Originally written in 2015
Hug A Tiny Day, I wrote a short chapter to celebrate it!
Edward awoke with a start when he heard what sounded like a tiny sob coming from somewhere in the room. He blinked sleepily and glanced up at the digital alarm clock on his bedside table. Glowing red numbers told him it was shortly after one o'clock in the morning, and he let out a sigh.
Edward slowly lifted his head and glanced around his darkened bedroom. Moonlight streaming in through the window behind him illuminated the carpet below and the stacks of notepads and journals sitting on the small desk on the other side of the room, but there was nothing out of the ordinary.
Deciding he had only imagined the sound after all, Edward was about to bury his face in his pillow and fall back asleep when he heard another, muffled sob. It was followed by a series of soft sniffles, coming from directly behind the boy.
"Ginger?" Now fully awake, Edward sat up and spun around. The extra pillow lying next to him where the ocelot usually slept was now empty, and he felt a sinking sensation in his chest. He grabbed his blanket and lifted it up and frantically searched between each fold and ripple in the bedsheets, but his friend was nowhere in sight.
Fighting to suppress his growing anxiety, Edward glanced back up at Ginger's pillow and gave a sigh of relief. Upon further inspection of the pillow, he spotted a dappled, furry little tail trailing out from underneath. The tail quivered as another little sob was heard.
"Gingersnap?" Edward grabbed a corner of the pillow and carefully pulled it aside.
Ginger was curled up on the bed with her head in her paws. Her ears drooped and her tiny body trembled as she tried to choke back another sniffle.
Edward reached out and carefully lifted Ginger's chin up with the tip of his finger to reveal her tearstained face. Her eyes were puffy and red, while her typically soft and fluffy cheeks were matted where tears had streaked through her fur.
"Ginger!" Edward gasped softly. "Oh no, are you okay? What's the matter?"
Ginger avoided meeting her friend's gaze and hesitated for a moment as if she had to the strength to reply. "I-I had a really bad dream…" She murmured.
Edward furrowed his brow in sorrow. He guessed the girl had just woken up from a horrible nightmare, and that her quiet sniffling was only the calm before the storm. He had never seen Ginger look so frightened and sad. "Do you wanna tell me what happened in your dream? It might help it seem less scary." He offered.
Ginger gave a tiny nod and took a deep, shuddering breath before she began. "At first, I was being chased through a dark forest by huge, white wolves with glowing eyes and long black fangs. They were right on my tail, about to catch me and rip me to shreds, when the pack suddenly ran into each other and became a raging flash flood that knocked over everything in its path. The water swept me away through the trees toward a steep cliff." Ginger's voice wavered as her eyes brimmed with fresh tears. "As I fell over the edge, I s-saw Auntie Eleanor's body swirling through the w-water next to me…"
Edward frowned, quickly cupping his left hand around Ginger's trembling body to comfort her. He was just opening his mouth to tell her it was only a dream when the ocelot unintentionally interrupted him.
"I miss her s-s-so much…" Ginger squeezed her eyes shut as tears streamed down her face, glistening silver in the moonlight. "S...sometimes I wish it had been me instead of her!" She spluttered.
Edward's eyes widened in shock as he gasped aloud. "G-Ginger! Don't say that!"
Ginger put her head in her paws again and began to sob uncontrollably, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes.
Edward felt a tug at his heart as his own eyes prickled with tears. Learning that his characteristically optimistic and cheerful friend had harbored such a dark thought in her mind was utterly heartbreaking. "Come here…" He scooped Ginger up in his palm and lifted her up, holding her against his chest in a close yet gentle hug.
Ginger buried her face in Edward's tank top and cried as he held her close. She wailed pitifully, her tiny body heaving with each mournful sob.
"Please, don't say things like that, Ginger…" Edward whispered softly. "If you'd been swept away in that flood instead, I never would have met you, a-and then…" His voice cracked and he allowed his sentence to trail off to remain unfinished. He shuddered at the thought of what his life would have been like had he not met Ginger when he did. Depression had been hanging over him like a dense fog, consuming his everyday thoughts and actions and taking control of his life. Overbearing numbness, crippling guilt, and sleeplessness had turned the simple task of getting out of bed in the morning into a grueling battle.
After Ginger came to live with him, the dark fog threatening to overwhelm him thinned out. Taking care of Ginger gave him a reason to get out of bed, and keeping up with the energetic ocelot kept his mind occupied and prevented more dark thoughts from entering his thoughts.
"I...I don't want to know what would've happened to me if I hadn't met you, Ginger…" Edward admitted.
Suddenly overwhelmed with guilt, Ginger sniffled and clutched at Edward's shirt with her front paws. She only cried harder when his chest started to heave with silent sobs.
Edward sniffed and swallowed hard, fighting to compose himself for her sake. "It's okay." He murmured shakily. "You're here now, you live here with me and I'm always gonna be here to watch over you and keep you safe. Everything's gonna be okay...for both of us." He carefully cupped his other hand over Ginger and hugged her close.
With Edward there to hold and comfort her, Ginger's frantic sobbing eventually reduced to an occasional whimper or sniffle. Exhausted, she relaxed against the boy's chest, soothed by his warmth and the sound of his heartbeat in the sudden silence.
Edward gazed down at Ginger as he softly stroked her back with the pad of his finger. "Do you feel better now, little one?"
Ginger nodded and rubbed her head against his chest. "I'm sorry, Ed…" She began, her voice hoarse from crying till her throat felt raw. "I didn't mean what I said about wishing the flood took me instead of my aunt. In a way, I'm glad everything happened the way it did. I think it was meant to be, because now you're my best friend and I feel happier with you than I ever did with my clan. If I hadn't left home and traveled on my own for a while, I wouldn't have met you, and just thinking about it makes me really sad. I'm so sorry if I hurt your feelings earlier…" She sniffed and gazed down at her paws to avoid meeting the boy's gaze.
"That's okay, Ginger. Don't worry about it, alright?" Edward gently brushed away Ginger's tears with his fingertip and tilted her chin up as he had done before.
Ginger slowly lifted her head and gazed up into his golden eyes. "You're so nice to me, Ed...no one other than my aunt has ever shown me such kindness or made me feel so loved." She spread her arms against Edward's chest and hugged him tightly.
Edward smiled warmly as he watched her. "That's because you're the sweetest ocelot I've ever met and I love you so much, buddy, and - oh, c'mere you." He delicately curled his fingers around Ginger's tiny frame and lifted her up to his face. He closed his eyes for a moment and smiled as he nuzzled her softly against his cheeks and chin.
"Ed!" Ginger giggled as the boy cuddled her against his face. She let out a loud purr and rubbed her cheek against Edward's own. "I love you, too - very, very much! I'm so glad we met because I don't know what I would do without you."
"And I'll always be here for you." Edward added softly.
Ginger nodded eagerly and gave him a bright smile. "Thank you so much, Ed!"
"You're welcome, Gingersnap." Edward smiled and gave Ginger a little kiss on the head before he nuzzled her with the tip of his nose.
Ginger purred, stifling a tiny yawn as she blinked sleepily.
"Aww," Edward chuckled softly. "You ready to go back to bed now?"
Ginger nodded eagerly and opened her mouth wide in another yawn. "Sleepytime…"
"That's right," Edward held her out on his palm as he settled back against his pillow and sprawled out on his back. "Would you like me to put you down on your pillow?"
Ginger's eyes widened and she quickly shook her head from side to side. "I don't want more bad dreams to come…"
"Thought so." Edward chuckled and winked at her. "Then how bout you sleep here instead?" He lowered his hand and carefully placed her on top of his tummy.
Ginger's eyes sparkled as she hugged his belly. "Can I, really?"
Edward nodded. "My tummy will protect you from nightmares." He added playfully.
Ginger squeaked happily and snuggled into the fabric of Edward's tank top, purring as she kneaded at her friend's soft and doughy tummy.
Edward crossed his right arm behind his head and sighed contently as he looked down to watch Ginger play with his belly. When Ginger closed her eyes and wrapped her tail around herself, he rested his left hand below the spot where she had curled up and closed his own eyes.
Edward smiled softly when he felt Ginger nestle into the space between his thumb and index finger. "'Night, Ginger." He murmured.
"Goodnight, Ed." Ginger nuzzled him as she wrapped her long tail around his finger. Within minutes, she felt his body relax beneath her and he began to snore softly.
Ginger smiled and gently pressed her back against the underside of Edward's index finger. She spread her paws out on top of him and soon fell asleep rubbing his warm tummy.