Chapter Four: ever wondered what syrus does at night?

"well, that's stupid, couldn't you have put in a shorter title?"

"easy for you to say, *you* try coming up with fifty-something titles and having them all short."

"you coulda used the one from the end of the last one."

"shut up, or i'm making things humiliating in this one."

"okay, okay, i'm shutting up now."

"good. now **(BLEEP)** off, i need to start writing."

"wh-what?!"

"jeez, not like *that* you dirty-minded moron!"

-Syrus.
-emperorwolf (human form).
(this was a parody, we are now moving on to the story.)




Syrus Revino, due to his insomnia, was never able to sleep.
so, how did he spend the eight hours or so of darkness alone?
when he wasn't enjoying the warmth provided by carl as the big leopard slept, which was usually one of syrus' activities during colder weather, he had a very productive nocturnal life.

for starters, he would use his smaller size to get into cramped places and retrieve objects that his partner and son clumsily lost during the day, such as utensils, rubber bounce-balls, buisiness cards, among other things, at one time, even a 4 gig USB.
after that, he'd strap on his zero-point harness and use the stasis beam to help clean up the mess in the apartment, tidying couches, cleaning the floor, sometimes doing the dishes...
after working, he'd slip in his headphones, and watch Tv on his Desktop computer, or take time to simply relax before moving on to something else.
sometimes, even though it'd only begun recently, he sat on the top shelf in Radin's room, watching over him as he slept peacefully.

on this night's excursion, he found a list on a scrap of paper written in Radin's handwriting.
(what's this?) he thought to himself as he turned on his chest-mounted LED torch to read it.

it read 'Radin's Wishlist'
'Ultimorphs 6', a popular children's video game...
'a Pet Puppy', which made syrus uneasy due to the fact that it obviously wasn't meant in non-giant's size...
'Skateboard'...
'new winter hat'...

the next item on the list surprised and shocked syrus, he never thought he'd see this particular word ever again in his lifetime...

'G-Sizer'

he couldn't believe he saw this word here, how did Radin even *know* about it?
the now deceased creator of the device had only ever made one unit, which had been destroyed, and he had taken the knowledge of producing them to his grave Five Years ago, there shouldn't have been any possible way for the young snow leopard cub to even know such a device had ever existed, let alone the name...
it just didn't add up.

putting it aside for now, he decided to go to the bathroom and tidy up there.

*  *  *

while he cleaned the glass walls of the stand-in shower using the zero-point harness, he reminisced about the day he and carl had first moved to this new apartment, in preparation of adopting Radin.

he recalled that gathering up all of his belongings had been easy, five minutes work at the maximum, but carl, having much larger, and abundant possessions, had taken at least an hour and a half.

after putting the big leopard's stuff into the moving truck, and putting syrus' into a backpack, the duo had happily travelled to their new home in the U-Haul truck, which had come to their world as a result of the earth-based company deciding to branch out, which had made moving easier.

syrus went red faced as he recalled where he'd been as carl drove the truck to their new home.
as it had been the leopard's birthday, syrus had offered that the big leopard was allowed to put him anyplace for the day, something he'd regretted later, because carl, in a playful fashion, had made syrus ride somewhere different to what he'd expected, not on his head, nor in his pockets or even beside him on the same seat...
but in his lap.

he wouldn't ever tell the leopard outright, but it had been more than awkward for him to be in that *particular* location.
he'd remained absolutely still, not wanting to upset anything, the irony of course being that him moving about down there wouldn't have upset the leopard at all, but even back then, they'd still been at a less intimate stage in their relationship, so suddenly being put *'there'* had... well, he wasn't going to deny it hadn't been somewhat enjoyable, but it was a bit unsettling to know that moving too much would set something off as he sat atop carl's anatomy on the fabric of his pants.

he had, however, mentioned afterwards that he wasn't ready to enter *that* stage of intimacy between them, and thankfully, carl had sympathetically promised that he'd hold off on such 'passionate' actions from then on until syrus was ready to proceed with things.

he now grumbled at the fact that they still hadn't reached a point where he was comfortable to engage in such activities normal for a couple with the leopard, even after a year had passed since then.

syrus was torn from his thoughts as the bathroom light came on, and a groggy carl stumbled in, headed for the toilet.

"hey there big kitten," syrus chuckled "gotta pee?"

carl looked confused for a moment before he noticed the little otter's tiny form in the shower.
"oh... hey down there, sy," he yawned "yeah, shouldn't a' had that wine before bed"
syrus quickly looked away as carl tugged his briefs down.
"h-hey, i-i know i'm not a GP, b-but i'm pretty sure drinking wine before bed isn't good for you..."
he heard carl scoff "dunno, but a glass o' wine's good for the heart, i know that much..."
the obvious noise of carl urinating started.
syrus fidgeted "um... i found a note in Radin's room..."
"that so?"
"yeah, it was a wishlist..."

carl chuckled "good, what's he after? with the Festival and Christmas comin' up, we gotta know these things."

"Ultimorphs 6, a new winter hat, a skateboard, ..." syrus hesitated "a ... pet puppy..."
"a domestic, i'm guessin'? why's that makin' you nervous?"
"well, *big* pets... don't see people *my* size as 'people' like they do for your size... they see us as..." he trailed off uncomfortably, he didn't want to say the last word in that sentence...
*food.*
carl groaned, slapping his free paw to his eyes "dammit, sorry... how did i forget...?"
"there was... another thing..."
carl finished urinating and flushed the toilet "what?"
"you haven't told him about *'the wolf'*, have you?"
"no, why?" carl asked cautiously
"the last thing on his list..."
syrus looked up at the leopard, who'd thankfully had the decency to 'put himself away'
"... was a... *G-Sizer*..."

carl's eyes went wide, and his mouth fell open.
"i know," syrus nodded "it doesn't make sense, there's no way he could know about it..."
carl yawned.
"go get back to sleep, carl, we'll discuss it in the morning."

*  *  *

syrus dialled Chief Ronaldo's mobile number, the heavily accented Firish that came through likely a greeting.
"hey, it's Syrus, Syrus Revino."
""ah, the little otter, i remember you, why are you calling? i thought it was past Midnight over on Virada?""
"it is, but i'm an insomniac, remember?"
""true enough, so, why're you calling?""
"the G-Sizer technology... it was never released to the public, right?"
""right... why?"" came an inquisitive response, making syrus feel he was being interrogated.
"mine and carl's son, he somehow knows about it..."
""impossible, only the group know about it... i doubt anyone told...""
the line started to crackle
"gonna have to call you back, line's goin' down."
""t-lk t- y- l-t-r""

syrus hung up.
his body felt tired after cleaning the humongous appartment, so he decided to return to the bedroom and to his slumbering leopard.

as soon as he reentered the bedroom, his ears were graced with carl's heavy snoring.
*too* heavy.
he made his way to the top of the matress, ducked under the covers, and tickled the big leopard's pawpads.
"ah!"
syrus smirked and laughed "go to sleep, you big jerk. stop faking it all the time!"
carl groaned "it was a lot more fun when you hadn't caught on..." he whispered
syrus padded up the matress, following carl's body until he emerged from beneath the blankets
"a big kitten... that's all you are, a big, oversized kitten."

carl sighed dissapointedly
"yet, you still aren't comfortable being... closer?"
syrus groaned, he knew where this was going.
"i mean, i get it, i know there're a few *potential* dangers for you, i understand, but... i'm always gentle every other time, even when we play around, don't you trust me?"
syrus patted against the side of carl's torso with a paw "i know, and i do trust you, but..."
"but?"
"well... i'm... i'm just scared, i guess... there's so much that could go wrong... i know you'd *try* to be gentle, but in a situation like that... gentle isn't easy to maintain..."
carl submitted "okay, that's true, i guess..."
syrus climbed up onto the leopard's chest, and sat down.
"in any case, when i'm ready, i'll let you know, i pro--"
"and when will that be?" carl interjected, annoyed.
syrus stammered "c- carl, what- what are you talking about?!"
carl threw his arms out to the sides "what am i talking about?! i love you, syrus, and i want to be able to show you that in the right way!"
the otter growled "pipe down! you'll wake Radin!"
carl continued in a hushed voice "sy, please! i'll be gentle, i'll be the defenition of safe!"
a heady scent caught in syrus' nose, one that reinforced what carl wanted to do... but syrus resisted.
"carl, please... please stop... i don't... i'm not ready for this..."
"live a little! hey, maybe you can't sleep 'cause you're always so pent-up? ever think of that?!"
syrus had begun to cry "please don't do this... i love you more than you can imagine, but... i'm just not ready for this!"
"sy, come on, what's the worst that could happen?"
"i break my bones, my limbs come off, i suffocate, i get ground into mush, y'know, Dying?! is that what you want, carl, you want to kill me, well is it?!"

carl stopped, stunned.
the hushed yelling the otter was shooting at him, while annoying, had truth in it.
"no... never... i'd never want that... but, c'mon sy, try and see it from my perspect--"
"no, YOU try and look at it from MINE!" syrus growled, very angry.
carl groaned, he knew that even with Resilix, things could get painful for his little otter if he wasn't able to stay in control of himself...
"you're right... i guess i'd be more than a bit scared, especially with a partner so much bigger..."

syrus growled again, more gutteral this time, more predatory dispite his size "let's test that." he said with a venom to his words.

before he could ask what that meant, syrus had jabbed him with a syringe, and the world began to go out of focus, the room began getting bigger...
he snapped back, the room couldn't be growing, *he* had to be shrinking!
vertigo struck him as he stopped shrinking, sitting in an imposing shadow...
following it, he found its caster, Syrus, now looming over him threateningly.
"s-sy?! what the fuck?!"
syrus cleared his throat, and spoke in a very hushed voice, so as not to burst carl's eardrums.
"you're the one asking for a perspective change, what, can't take it?"
carl covered up when he realised that whatever syrus had injected him with hadn't shrunk his briefs with him.
"sy... you're scaring me..." he whined as the huge webbed paws roughly picked him up.
"yeah, well get over it, i deal with it every day with you."
carl cowered as the paw reopened, leaving him now sitting on syrus's palm.
"sy... i don't like being this small, you're so frighteningly huge... pl--"
carl stopped short, realising how familiar his words sounded, and he sat wide eyed in realisation as his revelation poured over him in bucketloads.
syrus' intimidating expression softened to a pleased smirk "get it now?"
carl meerly nodded, unable to do anything else as he remembered each and every time he'd put syrus in this same situation.
syrus chuckled, and softly hugged the tiny leopard to his bare chest.
"i like this."
"l-like what?"
"this. being able to hold you, to hug you back..." he nuzzled at the tiny leopard's body "... i think i've learned a bit, too..." with that, he drew another syringe, one with less in it, and slowly moved it closer to carl.
"this *will* hurt."
carl threw up his paws "wait!"
"don't worry, it'll only hurt for a moment, and i'll be gentle."
"it's not that!" carl protested with a smile "i... i want to try something for you..."
syrus cocked his head "what?"
instead of telling him, carl eagerly pointed at syrus' crotch with a broad grin on his face.

syrus blushed "carl... 'i'm not ready' includes role reversal, too..."
"no no," carl insisted "i'll do all the work, i won't be in any--"
"carl..." syrus growled warningly "no."
carl's ears folded "at least let me spend the rest of the night in your position..."
"no, i'm sorry, but i can't."
carl made a sad noise "why?"
his answer didn't need to come, as he started to regrow suddenly.
"that's why."

soon, he was sitting beside syrus at his original height.
"well that's dissapointing." he yawned, tiredness coming back.
"sleep, we'll talk in the morning... but put your briefs back on, first!"

*  *  *

meanwhile, in an unknown, distant location on earth...

a hooded figure handed over a shiny white ball to another hooded figure, only this one had a tail sticking out from beneath his cloak.
"here is the merchandise, as promised..."
the tailed one nodded "good. i trust it works?"
"in theory, yes."
"in *theory*? it's untested?"
"of course."
the tailed one growled "not good, what if i'm vaporised?"
before the other could protest, a blast of light came from the sphere, turning him to ashes.
"i knew it," he snarled "trying to sell me more defective crap."
he removed his hood, revealing a distinctly canine silhouette.
burning, bloodred eyes lit up in the darkness.
"if i don't get up there soon..." he looked up into the sky at the planet hanging near the moon in the night sky above him
"things are gonna get ugly..."

pulling his hood back on, he ran off into the night.

*  *  *

carl snapped awake with a start.
it was, acording to his clock, 6:00 AM.
he couldn't see, hear, or smell syrus right away, which meant he wasn't in the room.
that was probably why he woke up so damn early.

following the weak trail of syrus' scent, carl found him in the bathroom, fiddling with the sink taps.
"sy? what're you doing?" he yawned.
syrus growled and shouted as he kicked the tap "`FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT! FUCKING WORK FOR FUCK'S SAKE!!`" the otter cursed in his mother tongue.
it seemed he hadn't noticed carl.
"sy? hello? there's an incredibly handsome leopard over here, he's wondering what's up..."
syrus began punching the faucet "`FUCK. YOU. STUPID. PLUMBING!`"
carl was getting tired of this, so he walked over and tapped the otter on the shoulder "sy!"
"ah!" syrus yelled and spun around and sighed in relief "oh, sorry carl, i've been tryin' to fix this Damned faucet for an hour or so."
"what's wrong with it?"
"turn it."
carl expected it to be jammed, so it was a surprise when it spun without any resistance.
however, no water came out of the tap.
"friggin thing's come off itself." syrus growled, aiming another kick at the faucet.
carl couldn't help but smile "and why should a dentist try plumbing?"
"shut up."
carl laughed as he leaned closer "no, i don't think i will."
syrus rolled his eyes and hugged the leopard's face "big jerk. i think maybe you need braces?" he taunted.
"oh, come on! you wouldn't do that to me of all people..." carl's expression became concerned "would you?"
"i can," syrus taunted again "and might."
carl muttered nervously.
syrus stroked his nose "unless, of course, i get paid with... oh, i dunno... a kiss, maybe."
carl nuzzled syrus' little body "that price, i can pay, and i'll tip, too."

"are you gonna kiss, dads?" came a sleepy voice.

they turned to see radin standing in the doorway.
syrus smiled with parental love "aww, did we wake you?"
"yes, actually..." he yawned
carl chuckled "naughty otter~"
"oh, be quiet. radin, i've got an idea, wanna hear it?"
the snow leopard cub yawned again, rubbing his eyes "okay."
"well, you know how carl walked you to school?"
he nodded.
"well... how would you like for me to pick you up?"
radin snickered "no offense, but i think you'd be crushed trying that, dad!"
syrus narrowed his eyes "oh ha ha ha(!) real funny. i *meant* in the car, radin."
radin shot an inquizitive look "you can drive a car? as in, a *car* car?"
"is there any other kind?"
"but... i'd never fit in one... would i?"
"mine's a custom, giant sized car, normal sized controls."
radin scratched his head "why are you asking?"
"well, after that little *incident* the two of you had, i think you'd be safer returning by car."
radin nodded "makes sense."

syrus grinned as he gestured to carl to pick him up, and pointed toward the kitchen
"and by the way, for my two absolute favorite felines in the whole wide world, breakfast is ready."

(next chapter: Junior-school tools.)