body well squeezed to keep myself calm. My heart was pounding, almost escaping my chest by just how hard it was pounding. From afar, I heard a slight flick of the lights being turned off, making me peek in curiosity to see Zayne turning off the last of the lights and turning on the flashlight. 

"What are you doing?" My voice shook. 

"Preparing for when the storm hits. It's best to turn off the lights before the power goes out, and our bedroom is already set up for us to hide in." He answered, walking over and offering me his hand. "Shall we?" While reaching for his hand, another roar of thunder was louder and a lot closer. My body jumped in fear, instantly rushing to hold onto Zayne as tight as I could. Zayne held me close, picking me up and carrying me to the bedroom. I was hiding my face on his chest, shaking like a chihuahua, and I almost felt like crying. 

The reason for my panicking during a silly rainstorm was an event that happened as a child. Grandma and I were stranded after heading home from the vacation home on the other side of the mountains, and we were walking in the pouring rain to the nearest gas station. With only a flashlight for us to see, Grandma was startled by the thunder, and she slipped into the ditch, pulling me with her. We were stuck in the ditch until morning, Grandma almost caught hypothermia, and each loud noise from the lightning and thunder would always make me remember that day. I remember waking up in the hospital, shaking from the fear still imprinted in my mind, and I haven't wanted to leave Grandma's presence until just months later, with therapy. 

Zayne carefully placed noise-canceling headphones over my ears, wrapping myself in a blanket, and he held me close while we were under a tiny fort he made with pillows and blankets. There were battery-powered lanterns for us to see better in the fort, a few books that seemed to be something for Zayne to read, and a portable battery for our phones to be charged with. I looked at Zayne, watching him lie my body against his chest and grab a book for him to pass the time. One of his hands rubbed my arm softly while the other held his book like no problem. My face felt warm from his nice gesture, feeling the rumbles of the thunder and the noise being completely blocked out by the headphones. I smiled softly, closing my eyes and allowing my mind to wander into unconsciousness. 

Hours go by, and the storm passes quietly while I sleep with Zayne. When I woke up, I sat up to the sight of Zayne sleeping soundly, leaning against the wall for his body to be my bed. My face felt warm, moved by the nice gesture Zayne did for me, carefully waking him up. His sheepish eyes opened, his voice softly humming like he was asking a question. 

"Thank you for last night," I took off the headphones and set them down beside us. "I didn't mean to pass out, but it was honestly peaceful." Zayne fixed his posture, rubbing his eyes to wake himself up more. 

"I should have prepared better, so you didn't hear it coming. But I'm glad I was able to shield you for the rest of it." He gently petted my head, smiling softly. 

"Don't say that, not everyone will always be prepared for a rainstorm." I blushed slightly at his hand on my head, holding his other hand with mine. "I'm lucky to have you as my protector." Zayne's cheeks turned slightly red, leaning close to my face, and he gently kissed the tip of my nose. 

"I'll always protect you, Melody."