A/N: Rated M for a reason.

Chapter Five

Sudden Escalation

Looking up at the Cornerian Mall was a daunting enough experience from the outside, but the place where the view truly became astonishing was in the interior. Looking up at the glass ceiling, the light from Lylat and Solar pouring in and illuminating the long corridors and escalators between floors, James was stunned by the image of the roof curving off into the distance. The entire mall was designed as an arch, with dozens of levels and hundreds of stores, restaurants, and shops, catering to every background and social strata.

The roof wasn't the only thing made to look impressive. As James and his two friends, Vixy and her friend Meryl, walked along the ground floor, their shoes clicked and clacked against the marble tiles. The marble itself was done in different colors, with each of the colors forming and intermixing to create abstract images. Fountains sprayed water up in the air, some of them shooting little jets into and out of each other in gravity defying combinations, while others were more sedate and understated. Gardens and trees added the green, living feel that Cornerians had an acute fondness for. Benches were placed in convenient spots, often occupied by screen perusing individuals, or families giving their littler children a moment to rest before diving back into the thick of things. Holoscreens were positioned at regular intervals, offering directions, assistance, and a dizzying variety of advertisements.

And the people. An absolutely incredible number of people were present at all times and from all walks of life. In fact, if James looked hard enough, which wasn't that hard at all, he could spot people not only from other planets in Lylat, but from other star systems as well. One particular group caught his interest before Vixy pulled him away with a mildly scolding look on her face. It was a group of about five blue furred foxes, and one blood red, with tattoos and just enough clothing to be decent. One of them, with her hourglass figure, long, thick hair, and an even less modest attitude than any of the others drew a lingering stare from James. Just as Vixy pulled him away, the blue vixen turned to face him, resting a finger just above her cleavage, before sliding it down between her breasts with a suggestive wink. "Come on James," Vixy said, yanking him by the arm.

"Cerinians," Meryl explained as they moved on. "They don't have any sense of body shame. Clothing is very much an optional affair for them. Though they have an absolute obsession with jewelry."

"Uh huh," James replied, only half listening. He kept looking over his shoulder hoping to catch another glimpse of the blue vixen, but she and the rest of her group had disappeared in the crowd. "I think she was flirting with me."

"You think everyone is flirting with you." Vixy snorted.

"She winked at me with a finger between her tits," James argued. "If that's not flirting, I don't know what is."

Meryl laughed. "Yeah, that's flirting."

"Thank you." James smiled at the pink feline for her back up.

"One thing you should keep in mind," Meryl said as they walked, sounding in her element when talking about her mother's culture, "Is that Cerinians mate for life. They flirt like the dickens, but if that vixen has made her choice, nothing can break her away from it."

"Not even James?" Vixy asked, arching an eyebrow. "How sad for him."

Meryl chuckled. "Yeah. I hate to say it James, but I have a feeling she was already taken."

"How can you tell?" James did his best to mask his disappointment. Oh the things he would have liked to do with that sapphire vixen. His mind drifted back to the image of that finger between those two, pillowy mounds.

"I sensed the bond," Meryl said.

"What?" James looked confused. He'd only been half listening, his mind still sifting through fantastical images of him and the Cerinian.

"They're telepaths," Vixy said, recognizing the far away look in James' eye, and doing nothing to stop him from running face first into the narrow end of a holoscreen.

With a grunt and an embarrassed tilt to his ears, James glowered at the vixen and her feline friend as they laughed at him. "Thanks for the warning."

"Awww, you deserved it," Vixy answered, sticking her tongue out. Then she spun about on her heel and headed for a nearby escalator, a little hop in her step and bounce in her tail.

James looked after her for a moment, admiring the sway of her hips. Vixy had always had nice hips. And slender, sexy legs. Then he noticed Meryl staring at him, her smile turning into a full fledged grin. "What?" James asked, starting after Vixy.

"Oh nothing. Nothing at all." Meryl matched step with him, and the two of them caught up with Vixy.

"So, you were saying the Cerinians are telepaths?" James said, taking the escalator stair directly beneath Vixy.

"Mmhmm," Vixy responded. "They can read minds. So she probably knew you were eyebanging her that whole time."

"She didn't seem to mind," James said, a smirk playing along his muzzle.

Vixy rolled her eyes, whacking him softly upside the head. "Perv."

James stuck his tongue out and crossed his arms. "Never used to turn you off."

"Piss off."

Standing just beneath James, and two steps beneath Vixy, Meryl looked up at the two of them and sighed inwardly. If only they knew how they felt about each other. She'd been with them for a grand total of an hour, and already she could sense the attraction that was lingering between them. Not love. Nothing as mature as that. But there was something there. Not nothing. A spark. Or maybe embers neither of them had bothered to stoke for a long time. Watching the two of them laugh and trade a slew of dirty jokes, Meryl decided she better do something about the two of them. And she better do it fast. And I have just the idea.

The dressing room door shut behind James with a satisfying click. He smiled and looked at the bundle of clothes in his arms, not bothering to turn around. These jeans looked like just the perfect cut to show off everything he had going on beneath his waist. They wouldn't be too obvious, but he could tell they'd be enticing. And what was a fox who didn't walk around looking like an absolute tease?

"James? What are you doing?"

The voice came from behind him, and James just about jumped out of his fur. Turning around he looked at Vixy standing there, a look of surprise on her face. She was wearing nothing but her bra and panties. James couldn't help but stare, drinking in her slender, beautiful frame. The flat belly, the hips that curved outward just slightly, the legs that looked toned and powerful without being too muscular. His eyes traveled up to the modest swell of her chest, and the slight slope of her shoulders. Her soft, cream colored neck. And then her eyes, green like his, like two glimmering emeralds. "Ummm..."

Vixy, once she had gotten over her surprise, didn't seem all that off put by his sudden entrance. She realized, belatedly, she'd forgotten to mark the room as occupied. Crossing her arms beneath her tiny bust, she said, "Can I help you?"

James shook his head, managing to rally himself back to self awareness. "Yeah. I mean no. I mean, what?"

A smile curled Vixy's muzzle. Truth be told James seeing her in nothing but her undergarments didn't faze her in the slightest. He'd seen her naked more than once, and they'd never been shy with each other back on Papetoon. "Well, as long as you're here, did you want to get changed?"

It took James half a second to register her offer. He could feel his initial shock and nervousness dissipating. With a crooked smile James said, "Yeah. I guess I might as well."

Tail swishing behind her, Vixy said, "Alright then. Let's see."

Still with that crooked smile firmly in place, James unzipped the jeans he was wearing and pulled them down. He didn't bother being shy about the fact that his underwear were a bit tented. Not all the way, but enough that he was sure Vixy would pick up on it. Stepping out of his jeans he set them on the bench in the dressing room, then turned to face Vixy. Holding up two pairs of denim pants that he'd grabbed, he said, "What do you wanna see first?"

Watching him slip his pants off, Vixy had to stop herself from biting her lip. Every inch that they slid down was tantalizing. She'd seen it all before, though she hadn't realized just how much she wanted to see it again. When he was finally done, standing there in his shorts and shirt, and holding up two pairs of pants while asking which one she wanted to see first, Vixy came to a decision. Fuck it. I've always wanted to do something like this. And James is really the only one I think I'd feel comfortable doing it with. Chalk that up to familiarity.

Stepping forward, Vixy closed the distance between them, her tail swaying behind her. "I think I want to see," she reached out with a hand and rested it on the bulge in his underwear, "this first."

James shuddered a bit as he felt those fingers close around him for the first time in years. It stirred up all sorts of mixed emotions. Part of him wanted to restrain himself, something quite unusual for the tod. He didn't want to ruin the friendship they'd been building the past few weeks. Then again, he'd had sex with plenty of his friends, and it hadn't changed much of anything. Fuck it. I've always wanted to do something like this. And Vixy is really the only one I think I'd feel comfortable doing it with. Must be the familiarity. "You sure?" he asked, that crooked smile of his turning into a full on smirk.

Squatting down in front of him, Vixy hooked her fingers into the elastic of his boxers and tugged them down. "Yup." James' member bounced out, and Vixy gave it an appraising look. He had, in the space of a few seconds of her coming onto him, gone from half hard, to fully rigid. A good sign, since it meant she wouldn't have to worry about him having any performance issues. Wrapping her fingers around it she planted a kiss on his head, smiling as she felt him wobble a little. "I think it's a little bigger," she told him, pitching her voice as low and soft as possible.

Looking down at Vixy, her lips hoving centimeters from the tip of his length, James couldn't help but get a big dopey smile on his face, erasing the smirk that had been resting there a moment before. Keeping his voice low like hers, he said, "Really?"

"Mmm." She hummed, dragging her tongue from the base to the top, sampling his taste. "I could just be remembering wrong. You always had such a big one."

Chuckling softly, his tail wagging behind him, James scratched the back of his neck and replied, "So I've been told."

Giggling a bit in response, Vixy wrapped her muzzle around his member, getting the first few inches in her mouth. He filled her out, bumping against the back of her throat with still a little more than half to go. Pulling back she let her tongue lash the underside of his maleness, and when she had pulled back almost all the way, she let her front teeth brush his flesh lightly. James gasped in response, looking down at her with surprise and pleasure written all over his face. "You remembered."

"Mmhmm." Vixy just hummed in response and started the trip back down again. She made sure to pace herself, even if his sharpening scent and the sensation of his hands settling between her ears made her want to force herself all the way down right then and there. She knew to resist the urge though, James was big enough that even with the years of experience she'd gained since the last time she'd been with him, she wasn't quite sure if she could swallow him all. I'm sure as hell gonna try though.

The next few minutes passed in a sort of sordid haze. James found himself panting and trying to keep from moaning as Vixy's head bobbed back and forth on his length. Breathing in through his nose he could smell Vixy's aroused scent beginning to fill the dressing room. Thank the Ascended the door reached all the way to the floor, or they'd probably have given themselves away to the whole corridor of other rooms. "Oh fuck Vixy," he breathed, his fingers clutching at her soft blonde hair. "D-do you think you can get a-all the way down?"

Looking up at him without stopping, Vixy flicked her tail and started sinking further and further down. She valiantly fought against her gag reflex, something she'd not yet been able to tame and slave to her will. She knew such a thing was possible, or at least that Meryl claimed it was possible. Shit. I forgot Meryl is here. She's probably wondering where we went. Better finish this fox fast. Reaching up with her right hand, Vixy cradled James' balls in her palm, massaging them gently with her fingers. If it weren't for having a mouthful of the tod she'd have smiled as she felt them tighten and draw up. That, combined with James' nearly frantic breath, told her that he still had that particular weak spot.

James bit his lip as Vixy groped his balls, desperately trying to keep his vocalizations in check. Dammit if she didn't remember every single one of his weak spots. Then, when he felt her cool, wet, nose nuzzle up to the fur of his crotch, he realized he couldn't hold on any longer. "Shit-Vixy...fuck...oooohhhh." He tried to warn her, but with a shiver and a gasp, he lost control, his manhood throbbing as he released his pent up load.

Vixy, to her credit, barely flinched as she felt James' hot, sticky seed coat the inside of her muzzle. Her tail wagged behind her, and she quickly swallowed up every drop she could. She didn't want any getting on the floor and providing more evidence of what they'd been doing than the lingering scent of sex would. It took him about ten seconds to stop, and when he did Vixy was just beginning to see a bit of black at the edges of her vision. Every breath she'd taken had been shallow and filled with his scent. She didn't mind. Pulling off of him she gasped and took a few deep, full breaths. A bit of saliva still connected her muzzle with his length, and she reached up to bat it away. "You good?"

James sunk to the floor, a blissful expression on his face. "Oh. Vixy." He held his arms out, beckoning her to come and cuddle with him. Vixy might have done so, if only for a moment, had there not come a sharp knock on the door to the dressing room.

"Come on guys, you've been in there long enough," came the sweet, sensual voice of Meryl Lynn Monroe.

Vixy's eyes widened and she jumped up. "Shit. We'll...I mean...just a minute."

James stood up too, quickly pulling his shorts up and getting his pants on. Vixy dressed just as fast, and then give her lips a quick lick to make sure there wasn't anything sticking to them. When James reached for the doorknob, Vixy reached out and caught his arm. Leaning in she kissed him on the cheek and said, "My place or your place tonight?"

"How about my place? It's right in the middle if downtown."

"Sounds good." Vixy's tail wagged behind her, and she nodded for him to open the door.

When the door swung open they found Meryl standing there, arms crossed under her bosom, looking at them with a triumphant expression. "Come on, we better go before someone notices."

"Yeah," Vixy said, hooking her arm around James'.

The trio made their way out of the department store and back out in the open spaces of the Cornerian Mall. Once they were a safe distance away, Meryl said, "So, how was it?"

"Really good," James said without hesitation. He nuzzled Vixy and added, "I'd forgotten how good she was."

Swatting him on the chest, Vixy said, "You know you'll never have better."

"Mmm. Maybe," James answered, his eyes alight with a teasing glint.

They walked a bit more, and then a thought occurred to Vixy. "Hey Meryl?"

"Yes hon?" The pink feline turned to look at her, ears cupping in her direction.

"How did you know which dressing room we were in?" Vixy asked.

Meryl just smiled enigmatically and skipped ahead a few paces, her tail swishing behind her. When no answer seemed forthcoming, Vixy and James looked at each other and shrugged. Leave it to a feline to be mysterious.

On the bed in James' apartment, Vixy let out a happy little whimper. "I'm gonna be walking funny tomorrow."

Chuckling, James nuzzled her, the two of them enjoying the view from the open balcony. Moon light streamed in, along with the lights of the city. They could see the silhouettes of people moving around their apartments in the neighboring buildings. "I get that a lot."

"You and that damn zucchini." Vixy shook her head. "I still think it might have grown."

"Maybe. I don't know, when do they stop growing?" James rolled her onto her stomach, planting kisses down her back, which glistened with the lightest sheen of sweat.

"Hell if I know." Vixy wrapped her arms around the soft pillow at the head of the bed. This didn't bring back quite as many memories as she had thought it would. Probably because this time had been different. Back on Papetoon they'd been dodging parents and other adults, trying not to give away the fact that they weren't just busy flight jockeying, but also matress jockeying whenever they could.

James rubbed her flanks. He took a deep breath through his nose, enjoying the musky scent that clung to her. "You smell nice."

"I smell like you," she corrected him.

"I know."

Shaking her head, she said, "I take it back, you have changed."

"How?" James settled down on his back next to her, looking at her across the short divide of covers and sheets.

"You weren't always this confident," she told him, turning her head to look him in the eye. "And you weren't ever this good."

Smiling, James said, "I've gotten a bit more experience since we were together."

"Clearly," Vixy replied. "Who's the lucky lady?"

James shrugged and held up a hand. "Let me see, I shall count the wenches."

Laughing Vixy smacked his hand. "Perv."

"You already called me that today. How about you call me stud instead," James said, his eyes twinkling.

"Hmmm. Okay, that works." Vixy rolled over and settled between his chest and his arm. Her nose twitched when she detected her scent on his body. She'd forgotten how much she enjoyed that. In a way it almost made her glad that the breeze coming in from outside was practically nonexistent, there was something she liked about being surrounded by the comingling of their scents. "Tell me about Star Fox."

"Why?" James asked, putting his arm around her.

Putting a hand on his chest, Vixy began to play with the little tuft of soft, white fur on his chest. "Because you always used to talk about it when we were together. So, are you a big hero yet?"

James grimaced. "Turns out, running a mercenary outfit isn't quite as glorious a job as I thought it would be growing up."

Vixy chuckled, biting his shoulder. She wagged her tail when he winced. "What a surprise."

"It's mostly just convoy escort, and patrolling regions that aren't important enough for the Defense Force to worry about, but not unimportant enough to leave unguarded," James explained, letting the hand that had been resting on her hip fall to cup her buttocks. "Have these gotten firmer?"

"Probably," she said, pouting her rear out against his hand. "Meryl's got me doing squats. She says if I don't have a big rack, I need a sexy ass."

"I knew there was something about her that I liked," James said, a look of vulpine mischief on his face. "Though I think your tits are cute."

"Aww. I always knew you were a man who could appreciate itty-bitty-titties," Vixy said. "Now come on, you've got to have one interesting story about your team."

James shrugged, thinking about it. "Well..."

"What? Come on. You must have one. How else could you afford this apartment?" Vixy asked. James' apartment was in one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Corneria City. At fifteen hundred square feet, and near the top of a glittering high rise, Vixy could only imagine what he must be paying in terms of rent. The thing might as well have been a penthouse.

"Oh, that one isn't that interesting," James said, a coy look on his face.

"You better tell me something," Vixy warned, "Or else I might not let you come back for seconds."

That seemed to get her point across. "Well, the guy who owns this building has been looking to put up a new high rise in San Caruso. He was having components and materials shipped there from Macbeth. The convoy got hit by some pirates, and Star Fox was in the area, so we saved the day, and escorted them to their destination. Free of charge."

"Free of charge?" Vixy looked aghast. "What kind of merc are you?"

"One who wants to start getting a good reputation," James argued. This was not the first time he'd had to explain his reasoning for that decision. "I was thinking long term."

"Alright, fair enough mister goody-two-tails." Vixy planted a kiss on his cheek, just to let him know she really did approve.

"Well, turns out he wasn't about to let us go unrewarded," James continued. "He asked me what I wanted in return, and I told him I needed a place to stay on Corneria. Thus, I ended up with chateau McCloud." James swept his arm out to encompass the entire room.

"Damn." Vixy shifted onto his lap, straddling him. "I like a man who knows what he wants. And who has a really nice apartment. I'm a little mad you didn't show me this place awhile ago."

Settling his hands on her hips, James said, "Does that mean you're gonna be bumming around here from now on?"

Looking down at him, Vixy arched an eyebrow. "Would that be a bad thing?"

Chuckling, James made his zucchini known, and answered, "No. Not at all."

Smirking a bit, Vixy reached down between her legs and guided him inside of her. As she slowly took his length she let out a happy little moan, her tongue hanging from the side of her muzzle. Vixy hardly considered herself a size queen, but she'd be lying if she said she hadn't missed James' girth.

"Ahhh." James sighed, squeezing her hips a bit as she finally dropped down all the way. "Oh you have no idea how good that feels."

Starting up her bouncing, Vixy looked down at him with a curious look on her face. "What do you mean?"

For the first time that night, James actually blushed. "I just mean-ah-that most girls can't uh...well, you know."

Vixy had a fair idea, but she wanted to hear it from him. It would amuse her to no end. "What? Come on, say it."

Frowning, James cupped her buttocks again and reached a hand back, then brought it down in a spank. "Don't-mmmm-tease like that."

"Hah!" Vixy nearly squirted at the stinging sensation he left behind. "Nah, come on, you gotta-oooh-tell me."

Growling low in his throat, James straightened up suddenly, flopping Vixy onto her back. She looked up at him with a smirk, and James just rolled his eyes and lined his length back up. "I was gonna say," he slipped in, pressing forward with his maleness until he felt his balls rub against the curve of her rear, brushing the soft, but sodden fur at the base of her tail. "I was going to say that most girls have trouble with me going balls deep."

James' tail swished in the most adorably sheepish away, his ears folding back against his skull. It reminded Vixy of how vulnerable he'd been back on Papetoon, when they were each other's firsts, and Vixy had nearly run away screaming at the sight of the monster bobbing between his legs. Snaking her arms around his neck, Vixy pulled him close and kissed him on the muzzle. When they broke apart, she looked at him and wrapped her legs around his hips to keep him close. "Well then, you can go balls deep in me whenever you need it McCloud."

Grinning like the idiot he was, James kissed her back and started to rock his hips. "Does this mean we're-mmf-together again?"

Bucking her hips back and forth in sync with his, and feeling a little breathless, Vixy shook her head. "Not on your life."

"Heh. Good." James nibbled at her neck. "My zucchini prefers multiple water sources at the moment."

Vixy groaned, both at the divine feeling of having him inside of her, skin against skin, and at his terrible joke. "One more like that and I'll get up and leave."

"Fine." James took her ear between his teeth and tugged. "I thought you liked my dirty jokes though."

Feeling a pleasured sensation building inside of her, Vixy managed to get out through grit teeth, "Not when we're-ooohhh-not in the middle-gawd-fuck!" Vixy shuddered and climaxed, her juices dribbling down to soak her already wet tail.

James smiled in triumph as he felt her soak his balls, and let up on his thrusting for a few moments as she shivered and convulsed. "Damn if you don't have a cute O-face."

Moaning softly, Vixy's eyes came back from the back of her head, refocusing on James. "You almost done?"

"Yeah, I guess. For now." James shrugged. "You want me to pull out?"

"I think I might go cross eyed if you don't," she told him. "I'm on the pill, so it's not that. Just, try not to get it in my hair."

Smirking, James slid out of her, then wrapped his own fingers around his maleness. He gave it a few strong pumps, using his other hand to grope at her tiny, adorable breasts, then with a grunt and a curse, he erupted for the third time that day. His volume hadn't diminished much, and he sent several white, hot streaks of his essence to land on her tummy, and one on her chest. With a sigh he flopped down next to her, watching as she dipped a finger into his offering and then licked it clean. He wrapped an arm around her again and pulled her close against his side, not bothered in the least as his cum rubbed into both of their coats, they could shower later. Kissing her sweat drenched hair he cuddled her close, feeling better than he had in months. "I missed you, you know," he whispered.

Vixy smiled and nuzzled him. Her tail thumped against the bed and she whispered back, "I missed you too."

The clock on the microwave read midnight, and Vixy didn't care. Standing in the kitchen, wearing nothing but her fur, she nibbled on some munchies from the fridge. James was watching her from across the hall, smiling at the way the light from the refrigerator cast shadows in several appealing places. "What about you?" he asked.

"What about me?" Vixy responded, popping a few more morsels she'd found into her muzzle, chewing in contentment.

"What have you been doing all these years? Got anyone special I should be worried about?" James joined her in the kitchen. He took a beer from the fridge, flicking the cap off with his thumb. "Impressed?" he asked, looking hopeful.

"Not really," Vixy answered.

"Awww, for real?" James felt a bit disappointed, but it passed. He could think of other ways to impress her for the rest of the night. I haven't felt this insatiable in a long time. And that's saying something.

"Really." Closing the fridge, she hopped up on the granite counter. She pushed aside a dirty dish, not surprised to find that James hadn't been keeping up with his dishes. Not that I'm any better, she thought.

"You know, I do have to eat there," James pointed out, leaning his back against the fridge. The cool surface felt good in the warm summer night.

"What? You don't wash the counter? Chill out." Vixy shook her head. "Or is that woman's work?" she teased.

Pushing off the fridge, James put his arms around her and tossed her over his shoulder, looking appreciatively at her back end. "Come on, I have a couch for sitting."

"Oh, big strong man, carrying a woman over his shoulder." Vixy smiled and looked down at his backside, it was almost as good a view as the one from the balcony.

"Man has strong arms," James said, taking on a caveman inflection. "Woman light as feather."

They made it to the couch, at which point James unceremoniously dumped her onto it, before flopping down himself. He let one leg hang off the edge, while the other rested on top of the couch. Vixy eyed the sight between his legs hungrily. "That is an obnoxious pose."

Grinning, James said, "Which naturally means you approve. Let's not forget who flashed the entire senior class one year."

Blushing, Vixy answered, "That was an accident. I swear."

"Sure. Sure." James kept grinning.

"Just drink your stupid beer." Vixy crossed her arms and looked away, though her eyes kept darting back to him for a second or two at a time. James continued showing himself off. "And to answer your question, no I'm not cheating on a boyfriend with you or anything. Trust me, you aren't that appealing."

"You wound me," James replied, though inwardly he breathed a sigh of relief. He really should have asked and made sure she was single. "Something tells me you don't want for bedmates though."

"What makes you think that?" Vixy turned around on the couch, settling her feet on his stomach. She wiggled her toes at him. James took them in his hands and started massaging them. "Mm. That feels good. Where did you learn to do that?"

"Vixen masseuse," James said. "I met her a few months ago."

"Did you get a happy ending?"

"Oh yes. And then some," James told her, looking proud of himself. "But you haven't told me if you're out getting around."

Tipping her head back as James rubbed her toes, Vixy said, "Yeah. I fuck around. Why?"

"Just wondering," James said. "So, I told you a good story about my life. You got any?"

Vixy thought about it for a moment. "I'm not exactly flying in a mercenary unit, but I can think of one or two things. What do you want to know?"

"How did you get to be a test pilot for Space Dynamics?" James asked.

"Mm. That's a long story. Should I just give you the cliff notes?"

"Sure. And then..."

"You seriously want more?" Vixy looked at him with an expression that wasn't shock so much as approval.

"Don't you?"

"Alright, cliff notes." Vixy thought for a moment, then said, "Well, long story short, Aero Academy has a deal with Space Dynamics and other companies that are looking for talent. I technically didn't meet the requirements for experience level but..."

"They thought you had the raw talent." James finished for her.

"How did you know?"

Smiling, James sat up and pulled her to him. "Because I always knew you had it in you."

Putting her arms around his neck, Vixy kissed him. "Thanks. You're a good friend, you know that?"

"I do." James rubbed noses with her. "You always told me so."

Sunlight streamed into the room, waking James a few minutes before his alarm was set to go off. Rolling over in bed he looked at Vixy. He couldn't remember ever seeing her in bed with him the morning after. Not when they'd been teenagers sneaking quickies in broom closets or the locker room in some crop duster hangar. I think the most intimate we ever got was in the back of a car.

Intimate. That's what last night had been. Hell, even their time in the dressing room had felt closer than anything they'd done before. Well, okay, maybe that less so, but still, this was different. More than amazing sex, it had been a wonderful night of reconnecting, on both an emotional and a physical level. James felt like he'd caught up with her more in that one night than he had in all the weeks since they'd found each other again. He didn't feel any differently towards her, at least not in terms of a romantic connection, but he did feel as if the night had brought them closer together as friends. Already he could tell that their time together would be placed in his box of happiest memories.

James laid there for a while and watched her sleep. He smiled at the way her ears flicked, and how her leg would kick every now and then. She must have been dreaming. He wondered what she might be dreaming about. He was about to lean over and wake her gently when the damned alarm went off. He'd forgotten about it, distracted by Vixy's sleeping form.

Vixy's eyes shot wide open and she sat bolt upright in bed. Looking around, murder in her eyes, she found the alarm clock. Diving past James she took it, yanked the power cord out, and then threw it to the ground. "Dammit!"

"What?" James looked at her, almost afraid to see what she might do next. "Wake you up in the middle of a good dream?"
"Yes." Vixy sighed, her shoulders drooping. "It was the last sim run of the day, and I was about to vape you for the win."

James chuckled. "My my, someone is a bit hypercompetitive."

"Ya think?" Vixy shook her head, her hair flying in all directions. "Ugh, this is a mess," she said, running her fingers through it. "How are you this morning?"

"Good," he said. "You're cute when you're asleep."

"Thanks," she replied, swinging her legs out of bed. "So, you gonna make me breakfast?"

"Sure." James hopped out of bed and threw on some clothes. Vixy did the same. "What would you like?"

"Oh, something light. Eggs probably." Vixy looked out the open balcony door. "Man, you got a nice view."

"Why don't you go out and enjoy it, I'll bring breakfast to you," James offered.

Smiling, Vixy replied, "I'd like that."

"Breakfast will be ready in ten," James promised, watching as she walked out onto the balcony and took a seat in one of the chairs. At least things weren't awkward. He'd had plenty of morning's after that were like that. Oh Jamie and Clara weren't ever like that, nor were his other regulars, but there were plenty of one night stands that ended in an awkward "okay, that happened," followed by a quick escape.

Heading out to the kitchen James set about cracking some eggs and toasting some toast. He flipped on the holovision while he cooked, noting that the current news story was about some sort of new pirate group harassing the shipping lanes. "...Etcher has struck in several sectors, evading capture by Defense Force pickets each and every time..." James muted the audio. He didn't want to think about pirates or raiders this morning. It wasn't his problem, and until Pepper or someone else decided to make it his problem, he wasn't going to stress about it.

Looking past the holovision at the rest of the living room James caught sight of one of the easy chairs. It was lying on its back, having been overturned last night when James had been holding Vixy in the air, bouncing her up and down in an indescribably pleasurable manner, before he'd miscalculated one of the bounces and promptly sent them both tumbling over end over end. He couldn't help but laugh at the memory. They'd been a little surprised at first, then they'd collapsed into a giggly mess and finished in a nice, easy spoon.

After he finished scrambling the eggs he pulled a carton of orange juice from the fridge. He poured two glasses, then got out some plates for the food. Setting everything on a tray, he picked it up and headed back to the bedroom balcony. He found Vixy staring out at the city, and tracked her gaze to a passing jetstream. "Passenger jet," he guessed.

"Cargo hauler," Vixy replied. "You can tell from the angle, it's coming in from out-atmosphere."

Setting the tray down on the little table between the two chairs, James checked the angle of descent. "You're right," he admitted. "Damn, you are good."

"Got out of Aero at the top of my class," Vixy said. "And not just because of my good looks."

"How was Aero?" James asked, taking a sip of his orange juice.

Taking her plate from the tray, Vixy started eating. "It was quite the experience," Vixy said. "A lot like being at the Academy, but without the drills and uniforms."

"I was always jealous you got to go," James admitted.

"I know." Vixy gobbled up the last of her eggs. She'd always been a fast eater. And she was absolutely ravenous this morning. "We trained on just about everything. Including Switch-Wings, actually."

"Really?" James' ears perked with interest. "I didn't realize they trained in combat craft."

"You have to be selected for it, and then you have to agree to volunteer," Vixy informed him. "Aero doesn't just have agreements with Space Dynamics. They also have agreements with groups like Ares and other big private military corporations. I met a lot of assholes bucking for a job at those organizations."

"Were all of them assholes?" James eyed her suspiciously. It sounded like there might have been some history behind that remark.

"Yeah. All." Vixy shook her head. "I swear, if they were in the Defense Force they'd have been drummed out of the service. You know the type, always showing off, always looking for a fight...and I am describing myself now that I think about it."

They both laughed at that. "Did you ever think about joining Ares or one of the other corps?"

Vixy shook her head, setting down her plate and picking up her orange juice. "Not really. Although..."

"What?" James asked, leaning forward in his chair, ears cupped towards her.

Vixy sighed. "Ever since I got behind the stick of the Arwing, it's gotten me thinking. Back at Aero I never dreamed I'd get to be a test pilot for Space Dynamics. And I certainly never thought I'd end up being recruited for something like the Arwing project. But..."

"But?"

"I don't like test piloting as much as I thought I would." Vixy sighed. "I just don't feel like I'm making any sort of difference. And I feel like, if something went wrong, if I got killed doing it, which we both know is a possibility," James nodded. Test piloting experimental craft was a dangerous job. "I just feel like that would be such a pointless death. I don't want a pointless death."

They were quiet for a few minutes. James didn't want to jump on her like he was trying to get a wishy-washy enlisted man to re-up for another four years, but he had a feeling where she was going with this. Vixy on Star Fox? Is that even possible? Why not? "You could join Star Fox."

Vixy looked at him, and an eager expression on her face. Her tail wagged behind her, brushing against the floor of the balcony. "Could I?"

James smiled, wagging his own tail. "I don't see why not. It'd probably take some time to scrounge up another Switch-Wing, and we'd need to talk it over with Peppy and Archer, but I'm game."

"You're offering me a job," Vixy's tail wagged as she said it.

Adopting a gruff look and tone, James replied, "It wouldn't nice to you. Doesn't pay much."

"But it'd be worth it. James, I know I sound like a kit again but, we could change the world." James could tell the thought, the idea of it, was sending a wave of energy coursing through her veins that she'd never felt before. It had done the same to him when he and Peppy had decided to make his dream a reality.

Smiling at her enthusiasm, James said, "Don't quit your job just yet. I'd still like to be flying against you in the Space Dynamics simulators. Think of it as an extended interview."

Vixy grinned from ear to pointed ear. "I'm gonna kick your ass so hard, you'll beg to have me on the team."

Taking her hands in his, James said, "Vixy, we're friends. You'll never have to beg me for anything."

She put her hands over his and looked into his beautiful, bottomless, emerald eyes. "It'll be just like old times James, they'll never stop us."

With all that said, they went back to their breakfast, or what was left of it, and watched the sky above Corneria City.