pillows and thunderstorms

The inky sky lit in a quick flash, breaking the blanket of darkness thrown over the school and surrounding woods mere moments before a mutter of thunder vibrates through the earth. The wind carries with it heavy, cold droplets and torn leaves from the trees, all beating down over the roof and echoing through the halls.

They knew this storm would come. The tempestuous clouds daunting above them at dinner time, the sudden increase of the whistling wind, and that distinct scent of cool, metallic earth were more than enough signs to get them moving; closing the windows, moving the tables under shelter, covering the woodpile, securing the gates.

This storm, so booming and chaotic, left a damper on the morale among the group that evening, each dispersing throughout the school.

Clementine, staring out the front windows at the thick, gray curtain of rain with a somber frown, breathes out a low, heavy sigh. Her breath fogs over the glass where she absently draws a little smiley face.

Thunderstorm or not, the day itself hadn't been great.

In fact, she'd dare say it'd been shitty.

Real shitty.

"Hey."

Louis' warm hands grip her upper arms as he leans to peer over her shoulder. She presses back into him, letting out another sigh at the comfort his presence always provided.

"Hey."

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

"Really?"

Clementine can feel his stare but keeps her eyes peered forward, forcing interest in the patterns and crossed paths of the droplets slipping over the glass.

"Yeah."

Louis reaches over and adds a tongue to the smiley face she previously traced, saying, "AJ's having a sleepover with Tenn and Willy tonight."

She turns to glance up at him, brows raised.

Ever since they first came to Ericson's, she and AJ always slept in the same room no matter what, especially in the beginning and right after they took down the delta. Some nights he'd go out on patrol, but AJ still came back to flop down on his bed to sleep.

The thought of him wanting to sleep somewhere else never occurred to her.

"Really?"

"Yeah, he, uh-" Louis frowns, "-Tenn doesn't do too good with storms that're bad like this. AJ thought he and Willy could help distract him from it, y'know?"

Clementine's expression softens into a small grin.

Louis lets her go, moving to lean himself against the window pane with a mischievous grin adorning his full lips. She eyes him, brow perked curiously at the way he tugs on the flaps of his jacket and cocks his head at her.

"What?"

"Since the child's out for the night, I planned a little surprise for you."

"Is that so?"

"Yep! Think of it like-" his smirk softens, becoming almost timid, "-a date, if you will."

"A date, huh?" she smiles. "Haven't had one of those in a while."

"I think we're due."

She nods, reaching out to grab his hand, running her thumb over a scab on his knuckles, a small injury he acquired from hunting.

"A date does soundreally nice."

"I'll see you up there, then?"

"Of course. I'll be up in a minute."