chaosduckies - Tumblr blog

chaosduckies · 3 days ago

Text

Sleeping With Sirens (2)

I planned to make this wayyyy earlier but life happened. But it's here now! Enjoy some small fearplay and angst with my mer au

Word Count: 5.2k

CW: mentions of death, mentions of being eaten alive

If you had told me the day before that I would be willingly traveling with a leviathan, the scariest thing in the ocean, I probably wouldn’t have believed you in the slightest.

And now there was a huge sea monster waiting for me to catch up with them. As reluctant as I was about all of this, the promise of maybe finding my parents kept what little bravery I had intact so I wouldn’t swim away in fear. Not that I could escape this leviathan if I had tried.

It had only been about an hour since he had started guiding me to wherever he was thinking of. Whether it was just another hunting ground or not I just had to trust him. I could maybe make it across the trench, but there’s no guarantee that my parents made it across. They might just be waiting for me somewhere out here. If only we hadn’t been driven away from our home. Maybe things would’ve ended up differently. I wouldn’t be between life and death. Literally, or almost died countless times.

The leviathan never talked. When I grew tired of swimming and couldn’t keep up with him anymore he’d stop moving before he caught me in his hand that was trailing just behind. I think the only reason I kept going was because I was terrified of making him impatient. Who knew what he would do to me? The worst was being eaten alive, but I think being abandoned and left out in the open was just as bad. Hiding obviously didn’t work with what happened before. So I was just a snack to pretty much any and everything that lived here.

Even after traveling for a full straight hour, it was still open ocean and the kelp forests. My stomach grumbled from the lack of food, but I was too terrified to mention it. If I could even speak with my mouth practically glued together. This entire situation was terrifying.

The water grew darker, the clouds covering up the sun so the water didn’t look like its usual nice shade of pink. There was nowhere to hide so I could sleep, no sign of stopping to take a well-deserved break on my end, and there was no sign of life. At least not yet. My newfound fear of the dark crept up inside me as I very subtly inched closer to the leviathan. They didn’t seem to notice, and if they did they didn’t seem to care too much. A sigh of relief escaped me as I held my arms close and watched as the same scenery of kelp and loose gravel and sand passed by.

We continued for another half hour I would guess. Darkness settling in. I could still see a little bit out, but not too much. Better than the trenches at least. What I wasn’t expecting was for the leviathan to start glowing with a very dim but somehow vivid purple light. I yawned, tired from swimming nearly all day. It wasn’t surprising that the leviathan could keep on going though. They hadn’t even so much as complained either. Perks of probably being the biggest predator out here I guess. He had nothing to worry about. Though, there were faint scars along his arms and side. Meaning that there were some things out there that could hurt him. That just terrified me more. What could be capable of that?

I hadn’t realized I was trailing behind until I noticed the hand they placed behind me coming closer. I cringed at the sight of the claws before trying to swim up more, but I was too exhausted to keep pushing myself. My eyes threatened to close shut every time I blinked, slowly dozing off.

With a quiet wince, I forced myself to keep going, but it wasn’t long before my body was too exhausted to move anymore. As soon as I stopped his hand seemed to scoop me up, and that just terrified me even more. Was he going to yell at me for not being able to keep up? Well, yelling was the least of my worries. I was literally in his hand. In his complete mercy. Sure I was the second he laid eyes on me, but this was different. Making him angry or annoyed now was probably not in my best interest. Or life.

I held my breath as soon as he stopped and glared back. I didn’t dare make eye contact as my body trembled in fear. Breathing was all of a sudden a trivial task as I felt his eyes bore into me. In my mind all I could do was beg and hope that nothing would happen. Though, a very big part of me doubted it.

The leviathan hummed quietly before peering out in the distance to scan the area. Nothing but kelp, sand, and gravel. He let out an annoyed huff, his fingers slightly curling around my tiny frame. It took everything in me not to yelp or swim off. I’m sure I would be in even more trouble then. It felt like everything around me was getting closer as my chest grew tighter and tighter, cringing away every time his fingers would flinch. I didn’t like this at all. The fear and anxiousness were not a good combo.

They didn’t say a word before my world quite literally became a blur. I couldn’t react in time before being closed in a fist. It felt suffocating. Trapped. The first thought that came to my mind was that I was dead. So dead. It was stupid of me for even believe that they wouldn’t kill me. My heart rang in my ears as I felt the water rush. All of a sudden I just felt dizzy and too weak to attempt to escape. My eyes felt heavy and tired from the day that I’d had that it was practically an impossible challenge to keep them open for any longer.

Out of fear, I pushed against their fingers to try and get out, tears pricking the edges of my eyes. I didn’t want to die like this. How could I just leave my parents? They might still be out there looking for me just like I was looking for them! After surviving countless attacks and hiding and being as brave as I could this was how I was going to die?

I pushed against their fingers one last time, never noticing the gentle and soft grip they had around me before opening their hand. I took a deep breath for what seemed like the first time and coughed, now sitting in their palm. I was… alive? Intact?

My head perked up at the sight of a broken ship that was covered in algae, tiny pieces of coral and plenty of other plants. Some even looked edible. The wood looked like it would crumble at even the slightest touch, but it was huge. Well, at least to me. The ship itself could probably be carried around easily by the leviathan. It was terrifying to think about. My mind quickly changed over when I saw small schools of fish that swam by, finding this place to be a home. If I weren’t on the brink of tears from my earlier circumstances I would say that this place wasn’t bad at all. It seemed to have everything you would need. Food, shelter, plenty of places to hide. This honestly wouldn’t be a bad home. Though I was sure this place was empty for a reason. I just didn’t want to know why.

The leviathan let out a huff through their nose before cupping their hand around me and slowly bringing me to the entrance. I turned to look back, jumping when they lowered themselves to the ground to be at eye level with me. I gulped, staring at the vivid purple in their eyes that let off a small glow. He tilted his head as if asking why I wasn’t going in. If I wasn’t so scared of him I would’ve laughed at how clueless he looked.

I forced myself to swim in, taking small glances back at the leviathan as they pulled their hand away. He pushed himself off of the ground and swam around for a bit before laying down in a spot beside the ship I was in. There was a small crack in the wood that acted as a window between us that was as big as his eye, and now I could see why he chose that spot. He was making sure I wouldn’t swim off. Suddenly this place didn’t feel like a home at all. It just felt like a prison.

I ignored the thought as much as I could before studying my surroundings. There were a few coral pieces that surrounded the area I could probably sleep on. There weren’t any fish here either which was good for me. There were a few patches of seaweed on the ground along with tiny bits of kelp. I don’t usually eat them, but if it’s what it’ll take to not starve to death then oh well. As soon as the thought crossed my mind my stomach growled quietly. I sighed, grabbing a few pieces and eating them. Anything to survive I guess.

I swam around the place for a little and decided to sleep on a rock that was smooth and soft enough. I curled up onto it, my heart beating fast when I heard moving outside, the ship letting out a moan as the leviathan outside moved. I shut my eyes tightly, trying to block out the overwhelmingness of it all. First losing my parents, second being chased by countless monsters and predators, and now at the complete mercy of a leviathan that for some reason was helping me. Or maybe just saving me for later. I had no clue yet.

After everything went quiet, I yawned to myself, trying to fall asleep. It was hard to knowing that there was a leviathan much bigger than the ship you were in just outside but after a while I finally calmed down enough even though it was still nerve-wracking. I just shut my eyes, and finally fell asleep.

– – – – – –

When I woke up it was bright again, as if the storm and the clouds from the morning before had never happened. It was much clearer and warmer today which felt so amazing I didn’t even want to get up. It felt like absolutely nothing was wrong in the world. Well, at least it was until I opened my eyes and looked around.

This wasn’t home.

My eyes surveyed the area, finding small bright coral spread out across the place, algae and a few other plants that crawled up the walls of the torn-apart ship. A few small fish as big as I was came swimming out of anemones and some of the coral ready to start their day. As amazing and peaceful as it looked, I knew what was lying just outside the confines of the ship I was in.

I swam around a bit, eating a few tiny pieces of kelp before my day even started. The second that I shoved a few pieces in my mouth the place dimmed, something blocking the hole above. I tilted my head back and back until my eyes met one of his that peeked in. His pupils were slit as they darted around like he was trying to find me, his purple irises seemingly having a faint glow to them. Once he had his eye on me his pupils rounded, like he was relieved I hadn’t swam off.

Out of pure instinct my body began trembling, holding the few pieces of kelp in a fist as I stopped chewing. I dropped what I had and inched further away. It felt like I was just like some kind of… pet. My eyes widened at the realization. Was I being kept as a pet? Was this what was happening? It would explain why there hadn’t seemed to be any other predators here, but why go through all the trouble of keeping me as a pet? Just to observe me? I winced at the idea, staring down at the sand and seagrass that swayed with the small current. Anything to take my mind off of it.

There was a small huff before the light came back through the hole. I picked my head up and saw them move away from the hole. The wood creaked above as they moved to sit up. I swam cautiously closer to a smaller hole near the bottom and peeked out, watching as they yawned and stretched out all four of their arms. A shudder escaped my mouth just watching. They were horrifyingly big. Even more so now that I wasn’t right beside them. It made me wonder how I even had the courage to stay here anymore.

My eyes trailed their long tail lined with spikes and the same faint purple glow like it was dimming away. There were scratch marks and deep cuts all over and somehow it didn’t even seem to bother him. How was he not in constant pain even if they looked healed already?

A tiny gasp escaped my lips when they started moving, their shadow dimming the place just as quickly as it lit back up. I quickly turned to the entrance where the ship was split into half, my heart skipping a beat when one of their hands rested nearby, clawing at the sand slightly. Was he angry at me? This couldn’t be good. I bit the bottom of my lip as he lowered his head, pressing it up against the sand to peer inside. I swallowed hard, my heart ringing through my ears once again as he just stared and squinted his eyes like he was sorry for scaring me.

My breath hitched in my throat as they opened their mouth, revealing the sharp fangs that used to just barely peak under their lips. It took everything in me not to scream before they spoke, “Ready?” Although he tried to keep his voice as quiet as possible it still shook me to the core. He could’ve just grabbed me. His hand could fit in the opening. Maybe two if he really tried. So why didn’t he? Why wait for me to gather up whatever remaining courage I had left over from yesterday just to come out? I didn’t understand it at all. I thought leviathans were supposed to be blood-thirsty murderers. So why was he just waiting? He’s made me so confused about everything ever since he saved me.

I sucked in a deep breath and slowly swam forward. The leviathan just watched, his eyes wide with wonder for a split second. He was shocked I was willingly doing all of this, and if I were being honest, I was just as shocked by my own actions as he was. My parents would probably call me crazy for trusting a leviathan. They’d scream and try to get me to stay away, probably using themselves as shields. That’s just how protective they were of me. My heart throbbed just thinking of them. And I guess that’s why I had to trust the leviathan so that I could maybe reunite with them.

When I was close enough he lifted himself up slowly, taking a few glances before moving his hand a little bit behind me again. He pointed in the direction we were going, continuing on from yesterday. How far was he taking me? I was still tired from last night but there was no way I would go against the leviathan when I was completely at his mercy.

So I forced myself to keep swimming. The leviathan swam slower this time finally realizing why I was so tired in the first place. He was so confusing. He didn’t talk unless he absolutely had to, didn’t tell me his name, and for some reason didn’t even seem the least interested in eating me. It seemed like he was even protecting me from danger with how he insisted his hand stay behind me. Almost like it was there to grab me at a moment's notice if he sensed danger rather than it being there to catch me if I fell behind. Maybe… his intentions really were just to help me. Doubt washed away in me just a little, but it quickly came back just as fast as it came.

There was a quiet but low grumbling, and I could already tell what it was without even having to see the leviathan place a hand over his stomach, biting down so hard on his lips that blood came out. I stopped dead in my tracks, completely forgetting that his hand was behind me as his fingers came into view. I squeaked embarrassingly enough but didn’t move as he turned to face me, moving his hand away from his stomach. He was hungry. I was pretty sure I was one of the only living things out here for miles.

I shuddered, not daring to look him in the eyes. I didn’t want to die here. Maybe if I just didn’t look at him he wouldn’t think of anything? He’d leave me alone? Wouldn’t want to eat me? I felt the bile crawl up my throat at the thought, jumping and pressing my back into his palm when he opened his mouth, “I don’t eat mers.” He explained, fingers twitching around me like he was holding himself back. Or like he was just attempting to comfort me. Well, while it was doing the exact opposite, I was shocked to find out that they don’t eat mers. Grateful, but shocked.

I took a deep breath before very cautiously swimming forward and stopped, staring between his hand and himself, “Wh-where are you t-taking me?” I couldn’t help but ask, my voice trembling with fear. Both pairs of his eyes widened before he pointed out in the direction we were heading. Though, this time I could see a silhouette of what looked to be another ship. It looked dark and gloomy like it was haunted. I just gave off a bad feeling.

“I-in there?” I pointed, my arm shaking as I tilted my head back to watch them nod once.

“There’s a coral reef on the other side. I’d go around the shipyard but you’re already tired.” He shrugged. I rubbed my arms, staring off. Was there really a coral reef on the other side? It would make plenty of sense if my parents were there. They always loved the colorful scenery. They might’ve thought I went there to look for them. My heart pounded at the thought of seeing them again, sucking in a deep breath as I pushed myself to swim towards the shipyard. There were tons of them that either crashed into the sand or were torn in half. Some were huge, even bigger than the one I stayed in last night. Pieces lay everywhere, the only plants growing around was the seagrass that swayed with the subtle current.

I still couldn’t shake the bad feeling about this place. This place didn’t seem friendly at all. There was barely any noise. No colorful fish swimming around, and in the far distance you could see where the coral reef begins, the faint outlines of red, blue and pink in the background.

I bit the side of my cheek as I swam out, flinching when the ship would creak or if I caught some movement in the corner of my eye. Even if it was only a plant that was moving strangely. My nerves weren’t calmed when I turned to face the leviathan who remained swimming beside me, his eyes showing no emotion. Maybe it would be a good idea to have a conversation? He didn’t look like he minded. I just wanted to take my mind off the eeriness of this place.

“U-um. C-can I know y-your name?” I bit my tongue for stuttering, looking away out of embarrassment. He glanced at me from the corner of his eyes and sighed.

“Why?” His voice didn’t come out as harsh as I thought it would, but it did have an edge to it which made me doubt if I wanted to push more. Or even continue talking. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked even if I was curious. Well, at least his tone almost made me want to drop the entire thing altogether.

“You’re helping me. I-I’d like to know who you are…” My voice stopped working after a while like that was all I was able to say to him before fear took over and shut down everything. I still kept on swimming though, keeping my arms close and watching from the corner of my vision as his hand started to slowly come into view. He knew something was off about this place too.

He turned to look down at me for a split second like he was trying to see if I was lying, then turned to stare back into the deep ocean where the reef was just lying in the distance.

“Kieran.” Was all he said, his voice a little sharp but at the same time I caught a hint of happiness. Well, Kieran was extremely hard to read. I couldn’t tell if he just didn’t care at some times or if he did and just never showed it. I couldn’t tell if he had bad intentions, but I told myself to believe him. It was great to know the name of the person who saved me and then decided he was going to willingly help me get out of this place.

“I’m Devon. Um, th-thank you.” It wouldn’t sit right with me if I never thanked him for offering the help. I rubbed my arms and stared down, flinching when I heard another creak, but this time Kieran stopped, placing one of his other hands in front of me so I couldn’t swim further. Not that I could’ve swam too far from him with how fast he reacted.

My heart beat hard against my chest as I stared with wide eyes out into the shipyard. Nothing seemed to be moving. It was quiet. Too quiet. Not even the current seemed to make the seagrass that was lined all over the sandy ground sway. I let out a soft breath, eyes scanning the place for any danger.

“Yeah… sure.” He whispered, shaking his head and moving his hands away from me. Was there no danger? No other monster lurking in the shadows? Nothing waiting to pounce at me? I looked up to see what Kieran was doing, a tiny squeak being let out as he swam down towards a ship that looked worse for wear, stopping to wait for me as he nudged his head down towards it.

Down there? Was he leading me to a death trap or something? It looked dark and murky. A place I would usually avoid. I thought we were going to the reef. Why would he- My thoughts were interrupted when he rolled his eyes and his hand scooped me up, fingers curling slightly so that I couldn’t find a way to swim out. Breathing became hard when I was being brought deeper into the murky water, the ships somehow looking even more untrusting than before. The eeriness settled in even deeper. Something was wrong with this place and I was being forced into it. Nothing good could come out of this.

My ears couldn’t register noise anymore, everything muffled and cloudy as my vision blurred. The water was moving too fast around me. It was hard to keep up with anything happening. Even when everything had stopped and faintly glowing purple eyes stared down at me. My body was trembling and it felt like I was about to throw up the little bit of breakfast that I had.

It took a moment for my senses to come back to me. Kieran was looming above, a look on his face that screamed that he was sorry. It was still so strange to me that he wasn’t like how I pictured a leviathan. Maybe the other one that tried to eat me yesterday but for some reason the one that was easily much bigger than a literal kraken was the nicest person I’ve met other than my parents. I wasn’t complaining though. I’d much rather be alive than as a tiny snack.

I scanned the area now that my vision wasn’t as blurry, though my head started to hurt. It was dark. Colder. The ship sitting in front of us was absolutely huge. Kieran could still probably carry it effortlessly. That’s what scared me the most.

The ship was mostly intact with a huge hole on one side. The mast was broken in half. Indentured on either side of the ship like something was crushing it. Maybe a kraken used to live here? Or what if it still did? I sucked in a deep breath at the thought, staring up wide-eyed at Kieran who tilted his head, his two pairs of eyes staring right back at me with a hint of sympathy in them. As soon as he opened his mouth to speak, he was cut off by a sudden crash. Metal hitting metal. Which meant that something was here. Something big enough to move some parts of the ship that was coming off. Though, it seemed more like it was hiding rather than coming after anything. Hiding from the huge leviathan that was looming above the ship? Yeah, I’d do the same.

Kieran blinked, “I saw… something. You can look.” He pointed towards the hole and lowered himself to the ground, laying on his arms trying to peak in through another small hole. Me? Go in? What if it’s not another mer? I guess there wasn’t really any way to know unless I checked, seeing as he was too big to get even one of his hands through the hole and probably could barely see what was inside.

I swam closer and stood at the foot of the large hole and peered in. There didn’t seem to be anything but tons of metal parts thrown around everywhere. It just seemed like a dark cave from the inside. Though, there was another clang, making me cower behind the entrance. I peered in once more, terrified of what I might find, but there was nothing. Kieran gave up on what he was trying to do, now moving to check on me. He tilted his head again as I cowered by the entrance.

“I h-heard something…” and just as I said it there was another clang followed by a fast-moving shadow. I whimpered. Whatever was in here was fast. All my instincts were in full working motion, but I had to deny every single one of them. I couldn’t swim away. Kieran would just catch me by barely moving any of his limbs. If I screamed it would just alert whatever was in there, and there was no way I was going to fight it.

Kieran huffed softly, ruffling my hair a bit as he lowered himself to the ground. Was he annoyed? That wasn’t good for me. A shiver ran down my spine before there was a bright ball of light. It illuminated a small area, swaying with the waves. My eyes widened, swimming in just a little bit. Kieran squinted his eyes, trying to see what was going on. Then it all happened so fast. Next thing I know sharp fangs lunge right at me. I was barely given enough time to react to dodge, and luckily I did.

It was a strange-looking fish that was hell-bent on trying to eat me. I swam away, forgetting who was behind me when I swam backward. The second I did though, I rammed right into the bridge of Kieran’s nose, and I wish that I hadn’t.

He growled. Deep, and threatening. It rumbled throughout my entire body, with no control over my limbs anymore as tears pricked my eyes. It was amazing how only his voice could make anything tremble with fear. It all felt too much. Too loud. Somehow, his growling only grew deeper and louder. Like he wasn’t even trying before. I clasped my hands over my ears, wincing and just hoping that this would go away. Tha tI wouldn’t feel like my insides were shaking inside or that I was going to throw up my insides. It was terrifying that someone was capable of this.

When it didn’t feel like my insides were shaking anymore, I peered up, cringing away at the sight of him baring fangs that were sharper and deadlier than the strange fish that was trying to eat me. Kieran glanced down at me, letting out what I thought, surprisingly, was a sigh of relief. My breath hitched in my throat when he backed away further and stared back at me with tired eyes like nothing had happened.

My breathing quickened as I grabbed at my chest trying to calm my heartbeat, but that was no use. When his mouth so much as twitched, I bolted into the ship, pressing my back into the cold metal. Dead. I was so amazingly dead. There was no way I was going to survive. He was going to tear this ship apart and dig me out. No way out of this alive.

I heard him moving outside, a shadow covering up the entryway, but nothing happened. I whimpered, not expecting it to echo throughout the place. He for sure heard that, and in response he whispered softly, “Sorry guppy.”

And I didn’t know what to say. What could I even say? My breath became ragged as I peeked outside and just watched. Something was calming about it. Away from everything big and threatening. A sort of calm quiet without the eeriness of it all. Kieran messed with a smaller boat, trying to tear off the big pieces of metal. He looked so tired. There were small bags under his eyes from what I could only guess was from lack of sleep. Not to mention I knew that he was hungry, and I didn’t even want to think about what he could eat. It was just… so terrifying, but at the same time calming that someone was helping me. It was crazy but the truth.

With a shaky sigh, I swam over to a small rock and lay on it, using my arms as a pillow. It was dark and to be honest I think I’ve had enough of an adrenaline rush for today. This wasn’t a place I’d usually sleep in, but I had no right to complain. It was better than digging myself into the sand again only to be found by yet another hungry predator.

I sighed, trying to ignore the movement outside and how fast my heart raced. I’d just have to hope that he wasn’t angry. Or leave. I’ve been alone for a while. I guess it was nice to have any kind of company at this point. I shut my eyes, curling in on myself slowly and tried to keep a calm mind. Even though it didn’t work.

------------

Little cliffhanger even though it's not much, and I admit that this was a little rushed but it's in the spirit of mermay so that's okay! (I love mermay so much) Thank you for reading!

Taglist: @da3dm @dav8530

(If you would like to be added or removed please let me know!)

#g/t #g/t writing #g/t community #sfw g/t #g/t fearplay #giant/tiny #oc: Kieran #oc: devon #urghhh so mad at myself for rushing this #also all of this was written at pretty much 3 am #oh well #At first I was thinking of a different scene but decided against it #Choosing is never easy #but like the third chapter is already halfway done and this one just took long cause of editing #UGHH I HATE EDITING #thank you for reading!#love you guys ❤️

19 notes · View notes

chaosduckies · 7 days ago

Text

The Forest Kingdom

Chapter 2

3.2k words

Heyy everybody here is chapter two. This ENTIRE chapter is g/t as promised, so hope you enjoy! By the way writing this chapter was basically how I studied for my ap lang test if your interested 😋 I think the test went pretty well too maybe a five? Anyways keep reading below!

Cassian: First Interaction

The second Cassian locked eyes with the person on his countertop, a name resurfaced in his brain. The edges of the letters were hazy and foggy in his mind, but he could clearly see a word forming.

“Sylven…?” Cassian whispered. “I- Is that your name?” He clutched his head, a sharp pain erupting. How did he know the guy’s name? There wasn’t a way he could have known him already, he wouldn’t have forgotten a miniature person. Or what if I had? Cassian realized. What if he knew this boy before his memory cut off? Cassian was unable to finish his train of thought before he heard a whimper and his attention was drawn back to Sylven.

“C- Cassian? Is that really you?” Sylven squeaked out, tears filling his wide eyes. Sylven was cowering away from Cassian; he was so, so tiny.

What. The. Hell. How in the world did he know Cassian’s name? Cassian caught a whisper of a smile on Sylven’s tiny face. Cassian also noticed Sylven shaking like a leaf. He smacked himself in the head again; it finally dawned on him how scary this situation must be for a guy his size. He didn’t really consider it before, and Cassian didn’t want to admit it, but Sylven was kind of completely at his mercy. Cassian crouched down, leveling his gaze with Sylven. He didn’t want to be big and scary.

“Hey, hey. I’m not gonna hurt ya. I just saw you injured in the forest and thought I might be able to help. I can take you back if you want, but I have some bandages and meds that might make you feel better.” Cassian spoke softly and quietly; he didn’t want to startle the little guy. He paused and thought for a second, then added: “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but I'm wondering how you know my name?”

Sylven paused for a second, as if contemplating how to answer, but he just shook his head. Alright. That was alright. He already looked scared out of his mind, so Cassian couldn’t expect him to continue a conversation just yet.

Cassian stood up again, slowly. He didn’t want to do anything that might startle Sylven. This kind of fear definitely couldn’t be healthy for somebody already horribly injured. Cassian tentatively inched his hand forward until he was touching the medicine he left near Sylven. He used the tip of his finger to nudge them closer.

“Here. I have some meds that might help you with your bruises. This is aspirin, which might help numb the pain. I also have tylenol, which helps with headaches if you’re having any. I don’t really know what to do about your leg though, it looks pretty twisted. Do you think you’re able to walk just yet?”

Sylven responded by shivering even more violently than before. Cassian breathed out a snort of laughter; this might take a while. Not that Cassian minded, he liked to think of himself as a pretty patient guy. If he was being honest with himself, he wanted nothing more than to sweep Sylven up and keep him warm and safe in his hands; he liked the feeling of holding Sylven cupped in his hands earlier because Cassian knew that as long as he had Sylven, no more harm could befall the little guy. There was no way he could do that yet though, but maybe once Sylven felt a little more comfortable.

“Alright, how about this: I’ll go get us some snacks because I’m starving, and you can use your alone time to calm down a bit. If you want to go anywhere, including back to the forest, just yell for me and I'll take you. Back in a flash!” Cassian flashed Sylven a grin and stepped off to the kitchen.

Sylven: First Interaction

Sylven was overwhelmed by how huge everything around him was. The lights were too bright, he could hear the rhythmic motion of the blades of the fan spinning in slow motion, he could feel a slight breeze coming from that fan, and he could hear the uneven beats of water dripping out of the sink. Even though he could tell the giant before him was speaking quietly, the voice still reverberated throughout his entire body. It’s crazy somebody could hold that much power in just their voice; Sylven prayed there was no malicious intent behind Cassian’s kind eyes.

He had come to terms with the fact Cassian was gone and never coming back a long time ago, when the existence of humans was confirmed. It was absolutely insane that Cassian was now a human; it doesn’t make sense. Sylven considered the idea that maybe the person towering over him might be a Cassian imposter, but shook his head instead. How would an imposter guess his name? Also, the boy who crouched down and spoke to him softly was too nice to be anyone other than Cassian. He was so lost in thought he didn’t catch the last thing Cassian said.

That’s when Cassian stood back up again. He was so insanely huge; he could crush Sylven with just one finger. He remembered how sweet Cassian was when they were children, but how well did he know him now? What if Cassian decided to keep him locked up or treat him like a pet? So far, he hadn’t done anything demeaning, but for Sylven it’s only been a couple minutes.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sylven saw Cassian’s hand reach forward. Oh no, he’s going to grab me and hurt me. Sylven cowered even further back. Cassian was so tall Sylven couldn’t even see his face without craning his neck all the way; instead he hugged his knees in all the way and shoved his head down.

Sylven braced himself for the grabbing, but it never came. Instead, Cassian offered him meds and asked about his leg. Oh right, my leg. Now that Cassian mentioned it, Sylven was finally hit with a wave of pain. Feykin could fall from pretty high heights and walk away without a scratch, but a six foot fall was really pushing it. Especially if he fell at a weird angle, which he had because he was pushed. Sylven crossed his arms and glowered at the thought. Those patrols must’ve thought they’d kill him if they’d glimpsed Cassian’s giant figure carrying him away; and Sylven was sure they had, from a safe and cozy hiding spot. Little did they know. Him and this giant actually used to be best friends. Maybe Sylven should have Cassian come by the village and give them a good scare.

Alright, he was getting ahead of himself. He couldn’t even talk to the guy yet; his mouth glued itself shut out of fear every time he simply opened his eyes. He knew Cassian would never agree to it anyways. Too nice.

Cassian offered to go get food and left the room. His voice was soft, but it still sent shivers down Sylven’s spine. He could feel the vibrations and the rumblings of Cassian’s massive steps throughout the entire bathroom countertop.

Sylven attempted to stand up, maybe stretch, but his efforts remained fruitless. His leg really was twisted bad. At his village, any kind of physical impediment turns someone into an outcast, and most of the time they wouldn't last long enough to heal anyway. When he was a kid, before the scare of humans, medicine and medical practices were easily accessible. However, after the kingdom-wide lockdown, a lot of hobbies and jobs were lost in favor of spending time scavenging food and water from wherever it was available. Having enough time to sustain someone’s mandatory bodily needs and to pursue their passion was a luxury most people couldn’t afford; Sylven was lucky his passion for cooking was a relevant skill in this day and age.

He heard Cassian on his way back before he saw him; it was pretty hard to miss the mini earthquake the guy created with each stride. In his hands, Cassian balanced a paper plate, a bag full of chips, a glass of water taller than any height Sylven could ever hope of growing to, and a small soda bottle cap. “Alright buddy, I don’t know how to cook, but I brought us some chips. Have you decided if you want any medicine yet or not?”

Sylven opened his mouth and closed it again after no words came out. Sure, he knew Cassian, or at least felt like he knew him, but he wasn’t going to overcome his lifelong fear of humans in minutes. But he was hurting really bad, and he did want some of the aspirin. He opted for a small head nod, if Cassian could even see it. He did, and offered a small smile. “Perfect, i'll crush up some aspirin; this big of a pill would not be healthy for a guy your size. Did you need tylenol too?”

Sylven shook his head. Cassian smiled again.

“Sounds good.” Cassian picked up the bottle of aspirin and took out one pill. His motion was slightly faster than he had been before. Sylven flinched back.

“Sorry…” Cassian looked away, feeling guilty and cheeks turning red. He squatted down again, so he was in the same position he had been in earlier; his line of sight meeting Sylven’s. Sylven really appreciated how thoughtful Cassian was being towards him.

Cassian, still holding the pill, paused for a second as if contemplating what to do. Quickly, he reached in the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out his phone. He placed the pill on the paper plate on the far end of the counter (away from Sylven this time) and placed the device on top of it. Sylven was watching him intently. Cassian noticed and flashed a smile. Looking back, he put all his weight on top of the phone and used his hands to push it down. The two boys both heard a loud CRACK as the pill split into pieces safe enough for Sylven to digest.

A shudder ran through Sylven’s whole body. No matter how many times he saw it, he didn’t think he could ever get used to Cassian’s raw display of power. Cassian could crush him or capture him in an instant and Sylven wouldn’t be able to do anything to protect himself. Cassian looked over sheepishly. He had (correctly) assumed that his show of strength would make Sylven uncomfortable.

“Sorry again… but here!” He exclaimed, pushing the plate towards Sylven. “This should help a lot, especially with the bruises. Only take a small pinch of it; I wouldn’t want you to overdose and end up feeling worse.” Sylven gingerly (and hesitantly) propped himself up and started crawling off the sweatshirt towards the plate; his leg hurt too much to stand just yet. It took him a minute to finally reach the center of the plate and sit down steady enough to grab the medicine.

He glanced back at Cassian, who hadn’t crouched back down since he stood up to crush the pill, and who was looming over him once again. Sylven’s cheeks turned red. This was such a demeaning situation; he couldn’t talk (out of fear), couldn’t walk, and was currently sitting in the center of a giant human plate. He just felt so tiny, even if Cassian didn’t think anything of it. Carefully, he took a pinch of the aspirin, just like Cassian had said, and put it in his mouth to swallow. His face scrunched up at how horrible it tasted.

Cassian’s eyes widened, noticing the repulsed expression. “Oh! Sorry! That’s supposed to be a pill so it must taste disgusting, and I forgot to give you the water I brought,” Cassian hurriedly picked up the soda bottle cap he had brought with him and filled it up with water from the sink. A little too quickly for Sylven's liking, but he appreciated the speed when it came to ridding him of this awful aftertaste. The cap was dwarfed in Cassian’s hands, but it was more like a trough than a cup for Sylven. Cassian used two fingers to steadily bring the cap closer and closer to Sylven’s reach.

Sylven shifted in his seat. This was the closest Cassian had been to touching him yet, at least while he’s been awake. A tiny shift of Cassian’s finger could knock him out easily, but Cassian held steady and passed the water over with no problem. Sylven guessed he might’ve been a little nervous too, because he heard (and felt) Cassian let out a sigh after he pulled his hand away.

After taking a few sips, the taste from the pill in his mouth was more than fifty percent washed out. He looked up again to see Cassian fidgeting with his hands.

“So…” Cassian started meekly, “It might be kind of awkward to eat in the bathroom… Would you want to go to the living room instead?”

Sylven nodded his head right away, thinking nothing of it. Cassian beamed.

“Alright! I don’t think you would be able to get there on your own. Is it okay with you if I pick you up?”

Sylven stilled. Maybe he should have considered the logistics before agreeing immediately. He tried to sit up, at least so he was sitting on his knees like before. Only now, his nerves were worse and he fell backwards. Sylven’s cheeks turned red, and he looked up at Cassian and nodded. Cassian nodded back, not letting the pity he was feeling creep onto his face.

“Alright, I gotcha.” He reassured Sylven. Gingerly, and very very carefully, he reached his hands forward and positioned each of his fingers underneath Sylven one by one. Cassian’s fingers were soft and smelled like soap; they were steady enough that he could tell each one individually was strong enough to support his entire person.

“Ready?” Was all the warning Cassian gave before he was lifted up into the air.

An instant wave of vertigo hit him as he was rocketed up. Cassian quickly cupped his entire hands underneath Sylven and positioned his thumbs to hold him in place. Not like he was holding an object, but as if he was providing a seatbelt; a safety precaution that Sylven actually found quite comforting. He brought Cassian up to his face. “You okay, uh… Sylven?” He asked. Sylven nodded his head slowly, the height dizzying him. The ground was as far below him as it had been when he fell off the branch, maybe further.

With that, Cassian sauntered off to the living room, Sylven in hand.

Cassian: Living Room

Cassian had been itching to pick Sylven up since he first awoke, but as he carried him to the living room he could see (and feel) Sylven shaking. He must be so scared; Cassian would probably be too if he suddenly awoke in a completely new place with a giant. He made sure to be very gentle.

It's not that Cassian enjoyed his automatic control over Sylven, but he liked feeling in control of a situation. He liked to control Sylven’s possible threats, not Sylven himself.

Cassian also liked how cute Sylven looked huddled in his hands.

He could feel every miniscule movement Sylven made. It made him nervous, walking with the knowledge that he was holding an entire life in his hands. He reached the living room and set Sylven down on a couch cushion relatively the size of a football field. “I need to go get the snacks; be right back.”

Cassian left for the bathroom to grab the chips and water cups, but decided to go back to the kitchen and trade out the paper plate for a paper bowl that was clean of pill residue. When he arrived at the couch once again, Cassian set the snacks on the small table in front of them. He noticed the room was getting really dark; the sun outside had just made it past the horizon. He walked away and turned on a lamp before getting ready to sit down. He chose the spot on the opposite side of the couch to sit, even on a different couch cushion, but he still saw Sylven fall back out of the corner of his eye. He pretended not to notice. “Do you want to watch some TV? Also, it's definitely late enough to eat dinner so I can go get us food that's a little more nutritious. Is there anything you want? I don’t have too many options but I can try to whip something up.”

Again, no response other than a small shake of the head. Cassian sighed. He hoped he wasn’t so scary that he was going to have to stay stuck in a one-sided conversation. He was about to get up when he heard a small squeak from across the couch.

“Cassian,” Cassian was now completely still; complete attention on Sylven for fear of missing this special moment. He loved the sound of his name on Sylven’s tongue. “Th-thank you, s- so so much.” Cassian could hardly hear his tiny voice, but the volume at which Sylven spoke was no representation for how much Cassian’s heart swelled.

“Of course,” He assured, flashing a smile. “It’s what friends do.”

*End of Chapter 2*

Special Anecdote: Rowan (Back in the Forest)

Rowan knew they had fucked up. He looked at Laith, whose eyes were wide with fear and was obviously thinking the same thing. “The older patrols saw us walk off with him…” Laith whispered. They had just beaten a village boy up, took him past the legal borders against his will, pushed that same village boy off a six foot tree branch into the awaiting hands of a human, and watched like scared rats as the human walked off with him unconscious. They had just unintentionally masterminded the fifth kidnapping of a citizen by a human, kingdom wide newsworthy event. Rowan just knew they were going to get in so much trouble once they got back to the village. After the thundering steps of the human disappeared (and might Rowan add that was the biggest human he had ever seen), he and Laith scurried back in the direction of the patrol base.

“Maybe we can just say he ran off on his own? His word against ours, and he's not even here.” Rowan suggested.

“Yeah… I guess guards won't care enough to argue but the villagers will hate us.”

“They already hate us.”

“Yeah but now they’ll hate us even more.”

The two patrols walked in silence for the rest of the trip. They both hated getting assigned to patrol at this crappy village. Everybody knew this was where they sent the expendable people; it was the area with the most human sightings. Plus, Rowan had heard a rumor that this was the village where the very first person went missing, even before that patrol spotted a human. Apparently, a young boy disappeared overnight. It’s easy to guess the rest; he went wandering into the forest and got kidnapped by a monster he didn’t even know existed. His parents are in the royal prison now; maybe they were the ones who sent him off.

Thank you everybody who liked the first chapter enough to give the second story a try. This is basically my first real attempt at writing, so I would appreciate any feedback on how to improve my writing style!

#reblog #forgot to reblog the first one smh #I'm loving this story so far #hoping you continue it!

29 notes · View notes