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Description
The constant dripping of rivulets of water.
A loud crash, a sonic boom that sounds as if the heavens themselves are ripping to pieces.
Driving, pounding, headache-inducing sounds of water being forced down unto the earth at immeasurable speeds.
The sounds of storms are music to some people’s ears, a beautiful symphony of all of nature’s organic instruments. But to others, the sounds are sheer terror, the epitome of hell hath no fury. The pounding sound of rain and crashing cymbals of thunder combined with the cracking of lightning is enough to send people like me to a maddened frenzy, a state of complete helplessness.
Despite my cocky exterior, it is one of my flaws. I’d never let anyone see me with my guard down—or so utterly torn apart—of my own free will. I guess it was just chance, or some predetermined course of destiny, that Roxas happened to find my weakness.
We’d been enjoying each other’s company, the day yielding a sunny yet humid outlook. There was less than ten percent chance of rain, I saw on the weather widget on my homepage. I sighed in relief that morning, happy that Roxas and I could have a day out on the town free of my underlying anxiety of a storm. It was an OCD-like inhibition. I absolutely had to know if there was a chance of rain, especially thunderstorms, any place I went and at any time. If there was over 50% chance of precipitation, I wouldn’t take my chances: I’d reschedule and replan until my entire day was oriented on the predicted time of the rain. And even then, being inside didn’t do much to help.
We had been walking next to each other, laughing at the things that had happened in the previous week. I could feel the stress of the week rolling off my shoulders as steadily as the sweat in the sweltering midday sun as I talked to him. I wiped my forehead once, laughed at Roxas’ joke, and reflexively flicked my eyes at the sky for a split second. I could see a few clouds at the horizon, different from the white and fluffy ones that currently dominated. I shrugged it off, telling myself that they’d pass over in a few hours. I was determined that if I wished it enough, there would be no possibility of rain.
An hour later things were only looking worse. The clouds had encroached further upon the sky, and now were looking more menacing by the minute. They were tinted grey, a color that I highly disliked, especially when referring to any forms of weather. I winced once at the fleeting vision of incessant rain and the deafening boom of thunder…. No. I wouldn’t let myself think of that. Roxas and I hadn’t had any good quality time lately, what with work and everything busying our lives. Hell, we lived together and I didn’t even see my own boyfriend much. Such long days and neither of us barely had the energy to put together more than a basic account of our day. No, I wouldn’t let my childish fear of rain—rain, gosh darn it—ruin our perfect day. Nothing would.
Another half an hour and I had begun to grow frantic. If Roxas noticed he didn’t say anything. I tried to hide my panic, the skittishness that overcame me whenever I looked up. I could hear the distant rumblings of the thunder, and every one felt like a shock, setting my nerves on end. Freaking weatherman. Whoever predicted these days sucked. The only thing that kept me with Roxas was his cool hand on mine. He was a small oasis of calm amidst the approaching storm.
“Hey, you wanna head back soon? I’m starting to get kinda tired.” I hated to end the day so early and especially for such a stupid reason. It was barely 2:00, but at this point I didn’t know how much more I could take.
“Oh, okay,” He said. “If you’re getting tired we can go soon. But hey, I wanted to check out this one shop first. I heard it was great.” His head turned to mine and he squeezed my hand. A loving smile crossed his face, and it melted my heart into submission.
“Oh-okay, I’m sure I can survive through one more store.” I said, my voice softened despite my nerves. He had that effect on me.
“Great. I’ll only be fifteen minutes, okay?” He said. “If you don’t wanna come in, you can wait outside.” He’d already entered the shop. “Fifteen minutes!” He called from the doorframe before disappearing.
“Fifteen minutes,” I sighed, sinking to the ground with my back against the shop’s stone wall. “Dear God, please let the weather hold out until we get home. Amen.” I shut my eyes and tried to relax, imagining sunny days to calm myself down. It worked for a few minutes, but my island of calm was quickly drowned when I heard the first peal of thunder.
“Oh no,” I whispered, my eyes flickering open in a panic. “Oh no, no, no, no.” I felt the vibrations from the thunder shake the ground I sat on. My stomach twisted into a knot. When the second boom sounded precisely three minutes later, I put my head in between my legs, hoping somehow I could stop hearing. “C’mon, Rox, hurry?” I whispered, wishing he could hear me. I groaned and felt my lunch fighting its way up my throat as the third explosion of the sky shook me about fifty seconds afterwards. I threw an agonized glance at the shop Roxas continued to peruse, unaware of my peril. I almost walked in to get him, but reassured myself with the thought that he’d be done soon. I massaged my temples and looked at my surroundings. The street had almost entirely cleared off, the passersby seeking refuge from the unavoidable rain. It started suddenly, increasing in half a minute from spitting to pouring. The sky emptied its contents out in a huge roar, a bellow that made my very heart quake in my ribs. My mind was flooded only with the thoughts of escaping the noise. If I could just get to a sanctuary—somewhere out of the rain, warm, dry, and quiet…. I’d be okay…
I started to walk, wrenching myself out of my position on the ground and attempting to shield my face from the rain. I hated the feeling, water running through my hair, over my face, in my eyes and mouth as I huffed from my brisk jog. I broke into full-out running when another roar and a bolt of terrifying lightning lit up the sky. I shook my head with a whine, wishing it would all just go away. I slowed when I saw a small church in the park I had entered whilst running. I had contemplated entering one of the friendly-looking shops, but I knew I’d be a chicken and cry anyway. I didn’t want to do that in front of who-knows-how-many people. With a backwards glance I could see the town we’d been shopping in, but I could no longer spot the store I’d been waiting at. Though the church in front of me now was probably deserted, it, at least, was dry. I went over to the doors, and my heart sank as I saw the lock. I looked up to the heavens once more, and decided I wasn’t chancing any other shelter. I tugged a few times at the door, and then tensed my body as I determinedly kicked the handles of the huge wooden entrance. The lock gave way with a rusty creak and I gratefully pushed open the heavy door, using my weight as leverage. I didn’t even bother to close it behind me, just ran to the altar at the front. Another peal sounded as I crouched under the red fabric. I pulled the altar cloth close to me, swaddling myself and plugging my ears with my hands. I whimpered when the thunder sounded yet again, this time doubly as loud.
I sat there for a few minutes. The thunder didn’t go away, only increased in magnitude until I was curled into a crumpled ball underneath the altar. Above all of my pathetic moaning I heard a familiar sound, small compared to the weather. It took a moment for me to realize that my cell phone had miraculously survived the downpour and was now letting me know that I had an unread message in my inbox.
I flipped open my phone. It was from Roxas.

From: Roxas
R u ok? Where r u?
August 8, 2:37pm

I felt a sudden pang of guilt in my gut for leaving Roxas alone to worry about me. I pressed the OK button to reply to the text, but a twin cracking from the sky made me drop the phone before I could type anything. My hands shook as I watched the phone’s screen turn from lit to dark.
I shook helplessly, sobs overcoming my body. Why couldn’t it end? The horrible noise once again sent my heart into marathons, my eyes wrenching ever tighter at the lightening of the sky for a split second. The sky rumbled threateningly again in conjunction to the lightning. Now there was barely any time between the two phenomena. And over all the sickening sound of the rain pounded in the background.
Some time later, I heard a heavy creak and quiet footsteps. I could dispel the creak as the wind moving the door, but not the footsteps. Was it someone coming to pray in such a maelstrom? Could I not have my own place to cry like a little girl, if for just a while?
“Axel?” The voice was familiar, soft yet full of worry. I waited a second to be sure it was him, and knew it on the second calling of my name that it was indeed Roxas. “Axel, are you there?”
I wanted to jump out of my hiding place and hug him until the storm ended, wrapped in his warm arms, but another huge boom beat me into submission, lowering me to the ground once more. I curled up into an even tighter ball, a small whimper escaping my mouth.
“Is that you?” The voice got closer. I wanted so badly to answer, but as I opened my mouth I couldn’t manage coherent sounds. Sheer terror ripped through me as thunder once again cut through and beat out everything else.
“Axel?” I squinted as the lightning lit up his face for a moment. He was holding the cloth up, moisture slicking his golden blonde hair to his face. A look of relief only lasted for a second before a frown of worry overwhelmed his angelic features.
“Oh Jesus Christ, I’ve been looking for you forever,” He said, sitting down next to me. “Are you okay?”
I half-nodded, laying my head on his chest and wrapping my arms around him. I suddenly noticed how hot his skin felt. Had he been running too much?
“Holy crap, Axel, you’re freezing.” I felt his heated arms wind around my shoulders. “If you wear those wet clothes for much longer, you’re going to catch cold.”
Despite all of this, I managed to find a sense of humor. “I am not stripping for you in a church.” I almost laughed, and he did too, but an unexpected burst of thunder reduced me to whimpering baby once more.
“Aw, jeez Axel, you never told me you were afraid of storms,” He said, hugging me tighter. I felt his head lay on top of mine. “Is that why you ran off?”
I could only nod.
“And I texted you, and called you, like ten times. Why didn’t you—“ He then noticed the phone on the ground. “Oh. Is it really that bad?”
“Yeah,” I murmured. “The reason I never told you was because I turn into such a total loser when there’s a storm. I just—I thought if I was scared, you’d have a reason to be scared too. Plus, I’m used to getting through this kind of thing by myself.”
“Everyone’s scared of something, Axel. You know me, I get freaked out whenever I’m in a dark, closed space.” He paused for a moment. “And you don’t have to get through this kind of thing alone. We’re in this together.” His voice quieted for the next few minutes as tears welled up in my eyes, a wide smile cracking my face.
“I love you, Roxas.”
“I love you more, Axel.”
The storm, after nearly an hour, began to subside. I thanked whatever heavenly guardian that reigned who had decided to stop the rain. The only way I knew the storm was over was when Roxas’ hushed consolances had come to a stop, and I could no longer hear the rain. Our breathing was the only noise for a few minutes, until Roxas helped me up from my position on the floor. I suddenly realized the irony of the situation, that as I stood nearly a foot taller than him, he was the one who had helped me through my irrational, yet very real, fear of thunderstorms. I smiled down at him, and he returned the gesture to me, grabbing my hand and giving it a squeeze. Out of the blue I scooped him into an enormous hug, taking in the scent of his scalp.
“…Roxas, have you been stealing my got2bglued? Your hair smells good.”
He laughed. “Way to ruin the moment, Axel.”
“You still didn’t answer my question!”
“Alright, your answer is: maybe.” He wriggled out of my embrace and skipped playfully ahead of me.
I rolled my eyes with a smile. “Hey, that hair stuff is expensive!”
“Want it back? Catch me first!” He laughed, breaking into a run. I trotted after him as he lithely dodged my attempts to grab him. We were consumed by rounds of girlish giggles as we teased each other.
The sun had made its reappearance, the storm a mere memory of what it once was. I smiled, watching my boyfriend lovingly as he smiled hugely.
Roxas. My very own sun at the end of the storm.

Description
The constant dripping of rivulets of water.
A loud crash, a sonic boom that sounds as if the heavens themselves are ripping to pieces.
Driving, pounding, headache-inducing sounds of water being forced down unto the earth at immeasurable speeds.
The sounds of storms are music to some people’s ears, a beautiful symphony of all of nature’s organic instruments. But to others, the sounds are sheer terror, the epitome of hell hath no fury. The pounding sound of rain and crashing cymbals of thunder combined with the cracking of lightning is enough to send people like me to a maddened frenzy, a state of complete helplessness.
Despite my cocky exterior, it is one of my flaws. I’d never let anyone see me with my guard down—or so utterly torn apart—of my own free will. I guess it was just chance, or some predetermined course of destiny, that Roxas happened to find my weakness.
We’d been enjoying each other’s company, the day yielding a sunny yet humid outlook. There was less than ten percent chance of rain, I saw on the weather widget on my homepage. I sighed in relief that morning, happy that Roxas and I could have a day out on the town free of my underlying anxiety of a storm. It was an OCD-like inhibition. I absolutely had to know if there was a chance of rain, especially thunderstorms, any place I went and at any time. If there was over 50% chance of precipitation, I wouldn’t take my chances: I’d reschedule and replan until my entire day was oriented on the predicted time of the rain. And even then, being inside didn’t do much to help.
We had been walking next to each other, laughing at the things that had happened in the previous week. I could feel the stress of the week rolling off my shoulders as steadily as the sweat in the sweltering midday sun as I talked to him. I wiped my forehead once, laughed at Roxas’ joke, and reflexively flicked my eyes at the sky for a split second. I could see a few clouds at the horizon, different from the white and fluffy ones that currently dominated. I shrugged it off, telling myself that they’d pass over in a few hours. I was determined that if I wished it enough, there would be no possibility of rain.
An hour later things were only looking worse. The clouds had encroached further upon the sky, and now were looking more menacing by the minute. They were tinted grey, a color that I highly disliked, especially when referring to any forms of weather. I winced once at the fleeting vision of incessant rain and the deafening boom of thunder…. No. I wouldn’t let myself think of that. Roxas and I hadn’t had any good quality time lately, what with work and everything busying our lives. Hell, we lived together and I didn’t even see my own boyfriend much. Such long days and neither of us barely had the energy to put together more than a basic account of our day. No, I wouldn’t let my childish fear of rain—rain, gosh darn it—ruin our perfect day. Nothing would.
Another half an hour and I had begun to grow frantic. If Roxas noticed he didn’t say anything. I tried to hide my panic, the skittishness that overcame me whenever I looked up. I could hear the distant rumblings of the thunder, and every one felt like a shock, setting my nerves on end. Freaking weatherman. Whoever predicted these days sucked. The only thing that kept me with Roxas was his cool hand on mine. He was a small oasis of calm amidst the approaching storm.
“Hey, you wanna head back soon? I’m starting to get kinda tired.” I hated to end the day so early and especially for such a stupid reason. It was barely 2:00, but at this point I didn’t know how much more I could take.
“Oh, okay,” He said. “If you’re getting tired we can go soon. But hey, I wanted to check out this one shop first. I heard it was great.” His head turned to mine and he squeezed my hand. A loving smile crossed his face, and it melted my heart into submission.
“Oh-okay, I’m sure I can survive through one more store.” I said, my voice softened despite my nerves. He had that effect on me.
“Great. I’ll only be fifteen minutes, okay?” He said. “If you don’t wanna come in, you can wait outside.” He’d already entered the shop. “Fifteen minutes!” He called from the doorframe before disappearing.
“Fifteen minutes,” I sighed, sinking to the ground with my back against the shop’s stone wall. “Dear God, please let the weather hold out until we get home. Amen.” I shut my eyes and tried to relax, imagining sunny days to calm myself down. It worked for a few minutes, but my island of calm was quickly drowned when I heard the first peal of thunder.
“Oh no,” I whispered, my eyes flickering open in a panic. “Oh no, no, no, no.” I felt the vibrations from the thunder shake the ground I sat on. My stomach twisted into a knot. When the second boom sounded precisely three minutes later, I put my head in between my legs, hoping somehow I could stop hearing. “C’mon, Rox, hurry?” I whispered, wishing he could hear me. I groaned and felt my lunch fighting its way up my throat as the third explosion of the sky shook me about fifty seconds afterwards. I threw an agonized glance at the shop Roxas continued to peruse, unaware of my peril. I almost walked in to get him, but reassured myself with the thought that he’d be done soon. I massaged my temples and looked at my surroundings. The street had almost entirely cleared off, the passersby seeking refuge from the unavoidable rain. It started suddenly, increasing in half a minute from spitting to pouring. The sky emptied its contents out in a huge roar, a bellow that made my very heart quake in my ribs. My mind was flooded only with the thoughts of escaping the noise. If I could just get to a sanctuary—somewhere out of the rain, warm, dry, and quiet…. I’d be okay…
I started to walk, wrenching myself out of my position on the ground and attempting to shield my face from the rain. I hated the feeling, water running through my hair, over my face, in my eyes and mouth as I huffed from my brisk jog. I broke into full-out running when another roar and a bolt of terrifying lightning lit up the sky. I shook my head with a whine, wishing it would all just go away. I slowed when I saw a small church in the park I had entered whilst running. I had contemplated entering one of the friendly-looking shops, but I knew I’d be a chicken and cry anyway. I didn’t want to do that in front of who-knows-how-many people. With a backwards glance I could see the town we’d been shopping in, but I could no longer spot the store I’d been waiting at. Though the church in front of me now was probably deserted, it, at least, was dry. I went over to the doors, and my heart sank as I saw the lock. I looked up to the heavens once more, and decided I wasn’t chancing any other shelter. I tugged a few times at the door, and then tensed my body as I determinedly kicked the handles of the huge wooden entrance. The lock gave way with a rusty creak and I gratefully pushed open the heavy door, using my weight as leverage. I didn’t even bother to close it behind me, just ran to the altar at the front. Another peal sounded as I crouched under the red fabric. I pulled the altar cloth close to me, swaddling myself and plugging my ears with my hands. I whimpered when the thunder sounded yet again, this time doubly as loud.
I sat there for a few minutes. The thunder didn’t go away, only increased in magnitude until I was curled into a crumpled ball underneath the altar. Above all of my pathetic moaning I heard a familiar sound, small compared to the weather. It took a moment for me to realize that my cell phone had miraculously survived the downpour and was now letting me know that I had an unread message in my inbox.
I flipped open my phone. It was from Roxas.

From: Roxas
R u ok? Where r u?
August 8, 2:37pm

I felt a sudden pang of guilt in my gut for leaving Roxas alone to worry about me. I pressed the OK button to reply to the text, but a twin cracking from the sky made me drop the phone before I could type anything. My hands shook as I watched the phone’s screen turn from lit to dark.
I shook helplessly, sobs overcoming my body. Why couldn’t it end? The horrible noise once again sent my heart into marathons, my eyes wrenching ever tighter at the lightening of the sky for a split second. The sky rumbled threateningly again in conjunction to the lightning. Now there was barely any time between the two phenomena. And over all the sickening sound of the rain pounded in the background.
Some time later, I heard a heavy creak and quiet footsteps. I could dispel the creak as the wind moving the door, but not the footsteps. Was it someone coming to pray in such a maelstrom? Could I not have my own place to cry like a little girl, if for just a while?
“Axel?” The voice was familiar, soft yet full of worry. I waited a second to be sure it was him, and knew it on the second calling of my name that it was indeed Roxas. “Axel, are you there?”
I wanted to jump out of my hiding place and hug him until the storm ended, wrapped in his warm arms, but another huge boom beat me into submission, lowering me to the ground once more. I curled up into an even tighter ball, a small whimper escaping my mouth.
“Is that you?” The voice got closer. I wanted so badly to answer, but as I opened my mouth I couldn’t manage coherent sounds. Sheer terror ripped through me as thunder once again cut through and beat out everything else.
“Axel?” I squinted as the lightning lit up his face for a moment. He was holding the cloth up, moisture slicking his golden blonde hair to his face. A look of relief only lasted for a second before a frown of worry overwhelmed his angelic features.
“Oh Jesus Christ, I’ve been looking for you forever,” He said, sitting down next to me. “Are you okay?”
I half-nodded, laying my head on his chest and wrapping my arms around him. I suddenly noticed how hot his skin felt. Had he been running too much?
“Holy crap, Axel, you’re freezing.” I felt his heated arms wind around my shoulders. “If you wear those wet clothes for much longer, you’re going to catch cold.”
Despite all of this, I managed to find a sense of humor. “I am not stripping for you in a church.” I almost laughed, and he did too, but an unexpected burst of thunder reduced me to whimpering baby once more.
“Aw, jeez Axel, you never told me you were afraid of storms,” He said, hugging me tighter. I felt his head lay on top of mine. “Is that why you ran off?”
I could only nod.
“And I texted you, and called you, like ten times. Why didn’t you—“ He then noticed the phone on the ground. “Oh. Is it really that bad?”
“Yeah,” I murmured. “The reason I never told you was because I turn into such a total loser when there’s a storm. I just—I thought if I was scared, you’d have a reason to be scared too. Plus, I’m used to getting through this kind of thing by myself.”
“Everyone’s scared of something, Axel. You know me, I get freaked out whenever I’m in a dark, closed space.” He paused for a moment. “And you don’t have to get through this kind of thing alone. We’re in this together.” His voice quieted for the next few minutes as tears welled up in my eyes, a wide smile cracking my face.
“I love you, Roxas.”
“I love you more, Axel.”
The storm, after nearly an hour, began to subside. I thanked whatever heavenly guardian that reigned who had decided to stop the rain. The only way I knew the storm was over was when Roxas’ hushed consolances had come to a stop, and I could no longer hear the rain. Our breathing was the only noise for a few minutes, until Roxas helped me up from my position on the floor. I suddenly realized the irony of the situation, that as I stood nearly a foot taller than him, he was the one who had helped me through my irrational, yet very real, fear of thunderstorms. I smiled down at him, and he returned the gesture to me, grabbing my hand and giving it a squeeze. Out of the blue I scooped him into an enormous hug, taking in the scent of his scalp.
“…Roxas, have you been stealing my got2bglued? Your hair smells good.”
He laughed. “Way to ruin the moment, Axel.”
“You still didn’t answer my question!”
“Alright, your answer is: maybe.” He wriggled out of my embrace and skipped playfully ahead of me.
I rolled my eyes with a smile. “Hey, that hair stuff is expensive!”
“Want it back? Catch me first!” He laughed, breaking into a run. I trotted after him as he lithely dodged my attempts to grab him. We were consumed by rounds of girlish giggles as we teased each other.
The sun had made its reappearance, the storm a mere memory of what it once was. I smiled, watching my boyfriend lovingly as he smiled hugely.
Roxas. My very own sun at the end of the storm.