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Summer had hit like a truck, consuming everything in a warm air that hung over the small town. Shanks didn't even get the time to fix his AC, and in turn the man had spent days sitting in front of his dingy little fan. Sweat covered his entire body as he became desperate to cool off. Despite the summer heat, Shanks was far from miserable.
Tonight, he decided to have Chinese food. It wasn't good, far from it, but it was one of the few places that was open so late at night. Normally he wouldn't eat so late too, finding that food lately made him feel nauseous. The pieces of noodles and orange chicken doing nothing but slosh in his stomach uncomfortably. He wasn't sure why such a thing was happening, but at the same time he couldn't find the energy to care. All that mattered after all was preparing for his little visitor.
All of the sudden he could hear a tiny tap against his window. It was so quiet, just barely a pitter patter that could have been mistaken for anything. Blink, and one could miss the noise easily. Yet the moment Shanks heard that pitter patter his heart was filled with joy and excitement.
“Well, looks like my favorite visitor is here.” Shanks had attempted to seem calm, but as he made his way to the window he was unable to contain his glee. The smile that consumed his features spread from one ear to the other, happiness warming his heart as he opened his home to his guest.
There, standing just on his apartment’s window sill was the form of a small man. His expression was stone cold, staring up at Shanks with a glare that could kill. Despite his hard stare though the man was handsome. Black facial eyes, golden eyes, and pale skin that made him look as if he had jumped right out of a children's book! Yet, his most striking feature was a pair of Peppered Moth wings attached to his back.
Yup, Shanks friend was a fairy, and even now he still believed he was imagining it all.
All of the sudden the little fairy moved, wings flapping so he could flutter right into Shank’s apartment. The redhead had to resist the urge to audibly aw at the little buy, and instead just enjoyed his time watching as the fairy explored his spread of chinese food.
“Help yourself, I got it for you after all.” He watched as though piercing gold eyes turned to look at him, studying his form as though he was the most intricate puzzle to exist. Then, gently, he took a piece of orange chicken into his hands. Shanks would take that as a positive thing.
“You know, I was hoping you would show up today.” Shanks had abandoned his own plate, choosing to instead sit and watch as the fairy munched away at his dinner. The fairy never spoke, but that just made him more intriguing.
“Today was kind of bad, so I really needed to talk with someone.” Shanks had no idea why, but it was always easy to talk to the fairy. He never talked to his therapist like this, yet the fairy seemed to have some kind of weird spell over him. It was as if they had known each other for years, old friends that just so happened to meet one night.
“I tried to go to a job interview today, but it didn't go well.” The thought alone did nothing but make him anxious, the feelings hitting him like tortuous waves as he attempted to calm himself. “Some kid set off one of those little confetti poppers and BAM, next thing I knew I was curled on the ground looking for cover.” Shanks used his hand to emphasize the bang, expression dull as the memory flooded his mind.
His moment of melancholy was interrupted though by a tiny squeak. It was so soft that Shanks had assumed it was a mouse, but he realized quickly it was the fairy when a tiny hand had gripped his finger. It was a sweet gesture, and one that helped quell the vicious anxiety within the man.
“Thank you.” He tried to muster a smile, but the fairy did not return it. He must have realized it was fake, or maybe he just wasn't a person that enjoyed smiling. Either way, Shanks took it as an almost silent agreement.
All of the sudden Shank’s finger was pulled into a hug, the fairy holding him close into a tight embrace as he did so. The redhead was at a loss for words, caught off guard as he watched the tiny man in front of him close his golden eyes in bliss. The moment was kind, and Shanks almost wanted it to last forever.
Suddenly, he felt something. A tiny little thing thumping against his finger like a drum. He was bewildered for a second, but soon he realized what was happening. This was the fairy’s heartbeat he was feeling. Small and fragile, but filled with a strength he could never comprehend.
It was as if the two of them were connected now, tied by a string that neither could see. It was nice, comforting, and Shanks just allowed himself to enjoy the moment that was in front of him. Just him, and his little friend.