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Ian had been trying to adjust to life with Mik. Having nice furniture and seeing how careful his brother could be when huge definitely helped. He still had his nights of nightmares. A lot of times they had to do with what Mik could do. The most recent wasn’t any different. They’d been fine out borrowing when he changed suddenly and grew huge trapping him in a jar. He never knew how to talk about it with his brother, but it seemed like he wouldn’t get away with it this time.
“Ian,” Mik was knocking on the roof of his house. Having it on the nightstand seemed smart until tonight. “Are you alright? Did something break and you get hurt? Was it another nightmare?”
“I-I’m fine,” he called out. He heard his brother sigh and hoped that would be it. The knocking on the door of the house told him otherwise. He climbed out of bed and slowly made his way to the last defense he had. “R-really I’m fine, you don’t have to worry Mik.”
“I’m sorry to say the way you sound is telling me the opposite. Ian, please talk to me. It usually helps to discuss nightmares.”
Ian started to chew on his lip, but opened the door anyway. Mik was standing there still an inch or so taller. Ian couldn’t help wondering if his brother hated to be small like this. He didn’t do it unless Ian asked most of the time. It had to be annoying to be small like him. He should just get used to his brother holding him in one hand.
Mik looked concerned, he was always concerned. He was just in pajama pants, the light shirt discarded due to the heat in the house itself. He kept it warmer than needed for Ian. He stepped into the house, but Ian backed up. He saw the way Mik tensed, but he couldn’t just pretend he wasn’t worried about it.
“You don’t have to get my size to talk if you don’t want to,” Ian whispered. Mikhail sighed, he knew he should try to be small more often. Ian was probably thinking he hated it, he didn't, it just was harder at times. His emotions changed how much he could handle of certain sizes.
“Ian, I prefer to talk with you without towering if I can. Are you alright?” he asked. Ian was panicking as he spoke. The boy probably assumed it wasn’t noticeable, but his eyes were darting around and he was still hugging the blanket Mikhail had cut up for him. He stepped forward placing a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Do you want me to stay in here tonight?”
“No!” Ian backed away as though he’d been burned. Mikhail stared at his hand unsure what he’d done wrong. An awful possibility popped into his head and he stepped back on his own from his brother.
“Ian… was I in your nightmare?” He looked at Ian desperate for a no. Unfortunately, a small nod made him feel awful. “What did I do?”
“You um,” Ian was fiddling with the blanket. He sat on the ground trying to look smaller than he was. He couldn’t make himself any smaller. At least he never had been able to the few times he tried. “We were on a borrowing trip and you… you suddenly got really big and put me in a jar.”
Mik’s eyes widened and Ian wanted to disappear. It was just a nightmare. He knew Mik would never do that, but it wasn’t easy to forget everything. He held the blanket tighter, he wished he could hide under it for real now. It isn’t big enough anymore, even though the rest of the blanket was out in the house. He knew Mik would be mad at him for waking him up yelling over something impossible.
“I’ve had nightmares like that too,” Mik said. Ian nearly dropped the blanket while staring at him. It didn’t sound real. Mik could be big, he didn’t have to worry about that. “I’ve had dreams that I can’t get big again and someone finds me and traps me. That I couldn’t keep you out of someone’s grasp. I’ve even hidden from my Aunt for days because I thought she’d trap me when I got stuck small after first moving in with her.”
“But you said she’s nice. She kept you safe, why would you think that?” Ian asked. He stepped forward sitting down across from his brother. He thought he was alone having nightmares about something someone he knew would never do things like that.
“I know she’s safe, but it’s not easy to feel like someone so much bigger won’t hurt you. Can I help at all? Those kinds of nightmares aren’t easy to get over.” Ian shook his head. He didn’t have any idea how to fix the way he felt. He was terrified of it happening, but more terrified when they were both small. Someone could get them.
“Can I sleep with you? Your heartbeat usually helps me sleep…”
Ian hadn’t planned to ask that. The words just slipped out as he wrapped himself with the blanket. He was about to backtrack, but Mik nodded and walked out of the house. He watched as his brother started to climb off the nightstand. He waited for the face he knew to grow over the edge and tower over him. Seeing Mik’s green eyes staring at him as he grew felt somehow safe.
A hand came to rest in front of the door. Ian had a bit of hesitation, but still climbed onto the palm of his brother. It felt nice to have a hand that would keep him safe like this. He sat down as Mik brought his hand up to his chest. Mik cupped his hand close as he curled up on his bed. Herested on his side, letting Ian slide off his hand and onto the bed. Then he started to get smaller.
“What are you doing?” he asked. Mik kept getting smaller until he was only about twice the size of a borrower.
“I thought this might be better tonight,” his brother said. Ian felt like crying, he never even thought of this as an option. Mik was the best family he could have found. He was so happy Mik found out about him and got him away from the bad human before.
“It helps… thanks Mik.”
“Anytime Ian.”