“Ack!!” Micha choked on his wine when he noticed the Scoop driver May approaching. She was still in her casual top and tight bike shorts, looking thoroughly out of place among the classily dressed waitstaff and diners. 

“I knew you were a lightweight but one sip is pretty sad babe” Juni said while reaching forward and patting his back with a finger. The massive digit tapping against him felt like a quarterback slapping him. He coughed and sputtered, trying to regain control of his airways. 

What was May doing here? The original plan was for her to walk in after them and then give the ring to the waitstaff. He’d called ahead so they knew to expect something like that. For whatever reason she was doing it instead. Either way it was way too early. He wanted it after dinner but before dessert, once the local musician started playing. He crossed his arms in a big X. It was for May, but Juni took it as a sign to stop patting his back. May stopped her approach and she beckoned him closer with her finger. She had the body language of a teacher beckoning her bad student. 

“Hey, I’ll be right back,” Micha scrambled “I gotta go to the bathroom”

Juni put her hand flat on the tablecloth “Okie, let’s go-”

“No no I got it, I think Oliver is playing soon,” Micha said gesturing over the balcony to the first floor. The live music stage was empty, save for a mic. He stood up and began walking to the edge of the table, where the ladder leading to the floor was. “I don’t want you to miss it”

The ladder was incredibly impractical and practically obsolete if you weren’t young and healthy. The logic was that any Mini at a mixed seating table would have a human help them in and out. But what if the human didn’t feel like it? Bad dates, botched meetings, or simple forgetfulness could leave someone stranded. It was quickly realized that Mini’s needed freedom to move regardless of their company. Places he could never afford installed elevators at every table. Every established place needed a way for Minis to move. Unfortunately, there was no mandate on the exact vessel. Hence, ladders. Fear of heights was a luxury reserved for humans.

“The piano guy??” Juni said, her mouth hanging open in excitement “He’s my favorite! But it’s fine, It’ll be faster if I just take you either way”

“Aww you’d miss me that much?” he teased, while continuing his descent down the ladder to the ground. He’d had plenty of practice doing this and was able to slide down it like a firefighter to save time.

“Ugh you’re impossible” she rolled her eyes but still let a giggle break her annoyed facade. 

Her upper half left his line of sight as he descended. This vantage point under the table was instead dominated by her shapely legs crossed at the knee. She bobbed her heel casually in the air. Her manicured hand came under the table and rested itself on her thigh. The nail then traced itself up between the slit on the side of her dress. It was mesmerizing. When he was almost at the ground her massive, amused face peeked under the cloth. 

“I knew you were checking me out, lil creep” 

His face went red as he hopped down onto the restaurant floor. “You did that on purpose!” 

“Who's to say?” 

He waved bye and then started at a brisk pace across the neon yellow Mini path. He could feel his girlfriend’s eyes watch him traverse through the crowd of bustling waitstaff before he turned the corner. He could understand her concern. Shoes the size of buses boomed around him shaking the ground. And despite the upscale restaurant being relatively quiet, his voice had no hope of grabbing anyone's attention. Not when it had to compete with a thunderous chorus of hard treads against the hardwood floor. The constant stampede of hard shoes vibrated his body. Still, they all respected the rules and stayed off the path. Even if it was nerwrackingly close. The humans he had to watch out for were the other guests, who were less accustomed. 

Speaking of, a low block heel soared over Micha’s head. The dark green footwear blocked out the light from above casting a cool shadow over the Mini. Looking up all he could see was the underside of the outsole, worn by years of use. Instinctually, he dove forward as it crashed down. A gust of wind blew past as he pulled up his legs. He’d safely made it to the space under her raised arch while she stepped overhead. It was claustrophobic and uncomfortable. Not to mention knowing there were relative tons of unaware woman boring down on top of him. In reality the step was over in an instant, but in the moment it dragged on and one. He could almost smell lotion on her foot above. When the shoe lifted the woman continued on her way, carrying on as if nothing had happened. Micha yelled up to her retreating form as it thudded away unaware. The whole ordeal had his heart pounding. It was a close call. He caught his breath for a moment. 

He heard May’s voice “Micha are you alright?”

[BELOW]

Blinding light cracked through a sliver high above. Ariel’s eyes had gotten so used to the dark confines of her Devil’s footwear, even the smallest amount of light was startling. A moment later the dam broke and light flooded in. She squinted and did her best to help her eyes adjust. As the illumination increased, for the first time ever the pressure decreased. Tons of hot meaty sole dislodged itself from Ariel’s pitiful form. It was a strange feeling, she almost missed it. It was the only constant in this situation. Without waiting she sprinted to the opening. Quickly she had to switch from running to crawling; the heel was so steep. As she gained altitude, a physical chill blew over her. Without the warmth of Juni’s oppressive sole, there was nothing stopping the outside air from coolong her teeny body. It felt like getting out of a steaming shower and forgetting a towel. She reached the top and was met with the leather wall. Voices of many strangers began to wade into the shoe. People! If she made enough noise someone would come investigate. But if no one heard…

Far far above she saw her, Juni. The illumination from wherever they were framed the back of her head, making it quite difficult to see features on the giantess’ face. She seemed content just watching.

“Hey Lefty,” Juni started. “How was dinner?”

“Help!! Help, there's a Mini in here!!” Ariel screamed at the top of her lungs. Hoping someone, anyone would hear her pleas as she clawed at the shoe. The inside was too smooth, any ground she gained amounted to nothing when she inevitably slid back down. She saw Juni roll her eyes and turn away, uninterested in the game Ariel was playing. A looming shadow of her foot emerged again. The big toe bent itself back and before Ariel could yell anymore she was flicked by the domineering digit. The pain of the initial hit left her body reeling as she was flung back down to the toe section. The familiar heat and smell wrapped itself around the Mini. Her head was still spinning when the giantess’ toes rested themselves on Ariel’s body again. Escape attempt failed.

[ABOVE]

Micha turned up and saw May crouched down in front of him. Her running shoes took up all of his immediate vision, but after watching them crush a building they were hard to forget. He stepped onto her waiting palm and she rose to her full height. Like before her hands were incredibly steady and she kept him just under chest level, a good distance away from her body. In her other hand, she balanced a tray of martini glasses waiter-style. In the center was his ring box.

“I’ll live,” he said as he brushed himself off. His blazer had gotten a bit dusty during the mad dash to safety. “So what’s going on?”

“I was attempting to meet you halfway but your girlfriend would’ve seen me if I got closer” May reasoned. “She keeps a close eye on you.”

She walked them over to the bar and set him down on the counter. Other patrons were sitting and chatting at the upscale bar, but none of them seemed to give the two of them much thought. At the other end of the bar, he saw the Mini section where people were enjoying their night out as well. It was nice to see humans and Mini’s coexisting. It gave him hope. 

“The restaurant refused to be a part of the proposal.” May said, sitting down at the booth and resting the flying saucer of a tray next to Micha. 

“What!?” Micha said. “I called ahead, all they had to do was give it to us after dinner”

“I understand. Apparently they were under the assumption you were proposing to another Mini.” She took a pause. When it was clear Micha wasn’t following, she continued. “The manager is a prejudiced human.”

That would explain it. Mix sized marriages weren’t nececarially new, but they were uncommon. Everyone had an opinion. Of course whatever manager that was on shift tonight would make things difficult. Whoever he set up the reservation with was nice enough on the phone. But there was no guarantee it was even the same person tonight. 

“Ughh” Micha wiped his hands down his face in annoyance. He had several thoughts on this. But honestly, tonight all he wanted to do was propose to his girlfriend. It could’ve been so simple. 

“Your food is coming out soon. I could do it.” May offered. “That was my idea before you-” She held up her arms in the same big X motion from before, smiling slightly. 

That got a chuckle out of him. “Haha yeah okay that’ll work, thanks. You don’t look like a waitress so it won’t be much of a surprise but…” 

“Micha.” May said, suddenly serious again. “Your girlfriend already knows. There is no surprise.” she again paused, and when she was met with nothing but Micha’s slightly open mouth, she continued. “You’re in a long term relationship, you planned a daylong date of all her favorite things, booked an expensive restaurant, and told her you wanted tonight to go perfect.”

That deflated him a bit. “Well when you list it out like that”

“That was unprofessional, I apologize. I–” May said. She moved her jaw like she was going to say something else, but changed her mind. “Enjoy your dinner and I’ll get the ring in the right hands. I have tables to attend to in a meantime”

“Thank you so- what?”

“I lost a bet during the wait.” May said shortly. “I’d rather not discuss it.”

“Woo! Let’s get this going!” A Mini slapped Micha on the back and cupped his hand up to address the giantess. The other Mini was slightly taller than Micha and powerfully built. It actually took him a moment to realize he was wearing a waiter’s outfit. He looked more like a stripper dressed as a waiter. His black hair was combed stylishly to the side, but with more gel than Micha thought he realized. The waiter hopped onto the tray like he’d done it a thousand times.

“They assigned me to a human table on accident, can you believe that?” The Mini waiter laughed. “No one was free so I had to get creative. I’m Derek by the way.”

At her request Micha stood on the tray this time. The martini necks rose up around him like glass trees. The entire atmosphere changed inside the crystal forest. The experience was surreal, something out of a story book. High above in the canopy, the drink ripples and glistened in the low dining light. A soft clink echoed gently through the otherwise bustling eatery. The Mini waiter hung onto the neck of a glass for stability. Not that they needed much. The ride was smooth as could be. Micha went to strike a conversation with the other Mini, Derek, but he was in deep chatting it up with May. 

“No way you’ve never maxed out on bench” the waiter called up to May, who was looking ahead, “you could press a whole city block!”

“Cables keep resistance throughout the entire motion so I prefer it,” May said evenly. Micha noticed her stealing a glance at Derek but never quite keeping eye contact “I wouldn’t mind adding to my training though.” 

“Awesome, I’ll spot you”

As this went on, May expertly wove through the dense traffic. Micha couldn’t help but feel a tiny bit of jealousy at the ease she navigated the same journey that nearly ruined him. As they approached the table, May grabbed the ring box and put it behind her back. Micha thanked May again and hopped off onto the table with Juni. 

“Oh I know you,” Juni smiled at May, taking in the whole scene. “Grind never stops huh?”

 May gave a polite smile “Not quite no.”

“I’ll have a chat with the kitchen, your meals should be out soon!” The waiter Derek called from atop the tray. Micha waved them goodbye and May continued her adopted shift as a waitress. The sound of the piano danced around the room, giving it a cool aura. He sat down at his seat.

Juni swirled her wine glass and took a sip “Sooo a bathroom break right?”

Micha was scrambling for something. For whatever reason his brain wasn’t cooperating. “Uh yeah, I ran into May…”

“You ran into the Scoop driver at the Men’s Mini restroom?”

This could go very bad. And it was. He wouldn’t forgive himself if he ruined the mood of the night with a stupid misunderstanding. So before he could let himself dig a deeper hole, he went for the hail mary. The proposal speech. “Juni I love you–”

“Alright! Told you I’d get those orders out” Derek’s voice cut through Micha’s attempt at a quiet romantic moment. Juni put her hand to her face to stifle a giggle. May placed the tray on the table, mouthing ‘sorry’ to Micha. 

He had ordered a roasted lemon pepper minnow with a side salad, while Juni went for her signature medium rare steak. The waiter hovered a moment before May suggested, somewhat sternly, that they check on the other tables. 

The good thing about the interjection was that Juni wasn’t focused on his extra long bathroom break anymore. The delicious food had their full attention. He hadn’t realized he was this hungry until he took his first bite. Perfectly seasoned, cooked, and was actually in a manageable size. This is why Mini food would always beat out crumbs of human meals. Juni practically tore apart her steak. She held the utensils and naturally sliced through the king sized mattress of meat. The juice was dark and oozed when her fork dove into it. He knew he was doing the same to his meal, but watching an oversized saw and trident bore into barely cooked meat unnerved him if he thought about it. 

The rest of the meal was amazing. They chatted between bites as the pianist played in the background. Even the business of the restaurant started to die down as it got later and later into the night. May had come back alone and skillfully placed the ring box on the table, hiding it behind the dessert menu. 

“Thanks so much May,” Micha said. He seriously had no clue how he wouldn’t have been able to get through the night without her.

“My pleasure. You two enjoy the rest of your night,” May said, tray tucked under her arm. He waved goodbye and as she was leaving he could’ve sworn he saw a squirming lump from her pocket, pressed snuggly against the stretched fabric. Maybe she wasn’t as alone as he thought.

“Oh dessert!” Juni said. She lifted the menu from the table, exposing the ring box 

Now or never. By the time Juni’s wide eyes locked with Micha, he was already on one knee. From the table, the ring box next to him rose well above his head and Juni’s mountainous form was all he could see. And he wouldn’t want it any other way.

Micha’s heart was beating in his throat. He’d practiced this a million times but it seemed to all go out the window. He cleared his throat. “Juni, you’ve–”

“Yes!” She exclaimed, clasping her hands together giddily. "I love you"

“Juni!” he laughed, shoulders finally relaxing.

“What? I just can't believe you’re doing this” inching forward to peek at the ring.

“Well I still haven’t” shooing her finger away from the box playfully.

“Okay okay I’m done,” she huffed as she seemed to physically hold herself back “So sassy…”

By this point his prepared speech had all but abandoned him. Not that it mattered. The abridged version would work just fine. “I love you. No matter what happens you make me feel safe, heard, and appreciated. Juni, will you marry me?”

Her bolder sized eyes blinked in rapid fire and she angled her chin up a moment. “Don’t be dumb… of course I’ll marry you shrimp”

He stood up and felt like he was lifting a garage door when he flipped open the ring box. He was cutely aware of Juni’s hovering face behind him. The classic diamond ring dazzled in the restaurant's classy low light. He was glad he went for this version and not the most expensive one. He had to save something in the tank for the wedding after all. Mich hopped up into the case and with some difficulty, lifted the hula hoop sized ring from its perch. 

“Micha you’re amazing,” Juni said while lowering her manicured hand to his level. He slid the ring on. Perfect fit. “How’d you know my size?”

Micha puffed up a bit “Please, you know how much time I spend by those hands?”

As if on cue, he felt himself scooped up in her grasp and smothered into a pillowy wet kiss. A kiss that turned into multiple, and eventually into her whispering “I think I’ll take my dessert to-go”