It's the 4th of July, and you don't want to spend it alone.
You can’t believe your luck over the past few days. A human had caught you, but not in the way you feared he ever would. He was simply in the right place at the right time when your worn rope finally snapped, and he had fast reflexes. You didn’t hit the ground like you thought you would, having braced from whatever injuries you’d receive from such a fall, or worse… instead, you landed on a soft, warm surface.
You then found yourself under the gaze of a human, the one who inadvertently saved you from a potentially fatal fall. His eyes were big, blue, and locked right onto you as you lay stunned in his hand, trembling as you realized what had happened. You were still alive, but you were completely at his mercy.
He stared for a few more moments before the shock wore off. He brought his other hand up to cup you in both, making sure you were secure and wouldn’t accidentally fall again. He didn’t seem angry, at least, but he was definitely curious, and you knew that could easily be far worse.
The moment he saw you crying, curling up in his hands, completely and utterly terrified, however, his expression softened, sympathy in his eyes as he watched you with concern.
You nodded your head quickly, desperation for survival taking over as you began to beg for your life.
“P-please don’t hurt me, I-I’m sorry, I’ll leave, just please let me go!” you sobbed, hearing the human sigh softly.
“Whoa, hold on, I’m not gonna hurt you. It’s okay.”
You jumped when you felt a soft touch over your shoulder, hearing his voice soften as he rubs his thumb across your arm.
“Shh, take it easy, don’t-“
It was then that you blacked out, the stress being too much for your brain to handle.
When you opened your eyes next, you found yourself curled up on a folded washcloth, on the ground, near the entrance to the walls you’d been trying to get back to when you fell. Next to you was a small bundle of food, what looked like a new rope, and a note:
I’m sorry I scared you, but I’m not sorry that I caught you, that would have been a really bad fall. Anyway, I left you some string that should be much stronger than what you were using before, and some food. If I’d known I had a borrower in my walls, I would have stocked up more, but I’ll fix that later, if you don’t leave, that is. I hope you don’t, but I also understand if you do. Take care of yourself out there.
You found yourself in shock as you read the note. How did he know what you’re called? How did he know that you have to leave now? Why did he let you go? You find yourself still pondering these questions now several days later, but you haven’t left just yet. You can’t afford to now, not at this time of the year.
You know what’s coming up, and you hate it with an undying passion. The 4th of July is today, and the weather has been wonderful, which is good, not too hot, but it also means plenty of fireworks later tonight.
You don’t understand what their fascination with giant explosions is, but it doesn’t matter, because they are terrifying. You know that all you can really afford to do is hunker down in your small home, hope nothing gets blown up, and just ride it out. Unless…
You know this is a stupid idea, it goes against everything you’ve been taught as a borrower, but you don’t know if you can handle another year alone, scared, stuck in your home while the fireworks are at their worst.
Raymond hasn’t done anything to try and meet you again, and you can’t scrub the memory of his look of sympathy from your brain. His gentle touch, while contributing to you having passed out, it reminded you of childhood, of how your parents would soothe you when there were fireworks or thunderstorms. You can’t believe you’re doing this, but given that he’d let you go, has since been much better at leaving things that are easy for you to take, and has ignored you even if he had a perfect chance to catch another glimpse of you… it’s obvious that he cares about your well-being.
You sigh to yourself as you peek out of the kitchen entrance, watching carefully for any signs of Raymond wandering around. When you see him, your heart sinks. He’s clearly getting ready to go enjoy the fireworks himself, and you feel a rush of anxiety at the thought of being completely alone here.
Just before he puts his hand on the front doorknob, you shout out his name.
He pauses immediately, turning to look in the direction your voice came from. You stiffen as he spots you, puts his bags on the ground, and immediately makes his way over to you.
“Hey, is everything alright?”
You adamantly shake your head, trying not to panic or bail.
“Okay, well I’m about to head out to see the fireworks show with my friends, do you need anything before I go?”
You look down, wondering briefly if this is fair to him, but before you can say anything else, a firework is shot up, and explodes less than a mile away. You cry out and hide back through the entrance into the walls.
“Oh shit,” he murmurs softly.
You hear him take a few steps away, peeking out from the entrance to see him holding his phone up to his ear.
“Hey! I’m sorry, but I’m not gonna make it tonight. Yeah, something just came up. Everything’s okay, I just need to stay home tonight. Make sure to get lots of video for me. Okay, thanks, have fun, bye!”
You watch him lower his phone back down, tap the screen, and put it back in his pocket before looking back in your direction. Did he just… cancel his plans on his own? You didn’t even have to plead for him to stay?
He slowly heads back over to you, leaning on the counter as he regards you with a soft gaze.
“It’s okay, I’m not going anywhere tonight. I didn’t realize the fireworks would be scaring you like this.”
You take a tentative step out toward him, trembling and doing everything you can to hold it together. It doesn’t work, however. The fireworks are becoming more frequent, and you’re cowering on the countertop before long. Raymond sighs quietly to himself, watching you patiently.
You gaze back up at him, crying out as another explodes close by. You can hear a car alarm going off in response to the proximity, and it’s all too much. You whimper as you panic, but his soft voice cuts through the anxiety briefly.
“Okay, come here, it’s alright…”
You jump as you feel his fingers brushing against you, hearing him gently shush you as he wraps them around you so much more delicately than you’d have thought possible for a being of his size. You feel his warmth around you, your brain struggling to prioritize between being scared of the fireworks, or of being in his hands. You’re able to shake it off, however, the moment he holds you close to his chest, tucking you against him and holding you with both hands.
You’re immediately enveloped in warmth and pressure around you, the smooth sway of his footsteps distracting you briefly from the building chaos outside. He slowly sinks himself into the couch, and you feel yourself slumping into his chest as he leans back and cradles you close.
“It’s okay, I’ve got you, everything will be just fine,” he promises, his thumb rubbing up and down your back as you cling tightly to his shirt.
You never expected to have any sort of comfort on the night of the 4th, much less from a human, but here you are, putting your trust into a being so much bigger than you for reassurance and physical comfort. He doesn’t seem to have a problem with it, either. He keeps himself calm, his presence soothing as he just sits and holds you to himself.
“You’re still shaking… How did you deal with this before?”
You shake your head and cling tighter to him, fiercely holding on to the sense of security he’s providing you. Despite trying to hold it in, a quiet sob escapes, and you hear a soft hum from him. He holds you closer, his voice gentle and concerned.
“Were you just… terrified in the walls by yourself?”
You slowly nod your head. He immediately gives you a gentle squeeze, the warmest hug you’ve ever experienced. You get the feeling that he just wants to hold and protect you. On any other day you might have balked at the idea, but right now, this is exactly what you need.
“You don’t have to be alone anymore. I promise, if you ever get scared, you can always come find me, and I can hold you just like this.”
He pulls you away just enough to brush your tears away with his thumb.
You don’t know that you’ll be here long enough to consider his offer, but it’s certainly a nice thought, not having to be afraid again. He shifts the way he’s holding you to cradle you closer once more. For now, you’re here, you’re safe in his hands, and you feel… okay. You’re still extremely jumpy and terrified by the loud explosions, but Raymond’s kindness makes it a little easier to bear.
They go on for hours, occasionally setting off car alarms and vibrating the walls and floor slightly. By the time the fireworks finally die down, your eyes are red, puffy, and irritated. Raymond’s patience has proven to be strong, however, and he’s made sure you feel as safe and comfortable as you could possibly be in this situation.
He managed to distract you occasionally as he recounted stories. Some were from his childhood, others were of him and his friends performing… questionable stunts, many of which made you laugh a little through the tears, and you’ve realized that you actually like being around Raymond. You don’t mind the fact that he’s held you all night, kept you entertained, and comforted you whenever you’d start to panic again.
The night has left you exhausted, but after being in the safety of his hands for so long, and with the occasional fireworks still being set off, you’re not eager to leave him. You yawn quietly, snuggling up against Raymond’s shirt as you close your eyes. You hear him chuckle, followed by the quietest ‘aww’ coming from him as he keeps you snuggled close to himself. Any other day that might have set you off, a human cooing over you like this, but not tonight… weirdly enough, you feel like he’s earned it, especially if it feels as genuine as it does.
“Are you getting a bit sleepy?” He asks softly, and you nod your head.
“Do you want me to bring you back to where your home is, or do you want to come to bed with me?”
It’s not even a question for you. At this point, you know you can trust him. You know the fireworks will continue late into the night, and you’re not ready to feel the absence of his company and comfort.
For the rest of the night, you’re bundled up on his chest as he keeps you close. You feel his heartbeat beneath you, letting it lull you to sleep when sheer exhaustion finally takes you. You’re startled awake by fireworks every now and then, but feeling his hands gently pressing you to him calms you, and you find yourself falling asleep again within minutes.
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