Work Text:
Jake didn't know why he kept coming back.
It was stupid, breaking the number one rule every borrower learned, but he just couldn't help himself. He was much too curious.
He at least had the wherewithal to make sure there was only the one human in the room when he came out.
“Ugh.” Jake groaned as he tried to get up were the human could see him. He didn't need to go too far before he heard movement and felt a shadow looming over him.
“Need help?” He could practically hear the smile in the human’s tone.
“Must you sound so amused everytime.” Jake huffed, looking up.
The human grinned, “Sorry. Like not being the smallest for once.”
He was teasing, Jake knew that, but he was sure it was also a little bit genuine.
For his age, the human was pretty short compared to the others. Of course he still was ten times Jake's size.
“So. Is that a yes on needing help?”
Jake sighed, “Yeah, yeah that's a yes.”
“Good. Actually have something for you.”
Jake frowned,not sure if that was good or bad.
“Should I be scared, Michael?”
Michael busted out laughing. To other beans it probably was a normal laugh, to Jake it shook him to his very core. Yet oddly, he didn't mind the feeling.
“No, at least I don't think so.”
“That's not very encouraging.”
“Just- hang on.”
Michael playfully rolled his eyes before going to grab something before coming back and setting up by his desk.
It took Jake to process what he was looking at before it clicked.
“Are those stairs?” Jake raised a brow.
“I mean, they are supposed to be.” Michael grumbled. “I'm not exactly a craftsman, but that should be study enough.”
Jake blinked slightly, “You made stairs?”
“Yes. I did.” Michael snorted. “You sound shocked.”
“No- well- Why?”
“Why not?” Michael shrugged. “Better than you needing to be handled every time you show up,right?” He smirked. “Unless you like being picked up like a little mouse.”
Jake's face went red, were all humans like this?
“Uh-stairs are great- thanks.” He breathed.
Michael chuckled softly, making Jake's head spin. He really shouldn't be feeling like this around a human, what was wrong with him?
“Come on, try it.” Michael motioned, sitting on his chair. He looked down at Jake, a feeling that always made Jake's legs feel like they were gonna give out on him. At this point if he was told humans had enchanting like abilities, he would believe it. It sure felt like Michael had some magical pull on him.
Jake swallowed before carefully going on the borrower size stairs. It wasn't perfect, but for a job done by someone with hardly any experience it was pretty good. Even with safety railings so Jake wouldn't fall.
When he finally got to the top and stumbled onto the human’s desk,letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
“You okay?” Michael asked, sitting up.
“Yeah-”
“They're not unstable are the-”
“No, they're great!” Jake said quickly. “Really, thank you.” He managed a smile.
Michael studied him, which only made Jake more flustered, before sighing.
“Well good. Hope it helps.”
“Won't your group question why you have a tiny set of stairs in your room?” Jake asked.
“My group- Oh.” Michael shook his head. “My siblings probably won't think too much about it. I made it so it's not too obvious.”
“Right.” Jake said softly, before finding a place on the desk to sit. “What.. are you doing?”
Michael glanced at the papers and large device(a laptop, did Michael call it?) that laid on his desk.
“Oh. Collage work.”
“College?” Jake tilted his head.
Michael snorted, “You live in the walls of a complex full of mostly college kids and you don't know what college is yet?”
“We're…new to the neighborhood.”
Michael laughed again,Jake felt his head spin as he felt to laugh all the way in his chest. Again, a feeling he didn't seem to mind.
“Well. Its pretty much a step of education we take to learn for different jobs.”
“Oh. So like training?”
“Yeah. Pretty much.”
Jake nodded, he wasn't sure what all “jobs” humans had, but it seemed a lot more complex than borrower responsibilities.
“You seem stressed over it a lot.” Jake said. “Seems to keep you going even into the night. That seems like a lot for training.”
Michael raised a brow, “How did you know I work at it at night?”
Jake felt his face flush, realizing how that sounded like it implied.
“When we first technically met, that's what you were doing that kept you awake even though you were exhausted right?” He said. “You didn't even give me much acknowledgement, just headed right back to what you had been doing. Seems like you would've been asleep if you didn't have something to do, right?”
Michael looked at him again, steady brown eyes that Jake focused on. The size of humans never ceased to both unease and amaze him. Michael was small for his kind, but he could pick up Jake no problem if he wanted. He had the advantage over Jake in that area.
Yet, Jake trusted him completely.
“Right.” Michael said. “Well, we get lot of when to do at home to help us learn and practice our knowledge. But it can be a lot to get done.” He scanned Jake again, changing the conversation quickly.
“How's your leg? You're not limping as bad as you were yesterday.”
Jake blinked, looking down at his leg before back up at Michael.
“Healing. Easier to walk on it than before. But I still can't for long.”
The second time they met Jake had gotten stuck in a trap. It wasn't like the typical mouse traps humans put out. It had got his leg, nothing broken but he'd gotten some deep cuts.
When Michael found him he thought he was done for. He was already barely conscious from the bloodloss. Yet, the human carefully got him out of the trap and cupped him in his hands so gently.
Jake didn't remember much between then and waking up on Michael's desk,as soon as he was held in the human's hands Jake immediately lost consciousness, melting into the warmth.
“It might not be able to go back to full normal.” Michael was saying. “You'll still be able to use it but injuries can affect how long you can do so for…”
Jake sighed, “Yeah…great.”
Michael seemed focused, his face scrunched up like it tended to do when he was thinking.
“Can I check it?” Michael asked.
Jake blinked, “Oh-uh- yeah sure.” He said, chiding himself for how his cheeks were starting to flush.
Jake felt his heart flip as Michael careful moved to cup Jake in his hand to bring him closer, he felt a flutter in his stomach as Michael gently examined his leg.
He wasn't sure if he could get use to this feeling, being picked up like this. Michael was oh so careful though, even seeming fully aware of his own strength as he used his finger and thumb to feel over Jake's leg for any problems.
Jake winced, but he wasn't scared. Instead, he felt like he could melt.
Michael's hands were so warm. It was clear that Michael had great control of his own dexterity with his hands as they didn't even shake or move hardly, and the feeling of Michael's finger and thumb carefully examining his healing leg made his breath hitch. Of course it ached a little, but it primarily made his stomach flutter and his head spin as he tried to remember to breathe. Michael's face was so close he could feel the warmth of his breath and see the smaller details of his eyes and face.
Jake should be scared, he knew that. He'd seen what humans could do to borrowers, he knows how many view his kind. Yet even in such a position, where a human was so close to him,where he was literally in the human's hands.
He wasn't scared. He hardly knew Michael, yet he knew exactly what he was feeling right now meant.
What was he supposed to do with that?
“Are you okay?” Michael's voice drew Jake from his thoughts. He looked up at Michael, his heart pounding in his chest.
Yeah. He knew for sure what this feeling was.
He'd fallen in love.
“Huh? Oh- oh yeah. Definitely-”
“Are you sure?” Michael's brows furrowed. “Your face is bright red and your breathing seems uneven. I'm not hurting you, am I?”
“Huh? No no. I'm fine, its fine.” Jake stammered over his words.
Smooth, Mason. Smooth.
Michael clearly didn't believe that, pulling his one hand away from examining Jake's leg. Jake was ashamed how disappointed he felt about that.
That immediately went away when Michael moved to cup Jake in both his hands.
“What's wrong?” Michael's voice was stern, but Jake could hear the hint of worry.
“I'm fine. I mean it.” Jake said, before snuggling a bit into Michael's hands. This was unfair, to fall for someone he knew he could never have. “Just…just tired I guess.” It wasn't really a lie, he just wasn't use to admitting it.
Michael glanced him over before sighing softly.
“I'm not surprised, I suppose.” He said, “You have to do a lot to survive I'm sure.”
“You could say that…” Jake bit his cheek, it had been more stressful since Chris' disappearance. Everyone seemed on edge.
Jake didn't want to bring it up, not like Michael could do much about it anyway.
“Well,” Michael carefully set Jake back down on his desk. Again, Jake felt embarrassed how much he wanted to be held in his hands again. “You're allowed to rest here if you need to.”
The offer gave him a warm feeling in his chest. Why was the human being so kind, should he be suspicious?
“Oh-well- thanks for the offer but I shouldn't stay too long. They'll get worried.” Jake bit his cheek, looking away.
Michael propped his head up with his arm.
“Well, I'm here if you need somewhere to get away. It can get overwhelming with so many people I'm sure.”
Jake blinked, “Oh.. yeah it kinda is.” He said softly. “Uh.. thank you. Really…”
“Course.” Michael said. “Great to have some company that isn't my siblings sometimes.”
Jake smiled slightly, “Yeah, I get that.” He said. “You're great company..”
Jake swore the human's cheeks reddened.
“Oh- well- thanks.” Michael said before giving a dry chuckle. “Though I don't think there's many that would agree with you.”
Jake frowned, why not? Michael seemed so kind,especially for a human. He didn't have to help him,but he did. Jake appreciated that more than anything. He was sure who ever had set that trap wouldn't found him if Michael hadn't.
It worried him, of course, that traps like that were out. If that was from the same human that might've caught Chris…
“Jake?” He was pulled out of his thoughts again as he felt Michael's hand behind him. He hated how easily he leaned into it. “You're shaky.”
“What-? Oh. Sorry.” He mumbled, trying to calm down. “I-just lost in thoughts.”
“Hm.” Michael frowned. He hesitated before sighing. “If you need to talk… I really don't know anything about what you probably struggle with, but I'm open to listen.” He said.
Jake smiled a bit, “I don't know how anyone could not enjoy your company. You're so kind.”
Okay, the human definitely was blushing this time.
“Well-” Michael breathed. “I'm not really. I'm more known to have quite the attitude to most actually.”
That wasn't incorrect, Jake knew that. Michael had good amount of sass on him, something Jake had to admit he also found attractive…
Still, he was so caring it was easy not to think about that in a negative light.
“Doesn't mean you can't be kind too.” Jake said. “Must humans wouldn't do what you did.”
Michael looked at Jake, looking him over. He wasn't sure exactly what Michael was looking for, but being under his gaze made Jake's cheeks grow warm and his stomach flutter.
“You've had a lot of bad run-ins with humans, haven't you?” Michael said softly.
Jake blinked slightly, before looking away.
“It…yes.” He said before looking back at Michael. “Some in our group were hurt by humans before. I'm breaking lot of rules just being here really…” Jake sighed. “We're supposed to stay hidden for a reason, even then…getting caught happens and it usually doesn't go well.”
Michael grimaced.
“When we first met-”
“It's fine-! I should've been more aware anyway. I was…distracted.” He bit his cheek. “I was confused when you just went past me I'd admit.” Jake laughed nervously.
“I thought I was hallucinating from sleep deprivation honestly.” Michael snorted.
“Fair enough I guess.” Jake mumbled. “I got lucky it was you…”
Michael shook his head.
“My siblings wouldn't have done anything to you either. Heck, Lee probably try make you a small lunch box to take back to your group if he saw you.”
“Still.” Jake said. “I got lucky. Not all of us do.”
Michael's brows furrowed, Jake immediately felt bad. Michael didn't need to hear him talk about his kind like that. Yet he was being honest.
Humans can be cruel to borrowers. To be caught usually was a death sentence…or worse.
“Well-” Michael looked down. “If I make you uncomfortable, don't be scared to call me out. I have no intention of overstepping your boundaries.”
Jake again felt a warm feeling wash over him. Michael really was too sweet for him.
It was frustrating just how much he'd fallen for a human. It wouldn't work, it knew that. Yet…
Man, Jake was just asking for trouble. Michael had a hold on him even when he wasn't literally holding him. Jake wasn't sure if he'd even try to put up a fight if the human even did anything. Some part of him though trust Michael. Trusted him enough to never hurt him.
He hope he's right to.