Notes

The sound of the rain hitting the roof and the windowpane was such a calming sound for Eve. She adored seeing the flashes of light the lightning produced, and she loved the claps of thunder that followed even more. It reminded her of the storms back at home, before the infection; she would lay in the bed of her dad's work truck and watch the lightning bolts dance across the cloudy skies with him. She sighed deeply at the memory of both them eating burgers and fries and laughing at one another's embarrassing stories before they were interrupted by a loud boom. It was the cue for them to get comfortable and watch nature do its work before it rained on them.

A quiet knocking on her door roused her from her thoughts before she looked over her shoulder and noticed a familiar face poking through the crack of the door. She squinted in the dark to see if it was who she thought it was. ''Ch- North?"

Said person just nodded slowly and jumped when a harsh clap of thunder shook the building. That’s when it occurred to Eve that it was indeed, North.

''Hey, Eve. Look, know it is sudden and all but, can I stay with you tonight? There's a storm and I-''

Before North could finish her sentence, Eve was already extending the blanket out with her arm on, patting the empty space next to her. It only took the older woman mere seconds to close and lock the door before she dashed over to the bed, if you could even call the half-dead mattress that, slipping into the spot offered and already.

“You’re scared of storms, North?” This would be great blackmail later, or just purely to embarrass her when she reminded her about it.

The Canadian woman was about to make a response, demanding her not to tell anybody or something along those lines but ended up just jumping against her Eve when she caught sight of the lighting through the window. Her whimper was enough of a confirmation for the American who wrapped an arm around North's shoulder to really just reassure that she was close. Not an intimate sort, to Eve at least, but simply having a trusted presence nearby seemed to do the trick for the other's nerves.

''North, it's fine. The rain and thunder are outside-"

And that horde.

"-you’re safe in here. I’m not going to let anything happen to you, okay? Have you slept at all?” She reached out and hesitated a moment, before cupping her cheek and tilting her face towards her.

North stared at her for a moment, taking a second to register what was happening, eyes closing at the gentleness of it when everything did register. She could feel the tension leave her in small increments the longer they stayed like that. If there was one thing she was grateful for right now, it was Eve. They had started off on the wrong foot, but it was mainly because North was terrified of her own feelings and about bringing a new survivor into the group, and even more afraid to admit them to herself. Or anybody for that matter. They argued and fought a lot, majority of the time physically, but after Eve confronted her with her own feelings, however half-witted they were, North finally let the truth lead the way in their relationship.

Now, here they were, North wrapped in a blanket with Eve, who was cupping her cheek still, just staring at her, as the rain continued to beat against the window rhythmically.

"I know, just can't shake the jitters, ya know?

Pulling her hand away from her face, Eve nodded and motioned for North to lie down, who complied almost immediately. Eve had to do some adjusting, but in the end, she had her friend's, girlfriend's? Titles seemed a bit trivial everything considered, but needed something to label them as. Partners maybe. In the end, Eve had her partner's head resting on her thigh, eyes closed and more at peace than before.

"Well, as unfortunate as that is, just try and relax. Storm can't get you when you're with me."

A murmur of "My hero~" was the response before the blanket got tugged off of Eve's left side and instead draped over the majority of North. The only response North received was a grumble and a hand placing itself on her head.

Eve mindlessly began stroking the hair, following the trail of the lighter spot on her hair. The silence between them was always as nice as chatting with her in moment like these, where she so willingly made herself vulnerable to her and her alone.

It took what felt like an hour before she felt North relax and her breathing completely steady out. With a small smile on her face, Eve tilted her head back against the wall. It'd hurt like a bitch in the morning or a couple hours, but it was just one sacrifice for her.