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

Mine

The wind was raging like a wild dog, howling in the wind as rain poured from the clouded skies. The harsh environment was not only making the gargantuan trees bend and sway ominously, but it was making me shiver violently. I was so cold, and my clothes were plastered firmly against my pale cold skin as I stumbled in the dark. I needed to find somewhere to stay, out of the rain and perhaps warm. But I could barely feel my arms and legs as I huddled against a tree, partially out of the rain. I missed home. If only the human's house hadn't caught fire that day, then I would still be with my parents...
I started when I spotted a light, and I looked up to see a dwelling. A human's dwelling. A young male quickly strode out of the house, leaving his door open and rushing into the forest, past my hiding place. I watched him until he disappeared out of sight, then I glanced longingly back at the house. It looked so inviting. So warm...
Giving in, I scrambled to my feet and darted forward, tripping a few times since I was quivering so much. I finally slipped into the house, and I immediately gasped as warm air ruffled the hairs on my skin, sending a pleasant shiver through me as I ventured further into the curious dwelling. It was kinda like a Borrower's living quarters, except our furniture and such were made of bits and scraps of different things. It was less homely in here, but it appeared a little neater, and most of all, it was warm.
I continued to shiver as I made my way into what I believe was the living room, a looming couch, end table, recline chair, and a huge flat screen tv. I shook myself, sending a few droplets flying, when the door was suddenly shut. I froze in terror before scuttling under the couch, just before the human I had seen earlier walked in to the room. He sighed and ruffled his wild black hair, which was saturated at the tips and wet at the rest. He looked around his room with his lustrous blue eyes, and I shrank back to avoid been seen, despite still quivering. The human sighed again, inwardly, before trudging off into another part of the house. I trembled and sneezed, glad that he was gone. Now I just needed somewhere to stay.
I cautiously crawled out from under the furniture, feeling puny compared to its size. How am I supposed to survive here?

*************

I staggered across the floor to the fireplace, which I had seen the human light after about a half hour of me hiding a little longer. I shivered and finally laid down and curled up beside the light shadows, like a little puppy dozing by the warmth. I was still so cold. I knew the fire wouldn't be enough to stave off the cold I for sure had, but it was a start. You can't die of a cold anyway... Right?
I stopped breathing when I heard footsteps behind me, and I stayed still as the human crouched over me, warming his hands with the vibrant orange flames. Then I felt an itch. 'No, don't sneeze, don't-' I couldn't help but let out a half-hearted sneeze, sounding like "Chu!" And the human froze. I curled myself tighter and hid my face as he looked down, and he tilted his head in confusion. I was still quivering of course, not only from the cold but from fear. Then I whimpered and flinched back when he leaned down, his face only a foot away from me. Then he widened his eyes and leaned back in surprise, staring at me in disbelief. I stole a glance up at him, still trembling. Then I shivered and curled myself tighter, my quivers growing more violent.
Then I started when I felt something warm and soft slip under me, replacing the rough carpet, and I felt gravity tug on me as I was suddenly lifted up in the air. I whimpered again in a slightly higher note and hugged myself tighter, then I blinked in surprise when I was set down on something warm. The feeling was of relief. I subconsciously let out a small sigh, relaxing a little and nestling in the fabrics. I heard a soft chuckle, and more of the fabric was placed over me like a blanket, wrapping me in an embrace.
"A-Are you cold, little one?" A male voice softly murmured. I froze for a moment, then shivered slightly in response, nuzzling my newfound source of warmth. The male chuckled again, securing his jacket around me a little more. "Did you come in when I accidentally left the door open?" He asked softly, resting his hand over me. Since my violent trembles had subsided to quivers, I hesitantly looked up and met his iridescent blue eyes before nodding guiltily. He blinked a few times before noticing my fear, and he gave me a small disarming grin. "It's ok, I won't hurt you." He soothed me. I shivered and shrank back against his abdomen, still cold. He frowned in concern, then shifted his arms over me and scooted closer to the fire.
"Here." He leaned back against the wall, a foot away from the fire, at most. I curled up a little more to adjust to his new position, leaning against his thigh a little, then I realized that my shivers were gradually fading. I finally stopped moving, and just laid there for a minute before shifting in a more comfortable position, and I let out a small peaceful sigh of relief and comfort, laying back against him. My skin no longer felt like a million needles prickling me, and I was no longer shaking from the cold. I closed my eyes as the human gently nudged me onto his hand again, and he held me against his chest, keeping his hand over me. I stirred a little under his touch and exhaustedly lifted my chin a little to meet his gaze.
"... You look famished." He gently pointed out, giving me a sympathetic look. "And tired." I stifled a yawn before crediting him with a small timid nod. He smiled a little, obviously glad that I was responding to him, and he slowly got up. I cringed and cowered behind his hand. "It's ok, I won't drop you." He assured me softly. I peeked back out as he walked out of the living room and into the adjacent kitchen, with a considerately slow pace. He glanced around before flicking the lights on, making me flinch a little, and he carefully set me down on the counter.
"Stay here, ok?" He questioned. I hesitantly nodded, and he walked over to the fridge, grabbing a few things and doing whatever humans did. To be honest, the childish side of me expected him to make a meal and then throw me in it, but the other side of me knew he was only trying to help.
After about half an hour, I was close to nodding off when he walked over to me with a plate of steak, and he set it down beside me before sitting down and cutting it up into tiny pieces small enough for me to eat. I cautiously clambered onto his waiting hand when he was done, and he offered me a piece of the meat. It was well flavored, warm, and most of all, fresh. Something I had never had before. I glanced up at the male in surprise as he continued to feed me the little bits of food, until I was finally full. I was now very warm, and well-fed for the first time in days.
I let out a small yawn and leaned back against the human, who smiled earnestly down at me before getting up and carrying to another room. He walked into what I bet was the bedroom, and he set me down on the end table before grabbing a blanket and folding it into a thick rectangle. Then he set that down beside me, and I looked up at him questioningly.
"I uh, thought you might want to stay the night?" He explained sheepishly. "At least, until the storm blows over." I blinked owlishly at him in surprise. Never had I ever seen a human be this kind, let alone to me or my kind. I snapped out of my surprise and hesitantly clambered onto the folded textile, sitting in the center of it before looking back up at the male human in confusion. He tilted his head questioningly before asking, "Have you never used a bed before?" I shook my head, blushing a little in embarrassment. Normally, me and my family would sleep on the floor... We never really had a 'bed'.
He sighed inwardly before gently and slowly scooping me up and unfolding one corner of the first fold, then he set me back down on it. "Lie down." He gently asserted. Curious, I complied, and he laid the fold of the blanket back over me, covering all but my head. I glanced at him questioningly, and he gave me an encouraging nod. "Comfy?" He asked quietly. I glanced about my surroundings, then I nodded, wriggling a little deeper under the blanket. He chuckled, gently stroking my head with one finger, which made me blink in surprise.
"Just close your eyes." He murmured. "Focus on your breathing... Through the nose... Out the mouth..." As I followed his directions, I began to feel like I was drifting, and I relaxed even more. "... In... Out..." Before I knew it, I fell asleep.

***************

A sharp crack of thunder a few hours later made me jolt awake, and another made me yelp out in alarm like a helpless fox. I sat up sharply, my breaths quick and shallow in fear as my gaze darted around. It was raining still, I could hear it pattering outside, and it was dark. Fortunately, my eyes had long ago adjusted to the darkness, so I almost welcomed it if only I were bigger. The human was asleep on the bed beside where I laid, on his side and facing me. I cringed with a whimper at another sharp crack of thunder, then I cowered under my 'bed'.
Then a crazy idea came to mind, and I hesitated. Sure, he had been so kind to me, but I still didn't know him, or his reasons for helping me...
The next growl of thunder made up my mind, and I leaped to my feet with wide eyes. I made my way to the edge of the furniture, then jumped and landed on the bed, almost falling over. I yelped and started at another blast of thunder and lightning, and I scampered over to the human, reaching his arm and curling up against the back of his hand, trembling. Then at the next sharp boom, I squeaked and shrank back into the sleeve of his jacket. My heart was hammering in my chest, making me shake and vibrate with fear as I nuzzled the human. He was warm, far warmer than the 'bed'. I relaxed a little, still quivering violently as I curled up against him, looking like I did when he had first found me.
I flinched when he stirred a little, which most likely alerted him, as he was shifting a little and waking up. I whimpered again and pressed against his arm, cowering away from the raging storm outside as I became aware that I was crying as well when a small sob escaped me.
"Hey hey hey shh, it's ok..." I cried out in alarm when I was gently picked up and carefully pulled out of his sleeve, and he sat up against the wall, his hands cupped to keep me from falling off. "Shh shh shh..." He murmured, hugging me gently to his chest. "It's ok... It's ok, you're safe..." I sniffled quietly as more tears fell, and I buried my face in his jacket, gripping it in my small fists. "Here." He held me out a little with his hand and unzipped his jacket, then held me against him once more. I shuddered since I was being held almost directly against his chest, where his heart was beating, and where most of his body heat resided. I sat down on his hand in a fetal position and leaned against him as my tears gradually dissipated, only to flinch again at another bolt of thunder.
"Shh... It's just thunder... It can't hurt you..." He murmured in a voice just above a whisper, using the tip of his index to gently stroke the top of my head. I shivered a little before tilting my chin up and nuzzling his finger in response. I heard him chuckle similar to a soft scoff, the sound almost resonating in his chest. I could hear the faint rush of wind for everytime he breathed, feel his heartbeat and the slight movements he made. I ended up so focused on them, so fascinated by these curious details that I barely heard the thunder when it announced itself again, but this time I didn't react to it.
"That's it..." He coaxed softly. "You're safe now, and I'm right here. I-I won't let anything hurt you." I snapped out of my trance and looked up at him with surprise. He smiled. "Yeah... I mean it, at least, if you plan on staying... Borrowers need a person's house to live in, right?" I gazed up at him, seeing the care and even affection in his eyes. He, a human, cared about me, a Borrower? I had never heard of that kind of story before.
Normally stories including contact with a human ended up with them killing the Borrower, or capturing them or even treating them as a pet. Was that what he wanted me as? A pet? Something to take care of? Something to be entertained with?
But then again, there was the look in his eyes. They weren't filled with greed, anger, frustration, or hunger like I had seen in other human's eyes (from a distance of course, in the past). His were warm and kind.
I surprised myself by nodding, and he smiled with a small sigh, which broke off into a stifled yawn.
"I'm glad, but first you gotta get some sleep." Since he had stopped 'petting' me a while ago, his hand rested at the edge of his other hand, in front of me. Before he could withdraw it, I got up and crawled over to it, then prodded his index. He blinked at me in confusion before lifting his hand a little. I then grabbed his forefinger and hugged it. He blinked in surprise as he stared wordlessly at me for a few seconds, then chuckled kindly and slowly moved his hand after I let go of it, and he hugged me to his chest. I let out a small peaceful sigh, leaning into his embrace and brushing my cheek against him. Then I let out a drowsy yawn.
"Tired little one?" He murmured softly. I nodded, closing my eyes as he laid back down against his bed, keeping his hand over me. Then he grabbed the blanket that had been for my resting place and unfolded it with his spare hand, dangling it over the side of the bed before covering most of himself and me with it. I snuggled under it, curling up in a cat like position on my side before relaxing, already half-asleep. "Goodnight..." The human murmured quietly, stroking my hair with the back of his index. I shifted a little, hugging the blanket before falling asleep on my new roommate.