I//I

He stopped going to those barbecues after becoming a sergeant. It got to be too painful for him to see the others living the life that he dreamed of. He spoke to adoption agency after adoption agency during every single one of his days off and none of them would allow him to adopt from them. He knew why. He was a single man and his lifestyle wasn’t exactly conducive to having children. He was traumatized and was legally required to attend therapy. After an exceptionally bad mission, he was declared unfit for the field. He received a very generous pension but the one thing that he really had going for him was over.

He withdrew into himself after that. He only had his tiny shoebox apartment that he stayed in while he was on shore leave and it was awful. All he would do was dissociate, go to the gym, and take care of only his most basic needs like eating, drinking, and showering. He went to the store once per week and always got the exact same things. He knew how much he consumed and how much he needed to restock. It was the same every week.

Simon wasn’t really living and he knew that. He barely felt human. He was stagnating and he couldn’t get out of the pit that he was trapped in. He was on his way back to his apartment from the gym when something caught his eye. There was a tiny coffee shop with a “Grand Opening” sign in the window. The window panes were painted bright colors and he could see that the walls were covered in book filled shelves. The rich scent of hot coffee wafted out of the open doors, inviting him to come closer.

He hadn’t read something that wasn’t a bill or a report since… He couldn’t remember how long it had been. His guilty pleasure when he was younger was reading old classic novels. He used to have a small library of tattered paperbacks that he would drown himself in when things got bad and when his nightmares felt too real. He slowly walked towards the small shop while displaying an uncharacteristic hesitance. He stood in the doorway of the half filled shop before slowly getting in line. The coffee smelled divine and he’d be lying to himself if he said that his mouth wasn’t watering a bit. There were signs all over displaying the genres of the books on the shelves and advertising that customers could borrow any book they wanted.

He eventually got to the front of the line and peered down at the barista. You were smaller than him and had a chipper expression. Your face was shining with the excitement of starting a new job and it made him pause. You were young and happy. Your apron was quilted cotton fabric and it suited you. The pattern was a happy pastel floral and it made the cheerful look on your face look that much more sincere. He took a moment to read your name tag and was almost surprised when you spoke.

“Hi! What can I get started for you today?” You chirped in a cheery tone.

“I’ll have a black coffee, please.” He said quietly. His voice instinctively took on that gentle quality that it always did when he was speaking to a child. He had forgotten that it could do that.

“For here or to go?” You asked.

“For here.” He said in the same voice. There was no mistaking it. There was something about you that was just so… Childish. He couldn’t help himself.

“Great! Can I interest you in a pastry? You seem like the kind of guy that can appreciate a good strawberry danish. They’re my favorite.” You offered.

“Sure. I’ll take one of those.” He almost immediately said. He knew that being nice was your job. He knew that you were just trying to make a good impression on a customer but he couldn’t help but melt a bit for the first time in years when you mentioned liking the dessert.

“Wonderful! Can I get you anything else?” You asked.

“No.” He answered. He immediately regretted how harsh it sounded. A little thing like you shouldn’t have to deal with any sort of roughness or harshness. He felt like you were just too small for that.

You rang his order up and had him take a seat at one of the few empty tables after he paid while one of your coworkers made him his coffee. He sat for a few moments before grabbing a book that he had been eyeing for a little bit. It was an old hardcover copy of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. He flips it open and starts reading the first page. 

He was surprised. It was the first time that he had felt truly comfortable in ages. The cushioning on the chain helped calm the ache in his back that had been there since the beginning of his time in the military. The book was familiar and the smell of the coffee shop was delicious. The air was filled with the smell of coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and sweet baked goods. There was soft music playing in the background and the soft chatter of customers and employees made the atmosphere that much more cozy. The soft sound of footfalls caught his attention and he looked up to see you with his coffee and pastry.

“Oh, is that Frankenstein? I loved that one! I begged the boss to get that copy for the coffee shop. It’s the same version as the first edition. I liked it better than the later versions. There’s also a promotion going on. You get a free bookmark every time you come in this week. I hope you enjoy your order!” You babbled happily at him as you placed the food and drink on the table. You also put a bookmark next to his coffee. He looked over the bookmark, noting the whimsical art of the coffee shop and how it seemed just as bright and lively as you. He was pleasantly surprised to find that it helped to lift his spirits a bit. 

Over the next few weeks, he religiously visited the coffee shop and got the same coffee and whatever pastry you recommended. It made him happy and he liked being able to see you. You became less cheerful as time went on and the bags under your eyes got worse. He realized after a particularly eventful visit to the cafe that you were dealing with unpleasant customers and a grueling work schedule. You were there every day, after all. 

He decided to help. He was a scary guy and he was well aware of that. Instead of visiting after the gym, he started visiting a bit before the lunch rush. He would get his order with the addition of a sandwich and would simply read one of the books on the shelf while making sure that no one was rude to you. He gave unkind looks to customers that didn’t behave themselves and it easily cowed them into behaving. He was very pleased when you seemed less stressed and more chipper again.

He knew that you had a life outside of your job but he tried not to think about it after coming home from visiting you. He had recognized that he was making progress with going outside more. He would regularly go out of his apartment at least twice per day and he was starting to feel happy when he wasn’t with you. Granted, he was thinking about you, but he felt like it still counted for something. He had started cooking new things in order to have more things to chat about when he occasionally struck up a conversation with you. He was coming home from the gym again when your life outside of that little store truly came to his attention. 

He didn’t quite recognize what was going on at first. There was a group of people jostling around and he didn’t think much of it. He thought that it was just a gang of boys looking to make trouble until he heard a familiar voice. It was you. You were asking them, more like begging them, not to take your wallet or phone. He was looking over and finally saw your face from the other side of the street.

You were crying.

Oh, he hated that.

Nothing and nobody should ever make you cry. 

Not when you were the one thing making his life bearable. 

He ran across the empty street and immediately slammed one of the men onto the ground. He made quick work of all of them, systematically hitting each of the men in a way that left very noticeable and recognizable bruising on their faces. While he was busy smacking around the last one, the rest of them ran off. He was distracted by them running and took a few steps to make chase before being entirely blindsided.

You hugged him. 

You hugged Simon of all people.

You were still crying and he was so stunned that he just let the last man run off after the rest of the group.

It was fine. He would take care of them later. He had something significantly more important to handle at the moment.

He gently hugged you back and it was like a flood of dopamine straight to his brain. He had been on every antidepressant available on the market, plus a select few that weren’t, and none of them had any kind of effect like this. You were far better than any pill.

He finally coaxed a sob filled explanation out of you after hugging you and rubbing your back for about fifteen minutes. Your tears had soaked his hoodie but he didn’t mind. It was you, after all. You were walking home after work and the group had come out of nowhere. You were so scared, especially after they had threatened you. You were so scared that when he offered to walk you home, you accepted with no hesitation.

He carefully walked with an arm around your shoulders as if he was shielding you from the rest of the world. This felt good. Simon was in heaven. He didn’t know that this kind of human connection would feel so nice. He walked you the few miles to your apartment and politely declined when you offered to make him some coffee, making a lame joke about how he’d get some from you tomorrow during lunch.

Simon practically floated back to his own apartment. His heart felt full for the first time in a very, very long time. He decided to use an old notebook that he had gotten to record every positive experience that he had from now on. His life had a light in it and he wasn’t going to ignore that. He carefully scribbled down the date, the time, his experience, and how it made him feel in his terrible handwriting. He smiled as he looked down at the entry and tucked his new happiness journal under his pillow before falling asleep that night. 

He woke up in a much better mood than usual that morning. He couldn’t explain it but he was just so happy that you had relied on him for something. It was a similar feeling to when he would open a juice box for one of his friends’ kids or was given a poorly made drawing by one of them. He was actually happy and felt a bit of pride in himself. You trusted him to watch over you and keep you safe. He loved it.

That day during lunch, you were even friendlier with him than usual. Your smile was brighter and your laugh at his bad jokes was louder. You had such a warmth to you that he just basked in it. He made sure that you were okay after the incident the night before and then settled in to keep watch over the lunch rush and read his book. This would absolutely be going into his happiness  journal when he got home.

After lunch, Simon made a detour before going home. He had found the social media of the men that had attacked you the night before while he was eating breakfast. It wasn’t hard for him to find their locations and where they lived. It took him less than an hour to finish what he had started the night before but it took a while longer to dispose of the evidence. He was a professional. He may be retired but he isn’t out of practice and it felt good to do what he was skilled at.

He continued going to that little coffee shop and visiting you for months. You were adorable and he loved being one of your regulars. Over time, he learned all about you. At first, he was content to just enjoy the tidbits of information that you gave him while you two chatted but then he started getting greedy. He found your social media and learned about everything that you like and dislike. He learned everything that there was to know about you. It got to the point where he hacked into your phone to watch you through the camera when he got lonely. He loved seeing your concentrated expression when you searched up silly questions that he could easily answer for you if he were there with you. It helped him to justify the way that he saw you. You needed him to help you and take care of you. You couldn’t defend yourself and you certainly didn’t know enough to be able to take care of yourself. 

Every time he went to the little coffee shops you worked at, he felt an incredible sense of relief. He didn’t like how many shifts you had to take to keep a roof over your head but he liked that he got to see you every day. He still worried about your stress levels and safety and was trying to come up with a solution to the issue. One lunch, he realized that there was a very simple solution. 

He decided that the next step to helping you would be helping himself. He started looking at two bedroom houses in the countryside. He ended up buying one outright. Decades of doing the absolute bare minimum to keep his body healthy and alive helped his bank accounts get fat enough for it to not be as big of a deal as it should’ve been. He had it remodeled to make sure that it would be warm in the winter and cool in the summer. He had also started to pick out furniture and decorations for the rooms. It gave him a sense of purpose that he had never had before, not even in the military.

He had you tell him which decorations you liked better. He mentioned that it was for the child that he was going to adopt soon. You gushed over how you knew he would be a great father and how wonderful it was for him to give a kid a home. Simon just smiled and thanked you. You had no clue about what was happening and it was all the more reason to protect you. You didn’t even pick up on anything when you asked what the child looked like and he gave a vague description that matched you. You were just happy to help him choose paint colors and tell him which stuffed animals were cuter.

There was no warning when you woke up in a strangely familiar room. You went to bed in your own apartment and simply woke up somewhere else. You didn’t have a headache or any grogginess. There were no side effects to help you understand what had happened to you. You were just… Not in your apartment. You looked around the room and immediately began recognizing everything. The walls were the color that you recommended to Simon. The shelves were the type that you had recommended to him. The rug on the floor was the kind that he showed you while asking your opinion on it. Everything was just like you told him would be best for the kid he was adopting.

There was a set of clothes neatly laid out for you at the foot of your bed. They were colorful and exactly in your size. They weren’t anything crazy, just a soft cotton t-shirt and comfortable looking jeans. Your stomach filled with dread when you remember how you told him how much you didn’t like the trend of parents making all of their childrens’ toys, clothes, and homes beige and bland. You also remember talking about how natural fibers were better for the skin and how he should try to get more cotton and linen than polyester clothing for his kid. You remember his thoughtful nods as you look around the bright and happy room again.

You felt like throwing up. You were still in the pajamas that you had changed into the night before, thankfully. Nothing on you seemed amiss. You hesitantly get out of the bed and creep towards the windows. The sunlight streaming in through them makes the room glow in a comfortable light but you can’t focus on that. You try to open each one but they’re locked and you can tell by the thickness of the glass that you won’t be able to break through them. You stare outside and realize that you’re in the middle of nowhere. You can’t even signal for help. You take a few deep breaths before moving to the next logical choice.

You quickly and quietly walk to the door leading out of the room. You slowly turn the knob and, to your great surprise, it’s unlocked. You slowly open it and look around. The hallway ahead of you is clear and cozily decorated. You pause before tiptoeing your way through and glancing around. There’s a sizzling sound and you freeze. You take a few sniffs and your eyebrows furrow in confusion. Blueberry pancakes. You’re smelling blueberry pancakes. You decide that you just need to keep going.

You try to sneak past the kitchen and living room but freeze again when you hear a hearty chuckle. You turn around to see Simon smiling kindly at you. It was weird. It was really, really weird. You stare up at the tall man and look terrified. He takes a few steps towards you and you flinch, prompting a frown from him. Once he reaches your side, he reaches out and gently starts guiding you back to the room that you woke up in. You seem confused that he’s being so soft with you but you’re not about to complain about it. Once you both reach the door, he finally speaks softly, as if he’s afraid that the harshness of his voice and accent is going to scare you even more.

“Pet, were you free bleeding on the white couch? You must've been very upset while I was gone.” He said, clearly very amused.

When you looked up at him and immediately began tearing up, his heart sank. He figured that you were trying to rebel again but your sad little expression made it very clear that you simply didn't know where the cabinet for your hygiene products was. You always had trouble finding things in his quarters. He didn't enjoy it when his pet was sad. He loved you and he wanted you to be happy and love him! He scooped you into his arms and cuddled you as he began to reassure you.

“Oh, no, no, no! It's okay. I’m not upset with you. Blood is strength, little one! It is not an embarrassment. I have bled much more on furniture much finer after battle. I will never be angry with you for something as simple as your bodily functions. Human anatomy is simpler than Viltrumite anatomy, though the reproductive systems are largely the same. I took special care with disemboweling a few of your species to make sure that I understood it well enough.” He rumbled affectionately as he wiped away your tears.

He nuzzled your face and then carried you over to the dresser. He picked out a clean change of clothes before carrying you to the bathroom. He gently sat you down on the cold tile floor before opening the cabinet so that you could see the hygiene products inside. He kissed the top of your head before walking out of the room.

“Now, get changed and clean yourself up. Don't worry your sweet little head about a thing. The servants will clean everything for you, just as usual. Now you know where everything is so you don't need to worry anymore.” He said lightly as closed the door behind him. He didn't understand why you liked having privacy but he liked how much friendlier you were towards him when he gave it to you.

When you came out of the bathroom, you looked significantly less upset, much to his delight. He picked you up again and brought you back to the bed, stopping on the way to input an order on a wall panel for a pot of tea that he enjoyed and knew was safe for human consumption and for pain medication. He settled in comfortably as he laid you down on top of him with your chest to his. He placed his massive flesh hand on your lower back and simply held you for a moment.

Once you laid your head on his shoulder, he began using his mechanical hand to gently massage your neck and upper shoulders. He loved snuggling you. You were so little and soft in comparison to him and he enjoyed every moment of physical contact. You seemed too tired and in pain to even complain about it like you usually did when you wanted space and he considered it as a win. He enjoyed being a comfort to you.