[Report This]Date: June 01 2025 9:06 AM Title: Chapter 20 - Love Comes In Threes
Well damn, that was a bold choice! I love that Ben revealed himself here and that Morgan dealt with said revelation so well. As I said in my last review, I thought Ben would panic and hit that button and that Morgan would flip out and leave in embarrassment if he actually did go through with telling her the truth. But, like I also said in that review, I'm really glad to have been wrong!
Because yeah, this was such a gratifying chapter! Ben has gone so long without telling anyone outside his family about the complications of his new job and we've been along for the ride, just watching as the weight of all these secrets kept holding him down. So to see him feel such relief (instead of the embarrassment he was expecting to feel) at Morgan learning the truth was so satisfying. It also allowed Ben to be at his best at a time where he really needed to be.
I didn't really think that Morgan would be the vulnerable one in this chapter (regardless of how Ben would have handled his voice modifier going out), but it was an incredible thing to see. Tiny Ben was 10 feet tall in this chapter, providing outstanding emotional support to his best friend, who felt like she was on the verge of for most of the chapter. She came off as strong, holding things together and being steady despite being mortified at accidentally telling Ben the truth and what that could mean for their friendship, but, at the same time, there was just enough behind her words and actions to give us a glimpse at the emotional turmoil going on inside her. This was a hell of a balancing act you pulled off, and you did so flawlessly!
Ben, for his part, came off so fucking lovable here! He put Morgan first at a time where you would expect him to be panicking about himself. This was the exact scenario that he was so desperate to avoid, but when it finally came, he was so focused on what was wrong with her that he didn't even try to dwell on his own concerns. That's fucking awesome! It really shows not only what a good guy he is (and why these girls are so into him) but also how much he cares about Morgan! That line about having too much respect for her to just brush off those feelings she confessed really resonated with me. too! What a great way to look at the situation, you know, instead of taking her feelings for him as a problem or something to be worried about.
I feel like Morgan is being subtly set up to back down and make room for Angie as the main love interest of the story. A good chunk of her dialogue here was about how she was helping Ben reconcile with Angie because that's what you do when you care about someone, even when they don't feel the same way back. There was also that bit about wanting to stay friends no matter what, which came off way more legitimate than that kind of talk usually does in situations like these. She also had a very resigned attitude toward the whole thing, although her reactions when Ben hinted that he wasn't sure but could maybe feel the same way shows that she still has a little hope.
Personally, I wouldn't mind if the Angie stuff was a swerve and Morgan was the love interest, with Angie and Ben just becoming friends. I don't think that's how this is going to play out, and there is a lot of potential with how Angie and Ben's potential relationship shakes out, but Morgan (who I've liked from the start) truly won me over here. She doesn't feel like a passing love interest or just a complication on the way to Ben and Angie getting together; this interaction between Morgan and Ben feels very real. so to speak, like the emotional development between the two from this point forward is crucial and special.
But, to clarify, I don't think Ben and Morgan are going to get together, nor would I be disappointed if/when Ben chooses Angie. I'd love that, too, honestly. All I'm saying is that this Ben and Morgan stuff here was so fucking good that I could see them ending up together and that it would make sense. I was Team Angie at first, now I could really go either way. So great work writing a powerful scene between these two!
Oh, and I love that Morgan remembers the moment she fell for him. It wasn't a bold romantic or brave gesture or anything most would consider significant. It was that he took the time and had the patience to help her when no one else would. Spending three hours on a calculus problem sounds like torture to me! I love that Ben did that for her and didn't even consider that doing so would earn her love. He didn't do it to earn points with her (I feel like there are a lot of people who do things like this for selfish reasons like that). He really just wanted to help.
Also, calculus freshman year? My theory of their school being an elite prep school type setting seems to be alive and well!
I complimented you last chapter about how you wrote the handheld stuff between Morgan and Ben, but holy shit did you up your game here! Morgan gently but subconsciously wrapping her fingers around Ben for comfort was fucking amazing! And when she realized this and apologized, she didn't immediately let go, either! She probably needed that comfort to get over the discomfort of realizing she did that in the first place! But seriously, I love Ben's reaction, not shying away from it and even admitting that it helped him feel less vulnerable. That's trust! He's "trapped" in a giant's grip, but it makes him feel safer instead of more in danger. And Morgan leaning into it, rubbing his shoulder (the thing she teased about him doing to her last chapter) was a perfect choice!
And her laugh reverberating through her fingers and into Ben as she held him was fantastic! Those little details are so cool! Great work!
I'm so curious to see where things go from here. Will Morgan and Ben continue the session? It sounds like they won't, both based on how they were talking and how that last paragraph read. And yeah, with those feelings out there and things in a state of flux between them, I could see how it might be awkward to do so. On the flip side, Morgan did pay for the full hand and foot treatment, and needs to relax for that presentation. not to mention how it might look to the rest of the staff if Ben doesn't finish the session properly. Just because Morgan is his friend doesn't mean he can skimp out on his duties (even if that's not what he would actually be doing)!
It would also be great to see these two keep the "most honest conversation" they've ever had while the size difference is still there. Maybe I just don't want to see that conversation end just yet. It'd be awesome if Morgan asked him why he was working at Tiny Treatments and to see her reaction after hearing about his family's plight (assuming she doesn't already know, but I'm guessing she doesn't). But hell, even if we pick up at school the next day (or get another at home with Maggie chapter!), I'll be super interested to see where you go with this story next!
Author's Response:
When I was thinking on how to approach this encounter, I did consider getting Ben out of that tight spot without revealing his identity, but... If I did that, it would've hit pause on getting closer to Morgan and their development and the whole thing would just be drawn out too much over time until she finally did find out, so I decided to have him reveal himself already instead, which leads into the whole talk and bonding and that's how I preferred it, in the end.
As for who Ben will eventually get together with, that's also something I've been agonizing about for a long time. Obviously I'm not going to mention who or why, it's still a ways off until that moment, but I did just go with whoever I decided on and not question that decision too much!
I love hand-held and grabbing, it's highly underrated. It's my hope that people will read these scenes and apply more of that to their own stories so we can have more tinies being held by giant hands. All part of the plan. :)
As for where the story is heading next. Well as usual, there'll be a lot of setting up before the next appointment with a bunch of interactions that have guidance and advice because our main character needs a lot of that at all times.