G/t one-shots and short stories

Firefighter part 2 🔥👨‍🚒🧯🚒

Lucy's tiny hands trembled as she gripped the metal bars of her enclosure, her breaths shallow and uneven. She let out a huff of frustration, her eyes scanning the rodent cage that Mike had so thoughtlessly placed her in. It was no larger than a shoebox to someone of normal size, but to Lucy, it was a prison. A latched gate at the front of the cage meant to keep unwanted critters out—or, in her case, trapped.

The thick latch barely budged under her four-inch frame. She gritted her teeth, throwing her whole weight against the unyielding barrier. "Come on, come on," she grunted through clenched jaws.

With a cry of frustration, Lucy collapsed backward, wincing as her shoulder slammed against the hard floor. A dull ache radiated down her arm now. "Useless," she muttered, glaring up at the door that towered above her. She wouldn't be getting out tonight. Exhaustion crept over her as she curled up in the corner, shivering against the cold that permeated the cage.

Lucy awoke early the next morning, her back sore and muscles stiff from a night spent on the hard cage floor. She paced the confines of her tiny prison, trying to psych herself up.

"You can do this," she muttered under her breath. "Don't let him intimidate you just because he's huge."

She steeled herself, ready to give Mike a piece of her mind when he showed up. She would not be cowed or treated like a pet!

But all of Lucy's courage evaporated when the giant lumbered into the kitchen, still half-asleep and scratching his messy hair. He was just so massive compared to her four-inch frame, like a lumbering bear next to a mouse.

"Morning already?" Mike yawned loudly, oblivious to the storm brewing inside the tiny girl.

As he set about making his coffee. She stood motionless, watching Mike drop heavily into a chair, his presence dominating the small space. He wrapped his hands around the steaming mug and brought it to his lips, his gaze settling on the cage – on her.

"Damn, what's this?" Mike's voice rumbled through the room as his brow furrowed, noticing the mottled bruise coloring her shoulder.

The room seemed to lurch as Mike's hand reached towards her, the cage door swinging open with ease under his touch. "How did you even get hurt?" he asked, his voice tinged with concern and confusion.

Panic surged through Lucy as his fingers, thick as tree trunks compared to her fragile form, enclosed around her, lifting her from the cage. The world tilted, and suddenly, she was airborne, face-to-face with the giant who held her fate between his fingertips.

"Mi-Mike..." Her protest died in her throat, swallowed by the overwhelming fear of being so completely at his mercy.

Lucy's tiny body trembled as she was suspended before Mike's massive visage. His eyes were bigger than her whole head, and they studied her intently. She flinched as one thick finger gently probed her bruised arm.

"Looks like you're more breakable than I thought," Mike muttered, almost to himself. "We'll get you a proper setup soon."

The condescension in his tone was the last straw. Lucy's fear gave way to a fiery surge of defiance. "Oh, geez, don't bother, that cage right there was a five-star experience!" she spat out, each word laced with scorn. "I was cold, the floor was hard and there was nowhere to take a whiz!"

Mike's eyes widened slightly, taken aback by her outburst. He exhaled slowly, the warm puff of his breath washing over her like a polluted breeze.

"I'm sorry, that was thoughtless of me," he said gently. "After breakfast, we'll go to the pet store. You can pick out something better."