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Count
The wind outside howled like some enraged beast as the rain beat against the window. Ludwig had cocooned himself inside of his blankets where it was soft and warm as he tried to find sleep, shifting in time with the sway of branches outside his window. Rain came down on the gravel drive in a torrent of gusting waves that deafened any other sound, ruling them to be absolute, save for the thunder. A fork of lightning lit up the inky sky in a spray of brilliant iridescent light, bright, jagged fingers spreading themselves to stretch into the dark night like an unearthly being. A strident roar of thunder followed suite.
The thunder scared Ludwig the most. So long as he kept his head safely tucked under the covers, he could ignore the lightning and the rain, but he could still hear the thunder. The last rumble was particularly loud, with such force that Ludwig felt it shake the ground. He closed his eyes tightly, willing the storm to pass.
"Rain rain go away..." He whispered under his breath in a fervent prayer. Another flash of lightning and bout of thunder answered him. The boy let out a cry and disentangled himself from the sheets before bolting from the room. Ludwig ran right across the hall to his brother's room, bursting through the door without so much as a knock. He didn't even wait to see if Gilbert was awake before he bounded towards the older boy's bed, throwing himself onto the lump of blankets that concealed his brother.
Gilbert awoke with a start, sitting up so quickly that Ludwig tumbled from the bed and onto the floor. "What the hell, Lud?" He asked groggily.
"It's storming!" The boy cried, clambering back onto the mattress. He immediately burrowed under the albino's blankets, pressing against his brother's warmth. Gilbert sighed and passed a hand over his face before lying back down and pulling the younger to his chest. "It's just rain, Lu." He mumbled lethargically.
Ludwig shook his head, "No." His voice shook, "There's sounds, too." He said to his brother's chest.
Gilbert ran a hand over Ludwig's soft blonde head, patting down unruly hair that had always reminded him of a duckling's feathers. "Yeah, so? It's just thunder."
"It sounds like a monster." The boy complained.
"No such thing as monsters."
Ludwig shook his head stubbornly and yelped as another line of lightning lit up the room. "I want it to go away."
"Ludwig, listen, just count. When you hear the thunder, count how many seconds it takes for it to happen again. If it takes more time than the last, the storm is going away. If it doesn't take as long, it's coming closer. Alright? Try it."
Gilbert could see Ludwig's dubious expression clearly through the dim light but the boy gave a determined nod, "Okay." He tried not to jump with another roll of thunder. "One. Two. Three..." He glanced up at Gilbert, concentrating, "Four. Five. Six... Seven..." The thunder sounded again. He repeated this.
"It's going away, Gilbert!" He chirped.
"Yeah. Now go to bed." the teen ruffled his brother's hair and leaned on his pillow.
"Gilbert?" Ludwig suddenly sounded shy and the albino bit back a grin.
"Hmm?"
"Can I.. Can I sleep here?" the boy asked sheepishly.
"You woulda just crawled back in after I fall asleep anyway." Gilbert shrugged and held his brother closer. "Won't let thunder hurt ya, Lu."
"I know."
"Good. Don't forget it."
A/N: Tell me how I did! Reviews = Love.