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Bobby Thornbody, a 13-year-old porcupine, sat on his front porch, eagerly awaiting the arrival of one of his close friends, a canine that had moved to Huntington several months ago from England, named Merlin. He was excited because Merlin was going to take him somewhere that had just opened up near where he was living. The porcupine wasn't waiting on the porch long before he found the spaniel walking up the street. He quickly hopped to his feet and ran over to greet him. "Aloha, Merlin! How are you this morning?"

"I'm doing okay," Merlin replied. "I'm excited for you to see this place. I've been there once already, and it's really great!"

"Where is it you want to take me, Merlin," Bobby asked.

"I don't wanna tell you just yet. I wanna just show you. Come on."

Bobby laughed. "Okay. Give me a second. I told Dad I'd lock up before I left." He quickly walked back to the door and locked it before walking back to his friend. "I'm all set. Lead the way."

"Okay!" With a big smile on his face, the spaniel let the porcupine back toward his home. He walked several streets with him until the two eventually arrived in front of a large building that had a decal of a fat bear sitting at a table rubbing his large belly on the window.

"Heh. Nice. A new buffet." As soon as Bobby spoke those words, his stomach gave an audible growl. The growl made the porcupine laugh. "I guess those noises mean I should probably get in there, huh?"

Merlin's eyes were focused on Bobby's belly after the noises, and he didn't seem to fully register Bobby's words. When he snapped out of his daze, he looked up. "Huh? Oh! Yeah! Let's get inside. We definitely need to get some food."

Bobby laughed and headed for the door. He held it open for Merlin to enter then followed him inside.

Almost immediately, the two found their noses filled with the smells of different foods.

"Mmm... Wow. This place smells great," Bobby commented as he and Merlin went to the front podium to pay for their meal.

Merlin, though, insisted on paying for them both. Once he had, he quickly led Bobby over to a table near the food. "Is this spot okay, Bobby?"

"This works for me. We won't need to go far to get to the food this way," Bobby replied.

"Uh-huh!" Merlin smiled, putting the check on the table to reserve their spot.

Bobby sniffed the air again as he walked over to where the plates and silverware were. Once he had gotten what he needed, he walked over to one of the food areas. As he looked over the different food, his stomach gave another loud growl.

Merlin giggled a bit, hearing that. "You're definitely hungry, huh, Bobby? I think we need to make sure you get full, so your tummy's good and happy."

Bobby laughed. "Right." He looked over the different foods and grabbed a piece of pizza, some chicken strips, and french fries. What little space remained on the plate after that, Bobby got a small cup of ketchup for dipping his food in.

Merlin looked over the different foods, eventually filling his plate with a couple of pieces of pizza and some chicken strips.

After the two also got themselves some soda, they both returned to the table and sat down.

"This food smells amazing. Mahalo for bringing me here, Merlin."

"You're welcome, Bobby," Merlin replied. "Dig in."

"Don't mind if I do," Bobby commented with a chuckle. He grabbed the slice of pizza off his plate and took a bite out of it. After chewing and swallowing, he spoke again. "Mmm, this pizza is delicious."

Merlin took a bite of the pizza too. "Mmhmm, it sure is." As Merlin ate, he kept his eyes on Bobby. He was enjoying the food, but he was enjoying watching Bobby eat even more.

After he finished the slice of pizza, Bobby's attention went to the chicken strips. Picking one of them up, he dipped it in the ketchup and took a bite. His eyes grew when he did. Chewing it up and swallowing it, he spoke up again. "These have to have just been made right before we got to them. They're nice and hot, but also really tasty. Not dry at all."

Merlin gulped down what food was in his muzzle. "Maybe you should get more," he commented with a smile.

"I just might, when I'm done with this plate," Bobby commented. He sat there and continued eating, switching between the chicken strips and the french fries. When he finished, he got up to get a second plate of food. Sure enough, when he came back, he had more of the chicken tenders, also getting some macaroni and cheese and a small hamburger, which looked like it was just the bun and patty, though Bobby had another small cup of ketchup, which he used some of on it.

It wasn't long after that Merlin got up to get his second plate of food, which consisted of a grilled cheese sandwich, mac and cheese, and a piece of fried chicken. By the time he came back, Bobby was already halfway into the chicken strips. "Heh heh. Enjoying your food?"

Bobby nodded. "Mmhmm," he remarked, gulping down the mouthful he had in his muzzle. "I think this is probably some of the best buffet food I've ever had."

Merlin laughed. "Then you better make sure you keep eating so you can get your fill," he commented as he ate his food.

Bobby laughed and took a couple of bites of this macaroni. "There's a lot of different cheeses on this macaroni too."

Merlin took a bite of the macaroni too. "Mmm..."

As Bobby sat there eating his food, his stomach gave another gurgle. This one proved to be a little louder than the last one, despite the fact his stomach now had food in it.

This, though, appeared to have made Merlin smile. When he heard it, he couldn't suppress the giggle he made.

"What's so funny," Bobby asked, before taking a bite of his burger.

"Your stomach's being really noisy today," the spaniel commented.

"Yeah, I guess it is. Not sure why," Bobby remarked. "Especially considering it usually stops when I put food in it."

"I don't see a problem with it," Merlin told him. "I think it's cute."

"You do?" Bobby took another bite of the burger, chewed, and swallowed it.

"Yeah..." Merlin nodded, eating his food. "Are you gonna keep eating?"

"Well, I'm gonna finish this plate, at least," Bobby told him.

"You're not getting full yet, are you," Merkin asked.

"No, not yet," Bobby commented, taking another couple of bites of his burger.

"Then you should keep eating. We're at a buffet, so you should leave full, right?"

Bobby laughed. "Right, heh."

The two sat there together, chatting back and forth as they ate. Eventually, Bobby cleared his second plate. "Mmm... that was good." He put the plate aside and rubbed his belly.

Merlin finished his food about a minute later. "Come on. Let's go get some more."

Bobby laughed but stood up. "Sounds good to me."

The two walked over to the food area again, looking things over again. "Hmm... let's see..." As he looked things over, his eyes eventually stopped on a tray of chicken-fried steak with some gravy beside it. "Ooh... Not sure how I missed that." Immediately, he put a couple of pieces of it on his plate, before covering it with gravy. He also took a couple of the biscuits that were nearby as well.

Merlin did the same but only took one piece and one biscuit himself. He then walked back to the table with Bobby. "There's so much different stuff here, and it's all really good." Merlin's words were met with Bobby's stomach growling once more. "Hehe... I think your stomach agrees with me."

"It certainly seems that way," Bobby told him before cutting into the food and taking a bite of it. He chewed it up and swallowed it. "Mmm..."

Merlin just giggled again, taking a bite of his food. "Hey, Bobby?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for coming with me today," the spaniel remarked. "I really wanted to share this with you."

"I was glad to. I have to admit, I was really curious about what you had planned when you said you had a surprise for me. This was a great surprise," the porcupine responded.

"Since you like it, do you think you'd want to come back here again sometime soon," Merlin asked.

"Yeah, I think I'd like that. There's a whole bunch of different food there, and there's no way I could try everything today, so I would enjoy coming back again to try more," Bobby told him as he took another bite of the food.

"Good!" Merlin giggled again.

As Bobby eventually reached the end of his plate, he leaned back in his seat and patted his belly. "Mmm... Okay, now I think I'm getting full."

"You're GETTING there? so you're not full yet," Merlin asked.

"Almost, but not quite. Why?"

"You have to try some of the desserts," Merlin said with a big grin.

Bobby laughed again. "It's a good thing I was planning to have some then. I always leave room for dessert when I go out to eat at a buffet."

"Great! Come on" Merlin quickly got to his feet. He grabbed Bobby's paw and pulled him to his feet.

"Whoa! Easy, Merlin! What's your rush?"

"I want to make sure you get something before someone takes all the good stuff," Merlin told him, pulling him along.

Bobby did not attempt to stop Merlin, letting himself get dragged to the dessert area. There were slices of cake, brownies, cookies, and pudding along with several other things. "Hmm... Let's see here..." He looked things over for a minute before taking a slice of chocolate cake, a brownie, a piece of some fudge he saw, and a small amount of pudding.

"Is that all you want," Merlic asked, grabbing a couple of different items as well.

"Yeah, I think so," Bobby told him.

"Don't you want any cookies," Merlin asked, grabbing a couple for himself.

"I have a bunch that I made at home yesterday. I don't want any right now," Bobby told him.

"What about some ice cream? There's an ice cream machine over there," the spaniel commented, pointing to the nearby machine.

"Hmmm... Yeah, I suppose I could get a little bit. Are you gonna get any," Bobby asked.

Melin nodded, and the two of them walked over to the machine.

They both grabbed a small bowl, before filling it with ice cream and grabbing a spoon as well. They then walked back to the table and sat down.

After doing so, Bobby's belly growled again. "There it goes again." He laughed.

Merlin laughed as well, as he began eating his dessert.

Bobby took a bite of the chocolate cake first. When he had, he smiled. "Mmm... "There's chocolate chips in this cake. It tastes really good. Then again, I've said that about everything I've had."

"Yeah, but that's only because it's true," Merlic commented after swallowing a bite of his dessert.

"Mmhmm!" Bobby picked up the brownie, which had some different nuts on top of it, and took a bite out of it, letting another content murr out from his muzzle.

"Hey, Bobby?"

Bobby looked at Merlin. "Yeah?"

"Do you think it's weird that I like the noises your tummy has been making," Merlin asked.

"Nope. Not at all. I know you like my belly, and it doesn't bother me knowing you like the noises it makes. If they make you smile, what's the harm," Bobby asked.

Merlin just giggled again in response as he ate his dessert. He watched Bobby eating his dessert as he did, and it put a smile on his face to do so.

As Bobby ate the different desserts on his plate, his belly occasionally did make another growl or gurgling noise. Bobby would only just laugh as it happened, but he kept eating. Once he finished his dessert, he leaned back and patted his distended belly. "Okay, I think I'm full now. I don't wanna get sick so I need to stop."

Merlin finished his plate of food a few seconds later. "Yeah... Getting sick would be bad."

"Right." Bobby smiled. "Mahalo again for taking me here. This place was great, and I definitely wanna come back here."

"Me too," Merlin replied.

The two of them stacked up all their dirty dishes, placing their utensils on top of it before standing.

"Let's hit the bathroom and clean up before we go back. Sound good," Bobby asked.

"Yeah. That sounds good," the spaniel replied. He then followed Bobby to where the bathrooms were, washing his paws in one sink as Bobby washed his in another.

With that taken care of, the two left the restaurant. Bobby's belly gave another gurgle as he stepped outside, making him laugh. "I've got a full belly, and it's STILL making noise."

"It's still cute," Merlin said as they walked back to Bobby's house.

When they got there, Bobby walked up to his front door, unlocked it, and stepped inside, turning on the lights. Merlin came in right behind him. After Bobby closed the door, the spaniel spoke. "Hey, Bobby... I have a really weird question to ask you."

"Hm?" Bobby looked at his friend. "What is it, Merlin?"

"Would it be okay if... I rubbed your belly," Merlin asked. There was a slight blush on his face.

Bobby gave Merlin a curious look before smiling. "I don't mind. Just don't push on it too hard, okay?"

Merlin nodded, but he didn't approach the porcupine yet. "You said you had some cookies you made earlier, right?"

"Yeah, I have them in the kitchen. Why?"

Merlin shifted on his feet. "Umm... While I'm rubbing your belly... can I feed you some of them?"

"We just ate," Bobby commented.

"I know, but... you probably walked some of it off as we got back here," the spaniel commented. "You probably have some room now."

This made the porcupine laugh. "Okay, okay. Come on. They're sitting on the kitchen counter." As he said this, he headed for the kitchen.

With a happy look on his face, the spaniel followed. When he got to the kitchen, he saw Bobby walk over to where the plate of cookies was. Merlin walked over to join him and immediately picked one of them up. Before feeding it to Bobby, he reached over and rubbed Bobby's belly over his shirt.

"Might feel a little better if I unbutton it," Bobby commented, doing so after he spoke.

This made Merlin blush again, but he immediately rubbed the porcupine's now-exposed belly, getting a gurgle from it as a result. With a giggle, he put the cookie up to Bobby's muzzle.

Bobby opened his muzzle and took a big bite of the cookie he was fed, chewing and swallowing it, before taking a second bite. After swallowing that one, he grabbed a cookie himself and offered it to Merlin, who immediately took a bite before feeding Bobby the rest of the cookie he still had.

Merlin grabbed another cookie and began feeding Bobby with it, rubbing the porcupine's belly as he did. He couldn't help smiling as he did this and took another bite of the cookie Bobby offered him before speaking. "Your tummy fur is really soft, and your belly's really nice."

Bobby blushed a little. "Mahalo, Merlin... Would you mind if I rubbed YOUR belly a little?"

"I... I don't mind," Merlin commented as he felt Bobby's free paw rub it. He fed the rest of the cookie he was holding to Bobby before putting his other paw on Bobby's belly, now rubbing it with both paws.

Bobby gave a soft murr when he did and returned the gesture. "Your fur's nice too, Merlin."

"Thank you," he said as he rubbed the porcupine's belly. He did this with both paws for a couple of minutes before going back to the cookies, grabbing another, and putting it up to Bobby's muzzle.

"I don't think I've got much more room, Merlin, so I think this is the last one I can eat for now," Bobby told him as he took a bite out of the cookie in his friend's paw.

"That's okay," Merlin commented. "As long as I can keep rubbing your belly."

Bobby laughed and nodded. "You can rub it as much as you like," he told Merlin.

Merlin smiled at that and fed Bobby the rest of the cookie before going back to rubbing Bobby's tummy.

Bobby's belly gave another rumbling noise almost as soon as Merlin's other paw started rubbing. When it did, he started rubbing Merlin's belly even more.

The two spent the next several minutes doing this until Merlin eventually spoke up again. "Bobby? Would you mind if..." He stopped.

"What is it, Merlin," Bobby asked, looking at his friend curiously.

"Would you mind if I put my head against your belly so I can listen to it for a little bit," the spaniel asked, shifting a bit on his feet.

Bobby smiled. "I wouldn't mind that at all. Let's go up to my room, so we can use my bed, okay?"

"Okay!" Merlin smiled too. He then followed his friend upstairs and to his room.

When Bobby got inside, he turned on the light in the room before walking to his bed. He then looked at his friend. "Hey, Merlin... Come here." He gestured for the spaniel to come close.

Merlin did as asked after shutting the door, walking over to him with a curious look. "Yeah?"

Bobby took hold of Merlin's paw and put it on his belly again. "It took me a little bit to figure it out, but I think I know why my belly has been so noisy today."

Merlin giggled and rubbed Bobby's belly again. "Why is that?"

Before Bobby had a chance to answer, his belly gave another rumble. He laughed before speaking. "It's been enjoying the attention today. I think that's my belly's way of expressing its gratitude."

The spaniel giggled again. That's silly, Bobby... but cute too."

"Heh... I don't know that for sure, but it kinda makes sense. It was doing it while I was eating food from the place YOU picked out, and it was doing it when you were feeding me earlier and with the belly rubs too. The first time it did it, I think I was just hungry, but every other time, I think my tummy was just happy to get attention."

"Well, I want to make sure your belly gets a lot of attention. It IS a nice belly," Merlin said with a small blush.

Bobby blushed as well. "Mahalo, Merlin... So... you wanted to listen to my belly, right? I think it'd be a good idea for me to lie down so you can do that." With those words, Bobby readjusted himself so he could do exactly that, leaving plenty of room for the spaniel to climb onto the bed and put his head on the porcupine's belly.

With an excited look on his face, Merlin climbed onto the bed, once Bobby was situated, and laid his head on top of Bobby's soft tummy. Almost immediately, he heard the sounds of the porcupine's belly rumbling. "Hehe... It's even noisier up close to it."

"I bet it is... I can make it get even louder, though," Bobby told his friend.

"You can?"

"Mmhmm," Bobby took in a big breath of air before swallowing it down. The effect of this was almost immediate. A much louder rumbling and gurgling noise came from his belly.

This made Merlin giggle again. "Wow. That was really loud. What did you do?"

"It's a trick a friend of mine taught me. I'm just swallowing down a big gulp of air," Bobby told him.

"Can you do it again," Merlin asked.

Bobby chuckled. "Sure." He took in another huge breath of air, swallowing it down, which caused another loud rumbling noise from his gut.

"That was even louder than the first time," the spaniel commented.

"Heh... I bet you liked it, though," Bobby remarked.

"Uh-huh!"

Bobby patted Merlin's head as he lay there. Every few minutes, he'd take in another big breath, whenever he thought Merlin wouldn't expect it, just to hear the spaniel's reaction to the loud gurgling noise. Eventually, he spoke up again. "Hey, Merlin?"

"Yeah, Bobby?"

"This feels nice... Having you laying here, I mean. It probably sounds silly but having your head on my tummy feels comforting," Bobby told him.

"It does," Merlin asked.

"Yeah. After all the food I ate at the buffet, then the cookies when we got back here, I was really full. Laying here with you resting your head on my tummy, though, is calming it down," Bobby told him.

"I'm glad. I don't want you to get sick," Merlin told him.

"I think if I had kept eating, I would have gotten sick, but, at the same time, being as full as I am also feels nice. That buffet was a good idea, Merlin."

"Thanks, Bobby."

"You're welcome," Bobby replied. A couple of seconds later, although it was very quiet, Bobby could just make out the sound of the front door opening. "Sounds like Dad just got home."

"Think we should go downstairs," Merlin asked.

"Nah. He'll be up in a few minutes. He always comes up to check on me," Bobby told him. "Just relax and enjoy my belly noises."

"Okay," Merlin said, nuzzling Bobby's belly as he continued listening to it.

Sure enough, it didn't take long before a knock was heard on the other side of the door. "Bobby? I'm home. Can I come in?"

Hearing that, Merlin tried to get up, but Bobby just whispered for him to stay there before speaking up. "Sure, Dad. Come on in."

The door opened, and Sam stepped inside. He almost immediately saw Merlin laying with his head on Bobby's belly and gave a soft chuckle. "Enjoying yourself?"

Merlin blushed and nodded, but he didn't say anything.

"We went out to eat for lunch at this new buffet that opened up near here, and my belly's been rumbly all day. Took me a while to realize it was because it liked the attention it was getting," Bobby told his father.

"I see," Sam replied.

"And... well... I wanted to make sure Bobby got a good meal there, so I made sure he was nice and full before he left. It was rumbly a lot while he was eating too... and when we got back, I..." Merlin stopped.

"It's okay to tell him, Merlin. I mean, he's standing there with your head on my belly as it is. He's not gonna think it's weird," Bobby told him.

"I... asked if I could rub it because I really like bellies, and then asked if I could listen to it, so I could hear it better. That's why we're here right now," the spaniel told the elder porcupine.

Sam gave a soft chuckle. "That's cute, Merlin. Are you enjoying what you're hearing from Bobby's belly?"

"Yeah... it's noisy, but I like it." Merlin told him. He sat up then, looking at Sam. "Umm... I have a question, Mister Thornbody."

"Hm? What's that?"

"Could I... maybe... rub yours too," the spaniel asked, blushing again.

"I don't see why not," the porcupine replied. "I like belly rubs myself." With those words, Sam walked over to the bed, so he was within reach of the spaniel.

After a couple of moments of thinking about whether or not he wanted to do it, Merlin reached over and gave Sam's belly a rub over the sweater-vest he was wearing. He stopped almost immediately though.

Before Merlin even had the chance to ask, Sam lifted the front of it and the shirt underneath, to expose his belly to the spaniel. "Is this better?"

"Y... Yeah..." Merlin rubbed the elder porcupine's belly with both paws. "Your belly fur is nice and soft, just like Bobby's."

"Well, I take care of it. I like to keep it looking and feeling nice," Sam told him. About a second later, a long but quiet rumble came from his belly. "Hmm... Seems my belly might be enjoying the attention too."

This made Merlin giggle. "Uh-huh." He reached over and rubbed it with his other paw now too.

"Mmm... That feels good, Merlin."

"Wanna sit down, Dad? You might enjoy it more if you do," Bobby commented.

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Sam said, taking a seat on the bed, once Bobby had scooted himself over. There we go."

"Now you have TWO bellies to enjoy, Merlin," Bobby said with a big smile.

"Uh-huh. But... Mister Thornbody... Could you lie down too? I wanna hear how your belly sounds... I'm sorry if that sounds weird." Merlin remarked, looking embarrassed.

"It's not weird at all, Merlin," Sam told him. "I don't mind." He then repositioned himself so that he was laying on Merlin''s other side, leaving the spaniel between him and Bobby. "How's that?"

"That's good..." Merlin told Sam. He then readjusted himself so he could rest his head on Sam's belly as he had done with Bobby's.

Once Merlin was settled, Bobby got an idea and scooted himself up against Merlin, so his belly was pressing against his friend. "There. Now you're listening to one belly, and you have another belly rubbing against your side."

"Thanks, Bobby," Merlin commented before returning his attention to the elder porcupine's belly. As he did, he could hear the light gurgling and growling coming from it. It wasn't quite as loud as Bobby's but he still enjoyed hearing it. "Hehe... Your tummy's noisy too. It's not loud, but it's making different noises than Bobby's did."

"That's probably because I haven't eaten anything since breakfast this morning, but, as long as you're enjoying it, that's all that matters," Sam commented.

"Right," Bobby agreed. "And I think we can both tell you're enjoying it, just from how much you're smiling right now."

"I really am," Merlin commented as he continued listening to Sam's belly. "And... umm... I wanted to thank you both for... well... for not laughing at me when I told you about my love of bellies and belly noises. It's nice knowing I can open up to someone about it and not have to worry about being laughed at."

"I'd never laugh at you for something like that," Bobby told him. "And I know my dad wouldn't either. It'd be kinda silly to laugh at that since we both love it too."

"Right," Sam agreed. "It doesn't hurt anyone, so there isn't an issue here. Besides, you aren't the only one who benefits from it."

"Exactly," Bobby commented. "You've heard how our bellies have reacted to the attention you've been giving them."

"Uh-huh," Merlin replied. "I think it's nice your bellies have been so noisy from it. They sound really good when they're all gurgly."

"And having your head resting there doesn't bother me at all, so you're free to stay there as much as you like," Sam commented.

Merlin giggled then fell silent, listening to the gurgling noises of the elder porcupine's belly, while feeling Bobby pressing against him from behind. As he lay there listening to it, the spaniel got a silly idea and poked a finger inside Sam's belly button.

This made Sam laugh a little. "What are you up to now, hm?"

"I just wanted to see how you'd react," Merlin replied. "Sorry."

"No need to be. It didn't bother me at all. I was just curious what it was you were doing," Sam commented.

"What did he do, Dad? I couldn't see from behind him."

"He stuck his finger in my belly button," Sam told his son.

"Ah," Bobby replied. "That's cute."

Sam went quiet for a moment before speaking again. "If you want a more amusing reaction, Merlin, you should try doing that to Bobby."

Bobby's eyes grew. "Daaaad!"

Merlin giggled again. "Okay!" He immediately switched positions so he was facing Bobby instead of Sam and looked at his friend. "Oh! Umm... Is... Is it okay?"

Bobby shrugged. "Yeah, sure. It's not something that hurts me or anything, and I know you won't tell anyone else, so go for it." Bobby rolled onto his back again.

Merlin stuck his finger into Bobby's navel and started moving it around.

The effect was nearly immediate. Bobby started squirming a bit, trying to suppress a giggle, which he quickly became unable to do. Within a matter of seconds, the young porcupine was sent into a giggle fit, accompanied by him squirming around.

Merlin grinned at that and kept it up for several seconds before he finally stopped, allowing his friend to catch his breath. "I hope I didn't overdo it."

Bobby took a couple of breaths before he was finally able to speak again. He then shook his head. "Nah. I told you it was okay to do it after all. My tummy's just ticklish there, and Dad knows it."

"Okay... Ummm... Can I go back to listening to your belly, Bobby?"

Bobby nodded. "Of course, you can."

"And would you do what you did before, so your belly gets loud again?"

Before Bobby had the chance to reply, his gut gave a loud rumbling noise. "Heh, I might not need to do it myself, but sure. I can do that." He gave his stomach a pat to indicate for the spaniel to rest his head on it.

Merlin put his head down on Bobby's rumbling belly, and it got loud very quickly after, once Bobby had swallowed another gulp of air. This made him giggle again as he listened to it.

For the next several minutes, Merlin switched between rubbing and listening to the two porcupines' tummies. He seemed to be quite content doing so, as the smile never left his face.

Bobby's curiosity about something eventually prompted him to ask a question. "Hey, Merlin?"

"Yeah, Bobby?"

"I'm curious... Where did your interest in bellies and belly noises come from," the porcupine asked.

"It came from my dad... He used to let me cuddle his belly when I was younger, and I liked doing it."

"That's sweet," Bobby responded.

"I agree. And it honestly doesn't surprise me to hear that your love for bellies came from Nigel," Sam commented. "You two are quite close after all. Just like Bobby and I are."

"Right," Bobby remarked.

Merlin smiled. "I love my dad."

"I'm sure he loves you too," Sam told the spaniel.

"I know he does," Merlin replied. After several seconds, Merlin looked like he had something else on his mind, but he didn't speak up any further.

Sam, however, noticed this. "Is something on your mind?"

The spaniel blushed a little. "I've been enjoying all the time with your bellies... but would it be okay to ask for a cuddle?"

Sam smiled. "I'd be okay with that. Bobby?"

"Definitely," the younger porcupine commented.

The two readjusted themselves on the bed, with Bobby patting the spot in between them for Merlin to lay down.

Merlin did so and felt the two porcupines cuddle up with him on both sides. "Thanks."

"No problem," Bobby replied. "I don't think I've ever had a time where I've refused a cuddle. If it's ever happened, I don't remember it."

Merlin laughed. "You're silly, Bobby."

"Yeah, maybe. I got you to laugh again, though." Right then his belly gave another loud rumble, which made the young porcupine laugh too. "And there's my belly again too."

Merlin laughed again, but then fell silent with a smile on his face, cuddled between the two porcupines. As he lay there, cuddled between them, he eventually drifted to sleep.