Soft Spot
Enoch has a sweet spot for the reader’s little sister. When reader has to go out of town, Enoch steps up to watch and comfort Claire.
Several of Miss Peregrine’s wards played outside enjoying the last moments of sunshine. A few of the children kicked a ball around while the smaller children played on the seesaw. The sun was setting, but otherwise the sky was clear. The large clock tower in the small town began to chime.
The first chime echoed throughout the loop. By the third chime clouds began to form in the sky. The fifth chime signaled the sun’s final descent. By the seventh, and final, chime, the sky was dark.
Suddenly the wind began to howl as clouds moved through the sky. Mist drifted up the path from the sea to the children’s home. The children that were playing in the yard all rushed back inside the house, yet none of them seemed worried about the storm.
One of the children, a teenager named Enoch, watched the storm clouds from the kitchen window. He leaned against the counter and furrowed his brows slightly as he took in the sight outside. His eyes quickly flickered to the clock and saw it read two minutes past seven. The corner of his mouth pulled into a slight smirk as he began to count to ten. Once he reached ten, lightning flashed outside and rain began to fall.
Enoch turned away from the window and saw the youngest child, a six year old named Claire, was sitting in the bay window. Her lips were in a pout as she watched the rain. Enoch shook his head and chuckled to himself and went to sit by the young girl.
Little Claire Densmore looked up at the storm that was brewing in her loop. She clutched her soft teddy bear Enoch had given her closer to her chest. She did not like the storms that visited every night. They were loud and unpleasant. Even though they were predictable and she knew to be inside the house exactly ten seconds after 7:02 PM to avoid the rain, she still hated them.
The way the raindrops would fall down the windows of the house and prevent her from playing outside bothered her. She loved the outdoors. But even more so, the falling rain signified the arrival of the bomber planes.
Now these planes scared Claire, for they were unpredictable. One little thing could be different and it could yield a completely different result. She hated the uncertainty around whether something they did could alter the course of the planes. And if the plane dropped a bomb a little earlier the bird might not catch it. The thought always terrified her. It scared her so much that the very thought of it caused her backmouth to anxiously grind its teeth. She felt one of her bright blonde curls get caught on one of the sharp teeth in her backmouth.
Enoch noticed movement from the back of Claire’s head and pulled away her hair. He saw her backmouth anxiously chewing on some of the curls. He frowned a little and took one of her ribbons and began to plait her hair.
Claire seemed to relax as she felt the boy’s fingers in her hair. His touch was gentle as he worked her curls into a messy braid. He fished in his pocket and after a moment took out some pins so he could pin the braid into a bun. Once the hair was out of the way, her backmouth stopped gnawing on it.
Enoch chuckled, “Are you scared, little one?”
Claire turned her attention back to Enoch and nodded her head. Her eyes were wide, and she looked sheepish, almost embarrassed to admit it. “I don’t like that Y/N had to visit another loop. I miss her.”
Enoch just smiled softly and ruffled her hair. “No need to worry, you’re sister will be back tomorrow. And in the meantime, the rain’s outside and you’re inside, all warm and safe.”
Claire pouted and climbed onto Enoch’s lap, still holding her teddy bear. Enoch only chuckled at the gesture and began to rub the back of the small child. She relaxed a little as she felt Enoch’s warm hand running up and down her back. Enoch’s gaze fell back to the world outside, and he watched as the gardens flooded with rainwater.
Claire trembled slightly in Enoch’s lap, clearly terrified of the lightning and thunder. Enoch rubbed her back reassuringly. He whispered to her, “Do you want me to do the back tracing game?”
Claire nodded her head eagerly and Enoch chuckled. He placed her down on the floor and sat right behind her. His fingers lightly grazed her spine. He began to hum softly.
“Around the world in eighty days,” his voice was soft as he traced a circle on her back.
He began to draw a large x on her back as he whispered, “X marks the spot, four big boulders and one tiny rock.”
Claire giggled as he poked the center of her back lightly. She began to mumble the words to the rhyme as well. In unison they both whispered, “Spiders crawling up your back. Snakes slithering down. Spiders crawling up your back. Snakes slithering down.”
Claire’s tension left her body as Enoch shook her slightly. He just chuckled, “A shake and a squeeze and a nice cool breeze. Now you have the shiveries.”
She giggled at the feeling. Goosebumps covered her skin and she shivered. Claire turned back towards Enoch and climbed back into his lap. Even though it was still raining outside, the tension seemed to have left her body. She snuggled into him as she held her teddy bear. Enoch just sat there and continued to rub her back as they listened to the rain together.
Later that night, after all the peculiar children ate dinner, they rushed to the window to observe Miss Peregrine. She walked out in the rain with a sleek umbrella. Her face was mostly hidden by the material, but she seemed to be counting. Slowly, she watched as the seconds ticked by on her pocket watch.
Enoch looked up at the sky and saw the planes from the night before flying overhead. The plane swooped low in the sky and opened its hatch. A large bomb fell out from the bottom and started to fall towards the house. Claire anxiously held Enoch’s hand, even though she knew they would be okay.
Miss Peregrine waited, watching as the bomb got closer and closer to the house. Right when her pocket watch hit thirteen minutes past nine, she wound it back. The bomb ascended back into the sky and into the plane. The plane flew backwards and out of sight.
Claire relaxed as she saw the plane disappear. Soon the rain was being pulled up from the ground and shooting back into the sky. Even though she hated the bomber planes, Claire loved watching the loop’s reset.
She stood on her tiptoes as she watched the rain rise further into the sky and the clouds move around. Miss Peregrine continued to wind her pocket watch resulting in the sun rising once again to reveal a sunny day.
As she kept winding her watch, the sun made its way back over the horizon. The sun set again plunging the island into darkness once more. The reset was complete and now the loop was ready to repeat its twenty four hour increment.
Claire tugged on Enoch’s hand making him look down at her. Her eyes were droopy and she yawned. Enoch shook his head playfully and scooped her up in his arms. She relaxed in his arms and rested her head on his shoulder. She slowly drifted off to sleep as he carried her up the stairs.
Enoch carefully walked up the stairs to Claire’s room. He gently pushed open the door to her bedroom and laid her down on the bed. She curled up on the soft mattress and hugged her teddy bear closer to her. Enoch took her comforter and placed it over her small frame. Claire dosed peacefully as she was engulfed in the warmth from the blanket.
Enoch slowly closed the door behind him and went back down the stairs. He bumped into Emma on the way down. Emma was a pretty girl about the same age as Enoch. Her hair was a pale blonde that complimented her pale skin. Emma gave Enoch a knowing look.
He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “What?”
She chuckled as she looked at the boy. “You are such an interesting case O’Connor. Snippy with others and yet you are a big softie with Claire.”
Enoch rolls his eyes. “And what’s wrong with being sweet to Claire?”
“Nothing,” Emma smiles. “Just be glad Y/N didn’t see it, otherwise she might be all over you. She’s so protective of her little sister, I bet she’d love you.”
Enoch’s ears heat up at the mention of your name. He turns his head to the side and smiles softly.
His face slowly heats up with a soft blush. “I think I’d be okay with that.”