Ant and Four

Ant and Four Chapter 7

This is a story about two boys growing up in the galaxy, in a distant future. Neither of them is human.

It is not an erotic tale, but one of friendship and love. The story contains no AI-generated material.

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**Ant and Four 7 - Headstrong
**

by Winter

 Ella Merai was at the end of her shift. Two weeks aboard a space station orbiting the Range, would be followed by a three-week shore leave. She was looking forward to it. Guiding tourists on and off the planet was a necessary job, but a dull one. It was the middle of the night, station time, and she wasn't expecting any inbounds. The skiing season had just ended, and the hiking and the climbing had not yet kicked off.

Yet, a tiny blip on the midrange scanner awoke her curiosity. Way too small to be a luxury cruiser. Too small even to be a tourist bus. She reached for the comm switch.

"This is overseer Merai of the Range Space Authorities. Inbound vessel in sector five, please state your signature and destination."

"Hello," came a cheerful voice over the radio. Ella couldn't be sure if it were a woman or a young boy, but something about it sounded coltish. "This is the Fourtitude, en route for the Range. That's F-o-u-r as in Four, which is my name."

"Are you the captain of the ship?" Ella asked, and was met with a giggle. "How many people are on board?"

"Just me and Ant, but he's asleep right now. We spent a lot of time working last night, and he was dead tired."

"Is Ant your captain?"

"I think he is, but he says were both equals. I'm the ferry. It's computer, I mean. Ant's taught me to be my own person, but right now I'm in here, working things. My proxy body is asleep, too"

"So you have one passenger."

"Two if you count me in my body as one. But yeah, there's Ant."

"What's Ant's full name? For registry reasons."

"That is his full name. He says he doesn't remember his birth name, 'cause everybody always called him Ant."

"Okay." She typed the Fourtitude into the register log. "Ant and Four."

"That's us," came a chirpy reply. "Ant always wanted to see oceans, so we've been on a cruise. Now we wanna see mountains."

"Well, you've come to the right place." She smiled. "Tourists, then."

"Yes, ma'am. Though I wanna go on the safe an' touristy routes, but Ant wants to freeclimb. I'm a bit nervous about that, since I don't want him to fall down, but he can be quite stubborn."

"Well, my friend, I can assure you there. Nobody is allowed to freeclimb without a skills certificate. A climbing licence, if you will. At least on the more dangerous peaks."

"That's good to hear, though it will get his hackles up. He doesn't like to be told no when he's set his mind on something. And thank you for being my friend, Ms Merai, I love making new friends."

"My pleasure. And please, Four, all my friends call me Ella." She couldn't help but smile again at hearing the pure happiness in Four's voice. "I recommend you set down at Lakeview. There's plenty of room for tourist vessels, and the mountains in the area are mostly safe and scenic."

"Thank you, my friend Ella. Fourtitude, out."

Ella shut off the comm, and marked the vessel's route on her map. Hackles? Sounded almost as if Four had talked about a pet dog. The Fourtitude seemed like something that could liven up the in-between season at Lakeview.

* * * * * *

Ant stepped out onto the ramp, closed his eyes and breathed in through his nose. The air was crisp and clear, and came with smells that were both new and familiar. Rock. Stone. Not the stale air inside the asteroid dome where he had spent most of his life, but something else entirely.

Mountains.

This rock was alive, and breathing. He looked around. Behind the Fourtitude lay the ocean that covered much of the Range's surface. Ahead lay the mountains. They were much taller and far wider than he had expected. It was one thing to read about metres and kilometres, but to see for yourself...

His claws itched; he really, really wanted to get up there and start climbing. Too bad there were rules. He huffed. How could he prove how good a climber he was, when they wouldn't even let him try? It was confusing, and he didn't find it fair.

The old Ant would have found it easy. Talk someone into letting him go or, failing that, sneak out and go anyway. He had better night vision than any human, climbing in the dark would barely even inconvenience him. And this close to the galaxy's core the night sky was always bright with stars. He wasn't on his own now, though, and not even a part of the Morning Calm's crew, most of whom usually found legality to be a subjective matter. If he got into trouble now, what would happen to Four?

That was a sobering thought. While he was still pondering this, Four came out after him, still reading the datapad and still chatting about the Range.

"...the equatorial regions are uninhabitable, did you know that? Because the Range isn't tilted like many other planets are, the seasons don't vary much and at the equator it's really, really warm all the time. Ant? Ant, are you listening?"

"Yeah." Ant smiled. He loved his friend's enthusiasm, and often found it contagious. "The equator is tilted."

"Noo! The planet is tilted. Not much, I mean. That's why the poles are really cold and the equator's really hot. It's only here on these islands that people can live. That's why it's called the Range, because of the islands. Not because of the mountains, though most people believe that." Four held up the pad to Ant, and showed him a picture of a snow-capped peak. Again, Ant's claws itched. "The snow season is pretty much over, at least that's what Ella said."

"Ella?" Ant poked at the datapad. "Did you name it?"

"Don't be silly. Ella is my new friend, she works on a space station, directing traffic. I told you about her, didn't I?"

"Maybe. You know I don't remember anything you tell me in the morning."

"You should pay attention better."

"Maybe I should. So when does the climbing start?"

"The mountaintops will be off-limits for a while, since the snow is still melting. But the indoor venues are open year-round."

"Hmph," Ant huffed, not happy with this news. "What about the mountains."

"I just told you!" Four crossed his arms and glared at Ant. "You're being difficult again."

"Sorry. It's just... I really wanted to get all the way up there."

"Like in the book?"

"Like in the book." Ant had found a really old book about mountaineering, and about the early pioneers on Earth. It had excited him to no end, and the thought of standing alone on a mountaintop hadn't left him since. "I just know it'll be fun."

"Unless you fall down."

"That would be stupid. The point is to go up."

"We could start with indoor climbing, then maybe you can get a licence." Four pressed the keys on the pad and a new picture appeared. "Some of these walls are supposed to be really hard."

"Hard?" Ant's face lit up. "How hard?"

"They've got one that only ten people have ever beaten within the time limit."

"Then I'll be number eleven." Ant's tail wagged. "Let's go!"

* * * * * *

Ant set off down the main street of Lakeview. There was very little traffic, though some people were out walking or window shopping. Ant passed all the stores by with barely a glance. Even a book store failed to catch his attention, though he did tell himself to remember where it was. For later.

Every now and then he slowed down a little bit to allow Four to catch up. With his shorter legs, the ferry boy almost had to run to keep pace. They passed a small square which had a statue with a fountain at its centre. There, Four paused for a moment to watch the jets and sprays of water, then he had to really sprint to catch up.

The datapad told them to turn right after the square, and this time even Ant had to pause. To the left side of this smaller street lay the lake which had given the town its name. The water had an icy blue tone, and Ant could almost smell how cold it was.

"It comes down from... springs in the mountains," Four breathed, his lungs working overtime to bring in enough air to feed his batteries. "And now there's the melting snow as well."

"There's no snow here," Ant noticed, feeling a bit let down. "I was hoping to see snow."

"Up there," Four said, pointing to the nearest peak. "There are cable cars, we could go up there after we're done climbing."

"Feels a bit like cheating." Ant squinted, using his hands to shield his eyes from the sunlight. "That really snow up there? I thought it was just, you know, pale rock."

"Trust me. There's no skiing though, that season is over."

"Hmm." Ant suddenly crossed the street to the railing separating the sidewalk from the lake. "I don't think skiing would be much fun anyway. This is cool, though."

"It looks really nice."

The street had been elevated and made to look like a bridge spanning a river, complete with a slight curve and faux iron railings. When Ant leaned out as far as he could, he saw that the lake ended a couple of metres from the street, but while casually strolling along the illusion was perfect. He kept leaning out, then stepping back, over and over, and each time his grin got wider. He really liked how the builders and the designers managed to trick his eyes. His tail swished back and forth.

Further out the lake widened, and they could see that the road leading inland crossed an actual bridge, held up by thick wires connected to two tall brick pylons. Four took a couple of pictures, and they both nodded to each other. They needed to go that way, later on.

Away from the main street, shops and businesses gave way to first apartment buildings, then a single houses suburb. As they walked along, they began to gather attention. Ant rolled his eyes, and Four giggled. This was nothing new to either of them. A wolf boy and a robot boy, of course there would be curiosity. A group of young children, no more than six or seven years old if Ant had to guess, trailed them while trying to remain unseen. Every time either of them turned and looked at the kids, they shrieked and retreated. It quickly became a game.

Eventually, a woman came out from one of the houses and shooed them all away. She glared daggers at Ant and Four, but didn't say anything, and she didn't approach them. Ant tried a smile and a wave, but she shook her head and retreated inside.

"What was that all about?" He frowned. "She was pretty rude to the kids."

"And to us. I dunno, maybe she didn't like your shaggy fur."

"What?" Ant huffed, then pouted. "I brushed it this morning."

"You're still a furball."

"Hmph! And I thought you were my friend."

Ant managed to keep his sour face for a couple of seconds, but then he broke into a smile. Four giggled. They pushed one another, and it quickly turned into a mock-fight.

* * * * * *

Four was still brushing dust off his shirt when they reached the end of town. To their left, the lake gave way and the landscape opened up to grain fields, all the way to the foot of the mountains. Except for straight ahead, where the street led to a parking lot. Ant bounced excitedly as he read the signs on the large buildings flanking it. All pertained to climbing, in some way or another. Indoor Mountain, Climb-b-Us, Climber Store, Vertical Wall. So much to chose from that he found himself rooted to the ground. Four patted his shoulder.

"Let's try the first one first."

Mountain Gym turned out to be just that; a lot of fitness machines and only a couple of basic climbing walls at the back. The owner eyed them warily, and seemed a bit relieved when they turned around to leave.

Indoor Mountain sounded better, and it was. At least to Ant, who found himself frozen inside the entrance, mouth gaping open and eyes wide. This was more to his liking! The central area had a small gym, as well as a café, and further down something that looked like obstacle courses. While they might be fun to try at some point, it was the climbing walls that really captured Ant's eyes. The back wall and the furthest side wall were covered in grey plastic, shaped to look like rock, with multi-coloured hand- and footholds all the way up.

A fair-haired young man came up to them and introduced himself as Caleb, head coach and co-owner of the establishment. Ant snapped out of his stupor and shook his hand, explaining that he was there to become a climber. Four also introduced himself, and told Caleb that he was just along for the ride.

"And to make sure he doesn't fall down." Four smiled as Ant frowned. "He can be a bit impulsive sometimes."

"Let's see what we can do for you." Caleb's voice was warm and friendly, and Ant took a liking to him. He looked them both over, then tilted his head as he saw Ant's bare feet. "Maybe we should start with the right pair of shoes, or boots."

"I've never worn shoes in all my life," Ant protested, "except for when I've had a full rad suit on. But the boots on those are clumsy, and I could barely even walk in them."

"Maybe something light, then, just to give you some protection and better grip."

"My claws are grip enough." Ant tapped the claw of his big toe against the floor with audible clicks. "They're great for climbing trees."

"No doubt, but rocks are..."

"Let me show you."

"Ant," Four intervened. "You should listen..."

"I just wanna give it a go."

"Okay," Caleb said, but there was doubt in his voice. "Let's try over here."

"What about that one?" Ant pointed to a wall at the back of the large open area, which almost reached the ceiling. "I wanna try it."

"That's our most difficult wall. This one's more for beginners."

It was the wrong thing to say, and Ant drew breath to object. He held back his sharp words, though, when he felt a tug on his sleeve. Four shook his head slightly, and Ant relented.

"Oh, okay, let's start with the small one."

The wall was maybe five metres tall, leaning slightly away from them, and had plenty of hand- and footholds. It looked too easy, but Ant suppressed a disappointed sigh. Not quite a huff. For Four's sake, he would try to be a good boy. For now. After all, he had to start somewhere, and the sooner he showed what he could do, the better. To his surprise, Caleb held out a harness, explaining that no one climbed without safety. Not even the pros. Once it was in place, complete with a thin wire leading up to some contraption on the ceiling, Ant was finally ready to get going. He grabbed one of the handholds, grinned to himself, and set off.

Five seconds later, he was sitting on the floor. Stunned, with his butt hurting from the impact and his pride hurting from the fall.

* * * * * *

On his third try, Ant reached the second row of footholds for the first time, but when he tried to reach higher he slipped and fell. A growl formed in the back of his throat, and he attacked the wall again. This time he put all his effort into his hand grip, and only used his legs for balance. It worked for a short while, but when his fingers tired he went down again.

He wanted to kick the stupid wall, wanted to rip those slippery, useless footholds off it. This wasn't climbing! The plastic wall was dead, nothing like real stone where he would be able to grip with his claws. Just as he was about to storm out, he caught sight of the others out of the corner of his eye. Caleb looked uncomfortable, as if unsure of what to say or do. No wonder. Ant hadn't listened much to his advice and had made it clear that he was doing things his own way. And Four...

Four looked miserable.

Much of Ant's anger left, seeing him. The last thing he wanted to do was make his friend feel bad. He took a deep breath, held it for a couple of seconds, and let it out. Feeling a little bit calmer, he turned to Caleb with a sheepish expression on his face.

"I'm sorry. I..." He lost his train of thought, and bit his lower lip before he tried again. "It doesn't work the way I thought it would."

"Nobody's an expert their first time," Caleb said, relief in his voice. "It's gonna take a while to find your footing."

"What am I doing wrong?"

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"Fair enough, I deserved that." Ant grinned. "Yes, please."

"It's your... uhm... foot claws."

"Huh?"

"Here, let me show you." Caleb placed a hand on Ant's shoulder, and led him up to the wall. "Put your foot on the first hold, but don't push off."

"Okay..." Ant complied, feeling a bit embarrassed. Several people had stopped what they were doing, and were watching from a distance. "Like this?"

"Yes. Now, see here." Caleb grabbed Ant's foot and held it steady, and Ant had to bite back a snarl. "See? Your claws touch the wall before your toes can get a grip on the hold. With a sturdy shoe you could..."

"I don't like shoes."

"Ant, you've barely ever tried any," Four said, sounding a bit meek. "If you'd just listen..."

"Why are they so short?" He pressed his toes against the foothold, but his claws bumped the wall and there was no way for him to get purchase. Caleb was right, and Ant once more had to stave off his annoyance. "It's just not possible."

"Sorry to say, my friend, but they are designed for human feet." Caleb pulled off his sneaker and stood up on a foothold next to Ant. His toes fit perfectly. "Claws weren't really considered."

"Hmph."

"To be honest, I've never seen a..."

"Wolf."

"...wolf person, before today."

"I guess you're right." Ant sighed, but he smiled when Four patted his arm. "You really think shoes will work?"

"All climbers wear them. Toes can grab, but they tire quickly. A steady shoe would let you rest on the hold while you reach up with your hands. The claws on your fingers are shorter, they won't hinder you the same way."

"I need to think about this."

"The stores around here have everything you need."

"You need to eat something first," Four said. "Let's have lunch before we look around."

"Is it..." Ant bit his lip again as he turned to Caleb. "Is it okay if we come back?"

"Absolutely," the young man said, grinning. "We'll find a way to get you up that wall."

Ant smiled, then he followed Four out the door. They could have stayed at the Indoor Mountain café, but Ant was sure that it would have felt awkward after the way he had behaved. He was lucky Caleb still wanted to teach him.

* * * * * *

There were a couple of food trucks on the parking lot, and Ant picked one that had a chili pepper on its sign. During their travels, he had developed a fondness for spicy food. Knowing his limits, though, he selected a medium-hot bean sauce for his sandwich. He also bought a large helping of deep-fried onion rings to share with Four, whose robot body only let him eat small portions.

While he sat on a park bench and munched, enjoying both the flavour and the burn of the chili, he glanced around at the stores. Shoes. He didn't like it much, but if he wanted to do any climbing he would have to concede. His first thought of just taking on the mountains fresh off the ferry had seemed fine inside his head, not so much in reality. Admitting defeat stung, but when the only alternative was to run away tail between his legs, he'd have to swallow his pride. Good thing, then, that the chili masked the bitter flavour.

"What's so funny?"

"Huh?"

"You're grinning ear to ear." Four crunched down on an onion ring. "It's not another Ant idea, is it? Should I be worried?"

"Not at all." Ant reached over and took his friend's hand. "I'm sorry I've been difficult. It's just... I thought I could do it. Without help."

"And...?"

"I can't." He sighed. "Simple as that. Angry doesn't work. Stubborn doesn't work."

"You've helped me so much," Four said in a low voice, squeezing Ant's hand. "To become my own person, to learn about the galaxy. To make toys and to make people happy with them. To decorate my rooms so I always look nice. And you got me this body."

"Anything to make you happy, Four."

"I am. But what I'm saying is, it's okay to accept help when it makes you better."

"I know. At least, I should know." Ant shrugged. "But I'm stubborn. I always did things my way back in the Belt, and then again on the Calm."

"Even if it got you into trouble?"

"Especially when there was trouble to get into." He laughed. "Did I tell you 'bout the time Raeder ordered me to stay on the ship, while he and Knife went to scout a scrapyard that dealt with stolen ships' parts?"

"You did." Four giggled. "Thought they'd find you where they left you, didn't they?"

"And then I got stuck in slowmud when it was time to run away. They were not happy when they had to stop and pick me up, with the guard dogs on our heels."

"Do you miss them?"

"Sometimes." He took a bite of his sandwich, chewed and swallowed, then chased it down with a sip of water. "I don't much miss getting beat up every time Knife wanted to teach me fighting, but I kinda miss the wild."

"My poor Ant. Almost respectable, now."

"Almost?"

"Admit it, part of you wants to skip the shoe store and just head up that mountain on your own."

"Yeah." He sighed. "I admit it. I won't, though."

"Because of me?"

"Because of us. I'm thinking about us, and how I can't just go off half-cocked without thinking things through. Being with you means more to me than being a wild child."

"Ant, you're the sweetest!" Four leaned over and kissed the tip of Ant's nose, making his whiskers twitch. "All I ask is that you do try to think things through. Talk things out."

"I promise." Ant smirked. "To try."

* * * * * *

An hour later, Ant walked back and forth on the parking lot, trying out his brand new climbing shoes. He had surprised himself by taking so long selecting a pair, but his claws made it difficult to find the right size and fit. Plus, he had fidgeted when it was time to choose a colour. Now he was wearing a white-and-blue pair, with a sturdy sole and extra grip in the toes, at least according to the salesman. It wasn't easy finding his stride. He kept lifting his feet high, then putting them down carefully to keep from toppling over. Something that Four seemed to find way too amusing.

"You look just like me, back when I was learning how to walk," he gasped between fits of giggles. "It's so funny!"

"You're gonna stop laughing when I throw you in the lake."

"First, you gotta catch me." Four danced around Ant, just out of reach. "I know how to walk in these."

Four had at first been reluctant to spend more money, but Ant talked him into getting his own climbing shoes. Even though he wasn't as keen on climbing mountains, Four agreed that trying the practice wall looked fun. After a little while longer, Ant decided that he was steady enough on his feet to return to Indoor Mountain, though he was still not entirely happy about being trapped in footwear.

"I can't feel the ground," he complained as they crossed the parking lot. "As if my toes are numb."

"You'll get used to it."

"Hope not."

* * * * * *

The rest of the afternoon seemed to fly by. It took Ant a good while to get used to his new shoes, and his first few attempts ended up like the previous ones. But he persevered, this time holding back his impatience and listening to advice. Not just from Caleb; several other patrons had taken an interest in the strange boy. They were all climbers, though, and they were eager to help the newcomer. By the time it began to darken outside, Ant almost reached the top of the practice wall before his fingers gave out, and the harness brought him slowly back to the ground.

"You're getting better," Caleb said as he went to undo the harness straps, "but you should quit it for today before you work your fingers raw."

"I agree," Ant replied with a smile. "Thanks for all your help. Where did Four go?"

"The little guy?" one of the other climbers asked with a chuckle. "Try the warrior gym."

Ant didn't really understand what the man meant, but he followed his gaze to the obstacle course. A teenaged girl just swung across a pit filled with bits of rubber foam, using a rope. Next in line was Four, who grabbed the rope as it swung back, then ran at the pit with a shrill yell. At first, Ant thought he was going to make it, but halfway through the swing his hands slipped a little. Instead of dismounting gracefully as the girl had done, Four held on for too long and tumbled head-over-heels into the pit. After a few seconds his happy grin emerged, and he allowed himself to be hoisted up.

"Almost," the girl said with a chuckle. "Next time you'll make it."

"Ant, did you see? Did you see? I swung on the rope, but I fell off!"

"I saw. You were so close."

"First time I just fell into the pit. I forgot to hold on at all." He waved to the girl. "Thank you, Chee."

"Are you ready to leave?"

"Yup. That was Chee. She's a warrior, and she's gonna teach me how to be one, too. I told her I don't wanna kill people, but she said it's a different kind of war."

"I hope so. Not like the movies?"

"Not at all." Four took Ant's hand and gave it a squeeze. "It's another word for people who run obstacle courses. Sorry I didn't stay to watch you. How did it go?"

"Much better. The shoes actually worked. I almost got to the top."

"It paid off to listen?"

"It paid off to listen."

They stopped at the café to buy apple juice, but when Ant went to pay Caleb for the day's training he was met with a head shake.

"First time is free."

"But I took up a lot of your time. And Four went on the obstacle... war thing."

"Still, first time is free. If you come back tomorrow I'll charge you."

"Do you think I can make it? I mean, to become a rock climber?"

"You made a lot of progress. Maybe you won't be ready for freeclimbing this season, but you'll be up and down the indoor courses before long."

"Thanks," Ant beamed. "We'll be back for sure. Maybe not tomorrow 'cause my hands really ache, but later this week."

"Anytime. And you," Caleb said and patted Four's shoulder, "look like a warrior in the making."

* * * * * *

Later that evening, Ant lay on the couch reading a book, while Four sat on the floor painting toy cars. His mind was drifting, though, and he couldn't really focus on the story. Another thought had entered his mind after his climbing lessons during the day. According to his earlier plans, he should have been on top of a mountain by now. He still thought he could do it, as long as he could climb on real rock, and use his claws, but one thing had become a concern.

How would he get down?

Climbing up was one thing, but climbing down might be something else entirely. He had never thought that far ahead. In his fantasies, he only got to the peak, and stared out over the world beneath him. But there would be no harness contraption thing up there. Only rock and, since the slightly warmer season hadn't yet started fully, ice and snow. How would he climb on snow? His claws would just rake through it!

Maybe this climbing business was just another fancy, another fixation sprung out of his overheated brain. Maybe wolfs fared better on the ground. But... he had almost made it to the top of the practice wall. Next time, he felt sure he could do it. Then he would take on one of the more difficult ones. Probably not the hardest one, not yet. He slid a bookmark in between the pages he hadn't read, and closed his book with a sigh. Being reasonable was hard work, and he yawned. But when he stretched, he caught a twinge in his back, and winced.

"Does it still hurt?" Ant nodded at Four's question. "My poor wolf. Do you want a back rub?"

"What's that?"

"Something I read about. Let me massage your sore muscles, and hopefully they'll feel better."

"Sounds weird. I thought it was better to leave things alone to heal. My mom always went straight to bed when she came home and hurt."

"Let me try." Four tilted his head and smiled. "Please?"

Saying no to that face was not an option, so Ant scurried out of his shirt and lay down on his belly. To his surprise, Four climbed up over him and sat down on his butt, giving his bushy tail a brief hug. Then soft, gentle hands started running through his fur, barely touching skin. A low rumble escaped his lips as the strokes deepened, loosening up his aches. Soon he was a puddle, as unable to move as if someone had clonked his head with a wooden mallet.

Four hopped off, then continued rubbing down over his shorts-clad rump to his thighs and his calves. Ant was full-on purring now. He hadn't realised how sore his feet were until Four lifted one at a time off the couch and massaged the soles. After that, his toes. One by one, while Ant's purr turned into happy groans. Which continued when Four had him turn over and repeated the process on his front. Last, and by then Ant was half asleep, Four rubbed his arms, hands and fingers. When he was done, the ferry boy took hold of Ant's muzzle, and kissed his lips.

"Did you like it?"

"Loved it." Ant's voice wasn't entirely steady. "It was wicked good. How about you, want me to message you? After all your warrioring."

"Massage, not message."

"Whatever. So?"

"I don't really have muscles, so I don't get sore. But my skin is sensitive, and I like it when you touch me."

"Get over here then."

Ant grabbed Four around the waist and yanked him until he fell down on the couch, letting out a squeal which turned into a giggle. For a while, they lay on their sides, with Ant behind Four, holding him with both arms. Then Ant slowly began running his fingers up and down his friend's arm. Four sighed, and closed his eyes. The touch was firm enough not to trigger Four's ticklishness, and he let out a low ooh. Ant smiled, and raked his claws over Four's upper arm until he encountered his t-shirt.

"This thing's got to go," he muttered. "Lean up a little."

Four complied, and Ant slipped the garment off him. That was better. He broke the hug and moved back a little, giving him room enough to start rubbing Four's back. At first his fingers went up and down, following the vertebrae in Four's artificial spine, but soon he started going in circles. Then he traced abstract patterns.

"Write something."

"Huh?"

"Write something with your fingers. Something sweet."

Ant thought for a moment, then he traced the letters for 'sugar'. Four groaned, and reached back to swat him. With a chuckle, Ant tried again, and this time he wrote 'you are my best friend'. The happy sigh that greeted him served as encouragement. Next he wrote 'you make me a better wolf', followed by 'a very merry ferry'. That last one elicited another giggle, a sound that Ant found warmed his heart in a way he'd never felt before. He wrote just that. Four let out a gasp and turned around. For a moment they stared into each other's eyes, then Four wormed his way closer, to place his head against Ant's shoulder.

Ant wrapped his arms around the slender boy again and nuzzled the side of his face. The light dimmed to near-dark, and they stayed still for a long while. Just before he dozed off, Ant used his claws to trace a short message, only three small words, but by then Four was already asleep.