{ "submission_id": "3133995", "keywords": [ { "keyword_id": "2726", "keyword_name": "arctic fox", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "7840" }, { "keyword_id": "61", "keyword_name": "boy", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "82380" }, { "keyword_id": "303", "keyword_name": "canine", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "195353" }, { "keyword_id": "11418", "keyword_name": "chipmunk", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "13375" }, { "keyword_id": "37", "keyword_name": "cub", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "285306" }, { "keyword_id": "15837", "keyword_name": "dating", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "697" }, { "keyword_id": "38", "keyword_name": "kit", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "2913" }, { "keyword_id": "165", "keyword_name": "male", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "1214270" }, { "keyword_id": "10308", "keyword_name": "male/male", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "127909" }, { "keyword_id": "4", "keyword_name": "puppy", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "17670" }, { "keyword_id": "3394", "keyword_name": "rodent", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "35283" }, { "keyword_id": "909", "keyword_name": "romance", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "9217" }, { "keyword_id": "113", "keyword_name": "shota", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "35264" }, { "keyword_id": "1105", "keyword_name": "space", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "7976" }, { "keyword_id": "1618", "keyword_name": "sports", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "2018" }, { "keyword_id": "19808", "keyword_name": "stargazing", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "169" }, { "keyword_id": "168361", "keyword_name": "touring", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "8" }, { "keyword_id": "13091", "keyword_name": "vacation", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "947" }, { "keyword_id": "3104", "keyword_name": "vulpine", "contributed": "f", "submissions_count": "36942" } ], "hidden": "f", "scraps": "f", "favorite": "f", "favorites_count": "4", "create_datetime": "2023-10-01 14:29:49.292998+00", "create_datetime_usertime": "01 Oct 2023 16:29 CEST", "last_file_update_datetime": "2023-10-01 14:27:32.068953+00", "last_file_update_datetime_usertime": "01 Oct 2023 16:27 CEST", "username": "pentrep", "user_id": "202883", "user_icon_file_name": "147300_pentrep_150_by_veemonsito-dcfpc3p.gif", "user_icon_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/usericons/large/147/147300_pentrep_150_by_veemonsito-dcfpc3p.gif", "user_icon_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/usericons/medium/147/147300_pentrep_150_by_veemonsito-dcfpc3p.gif", "user_icon_url_small": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/usericons/small/147/147300_pentrep_150_by_veemonsito-dcfpc3p.gif", "file_name": "4706306_pentrep_25._look_to_the_stars.doc", "file_url_full": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/full/4706/4706306_pentrep_25._look_to_the_stars.doc", "file_url_screen": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/screen/4706/4706306_pentrep_25._look_to_the_stars.doc", "file_url_preview": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/4706/4706306_pentrep_25._look_to_the_stars.doc", "thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/4706/4706306_pentrep_25._look_to_the_stars.jpg", "thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/4706/4706306_pentrep_25._look_to_the_stars.jpg", "thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/4706/4706306_pentrep_25._look_to_the_stars.jpg", "thumb_huge_x": "300", "thumb_huge_y": "267", "thumb_large_x": "200", "thumb_large_y": "178", "thumb_medium_x": "120", "thumb_medium_y": "107", "files": [ { "file_id": "4706306", "file_name": "4706306_pentrep_25._look_to_the_stars.doc", "file_url_full": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/full/4706/4706306_pentrep_25._look_to_the_stars.doc", "file_url_screen": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/screen/4706/4706306_pentrep_25._look_to_the_stars.doc", "file_url_preview": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/4706/4706306_pentrep_25._look_to_the_stars.doc", "mimetype": "application/msword", "submission_id": "3133995", "user_id": "202883", "submission_file_order": "0", "full_size_x": null, "full_size_y": null, "screen_size_x": null, "screen_size_y": null, "preview_size_x": null, "preview_size_y": null, "initial_file_md5": "dcb1e33092c07d9c458a3a627af52170", "full_file_md5": "dcb1e33092c07d9c458a3a627af52170", "large_file_md5": "", "small_file_md5": "", "thumbnail_md5": "bf72e3c317d1325ee1d37ed465a19f76", "deleted": "f", "create_datetime": "2023-10-01 14:27:32.068953+00", "create_datetime_usertime": "01 Oct 2023 16:27 CEST", "thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/4706/4706306_pentrep_25._look_to_the_stars.jpg", "thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/4706/4706306_pentrep_25._look_to_the_stars.jpg", "thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/4706/4706306_pentrep_25._look_to_the_stars.jpg", "thumb_huge_x": "300", "thumb_huge_y": "267", "thumb_large_x": "200", "thumb_large_y": "178", "thumb_medium_x": "120", "thumb_medium_y": "107" } ], "pools": [ { "pool_id": "81906", "name": "New Background Stories", "description": "A new canon set in a naturally furry world featuring Pent, Samaliel, and their friends. This is the current arch for my main characters.", "count": "45", "submission_left_submission_id": "3116439", "submission_left_file_name": "4675632_pentrep_fair_fun.doc", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/4675/4675632_pentrep_fair_fun.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/4675/4675632_pentrep_fair_fun.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/4675/4675632_pentrep_fair_fun.jpg", "submission_left_thumb_huge_x": "300", "submission_left_thumb_huge_y": "267", "submission_left_thumb_large_x": "200", "submission_left_thumb_large_y": "178", "submission_left_thumb_medium_x": "120", "submission_left_thumb_medium_y": "107", "submission_right_submission_id": "3133997", "submission_right_file_name": "4706309_pentrep_26._epilogue.doc", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/4706/4706309_pentrep_26._epilogue.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/4706/4706309_pentrep_26._epilogue.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/4706/4706309_pentrep_26._epilogue.jpg", "submission_right_thumb_huge_x": "300", "submission_right_thumb_huge_y": "267", "submission_right_thumb_large_x": "200", "submission_right_thumb_large_y": "178", "submission_right_thumb_medium_x": "120", "submission_right_thumb_medium_y": "107" } ], "description": "Pent and Xavier's school year has come to a close and with it comes their first endeavor of the summer vacation together.", "description_bbcode_parsed": "Pent and Xavier's school year has come to a close and with it comes their first endeavor of the summer vacation together.", "writing": "Look to the Stars 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\nSeveral weeks came and went fairly quickly. The school was back to normal with the passing of the Science fair. The victory that brought them some level of joy had quickly dissipated into their memory as other things took priority. The school year was winding down and with it plans for the upcoming summer vacation were already in full swing. Yet for Pent and Xavier, this was not the case as school had become a place where they could spend time together.\n\nLittle did they realize that the chipmunk's parents had already been planning something special. Xavier had been talking a lot about star gazing recently. He wasn't quite as taken with the idea so much as Pent but it was evident he was into it. So after some discussion amongst themselves and the fox's mother, it was decided the two cubs would be taken on a tour of the John H Chapman Space Center and Sports Hall of Fame.\n\nThe Chapman Space Center was a government building located in Quebec among some of the other local government buildings. The place occasionally had civilian tours at certain times of year and one of those times was just the end of the school year. The goal was to attract not only attention to the Canadian Space Agency but also to Scientific advancement. The two parents figured it would appeal more to Pent than than own son but figured it would be a good experience all the same.\n\nThe Sports Hall of Fame was something that had a bit of everything. It was nowhere near as large as the one in the US but it still housed many replicas of the same records. The chipmunk's parents knew that sports appealed to both cubs in different ways. Xavier was much more fond of Lacrosse while his boyfriend was a Hockey fan. Yet each of them liked sports all the same and they figured it would be something that both boys would enjoy.\n\nSo, they began to plan the trip and the father worked it out with his place of employment that he would be the one that took them on the day they decided to go. The two of them managed to get the cubs full access passes to the space center which meant an entire tour of the building, the attached spacecraft, and the exhibits in which the facility was planning. It was going to be a half-day thing and something to which none of them had gone before.\n\nWhile they were waiting to get called into the space complex, the plan was to go to the sports center. They were relatively close by and they weren't scheduled to go into the space center until after lunch. This would give them more than enough time to see whatever they wanted of the hall of fame. The father planned on going with them to this part of the trip but would leave after lunch.\n\nThe two of them continued to plan it, completely without the knowledge of either cub. When everything had been worked out, the idea was to surprise them with the tour on the last day of school. That was now mere weeks away and everything at school was slowing down for the most part. Pent and Xavier's grades didn't have many finals, though the fox's advanced classes certainly had a few of them.\n\nDuring the few weeks when finals did occur, Pent almost completely isolated himself. He was much too worried about getting perfect scores. Xavier knew him all too well by this point and had seen this happen in the past when the white cub had any sort of test or exam. So the chipmunk just allowed it to happen and didn't take it personally when the fox asked to be alone. As for the brown-furred boy, his tests boiled down to just Math and Science.\n\nXavier had become much more self-sufficient during his relationship with Pent. He no longer relied on his boyfriend for the more difficult subjects in his schedule. His parents were all too excited to see this change in him. They originally believed that he would become dependent on the other boy but that didn't seem to be the case. They continued to give him words of encouragement to get him to carry on.\n\n\nHowever, this didn't stop Pent from checking in on the other boy. He was always willing to help the other cub when he needed it. Whenever Xavier didn't understand something all he had to do was text or call the fox and he would stop what he was doing to try to help. The white cub always stopped what he was doing to help the other cub. Even still, Pent was able to focus on his stuff enough to put his mind at ease about not being prepared.\n\nWhen finals, and testing week in general, rolled around both boys felt like they were ready. As always Pent had gone above and beyond with his studying. The last few days before each of the tests, he continued the streak with more of the same. Xavier wasn't quite as diligent but he made sure to keep up on his stuff so that he didn't forget it all. Even despite all the changes to their responsibilities, both boys continued to hang out and spend time with each other at school when they could.\n\nOn the week in question, the entire school schedule changed. The grades that had finals completely revolved around them. Pent's schedule was even more funky because of the fact he had more advanced classes than his boyfriend. As such they didn't get to spend as much time together as they wanted to. Still, they both understood the issue and couldn't do anything to change it except bide their time and wait for it to end.\n\nAfter the week ended, the only thing that was left was scores. Pent was a bit of a nervous wreck that weekend and Xavier was more than willing to support him. Though the chipmunk was a little worried as well, just not to the extent that his boyfriend was. Both of them cared about their grades now and all that was left was waiting for scores. They would hope to have them sooner rather than later.\n\nOnce the results finally were in, both cubs were relieved. Pent got his perfect scores just as he had worked for and Xavier maintained a B average for the first time in his academic career. When the chipmunk reported home that day, his parents were more than happy to congratulate him. It would be the first time they wouldn't worry about his academic future. They truly believed he had changed for the better and it didn't seem like he was going to go back to his old ways.\n\nSo just as the final week of school wrapped up, the chipmunk's parents continued to plan the trip. Everything was all set in stone now and all that was left was getting them to the space center. They had already arranged it so that Pent would be coming home and spending the night with Xavier that day. At least, that's what they told the two cubs. His father would pick them up and spill the news. Then they would go to the space and sports centers the next day and enjoy themselves\n\nThe day had finally arrived and everything was soon to set in motion. The chipmunk's father was already in line at the school waiting for the car loop to push ahead. It was mere minutes from the final bell. Summer break was soon to begin and many of the students inside were all too excited to get things under way. Each of them had already collected their things from their school as well as their gym locker Minutes later it happened…the bell rang and the cubs and teens from inside came crashing out.\n\nPent and Xavier were among the last of the students out of the building. They knew they were being picked up today. Both were looking forward to spending some time together as it had been a while since last time. As always they were holding hands as they made their were out from the secondary school building. Their being together had become more or less normal and many of the students had stopped making comments towards them since the couple had stopped reacting.\n\nThe chipmunk and fox proceeded over to the car loop. Pent checked on his brother to make sure everything went well for him as well today. Samaliel promised him everything was cool and to have fun with Xavier. Once that was done the two cubs made their way over to the car stop and proceeded to wait. It was a few minutes before they saw the familiar sight of the man's truck in the distance. It wasn't much longer until he pulled up and beckoned them to come inside.\n\nXavier and Pent made their way into the back seat. The man greeted them as they showed themselves inside. He didn't have to ask how school went since it was the final day of school for some time. He waited until they were buckled in before starting the car and spilling the beans.\n\n\"So…cubbies. Are you ready for summer break?\" He asked with a slight smile on his face.\n\nXavier chirped back. \"Heck yeah….more free time!\"\n\n\"I suppose.\" The white fox was much more reserved as he wasn't sure what to expect with summer as he usually didn't do anything special.\n\nThe brown-furred cub hugged the boy. \"It'll be fun, Pent. I promise.\"\n\nThe bigger boy couldn't help but smile as he nuzzled into the other boy. His anxiety was instantly put to rest with his boyfriend's reassurance.\n\n\"So…I have a surprise for you two.\" The man continued out of the car loop and over towards the chipmunk family home.\n\nBoth cubs looked towards the older male with their ears perked up and said nothing.\n\n\"Xavier…you're mother and I have been super proud of how you've been doing in school since meeting Pent. Pent, I know you're also quite the academic but this is also worth celebrating. So she and I have planned a trip for you two tomorrow and I'm taking you to the Sports Hall of Fame and Chapman Space Center.\" He said with a big smile on his face.\n\nPent's eyes instantly grew larger. He knew all too well what that was. Xavier's ears perked up at the mention of the Space Center but wasn't sure what Chapman was. The fox had to explain it to his boyfriend and tell him all about what the building was used for. But even Pent had no idea about the tour or the exhibits the place was offering.\n\n\"Not only are we going to visit Chapman…but you two have a fully guided tour through the facility. In addition, they will take you through the shuttle\n on-site and to the exhibitions they currently have showing. While we are waiting to go to Chapman….I will take you guys to the Sports Center.\" The man continued to drive the car to the chipmunk's home.\n\nThe white cub's jaw dropped in pure anticipation of the event. He'd never imagined in his young life that he'd get to go inside the building. Had he been standing up, his tail would be wagging behind him in excitement. Xavier still was more excited to go to the Sports Center and wasn't sure what to make of the other place.\n\n\"Xae…they have one of the largest telescopes and observatories in the country. Just think of all the things you could see with it.\" The father could see his son's reaction from the rearview mirror.\n\nThe moment he said that the brown-furred cub smiled widely. The fact of watching the stars with his boyfriend was something that appealed to him. Not to mention seeing the inside of a space shuttle seemed somewhat interesting to him. Pent began to wonder if maybe they'd let them pretend to do so a launch. He wanted nothing more than for his boyfriend to enjoy the place as much as he thought he would.\n\nThe rest of the ride home, the only thing that they talked about was the trip tomorrow. Pent's mind entirely focused on Chapman while his boyfriend wondered what would be held at the Sports Center. It was a contrasting topic of conversation between the two cubs as they went back and forth talking about each place. The father was more than glad to hear they were excited about it and began to look forward to it himself even if he couldn't participate.\n\nThey arrived at the chipmunk's home before long and pulled into the parking area. The two cubs got out together and waited for the chipmunk's father to join them. The older male walked with them to the front door and let them inside. The moment he did, the two cubs bolted to the back to go to Xavier's room. Pent asked if he could show the other boy what he was in store for and out of curiosity the other boy agreed.\n\nOver the next few hours, Pent went over what he could find about the building and its tour with the other cub. He made sure to show the other boy the observatory and the shuttle. The large telescope hinged from out of a small opening that could move back and forth with the roof. This only served to further interest Xavier who was finding himself to be more intrigued by the whole thing, especially when he saw the large shuttle on the facility campus.\n\nXavier eventually asked him to take a look into the Sports Hall of Fame, which the fox kit was more than happy to do. There was much more information about it on the internet than Chapman. The place was well-advertised and seemed to house every sport imaginable. From what they gathered the place had everything from records and memorials to mementos and memorabilia. It also appeared that the largest part of the building was dedicated to the Canadian Olympic teams.\n\nThe two cubs lost track of time and were soon called for dinner. Xavier tugged on Pent who was still plugging away at the computer to get any last-minute details he could. The chipmunk and fox boy arrived at the kitchen where the rodent's parents were already set and waiting. They had made the extended family shrimp and pasta slathered with some sauce. Each of the boys could smell it as they entered the room.\n\nXavier pulled back a seat for his boyfriend. His parents couldn't help but smile at the polite mannerisms of their cub. He had matured so much over the last while and were glad their son had stuck through all the trials and tribulations that came with relationships. The chipmunk boy soon joined his extended family at the table. They began eating before long with each of them enjoying the tasty meal in front of them.\n\nBoth cubs remained silent for the duration of dinner. Pent was still deep in thought about finally getting to see the space center while Xavier was thinking about seeing the Lacrosse stuff in the sports center. Each of them was wholly excited for the next day. When the meal was done, the parents gave the two boys some cookies and allowed them on their way. They had become much less loose with their son doing his nightly chores these days, especially when Pent was around.\n\nThe two cubs retired back to the chipmunk's room. With the computer still on, the fox got an idea that popped up into his mind. Perhaps his boyfriend would enjoy Kerbal Space Program. It was a game he had on his computer but he figured he could share it with Xavier if he let him use his account then he could play the game as well. The chipmunk was more than surprised to see him downloading a game on his computer but didn't stop him out of curiosity as to what it was he had in mind.\n\nOnce the game was downloaded, Pent went about explaining what it was. A simulation module focusing on the development of an alien space program with the goal of space exploration and colonization. Pent showed him his space program which he named \"Cosmic Cubs.\" It was well-developed and had already mapped most of the known solar system with several satellites and space stations.\n\nXavier looked on with interest, trying to understand what was before him. It took Pent a bit of coaxing before he got his boyfriend to finally give in and try it. The chipmunk began playing the game with only a limited understanding of it. The fox looked over his shoulder as he played but allowed his boyfriend to have complete control of what was happening. The rodent messed around with it a bit, doing some salvage and repair missions but keeping away from actual station management.\n\nThe fox rubbed the other brown-furred cub's shoulder, glad to see the other boy at least give it a try. The two cubs continued to play the game for some time. Eventually, the white cub walked his boyfriend through a shuttle launch. Something that had a whole event rollout leading out to the launch sequence itself. When it finally lifted off, Xavier couldn't help but feel a little sense of satisfaction about it.\n\nIt wasn't long before the smaller cub got bored of it. Neither of them big gamer and the fox wasn't too keen on pushing him to continue. Xavier pushed himself out of the chair and walked over to his wardrobe to grab both of them a change of clothes. He picked out some pajamas for himself and gave some to his boyfriend. The chipmunk went first to get washed up and ready for bed. Pent went to his bag to collect a book to occupy himself while he waited on his beloved.\n\nXavier spent his usual amount of time in the shower, not rushing himself as he wanted to smell good for the fox. Even went as far as to use more shampoo on his fur than usual. When he got out of the shower he brushed his fur and dried himself. After he got dressed and returned to his room he smiled at Pent who immediately complimented him on how he smelt. The fox hugged the other cub and enjoyed his soft fur against his body.\n\nPent soon broke the hug and went to get ready for bed himself. The fox kit didn't want to be outdone by the other boy and decided to spruce himself up too. He stepped into the shower after stripping and began bathing himself. The fox even used conditioner on his fur to appeal to the other boy. By the time he got out of the shower, even he could smell himself as the aroma emanated throughout the room.\n\nThe fox kit dried himself and got dressed into the pajamas he'd been given. Once he was ready he made his way back to the room. He saw that the chipmunk cub was already on the bed and considered joining him. Instead Pent decided to sit on the edge of the bed as he was still weird about the chipmunk's parents seeing them up close and personal. He smiled down at the chipmunk who smiled back at him.\n\nWhen it finally came time for them to go to bed, Pent was on the floor in a sleeping bag. Once Xavier shut the door and locked it, the fox wasted no time in joining the smaller cub in his big bed. The two move their bodies as close together as possible. This time the chipmunk made sure he was behind the other boy and held him in his arms, enjoying his body warmth against him. The bigger boy relaxed into the other cub's arms and eventually allowed his eyes to rest. It didn't take long for either of them to fall asleep.\n\nThe next day came before long. It was officially the first day of summer vacation and both boys had a long day in front of them. Pent was the first one out of bed as his body's alarm clock was used to getting up earlier due to always having to take the bus. He squeezed out of Xavier's arms before rolling himself over to shake the other boy. It only took him a few gentle pushes before the chipmunk came around.\n\nThe brown-furred slowly sat up and gently kissed him on the cheek before rubbing his eyes.\n\n\"Morning, foxy. Ready for today?\" Xavier said with a big smile on his face.\n\nPent nodded and grinned back at him. \"Yup, let's get dressed and get some breakfast.\"\n\nThe chipmunk slowly eased himself off the bed before helping Pent do the same. The two walked together over to the wardrobe where Xavier grabbed them both something to change into. Without much thought into the issue, each of them changed in front of each other not seeming to mind it anymore. Pent gave the chipmunk back his pajamas who sniffed at them to be funny about it. The fox kit couldn't help but smirk at the other cub's playful attitude.\n\nOnce they were dressed, they headed toward the kitchen. Xavier and Pent arrived to find that the chipmunk's father was already hard at work making them something to eat. The man didn't even notice them come in but the smell of waffles could smelt throughout the room.\n\n\"Need some help, Dad?\" Xavier padded over and poked his father from behind.\n\nThe older male looked over his shoulder. \"Oh, nah. I'm almost done. You two can just sit down. We aren't going to stay here for long so…no dilly-dallying around, alright?\"\n\nXavier\n nodded to him and headed back to the table. Pent held the chair out for him before the other boy sat down and thanked him. The fox sat down next to him and the two waited a few minutes until breakfast was served. The chipmunk's father had made them waffles in addition to some fruit and juice. Some maple syrup sat at the center of the table where each of the boys took turns pouring it. Xavier covered his father's waffle for him with it to be nice.\n\nThe extended family ate their breakfast with not many words exchanged between them. Pent and Xavier were deep in thought about the day before them. Even the older male was thinking about what they might see at both places as the last time he had been to the Sports Center was ages ago and he'd never been to Chapman before. Still, even if they were slightly distracted by their thoughts, they were able to finish their meal in no time.\n\nXavier made sure to clean up the meal. He wasn't about to let his father do all the work. The older male was all too glad to let him do it as well. He had one other thing to make sure of before they left and this allowed him to finish it. Pent helped his boyfriend with the chores. Once they were done, they waited in the living room for the chipmunk's father to return. After a few minutes, he showed up, with a bag on his back and ready to go.\n\n\"Let's head out, cubbies.\" He guided the two cubs to the front door where he showed them out to lock it behind them.\n\nAfter they got outside, the two cubs jetted immediately towards the man's truck. The older male chuckled at the two and followed behind them before unlocking the truck door. Each of them got inside with the two boyfriends picking the back seat, as they always had before. Starting the car once he was inside he made sure they were buckled up and headed off down the street.\n\nThe drive to the Sports Center was a somewhat longer one. The center of town where all the local attractions were was a bit removed from where they were. The older male let them know this and it didn't seem to bother the two cubs. Xavier and Pent began talking about what they might see. The fox focused on the space center while his boyfriend focused on the sports one. It was a bit of an awkward back-and-forth conversation but one that they were all too happy to share.\n\nSince it was the weekend, the traffic to the center of town wasn't heavy. The father kept to the highways to avoid as many lights as possible. They were able to have a pretty good time despite the distance to the place. After the man brought the truck off the highway, the amount of cars became more dense. Even still, he was able to make it to the Sports Center in just a little over an hour.\n\nHe pulled into the parking lot in front of the Sports Center. The Hall of Fame was an old Hockey arena that had been retrofitted to fill the purpose of a sports center. Once he came to a stop, the boys didn't wait very long to get out. The father had to settle them down as he was somewhat worried they might run off on their own. After all the place wasn't local and none of them knew their way around.\n\nThe man got out and joined them but still let them take the lead. The two cubs joined hands and kept ahead of them. He chuckled at the two boys as he followed behind them. They made their way to the front of the arena where the ticket booth and entrance were. The older male had already bought them the tickets so they went right through the turnstiles. The father showed off the tickets once they were inside and they made their way past it.\n\nOnce they were inside the main hall, they found a diagram of the place and each of them looked at it a second. The older male told them they had free reign to go where they liked. Telling them that he'd meet them back there in a few hours. He figured they'd want to go off their own and felt like they were responsible enough to do so. Of course, they were all too happy to oblige the request and went off down the corridor opposite where the older male had gone. \n\nXavier took Pent by the hand and led him through to the first corridor. The first exhibit they came across was the main showcase of the place. A large showing of the various medals, athletes, and records held by Team Canada at the Olympics. The thing was organized chronologically with some of the first events a Canadian had won back in 1900 to the most recent World Championships and some of the more well-known Olympic Athletes. Neither Pent nor Xavier knew of them but they still looked through it all the same.\n\nThey continued to the next exhibit which was for winter extreme sports like Skiing and Snowboarding. Some of the stuff here was an overlap with the Olympic stuff. Many of the athletes here were some of the ones that had been featured on X-games. Yet neither of the cubs had ever watched that particular event and so they knew only the most popular of them, ones like Shaun White who had transcended the world of extreme sports.\n\nPent found himself more interested in the snowboarding side of things while Xavier kept to the skateboarding side. Of course, the chipmunk was interested in the skiing athletes but none of them were well-known enough for him to be aware of who they were. However, the only skateboarder he knew was Tony Hawk who was but another athlete who had ascended beyond the sport in which they originated. They even had one of his boards signed, something that all too interested the rodent.\n\nSoon they pressed on to the next exhibit. They were finally into some of the mainstream sports, the first of which was hockey. Since Hockey was one of Canada's most popular sports it had a great deal amount of stuff. The fox couldn't help but ogle at some of the stuff, from historical players he had no idea about to Wayne Gretzky, Sarah Vaillancourt, and some of the other all-time greats of the sport. He began to share what he knew of each of them with the other cub, but he was by no means an expert in the subject.\n\nThey spent a bit more time in this part of the venue, mostly because the fox was interested in seeing some of the old hockey stuff. He'd heard a lot about what the gear looked like but had no idea if it was true or not. Pent even showed off some of his favorite players, though only a few of them were featured since they were more recent. Eventually, they continued to the next exhibit through a small corridor.\n\nThe next room they happened upon was the one featuring arena football and soccer. Two sports that didn't garner much attention in the country but still had a large enough audience that they were included in the exhibit. Neither Pent nor Xavier knew much about the sport and many of the teams that were featured were American ones that got little exposure locally. The two cubs decided to continue as it didn't interest them to look at the stuff.\n\nEventually, they came across the Lacrosse section of the exhibit. This was the one that Xavier had been waiting to see. Of course, he knew more about it than the other cub did but Pent tried to enjoy it all the same. Xavier knew much more about the sport than Pent realized. He started going on about the history of it and how it had changed over the years. Though he knew only a few of the players featured there, he still looked at their memorials all the same.\n\nXavier soon found his way to the part of it featured for John Grant who was one of the players who he knew all too well. He shared a bit of the player's history before showing him Kelly Hiller who was one of the few coaches that were featured in the exhibits. He found it unfortunate that the women's side of the sport didn't get as much attention but was glad there were a few of the players being shown to the public.\n\nThey continued to the next set of exhibits. Every professional sport, and even some of the amateur ones was featured at the place. There were even some of the college programs that the cubs were only vaguely familiar with. But time flew by all the same and they tried to enjoy each of the exhibits as they came across them. Before they knew it the chipmunk's phone rang and the boy's father was ready to meet out front.\n\nThe cubs made their way to the exit. The signs fixated around the building made it easy enough to locate. The father was already waiting for them at the same place where he had let them go off on their own.\n\n\"I hope you boys enjoyed yourselves. Ready for lunch? Then we'll head to Chapman after.\" He said folding his arms, patiently waiting for an answer.\n\nXavier nodded. \"Yup, thanks for taking us. We're ready.\"\n\nThe man had already decided to take them to a fast-food restaurant. No one from Chapman had called them so it likely wasn't time to head over just yet. He knew it would be any time though and that the window was short to meet there once they were given notice. He hurried them along back outside where the weather had taken a turn for the worse. It was beginning to rain and rather windy causing the rain to tilt inward.\n\nThey rushed to the truck, each of the three of them getting wet on their way inside. The older male unlocked it and let the two cubs inside. The three of them to a drive-through. The older male didn't want to waste any time as they didn't have a lot of time before they were expected at Chapman. The email from the center had disclosed a certain window they needed to arrive by and he wasn't about to push his luck.\n\nThey got lunch and told the boys they would eat in the car. The smell of the food smoldered within the tight space, so the chipmunk's father opened the windows to air it out. He ate while driving and continued to make his way down to the center of the city. By the time they got to the city, the weather had thinned out and didn't seem to be a problem anymore. The cubs finished their meals and occasionally looked out the windows to see where they were.\n\n They arrived at the gates of Chapman Space Center before\n long. There was almost no traffic in the complex. Once they were at the perimeter of it, they found the place was fenced off. At the front of it sat a singular gate that was stationed by a booth with someone inside of it. The father brought the car to a stop once they had gone over the wedges that had forced the vehicle into between them.\n\nHe had to show off his identification and state his purpose for the visit. Of course, Chapman's administrative team had informed the front gate of visitors, they just weren't aware of who it was supposed to be. Once he verified his tickets and his identification was checked, he was allowed to go further inside. The two wedges were pushed down by the fur in the booth and his car got underway again.\n\nThe path to the complex was a narrow one. On both sides of it was the large lawn that set in front of the place. A large Canadian flag flew overhead with another one flying the insignia of the Canadian Space Agency overhead. Both of the boys looked out of the car with interest at the building that they were getting ever closer to. The fox focused on the building itself while his boyfriend focused on some of the military vehicles that were rolling about.\n\nThey soon arrived at the small half-loop that led into the building itself. The front of it was designed like any old office building. Two Primates stood out front wearing suits and carrying clipboards. The man brought the vehicle to a complete stop once he was just outside the front door. The huge glass in front of it reflected the sunlight at him, causing each of the boys and the father to shield their eyes.\n\nHe got outside the truck and walked over to where the two primates were standing. Pent grabbed Xavier by the hand and tugged him out of the vehicle. He was bubbling with excitement and the cub's tail was wagging behind him. The two primates standing nearby noticed the two cubs approaching them. Each of them sighed as if they were no fan of cubs, no matter the circumstances of the situation.\n\nThe father was told to sign a few wavers by one of them while the other of them attended to the two cubs.\n\n\"Good afternoon. My name is Silvia. What are your names?\" She bent down to be closer to eye level eye with them.\n\nPent shied away a bit as his boyfriend answered. \"My name is Xavier…and this is Pent.\"\n\n\"Ah, well…welcome boys to the Chapman Space Center. Before we go inside we need to go over a few things. Some basic rules…if you will.\" The monkey fingered through the pages and began reading from one of them aloud.\n\nShe began going over the rules…most of which were common sense. Things like; Don't touch the machinery, Don't walk anywhere without a guide, and Keep voices down to a whisper. Neither of them had problems with what guidelines she set as they were mostly similar ones that they had gotten used to in school. When everything was said and done, they waved goodbye to the boy's father who was just finishing things up himself.\n\n\"Call me when you boys are done…I will come pick you up after. Enjoy yourselves…take lots of pictures!\" He continued finishing up what he was doing.\n\nThey were finally shown inside the front entrance of the building. The main hall of Chapman had a huge statue in front of it of the very person it was named after. Below it is a plaque telling the tale of his deeds and contributions to the saga of the Canadian Space program. The woman began to share it. Pent continued to be mute as he just listened to the lady as he wasn't quite comfortable around her.\n\nXavier squeezed the boy's hand as he was certain the other cub was nervous. The fox simply smiled back at him but remained quiet. They were soon shown past the statue and behind it. The front desk was nothing special. Just a few furs taking care of and answering phones but nothing that the primate guide thought was worth sharing. Eventually, they made their way past it and into the first hall of the building.\n\nThe first hall behind the main entrance was an operations center. On each side of the hallway were offices as far as the eye could see. The cubs could see inside them. The furs inside of each of the cubicles were plugging away at something with large computer screens in front of them. It wasn't clear what they were working on but it was apparent this was a very busy part of the complex. The primate did not bother to stop with them there.\n\nSoon they continued past it to the command room. It was the end of the corridor and opened up into a larger room with rows of computers. At the front of it were large monitors that seemed to show what was going on outside. Of course, no launch was occurring so the monitors were just idle with nothing showing on them. Only the shuttle holding module could be seen with nothing on board the circular platform underneath it.\n\nOn another one of the screens, they could see what appeared to be the dark abyss of space. Thin speckled dots of light were scattered about and the camera feed rotated every so slowly. Underneath the screen was a metallic nameplate that read \"International Space Station\". It was apparent this feed was coming directly from space. Pent couldn't help but walk over to it and watch it for a few moments.\n\nHis guide looked over him as she wasn't used to guests walking away. But once the boy had stopped beneath the screen, it became apparent what he wanted to do. Xavier soon joined him and the two joined hands and watched it for a moment. Even to the woman who had never met them before it was apparent they were a couple. She couldn't help but smile at the two cubs who continued watching the screen for a few moments.\n\nShe allowed them to watch it for several minutes before stepping over to see if they wanted to continue. After all, she had a tight schedule she had to fit the tour into and she didn't want to rush it.\n\n\"Would you boys like to continue to see the observatory?\" She mentioned it as she knew it was one of the more popular sites of the venue.\n\nThe two cubs looked back at her. Xavier's ears perked up in interest. This was what he was looking forward to the most. Of course, he didn't want to rush Pent. The fox didn't seem to be bothered by moving on and just shrugged. She took a deep breath of relief before moving on back to the entrance of the command center. They soon made their way out of it and back into the main hall.\n\nShe led the two cubs outside to the back of the building. They followed the outside path of the building. In front of them was a small dome-shaped building with a large telescope hanging out of what appeared to be a retractable roof. The primate continued to lead them down the path to the building in front of them. When they were close enough the door automatically opened to let them inside.\n\nThe observatory was a much darker complex. The inside of it was lit only by internal lightning. The walls of it were opaque the light couldn't get through except at the entrance of the building. The woman took them up some stairs leading up to the second floor of the building. A large set of doors stood in front of them.\n\n\"Go on and head inside…there are a few chairs to pick from. I will begin the show for you.\" She had to allow them to separate from her since there was no full-time staff for the observatory.\n\nXavier led Pent inside the room. The interior of which was much smaller than the one they had gone to at the Imax previously. Only four rows of chairs circled the room. The woman was already stationing the control room and was waiting for them to get settled. They eventually sat down together. The seats reclined and allowed their bodies to flatten once they were on them.\n\nThe lights soon darkened and the ceiling began to light up. After a few moments, an image began to pop up. The dark skies of space showed before them. The sounds of a satellite could be heard as the thing rotated around causing the camera to shift. Just as in the command center, the thing appeared to be a live feed from somewhere. The primate began to speak, explaining what they were seeing.\n\n\"This is from a satellite overlooking the Pacific Ocean.\" She focused on the moon.\n\nThe woman could control the satellite, making it focus on whatever she wanted. Of course, she focused in on whatever objects were largest. The satellite only had so much zooming-in power. Eventually, it rotated to catch a glimpse of the earth. Xavier reached over and squeezed the fox's hand. Pent didn't look over at him but squeezed, still ever transfixed with the image. The earth rotated ever so slightly as they watched it in awe.\n\nSoon the primate turned the satellite in another direction. Once again it gazed into the infinite abyss of space. The thing could see the international space station in the distance, though it was hardly recognized from where they were viewing. She eventually turned the thing back to the moon and set it back on its normal course. The screen above the two cubs began to dim before it entirely shut off.\n\n\"Well…I hope you two enjoyed that.\" The primate walked down to join them once again.\n\nThe two cubs got up with big smiles on their faces. They joined hands once again, seeming none too shy to show their affection for one another in front of a stranger. She asked them to follow her and they did. She took them to the lower portion of the observatory below where they were watching the show. Inside it was a large science lab and the base of the very telescope they had seen from outside.\n\nThe primate guided them over to it. A few scientists were walking about the room. Pent couldn't help but look around. All sorts of equipment, glassware, containers, and samples could be seen. Some of which he recognized but some of which he did not. He was tempted to go look at it but the moment he deviated, the other boy touched his shoulder to remind him that he shouldn't. Of course, Pent didn't want to break the rules and fell back in line\n the moment he realized what he was trying to do.\n\nThey made their way over to the large telescope. The thing had a huge ocular where one could look through with both eyes. Xavier wanted his boyfriend to look first but the fox insisted he do so instead. The chipmunk didn't have to lean over like the one at Pent's home. The ocular was easily adjusted to his height and he looked through it. Once he did, he found himself gazing into the stars above.\n\nEven despite the time of day, the telescope was able to see more than he ever imagined. The thing was angled towards the moon and it was in clear view. He could see several stars and the occasional streaking glimpse of some other forms of light scattering across the skies. He couldn't help but be amazed at it but soon gave way so his boyfriend could enjoy it. Pent took longer to see through it, seeing what he could find. The fox soon lost track of time as he focused in on it.\n\nIt wasn't until Xavier nudged him that the guide was wanting to move on. Pent huffed as he moved away from the telescope. The two boys smiled at each other before joining hands again. They once again followed the guide from out of the observatory and to the outside of the building. They made their way back into the main complex of the building and through another set of halls.\n\nThey soon reached the West Wing of the building. Each side of the hall was decorated with pictures and paintings. It was much more decorated than the rest of it. Some of the most famous astronauts of the Canadian Space Program were featured. Pent only knew a few of them but they weren't allowed to look at them as by this point the guide was rushing them along to make sure she finished on time.\n\nEventually, they reached a set of stairs that led to a breezeway bridge that took them above the building and back outside. The bridge was stifled with hot air and had a moving walkway that led them further within. The two cubs could tell where they were going as the walls were somewhat transparent. From above, they were taken to the shuttle launch pad where an idle model of a former shuttle was sitting on it's side.\n\nThe guide took them into a spiral staircase that led down. Several rings around before they reached ground level, which fed back outside. Another automatic door opened with the idle model of the shuttle stood in front of them. Even as a model, the thing was designed to represent a real one. It was massive with a set of stairs leading into the head of it. The door of it pried open with someone dressed in astronaut regalia to greet them.\n\nOnce they were at the base of the ladder, the guide handed them off to the person at the top of the ladder. It was time for her to attend to her normal duties and she knew the other worker would take care of them from here. The two cubs thanked her and were called up by the fur at the top of the ladder that called to them. Xavier went up first, followed by Pent who joined him soon after in climbing the stairs.\n\nThe man at the top of the stairs moved out of the way so they could board the craft. After they got inside it, they found themselves in the cock pit of the spacecraft. The man in front of them was an old dog who was a member of a past space mission. The old French bulldog smiled at them as they boarded the craft.\n\n\"Welcome, cadets. This is the Orion Sigma…A test craft for training astronauts. You two have been will get to experience part of what it is to be a space cadet…at part of your time here at the Space Center.\" He guided them into the back of the spacecraft.\n\nThe back of the spacecraft was hollowed out. A small room sat inside with a large sphere-like device that sat in the center of it. The front of it read \"Zero-G chamber\". The dog stood in front of it for a moment.\n\n\"Take your shoes off and you can experience what it is like to float in space as if you were there yourselves.\" He folded his arms expecting them to play along like every other visitor did when they were offered the opportunity.\n\nPent wasted no time in untying his shoes. He never thought he'd get to experience such a thing. Of course, Xavier would join him. The chipmunk wanted to do whatever his boyfriend wanted to do. It didn't take them long to get their shoes off. The man pressed a button that unfurled a small ladder to descend from the sphere at the center of the room. The dog stood at the side of it, waiting for them to climb up it.\n\nThe fox went first with Xavier not far behind. The two entered the small chamber which was cooler than the rest of the area they just came in from. The older male put the ladder back inside before closing the door behind them. They could still see outside through the front of it and stood there idly for a moment. Neither of them knew what to expect and they looked at one another as they waited for something to happen.\n\nThe dog pushed a button on a nearby console. The sphere began to hum and whirl. Within moments the two cubs inside began to float about. The boy's bodies were seemingly weightless as they drifted in place. Neither of them had much control over where they went. Soon Xavier's body rotated a full 180 degrees, putting him essentially upside down. The fox and chipmunk chuckled at each other as they enjoyed themselves.\n\nThe older dog allowed them to enjoy themselves for a few minutes before turning it off. The two of them fell on top of one another with Xavier ending up on Pent. The fox didn't mind much as he hugged his arms around the smaller boy. The two shared a short embrace as the door was opened from the outside. The man from the outside called on them to come out so he could close it up.\n\nBoth of them came out of the Zero-G chamber before long. The two of them got their shoes back on as the older male waited for them. Once they were standing up, he took them to the cock pit of the spaceship. The thing was lit up and designed to be more flashy than it would have been otherwise. The fox couldn't help but look at some of the buttons but was afraid to touch any of them.\n\nXavier wasn't as keen on the cock pit of the space ship but after a moment of just looking at his boyfriend, he finally joined him in checking it out.\n\n\"Why don't you two take a seat and buckle up? We'll do the last part of your tour.\" The man suggested as he stood in the back of the cock pit.\n\nPent and Xavier looked at one another. The two cubs shrugged before they sat down on the seats near the front of it and put their seat buckles on. The dog closed the door behind them and the formerly glass front looking outside started to shutter. Before long a screen appeared with the image of the very same space shuttle being carted off to the launch pad. Their little module began to shake as if to represent the movement underneath them.\n\nThe shuttle was soon brought to stand at the launch pad. Already it's jet engines were steaming with smoke and they were seeing the scene shifted to a video of the inside of the command center where they could see \"1:00\" in bright red-green digital numbers. The digits were counting down and the furs inside of the command center were busy at work preparing for the inevitable coming for launch.\n\nThe clock reached \"0:30\" and the camera shifted back to the shuttle. Even more smoke was pouring out from the bottom of it. The trucks that had brought the shuttle out had left the vicinity and the twin spire was beginning to separate. An audio countdown soon sounded going down from 10 as the inside of the shuttle module began to rumble. A clock appeared on the screen as the number \":05\" big and bright.\n\nOnce the number reached 0, the camera soon shifted to the outside of the shuttle. The spacecraft lifted off the ground and into the air above. The rocket boosters underneath carried it ever further above. Inside their bodies pushed against the seats as if they were experiencing the very g-forces that an astronaut would. The shuttle continued soaring into the sky as a streak of smoke followed it.\n\nThe inside of the cabin heated up to emulate the external pressures during the exit from the atmosphere. Though it was nowhere near as bad as the real thing. The whole thing was sped up to great effect. When the space shuttle reached outer space, the inside of the module settled down and the screen showed the same view as before. The door behind them opened once again and the lights were turned on.\n\n\"Have fun?\" The dog asked them from the rear part of the cock pit.\n\nBoth boys unbuckled themselves and nodded. They were helped out of their seats and then to the exit. It seemed that their day had finally come to a close. The older male led them back outside to the bottom of the shuttle and back to the front of the building. They were told to contact their parents so they could be picked up. Both cubs had smiles wide across their faces as they had thoroughly enjoyed their day at the facility.\n\nXavier called his father who had remained close by as he didn't want to go far off. The whole ordeal was only a few hours long and he had errands to run in the meanwhile When it was finally time to pick them up, he didn't take very long to arrive back at Chapman. He had to go through the same protocol to get back into the building despite being there a short time ago. Once he was back at the entrance, the nice dog waved goodbye to them and set them on their way.\n\nThe fox and chipmunk got back into the rear seat of the truck. The older chipmunk asked how their day was. Pent was still reeling from the whole thing as it had been a bit overwhelming for him so the other cub answered for him. Xavier shared much of their experience, though he left out some parts that didn't interest him as much as others. Still, the father was all too glad they had enjoyed the experience.\n\nPent leaned against his boyfriend in the car. He nuzzled into him a bit and kissed the other cub's cheek. The vehicle began its way out\n of Chapman and back onto residential streets. They began their way back to the chipmunk's home. The father had already planned on bringing Pent back to their house and had already asked if it was alright with the boy's mother. She didn't mind and he knew all too well that the two boys would have no issue with it either.\n\nXavier and Pent were pretty quiet the rest of the way back. They had a long day and were a little bit spent by the whole ordeal. The chipmunk stroked his boyfriend's head fur and just enjoyed his closeness as two boys sat in the back while they waited in the back of the car. The father occasionally looked back at them to make sure they were fine. It wasn't like them to not talk as much but when he saw they were relaxing, he wasn't as worried.\n\nThey arrived at the Chipmunk's home shortly before dinner. They were greeted by Xavier's mother who was already busy making food. She let the two boys relax and asked for help from her husband. The two of them finished making the rest of the meal while Xavier and Pent hung out in the front living room and watched television. It wasn't very long until the meal was finished and they were called to the kitchen.\n\nThe rodent tugged on his boyfriend to follow him into the kitchen. The smell of food was already rich in the air. They arrived to find the chipmunk's parents had made salmon, veggies, and rice. Pent licked his lips as it was one of his favorites. As always the two boys sat together and the extended family ate together. The chipmunk's mother asked them how it was and Xavier told her all about it. The fox had gotten out of his funk and was his usual chipper self around the family. Once everything was finished, the parents let them eat some cookies which they gladly shared.\n\nOn their way back to Xavier's room, Pent got an idea. The fox tugged on his boyfriend as if to stop him.\n\n\"How about we star gaze outside? It's been a while and would be a perfect end to the day.\" The fox smiled at him warmly, wanting nothing more than to spend more time with his boyfriend.\n\nThe brown-furred boy smiled back at him and padded back in the opposite direction. They filed back outside together. By this point of the day, it was already dark out. The wind blew lightly and only a light cool breeze carried about. Pent led his boyfriend to the backyard where they found a spot without trees, roots, or bushes. The two of them laid down together and joined hands once again.\n\nPent pushed himself as close to the other boy as possible. The draft carried across them, ruffling their fur as they laid them together. They looked into the skies and their eyes began to wander across it. There weren't many clouds about with the stars visible. The glistening lights above them sparkled and shone brightly. The fox squeezed his boyfriend's hand tightly as he tried to get comfortable on the hard ground.\n\nSoon the fox began pointing out some of the constellations again. The rodent giggled at him, having forgotten many of them but tracing his eyes along with the other boy's claw. Pent showed him some of the visible planets and made sure to announce each of the planets that he could find, though there weren't many that night. Xavier tried to stay focused on what was above. Having the one he loved close to him made it that much easier.\n\nThe moonlight gazed over their bodies. The soft blue light shone against their forms creating a small envelope of illumination around them as they lay down together under the night sky. The two remained there until they started to get tired, even losing track of time in the process. It wasn't until the rodent's mother came out from the home to look for them that they were finally ready to call it quits.\n\nAs they got up, the two shared a final kiss. The two locked snout to snout, their wet noses pressed against one another. Their hearts racing and their thoughts soaring. To each of them, the night simply couldn't have got any better. The chipmunk's mother smiled, allowing them just that last moment before calling them in once again. The two of them returned in together, as locked in paws as they had been throughout the night.\n\nXavier and Pent walked in together. The two would shower separately as they often did when the chipmunk's parents were around. The chipmunk loaned his boyfriend some pajamas and the two would retire to his bedroom soon after each of them washed and dried themselves. The cool breeze carried around the scent of the shampoo they had used on their fur. The two of them sat together at the end of the bed still looking into one another's eyes.\n\nThe smaller boy soon tugged his boyfriend down to the bed. He was no longer worried about his parents seeing them in bed together. He wanted nothing more than just to feel the other boy's body warmth against him and Pent had no issue with it. The two lay down in bed together with the smaller cub spooning the bigger one in a soft embrace. Xavier nuzzled into him, resting his right arm over the white-furred cub's body.\n\nThe two boys fell asleep before long. Their bodies and minds were tired from the long day together. Their frames remained locked against one another that night. Their hearts…their bodies….and even their minds, to some extent, joined as one. It was as true love was meant to be. An unbreakable bond shared by two who were all but destined to be together. A relationship that would go on and grow ever stronger as time went on. A love…neither of them would change for anything in the world. ", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "Look to the Stars 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.

Several weeks came and went fairly quickly. The school was back to normal with the passing of the Science fair. The victory that brought them some level of joy had quickly dissipated into their memory as other things took priority. The school year was winding down and with it plans for the upcoming summer vacation were already in full swing. Yet for Pent and Xavier, this was not the case as school had become a place where they could spend time together.

Little did they realize that the chipmunk's parents had already been planning something special. Xavier had been talking a lot about star gazing recently. He wasn't quite as taken with the idea so much as Pent but it was evident he was into it. So after some discussion amongst themselves and the fox's mother, it was decided the two cubs would be taken on a tour of the John H Chapman Space Center and Sports Hall of Fame.

The Chapman Space Center was a government building located in Quebec among some of the other local government buildings. The place occasionally had civilian tours at certain times of year and one of those times was just the end of the school year. The goal was to attract not only attention to the Canadian Space Agency but also to Scientific advancement. The two parents figured it would appeal more to Pent than than own son but figured it would be a good experience all the same.

The Sports Hall of Fame was something that had a bit of everything. It was nowhere near as large as the one in the US but it still housed many replicas of the same records. The chipmunk's parents knew that sports appealed to both cubs in different ways. Xavier was much more fond of Lacrosse while his boyfriend was a Hockey fan. Yet each of them liked sports all the same and they figured it would be something that both boys would enjoy.

So, they began to plan the trip and the father worked it out with his place of employment that he would be the one that took them on the day they decided to go. The two of them managed to get the cubs full access passes to the space center which meant an entire tour of the building, the attached spacecraft, and the exhibits in which the facility was planning. It was going to be a half-day thing and something to which none of them had gone before.

While they were waiting to get called into the space complex, the plan was to go to the sports center. They were relatively close by and they weren't scheduled to go into the space center until after lunch. This would give them more than enough time to see whatever they wanted of the hall of fame. The father planned on going with them to this part of the trip but would leave after lunch.

The two of them continued to plan it, completely without the knowledge of either cub. When everything had been worked out, the idea was to surprise them with the tour on the last day of school. That was now mere weeks away and everything at school was slowing down for the most part. Pent and Xavier's grades didn't have many finals, though the fox's advanced classes certainly had a few of them.

During the few weeks when finals did occur, Pent almost completely isolated himself. He was much too worried about getting perfect scores. Xavier knew him all too well by this point and had seen this happen in the past when the white cub had any sort of test or exam. So the chipmunk just allowed it to happen and didn't take it personally when the fox asked to be alone. As for the brown-furred boy, his tests boiled down to just Math and Science.

Xavier had become much more self-sufficient during his relationship with Pent. He no longer relied on his boyfriend for the more difficult subjects in his schedule. His parents were all too excited to see this change in him. They originally believed that he would become dependent on the other boy but that didn't seem to be the case.  They continued to give him words of encouragement to get him to carry on.


However, this didn't stop Pent from checking in on the other boy.  He was always willing to help the other cub when he needed it. Whenever Xavier didn't understand something all he had to do was text or call the fox and he would stop what he was doing to try to help. The white cub always stopped what he was doing to help the other cub. Even still, Pent was able to focus on his stuff enough to put his mind at ease about not being prepared.

When finals, and testing week in general, rolled around both boys felt like they were ready. As always Pent had gone above and beyond with his studying. The last few days before each of the tests, he continued the streak with more of the same. Xavier wasn't quite as diligent but he made sure to keep up on his stuff so that he didn't forget it all. Even despite all the changes to their responsibilities, both boys continued to hang out and spend time with each other at school when they could.

On the week in question, the entire school schedule changed. The grades that had finals completely revolved around them. Pent's schedule was even more funky because of the fact he had more advanced classes than his boyfriend. As such they didn't get to spend as much time together as they wanted to. Still, they both understood the issue and couldn't do anything to change it except bide their time and wait for it to end.

After the week ended, the only thing that was left was scores. Pent was a bit of a nervous wreck that weekend and Xavier was more than willing to support him. Though the chipmunk was a little worried as well, just not to the extent that his boyfriend was. Both of them cared about their grades now and all that was left was waiting for scores. They would hope to have them sooner rather than later.

Once the results finally were in, both cubs were relieved. Pent got his perfect scores just as he had worked for and Xavier maintained a B average for the first time in his academic career. When the chipmunk reported home that day, his parents were more than happy to congratulate him. It would be the first time they wouldn't worry about his academic future. They truly believed he had changed for the better and it didn't seem like he was going to go back to his old ways.

So just as the final week of school wrapped up, the chipmunk's parents continued to plan the trip. Everything was all set in stone now and all that was left was getting them to the space center. They had already arranged it so that Pent would be coming home and spending the night with Xavier that day. At least, that's what they told the two cubs. His father would pick them up and spill the news. Then they would go to the space and sports centers the next day and enjoy themselves

The day had finally arrived and everything was soon to set in motion. The chipmunk's father was already in line at the school waiting for the car loop to push ahead. It was mere minutes from the final bell. Summer break was soon to begin and many of the students inside were all too excited to get things under way. Each of them had already collected their things from their school as well as their gym locker Minutes later it happened…the bell rang and the cubs and teens from inside came crashing out.

Pent and Xavier were among the last of the students out of the building. They knew they were being picked up today. Both were looking forward to spending some time together as it had been a while since last time. As always they were holding hands as they made their were out from the secondary school building. Their being together had become more or less normal and many of the students had stopped making comments towards them since the couple had stopped reacting.

The chipmunk and fox proceeded over to the car loop. Pent checked on his brother to make sure everything went well for him as well today. Samaliel promised him everything was cool and to have fun with Xavier. Once that was done the two cubs made their way over to the car stop and proceeded to wait. It was a few minutes before they saw the familiar sight of the man's truck in the distance. It wasn't much longer until he pulled up and beckoned them to come inside.

Xavier and Pent made their way into the back seat. The man greeted them as they showed themselves inside. He didn't have to ask how school went since it was the final day of school for some time. He waited until they were buckled in before starting the car and spilling the beans.

"So…cubbies. Are you ready for summer break?" He asked with a slight smile on his face.

Xavier chirped back. "Heck yeah….more free time!"

"I suppose." The white fox was much more reserved as he wasn't sure what to expect with summer as he usually didn't do anything special.

The brown-furred cub hugged the boy. "It'll be fun, Pent. I promise."

The bigger boy couldn't help but smile as he nuzzled into the other boy. His anxiety was instantly put to rest with his boyfriend's reassurance.

"So…I have a surprise for you two." The man continued out of the car loop and over towards the chipmunk family home.

Both cubs looked towards the older male with their ears perked up and said nothing.

"Xavier…you're mother and I have been super proud of how you've been doing in school since meeting Pent.  Pent, I know you're also quite the academic but this is also worth celebrating. So she and I have planned a trip for you two tomorrow and I'm taking you to the Sports Hall of Fame and Chapman Space Center." He said with a big smile on his face.

Pent's eyes instantly grew larger. He knew all too well what that was. Xavier's ears perked up at the mention of the Space Center but wasn't sure what Chapman was. The fox had to explain it to his boyfriend and tell him all about what the building was used for. But even Pent had no idea about the tour or the exhibits the place was offering.

"Not only are we going to visit Chapman…but you two have a fully guided tour through the facility. In addition, they will take you through the shuttle
 on-site and to the exhibitions they currently have showing. While we are waiting to go to Chapman….I will take you guys to the Sports Center." The man continued to drive the car to the chipmunk's home.

The white cub's jaw dropped in pure anticipation of the event. He'd never imagined in his young life that he'd get to go inside the building. Had he been standing up, his tail would be wagging behind him in excitement. Xavier still was more excited to go to the Sports Center and wasn't sure what to make of the other place.

"Xae…they have one of the largest telescopes and observatories in the country. Just think of all the things you could see with it." The father could see his son's reaction from the rearview mirror.

The moment he said that the brown-furred cub smiled widely. The fact of watching the stars with his boyfriend was something that appealed to him. Not to mention seeing the inside of a space shuttle seemed somewhat interesting to him. Pent began to wonder if maybe they'd let them pretend to do so a launch. He wanted nothing more than for his boyfriend to enjoy the place as much as he thought he would.

The rest of the ride home, the only thing that they talked about was the trip tomorrow. Pent's mind entirely focused on Chapman while his boyfriend wondered what would be held at the Sports Center. It was a contrasting topic of conversation between the two cubs as they went back and forth talking about each place. The father was more than glad to hear they were excited about it and began to look forward to it himself even if he couldn't participate.

They arrived at the chipmunk's home before long and pulled into the parking area. The two cubs got out together and waited for the chipmunk's father to join them. The older male walked with them to the front door and let them inside. The moment he did, the two cubs bolted to the back to go to Xavier's room. Pent asked if he could show the other boy what he was in store for and out of curiosity the other boy agreed.

Over the next few hours, Pent went over what he could find about the building and its tour with the other cub. He made sure to show the other boy the observatory and the shuttle. The large telescope hinged from out of a small opening that could move back and forth with the roof. This only served to further interest Xavier who was finding himself to be more intrigued by the whole thing, especially when he saw the large shuttle on the facility campus.

Xavier eventually asked him to take a look into the Sports Hall of Fame, which the fox kit was more than happy to do. There was much more information about it on the internet than Chapman. The place was well-advertised and seemed to house every sport imaginable. From what they gathered the place had everything from records and memorials to mementos and memorabilia. It also appeared that the largest part of the building was dedicated to the Canadian Olympic teams.

The two cubs lost track of time and were soon called for dinner. Xavier tugged on Pent who was still plugging away at the computer to get any last-minute details he could. The chipmunk and fox boy arrived at the kitchen where the rodent's parents were already set and waiting. They had made the extended family shrimp and pasta slathered with some sauce. Each of the boys could smell it as they entered the room.

Xavier pulled back a seat for his boyfriend. His parents couldn't help but smile at the polite mannerisms of their cub. He had matured so much over the last while and were glad their son had stuck through all the trials and tribulations that came with relationships. The chipmunk boy soon joined his extended family at the table. They began eating before long with each of them enjoying the tasty meal in front of them.

Both cubs remained silent for the duration of dinner. Pent was still deep in thought about finally getting to see the space center while Xavier was thinking about seeing the Lacrosse stuff in the sports center. Each of them was wholly excited for the next day. When the meal was done, the parents gave the two boys some cookies and allowed them on their way. They had become much less loose with their son doing his nightly chores these days, especially when Pent was around.

The two cubs retired back to the chipmunk's room. With the computer still on, the fox got an idea that popped up into his mind. Perhaps his boyfriend would enjoy Kerbal Space Program. It was a game he had on his computer but he figured he could share it with Xavier if he let him use his account then he could play the game as well. The chipmunk was more than surprised to see him downloading a game on his computer but didn't stop him out of curiosity as to what it was he had in mind.

Once the game was downloaded, Pent went about explaining what it was. A simulation module focusing on the development of an alien space program with the goal of space exploration and colonization. Pent showed him his space program which he named "Cosmic Cubs." It was well-developed and had already mapped most of the known solar system with several satellites and space stations.

Xavier looked on with interest, trying to understand what was before him. It took Pent a bit of coaxing before he got his boyfriend to finally give in and try it. The chipmunk began playing the game with only a limited understanding of it. The fox looked over his shoulder as he played but allowed his boyfriend to have complete control of what was happening. The rodent messed around with it a bit, doing some salvage and repair missions but keeping away from actual station management.

The fox rubbed the other brown-furred cub's shoulder, glad to see the other boy at least give it a try. The two cubs continued to play the game for some time. Eventually, the white cub walked his boyfriend through a shuttle launch. Something that had a whole event rollout leading out to the launch sequence itself. When it finally lifted off, Xavier couldn't help but feel a little sense of satisfaction about it.

It wasn't long before the smaller cub got bored of it. Neither of them big gamer and the fox wasn't too keen on pushing him to continue. Xavier pushed himself out of the chair and walked over to his wardrobe to grab both of them a change of clothes. He picked out some pajamas for himself and gave some to his boyfriend.  The chipmunk went first to get washed up and ready for bed. Pent went to his bag to collect a book to occupy himself while he waited on his beloved.

Xavier spent his usual amount of time in the shower, not rushing himself as he wanted to smell good for the fox. Even went as far as to use more shampoo on his fur than usual. When he got out of the shower he brushed his fur and dried himself. After he got dressed and returned to his room he smiled at Pent who immediately complimented him on how he smelt. The fox hugged the other cub and enjoyed his soft fur against his body.

Pent soon broke the hug and went to get ready for bed himself. The fox kit didn't want to be outdone by the other boy and decided to spruce himself up too. He stepped into the shower after stripping and began bathing himself. The fox even used conditioner on his fur to appeal to the other boy. By the time he got out of the shower, even he could smell himself as the aroma emanated throughout the room.

The fox kit dried himself and got dressed into the pajamas he'd been given. Once he was ready he made his way back to the room. He saw that the chipmunk cub was already on the bed and considered joining him. Instead Pent decided to sit on the edge of the bed as he was still weird about the chipmunk's parents seeing them up close and personal.  He smiled down at the chipmunk who smiled back at him.

When it finally came time for them to go to bed, Pent was on the floor in a sleeping bag. Once Xavier shut the door and locked it, the fox wasted no time in joining the smaller cub in his big bed. The two move their bodies as close together as possible. This time the chipmunk made sure he was behind the other boy and held him in his arms, enjoying his body warmth against him. The bigger boy relaxed into the other cub's arms and eventually allowed his eyes to rest. It didn't take long for either of them to fall asleep.

The next day came before long. It was officially the first day of summer vacation and both boys had a long day in front of them. Pent was the first one out of bed as his body's alarm clock was used to getting up earlier due to always having to take the bus. He squeezed out of Xavier's arms before rolling himself over to shake the other boy. It only took him a few gentle pushes before the chipmunk came around.

The brown-furred slowly sat up and gently kissed him on the cheek before rubbing his eyes.

"Morning, foxy. Ready for today?" Xavier said with a big smile on his face.

Pent nodded and grinned back at him. "Yup, let's get dressed and get some breakfast."

The chipmunk slowly eased himself off the bed before helping Pent do the same. The two walked together over to the wardrobe where Xavier grabbed them both something to change into. Without much thought into the issue, each of them changed in front of each other not seeming to mind it anymore. Pent gave the chipmunk back his pajamas who sniffed at them to be funny about it. The fox kit couldn't help but smirk at the other cub's playful attitude.

Once they were dressed, they headed toward the kitchen. Xavier and Pent arrived to find that the chipmunk's father was already hard at work making them something to eat. The man didn't even notice them come in but the smell of waffles could smelt throughout the room.

"Need some help, Dad?" Xavier padded over and poked his father from behind.

The older male looked over his shoulder. "Oh, nah. I'm almost done. You two can just sit down. We aren't going to stay here for long so…no dilly-dallying around, alright?"

Xavier
 nodded to him and headed back to the table. Pent held the chair out for him before the other boy sat down and thanked him. The fox sat down next to him and the two waited a few minutes until breakfast was served. The chipmunk's father had made them waffles in addition to some fruit and juice. Some maple syrup sat at the center of the table where each of the boys took turns pouring it. Xavier covered his father's waffle for him with it to be nice.

The extended family ate their breakfast with not many words exchanged between them. Pent and Xavier were deep in thought about the day before them. Even the older male was thinking about what they might see at both places as the last time he had been to the Sports Center was ages ago and he'd never been to Chapman before. Still, even if they were slightly distracted by their thoughts, they were able to finish their meal in no time.

Xavier made sure to clean up the meal. He wasn't about to let his father do all the work. The older male was all too glad to let him do it as well. He had one other thing to make sure of before they left and this allowed him to finish it. Pent helped his boyfriend with the chores. Once they were done, they waited in the living room for the chipmunk's father to return. After a few minutes, he showed up, with a bag on his back and ready to go.

"Let's head out, cubbies." He guided the two cubs to the front door where he showed them out to lock it behind them.

After they got outside, the two cubs jetted immediately towards the man's truck. The older male chuckled at the two and followed behind them before unlocking the truck door. Each of them got inside with the two boyfriends picking the back seat, as they always had before. Starting the car once he was inside he made sure they were buckled up and headed off down the street.

The drive to the Sports Center was a somewhat longer one. The center of town where all the local attractions were was a bit removed from where they were. The older male let them know this and it didn't seem to bother the two cubs. Xavier and Pent began talking about what they might see. The fox focused on the space center while his boyfriend focused on the sports one. It was a bit of an awkward back-and-forth conversation but one that they were all too happy to share.

Since it was the weekend, the traffic to the center of town wasn't heavy. The father kept to the highways to avoid as many lights as possible. They were able to have a pretty good time despite the distance to the place. After the man brought the truck off the highway, the amount of cars became more dense. Even still, he was able to make it to the Sports Center in just a little over an hour.

He pulled into the parking lot in front of the Sports Center. The Hall of Fame was an old Hockey arena that had been retrofitted to fill the purpose of a sports center. Once he came to a stop, the boys didn't wait very long to get out. The father had to settle them down as he was somewhat worried they might run off on their own. After all the place wasn't local and none of them knew their way around.

The man got out and joined them but still let them take the lead. The two cubs joined hands and kept ahead of them. He chuckled at the two boys as he followed behind them. They made their way to the front of the arena where the ticket booth and entrance were. The older male had already bought them the tickets so they went right through the turnstiles. The father showed off the tickets once they were inside and they made their way past it.

Once they were inside the main hall, they found a diagram of the place and each of them looked at it a second. The older male told them they had free reign to go where they liked. Telling them that he'd meet them back there in a few hours. He figured they'd want to go off their own and felt like they were responsible enough to do so. Of course, they were all too happy to oblige the request and went off down the corridor opposite where the older male had gone.  

Xavier took Pent by the hand and led him through to the first corridor. The first exhibit they came across was the main showcase of the place. A large showing of the various medals, athletes, and records held by Team Canada at the Olympics. The thing was organized chronologically with some of the first events a Canadian had won back in 1900 to the most recent World Championships and some of the more well-known Olympic Athletes. Neither Pent nor Xavier knew of them but they still looked through it all the same.

They continued to the next exhibit which was for winter extreme sports like Skiing and Snowboarding. Some of the stuff here was an overlap with the Olympic stuff. Many of the athletes here were some of the ones that had been featured on X-games. Yet neither of the cubs had ever watched that particular event and so they knew only the most popular of them, ones like Shaun White who had transcended the world of extreme sports.

Pent found himself more interested in the snowboarding side of things while Xavier kept to the skateboarding side. Of course, the chipmunk was interested in the skiing athletes but none of them were well-known enough for him to be aware of who they were. However, the only skateboarder he knew was Tony Hawk who was but another athlete who had ascended beyond the sport in which they originated. They even had one of his boards signed, something that all too interested the rodent.

Soon they pressed on to the next exhibit. They were finally into some of the mainstream sports, the first of which was hockey. Since Hockey was one of Canada's most popular sports it had a great deal amount of stuff. The fox couldn't help but ogle at some of the stuff, from historical players he had no idea about to Wayne Gretzky, Sarah Vaillancourt, and some of the other all-time greats of the sport. He began to share what he knew of each of them with the other cub, but he was by no means an expert in the subject.

They spent a bit more time in this part of the venue, mostly because the fox was interested in seeing some of the old hockey stuff. He'd heard a lot about what the gear looked like but had no idea if it was true or not. Pent even showed off some of his favorite players, though only a few of them were featured since they were more recent. Eventually, they continued to the next exhibit through a small corridor.

The next room they happened upon was the one featuring arena football and soccer. Two sports that didn't garner much attention in the country but still had a large enough audience that they were included in the exhibit. Neither Pent nor Xavier knew much about the sport and many of the teams that were featured were American ones that got little exposure locally. The two cubs decided to continue as it didn't interest them to look at the stuff.

Eventually, they came across the Lacrosse section of the exhibit. This was the one that Xavier had been waiting to see. Of course, he knew more about it than the other cub did but Pent tried to enjoy it all the same. Xavier knew much more about the sport than Pent realized. He started going on about the history of it and how it had changed over the years. Though he knew only a few of the players featured there, he still looked at their memorials all the same.

Xavier soon found his way to the part of it featured for John Grant who was one of the players who he knew all too well. He shared a bit of the player's history before showing him Kelly Hiller who was one of the few coaches that were featured in the exhibits. He found it unfortunate that the women's side of the sport didn't get as much attention but was glad there were a few of the players being shown to the public.

They continued to the next set of exhibits. Every professional sport, and even some of the amateur ones was featured at the place. There were even some of the college programs that the cubs were only vaguely familiar with. But time flew by all the same and they tried to enjoy each of the exhibits as they came across them. Before they knew it the chipmunk's phone rang and the boy's father was ready to meet out front.

The cubs made their way to the exit. The signs fixated around the building made it easy enough to locate. The father was already waiting for them at the same place where he had let them go off on their own.

"I hope you boys enjoyed yourselves. Ready for lunch? Then we'll head to Chapman after." He said folding his arms, patiently waiting for an answer.

Xavier nodded. "Yup, thanks for taking us. We're ready."

The man had already decided to take them to a fast-food restaurant. No one from Chapman had called them so it likely wasn't time to head over just yet. He knew it would be any time though and that the window was short to meet there once they were given notice. He hurried them along back outside where the weather had taken a turn for the worse. It was beginning to rain and rather windy causing the rain to tilt inward.

They rushed to the truck, each of the three of them getting wet on their way inside. The older male unlocked it and let the two cubs inside. The three of them to a drive-through.  The older male didn't want to waste any time as they didn't have a lot of time before they were expected at Chapman. The email from the center had disclosed a certain window they needed to arrive by and he wasn't about to push his luck.

They got lunch and told the boys they would eat in the car. The smell of the food smoldered within the tight space, so the chipmunk's father opened the windows to air it out. He ate while driving and continued to make his way down to the center of the city. By the time they got to the city, the weather had thinned out and didn't seem to be a problem anymore. The cubs finished their meals and occasionally looked out the windows to see where they were.

 They arrived at the gates of Chapman Space Center before
 long. There was almost no traffic in the complex. Once they were at the perimeter of it, they found the place was fenced off. At the front of it sat a singular gate that was stationed by a booth with someone inside of it. The father brought the car to a stop once they had gone over the wedges that had forced the vehicle into between them.

He had to show off his identification and state his purpose for the visit. Of course, Chapman's administrative team had informed the front gate of visitors, they just weren't aware of who it was supposed to be. Once he verified his tickets and his identification was checked, he was allowed to go further inside. The two wedges were pushed down by the fur in the booth and his car got underway again.

The path to the complex was a narrow one. On both sides of it was the large lawn that set in front of the place. A large Canadian flag flew overhead with another one flying the insignia of the Canadian Space Agency overhead. Both of the boys looked out of the car with interest at the building that they were getting ever closer to. The fox focused on the building itself while his boyfriend focused on some of the military vehicles that were rolling about.

They soon arrived at the small half-loop that led into the building itself. The front of it was designed like any old office building. Two Primates stood out front wearing suits and carrying clipboards. The man brought the vehicle to a complete stop once he was just outside the front door. The huge glass in front of it reflected the sunlight at him, causing each of the boys and the father to shield their eyes.

He got outside the truck and walked over to where the two primates were standing. Pent grabbed Xavier by the hand and tugged him out of the vehicle. He was bubbling with excitement and the cub's tail was wagging behind him. The two primates standing nearby noticed the two cubs approaching them.  Each of them sighed as if they were no fan of cubs, no matter the circumstances of the situation.

The father was told to sign a few wavers by one of them while the other of them attended to the two cubs.

"Good afternoon. My name is Silvia. What are your names?" She bent down to be closer to eye level eye with them.

Pent shied away a bit as his boyfriend answered. "My name is Xavier…and this is Pent."

"Ah, well…welcome boys to the Chapman Space Center. Before we go inside we need to go over a few things. Some basic rules…if you will." The monkey fingered through the pages and began reading from one of them aloud.

She began going over the rules…most of which were common sense. Things like; Don't touch the machinery, Don't walk anywhere without a guide, and Keep voices down to a whisper. Neither of them had problems with what guidelines she set as they were mostly similar ones that they had gotten used to in school. When everything was said and done, they waved goodbye to the boy's father who was just finishing things up himself.

"Call me when you boys are done…I will come pick you up after. Enjoy yourselves…take lots of pictures!" He continued finishing up what he was doing.

They were finally shown inside the front entrance of the building. The main hall of Chapman had a huge statue in front of it of the very person it was named after. Below it is a plaque telling the tale of his deeds and contributions to the saga of the Canadian Space program. The woman began to share it. Pent continued to be mute as he just listened to the lady as he wasn't quite comfortable around her.

Xavier squeezed the boy's hand as he was certain the other cub was nervous. The fox simply smiled back at him but remained quiet. They were soon shown past the statue and behind it. The front desk was nothing special. Just a few furs taking care of and answering phones but nothing that the primate guide thought was worth sharing. Eventually, they made their way past it and into the first hall of the building.

The first hall behind the main entrance was an operations center. On each side of the hallway were offices as far as the eye could see. The cubs could see inside them. The furs inside of each of the cubicles were plugging away at something with large computer screens in front of them. It wasn't clear what they were working on but it was apparent this was a very busy part of the complex. The primate did not bother to stop with them there.

Soon they continued past it to the command room. It was the end of the corridor and opened up into a larger room with rows of computers. At the front of it were large monitors that seemed to show what was going on outside. Of course, no launch was occurring so the monitors were just idle with nothing showing on them. Only the shuttle holding module could be seen with nothing on board the circular platform underneath it.

On another one of the screens, they could see what appeared to be the dark abyss of space. Thin speckled dots of light were scattered about and the camera feed rotated every so slowly. Underneath the screen was a metallic nameplate that read "International Space Station". It was apparent this feed was coming directly from space. Pent couldn't help but walk over to it and watch it for a few moments.

His guide looked over him as she wasn't used to guests walking away. But once the boy had stopped beneath the screen, it became apparent what he wanted to do. Xavier soon joined him and the two joined hands and watched it for a moment. Even to the woman who had never met them before it was apparent they were a couple. She couldn't help but smile at the two cubs who continued watching the screen for a few moments.

She allowed them to watch it for several minutes before stepping over to see if they wanted to continue. After all, she had a tight schedule she had to fit the tour into and she didn't want to rush it.

"Would you boys like to continue to see the observatory?" She mentioned it as she knew it was one of the more popular sites of the venue.

The two cubs looked back at her. Xavier's ears perked up in interest. This was what he was looking forward to the most. Of course, he didn't want to rush Pent. The fox didn't seem to be bothered by moving on and just shrugged. She took a deep breath of relief before moving on back to the entrance of the command center. They soon made their way out of it and back into the main hall.

She led the two cubs outside to the back of the building. They followed the outside path of the building. In front of them was a small dome-shaped building with a large telescope hanging out of what appeared to be a retractable roof. The primate continued to lead them down the path to the building in front of them. When they were close enough the door automatically opened to let them inside.

The observatory was a much darker complex. The inside of it was lit only by internal lightning. The walls of it were opaque the light couldn't get through except at the entrance of the building. The woman took them up some stairs leading up to the second floor of the building. A large set of doors stood in front of them.

"Go on and head inside…there are a few chairs to pick from. I will begin the show for you." She had to allow them to separate from her since there was no full-time staff for the observatory.

Xavier led Pent inside the room. The interior of which was much smaller than the one they had gone to at the Imax previously. Only four rows of chairs circled the room. The woman was already stationing the control room and was waiting for them to get settled. They eventually sat down together. The seats reclined and allowed their bodies to flatten once they were on them.

The lights soon darkened and the ceiling began to light up. After a few moments, an image began to pop up. The dark skies of space showed before them.  The sounds of a satellite could be heard as the thing rotated around causing the camera to shift. Just as in the command center, the thing appeared to be a live feed from somewhere. The primate began to speak, explaining what they were seeing.

"This is from a satellite overlooking the Pacific Ocean." She focused on the moon.

The woman could control the satellite, making it focus on whatever she wanted. Of course, she focused in on whatever objects were largest. The satellite only had so much zooming-in power. Eventually, it rotated to catch a glimpse of the earth. Xavier reached over and squeezed the fox's hand. Pent didn't look over at him but squeezed, still ever transfixed with the image. The earth rotated ever so slightly as they watched it in awe.

Soon the primate turned the satellite in another direction. Once again it gazed into the infinite abyss of space. The thing could see the international space station in the distance, though it was hardly recognized from where they were viewing. She eventually turned the thing back to the moon and set it back on its normal course. The screen above the two cubs began to dim before it entirely shut off.

"Well…I hope you two enjoyed that." The primate walked down to join them once again.

The two cubs got up with big smiles on their faces.  They joined hands once again, seeming none too shy to show their affection for one another in front of a stranger. She asked them to follow her and they did. She took them to the lower portion of the observatory below where they were watching the show. Inside it was a large science lab and the base of the very telescope they had seen from outside.

The primate guided them over to it. A few scientists were walking about the room.  Pent couldn't help but look around. All sorts of equipment, glassware, containers, and samples could be seen. Some of which he recognized but some of which he did not. He was tempted to go look at it but the moment he deviated, the other boy touched his shoulder to remind him that he shouldn't. Of course, Pent didn't want to break the rules and fell back in line
 the moment he realized what he was trying to do.

They made their way over to the large telescope. The thing had a huge ocular where one could look through with both eyes. Xavier wanted his boyfriend to look first but the fox insisted he do so instead. The chipmunk didn't have to lean over like the one at Pent's home. The ocular was easily adjusted to his height and he looked through it. Once he did, he found himself gazing into the stars above.

Even despite the time of day, the telescope was able to see more than he ever imagined. The thing was angled towards the moon and it was in clear view. He could see several stars and the occasional streaking glimpse of some other forms of light scattering across the skies. He couldn't help but be amazed at it but soon gave way so his boyfriend could enjoy it. Pent took longer to see through it, seeing what he could find. The fox soon lost track of time as he focused in on it.

It wasn't until Xavier nudged him that the guide was wanting to move on. Pent huffed as he moved away from the telescope. The two boys smiled at each other before joining hands again. They once again followed the guide from out of the observatory and to the outside of the building. They made their way back into the main complex of the building and through another set of halls.

They soon reached the West Wing of the building. Each side of the hall was decorated with pictures and paintings. It was much more decorated than the rest of it. Some of the most famous astronauts of the Canadian Space Program were featured. Pent only knew a few of them but they weren't allowed to look at them as by this point the guide was rushing them along to make sure she finished on time.

Eventually, they reached a set of stairs that led to a breezeway bridge that took them above the building and back outside. The bridge was stifled with hot air and had a moving walkway that led them further within. The two cubs could tell where they were going as the walls were somewhat transparent. From above, they were taken to the shuttle launch pad where an idle model of a former shuttle was sitting on it's side.

The guide took them into a spiral staircase that led down. Several rings around before they reached ground level, which fed back outside. Another automatic door opened with the idle model of the shuttle stood in front of them. Even as a model, the thing was designed to represent a real one. It was massive with a set of stairs leading into the head of it. The door of it pried open with someone dressed in astronaut regalia to greet them.

Once they were at the base of the ladder, the guide handed them off to the person at the top of the ladder. It was time for her to attend to her normal duties and she knew the other worker would take care of them from here. The two cubs thanked her and were called up by the fur at the top of the ladder that called to them.  Xavier went up first, followed by Pent who joined him soon after in climbing the stairs.

The man at the top of the stairs moved out of the way so they could board the craft. After they got inside it, they found themselves in the cock pit of the spacecraft. The man in front of them was an old dog who was a member of a past space mission. The old French bulldog smiled at them as they boarded the craft.

"Welcome, cadets. This is the Orion Sigma…A test craft for training astronauts. You two have been will get to experience part of what it is to be a space cadet…at part of your time here at the Space Center." He guided them into the back of the spacecraft.

The back of the spacecraft was hollowed out. A small room sat inside with a large sphere-like device that sat in the center of it. The front of it read "Zero-G chamber". The dog stood in front of it for a moment.

"Take your shoes off and you can experience what it is like to float in space as if you were there yourselves."  He folded his arms expecting them to play along like every other visitor did when they were offered the opportunity.

Pent wasted no time in untying his shoes. He never thought he'd get to experience such a thing. Of course, Xavier would join him. The chipmunk wanted to do whatever his boyfriend wanted to do. It didn't take them long to get their shoes off. The man pressed a button that unfurled a small ladder to descend from the sphere at the center of the room. The dog stood at the side of it, waiting for them to climb up it.

The fox went first with Xavier not far behind. The two entered the small chamber which was cooler than the rest of the area they just came in from. The older male put the ladder back inside before closing the door behind them. They could still see outside through the front of it and stood there idly for a moment. Neither of them knew what to expect and they looked at one another as they waited for something to happen.

The dog pushed a button on a nearby console. The sphere began to hum and whirl. Within moments the two cubs inside began to float about. The boy's bodies were seemingly weightless as they drifted in place. Neither of them had much control over where they went. Soon Xavier's body rotated a full 180 degrees, putting him essentially upside down. The fox and chipmunk chuckled at each other as they enjoyed themselves.

The older dog allowed them to enjoy themselves for a few minutes before turning it off. The two of them fell on top of one another with Xavier ending up on Pent. The fox didn't mind much as he hugged his arms around the smaller boy. The two shared a short embrace as the door was opened from the outside. The man from the outside called on them to come out so he could close it up.

Both of them came out of the Zero-G chamber before long. The two of them got their shoes back on as the older male waited for them. Once they were standing up, he took them to the cock pit of the spaceship. The thing was lit up and designed to be more flashy than it would have been otherwise. The fox couldn't help but look at some of the buttons but was afraid to touch any of them.

Xavier wasn't as keen on the cock pit of the space ship but after a moment of just looking at his boyfriend, he finally joined him in checking it out.

"Why don't you two take a seat and buckle up? We'll do the last part of your tour." The man suggested as he stood in the back of the cock pit.

Pent and Xavier looked at one another. The two cubs shrugged before they sat down on the seats near the front of it and put their seat buckles on. The dog closed the door behind them and the formerly glass front looking outside started to shutter. Before long a screen appeared with the image of the very same space shuttle being carted off to the launch pad. Their little module began to shake as if to represent the movement underneath them.

The shuttle was soon brought to stand at the launch pad. Already it's jet engines were steaming with smoke and they were seeing the scene shifted to a video of the inside of the command center where they could see "1:00" in bright red-green digital numbers.  The digits were counting down and the furs inside of the command center were busy at work preparing for the inevitable coming for launch.

The clock reached "0:30" and the camera shifted back to the shuttle. Even more smoke was pouring out from the bottom of it. The trucks that had brought the shuttle out had left the vicinity and the twin spire was beginning to separate. An audio countdown soon sounded going down from 10 as the inside of the shuttle module began to rumble. A clock appeared on the screen as the number ":05" big and bright.

Once the number reached 0, the camera soon shifted to the outside of the shuttle. The spacecraft lifted off the ground and into the air above. The rocket boosters underneath carried it ever further above. Inside their bodies pushed against the seats as if they were experiencing the very g-forces that an astronaut would. The shuttle continued soaring into the sky as a streak of smoke followed it.

The inside of the cabin heated up to emulate the external pressures during the exit from the atmosphere. Though it was nowhere near as bad as the real thing. The whole thing was sped up to great effect. When the space shuttle reached outer space, the inside of the module settled down and the screen showed the same view as before. The door behind them opened once again and the lights were turned on.

"Have fun?" The dog asked them from the rear part of the cock pit.

Both boys unbuckled themselves and nodded. They were helped out of their seats and then to the exit. It seemed that their day had finally come to a close. The older male led them back outside to the bottom of the shuttle and back to the front of the building. They were told to contact their parents so they could be picked up. Both cubs had smiles wide across their faces as they had thoroughly enjoyed their day at the facility.

Xavier called his father who had remained close by as he didn't want to go far off. The whole ordeal was only a few hours long and he had errands to run in the meanwhile When it was finally time to pick them up, he didn't take very long to arrive back at Chapman. He had to go through the same protocol to get back into the building despite being there a short time ago. Once he was back at the entrance, the nice dog waved goodbye to them and set them on their way.

The fox and chipmunk got back into the rear seat of the truck. The older chipmunk asked how their day was. Pent was still reeling from the whole thing as it had been a bit overwhelming for him so the other cub answered for him. Xavier shared much of their experience, though he left out some parts that didn't interest him as much as others. Still, the father was all too glad they had enjoyed the experience.

Pent leaned against his boyfriend in the car. He nuzzled into him a bit and kissed the other cub's cheek. The vehicle began its way out
 of Chapman and back onto residential streets. They began their way back to the chipmunk's home. The father had already planned on bringing Pent back to their house and had already asked if it was alright with the boy's mother. She didn't mind and he knew all too well that the two boys would have no issue with it either.

Xavier and Pent were pretty quiet the rest of the way back. They had a long day and were a little bit spent by the whole ordeal. The chipmunk stroked his boyfriend's head fur and just enjoyed his closeness as two boys sat in the back while they waited in the back of the car. The father occasionally looked back at them to make sure they were fine. It wasn't like them to not talk as much but when he saw they were relaxing, he wasn't as worried.

They arrived at the Chipmunk's home shortly before dinner. They were greeted by Xavier's mother who was already busy making food. She let the two boys relax and asked for help from her husband. The two of them finished making the rest of the meal while Xavier and Pent hung out in the front living room and watched television. It wasn't very long until the meal was finished and they were called to the kitchen.

The rodent tugged on his boyfriend to follow him into the kitchen. The smell of food was already rich in the air. They arrived to find the chipmunk's parents had made salmon, veggies, and rice. Pent licked his lips as it was one of his favorites. As always the two boys sat together and the extended family ate together. The chipmunk's mother asked them how it was and Xavier told her all about it. The fox had gotten out of his funk and was his usual chipper self around the family. Once everything was finished, the parents let them eat some cookies which they gladly shared.

On their way back to Xavier's room, Pent got an idea. The fox tugged on his boyfriend as if to stop him.

"How about we star gaze outside? It's been a while and would be a perfect end to the day." The fox smiled at him warmly, wanting nothing more than to spend more time with his boyfriend.

The brown-furred boy smiled back at him and padded back in the opposite direction. They filed back outside together. By this point of the day, it was already dark out. The wind blew lightly and only a light cool breeze carried about. Pent led his boyfriend to the backyard where they found a spot without trees, roots, or bushes. The two of them laid down together and joined hands once again.

Pent pushed himself as close to the other boy as possible. The draft carried across them, ruffling their fur as they laid them together. They looked into the skies and their eyes began to wander across it. There weren't many clouds about with the stars visible. The glistening lights above them sparkled and shone brightly. The fox squeezed his boyfriend's hand tightly as he tried to get comfortable on the hard ground.

Soon the fox began pointing out some of the constellations again. The rodent giggled at him, having forgotten many of them but tracing his eyes along with the other boy's claw. Pent showed him some of the visible planets and made sure to announce each of the planets that he could find, though there weren't many that night. Xavier tried to stay focused on what was above. Having the one he loved close to him made it that much easier.

The moonlight gazed over their bodies. The soft blue light shone against their forms creating a small envelope of illumination around them as they lay down together under the night sky. The two remained there until they started to get tired, even losing track of time in the process. It wasn't until the rodent's mother came out from the home to look for them that they were finally ready to call it quits.

As they got up, the two shared a final kiss. The two locked snout to snout, their wet noses pressed against one another. Their hearts racing and their thoughts soaring. To each of them, the night simply couldn't have got any better. The chipmunk's mother smiled, allowing them just that last moment before calling them in once again.  The two of them returned in together, as locked in paws as they had been throughout the night.

Xavier and Pent walked in together. The two would shower separately as they often did when the chipmunk's parents were around. The chipmunk loaned his boyfriend some pajamas and the two would retire to his bedroom soon after each of them washed and dried themselves. The cool breeze carried around the scent of the shampoo they had used on their fur. The two of them sat together at the end of the bed still looking into one another's eyes.

The smaller boy soon tugged his boyfriend down to the bed. He was no longer worried about his parents seeing them in bed together. He wanted nothing more than just to feel the other boy's body warmth against him and Pent had no issue with it. The two lay down in bed together with the smaller cub spooning the bigger one in a soft embrace.  Xavier nuzzled into him, resting his right arm over the white-furred cub's body.

The two boys fell asleep before long. Their bodies and minds were tired from the long day together. Their frames remained locked against one another that night. Their hearts…their bodies….and even their minds, to some extent, joined as one. It was as true love was meant to be. An unbreakable bond shared by two who were all but destined to be together. A relationship that would go on and grow ever stronger as time went on. A love…neither of them would change for anything in the world. ", "pools_count": 1, "title": "Look to the Stars", "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": "149" }