I.

The Giant felt a tingle shoot up an unknown part of his body. He shook, froze and then contemplated what such a thing could mean. Hogarth's hand gathered the flesh bulge he knew produced pee. The question building in his mouth was quelled by a wave of tingles.

"Hogarth." He gasped. "Hahhhhhhhhh."

"I got ya pal." His voice spoke from the mute light. "Just relax and enjoy."

Well-attuned fingers stroked up and down his thick rod, making the man quiver with what he could no longer mistake for anything else but pleasure. The finger tips easily found little hidden spots of sensation. This made the Giant arch his back unconsciously. All at once he felt control over his body leave him. Hogarth reached his thumb up close under the Giant's rod head and delivered the subtlest swipe under it. Another quiver and gravity was erased.

The Giant dropped with a desperate moan.

…

Wasting no time, the Giant fully recovered and pulled his white shirt off. Neither of them seemed interested in the fact that he had a perfect six pack. The Giant instead dramatically collapsed on top of Hogarth's gut, sighing in gratification as he did before he instinctively began his hunt for the zipper on Hogarth's overalls. As it turned out, his hand slid right in.

Hogarth placed one hand behind his head and used the other to stroke his friend's abs.

The Giant made sure that he was careful. Just like when he had been a giant robot, he was considerate of what he handled. Soft but tough flesh groped inside his loose grip. Next to a hug the Giant had never felt something so warm. He had never felt so warm, real, alive.

As he gently stroked Hogarth's rod the Giant could feel him tense up. This somehow did not make him hesitate as it normally would, instead he cradled and sought to pleasure his friend just as he had done for him initially. The Giant explored for Hogarth's benefit with delicate grace along his rod until he discovered two soft melons prickled in hair that were tucked away under a flap of belly. He touched them and instantly Hogarth's legs shot out.

…

With his pleasure point activated, Hogarth grabbed at the Giant's arm and pulled him back on top of his chest. He then went for the spot where he had been touched – the tiny crease between his left testicle and penis – and felt the Giant shiver in his arms. They both turned together with their respective bodies pressed flat and went to lay side-by-side. As pleasure kept shooting up their thighs and scrotums and as they kept massaging one another's penis, the two began sighing and moaning. Even as the fire burned out their hands stayed active.

Some time passed and Hogarth wanted to talk:

"You know I've always wanted to hold you like this," he emphasized his point by bringing the Giant in closer; who snuggled up to his chest and placed his ear on Hogarth's heart. "I thought I'd never get the chance…" his voice caught. The Giant looked up at him. Even in his tears of heartache and yearning there was frustration. "There were so many times in the past Giant that I wanted to hold you. I wanted to comfort you and I knew that I couldn't."

…

Feeling his own eyes grow moist, the Giant moved his left arm under Hogarth while using his right one to bring his friend in closer. "There were many times I wanted that too but I knew I couldn't. I didn't think you wanted that from me. I didn't know if I could say I…"

"I love you." Hogarth finished for him clearly, unexpectedly. He held the Giant as tightly as he could without suffocating him. "You don't have to worry about that." There were no more tears but the emotion was nearly overwhelming like so many instances in only a couple of days. "It was nothing you did, pal. I was just a kid. I was angry at myself but I took it out on you and Taylor." he stroked the Giant's cheek as he rested his head on his heart and relaxed a little. The pain of losing her surfaced and the Giant admitted to missing her quite often.

"I miss her too, pal. It seems like we miss a lot of people, huh?" Hogarth's laugh was sad.

When the Giant looked up at him there was a question in his eyes.

"I don't know where she is, Giant." He lamented quietly.

"No…" the Giant touched his gut and then took a breath before moving his cheek onto it.

"Oh," Hogarth was surprised but without defense, he welcomed his pal with more strokes along his neck as he relaxed and explained lightly. "Well, I was pretty happy with being in shape. My size had always bothered me as a kid and I didn't have many friends… until a giant robot came knocking, that is." he could feel the Giant's smile on his stomach and it caused him to smile as well. "When I retired from the big A I ditched staying on top of my health regime. One thing led to another and I guess you can say that I gained what I lost."

The Giant sank his cheek in deeper.

Hogarth continued stroking him.

"I guess by getting bigger it helped me feel closer to what I was missing. I missed you…"

There was a sudden inhale.

"I'm sorry," the Giant whispered. "I'm sorry I left you."

Hogarth leaned back and closed his eyes, giving him a final stroke. "I want to forgive…"

Two white eyes appeared over him. "I forgive you, I just wish you could forgive me."

"I…"

Someone curled up next to him as he fell asleep.

'I want to forgive you.'

II.

The crackle of a fire brought the Giant out of a deep snooze.

"Ugh…" It had been a very deep snooze. He directed his attention to a warm source.

There was a form hunched over a bright blaze that sparked orange up to the night sky.

"Hogarth?"

…

The man noticed that his friend rose from underneath the sleeping bag like a woman but rubbed at his eyes like a child. He smiled; Normalcy had never been one of his or the Iron Giant's strong suits. "Hey there pal." he greeted him. "I think it's right around midnight."

"Hmm. The time skip was just because of us, there shouldn't be anymore."

"Yep."

Hogarth was focused on something he was cooking over the fire.

"Anymore chili?"

"The last two cans are for my nephews… here." He held up a slightly charred stick.

"My throat itches…" The Giant clutched at the aforementioned place on his neck.

"You're thirsty," Hogarth offered his friend a smile and a bowl of water.

"Hmm. How'd you learn this?" He went to work drinking and munching on black meat.

"The army."

They both paused.

The Giant's face was a mix of surprise and inquiry.

Hogarth quietly munched on a charred shish-kabob.

"They're water roaches, I found them down by a small stream. Don't worry, it's all clean."

He waited for the adverse reaction.

"Can you teach me?"

Hogarth sighed. "Not now."

He joined the Giant and they laid side-by-side. A moment or so passed and the two looked at one another. There was that unspoken space between them. They had talked their issues out, gone through more issues and had new issues still. Even in the future their heads were still in the past. Hogarth smiled timidly and opened his arms. The Giant was alleviated and gladly went into the offered embrace as Hogarth started stroking the hair they both shared.

"I thought about what you said… about forgiving. But, I guess I never really did that."

The Giant waited patiently.

"Do you want to?"

"I don't know."

A hand suddenly clutched him around the gut. "I'm just glad you're here now."

Hogarth held his best friend closer. "I love you, pal."

"I love you too."

Unbeknownst to the Giant, Hogarth had unscrewed a small tube and applied a clear gel to his fingers. He slowly slipped them through the new jeans he had placed on his friend – the others having been ruined by a lack of toilet training – and gave the Giant a gentle squeeze around his penis. A quiver ran up his spine and he dropped flat on top of Hogarth, sighing and shuddering as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. Even as he tried to move his limp body there was nothing he could do; he was at Hogarth's mercy… a time later found them side-by-side cuddling, smiling. Their hearts and bellies were pressed together as both their penises were tucked into each others. They sighed with pleasure, ignoring everything else.

…

It was at least several hours later that found the pair lying under a heavenly night. A small band of medium blue tinged the eastern sky but they were far too out of it to notice; they lay in a near arch with their arms resting lazily on top of one another's, happily oblivious and lost in their sexual stupor. Hogarth was the first to comment and it took some effort:

"I've never been happier…"

"Me neither." The Giant found his voice.

"There's no one else I'd rather be here with," his companion admitted.

He turned his head at this. "Me neither."

There was a moment of truth surfacing as they spoke their validities. This didn't speak just solely of enjoying each other's company, that was expected. What this truth spoke of was something deeper then just males pleasing each other. They were violating two unspoken rules, possibly even committing a sin or two. The Giant knew of the first but he could not bring the second one to light beyond contemplation. Only Hogarth knew of the underlying issue at hand with two men consecrating their love for each other. He knew consequences would lie before him in this life and the next for this most gross violation of Christianity. It was probably a mark against humanitarianism as well. He would forever be a branded sinner.

The Giant was not exempt either.

He would lose everything he had worked for through a simple yet powerful motif: Superman.

With all this brewing in his mind, Hogarth pulled out his arm and touched the fingers of his best friend. The Giant craned his head a little and clutched onto Hogarth's hand. Only two hours remained until dawn as they lay back down. Hogarth felt the Giant squeeze his hand and he returned the favor. He then felt the top of it being kissed and he did so as well.

…

After thirty or so minutes, Hogarth had sat up and taken the Giant into his arms, holding and rocking him. The entire time the subject of his friend's soul had been on his mind. Did this now mean they shared each other's eternal life and not just the physical attributes? In all the time between October 6th 1957 up to May 21st 2201, Hogarth had never once been unconvinced that his friend had a soul. The Giant was every bit deserving of one. This led Hogarth to a revelation: he loved his best friend more than he loved himself. Possibly even the Lord himself. Hogarth nearly dropped the Giant out of his arms. He loved his best pal more than the Lord himself, even more than Pygmy and Julianne. How could he? Hogarth was beguiled. The unworthiness was almost too overbearing and all at once he saw that as the dawn grew brighter his left hand was starting to dissolve back into a nub. It was when he had accidentally been stepped on by Pygmy. Just the thought of her and his nephews in trouble caused Hogarth more guilt for loving them any less then he loved his best friend. A ray of sunlight escaped the horizon and Hogarth saw that a large silhouette was forming.

It was the body of the Iron Giant, lying uselessly among rocks, weeds and big metal tubes.

Not taking the time to wonder what the tubes were, Hogarth looked down at his friend in resolution. Just as he was beginning to glow a haze of blue the child-hearted android was gathered up in Hogarth's arms and carried up a tube to where his real body lay corpselike.

"I'm going to give you what you've deserved all along," his friend said. "A human body."

He was caught on a sudden burst of emotion, the Giant should have been born human.

"My body." Hogarth finalized.

To be continued…

~ Lavenderpaw ~