“In that case...” Bobby smiled and looked at the weasel. “How about I start by helping get you ready, hm?”

“Before you do... I have to ask you something.”

Bobby raised a brow. “Go ahead.”

“You knew my reputation. That became obvious when you pointed out that you knew I tend to avoid major gatherings. I have to ask... Knowing that... Why have you been so nice to me? I mean... You’re standing here offering to climb inside my dick. What I don’t get is why.”

“Because I like you, Duke,” Bobby told him with a smile.

“Huh?!” Duke went wide-eyed. “But this is the first time we’ve ever met. And, again, you’ve known about my reputation...”

“I try not to judge people on the things they’ve done in the past,” the porcupine told him. “Especially when it’s been made clear they’re trying to change.”

“What makes you so sure I’m trying to change at all,” the weasel asked.

Bobby raised a brow at that. “Well, we’re both here in this room, aren’t we?”

Duke paused for a moment. “For all you know, I could be using you just to get something I want since it’s my birthday.”

Bobby shakes his head. “Nope. That’s impossible. Theo and Tidus’ magic within this place prevents anyone with ill intent from even seeing this place, let alone coming inside to trick people.”

Duke was silent only for a moment before letting out a snicker. “Alright, so that’s a fair point, but still...”

Bobby cut him off. “Duke... I want you to look me in the eye right now and tell me you’re trying to con me.”

To Bobby’s surprise, Duke shook his head. “Can’t do that, Spiky. You’re right. When I first stepped foot in this place, it was because I was hoping to find someone to have some fun with. I didn’t think I would, given my past, but then you came over and...”

Bobby raised a brow. “And?”

“Look, please don’t tell anyone what I’m about to tell you, alright?”

The porcupine just nodded.

“When you forced yourself on me, I was surprised at first. From what I know of you, you’re not usually a forceful person, so you caught me off-guard. Then I was a bit mad, because you wouldn’t let go... But then... when you started rubbing my back... holding me and trying to comfort me, it... It broke me.” Duke sighed. “Bobby... It’s been so long since I’ve been held like that, that I’ve forgotten the last time it ever happened. You...” Duke looked directly into Bobby’s eyes. As he did, tears formed in them. “You were right. I needed that, and I needed a friend.”

That seemed to be all Bobby needed to hear and see. He stepped up beside Duke, turning the weasel’s face to his. “It’s okay, Duke... You’ve got a friend. And I’d wager you have more than you think you do.”

Duke stood there in silence, trying to process both what Bobby had said. “I doubt that... but I want to believe you.”

“You’ll see soon enough.”

Duke just nodded, wiping his face clean of his tears. “So... you’re really in here doing this because you like me? Despite what you know about me?”

“Yes, Duke. As far as I’m concerned, it’s what I see that determines whether or not I like someone. I don’t just go solely based on something someone else says.” Bobby smiled. “And I like what I’ve seen of you since actually meeting you.”

Duke smirked. “Even though I...”

Bobby cut him off. “Even though you were being stubborn at first, yes. Now stop trying to talk me out of spending time with you. I’m doing this because I want to."

Duke nodded and stood.

Bobby stood as well, before walking up to the weasel and slowly lifting the shirt he was wearing up and over his head. Once he had gotten it off, he hugged Duke once more, pressing his gut against Duke’s body.

This time, Duke wrapped his paws around the porcupine, hugging him in return. “I gotta ask... how much of that belly came from the magic here? I seem to remember hearing you were given that gut back when you were around thirteen.”

Bobby nodded. “Most of it came from the magic the day it was given to me, but I’ve put on about fifty pounds or so in the last five years beyond that. Why do you ask?”

“I was just curious if you had gotten the extra weight naturally or not,” Duke commented.

Bobby smirked. “Liar. You asked because you don’t want to admit you’re enjoying how it feels.” As he said this, he hugged the weasel tighter.

“H... hey... C... Cut that out. Let go,” Duke stammered.

“Why? Getting hard?” Bobby nuzzled against him, while still keeping the weasel held against his belly.

“Mrf,” was the only response Bobby got from Duke, who started to squirm a bit.

“That’s what I thought. So you’re a belly lover too, huh?” Bobby let Duke go then.

Duke took a step back and looked at the porcupine. There was now a clearly visible tent in his shorts. “You tell me.”

Bobby grinned, stepped close again, reached down, and rubbed the tent. “Heh... Yup. Definitely a belly lover.” He then took hold of the waistband of Duke’s shorts. “May I?”

“Go for it,” Duke said.

Bobby nodded, slipping his fingers inside the waistband of both Duke’s shorts and underwear. He then slid them down to his ankles before helping the weasel step out of them. Once he had, he stripped off his own clothing. He then took hold of the weasel’s erect penis and started to gently stroke it.

Duke moaned quietly when he did. “Mmmrf...”

“Feels nice having someone else do the work for you, hm?”

The weasel nodded and moaned again. “I’m so used to doing it myself that having someone else do it feels both nice and weird at the same time. I’m enjoying it, though.”

“Good,” Bobby said. “Relax and let me take care of you.” He stroked the weasel slowly, and, as he did, he started to see the telltale signs of the Zoo’s magic beginning to work.

Duke moaned as he also realized the magic was kicking in. He couldn’t help looking down, and, when he did, he saw his dick was starting to grow in both length and girth. He was also oozing precum quite heavily. “B... Bobby?”

“Hmm,” Bobby got a smile on his face as he continued to stroke.

“This... mmrr... feels good,” Duke couldn’t hold it anymore and started humping Bobby’s paw. This seemed to make the magic work faster, as his dick began to grow quicker.

“If you think it feels good now, just wait until I climb inside, Duke.”

Duke groaned as the porcupine continued to rub his dick. “I’m... mmrr.. looking forward to it,” he said, as his cock started lightly oozing precum.

Bobby just grinned and kept rubbing. “I have to admit, I am too. Would you believe, in the five years since I first found this place, I’ve never once been the one to give someone their first experience?”

“Th... that’s interesting,” the weasel replied, amidst another moan.

It became quickly evident to Bobby that Duke was eager to feel someone inside him, as the magic was working even more rapidly, to the point the porcupine was now forced to rub with both paws. “Heh... You really do want me in there, don’t you?”

“Y... Yeah...” Duke moaned. “I want to know what it feels like. I want to know if it’s really as nice a feeling as I keep hearing it is.”

“I guarantee you’re going to enjoy it.” Bobby continued rubbing as he slowly made his way to the head of the weasel’s cock.

“Mrrrrr...” was all Duke could manage as the porcupine did this. He shivered, sending another spurt of precum shooting from his cock.

Bobby continued to rub along the enlarged shaft, with it still growing as he did. Eventually, he reached the head of the weasel’s dick and rubbed along it with both paws. “You ready for this?”

“J... just.. Do it, Bobby... Please,” the weasel moaned.

“My pleasure,” Bobby replied as he moved his paws to the weasel’s cock slit. When he did, he pushed against it with a paw until it sank inside.

“Aaah...”

“Told you it felt good.”

All Duke could do was moan and nod in response as he felt the porcupine push his other paw inside.

Seeing the look on Duke’s face, Bobby then slowly pushes his other paw into the large weasel penis. Once he had done so, he slowly began to pull his paws apart. This was met by his paws getting coated in precum, but that didn’t deter him from continuing. “Hey, Duke?”

“Yeah, Bobb... aah!”

In the middle of the weasel’s sentence, Bobby had pressed his head against the large member and began pushing it inside. He snickered when he heard yet another moan.

“Mrrf... why does... that feel so good,” the weasel asked, trying to resist moaning as he spoke.

“Because, like me and all the others here, vore turns you on, and, now that you’re getting the chance to experience it for yourself, you’re realizing just how much of a turn-on it is to you,” Bobby said, using his paws to help pull himself in further.

“I... ahh... think you’re right about that, but... the way I’m feeling right now, I’m almost ready to cum,” the weasel told him.

“Good. Then it’ll be easier for me to slide in,” Bobby said. “I’m not going to be able to get too much further in on my own. Thankfully, the magic here will help with that too.”

“D... Don’t stop, Bobby... I’m real close,” Duke moaned, sending more precum over the porcupine.

“Don’t plan to,” Bobby told him. Just as he was about to lose his ability to pull himself in on his own, the porcupine unintentionally rubbed his head against the inside of Duke’s dick.

“Aah!” The weasel lost it at that point. Twitching and moaning out loud, Bobby found himself getting hit with a flood of weasel cum, which had fully coated everything that was currently inside of Duke at that moment.

When Duke’s orgasm had subsided, Bobby spoke up. “Feeling okay out there, Duke?”

“That... felt... amazing,” Duke said, panting between words. It took several seconds of him catching his breath before he could speak again. “You’re not gonna stop just because I came, are you?”

“No chance, Duke. I’m not stopping until I’m inside. I want you to get the full experience,” Bobby told him. With Duke’s inner walls and his body covered in cum now, he had to mostly rely on the magic to slowly pull him in, but this also meant he could add to the stimulation by squirming, which he started doing immediately.

“Aah... Wh... what are you doing?”

“I told you... giving you the full experience,” Bobby said as his chest slowly sank into the weasel. He squirmed more as it did, with Duke’s cock slit widening to take in the porcupine’s gut.

The weasel murred as he felt his cock stretch more. “Mff... Gonna be a... ahh... tight fit...”

“Maybe,” Bobby remarked as he continued to squirm, getting his with another splash of pre as he did. “That’s the way you want it, though, isn’t it?”

“Y... yeah... Feels good,” Duke stammered out as his dick tugged the porcupine inside further.

Bobby snickered a bit, brushing along Duke’s insides as best he could. “By the way...”

“Mmm?”

“Mahalo for letting me do this,” the porcupine said as he felt more of his belly being pulled into the weasel’s dick. “It’s gonna probably sound a little perverted, but as much as I like vore in general, being inside someone’s dick, for some reason, is what I enjoy most.”

“Mmmrrf,” Duke groaned, feeling the porcupine slip in further. “I feel like... aah... I should be the one thanking you. You could have just left me sitting in the lobby in a foul mood. You didn’t.”

Bobby squirmed a little more as the rest of his belly finally sank into Duke’s penis. “To be one hundred percent honest with you, Duke, when I saw how upset you looked, I just... couldn’t let that go. I wanted to cheer you up.”

“Well... while I still don’t understand your logic, I’m... glad you did.” His cock twitched again, shooting another jet of precum over Bobby. “I’m getting close again...”

Bobby snickered again. “Really? I hadn’t noticed.” He brushed his quills against the weasel’s insides slowly.

“B...Bobby... I... I... Ahh!” Duke moaned out loudly as his cock shot another load all over Bobby, with there being so much it seeped out around the porcupine.

“There ya go... And I’m almost inside too. Just a little further and I think I’ll be able to pull my legs in,” Bobby told the weasel.

Duke was silent for several seconds, trying to catch his breath. “That one... felt even better than the first one did.”

“Not surprising, given how much I’ve been stimulating you from the inside,” Bobby replied. “Are you okay to keep going?”

“Just... just give me... a minute,” the weasel said, panting heavily.

“Alright,” Bobby remarked with a chuckle. “Got another question for you.”

“Shoot.”

“This question is probably gonna sound a bit weird, but what’s the best gift you’ve ever received,” Bobby asked.

Once he caught his breath, the weasel replied. “May I ask why?”

“I’ll tell you why after you answer, I promise. This is important.”

Duke went quiet for several moments. “If I share this with you, it stays between us, alright?”

Bobby immediately responded as soon as those words came from Duke’s muzzle. “It’s from someone you met only recently, and that someone is the reason you’ve started trying to change, right?”

Duke went wide-eyed. “How did you...”

“You mentioned your family left years ago. I'm guessing that your family abandoning you became part of the reason you used to behave the way you did.”

“That’s... pretty accurate, yeah.”

“I don’t want to wreck the mood, so let’s keep this positive. What was the gift and who gave it to you? I promise I won’t tell anyone,” Bobby told him.

“It’s... kinda hard to explain, but the gift... It wasn’t physical, and it wasn’t specifically given to me. It was the ability to talk to someone that I could benefit from, should I ever choose to.”

“Go on,” Bobby replied.

“I’d been made aware of this fur about five years ago. It was someone who loved making new friends and helping them out with their problems. They would make those friends feel loved and cared about both physically and emotionally. For the longest time, I thought it was a joke, but then I started seeing it for myself, and... well, I thought that if I was going to try to be this fur’s friend, I needed to at least try to be a good guy, so... I started trying to do things that were more productive than conning others. It took a while to break the habit, but it’s been a little over a year now...” He sighed. “Anyway, I started visiting the place I knew this fur went to, but my nature of not wanting to trust people kept me from trying to interact with this fur...”

Bobby cut him off. “Until that fur walked up to you today and refused to leave... Duke... you’re... you’re talking about me, aren’t you?”

Duke responded almost immediately. “Yeah... Yeah, I am.”

“Duke... Am I really the reason you started trying to change?”

“You’re a large part of it,” Duke told him.

“Now I’m even more glad I chose to come and talk to you. By the way, when I said it was important... The reason was that I wanted to see what things in your life that you’ve found were worth remembering.”

“Well, I guess now you know I consider you worth remembering,” Duke replied.

“That means a lot to me. Now... where were we?”

“I think you... Aaah,” Duke’s words were cut short as he felt the porcupine brush against his insides once more. “Mrrr.”

Feeling himself getting pulled in again, the porcupine squirmed and brushed against Duke’s insides, making the weasel moan even louder. As it finally reached the point Bobby felt he could pull his legs inside, he did exactly that, being coated by another jet of precum as a result. Once his entire body was safely tucked inside the weasel, he spoke. “Mmm... nice and warm.”

Duke’s only reply was another moan, which got louder as he felt Bobby squirming again.

“Mmm... By the way... once I get you riled up enough that you shoot me out with your load, I’ve got another gift I’m gonna give you... Something that I’m positive you’re going to love,” Bobby told the weasel as he squirmed more.

“Mmmrff... another one?” Duke moaned, his cock oozing precum again.

“Mmhmm... Not gonna tell you what it is though. You’re just gonna have to be surprised,” Bobby told him as he squirmed even more.

“B... Bobby... I’m...”

“Shhh...” Bobby squirmed more, brushing his paws along the weasel’s dick too.

“A... aa... aaah!” Duke moaned out loud as his whole body shook.

Bobby felt a rush of cum hit him faster and in greater volume than the weasel’s previous loads. He did nothing to stop Duke’s load from pushing him out, and he quickly found himself lying on the floor, covered in Duke’s cum.

Duke couldn’t help snickering, amidst trying to catch his breath. “You... look hilarious, Spiky.”

Bobby chuckled too. “I imagine I do since I’m laying here covered in weasel spunk. Help me up?”

Duke nodded and offered his paw to the porcupine, lifting him to his feet. “Did you need some help cleaning up?”

Bobby chuckled. “Nah. The magic will take care of it when we leave. I’d take a shower, but I don’t wanna keep the others waiting too much longer.”

“Uhh... okay...”

“First thing’s first though. Relax for me, okay? Give yourself a minute to fully recuperate from that orgasm you just had.”

Duke just nodded. He stood there, taking a couple of breaths and letting his body relax. As he did, his cock began to shrink back to its normal size.

It wasn’t until about a minute later that Bobby spoke again. “There... Now I can give you your gift.”

“Uhh... you have me confused at this point, but I’m ready for whatever it is,” Duke told him.

“Are you sure about that,” Bobby asked with a smirk.

“Yes,” the weasel replied with a questioning tone.

“Alright... Duke, I want to do something, but I don’t wanna tell you what exactly it is just yet. Do you trust me?”

Duke raised a brow at him. “You were just in my dick, Spiky. What do you think?”

Bobby persisted. “Yes or no, Duke. Do you trust me?”

Duke rolled his eyes. “Yeah, Bobby. I do. I trust you.”

With that, Bobby reached over and started rubbing Duke’s sheath gently.

“Wh... what are you doing now,” Duke asked.

Bobby snickered but didn’t reply. He just continued rubbing Duke’s sheath. After a few seconds, he used his other paw and started rubbing Duke’s sac as well.

After several moments, Duke got a curious look on his face. “Hey, Bobby... That’s starting to feel kinda... weird.”

Bobby still didn’t reply, but he was now smiling. He kept the rubbing up for a couple more seconds until he felt something. It was only then that he pulled his paws away. “There...”

“What was that about,” Duke asked.

“Look for yourself,” Bobby told him.

Duke looked down, noticing his sheath was swollen. “You’ve got me turned on again. Was that your goal?”

“Mmm, sort of... maybe you should take care of it,” Bobby replied.

Duke raised a brow, confused by Bobby’s odd comment, but reached down with his paw to stroke his sheath a bit. As soon as he did, he immediately caught onto what had happened. “Bobby... wh... what did you....”

“Happy birthday, Duke,” was all Bobby said.

Duke continued to stroke his sheath, and he found that, instead of one, two cocks slid free of it. Stunned by this, he reached with his other paw, so that he could take one in each and gently stroked them both, moaning heavily when he did. “Ohhh...”

“I take it you like your gift,” the porcupine asked.

Duke stopped stroking himself to turn to Bobby. “I... I didn’t think the magic here could do something like this.”

“If you had tried to do that to yourself, it wouldn’t have worked,” Bobby told him. “There are certain restrictions Tidus and Theo have placed on this place. You can only use the magic if it’s done as something that gives someone other than just yourself pleasure or happiness. It’s why the whole vore thing works in the first place. Furs engaging in vore here can make the changes to their own body only if it isn’t just them that gets pleasure out of it. Since the person being vored enjoys it too, that isn’t an issue.”

“I get that, but you didn’t use it on yourself. You used it on me,” Duke replied.

Bobby reached down to grope himself, letting his fox dick slide free of his sheath. “You can use the magic to change others as long as they consent to it, and it’s something they want. That’s why I asked if you trusted me first. If you had said no or said you wanted me to stop, I would not have attempted anything, because the magic wouldn’t have worked anyway.”

“What made you so sure I wanted this,” Duke asked, pointing to his two dicks.

“To be honest, I didn’t know that for sure. Being someone who loves vore the same way I do, though, I figured that if I did anything, doing something with your dick would be what you’d find most enjoyable. I just made it so the magic granted whatever your biggest sexual desire was.”

“Well... truth be told, I’ve had a lot of fantasies run through my head about having two dicks,” Duke rubbed his neck. “Kinda weird, I know.”

“Duke, I’m a porcupine with a fox dick. I’m not going to judge you for what you like. If I thought it would be something that would make me feel weird, do you think I would have made it happen? Besides, I think you look pretty hot like that.” Bobby smiled, reached over, and groped both of the weasel’s cocks.

Duke shivered when he did. “Th... thanks.” He then started bucking into Bobby’s paws.

“You’re welcome,” the porcupine replied as he started to stroke the weasel again. He only did this for a few moments before stopping. Before Duke had a chance to question it, Bobby bent over the bed, looking over his shoulder with a grin.

Duke grinned as well and came up behind Bobby, carefully lining himself up. “Ready?”

“Have at it,” Bobby told him.

Duke nodded and pushed forward. Both his cocks pushed against Bobby’s tailhole before slipping inside. “Mmffff... Wow, that’s tight...”

Bobby moaned. “Well, you ARE shoving two dicks inside me.”

“R... Right.” Duke took hold of Bobby’s sides, slowly pushing his cocks inside the porcupine, a little at a time.

“Hey, Duke?”

Amidst another moan, the weasel spoke. “Huh?”

“Shove them in. I won’t get hurt,” Bobby told him.

“Heh, alright then.” Duke rubbed Bobby’s sides for a moment before thrusting forward, pushing both in as deep as he could. When he had, Duke found the quick stimulation to be too much, and he shot deep within the porcupine’s butt. “Ahhh!”

“Mmmm... There ya go. How do you feel now,” Bobby asked.

“Do you... even have to ask,” Duke responded with a smirk while trying to catch his breath. He flopped on top of Bobby at that point.

“I suppose not.”

The weasel replied. He went quiet after that but didn’t pull himself free. It was a couple of minutes before he spoke again. “Hey, Bobby?”

“Hm?”

“What you said before... about liking me even despite my reputation because you prefer to make your own opinion based on what you see... Does that mean if I had approached you back when I first learned you were visiting this place, you wouldn’t have turned me away?”

“That’s exactly what it means, Duke,” Bobby told him. “I may have been sad to have heard that you spent a lot of time conning people, but the fact remained that I had not personally seen proof of that being true. I wouldn’t have judged you based on something that I didn’t see any proof of.”

There was no response from the weasel at first, but, seconds later, Bobby felt what he was sure was Duke kissing the back of his head.

“Duke?”

“Hush, Spiky. Don’t ruin this moment for me,” Duke replied, as he nuzzled him from behind.

Bobby fell silent, reaching back behind him and rubbing along Duke’s side.

Duke said nothing more. He stayed there, still buried within Bobby, but made no further attempt to hump him. Instead, he rubbed the fat porcupine’s sides lightly for several minutes before eventually pulling out of him and rolling off him. Once Bobby and readjusted to face him, Duke spoke again. “I can see why everyone likes you so much. You really are a great guy.”

“I just treat people the same way I want to be treated,” Bobby told him. “And, honestly, I had been looking for a reason to spend time with you. I’ve made so many friends out of the residents from the other side of the Zoo, and, when I saw you, I felt like it was a chance to make a new friend.”

“It’s nice to know I finally have one,” Duke responded.

“I’d be willing to bet you have more than one, Duke. Join me for the rest of my birthday party, and you’ll see for yourself.”

Duke was quiet for several moments before he finally spoke. “Alright, Bobby. I’ll join you. It would be nice to find out I’ve been wrong about thinking I had no friends.”

“Good,” Bobby smiled as he and Duke began getting dressed. “And one more thing...”

“Hm?”

Bobby pointed to Duke’s crotch. “As long as you leave the Zoo still wanting that intact, it’ll stay that way permanently, just like with the changes that were made with me.”

“Figured as much,” Duke said with a laugh as he walked over to the door and opened it. “C’mon. I’m sure everyone’s wondering where you’ve gone.”

“I’m sure Gid let everyone know I was with you, but we should get out there anyway, I agree.” Bobby followed Duke out, pulling the door shut behind him.

The two of them made their way out to the lobby to see everyone still together chatting.

Bobby had Duke follow him over to where he saw his dad and tapped him on the shoulder from behind.

Sam turned around. “Ah! There you are. Is everything alright, Bobby?”

“Everything is just fine, Dad,” Bobby said with a smile, stepping aside to show Duke behind him.

“Good morning, Duke,” Sam said with a smile.

Duke raised a brow and turned to Bobby, who just mouthed ‘say something’. He then turned back to Sam “Uhh... Good morning.”

Sam laughed. “Will you be joining us for cake and ice cream?”

“Yeah, I think so. I mean, if that’s alright with you all,” Duke replied.

“Of course it is. After all, Bobby’s not the only one with a birthday today, is he?”

Duke’s jaw dropped when he was asked that question. “You know it’s my birthday? How?”

“I told him,” came Azaan’s voice.

Duke turned to see Chief Bogo looking in his direction. For a brief moment, he looked uneasy, until the cape buffalo gestured toward a nearby table. On it was a large box in white wrapping paper. Duke looked at it then looked back to Azaan quizzically, which was met with a simple nod.

“Go on,” Bobby told him. “Looks like that one’s yours.”

Duke walked over and sat down. He then unwrapped the box. After that, he carefully opened the large box and looked inside.

Within the box were several smaller items. Among them were a couple of DVDs and a shirt with a weasel on it, among many other things. One thing stood out among them, and, when Duke spotted it, he reached in and carefully pulled it out. He was now holding a small video camera. He turned to Azaan with a surprised look on his face.

“The gifts in that box are from a few others here, but that camera is from me and Ben,” Azaan told him.

“But... why?”

“I thought perhaps you might enjoy making your own videos for a change,” he said.

“What I mean is... why would you do that for me? I was a major pain in your side for years,” Duke said as he carefully put the camera down.

“Yes, but you’ve been working on changing that, and, believe it or not, many of us, myself included, have seen that,” Bogo told him.

“Yeah, but...”

Bobby looked at him. “Duke, just say thank you.”

Duke looked at Bobby, then the camera, then Azaan. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Now, I believe our friends would like to get to the cake and ice cream,” Azaan remarked, gesturing toward Larry and Gary, who were wheeling over a large cake.

As the cake was wheeled over, Duke couldn’t help looking at it, and, when he did, he got another surprise. Written on the cake were the words ‘Happy birthday Duke and Bobby’, but it was written in a way that made it impossible for his name to have just been added at the last minute.

Bobby saw the look on Duke’s face then saw the cake. He looked at Duke again. “Told you.”

“You were right... I just... I don’t know what to say.”

Larry looked at him. “Since we knew you were here this year, because Bobby had gone to talk with you, we wrote your name on the cake with Bobby’s. We’d have done that for you every year, if you had chosen to come by on your birthday.”

“That means a lot,” Duke said, still wearing the stunned expression on his face. He turned to the others in the group. “So... none of you minds me being here?”

Mister Big spoke up. “If we did, we would not have allowed you to be.”

“And we definitely wouldn’t have gotten you any gifts,” Emmitt told him.

“But how were you all even able to come up with gifts for me on such short notice,” Duke asked. “You didn’t even know I’d be here today.”

“Duke, did you forget where you are,” Bobby asked him. “The gifts were likely made using magic, with everyone trying to think of something they thought you’d like. They probably did it while we were back in your room.”

“That’s right,” Gideon told him. “None of us knew what exactly ta give ya, but we wanted ta at least give ya somethin’.”

“This is turning out to be the best birthday I’ve ever had,” the weasel remarked.

“Good,” Larry said with a grin. “Now... Are you ready for some cake and ice cream?”

“Bring it on,” both Duke and Bobby said in unison.

The cake was then wheeled over to the two of them, with Gary offering a knife to cut the first slice.

Bobby looked to Duke. “Go ahead and cut it, Duke.”

Duke nodded, took the knife, and cut the first piece of cake then, doing so with a smile on his face.

When it finally came time to wrap things up several hours later, Duke stood up, clearing his throat, which got everyone’s attention. “I have to be honest. Today ended much better than I expected it to. Learning that you guys went out of your way to include me in things today meant more to me than I think I can ever put into words. I’m not good at this emotional stuff, but I just want to say thank you. I appreciate it.”

“Hey, Duke,” Bobby looked at him.

“Yeah,” Duke turned to look to his porcupine friend.

“You live alone, right?”

Duke raised a brow at the question. “Yeah?”

“Well... you’re not gonna be alone tonight,” the porcupine told him. “I’d like you to come to stay at my place.”

Duke went quiet for a moment but then shook his head. “Sorry, Bobby, but no.”

“Why not?”

“Because... I want you to stay at mine,” the weasel replied.

It was Bobby’s turn to fall silent. After a few seconds, though, he nodded. “Alright, Duke. I’ll take you up on that.”

Sam looked at him. “Would you like to at least come to our place for dinner tonight, Duke? Bobby can get his things for the night, then head back with you afterward.”

“Yeah, sure. Why not? Saves me the trouble of cooking,” the weasel said with a smirk.

Tidus looked at the two of them. “You guys go on then. I’m sticking around the Zoo for a while anyway. I’ve got a few things I need to do.”

As goodbyes were said, Duke, Bobby and Sam headed back to Huntington, bringing Bobby’s gifts with them, so they could drop them off. Rather than preparing the dinner he normally made for Bobby’s birthday, he made one of Duke’s favorite meals instead, at Bobby’s insistence. After the meal and having spent a little bit of time talking together, Bobby and Duke made their way back through the Zoo once more, collecting Duke’s gifts and saying good night to Tidus as they did.

When Bobby arrived at Duke’s home, he watched a movie with him before the two of them headed to Duke’s bedroom. He was surprised to see a king-size bed in the room, but didn’t seem surprised at all by the fact Duke specifically stated he wanted the porcupine to sleep with him. With no argument whatsoever, Bobby climbed into the bed with Duke after the two stripped down.

“Hey, Bobby?”

“Yeah?”

Duke smiled. “I know I’ve said it several times... but thank you. I don’t think I’ve ever felt as happy as I do right now.”

“I’ll say it as many times as I need to, Duke. You’re welcome. You were right. Normally, I’m not that forceful, but something just told me not to walk away. I’m glad I listened to my gut,” Bobby replied.

“Well, I mean, it is a pretty big gut. Awfully hard to ignore,” Duke said with a smirk.

Bobby snickered before letting out a yawn. “Right. Anyway, good night, my friend. Rest well.”

“Good night, Bobby.”

The two of them fell asleep pretty quickly after that.

The following morning, when Bobby woke up, he noticed Duke was no longer in the bed beside him. Sitting up and stretching, he looked around a moment before getting to his feet. He made his way into the living room area of Duke’s home to find the weasel there, fully dressed.

“Hey, Spiky. About time,” Duke grinned.

“Heh, sorry. That bed of yours is cozy,” Bobby laughed.

“Yeah, it is. Anyway, I was going to offer to make you some breakfast, but I got a call from Theo over at the Zoo. He said there’s someone there that wants to talk to you about something.”

“Oh! Uhhh... Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“After what you did for me yesterday, I didn’t want to disturb you. I told him to tell whoever it was that you’d head there as soon as you were awake and ready.”

“Is it okay if I take a quick shower,” Bobby asked.

“Yeah, sure. First door on the left if you go back down that hallway you just came from.”

Bobby nodded and headed for the bathroom after gathering up some clean clothes. Around ten minutes later, he came out, clean and fully dressed. “I’m ready to go now. Did Theo happen to say who it was that needed to talk to me?”

Duke facepalmed. “I didn’t think to ask.”

“No big deal. I can ask when I get there. Are you gonna come too?”

Duke shook his head. “I can’t. I’ve got some stuff I need to take care of. Grocery shopping for one. That’s another reason I’m glad your dad offered to make dinner for us last night.”

Bobby nodded. He then walked over and hugged the weasel. “Alright. See you later?”

“Yeah, I’m sure you will,” Duke said as he hugged back. “Go on.”

Bobby nodded and left then, making his way to the Zootopian entrance to the Zoo, which sat in the middle of a huge grass and flower-covered field. As he stepped onto the field, the familiar breeze passed over him. Once he stepped inside, he spotted Theo immediately and waved. “Aloha, Theo!”

“Ah! There you are! Good morning. Did you sleep well,” the horse asked.

“I did.” He walked over to the horse and hugged him. “Duke said someone came by that wanted to talk to me, so I came over as soon as I got cleaned up. Who is it?”

“It’s someone from the ZNN actually,” Theo told him.

Bobby raised a brow at that. “Someone from the Zootopia News Network... wants to talk to me?!”

“Mhm. He didn’t say what it was about, but he showed up asking for you specifically.”

“Who is it,” Bobby asked.

“He’s one of the reporters that does the broadcasting for overseas viewers. Michael Tanuyama.”

Bobby’s jaw dropped hearing that name. “No way...”

“Mhm,” Theo nodded. “I take it you’re familiar with him?”

“Y... Yeah, I am...” Bobby grew silent and blushed.

Theo just snickered. “I see... Well, it sounds like you’re going to have an interesting conversation, then. Go on. Since you know what he looks like, you should have no trouble finding him.”

Still blushing, Bobby nodded and made his way to the lobby. He looked around, spotting only a couple of his friends there. He briefly stopped to say hi to them before making his way over to where he had spotted the raccoon dog sitting at a table sipping on something in a mug. After composing himself, he spoke up. “Konnichiwa, Tanuyama-san.”

Having heard the porcupine’s voice, the tanuki set his mug down and turned to face him. “Ah! Bobby! Please, have a seat.” He gestured to the other chair at the table. “And please, don’t trouble yourself with honorifics. As often as you’re here, I’m sure you know this is a place to just relax. You are welcome to address me as Michael.”

Bobby nodded and took a seat. “Understood. I just didn’t wish to seem disrespectful, as this is the first time we’ve met.”

The tanuki nodded. “That’s very kind of you.”

“I was told you wanted to speak to me about something. What can I do for you,” Bobby asked.

“There are a couple of things I wished to talk to you about.”

“Oh? By all means, right ahead.”

Michael nodded. “You’ve been coming to this place for roughly five years now, correct?”

“That’s right.”

“What would you say is the main reason you tried so hard to make and maintain the friendships you’ve made here, despite the age difference?”

Bobby smiled. “Honestly? It’s because I just love to make new friends. A fur’s age has never stopped me from trying to be nice to people. There’s no reason it should. It gets said a lot, but it’s true. Age is just a number. We’re all still the same inside, and everyone deserves to have a friend. Besides, if people are nice to me, I see no reason I shouldn’t be nice right back to them.”

The elder fur smiled. “A good point. What’s been your favorite thing about this place?”

“Well, aside from the fact it allows us to engage in certain shared interests that would otherwise be impossible, I’d probably say it’s the fact things are so relaxing here. I’ve had days where I’ve come by over the years just to chat with my friends here in the lobby. And even when they aren’t around, there are plenty of books to read. I love reading, and it’s easy to get lost in a book here, because it’s so peaceful.”

Michael nodded. “From what I’ve overheard, many of the furs here have a lot of nice things to say about you as well. It seems you’re someone they know they can count on if they have something they need help with or if something is troubling them.”

“I enjoy helping people. I think part of that comes from my dad. He’s a therapist, and, while I don’t think I’ll end up becoming one myself, I did learn a lot about helping people through him,” Bobby told the raccoon dog.

Michael smiled at that. “That leads me to my next question. Do you think you have time to help me with something as well?”

“Of course, Michael. What can I do for you?”

“I suppose I should start with what I imagine will be the easiest part,” the tanuki replied. “Could I get a hug?”

Bobby smiled and stood. “Hugs are something I’m always willing to give.”

Michael stood as well and walked over to Bobby, who wrapped his paws around him, briefly hugging him before letting go. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Bobby said with a smile. “I have a question I’d like to ask, if I may.”

“Please do,” Michael told him.

“Would it be correct to assume that, although your last name is Japanese, you’ve not spent much time there yourself,” the porcupine asked.

The tanuki chuckled. “Picked up on that, did you?”

Bobby nodded. “Between telling me to drop the honorifics right away, directly asking for a hug despite just meeting me, and not using any Japanese since we first interacted, I assumed it was the case.”

“You’re correct. I’ve been there a few times with my family, but I’ve lived most of my life in Zootopia. I know a lot of the language and culture because my parents came from there, and I learned a great deal from them, but, outside of being at home or when I’m doing the international broadcasts for the ZNN, I prefer using English.”

“I’ve always loved the Japanese language. It’s my favorite foreign language.”

“Oh, really,” Michael smiled.

“Mhm. I love how it sounds. I even taught myself how to sing a few different songs in Japanese because of it. I’m no expert on the language, though. Outside of those songs, I only know a few phrases.”

“Nothing wrong with that. At least you’re learning,” Michael replied.

“Mhm. Anyway... Was there anything else you wanted help with, Michael?”

“There is, in fact.” Michael’s attention turned toward one of the nearby couches.

Bobby’s eyes followed Michael’s gaze, and, when they settled on the couch nearby, he looked to the tanuki once more. “Want to move somewhere more comfortable?”

“Yes... I believe so,” the tanuki told him.

The two of them walked over to the couch nearby and sat down.

Bobby then looked at Michael once more. “Better?”

“Getting better, yes.”

Bobby snickered and scooted himself closer to the raccoon dog. “May I?”

“Only if you’re doing so because you want to,” Michael replied.

“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want to,” Bobby said. He put an arm around the tanuki and nuzzled into his side. “Is this alright?”

“Yes. Yes, it’s fine,” Micheal told him. “Thank you.”

“Hey, Michael?”

“Yes, Bobby?”

Bobby nuzzled him again. “If you had wanted to cuddle right from the start, all you had to do was ask.”