Snowed In Part 2 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.
It was a long but quiet night. The constant gale of gusting wind did not disturb the sleeping cubs under those bed sheets. Snow continued at a constant pace, with it remaining thick as it continued to collect on the ground. By this point, those already at home would be stuck where they were. The only vehicles capable of traversing such a thick slush would be those with tread. No level of winter tires was designed for snow that thick.
The morning came before long, and with it the usual rise of the sun accompanied a new day. Its bright rays shone through the otherwise fog-filled snowy landscape. A few winter Junco's had set up shop right outside on a nearby tree. The hardy birds sang to each other as the noticeably high pitch resonated through the area with an echo. The snow had begun to slow down a bit but was still falling, but was now more intermittent.
Inside, the bigger boy slowly roused. Yawning and stretching, the chipmunk cub gently let go of the other cub before looking outside. The window was still frosted over with ice, and not much could be seen. Briefly, he thought about opening the window, but he was all but certain that it was a bad idea. Looking back on the bed, he could see that the fox boy was still sleeping.
"Wakey wakey, rise and shakey." The rodent said with a soft and caring tone as he gently roused his boyfriend.
The smaller cub smiled at him warmly before opening his eyes slowly. "Morning, Xae. Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah, did you foxy?" The brown-furred boy leaned in and pecked the other boy on the forehead.
Pent slowly sat upright. "Yeah, it was nice and warm. I love sharing the bed with you."
Xavier couldn't help but smile at the comment, but it was something they had grown used to doing. The only time they didn't now was when Samaliel was around. Even Xavier's parents had seen them do it before but had never confronted the issue outright. They were pretty open about the closeness of their relationship except when it came to the more intimate and personal stuff in their lives.
"You wanna get some breakfast? I'm pretty hungry." The bigger boy started to get out of bed before waiting for the other to join him.
The fox cub nodded but didn't respond verbally. Instead shuffling out of the bed as well. Slowly easing himself off the edge before standing upright. Standing right next to the other boy. Looking down at the white-furred cub, Xavier couldn't help but notice he could almost see right over the fox boy's head. The curve of it between his ears was obvious and was the only thing obstructing his view.
"Hey, Xae…did you have a growth spurt?" The concern in Pent's voice was obvious.
Considering his words carefully, the chipmunk was immediately sure how to respond. The obvious was no longer nearly as ignorable as before. Even just looking at Pent, the cub's pajamas seemed to be looser on him. Both of the sleeves of his shirt and pajama pants hung off him a bit. Yet, part of him wanted to lie so that his boyfriend didn't panic. He knew that the fox could spiral rather quickly.
The rodent nodded as he scratched the back of his head nervously. "Uh…I guess so, yeah."
Part of Pent wanted to believe this. Yet, he was ignorant and was far more of an astute observer than his boyfriend was. In the back of his mind, the concern was there. It had wedged itself there the previous night, even if he had managed to ignore it for the most part. But now, he was finding it harder to contend with. Xavier could tell he was nervous. The shared moment of silence was all too telling.
"Let's go get something to eat." Xavier suggested, hoping to change his boyfriend's focus.
Xavier offered his paw to the other boy, who was all too glad to take it. Clutching it a little tighter than usual, almost as if to tell him it was going to be alright. The two of them walked paw in paw together toward the kitchen. Already the rodent was thinking about what they could eat. He wanted to take his boyfriend's mind off the problem at hand. After all, in his mind, it was nothing to be worried about just yet.
Padding into the kitchen, the bigger cub decided to take care of things himself. "Sit down and relax, foxy. I'll make you breakfast."
"But, I wanna…" The white-furred cub was interrupted before he could finish.
Xavier wagged his finger at him. "No buts! I wanna do something nice."
The fox cub knew when his boyfriend was serious, and this was one of those times. Turning on the radio before sitting down at the table to watch the boy he loved work.
"Good idea. Maybe the weather will be good enough today for us to go out and play. I am sick of being stuck inside." The bigger cub much preferred being outside as there were more things to do.
Occupying himself by toasting some frozen waffles, one for each of them. Popping them in the metallic device before cutting up some fruit for each of them. Pouring some apple juice into the nearby cups so they had something to drink it down with. It was a simple enough meal and one that didn't take very long before it was done. Xavier served it up, not bothering to cut it up as he was already getting hungry from just smelling it.
"Bon Appétit." The rodent boy said with his usual toothy grin.
Pent smiled at him. "Thanks, this was really nice of you. I appreciate it."
Xavier joined his boyfriend after putting everything on the table, taking the spot right next to him. Briefly looking at the fox boy to make sure he wasn't as nervous. Sure enough, the white-furred cub had relaxed a bit. The issue put to the back of his mind as he focused on the meal in front of him. For now, it didn't seem like a problem at all. It was warm and hit the spot as he cut it up and took a few bites.
"This is really good. Thanks, Xae." The smaller boy said between bites.
Smiling back at him, the chipmunk boy busied himself with eating. No longer thinking about the problem at hand either. He had a much easier time with just moving on than his boyfriend did. But to him, it wasn't that big of an issue. Figuring it was probably over with and temporary at best. To think it was otherwise was nothing short of foolish for him. But still, he needed to make sure that Pent didn't overthink it as he often did.
They finished their meals, one after the other. Pent purposely got up first to clean the table, feeling obligated to take care of it. Having to roll up the oversized sleeves a bit so they didn't spill over nearly as much. Watching him carefully, the chipmunk looked down a bit, making sure that the fox didn't trip over the slightly elongated pajama pants. Looking at him, the clothing seemed to swallow him even more than before, but still he didn't say anything about it.
Deciding to let him be, the brown-furred boy figured it might be best if Pent didn't recognize it too. Stepping over to the door leading outside, he rubbed his handpaw against it. The thin film of ice on the other side of it made it difficult to see through it. He tried to look through it but couldn't see much. Figuring it might be better for him to just open the door, he decided to try it.
Trying to pull the door open, he found it had frozen shut. Huffing, the bigger boy briefly looked back at Pent, who was now just finishing. Quickly he padded back to the front room to try the door there. Xavier stared at the door for a moment as he approached it, wondering if it was a bad decision. But he was very much feeling cooped up in the moment and wanted to go outside. Slowly, he opened the door as the immediate cold from the outside rushed in, making his body shiver.
A small pile of snow spilled inside the moment the door flew ajar. Only a small mound of it as it spread over some of the doormat. Briefly, the rodent looked outside. The snow seemed to still be falling but was no longer doing it as heavily. It made him hopeful they could go outside now. Trying to push back the snow, the coldness of the snow made it difficult. Each time, spilling back over before he just shut the door to let it melt on its own.
"You wanna go outside, foxy?" It's not as bad anymore.
Standing right behind him was the fox cub. Looking at him, Xavier realized he could now see right over his head.
"You're…bigger…?" Pent said, not even believing himself anymore.
Xavier considered his next words carefully. He had been playing off this little issue the entire morning since they woke up. All the evidence pointed to the contrary. He could just lie to Pent, but he knew that would be even harder to sell, especially after already doing so earlier that morning. Telling the truth seemed just as problematic, but he needed to do something. The concern written across the smaller boy's face was all too real, and it needed to be dealt with.
"Nah…you're smaller, silly." Xavier playfully ruffled his boyfriend's head fur.
The white-furred cub looked down, seeming even more uncertain of himself. "I'm shrinking?"
"I think so, yeah…I guess that little medicine you made worked." The rodent recalled it from the other day when the fox cub had told him what it was.
Pent shook his head, seeming still in disbelief. "But it wasn't high enough concentration to work in Anthros…"
"Maybe your calculations were wrong, foxy." Xavier put his arm around him in a comforting manner.
The white-furred cub took a deep breath. "I need…to fix this."
"Wait!" The bigger boy said instinctively, not even believing it came out of his mouth.
Pent looked at him, confused. "Huh? Why? What if it gets worse?"
"I kinda like being the big one for a change, foxy. Can we please enjoy it just for a little bit? I promise I'll help you get back to normal." The chipmunk liked how much better Pent fit against his body earlier that morning.
The smaller boy thought to himself for a moment. "You like being bigger?"
"Yeah. Can we, please?" Xavier gave his best puppy eyes impression.
The fox cub's
mind was spinning in that moment. He never thought he'd actually be considering this. To just let himself shrink without doing anything about it seemed illogical. Yet, Xavier liked being the bigger one. He liked to make his boyfriend happy. What was there to lose if he played along just for a little while? What was the worst that could happen?
Nodding, he decided to agree to it. "Alright…but only for a little bit. I don't wanna get too small."
Xavier smiled, glad the other cub had agreed. Hugging him tightly, pressing the smaller form against his own. Pent fitting even better against his form. Allowing himself to be embraced, the smaller boy felt even more secure against his boyfriend. He knew Xavier would never hurt him, no matter what happened. He completely trusted the chipmunk boy, and in that moment he let go of a part of his fears.
"You wanna go outside and play a little bit, foxy?" Xavier tried to change the subject again so the other boy would stop thinking about it.
The white-furred cub nodded. "Yeah, sure. Let's go get changed."
Extending his hand back, the chipmunk offered his paw again. Glad to take it, Pent followed along back to the rodents' room. Going back the way they came until they were back inside it. Splitting once they were inside, the white-furred boy went to where he had left his bag. Going through it, he pulled out a few of his base layers before stripping out of his pajamas. The looser sleepwear was a lot easier to get off now, and his bottom half almost slipped off once unloosened.
"Uh…do you have anything smaller? I'm not sure anything in my bag will fit anymore." Pent didn't even bother to try anything on as he stood there in just his boxers for a moment.
The rodent chuckled at him. "Lemme look. I might have stuff for last year or maybe before."
Looking through his drawers, the rodent discovered a few things from when he was younger. A two-year-old garment piece of basewear that he figured would fit Pent well enough. Throwing it back to him before doing the same with the matching outer layers. Finding something for himself in the meantime. Both of them changing into the stuff after a short delay.
Now that they were ready, they made their way back down the hall. Pent followed right behind his boyfriend, seeming to have pushed the issue to the back of his mind. Once they were nearer to the door, the rodent immediately slipped into the same black nylon snow pants he had worn the previous day. Pulling off his jacket and slinging it over himself, it didn't take long before he felt like a marshmallow.
"Ready, foxy?" He looked back at the fox who was messing with his shoes.
Pent nodded softly. "Yeah, can you hand me my jacket?"
Xavier grabbed it and tossed it to him, waiting a moment more before the smaller boy stood upright again. Pulling the jacket over him, the thing was slightly big for him but not enough to be a problem. Smiling at him, the rodent turned around and pulled open the door. Again the snow spilled inside, but he didn't care. Ignoring it, he climbed over the small pile in front of the door to make his way outside.
Pent followed him outside, the two of them crawling out from the door until the chipmunk had shut it behind him. Locking it was a bit harder than he anticipated, but with a little finagling, the brown-furred cub was able to manage it. Standing up, Xavier struggled a bit to gain his footing but was able to do so once he dug his foot in. Extending his paw back a bit to help his boyfriend do the same.
The white-furred cub used a little help from his best friend. Tugging on him a bit to pull himself up. Xavier was strong enough to help him even when the fox was bigger than he was, so it was far from an issue now. Standing next to each other, the chipmunk couldn't help but chuckle as the top of Pent's nylon hood pushed against his nose. He wasn't quite sure, but he felt like the boy had gotten even smaller.
"Such a small foxy." The brown-furred boy said with a boy smirk.
The smaller boy folded his arms defensively. "I'm not small…stop joking around, Xae."
"Oh hush, Pent. You know I'm just having fun. Why can't you just enjoy it? You said we could." Xavier just wanted him to let go for once.
Pent huffed, knowing his boyfriend was right. "Fine…"
Xavier nodded, wondering if his observation was right. Thinking to himself a bit, the thought that Pent could keep shrinking hadn't occurred to him before. Just how small could he get and how long would it take? Not considering the risk, all he could think about was what he thought of as fun. The thought of being bigger definitely appealed to him, so he decided to just wait and see. Besides…in his mind, it didn't seem to be a problem.
"Come on, foxy. Let's go play." Xavier finally pulled himself up once he found firm enough snow and waited for his boyfriend to join him.
They moved away from the home. The slush on the ground was thick and firm. It was cold; much of the snow that had fallen over the night had hardened. Yet from a first glance, they didn't see much ice, just a few patches here and there. But both cubs had lived there long enough that they knew to avoid such things. After all, they didn't want to slip and potentially hurt themselves.
Eventually they found their way to an area somewhat shielded by trees. The snow had slowed to a trickle, and only a few flurries remained. Nestling themselves under one of the trees, Xavier snarkily grinned as an idea popped into his head. Quickly darting backwards, he made a mad dash toward Pent. The fox was looking around a bit, not paying attention as he gazed up at the bird in the tree.
Suddenly, the rodent tackled him to the ground. Not using the full force of his boyish might, but certainly enough to take the fox off his feet. Finding himself underneath the bigger boy. That same snarky buck-toothed grin adorned his face, evident through the usual confident demeanor.
"Gotcha, foxy…" Xavier said, seeming rather satisfied with himself.
The white-furred boy grimaced at him but wasn't hurt. "No fair…you're bigger than me…"
"Uh-huh…I know. That's why I did it…" The chipmunk held his boyfriend there for a moment.
Pent didn't seem to mind being pinned down at all, not even bothering to squirm. Seeming quite content with the change of things. Xavier had always been stronger than he was, but it was still weird feeling somewhat helpless and at his whims. Still, he wasn't about to complain. Slowly, Xavier leaned down to steal a kiss from the other boy's snout. All too glad to return the embrace they shared affection for a moment before breaking apart again.
Slowly, the bigger boy got up, offering his paw to the other boy. Pulling himself up again, the fox dusted himself off and shed the snow that had collected on his winter wear and fur. Xavier smiled at him before looking around for something to do. Nearby, he found someone's sled just lying around. Figuring the thing had likely been abandoned there when the weather got bad.
"Come on, Pent. I have an idea." Xavier pulled the sled by its chain, figuring that he could just return it when they were done.
Not knowing what his boyfriend had in mind, the white-furred cub didn't question it. Deciding instead to just go along with it. Following along right behind him until they found themselves at the foot of a hill. The hill in question was the largest in the area and one they had visited a few times in the past to stargaze. Both were rather fond of it for different reasons but still had positive memories associated with it.
Leading up the hill, the brown-furred boy continued to pull along the sled. Its metal tracks left the usual trail behind it as it traveled. Pent followed him up to the top. It didn't take long to reach the top, as it wasn't very big. Once they reached the peak, Xavier flipped the little sled so that it was facing the opposite direction. Motioning for the fox cub to join him, the bigger boy eased himself onto the sled using his legs as an anchor.
Slowly, the fox cub eased himself in front of the boy he loved. The rodent leaned forward, resting his chin right on the white-furred boy's head. The boy seemed to fit even better against his bigger form. Wrapping his arms around him in a protective way, Xavier pushed off ever so slightly. It didn't take long for gravity to take over as the little sled made its way off the top of the hill.
Easing off the peak to the slope, the sled picked up pace. Soon racing down the incline in a frenzied rush. The ride lasted mere seconds as the biting wind blew by their faces. Speeding down until the little sled hit a small mound of snow, launching them right off it. Landing right on top of Pent, Xavier eased himself up before helping his boyfriend do the same. The two of them having huge smiles on their face despite getting tossed off.
Looking at Pent, the bigger boy couldn't help but notice he just about came up to his chin now. Not saying a word about it, as he didn't want his boyfriend to get worked up about it again. But in the back of his mind, he wondered if Pent would just keep shrinking or if it would stop eventually. He was having much too much fun to care about it right now, simply smiling at the boy he loved and pushing it to the back of his mind.
Xavier leaned down and flipped over the sled. Thinking about it a moment, he considered doing it again. Finally deciding to lead the other cub right back up the hill. The smaller cub followed along, loading in the same fashion once they were back on top. Easing them off again with a slight push, the two boys raced down a second time. This time, it was a much smoother ride as they managed to avoid that same hill of snow.
The two of them took the sled back to where they found it, as they didn't intend to actually claim it. Figuring it had to be someone else's, and they didn't wanna steal it. Leaving it around the
same spot they found it. Xavier thought to himself for a moment about what else they could do. Then just as he was thinking about it, he felt the cold slush of a snowball hit right against his face.
"Got'cha. That's for earlier." Pent said with a snarky grin on his face.
The bigger boy smirked at him, not hesitating at all before bundling up his own ball of snow to throw back. Tossing it right at him with that usual playful look on his face. The ball exploding into little powdery bits as it hit the fox cub's face. Reeling away, the white-furred boy padded back towards an outcropping of trees. Launching another tightly compacted snowball toward his boyfriend.
This time Xavier was able to avoid it since he saw it coming. Retreating behind a nearby bush as he found his own cover. Curling up another ball to throw toward Pent. Only coming out to launch it from his hand. Back and forth they threw one snowball after another. Few of them actually hit their mark, except for the residual debris made from impact around them. Wanting to get the upper hand, the rodent came up with an on-the-spot plan.
He curled another ball in his palm, making sure it was compact enough to survive travel. Revealing himself in a singular movement, he pivoted from the tree and made a run for it. The only sound being heard was the constant pitter-patter of his feet in the snow. But by the time Pent realized it, it was too late. Another snowball hit him square across the side of his head against the nylon fabric of his winter jacket.
"Got'cha back!" The bigger boy said with a toothy grin.
Pent couldn't help but smile at him. Sure, he was competitive, but it was hard for him to get mad at Xavier. Instead just letting it go and allowing the slush to fall from his jacket and fur.
"Wanna help me find some bugs, Xae?" Pent suggested since he hadn't had a chance to since yesterday.
The chipmunk chuckled at him before nodding with a smile. "Sure, foxy."
Making his way over toward a tree, the fox kit looked at the bark closely. It was encrusted in ice, and some lichens still hung on it. Daring not to touch it, the white-furred cub considered his best options for finding something. Insects in winter were not exactly rare, but unless one was looking for them, it was unlikely to find something. Yet, he was determined to find something to gaze upon.
Xavier wasn't exactly sure what to do. Sure, he had engaged in helping his boyfriend find insects before. But he always just went along with it. He didn't actually understand the nuance of it. Even less comprehending why the fox boy was so fascinated by bugs. To him, they were just annoying. Still, he knew it made Pent happy, and he remembered making a promise to him the previous day. He wasn't about to break that promise and potentially hurt the other boy's feelings in the process.
Nearby, the fox discovered a body of water that had frozen over from the cold temperature. Just looking at it, they could see that some of the ice was cracked, but those areas seemed nearer to its center. On the shores, the frosted-over trees canvassed overtop of it as the light wind carried them back and forth. A light glisten glazed over the ice, making it shine ever so slightly with an opaque luminescence.
Padding over to a fallen-over tree, the white-furred boy looked within it. Sure enough, a few bugs were hanging out within its hollowed-out core. Inside, he found a few winter moths harbored up inside. The things were bundled up together, and nearby some larvae could be seen incubating. Examining it for a moment, the fox cub knew better than to disturb the insects, as they were fragile, so he just backed away.
Xavier had just been watching Pent the entire time. The jacket on him was much too large, looking more like something from a hand-me-down. The pants he had borrowed from him even looking a bit baggy on him, slightly pooling up a bit over his boots. Every time the boy moved, it seemed his shoes were adjusting a bit. He was certain they had likely gotten too big for him as well, but he couldn't be sure.
The rodent thought to himself a moment. That same consideration from earlier as to what if Pent just kept shrinking? It seemed slow to be sure, but the other boy hadn't seemed to stop getting smaller, at least not yet. But just how small could he get? He liked being bigger, but he also didn't want Pent to just keep shrinking away. After thinking about it a moment, he decided to bring it up in the most roundabout way possible.
"Hey, Foxy?" He said in a soft tone, trying not to stop his boyfriend from what he was doing.
Having found a cobweb of spiders, the smaller boy was somewhat distracted. "Yeah?"
"Do you think we should head inside for lunch?" Xavier figured it would be a good way to get them inside.
The white-furred cub looked back toward him. "I'm a little bit hungry, yeah. We could go back inside if you want."
Nodding, the bigger boy motioned for his boyfriend to follow him. Walking up to him, the white-furred boy realized his eyes barely came up to the other cub's shoulder. Pent sighed gently as he looked down at himself. That jacket almost swallowing him now as the sleeves and bottom hem hung off him a bit. He had been ignoring the issue most of the day because he was having fun, but now he was coming to terms with it again.
"Are you alright, Foxy?" Xavier couldn't help but notice the other boy's obvious distress.
The smaller cub shook his head. "No…I am still shrinking. I need to solve this before it gets worse."
The brown-furred boy knew that was true. Sure, he liked being the bigger one, but his boyfriend was noticeably smaller than he was now. Still showing no signs of stopping or even slowing down.
"What should we do?" The rodent was at a loss for options.
Pent was already deep in thought. "Let's go have lunch…then I can see if I can figure something out."
Making their way back to Xavier's home, the two boys joined hands and walked through the snow. The constant squishing of snow beneath their feet as they made tracks behind them. Again the wind was picking up, but it wasn't bad enough to be biting just yet. It was still rather cold, so their cold noses frosted over just a bit. The two of them grinned and bore through it as they made the distance back.
By the time they had arrived at the chipmunk's place, the snow had begun to fall again. Not nearly as heavy as the previous day, but enough that they could make out flakes fluttering down from the sky. Xavier led to his front door, clearing out the space just in front of it with a shovel his parents had left there for that purpose. It hadn't gotten deep just yet, so it didn't take him long to make space to get the door back open.
Back inside, they were once again assaulted by the warmth of the inside temperature. Each of them shaking off the snow from their jacket, the bigger boy pulled off his outermost layers. Pent's slipped off him the moment he unbuttoned it. His boyfriend couldn't help but chuckle at him before bending over to pick it up.
"What? It's not funny, Xae. I don't wanna keep shrinking." The white-furred boy said with his arms folded defensively.
The bigger cub looked over at his boyfriend. He knew the boy was serious. Gently, he reached out to touch him on the shoulder.
In a soft, comforting tone, the rodent spoke. "It'll be okay, Pent. I promise."
Pent relaxed a bit, letting his guard down again. Stepping out of the shoes that slipped off his paws much more easily than he remembered. Doing the same with the pants as he waited for the chipmunk boy to do the same. The bigger boy was glad his boyfriend had relaxed a bit and quickly shed the rest of his remaining outer layers. A sudden rumble in his stomach reminded him that he was hungry.
"Come on, little foxy…let's get some food." The brown-furred boy said before playfully poking the other on the nose.
The fox huffed slightly. "I'm not little…"
"Not yet, you're not…" Xavier smirked at him a bit as if teasing him further.
The smaller cub's eyes grew wider. "Stop joking around, Xae. It's not funny…"
Chuckling at him, the rodent offered out his paw again. Pent finally caving in to taking his hand as they made their way back to the kitchen. Stopping near the table once they entered it.
"You want a sandwich or something else?" The chipmunk asked with a soft smile.
Pent hummed as he thought about it for a moment. "Whatever is cool with me."
Letting go of his boyfriend, the bigger cub went about making them food. Following alongside him, the fox just wanted to help. Grabbing some drinks from the fridge, he pulled out two boxes of juice. Xavier knocked into him, though not quite hard enough to knock him over. Not even noticing him since he wasn't paying attention now. After all…the cub was now well below his eye level.
"Sorry…I didn't see you." The chipmunk boy said, scratching the back of his head.
The white-furred boy sighed. "It's fine…"
Grabbing each of them a drink, Pent returned them to the table. Returning back to fetch each of them a cup of pre-mixed fruit and some utensils for them. Meanwhile, the bigger boy busied himself making each of them a sandwich. Taking out some bread and spreading out some faux tuna for both of them. Topping it with some tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, and olive oil.
It didn't take long for him to make it, putting them each on a plate before delivering them to the table. Already the fox cub was waiting for him, patient and well-mannered, as he never started without the boy he loved. Softly nodding at him, the two of them got to eating. Enjoying the rich flavor of the food as they savored the small but simple meal. Not saying much between them, as the only sound heard was the wind howling outside.
"So uh…what should we do about your little problem?" Xavier uttered a similar question to the one from earlier.
The smaller boy swallowed his food before speaking. "I need to see if there is any of that compound to properly analyze so I can create something to neutralize it."
"And…if there isn't?" The chipmunk didn't recall if he left any of the blue pill in the container.
The white-furred cub huffed. "Then…I try to make something without it."
They finished their meal before long. Xavier offered to take care of the cleanup so his boyfriend could get working. Traveling down the hallway, Pent stopped to look down at himself. The base layers he had borrowed from his boyfriend earlier were looser on him than he recalled. The thought he might still be shrinking had occurred to him, but he never accepted just how small he'd gotten.
Pent walked into his boyfriend's room, right over to that same height chart from the other night. The same one he'd used previously. That dark mark he placed of his own head was noticeably higher than where he stood now; he didn't even have to measure to see that. Yet, he still wanted to see just how bad it had gotten. Taking the same pencil, he took a deep breath and flattened himself against the wall.
The fox measured himself again, marking another dark mark where his head now lined up. Stepping away to look at it. The gap between the two of them was noticeable. Shorter than even some of the chipmunk's previous marks. He sighed, hoping it wouldn't get much worse than this. Especially if he failed. The drug wasn't even supposed to work on anthros, and yet it very clearly was.
Padding back to the bed, he pulled his bag over to the edge of it. Looking into it, the medicine container was right where he left it. He quickly popped it open and gazed inside. Sure enough, most of his allergy stuff was intact, since he hadn't had to take any of it. Nothing of the blue pill remained, and the only remnants of it were the same white powder that Xavier had scooped up before, but the fox couldn't be sure it was the same stuff.
"Find it?" The rodent boy asked from behind.
The smaller cub shook his head. "No. I don't think there's any left."
"You'll figure it out even without the pill. If anyone can…I know you can." There was no question in Xavier's mind that Pent would solve it.
The white-furred cub looked up at him. "I don't even have my stuff here. How am I supposed to make something to neutralize it?"
"Just make do with what I have. Can you use stuff in the kitchen or bathroom?" Xavier was trying to prevent his boyfriend from spiraling.
Pent thought about it a moment. "Maybe…I can look in my notes. There has to be something there about what I mixed to make this."
Grabbing his phone out of his bag, the fox cub immediately began to scan through it. He kept logs of virtually everything he did. Skimming through it, he sat on the side of the bed. Xavier eventually joined him; the chipmunk tossed his arm over the boy he loved. Pulling him in a little closer to give him that extra bit of support. The fox boy couldn't help but smile, but the bigger boy knew he was a bit stressed.
Eventually, Pent came across something promising. The unnamed drug didn't have anything tell-tale about it. But the results of the experiment were all too clear. "Minimalization of mass in subjects C, G, and Q. The conclusion on each of the notes was similar, each of them being reduced by almost 90%. The thought of it made his eyes grow wider as he re-read the notes.
"Is something wrong, Foxy?" The bigger cub couldn't help but notice the change in his boyfriend's facial expression.
The white-furred boy swallowed deeply. "The results from the test indicated a reduction in size by almost 90%."
"Wow, but didn't you say you didn't test it in anthros?" The chipmunk recalled the comment from earlier.
Pent shook his head. "Of course not. That would be silly."
"Then what makes you think it will work that much on you?" The bigger boy was a little curious about it.
Scratching the back of his head, the fox tried to rationalize. "I don't really know, but it hasn't stopped."
"Do you feel any different?" Xavier touched his boyfriend's shoulder gently in an attempt to ease his anxiety.
He hadn't really thought about it before. "No. I don't think so."
"Well…do you know of any way to neutralize it or whatever?" The brown-furred boy gave him his usual soft comforting smile.
Pent looked at the chemical compound he'd written down. "I think it requires…Lisatrene."
"Lisa…what?" A confused look crossed across the rodent's face.
The fox showed his phone to his boyfriend. "Lisatrene. It's not something that we can just get freely. It's not like it's actually an option without a lab or proper equipment anyway."
"So what other alternatives do we have?" Xavier was feeling a little guilty now about having convinced the other boy to play along with it.
Suddenly a light popped on in the smaller boy's head as his face lit up. "Dilsopram."
"And…that is what?" Sometimes the rodent felt rather naïve around his nerdy cohort.
Pent looked up from his phone. "Growth hormone."
"Wouldn't that just make you grow instead?" The chipmunk was trying to make sense of the logic.
Nodding, the fox seemed certain of his reasoning. "Yes, but we would have to reduce the concentration so I didn't grow any more than my normal size."
"I mean, yeah, that makes sense, but where are we going to get that? We can't just go out and buy some." Xavier figured it was something that had to be prescribed.
The smaller boy smiled at him. "Didn't your parents get you some? Do you have any left?"
"Pent, that stuff is dangerous. They didn't even make me take it because they were worried about the side effects." Concern washed over the brown-furred boy's face as he was worried about his boyfriend.
Pent reached out to grab his boyfriend's hand. "I don't think we have a choice, Xavier."
Xavier thought about it for a moment. Sure, he wanted his boyfriend to get back to his normal size, but he was also worried about him. Recalling what the doctor had told him, there were a lot of side effects to the drug. They had even told him it didn't always work in cubs his age. It was a case-by-case prescription, and both he and his parents had decided to let the boy grow naturally.
Silence continued to be shared between them in that moment. The rodent's mind was swirling with thoughts. Slowly he got up from the bed, still undecided what he was gonna do.
"I'll be right back." The chipmunk said despite not making his intention clear.
He walked into the bathroom and opened the cabinet behind where his mirror was. Looking within the cabinet, there were several rows. Larger things like mouthwash, toothpaste, and bars of deodorant were on the bottom. Smaller things like floss, various hygiene tools, and medicine jars were scattered across the top. He didn't take much, but he had typical things like aspirin, some cough drops, and a tube of muscle relaxer.
As he was looking through it, he didn't find what he was looking for at first glance. He didn't even recall what it looked like, but all of the stuff he found was things he recognized. Perhaps his parents had thrown it away, he told himself. Deciding to check under the sink, he bent down to check there just in case. Sure enough, the little jar with a "DPM" label on it was sitting there. He assumed it had to be what his boyfriend was talking about.
Picking it up, the vial was small but innocuous. Very little gave away as to what it was besides the label, which also indicated it was several months expired. Xavier walked back to his room, where he found the fox cub typing away on his computer. The cub's feet no longer hit the floor, small sitting within it as the rodent had adjusted it to fit his size. Not saying anything, Xavier pocketed the little vial without saying anything to see what his boyfriend was doing.
"What are you looking for?" The bigger boy peered over his shoulders.
The white-furred boy scanned through the MSDS database. "Alternatives. Did you find it?"
"I found it, yeah, but I'm still not sure if it's a good idea for you to take it." Xavier took it out of his pocket to show it to him.
The fox boy panned his head over towards it. "This expired in January. Why do you still have it?"
"I kind of forgot about it until you brought it up, but this makes it an even worse idea than before. You know it's not a good idea to take expired meds, especially this old." The chipmunk had been warned both by his doctor as well as the other boy several times.
Pent nodded at him before putting it down. "Yeah…I know. It was stupid to even think this would be a solution."
"Good. I'm glad we agree. There has to be another way to solve this. I'm going to dump it out." He picked it back up before disappearing to dispose of it.
Xavier returned a few seconds later. Padding back over to the boy he loved, continuing to peer over his shoulder. Looking at the screen, he couldn't help but be curious. Of course, the site was way above his understanding of Chemistry. Even if he had asked the other cub to explain it to him, it would likely have been too much. Yet, he stood there to try and stay involved as he wanted to do the same thing his boyfriend did.
A short while passed before the white-furred cub stopped. Just blankly staring at the screen as if a realization had dawned on him. Sighing, he pushed back from the chair before getting up from it. Now standing right next to the chipmunk boy, Xavier's eyes grew wider as he noticed the other cub just about came up to his shoulder. Yet, he didn't say a word as he knew the other boy was stressed enough and he didn't want to make it worse.
Pent looked up at the boy he loved. "Please help me, Xae."
"I don't know how…" The rodent reached in to wrap his arms around the other boy to hold him tightly.
Hugging him back, the smaller cub was all too happy to share in the embrace. Feeling even more helpless now that he hadn't come up with a solution to his little problem. Xavier caressed the other boy's head fur a bit, feeling a bit strange that he could do so even more easily now. That clothing he had borrowed from before was even more roomy on him, sagging ever so slightly on his smaller form.
In that moment of silence, the chipmunk thought to himself as they showed affection towards one another. Thinking that having the smaller boy pressed against him was nice. Realizing that part of him was still enjoying being the bigger one in the relationship for a change. Seeing his boyfriend smaller made him even more in control than he would otherwise.
Sure, he was still worried about the boy he loved and wanted him to get back to normal. But why couldn't they just enjoy this? Was it really so bad to have his boyfriend this small?...or perhaps even smaller? The thought had never occurred to him before, but in that moment he considered it, and it made him even more curious. Only to push it to the back of his mind and make light of the situation instead.
"Hey…Pent?" The rodent said in a soft tone without breaking from the embrace.
The fox cub nuzzled into his boyfriend's fur a bit. "Yeah?"
"I kinda…like this. You being the little one. Have you ever thought about what it would be like?" Xavier decided to toy with his boyfriend a little bit.
The white-furred cub looked up at him curiously. "What do you mean?"
"You know…getting smaller or whatever?" The chipmunk playfully ruffled the other cub's head fur.
The fox boy's eyes grew wider. "No…why would I do that? I don't want to just keep shrinking, Xae."
"Think about it, foxy. What if you got so small that I could pick you up?" A small smile crept across his face as Xavier teased him a little bit about it.
Pent hesitated a moment before answering. "Xae…you can't seriously be thinking about that. Are you?"
"What if I am? Maybe it would be fun to have you pocket-sized." The rodent smirked a bit as he continued pinching off the palm of his hands.
A look of concern crossed the white-furred boy's face. "I can't believe this. What's come over you all of a sudden?"
"Nothing. I'm just poking a little fun at you. You don't always have to take everything so seriously. Relax, foxy." Xavier chuckled a bit but decided he had taken the joke too far.
The smaller boy sighed in relief. "Look…It's just that I am worried, okay? The only solution I thought we had isn't an option anymore. The alternatives didn't seem viable anymore and…"
In that moment, the bigger boy knew he had taken it a bit too far. He felt guilty that he'd toyed with the boy he loved, even if only for a short while. Even if part of him liked the change in dynamic, he knew he had to consider the other boy's feelings. Deciding that he couldn't make fun of it anymore. The other cub was in a vulnerable state and more than anything else, Pent needed his support.
"Pent, I'm sorry, okay? I was just playing around with you a little bit. I know you're stressed out, but I'm here for you. Even if you keep shrinking. Even if you do get small…I would never let anything happen to you. I love you more than anything." The chipmunk leaned in to hug the boy he loved.
The smaller boy hugged him back tightly, not able to stay mad for long. "I love you too..."
The white-furred cub leaned into him again, feeling a bit better now. Sure, there was that lingering concern in the back of his mind. That he would get even smaller and that they had no viable solution to the problem. But even despite that, he knew he could trust Xavier. No part of him thought that the chipmunk would ever hurt him. He knew his boyfriend would protect him no matter what happened. Tugging him down to the bed, Xavier decided to help his boyfriend relax in hopes he would forget about things.
They rejoined in that moment. Pent nestled his cold nose into the bigger boy's fur. Enjoying Xavier's touch as the chipmunk caressed him back. No more jokes or teasing between them. It was another true moment of sincerity, care, and affection. Nothing in their minds could tear them apart. It was no longer about the problem or the lack of solution. It was about them, and for everything else just seemed to disappear. Each of them forgetting about all their worries and just enjoyed each other as they often had in the past.
