Nick sighed contentedly as he stepped out of the shower, wrapping a fresh towel around his waist. It felt so good to be clean, especially after everything he’d been through that day. Sure, after rescuing him, Jenny had been thoughtful enough to give him a nice, warm, gentle rinse beneath the faucet in the bathroom sink, which was sufficient enough to at least wash off the stench from the day’s events, and able to get through a conversation and smooth things over with his landlord, but after having literally been face-first in a giant pile of shit, Nick wasn’t going to feel clean until he had thoroughly scrubbed his whole body down from head to toe.
After taking a few minutes to dry off and freshen up in front of the mirror, Nick threw on a fresh pair of clean clothes, tossed his towel over the shower rod, and flipped off the bathroom light as he headed back down the hall.
“Feel better?” Jenny chortled from the couch as Nick stepped into the living room.
“You have NO idea!” Nick sighed, heading over and sitting down next to her.
“You know,” Jenny chuckled softly, “I could’ve just given you a nice, warm bath right there in the sink earlier while you were still small. I promise, I would’ve been gentle.”
“Yeah, I’m sure you would have,” Nick smirked, “but honestly, I think I’ve had enough shrunken fun for one day. Besides, I had to grow back to deal with the landlord. You wouldn’t exactly want him walking in on us and finding you bathing a little, one-inch man, would you?!”
“Yeah, I guess not,” Jenny giggled, gently stroking his hand, “but at least it’ll be something fun we can consider for the future.”
“I’m not really sure you bathing me in the sink is something I would consider ‘fun’, Jen.” Nick replied.
Jenny flashed him a playful, pouty lip.
“...But...maybe sometime we could shower together, and you could use me as your little, luffa sponge?” Nick added with a sly smirk, trying to raise her spirits. “You know, lather me up and use me to wash your whole body, from head to toe....and everywhere in between.”
“Mm, that DOES sound nice!” Jenny chuckled seductively, kissing him softly.
“Well, maybe you should’ve considered joining me just now.” Nick offered, grinning.
“Well, the thought certainly crossed my mind,” Jenny admitted, “but considering everything you’ve been through today, I figured you might need a nice, hot shower by yourself. Besides, I just needed to wash my face and freshen up a bit.”
“Yeah,” Nick said sympathetically. “Cassie really did a number on your nose, didn’t she?”
“Yeah, she did,” Jenny said, gently patting her bandaged nose, cringing slightly from the tenderness. “I think it’ll be OK, though. At least the bleeding stopped.”
“Yeah, but I’d feel terrible if it was broken or something,” Nick offered.
“Oh, don’t worry too much about it, Nick, ” Jenny reassured him. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. I’m more worried about YOU! Are you sure YOU’RE gonna be OK?”
“Yeah,” he nodded, “I’ll be OK....thanks to you. Honestly, I don’t know WHAT might’ve happened if you hadn’t come over to check on me when you did, Jenny. You saved me.”
“You saved me, too, Nick,” Jenny smiled softly, chortling a bit. “You’re my...‘little’ hero.”
“Well....not so ‘little’ anymore,” Nick clarified jokingly.
“Yeah,” Jenny added softly, “but you know, with your powers, you’re kinda like a SUPER-hero!”
“I...wouldn’t exactly call myself a ‘SUPERHERO’, Jen,” Nick replied dubiously. “In fact, that’s probably the LAST thing I’d consider myself. I mean, it’s not exactly a ‘super power’, and I wasn’t really thinking about ‘saving the world’ when I got them in the first place. Plus, I’m just now learning how to fully control them. I didn’t respect these powers when I first got them, and look what happened—at all the trouble they caused! These ‘powers’ come with a lotta responsibilities, Jen, and...well, whatever I decide to do with them moving forward, I’ve gotta be careful, and make sure I keep them under control.”
“Well,” Jenny interjected, trying to comfort him, “at the very least, you won’t have to worry about Cassie mistreating you anymore.”
“Well, sure,” Nick agreed halfheartedly, “I guess, but there’s still the matter of me moving all my stuff out of here. I can’t imagine how awkward that’s going to be after everything that’s happened.”
“You’ll just have to grin and bear it,” Jenny told him, “and the sooner you get moved out, the better you’ll feel.”
“OK, maybe...but what about Cassie?”
“Oh, I don’t think she’ll be any trouble...” Jenny shrugged, shifted her legs around and resting her left foot in her lap, flashing her sole towards Nick, “...will you, Cassie?”
Nick’s eyes went wide: face-down in the middle of Jenny’s sole, writhing beneath a healthy layer of clear tape, was a tiny, one-inch-tall Cassie. Jenny had secured her there while Nick was in the shower, and was currently scrunching and wiggling her toes playfully, delighting in seeing Cassie struggle feverishly to free herself, shouting tiny, muffled curses to the giants above.
“...You....taped her to your FOOT?!” Nick exclaimed with surprise.
“What?! I had to keep her out of trouble,” Jenny replied defensively. “Besides, you told me she did the same thing to you, and considering everything she’s put you through, I think it’s the LEAST that she deserves. Plus, it...feels kinda good having her wiggling around under my foot. I was kinda thinking how fun it might be to keep her as my own, personal, foot massager.”
“You know, she IS going to grow back eventually, Jen,” Nick reminded her. “Even I can’t stay small forever without actively trying.”
“I know,” Jenny shrugged, gently stroking the tape across Cassie’s back, “but don’t you think we could just...you know, keep her there for a little while? If she starts to grow back, you could just...shrink her smaller.”
“Jenny, I’m not even sure how I did it the FIRST time!” Nick admitted. “It was just a spur the moment thing—an act of desperation. I’m surprised it even WORKED! I mean, it makes NO sense whatsoever! It completely undermines EVERYTHING I thought I’d l learned about how I’m able to shrink myself!”
“Alright, calm down,” Jenny replied defensively. “It was just a suggestion. Don’t bite my head off!”
“I’m sorry, Jenny,” Nick apologized, sighing. “I...I guess I’m still just a little on edge. I mean, I’ve been working so hard to figure out and control these powers, and with everything that’s happened, I just...”
Nick places his fingers to his temple and slumped back in his seat; the exhaustion of the whole ordeal had finally hit him.
“Hey,” Jenny replied comfortingly, gently resting her hand upon his arm, “it’ll be OK, Nick. You don’t have to do this alone: we’ll work on it together; I’ll help you however I can.”
“Thanks, Jen,” Nick smiled softly, gently stroking the back of her hand.
“...And we can start tonight.” Jenny added, patting his arm.
“T-Tonight?” Nick uttered.
“Yes, ‘tonight’!” Jenny reiterated. “...and EVERY night while you’re staying with me?”
“I—I’m ‘staying’ with you?!” Nick queried with confusion.
“Yeah,” Jenny replied incredulously. “Where else ya gonna stay?”
“I...I-I just assumed I’d be staying back at the motel,” Nick shrugged, his eyes falling upon the digital clock over the TV. “Besides, it’s already past checkout time. I’m gonna have to pay for another night anyway.”
“Oh no, you’re NOT!” Jenny declared.
“Uh...I-I’m not what?!” Nick reeled with surprise at Jenny’s tone.
“YOU’RE NOT staying by yourself!” Jenny insisted adamantly. “I’m not letting you out of my sight until you have these powers of yours under control. Or, at least, not until I’m satisfied you’re not gonna have anymore of these shrinking episodes.”
“But...but Jenny, I-I wouldn’t want to impose...”
“‘Impose’ nothing,” Jenny stated bluntly. “You’re not getting a choice! I’m not taking a chance on you shrinking and getting lost again, ESPECIALLY if I’m not there to help you! NO! You’re staying with me, and that’s final!”
“OK, OK,” Nick replied defensively. “If you insist...”
“I DO!” Jenny interrupted.
Nick grinned, easing the tension a bit.
“Well, at least it’ll be nice spending the night with someone again,” he added. “I have been feeling kinda lonely in that motel room.”
“Yeah,” Jenny chuckled lightly, resting her head on his shoulder with a satisfied sigh. “I bet you have.”
The two cuddled for a few moments, Jenny continuously tapping and swinging her foot, grinning as she felt Cassie squirm against her sole.
“You know, it’s too bad she won’t stay small forever,” Jenny spoke up, feeling Cassie’s tiny form stretching against the tape on her foot. “I could get used to this.”
“Jenny, even after everything she put me through, I wouldn’t want that for her...for ANYONE,” Nick said. “We should consider ourselves lucky that the effects are only temporary....otherwise, I’d probably STILL be small.”
“Yeah, I guess,” Jenny relented, admired her sole’s tiny prisoner. “Well, at the very least, it’s comforting to know that if you DO have another shrinking episode, you’ll eventually grow back.”
“Trust me,” Nick chimed in, “it’s VERY comforting! But we shouldn’t have to worry about it too much: I might still have trouble growing myself back to normal size, but I haven’t had an shrinking episode for weeks now.”
“...Uh, yeah,” Jenny replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes, “until this morning.”
“...Oh!...Uh, right...un-til this morning,” Nick stammered, suffering a brief moment of hesitation.
Nick’s response didn’t fully register in Jenny’s mind, and she initially huffed with disbelief that Nick could be so forgetful....then, her brow suddenly furrowed with perplexity.
“Wait...why did you say it like that?” she spoke up, removing her head from his shoulder and sitting upright.
“Uh...say ‘what’ like ‘what’?” Nick stammered nervously.
“Just now,” she clarified. “Why did you hesitate when you said what you just said?”
“...Uh...I-I don’t know,” Nick replied deceptively. “What did I just say?”
“That you hadn’t had...“ Jenny’s voice trailed off, and her confusion quickly turned to suspicion.
“Nick?” she asked intently. “You’re shrinking when you were with Cassie this morning...that WAS an accident, riiiiiight?”
At that moment, Nick spotted the now 1-and-1/2 inch Cassie struggling furiously beneath the tape on Jenny’s foot, frantically squeaking something that was almost entirely muffled by Jenny’s fleshy sole.
Nick’s eyes went wide; he carefully, yet hastily, placed one hand on Jenny’s ankle, and the other across Cassie’s back, re-securing the tiny woman to Jenny’s foot, effectively stifling her shouts.
“Nick,” Jenny inquired suspiciously, “what’re you doing?”
Nick replied quickly through gritted teeth.
“Uh...just seeing if I can keep Cassie small for a little while longer?”