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Kaya refused to leave over the next few weeks. They wouldn’t let Mira do anything and she was grateful. She still acted annoyed and angry, but it helped having them there where she could watch them too. She made sure everyone under Crimson who could know was gone, the most she ever killed in a single job. With Kaya, Zeke, and Corus there she questioned her own feelings on the matter. Most people would feel guilty, but she just felt at peace.
“All right, that’s everything I brought with me. I can stay longer, you know,” they said. She smiled and shook her head.
“I’ll be fine, besides there’s two people who you made sure could reach you even if I didn’t like it,” she sighed. Kaya smirked and finally walked out of her home. Mira loved them, but she did feel better when they weren’t with her too long. There was a feeling like any moment someone could find lavender and end those she cares about.
She was still limping as she went back to see the two borrowers sitting on her coffee table. They said that wasn’t what they were called, but she’d read some old storybook with beings like them called that. They said they didn’t really have a term to call themselves, just that they weren’t supposed to be seen by humans. She wanted to investigate them, she needed defenses in case any were used as assassins.
She can deal with that later, for now she should probably just learn to deal with these two. It was one thing when they hid, but out in the open she was so much more aware. As she watched them she started to smile. Zeke was so animated as he seemed to be trying to convince Corus of something. She decided to leave them be, getting some research done on Crimson and anyone he may have contacted. Before she knew it, the time had flown by and the moon was high in the sky.
She stretched and made her way to bed. She collapsed onto the soft mattress, Kaya would kill her if they knew she’d been hunched over for hours. She was supposed to be staying in bed for the most part. She got comfortable quickly, letting sleep take her. She wasn’t sure how long she was out, but something woke her. She’d felt something, a weight on her. She moved to slam down on it before her mind threw the images of Zeke and Corus to the front. She froze and craned her neck, finding Corus sleeping on her chest over her heart. She hadn’t felt him get there, how odd.
She carefully placed a hand under him and sat up. He fell onto it and groaned before sitting up and rubbing his eyes. He looked around sleepily before looking up at her. She raised an eyebrow in a silent question. He didn’t say anything, just started to lay down on her hand. She sighed, he was such a strange person. He seemed to want to be close to her as often as possible, but that wasn’t safe. She swung her legs over the edge of her bed and he groaned again.
“Sorry bud, it’s not safe to sleep on me like that. I’ll bring you back over to your bed,” she whispered.
“You’re comfy,” he mumbled. She chuckled and ruffled his hair with a finger. She brought her hand to her chest and stood. He’d said he didn’t like when she curled her fingers over him so she stopped, but it made her anxious. A single misstep and he goes flying.
“Comfy or not, no sleeping on my chest.”
She walked slowly to his home in the wall. Zeke seemed sound asleep even now. She held her hand out to their home but Corus didn’t look likely to move. She poked him with a finger from her free hand and he got the hint. He climbed off and she watched as he made his way back to his own bed. She didn’t really like that they just lived in the wall, she had some extra rooms they could rework.
She returned to her room and collapsed to bed again. Her sleep was restless now. Plagued with nightmares of possibilities. If Crimson had won, if she’d moved while Corus tried to sleep there. She kept seeing their small terrified faces in horrible situations. Once she finally woke up, she begged for it to truly have been dreams. She slipped out of her room trying to be quiet and relieved to see the two already up and talking about something. When they turned to face her, the lack of fear was a welcome sight. She should ask them how they always knew she was approaching.
She shot them a small smile then went to her kitchen. Kaya had made sure she was stocked up on food and other miscellaneous kitchen needs. She didn’t want to admit how little she’d put towards her own home life at that point. Kaya even went out of their way to make sure she had ways to give warm food to Zeke and Corus. They’d had mostly cereal while she was recovering with Kaya here. Today she’d make eggs then work on finding a room for the two of them. They really didn’t have to stay in the walls.
She wasn’t the most amazing cook, but she could follow a recipe and eggs didn’t need one. She did, however, fail to remember that the two eating with her were small. She made a decent bit of scrambled eggs with some vegetables cut up and thrown in. Once she was plating it she realized the vegetables might be too big. She glared at the plate before ripping open a drawer. She pulled out a knife and started to cut up the food she’d finished making. She was ready to throw it out and start over.
“Mira?” Corus’s small voice startled her from her thoughts. She turned toward it, shocked to see the small man had climbed up on the counter near the plate she was currently glaring at. He looked at her with worry, that was a weird feeling. People other than Kaya worrying about her seemed impossible before.
“What’s up?” she asked. He looked at her hands and she grimaced. Of course he watched her start angrily cutting up eggs. “Cut some of it too big for you two, I was trying to fix it. I’m probably going to toss this and make it again.”
“That’s such a waste!” Zeke shouted. She turned to find him waiting on her kitchen table, making dishes from the tinfoil now stationed there. These two were terrified and now acted like they had control of the place. She didn’t hate it.
“You should be able to eat it. It’s not a big deal.”
“We live in a world bigger than us, we can handle food that’s not cut precisely.” Corus had a smile that had to be barely holding back laughter. The cold hearted assassin was laughed at by someone who fits in her hand, it was nice. She liked it when she got to see Corus smile.
She held a hand down to him and he climbed on quickly. It seemed like he had no doubts in her when he did that. Zeke still hesitated, it had only been a few weeks since they met officially she understood. Honestly she couldn’t imagine being comfortable in the hands of anyone at their size. She picked up the plate and joined Zeke at the table, she had to get them something better than tinfoil. She put the plate down first then let Corus off by Zeke. They both stared at the plate, it seemed that hesitation they still shared.
“Go ahead, try all you want. Don’t burn yourselves though,” she said. Zeke walked up quickly using the tinfoil to dump some onto a plate. The chunks didn’t seem too bad after all.
She had started to become reluctant to eat in front of them. Letting them eat their fill then waiting until they left, Kaya had noticed and helped with that. Today it was just them, Kaya couldn’t save her. She sat staring away from them, hoping they’d leave. She couldn’t get that flinch from Zeke when she’d finished the soup out of her mind. She didn’t want to scare them more, they had plenty of reasons. She thought of the fear she’d seen in her dreams again, she wouldn’t let that happen. She jumped when she felt a small touch on her arm.
“Aren’t you going to eat?” Corus asked. Zeke was sitting as far away as he could, she tried not to grimace. She moved her hand towards the plate, an idea popping in to save her from this.
“Did you two have enough? I’m going to go eat by my computer while I get some work done,” she answered. They nodded and she grabbed the plate walking off quickly. She’d find things they could use first. Her leg throbbed as she sat down, forcing herself to walk normally wasn’t the best idea.
Mira set the plate down and opened her laptop. She could always commission things, but that would leave a trace. She’d need to use a persona that she could kill off. She did have one she was planning to kill later this year, she could move up the date. With that in mind she started her search, a specialized house built for someone roughly three inches. She didn’t have to measure to know their sizes.
She was sort of lucky, with her connections it wasn’t hard to find someone. Some people had some weirdly specific hobbies. She found someone willing to make a full scale house, the lights would even work between rooms. Their price was pretty high, but she could afford it. She looked through the extra options on it, apparently they had a way to handle plumbing. This was making her curious. The details seemed almost too perfect for what she needed. She placed the order and started on her own search for the person behind it. She’d make sure they weren’t doing something awful to people like Corus and Zeke.
“Mira did you-” Corus started. She slammed the laptop shut. The small man backed away from her with wide eyes and shaking. She scared him, she hadn’t meant to scare him. “I-I can come back later!”
He started to leave, but she cut him off. She tried to look softly at him, she didn’t mind. She just wanted to surprise him with the house. She wanted to give them something to feel like they weren’t just in a makeshift home. She doesn’t know enough about them, she never knew a lot about anyone.
“No, it’s ok,” she whispered. “I am just used to keeping people from seeing what I’m working on. What did you need?”
“I…” He looked behind him at her hand. She pulled away and he seemed to relax. It was kind of painful how nervous he was, but she couldn’t blame him. Someone like her getting angry would be dangerous. “I just wanted to know if you were going to eat dinner. It’s late and we weren’t sure if we should get something ourselves…”
“Oh.” She pushed herself up from the table and offered him her hand. He didn’t seem as confident climbing on this time, but he eventually did. She brought him up to her chest. “Yeah, sorry I just wasn’t thinking about the time. What do you want to eat?”
“I don’t know, the thing this morning was good. Zeke liked it a lot.” She smiled as she walked into the kitchen. Zeke was sitting at the table looking nervous, he probably heard the slam. She frowned, but just let Corus off on the table.
“I can make eggs again, but maybe there’s something else you two could try instead.”
Mira only spent a few minutes searching before she found something simple enough she could cook it. Just a burger, but it at least was fine for them. She cut up pieces from the burger, toppings and anything they might like and left it for them. She watched as they took bits off the plate, she didn’t really consider it before walking away. She had to make sure no one like them was being hurt.
She only remembered an hour later that she’d left without eating. She made her way back and the two were still sitting there. She didn’t quite get why until she noticed they hadn’t eaten either. She felt awful, why were they waiting? She slid into a chair at the table and rested her head on her arms. She didn’t understand.
“Is something wrong?” she asked. They both jumped before looking at her. “It should be fine to eat, did I burn it?”
“We…” Zeke started, but looked away from her.
“We weren’t sure if we were supposed to wait, you left and left your food,” Corus said. She felt like an idiot and grimaced. She sat back and groaned, running a hand down her face.
“No, no you could eat. I’m sorry, I forget to eat a lot. Really I just wanted to make sure you guys had warm food. You don’t have to wait for me. I’ll make something warm if you ask, it doesn’t have to be what I want either.”
The two nodded. She just watched them eat for a bit, she couldn’t bring herself to take anything. Eventually she did take a bit of one of the sides, forcing herself to ignore how she seemed to them. She couldn’t stop wondering about that person she found. She grabbed the plate and just stuck it in the fridge to eat another time. She offered a smile as she walked off. Her leg was aching, she promised Kaya to take it easy. She climbed in bed, planning to deal with it the next day.
That night she woke up to something in her hand. She almost crushed it before catching the small up and down of a chest. She sat up and turned on a light. Corus looked up at her trying to blink through to see her better. She sighed, shaking her head. She forced herself up and brought him back to his room. Zeke was awake this time, but she just rolled Corus off her fingers into his bed.
The next few days went pretty much the same. Although Corus seemed to be more tired as time went on. She was worried, but digging into the dollhouse maker was telling her more than she wanted. She had to take care of them, but she wanted the house first. She had about a week before it was time to get her order, she already started digging into the client list. The maker didn’t have much hidden well. Even her customer info was easily found, she was glad she used a fake.
Corus had started sitting near her the late nights she was working. He didn’t sit on her desk which she was grateful for, him seeing this work felt wrong. She was looking for something to tie down who this was. She had almost found it, just a little further. She jumped as a small hand touched her own. She looked down at Corus who seemed barely together. She didn’t know why he was even still awake.
“Corus, you should go to bed, it's late,” she sighed.
The small man shook his head and tried to pull himself over her hand. She smiled, but still shifted to stop him. He fell back and took a look at her computer. His eyes went wide and the sleep seemed to fade from his face. She looked, she’d gotten closer and he was seeing it. She scooped him up and walked away from her desk. She set him down, trying to ignore the fear she saw on him. He probably thought she couldn’t see it.
She closed her computer and crawled into bed. She finally found what she needed and now was her time to plan. The next morning Corus was missing and Zeke sat at the table looking grim. She knew he’d probably been told what Corus found, but she couldn’t explain it. The idea of what she was doing felt insane. She worked in silence making something and setting the plate down. She was going to leave but Zeke wasn’t grabbing food.
“Mira,” Zeke said. He looked like he was shaking. She leaned closer, trying to pretend to need the proximity. It would probably be easier on them to not know what she really could see. “C-can you let Corus sleep with you? H-he hasn’t been sleeping and this morning he was rambling about something weird on your computer. I-I just want him to get some rest o-ok?”
“After I finish what I’m working on I’ll try ok?” she offered. He nodded, but she wasn’t sure he believed her. “I’m not really going to be sleeping for a bit yet. It should be easier for all of us once I’m done with this job.”
“Kaya said you weren’t supposed to work again yet.” She smiled as he looked away. She couldn’t blame him for being scared. She wouldn’t hurt him.
“I know, but this one is important. It’s almost over. Don’t let them know ok? I promise I’ll take a real break soon.”
Zeke just nodded and she sighed. She wasn’t waiting anymore if she could avoid it. She returned to her room and sent a message. Just offering to pay double for a meet today. Apparently they needed it to be tonight, but she’d take that. She started prepping, completely forgetting about her computer and the things she had open. When she walked out after putting together her disguise she felt her stomach drop.
“I didn’t imagine it, you sent a picture of us,” Corus said. She rushed over and froze. He was on the laptop, she couldn’t close it without moving him. She wasn’t sure how to deal with this. “Are you selling us?”
“No, this isn’t what it looks like,” she said. She saw the time, there wasn’t much before she had to go. She bit her lip, she didn’t get to worry about people misunderstanding her.
“What do you mean?! You took a picture of us, I may not have the best reading skills, but I know what this means!” She curled her hands into fists. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out and detaching.
“Believe me or don’t I don’t care. Call Kaya and leave if you want.” She pulled out a phone from the drawer and placed it down. She connected to the one she’d have on her and left it on. “If you want to know what’s happening you can listen through this. If you watch the screen, that picture will disappear too.”
She turned to leave and Corus just sat there. He didn’t know what to think. He wanted to be closer to her, but she kept pushing him away and now this. He was tempted to go get Zeke, but the second picture was zoomed in on him. He didn’t want to make him panic. He just sat there and waited, there wasn’t anything more he could do. He hugged himself as he waited for whatever she was going to show him.
The phone she put down crackled to life. He crawled over to it hoping he’d get to see something. It was just a call. He sighed, but didn’t touch it. He wanted to trust her, she was nice even when she got angry. He was right about her leaving things out for them. He didn’t want her to be a bad human after all.
“Clara?” a voice sounded. It made him shiver, he just knew that would be a human he never wanted to meet. “I’ve brought your order.”
“Oh wonderful, you’re Maker right?” Mira’s voice sounded off, but it could be the phone. “This has everything I asked for?”
“Oh yes, the locks, the instructions. You had very specific requests for this. Could it be for the one you’re keeping?”
“Oh, I have my reasons. I left yours in a box over there. I’ll take my order first.” Corus heard the shuffling of something and then footsteps running. He jumped as a loud bang sounded over the phone. He couldn’t imagine what it would sound like first hand.
“You bitch. What are you doing?! You just want to keep them both!”
“I’m not keeping anyone. It’s funny what you can do with a picture and some software.”
“You were going to waste my work!?” Corus hated the way that voice sounded. He heard footsteps again. They were slow and deliberate, he recognized them from the house. Mira was walking around. He heard the creepy human scream. “No, no that picture was too real. I’ve seen fakes before. Give one to me, don't be selfish.”
“I can’t give you something I don’t own, besides you aren’t getting out of here alive.” Corus waited terrified in the silence. He heard a strange noise followed by a shout.
“Y-you… who are you? Th-that hair color is just meant to scare me.” There was a grunt that made Corus wince. He was worried that might mean Mira was getting hurt.
“Lavender hair isn’t the most unique shade. I could be someone else, but sadly you’re not lucky.”
“P-please don’t do it. I-I’ll pay you double, no triple! Don’t go after me! I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“I thought that at first, but you didn’t guard your client list well. I did a bit of digging, each one disappeared after roughly a month from your delivery. Most of those people found you by accident. A few were interested in this world and even clients of a different target I’ve taken out. It’s not hard to guess where they all wound up. I found the things you ordered too.”
“They wasted my work. All of them. I made them worth it. I’ve done nothing wrong. Who hired you!?”
“This was a personal case, no one to hire me and no one to outbid. You wound up on my radar and I didn’t feel like leaving you alone. Especially someone so desperate to find one of those little humans.”
“They’re not hum-”
The voice was cut off, but Corus didn’t know why. He realized with horror that he’d climbed onto the phone and hit one of the buttons. He started trying to use the screen, but he couldn’t understand what was below him. He sat back and just stared at the computer screen. He hoped if it went away that meant she was safe. A noise sounded from the screen and the picture of him and Zeke was gone.
He climbed off and ran to the coffee table. Zeke had been more nervous so he was on his own. He climbed up and stared at the door just waiting. He didn’t know how long it was until the knob slowly started to turn. He wasn’t running no matter who it was. Although the pink eyes that zeroed in him were a relief. Mira didn’t stop to talk with him.
He watched her limp past him. Mira looked like she was ready to kill someone. He shied away from speaking out, but watched her go into a room she hasn’t used since they arrived in her home. He made his way over to it, a bit terrified to go inside. He heard noises he couldn’t place and her cursing. Corus placed a hand on the door almost ready to try and find a way in. She made a loud noise that kept him frozen.
Corus had no idea how long he stood outside the room waiting. He knew he should leave, go back to Zeke. They should hide in case she was planning something. Suddenly the uneven heavy footsteps came close. He started to back up, but a part of him wanted to see her. He needed to know if she was lying. The door swung open, Mira stared down at him as if she knew he’d been watching.
“Can you go get Zeke? I have something I want to show you two,” she asked. Corus just kept staring up at her. She kneeled slowly, the impact barely noticeable this time. “I think I overdid it on my leg. I’m pretty sure I might have hurt it worse.”
Mira watched as Corus nodded and he ran off. He didn’t have a reason to believe her and she knew that. Her leg was throbbing in pain, Kaya will kill her when they find out. She closed her eyes and waited to hear the light steps and where they went. The fact they came towards her was unbelievable. She opened her eyes as the two seemed to start running towards her.
She pushed herself out of the doorway. She didn’t want to stand anymore. Mira just hoped that this was something they liked. She leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes again. She was exhausted, she couldn’t remember the last time she felt this tired. She couldn’t sleep yet, not until they saw what she’d brought them.
“M-Mira?” Zeke asked. She turned to look at them slowly, opening her eyes. They were both looking at her with wide eyes. She almost thought they looked worried. She forced herself up to her feet and limped to the far edge of the room. A guest room with an attached bathroom felt stupid years ago.
“Took a while, but I managed to get a better place for you two than in the wall. Right now the front opens, but you can lock it from the inside and the key is inside already,” she said. She offered a smile to the two as they came closer. She stepped back as the two neared the house hoping to give them any space they needed. “It has lights and should have plumbing working. It doesn’t have a kitchen, but that wasn’t an option.”
The small eyes that stared up at her weren’t scared this time. She turned to leave hoping they’d just get adjusted. She’d talk to Corus later. Her body felt like lead as she made her way to her room. The creep had more fight in him than she expected. She collapsed onto the mattress without hesitation. She needed to rest. She closed her eyes and let sleep take her.
She didn’t know how long it had been, but she woke up to something in her hand again. She sighed and pulled her hand closer. Corus had already curled up in her palm. She moved to lay on her back eliciting a groan from the small man in her hand. He curled up tighter and grabbed her fingers. She smiled and laughed a bit.
“I guess you win,” she whispered. He blinked up at her, the exhaustion on his face clear as her own must be. Mira carefully placed him over her heart and rested her hand there. It would take some time to get used to it, but at least if she knew when she fell asleep it would be easier.
“Sorry I thought you were gonna sell us,” he murmured. She jumped at his words and curled her fingers a bit tighter around him without thinking. “The last human said that they would… I thought you might.”
“I can’t blame you. Get some sleep, I think we’re both exhausted.”
Corus sighed as the heat from Mira seeped into his body. He thought she’d just go drop him in the house she got them. It was amazing, set up like they had human rooms. Zeke was playing with the lights and the water when he slipped away. He’d probably try it all out later, he thought she was tired enough not to notice him. Her fingers gripped him just a bit tighter and he smiled, he liked her holding him like this. As her breath evened out he let his mind shut down to finally get some rest.