Little pitter-patter sounds were the other thing that distracted her from the thunderstorm brewing outside. Sure, the coolness it brought inside the dormitory was nice, but the noises it made were keeping her up.
Minerva Orland looked behind her and saw a teary-eyed Frosch walking towards, she doesn't know, the hall. Really, nothing is there. She was confused since Rogue's bedroom was downstairs and the exceed should be with him. It's in the middle of the night, for heaven's sake.
Frosch continued to cry as he covered his ears with his paws. They jumped when lightning strikes, continued to cry even more when he heard the loud thunder.
Minerva sighs, she walked towards scared exceed and spoke in an annoyed manner, "Frosch, would you please stop crying? It's only a thunderstorm."
Frosch stared at Minerva and cried, "F-F-Frosch is scared of th-thunderstorms."
Minerva scooped them in her arms and padded downstairs. She stopped when she realized something, Rogue might wake up and see her. She rolled her eyes and continued walking, she doesn't care, she thought. But then stopped once again when she thought of the possibility of him seeing her with a weakling scooped on her arms. The icy frost of fear on her heart was enough to make her run towards her bedroom.
As soon as she got inside, she locked the door and sat on her bed. She laid down the quivering exceed on the middle of it.
"Frosch, you'll sleep here- just this night, and I'll wake you up in the morning to return you to Rogue. You will keep this as a secret, do you understand?" She glared at them.
"Y-Yes Milady, Fro promise."
Satisfied with it, she climbed on the bed and grabbed the silk sheets and covered it with herself. She went to her side and closed the lamp.
As soon as she did, tiny pair of paws went and grabbed her arm. Annoyed, she gruntled and tried to shook it off.
"Frosch is s-scared of the dark." The exceed still haven't calmed down, especially with the thunderstorm still on going.
"You're in my room, so it's my rules." She felt childish talking to Frosch that way but frankly, she can't afford to care anymore because she's so darn exhausted.
"Please Milady, Fro will be good." At their words, Minerva stiffened ever so slightly. She could remember... herself saying those words too. With a darkened look, she obliged to their request.
Minerva's fists curled into the sheets of her bed, her heart feel heavy. She doesn't like being reminded of her past. She was so focused into her thoughts that Frosch yelled at her- at least tried to with their voice.
"Milady, you're hurting yourself." She nearly jumped but noticed them holding her palm- which is bleeding due to her sharp nails. She looked at Frosch and sighed, "Maybe I am."
Silence descended up them, but then a loud thunder was heard across the room and Frosch jumped on her arms. They started crying again, loudly and harder this time.
The territory mage looked at the quivering form on her arms and reflected on them. She whispered soothing thoughts at them, "Let's sleep, Frosch."
Pulling the exceed close to her chest, she hummed a quiet lullaby and rubbed behind their ears until her eyelids dropped.
Minerva returned the sleeping Frosch to Rogue's room before even the first rays of the sun dared itself to appear. As she placed them down, their eyes groggily opened and noticed her.
"Milady.. Does your hand still hurt?"
Smiling ever so slightly, Minerva answered. "Nothing band-aids can't heal."
As she turned her back to the door, she whispered, "Sleep tight Frosch."
The last thing she heard was their sleepy yawn.
When she went down to the guild hall though, she was surprised to see Frosch running from Rogue to her.
"Fro bought band-aids for Milady!"
Minerva Orland was indeed shocked, but smiled quietly as she took the frog-designed band-aids from the exceed. Nothing band-aids can't heal, she mused.