Work Text:
It was dark. There was no one around. Shen Jiu felt scared. He felt alone. Abandoned.
"Qi-ge," He called out. "Qi-ge, where are you!?"
'Xiao-Jiu! Xiao-Jiu, I'll come back for you! I promise."
Shen Jiu felt his blood turn to ice. "No! No, Qi-ge! Don't leave me! They'll hurt me!"
He felt large hands grabbing him. Pulling his body.
"No! No! Someone help! Qi-ge!"
'Xiao-Jiu, won't you be a good boy for us?'
Shen Jiu started screaming.
Suddenly, he saw something in the darkness. A white creature skipping towards him. A lamb. The hands went away and everything felt warm.
He touched the lamb.
"Bapu."
---
Shen Qingqiu's eyes shot open. He was holding a hand smaller than his own. Someone was petting his head.
"Bapu."
Shen Yuan was on his bed comforting him.
"A-Yuan, why aren't you in your room?," Shen Qingqiu asked.
"Bapu make sounds in sleep," Shen Yuan said. "Sad sounds."
Oh. He woke Shen Yuan up.
"Bapu is sorry, A-Yuan," he replied.
Shen Yuan kisses his forehead. "Bapu feel good now?"
Shen Qingqiu chuckled. "Yes. Bapu feels better."
"Good."
Shen Yuan shifts making himself comfortable on the bed.
"Can A-Yuan stay with Bapu?"
Shen Qingqiu nodded. A few minutes later Shen Yuan is asleep.
'Forgive this failure of a father,' Shen Qingqiu thought.
There were no more nightmares the rest of the night.