A big burst of lightning flashed through the apartment, startling Kurt who was lounging on the couch watching reruns of Friends. Not shortly after, the thunder followed, low and rumbling through the walls.
"Papa?" A little voice rang through the hallway followed by the little being to which it belonged. She padded down the hallway barefoot, rubbing her eyes and trailing a much loved stuffed rabbit behind her by a fuzzy ear. Kurt heard her sniffle as she entered the living room.
"What is it, sweetheart?"
"Why are the lights blinking outside and making that loud noise?" She rushed to her father and hugged his legs, burying her face into his knees. She was trembling as she let out a sob. Kurt could see the front of her daisy pajamas were wet with tears. The rain pounded on the roof of the building, flowing in sheets of water down the windowpanes.
"Aw, baby, it's just a thunderstorm. It won't hurt you." Kurt smoothed the back of her wild hair and bent down to meet her level.
Another flash of lightning and a loud crack of thunder shook the place once more, sending poor Elizabeth running to the couch, burying her tear streaked face into a pillow.
It ached to see his little girl like this. Rainstorms usually never were this bad, but still it was her first time experiencing one as bad as this. Kurt sat next to her on the couch and rubbed soothing circles on her back.
"Come cuddle with me, Lizzie. I promise the storm won't hurt you."
She turned from her cushion and couch nest and bounced over to the other side where her father sat with open arms. He immediately embraced her and kissed the top of her little head.
"W-why is it s-s-o scary?" She asked, cowering in the crook of Kurt's neck as another clap of thunder rang through the apartment.
"Shh…I know it can be scary, sweetie." He rocked her and hummed softly.
The door opened then, followed by Blaine resembling a very wet sheepdog. He shook out his striped umbrella in the hallway and folded it up, plopping it and grocery bags on the doormat. Peeling off of his jacket, he wiped his feet and kicked off his very wet boots. "Hello my beautiful family," he said, coming over to the couch. "Why aren't you asleep dreaming my little love?" Blaine kissed his daughter's nose, causing her face to scrunch up in a very Blaine-like manner. Blaine turned to Kurt next and gave his big love a kiss on the cheek.
"It's s-scary outside," Elizabeth said, clutching Kurt's sweater in her little fingers, hiding her face as thunder yet again boomed through the apartment.
"Aww, Lizzie girl. It's just a thunderstorm. It won't hurt you at all. I swear to it. Papa and I won't let it happen," Blaine said, crossing an "X" over his heart.
Kurt nodded as Blaine rubbed her back, looking at Kurt asking him What should we do?
"Lizzie, remember us telling you about Uncle Finn?" Kurt asked her as Blaine looked at him and smiled, knowing what he was about to do. "Auntie Rachel came over one time and we talked about him."
"Nuh-uh," she mumbled, unburying her face enough to look at her fathers.
"Well your Uncle Finn is up there watching over us," Blaine said.
Kurt reached for one of Blaine's hands and squeezed it. Blaine responded by squeezing back, rubbing soothing circles on his knuckles like he always did. That action was enough to calm Kurt down remarkably well during hard situations. Finn had passed years ago, but still the topic of his brother watching over them made Kurt seek comfort.
"Do you remember us showing you pictures of him at the drums?" Kurt asked. "He's in some of our photo albums."
"Ooh…" Elizabeth said, pondering this for a moment. "Yes, was he that super tall boy with Auntie Rachel?"
Kurt chuckled, "Yes, that's exactly him." Thunder sounded yet again, but Elizabeth did not cower as much as she had previously. She flinched and closed her eyes as it passed, leaning into Blaine's arm on the back of the couch.
"Well, Uncle Finn was quite the drummer," Blaine continued the story. "And I'll bet that's what he's doing right now, up there with all of the angels."
"Does Uncle Finn have to be so loud?" Elizabeth questioned, jumping at the crack of more thunder as she sat up in Kurt's lap.
"He did bother Grandma Carole often, that's for sure," Kurt said, kissing her on the forehead.
"Why is he blinking the lights too?"
"They must be partying pretty hard, huh sweet pea? Remember your birthday party?" Blaine booped her on the nose. "They're probably celebrating Uncle Finn's birthday or another birthday."
"I didn't get him a present!" she said, her blue eyes growing wider and rounder.
"It's okay, honey! How about we just sing happy birthday for him? Do you remember that song?"
"Uh-huh."
"We'll sing it with you." Kurt lifted her off of his lap and placed her on the couch between him and Blaine.
After a dashing rendition of Happy Birthday, Blaine and Kurt gave Elizabeth hugs at the same time with tearful eyes, squishing her in between them causing her to shriek with laughter.
"Dads! You're squishing me!" She giggled as they both kissed her on opposite cheeks, sandwiching her between their lips and enveloping her in their love.
The rain outside was letting up. "Look, honey, it looks like Finn heard you singing," Blaine said as he pointed to the window. The thunder and lightning had both subsided.
"Let's get you back to bed, princess. We'll see you in the morning."
Blaine scooped her up in his arms and carried her back into her pink and green toddler bed. Kurt presented her with her stuffed rabbit, and tucked the corners of her blankets into the bed. After two daddy kisses on her forehead, Kurt and Blaine said goodnight to their daughter before curling up together in their own bed.
Now whenever it stormed, little Elizabeth knew it was just her Uncle Finn celebrating a birthday or practicing his drums. She looked up and smiled every rainy day at her drummer in the sky.