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Globs of rain pepper your window, and a flash of lightning illuminates the sky for a microsecond. You’re awoken in the depth of night to the sound of tiny knuckles knocking on your door. You growl, beyond sick of your annoying brat of a little sister waking you up in the early hours of the morning. You stomp out of bed and rip your door open.
“What the fuck do you want, you little shit?”
The little thing in your doorframe jumps, startled and afraid, and…
Oh, shit. That’s not your sister.
Your sibling’s shyest friend seems on the verge of tears, clutching a stuffed rabbit to her chest, trying and failing to speak. She was so little and quiet, and you’d completely forgotten she was staying the night. “I-I-I-Imsorry…s-s-scared of thunder…”
Oh, fun, now you feel like the scum of the earth. You gather your thoughts and shake off your grogginess, your entire demeanor doing a 180. You had a soft spot for any little girl that wasn’t your little sister. “Woah, hey, nono, it’s okay, c’mere…” You kneel down and wrap an arm around her, getting yourself to eye level with her. “Did you wanna sleep in here tonight?”
“…Mhm…” She nods and wipes her nose on her sleeve. You lead her to bed and help her climb in, holding her by the hips to heft her up onto your mattress. She burrows her way into your blankets, and you pile in with her, smushing together in the twin-sized bed you’d long outgrown. A crack of thunder shakes the sky, and she squeaks, jolting against you and clutching her plushie to her chest.
“Hey, hey, shhh… it’s okay, baby…I’ve gotcha” You lace your arms around her and pull her into a hug, feeling the way she’s trembling beneath her pink fairy pajamas. You keep one arm around her shoulder and pet her stuffed rabbit with her other hand, gently playing with its ears. “Do you want to introduce me to your friend?”
That seems to put her at ease. “Ohh, um…H-Her name is Shortcake…” She whispers as rain patters against the window. “…My mom got her for me…” She rubs her cheeks on her stuffed bunny, and your heart melts a little. She’s such a softie, nothing like the brat you got for a sister.
“Well, it’s wonderful to meet you, Shortcake!” You shake the rabbit’s paw. “Thank you for looking after the little one, I really appreciate it!”
She giggles into her hand, and your guilt over spooking her begins to ease. Thunder still rolls through, but her shaking has stopped, and she’s peacefully still in your arms, like a fragile, precious gemstone wrapped tight in silk. You kiss her head, and the scent of strawberry shampoo makes you flutter. Your free hand rests idly on her little tummy, and you stroke it in gentle circles like she was a puppy. You can feel her muscles relaxing against you, going limp and melting into your bed. Her voice is sleepy and heavy with dreams. “Yr real nice…wish you were my big sister…”
Something about hearing that makes you blush, gives your heart a jolt that…kinda scares you. Your hand is still stroking her tummy, and suddenly you’re not sure how appropriate that is. You still smell strawberries. She’s holding onto you tight with her little hands, and you think about just how close your bodies are, pressed up against each other, how much of her you can feel…
Within minutes, soft, tiny snores fill the room. She’s so still, so…vulnerable. Her body is warm and comforting to hold, the perfect size for snuggling. You think about how little effort it would take to hurt her. How easy it would be to take advantage of her. You don’t want to think about it, but you can’t stop. The thoughts are simply there, they pop into existence against your will, and they persist no matter how hard you try to push them down.
Your eyes linger. There’s the slightest hint of a bulge beneath her pajamas. Her chest hasn’t even begun to sprout yet. You stop staring, but you don’t know where else to point your eyes. You force them shut and try to sleep, but only manage to lay motionless, staring at the back of your eyelids, feeling the slow rise and fall of the little girl’s chest as she dreams. You’re too scared to move, worried you might do something bad to her without even trying to, so you wait. The sunrise is only a few hours away, so you’ll keep watch. Protect her while she rests, make sure nothing can get to her. The light of morning will wash away the storm clouds soon.
There’s nothing in the dark that wasn’t there in the light.