Ellie x Nick Oneshots

In the middle of the night

Ellie woke up when she heard the sound of the bedroom door opening, as a little figure appeared in the doorframe. She turned over in their bed, her husband still sound asleep beside her, and faced her 4-year old son who was standing at the entrance to their bedroom.

In the darkness of the night, she could make out his teddy bear that he was tightly gripping in his left hand, his other hand that he had used to push open the door was still on the door handle.
''Mama?'' his voice sounded unsure and scared.

''Caleb? What's wrong? '' she asked him in a gentle voice to calm him down, even though her voice still came out somewhat sleepy due to it being the middle of the night. She could already guess what was bothering him, why he was awake at this time of the night when he was supposed to be fast asleep.

She turned on the bedside lamp so that she could see him better.
''I had a nightmare'' he sounded like he was close to crying, and he looked like it too, Ellie discovered now that she could see his face in the glimmer of light that came from the lamp.

So she sat up in bed and gently told him that it's alright.
''Come here. You can sleep in our bed tonight if you want'' she told him and threw her blanket back, and he was quick to run over towards the bed of his parents.

Ellie helped him get onto the bed and Caleb then climbed over her so that he was situated between both of his parents, but he accidentally bumped into his father while doing so which caused him to wake up.

Nick drowsily opened his eyes and then turned his head to the middle of the bed to see what had woken him up, only to find his little son sitting there and glancing at his now awake father.
''Hey Caleb, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be asleep in your own bed, buddy?'' he wanted to know as he ruffled his son's messy dark hair.

The little boy didn't answer but instead lay down in the spot between his parents and his mom covered him with the blanket so that he would stay warm, after which Ellie turned to Nick and answered the question instead of her son.

''He had a nightmare, Nick.''
''Mama said I could sleep in your bed tonight, daddy,'' Caleb told him with a yawn, as he was really tired due to the time.

Nick's lips turned into a small smile as he first looked at Ellie, who also lay back down in bed again while she returned the smile, and then messed up his son's hair again.
''All right, buddy,'' he said to him, but the child didn't even notice his gesture nor heard his father's words since he had already drifted off to sleep with his teddy bear held tightly in his arms.

Both his parents let out a short and soft laugh, and then Ellie leaned over to kiss her son on the cheek.
''Good night, Caleb'' she whispered and then turned the bedside lamp off again.
''Night, Nick'' she added after she had closed her eyes again and felt his lips on her temple as he gave her a quick kiss, being careful not to disturb their son as he leaned over to do so.

''Good night, Ellie. I love you.'' He did not need there to be the light of the lamp to know that his words had caused her to smile.
''I love you too.''

A short while later, all three of them were sound asleep, with little Caleb safely nestled in between his parents and devoid of any nightmare.