Another @bingokisses fic! This one fills the prompts “Wiping Away Tears” and “Cheek Kiss.” I thought it was about time for a bit of Nanny & Warlock, since I don’t think I’ve ever posted any...
Also available on AO3!
Warlock Dowling woke from his nightmare in a strange place.
The blanket suffocated him, twisted around his chest, and he struggled to get free. But he froze when something nearby gurgled, growled, roared to life. It was too dark in here, and he couldn’t see anything but strange shadows hulking all around, some boxy, some lumpy.
His fingers clutched at the blanket, pressing it to his mouth. A scream was trying to crawl out of his throat, even as he shrank, huddling, trying to make himself as small as possible. Apart from the gurgling rattle, he could hear heavy footsteps somewhere close, and a whimper forced its way past his lips.
Somewhere nearby there was a click – a scrape – and a pair of glowing eyes loomed out of the darkness.
The scream tore free, breaking into a sob as Warlock buried himself under the blanket—
“What’s the matter, love?” a soft, familiar voice called out as the room flooded with light.
Peeking cautiously over the edge of the blanket, he saw a tall, unsmiling woman, red hair in a tight bun, standing in the room’s doorway. One hand rested on a light switch, the other pressed her glasses against her face.
“Nanny!” All at once he started crying, great hiccupping sobs he couldn’t hope to stop. “I thought – I thought—”
“None of that, now,” she chided, crossing the room to stand beside his bed. “You’re almost six years old. There’s no need for—”
“Where am I?” He could barely gasp the words out. “I want – I want—” He dropped the blanket and pushed his hands against his head as more tears fell.
“You’re in the hotel room. Don’t you remember?” He looked up to find Nanny watching him with her head to the side. She stared at him like that sometimes, stiff and confused, as if she’d never seen a child before. “We’re in Zurich for your father’s business. He and your mother are still at the dinner, but we had a lovely day—”
“I want to go home!” Warlock's face burned hotter than the tears, and the sobs and wails shook him until he couldn't breath, gasping as if he were drowning.
Part of him knew he was being a stupid baby. He could see it was an ordinary room, the boxy shapes just furniture, the lumpy one his clothes laid out on a chair for the next day. Even the scary noise was just the air conditioner. He remembered complaining about it before bed.
Everything made sense now, but it didn’t matter – it wasn’t familiar. He wanted his own bed and his own room and his favorite stuffed bear that he’d left at home because he didn’t need it, he was a big boy now, but that was a lie, he did need it, he wasn’t a big boy and his father would be so disappointed he was throwing a tantrum, and Nanny would see he was still a baby and he couldn’t use his words, but he didn’t have any words right now, just tears, so he cried and cried and cried.
For twenty minutes – or maybe just five seconds – Warlock sobbed his eyes out. Then the bed shifted and he felt a finger under his chin. “Warlock. Look at me, love. Look at me.”
He sniffed and let Nanny tilt his chin until he could see her face, watery and blurred by tears. She sat on the bed next to him, face as stern as ever.
Then the hand laying in her lap lifted up and wiped the wetness from his cheek, carefully, as if afraid to hurt him. “Did you have a bad dream?”
Warlock nodded and felt the tears start again. “There was s-something chasing me and – and – and I don’t remember what but it was scary and big and it almost got me—”
“I know!” He wailed it, feeling the heat of tears building up again. “Only stupid babies are scared of dreams but – but – I am!”
“Don’t be silly, love. Everyone gets scared by bad dreams.” He blinked up at her narrow face as she pulled out a white handkerchief and wiped his cheeks dry. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of. But you’re awake now, and I’m here. You’re safe.” Her fingers ran across his cheek one more time. “As long as I’m here, you’re safe.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.” One of Nanny’s rare smiles appeared – just a flicker, a flash on her lips – but it filled Warlock with more warmth than a cup of Brother Francis’s hot cocoa. “Are you ready to sleep now?”
Warlock looked around the room again. He still felt a strange, creeping feeling up his spine that wouldn’t go away. “Can you check under the bed?”
“Warlock…”
“Please?”
“Alright.” She slid off the bed and he heard a rustle of blankets. “Oh, my. There is something under here.”
Warlock tensed, ready to jump up and run – until Nanny reappeared holding a worn grey bear. “Eddie!” Warlock grabbed the toy into a tight hug, feeling the last of his fear melt away like ice cream at the beach. “But I left him at home!”
“I thought he might be needed here. Don’t tell your mother, though. It’s a secret.” Nanny pushed a finger to her lips and Warlock quickly did the same back. Nanny always had the best secrets.
“Now. Time to sleep.” Nanny straightened the blanket and Warlock settled down into a pile of pillows, holding onto the bear as tight as he ever had.
“Nanny? Do you have scary dreams?”
She pressed her lips into a line and sat on the bed again. “Everyone who dreams has bad dreams sometimes.”
“Do you…” he pulled the bear closer, remembering the feeling of something - some monster - right behind him. “Do you dream something awful is chasing you?”
“Occasionally.”
“And…what do you do?”
She leaned closer, until their foreheads almost touched. “I turn around and I yell boo as loud as I can.”
“And it works?”
“Oh, yes.” She waggled her eyebrows. “Your Nanny is scarier than any monster. As are you, my little Prince of Darkness. Try that next time.”
He nodded happily, glad to have a plan. “Can – can you sing me a song?”
“Of course, love.” Nanny ran her hands across the blanket again. “Go to sleep and dream of—”
“Not that one.” Warlock sank a little further into his pillows. “Not tonight.”
“What do you want, then?”
“Hmmmm. What’s your favorite song ever?”
Nanny pursed her lips. “That’s a secret, too.”
“Please? I won’t tell anyone, I promise.”
She glanced at the door one more time, then nodded.
I’ll be your mirror
Reflect what you are, in case you don’t know
I’ll be the wind, the rain and the sunset
The light on your door to show that you’re home.
When you think the night has seen your mind
That inside you’re twisted and unkind
Let me stand to show that you are blind
Please put down your hands
‘Cause I see you
I find it hard to believe you don’t know
The beauty that you are
But if you don’t, let me be your eyes
A hand to your darkness, so you won’t be afraid
When you think the night has seen your mind
That inside you’re twisted and unkind
Let me stand to show that you are blind
Please put down your hands
‘Cause I see you.
As she sang, Warlock felt his eyes grow heavy, until he couldn’t fight it off any longer. Just before he fell the rest of the way to sleep, he felt Nanny’s lips press against his cheek. “Good night, love.”
All night, he dreamt a giant snake coiled around him, keeping the monsters away.
--
Nanny’s song is “I’ll Be Your Mirror” by the Velvet Underground, which Neil Gaiman said in a Tumblr post is Crowley’s favorite.
What do you think of Kid Warlock? I feel like Superman could use some more magic does and he offers something a bit different from the sci fi routine. Given he's shown as one of Clark's nemesis as Superboy, would you want him to reignite the rivalry as Superman?
Redneck douchbag who used magic to fight Superboy and is now a burnt up ne'er-do-well still trying to make it to the big leagues is a more exciting character pitch than the Chained. Give us an arc focused on that guy Williamson!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Where Crowley and Aziraphale learn sickness first hand from their Godson, Walrock
I'm sick as a dog and wanna die, enjoy!
P.S Nanny Crowley + Kid Warlock are adorable, I wanna snuggle and feel safe like that!!! (Based on the best my mum could do for all the times i was sick before my heart surgery, loooong loooong sleepless nights, begging and pleading to have me wake up the next morning, thanks mum)
