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Gray clouds covered the sky, rendering all of the Devildom into darkness. Wind angrily rushed from different directions and threatened to uproot trees and destroy houses in its wake. Occasionally, a flash of lightning would momentarily light up the sky. After a few seconds, an ear-shattering boom of thunder would follow suit.
Luckily, you had been hanging out at the Purgatory Hall when the storm rolled in, so you were nice and dry while you played card games with your fellow exchange students. You, Solomon, Simeon, and Luke sat in a circle playing a particularly riveting game of Go Fish. It was very intense. You weren't sure if there were going to be any survivors after this.
…Admittedly, the weather was getting a little too much, even for you. The rain pattered violently against the windows and sometimes shook whenever the wind picked up speed. A particularly loud thundering roar made Luke jump. His cards almost lept out of his hands, but he was able to tighten his grip in time.
Solomon laughed. "Are you feeling scared, Luke?"
"No!" Luke exclaimed before his cheeks flushed. "Um, well, maybe a little." He scratched his cheek.
"It's okay to be afraid," Simeon said. He placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "By the way, do you have any fives?" Luke handed Simeon a card that you assumed to be a five. Simeon raised his eyebrows at you and said your name. "Do you happen to have any fives, as well?"
You shook your head. "Go fish."
Still smiling, Simeon plucked a card from the center of the deck. You turned your head toward Solomon, who was sitting next to you. It was his turn next.
Solomon made a whole show of peering at the cards in his hands. He rifled through them with a raised eyebrow before grinning. "Simeon? Do you have any fives?" Nothing could hide the hint of amusement that weaved its way into his voice.
Simeon groaned before handing his cards to Solomon. He grabbed the cards out of Simeon's hand and let out a victorious whoop.
Your D.D.D. buzzed. You slipped it out of your pocket to check the single notification: a text from Lucifer. You unlocked your phone and read it in full.
The thunderstorm is too heavy for you to travel back home safely. It's best for you to stay at the Purgatory Hall tonight.
You put your D.D.D. where it belonged. "Got a text from Lucifer," you explained to the curious faces in front of you, "Guess who's having a sleepover here tonight."
"Good," Simeon said, "I was getting worried that you were going to have to go home in that horrific storm."
"Ooh, you can sleep in my room tonight! I'm sure we have a sleeping bag here somewhere," Luke said, his face lighting up.
Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to prevent the living room from being plunged into darkness. You blinked. You couldn't see anything at all. You couldn't even rely on the moonlight as it was hidden by the very clouds that caused this mess.
On your left, you heard Luke yelp. On your right, something abruptly clung onto your arm hard enough that you thought it might leave a bruise. Soft, slow breaths followed as they tried to calm themself down. Although your vision was impaired, you had a good idea who this person was.
Luke fumbled with something for a moment before the room was bathed in a faint, white light. He had managed to turn on the flashlight app on his D.D.D. By that time, Solomon had torn his hand off of you. He sat crossed-legged a good few inches away. After a split second of hesitation, he placed his hand on top of yours, which was planted firmly on the floor. Your hands were hidden by your legs, so neither Luke nor Simeon could see
"What happened?"
"I think the power went out, Luke," Simeon said. He was very astute.
"That's okay." Solomon took out his phone and turned on the flashlight, as well. "We have our D.D.D.'s."
You did the same. "If you want some extra light, Solomon and I can light some candles." You flipped your hand around, so you could squeeze his fingers.
Simeon nodded before standing up. "That sounds like a good idea. Luke and I can go get some candles from storage."
"Why?" Despite his protests, Luke stood up, as well. "We have some candles right here." He pointed his flashlight toward the unlit candles on the dining table.
"Yes, but those aren't enough to light up the entire room. Let's gather some more candles so that we can light them all at once."
"That makes sense, I guess," Luke said before turning toward you and Solomon. "Just wait right here, guys! We'll be right back."
You waited until Luke and Simeon were fully out of the living room before placing your D.D.D. face down on the floor. It wasn't nearly enough to illuminate the corners of the room, but you could see Solomon's face, now.
"What was that?" you asked, referring to Solomon's…unexpected reaction to all of the light's going out.
Solomon gave a rather nonchalant laugh. "Oh, sorry. I was just surprised, that's all. I didn't mean to worry you or anything." He let go of your hand and waved it flippantly.
You gave him a look.
Solomon twiddled his thumbs for a second before giving a resigned sigh. "Alright, fine." He leaned forward as if he was about to tell you a cunning secret. "I get…a little antsy in the dark. I'm usually fine, but that sudden power outage took me off guard."
"Oh," you said, not knowing exactly what to say, "Sorry, I shouldn't have pried."
"No, it's fine. It's not that big of a deal."
You touched the side of Solomon's cheek. He shivered and leaned into the palm of your hand. "If you say so, but don't be afraid to tell me if it is." You rubbed your thumb along his cheekbone. "I want you to know that I'm always here for you, Solomon."
Once again, a bolt of lightning lit up the entire room for a split second. You could see Solomon's thunderstruck expression as clear as day. You laughed, gently pinching him before letting go of his face.
He rubbed his cheek after a second, chuckling alongside you. "You really have me wrapped around your finger, huh?"