@one-groovy-rose is doing an art/writing trade with me!
She wants something with Des and his daughter (happy feels!)
Bedtime Stories
"Papa?" Desmond stirred slightly in his bed at the name. There was a moment of silence before his daughter spoke again. "Papa?" Desmond's eyes shot open. Violet stood by him in his bed, her hands wringing together. There was a soft spark of fear in her eyes, and Desmond felt a pang of fear as he sat up.
"What is it, dear?" He asked as he motioned for the girl to come closer and she did, giving a soft sniff as she neared her father.
"I… had a nightmare." Desmond hesitated, looking over at his sleeping wife, debating if he should wake her up or not, then turned back to his daughter and hoisted her up onto his lap, brushing her auburn hair out of her face, using a thumb to brush away the tears that had managed to streak their way down her face.
"What was it about?" Violet seemed to hesitate for a moment before answering.
"I had a dream… that you were hurt." Desmond bit his lip as his heart leapt into his throat. She was far, far too young to be having that sort of dream.
"Can you explain?" He asked her gently as his hand found a gentle motion on her back. "I may be able to help if I know what happened."
"I… I was getting ready for bed, and there was a knock at the door. You went to go answer it, and you were hurt when I went to see what happened. You didn't come back to tuck me in, and when I went downstairs… you were surrounded by all these men, and…." Violet let out a soft sob. "And there was blood everywhere. Your glasses were broken." Desmond frowned.
"I'm here, I'm fine, Violet. And besides…." He ruffled her hair. "If I did answer the door to get attacked, I would totally win. You and your mother are safe." Violet let a small smile appear on her face.
"I'm sure you would, Papa. You're really strong." Desmond gave a soft chuckle.
"You are too, my little flower." He stood, hoisting her onto his hip as he started moving towards Violet's bedroom. The girl looked up at him.
"Papa…?"
"Hm?"
"Are you sure that we're safe?" Desmond nodded, placing a kiss into his daughter's hair as he laid her into her bed.
"Of course." As he turned to leave, Violet gripped his hand. He turned to look back at her, eyebrows scrunched in worry.
"Violet?"
"Can you stay here?" Desmond smiled, and sat on the edge of her bed.
"Of course, dear."
"Can you tell me a story?" Desmond gave a soft chuckle.
"Your mother is better at telling stories."
"But I want to hear you tell a story."
"Okay, okay… let me think." His smile dropped as he thought about what to tell. He didn't know why he decided to tell the particular story he did, but he told it anyways. "Once upon a time, there were two brothers. They lived with their mom and dad in a small house. Everyone was happy.
"One day, the parents went missing, and so the brothers were seperated to different families." Violet was staring at him with half-lidded eyes as her head drooped. "Many years passed, and the older brother was sure that the younger one had forgotten about him. He wrote to his brother's family often, and they wrote back.
"The older brother dreamed about meeting with his sibling, and he wrote about meeting up with them often. One day, he finally got a letter saying they could meet. The older brother was so happy, he could finally get together with a brother he hadn't seen in several years." He paused, thinking of a way to tell his story without haing it take a dark turn. "They met together at a cafe, and the older brother was taken aback at the sibling's appearance. He had really grown up.
"The younger brother didn't really recognize him, but it was a happy reunion nonetheless. The family promised to meet up with the older brother again, and he was happy to do so." Desmond finished his story with that sentence, and looked down at his daughter.
She was almost asleep, her eyes almost completely closed as her breathing grew deep and even. He smiled before leaning down and placing a kiss on her forehead.
"Goodnight, my little flower."