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Cactus whacked a blade of grass out of the way, craning his neck in a futile attempt to meet October's eyes. I forgot how big he really is, he realized.
As if mirroring his thoughts, October glanced down and gave a halfway approximation of a smile. "I forgot how small you are," he whispered. "You're way taller than me when I have my tag in." He flicked his fingers at Cactus in an offhand gesture. "Speaking of which..."
Cactus sighed, taking a seat in the shadow of October's thigh. "They haven't found it yet, no. Molar's checking the kitchen while Jane's doing homework with the boys, and Marrow is in the master bedroom now that Michael has that model train set up in the basement."
Squinting up at the sun between the trees, he did a quick estimate. "It's been what, two hours? I should've brought you a drink."
October shifted, moving so he could see Cactus in the grass. "It probably wouldn't do much. Anyways, it's getting dark."
"True, the kids'll be in bed soon. We should be able to search more thoroughly then."
"Except in their bedrooms."
October fwumphed backwards, laying down and angling himself towards Cactus. "I hope I don't have to sleep outside again," he whispered.
Cactus nodded, pure habit, then caught himself. "Wait, again? Didn't you live in a lab?"
"When I left. I told you what happened with that scavenging pack, right?"
"You did," Cactus frowned, "but you didn't... the way you told it, I thought it was a short— how many days were you walking‽"
October's eye, massive next to Cactus, narrowed as he thought back. "It was two days, two and a half if you count the base camp that they brought me to as a travel day."
"And you slept outside in which size?"
October grimaced. "I was small the first night."
"...and you survived?"
October shuttered, face blanking. Wrong question, Cactus thought.
He heaved himself upright and walked down, past October's face and into the hollow of his neck. Settling down, this time with October's pulse at his back, Cactus tried again.
"It was probably terrifying," he said.
October hmmed an affirmative.
"I mean, just being outside at all is enough to scare most borrowers shitless. You know?"
Another small noise. Cactus felt the vibration from October's vocal cords.
"You could use that, next time we go trading. You gain respect, surviving shit like that."
A pause, and then:
"I feel like I'm going to crush you if I nod."
"You probably will," Cactus agreed cheerfully, "and I would go to my grave cursing you. It would be terribly sad."
October barked out a laugh, an impossibly loud sound from Cactus's vantage point, and rolled onto his stomach away from Cactus.
"Oh shit," he said, suddenly scrambling to stand.
Cactus tensed, eyeing the sky and cursing himself for leaving his spear in the den. "What is it?"
"I just remembered, it's on the kids' desk. We should grab it before they hit bedtime."
He grabbed Cactus, scooping him up in one hand, and ran for the house.
Warn me next time, Cactus thought, but decided not to say just yet. He had a suspicion that he'd crack his teeth, trying to talk while being jolted like this.
Still, at least they'd get to sleep in the den tonight.