Out of their Element

[littlest-lily]

Been saving this one for this chapter. (Sorry, didn't know you were putting her in a dress)

Haha no worries at all, you couldn't have known and it's the right vibes! Still mindblown that you made this before knowing they would be strawberry picking in the story

I meant the author of this story, littlest-lily. I don't like to cause feelings of "with this little detail I've now ruined it for myself" etc., particularly on a first interaction.

That's okay!! No bad feelings here, I'm happy if you recognized the author I was referencing. And good to know that the timing really could have worked out-- I mean-- yeah, that was totally my intention the whoooole time lolol

And to anyone who doesn't know Brandon Sanderson, don't worry, you don't need to. It's just one of Aiden's hobbies that he reads fantasy novels, so I picked one who I know is decently popular. It's like how I use real Magic card names and stuff, just a lil Easter egg for anyone who *does* know what it is and to hopefully add some legitimacy to the characters' interests.

Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow American friends!


Chapter 65
Evie

“Happy birthday, Evie!”

I jump at the sound of Diego’s voice as he sails into the room with gusto. Thankfully I’ve gotten used to his sudden booms of activity and recover quickly. I realize he’s holding a platter with a gazebo-sized chocolate cake balanced on top.

I wasn’t expecting this. Star and Moira and I have been at the Ignacios’ dining table for the past couple of hours, deeply engrossed in some room escape board games, which I’m sure is going to become my newest obsession at this point. I didn’t want to do anything particularly special for my birthday - my partner and I have romantic dinner plans later, and I was content to just enjoy a bit of girl time otherwise. I didn’t even realize Diego had come back into the house, he and Aiden had been off somewhere.

Speak of the devil. Right as Diego strolls in from the kitchen, I realize my boyfriend is just behind him.

“Thank you!” I call up to them, feeling embarrassed by the attention but very touched all the same. Then I completely cover my face as a barely-subdued cacophony of a happy birthday song fills the air, with everyone quickly joining in. As self-conscious as I feel, I take a moment of gratitude in the darkness behind my fingers. I’m so thankful for my oversized friends.

I look up again as the four of them finish their singing, and I realize Aiden has crouched in front of the table to set something just ahead of me. It’s a miniature version of the chocolate cake with a tiny dollop of frosting on top - it’s still half as big as I am, but far more suited to my size. Stuck into the center of the cupcake is a tiny candle. Actually, I think it’s a toothpick, but it’s been painted with festive stripes, and at the very top is a tiny bit of yellow cotton fluff. Even the smallest birthday candle would produce too much fire to be safe for me… but this setup lets me pretend.

And I step forward to do just that. The small chunk of cotton is light enough for me to blow it away, and when I meet Aiden’s eyes I can feel tears welling up in mine from how thoughtful the gesture is. He beams back at me, and as the others start gathering around to partake in the normal-sized version of the cake, he and I share a brief kiss right there on the table.

“I know what I’m going to spend all of my earnings on,” I tell him a short while later, pointing at the room escape game that’s still sprawled out.

“Evie’s really good at puzzles, apparently,” Star chimes in as she clears off the table to make room for plates.

“So are you!” I respond avidly, “We never would have figured out the spaceship layout without you.”

“Eh, I guess I’m better at seeing the bigger picture. You’re better at catching all the little details.”

“Spaceship layout?” Aiden asks with a raised eyebrow. “Okay, I’m interested.” His hands are busy as he helps me with my own plate. The mini cupcake is so big that it could keep me fed for a month, so even I need a smaller slice cut out.

I reach out with a thankful smile for my tiny portion as I say, “Good, because there’s a whole series of these games and I need to play all of them.”

We dig into the sweet treat and spend the next hour hanging out all together. The gathering is loud, it’s lively, it’s a little overwhelming at times. But it’s so much fun. We talk about a new show we’ve all started watching, and we make plans for the camping trip coming up in a few weeks. I compliment Diego on the kickass cake - I think cherry and chocolate might have just become my new favorite combo. I have a bit to drink and end up wandering around the table to make sure everyone gets a finger hug and is told how much I appreciate them. It’s edging into late afternoon once Aiden and I finally call it and decide to head for home.

I’m practically bouncing off the walls of the shirt pocket during the drive. “Thank you so much for that surprise!” I gush, "I’m still buzzing with energy.”

Aiden chuckles and tenderly says, “Pace yourself, babe. Don’t forget, we also have dinner later tonight. I actually just got the text confirming our table at that Greek place. They still haven't treated me weird about reserving a private room for one.”

“I can’t wait.” I throw myself against his chest, craning my neck back to look up at the side of his head. “Can we just cuddle in bed until then?”

“I’d like nothing more!"

He sounds a little more tired than I do, but his heart rate is still kind of high. I think he enjoyed the excitement too, and I feel warm with affection as I nuzzle into him and collapse into a seat.

“What were you and Diego up to?” I call up.

“We were back at the apartment, just getting some stuff ready.”

“Oh is that where he baked the cake?”

“No, he baked that last night.”

I frown and glance upward. “Then what…?”

“Patience, my love, patience.” He runs a finger against the outside of his pocket, as if to rub my back, but due to the plastic barrier it just creates soothing shifting sounds instead. I notice he’s barely suppressing a grin. I feel insanely curious about him being so cryptic. I had insisted on no expensive birthday gifts, but did he get me something anyway? For his sake, I decide not to pester him and let this play out.

By the time we get back to the apartment, though, I can’t take it anymore. I steal a glance over the edge of the pocket as the giant steps inside, my eyes aimed right for the kitchen counter to see if there might be some kind of new object wrapped in colorful paper. But even though the counter is empty, it only takes me another two seconds to realize what's different.

I grow very still, my eyes widening in shock. “Oh my god. Aiden, what…” and I can’t get any more words out.

Tunnels. Along the walls, across the shelves, both nearby and in the distance, is a long series of clear plastic tunnels. My gaze traces their path, all around the room, and I notice some furniture has been rearranged, I think there’s a new shelf or two. I hardly have time to take a decent look before I’m distracted by massive fingers reaching for me. I’m still very preoccupied with the apartment as Aiden lifts me up and kisses me on the neck and cheek.

“You’re not getting out of cuddling in bed with me,” he murmurs, and then I descend again, elevatoring all the way down to the nearby counter, until the hand I’m in rests on its surface to gently slide me off. With a sly smile he adds, “I’ll meet you there.”

And I watch as he walks away from me. The vibrations of his footsteps grow fainter as he steps through the living room and his figure disappears into his bedroom.

The context of him leaving me alone like this is disorienting. I take a quick glance around my immediate vicinity, getting a lay of the land with fresh eyes. I’m on the kitchen counter right next to the front door, since upon entering the apartment the open kitchen area is to the immediate right. There’s a plastic tunnel opening nearby, and it’s taller than I am, more than enough clearance for me to walk through. I notice it’s going across the door as it lines the wall, staying up at counter height, and then continues deeper into the living room. I’m actually not sure how he opened the door to get into the apartment just now without crashing into this thing, but I’m diverted from that thought by a paper note that’s resting by the tunnel entrance. I hurry over to it to see familiar handwriting.

I've said it before, but it’s about time you had better access to your own home. Don’t worry, these weren’t expensive and they weren’t that hard to put up. Plus they’re super sturdy and safe - they can hold up to thirty pounds and you weigh a wee bit less than that.

Happy birthday, Evie. I love you so much. Now don’t keep me waiting!

This is when the tears start.

Fighting the building emotion in my chest, I turn now to the entrance of the tunnel. Despite trusting what the note said about these being secure, I’m still a little hesitant when I first step inside. Thankfully Aiden has lined the bottom with some black fabric so that I don’t see straight down to the floor, but I still get a clear view of my surroundings through the rest of the clear plastic. As I venture further inside and feel how rock solid this pathway is, my steps become more confident. I pass over a couple of seams in the plastic that I suppose must allow for the tunnel to come apart as the door opens, and I quickly make it to the corner of the wall. The tunnel bends to line the room like a hiking path carved into a canyon.

I gaze out at the rest of the living room. I can’t believe I’m able to make my way across it on my own. Even now that I have access to the floor by the desk, I don’t usually venture out anywhere else in the apartment. I always rely on Aiden carrying me to other areas since everything's so high up. But now I don’t have to. I think about some of the food staples that he keeps out on the kitchen counter. He refills my own supply of food and water all the time, but he doesn’t have to do that either, I can do it myself!

I quickly come across something else that’s new: a small floating shelf with what resembles a miniature picket fence lining the edge of it. The tunnel cuts off at the shelf and then continues again just past it, like an open balcony. I'm right below the hook where Aiden hangs his keys, and he's put his wallet up on this shelf, leaning against the wall. I also notice a couple of me-sized things too - a dollhouse chair, the jacket I recently made for the fall, one of my two pairs of shoes. This is the perfect little getting-ready-to-go-out station. I can already imagine myself scurrying over here to get prepped while my boyfriend finishes something in the kitchen, or to greet him when he comes home from work.

After exploring this area, I head back into the tunnel to continue my way along the leftmost wall of the apartment. The desk where I live is at the far end of the living room, next to the window, but it looks like I have one more stop before I reach it.

I pass over the familiar squat bookshelf that has always been against this wall, where Aiden keeps his books and rock collection. But now there's a new piece of furniture - a taller, narrower bookshelf that intersects my path. There's a hole cut out in the side of it that lines up perfectly with the tunnel I'm in. I curiously pass through it and step out of the doorway, and I have to suppress a gasp as I look out at the miniature room.

This entire shelf is a new lounge space for me. There's the couch-beanbag thing I'd made for myself, a table and chair, a lamp that I think was originally a little night light for children. There's a phone I've never seen before - an older model by the looks of it, so thankfully he didn't buy a brand new phone - sitting against the wall like a wide screen TV. There's a bundle of trimmed pine needles in a little plastic container like a potted plant, giving off a subtle but refreshing scent. There are even some snacks wrapped in small scraps of foil to help keep them fresh - a single chocolate chip in one, a sliver of rice cake in another, a drop of peanut butter in a third.

There's also what I quickly realize is a curtain that's installed into the open side of the shelf. I experiment with this, dragging the curtain fully closed and turning on the night light. It's so cozy in here now, and surprisingly quiet. I've gotten pretty used to wide open spaces at this point, but it still feels so good to not have to be surrounded by so much empty air.

In one corner of the shelf-room there's a hole in the floor. I peer down into it and there's a ladder leading down to the next shelf. From up here I can see another hole past that and another ladder, and so on. It looks like I have access to this entire bookcase. I glimpse the edges of my paints on one shelf, my packing supplies further down, and then it all clicks in my mind. This is my new office building.

“Oh wow, Aiden…” I whisper, fighting again the urge to break down into tears again, though they well up anyway and I have to wipe one stray drop off my face.

I'm itching to explore the whole bookshelf and figure out what should go where, but I know that should be for another day. I soon rip myself away and head back into the tunnel that continues its way around the apartment. It's a short trip along the next corner, and then I'm stepping out onto my familiar living space on top of the desk. But there are a few clear changes now.

My toilet closet, clothing shelves, mini fridge, phone and random bits of entertainment are all just as I'd left them. But there's a new couch now, the base clearly bought from a toy store but the cushions lovingly hand sewn by my boyfriend. My treasured purple geode is still there in the background, the usual basil plant is recently pruned, my stuffed toy lion has been dusted and cleaned. I don't even notice that my bed's missing, I'm so inspired by the fresh feel of my space. Now that all of my business stuff has been moved, I can separate my work and my leisure time and just relax here on the desk. But that's not even the best part.

"No no no no no," I breathe through choked sobs as I walk over to the plastic box that contains my bathtub. It's always just been a plain white box, but there's something new on its outer wall that now lines the space of my new living quarters.

I immediately recognize Moira's art style. Tiny tableaus of beautiful fantasy landscapes are artfully arranged on the wall. No wonder she’s been talking a lot about home decor recently and asking for my opinion, this is the perfect whimsical aesthetic I’ve been pining after. A couple of the paintings I know are from Star, since we had that one artsy hangout when I learned how obsessed she is with doodling flowers. The goofy mushrooms in all sorts of bright colors are surely from Diego's hand. I even think one of these might be Camila's watercoloring. And I've played enough pictionary with Aiden to recognize those acorns with smiley faces.

This is what breaks me, and the crying starts in earnest. It must have been so difficult for my friends to make art on such tiny pieces of paper, most of them smaller than postage stamps. Not to mention the simple fact that they all came together for me like this… And I now have a beautiful mural to look at every day to remind me of the people I care about. I don't deserve them. My body's racked with sobs as I focus on each individual art piece in turn, and I'm thankful that Aiden's left me on my own to savor this without an audience. My emotions are probably heightened by the alcohol I had earlier, but the love I have for these people is so genuine all the same.

It takes me a little while to pull myself together again and traverse to the other side of the desk, where I see another plastic tunnel entrance. This one lines the opposite back corner of the living room and then passes right over the top of the couch. In fact, there's a hole in the plastic here, an open door that gives me access to the couch backing and tops of the cushions. There’s a rope ladder draped over the edge of the fabric cliff that would allow me to get to the armrest, to the seat, and even to the floor. I now imagine Aiden sitting here, working on his laptop, and I can sneak right up to kiss his neck.

The tunnel continues, along and past the couch. I know that on the other side of the wall I’m lining is the bedroom. I still haven’t fully stopped crying, and I quicken my pace in anticipation. The tunnel makes a U-turn once it reaches the edge of the wall, going straight through the open doorway of my boyfriend’s room. And there he is, the first thing that I notice, sprawled out on his bed as he casually reads a book. But then immediately after, I realize that the entire room has been rearranged. His bed is now on the other side, up against the wall that the living room shares. The tunnel I’m in slopes downward, and it’s leading to its final destination: Aiden’s nightstand. Where he’s already set up my own bed.

I’m several steps closer when my movements catch his attention. Our view of each other is slightly warped by the transparent plastic that I’m encased in, but we’re still able to smile at each other. He turns in my direction as I move towards him, and I'm thankful for the fabric floor that keeps me from slipping and sliding down the tunnel. We’re able to make better eye contact once I’m closer, and he lifts his head off his pillow, frowning with concern as he sees how red my eyes are.

“You okay?” he asks quietly.

Words aren’t an option right now, so I just silently and fervently nod, hurrying towards him and motioning for him to put his head back down. I think he can tell that I’m the good kind of emotional right now since he does indeed lay his head back on the pillow, but he continues to fret as I run out onto the nightstand.

“We can rearrange stuff however you like, I want you to get a say in how it’s all set up–”

I leap onto his pillow and practically crash into his face in a hug. “I love it,” I sob, shoulders shaking as the tears just won’t stop. I press my forehead against the space between his eyes, struggling to breathe as I cry. “Aiden, I l-love you, s-so much…”

His hand reaches my back to gently cover my frame and hug me against him. I revel in how close his voice is as he softly says, “I’m glad you like it. I’ve been kinda nervous about it for weeks, but I was excited with how it came together today.”

"I t-totally didn't s-see it coming…” I whimper, sniffling. “Good job."

Before we get into a serious snuggle session on the bed, he gives me a slightly tighter squeeze and whispers, “Welcome home, honey."

[DocRick]

[DocRick]

I pass over the familiar squat bookshelf that has always been against this wall, where Aiden keeps his books and rock collection. But now there's a new piece of furniture - a taller, narrower bookshelf that intersects my path. There's a hole cut out in the side of it that lines up perfectly with the tunnel I'm in. I curiously pass through it and step out of the doorway, and I have to suppress a gasp as I look out at the miniature room.

This entire shelf is a new lounge space for me. There's the couch-beanbag thing I'd made for myself, a table and chair, a lamp that I think was originally a little night light for children. There's a phone I've never seen before - an older model by the looks of it, so thankfully he didn't buy a brand new phone - sitting against the wall like a wide screen TV. There's a bundle of trimmed pine needles in a little plastic container like a potted plant, giving off a subtle but refreshing scent. There are even some snacks wrapped in small scraps of foil to help keep them fresh - a single chocolate chip in one, a sliver of rice cake in another, a drop of peanut butter in a third.

There's also what I quickly realize is a curtain that's installed into the open side of the shelf. I experiment with this, dragging the curtain fully closed and turning on the night light. It's so cozy in here now, and surprisingly quiet. I've gotten pretty used to wide open spaces at this point, but it still feels so good to not have to be surrounded by so much empty air.

In one corner of the shelf-room there's a hole in the floor. I peer down into it and there's a ladder leading down to the next shelf. From up here I can see another hole past that and another ladder, and so on. It looks like I have access to this entire bookcase. I glimpse the edges of my paints on one shelf, my packing supplies further down, and then it all clicks in my mind. This is my new office building.

For you............

[DocRick]

[littlest-lily]

@DocRick Whoa, you've got it all mapped out! Evie's empire haha


Chapter 66
Aiden

I manage to wake up silently today. As soon as my eyes blink open to the morning sunlight bathing the nearby wall, I’m ultra aware of what’s sitting very close to the back of my head. The simple knowledge of it makes me smile, and I decide on a little mission. As stealthily as I can, I slowly flip over, doing my very best not to make a sound against the bedsheets and pillow. And although it takes me a solid minute to simply rotate, I have a nice little reward waiting for me at the end. There she is on the nightstand, quietly snoozing away.

Still moving ever so carefully, I lift my head so that I can prop it up with my hand and smile down at my tiny girlfriend by my side. I got used to glancing at my mini crane origami every morning - which is still there - but this is admittedly way better. And it’s so rare that I’m the one who wakes up first. Evie keeps assuring me that I’m not a loud sleeper, and thank goodness for that, since there’s no way I’d subject her to spending the night in here if I snored or thrashed around. Still, I know that just shifting my head to the side is probably enough noise to rouse her come morning, because even if she’s still in bed when I wake up, her eyes are almost always open.

It’s such a treat now to see her looking so peaceful. Aww, apparently she smiles in her sleep. And she’s also apparently more active than I am - her blanket has been half shoved off her body and she’s got an arm flung off to one side while her hair’s fanned out to the other. I lean in a little bit to make out how her miniscule fingers occasionally twitch. So tiny. So cute. I feel a powerful desire to hold her close. But that would defeat the purpose of trying not to wake her up.

Alright, stop being a creep, I finally tell myself.

I’ve still got well over an hour before I need to get ready for class, so I can just chill in bed for a while. I carefully retrieve my phone that’s in an open space in my nightstand, just under Evie’s bed. I reflexively grab a breath mint that's there too - I’ve become a little obsessed over the past half a year in making sure I’m clean at all times. I know I can already be overwhelming enough to be around without also making her deal with morning breath.

A few minutes later, I hear the slightest sound, a tiny inhalation, and I glance up from my phone to watch my partner stir. She stretches her arms past her head and her eyes blink open before she turns her face my way and smiles.

“Good morning,” she says, her voice tight from her stretching.

“Morning,” I respond. I set my phone down and add, “Sleep okay?”

“Uh huh… Better than usual, I think. You didn’t wake me up at all.”

I chuckle, “Good! I've been feeling kinda proud of myself, for once I’m up first.”

Evie sits up in her bed to do a deeper stretch into a forward fold, and then she pushes the rest of her blanket away. She slides off her mattress to quickly make her way to mine, and I lay my head back down so that we can share a kiss. She lingers, sleepily leaning her cheek against my upper lip as she yawns.

“I’ll go get breakfast started,” she says.

Her position slumped over my mouth makes it harder for me to talk, but I manage to quietly murmur, “Noooo, not yet.”

I set up the tunnels and ladders in the apartment about two weeks ago now, but Evie’s still very excited about her newfound independence. She’s been getting into the habit of heading to the kitchen on her own first thing in the mornings and doing as much meal prep as she’s able. Yesterday she used a small plastic knife to make the beginnings of a peanut butter and banana sandwich. She’d managed to gather the bread and peel, cut and arrange the banana all on her own. She did end up needing me to open the jar of peanut butter, but I've been impressed with her resourcefulness all the same.

This morning I’m feeling particularly clingy, though. I don’t want her to go.

“You don’t have to get up,” she tells me, completely missing the point. “Take your time, I’ll at least go put bread in the toaster today.”

She gets back to her feet and starts walking away, but she doesn’t even reach the end of my mattress before I gently grab her leg. “Nope,” I say as she yelps and loses her balance. I start dragging her back towards me with a grin. "You're not going anywhere."

She giggles and manages to writhe out of my grip before sliding right underneath my pillow to hide. I push myself up, laughing as I uncover her again and whine, "Let me love you!"

Playful shenanigans aside, Evie is ultimately completely amenable to spending a little longer in bed. After dealing with some more overenthusiastic kissing from me, she makes her way to the collar of my shirt and tucks herself inside with her head sticking out. I hold her against my chest as we relax and she tells me about the dream she was having. The warmth of her body against mine is so comforting. Ugh, do I really have to go to class?

“Two more weeks,” I murmur after a lull in the conversation, and I smile as I feel her reaction under my fingers. She always perks up enthusiastically whenever I refer to our upcoming cabin trip.

“Less than that!” she chirps. “Closer to a week and a half. And there’s supposed to be a cold front hitting that area so it’ll be nice fall weather too!”

“Yeah, it’ll be perfect for campfires that way. How have the cold weather clothes been coming along?”

“I finished crocheting two scarves, and I’ve got a bunch of socks now. I’m almost done with the warmer pants too. I’ve been procrastinating on the coat, though… I really need to get it done.”

“Anything I can help with?”

“Umm, I’ve been meaning to add a hood to it so… I might have some stuff for you to cut out when you get home?”

“Mmkay. No problem.”

“Hey babe?”

“Hmm?”

“I really am starting to get hungry.”

With an amused exhale I finally relent and release her from my loose grip. “Okay, fiiiine…”

Evie wriggles out of my shirt and turns back to look at me when she reaches the night stand. “Seriously, take your time!” she says, putting a hand out to encourage me to stay prone.

“Yeah, I might be lazy and stay here while I answer some emails,” I mutter, reaching for my phone again.

“Leave it to me! I can just bring your breakfast to bed.”

I laugh and joke along, “In that case, I’ll have eggs benedict. Make sure they’re poached just right.”

“Right away, sir.” I beam at the glint in those beautiful brown doe eyes of hers and then watch her turn and scurry away down the tunnel. Off she goes.

I procrastinate on my phone for a while before going through a few of the emails like I’d planned. Subconsciously I’m keeping an ear out for any worrisome sounds coming from the kitchen, but for the most part I’m able to trust that Evie’s doing just fine over there. Eventually I notice that a good half hour has passed, and I decide I should finally roll out of bed and make sure she was able to find something to eat.

As I sit up, my eyes fall onto the plastic tunnel on the wall, originally meant for ferrets but perfect for shrunken women too. I’m pretty proud of the setup. I’ve always felt content with carrying my girl to wherever she needs to go, but I’ve been surprised by just how much of a joy it’s been to have her come to me sometimes. We’ve haven’t had this new setup for all that long yet, but it’s already done wonders for her confidence and overall mood.

There are still a few kinks to figure out, though. Lately Evie’s been lamenting the fact that she only has one toilet, which she wanted to keep in the more central location on the desk. It’s a bit of a hike for her to get there from the kitchen or from my room, so her current plan is to have makeshift chamber pots around for emergencies, but her engineering brain has already started trying to figure out the mechanisms of the metal contraption that was in Dr. Little’s old briefcase. Maybe we'll be able to replicate it at some point. She’d also like to replace the ladders leading to the floor - particularly the ones in the kitchen and at her work shelf. She’s convinced that she can come up with a pulley system to create miniature elevators, and I totally believe she could do it.

I’m smiling as I get up to leave my bedroom, daydreaming about the future. Having a tiny roommate with tiny furnishings is fun. I feel like I could live like this forever. How cool would it be, assuming I’m graduated and have a stable job, for us to buy a house, maybe even build it custom, with Evie’s situation in mind. If we owned the place we could actually do things like cut holes in the walls for her tunnels to pass through, or alter the electronics and water lines for her to be able to use them as well. We could build a sheltered little outdoor area, almost like an aviary, so that she could safely enjoy some fresh air whenever she wanted. Maybe we could even get her some kind of vehicle to get around faster–

A tiny voice suddenly reaches my ears in a shrill scream, “Aiden, AIDEN!”

I was in the middle of walking out into the living room, but as soon as I realize the direction the voice is coming from, I snap to my senses. I almost fall over as I jerk backwards and lift one leg up high. I have to reach a hand out to the nearby wall to steady myself, heart racing as I look down. Evie’s on the floor. Oh my god. I hadn’t noticed since I was passing through a doorway. I nearly just stepped on her. Holy fuck.

She was in the middle of launching herself backwards and away from my incoming foot, so she’s fallen over, eyes wide with panic. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her look at me in terror like this. For a second I’m completely frozen in place, horrified, caught between the desires to either get her off the ground or drop down to her level. But seeing how scared she looks right now, my better judgment tells me that the last thing she needs is me hurtling towards her in any capacity. I take a couple of shaky steps backwards, giving her some space, before kneeling down on the floor.

“You’re okay,” I whisper in an attempt to reassure her, “Everything’s fine… Fuck. I’m sorry."

I watch Evie trying to get a hold of herself, and she manages to take a couple of deep breaths as she sits up straighter. “N-no, I’m s-sorry… I shouldn’t have come down h-here without w-warning you, that was stupid…”

Now that I’m able to evaluate the situation a bit more clearly, I’m thinking things through in the back of my mind. From my trajectory, I don’t think I was actually going to land on her, maybe just kick her aside at worst. Plus, if I’d felt the slightest thing against my skin I’m sure I would have been able to stop myself before putting my weight down. I desperately want to believe that I didn’t just almost kill my girlfriend by accident.

I’m trying to meet her gaze as I barely manage to keep my anxiety in check. God, I hate how freaked out she looks in my regard. She keeps dropping her head for a second, as if wanting to put her face in her hands while she struggles to catch her breath, but then quickly looks back towards me, clearly afraid to take her eyes away. I hate that, I hate feeling like this menacing monster. But I don’t blame her for being on high alert right now. It’s hard to imagine what she just went through…

I need to focus. Does she need more space or less space right now?

Before I can ask the question out loud, Evie answers me. I'm far enough away that this is hard to make out, but I think she's got tears welling up in her eyes, and her bottom lip is quivering. She reaches her arms out to me, and I immediately lower onto my elbows and then lay down beside her. We silently embrace, her slender body fitting in the space where my nose meets my cheek. She’s still a bit shaky but she’s fully leaning into me, and we breathe out in tandem. I’m relieved to feel her muscles begin to unclench now that we’ve made contact. I'm glad I can still bring her comfort despite what just happened.

After a solid minute of us calming back down in silence, she lets out a tremulous breath. “I think you would have missed,” she says with forced confidence, echoing my own sentiments from earlier.

“I think so too,” I agree. “Still… that was scary.”

“I don’t have to come down here anymore. I just spilled some oats on the floor, so I wanted to go down and gather them up… and then I thought it’d be easier to go straight to your room to come see you, but… but I can stay up on the counters from now on.”

I wage a battle within myself. My paranoia around her wellbeing is agreeing wholeheartedly to never risk anything like this again. But at the same time, I don’t want to see that confidence of hers slip away as she loses bits of her independence once more. Her safety is absolutely crucial, but her freedom is important too. Maybe there’s another way.

“I mean, I’ll leave that up to you,” I say evenly, “but… um… If you were to go down then, yeah, a warning would be good? Just so I can be extra vigilant. And maybe try to stick close to the walls? But I feel like I’d normally notice you easily, it’s just because I was turning a corner… I think this was really bad luck.”

“Yeah... Yeah, okay.” Evie buries her face into my cheek, sighing audibly. “We’ll figure it out. We always do.”

It’s hard to feel completely reassured right now, the aftermath is too raw. She's right, I’m sure we’ll be fine, but… this was quite the sobering reminder that we do indeed have a couple more things to still figure out.

[DocRick]

@DocRick Whoa, you've got it all mapped out! Evie's empire haha

You gave a very detailed description of her lounge, but I had to guess a bit at her art studio.

[littlest-lily]

Chapter 67
Evie

Finally, finally, finally! I may have been overhyping this cabin trip a wee bit at this point, but… it’s finally here!

I thought I was going to lose my mind during the over-three-hour-long drive it took to get here - there’s only so much entertainment that Aiden and Moira can offer me when I’m trapped in a pocket for that long. But then we exit the car and I pop my head outside. I take in the expansive oranges and browns of the trees, the sound of squirrels chattering, the smell of wet leaves, the refreshing crisp fall air in my lungs… Yup. This is exactly what I was looking forward to.

The cabin itself looks positively picturesque. It’s two stories tall with red cedar walls and a deep green roof. It’s well surrounded by trees and is even bigger than I imagined from the photos I’ve seen, and yet it still looks so quaint and cozy. As much as I hated having to move all the time in my adult life, I’ve spent so much time in one spot since I've been shrunk, and the change of scenery is so appreciated.

The three of us have gotten here slightly before the Ignacios, so we’re able to settle in for a little bit, taking a brief tour of the bottom floor together. The living room is cavernous, even to my giant friends I’m sure, taking up the entire two stories and sporting massive windows. In comparison the kitchen and bedrooms feel almost cramped, but of course that’s speaking relatively since to me everything’s still very vast. Once we’ve taken a look at all the rooms, Moira brings me with her so that we can check out the upstairs while Aiden unloads luggage from the car. Up here there’s an open loft area that contains a bed and looks out over the living room, along with one more side bedroom and bathroom.

Moira sets me down on the bed so that we can chat while she starts unpacking her backpack. I’m doing a whole lot of staring at my surroundings, my head twisting this way and that to take in the rest of the loft. There are a couple of couches up against the window and opposite banister, a pool table, a mini fridge. This palace of a cabin is a lot to take in.

“Sooo. What do you want to do first?” Moira asks me, looking entertained by all of my wide-eyed wonder.

“I don’t know!” I say, a little breathless. “Umm, since it’s too windy for a campfire, maybe we chill inside and play Magic tonight?”

“Hell yeah. Oh, and I brought some spa stuff! I’ve got face masks, a body scrub, nail polish…” She’s pulling the items out as she lists them, separating them into a smaller bag for later.

“Sounds great.” I grin and let myself collapse back onto the covers so that I can stretch my limbs. “I don’t know why the car ride felt that exhausting, my legs are all sore. I’d love to have some spa time soon.”

“Especially with the hiking we’ll be doing tomorrow,” Moira points out, “We’ll be nice and primed.”

I laugh. “You mean the hiking you’ll be doing. I get to hitch a ride.”

She pauses in her unpacking to join me, resting her arms nearby on the bed as she smiles my way. “Hey, you have to go on long hikes on the daily. You probably deserve to relax more than any of us.”

“Says the workaholic,” I scoff, sitting up so that I can scoot closer and touch her forearm. “I’m glad you’re finally getting a vacation, Mo.”

“Me too… I mean, I do need to get a little bit of work done… I’ve been slacking on making social posts lately…”

“Moiraaaa,” I sigh.

“Well, this sure feels cozy!”

We’re interrupted before I can further scold my friend for bringing her work to the woods. I thought I’d heard creaking come from the stairs and sure enough - Aiden’s made his way up to the loft as well, taking his first look around at the furnishings.

Moira flinches, not having noticed what I’m sure were much more subtle sounds to her. She pulls away from me to turn towards him, sitting back on her heels as she quickly recovers and says, “Isn’t it? This’ll be the perfect spot for me.”

Aiden takes another minute or so to poke around at the nearby rooms while Moira and I wrap up our conversation. Then he comes back to where we are and offers his hand to me, laying it onto the bed cover.

“You want to come set up your space, Eve? The others should be here soon.”

“Sure!” I get to my feet and hop aboard. It actually feels particularly nice in the warmth of his palm right now. I can sense the fact that we’ve traveled further north, the air is chillier here. I’ll need to unpack my jackets and socks first and foremost.

We knew that we picked the smallest of the bedrooms, and it’s even more cramped than we had anticipated. I’m fine of course, but my poor boyfriend has trouble maneuvering around the bed. He focuses on taking everything out of my bag first - we’ve brought my bed, toilet, phone, one of the shelves to store clothing, and a ladder in case I need to reach the ground. I unpack my garments onto the shelf, and then raise an eyebrow at Aiden when I notice he’s not unpacking much of his stuff at all.

“Can’t find a spot to put your clothes?” I ask.

“Eh, it’s only three nights. I’ll live out of the suitcase.”

“Fair enough. I guess when you’re camping in a tent you probably have even less space.”

“Mm-hmm. I don’t mind this at all.” He plops down onto the bed and smirks as he brings his face closer to the nightstand. “And I especially don’t mind being in a tight space if I’m crammed into it with you…”

We’ve barely had time to start making out before we’re interrupted by a car door slam outside letting us know that the second half of our group has arrived. I catch a glimpse through the nearby window at the Ignacios exiting the car. Star is looking cute in her cable knit sweater, Diego seems comfortable in shorts and a T-shirt despite the chill… and there's Camila, looking like a movie star as usual. Her perfect waves are pulled back into a ponytail, she’s wearing a fashionable skort and crop-top, wedged knee-high boots with a fur lining, and designer sunglasses perched on top of her head.

I find myself rolling my eyes at how out of place she looks, and then I berate myself. Be nice, I think. I’ll be seeing her from today - Thursday - until Sunday morning. Plenty of time to, um… bond. Maybe this weekend we’ll finally hit it off.

The six of us gather at the entrance and I’m able to greet the others from my partner’s shoulder - even Camila shoots me a smile, which I gratefully return. Everyone trickles in their luggage bit by bit as they find their home bases for the weekend. Diego and Star will be sharing the main bedroom downstairs, just next door to Aiden and me, and Camila will be staying in the side bedroom upstairs by the loft.

I hang out with Moira in the living room as my boyfriend gets roped into helping Camila get her three suitcases up the stairs. I try not to think about how the two of them are alone upstairs as I make plans with Moira to join her in her yoga practice tomorrow morning. Eventually we’re all gathered again in the living room, and I’m reassured when Aiden gently yoinks me from behind so that I can sit with him on one of the couches.

“So!” Star exclaims once we’ve all caught up on how our drives went and have shared in our excitement for the weekend. “Since it’s so windy tonight, I’m guessing that’s not great for the campfire?”


“Probably not,” Aiden says apologetically, “I can try to make it work, but it’s probably not the safest. Forecast is showing that tomorrow night should be way calmer, mind if we switch my dinner plans with yours?”

“That’s fine! We’ll go start working on the stew then, yeah? So that we don’t eat too late.” Star turns to her husband for confirmation.

“Aye aye, cap’n!” Diego says as he stands.

I wave as the couple leaves for the kitchen, and I find myself sighing as I drop my arm again. I’m actually starting to feel a bit overstimulated at this point, if I’m being honest... I’ve gotten more used to hanging out with multiple giants at once, but rarely are we all in the same room at the same time, especially in such a new and exciting environment. It’s going to be a long night of festivities, so I eventually decide that I might need a little break before the food’s ready.

“Can you set me down?” I call up to Aiden from my spot at the crook of his elbow. “I just want to grab something in our room real quick.”

“I can go get it for you,” he says, brow furrowing as he looks down at me.

“Nah, I’ve been doing a lot of sitting today, I should stretch my legs. I’ll be right back.”

He hesitates for a beat longer. It hasn't been that long since our close call back at the apartment. We’ve gotten into better habits since then - I’m much more careful about lining the walls now if I'm ever on the ground, and we've had zero issues since. Everyone else here has been briefed about how to watch out for me too. But still, I’m sure that moment where he thought he had almost stepped on his girlfriend still has him rattled.

“Alright, yell if you need anything,” he says, scooping me off his arm and extending his hand to the floor. I’m sure I don’t need to point out that as soon as I’m no longer in the living room he probably wouldn’t be able to hear me. It’s the thought that counts, I guess.

Camila, who has been discussing one of her classes with Moira, trails off as she notices what’s going on opposite to her. I step onto the ground, grateful for my heavier duty socks as I can feel a layer of cold radiating from the hardwood floor. She locks eyes onto me and raises one eyebrow.

“Aren’t you worried about running into a spider or something?” she asks with a small smile on her face.

I glance up at her and feel a little dizzy. Even at home, looking up at Aiden from down at his feet, as if he truly was a skyscraper, is enough to make my insides squirm. And now the unfamiliar hulking furniture, the towering group of titans, particularly the dark-eyed beauty who already makes me feel rather uncomfortable… Yeah, I’m starting to rethink this plan. Oh well. I can push through.

“I’ll be fine,” I say, feigning confidence best I can.

“There shouldn’t be as many bugs around this time of year anyway, not in this area,” Aiden adds reassuringly.

Not wanting to extend this exchange, I quickly make my way towards the nearest wall as they resume their conversation. It takes me almost ten minutes to get to our room and climb up the ladder to my little camp on the nightstand. I change into a slightly warmer jacket to justify why I came here, and then I take a few minutes in the quiet to steady myself. I knew that a lot about this trip was going to be a bit intense. But I’ve got this. I’m going to have a fun evening and a fun weekend. I’ve been looking forward to this trip so much, and I know it’s going to be worth it.

I slip back out into the hallway when I start feeling mild tremors that are growing in strength. And then I notice a shadow up ahead before seeing a colossal figure turn the corner. Oh jeez, it’s Diego. He must be taking a break from cooking to go grab something from his room. Just a 150 foot giant heading towards me, no big deal…

He quickly notices me walking alongside the wall, his smile growing in acknowledgement. He slows down as he gets closer and asks me, “Need a boost? Or you’re good?”

He’s honestly so tall that I’m not sure he’ll be able to hear me very well from the floor, so I just flash him a double thumbs-up and he seems to get it. He keeps moving, and so do I. That’s pretty cool, this ability to coexist so seamlessly. I don’t plan to wander around on my own all that often - hell, in a place like this, I’m sure bugs really are more of a concern than they are back at the apartment. But it’s nice to know that I have the option of keeping some independence if I need to grab a snack or something.

By the time I get back to the living room, I can tell Aiden’s been casting frequent glances towards the hallway. He notices my movements and straightens up with a smile, and I wave before hurrying to him. He plucks me back off the floor, and once he’s set me onto his knee, I sit with a tall back full of pride. I know my little trip was so minor, but I kinda feel badass from it.

Things really pick up soon after that, and we end up having a blast this first night. We gather around the dining room table for the hearty stew that the Ignacios made in the cabin’s cast iron Dutch oven. We discuss the hiking trails that we plan on checking out tomorrow. We play a lighthearted party game all together, and then we eventually meander to the living room. Aiden gets a fire going in the hearth while Moira fetches apple cider for everyone, and soon we’re sprawled around in a circle, half of us on chairs and the other half on the floor as we chat.

I do bristle a little as Camila sits on the ground particularly close to Aiden and I, leaning against the couch right next to his legs. I think I saw a couple of subtle frowns from the rest of the group in her direction, but everyone regains their composure so fast that I question whether it even happened. I get over it very quickly.

“So does anyone have Halloween plans?” Diego suddenly asks.

“No” is the general consensus, and Star immediately follows that up with, “We should dress up and go somewhere! Like, as a group. It’d be fun.”

“Hmm… What should we dress up as?” Moira wonders.

Diego points his finger in my direction. “Well, what should Evie be? Let's start there.”

I startle, pulling my legs into my chest self consciously as I shift back on the couch armrest. “Oh, I don't have to be part of this,” I say, feeling embarrassed.

Star leans forward as she urges, “No, you have to be! Think about it. Halloween might be the only time of year you can be out in public and people won't question it.”

This thought makes me pause. I’ve gotten so accustomed to hiding. The thought of being out in the open in any capacity, pretending to be a toy as part of someone else's costume, is a little scary at first. But the more I consider it, the more I think it might be freeing too. Finally I relent, “I guess that's true… Uhhh… Maybe I could be a fairy or something?”

“You could be Tinkerbell?” Aiden suggests with a smile. I’ve been gradually having him watch all of my favorite childhood movies since he missed out on a lot of the classics as a kid. Due to his particular interests, he was quite familiar with Peter Pan, but recently we decided to watch it anyway.

Moira seems excited by the idea. “Oooo, yeah, we could be a Peter Pan group! That’d be so cute.” She nods in our direction. “Aiden, I guess that makes you Peter?”

“Hmm…” he muses, and I shiver with pleasure as he runs a finger along my back while he thinks. A playful smirk lights up his features. “I kinda want to be Hook, actually. Then I could pretend I've captured you in a lantern… you know, if you ever need a break from any crowds.”

I laugh. “Uh huh, pretend, sure. I just won’t read too deep into the fact that you want to be the villain.”

The others chuckle, but meanwhile I’m already daydreaming about this potential opportunity for my boyfriend to dress up as a sexy pirate. Camila jumps in with uncharacteristic eagerness as she beams over towards her cousin. “I think Diego should be Pan. Green tights and everything.”

We all laugh even more at this casting choice. But Diego’s completely unphased and agrees heartily, “I have noooo problems being the main character!” He swoops his arm around his wife to pull her in closer. “I guess that makes you my Wendy, darling.”

Moira turns to Camila with a giggle. “You want to be a lost boy with me?”

Everyone seems eager enough that this plan might actually happen, and I start feeling more and more excited about the prospects. We end up discussing a group trip to Disney World too while we’re on the subject, which would be so expensive and logistically complicated that it probably won’t happen, but it’s fun to dream. It’s so nice that everyone’s in this good of a mood, and the number of times that I get interrupted due to simply not being heard is at an all-time low. We don’t stay up very late since we’re all tired from the drive, but man what a wonderful first evening this was.

[DocRick]

Why was Camila invited? Not only is she a fifth wheel, I still think she wants to run over Evie !!!!! Okay, Moira is also a fifth wheel, but she can be trusted.

[littlest-lily]

Why was Camila invited? Not only is she a fifth wheel, I still think she wants to run over Evie !!!!! Okay, Moira is also a fifth wheel, but she can be trusted.

Aiden mentioned it when it was first brought up, but unfortunately Camila was the one who had the idea for the cabin trip in the first trip. :/ Evie decided she wanted to go anyway, she didn't want to miss out.


Chapter 68
Evie

I shiver and twist deeper into the covers as I come to consciousness this morning. The air feels even chillier in the early hours, but it just makes my bed feel all the more cozy. I slept pretty great, actually. As much as I’ve gotten used to the sounds of people and cars passing by outside back home, the relative quiet of the forest that surrounds us is lovely. I peek my eyes over the blanket to look towards Aiden, who’s turned in my direction but still fast asleep. The very tip of his nose is pinker than normal with the cold. I wish I could tuck him in a little better. But even if I was strong enough to drag his blankets, I’m too comfortable to move right now.

Soon I hear a slight floor creaking coming from outside of our room. I lift my head up to listen, and sure enough, there’s a very light tap on the door a second later.

Alright, alright… Comfort be damned, Moira and I made plans for this morning. I force myself out of bed, rushing to throw on some warmer outerwear, and then I quickly make my way down the ladder that’s hanging from the nightstand. I pause to look up at the bed, looming so high that I can't see past the edge of it. I blow my sleeping boyfriend a kiss before I turn and hurry away.

The gap under the door is big enough for me to slide under, and the first thing I see are a pair of feet clad in fuzzy purple socks. My friend is crouched there, anticipating my arrival, and she already looks so put together with her yoga pants, a light coat of makeup, and a cute, casual side braid. And here I thought I was an early bird.

“Good morning,” she whispers, immediately offering me her hand.

“Morning,” I respond sleepily, and once I clear the door I don't even bother standing up before I crawl aboard. It takes a great amount of effort to keep myself from curling up in the warmth of her palm and refusing to budge.

A quick stop by the kitchen for a drink of water is enough to rouse me to attention, and then once we head out to the back deck, the fresh air does the rest of the job. Looks like Moira's already rolled out her yoga mat, and she has a hand towel laid out on a nearby bench for me. I thank her profusely for the setup as she sets me down.

“You said you’ve done yoga before, yeah?" she asks once she's stepped onto her own mat.

“Um, I’ve followed a couple of videos before, but I’ve never done a class. Please guide me," I call out to her.

“Okay, sure! Let's do some sun salutations to get us going? We’ll start with tadasana, mountain pose. Stand like this, arms to the side… There you go.”

I quickly realize that I need to stretch more. I was diligent about doing the leg extensions that Diego sent me after my injury, but I've been slacking lately and I can really feel it as I struggle to hit some of these yoga poses. I’m more in shape now compared to before I got shrunk since I have to travel further distances and do a lot of climbing, but I don’t take nearly as much time as I should to stay limber. Actually, I should ask Moira to do this with me more often. It’s fun to do it together, she’s a good teacher. Even if she needs to go out of her way and come quite close to me to help correct my positions from time to time.

By the time we finish up half an hour later, I’ve started to sweat and have abandoned my jacket, but I feel refreshed. We’re noticing bits of commotion coming from inside the cabin as everyone else slowly wakes up. Aiden’s face had briefly appeared in the window halfway through our practice, smiling once he'd confirmed where I was before leaving us be. Soon enough the scent of coffee trickles out of open windows.

The back door opens, and with a pronounced yawn Star shuffles out onto the deck as well. Her dark hair is up in a messy bun so that only the one strand of blue is hanging down by her face. She's holding two bowls in her hands as she trudges our way and says, “Hellooo ladies. Anybody want oatmeal?"

There's a patch of sunlight that's landed on the patio accent table, giving us a spot to have breakfast outdoors. I fill my senses with the apple and cinnamon, savoring the taste of fall. Thankfully I carry a few basic tools and utensils in my jacket pockets, so I'm able to dig right into the spoonful of oatmeal that I'm offered.

"Is everyone else up too?" I ask between bites.

“Yeah. Camila’s still upstairs getting ready," Star says with a sleepy smile. "I think I'll be staying with her while you guys go on that hike, I just want to relax. The boys are prepping food for the day in the kitchen."

Moira ponders for a moment and then suggests, “Well, I don’t think we were planning to leave until 9 or 10… Would you guys want to do a bit of that spa stuff beforehand since we didn't end up doing it last night? We can have some quality girl time?"

Star perks up at this. “Yeah, totally, if you guys have time! I'm sure Camila would love that too."

I briefly hesitate, imagining the four of us hanging out and putting on face masks. That does sound nice and relaxing. And Camila’s been pretty chill so far, which is encouraging. So quickly I chime in, “Sure, why not!”

We finish our breakfast while marveling at how beautiful the nearby tree line looks at this hour. Star is apparently extra touchy when she’s sleepy, frequently putting a hand on Moira’s arm or rubbing my head with a finger as we chat. But I’m endeared by it. I honestly still haven’t quite figured out why I don’t find Star to ever be patronizing. No matter how honey-sweet of a tone she employs, or how much she fawns over how cute she finds me, or how she gently pets me without expressed permission, it never feels disrespectful. It feels like she would treat any of her loved ones this way, and I’m all for it.

She’s the one who offers to carry me back inside, cupping her fingers around my frame to protect me from the odd breeze. We go by the kitchen to drop off the dishes and let the guys know what we’ll be up to before the hike. They’ve got an array of bread slices spread out on the counter, in the middle of making way too many sandwiches.

“What do you want in yours?” Diego asks as he points at me in his wife’s hand.

“I’m fine with whatever,” I call back, “I’ll have some of Aiden’s.”

“Pshhh, c’mon. Not even half a sandwich?” he mocks with a grin, slapping a spoonful of mustard onto the sourdough. “Weak.”

I roll my eyes with a sigh, but I’m laughing. I’m also not sure why it’s never bothered me all that much that Diego has poked fun at my size from the moment I met him. I’ve found it refreshing that he doesn’t overthink how he needs to treat me. Again, it feels like he acts this way with all of his friends, and it’s how he helps make me feel like I’m truly part of the group.

We update the men on our spa plans, and they’re amenable to splitting up by gender for the next hour - I'm sure they'll be happy to sneak in a couple of games of Magic before we head out. I can see the intent look in Aiden’s gaze when our eyes meet and we silently check in with each other. I smile widely to let him know I’m doing just fine.

We gather in the main bedroom downstairs, where Camila quickly joins us, wearing fancy loungewear and fluffy red earmuffs. She seems quite enthusiastic about the face masks, and we all pile onto the bed, with me finding a spot on one of the pillows to spread out some tissue paper to sit on.

Once we’ve done some exfoliating and moisturizing, Star offers to cut my hair, since apparently she does it for her nieces all the time. I’m initially wary when I see the blade, despite the rounded tips on the small scissors that she has. But ultimately I agree when I remember what Diego had said about how Star has stitched up a hamster’s leg before. I trust that she’s capable and will be very careful.

“Have you cut it since you’ve gotten tiny?” she asks me, draping my long brown locks over the side of her index finger.

“Nope. It’s actually been driving me a little crazy lately,” I say, closing my eyes to try to block out the thought of scissors coming so close. I hear Moira murmuring something to Camila about how they need to hold still and not shake the bed.

“Hmm, maybe the split ends are just too small for me to make out, your hair feels so silky… Okay, this’ll be real quick.”

I hold my breath and everyone goes strangely silent. I feel a slight tug, hear the sound of quick snips, and it’s all over in less than a minute. I look behind me as Star carefully tries to brush some of the loose hairs off of my back. I take one hanging strand to examine it, feeling immensely satisfied at the fresh feel of it now that it only comes down to my chest instead of nearing my waist.

"There, I tried not to make it too short,” Star says, smoothing out my hair affectionately. I turn around to smile up at her gratefully and she coos, “You are so precious, Evie. Like a little doll.”

The other two girls relax now that there are no more sharp blades in my vicinity. “That looks great! You even got some layering in there,” Moira marvels.

Camila leans in a little closer. “Yeah, you do look like a little doll,” she comments. I feel a bit guilty for thinking this, but I can’t help feeling that those words sounded better coming out of Star’s mouth. Still, she’s trying, and I respond with a warm smile.

“Thank you so much for this, Star,” I say, giving my friend’s nearby finger a tight hug.

“Anytime!” she giggles, “I’d love to be your new hairdresser. I’m sure I’ll get better at it over time.”

I thank her a couple more times before relaxing the embrace, finally letting go at the sound of a ziploc bag opening.

“Oh good, I’ve been meaning to change up my nails for the fall,” says Camila as she also notices Moira reaching into her bag of nail polish.

Mo is in the middle of holding up one of the bottles when she pauses. “Shoot. Evie, I didn’t think about this… Are the fumes a bad idea?” She bites her lip with concern, and the other two turn their heads towards me.

I squirm and shake my head, feeling suddenly embarrassed under their stares. “Oh, um, I’m sure it’s fine. I just won’t get too close. It’s not like I can use the brushes on myself, and uh… here!” I reach over to a nearby scrap of tissue that I’d been using to wash my face with earlier, and I tear off a strip before tying it around my face to cover my nose and mouth. “Ta-da! Don't worry, it’s not like I do this every day.”

“Let me at least go open a window to air out the room,” Moira offers and gets up to do just that.

The girls start painting their fingernails, and while I’m feeling a little wistful that I can’t join in due to my own nails being the size of poppy seeds, I still feel included when they ask me for my opinion in color choices. But while Camila and Moira seem very accustomed to this activity, Star is struggling.

“Ahh, I’m so bad at this,” she laments, trying to scrub the dot of polish that she got onto the skin of her thumb.

“Can I help?” I pipe up, sliding off the pillow to head towards her. She’s sitting cross-legged on the bed, so she has to lower her hand down towards me for me to reach it.

“You sure?” she asks tentatively. “I thought you weren’t going to get too close.”

The smell of the polish is pretty strong, but not nauseatingly so. “It’s really not too bad. I’d love to give you a hand! It makes me happy if I can return the haircut favor in any way.”

“Alright then… thanks!”

I extract a couple of the tools from my jacket pocket since some of them are for painting minis, and they really come in handy now. I use a small splinter to scrape errant nail polish off, and then I eventually end up helping her paint an orange leaf on her ring finger.

“Wow, that looks really good!”

I’m shocked to look up and see that it’s Camila who has praised me so avidly on my detail work. I hope I don’t look too surprised as I beam up at her.

“Thank you! I can try to help if anyone else wants some kind of design.”

Star pauses in blowing at her fingernails to giggle, “You say that now until we switch to pedicures.”

I grin and wave my hand to push her concern aside. “I really don’t mind!”

“No, no, I was kidding, I’m not going to make you deal with my dirty–”

I gasp as just then we’re interrupted. Out of nowhere, Camila has just extended her foot from her seat, plopping it down right in front of me. I lose my balance from the impact and land on my butt, every muscle tense as I try to make sense of what’s happening. Her bare foot is as large as a tank, imposing all on its own, her heavy toes having landed much too close for comfort. The rest of her leg is like a hulking tower, and looming far above is her smiling face.

No, it’s… it’s more of a smirk. It’s incredibly apparent to me in this split second. She’s getting a kick out of seeing me down at her feet like this. Our eyes meet and the message she sends me is as clear as if she’d spoken out loud. It sends a shiver down my spine.

“Ewww, Camila, what are you doing??” Star yelps, and just as quickly as it appeared, the foot is shoved away again, the bedsheets buckling back and jostling me again.

“She was offering!” Camila laughs, casually folding her leg back.

“She was just being nice, you weirdo!”

Moira gently approaches me as Star berates her cousin-in-law. She gets my attention by showing me the nail design on one of her fingers, quietly pretending to need help straightening out a line. She uses the opportunity to pick me up, pushing the side of her hand into the mattress to slide her palm under me. I quickly snap out of it and cooperate, regaining my smile as fast as I can. But I’m still reeling from what just happened, reliving it in the back of my mind.

Everyone I’ve met since I’ve shrunk has treated me a little differently. Some of them specifically make reference to my height while others avoid it. Some of them are more liberal in touching me while others are more mindful about my personal space. Some of them try to help me out directly while others help me help myself. But outside of Dr. Little they’ve all been kind. They all treat me as an equal.

Camila clearly does not share that sentiment. I could practically hear her voice in my head as she sat there and savored the sight of me all the way down at her toes like a servant. The look in her eyes very clearly told me, “Oh, you think you’re one of us? That’s cute.”

I feel sick. I’ve been spoiled by so many months of living with Aiden and being surrounded by supportive friends. I have no idea how to deal with this. Desperately I fight back tears, only barely managing to.

Soon we’re able to just laugh the moment off as a silly little joke. I really don’t want the others to know how unnerved I feel after that. I don’t even want to acknowledge it to myself. All I want is to have a good time on this trip. But deep down I know that whatever benefit of the doubt I had been offering Camila up until now, whatever naive hope I had that she and I could get along as casual friends… all of it has vanished in an instant.

[Nropyub]

Camilla sucks.

[DocRick]

Oh, I'm sure that beotch is not finished yet............

Star and Diego are clueless about the darkness of Camila. Moira sees it clearly. Aiden sees it, but he's too nice of a guy to believe what he's seeing.

[DocRick]

"Out of nowhere, Camila has just extended her foot from her seat, plopping it down right in front of me. I lose my balance from the impact and land on my butt, every muscle tense as I try to make sense of what’s happening. Her bare foot is as large as a tank, imposing all on its own, her heavy toes having landed much too close for comfort. The rest of her leg is like a hulking tower, and looming far above is her smiling face.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
No, it’s… it’s more of a smirk. It’s incredibly apparent to me in this split second. She’s getting a kick out of seeing me down at her feet like this. Our eyes meet and the message she sends me is as clear as if she’d spoken out loud. It sends a shiver down my spine.

Moira gently approaches me as Star berates her cousin-in-law. She gets my attention by showing me the nail design on one of her fingers, quietly pretending to need help straightening out a line. She uses the opportunity to pick me up, pushing the side of her hand into the mattress to slide her palm under me. I quickly snap out of it and cooperate, regaining my smile as fast as I can. But I’m still reeling from what just happened, reliving it in the back of my mind."

[littlest-lily]

Apologies for the delay, got pretty sick but much better now!

And yes, Camila sucks lolol. I hope it's in a way that's still entertaining to read, she'll still be around for a lil bit ^^;


Chapter 69
Aiden

I'm staring out at a sprawling valley, and the untouched wilderness stretches out for miles and miles ahead. The hills and low mountains are completely covered with trees. You can actually visibly see the transition from summer to autumn in the jagged line that separates bright green leaves from the yellow and orange ones, the colors mixing with a chaotic beauty.

“Woowww,” sighs a voice from near my shoulder.

“Right?” I whisper back.

Evie isn't in my shirt pocket as usual - I didn't want to risk her having to deal with any dampness if I got too sweaty on this hike. Instead, one of the many ways we prepared for this trip was by attaching a pocket to the strap of my backpack. It definitely looks handmade in comparison to her regular spot right against my chest, but it's also custom built to her specific size. So far she's seemed quite comfortable in there, and it doesn't make much difference to me since she's around the same level on my body as usual.

“I’m assuming there’s an impressive view on the other side of that bush?” Moira asks from just behind me.

I turn to glance down at her, frowning as I look between her and the foliage in question. “Oh shoot, you can’t see over that?”

She tries standing on her tiptoes before shaking her head. “It’s fine, I’m sure we’ve almost reached the oooohmygodwhatareyoudoing–!”

Diego has suddenly stepped behind Moira to hook his hands under her arms and vault her into the air, so that I have to now look way up instead. He places her on his shoulders nonchalantly, as if she was a child. Her arms flail in fear before she latches tightly onto his head.

“Diego, are you nuts?! We’re on an incline!” she whimpers, squeezing her eyes shut.

“And you weigh, like, two pounds,” he chuckles. “I’ve gotcha. Just relax and soak in aaalll those fall vibes!”

Moira finally catches her breath and relaxes enough to open her eyes. She hesitantly joins us in admiring the scenery, nothing but the sound of the breeze filling the air as we stand in silence for a few more moments. It’s a welcome break after a couple of hours of nonstop walking. Not that I’m complaining, as this hike has been such a pleasure. Fresh air, colorful scenery, both quiet moments and lively ones. The weather is absolutely perfect - sunny enough that the lingering morning dew was sparkling when we left, but with a pleasant cool breeze that has kept us at the ideal temperature in the shade.

I peer up ahead at our path, trying to get a sense of how much further we need to go. “I think I can see the trail marker,” I say, “We’re almost there, I’m sure the view’s even better up in that clearing. And then we can have lunch?”

“Sounds good to me!” Diego declares as he turns and starts walking up the trail again, with Moira still sitting on his shoulders.

She immediately protests with an uncharacteristic firmness. “No, no. You are not going to keep hiking up this mountain with me here. Put me down.”

“Aight, aight. Take it easy, chiquita,” Diego relents, hoisting her back over his head and down to the ground.

“I don’t know how you do it, Evie,” Moira sighs, though now that she’s on terra firma again she’s able to smile as she gives Diego a playful glare. “Getting manhandled all the time.”

“You get used to it,” Evie laughs.

“‘Scuse me for worrying about those lil’ legs of yours after the past few hours,” our tallest friend chuckles good-naturedly.

I chime in, “He's sort of got a point. Are you holding up okay, Mo?”

“Yup. Don’t worry, I can handle it.”

Several minutes later we make it to the sign that marks the end of the seven mile hike. The trees are far more sparse in our immediate vicinity, instead replaced with a few large rocks for us to sit on and around. In turn we collapse into seated positions to rest. Moira takes a little longer to get some pictures of the scenery for her work Instagram before she joins us.

“Alright, I’ll admit it… I’m really grateful for the break,” she says with a heavy exhale. She hangs her head and mumbles, “Stupid short legs.”

I’m in the process of transferring Evie from my pocket to my hand, but once she’s settled I grab a water bottle from my backpack and extend it to my second shortest friend.

“My bad," I tell her, "I didn’t even take into consideration the fact that the two of us are quite a bit taller than you when I suggested this hike.”

She reassures me that she's alright, that she had happily agreed to joining and that she’s having a great time. But then as she's speaking, I can’t help but notice out of the corner of my eye that Evie’s looking particularly deep in thought as she looks up at the rest of us one by one. I nudge her with my thumb curiously.

“What’s up?” I ask.

She snaps out of it, shaking her head apologetically before explaining, “Sometimes it’s hard to get a sense of certain things from down here… But, um, I can’t believe I’ve never asked this before… How tall are you, Aiden?”

Yeah, wow, I also can’t believe we’ve gone this long without mentioning it. But since Diego happens to be present when she asked, I just can’t help suddenly smirking and looking sidelong at him in reaction to the question. He responds with a massive eye roll.

Evie notices our exchanged looks and is preemptively laughing as she says, “What? Is it a weird thing to ask..?”

“No, it’s nothing,” I croon, still grinning smugly. “Just a bet I won a long time ago that I like to still rub in his face.”

Diego groans. “Just answer her question, bro.”

I take a moment to explain first, meeting Evie’s eyes again. “So believe it or not, I was actually taller than Diego when we were kids. But then he hit puberty early and shot up like a weed, and he broke the six foot mark when he was, like, twelve. At that point he bet that I’d never reach that height. But I was more of a slow and steady type. I was moving around the country after that with my family, but I would text him updates as I slowly inched up. I was in high school when I finally hit the mark. Just barely, and I never went past it, but still. I made it to six feet tall out of pure spite.”

“Yeah, whatever. You still never caught up,” Diego grumbles with a teasing smile, and from the way his arm tenses I can tell he would have shoved me if I wasn’t holding my tiny girlfriend aloft. Thankfully he abstains.

Evie giggles and turns to him. “So how tall are you, Diego?

“Six foot nine,” he says with a hint of pride but mostly the automatic drone of someone who’s had to answer that question many times to curious strangers.

“Holy crap. I guess you really are a giant,” she marvels, and then she turns the other way. “What about you, Moira?”

“Four foot eight,” she sighs.

Evie nods pensively. “Huh. Yeah, we’re uh… kind of all over the map, aren’t we?”

I frown as I try to remember that day back in February that I usually want to forget, back when I was looking over her paperwork before guiding her into Dr. Little’s lab. I quickly give up and decide to just ask, “How tall were you, Eve? Before, I mean.”

“Five foot four,” she says automatically, before twitching as if she’d received an electric shock.

Diego muses absently, “Huh, you’d be about Camila’s height. That’s hard to imagine…”

But I’m still focused on Evie and how her demeanor has changed. She looks visibly shaken. I lift her up slightly higher to catch her attention. “You alright?” I ask softly.

She glances up at the three of us, hesitating before deciding that she can confide in not just me but all of us. “It’s weird. I’d never really processed the fact that I can’t give that same answer anymore if someone were to ask me my height… I still mentally measure my surroundings on my own scale - like, I think of your hand as measured in feet, not in inches. As if the entire world has grown bigger. It just makes me feel weirdly self conscious when I remember it's the opposite…”

There’s a tightness in my chest as I watch her grappling with her own reality. I can’t possibly imagine what it might be like for her, even after all this time. The fact that her height makes her feel “self conscious” pains me in particular, considering how much this amazing woman means to me.

I sigh and give her a half smile as I lift her up higher still and say, “I know it’s hard, but… Just know that there’s nothing wrong with you, okay?”

Moira scoots in from one side of me so she can touch her arm with one finger. “Agreed. You’re our friend no matter the height difference.”

Evie hugs the offered finger gratefully, and Diego leans in from the other side. “Yeah! Besides, three inches suits you. You wouldn’t be our lil’ shrimp otherwise.” He gently pokes the top of her head to muss up her hair.

This is probably the closest thing we can do to a group hug, and that’s not lost on the tiny girl in my palm. She briefly gets misty eyed, hugging Moira tighter, and chokes out, “Thanks, guys.”

Evie still seems a little off after that. Externally she’s acting like nothing’s the matter, jumping into conversation without issue over lunch, and frequently expressing delight over fall leaves and deer sightings on the trek back to the cabin. But I’ve seen her hide her feelings enough to sense that something might be up. She’s been acting a little weird all day, actually. I figure it might be because she’s overwhelmed by so much excitement and by constantly being around groups of people. But it’s hard to find a private moment with her to really make sure.

We’re pretty wiped by the time we get back to home base and it’s nearing late afternoon. The plan is to just relax in the covered patio for a while with some cider. I’ll need to start working on the campfire soon since I’m on dinner duty, but I still have some time to rest first, so I plan to hang out with everyone too. That is, until we get intercepted.

“Welcome back,” says Camila as she comes down the stairs to join us in the living room. “Hey, Aiden, can I get your help with something?”

I’m in the middle of unloading, Evie in hand as I drop my backpack to the floor. With a stifled exhale I ask, “Right now?”

“Yes please. I wanted to air out my room but the window’s stuck.”

“I can help,” Diego offers, having just put away his own bag.

“I don’t think your hand will fit,” Camila mumbles, gaze falling to the floor.

Evie pipes up just then, calling out to me. “Go ahead, I’ll go to the patio with the others. Can I get a ride, Kong?”

I reflexively lift her up for the upcoming transfer, keeping my eyes on her slight frame. Diego grins and reaches his arm out, touching his fingertips to the back of my hand. “Careful what you wish for," he tells her, "You want a drop tower or loop de loops?”

Looking particularly small as she stretches one leg out towards my massive friend’s palm, she pauses before her foot makes contact. “Uhhh. Moira, can I get a ride?”

“I’m kiddiiiiiing, c’mere Shrimp,” Diego laughs, and with a matching giggle my girlfriend slides off of my hand and is whisked away.

I follow Camila up the stairs, glancing around at the contents of her room. It’s a little messy in here, making me watch where I step as I pick my way across. The space is cluttered with blankets, pillows, clothing and shoes, and the tables are covered in makeup and skincare products. There’s a sweet fragrance in the air, a perfume of some kind, and it’s a bit stifling. No wonder she wants to open a window.

I investigate the latch and notice how rusty it is, and it takes me a while to wrench away at it, since I’m being careful not to brute force the thing and break it. Camila sits on the bed and hugs her legs into herself as she waits unhurriedly. After a minute of me struggling with the window she makes conversation.

“Remember that trip to Wisconsin?” she muses, “At Honeydew Ranch?”

She’s been doing this kind of thing more frequently since we've been on this trip, reminiscing on our family trips from when we were kids. It bothers me when she brings it up while everyone else is around, essentially gatekeeping our conversation from half the group with old inside jokes. But otherwise I haven’t really minded it, since childhood memories are one of the few things she and I have in common.

“Mm-hmm,” I hum as I think back, “That was my junior year of high school. I guess you were still in middle school?”

“Yeah. My window kept getting stuck during that trip too. Maybe I'm cursed or something.”

“I remember that, actually,” I chuckle. Finally the latch comes loose, but now I have to try to slide the faulty window up to open it.

Camila continues her trip down memory lane. “Yeah I figured you would, because I kept asking you to help me then too. Remember that day we stayed at the cabin while everyone else went out? And we just watched those weird Spanish reality shows all afternoon? Good times.”

I smile wryly as my muscles strain. Yeah, I’m sure she had fun then. Meanwhile the only reason I had stayed at the cabin with her that day was because I had a broken tibia and couldn’t go horseback riding with everyone else the way I would have liked. Guess she forgot about that part. I opt not to remind her, instead laughing awkwardly and agreeing, “Good times.”

Finally feeling a breeze leaking into the room, I grunt from the last burst of effort and let go of the window. I was only able to open it by an inch, and now it feels like it might be stuck like this. But the difference in air quality is immediate, so hopefully this is fine. I turn back around and falter for a second as I realize how intensely Camila is staring at me. She smiles wider and I shift uncomfortably.

“You all set here?” I ask, motioning towards the window. “I need to go make sure I know where the firewood is for tonight.”

Her eyes drift lower along my body for a second before she sits up and swings her legs back off the bed. “Yeah I'm good, thanks for the help. I’ll come with.”

I feel a little better once we’re in an open area downstairs. I locate the firewood in a designated log holder near the fire pit, and it’s easy from there to rejoin the rest of the group. Everyone is gathered around the patio table and in the process of laughing at something. And there's my girl, standing on top of the table, currently the center of attention as she energetically tells a story. I smile warmly as I sit on the bench and my eyes briefly meet Evie's as she speaks. Camila slides in next to me.

[Flippity-Floosy]

Camila is indeed the skank of all skanks. Poor Evie. Camila's already doing her besgt (read: worst) to put a wrench in things.

[ROGU3_20]

Yeah more and more, I'm really starting to hate Camilla. I feel like she'll do something to Eve and Aiden..

[DocRick]

The "nice" side of my mind is saying she is trying to make Aiden see "what" he is missing.....the "dark" side is saying she is going to try to hurt Evie....or worse.

[Raso719]

I think Camilla definitely wants to get with Aiden and she also definitely doesn't see Evie as a person. My wonder is if seeing Evie has awoken something in Camilla. Maybe Camilla is privy to Aiden's kink? Maybe it's something he has confided in her or she pieced it together based on how they would play or chat when they were younger? I think its pretty clewr Camilla wants to and make Evie feel really small and insignificant. She definitely likes pushing Evei around and lording her size over her.

I don't want anything bad to happen to Evie.... but at the same time the prospect of Evie being kidnaped and dominated by a normal sized girl or of Camilla doing something like getting Aiden high or drunk and then and getting him to use Evie in a very uncool way (either while she watches in secret or while she us directly involved) is a really hot idea....

[littlest-lily]

I'm glad to see Camila has so many fans!... eheh...


Chapter 70
Aiden

The sound of the small crackling fire is soothing. So is the gentle heat of it, the sight of the dancing flames, the smell of charred wood. Our bellies are full of flame-cooked sausages, foil packet vegetables and cast iron hand pies. Moira has her guitar out, and while initially this was for the purpose of everyone singing a few ditties around the fire, at this point all three of the Ignacios have left to check out the hot tub, so she’s just idly strumming some gentle chords in the quiet night air.

Evie’s cuddling up in my palm as I softly massage her back. She’s been a little extra clingy this evening - not that I mind. She’s attempting to offer me a light massage in return, pressing her toes into the skin at the base of my fingers. As time progresses, though, her movements are slowing down.

It’s hard to make out some of the details in the darkness, so I lift her closer to my face to try to suss out the state she’s in. In reaction to the change in elevation she slowly flips onto her back, blinking up at me curiously with heavy-lidded eyes.

“You’re looking pretty sleepy,” I remark with a smile, “Want to head to bed?”

“Noooo, not yet,” she whines, “You’re just too comfy, give me a sec... What time is it?” She pushes herself to a sitting position in my palm, stretching her arms out.

Moira had set her guitar down once she noticed we were talking, and she checks her phone now. “It’s just before nine.”

“See? Plenty of night left!” Evie beams up in my direction and wonders, “Think it’d be dangerous for me to check out the hot tub?”

I ponder this before answering, “Ask Diego what he thinks about the temperature, but I don't think it should be a problem? As long as we don’t lose you in the water, obviously.”

“Ooo I have an idea,” says Moira before crawling over to some of the supplies that haven’t been cleaned up yet. She returns with a white styrofoam bowl, holding it up for Evie to see. “This should float, even if we put some of the water and you in it. Want to try?”

“Yeah!” The tiny woman in my hand doesn’t seem so tired anymore. I playfully dump her into her new tub, and she giggles as she slides against the styrofoam and the static makes some of her hair stick up.

“Are you not coming?” Moira asks me, though she’s mostly keeping her attention on the bowl and friend that she’s now holding.

“I will, I just need to put out the fire. I’ll catch up with you guys.”

It takes me a couple of minutes to get things wrapped up - once I’ve doused the flames, I prod at the remains with a fire poker to make sure there aren’t any smoldering coals left. I rather enjoy the glowing red of the parts that survived, so I linger as those last little bits die out. That’s when I hear the rustling of leaves. I look up to see a figure coming my way, hard to make out as they’re backlit from the light of the cabin. But a few seconds later I recognize Camila.

“Why’re you all alone in the dark?” she calls out to me, unnecessarily loud. I briefly frown at her demeanor when I notice she’s got a slight stumble and what might be a beer can in her hand. We’ve all had a bit to drink, but I'm thinking she’s had a bit extra.

“Making sure we don’t burn the forest down,” I call back with an amused smile. She looks so out of place in her fluffy bathrobe.

She plops down right next to me on the log to watch the glowing coals. I try not to laugh at how intently she’s staring at them. But I’ve taken long enough on this task, and I’d honestly rather be with the others. I reach down for a nearby water bottle so that I can finish the job and we can all regroup.

I startle at a sudden tugging at the hem of my shirt. I turn back to look at Camila and then go rigid as she abruptly leans towards me to rest her head on my shoulder. She shifts closer, so that the side of her body presses against mine. At first I naively think that maybe she’s just feeling dizzy or something from the drinking. But then she wraps her arms around mine with obvious intention.

"What are you doing?” I ask stiffly, too taken aback to move away.

"I can't stop thinking about you,” she mutters, pulling me in tighter.

Fuck. There’s a sinking feeling in my stomach and the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. My mouth feels dry as I try to think of what to say. "Listen… I'm sorry but–”

"Are you truly happy with her?” she interjects.

This creates a spark of irritation amidst the alarm. I’m able to answer with a much more steady voice. "Yes.”

She squeezes my arm, fingers digging in hard, and mumbles, "I don't get it.”

I take her hands to pull them off me, gently but firmly. She doesn’t resist and I’m able to get away from the heat of her body and slide a couple of inches to the side. Once I’m sure that she’s sober enough to hold herself upright, I pull back further and turn to face her. In the dim light that’s coming from the cabin, I look at her intensely and say, "You don't have to get it. But I'm going to ask you to respect it.”

I walk away. Maybe that’s wrong of me to leave her alone like that. But I can’t think straight. It’s uncomfortably tingly at the spots where she touched me, almost painfully so where she dug into my arm. I feel nauseous. I knew there was a chance Camila might still have feelings for me, and she made that more and more apparent this whole trip, but I didn’t expect this, I didn’t expect her to try and make some kind of move, especially so suddenly like that…

I burst back into the cabin and have to catch my breath. It feels like the room’s spinning, the light inside feels too bright. Ugh, how the hell am I going to handle this? Do I just pretend that didn’t happen? Should I go back out there and make sure she’s alright? I just want to find Evie, I just want to see her–

“Aiden?”

I jump at the sound of Diego’s voice. He’s just stepped inside on the other side of the living room, through the door that leads onto the back patio. His shirt is damp in places and his hair’s still dripping, clearly from having just come out of the hot tub.

“You alright, man?” he asks, frowning.

I snap back into my composure, hoping I sound convincing when I say, “I'm fine. Did Evie and Moira…?”

I trail off and he nods, his brow still furrowed. “Yeah, they’re still out there. Moira didn’t want to go in the hot tub, but I think Evie still does. You should go see her. What did Camila do?”

He figures it out so quickly that I can’t suppress a twitch. He’s walking towards me now, confusion getting replaced by concern. I just stand there in silence, still trying to wrap my mind around the past few minutes.

“Come on, bro. I’m not an idiot,” Diego insists, “She’s been making everyone uncomfortable as fuck since we got here."

I look down at my feet for a few seconds as I try to breathe and think. I’m not sure what the right thing is, but all I know is I can’t bring myself to go back out there. Not right now. Maybe it’s alright to lean on my friend a little bit.

“Yeah, can you go check on her?” I finally say. “She seemed pretty tipsy.”

Diego claps both hands on my shoulders, bending down to look me in the eye. “I’ll talk to her. You go spend time with your girl, okay?”

Yeah. That sounds pretty good right now. “Okay.”

He straightens back up and grins widely before he walks past me and says, “We’ll be up in the loft after this so you’ll have looots of privacy.”

“Wh–” before I have time to say anything, he’s out the front door, making his way towards the campfire remains. I shake my head at him trying to be a wingman at a time like this. But he did succeed in making me feel just a little bit better. I’ll figure the rest out… later.

I go out onto the back patio to find the girls standing just outside the hot tub, and Star waves me over. “There you are!” she says, “Look, this works great!”

Once I step closer I can see what she’s talking about. It seems that Evie got the okay from our medical experts, since she's currently drifting along the edge of the tub in her little styrofoam bowl. She’s dressed in her intricate red and white swimsuit, her hair fanned out over the surface of the water that's also in the bowl, and she's looking absolutely adorable half submerged in her contained little puddle.

“I can still feel the heat in here, but it’s not too much!” she yells once I’m close enough. “Want to come in?”

“Please,” says Star as she shivers profusely, “It’s really cold once you get out.”

“Yeah yeah, I’ve got her, you two get inside,” I tell them and they both scamper away.

Thankfully we’d thought ahead and I’m already wearing my swim trunks under my clothes. I begin stripping down, pulling my shirt off as I keep a close watch on the tiny boat.

“Look at you, little sailor,” I say with a laugh, “That looks fun.”

“I’m on the hunt for some sea monsters,” Evie responds matter-of-factly. “This lake’s kinda empty though.”

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” I chuckle as I finish yanking off my pants.

The hot water helps my muscles relax, and I lower myself down into it with a relieved groan. I rub at my still-tingling arm, feeling the urge to clean it, and then smile fondly as I notice my girlfriend gently drifting in my direction. I reach a hand out and touch my fingertips to the bottom of the bowl so that I can pull her in a bit closer. We decide to turn on a couple of the jacuzzi jets, on the lowest setting so that they’re not too loud and don’t jostle her around too much. But even this small amount of pressure against my back and my legs helps me unwind my tight nerves. I can almost pretend nothing out of the ordinary just happened. Almost.

I catch Evie shivering a tad, and I scoop a bit of water to carefully add to her existing bath in the bowl. Like a predator in waiting, she playfully latches onto my index finger as soon as it comes close enough and holds it tight. But… it's a little extra tight. Just how she was being a little extra clingy earlier. A little extra quiet all day. I touch my thumb against the other side of her body, gently stroking its delicate curves.

“Are you doing okay?” I ask quietly.

She frowns. I guess this probably feels like it’s coming from out of nowhere. She leans her cheek against my hand, observing me for a moment. Finally she counters, “Are you doing okay?”

Welp. So much for pretending nothing’s up. I shouldn’t keep this from her anyway. I wasn’t particularly trying to hide it, it’s just that I haven’t sorted it out in my own brain yet. Evie and I have hardly had any time for just the two of us since we embarked on this trip - maybe we’re due for a little heart to heart.

I sigh. “Camila just came on to me.”

“What?” Her eyes widen as she lifts her head up. “Just now?”

“Yeah… I think she’s drunk. She didn't, like, assault me or anything, she just got really touchy and… made it very clear that she still has feelings after all.”

Her grip tightens. “Any unwanted touch is not okay. I’m sorry, babe.” For a moment she tilts her head down, pressing her forehead against me instead, and laments, “Damn. This sucks.”

“Yeah, it definitely complicates things…” I mutter.

Evie lets go of me now, sinking herself back into the water. She pulls her legs up into her chest and gazes off into space before finally saying, “I have something to tell you about too.”

She recounts what happened this morning. About when all four of the girls had gathered to put on face masks and paint their nails. And about how Camila took an opportunity to misconstrue Evie’s offer of helping out and essentially shoved a foot in her face, knocked her down and laughed about it.

I grow more and more appalled. And I’m also increasingly angry. I’ve never been particularly close with Camila, but I’ve technically known her for a long time. Even though I didn’t consider her a best buddy or anything, I still would have referred to her as a “friend.” I’m learning a whole lot about her today.

I’m practically shaking by the end of the tale. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I growl.

Evie looks a bit spent as she hugs herself, legs still bent in, shoulders drooping. She looks so vulnerable in her curled up position. How can anyone bully someone who’s this harmless, this defenseless?

“The other two had my back,” she says, “Moira’s been awesome - she took me aside after we left the room to make sure I was okay, and she’s been staying close any time Camila’s nearby. I’m alright, but… I don’t think I really want to see her after this trip if I can help it."

“Uh, yeah, I don’t either. I knew she could be self absorbed, but I didn’t think she’d be capable of being so mean. That’s just unacceptable…”

My outrage is boiling more violently than the jacuzzi. Ugh, and here a part of me had been pitying Camila. I may not have ever understood why she was interested in me, but I did feel for her plight - unrequited feelings can be really hard to deal with. I’d been frustrated with some of her behaviors and really put off with how she approached me tonight, but I still couldn’t help feeling guilty about rejecting her.

That pity has evaporated. Now I’m more focused on the fact that she was hitting on me despite knowing that I'm taken. I’m remembering how dismissive she was about my girlfriend, how she said that she “doesn’t get it.” I know she said that while drunk, but... she doesn’t see Evie as a person, does she? What the fuck is wrong with her?

“Aiden, hold on,” my partner pleads, clearly seeing how restless I’m getting. “I don’t want any drama. Let’s just try to ignore her? We’re only halfway through this trip, I’d like to make the most of it. Not to mention that I’d rather not be on her bad side, not when she knows about my situation.” I look down and notice that the styrofoam bowl has started drifting away, its tiny passenger needing to raise her voice now for me to hear her. “It wasn't that bad, she was just being immature. Hell, if we know she’s into you after all, then she’s probably just jealous, right?”

I sigh deeply, like a deflating balloon. I reach my arms out to bring her back towards me again, and I carefully lift the bowl out of the water to bring her closer to eye level. “Alright,” I relent, “Let’s make the most of our time out here. But… Evie, if she pulls that shit in front of me, I’m not sure I can hold back.”

She nods. “That's fair. Hopefully it won’t come to that.” Since I’m holding her this close I’m able to notice how dejected she looks. She puts a hand over her face and her voice quivers. “I just… God, I just wish she wasn’t so… hot.”

I freeze, completely caught off guard by this. “What?! Babe, there's zero competition here.”

Evie’s using both hands now, digging the heels of her palms in against her closed eyes. “I know, I know. I'm sorry.”

This fun little boat is starting to feel more like a barrier. I run my fingers along the rim of the bowl restlessly in the ensuing quiet while neither one of us knows what to say. Finally I break the silence.

“Can I hold you?”

She lifts her head at this, her eyes red from the sting of unfallen tears. She smiles weakly and inches forward towards the edge of the bowl. I cup some water into my hand before gently tilting her into it, and I cradle her little body with utmost care, trying to make sure she’s neither too hot nor too cold. I lower myself further into the water, kneeling in the hot tub, so that it almost reaches the top of my shoulders. Tenderly I kiss my beloved on the top of the head.

“I wish I could properly express to you how much I love you,” I murmur.

Evie’s smile is weak but earnest. “For what it’s worth,” she says, “Despite all the weirdness, I’ve truly enjoyed most of our time here. Last night with the group was so much fun. The hike today was amazing. I didn't think I could ever want to see such large flames after what happened at the lab, but this evening and the campfire has been so nice. I've loved spending so much time outside, and I look forward to that foraging class tomorrow and everything we have left.”

I lightly grasp her tiny shoulder between thumb and forefinger and suggest, “How about next time we go on a camping trip, we make it a couple’s one. Just you and me."

“Yes please. I really want to try camping in a tent with you one day.”

“Deal.”

She tilts her head back, silently letting me know she wants another kiss. I aim for her neck and then she turns to press her lips against mine. The warmth of the hot tub heightens the pleasure, and as the minutes pass, the tender intimacy helps me stay in the moment with her, distracting me from everything else.

The water creates enough lubrication that she slides with ease against my lips as she gets to her feet in my palm, and in the process I feel all of her curves against my mouth. I kiss her with a bit more force, tilting my head to cover her whole torso. Pure affection overtakes me, and I want to completely engulf her in it. I constrict my hands around her, folding my fingers over her body, and break off the kiss so that I can hug her instead. I tuck my clasping hands against the base of my throat, bringing my chin down so that I surround her from all sides.

For a while Evie welcomes the embrace. But then she takes some initiative and maneuvers her way between my fingers, until I feel her hands against my neck. She climbs onto my collar bone, and I slowly lean back to make the job easier, carefully regaining my seat and leaning the back of my head against the edge of the tub. I sigh and let my eyes close, savoring the feeling of my miniature girlfriend crawling around near the top of my chest. The tiny tickles are both relaxing and stimulating.

She reaches my shoulder and shimmies alongside it until she’s able to hoist herself up on the edge of the tub. Reflexively I bring one hand up to drip some water onto her frame, to protect her from the chill. She continues to climb up to my head, and I shiver indulgently as I feel her mouth against the edge of my ear. At this point I’m becoming short of breath and am covered in goosebumps from head to toe. I vaguely remember what Diego had said about giving us privacy.

“Aiden…” Evie murmurs, pausing to give my earlobe a little nibble that makes my heart skip a beat. “I’m not sure I can properly express how much I love you either. But… um… if you’re open to it, I… I’d like to try.”

[DocRick]

“Aiden…” Evie murmurs, pausing to give my earlobe a little nibble that makes my heart skip a beat. “I’m not sure I can properly express how much I love you either. But… um… if you’re open to it, I… I’d like to try.”

Alrighty now, it's time for all the kids to say goodnight and go to bed......this is about to leave the PG-13 rating slot.

Seriously, I'm glad it happened this way, with Camila I mean. Now they know she is a problem and will be cautious to keep her away from Evie. I was afraid she was gonna convince them to let her spend some "girl time" with her, with disastrous results.

[DocRick]

[littlest-lily]

Alrighty now, it's time for all the kids to say goodnight and go to bed......this is about to leave the PG-13 rating slot. :lol:

Seriously, I'm glad it happened this way, with Camila I mean. Now they know she is a problem and will be cautious to keep her away from Evie. I was afraid she was gonna convince them to let her spend some "girl time" with her, with disastrous results.

Yeah, she's jealous but maybe not devious? Time will tell I suppose~ (acting as if I don't know lol)



Chapter 71
Evie

I lean myself against the side of Aiden’s head. The heat of the water and the rush of emotions are making me dizzy. But after the unfortunate moments of the day, after the frustrations and the fear and the questioning of my own self worth, I think we deeply needed this private moment. It felt good to talk things out. We’ve been able to reconnect and focus on just us, at least for now. We don’t need to think about the rest. It can wait. And there was something in particular that I had secretly hoped might happen during this weekend in the woods.

“Are you sure about this, sweet girl?”

My giant’s voice vibrates his skin and rumbles through me. I shudder with pleasure and try to return the unintentional favor by tracing the curves of his ear with a finger.

Softly I respond, “I know I’m ready. I’ve been wanting to venture down there for a long time... And hey, you’ve just taken a bath, you’re nice and clean. I just thought it might be a good opportunity.”

“Yeah… Maybe we’ve waited long enough. I think I’m ready too.”

Just then, a breeze passes through, chilling me instantly, until Aiden’s fingers cover me, pressing me against him with a protective weight. He suggests we go inside, and I heartily agree. I’m bundled up in the corner of his towel as he heads into the warmth of the cabin, and it’s a short journey from the back of the living room to our bedroom. We can hear voices coming from upstairs as it seems that everyone’s playing pool up in the loft. I even make out Camila’s laugh. Good. Maybe she’s so drunk that she didn’t realize what she was doing with Aiden, which wouldn’t be the worst outcome. Whatever.

It’s almost eerily quiet when Aiden shuts the door to our room. I feel like I can hear my own heartbeat - and his, for that matter. We stare at the bed awkwardly.

“Just go lay down,” I finally say, smiling up at him. “We’re gonna psych ourselves out.”

He nods and drapes his towel over the closet door before carefully climbing onto the bed. He holds me against his chest as he gets into position, so that I’m laying at an angle once he’s still again. I gaze down the length of his near-nude body, as I have time and time again. I’ve tried to imagine so many times what he might look like under all his clothing. I won’t have to wonder for much longer.

“If at any point you change your mind, that’s okay,” he mutters restlessly. “You know I enjoy it when we’re focusing on you.”

“Thanks, babe. But I’d really like to focus on you, for once,” I say, getting up to my feet. I pad my way down the center of his body, over his chest, his stomach. I approach his swim trunks with desperate curiosity, my cheeks feeling warmer by the second. I’m not sure what I’ll do, what I’m even capable of at this size, but right now I just want to see it.

I stop at the waistband and look back over my shoulder. My boyfriend really is like a landscape to me, in all its varied elevation. It’s unreal. But I find his body to be absolutely spectacular, despite it not quite being suited for someone of my size.

And I seem to be having more of an effect on him than I have any right to. His jaw and shoulders are tight, his arms are to his side as his fists clench at the bedsheets, and his eyes are fixed on my position. His voice is a little shaky. “Seriously, no pressure on doing anything that you don’t want to–”

“Aiden, I’m fine,” I interrupt, trying not to laugh at how nervous he is. I have to raise my voice considerably now that I’m this far from his face. “Are you not okay with this? We can stop.”

“No, I just… Um… Okay, here goes…”

He brings one hand up to where I’m standing and slips a thumb under the waistband of his swimsuit. He pauses, and I put my hand on his, trying to reassure him with my touch. I give him a gentle but encouraging little push, and it feels like we’re doing the job together when he finally pulls off the fabric barrier.

Perhaps normally there would have been a wave of warm air, maybe a musky scent or something. Since we both just came out of the hot tub, though, he's just as clean and slightly damp here as everywhere else. The sight sure is something to behold, though.

There's a sparse patch of dark hair that tapers into a trail leading to my feet. I have to blink a couple of times to fully make sense of the fleshy shape up ahead, as big as inflatable lawn decor. There it is in all its glory, already at half mast. His member looks so alive. Just another beautiful part of his body.

I can't help giggling, and when I realize that might sound terrible, I quickly try to explain why. "I was starting to wonder if it was deformed or something based on how shy you were being," I say, shooting Aiden a grin over my shoulder.

He's looking very relieved to have gotten the reveal over with, and he chuckles too as he carefully finishes sliding off his swim trunks and tosses them aside. "Listen, just imagine if your privates were this magnified to your partner."

"Sure, I’d probably be really self conscious too," I acquiesce. "But you're into this, right?"

“I am,” he sighs and he really seems to take in the sight of me down on his crotch. “Fuck, am I into this.”

I turn back to his manhood, approaching it cautiously. I can't believe I'm finally here. It's not that I was incapable of imagining what a man's penis might look like from my perspective, but… seeing it in person is filling me with an unexpected awe. Even from a short distance away I can tell that it’s emanating warmth, like my own milder version of tonight’s campfire. Damn, despite it being half flaccid it already stands a little taller than me.

“It's huge, Aiden,” I marvel.

“Heh. It's average. You're just tiny.” He bops me on the top of the head to accentuate his point.

I’m practically purring as he lets his finger slide down the length of my back. “I really am small, aren’t I?” I say with a teasing tone.

“So small,” he agrees, voice tight with arousal, “So, so small…”

I watch as his member moves before my very eyes, the shaft stiffening and elongating even more. I take a small step back as I watch him grow.

“Am I getting… even smaller?” I stammer with pretend fear.

I’m successfully poking at all the right buttons. Aiden’s breath hitches and I almost lose my balance from the way it makes his whole body spasm. “Staahhp,” he groans with a bashful smile, “I’m embarrassed enough.”

“Well you shouldn’t be, big guy. You’re magnificent.” I step closer to the warm pillar again, craning my neck back. It’s got to be almost twice my height now as it reaches its full stature. I'm easily eclipsed by its shadow.

Aiden’s hand is still right next to me, and it fidgets restlessly. He clears his throat. “Do you, uh… want to touch it?”

The gentle prompt encourages me to reach my arms out and lay my palms against his skin. It pulsates under my hands, my subtle touches causing not-so-subtle twitches. I stroke the pillar a few times, like petting some kind of large beast, and already I can feel that my gigantic partner is tensed up in an effort not to shake me.

“Ohhh… fuuuck…” he groans, briefly laying his head back against the pillows.

This feels wonderful. And I’m not just talking about the sensation of touching him. I’m talking about the unprecedented levels of pleasure I’m able to give him right now. It's giving me such a thrill. I just hope it's enough.

I circle the member as I look up at it, mesmerized. I'm struck by an idea as I make my way around and suddenly duck behind the tower, crouching down into a ball at the base of it. Its thickness dwarfs me, hiding me from the giant's sight with ease.

"Look, I’m so little that you can’t even see me from here!" I call out, trying to continue emphasizing the difference in scale.

Aiden laughs, and his hand creeps in my direction as he protests, "Nooo, come baaack…"

As his fingers reach for me on one side, I escape them by circling around the other side, giggling playfully. I then try to hug my lover's manhood, and although I press up against him, my arms aren't able to fully reach around.

"It’s so warm," I say, closing my eyes with a sigh.

Aiden's hand catches up and he begins touching me too, drawing doodles on my back and across my limbs. I shiver with delight. He pauses once he finds the spot on my swimsuit top where I've tied off the fabric into a big knot. His too-large fingertips struggle to pinch the end of it, and I surreptitiously give him a hand, tugging at the edge of the knot myself to guide it into his grasp. All it takes is a little yank on his part for the garment to slip right off. He has a much easier time sliding my bottoms down my legs.

I feel that much more free with my clothes off. I writhe my nude body against him, reveling in the way it makes my partner moan. I reach my hands up high as I look skyward, up to the summit of the living tower. I stand on my tiptoes and stretch out my fingers.

“I can’t even reach the tip!” I laugh.

Aiden exhales heavily. “Should I be feeling bad for you? Or am I allowed to think that’s so hot?”

“Heh, of course you're allowed," I say brightly, "Right now I’m really glad you have that kink of yours. It’s making my job a lot easier."

I abandon my attempt to take up space and turn around so that I can face him as I press my back into the shaft instead. I love the way his eyes run over my frame, continually taking in the sight of me with a dizzied smile.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispers.

I swoon, smiling widely at him. Lighthearted antics aside, I’m starting to wonder how I’m actually going to accomplish anything here. I can’t just tease him to completion. But it’s a little hard to think in my own increasingly aroused state.

“Could I get a boost?” I ask, glancing back up at the tip.

“Mm-hmm.”

His fingers wrap around and lift me with ease, and for a brief second I’m hovering above his crotch, taking in the sight, shocked by just how exhilarating I'm finding this. Aiden lowers me back down to straddle the pillar from on top - it doesn't stick straight up but is just angled enough for me to not slide off. It bends slightly under my weight, and since my new perch is curved I have to be careful not to topple over, digging in with my knees and gripping with my arms. The giant's unintended movements jerk me around so hard that he ends up keeping his hand on me, just in case.

His palm replaces his fingers, flat against the back of my body so that only my head and shoulders are free, and I melt under the pressure of it as I fully lay down on his member. I put my ear against his skin and listen to the rushing of his pulse.

“Can I just hold you like this for a second?” he murmurs.

I’m beyond being able to yell my responses at this point, so I just reach a hand out with a thumbs-up and hope he gets it. He holds on to his manhood, and I’m sandwiched within, the heavy pressure feeling warm and loving. I start kissing whatever I can reach - the shaft underneath me, the base of a finger to my left. Just ahead, looming slightly above my head, is a smooth ridge, the mushroom-like curve of the tip I'd been looking up at minutes ago. I scooch forward so that I can kiss it too, and I’m surprised by the level of reaction this gets.

Aiden groans and moans as I run my tongue up against these increasingly sensitive spots. I get an occasional squeeze from moments where he briefly loses control. I can tell that if he could, he’d love to rub me all up and down him, and I’m grateful that he’s being so careful. Wanting to ramp this up, I silently communicate by pushing my back against his grasp, and he loosens his fist just enough for me to wriggle free.

I get up into a sitting position then, my legs splayed out to either side, as if I was mounting a horse. I rest my hands on the ridge that I had just been fondling with my tongue and I look up, up at the sprawling titan of a man ahead of me. At this point the immediate area is becoming slick with a warm fluid that will work great as lubrication, and I encourage it to spread with my hands. I stare into his distant eyes, hoping I'm not too small for him to look into mine, and I grind against him, smoothly sliding against the shaft.

His reaction is immediate as his grip around my waist tightens. His eyes widen as if with startled realization. I undulate my hips again and he gasps.

“Whoa– Oh, wow–”

Oh wow indeed. I'm stimulating myself too, and seeing the direct effects of my small movements on this mountain of a man is insanely hot. Soon this becomes more like bull riding as the giant's manhood pulses violently beneath me, rendered all the more challenging since it's also very slippery. I struggle to find a rhythm, thrashing and gripping and sliding. His breath gets more and more ragged, and I revel in that wincing smile of his as he closes his eyes and basks in ecstasy. It's hard to stay steady, and this lasts for several minutes until my clenching legs are sore and I'm gasping for breath.

His hand isn't just holding on to me, it's holding on to himself, and eventually he starts pumping behind me as I thrust, and I come so close to falling off of him. I can hardly breathe as I'm overtaken by heat and lust, my voice is weak as I gasp his name. I find myself wishing he was being a little rougher with me. I throw myself down onto him again, embracing him, writhing and pleasuring him with everything I have. I feel his finger slide onto my back, the pressure making me sink into him as I lovingly submit.

He finally crosses the threshold, his voice reverberating through me with one final groan, and I'm thrusted upwards as he bucks his hips and pushes his head back. I lift my head to watch as the beast I'm riding shudders and sprays, and I break into a joyous grin at the sense of victory it brings me.

I feel amazing, but I’m also exhausted. As Aiden hurries to sit back up after his release, I waver dizzily on my precarious perch. He scoops me into his hands and whooshes me up to his face.

“Are you good?" he asks breathlessly, looking my naked form over, "Can I help..?"

Oh, right. I'd sort of forgotten about my own orgasm in the midst of everything else. I feel as worn out as if I'd had a release, but it got a bit lost in the excitement. That doesn't mean this experience hasn't been intensely pleasurable and gratifying, though. Besides, I really didn't want to focus on me this time.

I easily wave him off with a “Nah, I’m great. All done." Then I collapse backward into his palm.

Aiden kisses me tenderly, thankfully on the stomach as I'm still lacking in air. “Such a little trooper," he whispers, his words tickling my abdomen. "Thank you, honey… That was fantastic. Like holy crap, how did you even do that?"

I giggle and pat his upper lip as I sigh, “Eh, you did most of the work."

He lowers me down to give me a look. “That is a false statement and you know it. Now flip over, you’re getting a back rub.”

I acquiesce, not needing to be convinced, rolling onto my front and laying my cheek on crossed arms. I close my eyes and just enjoy the little massage that follows, my lover’s fingers carefully kneading at my body. After a couple of minutes, I decide to say what’s on my mind before I become too relaxed to talk.

“I appreciate you finally letting me go down there,” I say. “I know it might have been a vulnerable thing for you. But I loved it. A lot.”

“Right back atcha. You have no idea how much this meant to me, Eve. And don’t thank me yet. You’re gonna regret it, now that I'll be tempted to stuff you down my pants at a moment's notice.”

“Challenge accepted,” I giggle.

Honestly, as long as we’re safe about it, the idea of hiding in his underwear while he’s wearing it doesn’t sound all that bad. It gets me thinking about the future. And I have a sobering realization. I’ve finally reached the end of the line... so to speak. As long as I’m three inches tall, this is as far as I can go with Aiden in terms of having sex. Sure, we can explore things a little more, we can try out different positions and techniques. But I can’t go any further.

I eventually pipe up again with a rather sad tone. “I hope this is… enough. I know it's not my fault or anything, but… I’m sorry I can’t take you inside me.”

Aiden pauses at this, and although I'm not looking at his face, I can sense the weight of that pause. I can tell he’s not taking what I said lightly. He turns his wrist to readjust me and lowers his head to the side so that he can look me in the eye. I try not to cry from the emotion swelling up in my chest. The connection we share in this extended gaze is so much deeper than any sort of closeness that I've felt with another man, physical or otherwise.

When my partner speaks he opts to keep it light, giving me an encouraging smile. “Conventional sex is overrated.”

There’s loud, muffled group laughter coming from the loft upstairs, echoing in the vast space of the living room. But we completely ignore it. We don't give the rest of the world a second thought, unwilling to let go of this very moment. This moment’s ours.

[DocRick]

I need a cigarette right now........

[ROGU3_20]

God that was one insanely hot chapter. Eve finally climbed that tower and rode it to heaven ahahaha.

[Nropyub]

I just want to be sure but it sounds like Evie missed taking the brunt of Aiden's "spray" as she puts it?

Maybe next time ;D

[littlest-lily]

I need a cigarette right now........

Mission accomplished lol

God that was one insanely hot chapter. Eve finally climbed that tower and rode it to heaven ahahaha.

HELL YEAH she did~ Okay maybe she needed some help with the climbing lol

I just want to be sure but it sounds like Evie missed taking the brunt of Aiden's "spray" as she puts it?

Maybe next time ;D

Hahahaha some amount of splashing is inevitable. He's not really the kind of guy to do that intentionally though (since from a would-be SW perspective that kind sounds like a nightmare to deal with lol)




Chapter 72
Aiden

I move slowly and rhythmically as I pull on the oars to push the rowboat through the water. I noticed a few minutes ago that Evie has drifted off to sleep in my pocket, so I hope my movements are akin to gently rocking her. I keep glancing down to check and then feeling smug about how she’s still snoozing away against my chest.

It was a pretty rough night last night. Not the part right before we went to bed and things got intimate... That part was stellar. But it got really windy once we had turned in for the night, and the foliage just outside our window was rattling pretty heavily against the glass. I woke up several times, so I can't imagine what it was like for Evie. I'm glad she's getting a nap in now - I'll probably take one myself once we go back to the cabin. We’ve been taking it pretty easy today as a result.

I smile at a brief memory from this morning. We were admittedly a bit nervous to rejoin the group after what happened last night. But in the end it was fine since we were the first ones in the kitchen and never ended up seeing Camila, who was apparently sleeping off her hangover. I left Evie on a counter on one side of the room and was rummaging through some cabinets on the other side when a yawning Star wandered over, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

“What’s Evie doing with that banana?” she whispered to me, nodding towards the kitchen counter with an arched brow.

I glanced over my shoulder. “Picking off the stringy bits for me,” I chuckled, “She likes to do her part once I’ve peeled it.”

Star suppressed a laugh, and then she smiled widely as she let out a soft sigh. “You two are perfect for each other.”

I freeze into stillness as Evie stirs from within my pocket, the boat drifting slightly off course. I bite my lip and stare at her as I wait it out, but it seems she’s just turned over without actually waking up. I carefully resume rowing to turn the vessel back around towards shore, and I fall back into thoughts about the day.

“Do you have a favorite kind of rock?”

Evie and I spent a good hour this morning laying in a hammock in the woods. She sat cross-legged on my stomach, enjoying the gentle breeze that was playing with her hair. I’d pulled up some music on my phone to help me stay alert as we phased in and out of conversation.

“Hmmm. Maybe opal?” I responded, propping the back of my head up with an arm as I gazed down at her. “No, wait. Geodes. You never know what they’ll look like on the inside until you crack them open. So it’s like a Christmas present every time.”

She tilted her head. “Isn’t that a cop-out? There can be all kinds of different crystals inside a geode, right?”

I smiled, touched by the fact that she’s paid enough attention to my interests to know that. “Yup, I’m cheating. Why do you ask though?”

“I’ve been mulling over the idea of designing my own board game, just for fun. I’m trying to decide on a theme. If I make it about rocks, then I get to bug you with more questions.”

“No problems here!” I suddenly wrapped my arms around myself, pinning her against my abdomen in a hug. She yelped and laughed as she wriggled in weak protest, but I held her fast and told her sincerely, “That’s so cool, Eve. I can’t wait to play your game.”

I slow my rowing again as I get closer to the dock. There’s a family of ducks on a trajectory to intersect my path, so I sit back and watch them pass. I briefly consider waking Evie up so that she can see the little ducklings. But I want to let her rest, I’m sure we’ll get another opportunity down the line. Besides, we’ve already witnessed plenty of birds today.

“I see a chicken!” she exclaimed, leaning over my ear excitedly. I could just make out the blurry shape of her pointing hand in the edge of my vision. Despite being tired, we had still decided to check out that mushroom foraging class that the campground was offering. Both of us had been unreasonably amused by the fact that most of the edible mushrooms in the area had names like “Shrimp of the Woods” or “Chicken of the Woods.”

“Nice, good eye,” I whispered back as I located the fungi she had spotted. I reached for it with gloved hands and added, “Want me to put you down?”

“No, I’ll stay here,” she said, pulling back a little deeper under my hat. “That other group’s too close, it’s making me nervous.”

I went ahead and extracted the mushroom before muttering, “I’ll go a bit further from them so you can come out if you want. Although you're still plenty helpful up there, you’re good at spotting these.”

“Wait!” I was about to get to my feet when my girlfriend pipes up with a reminder from our instructor. “Don’t forget what she said. Tap the cap!”

I pull up to the shore, and it’s a painstakingly slow process to get out of the boat without startling my small passenger awake. But even though Evie was only conscious for half of this little excursion on the pond, I’ve certainly enjoyed it nevertheless. I sit down on the dock as I struggle to figure out which of the included ropes I should be using to tie the boat to its mooring post, when I hear distant rustling.

I glance over, expecting to see a squirrel or rabbit. But with a cold dread I realize it’s Camila, a couple dozen feet away but heading straight towards me. I haven’t seen her at all today, not since that moment by the campfire last night. I know she was going to take a car trip with the others to visit some waterfalls, but I guess they haven’t left yet.

Well, no point in pretending I didn’t notice her, so I give her a wave as she approaches. She shyly waves back, and I finish tying off the boat by the time she reaches me. She lowers herself into a seat beside me on the dock. On the outside I’m calm and collected. But internally I’m already nervous as hell.

“Where's Evie?” she asks, looking down at her own feet dangling just above the water.

“She's taking a nap,” I say shortly. Actually, at this point I'm sure that's not true, now that we’ve started talking. But I doubt Evie would want me to bring attention to her right now, so I don't give any more details.

“Listen…” Camila sighs. “I’m sorry I was acting weird last night. I had a bit too much to drink.”

I nod indifferently. “It’s fine. I figured.”

She’s fidgeting with her hands quietly for a few moments as we sit there awkwardly. Finally she presses on. “I still wanted to talk to you, though. Um, take any of my feelings out of it for a second… Seeing how the two of you are as a couple, I'm just… I’m worried about you.”

I frown as I finally turn to look at her. “About me?”

She moves a little closer, her hand sliding towards my leg. “Yeah... I just want to make sure you’re happy.”

I move further back to keep her from touching me, taking her in. There’s a pouting look in her dark eyes, a nervous tension in her jaw. But it sets me on edge. I don’t buy the "worried" tone one bit. This entire interaction feels completely false.

I find myself glaring at her. Hackles raised. I try to stay aloof but my voice comes out in a growl. "What part of 'please respect it' don't you get?"

Camila's eyes widen in surprise. “I’m just saying that–”

“I appreciate the concern,” I interject, “But it's not necessary.”

I see a moment of heartbreak on her face, unexpectedly genuine. Her eyes glaze over with a thin sheen of tears that don’t fall. But a split second later, her gaze hardens. Cracks begin forming in her unassuming facade as her temper flares.

“Aiden… come on. This is weird. We're all just pretending that everything's normal. But it's fucking weird.”

I tense up at her shift in demeanor. I can see the storm coming. Shit, I’m probably the one who screwed this up by immediately going on the defensive. But that doesn’t matter right now as my thoughts immediately go to Evie, who I know is listening to all this. I want to protect her from the outburst that’s clearly about to hit us.

“Stop,” I say, and I get to my feet. “I don't want to talk about this right now.”

She’s right behind me, insistent even as I start walking away. “You haven't been the same. You used to be so fun and laid back, but now you're stressed out all the time. And no wonder when you're dating someone like her! You have to feed her and carry her around and do everything for her! How are you supposed to relax when you have to watch where you step all the time, or worry about dropping her? And what can she even do for you?”

She’s quickened her pace and wheels out in front of me, blocking my path off the dock. Desperately I try to speak, to stop this. “Camila–”

“You have to think about the long term!” she plows on, practically yelling over me at this point, “There's no way she can truly make you happy in the end. This is so stupid, you can't convince me this isn't some kind of weird charity case! It's just like you to take pity on a little freak who–”

I finally snap and raise my voice, “Camila, that's enough!”

She stiffens, breathless from her tirade. She stares defiantly at me for a moment. And then her eyes begin trailing down just a tad, until they land on the subtle lump against my chest. Her scowl deepens and her nostrils flare as she comes to a realization.

“She's with you right now, isn't she?” Camila sneers.

I don’t answer, just hold my glare. I watch her warily as a series of expressions dance across her face. She looks back up at me.

“Figures,” she spats as she turns to leave, “You don't even get a second to yourself.”

With that she marches away, heading back towards the cabin. I watch her go, still on my guard, though my shoulders are lowering as I sigh dejectedly. My hand automatically hovers up to rest loosely against the outside of my pocket. All of that happened so quickly, and my mind is all over the place. I feel unsteady on my feet as the throbbing anger and stress fills my body.

“You okay?” There’s a shifting against cloth from my little passenger. Her quiet voice is hesitant, as is her touch as she reaches out to put her tiny hand on mine, her eyes wide and worried.

I look down at her, stuttering, “A-am I… Evie, are you okay?” I reach in with finger and thumb to pull her out, quickly yet carefully placing her in my palm. “I’m so sorry you had to hear all that... You know it’s all a load of bullshit, right?”

She sits down and looks a bit disoriented. Probably because she just got woken up. Woken up to a series of insults, no less. Her gaze drifts. “She was… talking out of anger. And she didn’t know I was here.”

“That doesn’t excuse anything,” I murmur with a gentler tone, my concern for her upstaging my residual wrath. “She shouldn’t have said any of it.”

The emotions seem to be catching up to her. Evie lowers her head, one hand over her brow to shade her eyes as she wavers in her seat. My heart aches at the sight. I let her process for a few moments, but then I’m getting nervous at her silence and I gently kiss the top of her head.

“Talk to me, honey,” I breathe. “You know none of it’s true, right? I’m so much happier with you in my life.”

She nods stiffly and then hesitates, fighting against her natural tendencies to close in on herself, before finally managing to speak. “But, um… What about the… the part about you not being the ‘same’ anymore? Do you think that's true?”

I shake my head and firmly say, “No. Camila doesn’t know me. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”

“But still,” Evie sighs, “What if she has a point? I'm sure you're more stressed out about my safety than you were with your last girlfriend.”

I have to sit down. Thankfully there’s a stone bench nearby so I take the couple of steps over to lower myself onto it. I rest my arms on my knees, both hands cradling my little one as I think very hard about what to tell her.

“Every relationship has its challenges,” I say. “Like… Imagine if Star needed a wheelchair. Or she started dealing with seizures, or was going blind. Do you think Diego would be better off without her?”

She shakes her head as tears start sliding down her face. I move to try and dry them, touching my thumb against her cheek, and she leans against me, crumpling against my fingers, holding me tight. She presses her face into my skin and mumbles, “You have to deal with all of my emotional baggage too, my panic attacks… You do so much for me.”

I lean forward emphatically. “And you do so much for me. I hope you know that... You've done more to make me happy just today than Camila has over all the years I've known her. So please… please don't take any of that stuff to heart. Okay?”

Evie lets go of me, nodding as she shakily but dutifully wipes off her own tears. “Okay. I trust you, I know we're good. That was just… really painful to hear.”

I smile with weak relief mixed with a heavy dose of sympathy. We sit out there for a while yet, soothing and supporting each other as we calm back down. Eventually I see in the distance that all of our camping companions, Camila included, get into Diego’s car and drive away. At least the coast is clear, for now.

But the uneasiness never leaves the pit in my stomach. I’ve told Evie the absolute truth, yes, but maybe not the entire truth. I don't want to admit, to her nor to myself, that the stress about her wellbeing does wear on me sometimes. It doesn’t feel worth fully addressing that right at this moment.

Because our relationship is worth it. And I'm not going to let anyone get in the way.