It's been just over five years since the day Bobby Thornbody, a tan-colored, Hawaiian-born porcupine living in Huntington, West Virginia, stepped foot inside the magical building known as the T. Aropo Vine Zoo. In that time, he had grown quite attached to the many different furs he’d met. His love for his mate, Gideon Grey, had grown quite strong as well.

Today was the porcupine’s eighteenth birthday, and he was looking forward to seeing what his friends and family had planned for him. After getting showered and dressed, he headed downstairs, almost immediately spotting his dad, Stu, and Gideon, who all turned to him with smiles on their faces when they heard him coming.

“Hey there, hun,” Gideon said with a smile as he walked over, hugging and kissing the porcupine. “Good mornin’... and happy birthday.”

Bobby kissed him right back. “Mahalo, Gid.”

“Happy birthday,” came both his dad and Stu’s voices shortly after.

“Mahalo,” Bobby repeated.

“So... yer finally eighteen. How are ya feelin’,” Gideon asked him.

“Pretty good actually,” the porcupine replied. “I’m ready to head over to the Zoo now, though.”

“Then ah suppose we should get over there, shouldn’t we,” Gideon said with a chuckle.

“Mhm. I’m ready if you guys are.”

With that, the four of them left the house, locking it, and made their way to the lot where the Zoo was. In the five years since Bobby had first discovered it, no new buildings ever occupied it. Instead, to those that weren’t aware of the Zoo’s presence, the lot became a simple grass-and-flower-covered lot that now had a couple of benches along its sides.

As they entered the lot, the familiar magical breeze passed over them. They stepped inside, finding Tidus manning the Huntington entrance.

“Aloha, Tidus,” Bobby said with a huge smile.

“Aloha, Bobby! Happy birthday!” The horse came around the counter and gave Bobby a hug, which Bobby returned.

“Mahalo. How are things going so far today,” Bobby asked.

“Can’t complain. It’s been a nice morning so far,” Tidus told him.

“Glad to hear it. Guessing Theo’s working at the other entrance?”

The horse nodded. “Mhm. Pretty sure he can take a break for a little bit to see you, though.”

Bobby laughed. “I don’t doubt it. Can you let him know I’m here? I’m gonna go say hi to the others.”

“Absolutely. I’ll be in as soon as I let him know.” Tidus then turned to the other three. “How’s the morning gone for the three of you?”

“Pretty nice so far,” Sam told Tidus, his paw holding Stu’s as he gave it a soft squeeze.

Stu squeezed Sam’s paw in return before replying as well. “Mhm.”

The horse just laughed. “Glad to hear it. Go on in. I’ll be there shortly.”

The four of them made their way into the lobby. As they entered, they saw many of the same familiar faces they had grown used to, as well as the occasional new face. They made their way over to a couple of the couches, one of which was occupied by Finnick.

“Aloha, son,” Bobby said to the fennec.

Immediately, Finnick turned to look at him. After gulping down what Bobby assumed to be a mouthful of coffee, Finnick spoke. “Happy birthday, Daddy.”

Bobby sat down beside him with a smile. “Mahalo. Where’s Nick?”

Finnick snickered in response. “Take a wild guess.” He pointed to the counter area, where Clawhauser was seen sitting and eating a doughnut and drinking some coffee.

“A wild guess... Or a Nick Wilde guess?” Bobby smirked.

“Smartass,” Finnick smirked back.

“You love me, and you know it,” Bobby said.

“Yeah, I do...” Finnick replied, before taking another sip of his coffee.

Bobby looked toward Ben for a couple of moments before chuckling. “He’s with Azaan right now, isn’t he?”

“Bingo.”

Sam looked at Bobby. “I didn’t know you knew Chief Bogo’s first name, Bobby.”

“I’ve known it for years. I just tend to stick to calling him Chief, because, most of the time he’s here, he’s in uniform,” Bobby told him. “Yeah, that’s mostly because of Ben, but still...”

“Fair enough,” Sam chuckled.

“So, he just left ya out here by yourself, huh?”

Finnick shook his head. “Nah. I’m out here by choice. I was waiting for you. We got you something, and I told Nick I wanted to be the one to give it to you.” Finnick carefully set his cup down before hopping off the couch and going around behind it. He grabbed a bag, which he brought around front before handing it to Bobby.

Bobby opened the bag and reached inside. What he pulled out was a pair of fox pajamas, similar to the ones he’d gotten from them when he was thirteen but in a much bigger size. They were in a different color as well, now matching Finnick’s colors, rather than Nick’s. When Bobby realized what it was he was holding, he stood, grabbed Finnick without a word, and hugged him.

Finnick’s eyes went wide from the sudden movement, but he didn’t struggle.

“Mahalo, Fin... I’ll be honest. I missed being able to wear these. They were pretty comfortable.”

“You’re welcome... It was Nick’s idea. I picked the color, though, because... well... You know...” Finnick rubbed his neck, a slight blush on his face.

“Because he’s yer Daddy,” Gideon chimed in.

“Yeah, that...” Finnick blushed further.

Bobby let go of Finnick then. “I love them, Fin. I’ll be sure to thank Nick when I see him.”

“If you wanna see me, then turn around,” came the voice of the fox in question.

Bobby turned around and saw Nick standing there, smirking. The fox had gotten a decent-sized belly on him over the last five years. Bobby walked over and hugged him, rubbing the sides of his gut when he did. “Aloha, Nick, and mahalo for the gift.”

Nick murred a little before responding. “You’re welcome. Happy birthday.”

Bobby let go of the fox and smiled. “Like I was telling Fin, I kinda missed wearing these.”

“Well, now you’ve got a pair that fits you again,” Nick replied.

“Yup.”

A couple of seconds later, Bobby spotted Chief Bogo coming into the lobby area from the hallway that connected it to the rooms in the back. He took notice of the fact the cape buffalo wasn’t in uniform as he made his way toward where Ben was sitting. Ben wasn’t in his uniform either.

Halfway there, though, he stopped, having caught Bobby out of the corner of his eye. He then called out to Ben, who turned to look at him, and he gestured toward Bobby. After that, both of them made their way toward the porcupine and the group that had gathered around him.

“Aloha, Azaan. Aloha, Ben.”

“Happy birthday,” both the cape buffalo and the cheetah replied, hugging Bobby.

“How does it feel to officially be an adult, Bobby,” the police chief asked.

“Right now? Not too much different, but I fully expect that to change very soon,” Bobby replied.

The conversation was interrupted by a paw resting on Bobby’s shoulder. Bobby froze for a moment, briefly looked to his shoulder, and smiled. “Aloha, Theo.”

Theo turned Bobby around to face him. “Hey, Bobby.” The horse hugged him. “Happy birthday.”

“Mahalo. Sorry to pull you away from the counter. I wanted to see you,” Bobby told him.

“Nothing to be sorry about, Bobby. I was going to step away as soon as I knew you were here anyway. I can’t deliver your gift otherwise,” Theo said.

“Heh. I suppose that’s true.”

“Anyway... Got your gift right there.” He pointed to a wrapped gift that was sitting on a nearby table.

Bobby picked it up and carefully unwrapped it. He was now holding what looked to be a photo album with a blue cover. As soon as he touched the cover, it glowed briefly before fading.

The front of it now had the words ‘Bobby’s Memories’ in gold lettering. When he opened it, he found page after page of different photos of him and his other friends from the Zoo over the last five years. He was silent for several seconds as he looked the pages over. No one else said a word until he finally closed it and looked at the two of them. With tears in his eyes, he spoke up. “Mahalo... This... this means a lot to me.”

“We know,” Tidus commented, walking up to join his brother. “With all the good times you’ve had over the past five years, we thought this was the best thing to give you.”

“I love it, guys.” Bobby wiped the tears out of his eyes, setting the photo album down and hugging the two horses again.

A few moments later, another familiar voice was heard. “Happy birthday, Bobby.”

The porcupine turned to see a familiar black-footed ferret walking toward him. “Travis!” He walked over and hugged him. “Mahalo!”

“Careful, Bobby. I don’t wanna drop your gift. I spent a long time on this one.” He chuckled softly. “You’re welcome, though.”

Bobby backed off, and Travis handed him a long, thin gift. He brought it to a table, set it down, and unwrapped it. Bobby was now looking at a full-body hand-drawn and colored image of himself inside of a silver picture frame. What Bobby found most interesting, though, was the fact that he was drawn wearing the fox pajamas, which he’d only just gotten. “Travis... This is beautiful. I don’t think I’ve ever seen something this detailed from you.”

“Thanks. I’m glad you like it,” Travis said with a smile.

“I have to ask, though...”

Travis cut him off, grinning. “Finnick told me they bought those pajamas for you a couple of weeks ago, that’s how. Since I saw them sitting there, I knew I could give you my gift and not spoil his.”

Bobby laughed. “Makes sense. Mahalo, Travis.”

“Mah turn,” Gideon said. He walked over to the nearby counter, where Larry and Gary were currently helping other furs. Gary reached under the counter and grabbed something, which he handed to the fox. Gideon then returned to Bobby and handed it over. “Here... This is fer you... And... well... this is only the first part of yer gift.”

Bobby raised a brow at that but carefully unwrapped it. He then opened the box after unwrapping it to find a brand new apron inside it. When Bobby took it out, it didn’t take long for him to realize it looked exactly like the one Gideon had. This made him smile and he leaned in and kissed the fox on the lips. “I love it, Gideon. Mahalo. Help me put it on?”

“Ah’d be happy ta.” Gideon then did exactly that. After Bobby slipped it on, Gideon tied it around him from behind. “There.”

Bobby smiled. “How do I look, Gid?”

“Like a baker... Which leads me ta the second part of mah gift... Well, it’s more of an offer than a gift, ah guess, but it’s still one ah hope yer gonna like,” Gideon told him.

“Go on...”

“Ah’d like ta hire ya, officially, ta work at mah pie shop.”

Bobby froze. “You... what?”

“Ah know ya heard me, Bobby. Ah don’t need ta repeat it,” Gideon told him.

“But... what about me going to college... and I was gonna get a job to pay dad as thank you for letting me stay at the house, so I didn’t have to get a dorm...”

Sam spoke up. “Son, I already knew Gid was planning to make that offer. The fact of the matter is, I know how much you enjoy baking, and I know how much you enjoy your time with him. He’s been your boyfriend for five years, after all.”

“Well, yeah... but I can’t just go through the Zoo every day just to get to Bunnyburrow to work there then come back here to go to college every day, can I? I don’t think it’s right to use the magic the Zoo offers to do that all the time.”

Gideon only grinned, hearing Bobby’s words. “Yer absolutely right. So why would ah make that offer then?”

“I... I really don’t know, Gid... I mean, yeah... I would love to work with you at your shop, but to do that, I’d have to...”

“Yeeeees?” Both Sam and Gideon looked at him, grinning.

Bobby went quiet, clearly trying to piece things together in his head. Eventually, it clicked. With some hesitation, he spoke up. “Gideon... are you asking me to... move in with you in Bunnyburrow?”

“Now yer gettin’ it. Since ya haven’t actually started in any college yet, there’s no reason ya can’t apply ta the one in Bunnyburrow instead. The college isn’t too far from the pie shop, and ya already know mah apartment is just above it. On top of all that, ya would have the added benefit of us livin’ together finally.”

“What about Travis? That doesn’t seem fair to him.”

Travis spoke up then. “We may not be boyfriends, but, with the amount of time we’ve spent together in the last five years and the fun we’ve had, I don’t think I’m gonna have a problem with you living with us too. I’m cool with it, Bobby. Honest.”

“Wow... I... I was not expecting something like this for my birthday...” Bobby rubbed the back of his neck.

“So... what do ya think, hun?” Gideon looked at him with a soft smile.

Bobby looked to his dad. “You really knew about this the whole time? Even while I was going out gathering applications for jobs and looking for colleges to apply to?”

“Mhm... When you started telling me you weren’t having much luck and you were considering just going to our local college, Gideon and I started talking. He said he’d been looking for a reason to make the offer, so he decided if you hadn’t heard anything by your birthday, he’d offer you the job.”

“What if the college in Bunnyburrow doesn’t accept me either? Even if I have a job with Gid, I want to keep up with my education,” Bobby remarked.

“Bunnyburrow’s college doesn’t turn anyone away fer any reason, Bobby,” Gideon told him. “Because of how big the population of Bunnyburrow is, they allow anyone who wants an education ta take classes there.”

Bobby went wide-eyed. “Seriously?”

“Seriously. Ya already saw few yerself that it’s almost impossible ta walk down a street without findin’ someone. How fair would it be ta deny someone an education in a city where the population is almost always growin’?”

“That’s a good point, Gid...” Bobby looked to his dad again. “You’re okay with me moving out?”

“It’s not like I couldn’t come to see you, son,” Sam replied. “I could meet with you in the Zoo or fly there. I never expected you’d be living with me forever.”

“There’s... one more thing that has me hesitating. While it’s true I’ve spent a lot of time in Bunnyburrow and Zootopia due to using the Zoo to travel there, living there is another matter entirely. I think I’ve gotten a much better handle on my Clinical Homesickness, but I don’t know for sure.”

Gideon frowned and sighed. “Just forget ah mentioned it. Ah’m sorry, Bobby. Ah made the offer because ah really thought we’d work well together, but ah wasn’t thinkin’ abo...”

Bobby cut him off. “Gideon... Let’s do it.”

Gideon’s eyes grew. “Wait... What?”

“I said let’s do it. I have no idea if I’ll be able to handle it without getting sick, but, even if I do get sick, I’ll have you there to help me. I haven’t had much luck with things in Huntington, but with a job and a home being given to me and a college I’m told accepts anyone, I’d be foolish to turn down the opportunity. Besides... if it means I get to live with my fox and with a handsome ferret, I think I’ll be okay.”

Both Gideon and Travis smiled at that.

“If that is the case, my child, then perhaps I should give you my gift next,” came the voice of an arctic shrew, who was being brought over by a polar bear.

Bobby turned to look at him and immediately bowed his head, respectfully. “Good morning, sir.”

“We go through this every year, Bobby. On your birthday, I don’t expect you to behave so formally,” Mister Big commented.

“I know. Force of habit,” Bobby replied, raising his head. “You have something for me too?”

“I do.” Mister Big looked to Koslov, giving him a gentle nod.

The polar bear carefully set him down on a nearby table before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small box, which he handed to Bobby.

Bobby took the small box and looked it over for a moment before opening it. Inside was a key. The porcupine’s eyes grew as he took the key from the box and looked at it, stunned. “Sir?”

“You have your license, yes,” the arctic shrew asked.

“I do... I just got it in the mail a couple of weeks ago,” Bobby said.

“And before now, you’ve been either using public transportation or your father’s car, correct,” Mister Big continued.

“That’s right, but...”

Mister Big cut him off. “Then it stands to reason you require your own mode of transportation. Happy birthday.”

“I... don’t know what to say, sir. This... this is very generous of you.”

“Ah, but it wasn’t just me, my child. Many of your friends pitched in. As did your parents.”

Bobby looked up from the key in his paw. In the time spent getting the key and talking to Mister Big, several others had come over. Each of them was wearing big smiles on their faces. “This... this is unbelievable... I mean so much to you guys that you’d all pitch in to get me a car?”

“Well, why wouldn’t we,” came a familiar, slightly squeaky male voice. Bobby turned to see Eddie and Emmitt walking over to him. Eddie spoke up again. “In five years, you’re pretty much the only resident of Huntington that comes here consistently. Yeah, there are plenty of others that pay frequent visits to this place, but most of them don’t come near as often as you.”

Emmitt continued his son’s comment. “None of them know us anywhere near as well as you either.”

“And it always seems you are there whenever one of us is down,” Renato added, stepping beside them. “Here. We have another gift. From the three of us,” Renato said. He handed Bobby a box wrapped in blue wrapping paper.

Bobby took it and sat down before unwrapping and opening it. What was inside looked to be something made of plastic that had something else inside it, but he couldn’t see what, because the inside was too dark to make it out. At that same moment, Bobby also noticed something that immediately made him sad, as he noticed the item in question was in two pieces. “Oh no... Whatever it was... got broken.”

“No, it didn’t, Bobby,” Emmitt told him. “It’s supposed to look that way. Watch what happens if you put the two pieces together.”

Curious, he did as instructed, putting the two pieces together. They fit together perfectly, and when they did, the inside lit up. Bobby could now see several small little animals gathered around. In front of the animals, glowing blue, was the word ‘Ohana’. When he saw that, he started to tear up. He set the small item down, stood, and turned toward them. He tried to speak, but all that came out were choked-up sniffles.

Seeing that, Eddie walked over to him and wrapped his paws around him. “Happy birthday, Bobby.” Emmitt and Renato joined in the hug.

It took almost a full minute before the porcupine could speak again. “Mahalo... I promise I’ll take real good care of this.”

“We know you will. We found that and pretty much decided instantly that it needed to be yours.” Eddie commented before he, Emmitt, and Renato let him go.

Bobby wiped his eyes clean of his tears and looked to the others.

Without giving the porcupine another chance to speak, Ben walked up to him. He put a gift bag on the table in front of him and stepped back without so much as a word.

Bobby got a confused look on his face, but he shrugged it off and opened the bag. He reached inside and pulled out a book. The front of it had a huge cupcake on it, but nothing was written on it otherwise. He opened it to see the inside was full of blank pages. For a moment, it looked like he was going to question it, but it clicked in his mind before he had the chance to. “For me to write all my recipes in, right?”

Ben giggled and nodded.

Azaan, beside him, spoke up. “You’re going to need that if you plan on keeping track of all of the things that you learn while working with Gideon, aren’t you?”

“Did you guys know about his offer too, Azaan,” Bobby asked.

“No, but it doesn’t make it any less true, does it,” Chief Bogo replied.

“Nope. Not really. Mahalo, you two.” The porcupine smiled at them.

“You’re welcome,” Azaan and Ben replied.

“I think your dad and I should go next,” Stu told him. “Here... If there’s any doubt of whether or not we knew about Gideon’s idea, what we got you should clear that up quickly.” He handed Bobby a box.

Like the others, Bobby unwrapped it and opened it. There were two chef’s hats inside but embroidered along the brim of the hats were the words ‘Gideon and Bobby’s Real Good Baked Stuff’.

Bobby laughed at that and showed Gideon, who just grinned, grabbed one of them, removed Bobby’s hat, and put the chef’s hat on his head. Bobby then put the other one on Gideon’s head.

“Looking good. Both of you,” Stu commented.

“Agreed,” Sam commented.

“Mahalo, guys,” Bobby walked over and hugged them both.

“You’re welcome,” Sam replied.

Right then, another voice was heard calling out. This one was a slightly deeper voice, but it wasn’t one Bobby recognized. “Hey... Bobby?”

Bobby turned around to find himself face to face with an elephant. With a confused look on his face, he spoke up. “Aloha. What can I do for you?”

The elephant rubbed his neck. “My name’s Lucas. I’m... a friend of Jerry’s.”

Bobby walked over to him and offered his paw. “Nice to meet you.”

The elephant handed over a box. “Happy birthday. Jerry wanted me to deliver this to you, but he also wanted me to come because... he wanted me to meet you.” He then hesitantly added. “He’s had some... interesting stuff to say about you lately.”

Bobby took the box. “Really? Wow... Heh... I’m flattered. I’m guessing he’s working today?”

“Yeah, and it was pretty busy when I was there too,” Lucas told him. “He said he’s sorry, but he hopes the gift makes up for it.”

“I’m sure it will,” Bobby replied. “Please... join us.” He gestured toward the others.

“I... uhh... don’t want to impose.”

Bobby shook his head. “It’s not imposing if you’re invited. Please.” Bobby gestured toward the group again.

“Well... alright,” Lucas walked over to the others.

Bobby sat down with the box in front of him and began unwrapping it. After doing so, he opened the box and reached inside, pulling out its contents. Inside the box was a comforter for a king-sized bed. Curious, Bobby unfolded it, and he was met with a design of a Hawaiian beachfront. The porcupine looked it over and smiled. “Wow... This is beautiful.”

“I’m... glad you like it,” Lucas stuttered, shifting a bit on his feet.

“I do,” Bobby replied. He then turned to look at Lucas. “Wait... Lucas... This... didn’t actually come from Jerry, did it?”

The elephant cringed. “Not... Not exactly... I mean, he gave me the money, but... well... he wanted to be here, but the shop’s been busy like I said, and...”

Bobby held up a paw. “Lucas?”

“Yeah?” He cringed again.

Bobby walked over and hugged him. “Mahalo for the gift. It means a lot to me. And tell Jerry, when you see him, thank you for the money he gave you to get it for me.”

Stunned, the elephant hugged back. “I’ll... I’ll do that, Bobby.”

“Good.” Bobby let go and looked to the others. “So... are there any other surprises I’ve got coming?”

“That depends on if gettin’ a visit from the mayor would surprise ya,” Gideon commented.

Bobby laughed. “Considering he’s been here every year, no. It wouldn’t.”

“Well, what if said mayor brought a friend, who was also a mayor,” came the voice of Zootopia’s mayor, Leodore Lionheart.

Bobby turned around. The moment his eyes locked with the lion’s, he grinned and walked over, hugging him. “Aloha, Mayor Lionh...” Bobby stopped when the lion raised a brow at him. “Leo.”

“That’s better,” the lion replied with a laugh. “Happy birthday.”

“Happy birthday, Bobby,” came the voice of a fat reddish-brown rabbit that had been standing beside the lion.

“Mahalo,” the porcupine replied with a smile. “And it’s nice to meet you, sir.”

The rabbit shook his head. “Nope. None of that sir stuff today. The name’s Jasper. Jasper Buckley.”

Bobby just laughed. “Jasper it is. Mahalo for coming. Both of you.”

They both smiled and handed over their gifts. Bobby took them and set them both aside, offering the two hugs before he sat down. He took Leo’s gift, which was in a tiny box, and opened it. Inside was a gold-colored porcupine, which was tiny enough to sit on a single finger. He looked at it quietly for several moments before looking at the lion. “This is adorable. I love it.”

“I’m glad... Because that used to belong to me.”

Bobby’s eyes grew, and his jaw dropped. “This... belonged to you? Wow... I’d never have guessed that. It looks like it’s in perfect condition. It looks as if you had just bought it... And... you’re giving it to me?”

“I am. Happy birthday,” The lion grinned.

“I promise I’ll take good care of this,” the porcupine said as he very carefully put it back in the box.

“I know.”

Bobby smiled and turned his attention to the box given to him by Jasper. Jasper’s box was much bigger than Leo’s had been. When he opened it, Bobby peeked inside it and almost immediately started laughing.

Sam looked at him. “Bobby? What’s so funny? What did he give you?”

Bobby stood, reaching into the box, with his back to the others, and pulled out the contents. When he turned around, he was holding a pair of overalls in front of him and smirking.

This caused several of the others, Sam included, to start laughing too.

“Did I miss something,” Jasper asked.

Stu spoke up. “On Bobby’s thirteenth birthday, I gave him a pair of overalls because he liked mine so much.”

“And now I’ve got a new pair of overalls to wear,” Bobby said with a smile. “Mahalo, Jasper!”

Jasper chuckled, causing his belly to shake. “You’re welcome.”

“This sure has started off to be a great birthday,” the porcupine said, looking over all of the others that gathered around him. “I’m really glad you’re all here.”

Larry called out from the counter nearby. “You’re not done with gifts yet, Bobby.”

The porcupine turned his head toward the timberwolf that had called to him. He then walked over. “You guys got me something too?”

Gary smirked at him. “Duh. We’ve got a question for you first, though.”

“What’s that?”

Gary pulled one box up from behind the counter that was in brown wrapping paper. Larry pulled up one that was in red. Gary then looked at him. “Which do you like more? Chocolate or strawberry? And you can’t say you like both equally.”

Bobby stared blankly at Gary for several moments before he spoke up. “Uh... chocolate?”

As soon as the answer came from his mouth, Larry slammed both his paws down on top of the box he had in front of him. He’d done so hard enough that the box was crushed flat.

“Yikes!” Bobby jumped back, started.

Gary then handed the box in front of him to Bobby. “Here you go. Happy birthday.”

“Uhh... mahalo... but... did I just hurt Larry’s feelings?”

The two timberwolves looked at each other in silence for several moments before they both started laughing.

“Uhh... guys?” Bobby was a mix of both scared and confused at this point.

It took a few moments for the two to calm down, but Larry eventually spoke up. “We’ve gotten to know you pretty well, Bobby... we knew the whole time you’d pick chocolate.”

“O...kay?” Bobby maintained the confused look on his face.

“There was nothing in my box, Bobby. Look for yourself.” He slid over the crushed box.

Bobby examined it, pushing aside the crumpled wrapping paper and moving the box around. Sure enough, there was nothing inside. He looked at Larry. “That was a dirty trick. I thought my heart was going to explode.”

“Sorry about that,” Larry replied.

“It’s alright... I’m just glad I didn’t say strawberry just to throw you guys off,” Bobby replied.

“We had a plan if you had tried that too,” Gary told him. “We would have given you the brown one anyway and said you’d get the one you wanted before you left today.”

Bobby just snickered. “Well, in any case, I suppose I should open this and see what’s in it.”

“Good plan,” Gary said with a nod.

Bobby sat down once more and tore the wrapping paper off the box, before taking the lid off and reaching inside. What he pulled out were a couple of cake pans, muffin tins, various animal-shaped cookie cutters, and several other baking-related items. He looked up at the two timberwolves and smiled. “Mahalo, guys. These will come in real handy if I’m gonna be helping Gideon.”

“Happy birthday, Bobby,” the two said in unison.

“I don’t know how you guys do it. Every year, I think I’ve had the best birthday I can have, and yet you guys keep surprising me,” Bobby remarked, looking around at all his friends.

“Well, that’s a good thing, isn’t it,” his father asked. “It keeps you wondering.”

“True,” Bobby replied. “In any case, this has been great so far.”

“And it’s nowhere near done yet. You’re gonna have cake and ice cream later,” Larry told him.

“Oh, I know, but that doesn’t change the fact I’m happy right now,” the porcupine commented. As he sat there, looking around, his eyes eventually settled on someone sitting nearby. It wasn’t someone that was there celebrating with him, but the fur in question was sitting there, looking in his direction with his arms crossed. He looked to be muttering something under his breath. It took Bobby almost a full minute to recognize who it was. “I’ll be right back...”

“Hm? Something wrong,” Larry asked him.

“Maybe,” Bobby told him. “I’m not sure yet. Gimme a minute.” With that, he walked over to the other fur, who raised a brow when he realized Bobby was headed his way. “Duke? Kinda surprised to see you here. I mean, not so much because I’m finding out you’re a vore fan, but more because, last I heard, you avoid big social gatherings now.”

The weasel rolled his eyes. “Why do you think I’m over here alone, Spiky,” he replied with a snarky tone.

“Uhh.. o... kay, but... well, you don’t have to be. If you want to join us, you’re welcome to.”

“I’ll pass, thanks,” Duke replied. “Besides, you’re not the only one celebrating a birthday.”

Bobby’s eyes grew. “Today’s your birthday, Duke?”

Duke rested his chin on his paw, staring at Bobby. “Not that it matters. It’s not like I have any friends or anything to celebrate with. I’m here mostly because I didn’t feel like sitting at home. And yeah, I’m a fan, but, without friends, I can’t really enjoy it, can I?”

Bobby looked at Duke quietly for several moments, then stepped up to the chair beside him. “May I sit down?”

“Not sure why, but have at it,” the weasel replied.

Bobby grabbed the chair and moved it closer to Duke before taking a seat. “So, you don’t have anyone to celebrate with at all? No family?”

“My family flew the coop years ago. I’ve got no idea where they are, what they’re doing, or if they’re even alive,” Duke said with a grumble. “What’s it to ya?”

Bobby frowned. “I’m so sorry.”

“Yeah, yeah. Sure, you are. Save it, Spiky. Go back to your party.”

“No,” Bobby said firmly.

“Huh,” Duke looked at him with a raised brow.

“I said no. I’m not just gonna go back to my party and leave you sitting here. Since you're refusing to join my party, I’ve got something else in mind,” the porcupine told him.

“What’s th... Hey!” His words were cut off by Bobby standing, pulling the weasel to his feet and wrapping him in a tight hug. “Let go!”

“No, Duke,” said the porcupine, holding the hug. After several seconds, Bobby’s paw gently began moving up and down the weasel’s back. “You need this. I know you do.”

“Spiky, I said let me go,” Duke said, struggling in Bobby’s grasp, but nothing he did could get him loose.

“Or what? You’ll bite me? Somehow, Duke, I don’t think you will.” As Bobby spoke, he continued to gently caress the weasel’s back. “Relax...”

Duke continued to struggle for several more seconds, but, eventually, his struggling ceased. As the seconds passed, whatever tension or annoyance the weasel had felt began to dissipate. When it had, Duke made a quiet sniffling noise. That eventually led to soft sobs, which Bobby did nothing to stop. He held the weasel until he was calm again, before finally letting go. “There... that’s better, isn’t it?”

“That was your goal? To get me to cry,” Duke looked at him, trying to look annoyed again.

“No, my goal was helping you relax, so you could let go of whatever bottled-up emotions you were feeling.”

“So, to get me to cry,” Duke repeated.

“If that’s how you see it, then I’m sorry, but I wanted to show you someone cared, Duke. It’s not in me to just leave when I know someone is suffering.”

“I... I guess I do feel a little better,” Duke muttered under his breath.

“I’m glad,” Bobby said with a smile. “But I’m still not going to go back to my party just yet.”

“What’s it gonna take to get you to go back to your party,” Duke asked.

“Hmmm... I dunno, really. It’s my birthday, but what I want right now is to help you,” Bobby told him.

“Yeah, well, it’s mine too, and what I want is for you to...” Duke’s words fell silent when Bobby’s eyes locked onto his.

The porcupine raised a brow, looking at him almost as if daring him to say he wanted him to leave. “Yes?”

Duke spoke again, sounding more determined. “It’s my birthday, and what I want is for you to...” Again, he stopped. This time, though, it was because he suddenly doubted the words he was going to say. Looking at Bobby, he suddenly felt like a switch had been flipped in his brain. He let out a sigh. “Just...”

“Leave,” Bobby asked.

“No. Just... follow me, alright?” Duke then turned away from Bobby, heading toward the back hallway, leading to the private rooms.

Bobby raised a brow at this but briefly turned to Gideon, who was already looking in his direction. The porcupine pointed toward Duke’s retreating form. Though he couldn’t hear it, Bobby could tell this made Gideon laugh, but the fox nodded and made shooing motions. Bobby then turned and followed Duke down the hall.

The weasel stopped at one of the doors, unlocking it and stepping inside.

Bobby stepped inside as well, and his eyes were met with a mini-theater setup which included several rows of movies on one side of the room, and a large bed, table, and recliner on the other side. “Heh, guess I should have figured you’d have a theater setup.”

Duke just shrugged. “Look... Not to be rude, but shut and lock the door, then sit on the bed and shut up, okay?”

Stunned by the weasel’s words, the porcupine did as he was asked. He shut and locked the door before walking to the bed and plopping himself down on it without a word.

“Don’t make me regret this, Bobby.” Duke walked over to the bed, plopping himself down right beside Bobby. The weasel then leaned against him.

Bobby, still stunned, but taking that as a sign of consent, put his arm around Duke and held him.

Duke didn’t move at first, but, eventually, the weasel began nuzzling Bobby. Slowly at first, like he was trying to resist doing it, but after a minute or so, the weasel relaxed and seemed to be letting himself enjoy it, nuzzling the porcupine more.

Bobby still didn’t speak, but he now had a soft smile on his face. He started gently rubbing Duke’s side with the paw he had wrapped around him. That seemed to make the weasel happy, as he could swear he heard a soft murr when he did.

Duke continued nuzzling Bobby for several minutes, never speaking a word. When he finally pulled back, he looked at the porcupine, and there was a small smile. “Thank you.”

Bobby just smiled back.

“You can talk now, by the way. Sorry, I just... I wanted to do this at my pace. No pressure, you know?”

“I get it, Duke,” Bobby replied. “And you’re welcome. I’m guessing you enjoyed that then?”

“You could say that, yeah...” The weasel smirked. “Haven’t felt this relaxed since... I don’t even remember.”

“Good. I enjoyed it too,” Bobby told him. “And by the way...”

“Huh?”

“You called me Bobby earlier,” the porcupine said with a smirk.

“Yeah, I did. It’s your name, isn’t it,” the weasel replied with a smirk of his own. “I mean, if you prefer me calling you Spiky...”

Bobby laughed. “You just surprised me.”

“Yeah, well... I felt comfortable. I don’t feel that way often anymore.”

Bobby nodded and quietly looked at the weasel for several seconds before speaking up again. “Hey, Duke?”

“Yeah?”

“You said you feel relaxed right now, right,” Bobby asked.

“Yeah, I do. Why do you ask,” the weasel looked at him curiously.

“Are you relaxed enough to talk about what kind of things you hoped to be able to do while you’re here in the Zoo,” Bobby asked him.

Duke laughed. “I was kinda hoping that the subject would come back up. Yeah, I think I’m willing to share. With you, at least.”

“Okay, so... you’re a vore fan... what’s your favorite kind of vore?”

“Interestingly enough, it’s one I happen to know you’re quite well versed in, given how much both you and your mate love it,” the weasel told him.

“Ah! So you’re...”

“Someone who gets off on the idea of shoving someone in my dick, yeah.” Duke grinned. “Granted, I’ve never gotten the chance to do it, as I’ve already mentioned, but fantasies and pictures have helped.”

Bobby laughed. “Well... Duke... what would you say if I offered to help make that fantasy real for you?”

Duke looked at him. “You’d do that? Seriously?”

“We’re sitting in a room in a building full of furs that all share an interest that specifically involves doing stuff like this. If I wasn’t interested, I wouldn’t even be here. If you’d like some help, I’m willing. Consider it a birthday gift, though that doesn’t mean this is the only time I’ll offer.” Bobby gave him another smile. “What do you think? Do you wanna see what it feels like having a porcupine squirming inside you?”

Duke was quiet for several moments as he thought about it. When he spoke up, he was smiling too. “You know what? Yeah. Yeah, I do.”