Sean lays still but awake for a few minutes, listening to Cherry's heavy breathing. He watches her from the bed, watching as her chest heaves with each breath before relaxing and repeating like a mantra. Every now and then her breath has a slight whistle to it when it passes her teeth. And rarely, but occasionally, she snores loudly. At first, Sean had to bite back his laughter when she did it, but now he's used to it. He finds it almost comforting to wake up to her breathing, but he ignores the thought, not wanting to feel flushed this early in the morning.

His ears perk at the sounds of Daniel and Stephen's voices. He lets out a tired sigh before sitting up, tossing the blankets off him while doing so. He stares down at Cherry a moment longer, smiling softly as she cuddles more into her blanket before deciding to wake her up.

"Mi cariño~" he sing-songs, poking her cheek. She flinches violently, turning over.

"Fuck off," she groans.

"I told you I could've slept on the floor if you didn't want to." He watches her take in a deep breath before sighing.

"It's not that," she groans once more. She points to him the best she can over her shoulder before stating, "And we're still switching every night." He rolls his eyes at her as she rolls over to look at him. He can see the sleepiness in her eyes. "I just kept waking up because of stupid dreams."

"Were they about me?"

"If they were, I would die." She sits up, rubbing her eyes roughly before letting out a large yawn.

"That was mean."

"When am I not? Besides, I think the concussion amplified my bitchiness, you know?" She hears him scoff but continues. "You know, a bunch of serial killers got head trauma as a kid, and people think that's what made them like that. So I could be worse."

"Why do you know that?" he sighs. She looks at him before shrugging.

"It's a fun fact."  He looks exasperated, an annoyed groan escaping his lips before he falls back onto the bed. She sits up a bit straighter, placing her chin on the edge of the bed. "What would you call a fun fact?"

"The fact you have powers."

"You can have them. I don't want them," she sighs. "We could trade it like Silver Surfer."

"We tried like five times on the way here," he laughs lightly.

"Well, sixth times the char-" she cuts herself off, sniffing the air. Sean bites back a grin as he watches her flair her nose dramatically. "Do you smell food too?"

"For a while, yes." An immediate pout forms on her lips

"And you didn't tell me, Sean-y?" She gives him the biggest doe eyes. She watches him scoff as he rolls his eyes. "Come on. I'm hungry. Trying to get all the fat back we lost on the canned ravioli." She gets up quickly, putting on her jeans, as does Sean, before the two exit the room.

"Finally, you're awake!" Daniel exclaims before his attention returns to the train set. Stephen sits beside him, controlling the speed of the train. Sean gently hits her shoulder, nodding his head towards the stairs. She follows him to the kitchen, spotting Claire sitting at the table.

"Good morning, sleepyheads," Claire greets them with a soft smile.

"It's the bed. It feels like a cloud," Sean says while Cherry lets out a yawn, itching the parts between her braids. The two sit across from Claire, who calls for Daniel to come down and eat.

"Do you need need help or anything?" Sean asks, Cherry humming softly in agreement.

"Don't worry about it. I can do this in the dark. Thanks for the offer." She looks over her shoulder as Daniel sits as well. "Are you boys done playing?"

"We had an express delivery with passengers, but the engine broke down!" Daniel exclaims. Stephen moves to stand behind the kids, holding the broken engine.

"Yep," Stephen nods. "Has to go straight to the workshop."

"No trains in the kitchen, remember?"

"Gotcha, chief," he says with the nod of his head. He gives Daniel a look before going to his workshop. The three wait at the table for a bit, watching Claire as she finishes making breakfast. Sean looks over at Cherry, seeing her still trying to rub the sleep from her eyes.

"You look exhausted," he says softly. She gives him a small smile.

"You know I don't sleep well to begin with." She bites back a yawn. "Only a few times I've had a full night of sleep."

"When was that?" Daniel asks. His voice alone makes her smile grow wider.

"When you would cuddle me, mi amor." She reaches over the table to pinch his cheek, and despite his whining, a large grin is on his face.

The three turn their attention to Claire, who holds her frying pan out for them. They meet her in the middle, holding their plates out for her to scrap the eggs and waffles onto them. As soon as they set their plates down, Sean reaches for a carton of orange juice and pours himself a glass. He shakes the carton at Cherry, who nods her head with a smile. He pours some into her glass before doing the same for Daniel.

"Did I make enough? Everything's okay?" Claire asks. The boys nod while Cherry already has part of a waffle stuffed in her mouth. "Looks like you're getting cozy with this new country life, after all," she says. She places the frying pan in the sink before turning on the water.

"I miss Seattle," Sean admits, Cherry giving a hum of agreement despite the mouthful of food. "I miss my friends. Besides, there's so much more to do in the city."

"There's more crime, more traffic. Nobody can go out anymore."

Cherry downs some orange juice before adding, "I'm pretty sure crime is everywhere."

"Well, it's certainly safer for children." Cherry scrunches her face slightly at her words but stays silent, stuffing her face with scrambled eggs instead. "Everybody out here is a neighbor. We try to lend a hand. Like Charles, our neighbor next door. He lost his wife, and things have been hard for him and his son. He would be lost in Seattle. But we're all taking care of him here."

"How old is his son?" Daniel asks.

"I think he's your age."

"Cool! And Seattle is nice and all, but I think it's cool here, too!"

"I'm happy someone does." Cherry shuts herself up by finishing the last of her eggs and orange juice, downing the last drops in the glass. As she and the boys finish up, Sean starts to grab their utensils and stack their plates. Soon, they begin to float, Daniel using his powers to stack the plates. Cherry can only sigh while Sean looks in awe. She leans into him before whispering, "You sure it's a good idea?"  She sees him tense up before relaxing.

"He hasn't been able to practice in a while. He's not hurting anyone," he shrugs. She lets a moment pass before pulling away, giving a small shrug herself.

"And I thought Stephen was a fast eater!" Claire laughs, grabbing the stacked plates.

"Hey, Grandma?" Daniel starts. She hums in acknowledgment, placing the plates in the sink. "I wanted to ask you something... about the locked room upstairs." The teens turn to look at him, Sean with a hard look while Cherry looks a bit confused.

"I told you there's nothing to see in it, Daniel."

"Why were you in it this morning, then?

"Because there's a lot of old junk in there. Besides, it's not safe for you to explore, okay?" Cherry's brows furrow, giving Sean a glance before looking at Claire.

"This is bullshit," he sighs.

"Daniel, language!" she cries out. She turns around, leaning herself against the counter. "Why don't you explore outside? You sure look like you're getting better. Get some fresh air!"

"I'll wait for Sean and Cherry, and then we'll go! We won't be loud, I promise!" he exclaims, getting up from his chair.

"Be careful that nobody sees you. Stay in the back, okay?" He nods his head before wandering off, leaving the three alone. As soon as he's out of earshot, Sean opens his mouth.

"Maybe you should tell him that it was Karen's room." Cherry looks at him once more confusedly. "My mom's."

"Did she die?" Cherry blurts out.

"No, she just left," he shrugs. Claire sits across from the two, an irritated look on her face.

"I still don't get the point of locking the room."

"Because it's none of your concern," Claire snaps, gaining Cherry's full attention. Sean watches the last bit of sleepiness disappear from her eyes.

"I was just wondering. Does he not have a right to learn about his mom?"

"I don't think this is for you to discuss, young lady. This is a family matter." Cherry keeps eye contact for a moment before letting out a tired sigh. She sucks on her teeth before looking over at Sean.

"I'm going to go chill in our room." A tight smile forms on her lips. "Have fun, Sean."

shitty chapter sorry