Rachel squealed in terror as the sound of thunder boomed outside of her bedroom window, making her scurry underneath the sheets and leaving her a whimpering mess. She hated this. She hated storms, and she hated the sound of thunder and the flash of lightning outside. And she hated that she was all alone in the loft, where everything was just so quiet and dark.
She hated to admit it, but she was kind of missing Santana bustling around the place and yelling some expletives in Spanish. And she kind of wished she didn't allow Kurt to go out with Blaine if it meant being all alone with a storm raging outside.
Then, she furrowed her eyebrows in worry. What if Kurt and Blaine hadn't gotten somewhere safe? What if they hadn't found a place to stay with this storm? She knew she didn't have to worry about Santana, because she most probably was in Dani's apartment, doing God-knows-what in there.
Then she thought about Quinn. How she wished that her amazing girlfriend was here, cuddling with her and telling her that it would be alright.
But she was still in New Haven, and wouldn't be in New York until the weekend. Rachel sighed and burrowed further under the covers. She felt cold, despite the fact that she was covered from head to toe with a rather thick blanket. She desperately wished that Quinn was here and keeping her warm with those long, slender, and pale arms wrapped around her.
She missed Quinn badly.
She sighed sadly to herself as she buried her face into her pillow. Then, she heard the unmistakable sound of a knock through the loft door. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, thinking who it could be right now.
Maybe it was Kurt and Blaine deciding to go back to the loft. Shrugging to herself, she threw the covers off of her and padded towards the door. She slid it open, and a sharp gasp of surprise escaped her lips as she saw who was on the other side of the door.
It was Quinn, grinning widely, her blonde hair slightly damp and the umbrella she was holding with her right hand soaking wet. In her left hand, she was holding what looked to be like boxes of takeout food from Rachel's favourite Thai restaurant.
"Quinn! What are you doing here? I thought you weren't due here until the weekend?" Rachel said in surprise as she let her girlfriend in.
"I finished up all my schoolwork early, so my professors gave me the time off," Quinn explained with a shrug as they walked towards the kitchen. "Then I heard about the storm coming here in New York, and I decided to come. I know how much you hate storms, so I wanted to keep you company."
At this, Rachel's heart melted. She was a huge fan of grand romantic gestures, and Quinn braving through a storm in New York just to get to her made her squeal inside. Just when she thought it wasn't possible to fall even more in love with Quinn, she just did.
"You're sweet," Rachel beamed and threw her arms around Quinn's neck. The blonde chuckled and squeezed Rachel's waist, making the brunette sigh contentedly. "But, you didn't get soaked, did you?" she asked with worry. The last thing she needed was for Quinn to be sick just because she worked through her way through a storm just to accompany her.
"Don't worry, my umbrella got most of the rain water," Quinn said with a reassuring smile as they pulled apart. "My hair's a little damp, but that's just it."
Rachel smiled and planted a soft and lingering kiss to Quinn's lips. The blonde kissed back, making Rachel's heart flutter with joy.
"I've missed you," Rachel said in a soft voice as she gazed at Quinn's hazel orbs.
"I've missed you, too, star," Quinn responded with an adoring smile as she bent down to press her lips against the brunette's forehead.
Rachel smiled and blushed softly at the term of endearment. She loved the way Quinn would call her 'star'. It never failed to warm her heart whenever those gorgeous hazel eyes would twinkle with happiness whenever they exchanged terms of endearment.
"Are you hungry? I got your favourite vegan food from that Thai restaurant you love so much," Quinn asked with a loving smile.
"I do feel kind of famished," Rachel admitted with a small shrug.
Quinn chuckled as she headed for the cupboard and took out the utensils. She then set them down on the table, and opened the boxes of takeout food. They each took their own portion and started to eat.
They made small talk about what new things were going on with their lives since the last time they saw each other. Rachel beamed internally at the way Quinn looked at her with a fiery way of interest and the way her ears would perk up to listen to every single word that she said.
She loved that Quinn was genuinely interested in all that she had to say, and her girlfriend's presence helped her tune out the sound of the storm raging outside of the room.
After eating, Rachel helped Quinn wash the dishes and throw out the used containers. They then headed to Rachel's bedroom, and immediately snuggled up beneath the covers. Thunder boomed again, making Rachel shriek in surprise, and Quinn laughed at her reaction.
Rachel huffed and pouted as she slapped her girlfriend on the arm, turning away when the blonde just laughed harder.
"You're so mean," Rachel huffed as she lay on her side, facing away from her girlfriend,
"Aww, sorry, baby," Quinn said, though Rachel could hear the grin in her voice. "You're just so cute and adorable when you squeal like that."
"Yeah, well I definitely won't be cute and adorable when I kick you out, Fabray," Rachel mumbled as she crossed her arms.
"You wouldn't," Quinn said in a challenging tone, making Rachel smirk.
"Oh, yes I will," Rachel said in a singsong voice.
"Okay, then I'll just let myself out and leave you here alone with all the lightning flashing and the sound of thunder booming," Quinn stated, and Rachel felt the bed dip.
She panicked instantly and jerked from her lying position. She quickly grabbed for Quinn's wrist, and pulled her back onto the bed.
"I got you, didn't I?" Quinn said with a self-satisfying smirk.
"You're evil," Rachel huffed and jutted out her bottom lip.
Quinn laughed and pulled Rachel closer to her.
"But you love me for it," she teased as she kissed the brunette chastely.
"Do not," Rachel muttered half-heartedly, though the grin on her face completely gave her away.
"Mmhmm," Quinn hummed, her eyebrows arched up.
Rachel giggled, which turned into a sharp gasp as Quinn unexpectedly rolled them over, the blonde on top of her. She gulped at the devious smirk on Quinn's face, shuddering internally at what it meant, and what would happen to her afterwards. She felt her throat dry at the almost predatory look her girlfriend was giving her, expecting the blonde to just kiss her senseless and touch her everywhere.
But what happened next definitely caught her off guard and was definitely not what she was expecting.
Quinn's fingers were all over her waist, tickling her relentlessly, a huge grin on her face. Rachel squealed and giggled as her girlfriend continued to tickle her, leaving her a laughing mess.
"Oh God!" Rachel laughed as Quinn continued with her assault. "AHAHAHAHA! QUINN! ST- HAHAHA! STOP! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
"Nuh-uh," Quinn said with a huge grin as she attacked Rachel relentlessly.
Rachel tried to shoot Quinn a warning glare, but failed miserably due to the sharp gasps of laughter that was escaping her. Her whole body trembled under her girlfriend's relentless attacks, and she could barely breathe from laughing so hard.
Finally, Quinn stopped, and Rachel glared at her half-heartedly. The blonde just grinned and pecked the brunette on the lips, though their position remained the same.
"I hate you," Rachel said with a loud huff as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"You love me," Quinn shot back, a self-indulgent smile plastered on her face.
"Not anymore," Rachel retorted, her bottom lip jutting out again.
"Aww, baby," Quinn cooed as she lowered her lips towards Rachel's neck. She licked across the column of Rachel's neck, making the brunette shiver slightly.
"No," Rachel stated flatly as she pushed Quinn off of her. "If you are expecting to get any tonight after that little stunt you just pulled, well, I just have to say that you are definitely not getting any."
"Really?" Quinn husked out, her hazel eyes darkening as her hands slipped inside of Rachel's NYADA sweatshirt. "Are you sure, baby?"
Rachel shuddered as Quinn's nails lightly scratched against her abdomen, but she wasn't anything but challenging; Quinn's fingers working their magic over her be damned.
"No," she stated firmly as she gripped both her girlfriend's hands. "We are so not having any sex until you apologize, Fabray."
"Fine," Quinn mumbled as she pulled her hands away. She lightly nipped at Rachel's jaw, then swirled and flicked her tongue against the shell of the brunette's ear. "I'm sorry, baby…"
"Not enough," Rachel said, gasping as Quinn's teeth lightly clamped down against her pulse point.
"I'm sorry for teasing you and tickling you, baby…" Quinn murmured against Rachel's neck. "I promise I won't do that again…"
"Oh God," Rachel groaned as Quinn started biting and sucking on her weak spots. Her resolve was slowly fading with each stroke of the blonde's wet and warm tongue against her heated skin, and her hands immediately flew to golden tresses.
She felt the blonde grin against her skin, and she rolled her eyes playfully. Why did she have to become so weak whenever Quinn did this to her? Her knees would turn to jelly when her girlfriend would whisper dirty, dirty things into her ear, and her resolve would quickly fade away whenever Quinn's lips dragged across her skin like that.
"So, not getting any, huh?" Quinn said, the smirk evident in her voice.
"Shut up, Quinn," Rachel grumbled half-heartedly as Quinn's eyes met hers.
Quinn's hazel eyes softened as she bent down to plant a chaste kiss on Rachel's lips. The brunette smiled as they pulled apart and wrapped her arms around the blonde's neck.
"I'm sorry, Rach, really," Quinn said genuinely, her eyes shining with love.
"I know, baby," Rachel smiled. "It's just harmless teasing."
Quinn smiled and pecked the tip of Rachel's nose. The brunette scrunched it up adorably, making the blonde chuckle.
"I love you," Quinn said truthfully as she looked at Rachel tenderly and lovingly.
"I love you, too," Rachel responded as she stared deeply into Quinn's beautiful hazel irises.
She smiled softly when she saw the pure love and adoration that those eyes held for only her. If you told her back when she was a sophomore in high school that she and Quinn would fall in love and that the blonde would be the one to keep her safe from thunderstorms, she would have laughed straight to your face and told you that it was impossible.
But now, with Quinn looking at her with so much love, she realized that it wasn't impossible, after all. And if you asked her, she definitely wouldn't have it any other way.
Quinn treated her right and made her feel so special and loved every single day. Even though when they were mostly apart, with her in New York, and Quinn in New Haven, the blonde made it a point to text Rachel every single day to remind her just how much she loved her, and that she wasn't going anywhere.
And deep inside of her, Rachel knew that she wanted Quinn to be the one she spent forever with. She would want Quinn to be the only one to rush through storms and keep her safe and sheltered from the sound of thunder booming and the heavy rains and lashing winds.
She reached out her hands to cup Quinn's face, smiling when the blonde nuzzled her face into her tan hands. She leaned up to capture the blonde's lips in hers, and their lips moved effortlessly against each other. She parted her lips, and welcomed Quinn's tongue inside her mouth. She moaned as Quinn's tongue massaged her own, and her hands moved of their own accord towards blonde locks.
She gently ran her nails across Quinn's scalp as their tongues danced leisurely as they poured out the love they felt for each other. She felt Quinn's tongue everywhere inside her mouth; against her teeth, the roof of her mouth, underneath her tongue, and the sides of her mouth.
When the need to breathe overcame Rachel, she reluctantly broke the kiss and let Quinn's forehead rest against her own. She smiled as she caressed Quinn's cheeks with her face, watching hazel eyes dance with love and joy.
Thunder boomed again, but this time, Rachel lay still as she allowed herself to drown in those hazel irises that were filled with so much love that it made her heart melt every time she saw that look in Quinn's eyes.
"Can you keep me safe from thunderstorms forever?" Rachel asked with a soft smile.
Quinn smiled back and planted a tender and loving kiss on Rachel's lips.
"Definitely," Quinn answered with a loving smile. "I'll keep you safe forever."
Rachel smiled and let Quinn hold her. She sighed contentedly as Quinn's arms wrapped around her and buried her face into the crook of the blonde's neck. She felt Quinn's lips press against the top of her head, and she scooted closer to her.
Lying in Quinn's arms like this, she knew that the blonde would keep her safe not only from thunderstorms, but also from whatever things that life threw their way. Forever.