Chapter 7

Morning Activities

Written by: FairlyOddFaller and SmilingDolphins

Vulperne's eyes snapped open. He felt something pressed into his body and looked down to see the head of Crodut peeking out from under the covers, facing away from. The lynx's eyes were closed, and he was breathing evenly.

This is the second time I've woken up with this lynx in two days! At this rate, we'll be…

Vulperne looked down at the lynx again. He couldn't see anything except his head. He carefully grabbed the covers and moved them back to reveal the half-naked forms of Crodut and his own body. Both mammals were only in their underwear, and Crodut had his back pressed into Vulperne's stomach.

"Oh, Lupus." He wasn't sure whether to freak out or squeal in happiness. Before he could decide, he felt Crodut stir. Crodut rolled over and looked up at the hybrid.

"Well well well. What have we here? A very handsome hybrid cuddling with his lynx? I could get used to this."

Vulperne blushed so hard, his fur darkened multiple shades.

"Did, uh, did we…do...anything, uh, last night?" The lynx raised an eyebrow.

"No, not really. Just a steamy make-out sesh, ending with a cuddle and us falling asleep together"

Vulperne flipped onto his back and pulled his hands over his face, groaning. Crodut propped himself up on his elbows and leaned over the hybrid's face.

"Vulpes, what's wrong?" Vulperne peaked through his fingers at Crodut's concerned expression.

"I...I don't know. I just feel like...like we maybe moved too fast. I love you C. But...I...I'm still worried about...well...everything."

Vulperne felt Crodut pry his hands off his face, before leaning down and kissing him. The Lynx pulled away and stared at Vulperne.

"I understand. If you want to take it slow, then we'll take it slow. The last thing I want to do is mess this up because we moved too fast, and it made you uncomfortable."

Vulperne nodded this thanks. Crodut grinned as if a thought suddenly occurred to him.

"But, I am going to have to embarrass you a bit. You already know Delphin's going to ask plenty of questions."

"Don't you dare?"

"Why? What are ya gonna do to stop me?" The lynx teased.

Vulperne growled and suddenly sprang up, tackling the lynx. The two of them flew off the bed and landed on the floor. They began to roll around, growling and laughing. Finally, Crodut pinned the hybrid. He leaned down and kissed Vulperne. The hybrid blinked.

"I win."

The two of them burst into laughter as Crodut let Vulperne up. Vulperne looked around, and his fur paled.

"We forgot our luggage!" He cried. He bent down and picked up the now shredded pair of pants he had been wearing yesterday. He looked at Crodut.

"Really C? You couldn't have just removed them normally?" Crodut blushed, but then picked up his own pants, which were now more like shorts.

"Speak for yourself, Mr. Dewclaw." Vulperne tossed the clothing aside and looked down.

"Well, we can't go out like this! You've already scheduled me to die from 'Embarrassment By Dolphin'!"

Vulperne suddenly got an idea. He rushed over to his pants and found his phone in the pocket. He found Lily's number and quickly typed out a text.

V:Me and C forgot our luggage! Can u bring it up?

The reply came quickly.

L: Huh? Why do u need me to bring it? Just wear the clothes u were wearing yesterday, come down, grab it, then head back to the room to change.

Vulperne laid out the shredded pair of pants on the bed and snapped a picture.

S: Our clothing has been compromised. Please don't tell Delphin or Simon. We'll never hear the end of it if u do.

Vulperne attached the picture and pressed send.

L: *laughing emoji x5* Oh, I see! Sure, I can bring it up. So I guess u enjoyed yourselves last night, huh?

Vulperne decided not to answer. He turned back to Crodut.

"Okay, Lily is bringing up our luggage." He said. Crodut smirked and began to walk over to the hybrid.

"So, what should we do while we wait?" He asked, leaning in close to Vulperne's face. Vulperne involuntarily licked his lips.

"Something very serious and mature?" He said. Crodut grinned and grabbed the hybrid's face.

"Let's call it that."

Ten minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Crodut stopped his exploration of Vulperne's mouth and pulled away. Vulperne rushed over to the door, and opened it, hiding his body behind the door.

"Hey, Vulperne. Hey Crodut!" Lily shouted into the room.

"Hi, Lily!" The lynx's reply came. Lily turned her eyes back towards the head of Vulperne as it peaked around the door. Lily brandished the two small bags that carried Crodut and Vulperne's clothes. Vulperne breathed a sigh of relief and grabbed the bags.

"Thank you, Lily. You're a lifesaver."

The skunk winked and walked away.

Vulperne closed the door and held up the bags.

"Alright. Let's go face the thunder."

The two mammals walked into the kitchen. They were immediately met with a grinning Delphin. He held a large mug that said World's Best Dolphin on the side. He set whatever he was drinking, probably coffee, down on the table and clasped his hands together.

"So, they are alive. Anything...interesting happen last night?"

Crodut grinned and walked over to the dolphin. He motioned for him to bend down. Delphin, curious, lowered his head so Crodut could speak into his ear. Crodut then began to whisper the events of last night in very explicit details. Delphin's face flushed red and he brought his head back up.

"Gah! I didn't need to know that much! You tryin' to give me nightmares or somethin' ?"

Crodut looked back at Vulperne and winked. A grin wriggled its way across the hybrid's muzzle. Simon suddenly appeared in the kitchen.

"Hey, guys! Glad to see everyone is up! So, what are we doing today?"

"Well, I personally was thinking of just having a day of fun, since I'm leaving tonight. I saw an airsoft arena in town. What about that?"

"Oh yeah, I know that arena. I've never done airsoft before. It's always sounded fun though. I'm down. Simon, Lily, Vulpes?" Crodut said, turning towards the rest of the mammals.

"Sure why not. But, Delphin, when exactly are you leaving?"

"Uhh, I have to leave at around 6:00. Why?"

Simon blushed and he avoided the dolphin's gaze.

"Well, uh, no offense, but I was thinking Lily and I, along with Crodut and Vulpes could go on a double date."

Delphin grinned.

"Don't worry about Doc. I'll be going to see my own love, so I won't get my feelings hurt if you guys want to go on a double date."

Simon looked at him gratefully.

"Thanks, Delphin. Now, who's hungry? If you guys want, we can eat here, or go and get something."

"I think we should go get something because then, we can just go to the airsoft place from wherever we eat," Crodut suggested. Everyone nodded in agreement. Then, they all broke to go and get cleaned up.

Vulperne and Crodut walked into their room again. Vulperne sat down on the couch in the corner of the room and pulled out his phone.

"I'll let you have first go in the shower, C." He said, beginning to pull up a game to keep himself occupied while he waited.

"Well...uh...Vulpes...I mean...we...we could shower together." The lynx said sheepishly. Vulperne's eyes bugged out and he almost choked in surprise.

"What did you just say?" He said, looking incredulously at Crodut as the cat shuffled his feet.

"I said we could shower together. It would save time." Crodut reasoned. Vulperne looked torn.

"Um, ok, I guess we can shower together." The hybrid mumbled as he stood up. Crodut grinned and walked over to the door that led to the adjacent bathroom. He went inside and turned on the water.

Vulperne took a deep breath and began to remove his clothing. He walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. He turned just in time to see Crodut kick off his underwear. His gaze slowly began to travel down the lynx's body. It reached his waist and continued down to...it.

"Holy Lupus." He said breathlessly. Crodut raised an eyebrow.

"So, are you just going to stand there and gawk, or are you going to get in the shower?"

Vulperne blushed to the roots of his fur. He sheepishly walked over and stepped past Crodut into the large double shower. Crodut stepped in behind him and shut the shower door before turning to the hybrid. Crodut suddenly began to giggle.

"What? What is it?" Vulperne demanded.

"Your fur is getting matted down by the water," Crodut said, giggling at the shaggy appearance of Vulperne.

"Hmph."

"No, no, it's very cute! I like it." Crodut assured him. The lynx's face suddenly turned serious.

"Vulpes, can I ask you something?" Crodut said as he grabbed a washcloth and began to put some soap on it.

"Of course. What is it?"

Crodut avoided the hybrid's eyes. He began to wash his body.

"What do you plan to do with me?"

Vulperne seemed surprised by the question.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean...where do you see this relationship going? You asked me to come back with you to Zootopia. And…it's just that...I mean..."

"You're worried that this won't last, and you'll be in a different city, with no one to help you."

Crodut nodded. He finished washing and handed the rag to Vulperne, before beginning to rinse himself off.

"C, listen to me. I am going to say this, no, ask you this right now. I know it's not very formal, and the shower certainly is a strange place to do it, but I promise I will do it professionally at some point."

Vulperne kneeled and placed down the washcloth. He took Crodut's hand and looked up into the lynx's eyes.

"Crodut...uh… what's your middle name?"

"Fingul," Crodut said, chuckling.

"Crodut Fingul Sangelui, you are the Tom of my dreams. I… I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So...will you become my mate? And, before you answer, I must warn you. I might be a hybrid, but I'm still a canine. That means if you become my mate, that's it, for me at least. I literally will never take anyone else as my mate, even if you die. You will become mine, and I will become yours. Do you understand?"

"Vulpes, get up. I want to be on the same level as you" Crodut told him.

Vulperne stood up. He yelped when he felt Crodut's strong arms grab him and pull him close. Extremely close. Their muzzles were side by side, and Crodut's yellow eyes were staring deep into Vulperne's.

"I want you as my mate too Vulpes. And I will be just as devoted to you as you are to me. You're the Todd of my dreams. And guess what?"

"What?" Vulperne practically whimpered.

" I. Want. Every. Single. Piece. Of. You."

Crodut pulled the hybrid into a deep and passionate kiss. Vulperne hummed in pleasure. He felt like he was melting into a puddle. He felt his back press into the wall of the shower. Crodut broke the kiss and began to slowly drag his tongue across the hybrid's matted torso fur, causing a few more groans to emit from Vulperne.

"Crodut…" Vulperne said, his voice almost a whisper.

"I'll say this right now. We're not going all the way until you are my mate, officially. Understood?" The lynx suddenly said. Vulperne whimpered.

"But-"

"No buts! End of discussion. Got it?" Vulperne nodded. Crodut continued to drag his rough tongue across the hybrid, discontinuing anything the hybrid was going to say as another sound of pleasure escaped his throat.

Meanwhile, Delphin also had his back against the shower wall. But he was nowhere near as happy as the couple. He was, however, thinking about making a certain someone his mate as well. Deep inside his mind, his multiple "personalities" were having a discussion

What the fuck is the matter with you Delphin? We're 24. We've been dating Pulchra since the 11th grade. And we still can't work up the courage to ask her to be our mate. Scolding Delphin said.

But what if she says no? And what if she runs away at the altar? What if she decides to leave us after a year? And what if she cheats on us? And what if she gets weirded out by The Dance? What if she doesn't want calves? What if she just sees us as nothing more than a boyfriend? Pessimistic Delphin countered.

We should just break up with her! There's no way she would want to marry us! Let's just end it all! Depressing Delphin wailed.

Shut up Depressing Delphin! Confident Delphin shouted. I say we march over there, grab her, and go to town with her! Then we ask her to be our mate after!

All of you need to shut up! Delphin roared. We are not discussing this right now. I'm taking back control. We are going to have a fun day, and not worry about this dammit! We can figure it out later.

Delphin's eyes opened. He sighed and turned off the water. It always was refreshing to get a good soak, being a dolphin and all that. He stepped out of the shower and began to dry himself off, though he left himself still moist at the same time. It was going to be hot today, and he would hate to start drying out.

Note: Delphin does NOT have a split personality disorder. This is just a metaphor.

About an hour later, everyone was ready to go.

"Delphin, I wish you had brought your car. I feel bad making you take the Moucededs." Vulperne told Delphin. The dolphin just grinned at him.

"Well, I was going to surprise you, but I suppose I can show you now. My ride actually arrived here super early this morning. It was delivered by the Zootopia Military."

Everyone gave confused looks. Delphin just motioned for them to follow him. They all stepped out of the mansion and gasped when they spotted the sleek sapphire blue vehicle now parked behind Crodut's truck. It was a huge car, being sized for a Dolphin, but it still looked tiny compared to Simon's mansion.

"Is that a Rhinos Royce!?" Crodut gasped.

Everyone crowded around the boxy but stunningly beautiful car. Delphin chuckled and walked over.

"Sava! Introduce yourself." Delphin called. The car's lights blinked and a blue hologram of a smiling female Orca appeared on the dash of the car. It was only her head and a little bit of her shoulders. It turned towards the mammals and spoke, her voice coming from external speakers.

"Hello, Agent Delphin." She said. The hologram's eyes turned to the others, who were staring in shock. "Facial recognition activated. Hello Dr. Simon Lupus Slick, Mrs. Lily Percula-Amare Slick, Mr. Vulperne Nuncio Tasso, and Mr. Crodut Fingul Sangelui. My name is S.A.V.A or Self Aware Vehicle Assistant. My operating system is currently installed in a 2020 Rhinos Royce Phantom. Vehicle Summary: 'The 2020 Rhinos-Royce Phantom is not just an ultimate status symbol, it's the Holy Grail of handcrafted luxury automobiles. Its imposing design and decadent furnishings are derived from decades of building opulent motorcars for the world's wealthiest clients. It utilizes a modern aluminum structure that rides atop an air suspension for euphoric comfort. The Phantom has few true rivals, as even the Moucedes-Maybach S650 and the Batley Mulsanne fail to deliver the same levels of sybaritic luxury, and the Moucedes sports a price tag that's $250,000 less. How proletarian. Want to show the world you've arrived? You need a Phantom.' Is there anything else I can do for you today, Agent Delphin?"

Each word was pronounced perfectly as if a normal mammal was speaking and not a robot.

"Yes, Sava. Start the car please."

The car's engine roared to life. The driver-side door clicked and swung open.

"Ready for departure sir."

"Dismissed Sava."

"Yes sir."

The hologram disappeared. Everyone gaped at the Dolphin. But Simon, unlike the others, had a wide grin on his face.

"Was that who I think it was Delphin?" The dolphin nodded and reached into the car, pulling out an envelope, and held it out to Simon.

"Congratulations Simon. The M.O.I.A would like to thank you for the invention of Sava, the world's best and most advanced AI."

Simon took the envelope and opened it. Everyone looked over his shoulder as he read the letter.

"Dear Dr. Slick,

The M.O.I.A would like to cordially thank you for providing the asset currently known as S.A.V.A. Your work is well accepted, and your compensation is enclosed in this envelope. You will likely be contacted again, for future projects. Welcome to the M.O.I.A, Doctor. We look forward to working with you in the future.

Sincerely, M.O.I.A Director"

Simon reached in the envelope and pulled out a check. His eyes bugged at the amount of money written on the paper. Simon was a millionaire. The six months he spent constantly upgrading Mr. Big's limos had made sure of that. But as soon as he cashed this check-in, he would be richer than Mr. Big.

"Sava is being installed in every agency vehicle, new and old, that are still in service."

"You know I can't take all of this. Delphin, Vulperne, Crodut, I want to give some to you."

The 3 of them started to protest, but Simon held up his hand.

"Nope! Now listen here. Crodut, I'm giving at least a few million to your family. Vulperne, I'm giving you some too, and if you and Crodut are going to be staying together, then I for sure want you to have it. And Delphin, you pitched the idea to me in college and sent the prototype in. You deserve plenty. Understood?"

There was some light grumbling among the mammals.

"Now, I'm going to put this in the house safe. Be right back!"

Simon returned a few moments later.

"Now, let's forget about that right now. I want to go have some fun before Deli over here leaves for the ocean."

"Wait, I have a question," Lily said.

"Of course dear. What is it?"

"How did you get an experimental AI into a government agency?"

Delphin grinned.

"Well, you see, every 10 years, the M.O.I.A has a contest of sorts. Basically, it's like a science fair. You invent something and send in the prototype. Then, the heads of the agency take a look at each project and decide which one is the best. This time, they chose Sava. The winner receives a large prize, and other benefits depending on a lot of different things."

"How come you never told me about Sava?" Lily said, raising an eyebrow at her husband.

"Uh...well...um...I did, uh, dear. But every time I started talking about it, your eyes started to glaze over and you kind of stopped paying attention."

"Oh," Lily said, blushing. Lily wasn't stupid, not by any normal standards. But Simon was on a different level of intelligence altogether, and she had trouble listening to him whenever he started to speak less like a normal mammal, and more like a top-notch engineer, which to be fair, he was.

A loud growl suddenly split the air, and everyone turned towards Vulperne.

"What? I'm hungry!" He said as his stomach growled again.

"Well then let's go get something to eat, shall we?" Delphin asked.

Everyone agreed. They all got in their respective cars and headed towards town.