Title: Nighttime Display
Fandom: Star Trek AOS
Rating: G
Length: 342
Content Notes: family fluff

Summary: Ben and Hikaru have a surprise for Demora.


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A distant explosion shattered the silence.

Demora jumped where she sat in Hikaru's lap, little fingers digging into his knees as she glanced wildly around the dark field. A whimper caught in her throat and she cringed for a second, frightened.

But Hikaru was there, a warm presence against her back. "Watch," he murmured and Demora looked where he pointed, bright eyes scanning the vast expanse of space before them.

Color burst to life across the black sky, purple and green and red-yellow-blue, tangling together in bright clusters of light. Demora's fear melted with the darkness and she squealed her delight as the nighttime was suddenly turned to day, sending long shadows dancing across their check blanket. The stars that had only a second ago dotted her vision were lost in the dazzle of the fireworks display, their distant glow swallowed by the skittering lights as they hopped and flashed their way across the sky. The air sizzled with energy, burned hot with ozone and sulfur, and Demora could feel the explosions in her chest, between her ribs. Her skin buzzed with excitement, lip caught tight between her teeth, and she kept her eyes wide open as she watched one color fade into another, awestruck.

Then as quick as it started the noise petered into distant echoes and the clouds sparkled and glittered before slowly, slowly fading back into darkness.

Silence settled across the field once more, save for the chirp of the crickets and the rustle of the breeze through the tall grass.

"Wow," Demora said in startled wonderment. Her hands were trembling, heart pounding a frantic tempo between her lungs. Hikaru chuckled behind her and wrapped an arm secure across her tummy, palm warm where it rested over her shirt.

"Not bad, huh?" Ben asked, leaning back onto his elbows, chin tucked to his chest.

"Not bad," Demora agreed, gaze caught on the sky as a puff of smoke drifted away.

Ben grinned up at Hikaru and Hikaru winked in response, chin resting atop Demora's head. "Not bad at all."

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End.