#finallyahero

“No, no, see, um… How d-do I word this, your appreciation, and… and, if you have it, your friendship… in this particular case, is its own repayment. It makes me happy to know that you will be happy with this.” They held out the box.

“Thank you, Ell-friend.” It was still concocting ways to repay them, of course, but they need not know that yet. An entity like them wouldn’t get this many sweets in several months, as drawn to the shadows as it was. “I will appreciate this gift to the full extent of my ability, and I recognize the meaning of you giving it to me on this day.”

Ell smiled, the little quirked one where they knew they weren’t being told everything. “Visit soon? I was planning on leaving out extra cream tonight as well.”

“Of course. If I did not know you, Ell, I’d say you were trying to get taken away.” It laughed, and their smile grew.

“I like it here. I just also like being nice.” They shrugged and it nodded, standing up from its crouch to end up a full two feet taller than Ell.

“Stay safe, Ell.” It turned away, back towards its dwelling where it could eat all of this, all of it at once if it wanted, and the fairies and the crows could pout all they wanted but this was its.

“I always try! Happy Valentine’s Day.”

It gave a little wave and disappeared around the corner. Ell smiled and returned to their dorm room. Their roommate was out- class for another few hours, if they recalled correctly. They shut the door carefully and slid down on the wall, closing their eyes.

A semester into their junior year, and they were already hopelessly head over heels for an entity whose age couldn’t be defined by mere numbers. At least they remembered the friend part.

Hours later, when they were awake finishing up an essay and their roommate was snoring in her sleep, an envelope slid under the door. They raised their eyebrows.

To: A Friend

They opened it carefully and pulled out two things- a gift, and a note.

The gift was a sharp tooth on a braided twine necklace, sized perfectly. A sheen came off of the serrated tooth, suggesting it had been vigorously cleaned.

They checked the note-

“Ell, I am not good at not returning gifts, I fear, especially ones such as the one you gave me, on a day as important to humans as today. This is one of my teeth, well-washed. It will protect you and hopefully soothe you in times of hardship. I do hope that you will wear it. Fond regards, and the happiest of Valentine’s Days.”

They rubbed the tooth, feeling the protective layer put over it so they wouldn’t get cut. Immediately, they put it on. What a gift.

They crawled into bed and slept, a smile still on their face. The shadow that had been watching from the corner used its long tongue to flick the place where a tooth once lived and strode out of the room. - Not taking Ell was hard. Not taking Ell when they were so- them, when they smiled, when they laughed, when they avoided eye contact even though it had long since stopped caring.

And so the being whose age could not be written with mere numbers, who could exact precise revenge upon many foes, who was stronger than several of their kind combined-

This being slipped into the shadows, disappearing into the darkness. It slid down the wall, closing its eyes.

It thought it could grow to love Valentine’s Day. Especially if Ell was part of it.