Chapter Text
You hadn’t had an episode in years.
Why now? Why here??
Ever since everything revolving around the Ultra Wormholes back home, you’ve had an issue where… you shrink. Randomly. It’s never pleasant, and always makes things worse, but it seemed like a temporary side effect— one you’d probably outgrown.
You’d gone so long without shrinking— you thought you could move on, that you could finally continue your career in peace, without worrying about some episode that’d render you invisible or get you hurt.
You were in a new place, with new people, but happy. Healthy. In love, for once. There should be no reason for it to trigger…
And yet, you’re in his arms, and you feel yourself shrinking again.
Your breath hitches, and his fingers twitch as he refocuses on you, immediately attuned to you.
“What is it?” he asks, brow furrowed.
“No, this can’t… not again…!”
He sits up, cupping you in both hands, his fingers growing before your eyes as you diminish, his breath quickening as he sees you disappear. He surrounds you, and it ought to be comforting, but in this state…
Every little twitch could kill you.
“Y/N??”
“I-I’m sorry!” you shout, on the verge of tears. “I-I-I thought this had stopped ages ago…!”
His shoulders tense as he thinks, looking toward the nightstand and carefully bringing his hand toward it; you scrabble off as best as you can, the distance downwards steadily increasing as you go. You must be only a foot tall already…
You land, shakily, feeling the world spin and enlarge around you; this always made you nauseous. You slowly sit down, closing your eyes to ride it out, swallowing hard.
Soon, too soon, you’re miniscule. Probably only a few inches tall, at most.
And he’s looming over you, even more unfathomable than usual.
“Can you hear me???” you shout, as loud as you can, but there’s no change in expression; you’re not even certain he can see you.
You jump as you feel him speak, but it’s unintelligible. Ugh, this is awful…
His massive brow furrows, and he moves his hands, casting a spell overhead, filling your vision with red for a moment.
“Y/N?” You hear his voice, but don’t see his lips move— is this telepathy?
“I-I’m here.” you think. You hear— and see— him sigh. “Can you hear me?”
He grimaces and nods. “I can. Oh, thank the auras… I haven’t tried this sort of magic in ages.”
“I’m sorry, I… this hasn’t happened in years.” You don’t know if your telepathy voice sounds like it’s crying…
“Y/N, take a breath.” His lips move, and you feel the air shake around you, but you can tell he’s saying, “Please.”
You do as he says, wiping tears onto your sleeve. This is awful.
“This has happened before?” he asks, a rumble beneath you evidently from him clearing his throat.
“It’s random… sometimes I shrink, sometimes I grow. Ultra wormhole stuff from… such a long time ago that I thought I was over it.”
He frowns, looking away. “… I’m so sorry.”
You balk. “Why are you apologizing?”
“You’ve been enduring something nobody ought to… I know the feeling well, and I empathize. You shouldn’t have to go through this.” He looms over you, focusing intently on you as best as he can. “And you ought not to apologize, either.”
You sniffle, coughing a little bit. “Okay.”
He smiles softly, at once overwhelming and comforting. “Is there any way I can help? Shall I fetch Floette?”
“That’s… a good idea. It should only be a few hours, but… yeah.” You slowly stand up, looking around— everything’s even bigger than usual. “You’re taking this a lot better than I thought you would.”
Four bursts of rumbling— he’s laughing. He wipes his brow on his sleeve. “Am I taking it well?”
“Better than my parents did, the first time.” you smirk, even if he can’t see it. “I’m so sorry for hiding this from you.”
“I would not see it as hiding, especially if you thought you’d overcome it.” Ever-so-carefully, he presses his finger on the edge of the nightstand, a tender gesture even if he’s afraid to touch you. “Stay here. I shall find her.”
…
For a short time that evening, you’re absolutely coddled by Floette.
Not that you mind— it’s nice to feel safe in her arms at a time when you’re feeling especially vulnerable— but it’s a strange sensation being held this closely by her.
She’s thrilled, for her part, since she must find you even more adorable at this state. You know she means well, given she’d likely know how patronizing it can be to be coddled just because of your size, but you still have to gently nudge away investigatory pokes and prods.
She trills out a small, sheepish laugh every time, scratching her cheek.
“It’s okay, sweetie. Thanks for looking out for me.”
She helped you find your phone, at least, so you’re watching a movie while nestled against her, waiting this out as best as you can. AZ himself has kept a distance, occasionally glancing at Floette as he busies himself with a book, clearly anxious.
“Y/N…” you hear him in your mind again.
You quickly pause the movie. “Yeah?”
“… Simply checking.” you see him fiddling with his bookmark, anxiously petting the tassel on its end. “You know how fretful I can be…”
You look up at Floette, who chirps attentively, holding you tight and flitting over to him. He’s… almost a full landmass at this size, compared to you.
He stares at Floette’s hands, trying to pick you out from the white fuzz around you, but a soft smile graces his lips once he does.
“I don’t want to say that you might need to get used to this…”
“I know, my love. It is alright.” he closes his book, resting his chin on his hand and looking at you as best as he can. “I’ve dealt with many a setback in my life… to put it mildly. I can adapt just fine— we both can. I have faith.”
“Yeah… I’m not scared of you, though. I hope you know that.”
His massive head nods, and it almost seems like every strand of his hair is wider around than your arm. “Even still… this distance is, if not for your comfort, then for mine. I would not dare to-…”
Floette drifts closer to his cheek, and… you can just reach out and touch it. He pulls away, his massive eye watering, and the air shakes again as you see him say, “Floette…”
She can’t help but giggle. You cover your ears as he chides her some more— long sentences like that are very overwhelming. He sniffles, shaking his head as he wipes his eye with a kerchief.
“Foolish, ever-so-foolish…”
“I didn’t tell her to do that.”
He laughs aloud. “I’d certainly hope not.”
You lean closer, careful to stay in Floette’s grasp. “Did you feel me, though?”
He looks toward Floette’s hands again, a slow, solemn nod his only reply.
You grin, your heart racing… and you feel things change again.
Floette chirps, evidently sensing it too and setting you down on the side table, as you watch the world around you shift and turn, until you’re nearly eye-to-eye with her as she lays down in front of you, and still going.
Up, and up…
“Y/N?” you can finally hear his voice again, not just feel it.
“I-I’m okay,” you say, squirming a bit to make some distance from Floette… soon, you’re back to normal, looking up at him, your relieved smile meeting his.
He can’t help but laugh as he scoops you up and gives you a kiss.
His tears get you all wet, but that’s just fine.