Fellowship at the Fair 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 underaged characters. You have been warned.
A few days had passed and with it, the school week was quickly coming to a close. It had been a mix of assignments for the young chipmunk teen. Xavier kept on top of them now as it had become a habit for him. The increased incentive from not only his parents but also his parents was all the more reason for him to work hard. He still considereds himself an average student but doing much better these days than in the past.
It was now Friday and that meant the weekend was just a day away. The chipmunk had been planning a big date for he and his boyfriend for the last few days. Pent had been the one to have suggested going to the carnival but Xavier was the one to embrace it. The rodent had never been to the school carnival before. It was an annual event that had never interested him before. That all changed when he looked into it before.
Xavier had learned the event had quite a few interesting attractions. The biggest ones were the rides, none of which were that intense. The place even had a tunnel of love, which the boy told himself he would avoid at all costs. The thing was attracted his attention was the games of skill and the so-called "Wacky Science" show. He knew not what either entailed but to him, it was both a way to show off to his boyfriend as well as appeal to his tastes.
The brown-furred teen had asked his friend Milo about the games in place. He was told that the challenges varied from year to year. That each of them typically had all sorts of prizes with most of them being silly toys. Yet, he wanted nothing more than to impress Pent. Xavier didn't care about the toys, all he cared about was beating the carnival at its own game. After all, it was well known that the house always won.
The chipmunk had recently gotten out of bed after being woken up by the raucous alarm. He was a bit groggy and slumped out of his large bed to start getting ready for school. It was still early enough that it was mostly dark outside. His parents made him get up earlier now as he was responsible for not only making his own breakfast but his lunch too. Though, more often then not he just opted for the school cafeterias offerings.
Slowly the teen changed into his school uniform. The slacks were still somewhat stiff from his mother having ironed them recently. She had been trying to drill into his head that apperances mattered. While he cared what she thought, he was more concerned about what his boyfriend thought. The chipmunk knew Pent liked him no matter how he looked and even favored his often roguish and scruffy appearance.
Xavier had recently gotten his fur cut back a bit so his coat wasn't as thick as normal. It always took him a bit to get used to it. The teen tucked in his shirt and buckled up his belt, leaving his shoes and socks off for the time being. He stretched a bit before moving forward through the hallway of his home. The boy could only hear the noises of his parents seemingly shuffling around and preparing for work.
"Morning, sport." The teen's father said before popping him on the shoulder as they passed by each other in the kitchen.
Xavier smiled at him. "Morning, dad and mom."
Both of them moved out of the way so he could do what he needed to. His parents had finished their meals and had already cleared the table. Xavier decided to make some muffins and fruit. Blueberry was his favorite flavor and he hadn't had it in quite a while. He took one out of the plastic box and put it on his plate. Nibbling on the somewhat sweet baked good, he watched as his parents moved back and forth past the kitchen.
Xavier finished his meal and swallowed down a gulp of juice to finish it off. Cleaning off the crumbs, he returned the dish to the dishwasher.
"Put your socks and shoes on, I'm going to be taking you to school a bit early today." His mother said without stopping by the kitchen to mention it.
The chipmunk boy didn't respond and instead headed back into his room to grab his stuff to head out. It wasn't the first time he'd have to go to school early. He wasn't crazy about the idea but he didn't have any choice in the matter. His parents taking him to school was a luxury he rather enjoyed as he wasn't fond of the bus from the times he'd ridden with Pent. The teen put on his socks and shoes before hoisting his backpack over his shoulder.
Making his way back to the living room, he saw his mother waiting for him. She smiled at him, opening the door for both of them once he was close enough. Just outside the home it was a windy day with a single but sudden gust of air pushing past them. The rodent boy got into the vehicle with his mom and put his bag on the floor. It wasn't long before they got underway and headed towards the school.
"Hey, Mom. Do you think that this weekend I could go to the Carnival with Pent?" The teen asked as he knew he needed her permission.
She kept her eyes on the road. "The school Carnival? Aren't you boys a bit old for that?"
"I just want to do something different with him." Xavier didn't think much of the carnival and just wanted to spend time with his boyfriend.
His mother smiled at him. "I don't see why not."
"Thanks, Mom." The chipmunk said before turning his gaze to the window.
He watched as they made their way down the street toward the school. Arriving before long, he waved to his mother and let himself out. It was earlier than usual but he decided to head back to the usual tree hang out spot. Pent was nowhere to be seen but the teen assumed his boyfriend would show up before long. After all, he knew that the bus arrived earlier more often than not. Xavier sat underneath the tree and waited for a while before he saw the familiar white fox boy.
Xavier waved to his boyfriend who smiled and waved back to him. The smaller teen made his way over to the boy he loved. Sitting down next to him, the white-furred teen looked at him curiously.
"You're here early." Pent didn't take out a book this time as he wanted to give his full attention to the other boy.
The brown-furred smiled back at him. "Yeah, my mom had to go to work early."
"Oh, alright. Did you ask your parents about the Carnival?" The smaller boy asked as he'd been thinking about it the last few days.
Xavier nodded. "Yup, she said I can go with you. Do you want to do it tomorrow? I have a private coaching session on Sunday."
"Tomorrow is fine. How is the private coaching going anyhow?" The white-furred boy tried to stay involved in his boyfriend's favorite things.
The rodent shrugged. "She is pretty high-strung. She demands a lot but I think I get a lot out of it."
"Are you getting better or how is it benefitting you?" Pent couldn't help but be curious about it.
The bigger boy thought about it for a moment. "Yeah, I think so. I've been learning some new defensive techniques. She is really helpful with that."
"That's good. I hope you get everything you want out of it." The fox wanted to be as supportive as possible of his boyfriend's hobby.
The two of them soon changed topics, discussing what they would do at the carnival. Neither of them had been to it before so it was more about what they thought would be there. Pent was more of a stickler for planning things while his boyfriend was more flexible. The fox had become a bit more leanient with his plans over the last year and had learned to become enjoy himself when he just winged things.
The bell soon rang, signaling for them to head toward their first class. Pent got up before helping the bigger boy to do the same. The two of them joined hands and walked into the school together. Making their way through the halls until they arrived at Xavier's first class. They shared a short hug before Pent broke off and waved to the other boy.
"See you at lunch, Xae." The white-furred boy said as he made his way down the hall.
The Arctic Fox's classes were in a different area of the Senior halls. They were situated in the "upper-classmen" rooms as his peers were all older than he was. His homeroom was the only class where he had teens closer to his own age. Though, he was still in advanced placement even for that. Pent made his way towards his literature class and saw the elderly teacher at the front of it.
Pent smiled at her and made his way inside the room. As usual he was one of the first ones into the room. He found a space and pulled out a book to pass the time. It wasn't much longer before the second bell rang and many of the students came in all at the same time. The elderly gazelle had very little control over them and some of the students didn't respect her. However, it was her final year at the academy and she was even considering retiring early.
The students got settled in and eventually, chatter filled the room. Pent put his book away as he knew the class was getting started soon. The gazelle situated herself by her desk next to a podium and began speaking.
"I'd like everyone to begin working on a book report. We recently finished the City of Thieves so you may write about that. Please follow the rubic we used for Lord of the Flies" She began walking around to make sure the students were working.
Pent pulled his book back out of his bag. He hadn't quite finished it yet but he figured he could at least start it. "Napoleon's buttons". A chemist's insights to the famous French emperor's failed conquest of Europe. He pulled out the school laptop from the desks innards and logged into his account. The machine was slow and antiquated but every student in the Senior wing of the school was provided one in each class.
The fox started working before he was interrupted.
"Mr. Ghelsburg, do you ever read fiction for fun?" The gazelle said upon seeing the book on his desk.
The teen looked up at her. "Sometimes, why?"
"I have just noticed I don't see you with much fiction. Perhaps you would like Science Fiction?" The teacher remarked that most of the books she saw him with were related to Science.
Pent arched her eyebrow at her. "It doesn't interest me. I would prefer to read Scientific facts, theory, research, or ideas."
"I see. Well then, I look forward to your book report." The woman was familiar enough with him to know he was stubborn on occasion.
The boy got back to work and put his mind to it. Completely focusing on the task at hand and tunneling everything else out. Pent typically was hyper focused on most everything he did. Always wanting to put full attention and effort on anything. As such, it was difficult for him to double task. Though, when it came to school work this wasn't a problem because most of the assignments he was given were easy for him.
Writing a book report was just as simple for him. After all, he was a book worm and he loved books. Summarizing them and going into detail was something he was rather good at. The fox began to write without putting much thought into it. Stream of consciousness was usually how he did things when it came to these sorts of assignments. Editing it only at the very end when all of his thoughts were collected in one place.
Pent eventually lost track of time and soon the bell rang. Rushing himself to collect his things, sign off the computer, and put it away. The teacher had fallen asleep behind the desk but he didn't bother to wake her. The teen boy made his down the hall to his next class. The boys next class was one he liked a lot more, Math. Other than science the subject was his favorite in school and his teachers were well aware of it.
He approached the room where the teacher stood outside. The middle-aged Corcodile man had immigrated from Saudia Arabia but both their French and English were impeccable. The man smiled at him as the fox made his way towards him. Pent was one of the few students he liked as math was the one subject most of the students didn't favor.
"Greetings, Mr. Ghelsburg. I hope you are well?" The man said before fixing his circular bifocals.
Pent nodded at him. "Yeah, and you?"
"Indeed. Come right in. I have your usual spot reserved for you." The teacher kept the front desk open for the teen since he was one of the few who cared about the subject.
The teen smiled at him. "Thanks."
Pent made his way past the man and inside the room. It was a smaller classroom since the enrollment numbers was always smaller. He sat in his usual seat, front and center of the room. The other students eventually filed in shortly after followed by the teacher himself. Some of the other students eyed the younger teen as they entered. The arctic fox paid them no mind and got his computer out of his desk.
The teacher began his lesson on the functions of Matrix's. It was the introduction to the topic and the first time any of that had heard of it. He began explaining over the basics of matrices and vectors. Pent was more familiar with it from physics but had only explored it in the aspects of both the direction and magnitude of movement. He didn't have quite as much difficulty in understanding the concepts of Matrices.
The crocodile soon gave out the assignment which was a simple addition of Matrices worksheet. They were all square matrices where they had to determine equivalence. The teacher gave a different one for Pent who had to figure out variables on top of equivalence. It wasn't that much more difficult but added a slight challenge to it. Pent was all too keen on taking on an academic challenge and never turned it down.
The teen was able to finish it simply enough. He didn't have to struggle much. It was a matter of reapplying what he already knew and shifting it to math. Turning in the assignment, the teacher eyed him a bit before looking at the paper. Unsurprisingly the fox had gotten them all correct. Although the work shown on paper was different than he was used to, there was no doubt that the final products were correct.
Pent spent the rest of the class reading his book. The next few of his classes were much the same. Chemistry wasn't quite as exciting today as it was reviewing some stoichiometry which Pent was all too familiar with. He had been asking the teacher for a lab for a while now but the department had only given resources for specific ones. The fox hoped that one day the Science department would have more funding but he knew it was out of his control.
Pent spent the rest of his day going through his usual routine. School was pretty low-key that day with only one homework assignment given. It was a history assignment that had tasked him with the Biography of someone involved in an armed conflict. He already knew he would do, the field doctor for Napoloean Dominque-Jean Larrey. He had learned a lot about him from his book in addition to the other research he'd done on the man.
Later that night, when Pent was at home relaxing after a long day. The fox teen was texting his boyfriend and once again the two of them were talking about the Carnival again.
"So what time do you want to get together anyhow?" Xavier asked since his boyfriend had been more involved in planning the ordeal.
The fox typed back. "We can meet up whenever you want. Do you want to bike over?"
"I don't think my parents can take us so that sounds good. How about we head over at 10? That's when it opens." The chipmunk suggested since it seemed to make the most sense.
Pent responded after a moment. "Sure, that sounds good. I'll see you there at 10."
"Cool, see you then." The rodent put away his phone.
The fox did the same as his brother came towards him.
"What are you so happy about?" The salt and pepper cub asked when he passed by the other boy sitting in a bean bag chair.
The older boy looked up at him. "Xavier and I are going to go to the school carnival tomorrow."
"Oh? What changed that? I thought you weren't interested in going." The smaller boy smirked at him.
The white-furred boy shrugged. "I just wanted to do something different with him."
"Uh-huh…sure. Whatever you say." Samaliel chuckled at him.
The bigger teen arched his eyebrow at him. "Just what are you getting at Sama?"
"Nothing. It's just funny how much of a pushover you are for him." The younger boy walked away.
Pent rolled his eyes. He knew it was true that Xavier had helped convince him to go to the carnival. Still, he had suggested it so there was some part of him that wanted to go even if he had claimed the opposite. He ignored his brother's teasing and The fox teen got his book our. He decided to spend the rest of the night reading. It was already late and he was looking forward to tomorrow. The white-furred boy got into bed and started reading.
Time flew by as it often did when he distracted himself with his favorite hobby. Samaliel had been in the living room playing some games. The older fox knew this as he could hear the sound of it from the room. Still, he ignored it as he was way too into his book. A short while later the younger fox reappeared inside the room. Pent still had his snout buried in the book and didn't even realize he'd come back.
"Hey, Pent?" The salt and pepper cub said softly.
The older fox didn't look at him. "Yeah?"
"I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I thought about it and it was kind of mean." Samaliel shuffled his feet in place.
The white-furred boy put his book down. "It's alright. I didn't take it personally."
"Cool. I'm glad you're going. Nait, Dakota, and I are going to go on Sunday." The younger boy had already made plans with his two best friends.
Pent got up to put his book away. "I hope you have fun. I know you were looking forward to going."
"Here. Take this." The smaller cub handed him two tickets.
The white furred boy looked at the tickets in his brothers hand curiously. "What are they for?"
"The big Ferris wheel at the carnival." Samliel had won them in a contest but didn't want them.
The older boy smiled at him and gently took the tickets. "Thanks, Sama."
Samaliel padded his way over to the ladder and climbed up. "Night, bro."
"Night." Pent got up to turn the lights off and put his book away.
Popping his head over the bunk he lightly kissed his brother on the forehead. The fox placed the two tickets on the desk before returning to his own bed. Sliding under the sheets and tried to rest his mind and go to sleep. As usual the fox teen took a bit before he could manage to quiet his thoughts as they always seemed to run at full speed. A short while later and both of the brothers were deep in slumber.
The next morning, Pent awoke first as he often did. The sun was just rising outside of the window as its dark yellow and reddish light peered through the winder. Stretching and yawning, he eased himself out of the bed. The older fox didn't bother to wake Samaliel as it was the weekend and he could sleep as long as he wanted. Instead, he changed into his casual wear before making his way down the hall and into the kitchen.
The fox teen thought to himself for a moment about what he wanted to make for breakfast. He decided on some waffles and fruit as he knew the smell of it would likely wake his brother. Figuring he'd save a bit of time and make food for both of them. Pent heated the waffle iron and poured the batter into it. Closing it up, he worked on cutting some oranges and pouring some juice. Before long the smell permeated through the room and spread through the rest of the house.
The arctic fox contined to make the food. A few minutes passed and his brother slipped into the kitchen. Pent smiled at him. His younger brother was relatively predictable when it came to food.
"Morning, Sama. Sleep well?" The bigger boy asked while popping open the waffle iron.
The younger cub nodded and yawned. "Yeah. How about you?"
"Yup. I'm looking forward to today." Pent said with a light smile on his face.
Samaliel moved further into the kitchen. "Let me know how it is, alright? Do you need any help?"
"I will. No, I'm good. You can sit down. It's almost ready." The white-furred teen placed the two finished waffles onto the plate along with slices of orange for both of them.
Pent placed it on the table and sat down with his brother joining him soon after. The two of them ate together with neither saying much. The older fox's mind was distracted by what the carnival would be like. When they were done, the younger cub offered his services to clean up. The white-furred boy nodded and let him take care of it. The fox teen decided to text his boyfriend and see if he wanted to meet up a bit earlier before the carnival opened.
The fox teen grabbed his phone. "Morning, Xae. You awake yet?"
A short delay followed before his before responded. "Yup, ready for today?"
"Yeah, you want to meet up earlier?" Pent asked as he was a bit bored.
Xavier typed back. "Sure, want to meet over by the school park? We can just head to the carnival from there."
"Sure, I'll get my shoes on and see you there soon." The white-furred teen was glad he had agreed.
The fox put away his phone and popped his head back into his room. "Sama, I'm headed out to go hang with Xavier. I'll see you later, alright?"
"Sure, have fun." The younger fox was getting set up to play video games.
The white-furred boy waved to him and grabbed the tickets his brother had given him the other night. Pent headed toward the living room before putting his socks on. Tying his shoes together so he could sling them over his shoulder. The fox teen wasn't much for bikes and much preferred to skate when the weather permitted it. It was still early enough in the fall that it didn't stop him from skating. It wasn't even cold enough to wear a jacket just yet.
Pent grabbed his skates from the closet and headed outside. Locking the door behind him, he made his way to the street to get laced up. Going down the single set of stairs and toward the parking lot he could see the lot was more vacant than usual. He figured most of the adults were probably grocery shopping or doing some other kind of errand. The teen began lacing up his skates and tightened up the threads.
He was underway before long. There was a light breeze about which blew against him as he made his way down the streets away from his apartment. Keeping to the sidewalks in order to avoid traffic. Only a few cars were present but it was better to be safe than sorry. The fox went a leisurely pace as he knew Xavier lived a bit further than he did. The teen was certain he would arrive before his boyfriend did.
The fox made good time as he passed through a few blocks, heading right past the school to the school park. The school park was a smaller "green area" that had been designated as such by the city. It was the same spot where the schools botanical club and botany class did their projects. In front of it was a small garden with a few unkempt plants. Despite the schools best efforts they could never keep up with the overgrowth of weeds or plants.
Pent found his way to the open area toward the rear of it. An open area with a few large trees and some bulky bushes nearby. He stopped there as the pathway in the middle of it transitioned from a paved road to a dirt one. The fox knelt to begin taking off his skates to swap into his shoes. He wondered how long it would be before Xavier showed up. The teen was patient and decided to wait a bit.
It was a short while before the chipmunk pulled in. Pent waved to him once he saw the bigger boy. The rodent pedaled even faster upon seeing the boy he loved. Stopping just short of where he was standing.
"I hope you haven't been waiting long." Xavier said with a soft smile on his face.
The fox teen shook his head. "Nah. Maybe ten or fifteen minutes but it doesn't matter."
"Cool. Want to check out the new garden maze they put in?" The chipmunk asked as he got off his bike.
Pent stood up. "Sure. That sounds fun."
The bigger boy offered his hand to his boyfriend and they joined together. Pent picked up his skates and carried them as they walked over to a small hedge that had been cut to look like an archway. Walking inside it they were presented with a split path and a sign that showed they were in the "Labyrinth of Ledges". Xavier took the lead and they headed down the left pathway. The paths were short and narrow with each of them leading into a similar choice.
Eventually they were faced with a dead end and had to back track. They snaked down another path winding back and forth through a few lined edges of shrubbery. Soon ending up at a small ledge of greenery that they had to climb over. A few foot markings had been cut into it to make it easier for smaller students so for the two teens It was no problem. Xavier and Pent found their way to the center of it.
The center of the maze had been set up with a remembrance plaque for the school's founder. Cornelius Mervil was the man who had established the place generations go and his involvement in the academic principles of the academy were well known. They briefly stopped to read it, though neither of them were that interested in it. They returned the way they came once again and Xavier allowed Pent to take the lead since he wasn't having much luck in finding the exit.
Pent had been keeping track of where they had been going. Scouts had taught him about wayfinding, exploration, and survival skills. The fox made a few quick turns through the labyrinth of shrubs. Making quick and easier progress than his boyfriend had just leading thema moment before. The two of them continued to make their way until they found their way to the end of it.
"Why should I not be surprised you found the way out so quickly?" Xavier remarked once they were out.
The smaller boy shrugged. "Well, we had already exhausted a lot of the other paths. It was just a matter of trial and error."
"Maybe I should join scouts too…haha." The chipmunk was well aware of his boyfriends continued involvement in the organization.
Pent smiled at him. "That would be cool. Do you want to?"
"I'm not sure I have enough free time between Lacrosse and private coaching but the season is winding down soon." The bigger said after thinking about it for a moment.
The fox's tail wagged slowly behind him. "Well you can join if you want. No pressure."
"Wanna head over to the carnival now? It should be opening soon." Xavier looked at his watch just to be sure this was true.
The white-furred boy nodded. "Yeah, let's go."
Xavier grabbed his bike and they headed out of the park toward the school. The carnival had been placed in an open area of the town a short distance away from where both the schools were. They continued past the academies, following a few signs each of which had signage indicating where they needed to go. Pent and Xavier talked about it while they walked in the direction of the carnival.
Approaching it, they found a larger venue than they expected. The rodent parked his bike and locked it, as they both looked into the carnival. The Ferris wheel could be seen in the distance. The entrance was a large aluminum arch with some unlit lights shaped in the word "Carnival". Pent and Xavier continued past it until they were at the pavilion where the ticket stalls were. A few workers were checking school ids as it was free entry for both students of the primary as well as secondary schools.
Both teens showed their school cards to the woman who briefly looked at them. Pushing past her and into the fair they made their way inside. Just like the school, there were all sorts of yellow and purple ribbons hanging across the rafters. A large inflatable jester was jittering back and forth as air flowed through it. A few other patrons were walking around in front of them but there was enough space to not make it crowded.
Pent and Xavier continued into the carnival. Flashing lights were all around them and the smell of fried foods of all sorts was omnipresent and thick. In front of them a few skill games had some vendors beckoning for people to come and spend money. The chipmunk looked at a few of them, gauging them for later but deciding they should wait until they were done. After all, he didn't want to have to haul around the prizes all day.
Just beyond the entrance area was the first ride. A small kiddy coaster was situated on the side. Milo was watching his younger sister go on the ride. Xavier waved to the rabbit as they passed by him. The rabbit smiled and waved back but did not approach them. After all he didn't want to infringe on the two boys date. Xavier had told him about it and he was well aware of what they there were there for.
The chipmunk and fox continued back until they found a house of mirrors. The front of it had a few clowns painted onto the exterior of the building. The bigger teen looked back at his boyfriend.
"Do you want to do the fun house?" Xavier asked since the line appeared to be short.
The white-furred boy shrugged. "Yeah, sure. I don't see why not."
The two boys began walking together toward the house of mirrors. In front of it, a single attendant stood with her arms crossed. The young adult red panda did not want to be there. She simply waved them inside as they passed her, not saying a word. Pent and Xavier continued past her through the entrance. A large aluminum arch led into it with a short tubed hallway that led through a plastic spinning apparatus.
Once inside, they found themselves in a room full of mirrors. Some of them normal, others of them distorted in all sorts of ways. Some music played within the small space, the circus style fair reverberated poorly through the shoddy acoustics in the room. One of the mirrors they passed by made Xavier look smaller then his boyfriend.
"Look, Pent. You had a growth spurt." The chipmunk said before playfully punching the other boy in the shoulder.
The smaller teen laughed at their reflection in the mirror. "Looks like it.
They continued walking past the front mirrors until they were in an enclosed area with a bunch of mirrors surrounding them. Some silly stickers had been placed on them that were designed to look like various emoji icons. A few props were placed in a small box. Pent grabbed a small white half mask that resembled the Phantom's from the famous Broadway show.
"Our lives are but one masked ball." Pent repeated one of the quotes he knew from the book.
The brown-furred boy smirked at him. "I had no idea you were a stage rat."
"I'm not. I've just read the book before." The fox took the half mask off his face.
Xavier couldn't help but laugh at him. "Why am I not surprised?"
"Want to try one? There are lots of different masks in here." The white-furred teen held up the small box with the costume tops.
The chipmunk looked into the box briefly and put on a jester mask "Now I'm a silly clown."
"Har har. Now let's see you do a trick." Pent said sticking his tongue out playfully.
The rodent bent over and did a handstand briefly causing the mask to fall off. "Ta-dah."
The chipmunk didn't last long before tumbling onto his behind. His boyfriend couldn't help but laugh. The smaller teen offered his hand to the other boy who tugged him down swiftly. The sudden action caught his boyfriend off his guard and stumbled right on top of him. Xavier pecked him on the cheek before letting him go.
"Gotcha." The bigger boy said with a smirk on his face.
Pent blushed at him briefly as he picked himself up again. Offering his paw down to the other teen. This time the bigger boy stood upright, still with that satisfied grin across his snout. His boyfriend put away the two masks before pushing the box back into a corner. The chipmunk took hold of his boyfriend's hand and the two began walking through the fun house again, not even letting him finish what he was doing.
Entering into a smaller room that fed back outside. The final mirror was just a normal one. The two teens looked back at their reflection. Each of them had a smiles on their faces. Xavier squeezed his boyfriend's hand for a moment before they moved past it. Exiting back out of it through another spinning tunnel that snapped a photo as they exited. They looked at the screen showing their picture but it was too blurry to make out so they didn't pay it much attention.
Xavier and Pent continued past the fun house and made their way through the small path between a few activities. The vendors continued to beckon to them and the other patrons, trying to get them to play the games they were peddling. Occasionally they could hear the bells and whistles of a few games that were reaching their end. Still, neither of the teens seemed that interested in them as they walked around looking for another ride to enjoy.
Toward a corner of the venue was a graviton attraction. It was a platformed attraction with seats positioned against the wall, the exterior of which resembled an alien spaceship. It was a more extreme version of the classic carnival attraction as it actually lifted off the ground. The two teens watched as the platform spun around at a higher velocity than they expected.
"That looks fun. Want to do that, Pent?" The brown-furred boy said as he looked over at his boyfriend.
The smaller teen nodded. "Yeah, it looks cool."
They made their way over to the ride. The entrance to it was a small ramp leading up to it. The metal ramp was hollow and each step they took resounded in a light thud. A small line was feeding into it with one ride attendant sitting in a booth and another checking the height of patrons. Pent and Xavier waited a few minutes as the line narrowed out and more people entered the ride. It wasn't long before it was their turn.
The two teens made their way onboard the makeshift spaceship. Inside the central spinning part of it had been retrofitted to resemble a command grid. A blinking map flashed on and off as the various lights flickered to make it seem more technologically advanced than it was. Inside a small glass cabin at the middle of it was a green alien who overlooked the entire spaceship. It's face and upper body was all that was visible but it was supposed to resemble the Xenomorph species.
Pent and Xavier made their way to the slightly angled flat chairs. Each of them eased themselves onto the flat surfaces. Once they were on it, they buckled themselves in. The ride attendant soon came around to check that everyone was secured, bringing down a chest bar to provide extra security. The fit was snug but it was designed to be a bit tight so the body didn't move as much during the higher g-forces of the ride.
A short while later the ride began to lift up off the ground. The small mechanical Xenomorph began to light up. Its face turned a bright neon green as it shifted back and forth. Once the ride was off the ground, it began to spin at a gradually ever higher speed. The thing spun faster and faster until the two boys felt as if their bodies were being pressed against the chairs. The ride tilted a bit to add an extra thrill to the attraction.
Some of the other furs on board began to scream. It wasn't really that intense of a ride but they still did it anyways. Pent and Xavier were much more brave as they enjoyed the thrills it offered. The attraction spun around as a light show rotated around inside making it look like they were traveling through the stars. Eventually the ride began to slow down and flatten out as the short ride came to an end.
The chipmunk and fox teens unbuckled themselves as they waited for the ride attendants to come around and release their chest bars. The attendant in the booth rotated around to release the locks on it. Pent and Xavier joined hands again after they hopped off the tilted seats. They made their way off the ride back down a different ramp to the side of the one they came up. Back outside they could see that more people were around now as the crowds were starting to grow larger.
Xavier pulled out his phone to check what time it was. It was still early enough in the morning that the park would have been fully functioning. He noticed a medium-sized placard with a list on it. He walked over towards it to see what it was. Sure enough, it was a preview of all the different events held at the carnival each day. Some of them had specific days they were being offered while others were every day. He noticed the wacky science show one.
"Hey, Pent. Do you want to do the wacky science show later?" The rodent pointed to it on the sign.
The smaller teen walked over to him and read the description underneath it. "Sure, that sounds fun."
"Cool, we have a bit before it starts. Let's go see what other rides there are." Xavier smiled at him glad that he'd go along with it.
The two boys began walking again past the Gravitron toward the back of the carnival. In front of them was the large Ferris wheel. Pent stuck his hand into his pocket and pulled out the two tickets his brother had given him. He figured this was his chance to be a bit more romantic with the boy he loved. The smaller teen tugged on the other to get him to follow him. Xavier followed along, unsure what his boyfriend had in mind.
They made their way to the Ferris wheel. Unlike the other side, this one had almost no line in front of it. Only a few furs were waiting as the slow ride came around to get on the gondolas. The thing was shaped in the design of a ski lift with the same purple and yellow color scheme to it. Pent and Xavier waited a few moments as the small queue worked through the entrance gate. As they got closer they could hear the sound of a light classical tune being played.
It was their turn before long, Pent handed the tickets off to the ride attendant at the entrance of it. They were fed into a machine and the two teens were allowed on board. The gondola was set up with a single row of seats instead of two. The fox and chipmunk sat next to each other waiting for the ride to start. Once the attendant moved away from the launch bay, the thing began to slowly ride upward.
The gondola rose ever more as it took them higher and higher up the wheel. Pent leaned into Xavier, glad for a moment of closeness. The bigger teen squeezed his hand as the two boys enjoyed one another's company. They looked outside of the open cabin onto the carnival below. Finding they could see just beyond it. They could see the schools as well as the greenery surrounding them. A gentle breeze blew across them bristling their fur as it carried over their body.
"This is nice." Pent nuzzled the other teen a bit into his neck.
The brown-furred boy ruffled his fur. "Yeah, it is."
"I love you, Xae." The fox said in a whisper.
The bigger teen gently kissed him on the cheek. "I love you too."
They continued to peer over the horizon. It was somewhat of a cloudy day so much of the sun was obstructed by the overcast. It didn't look like it would storm but it was far from clear out. The Ferris wheel continued to rotate around slowly. Both boys remained the way they were, seeming perfectly content to just stay like that. Every so often the ride would come to a stop, allowing them to take in more of their surroundings.
Pent and Xavier were allowed to ride for longer than they expected. Several minutes passed before they were brought to the bottom and the attendant stopped the gondola. Opening the door for them and waiting for them to get out. The fox slowly eased himself up and helped his boyfriend do the same. It was far from the most exciting ride for them but it was never about that. The two of them made their way down the exit ramp.
The fox and chipmunk continued to walk around the carnival, trying a few of the rides. The attractions were far from extravagant with all the usual includisons like bumper cars and the tilt a whirl. The star attraction of the place was the super loop, which neither of them was that interested in. Still, they rode almost everything to pass the time. After time passed, Xavier remembered it was almost time for the wacky science show.
"Let's head to the event stage, Pent." The rodent reminded his boyfriend of the show.
Pent nodded and followed along. They made their way to the center part of the carnival where the local amphitheater was being used for the larger evens. As they approached it, the two teens didn't see many people going to the event. Xavier assumed that it was because it was a science show but that didn't matter. To him, that meant he could score a front row seat for both of them.
Entrance into it was free, there was no attendant at the gate leading into the open air stadium style seating. The hung spotlights had been refitted with bright yellow lamps with some flashing purple strobe lights to finish the effect. On stage they couldn't see much as whatever was in store for them was behind a dark purple curtain. Pent and Xavier made their way to the front row and sat down together.
Behind them a few other furs, mostly parents and younger cubs, filed into the other rows. The music playing was some electronica serving as ambience. Before long the curtain pulled back a middle aged frog man wearing a lab coat appeared in front of a makeshift table. On the table before him were some chemicals and various pieces of lab equipment. The man was wearing a headset with a microphone so he could talk to the crowd.
"Good afternoon, volunteers. It is so good to see that I have so many fine folks with me on this beautiful day. Today's show will be an exhibition of the sometimes wacky area of Chemistry. I hope everyone will find it entertaining."
The man opened up some flasks and poured each of them into a small tube on the table in front of him. The frog combined various food coloring into them to further differentiate the chemicals before him. Of course, they were all the same compound with the same result in mind. Adding a catalyst to it, the liquid quickly expanded into a colorful foam and fizzed out of the tube. Some of the cubs were in the audience but Pent watched with ambivalence since he understood the dynamics of it.
"For my next trick, I will need someone from the audience." The frog said after one of his assistants came on stage to clean the foamy substance off the table and area underneath.
One of the puppies behind Xavier and Pent raised their hand and an assistant went to fetch them. The small girl was brought on stage and given a step stool. Some bowls were brought out to replace the flasks. Already a base was set inside, a rather clear substance. The frog smiled at her and offered her a syringe of colorful liquid.
"Can you help me out and squeeze out some of this into the liquid." The man said into the microphone.
The small puppy did as he asked. There was no immediate reaction but instead created small laces of the colorful compound inside the liquid. The man reached in and pulled out the same string onto his finger. Nibbling on it a bit he offered it to the small girl who wasn't quite as keen on trying whatever it was. He had her step to side and had one of his assistants give her a lab coat. Taking her over to another table where a plastic water bottle was filled with some powder.
"Now, can you please mix these?" The frog pulled out an umbrella and held it over both of them.
She did as she was told again, squeezing the remainder of the syringe into the powder. It fizzed for a few seconds before exploding upward. A violet plume of smoke erupted upward before solidifying and crumbling into smaller bits. The remainder of it fell all around them. The small puppy giggled as she picked up one of them and looked at him with a soft smile on her face.
"You can eat that if you like. It's perfectly safe." The amphibian said before shaking off the umbrella from the debris that had hit it moments before.
The small dog still wasn't quite eager enough to try the stuff. One of the frog's assistants came over to help her off the stage.
"Thank you for your help, young lady. Can I get someone a bit older for my next experiment?" The man looked into the crowd for any signs of interest.
Xavier looked at the fox boy next to him. He knew his boyfriend was shy and not one to volunteer for much of anything. Nudging him softly, the chipmunk took hold of his hand squeezed it softly.
"Come on Pent. You should go up there. Who better than you?" The bigger teen hoped to convince his boyfriend to go up.
The white-furred boy shook his head. "I don't want to. Can we leave?"
"Do you want to? I hoped you would like this. Do you not?" The brown-furred boy was a bit disappointed as he'd put a lot of thought into it.
Pent smiled at him. "I promise I do but I don't feel comfortable going up on stage."
"What if I went with you? Would that help?" The chipmunk just wanted to see his boyfriend go through it.
The fox could tell this meant a lot to Xavier. "Really? You'd do that? Okay... I'll do it then."
Slowly he raised his hand up and the rodent did so as well. The frog pointed his attendants towards them and they were guided up the stairs to the main stage. The scientist waved them over to where he was standing. Pent was very slow to go up the stairs and had to be coaxed by Xavier to come up to the top of it. It was obvious he was nervous.
"Thanks for volunteering. Are you two ready for a bit of silly fun?" The frog asked as he was handed two small squirt guns.
Pent slowly nodded but said nothing. His boyfriend squeezed his hand, knowing full well he needed his support to go through with this. The frog approached them, not seeming to mind the fact that they were holding hands. He handed each of them a squirt gun.
"Please take a few steps away from each other and squirt towards the center of the stage." The amphibian said as he took a few steps back away from the area where they were standing.
The fox and chipmunk separated a few steps apart. Pent kept his eyes on the ground, trying not to pay attention to the fact that he was being watched by a few dozen furs. He had never been good about attention and it hadn't changed, even despite his boyfriend's help. Each of them pulled the trigger on the squirt gun they'd been given. A small stream of foam ejected forward. Meeting somewhere in between the middle of them and mixing into a cascading waterfall of colors.
Pent didn't bother to look at it, his gaze remained on the floor. He was still very uncomfortable and Xavier could tell from the other side that he'd probably made a mistake. The chipmunk looked over at the frog who had noticed the distanced teen as well. The rodent walked over towards him and took hold of his hand. Finally giving in, the bigger boy led him off the stage. Despite his best efforts the whole thing had kind of blown up in his face.
The bigger boy led him away from the amphitheater. The fox had said very little but Xavier knew all too well what this meant. He took him to an isolated area of the carnival, away from the lights and sounds. The white-furred teen still kept his gaze on the floor, his hands clutched tightly together. Leaning in, the chipmunk hugged his boyfriend tightly.
"I'm sorry, Pent. I shouldn't have made you do that. I just thought you would like it." The bigger teen felt a bit guilty that he'd pushed the other boy to do something he didn't want to.
The fox softened up a bit as the comfort of his boyfriend's affection put him more at ease. It took him a moment before he came around.
The white-furred teen took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Xae…I tried."
"Don't say you're sorry. It's my fault. I should have known better. Are you feeling alright?" Xavier took a step back to make sure the other boy had relaxed a bit.
Slowly Pent turned his gaze upward. "Yeah…thanks for trying, Xae. I appreciate it."
"Did you at least like the show?" The chipmunk said with a soft smile.
Pent nodded. "Yeah, it was cool."
The fox knew how to do all of the things that the frog had shown the audience but he stopped short of saying it as he knew Xavier had put a lot of thought into taking him to it. The two boys stood there idly for a moment.
"Come on, foxy. I wanna make it up to you. You like Pokemon, right?" The rodent had played it with him a few times.
The smaller boy smiled at him. "Yeah. It's a fun game."
"Cool, let's go see what we can find." The brown-furred boy knew just the way to make it up to him.
Pent followed his boyfriend back to the main part of the carnival. He felt better now that he wasn't facing down the stares of other people. They made their way back to the area where all the different games were. Several skill challenges were lined up in a narrow row. Some of them were sports based while others were luck based. All of them looked a lot easier than they were in actuality.
Xavier stuck his hand into his pocket. He'd brought some money to spend in attempting to win his boyfriend a prize. Already in his mind, he planned to win whatever the biggest Pokemon themed thing he could find was. The teen was certain he would find something as the cultural phenomena was popular enough to be just about everywhere. Eventually they happened upon a small booth with some Pokemon plushes.
The chipmunk looked at it briefly. The plushes were of several varieties of the Pokemon Monsters. Several more common ones were present but also ones he wasn't familiar with. Neither he nor Pent were big gamers, even despite playing Pokemon sometimes. The bigger boy looked back at his boyfriend who seemed to have taken interest in some of the prizes. This was the opportunity he'd been looking forward and he wasn't about to stand down.
The challenge in front of them was a rope bridge. Four rope bridges had been set up at an angle with each of them leading up to a small bell that had to be rung. A primate woman was taking care of the station and eyed them as they approached her booth.
"Can I help you boys?" She asked with hopeful aspiration that they would participate.
Xavier thought about it for a moment before asking the obvious question. "How much for a try?"
"It's $5 for 2 tries and $10 for 5 tries. Are you interested?" The lanky woman crossed her arms expectantly.
The brown-furred boy considered going elsewhere before digging the money out of his pocket. "Okay, I'll try twice."
The rodent handed over $5 to her as she let him in the play area. Beneath each of the rope bridges was a large padded mat that served as a fall area. The challenge was designed for people to fail and very few succeeded. Pent stayed to the side by where the fence was looking into the area where his boyfriend now approached one of the rope bridges.
"You can do it, Xae. I know you can." Pent cheered him on, though he didn't raise his voice much.
The chipmunk smiled. He was confident he could get up at least half way. After all, how hard could it be. He approached the rope bridge and lowered himself down onto it. The thing shifted back and forth as his weight adjusted into it. The rope bridge twisted a bit but Xavier still had one of his feet anchored to the ground. Once it had stopped moving, the rodent moved his other foot so now both of them were on the bridge.
Xavier slowly moved up it, taking one slow foot upward at a time. Each time he did so, the bridge shifted in the same direction. He was able to keep himself stable, using his hands as a way to keep the thing straight. He had only made it three steps so far but his confidence continued to grow with each step he took. The chipmunk boy took a deep breath as he neared the center of the rope bridge.
Pent watched him with interest as the boy continued to climb upward. The vendor was paying him no mind. After all, she was just as confident he would fall. Xavier continued to climb slowly but surely upward. Eventually, the rope bridge spun around, leaving the chipmunk upside down. Xavier clutched onto the hemp with the full might of his muscles, wrapping his legs around the lower portion of it while he finagled the top and caused it to shift upright again.
The brown-furred boy could now see the bell within what he thought was a close enough range to touch. It was tempting but he decided to take a few more steps before trying to ring it. Continuing to climb upward as he gripped the very end of the rope and grasped the knot tying it to the end. This was the moment he'd been waiting for. Ringing the bell, he hopped off the rope bridge and puffed out his chest proudly.
The woman looked over at him in awe. It wasn't every day that she'd had a winner let alone one that had managed to do so in one try. She hadn't paid attention much and was certain he'd cheated.
Still, she wasn't about to cause a fuss as she was still under the quota for the day.
"Alright…which plush do you want?" She said after a moment of hesitation.
Xavier walked over toward where Pent was. "Which one do you want, foxy?"
The white furred boy looked at some of the plushes. His favorite wasn't up there so he decided to pick Chespin instead.
"I want that one. It kind of looks like you, Xae." He pointed at it.
The vendor for the stall climbed up on the footstool before grabbing the plush and throwing it over to the fox boy. Pent was all too glad to take it. She soon walked over toward him and refunded him the change as she knew he wasn't going to do it again. Xavier smirked at her, knowing he'd beat the system but he wasn't about to gloat about it. All he cared about was making Pent happy. He looked back at his boyfriend who had a big smile on his face.
"Let's go grab lunch then we can head out. This place is kind of a drag." Xavier said as he was tired of the carnival since it didn't have much to do for kids their age.
Pent clutched the plush and held it tightly under his arm. "Alright, sounds good."
They made their way back through the row of vendors to the area of the carnival where the food carts were. Some of them were set up in open tents while others had larger trucks. The fox decided to take the lead and guided his boyfriend over to the Asian cart. He knew that Xavier was fond of Chinese food and figured it would be a nice treat after a long day at the carnival. He took some money out of his wallet.
Each of them ordered what they wanted. Much of the food was situated on hot plates and was prepared previously. Some heat lamps sat overtop them to keep them warm in addition to the burners that had been turned on low underneath. The server scooped up the food in a large spoon before placing it on the paper plates for consumption. Both of the boys chose stir fry dishes as it was a meal they both enjoyed.
Pent and Xavier both took their plates as they were handed to them. The fox paid for the food and tipped the server a small amount. He thanked the younger boy before they went on their way. Just in the middle of the food court area was a dining spot. Several tables had been set up with each of them stringing long enough to accommodate multiple patrons at once. Only a few of them had people on them.
The chipmunk and found an open space and took a seat. Nearby an insect lamp had been set up to deter them from flying near food. Pent placed the plush to the side and the two of them began eating the food. It was far from the most tasty dish but it was better than nothing. One of the workers was going around and handing out soda cans to those who wanted it. Each of the boys took one for themselves. Drinks were free so long as you bought food.
The two boys continued to eat their meals. The servings were by no means large but it was lunch so neither of them ate much anyways. Once they were done, they disposed of their garbage and washed down the food with the drinks they'd been given.
"What do you want to do now?" Pent asked as he wanted to do something his boyfriend wanted.
The bigger teen thought about it for a moment. "Hmm, it's been a while since we went to the skate park. Want to go?"
"Sure, we can just rent stuff." The fox said as he grabbed his plush from the area he left it.
Xavier motioned for his boyfriend to follow him. The two of them began heading out of the food court and back through the rows of food trucks and carts. The exit was nearby and when they were asked if they wanted a stamp to get back in, both said no. Continuing out, they went to grab Xavier's bike from the rack where he left it. Pent tied the plushes arms around his neck so he could rise more easily. The bigger boy unlocked his vehicle while Pent changed back into his skates before they mounted them and headed out away from the carnival back into town.
The fox and chipmunk rode through the town to the other side of it. A smaller skate park was just outside of the town near where some construction was occurring. They were building some office buildings but little progress had been made since there hadn't been much interest in leasing them. The sidewalks near it had been closed but the city had roped off a paved path on the streets so that people could get around it.
They arrived at the skate park before long. It was a smaller facility with a few bowls, ramps, pipes, and a flatter riding surface for beginners. It had recently been finished so much of the equipment was newer with very little wear shown on the various trick sites. The city had even built a large wall where graphiti artists could freely express their creativity. Already there was a small mural with various drawings on it.
"Want to just do the trail instead? It's a nice day out." Xavier suggested as he figured it would be a nice change from what they usually did there.
Pent nodded. "Sure, I've never been down it. That sounds fine."
The chipmunk took the lead and pedaled a bit faster, just enough for him to be in front before he resumed pace. The two teens followed through the skate park to the side of it. Just behind it was a trail that led through a small wooded area. It wasn't quite a park due to the construction site nearby but the city had left it there as scenery and as part of its environmental protection programs.
Xavier and Pent pedaled through the narrow path that led into an outcropping of trees. There wasn't quite enough of them around to block out the sun but it still got a bit darker. The path twisted and turned as it led away from the skate park toward the wooded area. It was paved and only had one way so there weren't any options for turning. It was far from the most difficult trail they had ever traversed.
The bigger boy eventually grew tired of following the trail and hopped onto the grassy greens. Pent was hot on his tail as they went off the beaten path. Finding their way to a small open area with a fountain at the center of it. The water no longer ran at the fountain but it was apparent that it did at one point. Around it a small pool of water sat stagnant and neglected. Leaves clumped up and floated around it's top showing it hadn't been tended in some time.
Xavier came to a stop nearby it. He had never seen the fountain before. The statue at the center of it resembled a fairy with it's hands tilted upwards and it's mouth open. Moss clung to the side of it with some of the stone finish crumbling off as if it had been hit by something. The fox followed soon after and stopped along side him. Unsure of why his boyfriend ahd stopped at the fountain he looked at him without saying anything.
"Wanna chill here for a bit? We could rest our feet in the water since we've been walking around all morning." The chipmunk figured it would be better than wandering around aimlessly.
Pent sat down on the side of it to take his skates off. "Yeah, I like the sound of that."
The fox teen took the plush off his shoulders and hung it off Xavier's bike. Bending down so he could untie his skates and take his socks off. His boyfriend joined him before long. The two of them creeped over to where the water was. There was a small ledge overlooking where the pool of algae filled water was. Neither boy was bothered by it as it wasn't like they were going to bathe in it or drink it.
Pent submerged his paws inside the water before his boyfriend did the same. They were sitting next to one another so Pent's left paw was pushed against Xavier's right paw. The two sat there idly for a moment.
"This has been a nice day, huh?" Xavier said before turning his neck to face the other teen.
Pent met his gaze. "Yeah, it's been fun. The carnival wasn't great but I enjoyed spending time with you."
"I liked spending time with you too." The chipmunk leaned in and kissed his boyfriend passionately on the lips.
Pent leaned in and embraced the kiss, returning it with much the same affection as the other boy. Only breaking it after a few moments but joining hands once again. The chipmunk poked his toes into the other boy's paws, teasing him a bit.
"Wanna go hang out at my place since we can't spend time together tomorrow?" The rodent asked since he had private coaching the following day.
The smaller teen straightened up. "Yeah, I don't have to be home until tonight."
They got up from sitting at the side of the fountain and both of them put their socks back on. Not thinking much about the fact that their paws were still wet. Pent hung the plush back around his neck and relaced his skates around his feet.. His boyfriend joined in kind, mounting his bike, and the two teens were off before long once again.
The chipmunk and fox made their way back down the same trail they came. Snaking back around the skate park to the main part of town. It was now later in the afternoon so traffic had picked up a bit. Cars were much more out and about as they traveled to wherever they were going. The two teens kept to the sidewalks, occasionally taking some back roads to save time. Xavier's home was about a half hour from where they were, so it took them a while before they arrived at his house.
The two teens pulled into the front yard of Xavier's home a short time later. Only his mother's car was in the parking space out front but it wasn't clear if anyone was home. Xavier hopped off his bike and unlocked the door for both of them. His boyfriend wasn't far behind as he'd been following at a close distance but he had stopped to take his skates off outside. Making sure to bring the plush with him so it didn't get stolen or otherwise missing on his boyfriend's front porch.
"Hey, Mom. Are you home?" Xavier shouted once they were inside.
There was no response which meant that either she was outside or in the back doing yard work. The rodent decided to check in the back and quickly padded away from the front door. His boyfriend in the meanwhile shut he door behind them and took his shoes off while he waited. Pent took the plush off his shoulders and placed it on a nearby couch. It wasn't long before the bigger teen returned.
"Looks like we're alone. I guess my mom must have gone somewhere with my Dad. I'm not surs since I'm home earlier than I said I would be." The brown furred boy shrugged.
Pent thought about it a moment. "Do you want to text them?"
"Nah, it doesn't matter. It's not like they would care if you came over anyway. They know how often we hang out. It's not like we're doing something behind their back." The bigger teen usually respected the rules and seldom got in trouble with his parents.
The fox nodded at him. "Yeah, I guess you're right."
"Want to watch a movie together?" The chipmunk suggested the first thing to come to his mind.
The white-furred teen's tail wagged behind him. "That sounds fun."
Xavier shuffled off his shoes and padded over to the sofa. The fox teen hopped over it and joined him on the other side. Grabbing the remote, he handed it to the chipmunk. It was very rare that Pent chose what he wanted to watch. After all his preferences were far from popular for kids his age and he didn't want to bore Xavier. The rodent patted the spot next to him as he began to roll through the channels.
Eventually, he landed on a streaming channel where they could pick whatever they wanted. The rodent knew both of them liked Wuxia so he scrolled through some of them until he found a more recent release "Ne Zha". An animated film that according to the summary under the title had been a smash hit in China. He had never heard about it but the few French reviews he saw, it seemed to be good. They watched the trailer for a few moments.
"This seems good. Want to watch it?" Xavier asked since both of them seemed interested enough in it.
The white-furred teen nodded as he leaned against the other boy, resting his head against his chest. The bigger boy eased his arms around him, holding him tightly. Clicking play on it, they began to watch the movie together. It was a movie based on a mythological story by the same name and of the struggle of two epic forces between the spirit pearl and demon orb. Only for the two forces to come together when greater and more evil things present a world-ending threat.
It was an action-packed film with a lot of engaging over-the-top fight scenes. The main character overcomes his origins and defies his destiny even when he is told it will end his life. Instead setting out on honing his skills to save his parents and the village he was born in. When his true nature is revealed to him, Ne Zha almost falls from grace until his best friend steps in at the last moment. Coming together to save the world from the vengeance of the gods.
Pent and Xavier watch the film with interest. Neither take their eye off of it for a moment. The bigger boy keeps his arms draped over the smaller one. His head rested against one of the fox's shoulders. The chipmunk's parents return toward the end of it. The sound of the television playing catches them off guard but it doesn't alarm them. They discover the who boys laying over each other on the couch.
"You two are home early." Xavier's mother says with a soft smile on her face.
The chipmunk boy looked up at her. "Yeah, the carnival was kind of boring."
"Your father and I are going to make dinner. Is your boyfriend staying?" The woman already knew the answer to this but asked anyways.
The brown-furred boy nodded. "Can he?"
"I mean…he's already here. Are you okay with Pent staying for dinner, hon?" His mother wanted to make sure her husband was alright with it.
The older male looked over at her. "Certainly. I don't mind but he has to go home after dinner and Xavier?"
"Yeah, dad?" The teen didn't bother to look over the couch as he was too comfortable.
His father peered over the couch looking at both of them. "You need to do your homework without his help this time. Deal?"
"But dad…." The rodent looked up at him.
The older chipmunk had a look of sincerity on his face. "But nothing. You can't always rely on him for help."
"Alright, Dad. I promise." Xavier gave in as he didn't like to argue.
His mother smiled at him and both of them walked away from the couch. The chipmunk and fox teens remained on the couch being lazy, watching a sports broadcast. It didn't really interest them since it still was too early in the year to cover hockey or lacrosse but they watched it to pass time. It was a short while before the rodents parents called them into the kitchen. Pent got up first and helped the bigger boy do the same.
Both of them went into the kitchen and found the table had been set already. Xavier was used to doing this so he looked at them curiously.
"You don't want me to help?" The brown-furred teen was a bit surprised.
His mother shook her head. "Another night."
The extended family joined each other at the table. As always the two boys sat together. Xavier's parents more or less considered Pent a part of the family now, even if he wasn't related. After all the closeness of their relationship had only become stronger and his parents were well aware of it. They were happy that he had found someone he was not only comfortable with but happy with as well, regardless of whether it was another boy or not.
They ate together and shared details of their day. Xavier's parents asked about the carnival but there wasn't much to share. The two teens talked about the few rides they went on and Pent gushed about Xavier's feat with the rope bridge. Going into way too much detail, as he often did when he was talking about the boy he loved. Xavier's parents couldn't help but smile as they could see just how far they had come along since they first met.
When the meal was over, the two boys helped with the cleanup. It was now getting later and already it was dark outside.
Xavier's old man approached them from behind. "It's time to take Pent home, Xavier."
"Okay, Dad. Good night, Pent. I love you." The brown furred boy said before planting a soft kiss on his boyfriends cheek.
Pent returned the kiss with one of his own. "Good night, Xae. I love you too. Let me know how training goes tomorrow."
"I will. See you later." The chipmunk teen waved to him as he continued cleanup on his own.
Pent was shown to the door but stopped by the couch to grab the plush Xavier had won for him. The older male looked at him with a brief stare but said nothing about it. They headed outside together and Pent put his skates into the back seat of the man's vehicle. Soon the two of them were underway, making their way towards the fox's apartment. The teen texted his brother to let him know he was on his way home.
They arrived after a short while and the boy thanked the man for his hospitality. Pent grabbed his plush from the seat and his skates from the rear inside. Taking both inside as he was wished well. Xavier's father was off after a short delay, leaving him on his own. The fox made a short trek inside back, not seeming to mind the fact he was walking in just his socks. Making his way back upstairs, he stretched and yawned as it had been a long day.
Upon returning inside, he found his brother playing away on the front television. Samaliel didn't seem that concerned by the fact he was late but Pent knew he was old enough now to handle himself. Pent decided to not bother him and took off his dirty socks off, placing the skates in a closet near the door. Heading to their room to grab his pajamas to wind down for the night before Going through his usual hygiene routine and then finally retiring to bed.
It wasn't until he was reading a book that Samaliel showed up. "How was it?"
"Eh, it wasn't that great." Pent said shortly without taking his eyes off the page.
Samaliel noticed the plush on the bed. "What's with the plushy?"
"Xavier won it for me. It's cute." The older fox said without much thought to it.
The salt and pepper boy chuckled a bit. "Of course he did. Did you have fun at least?"
"Yeah, I enjoyed spending time with him." Pent finally put down the book.
The younger boy started to go up the ladder toward the top bunk. "That's good. Good night, Pent."
"Good night, Sama." The white fox decided it was a good time to go to bed as well.
He got up to return his book to the shelf. Climbing a few steps up, he dipped his head over to kiss his brother on the forehead. Retiring back down to the bottom, he gazed out towards the stars. Twinkling lights glistened back at him. The older fox was still riding high from spending the day with the boy he loved. Closing his eyes, he tried to rest his mind to go to sleep. It took a short while before he finally fell to slumber. His thoughts were visited by no dreams that night.
It had been a fun day, even if the carnival wasn't very memorable. Both boys enjoyed spending time with one another. For both of them, it was another perfect day together. Always able to see through thick and thin no matter what happened between them. Trying their best to understand each other's needs, and doing their best to make the other happy. Always doing better with each passing day. Growing ever closer…ever earnest to see it through with all the passion and love in their heart.
