"Arthur!"
I jolted awake at the scream. Pure terror was laced into my name at each cry. I was down the hall when the room was lit with a sharp crack and a flash of white light. My name sounded in the halls again and I wasted no time in getting there. I entered the room and switched on the light. The bed was empty and I scanned the room. Floor clean. Closet door shut. Books slightly out of place, but nothing alarming as this was usual. Window closed and locked.
"England?" I called as the thunder sounded again.
A whimper sounded and the mint bunny who had been my friend since childhood stuck his head out from under the bed. A sad expression on his features. I stepped closer to the bed and kneeled down. I peered under.
"England? Are you ok?"
He was curled up and covering his face with his hands. Little sniffles could be heard and tears were leaking between his fingers. But ever so slowly he looked up at me. Tears falling slowly. Eyes red and lip quivering.
"A- Arthur." He hiccuped. "I- I-"
The thunder crashed again. Striking more fear into my son's heart. His eyes grew wide and he froze. Tears and growing still were his only defense yet.
"It's ok. Just try and calm down."
He slowly shook himself out of the sheer panic. Our eyes met. Emerald connecting with emerald. The moment was still. Sincerity meeting fear and quickly turning it into trust. He calmed. Just enough to inch out and into my waiting embrace. He was shaking if ever so slightly. I just held him there. His grip was tight. But that was ok. I breathed a sigh into my little doppelgangers hair. He sniffled and a whimper escaped him when the thunder cracked like a whip in the night.
"Shhh… It's alright. Nothing's going to happen to you. I promise. I'll keep you safe just like I always do."
"I- I do- don't l- like it- t."
"I know. I know. But it's alright. As long as I'm here nothing can hurt you." I ran my fingers through his hair gently.
I knew that I treated him far differently than I ever did America, but America needed a stern hand as he was always getting into trouble whenever I had my back turned. Little England here was a sweet child who heeded my words. He listened when I said something was dangerous. He listened when I told him not to go somewhere. And it was he who needed protection from those like America and France who would torment him just to get at me. He needed protection and that was why I was here instead of at the meeting that was placed in bloody France. He needed protection from the storm that had decided to come in now. Hopefully it wouldn't rain most of the week like it was predicted. One night of next to no sleep was enough. The poor kid wouldn't be able to handle much more than that. If only I had the ability to control the weather. Then I could keep his fears at bay at the very least.
"Why- y won't- t- t it sto- op?"
"Shhhh… It's just a bit of rain. Nothing that can hurt you. Just calm down."
He shifted more into my lap and I could feel his tears through my shirt. My heart ached and I longed to ease his pain. To hide him from his fears forever.
"You're safe as long as you're with me. Everything's going to be alright. You're going to be just fine." I cooed and placed a gentle kiss on his head.
His breathing was starting to even out and that in turn put me at ease. He was all I had. My everything. He was the only one who smiled when they looked at me. The only one who didn't see me as a black sheep. The only one who saw me as who he knew not who I was in the past. The only one who wasn't trying to leave me. The only one not trying to escape from big bad England. And he was mine. Without him my life would be meaningless again. So him being afraid or in pain put me on edge. He was top priority no matter what it was. Not matter the situation he Always came first.
His grip loosened ever so slowly and he just let me hold him. He curled up in my lap carefully. Mint bunny taking a place close to his chest and nuzzling him. He knew how much the child meant to me. I just cradled his head to my chest, my nose buried in his hair. The night wore on at a slow pace and it took a long time for him to begin to doze, but that was ok. Just so long as he was ok and he knew he was safe.
"Shhh… Shhh… It's alright… Shhh…" I cooed over and over as he slowly drifted off.
It was a rather cute sight. He was cuddling Mint bunny and a soft snore was present due to his nose being slightly stuffed from the tears. I didn't dare move though. The thunder was a light crackle in the distance. The night was dark due to the moonlight being blocked by dark clouds. The wind was calmer than before from what I could tell. The worst of the storm was over, but I didn't dare move. I didn't want to wake him. I wanted him to get as much rest as he could. A yawn slipped past my lips and Mint bunny made a soft sound that mimicked a whine.
"Shh…"
My old friend was worried about me. Just like the fairies and other creatures that had been around me since I was a child myself. I was getting more weary by the day and staying up all night each time there was a thunderstorm wasn't helping. I was getting thinner though I ate the same amount or more each day. My limits were becoming easier to reach each day. I really needed a good nights rest… Just some time to rest at all would be nice. I yawned again. Though no matter how much I slept… No matter how many naps I secretly slipped in I always awoke to find that I felt like I hadn't slept at all. Or at least the energy that I did gain didn't last very long. At this rate I was going to crash far sooner than I had expected.
Chapter 2 Up! Thank you for reading! Welcome to the Counting Sheep series if you're new. I only have England and Turkey up so far, but just shoot me a Hetalia character and I'll add them to the list for Counting Sheep. Well it's one in the morning and I'm tired so I'm just going to put this up and sleep. Night and thanks again for reading.