#itwom chapters

Nathan and Christopher both looked at Danny, each of them wearing their own brand of guilty expression. Danny shrugged. "Never came up in conversation, I guess."

Sybil sighed wearily. "Then today, you'll be learning."

She looked down towards one of the humans nearby, and smiled softly. "Humans are not naturally residents of our world. Some are born here, yes, but their ancestors—and many who are here today—belonged to...well, science is still divided on it, to be honest. Some say it's a different universe altogether."

"So like an...alternate dimension?" Nathan asked.

"Yes, sort of. Except normally, an 'alternate dimension' would be equal to its partner. In this case—and this is mostly speculation, of course, as there is not a lot of research on the subject—but it's theorized that our universe exerts a greater force on the human universe, pulling it towards it like...like..."

"Like the sun and the planets?" Danny supplied, in an attempt to be helpful. Though she wasn't sure where that knowledge came from.

Sybil considered this. "Close enough, I suppose. But the force can sometimes be too great, which causes a...tear in whatever separates the two worlds. Normally, these tears fix themselves, but sometimes, something from the human world falls through. Often, that something is a human."

"So what you're saying is, there's a way to go between these...two worlds?" Christopher seemed oddly intrigued.

Sybil gave him a strange look, narrowing her eyes slightly. She shook her head. "The tears are random, and they seem to only be one-way. The...well, it's not quite the same thing, but you can think of it like the gravitational pull of our universe on yours," she said, speaking to Danny. Her face was troubled. "Unfortunately, no one's found a way of returning anything to the humans' world."

Danny nodded slowly. She hadn't really thought about that possibility—mostly because if she tried thinking about it, she couldn't remember how she ended up in this world in the first place. And she couldn't remember anything from before, either. It was fuzzy and distant, like memories that weren't quite hers. It wasn't something she liked to think about for long.

Maybe Sybil had answers for that. "I...actually don't remember how I got here, or anything from before, in the, uh, 'human world.' Like my old life. Is that...is that normal?"

Nathan gave her a concerned look, placing his hand around her gently again.

To Danny's surprise, Sybil nodded solemnly. "I haven't met a human who remembers significant details from their time in the human world. I think it must have something to do with falling through the rift between worlds—the universe, in the process of trying to repair itself, may alter the memories of its victims too. Or perhaps the experience is so naturally traumatic that your brain does its best to make sense of it by undergoing a sort of amnesia."

Christopher tilted his head curiously. "And humans have been falling through these rifts since..."

"The beginning of time," Sybil answered simply. "Like I said before—there are humans who have never been in the human realm. Of course, in a world that was much bigger than them, it was not easy for such a small race to survive. And in order to do so...the world adapted."

A strange silence followed Sybil's statement as they all tried to figure out what she meant by that. "...adapted?" Nathan spoke up. "What do you mean?"

"Well, the earliest humans needed protection from larger predators. Perhaps this was another instance of the universe repairing itself but...we evolved. Humans and giants actually form a sort of symbiotic relationship. It's why giants can control our digestive systems, why humans can survive in our stomachs, and why many of us enjoy the way humans taste."

Danny noticed a blush forming in Nathan's cheeks as the hand he had resting on her stiffened.

Sybil looked at Danny sympathetically. "Giants who ate humans could keep them safe from other predators, and the humans, in turn, would give the giant a pleasant feeling that would encourage the giant to continue to seek out more humans. Not for food, of course, but for the natural medicinal effects." She turned towards Christopher. "I'm sure you're aware, at least, of the myriad of positive effects humans can provide to a giant's body—pain relief, sleep aid, and stress reduction, to name a few."

Christopher nodded, though he still looked somewhat surprised at this information.

"Giants' bodies adapted to safely hold humans within them—inside a giant, a human is able to breathe thanks to a small recirculation of air in the stomach. Of course, there's the intentional control over the digestive system. Also, compared to humans, giants' throats are much more flexible, to facilitate swallowing humans whole—even those as big as yourself," Sybil said, nodding toward Danny. She spoke very matter-of-factly, as if this was all completely normal information.

Danny sighed. "Yeah, I'm aware. I've already had a pretty good demonstration of that."

Christopher chuckled, and Sybil shot him a withering glare.

"The calming effects from a human body will eventually wear off, which would trigger the giant's desire to expel the human from their stomach safely. Again, this is why giants are able to easily withdraw humans from their stomachs without hurting either party in the process. I'm sure you're aware of this, as well," she said, continuing to glare at Christopher.

"But another facet of this relationship is one that you may both be familiar with," she continued, looking between Nathan and Christopher now, "though one that most giants are unaware of. There is a natural instinct within us to protect humans. To keep them safe from danger. Without fully understanding this relationship, many may ignore or misinterpret those instincts—" she narrowed her eyes toward Christopher, "—or do not understand how they can act on them." She then turned a softened gaze toward Nathan, who had been oddly quiet thus far.

Danny spoke up. "So wait. If there's some sort of...symbiotic relationship...why is there all this fuss about possessing humans being illegal? And if humans have been around for so long, why aren't they treated...I don't know..."

"Better?" Sybil smiled sadly. "It's quite simple—the government, and most giants for that matter, see humans as lesser beings. Humans' roles as...well, drugs to giants—" her lip curled in distaste at the word, "—seems to override their individual rights as 'people' in our society. The debate even now is whether human possession should be illegal or not—but the humans' desires are not a factor in that debate. And there is certainly no talk of making humans equal in the eye of the law."

"But we can speak the same language as you. We look like miniature versions of you."

She nodded in understanding. "That's why there are groups like the Human Rights Alliance. Giants who sympathize with humans, and who are working to make things better for them. Unfortunately, it seems we are, more often than not, the minority.  It is a result of ignorance of science and a great lack of empathy—a warped view of our true nature as giants."

"B-but..." Nathan stuttered. "There's...no way humans want to be eaten, right? I mean, I can understand having to do it for protection, but..."

Sybil gave him a kind look. "Just as nature evolved to make giants crave the taste of humans, so too did it evolve to make humans seek out giants. Or at the very least, make the experience of being eaten somewhat enticing. Under the right circumstances, and in a relationship of mutual respect, it might not be as bad as you would think...or so I've been told." She smiled slightly, and Danny noticed Christopher looking quite intently at Sybil's middle, as she draped a hand over it lightly.

Nathan blanched. "W-wait...do you...have a human in you right now?" His words came out as a horrified whisper.

Sybil gave him an empathetic expression, though she seemed to choose her next words carefully. "You have not met my husband, John, have you?"

"H-husband?" Nathan stuttered.

Sybil's expression became somewhat sad, though still cordial. "It is not something I discuss often, even with the Alliance...but perhaps now, you may understand. Of course, our union is not legally binding, considering John is a human."

All three of them stared at Sybil, wide-eyed and unsure of what to say.

"I suppose 'husband' is just an affectionate nickname, though we've been together for many years." Sybil laughed to herself as she moved her hand over her stomach ever so slightly, almost fondly, seeming to disregard the sudden shift in the room. "And the two of us are...as you can imagine, quite close. It is an entirely consensual relationship, I assure you."

Sybil met Danny's eyes, and Danny felt herself shiver a little against her will.

"That is not to say that all humans enjoy being eaten. I would even venture to say that most do not—many of those here under my care have endured quite traumatic experiences at the hands of giants. Perhaps if there were more relationships built on trust between giants and humans...things could be different."

Danny could feel Christopher's eyes staring at her. For just a single, terrible, comforting moment, all she could think about was being trapped by his throat, and the way her breathing had aligned with the sound of his heartbeat.

"Now. I believe that is enough of me. You're here to discuss the antidote for Danny, correct?"

"R-right," Nathan stammered, seemingly eager to move on from the moment. "Do you...do you know where we could get one?"

Sybil sighed. "Unfortunately, I do not have one in my possession. Nor do I have the knowledge to make one. It's true that I've taken care of humans affected by the growth serum, but without the serum itself, creating an antidote would be nearly impossible. And they are remarkably hard to find."

"So...if you had a growth serum, you could make an antidote?" Christopher seemed to be considering something, tapping his fingers against his leg as he stared at the ground.

"Yes, I believe so. I might be able to make it quite quickly, in fact, based on the foundation we've already built by studying those affected by the serum. It would help to fill in the final gaps. Not to mention there is a vested interest in developing an antidote among my little community here." Sybil smiled warmly at the humans who were still hiding behind the plants. "There are a few living here who are quite eager to get back to their regular size. Luckily, the scent-masking serums we develop here are strong enough to cover their scent, even at that size, but unfortunately most of the human infrastructure of this place is not tailored to them."

After a bit of hesitation, Christopher pulled something out of his pocket and placed it on the table in front of Sybil. It was a tiny vial as big as his thumb, full of a bright blue liquid. Danny had seen it before—on his nightstand.

"There you go. One vial of growth serum. Will that work?"

Sybil's eyes widened as she lifted the vial and inspected it. "I would ask how you managed to acquire it, but I suppose I shouldn't be surprised." She slipped it into her own pocket. "Yes, that will do. We should be able to put it to good use." She stood up. "Now, is there anything else you would like to discuss before you leave?"

Nathan spoke. "Th-there's something else we wanted to talk to you about, actually."

"Oh?" Sybil raised an eyebrow in question, taking a seat again.

"Well, uh...we had actually been making plans to...to rescue the humans that were being held at the Black Dragon," he mumbled, as if he was losing confidence halfway through the sentence. "I was wondering if maybe we could bring them here after?"

Sybil's eyes widened in shock. "You had been making plans to...what?" She cast another wary, suspicious glance toward Christopher. "Both of you?"

"All three of us, actually," Danny chimed in. "I'm part of the plan too."

Sybil hesitated, seeming to ignore Danny's words for the first time as she remained focused on the two giants. "I can understand your motivations, Nathan, though such a bold undertaking seems...unlike you. But you," she said, locking her sharp eyes with Christopher again, "I have no idea why you would be interested in such a risky venture. Do you have some sort of personal vendetta with your competition, Penn?"

"Uh..." Christopher had been caught off guard with her sudden interrogation. "I mean, it's complicated between Cyrus and me, but that's not...why..."

"Then enlighten me." Sybil stared him down as he shrunk back in his chair. "Is this your way of dealing with your guilty conscience?

Christopher squirmed, his nails digging into his palms again. "Well...Danny...it seemed important to her."

Sybil almost seemed confused as she contemplated his words. "Are you actually willing to attempt something so risky...for a human? That's quite out of character for you, considering you've sold them for years. I'm still not sure what's prompted this sudden change in you."

Christopher looked between them all now, eyes resting on Danny. The look he gave her, brimming with uncertainty, was familiar. He carried an air of defeat about him. "I just want to do the right thing for once."

Sybil's eyes narrowed. She did not question him further.

They spent the rest of the time discussing their tentative plans for infiltrating the Black Dragon with Sybil, who listened intently as they all took turns speaking. She even offered a few suggestions of her own, filling in the gaps that the three of them had neglected to think about.

"You realize that this will only free the currently trapped humans, correct? This will not bring an end to Cyrus's business."

"Well, yeah," Christopher said, as if it was obvious. "It's not like the police aren't aware of his business. Most of them are probably bought out by him."

"Not all of them," Sybil countered. "There is a friend of mine on the force who's a member of the Alliance. Truth be told, we've had our eyes on both you and Cyrus for some time now. Unfortunately, without concrete evidence, cases against you would be guaranteed to be dropped."

Christopher chuckled nervously. "Is that so?"

"Evidence?" Danny remembered the USB drive that Sam had brought earlier, with the clear footage of Cyrus dealing humans. "Like...a video recording?"

Sybil looked at her with renewed interest. "You have a recording?"

"Um..." Danny looked toward Christopher for affirmation. She wasn't sure if Sam would even be willing to turn over the recording, considering their voice was featured quite prominently in said evidence.

"Someone might," Christopher answered. He looked as if he had forgotten about the recording completely, his face lighting up. "And if someone could get that evidence to you...anonymously, would that be enough?"

Sybil considered this. "Yes...yes, I think it would. It would certainly be harder to argue against, no matter the police's loyalties."

They continued to discuss their plans with Sybil until they were all satisfied. There, in that human-filled greenhouse, the details of the mission were finalized at last.

The plan would be carried out tomorrow.

* * * * * * * * * *  

As they finished their discussion, Nathan and Christopher stood up to leave. Sybil, however, remained sitting.

"I'd like to speak with Danny alone for a minute. If you're okay with that," she said, looking gently at Danny.

Danny nodded, though she felt a bit of unease in her stomach at the suggestion. "Yeah, that's fine." She realized she'd been staring at Sybil's stomach during their discussion, transfixed on the fact that there was a human—a willing human—inside of her. She could not see any movement, but the knowledge alone was enough. And her husband, no less. Husband? How did romance between a giant and a human work, anyways?

Sybil looked toward Christopher and Nathan. Both stood a little more awkwardly now, seemingly reluctant to leave Danny alone. "You may wait back in the kitchen for us. We won't be long."

After Christopher and Nathan left begrudgingly, shutting the back door to the greenhouse behind them, Sybil turned toward Danny with a sympathetic expression. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems there's something the three of you are avoiding telling me. If you're worried about speaking in front of them, you can tell me now."

"I..." Danny hesitated. How had Sybil known that she was hiding something? Should she tell Sybil about how she had actually met Christopher? What would that accomplish?

"Are you protecting them? Protecting Penn?" Sybil's tone was not accusatory, as it had been earlier when she was questioning Christopher.

"Um...it's just something I'd rather figure out on my own." God, he fucking better be grateful for me covering his ass like this. Maybe I should let Sybil deck him instead. "Christopher is...complicated, but he's at least trying now."

Sybil sighed. "Very well. I will respect your wishes for now." Her piercing gaze did not waver. "Are you at all uncomfortable, Danny? With me or...with either of them?"

"I...well, no, I'm fine, it's fine..." Danny paused, breathing deeply. She wanted to be sure of her next words. "You seem really kind. Nathan's my best friend. And Christopher..." She closed her eyes to avoid Sybil's expectant stare. "I kind of want to punch him in the face most of the time, but I..." She gulped, knowing the words that formed on the tip of her tongue. It was easier to say knowing that neither Christopher or Nathan could hear her. "I trust him."

Sybil's expression did not change, but she nodded after a brief pause. She reached into her pocket and laid something on the table in front of Danny. Danny had no guesses as to what it was. It was a long, flat thing about as long as Danny's forearm, with a thin leather band attached on the top and bottom, like some sort of holster.

"This," said Sybil, undoing the top of the holster to remove something that looked like a needle with a thin, deadly-sharp tip, "is an extremely powerful tranquilizing dart. It's powerful enough to knock a giant out completely. If you are eaten against your will, you can use this to puncture the stomach lining, and when the giant collapses, you can crawl out safely. Many humans here carry one with them, and I had a spare one of this size for any humans, like you, who had been affected by growth serum. I hope you will not need it, but just in case." She put the dart back into its holster and handed it to Danny. It was surprisingly light.

Danny took the dart and looked at it with morbid fascination. "Uh...is it...fatal?"

"No, but its tranquilizing effects are quite...potent. It would give you plenty of time to get away, or even do more serious damage if you do not have a means of escape. From what I've heard, though, it is quite a painful experience, even if there is no long-lasting damage. None that we know of yet, anyways." Sybil gave a slightly sinister grin.

Danny gulped nervously as she fumbled with the leather straps. "And how do I..."

"You can wear it on your calf. It's slim enough to fit under your pants, I believe, while still being hidden. The straps go like this," Sybil said, using her slim fingers to deftly wrap the straps around Danny's leg after rolling her pants up to her knee. The dart sat snugly against Danny's skin, but it wasn't uncomfortable. In fact, Danny could barely tell it was there.

"I'm sure it will come in handy for the rescue mission you all have planned." There was something else in Sybil's tone that made Danny think she hadn't given it to her with just that in mind.

All of a sudden, the dart felt just a little bit heavier.

* * * * * * * * * *  

As Nathan sat down awkwardly at the kitchen table, making a point to avoid eye contact, Christopher took the time to take a closer look at Sybil's house. And he found what he was looking for—there were numerous human-sized entrances hidden in the walls, mostly out of sight. He noticed a few along the floor and several on the kitchen counter, and wondered just how human-integrated this cabin really was. Where were all those humans even staying? He couldn't smell anything, not even a hint of human scent, which was still decidedly strange—especially since his hunger was starting to return.

He knelt down and placed an ear to the cold, wooden floor. Nathan looked at him strangely. "What are you—"

Christopher held a finger to his lips and listened intently. Just as he thought—he could finally hear the faintest sounds of human activity underneath him. The humans were living under the cabin somehow. He had no idea how Sybil had managed to hide so many humans, but he was impressed nonetheless. If he wasn't so eager to leave this place, and if Sybil didn't kind of terrify him, he would have wanted to stay and ask how she'd done it—and just how much infrastructure there was here. Maybe she could give him some pointers, if he could get on her good side somehow.

He stood up, grinning. "This place is impressive. She's somehow able to hide all those humans under the floor. I wonder how many there actually are here." He leaned up against the kitchen counter, casually opening one of the human-sized doors with a single finger to peek inside. There was nothing but a tiny, spiraling staircase behind it, leading downwards. Now THAT'S impressive. Staircases in the walls?

Nathan was not much for conversation. "Yeah," he mumbled, staring out towards the doorway. There was clearly something on his mind, and Christopher so badly wanted to ask what it was. But he knew that would get him nowhere.

Even when Nathan had asked for his help yesterday, he had flinched from his touch.

Mercifully, it was not long before Sybil returned, holding Danny in her hands. "Thank you both for waiting for us. Actually, Christopher, if you could stay for just a minute longer, I will get you the things you need for your...endeavor tomorrow." She placed Danny gently on the table and walked back down the hallway, disappearing into another room.

Christopher wondered if he was starting to hyperfixate on Danny's feelings, because even though she was smiling, he could tell there was something...off. Just the faintest hint of discomfort showed in the way she held herself, and as she sat down, she started rubbing her leg somewhat absently.

"Are you good?" he asked casually, striding back over to the table and ignoring Nathan in the process.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just nervous, I guess."

Nathan looked concerned, doing that thing he always did where he draped his hand over her. "About tomorrow?"

"Y-yeah," she said, her voice wavering. Christopher wasn't entirely convinced. Surely, Sybil hadn't said anything weird to Danny, right? Or...done anything to her? Perhaps it was a cruel sort of irony for him to be suspicious of leaving Danny alone with another giant, but he couldn't get the nagging thought out of his mind that something was wrong.

Or am I just...jealous?

Nathan stood up. "I'm gonna go back and start the car. You can find your way back to the car, right?"

Christopher felt a pang of fuck that IS jealousy as Nathan picked Danny up and headed toward the door, clearly not waiting for an answer. It wasn't like he had planned on asking Danny what was wrong, but he felt that strong urge to keep her near him again. To keep her safe. Her scent filled his lungs and he felt a sting of emptiness in his stomach—but surely this desire wasn't just because he was hungry, right?

He tried to meet Danny's eyes, hoping his desperation didn't show on his face. Surprisingly, she was already looking at him, and for once she wasn't glaring. There was an unreadable expression on her face as she stared at him strangely. Then, the tension broke as she stuck her tiny little tongue out at him, and he felt a grin creep onto his face, despite himself. He exhaled slowly. "Yeah, I'm fine, you guys go on ahead."

He watched the door shut behind them, the discomfort in his chest easing up slightly. Sybil reappeared soon after, holding a small pouch in her hands. Some of the iciness in her expression had softened as she regarded him, seeming to weigh something in her mind. She held the pouch out for him to take. "Be careful tomorrow, all of you."

"We will." He took the bag from her, peeking briefly inside at its contents. Everything they'd discussed earlier was there. "This time tomorrow you'll have at least four new additions to your little commune."

She paused, her posture easing up a bit more. "Trust is a valuable thing. Do not waste it, Penn."

Those words echoed in his head on the drive back to Red Tree as he held Danny securely in his lap, his stomach gnawing at him the whole time. She seemed a bit more relaxed than she had been on the drive up there, and this calmed his fears slightly.

Don't worry, Sybil. I won't.

* * * * * * * * * *  

Part 20 ->

Nathan had dropped by earlier, but after verifying Danny's condition (unhappy but safe), he had only stood around awkwardly before mumbling some excuse about cleaning the house before his parents came home. Danny had watched him leave sadly, wanting to beg him to keep her company for a bit longer.

Not like I can blame him for not wanting to be here. Boy, do I know what THAT feels like.

The thought crossed her mind multiple times of trying to sneak away when Christopher's attention was elsewhere, but it always led her back to the same conclusion—which is that it would be a ridiculously stupid decision. Even if she knew the way to Nathan's, which she didn't, she'd have to make it all the way there without passing out from exhaustion at her size. Not to mention, she'd need to avoid whatever giants and giant-sized animals existed between here and there. On top of that, his parents might be there—the whole reason she was here in the first place—and that was a can of worms she didn't want to open for a plethora of reasons. The main one being that she heavily suspected at least one of his parents was a human-eater.

And those weren't even the biggest obstacles. The problem of getting away from Christopher and out of the house in the first place would have proved to be a Herculean feat, and not just because she couldn't reach the doors or windows. She could always feel the giant's eyes watching her with...intent. Whether that intent was simply vigilance or something more...hungry, Danny tried not to think about it. Either way, she was always painfully aware of his literally huge presence in the room with her.

Surprisingly though, Christopher hadn't bothered her all day after the "trust exercise" and returning her washed and dried clothes—she had marveled at a tear in her shirt she hadn't noticed before, probably from that fucker Gary, mended with a few neat stitches. To her, of course, the stitches were huge, but to a giant like Christopher, they were tiny—and must have taken a lot of precision to execute so cleanly.

She heard Christopher make a few phone calls throughout the day, and though he always took the calls in another room, she could make out a few words every now and then that made it sound like he really was actually doing his part—"human," "serum," and "antidote."

The cooking, the clothes-mending, the phone calls...it made her both annoyed and relieved that the giant was capable of some things, when he wanted to be.

She was almost glad when she noticed it getting dark out—the day had been blissfully uneventful, but downright boring. God, I'm exhausted. She hadn't thought about what her sleeping accommodations were—her guess being there weren't any—and decided to crawl on top of the hand towel that had remained on the counter. It was pretty soft, and mostly dry since this morning's events. She pulled a corner of it over her, hoping that eventually she'd be tired enough to just pass out, regardless of how uncomfortable sleeping on a towel on a hard, cold, granite counter was.

It felt like she'd barely closed her eyes before she was scooped up in giant hands, towel and all. She had actually been quite close to drifting off, so the sudden movement made her startled and surly.

"Put me down, asshole, before I bite your finger off," Danny half-mumbled, blearily opening her eyes just enough to glare at the giant who was striding towards another room.

Christopher smirked. "You can certainly try, dollface. But I do think it'd be best for you to sleep in here with me."

"Yeah, I'd really rather go back on the counter, thanks."

"Nope. I'm taking my job of protecting you very seriously. You need to stay in here, where I can smell you."

His choice of words made Danny's stomach turn. "Eugh. Why do I need to stay in your room again?"

"Burglars," he supplied cheerfully. "Or, you know, someone else who can smell how delicious you are." Danny tried to ignore him licking his lips at that. "I'd rather be close by so they don't get to you first."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure you're not gonna get burgled. And could someone really smell me from outside your house?"

Christopher looked at her with a grin. "If they were hungry enough."

He strode over to his nightstand and placed Danny and the towel down, underneath a lamp. Christopher pulled a cord to turn the lamp off, casting the room into near-darkness.

Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to hide the fact that he was taking off his pants, leaving him in his boxer shorts and...

"Hey! If we're gonna be roommates, you'd better keep your damn shirt on, at least." God, it was like he had no sense of decency at all. How long had he been alone here, exactly?

Christopher just gave her a weird look before shrugging indifferently and climbing into bed. It was the same look he'd given her when he'd insisted on washing her earlier. Is it because I'm a girl, or because I'm human that he's so aloof about it? She settled on most likely the latter. It was probably silly to care about, anyways, but it still annoyed her.

Christopher turned around under the sheets to face her. "You know, it's probably more comfortable on the bed," he said matter-of-factly.

"And get crushed in my sleep? No, thank you."

He scooted away to the other end of the bed—queen-size, from a giant's perspective, anyways—as if to demonstrate the vast amount of room Danny would have to herself. He gestured with his arm to drive the point home. "There's plenty of room. And I'm a pretty light sleeper." He grinned innocently.

Danny glared at him, looking for some sort of ulterior motive—was he inviting her on the bed so she'd be easier to eat? Eventually she sighed, too tired for her usual instinct to put up a fight with him. The table was decidedly uncomfy, and the huge, plush pillow and mattress looked like a heavenly cloud. When was the last time I had a good night's sleep, exactly?

Without saying anything further to Christopher for the sake of what remained of her pride, she abandoned the sad towel and made the short hop down onto the bed. Her feet sank into the soft mattress, making her landing awkward as she fell forward, catching herself with her hands. She noticed Christopher reach out slightly as she fell, but he retracted his hand.

She turned away from him, lying as close to the edge of the bed as she felt was safe, praying she'd drift off into sleep soon and that she wouldn't either fall off or get smushed (or eaten) before the next morning.

"Night, dollface." She heard Christopher turn away too, and realized half-consciously that this had been the fourth night in a row she'd spent in this godforsaken bedroom before sleep finally came over her.

* * * * * * * * * *

Christopher didn't rest as easily as he'd hoped that night. It wasn't that he was worried about crushing Danny in his sleep, like she was—though it would certainly be safer if she was inside me. The bed was plenty big enough. No, he knew better than she did about the real dangers to her safety, and maybe that's what kept him awake—his senses had been on high alert all day, and they weren't easily calmed now. He had been worried all day about someone like Gary or Cyrus or some former client of his coming to his house—nothing he wouldn't have been able to handle normally, but Danny seemed to have a habit of getting herself into trouble regardless. And what if several of them came? What if Gary brought over a few of his buddies? He wasn't that good of a fighter, and he couldn't hold them all off at once...

He glared at the wall, wondering not for the first time since yesterday if he'd done something stupid and gotten in over his head by agreeing to help Nathan get his human back.

He inhaled deeply. All he could smell was Danny's intoxicating aroma next to him—no other smells, no other dangers.

He turned around slowly to look at Danny's sleeping figure, her limbs splayed out comically. It was a strange feeling, to be protective of such a small, frail creature as a human like this. And a lot more worry than it was worth. How did Nathan do it?

Well, he mostly just let her get kidnapped, he thought mirthlessly, knowing he was responsible for at least two of those kidnappings.

He sighed. If he was being honest, it was pretty unlikely there would be any danger while she was in his house, certainly while she was sleeping in his bed next to him. He should be able to relax...no one was stupid enough to break into his house in the middle of the night, right?

As if to prove him wrong, he caught a faint, familiar scent on the air from outside his room. It was hard to catch with how good and close Danny smelled next to him, but he inhaled again, this time focused, his refined senses springing into action.

Human...and there was only one he could think of that would have the lack of a brain necessary to come crawling back now.

Christopher found an amused grin creep onto his face. Did he actually think he could come back here without any consequences?

He carefully slid out of bed—careful not to jostle Danny's side too much—and crept as quietly as he could to the bedroom door, still catching the human's scent and hearing the tiny pitter-patter of their footsteps on the floor from the other side. He turned the doorknob quietly, and the door's well-oiled hinges swung it open without so much as a creak.

Before he had a human smuggler to help, he had done most of the fieldwork himself in catching humans. He'd had years of practice being silent when he needed to be, honing his senses, and paying attention to how humans moved. It was all too easy to mask his movement toward the kitchen, where the human intruder's footsteps could still be heard. He'd prided himself on his heightened senses, formed over years of human hunting, and was glad they hadn't gotten as rusty as he thought.

It was exactly who he thought it was—his old human smuggler Max, who was currently making his way along the edge of the kitchen floor toward the small room Christopher had once let him stay in. Was he dumb enough to try coming back here to sleep, or was he retrieving something from his old room?

Is this his idea of 'sneaky'? How did he ever manage to retrieve humans from giant houses before?

It wouldn't have been hard for Christopher to corner him now and snatch him up, but he wanted to have a little fun first. It felt good to finally put all his on-edge senses to use, and besides, he wanted to test just how many of his hunting instincts were still there. How quiet could he be, how close could he get before the human would notice?

The smuggler was sticking close to the edge of the wall, looking timidly back and forth as he crept along—though the human's view of the doorway Christopher stood partly in was blocked by another wall and the kitchen counter. This was part of the reason Christopher installed the human-sized entrance to his house so far away from the human-sized room—so he'd always notice when Max came in.

He picked this moment to stride soundlessly behind the counter, just out of view of the human, and crouched down. He inhaled again, keeping the heady scent fresh in his lungs. He could hear the human running quicker towards the counter—worried, perhaps, about having to make the dash across the open floor from the wall to the counter, and not considering that the threat was just on the other side of it.

He heard them continue to run along the edge of the counter, towards the human room on the other side of the kitchen, nestled in the baseboard. He snuck around the edge of the counter, finally laying his eyes fully on his target. The human was looking left and right in a panic as he walked, but never behind. How unfortunate for him. Christopher crept along behind him, slowly, still bent down and using just the tips of his toes and his fingers to move himself silently along the tile floor, as if he were walking on all fours now. The fact that the human still hadn't noticed his presence was surprising, but delightful.

He watched as the human finally reached the door to their room, not even looking behind them one last time before they ducked inside and shut the door in what they must have thought was a quiet manner.

How should he do this now? Should he stand to the side, snatching them up when they inevitably came back out? Open the tiny door and pull the human out himself? Make his presence known? Or...

He decided to carefully lay down on his stomach, propping his face up lazily with one of his hands. The other waited for the human to emerge, resting on the floor just in front of the door.

He listened intently—the human, seemingly unaware of his presence, sounded like he was looking through a series of empty glass vials. Of course, he came back for his serums.

Christopher couldn't help himself—he lifted his hand, using his finger to make two soft knocks on the human's door.

The sound of the human's rummaging stopped in its tracks. Christopher thought he could almost hear the human's breath catch in its lungs.

No use being subtle anymore. "Ma~ax," he called in a singsong whisper. "I thought I told you I didn't want to see you around here anymore."

Christopher's voice made the human's heart quicken. "C-Christopher! I...I didn't think you'd...I mean I...I just came to...I didn't—"

"Max, I'm going to count to three." Christopher's tone was playful, still amused. The human's fate had been sealed the moment he walked in here uninvited—all his silly excuses would fall on deaf ears now. "Come here."

"Wha-no! Look, I promise I won't come around again, I just came to grab a few—"

"One."

"A-and I said I was sorry about the girl from yesterday, it was an honest mistake—"

"Two."

The human's voice grew more frantic. "Wait wait wait, just, just let me go this one time and I'll—"

"Three."

The human had unsurprisingly made no moves to open the door, so Christopher took the small handle himself and opened it, then bent it sideways to remove the entire thing from its hinges—though it was hardly an exertion of effort for him. He relished the way this put a deeper look of fear on Max's face, who was cowering against the back wall of the room like a scared mouse. He'd dropped the bag he'd been putting vials into, pressing his whole body as flat as he could against the wall.

A predatory grin crept onto Christopher's face as he dropped the now-useless door and reached inside the human's room, his fingers easily closing around a tiny, shaking body.

"I was very clear when I told you to leave the human girl alone, was I not?"

Max whimpered, squirming helplessly in Christopher's steely grip. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't know—"

"We could've handled things professionally if you hadn't gone ahead and went against my very clear instructions. And now I'm having to sort out a bigger mess than before, all because of you." Christopher dangled Max in the air by the collar of his shirt as he rose to his full height. "I had given you more patience than you deserved last night, letting you off like that. I didn't think you'd be suicidal enough to come back here afterwards."

He licked his lips, grinning enough to show his teeth. Compared to Danny, this human wasn't actually very enticing, but he loved the way it made the smuggler squirm in his grip, the way the pallor of fear flushed the color out of his face.

"P-please, I won't be any trouble anymore..."

"I'm already quite sure of that." Christopher brought the human to his lips, letting his tongue test the human's skin. The rotten-eggs taste from yesterday had almost faded away—no doubt that was one of the serums the human was intent to restock. It would be tolerable, but not immensely enjoyable. He wouldn't let the human know that, though—that wouldn't be as fun. "I see you taste better than yesterday—at least you have something going for you."

He didn't draw this out, like he might have with Danny, instead opting to snap his jaws around the human's entire body in a second. He pressed the human roughly against the roof of his mouth, muffling the sharp cries of protest from his ex-employee. He let his mouth interact with the small human freely, which was quite a strange feeling after putting all the extra effort into Danny's comfort.

His thoughts wandered as he fumbled the human against the back of his teeth, not really enjoying the flavor as much as he thought. Speaking of Danny, he wondered if it would be worth the trouble to install a new human-sized setup for her at her current size? Perhaps he could just make a few quick things, a ladder or two...he had already been toying with the idea of quickly sewing a few things, and it would be good to keep himself busy in the next few days...

Almost without thinking about it, he swallowed hard, and the human disappeared down his throat, settling slowly into his stomach. The human seemed to be saying something, thrashing against his insides, but Christopher easily tuned it out, gently humming to himself in satisfaction. He'd give it a bit, let the activity in his stomach lull him to sleep, and then take care of Max in the morning. He hadn't digested a human before—it was a waste, and not exactly natural for a giant's body—but he might consider trying with this one. He put a hand to where he could feel the human struggling, pressing his belly in a bit and muting the human's protests slightly.

Damn, that feels good.

That relaxing feeling of having a human in his stomach easily washed away all of Christopher's pent-up nerves. It was like medicine. He strolled back toward the bedroom, knowing that he would finally be sleeping well tonight.

When he opened the door, it looked like Danny was still asleep on the bed, though it was kind of hard to tell with how tangled she was in her corner of the sheets. He crept quietly to his side of the bed and did his best to lie down without disturbing her, but his efforts were futile. Her eyes fluttered open and she made a weird waking-up noise, rolling over to face Christopher. Her eyes were squeezed shut, but her eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. "Why do you gotta make s'much noise," she mumbled into the mattress. "What'd you get up for?"

"Just a burglar," Christopher half-whispered, unable to keep the grin off his face. "Don't worry, I took care of it, you can go back to sleep."

At this, Danny's eyes shot open. "Excuse me?"

Probably shouldn't have said anything, Christopher thought, giving a small sigh. She's gonna give me shit for this, isn't she? Well, he had given this other human fair warning, and the human came to his house. Could Danny really not afford him this small bit of self-indulgence? This was just him protecting her, after all.

"I'm sure you remember my human smuggler. He came back after I quite explicitly told him not to, after the events of last night. I'd say I gave him a pretty fair warning." The words came out almost like a purr—Christopher was still reveling in the delight of a full stomach after a successful chase, the human's relaxing properties tugging him further towards sleep.

"You...you did not," Danny sputtered, sitting up in bed and casting an accusatory glare towards his stomach.

Oh boy, here we go...

Christopher sighed, propping himself up on one arm. "He kind of asked for it, sweetheart. If it wasn't for him, you wouldn't have gotten yourself in that whole mess yesterday, and you'd still be your normal size. You don't think he deserves a little punishment?"

"You can't just go around eating people as a form of justice, asshole. Spit him up, right now."

Christopher groaned. Danny sure had gotten cockier since he'd agreed to be 'accommodating.' Maybe he could just reach over and stuff her inside him too to shut her up, just for the night...

"You heard me. I said let him out." Danny got up, walking unsteadily towards him as her legs wobbled on the mattress, but trying to keep an intimidating look on her face—like a parent scolding a child. He did his best to stifle a grin at her feeble attempt at threatening him.

He noticed her eyes continuing to dart back to his stomach, where the human's tiny, faint cries could just barely be heard. "So, wait, he's...he's actually in there?" She took a few more steps forward, eyes fixed on his stomach. Christopher had no idea what was going through this little human's head, but he grinned, glad that her sudden fixation had seemed to distract her from berating him. He lifted his shirt, noticing happily how the human's struggles could just barely be seen pushing against his skin. This made Danny's eyes widen. What was that—fear? Shock? Disgust? She crouched down slowly and, very hesitantly, put her small hand on his stomach, where the other human suddenly went very still.

This made him realize Danny had never touched his stomach before—from the outside, anyways. Actually, he'd never had a human touch his stomach like that at all. It was such a strange feeling, and Christopher couldn't quite decide what it was he felt—it wasn't quite trust Danny was showing him, but...

"So, he's...right here, right?" Danny placed her hand just slightly underneath where the human was lying still in his stomach.

Gently, he moved her hand up over his bare skin to rest over the correct position. "Right here."

She nodded, looking thoughtful for a moment, before sending a well-placed kick right where he had directed her hand.

The action caught him (and Max) by surprise, but he found himself more amused than anything—he could hear the human's cry of frustration from inside him, and he rubbed his stomach in mock pain. "Hey now, what was that for?"

Danny grinned, though her kick had sent her stumbling backwards. "Two birds, one stone. Now let him out. I think he gets the message."

She looked Christopher right in the eyes—he let the stare-down go on for a few long seconds before he relented, a large sigh escaping him. "Fine, fine, you win."

He sat up against the bed's headboard, massaging his stomach in just the right way to get the human to start moving upwards. He stole a quick glance toward Danny, who seemed to be watching with morbid fascination, eyes wide with a mix of horror and disgust. He gave her a lazy grin before he opened his mouth as the human moved further up his throat—he nudged the bulge in his throat up with his fingers, slowly. He felt the human reach his tongue—once the smuggler was released from the tight embrace of his throat, he seemed desperate to scramble towards freedom, clambering desperately across Christopher's tongue towards his parted lips.

Not so fast. Christopher couldn't help one last parting blow, closing his mouth and pressing the human against his palate, long and hard, making sure his tongue reminded the human of the fate he'd so narrowly avoided. He reached over to grab Danny's towel from the nightstand and unceremoniously spit the human into it, perhaps a bit harder than he should have.

Max was certainly worse for wear now. He cowered in the towel as Christopher placed it down on the bed, drenched in saliva as Christopher hadn't been quite as careful with that, this time. The human looked, still panicked, between him and Danny—and at the sight of Danny, his eyes widened. Oh, that's right. He didn't know about the growth serum.

Danny didn't seem to pay this any mind. It was interesting to see how she towered above this human now, who had so effortlessly stolen her for the past three nights. Christopher looked over, expecting her to finally be angry at someone other than him for a change, but was slightly disappointed to see Danny look at the human with something closer to pity. She bent down on her knees, getting closer to eye level with Max. This did not make the other human feel more at ease; he looked like he wanted to bolt.

"You're a pretty sad excuse for a person, aren't you?" she said, her voice missing its signature acerbic edge. "But maybe you felt like you didn't have a choice. You're scared. I get it. But there's gotta be a way to survive without putting other people in harm's way. Alright?"

Max nodded, likely willing to agree to anything if it meant getting off the bed and away from the two giants in front of him (the thought making Christopher chuckle).

"She's right. I think the smuggling career might be bad for your health." Christopher flashed the human a toothy grin—a warning, one Max definitely seemed to pick up on. "You ought to be thanking your lucky stars for this little pain in my ass here, because letting you go again was certainly not my idea."

He picked the human up by his collar and reluctantly got out of bed, opening the bedroom door and setting the human down on the ground with a thump. "Grab what you need and then get out of here, for good this time. Or don't," he added, giving the human another suggestive, predatory grin. "See if you get lucky a second time."

Max squeaked something unintelligible as he sprinted away from the bedroom, not having uttered another word since he clawed his way out of Christopher's throat.

He felt his stomach grumble in protest. So much for the sleep aid, he thought ruefully, making his way back to bed before falling into the soft embrace of his sheets again. He gingerly moved the towel off of the bed and onto the floor, giving Danny one last look that he hoped conveyed both the unhappiness of his empty gut and the small, fluttery feeling of satisfaction from “doing the right thing”—by Danny's standards, anyway. 

He poked the tip of her nose teasingly. "You owe me a meal, dollface."

* * * * * * * * * *

Part 12 -->

Is Max the last uninvited guest these two will have in the near future? Will they find a way to rescue the other humans from Cyrus? And, more importantly, will Danny get her own bed? Who knows! Stay tuned for next time.

Thank you again for reading! 

"So, Christopher," she mumbled, rolling over to face him. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she immediately came face-to-face with his large, dark eyes, which were already staring intently at her.

"Gah, fuck, you scared me," she gasped, prompting a sly grin from the giant in return.

"Did you have something to ask me, dollface?"

"Um..." Danny took a moment to get her train of thought back on the tracks. "Well, I was just going to ask...um, what exactly happened between you and Cyrus? You said earlier it was 'complicated.'"

Christopher thought for a minute before rolling over onto his back and staring at the ceiling. "Well, besides stealing my clients, he did steal a human or two in the beginning. Tried, anyways." A wicked grin spread onto his face. "I caught the smuggler responsible and had him contract with me instead, as payback. You met Max."

"Wait...Max used to work for Cyrus? And he tried to steal from you?"

"Both Max and Cyrus have a tendency to underestimate me," he said, smirking slightly. "Things got a bit tense after that, but we decided to just call a truce and stay out of each other's way. Having a smuggler around did make my job a bit easier," he admitted, somewhat ruefully.

"What do you mean?"

He turned back over to face her, looking at her with an unreadable expression. "When I first started dealing, I found all of the humans myself. Out in the wild. I was fairly good at it, too."

"I believe it," she sneered. The grin he returned was weaker than normal.

Against her better judgment, she decided to ask something that she'd been thinking about for a while now. "Christopher...why did you get into dealing in the first place?" She wasn't sure why now, of all times, she decided to ask him, but there was something about the look in his eyes that seemed more vulnerable than normal tonight. And it was a welcome distraction from her brain that wouldn't shut up.

A shadow seemed to fall over his face as his grin twisted into a slight frown.

She immediately backpedaled. "I'm sorry, you don't have to answer that if—"

He held the tip of a single finger against her lips, his expression softening ever so slightly.

"It's fine, doll. There's not much to tell." He retracted his hand and stared at the ceiling again, sighing deeply. "I had to take care of myself a lot as a kid. My parents were...well, they were fucking lousy." He glared at the ceiling.  "I just wanted a quick way to get out of the house, be independent, run my own business, you know?"

He paused. "And I really was good at it. I started small, but it just kind of...took off. I felt like I had my shit together, and I could take care of myself. I liked feeling...in control of things, for once." He turned to look at Danny again. "I made pretty good money doing it, and I got out on my own as soon as I could. I never looked back."

Danny cocked her head in a question, wondering if he would elaborate any more. He'd already seemed to open up way more than he normally would have, and she had no intention of interrupting now.

He sighed. "My dad was an addict. Not just of humans, but a fuck ton of other stuff too. He was...a monster. I didn't want to be like him at all, but sometimes I wonder...I wonder if he fucked me up more than I thought."

A pang of sympathy hit Danny in the chest. There was something in the words he said that gave her a strange sense of familiarity, but she wasn't completely sure why. "You're...not your dad. You may be a bit of a jerk, but you're no monster."

He blinked a few times in surprise—or maybe he was blinking back tears, but she couldn't tell, even as close to his face as she was.

"I mean, at the end of the day, all you can do is take responsibility for your own mistakes, and try to be better, right?"

He was only silent in response, although a feeble grin started to creep onto his face. "I've never talked about this with anyone before, you know. I still don't get why you seem to be able to pull this shit out of me so easily."

"Maybe try therapy?" Danny suggested. "I doubt it's healthy to keep all that bottled up inside."

"It does feel nice to talk to someone," he relented, poking her in the stomach playfully. She scowled, suppressing the urge to laugh at the slightly ticklish sensation. "But maybe my nerves are making me delirious or something."

"So you are nervous, aren't you? About tomorrow?" It was less of a real question, and more of a statement, as it was clear that both of them were not going to be able to sleep at this rate. The weight of tomorrow's endeavor had been hanging heavily in the air between them all night.

There was a long pause as he stared at her. "I am." Something about the forthrightness of his statement, and the fact that he didn't try to play it off at all took Danny aback. "It's been hard to relax."

All too clearly, Sybil's discussion from earlier reemerged in her brain. Something about humans having positive medicinal effects on giants. Sleep aid. The solution to at least one of their sleepless nights was so obvious, she was surprised that Christopher hadn't even played that card yet. It was very...unlike him.

"Do you want to eat me?" The words flew out of her mouth before she was fully aware of what she was saying.

Christopher's eyes widened before he gave a sad little smirk in return. "Are you honestly asking me that?"

She nodded, knowing there was no backtracking on that statement.

He looked away for a bit before meeting her eyes again. "Of course I do." Danny almost quivered under his intense gaze then—hungry, desperate, and...filled with uncertainty. "But I think it's more important that you be comfortable tonight. If I'm going to be honest, I'm much more worried about you than about myself as far as tomorrow goes."

He's worried about me? "W-why?"

He narrowed his eyes slightly. "I still don't like that this plan starts with me giving you back to Cyrus. I know it's the only way it will work, but I'm just..." She noticed him grip the sheets tightly in his fists. "I don't like the idea of letting you go like that. I'm worried I won't be able to get you back." His huge, dark eyes were full of unmistakable fear.

If she was being honest, there were a lot of things that made her nervous her as well. It said something that being in Christopher's stomach for the initial exchange with Cyrus was the least scary thing about tomorrow.

For once, she didn't feel like kicking the poor bastard, or punching him, or hurling insults at him. Despite everything, she wanted to hug him. She wanted to keep telling him that everything was okay, because maybe if she could convince him of that, she could convince herself.

"Hey, it'll be fine. You'll figure it out. Whatever happens, I..." Oh, geez. She'd said it earlier, to Sybil. But could she say it again? Could she say it to this bastard's face?

He deserves the truth.

"I trust you."

Christopher seemed to stop breathing momentarily as the words escaped Danny's lips. His own voice in reply was barely a whisper. "Th-thank you, Danny."

The anxiety in her chest was becoming overwhelming now, just thinking about everything that would be happening tomorrow. She just wanted to curl up and nestle in something warm and snug, and nearly cursed aloud as she realized what she was thinking about, specifically.

Just as nature evolved to make giants crave the taste of humans, so too did it evolve to make humans seek out giants. Or at the very least, make the experience of being eaten somewhat enticing.

She could not believe she was going to go through with this again, of her own free will. She couldn't believe the fact that maybe, maybe, it wasn't just Christopher who wanted this to happen right now.

"You know, I should probably get some more exposure therapy in before tomorrow, don't you think?" She couldn't bring herself to say the actual words at the front of her mind as her gaze fell on Christopher's lips.

Do I want this? Do I actually want this? Oh, fuck me...

She almost gasped as he reached over to her, but instead of picking her up and stuffing her into his mouth, he used his thumb to gently brush the hair out of her face. Perhaps more surprisingly, his expression didn't waver at her words. "Maybe you should save the bravado for tomorrow, sweetheart." With one last, soft smile, he rolled over to face away from her.

The unexpected, gentle affection made Danny's heart race, and she laid there for a minute in a sea of confusion. She'd all but given him permission, hadn't she? Since when did Christopher not jump at the chance to swallow her like that?

She hadn't given him permission. With a sort of horror, she realized that he actually was concerned about her comfort right now. In fact, now that she thought about it, he hadn't so much as mentioned eating her since they'd left Sybil's place, not even in the joking way he normally asked.

If I want him to...I have to actually ask him. I have to be honest.

"Honest" felt like an impossible task at the moment. Not just because saying something aloud like "I want to be eaten by you" was fucking weird and embarrassing. But the fact that there was a small part of Danny that actually, maybe thought that right now? She hardly believed it herself. Maybe the anxiety was making her delirious, too.

Or maybe...she just wanted to be as close to Christopher as possible, just for tonight.

And he won't do anything if I don't ask him directly.

It felt like she was no longer in control of her body as she crawled closer to the giant and placed a hand on his back. She could feel him freeze in response to her touch, waiting for her next words.

Neither of them moved as Danny mustered up the courage she needed to break the silence.

"Christopher, I...I want to be inside you tonight."

For a few agonizingly long seconds, he didn't move. Danny's heartbeat sped up again as her words seemed to hang in the air between them. Did he not hear her correctly? Was she too quiet? Am I going to have to say that again?

Then, he slowly turned around to face her. His eyes were widened and his lips were slightly parted in surprise. He took her hands between his fingers and held them gently. "Are you sure, doll?"

The stupid nickname that normally made her want to punch him brought a flush of color to her cheeks now. She hurriedly looked down and averted her face from his. "Y-yes. I'm sure."

Peeking up at him, she watched as he beamed with the most sincere smile she'd ever seen cross his face. She had prepared herself for the teasing, the gloating, the usual responses...but she wasn't prepared for this.

"Okay, Danny." There was an aching tenderness in Christopher's voice—so unfamiliar and strange, but it was like an answer to the question he'd had in his eyes all day as he'd looked at her, stolen glances, held her against him in the car. She couldn't properly articulate it, but she did recognize this softer side to the giant. It just hadn't come out fully until now.

Danny couldn't be angry at his weirdly affectionate, protective display at the moment. Right now, more than anything, she needed it. It was something she could latch onto, something she could surrender herself to. The fear she probably should have been experiencing was currently far away.

Even so, she felt her heart race as he picked her up slowly, sitting up and leaning back against the bed's headboard—she was reminded that he'd also been in this position when he'd let Max out of his stomach a few days ago. It hadn't been long since then, and she could remember the way she had felt as she watched him release the human—scared, a bit disgusted, but...fascinated. As she met his large, dark eyes now, there was only a hint of that primal fear deep in her core. She wondered if what Sybil had said yesterday had any amount of truth to it—that there was something about giants that was enticing to humans. She'd originally thought it was fucking ridiculous to think that giants had some sort of magnetism that made getting eaten in any way appealing.

Now, though, she wasn't so sure.

He turned her around so that she faced away from him and lifted her up so that her feet dangled off of his palm. She realized that he was going to eat her the same way she'd asked Nathan to yesterday. He paid attention to that, did he?

"Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?" he asked with a low, quiet voice, his breath close enough to raise goosebumps on her arms.

"Go slow," Danny answered, her voice surprisingly even. Maybe the weight of what she'd asked of Christopher hadn't fully sunk in yet.

She felt him lift her higher, and the dimness of the room helped what surely would have been a bad case of vertigo from being so high up off the bed. She gasped as she felt his tongue on her bare feet and a sudden wet warmth all the way up to her calves as he started to take her into his mouth. A bit too late, she remembered the dart that was still strapped to her leg, hidden under her pants—but it was clear from the eager movements of his tongue that Christopher didn't seem to notice. She wondered what he would think if he did—maybe she should have told him about it, but it was too late now.

She could feel him breathing deeply and evenly around her, taking his time to wrap his tongue all the way around her legs, moving it up and down along her skin as he coated her with saliva.

He swallowed once, drawing her into his throat and prompting another quiet gasp from her—and surprisingly, she felt him stop moving his tongue around her. It was as if he was asking for permission to keep going.

That's new, Danny thought. She was reminded of the way Nathan had froze yesterday while he was struggling to eat her. "I-I'm fine, Christopher. You don't have to stop."

There was a slight pause before the movement of his tongue resumed, now focused on the area around her waist. Danny concentrated on breathing evenly, steeling herself for what was coming, but found that she didn't struggle as much as she normally did in getting air steadily into her lungs. I really must be delirious to be so calm right now.

Another swallow pulled her even further in, all the way up to her neck. Compared to yesterday with Nathan, Christopher's expertise was obvious—his swallows were strong and certain, each one pulling more of her body in than Nathan's had. His tongue did not hesitate as it moved around her torso. There was no question of whether or not Christopher could, or wanted to eat Danny; there never had been. And right now, that certainty was comforting—in a very strange way.

His lips closed over her head as he swallowed once more. Most of her body was in his throat now, constricted tightly by its powerful muscles. Only her head and the top half of her torso remained, resting on his tongue in anticipation of their final descent.

Her heart was beating so quickly now, but it wasn't regret that she felt. As she let her head sink into the soft muscle, all she could think about was how warm everything was now, and how the throat's hold on her body was almost pleasant in the way it distracted her from whatever she had been worrying about before this.

The muscles of the throat continued to pull her downward, and her head slipped further into the tight, wet darkness that awaited her.

This had always been the hardest part—her head being squeezed by the throat—but luckily, Christopher could swallow quicker than Nathan. The experience did not last long before she felt herself fall slowly into an open pit as the tension of the throat released her, little by little, until she fell completely into Christopher's stomach, her legs folding underneath her.

A long sigh seemed to come from all around her as she felt Christopher's body relax. Thanks to the way he had consumed her, the position she was in was not too uncomfortable—her legs were tucked against her chest in a near-fetal position, but it was getting less and less scary to be held so tightly together. In fact, right now, it was almost calming. The walls of the stomach pressed against her almost as gently as Christopher had handled her earlier, like a true extension of himself.

"Are you alright, Danny?" A slight pressure indicated that he'd placed his hand on top of her.

"I'm okay. I'm fine." She reached out in front of her to put a hand ever so softly against the stomach's lining. It was dark in here, as always, just as she knew it would be. But it was not as strange and terrifying as it had once been. It was slimy, wet, and warm, yes. But it was predictable.

It was safe.

"If you want me to let you out, you just have to let me know, alright?" She felt the darkness shift as he laid back down slowly, changing her position to being on her side as well.

"Alright," she murmured, her eyes drifting closed. This place had a way of grounding her in the present, demanding her attention from every angle. It had once been frightening, but now it helped to keep the nameless anxieties in her head at bay. Tomorrow would come, but for now, she would sleep.

A soft, low voice reverberated all around her. "Goodnight, Danny." She could hear the tender smile in his words.

A slight smile of her own tugged at her face. "Goodnight, Christopher."

* * * * * * * * * *  

Christopher curled up around the slight bulge in his middle. He couldn't hold Danny any closer to him now—it was like all the unspoken desires and worries from today had melted away in an instant, giving way to the calming bliss that Danny created within him. His chest felt like a wound-up spring whose tension was slowly being unraveled as his heartbeat began to slow, and his mind began to clear.

He thought back to the meeting with Sybil earlier. He had been turning all of the information about humans over in his head all day. She could have just been making it all up, he supposed, considering how taboo the study of humans was in the first place. Now that he thought about it, he did find it a bit odd how little giants knew about humans in general, and how much of what Sybil talked about was completely new information, even to him.

He was especially interested in Sybil's relationship with the humans she protected, not least of all her...husband? He chewed on his lip, lost in thought. Was it really possible for humans to enjoy being eaten? Or was that just more wishful thinking on his part? He couldn't imagine what had been going through Danny's mind tonight, nor did he think it wise to press her for answers. He'd just savor the moment for as long as he could.

Before Danny, he'd never considered the human's enjoyment as a factor—even as a dealer, even with all the different tastes and requests he'd dealt with, it had always been such a one-sided ordeal. He'd never served a giant who was concerned with what the human wanted, or who made any effort to make the human comfortable. Many of them—himself included—had actually enjoyed the squirming, the terror, and the helplessness of the humans who were unwilling—which was all of them.

He couldn't have possibly understood then, when he was so focused on the thrill of fear he inspired in humans, how much better, softer, and warmer it would feel to hold someone inside of him...who trusted him.

* * * * * * * * * *  

THERE'S ART FOR THIS CHAPTER! Done by the wonderful @safe-from-sharp-teeth!

 Part 21 ->

She thought she saw a bit of a pout—like he was going to keep begging her or something—before he backed off, sitting fully upright but still looking at her. Not in a hungry way anymore. More...bemused.

"That's understandable, I suppose. I'm just glad you understand the nature of the situation."

"Yeah, and I bet you're real torn up about that, aren't you, mister 'doesn't-have-an-antidote'? What kind of a second-rate dealer are you?"

Christopher looked almost offended. "Hey now, growth serums aren't exactly common, even among dealers. And there's even less of a market for antidotes. You should be glad I have the connections to get you an antidote at all."

"Hmph," Danny grumbled, taking a corner of the giant hand towel and wrapping it around her. Her wet clothes were still rather uncomfortable, and it was beginning to chill her skin.

Christopher smiled as he saw her huddle into the towel. "Let me get you some new clothes, dollface." She watched him disappear into his bedroom and heard him rummage around in a few drawers for a bit before reappearing, this time with a small wooden box about as big as his hand.

Danny looked at it curiously.

"Let's see...well, I have no guarantees on sizing, but some of these might fit you, you're fairly skinny though..." Christopher rifled through the box's contents before stopping suddenly, then smacking himself in the head. "Whoops. Totally forgot about your little growth spurt. These are all useless."

"Where did you get a box of human clothes?"

Christopher gave her a quizzical look, as if that wasn't the question he expected her to ask. "Well, there's not a lot of demand for human stuff up here, but there are a few human traders who carry a wide assortment of stuff like this. They generally only trade with other humans, but I have connections. Well, had, anyways..." Christopher trailed off, heading back into his room.

She guessed it made sense—the human who had smuggled her into that bar had done so in exchange for protection, right? Maybe he had helped Christopher get other things, too. Danny shuddered. She hadn't really thought about Christopher's human smuggler before. Did he live here too? Did Christopher know he was the one to kidnap her last night?

"Hey...um..." Danny tried to raise her voice so that he'd hear her from the other room.

"Hm?" It sounded like Christopher was still looking around in his room. Did he actually have larger clothes somewhere?

"Do you...does that other human...live here? You know, the one who..."

Christopher cut her off immediately. "No. After the little stunt he pulled last night, I don't think Max will be coming around again. I, ah, ended his contract, so to speak." He grinned devilishly.

"Did you eat him?!" Danny's voice squeaked, a bit more accusatory than she intended.

Christopher passed in front of the doorway, and she saw his face contort in disgust as he strode to the other side of his room. "Eugh, no. Oh, but speaking of which..." She heard a small rattling sound before he emerged from his room, this time holding a very small...well, it looked like a giant-size prescription bottle. He unscrewed the cap and placed it on the table. "Here. Take one and drink up."

Danny looked inside the clear plastic container. Inside, there were tiny, human-sized vials of some sort of bluish liquid. They were still very tiny to her—maybe half the size of her finger. "What the fuck is that?"

"Scent-masking serum. Humans use it to hide their scent from giants. I used to give this to my, uh...employee." Christopher looked embarrassed. "I doubt it'll work at your size, and I don't think it's safe to take more than one at a time. But we might as well see what it does though, hm?"

Danny carefully picked out a vial and eyed the contents suspiciously. It looked like antifreeze. "Well, I'm sure you know what you're doing..." She unscrewed the top of the vial and swallowed the tiny amount of liquid, then nearly coughed it all back up immediately. It took effort to choke it down. "It tastes like shit."

Christopher held a finger up and glanced away as if he was focusing on something. She watched him inhale deeply, then sigh. "Well, at least I tried. It does cover your smell up a little bit, but not enough." Despite his disappointment, he was clearly trying to suppress a grin. She got the distinct impression he had been fully expecting this result anyways.

Danny gingerly placed the empty vial on the table. "How do you even keep track of human stuff this small? This may as well be like...I don't know, a grain of sand to you."

Christopher laughed. "I had Max count those things and package them for me. I tried doing it myself before, but let me tell you, inventory was a bitch. Mostly just tweezers and swearing."

"So, do you have any clothes for me, or...?"

"Well, the short answer is no. The long answer is, I could probably make some, but in the meantime, I'll wash your other clothes and, ah...well, a hair dryer will probably work in a matter of minutes." He gave her a once-over, as if he was judging the state of her worn-out clothes and pondering something. "Is that...the only pair of clothes you have?"

"Of course it's the only pair. Where am I supposed to get human clothes in a giant city, moron? Nathan doesn’t exactly know how to sew."

"But I do." A strangely thoughtful expression settled on Christopher's face. "Once you get back to your regular size, I could probably supply some more clothes for you." Just when Danny thought he sounded halfway sincere, he added with a smirk, "...if you asked nicely."

Danny just gave him an ugly sneer in return.

Before he could make another smart comment, a loud growl escaped Christopher's stomach. He sounded starved, and Danny watched as he gripped his stomach and winced, as if in pain.

"...you good?" Danny asked, hesitantly.

"I ah...just remembered I didn't eat anything yesterday. Except you, of course." Christopher's grimace morphed into the hint of his signature teasing grin. "I should...probably take care of that. I bet you're hungry too, aren't you?"

Danny had a retort ready for his previous comment, but she couldn't deny the hunger clawing at her own stomach. "Yeah. What, do you cook actual food, or am I gonna have to scrounge around for crumbs?"

Christopher chuckled. "Of course I can cook, dollface. My line of work requires a...refined sense of taste, after all." Danny noticed his tongue slide over his teeth through his barely-parted lips, probably in a teasing gesture. She repressed a shudder, and quickly broke eye contact with him.

He moved to the fridge, getting out various vegetables, a carton of eggs, and a few containers of something. "You can eat omelets, right?"

The word omelet made her stomach growl hungrily. "I'd kill for an actual omelet." Nathan had fed her, of course, but she didn't get the impression he could cook himself. He had mostly given her small slices of meat, cheese, and fruit, but hardly anything prepared. He'd said something about it being "too suspicious." Danny couldn't actually remember the last time she had something close to a home-cooked meal.

The scent of the food sizzling in the pan on the stove nearby was making Danny's mouth water. As Christopher's back was to her, she sighed, finally giving in to the discomfort and stripping her shirt and pants off of her, but keeping her undergarments firmly in place. She still kept the towel wrapped tightly around her, but at least now she was mostly dry.

Christopher only gave a cursory glance to her pile of wet clothes before placing a giant-sized plate on the table in front of Danny with the largest omelet she had ever seen on it. It looked fluffy and delicious, with cheese and vegetables poking out from the seams and some sort of sauce drizzled on top of it.

"Um...yeah, I can't eat that whole thing."

"Good thing we're sharing, then, doll." Christopher cut off a relatively small corner of the omelet, then, after some consideration, cut that portion into even tinier pieces. "I don't have any silverware for you, so you're just going to have to use your hands. Don't worry, I won't judge."

I'm too hungry to care. Danny immediately sat down next to the plate and started shoving the bite-size chunks of omelet into her mouth. It was probably the tastiest thing she'd ever had in her life. Christopher seemed to be eating just as ravenously—he must have meant it when he said he hadn't eaten anything yesterday. He must have been in a real sorry state.

I still don't feel bad for you, asshole. But Danny couldn't summon the usual amount of vitriol anymore. Everything was so strange. Here she was, wrapped up in a giant hand towel, eating an omelet off of the plate of a human-smuggling giant. A giant she...well, not a giant she liked, but at the very least, she certainly was appreciative that she wasn't being digested in the stomach of a different strange, gross giant right about now.

That canNOT be where the bar is.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Christopher grinned and twirled his fork in his fingers, his elbow resting on the table as he stared at Danny.

"Fuck no," Danny spat, stuffing her face with more omelet to avoid conversation. She had run out of bite-size pieces, and instead started grabbing handfuls off of Christopher's larger portion. He saw this, but just shrugged and continued eating until the omelet was gone.

After the last bites of food vanished, both Danny and Christopher sat back in contentment. Christopher absently trailed his hand over his stomach in satisfaction. "Well? Was my cooking up to your standards?"

"It was fine." Danny felt a little bad after such a blatant lie. "Actually, it was the best omelet I've ever had. Maybe you should change careers," she said, spitting out the last word with no small amount of disdain.

Christopher looked oddly pensive at the suggestion. "You know, I hadn't even considered that. Cooking's just a hobby for me."

"Now that we're on the subject, are you still planning on smuggling humans? Or did you actually take Nathan's advice?" Danny crossed her arms. 

Christopher looked down at the table, an uncharacteristically serious look on his face. He didn't respond right away. "No, I'm not. I already told you I cut ties with my human employee, and believe it or not, outside of you, I don't have any other humans on hand." He paused, his eyes narrowed slightly at something in the distance. "And I cancelled all my client appointments. Indefinitely." 

Danny's eyes widened, not actually expecting him to admit to quitting his trade. I'm not buying it. "Why?" she asked, a hardened edge to her voice. 

He gave her a curious look, raising a single eyebrow at her inquiry. "Business has been...well, slow, since Cyrus started his own little smuggling ring. Pretty much all of my regulars have been going to him, because he's cheaper. And he's been having his own little minions clearing the town of any humans they can find. You're frankly quite lucky you weren't one of them."

"Yeah. Lucky." Danny glared at Christopher, her scowl only causing him to grin slightly. "So it's just convenient for you, isn't it? You didn't actually have a change of heart," she scoffed.

"I mean, I didn't have to take care of you," he smirked, resting his chin on his hand. "Or rescue you. I think that ought to count for something, hm?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, congratulations, you're doing the bare minimum. Let me break out the participation trophy for you." She narrowed her eyes in a challenge. "You think that's enough to make things up to Nathan?"

He returned her gaze, coldly. "And what, exactly, do I have to do to prove myself?"

Danny rose to her feet, keeping her eyes fixed to Christopher's. "Let's see how far your little 'change of heart' goes." She crossed her arms, her towel falling to the table as she did so. She ignored it. "Those other humans, in Cyrus's place. I met one of them when I was there. You want to show Nathan you actually give a shit about humans?"

Christopher cocked his head quizzically, interrupting her before she had a chance to finish her statement. "You're asking if I'm willing to help recover all of Cyrus's stock, aren't you?"

"The other humans. Yeah."

"That's a tall order, dollface." Christopher's eyebrows knitted together. "Let's just say Cyrus and I aren't exactly on the best of terms, and even if we were, buying up all those humans would cost much more than I have, especially if I didn't plan on returning them. I might as well give him my house."

"I'm not saying buy the other humans, asshole. I'm saying rescue them. They're all there against their will and treated like shit. Surely you could come up with something."

Christopher shook his head. "You'd be asking me to attempt the impossible."

"Nathan told me human smuggling was illegal, right? Can't you just...I don't know, report him to the authorities?"

Christopher laughed mirthlessly. "If my goal was just to shut him down, I suppose I could, but if I cared about the humans, I couldn't guarantee they wouldn't just end up somewhere worse. It's all rumors, of course, but I've heard that the government is more wrapped up in the human smuggling business than anyone. They'd put on a show of locking Cyrus up while taking all of his stock—sorry, all of the humans—for themselves."

"Bastards." Danny glared at the table. "Well, I'm going to keep thinking of a plan. If you ever feel like doing the right thing, feel free to contribute some ideas." Danny turned around—she didn't feel like looking Christopher in the face.

As if he could read her mind, Christopher grabbed her torso and spun her around with one hand, using one of his long fingers to tilt her face up to make direct eye contact with him. She resisted the urge to bite it. "Hey, hey now, I didn't say I wouldn't help. I just said it wouldn't be easy." She didn't know what to make of his expression then—not teasing, not a hint of a smirk, but something that seemed slightly pained. His eyebrows furrowed. "But if it matters that much to you, I'll at least try to think of a way, alright?"

"Since when do you care about my feelings?" Danny seethed. Just when she thought she could tolerate Christopher a little more, he had to go and say something stupid like that. Anger boiled inside her. "'If it matters that much to you.' As far as I can see, you're only being nice to me for Nathan's sake. That's the only reason you went and saved my life, too. Am I wrong?"

Christopher was silent for a minute as he retracted his hand from her, his face unreadable. "You know what? I don't know." There was a long pause, and Danny couldn't think of anything to say to break the sudden chill in the room. "A few days ago, I was a completely different person. And you were just a really, really delicious human. Maybe I am only being nice to you for Nathan. Or...maybe he was what helped me figure out I was wrong. The way he cares about you...I'm jealous, dollface. And I don't know which of you I'm more jealous of, at this point."

Danny choked on her own snarky retort again. She hadn't expected him to be this...honest.

He leaned closer to her, and the serious look in his eyes made her almost flinch away. "I enjoyed seeing the fear in your eyes. The helpless look on your face. The way your body trembled in my fingers." His warm breath washed over Danny, and the memory of his dark, predatory eyes boring into her made a quiver of fear spring up in her gut. She froze as his fingers gently stroked her hair.

"The truth is, I've never gotten so attached to a human before. It's true that I went after you because of Nathan. But something about the way that idiot Gary talked about you pissed me off. I've dealt lots of humans, but this was the first time I felt that someone didn't deserve a specific human. The way he was treating you—like some common drug for a quick high—was wrong. He didn't appreciate anything about you."

Her lip curled in contempt. "So what you're saying is, you only care about me so far as you appreciate the way I taste."

"Well, the taste certainly helps, sweetheart." Christopher made a show of taking her hand between his fingers and lifting it to his lips, leaving a gentlemanly kiss as he looked teasingly at her, watching for her reaction. She forced her features into stone, unwilling to let him get to her now. "But I don't think that's all, either. When you kicked my nose, despite it being completely pointless—remember that, doll? Or when you stood up for Nathan, even when you knew it meant I'd digest you. I've never met someone as reckless and passionate and loyal as you—human or giant. It scared me to think about how that bastard was just going to...take all that away forever."

The look in Christopher's eyes nearly made Danny lose her resolve—something between anger and despair.

He bent down closer to her again, and his lips brushed the top of her head as he spoke. "It made me want to hold you inside of me forever, and never let you out again."

Danny shuddered, but she couldn't accurately place the emotion behind it. Christopher moved his face directly in front of her, staring right into her eyes again. She gulped. Why wasn't she angry anymore? Why wasn't she afraid of the giant's lips resting so close to her face?

Without thinking, she felt her hands reach out to touch Christopher's soft top lip—mostly as a way to create some distance between them and keep him from getting closer. This seemed to surprise him—enough that he didn't move in response.

"...listen. I don't like you, asshole. I wouldn't be here if I didn't have to be. But I think, at the very least...I don't hate you either. As much. I'm giving you a chance to be a halfway decent person, and I'm only giving you that chance because Nathan believes in you. And if you end up proving me wrong, I swear to god I'll find another growth serum and eat you for a change."

The thought made Christopher chuckle. "Noted. Does that mean you trust me, then?"

"'Trust' is a strong word. All I trust you to be at this point is a dick."

"Oh, well, if that's the case, I may as well play the part, hm?" Before Danny could process his words, he parted his lips slightly and then closed them around her hands, a malicious and self-satisfied grin forming as he dragged his tongue across them. Thankfully, he stopped there, and Danny quickly wrenched her hands out of the giant's greedy mouth, wiping the excess saliva off on the towel still nearby.

"Sorry, dollface. Couldn't help myself."

"Like I said, 'trust' is a strong word. So is 'tolerate'."

"Sounds like we need some trust exercises, then. And speaking of which, when are you going to let me eat you, sweetheart?" Christopher's face was the picture of innocence. Danny wondered how much energy he was having to exert to keep up that facade.

Danny hesitated. She looked at Christopher's full, soft lips, turned up in a smirk. Maybe...she could start small. The stomach and throat were their own monsters to deal with. Perhaps if she could get used to the cramped quarters of his mouth first, the rest would be easier...

Oh, fuck me, am I actually going to do this again?

She exhaled slowly, feeling a shakiness return to her limbs. I really don't want to do this, but I also know I need to...work on my claustrophobia for my own safety. And I hate feeling scared of you, bastard. "I don't want to go all the way today. Can we just..." She felt herself getting a bit physically sick, thinking of what she was going to say next—"can you just maybe hold me in your mouth first?"

Christopher's eyes brightened up eagerly, and the look made her stomach turn. "Right now?" His fingers brushed against her back, immediately ready to snatch her up.

She swallowed nervously, but fought her fear back. She had to. "I just want to get it over with, so you better hurry up before I change my mind." Danny closed her eyes. She could feel him picking her up gently, pressing her arms to her sides as he lifted her up to his eye level. She sat in his palm, her legs dangling over the edge of it.

She forced herself to look him in the eyes. "So first, obviously—don't swallow me. Second, go slowly. I need time to breathe and get used to it, okay? And third—wipe that smug grin off your face, you bastard. I'm not doing this for your enjoyment," Danny huffed. She wished she could have practiced this with someone nice like Nathan instead, but she knew Nathan would like it less than she did, and he'd probably be more likely to hurt her accidentally as a result.

"I know, I know...it's just a fortunate side effect." She watched in horror as Christopher absently flicked away a drop of saliva that threatened to escape his mouth. Oh, god, this was a mistake. He brought his lips closer to Danny, making her heartbeat threaten to escape her chest. "Now, should I go headfirst, or—"

"Yes," said Danny quickly, fighting the fear in her chest at the thought of it. "That's the only way this makes sense. Just...slowly, okay?"

"I can do slow," said Christopher with a smirk, stroking Danny's hair back as he placed his lips on top of her head. The warm air he exhaled made her skin shudder.

"Not slow like you're enjoying it, slow like—you know what, never mind, just do it already." Danny braced herself, squeezing her eyes shut and sucking in a large gulp of air. She felt Christopher's lips part and slide over her body, his huge tongue moving across her face and down her torso. He picked her up with his other hand, angling her to make the slide into his mouth easier.

His lips closed just around her shoulders, and her head was now completely inside his dark, wet, slimy mouth. She squirmed around, trying to get her arms in past his lips—thankfully, he seemed to understand what she was trying to do, and he relaxed his hold on her enough for her arms to move inside. She tried to use them to prop her head up off of his tongue, allowing her a little room to breathe.

Breathe. For some reason, this time was causing more anxiety to spike in her chest than the rest. All the other times she had been eaten, there had been something else to distract her from the immediate experience—fear and anger, mostly. Now, though, she was forced to focus on the sensation of being in Christopher's mouth, and all the unpleasantness that came with. The only thing she seemed to notice was how tight his lips held her shoulders, and how little room there was in here compared to the first few times, when she was smaller.

He slowly slid more of her torso in until he got to about her waist. Her head was balanced precariously on the edge of his tongue, much too close to the throat for her liking, but at least here there was a bit more space for her to breathe.

In and out, in and out...

She wondered if Christopher could feel the shaky contractions of her lungs, or the intense beating of her heart through his tongue.

I used to enjoy seeing the fear in your eyes. 

Danny tried to force her thoughts away from her inner panic, and towards Christopher. He didn't seem to be enjoying himself, well...any more than usual, she supposed. He was being surprisingly careful with her, not pressing her to the roof of his mouth or even moving his tongue too much. Perhaps it was simply because there was so much of her inside his mouth, but he was holding her still, his palm holding up her legs outside of him. She felt his saliva pool around her, and he seemed to be taking great pains to swallow it without jostling her too much. And, thankfully, his firm grip around her midsection kept her from going down with it.

He slowly opened his mouth a bit, letting in some air and light but still not moving Danny. The light illuminated his uvula and the back of his throat, which stared her in the face. She watched with morbid curiosity as the muscles of his throat expanded and contracted, seemingly widening of their own accord as if they could sense her there at the edge, inviting her downwards.

She closed her eyes and focused on nothing but her breathing—three seconds in, three seconds out. It was a cramped space, but she wasn't being squeezed like she was in the esophagus or the stomach, and with Christopher having his mouth a bit open, it was more manageable.

She realized that she was probably going to have to be the one to set the limit on this little "trust exercise," so after she felt her heartbeat finally calm down a bit, she gently kicked Christopher's palm. "Okay, that's enough. Let me out."

She gasped as Christopher shut his mouth and pressed her against the roof of it—not too forcefully, but sudden enough to put another spike in her heartbeat. She kicked his palm again, harder this time. "Hey—mphgm—" Her face pressed into his tongue and her words disappeared into the wet muscle. Thankfully, though, he was slowly dragging her out of his mouth, using his tightly closed lips and tongue to suck as much of the saliva off of her as possible on the way out.

When her head finally came back to the outside world, she doubled over, breathing in as much beautiful, beautiful air as possible and hugging her knees to her chest. She was resting on Christopher's palm, and she noticed him gently starting to wipe her off with the hand towel again. God fucking damnit, I'm going to have to wash myself off again.

"Well? How was that?" Christopher was looking much too pleased with himself as he dried Danny off.

"Oh, tons of fun," she quipped, yanking the towel away from him. "Nearly as much fun as that one time I got food poisoning. Or appendicitis. Or, ooh, maybe that time I got chased by a squirrel on my first day in this godforsaken, shitty-ass giant world."

Christopher smiled. "Don't worry doll. I enjoyed it enough for the both of us."

* * * * * * * * * *  

Part 11 -->

Hey guys. It’s definitely been a hot minute. I don’t know how frequently I’ll be able to update this story, but feel free to reach out to me about it if you are curious or if there’s something you want to see! What’s in store for our enemies-to-unlikely-housemates? We’ll see...

"Well, that friend I mentioned earlier, the one who's supposed to be getting me information...they weren't supposed to be back this early—"

Sam rapped on the door impatiently. "Chris?"

"Keep your shirt on, Sam, give me a minute," Christopher called out, doing a fairly good job of masking the tense feeling in the room. He turned to Nathan, a pleading look on his face as he whispered, "Nathan, um, I need to—"

"Let them see her."

Christopher blinked. "What?"

"Your friend. Let them see Danny. What are they going to do? They're your friend, right? And they're helping with this rescue mission, aren't they?" Nathan crossed his arms and stared defiantly back at Christopher.

"I'm not so sure that's a great idea—"

"No, Nathan's right," Danny said, standing up and crossing her arms to mirror Nathan. "Let me meet them."

From what she had heard of Sam earlier this morning, they hadn't seemed too bad. Although Christopher referred to them as an "old friend", it sounded more like they were a previous client. Though the thought made her a little nervous, she had to agree with Nathan—what exactly would Sam do as long as both Christopher and Nathan were there? And yes, apparently human possession was illegal, but if Sam really was an old client, would that even matter?

Either way, there was no way she was going to get eaten under the guise of protection, not if she didn't have to.

Christopher looked between the two of them and sighed, obviously realizing that he was not going to get his way. "...fine. Let's just get this mess over with." He walked towards the front door and opened it.

Almost immediately, Sam began talking—loudly. "Wow, Chris, are you sure you don't have anything in stock? Because it smells so good in—" Sam walked in, seeming to ignore the way Christopher was trying to stand in between the front door and the kitchen to block Sam's path as much as possible, and met Danny's eyes.

An unsettling shiver ran up her spine as she made eye contact with the giant—a lanky, androgynous figure with short, dark hair, tattoos running up their arms, and a flat-billed cap turned around on their head. It wasn't that Sam looked particularly dangerous...but the 'friendly' look they were giving Danny was pushing the boundaries of natural curiosity in a way Danny was all too familiar with. It was the same look the owner of the Black Dragon had given her—objectifying, but not in the normal, "human" way. It made her feel like...prey.

"...uh...you didn't mention...company?"

Danny watched Christopher fiddle with his hair and tuck it behind his ears, clearly nervous about this whole exchange. "Sam, this is Nathan and Danny. They're going to be helping me with this too."

Danny watched Sam's face scrunch up in confusion—still looking intently at her—before they shrugged, smiling as they stuck their hand out towards Nathan to shake. "Well, nice to meet you, Nathan."

Nathan accepted the handshake stiffly, a wary air about him as he seemed to appraise Sam's character.

Then Sam turned towards Danny again and seemed to weigh their options for a few seconds. Danny also wasn't sure what to do in this exchange, but tried reaching her hand out in Sam's direction for a similar handshake.

Sam took her hand between their thumb and forefinger—it was clear they were trying to be gentle but weren't as successful as Nathan or Christopher—and bent down, pressing their lips softly against Danny's hand in a quick kiss just as Christopher had done yesterday. She gasped at the giant's sudden proximity, her breath catching in her throat.

It was barely audible, but Danny swore she heard a low growl come from Christopher's direction.

Sam let her hand go, still smiling as they held up their palms defensively. "Alright, alright, I get it, 'hands off the merchandise.'"

"She's not merchandise," Nathan hissed.

Sam looked to Christopher with a pleading smile, seemingly immune to the hostility in the room but quite clearly thrown for a loop. "I'm...very confused."

Danny was getting a slight case of schadenfreude from the exasperated look on Christopher's face.

"Okay, okay, let's start over. Sam, these are my friends," Christopher said, making knowing eye contact with Danny and grinning. He'd clearly not forgotten their conversation about being 'friends' this morning. "Both of them."

Sam's eyes widened slightly. They nodded, looking like they were barely restraining themselves from prying further. "Uh...gotcha."

"Now, if you're here so early, I assume you have something important to tell me. And it...can't wait until tomorrow?"

At this, Sam beamed and pulled a pen out of their pocket, unscrewing the cap to reveal a USB stick. They had obviously missed Christopher's not-so-subtle hint. "Nope. Go get your laptop, Chris. I got it all right here."

Danny remembered what Sam had been tasked with doing that morning, and found her eyes unconsciously wandering toward their stomach. Did they...is there a...

Begrudgingly, Christopher got his laptop from the counter nearby and switched it on. "So, Sam, why exactly did you go so early? I was under the impression you'd be going tonight."

"Well, I figured I'd see what it's like in the afternoon instead—dead empty, just like I thought. If you were looking to pull this off with the least amount of witnesses, going there in the middle of the day seems like your best bet. Plus there's a wider selection since they're supposed to be returned by then."

"Mmhmm." Christopher's lips were set in a thin line as he plugged in the USB and tapped a few keys. Danny's heart started thumping in her chest—the thought of seeing the inside of that place again was unsettling, to say the least. But she needed to—she needed to do this for the humans still stuck in there.

She cast a quick look to Nathan, who had stood up to look at the screen over Christopher's shoulder. Luckily, as the giant met her eyes, he seemed to pick up on her discomfort and gave her a strained grin. He looked just as bad as she felt, as his grin was barely masking a look of disgust from what he could see on the screen.

Danny stood up hesitantly and without needing to ask, Nathan set his open palm on the table for her to climb into. She sat down as he lifted her to his chest, placing another hand in front of her gently as an extra form of protection from falling. The height would have made her woozy had she not been desperately craving some form of positive physical affection from her friend. The warmth and scent of Nathan's body and the steady thumping of his heartbeat were enough to calm Danny down enough for her to turn her eyes toward the screen in front of her.

She caught Christopher's head quickly turning away from her as she did so.

The recording that played back showed what Danny assumed was the inside of the Black Dragon—an unremarkable, dimly lit bar that was empty save for the familiar, stoic face behind the counter—Cyrus. The burly giant barely seemed to take note of Sam as they entered, wiping down the counter of the bar methodically.

"Hey there," the voice of Sam said cheerily as they sat down at the bar. "I heard that you can get...special goods here, right?"

Cyrus stopped wiping down the counter and looked up, squinting at Sam. "I haven't seen you around here before. New in town?"

"Actually, it's my first, uh...first time. My friends told me to come here, but I don't really know what I'm doing, sir."

Christopher turned to look at Sam, who shrugged with an innocent grin.

Cyrus huffed, looking around before motioning for Sam to follow him. "Come with me, then." He led Sam to a door marked at the top with the words "OFFICE."

Danny let in a sharp intake of air when she saw the room behind the door. It was just as she remembered, but from a taller vantage point—a stark room with a single table and chair pushed against the wall, and as Sam entered further, turning around as slowly as possible, the camera revealed the shelf along the back wall with four jars of humans on it—different shapes and sizes, but all of them filled with one human each.

Nathan held her a bit tighter against his chest, but she could hear his heartbeat speed up as well.

Christopher paused the video and leaned in closer.

"See, look! It's like, concrete walls, no windows, and you have to sit at that cold-ass metal table on that folding chair. It's like you're being interrogated or something!"

"Uh-huh," mumbled Christopher, scrubbing back and forth through the video a bit before continuing. "So wait, that's it? Four humans? I expected...more."

Sam shrugged. "Maybe he's been having trouble finding them, too."

"So I was curious...do you have anything, um...bigger?"

Cyrus gave Sam a funny look. "Even if I did, you wouldn't be able to handle it, first-timer. You also couldn't afford it. Larger ones are pretty rare."

"Wait...how big do they get? Do you have a different container for them or something?"

Cyrus raised an eyebrow before chuckling amusedly. "You really are a bit inexperienced, aren't you?" Cyrus opened another door in the back wall, and Sam eagerly moved to get a clearer shot of the small room.

The footage revealed what Danny thought looked like a large, empty fish tank—definitely meant to hold humans of her current size. It made her stomach flip over.

"Huh," muttered Christopher. "Should have figured."

"So this is all you have, huh?"

"Yes," said Cyrus gruffly. He closed the door and reached down to get one of the jars off the shelf.

Sam turned slowly to face Cyrus, giving a clear view of the door they'd entered from.

Christopher paused the footage. "Is that a camera up there, by the door?"

"Oh yeah. So I looked around, and that's actually the only camera in there. I could be wrong, but I think it's positioned so that it can't see who comes in and out, just who sits down at the table. My bet is he's got it there for blackmail against his clients. When he walked in—" Sam leaned over to rewind the footage back to where they'd entered the "office." "—he kind of moved to the side a bit, see? I thought it was a little weird, but then it made sense when I saw the camera. Also, I looked up the model after. It's video only, no audio. Probably doesn't want to risk his voice being heard either."

Not for the first time, Danny was both impressed and a little weirded out by how extensive Sam's 'research' had been.

Christopher resumed the video. Sam appeared to take the jar with the human in it, but at the angle the camera was at, Danny couldn't see what the human looked like.

"So uh...how much time do I get? And do I, uh...get the room to myself?"

Cyrus motioned towards the chair and shoved the jar towards Sam. "Ten minutes, then you get out of here. No funny business or touching the other humans. I don't care what you do, but bring it back by 5 tonight. Any damage or lateness will cost you, so don't even think about not returning it. Got it?"

"Got it," said Sam, sitting down at the chair. "Thanks, sir."

"Seriously though, what kind of customer service is that? Just shoving it at me like 'do your business and get out.' He must be catering to a super desperate crowd. There's no heart in it, you know? You were always great at the experience, Chris, you always knew how to give the people what they wanted."

"Not really relevant right now, Sam," Christopher hissed, a hardened edge to his voice.

Christopher hurriedly scrubbed through the footage after that, but it was pretty clear what happened as the human was taken out of the jar and lifted above the view of the camera. Danny stole another timid glance toward Sam's stomach.

Nathan seemed to have the same suspicions. "So. Sam. Where's the human you...rented?" He tried to sound cordial, but Danny could feel his pulse quickening. It was a hardened tone she didn't often hear from Nathan.

"Ugh, yeah. So, you have to return it by 5 if you rent earlier in the day. I'm gonna have to swing by there again after this to return it."

There was a beat of uncomfortable silence. "So they're...inside you. Right now." Nathan's voice was frigid.

Sam was either completely oblivious to or outright ignoring Nathan's hostility. "...yeah? Obviously?"

Danny heard Christopher exhale in exasperation as he pushed himself up from his seat. "Alright. Sam, come with me real quick." He gestured for the now-confused giant to follow him down the hallway.

* * * * * * * * * *  

Christopher closed the door to his bedroom behind him after Sam followed him inside. "Alright. You're gonna have to spit them up now."

Predictably, Sam was unhappy with this. "Aw, what? Why? You're not even gonna let me savor it while I can? I barely got an hour in as is!" they whined.

Christopher pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look, this whole thing is not gonna work if we're doing this while you've got a human inside you. Just...do me a favor here, Sam."

"This is about the human out there, isn't it? Seriously Chris, what exactly is that about?" Sam's voice was brimming with a million questions, none of which Christopher wanted to answer right now.

"It's a long story."

"Okay, well now I'm even more interested."

Christopher gave Sam a withering glare that he hoped would put the nail in the coffin of ever telling Sam the complete story behind Nathan and Danny.

Sam scoffed, hitting Christopher's arm playfully. "Alright, hey, I won't ask questions, man. You do you."

"Sam, all you ever do is ask questions. Now can you please bring the human back up? Do I need to remind you who paid for it in the first place?"

"You're lucky I like you, Chris. The things I do for you..."

"I'll cook you something nice the next time you're over to make up for it, okay?" Seriously, anything to get this over with.

"Ughhh...fine, fine." With practiced precision, Sam poked their gut and began the process of moving the human up their throat. Christopher took the opportunity to grab a hand towel from the adjoining bathroom.

The soggy human that had been unceremoniously coughed up into Sam's hand was shivering, looking nervously up at the two giants with wide eyes. "W-what..."

Christopher held out the towel for Sam to place the human into, and started carefully drying the tiny male human off. He could feel him shaking under his fingers. "Hey, it's okay. You're in good hands now." He gave the human a wide grin, though this only seemed to make the human more afraid. Am I really that intimidating?

Christopher had felt a gnawing sort of hunger since letting Danny out of his stomach that morning—he was getting far too used to the feeling of a human inside of him, and being inside the house where Danny's scent seemed to linger everywhere only served to feed that craving. Even so, the human in his hands wasn't appealing to him at all right now. Their scent was so diluted and weak. Was Danny making him desensitized or something? Or was it that Danny had made him lose all interest in other humans?

Clearly, the human wasn't picking up on Christopher's disinterest in them, but he made no moves to fight back. While Christopher was grateful they weren't struggling more, it was...kind of sad.

"Alright. Come on Sam, we've got more things to discuss." Christopher, scared human in hand, led Sam back out to the kitchen, where Danny and Nathan seemed to have been waiting anxiously, both of their eyes intently trained on him as he entered. He watched Nathan's eyes go wide as he noticed the human in his hands.

Danny's eyes went wider, though. "Oh my god. It's you!"

The human moved to face her, peering over the edge of Christopher's fingers. "Hey, you're that girl! The one who..." Christopher set the human and the towel down on the table next to Danny, who towered over the regular-sized human. She sat down, meeting him at eye-level. "I...thought the serum would wear off eventually. You're still stuck at that size?"

Danny laughed humorlessly. "Yeah, apparently it's permanent. Still looking for an antidote."

The human looked around, their anxiety seeming to lessen after seeing Danny. "I guess you weren't kidding about having giant friends. I...didn't expect to see you again, frankly. The giant that bought you...every human he takes doesn't come back."

Yeah, that's Gary, all right. At least I had the sense to stop dealing to him.

Danny just nodded solemnly, her face paling. Christopher felt a renewed surge of anger at remembering how close he'd come to losing Danny to that piece of shit. He regretted just letting the bastard go like that.

"So...wait...I didn't catch everything, but...are you actually planning on freeing the other humans in there?"

"We're going to try," Danny said, smiling. She looked up at Christopher, as if silently asking him to confirm it. The other human turned to face him as well, the fear that had been on his face turning to confusion and...awe.

Christopher nodded, wondering if this human would be the first to actually be appropriately grateful for what he was doing. "That's right." The resulting open-mouthed shock on the human's face that gradually changed to a small smile made a flutter of pride well up in his chest.

"What's your name?" Nathan asked, giving the human a warm smile.

The human scrunched their face up in a puzzled expression, as if the question was making them think hard about something. "...Ryan."

"Do you...not know your own name?" Nathan inquired softly. Christopher felt a pang of sadness at the look on Nathan's face. He'd been avoiding looking at Nathan as much as possible since Sam had barged in earlier for that reason—seeing Nathan's clearly pained expression and overwhelming concern for the human both confused him and made his heart hurt.

"Well," said Ryan slowly, "No one's asked me what my name was in a long time."

No one spoke. Nathan looked horrified and at a loss for words. But Danny just nodded, as if she understood. This piqued Christopher's curiosity—what had Danny been through before she'd met Nathan? Did she understand something about this human's strange behavior? Christopher doubted she'd ever tell him, but for the first time, he was curious about Danny's history—something he'd never even considered before.

"I'm sorry about all this, Ryan," Nathan said, his voice heavy with remorse.

"It's...okay. I'm used to it."

Christopher saw a flash of anger in Nathan's eyes at that, which, of course, was then directed towards him. Nathan glared at him with a steely resolve. "Alright, Christopher. So what's the plan?"

The beginnings of the plan were indeed starting to form in Christopher's head, but no one seemed to like his suggestions besides the ever-loyal (yet completely oblivious) Sam. For the next half-hour, they all discussed the options in front of them, the minutia of the video, and the details of the Black Dragon. Every idea seemed to hit a dead end somehow.

Christopher was glad to break away for a bit to heat up a tiny portion of leftover food for Ryan, getting a miniscule, human-sized cup, spoon, and bowl out of one of his kitchen drawers. Filling the glass with fresh water and the bowl with some soup from the night before, he placed them on a tiny tray—glad he'd been so thorough in acquiring human-sized goods as a dealer—and set them both down in front of the human. Ryan looked at the food with amazement, as if it wasn't the saddest-looking meal on the planet. If only he'd known he'd have so much company today, he would have made something much better.

"T-thank you. It looks delicious." Ryan consumed the soup ravenously, to the point where Christopher worried he'd burn himself. Once again, Christopher felt...appreciated. Between Danny and this one, humans had been the best audience for his cooking yet. Just seeing how eagerly this human was eating his leftover soup made Christopher grin.

He caught Nathan looking at him, as Danny was debating something about cameras with Sam. For perhaps the first time today, Nathan didn't look angry or expressionless. In fact, as Nathan glanced between the human-sized tray of food and Christopher, he saw the hint of a smile on Nathan's face.

"Thank you," he mouthed silently.

* * * * * * * * * *  

After a bit more discussion of the plan, Sam checked their phone. "Oh, geez. It's about time for me to go, if I'm gonna return the human in time."

Nathan and the two humans all visibly stiffened at that, as if they'd forgotten that fact. Danny looked up at Christopher pleadingly. He knew what she was going to ask him.

He sighed, way past the point of exhaustion after this whole ordeal. "We need to return him, Danny. I don't know his exact methods, but Cyrus has a way of tracking down people who don't return humans. I asked Sam for this favor, and I don't want to put them in danger because of it."

"No, it's...okay. I'll be fine." Ryan piped up from where he was sitting on the table. "It'll be better knowing that you guys are going to help get us out of there."

Sam looked down at Ryan and then up at Christopher, raising their eyebrows in a question. "So...I'm bringing them back to the Black Dragon...without eating them first?"

Nathan shot Sam a glare. "Of course you're not eating them."

Christopher grinned slightly. "I mean, you did tell Cyrus you were new to this. It'd be in character to make a rookie mistake like bringing a human in there outside of your stomach. It'll be fine."

"Uh...and how should I do that, exactly?"

Christopher grabbed his coat off the back of a nearby chair and tossed it to them. "Here. You can borrow this, and put him in the pocket. Should be good enough."

Sam gingerly extended their hands toward the human, looking between Nathan and Christopher for what seemed like approval. Ryan gave a friendly look to them all one last time, though Christopher could see worry creeping back in the human's face again. "Thank you guys. And...I hope to see you again, Danny."

Danny gave him a stilted grin in reply, clearly still conflicted about sending him back. "We'll see you later, Ryan."

As Sam shut the door behind them, an uneasy silence filled the room.

"Well..." said Danny, breaking the silence first. "Are you going to head home, Nate?"

Christopher bristled. Don't ask him to leave! I was going to make dinner for everyone!

But before he could respond, Nathan turned to face Christopher with a serious look in his eye, his jaw set. "Not yet." He took a long, steadying breath. "I know a way for the plan for getting the humans out to work. I don't like it, but it's the best chance we have. And...before I leave, I need your help to see if I can do it at all."

My help? Christopher pointed towards himself and raised an eyebrow, just to be sure he hadn't misunderstood. Nathan nodded slowly. Is this...is he asking what I think he's—

"What's your idea, Nate?" Danny asked, somewhat hesitantly.

Nathan turned to face Danny, but then looked away again before he spoke, as if he couldn't meet her eyes. "It involves me...eating you."

* * * * * * * * * *  

Part 17 ->

Once he had finished relaying the full extent of his idea, an uncomfortable silence fell between them all.

"I...won't deny that's the best plan we've come up with so far," said Christopher slowly. Nathan could almost see the cogs spinning in his brain as he stared distantly, before meeting Nathan's eyes with a concerned expression. "But...Nathan, I mean, there's a reason I didn't suggest you eating Danny earlier. Her size aside, I know how you feel about that. You don't have to force yourself, we can figure something else out—"

"No!" cried Nathan, his voice coming out a bit louder than intended. He could feel his pulse quickening, but tried to take another breath to calm down. "It's just...you're right, I really don't want to, I think it's horrible, but if it's what it takes to free the humans..."

A quiet voice next to him interrupted his train of thought. "Nate..." He looked down, slowly, feeling shame creep into his face as he finally met Danny's eyes. But there was no disgust, no hatred in her expression—only sympathy. "You really don't have to do this if you don't want to. We'll figure something else out."

It's not like YOU want to either, he thought bitterly. "Danny...you can't be the only one who makes sacrifices here. I've been too scared for too long, and because of that, I couldn't protect you when you needed it. The least I can do is try this, if it means we can free those humans and keep you safe. You've been...so brave through all of this. I can only try to be as brave as you."

He wanted to hold onto her tiny hand so badly, but felt like he'd crush it with all of the nerves building up in his body.

Danny just stood there as he spoke, giving him a pained look he couldn't quite figure out. She nodded as he finished, seeming to understand his position. He noticed that her jaw was clenched—seriously, she couldn't be okay with this, could she?

Christopher spoke up, breaking the tension. "Have you eaten anything recently, Nathan?"

Nathan thought back, not having considered that. He felt like an idiot—a woefully underprepared, careless idiot. "Not since about noon," he said, oddly thankful for the empty feeling in his stomach now.

Christopher nodded. "If you're serious about doing this, I think it would be best to start with something...smaller. To get you used to the process. Eating Danny at her current size isn't easy for experienced giants, much less one who's never eaten a human before."

"Um...like, a different human?" Danny asked skeptically. Nathan had to admit, as uncomfortable as he was with the idea of eating his friend, eating a stranger seemed...worse.

Christopher was already halfway to his room. "Oh, god no. I've got something to help practice."

Nathan felt both relieved that he could practice with something that wasn't living first, and a bit grossed out that something whose purpose was to practice eating humans even existed.

Just a few minutes later, Christopher emerged with something small in his hands—what looked to be some kind of featureless, vaguely human form made of red silicone. Danny was eyeing it strangely.

"It's obviously not the same, but it will be the best place to start for you." Christopher placed the limp, rubbery figure in Nathan's palm. He could feel a sinking weight in his gut, knowing that both Danny and Christopher were watching him expectantly now. It was like the worst stage fright.

He held the figure up by its torso, trying not to think about how the faceless doll-like thing looked like it was judging him too.

Slowly, he placed it into his mouth, easily closing his lips around the entire thing. He could feel his throat run dry as it rested heavily on his tongue. Just do it. Don't think about it, just do it.

He tilted his head back to swallow, but his tongue reflexively got in the way as soon as the first part of the doll touched his throat. He choked, sputtering, and coughed the doll back into his hands.

"Aaand that's why I figured you should try with that first."

"Geez," Nathan gasped, "What the heck? Isn't this supposed to be easy?"

"Well," said Christopher slowly, glancing toward Danny with a slightly uncomfortable expression. "You kind of have to...well, saliva helps it go down easier."

Oh good lord. Nathan breathed in, steeling himself for another round of humiliation. "Any other tips?"

"Relax," said Christopher simply.

Repressing the urge to roll his eyes, Nathan decided to close them this time. He placed the doll back into his mouth, turning it over with his tongue a few times to hopefully help it go down easier. He was not looking forward to when he'd have to do this with Danny.

Tilting his head back again, he swallowed, focusing on keeping his tongue out of the way. He felt the figure slip deeper into his throat.

"Swallow again," said Christopher, with the trained and level tone of a medical practitioner giving instructions for a physical exam. "You're almost there."

The figure in his throat was not as painful as Nathan had imagined it being. It felt like his body was built to transport something of that size into his stomach, which did not make him feel better about any of this. With a final swallow, he felt it disappear further as a weight sank into his middle. It was in his stomach.

"See? That wasn't so hard." Christopher smiled gently. It made Nathan feel like a kid, as if Christopher was about to offer him a bandage and a lollipop.

Nathan did not feel relieved. "But...how do I make sure I won't digest it accidentally? What if I get scared and something happens? How do I get it out?" It was just a doll inside of him, but he could feel hysteria creeping into his voice as he thought about all the ways he could hurt it. All the ways he could hurt Danny.

"Hey. Listen. I'm going to walk you through it, okay? You're fine." Christopher moved his chair closer to Nathan until he was right next to him. "Everything's fine." He looked Nathan squarely in the eyes, his dark irises intent and focused. Nathan couldn't look away, not even if he wanted to.

"You are not going to accidentally digest anything. Your body naturally does not want to digest humans. It's really hard to do without eating actual food along with the human, and even then, it has to be very intentional."

"Wait, so does that mean you threatening to digest me was a fucking bluff?" Danny crossed her arms and glared at Christopher.

Nathan narrowed his eyes, a bitter, icy resentment crawling into his throat. His mouth set into a thin line.

Christopher gave Danny a pleading look, as if to say shut up about that. "I said really hard, not impossible. And that was a long time ago."

"About a week, you dickhead," Danny retorted.

Nathan felt the anger bubble up inside of him and spill out of his mouth. "I'm sorry, Christopher, you what?"

Christopher averted his eyes. "Listen, that's not important right now—"

"I'd say it's pretty damn important," snapped Nathan.

Christopher sighed, rubbing his temples wearily. "The first night I took Danny, I threatened it because she was fighting me. I didn't actually plan on doing it, though. I just wanted her to settle down. Seriously, I wasn't going to hurt her."

Even if Christopher was being truthful, it made Nathan want to smack him. He might have done it, too, if he hadn't felt a tiny hand on his arm. Danny looked up at him with a half-baked grin. "Hey. It's okay. I can give him shit for that later, but just focus on this for now, alright?"

Nathan sighed, letting his tense muscles relax slowly as he focused on Danny's touch. "Alright. Fine. What do I do now, Christopher?" He took the opportunity to meet Christopher's eyes like a challenge again—something he seemed to only be able to do when he felt he was defending Danny.

Christopher was quick to adopt his clinical tone again. "You're going to push upwards, underneath where you can feel it in your stomach. Once you push enough, your body should help with the process and it will come back up your throat. Put a hand on your stomach, see if you can feel it."

Nathan did so, but apparently he hadn't placed it in the right spot, as Christopher reached out to correct him. Nathan tried not to flinch away from the touch, but his hand stiffened and recoiled a bit as Christopher very lightly moved it to the correct position.

Christopher averted his eyes hurriedly, his hand still on Nathan's. He had definitely noticed Nathan's aversion to his touch. "You're going to push right here," he said, pressing Nathan's fingers gently into a soft spot just underneath his stomach. He let go, and moved his chair back further, putting more distance between the two of them. "Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be," said Nathan wearily. He took in one long, deep breath and then pushed upwards where Christopher had indicated. He felt the doll's weight move upwards and then into his throat—it was the strangest sensation he'd ever felt, especially considering he wasn't choking.

"Once you feel it in your throat, you can move it up with your fingers from the outside to help, but it will mostly move up on its own." Christopher moved his fingers up and down along his throat and Nathan copied the movements, feeling relief as the doll finally entered his mouth. He reached in and pulled it out, breathing in deeply.

He'd done it. Not with a real human, but still. It was over.

He looked down at the silicone figure in his hands—covered in saliva, but no worse for wear otherwise. He gratefully accepted a small towel from Christopher to wipe off his hands with and place the doll in gingerly before setting it aside on the table.

There was another uncomfortable pause as the three of them sat in silence, not sure how to proceed.

"Well?" said Nathan finally. "Am I ready for the next size up?" He felt himself grimacing at his own words.

"Wait, you mean you're going to eat me...right now?" Danny's eyes widened as she looked between Nathan and Christopher. Christopher, for his part, looked just as surprised.

"If we go through with my plan, I'd rather my first time eating you not be in the Black Dragon," he said flatly.

"That's a fair point," muttered Danny. He saw her shake a bit, and his resolve nearly flew out the window.

"It would be a good idea to practice, yes," said Christopher, somewhat hesitantly. "But it's going to be a little bit harder this time." He gave a halfhearted grin. "I'm going to assume you don't want a demonstration first."

"No," replied Nathan and Danny in unison.

Christopher sighed. "Then I'm going to have to help guide you a little bit more. Are you okay with that?"

Nathan met Christopher's apologetic gaze. "Is it going to hurt Danny?"

"Danny is going to be fine. You have to go slow to focus on not choking, okay?" He seemed genuinely concerned for Nathan, and considering Nathan had almost choked on the normal-sized doll, maybe the concern wasn't unfounded.

Nathan nodded, feeling a bit shakier now that the moment of truth was upon him. He looked down at Danny, who had seemed to muster up a bit more courage.

"Are you ready, Nate?"

Nathan's heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest as it thudded loudly against his ribcage. He tried to grin. "I should be asking you that, Danny."

"I'll be fine," she said, laughing with a smirk. "It'll be better than dealing with him, anyways." She jabbed her thumb toward Christopher, who chuckled weakly at her retort.

Nathan nodded and held out his hand for Danny to climb into. He carefully lifted her up in front of his face. This feels wrong, he thought, looking into her big, trusting eyes. He tried not to focus on her shaking, but it was impossible to ignore. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Danny gave a very unconvincing nod.

"Hey. Remember what we talked about, okay, dollface?" Nathan raised an eyebrow at the nickname—and then realized that Christopher was talking to Danny. His eyebrows furrowed. "Just focus on your breathing. It's going to have to go a little slower than with me. If anything happens, I can get you out. You're going to be okay, Danny."

In lieu of a response, Danny gave a thumbs-up with her back to Christopher, though Nathan could see her smile falter.

"Now," Christopher said, meeting Nathan's eyes in a question. "Are you ready?"

I have to be brave for Danny. He nodded, finding that was easier than actually saying "yes." "Um...Danny...what way would be...easiest for you?"

She blinked, seeming to have to think about it. "Feet first, facing away from you."

She turned around in his palm to face Christopher instead, who was watching her intently. "Oh, and don't pick me up by my sides. It kind of hurts."

Nathan obeyed, somewhat awkwardly repositioning his fingers around her torso as he lifted her up. She stood up with the movement, though he hesitated and left her feet still touching his palm.

"Just go a little bit at a time, the same as before." Christopher moved his chair a little closer, ready to help.

Nathan wished he could vanish—he wished he was under the covers at home, in his room, without Christopher's dark eyes staring at him or Danny waiting to be devoured in the palm of his hand.

I have to be brave for Danny.

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes—no way could he do this while looking at Danny—and as slowly and gently as possible, lifted Danny up and placed her feet in his mouth.

He didn't taste it until his tongue brushed against some exposed skin around her ankles, but he was still not ready for the intense flavor. It was something that was beyond description and unlike anything he'd ever had before—well, it was something he'd only tasted once, when Christopher had forced Danny into his mouth. He shuddered at the memory. He still couldn't see what all the fuss about the taste of humans was about—it felt like his senses were overloaded, although maybe that was just his anxiety talking.

Begrudgingly, he moved his tongue slowly around Danny's legs, preparing himself for what would come next. His mouth was full and he was only up to Danny's knees—how the heck would he be able to do this, anyways?

He tilted his head back and took a deep breath through his nose before swallowing. He felt his heart jump as Danny's feet entered his throat, taking up much more space than the tiny doll had before. His eyes flew open in fear and he saw Christopher instinctively reach out towards him—not touching him, but with hands near Nathan's throat.

"Just keep going. This is the easy part. Keep swallowing."

Nathan was not looking forward to whatever the hard part was. Once Danny had begun to enter his throat, it got much harder to use his tongue to coat her in saliva. He had to hold each new part of her in his mouth for a bit, sucking as gently as possible and feeling his face go red with shame as he did so. Just keep going. He closed his eyes, focusing only on swallowing and the motion of his throat, and tried to focus less on what he was swallowing. Though her taste was...fairly distracting, and made the corners of his mind fuzzy. A few swallows later, he had all but her head inside of his mouth.

Danny noticed him pause. "It's okay, Nate. Go for it."

He made the hardest swallow he'd had to make so far, and took Danny's head into his mouth with it.

Once his lips had closed behind her, it got easier to finish the process, and one last swallow took his friend all the way into his throat.

He could breathe, but not well. He still needed to swallow a few more times to get Danny all the way down. His eyes shot open as he felt Christopher touch his hand and move it up to his throat. Christopher guided his hand, massaging the bulge in his throat that was Danny to help her go further down.

"Keep swallowing," Christopher repeated gently. He could tell that Nathan had started to freeze up. Nathan obeyed, his previous worries replaced with the need to breathe properly again.

Finally, he felt Danny's full weight sink into his stomach. This was not like the doll at all. Just as he thought it was done, more of Danny filled his stomach until he felt more full than he'd ever felt before—but it wasn't uncomfortable. In fact, it was...nice. A wave of something close to relief flooded over him as he felt all of his muscles relax, slowly. For a moment he felt lightheaded, like he was on a cloud.

This...this is what the fuss is about, isn't it?

He felt his anxiety slip away as he took in a few more deep breaths. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so...calm.

"How are you feeling?"

Christopher's voice snapped Nathan back to reality. The growing realization of what he had done sunk back into him, and he looked slowly down at himself, lifting his shirt to see a small bulge under his skin. The sight of it made him queasy. "Oh my god," he breathed. "I...I did it. I...Danny? Can you hear me?"

"I'm okay, Nathan." He heard Danny's small, muffled voice come from his middle. A tiny handprint appeared as Danny pressed against the inside of his stomach—something that made his insides flutter in a strange way. He placed his own hand over hers, gently cradling the small distension of his stomach. Her voice—not frightened or angry—made him relax, but just a little.

"It feels good, doesn't it?" Christopher was looking at him expectantly, an uncharacteristically sincere expression on his face.

Only for a moment, thought Nathan. Until I remember that I ate my friend. The feeling of Danny inside of him felt much more normal than it should have, but neither Christopher nor Danny could convince him that he should be enjoying this. "I...I want to get her back out," he said. He felt his stomach clench, as if opposed to the idea. This only served to increase his fear.

"Okay, okay," said Christopher gently, moving closer to him. "But this is going to be the hard part. Luckily, if we go by your plan, you won't have to do this until we get away. But I'm going to have to help you right now, okay?"

Nathan nodded, trying to cling onto whatever sense of calm he'd felt earlier to ease the anxiety clawing away at his chest.

"We're going to do the same thing as before, but you have to go slow. If you feel yourself choking, stop and readjust. Try not to panic. Okay?"

There were few phrases that caused as much anxiety as "try not to panic." Nathan nodded, trying not to think about panicking. "Okay."

Christopher moved his attention to Nathan's stomach. "Danny, are you ready?"

"Y-yeah," came Danny's voice, sounding a little more hesitant than before.

"Remember what you did before," said Christopher, a slight smirk on his face. "You'll be fine."

Nathan tried to ignore the implication that Christopher had eaten Danny multiple times already. The way Christopher spoke to Danny was...unexpected, to say the least. He was acting so gentle and patient with her, and despite the obvious snark from Danny, they seemed to have...well, something at least friendship-adjacent going. But it was very different from the way Nathan interacted with Danny. There was something else, but Nathan couldn't put his finger on what.

"Alright." Christopher locked eyes with Nathan, instilling him with one last bout of confidence. "You can do this, Nathan."

Nathan breathed in and out a few times to mentally prepare himself for whatever was coming. He just wanted to see Danny again.

He pressed into his gut just as he had before, and when he didn't feel anything happen, Christopher moved his hand again to the right position. This time, Nathan didn't flinch away from the touch—he was too preoccupied with the feeling of Danny suddenly moving back up into his throat.

At first it was fine, though he had to push a little more than before. Danny didn't seem to be struggling at all. But as what he thought to be her shoulders pushed their way further up his throat, he felt his intake of air get cut off. The sudden asphyxiation sent a wave of panic coursing through him, and he temporarily forgot what he was supposed to be doing.

"Stop and readjust." Christopher's urgent voice was colored with a hint of worry.

Nathan got a handle on his fear, and used his other hand to move the slight bulge in his throat until he could feel air in his lungs again. He inhaled deeply through his nose before continuing, moving even slower than before now that he knew what he was trying to avoid. He only encountered a few more blockages before, mercifully, he could feel Danny emerge into his mouth. He reached in to pull her out, and felt relief as she grabbed his fingers. Slowly, he was able to remove her completely, and she fell into his palm in a soggy heap.

She inhaled deeply, taking in deep lungfuls of air as she hugged her knees and closed her eyes. Nathan had barely looked up before Christopher handed him another towel—how does he always seem to have a towel on hand like that—and he accepted it, carefully draping it over Danny and drying her off.

"You did it, Nathan." Christopher was smiling softly, looking...impressed? He looked toward Danny, who Nathan had placed carefully on the table. "And you too. That's the longest you've lasted without passing out, so congrats." His smirk returned.

Danny looked up at Nathan and...smiled. Covered in saliva, hair absolutely disheveled and stuck together with spit, clothes soaked...she still smiled at him warmly, the same way she always did. "I knew you could do it, Nate."

Nathan felt a blossom of warmth in his chest that helped to overshadow the horrible, creeping sensation of guilt. "I'm...I'm sorry, Danny..."

She shook her head. "You have nothing to apologize for. You were...really brave, to try this."

Nathan bent his head down and held Danny close to the side of his face in the best hug he could manage. "Thank you, Danny. I'm just glad you're safe."

She wrapped her tiny arms around his face in return. He noticed, out of the corner of his eye, that Christopher looked away.

"Ugh," Danny said finally, "I am absolutely starving. Christopher, when's dinner?"

The giant in question's head perked up at her words. "I can get started right now. I'm pretty hungry myself." He looked expectantly toward Nathan. "You'll stay for dinner, right?"

"Uh...well, my mom was going to make dinner, and she's probably expecting me back..."

"Oh, come on, Nathan, you're an adult," Christopher scoffed.

"Aw, Nate, please?" He couldn't say no to Danny's insistence—especially considering she was asking him as she was sitting there covered in his own saliva.

"Well, I suppose...it's the least I can do. But I'm going to have to leave after."

Christopher beamed before getting up and walking towards the kitchen. "Sounds like a plan. Oh, and you can use the bathroom down the hall to help Danny wash up a bit. I'm sure she'd appreciate it."

"Yes please," said Danny eagerly.

Nathan smiled to himself. The past few days had been crazy, and he still felt so unsure about...well, everything. But at the end of the day, even if eating her had felt wrong and weird, even if he still didn't like the fact that she had to stay with Christopher, Danny was okay—and that's all that mattered.

* * * * * * * * * * 

Part 18 ->

And with that, the gang is one step closer to the rescue plan coming together...but they’ll need the help of one more ally. Who? Well, better stay tuned for the next part!

You've already blown that chance, asshole. The angry Danny voice that seemed to have replaced his conscience bit back with a snarky retort.

He sighed. He really had no business feeling this way, not after what he'd done. Especially considering that some of Danny's nightmares were...probably caused by him.

Seriously, years of dealing humans, and all it took was this one—this stupid human—to reduce him to a pitiable, soft mess of a giant? He'd never been overly cruel to his stock—he at least took better care of them than Cyrus—but he'd obviously also never considered their...feelings, before. He couldn't allow himself to. So why now? Why did he feel so protective of Danny, to the point where he gave up his business...for her? For Nathan, he corrected himself. Mostly.

Had he been...having doubts about dealing, before he'd met Danny?

He didn't want to think about that. He didn't want to think about how uncertain the future was to him now, either, nor did he want to think about what he was going to do now that his source of income was gone. Maybe he could...take a different approach. Be more selective with clients. Take better care of the humans...

Goddamn Danny. He shouldn't have felt the way he did when he saw the human Sam had coughed up—the look of fear in his face was nothing new, it should have been nothing new, but all he could see was Danny's face instead. He could practically feel her body shaking in fear, lying unconscious on his kitchen table, her knees curled up against her chest...and it made him feel bad. It made his own chest twist up in knots to think about it.

He couldn't deal humans again. He wouldn't be able to get Danny out of his mind.

A soft buzzing sound broke him out of the frankly depressing train of thought he'd wandered into. His phone had vibrated with a text from Nathan, and he felt his heart jump at the name that appeared on the screen. It was actually the first text he'd received from Nathan, since they had exchanged numbers on the night he'd taken Danny home with him.

I talked to the hr leader. She wants to meet us today.

Christopher felt a nervous pang in his gut. He wasn't sure who the human rights leader was, but he was fairly certain she'd know about him.

All of us?

There was a long pause before Nathan replied.

Yes.

Christopher rolled back over and gently prodded Danny, who tried to feebly swat him away. "Hey. Wake up, dollface."

"Mrghm," she replied, pulling the sheets tighter around herself and rolling away from him.

He chuckled darkly. "You asked for it." Sheets and all, he grabbed the human's foot and hoisted her up into the air upside-down until she was level with his face. Her eyes flew open in shock before she glared at him, twisting around fruitlessly in his grasp.

"Hey! Put me down, you fucking—"

"Oh good. You're awake," he replied flatly, barely containing a guilty grin. He set her back down on the bed, resisting the urge to drop her onto the mattress to further wake her up. It wouldn't be a great time to test her fragility.

"What was that for, bastard?"

He grinned, though it was more to hide his own unease now. "It looks like we're taking a little road trip today."

* * * * * * * * * * 

Nathan pulled up with his car after breakfast. For some reason, Danny was surprised to learn that Christopher didn't have a car, though she wasn't sure why that surprised her. Her exposure to Red Tree had not been extensive, but she hadn't noticed a lot of other cars—everyone seemed to prefer walking in such a tiny town.

"I suppose it's a good thing one of us can drive, huh?" Christopher laughed slightly underneath her as he spoke, walking outside to meet Nathan. She was seated on his shoulder, his long hair brushing against her back. She would be complaining about the arrangement, although she knew she preferred it over the alternative Christopher had suggested earlier. "I didn't know you had a car, Nathan."

"It belongs to my parents. It's really just for the farm," he said, shrugging. "Sometimes we have to get supplies from pretty far out of town." He noticed Danny on Christopher's shoulder and looked like he wanted to say something about it, but didn't.

"Right. So, uh...how far is this lady, exactly?" Christopher seemed...nervous? Of course he's nervous. We're going to see the leader of a human rights organization, right? I bet they've got his face on a dartboard. Danny stifled a laugh at the mental image. Today was going to be a good day for schadenfreude.

Nathan checked his phone. "About an hour. I did say she was pretty far out of town. She apparently lives in the middle of nowhere."

"And she just...gave you her address? I thought this whole organization was supposed to be secret?" Christopher sounded dubious. "What if it's a trap?"

Nathan looked at him oddly. "What do you mean, 'trap'? It's not like I haven't met her before. She seems trustworthy, she's just a little...intense. And it sounds like she's the only one who can help us with an antidote."

"Did you, uh...did you mention it was me that was coming?"

There was a very Christopher-like smirk on Nathan's face. "After I told her Christopher Penn was helping, she insisted you come, specifically."

Danny heard Christopher swallow nervously.

"Now get in," said Nathan, walking back around to the driver's side with what seemed to be an extra spring in his step. "Or we're going to be late."

* * * * * * * * * * 

The sensation of riding in a car was oddly familiar, though Danny couldn't clearly remember being in one before. But she was sure that this was the most awkward car ride she'd ever been a part of.

Neither Christopher or Nathan spoke the entire time, and Danny wasn't about to try breaking the silence, either. The radio droned on with bright, peppy music that offered a stark contrast to the tense atmosphere surrounding them.

And to top it all off, they'd all come to the somewhat reluctant conclusion that the safest position for Danny to sit in was on Christopher's leg in the passenger seat. Christopher hadn't even suggested eating her this time—though maybe that would be less embarrassing, she thought glumly. Christopher seemed all too eager to accept his role of "seatbelt," his hand wrapped securely over her the entire ride as she kicked her legs absently, resisting the urge to lean against him—even if it was warm and probably more comfortable. He was already enjoying himself more than she liked.

They finally turned off the main road (or at least, Danny guessed as much, since she couldn't actually see much out of the window) and headed down a bumpier path. Tall pine trees began to appear next to the road, towering high and blocking out the blue sky.

"This is...way off the beaten path, for sure." Christopher seemed a bit awestruck as he gazed up at the trees.

"We're not there yet," said Nathan. He parked the car and shut off the engine. "She gave us some more instructions."

"But there's nothing here. It's just woods. I don't even see a path."

Nathan hopped out of the car, and Christopher, somewhat reluctantly, followed suit, holding Danny close as he stepped outside. She could hear an increased heartbeat in the giant's chest, thudding apprehensively as he looked around the surrounding area. There was a tenseness in the way he was holding her, like he was sensing some kind of danger.

Danny looked around as well. There was nothing unusual that she could sense, except for the fact that Nathan really had parked the car in the middle of nowhere. The road reached a dead end, and there was nothing but a forest of gigantic trees surrounding them.

"She said the path was...here," said Nathan, looking carefully in the underbrush to the side of the car. As Christopher followed him, Danny did see a very narrow (by giant standards) trail snake off into the forest. It looked more like a path for wildlife than an intentional path for giants. However, Danny did notice a few small stones set into the ground near the entrance of the path—not remarkable enough to notice if you didn't know what you were looking for, but a clear indication that Nathan was right.

"I'm not sure I like this," muttered Christopher.

"That's too bad," Nathan replied. He turned back towards Christopher and held out his hands. "Let me carry her."

There was a slight pause where Danny was afraid Christopher wasn't going to let her go, as his grip around her tightened slightly. But he relented, handing her off to Nathan with only the faintest of sighs, so quiet that Danny thought she must have been the only one to hear it. Nathan held her close to his chest with a gentle smile before making his way down the path, Christopher trailing behind.

They walked for a while before the path opened up into a large clearing, where a giant-sized house awaited them. It was a quaint cabin made of logs, looking a little smaller than Danny would have expected. Carefully placed stones laid a path to the front door, and there were wild plants growing all around. The house itself seemed like an extension of the forest.

"This is definitely her place," said Nathan, approaching the front door confidently.

Christopher muttered under his breath. "Oh good."

Nathan rapped lightly on the...oddly tall door, and they did not have to wait long for a response.

The door was opened by a large, female giant—she seemed even taller than Christopher, and Danny realized that the large doorframe must have been made for her, specifically. She wore loose, white linen clothing, and her thick, dark hair was tied back in a series of tight, elaborate braids. Danny guessed she was middle-aged, though her austere features could have placed her anywhere from Nathan's age to older than his mother.

"Hi, Sybil." Nathan waved pleasantly, and the giantess responded with a kind smile before resting her eyes first on Danny, then narrowing in Christopher's direction, then back to Danny.

"I've been expecting you all. It's very good to meet you, Danny." She had a surprisingly gentle voice, given the authority with which she held herself. Danny got the impression that Sybil's soft, yet oddly powerful voice was the result of speaking frequently with other humans.

"Nice to meet you too, um, Sybil." Nathan set Danny carefully on his shoulder so that she could speak to Sybil closer to eye level.

Sybil did not make a move to let them into the house. Instead, she cast a cold look over Nathan's other shoulder. She looked Danny in the eyes again, a more serious expression on her face. "Danny, I may not look it, but I am quite capable of handling myself against other giants. So I'd like to ask you...are both of your friends trustworthy? Do you feel safe?"

The question caught Danny off guard, but she nodded. "Y-yeah, no, I'm good. They're fine." What exactly was she going to do if I said no? Fight them?

Sybil stepped forward, past Nathan. She stood toe-to-toe with Christopher, and Danny realized she was, in fact, taller than him. By a good head, at least. "So you can vouch for Christopher Penn?" Sybil's eyes were narrowed in a steely glare. Danny turned to look at him—he was staring at Danny, wide-eyed like a deer caught in the headlights.

Danny got the sudden, chilling impression that his life was in her hands.

"Yeah, he's cool," she said with a sigh. "He's been helping me. Us," she corrected hastily. She could almost see Christopher let out a breath of relief as Sybil backed off. He gave Danny an appreciative grin, and she wrinkled her nose at him in return.

"I will take your word for it. For now." Sybil glared back at Christopher. "But do not think of trying anything while you are here, Penn." She spat the name with distaste.

"O-of course not," he replied meekly. Danny had never seen confidence leave Christopher's body so quickly before.

"Follow me," said Sybil, motioning towards the three of them. "There is much to discuss."

* * * * * * * * * * 

There was nothing immediately strange about Sybil's house, from what Danny could tell. Everything was well-kept and clean, and the rustic furniture gave it a bit of charm. There were a few modern appliances, like a fridge and a stovetop, but it otherwise seemed quite "off the grid."

She led them to what looked like a dining area and gestured for them to sit down. Nathan placed Danny on the table next to him, and Christopher took the chair furthest away from Sybil, who had chosen a seat at the head of the table. Her sharp, golden eyes fell on Danny.

"Now. Danny, I'd like you to start from the beginning, please. I thought it would be best to hear this story from you, in person."

Out of the corner of her eye, Danny noticed Christopher stiffen in his chair.

Danny wondered if she should tell Sybil everything, or if Sybil would grow suspicious if she left anything out. As much as she thought she'd enjoy watching Christopher be miserable today, she couldn't find it in her right now to go into detail about what an asshole he'd been when she first met him. Or about what he'd done to Nathan.

She decided to start with her being taken to the Black Dragon, and watched as Christopher visibly relaxed in his chair, though both he and Nathan seemed surprised that she started there. Sybil listened solemnly as she described being eaten by Gary, and Danny realized that it was the first time she'd spoken about the experience in detail. She could feel emotion rising in her voice, her throat tightening unexpectedly as she recalled the near-death experience. Nathan placed a steadying hand against her, while Christopher just stared at the floor with a stony expression.

"So Penn was the one to save you." Sybil seemed skeptical. "I'm sorry to interrupt you, Danny, but I need to clarify something first." She turned towards Christopher, who snapped his head up. "Why?"

Christopher paused, seeming to choose his words carefully. "Nathan noticed that she went missing that night, and came to me to ask where she'd gone. I didn't want him to get hurt, so I went to look for her."

Sybil's eyes narrowed. "Did he think you'd taken her?"

"Uhhh..." Christopher looked warily toward Nathan.

"I did," said Nathan. "But he hadn't." He didn't elaborate further, prompting another relieved look from Christopher. 

Sybil nodded, still a bit guarded. "Continue, Danny."

There wasn't much left to tell—she explained the "agreement" Nathan had made with Christopher, where she would stay with him until they could find an antidote to return her to her normal size.

"And you trusted him to uphold his end of the bargain when you left Danny in his care?" Sybil's tone towards Nathan was almost accusatory.

Nathan shrunk back in his chair a bit. "Well..." He stole a quick glance toward Christopher, then sighed. "Frankly, no. But I guess I didn't feel like I had a lot of options at the time."

"You should have come to me," said Sybil, gentler.

"I...probably should have, yeah. I wasn't thinking." Danny could hear the guilt creeping into Nathan's voice, and she squeezed his finger in reassurance.

"Hey, it ended up okay. Christopher stopped dealing humans, and he..." Danny realized a bit too late that her attempt to make Nathan feel better was turning into defending Christopher.

"He what?" Sybil raised an eyebrow, clearly disbelieving. She looked Christopher square in the eyes. "Is that true?"

"Y-yeah. I, um...decided it was time for a career change."

Sybil stood up and crossed the room slowly, prompting Christopher to stand up as she approached him. He was trying to put on a brave face, but Danny could see right through his bravado. She noticed the way his fingers were digging into his palms.

"What prompted this?" she asked, her voice quiet yet authoritative.

"I...well, I was already having trouble finding humans, so—"

"So it was a matter of convenience," Sybil replied derisively.

"No, no, well, not completely—" Christopher looked toward Danny and Nathan with what seemed to be fear in his eyes. Danny almost felt sorry for him, but frankly, she was interested in his answer to this too.

He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, looking somewhat defeated. "I just started to realize how what I did hurt the people I cared about, and I wanted to make it right. That's all."

Sybil studied his face for a while, as if judging the sincerity of his statement. He flinched as she put a hand gently on his shoulder. "It seems like you have a lot to learn, Penn. But perhaps you're going in the right direction."

She turned towards Nathan and Danny, prompting a sigh of relief from Christopher as she stepped away from him. "There is something I want to show you all. Before we discuss acquiring an antidote." She motioned for them to follow her down the hallway, and they did—Danny being carried by Nathan, and Christopher once again trailing behind.

She led them to a back door that opened into what seemed to be some sort of large, covered greenhouse. There were healthy, vegetable-laden plants growing in the soil, with a narrow path winding through them for the giants to walk through.

"Watch your step, you two."

Nathan gasped. Looking around, Danny noticed that there were humans in the garden, scurrying behind leaves and moving to the sides of the path. They looked back at Danny with wide-eyed curiosity.

"Holy shit," Christopher said, with quiet amazement . "Where in the world did you get all these humans? There's at least ten, twenty, no—way more in here."

Sybil chuckled.

"Wait a minute..." Christopher paused, putting something together in his head. "You're the one who's been taking all the humans from Red Tree, aren't you?"

"You dealers aren't the only ones with 'smugglers.' The Alliance has quite a few feet on the ground."

"How did I not...how come I can't smell them?"

Sybil stopped and turned around, smiling knowingly. "I figured you of all people would be familiar with scent-masking serums, Penn."

"Yeah, but, on this scale? How did you get your hands on that many?"

She laughed. "Easily. We produce them ourselves, using the plants and herbs we grow right here. And they're far more effective than the ones you can acquire."

Christopher seemed lost in thought. "Huh. I...didn't realize that was possible."

Sybil led them to a small patio table toward the back of the greenhouse, where the three giants sat down. Danny sat cross-legged on the table, still taking in the sights of the greenhouse. There were more humans running around than she had thought. They all seemed to be watching them intently, all while keeping a good distance.

Sybil gave them all a soft grin, folding her hands in her lap. "So. How much do you know about where humans come from?"

* * * * * * * * * * 

Part 19 ->

Danny won't be able to use this once she's back to normal, will she? He laid the ladder out on his work desk, the planks measured out at intervals proportional to the measurements he had taken of Danny earlier. A regular human could probably get up the ladder if they were desperate enough, he supposed, but it would be pretty dangerous.

It's not going to matter. Once she gets the antidote, she'll go back to Nathan's.

An unexpected twinge of sadness hit him at the thought—or was it jealousy?

Danny hadn't exactly accepted his apology yesterday, but he could tell it had thrown her off guard. And she had called him by his name—if anything was a sign of her warming up to him, it was that. Just remembering the way his name had sounded coming from the tiny human made his heart flutter.

If we can't find the antidote, she won't be able to leave...

He shook his head at the intrusive thought. True as it may be, he wasn't going to let Nathan down again. And he wasn't going to squander the figment of trust Danny had placed in him, either.

Smiling softly at the thought of it, he rearranged the ladder before him—laying out the planks so that they were wide enough for Danny's feet, but close enough together for a regular human to scale easily as well.

He did not generally like to get his hopes up for things, but this time, he made an exception.

* * * * * * * * * *  

When Christopher had finished the ladder, he took it out to the kitchen, along with some tools for its installation. Danny was sitting on the dining table, holding a giant-size pen like a javelin as she contemplated the crossword in the newspaper in front of her.

Christopher gave the puzzle a short glance over her shoulder. "Six down is 'lyres.'"

His presence seemed to have startled Danny, who sat bolt upright and spun around as he spoke. "Jesus, you need to wear a bell or something."

He hadn't even been intentionally trying to be quiet—but her spooked expression made him grin. "I think it says more about your lack of survival instincts, doesn't it, sweetheart?"

"Hmph." Danny was about to turn back around when her eyes fell on the tools in his hands. "What are you doing?"

"Just wait," he said, holding the ladder up to the side of the table and marking the spots for screws.

Danny eyed the ladder with distrust. "I see. You're getting creative with ways to kill me."

"I figured a little extra mobility wouldn't hurt." Christopher drilled one of the screws into the table. The ladder was quite secure, so the only real safety hazard would be if Danny let go halfway down.

He stepped back to admire his handiwork—the ladder went all the way down to the floor, where it was screwed in at the base as well. It wasn't exactly illegal to have human-sized ladders installed in your furniture, but he had made sure to attach it facing away from the front door so it was mostly out of sight. And it was a similar color to the table leg as well—even better.

Danny peered cautiously over the edge of the table. "Oh, fuck no. Absolutely the fuck not." Her face looked a bit white. Was his little human afraid of heights, too?

"Unless you'd rather I carry you everywhere? Because I will, if you ask nicely." He gave Danny the charming grin he knew would make her scowl at him in return.

"You're right. I'd rather take my chances with the ladder." She was clearly trying to put on a brave face, but he could hear a quiver of fear creeping into her voice as she defiantly placed a foot on the first rung.

Humans are so fragile. He knelt down behind the ladder and saw her freeze in place. "Look, it's perfectly safe. But I'll be here to catch you if you fall, okay?" He cupped his hands below her to demonstrate.

She slowly made her way down the ladder, testing each rung carefully before putting her whole weight on it. Her body was shaking slightly, but she was able to make it all the way down before hopping off and onto the floor. She looked up at the ladder, seeming to marvel at how far she had come. "Huh. That wasn't so bad."

He poked her side gently, grinning. "You're still shaking, dollface."

"I am not," she pouted, wrapping her arms around her torso defensively. "Are you...are you putting any more up?"

After some consideration, he made plans to install two more ladders—one on the counter, placed on the side facing away from the front door, and another on the nightstand on Danny's side of the bed in the bedroom.

Danny's side of the bed. He laughed to himself as he sat at his desk, laying out the necessary materials. Only one night of looking after her, and the human was already starting to lay claim to his furniture.

* * * * * * * * * *  

Nathan's fist hovered in front of Christopher's door when he stopped by in the late afternoon. He was going to stay longer today, for Danny. He felt a bit guilty for yesterday, not staying for more than ten minutes before using some lame excuse to leave. It was his fault for not being more vigilant, and it was his fault Danny was in this mess in the first place, so checking in with her seemed the least he could do now.

She had seemed fine the last time he was here—as good as she could have been, under the circumstances. There was the possibility that Christopher had threatened her somehow, forced her to put on a show for Nathan—the thought of which made his stomach squirm. While Nathan wouldn't have put it past Christopher, he didn't think Danny was that good of an actor—the human had a tendency to wear her feelings on her sleeve. She had sounded unhappy, of course, but it seemed like Christopher had kept his end of the deal so far. According to her.

He was just going to have to trust Danny, for now.

That didn't make it any easier to deal with the rest of the nerves inside of him. Seriously, what am I worried about? Danny's been through much more crap than me in the past few days. He knocked on the door soundly, a fresh wave of determination rising up within him.

Christopher opened the door soon after. "Hello, Nathan." There was a distant look in his eyes—the same as it had been since that day. A smile graced his lips, but Nathan knew it was just a pleasantry, a show.

"Hi, Christopher." Nathan smiled and focused on not looking towards Christopher's stomach, which would have been a sure sign of his distrust. It felt defiant to force eye contact with Christopher, and instead of feeling anxious, it made Nathan feel just a little bit stronger, if only for a moment.

Christopher was the first to look away, turning quickly from Nathan's gaze. "Come on in, Danny's been waiting for you."

Danny was sitting on top of Christopher's dining room table, doing a giant-size crossword puzzle with a comically large pen. She beamed when she saw him enter, tossing the pen aside. "Nate!"

"Hey, Danny." God, I wish I could hug her. He took a seat at the table next to Danny. "How have—"

"Wait, wait! Nate—Christopher was gonna ask you something. Right?"

The giant in question appeared to have been trying to escape to his room. Christopher stopped in his tracks in the doorway and turned around slowly, an almost pleading look on his face. Danny seemed to have put him on the spot. "I was?"

Danny crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows expectantly.

Christopher sighed, then met Nathan's eyes. "Well, I was curious if you knew about any other...human sympathizers, Nathan."

A twinge of suspicion flicked across Nathan's face. "Why?"

"Well..." Christopher averted his eyes to the ceiling. "I was wondering if you would know anyone else who could find an antidote."

"I thought you were looking for that," Nathan said coldly, irritation making his fingers twitch.

"I am, I am!" Christopher held his hands out defensively. "But my sources are—"

"Danny, has he been looking for an antidote?" Nathan interrupted him and met Danny's eyes, hoping to catch any trace of coercion, if it was there.

To his surprise, she nodded without hesitation. "Yeah. I mean, I think he has, anyways. He was calling people about it yesterday."

Nathan nodded. "Okay. Sorry for interrupting, Christopher. You were saying?"

Christopher was, as always, quick to recover from being taken aback. "Like I said, my sources are running a bit dry. Antidotes have limited use in my...circles. The people I'd normally go to to acquire them don't have anything."

When Nathan didn't say anything in response, he continued. "Look, I know this is my responsibility to figure out, and normally I wouldn't ask you for help, especially since this is...mostly my fault. It was actually Danny's idea to ask you about it."

Danny. All of this was for her, after all. Nathan didn't understand why he had gotten so irritated earlier. If anything, shouldn't he have been searching for an antidote anyways? Was he really so content to sit back while Christopher sorted everything out, like always? This wasn't just penance for Christopher, after all. This was about Danny's safety.

A familiar feeling of guilt seeped into Nathan's veins. "Yeah. Okay." He looked at the floor. "To tell you the truth, I don't personally know a lot of other people...like me. But there's a group in town...human rights activists, pretty under the radar. I never really got involved in it, I was never big into politics. But they know me, so maybe..."

"There's a human rights group in Red Tree?" Christopher looked incredulous. "I would never have thought that. I'm surprised I never heard anything about them."

"Well, like I said, they kind of keep to themselves. And it's not a big group. But the leader...I mean, I don't know her well, but I know of her. She's kind of out of town. Let me...let me look into it for you."

Relief washed over Christopher's face. "Thanks. I'll keep looking on my end too. Um..." he looked between Nathan and Danny. "...I'm going to finish the last ladder I was working on. You're welcome to anything in the fridge." With one last, slightly strained grin, Christopher disappeared down the hallway.

Nathan waited until he heard a door shut and he was sure Christopher was out of earshot. He leaned down towards the table, looking Danny intently in the eyes. He realized too late that he probably shouldn't have put his face so close to her, even if it was to whisper, but she thankfully didn't flinch. "Hey. Danny. Is everything okay? Because seriously, even if you can't stay at my house, I'll find a way to hide you somewhere until—"

Danny surprised him by placing a hand on his nose, stopping him mid-sentence. "Hey. Don't worry. It hasn't been...too bad."

Nathan's worry must have shown on his face then, because she hastily corrected herself. "Seriously, Nathan, I'm fine. It's been fine." Danny smiled broadly, but he got the feeling it was more for the sake of reassuring him than anything.

"Has he, um..." Nathan regretted taking this direction in the conversation almost immediately, but he had to ask.

Danny sighed. "Yes, he's eaten me."

A cold chill shot up Nathan's spine—whether it was anger or fear, he couldn't tell. But before he could say anything, Danny continued—"but I gave him permission."

What?

It had been one of the "conditions" Christopher had mentioned that night—he could only eat Danny for her safety or if she was willing. But Nathan hadn't actually anticipated Danny being willing. Had he pressured her somehow? Tricked her?

"Danny...why would you do that?"

For a moment, she looked just as confused as he felt, as if she didn't fully understand either. Then she sat down, wrapping her arms around her knees and looking at the table. Reflexively, Nathan reached out to cup his hand around her and stroked her hair with his thumb. She leaned back against his palm.

"Look, I...you know he's right, Nate, about there being times where I'm safest inside a giant. I just...want to get more used to it, so I'm not so scared of it anymore."

"You shouldn't have to get used to something like that, Danny."

She shrugged. "Shouldn't have to, sure, but I also shouldn't need to risk my life climbing some stupid ladder just to get down from the kitchen table."

Nathan cocked his head in confusion. Christopher had mentioned working on a ladder, hadn't he?

Danny gestured to the other side of the table. "See for yourself. The bastard installed it earlier today."

Curious, Nathan walked around to where Danny had been pointing, and sure enough, there was a makeshift human-sized ladder installed into the wide table leg—he wouldn't have noticed had he not been looking for it. Christopher made that?

"Huh." Nathan was at a loss for words—the gesture was simple, but oddly...thoughtful of Christopher.  Nathan had always been too worried about his parents to install anything human-sized in his room, nor did he have the skills to make anything himself. A tiny spark of gratitude pierced through the doubt that had been clouding his mind.

Danny walked over toward him, glancing at the ladder with distrust. "It's fucking terrifying, but I do appreciate being able to get around a little easier."

So many emotions swirled up inside Nathan as he looked at Danny. She shouldn't have to deal with all this. He couldn't imagine what it must be like to be a human in this world of...monsters, where even something as simple as moving around in this house involved risking her life. Where she had to get used to being eaten so that she could be safe. Danny put on such a brave face, but Nathan could only imagine the fear she was hiding.

"Hey..." Danny walked over to him, concern in her voice. "Seriously, I don't want you to worry about me so much."

Dang it, she shouldn't be the one consoling me!

She sat down, gripping one of his fingers between both of her hands. "He's...he's still a pain in the ass, but he's held up his end of the bargain so far. I'm not worried about him doing anything. I just..."

"Yes?" Nathan gripped her tiny hands as softly as he could between two of his fingers.

"Do you think you could stick around a little longer today? I...kind of miss you."

Nathan smiled widely, a feeling of something like relief settling in his chest. He didn't even think about the giant in the other room now—just his friend here in front of him.

"Of course. I'd be happy to."

* * * * * * * * * *  

Christopher was buzzing with nerves as he fiddled with the ladder on his desk. It had honestly been done half an hour ago, but the knots just weren't good enough—or so he kept telling himself, untying and retying some of the bottom rungs absentmindedly.

Finally, he figured he had stalled long enough. He hadn't heard the door again, so Nathan presumably hadn't left as quickly as he had yesterday. Did he dare go back out there and try to strike up a conversation? Could he make himself meet Nathan's eyes this time?

Wait. The rescue plan! He doesn't know about that yet!

A surge of confidence swept through Christopher. Surely, if there was anything that could impress Nathan, it was that. He stood up in his seat, ready to go back and tell him immediately, but then froze.

There was a chance Danny had already mentioned it to him, true, but if Christopher told Nathan directly, it would be as good as cementing the plan in place. There'd be no room for excuses or stalling anymore. Christopher couldn't bear to disappoint Nathan, not again. Could he really, actually pull this off? Or was he right to worry that he was getting in way over his head?

Danny was already counting on him. And he'd already established that if he disappointed her, he might as well have disappointed Nathan, too.

Fuck it, I've already dug my own grave, haven't I?

With newfound courage (or, more accurately, resignation), he made his way to the kitchen. Whatever Danny and Nathan had been laughing about, he didn't catch it as they abruptly shut up and turned to face him as he breached the doorway.

Ignore it. "Hey, Nathan. Has Danny told you about our plan yet?"

"Plan?" Nathan stiffened, then looked at Danny for explanation.

A blank expression crossed the human's face for a few seconds before she spoke up again. "Oh, right. Christopher here is gonna free all the humans from the Black Dragon." The sentence was as nonchalant as if she were describing what they'd had for breakfast that morning, though she quirked an eyebrow up at Christopher. It almost looked like a challenge.

"There's humans in the—wait, you're what?!"

"It was my idea," Danny scoffed. "Don't be too surprised."

Christopher tried not to let her comment tamper his excitement, though he felt he'd have to remind Danny later who was doing all the actual legwork in getting this plan off the ground. "The Black Dragon is the only other human smuggling business in Red Tree. It's where I found Danny the other day. I guess I didn't mention that, now that I think about it. It's frankly why I didn't want you going after her."

"Human smuggling...at the Black Dragon? I guess I can't say I'm that surprised, but..."

Wow. How much else does he not know about?

"So...how exactly did you plan on doing that?"

"Well, right now I'm getting an...old friend of mine to do some digging and see what we're dealing with. I'm waiting until I get that information to decide how to go about it. It's not going to be easy," he added, hoping that would buy him some time in Nathan's eyes, "but it seemed to be important to Danny."

Nathan nodded. "I see." Where Christopher had been hesitant to make eye contact before, now he was eagerly searching the giant's face for a reaction—excitement? Approval? Trust? But while Nathan seemed mildly pleased, his face was otherwise impassive. The corner of his mouth was turned downwards slightly.

What kind of a reaction is that? A weight of disappointment sank into Christopher's stomach. After all he was willing to sacrifice for this crazy plan, this is what he got for it?

Stop it. You're not doing this just for him...right? Of course it was wrong to expect Nathan to forgive him for everything after he did this, but...didn't he deserve something if he succeeded? Didn't Nathan owe him some small token of gratitude?

Nathan doesn't owe you shit, asshole. The mental voice of Danny in his head was quick to supply a retort. Somehow, hearing it in her voice was the only way it made sense to him.

His thoughts came to an abrupt halt as he heard a loud knock on the front door.

"Hey, Chris? I've got something to show you!"

Why the heck are they back already?

His eyes darted frantically between the door, Danny, and Nathan—the two of them looking at him with a mix of shock and confusion. If it had just been Danny, he could have swallowed her down quickly and there would be no trouble. But with Nathan here...

"Oh, fuck."

* * * * * * * * * *  

Part 16 ->

How will Christopher handle this? Tune in next time to watch a giant do his darndest to keep it all from falling apart!