family; au

Something Lightning hadn't expected when she became a mother was how her protectiveness would surge to insane new heights. When she'd been pregnant, a part of her had figured that she'd raised Serah for much of her life, so this would be one in the same.

It wasn't.

Sure, there were similarities, but Lightning quickly found that she was far more protective over her son than she ever had been over Serah, even though back then she'd been alone. Now that she had Hope by her side, it'd be logical for her to relax a bit, but naturally, that didn't seem to be the case.

"Light, he'll be fine. The doctor said it was just a cold, right?"

Lightning hummed, a weird noise that wasn't quite one of agreement. "Yes, but…" She sighed when Soren let out a massive sneeze that just added to his general miserable self. "…He's never had one for this long before. Maybe it's something more."

"Or maybe it's just a particularly nasty one." Hope was aware that, after five years of marriage and two years of being a parent, that he was unlikely to change his wife's mind. But that didn't mean he couldn't try. "We'll just give him the meds and let him sleep. You'd like that, wouldn't ya, little guy?" Hope grinned, lightly ruffling his son's hair. Soren made a sickly little happy noise, always happy to have attention from his father.

"…I guess." Still, Lightning wasn't convinced, but instead of arguing more, she glanced up at a clock on the wall. "Though speaking of the medicine, it's time for his next dose. Distract him, would you?"

"Got it." Hope grinned some more as he tickled his son's sides, though that didn't last long when Soren's giggly laughter was punctuated with more coughing. It did sound pretty bad, but not terrible. "Your mom's a worrier sometimes," he murmured, playfully ruffling Soren's hair.

"What was that?"

"Uh, nothing." Hope's eyes flickered over to Lightning and he gave her a sheepish little smile. "Come on, while he's in a good mood."

Vaguely, Lightning recalled the years when Serah had been sick when she was younger. It'd been damn near impossible to get her sister to take any sort of medicine, but luckily, Soren didn't inherit that little trait from his aunt. Or maybe Hope really had been distracting. At any rate, Soren took the dose without a problem.

"There we go," she murmured, her voice softening affectionately. Her eyes flickered to Hope when Soren yawned in response. "I'll put him to bed, if you want."

Hope shook his head. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind having both of us here." They'd all been sitting on the edge of Soren's bed, so Hope scooted himself up and over to one side to lay down, leaving more than enough room for his son and wife. "Right?"

"…Right."

Soren babbled something happily, though the noise was awfully congested - honestly, sometimes Lightning couldn't wait until he started talking in full words just so she could understand him better. As it was, it was damn near impossible when he was so ill.

It only took a minute to settle into the bed. Soren was more than willing to snuggle under the covers with his parents right there, which made it a lot easier. Lightning gently rested a hand on his chest, like she could send in some kind of healing power to ease his sickness.

"He'll be okay," Hope murmured, sending her a smile. When Soren's eyes closed minutes later, he leaned over him to give his wife a quick kiss. "Don't worry."

Honestly, it was impossible not to worry. Lightning had always put the well-being of her family above everything else.

But at least this time, she thought as she reached for Hope's hand with her free one, she wouldn't go at it alone.