Lucy watched the hail fall into the grass from the sliding glass door. It looked the same as the crickets that she would try and catch during the summertime out in the garden when she was younger; they would pop out of the grass for a moment, only to slip through her fingers and disappear again.
She seemed to shrink in the doorway she stood in, wrapping her blanket tighter around her shoulders as a shield. She looked up just in time to see a bolt of lightning rip open the sky, flinching as thunder followed, roaring triumphantly as it dumped another bout of hail onto the world below. Not a minute passed before another bolt of lightning crashed through the clouds, illuminating the space around her.
It seemed someone was determined to break the sky tonight.
She gently placed one hand on the glass in front of her, and let her forehead fall forward to rest next to her fingers. Closing her eyes, she could feel the hail hit the glass like rocks, and she listened to the wind and rain howl against the house. It seemed angry there was something standing in its way, and it fought to tear the brick and mortar from its foundation.
Another round of lightning – this time even closer. Thunder followed a second later, like a gunshot ringing through the night. Lucy jumped, stumbling back and away from the doorway. She’d never been scared of the weather, but she’d never experienced a storm like this before, either. She pulled her blanket even tighter, tucking it under her arms as she made her way to the kitchen, putting water in her tea kettle and setting it on the stove.
She heard the front door open and turned quickly towards the sound, nearly falling off the stool she had just ascended to grab her favorite box of tea from the back of the cupboard. Lucy yelped as she juggled the box, her blanket, and her feet, and panicked as she felt gravity pull her towards the ground.
But instead of the floor she was expecting, she was received by two strong arms. Holding her bridal style, they pulled her towards a warm chest, and pink hair nuzzled her cheek as she felt a pair of lips place a small kiss on her neck. She laughed – in both humor and relief – and wrapped her arms around the broad shoulders that supported her.
“Welcome home, Natsu.”
The man pulled her closer, pressing his forehead to hers and smiling down at her.
“Hiya, Luce.”
She laughed again and pushed him away half-heartedly, complaining about how wet he was from the rain outside. He responded by shaking his hair out and rubbing his cheek against her own, transferring some of the water to her.
Lucy squealed, kicking her legs and flailing as Natsu struggled to keep ahold of her. He only laughed, carrying her to the couch and dropping her there. She smiled and pulled him down on top of her, wrapping her blanket around the both of them. Sliding her hands up his chest and to his cheeks, she tilted her head up to meet his lips with her own. He pulled her closer, deepening their kiss and wrapping his arm around her neck, running his fingers through her hair. She let out a sound of satisfaction, and she felt him smile against her lips. She pulled the blanket over their heads as another bolt of lightning tore through the clouds.
Not even the sky breaking open could separate them now.
