This is something that came into mind while working on my other story. A thunderstorm was hitting my city and it 'reminded' me of my little 'fear' of them :)

hope you enjoy

Lightning

She awoke in the middle of the night, wishing she wouldn't be alone.

The lightning crashed trough her window and sure enough just a few seconds later the loud rambling of thunder could be heard. She wasn't afraid of thunderstorms but she wasn't too fond of them either.

Moreover they reminded her of her mother.

Johanna Beckett had been afraid of storms her whole life and didn't even try to hide that fact from her daughter. So, every time one of those heavy storms hit the city Kate would find herself cuddled up on the couch in her mother's study, wrapped in a pile of blankets. They'd closed the blinds and shut down all the electric devices, except for the little radio in the corner. It would play soft music that couldn't quite shut out the noises the thunder was making but it made them seem less loud. They would sit there the whole night, waiting for the storm to end, just listening to the music and the heartbeat of the other. Even after Kate started to spend more time with her friends and in school, that was something they'd never stopped doing.

Another round of lightning lit up her bedroom and pulled her out of her daydream. She closed her eyes, waiting for the thunder, and once again wished she had someone right here with her. That she wouldn't be alone.

But then she remembered she wasn't.

He was outside her bedroom, sleeping on the couch in her living room.

More than once she told him to go home, that she was okay. That she could take care of her own. But he insisted on staying. He was her friend and when there was the slightest chance, of whatever some creep had slipped into her drink earlier, could have some side effects, he was going to be there for her.

She'd thanked him for being there in the end but he just told her he would do anything for her. Always.

She knew he would probably die from a heart attack when she would wake him up now, thinking she was hurt or worse, but he said he would be there for her.

And right now she needed someone to be there for her.

The storm had increased since she woke up and now thunder and lightning almost hit simultaneously. With weak knees and shaking hands she opened the door of her bedroom. She wasn't afraid of thunderstorms in general but when they'd hit that stage, she could be seen hiding her head under the blanked, shutting her eyes tight.

She gently shook his shoulder in order to wake him up and when she saw his horrified look she quickly assured that she was okay. He wasn't really convinced, giving her trembling form, but he moved to a sitting position so she could sit down next to him. Kate immediately curled into his side. Rick situated his arm around her shoulder. He still wasn't sure what was going on but when tensed in his arms at another round of lightning and thunder, he understood.

He just held her in his arms, didn't question her, and didn't tease her of being afraid of thunderstorms. He knew that when she was ready and when she had something to tell him, she would do so. And so he didn't push. She eventually told him about the memories of her mother and her little fear of storms.

They fell asleep like that, after about an hour. He remembered kissing her on the forehead and wishing her a good sleep. He remembered her saying the same and relaxing even more into his embrace.

He remembered whispering 'I love you' into her hair, when he was sure she was fast asleep. He didn't say it because it was the right time to, but because it was something he'd dreamed of for so long.

And he remembered her lips curling up into a smile and her whispered 'I love you, too'.

*falling in love with a vampire* *falling in love with a vampire*

I wasn't really sure to end this story here but since I couldn't come up with a better ending you'll have to take this one :)