Curse words, fear (typical borrower stuff)
James froze in place. His heart skipped a beat.
He had a hard time believing it.
Maybe he was still dreaming?
He took a step closer, his eyes fixed on the tiny child.
He didn’t know what he wanted to say anymore. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end. Was it anticipation? Confusion? Shock? He didn’t know. He didn’t care enough to know.
He took another step toward the countertop.
His heart broke into a million pieces, and his green eyes softened.
The child wasn’t a hallucination.
She was just a little girl with long blond hair falling across one side of her face, much like his own, and tiny ocean-blue eyes reddened from crying.
She was completely tangled in a rope.
Her body trembled, and quiet whimpers escaped her lips, revealing just how terrified she was.
She drew shaky breaths between each sob, staring at James as though he were a monster.
He bit his lower lip, resisting the urge to reach out and untangle her. He didn’t want to frighten her any more than she already was.
Taking a deep breath, he lowered his head slightly and softened his voice.
He offered her a small smile, tilting his head so they were more at eye level.
The moment he spoke, she started squirming in the rope again, moving so quickly that James could barely follow her with his gaze.
Like a praying mantis, almost. It made him feel uneasy.
Humans don’t move like that, he thought.
Then again, aside from her size, she didn’t seem inhuman.
There were no wings to indicate she was a fairy, but that was James’ initial thought.
James was far too stunned to think clearly. All he wanted was to comfort the scared child in front of him, no matter what she actually was.
“You don’t have to be afraid, sweetheart” he said softly, glancing at the rope.
He could, hypothetically, leave her there. Then he would not be scaring her anymore.
But his conscience would’ve killed him if he did.
She was completely helpless. If she kept struggling, she could seriously hurt herself. Sooner or later the rope would snap, and that fall looked really bad for someone as small as her.
How could he abandon a child?
She was just a frightened little girl who needed help.
Maybe she was a miracle, his own Thumbelina from a fairytale — he couldn’t leave her behind.
The human slowly reached his hands toward the tiny girl.
She immediately panicked.
“No! No, no, no! Mr. Giant, p-please! Please don’t k-kill me! No! Cain! Cain! Help me!”
James instantly pulled back, his face draining of colour.
He knew he must look enormous to her, but he hadn’t imagined she’d see him as a murderous beast. That stung.
Seeing her in so much distress—physically trapped by that damn rope and mentally overwhelmed with… everything—made his chest ache.
“Okay, okay. I understand. No touching. It’s okay” he whispered, hoping to calm her down.
He lowered his gaze, guilt washing over him.
“I promise you’re safe. I won’t hurt you. I just… want to help.”
He wasn’t sure whether he was trying to convince her anymore.
His eyes wandered around the kitchen, searching desperately for anything that might help. Then they landed on a plushie sitting on the table.
A small, soft, pink elephant.
Almost the perfect size for his tiny visitor.
He and Mark had bought it centuries ago.
For their future daughter.
James picked it up. It fit neatly in his palm, though it was still bigger than the little girl herself.
Taking another deep breath, he smiled gently.
“Hi, sweetpea. This is Mr. Elephant.”
The girl’s eyes shifted toward the toy. Curiosity flickered across her tear-stained features.
“Mr. Elephant is very worried about you,” James said softly. “Will you let him help?”
For a moment, she simply stared.
Every now and then, her gaze darted back to James, but she couldn’t stop looking at the elephant.
Her sobs became less frequent. Her breathing slowed.
James seized the opportunity.
Slowly, he moved the toy closer.
No screams came this time. He was relieved.
“It’s alright, sweetheart. Mr. Elephant is going to help untangle you. Then you’ll be able to give him the biggest hug.”
Keeping the elephant close to her, James carefully reached up with his other hand and lifted the hook free from the cabinet handle.
The weight of the little girl was almost nothing. His expression softened.
She was so incredibly tiny.
He gently lowered her onto the elephant, which rested in his palm, then slowly slid her onto his open hand before placing the toy on the countertop below.
Fear immediately returned to her eyes.
James reacted before panic could take over again.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. It’s okay. Mr. Elephant doesn’t have any fingers, does he? He needs my help to untangle you first. Then you can give him the biggest hug.”
Surprisingly, it seemed to work this time.
The little girl took several deep breaths and tried her best to focus on the toy waiting below.
James carefully brought his other hand closer. He’d never held anything this delicate before.
Holding her felt almost like holding a baby chick.
So completely dependent on him.
He felt a need to protect her from all danger.
He moved with painstaking care, using his fingers as he gently untangled the rope, making sure not to pull too hard or jostle her. Every now and then, he’d whisper a few reassuring words to help keep her calm.
She endured it all remarkably bravely.
“There we go” James said with a warm smile. “You did amazing, sweetie. You’re so impressively brave.”
He picked up Mr. Elephant and placed him back beside her in his palm. The little girl immediately hugged the toy tightly.
Sure, she was still scared and it was more of a grimace than a real smile, but she still did.
James felt his heart skip a beat.
A broad smile spread across his face.
Carefully, he carried both of them over to the table and sat down.
Even his footsteps became slow and deliberate, as though any sudden movement might frighten her or possibly be dangerous. He felt a bit paranoid, but that didn’t matter now.
Nothing mattered more than making sure she felt safe.
“I’m James,” he said, gently brushing a finger across her back before thinking better of it and pulling away. “What’s your name, sunshine?”
For a moment, it looked as though she might panic again.
Instead, she found nothing but kindness in his expression.
Taking a shaky breath, she whispered,
Meanwhile, Cain woke with a start.
He knew immediately that something was terribly wrong.
He searched the entire hideout once. Then a second time.
He raced through the tunnels, hoping she was simply hiding somewhere, waiting to jump out and surprise him.
Breathing hard, he hurried back to the hideout to grab his things before searching outside.
Maybe she’d gone to the garden, he thought.
That’s when he noticed it.
His hook was gone. So was his bag.
His head spun. His stomach lurched. His heart pounded against his ribs.
Panic surged through him.
He bolted toward the tunnel without another thought, praying he wasn’t too late.
After all, one of the humans hardly ever slept through the night.
Mark had grown used to waking up alone.
Ever since the adoption process had taken over their lives, James rarely slept through the night. More often than not, Mark would wake to find the other side of the bed empty.
James was talking to someone.
Frowning, Mark slipped out of bed and followed the sound toward the kitchen.
“Hey, hey… there’s no need to cry.”
Mark stopped in the doorway, adjusting his t-shirt.
Who was James talking to?
James looked up, offering him an awkward smile. Both of his hands rested on the table, carefully cupped around something.
“Honey” James said quietly, “please don’t freak out.”
He shifted his hands ever so slightly.
A pink plush elephant peeked into view.
“And please don’t scare her.”
Mark frowned. His confusion only deepened. A chill crept down his spine.
Has his husband finally snapped?
Who was he trying not to scare?
Slowly, Mark stepped closer, uncertain whether he should play along or call for help.
“What are you talking about?” he asked, his voice sharper than he’d intended.
“I know this is pretty insane” James whispered. “Just… come look.”
Despite every instinct telling him otherwise, Mark did.
At first, he thought he was looking at a doll.
His breath caught in his throat.
