Chapter Text
" NO!" A six year old Charlie Eppes bolted upright in bed, breathing fast and sweating. He clawed at the duvet that had wrapped around his body, like it was trapping him.
He just had a really scary nightmare about a monster that had attacked him from under his bed.
Trembling, he wrapped his arms around his body, looking around his pitch black room petrified.
Too scared to move, but also too scared to stay.
Thunder rumbled loudly and angrily from outside as lightning crackled across the sky, the flashes illuminating his room briefly making everything have bigger shadows and appear more scary. Like there were monsters everywhere.
A large looming shadow appeared on his wall, made up from his stuff but to Charlie it looked like his monster.
Rain attacked his window, making it seem like it was trying to get in to get him.
Whimpering, Charlie clapped his hands over his ears, snapping his eyes closed and trying to block out the sound and lights of the storm.
He hated storms. They were just too loud and too chaotic. They made it impossible for him to concentrate or think.
There was no control or order to them. It was just chaos...
Another lightning flash accompanied by an even bigger rumble had everything in his room vibrating, including his bed. As a result, he felt it his entire body making him throw the cover over his head and trembled in terror.
He wanted his mom, and his dad. But the last time he had gone to them, they had just put him back to bed and told him to go to sleep. That there were no monsters. He missed when Don used to check his room for monsters after he had a nightmare. It made him feel safe, and comforted knowing his brother didn't think he was crazy.
But now Don was older, he started to pull away from Charlie. Wanting to play with his friends and not with him. When he last went to Don for a nightmare, Don had snapped at him for waking him up and told him to go back to sleep and stop being a baby.
He wasn't a baby! He didn't need Don or his parents. He could handle himself.
He could be brave.
The wind suddenly picked up outside, creating a loud whistling sound outside and the windows rattled.
Creaking echoed throughout the house as the heating pipes shifted. But to Charlie it sounded like a monster was coming for him.
Charlie couldn't take it anymore. And he fled.
0o0oNumb3rs0o0o0o0
Ten year old Don Eppes, stumbled towards the bathroom, rubbing his eyes. The storm had woken him up, and now he released he needed to pee.
Half asleep he entered the bathroom and shut the door. Flipping the light on, he immediate heard a cry of fear and a whimper.
It made him jump, and he whipped around startled. Yanking the shower curtain back he reeled back shocked.
" Charlie?!" Don mumbled staring at his little brother curled up in the bathtub, lying on a pillow holding a flashlight with it turned on.
" D-Don?" Charlie said in a small voice, shifting to sit up with large scared brown eyes.
Don's heart broke seeing him shaking.
" What's up buddy? What are you doing?"
" H-hiding. From the monster."
Don sighed letting his hand drop from the shower curtain; "Another nightmare?" He asked softly, feeling bad for his little brother. He himself had his fair share of nightmares, but Charlie seemed to be plagued with a lot of nightmares, bad ones. Especially, when there were storms.
Charlie nodded, and there was immediately a loud clap of lightning making him flinch and hug himself.
Don paced on the spot debating his options. He wasn't good with this stuff. But this was his little brother, he wasn't going to just leave him here like this.
" I'll get mom and dad."
" NO!" Charlie snapped and then winced looking fearfully towards the door, worried he would wake up his parents; "No please..."
" Why not?" Don frowned confused.
Charlie looked away; "M'not a baby."
" What? Chuck I don't..."
" Mom and dad don't believe me, and you think I'm just a baby. But I'm not!"
Don felt terrible. He had forgotten how much his little brother needed him. And he had been the one to call Charlie a baby when Charlie last woke him up.
" I know you're not buddy. I don't think that. I didn't mean it." Don paused thinking quick; "Hey I'll tell you what why don't I check your room for that monster? Tell it to beat it!"
" No Don wait!" Charlie lashed out grabbing Don's wrist; "Please don't go." Charlie begged.
Now Don was truly confused.
" Why not? I'll protect you. I promise."
" I don't want you to get hurt." Charlie whispered and Don faltered. Charlie sounded so sincere like he really thought there was a monster going to hurt him, and he looked so small and fragile. It may be silly to Don, but it was very serious to Charlie.
" Alright buddy." Don said softly; "Then how about you come sleep in my room? I promise there's no monsters. Completely safe."
Charlie seemed to pause and consider that for a moment.
The storm was getting louder, more rumbling and it made Charlie curl up on himself even more.
" No no no. Not safe. Too loud." Charlie merely murmured shifting to lie back in the tub covering his ears.
Don looked towards his room and then at Charlie, torn. He could just go back to sleep and leave Charlie, but Don knew that would never happen. He would always do whatever it took for his brother.
An idea hit Don and he clicked his fingers, rushing back into his bedroom. He scrambled to look at his books. Finally, finding the one he wanted and ran back into the bathroom. Leaving the light on, Don headed to the tub, book under his arm.
" Budge up Chuck."
Opening one eye, Charlie was surprised to see that Don was already climbing into the tub with him.
Quickly moving to sit up, Charlie rubbed his hand over his eyes to remove the tears; "What are you doing?"
" Well if you won't get out of the tub, I'll have to get in." Don said simply as he squatted down beside Charlie, bumping his shoulder and smiling.
" Why?"
" Because your my brother. Now here." Don handed Charlie a large book.
Charlie frowned as it looked at it; "Aquatic life? What is this?"
" Well you know how much you like math and reading right?" Don opened the book to a random page; "I got this book from school for a science project. It's got all this information about different fish, their length, size, number of teeth and so on..." He shrugged; "Thought you might find it interesting."
Charlie slowly started to peruse the book, reading over the facts. Don immediately smiled watching as Charlie started to relax. His focus shifting from the storm to the book.
" Thanks Don." Charlie murmured turning to face him with a small smile. There was more Charlie meant to that thank you, and Don knew it.
" Of course Chuck." Don reached over and ruffled Charlie's hair fondly; "I'll always be here for you little brother. For whatever you need."
" Ok." Charlie turned back to his book, muttering; "Don't call me Chuck."
Don just chuckled.
Not long later, Don was dozing, having started to fall asleep watching Charlie read. But he was woken as he felt Charlie shifting more against him. He paused to peer down and saw Charlie's eyes were closed. His hands still holding the book, fast asleep.
Merely smiling, Don put his arm around Charlie and closed his eyes. Him too falling asleep mere moments later.
And when their mom and dad found them that way in the morning, they only smiled.