Headache ((Because you were as so kind as to send me some ;) ))
The house was always tense after fights. The air was heavy with the lingering rage that emitted from the boys, and it laid heaviest on shock. She couldn’t talk to any of the boys without getting snapped at, or somehow getting dragged into the fight, and she didn’t want to be stuck in the middle of any of it.
The fight was sparked again a few hours later, the screaming between the boys had started again and words were said that shouldn’t have been, and this time Shock didn’t want to be involved in it at all. Instead, she snuck off down into the lair, hiding herself in one of the darker corners against the wall and trying to block out the muffled yelling coming from above her. She’d only experienced fights like this with Oogie a few times, while it was more common with Lock and Barrel. She was quieter, more well-behaved, and she didn’t like to argue because she knew all too well what happened if she lost.
Minutes later after the yelling had died down once again, Shock heard Oogie's footsteps trudging down the stairs into the lair, and his quite grumbles to himself. She peeked around the corner only to notice that his hands were on his temples and he sunk down into a chair. She debated whether or not she should have gotten up, then decided a little kindness might make him feel better, and slowly came out from her hiding spot.
"Dad? You alright?" She asked, her voice soft and quiet enough that it wouldn't hurt his head, but he would know that she was there.Â
Oogie didn't look up, as even the dim lights were too bright and hurt his head, but he acknowledge her precense with a wave of his hand. She was the only one of the three who called him dad. He was their adoptive parent, but the boys just never caught on to it. They called him Boss and who was he to argue with that? Plus, if either of them did call him Dad, he wouldn't have accepted it. But with Shock, it was different. She was like a daughter to him, and although he never showed it much, he cared for her, maybe just a little bit more than he cared for Lock or Barrel.
"Just a headache, Shock." Oogie answered her in a low, grumbly voice, then added, "Thought I told you not to come down here by yourself." There were some dangerous things in the lair, and even though she was old enough to handle herself, he still didn't want her around anything dangerous.
"I know I know, just came down here for some quiet." Shock relented, carefully crossing the floor to another room, a small kitchen. Trying to be as quiet as she could, Shock pried an icepack from the freezer and wrapped it in a towel, bringing it over to him and handing it to him. "Here, that should help."Â
He sighed, taking the icepack and pressing it to where his head hurt the most, and muttering a thank you that Shock had barely heard, but she would accepted a muttered thank you over nothing. Then, when he was all settled and comfortable, she mimicked what he had done when she was sick. She took a blanket off the back of the chair and wrapped it around his shoulders, then leaned down and kissed him on the top of the head. "I'll be upstairs if you need anything." and without waiting for a response, Shock left him alone to recover.
As irritated as Oogie was at the moment, he couldn't help but crack a small smile when she left. Shock was too sweet, sometimes he wondered if he'd really raised her or not.
