#distort-t | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

awkwardgtace · 23 days ago

Text

Stupid Dreams and Stupid Humans

Distortion! More Rhys and Vincent! yay!!!

Vincent has his dreams to find his partner start. They don't live up to the stories. Especially when his darker thoughts start coming out in them

Stupid Dreams and Stupid Humans

Dreams were special. Unique to those involved. Of course that meant they could act on some less than positive feelings. Distort and obfuscate the truth. It didn’t happen once your fated dreams began. A perfect match could never be shown anything that wasn’t true. Words all borrowers lived by…

Until they didn’t.

Vincent joined those ranks when his first dream arrived. It would have been a completely average experience, if he wasn’t surrounded by humans that were all the same size as him. They were in a mall, the one he lived in actually. A place of bitter memories and potential deaths.

“Sorry!” a human said as they bumped into him. He muttered a few unpleasant words before continuing on his way.

His only interest was finding one of his bases. A view like this could give him a chance to improve things. Maybe expand his pathways to get the fresher food he’d seen a few times. Find a way to reach the craft store more often. If only he wasn’t so big.

Each of his steps covered too much ground; his internal sense of location was off. It was impossible to find anything. The whole night would be a waste of time. Although… he kind of liked walking around without a looming threat. Something he didn’t even have when he lived away from humans. Something good about these stupid dreams.

“It’s mine!” The sudden shout sent shivers down his spine. A voice that’s haunted him for years. The child that found him and brought him to this hellish place. He snapped his head toward the sound and saw the child running with fists closed tight. His body ached in memory of the bruises.

Without thinking he ran. It felt like the world changed with each step. Smaller. Bigger. Smaller. Bigger. The fluctuation stopped just as he reached the child. He grabbed their hands and shook until the thing they held fell to his own palm. He closed his fist around what he assumed was his past body.

“Not anymore kid,” Vincent growled. The mall vanished. He waited for the small weight in his palm to disappear, but it never did. Slowly, he brought his hands close to get a better look. The one there was not in fact his past self.

A small man stared at him with terror filled pink eyes. Salmon hair pointed in all directions. Tan skin covered by raggedy clothes. He looked malnourished, but he still held a bit of weight. Vincent narrowed his eyes as he lifted the tiny man up and down. Not just a bit of weight, too much weight. He grabbed one of the small arms between his fingers.

“Don’t hurt me please!” the man cried. The voice wasn’t too deep, it sounded young actually. Vincent pinched a little. It wasn’t easy to tell, but the bone felt firmer than his own.

“What are you?” he hissed.

“A-A human!”

Vincent let go of the arm. Held the hand with the man up to his eyes. A human, but not one made by the dream. One that shouldn’t be here. A darker part of him spoke up. Now he could show a human what he suffered. Take out all his pain on one who’d be forced to come back again and again and again. Each and every pain.

He brought his free hand up to his face. Felt the X shaped scars from one of his many close calls. Wire set to kill something, but it caught him instead. He’d been lucky to survive let alone keep his sight. A human could finally feel what it meant to suffer pains like that.

The world responded. A table appeared before him. Wires and tools he never knew the name of sat atop it. A chair knocked into him making him sit. The force made him lurch forward. The tiny man fell from his hands with an ‘oomph’. Vincent ran his eyes over the table; from the tools to the tiny human.

“P-Please!” the man cried.

He backed away from Vincent. It was a fear he knew far too well. One he felt on many occasions. He closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. Grabbed the wire and started to twist it. Kept going until it felt long and thick enough he’d feel comfortable climbing at his usual size. After another long look at the small man he grabbed a tool.

Wide eyes. Despite the small face he could see the panic in them. The tears that slipped out. The man started to shake. Vincent sighed again before placing the edge of the wire down near the man. He added the tool on top to hold it down. Stood from the chair and started to walk away.

“Leave, don’t come back here. Ever,” Vincent said.

It took everything to keep from running away. Fear of what could come. Thunderous steps chasing him. A shadow to blot out the light. Uncomfortably warm, meaty fingers to close in around him. For all the air in his lungs to leave as they squeezed until… until…

A loud noise made his vision blur until everything went dark. Vincent was awake. Awake and smaller than most human hands. Another loud noise made him flinch. The metal doors around the mall were moving. Humans would arrive in droves and cause a cacophony of sound. It was a supply day, he’d need to move before the crowd grew too large.

After a few hours of listening to the noises he was ready to leave. Packs on his back and hook on his hip. Into the vents he went. They were a safe set of paths, but each spot for supplies was far apart. Multiple bases made it easier, but keeping each up to his standards was a challenge. Once a year he did full restocks. His little birthday celebration.

That wasn’t important. Food was. The best spot to get that was a food stall with lazy humans. The real danger was the hot oil they used. It caused more than one intrusive thought. Most notably the way things could go when he walked near the deadly pools. A slip and well…

Vincent pushed the thoughts away to focus. It wasn’t easy to tell which employee was around on a given day. Well, except for one specific man. The one there today. The guy had a near constant conversation going with himself. He walked to the edge of the vent. Legs near the opening made him pause. Unusual…

“Just ignore that weird dream and get to work,” the man said. The sound of a clap came from above before the legs moved.

Vincent took the advice for himself. This stall kept most of the foods that lasted for months near the ground. A few minutes to get into the right cabinet. At least an hour going from container to container getting the most food he could carry. An extra hour when he found some forgotten cloth and fashioned it into a bag. Which led to another hour of food collecting.

By the time he was satisfied the mall was bustling. He’d be in the vents the rest of the day. If his base needed anything besides food stores replaced it would be dealt with tomorrow. Too many possible eyes once afternoon hit. At night they had some weird security around. Things that prowled the vents as well as the main floors.

“Hey, shift’s up!”

Vincent jumped at the new voice. Scrambled to get out of the storage area. Just in time. One of the doors creaked open. A shadow blocked out the light. He didn’t wait for a better look. Each bag of food was tossed into the vent before he crawled inside. It was time to move on.

Check the food stores in each base. Clean each up. Two in one day was preferred. With the amount of food he gathered his pace was too slow. The metal doors banged signalling the mall was closing. At least he had work to do for a little while.

He sorted through the old food. Anything inedible tossed in the vent. The security things would take it away. Luck was on his side for once. Barely any food had gone bad. None of the tools or bedding was at a point he’d need to replace them. A bit of a relief honestly. The fewer trips out to collect supplies the better.

Vincent ran out of things to do as the last echoes of the metal doors faded. Ignoring the bit of nerves in his heart, he settled in his bed. It was time to sleep.

In an instant he was human sized out in the mall again. The crowd of people blurred around him. He wasn’t a part of it this time. Instead he was behind one of the food stalls. An onlooker to the masses. It felt better this way.

“Help!” a familiar voice shouted. The one he’d heard the night before. Behind him.

Vincent turned around to see a different set up than he knew. A thin platform sat over the oil that had always terrified him. On it, or rather hanging off it, was the salmon haired man. The sight had him frozen. He hadn’t exactly wanted to hold a life in his hands again, even in a dream. The tiny human would be fine, nothing could permanently hurt them here… right?

“Please! Someone help!”

A voice so quiet that the only one able to hear was Vincent. He watched as the dream magnified the man. His arms shook from effort. Tiny fingers slipping slowly off the platform. As he stood frozen the fingers lost what little grip they had. A blink and the man was in a freefall.

Vincent dove forward. Any concern for himself was abandoned as he watched the small body fly. He had to catch him. As it had the night before the world changed with his movement. Bigger, smaller, bigger, smaller. Until the small, shaking form landed in his palms.

The scene of the mall vanished. Again a table appeared with a chair knocking out his legs. This time there wasn’t a torture arena set up. Vincent brought the man up to his eyes. Still shaking, chest heaving. He should have acted sooner. The human shouldn’t be here in the first place.

“I told you not to come back,” he said. More animosity slipped into his voice than he intended. The tiny man flinched before looking at him. Those pink eyes had turned red. Face a bit swollen with damp lines on his cheeks.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to,” the man whispered. Broken and scared. He lowered his hands to the table.

“It’s dangerous for someone as small as you. Most people like me wouldn’t save you.”

To emphasize the point he tilted his hand. Tiny fingers dug into his skin for safety before gravity won. The human landed on the table. Vincent closed his eyes with a sigh. It wasn’t fun to play a villain. To be cruel or frightening. At this point he wanted the dreams he was promised. In a world where everything was in the open, well, maybe he could learn to like whoever existed there.

“I’m sorry,” another whisper. Vincent took pity this time.

“I won’t always be who finds you, Strawberry,” he said. Real names would cause problems. A nickname was safe. Plus the guy kind of reminded him of the fruit. Couldn’t explain why.

“I’m sorry…”

“Don’t apologize,” Vincent opened his eyes to take in the tiny man. Curled up in a ball that made him look even smaller. Shaking. Softest sound of a sob. “If I’m around I’ll save you, but I can’t promise I’ll be there.”

Silence. He wasn’t believed, why would he be? He thought about torturing the guy for things he didn’t do. Almost let him fall to a painful pseudo death. He wasn’t actually sure they could feel pain here. It didn’t matter, he’d do better by this human. Better than any would for him. Until he figured out how to change his dreams.

“Hey, name’s Vin,” he said. That got Strawberry to look at him. Tiny mouth opening and closing. “Nope, you’re Strawberry even if you tell me your name. Might as well save your breath.”

A few more attempts before the tiny mouth stayed closed. That was the last cruel thing he’d do. It wasn’t even that bad; he wasn’t changing the guy’s name, but he didn’t want to know him. Didn’t want to risk hearing the voice and the name at the mall. Reality might make things break and he wasn’t ready for a reversal.

Vincent leaned closer. Tried to get a better look at that small face… Cute. Bad thing to think about a human. He was, though. Stupid cute human and his stupid cute face. Made Vincent laugh to himself a bit. That apparently made Strawberry scared. He let the man back away.

“Make sure you don’t run off the table. You’d probably be fine, but it’s a painful fall,” Vincent said. Strawberry stopped immediately.

“Wha…” slightly louder than a whisper. Still quiet. He brought a hand close to the small man then curled all, but one finger in.

“Let’s start over, alright Strawberry? I’m Vin, call for me and I’ll do my best to save you.”

A sparkle in the pink eyes. Smallest hint of a smile. The guy got cuter. Even managed to stick a hand out to Vincent’s finger. Look him in the eyes. Nod and say, “OK.”

Vincent was awake. The world was quiet. He stayed lying on his back until long after the metal doors started to echo through the vents. A human in his dreams and one he said he’d save. What a sick joke. After all the close calls he’d had, he was promising to protect a human. How had his life wound up like this?

Similar thoughts circled in his mind long after the hum of voices started. Reluctantly, he climbed to his feet. It was time to work. His life wasn’t as simple as a human’s. Besides, there wasn’t a chance he’d reach some new understanding before the next dream. Nothing made sense anymore. Dwelling on it would hurt him in the end.

He grabbed a quick breakfast from the old store before setting his hook on his hip. He took a moment to plan his route before grabbing all the food he’d gathered. As long as he kept a steady pace he’d have plenty of time. A nod of his head to confirm with himself and he was off. Unfortunately, the walk was long and boring. Vincent had time to think.

The dreams were for borrowers. Humans shouldn’t be an option for them let alone be borrower sized in them. Plus the guy looked a few years younger than me. Everyone should be of age in the dream. Well I could ask, but that might tell Strawberry something… If borrowers were lucky the human assumed this was a recurring nightmare and nothing more.

I have to fix my dreams. It doesn’t matter that the human is kind of cute. Or that his eyes sparkled before the end of the last dream. Or how the small weight in my hand was a little comforting… I’m screwed… All because of a stupid human with a stupid cute face.

A loud, familiar bang made him jump. The first of the metal doors. He’d let his pace fall as his thoughts circled. He ran. The dangers of humans pushed into his mind as if to mock what distracted him. The close calls when they were running like he currently was. How those doors he always heard could slam down on him and no one would notice. The simple death sentences that awaited him after one mistake.

With a dive he managed to reach the base he’d been targeting. This was the only stretch that left him in that much danger. His chest heaved as the echo of the doors faded into a subtle whirring. The vent prowlers had turned on. Vincent closed his eyes, relieved he’d survive another night.

When they opened he was in a room sized to him. The walls were a dark hue of purple. The rest of the room only had two defining features. A soft chair on one side that he’d seen humans line up to sit in; a table with a cage on the other. A cage he’d seen up close one horrible night. He started towards it, confident Strawberry was there this time.

“Vin!” came a hoarse cry. The voice broke midway through the nickname he’d given himself. His heart grew heavy as did his steps while he approached the prison. “No!”

Vincent froze. The shout wasn’t from the cage. Slowly, he pulled his foot back from the step he’d nearly taken. There, blending in to the tan carpet, was the very human he’d planned to save. Curled into a ball and shaking. He set his foot down and crouched. He’d acted like a human.

“Strawberry,” he murmured. For a moment the tiny man was gigantic. A single pink eye met Vincent’s own violet and emerald. Before he could panic the image was gone. He found a tiny face staring up at him. It was hard to ignore the need to pick the small man up from the ground.

“V-Vin?” he asked. Vincent nodded. The human smiled, but the shaking didn’t ease up. He took a chance and brought his hands to surround the small man. There was no fight, but if it was possible the shaking got worse.

“Hey Strawberry,” He pushed Strawberry onto his palm and cupped both hands together. He stood up and turned on his heel. “I should have been watching my feet.”

A heavy silence settled between them as he walked. It lasted even after he’d taken a seat in the soft chair. At least he understood why the humans lined up for them now. That thought lasted for less than a second. He looked down at the human in his hands.

“I…” Strawberry started. His body shook violently. Vincent remembered his close call with a step gone wrong and it wasn’t followed by the very danger holding him. He shifted his hold so only one palm supported the human. Used a finger to rub Strawberry’s back. “I never thought steps could be so…”

“I know,” Vincent whispered.

They sat in a cautious silence. He couldn’t tell how long it lasted. Strawberry managed to sit up at one point. Stopped shaking too. Vincent used a thumb to try and wipe away the still wet tracks of tears on his face. By the time he was alone he’d made a vow to himself; I won’t make Strawberry cry again.

The hum of voices greeted his return to reality. The dream kept him asleep longer, not that he was upset. He took the time to clean up his current base. Most of the food had gone sour so he tossed it all into the vent. One full bag was left behind which meant he could make it to the next spot before the prowlers started up.

Somehow the walk managed to feel longer than normal. He wanted to get to a point where he could sleep again. After only three meetings he wanted to meet Strawberry again. That made the few pests he ran into more annoying. By the time he made it to his base the doors had started to close, but he chose to rest anyway.

As soon as he entered the dream he heard a scream. Vincent took off running long before his vision caught up with him. Once it did he found Strawberry trapped behind glass with a huge spider looming behind him. After he pulled the small man out they wound up back in the purple and tan room. A more comfortable silence between them.

That started a rocky routine for Vincent. Each day he woke up, cleaned the current base, and moved on to the next. Every night he’d dream. Strawberry would be in some danger that Vincent had experienced, imagined, or seen. He’d save the tiny human and they’d spend the night in some semblance of camaraderie.

Monotony of the day was broken by the occasional trip outside the vents for something the base needed. A lot of bedding and tools had become unusable since his last trip. He’d need to check the bases more often, maybe the answer was to never settle down.

The dreams were changed up by Strawberry. The human slowly started to relax in his hand. Slowly was being kind. By the fourth night of their routine Vincent was having his fingers pulled so the human could rest comfortably. He wanted to be angry, but it was a bit hard when he liked the confidence.

Strawberry changed physically too. He looked older after a few nights. A permanent smirk was planted on his face and, honestly, it belonged there. His eyes lost the wide, round look. They were sharp with a mischievous glint. His frame looked fuller, the weight in Vincent's palm growing with it.

The weeks became almost heaven for him. A night where he got to stay close to someone who listened when he spoke. Respected him. Trusted him. A bliss he could live forever. Communication was minimal, but they were learning about each other anyway. It was what he was promised and he started to truly like it.

Of course all good things had to end. Strawberry started talking. For all that Vincent wanted to shut him up, he couldn’t. It wouldn’t be a problem except the physical changes reached his voice too. And Vincent knew that voice.

“Will you ever let me say my name?” Strawberry had asked. Such a simple question and it had destroyed the bubble Vincent put around himself.

“The human who talks to himself?!” Vincent breathed. The world reacted to his realization. The size of everything fluctuated, including Strawberry.

Vincent wanted to drop the human, but he kept picturing the tears on that stupid cute face. Everything was ruined. He knew the human, knew exactly where to find him. That voice had been his sign it was safe to take food for so long. Now it would mock him. He’d been an idiot letting it all get this far.

“Vin?” Strawberry’s voice was too loud and too quiet all at once. “What’s going on?”

He closed his eyes. He didn’t want to see a human sized Strawberry. Didn’t want to learn how small he was. Didn’t want this to end. The first person in this damned world he connected with and it was someone who could - would kill him. Somehow he had to fix these dreams. End them or change them. Maybe start leaving the human to suffer.

“I’m sorry,” Strawberry’s voice shattered him.

He had to wake up.

Wake up!

Nothing worked. The weight in his hand was unsteady. The world was unsteady. It made him jump when something touched his face. When did he curl up? Small hands rubbed against his skin. Slowly he opened his eyes. The same small face he’d seen for weeks at this point met him.

“I don’t know what happened, but I’m sorry. I’ll stay Strawberry,” the human said. Vincent wanted to take that. Keep it the way it had been, but that wasn’t possible. His dreams were over and couldn’t start again.

“It’s too late,” he whispered. Another set of pleas in his mind to just. Wake. Up.

The world fell away. Vincent opened his eyes in one of the bases. It was hard to tell which one. He stumbled out of it and walked. He had to get away. Run from the dreams. From Strawberry. From all of it. He needed to get out of this damned mall.

He wandered while the hum of voices reached him. No direction. A plan, he needed a plan. A way to escape this place and find more borrowers. If he could reach them then maybe he’d fix the dreams. It picked a human because he was isolated. That had to be the only reason. He’d get out of this stupid mall and forget about that stupid human with a stupid cute face.

“I’m so tired,” the voice made him jump. Somehow Vincent had made his way to the vent near the food stall. Near the place he knew Strawberry from. He took shaky steps towards the opening. Those legs that went on forever stood in front of it.

“That dream again?” a different employee from the food stall. One who paid too much attention. “What was it this time? Did your prince save you again?”

“Sort of. We were happy, he was holding me then I asked if I’d ever get to tell him my name and it all went crazy.”

“It was already pretty crazy. Giant people and giant tarantulas? Pretty far-fetched.”

“If he’s a prince of course he could take down a giant.”

“Yeah well I can’t believe you’ve let this stupid dream take up all your time. When’s the last time we went out? There’s a new club opening and…”

Vincent walked away. That was right. Strawberry didn’t know it was real. He was a part of a dream. It was hard to decide if that was better or worse. He’d been distraught when the other person didn’t even care. At the end of the day a human would never care about him.

It took everything in him to walk away. Yet he still wound up there again. At the vent where no one was waiting for him. Voices of people doing whatever they did before the doors slammed were all he heard. It didn’t make any of it easier. It got harder when the now recognizable legs stood by the vent again.

“You coming or what?” a call from far away. Not the one near him.

“You go ahead!” the familiar voice shouted. Vincent had to cover his ears. He scrambled back when the legs before him bent and a shadow blocked out his light. “I’ve gotta be going crazy. There’s no way someone that small could really exist. Maybe I should go out tonight…”

Vincent held his breath as the human sat before him. Any noise or movement would reveal himself. To a human. The human in his dreams. His fated partner. He could find out what it meant. If the dreams taught one of them to be gentle and kind. Or he’d face anger. Revenge for his earliest actions.

The fear and hope caused him to freeze. A heavy sigh and his chance was gone. The human stood. Walked away before Vincent could even think. He was alone. The metal door slammed, lights went out. It was dark…

A whirring echoed in the vents as he realized what he’d done. Those prowling monsters were going to come out. He’d die if he didn’t run. The closest base was too far…

The whirring grew louder. One choice to survive. He dove out of the vent and ran to the place where they store food. Kept moving until he reached the spot he’d carved out an opening. He scrambled in just as the whirring grew close. He watched a round thing slowly move by his hiding spot. He was stuck there for the night. Probably better than his base.

He fought off the sleepiness as best he could. Listened to the whirring over and over again. Eventually he lost the fight. Eyes too strained, aches in his body from walking for the whole day. Vincent had to sleep.

When he opened his eyes he was back in the purple and tan room. Now it towered over him, the way it had Strawberry. He waited for the inevitable appearance of the man himself. Tensed in preparation for the massive steps. They’d be heavy and determined. Might even miss him, his brown skin and dark clothes might blend with the tan carpet too.

Instead he heard a cry, “Vin!” The room changed. Became small in the moment he thought to search. Too small, his back hit the ceiling. It cracked against him and he gasped. The scene changed.

Back at the mall. In the food stall staring at the vent. Strawberry was in there, staring at him. A mirror image of reality. It felt wrong. A blink and it changed. Vincent stared at Strawberry’s massive eyes. He was outing himself. No, it was more than that.

“There’s no way someone that small could really exist.”

Strawberry’s words echoed. The world shifted again. Back to the empty space and a table. To the wire and tools from the first night. This time he was the one on the table with a human above him. An ache pulsed through his scars.

“Are you-” Strawberry started. He stopped as Vincent tripped over his feet trying to back away. This was too real, too possible. A human that could easily hurt him was right there. That had seen and experienced his fears. It couldn’t happen, he couldn’t let it happen.

A quick flip onto his stomach. All his strength pushed into his arms. He was off, sprinting towards the edge of the table. A wire hung off there, he could use that. Vincent jumped, grabbing the thin wire to slow his descent. Blood coated the sharp line. The table moved, knocked the wire free, and sent him into a free fall. Before any impact could come, his world was filled by reality.

Chest heaving from the awful dream, Vincent slid close to his exit. The prowlers were silent. His body ached, but he had to move. Each step was slow. He made it to the vent just as the first metal door echoed through the building. He collapsed within the vent, unable to move even as voices hummed around him.

Eventually, he managed to crawl away from the opening. Far enough no one could possibly see him. It gave him the smallest feeling of safety after the dream. Proved to be the right idea as the dim light from the slats grew dark. For the first time since he found himself at the mall, he was terrified.

“Are you there?” Strawberry’s loud voice almost made him scream. It was too loud, clearly directed into the vent. “Vin?”

Strawberry was a human. Nothing good could come of meeting him. Vincent couldn’t fall into that trap. It would only end in pain. They both saw the cage in the dream. It had probably given the human ideas. He wouldn’t be forced to call a thing like that home. He’d rather die.

“It’s me, ‘Strawberry’.” The name felt wrong in such a loud voice. Strawberry was for the tiny human in his dreams. Not this one. Not a man in reality that could easily end his life. “I brought you something. I thought you might like it.”

A dull thud came from the opening. Vincent inched forward until he could see the gift. Tears ran down his face at the sight. A ripe strawberry. Almost as big as him. It finally pushed him to his feet. Made him run. All of it was too real.

Hours later he arrived at one of his bases. He’d run in a dozen wrong directions due to his panic. The hidden alcove he called home felt safe. Gave him the confidence to curl up. It couldn’t push away the terror of the dreams. For the first time in his life he hated his struggle to stay up for days at a time. Other borrowers could, but not him. Never him. It bit him in the ass once again as he fell into a deep sleep.

This time he started at a human size. The tan and purple room around him. And the cage in front of him. Inside was Strawberry. Unafraid, unconfused, undisturbed. Staring at him with a relaxed smirk that Vincent had started to anticipate. His body refused to move. Refused to escape the threat that was currently trapped by him. Made him hear the saccharine words.

“Vin, you’re real aren’t you?” Strawberry asked. Voice a quiet mockery of the echo earlier. “You’re at the mall. In the vents, right?”

Silence. It was his turn to fail at words.

“I left you something, did you find it?”

A pain started in his chest.

“I’ve had dreams as crazy as this my whole life. You felt real. I knew I couldn’t have made you up. Is Vin your real name?”

Despite the pain that inched out of his chest to cover his whole body, he shook his head.

“A nickname.. What’s your real name? Are you willing to meet in reality?”

Ice seized his veins. His stomach fell as the world shifted. The cage replaced the room surrounding him. Strawberry looked down with his eyes slowly going wide. The human reached towards the cage. Vincent managed a coherent enough thought to shock himself awake. It wasn’t worth the risk to see what the human would do.

Over the next few days Vincent stayed in the base. Each night he’d meet Strawberry. The dream was in constant flux. On rare occasions the two were the same size. It almost lulled him into a hope that this human was safe. The spell would break and he would run. A few times he swore Strawberry watched him leave while towering over him.

Still, once his current stock of food ran out, he found himself at the vent. He’d stocked each base he had, it would be a one day trip to reach one. The prowlers would have taken away the gift Strawberry gave him, but he needed to check. Had to know if the human gave up. When he arrived it was like he thought, the strawberry was gone. In its place was a note. Of course the human assumed he could read; another difference in their lives.

“Hey! Time for your break!” one of the employees of the stand called. Not Strawberry so it was the best time to-

“Got it! I’ll be in the back,” came his human’s reply.

Vincent took small steps back as his world shook. No, his world didn’t shake, only he did. The steps had never reached him in these metal halls. A safe place. One that no human entered so he didn’t have to worry. The loud impact nearby sent him to his knees.

“Vin, are you there?” Strawberry asked. Vincent wasn’t sure if he should run or stick around. Each night was a volley of terror. All he wanted were those calm, quiet, almost comforting dreams. “I guess not. I’ll say it, in case you are and don’t want to tell me. It’s pretty much what I wrote in the note. Took a shot in the dark you could read, not like you’d let me ask.”

He flinched at the dig. Of course his avoidance was causing the human anger. It would make it worse if he gave in to his wishes. Let the human have his way all because of a dream. One that had been something he despised the idea of his entire life.

“I don’t want to hurt you. I thought, maybe you wanted to know me like I want to know you. I’d like to at least go back to the way our dreams used to be. Is it weird to say I miss you? That I miss how safe I felt when you held me. It probably is…” A light thump above the vent. “Man, I wish I knew if you were listening. By the way, my name is Rhys. Hope you’ll consider using it.”

It felt stupid. Very stupid. Yet he crawled forward. Kept going until the slats of the vents were in front of him. A deep breath and he poked his head out. A quick turn to look up and there was Strawberry. Staring right at him. Those pink eyes too observant. They saw him. Saw him and maybe even cared about him. It wasn’t something he could believe.

Despite his fear he took in the human before him. Face a bit more angular than the dream. Eyes sharp and deceptively warm. A smirk on his face that morphed into a look of awe. Skin a darker tan than in the dreams, most likely from the sun he could be in. The human’s frame had a clear undertone of muscle. The soft look to it was one that would mislead others. All in all… a human he could never let capture him.

“You’re real,” Rhys breathed. It broke the spell. Vincent pushed himself off the slat just in time to dodge fingers. He scrambled back as they tried to follow him. “Wait, please!”

He was no fool. He had come close to trusting him. Almost gave in. He knew better. This proved it. He sprinted to the closest of his bases. Frantically packed anything that could be used for a move. It was long enough. He’d grown complacent and this was his punishment. He’d find borrowers to live with. One of them would replace the human in his dreams.

Vincent continued long into the night. The whirring of the prowlers serenaded his panic. The adrenaline kept him going until finally it was too much. His body gave out. Once more he fell into those horrible, horrible dreams.

When he came to, it was warm. Comforting. Something he never felt before. He snuggled into it. Desperate to keep it until the human arrived. Until the terror of the dream coalesced to send him reeling once more. Part of the warmth pressed against his back.

The change made him tense up. It started to softly rub against him. A faint memory flickered through his mind. One of a time when he was with others. When he wasn’t doing everything alone. Pretending the isolation didn’t hurt him. It made a few tears drip down his face.

“It’s ok,” Rhys’s voice rumbled through him. Of course that was the source of the warmth. A human that could kill him. Probably would at any moment. The man wasn’t his strawberry anymore. That name was for the dreams that had long since become nightmares. “Now I get why you always looked at me like that. You’re so small.”

“Says you, Tiny,” Vincent grumbled. The warmth around him moved with the laugh. It bounced him and made his heart race. In a way he couldn’t accept. Stupid cute human with a stupid cute face and a stupid cute laugh.

“I’m not Strawberry anymore?”

‘You can’t be. You aren’t mine anymore,’ he thought.

“I have a name. I know you heard me say it. You could use it instead. Anyway I could convince you to do that?”

‘It makes us too close. We’re already too close.’

“All right, Vincent. Be that way.”

That made him shoot up. The human in front of him held a cruel grin. The warmth he was on tilted until he started to slide. Vincent dug his fingers into the skin, but it was too thick. He fell straight down into something he dreaded more than a cage. A jar.

“That wake you up? Calling your name?” Rhys’s voice was cold and cruel. It echoed, impossible to miss. The way a human should sound. It made new tears spring from his eyes. “Aw, crying again. Did you think I’d actually be nice to you? Maybe I should play with that wire you thought about using on me? Or see how you act with the oil? Maybe the spider instead? I’ll be having a lot of fun with you from now on, pet.”

“Fuck you!” Vincent tried to yell. It came out as a hoarse cry. Humans were monsters. He knew that. Told himself that over and over. Yet he woke up in the hand of one and caved. Actually thought it could be different. Thought that maybe… maybe…

A loud crash came from behind Rhys. The entire wall was shattered. The human in front of him didn’t move. Heavy, world shattering steps approached. A new Rhys appeared behind the one that trapped him. This one was bigger. Face darker with eyes that burned. The heat of them was almost too intense for Vincent to look at.

“I don’t care who you are,” the new Rhys’s voice echoed. It caused the first one to spin around. That one shied away from the behemoth before him. The new one grabbed the old one and pulled him close. Brought their faces together. “No one traps him or threatens him on my watch. Not even someone who looks like me.”

Vincent watched with wide eyes as the behemoth punched the first Rhys. The first one disappeared and the new one changed to a normal human size. It didn’t help. He was still trapped. His heart pounded almost out of his chest when a hand grabbed his prison. Only… it was tilted to the side where he could walk out.

“Vin, you ok? Did… that look alike hurt you?” Rhys asked. Voice so close to his Strawberry it hurt. Tears fell all over again. This one’s shadow covered him. It could be the real one, but did it even matter? A human would never save him. Never protect him. Never see him as more than a pest.

“Go away…” he whined. For one second he feared he’d be listened to. Feared that the human would leave for good. He was so tired of being alone. Tired of pretending it was fine.

“Only when you can say it without crying.”

Vincent turned his head and met Rhys’s eyes. Too kind. Too warm. Too human. Too much of what he wanted. It was so hard to fight the feelings that had formed. The dreams weren’t wrong, but how could he ever trust a human? After everything they’d done to him. How could Rhys trust him after all the dangers in the dreams?

“Vin, I have to tell you something,” Rhys said. The only thing he heard was his own pulse. Whatever the human had to say had been missed. It didn’t matter. Humans were monsters. Humans would kill him. Rhys was a human. Rhys was his Strawberry. How could he survive this? “Are you listening?”

Vincent put all his energy into waking up. Relieved when Rhys disappeared and he met his own eyelids. Hours passed before he started to fix what he had packed. Once confident it would last him at least a few days, he left. Started on his trip to reach the only exit to the mall in the vents he knew.

It took him far from all the bases. Away from the small crevices he could hide in when a trip had taken too long. Away from the echoes of the doors and the hum of humans. A place that was quiet and easy to face. No confusion, no pain. The best thing for everyone.

He repeated that over and over. A mantra that pushed each of his steps. It comforted him in an odd way. Made the decision to run from his dreams feel justified. Quieted the gnawing hope that it could work out. That his feelings weren’t out of isolation. It helped until he reached what should have been his exit.

“No, no, no,” he said as he ran to where he should have met air.

Instead, he found a solid metal wall. The slats were still visible, but sealed. He’d never found another exit from the vents. The only options would be going across the actual floor of the mall. The idea alone made his legs turn to jelly. Vincent banged against the metal in a desperate attempt to break through.

To make the situation worse, a whirring sound came from all around him. He dropped the pack and ran. Blind turns to find some form of safety. A crevice he missed during his initial exploration. Anything that could save him.

The wild turns caused the vents to become a deadly maze. The familiarity was gone. An awful smell gave him a sick sense of hope. If something was stuck in the vents he could try to use it to deter the prowlers. As he scrambled around a corner he saw a prowler turn down the path he’d nearly taken.

Vincent kept looking behind him as he ran. His foot met air before long. With a hiss he managed to shift his weight enough to fall backwards. There had to be a way down. He peered into the open air. Black bags in some giant green thing sat at the bottom. It was too far for him to risk jumping.

Unfortunately the prowler followed him. He looked between the bags below and the encroaching doom. In a desperate plea to survive, he pulled his hook off his hip and slammed it into the metal. Rolled off the edge towards the death he apparently was choosing.

The hook slipped at first, but caught on the edge. Vincent was ready to cry as he hung in the air. Until the prowler neared the edge. Grabbed his hook and started to pull him up. With almost no hesitation he let go. A death he chose was better than a death he couldn’t predict. At least… he told himself that.

The fall was fast. He thought it would be longer from how high he was. In seconds he landed on one of the black bags. After he bounced a few times Vincent fell limp against the shockingly soft ground. Slowly, he tested his limbs. No pain in any. No pain anywhere.

“I’m alive,” he whispered. A smile spread on his face and he started to laugh. “Fuck you! Stupid prowlers! I’m alive!”

The celebration was cut short by the sound of a slamming door. Vincent climbed to his feet. An escape, he needed an escape. All around him were steep green walls; even with his hook he wouldn’t get out. The bags were something he’d seen during the day. Too heavy for him to risk hiding between them. He was a sitting duck. The only hope that the human wasn’t going to come near this thing.

“Some internship. A night shift stocking supplies and cleaning the studio,” the human grumbled. “Can’t believe I agreed to this”

No shadow appeared overhead. Vincent breathed a sigh of relief. It quickly morphed into a scream of horror as a black bag landed almost on top of him. He rushed to climb it. The move just in time to save his life as another crashed down. This was a worse death than the prowlers.

“Crap,” another grumble. The voice was muffled by something. Hard to pin as any human he’d seen around the mall. “Of course I drop an earbud here of all places. Do I even want it back?”

Vincent weighed his options. Stay silent and hope the bags piled high enough he could escape before he was crushed. Assuming there was a way to get down. Fall asleep, hope Rhys was there, and try to face him. His heart wasn’t exactly ready to risk that. Lastly, call out to the human in front of him. Another bag made his choice.

“Help!” he screamed. It was louder than he thought he could even be.

“What…?” Too quiet. Again.

“Help! I’m with the bags! Please!”

A shadow overhead. This one made him shiver. A cloth mask covered the man’s face. Something strange blocked his eyes. Hair covered by a different cloth. The hands that appeared to reach towards him had some weird gloves on them. If Rhys was a human to avoid, this was a human to die before meeting.

His confidence in surviving the night fell as those hands got close. Instinctively he tried to run, but they rushed to surround him. Humans were always so much faster than they should be. He was pushed onto the strange rubber glove before the other covered his head.

“I’ve got you,” the human whispered as Vincent was lifted out of the green thing.

“No duh, Tiny,” he forced out a snarky comment. Anything to pretend he was ok with this.

“So nicknames are just a thing with you?”

The laugh made him bounce between the palms. It made it hard to think about the comment. Too familiar, but that didn’t matter. It was easier to not think about it. When the hands stopped moving one of the gloved prisons was pulled away. He was near his savior slash captor’s face.

“Are you alright?” he asked. Vincent nodded. The human sighed and he was glad for the mask. He could only assume the human’s breath would smell. “That’s good. Glad I dropped my earbud then. Not sure I could convince you to come out if I ignored you screaming for help.”

Vincent furrowed his brow. This human had been looking for him? But the only one who knew he existed was Rhys so that would mean… Rhys told another human about him. One that wanted him. He hated himself. He’d been so stupid to let himself start to think about their dreams becoming a reality.

“Yeah well you win,” he spat. Venom laced the words. “Do whatever you want, Tiny. Sure as fuck that jerk Rhys told you everything he saw.”

“Wait, what?” Confusion and maybe hurt. Good, the humans should be hurt. Awkward laughter came from the human. Vincent looked away from the face, he didn’t want to see it anymore. To see anything anymore.

The hand he was on shook. Vincent squeezed his eyes shut. The sound of things shifting came from the human. He didn’t want to die. He wanted the dreams back. Wanted to actually trust Rhys.

Suddenly warmth surrounded him and he tensed. He knew the fist would get tighter until he was crushed. The pain never came. The gloved hand beneath him was pulled away, but he wasn’t dropped. Instead the gentle hold kept him aloft until the warmth of a hand settled beneath his feet. The fist he was in loosened and Vincent fell to his knees.

“That’s probably better,” without the mask Vincent knew the voice. He snapped his head up and opened his eyes. The human, his human, was the one holding him. Rhys’s hair was pulled tightly back, cloth still on the top of his head. The mask sat awkwardly beneath his chin. Marks surrounded his eyes, but the weird thing on them was gone. “I am Rhys. Maybe I can get your name this time? If not at least an idea of why you were in the dumpster. That desperate to see me?”

The world had to hate him. Bonded with a human in the dreams he’d despised on the principle that he’d choose his own partner. Once he was actually starting to accept their bond he realized the risk. And trying to run only landed him in said human’s hands. Literally. Yeah… the world hated him. Tonight he would die and it would be worse than all the ones he’d ever imagined. All because he’d gained feelings for the stupid human and his stupid cute face.

He flinched when the hand that grabbed him came close. It paused for one unsure second. Then it wrapped around him again. The fingers took over supporting his entire weight. With the index finger his head was forced to look at Rhys. A thumb rubbed against his face. Wiping away tears he didn’t realize had started.

“It’s ok,” Rhys whispered. “Am I that scary? Do… you really think I’d hurt you?��

“It’s what humans do,” he croaked. The thumb continued gently wiping away tears. The words he’d always believed sounded wrong now.

“What about humans that got to see how the world looks to you?”

“...they don’t exist.”

“I’m right here.”

Vincent brought his hands up to hold the thumb. It followed his tug away from his face. Rhys was gentle. Kind. Not what humans should be. Even after Vincent ran away. After he wanted to torture him. After… after his own fears tortured him night after night after night.

“Vin,” Rhys whispered. “I’m not gonna hurt you. I’ll do whatever it takes to prove it to you. I would like to get to know you for real. If you’d let me.”

“Why?” he asked.

“Because I’ve had dozens of dreams with strangers my whole life. Each one worse than the last. You,” the hand squeezed around him, “are the first one that took the time to save me.”

“I put you in danger. Each night was because of me.”

“So? You saved me each time.”

“I wanted to torture you.”

“I tried to grab you when you poked out of the vent. Would have if you didn’t run.”

“...Vincent.”

A smile on the large face. He couldn’t trust humans. It was impossible. Dangerous. A death sentence. And yet…

“Nice to meet you.”

And yet…

“Not a great nickname choice. I get Strawberry and Tiny, yours was a part of your name.”

And yet…

“Wait, why’d you call out if you didn’t know it was me? Were you in trouble?”

And yet…

The hand grew tighter. Safer. He was pulled right up to the eyes. Pink, warm, worried, comforting.

And yet…

“Did something get in the vents? Do you need help?”

He couldn’t stop himself from falling for this stupid human.

“Vincent?” Rhys’s voice dripped with a feeling he couldn’t deny anymore.

“The prowlers knocked me down the vent,” he said.

“Prowlers… wait,” a laugh that Vincent kind of liked, “do you mean the vacuums? Do you call them prowlers?”

“They prowl the grounds at night. Chase me sometimes.”

“Vincent, they’re robot vacuums. They haven’t been prowling, just cleaning.”

“Tell that to the hook one of them ate after I tried to save myself!”

“They’re programmed to push garbage over here. Oh my god, it thought you were garbage. That’s hilarious.”

“Fuck off… Strawberry.”

That caused the laughter to stop. Their eyes met again. For just a moment Vincent thought he could see through Rhys’s eyes. See himself small, and somehow confident. And safe. His vision returned to normal and he caught sight of the tear on the human’s cheek.

“This is dumb, but I really missed you calling me that.” Rhys sucked in a sharp breath. Vincent pulled the thumb he held close. Hugged it.

“Not dumb… I missed saying it.”

#gt #g/t #giant/tiny #giant tiny #g/t writing #gt writing #gianttiny #gt community #g/t community #gt july #gt july 2024 #gtjuly2024 #gt july distortion #oc: rhys #oc: vincent

26 notes · View notes