Author's POV
The rain began just as dusk settled over the city, a steady patter against the windows that gradually built into a full storm. Leng sat at his desk, watching the droplets race down the glass. A faint flash of lightning lit up the room, and moments later, thunder rolled in the distance. Leng flinched, gripping the edges of his chair.
His parents had left that evening to attend to an emergency in their hometown, and Papang was on night shift at the hospital. They had all insisted he come with them, but Leng had refused. He couldn’t afford to miss more schoolwork after his hospitalization, though his parents’ worried faces had lingered in his mind.
As the storm grew louder, Leng’s unease crept up on him. His fear of thunderstorms was something he rarely admitted to anyone, but Ohm knew. Ohm always knew.
Leng picked up his phone and dialed without hesitation.
“Hey,” came Ohm’s warm voice from the other end.
“Can you... come over?” Leng asked, trying to sound casual, but the slight tremble in his voice gave him away.
“I’ll be there in five minutes,” Ohm replied without hesitation.
True to his word, Ohm showed up minutes later, shaking raindrops from his hair as he stepped inside. His house was just across the street, but the downpour had left him a little damp.
“Where’s your umbrella?” Leng asked, frowning.
“Didn’t think I’d need one,” Ohm said with a shrug. “You sounded like you needed me more.”
Leng didn’t reply, but the faint pink on his cheeks was answer enough.
---
They settled in the living room, where their schoolwork was spread across the coffee table. Ohm took one look at the clutter and raised an eyebrow.
“Were you planning to finish all this alone tonight?” he teased, picking up a textbook.
Leng shrugged. “It’s not that much.”
Ohm rolled his eyes. “You’re terrible at asking for help, you know that?”
“I’m asking now, aren’t I?”
Ohm grinned, shaking his head as he sat beside Leng. “Fair point.”
They worked in companionable silence for the next hour, the storm outside providing a backdrop of sound. Ohm occasionally glanced at Leng, watching the way he chewed on his pen when he was thinking or scrunched his nose in frustration when he couldn’t solve a problem.
“You’re cute when you’re focused,” Ohm said suddenly, earning a startled look from Leng.
“I’m not,” Leng mumbled, his ears turning red.
“You are,” Ohm insisted, leaning closer to tap his pen against Leng’s notebook.
Leng huffed but didn’t argue further.
---
By the time they finished their assignments, the storm was in full force. Dinner was a simple affair of reheated leftovers, though Ohm insisted on plating everything like a professional chef.
“You’re ridiculous,” Leng said, laughing as Ohm presented him with a bowl of soup garnished with a sprig of parsley.
“Ridiculously charming, you mean,” Ohm replied, sliding into the seat beside him.
Leng rolled his eyes but smiled nonetheless.
---
After dinner, they headed to Leng’s room. The sound of rain and thunder followed them, though Leng felt a little braver with Ohm by his side.
YOU ARE READING
Close Enough
FanfictionOhm and Leng have been neighbors and inseparable since childhood, their families bound by years of friendship. To Leng, Ohm is his confidant, his partner in every childhood adventure-a bond too strong to question. But for Ohm, that connection runs d...
