Anxiety & Comfort
A collection of short stories by Star Nouveau
A/N: Hello everyone! Oooo boi has it been a long time since I've last posted! Anyway's, I'm not gonna go into why I haven't posted in so long; rather, let me just into explaining what this will be!
This will be a collection of short stories/oneshots of Oscar and Andre (and maybe other characters!) comforting each other in their time of need; hence the name of this collection! So this will be listed as "incomplete" but each "chapter" is a completed story (unless stated otherwise).
Each story will take place in a different time in their lives; which I will mention at the begging in my authors note in each story.
But please note that these are my headcanons! So characters may not seem entirely faithful to the original story. I have many different headcanons and some people may not agree with them! However, I try to be as accurate as possible. So I apologize for that in advance!
Also this first chapter is dedicated to a very very sweet and talented friend of mine; LadyRoseofLiberty! I highly suggest y'all check her fics out because WOW THEY'RE GOOD! I hope you like it btw!
Also the cover image was sketched/doodled by me! Please do not use; if you'd like to see the full image; go to my instagram at starnouveau (because wow ff really sucks when wanting to share a photo.-_-)
Without further ado, let me summarize the story; trigger warnings below!
TW: mention of parents dying, anxiety, nightmares, PTSD symptoms(?), panic attacks
Genera: Hurt/comfort, friendship, tragedy(?), emotional
Plot: After losing his parents in a tragic accident; Andre moves into the Jarjayes mansion with his granny to work as a servant for the Jarjayes family; and to befriend Oscar. Still new to the mansion, he feels frightened and alone; his nightmares haunting him, he seeks out for comfort. (sorry i'm bad at summaries lol)
/this story takes place when oscar/andre are kids and have only known each other for about a month.
Nightmares & Lullaby's:
Swords can be heard dashing and clanging in the spring breeze, as two young fighters struggle at each other's pace. However, as the duel came to a close, Oscar whipped out her finishing move sending Andre's sword flying!
As he saw his sword fall violently on the soil, he could feel his knees caving in and tears welling up.
"Come on Andre! You can't start crying every time you lose!" Oscar teased as she picked up Andre's sword.
But the tears have already started to flood Andre's vision-snot drooling down his nose as he tightly gripped onto his shirt.
"It's not fair! I get really really scared that you'll hit me! I don't wanna do this anymore! It's too scary fo' me! I don't wanna get hurt!" Andre pleaded as he clutched onto Oscars sleeve.
Oscar watched as the boy kept wiping his tears into his sleeve as more came pouring out. All she could do was sigh. What could she say at this point? She didn't want to force him-but all he did was cry!
"And here I thought you'd be happy to have your own sword!" She thought as she recalled Andre's excitement when she first gave him his sword.
But before she could say anything more, she heard footsteps approach the young children.
"Ah! Pere!" she exclaimed in glee.
But his eyes were not on his excited child; he looked and saw the small boy cry and sniffle, defencelessly, desperately clinging onto Oscar's sleeve.
A pinch of disappointment and annoyance quickly grew on the general's face-he knew right away why the boy was crying.
Oscar quickly noticed her father's reaction when she realized Andre was still crying. She didn't want her father to scold him so soon-he just arrived here! Sure, he was a crybaby but...
Oscar quickly came in with a story, "Ah! I was much too rough with Andre. He's still very new to sword fighting and I-"
"Andre! I understand you're new to the mansion and this new life-but enough with the crying! I let your grandmother take you in as a favor for her years of loyalty to us. But I will not have you put Oscar behind in her training if you can't keep up!" he retorted.
She could feel Andre's grip on her sleeve tightened as he looked up at the man's words-his sniffles became still as his heart raced.
"Ever since you have come here-all you have done is cry! And it is a bad influence on Oscar! I was hoping that by now you'd have grown a bit, but it seems I was wrong..." he trailed off.
"Pere!" she felt herself retort. She rarely raised her voice towards her father. But something had snapped within her as she heard her father's unusually cruel words.
But before she could say anymore, she felt the weight on her sleeve suddenly dissipate as Andre dashed away aimlessly.
She watched as the boys cries became louder, but distant, as his figure slowly disappeared into the grassy field.
At this point, she felt her blood boil. She whipped and stared at her father, straight in his eyes, with a flame that he was all too familiar with. How could such a small child be so intimidating?
"Oscar..." he started. "I know it may have seemed harsh-but he needs to be toughened up! He's dragging you down and he'll never be able to grow if all he resorts to is crying. I'm worried for the boy..." he said softly but firmly.
She didn't care for her father's excuses at this point-she ran down the field as she shouted back "Then tell him that next time; not me!"
She walked aimlessly for what felt like hours-"Where could have he gone too?" she thought bitterly.
Then, as she came around an apple tree, she heard all too familiar sniffles and murmurs.
She approached silently, not to be caught, as she leaned her back against the tree, taking a closer listen.
"Granny..." the boy sniffled as he buried his face into his grandmothers embrace. "Why...why did mama and papa have to leave!? Why did they leave me behind!?" he shouted. "Was I...was I bad?" he said quietly, as if a whisper.
The old woman couldn't believe her ears. She looked down at the trembling boy as she held him tighter in her arms. "But what are you saying Andre! They loved you with all their heart! They-"
"BUT IT'S ALL MY FAULT!" he shouted with all his little might. "If...if I'd...it's all my fault! They're gone now! And now...now..." he trembled more as he uttered, "And now, I'm all alone..."
Granny fell silent. She knew that no amount of words could heal his heart-not now anyway.
"Come Andre." She said softly as she gently took him by the hand, "You must be hungry after all that. Why don't we make a little something for ourselves to eat?" she smiled, trying desperately to mask the pain and pity she felt for her poor grandson.
He nodded as he followed his grandmother, rubbing his swollen eyes, leaving behind an unsuspected Oscar by herself.
A lump had formed in her throat-she didn't know what to think at this point. She knew he was sad, even miserable, of his parents...departure. But she didn't realize how deep his despair truly was.
But of course she couldn't have...she's only known him for a mere month. But she felt as if she had a better understanding of his pain now. She now felt guilty for her treatment towards her father earlier. While he deserved it, something in the back of her mind made her realise just how lucky she was-and how unfortunate Andre was...
His excessive crying made sense now. "No, it was warranted..." she thought. She didn't know what to do now. She felt defeated-in a battle with no victors.
The Jarjayes mansion was now engulfed by the night sky-having but only a small candle be the only source of light in the cramped room.
Granny tucked Andre under his sheets, "It's time for you to go to sleep!" she reminded him.
"Do I have too?" he teased as he gave her a small playful grin.
"No buts!" she huffed. But deep down, she was glad to see a bit of his old foolish cheerfulness-even if it were only but a bit.
She looked at him one last time before blowing out the candle, "If you need me, my room is just down the hall. All right?"
He nodded and smiled as she closed the door behind her. He snuggled under his sheets feeling his drowsiness take over him quickly and finally shut his eyes for the night.
"MAMA! PAPA!" the small boy shouted as his eyes shot open! His body completely covered in sweat as his breathing was rigid, feeling his entire body shake violently as tears ran ferociously down his pale face.
He laid there in his bed for a few minutes, trying to catch his breath. But the terror of his nightmare kept flashing in his mind like a violent hurricane. The more he tried to calm down, the more he could feel his own breaths choke him.
He felt as if his lungs were going to collapse on him any moment; he tried to call out for his grandmother-but his futile pleas for help were wedged in his throat.
He managed to crawl out of his sheets, as his vision was clouded by the endless stream of tears. He slowly dragged his feet out of his room as fear still took him hostage.
He walked down the hallway, still breathing in and out in attempting to calm himself down. As he continued to walk down, fear had already taken a hold of him. The moonlit shadows of branches had morphed out of shape-out of reality-and danced out his nightmares once more.
Flashing like thunder, his fears played out around him, almost laughing at him, as he ran and ran further, they'd caught up. Replaying those same horrific images again and again, swallowing him whole. He couldn't see where he was running to anymore. The more he ran, the more he felt himself slipping away into the darkness.
Before he knew it, he banged on any door he saw-crying! pleading! "GRANNY! GRANNY!"
The door opened, but before anyone could say anything, Andre launched himself into the arms of his savior.
There was silence for a moment-the illusions had stopped as he held his breath, sniffling.
"Andre...?" a worried voice echoed.
It then registered in his head-this wasn't granny! He broke his arms away from the person and stared back at those worried eyes.
"O-Oscar...?" he finally managed to murmur. He stood still for a moment before shame took a hold of him, "I-I'm sorry I...I didn't mean too! I just-" he desperately tried to explain himself before he lost his composure and started to cry again.
Oscar stood there for a moment, registering what had just happened. She stared at him as a rush of sadness crawled up her spine as she watched the boy weep. "He looks completely worn out..." she thought sorrowfully.
She then did something unlike her, so unlike her she even surprised herself. She gently took Andre's hand as she said, "Come."
Andre was surprised himself; but followed her nonetheless. He thought she'd take him to his grandmothers room-surely she knew where her room was. But instead, he found himself laying in her bed, softly draped in her blankets-as if in a protective cocoon.
He then heard her grunt and shuffle as she got herself comfortable next to Andre. "There!" she said as she gave him a gleeful grin, "It's a lot less scary to sleep next to someone rather than alone! Right?"
Andre was silent for a moment. He was shocked by her sudden kindness before he worriedly said, "But isn't this...indecent? Won't we get in trouble!? You're a nobel and I'm just-" but he was quickly silenced by Oscar's pout.
"Who cares if I'm a nobel!?" she retorted. "We're friends aren't we? And friends help each other out! I don't care where you come from; we're friends and that's all that matters!" she huffed.
"Fr-friends...?" he asked as he looked into her eyes, searching for her answer.
Oscar stared back at his emerald eyes, with a serious tone she replied, "Of course. If...if you want too of course" she said as she felt her face warm up.
She looked away for a moment, feeling embarrassed as she felt like a fool. "Urgh! I'm not used to this! Maybe he doesn't want to be my friend after all...? Maybe I over-stepped my bounds?" she thought sorely.
She then heard another sniffle-she quickly turned her gaze back at Andre, and was speechless for a moment.
She saw Andre cry-not out sadness, not out of fear-but from happiness. She had never seen him smile like that before. He smiled, generously and genuinely, from the bottom of his heart. His smile, warm like a pleasant summer day, had made him look almost like a completely different person.
He looked at her gently until he finally replied, "Yes...I'd like that."
She was a bit taken aback by his response and tenderness. To be frank, she had never made a friend before. The other children always referred to her as being mean and cold. But here he was, smiling with all his heart-to her.
She couldn't help but smile at his response. She was ecstatic and glad all at once. "All right then, we're friends now! But no take backs!" she said proudly with a mischievous grin.
He returned her grin as he stared back at her.
Oscar decided to take a plunge and asked, "Andre, why were you crying before?"
Andre curled up under the sheets more as he began to recall his horrific nightmares. "I...had a dream...a-about..." but her couldn't utter them out-he felt the images about to crawl back into the depths of his mind again until he heard her voice.
"It's all right Andre, you don't have to say it if it makes you scared."
Andre closed his eyes for a moment as silence engulfed the room-but it was not an awkward one. No. This silence was a solitude of a grateful silence-welcoming and trusting.
He opened his eyes, staring at his tired companion, "Uhm, Oscar?" Andre finally asked hesitantly.
Oscar was quickly dragged out from her drowsiness as she replied, "What is it?"
"C-can you sing me a lullaby?" feeling his face redden from his unusual request.
She was a bit taken aback by hisrequest and asked, "A lullaby?"
"Y-yes. O-only if you want too of course! I just...mama and papa would sing me a lullaby when I'd have nightmares and..." he trailed off as he remembered their soothing voices and gentle eyes.
Oscar felt a bit embarrassed at this point. She wasn't used to people being this honest and tender before. "But," she thought, "I know he won't laugh at me so...if it's Andre then it's all right!"
"All right," as if in defeat, "I'll sing you a lullaby" she said as she looked away in a huff.
She began to hum a lullaby-a very common but soothing one at that until she heard Andre pout.
"No. Not that one..." he frowned.
"Not...not that one!? Then which one!?" she retorted, giving Andre the very same pout and frown she had received.
Andre pouted more, as if his request was something anyone would know of, "Like this-"
He began to hum the lullaby he knew so well-soothing, as if being cradled by a rivers current.
She began to recognize the lullaby, remembering that she'd hear nanny hum it from time to time-though, it sounded a bit different. A bit gentler and slower, like a moonlights kiss.
"Did you get it?" he asked, when he finished his lullaby.
"Yes! I got it! Jeez!" she sighed.
She began to hum the lullaby-no, his lullaby-effortless, as if she hummed this every day.
She pouted as she recalled his sass from before, but it quickly dissipated as she watched the exhausted boy fall into a trance-falling into a deep sleep while desperately clinging onto her gaze.
She wandered how he could look so small and fragile-despite him being a year older than she was-how easily he could break if one should not be too careful. She watched as the silent hums cradled him softly into a deep spell of dreams, as his breathing had soothed like ocean waves.
She felt her eyelashes flutter, trying to dispel the effects of her own calming lullaby-she felt the song drift away like her consciousness-until she heard but a faint whisper.
"Oscar...will you be here tomorrow, when I wake up? You won't...leave me?" a small voice said, as he desperately hung onto her illuminated eyes.
She recalled his shouts of despair earlier on in the day, as he begged his grandmother for some sort of explanation as to why his parents had passed on-she remembered how he trembled as he uttered out how alone he felt.
She felt her heart sink a bit, at the realization of how lonely and afraid he was-how terrified he was of the thought of being abandoned.
She couldn't understand why, but in these few tender minutes with him, she felt as if she's known him for her entire life-as if they were raised together since birth. She felt as if she wanted to protect him from the worlds cruelties-he was her first friend she's ever made. No, more than that! She felt as if they were brothers-not tied down by blood but by trust.
She felt a sudden need to protect him-this boy who had lost everything in a mere instant-she leaned in as she draped her arm around him, as if she was shielding him and told him, "Andre, I promise I will never leave you. I'll always protect you-I promise we'll always be friends forever!"
And with that Andre smiled, as he let his long overdue sleep take him away as he whispered one last time, "Thank you..."
The sun rose from its slumber as it shun throughout the mansion-It's rays peaked through the windows onto the sleeping children. As birds sang their morning prayers, the adults began their day.
The boy's eyes flickered from the warm, cascading light as he stretched to greet a new day. He looked on over and saw Oscar sleep soundly.
He then remembered the night before-his nightmares, his anxiety and...Oscar's warmth and promises. He had always regarded her as being cold before. But after her displays of kindness from the night before-he knew. He knew that, all this time, she had a heart of gold. She was kind from the start-it just took him a while to notice that kindness.
And he was glad to have found that. For he had felt grateful to have met such a kind person. He hadn't been able to sleep so peacefully since the accident. He had felt completely alone when coming to the mansion but now, "Maybe I'm not as alone as I thought..." he smiled.
For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, he was looking forward to tomorrow. He wanted to see what tomorrow would have in store for him-and he was going to enjoy the present, with his new fond friend!
As if tied by an ancient promise by the gods, he swore to himself that he'd be Oscar's friend for as long as he lived. That he too, would stay by her side forever-and that they'd protect each other no matter what.
Being content with his vows, he looked onto Oscar again, thinking of all the fun games they could play.
"Hey! Oscar! Wake up!" he chimed as he bounced around playfully on her bed.
She groaned for a moment, adjusting her eyes to the blinding light, until her eyes met with a pair of emerald green eyes.
He was full of energy and life-laughing and jumping like any child should.
"Come on Oscar! I'm hungry and I wanna go play! Let's practice sword fighting again! Then! Then! We could go explore the forest! And climb trees! And-!" he said with a new enthusiastic smile.
His new fond cheerfulness took her aback for a moment, "Was he always this excited?" but then a smile quickly grew on her face as she realised that this was how he was supposed to be.
She replied with a mischievous grin, "Are you sure you can handle using a sword? You won't cry this time?" she asked teasingly.
Andre pouted and looked like a blowfish, "I won't cry! I promise!"
"Really?" she continued to tease.
"Yes! Because now I know for sure that you won't hurt me-because we're friends after all!" he said proudly.
Oscar smiled as she rolled off her bed, throwing Andre's sword to him-"Race you downstairs!" as she sprinted, taking the lead.
"H-hey no fair! You had a head start!" he laughed as he caught up to her.
They ran and ran throughout the mansion, causing everyone to spin and fall clumsily as the two children fought and played with no regard of their surroundings-they laughed until their bellies cramped and smiled as if they were the only two people in the world.
But no one was angered-no. Everyone rejoiced internally in their hearts, as they watched the children dance in glee in their newfound friendship. The boy who had lost everything, had been able to smile once more-and the other, who was always alone, had been able to find another who would share her sorrows and joys.
The spring breeze was a sign of a new day-a new beginning-as this was the first day of a wonderful friendship that would last a life time.
A/N: O-omg I was actually able to finish something holy shit!;_; so wow do I feel good about myself! I haven't been able to finish any fics or poems in SO SO long and i finally managed to finish something that isn't all that bad? lmfao
Now please do keep in mind that I haven't written since like, 2013? So I know it's not the greatest-but still i'm so happy i was able to finish something! This is also my first rov fic and my first time writing children. I feel like i made them too serious/mature idk? but I plan on making a sequel to this sooo hopefully i can get more practice! I did want this piece to be a bit emotional (though I generally write like that anyways) but i tried my best to tone down the imagery and emotional stuff to make them not seem too mature, as they are kids. i tend to write a lot of imagery and a lot of emotional dialogue so it was really hard.
Also yes while I ship these two with all my heart this fic is purely platonic-nothing romantic! as ya know, they're kids lmfao. also i feel like i might have made oscars dad just a bit too cruel and perhaps even random-but seeing as this was a oneshot i didn't want to dwell on where and how he came about; basically i just used him as plot lol
but hmmm maybe i will put him in a better light next time! honestly my general intention was for him to just try to "toughen andre up" even though his approach really wasn't good-but it didn't have any malice. as for granny yes she was a lot more tender than she usually is because anyone would after seeing a kid be so damn miserable?
As for what happened to andre's parents-i haven't decided yet. but i feel like andre would blame himself a lot. he also has a lot of abandonment issues, anxiety, panic attacks and maybe ptsd.
okay lol sorry for ranting about this-i'm just so excited that i actually finished something for once! i will most likely go back and change a few things but for now-i'm pretty satisfied!
Anyway's despite my long hiatus I hope y'all like it!