g/t one-shot book

secrets (m/nb)

"I have to tell you something,"

Alex rolled their eyes at their sister as they checked their gear. "Need to gloat about how right you were?"

Alex shrugged it off. It was one thing for the two of them to know relying on the human was their only way out, but for their sister to gloat about it the whole trip? Not exactly ideal for the taller sibling.

Elizabeth averted her eyes. "Not exactly."

Alex continued ticking off their mental checkbox, waiting for their sibling to elaborate. Hooks? Check. They tested a hook's weight in their hands as their eyes scanned the rest of their hideout. Satchel? Double check. Those had been on either side of their sister, one blue and one yellow.

Sister?

They lifted their gaze to Elizabeth. She looked lost. Wasn't she the one who wanted this?

"I...I've met the human before."

Alex's eyes widened as the hook they were holding clattered on the ground. What?! The nonbinary sibling narrowed their eyes.

"What do you mean 'you've met them before'?!"

Elizabeth bit her lip. "Him," she corrected, which set Alex off even more.

"Him," they corrected, despite their voice oozing with venom. "How did you meet him?!"

"Well," her voice trailed, "When I went borrowing a few months ago. You were asleep, but I was hungry."

Alex sighed. "You mean when we had to ration supplies because he refused to leave his house."

Elizabeth nodded, causing Alex to calm down slightly. "Yeah."

"Go on..."

"He had groceries," She recollected, gaining her confidence with each word. "And he hadn't put them away. So I figured if I just took some- "

Alex's eyes widened. "No way!" Elizabeth flinched. "Don't tell me- "

Elizabeth gave them another nod. "It was reckless, I know, but the human has a surprisingly good sense of hearing. That, or he wasn't sleeping, because he found me trapped at the bottom of the bag."

Alex lifted an eyebrow, puzzled. "Didn't you have your hook with you?"

Elizabeth winced. "Yeah, but the bag was paper, so it made a loud tearing sound when I tried to climb it."

Alex nodded, trying to piece their sibling's story together. "So...what did he do when he found you?"

Elizabeth frowned. "That's what I didn't get. He helped me out the bag, gave me my hook, and left me on the counter."

Alex gave her an incredulous look. "Seriously?"

"Seriously."

The shifter sighed. "I don't like this, you know. Just because he was easy on you then, doesn't mean he'll be easy on you this time." They picked up the hook they discarded. "Or on me."

Elizabeth nodded in acknowledgement. "Yeah, but he's been bedridden for days."

Alex played with the weight of the hook in their hands, taking in the information they were given. "Okay then. Since you're the one with the most experience with him, I think you should go and negotiate peace with the beast. Meanwhile I'll use the opportunity to raid his kitchen in my giant form."

Elizabeth scratched her neck. "Wouldn't it make more sense for that to be switched? You can defend yourself better if he goes haywire, and I'm way quieter than you are when it comes to borrowing."