Fatal Flaws

"BOOM!!" A loud crack of thunder shakes the entire motel room. Followed by a flash of lightning, illuminating the small room.  Another loud crack of thunder roars from the distance. As expected, the small room lights up again. The dark shadows caused from the sudden bright light, look eerily spooky. Especially being in an unfamiliar place, and being afraid of the storms. I've always been scared of them since I was younger. As a kid, I would run to Jason's room, jumping into his bed. He never got mad at me. Instead, he would take our old camping lanterns and light up the darkness. We would stay awake until the storm passed, playing cards and other random board games. Looking back on it now, it pains me. I miss him so much. No matter how tired he was, he stayed awake until I fell asleep. I always felt safe with him. He was my protector. As an adult, my hatred of storms hasn't eased up any. If anything, it's gotten worse.

"Hayden, wake up please" I shake him, almost knocking him out of the bed. I immediately grabbed onto his shirt, stopping him from rolling onto the floor.

"What? What's going on?" he grumbles, not making any effort to open his eyes. The next few sounds he makes are a mix up of mumbled slurs and grunts.

"It's storming and I can't sleep. Will you sit up with me, please?" I plead with him, giving him another firm shake.  When that fails I pull the blankets down, hoping to wake him. This seems to do the trick. He begins stirring, and attempting to say something. Instead it comes out sounding like animal growling

"What time is it" he asks, finally coherent. Using his free hand he rubs his eyes, slowly opening them. 

"I don't know. It's too dark I can't find my phone. Besides, I think it's dead anyway. The storm must have knocked the power out," I groan, using his chest to push myself into a seated position.

"Did the storm wake you up or were you having a nightmare?" he wonders, rolling himself onto his side, using his arm to support his head. He looks up at me, his eyes half closed, still not fully awake.

"Do you promise not to laugh at me if I tell you?" I ask, debating if I should tell him the truth or not. He doesn't speak, instead, instead giving me the look. A look that says I know him enough to know he isn't going to. Looking down at him, I sigh. I don't know why, but for some reason I feel like I can trust him. Like I can tell him anything.

"The truth is I don't have nightmares when I sleep next to you, And I don't know why that. So no that's not what woke me up. It was the storm. I'm afraid of being alone in them " I whisper, looking down, embarrassed by my honesty.

"Why would I laugh at you? A lot of people, kids and adults, are scared of storms. And when it comes to your night terrors I'm glad I can be of use to you. I'll be here for you however you need me to be" he purrs, taking a free strand of my hair, gently tucking it back behind my ear.

"You know you can talk to me, right? I won't judge you. You're not the only one with a past. I have a pretty checkered one myself. It would surprise me if Sky hasn't already told you my whole life story" he gripes, looking up at me. 

"Honestly she hasn't told me anything, if it makes you feel better. But then again,  usually you're not the topic of our conversations. It's normally always about Hope, but you probably know that" I playfully add. The whole time, secretly trying to change the conversation. Shifting slightly so my back is against the wall, I drape my legs over his waist. 

"Before you get to comfortable let me up real quick. I need to piss. If I can even find my way to the bathroom," he groans, pushing my legs back off to the side. The mattress once again noisly squeaks as he stands up. Instantly it becomes chilly without his body heat, keeping me warm.

"Damn it," he curses from somewhere across the room . At the same time, a loud thud echoes from around the same area. Too bad it's pitch black in the room, and I can't see anything. I can barely make out his shadow. But considering the noise and cursing I'm assuming he ran into something. It's not funny, but it makes me smile.