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Any resemblance to persons alive or dead is purely coincidental. They are the original and rightful intellectual property of their creators. I use them with permission and respect. This work involves some suggestive and/or sexual content and underaged characters. You have been warned.\t\n\n\tIt was the last day of spring break and a lazy one at that. Xavier had been bored all day. It was raining heavily outside. It was blazing hot outside, so much so that the air conditioning didn't seem like it was doing anything. The unit had been acting up lately and it had finally given its last hurrah. He had already complained to his parents but there was little they could do about it as they'd already called out a repair person.\n\n\tIt was still pretty early in the day. He wanted to go outside and do something. The chipmunk boy had been stuffed up in the house all day now. Wearing naught but his boxers and a tank top, the young boy was over the whole heat wave. He walked into the kitchen where his parents were father was doing some budgeting as his mother was already out on a business trip and wouldn't be back for several days.\n\n\"It's hot Dad…when is the repair person coming out?\" He asked the question for what seemed like the 100th time.\n\nHis father sides and wiped his forehead. \"I don't know, son. Why don't you just go to the pool or something? It's better than sitting inside all day.\"\n\n\"But…it's raining outside…and it's hot.\" Xavier whined a bit.\n\nThe man rolled his eyes. \"I don't see a problem. You want something to do. The pool has water. You'll get wet anyway. So take a pick, fry inside…or go out.\"\n\n\"I guess your right…\"The chipmunk boy turned around and headed back toward his room. \n\nXavier grabbed a pair of his swim trunks from his dresser drawer and started to change into them. Shedding his boxers before stepping into the trunks. The cub grabbed his sandals and put them on his feet. He saw his phone flashing the notification light on the counter and looked at it. It was a text from Pent.\n\n\"You there?\" The fox kit had sent him a message about 20 minutes ago.\n\nXavier responded immediately. \"Sorry, yeah. I'm here.\"\n\nIt took a few minutes for the fox to answer back. \"It's alright. What are you doing?\"\n\n\"I was going to go to the pool. Did you want to come?\" The chipmunk smiled at the possibility of hanging out with his boyfriend again.\n\nPent messaged back. \"The weather is supposed to get worse. It's supposed to storm soon.\"\n\n\"Oh, well…good thing I checked my phone then. I wonder why my dad didn't know about that.\" The brown-furred boy thought about it a second.\n\nThe fox answered shortly after. \"I dunno but I was wondering. You seemed to like to look at the stars with me….Would you like to go to the Imax?\"\n\n\"You mean…the place we first hung out at?\" Xavier hadn't been since he and Pent first had started hanging out.\n\nA few seconds passed before the white cub answered. \"Yeah. Do you want to go?\"\n\nXavier had been incredibly bored the first time they went and didn't remember much else about it. He knew the fox liked the place and that was enough of a reason for him to tag along.\n\n\"Yeah, sure. How much does it cost?\" The chipmunk boy grabbed his wallet to see how much he had.\n\nThe phone soon chimed again. \"Nothing. I already got tickets.\"\n\n\"Oh, cool. Thanks, Pent. I'd love to go with you. What time?\" The brown-furred boy perked up a bit at the thought of getting out of the house for a bit.\n\nThe white cub responded before long. \"Right after lunch. Do you want to get lunch together then we can go inside.\"\n\n\"Sure…but I'm treating you to lunch and ice cream.\" Xavier insisted so that he contributed a bit.\n\nPent answered after a short delay. \"Yeah, that will be cool. See you soon. Love you lots.\"\n\n\"Love you too. See you then.\" The chipmunk went back through his dresser drawer to find something to wear. \n\nXavier figured his father wouldn't mind taking him since he had been cooped up in the house all day and had been looking to get out. He looked at the phone and saw he had about 2 hours before lunch. The chipmunk found a nice striped t-shirt and some khaki shorts to wear along with some navy blue boxers. After getting dressed he went over to his computer and turned it on. He wanted to impress Pent and he knew just how to do it.\n\nFor the next hour, Xavier decided to spend the time on his computer. He tried researching constellations but after reading a single article and looking at it he yawned and stretched. Soon detracting and going to some skateboarding websites to check out some tricks he could try. His father eventually came to check on him. \n\n\"No pool today, Xae?\" He asked while standing at the door.\n\nThe chipmunk boy looked over his shoulder. \"It's supposed to storm.\"\n\n\"Oh, then what are you going to do? Why did you get dressed back up?\" The father figured his son had something in mind.\n\nXavier spun around in his chair. \"I was hoping you could take me to the Imax in a bit.\"\n\n\"The Imax?...For what? You're not into that boring place.\" The man didn't see the appeal of museums.\n\nThe boy rolled his eyes. \"It's not boring. I want to go with Pent.\"\n\n\"I think we should have a little talk. Can you come over here for a moment?\" The older male sat on the cub's bed and patted the spot next to him. \n\nThe brown-furred boy got up and headed over to him before sitting down next to him. \"What did I do wrong now?\"\n\n\"Nothing. I just think it's time we talked about your relationship with Pent.\" He wanted to have a heart-to-heart with his son.\n\nXavier murmured a bit. \"Okay…what about it?\"\n\n\"It's all fine and whatever that you're dating him. I'm glad that you finally found someone that important to you. But whatever happened to hang out with other cubs your age? You used to have so many friends.\" The man put his hand on his son's shoulder.\n\nThe chipmunk sighed. \"Ever since I started hanging out with Pent. I had less and less friends. Now that we're dating I just have him.\"\n\n\"Well….maybe it's time to change that. Do you know why did they stop being friends with you?\" He just wanted Xavier to have more than just one friend.\n\nThe brown-furred boy looked to the floor as if upset about it. \"Because I was hanging out with him.\"\n\n\"Why would that stop them from being your friends? Did Pent do something to them?\" The father wanted to better understand the situation.\n\nXavier shook his head. \"No. They didn't like him. They thought he was a nerd. They told me I was a nerd for hanging out with him.\"\n\n\"That stinks. I guess they weren't your friends then, huh?\" The older male stroked his son's back to console him a bit as he seemed bothered by it.\n\nThe chipmunk boy looked up at his father. \"I guess not but I'm happy with the decision I made to hang out with Pent instead of them. I love him, Dad.\"\n\n\"I understand that and that's very sweet of you but I still think you need to try and make other friends. Maybe one of your lacrosse teammates?\" \n\nXavier hummed. \"Yeah, maybe. \n\n\"I will take you to the Imax but only if you promise me to try to make at least one more friend. Alright?\" He stood up since he figured the conversation was over.\n\nThe brown-furred boy nodded. \"Okay, Dad. I promise. Can I ask you something, said.\"\n\n\"Sure, kiddo. What is it?\"The man looked down at his son.\n\nThe younger male stood up. \"Do you like him? Do you think I made the right choice?\"\n\n\"Pent is a nice kid. I will admit he's a bit odd at times but you two seem to get along well. But…it doesn't matter what I think, Xae. As long as you are happy that's all that matters. I'll be in the front room, let me know when you're ready to to the Imax.\" He ruffled the boy's fur and walked away.\n\nXavier smiled and went back to the computer to turn it off. He felt he was ready to head out and grabbed a pair of socks before sliding them on. The cub grabbed his wallet before heading out of the room. The chipmunk boy quickened his pace through the hallway, already excited about seeing Pent. As promised his father was already there waiting for him. He put his shoes on and nodded to his father. The man let him grab an umbrella and headed outside with both of them underneath as they headed to the car. \n\nThe father didn't wait very long to start the car as the weather continued to pour down on top of them. Turning on the windshield wipers was barely enough to see. Still, he was intent on getting his son to his little date. Besides….he wanted the cub out of the house so he would stop complaining and this was his opportunity for that. They arrived at the Imax shortly before noon. His father looked over at the cub and handed him the umbrella.\n\n\"Did you need some money for today?\" He was certain that would be the case.\n\nThe cub shook his head. \"Nah, I brought my allowance.\"\n\n\"Alright, call me or your mom when you're ready to pick you up. See you soon kiddo.\" The man unlocked the door so his son could get out.\n\nXavier got out and waved to his father before thanking him, popping the umbrella over his head. The chipmunk looked at his phone and sent a quick text to see if the fox had arrived yet. The other cub informed him he was at the \"Space Station\" restaurant near the entrance of the theater. The brown-furred boy had no idea what his boyfriend was talking about. He took a quick look around and saw what resembled a space shuttle. He assumed that's where he need to go.\n\nThe chipmunk made his way over to the large space shuttle restaurant. He noticed as he got closer the faux engines of the thing lit up. He couldn't help but marvel at it a bit. Soon the fox came out looking for him. The bigger boy came running over upon noticing him. The two shared a short hug and kiss before joining hands underneath the umbrella. \n\n\"Come on, let's go inside before we get wet.\" Pent suggested so they weren't out in the rain anymore.\n\nThe fox led them inside and Xavier put his umbrella to the side for later. He followed Pent over to a barstool that looked through some port holes to the outside. From within they could see the rain pouring down and it didn't seem to have lessened at all. Some thunder sounded in the distance but neither cub was bothered by it. They sat down at the metallic table before someone showed\n up to give them a menu.\n\nXavier looked around inside a bit. The interior of it very much looked what he thought a spaceship would look like. The ceiling of it was padded by a white fabric. On the sides were various modules, computers, and touch screens. At the front of it, the nose of the spaceship looked into a faux painting of the eternal beyond. Two large pilot seats sat at the front with a control unit sitting just beyond them.\n\nPent had been here enough times that he knew exactly what he wanted. The food here was designed to be themed \"space meals\" with the things being freeze-dried to simulate what astronauts might eat. The names for the stuff were all themed and it took Xavier a few minutes before he settled on something to try. They handed back the menus after they ordered and proceeded to wait for the food.\n\n\"Thanks for coming. I didn't think you'd want to come here again.\" Pent said with a big goofy grin on his face.\n\nXavier smiled at his boyfriend. \"Of, course. I love doing stuff with you. I was thinking maybe after we could go to the skate park again.\"\n\n\"I didn't bring my skates though.\" Pent had never skateboarded before.\n\nThe brown-furred boy touched his boyfriend's shoulder. \"I know. I want to show you how to skateboard. Maybe I can show you all the tricks that I know.\"\n\n\"Sure, I'm game for that. You are a good skateboarder from what I remember.\" The white fox was glad to do something his boyfriend wanted.\n\nThe rodent gave him a thumbs up. \"Sweet. Well…let's head inside before we get soaked.\"\n\n\"If you get bored again we don't have to stay the entire time, alright?\" The fox didn't want to make his boyfriend do anything he didn't like.\n\nThe brown-furred boy shrugged. \"I think I'll be okay this time. I don't have a bunch of people pestering me anymore.\" \n\n\"That's true…haha.\" The bigger boy didn't quite remember what happened last time and just played along like he did.\n\nThe food didn't take much longer before the server came out with two metallic trays. On top of it, the stuff steamed with heat pouring from it. They handed it to the two cubs and let them be. Both boys ate through the meal. For Xavier, it was an odd taste to be sure. The food tasted a little more bland than usual but he put up with it as he didn't want to complain with his boyfriend around.\n\nThe drink was an even odder experience. The drink they were given were in pouches and upon touching it, it felt like soft goo more than some liquid. Putting it up to his maw, he found he had to push and suck on it a bit to get it to come out. Sure enough, it was a little sweeter than the usual juices he drank. It was a novel ordeal to be sure. The chipmunk and fox finished their meals before long.\n\nThe server came back and gave them the bill. Xavier paid it as he promised he would, giving the server a tip. The two cubs thanked them before they made their way back to the exit where Xavier grabbed his umbrella. He popped it back open and they went back across the way to the main portion of the Imax facility. They passed by a replica of one of the lunar modules. Pent pointed it out and began to show the features of it.\n\nThe cubs didn't stay there long since the weather was still poor. It was letting up a bit but still raining enough to deter them from staying there very long. They eventually made their way inside. Pent handed off their tickets as it was clipped when they went inside. They continued past the snack stand as neither of them was hungry since they had just had lunch. \n\n\"Do you want to do the movie first…or the exhibits?\" Pent asked giving his boyfriend the choice.\n\nXavier popped his umbrella closed and snapped it to the side, flicking off the water. \"Hmm…what kind of exhibits are there?\"\n\n\"There are quite a bit of them. They change every so often. There is an observatory, a planetarium, a star map, feature exhibits which are space shuttles and stuff, and the rotating exhibits which…I'm not sure yet.\" The fox tried to recall it from memory.\n\nThe chipmunk tried to pretend to be interested. \"Let's go check out the space shuttles.\"\n\nPent took his boyfriend's hand and led him to the other side of the complex through a few halls and up a set of stairs. The thing spiraled up until they were on the second floor of the place. They soon found themselves at the shuttle exhibit. The thing was set up chronologically with Sputnik being the oldest representative and the Orion being the most recent. They headed up to the old Russian craft and looked at it.\n\nXavier had never seen Sputnik before and was a bit intrigued by it. The thing looked more like a silver ball on four legs to him than some spacecraft. Pent began to explain how the thing was used as a satellite. Of course, going a bit overboard when he explained the Laika mission and how animals were sometimes used in space. A sad fact that made the chipmunk frown a bit but he continued to follow him to the next shuttle.\n\nThey continued to the next set of space shuttles which were of the American variety ranging from the Pioneer program to the Lunar Orbiter Program. These were much less interesting to Xavier as he fought the desire to yawn. He knew that Pent was into this and didn't want to end the date just after they started it. Yet in his mind, he knew he wasn't into this no matter how much he thought he wanted to be.\n\nThey soon arrived at the site where the Apollo missions were. Placards for quite a few of the famous astronauts were all around them. The famed Apollo Module in front of them with the suits worn by the first few furs to land foot on the surface of the moon. Pent's eyes glistened in fascination going over every painstaking detail he knew about the mission. Xavier tried to listen…but after a while he simply just zoned out.\n\nEventually, he let out a yawn catching himself in the middle of making the sound as he covered his snout. Pent looked over at him.\n\n\"Are you bored? We can leave if you want.\" The fox wanted his boyfriend to enjoy himself.\n\nXavier shook his head. \"N-no…I'm fine…I promise.\"\n\nThey continued through the space shuttle exhibit. Pent explained every one of them. Knowing much more than Xavier even realized. The chipmunk tried to stay with it, fighting the desire to yawn throughout it. When they finally got to the Orion shuttles, Pent began his usual spiel of explaining and turned to Xavier. He noticed the cub's eyes were glazed over a bit. \n\n\"Are you sure….you're not bored? I don't mind if we leave…I want you to have fun. This isn't just about me, Xae.\" Pent clenched the smaller boy's hand tightly in his own.\n\nThe brown-furred boy tried to shake himself out of it. \"Erm….\"\n\n\"Remember how you said boyfriends tell each other everything? Please tell me…\" The white fox pleaded with his boyfriend.\n\nThe chipmunk wanted to like this. \"Pent…yes…I'm bored…but…I want to do this….for you….\"\n\n\"How come you didn't just tell me you didn't want to come in the first place?\" Pent felt guilty about making Xavier come.\n\nThe chipmunk sighed. \"Because I thought it would be different…I thought I would be more into it now.\"\n\n\"We can stay, Pent…I promise I won't yawn again.\" The chipmunk didn't want to end the date before it had started.\n\nPent huffed. \"You know you don't have to like what I do right? I like you the way you are.\"\n\n\"I know that…but I want to do something for you and you paid for this…\" The smaller boy shuffled his feet in place.\n\nThe bigger fox rolled his eyes. \"I want to do something we both enjoy. I invited you because I thought that since you enjoyed looking at the stars you might enjoy the rest. Do you want to check out the planetarium and then we can leave?\"\n\n\"I'm game to try it…I promise I won't yawn.\" Xavier felt guilty about yawning.\n\nThe fox shrugged as he extended his hand and took the other boy's hand in his own. The two walked together away from the shuttle exhibit and through the main part of the complex. They passed by the information desk and into the back of the building. They eventually arrived at a darker area with not as many windows. An owl man stood in front of a closed door watching the two cubs as they approached him.\n\n\"We would like to see the planetarium show, please.\" Pent said with a big smile on his face.\n\nThe owl nodded and said nothing before opening the door for them. The two boyfriends headed inside the room. Xavier looked around the dome-shaped room with a control center at one end of it. The owl followed them inside and headed to the control center to start the show. It was a slow today so he didn't much mind the idea of letting the two cubs have a show of their own.\n\nPent led Xavier to the center of the room where the seats spiraled around into an almost circular shape. He sat down and patted the seat next to him. The moment that the chipmunk sat down, his chair instantly fell back flat against the ground. The fox couldn't help but chuckle at his boyfriend but retracted his chair as well. Both boys remained still together and held hands while they waited for the show to begin.\n\nThe lights soon began to dim as the room became almost pitch black after a few moments. Soon in front of them, they saw an image pop up above them. The scene of a shuttle taking off with its engines blowing smoke as if it were ready to take off at any moment. The image soon shifted to inside the control center where several furs could be seen working on computers, tirelessly punching and pushing away at buttons.\n\nOne of the furs on the screen spoke. \"30 seconds until liftoff.\"\n\nA verbal countdown followed immediately after with the scene shifting from watching diagnostics to inside the cock pit of the shuttle. Several astronauts sat within. Their bodies were all in white suits with their faces indistinguishable from outside their visors. \n\n\"All systems go…15 seconds.\" The same voice spoke again.\n\nRed numbers soon counted down on the screen. The infamous NASA clock at\n Kennedy Space Center flickering ever lower. Panning back to the shuttle as 10 was reached. The engines lit up before long as the thrusters kicked into action. The flames underneath caused more and more smoke to billow from under the shuttle. As it did some fake smoke entered into the room where the two cubs were.\n\n\"5…4…3…2…1…0…We have liftoff.\" The voice called out again.\n\nThe shuttle took off the moment that the number 0 was hit. It slowly picked up off the ground before eventually gaining speed. The trail of smoke followed it as it got ever higher in the air. The thing broke through the sound barrier before long and exited the atmosphere. The whole process was sped up to show patrons how it worked. The moment it exited view, the screen in front of the cubs blurred as if they were being transported above at light speed. \n\nA moment later and the screen became dark again with stars and planets decorating the ceiling. They scrolled around as if they were in a space station and the thing was rotating. Pent was tempted to point out a few things but knew you were supposed to be quiet.\n\n\"This is…\" Xavier was interrupted by the owl who shushed him.\n\nXavier looked above. The stars were much closer to them than anything he'd ever seen before. It was supposed to be a close-up view of the cosmos. He gazed with interest as for the first time all day he wasn't bored. The scene soon took them to the moon, showing them the surface of it. Rolling around on the ground as if it were one of the lunar rovers. Falling through a pit on the planet only to find themselves presented with the solar gaze of the sun.\n\nThe thing burned brightly but not so bright that they had to shield their eyes. They could see the coiling flames and spiraling firestorms on the surface as they boiled before them. Pulsating with its ever-fiery gaze. Then taking a step back so they could see Earth from above. Its ever-rotating axis and beautiful blues, greens, and browns as they watched it from above. Xavier couldn't help but marvel at it as it was the first time he'd seen something like this before.\n\nThe camera soon sped forward into the earth. Taking them in for an up-close flight across the various seascapes below. The spray of the ocean kicked up as if they were a bird flicking its claws against the surface. Rolling up and down against the cascading waves and falls of the various ripples across the serine view. Taking them below the ocean past some fish and various other sealife as some of the sounds they made came to life throughout the experience.\n\nThe scene soon rocketed back out of the ocean and back to land as they panned across the various biomes below. Panning back and forth against the rises and of the pining peaks of mountains and traversing forward across vast green plains. A faux breeze pushed past them as they sat in their chairs. The scene soon raced forward to their own home across the Canadian wilderness until it entered back into the very entrance of the place they were.\n\nThe lights soon came back on before long. The show had come to a close. Xavier was a bit bewildered by it all. The owl stepped out of the control center as the two boy's seats sat back upright.\n\n\"Well?\" Pent said looking at the other boy's eyes which were a bit glazed over from it all.\n\nXavier chirped. \"That was cool as heck.\"\n\n\"Cool. I'm glad you liked it.\" The fox smiled at his boyfriend.\n\nThe two walked back out of the planetarium together. The fox thanked the Owl man for the show as he closed the door behind them, waiting for the next patrons.\n\n\"So…did you want to head to the skate park now?\" Pent asked as he wanted his boyfriend to have a chance to pick.\n\nThe chipmunk frowned. \"Pent…\"\n\n\"What? It's not a big deal if we leave. I promise.\" The bigger boy touched his boyfriend's shoulder.\n\nThe smaller cub looked at the floor as if ashamed of himself. \"But…you like it here.\"\n\n\"Yes, I do but it's not just about me. I want you to have fun too. So don't worry…we can leave if you want.\" The fox's tail wagged behind him softly.\n\nXavier sighed. \"Alright, foxy…but I owe you an ice cream still.\"\n\n\"Fair enough. Come on…let's go see how the weather looks before we head out then.\" The white cub led his boyfriend back out to the main part of the building.\n\nThey stood near the information desk for a moment. The information desk was something of a hub for people who went to the various parts of the exhibits. It showed the current time, temperature, and weather for the region. They looked at it for a moment. The weather radar showed the rain was passing by. Pent looked outside and saw that it appeared that the rain was starting to die down.\n\n\"Looks like we should be good. Do you want to head over there then? We could walk or take the bus.\" Pent suggested it to save some time.\n\nThe rodent thought about it for a second. \"Only if you're sure you're ok with leaving.\"\n\n\"Yeah, I'm sure…Let's go.\" The fox felt a little stupid for thinking that his boyfriend would be into this like he was.\n\nThe chipmunk and fox made their way out of the Imax. Upon getting outside they found it was still drizzling but it was nowhere near as bad as before. \n\n\"So…do you want to take the bus or walk?\" Pent asked since the skate park wasn't very far away.\n\nXavier shrugged. \"Whichever is keen. I'm going to text my parents real quick to let them know where we're going.\"\n\nThe chipmunk did just that and the two began walking towards the skate park. The two boyfriends talked about nothing specific as they made their way there. It took them a little longer than they thought it would but they were able to make pretty good time as they kept to the back roads. When they arrived they went to the storage shed where the rentals were kept. The fox thought about taking some blades but then he remembered Xavier wanted to show him how to board.\n\nThe chipmunk grabbed two boards and handed Pent one. They made their way back out and noticed but a single other fur at the park. The other fur was skating up the storm on their rollerblades. The dog was shredding it up and getting major air. When he finally came to a stop, the two other boys realized who it was. Xavier and Pent found themselves in front of Arthur who noticed the other two boys standing next to each other.\n\nArthur started to head over and immediately upon noticing who it was, the chipmunk stepped in front of Pent.\n\n\"Whoah there, little bodyguard. I'm not going to hurt your little boyfriend.\" Arthur decided to stand down.\n\nXavier looked at the bigger cub across from them. \"What do you want?\"\n\n\"As I told you before in class. I just want to apologize. Do you think I could talk with Pent for a bit?\" The Eskimo dog folded his arms expectantly.\n\nThe chipmunk looked back at his boyfriend who nodded. The smaller cub stepped to the side, letting the two talk for a moment.\n\n\"Hi, Pent…long time no talk.\" The bigger cub looked down as if ashamed of himself.\n\nPent huffed. \"Hi, Arthur.\"\n\n\"I know I never got the chance to apologize but you know…everything that happened between us that day was a mistake….I screwed up.\" Arthur took a deep breath as he tried to come clean.\n\nThe white cub cocked his eyebrow a bit. \"How so?\"\n\n\"Well…the kickball hitting you? For one…I didn't aim for your head. It just curved weirdly and yeah…\" The puppy tried to recall it from memory.\n\nThe smaller boy hummed a bit. \"Well…I guess that makes sense.\"\n\n\"And…I forgot about reading with you or whatever. It just slipped my mind. I'm sorry, Pent.\" The Eskimo dog looked back at the fox hopeful he would forgive him.\n\nPent muttered a bit. \"Do you mean it?\"\n\n\"Yeah, do you want to try being friends again?\" The bigger boy's tail wagged behind him softly.\n\nThe fox looked back at Xavier. \"What do you think?\"\n\n\"He's asked me about it a few times. I think he's telling the truth.\" The chipmunk wanted to be honest.\n\nPent looked back at the dog. \"I'll make you a deal…I will give you a chance if you'll be friends with Xavier too.\"\n\n\"Sure, as long as he isn't a jerk to me anymore.\" Arthur folded his arms defensively.\n\nThe fox looked back at his boyfriend. \"Sound good?\"\n\n\"Yeah…my parents want me to make more friends anyways….so it works out.\" Xavier smiled at the thought of having a new friend.\n\nThe Eskimo dog approached them and held out his hand paw. \"Friends, then?\"\n\nBoth of the other two boys put in their hands and at the same time said. \"Friends.\"\n\n\"Cool…Did you two come to skateboard? I bet I could beat you guys in a game of skate…\" The biggest boy loved nothing more than a challenge.\n\nXavier spoke up immediately. \"You're on dog boy…I'll show you whose top cub.\"\n\nPent chuckled at his boyfriend's competitive nature. \"I'll go get some skates then so I can participate.\" \n\nThe fox took the board he was given and brought it back to the shack and exchanged it for the same pair of blades he had used before. The white cub took his shoes off and changed into a pair of inline skates. Skating back out into the park, he already saw that Arthur and Xavier were about to start the game.\n\n\"Come on, Pent.\" The chipmunk called him over as he was waiting for his boyfriend to get started.\n\nThe fox kit rushed over and joined them near the side of a skating bowl. The curvature in the cement dipped down in front of them. They were the only ones in the skating park so they didn't have to worry about running into other furs. \n\n\"I'll go first.\" Arthur announced as he dipped into the bowl and skated down the entry side of it.\n\nXavier and Pent watched as he went down the slope and back out of it. His body rotated as he touched his feet before coming back down and exiting from the opposite side. The chipmunk was confident he could pull this off, so without saying a word he tilted his board into the bowl. The rodent went at a much higher speed since he didn't have to kick, his body flying out the other side and pulling off a 180 flip before coming back down.\n \n\nXavier peeled back to the other side, landing right next to Pent. It was the fox's turn. It was clear to him he wasn't as keen on tricks as the other two boys. However, he wasn't about to turn down a challenge. He went through the bowl and came out the other side, finding himself only able to do a minor rotation. A small trick but something he could accomplish without much of a fuss. He exited through the other side and stood with the other cubs.\n\n\"Looks like Pent gets the first letter.\" Arthur said proudly.\n\nThe fox sighed a bit. \"Whatever…\"\n\n\"It's okay, foxy. I promise I'll beat him…for both of us.\" The chipmunk said confidently.\n\nThe Eskimo dog rolled his eyes. \"Sure, you will....you're pretty confident for a little guy.\"\n\n\"Just play the game, dog boy.\" Xavier huffed a bit.\n\nArthur went first again down the same bowl going as fast as his legs would take him. Racing through the bottom of the bowl and then back up. When he was fed out the other side of it, he grabbed the railing and did a full handstand before allowing his body to recoil and go back inside. The puppy came to the other side and stood proudly among the other cubs. The chipmunk soon followed up with his trick, one-upping the canine cub once again with a heel flip into his handstand.\n\nIt was Pent's turn and he was a bit more nervous this time. Still, he went through the motions of skating into the bowl. Feeding out onto the other side, he did nothing more than a 360-degree spin before landing down. Coming out the other side with Xavier smiling at him.\n\n\"S-K for Pent.\" Arthur announced again.\n\nThe chipmunk patted his boyfriend on the back and the three of them headed to the half pipe. It seemed slick with water but it didn't deter any of them from climbing up it. Each of them stood at the top. This time Xavier went first, soaring down the wooden ramp with as much speed as he mustered. Throwing his skateboard over his head before bringing it back under his body as he re-entered the other end of the ramp.\n\nThe fox smiled at his boyfriend, impressed by his skills. Arthur kept on one-upping the rodent. He had never seen another cub of this skill level before. He entered the half-pipe and fed himself through it, going backward as he allowed his body to do a full rotation on the other end. Continuing to go backward until he was back on the other side. \n\nIt was now Pent's turn. The fox was confident he could do exactly what Arthur just did. He had gone backward more than enough time. So he started down in the same method that the other boy did and flipped himself around. The fox was able to do it well enough and came out on the same side unscathed.\n\n\"S for Arthur.\" Xavier said with a grin on his face.\n\nThey skated down the half pipe back to the base of the park and rolled over towards a rail. Xavier had already come up with exactly what he wanted to do. He lined himself up against the rail and flipped his body while doing the moonwalk as if he were doing it on solid ground. Pent clapped at his boyfriend, seeming impressed with the feat. The fox couldn't believe how talented the boy was. \n\nPent decided to give it a go, figuring he couldn't do the same thing since blades wouldn't work like that. Instead allowing himself to slide along on the middle of his wheels, stepping over each time like he was walking. Arthur followed up with a similar feel, not quite making it the entire way.\n\n\"S-K for Arthur.\" The chipmunk chirped again.\n\nThe Eskimo dog grunted as he wanted to go first this time. He lined up the rail and thought of something to do. He came up with the best possible trick he could conjure up in his mind. Allowing his body to do a semi-split and reeling his wheels along the rail so that he rolled back and forth as if he were an old fashion type-writer clinking back into place. The fox and his boyfriend watched with interest.\n\nXavier went next and was able to replicate the concept with ease. His skateboard was more than able to shift back and forth on its belly. It was now Pent's turn with the fox feeling a bit nervous about it. He had never tried something like that before and yet he still wanted to go through with it. The cub lined his skates up the same way he'd seen Arthur doing it, losing his footing in the process and falling on the ground.\n\nPent hunched over and grabbed his ankle as he squinted a bit. The chipmunk rushed over to check if his boyfriend was hurt. The white cub wasn't crying but it was clear he was injured. \n\n\"Go grab his shoes from the shack, Arthur. We can finish this another day.\" Xavier suggested making this go by quicker.\n\nThe Chipmunk tended to the fallen fox who did his best to deal with the pain he was experiencing.\n\nThe white fox whispered. \"Thanks, Xae…\"\n\n\"Of course, Pent. It's not like I want you to hurt yourself further.\" The rodent worked the cub's skates off his paws slowly.\n\nArthur returned with Pent's shoes shortly after, holding them out to Xavier. He put on the one on the paw that the fox wasn't clutching and skipped out on the other one. Slowly the chipmunk lifted Pent and allowed his injured side to limp on him. Xavier decided to call his parents so they could pick them up. He assumed they wouldn't have a problem considering the circumstances.\n\nThey parted ways with Arthur and Xavier returned their stuff to the shack. He brought the fox kit back out of the skate park and sat on the side of the sidewalk while waiting for the boy's parents to arrive. The chipmunk handed the cub's other shoe to him.\n\n\"You alright, Pent?\" Xavier asked as he was still worried about his boyfriend.\n\nThe bigger boy nodded. \"Yeah, I'm fine…I think I just twisted my ankle.\"\n\n\"Still…we're going home for today. I'm sorry…I feel bad that you got hurt.\" The brown-furred boy looked at the ground as he was disappointed in himself.\n\nThe fox rubbed his boyfriend's back. \"It's not you're fault. I should have said I'm not great at tricks. Still…you were cool as heck.\"\n\n\"Thanks, Pent…I'm going to beat him next time for sure.\" Xavier said with a confident smile on his face.\n\nThe white cub smiled widely at him. \"I'm sure you will…I still want you to show me how to skateboard.\"\n\n\"One day, I will. I promise.\" The chipmunk gave him a thumbs up. \n\nThe chipmunk's mother arrived before long and helped Xavier get Pent in the car. Of course, she immediately felt bad for the boy. Her motherly instinct kicked in and she wanted to help take care of him. She stated the car backed up once both of the boys were inside it.\n\n\"Pent, I want you to ice that when you get home alright?\" She said starting the car as she didn't want to overstep her boundaries.\n\nThe fox kit nodded. \"Yeah, I will.\"\n\n\"Do you think I can go with him, Mom? It's my fault he got hurt.\" Xavier still felt guilty about it.\n\nShe thought about it for a second. \"I'm not sure that's a good idea. It's a school night, he's hurt, and both of you need rest.\"\n \n\"But, Mom…I want to help him.\" The chipmunk whined a bit.\n\nThe woman huffed. \"No butts mister. You will see him at school tomorrow. I promise he will be fine.\"\n\n\"Okay…\" The chipmunk boy dropped the issue as he knew there was no changing her mind.\n\nThe rest of the ride to Pent's place was pretty silent. The cub's mother put on the radio to cure the otherwise awkward silence. It was the quietest she'd ever heard the two boys been in a while. Pent's mind was occupied by the soreness in his ankle while his boyfriend was distracted by his disappointment. She decided to just enjoy the quiet for a change.\n\nWhen they finally arrived at the fox kit's home, she opened the door and told Xavier to help the boy out. Of course, Xavier was more than happy to do it. Offering himself as a makeshift crutch for the other boy. The fox hinged himself on the smaller boy and they hobbled up together to the door. They shared a final hug and a kiss before waving to each other. Pent watched as his boyfriend left the property.\n\nThe arctic fox made his way inside, limping a bit but still able to go in under his power. Samaliel was playing some games and he heard the sound of the console in the living room. He decided to not bother the boy and go about his business alone. The older fox hobbled around a bit until he made his way to the kitchen and grabbed an ice pack from the freezer. Heading back to his room so he could read while he iced his leg.\n\nPent grabbed a book and eased himself onto the bed. Taking the other shoe off and laying back, he tried to relax and ignore the soreness. Beginning to read while he allowed the ice pack to do its work. It was a short while before Samaliel walked into the room and realized he was home.\n\n\"You're home early. Oh, did you hurt yourself?\" The younger fox noticed upon entering the room.\n\nThe older boy continued reading but still answered. \"Yeah, I twisted my ankle so Xavier's Mom took me home.\"\n\n\"How did you twist your ankle at Imax?\" The salt and pepper boy asked as he recalled that's where his brother said he went.\n\nPent put the book down. \"We went to the skate park because he was bored.\"\n\n\"Oh…that sucks. I know you were looking forward to going with him.\" The smaller boy approached the bed and sat on the side of it.\n\nThe older boy smiled meekly. \"It's alright. I shouldn't have invited him I guess.\"\n\n\"It was nice of you that you did. I'm sure he appreciated it. Did you enjoy yourself?\" Samaliel wanted to make sure his brother had a good time.\n\nThe white cub daydreamed a bit. \"Yeah, he is supper good at skateboarding…it's crazy.\"\n\n\"Oh yeah? Did he do tricks or what?\" The salt and pepper fox chuckled a bit at his brother gushing about his boyfriend.\n\nPent leaned up and put his book down. \"Yeah…he beat the snot out of both Arthur and me.\"\n\n\"Arthur was there? Nothing bad happened did it?\" A look of concern came over the smaller boy's face.\n\nThe older cub shook his head. \"Nah, he apologized. He said it was a misunderstanding.\"\n\n\"Cool, well maybe\n you'll have two friends now.\" The younger brother couldn't help but smile at the other boy.\n\nThe bigger boy shrugged \"Maybe.\"\n\n\"Well, I'm glad you guys had fun regardless. Do you want me to make dinner tonight since you're injured?\" Samaliel wanted to be helpful.\n\nThe older brother shook his head. \"Nah, I'm just a little sore. I'll be fine.\"\n\n\"Alright, but I'm still going to help you.\" The salt and pepper fox poked his brothers.\n\nLater that night when it was dinner time the two made dinner together. Pent had a bit more difficulty than usual. His mind had been occupied with his day and his relationship. Still thinking a bit too much about what happened at the Imax. He was still a little disappointed about leaving when they did. He wanted nothing more than to share one of his interests with his boyfriend but he didn't want to force Xavier into anything.\n\nAt the dinner table, the older fox was still confronting the issue in his mind. Samaliel hadn't noticed the distraction until Pent was playing with his food.\n\n\"Something bothering you?\" Samaliel asked as he started eating his meal.\n\nPent snapped out of it a second later. \"Oh, nah. I'm fine.\"\n\nThey continued eating through the meal together. Pent wasn't upset enough to talk about it. Instead of just dealing with it himself in his mind. He accepted the fact that his boyfriend was different and didn't like the same things he did. Telling himself that he didn't want Xavier to change and just to be himself, even if the ordeal at the Imax had remained at the back of his mind. Still, he continued to try to block out any negative emotion he was experiencing.\n\nThat night in bed, he tossed and turned a bit more than usual. He still hadn't silenced his mind and just wanted to relax. Soon closing himself into a book and hoping that would solve the problem. The book was about sharks and soon he forgot about his problems. The familiar comfort of new information had pushed it out of his mind. Returning his thoughts to things he enjoyed instead of continuing to dwell on negative emotions.\n\n Earlier when Xavier had got back in the front seat of his mother's car, the boy was still feeling bad about what had happened, looking at the floor seeming disappointed in himself. The cub's mother started the car before long.\n\n\"What's wrong? Even when your boyfriend was here, you've been very quiet.\" She said as she knew when something was bothering her son.\n\nThe chipmunk boy looked over at her. \"Huh? Oh…I just feel bad that Pent got hurt.\"\n\n\"How did you two end up going to the skate park so early anyways?\" The woman knew his original plans were to go to the Imax first.\n\nXavier looked out the window. \"Imax was boring.\"\n\n\"Imax was boring for you….or him?\" The mother already knew the answer but wanted to hear him say it.\n\nThe chipmunk sighed. \"Pent noticed I was yawning and he asked if I wanted to do something else.\"\n\n\"Honey…you know that relationships aren't just a one-way street right?\" The older chipmunk put it as bluntly as possible.\n\nThe boy looked back at her. \"What do you mean?\"\n\n\"You're not always going to get to do things you like. He went to that Lacrosse game with you didn't he?\" She wanted him to better understand how it worked.\n\nXavier thought about it for a second. \"I guess so.\"\n\n\"Think about it this way. Was he interested in it before meeting you?\" The woman pulled into the highway towards their house.\n\nThe brown-furred boy hummed. \"No, I don't think so.\"\n\n\"When I first met your father, his one passion in life was soccer. I went to his games and learned more about the sport for him. I found it boring at first but I forced myself to put up with it for him. When I invited him to spin, he hated it. Now we both enjoy it.\" She hoped a personal story would help him get the point.\n\nThe chipmunk boy grumbled a bit. \"I did try. I tried to look up constellations. I tried to put go through the shuttle exhibit. It was just so….boring.\"\n\n\"I understand that. Your little boyfriend is quite the academic. Still…I think you should try to relate with him on something he likes more than you.\" The mother got off the highway on the last stretch to their home.\n\nHe sighed a bit. \"Thanks, Mom. I appreciate the advice.\"\n\n\"Of course, honey. Relationships are never easy. But…if you love him. You will make it work. I'm sure he feels the same way.\" She tapped him on the shoulder and unlocked the door once they got home.\n\nThe rest of the night Xavier thought about the conversation he had with his mother. Of course, he wanted the relationship to work. But Pent was so much different than himself. Searching within himself for something…anything he could share in common with the other cub. It wasn't until bedtime that he finally came up with an idea.\n\nXavier was scrolling through his phone looking at pictures he and Pent had taken together. Then it occurred to him that the other cub liked hockey. Immediately he began looking into the sport and tried to take an interest in it. It was then he decided he would try to appeal to the fox through their shared love of sports. He began to wonder if the other cub's season was still in play as he sat there in bed. \n\n\"You awake, Pent?\" He texted the other boy while in bed.\n\nIt took a moment for the fox to answer. \"Yeah, I'm in bed. What's up?\"\n\n\"Are you playing hockey for any teams currently?\" Xavier knew Pent played ice hockey but wasn't sure that was a thing this time of year.\n\nPent responded before long. \"I am on a roller hockey team, why?\"\n\n\"I was wondering…do you think I could come to one of your games?\" The chipmunk figured it would be more exciting than the Imax.\n\nThe fox smiled a bit. \"You want to come to one of my games?\" \n\n\"Sure, why not? You came to my lacrosse games. I wouldn't mind cheering you on like you did for me.\" The brown-furred boy said hopefully Pent would be alright with it.\n\nThe white cub texted back. \"Yeah, sure. I have a game in a few days. You can come if you want.\"\n\n\"Cool…and Pent…I'm sorry about what happened today at the Imax. I still feel bad about leaving early.\" Xavier felt guilty about it.\n\nThe Arctic fox felt a bit better about it after reading that. \"It's okay, Xae. I know you're not into that.\"\n\n\"I know but still…I need to try harder to relate with you. I'm a bad boyfriend. Do you forgive me?\" Then Chipmunk texted and stared at the screen waiting for a response.\n\nPent was now transfixed to the screen as well. \"It's fine. I promise. I just wanted you to have fun today. You were awesome at the skate park today.\"\n\n\"Thanks, foxy. I appreciate it but this isn't just about me. I feel like I screwed up today. Maybe one day we could go to a museum or something…my treat.\" Xavier wanted to make it up to his boyfriend.\n\nThe white cub smiled wider. \"Really?\"\n\n\"Yeah, I'll come up with something. I promise. I want to make it up to you.\" Xavier felt like a load was being relieved from his chest.\n\nPent responded immediately. \"Heck, yeah. I'd love that.\"\n\n\"Cool, I love you Pent. I'm sorry again about what happened today. How's your leg feeling?\" The chipmunk wanted to make sure his boyfriend was not in pain.\n\nThe fox adjusted himself in bed and texted back. \"It feels alright. Just a little sore. Thanks for asking.\"\n\n\"Maybe next time I'll give you a paw rub…haha. Though I don't think I'll be as good as you are.\" The brown-furred boy tried to make a joke.\n\nThe Arctic fox rolled his eyes as he texted back. \"I wouldn't say no to that.\"\n\n\"You're on then. Anything on your mind?\" Xavier didn't want to stop texting just yet.\n\nPent was only thinking one thing right now. \"Just you… haha.\"\n\n\"You're sweet. I'll see you tomorrow at school then?\" The chipmunk wasn't sure what else to talk about.\n\nThe fox just sent back a thumbs-up emoji. Both cubs put their phones away for the time being. Neither of them was that tired so they tossed and turned a bit as the night spent away. An hour had already passed and each of them was as restless as the other. Xavier stared at his phone for a moment, wondering how he could make the boredom go away. He started to pull up random hockey websites until another text came up from Pent.\n\n\"I can't sleep. Are you awake?\" The fox's eyes were glazed over looking at the screen.\n\nXavier was surprised to see his boyfriend text this way. \"Yeah, I can't sleep either..\"\n\n\"You want to talk more?\" Pent wanted something to do.\n\nThe chipmunk was keen on it. \"Sure. What's on your mind?\n\n\"Still you…I wanted to spend more time with you today.\" Pent the screen brightness down.\n\nThe brown-furred cub chuckled a bit. \"Yeah, it sucks my mom wouldn't let me go over.\"\n\n\"Maybe tomorrow we could do something if you want?\" The white cub just wanted a reason to hang out with Xavier.\n\nThe rodent thought about it for a second. \"Maybe but we're just coming off spring break so I'm not sure.\"\n\n\"We'll wait and see I guess. By the way…I'm going to sign us up for the Science Fair as partners, alright?\" The Arctic fox had a few plans in mind for it already.\n\nXavier was surprised to see his boyfriend bring it back up. \"Really? I still can't believe you want me to be your partner…\"\n\n\"I don't see why not. I want to work with you. Do you want to be my partner?\" Pent was hopeful that would be the case.\n\nThe brown-furred cub hesitated before texting back. \"Sure but only if you're certain.\"\n\n\"Yup, I'm sure. You can be my little lab chipmunk.\" The Arctic fox tried to be funny about it.\n\nThe rodent wasn't sure if his boyfriend was joking or not. \"You're not going to test on me are you?\"\n\n\"No…haha. That's dangerous. It was a joke. A bad one I suppose.\" The white cub wasn't very good at the whole humor thing.\n\nXavier forced a smile as he texted back. \"Oh, okay. Well, yeah. I'm game.\"\n\n\"Sweet, I'll sign us up tomorrow then. I'll show you my ideas later this week. I already have a few. Do you have any?\" Pent wanted to give the other boy a chance to chime in.\n\nThe chipmunk thought\n about it for a second. \"I don't think so…I wasn't planning on doing it and I didn't think you'd ask me to be your partner.\"\n\n\"Why not?\" The fox looked out the window at the stars awaiting an answer back.\n\nThe brown-furred boy texted back. \"Because you're in a higher level Science and I'm not as smart as you.\"\n\n\"You're smart enough. You work hard. You're cute and handsome…and kind. I don't want to ask anyone else.\" Pent gushed a bit again about his boyfriend.\n\nXavier blushed. \"Thanks, Pent. I would love to be your partner.\"\n\n\"Sounds good. I guess I'll try to go to sleep again. I'm not tired but we both need to get up early so…\" The white cub tried to convince himself the same.\n\nThe rodent made a quick text back. \"Good night. I love you.\"\n\n\"I love you too.\" The white cub put his phone away again.\n\nBoth boys tried sleeping again and tossed and turned for a bit. It took a while for the fatigue from the day to set in. When it finally did, both boys had all too different dreams. Pent's focused on doing labwork with his boyfriend. The two working hard on some chemical contraption that the fox had cooked up. Both of them were awarded the first place prize, with Pent taking much more pride in it but his boyfriend being happy all the same.\n\nXavier… had a bit of a nightmare. Finding himself at the skate park with just Pent. The two skateboard together with the chipmunk showing his boyfriend how to do it. The rodent taking it a bit further than it perhaps should have. Pent hurting himself in a much more serious way and being rather angry about it. Waking up from this, the cub was sweating bullets glad the ordeal was over. \n\nGoing to the bathroom he washed his face with cold water to get rid of the negative thoughts. Retiring back to bed, his mind restful once again. Visited by no more of the same. Both boys slept soundly through the night. Despite everything that had happened their relationship continued to grow and become ever stronger. Wanting nothing more than the best for their beloved to be together forever. A wish that seemed ever more real with each passing day.", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "Romantic Remix by Pent Ghelsburg

Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this work are purely fictional. Any resemblance to persons alive or dead is purely coincidental. They are the original and rightful intellectual property of their creators. I use them with permission and respect. This work involves some suggestive and/or sexual content and underaged characters. You have been warned.\t

\tIt was the last day of spring break and a lazy one at that. Xavier had been bored all day. It was raining heavily outside. It was blazing hot outside, so much so that the air conditioning didn't seem like it was doing anything. The unit had been acting up lately and it had finally given its last hurrah. He had already complained to his parents but there was little they could do about it as they'd already called out a repair person.

\tIt was still pretty early in the day. He wanted to go outside and do something. The chipmunk boy had been stuffed up in the house all day now. Wearing naught but his boxers and a tank top, the young boy was over the whole heat wave. He walked into the kitchen where his parents were father was doing some budgeting as his mother was already out on a business trip and wouldn't be back for several days.

"It's hot Dad…when is the repair person coming out?" He asked the question for what seemed like the 100th time.

His father sides and wiped his forehead. "I don't know, son. Why don't you just go to the pool or something? It's better than sitting inside all day."

"But…it's raining outside…and it's hot." Xavier whined a bit.

The man rolled his eyes. "I don't see a problem. You want something to do. The pool has water. You'll get wet anyway. So take a pick, fry inside…or go out."

"I guess your right…"The chipmunk boy turned around and headed back toward his room.

Xavier grabbed a pair of his swim trunks from his dresser drawer and started to change into them. Shedding his boxers before stepping into the trunks. The cub grabbed his sandals and put them on his feet.  He saw his phone flashing the notification light on the counter and looked at it. It was a text from Pent.

"You there?" The fox kit had sent him a message about 20 minutes ago.

Xavier responded immediately. "Sorry, yeah. I'm here."

It took a few minutes for the fox to answer back. "It's alright. What are you doing?"

"I was going to go to the pool. Did you want to come?"  The chipmunk smiled at the possibility of hanging out with his boyfriend again.

Pent messaged back. "The weather is supposed to get worse. It's supposed to storm soon."

"Oh, well…good thing I checked my phone then. I wonder why my dad didn't know about that."  The brown-furred boy thought about it a second.

The fox answered shortly after. "I dunno but I was wondering. You seemed to like to look at the stars with me….Would you like to go to the Imax?"

"You mean…the place we first hung out at?" Xavier hadn't been since he and Pent first had started hanging out.

A few seconds passed before the white cub answered. "Yeah. Do you want to go?"

Xavier had been incredibly bored the first time they went and didn't remember much else about it. He knew the fox liked the place and that was enough of a reason for him to tag along.

"Yeah, sure. How much does it cost?" The chipmunk boy grabbed his wallet to see how much he had.

The phone soon chimed again. "Nothing. I already got  tickets."

"Oh, cool. Thanks, Pent. I'd love to go with you. What time?"  The brown-furred boy perked up a bit at the thought of getting out of the house for a bit.

The white cub responded before long. "Right after lunch. Do you want to get lunch together then we can go inside."

"Sure…but I'm treating you to lunch and ice cream." Xavier insisted so that he contributed a bit.

Pent answered after a short delay. "Yeah, that will be cool. See you soon. Love you lots."

"Love you too. See you then." The chipmunk went back through his dresser drawer to find something to wear.

Xavier figured his father wouldn't mind taking him since he had been cooped up in the house all day and had been looking to get out. He looked at the phone and saw he had about 2 hours before lunch. The chipmunk found a nice striped t-shirt and some khaki shorts to wear along with some navy blue boxers. After getting dressed he went over to his computer and turned it on. He wanted to impress Pent and he knew just how to do it.

For the next hour, Xavier decided to spend the time on his computer. He tried researching constellations but after reading a single article and looking at it he yawned and stretched. Soon detracting and going to some skateboarding websites to check out some tricks he could try. His father eventually came to check on him.

"No pool today, Xae?" He asked while standing at the door.

The chipmunk boy looked over his shoulder. "It's supposed to storm."

"Oh, then what are you going to do? Why did you get dressed back up?" The father figured his son had something in mind.

Xavier spun around in his chair. "I was hoping you could take me to the Imax in a bit."

"The Imax?...For what? You're not into that boring place." The man didn't see the appeal of museums.

The boy rolled his eyes. "It's not boring. I want to go with Pent."

"I think we should have a little talk. Can you come over here for a moment?"  The older male sat on the cub's bed and patted the spot next to him.

The brown-furred boy got up and headed over to him before sitting down next to him. "What did I do wrong now?"

"Nothing. I just think it's time we talked about your relationship with Pent." He wanted to have a heart-to-heart with his son.

Xavier murmured a bit. "Okay…what about it?"

"It's all fine and whatever that you're dating him. I'm glad that you finally found someone that important to you. But whatever happened to hang out with other cubs your age? You used to have so many friends." The man put his hand on his son's shoulder.

The chipmunk sighed. "Ever since I started hanging out with Pent. I had less and less friends. Now that we're dating I just have him."

"Well….maybe it's time to change that. Do you know why did they stop being friends with you?"  He just wanted Xavier to have more than just one friend.

The brown-furred boy looked to the floor as if upset about it. "Because I was hanging out with him."

"Why would that stop them from being your friends? Did Pent do something to them?" The father wanted to better understand the situation.

Xavier shook his head. "No. They didn't like him. They thought he was a nerd. They told me I was a nerd for hanging out with him."

"That stinks. I guess they weren't your friends then, huh?" The older male stroked his son's back to console him a bit as he seemed bothered by it.

The chipmunk boy looked up at his father. "I guess not but I'm happy with the decision I made to hang out with Pent instead of them. I love him, Dad."

"I understand that and that's very sweet of you but I still think you need to try and make other friends. Maybe one of your lacrosse teammates?"

Xavier hummed. "Yeah, maybe.

"I will take you to the Imax but only if you promise me to try to make at least one more friend. Alright?"  He stood up since he figured the conversation was over.

The brown-furred boy nodded. "Okay, Dad. I promise. Can I ask you something, said."

"Sure, kiddo. What is it?"The man looked down at his son.

The younger male stood up. "Do you like him? Do you think I made the right choice?"

"Pent is a nice kid. I will admit he's a bit odd at times but you two seem to get along well. But…it doesn't matter what I think, Xae. As long as you are happy that's all that matters. I'll be in the front room, let me know when you're ready to to the Imax."  He ruffled the boy's fur and walked away.

Xavier smiled and went back to the computer to turn it off.  He felt he was ready to head out and grabbed a pair of socks before sliding them on. The cub grabbed his wallet before heading out of the room. The chipmunk boy quickened his pace through the hallway, already excited about seeing Pent. As promised his father was already there waiting for him. He put his shoes on and nodded to his father. The man let him grab an umbrella and headed outside with both of them underneath as they headed to the car.

The father didn't wait very long to start the car as the weather continued to pour down on top of them. Turning on the windshield wipers was barely enough to see. Still, he was intent on getting his son to his little date. Besides….he wanted the cub out of the house so he would stop complaining and this was his opportunity for that. They arrived at the Imax shortly before noon. His father looked over at the cub and handed him the umbrella.

"Did you need some money for today?"  He was certain that would be the case.

The cub shook his head. "Nah, I brought my allowance."

"Alright, call me or your mom when you're ready to pick you up. See you soon kiddo." The man unlocked the door so his son could get out.

Xavier got out and waved to his father before thanking him, popping the umbrella over his head.  The chipmunk looked at his phone and sent a quick text to see if the fox had arrived yet. The other cub informed him he was at the "Space Station" restaurant near the entrance of the theater. The brown-furred boy had no idea what his boyfriend was talking about. He took a quick look around and saw what resembled a space shuttle. He assumed that's where he need to go.

The chipmunk made his way over to the large space shuttle restaurant. He noticed as he got closer the faux engines of the thing lit up. He couldn't help but marvel at it a bit. Soon the fox came out looking for him. The bigger boy came running over upon noticing him. The two shared a short hug and kiss before joining hands underneath the umbrella.

"Come on, let's go inside before we get wet." Pent suggested so they weren't out in the rain anymore.

The fox led them inside and Xavier put his umbrella to the side for later. He followed Pent over to a barstool that looked through some port holes to the outside. From within they could see the rain pouring down and it didn't seem to have lessened at all. Some thunder sounded in the distance but neither cub was bothered by it. They sat down at the metallic table before someone showed
 up to give them a menu.

Xavier looked around inside a bit. The interior of it very much looked what he thought a spaceship would look like. The ceiling of it was padded by a white fabric. On the sides were various modules, computers, and touch screens. At the front of it, the nose of the spaceship looked into a faux painting of the eternal beyond. Two large pilot seats sat at the front with a control unit sitting just beyond them.

Pent had been here enough times that he knew exactly what he wanted. The food here was designed to be themed "space meals" with the things being freeze-dried to simulate what astronauts might eat. The names for the stuff were all themed and it took Xavier a few minutes before he settled on something to try. They handed back the menus after they ordered and proceeded to wait for the food.

"Thanks for coming. I didn't think you'd want to come here again." Pent said with a big goofy grin on his face.

Xavier smiled at his boyfriend. "Of, course. I love doing stuff with you. I was thinking maybe after we could go to the skate park again."

"I didn't bring my skates though." Pent had never skateboarded before.

The brown-furred boy touched his boyfriend's shoulder. "I know. I want to show you how to skateboard. Maybe I can show you all the tricks that I know."

"Sure, I'm game for that. You are a good skateboarder from what I remember." The white fox was glad to do something his boyfriend wanted.

The rodent gave him a thumbs up. "Sweet. Well…let's head inside before we get soaked."

"If you get bored again we don't have to stay the entire time, alright?" The fox didn't want to make his boyfriend do anything he didn't like.

The brown-furred boy shrugged. "I think I'll be okay this time. I don't have a bunch of people pestering me anymore."

"That's true…haha."  The bigger boy didn't quite remember what happened last time and just played along like he did.

The food didn't take much longer before the server came out with two metallic trays. On top of it, the stuff steamed with heat pouring from it. They handed it to the two cubs and let them be. Both boys ate through the meal. For Xavier, it was an odd taste to be sure. The food tasted a little more bland than usual but he put up with it as he didn't want to complain with his boyfriend around.

The drink was an even odder experience. The drink they were given were in pouches and upon touching it, it felt like soft goo more than some liquid. Putting it up to his maw, he found he had to push and suck on it a bit to get it to come out. Sure enough, it was a little sweeter than the usual juices he drank.  It was a novel ordeal to be sure. The chipmunk and fox finished their meals before long.

The server came back and gave them the bill. Xavier paid it as he promised he would, giving the server a tip. The two cubs thanked them before they made their way back to the exit where Xavier grabbed his umbrella. He popped it back open and they went back across the way to the main portion of the Imax facility. They passed by a replica of one of the lunar modules. Pent pointed it out and began to show the features of it.

The cubs didn't stay there long since the weather was still poor. It was letting up a bit but still raining enough to deter them from staying there very long. They eventually made their way inside. Pent handed off their tickets as it was clipped when they went inside. They continued past the snack stand as neither of them was hungry since they had just had lunch.

"Do you want to do the movie first…or the exhibits?" Pent asked giving his boyfriend the choice.

Xavier popped his umbrella closed and snapped it to the side, flicking off the water. "Hmm…what kind of exhibits are there?"

"There are quite a bit of them. They change every so often. There is an observatory, a planetarium, a star map,  feature exhibits which are space shuttles and stuff, and the rotating exhibits which…I'm not sure yet." The fox tried to recall it from memory.

The chipmunk tried to pretend to be interested. "Let's go check out the space shuttles."

Pent took his boyfriend's hand and led him to the other side of the complex through a few halls and up a set of stairs. The thing spiraled up until they were on the second floor of the place. They soon found themselves at the shuttle exhibit. The thing was set up chronologically with Sputnik being the oldest representative and the Orion being the most recent. They headed up to the old Russian craft and looked at it.

Xavier had never seen Sputnik before and was a bit intrigued by it. The thing looked more like a silver ball on four legs to him than some spacecraft. Pent began to explain how the thing was used as a satellite. Of course, going a bit overboard when he explained the Laika mission and how animals were sometimes used in space. A sad fact that made the chipmunk frown a bit but he continued to follow him to the next shuttle.

They continued to the next set of space shuttles which were of the American variety ranging from the Pioneer program to the Lunar Orbiter Program. These were much less interesting to Xavier as he fought the desire to yawn. He knew that Pent was into this and didn't want to end the date just after they started it. Yet in his mind, he knew he wasn't into this no matter how much he thought he wanted to be.

They soon arrived at the site where the Apollo missions were. Placards for quite a few of the famous astronauts were all around them. The famed Apollo Module in front of them with the suits worn by the first few furs to land foot on the surface of the moon. Pent's eyes glistened in fascination going over every painstaking detail he knew about the mission.  Xavier tried to listen…but after a while he simply just zoned out.

Eventually, he let out a yawn catching himself in the middle of making the sound as he covered his snout. Pent looked over at him.

"Are you bored? We can leave if you want."  The fox wanted his boyfriend to enjoy himself.

Xavier shook his head. "N-no…I'm fine…I promise."

They continued through the space shuttle exhibit. Pent explained every one of them. Knowing much more than Xavier even realized. The chipmunk tried to stay with it, fighting the desire to yawn throughout it. When they finally got to the Orion shuttles, Pent began his usual spiel of explaining and turned to Xavier. He noticed the cub's eyes were glazed over a bit.

"Are you sure….you're not bored? I don't mind if we leave…I want you to have fun. This isn't just about me, Xae." Pent clenched the smaller boy's hand tightly in his own.

The brown-furred boy tried to shake himself out of it. "Erm…."

"Remember how you said boyfriends tell each other everything? Please tell me…" The white fox pleaded with his boyfriend.

The chipmunk wanted to like this. "Pent…yes…I'm bored…but…I want to do this….for you…."

"How come you didn't just tell me you didn't want to come in the first place?" Pent felt guilty about making Xavier come.

The chipmunk sighed. "Because I thought it would be different…I thought I would be more into it now."

"We can stay, Pent…I promise I won't yawn again." The chipmunk didn't want to end the date before it had started.

Pent huffed. "You know you don't have to like what I do right? I like you the way you are."

"I know that…but I want to do something for you and you paid for this…" The smaller boy shuffled his feet in place.

The bigger fox rolled his eyes. "I want to do something we both enjoy. I invited you because I thought that since you enjoyed looking at the stars you might enjoy the rest. Do you want to check out the planetarium and then we can leave?"

"I'm game to try it…I promise I won't yawn." Xavier felt guilty about yawning.

The fox shrugged as he extended his hand and took the other boy's hand in his own. The two walked together away from the shuttle exhibit and through the main part of the complex. They passed by the information desk and into the back of the building. They eventually arrived at a darker area with not as many windows. An owl man stood in front of a closed door watching the two cubs as they approached him.

"We would like to see the planetarium show, please." Pent said with a big smile on his face.

The owl nodded and said nothing before opening the door for them. The two boyfriends headed inside the room. Xavier looked around the dome-shaped room with a control center at one end of it. The owl followed them inside and headed to the control center to start the show. It was a slow today so he didn't much mind the idea of letting the two cubs have a show of their own.

Pent led Xavier to the center of the room where the seats spiraled around into an almost circular shape. He sat down and patted the seat next to him. The moment that the chipmunk sat down, his chair instantly fell back flat against the ground. The fox couldn't help but chuckle at his boyfriend but retracted his chair as well. Both boys remained still together and held hands while they waited for the show to begin.

The lights soon began to dim as the room became almost pitch black after a few moments. Soon in front of them, they saw an image pop up above them. The scene of a shuttle taking off with its engines blowing smoke as if it were ready to take off at any moment. The image soon shifted to inside the control center where several furs could be seen working on computers, tirelessly punching and pushing away at buttons.

One of the furs on the screen spoke. "30 seconds until liftoff."

A verbal countdown followed immediately after with the scene shifting from watching diagnostics to inside the cock pit of the shuttle. Several astronauts sat within. Their bodies were all in white suits with their faces indistinguishable from outside their visors.

"All systems go…15 seconds." The same voice spoke again.

Red numbers soon counted down on the screen. The infamous NASA clock at
 Kennedy Space Center flickering ever lower. Panning back to the shuttle as 10 was reached. The engines lit up before long as the thrusters kicked into action.  The flames underneath caused more and more smoke to billow from under the shuttle. As it did some fake smoke entered into the room where the two cubs were.

"5…4…3…2…1…0…We have liftoff." The voice called out again.

The shuttle took off the moment that the number 0 was hit. It slowly picked up off the ground before eventually gaining speed. The trail of smoke followed it as it got ever higher in the air. The thing broke through the sound barrier before long and exited the atmosphere. The whole process was sped up to show patrons how it worked. The moment it exited view, the screen in front of the cubs blurred as if they were being transported above at light speed.

A moment later and the screen became dark again with stars and planets decorating the ceiling. They scrolled around as if they were in a space station and the thing was rotating. Pent was tempted to point out a few things but knew you were supposed to be quiet.

"This is…" Xavier was interrupted by the owl who shushed him.

Xavier looked above. The stars were much closer to them than anything he'd ever seen before. It was supposed to be a close-up view of the cosmos. He gazed with interest as for the first time all day he wasn't bored. The scene soon took them to the moon, showing them the surface of it. Rolling around on the ground as if it were one of the lunar rovers. Falling through a pit on the planet only to find themselves presented with the solar gaze of the sun.

The thing burned brightly but not so bright that they had to shield their eyes. They could see the coiling flames and spiraling firestorms on the surface as they boiled before them. Pulsating with its ever-fiery gaze. Then taking a step back so they could see Earth from above. Its ever-rotating axis and beautiful blues, greens, and browns as they watched it from above. Xavier couldn't help but marvel at it as it was the first time he'd seen something like this before.

The camera soon sped forward into the earth. Taking them in for an up-close flight across the various seascapes below. The spray of the ocean kicked up as if they were a bird flicking its claws against the surface. Rolling up and down against the cascading waves and falls of the various ripples across the serine view. Taking them below the ocean past some fish and various other sealife as some of the sounds they made came to life throughout the experience.

The scene soon rocketed back out of the ocean and back to land as they panned across the various biomes below. Panning back and forth against the rises and of the pining peaks of mountains and traversing forward across vast green plains. A faux breeze pushed past them as they sat in their chairs. The scene soon raced forward to their own home across the Canadian wilderness until it entered back into the very entrance of the place they were.

The lights soon came back on before long. The show had come to a close. Xavier was a bit bewildered by it all. The owl stepped out of the control center as the two boy's seats sat back upright.

"Well?" Pent said looking at the other boy's eyes which were a bit glazed over from it all.

Xavier chirped. "That was cool as heck."

"Cool. I'm glad you liked it." The fox smiled at his boyfriend.

The two walked back out of the planetarium together. The fox thanked the Owl man for the show as he closed the door behind them, waiting for the next patrons.

"So…did you want to head to the skate park now?" Pent asked as he wanted his boyfriend to have a chance to pick.

The chipmunk frowned. "Pent…"

"What? It's not a big deal if we leave. I promise." The bigger boy touched his boyfriend's shoulder.

The smaller cub looked at the floor as if ashamed of himself. "But…you like it here."

"Yes, I do but it's not just about me. I want you to have fun too. So don't worry…we can leave if you want." The fox's tail wagged behind him softly.

Xavier sighed. "Alright, foxy…but I owe you an ice cream still."

"Fair enough. Come on…let's go see how the weather looks before we head out then." The white cub led his boyfriend back out to the main part of the building.

They stood near the information desk for a moment. The information desk was something of a hub for people who went to the various parts of the exhibits. It showed the current time, temperature, and weather for the region. They looked at it for a moment. The weather radar showed the rain was passing by. Pent looked outside and saw that it appeared that the rain was starting to die down.

"Looks like we should be good. Do you want to head over there then? We could walk or take the bus." Pent suggested it to save some time.

The rodent thought about it for a second. "Only if you're sure you're ok with leaving."

"Yeah, I'm sure…Let's go." The fox felt a little stupid for thinking that his boyfriend would be into this like he was.

The chipmunk and fox made their way out of the Imax. Upon getting outside they found it was still drizzling but it was nowhere near as bad as before.

"So…do you want to take the bus or walk?" Pent asked since the skate park wasn't very far away.

Xavier shrugged. "Whichever is keen. I'm going to text my parents real quick to let them know where we're going."

The chipmunk did just that and the two began walking towards the skate park. The two boyfriends talked about nothing specific as they made their way there. It took them a little longer than they thought it would but they were able to make pretty good time as they kept to the back roads. When they arrived they went to the storage shed where the rentals were kept. The fox thought about taking some blades but then he remembered Xavier wanted to show him how to board.

The chipmunk grabbed two boards and handed Pent one. They made their way back out and noticed but a single other fur at the park. The other fur was skating up the storm on their rollerblades. The dog was shredding it up and getting major air. When he finally came to a stop, the two other boys realized who it was. Xavier and Pent found themselves in front of Arthur who noticed the other two boys standing next to each other.

Arthur started to head over and immediately upon noticing who it was, the chipmunk stepped in front of Pent.

"Whoah there, little bodyguard. I'm not going to hurt your little boyfriend." Arthur decided to stand down.

Xavier looked at the bigger cub across from them. "What do you want?"

"As I told you before in class. I just want to apologize. Do you think I could talk with Pent for a bit?" The Eskimo dog folded his arms expectantly.

The chipmunk looked back at his boyfriend who nodded. The smaller cub stepped to the side, letting the two talk for a moment.

"Hi, Pent…long time no talk." The bigger cub looked down as if ashamed of himself.

Pent huffed. "Hi, Arthur."

"I know I never got the chance to apologize but you know…everything that happened between us that day was a mistake….I screwed up." Arthur took a deep breath as he tried to come clean.

The white cub cocked his eyebrow a bit. "How so?"

"Well…the kickball hitting you? For one…I didn't aim for your head. It just curved weirdly and yeah…" The puppy tried to recall it from memory.

The smaller boy hummed a bit. "Well…I guess that makes sense."

"And…I forgot about reading with you or whatever. It just slipped my mind. I'm sorry, Pent." The Eskimo dog looked back at the fox hopeful he would forgive him.

Pent muttered a bit. "Do you mean it?"

"Yeah, do you want to try being friends again?" The bigger boy's tail wagged behind him softly.

The fox looked back at Xavier. "What do you think?"

"He's asked me about it a few times. I think he's telling the truth." The chipmunk wanted to be honest.

Pent looked back at the dog. "I'll make you a deal…I will give you a chance if you'll be friends with Xavier too."

"Sure, as long as he isn't a jerk to me anymore." Arthur folded his arms defensively.

The fox looked back at his boyfriend. "Sound good?"

"Yeah…my parents want me to make more friends anyways….so it works out."  Xavier smiled at the thought of having a new friend.

The Eskimo dog approached them and held out his hand paw. "Friends, then?"

Both of the other two boys put in their hands and at the same time said. "Friends."

"Cool…Did you two come to skateboard? I bet I could beat you guys in a game of skate…" The biggest boy loved nothing more than a challenge.

Xavier spoke up immediately. "You're on dog boy…I'll show you whose top cub."

Pent chuckled at his boyfriend's competitive nature. "I'll go get some skates then so I can participate."

The fox took the board he was given and brought it back to the shack and exchanged it for the same pair of blades he had used before. The white cub took his shoes off and changed into a pair of inline skates. Skating back out into the park, he already saw that Arthur and Xavier were about to start the game.

"Come on, Pent." The chipmunk called him over as he was waiting for his boyfriend to get started.

The fox kit rushed over and joined them near the side of a skating bowl. The curvature in the cement dipped down in front of them. They were the only ones in the skating park so they didn't have to worry about running into other furs.

"I'll go first." Arthur announced as he dipped into the bowl and skated down the entry side of it.

Xavier and Pent watched as he went down the slope and back out of it. His body rotated as he touched his feet before coming back down and exiting from the opposite side. The chipmunk was confident he could pull this off, so without saying a word he tilted his board into the bowl. The rodent went at a much higher speed since he didn't have to kick, his body flying out the other side and pulling off a 180 flip before coming back down.
 

Xavier peeled back to the other side, landing right next to Pent. It was the fox's turn. It was clear to him he wasn't as keen on tricks as the other two boys. However, he wasn't about to turn down a challenge. He went through the bowl and came out the other side, finding himself only able to do a minor rotation. A small trick but something he could accomplish without much of a fuss. He exited through the other side and stood with the other cubs.

"Looks like Pent gets the first letter." Arthur said proudly.

The fox sighed a bit. "Whatever…"

"It's okay, foxy. I promise I'll beat him…for both of us." The chipmunk said confidently.

The Eskimo dog rolled his eyes. "Sure, you will....you're pretty confident for a little guy."

"Just play the game, dog boy." Xavier huffed a bit.

Arthur went first again down the same bowl going as fast as his legs would take him. Racing through the bottom of the bowl and then back up. When he was fed out the other side of it, he grabbed the railing and did a full handstand before allowing his body to recoil and go back inside. The puppy came to the other side and stood proudly among the other cubs. The chipmunk soon followed up with his trick, one-upping the canine cub once again with a heel flip into his handstand.

It was Pent's turn and he was a bit more nervous this time. Still, he went through the motions of skating into the bowl. Feeding out onto the other side, he did nothing more than a 360-degree spin before landing down. Coming out the other side with Xavier smiling at him.

"S-K for Pent."  Arthur announced again.

The chipmunk patted his boyfriend on the back and the three of them headed to the half pipe. It seemed slick with water but it didn't deter any of them from climbing up it. Each of them stood at the top. This time Xavier went first, soaring down the wooden ramp with as much speed as he mustered. Throwing his skateboard over his head before bringing it back under his body as he re-entered the other end of the ramp.

The fox smiled at his boyfriend, impressed by his skills. Arthur kept on one-upping the rodent. He had never seen another cub of this skill level before. He entered the half-pipe and fed himself through it, going backward as he allowed his body to do a full rotation on the other end. Continuing to go backward until he was back on the other side.

It was now Pent's turn. The fox was confident he could do exactly what Arthur just did. He had gone backward more than enough time. So he started down in the same method that the other boy did and flipped himself around. The fox was able to do it well enough and came out on the same side unscathed.

"S for Arthur." Xavier said with a grin on his face.

They skated down the half pipe back to the base of the park and rolled over towards a rail. Xavier had already come up with exactly what he wanted to do. He lined himself up against the rail and flipped his body while doing the moonwalk as if he were doing it on solid ground. Pent clapped at his boyfriend, seeming impressed with the feat. The fox couldn't believe how talented the boy was.

Pent decided to give it a go, figuring he couldn't do the same thing since blades wouldn't work like that. Instead allowing himself to slide along on the middle of his wheels, stepping over each time like he was walking.  Arthur followed up with a similar feel, not quite making it the entire way.

"S-K for Arthur." The chipmunk chirped again.

The Eskimo dog grunted as he wanted to go first this time. He lined up the rail and thought of something to do. He came up with the best possible trick he could conjure up in his mind. Allowing his body to do a semi-split and reeling his wheels along the rail so that he rolled back and forth as if he were an old fashion type-writer clinking back into place. The fox and his boyfriend watched with interest.

Xavier went next and was able to replicate the concept with ease. His skateboard was more than able to shift back and forth on its belly. It was now Pent's turn with the fox feeling a bit nervous about it. He had never tried something like that before and yet he still wanted to go through with it. The cub lined his skates up the same way he'd seen Arthur doing it, losing his footing in the process and falling on the ground.

Pent hunched over and grabbed his ankle as he squinted a bit. The chipmunk rushed over to check if his boyfriend was hurt. The white cub wasn't crying but it was clear he was injured.

"Go grab his shoes from the shack, Arthur. We can finish this another day." Xavier suggested making this go by quicker.

The Chipmunk tended to the fallen fox who did his best to deal with the pain he was experiencing.

The white fox whispered. "Thanks, Xae…"

"Of course, Pent. It's not like I want you to hurt yourself further." The rodent worked the cub's skates off his paws slowly.

Arthur returned with Pent's shoes shortly after, holding them out to Xavier.  He put on the one on the paw that the fox wasn't clutching and skipped out on the other one. Slowly the chipmunk lifted Pent and allowed his injured side to limp on him. Xavier decided to call his parents so they could pick them up. He assumed they wouldn't have a problem considering the circumstances.

They parted ways with Arthur and Xavier returned their stuff to the shack. He brought the fox kit back out of the skate park and sat on the side of the sidewalk while waiting for the boy's parents to arrive. The chipmunk handed the cub's other shoe to him.

"You alright, Pent?" Xavier asked as he was still worried about his boyfriend.

The bigger boy nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine…I think I just twisted my ankle."

"Still…we're going home for today. I'm sorry…I feel bad that you got hurt." The brown-furred boy looked at the ground as he was disappointed in himself.

The fox rubbed his boyfriend's back. "It's not you're fault. I should have said I'm not great at tricks. Still…you were cool as heck."

"Thanks, Pent…I'm going to beat him next time for sure." Xavier said with a confident smile on his face.

The white cub smiled widely at him. "I'm sure you will…I still want you to show me how to skateboard."

"One day, I will. I promise." The chipmunk gave him a thumbs up.

The chipmunk's mother arrived before long and helped Xavier get Pent in the car. Of course, she immediately felt bad for the boy. Her motherly instinct kicked in and she wanted to help take care of him. She stated the car backed up once both of the boys were inside it.

"Pent, I want you to ice that when you get home alright?" She said starting the car as she didn't want to overstep her boundaries.

The fox kit nodded. "Yeah, I will."

"Do you think I can go with him, Mom? It's my fault he got hurt." Xavier still felt guilty about it.

She thought about it for a second. "I'm not sure that's a good idea. It's a school night, he's hurt, and both of you need rest."
 
"But, Mom…I want to help him." The chipmunk whined a bit.

The woman huffed. "No butts mister. You will see him at school tomorrow. I promise he will be fine."

"Okay…" The chipmunk boy dropped the issue as he knew there was no changing her mind.

The rest of the ride to Pent's place was pretty silent. The cub's mother put on the radio to cure the otherwise awkward silence. It was the quietest she'd ever heard the two boys been in a while. Pent's mind was occupied by the soreness in his ankle while his boyfriend was distracted by his disappointment. She decided to just enjoy the quiet for a change.

When they finally arrived at the fox kit's home, she opened the door and told Xavier to help the boy out. Of course, Xavier was more than happy to do it. Offering himself as a makeshift crutch for the other boy. The fox hinged himself on the smaller boy and they hobbled up together to the door. They shared a final hug and a kiss before waving to each other. Pent watched as his boyfriend left the property.

The arctic fox made his way inside, limping a bit but still able to go in under his power. Samaliel was playing some games and he heard the sound of the console in the living room.  He decided to not bother the boy and go about his business alone. The older fox hobbled around a bit until he made his way to the kitchen and grabbed an ice pack from the freezer. Heading back to his room so he could read while he iced his leg.

Pent grabbed a book and eased himself onto the bed. Taking the other shoe off and laying back, he tried to relax and ignore the soreness. Beginning to read while he allowed the ice pack to do its work. It was a short while before Samaliel walked into the room and realized he was home.

"You're home early. Oh, did you hurt yourself?" The younger fox noticed upon entering the room.

The older boy continued reading but still answered. "Yeah, I twisted my ankle so Xavier's Mom took me home."

"How did you twist your ankle at Imax?" The salt and pepper boy asked as he recalled that's where his brother said he went.

Pent put the book down. "We went to the skate park because he was bored."

"Oh…that sucks. I know you were looking forward to going with him." The smaller boy approached the bed and sat on the side of it.

The older boy smiled meekly. "It's alright. I shouldn't have invited him I guess."

"It was nice of you that you did. I'm sure he appreciated it. Did you enjoy yourself?" Samaliel wanted to make sure his brother had a good time.

The white cub daydreamed a bit. "Yeah, he is supper good at skateboarding…it's crazy."

"Oh yeah? Did he do tricks or what?" The salt and pepper fox chuckled a bit at his brother gushing about his boyfriend.

Pent leaned up and put his book down. "Yeah…he beat the snot out of both Arthur and me."

"Arthur was there? Nothing bad happened did it?" A look of concern came over the smaller boy's face.

The older cub shook his head. "Nah, he apologized. He said it was a misunderstanding."

"Cool, well maybe
 you'll have two friends now." The younger brother couldn't help but smile at the other boy.

The bigger boy shrugged "Maybe."

"Well, I'm glad you guys had fun regardless. Do you want me to make dinner tonight since you're injured?"  Samaliel wanted to be helpful.

The older brother shook his head. "Nah, I'm just a little sore. I'll be fine."

"Alright, but I'm still going to help you."  The salt and pepper fox poked his brothers.

Later that night when it was dinner time the two made dinner together. Pent had a bit more difficulty than usual. His mind had been occupied with his day and his relationship. Still thinking a bit too much about what happened at the Imax. He was still a little disappointed about leaving when they did. He wanted nothing more than to share one of his interests with his boyfriend but he didn't want to force Xavier into anything.

At the dinner table, the older fox was still confronting the issue in his mind. Samaliel hadn't noticed the distraction until Pent was playing with his food.

"Something bothering you?" Samaliel asked as he started eating his meal.

Pent snapped out of it a second later. "Oh, nah. I'm fine."

They continued eating through the meal together. Pent wasn't upset enough to talk about it. Instead of just dealing with it himself in his mind. He accepted the fact that his boyfriend was different and didn't like the same things he did. Telling himself that he didn't want Xavier to change and just to be himself, even if the ordeal at the Imax had remained at the back of his mind. Still, he continued to try to block out any negative emotion he was experiencing.

That night in bed, he tossed and turned a bit more than usual. He still hadn't silenced his mind and just wanted to relax. Soon closing himself into a book and hoping that would solve the problem. The book was about sharks and soon he forgot about his problems. The familiar comfort of new information had pushed it out of his mind. Returning his thoughts to things he enjoyed instead of continuing to dwell on negative emotions.

 Earlier when Xavier had got back in the front seat of his mother's car,  the boy was still feeling bad about what had happened, looking at the floor seeming disappointed in himself. The cub's mother started the car before long.

"What's wrong? Even when your boyfriend was here, you've been very quiet." She said as she knew when something was bothering her son.

The chipmunk boy looked over at her. "Huh? Oh…I just feel bad that Pent got hurt."

"How did you two end up going to the skate park so early anyways?" The woman knew his original plans were to go to the Imax first.

Xavier looked out the window. "Imax was boring."

"Imax was boring for you….or him?" The mother already knew the answer but wanted to hear him say it.

The chipmunk sighed. "Pent noticed I was yawning and he asked if I wanted to do something else."

"Honey…you know that relationships aren't just a one-way street right?" The older chipmunk put it as bluntly as possible.

The boy looked back at her. "What do you mean?"

"You're not always going to get to do things you like. He went to that Lacrosse game with you didn't he?" She wanted him to better understand how it worked.

Xavier thought about it for a second. "I guess so."

"Think about it this way. Was he interested in it before meeting you?" The woman pulled into the highway towards their house.

The brown-furred boy hummed. "No, I don't think so."

"When I first met your father, his one passion in life was soccer. I went to his games and learned more about the sport for him. I found it boring at first but I forced myself to put up with it for him.  When I invited him to spin, he hated it. Now we both enjoy it."  She hoped a personal story would help him get the point.

The chipmunk boy grumbled a bit. "I did try. I tried to look up constellations. I tried to put go through the shuttle exhibit. It was just so….boring."

"I understand that. Your little boyfriend is quite the academic. Still…I think you should try to relate with him on something he likes more than you." The mother got off the highway on the last stretch to their home.

He sighed a bit. "Thanks, Mom. I appreciate the advice."

"Of course, honey. Relationships are never easy. But…if you love him. You will make it work. I'm sure he feels the same way." She tapped him on the shoulder and unlocked the door once they got home.

The rest of the night Xavier thought about the conversation he had with his mother. Of course, he wanted the relationship to work. But Pent was so much different than himself. Searching within himself for something…anything he could share in common with the other cub. It wasn't until bedtime that he finally came up with an idea.

Xavier was scrolling through his phone looking at pictures he and Pent had taken together. Then it occurred to him that the other cub liked hockey. Immediately he began looking into the sport and tried to take an interest in it. It was then he decided he would try to appeal to the fox through their shared love of sports. He began to wonder if the other cub's season was still in play as he sat there in bed.

"You awake, Pent?" He texted the other boy while in bed.

It took a moment for the fox to answer. "Yeah, I'm in bed. What's up?"

"Are you playing hockey for any teams currently?" Xavier knew Pent played ice hockey but wasn't sure that was a thing this time of year.

Pent responded before long. "I am on a roller hockey team, why?"

"I was wondering…do you think I could come to one of your games?" The chipmunk figured it would be more exciting than the Imax.

The fox smiled a bit. "You want to come to one of my games?"

"Sure, why not? You came to my lacrosse games. I wouldn't mind cheering you on like you did for me." The brown-furred boy said hopefully Pent would be alright with it.

The white cub texted back. "Yeah, sure. I have a game in a few days. You can come if you want."

"Cool…and Pent…I'm sorry about what happened today at the Imax. I still feel bad about leaving early." Xavier felt guilty about it.

The Arctic fox felt a bit better about it after reading that. "It's okay, Xae. I know you're not into that."

"I know but still…I need to try harder to relate with you. I'm a bad boyfriend. Do you forgive me?" Then Chipmunk texted and stared at the screen waiting for a response.

Pent was now transfixed to the screen as well. "It's fine. I promise. I just wanted you to have fun today. You were awesome at the skate park today."

"Thanks, foxy. I appreciate it but this isn't just about me. I feel like I screwed up today. Maybe one day we could go to a museum or something…my treat." Xavier wanted to make it up to his boyfriend.

The white cub smiled wider. "Really?"

"Yeah, I'll come up with something. I promise. I want to make it up to you."  Xavier felt like a load was being relieved from his chest.

Pent responded immediately. "Heck, yeah. I'd love that."

"Cool, I love you Pent. I'm sorry again about what happened today. How's your leg feeling?" The chipmunk wanted to make sure his boyfriend was not in pain.

The fox adjusted himself in bed and texted back. "It feels alright. Just a little sore. Thanks for asking."

"Maybe next time I'll give you a paw rub…haha. Though I don't think I'll be as good as you are." The brown-furred boy tried to make a joke.

The Arctic fox rolled his eyes as he texted back. "I wouldn't say no to that."

"You're on then. Anything on your mind?"  Xavier didn't want to stop texting just yet.

Pent was only thinking one thing right now. "Just you… haha."

"You're sweet. I'll see you tomorrow at school then?" The chipmunk wasn't sure what else to talk about.

The fox just sent back a thumbs-up emoji. Both cubs put their phones away for the time being. Neither of them was that tired so they tossed and turned a bit as the night spent away. An hour had already passed and each of them was as restless as the other. Xavier stared at his phone for a moment, wondering how he could make the boredom go away. He started to pull up random hockey websites until another text came up from Pent.

"I can't sleep. Are you awake?" The fox's eyes were glazed over looking at the screen.

Xavier was surprised to see his boyfriend text this way. "Yeah, I can't sleep either.."

"You want to talk more?" Pent wanted something to do.

The chipmunk was keen on it. "Sure. What's on your mind?

"Still you…I wanted to spend more time with you today." Pent the screen brightness down.

The brown-furred cub chuckled a bit. "Yeah, it sucks my mom wouldn't let me go over."

"Maybe tomorrow we could do something if you want?" The white cub just wanted a reason to hang out with Xavier.

The rodent thought about it for a second. "Maybe but we're just coming off spring break so I'm not sure."

"We'll wait and see I guess. By the way…I'm going to sign us up for the Science Fair as partners, alright?" The Arctic fox had a few plans in mind for it already.

Xavier was surprised to see his boyfriend bring it back up. "Really? I still can't believe you want me to be your partner…"

"I don't see why not. I want to work with you. Do you want to be my partner?"  Pent was hopeful that would be the case.

The brown-furred cub hesitated before texting back. "Sure but only if you're certain."

"Yup, I'm sure. You can be my little lab chipmunk."  The Arctic fox tried to be funny about it.

The rodent wasn't sure if his boyfriend was joking or not. "You're not going to test on me are you?"

"No…haha. That's dangerous. It was a joke. A bad one I suppose." The white cub wasn't very good at the whole humor thing.

Xavier forced a smile as he texted back. "Oh, okay. Well, yeah. I'm game."

"Sweet, I'll sign us up tomorrow then. I'll show you my ideas later this week. I already have a few. Do you have any?" Pent wanted to give the other boy a chance to chime in.

The chipmunk thought
 about it for a second. "I don't think so…I wasn't planning on doing it and I didn't think you'd ask me to be your partner."

"Why not?" The fox looked out the window at the stars awaiting an answer back.

The brown-furred boy texted back. "Because you're in a higher level Science and I'm not as smart as you."

"You're smart enough. You work hard. You're cute and handsome…and kind. I don't want to ask anyone else." Pent gushed a bit again about his boyfriend.

Xavier blushed. "Thanks, Pent. I would love to be your partner."

"Sounds good. I guess I'll try to go to sleep again. I'm not tired but we both need to get up early so…" The white cub tried to convince himself the same.

The rodent made a quick text back. "Good night. I love you."

"I love you too." The white cub put his phone away again.

Both boys tried sleeping again and tossed and turned for a bit. It took a while for the fatigue from the day to set in. When it finally did, both boys had all too different dreams. Pent's focused on doing labwork with his boyfriend. The two working hard on some chemical contraption that the fox had cooked up. Both of them were awarded the first place prize, with Pent taking much more pride in it but his boyfriend being happy all the same.

Xavier… had a bit of a nightmare. Finding himself at the skate park with just Pent. The two skateboard together with the chipmunk showing his boyfriend how to do it. The rodent taking it a bit further than it perhaps should have. Pent hurting himself in a much more serious way and being rather angry about it. Waking up from this, the cub was sweating bullets glad the ordeal was over.

Going to the bathroom he washed his face with cold water to get rid of the negative thoughts. Retiring back to bed, his mind restful once again. Visited by no more of the same. Both boys slept soundly through the night. Despite everything that had happened their relationship continued to grow and become ever stronger. Wanting nothing more than the best for their beloved to be together forever. A wish that seemed ever more real with each passing day.", "pools_count": 1, "title": "Romantic Remix", "deleted": "f", "public": "t", "mimetype": "application/msword", "pagecount": "1", "rating_id": "1", "rating_name": "Mature", "ratings": [ { "content_tag_id": "2", "name": "Nudity", "description": "Nonsexual nudity exposing breasts or genitals (must not show arousal)", "rating_id": "1" } ], "submission_type_id": "12", "type_name": "Writing - Document", "guest_block": "t", "friends_only": "f", "comments_count": "6", "views": "150" }