Chapter 28 (Patreon)

Victoria pulled into the parking lot where Stewart's apartment complex was. She bit her lip as her anxiety started to get the better of her. In truth, she couldn't remember the last time she'd been on a date, let alone one with a tiny. To think that her first date in a long while was with Stewart, of all people, seemed almost like a joke. He seemed to have genuinely changed, though, and his apology had sounded sincere enough. Stewart had been respectful, well-mannered, and almost charming every time she'd seen him over the last month. The boy who'd ogled and shamelessly flirted with her was gone, and in his place was a sweet and, quite literal, little man.

Stewart had moved in with family shortly after he'd caught the virus. His cousin Amber had been kind enough to let him stay with her, but Victoria had yet to meet her. Stewart hadn't said much about her, but Victoria assumed she was nice enough. After all, she'd welcomed her cousin into her home, so she must have a decent heart. Then again, Stewart didn't talk much about her. After all, Anna and her father had a strained relationship for the longest, and Chad had rarely spoken about her while they were struggling to connect. Perhaps she was a bit cynical after seeing how her father had been treated, but she'd learned how easy it was to take advantage of someone's reduced size. Hell, she'd inadvertently punished her father without realizing it countless times.

Victoria shrugged off her skepticism as she switched the car off and opened her door. Between her own experiences at home and the increasing reports on the news, Victoria was becoming more skeptical of others. If the media was to be believed, more virus victims were being found abused and mistreated regularly. Television reports, radio broadcasts, podcasts, and various articles online were coming out daily detailing different horror stories of what the afflicted were enduring. Worse than that, though, was that people were lobbying for it to be accepted. While it may have been far and few between now, those people were still out there and active. Victoria shuddered to think about what might happen if they cried out loud enough. It wouldn't be a problem in a perfect world, but that wasn't the world they lived in.

The fact was that people were selfish, vindictive, and cruel. Sure, not everyone shared that mentality, but Victoria had seen firsthand what most people tried to hide. On the surface, people seemed decent and kind, but the moments alone revealed who they really were. Some, like Anna, wore their emotions on their sleeve, but Victoria couldn't count the number of people she'd found to be fake. It was a clever act or ruse to hide the person behind the mask. Still, that didn't mean she needed to doubt everyone. One thing that she'd learned from her father was to try to see the good in people. Maybe it made her naive, but she simply couldn't let go of that part of herself. Especially not now, not before she met Stewart's cousin for the first time. The last thing Victoria needed was to have her view tainted by cynicism and distrust.

She walked up the stairs to the second floor of the apartments and pushed her doubt down. Three light raps on the door, and Victoria stood and waited patiently. The sound of the door unlatching came before it swung open to reveal a dark-haired girl almost a head shorter than Victoria. Red-framed glasses rested on her nose, and her hair was tied back in a bun. She wore a pair of pajama bottoms and a worn and snug t-shirt. The plaid bottoms and black shirt seemed to complement each other comfortably. She looked up at Victoria and smiled at her. Big blue eyes looked up from behind her glasses.

"Hello," Victoria waved, trying to sound chipper and friendly, "I hope I have the right address. I'm Victoria, and I'm here to pick up Stewart."

The girl relaxed and stepped back, "Hi, yeah, you're in the right place. I'm Amber. It's nice to meet you. Come on in."

Victoria smiled sweetly as Amber let her into her home. The apartment was small and quaint but spacious enough for one person. The carpet was clean, the living room was tidy, and it was modest if a little dated. The wallpaper was old and hideous, but if dated mauve pinstripes were the worst, it wasn't a bad place to call home. Amber led her into the living room and gestured for her to have a seat. "Let me go see if I can find Stewie," Amber said, "Have a seat, and I'll be back shortly."

Victoria nodded and smiled as she walked around to sit on the plush brown couch cushions. Her butt sank into the cushion, and she wiggled slightly to get comfortable while waiting. Unbeknownst to Victoria, Stewart had been sitting on the couch waiting for his date to arrive. His cousin had initially placed him on the arm of the couch half an hour ago, but he'd slipped and fallen onto the cushion. He'd been in worse situations, though. Stewart dusted himself off and settled into his new spot to watch TV while his cousin worked around the house. Things had been going fine, and he'd even gotten up when he heard Victoria's voice at the door. Stewart hadn't considered that Amber could have forgotten about him, but he wasn't entirely surprised when she had. However, he had been surprised by the looming shadow of Victoria's backside eclipsing his world. He'd been too slow to move, and now he found himself trapped in the seam of her leggings as she rested comfortably and blissfully above him.

Admittedly, this would have been a dream come true for him only a few short months ago, but he'd spent enough time at this size to learn the dangers lurking within perversion. Thankfully, Victoria had opted to wear leggings rather than jeans. The soft black fabric was better than the rough and callus denim of jeans. Amber had accidentally sat on him weeks ago, and Stewart thought he'd surely meet a painful end under her jeans. However, the relief of Victoria's soft leggings was minor in the wake of her crushing weight. Every movement from Victoria dragged his little body along the cushion and drove him deeper into her crack. It was all he could do to struggle and squirm beneath her, but he knew from experience it wouldn't do much good. Still, it was the only hope he had.

"Huh, where did he go?" Amber asked as she walked back into the living room, "Sorry, Victoria, I think Stewart might have fallen onto the floor again."

"Oh no," Victoria said, turning slightly and unwittingly causing further agony to her date, "Does this happen often?"

Amber got down on her hands and knees to look for her cousin and replied, "He gets himself into more trouble than someone his size should. I swear, sometimes I think he does it on purpose."

"I'm sure it's just bad luck," Victoria said, "My dad and brother are both tiny, and they've each had more than their share of trouble. I can't imagine what it's like to be so small and easily overlooked."

Amber crawled along the floor and tried to keep an eye out for any signs of movement. "So, you've got two little guys at home?" Amber asked as she combed through the carpet, "That's gotta be tough. Stewie is a handful on his own, so I can only imagine what it's like trying to keep up with two tinies."

"It's not too terrible most days," Victoria said, "A lot of times, it's just poor timing. Is Stewart really that much of a problem?"

"He's not doing anything on purpose, if that's what you mean," Amber sighed, "I don't mean it like that. He's just really good at getting himself into trouble. Last week, he fell in my shoe when I went to work. He spent the whole day between my toes, and I thought I'd gotten a pebble in my shoe. I felt awful when I finally found him; he smelled like a foot for the day after. I washed him up, scrubbed him down, and made sure he was clean, but the stench stuck to him still. Then there's Bernie, his co-worker that has to look after him. A lot of times, I worry that he's not going to make it back home when he goes to work. She's a sweet girl, she really is, but she's the definition of an airhead."

"I met Bernie when she and Stewart made a delivery at my dad's business," Victoria nodded, smiling as she recalled the bubbly young woman apologizing profusely to Stewart, "He's told me a few stories about predicaments he's gotten into with her."

"Did he tell you he spent a day in her ass?" Amber asked, laughing a bit, "She found him after their shift, and he smelled like a fart when he got home. Oh, he was so mad when she left. Bless him; he's been trying hard to be better. Personally, I think part of it is karma for how much of an ass he was before he shrunk. I love him, but he was a jerk before all of this. When my mom called and told me what happened, I was hesitant to let him stay with me, but he's been much better over the last couple of months. It's not often someone apologizes to you when you're the one who sat on them."

"He's certainly changed; that much is true," Victoria smiled before frowning as she felt something under her.

While Victoria was chatting with Amber, Stewart was struggling fruitlessly beneath her. It was difficult to breathe, and the temperature continued rising around him. Thrashing and bucking despite the crushing weight, Stewart clung to the hope that he'd be found sooner than later. He'd survived worse, but that didn't make his situation more desirable. He could faintly hear Victoria talking to Amber above him, which only added to his frustration. It wasn't either of them, but rather the fact that he was so close yet so far from being discovered. Undoubtedly, they were talking about him and where he'd disappeared to this time. Sadly, this was an all too common occurrence for him as of late.

The perils of being the size of a bug were all too real for him, and Stewart had seen firsthand just how hard things could be. The stories he'd heard on the news seemed almost surreal, but he knew they were true. Thankfully, Amber, Bernie, and Victoria didn't harbor the same malice that so many others seemed to carry for people like himself. His suffering was unintentional and accidental rather than deliberate, like so many others endured. While it didn't diminish his pain and shame, there was a modicum of comfort in knowing people were searching for him. Of course, it would have been better if Victoria had gotten off of him, but his luck was rarely that good these days.

"Stewie, where are you?" Amber sighed as she stood up, "I know I saw him not long ago, but where did he go?"

Victoria frowned as she watched Amber start to get worried. She knew that look all too well from the times she'd lost her father or Bram. She tapped her foot as she debated on what to do, and again she felt something under her. Her eyes widened as she realized the possibility that was right in front of her, or rather just beneath her. She quickly got up, and Amber looked over at her quizzically for a moment. Victoria spun around and knelt in front of the couch. There, just where she'd been sitting, was her little date. A wave of guilt washed over her as she looked down at Stewart's little body as he climbed back to his feet.

"Uhm, Amber," Victoria said, "I found him."

Stewart got to his feet as Victoria practically jumped off the couch. He breathed a sigh of relief as he stood up on shaky legs. Perhaps he should have been angry at being sat on, but looking up at Victoria's beautiful and guilty face, he could only sigh and wave nervously. "Where?" Amber asked before sighing and chuckling, "Dammit, Stewie, what were you doing on the couch cushions? You know how dangerous that is."

Amber walked around the couch to check on her cousin. "It's my fault," Victoria said, "I should have looked before sitting down. I know how easy it is for little guys to fall into a bad spot."

"He was probably doing it on purpose," Amber teased.

"I wasn't," Stewart argued as his cousin knelt beside Victoria, "I was sitting on the arm of the couch, and you bumped into it while you were walking by."

"Oh, shit," Amber sighed, "I'm sorry, Stewie, I forgot you were there."

Stewart closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He couldn't stay mad at Amber, not after everything she'd done for him. "It's okay," he said, trying his best to move on, "It happens, as much as I wish it didn't. I'm not mad, I swear."

"At least you got to get close to your date's butt," Amber joked, trying to lighten the mood, "By the way, I think she's way out of your league."

"Stop," Victoria smiled at Amber, "Are you sure you're alright, Stewart?"

"I'm fine; Amber sat on me way longer than that last week," Stewart smiled, "For the record, I know she's out of my league, Amber."

Stewart looked up at Victoria and marveled at how incredible she looked. Dressed in a stylish dress that stopped short just above the knees, he could see how well the white and red floral pattern paired with her black leggings. A red jacket covered her shoulders and kept her top warm, but it, too, paired well with the rest of her outfit. Her hair was down and lightly feathered. Looking up at her, Stewart realized just how spectacular she was and just how far out of his depth he truly was. She smiled softly at him, and his heart skipped a beat as he looked at her. Why someone as amazing as Victoria chose to give someone like him the time of day would always be a mystery to him.

"Don't sell yourself so short, Stewart," Victoria smiled at him, holding out her hand for him to hitch a ride, "You're more charming than I think, you know."

"Notice she didn't say handsome," Amber teased as she stood up, "It helps that you're less of a dick at this size, Stewie."

Stewart rolled his eyes at his cousin. She wasn't wrong on either account, but he wished she'd back off in front of Victoria. "Haha, I think I split my sides from laughing so hard," he joked, "Can you please grab my wallet, or did you misplace that too?"

Amber rolled her eyes and smiled, "It's easier to keep up with a wallet than you, little cousin. I'll grab it for you, big spender."

"Thank you," Stewart said, turning his full attention back to Victoria, "Sorry for the delay."

"I sat on you, and you're apologizing to me," Victoria smiled at him as he climbed onto her hand, "I'm just glad you're okay. I didn't hurt you too badly, did I?"

"No, trust me, Bernie has done way worse for way longer,” Stewart smiled and assured her as Victoria lifted him up to her face, “This is going to sound weird, but the fact that you were wearing leggings made a huge difference. It could have been worse, I swear. I just hope that we haven’t missed the chance for a decent table at Paulie’s.”

Victoria smiled warmly at him as she looked down at him and chose to trust her little date. “I’m sure we have plenty of time,” she said as she stood up, “You really don’t have to pay either, Stewart. I appreciate the sentiment, but I can pay for us.”

“I understand that, but I want to, really,” Stewart said, “It’s not like I can do much with my money at this size anyways. At least this way, I can treat someone I care about with something nice for a change. Are you sure that a pizzeria is okay with you for dinner?”

Paulie’s was a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant downtown, one of Victoria’s favorite eateries. It wasn’t much, but the quality of food and friendship made up for the small space. When Stewart had suggested it, she’d been ecstatic at the idea of revisiting one of her teenage haunts. She hadn't been there since before starting college, and she was looking forward to seeing how much, if any, the restaurant had changed.

"It's perfect, Stewart, honest," she replied as she stood up, "I've never been a girl who needs the fanciest places or most expensive gifts. Good food, company, and sincerity matter most to me."

Amber walked back into the living room carrying Stewart's wallet. She held it out to Victoria and smiled, "I'm assuming you don't want to carry it, Stewie, or do you want to ride in the folds?"

"You are hilarious," Stewart deadpanned but smiled, "Thanks, Amber."

"Anytime, little cuz," Amber beamed at him as she looked at Victoria, "You two have fun, and I know this kinda goes without saying, but please be careful with him. Stewie can be a pain in the ass, but he's family, and I love him. Sometimes that's because I have to, but I don't want anything to happen to him."

"Gee, thanks, cuz," Stewart chuckled, "I love you too, even if it's because I have to."

"Shut up, dork, you know what I mean," Amber grinned at him, tussling his hair with her fingertip, "I'll be up for most of the night, and my number is in his wallet if you need me. I already have yours saved, so don't stress about calling me for anything."

"You have my number?" Victoria asked.

"Yeah, Stewie gave it to me shortly after you two started talking," Amber explained, "He still has his phone, but I've been letting him use mine. It's a little tough for Stewie to use his phone right now, and we figured it would be better if I had your number in case something happened tonight. I hope that's okay."

Victoria nodded her understanding. She hadn't even considered the difficulty Stewart probably faced when talking on the phone. She was glad she hadn't revealed anything too risqué during any of their talks now. "I should have said something sooner," Stewart remarked, scratching the back of his head nervously, "It's just kind of embarrassing having to admit I need help with simple things like talking on the phone."

"I kept telling you to bring it up to her," Amber chided.

"It's okay, I actually understand better than you think," Victoria assured them, thinking about Bram and his crush, "My brother has to go through our stepsister to talk to the girl he likes. It's the little things that we take for granted at normal size that we overlook."

Amber smiled and sat on the couch, "That's so true. I'm just glad he's got someone willing to look out for him and put up with his personality. He's not paying you for this date, is he?"

"Amber!" Stewart exclaimed, his face turning beet red.

Thankfully, Victoria found it funny and giggled sweetly. The sound of her laughter immediately put him at ease, and it was like sweet music to his ears. "He's paying for dinner, but Paulie's isn't the most expensive place in town," Victoria replied, "Still, I've told him several times that he doesn't have to."

"Huh, who would have guessed that Stewie knew what chivalry was," Amber shrugged, "I figured that was too big a word for you. Have fun, you two, and be careful. Victoria, it was nice meeting you, and please don't hesitate to call if anything happens."

"It was nice to meet you too, Amber, and I promise I will," Victoria said, waving to her as she turned to leave, "Ready to go, little guy?"

"Yes, please," Stewart said, waving at his cousin as they headed for the door, "Bye, Amber!"

Victoria cupped her hand as she opened the door in an attempt to shield Stewart from the elements. The weather wasn't as cold as it had been recently, but she figured it would be better to be safe than sorry. While she wanted to converse with him on the walk downstairs, she didn't want to draw unnecessary attention to either of them. Worry and fear were still very present in the back of her mind, and some part of her was afraid someone might try to steal Stewart away. As irrational as it might have been, fear was seldom reasonable. Plus, despite Amber's seemingly lackadaisical attitude, Victoria could see she was worried about her cousin.

Stewart, for his part, rode quietly in the palm of Victoria's hand. He was used to being carried by now and settled into the small arch in Victoria's palm. It was still hard to believe that someone he'd nearly alienated, like Victoria, would give him a chance like this. He was grateful for the opportunity, and there was honestly nobody he'd rather be spending an evening with. Even after being sat on, Stewart trusted that Victoria would keep him safe, or at least as safe as she could. However, he knew that even the best intentions could spell disaster at his size.

Victoria was careful as she got into the car with her date, and only then did she realize she hadn't considered where he would sit. There were options for him, but she hadn't stopped to think that he might have a preference. Luckily, the car was clean and clear of any messes, but she wasn't sure about sitting him in the passenger seat. The cup holders were a possibility, but what if she forgot about him? Her purse was also an option, but what if he got buried or hurt? Maybe her wallet would be safe, but that felt incredibly demeaning to Stewart. Her cheeks flushed as she thought about the times Pam had transported her father.

Stewart had been behaving like more of a gentleman lately, but she wasn't sure about placing him in her bra. Never mind that it was borderline humiliating; it was also incredibly intimate. After only just beginning to move past Stewart's former attitude, was this really a good idea? The thought of him squirming inside her bra made her feel funny in ways she couldn't quite explain. What if something happened to him? What if he tried something? But she couldn't see another way to keep him relatively safe on their car ride. Pam had carried Chad this way many times, and her father always seemed to come out unscathed and no worse for wear.

Victoria cleared her throat as she reached her decision. However, even with her mind made up, she'd give Stewart the option to pick. He deserved that if nothing else. "Hey, Stewart, I was just thinking," she started as she looked down at him, "I don't want you to get lost or hurt on the way to the restaurant. How would you feel about riding in my bra? Now, this isn't a chance for you to try anything funny, mister. It's just to keep you safe, so I'll know where you are."

Stewart's cheeks turned scarlet at the thought of being so close to the woman he'd been crushing on for so long. He'd have been lying if he said he hadn't wondered what it might feel like to explore Victoria's body at his size, but he'd learned the difference between fantasy and reality the hard way already. It was all too easy for someone his size to get hurt and even easier for someone like him to take advantage of his situation. Truthfully, he'd have certainly tried a month ago, but now he knew better. Besides, he was determined to show Victoria he was trying to improve.

"I understand, and I'm okay with it if you are," he nodded, "I swear, I won't try anything on purpose."

Stewart had been quick to add the last part, and while Victoria couldn't quite see his face, she could tell he was being sincere. "Okay, let's give this a try," she said, inching him closer to her chest, "I promise not to forget you, and I'll take you out as soon as we get to Paulie's."

Stewart nodded and took a deep breath as he was again placed at the mercy of circumstance. Nerves bubbled over into a mild fear as Victoria deposited him into her bra as carefully as she could. He tumbled down into the confines of her cup and was pressed against the silky fabric and cushy skin of her breast. The scent of lilacs and jasmine filled his senses as he rolled down toward the bottom of her bra. His body began to heat up, but he couldn't be sure if it was from their combined body heat or his own embarrassment. Regardless, given his newfound place, Stewart tried to keep his composure as best he could.

If it were anyone else, he'd have been bordering on panic, but Victoria had a way of making him feel confident with her assurance. She was nicer than most people her size, and she seemed more aware than Bernie and even Amber. He just had to make it through the car ride, and he'd be fine. However, he suspected things would become more difficult once the car was in motion. That was usually how it went, at least with his past experiences. It could have been worse; Bernie had inadvertently trapped him in her ass more than once on a route. Honestly, his biggest concern was getting bounced and having Victoria mistake an accident for something more lewd. Since she'd agreed to this, he'd been praying for a way to make a good impression on his crush.

Victoria swallowed and let out a shaky breath as she started the car. She could feel Stewart roll and come to a stop between her breasts. It was an odd feeling to have someone tucked away in such an intimate spot, but one that wasn't entirely off-putting and unpleasant. It was difficult to put into words how she felt. On the one hand, she was still getting to know the young man. On the other, though, there was something unexplainable about knowing someone was hidden away in such a sensitive area. Was this what a power trip felt like? Some distant part of herself in her mind almost enjoyed knowing she had a little man tucked and stuffed in her bra. A larger, much louder part of herself chided her for even thinking that way.

With the car officially in motion, their night began in earnest. The first of what would be many hurdles for Stewart came as Victoria slowly exited the parking lot. The speedbumps placed throughout the complex's lot caused Stewart to be bounced and thrown despite Victoria's cautious driving. Jostled and tossed, Stewart's little body was rocketed from his safe space between Victoria's breasts. He managed to keep from getting thrown out, but his face smacked against the soft flesh of her right boob. Torn between a rush of excitement and mortification, Stewart tried to remain calm as he rolled down back towards the bottom of her cup. He exhaled nervously as he let gravity take him down. Panicking would only exacerbate his predicament and make his situation that much worse.

In his attempt to keep calm and relaxed, Stewart failed to notice his rapid approach to a particularly sensitive area. It wasn't until he felt a slight bump and a poke that he realized he'd rolled down and over Victoria's nipple. Her breast's soft and supple flesh was a stark contrast to the hardening prod he felt for a brief second. Was she enjoying this? He swallowed, a lump forming in his throat as he watched the erect areola pass him by. Despite the dangers surrounding him, he couldn't deny it was a breathtaking sight. A wave of guilt washed over him as he tumbled down and felt her body shudder in response. The last thing he needed was for her to think he'd done that on purpose. He was suddenly thrown forward, and his back slammed against the soft fabric of her bra as Victoria slammed on the brakes.

Victoria felt a light tickle against her chest and, for a moment, was caught between excitement and anger. Shortly after passing over one of the bumps in the parking lot, she felt Stewart moving in her bra, and then she felt him roll across her nipple. A flash of outrage hit her before she stopped herself from acting on it. The sensation was brief and fleeting. Surely if he'd done it on purpose, the little pervert would have lingered longer. She had to consider the possibility that happenstance was a genuine factor and that Stewart wasn't doing anything deliberate. When she felt him settle at the bottom of her bra, she resolved that it must have been a simple mishap. Accidents were inevitable, and she needed to remember that lest her past clouded her judgment and perception.

Calm and collected once more, Victoria switched on the radio in an attempt to drown out Stewart's accidental distractions. The less she thought about where he was and what he might be doing, the better. Whatever this might become wouldn't work if she continually second-guessed his intentions. Perhaps she could talk to Pam about this little endeavor when she got home. She'd focus on getting to their destination safe and sound for now. She began humming along and tapping the steering wheel as one of her favorite songs came on the radio. She ignored the feeling of Stewart wiggling in her bra for a moment and smiled as she felt him settle down. Maybe he was just readjusting.

Stewart had hoped that after his flying lesson and fall, he'd land in a comfortable spot. Unfortunately, his little body tumbled beneath Victoria's boob after she'd slammed on the breaks. As carefully as he could, Stewart wriggled and wiggled his way out from the crushing weight. Victoria's endowments had been the apple of his eye for a long time, but now they were a potential threat if he wasn't careful. The danger was two-fold for Stewart. Firstly, there was the chance that he could hurt himself, get stuck worse, or cause Victoria to have an accident. Second, he knew that his reputation wasn’t the best. Victoria, regardless of her good heart, was still skeptical of him. Truth be told, he didn’t blame her for it, but that didn’t mean he wanted to prove her right.

Once he was settled in, Stewart let himself relax. His back rested against the wall of Victoria’s bra and let the tension leave his body. He could hear Victoria humming along to the music beyond his prison. This was something new for him but something that was quite pleasant. The vibrations from her humming were soothing and rhythmic to his little ears and body. Stewart closed his eyes and rested his head against the fabric wall behind him. The gentle swaying from the car ride and Victoria’s humming gave him a sense of peace and security. This was something that he could get used to.

The rest of the ride was relatively uneventful. After Stewart’s initial faux pas, Victoria was pleased to find that her date did his best to keep his hands to himself. It took a little longer to get there due to her overly cautious driving. The last thing she wanted was to cause further problems before their night began. The hardest part had been the beginning and the news broadcast midway to the restaurant. Victoria hoped that Stewart couldn’t hear it, but she doubted they would get that lucky.

An update on a missing persons case cut through the ambiance from her music. A family of young men had gone missing earlier in the month, and the police finally had a lead. Detective Miriam Chambers, a woman who'd recently replaced Jose Rodriguez after he'd contracted the virus, had been spearheading the investigation for two weeks, and the remains of a young man matching the description of one of the missing young men were recently unearthed. They refused to name a suspect, but a relative had been brought in for questioning earlier today. Police were hoping to have an answer by the end of the month, and they hoped they'd find the others still alive.

Stories such as these were becoming all too common these days, and it made Victoria nervous when she thought about her own family. Sometimes these incidents were accidental; other times, they were deliberate. It was the stories involving families that got to her the most. How someone could treat their own flesh and blood like little more than a toy or an object was beyond her. Were people really this evil and selfish, or was this just a popular subject? Either way, she shuddered to think about what must have gone through the minds of the victims.

Outside of the more gruesome and grisly reports, the news was filled with statistics of the infected, employment rates, economic crises developing, plans to offset the diminishing workforce, and updates on the status of a potential cure. The latter was always the same; scientists were actively working, but nothing concrete had been discovered. It seemed the world was slowly accepting the virus as the new norm. Advertisements for jobs and schooling for those able-bodied and determined were constant, and women were being pushed in the workplace as the front runners in this new world. Times had indeed changed, and while the world was trying to adapt, it was clearly far from over.

Stewart had been relaxing and enjoying his ride when the news reports came on. He'd finally managed to find a secure place that was as close to minimally invasive as possible, given where he was. It wasn't the most comfortable position, but it kept him from getting knocked around and thrown at every bump and turn. He'd planted his feet on Victoria's breast, and he was resting his back against her bra. Maintaining the placement took a little effort, but he'd gotten stronger since shrinking. Running for his life and adapting to changes on the fly tended to do that to a person.

He had heard enough of an update on the story he'd been following to know it wasn't good before Victoria turned the volume down. One of the things he'd been terrified of when he shrunk and moved in with Amber was precisely what was happening to so many others. The people that you were supposed to trust seemed to be causing the most problems. Whether it was because of past issues or something else, he couldn't quite say. Regardless, he knew how much of a jerk he'd been to Amber in the past, and he'd been afraid she'd use her size to her advantage to get even. She'd messed with him once on purpose, but after seeing how disturbed and terrified he was, she'd apologized and promised to be better.

Stewart was one of the lucky ones, or at least that's how he felt. After being at the mercy of someone he'd wronged, he couldn't imagine what it must be like to have pleas fall on deaf ears. He imagined that feeling like a dreadful weight holding you down and permeating your soul. A hopeless and miserable abyss that you simply couldn't escape until, eventually, you prayed for death as a new mercy. It was a harrowing thought and one that had caused him plenty of nightmares over the last several weeks. The sad fact was that for every kind soul out there, there were at least three that weren't.

He was roused from his musings by his world shifting and turning. Victoria's hand dug into her bra, and her fingers gently coiled around him to pull him out. Stewart didn't fight her as she lifted him out, and he savored the cool breeze outside of her chest. He'd come to cherish that first rush of air after all the times he'd been caught in compromising situations. There was nothing like it, or at least that was what he thought. Victoria brought him to her face, and those big beautiful eyes and concerned smile stole his breath once more.

"You okay, Stewart?" Victoria asked, looking him over.

"I'm fine," he assured her with as much sincerity as he could muster, "Sorry if I got a little closer than you would have liked earlier."

Even from her perspective, Victoria could hear his nerves and see his blush. It had been an honest mistake, and she was relieved she hadn't acted on her first instinct. "It's okay, let's call it an occupational hazard," she joked, hoping to help him relax, "I hope you're hungry."

"Heh, Amber might have forgotten to feed me earlier," Stewart chuckled nervously and added, "She means well, but sometimes she gets really busy around the house or with work."

"Well, I hope you don't plan on eating a whole pie to yourself, mister," Victoria smiled at him, "Your date would like to eat, and I'd hate to see you pop before the night gets started."

Victoria chuckled nervously before stopping awkwardly as she realized what she'd suggested. It was an innocent remark that could have easily been construed as an innuendo. Stewart seemed to understand her intention, though, and he tried to put her at ease, "I think I can save some for someone as pretty as yourself. Besides, I can't enjoy our time together if I'm in a food coma."

"You're either a little charmer or a little flirt," Victoria commented.

"Who's to say I'm not both?" Stewart countered, happy to see Victoria smiling widely at him, "Would you like me to get the door for you, madame?"

Victoria couldn't stop herself from snorting at his joke, "That is something that I would absolutely love to see."

"Okay, we might be here a while, but I think I can figure this out," Stewart mused, trying to lean into the joke, "Hmm, okay, maybe I didn't think this through. Oh, I got it! Put me behind the door handle, and maybe I can kick off hard enough to open the door!"

"Oh my God, shut up," Victoria giggled, and Stewart grinned warmly at her, "We'll be here all night if you insist on being a gentleman. Let's go eat, shall we?"

"Fine," Stewart sighed in mock exasperation before smiling, "Lead the way. I'll see if I can't keep up, but you might have to slow down because I got these tiny legs."

Victoria chuckled and shook her head as she opened the door to the car. This was new territory for her, but so far, things were shaping up better than she'd expected. How dinner would go was still a mystery, but it was one she and Stewart would unravel together. With an honest smile, she climbed out of her car and entered the restaurant with her miniature date.