Work Text:
Shrill crying woke the boy almost immediately, green eyes cracking open as sleep clung to his lashes. He stared up at the ceiling, unconsciousness still clinging to the edges of his mind as the boy turned his head to his bedside. The clock read 3:35, the dimly glowing numbers flickering in the dark room.
The boy slowly sat up, rubbing his eye with the palm of his hand as the sound of crying rang in his head. He stared blankly at the opposite wall for a while, letting the wailing continue on until it suddenly became too much for him to bear.
He swung his bare feet over the edge of the bed, eyes adjusting to the dark as he looked towards the old crib tucked into the corner of the room. As his eyes adjusted, he could see the form of his baby brother standing in his crib crying out for him.
The boy slipped off his bed, feet quiet on the cold floor as he tiptoed his way towards the crib. He leaned against the bars of the crib, hand reaching out to run his fingers through his brother's dark hair. The boy whispered words of comfort to him under his breath as the cries slowly quieted down.
He stared at his brother's tear-stained face as the younger boy hiccuped and held onto the sleeve of the boy's sweater. His poor brother must've had a night terror. It wasn't uncommon, not with Paul around, but it was something the boy wished he could protect his baby brother from.
Paul was always strange around his brother. It was something that made the boy's skin crawl and led to him keeping a close eye on his baby brother. Their mother said he was simply protective, their father said he was overprotective. Whatever the case may be, the boy wouldn't let Paul hurt his brother.
Not now, not ever.