Out of their Element

[Olo]

@littlest-lily Oh shit.

Putting the Diego development aside, I admire your narration of the fight very much. Every beat was earned, the dialogue (spoken and internal) was pitch-perfect, and best of all both Evie and Aiden were wholly sympathetic. They were both right, every step of the way.

The Brock exposition was terrifying and all-too-plausible.

I don’t know what to say about Aiden’s decision to bring Diego home, smdh.

[miss-lillipants]

Wow, intense chapter. The emotions and anxiety are so well written, as always.

Let’s hope Diego is easily swayed in his current state.

[Olo]

@miss-lillipants Some drunks see pink elephants, Diego sees nerd fairies.

[miss-lillipants]

@Olo hopefully he’s like me and either forgets, or is left with such hangxiety that he wishes he could forget

[littlest-lily]

@Olo Ahhh, thank you for helping me have a little sigh of relief. The goal was being able to understand where either person might be coming from, so I’m so glad that seemed to land okay as everything came to a head.

[littlest-lily]

@miss-lillipants Thank you so much!! And yes… let’s hope

[Olo]

@littlest-lily It’s always frustrating to watch two people have an unnecessary fight because one or both of them misinterprets something the other has said or done. That wasn’t the case here. Some fights are necessary.

[littlest-lily]

Chapter 50
Aiden

Fuck me. Can today get any worse?

I won’t lie, I’m really upset when I leave the apartment. Furious, even. I’m concerned about Evie, yes, of course I am, but good god am I frustrated with her too. How the hell are we going to make this work if she just refuses to communicate… at all? I hadn’t realized how bad it could get.

It doesn’t help that I’m also feeling frustrated with Diego right now. Okay, so the designated driver’s car broke down while they were out downtown. Yes, it’s annoying, but I still don’t understand why he can’t just call an Uber. He’d gone on about how there were several more bars he wanted to hit and he didn’t want to have to wait around for a ride every time, blablabla. But did he have to be so insistent after I told him “no” multiple times? Just because it’s his birthday doesn’t give him the right to be so selfish.

He heralds me like a hero, though, when I finally make it to whatever bar the group got stranded at. I could tell by his voice over the phone, but he’s already well on his way to getting trashed. The stifling bear hug he gives me is little comfort when I know I’ll be the one sober friend in the group for the next couple of hours, all while I’m very preoccupied with the situation waiting for me back at home.

As the night drags on, Diego’s in such a good mood and is being so affectionate with me and the other guys that I eventually feel guilty for acting sour. Yeah, I didn’t want to come here, but also the issues I’m having with Evie aren’t his fault. Ultimately I try to force a smile onto my face, as fake as it feels.

But this eventually wears on me. It’s been three hours and midnight has come and gone when I can’t take it anymore - I pretend to need to go to the bathroom to take a breather. I sit in the cramped but thankfully clean toilet stall and put my head in my hands. I try and fail to take deep breaths.

What do I do when I eventually get home? I’m assuming Evie is asleep by now. Not that it matters, I’ll probably wake her up when I get back whether I mean to or not. Do I try talking to her again? What do I even say? How do I get her to talk to me?

I stew in frustration for minutes on end. I’ve tried my utmost the entire time she’s lived with me to be so careful and considerate and patient. Haven’t I proven that I won’t judge her no matter what she has to say? Haven’t I shown that she can trust me?

Is… Was any of it even… real? Did she actually fall for me the way I fell for her? Or was that fake too, just another way of placating me and making sure she still has a roof over her head? No, I can’t… Surely it wasn’t all lies. That’s not fair to completely dismiss our connection like that, and it’s too heartbreaking to think about. But there’s clearly complicating factors. And I still have no idea why she wants to avoid getting outside help.

That last thought makes me pause. Come to think of it, I got confirmation today, didn’t I? She’s definitely scared of the police. I don’t know why, but… That sounds kinda major, doesn’t it? She’s afraid of the law. Perhaps that should be a red flag, but I can’t possibly imagine her being a dangerous criminal. Maybe she did something stupid when she was younger, or she was at the wrong place at the wrong time. But whatever happened that led to her feeling the way she does must have been a pretty big deal. Maybe even something really traumatic.

I drop my hands from my face, blinking as I stare down at my shoes. All night I’ve been resenting Evie for not opening up to me. When maybe what I should be focusing on right now is why she’s so tightly shut. I’ve been grappling with the fear that she sees me as nothing but a menace, but… it’s not like she opened up to Moira about this either. And it sounded like she wasn’t close with anyone else before us, even back before she lived in a world of giants. Maybe I’ve been taking things so personally when in reality, it’s got nothing to do with me. She might be dealing with some kind of trauma that’s bigger than any of us.

And I got angry at her for it.

“Shit,” I curse under my breath. I picture her, sitting there on the table, looking… terrified. Maybe not of me, deep down. But I probably wasn’t helping. By the end I was just demanding answers despite her clearly having some sort of breakdown. Fuck. Me.

I want to go home right this second, apologize, tell her she doesn’t owe me anything. I have to go back and try to fix this.

But of course, things aren’t quite so simple. I’m here now. At least the night seems to be winding down, and thankfully everyone else is finally alright with using rideshares to get back home. At this point Diego’s completely wasted though, and I want to make sure he gets home okay. So I drive him to his house and help support him as we walk up to the door. I watch him fumble for the keys in his pocket.

“Uh oh,” he says after checking the same pockets for the fourth time. “Fuuuuck… My keys’re gone. Must’ve dropped 'em…”

“Wonderful,” I groan, “Isn’t Star home? I know it’s late, but can we give her a call to let us in?”

“Nah man… This was s’posed to be a night with the guuyyys. She’s out 'f town, at her parennts…”

I check his pockets myself before finally admitting defeat. With a heavy sigh I think through my options. The timing is awful, but in the end my exhausted mind can’t think of any other solution but to offer to let him stay at my place.

As we drive back to the apartment and it nears two in the morning, I’m deep in thought while Diego nods off in the passenger’s seat. He’s clearly forgetting why he’s not in his own house now and giggling like an idiot about the “amazing” night he’s had. Okay. Plan is that I get him inside, to my room. I’ll sleep on the couch tonight, make sure to stay at Evie’s side and keep her hidden. I’ll need to talk to her… But first I need to get my larger friend settled in and out of the way.

Thirty seconds. I had left him alone in the living room for less than thirty damn seconds. I’d hurriedly gotten my own bed ready for him and grabbed a blanket and pillow for myself. He seemed so out of it that I figured he wouldn’t budge - I was expecting to find him passed out on the floor. But just as I turn to head out of my room, I know immediately something’s wrong. Diego’s not where I left him. And then I hear a very faint but unmistakable scream.

I’m rushing now, hurrying into the living room, just in time to see my drunken friend slumped over the desk and picking something up off of it. Heart in my throat, I almost panic and start yelling at him. But that might create a worse problem, so silently I toss down the blanket and pillow onto the couch as I run over to Diego, and I grab his arm. I hover an open hand just under his fist and squeeze his wrist, hard.

“Let go,” I command firmly.

“Dude, wh-”

“Now.”

With one last jab of my thumb into his arm he loosens his grasp, and I can feel the warm little weight of Evie’s body tumbling into my palm. My heart leaps and I close my fingers around her. She grips me back harder than she ever has.

I glare at Diego as I take a couple of steps back. “Change of plans. You sleep out here. Since apparently you can move around just fine. And stop messing with my stuff.”

He’s looking at me dumbfounded, but I just turn and march back into my bedroom. I shut the door and lock it behind me.

“Evie, I’m so sorry,” I whisper urgently, taking the couple of quick steps to my bed and kneeling beside it on the carpet.

I settle my hand onto the mattress and let her slide onto the bed sheets. There’s more light here than there was in the living room since I’d left my table lamp on, so I can see how pale and shaky she is. She looks completely disheveled and is gasping for air, shuffling backwards on the bed and looking around frantically. Right, I don’t ever bring her in here, of course she’s disoriented.

“You’re safe, the door’s locked,” I soothe before asking intently, “Are you okay? How’s your leg, did he hurt you?”

Her breath is still coming in fast and shallow and she’s keeping a fearful eye on her surroundings, but she manages a small nod. “N-no, I’m okay, he didn’t really t-touch it. It’s fine. I’m f-fine… I…”

No more words come out. But not because she’s steadying herself. In fact her gasping is getting worse. Her body’s shaking, her panic boiling over. She is anything but fine.

Evie starts hyperventilating, curling in on herself as she hugs her arms, and then she drops her head down to the mattress. She goes from panting to sobbing to screaming and back again. She’s writhing, rocking back and forth, hitting her head against the thankfully soft ground. I’ve never seen her come completely undone like this. I watch in wide-eyed fear for a few moments, too stunned to move. It’s been too much for her today, and the frightening encounter she just had was enough to push her over the edge. Whatever has built up inside of her is finally all coming out at once, explosively, and she’s getting caught in the blast.

I reach my hand back up, cup it around her, gently touch her shoulder with a finger. She flinches a little but otherwise doesn’t react, just continues to whimper and cry and dry heave as she curls in on herself.

“Deep breaths, sweet girl,” I whisper, leaning down to kiss her upper back. I hope I’m not making things worse, but it’s almost like she can’t tell I’m there.

The panic attack lasts almost thirty minutes, enough time for me to seriously worry. But whether it’s due to exhaustion or getting it out of her system, her cries start faltering. She begins to respond to my attempts to help calm her down. Finally, even though she’s still curled in on herself, I see her reach one tiny hand out, tentatively searching the air. Immediately I offer her my pinkie and she grabs it, pulls it in, hugs it against her.

With my other hand I carefully stroke her back, softly remind her that she’s safe, just as I’ve done again and again for the last half hour. And this time she finally lifts her head. She’s a mess and she looks absolutely exhausted. But she’s also looking lucid again.

"I-I have to talk to you,” she stutters with a hoarse voice.

“Whatever you need,” I say, and I bring up a tissue that I’d found in the midst of the meltdown, tenderly dabbing it against her cheek before offering it to her. “Just don’t worry about me right now, okay?”

Evie takes the paper with the saddest, weakest look of gratitude I’ve ever seen. She wipes her face off, blows her nose, takes a deep breath. “No, this is just as much for myself. I should’ve told you a long time ago… Bear with me, let me figure out where to start.”

Since it looks like she’s more stable, I decide it might be best to give her some room. I hesitantly pull my hands away, she doesn’t protest, and I settle into a cross-legged seat in front of the bed. The tiny woman stares at the bedsheets for a few seconds, her breathing still shaky, but she’s looking more and more determined as she gathers her resolve. One more deep, tremulous breath. And then an equally tremulous sentence.

“Growing up… my name was Evelyn Frost.”

Uhh. Definitely didn’t realize that she was about to share a different… name. In the couple of seconds of silence that follows, I steel myself for the telling tale she’s about to share.

“Frost was my mom’s maiden name. After my dad passed away when I was four, she took it up again and used it for me too, even though it didn’t match what was on my birth certificate… Anyway, that’s not important. My mom was not a good person. Even before she was a single mom I don’t think she wanted to be a mother at all. And then after my dad died she started doing hard drugs, which… didn’t help.

"Most of the time she acted like I wasn’t there. Any time she did say something to me, it was usually because she was angry about something. She didn’t like me making friends with hardly anyone. She hit me, a lot. Sometimes she’d lock me in the basement for days if she was sick of seeing me.”

I listen quietly. In the back of my mind, I hear Evie’s voice echo, “I hate being underground.” I had no idea the inciting reason for that was straight up child abuse.

“The older I got the more… useful I became to her, I guess. She had me work to help pay rent, do chores, that kind of thing. For the most part I was still terrified of her, but I started standing up for myself too, just a little bit. Not enough to make that much of a difference, and sometimes she doubled down on the punishments. But we were at least able to speak to each other more and more without it devolving into constant one-way fights.”

She glances up at me, a little apprehensive, as if wondering how I’m taking all of this information. I just give her a little nod to let her know I’m listening intently. Then she swallows and clutches her bit of tissue paper tightly as she switches gears.

“I was sixteen when I met Brock. I was waitressing at this old diner at the time, and I was used to guys being sleazy sometimes, but this one was different. He was so kind. So attentive to me. We ended up talking that whole evening as he kept ordering drinks and hardly touching them. By the end of the night I was completely smitten. By the end of the week we were a couple.

“He made me really happy. He would drive me places, he showered me with compliments and gifts, and he was always there for me when things got hard at home. He was eight years older than me so I saw him as so smart and wise… and he was a stand-up citizen so my mom actually approved of him, finally, for once. We’d only been dating for three months when the two of us had already decided I’d move in with him once I turned eighteen. For the next year and a half, I was over the moon.

“On my eighteenth birthday my mom died. She actually got me a cake that year, which was unlike her… I still remember the fancy red cake stand she put it on… Her decision to celebrate didn’t stop her from taking a couple of hits that morning though. It was just me and her when I tried to bring up the subject of me moving out, and it didn’t go well. It turned into a horrible fight, she was screaming at me, she was so furious that I would abandon her like that. I can still picture the cake on the floor… I was kneeling next to it, I picked up the half-broken cake stand… Next thing I knew she was on top of me, and she tripped or something, she fell on me and my head was knocked back against the counter and I blacked out…”

Like a flash in my mind, I suddenly think of what Evie had said, that night we played Clue and I accidentally hit her in the head. I was worried I’d given her a concussion and her response was “I’ve had way worse before.” I never even questioned that.

“She must have passed out too,” Evie continues, “But it’s only when I woke up later that I realized she had fallen on the broken ceramic I was holding and had… had bled out… But it wasn’t intentional! I swear to you, it wasn’t on purpose. Even… even if she deserved it. I didn’t kill her!”

“I believe you,” I assure her gently.

Her eyes meet mine and she nods gratefully. “But it looked bad. Really bad. I called Brock in a panic and he came over right away. He helped cover for me so that I didn’t really have to deal with the police, things were hard enough as is. I did move in with him. I was horrified by what had happened, but… I was also finally free to live my life the way I wanted. And I wanted to be with him more than anything else. I was completely devoted.”

Her tone drops as a shadow passes over her expression. "I didn’t see the signs then. I thought Brock just loved me so much. He didn’t want me to have to worry about working and insisted I should just quit my job, stay at home and relax for a while. Every couple of weeks he bought me a new outfit, even though I was never that much into fashion. The compliments he showered me with started becoming… a little much. And he wasn’t quite as supportive anymore when I was struggling - anytime I’d complain or get sad about something he just seemed so annoyed by it. He didn’t like it whenever I tried to make new friends, he thought I was spending too much time with other people. He started limiting how much food I could have. He had certain… expectations in bed. And over time he started getting upset with me over the smallest things…

"I was still pretty young and naive and I made a lot of excuses for him, but eventually even I could tell things were toxic. But anytime I tried to talk to him about it, it didn’t go well. It got physical sometimes. Every time he hit me he was so apologetic, he’d buy me another damn dress and tell me how much he loved me… but I was seeing through him at this point.

“After living together for over two years, I wanted out. He knew I wanted out. One day he took me out into the woods. He confronted me about how I felt, but when I admitted I wanted to break up he went ballistic. He had a gun, h-he threatened to kill himself. The way things had gotten, I honestly wouldn’t have put it past him to kill me first… I’d never been so scared in my life… The next day while he was at work, I snuck out. I ran away, just packed the few things I could carry and took the first bus out of town.”

Recounting this is clearly painful for her and she falls into silence for a moment, breathing hard. I stare at her for a few seconds, reeling from the intensity of it all.

“Holy shit, Evie,” I whisper.

She’s determined to keep going. "I was homeless for a little while. Very slowly I found jobs and started building myself back up… But Brock never stopped looking for me. Somehow he would always figure out where I went. One time he showed up where I worked, I just snuck out the back and skipped town again. Another time he’d figured out who one of my new friends was and began harassing her to find out where I was staying, so I left. One day I was leaving for work and recognized his car sitting in the parking lot. I immediately grabbed my stuff and ran away on the spot.

“It was a hard four years on my own. Eventually I decided it might be worth it to go back to school. If I could get a college degree, maybe I could get a better job, move farther away, find a place to live with better security. I applied for a million scholarships and managed to get enough that I thought I could pull it off. That’s when I changed my name. I used my dad’s last name of Ondine, which is what my legal name is anyway, and just wrote down one of my nicknames as if it was my official one. I hoped between that and the fact that I was moving several states over it might make it harder for Brock to track me down. And so far so good, he hasn’t found me. Although, there are probably a few extra reasons for that…”

She motions down at her small stature. It’s hard to believe that she’s been through enough hardship that it rivals the fact that she was shrunken into this state. I’d gotten the sense she had some darker parts of her life she didn’t want to share, things that might have explained the constant glossing over her own needs or why she hadn’t been able to maintain friendships, but I wasn’t expecting it to be this bad. And Evie’s not quite finished yet.

“I want to try and explain something…” she says, staring intently into my eyes. "A lot happened during my solo life. A year into it, after I’d stayed a couple of months in the same place… I met a guy. I was so scared of dating again, but he was such a good friend and I gave it a shot. It was great, he helped me realize what a real, loving relationship could actually be like. I owe him a lot. But after dating for a few months I finally told him about Brock. And it… it really freaked him out. H-he didn’t say it was the reason, but he broke up with me the next day. Not that it would have mattered because it wasn’t much longer before I, um… had to move again.

"The year after that, I met someone who I just saw as a casual friend, but he wanted more. He was so angry when I turned him down. Somehow he found out I had a stalker. He tried to blackmail me with it, he’d threaten me every time I saw him at work. I didn’t even wait until Brock showed up again. Within a few weeks I left.

“The year after that, I had my first official roommate since the breakup. It was hard to find hostels or single apartments in the area I was in, and I figured it was time I try living with someone again. She was nice, I guess. But again… I made a mistake and ended up telling her about my ex. She was scared that he might show up at our place and ended up kicking me out.”

I’m putting it all together, everything’s starting to make some sense. No wonder she was so hesitant to talk to me about this.

She looks too tired to cry but weak sobs are racking her body anyway. “I’m sorry, Aiden, y-you’ve never given me any reason t-to doubt you, but every time I opened up to someone about this shit it always blew up in my face. I d-didn’t want to lose you too. But… but I shouldn’t have just lumped y-you in with–”

“It’s okay,” I breathe, curling my hand behind her, “It’s alright, I get it now. Thank you so much for telling me. I’m sorry you’ve had such a weight on your shoulders all this time, without any support.”

Right then, out of nowhere, she smiles. Just a fleeting moment of pure relief and appreciation after a lifetime of struggling alone. It’s just for a second before it crumbles into exhaustion again. I half smile back and then lean in, I want to make sure she knows…

“I’m not going anywhere.” I say, kissing her forehead, and I hover there, staying close. “I’m still processing some of that, but… I don’t care what happened in the past. I want to embrace everything about you, just as you are. Okay?”

More weak sobs. “I should’ve known you would,” she whimpers. She rests her head against my chin, letting out whatever tears she has left. And then she’s kissing me, planting little pecks all along my skin, and it fills me with so much emotion that I almost start crying with her. We embrace for a long time, with her resting in the catharsis while I take the time to really absorb everything she just told me.

“I just have one question, if you don’t mind me asking,” I finally say, pulling my face away and sitting back on my heels. “I’m still not sure why you’re so against the police? I think the situation with your mom could be proven to be an accident, or at least self defense, assuming it ever came up again. And they might actually be able to help with a stalker. I’m sure that’s easier said than done, but…”

Evie slowly shakes her head, gaze trailing to the floor. “Maybe under normal circumstances I would have gotten the courage to go to the cops. But that’s just the problem…” She looks up at me with a defeated smile. “Brock is a cop.”

[Olo]

@littlest-lily

[miss-lillipants]

Evie, you’re doing amazing, sweetie.

[littlest-lily]

@miss-lillipants Oof, the part of my soul where Evie lives breathed a sigh of relief

[littlest-lily]

Chapter 51
Evie

It was a dreamless sleep, thankfully. No more nightmares. I’ve done enough reliving the past.

I jolt awake, thrown off by my unfamiliar surroundings. I’m on a surface that’s way bigger than the bed I normally sleep on, green cloth stretching in every direction. There’s an edge to the fabric, and beyond that is a darker shade of green that… oh. I see now. Aiden must have put me on the pillow on his bed. I don’t even remember going to sleep last night. We had that long talk, and I think at some point I crawled into his outstretched hand… I guess I drifted off in the middle of a conversation. I was so exhausted that I must have just slept through getting relocated to this pillow. He’s even cut out another scrap of fabric so that he could lay a blanket over me.

Aiden’s still here, sitting on the floor by the bed, to watch over me I suppose. But he must have eventually dozed off too, he’s doubled over forward with the side of his head sitting on the mattress, a hundred feet away from where I am now.

He’s still… here. I mean, obviously he’s here, physically, but… Wow. I haven’t lost him. I can’t believe I told him everything last night. It’s so surreal, I have to remind myself that it wasn’t a dream. I’m still a bit wary - in the past the negative effects of me talking about my story weren’t always immediate. But from his reaction and what I know of him, I really believe things will be different this time.

There’s a lot of sunlight in the room, it’s almost blinding actually. I’m not sure how late we were up talking, but we must have been reaching the wee hours of the morning, so maybe now it’s late morning? I’m not sure. I’m still feeling pretty drained, truth be told.

I sit upright and wince at a soreness in my side. I rub my eyes groggily and push my hair back, feeling like a total mess. Yesterday was so stressful, and I did so much crying and screaming and hyperventilating that my throat still hurts now. I’m nowhere near as anxious anymore, but I’m still in the midst of recovering from all that drama. I just need some time.

With a budding smile, I scoot a little closer to the edge of the pillow as I gaze out at my favorite giant. He doesn’t exactly look comfortable with his back hunched over and his neck bent at an odd angle, but it still feels rather peaceful to see him quietly dozing. Which is an interesting thought considering what happened the last time I saw him fall asleep. It’s like I should be scared, but I’m just not. So much happened last night and tensions ran high, but none of my affection for him has gone anywhere. If anything I care about him more than ever.

I flinch at the sound of a muffled thump through the wall. Oh… shit. How on earth did I forget that we have a guest?! That’s the entire reason we’re even in this room! It suddenly all rushes back to me, and I realize where the soreness in my side comes from. Unfamiliar tree trunk like fingers plucking me roughly from where I sat, hurtling me into the air and enveloping me into the darkness of a fist… I shudder. I should actually be thankful that Diego was as careful as he was, considering how clearly drunk he was. But regardless of anything else, we now have to deal with the fact that my cover is blown.

There’s more shuffling outside, though from the location of where the noise is coming from I think the other titan is still on the couch. But he’s definitely stirring. I carefully climb off of the pillow and make the trek across the mattress so that I can reach Aiden. It’s like walking through sand as I sink slightly into the sheets with every step. Thankfully he’s not too far away and soon I’m feeling the breeze of his slow, deep breath roll over my feet.

Being careful not to wake him up too suddenly, I decide to approach the sleeping giant’s forehead and gently touch the dark hair of his bangs. He feels the slight tickle and frowns, his eyes squeezing tighter shut before relaxing again - he’s twitching a little but still asleep. I reach out a second time, placing my palm directly against his skin. The reaction is surprisingly different this time. He goes very, very still, but his eyes slowly start blinking open.

I smile and kiss his forehead. In one smooth motion, he both tilts his head up and pulls it backward to catch sight of me. He smiles sleepily and mutters, “Hey, you.”

“Good morning,” I say, sounding pretty out of it myself. “Um… I think your friend might be up.”

“Oh. Right.”

Aiden brings a hand up to the mattress so that he can push himself upright with a groan. He rubs at the nape of his neck, shaking his head as if trying to dispel the sleepy haze.

“I’m sorry I brought him here,” he says, keeping his voice particularly quiet so as to not be overheard. “He lost his house keys while we were out, I couldn’t think of what to do… I should have called up a different friend or something…”

“That’s alright,” I assure him, “I don’t blame you for wanting to help a friend out. And he didn’t hurt me, but… he did see me.”

Aiden nods, eyes unfocused for a moment as he also recalls what happened right before we retreated to his bedroom. When he looks at me again he seems conflicted. “What do you want to do? I can try to convince him that he was just seeing things.”

“Ugh, I don’t want to make you lie to him like that… Plus he’s seen all my stuff too, that’s harder to explain."

I don’t like someone else finding out about me. It took a whole lot of convincing to get me to meet Moira, and that was in a much more controlled situation. But now I’m feeling like I don’t have much of a choice.

“He’s not a bad guy, right?” I say, trying to convince myself more than anything.

“Right. I’m really annoyed with him at the moment, but he’s a good person. He’s just a lot.”

I can’t help smiling wryly. “You know, you’ve said that more than once, but I always thought you were referring to his personality. Didn’t know you meant it literally.”

“I meant it both ways,” Aiden says with a sigh.

“It’s weird, I don’t remember him being that tall in class.”

“Well, I suppose you have a bit of a different perspective now.”

There’s another thump from the living room, and this time I would guess that it’s from Diego getting off of the couch. Sure enough I can hear it from past the wall… footsteps.

“You don’t think he’ll try grabbing me again?” I ask nervously, hurrying forward on the mattress to get closer to Aiden.

He notices where I’m heading and leans in, offering me an open hand. “No, no, I won’t let him. He’s not–”

There’s a knock at the bedroom door, and the sound makes me feel jumpy enough to quickly scurry onto my protector’s palm. A male voice booms from just outside, and even though it’s muffled it’s still so all-encompassing.

“Hey, Aiden? You in there, bro?”

Well… Here we go. The hand platform I’m on lifts up and up as Aiden gets to his feet and holds me up to his chest. I both hear and feel him take a deep breath in and out to steady himself, and I imitate him in turn. Then he’s walking over, reaching out to unlock the door.

“Yeah, I’m still here,” he says, “I actually, uh… I have someone to introduce you to. Just chill, okay? Don’t get too loud.”

My heart’s hammering hard against my sternum as he opens the door, and the colossus that I’ve only briefly encountered waits on the other side. He looks even more exhausted than either one of us does, and from the way he squints at the slight influx of light, I can tell that he’s sporting quite the hangover. He’s not so terrifyingly monstrous looking in the light of day, now that I’m no longer in as much of a vulnerable state. I’m recognizing him a little better from when I saw him in class - deep dark eyes, warm bronze skin and thick black hair, currently in a state of disarray. But even though he’s looking more human he’s still very… very large. Despite Aiden holding me up, I have to tilt my head way back to look at him.

Diego’s eyes find me quickly. It’s not quite the same level of shock as yesterday, just a moment of frowning and staring as I sit there, feeling tense in anticipation. But then to my surprise, his features relax and he lets out a deep sigh.

"Shit, you have no idea how relieved I am that I wasn’t hallucinating,” he says, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose, “I’d already sworn off alcohol.”

“Still probably not a bad idea,” Aiden responds with an edge to his voice.

“Well, I guess this explains all that stuff on the desk.” Diego looks at me again and this time he smiles and crouches down a little, lowering his head to better address me. “So what are you supposed to be then, some kind of little elf?”

I can feel the hand I’m sitting in tense up, the fingers curling slightly around me in a protective gesture. “She’s a person, Diego,” Aiden growls.

Of all things, this is what sets me at ease. I glance up at my giant and I’m finding myself suppressing laughter. He’s like my own oversized guard dog. Down, boy, I think, giving his thumb a comforting tap, and then I turn my attention to our guest.

"I’m Evie,” I say, raising my voice more than I usually might. “We used to all be in biochem together.”

Diego balks at this. “Wait, what? You’re–” I inhale sharply as he moves closer to get a better look at me, staring into my face with more discerning eyes. “Holy fuck, what happened to you?!”

“Easy,” Aiden interjects, reaching an arm out to stop the titan from getting too close. “Not so loud, remember?”

"It’s a long story,” I pipe up shakily, not knowing how else to explain it right now.

Hardly noticing the hand that’s pressing against his shoulder, Diego keeps his eyes glued to my small form as he stands back to his full height. "That’s gotta be some story. Have you seen a doctor? You, uh… you might want to get that checked out.”

I hear an intake of breath above my head, a small gasp of sudden realization. "Wait,” Aiden says slowly, “You’re in nursing school.”

"Okay, fair point, I’d have no idea where to start with this, not really sure what a doctor would do…”

"No, it’s… I think we could use your help.”

Ten minutes later, I’m back on my own bed again, oddly enough. Prone on my stomach, I’m letting my leg get examined by someone who’s actually somewhat qualified to evaluate how it’s doing and whether the continued pain I’ve been dealing with is normal. Aiden had briefly left the room with me to make sure I’d be okay with the exam, and yes I’m a little nervous turning my back on a gargantuan stranger, but I think it’s worth making sure it’s properly healing.

“How long ago did this happen?” Diego asks, peering through a magnifying glass at the long, still visible cut. I can’t believe how easily he was able to switch into business mode, he’s honestly been taking the idea of a shrunken person remarkably well. I feel the side of his thumb against my calf, tugging slightly on the skin.

“About a month ago, I think?” I say, trying to think back.

There’s the click of a phone button as Aiden checks a calendar. “Yeah, just over four weeks,” he confirms.

“Gotcha,” Diego muses, “This is looking pretty good for four weeks, actually. No signs of infection either - and you’d know by now. You really would’ve benefited from sutures though, this is gonna leave a scar. Lift your leg up for me?”

I obey, bending my leg and raising my knee. The nurse-in-training slips his fingers underneath, carefully taking my calf in a pincer grasp. His skin is even warmer than what I’m used to, something I didn’t notice last night. I try not to imagine how tiny my limb must look to him, and I talk some more to keep my mind distracted. “Aren’t I too small to get stitched up?”

“Nah, not if it’s this sizeable. Microsurgery is a thing,” the giant sounds unperturbed as he slowly moves my leg around, this way and that. “Modern medicine is amazing, man. Okay, does this hurt?”

There’s a pressure in the back of my knee but I tell him that it’s not painful. He continues to poke and prod as he checks for sensitive areas, and I’m starting to feel more and more impressed. Judging from his overall demeanor, I thought he’d be a lot rougher than this. I guess he likely has a lot of experience doing delicate tasks, considering his intended profession, so his hand control is pretty amazing for his size. Thank goodness.

I feel the edge of his thumb roll over the sole of my foot, and then there’s a pinching around my ankle as my leg is suddenly lifted a little higher.

“Hehehe, look at that,” Diego chuckles, “Such itty bitty feet.”

“Dude… Focus,” Aiden sighs, “And be careful, please.”

“Aw come on, it’s not every day I get such a miniature patient. I’m as careful as can be.”

Another minute or so passes, until my leg suddenly spasms from whatever pressure he just put on it. It doesn’t hurt, but I still yelp, “Ahh, I definitely feel that.”

"Got it. That’s actually a good sign, you should feel that. I’m going to lift your hips now, okay?”

His fingers move to pinch either side of my waist and Aiden jumps in, "Wait a sec, careful with the–”

"I know, I got it. Yeesh, I get that she’s tiny but she’s not nearly as fragile as you think, bro.” There’s a warm nudge against my ribs. "Does he always treat you like you’re made of tissue paper?”

I smile against my pillow before responding, "Well, I did manage to handicap myself…”

"And look how well you’re doing now, just a few weeks later with no stitches. You’re a hardy lil’ thing. Alright, can you flip back over?”

I roll onto my back, and while I was getting used to Diego’s presence, now seeing him looming overhead like this is making me feel intimidated all over again. He pushes my knee up towards my stomach, then pulls it out to the side, and Jesus Christ his fingers are as big as mountain lions and one wrong move could snap a bone with ease– I shift my attention to the more distant face in the background, calling out to him as I try to stay distracted.

“Hey Aiden?" I yell, "Would you mind checking on Moira? She said she’d swing by today but if she’s still sick…”

“Wait,” Diego interrupts, and he suddenly sits up straight. “Moira? Our Moira?” He swings his head around to look at the other giant. “You told her about this but you didn’t tell me?”

Aiden’s already pulled his phone out to do what I’d asked, but then he pauses to give his friend a look. “Think about it.” He holds both hands out and gestures with the one holding the phone. “Gentle, sweet little Moira…” His other hand then motions to Diego. “…versus King Kong over here.”

“Alright alright, fuck, I get it,” the larger titan grumbles, turning back to me, “The little shrimp prefers littler people. Although I’m doing a pretty good job being ‘gentle and sweet’ - aren’t I, Shrimp?” he quips, leaning in to give me a lighthearted smile.

I can see Aiden looking positively murderous at the choice of nickname that was just used. But before he can say anything, to my own surprise, I just start laughing and quip right back. “You’re doing great, Kong.”

He laughs too, though his attention is back on his work as he finishes up one last leg stretch. “I like this girl. Sit up for me, Evie?”

I push myself up and turn to let my legs dangle over the edge of the bed. For the next minute or two he asks me to do a series of movements with both limbs - lifting each knee in turn, straightening each leg out, curling and spreading my toes, and so on. Finally it seems the exam has come to a close.

"I’m not an orthopedist,” Diego concludes, “but as far as I can tell, you’ve got good range of motion, and I don’t think there was any nerve damage. My guess is that the recent pain’s just from overdoing it without properly easing back into things. I’ll write down some exercises for you to build that muscle back up, ‘kay? At the rate you’re going, I bet you won’t even feel anything two weeks from now.”

"Thank you,” I say, with a relieved sigh.

"Don’t mention it! That was fun! Got my mind off this damn headache. Oh, by the way…” He rolls the chair back and glances between both Aiden and I while pointing over to the side of the desk. “I was looking through your first aid stuff earlier. We should probably get you guys some liquid bandage for emergencies, that’d be easier than using these kinds of dressings. Even Star uses it on some of the smaller animals.”

Damn. Having someone who’s actually knowledgeable about this stuff is really coming in handy. But I’m distracted as I frown and look past Diego. “Who’s Star?” I mouth in Aiden’s direction.

“His wife,” he explains. “She’s that friend who’s a vet at the place I worked at.” I’m still a little confused about the rather unusual name, and it’s clearly showing on my face because he adds, “Her actual name’s Estella. We call her that because–”

“Because she’s the star of my life!” Diego interjects, sweeping his arms out dramatically, “The most beautiful, wonderful woman I could ever ask for!”

“…because he read her name wrong when he first met her,” Aiden continues with a growing smile, “He thought her name tag said ‘Estrella.’ Which is Spanish for–”

“Shut the fuck uuuup, dude!” The larger titan gets to his feet to wrap one beefy arm around his shorter friend’s neck in a headlock, “Why you always gotta make me look bad in front of new people?!”

The scene looks a little more intense from my perspective, but the two wrestling kaijus are both beaming and now I’m giggling too. I’m starting to get a sense of how their friendship works.

“You know,” Diego says suddenly, looking back down at me, “Star might actually be the better person to help you out with injuries, if something like this ever happens again. She’s more used to tiny critters, I know she stitched up a hamster’s leg before.” He pauses as he seems to think of something, looking between the both of us again. “I can tell her about this, right?”

Just like he did before this morning’s introduction, Aiden’s looking conflicted again, his smile quickly vanishing. “Um… You know I think Star’s great, but… we’re really trying to keep this on the DL, man. Moira’s the only other person who knows, we weren’t planning on telling anyone else yet.”

“Oh come on,” Diego whines, “You can’t make me keep this a secret from her! I mean… I will if I have to, I’ll just… pretend it’s a HIPAA thing, I guess…”

I keep surprising myself this morning. It’s crazy what unloading a lifetime’s worth of anxiety will do to a person. “No,” I call up, “It’s alright, you can tell her. Just her, though… please.”

A wide, joyful grin lights up Diego’s face. “You got it, Shrimp! Don’t worry, she can definitely keep a secret. Ohhhh and then you can meet her! How about it, we’ll have you guys come over for dinner in a few days? It’ll be great!”

I smile weakly, bracing myself as my world continues to expand. Honestly, it might very well be a boon to have both a nurse and a veterinarian to turn to for help if I’m dealing with any kind of medical issue. Yes, I’m still nervous about more people knowing about me. But at the same time, the thought of having a couple more friends in my circle… it doesn’t sound too bad.

[Olo]

@littlest-lily Very, very relieved to see that Evie has had some kind of catharsis, and her genuine laughter is a balm.

Unlike Aiden, I don’t have a long friendship history with Diego, so I’m still a bit growly. Particularly calling Evie “Shrimp” without first asking for her permission.

Who wouldn’t like to be examined by a giant doctor? I’d subscribe to that ASMR channel.

“Kaiju wrestling” sounds like a specific fetish unto itself.

[miss-lillipants]

@Olo said:

“Kaiju wrestling” sounds like a specific fetish unto itself.

Sign me up.

@littlest-lily yay, friends!

[littlest-lily]

@Olo I’m sure I’m not the only one who has had the opportunity to confide their trauma in a close friend and found it simultaneously really hard and really freeing. She needed to get that out to a friendly ear for sure!

Yeah, Aiden does have a close friendship with the guy and he was also a little growly despite that lol. Diego’s lucky that I had Evie take her new nickname in stride and shoot one right back at him. I figured she might have found it refreshing for someone to not treat her like this helpless fragile thing for once. (But mostly I just wanted this chapter to be a bit more lighthearted after all the heavy stuff heh)

And um yes giant doctor ASMR please and thank you