thunder, take a chance on us
QW2014: day 2 (comfort and fluff)
author: summer_rain
A/N: well here is day 2 of quinntana week. Yes i know, extremely late :P i will eventually get around to writing the rest. But i think this will be my last official submission for Quinntana week 2014. (Three submissions ain't bad when life is crazy busy right? ;)) Anyways, this is kind of the sequel to 'there's a first for everything' but can stand alone really. mistakes all mine :D Enjoy!
The clouds above rolled in ominously, well, great. The weather was just peachy today wasn't it? I turned away from the window and glanced at the state of my messy room, my books were haphazardly piled on top of my desktop-right in the far back corner, almost as if they had seen enough use for a lifetime and were trying to avoid being disturbed. The rest of the desk had papers strewn all over it.
This won't do.
I sighed loudly, running a hand through my hair and reluctantly walked over to 'clean' up the mess, kicking my bag out of the way in the process. After five minutes, I gave up (I ended up just pushing everything to the side.)
Quinn was coming over. Well, she was on her way over. It probably would take another 5 minutes tops. Quinn had said she was going home first to quickly pack an overnight bag. Operation Sleepover had been given the green light by mama Fabray. Well okay, maybe I was exaggerating. As far as Quinn's mum knew, her daughter was spending time studying with Brittany and me at Brittany's house, not my house. To be fair though, we had already done the studying and Brittany was around the block from me so Q had decided to crash at my place for the night. Brittany couldn't come because she had to look after Lord T. (Her parents were out).
I plonked down onto my bed, waiting for Quinn to arrive. It was nice that Brittany, Quinn and I hung out a lot these days. Ever since Brittany had been paired with me for one of Cheerio's training drills, we'd been great friends. The tall blonde could be a bit clueless and innocent at times but she had a kind heart. Still, I couldn't understand how Brittany could stand talking to the Glee Club kids. I mean, singing is cool and such but, that short brunette, Rochelle? No wait, Rachel, was just so obnoxious. I mean, I even feel irritated just thinking about her loud presence. I don't care so much that Brittany was friends with the glee club kids, I'm more concerned about the slushy attacks. Apparently, they were very popular means of delivering torture to the 'losers' at McKinley. I don't want Britts to be caught up in one because, well firstly, the whole school would probably incur the wrath of Coach for daring to slushy one of her cheerleaders. I shuddered at the horrifying thought. I'm pretty sure most of the Cheerios would agree that the woman was crazy insanes. I wouldn't want to know what plan or punishment she would concoct. Secondly, I would probably go all Lima Heights on the dumb jocks', and as a result they would probably need the hospital by the time I was done with them.
I snapped out of my musings when I noticed that it had been awhile since 5 minutes had lapsed. Where the hells was Quinn? Just as I was about to call her, the doorbell rung downstairs. Its shrill sound cut through the silence. In my mind I could picture Quinn stepping back, and waiting patiently. When I got downstairs, instead of answering the door, I headed left instead, quietly, sliding open the glass door which led outside. I cringed when the door creaked; freezing momentarily, my body tensing up and listening for any sound or movement. When there was no indication that Quinn had heard the sound, I moved forward again, placing my foot down onto the cold blades of grass. Shifting my weight onto my extended foot, I felt the soft grass below my feet flatten silently, cushioning my footsteps. The doorbell rung a second time, this time for a longer duration. Using the sound to mask my footsteps, I snuck closer and closer to where Quinn stood, stopping only when she was in my line of sight but I was still hidden from her. She was wearing a simple yellow sundress matched with a white cardigan and black flats. Her rather oversized bag was set out on the porch next to her. How much did the girl bring? I shook my head slightly with a smile forming on my lips.
When I had last saw her, her hair had been tied up in a simple ponytail but now her golden locks of hair flowed freely, loosely settling onto her shoulders. My gaze found her face and my smile transformed into a small smirk. Quinn chewed her lip nervously, before glancing at the large number painted on the side of my house, almost as though she was afraid that she had come to the wrong place. Upon verification that she had indeed come to the right place, a crease formed between her brows and her eyes narrowed slightly. A grin crept its way onto my face, now all I needed to do was wait for Quinn to turn arou-
A flash of lighting preceded the loud clap of thunder which suddenly broke out.
What the-?!
Quinn looked as about startled as I felt. Her entire body had jerked in surprise, her eyes wide and a grimace etched onto her face. When she recovered, she glanced behind her before trying the doorbell once again, and began to shift nervously on the spot. There was no point in continuing my antics anymore so I stepped around the corner, into her field of vision and called out to her. I felt the texture of the ground beneath me shift from the soft grass lawn to a solid concrete as I made my way towards the blonde.
"About time Q!" I teased.
Quinn turned around and her eyes searched for me. Along with her gaze, I felt the accompanying warmth and giddiness which came with her presence settle upon me. The corners of her mouth turned upwards slightly, giving me a small tight-lipped smile.
"Mum kept asking me questions."
Quinn replied curtly and somewhat in a forced manner. I slowed down as I neared my porch, frowning slightly as something felt off. For some reason, she kept glancing apprehensively at the rapidly darkening sky. Her eyes conveyed a sense of fear and panic. They flickered from my face to and the sky and back again, seemingly distracted. I noted to myself that her captivating eyes were more of a brown today, flecked with sparks of green every here and there. Damn, Lopez, get yourself together. Now you're the distracted one.
"San?" Quinn's voice broke me out of my reverie. At the same time a big, fat raindrop, landed on my nose. I shook my head when I realised I had spaced out and was still standing about metre away from the porch, out in the open. Mirroring Quinn's previous actions, I glanced upward at the dark grey storm clouds with apprehension.
"Fuck." One look told me all I needed to know (…well more like a raindrop straight into my eye).
Quinn blinked, slightly taken aback at my use of the profanity.
"Umm…sorry. I mean, f-f-f…" I couldn't think of a word to substitute for "fuck". I had forgotten how Quinn wasn't used to swearing like I was.
After a minute of mentally searching my vocab for an adequate word, I gave up. Nothing had quite the same effect…
"We should go in, we're going to get drenched at this rate."
Quinn nodded in relief, my failed attempt to correct myself was instantly forgotten. She bent down to pick up her "overnight" bag and I couldn't resist the urge to tease her about its contents or sheer size. With one hand turning the key I had retrieved from my pocket, I unlocked the door and stepped back to allow Quinn to move into the house first. I watched her as she seemed to want to get inside as fast as possible, almost tripping over her bag in the process, her shoulders sagged in relief as she crossed the doorway and entered the living room. I sauntered in after her, ensuring that the door softly clicked after me.
"How long are you planning to camp out at my house? Trying to smuggle something into my house Fabray?" I gestured to her large bag.
A faint tinge of pink coloured her cheeks, and Quinn bit her lip.
"I..I..errr,"
I quirked an eyebrow at her flustered state, and my face formed the signature Lopez smirk.
"Do I ever want to know what exactly is in there, Q?"
Red crept up Quinn's ears and her blush deepened. Quinn averted my eyes and looked down at her feet. She looked really adorable like that, and I decided I should probably stop teasing her now.
"You don't have to tell me anything, I was just messing with you Q."
Quinn's hazel eyes met mine and I watched as she looked at me anxiously. Emotions flashed across her face and it seemed like she was conflicted about something. I waited patiently as she made her decision.
A flash of lightning danced across the sky, its light infiltrating into the living room, illuminating the space with an eerie glow. Quinn's mouth was still open, the words that she had finally mustered up the courage to utter to me was quickly swallowed down as the deluge of rain began. Thunder rolled across the sky outside, almost as if its fury was meant to crack the sky itself in half.
We stood there in the wake of the storm, the sound of the thunder clap still echoing in our ears. Quinn's frozen body began quaking as soon as the sound of the thunder dissipated, I watched as she struggled swallow the lump that had formed in her throat.
"Quinn? Wanna watch a movie after we eat or something?" I asked tentatively. The storm had suddenly put a damper on our previously playful mood and the silence between the thunder claps were now deafening, even to my ears.
Quinn nodded at me and I grabbed her bag, heading upstairs to place it in my room. I could feel her gaze on the back of my head as she trailed me up the stairs, stopping sometimes to cringe whenever the thunder sounded. Her discomfort made me want to drop the bag right here and now and engulf her in a hug.
I sighed in relief when we finally crashed into my room, the mess of it all almost made it feel homey, and I hoped it was actually conducive to making Quinn less anxious and afraid. I turned around to face her once again.
"I didn't know you were afraid of thunder…?"I trailed off.
"It's not—I'm not…" Quinn sighed loudly, looking away from my face, eyes focusing on the wall behind me. "It's stupid, I know…"
I found a frown forming on my face at her words.
"No it's not."
Quinn shrugged noncommittally, attempting to dismiss my claim. She began to shake once again as lightning streaked across the sky again.
"It is stupid because I know that the thunder can't harm me, I know that thunder is just the sound created in the wake of lightning, but I'm still scared or even terrified of it!" Tears seemed to be welling up in her eyes and she brought up a hand to furiously wipe them away.
"If I wasn't so afraid, I might even be embarrassed right now!" As if to make a point, the sky rumbled angrily again.
In a few strides I was by her side, I gently turned her face so that she was looking into my eyes. For the first time since the deluge outside had begun, she met my eyes properly. I'd never done any of this "comforting" people thing before. Most of the time I would have been the one causing the grief, but then again, the majority of those who had felt my wrath had been people who had most definitely deserved it. I think back to Tiffany and Eliana, or whatever, and I had to mentally stop the wave of anger which rose. Quinn. Think of Quinn. My eyes found the frightened and beautifully expressive hazel orbs of Quinn Fabray.
"Quinn, it's not stupid." I said softly. I watched as she relaxed slightly. "Everyone is afraid of something...or even maybe someone. It's human. We're all human Q."
I pulled her in, feeling her sigh and rest her chin onto my shoulder. Her warm body heat radiates off her in waves and I'm left feeling a strange sense of calmness. It's funny because I thought I was meant to be the one who was comforting her.
We stayed like that for awhile, neither of us wanting to break the embrace that we found ourselves in. After who knew how long, I began to feel hyper aware of the points of contact between our bodies. I could feel the warm weight of her head on my shoulder, the softness of her cheek on my own and the way in which my body tingled where her warm breath was ghosted over the outer shell of my ear. The now muted and distant rumbling of the momentarily calm storm amplified the sensations that were dancing across my skin, igniting a small flame within me, and tumbling into my heart to fill it with warmth.
"Q?" I pulled back just enough to see her face. She had her eyes closed and a small smile was etched upon the pretty features.
"Yes Santana?"
When her eyes flickered open, I found myself captivated by the now calm greenish-brown depths of her eyes.
"Want to get the movie started while I heat up some food?"
Quinn nodded at me and we broke away from each other. I immediately felt a sharp coldness at the lost of contact but nevertheless I moved downstairs to do as I promised. The dull hum of the microwave only served to make me even more eager to return Quinn, who was no doubt already waiting for me upstairs.
I found her with the most adorable expression on her face. Her furrows were slightly furrowed in concentration, her eyes fixed on the two dvd discs which lay on top of the bed covers in front of her. Quinn brought her hand up to run it haphazardly through her blonde tresses and I found myself wanting to do so as well; to run my hands through her hair and to gently massage her scalp. She looked up and her lips curved upwards, white teeth peaked through pink lips.
"Hey." She said rather shyly, "I couldn't choose between The Amazing Spiderman and Mean Girls." Quinn looked expectantly at me, hoping that I would be able to pick one or another.
"Just close your eyes, I'll shuffle them and you choose?" I offered.
Quinn hummed in agreement and I set our food down on my desk before making my way over to the bed.
"I'm surprised you even own The Amazing Spiderman, not secretly a comic book geek are you, Santana Lopez?"
I rolled my eyes at her remark. "Says the one who can't decide between that and Mean Girls. What's wrong with The Amazing Spiderman?"
"Nothing! Now hurry up and shuffle the discs, I want to watch the movie already."
"Quinn, face it, you just want to cuddle."
I punctuated my point with a wink. Quinn blushed and she looked away bashfully.
"Yeah, maybe…"
We ended up watching Spiderman, but about midway through the film, the storm started up again and I lost track of the movie.
The thunder was loud as ever and I felt Quinn shaking next to me.
"Quinn." She looked at me and croaked out an I'm okay.
"No seriously Q, come here. You're shaking...and why are you so fuc-cold?" I lifted up my arm to indicated that she should move into my embrace. She looked at me contemplating something for a second before she shifted closer. I felt the bed dip slightly as the weight distribution changed. Quinn rested her head into the space below my head, between my neck and my shoulder. The rest of her body curled up against me. I shivered as the coldness of her skin slid across my own, and I pulled the blanket up higher until it was covering her chin. Once again her warm breath stroked my skin, sending pleasant tingles travelling down my spine. As the storm raged on outside, she clung to me tightly and I did so too, never letting go of one another.
She wasn't shaking quite as much anymore and seemed to be pretty focused on the movie. If someone had asked me to tell them what I had just watched, I don't I think I would be able to tell them. Instead of watching the film, I found myself looking and observing the multitudes of emotions which flashed across Quinn Fabray's face. The expressions captured my attention and never really gave me a chance to stop staring until the movie had ended. The way Quinn would bite her lip, the way in which her lips would form into an involuntary smile at something cute, and the way in which Quinn sometimes buried her face into my neck when the storm got bad. I think that by the end of the night, I had committed them to memory.
Sometime around 12am, long (if a couple of hours counts as long) after the movie had finished, the battering storm outside died down until it was just a dull patter on my window panes and the sound of streams of waters flowing into the gutters outside. I could feel myself on the verge of slumber and Quinn's steady and deep breathing told me that she was as well. Quinn shifted slightly and curled her arm around my waist, and hooked her leg over mine. I gently placed a kiss on Quinn's temple and she nuzzled even closer to me mumbling something, the words vibrating onto my skin. I could barely make out the words: 'thank you and goodnight san.'
We fell asleep like that, her scent surrounding me, our legs tangled, fingers entwined and hearts beating as one, long after the thunder had ceased its last murmurings.
thunder, take a chance on us, you'll find that we wont crack,
like the sky, when it splits.
in you wake.
thunder, our hearts will beat as one, when we drift off tonight
into the peaceful
embrace
of sleep.
A/N: well that is it :) what did you guys think? (had fun writing the little 'poem' at the end). hopefully it was an interesting read! Reviews are very much appreciated x