I’d like a little scene of smoll Ford having a nightmare and mustering the courage to go up to Angie and Stan’s room for comfort^^
Happy early birthday ;)
Thank you :)
I also got this request from an Anonymous, who specified they would like it during the time when Stan doesn't know the kid he's taking care of is actually his twin, not his twin's son. So I went with that for this, so that it fulfills both requests in one. Hope you like it!
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Ford sat bolt upright, heart racing, covered in a cold sweat. He quickly grabbed one of his many stuffed animals at hand, a plush axolotl given to him by Angie. Squeezing the stuffed animal close to his chest, he tried to steady his breathing.
It’s okay. Everything’s okay. Ground yourself in the now. Though he was able to calm his pounding heart, the anxiety didn’t fade. Dammit. Come on. I don’t want to do it. Ford closed his eyes, but immediately opened them again, unnerved by the loss of the soft glow of his nightlight.
“No,” he whined out loud. He hung his head with a sigh.
Time for the nuclear option. Still clinging to his stuffed animal, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and slid off. His bedroom door was ajar, and he pushed it open the rest of the way as he exited. Thankfully, Stan and Angie had installed a nightlight in the hallway, not just his bedroom. They claimed that it was in case Ford needed to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, but given how many times they made it clear he could visit them if he had a nightmare, he felt it wasn’t the only reason. Damned nightmares. I can’t even remember what they’re about when I wake up! Why is something I don’t remember keeping me from falling asleep?! But that had been the case ever since he was reduced to a child. Hopefully, seeking comfort from his twin would be less humiliating than from his former foster parents, Wyatt and Madeline.
Ford knew the way to Stan and Angie’s bedroom, but even if he didn’t, he would have found it immediately. Stan’s snoring could probably be heard two houses over.
Honestly, it’s a miracle he found a spouse who can sleep through it. Ford tentatively pushed open the bedroom door. Angie’s side of the bed faced the door. She was sleeping facedown, her limbs akimbo. Ford was reminded of his college roommate, Fiddleford McGucket, who slept in the same manner. It wasn’t the first time Angie reminded him of his old friend. But Fiddleford talked about his family a lot. None of his relatives have a name as normal as “Angie”.
Ford walked around to Stan’s side of the bed. Stan was sleeping on his back, possibly the cause of his snoring, and sprawled, but less than Angie. Ford nervously tugged on Stan’s arm dangling over the side of the bed. The snoring stopped immediately.
“Whuzza…oh.” Stan turned onto his side. “Ford?”
“Yes,” Ford squeaked.
“What’s going on?” Stan asked.
“I, um, I had- I had a-” Ford stammered. To his frustration, he didn’t feel any less embarrassed asking for comfort from Stan. Thankfully, Stan caught on.
“Did you have a nightmare?” Stan asked softly. Ford nodded, tears pricking the corners of his eyes. “Do you want to snuggle with me and Angie?”
It’s “Angie and I”, Stanley. You’re a teacher, you should have better grammar. Ford immediately felt bad. Don’t be ornery towards someone you’re asking for help.
“Yes,” Ford mumbled.
“No problem,” Stan said. “You’re in luck, actually. Half the time, Angie takes all the blankets. The other half of the time, she throws ‘em all off. Tonight’s a night she’s not being a blanket hog.” Ford made a noncommittal noise. “Wanna hand getting up?”
“Yes, please.”
“You got it.” Stan reached down, picked Ford up, and set him on the bed, between himself and Angie. “Go ahead and crawl under the covers, sport.” Ford obediently pulled the blanket over him. Stan turned to face him. “…Wanna talk about it?”
“About what?”
“Your nightmare,” Stan said. “If you don’t wanna talk about it, that’s fine. But I figured I’d ask.” Ford looked at his stuffed animal, avoiding eye contact with Stan.
“I don’t remember it,” he said quietly. Stan was silent for a moment.
“Do you really not remember or are you saying that to avoid talking about it?” he asked pointedly.
“I don’t remember!” Ford said, louder than he meant to. He winced.
“Don’t worry, you’re not gonna wake up Angie,” Stan said, immediately picking up on what Ford was worried about. “She sleeps through everything. She falls off the bed at least once a week and doesn’t realize until her alarm goes off and she wakes up on the floor.”
“Oh. Good.”
“I believe you that you don’t remember your nightmare,” Stan continued. “But I wanted to make sure you weren’t saying that just to keep me from getting upset. Like I said, it’s fine if you don’t wanna talk about it. I’m not gonna try to pull it outta you. Even kids have boundaries that need to be respected.”
“Did you learn that phrase from An- Aunt Angie?” Ford muttered.
Dammit, I almost forgot to tack “Aunt” in front of Angie’s name. This façade is difficult to keep up during the day, let alone in the middle of the night. Stan chuckled.
“You’re just like your dad, you know that?” He ruffled Ford’s hair. “All right, if you don’t wanna talk about stuff, let’s focus on getting to sleep. We’ve got school in the morning.” Ford nodded silently. He rolled over, facing away from Stan. To his surprise, he felt Stan’s hand on his back, making gentle circular motions. “Remember, kid. You’re safe here.”
“Yeah.” Ford closed his eyes, already feeling better. “I know.”
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