Flash Fiction Friday prompt 190: Trapped in the Dark. 516 words.

He curled up tightly, although his helmet stopped him actually making a ball, and floated. There may have been a whimper, but if pressed he'd deny it.

He needed to pull himself together, he was a Tracy and 'Tracy' went hand in hand with 'astronaut'.

But right this minute Alan wished with all his might he'd decided not to follow his father and his brother into space.

He'd never realised that space could be so…so…dark. Alan laughed at himself. It turned into a sob, and then he was hiccupping.

Crying in a helmet was very, very messy.

'Alan?'

The voice of his space bro sounded so close, so clear, and Alan curled up tighter. The sob turned into real crying.

'Alan.'

The hand on his shoulder startled him out of his wits and Alan screamed. The hand was rapidly removed and another voice joined in.

'Al?'

'Alan?'

No, no, no! Scott and John couldn't be here! Not here, trapped in the dark with him! He knew that space could play tricks on his mind.

But the dip in the material around him was…confusing to say the least. A hand on his shoulder squeezed briefly, but this time it didn't leave at his shriek. Instead it was joined with other hands and, as he squeezed his eyes closed even tighter, he was manoeuvred onto what could only be his eldest brother's lap.

A hand carded through his hair as he turned into the embrace, hands automatically finding and grasping the shirt Scott always wore. And with that knowledge he couldn't hold back the tears anymore.

Scott held Alan tight as he cried, continuing to make soothing noises as he exchanged worried looks with John, who shrugged. Whatever had caused this, their baby brother was in the middle of one of the worst nightmares he'd had for a while.

John perched on the bed next to Scott, taking his turn to run his hand through Alan's hair now that Scott's arms were busy holding their brother together. Neither was surprised when Gordon and Virgil appeared. A nod at them and everyone was moving.

Scott's bed was by design the biggest of all of them, because his was the comfort brothers invariably sought. So they made their way by silent agreement. Virgil smoothed the covers and Scott shimmied himself into the middle. Virgil took one side and John the other and Gordon, as was his way, spread-eagle over their laps.

It meant that they were all in some way touching both Alan and each other.

The touch helped and soon Alan's sobs turned to snores. Virgil wasn't too far behind and then Gordon. And then it was Scott and John. It didn't take John long to drop off either, leaving Scott to watch over them.

He smiled softly as Alan muttered and his hands loosened at last. Tomorrow they would face whatever had caused the nightmare, but for now he was just the eldest of five brothers puppy-piling together against the world.

And with a contented sigh Scott rested his chin gently on Alan's head and closed his eyes.