Hazbin Trashcan

Their Comfort

Normally, Margret wasn’t one to find it difficult to fall asleep. When Charlie settled her down for bed, she was able to pretty quickly grasp onto sleep and be down for the rest of the night. One of the many qualities that made her such an easy child. Even at seven, when she really wanted to be up and about, as soon as she was in bed she was out for the night.

Tonight, however, she was having a difficult time getting her eyelids to cooperate with her. Maybe it was the fact that she took such a lengthy nap during the day or it was the heavy rain that was going on outside, she wasn’t really able to discern. Something just made her feel unsettled and the only thing she could think of doing was getting out of bed.

Pushing the covers down and swinging her legs over the side of the bed, the child stretched and made sure to tuck the covers back under the pillows before sliding her feet into her slippers. As she made her way to the door, perhaps to just go to the bathroom and then return, the sound of another door opening made her step back.

If Daddy caught her up - well, she wasn’t sure what he’d do.

As Margret hurried back to bed, a soft knock came to her door and she paused. After the knock hit again, she padded back to the door and then pulled it open just enough to see who it was.

Bea stood there, blanket in one hand and her stuffed reindeer in the other. She looked tired, but unsettled. Margret immediately opened the door and tilted her head, her voice quiet.

“What do you want?”
Bea yawned, shrugging a shoulder, “Can’t sleep.”

Margret crossed her arms, “Well, what do you want me to do about it?”

The redheaded child grinned impishly, “Wanna go cuddle in with mommy and daddy? We can get Frankie from his crib and take him too. I know he’s awake, he’s been fussing since mommy put us to bed.”

Worry quickly prickled at her stomach, “Frankie’s been fussy?”

Bea nodded, yawning, “I can hear him through the wall. He won’t stop snifflin’.”

The seven year old thought for a moment, biting her lip. Crawling in with Mommy and Daddy wasn’t something she had done since she was maybe two; would they even be okay with it? The pleading look in Bea’s eyes, despite the mischievous grin on her sister’s face, won over her thoughts.

“Well, alright.” Margret ducked back into the room to grab her own soft blanket from the end of her bed and then the sisters made their way back down the hall to their baby brother’s room.

Margret opened the door as quiet as she could and as soon as the pair made their way inside, the fussing stopped. Frankie was standing with his hands gripping the top bar of his crib; he had tears streaming down his cheeks and Margret felt terrible in that moment.

“Okay, Frankie, c’mon.” She rushed across the room and dropped her blanket on the floor next to the crib, reaching up, “Bea, come help me get him out.”

“Otay.” Bea put her reindeer and blanket down by the door and walked to the crib, kneeling and gripping onto Frankie’s feet, “Ready?”

“Yep! Push!”

With a few tries and Franklin’s squirming to try and help, he was safely being held by Margret. His tears stopped around then, burying his face in his sister’s shoulder and holding onto her tightly.

“Grab his blankie and mine and drape them over my shoulders or carry them. I don’t wanna snatch all of Mommy and Daddy’s blankets.” Margret ordered quietly, rubbing Franklin’s back soothingly. He gave a soft coo of contentment, murmuring something in his baby language.

Bea hummed an affirmation and grabbed the rest of the blankets, draping Frankie’s across his back while carrying Margret’s. The trio shuffled their way across the house, having to go up a flight of stairs to reach their parent’s bedroom was difficult for Margret carrying the baby.

“He’s heavy.” She whined at one point, shifting him enough that he got irritated and gripped onto her hair tightly.

“Maybe you’re jus’ weak.” Bea mumbled, rubbing her eyes. She felt exhausted, though she had tried to go to sleep for hours before bugging Margret.

Margret growled lowly and rolled her eyes, “Oh, shut up.”

“You talked first.” Bea reached up to open the door to their parent’s room, pulling the handle down and she tried her best to push it open.

The bed was massive in the room, so Margret didn’t have a problem with the three of them climbing up. Bea obviously had no reservations, trotting over to the bed and pulling herself up onto it. Margret watched her climb up to the head and plop herself in between Alastor and Charlie.

“Wha - “ Margret heard the soft voice of her mother, muffled by sleep, drift through the air, “Bea?”

“Can’t sleep mommy, Maggie and Frankie can’t either.” Bea pulled her blanket up to her shoulders.

Margret stood at the edge of the bed after closing the door. Franklin had started to doze on her but had woken up when she placed him up on the bed and climbed up after him, “He was really fussy, mommy. Crying and stuff.”

“Oh,” Charlie yawned and rubbed her eyes, sitting up to reach over and take Franklin from Margret, “So you all trekked to sleep in here?”

“Uhuh.” Margret crawled up to lay down in between Bea and Charlie.

Charlie lay back down on her back with Frankie on her chest; he gripped onto her shirt and gave a soft noise of contentment. Margret blinked sleepily and lay Frankin’s blanket across his back and then pulled her own over her shoulders.

The soft sound of white noise sharpened for a moment and all of them knew that Alastor had woken up to the noise; the soft glow from his eyes was also a tell.

“Hiya, daddy.” Bea chirped, wiggling closer to him. Alastor raised an eyebrow and she giggled, pulling her reindeer closer, “We couldn’t sleep so we came to sleep with you! Isn’t that nice?”

Alastor let out a chortle and wrapped an arm around her, his hand reaching out to take hold of Margret’s fingers. She squeezed them three times and he squeezed back four; it made her smile brightly at him, “I suppose, darlings.”

“Frankie was even crying ‘cause he was so lonely.” Bea murmured, her drowsy eyelids starting to droop once more, “And Margret was out of bed anyway.”

“I was just going to the bathroom!” Margret scowled over at her sister, squeezing Alastor’s hand once more. Charlie nudged Maggie’s head with her elbow and the child moved her head up, allowing her mother to put her arm under her. She snuggled in close to Charlie and closed her eyes, making sure to keep a tight grip on Alastor’s hand.

Franklin, still half awake, reached down and placed a chubby hand on her cheek and she smiled at him, kissing a finger. He let out a sleepy giggle and she did it again before letting her eyes close.

Bea gripped tightly onto Alastor’s shirt and her reindeer, thoroughly enjoying the fact that she was sleeping next to her favorite person in the world. Al pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head and she smiled lazily, giving him one back on the chin.

On a normal night, they’d all be able to sleep just fine on their own. On this night, they just needed a little extra warmth.