Title - Sunshine Follows Thunder
Chapter title - Stars Are Fading Away
Author - OblivionsGarden
Genre - Romance/Drama
Disclaimer - I do not own My Mad Fat Diary or My Fat Mad Teenage Diary, in anyway shape or form. I only own my original characters and the plot for this fic. For this chapter I own, Teddy and Lucy.

A/n - Please read and review, I'd greatly appreciate it. Hope you enjoy, xx (:

Rae and I spent the whole of Wednesday and Thursday in town trying to find something I could wear swimming. Everything was horrific. There was no way in hell I was going to wear a bikini and all the one pieces still showed off my legs. The only one that didn't were the ones that had frills around the leg holes that made me look like my nana on the beach. Now it was Friday morning and I was hunting through all my clothes trying to find something to wear.

"What about these?" Rae held up my black shorts whilst looking in my drawers.
"Actually...That's not the worst idea you've had today." I moved closer taking the shorts from her grasp and holding them against myself. They stopped just at my mid thigh, short enough to pass as swimwear and long enough to hide my scars. "Perfect Raemundo. Now, what about covering my boobs?"
"Finn's hands?" She cocked one eyebrow up as she smirked at me. I flicked her ear causing her to flinch away. "Seriously though, I think you should tell him you like him."
"I think you should shut up and pass me that costume there." Rae handed me my black swimming costume with the purple stripes down the sides. "What about this under those? Would that work?"
"Yes. You'll look amazing." Rae sighed, climbing to her feet. "If you don't tell Finn, I will."
"What?"
"Teddy, if I know anything about boys it's this...They don't function like normal humans. If you like one, tell him cause otherwise you end up running round in circles trying to make each other jealous and act like you don't care for ages. It's fucking ridiculous."
"Is that what happened with Archie?" I asked, tossing the clothes to my bed and moving to my wardrobe to find a clean pair of jeans.
"What?"
"Chloe said that you went on a date and you kissed but then he stood you up and now you're best mates."
"Oh. Yeah it's a long story that I can't really tell anyone." Rae excused herself and dissapeared out of the door. Weird.

I wore my swimming costume and shorts underneath my denim jeans with ripped knees and one of Rae's checked shirts. It was big on me but it was super comfy. The only problem was, Rae being taller, her arms were longer so the sleeves kept slipping over my hands.

"Rae?"
"Mmm?"
"Can you do me a favour and please not mention anything to Finn about me liking him. Not yet at least."
"Nope."
"Rae-"
"Nope. I will give you till Monday morning which will make it the second of September."
"Cow."

At Chloe's we all sat around for a while, chatting, before getting into the pool.

"Can't believe we start college soon." Izzy smiled. "Are you going to college Teddy?" She turned to me, placing her drink down by her knee.
"I'm enrolled but I'm not sure if I'm going to attend." I shrugged.
"Why not?" Chloe asked.
"Not really my thing. Neither was school." I laughed. "I more than likely will just go until I can get a job or something."
"What are you taking?" Archie asked.
"Art and music." I smirked a little. "Jesus, I sound like a happy hippie don't I?"
"Just a little." Archie chuckled. "I'll probably be in your music class and Finn and Izzy would be in your art."
"You take art?" I frowned at Finn.
"Yeah, why?"
"Nothing you just...didn't strike me as the type."

My mind drifted to thoughts of lounging on Finn's bed whilst he painted me until Chop stood up and shed his shirt and jeans, leaving him in just his swim shorts. He dive bombed into the pool, splashing the rest of us where we sat. Chloe and Izzy followed soon after. Archie finished his drink and followed and then Rae jumped in too. That left just Finn and I.
"You not going in?" I glanced at Finn. We were both drenched from the others diving in and splashing us anyway.
"Yeah. Don't forget I'm teaching you how to swim."
"Right." I grimaced.
"Don't panic, I won't let you drown." Finn stood up, pulling his shirt over his head.

I moved my gaze to my legs, stretched out in front of me, but I couldn't resist sneaking glances at his toned torso. He pulled his jeans off and bombed into the water. He resurfaced at the edge of the pool, pushing his hair away from his face.
"Come on then. Meet you at the shallow end." He swam off to the opposite end of the pool, leaving me alone to undress.

Taking the shirt off was easy. As I said, everyone has seen my arms before. But it was when I reached for the button of my jeans that my stomach flipped. I headed into Chloe's house, excusing myself for the toilet. On the back of Chloe's bathroom door was a full length mirror. I pulled my jeans and shoes off and looked at the shorts. I readjusted the legs of them, making sure they were covering any scarring as I stared at my reflection. I didn't really have a choice. If I stayed here much longer someone was bound to come-
"Teddy?" Rae's voice drifted under the door.
"Yeah?"
"Hurry up, I need the loo."

I unlatched the door and pulled it open. Rae pulled me out and shut the door on me. Someone drank too much before going in the pool, clearly. I headed back to the pool, dropping my clothes by the pile of everyone else's and headed back to the shallow end. Shakermaker by Oasis was playing loudly in the background as everyone splashed around. Finn turned, smiling as I dipped my toes into the water surrounding the first step on the ladder.
Once my feet hit the floor of the pool the water reached just beneath my boobs. Finn swam over, taking my hands and pulling me closer to the deep end. I pulled my hand away when I felt the floor start to slope.

"Don't worry." He re-took my hand, pulling me along.

Everyone else seemed oblivious to the pair of us. Rae returned and the rest of the gang continued chatting and playing random games. My breath hitched when I couldn't reach the floor without my head going under the water. Finn gripped my hands tightly, keeping me suspended at his level.

"Relax."
"Can't."
"I've got you." Funny. If there were three words to make my heart skip I didn't think it would be those. "Lean forward." He instructed.
"What?" Lean forward. As in put my face near the stuff that's going to stop me breathing.
"Trust me."

Finn let go of one hand, placing it on my back. He softly pushed me forward, letting go of my other hand and placing his other hand under my stomach. He moved his other hand from my back to my legs, lifting them up so I was floating on the surface of the water.
"Alright?"
"Finn, this isn't swimming."
"I know. We'll get to that."

Finn moved round, taking my hands in his so he was stood at my head.

"Now, kick your legs." He said. "Point your toes and kick your legs." I did as instructed, earning a smile. "Good." He pulled me back into an upright position. "I'm gonna let go. Move your legs like you're riding a bike."
"Finn, wait!" Too late. Finn let go of my hands and before I could move my legs, I slipped under the water. Finn pulled me back up, clearly trying hard not to laugh. With my mouth full, I squirted the water into his face.

"You deserve that." I pouted.
"Alright fine. Now pedal like you're on a bike." I looked down and through the rippling water I could see that Finn was already doing this. I mirrored his actions and after a while he let go of my hands leaving me floating, or treading water as he said, alone.

"Right, now float on your front again." I moved so I was floating as I had been before. "Whilst you're kicking your legs, move your arms out in front then bring them to our sides. Like you're pushing the water behind you."
"OK...What?" I frowned, moving back to an upright position.
"Like this." Finn moved forward, doing as he'd told me to.
"Right, OK..." I mimicked his actions, moving forward in the water.
"There you go, you just swam."
"About an inch." I retorted.
"Alright." Finn swam to the opposite side of the pool. "Swim to me...And no kicking off from the wall, that's cheating."

I smirked and shook my head, beginning to attempt to swim the width of the pool towards him. It took me longer than it should but I made it, just.
"A bit more practice and you'll be fine." Finn smiled. "Just don't go swimming alone. Or in a river."
"Why?"
"Currents."
"Ah."

"Do you two only have eyes for each other or are you gonna come and join us?" Chloe shouted.
In an attempt to hide my reddening cheeks I swam, slowly, over to the gang and away from Finn. As I neared Archie I saw a smirk on his face.
"What?"
"Nothing. Finny boy's looking a little hurt you left him." As I turned Finn started swimming over to the group, hiding any sort of expression that may have been on his face.

FINN'S POV

Later in the night we got dried off and headed to the pub. I found myself sat between Rae and Teddy. Rae and Teddy Earl... Those two were going to be the death of me. Or the making of me. I'm fine with either.
Rae and I had gotten closer and closer to a relationship but decided we worked better as friends. She was my closest female friend and I loved her. And then Teddy turned up and there was just something about her. She so like Rae and so different to Rae at the same time. I wanted to tell her things about how I felt about her but getting stuff from my brain seems to be too difficult for me to manage.

As we sat and drank I felt a hand drift to my knee beneath the table. Rae.
U-L-I-K-E-T-E-D-?
I frowned, side glancing at Teddy who was engaged in conversation with Chop. Something about him teaching her football.
W-H-Y?
I wrote back on Rae's leg.
Y-E-S-O-R-N-O.
I sighed. There was no way she'd believe a lie.
Y-E-S.
I noticed her grinning out of the corner of my eye and couldn't help but smile a little myself.
K-N-E-W-IT.
I shook my head.
S-H-H.
Rae pushed my hand away.
T-E-L-L-H-E-R.
Once again, I sighed.
C-A-N-T.
W-H-Y.
T-H-I-C-K.
O-U-T-S-I-D-E-N-O-W.

Rae excused us, saying she needed a private word. I followed her outside the pub in silence. I was about to get a lecture and I knew it. I shoved my hands into the pockets of my jeans, looking down at the floor sheepishly.
"Finn, you're not thick."
"Why can't I tell people things then?"
"You're not the only one who doesn't always know how to say what they feel you know." Rae smiled a little. "Teddy prefers writing songs instead of actually saying stuff."
I stared at Rae. "Really?" Rae nodded.
"I said tell her. I didn't say speak." Rae shot me a wink before heading back inside.

I sat down on one of the nearby benches, pondering how I could go about telling Teddy I like her. Alot. That was until Teddy herself left the pub, walking swiftly away from the building. Something was wrong, that much was clear. I shot up from my seat and managed to catch up to her easily. Her being fairly short meant my legs were much longer and I could cover more distance.

"What's wrong?" I asked as she turned. When I saw her face my stomach dropped. Tears were falling freely down her pale cheeks as she looked up at me.
"Nothing." She made to continue walking but I caught her hand.
"Teddy, please. Just...Tell me." I pulled her back to one of the benches, ignoring the music that was seeping through the doors of the pub.
"I went to the toilets and there was a girl in there. Her names Lucy, I used to go to school with her." She swiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. "She just said some stuff, that's all."
"What stuff?" I could feel my stomach clenching at the thought of some slapper in a toilet upsetting my Teddy. Wait, my Teddy?
"Just the same sort of stuff I used to get at school all the time. I should get used to it. She's visiting her family her for a week or two apparently."
"What sort of things did she used to say at school?"
"Why? Why are you so interested in what made me mental?" Suddenly she was up on her feet, angry tears now falling.
"I just...I-" Fuck. Why does my brain fail me now? "I-"
"You're nosy." Teddy marched off but once again I found myself catching her hand in mine.

Compared to me Teddy was tiny. She only reached up to my shoulders, her feet were small, her hand was dwarfed by mine. Every time I was near her she looked so small and fragile I just wanted to scoop her up and hold her so nothing else could hurt her. She'd already been hurt enough by everyone else. I didn't want to hurt her too. How the hell was I supposed to help her?
"Teddy prefers writing songs instead of actually saying stuff."

I cleared my throat, knowing what to do.
"May your smile shine on. Don't be scared. Your destiny may keep you warm." My singing voice was terrible and she frowned in confusion. "Cos all of the stars are fading away. Just try not to worry, you'll see them some day. Take what you need and be on your way. And stop crying your heart out." The last line seemed to sink in and get my message across. I pulled her closer, wrapping her tightly in my arms. She moved her head slightly so she could talk into my ear.
"I think I'm going to need you and the gang around for a while. Especially whilst Lucy's hanging about."

I may not have told her my feelings but I did let her know I wanted to help. And she...Needed me.