Scribbles and Drabbles

Notebook Drabble 3

Written: 2019

There was someone knocking at the window. It was raining, almost stormy and they were on the fourth floor up but someone was knocking at the window. That narrowed the suspects down pretty damn face. Exhaling Aries rolled out of his bed and quickly got the window open, practically yanking the much younger boy inside.

"Really?" Aries demanded, slamming the window shut before locking it again. He looked down at the boy who was now shaking and sighed again. Giles was hunched over, clutching his side tightly. He looked scared and vulnerable. Though that was probably also Giles's body age as well. Eight years old. Certainly too young to be climbing four floors up in a thunderstorm, regardless of his mental age. "You should have just taken the back door in," he scolded, "Are you hurt?" he added a little gentler. Giles shook his head slightly. "Wait here," he ordered gruffly. "I'll get you a towel"

"Thank you," whispered Giles.

Aries quickly grabbed the clean towel he had left and threw it on Giles. Unsurprised that the boy had moved away from the window so he couldn't be seen. If he got found here, they both would be in big trouble. Aires' body age was seventeen. There were rules, especially with former teammates. Only Aries had never had the type of relationship with Giles that would warrant that concern.

"I'm sorry," Giles whispered again as Aries dried him down. "I didn't know where else to go," he explained softly.

"I'd rather you come to me than stay out all night," Aries acknowledged. "What happened?" he asked gently, seeing how Giles was acting. His shoulders were tense and his eyes were red. It looked like he had been crying.

Giles bit his lip and leant forward to hug Aries. Aries patted his back awkwardly, still not used to it when small ones did that. Giles had never been a hugger while they worked together. With the age reduction came the instincts of a child too. Aries waited patiently and eventually, Giles pulled away.

"I had a nightmare," Giles admitted. "About Lock finding me. I'm helpless in this state and well. I didn't wake up well. I got scared. So I decided to get out and hide where he wouldn't look for me. Only I'm not supposed to leave the compound.."

"Indeed," Aries nodded. Giles had been trained as a spy and martial artist. When they had all been captured and reverted to their true ages, Giles had been given to the PUMPKIN's black ops section to raise and guide. They were the ones best setup for the unique problems that smalls like Giles faced. And the ones best suited for keeping the smalls on a leash. A leash that had failed tonight by the fact Giles was in his room.

"The instinct to get out and instinct to stay got mixed up and I tried to climb the roof as a compromise. There are a few hidey-holes up there, you know? Ones I can get in that Lock can't. I was starting to calm down. I was. Then I think someone came back from a mission and spotted me. Only to me, a black figure appeared and tried to grab me so I ran. When the guards tried to stop me, I managed to evade them. Somehow. And I was out. Only." Giles bit his lips again, looking about to burst into tears.

"Only, you aren't supposed to be able to evade the guards yet," Aries murmured. Giles had told him what punishments had been given to the other reverted who had attempted to do so. Actually succeeding was bound to be worse.