#LETSGOPEPPER

[stormlex123]

AHH I CANT WAIT FOR THE NEXT PARTTTT

pepper & felix

part five

Pepper doesn't know how to handle his emotions. word count: 4.4k

Pepper stood behind the toaster, peeking around to examine the kitchen. It was late morning, and the sun was beginning to shine in through the window. Felix wasn’t up yet. Good.

He stepped out and craned his neck to examine the cabinet above him. One of the doors was cracked open by an inch, as usual, and he vaguely wondered if Felix had been leaving it open on purpose. It left a strange feeling in his chest as he tossed his hook up.

It had been four days since he had accepted the salad from Felix, but Pepper hadn’t felt comfortable enough to approach Felix again. He wasn’t sure if he even wanted to. He was still a borrower, after all, and even if Felix seemed kind, it was hard for Pepper to entirely trust him. Besides, what would he even say to him? Hey, Felix, I think you might actually be my soulmate. Yeah, I know I’m the size of your pinky and you could kill me with the flick of a wrist. Wanna hang out?

He huffed as he clambered up into the cabinet, scooping up his hook and thread with him. Containers and jars loomed over him, and he began to ease his way between them.

When his soulmate had contacted him a week ago to tell him that he had found a tiny man living in his walls, Pepper had panicked. There was no way his human soulmate had actually caught a borrower at the same moment Pepper had been caught… unless…?

That realization is what led him down a path of watching Felix from the walls, anxiety nibbling at his chest. It had to be a coincidence that Felix liked to sing, too… or that his soulmate had caught a borrower the same night Felix had caught Pepper… or that his voice had sounded so familiar.

He hadn’t left the walls for three days straight. Even if Felix had been nice enough to let him go, it didn’t mean that Pepper wasn’t slightly traumatized from the whole ordeal. And he just couldn’t face the fact that Felix might actually be his soulmate.

When he had realized that he was running short on food and he just needed to run out and grab something, he finally decided to reveal himself to Felix. Running entirely on adrenaline, he had lingered by the bookshelf, ready to bolt just in case Felix decided to change his mind and grab him up anyways.

But… Felix had apologized. He had offered Pepper fresh vegetables, which was very hard to come by for a borrower. And he didn’t even try to touch him once.

Pepper held his breath as he wrangled with an open packet of crackers, hoping he wasn’t making too much noise to wake Felix up yet. He paused briefly to listen for footsteps before yanking out a round salted cracker, twice the length of his arm.

It only took a minute to break it into four pieces and cram it into his bag. He still had a bit of space left inside, so he began to search around for something else he could fill his bag with.

Just as he was examining the label on a box of tea, he was alerted to the sound of footsteps entering the room. Felix usually didn’t open this cabinet before he left, but Pepper ducked behind a jar of peanut butter, just in case.

He listened cautiously to the sound of Felix moving around the kitchen, and his shoulders tensed. It was astounding just how big one person could be. Pepper wasn’t going to forget soon just how easily Felix had trapped him in a fist.

Pepper shifted uncomfortably. If Felix really was his soulmate (and what more evidence did he need, really?) then what was he supposed to do about it? He had lived his entire life as a borrower, avoiding humans. He couldn’t imagine trying to… to date a human. Or even befriend one, for that matter. It wasn’t his fault that the universe had forced him to have this telepathic connection with a human.

And Felix wasn’t even supposed to know that borrowers existed! Pepper didn’t want a human to even talk to him again, let alone touch him. Soulmate or not, Felix was a human, and Pepper could not trust him.

He caught his face turning red and he shook his head, running his hands through his black hair. The last week had been filled with nothing but confusion and stress. All he wanted to do was sink into his hammock and sleep for five days, but no, he had to go on his stupid borrowing trip so he didn’t starve.

Pepper rolled his eyes and, listening carefully to the sound of Felix’s footsteps, he snuck through the cabinet once more. He approached an open box of green tea, thankful that the sound of the kettle outside would cover up the small noises he made as he pried open the box and tugged out a packet.

As if the universe was against him, he was alerted too late to the sound of the cabinet door swinging open. Shit. Cursing under his breath, he ducked behind the peanut butter jar again, but not before the light from outside caught on his small form.

There was a distinct pause in Felix’s movements, and Pepper’s heart pounded. Then—

“Is that you?”

Pepper’s eyes darted around the cabinet, as if Felix could possibly be talking to someone else. 

Would it be impolite to ignore Felix, especially after all the human has done for him so far?

Stomach twisting with anxiety, he peeked around the jar, stiffening under the curious gaze of blue eyes outside the cabinet. “…Sorry. Didn’t think you’d notice me.”

Pepper had almost forgotten just how massive Felix really was. The human took up the entirety of his vision outside the cabinet, and from this close, Pepper could see all of the little details on his face. Being at his eye level did help to calm the borrower’s nerves, because at least he didn’t feel completely helpless from up here.

Felix’s hand was still lingering on the cupboard handle, as if he was afraid to move it. His lips twitched into a soft smile, and Pepper’s gaze lingered on them for a moment. “You’re okay. Um— what are you doing up there?”

Pepper clutched the tea bag closer to his chest, and Felix’s gaze danced to it. “Oh,” the human said. “You—”

“I can put it back,” Pepper said hurriedly, his heart racing. He had totally forgotten that what he did was typically considered stealing by human standards. 

Felix’s eyebrows shot up, and he glanced at the open box of tea. There were four boxes in total, with dozens of tea bags inside. “Oh— it’s okay, I don’t care at all. Take as many as you want, honestly.” His features softened, and he reached in to pick out a teabag between his forefinger and thumb. “And— listen— you don’t have to hide. From me. I don’t mind if you hang around here.”

Pepper’s stomach had dropped at the sight of Felix pinching up a teabag; he had instinctively thought the human had been reaching for him. Once the human’s hand had retreated, and Pepper’s heart rate went back to normal, he actually processed what Felix had said.

“Oh.” He peered closer at those wide blue eyes. “That’s… good to know.”

Felix suddenly seemed unsure about something, chewing his lip. His large hand lifted to the cupboard handle, and Pepper secretly hoped he would just close it and walk away. “Are you gonna stick around up there?” Felix asked, a bit awkwardly. “I need to leave for class in a second, but if you need a hand, I could— um, I could help you down.”

The borrower immediately stiffened, alarm bells filling his mind. He briefly remembered the feeling of being held tight in a fist, and he found himself backing away into the wooden cabinet wall behind him. “I’m— I’m gonna stay up here, yeah. No help necessary.” His voice wobbled.

Felix wasn’t blind, and he immediately understood that he had overstepped a boundary with Pepper. He flushed, taking a step back. “Right, no worries.”

The human left the cabinet door open as he finished preparing for class, brewing his teabag in his thermos and answering a few quick texts. Once his bag was on his shoulder, ready to go, he approached the cabinet again, where Pepper had barely moved aside from shoving his tea packet into his bag.

“Okay, I’m heading out.” Felix’s large hand rested on the cabinet door. “Do you want me to leave this cracked open?”

“…Yeah. Thanks.” It was strange, to have a human openly consider Pepper’s needs.

Felix bid him a quick farewell and closed the cabinet door, leaving it hanging open with more than enough space for a borrower to get out of. Only once Pepper was alerted to the sound of the front door shutting did he feel comfortable enough to approach the cabinet door and latch his hook onto the edge.

His mind was still racing, an hour later, as he entered his room under the floorboards with a bag packed full of crackers and tea. What would have happened if he had accepted Felix’s proposal of picking him up? He’s sure the human would have just safely deposited him on the counter in a matter of seconds, but a darker part of his mind whispered thoughts of being shoved in a pocket or dangled in the air. 

Felix would never do that, Pepper scolded himself… but twenty-two years of human horror stories were difficult for the borrower to forget.

As Pepper made a beeline for his pantry (a small divot in the wall covered by a handmade curtain), he froze, ears pricking towards the sound of soft breathing. His stomach chilled, and he spun to his left, staring at his hammock.

A tan arm dangled from the side of the hammock, and a bushy head of black hair could barely be seen amongst the pillows and blankets. Pepper’s heart immediately swelled, and he couldn’t help but exclaim, “Basil!”

“Wha…” A pair of brown eyes appeared, blinking sleepily down at him. It only took a second for Basil to process what she was seeing.

“Oh! Pepper!”

By the time she swung herself over the edge, Pepper had already raced forward, throwing his arms around his older sister in a tight hug the moment her feet hit the floor. 

She was a bit shorter than him, but just barely. Her arms were strong as she held him tight, and Pepper was comforted by the thought that she must be eating well.

“What are you— what are you doing here?” Pepper grabbed her shoulders to look at her, eyes shining. “God, it’s been so long.”

With no way to communicate with other borrowers, Pepper hadn’t been able to talk to Basil in almost a year. 

“I wanted to visit!” Basil explained excitedly. “I just got here an hour ago, and man, when I saw that your place was empty I got so scared that you died— but I realized your pantry had fresh food in it so you must still be around.” Her eyebrows raised approvingly. “Where the hell did you get all those vegetables? You must have improved your borrowing skills since I last saw you!”

Pepper laughed as she gently punched his shoulder. He suddenly felt the need to change the subject. “So, you just decided to take a nap in my bed?”

“Hey, it took me four days to get here, I deserve a nap.” She sent him a grin before peering at the bag on his shoulder. “What’d you get?”

When Pepper showed her the contents of his bag, she laughed. “Dude, you drink tea now?”

“It’s good for you,” he said defensively, although he was smiling. “And it’s got caffeine. Here, let me make you some.”

As Pepper expertly cut open the tea bag, Basil rambled to him about how the last ten months had been for her. She, coincidentally, had also picked up sewing clothes as a hobby. Her dark green pants, reminiscent of human cargo pants, were apparently her “greatest accomplishment” so far.

A family of borrowers had also moved into the house she was living in, after having been kicked out of their old home due to pest control. Basil had some sweet stories about how she had helped to babysit the kids from time to time. Pepper smiled as she talked, his heart warm at the thought that his sister had been happy and thriving.

He handed her a small cup, made out of aluminum foil. The tea inside was cold, obviously, but that was something that didn’t bother most borrowers.

Basil sent Pepper a suspicious but playful look as she took a long sip of her tea. She pondered for a moment. “Meh.”

“You don’t like it?” Pepper laughed after taking a sip of his own tea.

“It’s fine, but I wouldn’t waste space in my bag for it,” Basil said thoughtfully. “I’d rather grab some chocolate or something. That has caffeine, too, I think, and it tastes a thousand times better.”

Pepper blinked as a fond memory resurfaced in his mind. “Aw— remember when we were kids, and we still lived by the bakery? And you nabbed that brownie? I miss that.”

Basil lit up instantly. “Oh my god, yeah! I was, what— thirteen? I was so proud of myself.” She grinned. “Does the human here have any chocolate?”

Pepper hesitated. “Oh, uh— he actually eats super healthy, honestly. I’m not sure if… he’d have that.”

“Ohhh. Is that why you have cucumber in your pantry?” Basil teased. Pepper rolled his eyes in amusement.

“Yeah, actually.”

Basil had already stood up, tossing her aluminum cup aside. (Pepper noticed fondly that she had drank all of her tea.) “Anyways, let’s go borrowing. I’m sure we’ll find something cool. And if we don’t, I can just make fun of your lame climbing skills.”

“Wha—! I’m a great climber!”

“Let’s test that,” Basil snickered. 

—

After a long trek through the walls with lots of complaints from Pepper (“I literally just got back from a borrowing trip!”) and interjections from Basil (“Womp, womp.”) the pair of them finally emerged onto the counter, peeking around the toaster.

“He’s definitely not here, right?” Basil prompted. Pepper nodded.

“Yeah, he has class until four, and then he’s got some friend thing. He won’t be home all day.”

Basil side-eyed him. “How do you know that?

Her brother blinked rapidly. “I overheard him on the phone yesterday,” he lied, knowing full well that Felix had told him all of that telepathically. Basil nodded in understanding, although her brown eyes remained curious.

Pepper allowed her to take the lead as they trekked across the counter, approaching a fruit bowl. He hadn’t mentioned his soulmate situation to her yet. He wouldn’t even be sure how to begin, honestly.

Would she think of him differently, if she knew? 

He watched her warily, as if she might start shouting at him. Basil, like every other borrower, was not very fond of humans. If she knew that Pepper had such a strong connection to a human, would she be upset with him? Scared, even, that he might put her in danger?

His stomach squirmed as Basil tossed her hook up to the edge of the fruit bowl. “Have you heard of soulmates?” He asked suddenly, trying to sound casual. Basil climbed up into the bowl first, and Pepper followed. 

Basil shot him a glance from where she was examining a grape. “What, like, the hands-clasped-over-your-chest thing? The mind connection?”

Pepper blinked in surprise. “Yeah, actually.”

She nodded, yanking a round green grape off of its stem. “Yeah, I actually used to talk to my soulmate, when I was twenty-one. It didn’t last long, though.”

Pepper stared, dumbfounded. “Wha— seriously? Wait— what happened? You never told me this!”

“It just wasn’t a big deal,” Basil said offhandedly, shoving the grape into her bag. “I mean, we talked for a few weeks, and it was nice. But she lives halfway across the country, and… I don’t know, once we realized we would never actually see each other, we kind of just… moved on.”

Pepper’s heart sunk. “I’m so sorry.”

Basil shrugged. “Like I said, it’s no biggie. That’s just how life works. Soulmates aren’t for everyone.” She suddenly straightened up, brown eyes wide. “Wait— don’t tell me— are you talking to your soulmate?”

Pepper flushed, busying himself by picking up a grape as well. “Yeah, actually. For two or three weeks now.”

“Holy shit.” Basil grinned, punching his shoulder. “That’s awesome, man. Don’t get too attached though— do you know where they live?”

Pepper’s mouth opened, then closed. Basil was still staring at him expectantly, but before he could answer, the front door opened.

Shit. On instinct, the two of them lunged over the edge of the fruit bowl, scrambling to hide behind it. Basil sucked in a quick breath at the sound of human footsteps, leaning closer to Pepper, and he held her arm protectively.

“I thought you said he wasn’t gonna be home all day,” Basil hissed under her breath, brown eyes peeking around the fruit bowl. Pepper’s stomach turned.

“He was supposed to,” Pepper explained anxiously, peeking around the bowl as well. He craned his neck to observe Felix as the human hung his coat up on the opposite wall. “He must have come home early.”

“You think?”

Pepper’s stomach was doing cartwheels. He wasn’t particularly afraid of Felix— at least, not in the same way Basil was— but he did not want Felix finding him right now.

The human hummed quietly as he set his thermos down, only a few feet away from the fruit bowl. Basil’s grip on Pepper’s arm tightened.

Felix briefly glanced in their direction, and it was that moment in which all three of them realized a fishhook was still dangling innocently on the edge of the fruit bowl.

“Motherfucker,” Pepper said under his breath.

Basil was also mumbling a string of curse words, inching closer to Pepper as Felix squinted, leaning closer to the bowl. His next words made both borrowers freeze.

“Pepper? Are you around?”

Slowly, ever so slowly, Basil turned her head to stare at Pepper.

Pepper’s throat went tight, panic suddenly seeping into his veins. He watched as Basil pulled her hand away from him, taking a step back, intense brown eyes flickering around the room as if she was searching for an explanation, or perhaps an escape route. He swallowed hard, sucking in a sharp breath.

“Please, don’t panic,” he said quickly. Overhead, Felix spoke again, voice gentle but curious.

“You forgot your hook.”

Basil was frozen, speechless. Pepper’s heart was sinking into the floor below. “Basil, please, just… stay here. Please.”

Hands shaking, Pepper sent Basil one last miserable look before stepping out from behind the fruit bowl. He vaguely heard Basil’s small, shocked gasp as Felix’s gaze landed on Pepper.

“Oh, there you are.” Felix relaxed microscopically now that he knew where Pepper was. He had been a bit anxious that Pepper had gotten hurt or lost somehow, indicated by his abandoned hook. 

“…Hey,” Pepper said stiffly, reaching towards the thread of Basil’s hook. It took a moment for his shaky hands to unlatch the hook and tuck it under his arm. “Sorry, I… I forgot this.”

“It’s fine,” Felix assured, blinking at Pepper’s uncomfortable behavior. He hoped Pepper still wasn’t uneasy about his offer to pick him up this morning. “It seems important to you, so I just… wanted to make sure you didn’t lose it.” 

“Ah,” Pepper said hollowly. It was difficult not to turn and look at Basil, as he felt her intense gaze bearing into him. He would never reveal another borrower to a human, no matter the circumstances. “Well. Thanks.”

Felix hesitated, fighting the urge to peer closer at the shaking small man. “Are you… alright?” 

Pepper was trying to figure out what to do, heart racing. “I, um… yeah, I…” Pepper spared a glance to the side, and his stomach turned to ice.

Basil was gone.

Fuck. “Sorry, I— I have to go.” Spinning on his heel, Pepper rushed towards the toaster. He sensed Felix’s surprise as the human spoke.

“Oh— ah, okay, then—?”

Pepper had already squeezed his way through the crack in the wall and was now staring around, heart pounding. Where did Basil go? How did she just sneak off like that? How was he supposed to explain this to her?

“Basil!” He called out helplessly, hoping Felix wouldn’t be able to hear him through the walls. “Basil, I can explain! Where are you?”

He caught movement out of the corner of his eye, and there— hidden in the shadows of the walls, was Basil.

A needle was gripped firmly in her hand, pointed at Pepper. Brown eyes narrowed, dark and fiery. “What the fuck was that.”

“Listen, it’s okay,” Pepper said hurriedly, stepping towards her. Her grip on her needle tightened.

“You’re— friends with that human?!” Basil demanded, aghast. “What the fuck is wrong with you? Why didn’t you tell me that?”

“We’re not friends, exactly, he–”

“He’s probably looking for us right now!”

“No–!”

“What, are you his pet, or something–?”

“He’s my soulmate.”

Basil stilled, her needle wobbling. “He…” Her gaze flicked to the wall, as if she could see Felix through the wood. “He’s your soulmate?”

Pepper’s heart pounded against his chest. His throat was tight as he miserably said, “Yeah. But… but he doesn’t know.”

At Basil’s bewildered expression, Pepper hurriedly began to explain everything; how his rocky relationship with Felix began by being caught and trapped, only to be released with an apology. How he realized quickly that Felix and his soulmate were actually the same person, and had since then struggled with his own feelings, terrified of Felix but subconsciously being drawn to him as well.

Basil didn’t speak throughout his entire story. Her eyes remained dark and focused, her grip on her needle unrelenting. Once Pepper finished with the reassurance that he hadn’t told Felix anything about her, she spoke up, voice cautious.

“Why don’t you leave?” Her brow furrowed. “He knows you live here.”

“I know those are the rules, but–”

“This isn’t about the rules,” Basil interjected, making Pepper jump. “You need to leave so you can't talk to him again. This… this isn’t normal.” Her features hardened even further, brown eyes narrow, glistening slits. “I’m not mad at you, Pepper, I understand that this is fucked up, and it’s not your fault. But– just because he’s your soulmate doesn’t mean you have to put yourself in danger just to talk to him.”

Pepper hesitated, stomach doing backflips. “Felix isn’t dangerous.”

Basil choked on her breath. “Pepper. Are you even hearing yourself right now?”

Silence stretched between them for a moment. Pepper hesitated, trembling, while Basil stared. Finally, his older sister muttered, “I’m sorry, Pepper, but I can’t stay here.”

He blinked, alarmed. “What– you can’t go back home now! It’s too far, you just got here–”

“I’m not going home,” Basil corrected. “I don’t know where I’m gonna go, yet. But I can’t stay in this apartment with… him.” She held her other hand out expectantly, although it shook. “Give me my hook.”

Pepper couldn’t speak. Silently, numbly, he stepped forward, setting the hook gently into his older sister’s hand. She relaxed microscopically, sending one last glance at the wall before backing up. “I just… I just need time to think about this. I’m sorry.”

He nodded mutely, standing rigid. 

“Please stay safe. I care about you.” Her lips tightened. “I’ll– I’ll see you around.”

She backed away, sending him one last hollow stare before spinning on her heel and vanishing into the darkness after a matter of seconds. Her light footsteps faded quickly. Pepper swayed on his feet, mouth dry, mind racing. 

Misery sank into his bones, cold and heavy. Thoughts of his frightened sister floated around his mind, followed by memories of Felix’s kind demeanor, a terrifying human that had all the power over Pepper and chose not to use it. 

Basil was wrong.

His feet moved before he could think about, making a beeline for the crack in the wall, stumbling out past the toaster. “Felix!”

The human jumped, his mug clattering in surprise. He had just dropped a tea packet into the hot water. “Pepper– you scared me–!”

Pepper barely processed the fact that the human was towering over him, as he craned his neck to meet those startled blue eyes. “I trust you,” he insisted suddenly, eyes wide. 

Felix stiffened, blinking down at him. “Wha–”

“I can’t believe I’m actually telling this to a human but— you’ve been so kind, and considerate, and— and you don’t treat me like a pet, and you— you—“ Pepper’s words came out in a rush, heart pounding. Felix was frozen. “This is hard for me, talking with you— but I know that you’re trying to make it easier for me, and— and I appreciate that.”

Pepper suddenly found himself walking towards Felix’s hand, which was still resting on the handle of his mug. Pepper’s stomach twisted unexpectedly, but he fought through it, approaching the massive fingers that outmatched him in size. “Pepper,” Felix said in a hush. “What—”

Fueled by adrenaline, Pepper placed his tiny hand onto Felix’s finger, meeting the human’s gaze. 

Felix’s eyes were wide, shocked. His shoulders were rigid, as if he was scared to even move a muscle. 

The skin underneath Pepper’s hand was warm. The borrower sucked in a breath, but kept his hand still. This was the closest proximity he had shared with Felix’s hand since he had been snatched up a week ago.

“I just need you to know that,” Pepper confessed, the realization of what he had just impulsively done creeping up onto his face as a blush. His heart pounded. 

Felix blinked rapidly, unable to tear his gaze away from the tiny palm resting delicately on his finger. Pepper was visibly nervous, willingly touching Felix for the first time since the human had held him against his will.

“I…” Felix was terrified to even breathe wrong, lest he frighten the borrower and ruin the moment. “I don’t know what to say.” Appreciation filled his hesitant voice, laced by surprise and worry. 

Pepper was still blushing, hard. He tentatively pulled his hand back, acutely aware that he had just touched a giant and survived. “It’s okay. I’ve just had a weird fucking day.” He dragged his hand down his face, shoulders shuddering. After a moment, he asked quietly, “Is it alright if I… hang out with you, for a bit? I don’t want to be alone right now.”

Felix’s blue eyes were soft, kind. “Yeah. Of course.”

----

EEEEEEEEEEEE I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS CHAPTER!! Pepper is finally starting to feel comfortable with Felix, but poor Basil is terrified that her brother is so close to a human </3

TAGLIST: @smallsday @compact-katrina

[marsoomata]

finally set up a tiktok for chill POV walking vids with pepper @ letsgopepper 🌿🥺

watch us get to the top of the waterfall 🔗