“Help! She’s going to eat me!”

Eli tried to ignore the yelling outside his apartment, but it became impossible after Haley plastered herself against his living room window. Behind her, Winter’s face loomed, mouth open wide but approaching rather slowly.

“Help, Eli!” Haley called out for the fifth time. “You’re the only one who can save me!”

He got up from the couch, pulled the curtains shut, and returned to Sublime Conquest. He’d insisted on spending the rest of the night in his apartment shortly after the ‘games’ evolved into applying facial masks and surfing the net for ‘hotties’. Although he wanted to spend more time with Parker, she too got sucked into the girly activities, and he wanted no part of it.

“Aww, no fair!” Haley said.

The roof to his apartment disappeared, replaced by Ally’s shiny face. They must’ve just removed the masks as flesh-colored pieces still dangled from her cheeks. “OK, Eli. We’re done with the girl stuff. Come out now.”

“Forget it,” he said. “I’m about to start a group. Maybe in an hour.”

Ally reached in and lifted the entire couch — with him on it. “It wasn’t a request.”

“What the fuck!” He still held the controller in his hands, though his headset had fallen to the floor. It along with his entire apartment diminished below him as he ‘flew’ through the air to Winter’s bed. Parker sat at the foot of the bed, removing the remainder of her mask.

“Welcome back to the party.” She winked at him. Why did girls do facial masks? Parker certainly didn’t need it, whatever it was supposed to accomplish.

“Yeh.” He rolled his eyes, though his anger dissipated quickly in her presence. “My guild’s probably going to kick me out.”

“Hey guys.” Ally held his headset between her fingers and spoke into the mic. “Eli’s at a slumber party with lots of girls. We kidnapped him, so he’ll have to get back with you later. OK. Bye.” She placed the headset back in his apartment and sat on the carpet, elbows indenting the mattress in front of him. “I’m sure they’ll forgive you.”

Winter crawled onto the head of the bed, over the pillows, with Haley’s giggling upper body sticking out of her mouth. Winter’s lips were sealed around the premie’s legs as if she were saying the letter ‘M’. When she finally released the smaller girl, Haley skillfully rolled onto her feet and sprang forward in his direction. Surprisingly, her pajama bottoms were dry. Mostly.

“Thanks Eli!” Haley leapt onto the arm of the couch, glaring. “She ate my legs because you ignored my cries for help.” She jumped onto the nearest cushion and leaned against him, wrapping her arms around his torso. “Now you’re going to have to carry me everywhere. I’m a quadriplegic.”

“Paraplegic.” He squirmed in her embrace.

“I’ll carry you.” Parker’s fingers attempted to forklift under Haley’s arms.

“Nooooo.” Haley squeezed him. Hard. Hard enough for multi colored stars to appear before his eyes. “I’ve got an idea! Let’s play dress up!” she said, finally easing her hug into something more bearable.

“I wanna play!” Winter said.

“OK. Go find clothes for me and Eli. Except I get to be the husband, and Eli’s the wife.”

“Wait, what!” He pried one of her clingy arms from his chest only to have it reattach around his stomach. Parker, too, had given up and merely watched in mild amusement.

“C’mon, Eli.” Haley pleaded. “You have to do at least ONE girly thing with us or it’s no fun.”

“Fun for who?” He asked.

“It does sound kinda fun.” Parker dug into a pile of clothing that Winter had deposited on the bed, a mix of premie and doll clothes from the looks of it.

“I agree.” Ally began sorting the clothes into piles, masculine and feminine, the latter growing far faster. “If you want, we can bind you and you’d have fun too.”

“No thanks,” he said, resigned to his fate. “But why do I have to be the wife?”

“Because you’re smaller.” Winter spoke as if it were the obvious truth. “Wives are smaller than husbands.” She held a dress in the air before him, judging the size.

“Why can’t I wear jeans?” He scowled at the site of so many frilly dresses. “Girls wear jeans.”

“No, you’ll be a proper wife, like the one in the Brady Bunch.” Ally tossed her hair over her shoulder as she rummaged through the clothing.

“Sorry, Eli.” Parker smiled as she examined an oversized pink dress. “I’d help you out but I’m outnumbered.”

“Yeh, right.” He mumbled.

“Ooo, I like that one.” Winter reached for the dress in Parker’s hand. “I thought I’d lost it.”

“OK, it’s decided.” Ally held up a blue shirt with dark beige slacks. “Eli wears the pink gown and Haley gets the business suit.”

“I get to dress Eli!” Winter managed to steal the pink monstrosity. Her free hand closed in on Eli.

“But I found it,” Parker said. “I think it’s only fair —”

“No, you got to give him a bath.” Winter’s right hand scooped Eli and held him possessively against her chest. “He never lets me do this stuff with him, so it’s my turn.”

“Why don't we let Eli decide?” Parker asked.

“If I have to wear this thing.” He twisted around in Winter’s hand to get a better view of it. “I’ll dress myself.”

“No!” All three human girls said in unison.

“We’ll take turns,” Ally said. “Winter and I dress Eli and Haley, then we rotate.” Her finger circled between the girls in a counterclockwise direction.

“That’s ridiculous,” he said. “I can dress myself perfectly fine.”

“You still don’t get it do you, Eli?” Haley said from below. “This is happening whether you like it or not. Might as well sit back and relax.”

It was true. Ignoring his protests and struggles, Winter proceeded to strip him down to his boxers. He pushed at her fingers, but she overpowered him as if he were a limp doll, pinning his arms above his head with a single soft fingertip. After finally realizing his efforts achieved nothing beyond increasing his own exhaustion, he stopped and let her continue unobstructed.

Thankfully, she didn’t remove his boxers, though her finger did linger at the waistband while her lips twitched contemplatively. “I know you don’t like me to see you naked.”

“He needs to get used to it.” Haley spoke from her own state of partial undress at the hands of Ally. “If it weren’t so cold, premies wouldn’t need to wear clothes. Honestly, we’re too small for it to matter.”

“See, Eli.” Winter lifted the dress above him and lowered it. “You should listen to her.”

“No thanks,” he said. Humans might not see much, but other premies would.

He pressed his upper body through the silky material, arms through the holes and head through a massive opening in the neck area. When it finally draped around him fully, the neck opening extended from shoulder to shoulder, hanging frills curving down his chest.

“Perfect fit.” Winter smiled. Indeed, it fit better than expected though it easily reached his feet.

Parker picked him up and held him before her inquisitive gaze until she smirked. “You do look really cute in that dress.” She gave him a peck on the head.

“Hey.” Winter held out her hand. “I wanna kiss him too.”

“Girlfriends only,” Parker said, and for once, Eli agreed.

“Awww.” Winter’s frown lasted for about a second, cut short by her eager search for his next outfit.

“And husbands.” Haley spun around in her new digs. Complete with leather shoes, she looked every bit the Wall Street tycoon, save for her long braided hair. “Release my wife, you blue-haired ogre.” She spoke in a low voice and pointed at Parker with a fierce expression.

Parker laughed. “Who am I to keep a wife from her husband?”

Eli found himself flying toward Haley, ‘landing’ on his feet before her. She had her arms crossed, her mock fierceness now directed at him. “I expect dinner to be served after just returning from a long day of work. Is it really too much to ask? It’s not like you don’t have enough free time, sitting around at home all day.”

He looked from Haley to Winter and then Ally. Their eyes widened as if expecting him to do something. Before he had a chance, Ally pincered his waist between thumb and forefinger, tilting him from side to side as she spoke for him like a ventriloquist. “How dare you. I’ve been cleaning all day. I even wore this pretty dress for you.”

Haley’s response was interrupted by Winter grabbing her in a similar manner. “Oh, I’m sorry honey. I didn’t realize you wore that dress for me. It’s very pretty.”

“Well it took you long enough to notice,” Ally spoke for him again. “Do you really think it’s pretty?”

“Of course,” Winter said. “I’ll prove it.” She leaned Haley toward him, and Ally did the same until his cheek brushed against Haley’s. They made kissing sounds as Haley giggled and pushed him away.

“I can’t believe you’re participating in this, Ally,” he said.

“Shush, you’re breaking character,” she said, her grip unrelenting around his waist.

“You’re never too old for Barbies,” Parker said. “Especially if the Barbies are premies.”

He couldn’t imagine Parker playing Barbies a single day in her life, but they all seemed to be in a good mood and having fun, so he didn’t stress over it. In a way, he kind of enjoyed the attention, though he’d never admit it. Their earlier foray into face masks and hottie surfing had felt so isolating, but at least this was mildly engaging, once he got over the initial embarrassment...which seemed to be easier and easier to do these days.

The girls continued playing dress up, though they focused most of their attention on his clothing, occasionally changing Haley’s jacket or shoes. In fairness, there wasn’t nearly as much ‘husband’ clothing to choose from. Finally, by the time he made his way back around to Winter, Mom poked her head in and said dinner was ready.

To his surprise, dinner turned out to be uneventful. The humans talked about school stuff, while Haley and Eli ate mostly undisturbed on small plates in the center of the table. The conversation strayed to Premoria and requirements for visitation, but Eli had trouble paying attention. He was tired and their voices weren’t directed at him so it became more background noise than conversation. Haley, too, seemed exhausted, her eyes drooping shut as she finished a mere fraction of the veggie spaghetti on her plate.

“Looks like you wore them out.” Mom said before he found himself lifted into the air and carried to his apartment bedroom.

“Goodnight, Eli.”

Someone tucked him in and turned out the lights, but it was fuzzy. Playing with giants was draining both physically and mentally, and today he’d broken personal records for human interaction. The bindings had helped, as had Haley’s adventurous enthusiasm.

Maybe living in this new world wouldn’t be so bad.

***

It was bad. Very bad.

“So tell me again why I have to get a shot.” Eli tugged on Winter’s shirt. Trapped on her lap by her clammy hands, it was sometimes the only way he could get her attention.

She removed an earbud and shifted her ponytail to the other shoulder. “What?”

“It’s a requirement for visiting Premoria, honey,” his mom said from the driver’s seat. She kept both hands on the wheel, her attention straight ahead.

“If you don’t want it, we can go shopping instead.” Winter smiled hopefully.

“No, I want to see Premoria,” he said, though he felt less sure than usual.

“But you don’t want to move there, right?” Winter asked, her eyes narrowing uncharacteristically.

“Maybe.” The motion of the car did nothing to ease his anxiety. “Can I sit on your shoulder? I’m getting sea sick down here.”

“You really should be in your carrier, sweetie,” Mom said.

“Yeh,” Winter said. “I’m breaking the rules by holding you like this, but don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“It doesn’t feel like we’re moving very fast.” He sat back against Winter’s fingers and extended his legs, pressing them into her lower stomach to stretch. If she notice, she didn’t say anything.

“We’re not,” Mom said. “Lots of traffic today for some reason.”

“I’m thirsty.” Eli tapped on Winter’s finger. “Can I have my drink?”

“You’ve had enough,” Winter said. “Any more and you’ll have to pee before we get there.”

“Stop treating me like a baby,” he said. “I’m thirsty and I want my drink.”

“It’s OK,” Mom said. Give it to him. “He didn’t eat much breakfast.”

“Whose fault is that?” Winter, in spite of her irritated tone, dropped the premie thermos beside him. “I go through trouble to make food for him and he doesn’t even eat it.”

He drank from the oversized container. In spite of being made for a premie, it was still twice the size of a normal thermos, probably to make it easier for humans to fill.

Winter shook her head and stuffed her earbuds back in her ears. The only times he ever saw her anything close to upset were times like these — times when the topic of Premoria couldn’t be avoided. Her normal, easy going demeanor shifted between a variety of emotional states: annoyance to sugary sweetness to over protectiveness, often without any warning of when the shift would occur. Who knew what went on in her brain, but she didn’t enjoy the topic of him moving away.

He took a final large gulp and closed the lid of the thermos. Although he disliked the idea of being forced to consume premie powder with every meal, he couldn’t fault it’s taste. Without being allowed to eat anything sugary, premie powder tasted better than anything else in comparison. The substance he drank was filled with it, and though not quite as thick, it tasted faintly like a strawberry milkshake, or at least what his memories told him of that particular dessert.

If he had his choice, he’d just drink premie powder shakes all day and forego Winter’s cooking, though he’d never tell her that. He knew premies could survive, even thrive, on the powder alone, but current medical opinion (and Winter opinion) insisted on dietary variety.

Eli stood and stretched. That was a mistake. His bladder felt significantly more full than it had moments ago, not enough to cause concern, but enough to make him wish he’d held off on the drink.

He sat back down and the pressure alleviated somewhat. Casting his gaze around, he tried to distract himself, but there wasn’t much distraction to be had. Surrounded by Winter’s damp flesh, red t-shirt, and jean skirt, nothing could take his mind off the growing well of liquid in his bladder.

He focused on the flesh, seeing how fine his vision could get. After all, it was one of the few benefits of being a premie — he could see much finer detail than humans.

He counted the ridges in the digit of her middle finger, using his own fingernail to scrape over them. If he concentrated, perhaps he could see the individual cells. Were his cells smaller than hers? If so, how could he breathe the same oxygen molecules?

“What are you doing?” Winter asked, unfortunately jarring him back to reality.

“Nothing,” he said, annoyed that his mind returned to his bladder. “Can we turn on the music?”

“Radio’s busted,” Mom said.

“Why do you think I’ve got these in?” Winter pointed to an earbud.

“Well, give me one,” he said.

“What’s the magic word?” she asked.

He sighed. “Please.”

She smiled and placed one of her earbuds in his sitting area. She managed to plug the other in her ear without yanking his away. Of course, she hadn’t bothered to clean his, and it’s rubbery surface was shiny with her ear oils or whatever. Gross.

Still, it smelled like shampoo instead of wax, and it emitted sound. He lifted it to his ear.

“What the heck is this?” he asked. It certainly wasn’t music. He’d been prepared to hear the latest teen pop, but not this.

“Dork Diaries,” Winter said, pausing the replay. “It’s a book.”

“Well, put on some music or something else,” he said, then remembered. “Please.”

“If you listen to it, you’ll like it,” she said. “It’s not just a kids book.”

“Fine, play it.” He squirmed in his seat. Anything to get his mind off his own biology.

Ten minutes passed quickly, and to his sister’s credit, the book wasn’t as bad as he’d expected. Although it was about a middle school girl and her struggle to find friends and a boyfriend, it was well written and occasionally humorous. Unfortunately, as his need for physical relief grew, his attention diminished. Eventually the words jumbled together into meaningless noise.

“I have to use the bathroom,” he announced, finally ready to face the ‘told ya so’. At some point, biology outweighed everything else. He wouldn’t last much longer.

“Told ya,” Winter said as if on cue.

“Sweetie, can you hold it?” Mom asked. “We’ve still got another twenty minutes.”

“I really have to go,” he said. “Can’t we pull over at a gas station somewhere?”

“We’re on the highway, honey,” Mom said. “And we’re stuck in traffic. If I try to get off now, we’ll be late.”

Winter opened the glove compartment and pulled out something light brown in color. “Here.” She lifted him, then placed a palette of brown napkins on her lap and set him on top. “Just go. I won’t watch.”

“Good idea,” Mom said.

“What!” Eli said. “I can’t just go on a pile of napkins...in the car.”

“OK,” Winter said. “Then hold it.”

“I can’t do that either!” he said. “Why can’t we just pull over somewhere?”

“Look.” Winter lifted him to the windshield. They were stuck in the middle lane of a sea of cars and trucks that extended well beyond his vision. “Even if we got onto the shoulder, do you really think it would be more private?” She returned him to his papery nest.

He took a deep breath, scarcely believing he was even considering the proposition. “What if it...soaks through?”

Winter giggled. “It definitely won’t. That’s a thick stack. I could’ve just used one folded napkin and it wouldn’t leak.”

He sighed, then pulled off his socks and jogging pants. “Don’t watch.” He looked up but she wasn’t paying attention.

He pulled down his boxers and waited. He imagined the stream flowing, flowing, flowing — as it so badly wanted to. Failing to elicit a single drop, he imagined himself outside, on dirt that felt like paper. He’d peed outside plenty of times before. This was no different, and he really had to go.

Why the hell couldn’t he go!

“Don’t watch!”

“What?” Winter asked, removing an earbud and looked down. “You’re still not done?”

“I can’t go because you’re watching!” he said.

“She wasn’t watching, sweetie,” Mom said. “You’re just nervous. When I collect urine samples from drug addicts, I tell them to think of something boring. If they’re having trouble...you know.”

“I did,” He pulled up his boxers, even though Winter wasn’t ‘watching’. “Put me in my carrier and I’ll go in there.”

“That’s dangerous, sweetie,” Mom said. “You have to be strapped in while in your carrier.”

“Oh for Pete's sake,” Winter said. In a swift series of motions, she removed his boxers, wrapped in him the napkins and squeezed him in her fist. Before he could protest, the effects of binding kicked in, even through multiple layers of rough paper.

His jaw slackened and his bladder relaxed, though not enough to override his biological shyness.

“What are you doing?” he managed to say.

“Sweetie, be careful.” Mom’s voice sounded distant.

“I will.” Winter turned to him, focusing her blue eyes on his, her face calm. “You feel relaxed, don’t you?”

“Yeh,” he said.

“You want to pee, right?” She asked as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Yes.”

“When I count to five, you’re just going to let it go. OK? One.”

“What?” He mind struggled to process her words, but his body didn’t. “No…”

“Two.”

Muscles in his lower abdomen loosened. “Stop. I’ll go normally. Just give me another chance.”

“Three.” She wore a serious expression, unrelenting in her countdown. “Four.”

He had to consciously hold back the floodgates, using every ounce of his willpower to prevent disaster. Because it would be disaster...peeing himself in his sister’s hand with his Mom present. What could be worse?

“Five.” Winter’s middle fingertip applied a slight pressure to his stomach at the intonation of the final number. Not that she needed to. As soon as she began saying the number, his bladder convulsed, and urine exited his body in orgasmic haste.

Even as the paper surrounding his waist grew moist and warm, he continued, hunching slightly as the liquid drained from him. It felt like no other piss he’d ever taken. Every drop that escaped his body rewarded him with such positive reinforcement, he knew it to be good and right, the effect snowballing as he continued urinating.

At the end, he floated on the verge of tears as relief, both physical and mental, flooded his senses.

“There. That’s better, right?” Winter asked.

“Yeh.” His neck didn’t want to support his head so it lolled against her finger.

“You don’t feel guilty or ashamed,” she said. “You just feel relieved and thankful.” Her lips formed a half smile. “Aaaand you love me and don’t want to go to Premoria anymore.”

“Winter.” Mom spoke in a warning tone.

***

“Fine,” Winter said with reluctance. “You want to make up your own mind about Premoria after careful study and thought.” She relaxed her grip as she spoke the words, hoping it would give them less weight than her earlier suggestions.

It wasn’t the first time she’d commanded him not to go to Premoria, and it wouldn’t be the last. He never seemed to remember the commands the next day, but he did seem to be swaying toward staying at home, little by little. Whether it was because of her secret bindings while he slept or something else, she didn’t know. But, she wasn’t about to stop.

In her heart, she knew it to be wrong, but the thought of losing her brother terrified her. She wasn’t sure when she’d become so attached. They’d almost always been close, but since he’d shrunk, she couldn’t picture life without caring for him and didn't want to try.

Returning to the task at hand, the task literally in her hand, she unwrapped his limp body and lay him on her skirt. As she predicted, the wet spot didn't come close to penetrating the napkins, not that it would have bothered her in the least. She’d taken care of far worse messes during his regression.

She wadded the napkins and placed them in the side panel of the door, then reached for the antibacterial hand wipes and cleaned him up. He didn’t resist, though he scowled adorably when she wiped his waist area.

“All clean.” She lifted him to help him into his boxers, but he gave a languid kick.

“I can do it,” he said.

“OK.” She placed him on her lap and he proceeded to dress himself.

“I can’t believe you made me do that.” He sat cross legged with his arms folded.

“I did warn you about the drink.” She managed to contain her giggle.

“I don't care. It was extremely embarrassing and disgusting.”

“Sweetie, your sister took care of you for weeks during your regression,” Mom said. “You just don’t remember.”

“Yeh, but she can’t just —”

Winter ran a fingertip from his head downward, to his lower back. He arched like a cat, pressing his back against her fingertip as she repeated the motion. He always became so cuddly after a binding, especially when she commanded him to love her. It wasn’t necessarily against his will — he always loved her platonically as a brother should, but binding removed his inhibitions.

She continued stroking him, this time on his side as he lay down. She wished she could pick him up and cuddle him to her face, but it wouldn’t be wise in a moving car. His little eyes started to close, and she stopped, causing him to look up, confused.

She giggled, and returned her finger to be within his reach. He curled around it, hugging it close to his body.

“I’m just cold,” he said.

An obvious lie, but it made her smile.