Status: Completed.
Get Out Alive
1 / 1
There weren’t many things that scared Zack. Spiders creeped him out, snakes made his skin crawl. He didn’t fear clowns, or beasts in his closet. You could take him to a haunted house in the middle of a forest, and he’d happily go inside.
There was only one thing that truly scared Zack, and that was thunderstorms.
It was an embarrassing fear, something that shouldn’t plague a seventeen-year-old. But, when the clouds became dark, and the thunder and lightening rolled, Zack was reduced to a quivering mess.
Not many knew of Zack’s fear. It wasn’t something he shared. His friends would never let him live it down, and his parents thought he’d overcome the fear. Really, only one person knew of Zack’s fear, and that was his best friend, Brian.
Zack had grown up with Brian, and they shared nearly everything. He knew his secret was safe with Brian.
--
It was a Friday night, the weather threatening a massive storm. Most teenagers ignored the weather, and partied. One of Zack’s friends, Matt, was holding a party at his place, his parents at his cousin’s wedding. Zack, of course, had been invited, but chose to stay in. There was no way that he was going out while a storm brewed above the town.
Instead of joining the drunken fest with the rest of his friends, Zack stayed at home, reading a book for his English class.
Like Matt’s parents, Zack’s folks were at a wedding. The same wedding, in fact. Any other time, Zack would have liked to have the house to himself, but all he really wanted then was to have some company.
It was just passed ten when the storm hit. Zack had finished the book by then. At the first roll of thunder, Zack had forgotten about the movie he was watching. He curled up on his bed, a pillow held over his head. He knew how pathetic he looked, but, as his heart hammered in his chest, Zack really couldn’t care less.
As the storm worsened through the night, Zack hid himself beneath the doona on his bed.
Nearing midnight, there was a knock at Zack’s window. He only peeked his head out from beneath the blanket, before ripping the blanket over his head again as a roll of thunder sounded.
The window opened and closed, footsteps sounding through the room. Zack’s muscles clenched, but relaxed when the doona was lifted, and a body slipped underneath, behind Zack.
‘You okay?’ A smooth voice asked, the stench of alcohol wafting through the self-made cave. A pair of well muscled arms wrapped around Zack, holding his quivering body.
‘Yeah,’ Zack whispered, his body melting in with Brian’s. In those arms, he felt safe. In those arms, nothing could touch him.
‘Bullshit,’ Brian laughed softly, holding Zack tighter. He buried his nose in Zack’s hair, breathing in Zack’s natural scent.
Another roll of thunder sounded, a flash of lightening cracking through the sky seconds later. Zack jumped, head butting Brian.
Brian groaned, and unwrapped one arm from Zack’s body to hold his aching face. He laughed, while Zack apologized profusely. He turned in Brian’s hold, facing his friend.
‘I’m sorry; I didn’t mean it,’ Zack whispered, jumping again when another crack sounded through the atmosphere.
‘It’s okay, Z. S’not your fault,’ Brian spoke, holding Zack again. Zack gripped the front of Brian’s shirt as he wedged his face in between Brian’s shoulder and neck.
‘Go to sleep, Z. Let the storm pass,’ Brian whispered, caressing the back of Zack’s head.
--
Throughout the night, Zack passed in and out of sleep; his body jolting with each roll of thunder. Brian, who rarely slept on the nights he spent with Zack, just lulled the younger boy back to sleep.
Brian waited out the storm, his exhausted body begging for sleep. He wouldn’t give in, though. The one time he’d fallen asleep with Zack during a storm was the last. Zack had freaked out when Brian hadn’t been awake to lull him back to a calm enough state to sleep. Not only had Brian suffered from a serious case of crushed balls, but he’d also witnessed the demolished state of Zack when he was truly scared. The boy had tried to wake Brian, and, when he was unable to wake his friend, he’d crawled into the closet; the only safe place he knew. When Brian had woken the next morning, he’d found Zack curled in the corner of the closet, his body locked, and shaking.
So, Brian fought the sleep that wanted to come crashing down on him, holding Zack tighter each time he woke.
--
When morning came, Brian finally allowed himself to sleep. The storm had passed just as the sun began to rise; only rain falling from the sky.
Zack woke not long after Brian had dropped, his body still locked in Brian’s arms. The storm had passed, and Zack felt much more relaxed than he had the night before.
Zack lay with Brian, stroking his hair as he slept peacefully.
Brian may have been an arsehole when he was with his friends, but when Zack was in need, Brian was the most selfless person around; willing to give up his night of partying to be with his friend in his weakest moment.
There was only one thing that truly scared Zack, and that was thunderstorms.
It was an embarrassing fear, something that shouldn’t plague a seventeen-year-old. But, when the clouds became dark, and the thunder and lightening rolled, Zack was reduced to a quivering mess.
Not many knew of Zack’s fear. It wasn’t something he shared. His friends would never let him live it down, and his parents thought he’d overcome the fear. Really, only one person knew of Zack’s fear, and that was his best friend, Brian.
Zack had grown up with Brian, and they shared nearly everything. He knew his secret was safe with Brian.
--
It was a Friday night, the weather threatening a massive storm. Most teenagers ignored the weather, and partied. One of Zack’s friends, Matt, was holding a party at his place, his parents at his cousin’s wedding. Zack, of course, had been invited, but chose to stay in. There was no way that he was going out while a storm brewed above the town.
Instead of joining the drunken fest with the rest of his friends, Zack stayed at home, reading a book for his English class.
Like Matt’s parents, Zack’s folks were at a wedding. The same wedding, in fact. Any other time, Zack would have liked to have the house to himself, but all he really wanted then was to have some company.
It was just passed ten when the storm hit. Zack had finished the book by then. At the first roll of thunder, Zack had forgotten about the movie he was watching. He curled up on his bed, a pillow held over his head. He knew how pathetic he looked, but, as his heart hammered in his chest, Zack really couldn’t care less.
As the storm worsened through the night, Zack hid himself beneath the doona on his bed.
Nearing midnight, there was a knock at Zack’s window. He only peeked his head out from beneath the blanket, before ripping the blanket over his head again as a roll of thunder sounded.
The window opened and closed, footsteps sounding through the room. Zack’s muscles clenched, but relaxed when the doona was lifted, and a body slipped underneath, behind Zack.
‘You okay?’ A smooth voice asked, the stench of alcohol wafting through the self-made cave. A pair of well muscled arms wrapped around Zack, holding his quivering body.
‘Yeah,’ Zack whispered, his body melting in with Brian’s. In those arms, he felt safe. In those arms, nothing could touch him.
‘Bullshit,’ Brian laughed softly, holding Zack tighter. He buried his nose in Zack’s hair, breathing in Zack’s natural scent.
Another roll of thunder sounded, a flash of lightening cracking through the sky seconds later. Zack jumped, head butting Brian.
Brian groaned, and unwrapped one arm from Zack’s body to hold his aching face. He laughed, while Zack apologized profusely. He turned in Brian’s hold, facing his friend.
‘I’m sorry; I didn’t mean it,’ Zack whispered, jumping again when another crack sounded through the atmosphere.
‘It’s okay, Z. S’not your fault,’ Brian spoke, holding Zack again. Zack gripped the front of Brian’s shirt as he wedged his face in between Brian’s shoulder and neck.
‘Go to sleep, Z. Let the storm pass,’ Brian whispered, caressing the back of Zack’s head.
--
Throughout the night, Zack passed in and out of sleep; his body jolting with each roll of thunder. Brian, who rarely slept on the nights he spent with Zack, just lulled the younger boy back to sleep.
Brian waited out the storm, his exhausted body begging for sleep. He wouldn’t give in, though. The one time he’d fallen asleep with Zack during a storm was the last. Zack had freaked out when Brian hadn’t been awake to lull him back to a calm enough state to sleep. Not only had Brian suffered from a serious case of crushed balls, but he’d also witnessed the demolished state of Zack when he was truly scared. The boy had tried to wake Brian, and, when he was unable to wake his friend, he’d crawled into the closet; the only safe place he knew. When Brian had woken the next morning, he’d found Zack curled in the corner of the closet, his body locked, and shaking.
So, Brian fought the sleep that wanted to come crashing down on him, holding Zack tighter each time he woke.
--
When morning came, Brian finally allowed himself to sleep. The storm had passed just as the sun began to rise; only rain falling from the sky.
Zack woke not long after Brian had dropped, his body still locked in Brian’s arms. The storm had passed, and Zack felt much more relaxed than he had the night before.
Zack lay with Brian, stroking his hair as he slept peacefully.
Brian may have been an arsehole when he was with his friends, but when Zack was in need, Brian was the most selfless person around; willing to give up his night of partying to be with his friend in his weakest moment.
♠ ♠ ♠
Short and sweet.