AN: You know, a few things occurred to me as I wrote this. One, I'm weird. Two, I'm stupid. Three, I don't care what anyone thinks. If I can't proudly display my darkest and even my purest wishes, hopes and dreams onto the internet, what's the point? If I don't take a new step forward into an almost entirely different direction, why am I here? Why am I writing? So I'm going in this new direction, you see, that you might not expect me to go. But know this, I don't regret doing it. I actually became depressed when I wasn't writing this. When I doubted myself but the truth is I've always been different, no matter how many times I tried to fit in. So just a small disclaimer, either proceed full force or do not proceed at all. I don't want caution. I want action, love, drama and life. So that's all.

Please enjoy the story. :)

The Bro Code, Article 1: The bond between two men is stronger than the bond between a man and a woman.

I.

The Giant saw it coming like a missile. It wasn't a torpedo; that made a loud, whistling noise. It was a missile. He grabbed for Hogarth as that was all he could do. There was simply no time to shield the man. There was only time to clasp him inside his corroding hand. A yell echoed in what the Giant saw from the crease of his eye shutters was blue light. Not like his gently colored transmuting kind but an entrapping and dark type. He wasn't aware that it was his own voice that yelled until he hit the dirt ground hard with

his shoulder. Somehow, his yell grew smaller in size and his booming echo was cut off.

"Hogarth?" He got out. The Giant was weak… light. Light?

An examination of his shirted and trousered self brought the automaton to shock. The light beam had turned him human! He thought of Taylor, that was the first time this had come about and it was when Hogarth was back in the past. But, there wasn't a wormhole here.

"HOGARTH!" The Giant shouted at the top of his lungs.

"I hear ya, pal."

Still shocked, he whipped around to find Hogarth with his back to him. He still had on his overalls but they appeared to hang loosely over his shoulders. When Hogarth faced him he was young. This made the Giant look down at himself questioningly. His body looked just as Hogarth's did… They were both human. The Giant smiled in awe as he discovered this.

He looked at his ironless hands, looked up and then raced forward. "Hogarth!"

The man looked up at his friend's overjoyed tone. "Huh?"

In a split second the Giant had flung himself onto Hogarth in a tackle.

"Hogarth!" He cried joyously again and hugged him around the arms.

"Whoa!" Hogarth found he couldn't keep his balance. "Gi-ANT." They fell to the ground.

The Giant refused to let go.

"All right, big guy, ease up." Hogarth laughed.

It seemed to dawn on him then and that's when he found his arms freed.

They both stood up to take one another in.

…

Hogarth's face fell.

"Hogarth," The Giant didn't skip a beat. He gestured at himself excitedly. "It's me."

Instinctively he looked down at himself and saw that he was still human. His body was much younger, possibly late twenties. When Hogarth looked up again the sight that the Giant was himself human caused him to tear up. He laughed a little and gave him a hug.

The Giant hugged him back happily.

Just as the tears were rolling down Hogarth's face the "I'm a dad now" sensation he had felt only once before when he'd found out Taylor was expecting vanished. The reality of what the Giant now was made he pull back with a haunted look on his face. This caused the Giant understandable confusion; not by his new form but by his friend's sudden turn from elation to being wigged out. No, this was more serious. Hogarth was now in denial.

He couldn't react beyond more then just shaking his head at the Giant before turning around and walking away. No, this wasn't right. It wasn't natural. Robots becoming human? No, no, no. A sudden intake of breath by the Giant made him slow his pace.

"You told me once that it didn't matter how big I got!"

Hearing the Giant's deep voice at this level wasn't what made him stop.

"Did that not include me getting smaller? Does our friendship depend on my size?"

Hogarth was aggrieved.

When the man turned around the Giant was in tears and he felt guilt strike his heart.

"I never once rejected you. Not in the beginning and not now."

Hogarth almost tilted forward with the impact of what was happening.

"Don't leave…" The Giant was crying, almost sobbing. "Please, don't leave me. Not again." He held out his hand as if Hogarth could still climb into it. "Please, please…"

It struck him then. This was still the Giant, this was still his friend.

"Giant…" He was rendered vurenable.

Without a fight the Giant collapsed to his knees in grief.

"Giant," Hogarth hesitated only a moment and then rushed to his side. "It's okay, pal. I'm not leaving you." he stirred him to a nearby rock. "Come on, sit down." He now held him in his arms and rocked him slowly. "I'm not leaving you, I promise Giant, I'm not leaving you." They both grew quiet as Hogarth continued rocking him. A minute passed and the Giant was still as passive as a child. Hogarth leaned forward a little so he could see him.

"You left once," The Giant murmured. "Yesterday. I thought I'd never see you again."

"You really thought I was leaving?"

How could he leave him? Hogarth didn't know. Yesterday was so long ago.

The Giant leaned into him and Hogarth patted his shoulder consolingly. "Hey, come on pal. Look at me." He did. His face was as red and wet as his eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry you thought I was leaving you." The Giant's head dropped, Hogarth touched his chin to raise his eyes back up. "But you know me. You know I would never leave you, Giant."

When the look in his eyes said otherwise Hogarth felt another blow to his heart.

Even as he started hurting again the man tried to ignore it.

"Let's go get something to eat," he encouraged. The Giant reluctantly stood with him,

his eyes never left the ground. "I brought some chili in my bag. And some Ritz, bowls

and spoons." Hogarth garnered his attention a little. "I might even have a soda or two."

There was some consideration in his white eyes now. That was the only thing left aside from the Giant's voice. He had taken half of Hogarth's age… and half of his body. The Giant took a few concentrated steps up to him and Hogarth started for his stringed bag.

He didn't get more then halfway.

"Giant," his voice ached in a whisper, "You're my friend no matter what size you are."

A moment passed.

"Hogarth." The Giant seemed to come alive again.

Dreading what his friend might say, the man pressed his lips together and turned.

Just as before two arms caught him in a big hug. Stunned, he slowly hugged him back.

"You know that, don't you?" Hogarth asked quietly.

"Yes," the Giant smiled, "I know that."

When Hogarth pulled back he was smiling too; the two still had one arm wrapped around the other's shoulders. "What'd ya say we go get some chili, pal?" Hogarth thumbed at his right eye before giving the Giant's shoulder a squeeze. He in turn gave Hogarth one back.

Now they were ready.

At least, they thought they were ready.

"How do we do this?" The Giant asked.

"Well…" Hogarth held out his hand in a man-to-man handshake. This business-like, rather impersonal gesture made the Giant's movable face work itself into an awkward frown. A moment later Hogarth realized this and started to bring it down. The Giant reached for his hand impulsively and brought him in for a third hug. Hogarth's blue eyes grew to the size of saucers. The Giant rubbed his cheek against his friend's shoulder without consequence.

Hogarth closed his eyes and reached up to stroke the back of the Giant's red-brown hair.

There was suddenly a long forgotten movement in his overalls; Hogarth backed away.

"Uh…" He looked down at one of the Giant's hands and tried to back into it. Hogarth at this time wanted things to go back to normal. But… he didn't fit. The Giant realized this.

He smiled reassuringly and opened up his arms as an offer to carry him.

Hogarth turned around instead and tried turning his arms outward. The Giant attempted to get on his friend's back but the position felt odd. Instead, he moved back a little and held out his hand again. Hogarth did so also. The Giant slipped his soft white fingers through Hogarth's. This still made him somewhat unsure and he worked his hand around so that both his and the Giant's hands grasped a bit more comfortably. Astonished by how well they both fit, Hogarth looked up at the Giant who nodded in confirmation. He felt it too.

A smile eased across Hogarth's face as they, hand-in-hand, headed for a circle of rocks.

…

"Whoo!" Hogarth leaned back and undid his suspenders. "That was good…"

He tried to hold his back his laughter as the Giant refused to use a bowl… or a spoon for that matter. After he had nearly broken his teeth trying to sharpen a piece of rusted metal to open one of the cans, the Giant had nearly burned his hands three times over the small fire Hogarth had taught him how to light. Though, that was his first near burn. Currently the Giant was busy with chugging down his third and hopefully final can of Hormel chili.

"Like it?"

"Hmm." He wiped his mouth off. "It tastes… warm. Chunky. Fleshy?"

"Meaty." Hogarth corrected, munching on a few Ritz crackers.

"You had four bowls." The Giant noted.

"And now we're down to two." He placed his old army pull string behind the rock he lay against. Hogarth looked up at the Giant and smiled. "Try to keep the fire stoked, okay?"

The ironless man smiled back. "Without burning myself?"

"I'm serious," his friend pointed out. Hogarth then unzipped the one other thing that had been in his bag. "You're welcome to the other half of this if you get cold." he pulled part of a sleeping bag over his head. "'Night pal." There was something else he wanted to say.

The Giant waited for him to do so but he didn't. They both turned back to their respective distractions. After about ten minutes the Giant looked back over at Hogarth and observed that he was rubbing his stomach. The flesh had extended out from beneath his blue T-shirt.

But aside from him gaining his girth back the Giant saw something else…

Hogarth's misery.

He debated only a moment before rising to his feet.

…

He was turning into an old man again. That wasn't the part that bothered Hogarth, he was turning into a fat old man again. His poor, aching stomach wasn't helping either. Sighing, the man was about to readjust himself onto his gut when a shadow loomed over him. The idea that he was in trouble turned out to be false as the Giant gently took hold of his body.

"Uh… Giant?"

"Huuuuhhh." His friend sighed as he grasped his belly.

Hogarth gradually smiled and slipped his arms under the Giant's, pulling him in closer.

He ended up opening his legs as he did this and giving the Giant a loving stroke across

the bangs. The Giant pulled up Hogarth's shirt and gave his stomach a stroke. This led Hogarth to pull off his shirt and allow the Giant full access to rubbing his growing belly.

His slender but masculine hands were like that of a fifteen-year-old as he ran his fingers in circles over Hogarth. The white flesh was tight at the top and seemed to be a swelled source of pain for him. The Giant worked on loosening it up with firm but gentle strokes, it wasn't something he knew how to do yet still he attempted to please. Hogarth reclined his head back in acceptance. He felt his pal begin to explore under his stretched flesh and hover tenderly over his undercarriage, the tips of his digits just barely graced it and it was enough to send a shiver up Hogarth's body. He didn't know what the Giant was thinking about but suddenly four fingers easily smoothed under his clump of stomach to relax him.

Hogarth could feel it building in his special area as he pulled the Giant back onto him. It was hard to tell if the fire was still burning or not, they were at least ten feet away. Just a faint white he assumed was from the city glowed from up above. He turned his attention back to the Giant who had settled back on top of him. His ear was pressed to his tummy.

He was listening.

…

The gurgling and swooshing was soothing. He had never been so close to another human before… or Hogarth, for that matter. It felt wonderful. The Giant continued to stroke his stomach as his fingers found long, deep stretch marks running up Hogarth's gut. He went on stroking them when he felt a tightness form in the front of his pants under his stomach.

Did he have to go pee?

…

Hogarth felt it. Just as the Giant moved his ear to Hogarth's heart the man used one hand to hold the Giant's back in place and the other to slip under his baggy jeans that were just like the ones he used to wear in the late seventies. Hogarth zipped down the tiny sliver of metal, hooked his finger through the light green nylon string, gave it a good tug and than the Giant took his hand and moved it between both their chests. This made Hogarth stop moving altogether. The Giant's warm flesh thumped with a strong, steady beat. Hogarth teared up as he felt his friend's heart throbbing rich with blood under well-sculpted pecs.

The former automaton then moved Hogarth's hand to his own chest and he felt his own heart beat; it was a little slower. They both gazed into each other's eyes and, smiling and closing them, pressed their chests together so their hearts beat as one. Hogarth could feel his own start to increase when the Giant rested his cheek on his shoulder. Nothing in this moment could make things better. But, Hogarth smiled to himself, he could think of one.

As the dual erection between their legs generously engorged, Hogarth slithered one of his hands – the one that wasn't pressed down – past the Giant and past his own thick penis to where one identical to his own was practically ready to burst at the seams. Hogarth did his brotherly duty and caught the shaft of the Giant's penis as it hardened into a fleshed stone;

It was an ironless stone.

To be continued…

~ Lavenderpaw ~