Chapter Text
Allison rolled over in bed, knocking several stray cushions to the ground. She’d gone to bed an hour ago, but still hadn’t been able to fall asleep. The light drizzle of rain that began just after dinnertime had been building into a storm as she lay listening.
She threw her head back on her pillow and sighed. There was no doubt she'd be tired the next morning, but right then she only wanted to focus on the comforting noise of the rain hitting the side of the house.
Usually, it felt impossible to get any time alone in a house with six siblings. They all spent a lot of time huffing and squabbling and rolling their eyes at each other. But when she actually had the chance to be by herself, Allison always felt weird.
It wasn't a bad feeling, necessarily. The thing was, she didn't really know how to be alone. In a place where she was never really allowed to get to know herself, she couldn't help but feel somehow... incomplete without the company of the others.
There was a flash of lightning, followed by a clap of thunder. Then, not even half a second later, the creak of an old floorboard and a bated breath. Someone in the hallway, coming up to Allison's bedroom door.
She sat up, craning her head to get a look through the half-ajar door, trying to see who it was.
“Luther?” she whispered, squinting.
It was unusual to see him out of bed. Even stranger, he looked like even he didn't know what he was doing up.
“What’s going on?”
He hesitated, scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
“I, uh… I was just checking to make sure you were okay.”
Okay? Allison furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.
“What? What do you-”
She was interrupted by more lightning and an even louder roll of thunder. In the light that filled the room for a fleeting half-second, she swore she saw Luther flinch.
A funny thought occurred to her. Was it possible that he was… afraid?
“Luther?”
To Allison’s great surprise, he flushed.
“Sorry. I’ll just- go back to bed,” he said quickly, already ducking back behind the door.
“Hey! No-” Allison called after him softly, throwing the covers off her legs and getting to her feet.
She pattered across her bedroom floor and pulled the door open all the way, where Luther stood frozen and awkward. There was something very strange about seeing him like this; her typically brazen brother acting so skittish. She offered him a kind smile, reached out and slipped her slim hand into his.
“It’s okay, you can tell me.”
From the look in his eyes, Allison could tell he was fighting some internal battle. Boys were sometimes stubborn like that, she had come to learn.
Yet another rumble of thunder sounded from outside. She felt Luther’s fingers curl.
“C’mon,” she said, tugging him gently back into her room.
For a second, it seemed like he was going to try and resist - say he was fine and go back to his own room - but it only took one look at Allison’s face to change that. He let her lead him to her bed, where she lay down before patting the empty space next to her.
Rain beat down hard on the window panes, getting louder and louder by the minute. Perhaps the storm was getting closer.
Luther crawled into her bed, whispering self-conscious apologies when he jostled her trying to lay down on his stomach.
Allison curled up, resting her head on her folded arm. Her twin bed was small, and she and Luther had gotten so big that they were practically squished together
She laughed a little.
“M’sorry,” said Luther automatically, thinking it was about him.
“No,” said Allison, lowering her eyes momentarily, “I just bet we look funny. It’s usually just me in here.”
“Oh.”
He was still tense. Allison burrowed a little deeper under the blankets.
“Is it the storm?” she asked.
“No,” said Luther, even though it was fairly obvious that it was.
“Luther.”
“It’s dumb,” he whispered, refusing to meet her eye.
She frowned.
“No, it’s not,” she said, “everyone’s scared of something. Klaus is scared to sleep by himself.”
“Klaus can see ghosts,” Luther pointed out.
Allison huffed. Okay, so maybe that one was justified.
“Diego’s still afraid of the dark.”
This got his attention. Or at least, what little of it was available at that second.
“Really?”
She giggled.
“Yeah. He has a flashlight that he keeps under his pillow and everything.”
Luther let out a shaky half-laugh.
“I don’t believe you.”
“It’s true!”
He finally let himself look at her. She grinned. This time, they both laughed.
Luther rolled onto his side so that they could face each other. It was still pouring outside.
“What about you?” he asked, “what are you scared of?”
"Lots of stuff," she said.
(Not necessarily true.)
"Like spiders."
(Possibly true.)
"Too many legs. And they're too fast," she continued, "Ben thinks it's stupid, but I don't like them going where I can't see."
"It's not stupid," said Luther quietly, "sometimes spiders bite."
Allison wrinkled her nose and shook her head in distaste.
"Blah! Stop, I don't wanna think about that," she said, though she wasn't all the way serious.
There was something almost funny about how serious Luther was being. She poked him in the arm.
"You know, rainstorms don't bite, though."
He shrank slightly.
"I know. I just don't like them."
Allison scooted closer to him, even though there was hardly any space between them to begin with.
"But listen to the sound of the rain," she said, "on the roof. Isn't it nice? Listen-"
They listened. It was coming down harder now, sounding like millions of ping-pong balls bouncing all around outside.
"That part's okay," said Luther, "it's the... the other stuff."
"The thunder?"
"...yeah."
His eyes were cast back down onto his pillow.
"Well, that's okay," said Allison, "you can stay here with me and we'll wait it out together."
"Thanks," Luther whispered.
As if on cue, more thunder ripped through the sky at just that moment. Luther's eyes squeezed shut. Allison could just barely hear the tiny whimper that escaped him. Underneath the covers, she reached out and took his hand again.
"Don't worry," she said, "I'll keep you safe."
He didn't say anything in return, but she felt his breathing slow and slow until it was almost normal. She didn't let go of his hand.
"Let's just go to sleep."
Luther's voice was small when he answered.
"Alright."
They lay there in the dark for the next couple of minutes, breathing evening out, Luther's grip tightening on Allison's hand when the storm got louder.
"Hey, Allison?" he whispered, just as she was starting to drift off to sleep.
She didn't mind.
"Hmm?"
“Don’t tell anyone, okay?”
Even with her eyes closed, she could tell he was looking at her. She smiled.
"I won't," she said, "it's our secret."
She felt him relax slightly beside her. His last two words were so quiet she almost didn't catch them.
"Thank you."
This time, she smiled to herself.
"You're welcome," she said, "now, go to sleep."