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Part 11 - Aftermath

Dull conversational tones rippled through the busy fast food outlet that the pair silently occupied a booth within.

At Nathan's size, the plastic-like red fabric of the seat had a solid, rough-to-the-touch texture about it. Even if not the most comfortable, he felt safe sitting here out of sight between the yellow-tinged, white wall on his right and the giant wolf to his left.

Following their ordeal upon the riverside, they each appeared to be in unspoken agreement that a place like this in the city centre, a place where Polcians were not only common, but also catered for was a sensible alternative.

A thousand mile stare found its home on the husky's face, the vacant pawing at the half-eaten cheeseburger sitting alongside him his only movement.

"It... must be nice," Alexei mumbled, slouching while he gazed down at Nathan with folded ears, "to have food that is your size."

"Yeah. It's..." he had indeed enjoyed having his first 'normal-sized' meal since arriving in Velika, but it couldn't begin to counter the sorrow and self-pity weighing heavily upon him. "It's good, thank you." He picked up his burger and took a small bite.

Alexei shifted in his seat, peering back over his left shoulder towards the entrance of the store. Nathan couldn't see for certain, but suspected he'd turned his focus to the small mezzanine that housed the Polcian section of the restaurant.

"It is also nice... that they agreed to cook in the small kitchen and have a Velikan bring it for you."

The little husky's mouth twisted. By now his food had gone cold, leaving a greasy texture on his palate as he chewed. He dropped the remainder of the burger onto its wrapper and swatted it away. "Very nice of them."

Alexei rubbed his paws, slouching down even further; his desperation to create conversation all too apparent. "Are... you finished?"

Nathan on the other hand held little willingness to return the favour, battling instead with a maelstrom of emotion.

'Don't be hard on Alex. It's not his fault.'

'That damn bear. If I was his size... I'da shown him what's what.'

'Talk to him, he wants to know you're alright.'

'I don't want to be here any more. I should've never come.'

"Are you finished, Nate?"

'But, you love him. You can make this work!'

"Nate?"

"No, I'm not finished here." Nathan glanced up at the big wolf, finding his eyes looking past him towards the discarded burger. "Oh... yeah. I'm done with that."

Alexei gave the faintest hint of a smile, leaning around the table to retrieve their jackets from the opposite seat of the booth. "Are you wanting to go home?"

"No... like I said, I don't want to leave, not yet."

"You wish for something else to eat? Drink?"

Nathan shook his head, realising his mistake. "No, wait. I mean..." He watched the wolf sit back with both their jackets and a look of confusion. "Before we go. I want to ask about the cafe." The sight of those folded grey ears sinking even lower didn't deter him from pressing on. "I want to know why the guy was so angry."

Alexei fidgeted with his coat, eventually piping up with, "It was just someone having bad day."

"Alex, I know it was about me. It wasn't too hard to work out. What I'm asking is... why was he that angry?"

The question sat between them until the wolf let out a gentle sigh. "Yes, he was unhappy... that you were there in the cafe." Nathan stayed quiet, resisting the urge to cry out for more detail so that Alexei could continue in his own time. "He said that you should stay in the Polcian areas."

"So, I should stay on the raised paths, stick to the purpose-built sections in places like this?" he replied, doing his utmost to hide his ire behind a neutral tone. "If it's easier and keeps people happy, maybe I should."

"I do not want this," Alexei growled assertively, quickly turning to peer back down at the little husky beside him. "He is just one idiot who thinks this. Do not listen."

Nathan folded his arms with a grunt. "From all the other looks I've been getting today, I don't think he's alone."

"What do you mean?"

"Earlier today, on the bus into town." He hesitated, unsure about whether to continue. Now that he'd started however, Nathan failed to see that he had any other choice. "A few of the other passengers were throwing some pretty unfriendly glares my way."

"You did not say anything to me."

"I didn't want to ruin the day before it'd even begun." He slumped back against the seat. "I guess they figured I don't belong either." Alexei didn't respond with words, but his low grumble caught Nathan's attention. "What's up?"

"Do you remember when I told you about problem with bus fare?"

"I do," he confirmed, recalling the grey fox driving the bus and his look of disapproval when their eyes met. "I've a feeling that wasn't the full story though, right?"

Alexei nodded slowly. "He did not want you in the main area of bus. He wanted you to--"

"Ride in the Polcian section below?"

The wolf grimaced. "Yes... this is correct."

"I guess we've both been keeping stuff to ourselves, trying not to spoil things," Nathan mumbled, cautiously watching a Velikan hare decked out in the fast food chain's yellow-shirted, black-trousered uniform approach the table. Numerous piercings in the youngster's large ears sparkled in the light as he picked up Alexei's discarded tray, while his bright green mohawk bobbed with each wipe of his cloth upon the table.

"I made him let you ride with me. I would not have asked you travel alone."

"I know you wouldn't." Nathan leaned over to gently pat at the giant wolf's thigh. "Thank you."

The hare stood upright once he'd finished cleaning, but not before flashing a quick glance of bemusement at the little husky. A slight smile followed and as suddenly as he'd appeared, the worker left.

Nathan couldn't help but dwell on this interaction, thinking about the immense contrast between it and the one that led to him and Alexei having to flee the riverside. "Still, that doesn't hide the fact that there are those out there that see me, and others like me as an annoyance. It's to be expected though I guess, and at least the driver wasn't as hateful as that damn bear."

Alexei whimpered at the reference to the cafe. "Never have I seen a person so angry about Polcians as him."

"But... have you ever carried one of us into a place like that before?" A small shake of the head gave Nathan his answer. "Exactly. Maybe you've not encountered many sizeists... because you've never really spent that much time around a Polcian before."

Silence filled the booth again, with neither of its occupants appearing to have anything to add. Meanwhile, the loud bustle of the packed eatery continued unabated, uncaring as the pair quietly drowned in their thoughts.

After what felt like a lifetime, Alexei gave a sigh that went some way towards cutting through the tension. "There are people that still hate Polcians for the war. How it ended."

Nathan glanced up to find morose, amber eyes looking back. "You think that's why things went so bad back there?"

"From the things he said... I am thinking this, yes. He spoke of things... the chemical attacks as example."

He felt his tail tuck, struggling to find the right words with which to answer. "We learned about them in school." The husky cringed at himself, slapping a paw to his forehead as he realised the nonchalance of his response. "I mean, we were told of the soldiers who stowed away on enemy aircraft returning to base in Velika. Desperate suicide missions for the most part, but they were bad enough to shock your government into surrender. It..." Nathan cut short his rambling, imagining in that instant what it must feel like to be moments from a car crash. There was nothing he could do except brace for impact.

"Nate, I do not like to talk of this," Alexei groaned, the closest thing to anger the husky had ever heard him direct his way.

He bit back the first response that came to mind; to point out he hadn't been the one to bring up the war. "I'm not too keen on it either, but it's there. As awful as it was... it happened, and just like back home, it seems some people here can't let it go."

"Some, Nate. A very small number. I would not have invited you to visit if this was not true."

"I guess."

Alexei sighed heavily, scratching at his head. "It has been a long day." He handed Nathan his winter fleece. "Come. Let us prepare to go home."

Storm clouds still lingered over the pair when the time came for them to leave the burger shop. Nathan kept himself hidden away in Alexei's jacket all throughout the walk to the bus terminal, as well as the subsequent ride back to his host's home neighbourhood in the south of the city. In doing so, he succeeded not only in avoiding any unwanted attention from passers by, but also in maintaining the quiet tension between himself and the wolf.

The stop they disembarked just shy of an hour later sat closeby the train station Nathan had arrived at on his first evening in Velika. This in turn led to a vaguely familiar, yet noticeably different journey on foot to the apartment.

Seeking fresh air, he re-emerged from Alexei's pocket to find the buzz of novelty and excitement he felt that first evening absent. In its place, an atmosphere as cold as the biting evening wind chilled Nathan to his centre.

He looked up at the wolf padding stoically down the peaceful street, giving nothing away as to his mindset and leaving Nathan little scope with which to try and break the silence. Resigned, the husky leaned back into the padded fabric of the jacket pocket while throwing a paw to his cheek. 'Don't know why he's so upset... he's not the one who's had to go through all this.'

They weaved through the suburban maze until the end of Alexei's sidestreet came into distant view. In the foreground meanwhile, the beacon-like light of the local convenience store stood out among the row of darkened townhouses on the opposite side of the street.

Just like his last time here, the trio of Velikans that had given Nathan a hard time loitered outside, drinking and chatting loudly in the small court by the front entrance. The big brown bear and far shorter arctic fox stood toe to toe, embroiled in some kind of mild disagreement. Watching on with folded arms, the tiger who'd been particularly vocal against having his photo taken appeared highly amused by the whole thing.

Again, just like last time, a large case of beer and several bottles of spirits peppered the ground around the group. Unlike then however, the empty, discarded drinks containers greatly outnumbered the unopened ones, suggesting the gang had been here for longer and had grown that much drunker.

"Hey!" one of the group called out, prompting Nathan to dip his head back out of sight. They rambled on in Velikan, joined now by a sneering voice that the husky assumed to be the fox and a deeper, throatier one that likely belonged to the bulky bear. Any doubts as to the topic of their words became clear once they switched back to Polcian.

"Where is Polcian dog? Does he hide?" the first voice cried mockingly, sounding much like the heavily-accented tiger he'd first heard a few evenings ago, albeit with a heavy, alcoholic slur. "Wolf, I am speaking to you!"

Nathan could feel Alexei's steps hasten, his pounding heart betraying his quiet calm.

"Traitor," gruffed the bear, causing the husky's lip to twitch with a growl.

"Keep walking, Polcian-lover," the fox squeaked, winning a round of drunken laughter from the rest of the gang and a whimper from Alexei.

Nathan snarled, slamming his paws into the leather pouch he sat within and hoisting himself up to stand. Exposed to the night air once more, he turned to the group across the street. With no regard for their number, nor the huge size difference, he exploded. "Hey, fuck you, you sizeist bastards!"

"Dog has voice," the tiger scoffed, making sure Nathan could hear him as he looked to the smarmy arctic fox beside him.

"I've been putting up with pricks like you all day. Why don't you go play in traffic?"

"It sounds pathetic," the white vulpine responded, smirking.

"Pathetic?" Nathan growled. "I--"

"Nate," Alexei mumbled, placing a gentle paw against the husky to cut him off. "Stop, you will only make worse."

He shoved at the wolf's fingers, ignoring his pleas. Finding a gap between his host's jacket and digits, Nathan resumed his battle of words, still uncaring of the fact his opposition were a gang of giants. "I ain't the one standing on a fucking street corner getting wasted. Who's really pathetic? Ain't you got a job to go to in the morning?"

"Stop!" Alexei's paw clamped down firmer, pinning the little husky against his chest to leave only his head uncovered.

"What!?" he yelped with surprise, hopelessly outmatched by the lupine's strength. "You think I'm going to stay hidden away and let them say all that about you? About me? I can stand up for myself."

"They will hurt you!" Alexei barked, now half-jogging. "Ignore."

"I've been doing that all damn day."

"Job!? You know nothing, arrogant fucking Polcian," the tiger slurred. He started towards the pair as they hurried on down the street. "You do not know me."

"Don't think I'd want to, you waster prick!" Even against the wolf's insistence and his own better judgement, Nathan just couldn't resist continuing the argument. All of the sneers, snarks and scowls he'd received over the course of the day had been bottling up, waiting for a moment like this to burst forth in a hail of retaliation.

"You say brave words for such a tiny thing," the big cat snarled, tail lashing terribly. "How will they sound when I am close?"

A loud bellow filled the area just as the tiger stepped into the road. Nathan peered past Alexei's shoulder, clocking a tall stag now standing at the entrance of the store. His impressive antlers brushed against the shop's doorframe as he yelled and gesticulated angrily at the drunken trio, who had by now turned their collective focus and anger towards him.

"That is shop owner. Angry about noise," the wolf explained hurriedly, still moving at pace. "Let us get out of here... I hope this is last that we see of them."

They did so, rushing back to the apartment without another word. If he hadn't been so annoyed, Nathan might have cared more about the agitation in the Alexei's body language; the perked ears and constant grimace. He may even have asked him about it. Instead, the only sound that left the little husky's muzzle were the deep rumbles he made, stewing over the hostility he'd been subjected to throughout the day and how weak and insignificant it made him feel.

"Have you anything you would like to do?" Alexei asked tentatively from his seat on the living room sofa. "You have been sat here quiet since we returned a half hour ago."

"Not really," Nathan replied with a small shake of the head, lounging against the arm opposite to his host.

"Perhaps television?" his host added, picking up the remote and waving it at the lifeless screen.

"Naw. Think i'm just gonna relax... recover."

"Okay," Alexei sighed, dropping the remote to the couch and standing in one swift motion, "I will go wash dishes from breakfast this morning."

That remark garnered a quick flick of Nathan's ears. "I'll help, Alex."

"No. You relax."

"Really, I don't mind." His eyeline followed the wolf as he lumbered off past the sofa, headed for the kitchen. "I can clean the small stuff or something. Anything."

"It is okay."

"Fine," he scowled with more annoyance than he'd intended, swiping dismissively at the air behind Alexei's back. "I'll leave you to it."

"What is wrong?"

Nathan peered up at the looming lupine, standing with paws on hips beside the couch's arm. He looked away, muffling, "Nothing."

"Something is."

"I can pull my weight, y'know. We're not useless."

"What?" Alexei gasped. "Why do you say this?"

"Just because we're small. We're not helpless, we're not inferior."

"I never said this of y--"

"You think it, I'm sure. Just like the rest," Nathan spat forcefully. "Like in the workshop yesterday. Saying things like 'no jobs for a little husky.'" He slurred the quote of Alexei with an overemphasised, almost mocking impression of his accent, sounding more like he were speaking past a mouthful of cotton.

The wolf didn't appear offended, not by the mimicking at least. "Nate, why are you upset by this?"

"Shouldn't I be?"

"I call you 'little husky'... because you are. I do not say this to offend."

Nathan huffed through his nose, starting to question whether this particular incident was the crux of what really bothered him.

With swift steps, Alexei moved to sit back on the sofa, dropping himself with enough force to spring his guest up to his feet. "Where has this feeling come from?"

"Getting coddled... getting grabbed and pulled around," Nathan grumbled, far too upset to find entertainment in the makeshift trampoline that the couch cushion became.

"You were hiding many times during this day, but it is problem if I try to protect you? Try and stop you being scared?"

"Me hiding myself away is my choice though, if I'm feeling... overwhelmed or something. I don't need to be jumped on whenever someone raises a voice."

"This is about cafe?" Alexei's expression lost a hint of its kindness. "You were in danger."

If he were honest with himself, Nathan would admit the wolf was correct about the incident with the irate bear, that he did indeed need saving. Undeterred, he pressed on with his argument regardless. "I still don't need bundling into here, there and everywhere, y'know?"

"You would want for that bear to try and grab you?" Alexei retorted with a frown.

"'course not."

"Then what is problem!?"

"You could have hurt me yourself, you know. Snatching me up like a... set of... house keys or something."

The wolf's eyes softened. "I'm sorry if I hurt you--"

"Not just that, but squeezing me to your chest when those drunk pricks started bawling at us from across the street--"

"Nate, those 'drunk pricks' could have hurt you also. Shouting back to the thugs like them in this area is not a smart thing to do!" His frown returned, joined by a snarl. "Like it or not, you are very small, and we are very big."

"I'm small, but I'm not a child."

"I did not say this of you!" Alexei fired off his reply with both arms outstretched, overshadowing his guest.

"Stop treating me like one then," Nathan scoffed, failing to suppress the whine in his voice while staring up defiantly at his aggravated host, thinking, 'Just like my damn parents.'

The big wolf opened his muzzle as if to respond, but only a loud groan followed.

Alexei sat back, placing his paws in his lap in an apparent attempt to make his posture less confrontational. "Please, I wish to understand," he said eventually, breaking the deadlock with his controlled response. "Why do you feel this way?"

"I don't think you can understand," the husky rumbled, "but I can stand on my own two feet, Alex." He strode over towards the edge of the sofa, remembering a few steps before reaching it that it would likely sit level with the top of a two-storey home back in Polcia.

His ears flushed. In one fell swoop, his argument, his insistence that he could be independent in a world of giants had been completely undermined.

"Would... you like help?"

Nathan turned back to find the sympathetic wolf leaning over, offering out a tentative paw. He gave a quick, reluctant nod, allowing Alexei to gently lower him down to the floor. "Thanks."

"Welcome," came the reply; quiet and uncertain, not at all like his chirpy, enthusiastic self.

The sorrow in his host's voice drove a dagger deep into Nathan's heart. Pride would see him push past this, marching off around to the rear of the giant seat and towards the bedroom without once looking back.

He certainly didn't feel prideful as he continued on though, like he'd won the argument, like he'd proved that Polcians could be independent and take care of themselves without the protection of a Velikan. In reality, the solitary walk served only to make Nathan feel even more isolated than he did when stood atop the couch. As he clasped the handle of the specially-crafted, Polcian-scale door, a flicker of regret started within him. 'Maybe you overreacted...'