Be Nice

You decide you'll be nice to the kid, figuring it'll make him more comfortable with you nearby. At the very least he'll be easier to be around if he doesn't hate you. You cut him loose, the restraints were mostly to keep him from escaping before you returned, and chirp, "Goodmorning!" as plesantly as you can.

It doesn't take him long to start screaming. Really, you should be offended, but you get an odd sense of pride from being feared. You just smile sweetly while suppressing a cringe at the discordant noise. You sympathize with the boy; you were like that once, before you got settled in a routine of ****.

He scrambles to his feet and runs towards the light of the cave's entrance. You stay close, but make no attempt to stop him since there's nowhere to run. He doesn't seem to pick up on that, though. He keeps looking over his shoulder at you instead of looking forward, so he doesn't see the sheer drop before he fails to place his foot.

With a sigh, you take flight, diving to catch him by the shoulders. His panicked struggle doesn't make it easy to rise back to the cave, but he eventually decides he's better off with you than tumbling down a mountain. You feel his hands cling to your feet to keep you attached.

It's a short flight before you plop down at the entrance of your cave. "You should be careful; it's hard getting around up here without wings." You flutter your plumage teasingly at your captive.

The boy's hyperventilating and inching away from you. Okay, he's not going to calm down on his own. You wrap your wings around him, bringing your bodies close. He stiffens, but doesn't attack. You rest his head on the downy feathers atop your breast and hum some sweet nothing. Not a song, not yet anyway, just something warm and welcoming.

You wait for him to relax, and slowly take a seat with him in your lap. Your thighs are thin, but the boy is small enough to fit without complaint. You hold him close for a long time, you suspect you took a nap at some point, and eventually, your captive speaks.