Written for the one word prompt: Thunderstorm.

I considered posting this one-shot with "Daisies in the Morning", but then I thought it would stand better alone.

Disclaimer: I do not own Dengeki Daisy, or the Holy Grail. The latter seems more likely.

Enjoy, and please review! :)

Lightening flashed across the darkened sky like a crack running across a glass surface. The booms of thunder rattled the windows and reverberated in Teru's chest as she crouched behind the sofa, huddled in a blanket. She winced as another flash of lightening tore at her eardrums, and pulled her blanket tighter around her shoulders, burrowing into the back of the couch. She squeezed her eyes shut and willed the noise to stop. Rain lashed against the windows, like someone was throwing pebbles against the panes, and Teru wondered fancifully if they would eventually cave in to shatter all over the floor. Splinters of glass that she would have to leave scattered across the carpet until the weather abated. Right now, it seemed like it would never end.

The storm had begun roughly an hour earlier, soon after Teru arrived home from college. She had been in the shower when the first roll of thunder shook the sky, but she hadn't noticed because the sound of running water surrounding her had drowned out the sound. As soon as she had stepped out of the shower however, put on her pyjamas and left the bathroom, the racket had struck a chord deep within her that triggered a fear so primal that there was no reasoning with it.

Her fingers immediately began to shake like leaves in a high wind. She didn't venture close enough to the windows to see the leaves being ripped off the trees outside the apartment building, to be strewn across the street and be gathered in gutters. She just snatched the throw blanket off the back of the couch and huddled behind it, wrapping herself in the thick, soft material.

Teru quivered as yet another clap of thunder sounded. They were getting more frequent. Pushing some strands of her still-wet hair behind her ear, Teru fumbled for her phone. She hit the first number on her speed dial and pressed the device tightly against her ear. The surprisingly loud beeping noise startled her and hurt her ear. Pulling the phone away and looking at the screen, Teru saw that there was no signal. It was half past seven, which had to mean that Kurosaki was stuck at the office. He'd worked late before, but they had decided as a couple a few weeks earlier to make an effort to spend more time together. They had planned to get takeout and watch a movie together tonight. Now the elements were preventing him from getting home and she couldn't even call him to make sure he was alright. Being alone and being lonely are not one and the same, but Teru felt both these things very strongly at that moment.

Teru shivered under the blanket and tried to muster up the courage to move from her hiding place. She began to crawl across the floor, dragging the blanket along with her, looking uncannily like an animal with a shell on its back. If Kurosaki had been there he would have laughed his ass off. The Teru-tortoise continued to inch across the floor, until she reached the bedroom door. Another flash of lightening illuminated the room for a brief moment, causing her to flinch and crouch down against the floor, pressing her hand over her ears. When it was over, she braced herself, then jumped up and rushed to the bed. She threw the blanket from the couch over the bed, and then burrowed under the covers, pulling the pillows down with her. She curled up in her little cocoon and closed her eyes. A few tears squeezed their way out between her eyelids and ran down her nose until they soaked into the bedding.

Suddenly, Teru found herself choking back sobs, more tears abseiling down the bridge of her nose only to soak away and disappear into the cotton sheets. In that moment in time, Teru hated herself slightly. Why was she so upset? Stop it. Stop crying, she ordered herself silently. The tears did not cease. They continued to trickle down her face like the raindrops that ran down the windowpanes out in the living room. Teru hadn't been good with rain ever since her brother died. She always felt under the weather when the clouds became grey and started to our water over the city. For all his teasing about her frizzy hair, Kurosaki had always helped her through. Teru knew her hatred of rain was irrational. It was simply something that she subconsciously associated with horrible events, like an omen of sad things to come. The raindrops were like the precursor to her own tears. Now that the rain was pouring down as if the heavens had permanently split open, accompanied with flashes of lightening and claps of thunder that sounded like things breaking, anything could happen.

Teru shifted around in the bed and brought her phone up on front of her face. The light of the screen was blinding in the darkness. Squinting her eyes against the painful glare, Teru saw that there was still no signal. With one last sniffle, she tucked the phone under the pillow wedged beneath her head, and brought her knees up to her chest. Her head ached from crying, and the many layers tucked around her muffled the sound of the horrendous weather somewhat. She'd just stay here and wait out the storm.

The next thing Teru became aware of was the fact that she was very warm and comfortable. This made the cold air that wafted against her face extremely displeasing. She groaned in protest, her face scrunching up. She was about to open her mouth to utter a loud and grumpy complaint, when a warm body slid in between the sheets and scooted close to her. Teru didn't have to open her eyes to know who it was.

Kurosaki burrowed down under the covers with her and wrapped her in his arms, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. His ends of his hair where they tickled her face seemed slightly damp. Teru didn't know if the storm was still on-going, all she could hear now was Kurosaki's breathing. Relief washed over her like waves on a beach. She sighed.

"What time is it?" she mumbled sleepily.

"Almost ten," he answered. This startled Teru. "How did you get home?" she asked.

"Cab," he answered. "Got soaked trying to get one. Had to pay him extra too. No one wants to be driving in this weather. It was worth it though. To see that you're still alive." Teru could hear the small grin in his voice. She went to playfully swat his chest, then realised that he was completely shirtless. A blush coloured her face, regardless of the fact that he was her boyfriend, and that she had seen him half naked before while managing to keep her cool.

Kurosaki must have felt her stiffen because he chuckled quietly and his hand beagan to rub warm circles against her back. His touch seemed to scorch through her thin pyjama top, heating her skin. Her breath hitched and suddenly the limited air in the small space became charged with electricity that had nothing to do with the lightning in the night sky. Teru's hand found its way to Kurosaki's chest where it lay over his quickening heartbeat. His breath stirred a few strands of Teru's raven hair, now dry, which tickled her nose. When she moved her head to get away from the mild irritation the tip of her nose brushed lightly against Kurosaki's. They both froze for an instant before they both simultaneously leaned closer. Their lips touched lightly at first, barely making contact, but still sent tingles down both their spines. Their lips touched again, this time more forcefully, and soon the couple were melting into each other. Teru's left hand remained pressed over Kurosaki's heart, while the other made its way into his hair. As her fingers brushed his scalp, he moaned softly into her mouth, his arms tightening around her, pulling her tight against him.

The soft sound of lips against skin, against a backdrop of shifting blankets was strangely soothing, a contrast to the sparks tumbling over each other deep in the pit of Teru's stomach. The heat between the couple grew until they had to pull away or be consumed by it. They lay in each other's arms, still locked in their embrace, listening to the others breathing into it slowed, and until both their hearts stopped racing. Teru nestled against Kurosaki's warm body, snuggling as close as she could get, and his arms shifted around her, a satisfied hum escaping his mouth.

"Storms aren't so bad," Teru muttered sleepily as she felt herself slipping away from reality, and the last thing she heard before sleep claimed her was Kurosaki's soft laugh.

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