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DISCLAIMER: The following story contains characters from the comic Associated Student Bodies. These characters are used with the permission of Chris McKinley and Lance Rund. Also, naturally, no one under 18 should be reading this story, and if you are bothered by the idea of anthropomorphic animals having sex or two males doing something sexual together, you're not going to enjoy this story. That said, here's the tale. And FYI, it takes place immediately after the gay-bashing incident in ASB, for those who know the comic.

Heart to Heart

Despite the central heating in Hillard Hall, and the fact the chill November wind was kept safely outside on the exposed campus, Tiny Morton was cold. Very cold.

True, he was wearing a tank top and shorts, form-fitting to his body, his usual clothing indoors no matter the time of year. But that wasn't why he was cold; something as inconsequential as the weather never bothered his thickly muscled and furred hyena physique. No, he was cold for an entirely different reason.

As he strode out of the dorm lounge, leaving behind the soft murmur of voices (and Timmy's occasionally strident shout), he still idly rubbed the backs of his enormous hands. Blood came off on his fingers, and a tooth fell to the floor from where it had been embedded by his last punch.

Tiny squeezed his eyes shut and let out a soft sound--a growl, a whimper, he didn't know. There was a lot he didn't know...like why people couldn't be more accepting and understanding, why the only things they understood and accepted were hatred and violence. Why some people he had chosen to call friends were too stupid and thick-headed to realize why he was angry, why it was wrong to hurt someone as gentle, sweet, and kind as Daniel. Why even Tony, a Doberman with a relatively calm demeanor for his species and someone Tiny had thought a close friend who treated others with respect no matter what, had wanted a crack at Marcus for the thrashing he'd given Mike, Derek, and Matt. A thrashing they'd deserved.

Why even other gays weren't free of this madness.

Stopping in front of the door to room 203, Tiny hesitated for a long time. It wasn't the paper sign taped to the door, reading "Nigel lives here: GO AWAY," that made him pause. It was Daniel. He cared so deeply for that little lion, sometimes it made his heart feel like it would burst. Hyenas were known to be clannish, and he had many brothers and sisters he'd easily die for. But Daniel was more than a brother, more than family, to him. And he knew how Hillard's newest resident would react to his plans.

For as soon as he'd returned from the "business" he'd had to attend to, Ricky had tearfully revealed what'd happened in his absence--the way Nigel had lashed out at Steven, then at Ricky himself, with such venom and nastiness it had shocked and upset everyone. And as soon as he heard what derogatory terms Nigel had used, Tiny not only inwardly cheered at Marcus's retaliation, he had started thinking of further means of chastisement.

At first only his sore hands had stopped him from carrying it out--that, and Nigel's convenient vanishing act. But then, as he thought about it more, he realized he was being no better than the gay-bashing jocks he'd beaten up. And that was exactly what Daniel had said about all of them, according to Ricky. Tiny would never do anything to lower himself in Daniel's eyes...the lion's respect meant so much to him, and Nigel wasn't worth it. Besides, the wolf had apologized and Ricky had given a good accounting of himself.

Still...Tiny felt Nigel at least owed everyone an explanation for his outburst. He supposed someone with tact and good people skills, like Tina, Alex, or Vince, might have been a better choice, but none of them--or anyone--seemed eager to volunteer for the duty. Some wanted to leave well enough alone; others were rejecting Nigel as he had rejected Steven. And the wolf probably deserved it.

But Tiny somehow didn't like how that conclusion made him feel. No one deserved to be outcast, not even someone who seemed bent on driving everyone away with arrogance and elitism. There had to be a reason. As Ricky's mate and Steven's friend, he had a right to know what it was. Violence wasn't the answer, yet...

Nerving himself, and for some reason feeling sweat trickle through his fur under his tank top, the hyena knocked.

"Go away." The voice was soft and the words uttered in a monotone, not shouted as Tiny had expected.

"Nigel, it's me. Tiny." His Southern accent was particularly strong tonight. He felt it only made sound like a redneck. Ricky said it was part of his charm and made him "super-sexy." But right now he only hoped it was unthreatening. He didn't want a fight.

There was a long silence. "I suppose I should have known you'd be coming by." His British accent, usually faint and vaguely dignified, was made stronger by some unknown emotion. "Would it be of any use to tell you the door is locked? I bet you'll just break it down...anyway, it isn't locked...for once."

That last was spoken so softly Tiny would have bet none but his sharp hyena ears could have heard it. And there was...something...in Nigel's voice that made any lingering anger fade.

Opening the door, he found the room dark and still. Only by a faint hint of moon and starlight could he see the wolf's silhouette, seated on his bed. "Ah'd never do that." He reached for the light switch.

"No, don't--!" Nigel winced and covered his face to block out the blinding light...but not fast enough to keep Tiny from seeing what he was really hiding. Tears stood in Nigel's eyes and streaked the white fur of his muzzle.

He had been sitting here alone, crying in the dark.

The hyena stood frozen for an eternal moment, completely floored by what he'd found. There were a lot of things he'd expected--the pre-med nursing a bruised head while concocting a laxative to slip into Marcus's food, maybe, or throwing darts at Steven's college pin-up, or even whacking off to his new Enya CD. But not this. And for the life of him, Tiny couldn't figure out why. Marcus hadn't hurt him that badly, had he? Nigel never showed emotion...never. That was why people shunned him, he always seemed like a cold, unfeeling statue, except when he was angry.

But the wolf was crying. And judging by the redness around his eyes, he'd been doing it for some time.

Tiny stood there so long that Nigel finally snapped a reply, a trace of his old fire returning. "Well? Have you come to beat the shit out of me for what I said to Ricky? Are you going to tell the entire dormitory what a sissy I am? Or are you going to toss my things out into the hall and kick me out?"

His jaw fell open again. Shaking his heavy head in bewilderment, Tiny carefully closed the door and then crossed to the bed. "Ah'd be lyin' if Ah didn't admit t' bein' cross with ya. But what kinda guy do ya take me fer? Ah ain't never gonna do anythin' like that t' ya, Nigel. Ah...just wanted t' know what was eatin' ya."

Nigel sniffed disdainfully, or maybe it was just because he'd been crying. "Like you care. Like anyone does." He turned away and rubbed at his eyes. "Maybe it'd be better if I did leave..."

It was incredible, what an effect that had on Tiny. Such a short time ago he'd been ready to pound Nigel's head in. But seeing such a defeated, submissive attitude from him...and hearing such a suggestion...it was painful to say the least. He'd always felt everyone in Hillard somehow belonged together, and to lose anyone would be like getting tackled without any helmet or pads.

"Ya got it all wrong, Nigel. Nobody wants ya t' go. Not even Steven! It's just...ya did somethin' really wrong tonight."

Suddenly the wolf was on his feet, whirling around and glaring balefully at him, something Tiny had never imagined Nigel doing--he had always seemed timid and meek around the huge hyena. "That's right, hate Nigel just because he did something wrong, Nigel always does something wrong!" With a ragged sob he turned away again, ran a hand through his blond hair, and leaned against the wall.

This was going nowhere fast. Should he just leave Nigel alone, stop making things worse for him? Tiny wasn't good at knowing what to say to comfort others, but he was very sensitive to hurt and pain in them. He felt helpless, an unfamiliar feeling for him. He didn't even know what was really wrong. But he'd never know if he left now. And he had a feeling this was his only chance to learn...that if he didn't take this opportunity to crack open Nigel's shell, it would never open. Ever.

That decided him.

Carefully, silently, he sat down on the bed. It was the only thing in the room that was not absolutely spotless and meticulously arranged, other than Nigel himself. There was no dust on the computer, all the textbooks were lined up with precise care on the desk, all the pencils were sharpened and propped in their jar as if the distance between them were perfectly calculated. There was nothing on the walls except a few evenly spaced bookshelves, nothing on the bedside table but a picture of his family, and in his closet were perfectly pressed polo shirts and slacks, all identical except the colors. But the bed was a crumpled, twisted mess...and Nigel himself had tangled hair and bleary eyes. The state of the room said so much about Nigel as a person...and the contrast with how he looked said even more.

Finally the wolf turned and looked at him, and the naked fear and anguish in his eyes nearly broke Tiny's heart, and for once made him feel as small as his nickname. "Tiny...please...won't you go away...please...?"

Deliberately, determinedly, the hyena shook his head. "No. Ah ain't leavin' ya like this. Ya gotta talk t' someone. And ya don't have any friends. It's yer own fault, but Ah still ain't gonna leave ya."

Lowering and relaxing his clenched fists, Nigel took on the look of a lost cub. "And that's the way I want it. Friends leave you. Friends turn on you. Friends betray you..." He broke off, as if he'd said too much, then sank down on the bed. "Anyway, you'd never understand, Tiny..."

He'd heard that before, far too many times. "Ah know Ah'm not as smart as you, ya don't have t' rub it in. But Ah think Ah do know a thing or two 'bout bein' hurt." He placed a hand on Nigel's.

Nigel flinched from the contact. "You?!? You're a jock, nobody hurts guys like you...' He trailed off as his eyes fell on Tiny's wounded hand, and he had the grace to flush.

Tiny narrowed his eyes--there was something important in what Nigel had just said, an implication, a hint--but chose not to pursue it. "As ya may've noticed, that ain't true. And in case ya forgot, Ah'm queer just like you are, an' ya know what happens t' queer jocks."

Nigel squirmed visibly. "Well...I guess you would understand...but where do I start..."

Tiny reached out again and squeezed his hand. This time Nigel didn't pull away.

"I...don't have any brothers or sisters. So I grew up...very alone, very isolated. I suppose, with my parents being rich, that I was spoiled." Tiny wisely chose not to comment. "They wanted me to make the Churchill name proud. So did I. I still do. I worked so hard to get where I am...earned the highest marks, I was the top of my class. Yet the whole time, I had a secret they never knew...one that would have dishonored and sullied my family."

Guessing where this was going, the hyena said, gently, "They still don't know, do they?"

A shudder went through Nigel's slumped shoulders, and his expression became wooden, vacant. "No...and they never will, as far as I'm concerned."

He gazed into Tiny's eyes searchingly. "But...it was all right, they never had to know. No one at my school was gay that I knew of. And I wasn't the horniest guy by any means. Or...at least, I had my hand as my best friend." Nigel blushed faintly, and Tiny guessed he'd never shared anything this private with anyone before. He smiled reassuringly, knowing the dilemma well; even with Ricky's insatiability, he quite often had to pleasure himself as much as five or six times a day. "But that's wrong...Graham was my real best friend. I thought."

Tiny didn't like the sound of that. "Ya wanna tell me 'bout him?"

"No, I don't!" Nigel snarled. Tiny only looked at him, and the wolf sighed, deflating. "But you aren't going to go away until I fucking tell you, are you, you furry-chested dumbass?" A rueful shake of the head, and a slight smirk, showed Nigel didn't mean it as insulting as it sounded.

After Tiny amiably shook his head, Nigel sighed again. "Fine. He was my next-door neighbor growing up as a kid. We did everything together, we were inseparable. Graham slept over at my house, and vice versa. When he got into sports in high school, I went out for track and gymnastics, just so we'd still have something in common. We went to church together, movies...we even double-dated, when I was still pretending to be straight. I told him everything, except that..." He looked away. "And one day, I did tell him that."

Knowing what had happened, but still confused as to what this had to do with Steven or Ricky, Tiny put an arm around Nigel. "Ah'm sorry, Nigel. Ah know that had t' hurt--"

"What the hell?!?" The white wolf stared at him in disbelief. "You don't even know what happened..."

Tiny was puzzled. "Ya mean Graham didn't hate ya fer bein' queer, or stop bein' yer friend?"

"No! I mean, yes, he did, but he did more than that." Nigel shuddered uncontrollably. "You see, I...I made a very big, very stupid, mistake. I told him...jokingly...that I had a crush on him. But...I was serious, and he knew it, somehow. I'd never have done anything--he was one of the hottest guys I've ever met, but depressingly straight--but that didn't matter to him..."

The hyena's blood had turned to ice in his veins. "What'd he do?"

For a long time Nigel was silent. When he looked up at last from staring at his tightly clasped hands, he was shaking from head to foot and his eyes burned with molten hatred--but also despairing agony. "He...he said he hated me...that I wasn't his friend, that he didn't even know me...that I was only a sick, perverted beast. And then he...he...he..."

Tiny held his breath and squeezed the wolf's shoulder. Although he had a few notions, and none of them good, of what had come next, he wasn't about to interrupt. He knew Nigel had to get this out.

"He...r-r-r-raped me..."

"What?!?" His previous resolve shattered, the hyena stared in absolute horror at Nigel. He couldn't have heard that right.

Nigel burst into tears, and as if forgetting where he was or who he was with, he began beating his fists on Tiny's chest. "You heard me!!! He...he pinned me down...he was always stronger than I was...he was a football player, just like you..." His voice turned accusing for an instant. "We were in his room...his parents weren't home..." Stark terror was etched in his face, and Tiny realized to his dismay that Nigel was actually reliving the trauma. "He sat on me while he got his pants undone...he jerked mine down...he grabbed my cock and pumped it as hard as he could, squeezed it 'til I thought I'd faint...I wish I had...he rammed up my ass so fucking hard...oh God oh God oh God, it hurt so much...I swear he was bigger than David...and the whole time he kept saying things like, 'How do you like it? Is this what you wanted? Well, now you've got it!' And...and when he was done and he'd overflowed my ass with cum...he pulled out, and his knot..." Nigel whimpered. "And then...he just dumped me on his doorstep...and said he never wanted to see me again..."

The wolf's last words dissolved into a howl of shame and pain and grief, and Nigel buried his muzzle right between Tiny's pecs, soaking his tank top in seconds with hot, salty tears.

Tiny sat there, stunned into silence by the torrent he'd just heard. It was all he could do to hold Nigel, to support him as his smaller body was wracked by convulsive sobs. But hold him he did. There was nothing else he could do--he couldn't pummel the bastard that had done this, after all, no matter how much his fists clenched with the desire to do so--yet it was also the only right thing to do.

So he rocked Nigel in his massive arms and stroked his hair the way his own mother had done when he was a pup. This explained so much...Nigel's attitude toward straight guys, his distant aloofness, his lashing out, even his refusal to cede dominance to Marcus in most things. A lot of things that had never fallen together for Tiny before did so now. And they only made him all the more honor-bound never to abandon Nigel.

At long last Nigel looked up, his face a ravaged mask, his eyes hollow and haunted. "How? Why? Tiny, h-he was my b-best friend...what did I do wrong...what did I do...?"

Gritting his teeth and snarling, Tiny shook his head vigorously. He absolutely hated hearing a victim blame themselves, even as he understood why they did. "Wasn't you, Nigel. It was that asshole's fault, not yers. Ya didn't do nothin' wrong. Don't ya ever believe that, ya hear me? It wasn't yer fault!" He shook Nigel a little.

But the wolf wasn't listening. "I...I didn't know what to do. I couldn't go home...I was bleeding...badly. I...I went to the hospital and made sure the doctor didn't know my family. They...were discreet, thank God...for this sort of thing they always are...they stitched me up, and I paid for it out of my own pocket...there was no possible way I could let the insurance handle it...I had to stay in the hospital for two weeks...told my family I had a track injury...by the time I got out, Graham had made certain to drop out of every sport I was in, and change classes to avoid me...he never told what happened to anybody, so both our secrets were safe...I couldn't press charges, of course, so he got away with it..."

Suddenly his babbling ceased, and Nigel stared with uncanny accuracy and directness into his eyes. "Oh, and one other thing you should know. Graham was a collie."

Tiny's heart plunged into his stomach. "Oh, Nigel..."

Nigel held up a hand, squeezing his eyes shut. "You don't have to say it. I know Steven isn't Graham. It's just whenever I see him...I get flashes..." The wolf rubbed his forehead.

"An' Ricky?" Tiny asked in trepidation.

Nigel frowned. "You know I really don't have anything against the fairy. How could I, he's so damn cute!" And the wolf smiled fondly. "It's just...guys like him are why guys like Graham treat us the way they do."

Now it was Tiny's turn to frown. "Now, ya know that ain't true. It ain't his fault or yers. Ya know it, an' Ah know it. Ah may be big an' strong...an' dumb, but even Ah know that."

The wolf averted his gaze, then looked back in a mixture of embarrassment and apology. "Uh...Tiny, I didn't mean that, you know...you're actually a lot smarter than some guys I've known with I.Q.'s in the rafters."

Tiny didn't know what to say to that, so just shrugged. "Ah only call it like Ah see it. An' Ah can see that ya been hurt bad, Nigel. But that ain't no reason t' push people away like this. Ya should be trying t' make friends, not lose 'em!"

Nigel eyed him askance. "How do I know who really is a friend? It's...hard for me to trust, you know."

"Ya have t' trust sometime, Nigel. Besides...ya trust me, don't ya?"

After a moment of hesitation, the wolf nodded. "But even now....I'm afraid of you. Always have been. It's that way for any big guy. Do you blame me?"

Wordlessly Tiny took him into his arms again, embracing him securely yet lovingly, feeling intense sympathy, tenderness, and compassion welling up inside. For a long time Tiny held Nigel close, caressing the back of his head and cradling him against his chest until Nigel seemed calm once more and his soft weeping had ceased. Then he pulled back and lifted the wolf's chin. "Ah don't blame ya, Nigel. A lotta guys look at me, an' only see th' muscles an' that Ah'm a hyena. There's a lotta people that treat us bad, just 'cause we're different 'n them. But ya gotta learn t' be strong again. Don't let that one tackle knock ya outta th' game."

"What do you mean?" Nigel looked puzzled, if a trifle more hopeful. Tiny had a feeling that right now he'd do anything if he believed it would help him fill the emptiness.

"Ah mean, ya gotta learn t' trust again. Whatcha say t' us goin' out fer a bite t' eat? It'll do us both some good, an' help ya forget 'bout all that awful stuff."

The wolf wiped away his tears and smiled slightly. "I...I think I'd like that." And he took Tiny's hand.

Outside in the hallway, though, there was a delay Tiny hadn't expected, one that worried him deeply. Nigel had just locked the door and turned to lead the way to the stairs when he and Tiny both spotted the three who stood talking quietly outside Daniel's room...Steven, Ricky, and Marcus. Exactly the three Nigel didn't need to see.

The hyena tensed in preparation for another conflict, but although Steven and Ricky both looked wary and Marcus's gaze became hard and flinty, no one said a harsh word or raised a hand. And Nigel, too, stayed silent, if upset. At first Tiny thought he would leave the dorm without making a scene, but then the wolf squared his shoulders and started striding down the hall. Tiny grabbed his arm, gently holding him back, but Nigel pulled away--firmly, yet without anger. He only gave Tiny a pleading look, and that, coupled with his desire not to harm the wolf, made him let go.

"It's all right. There's just...something I have to do first." And he resumed walking.

Tiny followed discreetly, flexing his fists unobtrusively. He'd wanted Nigel to make up with the others, but after everyone had had time to cool down first. Who knew what would happen now, especially with that hothead Marcus involved...

But Nigel only came up to the nervous collie and extended a hand. Tiny arrived just in time to hear his soft words. "...I just wanted to say, again, how truly sorry I am. I had no right to treat you as I did. You're a good guy, Steven, and we all really need you right now. Please forgive me...it wasn't you, it was me...let's just say I have a lot of problems to work through and leave it at that for now, okay?"

Steven seemed surprised, but he relaxed visibly. "That's...very decent of you, Nigel. But you know I already said I understood. It's just, when you said--"

"I know. And don't worry, it'll never happen again. I promise." And they shook hands, both wearing easy smiles. Tiny sighed to himself. One down...

Nigel glanced at Ricky then. "That goes for you, too, Rick. I...just lost it back there, and I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that."

Before he could say more, the 'coon leaped forward and gave a startled Nigel a tight, clinging hug. "Oh, that's all right, silly wolfy, I knew you really didn't mean it. You know me, I never hold a grudge against someone as cute as you!"

Nigel blushed, smiled, and returned the embrace, if more sedately. Then he glanced at Tiny over Ricky's shoulder, rolled his eyes, and chuckled. "You've got your mate to thank for my new attitude. And he didn't even have to knock the sense into me, though I bet he wanted to." He flicked his gaze to where Marcus watched with crossed arms. "You can tell Daniel that, too. Let's just say I know why you love Tiny, Ricky."

The 'coon giggled and let go to claps his hands happily. "That's my sexy, gentle giant!"

"Don't you ever let him go. You're very lucky to have him..."

"I know it!"

Flushing deeply in embarrassment, Tiny wondered what it was Nigel and Ricky knew about him he didn't understand himself--he was only being true to his heart. Even though he knew it was futile at his size, the hyena tried to stay in the background as he moved to Marcus's side. He placed a cautionary hand on the other wolf's shoulder. "Don't worry 'bout him. Ah think he'll be a lot easier t' be 'round from now on. Ah'll 'xplain later."

Marcus glanced up, then nodded and managed a tight smile of appreciation to Nigel. "Uh...sorry about the head, Nigel."

The white wolf smiled sheepishly. "Hey, it's okay. You did the right thing. Maybe you are the number-one wolf after all." Nigel paused deliberately, then playfully jabbed Marcus's shoulder. "Or not." And Marcus actually laughed out loud, but there was a new gleam of respect in his eyes that had not been there before.

Chuckling, Tiny approached Nigel, still amazed by what he had said and done. It made him strangely proud: Nigel was learning, he was trying, and with admirable strength. "Ready t' go, Nigel?"

"Go?" Steven quirked a brow.

"Just getting a very late supper, or a very early breakfast," Nigel explained hastily. He looked at Ricky. "You don't mind, do you?"

The 'coon chuckled. "Not at all. Take all the time you want, Nigel. Just don't do anything I wouldn't do!" And with a giggle and a wink, he was sashaying off around the corner, tail swishing suggestively.

Tiny blinked, and barely acknowledged Steven and Marcus as they too headed into their rooms. Ricky was incorrigible! He actually thought he and Nigel were--had planned to-- The hyena paused, glancing appraisingly at the white wolf as they went downstairs, and caught Nigel looking sidelong, shy and uncertain for the first time since Tiny had met him. Could Ricky's intuition be right?

A slow grin formed on his broad muzzle. If so, this might not be such a horrible day after all...

The two of them walked in companionable silence through the cold night to the Stonewall Bistro, where they both ordered the steak and salad special with nachos and hot sauce on the side. Tiny had a beer, but he noticed Nigel only had a soft drink. They listened to Scratch Rose do several sets, and while Tiny was no music critic, he was glad the songs ranged toward the positive and upbeat. Nigel didn't need to be any more depressed tonight.

They talked for almost two hours--or rather, Tiny listened while Nigel rambled. The longer they spent together, the more comfortable and relaxed the wolf became, and a lack of companionship for so long seemed to have turned him into a chatterbox. He talked about his classes and how one day he hoped to discover cures for the worst diseases, especially AIDS, and that that was why he was majoring in pre-med in the first place--along with his notion that the prestigious field of medicine and the respected career as a doctor would earn him both his family's admiration and the chance to have his opinions listened to, to make a mark on the world. He spoke of his parents' mistaken belief that superiority and elitism were why he had originally refused to live in Hillard...when the actual reason was his fear of being in close quarters with so many other gays, which might make him more of a target of homophobes, as well as tempt him to trust and care for friends who might turn on him. He got Tiny to discuss sports with him, and admitted he hadn't missed a single Leland game since the two of them had met. He took a deep breath and confessed to having a great amount of respect for Marcus, which he hid behind his arrogant competition for dominance. He softly spoke of how insecure being short made him, and why it made him so defensive. But mostly he talked about how lonely he was, and had been for the four years since the incident with Graham.

Tiny didn't say much, and he didn't have to. He was just there for Nigel. And the longer they talked, the more he came to like and understand and care for the white wolf...and the more he came to be interested in him sexually. It didn't hurt that Nigel kept giving subtle, often unconscious, signals of his own desires--how tactile he'd become, almost always touching the hyena's hand or shoulder, as if drawing strength from him; his low-pitched, more sensual tone of voice, fitting for the intimate setting; and even occasional sly smiles or winks. Nigel had the hots for Tiny, that much was clear. And even if Tiny hadn't felt similar stirrings, he was sure he wouldn't have minded. For Nigel to start making such displays toward someone he'd professed to fearing, someone who resembled his high school rapist to a degree that secretly bothered Tiny, was a tremendous leap forward. That, added to Nigel's close proximity, increased his allure--did the wolf know, he wondered, that his natural musk was almost irresistible?

By the time they finally left the Bistro and made it back to Hillard, Tiny was certain Nigel intended to invite him back to his room. Yet when the wolf did, his expression was surprisingly sincere and thankful rather than seductive. And the first words he spoke were not a proposition. Apparently the hyena had misjudged him, again.

"Tiny...I hope you don't find this presumptuous, but I truly think this has been the best night of my life. I...I've told you things I never told anyone before, and never thought I would. You've been so good to me...you didn't judge, you didn't assume. You just beat me into submission with your caring, you big lug." He grinned. "And I can't thank you enough for it."

The hyena felt his face go red as blood rushed to it--and to somewhere else. "It was nuthin', Nigel. Only doin' what Ah thought was right."

Nigel spoke in a weak voice, barely audible. "That's...exactly why it means so much to me...because you really don't see how special you are, or how important what you've done for me is. It's...it's more than I deserve. Somehow, I'll make it up to you."

Keeping a straight face--apparently he hadn't been that far off the mark after all--Tiny replied, "Aw, ya don't need t' do that." Here it comes...

The wolf stiffened, flexing his fists, and looked up resolutely into Tiny's face. "Yes, I do. And I know exactly the method. It's not going to be easy for either of us, but it has to be done. You see, I'm not afraid of you now, Tiny. But I still fear those larger than I am...that they'll treat me like Graham did. And I'm tired of it. I don't want to be afraid anymore. So...that means there is a way you can help me, and I want you to do it, Tiny."

He feigned ignorance, something he excelled at. "Help ya? How?"

A deep breath. "Mount me, Tiny."

The hyena blinked with exaggerated care. "Uh...Ah thought ya knew, but Ah ain't 'xactly...er, tiny." Another crimson flush.

Nigel swallowed, but then he nodded. "I know. That's the point. I...haven't been with anyone since Graham...at least, not on the bottom. I need someone to show me...that big isn't bad, and submission can be okay." He chuckled. "And anyway...you can go slow, and use lots of lube."

In spite of himself Tiny laughed. He knew this was coming. On any other occasion he would have said no--not because he didn't find Nigel attractive, he actually thought the wolf a prime, arousing example of his species. Nor was it because he would feel disloyal to Ricky--even if the 'coon hadn't tacitly given permission out in the hallway, Ricky was so hung up on Daniel, Steven, and so many others he'd hardly notice, and perhaps it was worthwhile to teach him not to take Tiny for granted. But in any case, the reason he would have said no otherwise was because before this night, he would not have trusted Nigel. He would have assumed the wolf planned a seduction of the hyena disguised as a false plea for sympathy and friendship, to lord his superiority over both Marcus and Ricky.

But not now. Not after everything he'd heard and seen. Tiny knew now that Nigel was a kind, intelligent, good-hearted wolf who had simply been deeply hurt...in more ways than one. There was no artifice in his request tonight--while he was probably giving in to a subconscious desire to be with the hyena and to have someone so massive choosing to share his bed and taking charge for a change, Tiny sensed a genuine need in the wolf, an urgent hope to erase the memory of Graham that still haunted him and heal his psyche so he could live a normal life again. He was someone in need of a friend, in need of love. And if, as a friend, Nigel needed to be mounted to conquer his fear and be able to trust again...then Tiny would do it.

Besides...he had a raging hard-on.

"All right then...if you're sure, darlin'," he drawled with a grin.

Nigel did a double-take, blushed, and then nodded. He trembled, but he still nodded.

Slowly, with great confidence and gentleness, Tiny leaned down and planted a soft kiss on Nigel's muzzle. Tentatively at first, then with more certainty, the wolf responded...kissing him ardently, passionately, as his arms came up around Tiny's massive, rounded shoulders. Then, as Nigel began sliding his hands instinctively underneath the tank top to feel up Tiny's enormous, boulder-like pectorals, the hyena smiled easily and reached down to unbutton Nigel's polo shirt. In minutes he'd pulled it over the wolf's head...and in spite of himself, Tiny's heart beat a little faster. Nigel might not be a muscleman like David or himself, but between his swimming and whatever weight training he'd done, Nigel had a build almost as good as Marcus's--well-delineated traps, nicely sculpted chest, and a firm six-pack. Biceps weren't bad either. Overall he was more lithe and lean than Marcus, and his shoulders were narrower, but he still was very hot.

And he deserved to be told so.

As Tiny worked on unbuckling and unfastening Nigel's pants, he ran his hands over the milky-white fur of the wolf's chest. "Nigel...Ah just gotta say it...you're one sexy wolf, ya know that? Ya definitely deserve t' be seen, an' have friends, an' a mate."

Nigel stopped in the midst of slipping a hand into Tiny's shorts to give a wary fondle to his ample basket. His expression hovered between appreciative and disbelieving. "I...don't know what to say. No one's ever told me that before. Thanks, I guess. But as for a mate...I don't know. That takes a lot of trust." He chuckled. "Although...I hear Julian is unattached..."

Tiny guffawed. "Well, let's see what ol' Tiny can do t' get ya trustin' again, an' maybe that kitty'll be yers..." And with a broad wink, he reached inside Nigel's silk briefs.

At that the wolf gasped softly, and Tiny felt something surge hot and thick in his grip. Again he was impressed; Nigel was well-endowed for his size! Grinning, he kept up the treatment as he guided the wolf back onto the mattress. Nigel, meanwhile, succeeded in stripping him of his tank top, exposing the massive, rock-hard meat of hyena chest muscle with its colossal cleft between and chiseled eight-pack. Then it was Tiny's turn to gasp as Nigel began gently tugging and tweaking the pair of large, gray nipples into intense hardness.

Finally Nigel pulled down Tiny's shorts to reveal the hyena's pride and joy (he was so used to jock straps that he rarely wore underwear). Despite all the awed reactions he'd received, Tiny was a little uncertain, afraid that when Nigel saw his true size he would lose all the ground he had gained.

He needn't have worried. After staring silently and motionlessly for several minutes, Nigel whispered, "God, Tiny...you're beautiful."

"Aw, shucks." Tiny blushed.

After that, clothing disappeared rapidly until both of them were happily nude and in each others' arms. In a touching moment that brought a lump to Tiny's throat, Nigel snuggled into his strong chest, scritching the fur. Then they were kissing savagely, needfully, groaning into each others' mouths, while each grasped and pumped the throbbing poles between their legs. And, true to form, Nigel turned out to be not too far from Marcus's size--perhaps even a little longer, though not thicker. His thighs were streamlined but beautifully shaped, slipping easily between Tiny's titanic ones. All in all Nigel was a desirable wolf, one any guy would be proud to have as a mate.

And he had talent, too. For after what seemed endless amounts of cuddling and groping, Nigel cupped Tiny's pecs and pushed gently. "C'mon, stud, I have something I'm dying to do for you." When Tiny rolled over on the sheets, the wolf at once slid down, burying his muzzle in the hyena's groin--and instantly his eyes widened. Not only was Nigel suckling him, he had managed what no male other than Ricky had--he'd swallowed all ten inches! And he was an expert in what followed...tongue lashings and lickings, pursed lips sliding over veined shaft, tongue tip probing the gaping slit and all along the sensitive flared rim of the mushroom head. Shuddering, Tiny dug his fingers into Nigel's hair and held him in place as he pleasured him...he could feel himself pulsing larger and thicker, gushing out his copious hyena pre.

After ten excruciating minutes of this, Nigel came up for air. "I've...tasted a lot of guys since I came to college...but none taste as good as you. Damn, you should bottle the stuff!"

Tiny would have burst out laughing, except he was too overwhelmed by rapture to do more than chuckle. "Don't worry, there's plenty more where that came from. An' you'll get it if ya keep up like that..."

"What can I say? My muzzle is one of my few gifts."

"Ah wouldn't say that...it's one o' many." Tiny smiled softly.

Nigel looked away. "You should see what I've got before you say that for sure."

In this department, Tiny was never slow on the uptake. "Lemme see, darlin'."

Backing up slightly, Nigel positioned himself on all fours. Then, nerving himself, he turned away and raised his tail.

It wasn't as bad as Tiny'd expected; the doctors had done a good job and it had healed well, with only minimal scarring. But Nigel's pink anus still looked incredibly small, tight...and tender. When Nigel looked back over his shoulder, he smiled encouragingly. "Sexy like th' rest o' you...but are ya sure ya want this...?"

The wolf paused, then nodded. "Just...get me lubed, and loosened up...nice and slow." He indicated a drawer, then rolled over on his back, thighs spread invitingly.

Fetching the bottle from the drawer, Tiny squirted a generous amount in his palm, then thoughtfully added an equally large amount of his pre to the mix. Then, carefully, he inserted a thick finger into Nigel's ass.

Nigel whimpered, but relaxed his muscles, even as he dug his claws into the sheets. "Th-that's it...s-s-slow..."

And so it went. With each joint of his finger, Nigel whimpered but took it bravely, and Tiny always paused to make sure he was all right before going on. One finger became two, then three. But the process was painstakingly slow. Tiny had the patience of Job, especially with someone as gentle and in need of special care as Nigel, but that didn't stop his erection from flagging periodically. The wolf, whether in thanks for the careful intrusion or his own hungry desire for it, solved the problem by pumping and suckling Tiny back to raging hardness with that magical muzzle of his. The upshot was that Tiny came not once but twice before Nigel was lubed and loosened enough, but the wolf was even more addicted to his cum than Ricky, it seemed, and made no complaints, only licking his lips and nose free of the heady, thick fluid before smirking and returning to the task.

By the time Nigel was ready, Tiny's loins were feverish with need, but he exerted the same self-control he had on the football field and arranged himself carefully in position, face-to-face with Nigel, his swollen, cum-covered cockhead poised to enter. "Ready fer some Southern Comfort?" He raised an eyebrow.

Tensing slightly, yet smirking, Nigel nodded emphatically. "Take me, Tiny. Nice and slow."

And with that Tiny thrust his glans inside the warm, pliant folds that had once been so severely violated...and were only now experiencing the true nature of male love.

For the next half hour or so, the two coupled, gyrating and thrusting and flexing in an easy, rocking motion. For Tiny it was the slowest and gentlest penetration since his ignorant first time mounting Ricky (who despite being small and tight was quite eager for a rapid, full-body fuck due to his great experience in mounting, and insisted on it after that). But for that very reason it was special and sweet, and he felt it with every circular movement, every geyser of pre. And he could tell, after the initial stretching, that Nigel was enjoying it immensely. Even if the wolf hadn't been begging him to go faster and muttering a litany of how wonderful it was to be taken by a big guy, it would have been obvious in the wild moans and rhythmic clenching of his ass on every inch of shaft. Soon Tiny was going faster, angling and pistoning as his well-greased cock pulled nearly out then rammed back in to the hilt, knocking Tiny's softball-sized, churning orbs against Nigel's own potent balls hanging so heavily and pendulously.

At last they both neared their apex together, and as each began grunting and groaning in tandem, their voices became huskier, more desperate to hold onto the feelings. Tiny, wrapping his brawny arms around Nigel's back, whispered hotly of how enticing and alluring the wolf was (the words he used were more like "ya make me hotter'n New Orleans in July"), while the wolf said over and over how much he wanted Tiny, how he'd longed to be topped by him but had been too afraid to ask.

In the end they did orgasm together, a double-whammy that nearly overwhelmed them both with its intensity and ecstasy. Tiny blasted out his usual gut-flooding eruptions of hot, sticky, virile hyena seed until it poured down over both their sacs and made a warm sea of fluid to soothe Nigel's burning rectum. But Nigel too was quite prolific, managing to coat both their chests and bellies in his wolf cum.

Neither of them wanted it to end, but eventually it had to. Together hyena and wolf descended from the high, melting and shuddering from the power of it all. Tiny remained firmly ensconced in Nigel, mostly because the wolf had a death-grip on him and wouldn't let go...a beatific smile on his muzzle. It was such a sweet, heartfelt smile, one he'd never seen on Nigel's face, that Tiny had no choice but to stay. Yet he would have anyway, cradling the wolf so tenderly in his arms, determined to protect him from whatever threatened.

"Thank you, Tiny," Nigel murmured, "for showing me...what I've been missing..."

Soon soft snores filled the room, but Tiny didn't listen to them long before he too was asleep, in blissful dreams of a new friend who had finally learned to open his heart and explore love with a willing hope and a passion unmatched. He knew now that the wolf had made the first gigantic step on the road to inner peace and confidence.

When he awoke, Tiny was somewhat surprised, then, to find himself no longer mounted on Nigel, although still in his bed. Had he been wrong about the wolf...had he simply used Tiny for his own greedy desires after all? It seemed impossible, the way he had acted and the words he had spoken the night before...but anything and everything might be said or done in the throes of pleasure, and a sexual encounter, even one as thrilling and incredible as this had been, did not guarantee anything would be different the morning after.

That was an uncharitable thought, he knew, unproven even if it were natural to have in this situation--and untrue, since as soon as he heard the bed creaking, Tiny knew what had occurred, and turned with a grin.

Nigel lay beside him, propped up on the pillow...bathed in the morning sunlight, every well-shaped muscle gleaming as its rays highlighted each patch of beautiful white fur, each runnel of sweat. And he was jerking his maleness as fast as a jackhammer, his knot swollen to great proportions. Even as the hyena looked, Nigel tensed up, back arching and teeth gritting, and then he howled as a firehose's worth of cum exploded all over him, soaking not only his torso but also his arms, shoulders, and even splashing his muzzle and the creamy patch of star-shaped fur on his forehead.

After Nigel was through, he collapsed, sighed--and then blushed profusely as he noticed Tiny looking.

"Seems your thingy could give lil' Daniel's a run fer its money," he commented.

Nigel became an even more vivid scarlet. "I don't know about that. I just...couldn't help myself, you're so damn sexy I had to."

"Hey, no need t' apologize t' me. Believe me, Ah enjoyed th' view!" His smirk faded. "Ah'm just glad you're feelin' better after last night." Tiny reached out and took Nigel's hand once more, concerned.

The white wolf smiled...genuine, caring, and content. "How could I not? You've replaced all my bad memories...with the best ones a wolf could ever have. Thank you, Tiny. I truly mean it. You don't know what you've done for me. Thank you for staying, for not going away when I told you to. I...I don't know how soon I'll be able to get over my problems...but I know I can try to trust now, thanks to you."

Those were the best words Tiny could have heard, words that brought tears to his eyes and a great warmth to his heart. Heedless of the sticky fur, he gave Nigel so strong a hug the wolf "ooof"-ed from its force. "Ah'm so glad t' hear it, darlin'. Ah hope that means ya plan t' tell th' others more 'bout yerself. Or at least try an' make up fer what happened."

Nigel looked uncomfortable, but nodded. "All of them do have a right to know. And maybe once they do, they'll forgive me."

"O' course they will!" Tiny protested vehemently. "Hell, you tell 'em half o' what ya done told me, an' they'll be th' best friends ya could ever have, fer life."

Nigel smiled hopefully. "Maybe. But in the meantime...I've already got a best friend again. And he's you...if you'll have me, Tiny."

The hyena grinned broader and wider than ever, clasping Nigel close to his chest. He'd come to Nigel's room angry, hurt, and confused, feeling cold inside and wanting so many answers he didn't know. But not only had he learned more than he'd bargained for concerning the reasons behind the wolf's actions, he'd gained a true friend, opened Nigel up to the other guys in Hillard--to life itself, actually--and learned there was still hope. A chance for change and acceptance without judgment. Knowing that Nigel would be all right was all he needed to know, now. That was enough to make him warm for years to come, to put him into orbit, even without some of the best sex he'd ever had. That, of course, was the syrup on the cornbread...which he greatly wanted another sample of...

With yet another roguish grin and a wink, Tiny said, "Wouldn't have it any other way, darlin'. Now how 'bout we go 'bout celebratin' th' friendship all over again?"

Nigel slowly smiled back, just as roguishly. "You're on!"