The Sugar Thief (G/T) (Completed)

5 - Housewarming Gift

Eric wants to give Carter the best experience living here that he could ask for. He doesn't really know how to do that though, considering the borrower only came out of hiding on his own terms. A housewarming gift, maybe?

Carter has a good day for once.

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When the next morning came around, not a single cloud was in sight. The storm had raged on for the majority of the night but by sunrise everything was calm once more. When Eric woke from his surprisingly undisturbed slumber, he felt refreshed. The sunlight filtered through his blinds and streaked across his face but for once he didn't shy away from the light, instead just basking in its warmth.

It was a perfect fresh start to a whole new chapter of his life.

A week ago, his thoughts were the same old things like I wonder who's online, and what show should I watch? And goddamn I need a haircut. But now, the only things that he could think about was Carter, and the concept of Borrowers. His head just couldn't fully wrap around the idea of tiny human-esque people that lived in the walls in total secrecy. The thought of their existence captivated him entirely, and never ending questions flooded his mind.

Did every house have them? How long did they live for? How much do they weigh? How much human culture did they know? How soft are their tails?

Eric was determined to know as much as he could about them, but didn't want to swarm the little guy too fast. It wasn't like he could just pick him up all poking and prodding, even if he really wanted to. The entire line of trust they had built would crumble, and Carter's safety was too important to him to let that happen. After all he was still a person with thoughts and feelings, so Eric couldn't subject him to doing something he had no say in. He figured that some things would just take time to learn, and some he may not ever know the answers to at all.

Needless to say however he was infatuated, and wanted to give Carter the best experience living here that he could ask for. He didn't really know how to do that though, considering the borrower only came out of hiding on his own terms. A housewarming gift, maybe? But what could he even give to someone so small that they could actually use?

The question stumped him as he began to get ready for work, but it kept his mind busy in the silence of the house. When he looked down at his plate full of breakfast (last night's leftovers), he was reminded of how he had to find something Carter's size that he could use. Everything in Eric's life that he considered average everyday objects would be so different to someone of borrower stature, and it made him suddenly a lot more aware of how much space he took up.

His mind was preoccupied up until he left the house, forcing himself to shift into work mode as he locked the door behind him. The cool morning air helped pull him back to reality, making him shudder lightly. September was already coming to an end, and he wasn't ready for the cold.

Before Eric took the last step off the porch he looked back at the house, letting out a short sigh.

"See you later," he whispered with a smile.

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Carter rolled over in his bed of soft fabrics, not yet ready to face the day. The birds had different plans however, perched high in the trees singing their hearts out to the skies, and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't block them out. He groaned as he forced his eyes open, wishing he could just tell them to shut up and go back to sleep too. But it was a brand new day, and he had to face it eventually.