Chapter Text
Patton was cold.
No, that was an understatement. He was freezing. He was shaking as he forced himself to walk to his exit, stumbling out onto the counter of the human’s kitchen. He wasn’t actually sure what he was doing, he couldn’t think straight. He just knew he needed to get somewhere warm but throughout all his walking it was just getting colder and colder.
He collapsed onto the counter with a small gasp. He shook as he tried to get back up but it was useless. All he could do was curl up into himself.
“Blasted thermostat,” Logan muttered to himself, blowing on his hands slightly to keep them warm. The entire building’s heat system had gone offline earlier in the day, which was quite the problem considering it was the middle of the winter. Logan had to compensate by using the warmth of his laptop to keep his fingers warm as he typed furiously at his essay.
Deciding it would be best to warm his core temperature with a warm drink, Logan had headed to the kitchen. He began pulling out the necessary ingredients, intent on making a cup of tea.
At the faint rumbling of the ground, Patton lifted his head up as much as he could to find that the human had entered the kitchen. His eyes went wide but it didn’t look like he had been seen yet. Which meant he still had a chance.
…Or maybe not, as Patton tried to move, he found himself too cold to do so. It hurt to move his limbs, they were so numb. Patton could only lay there.
It was only when Logan was putting the kettle on the stove that he saw it. A pale, trembling form barely the size of his palm sat shivering on his kitchen counter. Logan’s eyes widened, realizing how freezing the tiny person must be.
“Are you alright?” Logan asked hastily, grabbing the person to inspect them further.
Patton let out a little squeak as he was picked up and tried to force his limbs to move to struggle in the grip, when he paused. The grip was…warm. The fingers that wrapped around him radiated a heat that started to warm Patton’s whole body.
Suddenly, he didn’t care that he was in a human’s grasp. He fell limp in the grip, soaking up as much heat as he could with a small sigh.
“Oh dear, you’re freezing.” Logan rubbed his fingers gently along the little body, trying to share his own warmth as well as encourage muscle movement so the creature didn’t go unconscious. He looked around, trying to remember what would be helpful in preventing hypothermia.
Patton leaned more into the touch, eyes closing as he had a content smile on his face. “Hmm…warm…”
Logan paused, his gaze shifting back to the miniature person. “Did you just speak?” Logan raised his hands higher so that he was at eye level with the thing.
Patton let out a little questioning hum, still kind of out of it. At the moment, all he cared about was the warmth he was now surrounded by. And slowly, that warmth was lulling him into a much-needed sleep.
“Wait, no, stay awake.” Logan nudged the creature, desperate for answers. “What are you? Where did you come from? Why are you in my kitchen?”
Unfortunately for Logan, his words fell on deaf ears as Patton finally succumbed to both the warmth and sleep. His breathing falling into a slow and steady pattern.
“…oh no.” Logan bit his lip, holding the creature close to his chest to try and radiate more warmth. With his free hand he pulled out his phone, frantically googling what to do in this scenario. It seemed the best thing to do was dress the individual in many warm layers. Logan walked back to his room, swaddling the tiny person in his blankets.
Next it suggested consuming food and drinking fluids. Well, that wasn’t quite possible at the moment, but Logan was sure that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to prepare for the future. Logan looked down at the being, nestled snugly into the covers.
“…stay.” Logan put his hand out, as if the unconscious being would listen. Then he rushed back to the kitchen, pulling out an assortment of foods. While there the kettle beeped at him, so he poured a mug of tea as well to bring with him. That would certainly help warm up the creature as well. Do tiny people drink tea?
Finally equipped, Logan returned to the bedroom, setting most of the belongings on his desk. He brought the mug of tea with him, sipping from it every so often as he watched anxiously to see if the person would awaken.
Patton shifted, sighing in content as he felt himself surrounded by warm blankets on a rather comfy surface. He burrowed into his a little more, wanting to go back to sleep.
But then he realized he didn’t have anything like these blankets or this surface at home. Patton opened his eyes, looking around him. His eyes widened as he realized he was on the human’s bed in the human’s room. His heart practically stopped when his eyes met the actual human’s.
He yelped as he sat up, the blanket falling from his shoulders. He shivered as he was exposed to the cool air of the apartment and immediately grabbed the blanket to wrap around him. He looked back up at the human with wariness and fear, wondering how he had even gotten here.
“Careful.” Logan warned, coming closer to kneel in front of the bed and be at eye level with the being. “How are you feeling? Better?”
Patton scooted back a little as the human came closer, his eyes wide with fear. “I-I…wh-what?” Patton felt himself begin to shake as he desperately tried to wrap his head around how he had ended up here. But the last thing he remembered was being so cold in his home that he decided to try and find somewhere warm to stay. Had…Had he just walked out into the open in the middle of the day?
“You passed out on my kitchen counter.” Logan winced sympathetically, hating how he was being viewed with such primal fear. “I brought you here and have been raising your core temperature. I suspect you might have been experiencing hypothermia.”
Well, that answered that then. But what the human said caught him off guard a little.
“You…warmed me up?” Patton furrowed his eyebrows. “W-Why?” He had been at the human’s complete mercy and even more so as sick as he had been. But the human, instead of killing him or something equally bad had…helped bring him back to health?
“Well, your temperature was extremely low.” Logan explained. “If I had left you in that state I feared the worst.”
“O-Oh.” That still didn’t really answer Patton’s question. But he was too afraid to try and ask again. “Uh, well, th-thanks?”
“You should really eat something.” Logan gestured back to the desk behind him. “I wasn’t sure what you consume, so I gathered a few options, but regaining your energy will be vital for your recovery.”
Wait, now the human was going to feed him. Patton was only getting more confused. Why did the human care so much? “Oh, um…” Patton took a deep breath. “I’m…good with anything.” He said quietly. He shifted a little in the blankets. Despite everything, the warmth was so nice.
“Alright.” Logan slowly got up, not wanting to startle the creature any more than necessary. He surveyed the options, coming back with a granola bar. He unwrapped it, placing it in front of the tiny person. “Will this do?”
Patton nodded and hesitated before reaching out and breaking off a piece. He started to nibble on it but eventually started taking normal-sized bites. It was really good and Patton could tell it was fresh too. “Th-Thnk yu.” Patton said with his mouth full.
Logan chuckled slightly. “You’re most welcome.” Only now did he realize he didn’t have a cup suitable for someone of this person’s scale, but at a glance it seemed a bottle cap would have to do. This Logan grabbed, hesitating before dipping it into his own mug. “Do you drink tea?”
Patton blinked. “Uh…what’s tea?”
“It’s leaves and spices that are steeped in warm water.” Logan explained, filling the bottle cap with it and placing this on the bed as well. “Careful, it’s warm.”
Patton was once again hesitant but finished up his food and grabbed the cap to take a small sip. The warm liquid shocked him for a moment, despite the human’s warning but he swallowed it. It warmed up his insides in a way nothing ever had. Patton smiled and felt himself relaxing as he took another sip. The taste was good as well but Patton was more focused on the warmth of the drink.
“…do you have a name?” Logan asked, realizing he had never properly introduced himself either.
Patton nodded, setting the now empty cap off to the side. “Um, it’s Patton.” He revealed nervously, fidgeting with the blanket.
“Logan.” He introduced himself as well. “Now Patton, how exactly did you end up on my counter?”
Patton bit his lip and it only just occurred to him that he shouldn’t be speaking to the human. Though he supposed it was too late for that. Patton shrugged. “I-I don’t really remember.” Patton admitted. “But I think…I was trying to find somewhere to get warm?”
“Well what do you remember?” Logan asked, looking concerned. “Where did you come from? Why are you so small?”
Patton bit his lip. “I was…born this way.” Patton revealed. But that’s all he said, once again shifting in the blankets.
“Are you some sort of…mystical creature?” Logan’s brows furrowed. “What exactly are you, Patton?”
Patton curled up a little into himself. “Um, I…I can’t tell you.” He spoke softly, remembering the rules.
“Why would you be unable to tell me?” Logan’s gaze shifted into one of confusion.
“I just can’t.” Patton said, shaking. Part of him wanted to go home but…he knew home was cold and he was so warm here. It was the only reason Patton hadn’t tried to leave or ask to be let go yet.
“Okay, you can’t tell me.” Logan eased off, noticing how anxious the question made Patton. “What can you tell me, then?”
Patton thought for a moment. He had really already revealed too much but he didn’t want to make the human angry by not answering with something. “I…live in the walls? And-And the walls got really cold, a lot colder than they usually do during the winter. I wasn’t prepared for it and that’s why I tried to find somewhere warm to stay.” Patton explained, not meeting Logan’s gaze.
“Yes, that would be because the central heating unit has broken down.” Logan explained. “We were told it should be back online sometime tonight, but you’re welcome to stay for as long as you need. I certainly don’t want you to freeze.”
Patton furrowed his eyebrows, once again confused. “Why? Why do you…care?” Patton was genuinely confused. He had never heard of humans actually caring for his kind.
“Well I’m certainly not a sadist.” Logan raised an eyebrow. “I would feel awful knowing you froze in the walls while I was able to help. I certainly have plenty of resources to spare; you don’t take up much room.”
Patton bit his lip. “I-I shouldn’t, I…I need to get back home.” He said, watching Logan carefully to see how he would react to that.
“You have to stay.” Logan insisted. “At least until the heat comes back on. I doubt the walls are in any livable condition until they warm up again.”
“B-But…” He trailed off. He knew Logan had a point but he also didn’t want to be trapped here. “You…You would let me go back home once the heat turned back on?” Patton asked tentatively.
“As soon as it’s safe, yes.” Logan nodded. “Although I would prefer you bring back some blankets to better prepare yourself next time.”
Patton looked down for a moment. He really had no reason to trust this human…well, other than the fact he hadn’t done anything to him yet. Had even…helped him.
Patton did not want to go back to the cold. But was the human really a better choice? Patton sighed as he realized he would have to take that chance. It wasn’t like the human was going to let him go anyway.
“O-Okay…” Patton said, glancing up at the human. “I’ll stay but just until the heat comes back on.” Patton reiterated.
“Understandable.” Logan was undeniably curious about Patton, of course, so the knowledge that he had limited time to learn about him only encouraged Logan to make the most of the time he did have. “Why do you live in the walls, anyway? It seems like a less than ideal living environment.”
“Oh, well…it’s just the safest option for me.” Patton said with a shrug. “There’s enough food and supplies to gather and it’s, well, usually warm and stuff during the winter.” Patton explained, trying his best to relax into the blankets but it was hard with the human still looking at him.
“Have you lived in this building all your life?” Logan asked.
“No…I’ve been here about two years now. Before that I was in another building with my parents.” Patton answered.
“Do you have any siblings?” Logan took mental note of the fact that this was confirmation that there were more…well, more of whatever Patton was.
Patton shook his head and then paused. “Do…you?” He wasn’t exactly curious but he wanted to try and throw some of the questions back onto Logan, just to get a bit of a break.
“Just one.” Logan answered. “A stepbrother, actually. I grew up an only child.”
“Oh, that’s…cool.” Patton said with a slight wince, not knowing what else to say. Patton nervously fidgeted with his ill-fitting glasses. Pushing them up onto his face more.
“Where did you get your glasses, by the way?” Logan asked, his eyes now drawn to the tiny specs. He wanted to inspect them himself, but it would certainly be rude to take them so Logan refrained.
Patton stopped fidgeting with them. “I…I made them myself.” Patton sighed as they started to slide off again. “They don’t exactly…fit, though.” That wasn’t due to lack of trying.
“Perhaps I could help with some alterations to make them a better fit.” Logan offered. “How did you make them?”
Patton blinked, shocked by the suggestion. “Oh! Uh, I made it after finding some discarded human glasses and some wire. I just, I wasn’t very good at cutting the glass and I made them too big.”
“May I see them?” Logan stuck out his palm slowly.
Patton flinched back, holding the sides of his glasses. He looked from Logan’s face to his hand and took a deep breath. “Just…be careful with them?” He carefully set his glasses in Logan’s palm. His vision now blurry as he tried to squint up at Logan.
“Of course.” Logan handled the tiny spectacles as though they were a baby bird. He brought them closer to his own glasses, inspecting every minute detail. “Extraordinary.”
Patton felt heat rise up to his cheeks. “Thank you.” Despite them being off, Patton was proud of them.
“The ingenuity is remarkable.” Logan praised, lowering them back down. “I could attempt to tighten the wire to hold it more securely, but I certainly don’t want to risk damaging them without the proper tools.”
“Yeah, those are my only pair, so I’d rather them not get broken.” Patton chuckled. “I’m pretty blind without them.” He said, waving a hand in front of his own face.
“Ah, I see.” Logan said, no pun intended. He slowly reached out to give the pair back. “How blind, exactly?”
“Well…” Patton took back his glasses, trying to figure out how to explain it. “Everything is really blurry but it’s less blurry the farther away something is?”
“Farsighted.” Logan nodded in understanding. “I’m the same way, actually.”
“You are?” Patton asked, tilting his head. “Well, what a coincidence!” Patton smiled a little. “Where did you get your glasses from?”
“The optometrist.” Logan explained, giving his frames a slight tap.
Patton blinked. “The…what?” He wasn’t even sure if he could repeat that word back to the human.
Logan gave a slight chuckle. “The human eye expert. They inspect people’s eyes and prescribe which type of glass will be most beneficial.”
“Huh, I wish borrowers had that.” Patton said, more to himself than anything.
Logan’s ears perked up at that. “Borrowers?”
Patton’s eyes widened. “No! I, uh, I didn’t say that, I mean…” Patton bit his lip, looking down, knowing it was too late.
“Is that the thing I wasn’t supposed to know?” Logan guessed.
Patton just nodded, silently beating himself up over his mistake.
“Don’t worry, I won’t ask then.” Logan assured him.
Patton’s eyes grew wide. “R-Really?”
“Of course.” Logan looked a bit surprised at Patton’s response. “The topic clearly makes you uncomfortable, and I’m certain there is a valid reason for you keeping such a name secret.”
Patton could barely believe it. Logan was actually respecting his wishes and basically completely ignoring his slip up? He had never heard of a human doing such a thing before. The borrower couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face. “Thank you! I mean, that’s…that’s nice of you.”
“It’s really nothing.” Logan admitted sheepishly, but he looked a tad bit pleased at the praise all the same.
Patton felt a bit more relaxed, which was surprising. But Logan seemed like such a nice human. Well, as of right now anyway. Patton hoped that didn’t change.
“So…what do we do until the heat comes back?” Patton asked.
“Well, how do you usually spend your free time?” Logan inquired. “Or rather, is there anything you would like to do?”
Now the human was asking him? This whole situation just got weirder and weirder. “Well, uh, I usually maybe go for a walk or something.” Or hang out with Roman but he wasn’t about to reveal another borrower to this human. “But…it’s too cold for a walk.” Patton brought the blankets closer to him to further his point.
“Indeed.” A sudden thought occurred to Logan. “Patton, have you ever met a human before?”
Patton shook his head. “Humans…aren’t supposed to know we exist.” Patton admitted, looking down a bit.
Logan’s first instinct was to ask ‘why’ but after a moment of consideration he understood. “I suppose we would be considered a major threat to you.” He murmured. The idea was personally unsettling but logically sound.
“Y-Yeah…” Was all Patton could say about that. He didn’t even want to think about all the horror stories he had heard about all the things humans had done to his kind. It was why he was so surprised that Logan wasn’t yet acting like that.
“Well that may be the case, I want to assure you that I personally mean you no harm.” Logan said sincerely.
Patton nodded after a moment of hesitation. “O-Okay.” He hoped he could believe Logan was being honest about that.
Logan glanced back at his desk, his mind nagging him to continue working but his heart wanting to continue talking to Patton. “Do you mind if I work on homework while we talk?”
“Uh, sure!” Patton said, before curiosity took him over. “…What’s homework?”
“Oh! Ah, well,” Logan struggled to explain it as he gathered his materials, “do you know what school is?”
“Sort of?” Patton said, thinking for a moment. “I know it’s a place that humans go to for a few hours a day. And they…learn things?” They always seemed to come home with new knowledge anyway.
“Yes.” Logan nodded. “See, at school you are taught a variety of subjects, and when you come home, homework is a series of exercises designed to make the material stay in your brain.”
“Ooohhh.” Patton said, understanding a bit more. “That makes sense, I guess.” It was nice to see he was right about what school was too.
“Then yeah! Don’t let me stop you from learning.”
Logan nodded and began to solve a few math problems, pausing when he was stumped after quite a few minutes.
“Did you receive any form of education, Patton?” Logan asked.
Patton thought for a moment, not having expected the question. “…My parents taught me how to read a little but that’s about it.” Patton shrugged.
“Oh.” Logan glanced up at him. “How?”
“They would bring back small packages or small pieces of paper with writing on them.” Patton explained.
“I see.” Logan rubbed his thumb softly against the pages of his textbook. “Would you like to learn more?”
“…You would teach me?” Patton asked, hardly believing it.
“Absolutely.” Logan scooted closer, looking eager. “I’m actually studying to be a teacher, so I would be honored to have such an opportunity.”
“Um, okay, yeah! Let’s do it!” For some reason, Logan’s eagerness was contagious. And besides, Patton would be lying if he did said he wasn’t curious about all the things the humans learned about.
“Excellent!” Logan grinned, gently setting the book down on the bed as well. He began to flip through the pages. “Now, where to begin….