Posts made by littlest-lily

@Olo

“One Evie to go, extra curiosity, hold the self-doubt.”

HA! I love that so much

Yes, communication in this type of situation is so incredibly important. In certain ways they’ve been pretty good about that, but in other ways completely failing… Consent, previous experience, all of it to be addressed

And oh my goodness that artwork is so freaking cute!

And there’s that! Thank you so so much for reading thus far~ Lots more adventures still to come for these two. I’m currently working on the second part so it might be another couple of months or so before I start posting it, but I do have other little projects that I plan on posting in the meantime.

Take care and happy holidays!

Chapter 18
Aiden

“Doing okay in there?” I ask, brushing a finger against my shirt pocket. I feel what I think are Evie’s little shoulders through the fabric.

There’s a shifting against my chest as she readjusts herself restlessly. “Y-yup! All good.”

I’m a bit nervous too. We haven’t gotten back into a car together since the first time. Every once in a while that image of her rolling over the edge of the dashboard still haunts me. I have no idea what would have happened if I hadn’t caught her. Thankfully sudden movements should no longer make her fall off a precipice.

I return my hand to join the other on the steering wheel. “We’re almost home. I’d say this was a successful test drive!”

“W-wait until we park to say that. Don’t jinx it…” Poor thing. She really sounds like she’s ready to be done.

A few minutes later we’re pulling into the parking garage and I can feel shuffling against me again as my tiny passenger stands up to stick her head out of my pocket. I stop the car, put it in park, and we both let out a sigh.

“Aiden,” says Evie nervously, and I pull my neck back so I can look down at her. “I didn’t want to freak you out so I kept quiet, but I had a thought during the drive back. If there was a crash bad enough for the airbag to pop out… do you think I’d get flattened in here?”

My blood goes cold. I feel pins and needles run over my skin like a wave and my heart rate picks up. I hadn’t even thought of that. The idea of her getting crushed, against me no less, is so horrifying that my hand moves reflexively up to my pocket to cover it protectively. No wonder she was so anxious during the drive with that swirling around in her head.

“That’s… a very good point,” I say shakily, “I-I’ll come up with something else.”

“I’m probably overthinking things.” She’s noticed the proximity of my hand and reaches out of the pocket to give it a reassuring pat, the lightest of sensations against my skin. “Or maybe I just don’t need to do car rides. As much as I like the thought of going out with you.”

Going out?! My heart’s racing all over again.

Wait. She means, like, going outside. Right. Of course she did.

“We’ll find a solution,” I say with a bit more strength. “I’d like to take you out too.” Take you… outside. Right…

After that rather stressful couple of minutes, I start to get a hold of myself again as I carry the takeout bag through the winding hallways and back to the apartment. Before I can even turn the key to the door, a small voice squeaks out of my pocket.

“Uggghhh, I can’t waaaait, I can smell it from here and it smells amazing.”

“Almost, almost!” I tell her with a laugh, stepping inside and setting the stuff down on the counter. “Hang tight for just a second.”

I pull out all the takeout boxes as Evie watches me avidly from her perch near my heart. We essentially just got a slew of appetizers, so I make sure to get her a tiny piece of everything onto one of her larger miniature plates. I get my fill as well and bring it all to the living room so that we can watch the anime while we eat. On a dish I’ve already set up a candle that’ll sit right next to the laptop so that it feels like a tiny campfire, to match the theme of the show. I have the kitchen light on too so we’re not just sitting in the dark, but the small flame is already creating a rather cozy atmosphere.

Once I’ve settled the plates directly onto the couch, I finally reach for my eager little friend, pushing down on the lip of my shirt pocket with one hand so that I can more easily slip my fingers around her torso with the other.

I’ve set her food on the edge of my own plate so that it’s at about the right height when she sits next to it. I take a seat on the floor and smile with amusement at Evie sitting there, her hands clapped in front of her mouth, as if she’s having a religious experience.

“Spanakopita, my love,” she finally gushes, taking the bit of pastry in her hands and raising it up reverently.

“Umm.” I was in the process of pulling up the show on my laptop, but I pause and raise an eyebrow at her. “Should I give you two some privacy?”

“Nope, you have to deal with this,” she says, taking a bite and then letting her head fall back for a second with pleasure before aiming her attention at me. “Someone has to press play. Let’s do this!”

If I knew a bit of spinach pastry is all it would take to make her so happy I would have done this much earlier. After everything she’s been through it warms my heart to see her full of joy like this. I start the show and we enjoy it as we feast. I like Greek food just fine, but Evie’s enthusiasm makes it taste even better to me.

We finish an episode and I make sure she’s done eating before tidying up the leftovers to clear some space off the couch. My shrunken friend is looking off in the distance longingly, seemingly deep in thought.

“This really does make me want to try camping,” she remarks, gesturing towards the laptop. “Though I have no idea how we’d even do it. It’s not like they make tents in my size. Or any other supplies really…”

She actually sounds pretty forlorn. It’s true that she doesn’t really get out much. I need to change that, bring her out into nature more often than I currently do. But in the meantime I try to lighten things up.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got a built-in tent right here,” I say, holding my hand up and bending it inwards to form an upside-down V. Then I plop the whole thing down on top of her, and she’s already giggling as I carefully knock her over backward from her seated position. I settle my domed hand onto the couch cushion, trapping her underneath. “See?” I add, biting back a laugh.

I never would have done something like this at the beginning. Hell, maybe I’m going overboard right now, physically pushing her down like this, even if I’m doing it gently. But her muffled laughter sounds so genuine. I really just think it’s a testament to how comfortable we’ve gotten with each other.

"You know,” she calls out, and I lean in so that I can hear her better, “this might actually be cozy if it wasn’t so dark in here!”

For a second I think she’s pushing upwards with her hands against mine, but then I quickly realize I’m actually feeling tiny bare feet kicking my fingers as she lays on her back.

I continue teasing her, grinning as I respond, “Huh? What’s that? You’ll have to speak up.”

She must have gotten up onto her knees because when I feel her next I can tell those really are her hands this time pushing against me. I let her shove my fingers aside as she pops her head out between the third and fourth digit, taking a dramatic deep breath before trying to wriggle her body out. The sight is both silly and absolutely precious.

But then, as much as I’ve gotten accustomed to her shrunken state, there are still moments where it really hits me just how little Evie is. Seeing only her head, no bigger than a marble, makes me feel a wave of dizziness. I spread my fingers out from around her and lift my hand away, suddenly afraid of hurting her… It wouldn’t have taken much more than a twitch to snap her neck. She hardly seems bothered, though. What a gift that she trusts me like this.

I regain myself and try to actually respond to her earlier wish. “We could rent a cabin. That way there’s less chance of having to deal with bugs or bad weather. It’s not quite the same but it could be fun?”

“Maybe,” she responds, getting to her feet. “Or I can just live vicariously through cute anime girls. Come sit up here, we’ve still got the last episode!”

I smile, nod, and get up off the floor, repositioning myself so that I can sit next to her. Lately we’ve started perching her up on my shoulder or my knee when we watch stuff, so by the time I’m on the couch she’s already walking up to my leg. She tries something new though, grabbing onto the fabric of my pants. I just watch her and let her try to pull herself up, but there clearly aren’t any good handholds.

“Nope, not happening,” she gasps, falling back to her feet and taking a couple of steps backwards.

“I got you,” I say, carefully lifting her up like she’s a chess piece and setting her on top of my leg. We start the episode.

There’s something… different happening today. I can’t quite put my finger on it. I just… I feel like I can’t keep my eyes off of her. I’d kept the habit at bay when I was sitting on the floor and my head was more level with hers, but now my eye line is much higher, making it easier for me to look without her noticing.

I watch as she settles onto me. She’s cross-legged for a bit, contentedly escaping into the colorful world on the screen. And then about ten minutes later she shifts her position and ends up laying on her stomach, propped onto her elbows with chin resting on her hands, legs bent with her feet up in the air.

I can’t stop staring. I don’t even try to hold off this time, as creepy as that sounds. I just observe her little form there in my lap for the entire rest of the episode, until my face is feeling warm and my heart starts beating harder.

Evie has no idea how good she looks. She’s got some homemade black shorts on that still manage to outline the shape of her rear, and her slender legs slowly drift through the air like flower petals in the breeze, her ankles occasionally crossing and uncrossing. The way her dainty little feet arch is almost ethereal, her toes so small that I have a hard time making them out in the candlelight. She’s wearing her usual gray strip of fabric looped around her top half, tied in a bow just above her tailbone, like a present begging to be unwrapped. The way the garment hangs on her frame accentuates the dip in her back, and I notice there’s the smallest gap that has formed within it that shows a sliver of bare skin at her waist.

Hold on. I’m getting… really excited. To the point that it’s starting to physically show. I can feel a lump forming between my legs, and it’s way too close to where she’s currently resting.

Panic floods my system. Shit. Shit. I can’t let her see. I have to step away. But I can’t exactly do that while she’s sprawled on top of me. The ending song of the episode is playing now and I attempt to position one of my arms so that my hand blocks the view of my crotch. I take a deep breath, and then with my other hand I reach out to gently stroke her back.

“Hey, Evie?” I say softly, trying to sound as sleepy as possible, “Sorry, I know we talked about maybe starting the second season tonight, but I think I need to call it here. I had to stay up late last night and I’m feeling super tired.”

She rolls over onto her back to look up at me and I’m really trying to keep my cool while also desperately hoping her gaze doesn’t drift too low. My finger’s still right there and she lifts her legs up to prop her feet up against it, shooting me a little smirk. God, she needs to stop being so adorable.

“Quitter,” she taunts, kicking at the digit.

I catch one of her tiny feet between finger and thumb and gently lower it back down. “Sorry… But I think we can agree that me falling asleep with you on me would be very bad.”

“Yeah, okay, that’s fair.” With that she stretches her arms up above her head as she yawns, her mid back arching and lifting off my leg. The strip of cloth hanging off of her slips, exposing more of her torso. Stop. Stop…

“We’ll start it on Friday, okay?” I say, lining my open hand up alongside her. I’m struggling to sound casual. I need to get out of here.

She nods and rolls back over so she can sit up, languidly stretching again before finally climbing onto my palm. I quickly lean forward to blow out the candle, and then I lift her up a little higher than I normally might, so terrified especially as I get up that she’s going to notice something. I try to surreptitiously tuck away the evidence as I stand.

“Good night, Evie.” I manage a smile as I put her back on the desk, crouching to make sure my waist is well out of sight.

“You too. Thanks for making the one-monthiversary special.” Her grateful smile in this moment is enough to break my heart into a thousand pieces.

I turn and try not to be too obvious about hurrying out of the room. And then I do something that I don’t normally do when I get into my own bedroom - I close the door.

I let my facade crumble then as I let out a shaky breath and collapse onto the bed. I need to calm down and get a hold of myself.

But as I stare up at the ceiling it’s like I can see images dancing across it, shadows of Evie’s tiny form. I can’t stop thinking about her, laying on my leg with her feet kicked up, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

I close my eyes. How amazing is it that I get to hold her the way I do, every day, her tiny body easily fitting on my palm or wrapped up in my fingers? And how wonderful is it that she’s so comfortable with me handling her now, that I can touch her so casually, pretty much whenever I want?

And yet there are so many other things I wish I could do.

I want to feel every bit of her between my fingers. Every bit of her. I want to roll her around in my palm like it’s nothing, push her into whatever position I’m feeling like. To touch every beautiful curve.

I want to bring her up to my face, closer than I ever have. To see her in greater detail. To gently snuggle her against my cheek. What would she feel like against the sensitive surface of my lips? What could it possibly be like to press such a small person against my mouth, covering her with gentle kisses as she writhes against me?

I’m sure something like that would terrify her. But what if I could actually make her feel good… What if I could figure out the ways to elicit moans of pleasure from the way I touch her… The smallest of sighs as she closes her eyes and rolls her head back and gives in to me…

What if that fabric had completely slipped off of her and I could see what was underneath. To feel her tiny, naked form against my own skin…

It’s too much. I’m drowning in my thoughts, the images in my head swirling as my breath comes in shallow.

My hand is down my pants now as I imagine what she would feel like down there. There’s so much her little body is capable of, so many ways she could make me feel amazing, and she has no idea. She’s just so small… so tiny… so—

I release right then with a tight, stifled groan. The bliss lasts for all of half a second… before it’s replaced by an intense, stomach-curdling, heart-wrenching shame. My eyes snap open and I’m breathing hard.

Oh god. What am I doing?

I drape an arm over my face, covering my eyes as I grit my teeth. And I curse under my breath.

What is wrong with me? What am I thinking? I feel incredibly dirty. I just got so caught up… How could I let myself do this? Evie’s my friend – my precious, precious friend…

And then I finally acknowledge it. I have feelings for this girl.

Our chemistry was obvious from the moment we met. We have just enough in common that we bonded quickly but enough differences to be able to share and learn from each other too. Every day has been a new joy as I discover the parts that make her her. The way she organizes things so meticulously, how eager and excitable she gets, and especially her sweet and caring side in my regard. We’ve gotten so close so quickly over the past few weeks - I’ve spent more time with her than anybody else this last month.

But it’s never enough. If I could have my way I’d be spending every waking moment with her. I love our friendship, so much. But it’s gone beyond that. I’ve begun caring about her on a much deeper level.

And I lust after her. Even before she got shrunk I thought she was gorgeous, with those big, brown doe eyes, her smile that even now can light up the entire room, her incredible body that curves in all the right places. And my brain is wired to enjoy her stature right now. I can’t help finding her even more beautiful when tiny. Her size is just… absolutely intoxicating. And there’s a sick part of me that likes the fact that it makes her helpless, keeps her stuck here, keeps her dependent. Dependent on me.

I can’t push my feelings onto her. A part of me wonders if she might care for me in that way too, size difference be damned, but I can’t risk finding out. It can’t come from me. Our situation is just too complicated - what kind of position would I be putting her in? She has no one else to turn to right now. I wouldn’t dare compromise our current relationship. I care about her too much, I don’t want to ruin what we have.

Don’t screw this up. Don’t you fucking dare screw this up, Aiden.

“Never again,” I whisper to myself, “This ends now.” I repeat it into the air again and again and again and again.

This.

Ends.

Now.

~ End of Part 1 ~

I feel like what I would do with the possibilities is so boring I would love to experience what it’s like to be small in a safe setting by exploring my surroundings, and especially just interact with a giant friend. Probably nothing sexual even, just be picked up, carried around, cuddled. A far cry from standard sci fi fare!

@luvenar Meanwhile, I’m someone who prefers it to not be too violent, so there you have it! I heavily encourage you to write what you enjoy and not worry too much about what other people want ️ (though I’m sure we’re all happy to share ideas!)

I will say, I’m more into shrinking and not growing, so a giant rampaging through a city would not normally interest me. But somehow I’m still enjoying your story~ Perhaps because the city itself is shrunk and so there’s still an element of privacy there? I also enjoy the fact that they’re soooo little! I feel like with a lot of the more micro situations it usually results in death, so I personally like them being his itty bitty pets instead.

As for the ideas, if it can help. Perhaps he could bring an entire house into his room? Or bring something that’s normal sized with him as a tool for playing around with his victims? Just trying to think of ways to combine the giant world and the small world in interesting ways. Again, you do you!

@Olo Aww I looove Minami kun Particularly the 2004 version~

You’re spot on with Evie being super avoidant here. She’s not even addressing his statement because she doesn’t believe him for a second. Not in a “he’s lying to me” way but in a “he’s doesn’t mean that, he’s just not thinking it through” way. But she doesn’t want him to think things through since she’s so dependent and doesn’t feel like she has options outside of him. Honestly, she’s not even thinking about romantic ambitions at this point

Chapter 17
Evie

I stare at my calendar, miniaturized at about the size of a notecard, and yet it’s as tall as I am. It’s been almost four weeks since I was shrunk. 27 days. The number boggles my mind. It seems like so much longer in a way, like I’ve been dealing with this forever… and yet sometimes it also feels like it just happened. I still have days where something unexpected startles me or I get disoriented.

Oddly, as much as I miss my old size, I don’t know if I can say that I miss my old life. Not the specifics of it at least… I’ve come to realize just how much I was struggling. I’m still struggling with being three inches tall, of course, but something about it is different now. And I think part of it is the fact that I have a friend now. I haven’t been this close with anyone in such a long time. It sucks that we were essentially forced to be together, but… even if I were to become my old self again, I can’t imagine life without Aiden anymore.

I hear his familiar footsteps coming in from the bedroom, and I turn to see him come into view, giant laundry basket in hand. For a little while I just watch him going about his daily life. I take in the movements of his enormous body as he transfers what looks like a series of circus tents into a silo. I brace myself against the booming crack of noise as he closes the washing machine, and the sound of the appliance starting is like the rumbling of thunder.

He’s been a little extra quiet today ever since he got home from work. Not that he’s a loud person, but he usually has more to tell me about his day, and I’m beginning to know him well enough to sense that something’s off.

Aiden puts the basket on top of the machine and then turns, shooting me a quick smile before he ambles over to the kitchen. I hear the distant clattering of ceramic echo through the canyon of the apartment as he starts doing some dishes. At this point I’ve stepped away from the calendar and have picked up a book - one of the shrunken novels actually turned out to be kinda interesting after all - but I keep glancing over at him. The more I pay attention, the more I notice the tension he’s carrying in his shoulders and his jaw. His gaze is largely unfocused as he goes through the motions.

After a few minutes, I decide to get up and walk over to my phone. We’ve been writing each other physical notes and see each other so much at home that I hardly ever text him - if anything he’s the one who will shoot me a message if he’s going to be late or something. But I want to reach out. And I know he wouldn’t be able to hear me yelling from this far, especially over the sound of the running water.

I tap open the texting app and pick out Aiden’s name. The message I write is quick and short. “You okay?”

I wait as my words traverse the airways, and a second or two later the distant giant seems to react to the buzz of his phone in his pocket. He turns off the sink and wipes his hands off on a nearby towel before he fishes out the device. He stares for a second and then breaks into a smile, his eyes flicking up towards me. Then he sighs as he puts his phone away and walks in this direction.

“Can’t hide anything from you, can I?” he says, still smiling as he approaches the desk.

I fidget with my hair as I give him a bashful grin. “Sorry, were you trying to? I don’t mean to pry. You’ve just seemed so down since you came home.”

“No, it’s alright, I’ll tell you.” Aiden sits down, slouching as if his limbs are too heavy, and his smile weakens until it vanishes. “Um… do you remember that student I was telling you about? In the class I’m assistant teaching, the girl I’ve been trying to help?”

I nod. “Cassandra, right?”

“Right. I just found out today that apparently she… she dropped out. She did better on this last exam but not quite as well as she needed to. I guess the stress was too much for her.”

There’s a squeezing sensation in my chest at the sight of the pain in his hazel eyes. I feel like I’m learning a lot about him in this moment.

“Oh…” I say, a little lost for words. “I’m sorry, Aiden. That really sucks.”

He shrugs and shakes his head. “It’s okay. I just… I don’t know, I really thought it was all going to work out. I’m so… disappointed. Not even in her, but in myself. I wish there was something more I could have done to help.”

He’s actually looking like he might get emotional. It’s a very odd sight, seeing this massive man that I view as incredibly powerful now practically on the verge of tears. His gaze is downcast and I step closer to the edge of the desk, trying to walk into his line of sight as I look up at him.

“Listen,” I say, “I watched you stay up late to make a custom study aid for this girl. It sounded like you were teaching her one-on-one for so many of your office hours. You did everything you possibly could.”

Aiden closes his eyes, taking a breath in through his nose. I wish I could reach out and touch him. My hand moves forward automatically, and if I was able I’d be resting it on his shoulder right now. The reality is that, despite the fact that he’s sitting down, there’s a ten-foot gap past the desk to his body, and his face is hovering forty feet above me. I press on anyway.

“Sometimes, as much as you want to fix something for someone… there’s just nothing you can do. They need to figure it out on their own.”

He takes another breath, nods and opens his eyes again. He really does have such beautiful eyes, even when they’re a little red, shining like one of the crystals in his collection. I try to hold his gaze.

“It’s hard, though. It’s so hard. I’m really sorry that happened.”

Time seems to be moving slower, somehow. We look at each other and no words come for a while. But no words feel necessary at this point.

Aiden finally breaks the silence. “Can I… hold you?”

I go stiff, blinking up at him.

He laughs self-consciously. “Sorry, that came out weird. Just… whatever our equivalent of a hug is.”

Tentatively he reaches a hand out to me. As if moving out of pure instinct, I take the opportunity to finally touch him, placing my hand on one of his outstretched fingertips. We share a feeble smile.

“Yeah, of course,” I say, following through the motion and using the finger to hoist myself up onto his palm.

The giant lifts me up towards the top of his chest and brings me in. His second hand joins the first and puts gentle pressure against my back, cradling me against him. I hug him in return best I can, pressing myself against the warm expanse of his chest.

At one point I had told him that I was getting so touchy because it can be hard to see his body as human. I wasn’t lying, but I’ve since realized that’s not quite right. I wonder if it’s because I do see him as a person. And I’ve spent so much time isolating myself over the years that I’m starved for another’s touch. Greedily taking in whatever I can.

Aiden’s breathing seems to level out again as he holds me close. I wish there was more I could do to make him feel better. The collar of his shirt is just above my head and I reach up so that I can run my hand along his clavicle.

“Want to make a mug cake?” I suggest. “Oo, actually, I know a really good mug brownie recipe. I could make it for you myself if you just give me like… an hour.”

I’m so close to him that the lightest of his laughs destabilizes me, and I cling to his collarbone to keep from falling over. “No, that’s okay,” Aiden says, lowering his hands back down so he can look at me. It seems his tears have retreated without spilling over. “But thank you. You’re such a good friend, Evie.”

This comment knocks me off balance, far more than the shaking of his laughter did. I don’t think anyone’s ever said that to me before. What did I do to deserve such an amazing compliment? At this size I can’t even actually go get him food or anything. I have to force a deep breath to stay steady, at risk of getting emotional myself.

There’s a thump that jolts me out of my thoughts - the hand platform coming to rest on the desk. Selfishly, I linger. I’d like to stay with him a little longer. He doesn’t ask me to get off.

Instead he says softly, “Can you believe it’s been almost a month?"

I sit down in his hand, pulling my knees up to my chest, and nod. “As of tomorrow. Tomorrow’s the eighth, right?”

“Yeah.” There’s a long pause before he finally asks in a tight, worried tone, “You sure you’re still okay with all this? Staying here?”

I get nervous every time he brings this up. I don’t know how long I can keep running away. I keep pushing off thinking about the long term.

“If it’s still okay with you… yes,” I tell him. “Honestly… okay, this probably sounds crazy. But even if it were easy to fix me… I don’t know, I guess it’s been kinda nice. Getting away from normal life. Hiding out like this. It obviously took some adjusting, but weirdly I think I needed the break.” I pull my legs in a little tighter, tense.

"You can stay here forever if you want…” It sounds like he’s almost just muttering that to himself. I resist burying my face into my knees, trying to keep my composure. I know he can’t mean that. But I just want to keep pretending.

Aiden takes a breath in and sits a little straighter, trying to lighten up the rather dreary mood. “Want to do something special? To celebrate one month as roommates?”

I jump at the opportunity to change the subject, perking up along with him. I unravel my limbs and slide my legs over the side of his hand so that I can stand up on the desk.

“Let’s do it! Ummm, okay, we’ve only got two episodes of Laid Back Camp left, right? How about a big season finale? And, and… maybe we start season two while we’re at it?”

“Okay! Let’s do something fun for dinner too, it’s been a while since we’ve done takeout. I don’t remember if I’ve asked, what’s your favorite type of food?”

“Hmm… I really like Greek food. Haven’t done that in a while.”

“Let’s get some, then! I’ll plan around it. Tomorrow night, no studying, no homework. Let’s just hang out. You and me.”

I beam at him and shoot finger guns in his direction. “Me and you.”

As much as I don’t want to face it, it’s so clear that I’ve latched on to this guy like a little lost duckling. It actually feels as if old habits are creeping back to haunt me. But it comes along with the other bad habit that has gotten me through life - my stubborn ability to bury my head in the sand.

The past few weeks haven’t exactly been a walk in the park. No matter what happens, I know my life will never be the same – I’m no longer the person I was from a month ago, freshly shrunken, staring through a vast wall of glass at a titan of a man. Completely ignorant of the fact that he would soon become my savior and my best friend.

Who knows how long we can keep going like this, but… is it so wrong to let myself enjoy him while I can? Ever since I can remember, life has pelted me with one hardship after another. But it’s never stopped me.

Don’t give up. Fight back. Work harder. And maybe this time, for however long it lasts, I can cherish this little scrap of happiness.

Chapter 16
Aiden

I’ve noticed something today… Evie’s gotten a lot better at walking on soft surfaces. She’s hardly wobbling at all now when she strolls back and forth on the couch. She’s deep in thought as she contemplates her next move, eyeing each Magic card like she’s observing an art gallery. The way we’ve figured out how to play is by sticking the cards upright between two couch cushions, so that I can’t see what cards are in her “hand” as I sit on the floor facing her.

She’s wearing a new outfit today too. Even though they’re probably not the easiest thing to make (and definitely not the easiest thing to cut out for her, admittedly), she’s been focusing on making little shorts for herself. They do look homemade, but she’s getting better at re-figuring out how to sew. Her top is new and is actually really pretty, with its decorative pleats lining the hem, which is especially impressive considering she just used fabric from another one of my old shirts. This shade of green looks a lot better on her than it did on me. Between that and the earthy brown color of her shorts, she’s looking even more like a mystical woodland sprite.

I have my elbow propped on the couch, wearing a constant smile as I watch my little friend concentrate. I’m definitely paying more attention to her right now than the cards laid out in front of us. I still easily won the last game, though… Apparently it’s been a while since she’s played this.

Evie was the one who had requested this morning that we play when I get home after work. I offered to build her a deck she could use for the game, but she wanted to try her hand at it first. So I’d given her my cards to look through, sorted in a few piles by color, and apparently she spent all day building her own deck. Which must have been a workout since these cards are taller than she is.

My tiny opponent finally nods with a smirk. She has to stretch her arms out to the sides to pluck one of the cards out from the couch, pivoting it so that she’s holding it above her head. Then she walks forward and slaps it down with confidence. “Downsized!” she exclaims.

“Seriously?” I laugh at the irony of her using what is essentially a shrink ray.

“Yup. Target creature gets minus 4 to power. And I will target your cheeky little Doomwake Giant over here." The irony of me using that card was not lost on her either.

Now is when I turn my attention back to my own game, and I suddenly realize she just made a very good move. She’s rendered my sole defense at this point completely useless. I look at the cards out on the couch cushion and in my hand, but clearly the writing’s on the wall.

“I… can’t… win this one,” I finally admit.

“Aw yeah! That’s right!” she cheers, throwing her arms up in the air and running a victory lap around her side of the cards as she giggles with delight. I can’t help but grin and laugh in turn. I’d be happy to lose every time if it meant getting to see this adorable display.

“Yup, you got me, I did not see that coming. You’re a sneaky little thing, aren’t you?” I say, reaching forward to push down into the couch next to where she’s passing by, and she trips over the sudden depression that I’ve created. She goes from stumbling to intentionally falling forward onto the soft surface, still beaming at her triumph as she rolls onto her back to look up at me.

“We have to do a tie breaker now!” she chirps, getting back to her feet and eagerly taking a few steps forward… and she gets a bit too close to the edge of the couch for my liking.

“Careful,” I say softly, shifting my hand to rest in front of her in a loose fist, essentially blocking her way. I hope I’m not being condescending in the process. Evie’s gotten so much more confident with her size over the past couple of weeks, she’s almost starting to overtake me in feeling comfortable with it. I add, “Can’t we just say that we’re equally good and call it a day?”

“I… I just want to play with you more,” she says with sudden sincerity, her smile faltering. She reaches out and touches the hand that’s in front of her, her miniscule fingers pressing into one of my knuckles. I don’t think she means to be giving me puppy dog eyes, but that’s absolutely what’s happening.

There’s a tightness in my chest. She’s so, so difficult to resist. Truly such a little thing, and yet she has so much influence over me nowadays…

My friends are starting to notice that something’s off with me. For one, I’ve definitely been a bit “busier.” Not that I used to invite people over that often, but I’d at least meet up with them to study at the library or something. I still do that between classes and will often grab lunch with people, but it’s clear that I spend way more time away from others than I used to. Just this morning, my friend Diego was giving me a hard time about it.

“What’s that?” he asked, making me jump. He pulled back the seat next to me, giving me a knowing smile as he sat down.

I was just looking at Evie’s latest note. Normally I would have already read and written a response before Biochem, but I had two back to back exams for my previous classes, so I was only just getting around to reading it. I folded the tiny piece of paper up and casually tucked it back into my wallet.

“My grocery list,” I said shortly in response.

“Uh huh… which is why you’re hiding it. You’ve been acting weird lately, you know.” My friend’s taller than I am and was using it to his advantage, leaning in and narrowing his eyes menacingly.

I gave him a tired look, raising an eyebrow to show him I wasn’t down for his usual ribbing. “How so?”

“I don’t know, just… off. I have a sixth sense for these things. And we never get to see you on the weekends anymore. Is it a girl?”

There’s no way I kept completely cool at that. I immediately felt heat in my ears at how quickly and accurately he hit the mark. Though the situation’s not exactly what he was thinking.

“I’m not secretly dating anybody, if that’s what you’re implying,” I said, keeping my tone as casual as possible.

“You, my man, are avoiding the question,” Diego responded with his signature goofy grin as he leaned back in his chair. “Fine, keep your secrets. Just as long as you help me with the homework for tomorrow. Wanna grab burgers after this?"

“Yeah, sure.” I cracked a smile at that point, grateful that he was respecting my privacy. Though it did make me wonder… How long can I keep this up?

“Pleeeeease?” Evie begs now, snapping me back to attention.

“I’ve got homework to do!” I laugh, giving her an apologetic look. “This paper’s not going to write itself.”

“Oh, right… That’s fair. Sorry, I don’t mean to distract you so often,” she says and she sounds a bit self conscious now, her eyes trailing to the floor. “Um, mind putting me back up on the desk then?”

I smile and reach behind her so that I can scoop her up into my hand, enjoying the feeling of her weight against my palm.

“Hey.” I touch her shoulder with my thumb and hold her high enough to be level with my face so that I can get her to look at me. “Just so we’re clear. I’d much, much rather kick your butt at Magic.”

She smirks back, my attempt at lightening the mood successful. “Uh huh. Oh I see now, the real reason you don’t want to play is because you know I’ll kick your butt. Again.”

“Hardly,” I say with a chuckle, slowly standing up now, “Though I’ll be honest, I haven’t lost that bad in a long time.”

“I’m sure you’ll recover someday. You’re actually really good, Aiden. A worthy opponent.”

“Same to you.”

I set her onto the desk and notice that apparently all of my papers are still in a pile here from when I was doing homework alongside her last night.

“Oops, I forgot I left my stuff. Let me get it out of your— aahh.” I jerk my hand away from the textbook I’d been closing, wincing in pain.

Evie jumps at my sudden exhalation, looking over at me wide-eyed. "What happened?”

"Paper cut.” There’s a tiny trickle of blood at the base of my thumb so I stick it in my mouth, taking a slow breath through my nose as it stings.

"Oh no, those are the worst! How bad is it, can I see?”

“I mean…” I’m trying not to show amusement at how worried she looks and pull my hand away from my face to show her. “No, it’s not bad. I’m fine.” Even as I say that the blood stubbornly bubbles right back up. She looks crestfallen at the sight.

“Do you have bandaids? Ugh, I wish I could help…”

“Yeah, I have some in the bathroom. I’ll be right back.” Seeing the look on her face I add, “Don’t worry, Evie, it’s just a small cut.”

I step away, processing what I’d just said and realizing that from her perspective it might not have looked so small. I go through my medicine cabinet and am finding myself blushing. How sweet of her to fret over me like that…

I wash off the cut and normally I’d just put on the bandaid and call it a day. But I’m hit with a thought and instead bring the box of bandages back out to the living room. Evie’s still standing there near the edge of the desk, wringing her hands and visibly looking like she’s trying not to fuss.

“Think you could give me a hand?” I ask sheepishly as I come sit down, “I always have a hard time wrapping these things around one-handed.”

She perks up immediately at the thought of feeling useful. I hold the middle of the bandaid at the outer edge of my thumb, and the extra help is actually kind of nice as my little assistant stands on the other side and pulls each end of the bandage around the digit so that it’s nice and snug.

“There you go,” she says, rubbing her palm over her handiwork. She’s come around to making lighter of the situation now as she pets me and says with a doting old lady voice, “Now, you give it plenty of time to heal, alright? I don’t want to see you being so reckless again.”

I chuckle and play along, “Yes, grandma, I’ll be careful.” I look down at her fondly and since she’s standing next to the inside of my thumb she’s in the perfect position for me to close my hand around her. I gently bring a couple of fingers in to give her a very small squeeze. “Thanks, Evie. That was really sweet.”

“Anytime!” She wraps her arms around one of my fingertips and squeezes me back.

“That did make me realize, though…” I say pensively as I pull my hand away. “We should probably have a first-aid kit over here that you’re able to access. It would be a different story if you were the one to get a paper cut.”

“Yeah, not a bad idea…” she agrees. “Though, honestly… I might be too small for that to happen? I think paper is too thick for me now. But yeah, probably shouldn’t take that chance.”

I put the homework on hold for another fifteen minutes or so as I gather a variety of first-aid items, cutting out tiny bits of gauze and bandages for her to have access to in an emergency. Though hopefully I’d be there to help if anything happened. No… hopefully, we’ll never need to use these at all.

@Olo Yesss, as much as I love the early moments of being freshly shrunk - the shock, the meet cute, the discovery - there’s something so fun about the both of them becoming more and more comfortable with the size difference. 🥰

I’ll be totally honest, I was just having Aiden make conversation with the Christmas thing, but reading back he does sound overeager I’ll just roll with it, why not, let’s just say he’s obsessed with Christmas haha

Chapter 15

I’m so happy to know your week is getting better, Evie! Something else you should check out when you get the time is this communities app, I’ll email you a link. I think it would be up your alley, I’m sure there’s at least one forum about woodworking.

Speaking of, I didn’t realize when you said you’d done woodworking that you did it in school. What was that like?

By the way, if these notes are going to be a regular thing I wanted to tell you, it’s okay if you write smaller! You could probably cut the size in half before I need my glasses.

–

“Mmkay,” I mutter to myself, pinching a spot on the string that I’m holding around my waist, so that when I pull it off of me again I have an accurate measurement. Then I lay it down on the blue fabric at my feet and make some marks with my little pencil. This would be so much easier if I had a pattern. But I think I’m making progress. I’m hoping to have the panels I need marked up before Aiden gets home so that he can help me cut them out. Then I can spend a good part of tomorrow sewing.

The playlist that I’m listening to runs out so I run over to my phone to pick out a new lofi video. The phone is bigger than any TV I’ve seen, almost as tall as I am and about twice as long. It’s been taking some getting used to figuring out how to best touch the screen so that it picks up on my small hands, but after a couple of days I’ve been getting the hang of it. I find something from a video game soundtrack and nod along with the beat for a moment before I get back to work.

I’m not exactly sure where my bursts of motivation are coming from. There was something about admitting to my giant friend that I was having a rough time that made the anxiety start to dissipate. Being vulnerable is so hard for me, I never know when I can take it too far and I don’t ever want to find out where Aiden’s limit is. But for now, I think… I’m doing okay.

–

Happy Friday! I can’t believe the weekend’s here. Do you think you can bring me into the kitchen again with you tonight? I want to show you how to make that homemade gnocchi and you can show me how to make your famous pesto!

To answer your question about the dress, I learned it from when I was nannying. For the babies I’d wear them in a sling sometimes, and I’d used this wrap thing that you loop around yourself and tie off. I just thought a few more loops and maybe I could make a dress or a romper! It’s been working great until I make better clothes.

You did a good job cutting that stuff out by the way, super precise. It’s been harder than I thought but I’ve been making progress on the sewing too.

–

I’m studying at my actual desk, for a change. It’s for a Hydrology course so Evie’s doing her own thing beside me, quietly tapping away at something on her phone. Though at one point she seems to get bored with that and ambles over. To my surprise, she leans her full body onto my wrist, peering over it towards my textbook. I go very, very still at her touch.

“What does drawdown mean?” she asks curiously.

My eyes flick down to watch her. She might technically be interrupting, but I’m so glad that she’s been less worried about “bothering” me lately. “I haven’t gotten there yet. I think it has something to do with elevation?”

She seems to notice how stiff I’ve gone and suddenly looks embarrassed, standing back up and taking a step away from me. “I’m sorry,” she says, “I feel like I’ve gotten so… touchy lately. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that this is actually your hand, and not just… I don’t know… something other than a human body part.”

I shake my head, hoping I’m not blushing too much as I smile. “It’s understandable. I think my brain does something similar. Maybe because we haven’t had much of a choice about me needing to carry you around since day one.”

I reach across with my opposite hand, carefully bracing my thumb against Evie’s abdomen and my forefinger against her back. And then I pluck her up and place her right onto my forearm, in a spot where she’s able to get a better view of the handout I’m using from the slight boost in elevation.

“I won’t make it awkward if you don’t. Think you could help quiz me on these terms?”

She hardly seems phased by me picking her up like that and smoothly settles into a cross-legged seat on my arm, looking happy to be of assistance. “Sure!”

–

In case I forget to tell you later - just as a head’s up I’ll be leaving a little early on Monday. Last-minute test run with my group members before the big presentation. Yay…

That show sounds really fun, I’d be down for checking it out. I think we need to start making an actual list of anime we should watch! I’ll take all the recommendations.

Oh my god I’m sitting in the class that I’m the TA for and some guy just dropped his drink and it exploded all over like five people in the row below him. I feel so bad but I’m trying so hard not to laugh right now. Actually, I’m sure I’ll just probably tell you about it when I get home. So never mind.

–

“You want to come study outside with me?”

Aiden’s hand is already reaching out for me hopefully. I stare at him for a second before I respond, “Like… in public?”

“Yeah, there’s this little courtyard just outside the apartment. Hardly anyone goes out there, and look – this shirt has a pocket in case you need to hide.” He grins down at me and nudges my leg with his finger. “Come on! I thought it might be nice to bring a snack and get some fresh air while we do Biochem.”

I give him a dubious look and then giggle as he continues to poke my leg, almost making me fall right onto his hand. “Okay, okay! That actually sounds nice now that it’s getting sunnier… Lead the way!”

–

Uhhh I guess when you lift me straight up and down that can still make me a little nauseous. But it’s really not that bad anymore. Crazy what you can get used to! Thanks for asking though.

Yeah it’s a weird last name, my friend Lynne (the one who got me into anime) would tease me about it all the time. It’s spelled “Ondine.”

So which of your classes is your favorite?? If I had to pick for me I kinda miss my Construction Technology class. Makes me wonder why I was focusing so much on chemistry in the “before times.”

–

“Hey Aiden?”

I’m sitting on the couch and glance up from my laptop, happy for a distraction. “What’s up?”

“Am I supposed to do anything to take care of the geode?”

I take a second to process the question, looking past her on the desk to the rock in question. “No, not really. We could get mineral oil for it, but it’s not a requirement. Especially since the edges are cut and polished on that one.”

“Oh, okay. Would it be bad if I dusted it?”

“I mean, it can’t hurt. I guess you might be able to see that kind of detail more than I would… Need any help?”

“Nah, I’m good. Just wanted to show it some love.”

Over the next ten minutes I keep glancing over to the desk, feeling very touched at the sight of little Evie diligently wiping away at the purple crystals that I’d given her.

–

Thanks for being understanding about Thursday, I don’t get to see this friend very often and that was the only time he could meet up. I’ll be home between school and dinner so I’ll make sure you have something to eat!

And thanks for the pep talk too. Teaching isn’t my long term goal but I still feel responsible for helping my students as much as I can, you know? I’m sure she’ll come around, she’s a smart kid who’s just going through a hard time right now.

OK now I have a very important question for you. I know it’s not even March but… what is your opinion on the appropriate time to put up Christmas decorations?

–

“Look what I’ve got!”

I’d been trying to crane my neck to see what Aiden was holding behind his back when he came home today. He brings it into view now, and at first I don’t even know what I’m looking at. Some kind of green and white box?

“It’s a mini fridge!” he says brightly, placing the towering structure on the desk. “Finally found one.”

“Aiden…” I whine, though I’m being mostly sarcastic as I’m actually really excited about this. “First the phone and now this?”

“No no no, see, I didn’t spend a cent on it,” he says insistently while I go investigate my new refrigerator. “I was overhearing this guy trying to pawn it off on his friend in class. Apparently it works fine but it’s defective because it’s too small. Like, he couldn’t get a can to fit inside. If this thing isn’t destined to be yours I don’t know what is.”

It’s still over twice as tall as I am, I have to reach over my head to get to the handle. But I manage to pull the door open on my own, and I think if I tie a rope or something to it I’ll be able to manage just fine.

I turn to grin up at my giant friend. “You rock. I love it.”

–

My birthday’s September 12th! What’s yours?

As for games, I’m into pretty much any kind of board game you can imagine. A lot of them I probably couldn’t play anymore, I guess. Or I could like… BE the pawn. Maybe that would be fun. But I still want to figure out how to play Magic with you! Watch out, I used to be really good. I might be rusty now but I bet I could still beat you!

And dude, I’m telling you, I can’t draw. There’s no way you’re worse than me. Now I want to play pictionary with you just to prove it haha. I’m sure we can find other ways to do creative stuff.

–

It’s bulk cooking day today (I like having freezer meals at the ready for evenings when I don’t have time to cook) so I spend a few hours in the kitchen with Evie on the counter. I’ve been working on a batch of soup and have sausage and vegetables roasting in the oven. The latter we plan to have for tonight’s dinner as well, and while I mess around at the stove, my shrunken roommate has offered to make a side salad for it.

I’ve opened the plastic bag of greens and she transfers them, leaf by leaf, into a nearby dish, washing or tearing off any dirty spots she comes across. Would it be faster if I just dumped it onto the plate myself? Of course. But I’d much rather she feel useful – not to mention her tiny eyes are sharper than mine for catching any iffy spots in the greens, so it’s a win-win.

We’ve started accruing some little kitchen tools like smaller bowls, a mini whisk, and a spoon and fork made for toddlers, with wooden handles so they’re not too heavy. So when it comes to the dressing for the salad, I do help by measuring out some ingredients according to her instructions into a bowl. But then she brings over her whisk, still half her height, intent on mixing it herself.

“You got it?” I ask, a little skeptically, as Evie hoists the utensil into the small bowl.

“Yup!” she says, and she begins to make wide turns with the whisk, so that it looks more like an oar. “It’ll take a while but we will have a vinaigrette soon enough.”

“You sure it won’t separate before you’re able to combine it?” It doesn’t look like she’s able to stir it nearly as fast as she needs to.

“That’s what the mustard was for. It won’t separate, it’ll emulsify.”

I grin down at her. “Look at you using science! Carry on then, little chef.” I decide I don’t need to question her cooking techniques after all.

–

Yeah I’m really bad at explaining it since I’m still figuring it out. Maybe I sneak you into class one of these days?? (just kidding)

Hmm, that’s a good question. I do like rockhounding, but I’m also pretty happy with my collection. Something I’d really like to get into one day is gardening. I can’t wait to have a backyard and grow my own vegetables or something. I’ve thought about getting a house plant but just never got around to it.

It’s supposed to be really nice weather on Saturday, how about we actually go on a walk? There’s the park on the north side of campus, some of the flowers are starting to be in bloom right now. No one should be there since there’s the football game, we should go!

–

“Ow ow ow ow ow,” I say with a hiss as I carefully try to extricate my hair from where it got stuck on a piece of tape. I need to add that to the crafting list… a hair tie. I’m sure if I could get some kind of small elastic I’d figure out how to make a scrunchie.

But that’s not what I’m currently working on. I’ve been spending most of my afternoon on a new project - taking a post-it note and bending up the sides of it to form a little open box. The hardest part has been trying to get pieces of tape to hold it all together. I now have sticky patches all over my body from where the adhesive got caught, and a growing pile of crumpled bits of tape off to the side. I’m going to need to take a bath after this.

It’s about then that Aiden gets home. I don’t even really flinch when I hear the keys jingling now, it’s just a normal part of our weekday routine. I’m still happy to see him every time, though.

“Ooo, whatcha working on today?” he asks as he ambles over.

I gesture dramatically at my paper box. “Tadaaaa… It’s a mailbox! We’ve been penpalling for weeks now, I figured we could use a proper– whoa! What the hell, man?”

He just shoved me in the back. I take a stumbling step forward, before glancing over my shoulder at his hand in confusion. He’s holding a tiny piece of tape between his fingertips.

“Sorry,” he laughs. “You’ve got a couple of these on you. Hold still?”

Now knowing what’s coming, I brace myself, digging my heels against the desk’s surface to try and keep my balance. With one hand he uses a finger to carefully push my hair aside and with the other he yanks two more bits of tape from my clothing. “Thanks,” I say, “I got it all over my skin too… Think I have time to wash up before dinner?”

“Go for it,” he says with a smile, “Oh wait, first! The inauguration of our beautiful new mailbox.”

He pulls out the latest of our long series of notes, holding the folded paper between index and middle finger. He does a little flourish with his hand before delicately placing the letter in the open box. Like a proud parent, I beam up at him and give him a satisfied nod, thankful for him humoring me.

Yeah, I’m doing okay. In fact, somehow, I think I can say I’m doing well.

@Olo As someone who has spent so much time thinking about motivations, personality, past experiences, etc and just really trying to get into these characters’ heads, you have no idea how much it means to me to see such thoughtful comments like this

Yep, she’s totally resigned at this point! A little weird, ain’t it?.. And don’t worry, I definitely don’t plan to glaze over that dependency issue.

Chapter 14
Evie

All sounds are muffled as I let myself sit with my head leaned forward, taking in the calm and the darkness behind my eyelids. It’s like I’m sitting at the bottom of the ocean again, of my own volition this time. The pressure of the water feels kind of nice… but it’s also getting a little too warm.

I pop my head up, taking a deep breath as I breach the surface of the bath. I vaguely wonder if I should go turn the temperature down a little bit, it feels a bit more like a hot tub in here than I’d like. But that would require getting out into the cold air… and I’d rather just hang out. I don’t really feel hurried to do anything right now.

I scoop up some water into my hands and lift it out, and the surface tension creates a droplet on my palms that holds its shape. A couple of weeks ago, as part of a lab credit that didn’t end up ruining my life, I got to play around with mercury, and I’m reminded of that experience now, messing with a liquid that doesn’t quite act the way my brain thinks it should. I roll the droplet between my hands before plopping it back into the bath.

The texture of water at my small size might be interesting, but it’s not going to be much longer before I get incredibly bored. It’s weird, I’m so used to living alone, why should this be so different? Is it just because I know how limited I am? In the past, even if I spent all day relaxing at home, I at least knew I had the option of stepping outside for a walk or to go run some errands or something. I had work to do, or school, something that gave me direction in my day. And now, suddenly, the bulk of my time is becoming devoid of any kind of structure. It just means I’m going to have to create my own sense of structure… somehow.

Not sure I’ll be getting around to that today, though. Ever since my roommate left this morning I’ve been wavering between feeling anxious and depressed. I realize the heat is starting to make me a little dizzy. Fine. I’ll get out of the bath.

Once I’m dried and dressed again, I go on a little walk around the perimeter of the desk. I wonder what Aiden’s up to. He should be in his - I glance up at the distant clock - second class by now. I wonder if he read the note I wrote. I hope he didn’t just forget that he had it tucked away in his wallet. Even from this far away, I feel like I’m trying to tug at his attention, wondering if he’ll notice me.

I miss him. His giant body intimidates me, but the person on the inside is someone I’ve already grown so fond of. I want to spend more time with him than ever so that I can force myself to get over my fears around being so little. I just want to hang out with a friend and feel like I can relax.

I look towards the clock again. This is going to be a long day.

As the hours crawl by, I eat when I’m hungry, clean when I’m restless. I open one of Dr. Little’s old books, but the contents of this one are about the most boring thing I can think of, the first chapter being all about how rust is formed, and I quickly close it again. I wash the outfit that I’d slept in and hang it up to dry, disappointed at how little time that took. I wander to the notepad and try to continue adding to my list of recipes, but my heart’s just not in it.

I look past the edge of the desk, towards the distant floor. At one point Aiden had offered to figure out a way to give me access to the ground, just so that I’m not trapped up here. I could tell he was nervous about even mentioning it, probably since it might be tempting fate to risk me falling or ending up unnoticed and underfoot. I told him not to worry about it, and now I wonder if that was a mistake. But then again, what’s the point? It’s not as if I’m lacking in space, in fact I almost feel paralyzed by the vastness of my surroundings, being on the floor would be worse…

I feel annoyed with myself. I’d thought this out days ago, I’d come up with all sorts of things I could occupy myself with. I could work on making better clothes, I could write or doodle, or maybe one of the other books might be more interesting. But I don’t try any of it, and the more I notice that I’m slipping into a dark hole, the further in I slip. The whole day passes as I sink, and at about a quarter past three I run out of any scrap of motivation that keeps me on my feet. I just sit on the desk and stare at the clock.

An entire hour passes. I’m fighting tears at this point. And I kind of hate myself. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this pathetic in my life. But I don’t even care. I just want… I just want…

I snap my head up at a muffled thumping outside. And then I’m on my feet at the familiar sound of the keys jingling and sliding into the lock. My heart soars as the door swings open.

I don’t care that he’s too big. At this moment I don’t even care that I’m so incredibly dependent on him, and not just physically. In the midst of my emotional shambles from these last several days and the misery of the past eight hours, all I care about is that he’s home right now. He’s back. I’m so happy to see him I could break down and cry.

“Hellooo!” Aiden calls out as he slips off his shoes and then heads my way. “What a day… You’re a sight for sore eyes. Guess what I had time to do during my lunch break?”

“What’s that?” I yell back when he gets close enough, and my voice is a little thick. He notices, and as our eyes meet he must see how red mine are, his expression shifting to concern.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I try to assure him, “I just… um…”

I squirm for a moment. Ugh. Screw it. I don’t have the strength right now. I let myself be a little vulnerable.

“I had a bit of a hard day,” I admit, smiling sadly at him as I wipe at my eyes, “I’m just really glad you’re home.”

“Awww…” Aiden sits down at the desk chair, a mix of emotions on his face, and as if it’s moving of its own accord, his hand floats over to rest on the desk ahead of me. “Evie, come here…”

He doesn’t need to tell me twice. I hurry forward, clambering aboard and feeling immediate relief at the warmth of his skin. He keeps his hand on the table but bends his fingers in to form a wall behind me, his ring finger resting supportively on my shoulder.

“Anything in particular you need to talk through?” he asks and I blush at how dumb this all feels.

“No, it’s… it’s stupid, I had all these plans, and I just… I don’t know why I had such a hard time being alone for so long…”

There’s a pause and the digit on my shoulder gives me a careful rub. “I can think of a few reasons you’re having a hard time right now,” the giant says softly, “It’s been less than a week since you became too small to be part of regular society. Cut yourself some slack.”

My shoulders droop. As someone who spends so much time in my own head… I think I needed to hear that.

Aiden continues, “And it’s understandable you might have trouble entertaining yourself stuck up on a desk. Hopefully this will help?”

With that he finally lifts up his other hand to reveal what he had wanted to show me when he came in. It’s a new phone. I perk up at this beacon of hope. He’s already gotten it out of the box and charged it, and he’s apparently put a pop socket on it so that when he sets it on the desk it’s held upright. I eagerly climb back off his hand to go take a look.

“Sorry, I should have gone to get this for you before today…”

“That’s okay! This is awesome, thank you so much! Did they take the warranty?”

“Um…” Aiden hesitates and I pull my attention away from the phone, turning to look up at him. He looks like a kid who just got found out for stealing a cookie. “No…” he admits, “The warranty just covered defects. But… I had points with them after I’d replaced mine, and the expensive part would have been adding the phone plan, which I didn’t do since you can just use wifi for everything…”

I know where this is going and I’m already slowly shaking my head with a defeated smile.

“I’m not going to insist, but… I’d really like to cover this one for you. If that’s alright.”

Since I did pay him back for some of my setup, he’s seen my bank account. He knows I can’t afford much now that I can’t go to work. I don’t have the energy to argue anyway.

“Thank you,” I say helplessly, for what feels like the thousandth time since I’ve been here. I wish I had better words. “Thank you so much.”

“Happy to help,” he responds, sounding weirdly helpless himself. “Truly.”

We sit in an awkward silence for a few long seconds. Wishing things were simpler. That our dynamics didn’t have to be so off-kilter. That we could just be normal friends.

“D-Do you want any help setting this up?” Aiden finally asks, gesturing towards the phone.

“Um,” I say, glancing from the device back to him. “Yeah, maybe tonight we can take a look? I’ll have plenty of time to figure it all out tomorrow too. Honestly, uh… I’d like to hear how your day went? If that’s okay.” God, I’m so desperate to just have a conversation right now.

“Yeah, of course.” He sounds a little relieved before he turns the clock back through his memories. “Well, first two classes were as boring as all get-out. And, if it makes you feel any better, you actually haven’t missed much of anything with Biochem. I feel like we’ll be stuck on the krebs cycle for weeks. I had a lot of catching up to do for work, so thankfully today was just a lab day. Oh, but I gotta tell you about this one guy…”

I make my way to my bed, taking a seat onto it and looking up at him avidly. I try not to get too caught up in just the sound of his voice, wanting to actually pay attention to what he’s saying, drinking up every moment. It feels like medicine for my fevered loneliness, like I’m slowly coming back to life.

It’s reassuring, us slipping back into whatever normalcy we’ve found in the few days we’ve been living together. It’s a reminder that he didn’t just leave forever, that even if the days might drag sometimes, Aiden will always come home. It’s striking how much my world has constricted in on itself in such a short time, largely limited to one room and one person. In the back of my mind I know that’s probably not healthy. But right now it’s enough.

Images flash through my brain, as if I’m getting visions of the future.

The two of us are sitting on the couch. I’m on his shoulder and his feet are propped up on the ottoman. He has a textbook balanced on his knees as we read together.

My new phone is playing a workout video. I’ve made myself a rudimentary yoga mat and am following along. Keeping myself busy and healthy as I survive on my own.

Aiden is holding a piece of fabric up to a light. He’s leaning in and squinting at the tiny marks I’ve made. His hands are carefully maneuvering the scissors with each snip and I gaze up at him gratefully.

Long, powerful fingers are carefully snaking their way around my torso. I’m lifted up with incredible ease, drifting through the air in a gentle and warm embrace. Carried over to our usual spot to watch a favorite show.

My giant friend and I are chatting in the kitchen. We’re having some kind of pointless yet entertaining debate over what some fictional character would do in a given situation. I’m all but useless in helping make food but I’m just happy to be at his side.

Speaking of which…

“Oh hey,” Aiden says with sudden recollection, “I actually need to go defrost something for dinner later. Want to come with me? I was going to say so that you can stretch your legs but… well… you know what I mean.”

It might not seem like much, just walking across the room. But to me it’s a welcome change of scenery. I’m so glad for the invite, so glad that he seems to get it. I eagerly climb back onto his hand and he lifts it up as he stands, though before he starts walking he reaches towards his back pocket.

“But first…”

He fetches his wallet out and lays it on the desk so he can open it one-handed. Out of one of the credit card slots he pulls out a folded piece of paper. My heart jumps at the sight. I hadn’t expected this at all. Aiden holds it up briefly, smiling in my direction before he sets it back down on my miniature table.

“For later.”

@Olo She’s tryin so hard!! Funny you should mention a phone… but no, hers got destroyed in the fire.

Chapter 13
Aiden

As soon as I open my eyes I let out an involuntary groan and a wave of sadness hits me so hard that I almost choke on it. Whoa. Where did that come from? Did I just have a nightmare?

It takes me a minute, but as I come to, I realize that no… I’m just really dreading going back to class. Part of it is this protective worrying of leaving Evie alone for that long. But the other part is a bit more selfish. We’ve spent the better part of a week together at this point and I can’t hide from myself the fact that I’ve become infatuated with her presence. I just love having her around… for various reasons. I don’t want to wake up from this dream.

I berate myself for being so dramatic. What’s the alternative, giving up on work and school so I can sit around and stare at her all day? We’ll still get to spend plenty of time hanging out. Maybe this is a good thing, maybe she needs a bit of space for all I know. I do think she’s enjoying our new friendship. But I also know I can be overwhelming to be around, whether I like it or not.

It takes me another minute to drag myself out of bed, and it feels like I have weights chained to my ankles as I quietly go get ready. I’m dressed and groomed when I come out to the living room, and I notice Evie’s already up, waiting for me near the edge of the desk.

“Hey you!” I call out to her before I approach, “Did you need something? I was about to figure out what to do for breakfast.”

“I was hoping to take you up on your offer and join you in the kitchen today!” she calls back. It’s fascinating how I swear my hearing has gotten better to compensate for her tiny voice.

I cock my head to the side curiously, although I’m reflexively already starting to reach my hand out towards her. “Were you wanting something in particular? I’m starting to run a little low on supplies, I’ll need to do a grocery run tomorrow.”

“But you’ve got a banana, right?” she asks as she steps onto my fingers, pointing towards the kitchen counter, where one lone fruit sits in plain view.

“Right…”

“And eggs?”

I close my fingers around her bottom half as I lift her up. “Yeah, I think I still have a few.”

“Then we can make pancakes.”

I pause, blinking at her. “That’s all we need?”

She gives me the cutest little smirk. “That’s all we need.”

“Huh. Show me your magic then, little pixie.”

As I’m about to find out, the recipe she has in mind is so simple that she could have just told me what to do and I could have done it alone. But I have zero qualms with having her nearby. Well, just one qualm… I feel really nervous about turning the gas stove on with her in the vicinity.

“I’ll be careful,” she assures me, catching my worried expression as I set her down on the counter. “Or I could ride on your shoulder if that makes you feel better?”

I recall what it was like to have her sitting against my neck yesterday. The subtle weight of her had given me goosebumps and her warmth was so wonderfully comforting. She had reminded me of a little bird again and I loved every second of it. The idea is very tempting now.

“But if I’m cooking I’ll have my hands full and wouldn’t be able to catch you if you fall,” I fret begrudgingly, then quickly I add, “Not that I think you can’t hang on, it’s just, you know, if I move too quickly by accident…”

“I gotcha. I’ll be fine right here,” she says with a soothing tone. Ugh, am I going to miss seeing that smile today.

"Alright, captain,” I say playfully, “what are your orders?”

She puts her hands on her hips, bending slightly at the waist. "Okay, listen closely. We’re going to need one bowl.”

"One bowl,” I echo dutifully, bending down to a cabinet and fetching a medium-sized glass bowl. I set it down near her, and she takes a step back, her confident demeanor faltering slightly as she takes in the giant receptacle.

"R-right. Okay, next we need a fork.”

I nod and repeat the order, fishing the utensil out of a drawer.

"Now you’re going to mash up a banana, mix in two eggs… and you’ve got your pancake batter.”

"It’s seriously that simple?” I ask with a laugh, stepping over to the fridge to get the eggs.

"Yup. I mean, it’ll be more like sweet omelets, but it’s always been an easy go-to for me.”

"Now, we’re not out of the woods yet,” I say as I start peeling the banana, “You might be severely overestimating my ability to flip these pancakes. We may be getting sweet scrambled eggs instead.”

“I believe in you, Aiden.”

I start prepping then, mashing up the fruit as Evie recounts how she figured out this recipe. I notice that when I crack the first egg against the rim of the bowl she jumps at the ringing sound, so I make sure to tap the other one against the opposite side of the counter instead to make the noise less jarring. She looks embarrassed about this but thanks me anyway. I’m more than happy to learn all the ways I can adjust to make my shrunken friend more comfortable.

She thankfully gives the stove a wide berth as I fry up the egg disks - since I keep the pancakes small I’m able to flip them easily enough. As I start piling the finished product onto a plate, my little commander showers me with praise, to a clearly condescending extent, and we have a good laugh over it. I hope this can start being a regular thing. It’s a lot more fun than the usual me tossing something together for the sake of sustenance.

I have a brief moment of panic when I finish making the food and go to pick up the plate - I suddenly notice Evie’s not on the counter anymore, and when I look around I realize she’s sitting on the plate that I’m holding.

“Oh my god, warn me next time,” I say with a relieved exhale, “I didn’t notice you climbing on.”

“Sorry,” she responds, and she’s acting like she’s completely fine but I can tell that the way I picked up the dish was a little rougher than she was anticipating. “I thought I was being loud. But now that I’ve said it I realize how stupid that sounds.”

I smile and carefully start walking with her still crouched on the plate. “It’s all good. Just always assume you’re about twenty times more discreet than you mean to be.” And I need to make sure I constantly know where she is. Noted.

I drop everything off at the desk and then go grab fresh water and some leftovers for her to have for lunch before I forget. Then we settle into breakfast, since I have a little bit of time before I need to leave. These sweet banana-egg-disc things really aren’t so bad, and pretty healthy too.

“I thought you said you don’t eat breakfast foods?” I tease, waving in her general direction with my fork.

“Yeah, I’d make this for dinner,” she retorts, and I laugh.

“You said you’ve been cooking since you were pretty young, yeah? What got you interested in it?”

Evie seems to stiffen at this. She takes her time chewing, looking deep in thought. Then she swallows and says hesitantly, “When I was a kid, my mom wasn’t a very, um… active person in my life, I guess? And my dad died when I was really young so I had to grow up a little bit faster than most kids. I got tired of getting food poisoning all the time so I eventually tried making my own food. I wasn’t the best at it when I was six, but I eventually got the hang of it.”

I’d just speared more food on my fork but freeze in place as I stare at her. “Six?”

“Maybe I’m exaggerating, I can’t really remember. Sorry, I don’t mean to start complaining about my childhood. It made me stronger and stuff, so it’s all good.”

I watch as she closes in on herself and it’s obvious she’s not sharing nearly as much as she could be. What kind of parent leaves a six year old to fend for themselves?

“It’s okay, you can complain,” I say cautiously, wanting to neither dismiss nor pry into what might be a sensitive subject. “I’m all ears whenever you need to vent about something." Evie sits there quietly, still looking very uncomfortable, so after a moment I try to diffuse things instead, "Want to hear a messed up story from my childhood?”

She looks up at me with her doe-like eyes and nods silently.

“I wasn’t that young I guess, maybe twelve? My uncle has a pool, and one time when we were visiting, he pretended he was drowning. I freaked out, and I wasn’t able to drag him out of the pool, so I propped him up on the stairs and ran inside screaming for my mom. When we came back out my uncle was sitting up and laughing. Said something about how he wanted me to learn what to do in an emergency.”

Evie’s eyes are much wider now. “That sounds traumatizing!”

“Yeah, it kinda was! My mom yelled at him after that and now it’s a bit of a family joke. At least I found out I could handle myself more or less okay in a crisis, I didn’t totally freeze up. Not something I particularly wanted to find out, though.”

My little roommate is still looking thoughtful, but there’s a soft smile in her gaze now. Finally she says, “I’m glad I got to find out. That you can handle a crisis. Otherwise I probably wouldn’t be here right now. And… I’m glad I’m here.”

I set my fork down and return the smile. “I don’t love the circumstances, but… I’m glad you’re here too.” We hold eye contact for another beat, and then I glance behind me at the clock. “And on that note, I should probably get going.”

“Oh, wait a sec!”

She runs over to the desk lamp, and at the base of it is a small piece of paper, folded into quarters, though even folded up it’s half as big as Evie is. She struggles to lift it up towards me.

“Take this, for later.”

For a moment my chest tightens at what seems to be some kind of gift. I gingerly pinch the paper between my fingertips. “Is it a grocery list?” I joke, pulling out my wallet to store it in one of the credit card slots.

“Nah, just open it when you get to class. Have a good day!”

“Thanks, Evie. You too.”

It’s a struggle then, but there’s no point in dragging this out. I rip myself away, giving her a casual wave as I head out the door.

The cool morning air makes me shiver when I step outside. I make my familiar trek to class, each landmark just the same as it’s always been, and I almost feel like some kind of spy. Pretending to go back to my mundane life, to greet my classmates as if everything was normal, all the while keeping this monumental, insane secret tucked safely away. I feel like I might burst with the weight of it. Fortunately, if I ever did blurt out the truth to anybody, it’s quite literally unbelievable.

As I settle into my first class, I glance around to ensure I have privacy before I eagerly pull out the piece of paper Evie had given me, unfolding it and realizing it’s a letter. The writing is quite small, although I can tell she tried to make it very big so that I can have an easier time reading it.

Hi Aiden!

I just wanted to thank you SO SO much for everything you’ve been doing for me. I wish I could properly put it into words so instead I’ll put it into picture:

Underneath she’s drawn what I surmise is herself, though it’s little more than a stick figure, reaching her arms up with a big goofy smile on her face. I can’t help grinning right back at the sketch, imagining her having to make wide gestures to draw this in what is almost exactly her own size. I take a second to reach my finger up and brush it against the paper, gently stroking the cheek of the 2D Evie in a way I’ve never touched the real one. Then I finish reading the note.

Okay, that doesn’t do it justice either. I can’t draw. But seriously, I don’t know where I’d be without your help, so thank you.

-Evie

PS Could we watch the next episode of Laid Back Camp tonight? I know you have homework, but just one episode?

I don’t even hesitate. I put the tiny piece of paper down and open my notebook, ripping out a blank page and setting it on my desk. I start writing out a response, as small as I comfortably can.

Hi Evie!

I appreciate the note, it made my day. You really don’t have to thank me, I’m sure anyone else would have done the same. It’s been so nice having you around!

-Aiden

I hesitate, leaning my pencil against my chin as I look over to Evie’s message, staring at her miniature graphite self. And then I go for it, making one little selfish bid to somehow continue this penpalling conversation:

PS I’m glad you’re liking Laid Back Camp. Do you have a favorite character so far?

@miss-lillipants I never know if I’m being too subtle or not subtle enough so I’m always glad when something has the intended effect lol