Giantess World
Author's Chapter Notes:
The chapter title means "Sine Qua Non." And no, I didn't accidentally skip the wedding. :P
Time passed, as time does. Adam stood now less than two feet high -- 19ž inches, just over 50 centimeters, easily the shortest adult male in the world. Indeed, the Guinness people had certified him during an appearance on the Jayne Jordan Show two nights before, on the eve of his wedding day.
Now, he sat in the airport in a seat the size of a sofa, waiting to board a flight for his honeymoon.
Some ways away, observing from an airport bar, sat two figures whose presence would have spoken poorly about airport security, as they had simply walked through the TSA checkpoint without even removing their shoes. Of course, Gods are allowed some leeway that mortals are not.
So, are you willing to concede? the female asked, as she watched the tiny man snuggle up to the side of the woman three times his size.
Concede? Whatever for?
Theyre married, arent they? It was on the news, see? she said, pointing at a monitor, which was showing what all the photographers had agreed was the hero shot Stephanie kneeling down to kiss Adam, softly but fully on the lips. The shot was already being readied for the next edition of People.
Married, schmarried. Marriage isnt the end of the story, my wayward wife. You and I know that better than any of these mortals. The test isnt over until its run its full course.
Shes not going to break, said Aphrodite, sighing. You could at least show them the kindness of not continuing this. Havent they suffered enough?
Suffered? This is what volitionals were made for, dearest. To test. To answer our questions for us. You ruined poor Pariss life just to prove you were hotter than Athena and Hera (and frankly, you had him when you disrobed); dont lecture me on sympathy.
Im thousands of years older than I was then, and a good deal wiser. I am more attractive than Athena and Hera, but I dont feel the need to show if off anymore. If it happened now, Hera could have the damned apple.
But youre right, marriage is just a mile-marker, it isnt a destination, no matter what the stories claim. Well leave them alone. See if they live happily ever after. But at some point, you will concede.
Hephaestus was silent.
You will concede eventually, right?
How long did Penelope wait for Ulysses to come home, Aphrodite? Twenty long years, she waited, though she knew not whether he was alive or dead. Twenty years of a mortal life! She remained faithful to her husband though she had suitors aplenty. And you are pestering me to concede now?
Aphrodite stared, nonplussed. When she gathered herself, she found she was quaking with rage. Surely, she said, you would not be so petty as to require of these two twenty years of heartache simply on the chance it would prove your point? Surely you would not force this woman to live a life of chastity long after all hope of seeing or communicating with her husband was past?
Why not? It was good enough for the ancients.
We were awful to the ancients. They put up with far more than they ever should have, said Aphrodite.
They were stoic. Not like these hedonists. Youre telling me that this girl cant keep her legs crossed for a couple decades? Some champion for womankind.
Penelope is still lauded today simply because her actions were so unusual! That kind of faithfulness borders on pathological; Ulysses had no right to expect his wife to be faithful to him, especially as he spent a year fucking our cousin Circe.
Why not mention Calypso? Hephaestus asked with a thin smile. She had him for seven years, if I recall.
Because Calypso kidnapped and raped him, precious husband. But he bedded Circe with eyes wide open even had her swear by your name and mine, and all our brothers and sisters names too, that she wouldnt steal his manhood the vagabond had no problem getting his carnal needs met. But Penelope? Shes supposed to keep her legs crossed. And this is what you say dear Stephanie must do? You are more blind than I thought.
Hmpf. You are awfully quick to ask for my concession. And awfully impatient that the deed be done, and right quick. Not bloody likely, but Ill offer you this: you can break the contract, if you wish, said Hephaestus.
No chance, replied Aphrodite, angrily. You are simply looking to force me to break the contract because you know you have lost. I should have known better to trust your word. No, Hephaestus, I thought you knew that I was tougher than that. I will not accede to your wishes.
Then we wait, he said.
No. We do not.
Then what in Zeus name do you suggest we do?
I shall appeal to The Council of Thirteen.
Appeal? scoffed the God of Artisans. Do you really think The Council will give you a fair hearing?
Whether they do or not is Their decision, not yours nor mine, said Aphrodite. I must place this in Their hands. My responsibility to this couple and to women generally requires it. If The Council wishes to punish me for what I once was .
Athenas on the Council, you know.
Shes no more likely to favor you, shot Aphrodite.
Youll lose, said Hephaestus, straightening himself.
Well see, said Aphrodite, as she vanished.
* * *
Adam shifted uncomfortably in the chair, while Stephanie perused the paperwork for the cruise; they had purchased this trip back before well, back before. And he was willing to go on it because Stephanie wanted to; she didnt quite say that she wanted to go on the honeymoon because it would be their last vacation together, but he knew the thought had gone through her head. The thought had gone through his head. How could it not?
The wedding had been lovely, everything hed hoped for. Since hed reached his breaking point that night, that awful night, the night hed pondered suicide hed finally found some balance. He was dying; he knew it. He didnt want to die, and he was scared, but there was no stopping it. Scientists had taken measurements of his gait, his head, his legs, his arms, and declared that physically, he shouldnt be able to walk like he did. One doctor admitted that the whole thing seemed not just apart from medicine, but a violation of the laws of physics. They didnt know how to stop it. They didnt even know how it was happening in the first place. No, they would not be able to stop it. He might get lucky and stay large enough for Stephanie to talk to, to see, to hear, to love. He thought if he could stay even a couple of inches tall
but he admitted to himself that he probably had about two months left. Two months before he was a millimeter tall, give or take a few days. His reduction in size had worse and better days, but on average hed lost about ten percent of his height each day since it started. (Ten percent of his width and depth, too or eventually hed have ended up a pancake; he wondered, idly, if that would be better. No there were advantages to being human in form, even if he was too small.)
He looked over at Stephanie, who was still radiant despite the fact that theyd partied late into the night. He saw her in his minds eye, decked out in her lovely white dress, her mammoth form collapsing down toward him; he was just a bit over knee-high, and she appeared to be nearly eighteen feet tall. She had chosen a dress that accentuated her décolletage he hadnt known, but he heartily approved. Her breasts were enormous, and delicious, and he could have stared at them forever as they came to dominate his view, except then her face approached, and he saw her huge, blue eyes blinking back tears of joy and pain, tears that mirrored his own, and that he could have stared at forever and a day. And she kissed him with those amazing lips, and he kissed back as best he could. And in that moment, he realized
Excuse me, but Im sorry, I just saw you and, well, I mean, I cant believe its really you two!
The girl was a teenager, maybe, or maybe in her early twenties people were all so big that it was getting hard for him to tell. She was lovely, wearing a skimpy halter-top and denim jeans, obviously more than ready for her vacation to begin. He sighed at the interruption, and forced a smile. I assume were us, he said, repeating the line that he used in these situations. Im Adam White, this is my my wife, he said, realizing that Stephanie was his wife.
Im Aimee. I think its sooooo amazing how youve been able to cope with all of this. I mean, its just gotta be hard on both of you, but you got married! I mean, I saw it on the news its awesome!
The girl babbled on, while Stephanie and Adam nodded, occasionally exchanging meaningful glances. Aimee had wanted her parents to take her picture with Adam sitting on her lap; Stephanie had given Adam a sportive grin, and said shed be happy to take the picture. Adam had been perched precariously on the comely lasss lap, his head resting against her breasts. Stephanie had to stifle a laugh as she took the picture, and handed the camera to Aimee.
Bet you didnt know that all youd have to do to get the ladies was shrink, she said, kissing his forehead. Do I need to be jealous?
Adam fought back the brief pang of despair; he knew Stephanie was teasing him. Shes too young. I think. How old do you think she is?
Shes in high school. So I dont think it would be legal, even if you intended to stray. But now that the first girl has broken our protective zone, Im sure others will be coming.
Well, he said, looking at the tiny ring that had been fashioned for him (it had been fashioned from a strip of gold, along with three smaller rings and one that would fit him if he should revert to full height hope springs eternal), its just lucky for you that you got this ring on my finger when you still had the chance.
I know it, said Stephanie, bittersweetly. I know it.
* * *
Stephanies prediction had come true. There were pictures to be taken, autographs to sign. The old couple who simply came over to express their congratulations were their favorites; they were heading down to Florida for their fiftieth wedding anniversary. They were both jealous; though neither said it, both knew they were going to end up 49 years, 10 months short of that.
Stephanie tried to keep an even keel, though it was hard. The wedding reception the night before had taken on the tenor of an Irish wake; nobody quite said that Adam was dying, but everyone in the room had known it. She remembered when her grandfather was dying, the last few weeks, when he couldnt move, couldnt eat, couldnt talk, but his eyes his eyes were still lively as ever. He knew full well what was going on. He could see the end coming. So could Stephanie.
She saw the end coming again.
Adam spent most of the flight on Stephanies lap, his head resting against her left breast, lightly dozing. She liked having him there; she felt, however irrationally, that she could protect him. That her body could deflect any dangers from her tiny husband, that she could keep him safe from the oncoming storm. But she knew that the danger was within his body, that he would slip further and further from her grasp, until one day he was gone.
She didnt want to say it, though. Not yet. There would be time for goodbyes, and then then she would keep her promise. However hard that would be.
* * *
Getting checked in was relatively easy; there was minor confusion, as Stephanie and Adam had been upgraded to a larger suite courtesy of the cruise line, which was loving the attention the minor celebrities had brought to it. But it took just a few minutes of confusion before they were heading to their cabin, Adam running to keep up with the giants (he had stubbornly refused to let Stephanie carry him; he knew hed have to give up very soon, but he wanted to walk on his own for as long as he could). The cabin boy was leading the way, with Stephanie falling behind to stay near to Adam; they turned a corner, and Adam raced around it to keep up, when he collided with a moving body and was sent flying.
Adam! he heard Stephanie call, as he woozily rolled over. The guy he collided with must be build like a Mack Truck. He turned around to see the concerned person looking down on him.
Wow, are you okay? the girl asked. She couldnt have been more than five or six, with braids on either side of her head, and a soft, quizzical gaze; clearly, she was not used to seeing 18 men wherever she was from.
Im fine, Adam said, grabbing the hand the girl offered.
Kenzie, what are you my goodness, what happened? said an immense thirtysomething woman, who was coming back for her wayward daughter, arriving just as Stephanie did. Why youre that that guy! the behemoth said.
Yeah, thats me, Adam said. I ran into your daughter. Sorry, should have looked where I was going.
Im sorry, its just that youre really small! I didnt see you! the little girl blurted out.
Im used to it, he said. Now go on with your mom.
Im so sorry, the mom said to Stephanie, almost not addressing Adam. Kenzie needs to be more careful.
Im fine, Adam said. Its okay, really.
As the mom pulled the girl along with her (the girl, for her part, was fascinated by the tiny adult shed nearly flattened), Stephanie knelt down. Are you okay? she said.
Im fine, Adam said, but I think I will take you up on the offer to carry me the rest of the way.
* * *
The room was smallish by room standards, largish by ship standards. Adam joked as he entered that they should have asked for a smaller cabin; it would make him feel more at home. But he was glad that Stephanie would have room to stretch out a bit, and while his ears were still ringing from the collision, he actually felt okay once they got settled. Home was where Steph was, after all, and as long as she was there with him, hed be fine.
Are you sure youre all right? Stephanie asked for at least the fifth time. You went flying.
Well, I only weigh five pounds. That kid weighs, I dont know, like six thousand compared to me. But Im fine, really. Just had the wind knocked out. Whats next?
Well, said Stephanie, were on our honeymoon. And while Ive never been on one before, Ive come to understand that the best part of most honeymoons is the sex.
Really, Adam said. Sex? Youre sure? I mean, Ive been told that cruise ship buffets are really good. You dont want to hit that first?
Im enough bigger than you as it is, I dont need to go adding weight. No, I think that we should get everything put away, go to the life preserver practice, and then come back and make out like sixteen-year-olds until dinner.
Can we make it twenty-year-olds? Adam asked. I was a lot better at making out at twenty than I was at sixteen.
Hmm, Stephanie said, grinning, come to think of it, youre better now than youve ever been. Lets make out like 28-year-olds.
Sounds good, said Adam. Then, he paused. You know, I wish with all my heart I could promise you that wed be making out like 69-year-olds some day. Or even 29-year-olds.
Nobody can promise that, said Stephanie, picking him up and cradling him in her arms, almost like he was an infant. She kissed him softly on the forehead. I know, its I dont ever want to say goodbye to you, she said. But if nothing else, we get to make out like 28-year-olds, right? If nothing else, youre my husband, til death do us part.
Adam smiled, just a bit. I just wish, he said, that I was a long way from knowing when that would be.
* * *
Celebrity is not all its cracked up to be. The lifeboat drill got them noticed by an unctuous crew member who said shed been assigned to be their personal concierge for the trip; they were invited to the Captains Table for dinner, which meant rather than enjoying a long and leisurely fuck, they instead got to get dressed to the nines. Adam was self-conscious about sitting in the center of the room, but Stephanie claimed she got some good photos out of it, so he accepted it.
When at long last, they made it back to their cabin, they were a bit tired and annoyed. But not so tired and annoyed that they didnt strip down rather quickly.
Stephanie picked him up and put him on her chest, laying between her two breasts, so she could look him in the eye.
Adam scooted up between the breasts, feeling their soft gelatinous warmth, he softness of Stephanies skin as his naked member slid along it. He reached out and steadied himself, placing a hand on both her cheeks. And then he kissed her, as hard as an 18˝-inch-tall man can kiss a 21-foot-tall woman. He took in her tongue as she gently pressed it into his tiny mouth, and he pressed his tiny tongue against hers in a kiss that was a promise and a consecration.
They lay like that, simply kissing, for quite some time before they finally broke, and with a kiss on her chin, Adam slid backward down her chest and onto her stomach. He embraced her right breast, which was now bigger than his head. Her nipple was almost too big to suck on he would miss that when it was gone, he thought, but he loved the detail he could see, as he kissed and sucked on her tit, watching her areolae crinkle and her nipple grow. He had seen this before, of course, many happy times. But the smaller he got, the more intricate detail he could make out.
It was the one thing that made this bearable the smaller he got, the more of Stephanie there was. And there couldnt possibly be too much of Stephanie.
He moved over to her left breast, as he always felt a need to be fair to the breasts. Then he slid back in between her thighs, and leaned against her sweaty sex, the enormous vulva, the bulb of her clit. He touched the lips, and as he had discovered he could last week, he slid his right arm in, all the way up to the elbow.
He worked his arm back and forth as he softly kissed her nubbin. She was growing slicker by the moment, as he slid his arms back and forth. And then, he paused just for a moment, and pulled his arm out.
Whats wrong? Stephanie rumbled, half-annoyed, half-concerned.
I think said Adam, and then he threw caution to the wind, and dove head-first into the crevasse.
He couldnt get more than neck-deep in, and he figured he probably shouldnt stay here too long, lest he trigger an orgasm and end up with whiplash. But he kissed her inner lips, filling his whole person with her. He wanted to know, in a week or two, when his arm was too small, whether he himself could stomach the blast-furnace heat of Stephanies sex.
As he pulled his head out, he gasped for air and grinned. He could more than stomach it.
His head wet with her juices, he turned his attention back to her clit, and buried his arm in again. It was but a moment before Stephanie burst.
It was only the beginning of a long night, the first of several long nights. Theyd make up for it by sleeping in. Or having sex during the day. Whatever worked.
When they finally finished for the night, sweaty and spent, Adam curled up next to his gigantic bride, and kissed her cheek once more as they drifted off. No matter how little time he had left, this was where he wanted to spend it.
* * *
Youre asking a lot of The Council, Aphrodite.
The young man adjusted his glasses, investigating her petition. In his lilting British accent, he said, Ordinarily, this is the sort of thing that would be taken up at the general session in thirty-four Terran years.
That would be beyond the time upon which the respondent has allowed he would concede defeat. I hold that he is violating the spirit of our agreement, and that action is required now.
I can read, Aphrodite. But why the action now?
To save these volitionals the agony of separation. Believe me, if you set this for thirty-four years from now, Ill simply amend the petition to demand temporal marking and repair.
The Assistant Secretary chuckled at that. Youre forceful, all right. Are you sure you never worked for a record company?
Aphrodite smiled in spite of herself. I have, actually, but not in legal. At any rate, I ask that this be placed for immediate hearing.
And they say Im a dreamer, the angel said, checking some boxes. We may work in miracles here in the Central Office, but thats beyond possible. Earliest I can set the hearing for is six weeks time.
Six weeks! Hell be shrunk down to nothing by then!
Take it or leave it.
Aphrodite sighed. She actually was doing better than she thought; she had expected to have this thrown out for a year, maybe two. Six weeks that gave her a chance. All right, she said. And please, express my appreciation to both St. Peter and Mr. Anansi.
Right, love, said the man, scribbling a J.L. on a line, chuckling at the irony of it all. Now, confidentially you didnt hear this from me but Id say you owe it to your little charge to keep an eye on him in the meanwhile.
Why?
Well, the Devils Advocate was in my office right before you were, trying to file paperwork preempting your challenge as irrelevant. I denied it of course not that Beelzebub was surprised. Still, seems that there are other forces at work here that have taken an interest in your Mr. White.
Malakas! swore Aphrodite, before looking up apologetically. Im sorry for the profanity .
Love, Ive said far worse things than that. Just dont go telling anyone I tipped you off.
I wont. Thank you, said the Goddess. And with that, she disappeared.
* * *
They lay on the Mexican beach, soaking up the sun. It was heavenly.
Its too bad we couldnt go snorkeling, Stephanie mused, lying on her stomach as her Ken doll-sized husband worked sunscreen into the back of her thighs.
He had insisted.
Theres no reason you cant, he said, dropping into the valley between her legs, so as to better get the interior of them. Just because the jellyfish would pack too big a wallop for me, thats no reason you cant go see them.
Aw, thats swee yeeeee yuh. Dont forget were in public, dear. Anyhow, thats sweet, but there are some awfully big people here. I wouldnt want to leave you to fend for yourself.
Aw, I can handle it.
Honey, youre seven inches shorter than you were when this trip started, Stephanie worried.
I know, said Adam, quietly, rather amazed as he stared through the canyon of Stephanies butt, looking down her twelve-foot-long torso. But honey, how many chances will you get to go snorkeling in the Gulf of Mexico? Ill be here when you get back. And I can put more lotion on you.
Mmm. And then I can peel those red swim trunks off you.
They peel off easy, theyre a bit big, you know.
Stephanie giggled. Youre sure youll be okay?
Im sure. Go!
A few minutes later, Adam was staring at his wife, who was striding magnificently into the ocean some distance away. He lay back on the field-sized towel, and sighed, and closed his eyes.
A few minutes passed, before he heard a voice. Mr. White?
He opened them, and stared up at a 34-foot-tall goddess in a skimpy string bikini. She bent down over him, her short blonde hair whipping in the wind. If he wasnt married, hed have found her incredibly attractive. Well, he still found her attractive. But attractive wasnt enough to keep him from being annoyed.
Yes? he said, sighing. Autograph time, or maybe a picture. The price of unwanted fame.
* * *
Stephanie carried the glass carefully, and looked at the ground. Hey, sweetie, she called, their bag partly obscuring her view of the towel. I grabbed a pińa colada, I thought .
Her view crested the bag, and she stopped dead.
Adam wasnt on the towel.
She looked around, fighting the rising panic. He was probably nearby. Probably a group of coeds was taking a picture with him. Thats it, hes just enjoying a group of six sorority sisters in skimpy swimsuits. She turned slowly, looking for a sign of him, and then she saw it, a wisp of red fabric on the ground.
His swim trunks.
Dropping the pińa colada, Stephanie screamed.