Charity’s breath caught in her throat at the sound of Alejandra’s soft, incredulous words.
“Pues, look at you now, patrona. So small. So quiet.”
The words landed heavier than any insult Charity had ever delivered in her own cruel heyday. There was no malice dripping from Alejandra’s lips, that might have been easier to bear. Instead, there was only genuine astonishment, and a calm power that needed no raised voice to remind Charity of who truly commanded this moment.
Alejandra’s eyes narrowed just slightly, studying her. Charity could feel that stare moving over her like sunlight passing through glass: warm, but capable of burning if focused too long. She forced her spine straighter, trembling hands pressed against the living warmth of Alejandra’s thigh, desperate to preserve at least a scrap of poise, but the size of her own hands compared to the curve of Alejandra’s leg made her want to sink into the fabric and disappear.
The giant girl’s fingers shifted. Slowly, deliberately, Alejandra lowered her joint, tapped the ash into an old mug on the side table, and then, in a movement so unhurried it made Charity’s skin prickle, she brought that same hand closer again.
This time there was no confusion. No casual rummaging. This time the hand came for her.
Charity’s pulse tripped over itself, fluttering so violently she thought she might faint. Her entire body tensed, every tiny muscle braced for contact.
“Don’t…” she squeaked, but the word died halfway out of her throat.
Alejandra’s lips quirked faintly, not quite a smile, more a quiet marvel at the absurdity of hearing her beg.
The pads of Alejandra’s fingers brushed against Charity’s side first, and even that was too much. The simple touch made Charity flinch violently. The warmth seared through her thin clothes straight into her skin, and her mind reeled at how vast even a single finger truly was up close: the tiny ridges of Alejandra’s fingerprint felt like shifting dunes pressing gently into her ribs.
For a heartbeat, Alejandra paused. Charity dared to meet her gaze, and there it was: a flicker of something that made her throat tighten. Not pity exactly, but something close to it. A hesitant softness that made Charity’s chest ache in shame.
Then the fingers moved again, inexorable. They slipped beneath her arms, under her back, lifting her with no more effort than plucking a tissue from a box.
Charity let out a tiny, breathless cry as her body left the solid warmth of Alejandra’s thigh and rose into open air. The world tumbled in her vision, the carpet receded far below, the walls stretched upward like towering cliffs. Gravity tugged at her feet uselessly while Alejandra’s grip anchored her high above the sofa.
Her little hands scrabbled at the smooth skin of Alejandra’s thumb, more a reflex than any real attempt to resist. She could feel Alejandra’s pulse in that finger, a steady thrum so much more powerful than her own frantic heartbeat.
Then the motion stilled. Charity found herself held aloft in a warm, careful cradle of Alejandra’s cupped palm. She lay across it almost like a baby bird, dwarfed utterly by the wide span of skin and knuckles that caged her gently but firmly in place.
Up this close, the scents were overpowering: Alejandra’s skin still carried a trace of her cleaning chemicals, the tang of sweat from a long day, and the drifting haze of fresh marijuana smoke. Each breath Charity drew seemed flavored with that mixture, mundane details of someone else’s life now made immense, unignorable.
For a long, unbearable stretch of silence, neither girl spoke.
Charity’s voice trembled as she finally forced out a single word. One she had never needed before, had never truly believed she’d have to say to anyone she thought beneath her:
“Please…”
It broke something behind Alejandra’s dark eyes. Her brows drew together, her lips parted as if to answer, but the words caught. Instead, Alejandra brought her other hand up slowly, hovering a finger near Charity’s hair as if to brush it back, then seemed to think better of it.
Her voice, when it came, was a gentle rumble that filled Charity’s ears and her chest all at once:
“Tranquila,” she murmured. “Don’t cry, pequeñita. No voy a lastimarte. I won’t hurt you.”
But the weight of what she didn’t say pressed just as hard: I could. I could hurt you without trying. And you have nothing to stop me.
The realization of that truth settled cold and heavy in Charity’s gut, a reality more undeniable than any social rank she’d once lorded over. She was nothing here. A speck in a world of giants, surviving now on the compassion, or indifference, of a girl she’d never truly seen before today.
As Alejandra’s thumb brushed softly against her cheek, a touch so careful it nearly broke her heart, Charity let out a ragged, helpless sob. Not from pain. Not from fear.
But from the crushing truth that for the first time in her life, she was at the complete mercy of someone she could no longer command, only beg.
(1) Man, Charity is on a roller coaster emotionally, and it makes this story a wonderful read.
(2) I do have one question, though, can littles get sick with things like the cold or flu?
2) they can but i’m not certain what it looks like. they get a shot of a few vaccines or something that we see in either jordans or cindy and gregs visit to the doctors
Yup that is correct
1) still a lot more to see. We are still in the early times.
2) they can still get sick. But if Sara gets the flu Jordan isn’t catching her flu. Jordan has his own little version of the flu or cold he would catch. The opposite is also true.
I would love a oneshot of Jordan being sick and greg and cindy being sick, maybe even seeing how Jordan and Greg and Cindy would navigate their guardians being sick
Okay cool the reason I asked is because I was planning on a one shot with Nicole and Kinsley with one of them getting sick and the other having to navigate the situation.
I will be curious to see how your scene turns out. I recently wrote about scenario involving sickness but it will be awhile before its posted.
1) “The words landed heavier than any insult Charity had ever delivered in her own cruel heyday” did they? Or is this the first time Charity’s been on the receiving end?
2) “She forced her spine straighter, trembling hands pressed against the living warmth of Alejandra’s thigh, desperate to preserve at least a scrap of poise” I don’t think that’ll work as well as Charity wants it too.
3) “Alejandra’s lips quirked faintly, not quite a smile, more a quiet marvel at the absurdity of hearing her beg.” that would be quite the sight to behold from someone in Al’s position.
4) “Charity dared to meet her gaze, and there it was: a flicker of something that made her throat tighten. Not pity exactly, but something close to it. A hesitant softness that made Charity’s chest ache in shame” clearly not something Charity is used to.
5) “Each breath Charity drew seemed flavoured with that mixture, mundane details of someone else’s life now made immense, unignorable.” that’s the kind of scent mix Littles would get accustomed to associating with their guardians, maybe not this list specifically, but they’d know what combination of smells their guardian has.
6) “Charity’s voice trembled as she finally forced out a single word. One she had never needed before, had never truly believed she’d have to say to anyone she thought beneath her: “Please…” I could totally believe Charity’s never said that.
7.1) “It broke something behind Alejandra’s dark eyes. Her brows drew together, her lips parted as if to answer, but the words caught.” sounds like Al’s not too vengeful then
7.2) “Alejandra brought her other hand up slowly, hovering a finger near Charity’s hair as if to brush it back, then seemed to think better of it” Probably for the best, she isn’t trained to handle Littles.
8) “Tranquila, Don’t cry, pequeñita. No voy a lastimarte. I won’t hurt you.” Well, that’s good.
9) “But the weight of what she didn’t say pressed just as hard: I could. I could hurt you without trying. And you have nothing to stop me” Definitely something Charity would be well aware of.
10) “As Alejandra’s thumb brushed softly against her cheek, a touch so careful it nearly broke her heart, Charity let out a ragged, helpless sob. Not from pain. Not from fear.” Damn it, Charity! Al just told you not to do that!
Al is showing her loving drive to take care of Charity like a tiny baby animal
1) probably the latter. I can’t see her being on hte recieving end of all that much hate. Usually on the delivering end of hate speech.
2) That is probably a safe addition to your bingo card.
3) Charity has probably never had to beg for anything in her life outside maybe child to parent asking for things.
4) No, I can see how that would be hard though. Most people don’t like being pitied.
5) It would be identifable to littles especially with their nose and how it works. They could probably pick out their guardian just off of smell.
6) I wondered what you would think of that line. Charity has most certainly never said please before in all years.
7) I wouldn’t say vengeful but she wasn’t specifically wronged egregiously either more just taken advantage of because of her situation.
7.2) Charity may not like it either. i cant see a world where she would appreciate that.
8) Good, assuming charity believes her.
9) most certainly. She would be concerned in her situation. She isn’t coming from a position of power for the first time.
10) did you really expect her to listen
1) Yeah, I’m sure it’s been said before, like when Sara did, just never heard from a position of powerlessness,
2) lol
3) I could see that, her parents trying and failing to teach her humility and tell her no.
4) agreed
5) Now I’m imagining a lost little tracking their guardian like a bloodhound.
6) doesn’t surprise me
7.1) and that was more her parents than Charity herself.
7.2) no, not this early and with someone she knows as well as Al
9) For all we know that’s not where Al’s mind actually is, that’s just Charity’s guess based on how she would be.
10) No
5) does that mean littles sniff their guardians butts likes dogs for getting smell info lol. It would make sense for littles to track by pheromone creating areas.
They don’t sniff there butts or anything. They can smell there owners scent just from being near them or around them.