Cherry Vanilla 1: Thunder
Title: Thunder
Main Story: In The Heart
Flavors, Toppings, Extras: Cherry vanilla 1 (a dark and stormy night), My Treat (Little!Ivy is so not afraid of storms.), malt (Summer Challenge 398: If it takes all night, that'll be all right--if I can get you to smile before I leave - "Running On Empty", by Jackson Browne.), pocky chain, whipped cream (the first three), caramel (the last one).
Word Count: 500
Rating: PG.
Summary: Everyone has that one fear.
Thunder boomed, Gail jumped, and Ivy woke up screaming.
She sighed, got up, and went to the crib where Ivy wailed ferociously, tears creeping down her cheeks. Poor little thing.
"Shh-shh," she said, picking Ivy up and cradling her against her chest. "It's all right, it's just a thunderstorm."
Ivy quieted down a little, maybe calmed by her mother's heartbeat. Encouraged, Gail carried her to the window and held her so she could see the rain. Ivy quieted more, watching the splashes with fascinated baby eyes.
"Just a storm." She kissed Ivy's forehead. "Don't worry, love. You'll like them someday."
--
Nathan woke up when a spectacular burst of lightning lit his bedroom. He woke up more when something landed on the bed and burrowed beneath the covers.
He picked the blanket up and saw Ivy, tucked close to his side, watching him with wide, wary eyes. "Hello," he said. "Scared?"
"No," Ivy said, in blatant defiance of the facts. Thunder rumbled. She clung closer, then admitted, "Nervous. Maybe."
"Okay," he said, and yawned. "Mind if I go back to sleep?"
She shook her head.
"Okay," he said, again. He let the blanket drop, then slid an arm around her shoulders.
--
The power went out half a second before the thunder. In Aaron's opinion that was just not fair.
He cursed a bit, just to relieve his feelings, then felt his way to the kitchen, rummaging for candles. He found a candle at last, lit it, and paused, listening. Was that...
"Ivy?" he called.
When the little whimper came again, he followed it. When he found Ivy, she was curled on her bed, her hands over her ears.
There was nothing he could do by then, so he sat with her, hand on her back, until the lights came back on.
--
Lighning flashed in the corner of her eye. Gina looked up, but what she saw was Ivy's face.
She abandoned her work and scooted over. "Ivy? Honey? You okay?"
"No," Ivy said, and leaned into her, tension in every line of her body. "I hate thunderstorms. Hate them."
For Ivy, "hate" was code for "fear." Gina hugged her shoulders. "I thought you loved the rain."
"The rain," Ivy said, "yes. Thunder, no." She shuddered. "Look, I know it's stupid. I can't help it."
"Okay," Gina said. "I'm here."
"I know," Ivy said, then, a moment later, "Thanks."
Gina just smiled.
--
Thunder rolled, Ivy tensed, and Andy plastered himself against her side. Distracted, she tucked her arm around him. "What's wrong, kiddo?"
"I hate thunder," he whispered.
"Wanna know a secret?" When he looked up, Ivy whispered, "Me too. But you can't tell anybody, okay?"
"Grownups aren't scared of anything," Andy said, skeptically.
"That's why you can't tell anyone," she said. "It could be worse. My mom said I'd like thunderstorms someday."
He frowned. "Did you?"
She looked down at her son, warm against her side, and said, "Maybe. A little."
"I won't," Andy said.
"Maybe," Ivy said, and hugged him.
Main Story: In The Heart
Flavors, Toppings, Extras: Cherry vanilla 1 (a dark and stormy night), My Treat (Little!Ivy is so not afraid of storms.), malt (Summer Challenge 398: If it takes all night, that'll be all right--if I can get you to smile before I leave - "Running On Empty", by Jackson Browne.), pocky chain, whipped cream (the first three), caramel (the last one).
Word Count: 500
Rating: PG.
Summary: Everyone has that one fear.
Thunder boomed, Gail jumped, and Ivy woke up screaming.
She sighed, got up, and went to the crib where Ivy wailed ferociously, tears creeping down her cheeks. Poor little thing.
"Shh-shh," she said, picking Ivy up and cradling her against her chest. "It's all right, it's just a thunderstorm."
Ivy quieted down a little, maybe calmed by her mother's heartbeat. Encouraged, Gail carried her to the window and held her so she could see the rain. Ivy quieted more, watching the splashes with fascinated baby eyes.
"Just a storm." She kissed Ivy's forehead. "Don't worry, love. You'll like them someday."
--
Nathan woke up when a spectacular burst of lightning lit his bedroom. He woke up more when something landed on the bed and burrowed beneath the covers.
He picked the blanket up and saw Ivy, tucked close to his side, watching him with wide, wary eyes. "Hello," he said. "Scared?"
"No," Ivy said, in blatant defiance of the facts. Thunder rumbled. She clung closer, then admitted, "Nervous. Maybe."
"Okay," he said, and yawned. "Mind if I go back to sleep?"
She shook her head.
"Okay," he said, again. He let the blanket drop, then slid an arm around her shoulders.
--
The power went out half a second before the thunder. In Aaron's opinion that was just not fair.
He cursed a bit, just to relieve his feelings, then felt his way to the kitchen, rummaging for candles. He found a candle at last, lit it, and paused, listening. Was that...
"Ivy?" he called.
When the little whimper came again, he followed it. When he found Ivy, she was curled on her bed, her hands over her ears.
There was nothing he could do by then, so he sat with her, hand on her back, until the lights came back on.
--
Lighning flashed in the corner of her eye. Gina looked up, but what she saw was Ivy's face.
She abandoned her work and scooted over. "Ivy? Honey? You okay?"
"No," Ivy said, and leaned into her, tension in every line of her body. "I hate thunderstorms. Hate them."
For Ivy, "hate" was code for "fear." Gina hugged her shoulders. "I thought you loved the rain."
"The rain," Ivy said, "yes. Thunder, no." She shuddered. "Look, I know it's stupid. I can't help it."
"Okay," Gina said. "I'm here."
"I know," Ivy said, then, a moment later, "Thanks."
Gina just smiled.
--
Thunder rolled, Ivy tensed, and Andy plastered himself against her side. Distracted, she tucked her arm around him. "What's wrong, kiddo?"
"I hate thunder," he whispered.
"Wanna know a secret?" When he looked up, Ivy whispered, "Me too. But you can't tell anybody, okay?"
"Grownups aren't scared of anything," Andy said, skeptically.
"That's why you can't tell anyone," she said. "It could be worse. My mom said I'd like thunderstorms someday."
He frowned. "Did you?"
She looked down at her son, warm against her side, and said, "Maybe. A little."
"I won't," Andy said.
"Maybe," Ivy said, and hugged him.