The Big Things

Chapter Six

By Roofles

Their routine was second nature at this point.

After cleaning up the mess they had made on the desk, Pedro just shoving it all, neatly, to the side to finish their project at a later date, the two went to bed.

Changed, washed, teeth brushed, grooming their fur they changed into their PJs before settling down in the same spots they'd been sleeping at for the past several months. While Theo had moved from the nightstand next to Pedro's bed to the cubby in the wall, very little had changed in their dynamic with one another.

Shirtless, in a simple black and red checkered styled pajama bottoms, Pedro laid out in bed staring at the lifted top bunk above his own. A top bunk for a roommate that had never shown up. A bed that was too small for the tiger to use and one much too large for the rodent fussing next to him.

Glancing over, Pedro watched through the open cubby doorway as Theo adjusted, readjusted and fluffed up his cotton mess that he called a bed. Maybe it was a rodent thing, the feline didn't understand, but Theo loved to bundle up his bedding into a makeshift ball that he would dive into and bury himself within. Getting lost in the fabric, cotton and mesh of material he'd gathered together to create his little nest with.

Only his tiny pajama wearing bottom was poking out as Theo continued to rearrange things from within the cotton bundle of shredded fabrics. All of which, Pedro noted, belonged to the tiger. From scraps of old socks to a shirt that had seen better days and even what looked like a shoelace. Pedro had wondered where that had gotten to. Now seeing it had been spirited away by a crafty little Small rat.

“Like a fussy bird," Pedro had teased, watching Theo the first time he had done the task. Running around the nightstand at the time to gather loose threads and cotton balls to bunch together in a strange amalgamation of various objects that would eventually become a bed to sleep within.

Several times Pedro had tried to let Theo sleep on the bed with him. Each had been a mistake. The rat had tried to burrow his way into the bed itself. The sound of chewing still haunted the tiger's nightmares. Waking up with a small hole in his bed that Theo was slowly enlarging with his meticulous work.

Theo claimed he couldn't sleep unless he was bundled in. It was a rodent thing. There was a difference between taking a nap and curling in for bed. While Theo might take an occasional cat nap, ironically, he was very picky about how he'd sleep for the night.

Pedro had to pull Theo out of his pillow the last time they'd tried, afraid he might accidentally roll over on top of the rodent. He'd been collecting the stuffing in his pillow for something the tiger had never figured out what for.

Theo was just a pack rat.

That was about the time Pedro began letting Theo use whatever fabric he wasn't using to build his makeshift nest with. From the bundle on the work desk, to the left-over remnants on the nightstand. Theo would create these small little beds all over to curl up in when he wanted to rest.

At least he was Small, Pedro reasoned out. Any mess Theo made was astronomically different from what Pedro would make. The tiger could just sweep it off the desk with a hand if it was ever a bothered. No more than the size of an empty chip bag.  

“I can feel you judging." Theo spoke up, breaking the silence between the two. The rodent didn't look at the tiger. Theo just continued to fuss with the new materials he had gathered that day to add to his bedding. Replacing some things here and stuffing other things there.

It all looked the same by the time he was done to Pedro who was still watching him with a feline's curiosity.

“Why do you do that?" Pedro had been stressing. Trying to figure out some way to start up a conversation with the rodent, hoping to lead to more things from there. After talking with Riz, the tiger had gotten worked up over the idea of him and Theo, possibly, trying something.

What that was? Pedro didn't have the slightest of clues.

His thoughts had become distracted observing Theo. It wasn't exactly interesting, but it did pique the feline's curiosity. Always wondering what the rat was up to next. What contraption would he build, what idea would he come up with next. It was never boring with Theo, Pedro had learned. Even the small things like this was far more interesting than if Pedro were just here alone.

“Do what?" Theo plucked a tuft of fur from his bedding, fur that looked far too close to the golden tiger's own. The rodent sniffed it before moving it elsewhere and patted the spot after. Seemingly pleased with where it ended up at.

“That." Pedro gestured at the mess of a bed Theo used. Pedro turned on his side, facing the wall as he looked into the bright cubbyhole he'd constructed for Theo to use. It was like a window looking into Theo's room and Pedro felt guilty for enjoying that taking up the entire open wall with his muzzled face.

Being able to get a view into Theo's private life where others couldn't. A secret the feline could enjoy in the privacy of their room.

Theo had spent the entire month before Halloween had hit “fixing" the ramshackle bedroom Pedro had secretly constructed for the rodent to use. While Theo didn't say that, Pedro was sure the rodent had felt like it was just more work for him to take care of. For anyone else, that would've been an insult. Giving Theo a task to do, however, was always a gift instead of a burden for the workaholic rat.

Theo had changed the flooring first. Clearing everything out and practically throwing the things onto Pedro's bed. A hilarious sight to watch. The rodent had added carpet to the floor in its place. It wasn't any kind of carpet Pedro had seen before. Taking scraps of cut cloth and fabrics, Theo had constructed a patchwork quilt style flooring for him to walk on. Stuffing it with whatever soft things he could collect, the rodent had created a soft floor for him to use.

From there, it was painting the walls. Theo had three walls to work with, and the inside of the swinging door, and changed every one of them up with bright vibrant colors that resembled a sunny day.

“Now that I'm on the surface," the rodent said, “I don't want to be thinking about the dark, dank sewers ever again." With a painter's smock and apron on, the rodent was a colorful mess himself. Greens, blues and what he called “surface colors" colored his tiny white body.

Pedro liked the soft orange color the best. Something Theo had used to do the inside of the swinging cubby door with. As it reminded him of a certain someone. “Creamsicle" he called it. “Deliciously sweet and far too fattening for me!" Theo squeaked a giggle, patting his rotund belly at this point from all the treats Pedro had been sneaking him these past months.

After the paint dried and Theo was scrubbed down to be the white cotton ball he was, he'd instantly gone back to work. Pedro had helped at this point. Bringing back up all the things Theo had chucked out of the cubbyhole onto the bed. The tiger, with an amused chuff, tried not to laugh openly as Theo ordered him around. Where to place things, what to bring in and what definitely not to bring in and what they needed to replace.

“You have terrible taste," Theo just shook his head, as if admitting defeat with the tiger. “If I had a chance, I'd change your entire room to something more tasteful!"

“What's wrong with my room?" Pedro asked, glancing around to look at the sports posters on the wall. There were a couple of his favorite bands mixed into the mess. There was so much clutter in the small space that everything had, slowly, turned into some sort of storage space for the two to use. For all their projects and materials needed for them.

Pedro was the one who felt like a packrat, looking at all the storage containers stacked on top of each other. Each filled to the brim with something or other.

“No taste," Theo had shook his head. “Once we move out of here…" The rodent hadn't elaborated further, still feeling uncertain and uncomfortable about the idea of staying with Pedro for the rest of his days. More so, for the fact Theo felt he was holding Pedro back rather than living with Pedro.

Pedro, after seeing all the work Theo had done for the cubbyhole, decided that when they did move out of this small dorm room, that Theo would have full control over the decorations. With the exception of the patchwork carpet. While it was cute for a small dollhouse sized room, it was something Pedro would have to make sure to put his foot down to stop. Literally, if he needed to. A single paw was more than enough to keep Theo contained with.

“And the, uh, carpet?" Pedro asked, looking at the ragdoll carpet.

“It's comfy." Theo said in return to Pedro's question as the tiger examined the room he was in. Theo had put posters on the wall. Hand drawn and painted things that Theo had done in his free time while Pedro was in class.

If Theo was a normal, average-sized student he would've definitely been in the art program at the school. Taking classes as he sculpted and painted portraits of the other students. Pedro could clearly see the inspiration for one of the painted canvases. A mixture of gold, orange and white with the faintest black marking to highlight the tiger's face further.

It looked a lot like Pedro's room because of that, something the tiger guilty enjoyed.

“Much better than your room." Theo dismissively waved a paw towards the opening of his cubby hole.

“My beds comfy." Pedro protested with a soft chuff of hot air, amused by Theo stubbornness.

“No, it's not! It's lumpy and dense and just… no." Theo grumbled shaking his hands off from the idea. “There are metal springs in it. Who does that?" Theo rolled his eyes dramatically, tossing up his pink pawed hands and shook his whiskered face several times.

Pedro didn't defend the dorm beds they had been given.

“What? Because I haven't torn it apart and put it back together, you don't want to sleep in it anymore?" Pedro teased.

“Exactly." Theo beamed with a soft squeaky laugh that made his entire body shake slightly from the action. It was adorable to see, and Pedro curled his toes watching the small rodent giggle like that. Covering his small snout with both his furless pink hands and giggle with several squeaks.

“I'm sure we can come up with some way for you to enjoy sleeping here." Pedro motioned at the bed he was in. The covers were only pulled up to his waistline and Pedro had gestured more so at his chest than at the bed itself.

“Well, your pillow-," Theo looked over at it.

“Don't you dare!" Pedro hissed, giving a sharp reply as he pulled his pillow away from Theo's reach. “This is the only pillow I've found to be comfortable. You'd torn up the others and stole the cotton from inside them. This is all I have left!"

“No, I wouldn't… fat head." Theo added at the end, feeling childish for not being able to get a hold of such high-quality material that made up Pedro's pillow. “Besides, I thought you didn't want to try to sleep together after what happened last time…"

Theo, of course, was mentioning the last time the two had tried to sleep together. The rat had been curled up under Pedro's chin, against his soft fur along his throat. It had been rather comfortable despite the vibrating sound the tiger made as he snored lightly. That was until Pedro had rolled onto his side, tongue drooling out and onto the rodent who was then soak in said drool. Pinned under the sleeping feline, Theo couldn't do much but wait for Pedro to wake up.

“I already apologized for that," Pedro said, wiping his arm over his mouth to remove any drool that had been there.

“What had you even been dreaming about?" Theo rolled his eyes, wiping his arms off as if still able to feel the thick substance.

“I wasn't thinking of rat kabobs if that makes you feel any better." Pedro offered with a cheeky smile, and Theo flipped him off for it. “What? It's just so easy. Hold you by your tail and-," Pedro stopped after Theo threw a ball of rolled up lint at his face for that.

It bounced harmlessly off Pedro's nose but had gotten Theo's point across.

“Easy for you to say! I had to spend half the night de-drooling myself." Theo shuddered. “It got… everywhere."

“Fine, what about lower…?" Pedro offered and Theo glared at him suspiciously. “I meant, like, by my feet or something." The flustered tiger said, stammering a bit and reverting back to his native tongue by the end.  

“To be stepped on by your stinky paws all night?" Theo shook his head, crossing his arms as he faced towards the tiger fully now. “I rather be where you thought, first, instead of that." Theo squeaked.

“Wait, really?" Pedro's round ears perked up hearing that as he stared at the rodent with a slight tinge of hunger.

“Your belly would be super soft. Fatty." Theo stuck his tongue out at him.

“Oh, my stomach. That's what you meant…" Pedro's ears wiggled as he averted his gaze from the now suspicious rodent glaring at him.

“Where did you think I was talking about? Pedro. Pedro! Don't you ignore me." Theo angrily squeaked at the end. The tiger refused to make eye contact. “I will hop out of his hole and shake you!" Theo threatened with tiny pink balled up fists.

“It's nothing." Pedro huffed out a heavy breath in defeat. Lying back down, he turned away from Theo. His back facing towards the open cubby hole. “Good night." Pedro decided it was best not to push things from this point, unable to work up the courage further.

This was fine. It was better than fine! Things were going so good between the two of them. Pedro didn't wanted to ruin that friendship just because he was, a lot, horny.

“Pedro. Pedro! Don't ignore me." Theo shouted back. The one thing Pedro had forgotten was how stubborn Theo could be.

Within the next second, Pedro saw a white flash jump out of the cubbyhole, landing on the bed behind him before scaling the giant of a tiger within seconds. Holding onto Pedro's shoulder fur with his tiny hands, Theo pointed his muzzle towards Pedro's ear.

“Hey." Theo cupped a hand around the sound of his muzzle to amplify his voice. Pedro ignored him, pulling his covers up further. “Hey, tiger man." Theo continued to whisper. “I know where you live." Pedro rolled his eyes shut. “I know where you sleep."

“Can't hear you, I'm sleeping." Pedro feigned a loud snorting snore.

“I know if you've been naughty or nice." Theo continued to whisper into his ear, making the tiger wiggle it out of habit. The rat was all whiskers, he'd swear. “I know if you've been bad or good."

“Theo." Pedro grumbled now.

“Tell me what you were going to say! Then I'll let you sleep." Theo lied, grinning to himself. Pedro could practically see Theo's cheeky smile, teasing the much larger male in his own bed. Anyone else would think Theo had a death wish, bothering a slumbering tiger. “I can keep this up all night. I don't need sleep when I have espresso beans."

“I regret giving those to you." Pedro sighed.

Carefully, slowly, he rolled onto his back. Giving Theo ample time to move from his shoulder and over to his chest. It rose under Theo's feet, lifting the rodent up as Pedro took a heavy breath before cracking his eyes open to look down at the small ball of white fuzz bugging him this late at night.

“You." Pedro growled softly, glaring daggers at the Small menace.

“It was me, Theo! The whole time!" Theo posed comically, covering half his face with a hand. “You thought it was your guilty conscious, but no, it was me! I am the thing that haunts your dreams." Theo covered his mouth as he giggled, bouncing on the spot.

Pedro really regretted letting the rat try those chocolate covered espresso beans now.

“You are too much." Pedro rolled his eyes. “You have got to stop watching ani-moos with Riz."

“You know he hates it when you say it like that." Theo giggled and Pedro's heart fluttered hearing the sound.

“I know. That's why I do it." Pedro flashed a fang.

“Yes, yes. Big bad Pedro. No one is allowed to get close to him. All because you are too afraid to let anyone get close to you, to know the real you, so you use self-deprecating humor to push others away before they can push you away." Theo said, adjusting the glasses he wasn't wearing.

“You my shrink now?" Pedro lifted an eyebrow at that.

“Well, I sure am Small enough to be one!" Theo giggled, covering his mouth with both hands again as he bounced on Pedro's chest. Pedro let out an amused chuff at that.

“How long have you been waiting to use that one?" Pedro asked and Theo shrugged.

“I honestly thought you'd say something for me to go off of within the first week living here with you." Theo giggled profusely, needing to take a second to catch his breath after the fit of laughter. He placed a hand on his chest, took a deep breath and let it out. “Okay. I'm good now… I've been waiting this entire time!" He jumped on the spot. “We've been together for, like, months now and this subject has never come up. Once! Even as a playful question or a lewd insinuation about something more." Theo shook is head, clearly disappointed.  

“I don't think we're talking about the fact your Small anymore." Pedro easily caught onto what Theo was trying to do now.

“I mean, that is something we can't overlook… ever." Theo rubbed the back of his neck, now the one not to look his friend and partner in crime. “Got to be mindful of it at all times. If we do or try anything…" Theo trailed off.

“Yup." Pedro agreed with a lackluster groan to accompany it. The sound was enough to deflate either of their enthusiasm. “You, uh, picked it up, huh? What I've been… thinking about?" Pedro asked without looking at Theo directly. He glanced over at the rodent who was now fussing with his hands on the tiger's chest.

Theo rose up again with the deep breath Pedro took and slowly fell back down with it. Pedro didn't even need to try to move, to shake Theo's world. Just being in it was enough to make the rodent take notice of it. Of him. It was impossible to ignore the giant of a tiger in the room and Pedro was beginning to understand that.

It only took the tiger roughly six months to do so.

“We do live together now. Or have been. For months now. Even if we weren't close, just living in the same small space together makes it, uh, kind of obvious… We do practically everything together. And, well, Riz isn't exactly known for his subtly on the matter." Theo rubbed the back of his neck looking around their room.

“Why haven't you mentioned anything before?" Pedro asked. “We just figured you weren't, uh, aware of these things." Pedro didn't want to call him stupid but at times, Theo could be very dense.

Theo giggled at that. “I have done it before; I'll have you know!" Theo said, pointing a finger at Pedro's face. “I just, uh, never with… I mean. Well, obviously, you were the first Big I ever met. And it wasn't like…"

Pedro cocked an eyebrow, watching Theo fumble like this. The tiger folded his hands over his stomach as the rodent tried to regain some composure.

“I thought you were asexual at first!" Theo finally admitted, just shouting it out to say what he had in mind. The tiger startled at that, knocking Theo onto his butt as the tiger sat up a bit from the accusations.

Pedro caught Theo from slipping any lower, holding the rodent in his hand as he sat up to look down at him.

“You thought I was asexual?" Pedro blinked several times, taking a slight offense to it.

“Well, I mean," Theo pulled his knees up to his chest as he looked up at the tiger. Pedro's ears splayed out, not meaning to grab Theo like this. Let alone have the rodent curl up in the palm of his hand all cute like, like this. “You never talk about girls. Like, ever." Theo went on. “I figured you were straight. At first…"

“Well…" Pedro's ears splayed out.

“Or guys." Theo noted and Pedro's face grew even warmer than it was. “Hell. Even I talk about the guys I've been with more than you! You've never even mentioned any kind of sexual partner before in the past. You can't fault me for thinking you might be, uh…" Theo sat up a little at that. He could feel Pedro's paw pads under him. It was soft and springy, with a musky warmth to it. It felt and smelled like Pedro. “It's just… I mean… It's hard not to notice, is all." Theo touched one of the soft pink paw pads with his entire hand.

It was warm. Soft. Slightly musky after the long day they've had. Pedro was always a clean kind of guy. Washing his hands, keeping himself groomed and was mindful of his hygiene. It made living with him far more bearable than it would've been with half the other guys in the dorms, Theo was sure about.

Even with how clean Pedro was, there was a natural biology that couldn't be ignored or overlooked when Theo was this size around the tiger. The body emitted and released all kinds of smells. Perspiring or getting musky from working out. Theo had to go out of his way not to mention these things to Pedro, not wanting to offend his friend.

It was biology. It was natural. There was no reason to get on the guy about such things. It was just different, with Theo being the size he was. Such minor things were far more impactful for the rat's sensitive nose.  

“I mean, you-," Pedro started up in a soft, almost meek voice before Theo cut him off.

“I can smell it, you know." Theo nose wiggled as the tiger felt his fur stand on it at such a proclamation. “Rats are known for our strong sense of smell. Don't get me wrong," Theo closed his eyes, sniffing the air now with his small, cute button of a nose. “I can smell soap. Smell the detergent you used for your sheets. I can also smell, well, you." He opened his bright red eyes to look at the golden tiger who was still holding him. “It's, uh, kind of hard to miss, Pedro…" Theo's ears splayed out. “Even jumping into your bed. I can, uh, smell you. On the sheets. On the mattress and pillow."

“Why didn't you say anything sooner…?" Pedro asked, ears folding back. His tail tip began flickering quickly with the building agitation inside.

“It's not like you can change being yourself. And I don't mean that in a bad way!" Theo quickly waved his hands in front of him, trying to put out any concern that Pedro felt after hearing that. “It's just you stink!" Theo covered his face after that.

“Uh, thanks?" Pedro wasn't sure how to respond to that without feeling offended.

“It's not a bad smell," Theo tried to say and only made things more awkward. “Ah! Why is this so freaking hard to talk about." He squeaked out.

“Heh," Pedro was just glad he wasn't the only one struggling with this. Lying back down, Pedro dumped Theo onto his chest and watched as the rodent paced back and forth over it. If he closed his eyes, Pedro could still see him. Still feel him walking back and forth there.

Pedro could feel Theo's soft weight walking over him. Feel where each foot was, stepping through his dense coat of fur and against the warm hot flesh underneath. It was small. Small like Theo. Soft, like Theo. Every step Theo took was an experience in itself. It wasn't another Big, with Pedro. It wasn't someone's full body pressed against him, yet, in a way, it was.

Pedro was utterly captivated by those Small movements. Needing to be fully aware of them and where Theo was at, at all times.

“How do I describe this? Express this? I don't know how to put it into words for someone who isn't a Small. Who hasn't experienced this their entire life. Grown up with it. Needing it to survive." Theo grumbled, taking a seat now on Pedro as he groomed his whiskers in frustration. “It's just…"

“I can feel you." Pedro said suddenly, stopping Theo's train of thought in its tracks. “Your small, soft weight… on my chest." Pedro took another breath. Theo rose up with Pedro's expanding chest before settling back down as the tiger exhaled. His hot, warm breath billowing over Theo's tiny head as the tiger exhaled.

A single breath was enough to change Theo's world, and Pedro was beginning to understand that. Trying his damnedest to understand Theo from the rodents perspective. From his situation. To put himself in Theo's shoes.

“You could fit in my shoe." Pedro said and Theo gave him a look. “I could put you in my shoe, slip my paw inside and you couldn't do anything." With another steady breath, Pedro continued. “I once…" Pedro licked is suddenly dry lips. “Sat on someone. Not on purpose!" The tiger fidgeted in bed as he admitted the embarrassing story. “I didn't see them. They were sitting in my seat, talking to their friend. I was in a mood. I didn't want to pay attention to anyone else that day. I walked over and just took a seat. That poor bunny never saw my ass coming."

“Or that was the only thing they saw." Theo giggled. “Sorry, couldn't help myself."

“No, no. I'm glad you said that… to make fun of it. To laugh with me about it…" Pedro swallowed, and Theo looked away when he did so. How do you admit to your friend that you noticed every time they did something like that? Something everyone did and how much different, terrifying, it was when your size was so much more diminutive than theirs?

A single swallow from the tiger would be all it took to…

“What happened?" Theo could only imagine in his nightmares what that'd be like. To be sat on by a Big. A big guy like Pedro. The tiger being one of the largest guys in school.

“Well, they thankfully had that terrifying bunny scream, and I quickly moved. That sound still haunts me." Pedro shuddered. “I didn't get it. At first. For a very long time, actually," Pedro admitted. “I had to go to some dumb counsellor about it. They tried to explain it to me, and, well, I didn't get it. I didn't understand… until it was beaten over my head. I'm Big."

“I know…?" Theo said, a bit confused why Pedro was admitting that.

“No, I mean, I'm really big!" Pedro threw out his arms before letting them flop back down at his side. “Even that. What I just did?" He didn't move as if paralyzed. Lying perfectly still in bed outside his arm and tail movements. “I have to be mindful of every move I make. Ever step I take… every seat I try to sit in. I have to look first. For everything. I have to leave class last. Keep my head down to watch where my paws go. I have to be the first one there. Last one out of the room. For their safety…"

“Right…" Theo frowned, beginning to understand where Pedro was going with this.

“It's, like, the other side of the same coin." Pedro let out an annoyed, yet amused chuff. A harsh laugh as he lifted up his hand. With it, he placed it around Theo. Around the rat on his chest, before glancing down at him. Easily covering Theo's entire body with a hand. “You are on the other side of that coin. The one that has to watch out for everyone else's actions, every step they make, instead of your own. Whereas I have to watch out for my own step. Where I sit. Never really concerned about others movements, only my own…"

Pedro lifted his hand and watched as Theo watched it. Watched the tiger's hand. Watching every move of his fingers, watching for the sake of his own safety. Needing to do so. Every time Pedro moved; Theo took notice of him. For a reason.

“I have to watch others. You have to watch them. That's how this is. How it will always be." Pedro wiggled his fingers and cracked a smile as Theo continued to watch the movement. Unaware of the tiger sneaking in behind him with his other hand before scooping the small rodent up with a startled squeak and cupping him in that hand. “You are so very Small…" Pedro purred, bringing Theo up in front of his snout.

“Yeah, and you are so big. And dumb!" Theo grumbled at being caught off guard like that. Pedro turned on his side, still holding Theo in his hand.

“Does this bother you?" Pedro asked as he held Theo. Poking at the rodent gently with a finger.

“What part?" Theo needed specifics and Pedro chuffed at that. Letting the sound, his hot, moist breath breathe out over Theo's body. The rodent shivered from the heat of it. The smell of mint toothpaste combined with the tiger's breath.

“All of this?" Pedro asked the question open-endedly. Wanting to know every thought the rodent, this Small, had about it. About him.

“Well… I'm glad you brush your teeth." Theo wiggled his nose, thinking about this in such a logical way it made Pedro chuckle. “I rather smell that fresh mint from it, than your nasty breath." The rodent teased the much larger male whose hand he was resting in. Pedro was glad he did. Glad that Theo trusted him enough to tease him like this. To poke the tiger, as friends would.

“What about everything else…?" Pedro asked, his ears splaying out. “My size, sure… but, all of it?"

“All of it? You want me to examine and go over everything that is you?" Theo asked and Pedro gave an amused smile again at that and nodded. “Fine. Fine! You want it. I'll give it to you." Theo steadied himself on Pedro's palm and pointed at the tiger's face.

“Do it. Don't hold back." Pedro encouraged.

“You stink." Theo just stated as a fact. “All you Bigs do! Every one of you. You forget you have glands in your feet and hands that smell. Sure, it's not as strong as our ancestors was, but you try being THIS size and having this strong of a sniffer and tell me you wouldn't notice!" Theo said angrily at the tiger holding him. “Even now! In your palm. I can smell you. Your sweat, your musk… you. I smell you."

“Does it bother you?" Pedro asked, trying to remain neutral about this. It was, in a way, just another experiment the two would do with each other. Instead of using outside stimuli, they'd use themselves.

“Yes. No. Well, maybe?" Theo grumbled, grooming his whiskers in frustration once more. “It's not that simple. Not that easy. You can't change who, what, you are. And it's not like… I don't like it." Theo blushed and his entire body seemed to radiate that soft pink glow from it. “You. I mean… I don't mind… you. It's just. When you hold me? Or tease me with your foot? I end up smelling like you. Your scent gets on me and well…"

“My smell?" Pedro cocked an eyebrow again. “That would explain why you steal my things to make your bed with." The tiger narrowed his eyes with a cheshire's grin.

“It's just a comfort!" Theo squeaked, blushing even more as he covered his face. “I just. You. Having it, that smell, with me is… can be, nice. Especially, when you aren't here…" Theo fumbled more and more as he spoke before covering his face and letting out a groan. “Even now."

“Oh?" Pedro's ears perked up; his tail flicked behind him as he continued to hold the rodent. “Tell me more. Tell me everything…"

“It's just," Theo sighed, plopping down onto his ass in Pedro's palm. On his paw pad. He touched it. Felt it's warmth. The soft springiness of it as his weight rested in the tiger's palm. Sinking down, leaving a small indentation from his weight. In it, in him. Within the paw pad on Pedro's palm. “I can smell it even now. On your fingers." Pedro lifted an eyebrow at that. “No, not because you like scratched yourself or something nasty or lewd… it's just natural."

“After a long day…" Pedro muttered, and Theo gave a single nod.

“You leave your socks around the room." Theo added on. “When you get back home, I mean. You take off your shirt and socks and just drop them wherever. To air out your toes," Theo rolled his eyes after Pedro had teased him about doing it. “Well, I live down there! Hah," Theo giggled. “I mean, like, because of my size. I'm naturally down there… below you. All the things you do. The things that you drop? I have to deal with it. Live with it. Socks, shoes, discarded shirts… underwear." Theo blushed at that. “It sucks but that's the life of a Small. Using what the Bigs leave behind. Their trash or clothing or whatever… not just to survive. Being this size," Theo gestured at himself. “Its life for us. To be this Small and naturally just dealing with it. Like when you took your underwear off and tossed in onto the desk last week… where I was sleeping. I doubt you did it on purpose, but…"

“Ah. AH…" Pedro was the one to blush now. “Lo siento. That was not, mi, ahem, my intention…" Pedro apologized as his powdery white cheeks turned a bright pink.  

“That's not," Theo sighed, resting back in Pedro's palm as he looked up at the tiger. Then past him, at the top bunk above. “That's why I didn't say anything before. Any of it. It's not you! It's not like you maliciously did these things. I know that. I know you! You are a good person, Pedro… It's just… living. Living is…"

“Stinky?" Pedro offered and Theo burst into a fit of giggles, bouncing on the tiger's palm. Glad he could joke about this with him.

“Exactly." Theo nodded. “It would be like Riz coming into the room and tossing his sweaty jersey onto your face." Theo shrugged at the poor example. Pedro cringed at the thought.

“Please, do not compare me to that… hyena." Pedro shuddered, gagging slightly.

“Heh, sorry. Just a crude example." Theo laid back now, legs kicked off of the other side of Pedro's hand as he rested against the tiger's thumb as a makeshift pillow. “Just letting you know. How it is, for us Small guys down here. Under your sweaty body."

Pedro rolled his eyes at that. “You make it sound like my sweat is dripping down on you like the rain."

“Kinky." Theo stuck his tongue out, trying to lighten the mood. Pedro returned the gesture and Theo shivered at the sight of the large, wet muscle drooling in front of him. “See. Even this…" Theo took a slow, deep breath and let it out, trying to calm down. Hard to do so when that breath was a mixture of someone else's as Pedro breathed out again. “It can be… overwhelming. To open your eyes and see… that in front of you." Theo gestured at Pedro's exposed tongue.

“Ah, I do recall you freezing up in the beginning." Pedro laid down on his pillow, placing Theo there next to him. He didn't remove his hand after, using it as a blanket for the tiny rodent. It was just easier to keep track of him when he did so. Holding him like this.

“Exactly! It's not your fault, kind of." Theo giggled, snuggling into the spot. He didn't want to admit he did like being held by Pedro, like this. Feeling every finger touching him, holding him. The warmth of his hand, even the smell of it, of him, was comforting. “It's just… You try having a giant come say hi to you and not shit your pants in fear."

“Elegantly put." Pedro smirked. “You really do have a way with words."

“Thank you," Theo giggled, before sighing and lying back. “It's hard. Not to notice you. Everything you do, all the time."

“I thought that was a safety response." Pedro thought that over.

“I mean, sure, it is. It still doesn't help when…" Theo blushed, turning away from Pedro. Pedro scooted closer, carefully doing the movement as to not knock Theo over. Even pushing down on the bed could cause Theo to slide down towards where the mattress sunk in at.

“When the guy your watching is so handsome?" Pedro bumped his nose against Theo's back and the rodent shuddered. He chuffed again at the sight. “So attractive? That he's just so drop your pants hot that you can't help yourself?"

“AH, shut up!" Theo squirmed back and forth. “It's not like that!" Theo looked at him. “You try being a gay dude in another dude's freaking pocket and try not to get worked up." Theo crossed his arms and folded his legs, tail curling around him now on the pillow. “Then…"

“Then?" Pedro asked.

“Then, it's harder… because it's with you." Theo rubbed his arm, turning away. “I try to keep myself distracted. Focusing on other things. TO not think about that kind of thing when I'm with you. Around you. Listening to your heart beat from inside your shirt... It's hard to do so when I'm against your chest… and…"

“My chest?" Pedro asked, figuring other things would've been more distracting.

Theo sighed, turning to face him again. “I can hear… I can feel your heartbeat, when I'm against your chest." Theo admitted. Pedro wasn't following. It seemed obvious enough that would be the case. “I mean… I can feel it." Theo motioned towards himself. “All over. Like a thumping against my entire body. From you. Smell you. Your warmth all around me. It's… comforting." Theo tail flicked. “Being close to you like that. All the time. Hearing you, smelling you… being with you."

“I think I'm beginning to understand." Pedro rubbed his chin, deep in his thought. “Due to my size, even small friendly gestures like that are… a lot." Theo nodded in return.

“Now. Apply that to everything you do. Everything you are. If I don't distract my brain it'll go off in, uh, different directions…" Theo rolled his thumbs, even now, distracting himself from this. “Using music helped. Working on a project helped. Doing things with you help. Help keep my mind away from the fact that you are like right there!" Theo gestured at the tiger. “Right next to me. I could just…" He stopped himself.

“You could just… do what?" Pedro asked. The tiger pressed. Wanting Theo to continue this thought. Not to distract himself from it but to continue it. To keep thinking about it and maybe, someday, act on it.

“When… When we were gaming last time together. I was on your thigh. Fuck, you have thick meaty thighs," Theo blushed covering his face. “Then there was a cutscene playing and we called it good there. You rested back, sitting there, with me on top of your thigh. Your… your, uh…"

“What?" Pedro didn't even blink, ears trained in on the rodent as he continued.

“I was, and you were, then your, uh, pajamas opened up a bit in the front. The button had come undone, and it was slightly open with the way you were sitting. You shifted your weight," Theo swallowed as his throat suddenly became parch as a desert. “And it opened a bit more. I could feel the heat coming from… there. The smell of you. It was cold that night. I was shivering a bit, and I thought, for only a second, what if I just slid down your inner thigh and… and climbed inside."

“Oh." Pedro blinked, realizing what Theo meant. “You wanted to use my underwear as a tent to sleep in." Pedro face was a blank void of emotion and Theo couldn't read what the tiger was thinking about that.

“You make it sound like I'm going camping!" Theo squeaked, covering his face again as it heated up to the point he was sure steam was shooting out his ears. “This is why I didn't mention it." Pedro chuffed in amusement.

“You want to camp inside my underwear." The tiger teased.

“Shut up." Theo squeaked, unable to put up much of a fight as he curled around himself.  “I meant your PJs, not… there."

“All warm and musky. You wanted to be real close to your tiger." Pedro stuck his tongue out, lapping up Theo's suffering as he teased the rat further. Drinking it in like warm, sweet milk.

“That's not what I- I was just trying to express how- I mean with my thoughts…" Theo gave up as he tried to get up to take a walk of shame back towards his cubbyhole and the bed calling his name. Hoping they could just forget about this in the morning.

Pedro wasn't having any of that.

With a single hand, he scooped Theo up from the front. His large palm slapping softly against the rat's front and, with a finger between his legs and around his sides, picked Theo up easily enough. Rolling onto his back, Pedro put Theo back down on his chest.

“Okay." Pedro said as Theo reorientated himself with where he was. “Now then." Pedro thumbed the covers down off himself. Away from the rodent. “It's a cold night. Just the two of us. We just finished watching shows together. The moon and stars are out…"

“Pedro." Theo squeaked and the tiger ignored him.

“It's only going to get colder as the night drags on. We're in the middle of the woods." Pedro continued. Running a hand down his stomach, Pedro placed it off to the side along his waistline. Using a thumb, he lifted up the pajamas and underwear before dropping it back down. “Now. If only there was someone warm. Musky. And safe for a Small little, tiny Theo to stay at. A place for him to set up camp, where his big, uh, amigo can watch him."

“Don't tempt me vile temptress!" Theo warned and Pedro flashed a fang.

“Would it be easier for you if I just did it?" Pedro ran his other hand along his chest, around Theo. As if it were a shark in the water, circling it's prey. “If I was the one to take the initiative?" The tiger tip toed his fingers closer. “To pick you up and stuff you down there. Close to me. All night. That way you could blame me. So, you wouldn't have to think that was exactly what you wanted and hoped for this entire time. For me to take all your power away from you and treat you like a toy for me to play with and keep, forever, close to my body?"

“Y-you wouldn't dare." Theo said with no certainty. Pedro noted how he didn't outright refuse.

“Oh?" Pedro's fingers curled around Theo's tiny body. Hoisting him up with ease. Theo's feet dangling in the air over Pedro's chest as the tiger watched him closely. “What if I just did it, then?"

“Would you… want this?" Theo asked, toes curling. He couldn't look at the tiger, his friend, and was waiting for Pedro to say more.

“Do you?" Pedro asked. Neither of the two were certain. Neither of the two wanting to be the one to step past the line of friendship and blur their relationship towards an uncertain future that they knew they couldn't easily return from once walking down that path.

“I… I don't know…" Theo said and Pedro felt his ears fold back.

“I… I don't want to take advantage of you." Pedro swallowed, feeling just as uncertain as he was sure Theo was. “But… if you want, I want, to want what you… want." The tiger stammered out.

“What if I don't… enjoy it? What if it's risky? Or.. or…?" Theo curled further in on himself and Pedro wanted to stuff him in his pants all the more. To keep him close, and safe, against him.

“You can always, gently!" Pedro made sure to growl the word out. “Gently… pull on my fur, uh, down there. To give a soft tug. To let me know." Pedro swallowed again.

“Oh! Like morse code!" Theo instantly jumped on and Pedro's face fell slightly at how fast Theo's reaction to this had changed. “We could use it like morse code. Though, I'm unsure how you would be able to communicate with me…"

“I can just talk." Pedro let out a chuff, a hot breath and then laughed. Dragging his other hand down his face, he looked at the rodent who was thinking of this like some kind of game. “I'm sure you can hear me even… so close to my body."

“True…" Theo hesitated, glancing down then back up at Pedro's face. “Pedro…?"

“Yes, Theo?"

“Can I…" Theo took a second. “Can I say goodnight, first?"

The tiger smiled at that and gently brought the rodent over to give him a soft peck of a kiss against the side of his forehead and face with his lips. “Good night, Theo…"

“Good night, Pedro. I'll… I'll see you in the morning." Theo said as Pedro moved him down his body.

“What are you talking about?" Pedro asked with a soft smile. “You'll be seeing me all night…" And with that, Pedro opened up the front of his pajamas, lifted his breezy briefs with a finger and gently slid both his hand and Theo inside.

The tiger deposited Theo like an excavators would a pile of dirt against the side of his furry sheath. Dropping him off and felt the weight of the rodent land there in his groin. Against his curly fur, Pedro pet the side of Theo's face with a finger before withdrawing his hand, letting the briefs close behind them. Pedro was glad he wore Breeze, the silky briefs that let your nuts breathe, this night. That way Theo wouldn't have to be concerned about breathing as he stayed down there.

Pedro's toes curled as he felt Theo move. Adjusting himself, curling up and settling in. Pedro was hyper sensitive about every move Theo made.

“Just don't think about it, just don't think about it…" Pedro continued to say as he cupped a palm over the lump against his bulge and tried to settle himself in for the night.

It was warm. That was the first thing Theo realized when the band of Pedro's underwear snapped shut and he was left in darkness. It was warm and the fur under him was soft. The rodent could smell him, smell Pedro. It was strong. So strong, all around him. A male musk of the tiger that filled the front pouch of the feline's briefs.

“It's Pedro." Theo said to himself as he felt the fur underneath him. The curly fur that would be his bedding this night. The skin was warm. The air was warm. Everything was warm and comforting as he felt a weight gently press down on him from above. Pedro cupping his hand around the rodent as Theo settled in where he was. In the crook of Pedro's leg and against his groin. Close, but not touching, the male tiger more delicate parts. “It's Pedro." Theo said again and felt safe and secure there with the tiger.

Knowing all he had to do was tug on that fur if there was a problem or issue. That Pedro would rescue him, and he'd be safe, once more, in Pedro's company…

“How am I supposed to sleep knowing you’re so close?” The tiger admitted to himself as he fidgeted and squirmed, trying not to move, all night as he was far too aware of where the rodent was peacefully snoozing that night.