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[tinycoded360]

Sterling Household-Acorns

The Borrowfield family huddled in the cozy confines of their wall. Milton's voice was low but animated as he outlined the afternoon's mission to his attentive brood.

“We will be gathering acorns for Emma," Milton said, his brow furrowed in determination. "She was kind to share her knowledge and supplies with us. Now, we repay her generosity."

"Remember, we move together, and we watch out for one another," Cassia added, her maternal eyes scanning each of her children, from the responsible Agnes to the wide-eyed Finn. The siblings nodded, understanding their task's importance and its dangers.

As they ventured into the backyard, the sun began its descent, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink. 

Milton led the way, spear at the ready, his sharp eyes scanning for threats. Cassia mirrored his vigilance on the flank, her own weapon poised. Acorns lay scattered across the grass like treasures waiting to be claimed, their brown shells gleaming in the soft light. To the Borrowfields, these were not mere seeds but sustenance, the size of small melons that promised nourishment.

"Look, there's a cluster over there!" Pippin whispered eagerly, pointing towards a bounty beneath an oak’s sprawling roots.

"Quietly now," Milton reminded him, even as he shared his son's excitement.

Agnes and Lila moved gracefully, their small hands working deftly to gather the acorns. They synchronized their efforts when they rolled the heavy nuts one by one toward the bag. Finn, his little legs struggling to keep up, pushed with all his might, his face screwed up in determination.

"Good job, Finn!" Lila encouraged, her gentle voice bolstering her brother's spirits.

"Into the bag, carefully now," Cassia directed as she helped hoist an acorn over the rim. The big bag slowly swelled with their foraged goods.

A shadow passed overhead, a bird on the hunt, and Milton tensed, spear lifted. The children froze, but the danger passed, the creature unaware of the tiny family below.

"Let's get these back to Emma," Milton said, satisfied with their haul. Together, they hoisted the hefty bag, shoulders touching, each bearing the weight.

When they arrived at Emma's portion of the wall leading into the basement, Cassie tugged on a string hanging down from a wooden panel. Emma had created this to trigger a doorbell-like system, announcing any friendly arrivals.

"Who is it?" came the muffled voice from the other side, feigning ignorance despite knowing full well who would visit at this hour.

"It's us, Emma," Lila chimed, unable to contain her excitement.

The panel slid open, revealing Emma's smiling face. "My, my, what have we here?" she exclaimed, her eyes twinkling as they fell upon the bulging bag.

"We've brought you acorns, Emma," Pippin said proudly, puffing out his chest a little as he spoke.

"Such a treat! And such fine company," Emma beamed, stepping aside to allow them entry into her cozy abode.

"Thank you, dear friends," Emma continued, her hands clasping over her heart. "Your visits mean more to me than any feast."

Milton set the bag down with a soft thud. "We couldn't forget you, Emma. Not when you've guided us through so much."

Emma wasted no time preparing to work; her movements were practiced and sure. She cracked the acorns with a well-worn stone, deft fingers prying open the shells to reveal the tender meat within. A small fire crackled in a makeshift hearth, carefully enclosed by stones scavenged from the basement area. As Emma stirred a dollop of honey into a tiny iron pan, the Borrowfields' eyes widened at the sight of the golden syrup melting over the heat.

"Just a touch of sweetness." She tossed the acorn meats into the pan, and they sizzled as they met the honey. The cozy space began to fill with the comforting aroma of nuts roasting.

Lila's nose, twitching at the delicious smell, tugged at her father's shirt. "Papa," she said, gleaming of mischief in her eye, "what do you think about getting more acorns? We could have honey-roasted nuts for days!"

Finn, ever the shadow of his sister's ambition, nodded vigorously. "Yes, please! Let’s go now!" His tiny voice was full of yearning for another adventure.

Milton glanced down at his children, his expression softening with affection even as he shook his head. "No, Lila, Finn. We've gathered plenty today," he replied, his voice firm yet gentle.

Cassia came to stand beside her husband, laying a hand on each child's head. "It's too risky to go out again, especially alone.”

Not satisfied with this answer, the two youngest children waited until the adults were lost in conversation, and Emma was absorbed in her culinary craft.

"Come on," Lila whispered, her voice barely a flutter as she tugged at Finn's sleeve. His wide-eyed nod betrayed his eagerness as they slipped away.

The backyard was a wild realm of towering grass blades and looming flowers, and the setting sun cast long shadows across the terrain.

"Look, Lila!" Finn exclaimed in a whisper, pointing towards a particularly plump acorn nestled at the base of a dandelion.

"Careful, Finn," Lila cautioned, but her warning was tinged with pride at her brother's keen eye.

Their collection grew, and each acorn was carefully selected and placed into the pouch. 

Whiskers, with her sleek coat and piercing eyes, had spotted the tiny intruders in her domain. Her tail twitched with predatory interest, her gaze fixed on Lila and Finn as if they were nothing more than mice to be toyed with.

"Run!" Lila shouted, her voice breaking the spell of silence as fear surged through her veins.

Finn's hand clenched around hers, his little legs pumping furiously as they dashed for the safety of the wall. Whiskers pounced forward, her movements graceful and lethal—a striking contrast to the panic-stricken scramble of the Borrowfield siblings.

"Quickly, Finn!" Lila urged, her breath coming in sharp gasps. She could feel the cat's presence closing in, a whisper of danger on the breeze.

"Almost there!" Finn cried, his determination burning bright despite his trembling limbs.

Lila dared a look back, her heart thundering against her chest as Whiskers leapt, her claws extending in anticipation of the catch.

They darted toward the house, their minuscule legs pumping furiously as Whiskers gained on them. The cat's paw swiped out, missing Finn by mere inches.

Panic surged through Lila's tiny form as she darted with Finn in tow, darting between the blades. Whiskers was upon them in moments, her paw batting at the siblings with a casual cruelty that sent them tumbling across the ground. The cat's claws snagged Lila's dress, ripping it as they made their desperate bid for freedom.

"Stay behind me!" Lila gasped, pushing Finn down into a small hollow beneath a fallen leaf. But Whiskers was relentless, her playful mauling a terrifying ordeal for the Borrower children. With each swipe of her massive paw, Finn wailed, his tears mingling with the dirt on his face.

Lila, driven by a fierce protective instinct, swung her tiny arm, aiming futile blows at the cat's unyielding sides. Her efforts were fruitless; to Whiskers, she was nothing but a mouse, a plaything to be subdued and toyed with. The cat's paw came down hard, pinning Lila to the earth. Terror seized her heart as Whiskers leaned in, her fangs piercing Lila's leg. A sharp cry escaped her lips as she grappled with the agony and fear that she might be eaten.

"Please, no," Lila screamed, her leg on fire. She could see Finn, tears streaming down his face, rooted to the spot by fear.

"Whiskers! No! Bad cat!" The thunderous command came from above as Sterling, the giant human, stormed into view. His massive hand scooped up Whiskers, lifting her away from the Borrowfield children with ease.

"Drop it," he ordered sternly, and Whiskers complied, releasing Lila as if she were nothing but a plaything. Sterling held the cat in his arms, his gaze locked on the tiny figures below. Concern etched deep lines on his forehead, his eyes betraying the struggle within.

"Go on, scoot," he murmured, giving the children time to escape. Lila, her leg bleeding, clutched Finn close and hobbled away as fast as their little legs would carry them.

Sterling watched from the corner of his eye, noting the trail of crimson drops left by the tiny girl. His heart clenched, and for a moment, the urge to intervene, to scoop them up and offer aid, nearly overtook him. He had become aware of the tiny people living in his home about a week ago. He had chosen to ignore them, hoping they would be comfortable enough to make themselves known to him one day. He didn’t want to scare them off by trying to capture them.

Taking advantage of the moment, Lila grabbed Finn's hand, pulling him to his feet. They stumbled towards the crack in the wall, their escape a mixture of pain and determination. Lila felt the weight of the giant's gaze upon them, but he did not move.

As the siblings slipped into the safety of the wall, Sterling straightened up and returned to his home with his cat.

In the safety of the wall, Lira held her little brother close.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."

Finn hiccuped. "The adventure wasn't fun," he mumbled into her shoulder. “At least the giant didn’t get us; I don’t even think he saw us!”

Lila bit her lip, glancing at her brother. He didn't need to know the truth — that the giant's eyes had met theirs. It would be her secret; she didn’t want to cause her family to move.

Before they could rise, Milton and Cassia were upon them. Arms enveloped the small, shaken bodies, lifting them into a warm embrace.

"Never again," Cassia muttered, her voice a mix of anger and desperation. "You must understand, never again."

"Sorry, Mama," Finn mumbled, burying his face into her shoulder.

"Sorry," echoed Lila, the single word encapsulating the weight of her regret.

Her father put a hand on her shoulder. His expression was stern, but his eyes were kind. "You disobeyed us and put yourself and your brother in danger. You won't be going on more adventures for a long time, young lady."

Lila nodded, blinking back tears. "I understand."

"But we're just glad you made it back to us." Her father hugged her, and Lila buried her face in his shoulder, relief and guilt warring inside her.

She winced as Milton scooped her up, his eyes quickly assessing the crimson stain spreading down her leg. Cradling her close, he whispered reassurances meant more for himself than for her. "You'll be alright, my brave little girl."

They retreated further into the safety of Emma's dwelling.

Lila winced as Emma dabbed at the bite mark on her leg with a damp cloth, sterilizing the wound.

"There, there," Emma said gently.

Agnes gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "You were so brave, Lila. We're proud of you for protecting Finn like that."

Lila managed a watery smile. Her sister always knew the right thing to say.

At last, Emma finished bandaging their injuries. "All done. Now, let's get you some of those acorn nuts. Food will help take your mind off the pain, and Milton brought back some willow bark from his last trip. I can make a poultice to help with swelling and relieve discomfort."

Milton held Lila snugly against his chest, her tiny form cradled by his sturdy arms. She savored the sweetness of the acorn nut in her mouth, the rich taste momentarily distracting her from the throbbing in her leg. Milton kissed the top of her head, his voice barely above a whisper. "Next time I'm out, I'll bring back some pain medicine for you," he promised, stroking her hair.

On Cassia's lap, Finn burrowed closer, his small body seeking the solace of his mother's warmth. Her fingers traced soothing circles on his back, lulling him into a state of calm after the day's harrowing events. His eyes fluttered closed, the earlier tears replaced by the drooping lids.

Across the room, Agnes and Pippin engaged in lively conversation with Emma, their voices bubbling with laughter and punctuated by the crunch of the acorn nuts. They spoke of trivial things.

Lila's sniffles broke through the contented hum of conversation. Milton pulled her even closer.

"Everything's going to be alright," he reassured her.

[tinycoded360]

Jojo's big adventure chapter 6

The serenity of the Enterprise's medical bay was breached only by the soft hum of machinery and the occasional chirp from a console. Dr. Leonard McCoy, known affectionately as Bones to his crewmates, stood with his back pressed against a biobed, his daughter cradled in the palm of his hand. The sight of Joanna, mere inches tall. She wore a tiny device around her middle like a belt. Scotty had made it for her to help amplify her tiny voice, so those around her could hear her, and she wouldn’t have to yell and strain her vocal cords.

"Jo," he said, his voice a gentle rumble, "how are you holding up?"

She looked up at him, her eyes wide and searching. "I'm scared, Dad. Everything is so big, so... overwhelming."

"I know, darling." His thumb brushed against her back. "But I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere. We'll figure this out."

"Mom..." Joanna began, her voice trailing off, uncertainty etching her features.

McCoy's jaw tightened, his thoughts immediately darkening. "Your mother... she doesn't understand what's happening. She thinks it's some kind of trick."

"But why wouldn't she believe us? Believe you?" Joanna’s voice quivered with a mix of hurt and disbelief.

"Because sometimes, Jo, people see only what they want to," McCoy said, his words laced with bitterness. "And I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry she's not here for you like she should be."

"Will I have to go back to living with her if we can't fix this?" Joanna asked, a hint of fear lacing her question.

"Over my dead body," McCoy muttered under his breath, more to himself than to Joanna. His mind raced with the thought of Jocelyn's neglect, how she hadn't even reported Joanna missing. His throat felt tight at the contemplation of his tiny daughter being subjected to such carelessness. "Listen to me, Jo. No matter what happens, I'll take care of you. I'll fight for you, always."

Joanna nodded, her expression resolving into one of trust. "I know, Dad. I believe you."

Before he could delve further into the promises he intended to keep, a beep from the console interrupted them. McCoy glanced at the screen, where a message blinked urgently. He reached out and answered the call; Kirk appeared on the screen.

“Hey, bones. I hate to ask you this, but Joanna needs to identify this guy. We’re not getting anything from him. He’s denying everything and not talking. Security down here has to let him go soon unless she can at least identify him; then that buys us some time to find more evidence.”

Mccoy sighs, hating he’d have to take his tiny daughter planet side. “I’ll beam down, anything to get this nightmare to end.”

*****

Meanwhile, in an abandoned warehouse, two unfortunate souls wake. Two human teens find themselves shrunk and trapped inside a jar, the latest victims in a long line of unresolved disappearances. The killer had been carefully taking people from multiple locations, from any species and any age.

Corrin stirred awake, his eyes fluttering open to an unfamiliar sight. A glass wall surrounded him, and June, his good friend, lay curled beside him, her chest rising and falling with each breath. Panic surged through him as he tried to recall how they ended up inside this jar. The last thing he remembered was going on a school trip to the Mars colony.

"June," he whispered, shaking her shoulder gently. "June, wake up."

Her eyes fluttered open, and she gasped at their confined space. "Where are we?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"I don't know." Corrin looked around, trying to make sense of the situation. He noticed a desk beyond the glass walls, everything looking huge from their perspective. "But we need to get out of here."

Together, they leaned against the side of the jar, pushing with all their might. Slowly, it tipped over, the children tumbling out onto the giant surface of the desk. They stood up, dusting themselves off, their eyes widening as they took in the enormity of their surroundings.

"Everything's so… big," June murmured, her blue eyes wide with wonder and fear.

"Too big," Corrin agreed, his analytical mind racing to understand their predicament. "We must be about four inches tall. But how?"

"More importantly, how do we get help?" June asked, practical as ever. "People will be giants to us now. They could step on us and crush us without even noticing."

"Right," Corrin said, swallowing hard as he considered their options. "First, let's get down from this desk."

They made their way to the edge of the desk, searching for a safe path down. Corrin noticed how the shelves were lined with an impressive action figure collection. But as he stared at the life-like figures, he realized with sinking horror that they had once been people. Corrin chose not to point this out to his friend since she had not made the connection. He didn’t want to scare her further. But if they didn’t get out, this would likely be their fate, turned into posable toys for some madman. Corrin's keen eyes found an old lamp with a thick cord dangling near the floor. "There," he pointed. "That's our way down."

"Are you sure?" June asked, uncertainty flickering in her eyes.

"Trust me," Corrin replied, determination burning within him. They carefully navigated their way to the lamp cord and began their descent, gripping it tightly.

"Who knew climbing down a lamp could be such an adventure?" June joked, trying to lighten the mood despite her pounding heart.

"Maybe we should try mountain climbing after this," Corrin replied with a small smile, appreciating her attempt at humor. "But let's focus on getting back to normal first."

"Phew, we made it down," June whispered, wiping the sweat from her brow as they stood on the ground. Corrin nodded, his eyes darting around, searching for a way to escape the room.

"Look, there's a gap under that door," he said, pointing to their left. "Let's try to get outside."

"Maybe someone out there can help us," June mused, her voice hopeful. As they approached the door, their tiny hearts pounded with anticipation and fear. 

As they slid under the gap, an explosion of color and noise greeted them. They had entered what appeared to be a bustling marketplace. The two children exchanged wide-eyed looks, overwhelmed by the enormity of the sights and sounds.

"Everything's so... big," Corrin muttered, staring up at the towering stalls and enormous feet stomping around them.

"Be careful," June warned, gripping his hand tightly. "We don't want to get squashed."

"Right," Corrin agreed, his mind racing as he tried to devise a plan. "We need to find someone who can help us without drawing too much attention."

They set off again, darting between legs and dodging obstacles as they navigated the labyrinthine marketplace. Suddenly, a huge shadow loomed over them, making them freeze in terror. A massive cat had appeared, its eyes locked onto the two tiny children.

"Corrin!" June gasped, her spunky spirit momentarily faltering.

"Run!" Corrin shouted, grabbing her hand and pulling her along as they raced through the marketplace, the giant feline predator on their heels.

"Can't... keep... up," June panted, fear evident in her voice.

"Stay with me, June," Corrin urged his analytical mind working overtime to find a way out of their predicament. "We'll make it through this."

Corrin's heart pounded as he and June wove through the chaotic marketplace, giant feet threatening to crush them at every turn. The sheer scale of the world around them was overwhelming, with towering stalls and colossal beings of all shapes, sizes, and colors going about their business.

June lost her footing and tripped in their frantic flight, colliding with a colossal shoe that sent her sprawling. Stunned, she lay on the ground, unable to move.

"June!" Corrin yelled, skidding to a halt beside her.

The giant voice boomed above them, thick with a Southern accent. "What the hell?"

Corrin's heart leaped into his throat, dread filling him as he realized they'd been spotted. He knew they were at the mercy of this gigantic stranger.

[tinycoded360]

Went rock hounding yesterday, found lots of rocks, got a cool necklace and even over heard a cute g/t themed conversation.

Overheard from two eight year old boys:

Boy 1: I wish we were giants!

Boy 2: Yeah!

Boy 1: then we could just pick up all the big rocks like it was nothing.

It made me smile thought it was cute

[tinycoded360]

Scared

Part 25 of my story! Read the index and content warnings here. This chapter gets so gay. Warning to readers: a tiny gets injured in this.

“…and now whenever I go in one door, he goes out the other. It’s almost as if he’s avoiding me on purpose! I don’t understand you men, Mr. Piccoli. You have no idea what behaviour like that does to a girl!” Said Miss Wilkins through the phone.

Joe had no idea what behaviour like that did to a girl, but he certainly knew what it did to a boy. Joe eyed the man who was avoiding him from where he sat down the hallway. It was as if his newfound physical proximity to Harry had driven the two of them apart in every other way. Meanwhile, Harry grabbed his medical bag and prepared to head out.

“Yeah… I hear ya’. I don’t understand it myself.” Joe said. “Tell your father the doctor’s on his way. He won’t be long.”

Bidding Miss Wilkins farewell, he hung up the phone and whistled for Harry. The doctor’s back was turned to Joe, who watched as his shoulders rose with what seemed to be unease. Joe tapped his foot against the table impatiently as Harry took his sweet time turning around to face him. When he eventually did, the giant seemed to be downright nervous, which made Joe nervous by extension.

“Do you want down from the table?” Asked the giant who was obviously stalling.

“Well I sure as hell don’t wanna be put on the roof.” Joe quipped.

Joe watched Harry internally panic for a moment until he finally worked up the nerve to reach out his hand. When Joe stepped into it as he had a hundred times before, there was one major difference: now whenever Joe climbed into Harry’s hand, Harry was as fearful as a young child handling a live animal for the first time. Their interactions had been like this for the last three days, and for the life of him he couldn’t figure out why. 

“…right. Well… if this is a simple chest cold, I’ll be back in a couple hours. If it isn’t, I won’t be back until later tonight." The second he set Joe onto the floor he started backing away. "I uh—I have to hurry, actually. Take care!” Harry said.

"Harry, wait-"

The floorboards shook as the doctor bolted from the scene like a startled deer, throwing Joe off balance. All the little man could do was cross his arms and look on in disapproval. How rude of Harry to leave so suddenly! Joe didn’t even have a chance to tell Harry where he would be going that day, something that could cost him his life if his last trip to Calloway’s was anything to go by!

The last thing Joe wanted to do was return there, but a deal was a deal and fine clothes were fine clothes. Gone were the days of wearing ten year old rags, he had decided. If he had to be a borrower of any sort, he would be an enviable one, a respectable one, winning the approval of tinies and giants alike, and maybe even Harry too.

With any luck, it might even be enough to get Harry to stop running from him.

-

The month of May was much too fleeting for Joe’s liking, and as dusk fell over the docks he wished there was a way to beg it to stay. Although Joe could hardly enjoy the weather out in the open at his scale, there was something about late spring’s ephemeral nature that gripped him tightly and refused to let go. The last few rays of the sun coloured the lake a beautiful blue, and waters that had once held a monstrosity mere days ago now sat placid and calm, sloshing lazily against the gravel. The scent of fresh grass and spring flowers perfumed the night air as it grew cool and crisp. This giant’s sunset was a borrower’s sunrise, and what a spectacular sunrise it was!

As Joe sat in the dinginess of Calloway’s and waited for the tailor to deliver on his promise, he wished he were watching it instead. The booths were closer to gull’s nests than they were proper tables and chairs, and the twigs always prodded him in the worst possible places. The unpleasantness of it all doubled when a plate of rancid offerings was slid under his nose.

“Say, Cast-iron Joe! You wouldn’t mind taking this off my hands for me, would you?”

It was the voice of Gutters, of course. Joe stared into the plate the way a traumatized war veteran would stare off onto the distance. On it there was a soggy trimming of spinach, an even soggier crumb of bread, and – crown jewel of the dish – egg whites. Two slices of them, each ice cold and utterly joyless.

Joe had no choice but to accept the offering. Anything less would be tantamount to admitting that he was a pet.

“Thanks, Gutters. You’re a real pal.” He said.

The lanky man smirked at him as he slid into the seat across from him, head bobbing with suppressed laughter.

"Saw your owner looking for ya' a few nights ago." Said Gutters.

It took everything in Joe's power to suppress the primordial terror that came over him. He kept his eyes locked onto the sad eggs and prayed that Gutters wouldn't smell his fear as adrenaline surged through him.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about." Joe lied as his heart thumped in his chest.

"Really? You don't know? Rumour has it there was a big guy on the beach calling your name." He said.

Joe shot Gutters a look of pure, concentrated rage. He stabbed his fork into the eggs and twisted it.

"Must've been looking for his dog or something. The hell is it with you, Gutters? You and your pet tiny conspiracy. Can’t you find something better to do?" Said Joe.

"Hey, easy! I'm just looking out for ya', Joe. I know you won't believe me, but I used to be you." Gutters said.

Something about the way Gutters spoke to Joe reminded him of the circus manager: it was a voice rife with insincerity, one clearly in search of a desired reaction. He knew exactly what Gutters was doing. Gutters was testing him, and Joe wasn't having it. As his fear gave way to calculated determination, he found he wasn't scared of losing his ear anymore. He feared losing his agency, an agency he constantly had to fight for, against regular giants, against Harry, and now against his fellow tiny.

"I don't remember asking for the help." Joe stated.

With those words, Joe locked eyes with the man across from him and saw that they were full of contempt. Gutters simply sighed in response the way a parent would sigh over a misbehaving child. Then a strange sadness seemed to possess him, one Joe had never seen before, and for one ghost of a second all the insincerity left his voice to the point Joe was thrown by what he said next.

"Just remember something for me, will ya'? If they say they love you, maybe it means they love you now, but that could change by tomorrow. They think we're stupid, Joe. They always will. They're evil." Gutters warned.

Joe tilted his head back and looked straight down his nose at Gutters. Oh, Joe knew damn well the giants were evil. He was well aware they thought tinies were stupid, too. What Gutters didn’t realize, as far as Joe was concerned, was that he was treating him no differently than any giant would.

"You obviously think I'm stupid too if you're gonna sit here and lecture me about how to live my life. What makes you any different?" Joe's voice was deadpan as he spoke. “You can sit here and act like you know what’s best for me all you want, pal, but my business is my business.”

Joe could tell by the look on Gutters' face that his opponent was stumped by this response. Victoriously, Joe took one, performative bite of his cold eggs and forced himself to swallow them down as Gutters' once rational demeanour twisted into something ugly and dark. His hand shot towards Joe faster than lightning, but Joe, who was done being talked down to by anyone, for any reason, didn’t break eye contact when it snatched his collar and pulled him in.

“Listen here, you cockroach! You might be able to lie to everyone else, but you’re not gonna lie to me! I saw what I saw.” Gutters growled.

Joe’s hands curled into fists. Joe was not a fighting man, but he was cornered and angry, which in turn made him capable of anything.

“You don’t scare me.” Joe hissed, not blinking once as he stared into Gutters’ icy eyes.

He was on the verge of throwing one of those fists when the tension was broken by a low laugh that drifted over from the bar counter.

"You can't see your own hand in front of your face, Gutters. Everyone knows that." Calloway said without even looking up from the glass he was polishing. "You're just jealous he's got himself a rich boyfriend."

"I saw what I saw." Gutters repeated.

“The hell you keeping tabs on Joe for anyways? You like him? Jealous or something? C’mon.” Said Calloway.

Joe, still halfway prepared to fling Gutters across the table, breathed a sigh of relief when his nemesis released him.

“…fine. Learn the hard way. Idiots like you are beyond helping.” Gutters said.

When Gutters released him unceremoniously and retreated to the other end of the bar, a lead weight may as well have been lifted from Joe's chest. The captain sidled up to Joe’s booth soon after, and his presence was as welcome as a breath of fresh spring air. He poured Joe a glass of spills, though after his experience the other day Joe wasn’t about to risk drinking it.

“Don’t let him get to ya’. He’s just taking his own baggage out on you, that’s all. How’s the sweetheart?” Asked Calloway.

“The uh… oh.” It took Joe a moment to remember the lie he had been telling. “Well, he'll let me sleep near him and everything, but now he won’t talk to me.” He explained.

Calloway cackled as he dusted off the twiggy booth.

“That right? Is this guy uh… unseasoned, by any chance?” Calloway's voice was low and conspiratorial, and a raised eyebrow arched over his eyepatch.

Joe nearly spat out his eggs at the question. It was something he had neither considered nor wanted to consider, but now that the subject had been brought up he knew it was going to live in his head rent free.

“I don’t know!” Joe stammered. “Haven’t asked him.”

Captain Calloway nodded.

“Well he’s acting pretty unexperienced if he can barely handle sleeping in the same room as you. See, that’s why the tailor needs to hurry up and get here. Get yourself into something nice, ease him into it, then he’ll be all over you!” The captain said.

Joe, meanwhile, was covering his face in sheer embarrassment and resisting the urge to rip his skin off completely and crawl out of it.

“I didn’t ask for your advice.” Joe groaned.

Captain Calloway gave a half-hearted shrug.

“That’ll still be 200 scraps regardless. I’ll give you the unsolicited advice discount.”

-

The tailor had arrived just in the nick of time, and Joe had escaped with an elegant fabric bag and whatever was left of his dignity. The lake and the bucket arm seemed to pity him today, for after that dreadful time at Calloway’s they didn’t even bother trying to take his life. Even the snatcher and the turtle were absent that night, and the streetcar was calm as could be.

Things were shaping up to be a little too easy, but Joe pushed that thought aside as he scampered from the trolley in a direction he thought led to home. Traveling as a miniature was an inexact art, especially where the streetcar was concerned. Sometimes Joe could head straight home without hassle; other times he would end up in the general vicinity of home and improvise. The latter was the situation he found himself in after getting off on Gerrard Street and wandering onto the edge of Riverdale Park. With the night growing older, he looked for a landmark as he always did. Tiny Town in all its electric glory would do just nicely considering it was very well lit at night.

Lit up with torches, Joe noted.

He squinted at the angry mob of miniatures that spilled out of the town's gates and watched as it descended upon a single fleeing individual. Though he immediately felt uneasy, his feet automatically carried him closer and closer to the spectacle. When he was near enough, he could see that a man was running at light speed across the field as the crowd pursued him. So hasty was the target of the crowd's ire that he didn't appear to notice a dip in the ground. It tripped the escapee and he landed violently, too shaken to get up. Joe's stomach twisted into knots as the leader of the gang loomed over the victim. He didn't tear his eyes away until the ringleader of the mob knelt on top of the target, pinched the man's ear, took his knife and-

-Joe could have sworn it was O'Grady wielding that knife.

That was enough for him. He turned around and sprinted as fast as the newly marked tiny had, taking care to watch his footing for fear he might be the next victim. Bolting into the darkness that swallowed him, he fought back tears as he wondered what evil force was possessing his fellow miniature.

When he stopped to catch his breath, a new idea came to him. Maybe tinies were just as evil as the giants were. The giants may have invented Tiny Town from what Joe could tell, but it was the tinies who invented marking. Oddly enough, Joe found himself equal parts disgusted and comforted by this thought. It meant he had nothing to lose by living as he did. It re-enforced what Joe had known to be true deep down all along: that he wasn't just a stupid borrower. He could understand the evils of war and suffering just like anyone else. He could look his own potential ruination in the face and decide it was a risk worth taking.

Faced with that grisly sight outside of Tiny Town, Joe had no choice but to make peace with his new understanding of evil.

-

The clothes were high self-esteem in fabric form. It was the latest in townie fashion: a light blue-grey suit not unlike the ones the giants wore, with a hat and shoes to go with it. Clean as a whistle and dressed to kill, the reflection that stared back at Joe from the blade of the abandoned butter knife may as well have been that of a completely different person. As he tilted his hat this way and that, trying to get it at a perfect angle that would complement his cheekbones, he wondered if Mr. Dawson would be impressed.

With that passing thought, all the horror of the night crept back over him like a cursed miasma. Although Joe had made it back home to the safety of the kitchen, he was still small and alone in a house endless and empty, and an eerie feeling came over him. He kept expecting something, or someone, to find him and attack him, to grab him by the neck or to cut off his ear - the specifics didn't matter. For years he had lived in the Stinson House without this vulnerable feeling coming over him. Then again, maybe it had always been there, and Joe had tuned it out in order to function. Now that he was sleeping in Harry’s room, he was beginning to understand what real safety felt like. It was another form of forbidden knowledge, he supposed, another thing he would miss so much in its absence that he could never bear to part with it in the first place.

The sound of Harry’s key in the front door exorcised the sense of trepidation immediately, though Joe still hid behind the cookie tin out of principle. Light after light went on in the hallway, then the parlour, and then finally the kitchen, until the darkness was purged completely and only the giant remained. Although some part of him debated remaining hidden and saving the surprise of his new clothes for later, another more tender part couldn’t resist being with Harry in that moment. For three days now Harry had been avoiding him, but Joe, especially now, couldn’t bear to avoid Harry.

So he stepped out from behind the tin and whistled as the contemplative giant leaned over the sink. As had been the case for the last three days, Harry’s eyes widened and that look of unease came over him. Now there was a new development: the giant’s face turned bright red at the sight of him.

Unseasoned. The word crept back into Joe’s mind. Calloway had a point, he realized; Harry wasn’t acting all that different from some of the lesser-experienced boys of Joe’s own size that he had toyed with. Surely, though, Harry didn’t find Joe attractive. That would be absurd!

When the giant said nothing at the sight of him, Joe took a few more cautious steps forward as the moment grew increasingly awkward. Heart-rate rising, he cleared his throat and said,

“Waddaya think?”

Harry kept on staring.

“Uhhhhhhhhh… I uh…” Sputtered the giant who was not at all thinking.

Harry rubbed his hand over his face and collected himself. Joe’s heart swelled with pride when he saw that a familiar look of wonder had returned to the doctor’s eyes. He felt oddly powerful in that moment, as he so often did at Calloway’s whenever he was drunk and flirtatious. Pretending he was there instead, he gave Harry his coyest smile and took his hat off to the giant.

“I took your advice and went clothes shopping. Thought you might wanna admire the stitching.” Joe said, thoroughly enjoying Harry’s reaction.

Absurd as it was, imagining Harry as just another flustered boy he was hitting on at a bar seemed to be helping. At the very least, the giant hadn’t turned tail and run yet. Joe kept drawing closer.

“You can have a look if you want.” He offered.

“I… okay.” Harry said, his voice wavering with surprise.

Still thoroughly malfunctioning, Harry extended his hand to Joe who noted that it was visibly shaking. Joe climbed in, careful of it at first. When he saw that Harry’s hand was clean, he didn’t stand in it, or sit in it for that matter, but lounged in it as though he owned it, then smiled up at the jittery giant who dutifully carried him upstairs.

“So how’d the visit go?” Asked Joe.

Harry shook his head gravely.

“It wasn’t a cold. Miss Wilkins’ father came down with tuberculosis. I spent the day arranging for him to be taken to the sanatorium and comforting the family.” Harry said.

Joe had no idea what to say to such a thing. In his ten years as a hermit, it was a rare occasion when he had to comfort anyone. He tried his best for Harry's sake.

“Are you all right after that?" He said.

“I'll live. It's part of the job." Harry assured him.

"Yeah, well, it's a shit job." Joe said. "You sure you'll be all right?"

"I'm sure. At least one of us had a good day by the looks of it.” Harry replied.

Joe suppressed his nervous laughter. Thought of the gruesome occurrence at Tiny Town had melted away when Harry showed up, but now it came back again in full force. He wanted to deny it away, to bury it, to pretend everything was all right. Instead, when he disembarked Harry’s hand, he stood before his new bed on the nightstand and debated with himself over whether or not to talk about it. Ultimately he decided that he wanted Harry to know. He wanted the giant to understand that tinies were also capable of evil. Maybe if he did, he would finally stop sheltering Joe.

He couldn’t turn around to face Harry when he said what came next.

“Saw a guy get marked today outside of Tiny Town today.” Joe could feel the giant’s concerned eyes on his back. “A whole crowd chased him down. I don’t know what he did. I just ran. Maybe I should’ve done more to help. Tinies are just… we’re evil, Harry. We’re just as bad as you are sometimes.”

Joe was fighting back tears again as he turned to face Harry. The giant was sitting on the bed with his chin in his hand, looking deeply worried.

“I’m glad you came home in one piece.” Harry said.

“We gotta do something about that place, Harry! Find out what’s going on. The professor might know… I should call him.” Said Joe.

“Do it tomorrow when the poor man’s awake.” The giant advised him. Then his brow furrowed. “...why didn’t you tell me you were going there?”

“You left before I could! You ran off so fast today I didn’t even get a chance to bring it up!” Joe exclaimed.

Harry’s face fell.

“…I did, didn’t I? I’m sorry for running off on you like that.” He said.

Joe had said enough about Tiny Town, he decided - more than he could stand to say. He didn’t want to dwell on the horror any further, so he shoved it away and turned his ire against Harry instead.

“Yeah, well, you should be. What’s gotten into you lately, anyways? You don’t talk over breakfast, you won’t read with me, any other time you’re busy with your files, and when I try and say anything you run out the door!” Joe ranted at Harry, who had gotten up and started rifling through his dresser. “You’re gonna leave right now, aren’t you?”

Harry froze.

“I uh… I have to get changed.” Harry insisted.

Joe crossed his arms.

“Then do it when I’m done telling you off. This is important, Harry.” Joe said. “You still scared you’re brainwashing me or something?”

Harry shook his head no. As the giant clutched his pajamas and cast a defeated look off to the side, a strange feeling of satisfaction came over Joe. It was there on the nightstand, dressed in his finest, that Joe embraced his twisted nature. He wanted Harry, and by extension he wanted to know about Harry, to learn who the real Harry was. He couldn’t do that if the giant was constantly hiding from him.

“I’m just… not good at taking compliments, I guess.” Harry said.

Joe tilted his head at him in confusion.

“What do you mean?”

“The other day, you were drunk at the time and you ah… said something very nice to me.” Harry explained.

Joe couldn’t help but laugh. The horror and anger fled from him again at the sheer ridiculousness of Harry’s statement.

“That’s what you’re wound up about? Really!?” Joe cried.

The embarrassed giant nodded at him and Joe, little devil that he was, immediately took aim at Harry’s weak spot and fired away.

“Well what did I say? Did I say you were smart or handsome or kind or something?”

Joe watched in delight as Harry grew so worked up his only usable hand started to fidget. The giant sank back down onto the bed and sat there as Joe smiled with cruel joy.

“…I’m not going to repeat it.” Harry said.

“Did I say you have a nice ass? ‘cause we can add that one to the pile.” Joe continued.

“What!?”

“I said what I said.”

Poor Harry looked like he wanted to melt into the floor. Joe, meanwhile, was laughing in sadistic glee as Harry looked at him helplessly.

“What are you so afraid of?” Joe threw the question at Harry in the same deadpan fashion he had done with Gutters earlier.

“You.” Harry admitted.

“Me? Little old me? Really, Harry?” Joe said.

Harry? Afraid of him? This knowledge turned the entire world on its head. All this time he hadn’t thought it possible for Harry to get flustered at him. He had imagined the doctor a cool seducer, even, hellbent on getting Joe riled up. Learning it was the exact opposite changed everything! So Harry wasn't a seductor. He was a precious, darling innocent ignorant to the wonderful world of boys. Was that really why Harry was blushing at him so intensely?

Joe had no better option than to test his theory. He shrugged off his suit jacket and hung it over the metal lighter on the nightstand, then took off his waistcoat and tie for good measure. What he was about to do was thoroughly unprecedented. His inner, sexually confused twelve-year-old was screaming at the mere thought of it. Still, it had to be done, for Harry’s sake and for Joe’s as well.

First he took a few steps back and judged the distance from the nightstand to Harry’s left knee, then he sprinted at full speed and launched himself toward it. Harry jumped and yelped when he landed – predictably – and Joe scrambled to stay balanced as the giant panicked. Within seconds Joe was swept into Harry’s hand, and as he lay there he gave the doctor the best puppydog eyes he could muster.

“Harry, there’s a lot of awful shit in this world you need to be afraid of, but I’m not one of ‘em. You know that.” Joe assured him. “Tuberculosis, Tiny Town, that’s shit worth being afraid of. Not me.”

“…right.” Harry said.

He couldn’t stop smiling up at Harry. The giant was innocent, painfully so if the dumbstruck look on his face was anything to go by. Joe wouldn’t dare corrupt that innocence, but he would use his newfound knowledge to bridge the growing gap between them. He sat up.

“But hey, here’s an idea: if you wanna be scared you can go ahead and be scared, but that’s no reason to avoid me. Wanting to run away is normal but we’ve been through too much shit for that. Just do it scared.” Joe said.

“I’ll try to do that.” Harry sighed.

With that, a timid smile came over Harry and his thumb started stroking Joe’s face the way it used to. Joe, triumphant, leaned in to Harry’s touch. He was proud of himself, for in an odd way Joe had caught the giant, had lured him in and cornered him. Harry had no excuse now. He would have to stop running and start enduring.

“By the way, there’s something I’ve been meaning to show you…” Joe said.

Next chapter coming soon!

[tinycoded360]

I just finished watching The Borrowers (2011) for free on YouTube with subtitles, so of course that put me in the mood to write some g/t Psych headcannons

Disclaimer: Like I just said, this is going to be g/t hcs of Psych. If you are a g/t and psych fan, then this is for you.

If you are a fan of Psych and you know what g/t is but you’re not a fan of it, this is not for you. If don’t know what g/t is but you would like to find out, go here and here (don’t worry, istg it’s nothing bad). And who knows? I might just be able to convert you to the dark side /j

If you are a fan of g/t but you’re not a fan of psych, then this is not for you. Or maybe it could be. I don’t know, maybe you’re desperate enough for g/t content you’ll read hcs of a fandom you’re not part of. But if you don’t know what Psych is, I highly recommend watching all 8 seasons plus the movies.

Still here? Awesome. The headcannons are below the cut

What Shawn would do if he found a borrower:

*sigh* this is gonna be so self indulgent

Shawn’s in his third apartment since he moved to Santa Barbara when he notices things going missing.

Just little things, nothing a normal person would see.

But then again, he’s not exactly normal, what with Shawn’s dad training and fine-tuning his eye for detail and eidetic memory since he was a baby (literally. there’s a flashback in Cloudy With a Chance of Remake at the beginning that shows baby Shawn and Henry at the courthouse).

Anyway

He notices small stuff that should be there but isn’t, like crumbs from the counter and paper clips from certain files he stole from the station. And he notices things that shouldn’t be there but are, like a hole in his cereal box.

Shawn thinks it’s a mouse, but he’s not sure how it doesn’t leave any other evidence behind, and why it would need office supplies.

He can’t exactly afford fancy traps, so he makes one: a crude box trap that has a roof that looks like a floor, but when walked on it would cave in.

Shawn sprinkles a little bit of food around the trap. Nothing too big, just more crumbs. He even spreads it in areas that aren’t part of the trap just to make it less suspicious.

And he waits.

It’s not long of a wait.

Just a day after he set it up, it had been set off.

He’s coming home from the psych office when he see that his trap caught something.

It looked like it had been shuffled around a couple inches, like whatever was in the box had rammed against the sides, trying to tip it over.

But it wasn’t moving right now.

Shawn almost thought there wasn’t anything inside, and the mouse — or whatever — had escaped.

Until he opened it.

The last thing he expected to see was a small person, no bigger than three or four inches tall.

They’re curled up in a corner, shaking.

He doesn’t even think twice before reaching in and grabbing them with both hands, much to their dismay.

Shawn feels them wiggling around, little hits and kicks colliding with his palms and fingers.

His hands open so they aren’t completely trapped in the dark (and so he can get a better look at them).

Almost immediately he notices the tears streaking down their face.

ohshit.jpeg

He feels like an asshole now, and the tiny is super scared and has curled up into a little ball.

Shawn tries convincing them he’s not gonna hurt them, but they don’t listen to him.

So he just starts making jokes — not at their expense, of course — and telling them the adventures he and Gus would go on while solving crime.

Slowly they begin to open up themselves little by little, and even crack a grin at one of his stories.

When he sees that they’re relaxed, he introduces himself. And much to his pleasure, they hesitantly introduce themself as well.

Yeah uh. That’s pretty much it. I’m gon write more for the other three, too.

[tinycoded360]

Just found this entirely G/t-focused Malaysian TV show on YouTube. It seems almost exactly like Minami-Kun No Koibito (My Little Lover), except not Japanese. It's about a girl who mysteriously shrinks and is found by a guy who takes her home. I know some people here will appreciate this...

Here's Episode 1:

[tinycoded360]

My Borrowed Son | 17 | Foolishness

Chapter Seventeen | Foolishness

Kers couldn’t believe he had been so foolish!

Stupid!

Stupid!

Stupid!

Stupid!

He hadn’t realized the kid was in the house and wanted a chance to check in on him and make sure he was alright. They were in the other room having dinner at one point, so he stepped away to go and retrieve some dinner leftovers and crumbs from the kitchen.

The television was on.

It was part of their pattern!

Dinner.

A bit of television.

Parker would go and get something called “homework” done, which was a rare occasion, and then he would go to bed.

Foolishness was what guided the Borrower to act.

The television was on and, like a fool, Kers assumed that Parker and his “mom” were watching a bit of the show together because she had stepped into the other room and turned on the television. Parker was usually never up this late doing homework, and so Kers had dared to venture out of the walls and up to the dollhouse that was called “Parker’s Place.”

It wasn’t the first time he was going to go up to the dollhouse. When Parker first was given this place, Kers made sure he could get in and out in case he needed to rescue the Borrower boy. There would have been nothing worse if Parker was moved from the open and into a plexiglass cage where Kers couldn’t get him out.

All was going smoothly after Kers borrowed his fill from the pantry. He walked through the darkness of the walls with ease to the old office room, picking the pieces of meat from his teeth, and approached the electrical outlet.

Only now when he pressed against the edge did he notice the electrical cover was a tad tight. It was a bit odd, but he hadn’t been here on the ground floor in a while to check on the boy. Without a second thought, Kers removed a rusty drill bit he kept as a tool on his side and unscrewed the piece from behind, accidentally breaking part of the screw off as he tapped on the end to knock the contraption loose from the wall.

Everything came loose after a few good nudges with his shoulder and then, after a quick check, Kers slipped out of the walls and into the room. The dollhouse loomed up on the desk and made the Borrower shiver. Seeing it high above was giving him vertigo like a standard human room. It made Parker feel more human than Borrower.

Maybe, in a way, he was.

Parker was being raised by a human. Parker had human friends if Kers understood what he overheard during the day. The boy might not even have proper Borrower instincts for all Kers knew, which would but Parker in danger if Kers were to try and bring him safely into the walls to live as a true Borrower.

Too many decisions.

Too little time.

Had he made the right decision all those years ago when he didn’t take Parker? Was it possibly too late for this boy to live a “normal” life meant for someone of his kind? He couldn’t have taken the child at the time because he didn’t have any supplies and it would have been dangerous for him and for Parker. Now that he could take Parker, he felt reluctant to.

What was the right decision?

Kers sighed and cautiously tiptoed across the floor toward the desk, unclipping the hook on his belt when spotted a line right by the edge of the table. It made the Borrower turn his head curiously and smile to himself.

He suspected this was not the work of Amanda, the “mom” of the house.

Maybe Parker’s more Borrower than he knows.

Kers checked the line, noting its secure hold on the desk as well as the type of line that was chosen. Both were good quality, even by his standards. There was no fraying on the line. There were incremental knots in case of hand slippage. There was even a loop at the bottom to hoist up items.

If Kers didn’t know better, he would have suspected that Parker’s upbringing was entirely done by Borrowers. He decided to admire the child’s work later, however, and set down the rope before preparing to ascend the line.

Taking a quick breath, Kers shimmied up the line and hoisted himself up onto the desk, pausing only once to catch his breath and readjust his foothold. The Borrower rolled onto his back and then back onto his front before darting toward the side of the house for cover.

Halfway there, Kers’ blood ran cold and his instinct had him freezing like a statue. Completely motionless like a figurine on a shelf, Kers’ eyes were drawn up to the Borrower child’s window and he saw immediately that the lights were on.

No. What? Why?

He’s supposed to be watching a movie with his “mom.”

He’s not supposed to be here on the desk in his dollhouse!

The feeling was tangible in the air, an anticipation for an inevitable drop. Kers was about to turn back toward the line, but he was seconds too late to move stealthily. The door at the far end of the room opened in slow motion. Kers felt his heart skipping every other beat. The light in the room flooded in, pouring itself into the shadows and illuminating the secrets of the room – including him!

Kers had to act fast, and there was no chance to be quiet about it. He spun around and dropped down Parker’s secured line, hands flying down the line and barely catching the knots to slow his dissent. The fearful Borrower was sure he heard something pop as he hit the ground but swallowed his yelp of pain as he practically threw himself into the wall and pulled the electrical cover behind him.

Kers couldn’t believe he had been so foolish!

Stupid!

Stupid!

Stupid!

Stupid!

It wasn’t until he managed to hobble back to his place in the walls and stumble into his hammock that he realized that his rusty drill bit had fallen from his side pack.

Curses! I hope that kid didn’t find that. It’s only going to cause him more problems.

Kers stared up at the endless abyss above him that undoubtedly led to the human ceiling. The hammock swayed under him back and forth, daring to put him to sleep. The exhaustion from the adrenaline rush was enough to put him under, but Kers couldn’t worry about that now.

He forced himself up and set an alarm for the next day to resume his watch over Parker and Amanda, the child’s so-called “mom.”

The pattern had changed, and Kers needed to know where the deviations were going to be if he was going to successfully keep an eye on the Borrower child.

If the kid found the drill bit, questions might ensue; and, if that happened, Parker might act rashly depending on Amanda’s responses.

For the kid’s sake, Kers hoped those questions wouldn’t come. Parker seemed happy in his life. Regardless of how he should live, which was as a Borrower and not as a human child, it needed to be Parker’s decision; and forcing it would possibly turn Parker away from a Borrower’s life.

Though prepared at any moment to take the child under his wing, Kers resigned himself to remain passive.

He could only hope it was still the right decision and that his drill bit didn’t interfere with things to come.

~~~~~^*^*^*^*^~~~~~

Continue | Coming Soon

Previous

Beginning

[tinycoded360]

My Borrowed Son | 16 | Friends and Curiosities

Chapter Sixteen | Friends and Curiosities

Parker couldn’t believe it. Within such a short amount of time, he suddenly had a dozen followers and friends on his page.

Sure, he didn’t know them personally, but everyone was welcoming and polite – two things he was eager to report to his mom when she expressed concern. The miniscule boy also made sure his mom knew he was being safe, not giving out too much personal information, and that the topic of his condition hadn’t even been brought up.

One person commented on his profile picture being interesting, which was a picture of Parker standing in front of his computer screen, but he just explained it was a background and that he wanted to showcase the platform he was publishing on. Karl was the kid’s name, and evidently he and Parker were the same age.

All in all, Parker was pleased with his interactions and the people he was meeting. Lots of them had advice and things for him to check out, and he liked all of the things he was seeing.

There were sketches of space and vast mountains as well as the everyday interactions. There were hundreds of stories from writers just like him.

It felt nice. It felt like some kind of community with people supporting and helping one another. A sense of satisfaction filled the young teen every time he checked his notifications and saw he was getting the chance to meet someone new.

“Just look here, mom,” said Parker eagerly as he showed his mom the latest post he made. “It has almost fifteen likes!” He looked up into his mom’s features and saw her beaming with pride.

“That’s so great, Parker,” she complemented. “Are you going to post your latest story from Mr. Tamplin’s class?”

“I… think so. I don’t know yet though. It doesn’t feel done,” he replied, feeling his cheeks getting warm. The latest story he came up with for Mr. Tamplin’s class was a fiction fantasy story about a sprite named Tal’el. It essentially was his backstory for the Dungeons and Dragons campaign he and his friends started.

Basically, he was a small fairy-like person who was a poison master for his people until he decided he wanted to go out adventuring and exploring. The Dungeon Game Master said it was fine if he played a smaller character, thankfully not questioning why he would want to do such a thing and found a special class for him to play as.

The story actually won a young adult author award for his class and Parker had Mr. Tamplin to thank since it was he who tutored him through his writing slumps. He was now refining it for his literature class.

“Well, don’t be scared to post it sweetie. You’re such a great writer and can do whatever you set your mind to,” encouraged his mom. “Now before you get sucked into checking your notifications, finish your homework and get ready for bed. You have a long day tomorrow.”

“Yes, momma,” Parker replied, rolling his screen back into place in the main area. The structure walls rumbled as his mom closed the outside walls to his home. It was hard to believe it had been a whole month since he “moved in” to this new space.

Parker loved it, in a weird way.

Not to sound ungrateful, but having his own space to roam around, especially in a space that felt suited to him, made him feel just a little bit normal. He liked that he was usually at eye-level with his mom instead of having her loom over him. Just the thought made him shudder involuntarily, and he wasn’t sure why.

It made him feel guilty every time the sensation seized him.

But, now was not the time to dwell on that. It was time for bed.

Parker walked into his room and rummaged through his dresser to find his oversized space t-shirt and elastic band sleep shorts. Then, he went back to the computer and finished submitting his assignments. The words filled the page and Parker hoped that his paper on the evolution of technology was going to be good enough to get him the grade he needed.

Parker’s other assignments were a breeze. Math was simple enough and the biology project about documenting the growth of plants was going smoothly. It was his other project, his story for his literature course, that he was worried about. It was his same story that he was using for his channel, but it was more a mild fear of rejection and lack of perfection.

His online friends liked it, but would his teacher? His followers?

Parker sighed and leaned against the wall before slinking down further into the chair. His eyes focused on the blinking line in front of him as he stared at the end of the fifth chapter he had been editing. Something about this story felt particularly personal, but Parker remembered hearing once about how writers put more of themselves than they’re aware of when they’re making characters and stories.

Perhaps this was just part of that feeling?

The teen sighed and stretched when, suddenly, his lights flickered up above him.

Confusion injected itself into his mind as he stared at the wired lights on the ceiling. His eyes flicked over to the wall switch.

Perhaps just a fluke?

The notion was dismissed when the lights flickered two more times, all of his lights dimming and glowing systematically.

Something raised the hair on the back of Parker’s neck. He felt like he was on pins and needles, the anticipation of a drop while suspended in mid-air. Cautiously, the curious teen stood up and walked over to the switch, examining it closely.

It was still up and wasn’t jiggling or loose.

The lights flickered again.

It felt like he was in a spooky movie, of which Parker had only ever seen one in his life along with a couple of older “thrillers” like Alien and Jaws. Even those movies were censored because his mom didn’t want him to get too spooked.

Was there something wrong with the plug?

Parker glanced at the window at the back by the stairs and, just for a moment, he could have sworn he saw something.

It looked like the quick flick of a shadow.

It was quick and Parker wasn’t even sure if he knew what he saw. He did just step out of his room after all, and he had been staring at his computer screen, which he knew sometimes made shadows appear when there weren’t any.

He held deathly still, his entire body locking up like a perfect figurine. His body fell naturally into the position as he slowly crouched and laid his hand against the floor, as if he could detect any trembling or motion.

He didn’t get a chance to investigate for long though. Before he could make his way to the stairs in his crouched position, there was a knock on the table that made Parker nearly jump out of his skin.

“Parker? Are you going to bed soon?” Parker’s entire body shivered as he pushed himself upright and heaved in a few deep breaths. Every nerve in his body felt electrified. While his heart continued to thrum rapidly, he cleared his throat and called over his shoulder to his mom as the sides of the walls began to open.

“Y-y-yeah, mom. I’m ready for bed,” said Parker. He glanced up at the lights stayed on without the slightest hint of a flicker. The walls opened fully and, instantly, Parker saw his mom’s brow furrow quizzically.

“Everything okay? You look a bit pale,” she said. The maternal instinct in Amanda kicked in and she reached forward and pressed the tip of her finger against Parker’s forehead. He shied away from it, which was typical teenage behavior, but something else felt off about Parker that Amanda couldn’t quite place.

“Y-yeah. I’m fine. I just…” Parker stopped short. It felt like something physically squirmed in his mind, preventing him from saying something about the shadow and the lights. He shook the notion loose, confused as to why this instinct flared up in him, and proceeded with his thought. “I just saw the lights flicker and got spooked.”

“Oh?” Amanda replied as she glanced over and looked down at the power strip that fed electricity into Parker’s Place. Nothing looked off about it to her, but she still knelt and glanced around the ground.

Still nothing.

“Well,” she sighed as she stood and walked back over to the front of Parker’s tiny home. “I don’t see anything. It looks like it’s all plugged in, but we’ll check on it tomorrow. Okay? For now, it’s bedtime.”

“Yes, momma,” replied Parker as he walked up to the edge and accepted the kiss on his torso that his mom gave him. With that, Amanda smiled and watched as Parker curled under the blankets, forming an almost imperceptible lump in the bed. “Goodnight momma. I love you.”

“I love you too, Parker. Sweet dreams my love.” Amanda closed the walls and secured them tightly before tiptoeing out of the room and to her own room to turn in for the night.

Just in the other room, Parker laid there with his heart still fluttering nervously. Everything in him was still on edge, and the curiosity of what was going on with his lights was really bothering him. Parker enjoyed a good mystery or puzzle, but he generally liked ones he could solve.

This one wasn’t solved yet.

For what felt like a couple of hours, Parker tossed and turned in his bed as a mixture of homework assignments and curiosities about the power outlet swirled like a mist in his mind. The more the young teen thought, the more it annoyed him that he didn’t have the answers.

He had had enough.

Parker pushed himself up and decided to go and check out the source of the flickering lights. If it was a cable going bad or possibly the breaker being loose, he needed to get a new one as soon as possible. It would be terrible if he was in class and his power went out. His mom said they would do it in the morning, but Parker knew himself; and he knew he couldn’t sleep if he didn’t at least go and see it for himself.

He couldn’t afford to not check it out with his presentation tomorrow.

The teen stepped noiselessly through his house and exited the front door. As he walked around, he noticed a few things that just seemed, in a word, natural.

Sound was amplified. The darkness in the corners of the room seemed brighter. He could feel every tremble in the desk from his footsteps.

As he made it outside, a choice presented itself to him. For a moment, he considered going down the climbing line he installed himself on the backside of the desk.

But he knew if he slipped on the rope and got hurt, which he never did, his mom would make him take down the line.

He decided to risk it.

It was late. She was asleep. Parker was as sure footed as a goat and knew he would be fine all the way down. The temptation was also too great for the teen to resist. Plus, it would be a lot faster.

There was something about the experience that was, in a word, liberating. The free fall. The catch. The feel of the rope in between his fingers.

It felt natural.

The urge to climb and fall and hide never failed to fascinate parker. Whether it was something his condition genetically programmed him to do so or if it was some personality trait he possessed, he didn’t know.

What he did know was the sensation was addictive and he was itching for a good climb.

Parker snagged the line in between his fingers and leaned over the edge of the desk. There was a mild sense of vertigo that swelled inside him, but he loved it. The weightlessness seized him as he let himself slip over the edge, hands and feet firmly in place and secured on the line.

The line burned against the teen’s palms and against his legs as he quickly descended. It felt like something a secret agent would do, and it felt epic.

The moment Parker’s feet hit the ground, he felt himself instinctually look around and crouch low. Silently, he stepped across the planks of wood that constructed the floor and walked toward the power strip that was only a few feet away. The whole thing was four times Parker’s size, but he navigated through the wires with ease.

His hands worked quickly to check the buttons and reset panels, and the teen could find nothing wrong with any of it.

Perhaps something is up with the electrical cover in the wall? Parker wondered silently. He jumped over the stiff cord that led to the wall and approached the trim on the wall which had small notches in it, so he didn’t need to snag a ladder.

As he approached, Parker noticed something by the very base of the electrical cover that made his hair stand on end.

It was a drill bit.

Flat head.

It was a tad bit rusty, and Parker didn’t recognize it from his mom’s kit that she used to help construct his space. He approached and picked it up, realizing it wasn’t as heavy as he thought it would be. In his hands, it was about twice the size of the drill that his mom used, and he realized he could probably carry it around easy enough; but where did it come from?

I don’t think this is mom’s drill bit. How’d it get here?

Parker glanced up at the electrical cover and felt his heart skip a beat as he noticed the screw for the wall socket was protruding from the wall ever so slightly.

His entire body was shaking now, but he wasn’t sure why.

Had his mom messed with the electrical cover with some old tools that she forgot about?

It didn’t seem like her.

Parker stepped up on the trim, balancing precariously and using the cord to stabilize himself, as he pushed on the very bottom of the electrical cover.

With almost no effort, the piece wiggled free and the screw clattered to the ground. The end looked a lot shorter than the others. He knew because he helped his mom replace the covers a few weeks ago.

The young teen took a few deep breaths to calm himself before he dared to peek inside. Engulfing darkness belonging to the wall consumed his vision. There was something exciting and enticing about the darkness in front of him.

It felt, in a word, familiar.

But why?

Parker felt his head beginning to throb as his mind stirred some fragmented memory, but it was hazy and distant.

What really set the teen on edge, however, was when he dared to push himself up onto the ledge to peer better into the wall and noticed something else that made his insides fill with nervous energy.

There was something that looked like a pencil mark. Two lines with a triangle on top followed by a little check mark on the inside. To Parker, it looked like a kid’s drawing of a house with a check mark inside of it.

Was this something his mom did?

Or was this some kind of construction mark?

What was this?

What did it mean?

The teen stared at the marks and then back to the darkness of the wall. Just like the shadows of the room when he stepped out of his house, the looming abyss of those narrow spaces between the walls didn’t seem very dark. It almost seemed inviting.

There was something about that confined space between the drywall and the studs and exterior boards that made Parker feel like he was back in his space. It was familiar.

But why?

Parker hadn’t realized that he had been learning forward to the point where he was barely hanging onto the edge of the electrical cover and leaning into the walls. It took the sound of his foot skidding against the wood and nearly tumbling headfirst into the space in front of him.

Startled and shaken, Parker pulled himself back out of the entryway into the walls, forced the electrical cover back onto its perch, and hurried back to his room. He was in such a tizzy, the young teen didn’t even realize he had gone straight to the secured line he left and climbed up it in record time, ignoring the staircase mere feet away.

His little feet barely made noise as he scurried back to his room, securing the door and slipping under his covers without so much as a squeak.

Parker’s mind was racing. What was that he just saw? And what was that weird draw he had toward the walls?

Hopefully, his mom would have the answers.

First thing in the morning, he would ask her. She would make everything better, right?

~~~~~^*^*^*^*^~~~~~

Continue

Previous

Beginning

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Restoration (Chapter 7)

I was in a fluffy mood this time. So, enjoy some with Angela because she’s just a littol baby plus Nathan and Ryker acting like responsible parents.

Word Count: 5.2k

CW: None! (I think)

7-Nathan 

It’s been a chaotic week. Well, at least for me. I don’t know about anyone else. But it’s the end of the week again. Yesterday’s counseling was fine. We had mostly talked about how things between Ryker and I were. They were… awkward. To me. He always looks like he wants to talk to me about something, but never says anything to me besides “Hi,” and, “Hey,” when we’re at lunch and last period. Otherwise, I just kind of sit there trying to ignore the bad thoughts in the back of my mind. It never works. 

It was a cloudy day, sort of smelling like it was going to rain as soon as I stepped outside. The bus ride to school was just as loud as usual. When I walked into the halls, they were crowded just as always. So why did I feel like something was off? Oh well. When has something ever worked out in my favor anyways? Nothing new to me. 

Classes were the same. The rain had started, but only lasted for about an hour before the clouds were clearing up. Everything so far had been the same. I don’t know why I was so on edge, but I was always like that. 

Lunch was just as loud and crowded as always. But somehow, Lucky had always found me before I found him. Of course scaring me before he revealed that he was behind me the entire time. I was never going to get used to that, but it was a nice feeling for some weird reason. 

“Hey!” He greeted me, showing off a big smile as always while he guided me through the mass horde of people. I just did a tiny wave back. I’ve felt a little bit better since those counseling lessons had started, but I haven’t really felt the same either. Actually, Mr. Smith says that he might recommend me taking some medications, which I didn’t even know counsellors could do that but he says he’s licensed and able to do so. I wasn’t entirely too excited to see how many medications he’ll have me take. 

As the table we usually sit at came into view, I noticed that Ryker wasn’t even there. Instead, Dylan was sitting across from where Ryker usually sits, on his phone and biting right into an apple. I stood in place. I’ve only really met him once, and even then we had never talked. Just that Friday two weeks ago. It wasn’t really that bad, but I just don’t what to expect when being around him. Dylan loves teasing with Lucky, and I already know I could never handle anything like that. What if he tries anything with me? Where was Ryker anyways? Wait… just breathe. Don’t want to have a panic attack. 

“Right… Ryker is taking care of Angel and Isabelle. They’re both sick.” Lucky had explained, answering one of my questions. The other being why Dylan was here in the first place. He had never sat here this entire week. Nor any of the weeks before. So why now? I wasn’t going to get an answer. 

Lucky stayed beside me when the elevator gate had opened. We walked out, I surprisingly didn’t stumble like I always do, and I was now in full sight. That didn’t sit right with me. At all. 

Dylan placed his phone on the table, smiling when he caught sight of Lucky and I. I took a few steps back. Everything will be alright. Everything will be alright. Everything will be-

“Oh hey! It’s Nathan right? I’m Dylan, I’m sure you know that though.” He laughed before stretching out his finger and thumb like he was about to give a handshake… Oh wait. It was a handshake. Or a makeshift one at least. 

I looked over to Lucky, hoping he would give some sort of hint to Dylan. Instead, he just gave a nervous smile and held his hand slightly out to me. He was giving the hint to me. I mean, it’s like like I haven’t done this before. Just one other time with Mrs. Kay. It’s just… kids are different. I learned that the hard way. I’m not trying to say Dylan would be like that though! It’s just not out of the question. From what I’ve seen, Lucky hasn’t been hurt. Yet. But I have no idea how long he’s lived there. 

Taking deep breaths, I extended a shaky hand. I watched my hand disappear under the surprisingly soft grip, nearly wincing as I had expected to hear a loud pop! Noise only to find out that my wrist or some other part of my hand was broken. That fear didn’t last long though. Dylan let go, my hand still fully intact with the rest of my arm. I shuddered at the thought of having another broken hand. That was not fun. 

Lucky was facing me with a wide smile with two thumbs up. I felt accomplished, but at the same time I mentally kicked myself for ever thinking that one of Ryker’s siblings would have purposely hurt anyone. Even if they haven’t really met me. 

Dylan chuckled, taking another bite out of his apple then throwing it away in the trash can by the wall. I sucked in a shaky breath, wondering what I was even doing here. I just thought that Lucky would be sad if I didn’t come, but now that I think about it, he knows that I’m afraid of giants. Is this his way of helping me? 

“You’re quiet,” Dylan tilted his head in confusion, “Shy?” I bit the side of my cheek, blinking a couple of times before nodding my head. He must think I’m crazy. Absolutely crazy. There was no doubt about that. 

Dylan just flashed a soft smile before talking to Lucky. I sat down where I usually did. Just a little closer to Lucky since he was laughing and having the time of his life with Dylan. Who was the older one? I couldn’t tell. They were obviously really close though. I wasn’t entirely paying attention to their conversation, just some bits and pieces. Who has the answers for their algebra homework. Lucky complaining about making something for dinner. 

My phone went off while I was reading a book the school librarian recommended to me. During those two weeks the librarian always asked me why I stayed in the library. I just explained that I had nowhere better to be. Ever since then we’ve talked more and more. She says she’s read almost every book in this library since rarely anyone ever goes in there unless they needed to print something or watch a movie while playing board games in their free period. Otherwise, she had always recommended me books to read and she’d always have the mini pretzel bags while I helped her place books back on the shelves. It kind of felt peaceful. 

Checking my phone, I read a text message from my mom. 

Mom: Work called me in. I won’t be home until around nine in the morning 

Mom: Will you be fine on your own for the night? 

Me: yeah 

I would not. Just something about a quiet house without hearing the sounds of the tv playing an episode of The Golden Girls while my mom lay asleep on the couch? I honestly didn’t like the idea of being alone at night. It freaked me out. Is it stupid that I was afraid of the dark? Yes. Do I care? A little. Okay, a lot. But it’s not like I can help it. I’m so used to knowing that someone was in the house with me. Oh well. There’s a first time for everything. Plus, It’s embarrassing for someone to find out that I was afraid of the dark. Doesn’t really come as that big of a surprise coming from someone like me though. 

Mom: Okay 

Mom: I love you I’ll call you when I can 

I sighed, standing up and seeing that the bell was about to ring. I checked my phone for any other nonexistent messages, but I wasn’t able to get a good look before Lucky snatched up my phone and started typing something. Panic rose in me, thinking he was texting my mom. Now that would be awkward for me to explain to her. I tried stealing a couple looks, even reaching for my phone, but it was useless given the fact that Lucky was practically an entire head taller than me. 

“Andddd here you go.” Lucky handed me my phone back, a smirk on his face. I gave a questioning look before seeing that he added a new number. Ryker’s number. What? Why would he give me this? I already I annoy him enough at school, I’m not going to do that outside of school. It’d be wrong. Plus, he’s watching his younger siblings, I don’t want to bother him. 

The worst part about this was that Lucky had already taken the time to text him. Saying that this was Nathan. Aka me. Panic took over my mind. I wasn’t really mad at Lucky per se, more a little sad because he didn’t ask me first. I don’t think I could be mad at someone even if I tried. Still, I wish that he hadn’t texted him for me. I would have preferred not having his number at all if I’m being honest. Not because I don’t like him as a friend though! 

I looked over to Lucky with a nervous look on my face. He just laughed, “You’ll thank me later.” 

“Gave him Ry’s number?” Dylan held back a laugh behind his smirk. He stood up and held his palm out, waiting for Lucky to climb on. Was this some kind of plan of theirs? What if I didn’t want his number? I can’t exactly get rid of it since he already texted him… But maybe this could be a good thing? No. I don’t think so. Never mind. 

“Anyways, if you’re not too mad at me, we should probably get going.” Lucky pointed towards Dylan, and with seemingly no effort, climbed onto his hand, waiting to help me up. I was not expecting this in the slightest. Wait, no, he won’t do anything while Lucky’s with him, would he? It wouldn’t make any sense at all. I mean, they are brothers, right? 

After a couple seconds of going over the pros and cons and all of the endless negative outcomes, I just decided that I would go. Nothing could happen while we were at school, and there was no way that Dylan would ever do anything harmful while Lucky was with him. Right? That was my way of thinking. 

Lucky helped me up, flashing an excited smile. I guess his way of helping is actually working. Huh. Wasn’t expecting that. 

———Ryker———

Isabelle was stuck in her bed, too weak to pull the blankets off and stand on her own two feet without falling. Meanwhile, Angela was snuggled up in my palm with her new stuffed animal she’s named Livvy. They both had a fever. A bad one at that. It’s gone down since this morning, but it was still burning hot. I couldn’t really tell with Angela since I didn’t want to make her too uncomfortable, so I had no idea how she was doing. 

They both insisted on waking up and then heading back to sleep after I tucked them back in, making sure they couldn’t pull the blanket off too easily, even if they tried. How they even managed to get sick? I had no idea. But, they were the only ones who didn’t go to high school, so I kind of thought that other kids at their school were sick too. 

Me? I felt fine. Well, almost fine. This morning I was worried I might have to take them to the doctor, or that I might not have any medicine to help them out. Turns out I did, and Lucky, given his name, was lucky to find some in the back of their medicine cabinet and gave some to Angela. 

Now when everyone had left was a different thing. The night before they had me work later than before, so I barely had any sleep. Then, of course, I had to make Isabelle something to eat that I knew they wouldn’t throw up. Turns out it never worked in the end because she forced herself to go to the restroom and vomit, thankfully, in the toilet. Then there was Angela, who had a slightly less severe case, and I couldn’t make her anything to eat. It didn’t really seem like she was up to the task either, but still. 

They’ve been sick before, just never this bad. Maybe just a little cough or a slight fever, but otherwise they’ve been fine. It’s been hard taking care of them, but I didn’t mind. Just as long as they feel better in the morning. 

Isabelle was fast asleep after I gave her another small dose of medicine. She was doing a lot better now, but I was more worried about Angela. I can’t exactly give her any medicine because I don’t know if it’ll do more harm than good. So I’ve just been holding her tiny body in my palm for the entire. Mostly because she refuses to get off for some reason, and another because I wouldn’t be able to hear her if she woke up and needed something. 

I was laying down in the living room, the tv on a low volume rewatching a horror movie that was supposedly supposed to be scary. So far it was not. At least to me. Angela had been stirring in her sleep, trying to find a comfortable position for a solid five minutes. I knew she was going to wake up soon anyways, so I just lightly pulled the blanket off, pressing the back of my finger into her tiny frame. She was burning up. I guess it was a good thing I pulled the blanket off of her then. 

My heart fell seeing her curl up on herself looking so uncomfortable. There was nothing I could do though. School didn’t end for another hour and Angela hasn’t eaten anything since last nights dinner. Even then she didn’t eat much, saying that she didn’t feel too good. I probably should have seen this coming. 

I paused the movie for a little, waiting for Angela to wake up and ask for a blanket. She stirred, turned, and I finally saw her rub her eyes for what seemed like the hundredth time today. It’s been off and on. Again, nothing I could do about it except just let her rest. 

“Mmm… Ry?” She groaned, still holding her stuffed animal. I smiled softly, rubbing her back with the pad of my thumb. She slightly leaned into the touch eyes opening and closing, trying to stay awake. 

“Just go back to sleep, Angel. I’m right here.” I whispered, watching her snuggle up close and point to the human-sized blanket pinched between my thumb and finger. I didn’t want to give it to her. Her fever might just get worse like that. Dylan had texted me earlier to crush up an ice cube and wrap a tiny piece for her, but that wouldn’t work. 

“Aren’t you hot?” I frowned, seeing Angela shake her head and reach for the blanket in a futile attempt. I gave in, letting her wrap herself comfortably and snuggle closer to me. 

After a couple minutes, she was out cold once again. Didn’t matter when she was just going to wake up in an hour again. I unpaused the movie, and glanced to my phone. I grabbed it off the charger, seeing that I had an unknown number text me and a few from Lucky saying that he may have given Nathan my number. Of course he did. He brought the idea up last night after I came home from work. I only said no because what if Nathan didn’t want it? I mean, what if he wanted nothing to do with me. I’d understand if he didn’t, but then it’d be awkward just having it. 

I guess texting him wouldn’t be so bad though. As long as I don’t ruin it. 

———Nathan———

Last period was another free day. But Mrs. Kay says that she has another “project” she wants to try with us. I was not at all excited, but I just had to take this class for the next eight months and then I could go an do what I wanted… what did I want to do again? Didn’t matter. Still have eight months. I’ll be fine. 

As I sat at my desk aimlessly trying to pick a move to watch on my phone, there was a text. From Ryker. What did it say? Would it say not to text his number? That he doesn’t want to talk to me anymore than he already has to? That doesn’t really sound like him, actually. Why would I think that about someone? I bit the side of my cheek, opening the messages app and reading what he texted. 

Ryker: Hey! 

Ryker: I’m guessing Lucky gave you my number 

What do I text back? I’ve never really talked to him. I don’t want to say something stupid either. I can’t leave him on read. That’d be harsh. I groaned silently to myself, typing something out and immediately deleting it. Over, and over again. What do I say though? I ended up just typing something out and hoped he would say anything about it. 

Nathan: He did yeah lol 

Ryker: Of course he did 

He sent it along with an eye roll emoji. 

Ryker: It’s a good thing though 

So he does want to talk to me? I was so confused. 

Nathan: Yeah 

Ryker: Are things boring in last period without me? 

A smile took over my face. This was actually going pretty well considering I never text anyone but my mom. Or call anyone but her. A sad, sad life, I know. But it’s the story of my life. 

Nathan: Yup

Nathan: I heard your sisters were sick 

Ryker: Yeah I’m pretty sure they have the flu  

Nathan: Well I hope they get better :)

I’m pretty sure the conversation ended. That was short lived. Even in real life I can’t keep up a conversation for long. I either go silent or say something that ends it. Great, right? So I couldn’t even be on call until midnight because people lose interest in me fast. I’m surprised Ryker hasn’t yet. 

Ryker: They’re both asleep right now 

Ryker: If you wanna come over you can 

Ryker: I’ll just ask Lucky to take you or something 

Ryker: If you’re comfortable with it 

Going over to his house again? I mean I’m okay with it. It’s just that he’d have to hang around me while also taking care of both Angela and Isabelle. But maybe I could bring them some soup to make them feel better? It would be the right thing to do. I don’t want to go over there just to create more problems. But now that I think about it… why didn’t their parents take care of them? I feel like they can’t just keep Ryker away from school to watch his siblings. Don’t get me wrong I think it’s great that he does! But… they’ve never once mentioned anything about their parents, and I just feel like they should be taking care of their own children. It’s not my place to ask them though. I’m sure I’ll figure it out eventually. 

Nathan: Sure

Nathan: Is it okay if I grab something for Angela though

Nathan: Like soup or something? 

There was about ten minutes until the last bell of the day rang, and I would have to find Lucky before he just walked out of the school. I have no idea where they live, and there was no way I wanted to get lost on those terrifying streets. Especially with all of the riots lately. I just hope I can go home this time. 

Ryker: If you want 

Ryker: I’d really appreciate it 

Nathan: Will do then 

I sent it with a smiley face, hoping that he wouldn’t tell me anything otherwise. I’m sure my mom would be fine with me staying over for a couple hours. I doubt that they’ll have a movie night when their two youngest were bed-ridden. Or at least I think Ryker kept Isabelle in her bed. I don’t know how he’s been taking care of Angela… Maybe I could help out? Seems like a plan. 

Ryker: Tysm 

Ryker: I’ll tell Lucky to wait for you by the exit 

Ryker: Thank you, again 

He sent a smiley face back to me. My lips twisted into a small smile

Nathan: No problem 

——————

I was expecting for Lucky to be waiting for me. Not Dylan. But I guess it makes sense because they kind of live together. Duh. I’m so stupid sometimes… 

“You’re coming over!” Lucky excitedly announced, Dylan rolling his eyes and waiting for us to climb onto his palm. I bit the side of my cheek, thinking that we were going off of school grounds. Anything could happen. Does Dylan even like me? Probably not. Do I care? Yes. A lot. 

“U-Um… yeah,” I stole a glance to Dylan, who was texting someone, “S-sorry for making you b-b-both wait on m-me.” I whispered to Lucky while pointing to Dylan who wasn’t paying attention to either of us at the time. Lucky nodded his head, seeming to understand. 

“It’s all good. We’re stopping by the store first, right? We need groceries anyways.” Lucky had asked. I hesitantly nodded my head, letting Lucky lead the way as I followed. This was a familiar sight. I was getting to used to being around giants. Was that a good thing? I’d have to ask Mr. Smith about that later. 

About five minutes into walking, and watching in horror as Lucky quite literally had half of his body hanging from the edge of Dylan’s hand, Dylan had decided to start a little conversation. Mostly towards Lucky.

“You’re gonna fall.” He sighed, cupping his hand a little more to prevent Lucky from falling to his death. I shuddered just at the thought of looking over the edge. It’s taken literally almost everything in me to not look over the edge and pass out. 

“No I’m not.” Lucky stuck out his tongue, fixing his position so only his arms were dangling. I could practically hear Dylan roll is eyes. We made eye contact for a while, him giving a smile and opening his mouth to speak, “So what made you want to come over?” 

I jumped at the sudden question directed to me. It’d be pathetic to speak and stutter in front of Dylan, but then again the same goes if I don’t speak. What would he think? Choices are so hard to make. What if I just shrugged? But then he might want to bring it up again and then I’d have to answer. 

Out of nowhere, Lucky sat beside me, wearing a sympathetic face that said, “I’ll tell him for you.” And I’ve never been more grateful in that moment. I would have hugged him if I knew how to. Also I might step over a boundary. Not something that I’d like to do. 

I whispered to Lucky what I wanted him to say, noticing that Dylan looked so confused. I would have scooted back had I not remembered that there was about a hundred foot fall from where I was. If the fall doesn’t kill me the injuries would. 

“He say he just wanted to help out. I told him Angela and Isabelle were sick earlier. Plus, apparently Ryker asked him first.” Lucky shrugged like it was nothing. I admit, I was jealous, but that was shortly lived. I’ll be able to talk someday. Hopefully. Maybe. I’ve done it once I could definitely do it again. If I really wanted to anyways. 

“Makes sense,” Dylan shrugged, “That’s also oddly… nice?” He raised an eyebrow, suspicious of me. I nearly let out a squeak as I brought my knees closer to my chest. I really wasn’t trying to trick anyone… I’m just a really nice person trying to help a friend out. Please don’t hurt me. Please don’t hurt me. Please don’t- 

“I was just messing with you. You should have seen your face.” Dylan laughed along with Lucky. Oh thank goodness. The last thing I needed was to be ditched on the side of the concrete not knowing where I was. I was pretty sure we were close to their house though. 

“But seriously, that’s amazingly nice of a stranger. Ry could actually use the help too.” Dylan told me. A tiny smile formed at the corners of my mouth. Maybe he really didn’t see me as a bother. 

——————

It didn’t take us long in the store. Only a couple minutes tops. Though, I didn’t know that the human-sized part of the store was connected. It really made things easier for Dylan since he didn’t have to wait outside awkwardly. Plus, he could grab one for Isabelle too. I was paying anyways. 

We checked some things out, I paid for the things I was getting, while Lucky kept on insisting that I just let him pay for everything. We agreed that we would pay for our own things in the end. It only took a couple minutes to reach the familiar neighborhood I saw two weeks ago. 

Dylan walked up to their house, unlocking it and announcing his presence to practically the entire world while he was closing the door behind him. Ryker turned his head an glared at Dylan, making him whisper a sorry and let both Lucky and I on the ground in front of the same human-sized door that led to their rooms before silently walking back to his own room. It was intimidating to see him from this point of view, but I sucked in a breath, and walked through the open door. I came here, so I’ll just have to deal with it. 

It looked the same as before. Just that there were a ton of blankets thrown onto the couch. I didn’t think about that too much. 

“So do I get a thank you?” Lucky teased. For the phone number? I just laughed to myself, “Y-yeah. Thank you.” 

Lucky was putting away some groceries he had bought. I helped clean up a bit before we both decided to head back outside. It was a long walk from the hallway to the couch, but that’s no surprise when you’re two inches tall to these people. Now I get why Lucky and Angela get carried around almost everywhere in here. 

“Are you staying for dinner?” Lucky asked, now walking backwards to keep up a conversation with me. Was I? I still haven’t told my mom that I was here. I’ll tell her when she texts or calls. She’ll probably be so happy to hear that I was here anyways. 

“I don’t know.” I replied, shrugging my shoulders. 

“You should. You could teach me how to make actually good food.” We both laughed. 

“If you want me to.” 

Lucky silently cheered, thanking me several times before we reached the elevator to get on top of the side-table by the couch Ryker was currently sitting down at trying to find something to watch. 

“Hey Ry.” Lucky grabbed his attention, standing near the very edge of the table. Nope. Could never do that. How is Lucky so brave? Does he really have that much confidence in himself that he won’t fall? Just one wrong step… No. Don’t think about that. I’m not the one on the very edge. 

“Hey” Ryker replied, letting down his free hand. We climbed on and slid back off onto the arm of the couch where there were human-sized blankets and pillows making a makeshift bed. But there wasn’t anyone there. Where did he have Angela then? She wasn’t in that room earlier. I sighed, sitting down. I’d just have to wait until she wakes up. 

“How are they doing?” Lucky asked, sitting beside me. 

Ryker let out a long sigh, “Off and on. Isabelle’s been asleep for a while and I managed to get her to eat some toast. I haven’t been able to check Angela’s fever, but I don’t think she’s getting any better.” 

He brought his other hand towards us, revealing Angela wrapped up in a pink blanket. She didn’t look like she was having a peaceful dream either. She kept moving around and mumbling things that I didn’t understand. Lucky went to check if she still had a fever, which she did. I just have to wait for her to wake up so I can start making something for her. It’s the whole reason I came anyways. My mom’s a nurse, you learn a thing or two. 

“Oh, um, thanks for coming by the way, Nathan.” Ryker thanked me, looking concerned for his little sister who looked like she was about to wake up. 

I came back with a small bowl of chicken noodle soup and some crackers, hoping that this would help in some way. Angela was struggling to keep her eyes open, but after she ate something she already looked a lot better. She didn’t go back to sleep either so I guess that was a good thing too? All I can say was that Angela was excited to see me. We were sitting on the arm of the couch where the pile of blankets and pillows were. 

“Nathan!” She forced herself up and wrapped me in the tightest hug she could manage. I laughed nervously, debating on returning the gesture, but she let go before I could. Thank you. That would have been one awkward hug in front of so many people. Though, I noticed Ryker trying to hide his smile. I didn’t know if that was directed to Angela or me. Or both. Nope. Not going to think too much on that. 

Angela let out a series of coughs and sat back down, wrapped up in her blanket once again. I noticed that she was also hugging the panda I gave her two weeks ago. My heart fell. I didn’t expect her to like it so much. 

Her fever had gone down a lot. Which was a good thing. She ended up falling back to sleep eventually. Then it was just back to the little one sided conversations with Ryker. Dylan and Lucky were hanging out in their own room, probably playing a game or watching tv. So it really was just us. 

It was nice, really. Even if I could only listen and react. I didn’t mind. There was nothing to say anyways. I loved listening though. 

Ryker mentioned something about Jasmine having a game to go to tonight, which explains why she wasn’t here. Then, he said he should probably get started on dinner, which, wow, I probably should start helping out Lucky. 

I helped Lucky with dinner, and once again he praised my cooking abilities, which weren’t even that good. At least to me. Afterwards, Ryker took me to the bus stop by my house and thanked me again. I walked back to my house, changed into comfy pajamas and fell asleep. 

Today was a good day.

——————

I think this was a good chapter. I think. I don’t know. I love how Ryker is trying his hardest to be a responsible parent and how Nathan tries his hardest to take care of Angela and Lucky as much as he can.

Anyways, thank you guys for reading!! Love you guys ❤️

[tinycoded360]

Sterling household-Chapter 1- Cozy

Milton Borrowfield crept within the walls of the giant household. It was dark and late in the evening, but to borrowers, this was prime time. Unlike their bigger counterparts, borrowers slept during the day and went about their night as if it were day.

"Papa!" came a small voice. Milton turned to see his daughter Agnes emerging from one of the side passageways leading to the bedroom quarters for the children, a cozy nook lined with scraps of fabric and down feathers. She ran to give him a quick hug.

"Where are you off to?" she asked.

"I've got to check our supplies. Winter will be here before we know it." Milton patted her shoulder.

Agnes nodded seriously. She knew how hard it was for borrower families like theirs to stay warm and fed during the cold months.

Milton headed further down the winding passageways within the human’s home, past the tiny nook containing their kitchen where his wife Cassia was boiling thimblefuls of tea. He gave her a wink as he passed. She blew him a kiss in return.

"Be safe, my love," she said.

He lifted a loose bit of wallpaper and slipped behind it into their pantry. It was neatly organized but sparse. They were running low on everything. Milton sighed. He would have to take more risks if he wanted his family to survive the winter. Although some things were easy to borrow in a human house, getting what they needed was always risky. The human was very neat and clean. This made it harder to get into the food supplies; the human Sterling was very good at keeping his food stored and sealed. The only saving grace was that the human was oblivious; Milton had some very close calls before, where he swore he was done for. In the warmer months, Milton and his family took advantage of the outdoors and got what they needed from the human’s garden. But as winter approaches, it would be harder to borrow food from the human, the risk of being seen would increase. But it would be worth keeping his dear Cassia and their children happy, healthy, and cozy.

Milton emerged from the pantry, brows furrowed with concern. His youngest, Finn, waddled over to him, arms raised expectantly.

"Uppy, Papa!" the four-year-old boy demanded.

Milton smiled and swept Finn into his arms. At least his children were still blissfully unaware of their precarious situation.

He carried Finn into the kitchen, where Cassia ladled hot tea into thimble cups. She glanced at Milton knowingly.

"I told you, we needed more, what’s the damage?" she asked.

Milton nodded. "We've got enough for maybe another week or two. After that..."

He trailed off, not wanting to upset Finn. The boy squirmed out of his arms and scurried off to play with his siblings.

Cassia stepped closer and put a hand on Milton's shoulder. "We'll figure something out. We always do."

"But winter is nearly here. I don't know if I can provide everything; we must keep the children warm and healthy. Especially with the human spending more time indoors now."

Cassia nodded, her expression serious but unafraid. "It won't be easy. But we've prepared as best we can, and we still have a couple of months left. And I have faith in you, my love. Your cleverness has gotten us through tough times before."

Milton pulled his wife close. 

Cassia smiled up at him, pride and trust shining in her eyes. "Now come, the tea is getting cold."

Milton's mind raced as he held Cassia's hand, sipping tea and eating breakfast with his family. The bitter cold of winter was nearly upon them, and the thought of his children suffering from frigid temperatures twisted his gut. It wouldn’t be so bad if the human turned up the temperature in the house, but the human seemed content to only use blankets. And every time Milton tried to change the temperature on the thermostat, the human would turn it back down, grumbling about broken machines and raising costs, whatever that meant.

When the lights in the giant's home went dark tonight, Milton would make his move. He would creep through the hidden passageways, scurry across the massive floor, and climb into the giant's bedroom. There, he would take what he desperately needed - a pair of the thick, woolen socks the giant wore to bed each night. The giant had so many pairs that he wouldn’t miss these.

It was terribly risky, but he pushed down his fear. For his children, he would brave anything. He met Cassia's eyes, seeing his own steely resolve reflected back. She knew what he planned to do and had faith in him. Her quiet strength gave him courage.

When the moment came, Milton hugged each of his children tightly.

"Be good for your mother," he said. "I'll be back before you go to bed."

Then, with a final kiss for Cassia, he slipped into the darkness. His footfalls made no sound as he navigated the secret paths through the walls. Upstairs, he crept beneath the giant's door and scanned the massive room. His heart pounding, Milton scurried directly to the dresser, climbed up the side, he was in luck the drawer was open, enough for him to wiggle into, he then dove into the sock drawer.

Milton's nose twitched as he burrowed into the pile of fuzzy socks. They were soft and warm - exactly what his family needed to make it through the harsh winter. Carefully, he selected two pairs and rolled them up.

Just then, the floor began to shake as the giant lumbered into the bedroom. Milton's blood turned to ice. He dove under the piles of socks just in time as the dresser drawer slid open. A massive hand reached in, nearly grabbing Milton as it rummaged around.

Milton held perfectly still, clutching the socks close. After what felt like an eternity, the giant removed his hand and moved to slide the drawer shut. The giant cursed as the drawer snagged, not closing all the way. Milton heard the deep rumbled of the human’s voice as he muttered about getting the ‘dam drawer fixed’. Milton sagged with relief, then pricked his ears up. The giant was still in the room - he could hear its thunderous footsteps.

Ever so slowly, Milton peeked out from his hiding spot. He crawled to the opening of the drawer, peeking out. He would have to be quick and clever to return to his family undetected.

Milton watched as Sterling opened his book, the pages crinkling loudly in the quiet room. Milton cursed his luck and the humans’ love for his books. He’d have to wait until the human got tired and went to bed.

After what felt like an eternity, Sterling finally closed his book and yawned loudly. Milton stayed perfectly still as he watched the human get ready for bed.

*****

Milton's heart pounded as he watched the giant human stir in his sleep. This was his chance - he had to make a run for it before Sterling woke up.

With nimble feet, Milton scurried across the top of the dresser; he held his breath as he darted behind a framed photo, peering around the edge. The giant let out a rumbling snore, his mountainous chest rising and falling.

Milton made his move, scrambling down the leg of the dresser and onto the carpeted floor. He was so close - just a few more feet and he'd be safe in the walls.

Suddenly, the giant rolled over with a groan. Milton froze, pressing himself flat against the floor. Holding perfectly still, he watched as one massive eye fluttered open, scanning the room. Milton didn't dare breathe.

After a few tense moments, the giant's eyes drifted shut once more. Milton sagged with relief. He was about to get up when a shadow fell over him. Milton froze, eyes widening. Whiskers! The cat had spotted him from her perch on the windowsill. She leapt down, sharp claws clicking on the hardwood floors as she prowled towards Milton.

Thinking fast, he scrambled as fast as he could for the baseboard. He squeezed through the crack and into the dark safety of the walls, his heart hammering against his tiny ribs.

Whiskers released a frustrated mewl and tried to reach her paw after him. Milton scooted back out of her reach, his heart hammering.

Clutching his prize, Milton hurried home, eager to present the socks to his beloved Cassia and their children.

Milton hurried through the narrow passages within the walls, retracing the steps back to his family's cozy home.

Rounding a corner, he spotted a familiar knot in the wood paneling and knew he was close. "Cassia!" he called softly. "Children! I have returned!"

"Papa, you're back!" little Finn cried, rushing to hug Milton's leg.

Milton picked Finn up and spun him around. "That's right, my boy. And look what I brought for you." He held up the fuzzy socks.

"Oh, they're wonderful!" said Lila, running her hands over the soft material.

"With these, we can make some cozy little beds," Milton said. "Now, let's get to work. Agnes, Pippin - you two gather up all the cotton and fabric scraps you can find."

The older children scurried off, eager to help.

Soon, they were all busy at work. Pippin and Agnes returned, arms loaded with stuffing and fabric pieces. Cassia began sewing blankets.

Finn toddled around, trying to hand out supplies. "I help too!" he said. Milton ruffled Finn's hair.

"That you do, son."

They worked together, creating cozy little beds from the odds and ends available. The children were vibrating with excitement.

Finally, the beds were ready. The family gathered around to admire their handiwork.

The children cheered and immediately burrowed into their new beds. Sighs of contentment echoed around the room.

Milton and Cassia smiled at each other. It filled their hearts with joy to see their family safe, happy, and comfortable once more.

Cassia settled into the cozy blanket nest she had made, pulling Lila close. The little girl snuggled against her mother's chest, yawning.

"Tell me a story, Mama," Lila murmured.

Cassia stroked her daughter's hair. "Hmm, let's see. Once upon a time, there was a brave borrower named Lila..."

As Cassia wove a tale of adventure for Lila, Milton sat with Pippin and Agnes on their beds.

"Did the giant human almost squash you, Papa?" Pippin asked, his eyes wide.

Milton chuckled. "Oh, he came close a few times. But I was too quick for him!"

"Wow," Agnes breathed. She fingered the soft sock that served as her pillow. "It must have been so scary in the big house."

"It was, at first," Milton admitted. "But then I remembered how cold you all get at night. So I kept going, as quiet as a mouse."

"Tell us more!" Pippin begged. The two leaned forward eagerly.

Smiling, Milton regaled them with the tale of his mission, embellishing some details to make it more thrilling. The children gasped and cheered at all the right moments.

Milton finished his story, concluding with a dramatic escape through a mouse hole as Whiskers' giant paw swiped at him.

"You're the bravest borrower ever!" Agnes declared.

Milton chuckled. "Well, one day, that will be you too."

He tucked the blankets snugly around them. Pippin let out a huge yawn.

"I think it's time for my little mice to sleep," Milton said fondly. He bent down to kiss each of their foreheads.

As the children's eyes fluttered closed, Cassia came over and squeezed Milton's hand, leaning over and giving him a tender kiss. 

Author Note: This was initially made for last year's October prompt word list. I made an outline for many keywords, but I never got around to flushing it out. I greatly admire anyone who can write a short story in a day. I can't do it, but you're amazing if you can. This one prompt was 'Cozy'. You'll be seeing more of the Sterling household. These characters I made specifically for the prompt challenge because I find it hard to keep coming up with character names, lol. 

[tinycoded360]

Pocket Tiny

Just a lil' blurb of a tiny in their giant's pocket ;3

--------

Poke

...

Poke

...

Poke-poke-poke-poke-poke-

"Okay okay," Sale whispered down at his chest pocket, gently cupping it with his palm and giving it a soft press to show he understood the tiny's demand.

Taking a moment to look around himself surreptitiously and confirm that nobody was watching, he broke off a corner from the cookie he'd been munching on, pinching the crumb between his fingers and carefully lowering it to the opening of his pocket.

Tiny, nimble little hands darted up from the cloth nook, snatching the crumb from his fingers in a flash before disappearing back into the dark depths of their temporary nest.

Sale huffed a fondly amused sigh, following it up with a soft laugh as his sensitive ears made out the nearly inaudible sounds of Leef beginning to chow down on their prize.

"You know I was going to give you a piece when we got home," the giant reminded them under his breath, still smiling even as he shook his head.

All his words did was earn him another pointed poke, and he laughed again, his eyes crinkling.

The little things in life were always so much more entertaining with his pocket-sized friend around.

--------

ehhehehe thought it was a cute idea ;D hope you liked it!!

[tinycoded360]

Restoration (Chapter 8)

A bunch of scenes because why not? On another note, it is extremely hard to write a scene in winter when it’s the middle of April. I hope you enjoy anyhow! Because now I’m really getting into the plot.

Word Count: 5.9k

CW: Death, crying, vague thoughts of suicide, severe trauma, (anything else idk??)

8-Ryker

It was Thanksgiving break. The first official break from school until Christmas. Words could not describe how grateful I was for the week-long break. There was no reason to have so much work piled up a couple weeks before the end of first semester. 

I was laying in my bed on my phone. It was about to turn six, which meant I should probably get started on dinner, but I just couldn’t bring myself to climb out of bed. I was physically and mentally tired of keeping up with everyone and whatever plans they had with their friends, taking care of Isabelle and Angela since they were still little, and on top of that keep up with the chores around the house. 

I grabbed my phone off the charger, stretched out my arms and legs from laying down, and opened my door to get started on dinner. The living room was oddly quiet, with Dylan and Lucky playing a game. Isabelle playing a game with Angela on the carpet that consisted of a bunch of stuffed animals and blankets. I smiled to myself. 

“What do you guys feel like eating for dinner?” I leaned against the kitchen island, waiting for an answer. 

“Spaghetti!” Isabelle and Angela answered at the time, giggling at one another. I think I could do that. I don’t know if Lucky can though. It was the first weekend of the break and I’d probably need to go grocery shopping tomorrow anyways. 

I looked in Dylan’s direction, making them pause whatever they were playing together. He just shrugged his shoulders, “Whatever’s easier for you.” Always with the same response. 

“Ummm, I can go check what we have.�� Lucky told me, getting Dylan to let him onto the floor. All I could do was wait now. Jasmine was staying over at her friends today and tomorrow. I just told her to text me if she goes anywhere far and if she needed anything. Weird, right? Usually the parent handles these kinds of things, but in the situation my siblings and I are in it’s literally impossible. 

Lucky came back, shaking his head, “We don’t have the things for spaghetti,” He laid down on the arm rest of the couch and grabbed his remote, “You should call Nathan to come over. He hasn’t been here in a while. Plus, he’s so much better at cooking than I am. Right, Angela?” 

“Yeah!” 

I bit the side of my cheek. I don’t know about that. Just asking Nathan to come over to cook and then ask him to leave? That was wrong. Plus, he told me before the break that he’ll be pretty busy. Or… texted me. Either way, I shouldn’t bother him. Maybe he actually has a meal with his family for Thanksgiving and they were all getting ready for it already. On the other hand, Lucky makes something else for him and Angela, Angela doesn’t eat, and then everything goes downhill from there. 

Looking at my phone, I picked it up, opening the messages app, and clicked on Nathan’s name. The last time he came here, Jasmine did kind of freak him out. I remember him not being able to leave anyone’s side if she was in the room. I wonder if he’d even want to come over after that. At school the next day he was a little nervous, but otherwise fine afterward, but I’m sure whatever Jasmine told him is still stuck in his mind. Ugh. This was such a bad idea. 

Ryker: I have a huge favor to ask you 

I waited for a response, watching Dylan and Lucky play a fighting game against one another. I had no idea who was winning, but I’m pretty sure it was Lucky. Actually… it was kind of weird how Lucky seemed to want Nathan around more often. Like, really weird. Especially when every time Nathan came, he would practically ditch him with me. I honestly don’t mind, I liked having Nathan come over, but still. I had wondered why, but I wasn’t going to ask. 

Nathan: Yeah?

Ryker: Do you mind coming over to help Lucky cook something? 

Ryker: You don’t have to 

Well, if he says no Lucky will have to make whatever he can and I’d have to break the news to Angela. If you didn’t know, four year olds can be a little hard to deal with sometimes. So, this might just turn out to be a very, very bad day. 

Nathan: Sure! 

Nathan: Anything specific?

I stared at his text, relief washing over me. Dylan let out a cheer from winning against Lucky. Wow. Perfect timing. I was just so grateful right now. Nathan was literally the greatest friend ever. Now I have to think of someway to thank him. That shouldn’t be too hard, right? 

Ryker: They wanted spaghetti

Ryker: And thank you  

Nathan: No problem :)

Ryker: I guess I’ll be at the bus stop in about twenty minutes? 

Nathan: Okay 

I stuffed my phone in my pocket, “Okay, I’ll be right back, just text me if something happens.” I told Dylan, who nodded his head. And with that, I walked out the door and into the cold air. 

———Nathan———

Winters in the city were bad. But not as bad as when we were still help captive. Now those days were terrible. Horrifying even. It was still freakishly cold here. Not something I enjoy. For several reasons really. One being that I already get cold really easily. Two, I just hated being cold and sick. And the most important reason being that it was during this kind of weather when my dad had died. Actually, in three days it’s officially been nine years since my dad died. November 24. A long time, right? 

It hurts. The memories. Not just of him but how they brutally murdered him in front of his own child. I shuddered at the sight pictured in my mind. Nope. Can’t think about that. Right now I should probably be getting ready to head over to the bus stop. I already had packed a tiny bag with the things I needed to cook. Weird enough, it was kind of a therapy for me at this point. To be cooking I mean. I guess that’s why my mom always gets worried when I’m baking for no reason. Because she knows. 

I sighed, giving my mom a quick text that I was heading over to Ryker’s for a little while. The last time I went, I thought everything was going great before Jasmine talked to me alone. everyone had left to go looking for something and it was just her and I. I was scared of course. We’ve never, ever talked before and from what I’ve gathered she’s really intimidating. 

Her exact words to me were: “If you hurt my brother in any way I will personally murder you.” and that was was it took for me to have an entire mental breakdown for nearly two weeks. I mean, who wouldn’t be scared if someone’s sibling threatened you like that? So, the week before the break, I might have been acting a little weird around Ryker, afraid that I might actually do something wrong or hurt him in any way, which I don’t really see how I could. 

Otherwise, I haven’t really been doing anything. I told Ryker that I would be busy during the break, but really I wasn’t. Only because I do actually have something to do on November 24, and I was already feeling the depression spikes as the day came closer and closer. As for Thanksgiving itself, my mom and I never do anything. Last year we were barely getting used to being in the mental hospital so we didn’t really do anything. This year she’s working so it’ll just be me. Nothing new. 

I made my way down the icy streets, the sun setting faster and faster. It was only getting colder, and I didn’t really have a winter jacket. Just some to wear in the classroom like when it’s freezing in there. So, yeah, I was basically freezing my face off. Not to mention that my mom told me it might snow later tonight since it was already under twenty degrees outside. I wasn’t used to cold weather. 

Once I made it to the bus stop, I snuggled up with my bag on the bench, trying to have some kind of warmth. Also because there were several people (giants) who were going back home from stores or getting off of work. The bus stop was actually used for both humans and giants. The human was a little ways from the huge one that was practically as tall as a skyscraper. Maybe taller. 

My hands were shaky from the cold, but it was only another five minutes before Ryker would come and hopefully I wouldn’t be as cold. Maybe. Hopefully. I don’t know what today has in store for me. All I knew was that I just wanted to wrap myself in a blanket with some hot chocolate and binge watch something on tv. 

Ryker came a few minutes later, smiling and giving a thanks before offering a hand. I threw the bag on first before struggling to get on. It was hard when the ground underneath you was starting to freeze over, but I figured it out after trying for a good minute. 

“You’re freezing.” Ryker told me, cupping his hand just a little. Sure, it was scary to have his fingers closer to me, but still, it was warm. How could I deny something that was practically calling me? 

  “That good?” He smiled, for some reason making sure I was comfortable. But I was not about to complain. I was desperate at this point. I nodded my head, bringing my knees closer to my chest to keep some of my body warmth with me. And yet another reason I hate winter. 

“Thanks again. Sorry for bothering you.” 

I continuously shook my head, hoping he would get the message that it was fine. Plus, I liked going over. Everyone was nice (Besides Jasmine I’m pretty sure she hates me) and never really tried to do anything too crazy with me. It was great. I’m not as afraid anymore, which was a miracle given I thought I could never trust anyone ever again, and I’ve actually made some friends. 

Ryker opened the door to his house, where we found them all watching a movie together. Everyone turned their heads as soon as the door closed behind Ryker. I jumped slightly, but relaxed after a while. Nothing to be afraid of. Dylan’s eyes landed on me, giving a smile and a two fingered wave. I waved back, but I doubt he could see it. 

I was set down on the ground, not entirely expecting to be in a tight hug the second I balanced myself. Lucky bursted out laughing, letting me go, “You are literally the best, Nathan.” I laughed with him, following Lucky into the room. 

——————

I didn’t eat anything. I wasn’t hungry. Of course Ryker tried to convince me to eat something, but I always answered no. Otherwise, dinner was okay. They had Lucky, Angela and I on the coffee table, which wasn’t really too big of a deal. I’m pretty sure Ryker and Dylan just didn’t want to handle any humans while they were eating, and hey, I was not about to say anything about it. There are just some things that will never leave my mind. 

After everyone ate, Dylan and Lucky started playing a game on the tv while Isabelle and Angela were playing hide and seek I’m pretty sure. I just hoped that no one would get hurt, but Ryker quickly reassured me that they would never harm one another. I just had to believe him. Most of his siblings are stuck together like glue. Which is a good thing. 

“It’s supposed to start snowing in a little bit.” Ryker announced, earning cheers from the other room where I was guessing Angela and Isabelle were. I was sitting on the arm rest of the couch by Ryker. I kind of wished that their house was a little warmer, because I was still annoyingly cold, but beggars can’t be choosers. I should have asked to grab a blanket. 

“Nice. Are we gonna go out?” Dylan asked, eyes glued to the screen. I had no idea who was winning, but I think it was him. 

“If you want to.” 

Ryker threw his phone on the other side of the couch, turning his head to the screen. I don’t want to go outside, but I’ll go if that makes things easier. I just don’t want to be in the snow. Reasons. Remember? 

It was about ten minutes later that it did actually start snowing. Angela and Isabelle were begging Ryker to let them outside, which he just laughed to and told them to get jackets on and to bring their hats. Dylan paused their game to go get on a jacket, and Ryker left to go help Isabelle. So I was alone in the living room while everyone was busy to go have some fun. I hated winter. In just three days. I reminded myself. 

What would happen? Would someone else be claimed victim? Something bad always happens during this time. I don’t know if it was just me. It probably was. Everyone else was smiling while I was crying in the corner. It’s how it was in the hospital. They all went outside if they could, and I stayed in my room, under the blankets and shove my face into my pillow to drown out my tears. I couldn’t do that now though. Not when so many people had their eyes on me. Not when a trip back to the hospital was a very viable option for me. I didn’t want to go back. Not because of something… traumatic that happened nine years ago. I should be over it, right? But I’m not. 

There goes one of my depression spells. Great. Just great. At a time like this? I sucked in a deep breath, calming myself down before anyone notices. This was embarrassing. 

Ryker came back into the room, eyes landing on me with an unsure look on his face. He walked up to me, holding a hand out. Was he not going to wear any gloves? He wouldn’t be cold? I stood up, keeping my balance on the soft surface underneath me and walking to climb onto his hand. 

“You don’t mind if I just keep you in my hand, right? I don’t want you to be freezing.” He asked. I shook my head, sitting down in the middle of his palm. That was actually what I preferred. I did not plan whatsoever to go into the snow anyways. 

Once everyone was outside, Ryker sat down on the stairs, cupping his hand and keeping me close. A little uneasy about it, but there was really no reason to be. It’s just instinct. And everything in me right now is saying to get the hell inside. But I wasn’t going to say that. Mostly because I don’t want to be alone.  

They were all screaming and laughing. It was snowing pretty hard too, already covering most of the frosted grass just after ten minutes. Other people were also sitting outside. Their kids playing around with the snow. I tried not to focus on that. Instead, I found myself scooting back slowly, almost to where I couldn’t see the heavy fall of the white flakes. 

My body was still freezing. It was so much colder than before. Was this how dad felt? The cold pricking at his skin I mean. 

“Nathan?” My thoughts were interrupted by a soft voice above me. I groaned, body shaking and stuffing my hands in my pockets to preserve some of my body heat. I shuddered a breath, trembling. It’s so cold… How could they even be having fun like this? I looked ahead, seeing Dylan helping Isabelle make a small snowman with both Angela and Lucky stuffed in his scarf. This was just another one of my depression spells. 

“Still cold?” Ryker asked me. I took a deep breath, “Y-Yeah…” It came out more like a quiet mumble, and I was surprised that he even heard me. Did he want to help them make a snowman? He probably did. I should just tell him to leave me inside. It would make things a million times easier for everyone. 

Ryker moved his hand a bit, making me worried about what he was trying to do, but he just kept it the same. I wondered why he was going through all this trouble just for me. There was really no point. There was only a couple more months until graduation and then we’d go our separate ways. That’s how it always goes. I’d be alone again, figuring out what to do with the rest of my life. That’s how my story goes. 

“Better?” 

I nodded my head, getting to a comfortable position and decided to just watch what they were all doing. Finishing up the head of the snowman. It was comfy even though I was kind of scared from being in someone’s hand. At least now that is. Currently I was just afraid of falling into the deep snow. I’m pretty sure if I fell I’d sink into it. Not something I would like to see or imagine. 

“You okay?” Ryker asked, softly smiling above me. There was no other response other than to nod. I couldn’t just say no. That wouldn’t do any good. But.. maybe if he notices that these next few days would be hard for me. Maybe. Just maybe. I doubt it though. I don’t plan on being here all of the time anyways. I couldn’t. 

Isabelle finished the snowman, grabbing some loose twigs for arms as they stepped back. It was still snowing, just not as much. Was dad watching me right now? Was he shocked just as much as I was? I never thought I’d ever be able to be around another giant for as long as I had lived, and here I am, sitting in one of their hands. Would he think I was crazy? Delusional? Psycho? Happy like my mom even? I would never know, but even I think I was crazy. 

Actually… why did I even trust Ryker? Or really anyone. They’re all so nice of course, but about four months ago I was so sure that every giant would only hurt me, and it almost became true with that lunch incident that felt like forever ago. So why did I trust these people with my life? In the back of my mind I keep thinking that this was all just a sick joke being played on me. But… I don’t think these people are lying about anything. They don’t have a reason to. And Ryker’s been nothing but patient, and kind, and… understanding. No one would go through all that trouble just to fool someone as gullible as me. 

I sighed, snuggling up closer to Ryker’s thumb and watching Isabelle throw snowballs at Dylan who was shielding Lucky and Angela from the crossfire. Was it scary being there? In the midst of everything? Having to trust someone at least fifty times your size to keep you safe? I sucked in a shaky breath, just watching. It wasn’t so bad really. 

———Ryker———

Today was November 24. Thanksgiving was here, and everything was a complete mess. I never learned how to make a turkey like the tradition, so usually I just made something that all of us had liked. Along with that, I had to make sure no one did anything too crazy while I was busy in the kitchen. Jasmine and Dylan were helping out cooking while I ordered something for Lucky and Angela. They both agreed on pizza (Because what else does a fourteen year-old and a four year-old want) so now I was busy with that. That part was mostly because Angela didn’t like when Lucky cooks something different. 

It was just pure chaos now. Everyone was running around the house, and at that point I had to ask Jasmine to keep an eye on Angela to make sure she didn’t wander off where we couldn’t find her. I wasn’t too worried about Lucky since he’s almost always with Dylan, plus he’s smart enough to stay off the floor when it’s something like this. 

I took out the lasagna, letting it cool down before making separate plates. Yeah, I know, super weird, but I can’t do anything better. I only know the basics thanks to my parents, and that was all I needed to know. 

There was a knock on the door, and I asked Dylan to open it. It was just the pizza. I washed whatever dishes I had and called everyone that dinner was ready. It’s days like this where I wished that my parents never left. I feel like I can never be like them even though I was the oldest. I mean, was I just supposed to let CPS split us all apart? I couldn’t do that. My siblings would never forgive me. I like to think that they’re all happy, but I doubt it. Sometimes I feel like I can’t do anything to help any of them. Like I’m doing this “parenting” thing all wrong. Of course I was. I was seventeen in my last year of high school taking care of five kids on my own while also juggling a job and trying to do fun things with them so we can forget about what happened a little over a year ago. There was no reason for one person to be doing all of this. 

It was snowing outside again. Not really surprising when you’ve lived here for your entire life. It was really nice though. I loved the cold. Weird, because most people don’t, but I do. I remember my parents freaking out when I would just be outside making a snowman in just a short sleeve and sweatpants when I was a kid. Of course it was so cold it burned, but I guess I kind of liked it? It was hard to explain. Or sometimes we’d stay inside and watch movies or play a game. I missed it really. 

“Ry.” Jasmine snapped her fingers in front of me to get my attention. I blinked a couple times before giving a clueless look. She groaned, “I asked if I could go shopping tomorrow, I have work the next three days so I just wanna go do something.”

“Oh, um, sure.” 

The tv was playing in the background, but I wasn’t paying attention. Come to think of it, I don’t think I was paying attention to anything. Dylan, Jasmine, and Lucky were all laughing about something. What were they laughing about again? Something about going back to school? I don’t even want to think about that right now. I needed a break anyways. Most of my classes love giving me piles and piles of work anyways. 

I sighed, pushing away my plate that I had barely eaten. The sun has already set, everyone was done eating, Angela asked Jasmine if she could go outside in the snow. She said yes, and so Isabelle followed. Dylan and Lucky were helping me wash the remaining dishes. Honestly I already felt so tired. It was only 8 p.m but my eyes threatened to close at any moment. 

“You okay, Ry?” Dylan asked, putting a plate up in the cabinet. 

“Yeah.” I replied, handing him another to dry. Lucky shook his head while continuously saying “no” over and over again. At some point Dylan grew tired of it and pressed the pad of his thumb into Lucky’s entire upper half of his body. 

“He’s not wrong. You’re always like this on holidays.” 

“I am?” I sighed, not really knowing how to get out of this one. These two have always been vigilant anyways. They would have noticed at some point. 

“Yeah.” 

“I don’t know. I just feel really tired today.”  

“That’s it?” 

“Mhm.” 

Dylan gave me a skeptical look before putting in another plate. He doesn’t believe me. I don’t think he ever will about these kinds of things. 

“Why don’t you call Nathan? You always seem happier around him.” 

I stopped only for a second, then continued to scrub off something on the pan I used. No. I won’t call him. Not this time. No matter how many times he’s actually made me feel better just by being here. I’ve noticed I was happier around him too, but it’s only short lived since he always goes back at the end of the day. Do I know why I was happier? Not really. I’ve thought of a few reasons. Because he’s the only friend I’ve made since middle school. He listens to me ramble on and on about the most useless information. Best of all he’s really nice. Doesn’t really seem like he’s tricking me either. Not that I think he could even if he wanted to. He was too sweet. 

“No.” I sighed. Cleaning out the sink and handing off the last dish. 

“Why not?” Dylan asked leaning against the counter. 

“Cause I’m tired. No point in calling if I’m just going to fall asleep,” I countered, drying my hands and heading to my room, “Make sure Isabelle and Angela are asleep by 10? Please?”  

Dylan nodded his head, I closed the door behind me and buried myself under the covers of my bed. I can’t keep on relying on Nathan to come fix every problem I have. He’s probably off dealing with whatever he’s doing right now anyways. But still, my hand reached for my phone, grabbing it and opening the messages app. I’m just gambling with myself at this point. If he answers in the next ten minutes I’ll ask to call, if he doesn’t, I’ll head to sleep. Either way it’s really a win-win. And here it goes. 

———Nathan———

I was laying on my bed, under the covers. No lights, no sounds, just nothing. I had cried earlier this morning when I visited his grave. My eyes were dry now. Red and puffy. I just sat curling in on myself while clutching the same teddy bear he gave me when I was still just a kid. It was childish, but if it’s all I have left of him then I’m taking advantage of that. 

Ironic, huh? How this holiday was supposed to bring family together. It was actually the opposite for me. Even though he didn’t actually die on this holiday, it’s just ironic how it happened this year. When we’re finally free and live like a “normal” family now. Was he watching me now? Sad and lonely in my bed? I hope he wasn’t. He’d scold me. 

My phone went off, but I didn’t feel like looking at it. It’s not like I wanted to be alone. Usually my mom would cheer me up by taking my mind off of it. Whether it was playing some makeshift game or just doing something I liked with me. What else was there to say? This year was the year I was completely alone. 

I sucked in a deep breath, picking up my phone with sore arms. I spent most of the day digging out the old flowers on his grave and replacing them with new ones. It was hard to do when a thin sheet of snow was covering most of the dirt and grass, but it was worth it to see the bright a beautiful colors. His favorites were lilacs. I remember mom telling me that. 

My eyes shot up when I saw who texted me. Ryker? I mean it was already night, so I doubt he was going to ask if I wanted to go over. But… I was kind of curious now. 

Ryker: Hey

Ryker: How was your day? 

Ryker: You’re probably doing something right now but I’d just thought I’d check what you were doing 

Sent five minutes ago. Why did he want to know what I was doing? It seemed weird to me, but maybe he was just bored. Did they celebrate? I hope they did. They seem to be happy with each other. 

Nathan: It was okay :) 

Nathan: And yours? 

Ryker: Chaotic

Nathan: Oh 

I wasn’t technically lying. My day was okay despite crying for most of it. 

Ryker: Yeahhh 

Ryker: Do you feel like calling? 

Ryker: You don’t have to of course 

I thought about it. It wouldn’t be that bad. Might keep my mind occupied.

  Nathan: Sure 

And so he called. 

“Hello?” His voice sounded tired and sad, like he just woke up or something. I couldn’t find my voice. It’s become rasp from sobbing anyways. It’d be embarrassing for it to sound like that over the phone. So hopefully it’ll get better in the morning. 

“Oh, right,” He sighed, “Sorry. I just felt like talking and usually you listen. You can just hang up if you don’t want to though.” He sounded nervous, but I didn’t want to hang up. Not only because it was the wrong thing to do, but because I always loved listening to what he was saying. No matter how irrelevant it was. It distracted my mind from everything wrong with me. And he seemed to like it when I did. 

Nathan: I’m listening 

I heard him let out a little chuckle before talking. I could hear at some points it sounded like he was going to cry, and some he sounded like he was so hurt, and sometimes he’d laugh. He changed the subject multiple times, but I kind of liked it. I just wished I could help in some other way. It sounded to me like he was stressed out and just wanted someone to be there, and I’m surprised none of his siblings were. Or maybe they were, but he just doesn’t want to put all of this on them. It seemed like something he would do. 

By the time he was done, it was an hour before midnight. Funny thing was, I wasn’t tired anymore. I was putting together pieces in my mind still about everything he had talked about. How he was mentally tired of juggling five things around at once. I would be too if I were him. How he’s been more and more exhausted by the end of the day. How his parents usually did all of these kinds of things. I was going to ask what happened to them, but I feel like that was a touchy subject. Especially when he just vented to me. I don’t mind though. Not at all. 

“Oh crap. Sorry for keeping you up.” Ryker apologized, saying sorry about five times before I texted him that it was okay. I wasn’t going to sleep anytime soon. 

“Thanks. Y’know. For listening.” I heard him yawn on the other side. He was the one tired. I silently laughed to myself, hugging the bear closer to my chest. If only he could see me now… this was embarrassing. He’d probably make fun of me for it. I wouldn’t care. 

“You’re too nice, you know that?” I heard shuffling on the other side of the phone. Probably Ryker getting ready to go to sleep. And I know this was selfish, but I didn’t want him to hang up. I didn’t want my mind to realize that I was alone again. Was is it really selfish then? To me, yes. It feels like I was making him do something he didn’t want to. 

“Hey, um, remember when you tried hugging me that one time? Why’d you do it?” He had asked, and I could practically see his face. Confused and happy at the same time. He was talking about when I had to stay overnight. I knew that would come up eventually, just not so soon. 

Nathan: Nobody’s ever been so nice to me before. Besides my mom of course 

Nathan: But I was kind of shocked you agreed without complaining 

Nathan: Are you mad about it?

“Mad? Nononono. Um, the complete opposite really,” He laughed quietly, “I was shocked, yeah, but happy too.” 

That gets rid of the guilt. I swear I thought I ruined everything between us, but now I know what he really thought. He wasn’t mad at me for anything. 

“What about the other day? When it was snowing. You looked comfortable. Like you were about to sleep.” My cheeks started blushing from embarrassment. I had hoped he didn’t see me snuggling closer into his palm to stay warm, but apparently he did. So embarrassing. I groaned quietly to myself, tightly hugging the bear closer. 

Nathan: Sorry 

Nathan: I was cold 

Nathan: You were warm 

Nathan: Sorry again 

It was silent for a second. 

“Why do you apologize for things like that?” 

I didn’t know the answer to that question. Usually my mind just takes over and then I spiral into the worst possible scenarios. So I have no idea why I do. Maybe because my brain thinks I’ll get hurt if I don’t? My body was scared of getting another broken bone or something getting hurt? 

Nathan: I don’t know 

It was silent again. 

“Do… do you like being around me? I-I mean most people stop talking to me as soon as they get what they want. So, I was just wondering.” His voice sounded hurt. Obviously this ha sharpened once or twice to him. And it hurt to hear that these things have happened to someone so amazing. I could never do that to Ryker. It’d hurt me more than it’d hurt him. 

“Y-yes.” I almost immediately replied, my voice a little raspy. It hurt to speak, but it was fine. It’ll get better in time. 

I heard him let out a sigh of relief, and I smiled. I was finally doing the right thing for once in my life. I’m kind of glad this was how the day ended. 

“I would give you a hug if you were here… and if you were comfortable enough with it,” We both laughed quietly, “I’ll let you go to sleep. I’ve kept you up long enough.” 

I shook my head, forgetting that he wasn’t here to see it. I didn’t want him to go. Then again he sounded exhausted. Then I would be the one keeping him up. Or he doesn’t even have to stay awake. Just the knowledge that I knew he was just on the other side of the phone was enough to make me feel like I wasn’t alone. 

“U-Um you d-don’t have to s-stay up b-but could we stay… stay on call? P-Please.” I waited for an answer, biting my tongue for stuttering so much. My body was shaky for no reason. I was nervous. He was going to say no. He was going to say no. He was going to- 

“I would love that.” 

I wish he could see the smile I had on my face. How fast my heart was beating. I laid down under the covers, getting comfortable and staring at my phone that read: Ryker: 3:14. Three hours and fourteen minutes. Another seven won’t hurt. 

“Thank you.” 

I fell asleep a couple minutes after he did. No nightmares haunted me tonight.

—————————————

My heart is meltinggggggg

By the way, this was not the great scene I was talking about. This was just one of many to make the one I actually want to write make sense.

Anywayssss I told you guys it would be a little plot heavy for a while! I loved how this chapter came out though.

Hope you enjoyed, and thank you for reading! Love you guys!

[tinycoded360]

Welcome to my trophy room!

[tinycoded360]

Chapter 20: Final

Sage stretched her tiny arms up as she woke. The cabin was dark, and the only sounds were the breathing of the giants beside her and the pitter-patter of rain on the cabin roof. Sage felt annoyed at having woken again in the middle of the night. She found it hard to adjust the human's sleep schedule. *Why couldn’t they sleep more like borrowers during the day? * Sage thought to herself.

Sage shivered, the fire had gone out, although the cabin had retained much of the warmth, making it warmer than if would be if they where outside, she still felt cold. She looked up at Mackenzie’s sleeping face. He was sound asleep, his arm wrapped around the cookie tin she was in, holding it close to him as he slept on his side. Sage noticed the human, Jace, wrapping her arm around his middle and cuddling close to him. It reminded her of the cuddle piles she and her siblings and parents would do to conserve warmth at night *It’s not fair, I wanna be apart of the cuddle pile. * Sage pouted to herself.

With determination, Sage pulled herself out of the cookie tin and started climbing Mackenzie. She knew he worried about crushing her, but if she found a good spot, that probably wouldn’t happen.

Sage noticed Mackenzie sleeping with his winter hat on, probably to conserve warmth. There! That would be perfect. She’d wiggle under his hat and sleep on top of his head. She figured she wouldn’t get crushed there, and it would be nice and warm.

Sage managed to climb her way up to his face. She sat on his cheek, getting distracted by his beard. He must have been tired. Usually, he’d wake by now with her scampering on top of him. She couldn’t blame him, though. The trip in the river was exhausting. She’d be good with never setting foot in water again. She sat on his cheek, patting and playing with the strands of his bread.

Growing bored, she wondered what to do next. On one hand, she could try to climb down the blanket and get to the floor. She was itching to explore the new space. But it would be hard to climb back up, and she didn’t want to get stuck on the ground. She wondered how long they would stay here. They hadn’t stayed in one spot long enough for her to craft a new hook. She wanted to make some climbing gear.

Not wanting to leave the warmth of the giant. She decided to leave exploring for another night. Besides, the dress she was in was horrible. She was grateful Mackenzie gave her something to wear while her other clothes dried, but it was just a cloth with holes cut into it. She had kept tripping in it. The length is way too long. Mackenzie tied a string around her middle to act as a belt, which helped; she could have done better, given the time and material. Mackenzie had promised they could make her more clothing in the daytime.

Sage climbed the rest of the way up to his hat. She wiggled herself under the brim, and she was finally under his hat. She snuggled into his hair. Although it was stuffy, it was warm, and she felt safe.

Sage woke with a start; her bed was moving under her. She clutched the strands of hair around her. She heard a deep grumble, and then the hat she had laid under was removed. Sage huddled down close to Mackenzie’s head, refusing to be dislodged.

“Oh! That’s cute!” Jace remarked, leaning over Mackenzie to look at the tiny girl curled up in the bed of his hair.

Sage squeaked in protest as Mackenzie’s finger and thumb reached up and pinched her sides. He tried to pull her up, but she held tight to his hair.

“Hey, now! Let go; I’m not your jungle gym.” Mackenzie chuckled, amused. He was just relieved he hadn’t crushed her in the night. He was amused she decided to make his hair her bed, it was the last place he expected her to be. He thought it was more likely she would be on the floor somewhere.

Mackenzie, as gently as he could, removed Sage from the top of his head. He cradled her in the palm of his hand, looking down at her in amusement.

"As cute as that was, we must talk about when to leave. Mathis could be on our tails by now," Jace remarked, her dark eyes flickering with concern and resolve. Her short black hair was tucked behind her ears, framing a face set with the gravity of their situation.

“The weather is bad today; odds are it’s slowing him down. And besides, they don’t know if we’re alive or not. We have some time. Let’s give it a week, five days, I’d say. Let’s gather our strength and stock up on supplies before going out there again.” Mackenzie reasoned.

“We should head to Perseverance Mills; my friend Dr. Atwood will help us,” Jace said.

“We’ll looks like we got a plan.” Mackenzie smiled at Jace, causing her to blush under his gaze.

Day 1:

Mackenzie carefully inspected the meager contents of the cabin's pantry, stacking cans of beans and bags of jerky into a neat pile on the counter. His hands moved methodically, his mind alert to the task: they needed enough supplies to last until they reached Dr. Atwood's haven in Perseverance Mills.

"Will this be enough?" Jace asked, her voice barely above a whisper, as if afraid that speaking too loudly might summon their pursuers.

"I’ll go hunting today; that should add to what we have; we can even make something out of the hides. Maybe I can find other supplies while I’m out," Mackenzie replied, his gaze lingering on the snow-dusted windows. "But we can't afford to stay longer than a week. Weather permitting, we move out."

Jace nodded, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. She had changed back into her dry clothes. Mackenzie himself had swapped his clothes for his dry ones as well, even though they were travel-worn. It felt nice to be in his own clothes, although they could do with a wash. It still gave a feeling of freshness despite the lack of a proper bath.

Speaking of baths, he turned his attention to the smallest member of their trio. Sage sat on the edge of the table, her tiny form dwarfed by the surrounding objects on the table. Her blond hair was matted with dirt, and her brown eyes held a glint of defiance. Mackenzie had managed to warm up a cup of water over the fireplace, the steam curling into the chilly air. He'd added a drop of soap, creating a few lazy bubbles on the surface.

"Come on, Sage. It's just a little water," he coaxed gently, extending his palm toward her.

Sage scowled, hugging her knees to her chest. "I don't want to," she protested, trembling slightly. "It's scary. And deep."

"It's not deep for you," Mackenzie assured her. "You won't drown in a cup, I promise."

"But I can't swim!" she insisted, her eyes wide.

"You don't need to swim. Just sit and let me clean you up." Mackenzie's tone was patient yet firm. She needed this.

Eventually, her resistance waned, and with a dramatic huff that would've been comical under any other circumstances, she gave one more protest, saying she didn’t want to be undressed.

"Keep your clothes on, then," Mackenzie said with a chuckle. He could wash the makeshift dress he made her along with her. Then he could switch it out with her old dry clothes. He makes a mental note to work on making her change of clothes.

Sage allowed herself to be lowered into the cup. The water came up just past her waist, and she couldn’t help but sigh in relief as the warmth enveloped her tiny body. She clutches Mackenzie’s pinkie finger, still scared of slipping under. Memories of their time in the river flashed through her mind. Mackenzie gently begins to wash her along with the fabric of her tiny garments. He was delicate yet thorough, ensuring that every part of her—from the tips of her hair down to her belly and her minuscule toes—was gently scrubbed clean.

From across the room, Jace watched the scene unfold, a smile tugging at her lips. Despite the gravity of their situation, Mackenzie's care for Sage was undeniably endearing. He treated her like she was his own child. Jace still had trouble wrapping her mind around Sage’s existence.

Jace commented, her amusement plain. "You're quite the doting guardian, Mackenzie."

He shrugged, his blue eyes softened as he regarded the tiny girl.

Sage pouted in the soapy water, but her expression softened as the grime washed away, and she began to feel the comforting touch of cleanliness.

Mackenzie swaddled Sage in a scrap of clean cloth, the fabric engulfing her tiny frame like a cocoon. She was set down on the wooden table, where she fumbled with the dampness of her attire. She slipped out of her wet clothes and dropped them onto Mackenzie's waiting hand with deft movements.

"Here," he murmured, handing her the dry clothing from the night before. Then, he deposited the tiny, soaked garment near the fireplace, where the gentle heat promised to chase away the last remnants of moisture. "We'll craft you some new clothes. It won't do to have you in just one outfit." His words were practical.

"Feeling better?" Mackenzie teased, catching her eye with a knowing glance.

"Maybe," she muttered, her voice barely audible. Beneath the bravado, Sage wrestled with her own turmoil. Anger simmered under the surface, a slow burn at Mackenzie's failure to protect her from Mathis. Nightmares haunted her sleep, images of the cruel giant who saw her as nothing more than a trinket to be claimed.

Yet there was also the gnawing fear of dependency. Her people, the borrowers, were fiercely self-reliant, and every moment of kindness from Mackenzie chipped away at the wall she had built around herself. Did he view her as a person, or was she merely a project to him—a pet to be doted upon?

"Hey," Mackenzie said softly, sensing the shift in her mood. He paused, giving her his full attention. "I know it's tough, Sage. But I want you to know you're not alone in this. We're a team, okay?"

"Okay," she whispered back, the word lingering like a fragile promise.

Jace watched Will head out into the snow. He turned back once to flash her a smile, then trudged off into the trees.

Jace sighed, a flush creeping into her cheeks. She focused on the little borrower girl watching her with wary brown eyes.

Sage sat cross-legged on the table, her hands folded neatly in her lap. She looked impossibly small, surrounded by the remnants of their meal. "Are you and Will mates?” she said, her voice high-pitched, giving Jace a deceptively innocent smile.

"Oh, no, it's not like that!" Jace said quickly. Her face felt hot enough to fry an egg on. "Will and I are just…friends. We were keeping each other warm, that's all."

Sage frowned, clearly confused.

Jace groaned, dropping her head into her hands. This was not a conversation she had been prepared to have today. Or ever.

Jace jerked her head up at the giggling from the tiny, mouse-sized girl. Jace stared as she realized the tiny girl was teasing her. “Oh, you think you’re funny, do you?”

“I’m just messing with you. But I do know you like him.” Sage smiled up at Jace.

“Oh my God, please don’t mention that to him.”

“Hehe, I could keep quiet, especially if you give me a piece of that chocolate bar.”

“Alright, you drive a hard bargain.” Jace chuckled but retrieved the chocolate bar from their supplies. Jace watched in amusement as Sage’s face lit up in delight.

Jace felt she and the little borrower girl would become fast friends.

Jace watched Sage nibble at the piece of chocolate, still amazed at how small she was.

"Do all borrowers live in the walls of houses?" she asked. Sage shook her head.

"I guess. We live wherever it is safe. I guess we tend to follow you big beans around. But some families live underground, in trees, sometimes in old barns or sheds."

Sage glanced away, she said, voice wavering only slightly. "Mother always said borrowers must be ready to move at any time. We know our homes might not last forever." She gave Jace a brave smile. "At least now I have a new home. Even if you are giant beans."

Jace felt a rush of affection for the tiny girl. She reached out, hesitating, then gently cupped Sage in her hands. "Will and I will keep you safe. I promise."

Sage relaxed into her hands, the tension bleeding from her petite body.

Day 2:

The cabin echoed with the sounds of Mackenzie working the hides into leather, his hands moving with ease. He glanced over at Sage, sitting on the table. The borrower girl was frowning, her delicate fingers fumbling with a piece of rabbit hide that dwarfed her petite form.

"Need some help with that?" Mackenzie offered, his deep voice gentle, trying to mask his concern for her evident frustration.

Sage's frown deepened, and she shook her blond head vehemently, her brown eyes flashing with a fire that belied her minuscule stature. "I can do it myself! I know how." she snapped.

Mackenzie held up his hands in surrender, backing off. He knew she liked being able to do things herself, and he noticed her increasing frustration at being coddled.

"Let me know if you change your mind," he said softly, turning back to his own work while keeping an eye on her from the periphery of his vision.

Time passed in a blend of silence and Sage's occasional grunts. Her tiny frame leaned into the task, cutting with an improvised blade. She measured and marked the hide with precision, furrowing her brows in concentration.

Mackenzie couldn’t help but admire her. Despite her struggles, she cut the material into a tiny garment. It was clear she knew what she was doing, even if the sheer scale of the task was overwhelming.

He continued his work in solidarity, respecting her need for independence. She might have been tiny compared to him, a mere four inches to his six-foot frame, but Sage would ask for help if needed.

Jace approached the table, her movements careful not to startle the tiny girl busy with her crafting. With a small clearing of her throat, she placed an assortment of items by Sage's side—a coil of wire, snippets of colorful threads, and a few beads.

"Thought you might like these," Jace said softly, her voice carrying warmth.

Sage paused, her brown eyes lifting from her work to evaluate the offerings. The tools were precious, especially to one of her size, and the gesture did not go unnoticed. "Thank you," she murmured, giving Jace a big smile.

"Welcome," Jace smiled, pushing up her glasses as she watched Sage return to her project. A tenuous and delicate bond was forming.

Night 3:

Night descended, casting the cabin into shadows save for the flickering glow of the fireplace. Mackenzie and Jace shared a bed, conserving heat against the chill that crept through the wooden walls. Sage lay nestled under Mackenzie's protective hand, a cocoon of warmth and safety.

It was the deep, silent hour of the night when Sage stirred. She wriggled free from the gentle hold, climbing gingerly over the rise and fall of Mackenzie's chest. Her heart raced as she navigated the treacherous terrain between him and Jace, each breath they took threatening to draw her back into the valley of blankets.

As she attempted to descend to the floor, Mackenzie's hand moved, curling protectively around her. She flinched, caught in the sleepy gaze of the man who had become her guardian.

"Can't sleep again, huh?" Mackenzie's voice rumbled softly from above her.

Sage glanced up, meeting his concerned blue eyes. He had a way of looking at her that made her feel seen, yet was she more than just a fragile creature to him? The thought gnawed at her, even as she yearned for the safety his presence offered.

"Am I…am I just a pet to you?" she asked, her voice quivering with vulnerability.

"Never," he said firmly, his expression earnest. "I see a person, not a pet."

Her heart skipped, warmed by his words, yet the insecurity lingered. She wanted to believe him, but old fears died hard.

"Try to rest," Mackenzie coaxed, "We've got a big day tomorrow."

"I just…" Her pout was defiant even as she struggled to find words. "I want to explore. Too much energy."

Heaving a sigh, he lifted her clear of the bedding's trap, his breath warm as it swept across her. His hand lowered to the floor, and she scampered away, her form swallowed by the darkness of the cabin.

In the seclusion of shadow, Sage worked on her secret endeavor. A safety pin unfurled into a hook, string meticulously tied to create a lifeline. She tucked the tool into a bag of her own making.

Day 4:

"Can't you just try to take a nap?" Mackenzie coaxed during the day, his brow creasing with concern as he watched her struggle with fatigue.

"Leave me alone!" Sage snapped, her voice sharp as a splinter. "I don't need your help!"

From across the room, Jace couldn't suppress a chuckle at the sight of the minuscule girl standing defiantly against Mackenzie's towering figure. Yet, despite the humor, Jace admired how gently he handled Sage's outbursts and how carefully he cradled her when she finally succumbed to exhaustion.

"Maybe she just needs to feel like she's in control," Jace suggested later, observing the dynamic between the mismatched pair. "She's been through a lot."

Mackenzie nodded thoughtfully, watching as Sage's chest rose and fell in the rhythm of a troubled sleep.

When Sage woke, Mackenzie finally addressed the elephant—or perhaps the borrower—in the room.

"Sage, we need to talk about—"

"About how you let that giant Mathis take me?" Sage cut him off sharply, her voice quivering with fear and anger.

Mackenzie exhaled, his blue eyes meeting hers steadily. "I am sorry for that, more than you know. But I need you to understand that I won’t just hand you off to someone else. I promise we'll go slow at Perseverance Mills. No one will see you until you're ready—if you ever are."

"And if I want to live like a borrower again?" Her voice was faint, exposing her most profound vulnerability.

"Then you can live in my walls and borrow all you need from me."

For a long moment, Sage was still, her thoughts racing. Then she nestled into his curled fingers; a sigh escaped her.

"Okay," she whispered, allowing herself the comfort of his warmth.

Day 5:

The frosty breath of dawn curled through the trees as Mackenzie shouldered his pack, the weight settling familiarly against his back. The crisp air nipped at the exposed skin on his face, and he adjusted his toque with a gloved hand. Sage shifted in his chest pocket, snug within and dressed in her new rabbit fur clothes, peeking out to gaze at the vast wilderness before them. She clutched her new bag containing her newly crafted borrowing gear close.

"Ready, little one?" Mackenzie's voice was a gentle rumble; vibrations felt more than heard through the fabric cocooning her.

Sage nodded, her tiny hands clutching the edge of the pocket.

Scanning the horizon with a practiced eye, Jace hoisted her bag and stepped closer. "We should make good time if we keep a steady pace. Weather seems on our side today."

Mackenzie glanced over his shoulder, the corners of his eyes crinkling in silent appreciation for Jace's optimism. He knew the journey ahead would test them. But he felt confident the three of them would do just fine.

Note: This is the final chapter of this story. I hope, dear readers, that you've enjoyed it so far. I plan to write part two later in the year. I'll be planning to work on some other WIPs until then.

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pepper & felix

part ten

its tiiiiiime word count: 4.3k

Felix’s breath hitched, his grip on his tea mug slipping.

Tea splattered over the counter as he fumbled to catch it, his heart pounding against his chest. He froze, listening intently for any noise in his otherwise silent kitchen.

Someone had said his name.

It… it couldn’t have been his soulmate. That would be impossible.

“Felix? Can you hear me?”

Cold shock tightened around Felix’s chest, and he blinked rapidly, thoughts racing, trying to wrap his mind around what was going on. He snapped his hands up to his chest, feeling the thrumming of his heartbeat, and tuned into the fuzziness in the back of his mind.

“You… you just said my name.” His words were blank and abrupt, mind racing with thoughts that were too incoherent to form into any reasonable sentence.

His soulmate paused for so long that Felix thought he might have imagined the whole thing; then, suddenly, the timid voice returned.

“I’m— I’m so sorry.”

Felix blinked in confusion. “Why—”

“I’m a borrower.”

The earth stopped spinning.

Felix froze.

“I’m— I’m your borrower. You know me.”

The air was suddenly gone from Felix’s lungs. He struggled to breathe as cold electricity struck his body, crackling and burning and destroying his insides, and he felt as if he might collapse. He was vaguely aware of the warm tea spreading onto the counter, where his mug had been knocked over by his numb, frozen hands.

Memories skipped around his mind, laughing and taunting him. He recalled the feeling of tiny boots wobbling in his palm, and how lightweight they had seemed despite the fact that they were supporting the weight of an entire person. He thought about how wide those gray eyes had been the first night he saw them, on the very counter his tea was now spilling onto. Those had been his soulmate’s eyes.

The air was stagnant as Felix clasped his hands and pressed them to his chest. His heart pounded against his palms; hopeful, terrified, angry.

“...Pepper.”

It wasn’t a question. The chaos in his mind was beginning to quell, dissolving into a cold realization that shook him to his core.

Pepper. 

Pepper is my soulmate.

Felix wanted to throw something. He wanted to deny it, wanted to move away and pretend he never met Pepper. He wanted to cheer and hold Pepper against his chest and fall asleep on the couch together, wanted to walk down the street with Pepper on his shoulder and watch the sunset with him. He wanted to cry. He wanted an explanation.

“Felix, I’m so– I’m so sorry that I didn’t tell you before.” Pepper’s mental voice was shaking as he struggled to sort out his thoughts, stumbling over his words. “But, please— we need help. Please.”

“What?” Felix stood up a little straighter at that, his gaze flickering to the toaster, as if he expected to see Pepper approach. 

“Alice found me and my sister, and— and she took us.”

Cold panic rocketed through Felix’s body like electricity.

“Wh-what?”

“We’re in her apartment, I— I think—?”

Felix was already across the kitchen, throwing on a coat and scrambling for his car keys. The kitchen appeared to be collapsing around him, but Felix didn’t care, adrenaline overtaking his actions.

“I didn’t want— I’m sorry that I had to tell you this way, I— I—“

“Pepper.” Felix slapped his hands to his chest, cutting the borrower off. “We’ll talk later. Sit tight. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes, okay?”

“…Okay.” Pepper’s voice sounded smaller than ever. 

—

Rapid, thundering knocks sounded throughout the kitchen, and both borrowers flinched. Pepper’s stomach dropped into the floor below, and he sat up straighter inside the jar, holding his breath.

To his left, Basil hugged herself. “Is that him—?”

“Alice!” Someone shouted through the door, and Pepper sucked in a sharp breath.

“Yeah,” he muttered to Basil, heart thudding.

Felix knocked again, much louder and more determined. Both borrowers scrambled to their feet at the sound of footsteps approaching– then suddenly Alice appeared in the kitchen doorway, rubbing at her eyes. A moment passed in which she frowned down at the borrowers, contemplative, before she walked to the front door and peered through the peephole.

She immediately opened the door once she recognized her unexpected guest. “Felix?”

“What the hell?” Felix spat, and the back of Pepper’s neck tickled.

Felix seemed, well… angry. His eyes were flashing dangerously as he towered over Alice, seeming much taller than usual as he glared down at the shorter girl. Pepper had never seen this side of him before.

Alice jerked back, eyes widening. “Um— what—? Is everything okay?”

Pepper's heart raced, leaning closer. Despite the fact that the amount of humans in the room had just doubled, the borrower felt significantly more hopeful for his and Basil’s safety. If the humans’ voices weren’t so overpowering, Pepper would have considered calling out to Felix.

“Did you take them?” Felix demanded. Alice stepped back, wavering.

“You… you mean those little guys?”

Felix’s eyes widened at her words, shock and betrayal crossing his face. “So you did.”

“You knew about—?”

Felix shoved past Alice into the kitchen, making the shorter girl stumble in surprise. Pepper’s stomach flipped.

Pepper felt significantly unprepared to have Felix’s gaze on him. The moment Felix locked eyes with Pepper, the borrower’s heart jumped, and he instinctively inched closer to Basil, who was frozen.

Tension filled the air. Pepper’s heart rate quickened, suddenly remembering that Felix knew. Felix knew that they were soulmates, and that Pepper had intentionally withheld that information until he was all but forced to disclose it. 

For the first time ever, Felix knew that he was looking at his soulmate.

However, Felix didn’t acknowledge a thing. Relief immediately washed over his face upon catching sight of the borrowers, and he stepped closer, leaning down to see better. “There you are.”

He still towered over the borrowers, but it was easier to see his face from this angle. Felix’s gaze softened as he examined Pepper, then switched his gaze to Basil, eyebrows lifting as he took in the sight of Pepper’s sister.

Basil made a small noise of surprise, inching back, while Pepper was frozen. It suddenly felt as if he couldn’t breathe.

Felix’s soft blue gaze slowly sharpened, glancing between the two borrowers. Something cold and foreign settled over his expression, making Pepper’s stomach twist in alarm.

Tension followed Felix’s movement as he turned towards Alice, who was still lingering near the door. 

“What the fuck did you do to them?” Felix snapped, and Pepper’s stomach dropped, staring dumbfounded up at his soulmate.

Alice blinked rapidly, glancing between Felix and the borrowers several times. Her face had gone pale. “...What? You– What?”

“They’re hurt!”

Fire surrounded Felix’s voice, bright and livid. Pepper was suddenly all too aware of the strength underneath Felix’s massive form, boiling with white-hot anger. The amount of sheer power in front of him made Pepper’s heart pound, and he took an uncertain step back, hugging himself.

At Felix’s words Basil held a hand to her face, covering her bruise, and when she glanced at Pepper, her shoulders were tense. Alarm bells were going off in Pepper’s mind, but he ignored them and moved closer to his sister. “It’s okay,” he assured her, although his heart was still racing. “He’s gonna help.”

Alice’s gaze snapped briefly to the borrowers. “They– they were sneaking around your apartment!” Her voice was aghast. “They wouldn’t cooperate, so I had to put them in a jar–”

“They wouldn’t cooperate–?” Felix’s voice rose, and he cut himself off, taking a deep, furious breath. “They’re people, Alice, what the fuck is wrong with you?”

Alice sputtered in protest as Felix whirled around again, reaching for the borrowers. The sudden approach of a hand made Pepper flinch in surprise, especially once he remembered that the hand was connected to a very angry human. Basil gasped, grabbing into Pepper, and for once Pepper didn’t have any comforting words for her.

Felix paused for a moment, gaze calculating. He leaned down to see them better. “I’m gonna open this up, okay?” His voice was firm, his eyes still dark and fiery. 

Basil seemed unable to speak, so Pepper forced himself to respond for the both of them.

“Okay.” His small voice wobbled.

Five massive fingers closed around the jar. When Pepper glanced over, Basil’s eyes were squeezed shut.

“What are you doing?” Alice asked, shocked, as Felix began to unscrew the lid. “You’re letting them out?”

Felix closed his eyes briefly, taking a deep breath to steel himself. He ignored Alice and continued, setting the lid down on the counter before meeting Pepper’s gaze. “I’m gonna tilt the jar on its side now,” Felix explained, his usual softness beginning to return to his voice. Pepper nodded again mutely, unable to look at the enormous hand around him.

He and Basil stood up straighter as the glass slowly tilted around them, a shocking display of Felix’s strength. They both wobbled, throwing out their hands and stumbling along, until finally the jar was on its side. Pepper paused at the opening and grabbed onto Basil’s hand.

He didn’t feel entirely comfortable leaving the jar until Felix withdrew his hand and gave them space. Swallowing thickly, Pepper took a small step onto the counter, while Basil did the same. They huddled near each other, feeling smaller than ever as they faced down the two humans in front of them, with no protection. Neither of them dared to speak.

Felix’s gaze lingered on Basil, flickering over her small form. “Hi,” he said gently, voice quieter than before. “I’m Felix.”

Basil’s grip tightened on Pepper’s hand, terrified to be directly addressed by a human. She opened her mouth like she intended to speak, but choked, choosing to shakily nod up at him instead.

Felix’s blue gaze shifted to Pepper, and the borrower stiffened, staring up at him. The room suddenly felt too quiet.

As if to rub salt in the wound, Alice spoke up and said, “How did you know they were here?”

Panic struck Pepper’s lungs like electricity, taking his breath away. He snapped his gaze to Alice, watching her eyes narrow.

“That doesn’t matter,” Felix said dismissively, and Pepper’s heart fluttered in relief. “We’re leaving.”

“You– you’re what?”

Felix turned and met Alice with a furious glare. “I’m taking them back home. You had no right to fucking kidnap them.”

“Kidnap–?!”

“Yes, Alice, you kidnapped them and then hurt them!” Felix’s voice was vicious, and he gestured to the borrowers, eliciting a microscopic flinch from the both of them. “Look at this girl’s face– she’s bruised because you decided to be an asshole!”

Alice turned to the borrowers in alarm, eyes wide. “What? She– I didn’t mean to–”

“We’ll talk about this later,” Felix snapped, turning back towards the borrowers, who had backed several inches away. Pepper’s knees were shaking so much he could barely stand, clutching to Basil’s equally shaky arm.

The human took a deep breath, peering at them both. “Are you guys okay? Can I carry you out?”

In Pepper’s peripheral vision, Basil shifted closer to him, her face pale. Pepper swallowed and spoke up for the both of them.

“Yeah– yeah, that’s okay,” he responded levelly, trying to calm his pounding heart. “Thank you.”

Felix nodded, then reached towards them. The sight of his massive hand approaching made Pepper’s insides turn to liquid, and he fought the urge to back away, feeling Basil stiffen next to him. When the enormous hand landed face-up an inch away from them, Pepper released a nervous breath, taking a step closer.

Tension tugged at his arm, and he glanced to see Basil frozen on the countertop, brown eyes wide and dilated. Her voice was terrified when she whispered, “I can’t. I can’t do this.”

Pepper blinked rapidly, all too aware of the humans’ eyes on them. He had nearly forgotten that Basil had never been carried by a human before… at least, not willingly. 

He stepped closer, clutching her arms. “It’ll be okay,” he whispered, heart racing. “I promise. I know it’s scary, but– but we’re gonna get out of here and then you’re never gonna have to interact with a human ever again.”

Basil blinked rapidly, sparing a quick, petrified look at the humans before swallowing hard. “I…” Her voice wobbled, barely audible. “Okay. Okay.” She took a breath, squeezing her eyes shut. “Okay.”

Pepper was immensely grateful that Felix was being patient with them. The human waited as Basil pulled herself together, her voice quiet and shaky as she mumbled to herself, clutching Pepper’s hand. 

Somehow, Basil being nervous helped to quell some of Pepper’s fears. When she finally nodded that she was ready, Pepper gently guided her towards Felix’s hand, choosing to take the first step onto the palm himself. Immediately, Felix’s thumb twitched, and Pepper had to suppress a flinch.

His stomach continued to do flips as he stepped fully onto Felix’s hand, wobbling on the soft surface. He refused to look at Felix.

Basil’s eyes shut the moment she stepped onto Felix’s hand, and she grabbed onto Pepper, releasing a tense breath through her teeth. Slowly and carefully, the two borrowers sat down on Felix’s massive palm, clinging to each other. Pepper was uncomfortably aware of how both of them could fit in one hand. 

They were tiny.

“I’m gonna move now,” Felix warned. He waited a moment for them to adjust before slowly lifting his hand off of the counter, making both borrowers freeze up instinctively. Basil began to mumble again, reciting comforting mantras to herself, eyes shut tight.

Alice was at a loss for words. Her blue eyes were wide as Felix turned towards the door, the two borrowers held carefully to his chest. 

“Bye, Alice.” Felix barely looked at her as he swung open the front door. Alice stuttered something in response, but the door had already slammed shut behind them, reverberating through Pepper’s body. He swallowed.

Felix took a few steps, then stopped, leaning against the wall of the hallway. He took a long, deep breath, briefly bringing his free hand to his face. Silence fell for over the three of them.

Pepper shared a nervous glance with Basil before he peered up at Felix. “Felix– thank you,” he said shakily, relief flooding into his body as he processed that they were no longer trapped in Alice’s apartment. The pain of the evening had shaken him to his core. “I don’t– I don’t even know what to say. Thank you.”

A long moment passed as Felix closed his eyes, steeling himself. Pepper’s stomach crawled with apprehension.

Felix finally spoke, still refusing to look at them. “Are you two okay?” He asked, ignoring Pepper’s gratitude. “I saw some of the bruises, but– is anything broken?”

Pepper and Basil glanced at each other. Pepper focused on the aching pains in his joints, and the pain of the bruises covering his body– but there didn’t seem to be any permanent damage, fortunately. After a moment of consideration, Pepper answered, “Um… no, I don’t think so. We’re okay.”

The human’s shoulders dropped, relief flooding his form. “Good… good.” He swallowed, then began to walk down the hallway, momentarily throwing Pepper off balance. “I can’t believe it… I never would have thought Alice would do something like this,” he admitted hollowly. 

Pepper chewed his lip and elected not to respond just yet. His mind was elsewhere.

Felix had yet to mention the soulmate situation. He had barely acknowledged Pepper any differently than usual, and Pepper wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or not. 

Pepper fiddled with his blue sleeves as Felix began walking down the hallway. “It’s my fault,” Pepper said definitively, a frown crossing his face. “I got– I got overconfident. I didn’t think Alice would see us.”

“She shouldn’t have kidnapped you two, though,” Felix said darkly, cradling them against his chest as he opened the doors to the apartment complex, revealing a parking lot illuminated by moonlight. Pepper blinked up at the purplish night sky, suddenly fascinated. He had forgotten it was so late. 

Basil didn’t appear to be as entranced by the stars as much as her brother. She swallowed, placing a steady hand on the massive chest behind them, and suddenly spoke to Felix for the first time. “Thank you. For– for rescuing us.”

Felix blinked down at her. “It’s okay,” he murmured, and Basil nodded, face pale.

Pepper and Basil both tensed as Felix suddenly opened the door of a small, gray car. He held them carefully as he slid into the driver’s seat, albeit awkwardly, and shut the door behind them.

“This might be loud,” Felix warned. 

“We know,” Pepper muttered, too quiet for Felix to hear.

The roar of the engine made both borrowers jump, but it quickly dissolved into background noise. Felix paused, eyes calculating as he surveyed the space around him. “You guys okay with sitting on the passenger seat? I’ll drive slow.”

Pepper and Basil shared a glance. Neither of them showed any indication that they knew what a “passenger seat” was.

“Yeah,” Pepper said finally. “That’s fine.”

–

The front door clicked shut behind Felix as he entered the kitchen, flipping the overhead light on with his free hand. The exhaustion of the evening was weighing on all three of their shoulders, leaving them in an uneasy silence, broken only by the sounds of Felix’s footsteps. Felix's hand wavered as he lowered the borrowers to the kitchen counter, and he tried not to be too uncomfortable with how easily two entire people fit in the palm of his hand.

Pepper stepped off first, followed by the female borrower. Her hand was clasped tight in her brother’s, and she wobbled as she hit the counter, as if she wasn’t used to standing on the soft skin of a human hand. Felix could only assume that she wasn’t.

It was hard not to stare at her, and at the dark bruise that covered a large portion of her face. The miniscule details of her facial features were harder to discern under the bruise, but Felix could definitely tell that she was related to Pepper, indicated by the similar slope of their noses and cheekbones. He wondered briefly if she had always lived in this apartment, too.

“Are you guys doing okay?” Felix asked cautiously, and both borrowers twitched. The tension in their shoulders was clear, and it broke Felix’s heart. Once again he found himself furious with Alice, that she would intentionally scar two defenseless people. Would they be able to recover?

“Yeah,” Pepper answered softly, glancing at his sister. She had barely said a word since Felix found them, and Felix prayed that she wouldn’t be too traumatized from the whole experience. His stomach flipped at the idea that somebody could be so scared of him. “I– I’m just happy to be home,” Pepper continued with a weak sigh, dragging his hands down his face. “I can’t thank you enough, Felix.”

Felix nodded. His gaze flickered over Pepper’s small form, and his heart twisted, a flutter of unease finding its way into his body. “Don’t thank me,” he murmured. “It was fucked up for Alice to take you. I’m so sorry.”

Pepper’s sister shifted on her feet, peering uneasily up at Felix through her dark lashes. “What if– what if she tells other humans about us?” She noticeably tensed when Felix turned his attention to her, but continued hesitantly, “We’re supposed to be a– a secret.”

Felix had to lean in a bit to hear her, uncomfortable by how shaky her voice was. It wouldn’t be absurd to assume that this might be her first time interacting with humans, ever. Sympathy flooded into his heart for the girl.

A frown crossed Felix’s features at her words. He hadn’t considered that Alice might share her discovery with other people… in which case, the borrowers’ secret would be broken. 

“I’ll talk to her tomorrow,” Felix decided after a moment, chewing his lip. “I really don’t think she’ll tell anyone, but if she does, I doubt they’ll believe her.” Pepper and his sister nodded.

Felix couldn’t fight the feeling that Pepper was avoiding his gaze. The borrower was playing with the sleeves of his blue jacket, face turned down, shifting on his feet like he wasn’t sure if he should stay or leave.

After a moment of consideration, Felix addressed the female borrower, trying to keep his voice soft and polite. “You should probably go rest,” he told her, and she blinked owlishly. “Is it okay if I talk to Pepper alone, for a bit?”

Pepper stiffened, but stayed silent. His sister sent him a sideways glance, a curious expression crossing her face, and she nodded up at Felix.

“Yeah,” she said, a warmer tone filling her voice. “Thank you again, for everything.”

She whispered something to Pepper, far too quiet for Felix to decipher. A minute later she had vanished, disappearing behind the toaster where Felix knew a hidden exit was, and Pepper and Felix were alone. Silence fell over the two of them.

Felix opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly found himself at a loss for words. Pepper was still refusing to look at him, a behavior that made Felix’s stomach twist.

“...Want to move to the couch?” Felix offered after a moment, placing a hand face-up next to the borrower. 

Pepper’s gray eyes blinked, and his voice wobbled when he responded, “Yeah… yeah.” He only hesitated for a second before stepping up onto Felix’s palm, hugging himself. Felix made sure to walk carefully when he moved to the living room, not wanting to inflame any injuries Pepper might have endured.

They receded to their usual positions; Felix sitting sideways on the cushion, while Pepper sat cross-legged on the back of the couch. The ghostly feeling of tiny boots on Felix’s palm was hard to ignore, and he ran his hand over the length of his forearm.

Pepper, surprisingly, was the first one to speak. “Felix…” His breath hitched and he closed his eyes, voice breaking. “I should have told you. I’m sorry.” He drew his knees close to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. He looked absolutely miniscule.

Felix hesitated. “How long have you known?”

Pepper avoided his gaze again. “For… for a while. Since we’ve met.”

Oh. 

Felix blinked rapidly, brow furrowing. Pepper had known this entire time that they were soulmates? 

He thought back to everything his soulmate had told him… that he enjoyed sewing, that he had a sister. Considering how little his soulmate had been willing to share about his life, Felix wasn’t sure how he hadn’t noticed before.

Pepper’s expression was hard to make out in the darkness of the room. A singular orange lamp illuminated the space, casting shadows over the walls, and Pepper looked smaller than ever. The miserable glint in the borrower’s eyes, however, was indisputable.

“I…” Felix couldn’t vocalize his thoughts. He hadn’t known that borrowers even had soulmates, let alone that they can overlap with humans. As much as it hurt to know that Pepper had intentionally withheld this information, there was a small part of his mind that understood. Looking at Pepper, Felix found himself under an onslaught of confusion and fear, and if he had been in Pepper’s place he wasn’t sure how he would have handled it. “I didn’t know that was possible,” Felix finally said, peering closer. “For a human and a borrower to be soulmates.”

“Me neither,” Pepper said instantly, shoulders slumping. “I… I wanted to tell you, I did, but– but it’s just–” He waved his arms out uselessly. “I’ve never even talked to a human before you, and– and it just felt like… too much.”

Felix nodded slowly. He supposed that an unbreakable bond with a human would be unsettling for a borrower who had spent their whole life fearing humans. 

“...Your sister’s probably not happy, huh?” He asked teasingly. “How does she feel about it?”

A smile crossed Pepper’s face at the mention of his sister, and he relaxed microscopically. “Well… she’s not the biggest fan of humans,” he explained. “When I told her that we’re soulmates, um… she didn’t take it that well. But, she’s starting to come around… especially now that you kind of saved our lives.” He raised his eyebrows pointedly. 

Felix chewed his lip at that, contemplative. “Speaking of that… Alice didn’t hurt her too much, did she? I couldn’t help but notice the, um, bruise on her face. Is she okay?”

Pepper’s features softened. “She definitely got the worst of it, but she’s tough as hell. She’s gonna be okay. Don’t worry.” His lips twitched into a smile.

“Good.” Felix fought the urge to ask if Basil lived here, too. That question could wait. 

The human took a deep breath, then spoke again, lowering his voice somewhat. “Listen, Pepper, about us being soulmates… I’m sorry that you were forced to tell me before you were ready.” His voice softened, watching as Pepper’s gray eyes focused on him. “I’m… well, I’m surprised that we’re soulmates, and… I’m not really sure where to go from here… but it’s okay. I’m not upset about it.”

Pepper blinked, his shoulders twitching. “You’re not?”

“I do like you,” Felix continued gently. “I think I understand how the universe decided that we’re soulmates. There’s definitely a lot to figure out between us, but… I’m at least happy to call you my friend. This doesn’t change anything.”

A flush crossed Pepper’s face, and the borrower nodded, leaning closer. “I– I’m glad,” he expressed, eyes wide. “I don’t want things to change.”

“I do wish that I could’ve found out in a less stressful way, though,” Felix added, amused, and Pepper snorted. 

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Pepper mused. “That definitely wasn’t the most romantic way to tell you.”

Felix made a noise of surprise, flushing, and Pepper laughed. “I’m just kidding.” The borrower pushed himself to his feet, eyes twinkling. “I should probably go check up on my sister, now– but I’ll talk to you tomorrow?”

Felix blinked rapidly, a warm feeling in his chest. “Yeah.” He smiled. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

---------

eeeeeeeeee finally !!!!!

thank you so so much for reading!! comments/reblogs are always appreciated (i thrive off them) :D

TAGLIST: @smallsday @compact-katrina @satethesatelite @taters169 @entomolog-t

[tinycoded360]

Chapter three! And yet another switch in perspective, and a new character!

Chapter three

Atlas

There’s many ways to express panic, regret and remorse, but my personal favorite is loudly and repeatedly yelling “fuck.”

I've had my drivers license for less than a week and I've already managed to hit a person with a car that doesn't even belong to me! Just as I get out of the car Ronan is getting up and gently grabbing something off the ground. “que diable?! tu viens de me heurter avec ma propre voiture! Que fais-tu?!” he yells at me in french, so he's definitely pissed. Despite my fifty day duolingo streak I have no clue what he's saying at all. He lets out a loud sigh when I don't say anything back for about thirty seconds and he checks on the little. . . thing he has in his hands.

“Where's the girl?” I ask hesitantly, hoping he forgives me for hitting him with the car. He's too busy looking over whatever he's holding, trying to see if it's broken or not. Did he break his earpiece? He looks shocked for a moment, and I just kinda stand off by the car awkwardly. “You're. . . completely fine?” Ronan says, my curiosity peaks. “I cant get hurt.” a shy and tiny voice answers from his palm. Now I'm really interested. There is a tiny voice that I don't recognize coming from Ronan's hand and the girl we were sent to find is nowhere in sight. Still, I don't say anything. Instead I wait for Ronan to explain what is going on. “Atlas, get in the car and call the fire department, we kinda started a small forest fire.” Ronan tells me as he looks back at the forest, I just now notice the slowly spreading flames. “I told you that the fire was a bad idea! Did you at least get what the client asked for?”

I ask, not even phased by Ronan's idiotic use of fire. He's always been sorta a pyromantic, and it is usually near impossible to get him away from a flame once he finds it. So seeing him walk away from one must mean his mind is very focused on something else. “I'll explain in a minute, I'm driving so no one else gets hit.” I wince at the reminder of how I hit him a few minutes ago.

We both get in the car and he gently places what looks like a dirty tiny person into the cup holder. “Holy shit dude did you find a fairy?!” the fairy girl thing creature flinches at my voice, and i mouth an apology. Ronan chuckles and starts the car. “This is Isabelle liana, this is how i found her, as far as i know she's human.”

“No, I'm not human,”

Isabella's voice cuts through both of ours. She sounds somber and quiet, like she's hurt that we would consider her human. “What do you mean?” I ask, and Ronan looks concerned, she shrugs and turns away from me, as if she's offended I even talk to her. Does she not like me? I did hit her and Ronan with my car, but I don't think that would warrant her hatred seeing as she doesn't even have a scratch on her.

Ronan, who can see her expression looks slightly amused at whatever she looks like. Oh god she definitely hates me. Before I can fully spiral down that road of thoughts, I notice that she's covered in what looks like wet toilet paper. This situation just keeps getting weirder and weirder. Ronan and I exchange a glance before we both turn our attention back to the little girl who has still yet to answer the question.

The only thing about her that doesn't seem human is her size. “Um, do you have an answer to why you're not human?” she silent for a few minutes more before she starts to push the white mush she's covered in off her body.

“Humans can die.”

is all she says, her tone somber and her voice quiet. She curls in on herself and her question leads to a hundred more. What the hell is she talking about, of course about to start freaking out if no one starts telling me what's going on. “Atlas, can you get the wet tissue off isa so she can warm up?” Ronan asks as he turns off the highway. At his suggestion Isabelle quickens how fast she's getting it off herself, getting the majority off before I get a chance to reach for her.

I slap my hands onto my knees and click my tongue, not wanting to see how she's a hundred percent glaring at me. This thing hates me. This client may never hire us again if he learns that his sister hates me. She seems pretty fine with Ronan though, and I don't think he would stop hiring Ronan, over my mistake.

But then would Ronan fire me for making a mistake this big? He's not hurt, but I did hit him with my car, and that usually makes people hate other people. Before my spiral of thoughts can continue, Ronan is shoving a stale and half eaten croissant into my mouth. I immediately spit it out and shoot him a glare. “Where the hell did that come from?!”

“Pocket croissant.” he says as if it's the most normal thing in the world to carry a croissant in your pocket. “Why?” I ask incredulously. “You were clicking your tongue non stop, it was getting annoying.” he says with a stifled laugh, and i shake my head in pure disbelief with the situation. My attention turns back to the tiny girl sitting quietly in the cup holder, she seems scared and relieved all at the same time.

The moon is still high in the sky with stars scattered across in a way that's too beautiful to be random. If it weren't for the forest fire that's slowly spreading through the forest I would ask Ronan to pull the can over so we could star gaze. I bet Isabelle would like to watch the sky at this time of night too, i don't think she’s had a chance to do something like that in a while from the looks of her. She's pale and obviously malnourished. Her hair is unwashed and her clothes are dirty. She was obviously not well taken care of for the last few years she's been in that lab. Ronan hasn't told me much about her and I've been able to find her first grade school records and lab records from the last ten years. She was pulled out to be homeschooled but I haven't been able to find the normal things you would be able to find on a persone her age. School records, medical history, information on her parents, her childhood home. It's like none of it ever even existed. Like she hasn't existed. “So, why are you so small?” I ask while looking down to isabelle. Ronan pushes my shoulder and shoots me a friendly glare.

“You cannot just ask her that, no questions for at least three days.” At Ronan's words, Isabelle noticeably stiffened. I wonder if she's against the idea of staying with us for a while. I feel bad for her if she doesn't want to live, considering our client won't be able to pick her up for five months. He said he had very urgent business that had to be taken care of before he saw isabelle. I don't exactly know what could be more important than seeing your sister after ten years. “Let's stop for burgers.” I suggest shifting the tension out of the air. “It's on ronan.” Ronan mumbles a bit about how i should have to pay for once, but he quickly drops the attitude when isabella's eyes light up with the mention of burgers.

[tinycoded360]

pepper & felix

part nine

uh oh word count: 3.0k cw: talk of death and minor injury

Being released from Alice’s hand brought short-lived relief, followed by panic. 

Dark, plush walls closed around Pepper and Basil as they tumbled inside the pocket of Alice’s jacket, crying out in surprise. Terror struck Pepper like lightning, cold and sharp, and his heart was suddenly threatening to pound out of his chest.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” 

Pepper swore under his breath, scrabbling for purchase within the dark, cramped space. Felix had held him a few times, but Pepper had never been inside a pocket, especially one that he did not consent to be in. Somewhere to his right, Basil was cursing too, her breathing quick and uneven.

“Fuck! Felix!” Pepper instinctively lunged for the top of the pocket and missed, slipping down the fabric walls. “Motherfucke—”

Both borrowers flinched as Alice spoke, her sharp reverberating around them. “Felix, hey— something just came up. I think I’m gonna head out too.”

Felix’s voice, soft and comforting, seemed so painfully far away. “Oh! Yeah, no worries at all. Want me to walk you out?”

“No, that’s alright.” Alice answered quickly. “But I’ll see you around. And— congratulations.” She laughed lightly.

Felix said something in response, but Pepper could barely hear it over his own heart pounding. His stomach, full of ice, seemed to weigh him down as he struggled to reach the top of the pocket again, Basil at his side, both of them hissing in exertion. 

Once again, they plummeted to the bottom of the pocket as Alice moved forward. The pocket swayed with each step, and Pepper immediately fought the dizziness away, trying to focus on Basil’s panicked breathing next to him. Her voice trembled as she spoke. “Pepper, oh my god— oh my god, Pepper, what do we do—”

Pepper continued to shout Felix’s name until his throat was hoarse, but the familiar click of the front door made his heart sink. Felix couldn’t hear him. And now Alice was leaving.

Alice walked briskly, indicated by the rapid swaying of the pocket around them. Pepper’s stomach turned, and he felt Basil grab his shoulder in terror, both of them thrown off balance. His heart dropped. “Shit. Basil, we’re gonna— we’re gonna get out of here, I swear, I—”

He was interrupted by a monstrous noise aside, and he flinched, holding tight onto his sister. It took him a moment to register that the roaring outside must be from Alice’s car. 

“Where— where is she taking us?” Basil managed to ask through gritted teeth. Pepper let out a sharp breath, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes.

“I don’t know,” he forced out, heart racing. Unlike Felix, Alice was unpredictable. Pepper knew almost nothing about her, and that realization made his stomach go cold. “I—”

“Fucking humans,” Basil hissed, burying her face in her hands. Her breath hitched. “God, I can’t believe this. I— she’s gonna kill us, she’s gonna—”

“No— she won’t,” Pepper assured, although his voice wobbled. A shaky hand scrubbed at his eyes. “She won’t, Basil, I promise.”

His heart jumped when he remembered that he had his bag with him, and he lunged for it, managing to yank his hook out in the tight space. Basil gasped sharply, scrambling back to make space as Pepper reached up, hook wobbling in his grip, trying to catch it on the lip of the pocket. 

He let out a sharp breath as his hook hit something smooth and solid, and with an icy feeling in his gut, he dropped the hook to his side.

“This pocket is zipped shut,” he said miserably, flopping back down. Basil’s breath shuddered.

Silenced by their own despair, the borrowers huddled against each other. Pepper’s stomach was filled with ice, his heart threatening to pound out of his chest with each passing minute. He felt the shoulder of his jacket grow wet with Basil’s tears, and he silently pulled her closer, squeezing his eyes shut.

The drive was short. When the engine of the car shut off, Pepper tensed, tightening his grip on Basil’s arm. Fear flooded back into his stomach as Alice stood up, swaying the pocket with her movement.

“We should have stayed in the walls,” Basil mumbled. Pepper stayed silent.

The next few minutes felt like torture. Both borrowers flinched with every movement, expecting the pocket to zip open at any moment. Pepper ended up shoving his hook back into his bag, praying that Alice wouldn’t think to confiscate it from him. 

He held his breath as Alice suddenly paused, the world outside quieting.

Pepper had known that they would be grabbed again, but it still made his stomach lurch to hear the zipper open above them. Both borrowers let out gasps of panic as a hand twice their size invaded their space, swiftly tightening around the both of them, firm and unrelenting.

The world spun around them as they were pulled out. Basil elbowed Pepper painfully as she immediately began to fight back, hissing and swearing.

Alice tightened her fist, pressing Pepper and Basil against each other. They were met with icy blue eyes and a frown as Alice looked them over, and Pepper’s breath shuddered, feeling his own heartbeat against the tough skin surrounding him.

Pepper didn’t want to think about what would happen if Alice tightened her fist any more.

“You two have some explaining to do,” Alice said sharply, eyes narrowing. 

Alice’s kitchen was slightly larger than Felix’s. The two borrowers were being held inches above the countertop, which made Pepper’s heart jump with false hope of escaping.

Basil did not stop fighting. She thrashed and kicked in Alice’s grip, while Pepper glared up at Alice, face pale. 

“We’re Felix’s friends,” he demanded. His voice shook. 

Alice raised an eyebrow. “You can’t be serious.”

“We are!” Pepper snapped, chest heaving against the pressure around him. 

The dark-haired human observed their struggling for a moment before digging through a cabinet with her free hand. Pepper barely caught a glimpse of a glass jar before the pressure around him vanished and he and Basil were being dropped inside, earning startled cries from both of them.

Cold, solid glass rushed up to meet them. Pepper let out a shout of pain as he hit the bottom of the jar, hearing his sister do the same next to him. He grabbed his arm, sucking in a sharp breath and squeezing his eyes shut.

The jar clicked as Alice set it down on the counter. Through his blurry vision, Pepper could see Alice placing both her hands on the counter, peering closer at them.

“What the hell are you?” Alice demanded.

Pepper ignored her, helping Basil up. His sister was cradling her elbow in a similar fashion to Pepper, wincing. 

A large hand tapped the jar, making them both jump. “Hey. Tell me what you are,” Alice hissed. Basil’s nose scrunched.

“I’m fucking annoyed.” Basil snapped, eyes dark and intense. “You— you just kidnapped us.” She wobbled on her feet and grabbed onto Pepper for support.

Alice’s lips thinned into a line. In an instant, the jar was in her hand, and the borrowers yelped as they tumbled back against the glass.

“All I know is that you two were sneaking around Felix’s apartment and spying on us,” Alice snapped. She rattled the jar, sending jolts of pain through Pepper’s body as he collided with the glass. Unable to keep their balance, both borrowers collapsed into the bottom of the jar, gasping for breath. “What the hell do you want from Felix?”

Pepper groaned, his blood pounding in his ears. Fear jolted through his body like a wave, and he shakily propped himself up on his elbows, squinting at Alice through the glass. “Nothing,” he forced out. To his left, Basil made a noise of pain, clutching at her jaw. “I told you… we’re Felix’s friends.”

Alice rolled her eyes, making Pepper’s stomach twist. “Do you really expect me to believe that?”

“Yes!” Pepper’s throat was tight. “We were just stopping by. We weren’t bothering anyone. We didn’t— we didn’t do anything wrong.”

“You were watching us,” Alice corrected, lip curling. “Why? And what are you?”

Pepper had already turned his attention to his sister, who was sitting against the back of the glass jar, clutching her face. Pepper’s heart sank when he noticed the dark mark stretching from her jaw to her cheekbone.

“I’m fine,” Basil muttered as Pepper leaned closer, panic flashing in his gray eyes. “I’m fine.”

Pepper hesitated. “Basil—”

The jar impatiently rattled again, and Pepper collapsed against Basil, both borrowers hissing in pain. “Stop,” Pepper pleaded, staring up at the human. “You’re hurting us.”

Alice paused, blue eyes calculating. After a second of consideration she sent the jar back down on the counter and reached into the cabinet again, momentarily distracted.

Pepper grabbed Basil’s shoulder, searching his sister’s expression. His stomach twisted at the sight of the dark bruise on her cheek, covering a quarter of her face. Pepper could feel similar bruises forming on his body, spreading from his elbows to his chest to his knees. His heart pounded.

Basil’s shoulders shuddered as she breathed, blearily scanning Pepper’s face. Her brown eyes were wet.

Pepper barely acknowledged the noises above them as Alice screwed a lid onto the jar. His gray eyes were suddenly welling with tears, and guilt rushed up to meet him.

“I’m sorry,” he breathed to Basil, voice wobbling. “This is all my fault, Basil. I—I’m so sorry.”

Basil had warned him not to trust humans. He has willfully ignored her, and now she was paying the price.

He snapped his gaze to Alice as she spoke, her voice sharp. “Felix is sweet.” Her blue eyes flickered between Pepper and Basil, who were stiff and silent. “I don’t know why you were creeping around his place, but he has enough stress to deal with right now without you two messing with him. You’re staying in here until you want to explain yourselves.”

Pepper wanted to snap back and argue, but he glanced at Basil and decided against it. The last thing he wanted was to encourage Alice to shake the jar again.

He bit his tongue and elected to stay silent, huddling closer to his sister. Alice made a noncommittal noise and slid the jar further away until it was tucked next to the wall and a large glass ornament. 

“Still don’t want to talk?” Alice pressed. Pepper held his breath, and the human sighed, glancing at the nearest clock. It was getting late.

“Then you’re staying right here tonight,” she decided, stepping back. “You better explain yourselves tomorrow.” She gave them a long glare, making Pepper’s skin prickle, before she turned away, leaving them in the kitchen alone.

Pepper’s shoulders slumped in relief as Alice’s footsteps receded. He swallowed hard, taking several deep breaths before turning towards Basil again. “Are you— are you okay?”

His sister was staring straight ahead, her brown eyes watery. Her jaw clenched, and she muttered, “I’m alive.”

Pepper’s breath hitched. “I’m so sorry. For— for all of this.”

“It’s not your fault,” Basil said stiffly, turning to face him. Her gaze danced over his form, lingering on his neck where he was certain there was a dark bruise. “It’s… I just… I can’t fucking believe this. We're in a jar.”

Her shoulders shuddered with a dry sob, dropping her head back against the glass. “My whole life, I’ve been so— I’ve been so careful. I did everything right, and— and I slipped up once and now I’m in a jar with my brother. We’re both gonna die.”

Misery crept through Pepper’s veins, cold and numb. “Basil, she’s not gonna kill us—”

“Just because you blindly trust humans doesn’t mean I do,” Basil snapped, whipping her head so quickly that she winced in pain. Pepper fell silent, mouth dry. “This girl just kidnapped us and stuck us in a jar and you still think that we’re safe with her? What is wrong with you?” Her words were bitter.

Pepper blinked rapidly, inching away. A flush crossed his face. “That’s not what I’m saying,” he said hotly. 

Fresh tears were pouring down Basil’s bruised face. “I just—” she took a deep breath, closing her eyes briefly. “I just can’t trust humans like you can.”

“I don’t just trust all humans—”

“Pepper, we were in her fist, and you were barely struggling—”

“That’s not— I wasn’t— struggling wouldn’t have done anything!”

Basil huffed, turning her face away. She hesitated before bracing a palm against the glass, pulling herself into a wobbly stance. Pepper leaned back, gaze scanning her form for any invisible injuries. 

“Let’s just talk about this later,” Basil muttered, weakly twisting around to grab at her backpack. She struggled for a brief second before she retrieved her hook.

Oh. Pepper had nearly forgotten that they had their hooks with them— but what good would they even do?

“What are you doing?” He asked cautiously, vaguely wondering if Basil was going to stab him.

His sister ignored him, squinting up at the lid of the jar. Five thin holes had been punched through the lid, and Basil reached her arms above her head, struggling to latch her hook through one of the holes.

Pepper watched her for a moment, wincing every time she huffed in pain, before he shifted to lean back against the glass. He wrapped his arms around his knees.

Basil worked for a few minutes, wobbling on her toes. She was just tall enough for her hook to brush against the lid of the jar, but it couldn’t latch onto the holes without slipping off. “Fuck,” Basil grumbled finally, throwing her hook to the ground with an angry clatter. She flopped down a moment later, burying her face in her hands.

Empathy flooded into Pepper’s heart at her misery. “Let me try.”

His own hook was still tucked away in his bag, but he elected to use Basil’s hook instead. He picked it up, holding it above his head just like Basil had done.  

He had realized quickly what Basil had been trying to do. If they manage to latch the hook through one of the holes, they might be able to twist the lid off themselves. Pepper had little hope that such an unlikely scenario would happen, but they didn’t have many other options.

He stood on his toes, his ribs aching. The tip of the hook continued to irritatingly bounce off the smooth lid, making Pepper growl in annoyance.

He was very aware of Basil’s brown eyes on him. When he failed for the sixth time, she murmured, “I’m sorry for what I said.”

He spared her a glance before stretching up again. “It’s okay,” he said simply.

Basil could swear at him or insult him or punch him, and he wouldn’t blame her for any of it. The terror of the situation was gut-wrenching, and the thought that he might be possible for his sister’s demise made him want to throw up. She had every right in the world to be mad at him.

“I just… I just can’t believe this is happening,” Basil admitted hollowly.

Pepper swore under his breath as the hook bounced off of the lid for what felt like the hundredth time. He finally dropped it to the ground in a similar fashion to Basil, and collapsed against the wall, perpendicular to his sister.

He rested his head against the glass, sighing heavily. “Maybe Alice will tell Felix about us. And he’ll come rescue us.”

Basil went pale, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of another human getting involved. “…Yeah,” she mumbled. “Yeah, I hope so.”

Pepper tried not to think about how Alice had intentionally kept the borrowers from Felix for the entirety of the night. The likelihood of her sharing her discovery with Felix seemed very low.

Basil suddenly sat up straighter, eyes wide. Pepper blinked at her expectantly.

“Pepper,” she whispered. “Felix is your soulmate.” Her words came out in a rush.

He raised his eyebrows, rubbing at his face. “Yeah, man.”

“No, no, Pepper, you can call him right now.” 

He stiffened, staring at Basil. Her breathing was quick, her brown eyes blinking rapidly. She seemed just as terrified as him, but her face was brightening with a glimmer of hope.

Pepper’s stomach had gone cold. Panic was already seeping into his veins at the thought of contacting Felix. “No.”

Basil blanched. “What?”

“I can’t— Basil, I can’t tell him, not like this.” Pepper’s breath hitched in panic, and he pulled his knees closer to his bruised chest. “I’m not ready to tell him.”

Basil let out a breath, jerking back in shock. “You’re joking.”

“I’m sorry, I— I can’t—!”

“That doesn’t matter right now!” Basil hissed, running her agitated hands through her hair. “Pepper, please. This can’t be that important. Alice has already hurt us– we don’t know what she might do tomorrow. Please.”

Pepper clenched his jaw, blinking rapidly to stop the welling of tears. “I’ve been so scared to tell him that we’re soulmates, and— for him to find out like this, it’s just…” his breath hitched.

“He’s never gonna find out if you’re stuck in a jar forever,” Basil pointed out weakly. She shifted over to sit next to Pepper, placing a trembling hand on his arm. His shoulders shuddered. “I’m sorry, Pepper, I really am. I know this sucks, and… and it’s just awful, to have to do this. But… I don’t think you have a choice. We’re trapped.”

Pepper met her watery gaze. His eyes fell to the dark bruise on her cheek, stretching from the corner of her eye to the base of her jaw. His heart shattered.

With a sob, he threw his arms around her, pulling her into a hug.

She didn’t speak, only rested her head on his shoulder for a long moment. He could feel the thumping of her heart against his own chest, quick and nervous. His breath hitched as he said, “Okay.”

Basil nodded gently, then shifted back to give him space. Pepper closed his eyes, mind swimming with trepidation. 

Would Felix hate him after this? 

With a shaky breath, he clasped his hands and held them against his chest.

“…Felix?”

---------

rest in peace alice!

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