Out of their Element

[Rusco57]

Good story so far.

And I vote for the 6" version, she looks more robust to handle...

[Nropyub]

I’m all for the 3” Evie! She’s exactly big enough to scurry around and get noticed but small enough that it’s a major effort for her.

I’m loving how well written this story is and how much effort you put into Evie’s feeling and point of view. Reading about her frustration with the crackers and the charging cable was so sad. Putting the experience of being suddenly thrust into a giant world through the lens of a young woman with serious issues with asking for help is perfect. She’s trying so, so hard, but she hasn’t really accepted her limitations and asking for help is really that last straw for her.
Also the dancing was adorable. They’re a cute couple and don’t realize it yet.
How far are we through the story? Is there a part III coming or is part II it?

[DocRick]

How far are we through the story? Is there a part III coming or is part II it?

I have a feeling littlest-lily is having the same dilemma I have with my thread story in SW art. Once you reach a certain point in the story, particularly a story like this one and mine, the story is over. You've reached the end and there is nowhere to go with it, so you prolong it as long as possible because you don't want it end. Plus, it keeps the readers interested is seeing what happens next.......

[ROGU3_20]

How far are we through the story? Is there a part III coming or is part II it?

I have a feeling littlest-lily is having the same dilemma I have with my thread story in SW art. Once you reach a certain point in the story, particularly a story like this one and mine, the story is over. You've reached the end and there is nowhere to go with it, so you prolong it as long as possible because you don't want it end. Plus, it keeps the readers interested is seeing what happens next.......

agreed. and right now, the story hasn't touched upon some plot points that still feel ambiguous, like Evie's troubled past, her relationship with Aiden. a whole lot more stuff.

[shrinkwrapped]

How far are we through the story? Is there a part III coming or is part II it?

I have a feeling littlest-lily is having the same dilemma I have with my thread story in SW art. Once you reach a certain point in the story, particularly a story like this one and mine, the story is over. You've reached the end and there is nowhere to go with it, so you prolong it as long as possible because you don't want it end. Plus, it keeps the readers interested is seeing what happens next.......

Won't speak for the author here but rest assured there's still plenty planned at present last I checked in haha.

[DocRick]

How far are we through the story? Is there a part III coming or is part II it?

I have a feeling littlest-lily is having the same dilemma I have with my thread story in SW art. Once you reach a certain point in the story, particularly a story like this one and mine, the story is over. You've reached the end and there is nowhere to go with it, so you prolong it as long as possible because you don't want it end. Plus, it keeps the readers interested is seeing what happens next.......

agreed. and right now, the story hasn't touched upon some plot points that still feel ambiguous, like Evie's troubled past, her relationship with Aiden. a whole lot more stuff.

Absolutely. The author briefly mentions those things but then moves on without expounding. There's a literary term for that, not foreshadowing, but I can't remember what it is. Most great authors use it to keep the reader intrigued. And it's working........

[littlest-lily]

I have a feeling littlest-lily is having the same dilemma I have with my thread story in SW art. Once you reach a certain point in the story, particularly a story like this one and mine, the story is over. You've reached the end and there is nowhere to go with it, so you prolong it as long as possible because you don't want it end. Plus, it keeps the readers interested is seeing what happens next....... :D

agreed. and right now, the story hasn't touched upon some plot points that still feel ambiguous, like Evie's troubled past, her relationship with Aiden. a whole lot more stuff.

Absolutely. The author briefly mentions those things but then moves on without expounding. There's a literary term for that, not foreshadowing, but I can't remember what it is. Most great authors use it to keep the reader intrigued. And it's working........

I can't tell you how much I appreciate the discussion!! Sooo believe it or not, I actually mapped out the entire story from start to finish before I started posting it and uhhhh..... we're not even halfway through. I promise they're not just going to be dancing around their unconfessed feelings for each other the entire time though! This is a slow burn but not THAT slow lol. I have so many plans for these two…

I have no idea what that literary term is that's close to "foreshadowing," but in my planning document I have a list of them and call them "breadcrumbs," like following a trail? I don't know but I'm so happy if I'm managing to create any kind of intrigue :)

[jodyjody]

“Aww poor thing, she looks so freaked out," he says, like he's observing a squirrel in a cage. He puts a hand up, gently tapping the glass with his fingertips as he addresses me, "Hey, it’s okay. Everything's looking good, Evie, just hang in there. Should be done in just a minute."

[...]

“I’m coming in, Evie,” he says gently. As if a soothing tone is enough to compensate for the intensity of his presence.

Ahhh, he's so precious!!!

[DocRick]

I can't tell you how much I appreciate the discussion!! Sooo believe it or not, I actually mapped out the entire story from start to finish before I started posting it and uhhhh..... we're not even halfway through. I promise they're not just going to be dancing around their unconfessed feelings for each other the entire time though! This is a slow burn but not THAT slow lol. I have so many plans for these two…

I have no idea what that literary term is that's close to "foreshadowing," but in my planning document I have a list of them and call them "breadcrumbs," like following a trail? I don't know but I'm so happy if I'm managing to create any kind of intrigue

Ha,ha. I'll just be reading the story and suddenly you throw a....yeah, breadcrumb works, and I'm like "Wait....what?" and then you don't take it any further so now I want to know more about that breadcrumb. Like Evie's troubled past and their relationship prior to the shrinking. You mention it and then drop it. Nice.

My story started with a single picture and I had no intentions of taking it any further, but some positive comments prompted me to make it into a story. It's been running off the cuff the entire time and I never knew where it was going. It's winding down now in a direction totally opposite as I had imagined it would end halfway through. The new co-star, Monica, just happened to appear when I needed a new character and she stole everyone's heart just like Tatiana did so I had to make her a lead character.

[littlest-lily]

Ahhh, he's so precious!!!

It's been SUCH a fun change of pace for me to write a giant guy who's actual a good and sweet person!

Ha,ha. I'll just be reading the story and suddenly you throw a....yeah, breadcrumb works, and I'm like "Wait....what?" and then you don't take it any further so now I want to know more about that breadcrumb. Like Evie's troubled past and their relationship prior to the shrinking. You mention it and then drop it. Nice.

My story started with a single picture and I had no intentions of taking it any further, but some positive comments prompted me to make it into a story. It's been running off the cuff the entire time and I never knew where it was going. It's winding down now in a direction totally opposite as I had imagined it would end halfway through. The new co-star, Monica, just happened to appear when I needed a new character and she stole everyone's heart just like Tatiana did so I had to make her a lead character.

Thank you for the kind words! And sometimes just making stuff up as you go is just as fun.



Chapter 34
Evie

I can hardly focus on anything other than the clock today. I do try and get some more painting done, but I'm so distracted. We're finally at the finish line. For all I know, he's already done with his last exam. I won't know for sure until–

I perk up at the sound of distant footsteps coming down the outside hallway. I don't need to wait for the key going into the lock to recognize the cadence of his walking. I run towards the edge of the desk, brimming with excited energy as Aiden comes in.

"Freedom!" he calls out to me as he slides his shoes off, and I can tell he's having to really hold back from being too loud and hurting my ears. "God, that test sucked, but it's over. Sweet, delicious freedom at last!"

He comes over to me already holding my arms up in his direction, and he wastes no time in scooping me up and bringing me right to his face. The speed at which I travel is a little jarring, especially after so much time of rarely getting handled at all. But I'm just happy to be back up here again. As he closes his eyes to gently press up against me, I arc my hand between his eyebrows, like I'm petting the side of a horse. My instinct is to kiss the space between his eyes, but I hold back.

"Congrats! I'm so proud of you," I gush before I hug my whole body against him in return, kneeling on his hand as I lean heavily against the bridge of his nose. Aiden just sighs happily in response. We don't have an audience this time. Nothing to keep us from embracing each other forever. And we do stay like this for well over a minute. It’s both comforting and relaxing, while also creating butterflies in my stomach.

I really… really like him, don't I? And… and somehow, he likes me too, doesn't he? Is this really happening? Can I really allow this to keep happening? Am I ready? It just all seems so ridiculous when I'm only the size of one of his fingers. But maybe Moira's right, I shouldn't keep trying to sabotage myself. I did decide to see where things would lead. But I hadn't honestly thought the path I was on might lead to this.

"Thanks for being the best little cheerleader ever," the giant finally mumbles, his words tickling pleasantly against my skin.

I open my eyes and shift in place, turning to face one of his much larger eyes as I continue lounging against his nose. It's still closed, and I can see the signs of fatigue by how dark his skin is underneath. But the muscles mostly seem relaxed right now, outside of a crinkling at the edge that signals to me that he's smiling. I marvel at the proximity, reaching a hand out as if to touch one of his eyelashes. I don't quite make contact, but hover a finger alongside one as I trace the curve of it, and it's half as long as my arm.

"Anytime," I answer him softly. I didn’t really do much, especially since he was gone so often. But I would have been happy to do much more if I could have.

As if sensing the proximity of my fingertips, the giant eye gradually blinks open, remaining at a half gaze for a moment before it widens and he tries to lay his sights on me. I'm mesmerized, being this up close. It's like looking at a stained glass window into his soul.

He's probably having trouble focusing in on me, though, since I’m millimeters away from his eyeball, and so his hand slowly makes some space between us. I can see more of his face as I kneel there in the dip of his palm, and I just can’t stop smiling.

“I’ve thought so much about fun things we can do this summer,” Aiden says, “But I hadn’t really thought about…” He trails off and I notice his pupils dilate. I wait for him to finish his sentence, but instead he seems to change course with a quick clear of the throat. “Um, so, before anything else, tell me. What do I need to catch up on? What do you need from me?” Holding me a little lower, his eyes suddenly start scanning the surface of my camp on the desk.

I don't call him out on the sudden change of subject, feeling a little flustered myself. “Oh, nothing yet! You should relax right now, you deserve it.”

“I will, I will,” he says, setting his hand down so I can slide off, “But I want to make sure you're all set first. I’ll at least go top off your water tank, and I might as well refill the sanitation tank too… Anything else?” He’s already picking up the metal toilet stall as he raises his eyebrows at me in a query.

I squirm. When am I going to get over this whole dependency thing? I try to push myself to be honest. “No rush, but… feel free to dump out the bath water maybe? And, um… I don’t suppose you have any lightbulbs?”

Aiden frowns, for a moment wondering what I’m referring to. But then he suddenly realizes what it must be and his hand drifts over to the desk lamp. He turns the dial on and off, confirming it to himself. “Shoot, I'm sorry. How long has this been out?”

“I don’t know, a couple of days?” I say sheepishly, very much stretching the definition of “a couple.”

“I’ll see what I’ve got handy. This will all just take a few minutes, so no worries, okay? If you think of anything else, let me know.”

“Thank you…” I say, forcing myself not to hide my face in embarrassment.

“And after this,” he says, gathering up the various water-filled receptacles, “I can go grab dinner. Still down for celebratory pizza?”

“So down.”

“Okay, cool. I think I’ll take a shower first and then I’ll head out.”

Actually, taking a hot bath sounds really, really nice right now. I’ve gotten pretty tired of using nothing but cold water everyday to clean myself. As soon as I have my tub full of fresh water back, I happily turn on the hot plate and begin undressing. I hear Aiden’s shuffling outside of my bathroom as he takes care of the rest, including changing out the bulb on the desk lamp. The relief I feel at everything being set back to normal is staggering. I don’t even think about my roommate's proximity while I’m completely naked in my plastic box. Still just as comfortable with each other as ever… if not more so.

But I guess I finally take that comfort level too far. I’m so in love with the bath that I stay in there a little longer than usual and almost completely submerge myself. I hear the occasional noise in the background but my ears are mostly under the water level. So the assumption I end up making is wildly wrong. But I don’t realize that until I stroll right out onto the desk to grab a quick change of clothes that I had forgotten. Armed with nothing but a towel that's just draped over one shoulder.

I make eye contact with Aiden sitting on the couch, and for a split second I’m too shocked to do anything, but then I make an audible yelp as I grab at my towel to cover my front and quickly backpedal, back around the corner of the bathroom. Meanwhile the giant immediately turns to look the other way, blocking his gaze with his hand.

"I-I'm sorry!” I hear him say as I duck out of sight.

"I'm sorry!" I echo, struggling to project so he can hear me from back here, "I thought you had left already!” I’m still fumbling with my towel, and between my agitated state and the fact that I’m still a little wet, my feet slip on the desk and I hit the ground with another yell.

"Are you okay?” I’m half expecting him to stand up in reaction to that but thankfully he seems to stay put.

"I'm fine!” I roll over, cursing under my breath at the pain in my knee. “Just really… really embarrassed…" Dragging my towel behind me, I crawl back into the bathroom and then bury my face into my hands.

Aiden chuckles awkwardly and makes an attempt at reassuring me. "I hardly saw anything, okay?”

Well, it’s true that my features might be too small to easily make out. But still, I was completely exposed, I’ve just crossed so many lines…

The shuffling outside signals to me that he’s cautiously getting to his feet. "I was just waiting to see what you wanted on the pizza. Uh, is sausage alright? Some kind of veggie too?”

God, don't talk to me about sausage right now, dude. "Yeah, um… maybe peppers and olives?” I call out, trying to remember what toppings we both like. Though it’s kinda hard to think at the moment.

"You got it. Take your time, I'll be back with dinner later.”

I continue pressing my hands up against my eyes until I hear the front door open and shut. Ughhh, I feel like such an idiot. I was not ready to reveal so much of myself like that.

And it also makes me wonder… if we’re heading in any kind of romantic direction… how is this kind of thing even going to work? Sex is certainly not something we’d ever be able to do. But does that mean we don’t do… anything? Is there anything I can accomplish like this? Can I even handle such large eyes looking at my embarrassingly small naked form?

Whoa. I’m getting way, way ahead of myself. I don't even know for certain that he'd want that kind of relationship. Honestly, I don’t know if that’s what I want either. One step at a time. Let's at least take tonight to relax, ease into summer break. Maybe one of us will have the courage to say something in the next few days. And then we'll take it from there.

I get fully dried and dressed with time to spare before Aiden gets back, and we both completely ignore the fact that anything had happened at all as we tuck into the pizza. Instead he tells me about his finals until he no longer wants to think about them, and I catch him up on what I’ve been working on in the past two weeks. One of my projects has been the search for our next show to tackle, and since I had watched the first episode of several options, I meticulously go through all of them now and we debate on which one we should pick up next. I don’t think we'll watch anything tonight, though. Although it’s mixed with a lightness and relief, the intense fatigue in his body is incredibly apparent - I’m sure he plans to turn in early. Poor guy hasn't had a full night's sleep in weeks, and it's been particularly bad these last few days.

After we finish eating, the giant leaves to take care of a few of the dishes that have piled up before giving up on that and coming back to collapse on the couch with a sigh. The back of his neck is leaned against the armrest that's closest to me, so that I just see a shock of dark hair peeking out. I gravitate in his direction, coming a bit closer to the cliff edge of the desk than I normally would.

“Can I join you?” I call out hopefully.

“Aw man, I just sat down…” Aiden responds with a teasing tone. He turns his head to the side without getting up. “Aren't you pixies supposed to have wings or something?”

“Oh, right, I store them under the bed. Let me just flutter right over,” I say with a laugh before waving it off. “Don't worry about it. Maybe later.”

His head shifts again as he sits up higher and tilts his neck back to look towards me with a smile. Then he shimmies up further still so that he can hook an arm over the side of the couch, and he extends his hand towards me. I knew the couch was fairly close to the desk, but sometimes I don’t have a very clear sense of distances. I wouldn’t have expected it, but his fingertips just manage to reach one corner of the table.

“Whoa! I didn't realize you could reach that far,” I exclaim, staring at the newly made bridge.

“Neither did I,” he says with a grin, “C'mere.”

And I do, making my way across and carefully stepping up onto his hand. It’s quite a view, the long road of his arm sloping towards his distant face. I won’t have to traverse it myself though, because as soon as I reach his palm he closes his hand around me. It’s a slightly precarious maneuver so he doesn’t take any chances, enveloping me into a loose fist and then swinging his arm around so that I’m in front of him. He slides back down to lean his neck against the armrest again and, to my surprise, he brings his hand right to his lower chest, unfurling his fingers and letting me off.

I try to catch my balance and feel forced to sit down. It’s a bizarre sensation with the floor moving so distinctly like this, the rhythmic thumping of his heartbeat combining with the up and down of his breathing.

"Well this is new,” I say, smiling as I settle into a cross-legged seat.

"Good or bad?” Aiden asks with a crooked smile of his own. I can feel the vibrations of his voice so distinctly too, but that part is less weird to me. It’s not unlike when I’m sitting in his shirt pocket or alongside his neck.

“It’d probably be kinda hard to walk around,” I say pensively, “But I guess I don’t really need to do that, so… I’d say it's good.” I don't mention that he feels like a gigantic, comfy bed. Or that he smells particularly nice from his recent shower.

His hand lingers just behind me, one finger tentatively reaching my back and pushing my hair aside with a gentle touch, so that it tumbles over my shoulder to my front. I take in the dazed contented look on his face and notice the slight flush of his cheeks. This is a little intimate. And with that realization I suddenly feel anxious, remembering my post-bath embarrassment and intimidated by how physically close we are. I start blabbering in my flustered state.

“So what’s your work schedule gonna look like now?” I ask.

Unperturbed, Aiden carefully trails the fingertip down my back before making his way up again. The light touch makes my skin flush with goosebumps. His voice remains far more calm and even than mine.

“I’m working all through next week, until everyone else finishes their finals,” he says. "Then I get a week off until orientation for the summer class…" He pauses as his finger reaches the back of my neck. "Is this okay?"

"Y-yes," I say and his reaction is swift as he goes back to stroking me. "Um… You're not actually taking any summer classes, right?"

"No, I'm not. I've been debating on getting an extra summer job, actually. Past couple of years I've worked at a pet clinic. I do still have some savings, though, so maybe I don't need to…"

"A pet clinic? I didn't know that, what did you do there?"

"Just front desk stuff. I have a friend who's an actual vet, though, so I've been able to help with the animals sometimes. She knows I can handle small birds, which can be tricky, so on occasion she'd call me in to help hold them still."

"Huh. That's cool!" Damn, no wonder he's so good at handling me, he's even more experienced with birds than I thought. And no wonder he seemed like a natural when checking me in at the lab, all those many weeks ago…

The longer we chat, the more I realize how nice it is to be touched so casually like this. Gradually, I transition from sitting to lying on my stomach, arms crossed in front of me with my chin resting on them. Meanwhile he's started using his thumb to pet me instead, with the rest of his hand forming a shallow cave over my lower half. I run out of things to ask, and then the next rub against my back adds a tiny bit more pressure, making me sigh with pleasure.

“Tell me what feels nice,” Aiden says softly.

"Whatever you're doing sure does,” I answer, turning my head to rest my cheek onto my forearms instead. I let my eyes shut.

We lay in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying each other's company, until the tender caresses eventually slow to a stop. The rest of his hand makes contact with my body too, putting pressure on my legs. It doesn’t feel bad, but I glance up curiously. The giant’s head has tilted to the side and his eyes have drifted to a close. The cadence of his chest rising and falling slows down as I hear his breath deepening just below me.

I stiffen and prop myself up onto my elbows, wondering if I should wake him up. But he looks incredibly peaceful… He’s been so stressed and exhausted lately that it’s a wonder he hasn’t started hallucinating a whole slew of tiny people. I just want to let him rest for a bit. Besides, even though he’s been so paranoid about falling asleep with me around, is it truly that risky? He’s proven to be a light sleeper - the other night when I was close to him I was able to wake him up really easily. Even if he started rolling over or something, I’m sure I could cling to his shirt and yell loud enough to wake him.

Like a total creep, I just watch him sleep for a little while. Each micro expression is magnified tenfold to me, and I almost laugh as I watch the emotions quickly pass over his face, small frowns getting immediately smoothed out into subtle smiles instead. His hand twitches, tickling the inside of my knee and making me giggle outright. I could do this all day. In fact, I could do this all night. The way his chest moves up and down could surely rock me to sleep, and his warmth is just so comforting. I'm certain he'd never agree to something like that, but as far as I can tell this is harmless.

There, see? He’s already starting to wake up. No problems at all.

His eyes look glazed over as they blink open, and he has a bit of an odd expression on his face. Then he closes his eyes again, though they’re clearly active underneath their lids. They reopen at a half gaze and before I know what’s happening, his hand closes around me.

My breath gets caught in my throat. He’s not being painfully rough, but there’s suddenly an alarming confidence in his fingers. Zero inhibitions. They press against me and lift me off right off his chest, surrounding me from all sides.

“Aid–” I barely get a sound out before the wind is knocked out of me, his thumb pressing hard against my diaphragm. It’s at this point that I start struggling. And I start panicking.

One of his fingers snakes around to my front and pushes up against my breasts, rubbing at them deftly, intrusively. I’m gasping for air as I’m flipped around and his thumb runs down my back, lining the curves of my body as I thrash to no avail. Then he’s pushing one of my legs, shoving it up higher than the rest of me. I lurch to the side, twisting around as I try to look up at him and find my voice again. Our eyes meet briefly, but there’s no acknowledgement - it’s like he’s looking right through me, sending chills down my spine. A finger shoves right up between my legs and I wince, kicking furiously and opening my mouth to attempt to yell his name.

But he’s the one who says something instead. His eyes are closed again and he lets out the slightest moan. And then, his voice dripping with unmistakable arousal, he whispers, “So fucking small…”

Time freezes for a moment. In the split second before I manage to scream, my eyes widen as I’m thrown into terrified confusion.

…What?!

[jodyjody]

But he’s the one who says something instead. His eyes are closed again and he lets out the slightest moan. And then, his voice dripping with unmistakable arousal, he whispers, “So fucking small…”

Deary me! I guess you can't spell Aiden without id... careful, Evie, we're in Brobdingnag now!

On another note, this has definitely been the best written shrunken woman/giant man story I've ever read. Probably one of the best pieces of online fiction I've read just in terms of fluidity and style, full stop. (The lack of typos is obviously a big plus, too.) I know my account's new, but I've been lurking here for around a year, so if you take my compliment with a grain of salt, take it with the smallest one possible!

[DocRick]

But he’s the one who says something instead. His eyes are closed again and he lets out the slightest moan. And then, his voice dripping with unmistakable arousal, he whispers, “So fucking small…”

Deary me! I guess you can't spell Aiden without id... careful, Evie, we're in Brobdingnag now!

On another note, this has definitely been the best written shrunken woman/giant man story I've ever read. Probably one of the best pieces of online fiction I've read just in terms of fluidity and style, full stop. (The lack of typos is obviously a big plus, too.) I know my account's new, but I've been lurking here for around a year, so if you take my compliment with a grain of salt, take it with the smallest one possible!

I'll second that motion.

[Rusco57]

Yes, definitely such a well written story. I'm always looking forward to the next chapter.

[jodyjody]

Glad we're all on the same page! Great job, Lily. Hopefully that scream wakes him up! (But you know.....if it doesn't......that's fine too )

[littlest-lily]

Oh my goodness gracious, I can't tell you how much I appreciate the kind words, guys. It's comments like these that keep me going! Seriously, thank you so much for the support <3

Also -- I just wanted to give the head's up that I'm having a medical procedure tomorrow. It shouldn't cause any kind of hiatus (because that would be terrible timing with how things are going in the story), but if I end up going quiet for a few days then that's why! :)



Chapter 35
Aiden

Every time I visit this lab it looks slightly different. But I don’t really look around anyway, just have a general sense of it by now. My attention is on that birdcage in the middle of the room.

The door is closed this time. And it’s not empty. There’s a figure inside it, sitting on the floor, hunched over. Her clothes are simple, with no metal parts as per her instructions - a light blue shirt, cotton black shorts, simple tan flats. Just like that day…

I’m stepping forward and Evie sits up. She turns to face me, looking unnaturally large compared to what I’ve gotten used to, even as she’s sitting on the floor at my feet. She doesn’t say anything but gives me a pleading look, fingers intertwining with the metal bars.

As if it appeared out of nowhere, I notice a metal structure right next to me. A control panel of some kind, eerily similar to one I have experience with. There's a display at the very top with the words "Subject: E. Ondine." I see a lot of green lights across the surface of the panel. I know that it means the subject is fully calibrated. That the solution is loaded and ready for vaporization. There's a comedically joystick-shaped lever beckoning my attention. With swift confidence I do the unforgivable.

The moment I've lowered the lever Evie gasps and shoves against the bars, pushing herself to her feet and stumbling back to the center of the cage. But it's already too late. Even her full standing height would barely reach my chin now. And then mere seconds later the collar of her shirt slips off of one shoulder.

I step over to her prison, putting my own hands up on the bars as I gawk at the shrinking woman within. Her clothes appear to have a mind of their own, shifting and taking up more space over her skin. Her shorts fall to her feet, though her giant shirt is long enough to cover her thighs now, provided she manages to keep it on. And she certainly is trying, holding the expanding fabric against her as it overflows over her clenched arms.

It's her shoes that get the best of her as she tries to take a step back and trips instead. She loses grip on her shirt and even as she struggles to get back to her feet, the fabric devours her. I lose sight of the unfortunate girl as her head dips past the collar and her feet slink under the hem.

I want to see her. I pull on the door of the cage and it swings open with ease. I lightly put one foot in and stare at the pile of clothing on the floor, taking a moment to locate the protruding hump that doesn't even reach up to my knee now. With more self-assurance I bring in the other foot, stepping closer, and the obscured shrinking victim jumps at the sound of shoe hitting metal. Taking care not to make any more sudden sounds, I crouch before the small mound of fabric.

Finding the edge of the shirt, I slip a hand underneath and my fingers slide over something warm. I continue edging them upwards, along the impossibly little legs, until I feel her hips. I then eagerly encircle her waist into my fist and pull her out of the soft fabric trap. I haven’t allowed myself to lust after her like this for so long… And now I know what she looks like naked.

I estimate she's no bigger than a foot tall at this point, and she's still shrinking, albeit much slower now. Evie looks up at me wide-eyed, chest heaving, her little hands clutching my wrist, her hair disheveled from her time imprisoned in her own clothing. My monkey brain directs my eyes straight to her breasts, so small but so perfect, solidifying my erection in an instant. I take in her entire form at my leisure as she does nothing to stop me, just maintains that same pleading look on her face.

Finally, she speaks. "Aiden," she says in a plaintive sigh, her hands gripping me tighter before they shift farther along my forearm, making her lean forward. She's already lost another inch just from the time I've been staring at her.

Nothing to say but an echo of the sentiment. "Evie…" I whisper, and I bring my free hand right up to her face. I run my thumb along her cheek, and as I cup her head against my palm I can feel it getting smaller still.

"Please," she says, leaning further down against my arm, and she's trying to pry herself forward, climbing up and out of my clutches. I loosen my grip and with greater ease she clambers aboard, crawling on hands and knees until she reaches my elbow. Her bare rear sways as she tries to keep her balance, and finally she grabs onto the sleeve of my shirt to hoist herself to standing. She wavers precariously on my forearm - all it would take is me straightening out my elbow and she would fall right off.

Her head doesn't reach my shoulder, she must be under seven inches tall now. She tries standing on her tiptoes to get closer to my face, even as the shrinking process takes her farther away.

"Please," she says again, "I need you."

She's now attempting to climb the fabric of my shirt, and in my surprise from her suddenly latching on, I lose my balance from my crouching position. I fall into a seat, my back hitting the metal bars of the birdcage. Evie lets out a precious little yelp as this makes her lose her grip and she slides down my chest, down the length of my abdomen, coming to a stop right at my crotch. Undeterred by the lump that swells underneath her, she pushes herself back to her knees and starts crawling up again, like a determined mountain climber.

But I decide to help her out this time. I put my hand right behind her as she reaches my stomach, and for a moment I just compare her against it. She's no longer as tall as the full length of my hand, though still taller than all of my fingers. Maybe five inches? Still, it's incredibly easy to just scoop her right onto my palm.

I bring her all the way up to my face. "So beautiful," I mutter, practically whining with desire.

"I need you," she repeats, and this time it's with a wistful whine as well. Longing. Blushing. Perhaps the slightest hint of a smile. At least I hope so.

Because I don't hesitate. I pull her in, straight to my mouth. Her naked body crashes against my lips and I breathe her in as she writhes against my skin. I kiss every dwindling inch of her, and the warm feminine curves feel like heaven. She becomes pliant, save for the intentional wriggle, and her small moans of pleasure fill the air. I feel every part of her with my fingers, manipulating her position with ease.

And she's still shrinking. Smaller, smaller, smaller as I kiss her. She's melting away, becoming an increasingly familiar size in an unfamiliar situation, until she stops at her normal three inches. As if this is what she was always meant to be. I tilt my head back and dangle her above me, my lips unrelenting against her stomach, until my mouth parts and one of her legs slips right inside. I gently close my teeth around the tiny limb, press my tongue along the length of it. I can feel every curve and her little toes tickle my taste buds.

It just makes me hungry for more. I guide her other leg over and she gasps as she slides further inside. Soon she's gripping my bottom lip and pressing her face against it as I undulate my tongue across her entire body. I'm drunk with the feeling of her taste, her shape, her warmth, her moans. I can do whatever I want to her right now. She's just so fucking small.

Out of nowhere, Evie goes stiff. And then something changes. In the silence I hear her softly say, "Stop."

I'm not listening, too infatuated with my ability to feel all of her at once. She abruptly starts thrashing her legs, and then pushes against my bottom teeth to wrench her top half out of my mouth.

"Aiden!" she says more insistently, and she no longer has a sighing, whining tone anymore. Slightly annoyed, I bring my fingers up to pinch her body, my tongue releasing its grip on her. I'm still filled with arousal, though, and ready to take this in whatever new, sexy direction she wants.

But when I hold her out in front of me, her eyes are wide with horror. She starts kicking, writhing, screaming. I jerk back in surprise, but there's nowhere for me to go as my spine just hits the metal bars again. The door to the birdcage swings shut with a loud clang, trapping us both inside and making my heart pound with sudden panic.

It's like everything comes into focus. I'm not in a lab. I'm on the couch in my living room. That really is Evie that I'm holding.

And she really is shrieking my name in terror.

I almost drop her. I bolt upright, mirroring her fear as I stare wide-eyed at my tiny friend in incredible distress between my fingers. Without saying a word, I swing her over to the side and carefully dump her onto the ottoman before my hand swiftly retreats, snapping back as if she were made of hot coals.

The room is spinning. I can't make sense of anything. Where did the dream end and reality began? I can't believe I fell asleep. Stupid stupid, stupid!

"D-did I hurt you?" I manage to choke out.

Evie's shakily getting to her feet, looking dizzy and out of breath. "I don't… I don't think so."

But despite what she's saying, she's trembling and clutching her arms around herself, and when she takes a step backwards, her leg stiffens up and she winces. I notice that as she tries to get her bearings again, she's distinctively avoiding my gaze.

"Shit…" I whisper, and my voice gradually grows in strength and emotion, "Shit. I'm sorry, Evie… God, I'm so sorry, what did I just do?!"

"I don't…" she says, squeezing her eyes shut for a second, "I'm so confused right now." It's like our very foundation is cracking beneath us. She lets out an awkward laugh, like she's hoping that whatever is going on is one big joke. "Is this because you saw me naked or..?"

My blood runs cold. "What do you mean?" I say without a hint of laughter, "Seriously, what did I do?"

"You don't remember any of that?" Finally she looks at me and I take in her frantically bewildered state. "Your eyes were open!"

No, I can't remember, I can't differentiate what was real. Fuck, I didn't actually put her in my mouth, did I? One look tells me that no, she's dry, but the relief is little comfort.

I bury my face in my hands, trying to summon memories that are out of reach. "I was… I was half there. Not even that. It's a total blur…"

"S-so you were sleep talking too?"

"What?!" I drop my hands again. "What did I say?"

"It… it didn't make sense…"

I don't think she means to be so cryptic, she looks like she’s trying to sort things out just as I am. But my lack of understanding in what physically transpired is driving me insane. I brace my unsteady hands onto the edge of the ottoman and use it as leverage to lower myself to the floor in front of her.

Her startled reaction, the way she takes a few fearful steps backwards, makes me all the more desperate. I remember back when I accidentally whacked her during our board game night. This is worse. Way worse. I'm nothing but a threat to her, aren't I? A complete menace.

“Whatever I said, whatever I did, I didn't mean it!” I plead, “I’ve just been so out of it, I’ve been so exhausted, it… it’s no excuse, but…” My voice gives out then as I’m at a loss for how to handle this.

She’s continuing to clutch her arms around herself, her wide eyes on full alert. She seems to understand just how lost I am and tries to explain. “You just… grabbed me. It wasn't for very long, and it wasn’t that hard, you weren’t crushing me or anything. But it was just so… different from usual. Everything was so…”

She falters and I realize in that moment that she’s specifically covering up her chest. Her thighs are firmly clenched together. Her eyes begin drifting down, and it’s not to the floor but… along my body. In all of the commotion I hadn’t even thought about hiding my erection. It’s completely gone at this point, but who’s to say it wasn’t in full view when I had her helplessly pinned between my fingers?

Her eyes snap back up, and there’s a hardness there. A pointed accusation. “Aiden… what's going on?”

Fuck.

I slide my hands off the ottoman so that she can’t see how much they’re shaking. But it’s impossible to hide anything from her. I’m just too big, her eyes are too keen, her mind too sharp. I almost try anyway, desperately wishing I could just act dumb and sweep this all under the rug somehow. I don't know exactly what I said in my sleep, how damning it really was, maybe there’s a way out of this.

But I can see it in her eyes - she knows I’m hiding something. I’ve been hiding it for far too long, suppressing my urges and pushing my body to the limit, and it’s going to destroy everything we have if I don’t do something. Despite the absolute dread in me right now… I owe it to her to come clean.

“U-um,” I croak, trying to figure out where to start. I’ve never talked to anyone about this stuff before. I attempt to take a deep breath in and let it out in an unsettled sigh. “I’m going to… try and explain something. It might sound… really, really weird…" Another breath, even less steady. "So, uh... believe it or not… ever since I was a little kid, I would dream about what it would be like to… to have a tiny friend.”

Jesus Christ, am I really doing this right now? I push on, trying to find a momentum, to rip this out of me as fast as possible.

“I’d pretend my action figures would come to life, or that my blaster toys were shrink rays, just that kind of kid stuff. Eventually I started figuring out that my fascination with the idea was a little different. That everyone around me wasn’t quite on the same page as I was. As I grew older, that fascination… matured. I’d have a crush on a girl and fantasize about what it would be like if she were small. I discovered websites online with like-minded people and realized I wasn’t alone. I eventually just accepted that some of the wires got crossed in my brain. It became a bit of a… a kink, I guess. A fetish.”

I try to catch my breath, feeling raw after revealing so much forbidden information about myself. My mouth is dry and I’m fixating Evie’s face as if waiting for her to explode at me. She’s listening intently, a slight frown on her face, but otherwise she looks nothing but perplexed. I wish she would say something. I try to fill the silence with my voice that’s getting shakier by the second.

“S-so it’s been… a little weird, having you around, it’s been… wonderful, just like one of my childhood fantasies, but… but I’ve also been trying to… to suppress all that, since I… I care about you, as a person, more than anything else…”

I trail off, and all I can hear is my heartbeat pounding in my ears. I don't even know if I'm quite explaining this right. I'm probably coming off as a complete freak. The foundational cracks are spreading, splitting the walls around us. Please. Say something.

And she eventually does, her mouth opening and closing a couple of times. “That, uh…” she says, pausing before trying again, “There’s a lot to unpack there. But that’s just… kind of an insane coincidence, isn’t it?”

I hold completely still. I’ve stopped breathing. The hardness in her eyes is back. The frown deepens, the defensive tension in her posture enough to chain me to the floor. I stare in fear at the girl I adore and it feels as if the cracks in the walls just keep spider webbing all around me and the sky threatens to collapse.

Evie sets her jaw and her voice stays oddly calm. “Unless it's… not a coincidence that I'm here?”

Oh no.

God, please, no. Not this.

That’s when I begin to fall apart.

[Rusco57]

Oh wow!! That was totally unexpected.
Can't wait for the next installment...

[DocRick]

Evie sets her jaw and her voice stays oddly calm. “Unless it's… not a coincidence that I'm here?”

Oh no.

God, please, no. Not this.

That’s when I begin to fall apart.

This could get really ugly............

[Nropyub]

Oh my goodness gracious, I can't tell you how much I appreciate the kind words, guys. It's comments like these that keep me going! Seriously, thank you so much for the support <3

Also -- I just wanted to give the head's up that I'm having a medical procedure tomorrow. It shouldn't cause any kind of hiatus (because that would be terrible timing with how things are going in the story), but if I end up going quiet for a few days then that's

You deserve all the support, it’s a great story and well written. The tiny lady is so believable to me as well and that’s really hard to come by.

Get well soon!

[littlest-lily]

Thank you for the well wishes! The operation was a total success so I'm very happy about that. I'm still recovering and out of it from the drugs but it should hopefully be a pretty easy recovery. Yay! Now back to the drama lol


Chapter 36
Evie

What the hell is even happening? Am I the one who's dreaming right now? I have no idea how I might have reacted to Aiden's confession in different circumstances. I can relate with wanting your toys to come alive as a kid, sure, but I have no idea how that translates into anything remotely sexual. Is it a domination thing? Does he get a power trip every time he picks me up? Does he just get aroused by anything that's tiny?

It's a hard enough pill to swallow on a regular day. But in the midst of everything else, he might as well have told me that his rock collection was sentient.

I've never seen him act like this either. He looks just as freaked out as I am. More so, even. We've been through our fair share of adversity together, and I’ve seen him really stressed before, but not on this level. There’s too many pent up feelings there, combined with his disorientation after falling asleep, the vulnerability of revealing such private information, the stress and exhaustion of the past couple of weeks. It’s all resulting in a manic look in his eyes that’s setting me on edge.

“Wait,” he says adamantly in response to my question. “Hold on, please, listen to me. I did not do this to you on purpose. Okay?”

I shy away, suddenly feeling a lot more timid than I was a second ago. I don’t know what to think right now. Obviously Aiden’s nothing like the scientist who tricked me into shrinking. But at this point, intentionally or not, both of them were involved in ripping my size away, and now both of them have touched me in a violating manner due to me being small. Did they bond over this shit more than I realized? How am I supposed to take this? How is this not a betrayal on some level?

“I mean…” I say unsteadily, “You did do the–”

“I know I was involved,” he cuts in, moving closer, towering over me, “and… and no, you're right, that part wasn't a coincidence. I think Dr. Little figured out that I'm into it and that's why he recruited me, with the hopes that I'd be on board with the messed up stuff he had planned. And yeah, I jumped at the opportunity to be involved with real-life shrinking… of course I did!” His hands are back on the ottoman, on either side of me, and I can’t back up much further. I’m starting to feel trapped.

“But I truly had no idea about the rest! I didn't know about his plans, or that you'd be stuck small!” he insists, voice strained, “I hate that I took any part in it, I hate that you got fucked over like this. Evie, if I could, I'd restore you this very second. Just because I like this doesn't– I mean…” He chokes on his words, regretting them immediately and struggling to explain them as his gaze drifts, “Just because I enjoy your… size…”

“Aiden,” I meekly try to interject, but he doesn’t hear me over the sound of his own labored breathing. His head suddenly drops down, making impact just ahead of me, and it's enough to knock me off my feet. I’m facing his hair now as he presses his forehead against the side of the ottoman. His shoulders are shaking as he comes undone. The danger of someone so huge going into a panic is not lost on me.

“I'm sorry I didn't tell you about this," he moans, "I didn't want to freak you out any more than you already were. I swear that my weird fantasy isn't why you're here, I'd never do that! Please, please believe me when I say I’d do anything to help you. I don't know what I'd do if… if you…”

I suddenly leap into action. I scramble to my feet and despite the fear I hurry forwards until I’m pressing my hands against the giant’s head.

“Aiden, stop!” I shout, “I believe you!” I try to push his dark bangs aside so that I can reach his skin, and he stiffens at my touch and holds his breath. I continue with a softer tone, “Please, you're scaring me. Just… I believe you, okay?”

The massive head shudders with a muffled, shaky exhale. His hands clench into fists just behind me on the ottoman and then he slowly pushes himself up. His eyes are red with gathering tears, he’s clearly still very upset. But I think I’m walking him back off the cliff.

“Do you actually?” he asks faintly, looking me up and down, “Or is it just that I'm scaring you?”

That’s a good question. Am I just trying to calm him down at any cost? Maybe. But I take a second to look back on all of the time I’ve spent getting to know this guy. I don't think I'm lying.

“I've been living with you for months,” I say with determination, “I know you're not a bad person. I don't… fully get all of this, but I'm not accusing you of anything, alright? I'm just trying to understand…”

He’s hanging on my every word. The look in his gaze is still so intense and I struggle continuing the eye contact, looking to the side for a moment. “I'm trying to figure out… what this means for us now.”

“Nothing.” Aiden’s answer is swift and firm and desperate. “It changes nothing. These were extenuating circumstances and I did a terrible thing, and I will never touch you like that ever again. I'll treat you the same as I always have.”

I frown and shake my head. “And I'm supposed to just pretend that I don't know this thing about you?”

Somewhere behind me I hear his fingers fidgeting restlessly. His expressions shift on his face as he continues to try and bargain. “I mean… okay, what if it was like… um… you were blonde. And then you found out I was super into blondes. Would that suddenly invalidate the friendship?”

I almost laugh grimly at this, but instead I give him a hard look. “You don't think our situation is slightly more complicated than that?”

Now it’s Aiden who can’t keep eye contact. He looks past me, his anxiety slowly getting replaced with despair.

“And I'm not saying this invalidates our friendship,” I add, trying to soften the blow, “It just… complicates it. I mean, right?”

He doesn’t answer. But he does look at me again, the heartbreak plain on his face. A tear finally breaks through the dam.

“Do you want to move out?” he says quietly, voice breaking. “We can find someone else who you'd be more… comfortable around? Or maybe now is when we go to the police and take some steps towards undoing this?"

A wave of terror passes over me. Stop. Not now. It’s too much to think about. “N-no…” I say quickly, “Um… I just need some time to wrap my head around it all first…”

There’s a long pause. Even I feel completely exhausted at this point. We have no idea what to do with the conversation now. Where do the two of us go from here? If this were any other circumstance, I’d be trying to make physical contact. I desperately want the comfort of his touch that I’ve come to rely on. But after the last time he touched me, I just can’t get myself to reach out.

Aiden’s the one to finally break the silence. “Should I call Moira right now? She can even just stay here tonight, I'll find somewhere else to…”

He trails off as he sees me shaking my head. “She's in Florida, remember?” I say, and his shoulders slump in response. “I'm fine, just… um… maybe we should call it early tonight.”

It’s a rejection that hurts us both. But I think we equally need the space to breathe and to think. And in his case… to get some damn sleep.

“Alright,” he says, straightening up a hair. He suddenly looks very self conscious about how close his hands have been to me this entire time, and he moves them apart to create some distance from where I'm standing. For a moment the gears turn in his head until he awkwardly suggests, "I can, um… I'll go grab a book or something to…"

"It's fine, Aiden," I sigh. "You can still carry me over."

He swallows and tightens his jaw as he flips over one of his hands and flattens it out, not daring to bring it any closer to me. It does feel rather strange to approach it now… like getting bitten by a dog and then coming back over to pet it anyway. I step onto his palm, trying not to overthink it.

The giant lifts me up, keeping the hand I'm in unnaturally rigid, without bringing his fingers in. He curves his other hand around me for safety, but he still gives me a lot of space. Like cupping the flame of a candle - something to protect… but not to touch.

A few gentle steps later he sets his hand down right next to my bed and I walk onto the stable surface of the desk. I crane my neck to look up at Aiden's distant, broken expression.

"I'm sorry…" he breathes, another tear spilling over. He then immediately backs up from me, his eyes the first thing to turn away before he pivots to leave the room.

Even though he can't hear me, I say it anyway. "Me too…"

This is not how summer vacation was supposed to start.

For a second I think I might pass out. I collapse into a sitting position right onto the desk and put my face into my hands as I feel the world tilting every which way. I want to wake up. I don’t want to process everything that just happened. I lean a little too far forward, and I feel a twinge in my side that makes me wince and sit back up.

I wasn’t entirely truthful when asked if I was hurt. I can already feel my ribs bruising, and the back of one knee stings from it getting bent
a little farther than it should have. I knew his fingers were capable of causing a lot of damage if he wanted them to, but getting a small taste of that reality has left me rattled. And yet, what hurts most of all isn’t the physical pain. It was the invasively sexual nature of it all. I just feel so dirty, so violated, even if it was an accident, even if he’s sorry…

Aiden’s pleading runs through my head. Seeing him like that was a whole other kind of stressful. I just can’t stop hearing it in my mind. “Please believe me.” It plays again and again until it’s no longer his voice that I’m hearing. It’s a voice from six years ago.

“I’m so sorry”

“Please, listen to me”

“I’ll never do that again”

“You have to believe me!”

Believe me.

Believe me.

How can I?!

I wrench myself up from the floor and run over to my stuffed lion that’s leaning against the desk. I wish I could wrap my arms around it and throw myself on the bed, but that’s impossible now. Instead I bury myself into the fur, running my fingers through it as if trying to clean blood off my hands. This fuzzy little guy has been my companion through so much adversity, and he helps me snap out of it in this moment. I firmly put myself back in place.

This time is nothing like back then. Aiden is a very different person, and I've changed too. It’s not fair for me to compare it. Because this time, I'm not on the verge of doing something drastic. And this time… I do believe him. I trust that he didn’t somehow manipulate me into my current situation. I may not understand his fascination with how small I am, but that doesn’t erase the rest of our relationship. He didn't mean any harm, he apologized, and I trust it won't happen again. Why can't it be that simple? Why does it have to be this hard?

I let out a long, deep sigh. I pet my stuffed lion a few more times before I turn around and lean my back against it instead, letting myself slide back to the floor. Tears build up and eventually start running down my face.

It’s hard because I’m falling for him. That in and of itself is already a confusing and difficult thing for me. But now it’s just gotten that much more complicated. I don’t know what’s physically possible between me and a literal giant, but if anything were to become sexual, I would have wanted it to be in a romantic way. A consensual one. Hell, one that we’re at least both conscious for!

Not to mention the fact that he’s been hiding such a secret from me for so long. I understand why he didn’t tell me about his kink... How do you admit to someone that you fetishize their very existence? But it doesn’t hurt any less that I’ve been kept in the dark.

God, I’m such a hypocrite.

I wipe tears away, taking in shaky breaths. Come on, girl. This is just one more hardship the world has thrown at me. Don’t give up, fight back, work harder, remember? I’ve been through way worse. I will figure this out.

There’s a sliver of myself that’s vying for my attention, a small voice inside that suggests something hopefully, and I listen to it now. All this time that Aiden and I have been getting close, I’ve felt so worthless in my three-inch prison. I figured no one could ever desire someone so insignificant. I’d thought that if he and I were to be together, my size would be nothing but a hindrance. But… that’s not quite the case, is it? Maybe this means that my stature isn’t an obstacle after all. Maybe… Maybe…

Maybe it’s the only reason he took an interest in me to begin with.

And with this last heartbreaking thought, I finally give up. I get to my feet. Trudge over to my bed. And crawl under the covers. I’ll be awake for hours yet as my brain anxiously tries to sort everything out in my head. But for now… I just cry.

[Rusco57]

Maybe it’s the only reason he took an interest in me to begin with.

Evie's overthinking things. This'd be a good time for them both to 'clear the air'; Aiden opens up more about his 'fetish' and Evie about her past experience (and so we all understand just what it was).

[DocRick]

Maybe it’s the only reason he took an interest in me to begin with.

Evie's overthinking things. This'd be a good time for them both to 'clear the air'; Aiden opens up more about his 'fetish' and Evie about her past experience (and so we all understand just what it was).

Of course, she's overthinking things, just like he is. As long as she believes he was not implicated in her shrinking, maybe it was what FIRST attracted him, then as he got to know her, he fell for her. No different than a nice butt in a tight pair of jeans first gets someone's attention and gets them to ask the other person out and they fall in love from there. Does that mean the person has a "jeans fetish" and there is no other attraction? And as for him, I met my wife because she had gotten herself into a sticky situation and I was able to help her escape from it simply because we were in the same place at the same time when the incident occurred (and she looked really hot that night). From there, we were together for the next 21 years. Life puts obstacles in front of you every day. It's up to you how you handle them, conquer them or let them defeat you. Same with opportunities........you can take hold of them and run with them or ignore them and possibly miss the best thing to ever happen to you.

[littlest-lily]

Evie's overthinking things. This'd be a good time for them both to 'clear the air'; Aiden opens up more about his 'fetish' and Evie about her past experience (and so we all understand just what it was).

Of course, she's overthinking things, just like he is. As long as she believes he was not implicated in her shrinking, maybe it was what FIRST attracted him, then as he got to know her, he fell for her. No different than a nice butt in a tight pair of jeans first gets someone's attention and gets them to ask the other person out and they fall in love from there. Does that mean the person has a "jeans fetish" and there is no other attraction? And as for him, I met my wife because she had gotten herself into a sticky situation and I was able to help her escape from it simply because we were in the same place at the same time when the incident occurred (and she looked really hot that night). From there, we were together for the next 21 years. Life puts obstacles in front of you every day. It's up to you how you handle them, conquer them or let them defeat you. Same with opportunities........you can take hold of them and run with them or ignore them and possibly miss the best thing to ever happen to you.

When I was planning these parts out I was doing a lot of my own overthinking on how I might react if I was in Evie's shoes. Because I do think her situation is perhaps a little different than the jeans example, only because she's unable to physically change out of those "jeans." So much of their relationship has been formed around the size difference, whether they like it or not, even if their relationship is more than that. It's been fun for me to explore this stuff, I'm so fascinated by what some of these more long-term effects of shrinking might have on someone's psyche and how they might deal with them - like you said, it's about how they might face the obstacles and opportunities that come up as a result.

In any case, there is absolutely overthinking/faulty thinking going on for the both of them! Here's hoping they figure it out, eh? :P



Chapter 37
Aiden

My body did me a solid last night. I figured there was no way I’d be able to sleep at all after everything that happened, no matter how exhausted I was. The pain was too fresh, too raw, too much. But maybe it’s because it was too much that I shut down. I ended up passing out as if slipping into death.

And yet, when I wake up this morning, it may be with a clearer, more rested mind, but it’s with nothing but anxious thoughts. It doesn’t feel like yesterday was real. Never in my entire life had I considered what it might be like to assault someone. Much less by accident. I can still hear her screams every time I close my eyes and I'm not sure it's something I'll ever get over.

I’ve also never attempted to share the inner workings of my sexuality with anyone, much less with someone who unwillingly embodies the epitome of my fantasies. It's something that would have been embarrassing no matter what, but in this particular context the shame feels insurmountable. How am I going to face Evie now? How do we get through this?

I roll over to stare at the tiny paper crane on my nightstand and try to think about the upcoming day. I have double office hours for work so I’ll be out from morning to evening. I kinda wish I could just sneak out the window… I want to give the poor girl some space. Or maybe I’m just being a total coward. But no, I’ll need to enter the other room at some point, we’ll need to acknowledge each other eventually. Maybe there’s a way to ease into it, though. I pick up my phone and my pulse quickens as I type out a text message.

How are you doing? Are you ok?

I send it before I can chicken out and then put my phone down with a sigh, rubbing at my face in both an attempt to wake up and to calm down. I’m surprised by how quickly she answers.

Come in here ya big dummy :)

I smile, quickly getting misty-eyed with immense relief and gratitude. I’m not sure exactly what I expected - maybe the silent treatment, or her saying she needs space, or her dismissively telling me that she’s fine. But this response gives me the strength to get out of bed. I pause in the doorway before I turn the corner, heart still racing, and take some steadying breaths as I pray that I don’t screw up this next interaction.

Evie’s waiting on the other side of the desk from where her stuff is, closer to where I come in, as if to be on neutral ground. She’s perched herself up on top of a stapler and sits there with a gentle smile that makes my stomach twist the moment we make eye contact. I weakly try to return the smile, taking a few steps forward before stopping. My intention is to hover where her voice is just within my earshot without getting too close too quickly.

"Did you get some sleep?” she calls out.

“I did,” I say with a nod. I motion hesitantly just ahead of myself and ask, “Um, is it okay if I…?”

“Yeah, come sit down.”

Despising how big I am right now, I take one more step forward and reach out for the chair, rolling it just a little closer to me before I take a seat so that I’m not right up against the desk.

She looks so fragile and helpless sitting up on a stapler that’s as big as a rhinoceros compared to her. So little... Seriously, thank god I didn’t end up crushing her or anything yesterday. Thank god she’s safe.

I’d thought about what I wanted to initially say to her before I came in, so I push myself to say it now. “Hey so… I’m sorry I had such a meltdown last night… and made a bad situation worse. Especially since you were the actual victim. I guess I was so worried that you’d see me as a monster that I sorta became just that.”

“You’re not a monster, Aiden…” Evie soothes, her voice a balm on my fried nerves. “It’s alright. You're allowed to have feelings.”

I’m admittedly a little thrown off by how nice she’s being. She’s not acting afraid of me the way she did last night, she’s acting the way she always had before. Which, concerningly, does involve her glossing over her own needs sometimes.

I lean in, just slightly. “And how are you feeling?”

I see the first sign that things aren’t 100% back to normal in the way her shoulders tense and her smile becomes pained. “Yesterday was a lot,” she admits, “I'm still trying to sort it all out. But I’ve been doing some thinking and there’s two things I want to make clear.”

She hops off of the stapler and takes a step towards me, and reflexively I push myself back in my chair, still worried about being too close.

“For one,” she says, ignoring my retreat, “You grabbing me was a total freak accident. I know you never would have done that normally, and I forgive you, okay?”

I close my eyes for a second, letting that wash over me as I inhale. I still don’t feel any less guilty, but the fact that Evie’s so readily extending this olive branch still rocks me to my core. “Thank you,” I sigh, voice wavering as I open my eyes again, “I owe you big time.”

She smiles again before continuing. “The other thing is that I don't blame you for keeping your fantasies a secret from me. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how hard that must have been for you to tell me, of all people. I get it.”

I stare, dumbfounded, and she turns her gaze down to her fingers as she messes with a strand of her hair.

“A kink doesn't define you,” she adds nervously, “I still don't completely understand it so I might have some questions going forward, but… if you can still treat me like a friend and not just some kind of object then we're good. You think that's possible?”

“Of course,” I say immediately before I stutter out, “You are being… insanely understanding.”

She sighs and looks up at me, her brown doe eyes shining pitifully. Her voice is soft enough that I have to lean in again. “I don't want to lose what we had.”

It’s like an arrow to the heart. Maybe I won't escape this conversation without getting weepy after all. Despite my current fear of my own too-large body, my first instinct is to reach out and touch her. Stopping myself is agonizing and I have to ball my hand up into a fist in my lap to keep it in place.

But then… she reaches out instead. Not quite an arms-spread-out-for-a-hug type of request, just one tiny hand extending forward, as if she’s hoping for me to offer her something. Now feeling like I have her permission, I tentatively reach up and bridge the space, palm up and forefinger outstretched, bringing it just within her reach but letting her initiate. She takes it in both hands and for a moment she just stares at the pad of the digit, running her thumbs over the lines of my fingerprint.

I feel a shiver down my spine from the light touches, combined with a wave of shame over how nice the sensation is. Despite how much better our talk is going this morning, a part of me can’t help feeling uneasy. Something just still feels off. It shouldn’t be this simple. Just like that, everything’s over and done with? I have a hard time believing it. But right now I just hold very still as Evie tries her best to find our old normal, eventually wrapping her arms around my finger and hugging it against her.

"I would've told you eventually, you know,” I say quietly, “Depending on the direction things went for us…"

She holds me a little tighter and nods. I don't think either one of us knows which direction we're facing at the moment.

Suddenly she snaps out of whatever stupor she was in. “You gotta get to work, right?” she says, letting go of my finger and taking a couple of steps back.

“I'm not late yet. Listen, Evie…” My exhale’s a little shaky as I ride the waves of uneasiness. I can’t just leave things as they are. “I still feel so awful about what happened. And it just happened, so if you ever realize later that you need to talk about it again, with me, with Moira, whatever you need, don't hold back. And if there's anything I can do to make it up to you, please tell me.”

“You can get me breakfast?” my little friend says with a smirk, “I could totally go for cold pizza.”

I laugh, sounding a bit hollow even though I appreciate the jest. “I'm serious, Eve. Anything you think could help, just say the word. Think about it, okay?”

And with that I do go ahead and put something together for breakfast - I opt for yogurt and granola, but I also get her a tiny sliver of leftover pizza. I do love that little quirk about her, her ability to stomach any food at any hour. It's such a relief to know that I still get to share daily life with her and experience all of her idiosyncrasies.

And then I'm off to work. Even though we're in May, there's a bit of a cold front that came through today, so the crisp morning air helps invigorate me for the long day ahead.

It feels very different being on the other end of the final exam hump - it’s so strange to think that my last test was just yesterday. So much has happened in so little time. I try to stay focused on all of the students who are still in the throes of studying, which at least helps my mind to stay occupied. But anytime there's a quiet moment, I'm either thinking about Evie's panicked distress from last night, or her painfully gentle understanding from this morning.

During my lunch break, I try to write a note to her. I haven't written her anything in a couple of weeks since I was so busy, and now seems like the right time to get back to it. But I don't quite know which way to go. Something heartfelt? A casual return to form? I stare at the blank page in front of me until I hear footsteps at my office door. When I look up, I do a double take, not having expected my friend Diego to show up.

"Hey man!" he says, squeezing his tall, burly frame into the comparatively tight space, "I was wondering if I'd find you here. What'd you think of the Biochem final yesterday?"

"Oh, um…" I set my pencil down and have to actively think about the query. "I thought it was rough. Like, I’m pretty sure I passed, but maybe just barely."

Diego has wandered right past my desk and is now standing in front of the whiteboard nearby, looking curiously at whatever lesson I'd been giving last. True to form, he starts messing with his surroundings as he talks to me, absently picking up a marker.

"Oh thank god, it's not just me," he sighs, "Maybe they'll grade it on a curve. You're on a lunch break, right? Wanna go grab food?"

He's already drawn a dick on the whiteboard and I chuckle as I shake my head at him. "I can't, I should stick around here. Sometimes lunch is the only time people can come by."

He turns and gives me a sagely nod as he ambles back over towards my desk. "That's real dedication to your students. I respect that." In one swift movement, he turns a nearby chair around and straddles it, looking at me pointedly. "You look like something’s wrong. What happened?"

As generally goofy as he is, he can be stupidly perceptive sometimes. I almost ask him what he means by that, but I don't feel like playing dumb and the truth slips out. "I screwed up last night... I hurt a friend. I didn't mean to, but I did, and I feel terrible."

Diego's eyebrows shoot up. "Fuck, that doesn't sound like you at all. You wanna talk about it, bro?"

I pick my pencil back up to fidget with it, balancing it on the side of a finger. "It was just… really dumb, on my part," I mutter, "And what almost makes it harder is that they're being really nice and accommodating about it."

"I hear ya, Star can be like that. Last month I forgot about some plans we made, and the only thing that made me feel worse was her being such a sweetheart about it. But her being so sweet's part of why I love her, ya know?"

He reaches an arm forward to the desk and flicks a stray pen in my direction. It rolls over in a blur and whacks against my hand, and the pencil I was balancing clatters down. I let out a breath of laughter and figure that I've lost him, but he jumps right back into his advice.

"If they've forgiven you, don't take that shit for granted! You probably shouldn't keep bringing up what happened, but you just gotta go above and beyond for a little while. Make sure they know you really care, yeah? Extra communication and attention and all that jazz."

Damn, he's actually helping me feel better. Not that I should be surprised, considering how long I've known the guy. I shoot my friend a smile. "Right."

Diego scoots his chair forward so that he can lean both forearms on the edge of the desk in a mock intimidating manner. "So when do I get to meet her?" he asks with a smirk.

Yeeeah not happening, bud. "She's just a friend. And she doesn't live here unfortunately," I say evasively. Technically I'm telling the truth… Evie lives on a different desk.

[jodyjody]

It's so cute how he talks about Evie Here's to them getting to know each other a little more closely LOL! Great chapter per usual. I was wondering, is Evie her full name, or is it short for something? Evangeline perhaps?

[littlest-lily]

It's so cute how he talks about Evie Here's to them getting to know each other a little more closely LOL! Great chapter per usual. I was wondering, is Evie her full name, or is it short for something? Evangeline perhaps?

It is indeed a nickname! But it actually comes up later so I'll save it hehe



Chapter 38
Evie

I hoist my toothpaste cap full of water up my makeshift posted note stairs, careful not to lose my balance. Once I make it to the ceramic rim, I dump the few drops of moisture over the edge, onto the soil of the basil plant. I then climb up into the pot to get an idea of how dry the rest of the dirt is. Mild trauma isn't an excuse to shirk on my self-appointed chores. Even if my ribs are still a little sore from last night.

I've actually been keeping myself busier than ever today. If I stay still then my mind starts going. Better to move my body instead, it's less painful that way. I've already thoroughly cleaned the inside of my bathroom and done a batch of laundry.

I've been meaning to clean my geode lately too, so now's as good a time as any. I spend some time admiring the pet rock as I get to work. The level of detail hidden in the amethyst is one of the few things that makes me appreciate my small size. The colors in these crystals aren't just solid and even, they're complicated and varied, like pigment blooming in water, purple clouds frozen in time. Every time I run a tissue over the beautiful facets, I see new intricacies I'd never noticed before.

My admiration gets interrupted by a buzz from my phone. I hurry over to it - I was expecting this, but Moira's calling a little earlier than anticipated. I slide my palm across the screen to accept the call.

"Hello?" I say tentatively. I haven't talked on the phone since shrinking and I'm not sure how much to project. "Can you hear me?"

"Yup! It's as if you were here," my friend responds. I smile and collapse into a seat next to the screen. I hadn't realized how tired I was from all the running around I've been doing today. It feels so good to hear Moira's voice.

"How's the setup going?" I ask.

"It's all ready to go! First panel starts in a couple of hours. Then I'll just be at my booth for most of the weekend. Do you two have any fun plans now that Aiden's done with finals?"

"Oh, um… That's a good question! I guess that means we don't, since I… don't have an answer."

I just sounded incredibly awkward, and even though she can't see me she immediately picks up on it. "Uhh. You feeling okay?"

Kicking myself, I end up wincing in defeat. "Sorry, Mo, I'm kinda going through something, but I feel bad bringing it up when you're still in the middle of all your stuff…"

"No, no, it's alright! I finally have some free time now, what's up?"

I recount the harrowing tale. Not all of it - I remove all of the sexual overtones and don't mention anything about Aiden's kink. I just go through the sweet intimacy of our cuddling, the accidental falling asleep… and the grabbing.

"He feels so bad about it," I lament, "Even though it's not really his fault. But I mean, yeah, I was… very scared."

The voice on the other end is quiet for a little bit, until I hear a sound of frustration. "Damn. That just sucks. It sucks that you guys have to be so freaking careful all the time."

"Tell me about it," I grumble.

"And we can't just, like, put you in a bubble. I'm sure he'll be way more mindful after this, but… I can understand that must have been terrifying."

It’s like I can almost feel her hand holding mine in support. Except in my head I'm imagining her hand to be the same size as mine. Which is nowhere near the truth.

I hate this. I’m so sick of being this small and weak and worthless. Everything would be easier if I could just be big again. I could take care of myself. I could go back to school, make more friends. I could finally embrace Aiden fully, and he wouldn't have to hold back in fear of hurting me. I could figure out if he likes me - for me, not for my shrunken state. I could get my freedom back.

"I just wish things could be simpler," I lament with a waver in my voice.

Moira sighs, and as if she was reading my mind she says, “And there's nothing we can do to get you back to normal? We're sure this is permanent?”

It makes sense that I keep stumbling into this topic, but it makes me tense up every time. “I mean, yeah, in theory,” I respond, “According to the scientist's notes it is, from what he had developed…”

Well, the notes that we currently have say that, in that one journal Aiden was able to obtain. There are still so many unknowns with Dr. Little. So many questions that I can't afford to get answers to. But this conversation is making it really difficult to keep my head stuck in the sand.

We talk for a little bit longer, ending on a good note by making plans for when she comes back in a couple of days. After I hang up, I sit in silence for a good long while.

Alright. Fine. Let’s actually think about this.

What are the odds that the technology to restore me already exists, even if incomplete? I take the time since I’m sitting at my phone anyway to do some Googling and find out what I can about Dr. Little. Every police report and news article about the fire that happened at the lab keeps the burn victim anonymous. I find many medical doctors by the names of “Charles Little” but no one remotely familiar. I spend a lot of time digging through any kind of article or event post or scientific journal that I can find that mentions the laboratory. Nothing comes of it. It doesn’t mean he didn’t have a second base of operations or something. But at this point I feel like the likelihood of another machine that can reverse the shrinking just sitting around somewhere is very low.

Okay well, barring that, what would the first step even be to try and fix me? Go to a hospital? Maybe they’d actually keep my information private? But surely there isn’t some magical cure in the form of medicine for this. Maybe they’d be able to run tests of some kind, but even by the time we’d get to that point there would be several more people who’d learn of my existence.

There’s no way my picture doesn’t end up somewhere or that word doesn’t spread. There’s no way the cops don’t find out. Aiden would still be with me though… right? Is it worth the risk to try?

Fear finally slips into the driver's seat. Before I know it, I’m curled up in the fetal position and rocking back and forth with my eyes squeezed shut. My fingertips are going numb and I feel like I can hardly breathe. I keep trying to come back up to the surface and reason through this but I’m drowning. There’s no way. There’s just no way.

And with that I have my answer. I stay. As long as I'm able, I have to stay here. Which feels like a more desperate need than ever now that Aiden's mentioned the concept of me moving out. He just said it for my sake, to make sure I feel comfortable after what happened. But I've had previous experience with getting kicked out and abandoned. And even just the suggestion, the slightest possibility of him asking me to leave… I have to avoid that outcome at all costs.

I curse my weakness, inside and out. And I’ve let myself sink deep enough into this state that it takes me a long time to wrestle the lid back on. For a good twenty minutes I just gaze at my phone. Staring at a picture of the lab where my life came to a standstill.

In spite of everything... I'm just wishing Aiden were here right now. He might have freaked me out last night, but I was being truthful when I told him I don't want to lose what we had. I wish I could rewind back to the moment when I was laying on his chest and he was stroking my back, and that I could just have it so that he didn't end up dozing off. How would we have ended up instead? I yearn to know the answer to that, so much…

Thankfully I manage to pick up the pieces of myself before my roommate gets home. I don’t quite find the desperate vigor that I had this morning that got me through my chores, but I’m at least on my feet with dry eyes.

As soon as the giant comes into the apartment and puts his stuff down, he wanders my way. He doesn’t sit at the chair, just leans his arms over the backrest. Despite him keeping his distance, though, his smile is warm.

“How was the day?” I ask as cheerfully as I can.

“Long. But not bad.” He shifts in place, looking slightly distracted as he reaches for his pants pocket. “You?”

“About the same. At least it’s the weekend?” I’m surprised to see his wallet in his hands - he’s pulling out a note. It’s been a while.

“Yup, there is that,” he says, casually reaching over to drop the folded paper into our mailbox. “You okay with soup for dinner?”

“Yeah, sounds great.”

As soon as he pivots to head for the kitchen, I immediately turn my attention to the gift. Feeling a lot more self conscious than I usually would, I tiptoe my way over and pick up the message, tucking the bulky paper under one arm. I go hide behind my bathroom before I unfold it and read avidly.

Hey you. I missed us writing like this. There’s just something about us talking on paper. This way it doesn’t matter what we look like or sound like or anything else. Just two people sharing our thoughts. It’s nice.

Having said that, I’m sitting here at work and wishing I could see you instead! Let’s decide on which show we want to watch soon. I think we still have some popcorn in the cupboard!

Aiden

Even though the scrap of paper is as big as I am, I gather it up in my arms and hold it against me, burying my face into it. I sit there for a while, until I hear booming footsteps starting to return.

I come out and beam at Aiden when he sits down. “Popcorn sounds great!” I exclaim.

“Okay, cool! Let’s see how much of it I burn this time,” he chuckles as he transfers my tiny bowl of tomato soup from his plate to my table. “Oh whoops, I forgot your bread on the counter, be right back.”

“That’s alright!” I say hurriedly before he has a chance to move, "I can just grab some from yours, if you don't mind?” I’ve already taken a few steps towards his plate as I look up at him hopefully.

“S-sure,” Aiden responds with a nod, though I notice in his subtle movements that he’s pulling back as I approach.

I do wonder what goes on inside his head. Is the mere sight of me… distracting? Well, not me, but rather my smallness. I don't know, right now he just looks intimidated.

“Am I scaring you?" I ask as I reach his plate, half teasing but half earnest.

“No," he says quickly, looking a bit embarrassed now. "If I'm being honest… I think I’m just scared of myself."

The edge of the plate is as high as my waist, meaning I have to hoist myself up in order to climb aboard. His king mattress-sized slice of bread is right in front of me, so I go ahead and tear off a tiny piece for myself as I try to come up with what to say.

“Just think about your track record," I offer. "I still trust you, okay? We can take baby steps."

“Right… Thank you. I’ll get there."

Like a figure coming out of a fog, a look of determination appears on Aiden's face as he moves a little closer. One hesitant finger makes its way to where I'm standing, curving around behind me to gingerly press against the back of my shoulders. It's not unlike an arm draping around them in a light hug. The gentle point of contact gives us the strength to share a smile. I don't care what I know now, this doesn't feel like some kind of perverted touch.

He moves his hand away but keeps it in the vicinity, shifting the finger to line up with his plate, just behind my feet. I glance down and realize he's offering me some help in climbing back off the dish now that my hands are full. Accepting gratefully, I step onto the pad of the digit and maintain my balance as the narrow platform lowers me the short distance down.

As I head back towards my own table where the rest of my meal is waiting, I take notice of my phone just beyond. The screen is black now, but I remember the image that was on there last. During the time that I was sitting and staring at it earlier, I had come up with an idea that I decide to bring up now.

“Hey, um…" I start as I turn back towards my giant friend. He acknowledges me with a slight raising of the eyebrows. "So I’ve thought about it. What I think you can help me with. If that’s still okay."

Aiden perks up at this, looking pleasantly surprised. “Oh, yeah! Of course, anything. What do you need?"

I give him a long, hard look before I answer. “Closure."

[littlest-lily]

Chapter 39
Aiden

Damnit. I just had to tell her I would do anything she wanted, didn’t I? Even something that makes me as nervous as this. But not only do I owe her, refusing her this thing in particular would have been problematic.

After we discuss it and finish up dinner, I change into a shirt with a pocket so that Evie can join me for our newly planned outing. But then there's the issue of transferring her into it. I haven’t actually held her since last night. I gulp nervously and almost just awkwardly offer her my hand, but then I decide to take a stab at talking through it instead.

"So, er, tell me… What's the best way for me to pick you up?" I ask, crouching beside her on the desk. "How can I make sure you feel comfortable after yesterday?"

Evie looks a little taken aback and soon her nervousness matches mine. “Oh, uh, thanks for asking. I guess it depends,” she says, “Because… one thing I still don't really understand is how um… What exactly gets you… excited? You know?”

Right. It's a fair question and I have no idea how to answer it. This is so embarrassing… Come on, man, communicate. You can do this.

“It's not quite like that,” I try, “I won't lie, I do like holding you, but it's not like I'm… constantly excited or anything. It's not that extreme. For the most part it just kinda… makes me feel all warm and bubbly inside?”

To my immense relief, she actually smiles at this. “Okay. That's not so bad. In that case I don't see why we can't do what we did before? Maybe just don't grab me around the waist for a little while?”

Whew. This is working. Just gotta rebuild that bridge between us, one piece at a time. "Sure thing," I say, finally laying my hand down beside her. "Baby steps?"

"Baby steps," she agrees as she hops right on.

I smile, still feeling awkward as I lift her up and help her inside my pocket. But then we’re off.

It’s a little chilly outside in the evening air so I’m glad I chose a long-sleeve shirt. I'm a bit worried about my small friend, though. At home she uses a blanket to stay warm when she needs to - since we were coming up on summer, she hasn't sewn any colder weather clothes yet. I guess we've never really gone out in the evenings before… I wish I was taking her somewhere a little more fun tonight instead.

She shifts restlessly against my chest, the lightest of sensations that I’ve grown so familiar with. It’s really nice. Comforting, even. Admitting to her how her stature makes me feel didn’t exactly make the feelings go away, they're just as strong as ever.

I will say this, though. I’m still ashamed of it all, and it's still a struggle to openly talk about it. But the more time passes, the more I feel like telling her my darkest secret has taken some sort of weight off of me. It’s like subconsciously I knew that she would find out eventually, and now I’m just relieved that it’s behind me. I survived it, she doesn’t seem to hate me… and maybe we can actually move on from this.

After a few blocks, I slow my walking to a stop, gazing up at the building just ahead.

"We're here," I whisper to my chest. “No one’s around.”

Evie carefully sticks her head out, being very furtive even though the street is deserted. I hear her blow out an exhale to steady her nerves as she takes in the view. She hasn't seen the lab since the day she shrank.

"See? There's still caution tape all over the front," I say, pointing. "Don't think we're allowed to go in but… I can try and open the door?"

"No, I don't want to get you in trouble for trespassing," she responds with a head shake, "It definitely looks locked anyway."

"Probably. According to the website it won't be open until at least September, but that's already the second time they've pushed it back. Judging by the damage I saw, I don't see them reopening any time soon."

She's quiet for a little bit. I'm hoping this was enough and we can head back now - being here makes me feel tense. But I'm trying not to rush her. Agreeing to bring her here was my chance to prove that I really do want to help get her back to normal. And it’s true, I do, but I don’t think this is going to accomplish anything. I doubt Evie thinks it will either. Still, I can understand her need to see this for herself.

To my surprise, though, she has a different idea. "When you went to see it last time, you said you saw some sunlight coming in through the wall, right? Because of the damage?"

"...Yeah?"

"So do you think we could see the crack from the outside?"

I try to repress my sigh. "Maybe if we go down that alley… You said you don't want me to get in trouble?"

"It's not the same as trying to get in, right? You'd just be passing through."

I grit my teeth and start walking. "Okay, sure. Let's go check it out."

It's even darker in the alleyway with only the faint residual glow of the already-set sun. But due to the white wall of the building, I quickly find the charred exterior of the lab room of our nightmares. And sure enough, there's a massive crack running from the ground up to just above my head, creating the occasional hole in the wall.

I pause to peer through one of these gaps. There must be a hallway lit up somewhere else in the building so that the room isn't pitch black, but it's still quite dark. From the little I can make out I'm shocked to see the space is in just as much disarray as it was the day after the fire.

"Could I take a look?" Evie asks, standing on her tiptoes but unable to see anything for herself from her spot.

I have to steel myself before I tug down on the edge of my pocket, and then I slip a couple of fingers inside for her to step onto before I gingerly bring her out. It's so weird, normally these gestures are second nature to me now. But I'm still a little paranoid about touching her, as if my own body might betray me again at any second if I’m not mindful.

Cupping both hands together, I lift her up so that she’s level with the hole I was just looking through. She leans her hands on the tips of my fingers as she looks inside, her head turning from one side to the other.

“You weren’t kidding,” she says, “It’s literally rubble.”

“Yeah, I’m surprised they haven’t cleaned any of it up. Surely they’re done with whatever investigation they were doing by now?”

“Still, maybe they missed something,” Evie wonders as she shifts to the side along my fingers, trying to get a better vantage point.

I hate to dash all her hopes but… “This place used to be crawling with cops. If anything of use survived the fire, there’s no way it’s still in there.”

“I don’t know, maybe he hid it really well. I was trying to look into the guy some more today, he was just so damn secretive… I don’t suppose you know which locker he used?”

“Pretty sure it was the one next to mine. Meaning it’s totally destroyed.”

“Figures.”

We spend another minute or so in silence and Evie looks like she’s running out of ideas. She sits back on her heels in my palm. I hold still and stay quiet to let her think through whatever she needs.

“Maybe if…” she says, peering back over my fingers to look down. There’s another gap about a foot below her and I start lowering my hands with the expectation that it’s where she wants to look next. But instead she points straight at my feet. “Could you put me down?”

“What?” I frown and reflexively take a step back from the wall. “On the ground?”

“Yeah… The crack goes all the way down, so I just wanted to look at it from a different angle…”

I glance around myself, towards each end of the alley. Still no one around, but I’m not sure how much longer our luck is going to hold. Not to mention the alleyway itself is pretty dingy, I worry about my tiny friend and her tiny bare feet. Maybe I'm being overly protective, but putting her on the concrete doesn’t feel like the safest thing.

“How about I just set my hands down and you take a peek?” I suggest as I start to crouch, “It looks kinda gross around here…”

“I’ll just take a bath when I get back,” she says, and she doesn't give me the opportunity to protest as she slides right off my fingers before they even quite reach the ground.

“Careful, okay?” I hiss, cursing myself for bringing her down here and having to actively fight the urge to pick her right back up. But she ignores me, already walking closer to the crack in the wall to peer inside.

I glance around where she's standing for any sign of danger - anything sharp or sticky or alive. Thankfully there's nothing in the immediate vicinity. There’s another sizeable gap in the wall right in front of my face so I take a second to glance through there as well, wondering if she might have a point with getting a different perspective. But nothing’s any different - in fact, I can make out even less of the room from down here.

I look back at Evie and bite my lip as I notice she’s shivering. Just as I feared, she’s not equipped for the quickly cooling night air. I almost say something, just wanting to get out of here. But instead I flinch apprehensively as the tiny woman takes a step back and lays down onto her stomach as she continues to look through the hole that’s right at the base of the wall.

“Aiden!” she suddenly yells, startling me, “There’s something there!”

“What?!” Despite everything I get all the way down too, touching the side of my head to the concrete. “Where, what are you seeing?”

“I think it's a flash drive!” she shouts, pointing, “I’m serious, it’s right there! It’s stuck under something.” She glances back at me then gets to her feet so that she can crouch and match my eye level. “Yeah you can’t see it from this high, but I swear it’s there.” And then to my horror she walks right towards the crevice that she could clearly squeeze through.

“Whoa, whoa, hold on!” I say, slipping my hand in front of her to block her path. I lift my head back up. “You can’t just wander around in there, that's dangerous! Maybe if we come back tomo–”

"It's right there!" Evie insists and she glares at me with a frustration that stops me short. "It's just a few inches away, less than a foot I think. I'll be careful, just please let me go grab it."

Did she not just see the same scene I did? Precarious rubble, sharp twisted metal, shambled furniture and broken glass covering the floor? If anything were to happen with her in there, I wouldn't be able to reach in and help.

She moves closer to me, touches my wrist, stares me down with a determination I've never seen from her before. "Let me do this."

It would be so easy to refuse. I could pluck her right up, stuff her in my pocket and march straight home. There's nothing she'd be able to do to stop me. It would take no effort. It would keep her safe.

I sigh heavily. And slide my hand out of the way.