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9 Years Ago…

Kiva could feel the hot tears streaming down her face and onto her hands. She tried her best to cover the shameful display of emotion from view, only succeeding because she had chosen to sit on a bench far away from any living creature. The back of the school was usually home to all manner of tough thugs or junior drug dealers, but at this time it was empty due to classes being in session. At least the bench she sat on was designed for someone her size for once.

“If dad were still around," she thought “he would kill me for acting like this." Her father had always told her to never look weak to the rest of the world. Weakness was taken advantage of by others, and any weakness her family showed ended in pain. She used to think he meant physical strength, and so she never worried. Why would she? She's a Dire Wolf. She's bigger and stronger than almost everyone on the planet. What she only recently learned was that if a herbivore was too scared to attack you with tooth and claw, they used alternative methods like words and rumors. A month ago, she would have laughed at the idea that she would take bullying so seriously.

“They're too cowardly to say things to me by themselves. They always have a pack or a group to attack me with. Maybe that's why big carnivores aren't really around anymore. Too many lone wolves who thought they were tough enough." Kiva could feel her throat dry up as she stifled a few sobs. She didn't want to be here, she just wanted to go home or run out of town where nobody would chase her.

“Hey, are you okay?" came an unexpectedly close voice.

Kiva almost jumped. It was unusual for anything except maybe a mouse to sneak up on her. In her emotionally compromised state, however, the Human had somehow appeared right in front of her. Humans weren't something Kiva cared about. They existed as background objects in her life most of the time, and this one was no exception. He had a dark patch of hair on his head and bright blue eyes that beamed at hers. He wore a backpack that was two sizes too large for him, and his body was covered in thick, baggy clothing.

A random thought sprung from her head. “Of course, Humans don't have fur. And in fall weather he would need to wear more."

"It's a really shitty thing to do. I mean what those guys were doing, that was messed up."

More confused than offended, Kiva couldn't understand what he was trying to do. Was he trying to trick her? Gain her trust then stab her in the back? People don't just try and make friends unless they're expecting something in return.

The Human continued his sputtering. “It's just, y'know. Nobody came out here to check on you. Not even the teachers. I thought someone ought to."

“So? What does it matter to you?" She managed to croak out with only a small crack in her voice.

“It matters to me because I want it to."

The Human gave her a look like his answer made any sense. All it did was leave her more confused than before. Finally finding the proper words in her head, she responded.

“You're not gonna try and make me go back in there are you?" She stood up straight on the bench until her eyes were level with his.

“Hell no. I'm not gonna force anyone to go back in there. In fact, I was hoping to use this as an excuse to skip world history class."

That left Kiva completely stunned. She was just an excuse now? Or was he joking?

“That's a joke. But we don't have to go back. I've got leftover cash from lunch, so maybe we can walk over to that ice cream place down the road?"

The tears in her fur had dried and gotten crusty. She wiped at her face with her sleeve and cleared it away before standing up. The Human barely came up to her chest, and he didn't even seem scared of her like the others usually do.

“Alright. That sounds nice. But what if they yell at us for skipping class?"

Arching his head up at her, he casually responded. “Well, I guess we could just say you're my mom."

Kiva giggled. "Yeah, I guess that would work."

The two strangers silently walked off the school grounds towards their destination. Kiva felt like her day might not be so shitty if she at least got something out of it. Even a bit of ice cream would be better than nothing. Looking down at the short man, she appraised the top of his head and tried to scan her eyes lower. He seemed so ordinary. Like he could slip into the background anywhere he went. Would she have met him if he didn't reach out to her?

“My name is Kiva, by the way." She practically stuttered.

Looking up at her, the Human smiled. “It's nice to meet you Kiva. My name's…"

---

“Vinny"

Roused from his stupor, he looked up at the familiar Hippo wearing an expensive-looking suit.

“Yeah?"

“Do you mind if I call you Vinny?"

“No, I don't."

Placated, the Hippo continued. “Well Vinny, I omitted some information about the macro gene last time we talked. I think it's important that you know this because Kiva is exceeding our expectations." The large doctor paused and gave Vinny an inscrutable look. “You see, for about half of their growth the macro will keep growing at a steady pace. But it's not linear, it's closer to a percentage-based speed. She'll keep growing at the 'same' pace for her current size. It's in the last half, however, that they grow explosively quick."

“So, wait…" Vinny interrupted. “You're saying that she's not even halfway done?"

“That is precisely what I am saying. We'll know how big she will get once she hits that growth spurt, but until then we're trying to prepare for the worst."

Despair. That was the word he would use to describe his current mood. How the hell could she possibly get bigger? Vinny looked out at the woman he had spent most of his adulthood with and really examined her. Much like last time, she sat among a gaggle of working men and women, the difference was that none of them were taller than her feet. The fox from earlier said she was almost 200' tall.

“Oh, and Vinny?" the rotund Anthro spoke up “This is the last outfit we can afford to make her. Any larger than this and we won't have any effective material to use, the cost will be too high."

He suspected as much. Looking back to the small crowd swarming her, Kiva was being fitted for yet another massive bikini. This time the cups and bottom were made from decommissioned hot air balloons. Each cup of her bra was one massive balloon with the vent in the top sewn shut, and the bottom was constructed out of two balloons cut and stitched together into the correct shape for her wide hips.

Vinny learned a lot more about hot air balloons this morning than he ever had in his entire life. Most hot air balloons had a lifespan as long as the silicone coating they were covered in. The coating makes them impermeable to air for a time, but it wears off based on use. Once they can't hold in air as efficiently, they are sold off or donated to schools for playground activities. Vinny remembered once in elementary school when his class got to play with one. They would lift it in the air and run under it while it floated above them.

Closing that memory, Vinny turned back to the Hippo. "Are you going to check on that thing we discussed?" He gestured to a large stainless-steel milk canister near one of the trucks that were parked outside his cabin.

“Of course, of course. I'll have someone run some tests on her milk and we'll see if we can't get FDA approval to sell it somewhere. Everyone loves a good gimmick and what better than macro Wolf milk, hmm?"

Mollified by his answer, Vinny felt at ease. “That's good. I mean the milk industry has whole categories for milk made by Anthros like Cows and Goats, so why stop at Wolves?"

“It's not her species they would be worried about. I suspect they might push back because one person producing more than 50 of their employees is too strong a competitor. Plus, you two are a small business and you don't have the support of a large backer. That leaves you vulnerable."

Vinny mulled over that, but the doctor continued before he could think further. “Speaking of, how goes the hair business?"

He was referring to Kiva's monthly haircuts. Vinny had to cut her hair for the first time using a weed whacker, and they deposited the hair residue in garbage bags for collection. The plan was to sell the hair to various companies to make them into novel clothing or rugs. It paid well but had a few issues.

“One man can cut a 100' tall woman's hair with a weed whacker, but if she keeps getting bigger, I'm gonna need some industrial equipment."

The considerable Hippo chuckled. “That may be true, but more hair means more money for you two. Best get used to manual labor, young man."

“Oh yeah? And when is she gonna get to do physical labor with me?"

“In time. She needs to reach her final size before we can figure out what kind of job is suitable for her, and where she can safely and legally walk. I know that the superfood we feed her is expensive, but you have ways to make ends meet. Nobody said life would be easy once she started growing."

The “superfood" he was referring to was interesting, to say the least. A growing macro ate more than whole families of carnivores once they got going. Allegedly once they reached their full size, they would need much less than that, but until then Kiva had to have more and more of this silver-stained paste that came in large containers. It lacked an odor, which unnerved Vinny more than if it had stunk. And he's very happy to not know what it's made of. Not since he learned how hot dogs are made. Kiva said it didn't taste that bad, but she had the stomach to eat raw meat when he was too lazy to cook so her culinary opinion was not highly regarded.

Vinny glanced back up to the crew, who had just finished Kiva's bikini. She was putting it on, and he noted that it was very large and loose on her frame. Most likely it was an attempt to future-proof it. Like the shower curtains, it was deliberately folded up to “grow" in size with her, but not be cumbersome or useless in its early stages. From his perspective below, it looked like a colorful circus tent being packed up for travel. It had a classic tiled rainbow pattern that in its folded-up state made it look like it only had three randomly chosen colors.

A deafening voice came from his left, the doctor was speaking out of a megaphone. “Alright Kiva, we've left you your rations, got you clothed, and we brought those things you both requested. We'll be leaving now."

Turning to the smaller man, he spoke to him at a normal volume without electronic assistance. "Well, that's our job done. We left you some macro protein meal, a projector with a screen, and an inflatable pool."

“Oh, okay." Vinny mechanically responded. “Wait. Why the pool?"

“Kiva asked for it. Maybe you should ask her?"

He handed Vinny the megaphone and walked off to the truck with the rest of the crew.

“Just remember son, I'm always available at that number I gave you. You aren't alone in this."

Stepping into the passenger seat of the large semi cab, Doctor Smith and his team drove off the property. Vinny could only softly wave while they disappeared between the tall oak trees that covered the surrounding land. The howl of their engines was the loudest sound for miles, and it slowly faded out as they escaped to civilization. Looking behind him, Kiva was crouched next to him, her giant face looming over his head.

“Help me set up that pool, won't you? I think you deserve a reward for all your hard work."

"Yeah, I was gonna ask about that. You have a plan that won't waste all of our clean water?"

The colossal Dire Wolf flashed a grin in response.

---

“So much for a reward," He thought “Pumping up this pool is more work than cutting her hair."

Rather than giving him an electric pump of some kind, the good doctor had decided a manual pump like the kind you would use on a bike would do just fine. Vinny's arms were protesting from the monotonous physical activity. Even his daily push up routine didn't wear away at his muscles so easily. But his laboring has been rewarded; before him stood a fully inflated pool just waiting to be filled with water. They had set it up behind the cabin in the expansive “backyard", an area that was mostly free of trees compared to the rest of the forest.

Satisfied with his work, the man stood tall with his hands at his hips. Above him was his macro wife, who noticed his rejoicing.

“Very nice work, honey. Now do as I do"

The Dire Wolf undid the knot on her back and allowed her massive new bra to fall to the earth. Vinny decided to mimic her and stripped his clothing off, their mutual nudity was something he was used to. If she can't wear clothing and they lived in the middle of nowhere, why should he? He still wore swimming trunks to the lake when Kiva wanted to swim, but that was out of habit more than anything.

With a loud crash, she fell on her knees and arms with her bare and very full breasts hovering over the recently inflated pool. Lifting a hand to one of them, she tugged at a fat nipple and sprayed a deluge of white liquid into the pool. Turning her head down, she gave him a sultry look with her eyes.

“Care to assist me, dear?" She rumbled, deep voice shaking his core.

Vinny wasted no time. He jumped into the pool and held his hands up towards the giantess. Kiva lowered her breast until her lengthy nipple was right in his face. It was absolutely enormous! It was as long as his entire top half from his head to his waist. If he had to guess, he would say it was about 30" long and big enough to squeeze in a hug. And that is exactly what he did.

Using both his arms, Vinny encircled the impossible mound and gave it a firm hug. Milk leaked out of the pores at the tip and cascaded down his body. He felt the warm liquid flow down his crotch and thighs, pooling around his feet on the plastic surface. Each heave of her heavy bosom earned him a small gasp from above. He managed three more pulls before almost falling on his butt in the slippery puddle. He was saved by holding tightly onto Kiva's tip, but when gravity pulled down on her using his body weight, she let out an ear-shattering roar. Struggling to maintain his footing, another torrent of her milk blasted Vinny's face.

Finally, he managed to gain traction and stand on his feet. Removing himself from her chest, he backed up to the edge of the damp pool and observed the scene before him. Kiva was panting like she had finished an extreme workout. Her heavy breathing was slow and powerful, strong gusts of wind wafted at the ground and chilled his skin on contact. The giant visibly relaxed and gave him an impossibly wide smirk.

“If we can make money off this, I'm going to be the happiest person alive. It would be like getting paid to have sex on your own terms."

Vinny nodded in agreement. “I hope so. Between this and your hair, we could live pretty comfortably."

Kiva tilted her head and gave him a look of irritation as if she hadn't understood him. Realizing the problem, Vinny raised his voice. "I said, I hope we can sell this stuff! It will make us a lot of money!"

Comprehension swept over her features. “Oh, that's what you said. It's getting harder to hear you down there."

That was exactly the kind of thing Vinny was worried about. He couldn't bring the megaphone with him because if it got too wet it might break. “She's not even halfway done growing and she can't hear me that well." He thought. “What are we gonna do if we can't even speak to each other?"

“Get over here little man," the titan interrupted his concerns “I wanna give you a milk bath and shower. I hear it's good for your skin."

Vinny had heard the same thing too, but milk baths were usually watered down. It was a cup of milk per bath, and this was going to be an entire swimming pool of the stuff. Still, it was milk. He doubted it would seriously hurt him unless he managed to drown in it. Carefully sliding over to the middle of the pool, Vinny stretched out under Kiva's substantial bosom and mentally prepared himself. Once again, the Dire Wolf grabbed her teat and squeezed it down toward the plastic pool.

The water pressure in his fancy new shower was not the worst he's ever had. But compared to the jets of milk assaulting him now, it was like a light sprinkle. The harsh tingle on his skull forced him to close his eyes and feel the waterfall cascade down his body. Each pull came in large spurts. The force of the liquid would lessen until Kiva pinched herself again, and a new high-speed blast of milk would fall on him. Eventually, he felt the creamy substance pool at his feet up to his ankles. Tilting his head up, Vinny opened his mouth to get a taste. A new geyser poured into his mouth and slammed the back of his throat, causing him to gag. Quickly composing himself after a few violent coughs, he tried and finally succeeded in getting a mouthful of the life-giving substance.

The older he got; the less Vinny drank milk. He heard some random trivia once that said as a Human gets older, they start to naturally become a little lactose intolerant. The only milk he drank anymore was either put in his coffee, or it was non-traditional, like almond milk. Kiva's milk was unpasteurized and straight from the tap. It was warm and comforting in his mouth but had a minor hint of something else. Like a spicy aftertaste that lingered on his tongue, and Vinny could really see himself enjoying drinking from her every morning. He kept taking long mouthfuls of the seemingly infinite elixir until his stomach gave a gurgle of protest.

Satisfied with his meal, Vinny stepped backward to the edge of the pool and seated himself against the end of the inflated plastic ring. He was simply content to sit and watch his giant lover fill the pool while she moaned and rumbled above him. In just a few minutes, the milk had already reached his chest from his sitting position. Another few minutes and Kiva had filled the pool to the brim. Content with her progress, the colossal woman shifted onto her side facing him, vast twin orbs pointing at him.

Vinny noted that the milk was starting to cool from exposure to the open air. How hot was she that it was warm enough to make him feel like he was taking a bath? The giantess adjusted her pose, head resting in her arm and knee facing up.

"A whole swimming pool. Impressive, right?" Her voice dripped with smug self-satisfaction. "And the best part is, this isn't even all the milk out of one breast. I can still keep pumping if I want to. Not to mention the other one…"

Her statement left him speechless. The amount of milk she produces could easily make them enough money to survive. No, with this much they would be firmly upper-middle class. Vinny could use it to buy her custom clothing in her size if they saved up. They could buy anything they could reasonably want with that kind of money. Lost in his fantasies, Vinny allowed his head to slip under the white liquid and relaxed his muscles. The only consistent sound was the heavy push and pull of the giant's breathing vibrating the liquid he was immersed in.

Splashing on the surface woke him up from his rest. Rising from his milky exile, Vinny rubbed the fluid out of his hair and eyes in one sweeping motion. His vision returned to him, a wet sprinkle impacted the surface of the pool next to him and almost got in his eyes. Kiva was jerking her nipple with her free arm and coaxing a trail of milk into the pool from a great distance.

“I've got good aim don't you think?"

Chuckling loudly for her benefit, Vinny watched her aim directly at him. He swiftly stood up and dodged the incoming volley of milk like a terrible action movie hero. Another jet of milk and he fell backward to avoid it. Kiva let out a deep laugh and continued to assault him with gallon after gallon of her warm milk. Finally, after a few minutes of their game, Vinny got a blast of it right in his face and fell over into the overflowing pool.

Climbing back onto the edge and resting his arms to his sides, Vinny and Kiva sat and laughed at their antics like they were the funniest thing to grace the Earth. At this moment Vinny felt content to just wade there with her. His eyes swept across her massive form down to her new underwear, where a gigantic wet patch had soaked the front of her panties.

“Well," he thought “she was playing with herself the entire time."

Kiva noticed his staring and flashed him a lecherous grin, then rubbed her leaking nipple with her finger in a circular motion.

“Maybe this time it'll be easier now that she's double her previous size. I've got more room to work with, right?"

His internal thoughts were cut off by the macro lifting herself up and crawling over the milky pool. Vinny was thankful he drank all that milk because his bones were going to need as much support as possible.

---

Not many people will ever get to experience the novelty of riding on a hand large enough to comfortably hold three people at once. Vinny thought he would get tired of being carried around by his massive wife like a fragile doll, but the sensation of the wind in his hair was wonderful. It even made up for the mild terror he felt when he realized the ground was over 100' away.

Luckily for him, the walk to the lake behind his cabin was very short when Kiva's average walking speed was almost as fast as a car. The serene atmosphere around the dark water was highlighted by the late summer trees encompassing its perimeter. Nature was in full bloom; Birds whistled with reckless abandon, smaller creatures skittered and pounced in the brush, and the wind danced around the trees giving the forest a sense of community.

Down on the edge of the water, Vinny had just finished setting up his modest camp. A folding chair, an ice-filled cooler, and a megaphone he held in his hands. He spoke through it at the giantess that carried him here.

“Alright Kiva, can you pick me up and hold me over the lake?" His voice came out with a tinny quality that left a ringing in his right ear.

He thought he saw her nod in assent. Her movements had been getting slower as she got larger and it was becoming difficult to pick up smaller details. His suspicion was confirmed when she gradually fell on one knee. Thinking ahead, Vinny dropped the megaphone and tore his shirt off leaving him in his swimming trunks. Once her hand reached the ground with an open palm facing skyward, he hopped on. The momentum of her movements was greater than he liked, but eventually, Kiva sidled toward the lake and held him over it about 20' high.

Vinny was never one to appreciate heights. He wasn't a daredevil either. In his suburban lifestyle, the closest you got to life-threatening stunts was at the local skate park. And he hadn't even been a skater at any point in his life. Steeling himself, the man turned up to his lifeline.

“Check this out!" He howled.

Taking a couple of preparatory steps back toward her wrist, he dashed to the end of her fingertips and sprang off them like a diving board at a public pool.

“Banzai!"

A loud splash and his world became cold and damp. His head resurfaced and he began to frantically coast the water. Something brushed at his leg and it wasn't a rock or clump of loose dirt. He lamented the fact that the only body of water big enough for Kiva to submerge herself in was the foul lake that acted as waste disposal for the rest of the nearby wildlife. Even rainwater has dirt in it, and Kiva has no place to hide from it. It shouldn't be cold for her considering the heat her body produces, but it's still unpleasant to be wet in the winter when you can't control it.

Vinny looked back to the shore and saw Kiva standing at her full imposing height, staring down at him with a neutral expression.

“Well!? Come on in! The water's great!"

His encouragement came out more desperate than he intended, and Kiva seemed to notice. She let out a sharp breath with a harumph, and nonchalantly turned around and walked away past the tree line. From his perspective below the ground, Vinny lost sight of the titan behind the much shorter trees.

“What? You're just gonna give up like that? Afraid of a little water!?"

For a brief moment, there was no sound except the splashing of water around him. Then he heard a faint banging noise that grew in power.

Bang

Bang

BANG

** BANG BANG BANG**

** ** A colossal blur of white hurled itself above the trees and over his head. The 250' tall Dire Wolf had just made a running leap toward the middle of the lake. Her body was curled up in a cannonball just like Vinny had done, and when she impacted the water hundreds of feet away an impossible amount of liquid sprang up in a terrifying pillar toward the heavens. Along with it was an immense wave larger than any he had ever seen. For a brief moment, Vinny felt like it was possible to survive the impact until the wave rolled perfectly on top of him. It slammed into him and literally took his breath away, pushing and twisting his body wherever it wanted. Panic took over and any training he had regarding swimming escaped his brain. He flailed his arms and legs in a desperate attempt to gain some control, only managing to smack them into some unknown objects surrounding him.

His chest began to protest, the lack of oxygen being replaced by rapidly flowing water. His movements became sluggish and his energy was sapped. Vinny couldn't even conjure any basic thoughts to his head before darkness took him.

---

Every single aspect of Kiva's life had changed with her growth. It wasn't just the big things (pun intended). What really challenged her idea of "normal" was the fact that all the little things she took for granted had changed. Take water for instance; Everyone knows what water feels like. It feels the same no matter what age you are, no matter where you live, no matter what species you are. Water is something everybody knows. For Kiva, water feels different than she is used to. The sensation of liquid touching her skin and fur is impossible to describe to someone who isn't her size. The closest she can get is by comparing it to sand that is a finer grain than what you are used to. It flows differently across her skin than it used to That's water for her now: It's so small to her that it almost feels like a gas rolling around her.

Even now, the water around her doesn't feel like water should. She considers herself lucky that she has a place she can completely submerge her body now that baths and showers aren't an option, but she still misses taking a warm shower after a hard day of work. Luckily for her, she doesn't smell anything unless she's close to it, but that also means she doesn't really smell anything unless it's very large or she has her face in it. Life isn't different because of the big changes, it's different because of all the little things.

Her feet reach the bottom of the lake, mud and dead plant matter are compacted by her unstoppable mass. Her head reaches the top of the water and breaches the surface until she is fully standing. The lake water doesn't reach above her chest. Kiva observes her handiwork and notices the violent waves that reach past the shore. All of Vinny's gear was swept up in the chaos by her dive. Wading over to the shore, Kiva collects the detritus she finds floating around and places it back on the soaking shore.

Suddenly, a thought sends her into a panic. “Where did Vinny go?"

Her heart begins pumping faster than it ever has. She swings her head around the lake, praying that she doesn't find his body in the water. Her prayers are answered when she spots a minuscule body lying face down on the shore. Exiting the water, hundreds of gallons of the lake stay with her and flow off her body like a waterfall. She waits until most of the water has fallen off, then she leans down in front of the comatose man.

Her breathing is sharp and abrupt, and she forces herself to stay calm, so she doesn't hurt him. But she's worried that she doesn't have the precision necessary to help him. What if she has to perform CPR on his tiny body? Chest compressions with finger twice his size might end with her pulverizing his torso, she can't breathe into his mouth, and she can't even use a phone to call for help!

Long forgotten high school health classes kick around in her brain. What's the first step to saving a life in an emergency? Check to see if they're breathing and have a heartbeat. Very carefully, she lowers her ear to the man's body and scrutinizes every little noise she can pick up. At this moment there is nothing except her frenzied breathing. She holds her breathe and focuses: A faint sound emerges, and she can hear the tiny rasping of his breathing. It reminded her of the panicked breathing of the mouse kids back in gym class. The ones who were so unhealthy that a mile jog almost killed them, and their squeaky breathing made them sound like deflating and reflating balloons ready to pop.

He's alive. The idea crosses her mind, and she takes a deep breath to calm herself. Lifting herself, she hesitantly prods him with the tip of her finger. The fingertip shifts him onto his side, and she warily arranges his body into the recovery position.

Next, she…

She doesn't know what to do next. They're out in the middle of nowhere with nobody to call for help. Even if someone were living nearby, she couldn't carry him without risking hurting him. She doesn't know if he broke any bones while he was being pushed around by the waves. He could be concussed, or bleeding internally, or something far worse that she doesn't know about.

“And isn't that the stupidest way for him to go?" She thought to herself. “Drowned by his own wife in a stupid stunt. The biggest and strongest predator around and I can't even save a life."

Kiva didn't move from that spot. She simply sulked over his body and prayed to whatever god would listen.

---

He felt like he simultaneously overslept and had a bear sitting on his chest all night. It was a special combination of drowsiness and chest pain that he had gotten used to thanks to Kiva's tendency to roll on top of him at night. The nostalgic wakeup was interrupted by the sensation of grass and dirt below him. His consciousness finally caught up with his body and he opened his eyes.

“Right. The lake. I almost drowned I guess."

Vinny sat up and felt a sharp pain flare-up his side that caused him to cry out. A loud gasp boomed from above him and he noticed Kiva looming above, wet from the lake but with burning red eyes framing her face in sorrow.

“I'm so sorry!"

Her voice was deafening. Vinny covered his ears and fell back on his side. More pain zapped across his chest and side when he impacted the ground.

“I'm so sorry." She repeated in a harsh whisper. “I should have known that would have hurt you. What if I landed on you, or you didn't make it to the shore, or-“

Vinny cut her off with a gesture of his hand. “Don't worry about it."

The Dire Wolf abruptly lowered her face to him and angled her ears at him. Did she not hear him?

“I said don't worry about it. Just get us home and we'll figure this out. I don't think anything is broken, but I'm going to need to rest."

"What about your megaphone? How am I going to hear from you when you're far away?"

“We'll find it. And if we don't, we can order a new one."

“Are you sure we shouldn't call someone?"

“I'm fine. Just get us home and I'll be fine."

Kiva gave him an incredulous look like he was going crazy. And to be fair, he wasn't exactly thinking straight right now. The Dire Wolf dropped her flat palm on the flooded grass, and Vinny achingly stood on his feet and limped to her. He gently settled into her balmy fur and fell asleep to the rhythm of her thundering footsteps.

---

People tend to forget what real darkness is like. There were no streetlights, porch lights, or even ambient city lights to illuminate the area around them. On moonless nights like tonight, they had no respite from the shadows. Away from civilization with no light pollution to hide them, the stars shone brightly above the canopy of ominous trees. Without the light of the projector, they would have been blind to the world.

It had been a couple of weeks since the last visit from Doctor Smith. He had given them the projector and a speaker system to use so that they could watch movies together again. It was a thoughtful gesture for the couple that only took an afternoon to put together. Laying on her stomach and taking up more space than four semi-trucks, Kiva rested her head on her arms and looked straight out at the screen she helped set up. To her, it must have been the size of a large phone screen.

Even with his injuries, Vinny had managed to set up the projector and sound system outside for her benefit. A week ago, he would not have been up to the task. But the terrible pain from the wave had become a dull throbbing that he could deal with. They still hadn't talked about that incident. He didn't want to see Kiva cry again, and maybe she really just didn't want to think about it? If that were the case then he would keep quiet, but he was better now. He rested in the recovered lawn chair about ten feet away from the massive prone form of his wife. His view of the screen was just fine considering the low angle of the projector between them.

On-screen, the movie they had selected had finished showing the opening credits and studio logos. A group of ratty looking men was slinking through a jungle with all of their equipment held by a line of mules. They cross streams and make new paths through the brush before stopping at a small lake. One of the men draws a gun and points it at a man attempting to divine their location on a map. The click of the gun's hammer alerts the man, and he promptly removes a bullwhip from his belt and swings it at the gun. The crack of the whip is accompanied by the orchestra blaring in, and as the man with the ruined hand stumbles his way off-screen, the camera cuts to the whip-wielding protagonist. His face is illuminated by light, most likely a ray from the sun filtered through the disorderly leaves of the jungle canopy.

Kiva whispers like they're in a packed movie theater. “Thank you for doing this. I've been going crazy with nothing to do."

Vinny replies with a yell like they're in the middle of a crowded party. “Of course. I've always wanted to have a backyard movie night. But this is the first time we've had a backyard to ourselves."

The couple fell silent and let the movie continue.

“Now you studied under Professor Ravenwood at the University of Chicago?"

_ “Yes, I did."_

_ “You have no idea about his, present whereabouts?"_

_ “Uh, just rumors really. Somewhere in Asia, I think. I hadn't really spoken to him in ten years. We were friends but uh, we had a bit of a falling out I'm afraid."_

Kiva's gargantuan frame shifted, every minuscule movement from her made obvious to the modestly sized man.

“I'm sorry for hurting you. At the lake, I mean."

“I said don't worry about it." He bit out. “You made a mistake and learned from it."

“But I could have killed you. Doesn't that worry you?"

“Of course it does. But you could have killed me plenty of time before you started growing. Remember that one time we tried to 69 for the first time, and you almost strangled me to death by sitting on me?"

Kiva turned her head away from him and drew in a sharp breath. Oh yeah, she remembered.

“Besides, you think I would have stuck around if I didn't know about the dangers?" The excuse sounds hollow even to him.

The movie continued despite their interruptions.

"You said that the headpiece had markings on only one side, are you absolutely sure?"

_ The man across from him nodded._

_ “Belloq's staff is too long."_

_ “They're digging in the wrong place!" The two spoke in unison._

Once again, Kiva turned her head back to him and interrupted the film. “I'm scared Vinny. I know I'm going to hurt you again someday, and I don't know if I could live with myself if that happened. I'd rather you leave me than that happen."

Vinny couldn't focus on the movie. She was right; The more time they spent together, the more likely she was to hurt him. And next time it might not end so nicely for him. Vinny's eyes glazed over as he watched the brave archeologist on-screen punch Nazis and get into gunfights. If only life were so simple, he could just get into fights and save the love interest. Then he'd be all healed up and ready for the next adventure.

He had always wished his life could be more adventurous, that he could escape to a fantastic world fraught with danger and action. Now his life is dangerous, and he wishes more than anything that they could go back to the mundane again.

Vinny wishes he could have his wife back.

“I love you" the monstrous doppelganger whispers to him.

He doesn't respond.

---