Work Text:
Her eyes popped open for the tenth time that night. Rose was having a very difficult time sleeping but moving to a new place always did that to her. This was the third new place she and Devon found themselves in within the last year. The only good news about this was that it would hopefully be the last place. Devon had come back with good news earlier that day saying that the blacksmith of this part of the city wanted to take him on as an apprentice.
Quietly creeping out of bed, she went to her door and poked her head out in the hall. Looking side to side like she would crossing a street, she carefully stepped out of her room and wrapped herself tight in the navy blanket that was on her bed. The new house was chilled since they didn't have enough money for extra firewood outside of cooking yet. The halls were long and dark. Moonlight danced across the window before it was hidden by the clouds again. She could clearly hear the sea splash against the docks near their home; the rush of the waves hugged the wood and made it sing a song back to the water. It was soothing but not enough to lure her to sleep.
Rose started to make her way down the hall carefully. It was almost pitch black as she took her time, step by step. The dark never bothered her, though. If anything, she felt at home in its murky embrace. Thankfully, there was no furniture yet for her to accidentally run into as she made her way to her brother's room. She really didn't want to wake Devon if he was already asleep. He was supposed to report to the blacksmith first thing in the morning.
Biting her lip, she quietly tapped on his closed door. Waiting a few moments, she looked up at the moon when it appeared again through the window at the end of the hall. Blinking into its light, she decided to close her eyes and make a wish. While she was already in a nice house with her brother and safe, her wish was for this to continue. That they could finally be at peace and be like the other families she always saw in the streets.
Opening her eyes, she frowned as she looked at the doorknob. So much had happened to them. So much and it wasn't fair. Her brother was a kid age and he never got to be free of adult stuff. Rose decided right then and there that when Devon was settled into his new job that she would go out and find one herself. Maybe she could run errands or take up sewing full time. Devon would always give her spare fabric and she was great with a needle. They sold her creations in the past so why couldn't she take up doing that full time so the burden wasn't always on him?
Rose bit her lip, looking at the door. He hadn't been much older than her before he started working. She knew he would try to stop her, say that she should be having fun and enjoy being a kid. But how could she when she knew he had been doing sometimes dangerous work and even going some nights without food just so she could have something in her stomach? No, she would be eleven years old in a few weeks. It was time for her to step up just like he had. Devon had been making things as easy as possible for her and now she would do her best to take care of her brother too.
She tapped gently on the door again and this time heard shuffling right before the door opened. She smiled up at her brother, glad to see he was as wide awake as she was. At least this meant she didn't wake him.
Devon looked down at Rose and smiled softly. “Can't sleep either, short stack?”
Rose shook her head as already messy pigtails caused more hair to fly out of them. “ 'New Place Synomdrom'.” She smiled, bouncing on her toes a bit.
Devon laughed and gently corrected her. “Syndrome.”
Rose pouted. “That's what I said! Synonym!”
Laughing a little harder, he hugged her tight then looked down at her. “Ok, all right. Since we both can't sleep about something warm to drink?”
“What about the firewood...” she asked so softly he almost didn't hear her.
“It'll be ok. We'll make it work. We always do.” Giving her a reassuring smile, he ushered her downstairs to their new kitchen.
Rose sat in a chair and vibrated with happiness when warmth came from the stove to greet her. She continued to watch her brother move around the kitchen as her feet swung back and forth in a rhythm. When he began to hum a tune, she hummed in response. Before long, both of them were singing and smiling. Filling the entire kitchen with merry sounds and their new home with happy memories, she started to dance in her chair and laughed at Devon's silly dance movements.
This time would be different. Rose was sure of it.