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The fox does his best to impress his boyfriend.", "description_bbcode_parsed": "Xavier gets to see Pent play hockey for the first time. The fox does his best to impress his boyfriend.", "writing": "Showing Off by Pent Ghelsburg\n\nDisclaimer: 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.\n\n\tSaturday had arrived before long and with it, the auspice of spending a week together was but a day away. Pent had been over-preparing for it as he often did for things he liked to do. He had already carefully planned out the first few days. Of course, he wanted nothing more than to make Xavier as comfortable as possible. He'd talked about it more than enough times with his brother who assured him everything was going to be fine.\n\n\tYet, the Arctic fox was a somewhat anxious boy when it came to pleasing his friend. It wasn't so much that he was insecure, rather he wanted the other boy to be happy. The arctic fox sometimes forgot about his wants and needs to please the other cub. It was an issue that Samaliel had recognized but hadn't confronted much. Still, the fox was a happy cub who still did things he liked. It was just usually when he was alone more often than not.\n\n\tXavier was to be dropped off early that morning. All of the arrangements had been made with the fox cub's parent. Of course, she wouldn't be home for it but this was an issue she didn't bring up. The chipmunk had already packed a bag of his things and his parents had given him a few of the snacks he liked to take with him. After all, they didn't want the stuff to be gone as they'd be gone a week and it was perishable.\n\n\tPent went out one final time that morning to get a last few minute things. He didn't want to have to go out with Xavier around, though he was certain the other cub wouldn't mind. The older fox left his younger brother alone who couldn't help but shake his head at the bigger boy. Samaliel felt as if the white fox had done much more than he needed to accommodate his boyfriend but he wasn't about to say anything about it.\n\n\tXavier had just finished changing into street clothes for the day when he heard his parents call for him. Picking out a Gryphon logo team shirt with his number on the back and some nylon pants. He grabbed his duffel bag that he'd put everything in and hoisted it over his shoulder. He made his way out of his room and down the hallway. The cub found both of his parents waiting for them, both of them were already dressed and ready for their trip.\n\n\tThe chipmunk boy was taken to the fox kit's apartment. His parents hugged and kissed him before sending him on his way. Xavier wished them well on their trips and grabbed his bag. They drove off leaving the boy behind as they were in a rush. The brown-furred cub slowly approached the complex where his boyfriend lived. He was a bit excited since this was the longest amount of time he'd ever be spending away from his parents.\n\n\tXavier approached the apartment and knocked on the door. It wasn't long before the door was opened. Samaliel smiled at the older cub upon seeing him at the door.\n\n\"Hiya, Xavier. Make yourself at home. Pent will be home soon.\" The salt and pepper fox held the door open for both of them.\n\nThe chipmunk nodded and stepped inside. \"Where is he?\"\n\n\"Out getting groceries. He's been super anxious about you coming over.\" The younger cub closed the door behind them.\n\nXavier shuffled off his shoes. \"How come?\" \n\n\"Pent has always been one to over plan things. You can put your bag in our room. I'll be heading out here shortly.\" Samaliel had made plans with hanging out with one of his friends.\n\nThe chipmunk boy headed back down the hall and set his bag by the wardrobe. The place was quiet despite the younger cub being home. The brown-furred boy had grown used to Samaliel always playing games when he was around. This was the first time the younger boy was doing something else other than that. He began to wonder what he could do before Pent showed up from whatever he was doing.\n\nThe brown-furred cub headed back out of the room and heard the door shut. He was uncertain if it was Pent arriving or Samaliel leaving. He called Pent's name and there was no answer. It became apparent that the chipmunk boy was alone, at least for the time being. He decided to watch television and see if there were any sports on while he waited for his boyfriend to come home. \n\nXavier kicked his paws up on the coffee table and turned on the small television in the living room. Scrolling through the channels, he didn't see anything interesting. The only thing that came up was baseball which he thought was one of the most boring sports ever. Yet, even still he remained on the channel since there seemed to be little option. He continued trying to force himself to watch it for about 15 minutes.\n\nThe rodent started to get bored before long. He got up and looked out the window that gazed into the front of the complex. There didn't seem to be any signs of the Arctic fox boy. He wondered how much longer Pent would be before he returned home. Considering what he could do until then as the baseball game just wasn't cutting it. Deciding he would snoop around a bit.\n\nXavier had been around Pent's apartment enough times that he knew his way around. The place wasn't huge and only had two bedrooms. The chipmunk decided to peer his head into the fox's mother's bedroom as he hadn't been in there before. Upon looking in the room looked as if it hadn't been used in some time. It made him wonder how much the woman was home as Pent only vaguely talked about it.\n\nHe padded back into Pent's room and looked in the cub's closet. Noticing most of the stuff in there looked to be the younger kits. Xavier saw the RC car he had bought his boyfriend, the thing was rather clean but appeared to have a few scuffs on it. The chipmunk decided to polish it up later but at the moment he didn't have anything to do it with. Closing the door and stepped over to the nearby bookshelf.\n\nThe brown-furred cub browsed through it for a few moments. Every single book on the self was worn and the spine wrinkled. It was evident many of them had been read multiple times. The sheer amount of them was somewhat overwhelming. Xavier figured all of them were Pent's since most of them were non-fiction of the usual variety that he noticed the fox reading. He wasn't curious to pull any of them out.\n\nXavier decided to go back out to the living room. He figured it couldn't be that much longer for his boyfriend to arrive. Heading back there, he noticed a door he hadn't noticed before by the back end of the living room. Padding his way over to it, he opened it before looking inside. Within he saw a small workstation with what appeared to be some scientific equipment that he didn't recognize.\n\nThe chipmunk looked at all of the stuff. It was a small space and it was almost entirely consumed by the workstation. On the table in front of him was a microscope, some partially full test tubes, and a pad of notes. It was apparent this was Pent's makeshift lab and he couldn't believe he'd never shown it to him before. A chemical apparatus of tubes, filters, and funnels spun about with some light-colored fluid running through it.\n\nThe rodent eventually came across a small pad of paper. He began to scroll through it. Some notes were scribbled throughout. A combination of chemical equations, math, and just various doodles. The doodles were rough at best and it was difficult to make out most of them. Many of them seemed to outline some chemical process that Xavier had no idea about. \n\nThe rodent closed the little notebook back up and made sure everything was the way it was when he came in. After all, he didn't want Pent to know he'd been snooping around. Xavier decided to head out of the room and back upstairs. Just as he was coming out of the small closet, he heard the door being opened. He saw Pent come into the apartment.\n\n\"Oh, hey Pent. How's it going? Do you need help with groceries?\" Xavier asked to be helpful.\n\nThe white fox peered over at him. \"Oh, nah. It's just a few bags. I already got most things but I forgot to get Sama some soda.\"\n\nPent brought in the groceries and went into the kitchen with them. The chipmunk wasn't far behind him and helped the other cub unload even know he didn't ask for it. It didn't take long for them to get through everything. \n\n\"Thanks for helping. Welcome home, Xae.\" The bigger cub hugged the other cub tightly.\n\nThe rodent hugged him back. \"No problem. What do you want to do to pass some time? Do you want to go out and play? It's nice outside.\"\n\n\"Yeah, sure. It's a while before hockey practice. Did you bring your lacrosse stuff? Maybe you could show me. If not then maybe you can show me how to skateboard.\" The fox came up with two ideas he thought would interest the other cub.\n\nXavier shook his head. \"I didn't bring my lacrosse stuff, sorry. I didn't think about it. I can show you how to skateboard though.\"\n\n\"Sure, let me go grab it from our closet. I'll be right back.\" The white cub headed off back to his room.\n\nXavier put his shoes back on as he waited for his boyfriend. The white fox returned with a skateboard in hand after a few minutes, standing at the kitchen door while waiting for his boyfriend to join him. The brown-furred cub looked at him and nodded. The two walked out of the home with the fox locking the door once they were outside. Pent put the board under his arm and held the other cub's hand in his own as they walked to the street together.\n\nThe day outside that day was a cloudy one. It was warm but the obstruction from the clouds made it a little cooler than usual. Pent led them to one of the backroads behind the apartments. It was a place removed from normal traffic so he knew he wouldn't have to worry about cars.\n\n\"Alright, put the skateboard on the ground and I will hold it with my feet. I want you to step on it. I promise the board won't move so you won't fall.\" Xavier put his shoes on both sides of the board, acting as a wedge.\n\nPent did as he was told, taking slow and methodical steps up on the board. He remained still on top of it as he looked down at his boyfriend who smiled up at him. \n\n\"So…to\n move on a skateboard…You leave your one foot on the board and push on the ground with the other. You will have to try both to see what works better for you. There is no right or wrong way.\" The rodent slowly moved his left foot out of the way of the board so it would move.\n\nThe fox kit was a little nervous. He'd never skateboarded before but the hobby seemed like a fun one from all the tricks he'd seen his boyfriend pull off. He wasn't about to not do something just because of the apparent danger of it. The white cub kicked forward a single time knocking right into the chipmunk.\n\n\"Good…now Im going to go to the end of the street and we will see if you can make it down on your own. Don't worry about falling too much…You should be fine as long as you don't try to jump off or anything.\" The chipmunk ran to the end of the small stint of road.\n\nPent nodded and kicked slowly. His forward-to-back leg motions were slow and drawn out. The speed of each of them caused the board to slow down more than it should.\n\n\"Try not to let your foot drag. You're causing the board to go slow.\" Xavier announced loudly.\n\nThe arctic fox took the tip and tried that, not letting his paw drag behind him. Sure enough, the board went faster down the street. He was able to get to the end of the runway without much of an issue. His boyfriend clapped at him.\n\n\"Now you're going to try to turn. To do that just put weight on either your heel or toe. It should be similar to how snowboards turn from what I understand.\" The rodent decided to run along the side of the board in case Pent fell.\n\nThe white cub nodded and rotated his board. Trying to turn the board wasn't quite the same as a snowboard but after putting way too much weight down, his body tumbled. Of course, Xavier was there to catch him.\n\n\"Try again.\" The chipmunk said, backing up a bit to give his boyfriend a bit more space.\n \nPent took the cub's advice and put a little less pressure on the board. Sure enough, the thing turned, though the turn was a wide one. The chipmunk clapped at him with a smile on his face.\n\n\"Now…try to do that after going forward.\" Xavier folded his arms and watched his boyfriend carefully.\n\nThe bigger cub nodded and flipped the board around with his hand. He kicked down a single time, sending the board down the street. Running out of steam before he even got to the other side. Pent followed up with another kick, gradually getting the hang of it to make it move. When he made it to the other side, he attempted to turn but ended up in the grass and tumbled off.\n\n\"Again. You're making good progress.\" The rodent smiled and gave the other cub a thumbs up.\n\nThe fox continued to make an effort to try and improve. Each of his failures was met with support from his boyfriend. His successes were lauded with praise and compliments. Over the next two hours, the two cubs remained outside working on it. It wasn't until their stomachs started rumbling that they started thinking about going inside. \n\n\"Let's take a break for now. It's hot out and I'm hungry.\" Xavier walked over to the other cub.\n\nPent hopped off the board. \"Yeah, it's probably time for lunch.\"\n\n\"Cool. You've been doing well. We can come back after if you want or chill inside since it's hot.\" The chipmunk casually placed his hands behind his head.\n\nThe arctic fox grabbed the skateboard and they headed back in together. Neither of them had worked up much of a sweat while outside. It was hot but the cloud cover and breeze from the wind cooled down their bodies a bit. Once they were back inside both of them kicked off their shoes and looked at each other for a moment. The bigger boy leaned in and hugged the other boy tightly before separating after a few seconds.\n\n\"Thanks for showing me how to skateboard. What do you want for lunch? I can make us both something.\" Pent led towards the kitchen with his boyfriend behind him.\n\nThe chipmunk scratched his head. \"I dunno. Whatever works. I'm hungry.\"\n\nThey headed into the kitchen together and Pent made his way to the fridge. Xavier wasn't sure how he could help but he didn't want to sit there.\n\n\"You want some help?\" The rodent remained close behind just in case the other boy said yes.\n\nThe white fox didn't bother to look behind him. \"Nah. I make lunch all the time for my brother and me. It's no big deal. I promise.\"\n\nPent rifled through the drawers of the fridge and found some packets of tuna, deciding this was simple enough to make. He took it out and grabbed some lettuce, cheese, and tomato. Working on it while his boyfriend watched him carefully. Xavier had never noticed Pent's caretaking skills until now and was a bit impressed by them. It made him want to learn more about how to do it himself, deciding he'd ask his parents at some point.\n\nThe fox didn't take long to make the sandwiches. Pouring both of them some drink before taking a spot at the table, making sure they were right next to each other. He set down the meals and sat down, waiting for his boyfriend to join him. The chipmunk joined him before long and kissed his boyfriend on the cheek.\n\n\"Thanks, Pent.\" Xavier took hold of the sandwich and began eating it.\n\nPent smiled at him and the two worked through lunch rather quickly. It was a modest meal but one that hit the spot. Neither of them said much until the end of the meal when Pent began to think about the Science fair project they were supposed to be working on.\n\n\"Do you want to work on the Science fair project now?\" He looked over at his boyfriend.\n\nThe smaller cub turned to face Pent. \"Yeah, sure. What did you have in mind anyways?\"\n\n\"I have a few project ideas. One focuses on genetics, another focuses on electrolytes, and one focuses on cold packs.\" The fox recalled the ones from memory that seemed most interesting to do.\n\nThe chipmunk hummed, thinking to himself. \"Well…which one do you want to do. You're the Science cub…not me.\"\n\n\"Do any of them sound interesting to you?\" Pent looked at him expectantly.\n\nXavier hesitated before answering. \"Erm…no not really.\"\n\n\"Maybe we should do something involving sports then? Something like sports drinks or caloric intake.\" The bigger cub leaned back in his chair casually.\n\nThe rodent got up from the table and took the plates to the sink to be helpful. \"I mean…I'm willing to do whatever you want.\"\n\n\"I want you to like it though…it's not just about what I want.\" Pent picked himself up and got out of the chair.\n\nThe two began to work on the dishes together with the fox drying them and the other boy washing them. It was just like Pent and his brother would do, whenever the younger boy helped. The fox felt happy to have his boyfriend around for the week.\n\n\"Do you want to see my lab?\" The fox's tail wagged behind him slowly.\n\nThe chipmunk tried to look surprised. \"You have a lab?\"\n\n\"Yeah, it's in a closet in the front room. I don't think I've ever shown you.\" Pent put away the dishes in one of the cabinets.\n\nThe smaller boy nodded. \"Sure, I'd like that.\"\n\nThey headed out of the kitchen and back into the front room. Pent led over to the door where his makeshift lab was and opened the door for his boyfriend. Of course, Xavier had already snooped in it earlier so he wasn't nearly as surprised about it. Still, he tried to put off the façade as if he'd never seen it before. Pent suspected nothing and bought the charade as he didn't have any reason to think his boyfriend would have been in there.\n\n\"So…this is it. I know it's small but what do you think?\" Pent looked back at his boyfriend, waiting for his answer.\n\nXavier smiled at him. \"It's cool. I'm not surprised you have your lab though…haha.\"\n\n\"Am I that predictable?\" The fox looked at the floor feeling ashamed about it.\n\nThe chipmunk touched his shoulder. \"Nah, I didn't mean it that way. You're a Scientist…you need a lab.\"\n\n\"Thanks, Xae.\" The white fox looked back at him and smiled.\n\n\"So which project do you think is best?\" The smaller cub stepped to the side of his boyfriend so there was more room in the small space.\n\nPent sighed. \"I'd like to do something we both like.\"\n\n\"You said there is one with sports drinks, right? We could try that. Tell me about it.\" The rodent picked the only one he remembered.\n\nThe fox cracked a slight smile. \"Well…it's about juice, sports drink, and electrolytes and which drink provides the best hydration for workouts and sports.\"\n\n\"Cool, that sounds good. Do we have any sports drinks and juice?\" Xavier leaned against the wall nearby.\n\nThe bigger boy hummed and nodded. \"Yeah, I have a few in the fridge I keep around for hockey.\"\n\n\"Alright, I'll go get them. Speaking of which…are we still going tonight? I want to see you play.\" The brown-furred boy walked back out of the closet to grab them.\n\nPent didn't answer quite yet since his boyfriend had stepped away. Instead, he began setting up the project at the table. It wasn't long before the other boy was back. Xavier had grabbed a bottle of sports drink and a small carton of juice. The fox looked at the items as they were put on the table.\n\n\"So are we still going to your game tonight?\" Xavier asked again.\n\nPent nodded. \"Oh, yeah. It's not til dinner or whatever.\"\n\n\"Nice. I can't wait. Alright, so what do we need to do?\" The chipmunk's ears perked up curiously.\n\nThe fox went through one of the drawers of the table and pulled out an Ammeter along with a small dish to put the drinks in. \n\n\"I need you to cut this copper wiring so we can wire it properly with the anodes.\" The fox pointed at a wire cutter and a spool of thin wire.\n\nXavier figured that was simple enough, cutting more wires than was necessary and making them either too long or short. The bigger boy didn't complain and took the longer wires and connected them to the Ammeter and a battery he had lying around. The fox cut off the extra wire and handed his boyfriend a straw. \n\n\"Cut this right where the straw bends please.\" Pent held out a\n straw in his paw.\n\nThe rodent cut it and the little piece rolled around in Pent's hand. He wrapped the wire around it and stuck it in the bottom of the dish.\n\n\"Pour some of the drink into the dish but not enough to fill it. Do the same for some other dishes. I will be right back.\" The fox stepped out of the closet.\n\nPent went to grab an extra chair for his boyfriend to sit on. He returned with it shortly after before pushing it under the other cub's legs. \n\n\"Thanks.\" Xavier sat down as he was finishing pouring the last drink into another dish.\n\nThe fox sat down next to his boyfriend and the two began running the tests. The idea of which was to gauge the voltage of each of the liquids. When the amplitude was set low enough, it showed a definitive reading for each of them. It was a simple enough experiment. One that was a bit below the fox's level but he wanted his boyfriend to both participate as well as understand.\n\nThey continued to work on the project for some time. Pent kept track of all of the results on a spreadsheet he made on his phone. Of course, he knew the answer before he even got into it but he was glad to find something that Xavier wanted to do. The chipmunk tried to stay engaged and occasionally fought the desire to yawn. This wasn't his thing but he wanted to put himself through it all the same.\n\nAfter Pent had collected more data than necessary he announced they were done. The declaration was one that the rodent lauded. He had been waiting for them to finish for what seemed like forever. The fox had done the majority of the work and only occasionally let him do something. It was an issue neither of them wanted to confront but had both recognized in their minds. \n\n\"Well…do you want to go back outside or something, Xae?\" Pent started to lead back out of the closet. \n\nThe brown-furred cub followed his boyfriend out. \"Hmm…we could go back outside unless you want to just do something more relaxing before the game.\"\n\n\"That might be a good idea so I'm not tired. You want to lay a board game or something?\" The fox kit stopped in the middle of the living room.\n\nXavier hummed and scratched his head. \"We could do that…what do you have in mind?\"\n\n\"Want to make a mouse and play Mouse Guard with me?\" The bigger boy wagged his tail upon suggesting it.\n\nThe chipmunk cocked his head awkwardly. \"What's that? I've never heard of it.\"\n\n\"Come on…I'll show you.\" Pent took his boyfriend's hand and held it tightly before leading him back to his room.\n\nThey made their way to the fox kits room where Pent separated and rifled through his closet looking through the game. Mouse Guard was a game he had played with his brother a few times in the past. It was similar to Dungeons and Dragons, except the characters were mice…and faced foes that would typically face mouse-kind. The fox fished it out of the closet before bringing it over to the floor.\n\nPent sat down cross-legged and patted the spot opposite him. Xavier did the same and waited for the other boy to get the game ready. The fox pulled out the character sheets and showed one of them to his boyfriend.\n\n\"So…you can make a mouse or you can use my brothers if you want to just get at it. It's a role-playing game.\" Pent pulled out his character sheet and showed it.\n\nUnsurprisingly the fox kit had made an alchemist, except this one was ready for battle. An image of a gray mouse in tattered robes was taped to the front of it. The character had a sash with some potions on it and carried a crossbow on its back. Xavier looked at it with interest.\n\n\"Did you make that?\" Xavier had a surprised look on his face.\n\nPent shook his head. \"Nah. One of Samaliel's friends drew it.\" \n\n\"It's still cool. What are the classes or whatever?\" The chipmunk sat down next to his boyfriend so they could look at the instructions together.\n\nThe fox showed him the booklet and they scanned through it. Of course, it had much more reading than Xavier wanted to do. Yet he could tell his boyfriend was into it and was willing to try it. He had never played a role-playing game before as there was a time when he associated it with nerds himself. Yet now…things had changed since the most important cub in his life was just that.\n\nXavier ended up making a grizzled old guard mouse with a pike. The two mice were to take upon the adventure into the mouse territories. Pent had made plenty of scenarios in the past so he took up the mantle of the dungeon master. Their task today was to recover the black axe. A relic lost to time and said to belong to the legendary Celanwe.\n\nThe adventure soon began in the mouse territories. A wide expanse of lands covering the forgotten wilderness. The boys set the figures that represented each of them on a map of the place. Each turn they rolled dice with an encounter springing up every so often. The idea was they had to overcome each of the encounters either through wit and strategy or brawn and brute force. \n\nPent told the tale as he came up with it as if he were the minstrel singing their journey. He was quite the storyteller. Their first encounter against a grand mongoose. A giant beast to their rodent characters that desired only to swallow them. The fox had seen this kind of thing before, he knew all too well the nuances of the battle at hand. Yet Xavier lept into action without a single thought.\n\nHis mouse was soon sent back reeling onto the ground. The fox followed up with his attack, a sleeping agent that was set to subdue the beast instead of felling it. The thing fell on its back with the land of a single dice. Pent had gotten the roll he needed and had saved the day. Neither cub's character had come out with injuries and they carried on ever onward. Soon taking up the caravan across the blasted flats of Blackrock. \n\nThey continued onward into Blackrock itself. Encountering several NPCs that offered them wares of various sorts. Xavier was finding himself to be engrossed in the game. It was nothing like his old friends used to say; An old person's game that hinged on nothing but pen and paper. Yet in front of him opened up an entirely new world His imagination began to run wild again and his boyfriend smiled at him, glad that he was enjoying it. \n\nThe fox soon concocted another encounter for them, a snake. The seemingly giant serpent stood in their way. Xavier had learned his lesson from the last time. Letting his boyfriend take the lead. The bigger boy's character set a trap for the creature but it didn't fall for it. The fiend swooped forward, trying to defeat them in one swoop. The moment its head was low enough the chipmunk's character impaled it from overhead.\n\nPent patted his boyfriend on the back. They continued out of Blackrock and into the beyond to the Grayzen, the field of lost heroes. The very place where they were supposed to find the lost relic they had set out to retrieve. However….soon they scored a poor role and the spirits were risen from their graves. Both of their characters were soon beset and within a matter of moments, it was game over.\n\n\"Boo, we lost. That stinks.\" Xavier frowned a bit.\n\nPent smiled at him. \"I'm glad you liked it. We can always play again. There is no need for permanence or whatever in-game.\"\n\n\"Cool…cause I just made my mousey and yeah!\" The chipmunk took the small game piece and held it in his hand. \n\n\"Let's play one more round then I'll get ready for hockey.\" Pent figured they had time for one more game.\n\nThe two cubs worked through the same campaign again. Of course, different encounters were overcome but the same goal was in mind. They were able to manage to rise to each of the challenges that came before them. Xavier took it upon himself to not be as brash this time around. He had learned the hard way that things were at easy as he thought in the game. After a few hours of playing together, Pent got up.\n\n\"Do you mind cleaning up while I get ready? You don't have to come if you don't want. Samaliel should be home soon if you want to hang here.\" The white fox picked himself up off the ground.\n\nThe smaller cub nodded. \"Nah. I want to watch you play. You've watched me play Lacrosse. It's only fair.\"\n\n\"Alright, cool. I'll be ready shortly.\" The Arctic fox padded over to the closet to grab his hockey stuff from it.\n\nXavier started to clean up the game while his boyfriend got ready. The fox kit found his hockey gear; a red and white jersey with matching pants. The stuff was a little bit big on him to fit the pads he'd be putting on at the rink. He changed his socks into long ones and grabbed his. Gear bag with his pads and helmet inside of it. He looked back to see if the chipmunk was ready and sure enough he was just finishing up.\n\n\"Ready to head out?\" Pent nudged the boy on his shoulder.\n\nXavier put the box of stuff to the side and stood up. \"Yup. Why is that stuff so big on you?\"\n\n\"Because of pads and it's all borrowed equipment.\" The bigger boy put his arm behind his boyfriend.\n\nThey made their way back to the front of the home. Each of them put their shoes back on and headed out. The fox always took the bus and there wasn't much thought to any alternative. Xavier hadn't considered it but the issue didn't bother him much. Still, he wasn't as used to riding the bus as his boyfriend was. Pent and Xavier made their way to the bus stop and waited for the bus for a few minutes.\n\nThe bus arrived before long and Pent showed his bus card. Since it was later in the night he had to have the ticket. The driver asked for Xaviers but the fox informed the woman that he didn't have one. She gave him a temporary one since the fox was a frequent patron of hers. The two boys made their way to an empty seat. Unlike the school bus, the public transport version wasn't packed with cubs and teens in every seat.\n\nThe two boys waited for the bus to arrive at the arena. It was the same skating arena they had gone to before. Xavier didn't remember much of\n it. Today there were furs outside of it filtering inside. He could only assume that they were going in to see the same game they were. Pent nudged his boyfriend to get out of the seat. They made their way through the aisle between the seats.\n\nPent thanked the driver as he always did and they made their way to the ground below. Xavier held the fox's hand and the two walked together into the building. The bigger boy hadn't told his hockey team about his relationship but he didn't care to since none of them were his friends. They headed up the stairs together through the entrance of the main part of the arena.\n\nThey found themselves at the back entrance of the building. Xavier could see the skate rental window and some other cubs walking around. Some of their parents could be seen in the distance. Pent tugged on him, goading his boyfriend to follow. They continued to the back where the locker rooms were, proceeding right past the two rinks. Xavier was surprised the fox wasn't just taking him to the bleachers.\n\nPent was planning on asking his coach if Xavier could sit on the team bench or in the Zamboni area. He figured it wouldn't be a big deal since the bench never had enough players to fit on it, since it was designed for adults. The fox led him into the locker room. The stench of some odors could be smelt as they entered into it. Yet, the smell didn't bother Xavier as he'd already gotten used to it from Lacrosse.\n\nThe fox led him into the coach's office where a polar bear woman was sitting with her feet on the table. She wasn't expecting players at this time so she wasn't prepared for it. The woman noticed the door open and moved her feet off the table. She recognized the Arctic fox but not the other boy.\n\n\"Oh hello, Pent. Who is this?\" The woman leaned forward in her chair listening intently.\n\nPent smiled at her. \"Hi, coach. This is Xaver. I was wondering if he could sit in the player or loading area?\"\n\n\"You know that's not allowed….right?\" The coach shook her head at the boy.\n\nThe white cub sighed. \"Please? This is his first hockey game and I want him to have fun.\"\n\n\"I see. I suppose he can sit in the penalty box.\" She noticed the two cubs were holding hands but said nothing about it.\n\nThe arctic fox chirped. \"Thanks, coach!\"\n\n\"Go get ready, the game starts soon.\" The beat got up from her chair.\n\nHe gave her a thumbs-up and led Xavier back out. The fox headed over to his locker with his boyfriend right behind him. He left took his equipment out and put the bag inside. Pent put on his pads and changed into his skate. The boy stood up, seeming much taller than before because of the blades on the bottom. The fox had a cage over his face. Xavier thought his boyfriend looked like a very different person in his hockey gear and noticed he had separated himself from the other cubs on the team.\n\n\"You look cute in your hockey gear.\" Xavier patted the boy on the butt and squeezed it a bit.\nThe bigger boy blushed. \"Thanks, follow me.\"\n\nPent led his boyfriend out of the locker room through a tunnel that led towards the ice. Xavier followed along noticing the temperature dropped as he got closer to the ice. His body began to shiver as he got ever nearer to it. He almost walked right past the coach at the end of the hall before she stopped him. The woman couldn't help but notice he was cold and handed him a jacket.\n\nXavier thanked her and continued to follow Pent. The fox backpedaled a bit once they were close to the ice. Grabbing both of Xavier's hands in his own. He guided the other boy across the ice, making sure to hold him up so he didn't fall. The chipmunk felt his feet glide along the ice but each time he almost fell, the fox caught him. Pent had done it before with Samaliel so he knew how it worked.\n\nEventually, they made it to the penalty box and the fox cub let him inside. Xavier was glad to be on solid ground again. The constant sliding on ice made him feel uneasy. He watched Pent skate away backward, the other cub seeming to do so with ease. The chipmunk had never been to a hockey game before so he wasn't entirely sure what to expect. He scooted over to the far side of the penalty box as he assumed he would need to make space for someone else eventually.\n\nThe game soon started with the blow of a referee's whistle. A faceoff ensued at center ice between two forwards. The red team was facing a blue one and unlike Xavier's squad, neither of them had logos. The jerseys were blank on the front except with some sponsors on them. Still, the color was enough to differentiate the teams. Xavier noticed that his boyfriend wasn't on the ice for the first shift.\n\nThe puck was dropped and the two centers sparred for it, each of them trying to wrestle the puck from the other stick. The blue side eventually gained control of it and began passing it between the various cubs on the ice. Xavier watched with interest as the boys and girls skated from side to side. Soon one of them checked the other on the board right in front of the chipmunk, shaking the plexiglass in front of him.\n\nPent came out on the next shift. Xavier honed in on his boyfriend. The cub's white flowing tail made it easy to keep track of him but the chipmunk had already memorized his number. The fox kept himself in the back ice near his own goal. Xavier kept an eye on it. The cub despite him not moving much. Before long one of the members of the other team broke through to the other side. The fox skated forward and easily took the puck from him.\n\nThe chipmunk cheered him on as the fox was checked against one of the boards. A feeling of discomfort came over the rodent. He hoped that his boyfriend wasn't hurt. The fox cub seemingly shook it off like it was no big deal. The other team shot the puck but the goalie was up to the task and made a safe. The red team took control and began to move down the ice and soon the fox was called off again.\n\nPent sipped on his water bottle while he was on the bench. He looked over at Xavier who was peering out the glass of the penalty box. The other cub seemed to be enjoying himself. The fox couldn't help but smile at him. Soon he was sent back out on the ice again. The fox kit raced forward to the front of the ice. Usually, he wouldn't try to score….but today was different. He wanted nothing more than to impress his boyfriend.\n\nThe fox called for the puck as he sat on the offensive side of the ice. Yet the other team had gotten control of it. They raced back towards the red team's net. Pent found himself having to go back as fast as he could. He wasn't about to let them score. Leaping he made a quick attempt at freeing the puck from the other player. Sure enough, he was able to reach it and the puck slid to one of his other teammates.\n\nThe other member of his team took the puck and skated back to the other end. Pent soon picked himself up, watching as the other players passed and shot the puck. A red light and the siren soon sounded. They had scored. The members of Pent's team celebrated, though the fox remained where he was as he wasn't much into the whole showboating aspect of things. It was an issue that his team had gotten used to.\n\nThe other team called a time out and both teams returned to their benches. The fox's line soon sat back down and waited for their next shift on the ice. The game started up before long again and the two teams continued playing out the period much the same. Unlike professional hockey, youth hockey had a smaller intermission between periods. The cubs were allowed to rest between periods and given refreshments to cool them down. The intermission was a bit shorter to save time. \n\nThe second period began after the short break. The players returned to the ice with Pent being on the first line shift. Xavier watched with interest as his boyfriend stood there waiting on one of the wings. The puck was dropped again and the players sparred for it once again. Pent still wanted to score. He felt like he hadn't done enough just yet and still wanted to show off a bit. The fox called for the puck but his team lost possession.\n\nOf course, Pent was the first to go back. He always put defense first as it was his responsibility. The white fox checked the other cub before taking the puck and passing it down the ice. Xavier continued to cheer him on. The chipmunk couldn't believe how aggressive his boyfriend was on the ice. It was almost like he was an entirely different person out there. Yet for the fox cub, he was trying harder than he normally would just to impress his beloved.\n\nHis team wasn't able to score that round and his line was called off the ice. Pent rested as waited for his next shift on the ice. The second period was slower going than the first. There were more whistles and even the first penalty. A cub who Xavier didn't know ended up in the box and the two didn't say anything to each other. Yet the period ended with the same score as the first.\n\nThe final period was to begin before long and Pent's line wouldn't be the first out. The coach liked to spread out the time so that all of the cubs got a chance to play. After all none of them were stars. It was nothing like how Xavier was treated on his team. The puck was dropped again and the blue team was able to get it right off the bat. Their best player rushed forward on a breakaway and scored within moments of the beginning of the period.\n\nPent's team groaned collectively. The fox told himself that he needed to score now. He had only ever scored a few times but with his boyfriend there he was incentivized to. Soon his line was called back on the ice as another faceoff ensued. The red team was able to get the puck and the fox tried calling for the puck again. He wasn't given it and ended up backtracking to his team's side of the ice.\n\nHis team maintained control a bit but soon lost it. Pent soon stole the puck and passed it forward but soon it was\n lost again. It was very much a back-and-forth effort. One that ended up in both lines having a longer shift than they should have otherwise. It only ended after an icing was announced as the cubs on both teams tried to catch their breath. Xavier continued to watch with interest from the penalty box.\n\nThe rest of the game went much the same way. The final buzzer sounded with the tied score on the board. Both teams were called to the boards to discuss who would participate in the shootout. The chipmunk wasn't sure what to make of the huddle as he watched from afar. Pent hoped he'd be chosen for the shootout but was certain it wouldn't come to defense players as if had never done so before.\n\nThree players were chosen for each side. The goalies went back to tending to their goals. Xavier sat on the edge of his seat as he saw the solo cubs on each side of the ice. Each of them takes it in on the first attempt. Neither of them scored with the goalies being more than up to the task. The second round of players soon came out on the ice, one of them falling on their attempt but the other just missed the goal entirely. Xavier couldn't believe how bad some of them were.\n\nThe third players came out and still neither of them scored. The coaches agreed to one more player before settling on a tie. Pent begged the coach to let him try it. She'd never seen him like this before and decided to cave in. The fox thanked her and went to the ice. He smiled over at the boy in the penalty box and waved to him. The white cub told himself to focus. He wanted to score.\n\nPent took the puck on his stick and handled it forward. Shifting his body back and forward across the ice. Rotating around the back of the net before trying to stuff it in. The goalie shifted to the side, seemingly putting their skate right over where the puck was placed. The fox sighed as he was certain he hadn't scored. Skating away, he felt dejected and didn't look back. Yet…as he was about to lift his leg over the board to get on the bench the siren sounded.\n\nThe fox was confused. He looked back and saw the red light. One of the referees came over to explain what happened as the call had been delayed. They explained that the puck had crossed the line and was determined to be a goal. The fox kit's face lit up as he was patted on the back by the coach. It appeared he had scored. Now all that was left was to see if the other team could even it up.\n\nYet the other team wasn't able to manage. The player they sent out just went through the motions as they were tired. The red team was declared the victor. Both of the teams were sent back to the locker rooms to get ready to go home. Pent went to collect his boyfriend from the penalty box and helped him back across the ice. The two made their way back into the locker room.\n\nThey made it back toward the same area where Pent had placed his bag earlier. Xavier sat on a nearby bench and looked up at his boyfriend.\n\n\"You were pretty amazing today. I had no idea you were so good at hockey…haha.\" The chipmunk smiled widely.\n\nThe white cub grabbed his bag out of his locker. \"Thanks, Xae. I'm glad you came.\"\n\n\"Sure, I want to support you just like you support me. By the way….does your brother know how close we are now?\" The rodent scratched his head.\n\nPent smiled. \"He knows I love you and that we are boyfriends.\"\n\n\"I mean…has he found out we're intimate?\" Xavier felt weird about asking it.\n\nThe bigger boy shook his head. \"Nah, he's too young for that. I would never discuss that with him. I'd rather we didn't when he's home.\"\n\n\"Alright, I can respect that. I wouldn't want him to see either…that would just be weird.\" The chipmunk stuck his tongue out playfully.\n\nPent nodded and started to take off his gear, removing the pads from his body and placing them back in his bag. \n\n\"I'll be right back…I'm going to give the coach back the sweatshirt she gave me.\" Xavier took it off his body and walked over to her office.\n\nShe wasn't there so he decided to leave it inside. He returned to Pent and found the other boy was changing into his shoes. The chipmunk assumed the other boy was about ready to leave. He noticed again that the bigger boy separated himself from the other players. It surprised him a little bit that Pent had never made any friends on the team. \n\n\"Ready to head out?\" Pent drank a bottle of water he'd taken from his bag.\n\nXavier nodded and the two joined hands and headed out of the arena. They made their way back to the bus stop. The fox and his boyfriend sat together waiting for the bus. It was getting late by this point and it was starting to drizzle. Though neither cub was worried about getting wet. It wasn't much longer before the bus arrived and they made their way onto it. Pent showed his pass and both boys were allowed onto it.\n\nThe bus headed back down the same route they came back to the fox's apartment.\n\n\"Hey, Pent…how come you haven't tried to make friends with your teammates?\" Xavier touched his boyfriend's shoulder.\n\nPent looked over at him. \"I am not comfortable talking with them. Some of them are better than I am and most of them want nothing to do with me.\"\n\n\"I want to try and make us more friends…are you open to it?\" The chipmunk nuzzled into the other boy.\n\nThe bigger boy murmured. \"I'm happy just having you as my friend.\"\n\n\"But…Pent. I can't always be around. What if I'm sick or whatever?\" The brown-furred cub put his arm behind the other boy. \n\nThe Arctic fox leaned into him. \"I'll come visit you. I can manage to be alone at school.\"\n\n\"I appreciate that but that's not my point. You should have more than one friend….\" The rodent eased off the other boy.\n \nThe white cub forced a smile. \"I'm alright. I promise.\"\n\n\"Okay…\" The chipmunk decided to drop the issue.\n\nThe rest of the ride home was silent between the two. Xavier felt bad about bringing it up. After all…he only had one friend as well. He had disowned Arthur after the Eskimo dog hit on him. But his parents had mentioned it to him in the past and it was something that he kept on the back of his mind. He wanted to make more friends…and he wanted Pent to get them as well. It was an issue he began to tackle in his mind.\n\nThey were dropped off in front of the fox's apartment complex before long. Xavier led off the bus with his boyfriend behind him. The fox kit grabbed his bag and followed the other boy. They made their to the apartment and Pent let them in. The two boyfriends shuffled their shoes off at the door. Within moments they heard the pitter-patter of feet in the house and Samaliel came rushing out of their room.\n\n\"How was hockey practice, bro?\" The younger fox asked with an eager look on his face.\n\nPent scratched the back of his head. \"It was fine. We won by one goal.\"\n\n\"Oh cool. That's awesome. Hiya again, Xavier.\" Samaliel looked over at the chipmunk and smiled at him.\n\nThe white fox put his bag on the floor. \"I'll go get dinner started. Does pizza sound keen? I'm tired.\"\n\n\"If you want, Pent…I will make dinner so you can shower.\" The rodent offered to be helpful.\n\nThe bigger boy hesitated a moment. \"But you're a guest…\"\n\n\"It's fine, foxy….I'm going to be staying here a while so I may as well help out a bit.\"\n\nPent nodded and smiles. \"Sounds good. I'll be right back.\" \n\nThe older fox headed back out to grab his bag and put it in the laundry room for later. He still couldn't believe that Xavier was staying over at his apartment as long as he was. The white cub made his way to his room and grabbed a change of clothes before going to the bathroom to shower. \n\nXavier was already in the kitchen and thinking about what to make. He'd never cooked much before and this would be the first time he'd tried to do something on his own. He decided to see what frozen stuff the fox family had in the freezer as he figured it would be a lot easier to make than something handmade. The chipmunk looked through it and examined the options and realized there weren't many of them.\n\nHe pulled out a box of frozen fish and put it on the nearby counter. The cub tried to grab some of the pans on a high shelf, causing them to crash on the floor when he couldn't quite reach them well enough. Of course, Samaliel was nearby and overheard the ruckus so he came to check on what was happening.\n\n\"You alright in here?\" The salt and pepper cub stood at the door.\n\nXavier chuckled. \"Yeah, I couldn't reach it so the stuff fell.\"\n\n\"We do have stepping stools for that….Are you sure you don't want help? The younger cub crossed his arms expectantly.\n\nThe rodent shook his head. \"Nah, I'm good.\"\n\n\"You know….you've changed a lot since I first met you.\" Samaliel smirked a bit at the comment.\n\nThe older boy put the fish on the pan and put it into the oven before the younger boy continued. \"There was a time…when you were afraid Pent wanted to take you on a date. Do you remember that?\"\n\n\"Oh…yeah. I guess I do. I was a jerk…I realize that now. Pent is very special to me now. I want to make him happy.\" Xavier grabbed some vegetables from the freezer.\n\nSamaliel smiled at him. \"I had my doubts about you but I realize I'm wrong now. Just please….don't break my brother's heart, okay? He likes you.\"\n\n\"I know…I like him too. I won't do that. Don't worry.\" The brown-furred cub put the vegetables into a pot and onto a stove.\n\nThe younger cub's tail wagged behind him. \"Thanks, Xavier…I appreciate it.\"\n\nThe younger cub left the kitchen, leaving the older boy alone. He continued to make the meal. By the time the older fox returned and had cleaned up, the meal was ready. Pent had already changed into his pajamas. The older fox saw that his boyfriend was already setting the table and it appeared he had been working the entire time. \n\n\"Thanks, Xae. I'll let Samaliel know dinner is ready.\" Pent smiled warmly at him before walking back out of the kitchen.\n\nThe white fox grabbed his brother and both of them returned to\n the kitchen. Xavier held the chair out for the older fox. The younger boy couldn't help but smile at the two love birds. It was rather obvious they were quite taken by each other at this point. Of course, Xavier and Pent sat next to each other. Samaliel served up the drinks since the older boy had forgotten and sat down on the other side of the table.\n\nThe three of them began to eat the meal. It was a simple dish but one that was delicious all the same. \n\n\"Thanks again, Xavier. This is good.\" Pent nuzzled into his boyfriend from the side.\n\nThe chipmunk blushed and enjoyed the affection. \"Sure, Pent. Like I said I just want to help out.\"\n\nThey continued devouring the meal. Pent was the hungriest of the three since he had played hockey earlier in the day but they all got through it pretty quickly. Once the meal was done, Samaliel wasted no time hanging around. It was the weekend and he wanted to play video games. Xavier and his boyfriend picked up the dishes and brought them to the sink to start washing them.\n\nOnce they were done with the chore, it was time to retire for the night. It had been a long day and the arctic fox was tired. Xavier hadn't done quite as much but he could see that his boyfriend was dragging a bit. The chipmunk tugged on the other boy, goading him to follow. They made their way into the fox cubs' room. The smaller boy guided his beloved back to the fox's room. \n\n\"I'll be right back. I'm going to take a shower.\" Xavier kissed the other boy on the lips before padding over to grab his pajamas for the night.\n\nPent had already changed into his pajamas so he grabbed a book to pass the time. He headed over to the bottom bunk and climbed in. The fox eased himself up against the wall and started to read. Before long he lost himself in the book, quickly losing track of time. Xavier returned after a few minutes. His body still slightly dripping. The brown-furred cub smirked at his boyfriend who had returned to his old pastime.\n\nXavier decided to join him despite not liking to read that much. The chipmunk made his way to the fox's bookshelf and looked through it. Most of the books were non-fiction but he eventually found the Lacrosse one his boyfriend had been reading the other day. He grabbed it and hopped on the bed next to the other cub. The smaller boy pushed himself next to Pent and sat alongside him.\n\nPent smiled at the other cub and nuzzled him with his wet nose. \"You smell nice.\"\n\n\"Thanks, you smell nice too.\" Xavier smiled warmly at him.\n\nThe two continued to sit together for a while Xavier tried to remain focused but even reading a book about lacrosse wasn't that interesting to him. Still, he tried putting up with it so that he could enjoy being close to the other boy. Over time the chipmunk was becoming more and more bored with reading and soon began dozing off. Of course, Pent was much too focused on what he was doing to realize it.\n\nBy the time Pent stopped reading, his boyfriend was fast asleep on his shoulder. Pent chuckled at him and slowly moved away from the other cub. He decided to just let Xavier sleep in his bed as it didn't matter much to him which bunk he slept on as they were both the same. The fox guided his boyfriend down onto the bed before grabbing the book and sliding out. Once he was standing up, Pent leaned in and kissed the boy's forehead, and tucked him under the covers.\n\nPent put away both books and turned off the lights. The fox yawned and stretched. It had been a long day but we were tired. He knew tomorrow would be another day with Xavier and he was already looking forward to it. Climbing up to the bunk he got under the covers and looked to the stars. He gazed at them a while before finally allowing his mind to sleep. Dreaming of what may come…and what the future might hold for him and Xavier.", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "Showing Off 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.

\tSaturday had arrived before long and with it, the auspice of spending a week together was but a day away.  Pent had been over-preparing for it as he often did for things he liked to do. He had already carefully planned out the first few days. Of course, he wanted nothing more than to make Xavier as comfortable as possible. He'd talked about it more than enough times with his brother who assured him everything was going to be fine.

\tYet, the Arctic fox was a somewhat anxious boy when it came to pleasing his friend. It wasn't so much that he was insecure, rather he wanted the other boy to be happy. The arctic fox sometimes forgot about his wants and needs to please the other cub. It was an issue that Samaliel had recognized but hadn't confronted much. Still, the fox was a happy cub who still did things he liked. It was just usually when he was alone more often than not.

\tXavier was to be dropped off early that morning. All of the arrangements had been made with the fox cub's parent. Of course, she wouldn't be home for it but this was an issue she didn't bring up. The chipmunk had already packed a bag of his things and his parents had given him a few of the snacks he liked to take with him. After all, they didn't want the stuff to be gone as they'd be gone a week and it was perishable.

\tPent went out one final time that morning to get a last few minute things. He didn't want to have to go out with Xavier around, though he was certain the other cub wouldn't mind. The older fox left his younger brother alone who couldn't help but shake his head at the bigger boy. Samaliel felt as if the white fox had done much more than he needed to accommodate his boyfriend but he wasn't about to say anything about it.

\tXavier had just finished changing into street clothes for the day when he heard his parents call for him. Picking out a Gryphon logo team shirt with his number on the back and some nylon pants. He grabbed his duffel bag that he'd put everything in and hoisted it over his shoulder. He made his way out of his room and down the hallway. The cub found both of his parents waiting for them, both of them were already dressed and ready for their trip.

\tThe chipmunk boy was taken to the fox kit's apartment. His parents hugged and kissed him before sending him on his way. Xavier wished them well on their trips and grabbed his bag. They drove off leaving the boy behind as they were in a rush. The brown-furred cub slowly approached the complex where his boyfriend lived. He was a bit excited since this was the longest amount of time he'd ever be spending away from his parents.

\tXavier approached the apartment and knocked on the door. It wasn't long before the door was opened. Samaliel smiled at the older cub upon seeing him at the door.

"Hiya, Xavier. Make yourself at home. Pent will be home soon."  The salt and pepper fox held the door open for both of them.

The chipmunk nodded and stepped inside. "Where is he?"

"Out getting groceries. He's been super anxious about you coming over." The younger cub closed the door behind them.

Xavier shuffled off his shoes. "How come?"

"Pent has always been one to over plan things. You can put your bag in our room. I'll be heading out here shortly."   Samaliel had made plans with hanging out with one of his friends.

The chipmunk boy headed back down the hall and set his bag by the wardrobe. The place was quiet despite the younger cub being home. The brown-furred boy had grown used to Samaliel always playing games when he was around. This was the first time the younger boy was doing something else other than that. He began to wonder what he could do before Pent showed up from whatever he was doing.

The brown-furred cub headed back out of the room and heard the door shut. He was uncertain if it was Pent arriving or Samaliel leaving. He called Pent's name and there was no answer. It became apparent that the chipmunk boy was alone, at least for the time being. He decided to watch television and see if there were any sports on while he waited for his boyfriend to come home.

Xavier kicked his paws up on the coffee table and turned on the small television in the living room. Scrolling through the channels, he didn't see anything interesting. The only thing that came up was baseball which he thought was one of the most boring sports ever. Yet, even still he remained on the channel since there seemed to be little option. He continued trying to force himself to watch it for about 15 minutes.

The rodent started to get bored before long. He got up and looked out the window that gazed into the front of the complex. There didn't seem to be any signs of the Arctic fox boy. He wondered how much longer Pent would be before he returned home. Considering what he could do until then as the baseball game just wasn't cutting it. Deciding he would snoop around a bit.

Xavier had been around Pent's apartment enough times that he knew his way around. The place wasn't huge and only had two bedrooms. The chipmunk decided to peer his head into the fox's mother's bedroom as he hadn't been in there before. Upon looking in the room looked as if it hadn't been used in some time. It made him wonder how much the woman was home as Pent only vaguely talked about it.

He padded back into Pent's room and looked in the cub's closet. Noticing most of the stuff in there looked to be the younger kits. Xavier saw the RC car he had bought his boyfriend, the thing was rather clean but appeared to have a few scuffs on it. The chipmunk decided to polish it up later but at the moment he didn't have anything to do it with.  Closing the door and stepped over to the nearby bookshelf.

The brown-furred cub browsed through it for a few moments. Every single book on the self was worn and the spine wrinkled. It was evident many of them had been read multiple times. The sheer amount of them was somewhat overwhelming. Xavier figured all of them were Pent's since most of them were non-fiction of the usual variety that he noticed the fox reading. He wasn't curious to pull any of them out.

Xavier decided to go back out to the living room. He figured it couldn't be that much longer for his boyfriend to arrive. Heading back there, he noticed a door he hadn't noticed before by the back end of the living room.  Padding his way over to it, he opened it before looking inside. Within he saw a small workstation with what appeared to be some scientific equipment that he didn't recognize.

The chipmunk looked at all of the stuff. It was a small space and it was almost entirely consumed by the workstation. On the table in front of him was a microscope, some partially full test tubes, and a pad of notes. It was apparent this was Pent's makeshift lab and he couldn't believe he'd never shown it to him before.  A chemical apparatus of tubes, filters, and funnels spun about with some light-colored fluid running through it.

The rodent eventually came across a small pad of paper.  He began to scroll through it. Some notes were scribbled throughout. A combination of chemical equations, math, and just various doodles. The doodles were rough at best and it was difficult to make out most of them.  Many of them seemed to outline some chemical process that Xavier had no idea about.  

The rodent closed the little notebook back up and made sure everything was the way it was when he came in. After all, he didn't want Pent to know he'd been snooping around.  Xavier decided to head out of the room and back upstairs. Just as he was coming out of the small closet, he heard the door being opened. He saw Pent come into the apartment.

"Oh, hey Pent. How's it going?  Do you need help with groceries?"  Xavier asked to be helpful.

The white fox peered over at him. "Oh, nah. It's just a few bags. I already got most things but I forgot to get Sama some soda."

Pent brought in the groceries and went into the kitchen with them. The chipmunk wasn't far behind him and helped the other cub unload even know he didn't ask for it.  It didn't take long for them to get through everything.

"Thanks for helping. Welcome home, Xae." The bigger cub hugged the other cub tightly.

The rodent hugged him back. "No problem. What do you want to do to pass some time? Do you want to go out and play? It's nice outside."

"Yeah, sure. It's a while before hockey practice. Did you bring your lacrosse stuff? Maybe you could show me. If not then maybe you can show me how to skateboard." The fox came up with two ideas he thought would interest the other cub.

Xavier shook his head. "I didn't bring my lacrosse stuff, sorry. I didn't think about it. I can show you how to skateboard though."

"Sure, let me go grab it from our closet. I'll be right back." The white cub headed off back to his room.

Xavier put his shoes back on as he waited for his boyfriend. The white fox returned with a skateboard in hand after a few minutes, standing at the kitchen door while waiting for his boyfriend to join him. The brown-furred cub looked at him and nodded. The two walked out of the home with the fox locking the door once they were outside.  Pent put the board under his arm and held the other cub's hand in his own as they walked to the street together.

The day outside that day was a cloudy one. It was warm but the obstruction from the clouds made it a little cooler than usual. Pent led them to one of the backroads behind the apartments. It was a place removed from normal traffic so he knew he wouldn't have to worry about cars.

"Alright, put the skateboard on the ground and I will hold it with my feet. I want you to step on it. I promise the board won't move so you won't fall."  Xavier put his shoes on both sides of the board, acting as a wedge.

Pent did as he was told, taking slow and methodical steps up on the board. He remained still on top of it as he looked down at his boyfriend who smiled up at him.

"So…to
 move on a skateboard…You leave your one foot on the board and push on the ground with the other. You will have to try both to see what works better for you. There is no right or wrong way." The rodent slowly moved his left foot out of the way of the board so it would move.

The fox kit was a little nervous. He'd never skateboarded before but the hobby seemed like a fun one from all the tricks he'd seen his boyfriend pull off.  He wasn't about to not do something just because of the apparent danger of it. The white cub kicked forward a single time knocking right into the chipmunk.

"Good…now Im going to go to the end of the street and we will see if you can make it down on your own. Don't worry about falling too much…You should be fine as long as you don't try to jump off or anything."  The chipmunk ran to the end of the small stint of road.

Pent nodded and kicked slowly. His forward-to-back leg motions were slow and drawn out. The speed of each of them caused the board to slow down more than it should.

"Try not to let your foot drag. You're causing the board to go slow." Xavier announced loudly.

The arctic fox took the tip and tried that, not letting his paw drag behind him. Sure enough, the board went faster down the street. He was able to get to the end of the runway without much of an issue. His boyfriend clapped at him.

"Now you're going to try to turn. To do that just put weight on either your heel or toe. It should be similar to how snowboards turn from what I understand."  The rodent decided to run along the side of the board in case Pent fell.

The white cub nodded and rotated his board. Trying to turn the board wasn't quite the same as a snowboard but after putting way too much weight down, his body tumbled. Of course, Xavier was there to catch him.

"Try again." The chipmunk said, backing up a bit to give his boyfriend a bit more space.
 
Pent took the cub's advice and put a little less pressure on the board. Sure enough, the thing turned, though the turn was a wide one. The chipmunk clapped at him with a smile on his face.

"Now…try to do that after going forward." Xavier folded his arms and watched his boyfriend carefully.

The bigger cub nodded and flipped the board around with his hand. He kicked down a single time, sending the board down the street. Running out of steam before he even got to the other side. Pent followed up with another kick, gradually getting the hang of it to make it move. When he made it to the other side, he attempted to turn but ended up in the grass and tumbled off.

"Again. You're making good progress." The rodent smiled and gave the other cub a thumbs up.

The fox continued to make an effort to try and improve. Each of his failures was met with support from his boyfriend. His successes were lauded with praise and compliments. Over the next two hours, the two cubs remained outside working on it. It wasn't until their stomachs started rumbling that they started thinking about going inside.

"Let's take a break for now. It's hot out and I'm hungry."  Xavier walked over to the other cub.

Pent hopped off the board. "Yeah, it's probably time for lunch."

"Cool. You've been doing well. We can come back after if you want or chill inside since it's hot." The chipmunk casually placed his hands behind his head.

The arctic fox grabbed the skateboard and they headed back in together. Neither of them had worked up much of a sweat while outside. It was hot but the cloud cover and breeze from the wind cooled down their bodies a bit.  Once they were back inside both of them kicked off their shoes and looked at each other for a moment. The bigger boy leaned in and hugged the other boy tightly before separating after a few seconds.

"Thanks for showing me how to skateboard. What do you want for lunch? I can make us both something." Pent led towards the kitchen with his boyfriend behind him.

The chipmunk scratched his head. "I dunno. Whatever works. I'm hungry."

They headed into the kitchen together and Pent made his way to the fridge. Xavier wasn't sure how he could help but he didn't want to sit there.

"You want some help?" The rodent remained close behind just in case the other boy said yes.

The white fox didn't bother to look behind him. "Nah. I make lunch all the time for my brother and me. It's no big deal. I promise."

Pent rifled through the drawers of the fridge and found some packets of tuna, deciding this was simple enough to make. He took it out and grabbed some lettuce, cheese, and tomato. Working on it while his boyfriend watched him carefully. Xavier had never noticed Pent's caretaking skills until now and was a bit impressed by them. It made him want to learn more about how to do it himself, deciding he'd ask his parents at some point.

The fox didn't take long to make the sandwiches. Pouring both of them some drink before taking a spot at the table, making sure they were right next to each other. He set down the meals and sat down, waiting for his boyfriend to join him. The chipmunk joined him before long and kissed his boyfriend on the cheek.

"Thanks, Pent." Xavier took hold of the sandwich and began eating it.

Pent smiled at him and the two worked through lunch rather quickly. It was a modest meal but one that hit the spot. Neither of them said much until the end of the meal when Pent began to think about the Science fair project they were supposed to be working on.

"Do you want to work on the Science fair project now?" He looked over at his boyfriend.

The smaller cub turned to face Pent.  "Yeah, sure. What did you have in mind anyways?"

"I have a few project ideas. One focuses on genetics, another focuses on electrolytes, and one focuses on cold packs." The fox recalled the ones from memory that seemed most interesting to do.

The chipmunk hummed, thinking to himself. "Well…which one do you want to do. You're the Science cub…not me."

"Do any of them sound interesting to you?" Pent looked at him expectantly.

Xavier hesitated before answering. "Erm…no not really."

"Maybe we should do something involving sports then? Something like sports drinks or caloric intake." The bigger cub leaned back in his chair casually.

The rodent got up from the table and took the plates to the sink to be helpful. "I mean…I'm willing to do whatever you want."

"I want you to like it though…it's not just about what I want." Pent picked himself up and got out of the chair.

The two began to work on the dishes together with the fox drying them and the other boy washing them. It was just like Pent and his brother would do, whenever the younger boy helped. The fox felt happy to have his boyfriend around for the week.

"Do you want to see my lab?" The fox's tail wagged behind him slowly.

The chipmunk tried to look surprised. "You have a lab?"

"Yeah, it's in a closet in the front room. I don't think I've ever shown you." Pent put away the dishes in one of the cabinets.

The smaller boy nodded. "Sure, I'd like that."

They headed out of the kitchen and back into the front room. Pent led over to the door where his makeshift lab was and opened the door for his boyfriend. Of course, Xavier had already snooped in it earlier so he wasn't nearly as surprised about it. Still, he tried to put off the façade as if he'd never seen it before. Pent suspected nothing and bought the charade as he didn't have any reason to think his boyfriend would have been in there.

"So…this is it. I know it's small but what do you think?" Pent looked back at his boyfriend, waiting for his answer.

Xavier smiled at him. "It's cool. I'm not surprised you have your lab though…haha."

"Am I that predictable?" The fox looked at the floor feeling ashamed about it.

The chipmunk touched his shoulder. "Nah, I didn't mean it that way. You're a Scientist…you need a lab."

"Thanks, Xae." The white fox looked back at him and smiled.

"So which project do you think is best?" The smaller cub stepped to the side of his boyfriend so there was more room in the small space.

Pent sighed. "I'd like to do something we both like."

"You said there is one with sports drinks, right? We could try that. Tell me about it." The rodent picked the only one he remembered.

The fox cracked a slight smile. "Well…it's about juice, sports drink, and electrolytes and which drink provides the best hydration for workouts and sports."

"Cool, that sounds good. Do we have any sports drinks and juice?"   Xavier leaned against the wall nearby.

The bigger boy hummed and nodded. "Yeah, I have a few in the fridge I keep around for hockey."

"Alright, I'll go get them. Speaking of which…are we still going tonight? I want to see you play." The brown-furred boy walked back out of the closet to grab them.

Pent didn't answer quite yet since his boyfriend had stepped away. Instead, he began setting up the project at the table. It wasn't long before the other boy was back. Xavier had grabbed a bottle of sports drink and a small carton of juice. The fox looked at the items as they were put on the table.

"So are we still going to your game tonight?" Xavier asked again.

Pent nodded. "Oh, yeah. It's not til dinner or whatever."

"Nice. I can't wait. Alright, so what do we need to do?"  The chipmunk's ears perked up curiously.

The fox went through one of the drawers of the table and pulled out an Ammeter along with a small dish to put the drinks in.

"I need you to cut this copper wiring so we can wire it properly with the anodes." The fox pointed at a wire cutter and a spool of thin wire.

Xavier figured that was simple enough, cutting more wires than was necessary and making them either too long or short. The bigger boy didn't complain and took the longer wires and connected them to the Ammeter and a battery he had lying around. The fox cut off the extra wire and handed his boyfriend a straw.

"Cut this right where the straw bends please." Pent held out a
 straw in his paw.

The rodent cut it and the little piece rolled around in Pent's hand. He wrapped the wire around it and stuck it in the bottom of the dish.

"Pour some of the drink into the dish but not enough to fill it. Do the same for some other dishes. I will be right back." The fox stepped out of the closet.

Pent went to grab an extra chair for his boyfriend to sit on. He returned with it shortly after before pushing it under the other cub's legs.  

"Thanks." Xavier sat down as he was finishing pouring the last drink into another dish.

The fox sat down next to his boyfriend and the two began running the tests. The idea of which was to gauge the voltage of each of the liquids. When the amplitude was set low enough, it showed a definitive reading for each of them. It was a simple enough experiment. One that was a bit below the fox's level but he wanted his boyfriend to both participate as well as understand.

They continued to work on the project for some time. Pent kept track of all of the results on a spreadsheet he made on his phone. Of course, he knew the answer before he even got into it but he was glad to find something that Xavier wanted to do. The chipmunk tried to stay engaged and occasionally fought the desire to yawn. This wasn't his thing but he wanted to put himself through it all the same.

After Pent had collected more data than necessary he announced they were done. The declaration was one that the rodent lauded. He had been waiting for them to finish for what seemed like forever. The fox had done the majority of the work and only occasionally let him do something. It was an issue neither of them wanted to confront but had both recognized in their minds.

"Well…do you want to go back outside or something, Xae?" Pent started to lead back out of the closet.

The brown-furred cub followed his boyfriend out. "Hmm…we could go back outside unless you want to just do something more relaxing before the game."

"That might be a good idea so I'm not tired. You want to lay a board game or something?"  The fox kit stopped in the middle of the living room.

Xavier hummed and scratched his head. "We could do that…what do you have in mind?"

"Want to make a mouse and play Mouse Guard with me?" The bigger boy wagged his tail upon suggesting it.

The chipmunk cocked his head awkwardly. "What's that? I've never heard of it."

"Come on…I'll show you."  Pent took his boyfriend's hand and held it tightly before leading him back to his room.

They made their way to the fox kits room where Pent separated and rifled through his closet looking through the game. Mouse Guard was a game he had played with his brother a few times in the past. It was similar to Dungeons and Dragons, except the characters were mice…and faced foes that would typically face mouse-kind. The fox fished it out of the closet before bringing it over to the floor.

Pent sat down cross-legged and patted the spot opposite him. Xavier did the same and waited for the other boy to get the game ready. The fox pulled out the character sheets and showed one of them to his boyfriend.

"So…you can make a mouse or you can use my brothers if you want to just get at it. It's a role-playing game."  Pent pulled out his character sheet and showed it.

Unsurprisingly the fox kit had made an alchemist, except this one was ready for battle. An image of a gray mouse in tattered robes was taped to the front of it. The character had a sash with some potions on it and carried a crossbow on its back. Xavier looked at it with interest.

"Did you make that?" Xavier had a surprised look on his face.

Pent shook his head. "Nah. One of Samaliel's friends drew it."

"It's still cool. What are the classes or whatever?" The chipmunk sat down next to his boyfriend so they could look at the instructions together.

The fox showed him the booklet and they scanned through it. Of course, it had much more reading than Xavier wanted to do. Yet he could tell his boyfriend was into it and was willing to try it. He had never played a role-playing game before as there was a time when he associated it with nerds himself. Yet now…things had changed since the most important cub in his life was just that.

Xavier ended up making a grizzled old guard mouse with a pike. The two mice were to take upon the adventure into the mouse territories. Pent had made plenty of scenarios in the past so he took up the mantle of the dungeon master. Their task today was to recover the black axe. A relic lost to time and said to belong to the legendary Celanwe.

The adventure soon began in the mouse territories. A wide expanse of lands covering the forgotten wilderness. The boys set the figures that represented each of them on a map of the place. Each turn they rolled dice with an encounter springing up every so often. The idea was they had to overcome each of the encounters either through wit and strategy or brawn and brute force.

Pent told the tale as he came up with it as if he were the minstrel singing their journey. He was quite the storyteller. Their first encounter against a grand mongoose. A giant beast to their rodent characters that desired only to swallow them. The fox had seen this kind of thing before, he knew all too well the nuances of the battle at hand. Yet Xavier lept into action without a single thought.

His mouse was soon sent back reeling onto the ground. The fox followed up with his attack, a sleeping agent that was set to subdue the beast instead of felling it. The thing fell on its back with the land of a single dice. Pent had gotten the roll he needed and had saved the day. Neither cub's character had come out with injuries and they carried on ever onward. Soon taking up the caravan across the blasted flats of Blackrock.

They continued onward into Blackrock itself. Encountering several NPCs that offered them wares of various sorts. Xavier was finding himself to be engrossed in the game. It was nothing like his old friends used to say; An old person's game that hinged on nothing but pen and paper. Yet in front of him opened up an entirely new world His imagination began to run wild again and his boyfriend smiled at him, glad that he was enjoying it.

The fox soon concocted another encounter for them, a snake. The seemingly giant serpent stood in their way. Xavier had learned his lesson from the last time. Letting his boyfriend take the lead. The bigger boy's character set a trap for the creature but it didn't fall for it. The fiend swooped forward, trying to defeat them in one swoop. The moment its head was low enough the chipmunk's character impaled it from overhead.

Pent patted his boyfriend on the back. They continued out of Blackrock and into the beyond to the Grayzen, the field of lost heroes. The very place where they were supposed to find the lost relic they had set out to retrieve. However….soon they scored a poor role and the spirits were risen from their graves. Both of their characters were soon beset and within a matter of moments, it was game over.

"Boo, we lost. That stinks." Xavier frowned a bit.

Pent smiled at him. "I'm glad you liked it. We can always play again. There is no need for permanence or whatever in-game."

"Cool…cause I just made my mousey and yeah!" The chipmunk took the small game piece and held it in his hand.

"Let's play one more round then I'll get ready for hockey." Pent figured they had time for one more game.

The two cubs worked through the same campaign again. Of course, different encounters were overcome but the same goal was in mind. They were able to manage to rise to each of the challenges that came before them. Xavier took it upon himself to not be as brash this time around. He had learned the hard way that things were at easy as he thought in the game. After a few hours of playing together, Pent got up.

"Do you mind cleaning up while I get ready? You don't have to come if you don't want. Samaliel should be home soon if you want to hang here." The white fox picked himself up off the ground.

The smaller cub nodded. "Nah. I want to watch you play. You've watched me play Lacrosse. It's only fair."

"Alright, cool. I'll be ready shortly." The Arctic fox padded over to the closet to grab his hockey stuff from it.

Xavier started to clean up the game while his boyfriend got ready. The fox kit found his hockey gear; a red and white jersey with matching pants. The stuff was a little bit big on him to fit the pads he'd be putting on at the rink. He changed his socks into long ones and grabbed his. Gear bag with his pads and helmet inside of it. He looked back to see if the chipmunk was ready and sure enough he was just finishing up.

"Ready to head out?" Pent nudged the boy on his shoulder.

Xavier put the box of stuff to the side and stood up. "Yup. Why is that stuff so big on you?"

"Because of pads and it's all borrowed equipment."  The bigger boy put his arm behind his boyfriend.

They made their way back to the front of the home. Each of them put their shoes back on and headed out. The fox always took the bus and there wasn't much thought to any alternative. Xavier hadn't considered it but the issue didn't bother him much.  Still, he wasn't as used to riding the bus as his boyfriend was. Pent and Xavier made their way to the bus stop and waited for the bus for a few minutes.

The bus arrived before long and Pent showed his bus card. Since it was later in the night he had to have the ticket. The driver asked for Xaviers but the fox informed the woman that he didn't have one. She gave him a temporary one since the fox was a frequent patron of hers. The two boys made their way to an empty seat. Unlike the school bus, the public transport version wasn't packed with cubs and teens in every seat.

The two boys waited for the bus to arrive at the arena. It was the same skating arena they had gone to before. Xavier didn't remember much of
 it. Today there were furs outside of it filtering inside. He could only assume that they were going in to see the same game they were. Pent nudged his boyfriend to get out of the seat. They made their way through the aisle between the seats.

Pent thanked the driver as he always did and they made their way to the ground below. Xavier held the fox's hand and the two walked together into the building. The bigger boy hadn't told his hockey team about his relationship but he didn't care to since none of them were his friends. They headed up the stairs together through the entrance of the main part of the arena.

They found themselves at the back entrance of the building. Xavier could see the skate rental window and some other cubs walking around. Some of their parents could be seen in the distance. Pent tugged on him, goading his boyfriend to follow. They continued to the back where the locker rooms were, proceeding right past the two rinks. Xavier was surprised the fox wasn't just taking him to the bleachers.

Pent was planning on asking his coach if Xavier could sit on the team bench or in the Zamboni area. He figured it wouldn't be a big deal since the bench never had enough players to fit on it, since it was designed for adults. The fox led him into the locker room. The stench of some odors could be smelt as they entered into it. Yet, the smell didn't bother Xavier as he'd already gotten used to it from Lacrosse.

The fox led him into the coach's office where a polar bear woman was sitting with her feet on the table. She wasn't expecting players at this time so she wasn't prepared for it. The woman noticed the door open and moved her feet off the table. She recognized the Arctic fox but not the other boy.

"Oh hello, Pent. Who is this?" The woman leaned forward in her chair listening intently.

Pent smiled at her. "Hi, coach. This is Xaver. I was wondering if he could sit in the player or loading area?"

"You know that's not allowed….right?"  The coach shook her head at the boy.

The white cub sighed. "Please? This is his first hockey game and I want him to have fun."

"I see. I suppose he can sit in the penalty box." She noticed the two cubs were holding hands but said nothing about it.

The arctic fox chirped. "Thanks, coach!"

"Go get ready, the game starts soon." The beat got up from her chair.

He gave her a thumbs-up and led Xavier back out. The fox headed over to his locker with his boyfriend right behind him.  He left took his equipment out and put the bag inside. Pent put on his pads and changed into his skate. The boy stood up, seeming much taller than before because of the blades on the bottom. The fox had a cage over his face. Xavier thought his boyfriend looked like a very different person in his hockey gear and noticed he had separated himself from the other cubs on the team.

"You look cute in your hockey gear."  Xavier patted the boy on the butt and squeezed it a bit.
The bigger boy blushed. "Thanks, follow me."

Pent led his boyfriend out of the locker room through a tunnel that led towards the ice. Xavier followed along noticing the temperature dropped as he got closer to the ice. His body began to shiver as he got ever nearer to it. He almost walked right past the coach at the end of the hall before she stopped him. The woman couldn't help but notice he was cold and handed him a jacket.

Xavier thanked her and continued to follow Pent. The fox backpedaled a bit once they were close to the ice. Grabbing both of Xavier's hands in his own. He guided the other boy across the ice, making sure to hold him up so he didn't fall.  The chipmunk felt his feet glide along the ice but each time he almost fell, the fox caught him. Pent had done it before with Samaliel so he knew how it worked.

Eventually, they made it to the penalty box and the fox cub let him inside. Xavier was glad to be on solid ground again. The constant sliding on ice made him feel uneasy. He watched Pent skate away backward, the other cub seeming to do so with ease.  The chipmunk had never been to a hockey game before so he wasn't entirely sure what to expect.  He scooted over to the far side of the penalty box as he assumed he would need to make space for someone else eventually.

The game soon started with the blow of a referee's whistle. A faceoff ensued at center ice between two forwards. The red team was facing a blue one and unlike Xavier's squad, neither of them had logos. The jerseys were blank on the front except with some sponsors on them. Still, the color was enough to differentiate the teams. Xavier noticed that his boyfriend wasn't on the ice for the first shift.

The puck was dropped and the two centers sparred for it, each of them trying to wrestle the puck from the other stick. The blue side eventually gained control of it and began passing it between the various cubs on the ice. Xavier watched with interest as the boys and girls skated from side to side. Soon one of them checked the other on the board right in front of the chipmunk, shaking the plexiglass in front of him.

Pent came out on the next shift. Xavier honed in on his boyfriend. The cub's white flowing tail made it easy to keep track of him but the chipmunk had already memorized his number.  The fox kept himself in the back ice near his own goal.  Xavier kept an eye on it. The cub despite him not moving much. Before long one of the members of the other team broke through to the other side. The fox skated forward and easily took the puck from him.

The chipmunk cheered him on as the fox was checked against one of the boards. A feeling of discomfort came over the rodent. He hoped that his boyfriend wasn't hurt. The fox cub seemingly shook it off like it was no big deal.  The other team shot the puck but the goalie was up to the task and made a safe. The red team took control and began to move down the ice and soon the fox was called off again.

Pent sipped on his water bottle while he was on the bench. He looked over at Xavier who was peering out the glass of the penalty box. The other cub seemed to be enjoying himself. The fox couldn't help but smile at him. Soon he was sent back out on the ice again. The fox kit raced forward to the front of the ice. Usually, he wouldn't try to score….but today was different. He wanted nothing more than to impress his boyfriend.

The fox called for the puck as he sat on the offensive side of the ice. Yet the other team had gotten control of it. They raced back towards the red team's net. Pent found himself having to go back as fast as he could. He wasn't about to let them score. Leaping he made a quick attempt at freeing the puck from the other player. Sure enough, he was able to reach it and the puck slid to one of his other teammates.

The other member of his team took the puck and skated back to the other end. Pent soon picked himself up, watching as the other players passed and shot the puck. A red light and the siren soon sounded. They had scored. The members of Pent's team celebrated, though the fox remained where he was as he wasn't much into the whole showboating aspect of things. It was an issue that his team had gotten used to.

The other team called a time out and both teams returned to their benches. The fox's line soon sat back down and waited for their next shift on the ice. The game started up before long again and the two teams continued playing out the period much the same. Unlike professional hockey, youth hockey had a smaller intermission between periods. The cubs were allowed to rest between periods and given refreshments to cool them down. The intermission was a bit shorter to save time.

The second period began after the short break. The players returned to the ice with Pent being on the first line shift. Xavier watched with interest as his boyfriend stood there waiting on one of the wings. The puck was dropped again and the players sparred for it once again. Pent still wanted to score. He felt like he hadn't done enough just yet and still wanted to show off a bit. The fox called for the puck but his team lost possession.

Of course, Pent was the first to go back. He always put defense first as it was his responsibility. The white fox checked the other cub before taking the puck and passing it down the ice. Xavier continued to cheer him on. The chipmunk couldn't believe how aggressive his boyfriend was on the ice. It was almost like he was an entirely different person out there. Yet for the fox cub, he was trying harder than he normally would just to impress his beloved.

His team wasn't able to score that round and his line was called off the ice. Pent rested as waited for his next shift on the ice.  The second period was slower going than the first. There were more whistles and even the first penalty. A cub who Xavier didn't know ended up in the box and the two didn't say anything to each other. Yet the period ended with the same score as the first.

The final period was to begin before long and Pent's line wouldn't be the first out. The coach liked to spread out the time so that all of the cubs got a chance to play. After all none of them were stars. It was nothing like how Xavier was treated on his team.  The puck was dropped again and the blue team was able to get it right off the bat. Their best player rushed forward on a breakaway and scored within moments of the beginning of the period.

Pent's team groaned collectively. The fox told himself that he needed to score now. He had only ever scored a few times but with his boyfriend there he was incentivized to. Soon his line was called back on the ice as another faceoff ensued. The red team was able to get the puck and the fox tried calling for the puck again. He wasn't given it and ended up backtracking to his team's side of the ice.

His team maintained control a bit but soon lost it. Pent soon stole the puck and passed it forward but soon it was
 lost again. It was very much a back-and-forth effort. One that ended up in both lines having a longer shift than they should have otherwise. It only ended after an icing was announced as the cubs on both teams tried to catch their breath. Xavier continued to watch with interest from the penalty box.

The rest of the game went much the same way. The final buzzer sounded with the tied score on the board. Both teams were called to the boards to discuss who would participate in the shootout. The chipmunk wasn't sure what to make of the huddle as he watched from afar. Pent hoped he'd be chosen for the shootout but was certain it wouldn't come to defense players as if had never done so before.

Three players were chosen for each side. The goalies went back to tending to their goals. Xavier sat on the edge of his seat as he saw the solo cubs on each side of the ice. Each of them takes it in on the first attempt. Neither of them scored with the goalies being more than up to the task. The second round of players soon came out on the ice, one of them falling on their attempt but the other just missed the goal entirely. Xavier couldn't believe how bad some of them were.

The third players came out and still neither of them scored. The coaches agreed to one more player before settling on a tie. Pent begged the coach to let him try it. She'd never seen him like this before and decided to cave in. The fox thanked her and went to the ice. He smiled over at the boy in the penalty box and waved to him.   The white cub told himself to focus. He wanted to score.

Pent took the puck on his stick and handled it forward. Shifting his body back and forward across the ice. Rotating around the back of the net before trying to stuff it in. The goalie shifted to the side, seemingly putting their skate right over where the puck was placed. The fox sighed as he was certain he hadn't scored. Skating away, he felt dejected and didn't look back. Yet…as he was about to lift his leg over the board to get on the bench the siren sounded.

The fox was confused. He looked back and saw the red light. One of the referees came over to explain what happened as the call had been delayed. They explained that the puck had crossed the line and was determined to be a goal. The fox kit's face lit up as he was patted on the back by the coach. It appeared he had scored. Now all that was left was to see if the other team could even it up.

Yet the other team wasn't able to manage. The player they sent out just went through the motions as they were tired. The red team was declared the victor. Both of the teams were sent back to the locker rooms to get ready to go home. Pent went to collect his boyfriend from the penalty box and helped him back across the ice. The two made their way back into the locker room.

They made it back toward the same area where Pent had placed his bag earlier. Xavier sat on a nearby bench and looked up at his boyfriend.

"You were pretty amazing today. I had no idea you were so good at hockey…haha." The chipmunk smiled widely.

The white cub grabbed his bag out of his locker. "Thanks, Xae. I'm glad you came."

"Sure, I want to support you just like you support me. By the way….does your brother know how close we are now?"  The rodent scratched his head.

Pent smiled. "He knows I love you and that we are boyfriends."

"I mean…has he found out we're intimate?" Xavier felt weird about asking it.

The bigger boy shook his head. "Nah, he's too young for that. I would never discuss that with him. I'd rather we didn't when he's home."

"Alright, I can respect that. I wouldn't want him to see either…that would just be weird." The chipmunk stuck his tongue out playfully.

Pent nodded and started to take off his gear, removing the pads from his body and placing them back in his bag.

"I'll be right back…I'm going to give the coach back the sweatshirt she gave me." Xavier took it off his body and walked over to her office.

She wasn't there so he decided to leave it inside. He returned to Pent and found the other boy was changing into his shoes. The chipmunk assumed the other boy was about ready to leave. He noticed again that the bigger boy separated himself from the other players. It surprised him a little bit that Pent had never made any friends on the team.

"Ready to head out?" Pent drank a bottle of water he'd taken from his bag.

Xavier nodded and the two joined hands and headed out of the arena. They made their way back to the bus stop. The fox and his boyfriend sat together waiting for the bus. It was getting late by this point and it was starting to drizzle. Though neither cub was worried about getting wet. It wasn't much longer before the bus arrived and they made their way onto it. Pent showed his pass and both boys were allowed onto it.

The bus headed back down the same route they came back to the fox's apartment.

"Hey, Pent…how come you haven't tried to make friends with your teammates?"  Xavier touched his boyfriend's shoulder.

Pent looked over at him. "I am not comfortable talking with them. Some of them are better than I am and most of them want nothing to do with me."

"I want to try and make us more friends…are you open to it?" The chipmunk nuzzled into the other boy.

The bigger boy murmured. "I'm happy just having you as my friend."

"But…Pent. I can't always be around. What if I'm sick or whatever?"  The brown-furred cub put his arm behind the other boy.

The Arctic fox leaned into him. "I'll come visit you. I can manage to be alone at school."

"I appreciate that but that's not my point. You should have more than one friend…." The rodent eased off the other boy.
 
The white cub forced a smile. "I'm alright. I promise."

"Okay…" The chipmunk decided to drop the issue.

The rest of the ride home was silent between the two. Xavier felt bad about bringing it up. After all…he only had one friend as well. He had disowned Arthur after the Eskimo dog hit on him. But his parents had mentioned it to him in the past and it was something that he kept on the back of his mind. He wanted to make more friends…and he wanted Pent to get them as well. It was an issue he began to tackle in his mind.

They were dropped off in front of the fox's apartment complex before long. Xavier led off the bus with his boyfriend behind him. The fox kit grabbed his bag and followed the other boy. They made their to the apartment and Pent let them in. The two boyfriends shuffled their shoes off at the door. Within moments they heard the pitter-patter of feet in the house and Samaliel came rushing out of their room.

"How was hockey practice, bro?" The younger fox asked with an eager look on his face.

Pent scratched the back of his head. "It was fine. We won by one goal."

"Oh cool. That's awesome. Hiya again, Xavier."  Samaliel looked over at the chipmunk and smiled at him.

The white fox put his bag on the floor. "I'll go get dinner started. Does pizza sound keen? I'm tired."

"If you want, Pent…I will make dinner so you can shower." The rodent offered to be helpful.

The bigger boy hesitated a moment. "But you're a guest…"

"It's fine, foxy….I'm going to be staying here a while so I may as well help out a bit."

Pent nodded and smiles. "Sounds good. I'll be right back."

The older fox headed back out to grab his bag and put it in the laundry room for later. He still couldn't believe that Xavier was staying over at his apartment as long as he was. The white cub made his way to his room and grabbed a change of clothes before going to the bathroom to shower.

Xavier was already in the kitchen and thinking about what to make. He'd never cooked much before and this would be the first time he'd tried to do something on his own.  He decided to see what frozen stuff the fox family had in the freezer as he figured it would be a lot easier to make than something handmade.  The chipmunk looked through it and examined the options and realized there weren't many of them.

He pulled out a box of frozen fish and put it on the nearby counter. The cub tried to grab some of the pans on a high shelf, causing them to crash on the floor when he couldn't quite reach them well enough. Of course, Samaliel was nearby and overheard the ruckus so he came to check on what was happening.

"You alright in here?" The salt and pepper cub stood at the door.

Xavier chuckled. "Yeah, I couldn't reach it so the stuff fell."

"We do have stepping stools for that….Are you sure you don't want help? The younger cub crossed his arms expectantly.

The rodent shook his head. "Nah, I'm good."

"You know….you've changed a lot since I first met you." Samaliel smirked a bit at the comment.

The older boy put the fish on the pan and put it into the oven before the younger boy continued. "There was a time…when you were afraid Pent wanted to take you on a date. Do you remember that?"

"Oh…yeah. I guess I do. I was a jerk…I realize that now. Pent is very special to me now. I want to make him happy." Xavier grabbed some vegetables from the freezer.

Samaliel smiled at him. "I had my doubts about you but I realize I'm wrong now. Just please….don't break my brother's heart, okay? He likes you."

"I know…I like him too. I won't do that. Don't worry." The brown-furred cub put the vegetables into a pot and onto a stove.

The younger cub's tail wagged behind him. "Thanks, Xavier…I appreciate it."

The younger cub left the kitchen, leaving the older boy alone. He continued to make the meal. By the time the older fox returned and had cleaned up, the meal was ready. Pent had already changed into his pajamas. The older fox saw that his boyfriend was already setting the table and it appeared he had been working the entire time.

"Thanks, Xae. I'll let Samaliel know dinner is ready." Pent smiled warmly at him before walking back out of the kitchen.

The white fox grabbed his brother and both of them returned to
 the kitchen. Xavier held the chair out for the older fox. The younger boy couldn't help but smile at the two love birds. It was rather obvious they were quite taken by each other at this point. Of course, Xavier and Pent sat next to each other. Samaliel served up the drinks since the older boy had forgotten and sat down on the other side of the table.

The three of them began to eat the meal. It was a simple dish but one that was delicious all the same.

"Thanks again, Xavier. This is good." Pent nuzzled into his boyfriend from the side.

The chipmunk blushed and enjoyed the affection. "Sure, Pent. Like I said I just want to help out."

They continued devouring the meal. Pent was the hungriest of the three since he had played hockey earlier in the day but they all got through it pretty quickly. Once the meal was done, Samaliel wasted no time hanging around. It was the weekend and he wanted to play video games. Xavier and his boyfriend picked up the dishes and brought them to the sink to start washing them.

Once they were done with the chore, it was time to retire for the night. It had been a long day and the arctic fox was tired. Xavier hadn't done quite as much but he could see that his boyfriend was dragging a bit. The chipmunk tugged on the other boy, goading him to follow. They made their way into the fox cubs' room. The smaller boy guided his beloved back to the fox's room.

"I'll be right back. I'm going to take a shower."  Xavier kissed the other boy on the lips before padding over to grab his pajamas for the night.

Pent had already changed into his pajamas so he grabbed a book to pass the time. He headed over to the bottom bunk and climbed in. The fox eased himself up against the wall and started to read. Before long he lost himself in the book, quickly losing track of time. Xavier returned after a few minutes. His body still slightly dripping. The brown-furred cub smirked at his boyfriend who had returned to his old pastime.

Xavier decided to join him despite not liking to read that much. The chipmunk made his way to the fox's bookshelf and looked through it. Most of the books were non-fiction but he eventually found the Lacrosse one his boyfriend had been reading the other day. He grabbed it and hopped on the bed next to the other cub. The smaller boy pushed himself next to Pent and sat alongside him.

Pent smiled at the other cub and nuzzled him with his wet nose.  "You smell nice."

"Thanks, you smell nice too." Xavier smiled warmly at him.

The two continued to sit together for a while Xavier tried to remain focused but even reading a book about lacrosse wasn't that interesting to him. Still, he tried putting up with it so that he could enjoy being close to the other boy. Over time the chipmunk was becoming more and more bored with reading and soon began dozing off. Of course, Pent was much too focused on what he was doing to realize it.

By the time Pent stopped reading, his boyfriend was fast asleep on his shoulder. Pent chuckled at him and slowly moved away from the other cub. He decided to just let Xavier sleep in his bed as it didn't matter much to him which bunk he slept on as they were both the same. The fox guided his boyfriend down onto the bed before grabbing the book and sliding out. Once he was standing up, Pent leaned in and kissed the boy's forehead, and tucked him under the covers.

Pent put away both books and turned off the lights. The fox yawned and stretched. It had been a long day but we were tired. He knew tomorrow would be another day with Xavier and he was already looking forward to it. Climbing up to the bunk he got under the covers and looked to the stars. He gazed at them a while before finally allowing his mind to sleep. Dreaming of what may come…and what the future might hold for him and Xavier.", "pools_count": 1, "title": "Showing Off", "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": "231" }