Chance Encounter Part 1: By Pent Ghelsburg
Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this work are purely fictional. Any resemblance to persons alive or dead is purely coincidental. They are the original and rightful intellectual property of their creators. I use them with permission and respect. This work involves micro macro content with underaged characters. You have been warned.
The sun shines brightly outside. Its bright glow casts a gaze over the land, illuminating it in warmth and a soft yellow light. What remains of the snow is already melting. It is far too warm to maintain the white powder any longer. Spring had sprung, and the local birds were already flitting about. Several species of the feathered fellows sing a different tune to greet the day. It is early, and a few cubs are already playing outside with some of their friends.
"What are you doing, Pent? Don't you want to go to the pool?" A young chipmunk boy holds a towel in his hand, looking at his friend nearby.
An arctic fox cub kneels, looking at some bugs. "I haven't seen this one before, Xavier. I just want to examine it for a moment."
Xavier and Pent had been dating for several months now. The rodent cub was an athletic boy who was more outgoing and open-minded than his boyfriend. To those who knew him best, he was a star lacrosse player who was both friendly and competitive. He was a confident boy, but not one who let arrogance get the better of him. The boy always tried the best in everything he tried, even if it wasn't something he'd done before.
His boyfriend, on the other hand, was an introverted cub who enjoyed academics and excelled in both Science and Math. The fox was quiet and deeply passionate about things he found interesting. While he was open to trying new things, Pent was a much more stubborn boy than his boyfriend. Even the teachers who respected his work ethic recognized him as somewhat predictable and quirky. A somewhat more insecure cub, Pent, was much more focused and responsible. Though despite their differences, the two boys had found romantic interest in one another.
"Come on, foxy. I want to go swimming. It's hot, and you promised you would come with me." Xavier stepped closer to the other boy.
The white furred cub looked up at him. "I know, but I just want a quick look at it, please?"
"Alright, but don't be long. We still have a short walk to the community pool." The smaller boy decided to give in since he knew his boyfriend was into entomology.
Pent looked at the small white and black butterfly with some red tips on its hind wings. It was a White Admiral, which was somewhat synonymous with the region but still considered somewhat uncommon. The fox watched it for a few moments, and it was a few moments before it finally stood up. Joining hands with the cub he loved, the two of them walked forward toward the community pool. The fox wished he had gotten to examine the butterfly longer, but he didn't want to keep Xavier waiting or disappoint him.
They arrived at the community complex a short while later. A large, white, and rather plain building. Only the arch in front of it distinguished it from the buildings around it. The door opened automatically once they were close enough to it. Inside, a few fans pushed air through the buildings, and a few of the volunteers of the place circled. Pent and Xavier paid them no mind as they continued to the back of the building through an exit.
Just beyond the building was the pool, a play area, and an outdoor gym. The pool was not very busy that day, with only a few families present. They proceeded past the gated area as the lifeguard turned her head to check the newcomers. The lanky sea otter sat on a short lifeguard's tower with an umbrella over her. Her full-body red suit and whistle around her neck were the only things that denoted her job. The woman's gaze returned to the pool in front of her.
The pool was as large as it was wide. Several lanes had been distinguished for laps, a smaller section of it was buoyed off in the shallow end for cubs still being taught how to swim. The rest of the day was left for anyone who wanted to lounge about or do as they pleased. On the side of it, two life preservers and a fully housed defibrillator, both of which were a short distance from the tower. On both edges of the pool, several beach chairs were lined up in short rows with only a few of them occupied.
Both cubs chose chairs next to each other. Placing their towels on top of them before removing their shirts. Pent briefly looked over at his boyfriend, who gave him a snarky grin. Xavier playfully slapped him on the shoulder as he slid off the shoes from his paws. The fox cub wasn't far behind, taking the sun tan lotion out from his pocket. He lathered up himself and offered up the small bottle to his boyfriend, who did the same.
Once both of them were ready, they padded into the pool. Xavier wasted no time in jumping into the water. The chipmunk's body exploded into the water as he cannonballed into it. The water plumed up around him before settling down shortly after. Pent followed soon after, sliding into the water with grace, with an almost perfectly executed dive. The fox was always a more calculated cub than the other boy was.
The water was cool and refreshing. A few other furs swam by, but none of them were close enough to pay the two boys any mind. The nearby lifeguard once again turned her head to look at them briefly. Checking to make sure they weren't roughhousing. She was very much a stickler for the rules and didn't allow anyone to skirt them. Her gaze soon returned to the pool at large, keeping ever vigilant over her charges.
Pent emerged from the water and swam over towards the smaller cub. The water was deeper where they were, so they had to tread to keep afloat.
"Wanna race, Pent?" Xavier was always the more competitive of the two boys.
The fox cub smiled at him. "You're on, chippy."
"Alright, ready, set, go." The rodent didn't wait to spring himself forward.
Following closely behind him, Pent swam as closely as he could. There was no doubt that Xavier was faster and more athletic than he was. The pool was as long as it was wide, and they were able to go back and forth in short order. Stopping at the wall, the brown-furred cub popped his head up above the water to catch his breath. Pent was only a single length behind him and joined him soon after.
"Nice race, Xae. Looks like you win." The white furred cub wasn't one to be a spoiled sport about losing."
The smaller cub smiled at him. "Yeah, the water is nice with how hot it is today."
Smirking, Xavier playfully pushed a single wave of water towards his boyfriend. Of course, the other boy was already soaked, so it didn't bother him much. Smiling at him, Pent splashed him back before the two boys erupted into an all-out splash war. Back and forth they splashed each other, one after the other. Only stopped when the lifeguard blew her whistle to warn them that it was not permitted. This soured the two boys who stood in the shallow end of the water idly for a moment.
"This is kind of boring with her watching over us, Pent." Xavier said softly under his breath so it couldn't be heard.
The bigger boy nodded. "Yeah, it's not like we were roughhousing or anything like that.?
"Do you want to go somewhere else or do you wanna hang here?" Already, the rodent was thinking of alternatives.
The arctic fox scratched the back of his head. "Let's swim for a bit, then we can go hang out at my place. Samaliel is out with friends this week, so I have the house to myself."
"Oh, I hope you're not lonely. That sounds good, though." The brown furred boy began to swim aimlessly.
The white furred boy shrugged. "Nah, not really. He hangs out with friends a lot."
Pent returned to swimming as the nearby lifeguard kept a close eye on both of them. Lounging on his back, the fox kit relaxed as his body absorbed the sunlight. His thick white fur didn't help when it was hot, but he had learned to deal with it. On the other side of the pool, Xavier was doing some somersaults underneath the water. He was trying to show off to Pent but realized the other cub wasn't paying attention.
A smirk crept across his face as he realized that his boyfriend was unsuspecting. Quietly, he dog paddled to the other side of the pool where Pent was. In one fell swoop, he grabbed the boy's foot and pulled him underneath. Caught by surprise, the white furred cub quickly retreated above water.
"No fair!" The bigger boy snorted out some water from his maw.
The brown furred cub smiled at him. "What'cha gonna do about it, foxy?"
Pent didn't say anything and instead leaped forward to tackle the smaller boy. The two of them spiraled into a spinning body of chaos underneath the water. A sharp whistle was blown once the lifeguard realized what was going on."
"Stop it right now or I'll kick both of you out." She shouted at the top of her lungs.
Yet, the two boys were having too much fun to stop. Back and forth they went in an unfurled tornado of spinning. The lifeguard was all but certain one of them would get hurt. Quickly, she dove into the water and separated the two boys. Holding Xavier in one paw and Pent in the other.
"Get out before I call your parents. I already warned you before." The lifeguard was done putting up with their shenanigans.
The rodent stared her down intently. "Fine, we weren't having fun anyway. Come on, Pent. Let's go to your house."
Nodding, the bigger boy followed his boyfriend out of the pool. The lifeguard kept a close watch on them to make sure they didn't come back. Pent and Xavier collected their towels and clothes from the chair. Playfully, the brown furred cub snapped a towel against his boyfriend's tail.
"Out. Now." The lifeguard shouted again.
Xavier rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out at her. Both of them made their way out of the community pool area through the gate.
"Sorry, she spoiled our pool day, Xae." Pent said once they were outside.
The smaller boy put his arm around his boyfriend. "It's not your fault. Besides...she didn't spoil it. We can still hang out together and have fun somewhere else."
Smiling, the white furred cub and his boyfriend joined hands. The two of them walked together back through the wooded area. Pent looked around for the butterfly again, but there were no signs of it. They continued through the park and followed along the path leading to the community center.
The community center was the largest area in the park. Nearby, some families were barbequing over an open flame. The smell of whatever they were cooking was ever present as the cubs passed through the area. Xavier tugged on Pent to follow him as he got an idea. He didn't want to hang out at the house and was searching for anything else to do.
They exited through the side of it, pushing through a small birthday party. Some younger cubs were bouncing around in a bounce house, and a few clowns were handing out some balloons. Pent and Xavier paid them no mind as the chipmunk led them to a playground. A small play set sat at the center of a sand pit with a few swings, monkey bars, a jungle gym, a seesaw, and a slide.
"Let's chill out here a bit, Pent. We're already here and it's empty." The chipmunk ran towards one of the swings before his boyfriend could say anything.
Chuckling at the other boy's playful attitude, Pent followed behind him before long. Already, Xavier had begun swinging on the centermost swing. The seat was barely big enough to hold him, but he squeezed into it all the same.
"Please swing me, foxy." The smaller cub gave the best puppy eyes he could muster.
Pent walked behind his boyfriend and gave him a few shoves before moving out of the way. Sitting down on the seat next to him, the fox boy was able to shove himself onto a seat and began swinging himself too. Back and forth the two cubs went as they swung together. Xavier leaped off of it, landing square on his feet as he waited for Pent to get off.
Dragging his feet at the center pivot, Pent brought himself to a complete stop. Standing up, the seat stuck to his but before he peeled it off his still-wet swimsuit. Taking his hand once again, Xavier tugged his boyfriend over to where there was a plastic blue igloo. The small structure was worn from years of abuse from the weather that had passed through the area.
They stopped just short of the entrance, a small crawl hole that led into it.
"We're a bit big for that, aren't we, Xae?" The white furred boy said, not thinking they could fit inside.
Xavier shrugged. "There's only one way to find out."
Getting down on his hands and knees, the brown furred boy tried to fit through the small tunnel that led into it. The entrance was designed for younger cubs than they were, so he was barely able to squeeze through it. With a bit of effort, he was able to push inside.
"Come on, Pent. It can be like our own little hidey hole." The chipmunk said with an enthusiastic tone.
Pent hesitated a moment, thinking to himself. Part of him believed he would get stuck, but he wanted to please his boyfriend. Slowly, he got on his hands and knees before repeating what he'd seen Xavier do moments ago. Surely, both of them were able to fit inside.
Inside the plastic igloo, the two cubs sat opposite one another. Xavier's legs were intermingled with Pents, and they had to hunch over a bit. There was no doubt it was a tight fit. Yet, they remained there ever still with neither of them saying a word for a few moments.
"Hey, look a mena." The bigger boy lurched his arm forward to point at a small bug crawling up his leg.
The brown furred boy turned his gaze downward. "The what?"
"It's a menasezzor. These are beetles indigenous to our region. Biologists say they only come out at night. I wonder why it's out during the day." Pent kept his eyes focused on the insect on his leg.
The little critter fiddled its way through Pent's fur. It was small but big enough to be seen through the thick white strands of hair. Reaching out to touch it, the insect became afraid and bit him. A sudden sharp pain was elicited in the area. Quickly, Pent brushed the thing off his leg in a moment of panic.
"What happened? I figured you wanted to examine it." The rodent asked as the sudden movement caught him off guard.
The fox remained calm as he looked around. "I did, but it bit me when I tried to grab it."
"Oh, that sucks. Does it hurt?" Xavier looked at the area on his boyfriend's leg where the bug had been crawling previously.
Pent shrugged. "It stings a little, but I don't think it's anything serious."
Standing up, the chipmunk caused the entire foundation of the plastic igloo to come off the ground.
"Are you sure?" The smaller boy wanted to make sure his boyfriend was alright.
Easing himself up, the arctic fox nodded. "Yeah. Let's find a first aid station, and I can apply some antiseptic for now."
The two cubs walked over to the nearby communal bathroom, where a small first aid station was located just outside. A red tin box with the first aid cross stickered on the front of it made it apparent what it was for. Pent opened the thing and found a few small bottles of peroxide. He straightened out his leg and poured the contents of it over the wound.
It fizzed a bit over the area where the insect had bitten him. Only a few bubbles were elicited, which gave Pent confidence that it probably wasn't infected. Disposing of the bottle, he grabbed an adhesive strip and put some bacitracin on it. It was a quick job, but one that he learned in the scouts. The cub was convinced that it would be enough, at least until they got home.
"All done. What do you want to do now, Xae?" The white furred boy assumed his boyfriend would want to do something else.
The smaller boy pointed over to the slide. "Let's go down the slide once or twice, then we can see who does better on the jungle gym."
"I'm gonna win this time, Xae, just watch." The arctic fox puffed his chest out in a faux show of confidence.
Xavier gave him a toothy grin. "Just try and show me."
This exchange empowered the young chipmunk boy, who immediately went to the jungle gym instead. Figuring the slides could wait until after. He wasn't about to turn down a competitive challenge, even if he had beaten his boyfriend earlier. Now he was going to show the other cub who was boss again.
"Let's do 3 rounds of bars and see who can hold up themselves the longest. Sound easy enough?" Xavier figured he was the stronger of the two boys.
Pent nodded and watched as his friend took the small ladder up to the start of the jungle gym. Holding himself up before working himself across it, back and forth three times. Ending with a still hold until he dropped off a few moments later. He followed up by doing the same himself, holding himself briefly at the end of it.
Neither of them had kept track, and they didn't realize it until they had finished.
"We forgot to keep track." The white fox said as he was always the more calculated cub.
The smaller boy shrugged. "Oh, well. It was still fun."
Walking over towards the stairs leading up to the slide, the chipmunk motioned for his boyfriend to join him. Padding over, Pent followed in behind him in the small cubicle that overlooked the slide. Within it was a colorful half-way enclosed area with a single window looking outside. Xavier leaned back and allowed himself to slide down backward.
His boyfriend slid down behind him, both of them plopping down in short order on the sandy ground below. It was a short ride, but enjoyable all the same.
"You wanna head to my place?" Pent picked himself up before offering his paw to help his boyfriend.
Xavier picked himself up and nodded. "Yeah, sure. There isn't much to do here anyway."
"Yeah, I wanna show you my new Chemistry set." The white furred cub's tail wagged behind him softly.
The rodent chuckled. "Another one, eh?"
"What's so funny?" The bigger boy was confused by his boyfriend's response.
The chipmunk put his arm around the other boy. "Nothing. It's just nice to see you indulge in your interests for a change."
"What do you mean?" Pent still wasn't sure where the other boy was going with it.
Xavier softly smiled at him as they started to walk. "It's just you spend a lot more on your brother than yourself. I know you don't buy yourself stuff often."
"Yeah, I guess that's true, but that's okay." The fox boy was more interested in making his brother happy.
Walking hand in hand, the two cubs made their way out of the park and back through the community center. The same pits of barbeque were blowing off smoke, wafting their way with the aroma of whatever they were cooking. This reminded the two that they were hungry. Stepping back outside, each of them unlocked and got onto their bikes.
The ride to Pent's apartment wasn't very long. His complex was but a few blocks away in a community that was more densely populated than Xavier's. The buildings were between two and three floors each, with the more expensive units being afforded closet spaces or balconies. The fox's small family had lived there much of his young life.
Pulling into the complex, they locked their bikes up once again at the communal rack. Using Pent's lock for both of their bikes and double checking it was secure, Leading upstairs, the fox kit unlocked the door for both of them. Inside, it was quiet and well lit from the sunlight that peered through the windows. It was warm inside, but the white furred boy had left the windows open to circulate air inside.
"Let's have lunch, then you can show me your Chemistry stuff." The brown furred boy said with a smile on his face.
Pent nodded and as they shuffled off their shoes and headed indoors. Heading into the kitchen, the fox made both of them a simple lunch. Nothing more than a sandwich, chips, and some juice. He dished it out on a plate and cups before sitting down next to the chipmunk cub. Both of them enjoyed their small meals and cleaned up together when they were done.
The white furred boy got up with his tail wagging behind him. Tugging on his boyfriend's hand,
the fox urged his boyfriend to follow him. The smaller boy could tell he was excited as Pent was seldom this assertive about things. He led him to a small closet that the bigger boy had retrofitted previously. Xavier peered over the other cub's shoulder to get a look inside.
It was a small space with not much inside. At the center of it was a singular desk with a few different pieces of Scientific equipment on it. A rack of test tubes with labels on them that the chipmunk couldn't quite make out lay on one side. On the other hand, a system of glassware and a distillation chamber. Of course, Xavier was only somewhat familiar with their uses from Science class.
Higher up was a cabinet with containers of ingredients. These were printed clearly, but even then, the rodent had no idea what they were for. Just below it, a shelf with a Bunsen burner and a microscope. It was far from a full-functioning lab, but for a boy of twelve, it was more than sufficient. Xavier had never seen the setup before, so he couldn't help but he a bit impressed.
"You have quite the collection here, Pent." The smaller boy pulled his boyfriend closer.
Pent smiled at him. "Thanks, Xae. Do you want a demonstration?"
"Of course, my Einstein fox." Xavier was glad to share in his boyfriend's passions even if he didn't fully understand them.
Immediately, the white furred boy got to work. He knew exactly what he wanted to do as he had been planning it since leaving the park. Pent brought down the Bunsen burner and poured some of the chemicals into a flask. Heating them for a short time before a pungent aroma began to emanate from its mouth. The chipmunk didn't know what the smell was, but he trusted the other cub knew what he was doing.
Continuing to work, Pent mixed the chemicals into a larger container. The colors within shifted ever so slightly to a lighter shade of red. The smell became a bit weaker now, but seemed to resemble that of bubble gum. The fox ran it through the distillation chamber, and out came a much stickier substance. The pink goo within very much looked like what Xavier was smelling.
"Hold out your hands." Pent poured some ice water into the substance to cool it down.
A short stream of steam poured from within as the chipmunk boy held out both his paws. The fox poured out the goo into his boyfriend's hand. The viscous substance slid out ever so slowly until it rested in his paw.
"Is it bubble gum?" The smaller cub felt like it had to be.
Pent shook his head. "Nah, it's slime. Play with it."
Xavier fiddled with it in his paws. Now that it had cooled down, the goo was much more malleable. Shifting his hand back and forth, the slime ribbed back and forth. It maintained no shape and was soft when he touched it.
"Cool." Xavier said, smiling at his boyfriend before handing it back.
The fox put the substance back into a flask and sealed it up. Placing it in the cabinet and then urging his boyfriend to back out. Pent didn't think he had anything else that he could show Xavier that he would like. Taking his boyfriend by the paw, Pent led him back to his room so they could hang out.
"I'm going to use the bathroom." Pent said as they passed by it.
Xavier nodded and waited a moment. Looking back at the closet they had just come from, he realized they had left the door open. Deciding to go back to close it, he padded back over. The chipmunk gazed inside again, taking a glance over the various containers. Curiosity got the better of him, and he picked one of them up as it resembled the slime from earlier.
"Minmus." It read on the label. The ingredients were all pharmaceutical shorthand, none of which Xavier could even begin to decipher. The solution within was bright pink and looked almost the same as the goo they had made moments ago. Yet, Xavier didn't see Pent make a label for it, so he was all but certain it couldn't be the same thing.
"Xavier? Where are you?" Pent's voice could be heard down the hall.
Immediately, he shut the door with the vial still in his hand. "I was in the living room getting something from my bag. Be right there."
Xavier tried to open the door to the closet again, but it was locked. Now he was stuck with the vial and wasn't sure what he would do with it. The chipmunk boy walked back to his bag, considering putting it inside for a moment.
"Are you coming?" The fox was now looking at what he was doing from down the hall, but hadn't spotted the vial in his paw.
Panicking, the rodent pocketed it. He didn't want to be caught red-handed, even if he hadn't intentionally taken it. Conflict was something he liked to avoid when he could. Xavier got up and walked back over towards Pent. Despite his nerves, he was still calm.
"Sorry. I think I left it at home." Xavier continued with his white lie to get out of his sticky situation.
They walked back into the fox boy's room. Pent walked over to his closet.
"Wanna play a board game?" He asked before casually looking back at the chipmunk cub.
Xavier suddenly got an idea. "Yeah, sure. I'm going to use the bathroom. Be right back."
The rodent walked back to the bathroom and searched in his pocket for the vial. He intended to empty it into the sink and discard the vial later. It would be better than having to explain himself. Pulling out the vial, Xavier realized that the thing had emptied. Reaching back into his pocket, it was now surprisingly dry. Confusion deepened in his mind as he couldn't explain what had happened to it.
Opening up the zipper of his pants, he checked just in case. Sure enough, the only signs of it were a small pink stain by the edge of his pocket and the fabric of his boxers. Xavier had no idea what the substance was, but there was no question it had emptied into his pocket. There was nothing he could do about it now. Flushing the toilet, he pulled up his pants and returned to Pent.
His boyfriend was still setting up the board game. The Simpsons' version of Monopoly, which the two boys had picked out together previously. Xavier took a seat next to his boyfriend. In front of him, the Bart piece had already been placed on the board along with Lisa and play money for each of them. Both of them had played the game enough not to need the instructions explained.
They started up the game before long. It was a simple matter of financial strategy, neither of which the two cubs were great at. Even the more calculated Pent often made mistakes, thinking something was a good purchase, and then it failed in the end. Yet, both of them enjoyed the competitive aspect of it, and neither of them had a distinctive edge against the other.
Pent was able to score the Springfield bus routes while his boyfriend was able to net the more luxurious properties. The fox was the first one to have to pay rent as well as taxes, so early on, things weren't going well. Later on, things shifted, and the fox netted the Nuclear and Hydroplant facilities. This meant he gained the benefit of the "Burns effect".
Yet, things remained firmly in favor of the Chipmunk. Xavier was feeling confident by that point that he would win. They were already somewhat far into the game, and he could tell just by looking at Pent's pile of play cash that he wasn't doing great. Yet, as always, the fox maintained an upbeat attitude and carried on with the game as usual.
A short while later, Xavier was still winning. By this point, Pent had to mortgage some of his properties. The only luck that the fox had was that he got a charity card that had netted him some play cash. The rodent was feeling even better about himself. Sitting there cross-legged with the boy he loved, winning the game, things possibly couldn't be any better, he told himself.
"I'm going to get something to drink. Do you want something, Pent?" Xavier asked as he stood up.
When the rodent stood up, he wobbled a bit, and his boyfriend couldn't help but notice.
"Are you alright?" The fox boy looked up at him from the ground.
Xavier nodded, ignoring the fleeting weakness he had just experienced.
"I'll take whatever." The bigger boy waited patiently for the chipmunk to return.
The rodent slowly walked out, ignoring the fact that his legs felt heavier than usual. He pushed through it, not wanting to alarm his boyfriend. But the moment he was out of the room, out of sight, he looked down at his legs. They looked no different than normal. Yet something seemed different about him. Each stride he took was weighty and sluggish.
Xavier got into the kitchen, wanting nothing more than to wet his whistle. Perhaps it would make him forget about his problem, or so he told himself. Peering into the fridge, there were more than enough choices. Pouring himself a glass of chocolate milk and Pent coconut milk. After all, he knew it was the other boy's favorite.
Not wasting any time, Xavier downed his glass in four gulps. The sweet taste of the chocolate against his taste buds was too tantalizing. Pouring a second, he took hold of both cups and made his way back to the fox's room. The sensation in Xavvier's legs had shifted to a fleeting sense of weakness that was creeping through the entirety of his body.
He offered the glass of coconut milk to Pent before taking a seat next to him. Both boys began playing the game again, and things resumed as normal. That feigning unease in Xavier's body had only become more prominent as time passed. No longer fleeting, it now resembled a light chill that coursed through his very core, and it began pulsating within.
Xavier could no longer ignore it. A sudden shiver caused his body to shake. The rodent tried to warm himself, but for that moment, his body would not respond. It was now his turn, and the fox's gaze lay intently on him. Yet, the chipmunk could not act. They remained still and silent for a moment until Xavier regained his faculties, carrying on as if nothing had ever happened.
They finished out the game without another issue. Xavier did not have another fit of whatever it was that had struck him. He was all too glad for it, hopeful that it was over. Now victorious, Xavier helped his boyfriend clean up the board game. They had been at it a few hours now, and both cubs were stiff from the lack of movement.
Standing up and stretching, Xavier's pants and shirt seemed roomier than he remembered. They hung a bit more on him, slightly below his waist. Pent eased himself up slowly, standing up near his boyfriend. Looking over the fox cub, he realized something seemed off. His eyes fell flat against the shoulder blade of his boyfriend.
The other boy realized it as well. Xavier had always been pretty close to him in height. Yet, now he could almost see straight over the chipmunk's head. It was almost as if the other boy was smaller, he thought to himself.
"Did you have a growth spurt recently, foxy?" The rodent hoped this was the case, but didn't think it was true.
Pent shook his head. "I don't think so?"
"Then, why do you look suddenly bigger?" Xavier said the very question that had been on his mind for the last few moments.
The white furred cub looked his boyfriend over briefly. "I think you got smaller. Look at your clothes."
This was much clearer. Xavier's clothing didn't fit him nearly as well. While they weren't exactly falling off him, there was no doubt they were slightly baggy on him. Looking at himself, the rodent took into consideration his situation.
"How is this even possible?" The chipmunk pinched himself to make sure this wasn't a dream.
Sure enough, he did not awake from the nightmare. This was very much real.
The bigger boy examined him once again. "Scientifically, it's not, but I suppose stranger things have happened than a boy shrinking."
"What should we do?" The brown furred cub relied on his boyfriend as the sense of reason in the relationship.
The fox boy scratched his chin. "This will require examination before a hypothesis can be reached."
"French, please." While Xavier understood the words Pent was using, the way he was doing so was unclear.
Pent put his arm around the other boy in a comforting manner. " I will need to gauge the situation before I can come up with a solution."
"So, does that mean I will be your test subject?" The chipmunk trusted his boyfriend despite being uncertain about the situation.
The bigger boy hummed. "That would be a logical assumption, considering you are the only one I am aware of with this condition."
Xavier couldn't help but feel nervous, even despite trusting his boyfriend's knowledge of Science.
Tugging on Xavier to follow him, the vulpine cub led him back to the front room where the closet was. The door was now shut, but he didn't recall shutting it earlier since the lock had not yet been fixed from his brother breaking into it.
"Why is the door shut, Xae?" The white furred cub looked back at his boyfriend.
The smaller boy considered his answer before responding. "I shut it after I left earlier."
Pent suspected no foul play in this and picked the lock using a straightened bobby pin he kept outside. It had been stripped previously and was easy to unsecure. Opening it and looking inside, nothing seemed out of place, but upon further inspection, the arctic fox immediately noticed something was out of place. He checked his list of ingredients and discovered what was missing.
He didn't immediately come up with the idea that Xavier had taken the chemical. Yet, Minmus was a reducing agent capable of debridling even the most volatile of substances. Pent had discovered it online and had been using it to break apart less useful compounds. The cub's overactive mind began to wander, and immediately his eyes glazed over.
The rodent looked at the other cub. He knew this look all too well. It meant that his boyfriend was deep in thought. What was going through the cub's mind, only Pent knew. A thought occurred to Pent as he again gazed at the chipmunk boy: what if Xavier had exposed himself to Minmus? Could the effect have been what they thought was happening?
"Well? What do you think, foxy?" Xavier just wanted to break the awkward silence between them.
The fox cub was still not yet suspicious of any foul play. "I need to run a test. Give me your finger."
Putting out his hand with Pent, the brown furred boy closed his eyes. Quickly, the arctic fox pricked it before sealing the wound with a bandage. It was far from the first time he'd done this, but it didn't make the situation any easier for Xavier. Fortunately, it didn't take long, and already the white furred boy had placed the specimen under the microscope.
Xavier's limbs began to feel weighty again. The very breadth of their mass hung at his sides and below him. A chill passed through his body as he was once again feeling sluggish, and before long, it became difficult to move at all. That cold sensation coursed through his very core, causing him to shiver. His pants now hang off him, and his shirt drapes him much more than before.
It took him another moment to regain his mind before he came around. That sudden sense of stupefication had all but stunned him and left him blissfully unaware of what had just happened. Yet his baggy pants now hung loosely on him, and he had to hold them up. Looking down at the hem of them, he could see the space between the fabric of his pants and his own body. He wasn't sure, but he thought he'd shrunk even more.
"Hey, Pent?" The brown furred boy didn't want to distract his boyfriend, but he needed to know.
Slowly, the bigger cub raised his eyes from the ocular. "Yeah?"
"Could you stand up for a second?" Xavier figured this would be the only way to know for sure.
The fox cub stood upright for a moment. "Sure, but why?"
They were already close by since the space was small. Xavier's eyes cast their gaze over the left side of Pent's upper arm.
"I think...I got smaller." The chipmunk almost murmured the words, not quite whispering them.
Pent stammered a moment. "You did."
The white fox could easily see over Xavier's head now. The rodent was a good deal smaller than he was now. None of his clothes fit, and had the brown furred boy not been holding up his pants, they likely would have fallen off.
"What do I do? What if I keep getting smaller?" The brown furred boy had not considered the notion before, but now it seemed even more possible.
The bigger hummed to himself for a moment. "Scientific studies take time, but this does seem like an emergency."
"Wait, you've been taking your time?" Xavier was uncertain of the commitment such things involved.
The fox casually shrugged. "You cannot rush something that needs to be correct. I can't risk making a mistake."
"That's true, I guess I didn't think about that. Well, try to hurry things up before I shrink again." The chipmunk didn't want to shrivel away into nothing.
Pent placed his arm around the other boy to comfort him. "Don't worry, Xae, I'll figure this out, though you may want to text your mother to ask her if you can stay over."
"Good point, I don't want her to see me like this." The smaller cub wasted no time in getting out his phone to text his mother.
Meanwhile, the fox cub got back to work. He had been examining Xavier's blood platelets for a little while now. Discerning that the cub did indeed have some level of exposure to the Minmus chemical, His body was expelling the foreign substance, much like it would be doing to a poison or other form of antigen. Pent considered if the concoction should be treated similarly and watched the interaction within the cells.
Xavier heard from his mother a short while later. Of course, she was alright with it, so long as Pent's foster mother was alright with it. This was seldom an issue, and instantly felt a sense of relief. Now it was just a matter of time before his boyfriend figured out his situation. He looked over at the fox, who was still peering over the microscope.
"Well? Have you figured anything out?" The smaller cub wanted a sense of reassurance more than anything.
Pent turned around, looking at him. You were exposed to the Minmus chemical."
"Which means what?" Xavier needed a simpler explanation than that.
The white furred boy considered his next words carefully. "It means your body is likely trying to fight it off as an antigen."
"Can we do anything to help it?" The rodent figured this was a likely solution despite knowing nothing about it.
The bigger cub scratched his head. "Perhaps, but overloading your body with protogens isn't exactly something I've done before."
"Pent...you can't tell me that with all those books you've read that you can't at least try?" The chipmunk was willing to do anything to solve his problem.
The arctic fox shook his head. "On the contrary. I will try, but I cannot guarantee success. Still, I will posit the best condensed serum I can concoct to counteract the antigens."
"Pent...simpler, please." Once again, his boyfriend went way over his head.
Pent smiled at him with a look of cool confidence on his face. "I will make the best antidote that I can."
"Thanks, Pent. I know you can do it.' Xavier put the entirety of his trust into his boyfriend.
And so it was decided. Pent would task himself with creating a protogen serum to neutralize the Minmus chemical. Part of him couldn't help but feel excited, but there was also a part of him that was uncertain. It was a tall order, but one which the fox was all too willing to take up. After all, he wanted nothing more than to help the boy he loved, but he also had to be careful not to hurt him. It was finally time to put all that scientific research into practice.
