Out of their Element

[Olo]

@littlest-lily To be fair to Camila, I’m sure a lot of people would have trouble believing their eyes when confronted with a shrunken person, no matter what their friends told them. Part of Camila probably still thinks Evie is some sort of automaton with a small speaker being remotely voiced by one of Aiden’s confederates.

The only solution I could suggest would be to let Camila handle Evie briefly.

[miss-lillipants]

Oof, the tension in this one; I was holding my breath til the end. Sometimes there’s just no point in trying with some people IMO, just way too much effort for something so exhausting (or I’m just getting old and impatient). But maybe there’s some hope here with Camilla.

[littlest-lily]

@Olo I intentionally did not make Camila likeable, but I did attempt to have her not be completely unreasonable if you really think about it. I’m sure many people would be really weirded out be a small person.

Though at this point I don’t think Evie (or Aiden for that matter) would feel comfortable with Camila picking her up.

[littlest-lily]

@miss-lillipants I agree with you! The only reason they’re trying so hard with Camila is because she knows of Evie’s secret existence, and they want to stay on her good side.

[littlest-lily]

Chapter 61
Aiden

I’m standing in the Hispanic section of the grocery aisle, staring down a variety of mole sauces. I reach a hand out to point my forefinger at one of them.

“No no, next row up.”

My hand drifts higher. Why are there so many varieties?

“Two to the left… Yes! That one, perfect. This stuff is so good.”

I smile at the little voice near my ear as I pick the jar off the shelf and put it in the shopping cart. Evie and I have never gone grocery shopping together, but we felt like giving it a shot today. And we’re attempting something different so that we don’t have to try and communicate with each other while she’s in my pocket. Instead, I’m wearing a slouchy black beanie and she’s held snugly against the side of my head, half perched on my left ear. Not only is she completely hidden from sight, just barely peeking her face out, but this should also keep her protected from the absurd amount of AC they pump in here.

“What should we make with this, though?” I mutter, acting as if I’m pondering to myself.

“I was thinking enchiladas! We have that leftover chicken to use up.”

“Mmkay, sounds great. Tortillas are in the bread aisle–”

“Aiden!”

I flinch and my stomach does a flip, though I’m careful not to jerk my head too sharply towards the voice. At first I’m frustrated that the second we try something new like this I just had to run into someone I know, until I process whose voice that is.

“Hey, man!” Star exclaims as she hurries down the aisle towards me. “Fancy seeing you here. Are you uh… alone?” She glances towards my pocket before looking around as if searching for another full-sized person.

I give her a secretive smile and reach up to pretend I’m tugging the edge of my hat. In reality I’m just pointing out my little passenger. I can feel her stick her head out a bit further as she peers over my ear and gives our friend a tiny wave. Star’s eyes widen and she suppresses what would otherwise be a very enthusiastic greeting. She’s having to press a fist against her mouth to keep from squeeing, clearly finding the setup adorable.

“Yeah, just picking up a couple of things,” is what I say out loud. “Are you here alone?”

“No, Diego’s around here somewhere…” she says, glancing over her shoulder. “He really wants to make tamales so he’s probably meticulously picking out peppers right now.”

There’s a family coming down the aisle at this point so we just make small talk for a bit. I ask about some of her colleagues from work, old coworkers of mine from when I worked at the vet clinic’s front desk. She asks about the classes I’m planning to take in the fall and what my schedule will look like. A couple of minutes later we wrap it up.

“Oh hey, when you get home, can you tell Evie…” Star’s clearly directing her eyeline just a tad to my left. “Moira and I were wanting to start getting brunch on a regular basis, just some girl time every other week or so. She’s totally invited if she’d like.”

“Okay, I’ll let her know,” I respond, trying not to laugh as I feel an excited wriggle against my head.

“Eyyy, party in aisle three!”

A few strangers startle at the imposing figure that suddenly swerves around the corner. Diego’s not one to really worry about what people around him think, and he’s really exemplifying that now with the volume of his voice.

“Hey bro! What’s on the menu for you guys?” he asks, drawing his cart up just behind mine.

“Enchiladas.”

“Ohhhh shit that sounds so good right now…”

“But you wanted to do tamales for dinner!” Star protests, “Now I’m craving them.”

“Mmmm, I know what I really want for dinner,” Diego retorts, cocking an eyebrow at her suggestively. He gently takes his wife’s hand to ease her towards him, and then suddenly scoops her up in his arms to dump her into the grocery cart. She’s laughing hard as he whisks her away.

“See ya later, dude!” my shameless friend calls over his shoulder.

“Bye,” I laugh with an eye roll.

“I love them,” Evie giggles.

The rest of the grocery trip is uneventful and we successfully get through it with tonight’s dinner ingredients in tow. I’m glad to take the beanie off once we get back to the car since summer’s in full swing and I can tell I’m about to start sweating. But still, my girlfriend assures me she was comfortable in there, and it’s good to know we have another hiding option in our toolkit.

Later we’re both in the kitchen as Evie helps direct me through the cooking steps. We get about halfway through, and then she seems very eager to help fill the tortillas once I’ve laid them out, so I go ahead and take a shower while I leave her on the counter to work at that.

It’s as I dry myself off in the bathroom that I check my phone and notice I have a few new texts from Diego. I read them with a frown, feeling a little conflicted about the proposition that I’ve just received. He’s given me an invite to something and I’m not sure if it’s a good idea or not… I’ll need to talk to Evie about it.

I’m surprised at how much she’s gotten done when I come back from the kitchen. I’d already laid out the shredded chicken on the open tortillas, but she’s gone through and covered each one with cheese. She’s also cobbled together a platform from an old pasta box that I’d left lying around, so now she’s standing at the edge of the baking pan with a miniature spoon the size of a tennis racket in her hands. She’s been scooping out mole sauce from its jar and turns to me excitedly once I step back into the kitchen.

“I just talked to Moira!” she chirps, nodding towards her phone that’s nearby. “First brunch session is next Saturday - we’ll do it picnic style as long as the weather’s nice. I should be back by two or three.”

I smile at her enthusiasm. “Take your time, spend all day with them if you want.” I then pause as I notice that her eyes are shining. I crouch down by the counter, leaning in closer to get a better look at her face. “Everything okay?” I ask.

“Uh huh.” She props the spoon onto the edge of the jar so that her hands are free to wipe away the gathered tears. “It’s just that it means so much to me that I was invited to something like this… I’m so happy I have a friend group again.”

It’s so strange how used to her I’ve gotten. It’s not like I ever actually forget about Evie’s size, but I do sometimes forget the extreme level to which it impacts her life. Seeing this amount of gratitude over just having a couple of friends is enough to get me choked up for a second. I clear my throat to keep my voice from wavering.

“I’m glad you do too… Um, I think I’ve noticed something, actually. Just from hanging out in a couple of group settings now. Are you an extrovert, Evie?”

She abandons her oversized spoon to come sit on the edge of the pasta box so we can be face to face. “That’s actually a very good question. I think I might be. I’m comfortable being alone, or rather I’m used to it, but when I was younger I would always surround myself with people at school. Over the years I ended up isolating myself a lot more… But I’d still be happiest and most energized when I was working and interacting with my coworkers.”

Damn. It’s taken me way too long to realize how much of a people person she is. We both spend so much time shut away at home that I just kind of assumed that she’s more of an introvert like I am. But that’s not right. She’s just having to suppress her natural tendencies.

“If there’s anything I could do to help you have a fuller social life…” I say tentatively.

“No, it’s okay babe, you’ve done enough. I already so appreciate what I have, I don’t need any more - even if it felt safe to do so. In fact… I don’t know if this makes any sense, but I think the fact that I’m extroverted might be what makes me able to handle having even just a couple of friends who are so much bigger than me. I know I don’t have a lot of them but they’re still… a lot. Know what I mean?”

“I can only imagine. I guess it would be rough trying to hang out with, like, a dozen people."

“Exactly. Secrecy aside, it’d be so overwhelming.”

“Well… this actually kinda segues into something I need to talk to you about… Here, do you mind if I keep working at that?” I motion to the pan with the thin puddle of sauce.

“Go for it, I’ve had my fun. I was getting to the point where I couldn’t reach deep enough in the jar.”

It feels considerate, somehow, to continue the task by reaching in with my own spoon instead of dumping the sauce straight from the jar. This gives me the time to explain the texts that I’ve gotten.

“So… Every year, the Ignacios’ extended family all get together for Thanksgiving. They’re spread out across the country, so it’s become tradition for the family to rent a big cabin in the woods and everyone travels there. Well, for various reasons this year, it’s not happening with the family. Diego just texted me – they decided they still wanted to rent a cabin, but do it more locally and invite a couple of friends instead. Aka us.”

“Ohhhhhh my god! Aiden, that sounds fantastic! We can finally go camping, or glamping or whatever.”

“Hold on, there’s a catch. You and I are invited, and Moira. But Camila was the one who came up with the idea. Meaning she’ll be there too.”

“Oh…” Her energy level drops notably. “Well… that makes sense. She’s an Ignacio too.”

At this point I’m done with the sauce and I shift my attention to Evie standing near my waist, trying to get a read on her. But her face is downcast.

“Thoughts?” I ask as I start to transfer the filled tortillas to the pan. “How are you feeling about that whole… thing?”

She sighs. “I don’t know. I’m still a little uncomfortable around her, I guess. But the second meeting went infinitely better than the first one… How do you feel?”

“Hrrmmm, I still think she was being kinda rude to you last time. But it was definitely better. Also, on the plus side, I’m starting to wonder if I might be wrong about her still being interested in me.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean. I was relieved that she seemed to back off. And I mean, it’s still only been two meetings, and it’s not like she’s been downright horrible to me or anything…”

Evie continues to mull it over in silence, and I give her the space to think as I pack the tortillas into the pan and pour the rest of the sauce on top. I’m crouched down and opening up the oven when I hear her pipe up again.

“I think, ultimately… I don’t want to miss out on this opportunity. I’d still like to go.”

I close the oven and pop my head up over the counter to smile at her. “Awesome. We’ll make it really fun, babe. And I’ll have your back.”

“I know you will. We’ll be sticking together even more anyway, right? For safety, since we’ll be spending a lot of time outside.”

I stand back up so that I can set a timer on the microwave. “Right. Plus it’s not like we’ll be in one giant tent or anything, this’ll be a cabin with multiple rooms.” I start putting a couple of things away with one hand while laying the other one on the counter to offer my girlfriend a ride. “If things ever get too awkward we can always excuse ourselves from the group."

She doesn’t miss a beat and has already hopped right onto my palm. Since I’m still tidying, I wasn’t even looking her way when I felt her little feet against my skin, but I’m instinctively closing my hand around her body. I hold her up to my heart as I finish up.

“I can’t wait to finally spend that weekend in the woods with you,” Evie croons before burying her face in my shirt.

Now that the prospects of this trip actually seem like a potential reality, I’m starting to feel really hyped about it. Camping is like a meditation retreat for me, and it’s been almost two years since I last spent a night under the stars. I’m all the more looking forward to spending it with my little love.

I turn around towards the kitchen island, still operating with just one hand, to put a few dishes in the sink, all the while rubbing Evie’s back with my thumb and dreaming aloud about what’s to come. “You’ll get to try out the classics! We’ll sit around a campfire and eat s’mores and go on hikes. And because it’s a cabin instead of a tent, we can bring board games and other stuff too!”

“Do we know exactly where we’re going yet?”

“Nope. I’m sure they’ll appreciate help researching that, actually. Want to join me while the enchiladas bake?”

She agrees emphatically, and I head to the other side of the living room, grabbing my laptop from the couch along the way. I carefully set my tiny companion down on the desk before taking a seat myself. Now that there’s miniature scaffolding in the way, I have to move a couple of office supplies aside to make room for the computer. Evie watches me thoughtfully, waiting until I’ve turned on the laptop before revealing her thoughts.

“So, umm… the desk is getting a little crowded,” she says as she glances around, “It’s not that bad yet, but a lot of the pieces I’ll be ordering in the future are going to be bigger.”

The laptop’s still booting up so I turn my full attention to her by my arm. “Well that’s exciting, your business is growing! Hmmm. Maybe we get a second table? A smaller one alongside the desk?”

“Yeah, that works. I can look into table options and order one. But I did have another idea…”

She’s looking way off to the side, and I notice she’s taken a couple of steps closer to me so that she can gaze over the edge of the desk. I bite my lip as I realize where her mind is going.

“Ladders?” I ask.

“Yeah. I mean, there’s plenty of room on the floor, you know? I’ve already looked up some wooden ladders meant for parakeets that I think might work. I’d set up a safety rope system and we can put a cushion for me to land on at the bottom just in case I fall.”

I can see that she’s thought about it and that this is the option she’d prefer. The image of her miniscule figure scaling a comparative cliff makes me nervous as hell. But she just went through all the precautions she plans to take, I don’t think this is unreasonable. I decide not to make a fuss about it.

I smile and place my hand just behind her on the desk, fingers cupping in an arc around her body. “Then let’s do that,” I say, “I think it’s about time you had better access to the rest of the apartment anyway.”

I think she was expecting for me to put up more of a fight. Her tiny brown eyes are intense with affection as she steps away from my fingers, instead walking towards my face with clear intention. I still get butterflies in my stomach around this girl, and I move automatically, my hand quickly catching back up to assist her forward movement, scooping her towards me. Not needing any more words, we fall into a passionate kiss.

In the back of my mind I’m reflecting on our journey. I feel so comfortable around her. I partly mean physically comfortable - the casual way we’ve been interacting all evening exemplifies that. But we’re at the point now where I feel like we can talk about anything, where we know we won’t judge each other or assume the worst or be anything other than patient and supportive. I feel like I can be myself around her, more than anyone else in my life. And we’ve finally reached a point where I deeply trust that she feels the same.

~~~

There’s still a good chunk of Part 3 left, but I’m going to take a little break! Which is perfect because we’re about to enter a time skip~ See you in about a week or so. Thank you so much for reading. I don’t know if I say it enough, but the comments and messages mean a whole lot to me, I really appreciate you guys.

[Olo]

@littlest-lily said:

Though at this point I don’t think Evie (or Aiden for that matter) would feel comfortable with Camila picking her up.

Oh, it was a desperate suggestion. I’ve given up trying to forecast.

[Olo]

@littlest-lily said:

I start putting a couple of things away with one hand while laying the other one on the counter to offer my girlfriend a ride.
She doesn’t miss a beat and has already hopped right onto my palm. Since I’m still tidying, I wasn’t even looking her way when I felt her little feet against my skin, but I’m instinctively closing my hand around her body.

[littlest-lily]

@Olo ahhh I know, I love the idea of being so seamlessly comfortable with each other 🥰

[Olo]

@littlest-lily It’s like dancing. It’s what dancing celebrates.

[littlest-lily]

@Olo Whoa. Poetry!

[littlest-lily]

Chapter 62

D : HEY FOLKS I’m starting this text thread so we can talk camping trip!!
D : I sent an email out to everyone with cabin options, just reply to me directly and let me know your top pick by next Friday so I can make a reservation
D : Also also also don’t forget, we’re going early October now! Weekend of the 13th if that works for errbody
E : Isn’t that Friday the 13th?
D : SPooOOoOOkyyy
S : We should watch Cabin in the Woods at the cabin in the woods, just really lean into the horror vibes
A : I’ll bring the popcorn
C : I’ll bring the booze
M : We’re all gonna die : )
C : Everyone better vote for options 2 or 3. We have to have a hot tub
E : Oooo option 3 has that gorgeous screened porch area!
M : omg yeah I love that one!
A : Plus it has that fancy fire pit
D : STOP STOP it’s supposed to be a secret vote!!
S : Diego doesn’t like fire lol
A : There’s no way we’re not making a campfire on at least one of the nights dude
D : SHUT UP ITS FINE

~~

We’re reaching the peak of summer and it’s a hot July day. My friend Tyler and I stick to the shade as best we can as we make our way across campus. We had discovered pretty quickly that the psychology class he’s taking this summer lines up with the lab days that I run for my TA job. We occasionally get lunch, and since he lives a few blocks past my apartment building, we usually walk home in tandem.

“I’m in trouble, dude,” he sighs, “She’s so cool. And so fucking hot. And her dream is to own five golden retrievers. She’s perfect.”

I smile widely and clap a hand to his shoulder. “I’m happy for you, man. You’ll have to introduce me sometime!”

“Yeah, maybe I could get her to come with us to lunch or something…” He pauses and smirks sidelong at me. “What about you, huh? I can see if she has any cute single friends?”

I wave him off easily. “I’m good. Thanks for the offer.”

“Suit yourself.”

I don’t even think twice about this kind of suggestion anymore, it’s become so easy to pretend I have no romantic aspirations. I honestly don’t care if the bulk of my friends think I just prefer being single indefinitely.

We linger on the subject of his new sweetheart for a little longer before he starts complaining about his psych class. I catch sight of my apartment down the street as we turn a corner, and I haven’t realized that I’ve picked up the pace until I notice Tyler is struggling to keep up.

“You in a hurry, Aiden?” he pants.

I glance up to the apartment building - second floor, three to the right… I smile towards the window, not able to see anything but knowing full well what’s just on the other side. Every day I look forward to coming home and seeing her smile.

Absently I respond, “Something like that.”

~~

Hey, you! I hope you’re fine with pot roast for lunch tomorrow, we really need to finish those leftovers. We’ll make breakfast for dinner this weekend though, promise! And maybe we can try out that new strategy game?

Also, no I’m not writing this note from across the room because I ran out of time to write it at work. I have no idea what you’re talking about.

PS ok fine I’m being a creep and watching you right now… You’re really cute whenever you’re balancing up on that stapler. Just so you know.

~~

Yikes, I need to do more cardio. I’m huffing and puffing as I finally reach the top of the sixty foot ladder. I’ve only used it a couple of times now, but if this is going to become my daily commute, I really need to get used to it. I’m pretty proud of its construction - we utilized some bird ladders from a pet store, but I upgraded them with a couple of flat platforms along the way in case I need to sit and take a rest for any reason. Between that, the pillow at the bottom, and my safety rope, I think it’s a decent setup.

I hoist myself up onto the desk, and that’s about when I notice Aiden in the distance, standing just past the couch. His eyes are fixed on me and he’s as still as a statue. Once I reach the table’s surface, he seems to be able to breathe again and starts walking towards me.

I beam at him and lift my hands up above my head in triumph. “Made it!”

“Impressive!” Aiden smiles back and takes a seat in front of me. “It looks so intense, I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to it.”

“You’re allowed to walk around when I’m climbing,” I assure him, hurrying over so that I can latch onto his hand in a hug.

“I know… I was just so afraid of distracting you and making you fall.”

“Diego was right. You really are such a mom.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment?”

At this point I’m tugging on his finger insistently and he gets the message, finally bending down to kiss me. I actually struggle kissing him back, still very out of breath from my climb. I wish I could have an elevator instead. Actually… That gets me thinking… Since I’ve been figuring out all those pulley systems…

Never mind, my brain’s not working right now. Engineering thoughts later, giant kisses first.

~~

E : Hey girls! I wanted to organize a little relaxing afternoon where we have tea and do artsy stuff
E : Camila, Star mentioned that you’re a fan of watercolors so I thought you might want to join : )
C : Yeah, I’m down. I haven’t painted anything in a while.
M : Can we make it a spa day too?? I have a bunch of sheet masks that I need to use up. I can try cutting pieces off for you Evie!
E : Hell yeah! Tea + spa + painting day
S : We can do it at my place! Any weekend this month is fine. When were you thinking?
E : If you guys are free next Sunday, I think the guys had their own plans and Aiden would be able to give me a ride
S : Perfect
C : Works for me
M : Let’s do it!

~~

I smile at the two girls giggling over at the couch. Moira’s come by a little early, so there’s an overlap before I have to head out for work, and I have just enough time to make everyone some lunch. My back was turned for a while as I worked at the stove, but now I’m cleaning up the dishes at the kitchen island, and so I can see into the living room.

It’s actually really cool to watch them from afar. Moira’s brought over some kind of art book that they’re looking at, and it sounds like they’re chatting away about interior design. Evie’s trying to get a better view by climbing up her friend’s arm to her shoulder, and without missing a beat Mo is reflexively assisting by raising her elbow higher to create less of an incline.

It’s officially been six months since Evie shrunk. Half a year of this insane new life. It’s amazing how much we’ve evolved in that amount of time. I remember how terrified she was of everything at first, how hesitant Moira was, how insecure I was. And now the three of us don’t even think twice about how we need to interact. It’s a strangely beautiful thing.

~~

I don’t see the big deal! I don’t judge your kink and I want to know more about it, what’s wrong with that?? If you don’t send me links I can always use Google you know : P (jkjk I won’t)

For real, let’s talk about it sometime? I won’t pressure you into showing me anything, and I can totally wait until you’re ready. But if it can help me understand you better then I’d really like to check it out sometime. I promise I won’t make fun of you. And who knows, it might spark some… ideas ; )

Love you!! Hope you’re having a good day at work

~~

I can’t breathe. I’m so dizzy and can hardly make sense of what’s what. I don’t even remember how I got here.

It had been a string of seemingly innocuous things today. I almost fell off my packing station when I was fixing one of the pulleys, saved by my safety rope but leaving my heart racing. I had looked forward to Aiden being home for lunch only to get an apology text from him getting pulled into a last minute meeting. Worst of all, there was a confused stranger who tried to get into the apartment while I was home alone, succeeding in scaring me shitless before they realized they were on the wrong floor and stopped trying to break in.

Between those and a hundred other little annoyances, by the end of the day I was overstimulated and anxious. All it took was the sound of a police siren outside to shoot me right back into six years ago, to a clear image of Brock coming home, stressed out about work and ready to take it out on me by pinning me to the wall by the throat.

“You’re safe.” Aiden’s kissing the top of my head, holding me softly in his hands. He’s been nothing but attentive when he saw this panic attack coming on. Like he is every time.

I’m crying so hard, desperately wondering when the pain will just go away forever. I’m so full of self hate for still falling into these pits of despair, full of fear that my partner will get sick of me for it. Everything just feels so hopeless. I’m always going to feel like the world is out to get me.

“I don’t know how you deal with me,” I choke out, vision blurry from the tears.

I hear some of my pain reflected back, but with much more calm and strength. “I love you. Maybe you can’t see it right now, but my life’s better with you in it.”

He holds me close by putting his face in his hands. The lights dim and I’m engulfed by his caring presence. He somehow knows exactly what I need to hear right now.

“I’m not going anywhere, Evie.”

~~

Hey sweet girl!

I know I keep saying it, but I had such a good time yesterday. I feel like I’m about to fall into a board game obsession myself if I’m not careful, especially with that co-op one, it was so fun! I think I’ll be looking forward to Evie’s favorite things days just as much as my own favorite things days.

Oh yeah I forgot to tell you, my parents decided to go on that cruise for Thanksgiving, so there’s no expectation of them seeing me. Buys us a little more time to figure all that out.

~~

I finish stuffing wet laundry into the dryer, and a few button presses later I turn to swing by the desk. I don’t immediately spot Evie, but nowadays there’s a second location that I need to check. My gaze trails to the floor, and although I don’t see her working away near the miniature scaffolding, tiny movements catch my eye not too far off.

I tread lightly and slowly to take a closer look, still from a distance. My bookshelf is up against the wall near the desk, and my miniature girlfriend has climbed up onto the bottom shelf. She’s on her hands and knees with her back to me, and she has her hair tied back as she runs some tissue paper along the wooden surface. She looks very concentrated, diligently working at the slight indents between the books.

“You can’t sneak up on me, babe,” Evie suddenly calls out, making me flinch. She sits up to smile at me over her shoulder. “I can feel your footsteps even more from down here.”

I give up on tiptoeing and take the last couple of steps to the shelf so that I can crouch down and not make her strain her voice.

“Whatcha doing there?" I ask, “That doesn’t look like work. Er, not Bitty Forge work, at least.”

“Just a little bit of dusting." She stands up and faces me, her ponytail whipping adorably. She must catch the “you don’t have to do that” look on my face because she crosses her arms defiantly. “What? I just want to be your tiny housewife!”

I can’t even think about her using the word “wife” right now and opt for a playful teasing. “Maybe I can get you a little maid outfit,” I suggest with a smirk.

She giggles. “Over my dead body. Now go away, I’ve gotta clean.”

But her words have no bite when her eyes are telling me a different story. She takes a step while flashing me a suggestive smile, arching her lower back and lifting her hip much more sensually than necessary. Then she folds forward, keeping legs straight with her fingers barely touching the ground to continue her “cleaning,” so that her little butt juts up into the air.

Despite her being silly, it immediately gets my heart racing. I get down on my stomach to bring my face closer to her, grinning as I extend a finger her way.

“Hmmm, but who’s going to clean you up, dirty girl?” I murmur, fingertip trailing from her feet up the length of her legs and then softly tapping the presented rear.

She actually loses her balance from this, laughing as she catches herself on her hands before crumbling dramatically to the floor, twisting around so that she’s laying on her back. I join in on the laughter from our antics, loving how relaxed I feel around her, but also getting very excited about the knowledge that her clothes probably won’t be staying on for much longer.

~~

Hey big guy~

I’m so excited that you’re almost done with work! Hang in there, your two weeks of freedom are almost here!! Man, I can’t believe the fall semester is so close though. Can I still be your study buddy even if I’m not in your class?

Also also, I keep forgetting to mention this so I’ll write it now - I had a rush order come in that I really need to ship out tomorrow. I should finish painting it tonight if you don’t mind dropping it off at the post office in the morning. Thank you as always! I’m working on getting more organized so you don’t have to go so often, bear with me.

~~

I’m not used to seeing both Moira and Diego at the apartment. The four of us have hung out at the Ignacios’ house quite a few times now, but it’s a bit of a different experience with everyone sitting on the floor, crowded around our ottoman instead of sitting around a dining table. It’s slightly more intimidating, having three titans so close, but kinda cozy too.

We’ve been playing Magic and are currently doing the Two-Headed Giant format - naturally - which means we’re playing in teams of two. Diego’s sitting on the floor right next to me as I’m up on the couch, while our opponents are on the opposite side of the ottoman.

“Alright, Shrimp, whaddya think? I just drew this one,” Diego mutters, showing me his hand as he fans out his cards. He points out one of them, Fiery Confluence. “I know that last mode might be useless right now, but the other two could still help.”

I frown and point to the text on the card. “You don’t have to use that last mode. It says you can choose the same mode more than once. We can just target all of our damage to them directly.”

“…Oh. Shit, you’re right.”

“Pays to read the fine print,” I say with a wink.

“Ehh, shaddup. You’re better suited for that job,” he responds with a grin.

I absolutely rub it in his face when my attention to detail wins us the match.

~~

A : Ok new thread, I’m leaving Evie off. Please make sure you’re responding to the right thread!
A : Her birthday’s in September but the idea I have will be a bit of an undertaking. I’d love some help keeping her distracted the morning of
S : Consider it done! We can lure her with board games all day long
M : I actually had a gift idea that could involve anyone who wants to draw or paint something really really small : )
S : We should all do that, just tell us what you need Moira!
D : Can I make cake?
A : That’d be great! Like that black forest cake you made around Christmas last year?
D : It’s the only fancy cake I can make lol

~~

It’s a quiet, mundane Thursday evening. I’ve been slacking on the dishes so we’re taking some time now to go through them all. I’m the one using soap and water while Evie’s next to the sink with some hand towels to dry things off as we go. Currently she’s working on a plate, and she’s making sure not to touch the ceramic with her feet by sitting on the towel like it’s a magic carpet, stretching one end out with her arms and then bringing the other end in with her legs. She’s essentially inch worming her way across the plate, and it’s too freaking cute.

I naturally make my way through the dish pile faster than she does. I dry my hands off so that I can at least help her out with the pots and pans, but when I watch her finish up polishing off a fork, I’m struck with a mischievous impulse.

Evie wipes at her brow as she gets to her feet and hurries over to the next utensil. But she hardly makes it a couple of steps before I snatch her up around the torso. I always make sure she can at least see me coming when I pick her up without permission like this, but even then I catch her off guard and make her gasp.

“Mine,” I chirp, and I lift her up to dangle her right in front of my smirking face.

She giggles and reaches her hands out to me so that she can latch on and give me a tiny kiss on the nose. “Yours,” she says tenderly.

With renewed vigor she readjusts herself in my hand, wrestling my thumb into a tight hug. “Mine,” she asserts.

I sigh happily and lean in to kiss the top of her head. “Yours.”

[Olo]

@littlest-lily Ngl, got scared during that last passage. I’m such a mom too.

[littlest-lily]

@Olo You mean while they were doing dishes?

[Olo]

@littlest-lily “Fork” is a trigger word.

[nephilim]

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