Our Boys

Here Comes The Sun

Little Vik helps Ethan through a thunderstorm.

He could see it in the distance, rolling wide across the city, quite amazing to watch. The storm was huge, black swirling clouds, whipping winds, the temperature had even dropped a few degrees. This one was going to be bad.

It was times like these that he wished he'd gone with his family to watch the comedy show instead of insisting to stay at the hotel room so he could watch the basketball game. What if the storm was fierce enough to tear the building apart? They were on the end so their room would be the first to go. Ethan had read that spring storms in Florida were no laughing matter and although he'd never experienced a really bad storm before, he knew they could cause serious damage. Even at thirteen years old, Ethan knew that.

He flicked the TV off as the game finished, thankfully it had lasted before there was a power cut or something. He wondered how the others were doing. What if they couldn't make it back that night? Why hadn't he just gone with them instead? He missed Josh, it was rare for them to be apart for more than two hours and on top of that, it meant it was solely his job to keep himself and Vik safe. The five year old had been a bit young to see the show the others were seeing and so by Ethan staying at the hotel, his dads had used it as an opportunity to leave the youngest behind and take his older brothers. Ethan had been fine with that, after he'd been lectured by both of his dads as to what he should and shouldn't do. He'd then had hourly texts from them since and been checked on by one of the staff his dad had paid to keep an eye on them.

As Ethan settled on the sofa with a comic book, Vik moved from the opposite end, where he'd been reading his own Horrible Histories book, to snuggle against his brother's side. Vik had Puck in one hand, a soft, blue stuffed dog that had seen better days, and his other hand curled into Ethan's hoodie, seeking general reassurance.

Glancing at the window, Ethan sighed. He hated the storms. He knew he shouldn't be afraid of them – he was a big boy - but he had many memories of nights spent in that cold shopping centre as a seven year old, with the wind and rain battering against the roof and windows, casting scary shadows and making him feel even colder than he was. Back then he'd had Josh though, his brother had always looked out for him and protected him, and the storms had been mild compared to this.

What was even more upsetting was that Vik loved storms; would run right out into them if he could, little arms high up in the air, a big smile plastered on his face. If it was raining, Vik wanted to be out in it, splashing around. He bounced excitedly when it thundered, and loved to watch the lightning strike across the sky. That scared Ethan more than anything, Vik's complete obliviousness to the danger storms could bring.

So when the first giant boom thundered, a head of black locks lifted up, dark brown eyes meeting Ethan's wary blue one's in wide realisation. Before Ethan could stop him, Vik had scampered off the couch to the window, placing his small hands against the cool glass and peering out.

"Ethan, storm!"

"Yeah Vikky, I know. Come back here kiddo, sit with me and we can watch a movie together." Ethan put away his comics, knowing he wasn't going to be able to concentrate on those tonight.

"Come watch it with me!" The stubborn set to Vik's chin ensured a pouting session in less than a minute, Ethan was sure.

"No Vik. Come back and I'll make popcorn. And you can have orange juice." Ethan smiled when Vik turned back to him, the promise of popcorn and juice after dinner a real treat. The smile faltered when Vik turned back to the window with a determined, "storm, Ethan."

Alright then, time to pull out the big guns. Ethan schooled his face and took a deep breath; Vik was not easily fooled and was learning how to read his big brother better every day. The puppy eyes were going be Vik's number one weapon someday Ethan knew, but for now, they worked on him. Plus, the actual fear Ethan felt was something Vik would no doubt pick up on.