Christmas AU pt.2
Tw: fear, Isolation
im really sorry for any grammar mistake, I've been translating this late at night TwT
ofc I'll take another look at it and see if there are any mistakes
enjoyyy :3
The fire’s crackle filled the silence, but it did nothing to warm the pit in Tommy’s stomach. Every second in the giant’s presence stretched on like an eternity. He wanted to leave. More than anything, he wanted to be back in his small, miserable room at the orphanage. He wanted the thin blanket, the peeling walls, even the sound of the other kids laughing without him. Anything but this cave. Anything but sitting a few feet away from something that could crush him like an insect.
His fingers itched toward his backpack. The knife was still inside. Tiny, useless. But it was something. He swallowed hard and whispered, more to himself than to the giant:
“…I should go.”
The giant’s head turned toward him, slow, deliberate. Tommy froze in place, the words dying in his throat
“You won’t last an hour out there,” giant said, his tone flat, almost bored.
Tommy’s pulse hammered. He’s keeping me here.
“…Then what do you want from me?”
His voice cracked, thin and sharp like breaking glass.For a moment, giant didn’t answer. The firelight carved shadows across his face, making him look more beast than man. Then, finally:
“Nothing.”
The word was so blunt, so cold, that it made Tommy’s chest tighten even more. He didn’t know whether to feel relieved or terrified. If the giant wanted nothing, then why save him? Why not just let him die on the lake?The question gnawed at him, and in his fear, it slipped out before he could stop it.
“…Then why did you help me?”
The silence that followed was worse than the blizzard outside. the giant's jaw clenched, his eyes flickering like storm clouds caught in the firelight.
“Don’t mistake mercy for kindness,” he muttered. “I don’t like humans. Least of all ones who wander where they shouldn’t.”
Tommy’s breath caught. The message was clear: You’re alive only because I let you be.His whole body trembled, cold sweat chilling his skin. Every instinct screamed at him to stay quiet, to not push further. But even through the fear, a tiny voice inside him wondered—if the giant truly hated people, if he truly wanted nothing from him—then why hadn’t he walked away when Tommy lay in the snow, helpless and alone?
Tommy waited until the giant looked away again, the giant’s attention drawn back to the flames. Every move he made felt dangerous, as if even the sound of his heartbeat might betray him.
Slowly, carefully, he shifted his backpack onto his lap. His fingers dug inside, brushing past the stale bread, the water flask, until they closed around the cold metal of the pocketknife. He slid it out, hidden beneath the fold of his sleeve. His pulse hammered so loud he was certain the giant would hear it. The knife looked pitifully small in his hand, the blade no longer than his palm. But gripping it made him feel less helpless—like maybe he had a chance.I just need to wait. Until he sleeps. Until he’s not watching.
Tommy forced himself to breathe slowly, though his chest wanted to heave in panic. The storm outside still howled through cracks in the stone, but in here, the fire’s glow made time stretch into something unbearable.
Every so often, he risked a glance at him. The giant wasn’t asleep—he doubted something that size ever truly rested—but his gaze was fixed on the fire, far away, like he was lost in thoughts Tommy couldn’t begin to imagine. Tommy tightened his grip on the knife. His plan wasn’t clear. He couldn’t fight this monster, not really. But maybe—if he moved quietly enough—he could slip out of the cave, disappear into the snow, and prove that he didn’t need saving. That he wasn’t just some helpless kid. The thought gave him a flicker of reckless courage. But then the giant’s voice cut through the silence, low and sharp, and Tommy nearly dropped the knife.
“If you try to run…”
The giant didn’t even look at him, still staring into the fire. His tone wasn’t angry, but flat, final.
“…the storm will finish what I didn’t.”
Tommy’s breath hitched. Did he know? Had he seen the knife? Or was he just reading him like an open book? Heat burned in Tommy’s cheeks—part shame, part defiance. He wanted to shout that he wasn’t afraid, that he’d take his chances. But the words stayed trapped behind his teeth.Instead, he curled tighter around the knife, hidden against his side. If the giant thought fear alone would keep him here, he was wrong. Tommy was going to find a way out.
his fingers were still wrapped around the pocketknife. He tried to make himself small, pressing his knees to his chest, but it didn’t help. The giant was too close, too enormous, too real.He could feel the heat from the fire on his face, but it did nothing to melt the cold creeping into his bones.
Every instinct screamed at him to run, but every glance at the giant’s massive form made him freeze again.I can do this. I just have to wait until he’s not looking…His mind raced, imagining the path out of the cave, the snow waiting outside, and the blizzard screaming across the frozen land. He could make it, couldn’t he? If he was careful. If he was fast enough. The knife in his hand felt heavier than it should, the metal cold and biting. Tommy gripped it tighter, letting the fear sharpen his focus. He didn’t know if it would help. Probably not. But at least it gave him something to hold onto. Something that made him feel less helpless.
the giant shifted, and Tommy’s heart jumped into his throat. The giant didn’t even glance at him, only moved his huge hand to adjust a log in the fire. But the motion was enough. Tommy’s stomach twisted into knots. He knows. He knows I’m thinking about running. He swallowed hard, trying to steady his trembling hands. I can’t just sit here. I can’t…But then the giant spoke, low and distant, and Tommy froze.
“Humans…” giant’s voice rumbled like distant thunder, “…always think they can escape.”
Tommy flinched. He wanted to say something—anything—but his throat was dry. His hands ached from holding the knife so tightly. He pressed his back against the rough wall of the cave, trying to make himself disappear into the shadows.
The plan was still there, burning in his mind: wait, wait, wait… and then run. Just run. But for now, he didn’t move. He couldn’t. Not yet. He stayed still, watching the giant, listening to the fire crackle, feeling the snowstorm outside like a distant roar. Every instinct screamed at him to leave, but the fear, the sheer size, the impossibility of fighting—kept him rooted to the ground.
And so he waited. Heart hammering. Knife clenched. Mind racing with every possible escape route. I’ll get out of here. I have to.
Tommy shifted slightly, testing the shadows, testing the firelight. Just enough to see if the giant would notice. Every muscle in his body screamed at him to stay frozen, but stubbornness—recklessness—won. He inched his hand a little closer to the knife in his lap, feeling the cold metal bite against his palm. I can do this. I just need a moment. The giant’s deep, rumbling voice broke the tense silence again.
“Don’t think you can sneak past me.”
Tommy froze mid-breath. He heard me think it…
“…I—I’m not…” he stammered, voice shaking.
“You are,” the giant said flatly.
Tommy swallowed hard. He gripped the knife tighter, imagining slipping past the giant, running into the storm outside. The idea made his chest pound with fear and excitement all at once.Just a little. Just a tiny step…He shifted one foot forward. The giant’s massive head tilted slightly, but it didn’t move closer. Tommy’s heart thundered.
“Careful,” the voice rumbled again. “One false move, and the cold will do what I do not.”
Tommy’s blood ran cold. The words weren’t a threat—they were a promise. But still, it gave him a strange focus. If the giant wouldn’t attack him, maybe he could… maybe he could slip out.He moved another inch, testing the distance to the cave’s edge.
The wind outside howled like a living thing, and he could see the storm pressing against the entrance, snow swirling in sheets. His hands shook, but he gritted his teeth.Just one more step… then the next…And as he moved, the giant shifted slightly too, the shadow of its enormous body stretching across the cave floor, reminding him again—he was not safe. Not yet. Not until he was outside, running, the blizzard swallowing him up. Tommy’s mind raced. Knife in hand, pulse pounding, he whispered to himself:
“…I’ll get out. I have to."
Tommy inched closer to the cave’s mouth. The snowstorm outside whipped at his face, biting at every exposed inch of skin. One step at a time, he felt like he was walking on a knife’s edge. The knife in his hand was useless, but it made him feel… alive. Ready. Dangerous. Not completely helpless.He glanced back at the giant. Techno had not moved, had not spoken, but his shadow stretched far across the cave, like a wall of darkness keeping him pinned. Tommy’s stomach twisted. I can do this. Just a few more steps…The wind howled louder. Snow whipped around the cave entrance, blinding him. He took another step… and then froze.A deep, low rumble rolled through the cave. Not from the storm. Not from the fire. From the giant.
“Stop.”
The word hit him like a punch. Tommy’s knees buckled, and he almost fell forward. His pulse thundered in his ears. The shadow shifted. Techno’s enormous hand, pale in the firelight, rested on the edge of the cave entrance. Not blocking it—just there. Watching. Waiting. Tommy swallowed. He wanted to speak, to beg, to make some kind of deal, but no sound came. His hands shook so badly the knife rattled against the stone floor.
Tommy’s breath caught. Every instinct screamed at him to turn and run, but his legs refused. His heart screamed get out! while his mind screamed stay alive! He crouched, pressed flat against the ground, and whispered to himself:
"…I’ll get out. I have to…”
the giant's gaze didn’t leave him. The giant’s eyes were storm clouds, heavy and unmoving, but Tommy could swear—just for a second—he saw something else. Something almost… hesitant. He doesn’t like humans. He doesn’t even want me here.
But… he’s not letting me die out there. That thought made Tommy’s chest tighten, fear twisting with a strange, uncomfortable gratitude. He pressed forward another inch, tiny, careful… and the storm outside roared louder, almost as if daring him to try. Tommy gritted his teeth. Knife clenched. One more step…
The storm clawed at the entrance, pulling at him like icy fingers. Tommy clenched his jaw, about to bolt, when the giant finally moved.The sound was thunder—stone grinding, snow shifting. In the span of a heartbeat, that massive shadow rose and loomed, and before Tommy could scream, two enormous hands reached forward.
He staggered back, knife raised, heart exploding in his chest—too slow.Techno’s hands closed around him. Not crushing. Not breaking. Just… holding. Tommy’s world shrank into a cage of pale, calloused palms, as wide as shields and warm like a furnace. He kicked, thrashed, clawed at the fingers, voice cracking.
“Let me go! LET ME GO!”
His knife scraped uselessly against the giant’s skin. The blade that could cut bread and rope barely scratched.The giant lifted him with terrifying ease. Tommy dangled helplessly, chest heaving, staring up into those storm-dark eyes. His pulse hammered so violently he thought his ribs would snap.
“Calm down”
The word was soft—softer than before—but still carried the weight of an avalanche. Tommy shook his head, tears freezing at the corners of his lashes.
“D-Don’t… please— I’ll leave, I swear, I won’t—”
His voice cracked into a sob.But Techno didn’t tighten his grip. Didn’t hurt him. The hands simply held him steady, keeping him from bolting into the storm. For the first time, Tommy realized—his body wasn’t freezing anymore. The warmth radiating from the giant’s skin seeped through his clothes, chased away the ache in his bones. Still, his mind screamed, monster monster monster.
He thrashed harder, though his strength was draining fast. The storm outside howled. The fire behind them hissed and spat.And still the giant watched him. Silent. Patient.Tommy couldn’t decide what was worse—the fear of being crushed, or the unbearable thought that this monster wasn’t crushing him at all.
Suddenly a loud thunder was heard, rattling the cave like a beast trying to claw its way inside. Tommy’s chest hitched, knife gone, strength gone, only terror left. The giant shifted again. He lowered Tommy from his hand— but not to the ground. Instead, the world tilted, and Tommy landed against something heavy and coarse. A cloak. Thick, wolf-pelted, spread across the stone floor.
Before Tommy could scramble up, the shadow moved again. A hand—huge, terrifying—pulled part of the cloak over him like a blanket. Tommy froze. His heart slammed against his ribs, his breaths sharp and ragged. He kicked once, twice, but the weight of the fabric pressed him down like iron. He wasn’t trapped—he could crawl out—but the gesture itself pinned him harder than chains. The giant leaned back, silent, his massive form retreating toward the fire’s glow. For a heartbeat, Tommy thought it was over.
"Stay"
Tommy bit his lip hard enough to taste blood. He wanted to scream, to tell him he wasn’t some pet to be ordered around, but the sound died in his throat. He drew his knees to his chest under the heavy cloak, trembling. The fire crackled. The storm screamed. And all the while, the giant sat there, unmoving, a dark silhouette against the flames. Watching. Waiting. Tommy buried his face into the rough fabric, his fists shaking. I’m not safe. I’m not free. I’m still gonna get out… somehow.
But for now—he couldn’t move.
------------------------------------------------------
When Tommy opened his eyes, the world was pale. The storm’s roar had faded to silence, muffled under a thick blanket of snow outside. Sunlight poured into the cave mouth in cold beams, painting the ground in silver. His body ached, stiff and sore, but… warm. Warmer than it had any right to be. Then he noticed why.
The heavy cloak was still draped across him, smelling of leather, iron, and smoke. For a dizzy second, he thought of home, of stolen quilts back in the orphanage. But the moment shattered when he remembered whose cloak this was. His chest tightened. Slowly, heart hammering, he turned his head. The giant was there. Sitting against the stone wall, massive shoulders hunched, weapons leaning at his side. His eyes were half-lidded but open—watching, always watching.
Tommy’s stomach dropped. Every inch of him screamed to crawl out from under the cloak and run, but his limbs stayed stiff. He shifted slightly, trying to slip free without drawing attention
“Don’t.”
The voice was quieter now, rough with morning, but it still made Tommy flinch so hard his teeth clicked.His throat burned. He shoved the cloak off his chest, glaring despite the tremor in his hands.
“You— you can’t just— just keep me here! I didn’t ask for this!”
The giant tilted his head, slow and deliberate, like a wolf humoring a yapping pup.
“Would be dead,”
he rumbled. Tommy’s face went hot, shame and anger tangling in his chest.
“I don’t care! I don’t need you to— to save me! I’m not some— some charity case!”
His voice cracked, but he refused to look away. The giant didn’t answer, didn’t rise, didn’t threaten. He only reached out, massive hand pressing the cloak back toward Tommy, slowly. Tommy’s heart leapt into his throat. He didn’t dare move as the cloak settled in front of him again like a silent command. He clenched his fists. Jaw tight.I’ll get out. He just sat there, trembling, wrapped in a monster’s shadow.
