Title: Smile In Your Sleep
Author:
Fandom: Lost (Milliways version)
Characters: Charlie Pace, Seth Littleton, Claire Littleton
Rating: SFW
Summary: Seth Littleton-Pace has the best lullabies of any child in Milliways.
Notes: For silveraspen, who requested Charlie, Claire and Seth, and perhaps a lullaby.
Seth Littleton-Pace has the best lullabies of any child in Milliways. Certainly every parent sings them with love and tenderness, but Seth’s Da knows more and sings them better than anyone.
Hush, hush, time to be sleeping
Hush, hush, dreams come a-creeping
Dreams of peace and of freedom
So smile in your sleep, bonny baby
Claire listens to Charlie sing, her eyes closed and her feet up. This is the most orthodox of Charlie’s lullaby choices yet, and though the lyrics are melancholy—something about Highlanders being driven off their lands—the tune is gentle and lovely and Charlie’s voices achieves each note as easily as he plays guitar.
Hush, hush, time to be sleeping
Hush, hush, dreams come a-creeping
Dreams of peace and of freedom
So smile in your sleep, bonny baby
Claire has watched both her men sleep quite a few times. Seth, naturally, sleeps like a baby—his eyes dart beneath his eyelids, his little fists punch the air, his breathing is rapid, and yes, quite often he does smile.
Charlie is restless when he sleeps, even when curled around her. Claire rarely wakes up in his arms. But, sometimes, he does smile; does reach for her, does press a sleepy kiss to her cheek and snuggles against her, even for just a few hours.
Hush, hush, time to be sleeping
Hush, hush, dreams come a-creeping
Dreams of peace and of freedom
So smile in your sleep, bonny baby
Charlie looks up at her and briefly smiles. “Y’all right, love?”
She tilts her head, watching Seth lose the battle with sleep—watching Charlie do what he loves for someone he loves.
She leans back and closes her eyes. “Everything’s wonderful. Don’t stop singing.”
Charlie chuckles and obeys her.
Hush, hush, time to be sleeping
Hush, hush, dreams come a-creeping
Dreams of peace and of freedom
So smile in your sleep, bonny baby
e n d
Once our valleys were ringing
With songs of our children singing
But now sheep bleat till the evening
And shielings lie empty and brokenChorus
Hush, hush, time to be sleeping
Hush, hush, dreams come a-creeping
Dreams of peace and of freedom
So smile in your sleep, bonny babyWhere is our proud highland mettle
Our troops once so fierce in battle
Now stand, cowed, huddled like cattle
And wait to be shipped o’er the oceanChorus
Hush, hush, time to be sleeping
Hush, hush, dreams come a-creeping
Dreams of peace and of freedom
So smile in your sleep, bonny babyNo use pleading or praying
For gone, gone is all hope of staying
Hush, hush, the anchor’s a-weighing
Don’t cry in your sleep, bonny baby