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Part Twenty-Four

Regardless of Sam lying or not, Leo knew it was an emotional time. He also knew that in his heart, he was happy his best friend had his parents back with him, but failed to see future problems arising with the newfound borrowers living in his walls.

'Huh,' Elijah thought. 'More little people.'

His brain didn't quite comprehend everything at once like Leo's but eventually was able to reach the conclusion based on how they interacted that these must be Sam's parents. Not to mention the similarities, but Elijah figured all borrowers had to look alike in some respects.

Until he noticed another figure still inside the box, and he approached with careful, excited steps.

Eli bent down, crossing his arms behind his back so as not to threaten those on the table with his hands, and leaned forward until he was as close to eye level with the box as possible.

And when the third borrower and Elijah made eye contact for a split second, Eli said a quick "Hello!" For good measures. It didn't bode over well.

The tiny person in the box, which Elijah assumed was a boy based on his physique, began to hyperventilate. Tears fell down at an alarming rate, and his little chest heaved with painful intakes of breath. The fact that Elijah could hear the tiny lungs at work wasn't a good sign, but didn't know what else to do except what he saw Leo do with Sam during his struggles.

So he reached out a hand to comfort the panicking boy, only to get a violent flinch and more crying as a result.

"STOP!"

Elijah whipped around to find the man, whom he assumed to be Sam's father, marching away with red-rimmed eyes and a jaw that clenched with steel. If it was truly him who yelled, Elijah was surprised. Such a small person was capable of incredible projection.

"Sorry!" He defended himself, moving his hand to be on his back with the other one once again. "I tried to say hi, but-"

"Stay away from him," The man cut him off, ignoring Elijah completely and meeting the tiny boy inside the box with hurried steps. The moment he got in there, he ran his hands along the sides of the boy's arms, whispering soft murmurs that eventually worked in calming him down enough to breath properly.

Once the issue was resolved, Elijah met eyes with the boy again, and was immediately rewarded with a deep pang in his heart at just how broken he seemed. Terrified out of his mind, weakened from crying, and unaware of Elijah's next intentions. To think that the boy feared Eli would actually hurt him, forced Elijah to take a step back and rethink how to go about apologizing. He never got around to it.

"That one doesn't talk," Skip spoke up to Eli, nudging him in the shoulder. "He's scared of us, apparently."

"...why? We didn't do anything?"

"I'd be pretty damn scared too, if a bunch of giants took me to the middle of nowhere. Just leave him alone."

The two of them shared a look, and then both met eyes with Leo from across the room.

"Um," Leo spoke up with a softened whisper. "We're gonna leave the room and let you have a minute. To talk. About anything, I guess. Uh, if you need something just call out and let me know. Okay. We're leaving. Bye Sam," he waved with a hand that wasn't quite sure what to do at his friend, who waved back, just as unsure. The whole situation was absurd, but the humans figured it best to stay out of something that wasn't their business for now. Sam would let them know what was going on later.

———

"I'm gonna be the one to say it," Elijah broke the silence of Leo's bedroom. "Sam's mom is hot."