You’ve got to be kidding me – Tony thought when he finally found Ban. He heared her sobbing after a thunder, and walked into the room.

At first, he thought that Ban was attacked, or got some really bad news; she was literally crying under the blanket, and didn’t even notice Tony coming in.
When it became obvious, that Ban cried out, and winced at every thunder, he still couldn’t believe it; for fuck’s sake, Ban was stronger that Tony, if she wanted she could easily smash him... oh wait, she actually did.

She can’t be afraid of thunders.

He decided to walk up to her, and give her the bananas, whatever the situation was. She loved bananas, so it should be alright. He was beside the bed when Ban finally noticed him; she screamed out loud in sync with a thunder, threw the blanket at Tony, and stumbled out of the bed, hitting the floor hard. She ran on four limbs to the wardrobe near the bed and slithered in, but Tony caught the door before she could close it.

- Rachael!

Ban looked up to him horrified, but slowly her face smoothened and her sight became clearer. She eyed Tony’s offered hand suspiciously.

- Come on. I’d be damned if I let any of my guests spend the night in a cupboard. Let alone a pirate.

He grinned and noticed a faint smile on Ban’s face too as she accepted the helipng hand. Thunder chrashed again, Ban shoved him away and jumped on the bed again, tuggung herself under the cover.

Is she screwing with me?

But he went after her again, gently shaking her shoulders under the blanket, and sat on the bed, next to the trembling dumpling that was supposed be Ban. After a few minutes of silence, which the storm provided to them, Ban crawled out of the blanket and laid her back to the wall, next to Tony. Her face was lobster red from embarassement.

- Sorry – she mumbled. – I just...

Then there was a thunder again, and she wanted to jump out of the bed, in the direction of the wardrobe, but Tony got her at her waist while jumping, and held her tight. She was half on him, and before she realised what she was doing, she hugged him, thight around the neck, chin resting on his shoulders.

Tony could feel her heart thumping agains his chest; so fast, so scared, honest; he changed the grip at Ban’s waist to a hug. He stroke her back gently.

- It’s okay.

He wasn’t sure if it was any help, but slowly, Ban eased up and sat back beside him. Tony took out his fake teeth and ruffeled his hair to lose the scary vampire looks. It made sense why was Ban so frightened at first.

- I – she started again, with her head kept low. Her ears were burning red. – It’s just the storms. I’m not a coward.

Tony thought it was best if he remained silent and let her spill out what she wants.

- Not like Craft. I mean, she isn’t a coward either, but she has these things, like waking up from nightmares with withes and ghosts and ghouls and all the stuff that don’t exist, and sometimes she just shakes me up at two or three to stay awake while she’s in the bathroom, cause she’s afraid... I’m totally not like this.

The upcoming lightning made her shudder again, but she didn’t escape this time, just got a little closer to Tony, and he hugged her with one arm, casually, like it didn’t matter. At all. Ban pulled up the blanket over her bent knees, and didn’t look at Tony, but she knew he was looking at her. She wanted to know what his face showed, if he was annoyed, amused ot indifferent, but was too afraid to find out.

- I was always alone when storms came – she continued. – And I was prepared, I went into bed with headphones and loud music. Curfews shut and I spen the time with reading and repairing stuff. Craft never noticed, I told her I was gonna stay awake to study, and she’s a good sleeper. When I was alone it was even easier, doing the same things.

- I didn’t know about the storm now.

A loud one arrived, and she couldn’t help screaming, and started crying again. Tony hugged her with both hands now, and couldn’t care less about his white shirt getting wet by tears. Black tears apparently, because Ban’s pirate makeup was washed down by her tears, causing her face to look like she just finished an experiment with gas and oil.

- I know that you’re brave – Tony murmured into Ban’s hair. – Braver than anyone. Everyone has a weakness, though until now, I thought you didn’t have one.

Ban chuckled in stuffed voice, but stayed under Tony’s arms for the next few lightnings and thunders.

- I’m not stupid. I don’t believe in things lurking in the dark. Just...

She climbed out of Tony’s hug and pulled up the blanket even higher, up to her chin.

- I... you’ll think I’m an idiot, but it’s fine, I think it too, but you have to know, since I was running around in your house and escaping from you like some madman... Oh gosh, I’m stupid, why were you even interested, why are you even here?

Tony pulled her closer, half-hugging again.

- I’m interested, so tell me.

He reached out and got a banana. He put it in Ban’s hand.

- Eat and speak.

- I was – don’t even know for sure, maybe six years old or so, in school, that’s for sure – little, when this ... stuff happened... I was never the fave of my parents, I mean, they liked me, but not the me me, but the me they wanted me to be, and this is not even related, sorry.

She stuffer half of the banana in her mouth and continued a bit more calm.

- My parents and my brother were out for some competition; I always wanted to apply for that, but they never let me, since I was a girl and such... So I was left alone for a few days. There was a storm coming, but I wasn’t particularly afraid or so, I was more worried about the electrical stuff as a good mechanician. And later, during the night there really was a blackout.

For the first time, she stopped speaking, like something was blocking her throat. Tony squeezed her shoulder.

- Continue. Please.

Ban swallowed.

- I went out of my room with a torchlight; we had the fuse downstairs. And when I was on the top of the staircase I heared something behing me. I- I don’t know what it was, i still have no idea, i swear it was big and really, like very really big, and I just screamed and dropped the torch and it came in my direction and I stumbled in my own leg and I fell and I guess I fell down on the stairs, but I can’t really remember, I really don’t know what it was, and when I wake up,- I blacked out too, I was lying on the floor and it was still dark, but nothing was there, and I was hurt, and I thought that I was dreaming but I knew I really wasn’t, and then it was lightning again and a thunder, and the front door was open, and I didn’t open it and at the light of the lightning I saw it again, in the garden, and it had no form, it was just...

She was speaking while crying again, eyes opened wide, filled with fear, and she couldn’t stop talking even though it didn’t make sense anymore.

Tony was so stunned that for a blibk of an eye he didn’t react, but after then he pulled Ban onto his chest, and she burst out in crying, loud and long, and maybe ugly too, but Tony couldn’t see. Not like he cared.

He just caressed her back, shoulders, neck, hair, whatever he could reach, tried to smooth her feelings. She was trembling and scking hard for breath, and miserable, and Tony never wanted to love her more.

I bet that I’m the last person she wants here now.