piecewise | g/t snippets & drabbles

heart-to-heart (m/m)

"A fire consumes only what you allow it."

Ricky watched as the fire crackled and spread inconsistently with the winds around it. His gaze turned sour as it swallowed the papers and twigs his friends threw at it, glowing and roaring about before it settled back to what it was before. 

"What is consuming you, Ricky?"

The teen in question pursed his lips, causing the woman to inch closer. "You certain?"

He looked around, nodding to her dismay. "O...kay," she managed, clearing her throat. "Why don't check the van for anything else we're missing?"

Another nod, shattering the little hope Evelyn had left as he scampered to the cabin. They just didn't understand, he reasoned as his feet kicked pebbles and sticks galore. They couldn't understand what he was going through. If only he could-

[Fuck!]

He'd hit something smooth with his foot, stopping mid-motion as the small voice finally made it to his ears. It...swore? Ricky looked down, finding nothing next to his foot. His eyes trailed further down the path, locking in on a tiny rock-

His eyes widened as it moved and unfurled. Not a rock, then, he deduced as the thing revealed its figure. He stepped closer, intrigued as his eyes allowed him to see the thing's humanoid shape. Ricky bit his lip, forgetting what he was ever concerned about as the...little person? Noticed him and froze.

"You talked, just now," came out, followed by a bashful turn of his head. He hadn't meant to say that just now, but the humanoid was just so...

[Shit. I guess...I-i did?]

Ricky crouched. The voice was a higher register, but he had a feeling that if the person was proportionate it would be deeper than his. His eyes softened as they adjusted to the sun setting rapidly in the background, the van only about 50 feet away from them.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you..." he whispered, bringing one of his hands close to the creature.

[You...already did...nitwit.] The tiny said, and it was then he'd remembered how he'd found the person in the first place.

Ricky shrugged. "Sorry? I won't hurt you again, I promise."

[Don't lie to me.] The tiny one said, a little braver and surprisingly a little easier for his ears to recognize. [I already know what you're capable of. You try to grab a few leaves before nightfall..]

"Okay, okay," Ricky dismissed, noting how much his voice overpowered the other without even trying. "I get it, even if it was an accident."

His brain registered that the 3? 4-inch person? Was out getting supplies. "There's food and other stuff in the van, if you want to come with me?"

The tiny shook their head. [Stranger danger, kid. What the hell is wrong with you?]

Kid? He thought, squinting. How old was this small person? Ricky inched his fingers closer.

"Please...?" he said, wiggling his fingers behind the wonder of the woods.

[No.] The person replied, crossing their arms. Unfortunately, Ricky's mind was already made up, and his hand had already begun enveloping the small figure as his legs began moving.

[What the fu-?!]

Ricky pressed a finger to their mouth, noting how easy it was to silence them as he opened the van door. He sighed as he gently brought his fist to the console between the front seats, letting the tiny land under the fluorescence of the lights illuminating the van. Upon further inspection, the figure looked to be an older man, not elderly, but still definitely older than 16-year-old Ricky. He huffed.