Part 1

The Forbidden Lovers

"Stop that! I mean it! Stop it!!" Ickis hated it when his voice got all high and reedy. It was something it seemed he would never outgrow, even now that he was passed the Hideous Change.

"But you're so fuzzy! Fuzzy bunny! Fuzzy bunny!" Nearly double Ickis's size now, Bradley had the small monster firmly tackled, and was rubbing the alleged fuzz on his head.

It was a game they played - it was only effective if it was played at random, and for real. Ickis *really* couldn't move. Bradley *really* was rubbing his head. And Ickis *really* got mad.

Breathing hard now, Ickis began to swell. Bradley stopped rubbing and let him go - Ickis would need to concentrate.

Ickis stood up, eyes red with rage. He was nearly Bradley's height. . .now he was past it. . .he tried stopping at about six feet. And. . .he did it. Four, five, six seconds. . . He was actually controlling his height.

Bradley had to look up to see Ickis's face. He tried not to smile for his friend's success. If he smiled Ickis would disarm and deflate - he had to scowl, or frown, or at least keep up a cold neutral expression.

There - Ickis looked away. He took a few steps. Studying his hands and then his body, Ickis tried nodding slowly.

"I think. . ." Even his voice was swollen, deep and basso, "It's something about the breathing."

He looked up at Bradley again. Bradley couldn't help it - a flicker of a smile appeared at the edge of his mouth. This was a major breakthrough for Ickis, something they'd been working on for years.

Ickis frowned as he felt himself shrinking. But this time. . .he closed his eyes and concentrated on the frown and on his breathing. He opened his eyes. . .eye level being now centred only a little above Bradley's stomach.

"Sorry, Ickis. I couldn't help it." Bradley flopped back onto his bed. Ickis climbed up beside him. "But hey - you did pretty good that time. With a little practice you can be tall all the time."

"Awww, I guess so." He winced - he voice was back up to its usual annoying pitch. "Krumm and Oblina won't even believe me when I tell them. . .if I ever get a chance to tell them with the way they've been lately." Ickis tried to look nonchalantly up at the ceiling. "Do you mind if I stay here tonight?"

Bradley looked over at Ickis. "Sure. Why?"

Ickis sighed, but didn't meet Bradley's eyes. "Well, you now, Oblina called dibbs on the dorm to bring over her new bleck-monster, and Krumm is taking someone over to his dad's place. Ever since the Hideous Change they've been. . .well, we haven't had much chance to catch up."

"Well, at least they're still your friends." Said Bradley. "At least you still have friends."

"They're your friends too!. . .I mean, if you ever needed help, or something, you could call them, because. . ."

"Because they're your friends and they'd do you a favour." Bradley shook his head. "You're the only real friend I have." He shrugged.

Ickis tried to reassure Bradley with a smile, but Bradley was staring resolutely up at the ceiling. Ickis reached over and took Bradley's hand. He felt a grateful squeeze.

"Heh. Even your hand is fuzzy." Said Bradley. He hauled Ickis over on top of himself, grinning in his face. They leaned together for a few moments, poised to engage in some kind of horseplay. Somehow they remained still, their eyes locked together, their breath playing on each other's faces, while their smiles melted into something else.

Ickis didn't feel fuzzy. He felt. . .gooey. Looking over at his hand, both he and Bradley saw that the skin where their fingertips met seemed to be. . .melting together, almost. It was the strangest thing.

They drew apart - the melting stopped. Tentatively, Ickis pressed his hand closer again and watched while his skin began to gravitate towards Bradley.

Pulling away, Ickis sat up beside Bradley, rubbing his hand as though it were itchy.

"I didn't think that you could do that with a human." He muttered, almost to himself.

Bradley's cheeks were flushed red, but he didn't seem alarmed. From this close, his sweat made a not-unpleasant odour to the young monster.

"What was that?" the human asked.

Ickis gulped as he searched for the right words.

"It's. . .um. . .It's the reason why Oblina and Krumm wanted to be alone with their dates so badly."

Bradley frowned, thinking. He eyebrows raised. "You mean, like. . .monster, well, you know. . ." His face became even more flush. "Is that how monsters do it?"

"Do what?"

"It's, um, this thing that humans do when they're alone with someone else. . .it's kind of embarrassing. . .we're probably talking about the same thing." Looking away towards the ceiling, Bradley smiled lopsidedly. "I was sort of wondering how monsters. . .how it was for you."

Contemplating his feet, Ickis seemed a little morose.

"So what, do you have to start wearing gloves so at some point so you won't touch anyone accidentally?" Bradley said, trying to lighten the mood.

Ickis winced. "It's. . ." Voice much too reedy, Ickis cleared his throat and tried again. "It's something that only happens when two monsters like each other, in that sort of way." See - he could be brave! He hadn't even really given anything away. Ickis looked over at Bradley and remembered how sharp his human friend could be.

Bradley met his gaze steadily. There was something there in Bradley's expression, something unexpected.

"Then you. . ." Bradley's voice had the opposite affliction of becoming low and soft when stressed. "You like me. . .that same way that I like you."

Suddenly panicked, Ickis stood up. He backed away towards the bathroom, and the comforting prospect of escape.

"IthinkthatIhavetogonowbye!" Ickis glanced back, the word sorry dying on his lips.

Bradley was sitting up. He looked hurt. Ickis hadn't expected that either.

"I thought you wanted to stay tonight." Said Bradley.

Ickis gulped. He stood frozen.

"Aren't you scared?" Ickis asked, finally. He himself was shaking.

The human smiled. "You don't scare me, Ickis. You're too fuzzy."

Bradley held out his hand.

Step by jolting step, Ickis yanked himself towards Bradley, the hand, the bed. . .

Bradley grinned and took his arm, pulling him up.

Ickis's eyes wandered the soft, squishy body beside him. Bradley had no idea. . .that Ickis knew all of his most ticklish spots. With a devilish grin, Ickis dove for his ribs.

There was tousling and there was tickling. Soon it became simply touching. Neither had any intentions, or realized what they were doing, what they'd done, until much later.

It was a strange thing, as strange as they were to each other, and as strange as both were to the world outside. Each was compelled by needs they didn't understand. Incredibly, impossibly, Bradley felt the burning of his fingertips, and Ickis felt the blood rush of human desire. It was a blending of ways, a blending of people, a blending of themselves.

It was strange, but so, so familiar. Beautiful and yet monstrous. It made them more complete than they were alone.

It was perfect. And they couldn't stop.

*******