If there was one thing that freaked Lorna out (besides the constant feeling of impending doom that never wanted to leave her), it was thunderstorms. She knew it was irrational - the chances of getting hit by lightning was slim to none when she was outside, let alone indoors, but that didn't leave her any less freaked out every time thunder rumbled in the distance, seemingly getting closer and closer with every round. It wasn't a new issue - in fact, she'd lived with this since she was small and thunder first crashed around her.

Once upon a time, long after hiding in her closet while her sister held her was a viable option, Nicky Nichols had been the solution to her irrational fear. On many occasions the wild haired ex-junkie had snuck in to her bunk when the CO's weren't watching, climbed in to her bed and held on to her until she could finally pass out, and in those times Lorna had never felt more grateful to know Nicky than in those moments. Nicky never belittled her or made her feel lesser for having a "childish" fear like Franny had done.

Now though… Nicky had just come back from max and she was married, and Lorna had been struggling to sleep during thunderstorms for months now. She was just finally adjusting, holding her own arms tight at night with her blanket pulled up high over her and using her pillow to both cuddle and cover her head. She fell asleep on her own now but just barely.

It was in one of those moments, while thunder cracked in the near distance and all that was audible were the snores of other inmates and rain pattering against the windows that Lorna sat up in her bunk, leaning against the concrete divider with her knees pulled to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. It was easily past midnight and all she could do was occasionally glance back at the wall and say to herself that the storm could stop any time now.

It was during one of those glances that she caught a flash of yellow, and Lorna looked back towards the entrance of her cube, where Nicky stood with her elbow up on the ledge and an eyebrow cocked.

"Still got sleeping problems?" When Lorna didn't respond, Nicky walked in to the cube and sat down on the end of the bed, crossing her arms loosely on her lap. "I uh, I'm around again y'know? I won't try anything if you want some help."

A long silence filled the air between them before a slight smile formed on Lorna's lips and she patted the bed beside her, a motion for Nicky to come over. The blonde was more than willing. Fuck, ever since getting back all she had wanted to do was be close to her favourite fuck up but no - she'd had to go and get herself married of all things. Maybe this would be a little bit of normalcy, a little piece of them that she was allowed to keep.

"Now I'm-"

"Married. I know. You've done nothing but tell me that since I got back." There was a hint of snark in her tone, she was justifiably upset about her favourite inmate getting hitched in the whole three months she was gone, but Nicky climbed in to the bed beside the brunette regardless, hooking her arm around Morello's shoulders.

For the first time in forever, Lorna Morello-Muccio slept peacefully as thunder and lightning cracked around the prison, echoing down halls and around concrete rooms. For the last time that day, Nicky Nichols swallowed the heaviness in her throat and, in doing so, buried her forehead against Lorna's neck.

She could pretend not to love her another time.