Fox blinked the sleep away from his eyes, and climbed down his bed to check the time. About seven thirty in the morning. Another two and a half hours until his and Wolf's first class of the day. He needed to get ready for that, first.

The vulpine crept down off of the top bunk, and looked in the bottom one to see Wolf huddled up in a ball. Gently, he prodded the lupine until he groaned awake.

"Huh? Whozzat?" Wolf asked blearily, basically falling out of bed. Fox snorted, smiling.

"Get up, get dressed. We've got class in a few hours. Besides, I figured you could fix breakfast, if you're okay with that," the vulpine said, walking to his suitcase and grabbing the uniform given to him that was required for all students. It consisted of green pants, and a black and green top. Apparently, shoe choice didn't matter.

"Course I am," the lupine replied, rubbing his eyes. "I'll fix eggs, or something. Coffee, too."

"Sounds good. I'm gonna shower," Fox replied, walking out of the room with his clothing. He stepped into the bathroom, closing and locking the door, and turned the shower on.

Before the mirror misted over, the vulpine stared into it at his reflection. He looked nervous, a little tired, and apprehensive. Maybe it was because of school, maybe it was something else. He didn't know. He was scared to find out.

-o0o-

Fox exited the bathroom, dressed and all, about ten minutes later. He was hit with the rich smell of bacon and coffee, and his mouth watered. The vulpine walked in to the kitchen to see eggs and bacon on the pan, and two mugs of coffee ready. Wolf had put his uniform on, as well, leaving the top button undone. Green really didn't suit him.

"Ah, there you are! Breakfast is served, Fox!" Wolf exclaimed happily, shoving a plate fully of bacon and eggs into Fox's hands. He smiled.

"Thanks, Wolf. This looks great," the vulpine replied, grabbing a cup of coffee. Wolf grasped his shoulder, grinning.

"You need your strength for combat training, don't you? Eat up," the lupine remarked. Fox's face heated up at the contact, and he nodded stupidly.

Fox muttered something about grabbing some things and got up to go into their room. His thoughts were racing after that short amount of contact between them, but he couldn't pick them apart. Shaking his head, the vulpine hurriedly put on his boots, scarf, and grabbed his PDA. He then walked back into the living room, and Wolf shot him a questioning look as he dug into his food.

"God, this is better than last night's stuff!" Fox exclaimed in between huge bites. He took a long draft of the coffee; it was amazing, as well.

Wolf smiled slightly. "Thanks, Fox. Hey… what's with the scarf?" He asked, looking at the crimson piece of fabric.

"Oh... it was my mom's. I kept it after… well… you know. It's all I have left of her anymore," Fox explained, tugging at the scarf. He refused to mope on his first day, especially not in front of his new friend.

Wolf's ears flattened. "Shit, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

Fox cut him off. "It's okay, Wolf. Don't worry, I'm fine," he said. The vulpine decided to change the subject. "Hey, let's see what Falco said. I turned my PDA off after I sent a message last night," he said, grinning slyly and grabbing his PDA.

Wolf looked over his shoulder as he opened the device. There were a few new messages from Falco.

FROM: FALCO L.

Uh, dude, what the fuck? You're banging your dorm mate?

FROM: FALCO L.

Stop screwing around with me! You aren't serious, right?

FROM: FALCO L.

Oh, God, you are. Shit, we're gonna have a talk tomorrow. Courtyard.

Wolf proceeded to nearly snort out his coffee through his nose with laughter after reading the messages. Fox chuckled, as well.

"Oh man, that's great!" The lupine exclaimed, wiping a tear from his eye.

"Yeah. Do… do you wanna keep going with this? Screw with him even more?" Fox asked, his face heating. He looked into those purple eyes for an answer.

"If we get this kind of reaction from your friends, I'm all for it," Wolf replied, grinning.

"Good. I haven't been able to properly mess with them in such a long time," Fox remarked, trying to finish the rest of his breakfast. They still had plenty of time left before the first class, but the vulpine wanted to find his friends.

"Do you know where the combat training center is?" Wolf asked, draining the last drips of coffee from his mug. Fox shook his head.

"No, but I'll figure it out. They've gotta have maps, right?" The vulpine questioned, finishing off the last of his egg and bacon. He burped in content.

"Very attractive there, Fox," the lupine stated, grinning slightly. Fox blushed, looking away.

"Shut up. It was really great. I love your food," the vulpine muttered, getting up to put the dishes away.

"I'm glad you like my cooking. I try really hard to make it perfect for you," Wolf replied, a smile evident in his tone. Fox's chest felt warm as he set the mug and plate in the sink. He readjusted his scarf, walking back to the living room.

"So… we've gotta meet my friends, right? Freak them out?" The vulpine asked, looking down at Wolf. He nodded.

"Of course. Let's get going, then," he replied, getting up. Fox walked over to the door and unlocked it, stepping out. Wolf followed him. The vulpine closed the door, relocking it, and they started walking down the hallways.

"Where are we meeting all of them, Fox?" Wolf asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"The courtyard. I'm pretty sure I know where it is. My dad showed me around the place before I enrolled. It's not too complicated, you know," Fox remarked as they started walking down the stairwell. He didn't see all too many students, compared to yesterday. That was good.

"Alright."

The vulpine led them on down the stairs, and they reached the first floor dorms. Fox walked into the main portion of the place, and turned towards the opposite door from where he walked in the day before. Wolf kept close behind him.

Fox wondered why he had such a huge interest in Wolf. Maybe it was the lupine's mysterious past, or his personality quirks. His piercing amethyst eyes? He didn't know. All he really thought was that he liked Wolf. He was a pretty cool person.

Fox kept down the hall, and he came upon a set of double doors. He pushed them open, and was met with the sight of a large grass field enclosed by portions of the Academy. It had huge oak trees scattered throughout it, and a path winding through to another set of doors on the opposite end.

"Wow, okay. This is nice," Wolf muttered, glancing around. The air was chilly, with the sun just starting to rise.

"Yeah, I like it. Look, there's my friends, Wolf," Fox said, pointing to a small group of people hanging out around one of the trees in the center of the field. It looked to be Falco, Slippy, and Bill.

The lupine grinned slyly. "So how do you want to approach this? All the way?" He asked. Fox hummed.

"Yeah. Why not?" The vulpine asked, smiling.

"Alright. So, you're gonna have to act sore, okay? Like it was your first time. As for the rest; play along, alright?" Wolf asked. Fox nodded, his face heating.

The lupine then proceeded to grab his hand, much to the latter's embarrassment, and walked toward Fox's friends. They didn't seem to notice the two approach, as they were wrapped up in conversation, until Wolf started speaking.

"It's a good thing those walls are soundproofed, huh? The whole dorm would've heard your moaning," the lupine remarked as if they were carrying a conversation. Fox's entire face heated, and he was suddenly incredibly grateful for the thick fur covering his head. Wolf made sure to keep his grasp on the vulpine's hand.

"My moaning? I'm pretty sure it was all you," Fox remarked as they came upon Falco and the others. They all turned to hear the conversation with shocked looks on their faces.

"Whatever. Tell that to your ass," Wolf replied, grinning. Fox pretended to wince, rubbing it.

"I'm sorry, what the fuck?" Falco squaked in pure confusion and shock.

"Oh, yeah, sorry," Fox said, looking at the avian. "This is Wolf. My dorm mate," he introduced. Wolf waved with his free hand.

Falco blinked. "You… and you…. You two actually banged?" He asked crudely. Fox's ears felt warm.

"I mean… that's what I told you last night, right?" Wolf asked, smiling coyly.

It was Bill's turn to speak up. "Dude. Told you, but did you listen? No. I'm always right," the dog muttered, kicking his feet.

"Alright, maybe you were, Bill. Good grief," Slippy rubbed his head in exhaustion. They held varying expressions of confusion. Fox checked the time. About nine thirty.

"Anyway… do any of you know where the combat training center is?" Fox asked. He was still painfully aware of Wolf's hand holding his.

"I do," Slippy said. "It's on the other side of the courtyard, down that hallway for awhile. You'll see it," he explained.

Fox nodded. "Thank you, Slippy. Should we get going, Wolf?" The vulpine asked, looking over at Wolf.

"Yeah. Hope you can survive it, especially after last night," the lupine remarked.

"It's should be asking you that question, Wolf. Come on," Fox replied, dragging Wolf away. He waved back at the others, who reciprocated weakly.

Fox didn't say anything else until they had walked across the courtyard and out through the door. As soon as they closed, he burst out with laughter.

"Oh my God! I haven't seen them that freaked out in years!" He exclaimed. Wolf started chuckling, as well.

"That was really good. I'll admit, I didn't think it would be that bad," the lupine replied. Fox took a few moments to compose himself, still happy with the results of that. He then looked down to see Wolf still grasping his hand, and his chest filled with warmth.

"Wolf… you're still holding my hand," Fox said, staring into those eyes. They widened slightly.

"Oh! Uh… sorry, Fox," the lupine muttered, releasing it.

"It's fine. You probably just forgot," the vulpine said dismissively, but a part of him wondered if that was the reason.

The two canines started to walk down the halls, seeing other students coming into the hallway and walking their direction. Fox hoped there wouldn't be a huge amount of people in every class; that would prove to be extremely tedious.

"I wonder how this will start and stuff," Wolf muttered to himself as the walked along. Fox looked over at him.

"No clue. This is land combat, so I'd imagine blasters and closing quarters fighting. Any good at one of those?" The vulpine asked.

Wolf snorted. "I'm pretty shit at ranged fighting, but close quarters? I taught myself how to brawl in the streets. That'll be easy," he replied, cracking his knuckles. Fox smirked.

"I haven't ever actually fired a gun in my life, but I'm fast when it comes to fighting. Really, really fast," the vulpine said. Wolf chuckled. Fox glanced at the time. Maybe ten minutes until they'd be late.

"Maybe we'll just have to see about that," the lupine remarked. The two had reached the entrance to the combat training center, and Fox pushed the door open, Wolf right behind.

The two canines entered a huge room, the size of an aircraft hangar with a massive roof, filled with plenty of things to practice on. A shooting range in one corner, simulators, a few raised stages for ground fighting.

But that was only half of the center.

A huge arena dominated the other half of the training center, which held buildings, fake trees, and tall grasses scattered about. There was even a small forest in a corner of the arena. It looked as if it would be set up for a modified version of paintball. It was like a war zone on a planet such as Papetoon. And Fox loved all of it.

Wolf gasped. "Shit, this place is perfect. I want to spend the rest of my days here," he whispered in awe. Fox chuckled.

"Come on. The other students seem to be gathering over by the shooting range," the vulpine remarked, pointing to a spot where people where gathering. The two jogged across the center and mingled with the crowd of people, gently pushing through to the front of the crowd.

A very, very tall wolf with piercing blue eyes and white fur was studying the crowd. Fox guessed that he was the instructor. He was wearing a Academy outfit, albeit the top was tied around his waist, exposing a black tank top and distinctly muscled arms. He looked middle-aged.

"Alright, listen up, everybody!" He shouted to get the crowd's attention. Everyone immediately quieted and looked at him. Fox wasn't surprised at the force used to control everyone. It was the first day; impressions had to be made. The wolf cleared his throat before continuing.

"I'm Sergeant Myers, your combat instructor. First things first; how I teach. I believe that you are all capable of taking responsibility for your own actions, so you can do whatever you please in here, as long as you're training. If you need guidance, flag me down! I'm happy to help. You will train with your dorm mate every day, but you can engage in team fighting with another group," Myers explained, looking over the crowd. Fox decided he liked the idea of the class already.

"Now on to rules! Unless you're training, don't intentionally hurt anyone. Keep cursing to a minimum! Return all training weapons to the racks after you've finished with them! As for the combat arena; don't go over there! I will make a schedule for fighting there soon enough. Now I think I've rambled enough! Get out there and train!" Myers shouted, grinning. The body of students dispersed quickly, leaving Fox, Wolf, and Myers left in front of the shooting range. It seemed that nobody wanted to try it but those two.

Fox cleared his throat and looked up at Sergeant Myers. "Sir," he started. "It's nice to meet you. We can use the shooting range, right?" He asked.

Myers nodded, smiling. "Of course, you two. What are you names, by the way?" He asked. Fox's ears perked.

"Fox McCloud, sir. This is Wolf O'Donnell," he answered. Myers hummed in recognition.

"Ah, James's boy. I went to Academy with him; excellent student. I hope you do amazing things here. Now; have at the range! I'll go ahead and keep an eye on you!" Myers exclaimed, moving aside for them.

Fox nodded, walking up to one of the spots to shoot. Wolf stood beside him, crossing his arms and staring down at the target.

"Maybe as well see how good your aim is, Fox," the lupine said, grinning at the vulpine. Fox's face heated slightly as he nodded. He really needed to get that under control. As soon as he figured out what it was.

There were blaster pistols hung up on the rack to Fox's left, and he grabbed one. It didn't look too difficult to use. He disengaged the safety lock, and aimed the gun down the range to a circular target about twenty meters away. He stood stock still, back erect, and breathed.

Inhale. Exhale.

Fire.

A beam of red plasma shot out of Fox's blaster, embedding itself in the target and leaving a scorched mark. He set the gun on the ledge nearby.

"Pull it over," Fox said to Wolf. He pressed a button on the wall near him, and the target was moved closer to them. Fox's eyes widened when he saw where it had hit.

"Just off the center. Wow," the vulpine breathed. Wolf looked over at him in awe.

"And you're sure that this is the very first time you've picked a gun up?" He asked in shock. Fox nodded.

"Yeah. I only knew the basics of shooting, but never shot. Is that a good score?"

"Fox, that's almost perfect! You're such a good shot!" Wolf exclaimed in happiness, patting Fox's back. The vulpine's stomach twisted up in knots at the compliment.

"Thanks. Can I shoot again?" Fox asked. Wolf nodded, and the target was moved back to its original position.

Fox took his stance, closing one eye and aiming. He wondered how this one would turn out. Pretty well, hopefully. He adjusted his aim a small bit, hoping for a better shot.

Inhale. Exhale.

Fire.

The shot rang out again, and Fox grinned. He liked the sound of the gun. Wolf brought it back, and they inspected the target once more. This time, right in the center. Wolf smiled.

"Good job. I think you're a really great shot. Now, come on. Let's go for some ground fighting," the lupine said eagerly. Fox chuckled, putting his gun back and returning the target to its original spot.

Wolf jogged over to one of the fighting rings that was empty, Fox following closely. They were about ten by ten meter squares that were slightly lower in the ground than the floor.

"How about the first one to pin the other for three seconds wins?" Wolf asked, going to one of the corners. Fox took the one opposite of him, nodding.

"Sounds good, Wolf. Remember, light contact. I don't wanna get hurt today," the vulpine replied, rolling his sleeves up his arms and kicking off his boots. The lupine nodded in agreement. Wolf took his top off, tying it around his waist and revealing a tight fitting white tank top that seriously exposed his muscles, leaving nothing to the imagination.

Fox swallowed, taking a fighting position. It took serious effort to take his eyes off of Wolf's torso and pay attention to his face. The lupine grinned cockily.

"Three… two… one… go!" Wolf rushed at Fox, attempting to tackle him to the floor.

The vulpine expected this, sidestepping. Wolf recovered, and turned, going for a punch to the face. Fox blocked it, and the lupine kicked, aiming for his face. Fox barely had time to react, grabbing his leg and holding it. Somehow, Wolf jumped off of his other foot to kick Fox in the head, knocking him down on his back. The lupine quickly grabbed his wrists, pushing them down and pressing a knee on his stomach, grinning. He leaned into the other's face, their snouts barely an inch apart.

"Got ya," Wolf said in victory. Fox smiled slightly, more than a little overwhelmed by the close proximity.

"Uh… Yeah. Good job," the vulpine said dumbly as Wolf got off of him, helping him up. He felt like his chest was going to explode. He looked at Wolf's back muscles as he walked back to his corner.

Fox wondered just what the fuck was happening with him.