Xenomorph

Abused - Gaslighting

"Thanks..." Gavin mumbled quietly as he accepted the bowl from Chloe. He was peaceful now. Calmer, though still subdued. They were in his room, huddled on the sofa. Just the three of them. Tiny hadn't left his side for an instant, and he hadn't allowed Gavin to leave his. Once Gavin had finally drawn back to get ready for his shower, Tiny had hopped down and coiled his tail around his ankle. The only time he'd removed it was to let him kick his jeans and boxers off. Gavin had accepted the touch without question. The almost desperate affection, the silent plea for him not to leave, had worked to ground him. He'd made placating Tiny his new focus.

By showering, Gavin had given Tiny a full view of his extensive injuries. It wasn't just his face that had been injured. Tiny had recorded a series of bruises across his torso, especially around his abs. Someone had punched, kicked, or kneed him on a regular basis. Some injuries were old and faded, in a mixture of yellow and green. Others were new, overlapping the old in shades of blue and purple. There were handprints on his arms. One, on his biceps, suggested Gavin had been grabbed in passing, perhaps while walking away from an altercation. Two on his forearms had clearly come from someone pinning him down from above. There were dark finger marks on his hips and thighs. Not even his back had escaped. There was a long, thin line across his lower back as if he'd fallen or been held against something. Possibly a counter.

Gavin had showered, and then he'd crouched down to bathe Tiny as well. Tiny trilled happily for the first time in weeks as Gavin massaged his small scalp, teased his tailbone, and scrubbed him clean with gentle hands. After the shower, Tiny escorted him to the bedroom like a guard. His tail gripped his ankle the whole time, tightening ever so slightly as they passed the closed door. Gavin's expression pinched guiltily at that. In all the time he'd been gone, he hadn't realised how badly it had affected Tiny. There was an almost insecure air about him that hadn't been there before. He was skittish and uneasy, constantly glancing up as if he might disappear.

"Phck, I'm sorry...I'm not going anywhere, alright?" Tiny accepted his word. Gavin had never lied. He'd refused to talk, or made things seem less serious than they were, but he'd never been truly dishonest. Tiny chittered and loosened his grip enough for Gavin to dress, and then Chloe arrived. Somehow, she always knew what Gavin needed. She was the same with Elijah. Right now, Elijah needed space and Gavin needed a shoulder. She'd brought a small rolling trolley with a bowl, a tub of ice cream, three glasses, and an assortment of expensive looking bottles.

Gavin dipped his spoon in his ice cream before slowly raising it to his lips. He hummed as he closed his eyes and leaned back, savouring the taste. Rum and raisin. His favourite. It went especially well with the double shot of rum he was drinking. He couldn't even read the name on the bottle, but it was Elijah's, so he knew it was strong and expensive. Tiny clambered up to perch on his knee and leaned down to lick the edge of his bowl. Gavin huffed as he drew back with a disgusted expression, poking his tongue out and chittering in objection.

"It's human food! Of course, it tastes bad to you!" Gavin teased as he prodded Tiny's small nose. Tiny's blue irises followed the fingertip all the way, making him go cross-eyed. He blinked at the small prod before chittering again. While Gavin had rum to drink, Chloe had brought thirium to share with Tiny. Gavin wasn't sure whether it was a special thirium or if they were just drinking it out of tumblers to keep him company, but he sort of appreciated it. It was weird and lonely to drink by yourself. If he was going to drown his sorrows, he'd rather do it with another person. Chloe smiled as she topped him off with another two full measures.

Tiny didn't understand why Gavin liked the strange liquid at first. It had an extremely high alcohol content. Perhaps it tasted good to Gavin, though his wrinkled nose as he swallowed suggested otherwise. Why else would he drink it? Chloe seemed content to let him drink, though, so he wasn't too worried. He trusted Chloe to know best. She was older and wiser. He eventually began to understand the appeal of the liquid. It was making Gavin dozy and loosening his tongue. They watched an old movie, during which Gavin drank a quarter of the bottle, and by the end he was ready to answer Chloe's question.