A Little Change (8/?)

Back at last with more of the Size Swap AU! It’s been a long time since I could work on this one. The prompt challenge of 2018 really pushed other projects back a bit, but I haven’t forgotten the shenanigans here!

(x)

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As they neared the ground at last, Bowman had to bank farther out and take a slow, controlled glide to the clearing. He didn’t have as much room to land as he usually did. Jacob kept that in mind as the impact of Bowman’s boots hitting the ground jolted all through him and the grip around his body tightened for an instant.

Bowman stumbled a few extra steps and wound up turning to fall to a seat before he could crash into a tree. Jacob found himself held close to the sprite’s chest again, and the heartbeat behind him pounded like a stampede.

“Ha, that was fun,” Bowman announced.

Before Jacob could chime in his own opinion, he yelped in surprise as Bowman leaned back and flopped on his back in the grass. His wings lay open on either side, and his chest rose and fell with his excited breaths.

It was one of the weirdest sensations to be lying on that chest with a hand fallen over him. Jacob eyed a stray cloud far above and marveled that he’d been that high up only moments ago.

After a few seconds, Jacob squirmed. Bowman didn’t stop him from wriggling out from under his hand, and Jacob got to his feet carefully. The terrain beneath him moved up and down in a pattern that threatened to take his balance from him. He watched his feet as he shuffled around near Bowman’s hand.

“That feels weird,” rumbled out of the chest beneath Jacob’s feet, and he jolted. Twisting around, he found Bowman tilting his head up so he could watch the small figure standing on him, and for a moment their faces showed mirrored fascination and surprise. They weren’t meant to see each other from scales like this, and yet there they were.

“It’s not exactly normal for me, either,” Jacob shot back. He planted his feet the best he could and faced Bowman with his arms crossed. “You’re way bigger than I’m used to seeing you.”

Bowman snickered, and the motion jostled Jacob enough to topple him over. Bowman shifted so he had an arm under his head to make it easier to tilt it forward and keep an eye on Jacob. “At least now you have respect for my wings, little guy, “ he teased. His other hand perked up to poke Jacob in the side while his guard was down.

“I always respect your wings,” Jacob shot back with a roll of his eyes. Rather than fall over again and again, he stayed right where he was.

Bowman shrugged one shoulder and pretended to think about it. “I guess,” he admitted. Then, he grinned. “Wanna see ‘em closer?”

Jacob didn’t get a chance to ask what he meant. A thumb and finger pinched gently around his waist and hoisted him up off Bowman’s chest. He clung to the fingers and drew his legs up in surprise while the hand ferried him to the side and lowered him down onto one of Bowman’s wings. He stumbled to his hands and knees, but hardly noticed as he stared at the leafy membrane that formed a field all around him.

“Woah.” Jacob could see the veins in the wing, the leafy pattern that ran its course all throughout the important limbs. Several feet away, he eyed one of the long, slender finger bones showing through it.

They usually looked more delicate than anything Jacob had ever seen. Now, they were easily as thick around as his waist.

He brushed a hand over the wing to feel the almost-waxy, leafy texture, but then everything beneath him twitched and sent him tumbling over.

Bowman’s hand returned a moment later to scoop him up. “Blast it, that was more ticklish than I expected,” he groused, finally pushing himself up to a seat with Jacob secure in a loose fist.

Jacob snickered. “Can’t even blame me for that one,” he pointed out. “You’re the one who just dropped me there.”

“Oh I can blame you,” Bowman shot back. He lifted his wings off the ground and stretched them as far as he could before they bumped into a nearby tree branch. A squirrel chattered at him from somewhere above, and he glared over his shoulder.

Jacob took a moment to marvel at the fact that a squirrel was big enough to cause him trouble now. Then, he patted Bowman’s hand to get his attention again. “Do you think we should go to the village now?” he asked. “Now that you’ve had your fun flying around in the clouds, we probably need more help to figure this out.”

Bowman sighed pensively, and his bright green gaze drifted across the clearing towards the village. “Maybe,” he admitted. “But what if …”

Jacob raised his eyebrows. “What if … they get scared?” he guessed. Bowman frowned accusingly at him, but didn’t deny it.

“Dude, just remember all the things you’re yelling at me about,” Jacob suggested. “Like walking carefully and all that. You’ll be fine, and they’ll recover. I’m sure of it.”