Work Text:
Crackle….
BOOM!
She sat up in bed with a gasp, clutching her chest, as the thunder rang out through the house, nearly shaking it. Hearing the patter of rain against the window, she sighed in relief, leaning back against the headboard. She was at home, far away from the lab and the monster that had been created in it.
As she sat there listening to the rain, her eyes closed, she soon noticed it was oddly quiet in the room. She looked over next to her, where her husband would usually lay. Yet, the spot was empty.
"Right," she whispered, "He has night shift today. I hope this storm isn't bothering him too much." A hint of worry seeped into her tone. She knew how much he hated storms. Terrified would be an understatement when it came to him.
After sitting in the silence for a few seconds more, she finally laid back down, seeing as it was safe enough to drift back to sleep.
But, before she could even close her eyes, she heard the door being swung open. There was no time for her to sit back up before she felt something leap onto the bed, causing it to bounce and shake. Something small was soon snuggled up against her side, trembling and whimpering.
She propped herself on her elbows, squinting at the little figure in the dark as her eyes adjusted. It didn't take her long to realize who it was, though.
She very gently scooped the little boy into her arms and sat him on her lap, "Wing, it's the middle of the night? What happened?"
The four year old sniffled, "It's raining." He squeaked, his voice laced with panic, "The noise is scary!"
"Oh sweetie," she said, her voice soft and gentle, "It's alright. The thunder can't hurt you." She carefully cupped his cheek in her hand, brushing her thumb against it. Even in the dark, she could see the tears streaked down his face.
He leaned against her, face buried into her shoulder.
"It's loud." He mumbled, his voice muffled.
She wrapped her arms around him, holding him in the embrace.
"You can stay in here if you want, then. I won't let anything get you."
He shifted slightly, moving his head so he could look at her. She could see the hopeful look in his eyes.
"Do you promise?" He asked as he rubbed his eyes.
She smiled and nodded, "I promise. I won't let the thunder or lightning get you while you sleep."
He sat up, wiping away his tears and looking her in the eyes with a smile, "You'll scare it away, won't you mama? Before it can hurt me?"
She nodded, pulling him into another hug, "Absolutely, sweetheart."
He giggled, squirming in her arms, "It'll never want to come back! It'll…." His sentence trailed off into a yawn, "It'll have learned, right mama?"
"That's right. Now, let's go to bed, okay?"
He squirmed out of her embrace and curled up next to her. He pulled on her arm, beckoning for her to lay next to him.
And they laid there in the dark, listening to the pitter-patter of the rain against the window. Soon after, the sound of her son's quiet snores filled the room.
It didn't take her long before she drifted off to sleep, holding her son close.