"Hi mom."

"My sweet baby pumpkin, are you alright?" Matt's mother worriedly asked. "Do you need any help? Should we book a train to Zootopia? Your father and I could be there today."

Quickly, the bunny answered, "Mom, I'm fine. I promise. You don't have to worry." He was wishing he had just answered Emma's call. "I'm just a little tired, that's all."

His mom's breathing slowed, but the silence made it obvious that she was deciding if she believed him. He looked up at Liam, who was waiting patiently for the bunny as he bounced Kyle in his arms. Matt felt guilty for making the hyena wait. He was already taking so much of his time without standing around in the middle of the parking lot. Matt continued walking and Liam followed without a word. As they walked, an ambulance across the street swiftly approached the hospital.

"Is that a siren?" His mother asked. "Are you at the hospital?"

Matt rubbed his paw on his forehead. The road to calming her down got much more complicated.

"Yes, but we're already leaving. It was nothing serious. I'm fine, really." He had an idea, muzzletime would prove that he was fine. He held the phone in front of him and initiated the muzzletime and as soon as his mom popped on screen he moved the phone around to show his whole body. The video was a little bumpy since he kept walking. "See? I'm fine."

His mom looked shocked. Matt's blood ran cold, and he started looking himself over. Everything seemed fine, so what was the matter? He'd only made her more worried, now.

"What's wrong-" The bunny looked back at the screen and his nose twitched.

His mom smiled mischievously. Her concern had vanished, and her eyes shone with playful inquiry. "We?"

A shiver ran down his back. He desperately wanted to backtrack the conversation. "I-"

She interrupted him, "When I think about it, I always get a text when my kits are checked into the hospital. It didn't happen today and we already established that you are, indeed, at the hospital."

Matt gulped. He wanted to tell them when everything was already settled. Not like this.

"You clearly didn't sleep well, and Emma would've known if you were helping your friend."

What should he say? Liam gave him a side glance. The hyena tried not to listen, but since they were on speaker he didn't have much choice.

"So what happened to... Kyle?" She said with a big grin.

It was happening whether he was ready for it or not. Matt gripped the phone harder. "He ate something that he shouldn't have. It was nothing serious. I overreacted and called an ambulance. He's a little weak because I didn't give him his medicine right away."

His mom had a beaming smile on her muzzle. "Foster care, or adoption?"

"Foster care."

"I knew that you were going to take him!" She looked around the room. "I told your father that you liked that kit way too much to let him stay at the orphanage. He'll be so happy to hear the news when he comes back from the shop."

Matt's nose twitched. "Mom, I'm just fostering him."

She nodded politely, "Of course, honey. When do you think that we'll be able to meet him? If it makes it easier for you, we can come to you so you won't have to worry about getting permission to travel with him."

Matt bit his lip. "I'm not sure if that's a good idea."

She waved her paw, "Not right away. I know that he needs a few weeks to settle in. And don't worry about us. I know that the situation with predators in Zootopia is scary, but we can get a taxi straight from the train station so we won't be around any predators. We'll go sightseeing another time. Something so small won't stop me from meeting my new grand-"

Matt's eyes went wide and his ears shot up. "Mom! You can't say that!"

She sighed. "Yes, you're right. I shouldn't be using labels like that until it becomes official or you can get in trouble. I just got a little over excited." She furrowed her brows. "Where is Kyle?"

Matt glanced over. The hyena looked ahead blankly, while the fox made no effort to hide his eavesdropping. "My friend is helping me get him home."

She smiled softly. "I know that you have an office job but you really should exercise more if a seven year old is too much for you."

"I'm perfectly fit..." He paused for a second, "Kyle is just big."

His mother giggled softly. "He's still just a kit, even if he's big for his age. Can I see him?"

Matt's ears dropped. "He's exhausted right now… Wouldn't it be better to see him when he's rested?"

Liam looked at him, but he remained expressionless. Matt was too tired to deal with the fallout, and could only hope that the hyena could understand that. He wasn't gonna hide it forever. He just needed a few more hours and a nap. His mother was so excited and happy for him… It wouldn't be lying if he didn't tell her right this moment. It wasn't his fault if they thought he was fostering a bunny and he would adopt him later. He could let her live that fantasy for a few more hours before it crashes and burns.

Her eyes shone. "We can do that of course. But you'll have to be ready for constant messages from me, and your father, and your siblings. The group chat's gonna go crazy."

Oh no. He really didn't need all that attention right now. There was no way he was going to get his mom to keep it under wraps without making her more suspicious... And he couldn't just turn off his phone because he was waiting on the call from Bob. Matt would have to endure an all out attack from his family. How long would it take for him to eventually break? His story would only add fuel to the fire. Maybe it would really be better to just rip the bandage off. He said slowly. "I'll show him to you on two conditions: You have to promise that you won't freak out and that you keep it a secret for a little longer."

"Matt, I can't keep it a secret from your father... What's going on?"

Matt stroked his long ears. "Okay, you can tell him, but please promise you'll both keep it a secret."

"We have a deal, young man. Now let me see him!" She was bouncing with excitement.

Matt waved at Liam, signaling the hyena to stop and crouch. They arrived at the bus stop so Liam smiled softly and crouched right next to it. Matt gulped and turned until the kit came into frame. At first his mother smiled softly and expectantly, as if she was waiting for him to show her Kyle. But as Matt grew more and more uncomfortable, the realisation dawned on her. The fox kit that was curiously studying her was Kyle. She opened her mouth to say something but stopped herself. She collected her thoughts and smiled softly.

"Hello. My name is Barbra. I'm Matt's mom. It's really nice to meet you." She looked a little tense but Matt hoped that it was just from shock.

Kyle looked at the screen and tilted his head. He instinctively sniffed but obviously the phone produced no scent.

"Can you say hi to my mom?" Matt asked.

The fox nodded and waved shyly at the phone.

"He doesn't talk a lot." Matt explained.

"That's not a problem." She looked as if she wanted to say more, but instead held her tongue. Her eyes lingered on the big arm of whoever was holding the boy. She snapped back to Matt and said, "I've gotta go, I'm running late. I'll call you later when we've got more time to talk. I love you."

"I love you, too, mom." And his mother disconnected.

Matt put the phone back in his pocket and looked shocked. Liam stood up and looked down the street at the bus in the distance.

"It wasn't too bad." Liam said.

Matt's thoughts lingered on the conversation as he said, "Yeah. I imagined it going much worse."

It was hard to tell what she thought about it since she ran away so quickly but at least she didn't freak out from just seeing Kyle. The information was all sprung on her out of nowhere, and she undoubtedly needed time to process it and talk about it with his father.

The bus stopped in front of them and they all stepped in, taking an empty set of seats in the back.

"So where are we going?" Liam asked.

"Hedge street. It should take us twenty to twenty five minutes to get there."

Matt felt a huge wave of relief. Kyle was going home with him. The kit was fine and he was fine. His mother didn't lose her mind when she learned the truth. They lived through it. Suddenly all the adrenaline and worry that had kept him awake this long had left him. He couldn't believe how tired he was. His eyelids were so heavy. Maybe he could close his eyes for five seconds and let them rest. Liam was there so he didn't need to be that vigilant. He couldn't describe how pleasant it felt to let his eyes close. It felt as if he had done it for the first time in hours. Five seconds just wasn't enough so it turned into a minute and after that a pleasant nothingness of sleep overtook him.

"""

Liam was holding Kyle in his lap. It felt awkward to hold a kit that wasn't related to him. He tried his best to ignore the mammals watching them. This time it felt different. They weren't watching him because he was a hyena, they were watching because of who he was there with. It was something new to process. The three of them together were an unusual sight for sure. In a weird way he was glad that mammals were looking out for Matt and Kyle, even if that put the hyena in a bad light.

Matt was resting against Liam's abdomen, sleeping heavily as he snuggled the backpack in his lap. As he looked down at the bunny, Liam was overcome with a feeling of worry. Matt was supposed to be vigilant, and make sure it was safe to be around the hyena. That was the entire reason the bunny had the taser in his backpack. But in spite of his worry, a strange new feeling began to arise. He realized that this was the first time a prey animal had fallen asleep near him.

This was unprecedented, and the hyena had no idea how to respond. Was the bunny crazy? Liam couldn't imagine this happening even under normal circumstances, but now? While the whole of Zootopia was on high alert with predators? Liam himself was guarded about falling asleep near other predators, and Matt just fell asleep. Liam's heart beat faster as warmth flooded his chest.

The bus turned and Matt swayed away from Liam. Without thinking, the hyena reached his paw over Matt's shoulder and pulled him back against his side. He looked back forward with a smile, only to be confronted by two big, icy-blue eyes. The hyena's smile faltered as the boy quietly stared.

"What?" Liam asked as his ears turned red.

Kyle shrugged without looking away.

"I'm just making sure that he doesn't fall down while the bus is turning. He really needs a nap. He didn't sleep too much."

Kyle's ears dropped and he anxiously looked at the bunny. Liam gulped. He really should think a little before talking. The hyena gently rubbed the fox's back. "He cares about you a lot. You know that, right?"

Kyle looked back at the hyena and tilted his head to the side.

"It's true." Liam smiled. "He changed so much so he could help you, take you home." Liam looked at the bunny with a kind expression. "So when he worries about you, just remember it isn't a bad thing. I know that it feels like it is, but it shows how much he cares. My advice is to let him. Because he'll do it, whether you want him to or not. And I'm sure that he's happy that he gets to."

Kyle doubtfully furrowed his brow.

"Really, think about it. You worry about Matt, right?"

The fox pulled at the hem of his t-shirt and he nodded slowly.

"It's because you like him. Aren't you happy that you have someone that you like that much?"

Kyle furrowed his brow once again and looked at the bunny. The kit was deep in his thoughts and he went through a few different expressions. For a moment, Liam thought that he went a little overboard with his explanation. It might've been too big of a concept for a kit. But then Kyle gently wagged his tail and nodded softly.

"It's the same for him. And I'll tell you a secret." Liam leaned closer to the boy. "I'm also happy that I get to worry about him and you." Liam hugged Matt tighter. "Just don't give me too many reasons to worry."

"You didn't know me." Kyle said with a sweet childish voice and a puzzled expression.

Liam was startled by the boy speaking. He was half expecting to only hear Kyle's voice when he talks to Matt.

"Yeah... um." All the intelligence and confidence that he had went out of the window. Liam rubbed the back of his head. "Matt talks about you."

Liam kicked himself mentally. Real smooth, great job.

The bus krept slowly through the city while Liam watched the buildings and pondered. Kyle had a point. He didn't really know the kit, so why did he get unreasonably invested in him? Matt asked him the same thing a few weeks back. Part of it was Kyle being a fox. Liam felt a weird comradery with another species that had it tougher than most. But it felt so shallow when Kyle sat in his lap. Maybe it had something to do with the way Matt talked about the boy. Always determined to help Kyle. He was curious about the mammal that made the bunny change so much. But to him, all those reasons felt unfair to Kyle.

"I think that I was worried about you because you're important to Matt." Liam smiled. "But I'm looking forward to actually getting to know you."

Liam was very proud of his answer. It was honest. Maybe Matt would need more help and Liam would get to spend more time with the boy. The bus stopped in front of a supermarket and mammals lazily got off the bus while others patiently waited at the bus stop for their turn to get on.

The brick architecture of the Meadowlands looked so interesting. It was filled with decades of interesting stories that could be seen on The Meadowlands' streets. It was something that modern districts were lacking. He made a mental note to take a walk through the area once the issue with predators was resolved. He looked up to see where they had stopped and saw that it was Hedge Street. Oh crap.

Mammals had already started getting on the bus. Liam looked at the sleeping bunny. They didn't have time to wake him up. He gently lifted Kyle so he would rest on his chest and held his arm under the boy. With the same arm he grabbed the bag from the bunny before grabbing the back of Matt's shirt and picked him so Matt's head would rest on the hyena's shoulder. Without any second to spare he ran out of the bus just as the doors were closing.

Mammals began staring as he awkwardly stood at the bus stop. Then something much worse happened. Liam felt Matt begin to stir and he heard a small yawn. Oh gods. For a split second he considered just dropping Matt and pretending that nothing happened. It was one thing to pick up a kit when he was asked to, but it was another thing entirely to do that to an adult without permission. Liam's ears dropped and he completely froze up.

Matt blinked and looked around in sleepy confusion when his eyes met Liam's. The bunny's eyes went wide and before he had a chance to say anything, Liam crouched and placed him on the ground. "I'm so sorry. You were sleeping and I wasn't paying attention to where we were. When I realised it was our stop I didn't have time to wake you up."

Matt's brain was going into overdrive to catch up to the rest of his body. The bunny frantically looked around, but when he laid eyes on Kyle something clicked in his mind and the shock melted from his muzzle.

"It's alright." Matt waived. "I'm not mad."

"Are you sure?" Liam asked, his voice still full of worry.

"Yes, I'm not going to report you." The bunny smiled. "You were just helping me out."

Liam rubbed the back of his head. "That's good. I heard a lot of horror stories of mammals going to jail for doing just that."

"Yeah…" Matt agreed sadly but soon after his ears shot up. "In that case. I officially give you permission to pick me up. So you won't have to worry about that in the future."

They stared at each other. It was supposed to be a sweet gesture, but it quickly turned awkward. Both of their ears became red and Liam didn't know how to answer.

"Thanks." Liam finally broke the silence. "Should we get going?"

"Yes." Matt reached for his backpack. "Let me carry that."

"Sure."

Matt put on the backpack but before he started to walk, he looked over at the supermarket.

"Do you need to buy something?" Liam asked.

"Some food for Kyle, but I can order a takeout. I don't want to leave him alone at the house."

Liam looked at his watch. "I don't mind a quick shopping trip."

Matt's ears dropped. "I don't want to take more of your time."

Liam waved his paw. "It's only a few minutes and it would make a big difference for you."

"Ok, so let's make it quick." Matt nodded and they both walked through the mostly empty parking lot towards the supermarket.

Being late morning on a work day meant the store was bound to be empty. As they walked, they basked in the warm morning sun. Every few steps Matt would quickly glance at Liam, but he kept looking ahead as his ears got more red.

"You know," Matt said, trying to sound casual, "that was the first time that someone has picked me up."

"Really?" Liam adjusted his grip on Kyle to make it more comfortable for the fox. "I would have expected it to happen more often to smaller species."

"Well, the law actively discourages bigger mammals from doing that, and most of the smaller mammals would never admit that they need help like that." The bunny looked embarrassed. "In my case, I never had a friend outside of my size category before you."

"That makes sense. I didn't have smaller friends before you, and for sure I would never do that to a random mammal." The grin grew on Liam's muzzle. "So did you enjoy your first time with me?"

Matt's eyes went wide and his ears burned. The bunny looked at Kyle who curiously listened to adults' conversation. The joke flew way over the kit's head. The hyena giggled at Matt's reaction.

"I can ask you the same thing. Was it everything that you hoped for?" Matt tried to embarrass the hyena in return.

Liam rubbed his chin. "I always thought that it would be with someone bigger so I could really feel it."

Matt stumbled and had to wave his arms around to stop himself from falling down. The bunny was convinced that all the fur on his ears had just been burned away. And then he heard it, in the middle of an almost empty parking lot. A high pitched but at the same time guttural laugh coming from the hyena. It was so rhythmical. The laugh that every evil hyena did at least once in the movies, a natural hyena laugh.

Matt looked at Liam shocked. The sound was so familiar, but the way the bunny's friend delivered it was so different. A big, honest, toothy smile decorated Liam's muzzle, and it made the hyena's eyes shine. The hyena's shoulders were moving up and down in tandem with the laugh, rocking Kyle. And the warmth, the warmth that filled the sound was like a cozy blanket on a cold day. The world was suddenly better because it had Liam's laugh in it. Matt still had a lot of problems to deal with. The nap provided only a small boost to his energy. But for a brief moment it didn't matter. The bunny was filled with so much joy that he joined the hyena in laughter.

Kyle looked between the two as he tried to figure out what joke he missed. Liam put his paw over his muzzle to finally stop himself and looked uncertainly at the laughing bunny. "I'm sorry. Normally I'm much better at keeping it down. I'm not sure what came over me."

"Don't be." Matt's eyes shined. "You have a beautiful laugh."