Little Vik helps Ethan through a thunderstorm.
He could see it in the distance, rolling wide across the city, quite amazing to watch. The storm was huge, black swirling clouds, whipping winds, the temperature had even dropped a few degrees. This one was going to be bad.
It was times like these that he wished he'd gone with his family to watch the comedy show instead of insisting to stay at the hotel room so he could watch the basketball game. What if the storm was fierce enough to tear the building apart? They were on the end so their room would be the first to go. Ethan had read that spring storms in Florida were no laughing matter and although he'd never experienced a really bad storm before, he knew they could cause serious damage. Even at thirteen years old, Ethan knew that.
He flicked the TV off as the game finished, thankfully it had lasted before there was a power cut or something. He wondered how the others were doing. What if they couldn't make it back that night? Why hadn't he just gone with them instead? He missed Josh, it was rare for them to be apart for more than two hours and on top of that, it meant it was solely his job to keep himself and Vik safe. The five year old had been a bit young to see the show the others were seeing and so by Ethan staying at the hotel, his dads had used it as an opportunity to leave the youngest behind and take his older brothers. Ethan had been fine with that, after he'd been lectured by both of his dads as to what he should and shouldn't do. He'd then had hourly texts from them since and been checked on by one of the staff his dad had paid to keep an eye on them.
As Ethan settled on the sofa with a comic book, Vik moved from the opposite end, where he'd been reading his own Horrible Histories book, to snuggle against his brother's side. Vik had Puck in one hand, a soft, blue stuffed dog that had seen better days, and his other hand curled into Ethan's hoodie, seeking general reassurance.
Glancing at the window, Ethan sighed. He hated the storms. He knew he shouldn't be afraid of them – he was a big boy - but he had many memories of nights spent in that cold shopping centre as a seven year old, with the wind and rain battering against the roof and windows, casting scary shadows and making him feel even colder than he was. Back then he'd had Josh though, his brother had always looked out for him and protected him, and the storms had been mild compared to this.
What was even more upsetting was that Vik loved storms; would run right out into them if he could, little arms high up in the air, a big smile plastered on his face. If it was raining, Vik wanted to be out in it, splashing around. He bounced excitedly when it thundered, and loved to watch the lightning strike across the sky. That scared Ethan more than anything, Vik's complete obliviousness to the danger storms could bring.
So when the first giant boom thundered, a head of black locks lifted up, dark brown eyes meeting Ethan's wary blue one's in wide realisation. Before Ethan could stop him, Vik had scampered off the couch to the window, placing his small hands against the cool glass and peering out.
"Ethan, storm!"
"Yeah Vikky, I know. Come back here kiddo, sit with me and we can watch a movie together." Ethan put away his comics, knowing he wasn't going to be able to concentrate on those tonight.
"Come watch it with me!" The stubborn set to Vik's chin ensured a pouting session in less than a minute, Ethan was sure.
"No Vik. Come back and I'll make popcorn. And you can have orange juice." Ethan smiled when Vik turned back to him, the promise of popcorn and juice after dinner a real treat. The smile faltered when Vik turned back to the window with a determined, "storm, Ethan."
Alright then, time to pull out the big guns. Ethan schooled his face and took a deep breath; Vik was not easily fooled and was learning how to read his big brother better every day. The puppy eyes were going be Vik's number one weapon someday Ethan knew, but for now, they worked on him. Plus, the actual fear Ethan felt was something Vik would no doubt pick up on.
"Vikky please?" Ethan let his apprehension show just enough for Vik to catch it in his eyes when he turned around. His tone was pleading, and he let his body slump in dejection. The power went out suddenly as a bright flash of lightning lit up the window frame, another cracking boom sounded closer than before, and the shudder passing through Ethan was very real.
Vik came running back and climbed into Ethan's lap as he heard his big brother's sharp intake of breath.
Vik was young but very bright. He felt Ethan trembling underneath him, knew Ethan was trying to be the brave big brother. He had no worries about the storm. He felt like the current outside weather made him feel excited inside, made his heart jump in a good way. He'd tried to explain it to Ethan before but could never really make the words make sense.
"It's ok Ethan. Hug me, okay? Hug me back." Vik wrapped his legs around Ethan's waist and his arms around his neck. He laid his head on Ethan's chest and let his fingers play at the base of Ethan's hairline. Sometimes when Vik was scared of other things, Ethan would do that for him. Brothers took care of each other, always.
Ethan tried to calm his rapid heartbeat down, pulling Vik closer to him, hugging him fiercely. No, the storm couldn't have him, couldn't have either of them. He kissed Vik's forehead and began rocking them, sheer instinct driving Ethan to comfort, even though he was the one upset.
They sat in the dark for a long while, not speaking, just holding on to each other. When Ethan's breathing had evened out, Vik lifted his head, no doubt tousled hair hanging over his eyes, and Ethan knew there was a smile on that face. He could feel Vik smiling at him, and he knew they would be okay.
The rain had started, a steady downpour, and while the thunder and lightning still raged on, Ethan was oddly content. The storm hadn't won, hadn't taken Vik. He'd fight tooth and nail to the day he died to make sure no storm ever took the little ray of sunshine from his life.
"Ethan?" Vik sounded sleepy and the young teen was sure it was near bedtime, but he made no motion to move them from their snuggled spot on the couch.
"Hmm?"
"Sing me a song?" Vik loved it when his older brothers sang him to sleep. Usually Ethan would pick a song he remembered his mum having sung to him, from what he could remember at least. As Ethan went to start, the lights flickered twice and then came back on. They both blinked as their eyes adjusted, and Ethan was hit with just how much he loved Vik when he looked at that angelic face.
"Yeah kiddo, let me get you into bed first though, okay?" Ethan stood up, still carrying Vik around him, and gently laid him down on the child's bed. They'd both changed after dinner into pyjamas, so Ethan quickly turned on the small nightlight, double-checked the locks on the door and his phone for any texts from his dads, before he turned off the room lights and climbed into the small bed.
It probably wasn't really big enough for two, but there was no way he was going to his own bed, at least not until the others got back. Ethan rose on one arm to look down on his little brother's face. The moon shaped nightlight gave a soft glow, and he could see Vik's eyes fighting sleep as he waited for his song.
He hummed the first few bars as an intro, almost in a whisper, and Vik gave a gentle smile. Ethan ran his fingers through the youngster's hair as he began, "Here comes the sun, here comes the sun, and I say it's all right."
Vik opened his eyes and curled into Ethan, letting a smile play on his face as he listened to his lullaby.
"Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter, little darling, it feels like years since it's been here. Here comes the sun, here comes the sun, and I say it's all right." Ethan sang in a low rich voice, lulling them both into a warm, happy place.
"Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces. Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here. Here comes the sun, here comes the sun, and I say it's all right." Ethan laid his head down, letting a hand run over Vik's cheeks as the boy giggled, knowing what was coming.
"Sun, sun, sun, here it comes. Sun, sun, sun, here it comes. Sun, sun, sun, here it comes. Sun, sun, sun, here it comes. Sun, sun, sun, here it comes." Each time Ethan said the word sun, he poked a finger into alternating cheeks, causing Vik to laugh delightedly.
"Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting. Little darling, it seems like years since it's been clear. Here comes the sun, here comes the sun, and I say it's all right. Here comes the sun, here comes the sun. It's all right, it's all right." And at the end of the song, Ethan kissed Vik's forehead, then pulled the blankets up over them as the rain continued to beat on the windows, the faint sound of thunder indicating the storm was moving out.
Their family would be home again soon, but for now, it was fine with just the two of them. They could keep each other safe.
Thank you to dilsmicrowave for inspiring this little one shot! If anyone else has any ideas, let me know!