My second furry story. I hope you like it!
PDF download link: LINK

An Anniversary Surprise
Story by: Barnaby Bear
Art by: Yashu_chu with minor edit by Barnaby Bear
***
Micah woke up early, rubbing his eyes as he lifted his head slightly off the bed to see darkness still beyond the window. He could hear the rumbling of traffic outside, and a faint beeping sound through the walls. It's probably one of the neighbors getting up early. His heart beats a bit quicker than usual, and his thoughts rattle in excitement. He takes a few deep breaths, sitting upright as he attempts to get out of bed without waking Tori.

He makes it three steps before Tori stirs.

No, Micah thought. No no no. Of all the days Tori decides to be a light sleeper, why on earth did he pick today?

"Nnnn," Tori stretches, opening his eyes groggily and peering at Micah, grabbing his wrist worriedly with one of his massive paws. "W-where—"

"Ssshh" Micah whispers, stroking Tori's paw. "I'm uh—I'm just going to the bathroom," he says hastily. He looked around, looking for something as he patted the bear's furry arm. "Sssh. Go back to sleep, big guy."

"O-okay," Tori replies sleepily, letting go of Micah's arm. Tori closes his eyes, rubbing his muzzle into the pillow.

Micah sighs a breath of relief as he gets up, trying his best as he dances around the spots on the floor that squeak. As he makes it to the open bedroom door, he grabs a small, taped-up box beside the entrance. He takes two steps ‌into the hall before closing the door behind himself as quietly as possible. The house is cold, and Micah turns on the hall light. The bright light causes him to blink and rub his eyes tiredly. He heads toward the bathroom with the sealed box in his paws, thankful that Tori didn't get curious and try to open it.

Micah takes a deep breath before entering the bathroom, not bothering to shut the door behind him. He turns on the bathroom light, letting out a squeaky yip as he rubs his eyes from the brightness right above. After a few moments, he puts the box down on the toilet. He grabs his brush beside the sink, brushing his fur as he tiredly looks at himself in the mirror. He lets out a yawn, taking some time to look at his face, checking his teeth. He pats his belly, noticing how much weight he'd lost since college.

Micah sighs, tossing the brush aside into the laundry hamper under the sink. He stands in front of the mirror, turning around slowly until he sees the back of his head. He reaches behind himself, grabbing his butt and inspecting it through his boxers. He squeezes his cheeks, making them wobble. He smiles, shaking his tail.

Micah shakes his head a bit as his ears flicker, listening to the sounds of engines purring outside and birds chirping eagerly. More neighbors getting ready for the long weekend with their partners. And so am I, he thinks to himself, giving a toothy grin back at his reflection in the mirror. He's not cute. Not compared to his absolutely-to-die-for boyfriend. But he's cute enough, though.

He looks around for something sharp to open the box before letting out a soft, breathy sigh as he looks at his claws. He bares a single claw on his left paw, using it to open the tape on the box, cutting the tape hurriedly as his fluffy tail wags with excitement. He can't wait to surprise his boyfriend! When he opens the cardboard flaps and looks inside, however, his smile wilts.

The French maid outfit he ordered online is there, but it's not what he paid for. He ordered a nice, pretty outfit that said it was made of one-hundred percent cotton, but instead he got a cheap polyester one with thin, scratchy-looking fabric. It's the ugliest thing he's ever seen.

"No," he whined quietly.

Not today. Not now, he thinks to himself. He really can't handle a setback like this! Not on their special day. But, maybe he can make it work? It's only for a day, after all. Maybe it's not unwearable.

Micah glares down at the dress, turning the bagged outfit over in his paws. Inside are the panties, stockings, and bra he ordered along with it. He carefully sets them aside, pulling out the dress once again. He inspects the material, feeling the polyester fabric under his paw pads. It's so scratchy! How could they possibly sell this?

He takes a deep, soft breath, exhaling slowly as he stares at the outfit. He places the hanger on the floor.

It'll just have to do, he thinks to himself. Besides, if all goes well, he won't be wearing it for very long, anyhow.

He takes off his underwear and slips into the soft, frilly pair he ordered. When he finishes, he grabs the stockings and slowly slips those on, bending down as he pulls each leg through the stockings and cinches them tight around his thighs. Micah adjusts the underwear, smoothing it against his hips.

Once he's finished, he grabs the outfit, and steps into it, grabbing his tail and pulling it through the small, convenient tail hole on the lower-half of the back of the costume. It feels weird. Uncomfortable. He frowns, tugging on the fabric. The colors are a bit too light. It makes his fur look dirty. He runs his paws through it, running his paw pads over the artificially smooth materials. It doesn't feel soft enough, either. This is supposed to be made of cotton. He yawns, exhausted.

What am I going to do? He thinks to himself, looking down at the outfit in despair. I can't wear this!

Micah takes another deep breath, exhaling slowly as he moves his paws away, looking at himself wearing the French maid's outfit in the mirror. He takes a step forward, crossing his arms as he examines his reflection. The skirt is short, barely covering his butt as he walks. It's definitely made of polyester. He sighs, his ears drooping as he runs his paws across his body. It feels like he's wearing one of those cheap, reusable grocery bags.

But it's not so bad, right? He thinks, smiling as he imagines Tori's reaction. He can't help but give a toothy grin as he thinks about him bursting out laughing when he sees his boyfriend wearing the outfit, causing him to giggle. He does a few twirls in front of the mirror, trying his best to sell himself.

"Yeah," Micah grins, making a silly face as he turns around. "This will do."

He grabs his brush on top of the laundry hamper under the sink and starts brushing out his fur again, checking his reflection in the mirror. Once he feels satisfied with how he looks, he heads out of the bathroom, humming quietly as he softly steps down the hall and into the kitchen, turning on the bright kitchen lights as his tail whips excitedly.

All Micah wants to do is make breakfast for his boyfriend. A special, romantic meal. Tori might not remember, but Micah does. The very first time Micah slept over, Tori surprised him the next morning with his supposedly famous milk-butter honey pancakes. He remembers how excited Tori got when he saw the way Micah's mouth opened wide as soon as the smell hit his snout. That was the first day Micah came to terms with the fact that he was gay. Tori made him feel safer than he had ever been, even if it was only for a moment.

Since then, Micah hasn't stopped thinking about Tori. He knows that Tori is just as happy as he is. They've both gone through their struggles in life, but they're finally on the other side of everything.

Now, it was time to surprise him back.

Micah opens the refrigerator, searching around for ingredients. He finds the milk, butter, eggs, and flour, pulling them out one by one. He opens the cabinet underneath the sink and grabs a bowl, mixing spoon, and whisk and sets them on the table. Finally, he opens the condiments drawer and finds—

Oh no.

No.

There's nothing here! He screams internally, pressing his ears flat ‌against the sides of his head.

Where's the honey?

Micah drops the whisk on the tile floor, covering his eyes with a paw as he lets out a panicked yelp. How could I forget the honey?

Micah picks up the whisk and sets it down on the counter. He places both paws on the counter, leaning forward slightly as he takes two, deep breaths.

This is fine, he tells himself. Just make do with what you have. You don't need honey. So what if it's the only special ingredient on the list? So what if they won't be Tori's 'famous' pancakes?

Micah pulls out the utensils he needs, grabbing a fork and mixing spoon. He grabs the flour and sprinkles it onto the bottom of the bowl, dumping in the sugar and salt as he stirs it up. He adds the milk and eggs, stirring it all up with a wooden spoon. Micah looks at it. It still looks a little dry, but it's close enough. He runs a paw across his eyes and yawns. He should have gotten more sleep last night.

Micah grabs the whisk and begins whipping up the batter, adding more milk as needed. He continues to whip it up, until it's thick and fluffy, getting plenty of batter on the counter, on the floor, on his outfit, and on his fur. He looks at the mess he's made, sighing.

Micah takes a deep breath, exhaling slowly. He'll just clean up after. It's no big deal. He grins, his ears perked up, patting his tummy as he imagines how proud Tori is going to be of him! Micah takes the bowl from the mixer, placing it on top of the stove. He grabs the frying pan from the oven, pouring in the oil and setting the burner to low heat. Micah takes the spatula and gently slides it under the pancake, letting it cook until it's golden brown. He keeps flipping each one of them until he's done with every last one, placing them on a plate that's nearby. He goes to wash his paws off in the sink. His outfit and fur are still covered in batter, but that's okay.

He goes back to the plate of pancakes on the counter, drizzling some maple syrup on them. He rubs his eyes again, feeling exhausted. Still, as he looks at the plate of freshly made pancakes, he can't help but smile. Sure, they're not the right recipe, but Micah can't help but admire his first attempt at it. He grabs the plate of pancakes drizzled in syrup, starting to walk over towards the small dining table.

And that's when it happened.

His feet lose grip, sending him slipping on some partially mixed batter on the floor that blended in with the color of the floor tile. He tries to grab something, but he doesn't have a free paw. Micah lands flat on his back, hitting the ground with a loud thud as the plate of pancakes crashes to the floor.

Micah lays there, groaning, rubbing his back as he sits up. He looked around him, wide-eyed. His ears droop as he stares at the mess. There's batter, pancakes, and broken bits of ceramic plate everywhere. He looks down at himself. He's dirty, and covered in pancake mix, and trying to get the pancake mix off his outfit just results in it sticking to his paw pads. He starts to sob. He can't handle any more setbacks today. It's not fair! Why is this happening to him? He sits there on the floor, hugging his knees and sobbing loudly.

Tori, hearing the ceramic plate shatter on the floor a few moments ago, hurries into the kitchen. He looks around the kitchen, seeing ‌batter, pancakes, and broken plate pieces everywhere. He looks down at his maid-outfit-wearing, batter-covered boyfriend.

"Micah?"

Micah looks up, and gasps, sniffling as he wipes the tears from his eyes. He lifts his head up, coughing on his tears as he tries to calm down. He stares at the big bear for a moment before going back to sobbing into his knees.

Tori approaches Micah, being careful not to step on anything. He kneels down next to him, pulling Micah into his arms. "Hey," he smiles out softly, stroking his hair. "It's okay. Everything's gonna be alright."

Micah sniffs, pressing his muzzle against Tori's chest. "I'm sorry!" He cries, tears streaming down his face. "I just—but then the outfit wasn't—and I was tired—and we didn't have honey—and—and—"

Tori wraps his arms around Micah, holding him close as he rocks the small fox back and forth. Micah buries his face into Tori, letting out a shaky breath.

Tori smiles, looking down at the fox. "Was all this for me?"

Micah leans back, slamming his paws on the floor as he looks into Tori's eyes. "Of course this was for you, you big dummy!" He shouts weakly, choking on his own tears. "It's our anniversary!" He sighs, sobbing as his tears fall to the floor. "It was supposed to be a surprise!" He whimpers, burying his muzzle back into Tori's warm fur and closing his eyes as he sniffles, murmuring. "But now everything's ruined."

Tori rubs Micah's back, his shoulders heaving as he breathes in and out. "Shh, shh, shh," he soothes, stroking the fox's back. "Don't worry about it. We can still celebrate. Just relax."

Micah shakes his head. "I just wanted to show you I love you—" he whispers, sniffling as he wipes his eyes with the back of a paw.

Tori wraps his arms around the fox, pulling him closer. "We can still do something nice, okay? You just lay down here, and I'll take care of everything."

Micah nods his head, letting out a sigh. He slides down to the floor, curling up in a ball as he hugs Tori's leg. He looks up at his boyfriend. "Thank you," he says quietly.

Tori smiles, kissing Micah on the forehead. "Everything will be okay," he soothes.

Micah buries his muzzle in Tori's thigh, breathing deeply as he tries to calm down. He closes his eyes, letting out a long breath. "I'm sorry."

Tori strokes Micah's back. "Don't apologize. You have nothing to be sorry for." He lets out, petting the fox's head. "You tried to surprise me. No matter what happened, that's all that matters. Right?"

Micah nods, sniffling. "Yeah." He lifts his muzzle, looking up at Tori. "Happy anniversary."

Tori smiles. "Thanks." He kisses Micah on the cheek. "So what can I do for you? Anything you want."

Micah pouts, shaking his head. "No, no. I'm the one wearing the maid outfit," he whimpers out, pulling at his dirty skirt. "See? I'm the one who's supposed to ask that."

Tori smirks. "Okay, well—" he turns around, looking at their surroundings. "Tell you what. We lie here for a few more minutes, and you can help me clean this place up. Then we can make ourselves some breakfast and enjoy our anniversary."

Micah's eyes light up. "Really?" He asks, lifting his head off Tori's thigh.

"Sure," Tori stated, smiling. "Or, if you want, I can go back into the bedroom and pretend this didn't happen so you can still surprise me. Which do you prefer?"

Micah blushes, nodding. "Yeah, um—yeah," he motions shyly. "Let's go get cleaned up."

Micah stands up, wiping his eyes with a paw as he walks over to the sink. He bends down and starts scrubbing the batter off his paws with soap. Tori follows suit, washing the batter off his paws as well. Once they're both clean, or as clean as they can be, they clean up the mess on the floor. They load the dishwasher, and prep for a new batch of pancakes. After about thirty minutes, they've got a new batch of pancakes on the stove, along with another pot of coffee.

They sit down together, enjoying breakfast with each other. Tori smiles. "You look cute in your maid outfit, by the way," he teases, nibbling on a pancake.

Micah gushes at the compliment, the inside of his ears turning ‌red. He takes a sip of coffee, smiling profoundly. His tail wags between the barristers of the back of the chair. "You really think so?"

Tori nods. "Yeah, I do."

Micah giggles, leaning over and giving Tori a kiss on the cheek.

Tori smiles, wrapping his arms around Micah. "Mmm, thank you." He kisses Micah on the nose. "How does that feel? A little sweeter than normal?"

Micah looks down at the table, blushing. "I—well, yeah," he says, licking his lips. "I mean, I am wearing a maid outfit."

Tori laughs, kissing Micah once again. "Good."

Micah smirks, looking up at Tori. He gets up, doing a few twirls near the bear. "You really think I look good in this thing?" He asks friskily.

Tori chuckles, watching as Micah pirouettes. He stands up as well, giving Micah a hug, kissing him on the forehead. "You look adorable, sweetie." He insists. "You're the best anniversary present I could've asked for."

Micah smiles, rubbing his nose against Tori's. "Well—I'm glad you like it."

Tori grins, putting his arm around Micah, leading him towards the bedroom. Micah stops him, standing in front of Tori, just short of the door. "Wait!" He says, putting his paws on Tori's chest. "Let me go in first. I have an idea."

Tori tilts his head before nodding, patting the fox between his ears. "Alright." He leads the way into the bedroom, closing the bedroom door. He quickly hops up on the bed, sitting on all fours with his face towards the headboard and his butt towards the door. He pretends to make the bed. "Okay," Micah calls.

Tori opens the door, slowly peeking inside. He sees Micah wiggling his rear in the air. He shuts the door behind him, walking over to Micah.

Micah turns his head around. "Oh no!" He yelps playfully. "It appears you have found me in a vulnerable position, sir! Whatever shall I do?" He pleads, giving Tori a flirtatious look.

Tori grins. He walks over, getting on the bed, rolling Micah over onto his back, lying down on top of him.

Micah gasps, lifting his head up and looking up at Tori. "S—sir?" He asks, his voice slightly shaky, choking on a giggle. The fox yips excitedly, running his hands along Tori's furry chest. "Please, sir, what would you like me to do?" He asks, biting his lip, feeling his tail flail between his back and the bed. "What would you do to this poor and helpless maiden?"

Tori smirks, reaching up, and grabbing the back of Micah's head, kissing him softly as he leans in. “I can think of several things.”

Micah wraps his arms around Tori's back, his claws gently digging at Tori’s fur. "Oh, m-master," he motions breathlessly, bashing his eyelashes and giggling furiously. "Take me."