Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap
Heather plunked at her desk, mashing her fingers against it with no rhythm at all. She chewed a piece of gum raw, any flavor it held long gone. Dread and unease clouded her head, but despite the anxiety creeping through her spine, she felt no urge to smoke, a small relief to her worry ridden mind.
The skater girl arrived to her first class of the day before anyone else. Before her friends arrived. God, she hoped they were still her friends. Heather hadn’t spoken with Alena or Lynn since Halloween night, distracting herself with her new boyfriend, but the three of them had to meet again today. Were Alena and Lynn still on speaking terms? Were they still together? Heather knew how much the tiny meant to her best friend. If Lynn hated the heiress for how she treated her, then so be it, that was Heather’s cross to bear, but Alena deserved better than to be dragged down with her.
Two other students entered the classroom, a big with frizzy brown hair and a loudmouth tiny riding on her shoulder. Heather stood up upon recognizing the pair, her lips curling slightly upward seeing them together. “Yo, are you guys …”
Alena ran up to Heather and practically tackled her in a hug. Standing on the giant’s shoulder, Lynn leaned forward to embrace Heather’s chest. “I’m sorry about Halloween. I shouldn’t have said those things to you.”
“Huh? Alena, I’m the one who needs to apologize.” Heather patted her friend on the shoulder, the one not carrying the puny Lynn. Though nobody wanted to, Alena pulled back so her and her girlfriend could look the taller woman in the eye. “Lynn, the way I handled you was awful. That’s not how friends treat each other, and I need to be better around tinies. I hope you can forgive me, but I understand if I burned this bridge for good.”
“Quit being so dramatic,” Lynn said, planting her hands on her hips. “A scuffed dress ain’t worth cutting ties with you. I like you too much to bail on you over a petty disagreement. Besides, I’m the one apologizing here. I hate admitting it, but you were right, and I wasn’t listening, so I deserved a little rough treatment.”
“No, you didn’t. I don’t care if we were arguing, I don’t care how you spin it, hurting you like that is unacceptable.” Heather grimaced and coiled her fists. Thinking back on the events from a few days prior fueled her self-loathing. She abused their size difference to win a fight. How could a simple apology be enough to redeem her? “I’m glad you want to remain friends, but I need to be held accountable.”
Lynn patted Alena on the cheek and pointed towards Heather, signaling to her girlfriend to hand her over. Alena obliged, picking up Lynn by the waist and shoving her towards Heather, forcing the other woman to catch the tiny in her cupped hands.
“Then hold me. I trust you.” Lynn knelt in Heather’s palm and patted it, the familiar rubber scent reminding her of all the time they spent together so far, and all the memories she planned on making with her. “Look, you were just defending my lovely Alena from my stupidity, and I couldn’t ask for a better friend than that. I shouldn’t have pried into your texts, and I shouldn’t have dismissed you when you were setting the record straight. In turn, you shouldn’t have shouted at me or dropped me on the floor. We both fucked up, and that makes us even far as I’m concerned, so let’s move on and be friends again.” Lynn glanced back towards her girlfriend and then waved to Heather to pull her in closer. Heather lifted the tiny slowly to her face and tilted an ear towards her. “I want you to take me skating again. I won’t throw up this time, I promise.”
“Are you guys plotting something without me?” Alena gave Lynn the look, but the smirk she wore ruined her attempt at displaying disapproval.
“Nope! Just telling her how great a friend she is.” Lynn covered her snickering with her hand, winking at Heather. She noticed the tears welling in her friends eyes and patted her palm again. “Please don’t cry. We’ve all done enough of that this week.”
“I’m just … sniff … relieved you guys are still together. I couldn’t bare to be the reason we three split up.” Heather wrapped her fingers gently around Lynn and went in for another hug, holding both women to her chest. Once things resolved and they each calmed down, the trio took their seats, Lynn sitting at a tiny desk placed upon Alena’s. “You hear from your mom yet? How’d she react?”
“As horribly as you’d expect.” Alena lowered a finger by her lover, taking comfort in the tiny’s embrace as she leaned against it and caressed it with her minuscule hands. “I have until the end of the semester to break up with Lynn and repent. When I don’t, I get to face whatever punishment she’s cooking up.”
Heather clenched her jaw and ground her teeth. “I should’ve been there, let her get a piece of my mind. You’re an adult now, what the fuck can she even do to you?”
“Plenty.” Alena rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I’d rather not dwell on it. Lynn and I will get through it. We promised each other. And while I appreciate knowing you would stand up to her, I wasn’t alone. Naila bore the brunt alongside me, and Lynn arrived to comfort me shortly after. But I’ll be sure to let you get a shot at her next time.”
“Bet your ass I will!” Heather punched her other palm, exerting her intent to fight off any overzealous prudes who dared to trample on her friends’ happiness. “And hey, I've got good news too. Javi and I are officially a couple.”
“Oh my God, that's wonderful!” Alena and Lynn nearly leapt out of their seats to congratulate her.
“You crushed the rhomboid!”
Heather shot Lynn a confused look. “The what?”
“That's what Jackie and Pierce have been calling it. The ‘Rhomboid of Romance,’ or something like that. Y'know, because Javi kept getting distracted by those other girls. I don’t know what it means, I'm not a nerd like those dorks, but I think it's like a super love triangle.” Lynn waved her arms around for emphasis, showcasing the immense scale of the rhomboid.
“Oh! And speaking of, we've been working on a couple name for you two,” Alena said, bounding in her seat, mirroring her tiny girlfriend’s enthusiasm. Heather continued looking confused. “Like when you’re shipping characters and you combine their names together.”
“Guys, we're people, your friends, not characters in an anime. It's weird to-”
“Havi! Like, Javi but with an H. It doesn't make sense when you say it, but that’s the fun part. It's like a little secret between you two.” Alena and Lynn shook with glee, ready to fawn all over the new couple.
Heather turned her gaze towards her desk, failing to hide her blushing cheeks. “Shit. That's adorable.”
“See?” Alena said. “I knew you'd love it.”
Heather met their enthusiastic gaze. “What is your guys'?”
“We're Alynna, obviously.”
“And Jace is the best we got for my sister. ‘Pierce’ is a tricky name to work with.”
Heather cracked a wide smile and was about to help her friends brainstorm, but she felt her phone vibrate and stopped all else to check it. The smile didn't fade as her eyes glued to the screen.
“Is that him?” Alena asked, trying to peek at Heather’s phone.
“Yeah. I was gonna pick him up from the tiny committee between classes, but he said he's coming in late today.” Heather responded and added a heart emoji, grinning at the kissing emoji Javi sent back.
The trio continued chatting as other students trickled in, Heather regularly checking her phone, Alena regularly sneaking glances at it, and Lynn attempting to read the texts through Alena's expressions and the reflection in her glasses.
******
Music and laughter filled the tiny center as the group of tinies, and one half-tiny, celebrated a successful Galaween night. Pizza boxes piled up in the center of the circle the organizing members sat around with a big-scale box sitting behind Jackie's spot in the circle. She tried convincing the group that she didn't need her own pizza and that the tiny slices were more than satisfactory, but the smaller members insisted on treating their larger freshmen, much at the behest of Pierce who knew her ravenous appetite all too well.
Pierce sat on one of Jackie's thighs as she sat cross legged, and Sam sat next to the two of them on a literal bean bag chair.
“And special shout outs go to our freshmen.” Melanie stood at the head of the circle, holding up a slice of pizza as if giving a toast. “Their escape room ranked third in reviews across all exhibits!”
Applause erupted around the room, Jackie and Sam's eyes bulging out of their sockets. Jackie put her pizza down, back in the box to avoid knocking anyone over with it, and held her fist out for Sam to bump. Her other hand remained fixed to Pierce, rubbing the space between his shoulders with her finger. As a result, Pierce was too mellowed out to properly celebrate, but he was just as happy as the others, perhaps moreso given his current circumstances.
“The ball itself isn't counted, but the only exhibits that performed better were the Succubus and Incubus Cafes respectively. That's an impressive feat considering they've been on top for years.”
“Turns out parading bigs around in skimpy outfits is popular. Who'da thunk?” Jeremy said, the vinegar in his words enough to sour everyone's pizza.
Melanie rolled her eyes. “I wasn't going to bring it up, but the juniors ranked the worst among us this year, coming in at a whopping fifty-seventh. Turns out nobody wants to celebrate Halloween by attending a history lecture.”
“As the tiny committee, we should be discouraging degrading practices like vore, not encouraging them. Are you seriously going to tell me that discussing the Trick or Treat Tragedy of ‘97 is a less worthwhile use of funds than dressing up a big as a monster so she can pretend to stomp and eat us?” Nobody in the circle nodded to Jeremy's points. Most ignored the man killing the celebratory vibe. Even the other juniors, supposedly on his side, didn't bother to stand by his argument. While vore would always be a contentious subject among tinies, everyone agreed that a history lesson is the last thing college students are interested in attending on Halloween night.
“I bet you think promoting chastity is the best method of sex education too,” Jackie retorted, taking a big bite of pizza and applying a little extra pressure to the back of Pierce's neck. He lost all sense of the conversation, his mind sent adrift on the soothing sea by his girlfriend's massage.
“Those aren't comparable!” Jeremy stood up and pointed defiantly at the seated giant. Jackie barely acknowledged the gesture, choosing to eat more pizza instead. One of the sophomores laughed at the absurdity the belligerent tiny displayed.
“Everyone had a good time,” Jackie continued between bites, “bigs and tinies alike. Otherwise, we wouldn't have ranked so high. But sure, keep disparaging an entire group of people over a crazy murder spree that happened long before any of us were even born. That does sound like a worthwhile waste of funds.”
“Here, here! To our very own Tyrant of Terror!” Melanie and the rest of the committee held their slices up in the giant tiny's honor, ready to get back to partying.
“Whatever.” Jeremy left the circle and stormed out of the room, muttering to himself. “Just wait until next year, bitch. You won't be so smug when I'm in charge.”
With the rain cloud gone and everyone happily chatting amongst themselves, Melanie mosied over to the freshmen.
“It's a shame Javi ain't here to celebrate,” Sam said. “The whole thing was his baby after all.”
“I'll let him know.” Pierce returned to the physical realm, Jackie’s finger slowing down. “He'll attribute all our success to Jackie, but I'll make sure he recognizes his part.”
“Speaking of Javi, I noticed he didn't come in this morning,” Melanie said, rubbing her arm and glancing towards the floor. “How's he holding up? Do you guys know? I feel awful for that prank we pulled.”
“Prank?” Jackie asked, looking down to see Pierce shrugging, clueless as her. Sam shifted nervously in their seat. “What prank?”
“It was when you two were on break, and that redhead lady covered for you.” Sam put their pizza down, suddenly not in the mood for eating.
“My friend Shawna convinced me to get my contact at Beanstalk to loan us a dosage of the Vore Drug for the escape room. While you two were out, I filled in for you, Pierce, and she did for Jackie. But because she had taken the drug, our plan was to feed her an unsuspecting Javi instead. I told her that going was too far for a prank, of the harm that could cause, but she swore to me he'd be into it. I believed her, and helped her go through with it, but … I didn't have the guts to check with him afterwards.” Melanie looked up to Jackie for an answer, to relieve her heavy heart, but seeing the expression on the giant tiny’s face did nothing of the sort.
“How could you? That's horrible!” Jackie’s nostrils flared. Her brow furrowed. Her breath drew short. Anger and fear and several indistinguishable negative emotions welled up within her. “You realize how traumatic that could be? The amount of time it takes to travel through the esophagus, to think death awaited him through that whole trip, how could you think that was a good idea?” Jackie withdrew her finger from Pierce, fighting the urge to grab him tight and never let go. He was shivering, the thought of what his best friend went through making his hair stand on end.
“I, I, I don't know what I would have done.” Pierce's teeth chattered as he spoke. “I was afraid to go down in the suit. Without one, I think I would've died of fright before I even made it to the stomach.”
“H-he seemed fine afterward, when he showed up with that tall, skinny lady.” Sam said. “I wasn't aware of what was happening. At first, I thought the redhead just pretended to swallow him, like what you were doing with Pierce. But then Melanie filled me in, and she said he was supposed to be into it, but something felt off about that.”
Jackie tucked her fingers under Pierce's arms and picked him up, embracing him in her hand. The touch of her soft skin calmed his rapidly beating heart. With her other hand, she pulled out her phone and called Javi.
“Hello?” The speaker on Jackie's phone was loud enough for the tinies below to hear Javi's voice.
“Javi, are you okay?”
There was a couple seconds of silence before he responded. “Yeah, I'm fine. I didn't feel like coming to the meeting today, so I slept in. I actually just got to campus.”
“No, I mean … I just heard about what Shawna did to you.”
Several more seconds passed. “Oh. Yeah, I'm good. Thanks for checking.”
“Where are you? Me and Pierce will-”
“I'm already at my next class. I appreciate it, but you guys don't have to worry about me. Heather’s here. She's been taking care of me. We’re dating now by the way.”
“The rhombus has fallen?!” Jackie and Pierce locked eyes, each mouthing “holy shit” in perfect sync.
“I'm sorry?”
“N-nevermind. I'm glad you're okay. Let's all hang out together after class.”
“Sure thing. I gotta go now. See ya.”
Jackie hung up and put her phone away, still holding Pierce in her other hand. She didn’t realized she’d been drawing circles into his back with her thumb that whole time, the tiny fighting to stay attentive for his best friend’s sake.
“He sounded okay.” Melanie’s tone was weak, not entirely believing what she said despite her hopes. Sam nodded in agreement, no more certain than she was.
“He always sounds like that,” Pierce said. “It takes a lot to faze him.”
“At least he’s got Heather with him. But we oughta meet up with them as soon as we can.” Jackie placed Pierce back on her thigh and reluctantly pulled her hand away. She could pet him all day and the lovestruck fool would probably let her.
“When you do, would you let him know I want to apologize? I’d hate for him to quit the committee over this. The lot of you have already proved yourselves as valuable members.”
Jackie shot Melanie a stern look, like a mother whose anger had finally settled. “Will do. And don’t pull shit like that again. You’re only giving creeps like Jeremy more ammo against us.”
Melanie shifted nervously where she stood. The thought of helping Jeremy in any way, intentionally or not, made her skin crawl. She nodded, waved, and returned to her fellow seniors at the head of the circle.
The freshmen were about to resume their celebrations when Michelle stomped in. After weeks suffering her regular intrusions, the tinies present all grew used to the commotion she caused each visit and made sure nothing and no one was in her path at the expected time.
“Is Javi here?” she asked the only other big in the room. Michelle scanned the circle, trying to make out one tiny from another, and while none of them had Javi’s perfectly coiffed quiff, her eyes widened at Sam’s snow white locks.
“No, he skipped today.” Jackie and Michelle never talked much, but the twin encountered the other big enough times to acclimate to her, enough to give a curt response at least. Keeping her eyes trained on Pierce instead of the mountain of a woman helped a ton too.
Michelle ignored her and crouched down beside the circle, the anger scrunching her features leaving at the sight of her mysterious dance partner. “Sam? Is that you?”
“Hey, Michelle. Good to see you again.” Sam pushed their anxiety over Javi to the back of their mind, overjoyed their crush actually recognized them.
“Have you always been here?” Michelle thought back to prior trips picking up Javi. She never gave the rest of the room more than a glance, focused on the guy she was there for and nothing else. Jackie was the only other person to stand out in her conceptualization of the space due to being the only big in a room full of two inch tall people.
“Finally noticed? I guess I don’t leave that strong an impression,” Sam said, chuckling.
A pang of guilt stabbed Michelle’s heart. “No, it’s not … Sorry, it’s not because you’re small or anything. I just ...” She felt the beady eyes on her, the ears listening to her boisterous voice. Michelle shut them out to focus on Sam, but despite the reputation her poor spatial awareness earned her, she was never good at ignoring unwanted attention.
Sam smiled up at her. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m not offended or anything. But I’m glad to finally be on your radar.” They looked to Jackie for strength, their friend prying her eyes off her boyfriend to offer a nod and an affirming grin. Their heart thumped hard enough to leap out their throat, but after centering themself they took a deep breath and met Michelle’s gaze. “If you have time today between classes, would like to go out with me for coffee?”
The large woman blinked. Ambient chatter saved the freshmen from a grueling silence, yet Sam’s heart refused to calm down. It pounded against their ribs as they stared into their crush’s eyes, the big’s expression unwilling to betray a reaction. Jackie and Pierce’s attention darted between the two, wondering which would break the tension first, like waiting for dueling gunmen to draw. It occurred to them Michelle likely didn’t know the current state of Javi’s love rhombus, that Heather crushed it under her hi-tops.
“I don’t know. Would it be alright if I thought about it and got back to you?” Sam’s heart stopped beating, then it started back up much slower. The indecisive answer left them in a bizarre lull between relief and despair.
“Uh, sure. No prob. I’ll send you my contact info.” Sam airdropped their number to Michelle’s phone, the giant saving it to her contacts. “Reach out whenevs. Or don’t. Do whatever you want. Ha ha, ha … ha.”
“Cool.” Michelle stood up and offered Sam a small wave. “I gotta run. Thanks again for dancing with me. Uh, bye.”
As soon as Michelle left, trotting out of the tiny center in a hurry, Sam deflated, kicking their legs up on the back rest of the couch and lowering their head to the floor.
“She didn’t say no,” Jackie said unconvincingly. “That’s gotta count for something.” Pierce had nothing to offer. Sam handled asking their crush out far better than he had with Jackie, yet his bumbling wound up an unexpected success story while Sam’s future remained uncertain.
“She was just being nice. I’m doomed.” All trace of life disappeared from Sam’s tone, the tiny entering a malaise from which there was no known cure.
“Well, I hate to leave you on that note, but we should get going.” Jackie placed Pierce on her shoulder and grabbed the half-empty pizza box to carry it out with her. She had half a mind to carry Pierce inside the box in hopes she “forgot” about him the next time she craved a bite, but she imagined him walking around the rest of the day covered in grease would be irritating, so she had mercy on him. For now. “If things don’t work out with her, you can always come hang out with us.”
“Thanks for the offer. I appreciate it, but I think I’ll just wallow by my lonesome today.” Feeling bad but powerless to help, Jackie left with her boyfriend in tow, fighting the increasing urge to toss him in the pizza box. After a while, Sam slumped off the couch and made the slow walk to the hallway with no real destination in mind.
******
“Who was that?” Heather asked as Javi hung up his phone. They were the first to arrive to their Women’s and Gender studies class, Heather placing a tiny desk on her own for Javi to sit at.
“Jackie was checking up on me.” Javi turned in his seat and looked up at his giant girlfriend. He wasn’t used to sitting with her, his instinct telling him to look for her across the aisle, but he expected the change in seating would become familiar before long. “She and Pierce want to hang out after classes today.”
“We should invite Alena and Lynn too. It feels like forever since the six of us were all together.” Alongside another student, Michelle entered the classroom and headed towards her seat, surprised to see Javi and Heather sitting together.
“You’re with blondie now?” Michelle asked as she sat down beside Heather. “Well, I guess you aren’t blonde anymore, but I thought you were the TA’s pet now.”
“The hell are you on about?” Heather gave Michelle the side eye. She wasn’t deserving of Heather’s full ire, that was reserved for another, but the heiress expected some pushback from Javi’s new seating arrangement and his new relationship status.
“Just the other night he stood me up to hang with Shawna. Yeah, I know about that. You’re friend Sam told me, so don’t give me any bullshit.” Michelle fought back the tears welling in her eyes. Just once she wished Javi would give her a chance. “You ought to steer clear of him, Heather. It won’t be long before he abandons you to.”
Heather was about to give Michelle what for, but Javi spoke up first. “Shit! Are you talking about Galaween? I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to leave you hanging. Something came up and I completely forgot to text you back.”
“That’s really the best excuse you got? ‘Something came up’? Unbelievable.” While Michelle fumed, Heather put the pieces of their conversation together. Something with Shawna came up on Galaween night? That could only refer to one thing.
“Hold on, Michelle. You have the wrong idea. Javi’s not at fault here.” Heather stared at Michelle until she met her gaze. Despite the doubts, Heather’s eyes showed she told the truth. “I don’t know what you’re guys’ plans were, but Shawna is the only one in the wrong.” Heather leaned closer to Michelle and divulged what occurred that night from her perspective, starting with Shawna’s prank, into her encounter with them in the bathroom, up to Heather coming to Javi’s rescue and looking out for him the rest of the evening and the following days. She skimmed over Javi’s vulnerable moments, his words and feelings meant for her ears only, and left out the sexier details from their time together, but what she told Michelle painted a very different picture in the other woman’s head.
Michelle covered her mouth, the tears forced out by a new wellspring of emotion. “That’s horrible. I had no idea. I- I shouldn’t have gotten upset at you.”
“No worries. You couldn’t have known.” Javi hated making girls cry. “I should’ve texted you when I got out. I’m sorry, it sorta slipped my mind.”
“Are you kidding? No shit you didn’t think to text me back. Shawna’s like your childhood friend, right? And she betrayed your trust for a godawful prank. I’d be devastated.” Michelle wiped tears and snot on her arm, prompting Heather to offer a tissue from her bag. In that moment, Heather felt a kinship she never expected to forge with Michelle. It emboldened her disdain for the rhombus’ oldest corner to know her once-rival agreed with her. “And now you two are an item?”
“That’s right. I wound up at the right place at the right time, and one thing led to another.” It dawned on Heather that if Shawna never swallowed Javi, she would have spent Galaween night alone. Javi would have met up with Michelle, and she’d be left by herself to mire in her own self-loathing. The fact their encounter boiled down to chance unnerved her; the fact she had Shawna to thank for bringing them together pissed her off. Was fate acting in their favor, the two destined for one another? Or did Heather just happen to win the lucky jackpot?
Michelle took the news as best she could. Hearing what Javi went through softened the blow, her heart already numb to all the beatings it took over the years. She was upset she couldn’t be there for him, that he couldn’t open up for her to ease his pain, but Heather’s concern seemed genuine to her, and she took comfort knowing she kept his spirits high after the incident.
Javi scratched the back of his neck, guilty over ghosting Michelle. He tried thinking of a way to make things up with her, but he was interrupted by the approaching redhead who had just entered the classroom. He didn’t look up at her, but he felt her presence before hearing her voice.
Shawna sat down in front of Michelle and addressed her tiny friend. “Good morning, Javi. I was thinking …” Upon noticing Michelle’s empty desk, Shawna turned to find him on Heather’s now, a curious development. The TA stood up and tried sitting in front of Heather, but the desks were all designed for right handers, so she had to awkwardly squeeze between them to reach the other aisle and open end of the seat. Her thighs rubbed against the edge of where Javi sat, bumping and shaking the surface he was situated on. Heather grabbed hold of his tiny desk to keep it from tipping over.
Shawna finally fixed her mistake, now sitting before Javi as she intended. As usual, she had unbuttoned her blouse low enough to show off her incredible rack, forming a curvy wall of cleavage directly in front of the tiny. “As I was saying, I was thinking today would be a good day for another one-on-one tutoring session. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Heather’s hand came down around the tiny desk, forming a wall between Javi and the devil spoken of. He could still see Shawna over the fingers, but they kept him within quick reach of his protector. “That’s it? No apology, no nothing?”
“What the fuck is wrong with you!” Michelle joined in, not as eloquently but equally furious.
Shawna glanced between the two women, unsure what got their panties twisted in a knot. “What do I have to apologize for?”
“For eating Javi, you heartless bitch!” Eloquence gave way to raw anger. Heather hated how casually she asked such a stupid question, enough to shatter any sense of decorum between them. The few students around them shifted their eyes from their phones for a moment before pretending to ignore the group in the corner. “You think you can come over here, shove your tits in his face, and act like everything’s hunky-dory?”
“Whoa, Heather. Calm down.” Javi tried gesturing for her to kick her fury down a notch, but she kept Shawna trained in her sights, prepared to safeguard her boyfriend at a moment’s notice as if she were staring down a viper. “It’s alright. She’s not going to hurt me. Let’s just talk it out.”
“Exactly. Hear us out before drawing half-baked conclusions. ‘Eating him’ is a kink we share. It's called vore. Tell her, Javi.”
“I …”
“I know what vore is. That's not the problem. You can’t swallow a person without their consent. Javi thought he was going to die!”
“It's …”
“That's part of the thrill. Ain't that right, Javi? The risk heightens the pleasure. And I've known Javi far longer than you have. He understands I'd never actually hurt him. Everything was monitored, so there wasn't any real danger.”
“Well …”
“You’re insane. He didn't know about that going in. You swallowed him without warning or protection. It doesn't matter who you are or what your history together is. You could be his own mother and he'd still be scared shitless. Javi isn't even into vore. I know because I actually asked him. I always ask first. You can't just assume you have his consent.”
“Listen …”
“I didn't assume anything. Javi and I go way back, and I know him better than you ever will. Quit judging me for what I'm into. Just because it doesn't fit into your close minded worldview doesn't give you the right to criticize how we choose to express our passion.”
“Guys …”
“But he didn't have a choice! That's my whole point. You don't get to play the victim here. If you get off to tricking your partner into thinking they're about to die without ever stopping to consider their feelings, then you are seriously fucked in the head. You need help.”
“How fucking dare-”
“Enough! Let me speak!” The women stopped and looked down at the man sitting between them. His face was red, and he was breathing heavy, desperate to get the others’ attention. The classroom had filled up in the interim, though the professor had yet to arrive, and everyone was either actively listening in on the heated conversation, or pretended not to while texting or posting about it. “Shawna, we need to talk after class. As friends, and nothing more. We're done with the private tutoring. I'm with Heather now, and nothing is going to change that.”
“You're siding with …?” Shawna felt all the eyes on her and remembered her position. She glared daggers into the other woman but took a deep breath and calmed down. “Very well. I'll see you after class.” The TA got up and returned to the front of the class just as the professor finally showed up.
Women's Studies proceeded normally from there. Javi rarely left Shawna's sights, and Heather remained fixated on the redhead like a guard dog, unwilling to leave her boyfriend unprotected for even a moment. Michelle took occasional glances at Javi while hovering over the new contact on her phone. And Javi tried paying attention to the lecture and taking notes, prepared for the likelihood of the TA never speaking to him again after today.
Fifty minutes went by, simultaneously lasting an eternity while wrapping up far too quickly. Javi's heart beat a mile a minute, dreading the confrontation awaiting him. Heather’s hand wall never left his side, and staring into the grooves of her fingers was the tiny's only source of comfort throughout the meandering hour.
Eventually, the lecture ended. Students grabbed their belongings and hustled out the door, the professor following along soon after. Javi remained seated, steeling himself, and Heather waited patiently for him. Michelle got up and gazed down at the couple.
“Good luck.” She turned to Heather. “Keep him safe.”
Heather nodded, a soft smirk curling her lip. Fucked up circumstances aside, Heather enjoyed her new role as the tiny's guardian. It allowed her to atone for all the harm she caused him and any other tiny, and more than that, she loved being with someone worth protecting.
With her piece said, Michelle left, sending Sam a text on her way out. Javi turned around and met Heather's gaze.
“You ready?” she asked.
“As I'll ever be.” Javi climbed onto Heather's open palm, sitting down on it and resting his hand against hers. Her body heat traveled through his arm, putting his nerves at ease.
“Just stay in my hand. I'll be with you the whole way through.” Heather stood up and gently lifted Javi, holding her hand just below her chest to keep the tiny close as she carried him to the front of the room. Shawna waited for them in front of the professor's desk, leaning against it with her arms crossed.
“You can set him down. I'm not going to hurt him.”
“No, I want her to stay.” Shawna recoiled, taken aback by what Javi said. Her eyes darted between the two before shifting her body to address them head on.
“I see what's going on here. Ever since that night, in the bathroom, you've been feeding him bullshit to pit him against me.”
Heather scoffed. “Please. You did that just fine by yourself.”
“Guys.” Javi raised his voice to be heard over the two towers. “Heather hasn't done anything of the sort. I'm not against you. I want to remain friends, but that's all we will ever be. I'm sorry, to both of you, about how long it took me to sort out my feelings. You both deserve better than that.” He took a deep breath, took a second to find the words, and exhaled.
“Shawna, I should have told you this sooner, but I'm not into vore. I never have been, and now I never will be. I'm not mad at you, but I don't know if I can trust you like I used to ever again. The whole time …” Javi's body trembled as awful memories resurfaced. Heather felt him shaking and wanted to embrace him, but she couldn't interrupt what he had to get off his chest. “I hated every second I spent inside you. I was sure I was going to die, and after I realized I wasn't, the pain didn't go away. It felt like I swallowed a ball of thorns, and the vines were growing through my veins and out my skin. I don't know which hurt more: the thought of actually losing my life, or knowing that you were the one taking it.” Tears welled in Javi’s eyes, so he stopped talking. He wasn't going to cry again.
Shawna bent her knees to speak with him at his level, causing Heather to take a defensive step back. “I …” Any animosity Shawna felt drained from her features. “I had no idea. I thought you were into vore too. I would never put you in real danger, you know that. We've been friends since we were little kids, you have to know that. Why didn't you tell me you weren't into vore?”
“I didn't want to disappoint you, and I never expected you to take it that far. And I did know that about you. At least, I thought I did. That's why it hurt so much in there.” Javi felt Shawna's hurried breaths pelt him. She was about to cry herself. Javi scooted back in Heather's palm until he felt the fabric of her shirt, leaning against her for support.
“What do I do? How do I make this right? I never meant to hurt you. This wasn't supposed to play out like this. I thought you'd love to fulfill our fantasy. I thought it would bring us together. I, I thought …” Shawna spiraled as tears streamed down her cheeks.
“I think it best we steer clear of each other for a while. I only made it here today because of Heather. I probably would have skipped the next couple weeks if she weren't here for me.” From his spot below the chest, Javi couldn't see Heather blushing far above, the woman looking away from Shawna to hide her involuntary smile. “Like I said, I want to stay friends with you, but I can't bear to be near you right now. Not while the memories are so fresh. I'm sorry.”
“I suppose … I suppose that's fair.” Shawna stood straight and wiped her face, tears and snot unrelenting. “I'll give you your space. Please reach out when you're ready. I don't want to lose you, even if you're seeing her.” Shawna looked to Heather. “I'm sorry for my behavior this morning. I see now where you were coming from.”
“Save it. I don't regret a word I said. If Javi wants to forgive you, that's his call to make, and I won't get in the way of that. But I have no reason to trust you, and even less reason to like you, so I'll appreciate you keeping your distance outside your duties as this class’ TA.”
Shawna nodded and held her tongue, knowing whatever she could say to her would only worsen herself in Javi's book. She grabbed her belongings and shoved them hastily into her bag. “Fine. See you both Monday.” She sulked as she passed Heather for the door, buttoning up her blouse before reaching the hallway. With Shawna gone, Heather brought Javi up to her face and observed the tiny as he collapsed onto her palm.
“How'd I do?” he asked, spread eagle on his girlfriend’s expansive hand.
“You did great.” She lowered her lips onto him and gave him a quick peck across his upper body. “How are you feeling?”
“Exhausted. Do you think she's mad at me?”
“Don't concern yourself with how she feels. The only one she has a right to be mad at is herself.” Javi sat up and scratched his head. He listened to her words but didn't take them to heart. “Do you want to meet up with everyone else? I can take you to your next class when the time comes.”
“Honestly, can we just skip the rest of the day? I'm not in the mood for any more lectures.” Relaxing with his girlfriend in her penthouse sounded heavenly, but he didn't want to abandon his friends. “Let's invite everyone over to your place this evening. We can make dinner for them and just chill.”
Heather offered a wary smile. “I'm on board, but are you sure I'm ready to cook for the others?”
“Absolutely. We'll fry some burgers. That's simple enough. Hell, they can help too.” As they spoke, Javi got more comfortable, laying back down and lounging with his arms behind his head and resting one foot on his other leg's knee.
Heather pouted. “You said the enchiladas would be simple too, and look how that turned out.”
“Trust me, frying a burger is so easy a child could pull it off. It’s like pouring a bowl of cereal.”
“Only the bowl is over an open flame.” Heather chuckled, glad to see the life return to her boyfriend. “But I guess if everyone is helping, it can’t be too bad.”
“That’s the spirit. I’ll text everyone the plan while you take us home.”
Home. He already saw her place as home. That alone eased any tension still lingering from confronting Shawna.
******
Michelle sat at a table by herself at the coffee shop, sipping a cortado and nibbling on a panini. Every few seconds, she reread the last message from Sam saying they’d meet her there. It had been over ten minutes since Michelle arrived, seventeen since the text came in, and her nerves choked the patience out of her.
Should I have offered to pick them up? she thought. I forgot tinies take forever to get anywhere. Michelle was about to ask where they were at until she heard the sound of a lift on the side of the table. Sam reached the table top, a wobbly grin matching their shaking legs.
“Hey, Michelle! Sorry I took so long. I rushed over here as soon as I got your text.” Shit, am I coming on too strong?
“Yeah, that's my bad. I should have met you where you were.” Michelle noticed the tiny came empty handed. “Do you want me to order something for you?”
“Huh? Oh, no, no need to trouble yourself. Hehe hehe, he.” Sam was ready to hurl themself off the table. The confidence they mustered that morning vanished after Michelle's indecisive rejection, and the text came in too suddenly for them to build it back up.
Michelle stood up, her mountainous form overshadowing the tiny. “It's no trouble. What would you like?” Sam stared up at her in awe, gulping at the immensity of the woman they were crushing on. “Hello? Earth to Sam?”
“Uh, chamomile tea. No! Earl Grey, please. That's all.” Michelle smirked at the trembling tiny, wondering what got them so worked up. They were cute as a mouse, and something about their fidgeting demeanor improved Michelle's admittedly crappy mood. “Hehehe. Tea. Earl Grey. Hot,” Sam said in their best British accent.
Michelle cocked her head. “Is Earl Grey usually served cold?”
“Huh? No, it's a Star Trek reference.”
“Oh, I never watched that show.” With each passing second, the table's edge appeared ever the sweeter. Michelle walked over to the counter to order, leaving Sam by themself to wallow in their nerve-ridden foolery.
Stupid! Why would you think she's seen TNG? Ugh, just talk like a normal person. Sam closed their eyes and thought about “normal” things to say until Michelle returned with a miniature paper cup of piping hot Earl Grey.
“I ordered it like you said, and you'll be happy to know the barista got the reference. At least, I assume ‘Picard’ is the name of a character and not French for ‘go fuck yourself.’” Looking at the cup, the barista wrote ‘Picard’ as the order recipient and drew a simple sketch of the Enterprise beside it. Suddenly, the table's edge lost a portion of its appeal.
“So, how's your day been going?” Sam asked, trying out one of those normal sayings they formulated earlier.
“Honestly, not great. At the ball, when you said Javi was with a redhead, you could have told me he was trapped in her stomach.”
Sam's head sunk. “I'm sorry. I knew you two were close, but I didn't know if I should share that with you or the others.”
“I've been pissed at him the past few days for standing me up, and now I feel like a total jerk.” Michelle took a big bite of her panini and washed it down by slurping her cortado. “He's with that Heather girl now. I wonder how long that'll last.”
“I hope it's not rude of me to ask, but what is it you see in Javi?” Sam looked up at Michelle, long wondering the answer.
“Looking for pointers?” Michelle's teeth shined behind her smiling lips.
“No. Yes. Maybe. No.” Sam turned away, their bright red face blaring against their snow white hair.
“Javi's nowhere near as jumpy as you, but as a result, he isn't as cute either.” Michelle noticed Sam glancing back at her with eyes wide. “He's more of the sexy, cool type. But that's all superficial.” She took a deep sigh, washing the tiny in her warm, coffee scented breath. “Is it alright if I get personal?”
“Please.”
Michelle's body stiffened, fortifying herself. “It probably won't come as a shock to tell you I was bullied a lot in high school. I didn't have many friends among bigs or tinies, men or women. People liked to say vile shit to me, or use me as their punchline, that is unless Javi was around. He always told people off when they made fun of me, and he was popular enough that they'd listen. Of course, they still talked shit about me behind his back, but he kept them off me as best he could. Never has a guy been so nice to me, so of course I fell for him.”
“But he didn't feel the same towards you?”
Michelle huffed. “Obviously. I mean, he never asked me out, and by the time I'd muster the courage to do it myself, he was already with someone else. I get he had a plethora of better options, but it sucks getting passed over again and again. I figured that would change in college, but of course he had to run into the sexy teacher next door and the richest woman alive. How the hell am I supposed to compete with that!”
“I can relate. High school was rough for me too. People I thought were my friends turned out not to be, and I had just as little luck with women.” Sam offered Michelle a smile nonetheless. “But I've met some cool people in my short time here. Like you. If you're willing, I'd like to get to know you better.”
Michelle watched Sam for a while, judging the intent behind their words. “Why me? I mean, you sought me out at the ball. What makes me so special?”
“Do you believe in love at first sight?”
“Sure, but I didn't even see you there until today.” That got Sam laughing, Michelle joining in.
“That's part of what I find attractive about you. Every morning I saw you, you carried yourself with such self-assurance. Like, you don't care what the world thinks of you as you walk wherever you please. You know what you want and you're focused only on getting it, and I don’t know, I think you're stronger than you may give yourself credit for.”
“You're making a lot of assumptions about someone you've barely spoken with.”
“I know, but that's the impression I got.” Is she not convinced? “I like that you never noticed me until now. Being so far beneath you that I don't register on your radar is so enthralling.” Sam bit their tongue before they revealed anything too personal.
“Ok, I haven't heard that one before.”
“You're also very pretty!” Sam veered hard into a different topic. “Once you enter the room, I can't take my eyes off you.”
Michelle placed a hand on her chest. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire. “I, uh, I haven't heard that before either. T-thank you. You're very cute yourself.”
The two watched as the other's face burned bright as a tomato, each wishing they had ordered cold drinks instead. “S-so, I guess I'll ask you again. Would you like to go out with me?”
Memories of the prior class flooded Michelle's mind, of Heather putting her hand between Javi and Shawna, of how she fought to keep him safe, and how much her presence comforted him. She wanted that for herself so bad, but the tree she barked up all these years never relinquished. Maybe, just maybe, it was time to move on.
“Sure. Let's give this a try.” Sam grinned from ear to ear, forgetting all about the malaise that haunted them earlier. “You into basketball? The home opener is around the corner, and I have season tickets.” Gotta use those up somehow.
“I'm game. I bet my and Javi's friends are going, if you'd like to make it a group date.” Sam rocked back and forth, attempting to contain their boundless excitement.
“Sounds fun. Guess I'll see ya then.”
******
“Wait until the blood rises to the top, and then you flip them.” Javi sat in Alena's palm, overlooking the stove as Heather placed beef patties into the frying pan. She watched the sizzling meat with a hawk's intensity as if a patty might leap straight out of the pan.
“Where'd you learn how to cook?” Alena asked, making sure to stand far enough from the stove so no grease splashed onto Javi.
“My mom. I helped out whenever I could growing up.” While those three focused on the bigs’ food, Lynn and Pierce stood over the tiny-scaled stove on the counter a few feet down cooking their own burgers, with Jackie watching eagerly from above.
“You find the right seasoning yet?” Lynn asked Pierce, impatiently waiting to get the synthetic meat on the pan.
“There's so many in here.” Pierce dug through tiny-sized cabinets containing every spice across six continents. “Is there anything you don't own, Heather?”
“That's the seventeenth comment related to Heather's wealth since you got here,” Lynn pointed out. “I think you're developing a complex.”
“There is a waterfall in the living room! I can't be the only one who finds that insane.”
“He's got a point,” Jackie said, munching on a bag of tiny potato chips she found.
“What the …? What are gold flakes?” Pierce pulled out a plastic tube of brilliant, gilded shavings labeled as such with permanent marker.
“Oh, I heard of those.” Lynn ran up to get a closer look. “That's real gold. Rich people put it in their food to pretend they're better than the rest of us.”
“Goddammit! I told the chefs to get rid of that. I hate that shit.” Heather triple-checked the timer for the French fries. To her momentary relief, it was counting down as expected. “Flushing money down the toilet like that just for the affluent to flaunt that they can. Keep it, Pierce. It's better off in your hands than in some asshole's stomach.”
Jackie checked one of the larger cabinets and found a big-scaled bottle filled with more gold. “Can I keep this one?”
Blood began to pool on one of the patties. “Sure, whatever. Now, stop talking to me. I am trying to concentrate here.”
“Yes! Look, Pierce, we struck gold!” Jackie shook the bottle, grinning at her boyfriend and his matching treasure.
“You're gonna share some of that with me right?” Lynn asked.
Jackie pouted. “Why should I? I found it.”
“No fair! I can't reach that cabinet.”
“So, why should I share any with you when you can't even carry the bottle?” Jackie held the container directly above Lynn, far up enough that the tiny couldn't reach it even by jumping. “I'm doing all the heavy lifting here.” Lynn fumed in the bottle’s shadow. She planted her hands on her hips and tapped her foot, plotting her revenge against her sister's insolence.
“Found the burger seasoning.” Pierce handed Lynn the spice container, slipping the one filled with gold in his back pocket. After Jackie stopped teasing her sister, Lynn mumbled something under her breath and returned to the stove.
The group continued bickering, laughing, instructing, stressing, conversing, and snacking until the food was ready. Heather and Alena brought the bigs’ meal to the dining room while Jackie carried the tinies carrying theirs. The giant women sat around the head of the overly long banquet table, filling their huge plates with burgers and fries, while the tinies sat nearby at a table fit for them, their dinner matching the others’ in all but scale and, in the meat’s case, origin.
Jackie took the first bite, stuffing her mouth with burger topped with all the fixings and condiments the five-star kitchen housed; as delicious as they were, tiny snacks were hardly filling for a girl with a gut like hers. “Heather, this is great!” Bits of tomato and mayonnaise spilled out of Jackie’s mouth as she gushed.
“You really think so?”
Alena bit into hers and nodded her head. “Definitely. These are cooked to perfection.”
Heather looked down to Javi, the tiny winking at her and smiling. Heather sampled her own work. The ground chuck burnt around the edges didn’t compare to wagyu prepared by a Michelin certified chef, but for being made by a complete amateur, the burger wasn’t half bad. Heather was delighted to show progress so soon.
Javi tried his mini-burger, topping it with an egg Pierce fried for him on request. “Damn, Lynn, you fry a mean patty yourself.”
“It all comes down to the seasoning. No gold required.” She stuck her tongue out at Jackie before stuffing fries down her gullet.
Pierce ate in silence, keeping a watchful eye on his girlfriend. She hadn’t yet shown signs of hostility which only worried him further. Jackie ate her appropriately sized food with gusto, and the tiny could only hope that would keep her sated.
“Oh yeah!” Jackie put her burger down and looked towards Javi. “We forgot to tell you, but the escape room ranked third in reviews during Galaween!”
“For real? Like, out of everything?”
“Yeah, the cafes were the only exhibits that beat ours.” While Pierce spoke, he maintained his watch on Jackie. “Honestly, I thought the Incubus one was overrated.”
“You guys earned such a high placement,” Heather said, eyeing Javi’s plate. “Both as an actor and participant, I could tell how much effort you put into it. Seriously, seeing Jackie’s giant eye through that ‘window’ scared the shit out of me.”
“Aw, it’s a shame we missed it.” Alena noted Jackie making glances at Heather, but did not fathom the gesture’s significance. “We gotta check it out next year, if you guys run it again.”
“We have to now,” Javi decided, Heather still staring a hole into his food. “We’re shooting for the number one spot. Next year’s is going put our first attempt to shame.”
While the other’s conversed, Jackie leaned over Heather’s shoulder and whispered in her ear. “Do it.”
“What?”
“I see that hunger in your eyes. You want a bite of Javi’s food. So, what’s stopping you?”
“No, that’s ridiculous. What he’s eating is like crumbs to me. Why would I take it from him?”
“Your mouth denies what your heart craves. It’s not about sustenance. It’s about the authority you wield, the power to decide what is rightfully yours. Do it, Heather. Remind him of his place in your world.”
Pierce leaned over Javi’s shoulder and whispered into his ear. “Stay alert. An evil presence is afoot.”
“What?”
“Heather means to steal that which you hold dear. Goaded by a vile temptress, she will lay waste to your plate not because she needs to, but to enforce a twisted tyranny over tiny kind.”
“Dude, what the fuck are you talking about?”
“Keep your guard up. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Pierce returned to his plate, Jackie never leaving his sights. The giant woman flashed him a Cheshire grin, the seeds planted and ready to take root. In a sudden strike, Heather lunged for Javi’s plate, knocking it off the table and spilling his food all over his lap.
“Oh no!” Heather recoiled, covering her mouth in shock of her own actions. “I’m so sorry!”
“What in the …” Javi picked disheveled burger off his clothes, wiping the condiments off with a napkin. “What was that for?”
Amidst the chaos, Jackie’s fingers slithered over Pierce and Lynn’s plates, stealing half their fries off each. “No!” It was too late. Within the span of seconds, the unsuspecting taters were already drowning between her taste buds.
Pierce banged his fist against the table. “Damn it all! Damn it all!”
“Jackie, I swear to God you better sleep with one eye open tonight!”
Alena blinked. “Did I miss something?” The dining table sat in utter disarray. Heather swabbed Javi with her own oversized napkin, apologizing profusely. Jackie cackled like a maniac while her boyfriend mourned his loss and her sister pelted her with expletives. And Alena watched the mad circus play out, confused by what she witnessed while enjoying her meal in peace.