One-Shots of My O.C.'s Lives

Desperate

     'I can't believe I'm doing this,' the small girl thought, nervously shivering in the shadows under a bed. She was about 15 years old, and while she was pretty tall for others like her, she was barely an inch tall. She was a Borrower, a rare species very similar to humans, but just a lot smaller. In order for a Borrower to survive, they needed food from the normal sized human that they lived in the shadow of, as well as things that they were likely to not miss should they lose them, like a small scrap of cloth. But Samantha Verona was a little different than the others. She didn't really like stealing from her human, since he seemed so nice. Not that she knew him, she had seen him interact with his other human friends, laughing with them and speaking to them like there were never any problems in the world. It didn't make her jealous, it made her admire him. Which was why she was about to make a risky move.
     It was Autumn, almost Winter now, and temperatures were dropping significantly. She had no shelter, and the only warmth came from the clothes on her that captured what little heat her body produced. She needed help, and while she knew that, she was afraid. Would the human treat her like his friends, or would he consider her as a mere insect or something? An animal?
     But she was desperate. She needed help, or she would not last the night.
     Shivering, she slowly stumbled out from under the bed, looking up to see the giant sleeping figure asleep on the mattress. The blanket he was using over the covers was also splayed over the side of the bed. She reached up and grabbed the soft textile before pulling herself up, and she started climbing. She made her way up before reaching the edge of the bed, and she glanced nervously at the sleeping giant. He was asleep on his back, his eyes obviously closed, and a peaceful expression rested over his expression. His dark brown hair was a little disheveled, his bangs covering half of his face. She shuddered again, the cold air nipping her bare arms and cheeks hard now. It was usually warm where she lived; she wasn't used to being this cold.
     She hesitantly approached him, her quivers growing more violent until she reached him, and she cautiously leaned against his arm. She immediately gasped at the sudden increase in temperature, and she slowly climbed over it and pressed against his flank, curling up like a kitten as she laid down. Her shivers grew less spasmodic, but they still continued. She shuddered and nuzzled his flank, closing her eyes.
     Meanwhile, the human was stirring awake from his slumber, feeling something cold prickling his side and arm like a dull-pointed burr. 'The heck is that?' He rubbed his eyes with the back of one hand to wake up a little better, brushing his bangs out of the right side of his face. Then he glanced down, seeing nothing at first. Then after a second's delay, he did a double take when he spotted something, something that was vibrating almost, and pressed up against his flank. He leaned over, careful to not move whatever it was, and his eyes finally made it out.
     It was a tiny girl, shivering and pressing against him for warmth, which surprised him. He stared at it incredulously before pinching his arm, wincing at the irritation he had just caused his nerves. It definitely wasn't a dream. Then his surprise dissipated into concern as he leaned over her, seeing how thin she was. 'The poor thing... Whatever it is, it's obviously freezing.' He reached down with his free hand and gently scooped her up with two fingers, uttering a faint grunt of alarm at how freezing her skin was. He carefully settled her down on his chest, trying to give her as much warmth as possible. He felt her shudder before curling up a little more, and she let out a small quiet and relieved sigh of comfort, nestling herself in the folds of his shirt.
     He continued to stare at the small life form, seeing how shallow her breaths were as he studied her. She had frizzy brown hair that went down to her elbows,  short sleeved shirt and shorts and almost deathly pale skin. 'No wonder she's cold, with that little of clothes and her size.' He cautiously pet the diminutive girl on the shoulder blades to assist raising her body temperature, feeling her squirm a little under his touch before hugging his shirt. He then rested his hand over her, feeling her move slightly with every breath, then withdrew it and replaced it with his blanket. She shivered and hugged it, snuggling under it. He gazed down at her before shaking his head slowly, resting it back against the pillows and closing his eyes.