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Author's Chapter Notes:

This chapter serves as an intro for our protagonitsts, there will be more smut later!

That fateful day, Alice had woken up as if her life wasn't about to be changed forever.


She rose from her bed to the sound of the alarm. Walked past her desk, where the unfinished dress she was making for her latest cosplay: Celeste from Danganronpa, and went to her bathroom to take a warm shower before a stressful day at college.


Her bathroom was as much of a mess as her room (or her whole life, as she herself put it some times) was. The clutter of hair and skin products and makeup was a mystery to everyone but her, which she carelessly ignored as she took the oversized t-shirt she fancied as a pajama and stepped into the shower.


Alice didn't think much of the day ahead. Shower time was sacred for her. She gently washed away the night's sweat from her slender body, and hummed a simple tune to herself. Alice took great care to rinse delicately her long black hair, her great pride. Once she was done, she walked, still naked, to the kitchen counter of the small studio apartment her parents were renting for her and grabbed her favorite breakfast: pop tarts and cigarettes. 


Today, she was feeling casual, and wore a black, but still cute dress. This was far from the gothic lolita style she would use on photoshoots but she was, after all, just gearing up for a normal day at college. For makeup, a simple eyeliner and some shade, matched with long eyelashes and black lipstick. After all that, she was finally ready.


Alice walked down the street to the bus stop, smoking another cigarette and listening to her favorite Spotify playlist. She hadn’t timed her commute, she never did. If she was late or not, who cares? She would be the only one truly affected by her (admittedly) bad decision making. The fact that the bus arrived and she was actually early for her first class of the day was merely luck, and not welcomed by Alice at all.


She hopped on the bus, and searched for her favourite seat, the one on the back where the windows were so well positioned she could get some wind both frome her seat and the one in front and stared out to the world from the window, and ran for it. She almost never ran, except for this kind of occasions.


Then, she stared out from the window. It was still autumn, and the skies already turned grey, almost fusing themselves with the concrete buildings and roads. Alice liked it. While some called the view almost depressing, Alice felt very relaxed by it. She kept staring, slowly letting everything melt away. This was her space. This exact seat on the bus on the way to College.


Alice wondered if this was what some called the Nirvana. A wonderful state of almost non-existence. No goals and no problems and no effort. No pressure from her parents to get that stupid Law degree. No thirsty young boys in her inbox. No-


A hand poked her shoulder. A gentle hand, whose touch was so familiar Alice didn’t really had to think of who it belonged to. While an interruption nonetheless, Alice couldn’t, in any possible way, get mad at his particular person. She unplugged her headphones and turned to meet her best friend. 


"Alex!" She greeted. With genuine joy in her voice.


Alex was a short, delicate trans boy with hazelnut colored hair. He was, in fact, at least five inches shorter than Alice. He wore some light blue jeans, a pair of Converse shoes, and a loose Hawaiian shirt. He was binding, as he had not taken a mastectomy at least for now. He was the embodiment of relaxation. Alice secretly thought that the only reason he hadn’t gotten his breasts removed was that the procedure was too much of a bother for him. Of course, she never asked that.


And while even if his upbeat attitude threw her off sometimes, Alice was glad to have a loyal friend such as him. Alex and Alice had known each other since childhood. They had been best friends in High School. Alex lent his shoulder every time Alice needed to cry. She had done the same, and supported him every step of his transition, she even taught him how to bind, as she had experience with it from cosplaying male characters. When her father had forced her to take up that Law degree, Alex had followed her to the very same college and enrolled in the same courses as her.


The two had spent the most formative years of their respective lives together. Many speculated they were partners. And of course, there had been some tension. They had kissed each other on the mouth during parties while they were drunk and slept together in sleepovers in each other's houses. Still, they maintained that they were just best friends. 


Alex quickly sat beside Alice and gave her a long hug. He kissed her cheek, and asked “How is it going?”


"Honestly?" She replied. “I’m doing like shit”


"That's… unfortunate. What's wrong?" He said, still maintaining  his usual cheerful tone.


"My back is aching like crazy man” Alice said “I spent last night catching up to Criminal Procedures, curved over my desk like a fucking shrimp”


Alex put his hands on her back without asking permission, as it was not actually needed, and started gently massaging Alice’s back.


“My, you were right… you’re as rigid as an iron stick” he said, worried.


Alice shifted her back towards Alex, letting him continue in a more comfortable position. “I honestly don’t know why I’m bothering with this Alex, why couldn’t I just study something easier?”


“Becouse they forced you, sis” Alex said “You really didn’t have much of a choice back there”


He was right. College was the only way she could get away from her awful family, after all. And her father wanted a lawyer daughter. Alice couldn't help it, she was a “people pleaser” as some would said. And if it helped getting away, what was wrong with a little compliance on her part?


“You know… sometimes I wish I could just… vanish” Alice said “Somewhere far away, where I’m not bothered by anyone ever again”


Alex didn't press on questioning her. He knew that she would sometimes just get like this: catastrophizing, desperation, the sudden need to disappear. Alex knew Alice was under a lot of pressure.


So he just stopped his massage, and gently hugged her from the back.


“But I can still bother you, right sis?” he asked.


Alice smiled. “Yes, of course you can”


The pair remained hugging each other for ten more minutes, until the bus came to a stop just outside their college, and both went to their respective classes. Alice kissed Alex on the cheek as a goodbye. Not knowing, not even considering the fact, that this would be the last time she would have lower herself to do so.



Alice just motioned his friend to her shoulder, where Alex's hazelnut head rested during the whole trip. They chatted about class, about the asshole professor that was getting on their nerves and of the protest programed for next week. The pair stepped out of the bus, not knowing it would be the last time they saw each other as equals. 


---------


Alice's day went on as normal. Class after class, lecture after lecture, she went through the motions of her life. God, she just wanted to catch a break. As his professor was going on and on about the history of the Rental/Lease contract, she stood up without a word for the back door of the room. 


Alice headed to the cafeteria for a soda, a coffee or an energy drink. Just anything that could keep her eyes open for the next hour. She just reached the courtyard. The cafeteria was just some yards away from her.


And then, Alice’s life suddenly stopped. Changed course completely.


She felt as if struck by a bolt of lightning. Her whole body was burning with pain. It lasted mere seconds but it was as if every muscle was contracting at the same time, as if bones broke and shattered and rebuilt themselves. It was enough to make the poor girl faint instantly. 


And when she woke up…


She thought she was dreaming, hallucinating, or just had gotten mad all of a sudden. 


Everything was… big.


She was lying on her back, she was still in the courtyard, she was still wearing her dress, the pain was totally gone. But everything was different. Everything was enormous, as if she had suddenly walked into another dimension, or turned into a doll spontaneously. 


Alice barely controlled her breathing. She looked in every direction for some sort of explanation, or just by the pure animalistic instinct that people feel in maddening situations.


So she stood up and ran in panic, aimlessly. She prayed for this to be a weird nightmare. But the floor on her feet and the wind on her face were anything but unreal. The courtyard was just enormous now, simple as that. Alice was sobbing now. Almost praying for a solution, for help, for an explanation, for anything. 


Luckily for Alice, a savior presented himself to her.


Resting on a bench was Alex. Soundly asleep. Alice recognized his hazelnut hair right away. She ran to the bench for what felt like miles but were actually just a couple dozen feet. There he was.


He was sleeping on his back. There was no way to catch his attention. Alice couldn't climb the bench. And even if she screamed with all her force, there was no way to tell if it would be enough, besides, she didn’t want to catch any unwanted attention in this state.


Actually, Alice dreaded being in anyone but Alex’s field of view right now, so she meekly hid under the bench, where she could sob in peace. The sobbing turned to crying quickly. Just what the hell was happening?


Alice thought of those times she said she wanted to disappear, and regretted every time she uttered the idea. She was expecting being left alone in her apartment, taking photos, experimenting with cosplay, not whatever this was.


And then… opportunity.


Alice whipped her tears from her eyes and looked at her best chance of salvation. 


Alex’s arm had dropped from the bench. He probably turned to his side, but whatever, now was her chance. Alice ran to his friend’s hand, and bit it.


The boy flinched in pain, and Alice barely evaded the quick instinctive motion of his arm to wipe whatever bug had just bitten him away. Alex had woken up, and peeked over the bench and to the floor.


Their eyes met. Alex was very visibly surprised, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he just offered Alice his hand. She rapidly ran to it, and Alex’s fingers closed on her like a safe cocoon of flesh.


Alex stood up with Alice in his hand, hidden from sight. The boy, still silent, gently dropped her in his chest pocket.


“Stay out of sight” he whispered “I’ll protect you”.


Alice was crying tears of relief as she curled up inside his best friend’s pocket. It was such a comforting place… the warmth, the soft fabric of the shirt and… Alex’s smell. It was a soft musk of sweat and cologne, topped with the faint scent of his hair products. Alice didn’t dare to peek out from her safe space, but heard how Alex ran to a bus.


She heard footsteps and a greeting from the guard in Alex’s apartment building. Then the opening and closing of a door. Then, she heard and felt her friend collapsing in the couch.


However, contrary to what Alice was probably thinking, Alex wasn’t that tired or worried.


From her angle, she couldn't see his big, long smile.

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