The next class was definitely going to be entertaining, though Erin wasn't an artist of any sort. When he'd first moved, a lot of the kids had tried to mess with him about painting with his trunk but they'd learned pretty quickly that he wasn't one to deal with being bullied. He'd tossed a few of them over the fence and wasn't bothered again.

Grayson had the same class so they quietly walked to the art room together, getting there just early enough to get called-on to help the teacher set up. Gray quickly moved to help bring out canvases and set them up on the floor, along with a bunch of different paints and a few brushes.

Oh no.

"Ms. Carroway, are we doing shifter painting again?" Erin asked with a groan.

The silver-haired woman stepped out of the storage closet with a grin before she shoved some canvases into his arms.

"Yup! This time you'll be allowed to have a partner, though." She said, far too cheerfully.

Well, at least he wouldn't have to take his home and try not to smash it with his elephant's foot again. The first one he'd tried had ended, well, badly. As well as the second and third. 

Wait a second. He knew someone who could do the assignment easily. Whirling around, he saw Grayson finishing setting up his last canvas and ran over.

"Gray! You'll be my partner for this."

The boy's brows knit together slightly but as he opened his mouth to question what the assignment even was since he hadn't been paying attention, everyone began to file into the room. Erin quickly grabbed Grayson's hand and tugged him toward his area, then down to sit on the floor in front of their canvas.

You could hear different groans and grumbles when the kids came in but Erin was all smiles because he had the best partner for the frustrating assignment.

Grayson wasn't really sure what was going on, but when the teacher told them to shift, he felt a bit awkward. Doing it by mistake was one thing, but to just shift in the middle of class?

When he saw other kids begin to do it he hesitantly glanced at Erin. He was smiling down at him and the memory of his naked body abruptly flashed through his mind. Okay, mouse time. His body shifted to hide a certain issue starting in his pants which was way too embarrassing to get caught with, especially in front of the guy causing it. Erin helped him find his way out of his clothes, then folded them up and put them aside.

Grayson could tell that he was hesitant to get closer but that was fine. As long as he didn't try to hurt him, he could handle a slightly-distant friend.

When the teacher told them what to do, Grayson squeaked, his ears falling slightly. He hated stepping in paint. His parents had made him do it ever year since he was born as a fun way to measure his paws and keep the memory, but it had felt so gross.

"Alright, let's get busy!" Erin said cheerfully.

Suddenly, there was a tray of red and black paint pushed up to Grayson, making him jump slightly as the smell wafted to his nose. It smelled terrible, too. He shook his head and plopped his backside down on the cold tile floor before looking behind himself at all of the shifters next to their mostly human partners. It would seem like the teacher really liked intermingling the shifters and humans, but there were way too many carnivores in the class. Grayson could count at least four wolves, three lions, and several smaller felines, along with a python. At least there was a sheep, weasel, and two macaws as well, but still...

"Come on, Gray, I need you to do this so that we can get a good grade." Erin said, his voice pleading and bringing Grayson's attention back to his current predicament.

Come on Gray. I'll do you a favor later if you do this for me?

Grayson's eyes bugged out as he flicked his head, not believing that he'd just heard Erin's thoughts in his mind. Bonds like that were only something you could form with people you were close to.

He heard Erin chuckle in his thoughts as the boy shrugged.

I don't know why I can talk to you like this, but you did it first in the locker room.

Oh no. Which of my thoughts did he hear? Grayson thought, worried as his nose immediately heated up as he hid it between his tiny paws and let out a humiliated squeak.

Don't worry, all I heard was that you called for help.

Oh, phew.

After a moment he let his paws move away from his nose and looked up at Erin. The guy was smiling again, making Grayson's tiny heart flutter like a butterfly in his fuzzy chest.

Well, as long as he won't go back on his offer to do me a favor some time, I guess I can manage a little bit of paint. He did help me a lot in the locker room, anyway. 

With a strong swallow he hesitantly reached his right pink paw into the red paint, just barely touching the gross stuff before hopping up onto the canvas. He ran in a quick circle, then stuck his tongue out and held up his right paw, flicking it to try and get the sticky paint off.

"Hmm, I've got an idea..." Erin mumbled.

Before Grayson could even look up he was being lifted and put right back into the paint. He was about to give Erin a very tiny piece of his mind when the boy unwrapped something and waved it in front of Grayson's nose.

Ch... cheese. Cheese!

The deliciousness quickly moved over the canvas, drawing him off of the nasty paint and after it.

I want it! Please!

Grayson made several circles and zig zags as he followed just behind the tempting dairy treat. He could smell it so close. When he ran out of paint on his feet Erin pulled off a small piece of cheese and tossed it to him. It vanished into Grayson's belly in seconds.

Wait, where'd the rest go?

Raising his nose to the air, Grayson quickly located his target hovering right over the paint. He darted for it, diving into the colors as he tried to grab the cheese in mid-air. Erin was faster, but Gray wasn't done yet. When the cheese moved back over the canvas he jumped up, running after it with renewed fervor. The chase resumed with a few pieces as his reward until the teacher said to begin cleaning up.

Wait, what?

"Good job, Gray. Here." Erin said.

The cheese got closer and Grayson snatched it up right away, shoving every single bit that he could into his mouth. His stomach began to rumble but he refused to stop eating until he had finished at least half the stick of string cheese. Granted, he knew what was coming, and unfortunately, it came with force since he'd been eating the cheese throughout class. 

Bathroom!

Dropping the remainder of the snack reluctantly, Grayson quickly ran for the door, pawing at it when he realized that he was still a mouse.

Bathroom! Erin bathroom!

The guy stumbled to his feet and shoved the door open, then shouted for him to turn left when he'd nearly passed the bathroom. Grayson skidded into the walk-in room and quickly found a stall, but...

I can't get up there but I gotta go!

Erin looked down as he ran in, noticing him pawing at the toilet bowl frantically, leaving behind faint colorful pawprints on the porcelain. When Grayson turned around and squeaked, wanting help to get up, he looked around in a panic. He's still hesitant to pick me up? He had done it in class.

Come on Erin, please! I don't want to go on the floor.

After a moment Erin ran over to the paper towel machine and grabbed a few, then used them to lift him onto the seat. He was a bit miffed that he had to use paper towels to touch him, but he wasn't going to dwell on it right then. Gray got his tail lifted just in time to go bathroom, his mouse sighing as he did so.

What the heck was that?

His head jerked up when he heard Erin in his mind, then noticed that he had shut the stall door and was standing right outside it.

I-I'm, my mouse... is uh, lactose intolerant.

The sound of loud laughter had his fur in a bunch. Was it that funny? His poor mouse was nuts for cheese but every time he had more than a tiny piece he had to run to the bathroom. It was no way for a little mouse to live.

When he finished using the bathroom Grayson shifted and wiped, but as he got up to let himself out of the stall Erin opened the door, asking if he was finished.

Uh.

Without a word, Erin pulled off his shirt. I'm not drooling. And tugged it down over Grayson's body. The fabric went halfway to his knees, but he was too worried about the fact that Erin had just seen him naked for a second time. In just one day, too.

Erin couldn't help but grin at the kid's reddening nose. When he'd opened the door, he hadn't expected him to be back in his human form, but he supposed that it was good. When he looked down at his feet, Erin shook his head and chuckled, offering him a hand.

"Let's get back to class so that you can get changed and to your next one, okay?"

Gray's dark brown eyes rose to his and after a moment he smiled and nodded. As they walked back Erin noticed that the kid's face was a little flushed, even after his blush had died down.

"Are you feeling okay? I could take you to the nurse if you need some medicine for your stomach." He asked.

Grayson quickly shook his head, then pursed his lips as a hint of nausea appeared on his face, then vanished.

"I don't like medicine. I'm okay, my stomach will settle soon." He reassured him.

Once back in class Erin noticed that half the kids were already cleaned up and gone. Oh, wait. Looking down, Erin lifted Grayson's hand up, then frowned as he looked him over.

"Uh..."

"Erin! What did you do to your partner?" Ms. Carroway asked as she came running over to them like a bulldog. Which she actually was. A spunky stocky woman with a spitfire attitude.

"Why did you cover your partner in paint?" She asked, gesturing to Grayson.

"We got a bit carried away. He's a mouse so I guess I didn't pay attention when he slipped in the paint a few times. Could we have a note for our next class so that I can go help him get cleaned up?" He asked.

The woman eyed him but when Erin didn't flinch, she sighed, shook her head, and scribbled their names on to two passes. When she handed over the slips Erin packed up Grayson's clothes and their bags before quickly tugging him down the stairs they had gone up near the gym to get to the art room. Thankfully, there were showers in the lockers in the gym and Erin thought that the coach had a planning period as his next class.

Sure enough, he had been correct. The coach poked his head out of his office but when he saw Grayson he just laughed and nodded for them to go get him cleaned up. Once in the locker room, Erin set their stuff down on a bench near the back shower and nodded for Grayson to get undressed. Except, the kid just backed up a step and shook his head, that little nose turning a bright pink again.

"What's wrong? It's not like I haven't seen you naked already... twice."

He made a quiet mumbling sound as his hands came up to brush at his nose, just like a mouse would if embarrassed or hesitant.This kid definitely has cute down pat, though I'd bet he doesn't even know it. Anyway, they had to get him cleaned up so that he didn't miss any classes on his first day.

"Here Gray."

The guy looked up as he walked over, seeming as if he was about to bolt.

"It's okay, look." Erin said.

He had a towel in his hand and quickly wrapped it around Grayon's waist so that he couldn't see the special parts, then grinned.

"There you go, now let's get you washed up?"

Grayson looked down, then up as he chewed on his lower lip, but thankfully he nodded a moment later. While Grayson shrugged out of the too-big shirt, Erin set the water temperature for the shower and grabbed the body wash from his backpack, since he didn't like the smell of the stuff the school offered. Grayson stepped in front of him and then began rubbing at the paint dried on his skin. He had pulled his hair back into a tiny ponytail so that it wouldn't get wet.

"Here, turn around. Let me get your back." Erin said.

When Grayon turned, he couldn't help but chuckle, getting a pout when he glanced over his shoulder at him.

"Sorry, sorry. You're just covered in paint."

When Erin reached over to begin rubbing his back Grayson jumped, squeaked, and blushed.

He knew that it was stupid to jump when someone was just trying to help, but Erin was more than a bit of a hunk and actually quite sweet, when he wasn't afraid of his shift form.

"You okay, kid?" He asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.

"Y-Yeah, sorry." Grayson replied, trying not to stutter.

"No problem, hold still."

Erin's hands returned, slightly rough but gentle as he carefully rubbed the paint off of his lower back, then moved slowly up to his shoulder blades. Grayson could feel his whiskers poke free of his skin but didn't really think much of it. He was content with the simple bit of attention. Sure, he had made a mess of him in the art room, but still.

Grayson was snapped out of his daze when he felt Erin's fingers gently slip beneath his collar and nudge the bell he had tucked beneath the band free.

"You..."

Grayson's body froze up, knowing what he was going to say, but too afraid to try and run.

"You're a cross shifter."

Memories flashed through his mind when Erin spoke. He hadn't always been home schooled. He'd gone to middle school, but in sixth grade someone had tried to...

At that point his mother and father had immediately pulled him out of school and gotten him a cross shifter collar. Well, the school board did, actually, to keep him from talking. Evidently the guy who had tried to breed with him had parents who were loaded. Apparently, money did make most people's problems disappear.

"Go away." He ground out, trying to keep his voice from shaking with worry.

"Grayson." Erin said quietly.

Grayson spun around, glaring at the other boy as he tried to look angry.

"Now I know why you were suddenly being nicer to me! You don't want to be my friend, you just want what I can do for you!" He knew that he shouldn't draw unwarranted conclusions, but it was hard not to.

Grayson's hands slapped against Erin's bare chest, trying to push him back so that he could get out of the shower stall, but he refused to budge.

"Leave me alone, do you here me elephant?" He warned.

He wasn't aware that he was crying and shaking until Erin stepped forward and caught him in his strong arms. Grayson's mouse was panicking in his head and had him sinking his teeth into Erin's left shoulder, but when he ignored it and just sat down, bringing him down with him to sit in his lap, Grayson eventually gave up and just buried his face in his chest to cry.

Please don't do it.

"Shh, Grayson. I don't want to do anything to you." Erin whispered.

His voice was right against his ear, making Grayson shiver and try to hide more.

"I have a good friend who is a cross shifter. You're a sweet kid, just like him."

He does? Gray hesitantly allowed his head to lift just enough so that he could look up at him. He knew that his nose was red and he sniffled as he quietly mumbled out a reply.

"You do?"

Erin's smile immediately widened at his response.

"Yeah. His name is Arron. I'll introduce you two some time." He offered.

"Okay..."

They both sat in silence for a moment before Erin ruffled his hair and chuckled.

"You still need to finish getting cleaned up. I got your back done, so I'll leave you alone to do the rest."

They sat for another minute before he spoke again, making Grayson's face burn.

"You do know that I'm not holding you anymore and you can get up, right?"

His eyebrow lifted as he let a cocky smirk slide across his lips. Grayson jumped up and quickly stepped further into the shower stall, then yanked the pathetic curtain closed. He could hear Erin laughing as he got up and sauntered toward the locker room entrance.

"I'll be waiting out here!"

About five minutes later Grayson came out of the locker room feeling a bit better. All of the paint had been washed off and he had his emotions back under control, but evidently not enough for Erin because he grabbed him in another hug and messed up his hair.

"Hey! You're a rude elephant." Gray grumbled, though he couldn't honestly be mad.

"You know it, kid. Here..."

Gray stilled when Erin slipped his fingers back under his collar, but he quickly noticed that he was just tucking in the little bell that he'd forgotten to hide.

"There, now then, let's get you to class... or at least to the end of it."

Erin took Grayon's bag from his shoulder and tossed it over his to join his own, drawing a small smile from him as they began to walk out of the gym.

"Thank you for the help, by the way." Grayson said nervously.

Erin's smile made his butterflies return, painting his nose a soft pink.

"No problem, Gray."