aurora borealis {markle}

aurora borealis

A loud rumble of thunder followed by a clap of lightening jolted Maya awake, causing her to roll over onto her back, looking over to the window. The night sky was dark, aside from the city lights below, and the lightening that was coming down every few minutes as another summer storm blew through.

She'd been scared of thunderstorms ever since she was a little girl. They would have her hiding under her blankets, begging for it all to end soon, within the first few seconds after she heard a roll of thunder.

She shifted uncomfortably as she rolled over on her side. Farkle was still sound asleep, covers now pooled at his waist and his Star Wars t-shirt pushed up around his ribs. She chuckled quietly, shaking her head.

They had fallen asleep with him holding her from behind, with him slipping one hand under her tank top to rest on her stomach, now they were in completely opposite sides of the bed, and he was looking as disheveled as ever.

Had he been awake, she would've just thrown him a, "Sexy look there, babe" or a "Thought I said crop tops were my thing". She was about to reach over and gently push the fabric back down and tuck him back in when another loud clap of lightening caused her to jump, pulling her hand back.

Farkle finally rolled over again, onto his side, letting out a sigh at the noise he finally noticed.

"God forbid someone breaks into our apartment in the middle of the night, because you'll fucking sleep through anything." She thought to herself, scooting over to him.

As soon as she went to drape her arm around him, another low rumble of thunder could be heard from outside. She grabbed onto his arm quickly. He mumbled something incoherently in his sleep and then pushed her arm back.

Maya's face actually fell into a frown for a moment. She could still hear the rain pouring down outside and she knew another jolt of lightening was imminent. Her heart was beginning to race, and the desire to hide somewhere...anywhere...was rising. She scooted in closer to him.

"Farkle?" she spoke softly, nudging his shoulder gently, "Hey..."

He tried to pull the covers up closer to his body to get her away from him, but she settled in a little bit closer than before. She slipped under the covers more herself, and then reached down to let her fingertips brush against his arm.

"Farkle..." she whispered, dragging out his name a little more than before.

Finally, he began to stir a little, rolling back over towards the sound of her voice.

She repeated his name a little louder, and finally he slowly opened his eyes, reaching up to rub his eyes.

"Hey, Princess, what is it?"

Before she could open her mouth to respond, a loud boom of thunder rolled from outside the window, shaking the walls. Farkle's eyebrows raised knowingly. He adjusted his position to where he was laying on his back completely.

"C'mere..." he spoke groggily.

Maya moved over so that she could lay against his chest, reaching one arm across his torso to come to rest on his stomach, intertwining their legs together. Farkle wrapped one arm around her tightly and let the other come to just lay at his side as he leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"You're okay. It's okay." he ran gentle circles into her side, letting his head rest against hers, "I'm sorry I was so out, school is just stressing me out...and you know how I am...when I get stressed, I freak out until I eventually just wear myself down and either literally pass out or...pass out."

She nodded, "No, it's fine. I just woke up a few minutes ago. I'm sorry I woke you up...because you definitely need the downtime, but...I just hate storms." She took a pause, "I always have."

"I love you, Maya." he said, "You're the only person I'd wake up from a dead sleep for."

She let a comfortable, peaceful silence come over them, trying to drown out the sound of the weather outside with the sounds of his heartbeat and his slow breaths. A few moments later, she broke the silence.

"Have I ever told you about what my mom used to do when I was little and it would storm?"

"Hmm...I don't think so."

She glanced up at him to make sure he was fully listening. When her blue eyes were met with his, she smiled softly and then moved her hand down to his. She played with her hand in his for a few seconds before slipping her hand into his, lacing their fingers together.

"I was terrified. I would start crying, and I would hide under my covers...and my mom would come in. She'd try to make it a game...say we were in Alaska, looking for gold...the lightening was the northern lights...the..."

He finished her sentence, "Aurora Borealis"

She smiled, nodding, and then nudged him in the side gently, "Hey, don't steal the only thing I know."

"You know much more than just that, Maya Hart."

Maya glanced down at their hands and gave his hand a squeeze, "Well, we'd play that until I just fell asleep...and she'd stay with me until the next morning. That's when I'd realize everything was okay again."

Farkle leaned down and kissed her head again, holding her just a little tighter, "That's really cool, babe."

"Now...I've got you...and it doesn't even take a game anymore." She said.

"It's all in a day's work."

"Oh...and Farkle?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you too."