Varying Perspectives [G/T Oneshots]

39 - SOLUTION (canon)

"I'll do it. It's the only way."

The effect on Jewel was immediate, the Anhemite straightening up as she moved to grab Seto by the shoulders and shake her head at the Japanese man. He wouldn't be the one to hurt himself, not in that way, not forever.

"No. I can't let you."

"But Jewel, I should be the one sacrificing something." He retorted, gently pushing her hands away to hold between his own, feeling cold scales warm beneath the heat of his palms. "After all I've done to you, I can't ask for something so permanent."

Permanent.

It would be permanent, sometimes Jewel forgot that fact, the one that made her heart ache. To obey the Rican district law and legally care for a wanted human as their son, one of them would need to give up their whole life. Their job, their perspective, and, to be frank, their privilege.

They'd need to become human.

They'd both frozen when they heard it at the interview, that to legally adopt a human, one of them would have to be under 6 foot 6 inches in height and able to interact with the human only districts in the town. There were quite a few, in fact, bordering the mixed areas while there were none close to the places with amenities for only giants, but being giants, neither Seto nor Jewel could get into them. Which meant Gabriel couldn't legally be theirs.

They'd walked out with grim expressions, looking to each other and wondering if the little boy from Terra was destined for a proper family. But now, the real argument was brought up. Because they both wanted a child they couldn't have together, but being a sorcerer meant there were loopholes Seto was willing to utilise.

"I-I can't. It's a trigger, this isn't good for your health."

"I know you won't." The younger man said, turning away from her and letting his hands drop. Jewel had been adamant that maybe this wasn't the best idea, maybe a giant child would be better for them to raise in a giant's household, but Seto refused. And the Anhemite could understand why; she'd seen the emotional connection he'd made with the little boy that clutched onto his fingertip like it was his mother's arm. The forbidden desire to care for him, raise him safely and like Teresa Knight would have wanted.

"Seto, I- you can't say that. You don't know, people can change..." The alien whispered, sighing as she hugged the man standing rigid against the bench and kissed him goodnight, feeling his arms soften at the action so alien coming from her. Seto whispered a goodnight into her ear and released her from his embrace, watching the only other giant in the small apartment move into the very next room to sleep.

'People can change, doesn't mean they will.' Seto found himself thinking, as he stepped into the bathroom to brush up for sleep.

That night, the evening of the interview, was two weeks ago. A week of discussion, tension, and snapped comments yet to be apologised for, then a week of 'taking their minds off it', had steered Jewel in the right direction, and that was to the door of a certain Fawn. The first visit conceded an agreement, that the Anhemite would take a potion to assist in the preparation for shrinking to the desired size, one that enhanced her strength so a jump in size wouldn't damage her in any way.

Eridan wasn't surprised to see his brother's wife, his sister-in-law, turn up at the small home that he had made his own ever since Terra had become much too terrifying to live in. She always visited with the brown-haired sorcerer he'd known from a child, but he knew why she'd trekked here in the rain a second time. And it wasn't just for a friendly chat, the second visit was going to be the last time she'd speak to Eridan as a giant.

Jewel was shrinking.

"You must be frozen, come in, come in."

Inviting her inside, he offered a drink, politely refused as the Anhemite sat down in one of the chairs he'd modified to suit his lower half. Her psyche roiled with anxiety, fear, and the slightest sprinkle of determination, and it wasn't long until those flattened pupils fixated on the darkened room behind him.