Peter had been hearing as well as feeling the giant T-Doll's steps for a while now without paying them much mind. There were so many of those giants now that at this point it was simply background noise to him, like the gunfire, aircraft, and tank engines that were heard around the base almost every day. Even so, he could tell without looking to whom those steps belonged.
It wasn't just that she was the only giant in the base today, which Peter wasn't even sure of. For his own wellbeing, the young maintenance worker had long since learned to distinguish the sound and feel of every giant's footsteps. Not that he was scared of them, exactly—he knew they were all harmless except to Griffin's enemies—but some of them had certain playful tendencies that had if anything become even more pronounced since they were put in these larger bodies.
Some he always tried to avoid, but the one here at the base, a P90 model some 300 feet tall, was a bit of a special case. Most of the time she was a sweet girl, sweet as any Doll he'd met, but sometimes she launched into these episodes of odd, unpredictable behavior and tried to cajole people into playing along. Completely harmless, but it could get annoying if she decided you were the perfect partner or audience for her play-acting. Still, Peter wasn't concerned about her right now; he figured the festivities would keep her and all the regular Dolls distracted while he finished repairing the hangar door.
Valentine's Day was always one of the Dolls' favorite holidays—strangely so, in Peter's eyes, seeing as none of them had a significant other to spend the day with. Some of them were seemingly in love with the Commander, but he never could tell how real it was. Were Dolls even capable of love? All this time working with them and still he wasn't sure. But that was nothing to do with him. Peter pushed such idle thoughts out of his mind and focused on getting the finishing touches, sealing the motor back up and testing to see if it was working yet.
Splendidly so, it turned out. The doors went up without a hitch, and he stepped out the opening to survey his handiwork in pride. Forget love, he thought; there was nothing in this world like the satisfaction of a job well done.
With this his work for the day was over. He would have had the whole day off like the most of the Dolls, but in a base so close to the frontlines you couldn't afford to let things like broken hangar doors remain unaddressed. One never knew when the aircraft would be needed.
After closing the door back up, he turned his eyes to Springfield's bar, the center of the day's festivities, where most of the T-Dolls at the base were gathered to exchange candies and Valentine's Day cards like a bunch of elementary school children. It was cute enough, real love or not, and Peter figured he might as grab a drink over there and see what sort of event they put together this year. And who knew—with the Commander gone for the week he might even get a little something from one of the Dolls.
“Oh my goodness! Peter, is that really you? After all this time have you finally come back to me?â€
Those words brought a grimace to Peter's face, though he took care to wipe it off before looking up at the lips from which that voice had fallen. “Good morning, P90.â€
The giant Doll's eyes were alight with adoration. If he hadn't known her so well he might have thought her truly in love with him. “Oh, Peter, it is you!†She rounded the hangar from over which she looked at him, threatening to crack the pavement under her shoes. She stopped beside him, her final steps rattling his tool box, and crouched. “I can't believe you're finally back from the war! And on Valentine's Day, too. Oh, how romantic!†Her voice quavered with emotion, and she blushed as she held a hand up to her cheek. Peter had to admit, she was a superb actress.
“Ah, I'm flattered, miss, really I am, but I think you've got the wrong Peter,†he said. For a moment P90 pouted at him, before getting back in character with a pained, shocked expression. “Oh, Peter, what did they do to you? Please don't tell me you forgot your dear Priscilla. I told you not to join the army Peter! I told you... Oh... Oh...†A hand covered her mouth. She was weeping now; tears spilled from her eyes and fell in quantities such that anyone caught under her might've thought it was raining.
“Sorry, but I just got off work and I'm not in the mood for this right now. I'm sure you can find someone else to play along.†Peter walked away while P90 was still sobbing into her hands, drawing countless eyes to herself.
One such pair, bright amber ones, belonged to SPAS-12, a Doll who met Peter on his way to the bar. “Don't worry about her, she's only acting,†he told her.
“I know, but it's very convincing.†She looked at P90 a while longer, then turned to Peter and smiled. “So you've finished with the door? That's good! I'll feel much safer now if something were to happen.†SPAS waved the stack of envelopes in her hand, blowing a gentle breeze which swayed her silver pigtails, then riffled through them to pull one out. “Um... I wanted to give you this, for all your hard work. You maintenance people help out so much around the base, and I don't think we thank you enough for it.†Like the others, the envelope she held out had a heart-shaped seal. It felt thick and heavy in his hands; probably had a whole chocolate bar in there.
“Thank you, Miss SPAS. I... It's embarrassing, but I'm afraid don't have anything for you right now.â€
“Oh, don't worry about that! You don't have to give me anything unless you feel like it. Are you sticking around for the festivities? Then maybe I'll see you again later! Right now I gotta run; I still have all these other cards to deliver. Bye!â€
“Bye.†Her smile stayed with Peter even as she ran off. Was that love, he wondered? Maybe he was reading too much into it. It's not as if he was the only person she was giving a card to. Still, it was the first time the Dolls had included him in anything like this. And there was no denying she was cute, even if a combat Doll like her could probably snap his spine like a twig. And, speaking of people who could snap him like a twig...
Peter was so busy watching SPAS-12 that didn't notice P90 approaching until her shadow fell over him. “Peter?†she said. He meant to keep ignoring her, but there was a quality to her voice that made him turn to look up at her shadowed visage. “Who was that just now, dear?â€
Her honeyed eyes shone full of displeasure, and even knowing that she was acting didn't stop his heart from racing. Peter opened his mouth, but he took a few seconds finding his voice. “Th-that was SPAS-12, obviously. You know her.†He frowned, as much at her for scaring him as at himself for being scared. “What are you playing at this time?â€
“Playing? Oh, darling, I'm not playing at all when I say, I don't want you seeing that woman ever again.†She smiled as she said that, but her grin held a threatening edge. Peter didn't know what to say, so he said nothing at all and walked away, hoping it would work a second time.
Before long, though, he sensed one of P90's steps behind him, then another, and another—one small step for every five or so of his strides. Though he didn't look back, he could tell from her shadow on the ground that her steps weren't falling far behind him, as the heavy thuds of her feet further attested. It scared him , despite himself, and was mad at her for it, but he kept it to himself and hoped that if he didn't react she would grow bored and leave.
Other Dolls up ahead noticed P90's approach and stepped out of the way as her shadow fell on them if not earlier. It occurred to Peter that he might tease P90 a bit and get back at her by chatting one of them up, so he approached a PPK standing outside of the gun range. “Good morning!†he greeted her.
“Er, good morning,†she replied, with a glance up at P90. “You're Peter, aren't you? Is there... something I can help you with?â€
P90 had stopped following him as soon as he spoke. She stayed behind as he made his way to the side of the road, and he grinned, thinking she might have finally taken a hint. Then she crouched, and a giant pair of hands fell between PPK and him. At a glare from P90, PPK retreated into the firing range, and other Dolls started putting some distance between themselves and the giant.
After staggering back from the sudden impact, Peter whirled around to give P90 a piece of his mind, but when her gaze fell on him with a tight-lipped smile as hard and cold as steel, the words died out and his mouth went dry.
“Maybe I didn't explain myself,†she said. Her knees fell several yards to his left and right, and she leaned over so that when he looked up she was almost all he could see. Peter felt a pressure that he hadn't felt since the Sangvis Ferri attack months ago, when one of their agents had briefly held him in her gaze. Involuntarily he stepped back, until his back met P90's fingers and he froze up.
P90 went on slowly. “I said I didn't want you seeing that woman again. What I should have said is I don't want you seeing any woman ever again—no one but me.†Her thumbs fell on the ground before him; they were half as thick as he was tall.
Peter was on the verge of agreeing to anything she said before he collected himself. “P90, I am not playing games. Go toy with someone else for a change,†he said.
A thumb slid forward, and pinned him to her pinkie. Peter trembled as it rubbed everything from his feet to his chest. He tried to push it away; it didn't budge an inch. “That's funny. I'm done playing games too, darling. Do you remember when I asked if you'd be mine forever? I don't think you understood what that meant when you answered yes. Maybe you need to be taught.†A thumb and forefinger pinched each of his arms up to the shoulder. Peter's heart sank to his feet as he was lifted off the ground. He tensed up. One instinct screamed at him to struggle, the other to hold on tight lest he fall ten, twenty, thirty yards to the pavement. He kicked his legs wildly looking for any sort of purchase, and finally set them on the side of P90's finger which she offered for support. Still he shook uncontrollably as he was brought up to her eyes.
“Being mine,†she said, “means being with me all the time. It means having eyes only for me, and doing whatever I ask because I love you and you love me. It means you can't let other women talk to you, and it means you definitely don't talk to them or even go near them. Because you're mine, and only mine.â€
P90 eased him onto her palm and stood. If Peter had been scared before, now he was terrified. He squeezed at her synthetic skin looking to get a grip on it, and redoubled his efforts as she turned around and started slowly walking, her hand and upper body swaying with every step.
“What were you going to tell that other woman just now?†she asked.
Peter couldn't even remember. His mouth worked without making a sound. “N-nothing! I swear I wasn't going to say anything!†he said at last.
“Really? They why did you talk to her? Could it be you were trying to make me jealous?†The shade of her fingers fell on him, and as he looked up he saw those heavy fingertips coming to hang overhead. In all his time among giant Dolls, even ones nearly twice P90's height, he'd never felt so much like a bug beside them as he did now.
“I... I wasn't... I swear I wasn't...â€
“Ohh, you poor thing~. Did I scare you?†From the way her fingers started stroking his body from end to end, you'd think she owned him truly and not just in act. “Don't you worry your pretty little head; I would never hurt you,†she said, her voice suggesting that she might gladly hurt other people if need be. “And you'll never do anything to hurt me either, right? That's why you'll do what I asked and stop talking to other women, right?â€
“R-right.†Real or fake, he would have sworn to anything if only it would make her leave him alone. His heart just about jumped out of his chest when she frowned at him instead.
“Rriiiigggghht...?†Peter swallowed. Her fingers, they pressed on his shoulders like iron. She only rubbed them, true, but he could hear their unspoken threat just fine.
“Right... Right, my dear.â€
Her lips smiled; her fingers moved away. “You have no idea how happy you've made me, darling~.†P90 raised him to her cheek. The giant Doll's skin was thick as leather, the synthetic flesh of her cheek heavy like a bag of sand; it dimpled only slightly when he was pressed against it. Peter squirmed awkwardly in that little pocket between her hand and cheek, at least until she started nuzzling him. “You won't leave me anymore, will you Peter?â€
“N-no! N-never... honey.â€
“And do you love me?â€
“I-I love you! More than anything in the world!â€
“And will you be mine forever?â€
“Yes, yes! And I'll do anything you ask, and I'll have eyes only for you, and I'll never speak to another woman again!â€
P90 giggled and pulled him away from her cheek. “See? I knew you'd learn eventually. All you needed was a little push to get you on the right path. Now, just be sure to remember it this time and no one will have to get hurt.†Her puckered lips drew closer, and though Peter raised his hands to hold them at bay, they were effortlessly pushed aside until those cushions met their target. His face smothered under her lower lip, Peter couldn't even breathe until she'd adjusted him up a bit, holding his head between both lips. He tried to push them away, but the hand at his back held him unshakably against her kiss; if anything, she only smiled and held him even tighter. In time he gave up struggling. It wasn't that bad, he told his racing heart.
When she finally pulled back, P90 cast him a self-satisfied look, and almost immediately started laughing. “He-he-he! What's with that face you're making? Did my kiss really floor you that much, or is this part of your acting still?â€
Peter shook his head. Had he been making a face? And what sort of face was it? And she... she was laughing about it, after giving him such a scare! This girl, she deserved worse than a piece of his mind! He moved to stand, but quickly sat back down, all the wind gone from his sails, when he caught a glimpse of the ground. With all P90's teasing, he had forgotten what a height he was at.
Her laughter settled down, and she smiled at him. What a difference there was in it this time—finally she was back to her usual sweet self. Peter couldn't find it in him to be mad at her anymore, he was just glad that it was all over.
“Thanks for playing along! It took you a while to catch on, but you did pretty good after that.â€
“Well, you're welcome,†he muttered. “Don't you think you took it a bit far, though?â€
“Did I? I thought that was pretty tame for a yandere. I didn't even punish PPK for catching my man's eye. Maybe I'll go practice on someone else to get more feedback. Oh, and thank you for your help.†She raised him to her mouth for another kiss, a quick peck that felt more like being hit with a pillow. Crouching down, she turned her hand over and let him slide onto the ground, right by Springfield's bar. “Happy Valentine's! I'll see you around!†she said and walked away, searching for another hapless victim.
Peter thought of telling her to stop her games, but he figured it would fall on deaf ears. Let her have a little harmless fun for now. Maybe later the Commander would be able to get her under control—if she didn't overwhelm him too. Still, he had to make himself look away, flaring his nose in displeasure. “Look at that: getting feelings for a Doll just from a little kiss like that. You'd think I didn't know any better,†he thought, and walked past some curious Dolls to enter the bar.
He sat down with a glass of something strong to calm his nerves, and when he was halfway through a second glass he reached into his pocket and tossed SPAS's envelope up on the table, his eyes falling on that little red heart.
Love. Could Dolls really understand it?
Maybe not completely, but P90 had understood enough to act out different kinds of love as convincingly as the real thing. And if she understood it, did SPAS-12...
Peter grimaced and downed the rest of his drink. No point in trying to think it out, especially with how tipsy he was already. Besides, it was Valentine's; the day was young still, and there was no shortage of cute girls at the base, Dolls or otherwise. A few more drinks and he wouldn't even mind making a fool of himself with whichever one happened to catch his eye, be it Springfield or SPAS-12 or... sure, even P90. And why not? She still owed him more than a kiss after that scare. And if she only wanted to play more of her games with him, well maybe he could find one that'd be fun for them both.
Giantess World
