Slowly working my way through these... :( I have several done already I'm just taking my precious time on the last few prompts for the week. (If you're following me on tumblr you know I've fallen into the pit of obsession known as Fairy Tail, so that's kind of consumed my fanfic writing at the moment.) But I absolutely have not stopped loving RWBY, and my goal is to keep working on this because I love Ironwitch!
Here's the chapter for the prompt "Guard"
A shrill scream woke James suddenly from sleep, and then there was silence. His room, the master bedroom in their little house in town, was draped in shadows. Glynda had woken next to him, and she leaned over to flick on the bedside lamp. Her long blond curls cascading over her shoulders. She brushed them aside and reached for her glasses.
"It's Marin," she whispered. "I'll—"
"No, that's okay," James shrugged, pulling himself out of bed. "I'll go get him." Marin's bedroom was across the hall from James and Glynda's. The bathroom light was still on, casting a path of gold across the hardwood floor, straight to the little boy's room. James carefully pushed the door open all the way. Marin's little nightlight made stars dance across the ceiling. The blond haired, aquamarine-eyed eight-year-old was sitting up in bed, wrapped in blankets, and trembling.
"Th-they're coming… there's f-fire, and they're… they're… they're going to k-k-kill me!"
"Marin," James whispered, sitting at the edge of his son's bed, and reaching out ever so slowly to take the boy's shoulder in his hand. The moment James touched him Marin screamed again, scrambling farther away, pressing against the wall,
"They're going to kill me! They're going to kill me!"
"Marin," James whispered, "Look into my eyes, son, you're alright. You're safe. You're at home, and you're safe." The boy's eyes became clearer, despite the well of tears, and when he finally seemed to notice James his breathing began to even.
"D-dad…." He held out a hand slowly and James reached out to take it, to prove that he was real. Marin choked on tears, "D-dad." He shakily pulled himself out of his blankets and leaned into his father's embrace. James rubbed his shoulder,
"Shh… Marin, it was just a dream. You're safe."
"They were going… they were g-going to kill me, Dad."
"I know… I know, but they can't hurt you here. It was just a dream."
"C-can I…?"
"Yes," James said, without letting Marin finish. He walked Marin, hand-in-hand, back to the Master bedroom. Glynda was waiting, sitting up in bed. When she saw them she smiled.
"Marin, are you alright?"
"N-no…" Marin crawled into his mother's arms, and they both lay down. James joined them at his side of the bed, and Glynda flicked off the light. They were silent for a few moment, before Marin spoke.
"Is it stupid that I… s-still… have nightmares like this?"
"No, dear," Glynda whispered, "Even your father and I still have nightmares."
"All the time," James added.
"B-but, there's this kid at my school. He says… he says only babies wake up crying about nightmares."
How cruel could children be? James turned to look at where his son was safe in Glynda's embrace. Marin's nightmares were PTSD related—from the traumatic events he suffered through as a very small child in Vale, when the city was overrun with Grimm and people were murdered before his very eyes. No child should live through that. No person should live through that. Nightmares were an understandable side effect.
"Marin, listen to me," James whispered, "That boy is very wrong. Nightmares are a part of life, and more than that, when you experience trauma, like the trauma of war, nightmares can become a regularity. I have nightmares all the time, and your mother is there to comfort me. So don't be ashamed of your nightmares, son. Your mother and I are always here to help you through them."
Marin was silent for a moment before he whispered, "Are you sure it's safe to sleep?" James smiled.
"Yes," Glynda whispered, "Your father and I are on guard. We'll always be here to make sure nothing bad happens. Close your eyes, dear, it's okay."
"I love you, Mom, I love you, Dad."
"We love you too."
Replies to Reviews:
SemblanceOfInvisibility: Yesss! Great idea. I'll have a chapter with James and Qrow talking some stuff out in the works! It is especially perfect for what's to come. ;)
miumiuchuu: You are so welcome, I'm so glad you like it! 3 Listen I've tried to write angst. Tried so hard. It never freaking works. My characters have to have happy endings. *sighhhh* Maybe it's not all fluff, but I guess you could say fluff is my expertise. :P
Thanks for the reviews! See you when I post the next chapter!
-K. Anna
