For the kind DiphylleiaHeart ! I loved this idea so much! I'm so sorry you had to wait so long, dear. I intended this to take place during the early Mudcrutch years, if you wanted some context!
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Anxiety built up in your chest as you watched the rain patter rhythmically on the living room window. The sky had clouded up, fit for bursting, and a few strikes of lightning lit up the sky. Florida storms weren't foreign to you, as you had lived here all your life. The thing that did unsettle you was the noise.
You had always hated thunderstorms ever since you were a little child clinging to your mother's skirts. Loud noises of any kind startled you, and you thought it had a lot to do with your father's boomimg baritone voice as he shouted at you and your mother over the dinner table and in restaurants and... everywhere. His voice would shake you to your core, causing you to seize up and cease to function, ears ringing and begging for the sounds
to stop.
Thunder reminded you a lot like your father. It always did.
So you couldn't help but clutch at the window sill, chewing at your lower lip and praying for it to go away. Maybe this wouldn't be a thunderstorm at all. Maybe the weathermen had overexaggerated. But you knew deep down that they were right and there was no stopping Mother Nature. Your knuckles grew white as they clasped the scuffed wood as an ominous rumble rolled over the hills.
It was coming.
God, it was coming. Where was Tom?
He had been due home half an hour ago from his dead-end job at Junior's Swamp. You hoped he hadn't been bit by some snake or fallen off the boat and been eaten up by some gator. Tom did have the habit of tripping over his own feet, and you wouldn't be surprised if he flipped the boat over in his excitement over an alligator getting too close for comfort.
Another warning ripple of thunder echoed across the sky, but this time it was louder than the first. You flinched backwards from the window, stumbling into the couch. A few more claps of thunder followed, eliciting a gasp and pitiful whimper from you. It made your heart clench up in your chest as the beginnings of a panic attack started to take hold of you.
"Tom," you whispered, collapsing on top of the couch. You could feel your chest heaving panicked breaths each time a rumble of thunder rattled the shudders. "C'mon Tom."
As the sounds grew more overwhelming, you found yourself scrambling for the quilt – for something to wrap around your head to block out the noise. It only worked so well, and you were still trembling each time the walls shuddered around you and the rain poured harder and harder upon the roof.
Endless worries ran circles through your head. Would this be a hurricane? Would the house flood out? Where would you go? Was Tom safe? Where was Tom?
You sighed shakily, squeezing the quilt harder against your ears. Tears burned at the corners of your eyes as you tried to stave off a full-blown breakdown. The storm just kept getting louder and louder and louder until the sheer anxiety of it all took over your body. You were left fretting, body seized up and watching the steadily darkening window with Tom's name on your lips like a prayer. Eventually, you grew so upset that your body simply shut down, and you slowly fell asleep.
The sound of wheels crunching against gravel stirred you awake from your dreamless sleep. You were shivering, your hair a mess as you laid around a strewn quilt. Rain could still be heard falling, but it seemed that the thunder had let up for the time being. Lifting your head, you watched the door with interest.
Soon it flung open with a gust of rain, bringing with it a soaking Tom. He was dripping water everywhere, shrugging off his worn coat at the door and shaking his long blond hair out of his face. It had gone a brown color from the wet, drooping in stringy strands over his sleepy blue eyes. He fixated immediately on your worn form on the couch, hurrying over.
"Baby – you awright?" Tom was at your side before you could blink, long fingers fluttering at your face where your tears had formed sticky trails down your cheeks. "Yer cryin' – you – what happened?"
You felt so guilty having Tom tend to you in his work clothes all muddied and heavy with rainwater. He was so worried, pressing his chilled arms to your back as he wrapped you up close to his bony chest. You squirmed at the unpleasant feeling of his cold clothes, forcing out a small giggle as his ticklish hair fell on your face.
"Tom!" You cried, wrapping your arms around his neck. "I was so worried about you with the... y'know." You didn't bear to say the word lest it bring the storm on again full-force.
"The storm," Tom said in realization. "I'm so sorry honey, I came as quick as I could."
"That's okay." You nestled into his neck. "You're cold."
"Cold and sick and tired," Tom bemoaned. "Glad to be home."
You stroked the back of Tom's head for a few minutes, relishing in the comfort of his presence. He sunk further into your embrace, knelt down on the floor to squeeze that much closer to you. Tom rested his head on your chest, eyes fluttering shut and breathing quiet breaths. He had gone so still that you wondered if he'd passed out entirely. There was no doubt Tom needed the rest.
Since you had scraped up enough money to purchase your little trailer, Tom had been working nonstop between part-time jobs and gigs with Mudcrutch. You scarcely saw him between your own busy shifts, wearing the both of you out before you could really engage in each other's company. You just wished that you could see more of Tom when he wasn't soaked to the bone and smelled like swamp water and sweat.
"Kick your boots off and stay awhile," you murmured. "We can sleep here tonight."
Tom did as he was told, sluggishly toeing off his dirty boots and pushing them in the general direction of the front door. He crawled onto the tiny couch, finding a place on top of you with half of his lanky legs hanging off. You chuckled at this, gently helping Tom to adjust comfortably until he was stretched peacefully out on your body as if you were a mattress.
"Comfy," Tom murmured into your chest. "Yer so comfy."
You patted his back and rubbed his shoulders until you grew too exhausted to keep your eyes open anymore. Tom's comforting weight was enough to send you back to sleep, but this time to more pleasant dreams.
In these, the weather was beautiful and clear with sunshine glittering down on towering trees and lush green summer grass beneath your feet. You and Tom were wandering through your backyard holding hands and laughing at something you weren't privy to. Here, Tom's hair glittered like spun gold and his eyes never looked tired when they laid upon you. He would smile with all of his teeth, unabashed and suddenly not so insecure. You would welcome him with flourish, enveloping him in your arms as you danced sloppily beneath the weeping willow trees and sagging Spanish moss.
A crack and boom of bone rattling thunder sent you spiraling out of these dreams with a gasp wrenched from your chest. Outside, the storm was picking up
again, whirling leaves and branches around and pelting the trailer with torrential rain. Tom remained sound asleep against your chest, snoring softly beneath his breath. You didn't want to wake him.
That task grew harder and harder the louder the thunder grew. You found yourself shaking all over again and flinching at every minute noise. No matter how much you tried to dial it back for Tom's sake, you woke him up despite yourself. During one loud crash, you jolted upwards, sending Tom up with you and waking him up immediately.
"Whasswrong?" Tom slurred, eyes half-lidded and studying you sleepily. "Th' thunder?"
You nodded your head vigorously. "Sorry, it's just so loud –"
Another boom sounded, causing you to quiver, hands reaching up to cover your ears. It didn't work quite well enough to be soundproof, and you were left a mess of childish bubbling tears as the thunder continued to frighten you beyond words.
At the sight of your tears, Tom awoke fully, propping himself up on his elbows to look you in the face. "Oh, honey, what can I do? Y'know I'll protect you from this."
"I – I don't know I just want it to stop," you said softly. "Makes my head hurt."
"If I could stop the rain I would," Tom said, tenderly smoothing circles along your sides. "D'ya want me to put on a record and drown it out?"
You went to nod, but paused. "Actually... could you sing? I wanna hear your voice."
Tom hesitated, staring at you with what looked
to be insecurity in his expression. He furrowed his brow. "Are you sure you don't wanna hear Elvis or somethin'?"
You shook your head firmly. "No. No Elvis. Just you."
"My voice ain't nothin' very pretty –"
"Don't care. Please, Tom. Just sing to me?"
You gave Tom your best pleading eyes, the fact that they were brimming with tears helping your case quite a bit. You knew that you had Tom wrapped around your pinky finger, and it was only a few seconds longer until he caved entirely.
Waiting for Tom was excruciating with the thunder in the background. You worried at his shirt with your thumbs, shaking like a leaf beneath Tom. He took this as a sign to begin as quickly as possible.
Moving closer to your ear, Tom began shakily.
Goodnight baby, sleep tight my love
May God watch over you from above
You squeezed your eyes shut tight, trying to focus only on Tom's raspy voice and the vibrations in his chest and the feeling of his hair hanging over you like a curtain. The thunder remained present in your surroundings, but it was slowly beginning to dullen as time went on.
Tomorrow I'm workin'; what would I do?
I'd be lost and lonely if not for you
A calloused thumb swept over your face, delicately cradling your face so that you weren't looking anywhere near the window. You fluttered your eyes shut, burrowing a home in the hollow of Tom's neck while he protected the back of your head with a hand. Sniffling, you placed a grateful kiss upon the sensitive skin there, evoking a startled hiss from
Tom, almost throwing him off of his song entirely.
So close your eyes
We're alright for now
Clasped safely in his arms, Tom began to slowly rock you back and forth. You found yourself listlessly lost in the intonation of his voice, completely drowning out the storm raging on outside. Slumping closer to him, you fell into his tender little kisses along your forehead and cheeks as he hummed to the relaxed tune of the song. You became addicted to Tom's sweet affection bristled with his stubble.
I spent my life travelin'
Spent my life free
I could not repay all you've done for me
The thunderstorm and the noise and the echoey memories of your father's shouts all became a fuzzy, distant memory. The clouds were beginning to part and the rain would soon let up. You had no intentions of leaving the safety of Tom's embrace. All you were capable of doing was clutching onto him like a lifeline, holding onto bony shoulders and squeezing him tight in lieu of thanks. Your gratitude was palpable as you nosed Tom's pinkening hollow cheek, waiting for the final verse.
So sleep tight, baby
Unfurrow your brow
And know I love you
We're alright for now
We're alright for now
"All... better?" Tom asked tentatively, his voice a mere rasp against the shell of your ear.
"Very much," you replied, breathing a shaky sigh of relief. "You help me so much, Tommy. You have no clue."
Tom laid a fond kiss on your nose. "I'm starting to get an idea," he mumbled. "Anything that'll help you, honey, and I'll do it. Do you wanna head to bed now?"
You agreed with a sleepy smile, allowing Tom to struggle to pick you up off of the couch. He nearly tipped you both over in his attempts to get his balance with you squealing as you were left hanging halfway out of his embrace. Tom never let you fall, strong fingers grappling for purchase around your waist and teasing you by dangling you above the couch.
Fighting back halfheartedly, you windmilled your arms for stability and managed to turn Tom around enough for him to collapse onto the couch with you heaped on his lap. Shocked, Tom's eyes were as wide as dinner plates, chuckling in disbelief at you.
"Anyone ever tell you that you'd be a mighty fine wrestler?" Tom supported himself on your thighs as he pecked your lips.
More kisses followed and soon you grew too immersed in each other to make the trek all the way back to the bedroom. Eventually, you fell asleep on Tom's lap, your arms and legs contently latched around his middle like a clingy koala. He was still awake, gently stroking the back of your head as you snored softly against his chest. Tom made an effort not to breathe too hard lest he startle you, carefully soothing you back to sleep each time you twitched a bit too much or started to mumble to yourself.
He'd move the moon to please you, and if that meant getting a sore back from sleeping on the couch, so be it.
"We're alright for now," Tom sung quietly in your ear, pressing a butterfly's kiss along the shell.
That night, you slept better than you had in years.
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I hope this is what you were looking for, dear! Tom's such a sweetheart, so this wasn't too much of a stretch to write. Again, I'm so sorry for the wait! I hope this made up for it.
Thank you all for reading!
– adeleine