Trisha
I find Selvanar fascinating. When he’s finished eating his carrot and nectarine, he sits back and pats his naked belly in a way that’s distinctly satisfied.
He’s so… pretty with his sparkly skin and toned body.
It’s also pretty hard to stop staring at his junk, which is, upon examining his full form, fairly big in comparison to his overall size.
I have the bizarre and intrusive thought that if I were a fairy and only six inches tall, I’d absolutely do him.
But that’s silly. Not only are we nowhere near the same size, but I don’t even think he’d be interested in me. He’s the king of a hive, after all. And he’s going back as soon as his wing heals.
Even with his little arrogant attitude, though, I find him charming.
“Dr. Pierson called in sick today, so I’ll just be hanging around the house,” I tell him over my shoulder as I clean up the dishes. “I’m not sure what you’d like to do with your time while you’re here.”
Selvanar cocks his head. “Do with my time? I plan to heal. And I will probably need to eat a lot so that can happen.”
I shrug. “Not like that’s a big imposition. Maybe we should go shopping so we can pick out some foods that will work for you?”
“Shopping?” His brows crease.
“Yes.”
His face shows exactly how distasteful he finds that suggestion. “There will be so many humans.”
“There will be, sure. But you’ll be with me, and then you can choose the things you want for yourself.”
The fairy considers my proposition in silence for a few moments before he sighs and nods.
“Alright. I will go do this shopping with you. But you must put me on your shoulder.”
I stare at him. “On my shoulder?”
“So that nobody steps on me.” He scoffs. “Clumsy, you lot.”
That’s fair. And at the store, everyone’s in a rush with their big carts.
“Sounds fine,” I say, feeling rather chipper. This is the most excitement I’ve had in my life in a while, and it’s the good kind. “Let’s go.”
What I didn’t anticipate about taking a fairy to the grocery store with me is just how many people would stop and stare.
A few even asked “Is that a fairy?” to confirm, as if he could be anything else.
Annoying, but it was the perfect chance for Selvanar to witness the miracle of grocery store produce.
“I’ve never seen so much food in one place,” he says in wonder. “Many options. I don’t know what most of these are.”
So I choose a few fruits and veggies that would be good eaten raw, since I’ve confirmed that fairies apparently don’t like cooked food.
I’ve learned quite a lot in the last twelve hours.
By the time we’re finished, though, Selvanar is covering his eyes.
“Those bright lights,” he says, squinting. “Too much. And everything buzzes.”
I can tell that electronics bother him, so I check out as fast as I can and get us back to the car. I can’t buckle him in, though, so he remains on my shoulder, and I drive as carefully as I can while he holds onto my scarf.
When we reach the house, though, I spot my sister’s car in the driveway. She’s home—which means I’m going to have to explain the fairy now temporarily living with us.
“Hey,” I say to Selvanar as I park next to her hatchback. “Do you have any clothes you could put on?”
I feel strangely protective of him, like I don’t want Lizzie to see him naked the way I have.
Selvanar leans forward so he can peer up into my face. “Clothing? Why? And no, I do not.”
Great. Hopefully she doesn’t mind.
“My sister’s home. Be… normal, okay?”
The fairy searches my face. “Are you embarrassed?”
“No! It’s just, you know, kind of strange. That you have no clothes.”
Jeez, why am I being so weird about this?
But Selvanar just chuckles. “Humans and your clothes. I can sit in your purse, if you would prefer.”
“Oh! That’s the perfect solution.” I hold open the top of my purse for him, and Selvanar climbs down into it, his arms hanging out the sides.
There. That’s proper. I don’t want my sister making eyes at my fairy like I did.
When I come inside, Lizzie’s watching a TV show on the couch, flopped over on a pillow. She sits up when I enter and shut the door behind me.
“Hey!” She registers the bags I’m carrying. “You went to the store? Did you check the list?”
I freeze. Of course I didn’t check the list. I was just intent on finding foods that Selvanar could eat.
“Um…” I give her a weak smile. “Hey. There’s a reason. You gotta see this.”
Curious, Lizzie gets up from the couch and comes into the kitchen, while I set my purse gently on the table with Selvanar sitting inside it. Her mouth forms an O.
“Is that a fairy?” she asks, bending forward to get a better look. Selvanar frowns as she gets close and leans his head back.
“Ahem,” he says.
“Yes,” I tell her. “And I think he has personal space, Liz.”
Lizzie stands back up again and clears her throat. “Right. Sorry. But really, a fairy? How? Why?” She arches an eyebrow. “And he’s in your purse?”
“We just had to pick up some things he could eat, that’s all. I can go back to the store again later.”
“I am here, you know,” Selvanar pipes up. “What is your name, sister of Trisha?”
Lizzie’s brows rise. “Oh. I’m Lizzie.” She sits on the stool at the counter so she’s closer to eye level with him. “And you? What’s your name?”
I unload the groceries while they get to know each other. Lizzie suggests we make mimosas and sit in the backyard, and suggests I bring out the Babez lawn chair that came in my beach set.
“You’re totally right!” I head into the house to dig through my doll furniture until I find the lawn chair, and then Selvanar joins us to soak up the rays wearing a pair of shorts from one of my Guyz dolls.
That evening, I try to come up with something to cook that we can all eat. Selvanar doesn’t object to trying some bread, and he’s pleased with it.
Lizzie goes to bed early because she works in a deli and has to be up at five in the morning.
I’m a little buzzed, so Selvanar and I stay up late lounging in the warm summer night air.
He has a sip of his own small orange juice, which I put into a shot glass for him.
It’s still too big, but the cocktail straw seems to be helping.
“Thank you for making so many accommodations for me,” Selvanar says, sighing as he swallows his drink. “This orange juice is quite wonderful.”
I love how easy he is to please.
“Of course. Not every day an injured fairy flies in through your window. I feel like it’s my responsibility.”
He gazes up at me quizzically. “Why? You do not owe me anything.”
“I think I do. I mean, how many fairies probably lived in Oregon before human civilization took over everything?”
Selvanar hums, like he’s understanding now what I mean.
“That’s true. As our forest shrinks, so does our population.” He sighs. “I understand, though, that you are an individual among many, just as I hope you know the same about me. I don’t represent all fairies, though I am one.”
“A special one,” I say cheekily. “The king and all.”
He grins back. “I suppose so. And… I believe you are a special human, too.”
I preen at this, pleased that he likes me.
Finally, I call it a night, and we each head to our separate beds. I make his a bit more comfortable by supplying a clean pair of socks as extra padding, because the little plastic doll bed isn’t really made for sleeping.
“Goodnight, Selvanar,” I call out as I turn off the light.
“Goodnight,” he calls back.
When I dream, I dream about being six inches tall. The world is big and frightening at this size—but then Selvanar is there, strong and tall, and it’s not so scary anymore.