literature

The Stranger Chapter 10

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Closing the door behind me I tried to keep the mood light and try not to get Talli too riled up because of her injury.  Holding her in my hand was pleasant but I needed to get ready for bed and something told me that Talli didn't want to see me sleeping in my Trigun boxers that I bought at an anime convention.  Luckily, even though the cabin bedroom was small it did have a bureau in front of the bed and a nightstand.  I tried not to flush as I set Talli down on the bureau and stared at her awkwardly.
"Well…what's wrong?" she asked.  
I sunk my hands deep into my pockets.  Ugh, this would have been whole lot easier if we had just stayed at the island and Evan hadn't shown up.
"I need to change," I said quietly.  "Do you mind turning around?"
"Change?  Into what?" Talli asked with the slightest trace of a smile.  I turned away before she could point it out.  "A bat?  A vampire?  What?"
"You know what I mean, Talli.  I need to change into my clothes so I can get ready for bed."  Despite her snarky comment earlier about me having a girlfriend she looked pretty pleased with herself as she stood there, leaning on her leg that wasn't injured.  My heart went out to her for taking that pain and surprise with such vigor.  "Please Talli, I'm not going to change in front of you, but if you don't turn around, you're going to see a lot more of me then you would care for."
"Alright!" she finally relented and covered her eyes before turning around.  She was so cute and I smiled before turning away from her and changing into a loose sleeveless burgundy shirt and mesh basketball shorts.  I would have rather slept without a shirt…or really just in my boxers, but I didn't think that would exactly be appropriate with a 6 inch girl staying in my room for tonight.  
"Okay, I'm good," I said and Talli turned back around.  She winced slightly and I quickly crossed the room to be closer to her.  "Are you okay?"
She tried to shrug it off.  "It doesn't feel great," she admitted but looked down at Evan's work.  "But I have to admit, that giant of yours did a pretty good job."
I smirked.  Oh the day when Evan would be referred to as 'my giant.'  I would have to tell him about this the next morning.  Speaking of which…a loud snoring could be heard coming from the next room.  I turned back to Talli, "Sounds like he finally fell asleep."
Talli smiled back at me, "My goodness!  What is that horrible sound he is making?!  I don't think I've ever heard anything quite like that!"
"Well…human's snore and since Evan had quite a bit to drink and quite a bit of action while drunk…I'm assuming he is sleeping on his back.  Though he probably shouldn't.  I should go check on him," I began slowly but Talli limped forward a little.
"No," she began but fell silent again.
"No?" I asked.  "No what?"
"Don't leave me in here," she finished quietly.  "It's one thing to be in my comfort zone, but I don't know anything about things here.  I don't feel safe."
"Really?" I asked, surprised that she was so easily letting go.
"Heck yeah I don't feel safe!" Talli blurted out.  "I'm in a house of giants and I have a busted leg."
"Neither of us will hurt you," I began.
"I know THAT," she cut me off.  "Why do you think I want you to freaking stay here?"
I flushed.  "Oh…" I trailed off and tried to stop the smile from forming on my face.  Despite everything she still wanted me to stay with her.
"Stop looking so proud of yourself," she said.  "I think I want to lay down," she continued before letting out a huge yawn.  Following suit because yawns are oh so contagious I stretched before offering my hand to Talli.  
"Are you going to be okay?" I offered quietly as she slowly made her way to me.  "I could always help."
She looked at me.  "How can you help?"
"Well you may not like it, but it would definitely make things easier for you…"
"What?"
I made a pinching motion with my finger and thumb.  "I'll be careful though…I promise.  I'll just put you in my hand and we can go to bed."
"Well…I guess that's okay.  Since it would make things easier for my leg," she said and began to lift up her arms.  "Okay giant…I mean Damir…go ahead."
I sucked in my breath and gently clasped her waist between my forefinger and thumb.  "Are you okay?"
"Yeah."
As slowly as I could I took up her body and set her sitting down on my palm.  I couldn't help letting out a huge sigh of relief as I brought her close to my chest and stood up again to turn around and look at the bed.
"Sooo," I began awkwardly.
"Sooo…how do you want to do this?" Talli asked.  "I could always sleep on that table thing…"
"On that hard nightstand?" I asked with a frown.  "I'm not letting a girl…an injured girl at that sleep on a rock-hard table!  What kind of guy do you think I am?"
"I don't know," Talli muttered.  "What else can we do?"
"Well," I relented.  "It's a queen size bed, and as far as I know I don't roll around too much in my sleep…"
"Wait…you want me to sleep in the same BED as you?!" Talli squeaked.
I tried to shrug, but obviously felt as awkward as she did.  "Well I'll sleep with those pillows, and you can sleep on the pillows next to me."
"You want me to sleep right next to your face?  What if you make those horrible sounds that your giant makes?  I won't be able to sleep!  Plus, what if roll on top of me?  What if you have a nightmare and smack me or something?  Damir I…"
"Talli," I interrupted gently.  "I think it will be okay.  Can you just try and trust me?"
"Why should I?"
I shrugged.  "Well you trusted Evan to bandage up your leg."
"That's different.  That was something I needed to do to get better.  Not something I'm choosing to do that could make things worse!"
I settled against the bed, pressing my back against the wall, somehow managing still to be careful with the tiny injured girl in my hand.  
"Fine," I sighed.  "It's not like I want to hurt you or anything."
"Yes I know that," Talli said quietly.  "But can you please think for a second about how different this is for me?"
"I do think about that," I began but Talli shook her tiny head filled with rainbow colored locks.  "What?"
"You think about how different it is for you.  I'm asking you to think about me," she said slowly.  "I'm out of my element, okay?  I'm in a house with giants, one that I want to trust so badly but it just goes against everything I've ever thought, and the one other I don't really trust at all but bandaged up my leg and didn't even bat an eye.  What's with you giants?  I'm sure not all giants are like you.  I just…" she sniffed and I swear my eyes almost began to water as she kept letting the words come to her.  "I just am scared okay?  I'm scared of getting hurt…but now I'm even more scared because I'm really starting not be scared of you okay?  Does that make sense?"  she buried her tiny face in her hands then.
"I'm sorry," I muttered to her.  "I guess I really never did think about it.  I'm sorry okay Talli?  Do you hear me?"
She nodded.  "I just…I think I really do trust you Damir.  So when you say things like that…letting me sleep next to you and what not…I don't know what to say.  I want to…but I don't want to…ARGH!!  I'm not making any sense am I?"
I couldn't help letting a small chuckle come out, causing Talli to lift her head.  Oh god, she looked so sad, and yet so adorable.  I brought my finger to her face and tried to give her the gentlest look I could without letting my own tears fall.
"You are making perfect sense," I whispered, catching a tiny tear against my fingertip.  "And I'm sorry I never thought about how strange and awful this must be for you."
She shook her head then.  "Not awful…just different," she sniffed.  
"Is there anything I can do?" I whispered, still keeping my hand near her.
"Can…can you just hold me for a few moments?" she asked with a red face.  "I just…I don't meet many others like me, and you're not exactly like me but I…"
"Oh Talli," I whispered and brought her to my chest, cradling her against me.  I felt her grab the folds of my shirt and pull herself even closer.  "I'm sorry…I'm sorry," I kept repeating over and over again.  Like a mother with a child I began to stoke her tiny back with my knuckles before sliding down and bringing us both under the covers.  She didn't protest this time and my heart hiccuped with joy.  "Are you alright?" I whispered, bringing her closer to my face so she could nuzzle against my collarbone and neck.  I felt her feather weight and hair slide against my cheek.  I smiled at the chill it sent through my body.
"Uh-huh," she answered, sounding sleepy.  "Damir?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you really have a girlfriend?" she asked quietly.
"Even if I did, which I don't…she wouldn't matter at this point."
"Meaning what?" she asked with a deep yawn.  I wondered if she would even remember this conversation tomorrow.  I wondered if Evan would remember anything.  I wondered if this was all some weird dreamt that I would wake up from.  "Damir?"
"Meaning," I said, still cupping her body against mine.  "That no one matters more to me than you at this point."
"Do you mean that?" Talli said before I felt her body wilt and her breathing slow down.  She was asleep.
"Of course I mean that you little idiot," I whispered before kissing the top of her head as gently as I could.  "I'm falling in love with you."
Of course she didn't hear me so of course she didn't answer.
I closed my eyes and allowed sleep to take me as well.  Breakfast sure would be interesting with the three of us sitting at a table.
Some fluff for chapter 10. I couldn't help myself, this wasn't the best of days and I needed something to make me smile. Please enjoy it!! :-)
© 2012 - 2024 cewilson5
Comments15
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Tyger15's avatar
A very interesting breakfast indeed.