Chapter 3

First Date

Written by: FairlyOddFaller and SmilingDolphins

Having brought himself to finally admit out loud that he's gay, and all-but asked to be the mammal who coaxed it out of him's boyfriend, Vulperne was now allowing Crodut to escort him to his hotel room, making small talk along the way, just barely loud enough to hear each other lest some nosy mammal be listening in on them. In truth, Vulperne was in a sort of lucid daze, aware of his surroundings and his conversation with Crodut, but he felt like he was dreaming at the same time. The hotel was within walking distance of the cafe, so it only took them a few minutes to reach it. Vulperne spoke to the receptionist to receive his room key, and they made their way to room 2.

"Keep it quiet!" Vulperne whispered, "Delphin's in room one."

He's still nervous, Crodut thought as they entered the room. I wish I could do something to help him relax. Wait, I got it!

Crodut fanned his face. "Whoo, is it me, or is it hot in here?"

Vulperne turned and nearly fell over at the sight of Crodut removing his shirt. He could feel the blood rushing to his ears as he involuntarily took in the sights. Crodut smirked.

"What's the matter, Vulpes," he asked, turning to one side and placing a paw on his hip, "ya like what ya see?"

"I, err…" Vulperne was so focused on the view, he couldn't process his words. The cream-colored fur running down Crodut's body was marked by the rounded bottoms of two well-defined pecs, with six taut points of muscle running down his stomach. He couldn't tell if Crodut worked out, or if this was his natural body type, but there was one thing he certainly couldn't deny: Crodut wasn't just handsome, he was hot! Vulpes finally shook himself back to the present. "Eheh, you really want to destroy my sanity, don't you?"

"Well…" he began, stretching himself simply to give Vulpes more viewing angles, "...I noticed you were still a bit...agitated...and I don't want you uncomfortable on what is essentially our first date, so I thought I'd give you a treat. I'm well aware that I'm a looker, and I saw how you were staring at me with a shirt, so… Besides, that shirt's a bit tight right now since I need a fur cut.

"Heh, well, thanks, I think. But I'd hardly call this a date; it's only been a few minutes."

"Don't worry about that, I texted ma when you were half-spaced out, and she said I could stick around for a bit. I didn't name you, but she probably figured it out on her own."

Vulpes was surprised by how forward Crodut was being. Come to think of it, maybe it was his way of trying to calm his convictions. He was making it as clear as possible that there was no shame in being gay by being unapologetically relentless. That warmed Vulpes' heart. Could this lynx be the one? He'd never once had a boyfriend due to, well, his convictions, but to find the one on his first go, could that really be happening?

"Wow, your mom...your mom seems nice. Wish I could say the same for my parents. They'd reject me if they found out. But I'd rather not go into that right now. This is a date, so we should do something date-worthy."

"Well, considering that you want to keep this confidential, I'd say dinner is out. How about a movie? There's this cheesy vampire rom-com I've wanted to check out; I've heard it's ironically good."

"Vampire?"

"Heh, yeah, I know, but I just think vampires are cool."

"That...actually makes sense. Sangelui, "Sang" as in "Blood", sounds like the name of a vampire lineage."

"I...you know, you're right. I can't believe I never realized that! So, are you game?"

"Hey, you have more experience with dates than me; you lead, I'll follow."

So they settled down onto the love seat next to the bed, Crodut pulled out his phone and started up a movie called "Dusk". They spent the next couple hours chuckling at the less-than-stellar movie, though Crodut was quick to point out aspects of their portrayal of vampires that he liked. By the time of the climax, they were nodding off and ultimately fell asleep in each other's arms.

As the sun rose over Vosstad, signaling the dawn of a new day, some of the morning light managed to sneak through the gap in the hotel room's curtains at just the right angle to hit Vulperne square in the eyes.

"E-mmph, ugh, that's bright!" he moaned. Even though it wasn't broad daylight, his natural night vision made it aggravating to be in direct light. As he tried to orient himself, he realized that something fluffy, yet also firm, was curled around him. Or was he curled around it? And why was he on the couch? He turned his head and saw Crodut's face. The lynx was still sound asleep.

Oh, that's right. Crodut and I were having our first date here. Guess we must've dozed off.

Looking down at the sleeping lynx brought a warmth to his body that he'd never truly felt before. It wasn't a lustful warmth, but a comforting one. Like the feeling of being able to trust someone with everything you are. Yeah, he's definitely the one. Crodut suddenly began to giggle in his sleep, which brought Vulpes back to reality. Apparently, he'd unknowingly begun tracing the outline of Crodut's chest while he was musing. His sudden shift when he realized this stirred Crodut from his sleep. He looked down and saw Vulpes's finger hovering just below his right pec.

"If you wanted to mess around, all you had to do was ask." he teased.

"I-I didn't even realize I was doing that. What time is it anyway?" Vulpes asked, not really wanting to think about where that might've ended up. It was too soon to go that far. He looked at the clock. "Eight-thirty! Sheesh! I can't believe we slept through the night on a couch! A hotel couch at that!"

"Well, my pa always said that it's easier to sleep when you're with a loved one. I guess we're living proof of that, hehe."

"Anyway, if you'll excuse me for a moment, I need to get ready for the day."

With that, Vulperne disappeared into the bathroom with a change of clothes. He emerged about ten minutes later, fur tidy, breath fresh, and clad in a light green tank top and beige shorts.

Crodut took in the folf standing before him. The tank top was similarly tight-fitting as the shirt Crodut was wearing last night, accentuating Vulperne's taut musculature. It seemed the fox genes won out in that area. He was nowhere near Crodut's physique, but he was definitely in great shape. All-in-all, Crodut would say he was cute. The cutest male he'd ever seen in fact.

"Not a bad view, Vulpes. For a first-timer, I'd say you really know how to make an impression."

"Wow, thanks. Although it's pretty easy to compare to a mammal with a serious case of bed-body."

That's when Crodut realized that his fur was sticking out every which way. He couldn't help the redness that crept into his ears as he desperately tried to brush himself down. Vulperne hadn't meant to embarrass him; he was just teasing. He actually thought the unkempt fur was quite adorable.

"I don't mean to disappoint, but I should really be getting back home before ma starts to worry. Did you have fun last night?"

"Did I?!" Vulperne marched up to him and planted a long, passionate kiss on Crodut's muzzle. "Last night was one of the best nights of my entire life! Thank you! Thank you sooo much for getting me to say it out loud! I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders." Vulpes then took Crodut's paws in his own. "Listen, I know you pretty much already answered this question, but I want to make it official. In the few hours I've known you, you've managed to make me happier than I've ever felt before. Crodut Sangulei, will you please, please go out with me?"

"Yes, yes, of course, I'll go out with you!" He was about to plant a kiss of his own when there was a knock at the door.

"Vulperne! You okay in there? I thought I heard someone else talking."

Vulperne felt a wave of fear wash over him. "It's Delphin, hide!" he whispered. Crodut ducked behind the other side of the bed as Vulperne answered the door. Delphin was standing there (well, as much as a thirteen-foot-tall dolphin could stand in a building meant for medium-sized mammals) looking worried. He was still in his nightclothes, so they must've woken him up.

"Delphin, hi! Sorry, you startled me. I'm fine, I was just...watching TV."

Delphin's eyes narrowed. "Watching TV eh…"

Oh no! Vulperne thought. He's in investigator mode!

"Ya know, if you want to hide something from me, you're gonna have to do better than that. Don't forget, I was formally educated on how to spot deception."

"Okay, fine, you got me, it's just, I'd rather not talk about it right now."

"Something embarrassing, I take it? Fair enough, but that won't stop me from guessing." Delphin thought for a moment. Flakiness, meeting someone late at night, a second voice in the hotel room. "I've got it! You've found yourself a girlfriend, haven't you?"

"I-oompf!" Any attempt Vulperne was going to make at correcting him was instantly halted when Delphin pulled him into his arms in an excited hug.

"Oh my God! It's about time! Everyone's got someone except for you! OH MAN, I'M SO EXCITED I COULD JUST- *thud* Ow!" In his excitement, Delphin completely forgot about crouching and banged his head into the ceiling. "Crud! What kind of mammal builds a hotel that doesn't cater to mammals of all sizes anyway?! So, what are the deets?"

"The deets? Look, I told you, I don't feel like talking about it right now."

"Oh, right. Sorry. I'm just, really glad you found someone, and I guess I got carried away."

"No worries. I know how you can get hyper-focused on things like that."

"I would like to meet her, though, but when you're ready, okay?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Anyway, I should be packing my things. We're supposed to be out of here by 10:00, or we'll have to pay for another night. See you late-" he was cut off as he backed into a light fixture, the start causing his tail to swing out and knock over a nearby vase. "GAH, stupid cramped hallway! I swear it's a miracle I could even fit through the door!" He started back to his room. "I swear, when I get my hands on whoever built this place, I'm gonna…"

Vulperne shut the door there, not wanting to hear what he was sure would be a string of profanities. "Okay, C, it's safe to come out."

"Still not willing to admit it to your friends, eh?"

"Well, I don't know. I mean, I don't think they'd abandon me over this, but I'd rather tell them all at once. I suppose I could tell them at the big mansion slumber party Simon and Lily are planning, but what if I chicken out? What then?"

Crodut thought about what he said. He wants to tell them, I can tell. But he's scared. It took a lot for him to admit it to just me.

"What if you didn't tell them?"

Vulperne turned to Crodut, who was in the middle of getting his shirt back on and gave him an incredulous face. "Well, then I wouldn't get anywhere."

"Nonono, I mean, what if you just let them see it?"

"What are you thinking?"

"Well, I was thinking you could ask Simon if you could bring someone with you, then we can show up together, arms and tails intertwined. You wouldn't even have to say anything, and it would get it out of the way right then and there."

"I...that's...that just might work. I'll text him right now and see."

After sending the text, he went about packing his things. He was just zipping up the last suitcase when the reply came.

S: Of course you can bring a +1. The more the merrier. winking emoji

"So what'd he say?" Crodut asked.

"He said he'd love it. I think Delphin might've told him that girlfriend theory because he winked at me."

"Heh, boy will they be in for a surprise." he chuckled. "So when's the party start?"

"4:00 PM, I think."

"Cool. I'll be waiting." Crodut gave a small wink "See ya there...boyfriend."

Boyfriend. That just sounds so good. Vulperne wasn't 100% sure what to expect, but he knew this would definitely be a night he'd never forget.