"It gets dark everywhere, bird," Aiden said softly, reminding him, and he kept petting the boy, his chin on the messy hair. "There are scary things in the dark, you know that. But we gotta be brave."
He sighed, holding Wren against his solid, warm chest. "I've got you. You're safe. And nobody else in here is gonna hurt you either, right?" He hesitated, then nuzzled the soft hair. "Good food? You eating?"