The buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the first half. The squeaking of shoes on the court halted, drowned out by the roar of the crowd. The home team, the Winston State Water Bears, held a considerable lead over their opponents, the Auxem U Mosquitoes. Already drunk undergrads raised hell in the stadium's student section, the bigs overpowering their tiny peers despite the latter outnumbering them.
The tiny basketball teams played on a court no larger than a TV tray with tiny seating arranged around them like a standard stadium. Surrounding the tiny seating were large bleachers fit for bigs to sit in, the two sections disconnected from each other so tinies, especially inebriated ones, didn't wander into the wrong area. Even to those sitting in the front row seats of the big section, the game below appeared as if viewed from the nosebleeds. A giant monitor hung suspended over the court, allowing bigs to get a better look at the players on the miniature court, with smaller monitors protruding under it for the tiny crowd.
“Yeah! Go team! Woo!” Heather, Alena, and Jackie all sat together in the student section, Lynn and Pierce sitting on their respective partners’ shoulders. Sam waited for Michelle on Jackie's other shoulder while their date visited the concession stand to grab herself and Jackie some popcorn.
“Are you attempting the gambit?” Jackie asked with a playful grin.
Sam cocked their head. “The gambit? What's that?”
“You don't know the popcorn tub gambit?” Jackie drew a circle with her hands to denote the rim of a popcorn tub in her lap. “You sit on here, near your partner's chest while she eats popcorn. At some point, she'll bump the tub with her arm, and then you'll fall back between her boobs.” Jackie unzipped her hoodie, revealing the low-cut top she wore to her first date with Pierce. Sam’s cheeks glowed red upon catching a glimpse of the deep valley below them. Jackie turned her head to check on Pierce and was bummed to see his focus pointed at the game and not her. But as soon as her chin moved to face Sam again, Pierce's gaze shot downwards over the edge of her shoulder, leaning forward on his hands to get the best view in the house.
“That sounds dangerous,” Sam said. “What if I fall into the tub?”
“That's why it's a gamble. Do you ascend to cloud nine or bury yourself in an early, buttery grave?” Jackie snickered at herself, a bit of drool seeping from the corner of her mouth. “Though which direction is considered ‘winning’ the gambit is up for debate.”
Sam recalled Michelle's outfit, the uni tee she wore providing a wide enough opening for a tiny to fall through. The thought of getting trapped between those massive mounds did sound heavenly. “Does Michelle know about the gambit? Like, is she expecting me to play along?”
“Probably. The popcorn tub gambit is, like, a thing,” Jackie assumed. “I learned about it from Javi, and he's dated a ton of bigs.”
Sam thought on that. If this is something Javi is into, then Michelle's prolly familiar with it. She might be disappointed if I don't go through with this. “Alright. I'll give it a shot.”
“That's the spirit. How about you, Pierce?” Upon hearing his name and seeing the huge chin come careening towards him, the tiny quickly sat back straight and pointed his peepers to the court.
“Huh? Oh, sure, sure.” Pierce sat back and smiled, content with himself and unaware of the beady eyes trained on him from the next shoulder over.
“Alena, did you ask for popcorn?”
“No, I got a hot dog.” Alena had to shout over Heather's cheering. The big nerd never cared much for basketball, or sports in general, but her best friend's enthusiasm was infectious.
“And what do you plan on using that for?” Lynn asked in an all too sultry tone.
“Eat it. Your welcome to have some.”
“That's it? Can I at least ride it while you do?” Lynn walked up to Alena's ginormous face and ran a finger down the bottom of her cheek.
Blood rushed to Alena's head. She couldn't believe Lynn just asked that, not here of all places. “B-but you'll get mustard all over you!”
Lynn doubled over laughing. “That's what your concerned about? Relax, I'm just yanking your chain. I do want to share though, so go easy on the mustard.” She patted her girlfriend’s cheek and sat back down, still giggling at Alena's flustered expression. “And Jackie? Your boyfriend's been staring at your tits this whole time.”
“H-have not!” Pierce scooted up closer to Jackie’s neck so she couldn't see him blushing.
“Oh yeah? Prove it. Tell me the score without looking at the board.” The three women looked Pierce's way, though he remained tucked away in Jackie’s blind spot, allowing him to at least avoid the weight of his girlfriend’s gaze.
“I … It's, uh …” His head sank. “I'm sorry.”
A lumbering finger prodded Pierce's chest, pushing him into the wall of Jackie's neck as his girlfriend petted him. “Don't worry about it. I don't mind.”
Shortly after, Michelle returned with two popcorn tubs, a hot dog, three regular soft drinks, and a small tray on one of the pops holding the tinies’ food and beverages all expertly wrapped in her arms. Jackie got up and helped her unload her haul, giving Alena and Lynn their items and placing the sodas in the space on the bench between them. “Are you sure you don't want anything, Heather?” Michelle asked after passing the heiress’ credit card over to her.
“Maybe later. Thanks for grabbing everything.”
As Michelle sat down and rested her popcorn tub in her lap, Jackie plucked Sam off her shoulder and placed them on the rim, narrowly avoiding Michelle's protruding chest with her hand. Normally, the bigger twin would have preferred to switch seats with Alena, that way she could be sandwiched between more trusted bigs, but she wanted to stay close to Sam to support them.
“What are you …? Is it safe for them to sit there?” Michelle gripped the bucket tightly from either side, terrified of any subtle movements knocking the tiny off.
“Of course it is. Watch.” Jackie then grabbed her boyfriend and placed him in the same spot on her tub, close enough to her breasts to feel the heat radiating off them. Or maybe that was just his rapidly increasing heart rate. The giant woman then lowered her arm into the tub, scooping up a handful of popcorn and tossing it into her mouth. With one hand, Jackie held the bucket steady, Pierce slurping his soda and gorging on his miniature hot dog unfazed.
Unconvinced, Michelle peered past her peaks to find the white-haired speck guarding the valley's entrance. “Are you fine sitting there?”
“S-sure. Ain't no thang.” Sam stared straight ahead, their head bolted in place to keep from ogling the mountain range behind them. The stretched fabric of Michelle's tee brushed against the tiny, forming the thinnest barrier between them and the supple trench. With how Michelle held the popcorn bucket, it would be all too easy for Sam to tip over the edge of the t-shirt's low-cut collar. The subtle ebb and flow of Michelle's breathing, the slight expansion and deflation of her chest, pushed and pulled against Sam, the fabric caressing their back like a cape.
Michelle dipped her hand gingerly into the bucket, nabbing a couple kernels, and slowly brought them to her mouth. Despite moving at half of Jackie’s speed, Michelle clumsily rocked the tub, forcing Sam to tilt and lean as they ate their food. Sam clenched hard as the intense buttery smell wafted up their nose. The rim was much less comfortable than either woman’s shoulder, and the balancing act stole their focus. Each time Michelle scooped up more popcorn between her fingers, Sam pictured themself among the kernels, desperately writhing in her grip before tumbling onto their date’s tongue and falling down her gullet. The waking nightmare mortified them, and yet, they couldn’t deny how invigorating the intrusive thought was.
To Michelle’s credit, she kept a careful watch on that white head of hair, not trusting herself to keep them safe. The only time she broke away was to check out Jackie scarfing down popcorn like it was nothing, the tiny in her care utterly unaffected by his girlfriend’s movements. How does she do that?
Unbeknownst to the other couple, Jackie kept a careful watch on them. Ensuring Sam’s safety was one reason, but she also felt responsible for them having a good time together. After a few minutes, Sam finished their hot dog, Michelle’s popcorn practically untouched with how slowly she picked at it. The two didn’t talk to each other, Michelle concentrating on keeping Sam safe, and Sam focused on not falling to their likely death. Jackie knew she had to intervene. Holding her popcorn bucket steady with her thighs, she snuck one hand beneath Michelle’s tub and in a single strike, knocked it back far enough to send Sam plummeting into their date’s all-swallowing cleavage.
“Whoa!” Sam lost their grip on their soda, the puny paper cup flying off to who-knows-where, and felt several pounds of fat close in on them. The light vanished, obfuscated by the walls of flesh, and the chorus of cheering grew muffled as it traveled through Michelle's thick tits. Sam sunk deep into Michelle’s cleavage, their struggling only pushing them further from the surface.
“Eep!” Michelle felt the tiny flailing against their body, the soft, sudden touch akin to a spider falling down her shirt, causing her to jump. She dove her hand between her ample breasts and attempted to fish their date out, but her arm spread her boobs apart, opening a space between them for Sam to fall unobstructed. Michelle was quick enough to catch them at the base of her breasts, but her butter-coated fingers failed to grip onto them. The tiny squeezed through them like a runaway pig slipping through its captor’s arms. As a result, Sam barreled past Michelle's boobs and rolled over her extensive belly, finally stopping where the woman's excess fat pressed against the fabric of her T-shirt.
Ignoring Jackie's chortling, Michelle, her face beet red, dove her hand deep into her shirt, and wrapped her fingers around her tiny date, hooking her digits underneath them to prevent them from diving any deeper and scooping them back out into the open.
“I'm so sorry. Are you okay?” Michelle held the tiny close to her face, her hurried breaths washing over them and parting their ruffled hair.
“That. Was. Awesome!” Sam belted their words out between laughing, their face just as red as their partner's, mostly because of the body heat contained within the giantess’ clothing. “Can we do that again? I mean …!” Sam covered their mouth, realizing they basically asked if they could grope their partner's breasts on the first date. “I should be the one apologizing. Sorry for falling into your shirt like that.”
“It wasn't your fault.” Michelle gave Jackie the side eye, the other woman still laughing, before returning their attention to Sam. “I'm glad you enjoyed yourself at least. I, uh, I kinda did too, believe it or not.” Michelle turned away and scratched her burning cheek. “Would you like to sit in there, instead of my shoulder? I'm not putting you back on the popcorn bucket.”
“A-are you serious?” Sam asked with mouth agape. Is this, like, a test?
“I've read so many blogs that claim mixed-size relationships move faster than the speed of sound, and they all advised to take things slow, be a tease, starve them of affection, and make them desperate until their eating out of my hand, and look how well that's worked for me.” Michelle closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She tossed out the surplus of trashy relationship advice that clogged her head, every stupid insistence that she ought not simply take what she wanted. “Fuck it, you want the best seat in the house or not?”
This must be a test. It's too good to be true. Sam weighed the consequences, studied the possible outcomes. But if it isn't, am I willing to miss out on such a golden opportunity? This was a moment of truth, and they weren't about to choose the wrong path. Take things slow? They couldn't afford to wait and observe. Caution was a refusal to move forward, atrophy in a do-or-die situation. What is romance without taking chances? “Yes, please.”
Michelle smiled and lowered Sam into her cleavage, planting them neck deep between her massive mounds. Warmth wrapped around them like a weighted blanket, pinned in place by insulated fat. Sam felt their partner's pulse resonate through the titflesh, Michelle’s heartbeat quickening as she felt Sam make themself cozy in her cleavage.
With her date secure, Michelle went back to eating popcorn with gusto, no longer concerned with her partner falling into it. As she slammed a handful into her mouth, a kernel slipped out and fell onto her bosom, bouncing around the boob until it fell into the divot directly in front of Sam. The tiny inched forward, wading through the sea of skin, and grabbed hold of the kernel, lifting the light weight snack over their head. “You drop this?”
“Thanks.” Michelle plucked the kernel out of their hands and brought it to her mouth, first examining it and her chest to make sure Sam wasn't hanging on, and then tossing it onto her molars to meet its grizzly fate.
A warm grin stretched across Jackie's face as she watched the two get along. She looked down at Pierce and was delighted to see him doing the same, the tiny reminiscing over their first date. Her heart fluttered remembering the way he looked at her that day, the first time she wore this overly skimpy top, and he could never forget the sound and sensation of her pulse so close to her chest. Another string of drool spilled out of Jackie's mouth. She hated to break him from his reverie, but all this lovey-dovey bullshit was making her hungry.
Just as Pierce returned his attention to the game, the hard edge of Jackie's fingernail bumped into his back, knocking him face first into the popcorn bucket. Regaining his footing atop the shifting kernels was impossible, but it wouldn't matter if he succeeded. Jackie's fingers descended on him like a cage, scooping up popcorn and lost boyfriends alike. Casually and with little concern, she shoved the contents of her hand into her waiting maw, Pierce landing on her expansive tongue among an avalanche of kernels.
As Jackie's lips sealed around her snack, burying it all in darkness, her tongue rose to the roof of her mouth, knocking kernels onto her molars and feeling the familiar form of her boyfriend laying safely on her bed of taste buds. She lowered her tongue and closed her jaw, crushing popcorn bigger than Pierce's torso between her jagged teeth like it was nothing. Pierce watched the carnage around him unfold, bits of chewed up corn pelting him and sticking to his saliva-sodden form. Between every few bites, Jackie mashed Pierce into her palate, sucking the butter off of him. A loud purring emanated from her throat as she sampled her boyfriend seasoned in salt and butter, heightening his already savory flavor. She'd have to try this again in private where Pierce's clothing wouldn't get in the way.
After pinning Pierce below her tongue and swallowing, Jackie took her time licking him clean, devoted to wiping each and every crumb off his puny frame. Once Pierce was thoroughly soaked in her viscous love, Jackie opened her mouth and stuck her tongue out. She checked the people on her left and right: Michelle and Sam were focused on each other, Alena and Heather were focused on the game, and Lynn had her face buried in a giant hot dog. Pierce drifted to the tip of her tongue on a stream of spit, sliding off it and descending upside down on a string of drool towards her exposed chest, landing gently on her supple skin. The raining saliva pooled around him as he slid down the inner slope of her breast and wedged himself in her cleavage. Jackie reached between her boobs to reposition her boyfriend, poking his head out from the deep, fleshy pocket. With her forearms, she squeezed her breasts together, the overflowing fat eclipsing Pierce for a moment before letting go. And after sharing a laugh with him, she returned to scarfing down popcorn, the following bites not quite as tasty as the last.
On the other side of the bleacher, Alena shook her best friend's shoulder. “Look. They’re bringing Javi back in!” The tiny basketball player ran onto the court, his perfect head of hair the dead giveaway for his girlfriend all the way up in the nosebleeds.
Heather shot up and cupped her hands around her mouth. “Woo! Go, Javi!” None of the group could see it from so far up, but a faint blush warmed Javi's cheeks at hearing his girlfriend’s voice overpower the entire tiny crowd.
“You guys haven’t seen him play before today, right?” Michelle asked. “He was the star of the team in high school. It’s good to see he’s still got it, judging from that first half.”
“The other team closes the gap by a few points, and we’re already bringing Javi back in? Damn, our coach must really want to crush these guys.” Pierce added. As if to justify the praise he received, Javi snuck around the player guarding him and took a shot, adding two more points to the Water Bears lead. Following Heather's example, the four bigs stomped their feet and chanted.
“Javi! Javi! Javi! Javi!”
The tiny athlete gave his adoring fans a thumbs up while running to the other end of the court. The Water Bear’s defense pressured the other team, forcing a turnover with Javi stealing the ball. He ran it down the court and attempted a three pointer, the ball bouncing off the rim where it was rebounded by one of the Mosquitoes. Heather and the others’ cheering did not die down, celebrating every successful play he made. Throughout his time on the court, Javi scored an impressive twenty-four points overall, helping his team secure an overwhelming victory.
******
After the game, Javi stood outside the stadium on one of the lit up, tiny-desginated pathways leading out of the building. Winston State's tiny stadium was as large as a regular one but housed every court, field, and pool used by the college's tiny sports teams. He stood by himself under the stars and basked in the evening air, cooling himself off.
“There you are, sweetie! Congratulations on your first win.” Javi's mother rushed over to her boy and tackled him in a hug. She was a heavy-set woman with long blonde hair, standing half an inch shorter than her towering son.
“Thanks, Mom.” As Javi pried himself away from his mother's merciless embrace, he saw his father walk up behind her, his hands stuffed in his blue jeans’ pockets. “Hey, Dad.”
“That three point shot you missed in the second half, you should have passed it to number fourteen. He was wide open.” Javi's father appeared as if he spent his whole life under the sun, his skin a dark bronze and his hardened face wrinkled as a raisin. A thick black mustache covered his upper lip, neatly trimmed with military precision, as was the hair on his scalp.
Javi sighed. “Yep. And I should have kept a closer watch on the other team's small forward in the fourth to block that layup. Any other notes?”
“How are you still missing free throws? You're not in middle school anymore, you don't have an excuse.” Javi's dad readjusted his belt, his shirt tucked neatly in his pants.
“Oh, lay off the boy,” Javi's mother chimed, playfully smacking her husband's chest. “He won, didn't he?”
“One game. There's still a full season ahead of him, and if he doesn't improve his act, then the team is going to be in dire straits when up against a less pitiful opponent.” Javi sighed again, knowing his dad to be right.
“Javi! Congratulations!” Heather and the others appeared at the edge of the tiny path, the heiress crouching to get closer to her boyfriend. Jackie stepped forward and lowered Pierce onto the walkway, so he could stand beside his best friend. “Did you hear us cheering?”
Javi burst into a toothy grin. “Half my teammates hate me now for having the loudest fans. You made them jealous, and I can’t blame them.”
“You must be Heather.” Javi’s mom skipped to edge of the walkway and held her hands out, taking Heather’s index finger and shaking it vigorously. “Oh my goodness, you are so pretty. I love your hair.”
Heather blushed a deep crimson and brushed her other hand through her hair, twirling it with her finger. “Thank you. You’re quite lovely yourself.” Mrs. Delgado placed her hands on her chest, flattered by the simple remark.
Mr. Delgado stepped forward and held his hand out, the scowl never leaving his face. Heather pivoted slightly and met him with her forefinger. The proper handshake had been drilled into her by her father since childhood, both for hands her size and smaller. First impressions were everything to the Suzurans, and a good handshake formed the foundation of strong networking. Mr. Delgado gripped Heather’s finger tip firmly; she was convinced, were they the same size, that he’d break her hand with the strength he displayed.
Heather recalled the motions for shaking a tiny’s hand: use your index finger, do not take the lead, don’t lag behind, keep your finger straight, raise it a quarter inch high, lower it by a half inch, return to neutral, and wait for them to disengage before withdrawing your hand. Heather followed through perfectly, ignoring how tightly Javi’s dad pinched her skin.
“Hmph.” Mr. Delgado let go and stared at his empty palm. “Heather, was it? Nice to meet you.” His tone was rough, as if exchanging pleasantries with a door-to-door salesman during dinner time.
“Pleasure to meet you, sir.” Heather hid her disappointment behind a neutral expression reserved for meeting the global elites one must pretend to appreciate the company of. He hated her, she could tell. She knew how to read people and could tell when a man didn’t approve of their child’s partner; she had seen that same look in her own father’s eyes too many times to count.
“Well, we won’t keep you kids any longer. Good job, sweetie. I love you.” Mrs. Delgado got up on her tippy toes and kissed her boy on the cheek, Javi having to bend his knees for her to reach. After waving to Javi’s other friends, she took her husband’s hand and walked away with him towards the tiny’s parking lot.
Once they were out of earshot, Heather let out a heavy sigh. “Dammit. I don’t think your dad likes me.” She looked down to Javi for support and found him staring aghast at an equally shocked Pierce.
“Are you joking?” Pierce asked. “I’ve known Javi since we were in kindergarten and have never seen that before in my life!” Heather cocked her head in confusion.
“Of all the girls I’ve ever dated, he’s never once bothered to learn any of their names.” Javi ran a hand through his hair, trying to make sense of what he witnessed. “This is amazing. I feel like I watched a UFO fly by.”
“He didn’t refer to me as ‘Pierce’ until junior high. I was just ‘Javier’s friend’ my whole childhood.” The two tinies leaned into each other, their shock weakening their composure. “How could this be? Heather, what’s your secret?”
“Maybe it was the handshake? I know old men like to judge people on that sort of stuff.” Heather picked up the tiny duo and handed Pierce to his girlfriend standing off to the side. “Whatever. I’m just glad your parents like me. Or does your mom’s cheeriness actually mean she resents me?”
“Nah, Mom loves everybody. She’s so sweet it hurts.” Javi sat down and leaned back in Heather’s palm, her touch a soothing balm to his post-game exhaustion.
“Mrs. Delgado is incredible. Her heart is larger than any big’s,” Pierce said from Jackie’s hand. “She’s the only woman in the world loving enough to stick with Mr. Delgado. Nobody else could tolerate him for as long she has.”
“Sounds like you have a crush on her,” Jackie teased, poking Pierce’s cheek with her giant finger. “Should I be jealous of Javi’s mom?”
“It’s not like that. Anybody who gets to know her feels the same. It’s like she’s the second mom you didn’t realize you needed.” Pierce crossed his arms and legs, letting the pokes knock him around like a bop bag.
“Whatever. Enough about your folks. We gotta celebrate your win!” Heather whirled her boyfriend around, raising and lowering her hands as if he were riding a living carousel. “Dinner’s on me, everyone.”
“Actually, I think we’ll split here.” Michelle stepped up with Sam in her cupped hands. “Congrats on the win, Javi. I’m sure there’s plenty more on the horizon.”
“Thanks for coming out, you guys. Your support means a lot to me.” Javi and the others waved them off, the group of six bickering over where to go eat. Lynn wanted Korean barbeque, Alena was in the mood for pizza, Pierce was down for anything that didn’t taste like butter, Heather wanted Javi to decide since they were celebrating his win, Jackie wanted Pierce, and Javi wanted what everybody else wanted.
Michelle carried Sam under the moonlight, walking slow to avoid tripping. “Sorry to speak for you, but I wanted to get away from the crowd. Have some alone time. I had fun today, but the night’s still early, and I’m still hungry if you’d like to join me for dinner.”
Sam jumped up in her hand, the sudden movement startling the clumsy big, and leaned on her thenar. “Ooh, there’s this new Italian restaurant I’ve been meaning to try. Wanna check it out?”
“I love Italian food. Send me the directions, and I’ll take us there.” Michelle pulled out her phone and waited for the tiny to comply, but Sam just fidgeted in her hand.
“Hey, I wasn’t too forward with you today, was I? With the whole popcorn thing?” Sam sulked, staring a hole through Michelle’s palm. They were held really close to the giant woman’s chest and afraid to look at the imposing globes.
Michelle shrugged. “Probably, but I told you, I kinda liked it.” Sam looked up at Michelle with a glimmer in their eye. “I’m sick of waiting around and playing things safe. I’m sick of being passed over for other girls. I want to throw caution to the wind and fall in love already, and if that means dropping you down my shirt and burying you in my curves, then I’m willing to give it a shot. I appreciate all the chances you took on me, so I don’t mind returning the favor.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” Sam lied down along Michelle’s thumb, nuzzling the digit and rubbing it with their minuscule hands. “Sorry for all my nervous rambling. You’re special to me, and I don’t want to ruin my chance with you.”
“Quit apologizing and we’ll be square.” Michelle poked Sam in the cheek a little too roughly, but the tiny didn’t mind one bit. “Now, let’s grab some grub. I am starving.”