Of Rats and Men: Chapter 10

Story by WingedRayeth on SoFurry

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Pox and Paul finally declare their love to each other one stormy night. This is a sort of re-imagining of the scene in the short story Through the Muck.


Paul sat at his writing desk, sighing heavily, glad that his day was over with. His father had a dinner engagement, and so he was able to be alone at his home, with only the servants who tended to avoid his room ever since his bout of plague. Outside a storm was raging with rain clattering against the windows and the large double doors leading to the balcony, and the occasional bolts of lightning illuminated the room. He once again checked the items he had laid out on the desk, and breathed a sigh, hoping tonight would go well. It had been a few weeks since he and Pox had their makeup fight, and he had had a nagging thought in his head that he wanted to share with her.

He got up and went over to the fireplace and twisted a knob, turning up the flame to banish a bit of early winter chill from the air. He heard the sound of the rain getting louder as the doors creaked open, and then closed again, and the soft wet footsteps of someone walking across the room, getting closer to him. He smiled softly, before speaking up when he sensed his visitor was right behind him. "Don't...you...dare,” he said, and he turned around to see Pox standing there, ready to grab onto him. "You are soaking wet, and I just got myself warm and dry."

Pox grinned at him, showing off her wicked yellow incisors, before shrugging off her cloak and draping it over a chair near the fire, leaving her naked in the firelight, save for her belt with its pouch and sheathed dagger. She was polite enough to not shake herself off and send water raining around the room. "Aww, poor human is afraid of a little cold wet rat?" she teased.

He shook his head with a smile, and tossed a dry towel at her, "Here, use that to dry off," he said and then returned to the desk. He gathered up some of the items he had prepared. He had a small platter laid out some fruits and a few wedges of cheese, and a bottle of real grape wine that cost a substantial sum.

The rat draped the towel over her shoulder and removed her belt from her hips, setting that over the chair as well, before she started to dry her face and body with the towel, leaving it smeared with oily black streaks of dirt and grime that had been loosened from her fur by the rain. When she was satisfied that her fur was merely wet instead of dripping wet, she tossed the towel over the chair next to her cloak and knelt down by the fire to warm up a bit. "Smells like you had bath too, while you waited. Used nasty soap again though."

Paul brought over the tray of food and a couple of goblets. His body gave a slight tremble as he saw the state of the towel she had just used. He set the food on the floor near her, before sitting down himself, "Well if you don't like the soap, maybe you shouldn't be so insistent on licking me all the time, then you wouldn't notice as much," he said.

She snorted at that and reached over to her bag, pulling out a bottle of her nasty juice, and she bit down on the cork to pull it out, before handing it over to him. "What wrong with licking?" she asked, spitting the cork into the fireplace where the alcohol in it caught fire almost immediately and it began to blacken and burn.

Paul frowned and swirled the liquid around in the bottle before tipping it back and drinking it quickly, giving a shudder at the burn and the disgusting taste of the medicine. He hated the stuff, but now that he knew Pox's nature, and now that they were regularly spending time together again, he was grateful to have it to prevent him from getting her plague. "Well, besides that it makes my skin crawl every time you do it?" he asked, "I don't know...I guess I'm still not used to things being so...physical with you."

Pox giggled, "Rats very physical creatures. We like touching each other. Don't you like it too?" she asked, and as she spoke, she slipped closer and slid her hands under his shirt, pressing them against his body, causing him to gasp out and shiver hard at the feel of her clammy hands on his body.

He swallowed, "Yes...when your hands are warm at least..." he said, as she gave a firm tug on him, pulling him against her and into her lap, "And the rest of you..."

She licked at his ear and squeezed him in a warm embrace, "Pox's hands will warm up, just need something warm to hold onto, like you!" she said and rested her chin against his shoulder, rubbing her muzzle on his neck.

Paul closed his eyes and tried to will calm to his stomach as her smell hit him. She was not a clean being, and she had absolutely no shame in admitting that she didn't bathe, or that she lived in the sewers and regularly swam in the river where all manner of the city's refuse and filth ended up. While Paul had somewhat gotten used to it, with her soaking wet from the rain, her scent was even stronger and fouler than it was normally, and it was testing his limits. He tried to pull her off of him, but she was easily able to overpower him, and he eventually relented to her embrace.

She nuzzled more into him and continued to rub at his body as her hands warmed up, and she started to pull at the buttons to his shirt. "Mm...Pox does love touching her human," she teased, "Wishes you didn't wear so much clothes."

Paul chuckled some and helped her out, sighing some as he unbuttoned the shirt and removed it, tossing it aside. She wrapped her arms around him once again, pressing her damp fur against his back and getting more of a shiver out of him. "Is that better, Pox?" he asked as he reached up to scratch behind one of her ears.

She nodded her head and squeezed on him, "Yes, much!" she said and held him tight, pressing her breasts into his back. "So, you said you wanted talk tonight?" she asked.

He blinked a moment and then remembered, "Oh, uh yes," he said and gestured to the food, sliding out of her lap and moving the tray over closer, "I thought we could talk and have something to eat while we did."

Pox looked to the food and tilted her head, picking up some of the cheese and sniffing it, before taking a large bite out of the wedge.

Paul raised a hand and opened his mouth to say something, but then stopped when he realized he wasn't going to get anywhere. "You...er...weren't supposed to eat it like that..." he said.

She finished off the cheese quickly and looked at him, "Why not? It smells like something gone bad, but tastes good! Pox not have anything like this before."

Paul sighed, "It's not a meal to stuff yourself with, just...er..." he rubbed the back of his head, having no idea how to explain the concept to her. "We humans, um... some things we like to eat slowly, to enjoy them." he said after a moment. He picked up the bottle of wine and poured some out. "You probably haven't had anything like this either," he said, picking up the goblet and smelling it, before taking a taste and handing it over. "It's kind of sweet. Try taking a small sip just to taste it."

Pox sniffed it and then looked to Paul, and then did as he asked, drinking a small amount. She thought it tasted good. "Also smells bad, but doesn't taste bad either," she looked at him. "So humans like things that smell bad?"

Paul blinked a moment, "Uh...well like things that...er...smell bad but taste good?" he said.

Pox gave him an evil grin and leaned in, "Oh! Like Pox!" she said and then put a hand on the back of his head, forcing him forward into a kiss.

Paul shuddered and dropped his own goblet, which clattered to the floor as Pox kissed him. He could taste the cheese and wine on her breath, and the sensation immediately turned his stomach, and despite his resolve he had to push her away and catch his breath. "Ah...Pox! Not like that!" he said and his body shuddered hard. He took a few moments to catch his breath, and to pour himself some more wine, standing up to get the towel to clean up some of the mess from his spilled cup.

Pox giggled some at his reaction, pleased that she had caught him in her trap, "Oh? So you don't like Pox then?" she asked, with a wicked smile on her face.

Paul grumbled and sipped more of his wine. "I...do like you...you just..."

Pox smiled and rolled to her side, stretching out her legs and leaning on one arm, "Pox knows she disgusts you. You don't have to be shy about admitting it, Paul."

Paul swallowed some and nodded, "You do...yes..." he sat back down near her, "It's hard for me to get over how filthy you are sometimes..."

Pox nodded, "But you like Pox?" she asked him, tilting her head.

He nodded, "Yes I do, in fact like you, even though I very much wish I could convince you to take a proper bath, just once."

She reached over to the plate and plucked up one of the smaller pieces of fruit and she popped it into her mouth, chewing it and swallowing before looking back at him, "Why?"

Paul sighed, "Because you turn my stomach every time I smell you, you leave greasy hand and paw prints on everything, and my skin crawls just at your touch."

She giggled a bit and shook her head, "No no, stupid human. Why do you like Pox?"

Paul sighed moving closer to her and he reached out to take her free hand. "Because...unlike most of the women I meet in my stature...you actually have a brain in that head of yours," he said. "You are smart and witty, and you give me a unique perspective on things."

She nodded some, "Yes, Pox is very smart rat. Smartest rat even!" she said and giggled a bit, though when she saw the look on his face she quieted down, "But yes...say more..."

Paul cleared his throat and continued, "Well, I also like that...you...don't really want anything from me."

That gave her a bit of pause, "Pox always want things from you. Sex. Food. Bed..."

That made Paul chuckle some, "No, I mean...well yeah you do want those sorts of things. But you aren't playing any games with me. You are honest and straight forward with your desires. You want me for me, not what I can give you...at least that's how it feels."

Pox nodded, "Yes, Pox likes you for you. You are smarter than most dumb humans, and you are nice to Pox."

He nodded his head, "Well thank you. But...everyone else in my life either wants something from me because of my position or my family," he sighed, "Even my best friend from the university hasn't spoken to me since I got him a job working for my brother..." he sighed, and then looked over at her, "And...when you were gone, I realized how much it means to me, that you aren't like that..." he said trailing off a bit.

Pox sat there as he spoke, watching him like she could tell he had more to say, but she herself remained silent, just looking at him with her eyes glittering in the light from the fireplace.

Paul looked back at her for a long moment, and he squeezed her hand in his, "I...think I love you, Pox," he said, turning his head away from her.

She continued to lay there in silence for a while, listening to the rain hitting the windows, and the rumbling of thunder outside. Finally she just smiled and yanked on his hand, pulling him on top of him as she rolled onto her back, "About time!" she said with a smile, "Pox was waiting a long time for you to say so."

Paul grunted a bit as he landed on top of her, but found she wasn't holding him too tightly as he pushed back off of her, looking down at her. "Wait...what do you mean you were waiting?"

She giggled, "Pox knew you loved her since coming back and smacking sense into you," she said, laying there and rubbing her hands over his arms, holding them to keep him from getting too far away. "Pox loves you too, has even before you cut her and push her off balcony."

Paul winced at that last part, and he swallowed, "You...you do?" he asked her, hoping this wasn't more teasing.

She nodded earnestly, "Yes. Pox has been thinking a long time..." she smiled and tilted her head, "Pox wants you to be her mate, and for her to be yours," she said.

That left Paul stunned and he looked down at her in shock. "Mate...you mean like..."

She nodded, "Yes...Pox think human word is...marriage?"

Paul's jaw went slack at that. He new he cared for Pox, and that she cared for him. He hadn't expected her to propose like that, or even at all. "You...that's...oh..." he stammered, his mind racing and he suddenly got a sense of dread.

Pox saw the look in his eyes and her hands went to his head to hold it and she looked into his eyes. "Just say you want to be Pox's mate too. Worry about other things later."

Paul reached up to hold her hands, "Pox...I...my father...the others..."

"They not accept Pox. Pox knows this, pox doesn't care. You should not care either, you just say they only want to use you." She continued to hold him, looking at him with a frown.

Paul sighed, "What about your family? Your clan?" he asked, "What would they think?"

Pox huffed and stuck her tongue out, "Clan will accept you if you not dumb and lazy, if you be useful. Pox's sister Ticktock will want Pox to share you with her. Elders may have problem, but they hate Pox anyway, and besides, Pox would take a hundred lashes of Stumptail's barb if it means she can have her human."

Paul sighed, "Well...I..." he eventually closed his eyes and swallowed. "Okay...yes...Pox," he said after a few moments and then he looked down at her, "I do want to be your husband...your mate," he said and put his arms around her as he lowered himself back down, and after steeling himself for a moment, he pressed his lips to her muzzle in another kiss. He felt her him tightly and pressed back into it, her thick slimy tongue invading his mouth as she held him against her for as long as he could stand.

When he pulled back she was smiling and looking up at him and then she grabbed at his belt, "Pox thinks it is time you took the rest of your clothes off, so you can mate her properly," she teased and then released her grip, "Hurry up before Pox rips them off."

Paul nodded, "Let's go to the bed as well, it's much more comfortable," he said and got up off of her, working his pants off, while she got off the floor and went over to the bed, stretching out on it on her back.

"You be on top this time, show Pox how much you love your disgusting filthy rat," she said, holding her legs open for him.

He rolled his eyes, "You really could use a bath," he said and he moved into he bed, getting over her. Despite his usual revulsion to her, he was already growing with arousal, and he settled his hips between her thighs, with his hands moving to rest on her waist.

She giggled and curled her legs and tail around him, pulling him on top of her, "Pox said she loves you for you. You should love her for her, that means no baths!"

Paul rolled his eyes, "You...cleaning you is not changing you," he said, taking hold of his cock and lining it up with her pussy, before pushing himself into her.

She gasped softly and squeezed on him, her claws digging into his back as she held him, "Mmm...is to, would be changing Pox's scent. Replacing it with nasty fake flower smell," she said panting softly as her tunnel gripped firmly at him. "Now, enough talk! Mate with Pox," she said gasping softly.

He nodded, "Yes..." he hissed out at the pain of her claws, and he closed his eyes, thrusting into her as he moved his hands to squeeze around her, running his fingers through her greasy fur.

Pox gripped him tightly and gasped each time he hilted in her. He wasn't as rough as she was, but she was more than happy to let him go at his own pace and she pressed her body fully against his. Her claws slipped, leaving lines in his back as they scratched him, and she had to re-adjust her grip, moaning out into his ear.

He groaned out, his body caught between the pleasure of having sex and the pain her claws were causing as they dug into him, "Mm...not so loud...or so rough!" he said panting and shivering as he moved a hand to her breasts, pinching and tugging at her nipples as he continued to drive his shaft deep into her wet tunnel.

She panted some and reluctantly let go of him, "Mm...rat hide must be tougher..." she teased and panted, feeling her pleasure build and she pressed up into his thrusting, closing her eyes and arching her back to push her chest up into his hand, "Ah...that...yes Pox likes that..." she said at the attention to her breasts. When he hit a particularly pleasurable spot, she let out another gasp and her claws ripped into the bedsheet beneath her.

Paul closed his eyes and pressed his face against her neck, biting it to stifle another groan. Her fur tasted about as good as it smelled, and he quickly regretted the decision, but he felt a hand moving to his head, keeping it there.

"Ah...yes...good human..." she groaned, "Don't go easy on Pox. Pox is rat, not princess..." she groaned out. They continued on like that for several long moments as their pleasure built, before Pox began to need even more from him, and she eventually grabbed him and pushed him away, "Let Pox show you..." she teased as she pushed Paul onto his back and she got on top of him, and she slammed herself down onto his cock.

He groaned out and hissed loudly at the stinging sensation of the rough fabric of the sheets hitting the scratches in his back, and he knew he'd have to explain the blood stains later, or just get new ones secreted into the house later. He panted and moaned again, feeling the rat bouncing on him harder now. "So rough..." he panted, "You are like an animal..."

She leaned over him, resting her bloody claws on his shoulders and she nodded, panting harder as she sped up the pace, "Yes...Pox is rat, rat is animal...Pox breeds with her human like animal," she said and groaned, feeling her pleasure building faster now that she was in charge.

Paul panted and groaned out, his own climax fast approaching as well, "Ah...Pox..." he groaned out, his hands holding her hips and gripping fistfuls of her fur. It didn't take long for him to finish first, letting out a groan that was loud enough even the rat felt the need to cover his mouth to stifle, and she hissed out her pleasure, feeling his climax filling her tunnel.

She panted hard and continued to ride him though, bouncing hard through his climax as she worked to achieving her own peak of pleasure, which came several long moments later, and she ground her hips down firmly into his as she began to orgasm, her tunnel squeezing and milking his cock as her body shuddered in bliss.

Paul trembled as the two finished and he went limp beneath the rat, groaning softly. "Ah...Pox that was..." he panted hard and then felt a new sensation and grimaced as he felt the rat pissing on him as her own orgasm subsided and she relaxed, still sitting on top of him with her hands keeping him pinned. "Ah...that's...disgusting..." he said closing his eyes.

She panted softly and rolled her hips. "Mm...Pox is marking her mate...you should do the same..." she said looking down at him.

He swallowed back the urge to vomit, "Ugh...that is so...filthy..." he said, "Why would you want that?" he asked.

She giggled some and stretched herself out, "Marking tells other rats who is who's mate. You carry Pox's scent, other females know you belong to Pox. Pox carries your scent...keeps other males away..." she said, laying down on top of him and holding him.

Paul's stomach twisted at the idea. "Ugh...you...really want that?" he asked.

She nodded, her head, "Yes...Pox wants to be marked by her mate. Just relax...let it happen..." she said.

Paul swallowed hard and closed his eyes. It took a great force of will to relax like she wanted, but eventually he was able to convince his body to obey, and he felt his bladder emptying into the rat.

Her body trembled and eventually she relaxed again, smiling, "Mm...good human..."

He swallowed shaking his head as he winced, "I'm so taking a bath after this..."

Pox gave him a pout, "Such rude human, not wanting to carry his mate's scent," she said, but then nipped his ear to show she was only teasing. She squeezed her arms around him. "Mm...Pox loves you, Paul."

He sighed and settled himself down, and returned the embrace. "I love you too, Pox, my sweet sewer rat."