My eyes slowly blink open as an annoying ray of sunlight peeks through the blinds right onto them. I groan and look around through squinting eyes. 

"Oh, right. I'm at J's place." I mumble.

I sit up and stretch, letting out a loud yawn. I feel tired, having gotten little sleep last night, but that had nothing to do with sleeping on the couch. No, I was up all night thinking about Nick. The poor guy was already dealing with a lot, and then he had to confront me. What was I thinking with that trust test? A panic attack was basically guranteed!

"I'm such an idiot."

Taking my blanket and pillow, I put them away and head into the guest bathroom to freshen up. I take my time going about my morning routine. A shower, changing clothes, and a light breakfast. Something inside me is hesitant to enter the bedroom again. It's telling me to give Nick space. I do feel like he's warming up to me, or at least deciding not to hate me, so I also don't want to stay away for too long.

After a few minutes of indecision, I simply walk over and enter the bedroom. I walk over to the city, slowly and with light steps, before kneeling at its border. My eyes train on the earring and I reclaim the earpiece from the desk. As soon as it's in, I hear his voice coming through.

"Took you long enough. What, did you sleep in?" He asks, although not as coldly as before. "I've been waiting here for an hour, Sara."

My eyes light up upon hearing that. I make a strange face as I try to hold back my smile, biting my bottom lip awfully hard. "I lost track of the time. Let's talk outside."

My fingers pinch the [hook] and lift it as I rise to my feet. I leave the room in a hurry, shutting the door behind me. Moving over to the dining table, I set it down and pull up a seat for myself.

"Nick, you..." I begin, allowing my expression to reflect how I feel. "You finally said it."

"Said what?"

"My name." I tell him, my tone much sweeter than intended. "You called me Sara. Not 'Jeannine's friend'. Not 'monster' or 'Brob'. Just... Sara."

"Oh. I guess I did." He says, quietly. He sounds bashful all of a sudden. "That was disrespectful of me. We may not be friends, but I did at least owe you that."

"Not friends, yet." I correct him, with a wink.

"Hmph. Maybe." Is all I get in response.

It deflates me a little, expressed very obviously by my exaggerated sigh. "Anyway... Did you sleep well?"

"Yes. Very well, actually."

"I'm glad." I say, slightly worried by his short responses. I really hope it's just a coincidence. "How's the city? Anything I can help with?"

"Nope. We're good." He tells me, followed by a long pause. It's awkward. He then speaks up to clarify. "And I'm not just saying that to keep you away. Things are genuinely good."

"Okay. But, you would tell me if there was, right? You wouldn't refuse to ask?"

"Of course, what are you even saying? I would've done that yesterday too. Come on, I wouldn't put my personal feelings above the safety of everyone."

"I will take that." I reach over him to pull my laptop closer. I open it and login as I talk. "I'm still not done with my work. We can talk, if you want. I'm not going to pressure you like I did yesterday. You do you, Nick."

"Alright. Good luck with that."

I spend about an hour typing before his voice suddenly breaks the silence. It was so quiet that I almost forgot that he was there. I literally jump! "Eep!"

"Sorry. Seems I startled you." He apologizes, way too formally.

"You could say that." I breathe heavily, clutching my chest dramatically. "What's up?"

"Well, to be blunt, I'm extremely bored." He says, without an ounce of sarcasm. "I can't go back to the city right now, and I don't feel comfortable leaving the cabin again. That only leaves one option."

"What would that be?" I shift in my seat and close my laptop halfway to give him my full attention.

"Let's talk. No issues ever got resolved by avoiding talk. I know that well." He explains.  "Call this... a game. This one has the added benefit of getting to know one another. We'll take turns asking questions. What do you say?"

"Ooh, are there any rules?" I ask, perhaps a little too eagerly.

"Basic ones. Anything goes, but be respectful. And you absolutely have to answer honestly."

"Hmm..." I pretend to think. I've already agreed to this in my mind, but I don't want him to know that. "I don't know..."

"If you don't like it after, say, three questions, we can stop. Fair?"

"Alrighty. Deal." I tell him as I lean forward and rest my head on an arm on the table. My voice becomes a little deeper, just to get a rise out of him. "What you you want to know, little guy?"

"Give me a sec." He replies, flatly.

He takes a while to think. A long while. I've never been a very patient person, so I begin to bounce my leg rapidly. There is a lot I want to know, about Lillis in general, and about him specifically. I know he can video chat if he wants to, and that would make this so much more fun, but I'm not going to push. Voice is enough. I should be grateful he's even engaging with me to begin with after what I put him through. After, like, an entire minute of waiting, I decide it's only natural that I should steal his turn.

"Alright, how about we start simple. First one: What do you... like to do in your free time? I only ever hear about what you do for work from Jeannine, so I wanna know about what you're like off the clock."

I hear him sigh. I think he wanted to protest, but decided against it. Thankfully, he is much quicker to answer than he is to come up with questions. "I usually get dragged somewhere by someone. Jeannine always has something to show me, Ori invites me over for lunch, or Icarus shows me a new project. There's always something, somewhere. I'm a popular guy, wouldn't you know."

His comment makes me smirk. "You better be popular if you're going to compete with me over being Jeannine's best friend!" I tease. Sadly, that gets me no reaction yet again. I pout to show my frustration. 

"Second question: Do you go to a lot of parties? I've... never been to any. I hear they can get pretty crazy." He asks, sounding sort of shy.

"Well, I used to more often, but I'm trying to take studying a bit more seriously now. They can be fun, dancing to good music, enjoying tasty drinks, talking to cool people. Though of course, there are duds too. Sometimes the vibes are just off, or there's some creep that doesn't take no for an answer. But for the most part it's really fun! Maybe you should try hosting one seeing how you're so popular, and I'd love if you could invite me as well."

"Yeah, I don't think you'd fit in my house. But maybe you could watch from outside or something?" He remarks, not quite happy, but not upset either. "Might be better if you host it, and us Lillis join, hypothetically. We can have a spot on your dining table or something. More realistic."

"I think I'd have a hard time convincing any of you to come to my apartment for a party, and I doubt Jeannine would allow it either." I remind him.

"You make a good point there..."

"Alright, I get it, you're out and about a lot, but I'm sure you have some hobbies that you do by yourself, right? You can't tell me you're never just at home having a quiet day by yourself, I don't buy it."

"Ugh... Well, if you must know... And don't laugh. Lately, I've been... Trying to learn things. You know, like getting an education. Math is tough, so is science, but this Poli Sci stuff is pretty cool. Jeannine helps me from time to time." He admits his terrible secret. "Pretty nerdy, I know. Studying at home, all alone."

"Nothing wrong with getting an education, and I totally relate. She helps me out a lot as well, she's too kind to us. I'd offer to be your study buddy, but I'd be dead weight. I figure this kind of stuff is a lot easier to understand once you've actually worked in politics."

"Question four: Why did you pick your major? Do you see yourself in politics? Mayor or even President, someday?"

His question catches me off guard. Isn't it obvious? Anyone who knows me could answer this. "Well, first of all, Jeannine was definitely a big influence. Studying the same subject as your best friend isn't the worst idea. That aside though, nah. I don't think I'm the right person for that kind of job. I may be charismatic, but I'm no leader who can make hard decisions. I'm not really sure what I'll do once I'm through, but I figure a Political Science degree sounds impressive enough to land me something good."

"Mmn. It's good to have a plan. I felt sort of lost before I found a 'purpose'. Everyone around me seems to know what they're doing and I'm just... here. Glad that's all past me."

"So, is there anything you'd like to do that you either haven't gotten around to, or something you'd hypothetically like to do, but can't for some reason?"

"There are a lot of things. Everytime I go out to try something new, I come home wanting to try two other things next time. The world is a big place, no pun intended. I'd like to see more, but I usually can't on my own. If I were to pick one thing... I would say I'd really like to see a zoo. We don't even have pets in MG, let alone exotic ones. I hear lions are cool. I wouldn't mind seeing one, even if it was native to Brobdingnag."

I nod in agreement. "I'm sure J can take you to one at some point if you ask her. I haven't been to a zoo in a while myself, I guess we just kind of take them for granted, even though it's pretty wild that we can see animals from all around the world in one place."

"Okay, enough of the surface level stuff." He declares, out of nowhere. "Remember, you have to be honest. Sixth one: Sara, what was your most embarrassing moment?"

His boldness causes me to sit up straight. A wry smile creeps its way across my lips as I look away. Crap! He got me with this one, not that I'll let him know it. I become smug, answering without a hint of shame or embarrassment. "Maybe about a year ago, I was doing my usual workout at the gym. In the middle of doing my squats, my leggings audibly ripped open, getting basically everyone's attention. Learned my lesson of not cheapening out on workout clothes the hard way."

Despite trying to stay cool, I my face is burning hot. I stare at the earring intensely, wondering if he's staring back. This is so unfair! My face must be super red. It's irritating! I know that games like this don't have winners or loser, but it feels like I'm losing! "Alright, I guess if you wanna take it up a notch I'll grant you that. Question seven: What do you think of Brob women? Do you think they're attractive, or are they just too much to handle?"

As if to mock me, he answers immediately. No hesistation whatsoever.

"Fair enough... I guess the feeling is sort of strange. You all look just like us, but somehow, it's hard to be attracted. Size matters, I guess. Too much to handle? Yeah, obviously. But I can befriend them all the same. Take Jeannine for example. No doubt she's gorgeous, but I never once wanted to make a pass at her." He explains, to my utter surprise. I didn't think Lillis could see us as anything other than scary giants. He called her 'gorgeous'! Oh my, Jeannie... 

"Let me throw it back at you." He snaps me back to reality. "I'm going to ask the things I felt were too weird to bring up with Jeannine. What do you think of us Lilli guys? Too small to be interesting?"

Ooh. Now we're talking! Finally, a spicy question. "Well, with the help of technology to hear and see you, you don't register that much differently. But obviously when it's just a small speck it gets a bit harder, but it's at least cute, I guess. Though, I don't think I've really interacted with any Lilli guys aside from you, so maybe I lack the experience to actually form a thorough opinion." I explain, satisfied with my answer. 

He goes quiet. I hear him moving about in his little cabin, doing who knows what. Sounds to me like he's pacing. Have I riled him up? 

"Now that you say that, I might be in the same boat. I only know Jeannine and, like, one other who isn't remotely a friend... And now there's you. I retract my statement. I'll form an opinion and get back to you too."

"While we're on the topic, what kind of girl do you like, Nick?"

He hesitates, going silent for a time. "Umm... I'm not really sure. There are a lot of nice girls in my life, all of whom aren't options. I guess..." He takes another moment to think. "You know I'm going to throw this right back at you, right?"

I smile at him innocently, maybe even a little smugly. My tongue comes out on its own, hoping to rub it in. Now it's his turn to be flustered!

"I definitely like someone who is compassionate, like Jeannine. Someone strong-willed, like Ori. Loves to laugh, like Aurelia. And a family person, like Rin. Physically... I dunno... Maybe darker hair? Pretty eyes and a nice smile. Umm, and dresses nicely?" He explains.

Suddenly, I'm the one blushing. I can confidently say that all of those things apply to me. Not that he would know. Yet.

"That's fair. Seems like you've got a good idea of what you're looking for, I hope you'll find someone just like that. As for me... I'll echo that they need a sense of humor. And I'd like someone who's confident and capable. I don't expect the world, just someone who's ready to tackle what needs to be done and doesn't give up when things get rough. They shouldn't take themselves too seriously either, hence the sense of humor. I'm not picky with looks, I just want them to be cute, that's all." I reply, unsure of how much of that applies to him. From what I've seen, at least the last part.

"It sounds like you've got a much clearer picture in mind than I. Go figure." He says, not giving me any useful insight. I'm beginning to wonder if he's doing it on purpose.

"Enough about guy and girl talk for now." I try to steer us in a new direction. Here is a question I ask all my friends. "What's your happiest or most cherished memory in regard to Magna Gratia?"

"That's an easy one. The day we named it. I love the name, it means so much to all of us. It marked the moment we officially had a 'home'. A place of our own, a sanctuary, and a real, Brob friend we could trust."

"Aw, that does sound like a very good memory, I like it." I clap softly for him. It then occurs to me that I lost track of what number we're on. "Hey, what number is this?"

"I thought you were counting?" He asks, slowly.

"Huh." I lean in closer, poking the cabin with my fingernail. "Wasn't this you idea in the first place? Hard to believe you ran a city." I tease. I can practically see him rolling his eyes at me.

"Whatever. You also forgot to tell me you wanted to continue after three." He fires back.

"Wait!" I hold my hand out. "Those weren't questions! Don't you dare count them."

"Alright, alright." He chuckles. "I won't."

"Okay... Next one, please?" I brush my hair over my ear awkwardly and adopt my position from earlier, leaning on my arm. I got a bit too excited there...

"I've been curious about this for a while now. When you first saw the city, putting aside your worries for Jeannine, what were your thoughts? Disgusted? Impressed? Curious? Indifferent?"

I shrug at him. "Although I wasn't fully 'converted' to see Lillies as equal people yet, I definitely realized that the city before me wasn't a small feat, no pun intended. So, I guess, sort of impressed and curious? I also remember feeling like I should have seen something like that coming, considering how Jeannine is. It made sense that she would start rescuing Lillies like that, but I guess I just didn't expect her to be at that point yet."

"Never would have guessed. Well, thanks. It took a lot from all of us, even with the help from our lovely landlady."

"That reminds me, I wanted to ask what's it like having Brob loom over you? I've seen some of your recordings, and J looks so much larger than I thought she would! Do you get used to it? Or is it the sort of experience that doesn't wear off?"

"You're just as big as her, you know. Same, same." He says, as if it should be plenty obvious by now. "It's usually pretty scary. It makes me tense, except when it's someone I know I can trust. Not just 'trust', though. I mean someone that doesn't want to hurt me while also being aware of themselves, since accidents can happen so easily. I've only ever had that with two people. Jeannine and you, believe it or not. So yeah, the feeling can technically wear off."

"That means a lot to me Nick, thanks." I say, leaning in very close so that I can see him properly. I don't linger, moving away once I've caught a glimpse.

"What does it feel like to be that big? I know to you guys you're just 'normal', but being around Lillis must be different. What does it feel like? Is it, I dunno, fun?"

"Well, when you don't see Lillies as people you obviously feel like you get to play god with them. But even once you do start treating them as equals, there's still something enjoyable about being so big. Like, having a tiny person walk around on my hand was pretty fun, as long as they're enjoying themselves too. It's a strange sensation for sure, but a pleasant one." I answer honestly, while trying not to bring back unpleasant memories for him. This time, I'm very happy to get no reaction. "So, what made you decide to become the mayor of Magna Gratia anyway?"

"The Mayor?" He asks, sounding very surprised. "No, you've got the wrong idea. I'm a representative. Like, an ambassador, sort of, and never elected officially. It just fell into my lap. They had me liaison for Jeannine and the city, until we found more convenient methods. Now I'm more of an assistant in the Mayor Rin's office. No real power, though, unless you count access to Jeannine twenty-four seven 'power'. I'm one of three with her number in the city."

"Mayor, representative, whatever, the title's not important, but the work is. And from what I've seen and heard, you're doing a pretty good job. All the guys I know would crumble within a week if they had to do your work, and I think you can be a little more proud of that." I say this in a more serious tone. I really mean it. I hope he gets that.

"Now that you're in on this secret and all, and Jeannine trusts you, why are you wary around us all of a sudden?"

"I'm not 'wary', I'm careful! I guess Jeannine rubbed off on me, I finally get how much damage I could do if I just slip up once." I make a gesture with my hands, showing a building falling over. "Plus, I figured most of you would prefer to not be bothered by an unfamiliar giant lady."

"Semantics, semantics." He dismisses me before quickly changing his tune. "Thanks, that's nice of you to say. You make a good point, but, you can get a little closer. We're not so skittish, not anymore."

I nod twice, making a mental note to do so next time. "Tell me, how do you feel about living in a Brob's apartment? I mean, I know Magna Gratia's great and that Jeannine is doing her best to give you your space, but do you ever miss living elsewhere?"

Nick becomes somber with his next response. "I never had a home. My clan and I, the borrowers, lived under a fridge in a restaurant. We moved around quite a bit, but never to a place that I could call a 'home'. So no, I don't. My home is amazing and I am grateful for it everyday. It's my own space and it has a roof and it's clean. And no elephant-sized ants to worry about."

"Oh, I'm... sorry to hear that." I feel guilty. I should have remembered that most everyone in the city was living a terrible life before being brought over.

"I'll preface this by promising not to tell Jeannine." He suddenly says, bouncing back after the previous, sad question. "Have you ever slipped and mentioned our secret?"

"Of course not, do you have so little trust in me?" I reply with played up offense. "Seriously, I promised to keep it a secret, and I'll keep that promise, no matter what."

"I know." He tells me. "But I wanted to hear you say it."

Now it's my turn to roll my eyes at him. "Hmm, I think we're reaching the end of our game, so I better make this one count. Let's see..." I pause to think, considering how far I should allow myself to go with this. "Maybe a bit of a selfish question, hope you don't mind: Do you think you can see yourself spending more time with me in the future? Like, even without me needing to cover for Jeannine? Remember to be honest with me Nick." 

Nick goes quiet again, this time for longer than any question before. It isn't clear if he's deep in thought or hesitant to answer. "I..." He starts. "I don't know. I can't give you an answer yet." He sighs, the conflict clear in his tone. "It's... Like, I don't mean to... It's not that I hate you." Another short pause. "Sorry, Sara, I don't know. Maybe? What I can tell you for sure is that I am open to it. We will have to see, I guess." The way he speaks is very unlike him. Anxious, guilty, and a little sad. Before I can comment, he jumps right to the next question.

"Anyway. Last question. Sorry, but I'm going to make it a silly one." He clears his throat. "What do you think of Dr. Lam?"

"Boring. Humorless. Makes exams that are too hard." I count on my hand. "I can go on, if you have the time."

"I get the message." He laughs, genuinely, for the first time today. "Yeah, she's a real character."

The two of us gradually quiet down. With the game over, both of us go back to what we were doing. I hear him taking a work call, the little scatterbrain forgetting to mute himself. It makes for nice background noise while I type. I'm glad we played that game. I feel I got to know him better, and I hope he has a clearer picture of who I am too. Not the cruel Brob from the restaurant. The real me, the Sara who, thanks to him, just made the final step towards understanding Lillis. I doubt he knows how how eye-opening this has been for me.

Some time passes, and I eventually finish my paper. I shut my laptop and check the time, shocked to learn that it's already six in the afternoon! Where did the day go? I hadn't realized. Neither did he, apparently. I hope he has food in there. It would suck if he had to skip lunch.

"Hey, do you want me to take you back? Jeannine will be back any minute-"

I'm interrupted by the sound of the front door being unlocked. The door opens and in walks Jeannine, dragging her suitcase behind her, and out of breath.

"The elevator... Was out... Of service..." She pants, trying to catch her breath. "How are you two? Is the city still in one piece?"

"No issues whatsoever. Thanks to me, of course." I walk over and drag her bag in for her. 

"Tell her I'm fine." Nick tells me. I'm confused at first, before realizing that J can't hear him.

"Nick says he's fine too." I tell her.

"Good. I am glad." She says, walking past us. "I need a shower... Thank you for the help, Sara. Sorry, but I am about to pass out. Could you-"

"I'll let myself out. You rest up, okay?" I instruct her. She nods weakly and retreats to her bedroom. I turn my attention to Nick and lift the earring up to eye level. "Alright, little guy. Your beloved Jeannie is back. That means my work here is done. Thank you for giving me a chance. This was...really memorable." I decide against going into the room now, wanting to give J some space. Just as I'm about to put him back on the table, I suddenly get an idea. I raise him back up to my face and look him in the eyes. "Hey, give me your number."

"My what?"

"Your number, Nick. The one that's linked to your phone."

"Okay. But may I ask why?" He proceeds to read out a fifteen digit long number. It seems weird, but I don't comment.

"So I can call you, dummy." I smile. "Or text, if you prefer."

"I see. I didn't expect that from you."

"Get used to that. I'm full of surprises." I wink at him, before setting him down properly. I grab my things and head over to the door, but not before giving him a wave goodbye. "Bye, Nick. Have a good night."

And with that, I leave. My two days with Nick, over.