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It was a little strange for Bill and Ted to get used to sleeping in separate rooms again. They had gone in on an apartment together the moment they could manage it, never once minding the fact that it only had one bedroom. Due to their most chaste medieval girlfriends, the room was only used for sleeping and relaxing, so there was never any issue of privacy. After marriage, and especially after being able to move into a bigger apartment, it was a decidedly different story.
It wasn’t necessarily bad though. They lived in the same apartment, and having separate rooms in the same building turned out to be a perfect mix of closeness and personal space. And while their band hadn’t gotten the overnight success they had been hoping for, there has been a clear rise in their popularity since the battle of the bands, one that seemed to only be going up. Gigs were coming in regularly enough that they could all at least live somewhere with enough space for their new family, and they were all happy to share an apartment. Bill and Ted liked living with their best friend, and Joanna and Elizabeth were also glad not to have to separate. Little Ted and Little Bill were cousins, but had come to see each other more as brothers, and it was so nice to see them growing up so close.
Like all of California, San Dimas had its periods of drought, but those were always broken up by rain at some time or another. Usually just little sprinkles here and there, but occasionally things really poured down, accompanied by flashes of thunder and lightning. This night, one such storm was occurring, and while most were thankful for the much-needed rain, Little Bill and Little Ted where two very, very frightened children. They had only ever experienced storms like this a handful of times in their six years on earth, and while they were no strangers to loud noises, they were usually coming from a record player or their parent’s instruments, or accompanied by a bright light and the arrival of Uncle Rufus. With this not being the case, the children had no idea what to make of the bright lights and loud sounds, and were in a state of fear and panic not uncommon to their age group. Little Ted, being slightly older and slightly braver, took it upon himself to get help from his Mommy and Daddy, for his own sake as well as his cousin’s.
Bill and Joanna had been sleeping soundly, curled together in bed unaware of the storm. The crack of light from the opening door and the small sound of little feet making their way to her bed caused Joanna’s sleep to waver a bit, but she didn’t wake until her arm was being tugged.
“Mommy” Little Ted whispered, trying not to wake his Daddy. It was difficult to whisper too well though, because he was also crying.
“Mommy, Bill and I can’t sleep. It’s scary and loud and he won’t come out from under the covers but he said he wants his Mommy and Daddy too”
Joanna hushed her child, running her fingers through his curly mop of blond hair. “It’s alright sweetheart. It’s just raining. It did this all the time where I come from.”
“Really” Little Ted asked, sniffling. Joanna nodded.
“It did, and I hear England still has rain like this all the time. When Elizabeth and I were your age it frightened us too.” Joanna gently lifted her husband’s arm, trying to untangle herself from his loving yet octopus-like embrace to stand. Finally succeeding, she scooped Little Ted into her arms to comfort him.
“Let’s go get your cousin, I’m sure he’s even more frightened all alone”
“Where you goin’, babe?” Bill asked, blearily. Joanna hadn’t meant to wake him, but he must have noticed her get up anyways.
“There is a lightning storm, and the little ones are frightened.” Joanna answered.
“Bogus” Bill commented, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and made his way to his wife and son.
Bill bent himself to be at eye-level with the child. “You scared little dude?” he asked. Little Ted nodded.
“Thunder and lightning can be most non-excellent” he agreed. Little Ted smiled a little. Being with his Mommy and Daddy was definitely helping. He still flinched when the thunder clapped, but now he could bury himself in his Mommy’s chest and she would pat his back and kiss his forehead, which made things much easier to deal with.
Little Bill was crying under his covers when Joanna and Bill got to him. He wanted to go to his Mommy and Daddy too, but he was too scared to leave. Little Ted had promised him to get help when he mustered the courage to get his parents, and Little Bill was happy his cousin had kept his promise.
“Uncle Bill” Little Bill sniffled. Bill scooped him up and hushed him. Little Bill buried his head into his uncle’s chest, but he still sobbed.
“It’s ok, little dude. I’ve got ya”. Bill bounced his nephew in his arms gently, like he had done when he was just a baby. It worked to calm him a little, but he was still distraught. He loved his Aunt and Uncle, but in a situation like this he needed his Mommy and Daddy. Bill understood, and he comforted his nephew on the short trip to their bedroom.
“Psst, Ted” Bill whispered loudly, trying to wake his best friend and brother-in-law as gently as possible. “Ted, your kid needs you”. Ted groaned a little, not wanting to be woken up.
“Daddy” Little Bill called, not caring much if he woke him gently or not. This got Ted’s attention, he could sleep through a lot but he could definitely respond to his son’s voice.
“Little Bill?” he asked, rubbing his eyes. Elizabeth was now waking too.
“Daddy, can I sleep with you and Mommy?”
“How come little dude?”
As soon as Little Bill was about to answer, another clap of thunder boomed and he flinched and cried again.
“Ah. Thunder. That is most definitely bogus, of course you can.”
Little Bill wasted no time wriggling into his parents’ bed as soon as his uncle set him down. Elizabeth held her son close, combing her fingers through his thick dark hair.
“You’ll be alright, my child” she whispered. “It’s just a little rain, it helps the plants grow”
“Yeah” Ted agreed. “And without plants we wouldn’t have popcorn.”
“Or maple syrup.” Bill added.
“Or maple syrup. Or-air, I think. Which would be most non-non-non-excellent, because air and popcorn are essential to human life”.
Little Bill smiled a little. His parent’s words were reassuring, and they seemed to have the same effect on Little Ted. Both he and his cousin were yawning, and Little Ted was quick to follow his cousin’s lead as soon as his parents returned him to their bedroom, squirming his way in between them. They too held him close, and it reassured him.
It was a little strange for the cousins, sleeping in separate rooms, but they felt safe with their parents, even with the thunder and lightning outside. It was loud and scary, but their parents’ music was also loud and a little scary, and they always loved that. They knew their parents would keep them safe.