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Hole in the Wall: The Little Things

Chapter Five

By Roofles

Returning to Rathole, Theo began to stock up on what he'd need for the adventure to the Big's dormitory. He might as well be crossing enemy lines and needed to stock up on everything he could beforehand, not having the tunnels any longer to return.

It was a strange thought. That he might not be able to come back to Rathole. This was his home, these were his people. He loved his family and friends and people knew who he was. Theo was willing to risk losing them all in order to save them.

"Just... just have to make sure everything goes okay." He nodded, pausing in his room to look around once more. He had a disturbing feeling, deep inside, that he may not ever see this room again.

His hammock was hung from one wall to the other. Numerous notebooks were under it of all the things he had wanted to do here in Rathole, to make his community a better and safer place. He wouldn't be able to take those. Theo was losing so much to see Pedro again...

"It'll be okay. Things will work out thanks to Pedro. Not the other way around," Theo nodded feeling confident in his belief of his friend. "I believe in my friend. I have to..."

Theo, sadly, hid his sash under a loose cardboard flap in the floor of his room and got a larger bag to carry everything else in. Grabbing the fishing hook and fishing line from the wall, he carefully wrapped it around his chest as if he were a fishing spool and let the heavy metal hook hang off the side. Each hook had a cork stopper on them to prevent it from catching on anything as he went.

Taking his younger brothers modified sling shot and several of the metal pellets along with it, he stuffed them into the bag just in case. Several tacks and his bobby pin were next. Sheathing the pointed metal safety pin in his belt, he was done here.

He'd get the rest from the scavenger's guild storage room.

"I'll be home later tonight," Theo made sure to give each one of his brothers and sisters an extra big kiss on the forehead as he got swarmed by them after announcing his presence. Plenty hugs were exchange and Theo fought back tears, promising that he would keep them safe. "Tell ma' and dad that I'll be home late. I'm staying a friend's place again tonight."

"When do we get to meet him?" One of his sisters squeaked.

"Is it that Ollie badger dude you always talk about?" One of the older brothers asked, to cool to give him a hug.

"Ma's not going to be happy." One of them giggled and them swarmed Theo again to give hugs.

It took great effort to get the little ones off and he ending up having to toss them a hunk of cheese as a distraction. Anthony wasn't home and maybe that was for the best. Theo didn't know how he would handle seeing his brother right now.

While he blamed Anthony for making things needlessly complicated, Theo knew that he was breaking Rat law. It was forbidden to interact with a Big. Theo would show them. He would open to their blind eyes and get them to see the potential of a Bigs help.

From there, Theo decided that rations were next. While he was at it, he'd grab the last tools he'd need like a saw and cutter.

Sneaking into the city storage room was far easier than he thought it would or should be. A simple wink here, a nod there and listening to the drivel spewing out of Franky Bee's mouth about the cute otter that had come by was all it took in this community.

No one stole from the colony and Theo hated to do so. He was desperate though and needed to get some extra things that were kept in storage due to safety concerns.

"She totally had a thing for me, I'm telling you!" Franky the squirrel guard ranted on as Theo pocketed several bites to take along with him, unsure how long his trip was going to take. Pieces of hot sticky gummies, several small candles, the mining helmet, and flint to light them with and finally grabbed a flask to stay hydrated with.

Theo was ready to go.

"Send her pigeon mail." Theo slapped him on the back, slipping past the ground squirrel, hiding his other side where the stolen goods had been placed. "Get her to take you for a swim sometime. She might be, like, twice your size but think of how you can manage with that."

"That isn't a bad idea. You really are as smart as they say Theo." Franky waved him off. Even if the squirrel had seen Theo taking something from the storage, he doubted Franky would say anything.

Theo got a lot of slack for who he was. Being an albino rat was rare and seen as a sign of good fortune for the family and colony they were born into. Theo had been treated special because of it ever since, making him wonder if they only sweet talked him thanks to his white fur or if they really did think he was all that smart.

It was like the tiger was the only one who seemed to see him for who he was.

Pedro had been true and honest, seeing Theo as any other Small Folk and that had, in a way, been nice. Pedro didn't treat Theo differently because of his fur but because of who he was. Thanks to their friendship and trust in one another did Theo believe this plan would work.

The idea of being unable to see the tiger was heart breaking. The one person he felt a connection with.

"Got to stay focus," Theo shook the discomforting thoughts away. Shivering all the way down to his tail tip before heading back towards the tunnels. He couldn't be so lackluster in this if he was going to succeed.

This was more than just about him and Pedro... right?

"Why can't you just be normal for ONE SECOND." Theo pulled on his ears as he took the elevator up once more after passing by the city guards. "Just. Focus on showing off how awesome you are to everyone, get elected to be the new mayor and then you can invite Pedro over for supper!" The rat snorted at the idea. He doubted Pedro would even be able to fit inside Rathole.

It was an amusing idea and he chuckled, blushing at the idea of the tiger trying not to step on anything or anyone inside Rathole. He would be like a kaiju, knocking over the city as everyone ran around screaming and yelling out "it's Pedro!" while pointing at the tiger.

It still would be an amusing sight.

"Yeah, not a good idea..." Theo sighed as he jumped off the elevator and headed back towards the tunnels. Ignoring the crossed off tunnel, he took the second one on the left without delay.

Strapping the small helmet on, he lit the candle on the front of it. One of the neat little gadgets he'd taken while stocking up. The top of the helmet was incased in a half circle shaped bronze container allowing the light of the candle to be projected forward as it sat in the middle. Candles worked, no matter the size, as long as the wicks were measured out.

"Now then," this was the tricky part. The tunnel had few lights, but it hadn't been marked by any of the tunnel crew leaving Theo blind in a different sense. His eyes would be useless here even with the candles light and that was why he had other tools to use to figure out where exactly he was in the building.

Tunnel rats were a strict crew that would mark down and label everything as they went. They would constantly check their surroundings to make sure everything was safe for others to use. This tunnel had been dug out but hadn't been explored enough yet to leave Theo with any useful information.

Theo didn't know where he was, exactly, within the dormitory and would need to stop and drill holes to see out of to know where he had ended up at. Using a rat's built in GPS, Theo estimated how far along it would take for him to reach Pedro's room before stopping and, pulling out the small drilling tool from his bag, began to test it out.

Like with any science experiment, there needed to be tests done to get the desired end results. Theo felt like he was helping Pedro out with his homework as the rat marked off several areas to start checking.

Theo wasn't an idiot and spent a great deal of time figuring out where the studs were in the wall before drilling the tiny almost microscopic hole for him to look through. He had read enough about rats getting fried by carelessly digging to know to take his time, even if he felt under pressure during all this.

Random digging or drilling could lead to a tunnel flooding, electrocuting yourself or even lava! Theo chuckled, "okay, maybe not that last one."

Placing the elongated drill in the correct spot, he began turning the handle and screwing the drool through the wall.

"It's not like things are going to just... blow up, right?" Theo shook the thoughts away, needing to focus. The sooner they, safely, did this the better. If there was a leak within the seed deposit, the pressure could build up until it erupted and with the ensuing flood, who knows how many rats could lose their lives.

All he could think about was of his brothers and sisters back home, blissfully ignorant to the building threat. He blamed the mayor's office for that. They kept everyone in the dark, not wanting to "scare' any of the rats who were voting for him. "Fat, dumb, and happy makes for a good voter" the mayor had once literally told Theo when he tried to warn him about the water pressure.

There could be a lot more at stake here than Theo wanted to think about or admit. It wasn't like anyone else was taking this seriously.

"If Anthony hadn't..." Theo cursed before shaking it off. "What's done is done. Now we just got to fix this." Theo paused at that, feeling that faint blush on his face as he thought it over. "We?" He was already including Pedro in this now.

Theo had asked the tiger for help, hypothetically. Would Pedro actually go through with this insane idea and help out a colony of rats...?

"No. No, I do trust him. I do." Theo swallowed the fear building up inside. "I trust Pedro."

The tiger might be the only one to actually listen to Theo instead of playing nice. Being liked, being loved didn't mean you had respect from those older than you or within the community. Trying to warn the mayor's office was proof of that. He wasn't special or unique or had a greater say in things... His white fur only meant everyone knew who Theo was. Sure, they trusted him. They knew he was smart.

Then why did so many refuse to listen..?

"Willful ignorance." Theo hated it. If they wouldn't listen then he would have to just show them. "Change needs to happen small. Like a drop of water." Theo moved to a new location before trying again. He found a small break room for the students to use in the dorm. "Let that small change become a flow." The rat scurried over to the next spot, checking out to see this floors male side public showers and spotted a cheetah and hyena inside. "Let that flow become a river." Theo counted the steps before drilling the next hole, only ending up in the hallway. "A raging river that become an unstoppable flood that others can't hope to prevent. That's the only way for true change to happen... Just like water pressure building up underground. Eventually, you have to take notice. Can't just keep denying the truth."

There was so much effort needed in this that Theo was already feeling tired. He'd have to spend the rest of his life trying to get even the smallest of things changed; doubting that, even by the end, the community would accept Pedro as a potential hired help. Maybe future generations could benefit from the seeds he had planted, allowing them to sprout and grow with his nurturing efforts until the trees bore the fruit of those efforts.

"Bigs underestimate Smalls and Smalls refuse to accept the help from Bigs." It was a vicious cycle. Theo couldn't change the world but maybe he could change his community as he finally found a spot to dig through.

On the top section of one of the dorm rooms, overlooking the top bunk bed, Theo looked down into the empty room. No one was in it and hoped that it stayed that way as he begun to dig a small hole for him to breach through.

Sticking a piece of the extra sticky gummy from the food supply he'd raided on this side of the wall; Theo began chewing around the spot to create an extremely small hole for him to slip through. His teeth were sharp and though he hated the taste of plaster, he spat it to the side before stepping back and looking at his work.

It left a crude outline of where to saw through and that was exactly what was next as he pulled out the saw blade from his bag and stuck the sharp end of it through where he had chewed. Sawing took a great deal of time and care, making sure that every time the saw came back towards him that all the grit and dust it brought with was deposited onto this side of the hole.

One of the major ways to find a breach-hole was to look for the dust it left behind on the outside. Every rat knew how to seal up an entrance to make it look invisible to the naked eye, blending back into the surface it had come from. It was the left over that needed to be taken care of.

"Unless it's already hidden," Theo smiled at his handy work.

Theo was in a bit of a rush and left the dirty grit and saw behind as he pushed the wall forward, holding onto the gummy bit so it wouldn't fall down to the bed below. Grabbing the fishing line, he threaded it through the piece of plaster and the wall several times, creating a loose web between the two of them like a patch about to be sown onto a sash.

Grabbing onto the fishing line, Theo jumped out of the hole and pulled at the same time. The plaster tugged and pulled back into place, Theo's weight forcing it to return to where it had come from. Taking some extra time, Theo smoothed out the edges and used a tube filled with caulk to finish the job. Using his fingers, he managed to smooth it out even further until it was invisible to a Bigs eye.

Nibbling on the top section of the fishing line until it snapped, Theo free fall his way down to the top bunk. The air rushed past him, but the comfort of the sheets broke his fall and the rat's light body left him perfectly unharmed as he wormed his way through the fabric to get some fresh air.

"I need to stop falling onto male bedding. It's not good for my heart." Theo chuckled as he walked over to the edge of the top bunk.

Now, this was another tricky part most new explorers messed up with. Theo didn't attach the fishing hook to the top of the bedding after pulling the cork bits off. Instead, he tossed it over the top wooden railing of the bed and let the weight of it carry it down towards the bottom bunk.

The metal was heavy, and Theo held onto the fishing line carefully, not having a backup in case he dropped it. Lowering the fishing hook down to the bottom bunk, he swung it back and forth, letting the hooks do the work for him. The sharp points eventually snagged on the bottom bunk and, slipping underneath the wooden railing, Theo began lowering himself down to it.

With the hook part caught, the line went taut, and Theo lowered his way down from the top bunk to the lower one without issue. It was a sight, hanging in the middle of a Bigs room. Theo kept his eyes on the task, after double checking no one else was there on the bottom bunk. Once he landed on the sheets, he went over to unhook the device and carefully put the cork bits back on and reeled in the line from above.

If he had hooked it on the top bunk, it would've taken a lot less work to get down. But then there was no way to retrieve the hook part of it. Leaving behind important evidence he had been there in the first place was a big no-no when exploring.

If a Big discovered it and found their way back to the colony... it was means for banishment.

"Disassemble, recycle and reuse." Theo chuckled as he tied the fishing line around him again before trying his best to push the sheets off the bed, planning to use them to climb down with. He was not successful. "Fuck, these are heavier than they look." He wiped the sweat from his brow and walked over to the edge to look for an alternative route.

Sure enough, just like in Pedro's room, there was something left carelessly on the floor for him to jump onto. He just wished the male student body would stop leaving their used socks and briefs around.

Theo, holding his nose, made the plunge and jumped. The fall was always a bit exhilarating and the fabric breaking it was never the same. These briefs were far coarser than the ones Pedro used. Theo was uncomfortable are of this, knowing such intimate knowledge of his friend as he moved off them and onto the floor.

"Okay. I got this. I got this." This would be the hardest part of this entire adventure.

Theo knew which room number Pedro's was, having visited the tiger often enough to know by now. The issue was the fact that no Small should be on the floor. It was the most dangerous of places to be. A Big might not go out of their way to hunt and kill Smalls anymore like in the dark ages but it would just take one carelessness step, someone not looking where they were going, to turn Theo into a pancake.

There was an old scavenger's guild saying. "Treat the floor as if it were lava."

While it would seem silly, even as a child Theo was taught this. Playing games with the other rat pups to climb and scale, swing across, and jump over one obstacle to the next while never touching the floor. It was the most dangerous place for someone Theo's size to end up.

There were always silly stories down at the bar of rats falling into a Bigs drink or into their food. Those were just stories. No rat worth their salt would ever end up in such a place. The circumstances alone wouldn't end with getting eaten or drunk; a rat would fight to the bitter end and anyone foolish enough to try and eat or drink that was in for a very rude, violent awakening.

Getting stepped on? Crushed? Or run over? A very possible scenario that happened more often than any rat would want to admit. There wasn't anything one could do if something dropped on you from above. If you were lucky, you might be able to jump out of the way. It was how no-tail Steve had gotten his name, barely dodging an acorn that had fallen out of a tree.

And that had been a nut. Not a Big's foot or shoe coming down.

"Just get underneath the door and then to Pedro's room." Theo took a moment to catch his breath as he stood there on the carpet, not even coming up to the bottom of the bed. "Just. Run. If need be. Run." He nodded at the sound advice as he scurried over to the bottom of the door.

Theo stopped, coming to another obstacle he hadn't foreseen coming.

While the rat could squeeze himself through extremely small holes, so long as his head could fit through them, something like a tool couldn't just magically squash itself down to fit as he could. He'd already lost a couple of the things he'd brought with him. He didn't want to lose any more. Such as the fishing hook on his back.

The bottom of the door was barely visible and there was light seeping from underneath. Theo would barely manage to fit, then pull his bag through after him. He knew the fishing hook on his back wouldn't with its four prongs and wished he had gotten a smaller model. With no other choice, Theo quickly disposed of it, not wanting to waste any time after what had happened the last time he stayed in a Bigs room for to long.

Twirling the hook quickly above his head like a lasso, he tossed it up into a wastebin nearby hoping the Big would just take out the trash without looking inside. Even then, there was no proof he'd been here. Tying a heavier object to the other end of the line, Theo tossed it over to join the hook and let the gravity pull the rest of the fishing line over the edge of the trash and inside.

"Success," Theo wiped his hands off before his ears perked up. He could hear the heavy steps of someone approaching and quickly ran to the side of the wall, closest to the door's opening. It was just his luck that someone would come in after he'd tossed his grapple hook.

The door opened and a large yellow furred foot of a cheetah swung past where Theo was hiding. The spotted feline didn't even notice the rat who slipped out the door before they had time to shut it, giving him easy access to the hall.

And a lot of regret.

The hall was crowded with Bigs. From one side of the hall to the next, walking and stomping, their feet thumping and "thooming" as they went. Sandals and shoes, sneakers and loafers, boots, and flips flops... it was a nightmare of feet. The ground was shaking, and Theo could feel the vibrations traveling up his legs as he squeaked wanting to retreat back inside the room he'd come from after a massive ox came stomping past with hoofed feet.

The door slammed in his face, nearly losing his whiskers.

The heavy steps didn't die down and Theo slapped his face several times, trying to work up the courage he had lost.

"Get it together." Theo turned around, inspecting all the Bigs walking past him from the safety of the corner of the doorway. No one noticed him. Who would go out of their way to look down at the ground, let alone someone else's door? To distracted by their phones or the friends they were walking with.

Talons and paws stepped by. Lions and tigers and bears, "oh my." Each were of varying sizes and all still gigantic to the rat who could just watch them go past, hoping that they would hurry up and fuck off for him to continue to Pedro's room.

The traffic didn't look as if it were going to thin anytime soon and the longer he stood there, the greater the chance was someone was going to notice him.

Nearby, something crashed to the floor and Theo squeaked jumping as he looked over. Someone had dropped something, their phone, onto the ground and was bending over to get it nearby. If they simply glanced to their right, they'd see Theo and the rat began to panic as he quickly scanned the hall for an escape.

Several things to mind but his fear addled brain thought of, possibly, the dumbest one to try.

There was a group of cackling hyenas coming their way and Theo was already estimating the time it would take for them to be in front of the rat. Their stomping steps were careless as they shoved and pushed their way through the hall, bumping into anyone in their way. Theo had a crazy idea as he looked left, then right, then left again before playing an extremely dangerous game of frogger as he tried to cross the hallway as the guy bending down, a lion, glanced towards his movement.

Theo didn't stop.

He could practically hear the music of the game in his head as he went forward, jumped back, ran to the left then forward two space and then right to reach the trio. It was exhaustingly terrifying, and the fear helped drive the rat from stopping. He didn't understand how frogs made it across the street.

"I'm heading for floor three." The first hyena was saying loudly to his friend. "I'm stuck next to that pissed off tiger dude." He just laughed and the other two joined in.

"Why is he always such a dick?" Another said.

"I don't think he speaks English." The last thought it over.

"The fuck these foreigners coming in for then?" The main hyena just shook his head. Theo already hated the guy and, after timing and dodging past another large canine, moved over to his friend to hitch a ride.

The hyena's was wearing long pants with zippers on the ends. Some kind of fashion statement? Theo wasn't sure but it gave him the perfect opportunity to run and jump up onto the edge of it, grabbing the zipper to hold onto as the hyena carried him away as an unsuspected passenger. Like catching a prickle weed snagging on the pants, going unnoticed.

Theo was glad he was a rat at a times. Motion sickness had never bothered him, and the swinging leg wasn't exactly comfortable. Every step the hyena took swayed worse than any boat in a storm and even Theo felt his stomach turn at the movements a couple of times, threatening to get thrown off. It would've made anyone else with a weaker stomach throw up as the hyena finally came to a stop next to the elevators.

"The dude is just odd..." The hyena said, scratching the back of his head. "I mean Pedro isn't that bad...?"

"Riz, are you an idiot? That bad? Dude's a tiger! Think he's the king of the freaking jungle." The first hyena spat to the side. "Don't want that cat funk messing up my groove." The hyena popped his collar, pulling out a comb and swiping it through his greased-up hair. "Cat's don't fly."

"I don't think that's how that goes." The third hyena chuckled and the two got in on it, the lot of them laughing like a couple of idiots.

Theo rolled his eyes as he stayed with the second, Riz, letting him carrying him up the stairs after the elevator took to long to come down. It would've taken Theo ages to climb normally, not trusting to use the elevator; don't ever get yourself cornered, another useful tip from the scavenger's guild.

At times, Theo was surprised at just how well his plans worked out.

"I am a genius." Theo chuckled before squeaking, the rat having to scurry up the pant leg as the corner of the jeans smacked against the wall and would've taken Theo out if he hadn't been careful to adjust his position. Even the smallest of things could be deadly to a guy Theo's size. "Careful," Theo wanted to shout at the guy but cover his mouth instead. He'd been hanging out with Pedro too much.

Scratching his ass, the hyena stopped at the top of the stairs waiting for his two buddies to catch up. Theo rolled his eyes, looping around the leg as he crawled up further. Why did his pants have so many zippers in them? That seemed so.. tacky. Who wore this many zippers, an anime protagonist?

"Dude!" The first hyena jumped, pointing at Riz's leg making everyone freeze.

"What, what?" The hyena looked down and Theo cursed his luck, his small white furred body standing out on the dark material. "What the fuck is that! Is that a squirrel?" Riz yipped loudly, jumping as he held both hands up afraid it might bite.

"Kill it!" The first hid behind the third hyena who just laughed at the situation without offering any kind of help.

The second hyena swiped at Theo who ducked underneath the panicked attack. Unsure what else to do, Theo zipped down one of the zippers and, in the next second, disappeared into the pants out of the hyena's grabbing hands.

"Gah, guys!" The second hyena kicked out his legs trying to take off his pants, unable to undo the zippers. "There's a squirrel in my pants!" He jumped around as the small lump of the rat crawled over his spotted brown furry thighs. "No, no, no please not there! NOT there!... okay, there is fine." Before jumping and kicking out his legs again trying to grab the moving lump or kick it out of his pant leg.

"That guy got some serious squirrels in his pants." The third just laughed, holding his stomach and still didn't offer any help.

"Squirrels!" The second hyena itched all over, dancing on his tip toes as Theo slipped out from the tail hole in the pants and underneath the hyena's shirt who couldn't grab at him as Theo climbed up the center of the hyena's pants.

The rat knew exactly how far a Bigs reach reached and used the one spot he couldn't get at as the rat quickly climbed his furry back towards his head. Popping out of the back of the hyena's shirt, Theo took hold of the black fur like mohawk running down it as the hyena jumped around like a bucking bronco.

"Okay, Theo. Just get on the fucking hyena." Theo jumped out of the guys shirt onto the hyena's hair, glad the guy hadn't greased his hair like the first one had. Snagging both the hyena's ears, the rat pulled them backwards forcing the hyena to move with the motion or fear having his ears ripped off.

The hyena stumbled back into the wall, whining the entire time as the rat tried to twist and turn the ears accordingly as if they were lever controls for a machine.

"This is far harder to pilot than I thought." Theo squeaked getting worked up. "Look," he bent over to talk directly into the hyena's ear. "Unless you want me to chew a hole through your ear, giving you another excuse to get a piercing, you better do as I say!"

The hyena froze, unable to see the tiny white devil on top of his head.

"W-what's wrong with my piercings?" Riz whined, teary eyed as he tried to reach up and touch one of the metal studs in his oversized ears.

"You will abandon your friends for they have forsaken you. Sorry about that..." Theo apologized. "Now! Bring me to Pedro!" He pulled on the ears.

"The tiger?" Riz was utterly confused as to what was happening. "Ow, ow, ow! Stop pulling!"

"Mush!" Theo flicked the hyena's ears.

"I'm not a sled dog." The hyena whined as Theo did it again, pulling on the ears now.

"No, you're a Hyaenidae, a spotted hyena." Theo just pulled and the hyena stumbled into the wall, walking away quickly from his friends who just watched the very strange scene before them. "And also, my ride."

"How do you know that?" Riz winced. "Who are you?"

"Name's Theo," the rat just said as he worked the ears back and forth. Pain was a great motivator, and the hyena moved his legs with every move the rat did with his ears. "I go to school as well. Just not such a big school." He squeaked.

"Oh," the hyena paused at that. "I think I'm understanding things now. Y-You're a Small Folk, right? I read about them..."

"Something like that." Theo paused. Still holding the ears, he leaned forward to look the hyena in the eye. "Which way is Pedro's room?"

"W-Why do you want to see t-that tiger?" Riz just asked, wide eyed as the small furry face appeared in his field of view. "You're a rat..."

"Not a squirrel, correct." Theo just winked. "Now then. Where is Pedro?"

"Uh... That way?" Riz was more curious than afraid as he pointed down the side hallway. "I-I've never met a Small before..."

"Good! Then mush, my trusty steed!" Theo wiped the ears like a pair of reigns and the hyena, chuckling at this point, did as he was asked.

"You kind of stand out." Riz pointed out as he walked down the hall, trying to look up at the albino rat.

"So, I've heard," Theo rolled his eyes. "I tried to dye my fur. It was a pain in the tail. Took forever and I looked horrible after!" He squeaked and the hyena laughed along with him.

"I dyed mine green once. I think as a middle finger to the folks." Riz shrugged.

"For Saint Patrick's day?" Theo asked, thinking it over. It was the only green holiday he knew of.

"No. THAT would've been a smart idea." Riz chuckled, his laugh shaking the rat around.

"Ah, careful! Careful! A fall from this height is dangerous for a guy like me." Theo gripped his ears tighter, and the hyena winced, coming to a stop. "Why did you stop?"

"Look. I'm not going to try anything, just. If it's dangerous." Riz reached up and Theo pulled back. "I-I'm not going to hurt you. Just. It might be safer, and less obvious if I hold you..."

Theo didn't like the idea of it but the two of them were getting several looks by now. It was hard to miss a snowy white mouse, on top of a hyena's head, grabbing his ears and controlling him.

"Fine. Just... just don't try anything! My teeth are sharp." Theo tried to threaten and only got a giggling laugh from the hyena in return.

"Sure, little dude. Whatever you say," the hyena fat fingers grabbed Theo's body and the rat squeaked. "Ah, sorry sorry... you're a lot softer, and pudgier, than I expected you to be."

"Thanks?" Theo was plucked from the hyena's head and brought down before his face.

"Oh, you really are a rat..." The hyena sniffed him over, pushing his large nose into Theo's face. "You don't smell like tiger..."

"I do bathe!" Theo grumbled, crossing his arms in the hyena's grip. "We have running water and electricity. How do you not know that?"

"You do?" Riz eyes widen as he began to walk once more. "That's amazing. I've only heard about you guys. The older generation, and teachers, don't like to talk about the Small Folk. You guys, uh... rats, don't tend to show yourselves often. It's crazy even seeing you here!"

"Well, it's hard to just show up when you can be stepped on or picked up so easily." Theo grumbled as his cheeks burned brightly with embarrassment. The hyena chuckled at that.

"Your white fur makes you stand out even more." Riz teased, poking his face.

"Yeah. It's not the best." Theo rolled his eyes before glancing at a nearby door. "Hey, we passed Pedro's room!"

"Oh, I know." The hyena just grinned. "I just wanted to talk with you a little more. It'll only take a minute. Promise." Riz said, searching for a key in one of his pockets before unlocking and pushing his dorm room door open.

The hyena walked in and slammed the door shut behind him, making the rodent wince.

"Oh, sorry. I guess sounds are a bit louder to you little guys, huh?" Riz asked as he walked over towards the desk in the room. It was smaller than Pedro's and was barely above the height of the bottom bunk.

Sliding a glass jar across the desk, Riz emptied the contents of it out before dropping Theo inside the large glass mason jar. Theo landed with an "oof" and jumped to his feet, watching in horror as the hyena spun the cap on the jar above.

"This is so freaking cool." The hyena eyes sparkled. "I can use you in my project! I'm study to be a zoologist. I'm sure the teach' will give me extra credit if I show up with a Small. This is going to be so great." The hyena just yammered on as Theo felt around the glass.

"Seriously? Dude. I'm a freaking person! You can't just lock me a jar." Theo squeaked inside the jar. "At least drill holes in the top."

"Oh fuck, sorry. Right, right! Just give me a sec'." Riz jumped over to grab a screwdriver from the desk and then jammed it in the top. Theo covered his ears as the hyena carelessly punctured holes in the jar's lid. "Is that better?" Riz crouched down to look inside.

Theo felt like a science experiment and hated it. Like some kind of pet or caged animal put on display to be gawked at. The rat didn't let it show as he took a slow breath and let it out, pretending to play along.

"This is great. Thank you." Theo said offering a big smile and the hyena grinned back. "Now then, remember. No one else can know about me..."

"Right." Riz thought that over. "Uh... why?"

"Because then they'd take your project away, right?" Theo pointed out.

"Oh, right. Right! You are so smart. Even for having such a tiny guy with a teeny tiny, small brain," the hyena chuckled as he took a seat on the desk. He played with the jar, rolling it back and forth, forcing Theo to jog inside the jar so he didn't fall over.

"A brain's size doesn't amount to ones intellect." Theo rolled his eyes. "Despite what studies may say." He added, grumbling over the things he'd read.

Some liked to excuse their abuse for Smalls due to their lack of intelligence, Theo knew better. After meeting both Bigs and Smalls, he learned it's more of a cultural thing than anything else. While the Smalls population drastically outnumbered any Big, they tended to have a more community or hive mindset where all the bodies worked together to create a society and maintain a society.

Bigs tended to compete with each other and were far fewer in numbers leaving the so called "strongest" of them in charge. There were so many small differences between the two groups, yet those small divides became massive chasms when comparing their sizes to each other.

"I don't think that's the case, little dude." The hyena chuckled still looking at him. "It's crazy. You're like.. me but smaller. It's insane. A little shrunken person, heh."

"Sure," Theo resisted the urge to roll his eyes just glad the hyena was done playing with the jar. "Are you going to freshen up? You just got out of class right? Or is it lunch time..." Theo guessed, looking the hyena over and estimated the time from his appearance. That would explain why so many Bigs were in the hallway, something Theo hadn't planned for.

"I guess I could?" Riz sniffed at himself. "Do I stink?"

"Yes." Theo couldn't care less. "You smell. Trust me. Us rats have an excellent sense of smell."

"Oh! Sorry..." The hyena's ears folded back as he looked away, blushing. "I-I didn't realize. You were the one to crawl through my clothes..." Riz brought up making Theo question what this hyena was thinking about.

"Yeah, well, that's how I know." Theo just shrugged. "Rats got to breathe."

"Was it that bad...?" Riz asked and Theo began to see where this was going.

"A good shower will help!" Theo just smiled. "Then I could easily climb over your body."

"Y-yeah?" Riz ears perked at that. "I-I mean, I wasn't thinking about that. But like. I guess I've read online about Smalls helping Bigs with... stuff." The hyena couldn't look at the rodent. "Is that what you do for Pedro?"

Theo's eye twitched at the implication, but he kept his cool.

"Oh, yeah. Totally. We hang out and uh, do stuff all the time. I was on my way to visit him when I got lost." The rat lied. Like he would ever get lost. He knew exactly where he, roughly, was in the building. He just happened to be kidnapped along the way.

His own mistake, trusting this Big. Theo was to used to hanging out with Pedro. Then again, thinking it over, the tiger had also tried to capture him like he were some kind of rare shiny pokemon. There really seemed to be a huge misunderstanding between how the Bigs saw the Smalls and the Smalls saw the Bigs.

Riz seemed to be fascinated, as Pedro had been, by the Small. There wasn't any malicious intent but the carelessness behind their actions, due to their size, left Theo feeling threatened instead of comforted. Maybe he should've bit the hyena...? But, then, Theo worried he'd be dropped on the ground and stepped on.

"R-Really? You'd be cool, like, hanging out with me?" Riz practically jumped out of his chair. "I got so many anime we can watch! O-okay, I-I'll go shower and bathe and then maybe we can- I mean, I'll let you out of the jar and we can just... Netflix and chill." The hyena grinned, snapping his fingers and pointing the guns at the rodent.

Theo had to roll his eyes at that and was glad his small size made it hard to see through the slightly foggy glass jar. The hyena having been breathing on it's surface leaving it uncomfortably moist.

"I'm looking forward to it!" Theo waved as the hyena ducked into the side room to use the restroom. Unlike Pedro's room, it didn't have a shower. The cheaper dorms had to use the public showers and Theo, aware of this, was hoping the hyena would fall for the ruse of being friendly with him.

Riz came back out, only wearing a towel, and gave another shy wave at the rodent before heading out of the door with a "be back soon."

"Yeah, no. Fuck that." Theo groaned, turning his bag around and searching inside it. What the hell did these Bigs read about Smalls? That they were just fun toys to be picked up and used? It was actually rather... sickening.

Theo could have easily jabbed the hyena's hand with the safety pin at his side but that wouldn't be necessary if the rat wasn't here when the hyena got back.

Pulling out a circular device with a lever, Theo attached it to the glass. It was one of the tools that wasn't recommended but something Theo thought he might need. A glass cutter.

Sticking the circular part, with the suction cup, on the glass he began to turn the cutter to form a small circle. He didn't even bother trying to get the glass off and left the cutter behind figuring he wouldn't be so lucky to fool someone again.

It was a good experience, in a way. Letting Theo know just how lucky he had been to discover Pedro out of all these Bigs. A bunch of horny college students was dangerous for a rodent Theo's size, and he quickly made his way down the chair and onto the floor, heading for the door.

He shuddered at the idea of being with the hyena like that.

Maybe Theo and Pedro were the odd ones out in all this, Theo thought as he squeezed his body underneath the door and jogged along the wall towards Pedro's room. This close, he could smell the tiger's musk wafting from the far door and, looking left and right once more, Theo made a mad dash for it, practically diving for the doorway.

Scurrying underneath it, Theo managed to get back into familiar surroundings... extremely familiar surroundings as the rat's jaw hung open looking at the most recent project Pedro had been working on.

Apparently, the tiger had been very busy in Theo's absence and even the rat, at the size he was, found it difficult to walk through the room.

Pedro had spent the past week setting up a replica of the city that Theo had left him notes for. The tiger recreating almost every crude structure of Rathole in the middle of the room, creating a diorama so lifelike that Theo, for a split second, thought he had somehow ended up back at home. Just, for a change, the large one in the mess.

Theo walked through the streets, looking around stunned.

There was the marketplace, he noted as he walked down the steps. Each shop had been carefully carved out and painted, several new boxes off to the side telling Theo that Pedro had ordered more supplies to make all this happen with. There was the bakery Theo's dad and brother worked at, the open tunnel leading to the main tunnels used like highways for travelers to go through safely... even the water between the city, dividing it in two. Though it was just painted blue.

Walking through the city was strangely unnerving, seeing a replica of his home as he turned around and looked up at everything above him.

"Holy... Pedro did all this?" Theo stopped, shaking his head before looking over. Sure enough, the tiger had even added the pipe they were trying to fix together in the diorama. It would make explaining everything to Pedro a lot easier.

Now, where was that tiger?

"Pedro!" Theo squeaked, looking around. He frowned, standing there in the middle of the condensed city as he thought it over. "He might be in class still..." Theo nodded, thinking that was right. He wasn't sure of the time but there was no way to call the tiger back... "Oh! Wait, actually there is."

It just clicked as Theo ran over towards the desk. He climbed the ladder to the top of it and then ran over to the hatch in the wall. Opening it up from this side was always tricky but Theo was glad to see it open, the cement mixture not reaching the door and sealing it shut.

The phone nearby buzzed a second later and, giddily, Theo ran over to check it.

"Hey. I see you finally decided to drop by." Pedro texted sending a tiger emoji with it. "I'm in class. Be out in half an hour."

Theo, knowing the password, was already typing out a reply on the phone Pedro had left for him to use. It took him three times the effort and time to send the simple text. "Waiting 4 u." It read. Feeling a little worked up from everything he been through he added on. "Hurry. I miss you."

Theo regretted it the very second he sent it and covered his face, burning red with embarrassment.

"I just meant that it's been a while." Theo clicked his tongue in annoyance, walking back and forth on the desk. "There so much we need to catch up on... I need to let him know how things are going. That I did the measurements... what happened with that hyena," Theo wasn't looking forward to that conversation and walked over to jump up onto the discarded scraps of clothes Pedro had got for him to use as a crude bed.

Curling up underneath the cotton blend of scraps, he waited for the tiger to return. The phone buzzed and Theo disgruntledly got up to check it a minute later.

"Okay." The text read. "I'll skip out early." Pedro had texted back.

Theo could feel his heart jump into his throat and quickly swallowed it back down, unsure why he was feeling butterflies in his stomach from such a text. Pedro was getting out of his class, early, to help him. That was all.

Why was this so different than with that hyena a couple minutes ago? They both were Bigs but then how could they be so very different from each other?

It wasn't long before the door handle shook and Theo lifted his head up to see a familiar pale orange, creamy toned tiger come into the room. Pedro dropped his backpack by the front door before shutting and locking it behind him. Pedro didn't need to look hard to find Theo who was standing up on his tip toes, waving at him from the desk.

"Ah, there is mi little amigo." Pedro padded over before pulling the chair back. "Is everything alright? You seem agitated." The tiger reached out and, to his surprise, found Theo practically jumping into his hand giving it a big hug.

"Pedro! SO many things have happened, I don't even know where TO start!" Theo nuzzled his face into that familiar paw pad. "It's been, fuck, it's been so much. I just, I need to tell you everything!"

"Easier, little rata. Take a breath and tell mi what all is going on." Pedro said and Theo nodded, taking a step back before taking a breath and letting it out.

Theo spent the next ten minutes going over everything that had happened since last week and what he'd been through to get here to see Pedro again. The tiger was patient with the rambling rat who got worked up and needed to be stopped several times to calm down.

The tiger had gotten out a water bottle and filled the cap for Theo to drink from, setting it carefully on the desk. Theo drained it dry before continuing.

Pedro ears flicked and his tail froze hearing about the hyena but didn't say anything to interrupt as Theo finished with "then I texted you!"

"I'm glad you did." Pedro took a moment, not looking at Theo. "I think. It might be best. If you stay here, for the time being then." The tiger turned towards the rat slowly, letting out a heavy breath. "I do not wish to see you desaparecer. It scares me, thinking, that when you leave I may not see you again..."

Pedro grumbled, his words becoming a string of Spanish before stopping. He placed a hand on the desk as he emptied the contents of the water bottle to cool off.

"Yes, well... we have some things to go over, f-for the city and well... I didn't want to wait to find a safer means to come see you and just..." Theo's ears splayed out, his small little snout lowering as he fiddled with his thumbs. "I'm sorry, Pedro." The rat said.

"Lo siento?" Pedro asked.

"Well, just... this. I came here hoping to use you and I didn't even think of asking YOU first if that was okay for me to get your help with saving my home. After what that hyena dude did... consent is important." Theo sighed, rubbing his head and took a seat on the spot as he groomed his whiskers. "SO much has happened and I just... worry. I'm so worried about it but no one else seems to care! They want to drill more holes in the walls without the proper time to make sure there aren't other possible leaks." Theo covered his face with his hands, tail curling around him. "I just. I just want to be of use... I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"Mi pequeña rata," Pedro cleared his throat. "What I mean is, Theo. You are of use. I just worry that if they sealed off your way home," the tiger motioned towards the hatch with a large hand. "Then you will be... worried you cannot return home to see your familia. That you will be stuck here alone..."

"Well, I'm not alone, Pedro. I... I have you." Theo just said, not even needing to think about it. The tiger's ears splayed out at that and there was a soft red hew on his cream-colored face. "Uh, I mean. If you. Want. TO be... haved?" Theo covered his face with a soft squeak. "I'm so bad at this!"

Pedro chuckled softly, covering his mouth with a hand as he turned away as it continued. The laugh shook his chest and shoulders as the tiger's ears folded back.

"Ah, mi rata. You are truly something else." Pedro placed his hand on the desk and then propped it up on two fingers. Slowly, casually he walked the hand over as he watched it approach Theo as if not in control of it, curious to see what it would do. "You are so stressed and worked up... May I have this dance?"

The tiger bowed his paw towards the rat who giggled at that, getting up and bowing back.

"Such a gentleman!" Theo lifted his arms to grab hold of the tiger's thumb and pinky as the two fingers acted as legs, dancing on the spot.

Pedro pushed a button on his phone and music began as he turned and danced his paw with the rat who laughed along with how absurd this all was. Their entire lives and friendship, yet the smile never left his face easing his worries and concerns.

"We're a pair, aren't we?" Theo glanced up at Pedro who let out a heavy chuff in answer. "We dance so beautifully under the moonlight and stars. Our fathers would never accept us," Theo said bending Pedro's paw over. "Ah, mi tigre mano, you are so very handsome tonight." The rat said with a horrible Spanish accent.

"You going to run away with mi mano?" Pedro lifted an eyebrow. "I may get jealous if this continues."

"He is a very skilled dancer," Theo pointed out as he twirled around and bent backwards over Pedro's thumb. "The best I could ask for."

"The best." Pedro agreed as he offered his pinky for Theo to grab and stand back up with. They continued until the song came to an end and the tiger's hand and the rat bowed to one another once more. "Theo?" Pedro started with.

"Yeah?" Theo turned to look at the tiger.

Pedro cleared his throat, placing his hand on the desk next to the rat as he took a moment to collect himself, building up his courage to ask the question lingering on the tip of his tongue. The tiger scooted closer before bending down to get on Theo's level.

"Would you like to," Pedro began only to be interrupted by a harsh series of knocks on his door. The tiger flinched at that and turned quickly towards it. "Irse!" He shouted at the door.

There was a moment pause before they knocked again.

"Uh, hey. Pedro?" A familiar voice on the other side of the door spoke up. "Can I talk to you for a second? It might be super important..."

Pedro grumbled, looking at Theo. The rat was about to hide inside the hatch when the tiger offered his hand. Curious where this was going, Theo jumped up onto it and held onto his thumb as Pedro lifted Theo off the desk up towards his chest.

"Esconder," Pedro opened the front pocket of his shirt. "Hide in here. Just in case." The tiger said softly.

Theo nodded before jumping over and grabbing onto the fabric of the pink and white striped shirt the tiger had on. He clawed his way up before slipping inside the front pocket, forming a small little lump on the tiger's chest. So close, Theo could smell the tiger's musk and feel the heat radiating from his body. The sound of Pedro quick heartbeat filled his ears as the tiger buttoned the pocket, giving the lump in his shirt a soft pet and walked over towards the door.

"Qué quieres?" Pedro asked as he opened the door. There was a brown spotted furred hyena with a thick black mohawk mane of fur running down his neck. Riz's fur was still damp and he had put back on his previous clothes in a hurry.

"Uh, look. I'm super sorry. But I think I might've lost your little rat friend..." Riz said clapping his hands together and bowing his head. "I'm SO sorry Pedro!"

"De que mierda estas hablando?" Pedro growled in warning making the hyena's ears splay out.

"I'm so, so, so sorry! I just wanted to talk to him. That was all! I swear. I've never met or seen a Small before. Well, not in real life. Only online and in videos... I think I scared him... I swear I was just trying to be friendly! That's all." Riz begged for mercy, practically getting on his knees before the tiger as he held up his hands. "Please, forgive me."

Theo squirmed in Pedro's pocket and the tiger looked down to see the small white furred rat poke his head out.

"You put me in a jar!" Theo glared down at the groveling hyena. Pedro's eyes narrowed at that. "To be fair... this idiot tried to put me in a cage." The rat sighed, shaking his head. "There is some big misunderstandings going on around here. So, yeah, sure. It was whatever. I forgive you, this time." Theo squeaked down at the hyena who looked up. Riz's jaw dropped as he stared at the rat.

"Little dude!" Riz jumped to his feet and Pedro took a weary step back, claws out. "I was so worried! I'm so, so, so, so sorry! I got excited. A little too excited. I didn't mean to scare you or think I was going to hurt you. I really didn't, please forgive me!" The hyena cried against Pedro's chest.

"Por el amor de Dios," Pedro grumbled, the tiger rolling his eyes.

"I never knew you were into Smalls, Pedro." Riz sniffled, wiping the snot on the back of his hand making Theo gag. "That's so cool!" Riz said loudly before lowering his voice. "I mean. I am to. I want to become a zoologist to one day study and help Smalls out, introduce them into our society maybe...? I just got a little overzealous with your little dude. Sorry, again."

"I'm not his," Theo stammered out, blushing brightly his entire face turning red as he ducked back down into the tiger's shirt. "Just because I slept on him and am in his pocket doesn't make me..." The rat trailed offer as he squirmed in the pocket burning red as he kicked his small legs out in the fabric.

Pedro reached a finger in to poke and pet the rat, calming Theo down before shooting a glare at the hyena.

"You promise you didn't wish to hurt Theo...?" Pedro asked, his voice shaking slightly with the low growl filling his throat.

"Holy fuck tits, you can speak English?" Riz jumped at that, seemingly more surprised by this new information than of the Small rat in Pedro's pocket.

"Dios mio," Pedro rolled his eyes and slammed the door in the hyenas face. He didn't lock it as he made his way back into the room to gather up the diorama and place it carefully on the desk as the door behind him opened up and the hyena slipped inside.

"Sorry, it's just. I don't think anyone has heard you speak anything other than Spanish since you came to college. Uh, when you do talk." Riz chuckled, looking around the room. It didn't take long for Riz to notice all the updates to the room that Pedro had done. "Wow... You really like Smalls, huh?"

"Riz." Pedro voice was warning enough. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to make sure the little dude was safe! Honest. Promise, promise!" The hyena clapped his hands together and bowed his head. "Gomen nasai."

"Why does he keep doing that?" Theo popped his head up out of the pocket, whiskers twitched as his nose wiggled. Pedro pet the rat's head with his finger.

"Riz is a giant weeb." Pedro laughed.

"It's cool! Shut up. Nothing wrong with having a... hobby." Riz glanced around the room. "Like you're one to talk." The hyena pointed out.

"I make things for Theo's safety." Pedro rolled his eyes. "Do not compare me to what you are into."

"Theo..?" Riz's ears perked, and he looked at the rat. "Oh, little dude got a name. Right. I think he might've... said that..." The hyena reached out a hand but the tiger's deep growl stopped him from losing a finger.

Pedro lip quivered, flashing fangs. "Of course, he has a nombre," the tiger snorted in annoyance. "What are you? Eres estúpido." Pedro flicked his hand at the hyena as if about to slap him. Theo worried the tiger was going to take off one of his flip flops and beat the hyena to death with it at this point.

"Sorry to interrupt, but what is a weeb...?" Theo asked glancing up at the angry tiger.

"Someone to obsessed with anime." Pedro rolled his eyes.

"It's more than just that!" Riz said, getting angry now and upset over it. The hyena was blushing, and he was trying to put on a strong front for the two. "It's about appreciating a different culture..."

"I don't think I've ever seen an anime." Theo muttered, thinking it over. "We don't get that down in the tunnels."

"You've.... You've never seen an anime? Any anime?" Riz stopped at that, eyes going wide as his mouth began to foam up as he hyperventilated at the news.

"Look what you did." Pedro groaned, covering a face with a hand. "There's no stopping him now."

"Okay, okay. I got it. The perfect starter anime for you!" Riz suddenly clapped his hands together, grinning from ear to ear. "Titan the attack. It's perfect! You'll love it, little dude." The hyena winked. "Very pro-Small."

"Uh..." Theo wasn't sure about this. "What about our plans?" He asked the tiger.

"We won't be able to get anything done in broad daylight. We'd be stop by the facility staff," Pedro grumbled willing to risk it if it got them out of this situation though. "We'll have to do it in the evening when they head home."

"So, like, it's about this guy, right?" Riz was already trying to butter Theo up to watching it. The hyena had crouched down, just talking to the tiger's pocket with the white furred rat inside. "Oh man! It gets crazy! From the very first episode, you just," the tiger clapped a hand over his muzzle.

"Don't spoil it for him!" Pedro growled and Riz just chuckled.

"Right, sorry. Got a little excited. Okay, Theo, was it? You can sit with me, and we can watch it!" Riz reached once more for the rat and got his wrist grabbed by the disgruntled tiger. Pedro twisted it, keeping it far away from Theo.

"Pedro, be nice." Theo called up to him. "He maybe estúpido, but he isn't a bad guy... I don't think?" The rat wiggled his nose. "I mean. He didn't, like, try to eat me."

"I'm not a titan." Riz chuckled, snorting at the very idea. "I rather be part of the scout regiment."

"Still a bit estúpido," Theo giggled a squeaking sound that made the hyena's ears splay out.

"Thanks...?" Riz wasn't sure how to take that as Pedro released his hand.

"Theo stays with me." Pedro warned. "Not up for debate."

So, with Theo staying tucked away in the tiger's pocket, the three of them ended up watching the first season of the anime that Riz wouldn't stop talking through the entire time. While annoying, Theo was just glad the hyena had stopped trying to grab him and by the end even seemed to begin to respect and understand the Small rat.

"I think... I know what I want to do. After all this." Theo said as he waved goodbye to the hyena several hours later.

"Oh?" Pedro had only let Riz return to his room after promising, and signing a contract, saying he would never tell anyone about Theo and the rat living with him. "What does the little rata have in mind this time."

"It's still a work in progress," Theo nodded though. "Yeah. I'm sure though, it'd work."

"Care to enlighten me, mi little rata?" Pedro asked as he walked back into the room. He kicked off the flip flops, taking a heavy seat on the bed and just resting back with Theo still in his pocket.

"Well," Theo said turning around to lay on Pedro's chest looking up at him. "How about, if you help me save Rathole... I'll tell you what I had in mind. Hell, you might even be a huge help with it!"

"Ye?" Pedro chuffed, reaching down to pet the small rat once more. "Well then, you can say this cat's curiosity has been piqued. I'm in."

"Thanks, Pedro." Theo said, giving a stretch and a yawn.

"We'll take a short nap then, together. We'll save your little city." Pedro took a heavy breath and let it out.

"Shouldn't be to hard, right?" Theo curled up in the pocket, mumbling the words out. The warmth and smell of the tiger was lulling him to sleep and he hoped this time he didn't end up anywhere strange but knew, if he did, he could trust Pedro.

"Buenas noches, Theo." Pedro reached over and pulled down the shade for the window, shrouding them in darkness.

"Good night, Pedro." Theo snuggled in closer, just glad to know he had someone who would listen to him in his life.