Astraphobia
A guest asked for a oneshot of Snow finding out about a phobia Emma has. So I thought I'd give her the one that led to me sleep talking to my friend because I just didn't like it…
The storm had been raging on through the night. It was one of the worst in Storybrooke's history (well, if you take into account nobody could really remember the weather for the first twenty eight years). It made it impossible for Snow to sleep. The loud crashes of the thunder, the flashes of the lightning, she just couldn't get over. Snow needed near silence in order to sleep. Whereas Charming was out like a light. Nothing short of world war three would wake him up. While she was up, Snow thought she might as well check on Neal. They had only recently started putting him in his bedroom upstairs at night. She crept out of the room and up the stairs into his room. She just peaked her head through the door, worried she might wake him. She smiled, just like his daddy, out like a light. As Snow crept back down the hallway, another crash of thunder sounded from outside. She heard a small whimper coming from Emma's room. Snow frowned, was she having a nightmare? The door was already slightly ajar, so again Snow just peaked her head through. The sight nearly broke her heart. It was clear Emma was not having a nightmare. She was awake. Snow could see her sitting up, entirely under the quilt. Even in the dark Snow could tell she was shaking. She couldn't stand seeing Emma like this. Snow came into the room and gently took the quilt back from over Emma's head. She was just sitting there, hands clasped tightly over her ears. Eyes screwed shut. But they snapped open when she felt the quilt being taken from her. They widened in horror when she saw the concerned look from her mom.
"I'm ok." She lied. "Nightmare."
"Emma honey, you were wide awake there." Snow said gently. Emma fell silent, unsure what to say. How does a thirty year old tell their mother their afraid of thunderstorms? Snow had of course worked out that was what was causing Emma's fear. "Well first thing's first," Snow said, moving to the window and shutting it "if we do that the noise will be drowned out." She also made sure the blind was down as far as it would go. She came back over and sat on the edge of Emma's bed. "It's ok to be afraid, you know. I'm here."
"It's a thunderstorm. I'm not in any danger." Emma said. Through the sarcasm Snow could tell she was trying to convince herself more than anything.
"No, you're not. But we can't help it when we're afraid. Come on, lie back down." Confused. Emma did as Snow asked. Snow then moved the quilt back up so that it covered Emma and stroked through her hair. "Do you want me to stay?" She asked. Emma felt her cheeks heating up with embarrassment, she shook her head. "Well, alright." Snow said, getting up. "But know that your father and I are right downstairs if you need us, ok?"
"Ok." Emma mumbled back, mortified. "Night."
"Good night Em." Snow whispered, leaving the room. As she left, she made sure to leave the door open just a crack again. She really couldn't sleep with any noise. That included the cries of her children. Now that she knew Emma was unhappy, she could focus in on it. If she heard it again, she could go back up. She would keep Emma safe from the noise, regardless of its actual threat.
Just to clarify, I wouldn't say I had astraphobia myself, I'm just not a big fan of thunderstorms- apparently particularly in my sleep haha. My actual big fear would be pyrophobia :)