Request: Riku finding out his girlfriend is afraid of thunder

Hina looked out the window of the apartment, eyeing the dark clouds rolling in over the island. A lump of uneasiness began forming in her throat until she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. She looked over to see Riku standing beside her, his eyes also cast outside.

"Maybe… we shouldn't go out today," Hina suggested, attempting to keep her hands from fidgeting nervously.

He pursed his lips in thought, before shaking his head. "Should be fine. Even if it does rain, the storms out here never get that bad."

She tensed from his swift refusal, looking back at the sky as she swallowed hard. Riku left her side to continue getting ready for their planned day out, not noticing her uneasiness. The two of them had only been going out for a few months, despite knowing each other for most of their lives. He had just recently returned from his adventures, or saving the universe, as Hina liked to tease and remind him of. Things had picked up between the two of them as if nothing had ever changed. Except, things had changed. Things had happened that Hina hadn't told him, things that affected her in more ways than she liked to admit.

"You almost ready?" he asked, running his hand along her arm, just then noticing how tense she was. "Hey…" His smile fell to a concerned expression. "What's going on?"

"It's…" Hina began to talk, but the words got stuck in her throat. Shaking her head, she told him, "It's nothing…I think…I might just rather stay here."

His eyebrows raised as he reached for her other shoulder and turned her towards him. Hina averted her eyes when she faced him, but his hand cupping her cheek caused her to meet his gaze. His aqua eyes gazed back at her, soft and reassuring.

"What's really going on, Hina?" He asked softly.

Hina's eyes slipped shut as her heart swelled at the sound of her name. Even after the months of being together, his voice had that effect on her. With his thumb grazing her cheek, she felt the stress slowly melting away. He said her name again when she didn't reply, causing a spike of tension to rise in her gut.

"I…" she began to speak, opening her eyes again. "I really…don't want to be out in the rain." Her voice quivered slightly on the last word.

His frown deepened, "Why not?"

A clap of thunder boomed around them, making Hina yelp and draw back into herself. She backed out of Riku's touch, hugging herself as her eyes darted around the living room. Riku watched, confused and silent, until hard, heavy raindrops hit against the window along with another roll of thunder. Hina tensed at the sound, memories flashing back through her mind, the panic rising in her throat.

Without a word, she rushed down the hall and escaped into her room, slamming the door shut behind her. An embarrassed heat rose to her cheeks, but with another rumble from the storm outside, she gasped and ran into the closet. She kept the light off, already having a string of white Christmas lights hung around the walk-in space. It was quieter. Safer. Little by little, the dread inside her lessened as she hit your back against the wall and slid to the floor. She brought her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them as she listened to the distant echo from the storm outside.

The thought of Riku most likely standing dumbfounded in the living room made her heart twist, mixing with the already overwhelming anxiety from the storm. With a groan, Hina buried her face between her knees, tightening her muscles when she heard another bang of thunder. She breathed deeply, forcing her thoughts onto lighter moments. Without meaning to, her thoughts landed on Riku. The way his smile made her heart flutter, and his soft, fleeting touches whenever they were together. Just thinking about him helped her calm down, until her mind jumped in to remind herself that she had scrambled away like a lunatic. Another groan escaped her at the thought.

The door to her closet creaked open, allowing the sounds of the storm to rise in volume just as a flash of lightning and thunder crashed outside. Hina squeaked, her grasp around her legs tightening as the door was shut again. A warmth sat beside her, an arm wrapped around her shoulder, pulling her closer. Hina whimpered softly as her cheek rested against Riku's chest, her arms going from her legs to wind around him. He held her close, hushing with soft whispers and hums whenever he'd feel her tense or jump from the storm.

He kissed the top of her head, his hand gently running up and down her back as he spoke with a low, calming voice. "Are you afraid of thunder?" When he felt her nod, he added, "I'm sorry I didn't remember that…"

"It's…" She began to speak, realizing your voice was shaking. Swallowing, she tried again, "Somewhat new… "

He hummed. "Happened while I was away?"

Hina nodded again, gasping at another crash of thunder, but calmed as Riku kissed her head again, assuring they were safe. "After the island got destroyed… that and… something else that happened…" Hina swallowed hard, tightening her arms around him. "I've never been the same since."

He was silent for a moment, then grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back enough so he could see her tearstained face. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, cupping her cheek in his palm.

She leaned into his touch, kissing his palm. "It's alright," she whispered in response. "I'm just thankful you're here."

"Me too," he smiled, leaning forward and kissing her.

She hummed against his mouth, melting in his touch. His hand slid behind her neck, his other to the small of her back to pull her closer as he deepened the kiss. Hina's heart skipped, her hands clinging to his shirt, until a crash of thunder made her jump with a yelp.

Riku breathily chuckled, comforting her with sweet words despite the obvious amusement in his voice. "Let's start doing this every thunderstorm," he suggested, his hand running along her back. "I'll keep you safe, I promise."

Hina's heart swelled as she smiled sweetly at him, the anxiety of the storm lessening as her love for him grew. "I'd like that…"