Out of their Element

[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

[littlest-lily]

@miss-lillipants Yay indeed! And I’m with you, sign me up for kaiju wrestling

[littlest-lily]

Chapter 52
Evie

We hang out with Diego for a couple of hours that morning - afternoon? - while we wait for Star to get back from out of town. Aiden makes some food, and we fill in my new acquaintance on what actually happened to me back in February and how we’ve been managing since. I come to like the guy, even though he really is “a bit much.” I’ll admit that I’m relieved when his wife finally swings by to pick him up. Thankfully there’s no insisting on me needing to make her acquaintance today - even Diego figures he should probably talk to her first. I’m open to meeting her, but the past 24 hours have been a lot and I’m bone-tired.

Once he’s gone, Aiden and I both agree that we need a nap in our own beds. After a good two hours of rest and eventually a light dinner, we finally start to feel more like ourselves again.

In a silent request to join him on his journey to the kitchen, I climb aboard the giant’s plate once we’ve finished eating. “Couch cuddles after this?” I suggest with a smile.

He perks up with a nod and delicately lifts the plate with me in tow. “Yes please.”

The dishes are tended to, and now we can finally relax together. Aiden lets out an audible exhale when he sits on the couch, and I’m already wriggling between his fingers in anticipation as he stretches his legs out and then lowers me to his stomach. I touch down just above his navel and collapse into a happy heap, sprawling out on his shirt as if I’m feeling out a luxurious bed. I’m shaken by a chuckle and look up to see a giant face gazing down at me from the sky, before it disappears as he leans all the way back onto the armrest.

That nap apparently gave me some good energy back. The hand that was carrying me settles just behind me to soon become my blanket, but I want to get closer to his face first, and I want to get there myself. I start climbing, grabbing at the thick fabric of his shirt to help me traverse the angled plain of his body. Up past his ribs, and then over the subtle hill of one of his pecs as I fight to stay stable through each rise and fall of his breath.

I think Aiden’s enjoying my little escapade. I hear the occasional whoosh of a content sigh and his muscles seem to be relaxing underneath me. I’m still being mindful of my leg, so it takes me several minutes to traverse his torso. But finally I make it to the top of his chest, and I hoist myself over the tree root-like hump of his clavicle. I park my rear right in the dip above the collarbone, and I lay back, feeling rather proud of myself for journeying all the way up here. I’m getting pretty skilled at this whole being tiny business.

“You feel good,” Aiden murmurs, and his hand finally catches up with me, an idle finger trailing against my arm.

“You are good,” I respond, reaching up to kiss the base of his neck.

For a long while we don’t need any more words. We just exist together, unburdened and at peace. The minutes pass in silence as I gaze up the length of the giant’s neck and the underside of his jaw, taking in every last detail. It’s a little strange - we’re not the same people we were a day ago. At least, I’m not. The simple act of telling my story last night has left me feeling like a new woman.

But… I’m not sure how it makes him feel. I should probably check in on that.

I eventually sit up and shimmy over to the center of his chest so that I can slide down his sternum. As if stirring from sleep, despite being dutifully awake, Aiden turns and readjusts his head to watch my progress.

“Where to?” he asks with a curious smile.

I stop right above his diaphragm and turn to sit cross-legged with my face aimed upwards. I start the conversation gently.

“I just wanted to talk. And see where, um… where we stand, with everything? How are you doing with that bombshell I dropped on you last night?”

There’s a pause as Aiden looks down at me thoughtfully. I’m more than willing to wait as he puts some order in his mind, keeping myself from getting too nervous by focusing on the ups and downs of his breathing. Then his hand slides up beside me, fingers already reaching around my frame.

“May I?” he asks, and when I nod he tenderly pinches the digits around my torso. He wants to sit up straighter for this conversation, so he readjusts himself and bends one knee up. That’s where he places me, right on the balcony-sized surface of his kneecap so that I can have a steady seat. His fingertips linger at the edges of my waistline.

“Listen, um… First I’d like to mention something that’s been on my mind…" he mutters. “I owe you an apology.”

I raise my eyebrows. I can see it now, guilt and shame plain on his face, and I wonder where exactly it’s all stemming from. I’m glad he kept his finger nearby so that I can hook my arm around it and tug it forward. He lets me, and I lay his fingertip on my lap, petting it like it’s a cat.

A whisper of a smile graces his features, and he keeps going. "No matter how I was feeling last night, I should never have lost my temper the way I did. I shouldn’t do that with anyone, but it’s particularly unfair with you, since you can’t just walk out of the room if it becomes too much. If I ever start getting really frustrated about something in the future, I promise I’ll step away first so I can keep my cool. I’m not usually quick to anger, I don’t see this being a big issue, but I’d rather address it…”

I slowly nod and look down to focus on the giant’s finger in my lap. I absently start tracing vague shapes across the surface of his fingernail as I ponder my response.

“Thank you,” I say, “I appreciate that. The more I’ve thought about it, though, the more I understand why you were so frustrated. I want to communicate more, I’ll try to get better about opening up…” I stop making invisible doodles and look back up at him hesitantly. “But I’ll say it now. I don’t think it’s quite like a switch. I’m so used to repressing everything…”

Aiden bends forward to kiss the top of my head, and then he hovers there. “That’s alright. I can be patient, especially now that I better understand why. My communication hasn’t always been the best either - I was blaming you for bottling up your feelings, but clearly I had a lot pent up too. We can work on it together.”

I tilt my head up to return the kiss before he pulls away. My spirits are lifted by how much better it feels to speak from the heart and not constantly be trying to hide something. Things are already feeling healthier. And I want to keep going with this newfound open line of communication.

“Are you, um, sure you’re not too freaked out by the fact that I have a stalker?" I ask with a tilt of the head. I can’t help worrying, since literally everyone else I told had major problems with it.

Aiden raises his shoulders in a little shrug. “I don’t want to make light of that. I’m concerned for you of course, but I’m not concerned for me, if that’s what you’re asking. I don’t care who he is, I’m not abandoning you. If anything I’m honestly feeling more determined to keep you safe than ever.”

“He hasn’t stopped looking for me for almost five years,” I insist, “He’s probably still looking for me right now.”

“Well, the good news is that right now…” Aiden lifts his finger up from my lap so that he can lightly bop the top of my head, “…you’re very easy to hide.”

I chuckle and reach up to grab his fingertip again, hugging it against me with a playful possessiveness. But then with a sobering tone I explain, “See, that’s why I’ve been really wanting to hide.”

He frowns. “I hate that he’s what’s keeping us from attempting to get you your life back.”

“Well, I wasn’t lying about the rest of it,” I say, “I’m still really intimidated by the idea of going public and having who knows what kind of tests run on me. But yeah… he’s at the center of it. I have no idea how he’d react to seeing me like this, but I don’t want to find out.”

Aiden sets his jaw. “That’s assuming he’d even see you like this… Let’s talk through it? Say we go to the local police. We tell them everything. What happens next?”

I feel a rush of fear take hold. Of course I’m still going to be afraid when I think about this. But now the difference is that I have someone else to lean on as I try to work things out. I take a deep breath.

“Whether he sees it on the news or finds my name in a police record or anything else… the second he knows where I am, I’m at risk of him finding me.”

“But… he wouldn’t actually haul you away against your will, right? That’s… that’s kidnapping.”

Yeah, he doesn’t quite get it. Maybe I need to share more of the nitty gritty details. I clench his finger a little tighter, holding it like my anchor as I revisit another painful memory.

“That night after he took me to the woods… when he knew I wanted out of the relationship… he locked me in the closet until morning. So that I could ‘think things through.’ The next day he decided he still didn’t feel like I could be trusted alone at home, so he tied me up and stuffed me into the pantry so that no one would hear me scream while he was at work. I managed to break out and that’s when I ran away but… no. I don’t think he’s above kidnapping me.”

Aiden tenses up and looks heartbroken to hear what I’ve been through. “B-but he’s a cop,” he says with a tone of desperation, “Would he really double down and risk his job like that? He’s supposed to uphold the law, not break it…” I can tell by the look on his face that he’s not convincing himself whatsoever. It’s not like police officers are universally model citizens, far from it.

But I opt to hammer it in. “He would do tons of stuff he shouldn’t, all the time. Excessive speeding. Illegal gambling. Sex with a minor… He’s taken criminal evidence home before just because he thought it was cool and wanted to show me. I doubt he was allowed to wave around his state-assigned firearm when he threatened his own life in the woods. I’m sure half the shit he’s done to keep figuring out where I move away to isn’t legal either. Not to mention the stalking itself. He totally thinks he’s above the law.”

I sigh as I gaze down towards Aiden’s chest. “And honestly, he is above the law. For better or worse, he accomplished a lot out in the field. Saved lives in pretty dramatic fashion. Every precinct in our area saw him as this hero. Hence him being able to transfer so easily whenever I moved to a new county. He got along well with the other officers, did some favors to keep them in his pocket. They would always look the other way when he did something he shouldn’t.”

I shudder as I go back through our imaginary scenario of me revealing myself to the cops. “I really don’t think I’ll be safe with the local police, even if I tell them about him first. I think they would listen to him before they listen to me. Once I’m under their custody, all it takes is him pulling some strings. Or just sneaking me out.”

“I won’t let that happen!” Aiden interjects, “I’ll never let him take you away.”

There’s a squeezing in my chest from pure appreciation. “I know you’d do what you can,” I say softly, “But once shit hits the fan and other people are involved… you don’t think I might get separated from you at some point? Even just for a little bit?”

He doesn’t answer, just looks past me with concentration, trying to think of some kind of solution. I shrug as I try to take out the tension in the air.

“I might be wrong about all of it. Maybe the cops would be perfectly accommodating and listen to what I have to say. Or maybe my situation is so extreme that I’d be under enough scrutiny and he’d never get to me anyway. Hell, maybe Brock would have zero interest in me now that I’m tiny. Or we could go to a hospital and they run a few tests and fix this right away, before the police even find out. It just doesn’t feel likely that it would be easy. I’m terrified of all the risks.”

With a quiet sigh of defeat, Aiden nods. “I get it.” The massive finger I’m holding comes to life, snaking its way up to touch my cheek as he repeats, “I get it. And I’m not exactly complaining, you know. I like you here, like this.”

I smile, immediately comforted by him stroking the side of my face. “You know what?” I say, “Same. I really enjoy my life with you, as scary as it can get sometimes. I know I need to face all that stuff eventually, but I’d feel better if we waited a while, let Brock chase his tail for a bit so that he’s hopefully far away when the time comes. If you’re okay with it, let’s stick with our original deal and talk about it again at the end of the year?”

He nods in agreement, and that settles that. Now taking on a more feline role, I rub my cheek against his fingertip, practically purring with affection. His other fingers give me little back scritches, and if this keeps going I’ll surely melt into a little puddle and slide right off his knee.

But Aiden switches gears. He turns his palm to my back instead and nudges me with it. I understand that he’s wanting to pick me up, so I start raising into a kneeled position and it’s enough for him to scoop me right up into his hand.

“Speaking of liking you here. Can we address something else you said last night?” he asks, slowly lifting me higher. “About whether I like you… or the idea of you.”

I half forgot that I admitted that. Alright. So far so good with this communication thing. Let’s keep going.

“R-right…” I respond.

“I don’t want to assume anything. How much of that do you think is past trauma, versus something you’re legitimately worried about?”

“Uhhh.” I sit there in silence for several seconds, frowning as I think things through. Finally I answer, “I don’t know if I’ve ever really thought about it being because of my history… But… damn. Yeah, come to think of it, Brock totally objectified me. His compliments were always about how I looked, and he had certain expectations too - he didn’t want me above a certain weight, for example. I knew that, but I didn’t realize that I might have been projecting some of that onto you. Shit, I… I’m sorry.”

Aiden quickly shakes his head. “No, no, don’t apologize. Honestly, all that aside, I think it still makes sense that you’d worry I was just objectifying you too. I told you I’m into tiny girls, and then I turn around and tell you I like you, literally the next day. Of course you’re going to have some doubts. So… I want to make it very clear.”

He takes a deep breath and brings his other hand up so that they’re both cupped around me, gently cradling my frame. I feel a blooming heat inside my chest.

“Yes, I like you little,” he says, his hazel gaze bathing me with tender care. “I think you’re the most beautiful person in the world, and this way I can see all of you so easily, hold all of you, all at once. I like it in the same way I like the rest of your body… like the shape of your legs, or how you smile with your eyes.”

I can’t help beaming fondly at him, inadvertently proving his point, and he breaks into an adoring chuckle, for a second overcome with emotion. I feel a prickling in the back of my eyes.

Aiden regains himself. “But when I think about us, I think about our conversations. I think about how good of a listener you are, and how you always know the right thing to say when I’m feeling down. I think about how fun it is to play a game with you, or how nice it is to relax together and watch a movie. I think about how excited you get about things, how infectious that is.”

I’m starting to feel short of breath.

“I was falling for you just from our letters to each other. Where it hardly even matters how big the size difference is. You’re so much more than what I can see on the outside - you’re creative and thoughtful and hardworking… and you make me feel like I’m actually worth something.”

I rub a tear away with the heel of my hand.

“I don’t care about the rest,” he says, and he wipes another tear from my cheek with the pad of his thumb, “Whether you’re Evelyn Frost, or Evie Ondine. Whether you’re big or small. Whether you’re happy or you’re scared, no matter how strong you are or how weak you feel. None of it makes a difference to how I feel about you.”

He lifts me higher to be eye level with him.

“Because I know you, Eve. And I’m in love with you.”

My tears are falling freely now and my entire body is filled with heat. Tears are welling up in his eyes too but his smile cuts through them as he adds, “I’ve been wanting to really commit to you for a while. I guess I’m stumbling into that right now.”

I catch myself before I start sobbing and shakily get to my feet in his hand.

“I don’t have such an eloquent speech prepared in exchange,” I say breathlessly, “But I love you too, Aiden. If you’ll have me… I’m yours.”

He leans in to kiss me. Our joy overflows and we meld into each other as if we were made of pure light. It doesn’t matter that to him I’m the size of a mouse, or that to me he’s the size of a building. To us it’s a perfect fit.

[Olo]

@littlest-lily Ah, this was much-needed comfort food. He has no soul who could refuse “Couch cuddles?”

Brave, good faith efforts on both their parts. Aiden’s naïveté regarding police was more than made up for by his fulsome declaration. “I like you this way” is such a loaded statement; I’m glad they both have the patience and trust to explore it fully.

Looking forward to meeting the woman who would dare marry Diego.

[miss-lillipants]

Eeeee! What a nice chapter for them both to unwind. God knows they needed a break, especially Evie.

[littlest-lily]

@Olo That’s because couch cuddles are the BEST. Regardless of size (though of course size difference is preferred)

And yeah, Aiden’s a wee bit sheltered heh. Granted, his “surely he wouldn’t do that!” protest was more of a desperately wishing it wasn’t true, rather than actually believing the police force is all great.

[littlest-lily]

@miss-lillipants Yeees! Need a couple of happy chapters after all that, for sure

[littlest-lily]

Chapter 53
Aiden

I’m slinking under the surface of the water, my eyes squinting upwards for my target. I can practically hear the Jaws’ theme in the back of my mind as I approach, slowly… closer… closer…

I aim and ascend, breaking the surface of the water. I hear a playful shrieking, and I can feel that I successfully hit my mark from all of the wriggling that’s happening on top of my head. Evie grabs onto locks of wet hair as she tugs herself forward and reaches the edge of my forehead. I hold myself steady and aim my eyes upward, just able to make out some movement as she leans out.

“That scared the shit out of me!” she yells, though she’s laughing just as hard.

I chuckle in response, “What, you thought I didn’t see you?”

“It felt like you were gonna eat me!”

I flinch, surprised to see my tiny passenger launch herself forward just then, a blur in front of my face as she plops feet-first into the water. I’m mostly submerged, my chin just above the surface, but still - to her that was probably more like cliff jumping. I back up a little bit to catch sight of her, her figure obscured as she sinks a couple of inches down. We’re not in a deep pool, this particular spot being three or four feet deep at most, but it might as well be a lake for little Evie. Without issue, she pops out a few seconds later, fighting against the slight current I’ve just created with my body when I’d backed off.

“Well, now you’ve made it very easy for me to do just that,” I tease, and this time I “dun-dun” the Jaws theme out loud as I lower my chin into the water and slowly close the distance, letting my mouth briefly open wide as a playful threat. She doesn’t attempt to swim away, she just giggles, braces herself and accepts my overenthusiastic kiss as she’s briefly pushed underwater by my lips.

I finally give her a break, bringing my hands underneath her as I straighten back up again. I don’t lift her out of the water but just prop my cupped palms right below her feet so that she can comfortably stand. She fights to find her balance, leaning back against my fingers as she tries to recover from both the adrenaline and the laughter. I just hold my girlfriend there for a minute, gazing down at her with adoration.

God… I can actually call her that now. My beautiful little girlfriend. My love. My partner.

It’s been a couple of days since we made things official. Our entire relationship has formed so gradually that our interactions haven’t changed dramatically. But still, I feel like a middle schooler who just asked his first crush out and she said yes. Both of us have been a little giddy. Honestly, that’s probably more due to our heart-to-hearts and finally feeling like we have a solid line of communication now. But it also feels a bit like a honeymoon phase, and we’re happy to ride it out.

And what better way to do that than enjoy what summer has to offer? It’s downright hot outside these days, and Evie and I began tossing around the idea of finding a place to go swimming. I reached out to both Moira and Diego for any ideas on where we might find somewhere private, and that’s when Diego offered up the code to the swimming pool in his neighborhood. He warned that it wasn’t very big, but as a result not many people go and it’s fairly secluded. It seemed like the perfect solution. And since he also confirmed that her leg injury was okay to submerge underwater, our plan to come out here formed quickly from there. I’m glad we decided to go for it - we’ve been having a great time.

“If I didn’t have a fear of sea monsters before…” Evie pants, trailing off as she smirks up at me.

“Am I overdoing it? You’re just so easy to mess with in the water.” And since I can’t help myself, I accentuate my point by still supporting her feet with one hand while I start slowly twirling a finger in a circle around her with the other. The little waves I’m creating are just enough to destabilize her stance.

“I know, I feel that much more helpless!” she laughs, batting my finger away. “Just… don’t do anything that’ll actually make me spin too much and we’re cool. Unless you want me to throw up on you.”

For a moment I’m gently batting her hands right back, and then I pet her lovingly on the top of the head. “Let’s avoid that,” I concur as I take a quick look around to make sure the coast is still clear. No one’s around, but I do realize something’s missing. “Uh oh, the inner tube ran away, let me go get it. Want to swim around here or…?”

“No, bring me with. My leg muscle’s asking for a break and I should probably listen for once.”

“Attagirl. Up you go then.”

I get up to my full standing height while lifting Evie out of the pool. Seeing her shivering once the water has rushed away, I readjust her into a careful fist to keep her warm, so that nothing but her head is sticking out. I wade towards the donut-shaped inflatable that has drifted a little too far. This is her hiding spot in case someone shows up, so we’d rather it stay close by.

Once I reach it, I glance back down and pause. The tiny woman I’m holding has since slipped her arms out from my grasp and now has them folded in front of her on my thumb, her chin resting on them. She looks a little dazed, staring in my direction but without looking towards my face.

“Deep in thought?” I question, absently pulling the inner tube towards us with my free hand.

“Hm?” Evie snaps out of it and looks up at me before smiling smugly and shaking her head. “Nope. I’m just admiring my man. In the past, anytime you’ve walked around shirtless post-shower or whatever, I’d always look away… Now I can ogle you and it’s okay!”

“Oh is that how that works?" I feel a little self conscious but still grin in delight. I tilt my hand and loosen my grip just enough to be able to take a peek at the rest of her. “Says the girl wearing a sexy bikini. Does that mean I’m allowed to ogle you too?”

She laughs. “Does this count as a bikini?" She looks down at herself critically and adds, “I definitely don’t think it counts as sexy.”

True, what she’s wearing isn’t quite what you’d see in a store. Evie owned exactly one swimsuit from before she was shrunk that was still in her suitcase. Apparently it dated back from when she lived with Brock, so she was all too eager to destroy it and utilize the material to make herself new miniature swimwear. Her top is wrapped around her chest and tied off over one shoulder, and the bottom is knotted off at each hip. The fabric has an intricate red and white pattern that keeps her nice and visible, and it’s also very lightweight, which is important. If she was wearing her regular, water-absorbent cotton clothes, she’d probably sink like a rock.

I open my hand a little further to help her readjust into my palm, and my fingers actually feel a bit stiff as they unfurl. I… I touch her a lot, don’t I? It’s only natural, since me picking her up is largely how she gets around. But even though it’s commonplace for us, that doesn’t mean the simple act of me holding her doesn’t feel intimate. Especially when there’s this much bare skin for my fingers to casually run over. Luckily we’ve spent months as just friends so I’ve had plenty of experience with trying to really respect her, and I still have a strong determination to continue doing just that. But… it does take a lot of self control sometimes. A lot of holding myself back.

After a second or two of maybe some excessive staring at the length of her legs and the curve of her waist, I finally respond to her with, “It’s a two-piece swimsuit, right? Which makes it a bikini? And if you’re wearing it, then it’s sexy. Simple as that."

Evie giggles melodically as her cheeks go bright pink. “Thanks, babe," she says with a grin, and I get tingles all down my spine from her calling me that.

My ears prick up at the loud squeak of a metal hinge, and I catch movement out of the corner of my eye. Trying to look as nonchalant as possible, I bring my occupied hand over to the inner tube’s cupholder and slide my little secret right inside. She bounces in, gets her bearings, and quickly scrambles with the paper umbrella that’s already in there. It opens with a quiet pop and forms a light blue circle to cover the hole, effectively hiding her tiny figure from sight.

Keeping a hand on the inflatable, I let myself glance over to whoever just opened the entrance gate. Then the glance becomes eye contact and I smile widely.

“All good,” I say out loud in the direction of the paper umbrella, “You can come out, it’s Moira.”

Evie shoves the parasol aside and eagerly starts using it to help her climb up onto the edge of the cupholder. She sticks one little arm up to wave at our friend, and it’s enough for Moira to notice and wave back.

“Hey guys! Sorry I’m late. I was sitting in the parking lot for forever trying to end a phone conversation with my sister. It’s so hot out, I started roasting in the car…”

“Come over to the shade, then,” I say, taking the few steps to the edge of the pool to better greet her. Mo plops down a tote bag and steps out of her flip flops, then she sits down to dip her feet into the water with a sigh.

At this point Evie has apparently managed to climb out of the cup holder, since the next time I look over there she’s sliding off of the innertube completely. There are just a couple of feet between us and she starts swimming over like a little frog while us two larger folk chat and watch her with amusement. The shrunken girl nears Moira’s leg, who trails her foot through the water just enough to send a little wave in Evie’s direction.

“Kinda fun to mess with her in the water, huh?” I say with a chuckle.

“Weirdly fun,” she confirms.

“Thanks a lot, guys!” Evie laughs, and she gets close enough to latch onto her friend’s ankle. Moira carefully lifts her foot out of the water, tiny girl in tow, and reaches her hands out to take her in them. This way the smallest of us can join in on our conversation.

“Looking forward to dinner with the Ignacios on Friday?” Mo brings up.

“Yeah, that’ll be… interesting,” I say, crossing my arms and leaning my lower back against the wall of the pool. “I’m glad you’ll be there too. Diego’s been really excited, to no one’s surprise.”

“It’s funny,” Evie says from her spot in her friend’s hands, “I legit look forward to it. I mean, I’m nervous of course, but at this point I’ve heard so much about how great Star is and I’m excited to meet her!”

Moira beams down at her. “Look how far you’ve come! I do think you’ll like her. She’s not quiiite as high energy as Diego but she’s still super friendly.”

Soon there’s a lull in the conversation, and Evie and I share a look. We may have filled in Moira over text about what happened on Diego’s birthday. But there were certain things that we wanted to wait to talk about in person.

Finally I clear my throat and pipe up, “Hey, um, Moira? Just wanted to let you know…" I motion towards the tiniest of us with my chin, “that we’re a couple now.”

“Oh my god! Really??" If her hands weren’t occupied I think she would have clapped them to her mouth.

Evie nods and giggles. “We weren’t sure if you’d already know."

“I mean… I knew. I figured it was a matter of time, I just wasn’t sure when you two would figure it all out! Aww, congrats, guys. I’m so happy for you." She brings Evie up to her face and then gives me an affectionate shove on the shoulder. It’s really nice, not just making it official in private but with our mutual friend as well. Makes it feel all the more real.

I remember the other conversation topic that needs to be brought up and give Evie a quick nod before hoisting myself out of the water. “Actually, if you’ve got her, Mo, I’ll go grab some snacks. I left them in the car."

Leaving the two girls on their own, I’m toweling off as I step out into the parking lot. I don’t grab the food yet but just meander in the vicinity for a while, enjoying the feeling of the sun drying me off. Since I want to give them plenty of time, once I’m dry enough I go fetch my phone that I left in the car. I notice a new group text that has formed with Diego and Star.

S: Aiden, does Evie have any allergies or anything? I was thinking of making aguachile.

D : WAIT you can’t feed shrimp to the little shrimp!! That’s cannibalism : O

S: Oh right! Why didn’t I think of that : P

S: Actually, is salmon ok?

I smile at my phone. I still haven’t fully decided if I’m nervous or excited about dinner in a couple of days. I like everyone there, but after months of secrecy this is all a bit out of my comfort zone. I go ahead and reply to the text, and they must be right by their phones as the conversation continues promptly.

A: Salmon’s great. Shrimp would have been fine too lol. She’s not very picky

S: Be real with me, should I give her her own plate or is it better if she eats off of yours? I don’t want to be rude and I don’t know how to handle this

A: I’ll bring over her plates and stuff, don’t worry about that part

D : She plays Magic too right? Bring your decks, we can play after we eat!! I’ve already told Moira

S: Buncha nerds < 3

Alright… I think I’m settling on feeling excited. My friends are good people, and that includes my girlfriend. I’m sure we’ll all get along great.

I check the time, and it’s been about half an hour. Hopefully that’s enough? I gather up the snacks and go back to the pool gate, peering through the metal bars without opening the door yet.

Moira’s inside the pool now with her arms folded on the edge, and she’s put Evie down on a towel on solid ground. The larger one is looking very focused, still deep in conversation. I notice tears shining on her face. Good ol’ Mo. Such a kind soul. I know it’s not easy for Evie to recount everything from her past yet again, but she felt it was important to not just open up to me about it but to her other closest friend. And from just the glimpse that I’m seeing, Moira’s being every bit as supportive and caring as I knew she’d be.

She catches sight of me hovering near the gate and waves me over. Even though they’re still talking, I sheepishly walk in their direction and set the food down before I take a seat next to Evie.

Moira’s in the process of sighing deeply. “I just want to give younger you the biggest hug, girl. Hell, I wish I could give you a big hug right now.” She looks up at me from her spot down in the water. “Can you believe this shit?”

I nod sympathetically, slipping a supportive hand behind my tiny girlfriend’s back. “Wish I didn’t have to,” I mutter. Evie tilts her head back to give me a weak smile and touches my finger tenderly. She looks a bit drained from the recounting, but she’s handling it way better this second time around.

“No wonder you swore off dating,” Moira says with a shake to her voice, rubbing at her tear-filled eyes. “I’m sure I would have done the same thing.”

“You swore off dating?” I say with raised eyebrows, “Uh… oops.”

Evie grips my hand tighter and lets out a breath of laughter. “Don’t worry. I definitely needed a break from it, but it all feels like so long ago. I’m glad you changed my mind.”

“And no wonder you’re always so determined to do everything yourself,” Moira adds.

Both Evie and I pause and frown at this. “What do you mean?” she asks, tilting her head.

“Oh, I just figured, since you had what sounded like such a controlling ex…”

Moira trails off to a few seconds of silence. It’s one of those moments where the insight seems obvious in retrospect, but apparently even the victim in the situation hadn’t quite put it together. As it clicks in my brain, I feel a growing sense of determination.

I gaze down at my precious little partner, too small to reach anything or get anywhere without assistance. I want to make up for not just her size, but for all of the times that her mother and her ex tried to keep her under their thumb. I want to empower her, to help her find independence and self assurance in whatever way I can. The plan wouldn’t solidify in my mind for another month or so, but this is the moment that a spark of an idea lights up inside of me.