Albert: *Shows him Elmer*

elmer: love is like beauty and the beast!

race: love is what you're looking at right now ;)

context: a modern au in which race and elmer meet in college because they're dorm mates; albert is a mutual friend of theirs (unbeknownst to race, although elmer's heard a lot about race since he's practically albert's brother)

[possible tw here:] it's not in this oneshot, but the reason race is so scared of storms is bc (headcanon that) he lost his lovely parents to a storm as a child, and now he's terrified of them.

more warnings: angst (but dont worry no one dies)

at roughly two in the morning - he can't tell; he's tired and it's probably late - elmer awakes to a faint sound of what seems like sniffles and whimpers, and he grows confused. is someone crying?

when he hears the sound of rain tapping against a window in the dorm, his attention turns to the scene outside right as a bolt of lightning illuminates the sky, followed by the crackling sound of thunder that never fails to make him jump.

when the thunder dies out, elmer's ears are filled once again with the faint sound of rain pattering against the glass and that crying noise. the only one who could be up at this hour in their room is... race. racetrack higgins, his roommate. well, his actual name is anthony, but he seems to be accustomed to his nickname.

confusion still prevalent, elmer decides to call albert dasilva - a mutual friend of his and racetrack's. he thinks albert might know what's going on.

when albert picks up, his voice is groggy and he does not sound happy. "it's two in the morning. what the fuck do ya want at this hour?!"

elmer winces at his friend's tone before responding. "it's... i think it's racetrack. i think i hear 'im cryin' over in... in the kitchen?"

silence. silence that lingers for a few moments, worrying elmer beyond words.

the first thing he hears when albert speaks again is, "shit. oh, shit. fuck. it's storming."

"albert, what the hell is going on?" elmer demands, although concern clearly laces his words.

"racer... he's scared of storms. won't tell ya why, that's all in his right 'ta do. but please, el... you've gotta hold him."

elmer felt heat rush to his cheeks.

"what?"

"don't act like ya didn't hear what i just said!" albert exclaimed. the way his tone sharpened and his voice broke startled elmer so badly he almost dropped the phone. when albert spoke again, his voice was softer, but it was quivering, as if he were on the verge of tears. "elmer... go 'ta him. hold him close. comfort him. make 'im feel like he ain't alone, like there's someone there for 'im who cares about 'im... he needs that. he needs you, elmer."

elmer nodded, but then he remembered he was on the phone and albert couldn't see him. "r-right, okay. on it, al."

"thank you..."

elmer swore he heard albert begin to cry a second before he ended the call, and that brought tears to his own eyes. albert had always been so strong in his eyes, like nothing could tear him down, but elmer begins to realise just how much all of albert's friends must mean to him. he sets his phone down and crawls out of bed, stretching but making sure to stay quiet as he makes his way into the kitchen.

race had always been playful, witty, and sarcastic. not to mention flirtatious - oh, god, that boy was a flirt if you've ever seen one. so when elmer sees him hunched over in a corner of their kitchen, shivering and whimpering and mumbling things he can't make out, he is shocked, to say the least. shocked, and quite saddened. he doesn't even have to look in racetrack's eyes to know that the energised flame in them has been put out, that they're as dull a blue as ocean waters beneath a stormy sky.

elmer's voice is so quiet when he speaks, you could barely call it a whisper. "racetrack?"

elmer feels a pang of hurt at the way race bolts up when he hears his name, and he can tell race is trying to wipe his tears away so elmer won't see them when he turns around.

and when he does turn around, the sight immediately breaks elmer's heart in two. his face, lit up dimly by the moonlight, is streaked with tear stains and his hair is messier than elmer has ever seen it, some of it sticking to his face due to beads of sweat lining his forehead.

and his eyes... elmer had been right. they are completely dull, almost empty - they would've been empty if they weren't so full of hurt. for the first time in the seven months elmer has known him, racetrack higgins looks... vulnerable.

elmer is almost afraid to touch the shaking boy; he looks so very fragile, as if even a light press might shatter him. but before he can stop himself, he's sat on the floor, arms wrapped around racetrack, holding him close with one hand running through his blond curls and the other secured around his waist. and, boy, does race return the gesture. his arms slip around elmer's body, holding on tightly and desperately, as if his life depends on this embrace.

"sh... shh, it's okay. it's okay. i'm here." elmer whispers into racetrack's ear.

"thank you," race manages in a quivering whimper. "and i'm sorry... i'm s-sorry..."

"don't be sorry, racer... everything's gonna be okay. i'm here, i promise. i'm here for ya all night."

"i love..." race chokes up and trails off, crying quietly as he buries his face into elmer's shoulder. what he says next surprises elmer more than anything else had that night.

"i love ya, elmer. i love ya so much."

elmer presses a gentle kiss to the top of racetrack's head. "i love you, too, race. i love you, too."

and now, as the shaking of the boy in his arms slows to a stop, replaced by soft snores, he understands what albert meant when he said that race needs elmer. and now, he begins to realise that he needs race, too, just as much as race needs him.

with the storm still raging on outside, elmer leans against a wall, holding race and kissing his head until he finally falls asleep himself.

that's a wrap, folks! hope u liked!

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tag list:

#RalmerTrash

Martin: “I’m sorry.”