Short OTGW fluff one-shot i wrote way back on fathers day. Not beta'd and barely written, pretty much only exists to satisfy my desperate need for fatherly affection
Greg sat at the base of the stairs, eyes trained sharply on the front door, almost shaking with anticipation waiting for it to crack open, Still wearing his wrinkled eggshell white hospital pajamas from the night before, sitting in the same spot he'd sat all day. His father had tried to spend as much time with him as possible after what had happened on halloween, trying to get him to get up and play, or watch TV or do anything to enjoy his day off school, but Greg was determined, he was waiting, And had been waiting since he was discharged from the hospital that morning, waiting and worried about his older brother Wirt who had been kept an extra day for "Observation" as the adults had called it, he didn't really know what that meant, but he knew it didn't sound good, and Wirt had looked worried when they told him about it, So Greg was determined to be the first person to greet Wirt when he walked in the door and hug him harder than he'd ever hugged him before.
It was a little after 9 o'clock when Johnathan Whalen came across his 8 year old son dozing off with his head rested against the banister.
"Come on Greg, I think it's time for you to get some rest." Johnathan lifted his son up and layed him against his shoulder.
"No!" Greg protested, "What if Wirt comes home and I miss him, how am I supposed to hug him if I'm asleep?" he grasped onto his fathers dark green sweater and nuzzled into his sandy blond hair, his bodies need for sleep quickly overtaking him
"I know you're worried about your brother, little buddy, but I told you Wirt will be home in a couple days, the doctors need to watch him a little more and make sure he's okay." Johnathan stopped on the stairs for a moment to grip his son a little tighter, "Besides You don't have to go to school 'till next monday, and Wirt'll be on bed rest for a while, so you oughta have plenty of time to hug him then, Kay?" he stopped at the door to Greg's bedroom as his son looked him in the eyes; then buried his face back into the sweater"
"-t w-a- -f -he in't okay" Greg said, muffled by the thick cotton.
"What was that buddy?" his father said; setting him down on the bed and smoothing out his hair. Greg was silent, clasping his hands together and avoiding his father's eyes. "I didn't hear you Greg, what'd you say?" Greg sat a moment more before looking up at his father.
"What if he isn't okay..." the boy pulled his legs up to him, "What if the beast comes back for him..." he was visibly fighting back tears now.
Johnathan stood in stunned silence for a moment before sitting down on the bed and pulling his son to his chest and holding him, stroking his hair in a small show of comfort. "The beast… that was the bad thing that you saw on Halloween... right?" Johnathan mulled over, chewing his lip and thinking of what to say. "I know- I know what happened was probably really scary, and I know you're worried about Wirt, but he's gonna be fine, you told me yourself how brave he was fighting... "The beast" in the "Unknown"" Greg couldn't help but notice the hint of disbelief in his fathers voice. "I know you're worried about your brother-" He set his son off his lap and layed him down on the bed "-But i promise you, he'll be okay. I'm sure he's just as excited to see you as you are to see him." Johnathan tucked greg into his misty green bed sheets, and rested the back of his hand on his forehead for a moment. "Now get some rest, you don't wanna be too tuckered out to play when Wirt gets home do ya?" he asked, planting a goodnight kiss on Greg's forehead and standing up and making his way for the lightswitch.
"Goodnight, love ya dad." came Greg's soft sleepy voice from the pillow.
"Goodnight Greg, I love you too, rest well and dream big little buddy." Johnathan said as he flicked off the lights and softly closed the bedroom door behind him.
Only after putting his son to bed and stepping out into the hallway did Johnathan let the look of worry and anxiety wash over his face, no matter how much he condoled Greg he knew it would make Wirt's Pheumonia any less serious. He stood for a moment reflecting on his boy's before making his way to his and Amelia's bedroom, resting on the side of the bed adjusting his small round glasses and letting all the troubles of parenthood cloud his mind.