Disclaimer: GW = not mine

Author's Note: Prompt 2 is "thunder."

Nonsensical Nuances
by mistress amethyst une

Sixteen Seconds

He began counting the seconds as another lightning bolt flashed before his eyes.

One...

She wasn't home yet.

Two...

It wasn't unusual for her to run a few minutes late.

Three...

It would take more than a storm to keep her from coming home to him.

Four...

"You won't even notice I'm gone," she told him, giving him a light peck on the cheek before she left for the summit.

Five...

"I'll be home before you know it."

Six...

He cursed himself for not insisting on being put on her security detail for this meeting.

Seven...

Her absence left much to be desired.

Eight...

Who the hell needed time off anyway?

Nine...

A job like his was hardly a job.

Ten...

He simply did what he did best and got paid for it.

Eleven...

And on top of that, he had the best view of Vice Foreign Minister Darlian's legs in all of earth and space.

Twelve...

Paid mandatory leave was overrated.

Thirteen...

"To avoid stress," Une had told him. "Every Preventer has mandatory time off. No exceptions. I can't believe I even have to tell you this. Maxwell's already used all his leave time for the next five years."

Fourteen...

The doors burst open. She was soaking wet.

Fifteen...

He immediately ran to her side.

Sixteen...

She was in his arms before the thunder crashed. Forgetting all about calculating the distance of the storm from his location, he held tight onto the only force of nature he truly cared about.

Second ficlet done. :)