FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Prologue

Kei Reinard snuggled into the arms of his vixen. Gazing down at himself and the pink, frilly sleeper he was wearing brought a smile to his muzzle. He hugged the arms of the fennec vixen who was spooning him from behind, and let his eyes drift to the open door and the tall, bi-level floor-to-ceiling window outside their room with its compelling view of the stars beyond. It was now morning aboard their star liner, Ocean Breeze, and the beginning of the second day on a seven-day journey from Corneria to Aquas.

In quiet moments like these, he had a hard time believing the wonderful situation he now found himself in. They were in the Phoenix Grand Duplex, the largest, most luxurious accommodation aboard, named for the family who owned this massive star liner. The interior of the split-level suite they were staying in was as big as a modest home, complete with living room, dining room, bathrooms, and two bedrooms, with him and his fiancée taking up the larger of the two while the other was left empty.

His thoughts drifted to the fennec vixen in whose arms he felt loved and safe. Fara Phoenix was the best thing that could have happened to him, and not because she was the heiress of the largest corporation in all of Lylat, worth 90 trillion dollars, whose father was the sole owner. With a contented sigh, he relaxed his bladder and felt the pleasant warmth spread over his crotch and between his legs as he wet his diaper, and then felt her hand press against the front of his padding, feeling that spreading warmth.

Fara pressed her muzzle against his ear and whispered in a voice that was practically purring. "Mmmm. Such a good baby girl you are, using your thick, comfy diaper like you should. Oh yes." Her other hand fished around his front until she found the pacifier that was tethered to the collar of his sleeper. She brought it to her mouth and licked it clean and then pushed it into his muzzle.

Kei wrapped his lips around the pink soother and sucked on it happily and thought to himself. Fara Phoenix was not the best thing that happened to him because her family was wealthy beyond imagining, but because she accepted and loved him for the submissive baby girl he was at heart, who praised and encouraged him to flood his thick, night-time diaper even now. Happily basking in the spreading warmth of his padding and the loving praise and attention of his fiancée, Kei Reinard thought back to how it all began, and the chance encounter that forever changed his life.

*****

Six Months Ago

Chapter 1: Chance Encounter

Kei Reinard was a quiet fox with high ambitions. Over a short few years, he had worked his way up at Phoenix Corp from an entry-level accountant where he had started his career. His supervisors had all praised him for his hard work and diligence, and he now had under his belt several company commendations. Over the short few years since he had started, the numbers involved had increased. When he had been hired, he was responsible for keeping track of expenses for local research proposals and feasibility studies worth thousands of dollars. That had progressed to larger contracts, worth on the order of hundreds of thousands of dollars, to major corporate endeavors worth in the millions.

Shy and reclusive, he preferred to toil away in his corner cubicle. For each account, he would summarize its current financial status, prepare the balance sheet and profit and loss statement, audit transactions, and occasionally prepare and recommend policies and procedures as needed. But with each promotion, he had been assigned greater responsibility for overseeing a growing number of junior, and sometimes senior, accountants for a growing number of departments. Naturally, such work could be highly stressful, but Kei had a secret to help him deal with the stress.

While others around him drank unhealthy amounts of coffee, took mild sedatives, or ate too much food, he found his relief in thick, comfortable diapers. It had all started during his college years. The stress of worrying if he would pass his exams and qualify for his accountant certification had led to several bed-wetting incidents. As embarrassing as it had been at the time, he had opted to wear some adult diapers from a medical supply store as a preferable alternative to changing the bed sheets in his dormitory room every morning. He eventually got over that embarrassment and after passing his exams, the night-time wetting went away with the stress, but he had discovered that he liked the comfort and security diapers afforded him and continued to wear them at night. That love of diapers slowly grew to the point that he wore them almost all the time, day or night.

So when his career at Phoenix Corporation started, he took advantage of the company's casual dress code. He would report to work each morning, secretly wearing a dry diaper under long pants that were two-sizes larger than his natural waist and a polo shirt that he wore loosely over his fur. It also afforded him the convenience of not having to interrupt his assigned tasks for bathroom breaks that others frequently took. Just the act of simply relaxing his bladder and letting the warmth spread over his crotch and between his legs was in itself a wonderful stress relief. His last management position had also granted him the perk of having his own private bathroom in his office, which allowed him to quietly change his diaper if he got too soggy or to use the toilet for the other kind of bodily function that he had no desire to use his diaper for.

The greater responsibilities over the higher stakes involved was what had recently prompted him to come up with the book-keeping routines that he had programmed into the company's accounting software. This had so impressed the upper management that he had been brought to the attention of Charles Phoenix. After a remote interview by comm with the head fox himself, he had been put in charge of accounting for all military research and development contracts, each worth well over a hundred billion, and transferred to Phoenix Corp's subsidiary, Space Dynamics, where he would report directly to the head of that division, Fara Phoenix herself.

The Space Dynamics facility was located 500 kilometers east of Corneria City, at the foot of the White Mountains. The scenery was breath-taking, and the landscape around the snow-covered peaks were covered in lush deciduous forests. Getting access to this remote area had required him to go through background checks to get his top secret clearance, with special compartmentalized access, in order to just be there. He had already found himself a short-term lease apartment to live in while he worked and went house-hunting during his off time.

Kei had reported early for his first day of work that morning and had just finished going through the company mandated employee orientation seminar. He now was sitting at a table in the cafeteria, having selected a fish sandwich with a bowl of fruit for his lunch, and was going over a summary of the projects over which he'd be tracking their budget on his data tablet. Next to his chair was his briefcase with benefit forms and personal papers, along with a spare diaper with wipes and an odorless baby powder, all in a hidden pocket.

He took a bite out of his sandwich, and felt the juices from the meat and tartar sauce drip between his fingers. Seeing the digits of his hand covered in a sticky mess, Kei frowned. "Crap. Forgot the napkins again." Slipping his tablet into his shirt pocket, he stood up and went to the condiments counter to get a small stack of the disposable hand wipes, using one immediately to clean his fingers.

Kei had just turned to head back to his table when a chime sounded on his tablet. While still walking, he drew the device out of his pocket and glanced at its display, reminding him that he would have his first meeting with Fara Phoenix in a half hour. He had heard much about the fennec vixen. Daughter of the owner of Phoenix Corporation, and its subsidiary Space Dynamics, she was known to be a flying ace and was the test pilot of the original Arwing and its subsequent iterations. She had reportedly flown with Star Fox during the Lylat War against Andross. There were rumors that she had been a love interest of Fox McCloud at the time.

He had also heard that she was well-liked by those who worked for her, which eased his mind and made him look forward to meeting her. His meandering thoughts were interrupted however when he collided with someone, knocking over the glass of fizzy drink that was on the tray she was holding. Said glass spilled its entire content onto the front of her shirt.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" she said in mild annoyance.

"Oh crap! I-I'm so sorry Miss!" Kei stuttered, finding himself face-to-face with an irate fennec vixen. His eyes though were inescapably drawn to her chest, and the wet shirt that now clung tightly to the contours of her breasts. Realizing that he was staring at her very prominent feminine feature, he became even more flustered. "Oh, um. Sorry! I...I..." His eyes desperately darted around and landed on the bundle of napkins he was holding. He went to try and wipe her shirt, "Here, let me..." and froze.

Though initially annoyed, the fennec vixen's irritation quickly melted away. She really couldn't fault the tod for the simple, harmless blunder he made. Feeling her wet shirt cling to her chest, she knew that the outline of her breast had to be showing quite prominently and had to suppress a laugh when he started staring at said mammaries and became hopelessly flustered. Taking in his green eyes, the unusual golden yellow tinge in his head fur, and the subtly feminine shape of his muzzle, she actually found him rather cute, and decided to rescue him by taking the proffered napkins in hand. "Thanks for the napkins, and don't worry about it. It's just my work clothes."

Kei tore his eyes away and gazed down absently at his tablet. "T-thanks. Uhm...Yeah. S-sorry about that. I'm Kei Reinard, by the way. Just started here today."

The vixen perked, recognizing the name immediately. "Oh! How interesting. We were scheduled to meet at 12:30 today. We're going to have to cancel that meeting..." She paused in concern when she saw her new accountant look up at her with an expression of horror.

"Oh gawd!! It's you!" Kei's stomach plummeted. Here he was, face-to-face with Fara Phoenix herself, and he had spilled her drink right onto her shirt, soaking her front, and then like an adolescent fool, had stared at her breasts. Kei had always believed that first impressions were the most important and could either make or break a career. And now, he had committed the most monumental gaff with the daughter of Charles Phoenix. "Please, Miss Phoenix. Don't sack me! Give me another chance!"

Fara was taken aback at Kei's near-total breakdown. "Sack you?!? Why would I do that?"

His expression quickly morphed into a confused hopefulness. "You mean, I'm not fired? I...I thought you said you were canceling our meeting."

Fara's concern changed into a new fondness for this effeminate tod. "Well, yes, but not to fire you. I just need to reschedule because of an urgent meeting with one of my project managers."

Kei closed his eyes and groaned, palming his face. "I feel so stupid." His ears then folded back flat against his skull and he slumped in shame when Fara laughed.

Her laughter though was not one of mockery, but simple, delighted amusement, which turned to concern when he would not look back up at her. "Hey, just so you know, I'm not making fun of you, and you are not stupid." She drew her hand under his muzzle and lifted it so that his despondent eyes met hers. "Let's sit and have our lunch together." Fara then watched him nod quietly and shuffle back to his table where his half-eaten sandwich waited for him. As she walked behind him, she took in the rest of the vulpine. The loose-fitting casual polo shirt and relaxed-fit pants did not completely hide his build, which looked even more effeminate with his wide hips and posterior. Her large fennec ears, which now swiveled forward, also picked up a muffled sound of crinkling with each step he took. When he reached his table, Fara sat across from the demoralized tod.

Kei didn't know what to do. The daughter of Charles Phoenix himself was now sitting across the table from him. He didn't understand why someone so far above him would take the time to sit with him. When she had drawn her fingers under his chin, he thought he would actually wet himself and was glad he was wearing a diaper under his baggy pants. And now she placed a hand on his and his whole body and mind froze.

"Please Kei, Look at me." She gave his hand a squeeze and spoke softly. "Come on now...." When she saw him finally lift his gaze, Fara gave him a warm, friendly smile. "That's it. Don't be afraid of me just because of who my father is."

"Yes, Miss Phoenix." Kei replied, subconsciously looking down, unable to hold her gaze. He finally looked her straight in the eyes when he felt her hand gently cup the side of his face. The tenderness of the touch matched those he saw in her eyes.

"I want you to understand that I in no way think any less of you because of our little run-in a moment ago. I saw your qualifications on your résumé, and was there with Daddy when he interviewed you over the comlink. We were both impressed with all the work you've done. I need people like you working for me to keep track of where my money goes."

Kei began to relax and now understood why the fennec heiress was so well-liked by those who worked for her. When he finally smiled, her expression radiated delight. "Thank you, Miss Phoenix."

"There you go!" she grinned, and then pointed to her chest. "And see? My shirt is already dry."

He closed his eyes and groaned, slumping in his chair. "I'm so sorry about that, Miss Phoenix." His eyes slowly opened when he felt again the gentle touch of her fingers under his chin and saw her lean forward until their muzzles were almost touching.

Fara whispered in a low voice, "And I was very flattered that you found my breasts so appealing...."

Kei's eyes widened, not expecting such a blunt statement of the effect her femininity had on him. "M-Miss Phoenix?..."

"And please call me Fara." She interrupted. Leaning back, Fara went on. "You'll find that I like to keep things informal, Kei. So no more 'Miss Phoenix,' and please, don't call me 'Mam.' I'm way too young for that."

"Yes, Miss....I mean Fara." He then smiled shyly at the attractive fennec vixen who had taken the time and went to such extents to make him feel better and reassure him.

"So Kei, tell me about yourself."

Feeling himself more at ease, he gathered his thoughts and recollections. "Well, I had started as a nursing assistant with a Cornerian Blue Cross license. I then went on to the University of Havenwood for my accounting degree, though I still help in the medical field from time to time. My parents are retired lawyers who live in the countryside near the town of Havenwood."

Fara listened avidly to Kei recounting his academic background and asked, "From nursing assistant to accountant? That's a rather big career change. What prompted you to do that?"

Kei shrugged, "I needed a better-paying career. With Mom and Dad getting on in years, they were needing more support than their pensions could pay for, and the long hours and low pay I was getting wasn't enough to support all three of us. I mean, they are still somewhat independent, but they no longer drive. So extra things like having their groceries delivered or calling for personal transport to go out either shopping or to a doctor's appointment adds to their costs. At least, medical care is covered by the government, but additional things like having a private nurse come in several times a week to attend to them is expensive." He then paused and ran a hand through his head fur. "I did offer to move back to Havenwood to take care of the nursing help myself, but they were adamant that they not be a burden to me." Shaking his head to himself, "It was all I could do to convince them to accept my financial support."

Fara sighed and shook her head. "It is disgraceful how underpaid some medical workers are. I can understand why you felt like a change in career was necessary."

"It wasn't easy," Kei admitted. "Starting salary for entry-level accountants was only slightly better, but I was able to move up more easily."

Fara grinned. "I'll say. Your salary working for Daddy went up seven fold in the five years since we hired you."

Kei looked down at his hands, his sandwich all but forgotten. The sense of pride in his accomplishments became convoluted with his bashfulness from the glowing compliment this attractive vixen was lavishing upon him.

Fara's expression softened as she watched him sitting there in front of her. While many others would get a swell head at being given even a lukewarm compliment from Fara Phoenix, this shy fox smiled quietly to himself at her generous praise.

"I also went into accounting because I figured it would be less stressful." He looked up and his smile became rueful. "So much for that notion."

Fara laughed. "Well, you've graduated to the big time. You'll be responsible for keeping Daddy's books balanced on several multi-billion dollar military contacts." Moving her lunch tray aside, she rested her arms on the table and leaned forward. "It will be a stressful, demanding job at first, especially given that you'll have to prove yourself to several more senior accountants under you."

With this attractive vixen leaning close, just shy of his personal space, Kei found himself becoming self-conscious, acutely aware of the thick MegaMax diaper he wore hidden under his slightly baggy pants.

"I'll be fine. When I get stressed out, I simply close my eyes, take a deep breath, and relax every muscle in my body," except for the ones around his bladder at that very moment, he realized. But he took comfort in that his need to relieve himself was barely noticeable for the time being, and could be ignored. Deciding to change the subject, he turned the focus of the conversation to his employer. "What about you, Fara? Weren't you a test pilot for Space Dynamics?"

Fara leaned back and brought her hands together. "I was, and actually still am, the chief test pilot for all the space fighter craft we produce." With a sense of resignation, she sighed. "I just wish I'd have more time to fly. With Daddy grooming me to eventually take over the family business, he's put me in charge of Space Dynamics. Now, my days are spent more in conference rooms than in space with a fighter craft strapped to my back. At least, I get to fly to and from home on my daily commute."

Kei mused to himself, recalling a memory from his youth. "As a pup, I used to dream of being a pilot in the CDF, but my parents didn't like the idea of me flying into battle and suggested that I find less dangerous ways to serve others."

"Yeah, it can get dicey out there," Fara affirmed, "I had a few close calls during the Lylat War when I flew with Star Fox, but we all looked out for each other." She then grinned. "Nowadays, I get to test fly every new fighter craft we put out."

"What was the last one you flew?"

"Our new Arwing, Mk.3 which we will be selling to the CDF."

"Oooh!" Kei's ears stood up straight and his whiskers quivered. "I've been reading about that one. It's supposed to be the fastest, most maneuverable fighter ever built."

"Oh yeah, and a dream to fly. Took it out for its final tests just last week."

"I can tell flying is still a passion for you."

"Oh yes. Very much so." Fara affirmed. "What about you? Any interest outside of work? Any hobbies?"

"Well, I do collect old-style swords and am rather good with the blade." Kei revealed. "I actually placed third in the Havenwood Regional Fencing competition during my college years while I was studying for my accountant degree."

"Maybe one day I'll show you Daddy's collection of ancient weapons." Fara said.

"Your father collects swords too?"

"Uh-huh. And much more."

While they finished off their lunch, conversation went on from one tangent to another, from flying in space to favorite places to visit to family and so on. Fara found herself really liking this orange-furred fox with the gold-tinged head fur. Not only was he cute, but he was friendly and engaging once he got over his initial shyness. She also found him to be genuine, unlike the many sycophants who would try to ingratiate themselves to her.

Kei for his part was finally becoming at ease around this vixen. Just by the way she comported herself, he could tell that she was a strong personality type. He would usually feel ill at ease around such females, afraid they would say something derogatory or try to demean him. And yet, she seemed different. She was friendly, gentle, and went out of her way to make him feel good about himself.

Sitting there, Kei felt like he could spend the entire day chatting with her, if not for the growing pressure in his bladder. It had started with a barely perceptible fullness, but in the course of the remaining 45 minutes of their lunch hour, that pressure had slowly grown. Usually, he'd think nothing of simply relaxing and letting himself flood his diaper, but the idea of wetting himself in her presence was too daunting for him to consider. If she ever found out, he feared he would lose her respect.

While they continued chatting, Fara noticed that Kei had started to squirm in place, though it looked like he was doing all he could to suppress his discomfort. It quickly became obvious to her as to what was troubling him. She gave him a friendly grin and spoke bluntly. "You know, you don't have to be shy about it. If you need to take a piss, then go."

Kei thought his heart would stop in that moment. "Eep! M-miss Phoenix! I....I...." Somehow, she had found out his secret, despite all his careful precautions to never reveal what he wore under his pants.

Fara glanced down at her tablet. "Ah-ah! The name is Fara." Tucking the electronic device back into her pocket, she picked up her tray and stood. "It's been delightful chatting and getting to know you, Kei, but that urgent 12:30 meeting is in five minutes. I'll send you a message later this afternoon with a new time that we can meet about your position here." She then gestured with her head. "Bathrooms are down that hallway, near the lifts." And without looking back, Fara quickly walked off and out of the cafeteria.

Kei Reinard sat there dumbfounded. For one horrifying moment, he had thought his life was about to come crashing down in ruin. Fara had correctly perceived his need to relieve himself, but appeared to still have no inkling how and where he did it. He now sighed in relief, both from having averted disaster and from finally letting himself open the floodgates. For a full minute, Kei sat there, letting all his tension and anxiety flow out of him and into his diaper with a bladder-full of urine.

Once he was done wetting himself, he sat there for another minute, feeling comfortable and at ease in his warm, soggy padding. He then got up and tugged up on his pants, tightening his belt in the process, to keep his full diapers from sagging. Kei walked briskly to the lifts, and up to the top floor. He quickly found the office that was assigned to him and smiled upon seeing his name already etched on the door.

Going inside and shutting the door behind him, he was pleased to see the private bathroom that was there for his exclusive use. After shutting himself inside and locking the door, he unbuckled his belt to let his pants slide down to the floor and stepped out of them. Solid white, with a pair of blue tapes on each side in the front, his diaper looked to be quite bloated in the front and between his legs. He carefully ran a fingertip under the leg gatherers, and was pleased and relieved to see his padding had still some absorbent capacity left.

Not wanting to risk a leak, Kei opted to change into a fresh diaper. He withdrew a plastic trash bag that he also kept in his briefcase's hidden compartment. Pulling the tapes off in the front and the wide one in the back above his tail, he let the soggy garment fall to his feet. After he had disposed of it, he set about his routine with practiced ease, using first the wipes to clean his crotch fur, followed by a light dusting of the odorless baby powder.

He then unfolded the dry, unused absorbent garment and pulled it up between his legs. After reaching behind his back to tape it closed over his tail, he leaned back against the wall and lifted the front up above his waist until the padding was pressing snuggly up against his rear and crotch. Kei finished off by pulling and pressing the tapes in place onto the thick plastic landing zone in the front. With a renewed sense of comfort and security, Kei pulled his pants back on, walked out of the bathroom, and sat at his desk to begin his first day of work at Space Dynamics.

Chapter 2: Confessions of Love

In the weeks that followed, Kei Reinard settled into his new position as head accountant for all the military contracts at Space Dynamics. There were initially some tension between himself and some of the more senior accountants who now found themselves reporting to someone much younger than them, but Kei eventually demonstrated his knowledge, expertise, and ability to keep each account in order even as he delegated tasks to those under him, and in so doing gained the respect, grudgingly by some, of all those under him.

The only one who would not accept him was Fallax Sionnach. Perhaps it was because he was a fennec like the Phoenixes, or because he was the most senior of accountants. Whatever the reason, Kei felt that Fallax had this unhealthy sense of entitlement. It was also apparent that he resented Kei from the beginning as nothing more than an upstart. Kei though did his best to ease tensions, and assigned accounting of the more important contracts to Fallax, including the development of the Arwing Mk3 and Landmaster Tanks.

The highlight though was his weekly meetings with Fara. Of all the females he had ever been around, she was the one with whom he felt most at ease with. Her warm, friendly disposition was a ray of sunshine that always brought a smile to his face. After they were done with the business of their meeting, they would linger together and converse about whatever was on their mind, be it favorite foods, nature trails, hobbies, and so forth.

Deep down, Kei was starting to have feelings for this attractive vixen who made him laugh and feel welcomed in her sphere of influence. Being with her, it was easy to forget that Fara Pheonix was the daughter of Charles Phoenix, multi-trillionaire and sole owner of the Phoenix Corporate Empire. She was the heiress to the largest corporation in Lyat history to never be publicly traded on the open stock market. Founded by her great-great-great-great grandfather, the company was effectively still a family business fully owned by her father and eventually her. Kei had to constantly remind himself that Fara was so far above his station that love between them could not possibly happen, and so he quashed any romantic thoughts he might have of her.

For her part, Fara was also developing feelings for this tod with the golden head fur. There was something about Kei Reinard that attracted her to him. Even though he was close to her age, he seemed so youthful, and the subtle effeminate quality to his appearance made him all the more adorable in her eyes. His occasional displays of bashfulness, especially after she complimented him for one reason or another, was especially endearing to her. With each passing day, especially after her weekly meeting with him, she would often sit in her corner office on the top floor of the Space Dynamics engineering building, gazing out her window at the mountains without seeing them.

Fara Phoenix's thoughts were not of the majestic wilderness surrounding their remote location, but of a romantic nature regarding this tod that she was wanting to have for herself. But as she sat there, her faraway gaze turned to a frown, which turned to a growl of frustration. Fara knew her father hoped to see her married, but every time she attended a social event that he or a friend of his hosted, she felt like any possible male she met looked at her and only saw the vast fortune she was to inherit from her father. Being with Kei, she could easily see that he had no such preconceived notion, and that open honesty and friendliness with no ulterior motives was like a refreshing spring in a sea of sycophantic suitors all trying to ingratiate themselves with her.

Tears welled up in her eyes and ran down each side of her muzzle. Ever since she and Fox McCloud had agreed that it would not work out between them and had parted ways, the loneliness in her heart had grown. It was in quiet moments like this, when she was not focused on work or on flying, that it started to become too much for her. Her face scrunched up and a sob wrenched itself from her chest. She picked up her coffee cup and threw it across the room where it hit the wall and fell to the floor. "Dammit! I can't be thinking like this! He's my employee, and it wouldn't be right to make unwanted advances on him."

In the midst of her emotional desolation, she heard the chime to her office door intrude upon her misery. "Not now!" she shouted to whoever was wanting to come see her. "Fara? Is something wrong?" came the voice of Kei.

Fara's heart slammed into her chest. She glanced at her chronometer and saw that it was time for their weekly meeting on the status of the government contract accounts. She couldn't let him see her like this. "I-I'm fine, Kei. Can you give me a moment?" she said as she got up and walked quickly to her bathroom.

Outside her office door, Kei stood there with a frown. He had never heard Fara shout in anger before. He couldn't place a finger on it, but knew something was amiss. When the door finally opened, Fara was there to greet him with a smile that seemed to him a bit strained. He also noticed that the fur on her muzzle and face was damp and smelled of lavender soap. "Come on in."

Kei entered her office and sat at the conference table opposite her. "Well, uh...Let's see. An audit of the Arwing Mk3 testing showed...." He paused, feeling her gaze upon him. When he glanced up from his tablet, he saw soulful eyes looking back at him. "Fara? What's the....matter?"

Fara broke eye contact with the tod and gazed down to the side. "It's nothing...."

Said tod frowned. He had never seen his employer so vulnerable. "Something's bothering you. Please tell me, Fara. It hurts to see you like this."

"I can't....I just have to work this out...."

Kei wasn't convinced. He got up to walk around the table to Fara and noticed the splatter of coffee on the wall behind her and the cup laying on its side on the floor. He walked over, bent down and picked up the cup, and turned to see Fara barely able to hold it together. "Fara, something's made you really upset. I care too much for you to not want to help."

Fara sat there and bit her lower lip. She cherished her relationship with Kei and didn't want to do anything to ruin it. She glanced up and gave him a lopsided smile. "I care for you too...." Her smile then faded and her eyes cast downwards. "Kei, are you happy working for me?"

Kei blinked at the unexpected question, but gave his honest answer. "This is the best job I've ever had, and I couldn't ask for a better and nicer boss than you."

She sat there, gazing down at her hands with a smile forming on her muzzle at the heartfelt compliment from the tod she had secretly fallen in love with. "So you really like me?"

It was now Kei's turn to become shy. "I admit that I was a bit afraid of you when we first met, aside from the knocking of the drink on your shirt. I....had never done well....around strong females....until you."

Fara realized Kei was revealing something new about himself and it piqued her interest. "You had a problem with strong personality types like me?"

Kei at that moment could not meet the vixen's eyes as old painful memories resurfaced. "You probably noticed that I'm rather effeminate in appearance. I was....even more so in my adolescence. Secondary school was not a happy time for me. There was a group of strong, athletic females in my class. They were cruel towards me and took a perverse pleasure in tormenting me at every opportunity. When I tried to fight back, I got in trouble with the principle for trying to strike a girl. So I ended up being nothing more than a doormat to them."

Fara sat there, aghast as she watched this kind-hearted tod recall painful memories and mumbled to herself. "It's amazing he didn't turn out to be a misogynist...."

Kei though didn't hear her, lost in his musings. He wiped a tear from his eye and smiled at the vixen who now stood up and approached him. "But you are so completely opposite of them. You're a female who is nice to me."

She took his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. "I'm so sorry for what you went through, Kei. I admit I'm a strong-willed vixen. I've flown in combat and would often come out on top in a scrap with the toughest males, and now have taken the reigns of Space Dynamics. It takes strong, assertive leadership to run even this small part of Phoenix Corp." She met his eyes and brought his hand up to her muzzle. "But I would never be cruel to such a sweet tod like you."

Kei set the empty coffee cup down on the conference table and moved closer to Fara, actually stepping into her personal space. "I know. It's one of the many things I love...I mean like, about you." He then glanced away nervously, wondering if he had said too much. He tried to pull his hand away, but Fara did not release him.

Taking in his features and facial expression, with his ears folded back and his reluctance to meet her gaze, Fara decided to take a small chance. "Kei....Do you have....feelings...for me?"

Kei stood there, paralyzed with indecision. "No.....I can't..." He began to tremble, feeling hopelessly lost in what to say to this vixen who had captures his heart.

Fara felt his shiver run through his body and up his hand which she still held. It was as if he was afraid, and yet there was no fear in his scent. Her heart lurched with anguish when she saw the tear come down the side of his muzzle. "Are you in love with me, Kei?"

He wrenched his hand out of her grip and shouted in a shaky voice. "No!!! I mustn't! ...I shouldn't!" Kei stood there, with his back to Fara and hugged himself. "You've fallen in love with me, haven't you." he heard her say from behind him and felt his heart break. "It wouldn't be right, Fara. You are my boss and I'm so far below you...I'm just a lowly accountant, and you...you're practically royalty."

"I....I should go...." Kei gave a brief sob and ran for the door, but never made it. Just as he reached it, he felt her hand wrap around his upper arm and yank him back towards her. In a blur, he was pushed back against the wall and found himself with her muzzle mashed against his in deep, forceful muzzle-locking kiss. With her hands having a firm grip on each side of his head, Kei was helpless to resist this vixen's demanding ardor.

Somewhere in the deep recesses of his overwhelmed mind, it finally began to sink in that this vixen that he had secretly fallen in love with was kissing him, and he found himself no longer able to deny his own feelings for her.

When Fara felt him begin to respond to her advances, her heart soared and her hands worked around to the back of his head while she set free her hunger for him and deepened the kiss, letting her tongue slide against his.

They went on like this, expressing their love for each other until Fara broke the kiss and had to hold up her new boyfriend when he collapsed in her arms with a blissful whimper. "Oh Fara.....I don't know what to say. Is this even possible?"

"What? That I've fallen in love with you too, Sweety?" Fara purred in his ear. Before Kei could reply, she guided him to a leather sofa that sat in the corner of her executive office and sat down with her tod. She took his hands in hers and gazed intently into his eyes. "Kei, you were wondering earlier why I was upset. It's because I was afraid that you might not feel as strongly about me like I do for you. As your employer and boss, I was struggling to keep our relationship professional and didn't want to make you uncomfortable with someone who you might like, but not love."

Kei sat there, dumbfounded, as he listened to the vixen he was in love with bare her heart to him. "That changed when I realized you...." she then paused when her voice cracked. Fara took a deep breath and pressed on, "when I realized you loved me too." She then moved forward, fully into his personal space until the end of her muzzle was touching his and locked him in her passion-filled gaze. "I love you, Kei Reinard, and I want you. And I don't give a damn about the fact that you are just middle-class, and neither would Daddy, in case you were wondering."

With this last self-imposed social barrier being torn down between himself and the vixen he loved, Kei felt emboldened and drew his hands up around her head and pull her into another muzzle-locking kiss. Fara joyfully kissed him back, her natural assertive nature driving her to force her boyfriend back into the leather of the sofa they were sitting on. And Kei was all too happy to submit to her demanding advances and let her take from him the initiative.

Afterwards, they sat together on the sofa, with Kei leaning against his girlfriend. "It's going to feel strange working here with your other employees when they find out I'm your boyfriend."

Fara shrugged. "They'll just have to deal with the fact that their boss is your girlfriend....but right now I'm in no mood to work." She abruptly stood up and walked to her terminal. "I'm cancelling all my meetings and also yours for the next seven days and granting you paid leave of absence for that time period." She then glanced up from her computer and smiled. "I want to spend this week getting to know my boyfriend."

Kei giggled shyly and nodded. "I'd like to get to know my girlfriend too." He stood up and walked towards the door. "I should head back to my office to close down and secure everything." He glanced back towards Fara. "Meet you downstairs in the lobby?"

"Sounds good, Sweety."

With a bounce in his step, Kei walked back to his office and sat down at his terminal to finish off a few things and shut it down. After he put his tablet away, he sat back in his chair. It was then that he became aware of his need to relieve himself. Without giving it a second thought, he relaxed and sighed, letting the warmth spread in his diaper which was already quite soggy.

His blissful smile though began to fade as a thought took form in his mind. Somehow, in the weeks since he had begun working for her, she had never found out about his diapers. Truthfully, Kei was surprised she never caught on, given her large fennec ears, but he now sat there in his soaked absorbent underwear, wondering what he should do. Should he try to keep it secret from her? He immediately dismissed the idea. If they were going to be together now, there was no way she would not eventually find out. Perhaps he could make do with the story he had long ago contrived in his mind to say he was incontinent. It had been something he had kept as a contingency in case he was ever found out by others. But now, it just didn't seem right to be dishonest with the vixen who had become his girlfriend.

Kei now sat there and found himself contemplating something he had not even considered as an option since his college days. As much as he loved being in diapers, he loved Fara even more. He would have to give up the comfort and security of the thick absorbent underwear. For the time being though, he got up and went to his private bathroom and changed into a dry diaper that was not bloated like his soggy one which he now disposed of. Once he got home, he'd dig up his old underwear and store away all his diapers.

Chapter 3: From In Love to Lovers

The first two days of their seven-day hiatus had been like a dream for Kei Reinard. He and his new girlfriend had gone to the park, been to movies, visited local art fairs, and shared two romantic dinners together. After each full day, they would share a long, sensual kiss together on the Space Dynamics airfield next to her personal Arwing before she took off and flew home and Kei would get into his ground car to drive back to his own house, which he had just recently purchased.

That first night, he had gone to bed without a diaper on and just could not fall asleep without the comfort and security of his thick night-time absorbent underwear. Past midnight and grumbling in frustration, he caved in and got out of bed to get himself padded, and then crawled back into bed where he quickly drifted off to sleep in his secure padded protection. It was the same thing on his second night as well.

On the morning of the third day, freshly dressed and back in regular underwear, he sat in his living room, waiting for Fara to come pick him up. He was feeling giddy with anticipation. She had hinted that she was going to take him somewhere special. Those happy feelings were intruded upon by a ping from his communicator. Pulling it out of his pocket, he glanced at who was calling, smiled, and answered it.

The holographic image of a middle-aged vixen appeared before Kei. "Hi Mom. What's the occasion?"

"Do I need an occasion to call my son and see how he is doing?" Josephine Reinard asked

Kei laughed. "Of course not, Mom. It's good to see you. How are you and Dad doing?"

"Your father is back to his old self again. He's finally gotten over that cold that had him down for two weeks."

"Oh good. I'm glad to hear that. Do you and Dad need anything?"

In his comms background audio, he heard his father shout. "Yes! Grandchildren!"

Kei rolled his eyes. "Of course he'd say that....again." He took in his mother's bemused expression.

"It's quite natural to want grandchildren, Kei. Whatever happens, we both want you to be happy."

"Oh, I'm very happy."

Josephine immediately noticed the joyful smile on her son's holographic image. "Very happy about something, I see. Care to share to good news, Dear?"

Kei laughed. Nothing got by his mother. Breaking eye contact, he bashfully replied. "I met someone a few weeks ago, and....and we've begun dating just this week."

Suddenly, the holographic image of his mother was crowded in with the image of his father, Dietrich Reinard. "What's this? You finally got yourself a girlfriend?" the elder tod asked exuberantly. "Who is she? What's her name?"

The two middle-aged foxes watched their son laugh and shake his head ruefully. This was going to be a doozy. "Well, she's my boss, and her name is Fara Phoenix."

To say the least, Dietrich and Josephine were incredulous. "What? The Phoenix Corp heiress? You can't be serious! Quit teasing your mother and me, Son."

"Yeah...It does sound unbelievable when you put it that way....I sometimes have a hard time believe it myself, but I'm not joking Dad."

Both could see the sincerity in their son's demeanor. "Well...this is a...surprise." Josephine replied.

Kei laughed, feeling giddy. "You're telling me. She's actually on her way over now to pick me up and take me somewhere special." At that moment, he heard her pull up in his driveway in a company car. "Mom. Dad. I have to get going now. She's here...I'll introduce you to her soon."

"Okay Dear. You have a wonderful time." Josephine said. "What your mother said." Added Dietrich.

"Bye!" Kei waved to his parents just moments before the comm link was broken.

After a shuttle flight from the Space Dynamics Airfield to Corneria City Spaceport, Fara was driving them along the northern outskirts of Corneria City. From the front passenger seat of Fara's roadster, Kei glanced to his girlfriend. "Where are you taking us?"

Fara smiled coyly to her boyfriend and gave a vague answer, "to the marina." By late afternoon, they arrived at the coastal port where a variety of watercraft were moored, from simple sailboats and fishing boats, to technological marvels like hovercraft with thrusters and winglets that let them fly low over the water, to larger vessels that the more affluent could afford. Once parked and out of their ground car, Fara took her boyfriend's hand in hers and led him towards the end of the farthest dock.

Moored there along the edge of the pier, Kei beheld the largest yacht that he had ever seen in his life. He had watched from afar many such vessels in the past. Many were typically from 20 to 40 meters in length. At 126 meters in length, The Flying Phoenix dwarfed all other privately owned vessels at the marina. He was brought out of his stunned daze by Fara's giggle and her fingers lifting his lower jaw to shut his gaping muzzle. "Come on Sweety. We're not going to get anywhere gawking at Daddy's yacht."

"T-this is your father's?"

Giving his hand an encouraging squeeze, Fara led her boyfriend up the ramp and aboard the massive vessel. "When I told him about you, Daddy was so happy that he suggested I take you for a cruise to our private island 500 kilometers south of here."

In a daze, Kei followed is girlfriend through the ship. While most of the ship's interior were utilitarian as one would expect of any sea-going vessel, the family quarters were luxurious, with fine wood paneling and trim on the walls and ceiling and a floor layered in marble, and high-quality furniture and decorations. The bedroom had a large, emperor-sized bed in the middle with the softest of sheets and quilts upon it. "He....he approves of m-me?"

"Of course he does. You think Daddy wants me to go out with just any upper class debudant? All he sees is that I've met a nice tod that I love, and he doesn't give a damn about your social standing. Seeing me this happy is what he cares about the most." Fara then gently gripped each side of her boyfriend's head and drew him into a full kiss, melding her muzzle to his.

Kei was once again reminded of how fortunate he was to find such a nice vixen to love him the way she did, regardless of the fact that she was from the wealthiest family in all of Lylat. In that moment, all that mattered was that he loved her with all his heart and that she returned that love in equal measure.

He let himself be lost in that kiss until Fara drew back, biting his lower lip as they parted. "We can leave our bags here. Let's go to the bow." She then led her boyfriend through the ship towards the forward end and the two of them watched the crew cast off the moorings and let the vessel drift free of the pier. Before long, the vessel was cutting through the waves of the open sea.

Kei stood with his girlfriend at the forward-most end of the yacht and gazed down at the small cetaceans racing along with them in the waters forward of the ship's bow. He estimated in his mind that they were going 20 km/h. "So, we should be at your family's private island by tomorrow afternoon?" he asked his girlfriend. He tore his gaze away from the sea to Fara when he heard her laugh.

The fennec grinned to her boyfriend and then looked back at the bridge of their vessel and nodded to the captain. Though not making a sound except for the splashing of waves being cut by the sharp angles of the forward hull, the large vessel suddenly began to accelerate. It was slow and gradual, but Kei could see that the vessel was cutting through the water more forcefully, the water peeling off the bow in ever larger waves. They were already plowing through the sea at over 40 km/h when Fara hinted at their vessel's true capabilities. "There's a reason this yacht is called 'The Flying Phoenix.'"

Before Kei could question his girlfriend, he felt the deck under his feet begin to rise higher as it suddenly accelerated more quickly. Gripping the handrails, he gazed over the side and watched in astonishment the keel of the ship lift out of the water. With the wind whipping his ears, he looked back along the side of the vessel and saw struts extending out at a sharp downward angle into the water. "Hydrofoil! This is a hydrofoil!" He tried to shout over the wind.

The hurricane-force gale from the forward motion of the yacht was quickly becoming too much for sensitive vulpine ears, and Kei and Fara, with the wind bringing tears to their eyes, quickly retreated inside the vessel. On the bridge, they stood side-by-side looking out the front window. The ship seemed to no longer be accelerating, but was cutting through the air just above the waves at an astounding speed. "This is amazing," Kei declared. "How fast are we going?"

"We are close to our maximum of 228 km/h." he heard a deep feminine voice say behind him. Kei turned around and found himself looking up at a tall, imposing lioness in a grey uniform with the insignia of command on her shoulders. He couldn't help be feel intimidated under the intent gaze of the yacht's captain and was relieved when she focused instead on his girlfriend. "ETA to our destination is just under two hours, Miss Phoenix."

Fara nodded curtly, meeting the tall lioness' gaze without a blink. "Thank you, Captain Zahara." She then went on to say, "When we get there, secure the ship and island. We'll be staying there for several days."

"Aye-aye, Miss Phoenix," the yacht captain saluted crisply. When no further commands from her employer's daughter came forth, Zahara turned back to focus on her duties. Fara gave her boyfriend's hand a reassuring squeeze and led them from the bridge through ship's inner passageways. "Don't let Zahara scare you Sweety. She's ex-military and is always like that with everyone around her."

"H-how did she end up commanding The Flying Phoenix?"

"Daddy only hires the best, and made her such a generous job offer that Captain Zahara's own commanding officer said to her that she'd be insane not to accept it, even though he'd lose one of his best officers under him."

They arrived at the private family dining room aboard the yacht where their dinner awaited them. Fara treated her boyfriend to succulent delicacies from the sea which both enjoyed together, with the steward coming by briefly to serve them a fine white wine and later their dessert.

The sun had just set when the yacht began to slow quickly until it eased back down into the water. Fara had just fed her boyfriend a piece of ripe fruit and looked out the window. "Looks like we've arrived. Kei followed her gaze and saw in the crepuscular glow of an orange sky the outline of an island. He followed her out the door and back towards the bow.

Kei had not known what to expect to see on a tropical island privately owned by a multi-trillionaire. Perhaps a mansion with several large recreational facilities, or maybe even a huge castle?

Instead, all the island had was the dock with several service buildings and quarters for the crew and security personnel, and on the hillside overlooking the pristine beach, a single bungalow.

With their bags in hand, Fara led her boyfriend up to that small retreat. The interior was simple, but comfortably appointed with nice furniture and all the amenities one could ask for. The bedroom though, had like the yacht a huge, emperor-sized bed with deep blue silk sheets under a quilt. The attached bathroom was equipped with a large shower with multiple jets. Out on the private balcony overlooking the beach, a posh tub for two waited only for its protective cover to be removed for them to sit in.

"I like this," Kei declared. "I wasn't sure what to expect...maybe some sort of grand estate or palace, but this is so much nicer and more intimate."

Fara cupped the side of Kei's face and licked him between the eyes. "I'm glad you approve...." She then drew her boyfriend into a slow, drawn out kiss that quickly deepened. She wrapped her arms under his armpits and behind his back with her hands gripping the back of his head and tilted her head so that their muzzles melded together. She had completely fallen in love with this tod. She loved his sweet, shy demeanor. She loved his cute, effeminate features. She loved his caring, affectionate nature. She loved his submissiveness and willingness to trust her fully. And she wanted him badly.

Kei hummed and kissed this vixen back with equal passion. He'd normally be afraid of such a strong, dominant female, but not her. She was gentle and caring towards him, and he felt that he'd never need to feel anything but safe and loved in her arms. Part of him hoped that their relationship would move to a new level, but that same part was also afraid.

When he felt her hand actually reach down and grope his crotch, Kei whimpered into the kiss and became weak in the knees. Without missing a heartbeat, Fara groped her tod's rump with her other hand and pressed him against her, supporting his weight even as his legs threatened to buckle. And Kei's legs spread further apart of their own volition. In that moment, all he wanted was to give himself to her fully.

Fara broke the kiss wetly, letting a trail of saliva hang briefly between their muzzles, and whispered huskily while undoing the belt to his pants. "I want you, Kei Reinard. I....want....allllll....of.... you."

When Kei saw the smoldering embers in Fara's eyes and the implications of her words sunk in, he actually swooned. And in doing so became even more adorable to the vixen who was expressing her desire for him in no uncertain terms. "Oh Fara......I.....I want you too...."

Kei's girlfriend could see the doubt in his eyes and spoke his unspoken refrain. "But?...."

"I...I've never been intimate with anyone before....I d-don't want to disappoint you...." Kei confessed while casting his gaze downwards. Before any thoughts of shame or embarrassment could percolate into his mind, he flinched upon hearing an exuberant squeal from his girlfriend.

"Ooooh! You're a virgin! That is too adorable!" Fara cupped his chin in her hand and kissed him between the eyes. "I'm so touched to find out that I'll be your first." She then brought her muzzle close to his ear and said in a throaty voice full of promise while slipping her other hand into his loosened pants and under his boxers, "And don't worry about your performance, Sweety. I'm going to make this very special for you, and give you lots of practice." Having made that promise, her fingers wrapped around his sheath and gave his maleness a firm squeeze.

"Ooooohhhh gawwwdd." Kei moaned helplessly while falling forward against his girlfriend to rest his chin on her shoulder. His heart now pounded in his chest and sent blood surging to his awakening maleness. And over those blissful seconds, Fara continued to rhythmically squeeze him with each beat of his heart. Never before in his life had anybody touched him so intimately, and all he now wanted was to open himself fully to her as he spread his feet further apart.

Fara smiled with fondness at her boyfriend while she slowly relaxed her grip on his growing erection and supported him against her with her other arm around his back. "How was that, Sugar?" she rhetorically asked.

"Ohhhh....You can do whatever you want to me." Kei weakly replied. He then let his girlfriend take control when she released his maleness and cupped his muzzle in her hands while kissing him languidly and deeply.

While keeping her muzzle latched to his, Fara took hold of her boyfriend's hands and guided them to the back of her pants and the clasps above her tail. When Kei caught on and began to undo the snap, she herself reached behind him to undo the snap above his tail. Kei's pants soon slid down to pool around his feet. He reached in the front and loosened the buckle to Fara's pants, letting them join his on the floor of their bungalow. His boxes and her panties soon followed, and both were naked below the waist.

Kei found himself being driven backwards by this passionate vixen's forceful kiss until the back of his knees were pressed against the side of the bed's mattress, which invariably caused him to fall back into a seated position on the edge of the bed. He let out a surprised yip when she straddled his hips and felt her wet slit slide against his arousal. When she began to unbutton the front of his shirt, Kei took that as his cue to begin undoing her blouse.

Within moments, Kei was completely naked and Fara was left wearing nothing but her bra. She could only smile at his hesitancy and nodded her encouragement. "Go on. Reach behind me and finish undressing me."

When he carefully stretched his arms around her, Fara giggled and drew him into a tight hug, mashing her bosom against his front. She could feel his heart pound in his chest at the close intimate contact and nuzzled him reassuringly while he finished undoing the clasp in her bra. Once it started sliding off her front, she pushed him further back until he was sitting in the middle of the bed and he beheld her in her full naked glory.

Kei's eyes soaked in her beauty. His eyes were naturally drawn to the dripping wet nethers between her legs where he knew he'd soon find himself inside. He took in the well-toned soft-furred front of her belly and continued taking in the sight further up until his gaze settled on her breasts.

Like any young male, he had naturally seen many pictures of naked females through various electronic media. Many seemed to focus on the buxom, large-breasted type. Kei never cared for such images. All he could think was that such females must have sore backs from supporting such ridiculous weight from their fronts. The vixen in front of him though, had no such problem. He drank in her beautiful, well-proportioned breasts. They seemed to accentuate her already feminine curves and the fur over them and especially in her cleavage looked downy soft.

Fara giggled and cooed. "They look nicer than through a wet shirt, don't they?" When he raised his gaze from her chest to meet her eyes, she could plainly see the worshipful adoration in his expression and was deeply touched by his heartfelt praise of her femininity.

Though he should have been embarrassed about being reminded of how he had literally blundered into the vixen who would become his love, Kei could only think of how fortunate he was now. "They are beautiful....You are so beautiful, Fara....I...I sometimes fear that this is just a dream...and that I'll soon wake up alone in my bed."

Fara raised her hand and caressed his cheek while she moved closer. "This is a dream, Kei Reinard, but one that has come true for you. And in the morning, you will wake up with me at your side." She gently pressed her other hand against his chest, pushing him until he was laying on his back with his head resting on the soft, plush pillow.

Kei looked up at the vixen straddling him who smiled down at him with love in her eyes. His gaze was then drawn down to where her crotch was now smearing her arousal against his lower abdomen. With eyes riveted upon the sight, he watched her lift herself and reach down to guide the tapered tip of his erect maleness to her opening, and then slowly sink down around him.

Soft, silky heat enveloped her boyfriend's length. "Oh wow!! It's so warm...." he gasped and looked up at the vixen who had now taken his virginity. Fara bit her lower lip in a suppressed smirk at the look of wonder on his face. She then lifted herself and slowly sank back down, drawing out a deep groan from her boyfriend.

The pleasure and sensations were more wonderful than Kei ever dreamed of. He placed his hands on her hips and, gripping them firmly, began to thrust up into her each time she sank down around his length. She would not allow him to take an active part, though. "Ah-ah, Sweety. You just relax and let me do the driving."

Seeing her boyfriend go limp and relinquish control so willingly filled Fara's heart with adoration. While still slowly riding his length, she leaned forward until she was resting her weight on his chest, and latched her muzzle to his in a deep, muzzle-locking kiss.

Fox McCloud had been the last male she had been intimate with. It felt like a lifetime ago for her since they had mutually agreed to part ways. Being the girl that she was, Fara was not one for casual sex and one-night stands, and had gone without any intimacy in her life since then. Making love to her boyfriend now for the first time, she had forgotten until that moment how much she loved having a nice tod fill her nethers.

For Kei, this was not something he thought he'd ever forget. He closed his eyes and let himself be lost in the experience and the kiss. Each time she undulated her hips against him, he'd feel the exquisite sensation of her tight, slick passage glide around his length. Her movements were slow and deliberate, drawing out his pleasure to the utmost. He slid his hands up behind her head and caresses her long, fennec ears while kissing her back with equal fervor.

Fara hummed and whined into the kiss while she ground herself against his hardness. She then lifted her head and moaned, lengthening the strokes of her inner walls around her lover. Kei gazed up wide-eyed at the beautiful vixen above him. His mind was coming to grips with the notion that he was bringing her pleasure. With lidded eyes gazing down at her tod, Fara took his hands and guided them to each of her breasts.

Quickly catching on, Kei began to fondle and massage her there, and she panted in approval, "Oh yeah....That's it. Keep playing....with them." Her increased pace around his length drew a moan out of him. "Oh Fara....I love you...so much." Suddenly, she started to become very tight around the base of his maleness, and her folds began to tug at his length with each upward undulation. Gazing down wide-eyed to where they were joined, Kei watched her flesh stretch around his growing knot, and felt that tightness of her folds around his base spread to his loins. "F...Fara....I'm close...."

His girlfriend though was past being close. With a barking yap, she cried out as she reached her peak. Feeling her inner walls suddenly squeeze his length from knot to tip brought Kei to his own precipice. His eyes rolled back in his head and his cries of ecstasy joined hers with each throb into the vixen who had claimed him.

When it was over, Kei sank into a blissful doze under the comforting weight of his girlfriend. He eventually drifted back to wakefulness and a lingering afterglow. He also became aware that his maleness was still tightly squeezed inside her. Shifting against her, he felt her folds tug against him, and gasped. "We're stuck!"

Fara licked him between the eyes and then gave him an affectionate smooch. "MmmmMmmm. Your knot feels really wonderful," she said in a dreamy voice.

"My knot? Oh....yeah....That's right." Kei of course knew these things, but had never experienced being tied to a female before. He took a deep breath and sighed happily. "You feel wonderful around my knot too." When she wrapped her arms and legs about him in a full-body hug and start kissing him tenderly, Kei felt peaceful and warm under her loving attention. He felt pure, devoted love for the vixen who had claimed him and languidly melded his muzzle to hers until he drifted off to sleep.

*****

Awarness returned to Kei Reinard with the sounds of ocean waves washing up on the beach in the distance and the scent of salt air. He could not recall a time when he had slept so peacefully. He felt so relaxed that he was about to let his bladder relax as well when he heard a contented murr and felt arms pull him into a loving embrace from behind. He took in another deep breath through his nose, and this time picked up the scent of fennec vixen intermingled with his own scent.

Several things rushed to the forefront of his mind. He was not wearing his night-time diaper and had almost wet the bed, and he had slept soundly in the arms of his girlfriend, to whom he had given his virginity the night before. He felt her press her muzzle against his ear and murmur, "Good morning, Sweety."

Kei rolled around until he was facing his girlfriend and nuzzled her. "Good morning, my Love." He recalled her words from the previous night. "You were right. This is a dream come true." He then sniffled, feeling his eyes become damp. "And I didn't wake up alone this time."

Fara nuzzled him in return and licked the tears of happiness welling in his eyes. "And we have another five days together on our little island getaway."

Chapter 4: Leather and Lace

For the days that followed, Kei and Fara spent many hours walking tropical forest trails, swimming and playing on the beach, or snuggling together in a hammock under palm trees while looking out at the ocean. During those quiet hours, they would converse about anything and everything, growing closer and more deeply in love.

During evenings, Fara would make love to her boyfriend, encouraging him to explore their shared sexuality. Kei quickly gained confidence and sought ways to make his vixen cry out in ecstasy in the night. Fara herself was insatiable. After being sexually inactive for such a long time, she was constantly hungry for this tod who had captured her heart, and Kei was happy to oblige. And when he felt drained and his ardor was not able to rise to the occasion, he would explore her with his tongue and his hands.

It was their fourth evening together. Both were sweaty and snuggling in a shared afterglow after a vigorous love-making session. Fara gave her boyfriend a loving smooch and hummed. "You were really wonderful tonight, Sweety. How are you feeling?"

Kei licked and kissed his girlfriend back and replied, "I'm actually feeling refreshed....and invigorated."

"Mmmm. Not like your first time when you conked while we were stilled tied."

"He-heh....I guess it's all that practice you promised to give me."

Fara's laughter at his witty retort was beautiful to his ears, and he gave her a besotted smile while looking adoringly into her eyes. Fara then said, "You know, I'm actually in a mood for an evening stroll."

"Sounds like a wonderful idea." Together, they got out of their bed and went into the huge walk-in closet they shared. On one side, Kei had arrayed the few days' worth of clothing he had brought for his sojourn to this private tropical paradise.

On the other side was Fara's larger wardrobe of clothes she had on hand for whenever she came to this island with her family. It mostly comprised of short and long pants, blouses, tank tops, and the like. Having grown up a tomboy, she naturally gravitated towards masculine clothing. It was not a set rule, though. At times, she did feel more feminine and had a small collection of sundresses, skirts, gowns, and other similar outfits. One of her favorites was a lavender sundress. It extended down to just below the knees and had short sleeves and an open V neckline that converged onto a line of lacing that went down the front to the waistline.

Fara ran her hand through the sheer fabric and the kernel of a thought bloomed in her mind when she eyed her boyfriend who stood naked with his back to her, picking out a pair of short pants and a T-shirt for himself. Taking in his lithe, effeminate physique, a smile formed on her countenance. "Sweety? Could you come over here?"

Kei glanced at his girlfriend and saw her holding a beautiful lavender dress. It then dawned on him that he'd never seen her in anything so feminine and smiled at the idea of seeing her in such a garment. He put down his choice of clothing and walked over to her. "That's a pretty dress. I bet you'd look beautiful in it."

Fara had the same exact thought in her mind, but in a way that Kei never foresaw coming. "You're such a flatterer." Her smile then turned coy and she raised the dress to hold it up in front of her tod. "I was thinking the exact same thing, but with this on you."

It took a moment for Kei to grasp the implications of what his vixen was saying, but when it finally sunk in, a whole convoluted set of emotions rushed through him, from confusion to embarrassment to curiosity. "M...Me?"

"Yes, you...I think you'd look beautiful in this."

"B..But....I-.....I'm not...."

"Pleeeeese?" Fara cajoled, looking at him with the most adorable eyes she'd ever fixed upon him with.

Any further protests Kei may have had crumbled under her beguiling gaze. He sighed and took the dress. After examining it for a moment, he found the zipper in the back and pulled it down. It was then an easy affair to slip it over his head and down around him, letting his arms push through the sleeves as his head came out the neck opening. Fara then went behind him and pulled the zipper up his back. She was delighted to confirm that Kei's body measurements were similar enough to hers that the dress fit him well.

Under Fara's avid gaze, Kei could feel the heat rising to his cheeks and was certain a blush was showing through the thin white fur. "Oh my stars!" She gushed. "You look adorable!"

"I feel silly..." he mumbled quietly to himself, deeply embarrassed.

"No, no...You really look beautiful in that dress." Fara then took his hand and dragged him towards the full floor to ceiling mirror that covered the door to their bedroom.

The sight that greeted Kei left him speechless. If it weren't for his flat chest, he could easily be mistaken for a vixen. The fact that he wasn't endowed with that hallmark of femininity though didn't seem all that important. His girlfriend was right. He looked beautiful. He stood there, mesmerized while taking the lower hem of the skirt in hand and twirling it about him. A smile slowly took form on his countenance. "Wow...."

"So, you like?"

"Yeah....I feel pretty...."

Fara chose for herself a short red skirt and a matching pink tank top shirt. She walked out of the closet with her crossdressed boyfriend and went to her nightstand, withdrawing two pairs of panties, one in lavender that she handed to Kei and a red one for herself.

Without taking his dress off, Kei pulled on the panties. "Ooh. These feel really nice."

Fara had finished dressing and took her boyfriend's hand. "Shall we go for a stroll?"

Kei suddenly felt overcome by shyness. "You mean outside?"

"Of course, silly. And don't you worry. Nobody's going to see us. This is our private island, and we'll be walking nowhere near the docks where the Flying Phoenix is moored."

It turned out to be a most enjoyable experience for Kei. He loved how the ocean breeze flowed through the sheer fabric of his dress and around his legs. Under a starlit sky, they walked together, holding hands with their fingers interlaced. Neither bothered to wear shoes and took pleasure in feeling the grass of the trail and the beach sand between their toes. They spent a good two hours exploring their small island before getting back to their bungalow.

When they returned, Kei made a beeline to the closet. Fara followed, thinking that her tod wanted to get out of the dress. Instead, she found him running his hands through the other dresses she had hanging there, examining each of them.

Fara cooed, "Oooh. Does my girly boyfriend want to play dress-up?"

Kei giggled and smiled back shyly at his girlfriend. "Maybeeee?"

"Do you have a favorite color?"

He glanced over at Fara and eyed her tanktop. "I do like pink."

While pink had never been Fara's favorite for herself, she did like it enough to have a few articles of clothing in that color. She had her effeminate boyfriend try out a pink nightie, a few different skirts, and even one of her teddies. She let him try other colors as well. Kei modeled for her a black teddy and a green one-piece swimsuit what went well with his orange fur.

A beautiful golden-yellow ball gown also caught his eye. The taille portion had white lacy trimming around the ends of the puffed sleeves and the neck. A red border garnished the bottom edge of both layers of the gown. A red glittering pattern of symmetrical swirls were sewn into the front of the dress and extended down and around the taille. Another short layer of red drapery hung over the hips and back, which itself was bordered in the same glittering material. More swirling patterns adorned the lower portion of the ball gown. "This is a pretty dress, but it seems so out of place in this tropical island."

Fara mused, "I think that gown ended up here when Daddy was planning to host a private garden party, but it got cancelled." She was about to let him try it when something hanging deeper inside the closet caught her eye. She walked over to it and lifted the plastic garment cover to look underneath. Fara murmured to herself, "I had forgotten about this dress...." She glanced up at the shelf above it and saw all the matching items that went with this particular garment. Best of all, it was the right color.

She had tried this dress once, but it really hadn't suited her. Glancing at her boyfriend still admiring the ball gown, Fara felt her insides flutter when she imagined him in this dress she had found. Quickly grabbing it and all its accessories, she walked out of the closet. "Sweety, I found something I think you'll love."

Kei followed his vixen out of the closet, finding her standing at the end of the bed. "I do love that ball gown too. Do you think they make them in pink?" When Fara lifted the plastic over off of the dress she had found and held it up in front of her, all thoughts of the ball gown left his mind. "Oh my!"

It was a pink satin Lolita dress. The skirt portion was in three layers, each layer having white lacy trim along the bottom hems. Magenta bows decorated the bottom edge of the top layer in the front and back. It had puffed sleeves with white lacy trim like the ball gown. Buttons went up the front of the dress, with a magenta bow at the collar, which was also trimmed in white lacing. In her other hand, Fara held in front of the Lolita dress a matching magenta satin corset. It had white lacy trim along the bottom and top edges, and vertically along each boning. Wide shoulder straps, also trimmed in white lace, extended from the top edge of the corset. On the bed behind his girlfriend was a white petticoat and a few other small articles of pink and magenta clothing.

It was very much apparent to Fara that she had found a dress that her boyfriend adored, and knew that when she asked, "Do you want to try it out?" it really was a rhetorical question. She giggled at how quickly he took off her green swimsuit that he had been wearing. Setting the dress and corset aside on the bed, she picked up the first item for him to put on and handed it to him.

Kei could plainly see that the panties were meant to go with the dress. They were in the same shade of magenta as the corset, with matching white frilly trim on all the edges. He quickly pulled them on, tugging the waistband up over his hips and clipping it above his tail. Fara then snapped a pink garter belt, which also was decorated in the same white lacy trim, around his waist over the panties.

"Sit your cute little butt on the bed, Sweety." Fara instructed him. She herself was feeling giddy. Her boyfriend had willingly and happily become her dress-up doll and both were eager to see how he would look in this pink Lolita dress. With her girly boyfriend sitting on the end of the bed, Fara worked long, pink silk stockings up his legs and clipped the garter straps to the frilly top edge of the stockings. This was followed by a pair of shiny, pink shoes, each with a matching bow on top. It was sheer luck that both Fara and Kei had the same foot size. So the shoes fit him perfectly. Next came the petticoat, which she helped him step into and brought up over his hips and tail.

Kei stood there with his tail wagging under his petticoat while Fara picked up that beautiful pink Lolita dress. He bent forward and guided his arms through the puff sleeves as she pulled the dress over his head. Straightening his back, he smoothed out the dress around him with his hands, letting his fingers glide over the satiny material. He was completely falling in love with this dress, and let out a giddy laugh.

Fara then took the corset and wrapped it around his waist, pulling the zipper up the front. She laughed when her boyfriend sucked in his breath. "Silly. Those stories about not being able to breathe with a corset are just made up. Now relax." When he did and let his breath out, she began tugging the laces in the back, pulling his waist in to give him a truly feminine figure.

Kei gazed down at his shrinking waist as he felt his middle being compressed, and marveled at the sensation. The corset was very comfortable and not as restrictive as he imagined it would be. When his girlfriend was done cinching him, his waist was 15 centimeters smaller. He ran his fingers over his waist and then frowned when he felt the corset over his hips. "It's loose at the bottom....."

"Don't worry Sweety. I can have one made to your exact measurements." Fara assured him. She drew a wide pink sash around him that covered the lower edge of his corset and tied it off in a large bow in the back. This was followed by elbow-length gloves. She finished by slipping a headband between his ears upon which was perched a large, pink bow that stood proudly atop his head. Taking his hand, Fara led him to the mirror.

The sight Kei beheld filled him with a warm, fuzzy feeling. "Ohhhhhhh...." he cried, and then twirled around a few times and turned to face his girlfriend with joy shining in eyes. "I love it."

Fara giggled. "You are such a girly boy." And to her surprise and delight, Kei nodded vigorously. There was not even the slightest sign of a blush coming through the white fur of his cheeks. She gently cupped each said cheek in her hands. "I can tell that this is your favorite outfit."

"I feel so pretty in it, and love how the corset hugs me and how the dress and all its layers feels on me....I....I wish I could wear it all the time...."

Her heart was warmed by his heartfelt confession. Fara knew that there could possibly be no other response. "Then it's yours, Sweety." It took a moment for her words to sink into Kei's mind, but when they did, he surprised her by lunging forward to give her a fierce hug. "Oh thank you! Thank you!" She returned the embrace and kissed him on the cheek. "Seeing how you love this dress, I could never deny you wanting to stay in it."

Fara then stood back and looked her boyfriend over as he pirouetted in front of her. "You really do look so much prettier in dresses than in male clothing." Her expression turned coy as she went on to suggest, "You should wear them all the time from now on."

Kei nodded and giggled while he posed for his girlfriend until the implications of what she was implying sank in. "All....all the time?" he squeaked.

Fara laughed when she saw him blush furiously, but reassured him. "Well, maybe not at work, and I don't think I'll want to share with anybody else how pretty you are in your Lolita dress." She paused and took his hand in hers, bringing it up to her lips to kiss it. "But I'd love to go out on dates, to dances, to restaurants, and other social events with you in a pretty dress or evening gown."

Kei fidgeted in place and bit his lower lip. "But....but....I'll be seen...." He didn't mind, and in fact loved, dressing up in feminine clothes of his girlfriend, but the idea of doing so in public was a daunting one.

"So?" Fara challenged. "They'll either mistaken you for a vixen or see a tod who is so confident about himself that he doesn't mind being seen in a dress with his girlfriend." She could see that he was apprehensive about the idea though, and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "But only if you want to, Sweety. You really have nothing to worry about, and shouldn't care what others think, but I'm not going to force you."

Her reassurance and kindness warmed Kei's heart. Though he was not sure if he wanted to be seen crossdressing in public, he really wanted to please her. "I'll....think about it." His hands drifted down to his dress and he twirled it again while looking up shyly at the vixen he loved so much. "I'd love to see you in something pretty too.

Fara cooed and grinned to her effeminate boyfriend. "Ooooh. Does my girly boy want to see me in something feminine too? Shall it be something cute and girly? Something pretty?" She then paused and licked her lip as an idea bloomed in her mind. "Or maybe something sexy?"

Kei's heart beat hard in his chest at the notion and he smiled shyly to her. "I'd love to see you in something sexy." He watched her wink and grin to him, and then walk back into the closet, glancing over her shoulder with a promise. "Be back in a few minutes." He had always found his fennec vixen to be naturally beautiful, while being strong of will and exuding confidence. Kei could not imagine what she could possibly wear that would accentuate those qualities he so loved about her.

From within the closet, his sensitive vulpine ears picked up the sound of thick fabric sliding over fur, a zipper being drawn, buckles being tightened, and laces being pulled. Moments later, a vision of feminine beauty and strength sauntered out of the large, walk-in closet that left his mouth go dry. Kei could feel his panties tent underneath the layers of his petticoat while Fara slowly walked towards him with a sway of her hips.

Fara was attired in a gothic-style outfit, all in black, patent leather. She wore wide-toed, low chunky-heeled boots that were laced up the front, with a zipper on the inside. A row of heavy buckles adorned the outside, going up to the top of the boots, just below the knees. Fishnet stockings covered her legs, extending up her thighs where they disappeared under a short skirt that went down half-way to her knees. The top edge of the skirt was covered by the lower edge of the corset, making the two look like a one-piece corset dress. The overbust corset itself had large buckles going up the front and a d-ring on each hip. The top of the corset extended out into two wide straps that went over each shoulder. Her outfit was completed with elbow-length gloves and a thin collar around her neck.

When she came to a stop right in front of him and cupped his cheek, Kei became week in the knees and whined. Feeling empowered, she wrapped her arms around his narrow, feminine waist and drew him into a forceful kiss while mashing herself against him. Her effeminate, crossdressed boyfriend became limp in her arms, except for one part of him which she took delight in grinding herself against. "Mmmm. I guess you find me really sexy."

Kei whimpered, "Oh gawwwd. Yes."

She kissed his nose, "Would you like to see me dressed in sexy outfits more often?"

Kei nodded to his vixen with a lovesick expression that was endearing and made her laugh. "Awww. I guess that's a 'yes' then." Her expression then turned coy. "And what will you wear for me?"

"Please...Anything...I'll wear whatever you want me to."

Fara cooed at the notion that formed in her head. "Oooh. My own dress-up doll?"

"Uh-huh." Kei replied, completely smitten by this new vision of his girlfriend.

"Is that all?" she asked with a grin, enjoying the effect she was having on her boyfriend.

"I'll do whatever you want." he replied. Kei was loving this new aspect of his girlfriend, and fervently hoped that this would not be a one-time occasion.

Fara laughed at his eagerness. "Careful Sweety. I might ask you to do something that you don't like."

Kei snapped out of his amorous-addled mindset when the implications of what she said sank in. He met her gaze and saw mischievous eyes look back at him that were gentle, teasing, and full of love, but devoid of any malice or cruelty. In that moment, he realized that he never need be afraid of giving himself to her.

He took her hand in his, pressed it against his cheek, and closed his eyes under her tender touch. With a sigh, he expressed his devotion to her. "There was a time that I'd be afraid of a dominant vixen like you. In the past, I had known nothing but cruelty from such females." He could feel his eyes get moist, both from the painful memories that haunted him and from the deep emotion of love he now felt for this vixen who had captured his heart. "But you've showed me nothing but love and kindness, proving to me that you are the one dominant vixen I can give myself to without fear."

The sight of that tear running down Kei's cheek and his declaration of love left Fara deeply moved. What he said next rocked her to her core.

"Fara, I mean it with every fiber of my being. I'll do whatever you want. I'll even crossdress in public if you really want me to. You can do whatever you like with me."

Fara was filled with a burning desire for this gentle, effeminate tod who loved her so deeply and wanted to submit himself to her. Gripping his head firmly, she melded her muzzle with his in a forceful kiss that would not be denied and forced her tongue against his. Kei was unable, and unwilling, to resist her ardor and let himself be driving back onto the bed. He was soon left breathless by her forceful, amorous advance and fell back onto the mattress.

"Remain sitting, with your back against the headboard." Fara commanded. When he complied, she surged up his front and placed a hand on his chest. She then leaned forward and pressed her forehead against his. "Kei, your offering yourself like this is so precious to me. I love you with all my heart, and will have my way with you and leave you wanting for more."

"I love you too, Fara." Kei affirmed in a heartfelt whisper before he was again overwhelmed by Fara's demanding, hungry kiss. His hands came up to caress her long, fennec ears while he breathed in her breath through his mouth and welcomed her tongue against his until she asserted herself forcefully upon him and grabbed those hands and pulled them away from her head.

Though confused, Kei did not question her when she firmly placed his hands out onto the top of the headboard. "Now hold on, Sweety, and keep them there." was her command. "I'll get you some leather wrist and ankle cuffs later."

"C-Cuffs?" squeaked her boyfriend.

"Ah-ah! Not a word.....I'll have to get you a few gags too." she promised. While Kei's mind started to whirl with what her words implied, Fara wormed her way down her boyfriend's front. Letting her fingers glide along the smooth satin of his dress and corset, she scooted further back until she was sprawled between his outstretched legs.

Kei watched her head disappear under his dress and petticoat and felt her fingers tug down his panties until the waistband was under his jewels. An instant later, an incredible wet warmth engulfed his length that sent his mind reeling. His girlfriend was giving him his very first blowjob. When he felt her tongue press and rub against the end of his erection, Kei threw back his head and moaned.

Fara hummed around her muzzleful while she nursed. Normally, she never cared much for giving head, but out of a deep love and desire to reward her boyfriend for his devotion, she felt he deserved some extra special loving. And she could not deny that she loved hearing him vocalize his pleasure, especially when she rubbed his length between her ridged palette and tongue while she suckled.

Kei gazed down with lidded eyes at the sighted of his girlfriend's long fennec ears lifting up his skirt and huffed at the exquisite pleasure of her warm, sucking muzzle. It was all he could do to hold onto the headboard. His legs kept wanting to curl up around her each time he felt her mouth and throat flex, but Fara kept a firm grip on them, pressing down with her hands while she continued to nurse on his length.

Fara soon could feel his knot begin to fill her muzzle while she suckled. Before it got too big and lodged itself between her teeth, she pulled back to let it expand in front of her lips. She then brought both hands together to grip the bulging flesh tightly between her fingers. The vixen hummed throatily while swallowing around his length. His moans were like music to her ears. She relished the power she had over him while at the same time found it fulfilling to bring such unadulterated pleasure to the tod she had come to love so deeply.

When his legs curled around her back, she thought of admonishing him, but decided against it knowing that he could not help it when she heard him gasp. "I'm close...." Fara instead focused on bringing him to his peak and prepared to receive her first mouthful of his sticky essence. With a drawn-out whine, Kei cried out and Fara felt his hands grip her head through the layers of his dress and petticoat while thrusting up into her muzzle. His knot bumped against her front teeth and lips, and the first gush of his seed filled her mouth, quickly followed by a succession of others.

Kei's loins sent throb after throb of his seed into his girlfriend's muzzle and she swallowed every one until he had no more to give. But when she continued to bob her head up and down upon his length, the pleasure became torturous and he cried out. "Too much!" She didn't stop, but instead continued to fellate his hypersensitive maleness a bit longer, making him whine plaintively until his knot quickly shrank and she took his entire shrinking length down to the base and held still.

Fara giggled around her muzzleful when she heard his sigh of relief, but otherwise remained still, keeping his softening maleness warm. She felt his dress being lifted up clear of her head and moments later the caress of his hands along her long, sensitive fennec ears. Soon after, she let him slip out of her muzzle and back into his sheath, and crawled up to give him a kiss and a taste of his seed. He stuck out his tongue and smacked his lips. "Cum tastes weird."

Fara smirked "Yeah, it does, but I loved hearing my dress-up doll make such cute sounds." Her heart was warmed when she heard him murmur tiredly, "I love being your dress-up doll...." She gently disengaged herself and got out of bed. "So how about we get ready for bed...." but got no further when her ears picked up the slow, steady breath of her boyfriend who had drifted off to sleep, still fully dressed in his pink and magenta Lolita outfit.

She carefully pulled his shoes off, but left him in the rest of his outfit. After getting undressed herself, Fara slipped into a black lacy teddy and crawled into bed with her crossdressed boyfriend. Snuggled up behind him, she let her hands glide over his satin dress and corset and soon drifted off to sleep herself.

Kei slowly drifted awake, but lingered in that blissful twilight between dreams and full consciousness. He could feel his girlfriend's arms around his chest, hugging him from behind. A wide area above and below his waist was also being hugged tightly. It was only when one of her hands drifted down over his waist to rest atop his hip that he began to quickly become aware that it was not Fara who was hugging his waist. He was in fact still dressed in his pink Lolita dress, and that even tightness all around his midsection was due to the magenta corset he was still wearing.

Fara kissed and nuzzled him behind the ear and murmured, "Good morning, Doll. Did you sleep well?" Her large, sensitive fennec ears picked up on the slight, brief quickening of his heartbeat, which was accompanied by a giggle. "I'll take that as a 'yes' then."

"Uh-huh...." Kei ran his fingers down over his dress and corset, amazed how it all fit him so comfortably. Together, they got out of bed and Kei ambled over to the mirror where he again admired his appearance. Though slightly rumpled, his dress still looked beautiful and his feminine figure pleasing to his eyes. Fara walked up behind him. "Methinks you want to stay dressed like this all day."

Kei turned around and gave his girlfriend a loving smooch. "It is tempting....Did you have something in mind?"

"Actually, if you are going to be my dress-up doll, I think you first need to be measured so that I can get you all sorts of cute outfits made just for you." With a grin, Fara walked over her terminal and activated the comm. After a brief pause, an image of a flaming red vixen appeared over the unit. "Daaarrling!!! What can Madam Samantha do for her favorite client?"

Fara laughed. "I bet you say that to every one of your clients!"

"Pish posh, Girl." Samantha waved dismissively. "You are my best customer....well, I do have one or two more favorites, and a certain tod and vixen you know are looking to make my A-list."

Kei watched his girlfriend perk at that last statement. "Oh? Is that who I think it is?"

"Ah-ah! Can't violate my client confidentiality now," replied the exuberant vixen. "So, what would you like, My Dear."

"If you are available, I'd like to send a shuttlecraft to pick you up and bring you over to me for a bit this morning." Fara stated without giving details. "I have someone here with me that I'd like measured, and then some nice outfits designed for."

"Oh? Someone special?" she asked with a glimmer in her eyes.

"You could say that." Fara said. "I'll have the shuttlecraft waiting for you within the hour at Corneria Spaceport."

"Then I'll see you in a bit, Darling!" Samantha grinned and terminated the connection.

Fara sat back and mused. "Mmmm. I wonder...."

Kei hugged his girlfriend from behind. "Wonder what?"

"My old boyfriend, Fox McCloud. He had become really close with this vixen Krystal until he did something stupid and the two broke up."

"I had heard that this Krystal vixen was supposed to be the sole survivor of this mysterious world that had been destroyed." Kei said thoughtfully. "And that Fox McCloud was sweet on her. The rest, is not anything I'd believe, given the source."

"Hmmph! If by 'source' you mean the tabloids, then you are right to not believe any of their crap." Fara sighed. "As much as I loved Foxy, I was disappointed in him for driving that girl away."

Kei felt a twinge of jealousy, but ruthlessly drove it from his mind. "You still....care for him, don't you."

Fara smiled fondly at her boyfriend, not missing his choice of words. "If you mean, do I love him? Yeah. I do, but only as a good friend now. We both came to realize it would not work out between us, and broke up on friendly terms." She paused and gazed out the window without focusing on anything. "Still, I wonder what Samantha implied by that..."

At that moment, her comm pinged, announcing a personal message was waiting for her. She opened the electronic missive and within moments gasped. "Oh my stars!!!"

"What! What is it?" Kei asked worriedly, seeing tears in his vixen's eyes.

He soon realized they were tears of happiness when Fara sniffed and said to herself. "Way to go, Fox."

Kei looked over her shoulder and read the message. "He proposed to her!"

"Yes. Foxy must have finally got his head on straight and earned Krystal's forgiveness. He must have said something really special for them to not only have made up but be engaged." She looked back and gave her tod a lopsided grin. "Sorry you didn't get a wedding invitation too."

"It's okay. I don't think they even know about me." He tenderly licked his girlfriend on the cheek, washing away the tears. "But you should go. I can see you care about them both and I would not want you to miss out on this."

Fara got up and hugged her boyfriend fiercely. "Thank you, Kei. That means a lot to me." She then noticed the chronometer. "But for now, we need to get ready for Madam Samantha. She should be here in less than 30 minutes. So let's get you undressed."

Moving behind Kei, she expertly began to loosen his corset. Kei stood there, quickly feeling the garment's grip on his waist relax, having not realized how much he had become accustomed to its tight embrace. With her help, he was soon out of his dress. "I'll let you take the rest of it off while I get the shower ready, Sweety."

A quick shared shower together, and Fara was once again dressed. To please her boyfriend, she wore the lavender sundress that he had worn himself the night before. At her insistence, Kei wore nothing but a pair of pink panties. He had initially protested, but relented when she reminded him. "Ah-ah. You promised to wear anything I'd want you to wear."

A few minutes later, a sonic boom announced the arrival of the hypersonic shuttlecraft bringing Fara's personal dressmaker to their island getaway. Together, they watched the long, sleek craft come in to settle down on the landing pad near the dock where the Flying Phoenix was moored.

The sight that greeted Madam Samantha was not what she had expected. Fara stood there in her bungalow's living room, wearing a lavender sundress that she recognized as one of her designs. Next to the fennec vixen was a tod, completely naked except for the pink panties he wore. The white fur on his cheeks could not hide the deep blush that radiated through. "Well, this is interesting."

Fara stepped forward and extended a hand. "Welcome to my private getaway. Glad you could come on such short notice."

Samantha shook the fennec's hand. "Always glad to make the time...especially at the generous rates you pay me."

"Girl, you are so worth it. I love the dresses you've made for me." Fara affirmed. Her smile then turned coy while she glanced at her boyfriend who stood there fidgeting. "And now I'd like to have a nice wardrobe of feminine clothing for Kei here." She picked up the magenta corset. "I'd also like this corset remade to fit him. The pink Lolita dress you made for me looks so much better on him, and he loves wearing it."

"Oh my!" Samantha practically purred. "I do so love designing outfits for cute crossdressers."

Kei groaned. "Aww come on, Fara. This was supposed to be only between us."

Samantha sauntered up to the bashful tod, who looked back nervously. "Darling, you'd be surprised how many of my clients are male. Care to guess what percentage?"

"Uh...10%?"

"Ha! I'd not be in business if I catered to so few." Samantha declared. "Forty percent of all the dresses, corsets, lingerie, and so forth that I make are for crossdressing males."

Kei gaped at the revelation. "Wha...40%?"

"That's right!" Samantha said while slowly walking around the cute-looking tod. "And I have to say that many do not look as good in a dress as I think you will once I'm done with you." She took in his general body shape with a critical eye. "Mmmm. Slightly wider-than-average hips for a male, more prominent posterior, softer features in the face and muzzle, nicely groomed short fur, beautiful tail....very effeminate even if the chest is flat."

"I....it's okay. I don't mind that I h-have no chest like a vixen....I just like wearing the dresses Fara lets me try out."

Samantha smiled gently at the bashful tod while she nodded in approval. "Yes, I can see you have no body image problems. I respect that. So....no falsies then.... Besides, you look feminine enough as it is that in a beautiful dress, you'll still very easily be mistaken for a vixen."

"Heh....That's what Fara said too....and well, when I saw myself in a mirror wearing a dress, I could see that she was right."

Samantha began setting up a small pedestal in the middle of the living room floor and an array of laser emitters around it. "And how did you feel about that, Deary?"

Though still feeling a bit embarrassed, Kei smiled to himself. "I...I felt pretty....and loved wearing all those dresses." He ran a hand along his side and added. "The corset felt nice too...even if it was a bit loose above my hips."

"Well, your hips may be wider than your typical male, but they are not as wide as a true vixen's. So that's understandable. But don't you worry, Darling. Once I'm done, every one of your corsets will hug your contours and give you a figure that will make many ladies jealous." She then beckoned Kei to the pedestal. "Okay cutie. Stand on that with your feet apart and your arms out at an angle....yes, and hold that pose..."

While his pedestal slowly rotated him, lasers quickly scanned his every curve and contour. Samantha read over the measurements. "Well, it looks like you and your lady friend have very similar measurements, but I'll take your Lolita dress with me and make a few alterations so it fits you perfectly."

A minute later, the pedestal had made a full rotation with Kei standing on it. "Okay Darling. You are done." Fara's personal seamstress then grinned at the tod with the golden head hair. "So what else can Madam Samantha make for you?"

Thoughts of more pretty dresses for him to wear quickly drove any remaining embarrassment from Kei's mind, which now focused on the dresses he had admired in Fara's closet the day before. "Well, Fara has this pretty ball gown that I liked....."

His girlfriend squealed. "Oooh. Yes!" She rushed into her closet and quickly came out with the dress in question.

Samantha laughed. "Wonderful! You two will look adorable together in matching ball gowns. Any color preferences?"

"Pink!" Kei said at once. "I love pink."

"Pink it is. You'll look Faaabulous." Samantha purred. She then glanced to Fara. "I presume you'll want diamond glittering for his dress too."

Kei squeaked. "D-diamonds?" He glanced in alarm at the swirling pattern in the ball gown he had taken a fancy to.

"Yes, in dark pink diamonds." Fara asserted and then smiled to her tod. "You're infinitely worth more than all those stones, Sweety." She then grinned to Samantha. "Let's see what else we can come up with for my boyfriend."

Samantha went on to design a red evening dress with gold trim, and a variety of pink and red dresses for the effeminate tod. With her watching, Fara had him try out the yellow sundress. "Oooh Daaarling! That really goes well with the gold hair on your head."

Feeling giddy, Kei twirled about in front of the two vixens and smiled. "I like it too."

"Anything else I can make for you?"

"I...I can't think of anything else right now."

Samantha then turned to Fara. "How about you? Anything else you want to dress up your girly boy in?"

"Welllll. I do have some ideas, and he did agree to wear anything I get for him."

"Ooooh....How maaaaarvelous." the flaming red vixen cooed while handing her data tablet to the fennec.

Fara quickly went through the selections until she brought up what she had in mind. "Oooh. He definitely will look beautiful in one of these. I can make one in the traditional black and white and also in other colors."

Kei's curiosity was naturally aroused, but when he tried to look, his girlfriend admonished him. "Ah. No peeking." So he shrugged and sat back on the couch, playing with the hem of his dress, content to let his girlfriend pick out more outfits for him.

Samantha could only chuckle at his relaxed demeanor. "Girl, your boyfriend is a keeper if he's not even worried about what you might dress him up in. He must really love you a lot to trust you this much."

Fara gazed at the tod she had come to love so deeply. "He does, and I love him too."

How she had not noticed it until now, Samantha would never understand, but it was obvious to her that this was more than a simple love affair. She took her tablet back from the fennec heiress and scrolled through more of her designs until she brought up one special category of dresses. "Darling, I'm thinking that your boyfriend might look good in one of these."

Kei watched his girlfriend glance down at whatever Madam Samantha was showing her and to his surprise saw her blush, and then stutter. "I....I...don't know. We've only known each other for a few weeks and...."

Fara then glanced up and met tod's eyes while imagining him in one of the dresses Samantha was implying he'd wear for such an occasion. She could not deny that the idea made her heart flutter, but this was something too important to rush. This was one dress that she would have Kei wear only if he wanted to. "I'll....I'll think about it."

Samantha closed her tablet and patted Fara's hand. "Of course, Deary. Well, unless you need me for anything else, I think I'm done here. So I best be getting back to my studio to make all those pretty dresses for your boyfriend."

"Of course. Thank you so much for coming." Fara said.

"Think nothing of it. I'll notify you when I'm done." Samantha assured while she packed her equipment. After she left, Fara sat down with her crossdressed tod and snuggled with him.

They would spend the rest of the day together until that evening when they boarded the Flying Pheonix for the trip home. Kei had become so comfortable wearing the yellow sundress that he did not even think of it until the crew of the yacht saw him. Though briefly mortified to be seen, thoughts of embarrassment quickly left his mind when his girlfriend snuggled into his arms. Fara was if anything else, even more affectionate than before.

After a quiet dinner while the crew prepared to cast moorings, Fara took her boyfriend to bed and made love to him even while their yacht raced back towards Corneria City on its hydrofoils. Afterwards, she held her lover in her arms, spooning him from behind, while he slept in pleasant, sated exhaustion. Her thoughts meandered back to her old boyfriend, Fox McCloud, and Krystal. The blue-furred, telepathic vixen was really a perfect match for him, more so the she herself ever could be. It had saddened her when he had had broken up with Krystal. So she was overjoyed to hear that not only had they reconciled, but were now engaged.

Fara breathed in deeply Kei's scent. Though quite effeminate, he was very much male, and under her tutelage had become a wonderful lover. She was certain that her ex-boyfriend had finally found happiness in the arms of his fiancée. And for the first time in years, Fara dared to hope that she herself had found that same happiness in the tod sleeping curled up in her arms.

Chapter 5: Beyond the Wild Blue Yonder

Their return to work at Space Dynamics had felt markedly different. Word around the office had spread quickly that their boss was now the head accountant's girlfriend. Both Fara and Kei were at ease around each other, often exchanging smiles, but managed to keep things professional. Fara though already had something special planned for her boyfriend for that coming weekend. On the last day of the week, Fara finished her work early and instructed Kei to wrap up his work as well. They then boarded a hypersonic transport that brought them directly to the Corneria City Spaceport.

Sitting once again in the passenger seat next to Fara, Kei was looking out wide-eyed at the sights of Cornerian Defence Force facilities as they drove through what was the military side of Corneria City Spaceport. Fara pulled up right next to one long hangar building and there on the tarmac he got to see for the first time a fighter craft he had always dreamed of seeing up close, even if he knew he'd never get to fly: the new Arwing Mk3. Twenty-four were arrayed next to each other in a long, single line, with a twenty-fifth, slightly longer one sitting by itself at the far end. "Magnificent, aren't they?"

Kei drew his eyes away from the sleek space fighters to meet his girlfriend's smiling gaze. "They're beautiful. I never thought I'd get to see them up close like this."

"Oh, I'll get you an even closer look in a bit, Sweety." Fara replied with a coy smile. She then took his hand in hers. "Come, I got to get you ready."

"Ready? For what?"

"You'll see." was her cryptic reply.

Kei let himself be led into the building. Walking next to her along one long hallway, he noticed one room that caught his attention. "Are those simulators? Do you think I could try flying one?" His tail was now wagging excitedly. He was well aware that he was being granted access to an area that no civilian would normally get to see.

"Oh, I have something even better in mind for you."

Before he could ask, she led him into a room across and down the hallway from the simulator room. There, they met this pure white arctic vixen, who glanced up from her control panel. Behind her, the outer shell of a helmet was just coming out of its mold. "Vanessa, we're here." Fara announced herself to the vixen.

She glanced up and smiled. "So I see, and I presume this is the tod you wanted fitted for this?"

"That's right. I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Kei Reinard. Kei, this is Vanessa Chambers, one of my employees on the Arwing Mk3 contract."

Kei extended a hand and shook the vixen's. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Chambers."

Before Kei could ask any further question, Fara asked Vanessa, "Is it all ready?"

"Yes. The full-body scans I got from Madam Samantha were perfect. I'll just need to scan his head." The white vixen then picked up a white balaclava and handed it to Kei, who was still confused. "Put this on."

Kei took the head cover and pulled it over his head, tugging it down around his neck so that only his muzzle showed. His ears were also pressed flat under the snug fabric. "Urf. It's very tight. What's this for?"

"Sorry about that, but it needs to be tight for me to get a proper scan of your skull's contour." Vanessa said absent mindedly while directing the tod to sit on a chair affixed to a pedestal. "Now close your eyes and don't move."

For the next minute, Kei sat still while he was slowly rotated and lasers quickly scanned every curve of his head in rapid vertical sweeps. Once done, he took the balaclava off and shook his ears free with a sigh of relief, but still had no clue of what Fara had in mind for him.

He began to get an inkling with the snow vixen's next words. "Okay. The outer shell of the helmet, along with all its interior components, is already done, and I should have the inner molded padding done within a half hour. You can get him and yourself suited up now." She indicated a door off to the side. "I left the rest of the gear in the fitting room over there."

"Suited?" Kei asked. Was she intending what he thought she was intending?

Fara took his hand. "Come on, Sweety. Time to make a dream of yours come true."

Kei followed her into a small room. In one corner, a hanger rack held four garments hidden in bags. In the center was a long bench. Without further delay, Fara began taking her clothes off. "Alrighty Kei, strip down to your fur." While the sight of his girlfriend's naked beauty was something he had come to appreciate, his eyes were again drawn to the hidden garments hanging on their rack. "Fara? Are you planning...." he began to ask as he turned to her, but the sight that greeted him sent his mind reeling.

Fara stood there smirking, holding a thick white diaper out to her boyfriend, who suddenly began to stutter. When he saw that she herself was wearing one, his eyes grew wide like saucers and his jaw hung open, and she completely lost all composure and burst out in a fit of laughter.

For his part, Kei had for one horrible moment thought Fara had found out about his secret love of diapers, but seeing her wearing one left him incoherent. "F-Fara? Are you...? How did you...? Uhm...." His eyes were again drawn to the nice, thick absorbent garment she was seemingly tantalizing him with.

"Now Sweety, if you want me to fulfill your dream of flying in a space fighter craft, you've got to wear one of these." Fara advised her flustered boyfriend. She then grinned mischievously and reminded him of a vow he had made just two days before. "Besides, you promised me that you'd wear anything I tell you to."

Her confirmation that she was in fact going to take him flying into space set his heart pounding with a giddy excitement that left him weak in the knees. He glanced again at the garment rack and it all came together in his mind. "Spacesuits...."

"That's right, and that means no toilet access." Fara confirmed. "And if the idea of wearing a diaper embarrasses you, think of it as a Maximum Absorbency Garment. Believe you me. It's better you take a piss in one of these than inside your suit."

Kei felt a convolution of emotions running through him. He loved wearing and wetting diapers, and he was about to put one on in front of his girlfriend. And yet he never imagined he'd wear one again, let alone in front of Fara, having given them up out of his love for her. At the same time, he could not show his enjoyment of the garment, and blushed in shame for his deceit. He reached out and took the absorbent garment and unfolded it.

Fara for her part smiled and nodded her encouragement, completely misinterpreting his blush. She watched her boyfriend put on the thickly padded garment, leaning against the wall to hold the back side in place while he pulled it up under his crotch and over his front. When he was done, she walked around him and checked the fit. "Not bad. You put that on like a pro."

"Umm....well...." Kei stuttered, afraid he might have aroused her suspicions. But Fara simply nodded her approval and went to the rack, withdrawing the first two garments. She pulled their covers off to reveal a nylon tricot and spandex full-body garment that was laced with thin plastic tubes. "Alrighty. Next thing to go on is this cooling bodysuit. This will keep you from overheating, or even freezing, if you have to do an EVA while in space." She helped him in his, pulling the garment up his legs, front, and arms. She then went behind him and began to carefully tuck his tail into the snug-fitting sleeve and pulled the zipper up its length to the base of his tail and up his back.

Then it was his turn to help Fara put on her cooling garment. Tucking her tail into its sleeve, he couldn't resist running his hand over her posterior. Never did he imagine he'd feel her rump while it was diapered, and could not resist taking a moment to give her padding a squeeze.

Fara glanced over her shoulder and smirked. "You like my big butt?"

Quickly covering up his infatuation with her diapered rear, Kei complimented her. "I've always loved your butt." He finished off, pulling the zipper up her back and then kissed her behind her large, fennec ears.

Turning around to give her boyfriend a brief smooch, Fara then went to the garment rack and picked up the two remaining suits and took their covers off to reveal thin-looking suits with a black metallic sheen. The gloves and boots were attached to it, along with a long tail sleeve in the back. The only opening appeared to be the neck, which was encircled by a metallic ring with grooves. She handed on to Kei and sat down on the bench. "Okay. The only way in is through the neck. So do like I do."

Kei watched her demonstrate and followed her example, first twisting and separating the neck ring into two halves, unzipping the shoulder zippers on the outer reflective Kevlar layer and insulating layers to reveal an inner latex-impregnated spandex suit. To his amazement, Fara was able to stretch the small neck opening of the inner layer so wide that she was able to worm her way into the suit.

Following her lead, he did the same, grunting a bit as he worked the suit up over his legs and guided his tail into the pressure suit's tail sleeve until with a sucking sound, the rest of the air was forced out of the neck opening as it closed in around his neck. They finished off by pulling the shoulder zippers shut and snapping the two neck ring halves together. When they stood up, Kei could not help but smile in appreciation at how form-fitting the spacesuit was and especially how it accentuated her curves. His eyes were immediately drawn to the outline of her breasts, but he felt no embarrassment this time when she laughed.

"I see you like how well these show." she said while giving her feminine attribute a light heft. "The suit does give them nice support."

Kei smiled shyly and admitted. "I find you sexy in that suit."

"Flattery will get you everywhere with me." She then extended a gloved hand, which he took. "Let's finish getting ready so I can take you flying."

Back in the main room, Vanessa stood waiting for them. On the table were two helmets and two life support backpacks. "Fara, you are just in time. I've just finished your friend's helmet."

"Fantastic. You are the best, Vanessa." She took her boyfriend's helmet and withdrew from within a balaclava, which she handed to him. "Put this on."

Kei pulled the stretchy fabric hood over his head, tucking his ears back flat against his skull. Then under Fara's guidance, he pointed his muzzle up into the neck opening and pulled the snug-fitting helmet down around his head, feeling something press slightly into his ear canals through the fabric of his hood. She then lifted the suit's neck ring and locked it in place around the base of the helmet. With Vanessa's help, Kei was fitted with one of the backpacks and a hose was connected to each side of his helmet, right below the open visor.

By this time, he was getting uncomfortably hot inside the suit and was beginning to pant. Fara then pressed a switch and made some adjustments to the controls on the front of the harness securing his backpack and suddenly, the inside of his suit felt cool. She turned his visor down, sealing him inside his suit. Immediately, his ears popped slightly as the suit pressurized and with his next inhale, he felt cool, filtered air flow across his muzzle.

Fara connected the auxiliary data cable from the backpack to behind his helmet. She then noticed her boyfriend try to articulate something, but naturally could not hear anything he said given that he was now isolated from the outside world within his own cocoon of recycled air. She lifted a finger in front of his visor. "Hold on, Kei."

Kei for his part saw her mouth the words but did not hear a single syllable. He watched her don her own hood and helmet, which he immediately noticed was elongated slightly in the back to accommodate her large, fennec ears. With Vanessa's help, she pulled on her backpack and the hoses and data cable were connected. Once she had sealed herself within her own pressure suit, he suddenly heard her voice right into his ears. "Kei, you should be hearing me now through our suits' communicators."

"Yeah....Wow....This is amazing."

"All comfy in there?" he heard her say in a voice full of amusement and affection.

"I sure am. This is nothing like I imaged wearing a spacesuit would be like." he said while walking around. In the next moment, he raptly listened to her show him how to operate the controls in his chest harness, adjusting the temperature of the underlying cooling garment and the volume of the headphones pressing into his ear canals. He was even more amazed and delighted when she showed him how to extend the drinking straw by pressing a small button on the side of his helmet, right next to the air hose, and took his first large gulp of water.

Fara smiled fondly at her boyfriend and took his hand. "Time to go flying Sweety." She turned to give a thumbs up to Vanessa and led her boyfriend out through the hallway.

Kei could feel his heart pound with excitement at the prospect of flying a fighter craft like he had dreamed of as a young pup. He had no illusion that he'd be in his own fighter, and would not want to, given that he'd never flown before. So he figured it would have to be some sort of two-seat training craft. He followed Fara outside and onto the tarmac, but was puzzled. There were only the Arwings, and none of them were two-seaters. "Uh Fara....I do love the Arwings, but I can't see myself flying one of those."

"Of course, not. Besides, those will be assigned to Bulldog and Husky Squadrons." she said while leading him to the twenty-fifth fighter at the end of the line.

Even as he followed his girlfriend, Kei's attention was still drawn to the sleek, blue and white single-seat fighters. "So what will we be flying?"

"An Arwing, of course."

Kei felt his heart thud hard in his chest in a mixture of panic and nervous excitement. "An....Arwing?!" he squeaked. "b-but..." It was then that he noticed the Arwing that they were approaching. It was the slightly longer one he had seen earlier from a distance when they had arrived. Now he knew why it looked different. "I didn't know they made Arwings with two seats." He said.

"It's the only one of its kind and your ride to beyond the wild blue yonder." promised Fara.

"A...and the CDF authorized you to take me up?"

Fara laughed and turned to pat her boyfriend on the shoulder. "The CDF has no say in the matter. I had this single fighter built as a demo for a two-seat trainer, but they rejected it because they plan to train only experienced pilots in them. So this one belongs to me, not the CDF."

Kei took in the blue and white fighter. It was just like the other Arwings in shape and form, except for its slightly longer fuselage. The front cockpit was in the exact same position as the single-seat fighters, with the second right behind and above it. Affording the rear passenger as good a view as the pilot.

He slowly made his way towards the space fighter and quickly found the handhold to climb up into the rear cockpit, but Fara said, "Front seat, Dear."

"F-front?" Kei gazed at his girlfriend, a feeling of excitement and disbelief making him shiver. She was going all out to realize this long-lost and abandoned dream.

"Of course. Trainee in the front, flight instructor in the back." She smiled fondly to her boyfriend. Through his visor, she could see the wide-eyed wonder of the pup he once was, now being given a chance so few were afforded.

With her help, Kei made his way up to the cockpit, where he was connected to the fighter's life support and tightly strapped in. Fara then connected the main datalink cable to the back of his helmet, and suddenly Kei's visor lit up with a display of lines and numbers about a central circle. "Wow! I don't' understand it all, but I'm guessing that this is all so that I don't need to glance down at my console."

"Right you are," Fara said while strapping herself into the rear seat. "This is a new innovation that is being introduced with the Arwing Mk3. It's called a VR HUD. That's a Virtual Reality Heads Up Display. It allows you to navigate and target enemies that are into view of the HUD portion, and displays them virtually when they are beyond your view out of your canopy." Fara explained while she went through her pre-flight check. Kei sat there listening raptly as she went on.

"So here's the deal. I'm going to pilot us up into orbit and then take us through the gate to the second libration point, and there I'll turn the flight controls to you and you'll get to fly this beauty. How does that sound, Sweety?"

"It....wow...." Kei was at a complete loss for words. This was beyond anything he had ever expected. He could hear the delight in Fara's voice when she acknowledge, "I'll take that as a 'yes, that sounds wonderful, Fara.'"

"Yeah....I just hope I don't get space sick." he said nervously.

"Don't worry Dear. There's a motion sickness suppressant in the water you drank." she assured him. "If you start getting queasy, just take another large gulp from your straw, and you'll instantly feel better."

Though relieved, Kei could not keep his heart from pounding. He was only vaguely aware of Fara's words as she communicated with the CDF Base control tower while his eyes wandered around the inside of the cockpit and took in all the data displays on the Arwing's systems and its surrounding environment.

His gaze suddenly snapped to the front of his canopy window when he heard and felt the hum of the Arwing's reactor and propulsion system ramp up to full power. Their Arwing then slowly lifted off of the tarmac and glided away from the others. In his ears, he could hear Fara acknowledge clearance from the tower. "This is Fennec 1, cleared for takeoff. Taking heading 105 at best possible climb angle. Will contact Orbit Control once in orbit."

And suddenly, Kei felt himself pressed into the back of his seat while he looked on wide-eyed at the landscape accelerating by him at ever greater speed. "Whoooooooooooo!!!" he cried out in a mixture of exhilaration and fear, and then grunted in surprise upon feeling himself briefly get very heavy when the horizon suddenly dropped out of view. A quick glance to his side confirmed that they were now ascending nearly vertically, with the ground quickly dropping away behind them while still accelerating. In just over a minute, the sky around them turned from blue to black and the horizon began to become curved.

For the first time in his life, Kei Reinard left the surly bonds of his home world and was into the vast emptiness found above its ephemeral layer of life-giving air. Still pressed into the back of his seat, the initial shock of sudden takeoff maneuvers was wearing off and he began to relax and take in the wondrous view of the stars above and the ever curving horizon of Corneria below him, which now slowly rotated to once again be on the ventral side of their craft.

"You okay, Kei? You sounded breathless there." Fara asked in concern, doubt in her voice. She wondered now if perhaps she might have frightened him with her flying.

"Y-yeah....Wow! That was incredible." He said, his breath finally slowing to a more normal rhythm. Wide-eyed, he glanced to his side at the curving horizon of Corneria. "The view is incredible."

"Here, let me get you a better look." Fara gently rolled their Arwing until they were flying with their world above them, giving her boyfriend a full, encompassing view of continents, oceans, clouds, storms, and everything else. She then activated her comm. "Orbit Control, this is Fennec 1. ETA to orbit velocity is 90 seconds. Requesting permission for passage through Beltino Orbital Gate to L2 as filed."

"Fennec 1, this is Orbit Control. You are cleared for gate travel to L2 as filed."

Kei was only half listening to Fara reply back while looking out at the world above and round him. Moments later, they stopped accelerating and Kei was no longer being pressed into the back of his seat. Instead, the bottom fell out of his stomach as he felt their craft go into free fall.

Fara could hear him hyperventilate and reassured him. "Relax. We are just weightless now that we are in orbit.....deep breaths."

He raised a gloved hand to the side of his helmet and depressed the switch there, extending the straw to take several large gulps of the water to stop his nausea. "Sorry Fara. I knew I'd experience weightlessness, but hadn't expected it to feel like falling." He then took several deep breaths and began to relax.

She smiled when she heard his breathing slow. "That's it. Just think back to how you relaxed at work when you got stressed."

Her words reminded him of the diaper he wore, and brought to the fore in his mind the fact that he was feeling his bladder getting full. With a deep sigh, Kei completely relaxed and smiled happily at the pleasant warmth spreading between his legs. "Yeah. I feel better now. I'm starting to get used to this."

Fara called up her navigation display on her visor and shared it with her boyfriend on his. "Okay. There's the orbital gate ahead. We should be there in about 15 minutes." Kei gazed ahead and could make out the large space station.

This was the main hub of travel throughout Lylat for ships not equipped with superluminal drives, which required much more power than a small Arwing could generate to bend space-time around it in order to travel long distances in a short time. Like many denizens of Lylat, his basic education in science had covered in general terms the theory behind traversable wormholes and how they could link two points at any distance. The product of Beltino Toad's genius, this orbital gate was the first device capable of artificially creating and maintaining a stable wormhole that allowed travel across Lylat in an instant.

And he now found himself approaching the massive facility that powered the gate. It seemed impossibly huge compared to their tiny Arwing, and brought to his mind a concern. "Uh Fara? You're not going to get into trouble for taking just one small craft through this gate? I mean, I'm no scientist, but I do know it takes a huge amount of energy to make a wormhole like this. Don't they usually only open the gate for large groups of spacecraft or huge ships?"

Fara grinned and was flattered by her boyfriend's concern for her. "Don't worry Sweety. It cost me only a bit over a million dollars."

"Mmm-million?!?" Kei squeaked. How could she spend such a huge amount on him, and be so blasé about it? She then reminded him why with her laughter. "Oh Kei. It's at times like this that you remind me why I love you so much. Even now, you worry about me, and forget how wealthy I am. It proves again that you don't love me for my money."

Kei closed his eyes and sighed. "How silly of me. This is chump change to you."

"It's not silly. It's very sweet of you, and why I love doing these things for you."

"I love you too." Kei smiled to himself and opened his eyes again. What he saw was breathtaking. The station now loomed ahead of them, more massive than he imagined. Six large emitters separated from the station and moved into position ahead of them. Then a ring of green high-energy plasma grew out of the emitters. What happened next sent a shiver down his back to the tip of his tail. Inside the ring, stars twisted into a swirl, and the fabric of the universe itself distorted and pulled back into a deep whirlpool with a starfield at the center.

Into this whirlpool of stretched spacetime they coasted, and an instant later, it was gone. Kei looked around and saw nothing but a vast sea of stars in an inky blackness devoid of any sunlight. Fara then applied yaw thrusters on their fighter and rotated so that they did an about face, and came to a full stop. In front of them, Kei could see the wormhole that they had just exited from, with the swirling blue clouds, oceans, and landmasses of Corneria at the center. A moment later, it collapsed to reveal a sight that took his breath away.

The entire night side of Corneria was facing them, completely covering the sun. Other than lights of cities peppering the continents, the entire planet was a black disk. And around that black disk was a white ephemeral crown of light, seemingly coming out of the disk in streamers that appeared to be thicker in some areas and thinner in others, and twisting towards opposite sides of the disk like magnetic field lines. "Fara, what is this?" Kei asked in a hushed voice filled with wonder.

"That is Lylat's corona." Fara explained. "It's usually not visible because it's lost in the glare of our star, but out here, where the gravity of Corneria and Lylat form a balance point 1.15 million kilometers away from home, our world appears to be the same size as Lylat, just enough to cover it. Station L2, which is in a halo orbit 500 km near this point, was placed here specifically to study the corona, and also to do astronomy since we are perpetually in Corneria's shadow."

Kei shivered. "Brrr. That's why it's so cold." He turned up the heat on his life-support backpack and sighed in relief as the fluid going through his cooling garment turned it into a heating garment.

"Of course it is." Fara said. She glanced down at the temperature display in their Arwing's environmental readout. "It's -249°C here."

"Damn. That's really cold!"

Fara laughed. "Welcome to Outer Space!"

"I think I want a warm hug from my super, wonderful girlfriend." Kei joked, though he found himself wanting that hug now, here in the cold depths of space.

"Sure. After the flying lesson." She paused and set up navigation waypoints about Station L2, which Kei saw on his helmet's visor. "Okay. So here is how you pilot an Arwing." Kei listened attentively to his girlfriend's instructions as she guided him through the basics: how to apply boosters to accelerate and breaking thrusters to slow down, how to roll, pitch, and yaw their craft, how to interpret the display on his VR HUD, and so forth. "So, you got all that?" Fara asked when she was done.

"I think so." Kei said, gingerly placing one hand on the yoke and the other on the thruster control.

Fara depressed a switch on her consol. "Very well, you have control. Now let's see if you can fly through the virtual rings I've set up going towards and around Station L2."

In that instant, Kei Reinard realized his dream and applied forward thrusters....a bit too much thrust, and missed the first ring. He tried to bank around and ended up doing three sloppy aileron rolls. "Yeesh! These controls are so sensitive!"

Fara grinned, not surprised that he'd overcorrect. "Don't feel bad. That happens to all who fly the Arwing for the first time. Just take your time and go slow."

Over the next hour, Kei practiced, quickly getting a good feel for the sensitive controls and quick maneuverability of the Arwing Mk3. His first pass around Space Station L2, he hardly noticed the outpost, focusing all his attention on piloting through the navigational rings Fara had set up for him, missing half of them. By his fifth time around though, he was grinning, pleased with himself. He had not missed a single ring. "Way to go!" Fara cheered. "Now let's see if you can do a more challenging course."

Kei saw the rings shift on his visor's VR HUD. The course now became convoluted, with varying twists and turns. And through it all, Fara coached him on how to bank and roll their craft until he had mastered all the basics.

On their final pass by the Station L2, Kei yawed their Arwing 90° and drifted sideways through the next virtual ring while facing the lone research outpost. A large optical telescope and several antennae could be seen protruding from the center on one side, about which slowly rotated a habitat ring. On the opposite side of the center core, a small shuttlecraft was docked.

"Nice maneuver!" Fara complimented. "So, up for some target practice?"

Kei blinked. "Uh. Sure, I guess, but what would I target?"

In answer, Fara opened the comm. "Station L2, this is Fennec 1. I noticed on my scanners that you have some debris orbiting with you about the libration point. Would you like us to vaporize it for you?"

"Fennec 1, this is Station L2. That would actually be great. Several large objects, including a few spent fuel cells, have been causing intermittent interference with our science array."

"Roger that, L2. We'll clear out the trash for you." Fara replied with a grin.

"Thank you, Fennec 1."

Kei suddenly saw markers appear on his visor, indicating the targets that Fara had located for him. She then gave him a lesson in the Arwing's weapon and shield systems, showing him how to establish a target lock, and the different firing and targeting modes. Kei then piloted the fighter toward the first large object, a used storage container that had drifted away from the science station for some unknown reason. With both lasers locked on and at full power, he depressed the trigger on his control yoke and saw the two beams lance out in concentrated pulses of energy that engulfed the container, turning it briefly to plasma before it dissipated into its atomic components.

"Wow!" Kei found himself aghast at the amount of destructive power he had at his fingertips.

"Not bad. See if you can take out those fuel cells, but better do it from a distance. Some may still be volatile." Fara cautioned even as she activated the Arwing's forward shields.

Kei rolled and pulled back on his controls, looping back towards one of the fuel cells and fired while still far away. One of the beams sliced through the fuel cell, letting enough residual gas escape so that it shot off at an angle. "Nuts!"

"Oooh. Now you have a moving target. Let's see if you can take it out with a charged shot."

It took him a second try, but Kei succeeded in obliterating the errant, spent fuel cell. Over the next thirty minutes, Kei had managed to destroy all the larger pieces of debris, leaving nothing but a few small pieces of shrapnel and dust.

"Good Job!" Fara compliments. "So now you know all the basics of flying and fighting in an Arwing."

Kei smiled, please with himself, but knew better than to get a swell head. "That may be so, but I don't think I'm anywhere near as good as you or any of the Star Fox pilots."

"True, but they've had years of training and experience, and I've logged thousands of hours myself, both in combat and in flight testing." Fara admitted.

"I know....Still, it must be something to be able to fly like you and they can."

"Well....I could show you what it's like." Fara cautiously offered.

"You mean, let you fly us the way you would in a dogfight?" Kei asked.

"Yes, but I warn you. It's going to be very intense and dizzyingly fast, with lots of hard and fast maneuvers." Fara cautioned. "Even with the G diffusers on at their highest setting, you'll experience some serious G forces, both positive and negative."

Kei bit his lower lip and pondered her offer. "I admit I'm a bit nervous, but I think I'll regret it if I pass up this chance to feel and see what it's like to be a real fighter pilot."

Fara grinned at her boyfriend's compliment and bravery. "I'm proud of you, Sweety." She depressed a switch on her panel. "Alright. I have control." She quickly plotted an aggressive course around the science station and about a cluster of small asteroids loosely orbiting around a large one, 10 kilometers across. "Now, I want you to take several large gulps, just to be sure you are loaded up on motion sickness suppressant."

Knowing that vomiting inside a helmet in a weightless environment was a very bad idea, Kei drank deeply. "Okay. I'm ready."

A moment later, he found himself pressed hard into his seat as Fara accelerated them at full power. Then the maneuvers started, and he was gasping for breath under large G forces, grunting with each hard twist while the stars in front of him cartwheeled and swung about. With wide eyes and pounding heart, he watched the Station L2 loom alarmingly close and then vanish as they streaked by. They then accelerated towards the asteroid cluster with the boosters at full thrust and were minutes later skimming along the large asteroid's jagged surface while corkscrewing around the smaller boulder-sized ones.

Fara then targeted one small nickel-iron boulder and sent a series of rapid-fire pulses that detonated on its dense surface, slewing past it sideways to continue pounding it with high-energy bursts of laser fire. Then to Kei's alarm, Fara streaked head-on towards a boulder-sized rock. It looked like they were going to collide with it when she sent a charged shot towards it followed by a series of rapid bursts. Kei yelped in surprise when the rock detonated right in front of them, just before they flew right through the cloud of dust and pebbles which peppered their forward shield.

And on it went, from barrel rolls, to high G looping turns, to fast aileron rolls, and a dizzyingly array of other even more radical maneuvers. It proved to be the most exhilarating experience in Kei's life, beyond anything he had ever experienced before. Amusement park thrill rides paled in comparison. None of them could ever set his heart pounding and fill his veins with adrenaline to this degree.

After 15 minutes of hard, violent maneuvers, Fara could hear her boyfriend pant between gasps and grunts, and decided that he had his fill. She eased off on her yoke and pulled back on the throttle, letting their Arwing coast slowly back towards the large asteroid. "So how was that, Sweety?"

Kei floated limply in his seat's harness, looking out at stars that were still spinning while panting, utterly exhausted, and developed an even deeper respect for fighter pilots. It took him a few moments longer to finally catch his breath. "Oh wow! That was crazy intense!" He paused, still half dazed, and licked his lips. "Thirsty....." and drank deeply from his water supply while turning down the heating going through his spacesuit.

"Yeah. You probably lost a lot of fluid from this hard flying." Fara grinned. "So had fun?"

Finally recovered, Kei had never felt so vividly alive. "Yeah! Woooo! What a rush!" He then laughed. "Damn. After this, all those amusement park thrill rides will feel so lame and boring."

Fara burst out in laughter. "Yeah, I guess they would be." she snickered. "And I'll gladly take you on another thrill flight again."

Kei tiredly shook his head. "Sure, but let's do it another time. I'm exhausted!" He paused, unsure what to do next. "So what now?"

Fara had one last thing she wanted to do with the tod she loved so much. She applied a bit of thrust and guided their Arwing on a slow approach towards the large asteroid. "Now, I'm going to give you that warm hug I promised I'd give you after all the flying."

Kei smiled at the thought, very much wanting to snuggle with his girlfriend, but frowned. "How can we even do that here in space?" He then noticed that they were getting much closer to that same large asteroid that they had flown close to earlier. "Uh, Fara? What are you doing?"

"Finding us a snuggle spot." she replied vaguely.

It was plain to Kei that his girlfriend was wanting to surprise him with something. Not wanting to spoil her fun, he shrugged and watched with silent interest the growing vista of the asteroid's jagged surface. Fara coasted slowly along the asteroid's surface, only a hundred meters above some of the highest features, while scanning for the sort of spot she was looking for. Her eyes continued to rove over the rocky surface until they settled upon what she was looking for.

"Yes. That's perfect." Kei heard her say in a soft murmur. They were drifting even closer now with each passing second, down to less than 50 meters, then 30, then less than 10, almost touching it. His view of the asteroid then slowly rotated until it was underneath them and he was looking out at an unnaturally close horizon in the faint glow of the Arwing's forward landing lights. With the ground coming up slowly beneath them, it only then dawned on him that Fara was intending to actually land right there. A moment later, it was confirmed when he felt a soft bump beneath him, followed by a more prominent thump that jolted the fighter craft.

A small light on his cockpit display caught Kei's eye, and explained what had just happened: 'Grapple Engaged' it said. He then heard Fara say in a soft, tender voice. "Welcome Kei, to what I hope will be our private snuggle spot for years to come." He craned his neck to look around, wondering what she had in mind. He heard her murmur through what he realized was the Arwing's shutdown checklist. A moment later, the lights in the cockpit went out and they were plunged into an inky blackness.

It took him a moment, but when his eyes adjusted, he looked on in awe at the sight before him. It was something that would be impossible to see at home, under a blanket of atmosphere and diffuse light. But here, in this corner of space that was perpetually in Corneria's umbra, Kei gazed up at a sky so full of stars that all the constellations he knew were drowned out.

"Beautiful, isn't it." Fara murmured.

"Yeah...." Kei replied in a hushed voice. "It will be even more so outside" he heard his vixen say. His sensitive ears then picked up on a barely imperceptible hissing sound coming from outside the confines of his helmet, which quickly faded to silence. "Outside?" he asked nervously when the implications of her words sunk in.

"Uh-huh. For your final flying lesson for today." Fara then flipped a final switch and both cockpit canopies swung open.

Kei felt a brief moment of panic when he saw his canopy open, exposing him to the unforgiving vacuum of space, but quickly calmed down upon remembering that he was still protected, safe inside his spacesuit. "Flying lesson?" he asked....and then found himself gawking at the unexpected sight of his girlfriend floating by next to him, just outside their Arwing. He then noticed small jets of gas coming out intermittently from each side of her backpack and the small controller in her right hand.

"Yep. Time for you to learn to fly in space without an Arwing strapped to your back." She reached down inside his cockpit and retrieved a similar hand controller that she tethered to his backpack's harness and his right forearm. She then helped him unstrapped himself from his seat and guided him up weightlessly out of cockpit with her until they were 20 meters above their Arwing.

After several hours free of the grip of gravity, Kei had become accustomed to that sensation of free falling. But his mild fear of heights came back full force when he gazed down and saw their Arwing seemingly far below them in the gloom. His acrophobia was only exacerbated upon seeing the surface of the asteroid curve away to its horizon like a precipitous cliff side into the void of space. His rational mind knew that he had no reason to fear falling; there really was no 'up' or 'down' here, but a phobia was not something a rational mind could reason with.

The seasoned space traveler that she was, Fara understood what her boyfriend was feeling when she heard and saw him begin to hyperventilate upon glancing towards their Arwing. She drew his attention to her. "Focus on me, Kei. Don't look at our Arwing."

Kei nodded. "Yeah...." A few deep breaths calming later, he smiled ruefully at his vixen. "Seeing our fighter craft below us just caught me off guard." Intently focusing on keeping his mind and breathing calmed, he slowly let his eyes drift towards the Arwing. He felt his heartbeat quicken slightly, but was able to keep his panic in check. Having for the moment conquered his mild acrophobia, he once again focused on his girlfriend who gazed back at with pride shining in her eyes. "I'm ready now."

The lesson was really simple, when it came down to it. In just 10 minutes, Kei had mastered using his backpack's tiny maneuvering thrusters, slewing forward, backward, and sideways, as well as pivoting in all three axes. Fara then floated close to her vulpine and wrapped her arms around him. "You did really well today, Sweety, and as promised, you get a nice hug from me."

Even with airtight layers of insulation and shielding between them, Kei could feel the pressure of her touch on him and returned that embrace, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. He tried to rest his chin on her shoulder, but ended up lightly knocking his helmet against hers, making them both giggle. "Well, it's not as warm a hug as I'd like, but this is really special in its own way."

While caressing her boyfriend, Fara carefully fired her maneuvering jets so that they slowly drifted back towards the asteroid until they were only a few meters above its surface. Kei was blissfully unaware of his surroundings, only wanting to hold his vixen. He did not notice that they had drifted ahead of their parked Arwing, going around the rocky body's curvature until their craft was out of view. "Kei, I have one last surprise for you. So, I'd like you to close your eyes."

"Okay." He did not even question it. All he knew was that whatever it was, it would be another wonderful experience to one of the most magical days he'd ever had in his life, all thanks to this vixen who loved him so much. He felt her move him around while they floated there weightless and made no attempt to peek.

Fara had maneuvered them to the ledge she had spotted earlier that had prompted her to land nearby. Under the asteroid's feeble gravity, they were slowly falling the last few meters to the flat surface of that ledge. "Okay my Love. Open your eyes."

Kei did so, and inhaled sharply at a sight he would forever remember for as long as he lived. It was the sun, eclipsed by their home world, but with its corona even more brilliant than before. It was sitting low over the very close horizon of the small asteroid they were on. Seeing it so close to that curved rocky surface, Corneria, with Lylat's corona, looked huge and so close that Kei imagined he could reach out and touch it. "Oh my...." he whispered in a choked voice full of emotion and wonder.

He then felt his booted feet come into contact with the rocky ground and looked down. They were actually standing on the asteroid, even though he could barely feel his weight upon it. "Tuck your legs under you." he heard his vixen instruct him, and he did so. Snuggling together side-by-side, they slowly fell under the asteroid's weak gravity until they were sitting together upon that rocky ledge.

Fara leaned her head against her boyfriend's, their helmets resting against each other, and took in the beautiful sight herself. It had exceeded all her expectations. They could see in such incredible detail the streamers of the solar wind in the corona. Solar flares were even visible jetting out beyond Corneria's darkened disk. City lights could be seen dotting their world's night side, with one exceptionally bright cluster of lights, which she realized was Corneria City. By its position, she estimated it was probably just after sunset at Phoenix Manor.

Kei also was taking in all these details. Never in his life did he ever dream that he'd one day see such a wondrous sight or experience such things as he did this day. Here he was, snuggling with his girlfriend on a heavenly body, over a million kilometers from home in deep space. It was just the two of them, in the middle of all creation, gazing with their naked eyes at a sight so few had the privilege to see. He felt truly blessed and was moved to tears.

Hearing his sniffles, Fara knew no words needed to be said. Instead, she pulled him against her more firmly. "Only the best, for my beloved tod." she murmured. Forty minutes they spent there, just snuggling while sitting in the ephemeral light of Lylat's corona, surrounded by a vast ocean of stars. In this corner of the universe where time had no meaning, Kei felt like they could have remained there forever, though a practical concern did come to his mind. "Uh...Fara? How much air do we have?"

"We have seven days before our CO2 scrubbers can no longer recycle our oxygen." Fara replied. She then turned and gently pushed off of the ledge, slowly floating up. Together, they floated low along the asteroid's rocky surface, occasionally grabbing an outcropping here and there. Kei even found one hand-sized rock sitting loosely in a shallow crater and grabbed it for a souvenir. In short order, their Arwing loomed back into view and soon after, they were strapped in. "The challenge has been to lengthen the drinking water supply. We have a prototype design that would extract urine and pass it through multiple filters so that only water remains, but the trick would be to make it compact enough for a spacesuit." Fara commented further while starting up the Arwing's systems again.

"With how much water I've been drinking to keep from getting space sick, I would need something like that to last that long." Kei mused, his bladder again starting to feel very full. Feeling secure and comfortable in the safety of his cockpit, he again let himself relax completely, basking in the warmth again spreading through his crotch as he relieved himself.

"Well, if you drank just enough to keep yourself hydrated, you'd last a while. Your life support backpack holds five liters of water." Fara said as she released the landing gear grapples and piloted their Arwing away from the asteroid. The flight back to Corneria was quiet and uneventful, though traveling through the wormhole back to Beltino Gate still captivated Kei's attention. After being in the profound darkness of Corneria's umbra for several hours, seeing Lylat rise over the horizon as they orbited around to the dayside was a bit of a shock to his eyes.

After getting clearance from Orbit Control, Fara fired their Arwing's trusters at the right moment to bleed off the amount of velocity needed to start falling back into their world's atmosphere. The end of his very first journey into space was in itself amazing as Kei watched fiery plasma envelope their Arwing's shields. Minutes later, they were flying over land at only a few thousand meters towards Corneria City, but as they approached, he noticed that they were not heading towards the spaceport, but instead veering south towards the outskirts. "Uh Fara? Where are we going?"

"To my home. Daddy wants to meet you."

"M-meet me?" he squeaked. "I....I uh...."

Fara laughed. "Relax, Sweety. I already told him lots about you, and it was all good too. I'm positive he'll like you."

Though her words were reassuring, Kei couldn't help but feel some trepidation. He watched the landscape go by beneath them as they flew away from Corneria City now and over rolling hills at ever lower altitudes. It wasn't long before a break in the clouds ahead brought Fara's home into view. Even from a distance, Phoenix Manor looked majestic in size. He was about to come face-to-face with Charles Phoenix himself.

Chapter 6: Meeting the Phoenixes

Circling once around the large estate, Fara brought their Arwing down on a landing pad next to the mansion. After shutting down the Arwing's propulsion and systems, Fara depressed a switch and both canopies opened. "Welcome to Phoenix Manor, Kei." In minutes, both were unstrapped and climbing their respective ladders down onto the tarmac.

For his part, Kei felt abnormally heavy and stood unsteadily under Corneria's gravity. Fara was in an instant at his side to hold him steady. "Don't worry. You'll get used to your weight again quickly enough." He lifted his visor and breathed Corneria's air for the first time in what seemed like a lifetime ago. Fara did the same and grinned. "Nothing like fresh, cool evening air." They took a moment to remove their helmets and underlying hoods, shaking their ears free, and set out towards the mansion's front door.

Upon entering, Kei's eyes could not help but be drawn upward at the five-story vaulted ceiling with its stained glass dome. His eyes wandered around, taking in the fine woodwork and ornate gold trim that decorated the walls, windows, and doors. In front of them, two stairways wound up on each side of the room to meet at double doors on the second level. Fara and Kei walked together up those stairs and through those doors into the main living area.

In the center of that living room, wearing a red velvet house coat, pants, and slippers, was Charles Phoenix himself. "Hello Daddy. How was your day?" Fara greeted her father, giving him a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Oh, the usual. Board meetings with my brothers and sister, planning our next venture, and all that." Still embracing his daughter, Charles turned to gaze upon a very nervous tod who bowed to his girlfriend's father. "Now, my boy. No need to be so formal. It's a real pleasure to finally meet the fox who brought such happiness to my daughter."

Straightening himself, Kei tried to speak but found his mouth and throat dry, and coughed lightly until he found his voice. "It's an honor to meet you, Sir." He paused and glanced at Fara, taking in her radiant smile. "And she's brought me happiness too.....I sometimes wonder if I'm dreaming." He gazed down at his helmet in his hands. "And today was such an incredible experience and a dream come true."

"Ah yes, Fara did tell me she was planning to take you out to Corneria's second libration point." He glanced to his daughter. "I take it your date to L2 went well."

"Yes, Daddy, we had a wonderful time."

"Fantastic!" He then gave his daughter another peck on her cheek. "Well, you two must be getting hot on those spacesuits. Go on up to your room and wash up. I'll see both of you for dinner."

"Thank you, Sir." Kei said with more confidence. By the middle-aged fennec's smile, he felt like he had made a good impression. He followed his girlfriend through a hallway up to the third level, past several doors, and into her room. Calling it a bedroom though, would have been an understatement. Fara's personal suite was essentially a large home in of itself, complete with kitchen, living area with media center and computer terminal, dining area, a large bedroom with emperor-sized bed and private bathroom, and a second bedroom, presumably for guests.

While still in awe of the grandeur of the place, Kei came to a sudden stop. "Uh Fara? I just realized. My clothes are at the CDF base."

"Don't worry, Sweety. I have clothes for you here." Fara said with a playful smile while eyeing the packages that were on the dining table. Together, they helped each other out of their pressure suits and cooling garments. Fara removed her diaper, which Kei noticed was slightly damp, and tossed it into a garbage can. Kei's diaper, not surprisingly, was bloated since he had drank so much water to keep from getting space sick. "Now, aren't you glad you wore a maximum absorbency garment?" she asked.

"Eh-heh, Yeah." Kei replied, doing his best to hide how much he had loved being diapered these last few hours. He followed her through her bedroom into what had to be the most luxurious bathroom he had ever seen in his life, complete with posh tub, and a large shower with jets everywhere. Under those warm, massaging jets, they washed each other. Inevitably, hands wandered to more intimate areas, but both refrained from going any further as they were hungry and looking forward to dinner.

Back in her bedroom, Fara withdrew from her closet a nice lavender shirt, brown pants, and comfortable, low-heeled shoes. Still completely naked, Kei stood by and waited. He had noticed the packages sitting on the dining table when they had entered her suite earlier, and now decided to satisfy his curiosity. To his surprise, he saw that they were all addressed to him, and with growing unease, read the name on the return address: Madam Samantha, Costumes for all Occasions.

Fara came up behind him and clapped him on his shoulder. "Let's see which dress you should wear."

"D-dress? Fara, you can't be serious. You want me to appear before your father in a dress?" he asked anxiously. Kei so much wanted to make a good impression, and the idea of crossdressing in the presence of Charles Phoenix was not what he had in mind. "Aren't you worried about what he's going to think?"

"Oh, he already knows you like to wear dresses for me." Fara said without any concern, inspecting the contents of one box after another until she found what she was looking for.

Kei felt like he was about to feint, not even seeing the yellow sundress Fara was holding up for him. "H-he knows?" he squeaked.

Fara set the dress on one of the dining room chairs and cupped both of his cheeks while licking his nose. "Yes, and I told him how adorable you look, and how much I love seeing you dressed up."

Though still feeling light-headed, his girlfriend's reassuring smile helped calm him. "A-and what did he say?"

"I could tell he thought it odd at first, but it pleased him to hear that I loved seeing you like that." Fara leaned forward until her forehead was pressing against his. "I know you love wearing those dresses, and I don't want you to feel like you have to hide it from everyone else. You are a beautiful person, Kei, and I'm positive my family will see that in you."

Kei closed his eyes and sighed. Knowing deep down that he could never deny her, he relented. "Okay. I'll wear a dress."

Charles Phoenix had just seated himself at the table in the family dining room with his two brothers and sister, and one of his nephews. Ever since his daughter had told him of her new love interest, it had sparked a glimmer of hope in his heart that she had finally found lasting happiness. He was eager to get to know this tod who had brightened his little girl's life. When the doors swung open, he turned to see a most startling sight. "Goodness!"

There was his daughter, attired as he usually saw her, with her arms linked with a deeply blushing tod, dressed in a yellow sundress that was obviously made to fit him perfectly.

Despite Fara's reassurances, Kei could not help but feel deeply mortified, and unable to make eye contact with the rest of her family. Fara though would not let him shy away and gently coaxed him along to approach the family gathering. "Daddy, I'd like to introduce you to my boyfriend, Kei Reinard."

Her reassuring smile did give him the courage to acknowledge the gathering of fennec foxes around the dining table, when she introduced them to him. "Kei, you already met my father, Charles." She indicated the other two middle-aged tods. "And these two are my uncles, Andrew and Edward."

"Uh...pleased to meet you."

She then pointed to a matronly vixen who looked very much like Fara, seated next to a younger tod that he was certain was her son. "And this is my Aunt Anne, and that young scamp is my cousin, William."

"A pleasure" Kei said quietly. He felt like he'd fall apart in the weighty silence that followed, standing there under their scrutiny.

The tension was finally broken when Anne spoke up. "My my, he does look adorable, my Dear."

Charles eyed the blushing tod. It was obvious to him that he was uncomfortable being the center of attention. His gaze then rested on his daughter and the doughy eyes she had for her boyfriend. That alone was all that mattered to him. "Please join us, both of you."

Only two chairs were available, one on each side of Charles Phoenix. Still feeling very self-conscious, Kei followed Fara and sat down on the patriarch's right side, next to his sister, Anne, while Fara sat on her father's left side, next to her Uncle Edward. Now finding himself face-to-face with Fara's father, he was startled to see the smile forming on his muzzle.

"I have to admit, I was a bit surprised to hear Fara tell me that you dressed like a vixen. Truthfully, I didn't know what to think of it." Charles began.

"Sorry, Sir...."

"Sorry? What are you apologizing for?" Fara's father asked, though he knew the answer.

"T-this is not the first impression I w-was wanting to make...." Kei thought his heart was going to stop when Charles leaned towards him and placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Tell me. Why is it that you crossdress?"

"Fara loves to see me in a d-dress....And when I first tried it out, I...kind of liked how...I looked." Kei replied hesitantly.

"Then look over my shoulder, my boy. Do you see that radiant smile on my daughter's face?"

When Kei's eyes met his girlfriend's and saw that smile, knowing it was all for him, his heart melted. "Yes Sir...."

The adoration in the tod's eyes was as plain as the sun in a clear sky to Charles Phoenix. "The happiness you bring to my daughter, and the fact that you'd willingly appear before us in a pretty yellow dress to please her, is by far the best first impression you could make."

Kei's eyes snapped to the patriarch. He swallowed a lump that formed in his throat, deeply moved by her father's acceptance. "Thank you, Sir. That means a lot to me."

Edward then spoke up, "I have to admit you do look good in a dress, Kei." He leaned forward and took in his soft facial features. "You actually look quite effeminate now that I am getting a good look at you."

"Uh...thanks." Kei smiled bashfully.

Andrew chuckled. "Well, my niece has always been a tomboy. Who better for her than a girly boy such as you? It's obvious she adores you for it."

"Well, I'm not surprised she'd take to a feminine male," Anne added, placing a hand on Kei's. "Don't let anybody discourage you from dressing up how you like, Deary."

Their words of acceptance and welcome finally put Kei at ease and he smiled back at his girlfriend's relatives. "Thank you. It means so much to me that you are all okay with how I dress."

"I think it's kind of weird for a guy to be in a dress, but you look cool." William quipped. "And Cousin Fara digs ya."

"William! If you can't say something nice..." his mother chastised him.

"But Mom, I said he looked cool."

Kei laughed and gave Anne's hand, which was still on his, a squeeze. "Your son is right. He did give me a compliment." He leaned over to look around the vixen to her son. "And I dig your Cousin Fara too." His eyes then swept over the rest of the Phoenix Family. "I am really pleased to meet such nice folk as all of you, though I admit I had expected to only meet Fara's father tonight when she told me she was bringing me here.

"Well, we usually have dinner with our own respective families," Edward explained, "but we meet with our brother Charles once a week to discuss company business, and tonight was one of those nights. He smiled to his niece. "As heiress, Fara would be in those meetings, but we felt it more important she be allowed to spend time with her new boyfriend."

Kei was deeply touched that they felt her time with him was that important to them, though his curiosity about her statues in the family was piqued. "I remember reading some time ago, before Fara and I ever met, that Phoenix Corporation is the largest company ever that was never publicly traded." He eyed the four fennec siblings. "Does that mean you four and your families are the only shareholders?"

Andrew shook his head. "No, our eldest brother Charles is the sole owner of the company.

Charles placed his hands together and closed his eyes as he recalled his family's history. "When our great-great, grandfather, Arthur Phoenix founded this company, he kept in mind the lessons of history. Many other companies, originally founded by a visionary like him, were too eager to raise capital to expand quickly, and issued stocks to do so, which made them answerable to shareholders. Often, the children of such founders ended up with only a small percentage of the company their parent founded and control was passed on to boards of directors that didn't share the founder's ideals. Though it meant that Phoenix Corporation would grow much more slowly, he was determined to keep it a family business and imparted his beliefs and business ethics to his son, Philip."

Kei listened raptly at this piece of little-known history while Charles continued. "By the time Philip was getting on in years, he had three sons and two daughters who were fully grown and helping him run the business, which had by then grown into a multi-billion dollar corporation. Thanks to his father, he too was aware of the lessons of history, one of which was that if you divide control of a large inheritance between siblings, it would inevitably lead to infighting. So he started the family tradition that dictated that only one child, usually though not always the eldest, would inherit the entire company, which was our great grandfather, Albert Phoenix. Philip though didn't leave the others completely out. Each inherited a large sum of money, enough for them to be able to start their own legacy to pass on to their children."

"So we have an extended family that we are on good terms with for the most part, even though they have nothing to do with Phoenix Corporation. Some branches of the family foundered or outright became dead ends, but most prospered and grew. And Phoenix Corp continued to grow, and in keeping with family tradition, our father, George Phoenix, made me sole heir, but bequeathed 50 billion to each of my siblings here with us today." Charles looked on with genuine fondness to his two brothers and his sister. "And they now work for me and their help in running this company has been invaluable."

Kei shook his head in amazement. "Wow. Your family is amazing." His gaze traveled back to Charles' sister and two brothers. Their fondness for their eldest brother was apparent in their demeanor. "And there doesn't seem to be any jealousy from them either."

Edward laughed at that comment. "Jealousy, from us? We are rather relieved that we didn't inherit the family business. Being responsible for a 90-trillion-dollar corporation is downright scary."

"Damn right," Andrew added. "Fifty billion was plenty enough for me start up my own vehicle manufacturing company." He then grinned to his eldest brother. "Of course, it helps that our brother provides my company with a 'family discount' on all shipping throughout Lylat on his cargo transports."

Kei listened on in avid interest at the inner workings of the family business. He especially found conversation with Anne to be very engaging upon learning that she was the head accountant to the entire Phoenix Corporation. His eyes then rested on his girlfriend, who sat quietly for the most part, only becoming engaging when conversation meandered to Space Dynamics and the Arwing Mk3 project. "And Fara is now the sole heiress to this company?"

For her part, Fara's expression was solemn and it dawned on Kei that a tremendous weight was being put on her shoulders. "Yes, after me, the family business will pass on to her. She's in fact the first vixen who will inherit this company." Charles confirmed. He himself looked down at his hands and sighed wistfully, "I had hoped to give her some brothers and sisters who would eventually help her run the company, but my dearest Katherine passed on before we could have more children." He then smiled fondly to his nephew. "Which is one of the reasons William is here. He and a few of my other nieces and nephews have shown interest in the family business and it is my hope that they will be there for Fara when she takes over."

Kei stood up and walked around Charles to place his hands on Fara's shoulders. "Are you okay with this, Sweety?"

Hearing her boyfriend use the same pet name for her that she used for him made her smile. "I'm actually proud of my heritage and what my family has done, and do want to continue that legacy....I think that as long as I can continue flying on a regular basis, I'll be okay with this."

"Just...don't get yourself killed while flying, Cousin." William said with an anxious smile. "Cause I'd be next in line to inherit the whole shebang, and I'd rather not. Mom's share of the inheritance is plenty enough for me."

Just then, the serving droids came in with their dinner and Kei resumed his seat between Charles and Anne after giving his girlfriend's shoulders a reassuring squeeze. "Fara is a wonderful pilot. She even taught me how to fly an Arwing today." Kei began. They spent the rest of the dinner talking about their flying exploit to Corneria's second libration point and other less serious topics. Be the end of the dinner, Kei was completely at ease with Fara's father and family, feeling fully accepted by them. He even mentioned some of the other pretty dresses his girlfriend had Madam Samantha make for him, much to Anne's delight.

Chapter 7: Submission

It was just after sunrise when Fara became aware of the light making its way through the gaps in her bedroom's drapes. She yawned and stretched under the bed's covers, feeling fully rested, and snuggled against her tod who was still sound asleep. Resting her muzzle against his neck, she inhaled deeply his scent while her mind drifted back to the previous night.

After a pleasant dinner with her family, they had excused themselves to go to bed. The fact that her father had not even mentioned guest accommodation for Kei told her that he knew they were lovers. The smile on his muzzle told her that he not only approved, but was in fact delighted. Even if Kei was not a fennec, it was obvious to her that her father hoped their relationship would continue to grow. Truthfully, Fara herself hoped that the tod sleeping next to her was in fact The One.

He certainly had become a wonderful lover under her tutelage, though ironically, they had not made love the previous night. A day spent flying in deep space, followed by a most satisfying dinner, had left them both feeling sleepy when they had turned in for the night. Now though, Fara was in the mood for more than just love-making. She had already pushed his bounds with getting him to more openly crossdress. She now decided to expand his horizons sexually. Quietly slipping out of bed, she went to her closet and began to prepare.

Kei Reinard slowly drifted awake to the sensation of something being fitted snugly around his neck. His eyes still closed, he stretched himself with a yawn. "Mmmmm. Good morning, Fara."

"Good morning, Pet." Fara purred.

His eyes still closed, Kei inhaled deeply the pleasant scent of his vixen, which now was mixed with the scent of leather that reminded him of the alluring gothic outfit she wore for him just two weeks ago on their island getaway. "So what should we do today?"

"Well, I remember you declaring your devotion to me not long ago and that I could do whatever I liked with you." he heard her say, again evoking the memory of that same gothic-style outfit she had worn for him. He then felt and smelled latex being rubbed under his chin and his eyes slowly opened to gaze upon a sight that made his heart flutter. "Oh wow...Fara..." was all he could manage to say.

Fara Phoenix was the picture of a classic dominatrix in shiny latex and vinyl. She wore black high-heel vinyl boots that went up to her upper thigh with red lacing. Her feminine waist was accentuated by a black latex overbust corset with large red buckled straps going up the front and a d-ring on each hip and two wide shoulder straps. The corset's boning and edges were also accentuated in red latex. She also wore red latex elbow-length gloves and a thin black vinyl collar around her neck. Her feminine treasure was covered in a red latex thong.

She gave him a light tap on his muzzle with the riding crop she wielded. "That's Mistress Fara, Pet." she admonished, though she felt a deep fondness for the tod now looking up at her with lovesick eyes. She leaned forward and curled a finger around his collar's front D-ring, giving it a gentle tug. "Come on, out of bed and on your feet, Pet."

"Yes Mistress Fara." replied Kei, feeling like the luckiest tod in the world. Seeing that loving smile full of promise of untold erotic sensations to come left him wanting to prostrate himself at her feet.

Fara though did not give her boyfriend a chance to drop down onto his knees. She instead pushed him back against the wall and forcefully mashed her muzzle against his in a hungry kiss that would not be denied, not that Kei would even think of refusing her. Letting his muzzle meld with her's, he let himself be carried away by their mutual passion and kissed her back.

While they explored each other's muzzles, Fara gripped each of his wrists in turn and slipped black leather cuff about them. This was quickly followed by cuffs about his upper arms just above his elbows. When she eased back from the kiss, Kei gazed down at the leather fetters on his arms. It was now obvious to him that she was going to put him in bondage, and he found to his surprise the idea of being at her mercy to be exciting. He noticed an open box sitting on the nightstand next to them with a familiar logo on it and saw the contents. Apparently, Madam Samantha also made bondage gear.

Kei smiled down at his vixen while she crouched before him and fitted ankle and thigh cuffs about his legs. She then fitted him with a leather harness that went over his shoulders and around his chest and hips. Fully outfitted in his bondage gear, he smiled to his girlfriend as she stood back up. "What do you desire, Mistress?"

Fara leaned forward and grinned to her pet while she growled playfully, "Bend over."

This was not what he had expected her to say, and his hesitation earned him a light tap of his mistress' riding crop upon his nose. Her voice had taken on a stern tone, though she still grinned to him. "Turn around now, and bend over. Don't disobey your mistress."

"Y-yes, Mistress." Kei complied, turning his back to her and placing his hands on his knees while bending forward. In the next instant, he felt her latex-covered fingers, covered in slick lube, push into his tight, virgin rear, eliciting a quiet grunt from the tod.

"Mmmm. You are really tight. Is this your first time being anally penetrated?" she asked while working a second finger into his rear.

"Yeah....hah...." he panted and grunted in reply. Fara was exceedingly gentle though. She slowly twisted her fingers inside him, letting him become accustomed to their presence. He wasn't sure what to make of the sensation until he felt her two fingers curl upwards and rub right against his prostate.

She giggled when he reflexively hunched down onto her hand while his tail flagged up. "You liked that, didn't you?" His panting was all the reply she needed. She eased a third finger into his rear to slowly stretch him further.

Kei was in a whole new world of sensations, losing himself to a new kind of pleasure that he had never imagined before. Before he realized it, his maleness came out of its sheath in full arousal. Suddenly, he felt her fingers withdraw, but before he could protest, something hard, wide, and cold was being pushed into his rear.

Fara continued to work the butt plug deeper until his anal opening closed around the steel toy's narrow base. She then gave his rump a light swat. "Very good, Pet. You can stand straight now."

Though not uncomfortable once the anal toy had quickly warmed up, it was not what Kei had expected from a butt plug. He wiggled his rear and felt something gangling from the base of the plug.

Before he could look down or say anything, Fara maneuvered him back onto the bed. To his surprise, she drew out a strap from under the mattress at each corner of the bed, four straps on each side, four from under the headboard, and four from under the foot of the bed.

After making sure his head was comfortably propped up on a pillow, Fara set about clipping his wrist and ankle cuffs to the straps coming out from the corners of the bed and pulled them tight so that he was forced into a spread-eagle position. Straps at the head and foot of the bed and sides of the bed that were closest to the corners were then clipped to his arm and thigh cuffs. The two remaining straps near the center of each side of the bed were then clipped to D-rings on the sides of his harness. The two center straps at the foot of the bed were in turn clipped to the lower portion of his harness on each side of his erect maleness. Finally the two center straps on the headboard were clipped to each side of his collar.

Kei squirmed, but Fara had so thoroughly bound him down to the bed that he could barely move at all. He thought back again to his declaration of devotion and submission just over a week ago. He now was facing the consequences. Seeing her in that wonderfully arousing dominatrix outfit of vinyl and latex and gazing into her eyes, left him feeling a convolution of emotions ranging from happiness to excitement, but fear was not among them.

That did change though when he saw her go to her closet and come back with a metallic case which she placed on the bed next to him. She then withdraw from it a small square device with dials and connect wires from it to the butt plug in his rear. His ears immediately folded back and he asked in a tremulous voice, "Uhhh.....Fara?" and paused. He had expressed his full trust in her, and could not imagine she would do anything unpleasant to him. He bit his lower lip, not sure what to say next.

Fara looked up and met his gaze, seeing a nervous apprehension. She should have been miffed, but could see he was reluctant to question her. "Don't you trust me, Pet?"

"Y-yes. Mistress..." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, fighting his nervousness. "I-I trust you." He then smelled and felt something rubbery and round being pushed against his nose and opened his eyes to see a red ball gag right in front of his muzzle. He tried to protest, but Fara pushed the gag into his muzzle the moment he opened his mouth. "Hmmmf"

Without further delay, she cinched the straps around his muzzle to keep his mouth tightly shut around the gag. She then drew the three attached straps around his head, one on each side and the third over his forehead, and clipped them together in the back, giving them a firm tug. She then leaned forward and whispered in his ear. "I can smell your nervousness, and yet you still trust me."

Kei nodded without hesitation. "Ymmffff." Her kiss on his nose eased his apprehension somewhat, and what she said next drove away any remaining anxiety he still harbored.

"I've tried these electrical stimulation toys on myself, and I think you'll love this." She then withdrew and slid back down his front until her muzzle was over his softening maleness. Meeting his gaze, she drew her tongue from the base to the tip of his length, drawing a muffled moan out of him. "I'll push your limits, my beloved Pet, but never do anything you truly don't like." She then gave his growing erection another lick.

"Now I want you to snap your fingers, Pet. Do that now." Fara commanded. When he did, she then explained. "Since you are gagged, that will be your safe word. This might get intense, but I want you to do your best to take everything I do to you. But if it gets to be too much, snap your fingers and I'll stop."

Kei's tail thumped once on the bed, making his mistress giggle. "Good Boy!" She then winked to him and took his maleness into her muzzle. Without any further delay, she began to bob her head up and down while sucking him. In no time, he became fully erect under her oral ministrations, his loins singing with exquisite pleasure to the point that his knot had swollen to its fullness.

Fara then pulled back, letting his erect length slip from her muzzle and set about carrying out the second part of her plan. With her bound pet looking on, she slipped a black conductive rubber sleeve around his knot. She then connected a set of wires from the power supply to metal snaps on each side of the knot stimulator and grinned to her nervous pet with her hands on one of the dials. "Now the fun begins."

Kei watched in baited anticipation as his mistress slowly turned up the power until he began to feel a light tingling grow between his anus and his knot. He had not been sure what to expect, but was now discovering the sensation of his erogenous nerves being electrically stimulated to be incredibly erotic.

Seeing him grin around his gag was a clear signal to Fara that she could go further. She first flipped a switch that caused the current to cycle in waves and then turned up the power to a moderate level. Seeing her pet inhale sharply at the stronger current and then moan around his gag was a beautiful sight to the vixen. Over the next half-hour, she tried different settings, watching her pet squirm and pant, and even at times thrusting his hips up until she found what made him moan the loudest.

For Kei, the experience was beyond anything he could have imagined. His loins were engulfed in tingling sensations that pulsed and surged in all sorts of ways. What made it even more intensely wonderful was that his prostate was right in the middle of the electrical path between his anal walls and his knot. At times, he felt like he'd climax and was desperately trying to beg his mistress to increase the power, but she instead reduced the current to keep him from reaching his peak.

Fara had other plans than to electrically stimulate him to orgasm like her boyfriend was now desperately wanting. While he watched, she took off her red latex thong, exposing her glistening crotch. She then pulled out from the metal case another electric butt plug. After giving it a thorough coating of conductive lube, she faced away from him with her knees on each side of his hips, bent over with her tail raised high, and let him watch while she pushed the metal electrode up her rear passage.

Kei was captivated by the sight and hardly noticed when she turned the current off, denying him any further erotic stimulation. He continued to watch as she disconnected his knot sleeve from the power supply and instead connected her anal electrode in its place. She then turned back around and removed his knot stimulator. Without any further delay, she took his erect maleness in hand and guided it to her opening, sinking down to fully engulf his length.

Fara hummed, savoring that wonderful full feeling her boyfriend always gave her as she took him inside her. Wanting all of him, she relaxed her vaginal muscles as best she could and ground herself against his knot. Panting and then with a final grunt, she managed to force the engorged flesh into her and sank down fully onto his hips.

With a groan, Kei was surprised he had not climaxed already. His knot felt full and was being tightly squeezed by her silky inner walls. He closed his eyes and relaxed, giving himself fully to his mistress. All of a sudden, two things happened at once. He heard Fara herself inhale sharply and at the same time felt his back passage and her inner walls tingle strongly. That incredibly pleasurable sensation then began to move with her as she started to rock back and forth against his length.

Fara whined and hummed as she felt his maleness and knot tingle inside her, sending current through her G-spot to her back passage which contracted around the anal electrode inside her. Each wave of electricity going through them between the two butt plugs brought out more moans and whimpers from the two of them.

Kei was by this time getting desperate to climax, having been electrically teased for nearly an hour. He was so tightly bound down to the bed that he could barely thrust up into his mistress with each undulation of her hips over his loins. Fara kept slowly increasing the power while riding her pet. By the time this power was at 70% of maximum though, the electrical stimulation was starting becoming painfully intense for both of them.

With shaking fingers, Fara slowly twisted the knob back down to 65% power and set the current to constant. She then placed her hands on his chest and began to rock back and forth. Kei was delirious with the intense sensations engulfing his crotch. Each time she ground herself against him, that erotic tingling spread down to his upper thighs and engulfed his jewels in pins and needles.

That exquisite tightness signaling his impending climax was quickly building up in him. Fara though was already there. With a yap of joy, she threw her head back and whine and huffed. When her inner walls squeezed his maleness and knot, the erotic tingling of his entire length finally pushed him over his precipice and Kei joined her girlfriend. Each spasm was made all the more intense for both of them by the current going through his prostate and her G-spot. Within a minute though, it got to be too much as both became hyper sensitive. Kei was just about to snap his finger when Fara slammed her hand down on the power button, shutting off the electricity.

Fara collapsed down onto her boyfriend and went limp, panting in utter exhaustion while Kei sighed in relief. The nerves in both their crotches still tingled briefly with the echo of the current that had been going through them, but quickly faded while his knot softened and shrank. Fara reached behind his head and unbuckled the straps holding his ball gag in place. She then slid it out of his muzzle and replaced it with her mouth in a deep kiss, which her boyfriend tiredly returned.

*****

Showered and refreshed, Kei and Fara stood next to the dining table where all the packages from Costumes for All Occasions were waiting for them, with most of them still unopened. Going through each, they found one dress after another, all made for Fara's effeminate boyfriend.

Kei picked up one especially wide and long box, brought it to their bedroom, and placed it on the bed. When he opened it, he found a sea of pink fabric. "It's my ball gown!" he exclaimed with glee and lifted the long, flowing dress up in front of himself and walked to the full-length mirror in the corner of the bedroom.

Fara walked up and hugged her boyfriend from behind while gazing over his shoulder at his reflection foreshadowing how wonderful he would look in the pink and magenta gown. "I'm going to ask Daddy to not cancel the upcoming Phoenix Garden Ball. We'll both wear our ball gowns."

Kei whined nervously, mindful that he had promised his girlfriend to wear whatever she wanted him to. "They are going to laugh at me."

"Oh, I'm quite sure some will, especially those stuck up debutant who have been vying for my attention." Fara assured him. She then turned him around so that he was facing her, and caressed the fur on each of his cheeks. "But you don't need the approval of people like them. Let them laugh, if they want. Any mockery from them will be empty words when everyone at that ball see how much we adore each other."

Kei closed his eyes and leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers. "Thank you. I needed to hear that." They then walked back to the table. Only two boxes were left unopened. Kei opened one of the boxes, and his jaw dropped at what he found. Lifting it out of the box, he gazed upon a frilly, pink and white maid's dress. Made of vinyl, it was the classic design, with short puff sleeves, a plunging neckline, and knee-length skirt. All the edges were adorned in white lacy trim. Glancing in the box, he could see fishnet stockings, an apron, and petticoat, and was certain that there was more under it all. "Wow....I'd love to wear this for you."

"Mmmmmm. I'd love to see you in it, but later." He heard her say in a voice that was practically purring with her next words. "I have something here that I think you'll be begging to wear." When Kei turned to look at his girlfriend, his heart fluttered. Fara was holding up his pink and magenta Lolita dress. The maid dress he was only moments before admiring was left laying over its box, forgotten.

Fara though did not make her boyfriend beg. Truthfully, she was eager to see him in it as much as he wanted to wear it. Once Kei had pulled on the panties, Fara insisted on doing the rest for him. She really loved making him her dress-up doll and took pleasure in fitting him with the garter belt, stockings, and shoes. Having helped him step into the petticoat, she lifted the dress itself up and over his head. Kei guided his arms through the puff sleeves letting out a giddy laugh of joy when the dress was down around him. She then buttoned up the front of his dress and adjusted the bow on the front of his collar.

Next came the corset. While the alterations on the dress had been slight, with the most noticeable being the reduction of the front since Kei's chest was flat, the corset itself was completely new, and made specifically for him. She slipped it around his waist, zipped up the front, and began pulling the laces in the back.

Kei absolutely loved how the corset was beginning to hug his middle from below his floating rib right town to his hips. It was getting pleasantly tight and we wanted more. "Tighter...." He whispered in a voice full of want. Fara herself was getting aroused at seeing her boyfriend taking on such a feminine figure and was all too happy to grant her girly boy's desire. The top of the corset was hugging his middle just below the floating rib perfectly. The bottom was also perfect, following the contours of his hips and curving inwards over the top of them to give him that wonderful hourglass figure. She focused all her efforts on cinching his waistline even smaller, drawing more lacing through the grommets.

"How's that, Sweety?"

"It feel's incredible." he replied, letting his hands run over his narrowed waistline.

"If it starts to hurt, then it's too tight."

"No, no, it's very tight, but not hurting at all. It feels great."

"You look great, Sweety." Fara affirmed while tying off the laces into a bow and tucking them under the bottom edge of the corset. She then adjusted the corset's shoulder straps and finished off by slipping the gloves up to his elbows and fitting the headband over his head with the large pink bow. "All done."

Kei then walked over to the mirror and gazed back at his reflection. That same warm, fuzzy feeling returned to him at the sight. Samantha was right. He looked beautiful, and he now had such a feminine figure that he would not have been surprised if many a female would be envious of him.

Fara herself chose to wear a snug-fitting red dress that hugged the contours of her already feminine figure. The top of the dress was strapless while the skirt portion went down to just above her knees, ending in white trim that extended from under the skirt.

Kei took her hand in his. "You look beautiful." The words were heartfelt. It was not often that he got to see Fara in such lovely feminine clothing, and the red of her dress seemed to go so well with her deep orange fur and green eyes.

She could see the adoration in his eyes and smiled back at the sincere compliment, which she returned. "So do you." Fara then give his hand a gentle tug. "Let's go for a walk out in the back garden."

Though still shy about being seen crossdressing out in the open, he was mindful that her father had already fully accepted him, dresses and all. Phoenix Manor was also in the middle of a large property, far from the prying eyes of the public. So his hesitation was at most fleeting before he willingly followed her out of their suite.

It was an early spring morning that greeting them when they stepped outside. The garden was vast and expansive, as befitting such a large estate. A large center fountain dominated the scene. Around it were benches facing inward towards the cascading water. Cobblestone paths radiated outwards in four directions, branching off again halfway to the perimeter to meet with their counterparts in each quadrant of the garden. Flower beds in bright, vibrant colors filled in the space between the paths, bordered by sculpted shrubs.

Along the paths in each of the quadrants were large statues of the previous heads of the family, Philip, Albert, and George Phoenix along with their spouses. There was also a statue of Fara's father, Charles and his late wife Elizabeth. The center rear of the back garden though was dominated by a larger statue of the founder, Arthur Phoenix and his wife Gwendolyn standing together on a large plinth. It was not until Kei and Fara wandered closer to this larger pair of effigies that the magnitude of the statues were apparent. Each stood five meters tall, and the pedestal they were on was itself two meters with ornate column a meter apart going round the base. But because of the tremendous size of the back garden, the statues did not dominate the scene. In the foreground, near to the house, the garden gave way to an open tiled patio.

At the center of each quadrant where the paths met was a large tree with benches around it. Kei and Fara sat together under one of those trees where they snuggled, exchanging kisses. Kei giggled as he suddenly recalled a silly poem about a couple sitting under tree, kissing, and what followed. The idea appealed to him, but he hesitated at the notion of asking her that particular question, knowing that they had been dating only a few weeks now.

By late morning, they decided to go back indoors, and upon entering, were greeted by Charles. The patriarch's smile quirked upon seeing his daughter's boyfriend in such a girlish outfit. "Well, Good morning, both of you."

"Good morning, Daddy." Fara replied to her father while giving her boyfriend's corseted waist an affectionate squeeze from the side.

Kei for his part still felt bashful at being seen in such a feminine outfit by his girlfriend's father. "G-good morning, Sir."

Charles could easily see that Kei still felt embarrassed, which to him was unacceptable. He was determined to instill confidence in his daughter's effeminate boyfriend. Stepping back, had made a show of scrutinizing the blushing tod. "MMmmm. I recall my daughter getting this dress and seeing her in it once. I must say, you do look so much better in it than she ever did."

Kei smiled and felt his heart swell at the compliment. He looked down at himself, letting his hands run over his skirt. "That's very kind of you to say. Thank you." His eyes snapped up and met Fara's father's when the patriarch placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"I'm not just saying that to make you feel better, my boy. That dress really suits you very nicely." He glanced over at his daughter and met her smile. "And any male who could bring such happiness to my daughter has my full approval." He then grinned to the tod whose attention he held captive. "So enough with the bashfulness now. In fact, I shall be quite disappointed if I do not see you in a nice dress whenever you come to visit."

"I think Fara would be disappointed if I didn't wear a dress." Kei replied with a grin that banished any lingering embarrassment, and laughed with both his girlfriend and her father.

The rest of the weekend went by in a blur of snuggling, making love, and being his girlfriend's dress-up doll. While he spent most of his time in the pink Lolita dress, she had him try out his other outfits. He loved wearing the ball gown and was looking forward to wearing it for the occasion it was meant for, despite the fact that he'd be crossdressing publically. He also fell completely in love with the maid uniform and got outright flirty with his girlfriend, tickling her nose with the feather duster and going through the maid routine in a cute, provocative manner.

Chapter 8: Secret Love Revealed

Their return to work felt strange to Kei. After a weekend of crossdressing, his male clothing felt foreign to him. Nevertheless, he dove back into his work, seeing to it that the books were balanced for all the Space Dynamics contracts he was responsible for overseeing. He and Fara now slept together every night, either at his modest home, or at Phoenix Manor. To please his vixen, and consequently her father, he would immediately shed his male clothing the moment they got home to put on one of the many dresses his girlfriend had gotten for him.

Normally, he'd be looking forward to another romantic, fun-filled weekend with his girlfriend. This coming weekend was not to be the case though. Fara would be away to attend the wedding of Fox McCloud and Krystal. He rode with her in her roadster to Corneria Space Port, through the security gate and onto the tarmac where her personal Arwing sat waiting.

After helping her load up her luggage into the fighter's storage compartment, he drew Fara into his arms. Their kiss was lingering and full of longing. "I'm going to miss you, Fara."

"I know, but I'll be gone only a few weeks." Fara said. She wasn't sure in her heart whether she was trying more to reassure her tod or herself.

"Four very long weeks." Kei sighed, finding himself unwilling to let go of this vixen who was everything to him. "I love you so much, Fara. You mean the world to me."

She mashed her muzzle against his in another muzzle-locking kiss that felt like it lasted an eternity even though it was less than a minute. "I love you too, Kei. When I get back, we'll take two weeks off to spend together. Nothing but pretty dresses, and being my personal pet every night in bed."

Kei felt his heart swell with joy and anticipation. "I look forward to it, and I'll happily be your pet during the day too."

"Deal!" Fara said with a grin, giving him a final parting smooch.

Kei then stepped back to stand next to her roadster, which Fara was lending him, and watched the love of his life board her Arwing. He waved to her when she blew him a kiss just before letting the canopy close down around her. Over the next few minutes, he watched her go through her pre-flight check. His ears folded back at the growing whine of the fighter's reactor coming to life, and then watched her fighter slowly lift off the tarmac and glide away. Moments later, its main thrusters roared to life and Fara shot away up into the sky.

That evening found Kei curled up in front of his media center watching the latest news feed. Reporters were amassing around Papetoon, the world of Fox McCloud's birth, in anticipation of his wedding with Krystal. Kei knew better though. He was one of a rare few who knew the closely guarded secret that Fox and Krystal were to wed on Sauria. Equally as far from Lylat, the dinosaur planet was on the opposite side of their sun from Corneria. It was for that reason that it would take two weeks each way for the Great Fox to make the journey, even at full power, cutting a shallow elliptical trajectory close to Lylat.

Kei soon grew tired of the inane prattle of ignorant reporters and talking heads and turned off the uninteresting news feed. He got up and was about to head to bed when his comm pinged. He quickly answered when he saw who was calling. "Hi Dad, Mom."

"Hello Kei. How are things going with you and Fara?"

"Wonderfully. It's been amazing." Kei went on to recount the wonderful time he had with his girlfriend, from the several days on the Phoenix family's private island to the incredible flight into deep space and the Arwing flying lesson, to meeting the Phoenix family at their mansion. "Fara's family are all really wonderful folks too, and so accepting, even of the way I dressed....I uh mean....they...don't care that I'm middle class...." Kei closed his eyes and silently cursed. He really didn't know how his parents would react if they learned he was crossdressing, and doing so openly now.

"Is everything alright?" his mother asked.

Kei inwardly cringed. His mother always was one to notice the littlest of things. "Things are wonderful, Mom. Fara's father really likes me too. He made me feel welcomed, and I've gotten to know him a lot."

"That's lovely, Dear. So when are you going to introduce us to your girlfriend?" his mother asked. "That's right, Son. You got to meet her family. It's only fair she gets to meet yours." added his father.

Kei hedged, actually having a valid excuse. "It will be a few weeks yet, Dad. Fara is away on a trip now."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. She was invited to Fox McCloud and Krystal's wedding."

"Ah yes. Media sites everywhere are talking about that." Josephine put in. She smiled to her son. "Well, do let us know when she gets back. We'd love to meet her."

"Will do, Mom. Goodnight."

After he wished them a good night and ended the call, Kei went to bed early. Curled up under the covers, he groaned. How was he going to keep his crossdressing secret from his parents, especially his mother? She was so perceptive. He just knew she would pick up on something. All it would take was one slipup.

Already, he found himself dearly missing his girlfriend's warm, soft fur and her loving caresses. Without her comforting touch, sleep was eluding him. After two hours of tossing and turning, he got out of bed and walked to his closet. Moving some boxes aside, he drew out from the far back a package that he had not even thought of in the six weeks he had been dating Fara.

Bereft of the comfort and security of his girlfriend's embrace, he would go back to the comfort of the secure, padded protection he knew and appreciated so well. Unfolding the diaper and laying it flat on his bed, he laid down on it, powdered himself between his legs and drew the pure white, thick, comforting briefs up around himself and taped them securely in place over his tail and hips. After drawing the covers back over himself, Kei soon drifted off to sleep.

The following week saw Kei return to work, wearing the same baggy pants and casual shirt that he had worn his first few weeks at Space Dynamics. The tod was once again back in diapers full time. He had resumed his routine of keeping changing supplies in his briefcase with a spare diaper and trash bag in which he would dispose his soggy padding by midafternoon when he changed into the spare diaper in the privacy of his office bathroom.

Nobody was ever the wiser, even as Kei went about his work, attended weekly meetings, and interacted with his colleagues. With long practice, he had learned to make sure to drink only water to keep his urine odorless, leaving him free to wet himself without arousing any suspicion. The comfort and security of his padding also helped him deal with Fara's absence. To avoid anyone in the media, especially the tabloids, from finding out that Fox and Krystal were to be wed on Sauria and not Papetoon, The Great Fox had gone into communication blackout.

It was now the last work day of the fourth week. Fara was scheduled to return the following day, and Kei was looking forward to being in his girlfriend's welcoming embrace once again. Part of him would miss the comforting softness of his thick diapers, but he'd again happily give them up to be embraced in the furry softness of his vixen that he loved even more. He glanced at his wall chronometer and smiled. His work day was nearly over. He had been so focused on his work that his diaper was still dry and his bladder was achingly full, having drank several bottles of water through the afternoon.

He decided to rectify the situation with his padding. Closing his eyes, he sat back at his desk and relaxed himself fully, letting the floodgates open to bask in the warmth spreading between his legs. A smile formed on his muzzle as he sighed. This was turning into an exceptionally long flood. He could feel his diaper swelling as his wetness started to wick down under his rump and tail.

Fara strolled through the entry lobby of Space Dynamics. The wedding had been amazing, and Krystal and Fox were truly made for each other. She smiled to herself. Her old boyfriend may have found his soulmate in the blue-furred vixen, but she had found a sister in her. While not as deep and profound as the telepathic bond Krystal now had formed with Fox, the sisterly bond of affection and love she now shared with Krystal was something she cherished.

Thoughts of love invariably brought her back to where she was now. Having arrived a day early, she was looking forward to surprising her boyfriend and to nights of passion so intense that she knew would leave him weak in the knees. Stepping off the lift onto the top floor, she was making a beeline to Kei's office to surprise him when she was intercepted by one of her engineers.

"Fara! Welcome back. How was the wedding?"

"It was incredible and beyond description, Luna." Fara replied to the lupine. Luna Grayson was one of her top electrical engineers, specializing in electromagnetic radiation. She was also a single mother raising a cub who had been born just two months before. Because of the attention he needed, Fara was more than happy to give Luna permission to bring her cub to work each day. Said cub was at the moment sleeping quietly in his bassinet next to Luna's workstation.

"Is Kei in his office?"

"Oh yes. Your boyfriend has been hard at work these last four weeks, but I bet he misses you." Luna said with a grin. "Before you go and surprise him, I wanted to show you the prototype scanner I finally got to work just yesterday. It will do imaging through multiple walls on all wavelengths from gamma to radio waves."

"Nice!" Fara grinned as she took the proffered scanner from Luna. Compact enough to be hand-held, the scanner had a large aperture in the front with a small display screen in the back. She pointed the device at a wall and turned one of the knobs, seeing the scanning penetration depth change from inside the wall in front of her to through several walls to a mechanical room at the far end of the floor they were on. Turning the other dial, she was able to adjust the scanning frequency.

Her fascination with the device was interrupted though by the whimpering of Luna's cub who had just woken up. Both vixen and she-wolf picked up on the recognizable noisome scent from the cub that was easily recognized. "Phew. Looks like the little guy did a number in his diaper." Fara declared.

"Whoo. Yeah. Let me take care of the little guy."

Thoughts of motherhood ran through Fara's mind while she watched Luna attend to her cub. Her mind was drifting to the special gowns that Madam Samantha has suggested for Kei all those weeks ago when her ears twitched at a crinkling sound that was strangely familiar to her. Her eyes snapped down to Luna's cub and the fresh diaper that was being pulled up his front and taped in place. It was your typical diaper with a cute babyish design of little wolves and trees under a smiling moon. The front where the tapes were secured to was made of a thick plastic landing zone that crinkled again when Luna picked up her cub and pulled his onesie back over his padded rump.

Fara frowned. Where had she heard that crinkling sound before? She glanced down distractedly at the scanner in her hands. It was at the moment set to the infrared band. The aperture was pointed at the cub's soiled diaper inside its disposal pail. She could see the bright red spot in the center from the cub's mess cooling slowly. Oblivious to Fara's train of thought, Luna smiled and nodded towards the accounting department. "So you got any plans for your cute boyfriend, Girl?"

"Oh? Um...Oh yeah." Fara replied distractedly. It then came to her. She now recalled where she had heard that same crinkling sound. On a hunch, she pointed the scanner towards her boyfriend's office and adjusted the penetration depth until she could see him laying back in his chair with his eyes closed. She had seen him relax in that position on occasion. He had that same smile on his muzzle as well. Turning the wavelength knob, she now saw an infrared image of her tod. His form took on that soft red glow that would be expected from normal body heat rising from any living, breathing mammal.

The bright white spot spreading over his crotch was not what she'd typically expect to see though. For over a full minute, it continued to grow wider and wider and seemed to extend down between his legs to his bottom. She rotated the knob back to the visible portion of the spectrum and saw him still smiling and sighing contentedly. There was no doubt in Fara's mind now. Her boyfriend had deliberately wet himself in a diaper that he had to be wearing under those baggy pants he used to wear before they became a couple.

Fara's mind was in a convoluted turmoil of emotions. She could not fathom why anyone would deliberately wet themselves like that. Without hearing what Luna was saying, she distractedly handed the scanner back to the she-wolf and walked straight to Kei's office across the room. Without knocking, Fara opened the door and stepped inside, closing it behind her and locking it.

Kei's eyes snapped open as Fara stepped inside his office. "F-Fara! It's so wonderful to see you....I had not expected to see you until tomorrow." His smile faded though when he saw her pensive expression. Very much aware of his bloated padding still warm from the flood he had let loose in it, he watched his vixen walk towards him, and around to his side of the desk. He took her hand when she held it out to him and stood up nervously.

His heart slammed into his chest when she immediately reached down to his crotch and gave the front of his soggy diaper a squeeze through the front of his pants. Her ears twitched at the crinkling and squishing sound emanating under her groping hand. In that moment, Kei wanted nothing more than to crawl under a rock and die. It was his greatest fear. He had been caught. Thoughts of cover stories raced frantically through his head, but came to a screeching halt with what she said next.

"I know you are not incontinent, and yet you wear a diaper and deliberately use it.....Why Kei?"

His fear had now turned into a nightmare. There was no possible story he could make up to exonerate himself. "I...." How could he possibly explain his love of diapers to her? His lower lip quivered. Feelings of helplessness, shame, and humiliation filled his being and left him paralyzed under her confused gaze.

Fara could see the hopelessly lost expression on her boyfriend's face. He was like a pup who had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. She was looking at him as if she had never known him and barely registered the tears forming in his eyes. Her lips pressed together as she gazed into his eyes without seeing him. It was obvious to her that she was not going to get any clear answer to explain this odd behavior on his part. Coming to a decision, she made her pronouncement. "I need to think about this. I'll see you tomorrow."

When Fara had left, Kei collapsed back down in his chair with a squish of his damnable soaked diaper. The vixen that was his everything now thought of him as a freak. He sat there with a vacant expression while tears streamed down each side of his muzzle. It was not until he realized it was getting dark outside that Kei snapped out of his brooding self-pity and got up. He was barely aware of his surroundings as he drove back to his home. The moment he stepped through the front door, he tore off his pants and ripped his diaper off, flinging it across the room with renewed tears of anger and shame. After brooding some more under a hot shower in a vain attempt to wash the filth of shame from himself, he crawled into bed and curled up into a fitful sleep.

*****

Fara sat at her computer terminal in her suite at Phoenix Manor. She dearly loved Kei and wanted to understand this inexplicable behavior. So she started searching databases for adult diapers and the kinds of people who use them. There were of course many references about incontinence. Not satisfied, she thought back to the blissful expression on his face as he deliberately wet himself and decided to look for sources of information that combined 'adult diaper' with 'love' and 'pleasure' which gave her the first clue to what she had stumbled upon. Eventually, it led to 'diaper lover' which in turn led to 'adult baby' where she found a social media site that was to her a startling revelation.

She read blog after blog from people who expressed their love of being in diapers and why. Other posts were from those who preferred the role of 'caretaker' and joy they derived from such a role, not unlike the joy she felt herself when she assumed her role of mistress for her boyfriend. She was beginning to understand why her boyfriend loved wearing diapers. He found comfort and a relief from stress in them. It all made sense to her now. She recalled the baggy, loose-fitting clothing he originally was wearing when they met. It was to hide the diaper he wore underneath. And when their relationship had bloomed, those loose-fitting clothing had gone away. "Oh Kei. You sweet adorable tod. You gave them up for me, didn't you?" She asked herself rhetorically. "And reverted back to them when I was gone almost a month."

Then there were the images that some shamelessly posted of themselves in diapers and babyish outfits. While many were outright disturbing, Fara had to admit to herself that some were cute. Everything changed for her though when her eyes caught one sub-category labeled 'crossdressed sissies'. The image of a white cat in a pink baby girl's party dress with bonnet, booties, and pink diaper filled her computer monitor. The feline was sucking on an adult-sized pacifier and had assumed a cute, innocent pose. "Oh wow! That is adorable...." Fara quietly exclaimed to herself in a hushed voice.

She looked through image after image of different adult males in such cute baby girl outfits, and found herself imagining her Kei in those cute dresses and onesies. A warm, fuzzy feeling began to fill her heart when she imagined herself babying her effeminate boyfriend. Then she stumbled upon images of diapered individuals what were not so innocent, that she found outright erotic and lit a fire in her heart. "Oh my...."

Chapter 9: Diapered and Loved

Fara pulled into the short driveway to Kei's home. He had not answered her repeated calls on her way to his house. Fears she hoped were unfounded kept prickling at the back of her mind, fueled by a sense of shame at her less-than-kind reaction to discovering his secret the day before. Walking up to his front door, she was glad he had given her an access card to his home.

Crossing the threshold, her sensitive nose was assaulted by the pungent scent of urine. She immediately spotted the used diaper on the floor, against the far wall, seemingly tossed there and forgotten. The diaper though was not the source of the offending odor. Following it, Fara was led to Kei's bedroom. Though her olfactory sense was assaulted by what she found within, it paled to the sense of relief she felt upon seeing her tod curled up asleep.

Her relief was then supplanted by sadness upon realizing that he had wet his bed. The fur on each side of his muzzle below his eyes was also matted with dried tears. "Oh Kei, you poor dear." Fara rolled her boyfriend over off the large urine-soaked center of his bed and roused him to wakefulness while drawing him up in her arms.

Kei awoke to a mixed multitude of sensations. His sense of smell was hit by the eye-watering reek of his own urine and his crotch felt cold and clammy. Mixed in with these unpleasant sensations was the warm, soothing caress and scent he had feared he would never experience again. He looked up into Fara's eyes, scarcely able to believe he was actually in her arms. "Fara? Wha...you're here?"

"Yes Kei. I'm here for you. Let's get you cleaned up." she assured him while helping her despondent boyfriend out of bed.

At eye-level with the vixen who's love he had feared to have lost, his lower lip quivered. "I'm so sorry. You must think I'm a freak."

The shame she had previously felt returned full force and nearly overwhelmed Fara. "No! You are not a freak, Kei. Never think otherwise!" Tears began to well up in her eyes. "If...if anybody should be sorry, it's me."

At a loss for words, Kei let himself be led to his bathroom. He mutely watched Fara strip out of her clothes and get his shower going. He let himself be guided under the warm spray with his girlfriend following up behind him. "I...I don't understand."

Fara began to lather up his fur and lovingly wash her tod. "It's me who did not understand. I was caught off guard when I discovered you were a diaper lover. I...had never imagined you, and others like you, loved to wear and use them." She worked the fur shampoo into his pelt and worked her way down his front. "I spent several hours last night on my computer, reading through media and learning about ABDL to understand all this....You like the comfort they bring you, don't you?"

"Yeah..." he replied quietly with a sense of awe at the lengths his girlfriend had gone to understand him.

"So how long have you been wearing them?" she asked as she spent a moment washing the urine out of his crotch fur.

"It started during my college days. I had several bed-wetting accidents from the stress to pass final exams and qualify for my accountant certification. As embarrassing as it was, I opted to wear some adult diapers from a medical supply store so that I didn't have to change bed sheets every morning. After passing my exams, the night-time wetting went away with the stress, but I discovered that he liked the comfort and security diapers afforded me and continued to wear them, even during the day."

"I understand now." Fara assured him. She continued to wash him, moving to his back, including his rump and between his legs. Though the intimate touch was pleasant to her boyfriend, Fara was more intent on being a good caretaker to the tod she had given her heart to. She finished off by rinsing his now cleansed pelt and washing and rinsing her own fur as well. With a towel wrapped about herself, she spent the next few minutes drying and then brushing out his fur, refusing to let him do it himself.

Kei sat on the bed dumbfounded, confused by all the extra attention his girlfriend was lavishing upon him. It was taking him some time for the idea to sink in that she understood why he loved to wear diapers. The thought occurred to him that this was her way of making amends for the previous day. When she finished brushing him out, he stood up and gave her a heart-felt embrace. "I love you so much, Fara."

"I love you too." She sniffled while returned the hug with equal fervor. Their muzzles then melded together in a slow, tender kiss. It was not passionate as it often had been, but an expression of love and reassurance.

When they parted, Kei rested his head against his vixen's forehead and let out a long, slow sigh full of relief and contentment. He then stepped back and went to his closet, and retrieved the package of diapers he had kept hidden there. Smiling to his vixen, he walked out of his bedroom. "I'm going to throw these out. I'll give up diapers for good. I promise."

Fara however had other plans and took the package from her tod. "Tut tut tut. You are throwing away the wrong underwear." she admonished and headed back to his bedroom.

Bewildered, Kei followed her back to his room and gaped as he watched her empty his nightstand drawer of all his regular boxers and make a beeline to the kitchen where she threw the whole lot into the garbage. Speechless, he stood by while Fara stripped his bed of his wet bedsheets, threw them in the wash, and then laid out a large towel on the bare mattress to cover the urine stain that had been left there. He was then gently shoved back and fell onto the bed atop the towel.

Fara quickly found the anti-rash cream and powder and then removed one of Kei's thick MegaMax diapers from the package and opened it. "These are the only underwear you'll need, Sweety."

Kei was astonished, and yet when he met her eyes, Fara's smile was coy and full of love. He could feel the blush rushing to his face when she actually lifted his legs up by the ankles and slipped the thick diaper under his rump, worked the cream into his crotch fur, powdered him, and then pulled the diaper up over his front, expertly taping it securely in place. She then rolled him over onto his front and tapped the back of the diaper over his tail.

Fara then stepped back and watched her boyfriend roll back onto his padded rear and sit up on the bed to gaze mutely down at himself. "OOooh. You look so cute like that." She then giggled when he covered his face. "Awww. Don't be shy." She took his hands in hers and drew them away from his face, pulling him up to his feet. She then caressed his muzzle with both hands. "Don't ever feel ashamed that you love to wear diapers and wet yourself. In fact, bathrooms are from now on off limits, except for obvious things like taking a shower and such."

"No bathroom at all?" Kei asked worriedly.

Fara bit her lower lip. "You don't defecate in your diapers, do you?" When he shook his head vigorously, she sighed in relief. "Oh good." And laughed at the relieved expression she saw when he realized he had not completely lost all bathroom privileges. "But otherwise, I want you to be in diapers all the time and be a good girly boy and always pee in them when you need to."

She then drew him again into her arms and reached down to caress his padded rump, giving it a squeeze. "Now that I understand why you wear them, I find myself loving you all the more for it." Her tears flowed freely when she felt him heave against her in uncontrolled sobs. It had finally sunk into Kei's mind that not only had he not lost the love of his life because he was a diaper lover, but that she actually loved him for it.

It was a cathartic moment for Kei Reinard. Years of having to deal with the fear of discovery warring against the desire for the comfort and security of diapers had come to an end. He wept for several minutes in her arms in relief that he had not lost the vixen that had come to mean everything to him. Afterwards, with his tears drying, he caressed his girlfriend. "I love you so much, Fara. You are my everything." What she said next filled his heart with joy.

"Kei, I want you to move in with me. Sell this house and make my home your home." Fara squealed in surprise when he actually picked her up and swung her about. "Yes! Oh yes! I'd love to live with you, Fara. We'll always be together." He then paused and set her back down, and asked her worriedly. "Uh, you are not going to tell your father about my diapers, are you?"

Fara shook her head. "No. Just as our bondage play is a private thing between us, your diapers will always be hidden under your clothing."

Kei laughed in relief. "Talking about clothing, I guess I should put on some pants." But he then paused when she tweaked his nose and said with a coy smile, "Wait here, Sweety," and walked out the front door and quickly returned with a small suitcase in hand. He actually smiled when he saw the pink evening dress she withdrew from the bag, along with a pair of comfortable low-heeled shoes. There was even a small underbust corset for him to wear under the dress to give him that extra-feminine figure. It was one of the many dresses she had Madam Samantha make for him. "I want you to wear this and take you out to dinner."

There had been a time he would have been mortified at the idea of crossdressing in public, but he was now so happy to know that this vixen who had captured his heart loved him completely that he was beyond caring who saw him. "Oh yes, please."

The one surprise was the large, frilly panties that were made specifically to wear over a diaper. Kei giggled happily when she handed it to him and quickly pulled it up to over his padded bottom. He then let her slip the corset around his waist and pull the laces tight like he loved. To his delight the bottom edge of the corset extended over the elastic waistline of his panties and diaper, gripping both firmly so that his padding would not sag, no matter how wet he got.

Next came the dress. Fara unzipped the back and helped her boyfriend into it, pulling it over him. His arms glided through the silky-smooth sleeves that covered his arms to the wrists. Extending down to almost his ankles, the gown flowed and shimmered around him and covered him fully up to just below his neck. When Fara pulled the zipper up his back, the dress closed in around his corseted waist, showing off his hourglass figure. The thick padding of his diaper actually made his hips look even wider and positively feminine.

Fara herself slipped into a sheer red, topless dress with a layered skirt that extended just below the knees with matching red shoes. Together, they walked out the front door. Still the gallant fox, he made to open the door to her ground car for her, but Fara beat him to it, holding the passenger door open for him. Butterflies fluttered in his center, feeling deeply flattered to be treated like a lady by his vixen as he took his seat in the vehicle.

They soon found themselves in downtown Corneria City and pulling up to Anthony's. Kei this time was quicker, and got out to open the driver door for Fara even before the valet came up to her vehicle.

"Why thank you!" Fara smiled at her effeminate boyfriend's gallantry. Bypassing other waiting patrons to the front of the line, they were met by the Maitre'd, who immediately recognized Fara.

"Miss Phoenix. Welcome back. Will it be just you and your lady friend?"

"Yes Reginal," she said to the distinguished bulldog.

"Splendid. Follow me this way." Kei and Fara followed the canine through the restaurant to the Phoenix Family's booth, secluded in a private corner of the eating establishment.

It was only when they were seated that it actually dawned on him. "He...he actually mistook me for a vixen."

"Of course he did, Sweety. You look the part, and the thorough washing I gave you has masked your male scent." She then leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "and your diaper does a great job of containing your natural male musk too."

Being reminded of his padded state only brought a happy smile to the tod, who then leaned forward to give her a brief kiss and winked back to her. "If that's the case, people will start to think you are a lesbian."

Fara burst out in laughter. "Ha! That will sure confuse any gossipers who see us." The two giggled together at their private secret. Just then their waiter, a snowy-white cat with deep blue eyes, showed up. The youthful feline had a small tremor to his voice that barely hid his nervousness. "Welcome ladies. My name is Michael." he said, handing them their menus. Fara could easily tell that he was new to the job and intimidated by who she was, but the vixen was pleased by his professional comportment and friendliness. They listened avidly to his description of the dinner special and his wine selection recommendations. Fara was further impressed with his knowledge of proper meal-wine pairings and various vintages and went along with his recommendations.

The rest of the dinner passed quietly with much hand-holding, frequent kissing, and feeding each other succulent morsels from the excellently prepared fine cuisine they had been served. Feeling secure and empowered, Kei drank several glasses of water throughout the meal in addition to the premium vintage wine he and Fara shared.

By the time desert was served, Kei's bladder was demanding relief. Even though he knew that she fully accepted and wanted him to use his diaper, he still felt shy about wetting himself in front of her. Fara could see him squirm and immediately guessed why. She leaned forward and gave his ear a slow, sensual lick while whispering. "Does my baby need to use his diaper?"

Kei closed his eyes and nodded slowly. "Yeah...I...I want to, but can't...."

"Now, that will not do. Come on, Baby. Let it all out," Fara encouraged him, and then took all the fingers of his right hand into her mouth and began to slowly suck on them.

Feeling all his fingers submerged into the wet warmth of her muzzle proved to be more than his shy bladder could endure. With a startled gasp, Kei lost control of his bodily function and sighed in relief as the floodgate opened.

Fara let Kei's fingers slip from her muzzle and cooed in delight at seeing the blissful smile form on his countenance. "That's my baby. Let it all out."

Any feelings of embarrassment he might have felt were drowned out by the profound relief, the pleasant warmth spreading over his crotch and between his legs as he wet himself heavily, and by the loving praise Fara lavished upon him for wetting himself. It was a long minute before he was done flooding his now bloated padding, but years of experience told him that his diaper had plenty of capacity before it even came close to leaking.

Fully relaxed and at ease with himself, Kei sipped the rest of his wine and enjoyed his desert with his girlfriend, feeding her sugary morsels of his pasty confection and accepting spoonful of the creamy pudding she in turn fed him. Once their plates were cleared, Michael stopped by one last time. "Will you ladies want anything else then?"

"We are good. Thank you." Fara said, smiling to the feline. "Yes. It was a wonderful meal." Kei affirmed. Michael blinked at the crossdressed tod's reply. Though Kei's voice was not what would be called a deep masculine, the contralto tenor of his voice was low enough to make their waiter question his assumption of the gender of Fara's companion. In the end, he was too polite to question what he wasn't even sure he suspected and said nothing, except to bid them a good night.

Kei though felt renewed embarrassment at the brief scrutiny he had drawn upon himself, but Fara would not let him get distracted with what she considered to be a misplaced notion of shame, cupping his cheek with her hand. "So what if he realized you are male? Does it really matter when you look prettier than many females out there?"

That warm, fuzzy feeling returned full force at the wonderful compliment she gave him. "Not as pretty as you, Fara, but thank you. I needed to hear that."

"I love you, Sweety." Fara replied while taking his hand in hers and giving it a squeeze before standing up. When Kei stood in turn, he became very much aware of how soggy his diaper was and glanced down at himself with a smile. His corset was doing a wonderful job of keeping his bloated padding firmly pressed up against him. With a slight waddle, he followed her out of the restaurant to their car, which the valet had waiting for them.

Chapter 10: Petticoats and Padding

Awareness drifted back to Kei through that twilight between wakefulness and slumber, and with it the recollection of the previous night. After a wonderful dinner at Anthony's, they had returned to Phoenix Manor and gone straight to her suite. Under the cascading shower spray, his vixen looked more beautiful than ever, and his desire for her was inflamed. He had surprised both himself and her at the passion with which he made love to her, pouring his love into her as the water poured down upon them.

Once they had dried their fur afterwards, he had followed Fara back into their suite's main living area. The opened packages with all his different outfits still lay on the dining table, with the dresses he had worn the previous weekend all neatly folded and back in their boxes after having been washed by the house-keeping droids. Picking up several of the packages, Fara took them to her spacious walk-in closet. After some re-arranging where she moved all her clothing to one side, she began to hang up his various dresses on the other side.

It was a heart-warming reminder that she wanted him to move in with her, and he immediately set about helping her hang up the rest of his clothing, leaving a gap to one side for the male clothing he would still wear to work. Even though he now knew that she fully accepted him for it, he still felt mildly embarrassed when she insisted on diapering him before they went to bed, but was doubly happy for it. He quickly drifting off to sleep in both the comfort and security of his padding and the comforting embrace of the vixen who loved him for it.

He now was reminded once again of his diapered state when he heard the crinkle of his padding and felt Fara run a caressing hand over its thick plastic front and between his legs. Her fingers slipped under the leg gatherers. "Mmmmm. You're still dry. That won't do, Baby."

"Eh-heh...I didn't need to pee after I we went to bed." Kei admitted, only now becoming aware of his need to relieve himself. Fara herself could understand. "The previous night was the first time you wet the bed in a long time, wasn't it?" she asked rhetorically.

Kei could feel the heat of embarrassment rush to his face. "I...I don't usually....not since college....even after years of wearing diapers." He sighed, comforted by Fara's tightening embrace as she hugged him from behind.

"That's alright Sweety. It's all in the past." Fara assured him. She then kissed him behind his ear and gave his padded crotch an affectionate squeeze. "But you are not getting out of bed until you use your diaper now like a good little girly boy."

Kei knew that he had his vixen's full love and understanding, that she actually approved and wanted him to wet himself, but still was bladder shy. "I....I want to...."

"Shhhh...Relax....It's just like at work. Just let every muscle go limp." Fara whispered into his ear. "That's it....Close your eyes." She then slowly and tenderly drew her tongue inside his outer vulpine ear.

In his girlfriend's arms, Kei had never felt so relaxed in his life. Under her sensual spell, all his anxieties and cares floated away, and with a deep, happy sigh he fully relaxed himself. A blissful smile spread on his muzzle, matched by the spreading warmth in his diaper.

Under her hand, Fara could feel the growing heat radiating out from his crotch and purred. "There you go. I'm so proud of you." And the warmth continued to spread while his diaper swelled. "Oooh. You really needed to go, didn't you?"

"Uh-huh..." came Kei's blissful reply while he continued to flood his padding for almost a full minute. After he was done relieving himself, he snuggled back into his vixen's embrace. A deep sense of contentment and security filled his being. He felt like he could remain there the entire day in his soggy diaper, snuggling with his vixen.

Fara herself was amazed at how much his diaper held. "Does my soggy butt need a change?" she asked with a fond smile. To her surprise, her boyfriend shook his head.

"I'm good. This diaper can take another two heavy wettings before it leaks" Kei replied, still keeping his eyes closed.

"Mmmm. In that case, Mistress needs her maid to serve her." Fara said in a husky voice that would not be denied. She was finding her tod to be adorable in the state he was and thought of the images she had seen the previous day in her research on diaper love.

Upon hearing Fara call herself 'Mistress' Kei's eyes snapped open and his heart fluttered at the thought of his vixen dominating him. He felt her pull away from him and rolled over onto his back, watching the fennec vixen slide out of bed. Remaining supine, his eyes followed her as she ambled to their shared walk-in closet.

His ears swiveled forward to pick up the sounds of Fara rustling through his dresses. Moments later, she walked out with a bundle of shiny pink and white vinyl that Kei immediately recognized as his maid uniform. His mistress laughed when she saw her boyfriend immediately jump out of his bed to stand before here with his tail wagging excitedly.

Fara placed the bundle on their bed and withdrew from the pile a white onesie with frilly vinyl bottom. She slid the garment over her boyfriend, and then buttoned the crotch snaps closed. Seeing the unasked question in his eyes, she explained. "I placed a rush order two days ago for them, right after my research on diaper lovers. You like?"

Kei giggled and ran his hands down his padded front and rear, letting his fingers glide over the smooth vinyl material covering his rump. The bottom of the onesie looked and felt like vinyl panties, with snug leg cuffs and an elastic waistband, but would keep his diaper pressed firmly up against his bottom. "I love them."

With his hands on his mistress' shoulder, Kei stepped into the wide, voluminous petticoat, which she pulled up to his waistline. Fara then lifted the vinyl dress itself up over her effeminate boyfriend, who slide his arms through the puff sleeves, followed by his head through the top. A classic maid uniform design, the dress was pink, with white vinyl frills at the ends of the short sleeves and around the collar. A white panel, bordered with a white frilly trim on each side, adorned the front of the dress from the waistline to the collared neck, which Fara buttoned up.

At her direction, Kei sat on the end of their bed so that the pink fishnet stockings could be drawn up his legs. Fara then fitted shiny white high-heel shoes on his feet. He stood up again when she next picked up the vinyl corset. It was pink, with white trim along the top and bottom edges and over each vertical boning. The front panel of the corset was all white with a frilly border on each side, made to match the front of his dress. Once Fara had slipped it around his waist and closed the front, he braced his hands against the bedpost while she drew the laces tight and cinched his waist once again into a very feminine figure.

Next came the apron. It was all white, with a frilly edge around the apron, and had shoulder straps with wide fanning ruffles over the shoulders. Fara slipped the apron around him and tied it off to the large bow behind him, letting it rest over the bottom edge of his corset. She then pulled each strap over his shoulders, crossing them behind his back, and snapped the ends to the bow. She then finished dressing up her maid by slipping the white elbow-length gloves on him and fitting a frilly white maid's cap on his head.

Fully dressed, Kei walked over to the bedroom mirror and stood there entranced at the sight. He was completely in love with this beautiful maid outfit Fara had gotten for him. Letting his hands run down the sides of his corset, he was again amazed at how well it comfortably hugged his contours and gave him such a figure. Just then, he saw Fara's reflection as she walked up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

She was wearing that black leather gothic-style outfit that he loved seeing her in so much, complete with overbust corset, boots, fishnet stockings, elbow-length gloves, and thin collar. "So my diaper maid is ready to serve his mistress?"

Being with her, and once again reminded of his padded state under his dress, Kei was overcome with a burning passion for this vixen who fully supported his love of diapers and actually wanted him padded. Fara was caught completely by surprise by the bold, aggressive expression of that love when he grabbed her head in his hands and forcefully mashed his muzzle against hers in a hungry kiss that was unrelenting.

Fara was at first taken aback by her boyfriend's uncharacteristically forward behavior, but returned his kiss with equal ardor. Hands drifted down to mutually feminine waists encased in steel boning, leather, and vinyl while they explored the insides of each other's muzzles.

Eventually, Fara's more dominant personality won out over Kei's submissiveness when she broke the kiss and regarded him with smoldering eyes. With a gloved finger under the upper edge of his corset, she drew him along as she stepped backwards until she sat down on the end of their bed. "Down on your knees, Pet."

Kei dropped to his knees without hesitation and looked up at his mistress with such devotion in his eyes that Fara's heart was warmed by it. "What would my beloved mistress have me do?" His eyes drifted down to her waist when she lifted her leather skirt to reveal that she was not wearing any panties. Her arousal permeated his olfactory senses, rich with her pheromones. "I'd like some good maid service, Pet." he heard her say.

Fara was again caught by surprise when her pet boldly lifted her up by her rear and pushed her back onto the bed until she was lying on her back with her head on her pillow. Before she could protest or admonish him for his impertinence, she felt his warm tongue being dragged through her slit while he lay prone between her legs with his head under her leather skirt and his arms wrapped under her legs. In this position, her boyfriend had even better access to her feminine treasure and was making her whimper and hum from the repeated loving attacks of his tongue.

Her cries of pleasure were a beautiful melody to Kei's ears and the taste and smell of her fluids the finest ambrosia to the tod who was determined to give his mistress the best maid service he could. He took his time, slowly dragging his tongue through her slit, bringing her passion up to a slow simmer while savoring her nectar.

It occurred to Fara then that perhaps she had instructed her boyfriend too well in his sexual education since she had claimed his virginity all those weeks ago. He was leaving her squirming with need under his oral ministrations and could not help but grip his ears to urge him on. "Come on, Pet. Make your Mistress cum." She huffed.

Kei though again surprised his dominant girlfriend and lover by actually refusing. Despite her grip on his ears urging him on, he lifted his head up from under her skirt and met her gaze with eyes full of love. "Fara, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me in all my life. Please don't be mad at me, but I don't want to make you cum yet.....I want to draw this out and give you the best orgasm I can."

Never had she seen her boyfriend be so assertive. Seeing his sincere desire to maximize her pleasure, she felt compelled to relent and let him have his way with her. With a smile that reflected back his love for her, she released her grip on his head and went limp after spreading her legs wide apart while letting her head rest back on her pillow. For the next 30 minutes, Fara basked and squirmed under her pet's oral ministrations while he brought her repeatedly to a near boil, but never pushed her over the precipice.

With his tongue now aching from the prolonged use, Kei decided to finally bring his vixen to her peak. With slow, deliberate strokes through her slit, he dragged his tongue firmly against her clit and found his mouth filled with a torrent of her fluid and his ears flattened against his skull from her climatic scream. The crossdressed tod tightened his grip on his vixen's legs and hummed in joyful satisfaction as she heaved under a volcanic eruption of pleasure that engulfed her.

Fara had been on the point of begging for her sexual release when Kei sent her careening over the precipice. The rush of pleasure surged through her lower regions like a tidal wave and kept on going with each long drag of his tongue pressed firmly against her sweet spot. Her body heaving under the storm that had been released, her legs wrapped tightly around his upper back below his arms while she gripped his ears to hold him there.

Kei though had no intention of going anywhere and was determined to drag out his vixen's orgasm as long as he could. It wasn't until she actually pushed his head away and gasped "Too much!" that he finally relented. He then crawled up and snuggled next to his exhausted girlfriend. Giving her a tender kiss on her forehead, he murmured, "Only the best, for the best girlfriend a tod could ever hope for."

So incredibly sated she was that Fara was content to snuggle with her diapered maid, occasionally giving his padded rump a squeeze, while giving him light kisses and tasting her nectar on his muzzle. Only after she had recuperated did she make the suggestion, "Mmmmm. How about we go for a stroll?"

"I'd like that." Kei replied, easing himself out of their bed with his girlfriend. Fara walked over to their closet and ran her fingers through various sun dresses, tops, and skirts belonging to Kei. "Is there anything you'd like to wear?"

Kei looked down at himself with a demure smile. "If it's alright with you, could I spend the whole day today as your maid?"

Fara turned to her crossdressed girly boy, her heart fluttering in delight at his total lack of bashfulness. "Ooooh! Of course you can!" She drew him into a warm embrace and kissed him deeply and slowly, biting his lower lip sensually as their muzzles parted. Holding hands with gloved fingers interlaced, Fara and Kei ambled through the vast mansion with Fara giving him a tour of her family home and its history.

She also showed him the armory, where Charles Phoenix's collection of ancient, pre-industrial age weapons and armor was kept. "Wow. These are beautiful." He looked over one steel sword that was long and had a slight curve. The cord-wrapped handle was one quarter the sword's total length and wide enough for two hands. The circular guard was a polished steel bronze, simple in design and functional. The edge looked sharp as well, and the steel of the blade was polished to an almost mirror finish. "I have this replica in my collection too."

Fara grinned and picked up the sword from its display, handing it, hilt-first to her boyfriend, who took it. She then stood back and admired the beauty and contradiction of her submissive maid going through a few practice sword forms with a rare skill not commonly seen in their technologically advanced society.

"Wow. Who made this sword? Its balance and weight are really good. I've never found a replica of this quality, and it looks razor sharp too." Kei observed in admiration. He then glanced down the length of the blade and noticed the fine grain in the steel. "The steel looks to have been folded many times during forging."

"I think I heard Daddy say they typically folded it 14 times."

Kei whistled. "That's 16,384 layers. I'd love to meet the swordsmith. Maybe have him or her make one like this for me."

"Well, that may be a bit difficult since he died probably about 3500 years ago."

It took a moment for the implications of what Fara said to sink in, but when it did, Kei almost dropped the ancient blade. "Th...thirty five hundred?!" He had once again overlooked that he was at the home of the wealthiest family in all of Lylat. Swallowing nervously, he gingerly put the sword back in its display and looked around wide-eyed at the collection around him. "I should have known that your father would not settle for replicas."

Fara laughed. "Didn't I tell you many times before? Daddy only settles for the best. Besides, that sword cost him only 45 million."

"Only 45 million she says." Kei groaned, making Fara laugh.

They ended up on the fifth floor balcony overlooking the back garden, sharing tall glasses of lemonade together while snuggling on a swinging couch. "Kei, are you still okay with moving in with me?" Fara asked.

After taking several more large gulps of the sweet lemonade, he nodded. "Nothing would make me happier, Fara. I'm going to put my house up for sale after this weekend and move my personal things here next week." He then sighed deeply and snuggled into his vixen's arms while wetting himself again, this time without hesitation, finally fully comfortable doing so with his girlfriend smiling at him knowingly.

Fara reached under his skirt and ran a finger past the leg elastic of his panties to probe the leg gathers of his diaper. "Mmmm. You are one soggy baby, aren't you?"

Kei gave a giddy laugh. "Yeah, I think I'll be needing a diaper change soon." He then drank deeply again and finished off his lemonade. His vixen couldn't help but chuckle, knowing where that lemonade would eventually go. They remained snuggling together and watched the sun set while finishing off their drinks. Kei would occasionally glance over at the beautiful vixen next to him and think of the possible future for them. Never had he loved someone so much as he loved her, but he was reluctant to ask her that question for fear that she'd not be able to accept. He resolved instead to live for the moment and cherish each second they were together.

With the last rays of the sun sinking below the horizon, Fara got up and stretched. She then helped her diapered maid to his feet and reached behind him under his skirt and petticoat to run her hand over his padded rump. "My, my, you are a soggy butt, aren't you? Best get you changed before dinner."

"Eh-heh. Yeah, I don't think it can hold much more." he admitted.

Back in their suite, Fara helped her boyfriend out of his maid uniform until he stood in nothing but his sagging diaper, which quickly came off. "Let's wash up, and we can then go to dinner. We need to let Daddy know that you'll be moving in with me."

While Kei started up the shower, Fara took off her dress and joined her boyfriend. The two quickly washed each other and resisted the desire to make love for the time being. Both attired in casual dresses, they went to dinner where Fara sprung the news on her father. Charles Phoenix was overjoyed and promptly offered to buy Kei's home at an exceedingly generous price. Kei was at a loss as to why the Phoenix patriarch was so exuberant about his daughter's boyfriend moving in, but did not question his good fortune. By the time the weekend was over, Kei Reinard had taken up residence at Phoenix Manor and become Fara Phoenix's full-time live-in boyfriend.

Chapter 11: Babying

Kei drifted awake to the steady chime of a chronometer's alarm reminding him it was time to get up and ready for work. It took his waking mind a moment to get his bearings and take in his girlfriend's scent, and remember that he had spent the night at Fara's home. They were snuggled together in bed with him on his back, and her leg and arm possessively draped over him. The events of the past weekend reminded him that this was his home now as well and brought a smile to his face. His eyes met Fara's, who had awakened at the same time as he had. "Good morning."

"Good morning, Baby." Fara said, and smiled when her sensitive fennec hears picked up the sound of crinkling from under the sheets. Both were as usual naked under their bed's covers, the exception now being her diaper-loving boyfriend's padded state. She reached down and caressed the smooth white exterior of the absorbent garment over his crotch without saying anything.

Rolling over until he was facing her, Kei drew Fara into a slow kiss and finished off by licking her forehead between her eyes. He then closed his eyes and smiled blissfully as he relieved himself into his diaper. Fara cooed her approval upon feeling the front of his padding get very warm.

They then got out of bed and started their morning routine. Kei was still amazed with how at ease he had become in being in nothing but his diaper in front of Fara now. This had become the new normal for the two of them. She then helped him into a plain onesie that would support his padding as it got heavier through their day with subsequent wettings. He had showed her the hidden compartment in his briefcase where he kept his spare diaper and changing supplies, much to Fara's delight.

Both got fully dressed for their day at Space Dynamics and headed out the door. They first shared breakfast with Charles. The Phoenix patriarch frowned at not seeing his daughter's boyfriend in a dress, but Kei explained, "Fara and I think it best if I don't crossdress while at work."

"Oh of course. Perfectly understandable, my boy." He chuckled to himself. "It is amazing how used I've become to seeing you in feminine clothing that I now find it odd to see you in shirt and pants."

Kei laughed. "It kind of feels odd to me too to be wearing male clothing again."

The remainder of their breakfast went by with Fara filling her father in on her agenda for the day at the Phoenix Corp division that her father had put her in charge of. Once done, they bade Charles a good day and headed downstairs towards the exit. Up until this point, whenever Fara had brought her boyfriend over for a visit, they had taken one of the personal shuttles belonging to her family.

It was with these expectations that Kei followed her towards the front exit when Fara took a turn towards a side room near the front entrance. Unsure of what she had in mind, Kei simply followed her and found himself inside a pilot's changing room, not unlike the one he had been in at the CDF base before his first Arwing flight.

His eyes were immediately drawn to the two spacesuits hanging in one corner, which he immediately recognized as Fara's and his. Their helmets were sitting on a shelf above each pressure suit. Fara though went over to another set of body-covering garments and handed one to her tod. "Uh Fara? What's this about?"

"Well, since we will not be going into space, we only need to wear these lighter flight suits for atmospheric flight." Fara explained as if it was all perfectly normal.

Following her lead, he stripped down to nothing but his diaper and onesie while Fara got down to her panties and bra. They then both donned the form-fitting suits. Seeing her in her flightsuit, Kei immediately recognized it as what she wore when she flew her personal one-seat Arwing to and from Space Dynamics. Kei's own heart started to beat hard in his chest at the idea of again flying with his vixen.

Fara grinned while packing their work clothes into a small suitcase. She then handed her boyfriend a helmet similar to the one he wore with his spacesuit, but with the neck portion open. Taking her own, she led them out the front door and towards the two-seat Arwing trainer that she had taken him up in his first flight. "If we are going to be flying to and from work together each day, you can't expect me to let myself be chauffeured each day by shuttle. You know how much I love to fly, Sweety."

Kei could only grin as he pulled his helmet on and replied, "I think I could get used to this." With tail wagging, he quickly climbed up to his seat in the front while Fara took her place in the cockpit above and behind her boyfriend's. The flights to and from work were a brief, but exhilarating start and end to their work day, and would become part of their daily routine.

At work, they also resumed their usual routine. The only difference was that their afternoon meetings became a daily affair instead of weekly, and ended with Fara changing Kei's diaper. While not all that sexual in of itself, the act reinforced the bond of love and trust between them that had grown all the stronger. By the end of each week, both were looking forward to some quality time alone together.

It was not all roses though. Fallax Sionnach, Kei's most senior accountant under him, continued to cause him no small amount of stress. It was also apparent that he resented Kei from the beginning as nothing more than an upstart. That attitude had become even worse when Fallax found out Fara had become Kei's girlfriend.

It would finally all come to a head. It had started the week before. Kei was reviewing the expenditures for the Landmaster Tank upgrades project and had noticed some irregularities. Over a period of months, this discrepancy between reported expenses and the contract account balance had grown and was now close to two million dollars. It was subtle, and could have easily been overlooked, especially on a military contract worth 75 billion dollars. Kei had assigned Fallax this important account in an attempt to placate the cantankerous fennec, and now had to meet with him to discuss this discrepancy.

Now more than ever, he was glad to be back in diapers, this time with his vixen's full support. The stress relief he derived from the padding would be very much needed for the upcoming confrontational meeting. Activating his desk comm, he placed the call. "Fallax, could you come to my office?"

Fara was in her executive office, having just concluded another meeting with her project managers and was typing up the weekly summary for her father when her computer terminal pinged with an urgent message. Opening it, she read the message from her head accountant. With each word she read, her ire grew. By the end of the message, she swore, "Damn that idiot." She quickly activated her comm and placed a call to her chief ethics officer.

When the dust had settled that very same day, Fallax Sionnach was being escorted from the premises of Space Dynamics and arrested by authorities on charges of embezzlement for the missing two million dollars. Fara found Kei sitting in his office, looking worn out from the whole affair. He looked up at his vixen when she walked in and quickly got to his feet and walked into her welcoming embrace. "What a day!"

Fara rested her forehead against his. "I'm proud of you, Sweety. I know how such things stress you out. You did well." She reached down between them and loosened his belt, letting his pants open up in the front. Reaching inside, she felt along the inside leg gathers of his diaper and frowned. "You're hardly wet at all."

Kei licked his lips, feeling them to be somewhat parched. "Yeah. I'm feeling rather thirsty. I didn't drink as much water as I normally do." He rested his head on her shoulder. "All I want to do is forget this entire affair."

Re-buckling his belt, Fara stood back and gave her emotionally worn out tod a kiss on his forehead. "I know just the thing to help you leave all your worries and cares behind you, Baby. Let's go home."

Barely registering what she was saying, Kei simply nodded. All that was important to him was that he was going home with his vixen. Both quickly changed into their flight suits and grabbed their helmets and headed out.

Walking in through the front door, they found a hand-written note from Charles Phoenix.

Fara informed me of the unpleasantness you had to deal with today. I am quite pleased with how well you handled yourself. I expect you are quite tired from the ordeal and will most likely wish to spend some quiet time with my daughter. Take all the time you need. I will see both of you in the morrow.

Kei blinked at the unexpected letter. They usually had a pleasant dinner each night with Fara's father, but he had to admit that he was still stressed and did like the idea of spending a quiet evening alone with Fara instead. They made their way up to their suite. Once inside, Kei did not even notice the new set of packages sitting on the dining table as he started taking off his flight suit. Fara did the same and while Kei finished stripping himself down to his onesie and diaper, she opened several of the packages until she found what she was looking for.

Kei was sitting at the end of the bed with his eyes closed, still feeling worn out. He let himself be pushed back onto his back and then felt Fara undo the snaps on his onesie. "Uh Fara, I don't really need a diaper change right..." He tried to protest when he felt something large, soft, and rubbery being pushed into his mouth. "Wuh?" His eyes shot open and crossed to focus on the end of his muzzle and the plastic shield at the end. Reaching for it, he pulled the object out of his mouth and gazed wide-eyed at the adult-sized pacifier in his hand.

Fara though took the pacifier from his hand and pushed it back into his muzzle, and smiled down at him while gently admonishing him. "Ah-ah. Not another word Baby. You just lie back and let me take good care of you."

Numbly nodding to the smiling vixen above him, Kei felt blood rush to his cheeks. Just when he had recently gotten over his bashfulness at being seen in diapers by his girlfriend, and even wetting them, she had taken it a step further. A convolution of emotions went through him at the thought of his vixen taking on a maternal role over him. Before he knew it, she had stripped him down to his fur and was guiding him to their bathroom.

Fara drew up a warm bath and coaxed him into it, easing herself into the warm water herself behind him. She then proceeded to wash him, starting with the fur on his head and working her way around to his ears, muzzle, cheeks, and neck, and going down from there. Under her tender, loving care, the tensions of the day began to seep out of him. He then gave his pacifier a suck, and the flow of those tensions turned into a torrent of anxiety leaving him.

Lulled into a sense of contentment, Kei soon forgot about all his worries from the stressful day he had gone through. He was snapped back to awareness by the sound of water draining out of their shared tub and Fara coaxing him to his feet. Dripping wet, they stood together under the warm, rushing air of their fur dryer while Fara towled him off.

Fara then led him back to their bedroom where she had him lie on his back. With child-like eyes wide with wonder, Kei watched her set a package down on the bed and withdraw from it a pink diaper. After working in anti-rash ointment into his crotch fur and under his rear, she lifted him up by his hind legs and slipped the girly padding under his rump, taping it in place in the front and back. A thorough brushing of his fur soon followed, further easing the tension out of the tod.

This was followed by another surprise for Kei in the form of a light and dark pink footed sleeper with cute flowers and frilly trim, to which she clipped a tether going from his pacifier to the collar of his sleeper. Fara then covered his head in a matching, adult-sized baby bonnet.

With the initial shock having finally worn off, Kei Reinard contemplated this new development in his relationship with Fara Phoenix. Ever since his college days, he had loved being in diapers. He was to his core a diaper lover, but he had never thought of himself as an adult baby. Still, he could not deny that he was beginning to enjoy being babied by his girlfriend, and wondered what else she had in store for him. His thoughts drifted to the dining table just outside their bedroom with its multitude of packages, some of them now opened. It then dawned on him that she must have been planning this ever since she had discovered his secret and the world of ABDL.

Fara had much, much more planned for her charge. She led him out to their suite's living area and tapped him on the nose. "Wait right here." She stepped out and soon returned with a trolley upon which were several dishes of food under covers. What riveted Kei's eyes though was the large baby bottle next to the food plates. Fara rolled the food trolley up next to the dining table, which she cleared of the remaining packages. One very large package that sat next to the table was as large as a chair. Once she broke it open, it revealed to have contained not only a chair, but an actual adult-sized high chair.

Kei's heart fluttered as Fara took him by the hand and sat him in the high chair, buckled him in place, and lowered the attached table down in front of him. She fitted him with a large bib and took his pacifier out of his mouth. Still speechless, Kei watched as Fara then took the covers off the two plates, revealing a roast chicken dinner with roasted potatoes and carrots.

She cut up the chicken breast on one of the plates into small pieces and proceeded to spoon-feed him one bite at a time, along with the carrots and potatoes, eating bites of her own meal in between while he chewed his. Once they were done, she wiped his chin with the bottom edge of his bib and then slipped his pacifier back in his mouth, which he reflexively began to suck on.

Dirty plates were loaded upon the food trolley and set aside. Fara then unstrapped him and helped him out of his high chair. She picked up the large baby bottle and squirted a small dribble of milk into her palm, confirming that it had cooled enough. Taking him by the hand, she led her babied boyfriend back to their bedroom. With both crawled under the covers, Fara laid her upper back and head against the headboard and had Kei rest his head on her shoulder.

When Fara guided the large nipple to his muzzle, Kei thought he'd be embarrassed. The moment the soft rubber teat filled his mouth and warm milk was squeezed onto his tongue, a feeling of peace, safety, and contentment washed over him and all was right in the world. As he began to suckle, he discovered that he absolutely loved being bottle-fed. It was for him the best part of being babied. He closed his eyes and continued to nurse on his bottle and became so relaxed that he was soon basking in the warmth spreading over his crotch and rump from having wet himself without a care in the world.

Fara tenderly caressed his head while she bottle-fed her babied tod. This was the first time she had taken on the role of caretaker and she found that she loved the role almost as much as that of mistress. It was still early evening, but after a trying and stressful workday, Kei was already drifting off even as he continued to nurse. She smiled when he nuzzled into her chest even while he continued to languidly suckle on his bottle. When he was done drinking his milk, Fara withdrew the empty baby bottle and quietly giggled to herself at how he hummed happily when she replaced his pacifier back into his muzzle. Sliding back down under the covers, she spooned her grown fox pup from behind and drifted off to slumber.

*****

Kei drifted back through that twilight between dreams and wakefulness with a sense of warmth and safety. Within that space, he became aware of an uncomfortable pressure in his bladder, and without giving it any further thought, relaxed those troublesome muscles and sighed in relief while another source of warmth bloomed between his legs....

And startled himself to full wakefulness, thinking for a brief moment that he had just wet the bed. A murmured hum, the scent of fennec vixen, and the caress of her hands over his thickly padded posterior reminded him that it was perfectly fine to wet himself while in bed. With that brief crisis ended, Kei relaxed fully and sighed in both contentment and relief, warming his diaper even further. "Mmmm. Good morning, Sweety." he heard his vixen murmur from behind him.

"Good mwoning...." he replied, and suddenly became aware that his muzzle was occupied by a large, adult-sized pacifier. It then all came back to him. The loving way Fara had washed and brushed him, diapered him, and thoroughly babied him, and falling asleep while being bottle-fed. After the hard, stressful day he had at work, being so completely loved and cared in such a way had been divine. And being bottle-fed had felt so right and left him feeling so incredibly relaxed like he had never felt before.

Fara looked out their bedroom window. The first glow of dawn was only now beginning to light up the sky. "It's really early, but we did go to sleep early too." She nuzzled Kei behind his neck. "So how about we start the day with a good breakfast?"

Kei's mind though was on the infantile turn his life had taken, and part of him felt reluctant to leave this oasis of childhood that he now found himself in. One hand drifted to the baby bonnet he was wearing while the other went over the front of his footed sleeper and the comfort he found in both. Going downstairs for breakfast meant leaving the privacy of their suite. It meant having to look and act like an adult fox.

He twisted around until he was facing his vixen, and placed a hand on her stomach while taking his pacifier out of his muzzle with his other hand. "Last night....that was the most special thing you've ever done for me so far..." He paused, trying to put in words what he felt right then. "Looking back, it feels like my life was so dull before I met you....You helped me discover and embrace my feminine side....So much so that I don't want to wear anything but pretty dresses, gowns, corsets, lingerie, and so forth."

"You do look so beautiful, and I love seeing you in such outfits." Fara affirmed.

Kei nodded and then went on. "Then, you helped me discover my submissive side and I can think of no mistress more wonderful and loving than you."

"Awww. That's so sweet....and I love having you as my pet."

"And I love being your pet." Kei replied. "And then last night....There's this baby girl in me that I never knew was there....I've always known I loved being in diapers since my college days, but it never occurred to me until last night that I'd love being babied too." He paused and thought to himself. "I mean, I don't see myself actually acting like a baby, but I loved how you treated me like a little girl."

Kei thought about the still unopened packages stacked next to the dining table where they had dinner the previous night, where Fara had spoon fed him while he sat in the oversized highchair. "There are baby girl dresses in some of those packages, aren't there?"

"Yes, there are, Sweety." Fara smiled, overjoyed at knowing she had guessed correctly that he'd love what she had in mind for him. His reaction only reinforced that notion.

"Ohhhh." her crossdressed boyfriend cried. "I so much want to wear them now and spend the whole weekend as your baby girl."

"Awww. Don't you fret. I'll give you the full baby girl treatment later today, but I want us to go out for a bit too."

Kei sighed and nodded, acquiescing to her more immediate plans. "Okay..." He then smiled to her bashfully. "Do....do you think you could...bottle-feed me again before we go downstairs?"

Fara's reply was to pull her grown baby into her arms and enthusiastically plan multiple kisses all over his face, muzzle, ears, and blow raspberries along his neck, making him giggle until he was running out of breath. "Mmmmmm. You are just too adorable." She reached over to her nightstand comm unit and dialed a code. When the connection was made, she said into it, "I'd like a liter of milk brought up to my suite, warmed to 40°C."

Though she rarely called up for room service, one of the mansion's serving droids within 10 minutes came up to with a pitcher of warm milk, placed it on the dining table, and left. Fara quickly rinsed out the baby bottle, refilled it with the fresh warm milk, and returned to bed, sitting again with her back against the headboard.

Kei immediately laid down on his back with his head on her lap and happily accepted the proffered nipple. That sense of blissful contentment returned full force as he once again nursed on warm milk. Suckling on his bottle, and feeling her hand's gentle caresses on his head, left him feeling deeply relaxed and loved all in one. With a belly full of milk and a deep sigh, he naturally flooded his diaper in one prolonged wetting that left his padding bloated and heavy by the time he had finished his morning bottle.

Fara smiled down at him knowingly as she set the now empty bottle aside. "All done?"

"Uh-huh" was his blissful reply.

"Then let's get you changed and all dressed for our day out today.

Chapter 12: An Extremely Precious Gift

Kei and Fara walked together, hand-in-hand down the main stairs towards the kitchen. They had decided to wear matching dresses, with comfortable loose sleeves, plunging neckline, and contrasting trim along the hemming of the knee-length skirt and at the ends of the sleeves. Each also wore leather boots that matched the trim of their dresses. The only difference were the colors. Fara's dress was a deep red with black trim and boots, while Kei's dress was pink with white trim and boots. He also wore a fresh pink diaper, safely hidden under a white onesie under his dress.

In a breakfast nook attached to the kitchen, they joined Charles for breakfast. "Good morning, Daddy." "Good morning, Charles."

"And a good morning to both of you. I trust you are well-rested?" He asked.

"Yes, we are," replied Kei, "and thank you for the note yesterday."

"Think nothing of it. I too have days when I want to do nothing but unwind. So I most certainly understand." he assured him while Kei and his girlfriend joined him at the table.

There were times when Kei was amazed with how well-grounded the Phoenix patriarch was. He was the absolute wealthiest person in all of Lylat, and here they were, sharing a simple breakfast of eggs, toast, and fruit in an unassuming nook inside the massive family mansion.

"So what are your plans for today?" Charles asked while spreading strawberry preserve on his toast.

"I was thinking of taking Kei to the shopping district in Downtown Corneria City. Maybe catch some of the street performers, see a movie, or simply go for a walk through one of the parks." Fara replied.

Charles nodded with a smile. "That is a splendid idea. I'll make the usual arrangements."

When their breakfast was done, Kei and Fara headed to out the front door. "Uh, Fara? I'm curious about something."

"Yes?" she asked as they got into her roadster.

"With you being an heiress to the Phoenix Corporation, aren't you afraid of some criminal abducting you for ransom or something like that?"

Fara leaned over and gave her boyfriend a smooch while starting her vehicle's motor. "Those 'usual arrangements' you heard Daddy mention are a security detail that always shadows me, and now you, when we go out in public. There's usually about 50 of them, all ex-special forces that Daddy hired. Some are invisible in stealth suits, while others blend in crowds around us."

Kei couldn't help but look around them, wondering if any of them were nearby, even as Fara went on. "They are really good at their job. Even with some of the technology I have on me sometimes, I've managed to detect one of them on only two occasions." She then shrugged. "Because of who I am, I have had to accept that there will always be some out there who would want to harm me, but I can live with this arrangement. It allows me the freedom to mostly go where I want, without feeling smothered by a platoon of armed guards marching with me."

"Has anybody ever tried anything against you?"

"Only twice. The first time was an abduction attempt. They barely had a chance to do anything before my shadows swooped in from every direction to apprehend the individuals who were wanting to kidnap me."

"And the second time?" Kei asked wide-eyed.

Fara giggled. "It was a purse snatcher. He had rudely bumped into me, then grabbed my bag and ran off. He barely made it ten meters when out of the crowd this arm stuck out and clotheslined the perp."

Kei's laughter joined that of his vixen's. "I'd have loved to have seen that."

Their morning foray into Corneria City was an enjoyable one. Kei was amazed that, as flat-chested as he was, he was still mistaken for a vixen by virtue of his effeminate qualities, and not a crossdressing male in the pink dress he wore. It also helped that the strongest source of his male scent was contained inside his diaper, which itself was designed to absorb odors.

They were ambling through one of the upper-class malls, window shopping from one boutique to another and were passing a jeweler when something caught Fara's eye. "Oooh. Let's go inside."

Kei shrugged and smiled, following his vixen. Once inside, he immediately could see that this was not your typical jewelry store. The collection of rings, necklaces, brooches, and so forth were a cut above what he was used to seeing. The number of diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and other precious stones in each piece were significantly more numerous, and each stone noticeably larger.

He glanced down at one diamond and ruby necklace, but could not see any listed price. It brought to mind a saying: 'If you have to ask how much, you can't afford it.' Despite that, Kei hoped that some items were within his means. Fara had come to mean the world to him, and he found himself wanting to buy her something nice. He was at the far corner of the boutique, looking over more modest jewels that he thought would look nice with her yellow ball gown, when he heard Fara say, "I'd like to take a look at this one."

Kei turned to see Fara at the far end admiring a dazzling tiara made up of an impossible quantity of pink diamonds, many of which looked to be several carats in size. "You have impeccable tastes, Miss Phoenix." the jeweler, a silver fox named Gerrard, said from behind the counter. It was apparent that he had recognized Fara and knew that she could probably buy out the entire collection in his store if she were so inclined. He took delight in describing the tiara in great detail to his girlfriend. "This is one of our finest tiaras ever. It is made of 513 carats of the rare, flawless pink diamonds, including the five 25-carat diamonds you see in the darker pink. The underlying frame is made of 18 carat white gold, alloyed with platinum.

Fara saw her boyfriend and beckoned him, "Would you come over, Sweety?" Seeing his eyes drawn to the tiara that was in his favorite color, she knew without a doubt that she was going to buy it for him. When Kei had approached and was standing in front of her, Fara placed the tiara upon his head and started adjusted it until the sides were nestling comfortably behind his ears.

When she had crowned him with the tiara, Kei felt the blood drain from his face. She could not possibly be considering buying this extravagant gift for him, could she? But he quickly realized that she was when she declared, "Oooh. It looks really beautiful on you, Kei. It will go perfectly with your ball gown."

She took the tiara back and handed it to the salesfox. "I'll buy it. Please have it delivered to my residence." She smiled to her boyfriend and, seeing his pupils dilate, thought it best not to tell him that she had just spent $675 million.

Kei himself had the same thought, not wanting to know how much his vixen had just splurged on him. He was simply stunned and stood there, only vaguely listening as Gerrard conversed with Fara. "And what about you, Miss Phoenix? Might I interest you in something similar for yourself?"

"Oh no, I'm good. I already have a lovely diamond and sapphire tiara that I'll wear to the event I'll be attending with my friend here."

Kei snapped out of his daze upon hearing of the blue precious stones making up this tiara Fara was mentioning. "Sir? I...was actually looking at some light-blue earrings a moment ago for my girlfriend here."

Gerrard smiled to the vixen who was obviously a love interest of the Phoenix heiress. "And what did you have in mind, my dear lady?"

Kei for his part felt heat rise to his cheeks at the thought that he was once again mistaken for a vixen, but gave the distinguished tod in front of him a tremulous smile while indicating the jewelry display at the far corner of the boutique. "I saw some really pretty earrings with these large, blue precious stones in them."

The salesfox carefully schooled his expression to a neutral smiles. Unlike Fara Phoenix, this vixen was showing interest in jewelry that was at the far low end of the store's collection. It was reserved for the occasional middle-class patron who once in a while wandered in, looking for something affordable. He followed her to the display case.

"Sweety, you don't need to buy me something just because I did."

"Oh, I know Fara, but I was thinking of getting you something before I even knew you were buying me that nice tiara." He pointed down at the earring in one corner. "Do you think these would look nice with yours?"

"Ooh. They are lovely, and are the same shade of blue as the sapphires in my tiara."

When he saw the light shine in her eyes, Kei knew he just had to do everything he could to buy his girlfriend those earrings. He then glanced up at the salesfox. Though he was smiling politely, Kei was not fooled. Taking a deep breath, he thought it best to be honest up front. "Sir....I know that this is probably at the low end of what your clientele usually buys in this fine boutique you run. I...well, I'd like to think I can splurge once in a while, but I'm nowhere near as wealthy as my dearest Fara here." He looked ruefully towards the other displace cases. "The fact that you don't list any prices tells me that there's no chance I could ever afford any of the jewelry you have in those cases."

Gerrard could not help but be sympathetic towards this vixen. "Well, it's the thought that counts, as they say."

"And Fara makes me feel like the luckiest tod in the Universe." Kei admitted, not even realizing that he had just let his guard down and revealed that he was a crossdressed male. "She's been so wonderful to me. I'd do anything to please her."

Gerrard himself was caught completely off guard. "Goodness, I thought you were a vixen. My...apologies." The way this crossdressing tod glanced away and sighed while saying 'Sorry' coupled with the fondness Fara Phoenix was obviously displaying for this male spoke a great deal of the love they shared. "No apologies are necessary, my good sir. Any male who would go to such lengths to please the lady he loves has my deepest respect." He then added with a grin, "And if I may I be so bold, you make a most beautiful vixen."

Kei smiled at the positive comment. "Thank you, Sir." He glanced down at the beautiful blue earrings he fervently hoped he would be able to afford. "So now the hard part." He gave Gerrard a rueful grin. "What can you tell me about these earrings and how much will it cost a lowly middle-class fellow like me?"

Gerrard took the earrings out of the case and let the crossdressed tod examine them as he described what he was looking at. "Each earring comprises of a 5-carat sapphire, encircled by 1/10 carat diamonds on a white gold base." He saw the admiration Fara had for the pretty earrings, and it was plain to him that her boyfriend very much wanted to buy them for her, even as he asked, "And now the bad news."

The price the salesfox quoted made Kei internally cringed. It would take a substantial chunk out of his life's savings, even at the generous salary he was now earning. He bit his lower lip and mulled over ponying up such a large amount.

Gerrard also mulled over the price he was asking. The love this couple had for each other was as bright as the brightest gemstone in his collection, and transcended any societal boundaries between them. The fact that he was still contemplating the price told him plenty as well. Truthfully, with the profit he had just made selling the tiara, he could give those earrings away for free and still come out substantially ahead. But then the earrings would not be as meaningful if the tod did not make the financial sacrifice to please her. So he came to a decision. "Tell you what. I have new stock coming in, and would like to sell these earrings as soon as possible. I'll let you have them for 70% off."

Kei brightened at the price reduction. While still a very costly purchase for him, it would not decimate his savings. "Okay. You have a deal."

"Splendid!" Gerrard declared. It was rare for him to be so pleased to sell something at a loss, but he felt proud to have done so for this tod. Arrangements were made to have the earrings shipped with the tiara and Kei submitted his payment.

For her part, Fara was deeply touched. As lovely as the tiara was that she had just purchased for her boyfriend, it had cost her but a miniscule fraction of her fortune. Relative to what she knew was his personal net worth compared to hers, Kei had just spent well over 10,000 times more than she had. It made these modest sapphire earrings an extremely precious gift that she would cherish.

Chapter 13: Diapers, Dresses, and Fetters

When they arrived back home, the package with the jewelry was already waiting for them, having been delivered by express courier directly from the jeweler to Phoenix Manor and brought up by one of the service droids to their suite. Fara though was not interested in the package. She drew her love into her arms and rested her head on his shoulder. "Thank you, Kei. Those earrings are the most wonderful gift I've ever been given."

Kei smiled while holding his vixen in his arms. "I know it's not much, but I'm glad you love them so much. I just wish...."

Fara cut him off. "Don't sell yourself short, Sweety. I know those earrings cost you a lot, and it means so much to me that you'd think I'm worth splurging on like that."

Understanding how deeply she appreciated the gift warmed Kei's heart. He nuzzled her large fennec ear. "You are so worth it. You've made me happier than I've ever been in my entire life."

She drew back from the hug and melded her muzzle to his on a slow, languid kiss. Kei returned the kiss, losing himself in his exploration of her muzzle even as her tongue slid inside his own. When he felt her hands behind his back pulling down the zipper to his dress, he went along and reciprocated, reaching behind her back to do the same. They were soon down to just their undergarments: Fara in just her panties and bra, and Kei in nothing but his diaper, which was quite soggy and sagging under its weight.

Though no longer embarrassed, Kei still smiled bashfully to his vixen, which made him all the more adorable in her eyes. "Let's get you into a fresh diaper." She led him to the bedroom and eased him onto his back on their bed after pulling off the tape over his tail. The tapes in the front of his diaper were quickly pulled and his soggy padding was disposed of in the diaper pail in their bathroom. She then went to their closet and was there for several minutes. Kei could hear his girlfriend getting dressed by the sound of fabric sliding up along fur and of zippers being pulled.

When Fara stepped out of the closet, Kei knew that untold pleasures were awaiting him. He drank in her sexually dominant beauty. Black vinyl boots extended up to just over her knees. From underneath the boots, he could see that she was wearing fishnet stockings that went up to the top of her legs, held up by straps extending down from a garter belt over black latex panties that tightly hugged her in the front and over her rump. A black vinyl bustier hugged her midriff and pushed up her chest provocatively. A thin vinyl collar encircled her neck. Finishing off her outfit were black latex gloves extending up the full length of her arms.

In gloved hands, Fara held a fresh pink diaper and two small packages that she set on the bed next to him. After sliding the diaper under his rear, she took her time washing his crotch and the cleft of his rump, and then spent a longer than usual time washing his maleness, which was already very much erect. He was left panting and then whining when she stopped pleasuring him and instead winked to him while withdrawing from the packages a large, rubber putt plug and a pacifier with pink straps attached to the pink shield.

Kei gaped, wide-eyed, at the not so unexpected turn in their play. He had originally thought she was going to just baby him, but when she had returned with another pink diaper for him while wearing that stunning dominatrix outfit, he knew that it would be more than just diapers, dresses, and bottle feedings. The idea of his love of diapers and being babied being combined with bondage had never occurred to him, but he found himself becoming excited at the prospect.

Seeing his gaping muzzle, Fara took the opportunity to slip the pacifier into it. When Kei reflexively closed his lips around the southing, mouth-filling rubber bulb, she pulled the wide straps up around his muzzle, forcing it closed, and buckled the longer attached straps behind his head.

Kei could not help but smile around his pacifier gag. Everything Fara had done to and with him had been nothing but wonderful, and he was all too happy to submit to whatever she had in mind for him. So when he saw her coating the butt plug heavily with lubricant, he brought is knees up over his chest to more fully expose his rear.

Fara cooed in delight at seeing him so eager. She squeezed lube into his rear, and then pushed one latex-clad finger into him, followed by a second, and then a third, twisting around to help loosen him up. She then curled her three fingers up and pressed them against his prostate, causing him to pant through his nose. "Mmmm. You like that, don't you?"

His emphatic nod only confirmed what Fara already knew. She withdrew her fingers, and was able to easily push the wide butt plug into her submissive boyfriend. When his rear passage closed in on the toy's narrow base, Kei lowered his legs and Fara drew the front of his diaper over his fully aroused maleness and taped it in place.

She then helped him up to his feet and led him out into the main living area where she went straight to the dining room table and started opening each package in turn until Fara exclaimed, "Ah-ha. There it is."

Kei became giddy and his tail wagged with anticipation when she pulled out a pink baby girl party dress with white frilly trim on the puff sleeves and the bottom edge of the skirt. The dress was open in the front from the shoulders straight down to the waistline, with darker pink lacing going across a buttoned undershirt visible underneath. The collared top of the undershirt was adorned with a large bow in the same dark shade of pink as the lacing.

Fara helped Kei put the dress on, and then slipped a wide dark pink sash about his waist with a large bow in the back. She watched him go straight to their room's full-length mirror and smiled when he cupped his muzzle with his hands and gazed raptly at his reflection.

It was while he was admiring the beautiful dress that Fara had put him in that he noticed her in the mirror, approaching him from behind. His heart skipped when he saw the matching pink baby bonnet in her hands just moments before she slipped it on around his head and then walked around in front of him to tie the strap under his chin. When she stepped away to let him see his reflection again, he saw that his head was now completely encapsulated in a frilly halo of pink with white trim along the edge, and little dark bows all around the edge, with a larger bow on the top of his bonnet.

Kei uttered a muffled cried of happiness around his pacifier gag at seeing the beautiful baby vixen she had turned him into. And Fara was not through dressing him up. She fitted him with pink mitts over his hands and then knelt down to slip pink wooly socks with tassels over his feet. When she stood up, she kissed him on the nose. "My, aren't you the most adorable baby girl."

Fara then reminded Kei that she intended to combine his babying with bondage play when she slipped pink cuffs around his wrists and ankles. She then reached under his skirt and groped his crotch through the thick padding of his diaper, rubbing her hand against his resurging maleness. "And such a good, naughty little vixen, aren't you?"

The apparently oxymoronic, rhetorical question was barely registered in Kei's mind when Fara's other hand pressed firmly against his rear, making his butt plug shift inside him, and gently pushed him forward. Kei needed little coaxing to let himself be guided past their bedroom to the guest room. Since he had first visited Fara at Phoenix Manor, and then moved in with her, he had never paid this spare room, whose door was always closed, any heed. He had just figured it was simply an unused spare bedroom.

Kei could not have been more wrong. It may have once been a bedroom, but that was not the case now. He stood there, rooted to the spot, while his mind processed what he was seeing. Hanging from pegs on the far wall were a wide array of straps, chains, spreader bar, and other restraining accoutrements. On a shelf was an eclectic collection of sexual toys from dildos and butt plugs to pumps to vibrators. Next to them were various hoods, gasmasks, gags, and blindfolds. A cabinet stood in the corner, containing Kei knew not what. In a corner was what looked like a vacuum pump. A clear hose ran from the pump to a cylindrical metal can with an airtight lid from which extended four receptacles. Coiled red and clear hoses hung on the wall next to the apparatus. On a shelf above the hoses were several clear plastic tubes, each with receptacle atop it. The other end of each tube was open, and a rubber liner could be seen extending inside.

But it was the bondage furniture in the center of the room that captivated Kei's attention. One was a bench with horizontal padded rests upon which he could lay his forearms, legs, chest, and head, each with straps to restrain him on. The other was a flat table with multiple straps to secure him in place. The table was actually tilted to almost vertical, with the fulcrum behind it at the table's center. It was to this second piece of bondage furniture that Fara guided her submissive boyfriend.

Understanding her intent, Kei turned around and laid back against the table passively while Fara secured him to it by his wrist and ankle cuffs, with an additional wide belt going across his torso. She then tilted him back until the table was nearly horizontal. She looked down at her pet and purred. "Mmm. Have you been a good baby and done a number one in your diaper?"

Kei smiled around his pacifier gag and shrugged while shaking his head. Having just been changed into a fresh diaper, he had not yet felt the need to urinate in them. He did blush when she teasingly chastised him. "Oooh. Such a naughty girl, not using your diaper like you're supposed to. Well, there's no doing number twos in them. Let's see if you can do a number three." she suggested to him with a wink.

He frowned at her words, unable to fathom what a 'number three' could mean. A loud buzzing sound drew his attention to the large vibrating wand Fara was holding, just before she lifted his skirt and pressed the vibrator firmly against his diapered front. With a muffled moan, Kei immediately understood what she was suggesting as the third way to use his diaper.

Fara for her part was loving every moment, pleasuring her submissive pet. With her other hand, she groped and massaged his crotch through the vibrating thickness of his diaper. Already, she could feel his erection growing under his padding and ran the wand up and down his maleness which she could see outlined under the front of the pink diaper. This went on for a good quarter hour, with no swelling of his knot signaling an impending climax.

Kei did very much want to do that number three in his diaper, but as pleasurable as the vibrating wand was, it was not enough by itself. Each time he thought he would begin to get close to his release, something in his padding would shift and cause the vibrating wand to move.

"Mmmmm. No number three yet?" Fara asked coyly. "That will simply not do." Kei blushed under his facial fur, feeling despondent at not being able to please his vixen. Fara though would not be dissuaded, having planned for this possibility. Kei watched her withdraw from her cleavage a small remote. Eyeing him with a grin, she pressed a switch and his butt plug came to life with a strong thrumming vibration that engulfed his crotch.

The effect on Kei was immediate. His knot quickly grew and he was huffing raggedly through his nose. With erotic vibrations from without and within assaulting his sexual organ, his arousal which had been simmering came to a fast boil and Kei shuddered into his diaper. Fara cooed, feeling pleased at bringing the tod she loved so deeply to his first climax. "There, there, Baby Girl." And she was far from done with him.

While he sank into a post-orgasmic stupor, Fara walked to the corner or the room and retrieved the vacuum pump, steel can, hoses, and one of the tubes Kei had noticed earlier. She placed the heavy pump and can under the table. One end of the clear hose was connected to the discharge receptacle in the steel can and the red hose to the corresponding vacuum regulator. The other end of the clear hose was connected to the metal top of the clear tube that fed into the silicon rubber liner within. The red hose was connected to the side of the tube, feeding into the gap between the tube and liner.

Kei was coming out of the daze of his afterglow and noticed Fara hang this plastic tube on a bungee cord extending from the ceiling above him so that it hovered right over his crotch. It only dawned on him what she intended when she pushed his dress back and undid the tapes on the front of his diaper. He watched with nervous excitement as she slipped the tube over his flaccid maleness. Fara then attached a thin hose to the side of the tube that fed lubricant down around his maleness within the liner and turned on the pump.

He heard a pulsing suction sound from below the table. But before he could wonder why nothing has happening, he saw Fara turn a valve on the clear hose right above the tube containing his maleness and gasped through his nose at the strong pulsing suction firmly pulling his maleness up into the tube. Blood rushed to his groin and he was instantly erect within the milking tube. With wide eyes, he watched the tube move up and down around his maleness, the silicone liner within flexing around his erection with each pulse.

Having just climaxed, the stimulation was not very erotic, though quite pleasant, but the milking machine was relentless and eventually, Kei felt the pleasure build again, drawing out of him a deep moan. On it went, pulsing and sucking on his maleness until his knot began to swell within the wider portion of the milking tube near its base.

Fara's heart was warmed by the blissful expression in his eyes and kissed him on the nose. "MMmmm. Is my sexy, baby girly boy having a good time?" The question was rhetorical, but Kei nodded nonetheless. He could feel himself quickly approaching his peak. In moments, his eyes rolled back and he came hard into the milker. In the throes of his orgasmic euphoria, he was oblivious to the sight of his seed being sucked up through the clear hose attached to his milking tube.

Coming down from his climax, he discovered how insidious this machine could be. The suction kept him erect, even as his knot deflated. Even worse, he was now very hypersensitive, but the pulsing suction kept on going. He was helpless to stop it, squirming and whimpering in his bonds and looked pleadingly to his vixen.

Fara though, didn't have it in her to be sadistic in the least and turned down the pulsing, though she kept the suction on. Kei sighed in relief and went limp on the bondage table. He closed his eyes and made happy whining sounds while Fara petted him on the head for a minute while he recovered. He was almost dozing by the end of that minute when his afterglow was suddenly brought to an end with the resumption of the milking tubes pulsing rhythm.

Kei gazed up wide-eyed at his girlfriend when she grinned down at him and said. "Let's see how many times this thing can make you cum." He didn't know if he should be excited or afraid at the implications of her words. In the end, he climaxed six more times over a period of just an hour, with the milker never stopping except for a minute after each orgasm. His output was less with each round, but his orgasms were getting more intense. By the time he was approaching his seventh, Kei was starting to feel wrung out.

Fara slid his bonnet back and unbuckled his muzzle, pulling his pacifier gag out of his mouth and replaced it with her muzzle in a slow and deep kiss. To help him out further, she reached under the table and twisted a valve on the milking can, increasing the suction even further.

As exhausted as Kei was, the taste of his vixen's muzzle melded to his and the stronger, tighter suction on his maleness re-ignited his ardor. Fara herself was deeply aroused by the whole scene, from seeing her boyfriend moaning and helplessly squirming in his bonds to the sight of his engorged maleness pulsing up and down within the milking tube. She could feel that the insides of her latex panties were soaked.

Kei himself was just as excited and enjoying himself immensely. But as much as he wanted to, he could not climax. The milker had so thoroughly drained him that he did not think he could yield any more seed at the moment. He began to whine desperately while still being kissed by his vixen. Breaking her muzzle away from his, Fara leaned forward and said in a husky voice, "My, my! Is my baby girl getting desperate?"

"Oh....I want....Yes....Please Fara." Kei panted and whined. For the last few minutes, it felt like he was about to reach his peak, but the summit of his pleasure was beyond his grasp. His knot was fully engorged, but it felt like his gonads had nothing left to yield. When Fara briefly melded her muzzle to his again, he return the kiss with a desperation of a tod aching for her love.

Fara knew that while he had willingly submitted himself to her and would happily serve her however she pleased, her actual goal this day had been to devote all her energy in pleasuring him. She was not a materialistic vixen, but could not help but be deeply touched by the gift of those earrings, especially given that he had been ready to nearly wipe his life's savings for her if the jeweler had not been so generous with that discount. So she was determined to give him the orgasm he desperately wanted.

Kei whimpered when his vixen broke their kiss and stepped away from him, even as she assured him. "Be right back, Sweety." He could hear her moving about behind him. It became even more distracting and arousing when he heard her moan and pant for a minute until she cried out with a resounding yap. He could not believe it! She was actually masturbating by herself while he whimpered and squirmed on this bondage table!

"Fara....Please..." he pleaded as she came back into view. His eyes were immediately drawn to her crotch. She had removed her latex panties. Before he could beg any further, his vixen brought into view a full latex hood with a gasmask attached to the front. She pulled it over and down around his head and drew the zipper shut in the back, sealing him inside it. With his ears pressed flat against his skull, he could barely hear her when she attached a hose to his gasmask and said, "Okay Kei, I want you to breathe in deeply."

He did as she asked and his olfactory senses were immediately filled with the scent of latex and a vixen who had just climaxed. His eyes shot open as his mind was engulfed by Fara's pheromones. It was then that he noticed the other end of the hose which she held with a small hand towel over it. With his next deep breath, he realized that towel was soaked with her orgasmic discharge. Kei kept breathing deeply the heady scent of aroused vixen.

He could feel her scent stoking the fire in his loins. The climb to his peak this time was not slow, but built quickly to a crescendo. Though his output was small, his orgasm was incredibly intense, the spasms gripping his maleness almost painful. The aftermath left him pleasantly exhausted in a profound afterglow so deep that he drifted off before he even realized it.

*****

Awareness return to Kei in the form of caressing hands and an all-encompassing sense of warmth and comfort. Looking down at himself, he saw that he was still wearing his baby girl party dress and Fara's hands were wrapped around his front. With a contented sigh, he snuggled back against the vixen who seemed to really love spooning him from behind. As he shifted, he also became aware that the vibrating butt plug was gone. His ears tried to swivel, reminding him of the cute baby bonnet covering his entire head.

When Fara heard that happy sigh, she smiled and hugged her babied effeminate boyfriend. After he had passed out, she had removed him from his bonds and carried him to the main living area where she had set him down on one of the couches before going back to their bedrooms to change out of her dominatrix outfit. She was now wearing a lavender dress and comfortable leggings and snuggle with her awakening diapered tod. "Finally decided to return from dreamland, have you?"

Kei for a moment was going to answer, but quickly became aware of his pacifier in his mouth. Instead of pulling it out, he quietly sucked and nodded while hugging her arms around him. "Uh-hum." He could hear uncertainty and concern in her voice at her next question.

"I...I wasn't too hard on you, was I?"

Memories of his bondage session came flooding back and the pleasurable torment he had endured. Kei pulled his pacifier out and twisted around until he was facing Fara. He then drew her into a warm embrace and kissed her tenderly on the muzzle. "You are the most wonderful mistress I could ever hope for....I...I don't know how long we'll be together, but I'll cherish every moment we have."

Fara was deeply touched and rested her head on his shoulder while holding him. Her mind though was on his reply. She could hear the doubt in his words, a doubt that kept him from asking a certain question that she was not surprise he would be too shy and self-deprecating to ask. Fara though would not let that stop her from attaining the happiness she deeply desired, a happiness she knew he also wished for. With those thoughts in mind, she came to a decision.

Chapter 14: Phoenix Garden Ball

The work week that followed was uneventful. Each day started with them waking up, going through their morning routine together, which included Fara changing Kei into a fresh diaper, getting dressed, sharing a breakfast with Charles, and then flying to the mountain facility that was Space Dynamics.

They would then go about their work days. Fara would oversee the daily operations of her division of Phoenix Corp, meeting with project managers, government officials, and occasionally taking a new craft up for a test flight. Ever since the unpleasant affair with Fallax Sionnach, Kei had gained an even deeper respect for those under him. The vulpine now had a new sense of confidence, feeling at ease meeting with his colleagues, even those more senior to him. With his team of accountants, they were able to keep the books balanced and expenses tracked for each of Space Dynamics' multi-billion dollar contracts.

The highlight of their day though was where they would share lunch in the company cafeteria where they had first met. Though they did refrain from public displays of affection, both still enjoyed each other's company as they ate and conversed. Lunch would end with Fara taking her favorite accountant to her office to check and often change his diaper before both resumed their separate duties.

Their day would end with a flight back home, dinner with Fara's father, and a quiet evening together. Those evening activities would sometimes end up with Kei bound with his mistress dominating him in some wonderful way. Just as often, he would get babied by his vixen while she took on the role of caretaker. On many occasion, they would simply make love. But whatever they did during their evenings together, Kei would always end up in diapers with his frilly pink footed sleeper and baby bonnet and be bottle fed before they went to sleep.

It was now the weekend again, and preparations were underway for the Phoenix Garden Ball that would begin that evening. It would be another of the many social events Charles had hosted in the hope that his daughter would meet someone who would draw her interest. It was no secret to Fara that her father wanted to live to see grandchildren. Naturally, of secondary interest to the Phoenix patriarch was the desire to ensure that the Family Business would be passed on to the next generation after his daughter.

Charles had been deeply disappointed at the crop of suiters that had been vying for his daughter's favor. Few in the top echelons of Lylat's upper class understood that Charles did not hold to the elitist values of Corneria high society, and neither did his daughter. The fact that Fara was a vixen instead of a tod made it all the more difficult in this patriarchal society. It was plain to him that males only saw Fara for the vast wealth she was heiress to, each hoping to become the next owner of Pheonix Corp with Fara as some subservient, obedient wife at worst and someone to influence at best.

One particular male fennec fox who attended each event was especially loathsome to Fara. Maurice Ducharme was the quintessential male chauvinist, and had an overly high opinion of himself. At each social event, he never failed to try to ingratiate himself to the vixen and convince her that he was the perfect match for her, that she would find no better husband.

At the last social event, several months ago, before she met Kei, Fara had all she could take of the unctuous fennec and cut loose at him with such foul language that all who attended were shocked at her behavior. The tabloids of course had a field day, embellishing on Fara's supposedly deplorable behavior. Charles and Fara couldn't care less what the others thought, and Father Phoenix was proud of his daughter for giving the pompous idiot the tongue lashing he deserved. The only reason he tolerated the arrogant fennec was because Maurice had a controlling interest in Omni Scanning Technologies, which was the prime supplier of sensors and scanners for both his civilian and military spaceships.

While he could have easily bought out the successful subcontracting company, Charles refrained from doing so. Phoenix Corp had over the years garnered a reputation as a company that did not conduct hostile takeovers of the smaller companies it did business with. It was a reputation that Charles himself had continued to cultivate. It was for this reason that many small multi-billion dollar corporations were willing and eager to do business with the Phoenix family.

When Charles had learned of the budding love between his daughter and Kei Reinard, he had been overjoyed and had promptly cancelled plans for the Phoenix Garden Ball. Fara though had convinced her father otherwise. She was intent on putting to shame all those supercilious sycophants who thought they could woo her by introducing at the ball the tod who had won her heart. It would also dispel any notion that had made its way into the high society gossip that she was a lesbian, though she didn't care if they thought she was. Her father was delighted with the notion and countermanded his order to cancel the ball.

After showering together, Kei and Fara each took the time to thoroughly groom each other's fur, using the finest quality fur conditioners that would bring their pelts to the most lustrous sheen and make their tails exceptionally fluffy. Kei took delight in running the brush through his vixen's fur, especially her front and chest. Even when her coat was as finely groomed as it could be, he kept on going until Fara grinned to her lover and took the brush. "You are enjoying this way too much."

"Guilty as charged." Kei replied unabashedly.

"Turn around, Silly." Fara laughed, and proceeded to brush out Kei's fur. Once she was done, she put their grooming supplies away and laid a fresh white MegaMax diaper down on the bed. To Kei's surprise, she also added a thick, contoured booster to the diaper. At his unasked question, Fara explained. "The ball will probably go on well into the night, and I want you nice and comfortable without any worries about needing to be changed."

Kei wrapped his arms about Fara and gave her a smooch. "You are the best. Thank you." Without any further delay, he laid down on the bed, planted his feet, and raised his rump for her to slip the extra-thick padding under him and tape the back over his tail. When he lowered himself, Fara quickly taped the front and helped her boyfriend up on his feet. Seeing himself in the mirror across the room, he then looked down at himself. "Wow, it looks and feels really thick."

Fara then handed him a pair of white, vinyl pants. When Kei examined it, he could see that the inside had an absorbent terry lining. "This is nice. I just hope I don't overheat down there."

"Don't worry, Sweety. It may be summer, but Daddy will have the back garden under a climate controlled energy shield that will keep the area nice and cool. A few of our guests are from Corneria's southern polar region, and Chief Minister Frost will be attending with his wife too." Kei recalled the elected leader of Corneria, a tall snow leopard that had gained further popularity for his support of Krystal McCloud when she had argued against telepathy being researched by their intelligence division. Uncia Frost had also been instrumental in removing Senator Winston Starky from office for his part in the Paradigm Shift scandal and its grave robbing expedition at the Shards of Cerinia, the asteroid remnant of the vixen's home world that many believed had been destroyed by Andross.

He quickly pulled the diaper pants over his padded rump, slipping his tail through the elastic opening in the back while Fara picked up his corset and loosened the lacing. "You mean I'll get to meet the Chief Minister?" He then lifted his arms so that Fara could slip the corset around him.

Fara tucked the waistband of Kei's vinyl pants under the bottom edge of his corset and set about pulling the laces to cinch her effeminate boyfriend's waist in. "Oh yes, and quite a few other important figures in Cornerian society. It's not all stuck-up snobs and arrogant, ass-kissing suiters, you know. There are some nice people who attend too, and many are friends of our family. My aunt and two uncles will be there too with their spouses, and probably quite a few of my cousins as well."

Kei looked down at himself, seeing his figure once again taking on feminine curves. "Knowing your father as I now do, I'm surprised he'd put up with any snooty upper class people....You can go a bit tighter."

Fara obliged and gave the corset laces an extra hard tug before tying them off and tucking them under the bottom edge of his corset. "Oh, Daddy has personally thrown a few out at previous gatherings when they insulted some of his friends. The ones that remain have learned to be careful to reign in their arrogance around him." She pulled on a pair of panties and bra and then slipped her own corset about her waist. Kei walked up behind her and started to work the laces as she had taught him to accentuate her already feminine figure.

"Daddy may not show it, but he's a very powerful fox." Fara explained. "If he wished, he could with little effort replace the government and make himself king....But like his father and his father's father before him cautioned, and as Daddy said to me, the wisest, most loved leaders are those who very rarely exercised their influence and power."

"Do Senators and the Chief Minister like him, then?"

"Oh yes, most do. They like that Daddy almost never interferes in government affairs. And on those rare occasions when he does exercise his influence, it's nothing more than a polite nudge with an offer to return the favor in the future."

When Kei finished cinching his vixen's corset, Fara picked up his pink ball gown and lifted it over him. With an excited giddiness, he pushed his arms through the puff sleeves until his head emerged through the collar. She then pulled the zipper up the back, causing the dress to pull in around his very feminine waist. Kei then turned around and helped his girlfriend into her dress. They each pulled on comfortable, low-heeled shoes and white elbow-length gloves.

Fara then went to her jewelry chest and withdrew a stunning diamond and sapphire tiara. It was covered in hundreds of pale blue diamonds, with several very large dark blue sapphires equally spaced around in the sea of diamonds. She carefully fitted the jewel headdress, securing it down into her hair between her long fennec ears. She then clipped on the sapphire ear rings that Kei had bought her. Both were delighted on how well the earrings and tiara went together. From the same jewelry box, she withdrew Kei's pink diamond tiara and fitted it over the anxious tod's head, securing it in place like her own.

Together, they walked to their full-length mirror. The taille portion of both their gowns was trimmed with white lace around the ends of the puffed sleeves and the collared neck. His gown was in the bright pink he so loved while hers was yellow. Both had a contrasting border on the two bottom layers, his in magenta and hers in red. The short layer of drapery that hung over the hips and back of their gowns were also in the same magenta and red contrasting colors. Both their dresses had identical swirling patterns of diamonds sewn into them, with his in dark pink and hers in red.

They were met by Fara's father at the bottom of the mansion's main stairs. In Charles' eyes, both his daughter and her effeminate boyfriend looked stunning. "You two look amazing."

"Thank you, Sir." Kei replied with a bashful smile. "You look quite dapper yourself, Daddy." Fara complimented. Charles Phoenix was wearing black pants and a white shirt with black bowtie. His attire was completed with a burgundy shawl tuxedo jacket.

With a playful smile, he rhetorically asked. "Shell we go meet our guests, ladies?" Linking his arms with both Fara and Kei, he walked between them towards the back exit where the garden party was being held.

The back garden was aglow under a crepuscular sky. Lights were hanging from the ornamental trees, adding to the visual ambiance. A small orchestra could be heard playing classical music in the background. To one side, a buffet table was laid out with numerous succulent delicacies, along with various libations. Several small clusters of guests were gathered about in conversation, all of which quieted to a murmur upon the arrival of Charles Phoenix and his two companions.

While all of them recognized Fara, their attention was drawn to the mysterious vixen walking on Charles' other side. Kei could feel all their eyes scrutinizing him. A nervous giddiness went through him when his ears caught snippets of some of their hushed comments: "Who is she?" "She's a bit young for Charles, don't you think?" "I wonder who her family is."

One group though did not need to wonder. Keeping his arms linked with both Fara and Kei, he guided them towards the family gathering. Anne purred as they neared. "Oh my! You two make quite a pair. Kei, that dress looks beautiful on you." Both Edward and Andrew grinned to Kei and gave him a thumbs up.

When they were all gathered together, Anne began introductions. "Kei, you have already met my son, William." Fara's cousin smiled and also gave Kei a thumbs up. "Looking good!" Anne then continued. "And this is my husband, Jeremy Vulpus." She then turned to the fennec tod next to her. "Jeremy, this is Kei Reinard, Fara's new friend."

"A...a pleasure to meet you." Kei said tentatively.

"Amazing!" Jeremy quietly exclaimed. Keeping his voice low so as not to be overheard, he declared. "If my wife had not told me otherwise, I would have believed my niece was dating a vixen." He then grinned while glancing around them. "It will be interesting to see how long our other guests take before they figure out you are a tod."

"Kei and I have been out in public several times, and nobody ever figured it out, Uncle Jerry." Fara informed them.

"Well done indeed." Jeremy complimented. "And your name could be easily mistaken for a feminine one too, and even your voice."

"Thank you, Sir." Kei replied, already feeling at ease. "Fara has been the best thing that has ever happened to me."

"Ah yes. I understand you are the chief accountant at Space Dynamics, which is how you two met, and call me Jeremy."

"And what about you, Jeremy?"

"Oh, I just own and run a vineyard. You may have heard of it: Castle Vulpus Vinyards."

"Ohh! Yes, I have." He glanced to his vixen and grinned. "It's Fara's favorite." He then winked to her teasingly, "though I think she's biased towards it."

All of them laughed while Fara playfully shoved her boyfriend sideways. "Oh you!"

Edward spoke up at that moment. "Kei, I'd like to introduce you to my wife, Margarete." He then turned to the white-furred fennec vixen with striking pink eyes next to him. "Dearest, this is Kei Reinard."

"Mmmm. You do look delightfully feminine, and such a nice figure too." said the albino vixen. "I dare say some ladies here might be a tad envious of you."

Kei laughed quietly. "Fara's told me that too."

Andrew spoke up at that moment. "I've told my wife, Florence, about you as well. Unfortunately, she could not join us this evening. She's an obstetrician and was called away on an emergency at Corneria City General about an hour ago, but I'd like to introduce you to my son and daughter, John and Beatrice."

"Wow! Cousin Fara wasn't kidding!" declared John Phoenix. "I can't wait to see the faces on some of those stuck-up guys wanting to marry Fara when they learn that they lost to a crossdresser....if they ever figure it out." He shook his head. "Daaamn. If you and Fara weren't together already, I might have asked you out."

"Because you'd have mistaken me for a vixen too?"

"No, because you are a cute guy." Fara's cousin said. He then took Kei's hand in his and kissed it. "I'm actually gay, and I find effeminate tods attractive."

Kei blushed hotly under his white facial fur. He was at a loss for words, having never had a male show attraction to him before. Fara though came to his rescue. "Sorry John, but Kei's mine."

Beatrice laughed. "Good for you, Fara. He's a keeper."

Kei looked around and gave Fara's extended family a heartfelt smile. "Thank you, all of you. It means so much to me that you'd accept me as I am."

"We most certainly do, son."

Kei's head snapped up and he turned around to find himself facing his parents. Several things rushed through Kei's mind. The first was that he had not known that they had been invited. The second, and foremost, was that they were seeing him dressed like a vixen.

Kei had many times wanted to introduce his girlfriend to his parents, but was confronted with a dilemma. The truthful and honest son that he was, it did not feel right for him to keep his crossdressing secret from them when he was now doing so publicly while he went out with his vixen. But at the same time, he was afraid of what his mother and father would think of him if they found out. Plagued with indecision, he had put off introducing his parents to Fara.

Concerned by his son's evasiveness, Dietrich had made inquiries at Space Dynamics, where he knew his son worked, and word reached Charles that the father of his daughter's boyfriend was asking about him. The two fathers ended up conversing for a good two hours over comlink at the end of which Charles invited Kei's parents to attend the Phoenix Garden Ball.

Kei now fervently wished he could find a hole to disappear into. "Mom?!? Dad!! I....I...uh... I can explain...." He stuttered, utterly mortified. His father raised a hand to silence him. What he said next sent Kei's mind reeling.

"It's alright, son. We are actually not all that surprised to hear you have taken to dressing like this." Dietrich said reassuringly. Kei stood there mutely, gobsmacked and feeling like he had slipped into some alternate reality.

"Mouth closed, Dear. You are not a fish." Josephine admonished. Fara giggled, watching Kei snap his gaping muzzle shut. Kei's mother walked up to her son and fiddled with the collar of his dress, straightening it up like any mother would. "It looks quite lovely on you, Kei."

Finally finding his voice, Kei asked in a tremulous voice. "Y-you're okay with this?"

"Of course we are. You were such an effeminate pup from the start, and so gentle and shy too. It's not surprising that you'd decide to start wearing dresses." Josephine revealed.

"Truthfully, we thought you might be gay." Dietrich added. He then winked to Fara. "Though I'm quite happy to see that that is not the case...Not that I'd have minded if you were." he quickly amended. "But at least, we can still hope for grandchildren."

"Daaaad!" Kei whined. He could not believe his parents were bringing up that subject, right in front of his girlfriend.

Fara laughed. She was finding Kei's parents to be delightful people. She drew her crossdressed tod into her harms and kissed him on the cheek. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your parents?"

Kei gazed at his parents, seeing only love and acceptance in their eyes. Forgetting Fara for a moment, he stepped away from her and drew his mother and father into his arms and gave them a heartfelt embrace. "Mom...Dad...I'm sorry I didn't introduce you to Fara before...I was just so afraid of what you'd say if you found out I liked dresses. Thank you for being okay with this. It means a lot to me."

Dietrich patted his effeminate son on the shoulder. "Dresses or pants, you will always be our son, Kei. We'll always love you." When they parted, Kei turned with a smile to his vixen and beckoned her over. "Fara, I'd like to introduce you to my parents, Dietrich and Josephine Reinard." He turned back to his parents. "Mom, Dad. This is Fara Phoenix."

"It is a delight to finally meet you, Fara." Dietrich said as he laid a hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. Josephine drew the vixen into her arms. "Thank you for bringing happiness to our son, Deary."

Fara return the embrace. "He makes me just as happy. You son is such a sweet, wonderful soul."

Further conversation was forgotten when they heard the band begin to play a waltz. Couples started to pair up and amble over to the center of the garden where a polished wood dance floor had been placed over the paver stones around the central fountain.

"Shall we dance, my dear?" Dietrich asked his wife of 42 years. With a smile, Josephine wordlessly took his hand and the two made their way over to the dance floor. Elderly as they were, the sedate pace of the waltz suited them nicely.

Kei and Fara were about to join them when two male vulpine approached them. One was a distinguished red fox in a dark green tuxedo with a red bow tie and black polished shoes. To Kei's surprise, he gave a curt bow to him and introduced himself. "My lady, I am Constantine Vulpenhoven. Who do I have the pleasure of meeting?"

Initially flustered at again being mistaken for a vixen, he quickly found his voice and replied. "Kei Reinard, Sir."

Fara though needed no introduction from the tall, haughty fennec who approached her. Kei glanced over, and recognized Maurice Ducharme from his girlfriend's description, even as she sighed.

"Lady Phoenix. You are as beautiful as ever." He said in his usual self-assured manner. "If you would do me the honor of this dance, I am willing to graciously overlook the unladylike words you said to me at our last meeting."

Kei was about to roll his eyes when Constantine took his gloved hand, brought it to his muzzle, and kissed it. Blushing at the unexpected flattery, Kei bit his lower lip, unsure of what to do when the tod asked, "And would Lady Reinard do me the honor of this dance?"

Meeting his expectant gaze, Kei knew that as flattering as his words were, there was only one person he wanted to dance with. "That....is very nice of you, Sir, but I must decline. I already have someone I will be dancing with this evening." He then glanced to his vixen with a smile, which she returned.

Fara turned back to face the supercilious tod with his ingratiating smile. "Maurice, you are as full of yourself as ever. Get it through your thick skull. I'm not interested in you in any way. So shove off." She then turned to Kei, took his hand in hers, and kissed it, eliciting a radiant smile from her crossdressed boyfriend.

With the two tods watching in shock, Fara asked Kei, "Will you dance with me, Sweety?"

"I'd love to." Kei replied while walking with his vixen to join the other couples in the waltz, but not before Fara's large fennec ears swiveled back to hear Maurice mutter. "She's a bloody lesbian."

Once on the dance floor, Fara slid her left arm around Kei's narrow feminine waist, and took his left hand in her right hand. With the music's next stanza, she led him into the traditional 1-2-3 step of the waltz.

Feeling the touch of her hand through his corset, Kei felt safe in Fara's arm and followed her lead through the cadence of the waltz while dreamily losing himself in her gaze. As he danced with her, his awareness of those around them faded to the back of his mind. All that existed for him in that moment was Fara and the flowing music carrying them along the dance. He felt beautiful like a princess, moving along the polished floor with the vixen who herself was his princess. When the third waltz ended, but before the fourth started, Kei felt a finger tap on his shoulder. He turned around to find his father smiling at him. "May I have this next dance with your lady?"

For a brief moment, he did not want to let go of his vixen, but seeing the love and joy in his father's eyes, he realized that he wanted him to get to know the vixen who had stolen his heart. "Sure Dad." Releasing Fara's hand, he stepped back and watched Dietrich Reinard take the lead and guide a smiling Fara Phoenix through the next waltz.

He walked over to where his mother was conversing with Andrew and Charles. Upon seeing Kei approach, Charles stepped away from his son and Kei's mother and faced the effeminate tod. To his complete surprise, the Phoenix patriarch gave him a curt, formal bow and extended his hand to him. "Would the lovely vixen honor me with a dance?"

"I...I don't know what to say..."

Charles smiled fondly at the crossdressed tod, shy as ever. "A 'yes' will suffice."

"Yes" Kei replied, still unable to believe he was about to dance with Fara's father. He took his hand and let himself be led onto the dance floor. When he saw Fara grin to him as she continued to dance with his father, Kei giggled, feeling giddy while others watched and whispered amongst themselves at the sight. The widower that Charles Phoenix was, many did not think that their host would ever dance with another vixen again, let alone one who appeared to be so youthful.

As they danced, Charles leaned close. "It pleases me immensely to see you enjoying yourself, Kei."

"I am. I feel like I could dance with Fara all night."

"Well, hopefully you don't mind dancing with an old tod like me for one dance."

"Not at all. I'm truly flattered you would wish to dance with me..." He then smiled coyly to Charles. "and unlike most of the other males, you know what I really am."

Fara's father laughed and leaned close again while they continued to dance. "Those old fennec ears have picked up quite the gossip going on. Many are speculating on who this mysterious _vixen_is who has made my daughter a lesbian. Word has even gotten to some that my Fara was seen kissing _her_while dining at Anthony's."

It was Kei's turn to laugh, the ironic humor of the situation adding to the joy filling his heart. It was a joy that drove away what lingering shyness he had with Fara's father. Here he was, being treated like a princess by the wealthiest person in all of Lylat, and for the first time since he had gotten to know him, he was seeing Charles Phoenix as a second father.

As they continued to dance, he leaned close to Charles. "I can't wait to see their faces when they figure out I'm male....if they ever figure it out."

Charles met Kei's eyes and smirked? "Oh? Are you actually hoping your secret comes out?"

Kei shrugged. "There was a time I'd have been mortified at being seen like this in public, but I no longer care what others think. Fara's love, your family's full acceptance, and my own parent's love and acceptance are all that I need."

As it would turn out, Kei's secret identity was about to be revealed. Josephine and Andrew were watching the two couples dance. The aged vixen's heart was filled with joy at seeing her son dance with the vixen he loved and laughed in delight when her husband stole a dance with Fara from her effeminate pup. Andrew himself chuckled when he saw his father in turn actually ask the blushing, crossdressed tod to dance with him.

As he watched, he commented to Josephine, "My father and your son make a cute couple. If Dad is not careful, he's going to make my son John jealous." His musings were interrupted by the sound of wine being sprayed in a spit take. He glanced over to see a shocked red fox looking back at him. Andrew smiled to the tod, shrugged, and paid him no further attention.

Josephine had also noticed the tod and watched him walk quickly away towards a haughty-looking fennec. "Who was that?"

"That would be Constantine Vulpenhoven. He's an investment banker and had mistaken your son for a vixen, going as far as to ask to dance with him." Andrew chuckled. "Looks like your son's secret is out."

Memories of her pup being bullied when he was young came to Josephine's mind. She glanced worriedly to where he was, once again dancing with Fara. "I hope nobody here is cruel to my son. He's such a sensitive pup."

Andrew laughed. "I'd be more worried about anybody who would mock him. Fara is quite fond of Kei, and I can imagine her ripping a new one out of anybody who would hurt him." Dietrich and Charles soon joined them, where Andrew appraised the two fathers of the developing situation. Charles eyed both Constantine and Maurice conversing with others in their clique, each glancing at Kei while he continued to dance with Fara.

Kei and Fara were in their own private world though. The last waltz had ended and segued into a slow dance, but the two enamored foxes kept on dancing a slow, rocking step with their arms about each other. Fara though was not completely oblivious to the many eyes upon them and suspected that Kei's secret had finally been revealed to the other guests. The reactions were mixed. Some were laughing amongst themselves while looking at Kei while others were giving her tod an appraising look.

Charles was also keeping a close eye on his other guests, especially Maurice Ducharme and his coterie who were mingling with others. He did not need sensitive fennec ears to know that Kei was the subject of conversation. His eyes were again drawn to his daughter and her boyfriend, who were slowly walking together towards the Phoenix and Reinard family gathering.

Kei's first inkling that he had been found out were the barely suppressed snickers from some of the guests around them as he and Fara made their way towards the buffet table where her father, aunt, and cousin William were conversing together. He gave his vixen a sidelong glance, meeting her eyes, and shrugged. When they arrived at the family gathering, Kei also noticed Charles speaking with a tall, imposing snow leopard. "It's the chief minister!"

Chief Minister Uncia Frost, who was the current elected leader of Corneria, was dressed in a pale blue tuxedo with white bowtie. In attendance with him was his wife Parda, an almost as tall, but very elegant female snow leopard in a shimmering ice blue dress.

"I must congratulate you on your handling of the Paradigm Shift scandal, Chief Minister. It was most satisfying to see Senator Starkey being arrested for his crimes." Charles said.

"Thank you, Charles. The information you were able to dig up on Starkey was most helpful."

Charles nodded, "I am rather fond of the McClouds, and like many citizens of Lylat was outraged by that grave-robbing expedition at the Shards of Cerinia. So it was a pleasure to assist you in this investigation." He then noticed Kei and his daughter and beckoned them over. Fara smiled and nodded to the snow leopard couple. "Hello Minister. It is a pleasure seeing you and your wife again."

Uncia smiled back to the vixen. "The pleasure is all mine, Miss Phoenix." He then grinned to Kei, "and you must be Kei Reinard, though I'm not certain if I should address you as Mister and Miss."

Kei could feel the heat go to his cheeks and was almost certain the blush was showing through the white fur. That blush deepened when Parda practically purred while she commented to her husband, "They do make a most adorable couple, but do go easy on the poor fellow, dear."

Glancing briefly to his wife, the minister said, "Forgive me, Mister Reinard. If I jest about your choice of attire, it is only with a sense of admiration at your ability to look so stunningly feminine." He could also see the adoration in Fara's smile. "And it is quite obvious that your lady friend here thinks so as well."

Kei gave the tall snow leopard a short bow. "Thank you, Sir, and it is an honor to meet you."

They were distracted at that moment by the arrival of one of the butler androids showing up with two cases which it deposited onto a table that had been set up. "Ah, here they are." Uncia Frost said. He then opened both to reveal seemingly identical steel swords within.

Kei immediately recognized them as the same type of sword he had admired in Charles Phoenix's personal armory. "Oooh. Nice." He nodded to Fara's father. "Your daughter showed me your collection of swords and armor. Are these from your armory?"

"One is." Uncia Frost said. "The other is a replica. You collect swords as well?"

"Yes, and I also placed third in the Havenwood Regional Fencing competition years ago while attending university there."

"Well then," Charles declared. "Perhaps you can help us determine how well the old techniques have been replicated. See if you can tell which one is a replica and which one is the original."

Kei grinned and began examining each sword. Looking down the length of each blade, Kei could see that both had similar grain, indication of the steel having been folded multiple times during forging. He held up one sword horizontally, with a finger just behind the guard. It remained horizontal. He repeated it with the other sword. It also was well-balanced, though the tip of its blade dipped very slightly. The cord wrapping on the handle was also well made, but had no signs of wear. "This sword is the duplicate, but I have to say it's the best replica I've ever seen. The balance is almost perfect, and the quality of the work is fantastic." He grinned to the chief minister. "I may just buy it from you, Sir."

Uncia Frost laughed. "We can discuss the details after tonight."

Kei nodded and placed the swords on the table atop their cases. While conversations continued about sword smithing, he wandered over to the buffet table and helped himself to a few hors d'oeuvres. While tasting a few of the delicacies, Kei found himself confronted by Fara's erstwhile suitor, Maurice Ducharme.

The haughty contempt in the male fennec's expression was obvious to Kei, but he could not care less what he thought of him. His words though struck a hurtful chord in the effeminate tod. "Do you actually think that a lower class pansy such as yourself could possibly win the hand of such a high-standing vixen like Fara Phoenix?"

Kei's muzzle scrunched up in barely suppressed anger at the upper class tod's berating words. Try as he might, he could not completely hide how deeply the hurtful words reminded him that his relationship with Fara could not possibly last.

Maurice used that to his advantage and brusquely batted the uneaten hors d'oeuvre from Kei's hand. "Go home to your little accountant job, poofter. You do not belong here."

Kei wanted nothing to do with this cruel, contemptuous fox and turned his back on him while struggling to maintain his composure as he walked back to the Phoenix and Reinard family gathering.

Fara had not witnessed the exchange between her boyfriend and the arrogant fennec, but knew something had happened by the hurt in his eyes and his stiff-lipped expression. She excused herself from her conversation with her Aunt Anne and the chief minister and met Kei as he arrived. "What's wrong, Sweety?"

"I...." Kei did not know what to say. He did not know even what to feel. "Hold me."

And Fara did. She welcomed him in her embrace, letting him rest his chin on her shoulder. She met her father's gaze as she held her boyfriend and knew something had happened. Charles Phoenix's eyes had a steely hardness to them. A cold fury roiled below his outwardly stoic expression. The patriarch had seen everything that had transpired between his daughter's boyfriend and Maurice Ducharme.

He made eye contact with his sister and with a subtle nod of his head, beckoned her over to him.

Anne excused herself from her conversation with Uncia Frost and wandered over to her brother. Having grown up with him, she knew her sibling well enough to know he was deeply furious about something and waited for him to voice his ire.

"I find that I no longer wish to do business with Omni Scanning Technologies." She followed his gaze and saw that his eyes were focused on Maurice Ducharme. "I am going to cancel all contracts with them."

As her brother's chief accountant who oversaw the top-level accounts on all of Phoenix Corp's contracts, Anne knew that her brother's decision was not financially sound. "Is that wise?" Without saying another word, she followed his gaze as they settled on the poignant sight of Fara holding an emotionally hurt Kei in a tight embrace. Knowing her brother as well as she did, she understood the cryptic words he next uttered.

"I agree that it is important to make wise financial decisions. Even the lowliest of my employees need to make sound financial decisions and capitalize on investment opportunities when they present themselves." With that said, Charles turned away from his sister and withdrew his personal data tablet from his pocket.

Anne walked over to where Fara was still comforting her boyfriend and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Alright there, Hun?"

Kei pulled back from his vixen's embrace and smiled as he saw the fond expression in Fara's aunt. Despite the hurt he felt, he could always rely on the warmth and acceptance of the Pheonix family, and because of Charles, he now had his parents' love and acceptance as well.

"How is my favorite accountant?" Anne asked.

Kei laughed at the unusual question. "I can't be your only favorite accountant."

"Perhaps, but you've done a wonderful job keeping the books balanced at Space Dynamics, including dealing with that Fallax Sionnach fellow who was stealing from us."

"Well, I'm happy to say that Space Dynamics' finances and profits are doing very good." Kei assured Anne with a sense of renewed confidence.

"That's all well and good, but don't neglect your own finances, Deary. Let's see your own books."

"Here? Now?" Kei asked, unsure of what to make at the unexpected direction of the conversation.

"Sure. Why not?"

Kei looked down at himself. "I...um, well, I'm not carrying my tablet at the moment. As much as I love my ball gown, it doesn't have any pockets."

"Mmm. That won't do. You need to get yourself a purse, Deary." Anne admonished. She then withdrew her own tablet from her purse. "Here, like this." she demonstrated while handing her personal tablet to her niece's boyfriend.

Kei was still uncertain as to why Anne was wanting to talk business at a social gathering, but shrugged and accessed his investments through the loaned data tablet. Seeing the sum of his net worth in the numbers displayed on the tablet, he was painfully reminded of how small it was compared to all the upper class guests around him and felt reluctant to show it to the multi-billionaire. Anne though had nothing but positive comments. "Not bad. You are doing extremely well for yourself. I must congratulate you on a job well done....and don't let any here belittle you for your class standing relative to the rest of us. My thrice-great grandfather Arthur started with less than this when he founded the family business. He invested like you are doing before he founded his company, capitalizing on opportunities when they arose."

Anne's words of encouragement brought a tentative smile to the effeminate tod. He glanced down at the summary of his investments again when a flag appeared, alerting him to a significant event on the stock market. "Odd...." He typed a few inquiries and frowned even further. "Why is Omni Scanning Technologies stock dropping so much? It's down 30%."

At that company's headquarters, insiders were frantically selling huge portions of their shares in their company. Charles Phoenix had just informed them that he would not be renewing their contract with them, and with 90% of their business tied in with Phoenix Corp, OST was facing financial ruin. Investors outside the company soon noted the sudden selling of shares in the company by its executives and directors and started selling themselves, further driving down the stock price of an otherwise financially sound company.

At the ball, Kei watched the price of OST stocks plummet. It was now down 60%. He looked up the company prospectus and was further perplexed. It was a major subcontractor to Phoenix Corp. "I don't get it. Why are insiders in that company selling? Their partnership with your brother's company has been nothing but profitable for both parties."

Anne shrugged. "I can't say."

Fara made eye contact with her aunt, but she only shrugged in response and wandered away from her boyfriend who had become absorbed in studying the figures on his borrowed tablet. She began to suspect that her father was involved in this, but it was obvious to her that Kei was purposefully being kept in the dark. Across the back garden, she spied her father accessing his data tablet.

Nearby at the buffet table, Maurice was enjoying a glass of sparkling wine and holding court with members of his clique when his communicator chirped. He excused himself and walked a few steps away before answering it. The image of an enraged black wolf greeting him, his fury showing through the dark fur on his face and the snarl on his muzzle. "You did it this time, Maurice. You were warned not to insult the Phoenixes, but you had to piss Charles off one time too many!"

"What are you talking about, Maximilian? I said nothing to Charles and I barely talked to Fara...."

The president Omni Scanning Technologies cut him off. "I don't want to hear your excuses, Maurice. Because of you, Charles has just informed us he's terminating all contracts with OST. We are ruined because of you, and we've unanimously voted to have you removed from the board of directors. Consider yourself fired!"

Maurice was in a state of shock as the president of OST terminated the call. He then heard his tablet chirp and accessed it. To his horror, his shares of OST had plummeted 80%. "No!!" Worst yet, he had committed the greatest of errors in investing by putting most of his eggs in one basket. A large portion of his personal fortune was dwindling away with the falling value of a company that would soon go bankrupt. In a desperate attempt to save what little he had left, he panicked and put in a market order to sell all his shares.

From his vantage point, Uncia Frost watched the financial drama unfold, with Kei Reinard the oblivious center of that story. He was once again reminded how powerful an individual Charles Phoenix was. In just a few keystrokes he had brought a multi-billion dollar corporation to its knees. He walked to where Anne Vulpus had retreated and quietly whispered to the vixen. "You are skirting the edge of legality, you know."

Anne shrugged. "But it's still perfectly legal. The stock alert came from Kei's account alone. It's all up to him now. If Kei does buy those shares of OST, nobody will be able to accuse him of insider trading because he has no idea why the stock price has plummeted. He has no clue that they fell so far because my brother has terminating all contracts with them. He also has no idea that they will rebound very quickly because Charles will change his mind when Maximilian informs my brother that the OST board of directors has fired Maurice Ducharme.

Uncia Frost had to admit that it was a devastating play of financial brinkmanship. With a few keystrokes, Charles had brought financial ruin to one person, and left the door open for another to achieve undreamed of financial success. "And if Mister Reinard does not buy the OST stocks?"

"Then he will have missed out on an opportunity to become very wealthy." Anne shrugged before going on, "though truthfully I suspect that will not matter much before this evening is over if Fara has her way. Regardless, Maurice Ducharme will be out of the picture. Whatever that idiot said to Kei, it brought the poor dear nearly to tears. Charles has grown very fond of Kei and I could tell he was extremely furious with Maurice for what he did."

Fara had wandered close to where her aunt and the chief minister were conversing and had overheard the last part. "Well good. I can't tell you how hard it's been to keep reassuring Kei that neither Daddy nor I care that he's middle class. When we started having feelings for each other, he was so afraid to love me because he felt he was so far below me socially that it would not be possible for us to be together. He still thinks that it will eventually end between us and told me he's cherishing every moment while it lasts." Fara was nearly in tears as she quietly ranted to her aunt. "When I saw him almost crying, I could guess what that stuck-up piece of filth must have said to my Kei."

Anne's heart broke at seeing her niece so distraught over her kind, sensitive boyfriend and drew her in her arms. "There, there. I think it's safe to say that that cad will never bother us again after tonight."

Kei was just rejoining his girlfriend and her aunt at that moment and saw that Fara was in tears and immediately drew her in his arms. "Fara, what's wrong?"

Fara sniffled. "I'm just upset because I know Maurice hurt your feelings."

Kei's arms tightened reflexively around his vixen even as he felt himself get a bit emotional. "I'm okay. Your aunt reminded me again why I love your family so much. She even reminded me that your ancestor Arthur started small, investing like me before he founded Phoenix Corp." He then remembered that he still had Anne's data tablet. Loosening his embrace of Fara, he reached over to hand the electronic device to her aunt. "Thanks for lending it to me, Anne. It should be interesting to see what happens after today."

"Oh? Bottom feeding have you?" Uncia Frost asked with a smirk.

"Heh. You could say that." Kei admitted. "It still makes no sense to me why a company like OST would drop 90% so suddenly like that. It's either some sort of mix up or they are about to go belly-up. I decided to take a chance on put 5% of my investments into this stock. If it does go belly-up, I'll have only lost a small bit. If it bounces back, I'll make a pretty penny."

Instead of taking the proffered tablet, Anne asked, "So how is OST doing now? I'm finding myself curious to know how this will turn out."

Kei shrugged and decided to look up his investment again. Uncia, Fara, and Anne all watched the tod's eyes widen like saucers. "Daaamn." He quickly read out loud an announcement that had just moments ago been released. "In an inexplicable about face, Phoenix Corp first notified that it was terminating all contracts with Omni Scanning Technologies, and then said that it would not. When asked for the reason, neither Charles Phoenix nor Maximilian Black would comment." Unable to pass up such a golden opportunity, Kei quickly put in a significantly larger portion of his investment into the quickly recovering stock before handing the data tablet back to its owner.

"Nicely done!" Anna complimented. "If you keep this up, you'll end up on the OST board of directors!"

Kei laughed. "I think I'll pass. I'm quite happy working for Fara at Space Dynamics."

Fara's heart swelled with happiness. "I'm so proud of you, love. Nothing keeps you down for long. You've come such a long way: from the shy, introverted fox I met all those months ago to the confident tod who is not afraid of expressing his feminine side and is the most wonderful lover I've ever had." And in front of everyone to see, she brought her muzzle to his, melding them together in a deep, passionate kiss.

Though at first startled, Kei's passion was set afire and he aggressively mashed his muzzle into his vixen's, forcing his tongue along hers to lose himself in the scent and taste of the vixen he so deeply loved. Reactions were varied in this social gathering of the affluent upper class of Corneria. Older, more conservative guests shook their head in disapproval at what they considered an inappropriate display of wanton lust. Younger attendees, especially females, sighed wistfully, seeing it as romantic instead of lustful. All of Fara's cousins who were there grinned and whistled. Edward and Andrew patted their brother on the shoulder. The eldest of son of George Phoenix felt renewed joy at the passionate display of love between his daughter and the tod who had won her heart. His eyes drifted over to Dietrich and Josephine Reinard, seeing the same hope and joy in their eyes mirroring his own.

One person who was not in the least happy with this display of affection though was Maurice Ducharme. The humiliation of financial ruin and being spurned in favor of what he saw as nothing more than a low class emasculated crossdresser left the haughty fennec filled with hatred. He watched as their kiss broke and Fara sensually bit the pansy's lower lip and sneered in disgust at the besotted smile on the orange-furred tod's muzzle. When he stepped away from Fara after giving her nose a lick, Maurice could stand it no longer. Stalking forward, he aggressively accosted the vixen that should have rightfully been his.

Fara had been caught completely off guard. Filled with love in her heart, she had watched her love make his way to the buffet table to pick out two glasses of sparkling wine for them to drink when she felt her assailant grab her arm and violently yank her towards him. "You stupid whore! You would actually choose that pathetic little excuse of a tod over me?"

What transpired next happened in a matter of seconds. Kei had just turned around holding a glass of sparkling wine in each hand for himself and Fara when he saw Maurice physically and verbally assault the vixen he loved. A hushed silence had set in on the scene as many gasped at hearing the vile insult being hurled at the Phoenix heiress.

In the next moment, a rage the likes of which Kei had never felt before in his entire life was ignited in his heart. The two wine glasses shattered upon the paver stone floor, forgotten as the crossdressed tod stormed forwards, his teeth bared in a loud snarl. "LET GO OF HER, YOU PIECE OF FILTH!"

Maurice was startled by the unexpected challenge and turned in surprise to see this crossdresser actually threaten him. Fara took advantage of the distraction to yank her arm out of his grip. When he turned around to grab her again, the right side of his muzzle was set ablaze with the searing pain of her claws raking gouges into the flesh there. "Argh!! You little wench!"

Just as he raised his fist to backhand Fara, her boyfriend had closed the distance between himself and her would-be assailant. Kei Reinard was not what would be called a physically strong male. He also abhorred violence and had never been good at physical confrontations. But borne by the adrenaline-fueled rage coursing through his blood, he grabbed Maurice's upraised fist and twisted his arms, spinning the arrogant fennec around and shoving him so hard that he fell back onto his posterior.

Seeing this crossdresser in the pink ball gown standing over him with his arm around the vixen who had rejected him only inflamed Maurice's hatred of the two even further. Looking around for something to use to get back at the two of them, his eyes landed on one of the swords sitting upon the table. Getting to his feet quickly, he rushed to the table, grabbed the swords, and turned to face Kei and Fara. "I'm going to gut both of you."

Kei and Fara quickly backed away from Maurice as he approached them. Noticing one of the small fountains nearby, Fara pulled her tod along towards it. Their attacker followed them, but Kei and Fara circled around the fountain, keeping it between them and Maurice.

In those few precious seconds, William had run to his uncle for help. "Uncle Charles, where are the security detail?!?"

"They are on their way. I had them around the perimeter of our estate to keep intruders out." Charles replied, wishing very much he had had the forethought to leave a few to mingle with the guests. His only child's life was in danger. If Fara died, it would destroy him utterly. William did the only thing he could think of to save his cousin and her boyfriend. He rushed to the table and grabbed the other sword that laid there.

William ran towards them but stopped short. He was not so foolish to try to play hero when dealing with a crazed fox wielding a sword. So he did the only sensible thing he could think of. "Kei! Catch!"

Glancing briefly to his side, Kei saw the other sword sail sideways through the air towards him and reached up to catch it. When his fingers wrapped around the cord wrapping of the sword's handle, old muscle memories came to the fore. Pushing Fara away, he slipped into a sword fighting stance, feet wide apart with both hands gripping the handle. He held the blade up horizontally at ear level with the edge pointing upwards and the tip of the blade pointed to his left.

Though it had been a few years since he had wielded a sword, Kei's practiced eye could immediately see that Maurice was an undisciplined amateur when the fennec charged him with a scream of rage to bring his sword down upon him. Kei moved his right foot out to shift his center of mass in that direction and dipped the tip of his blade down slightly.

Through the haze of his rage, Maurice saw the crossdressed fox hold up the sword to defend himself and bore down upon him with all his might. He did not notice the tip of Kei's blade dip, and his long, flowing ball gown hid the shift in his stance. When his blade struck, there was less resistance than he had anticipated. His blade slid along Kei's and he found himself being forced to the right, going past the crossdresser, and felt the searing pain along his left cheek as the pointed tip of Kei's sword cut a thin gash there.

Kei spun around as his opponent staggered past him and shifted back into a more offensive stance. Shifting his right foot behind him, he lifted the blade up horizontally, both hands gripping the handle while holding it above and to the right of his head, and pointed the bloodied tip of his blade towards his opponent, ready to counterattack.

The moment Maurice charged again, Kei spun his sword, swinging it upwards to meet his opponent's uncontrolled downward strike and make the fennec stagger back. Kei then lunged forward, bringing his back foot forward, followed by his left foot, and again with his right foot. With each step, he struck upwards against Maurice's blade, executing three consecutive figure eights with his blade, and disarmed the fennec on the third upward strike.

Maurice's eyes locked into the steely green-eyed gaze of this effeminate crossdressing fox who held the tip of his blade against his throat, and for the first time he felt fear. The steel in Kei's voice cut even more sharply than his blade.

"It is you who does not belong here, you pathetic coward." Kei snarled quietly. "I may dress like a vixen, but you are less of a male than I am. And you were so delusional as to think she would ever love you? You are not fit to even lick the dirt she walks upon!" He felt no pity for this fennec who had threatened his Fara and matched his backward step with a forward step of his own to keep the tip of the blade at his throat.

When Maurice turned to run, Kei delivered his final blow. Gripping the sword in his right hand, he whipped it around and struck the retreating fennec's rump with the flat side of the blade, striking him the only way a coward should be struck. Maurice uttered a high-pitched yelp and ran headlong into the security detail that had arrived less than a minute before.

Maurice Ducharme would never be seen again in upper class social circles. Financially ruined and ostracized from polite society for his cowardice, he was made a laughing stock for having been bested by an effeminate crossdresser who had more moral fiber than the disgraced fennec. Others who associated with Maurice, like Constantine Vulpenhoven, who had mocked Kei for his crossdressing would never again be invited to any social event hosted by the Phoenix family.

Kei stood there and took a shaky breath as he crashed down from the adrenaline rush. He locked eyes with a tall, imposing black jaguar who smirked at him and gave him a salute with two fingers before dragging off the blubbering Maurice. Fara came up to him and hugged him tightly against his side. "Was that one of those special forces security folks your father keeps around to protect us when we go out?"

"Yes, and I think he likes you. He saw how well you handled that sword and protected me." Fara replied before giving him a smooch on his cheek.

Together, they made their way towards their waiting parents, with Kei picking the replica sword on the ground along the way. Arriving at the table, Kei deposited the replica sword back in its case and then wiped the blood off the tip of the original sword with a napkin. He then went to deposit it back into its case, but Charles held up his hand.

The Phoenix patriarch picked up the scabbard from the case, took the sword from Kei's hand, slid it into its scabbard, and handed it back to Fara's boyfriend. "You saved my daughter's life and wielded that sword in a way I think its original owner thirty-five centuries ago would have approved. The sword is yours, son."

Kei was speechless for several long seconds before he found his voice. "I..." He had come to know Charles Phoenix enough by now to realize he would not be dissuaded from giving him the generous gift. "Thank you. I just hope I never have to use it again."

"We all do." Kei's father said. "Your mother and I are so proud of you." Just then, they all heard the orchestra start playing again. Kei's eyes turned to Fara who stood there with the most radiant smile ever. He watched her walk a short distance to whisper in her aunt's ear. The older vixen's eyes widened while a gleeful smile bloomed on her face. Anne practically ran towards the back door of the mansion and into the house.

With the emotional roller coaster of the last few hours culminating with a sword fight, Kei did not think to wonder why Fara's aunt ran into the mansion. All he felt was an overwhelming desire to lose himself in his girlfriend's arms and dance the rest of the night with her. "Dad? Could you hold my sword for me? I want to be with Fara."

"Of course, son." Dietrich said, taking his son's sheathed blade in hand. He watched with fondness as his only progeny walked over into the welcoming arms of the vixen he had defended just minutes before.

Fara wrapped her arms around her boyfriend and held him tight, sensing his need for her comforting embrace. With a heartfelt sigh, Kei melted into her embrace. "I love you." he murmured. He sighed again and relaxed completely. "Oooooohhhhh." His eyes closed and he basked in the warmth spreading between his legs in one long flood. Throughout the evening, he had occasionally wet himself, but it was only now that he was finally at ease, and the tensions of all the confrontations he had gone through was flowing out of him into his boosted diaper.

Fara whispered in his ear. "That's it, baby. Let it all out." She smiled when she felt him nod against her shoulder. "And after tonight, I'll have a bottle of warm milk waiting for you before we go to bed and again tomorrow morning."

They continued to dance together slowly to the soft, slow music permeating the back garden while Fara held Kei in her arms. For him, it was the most perfect moment of the entire evening. He could not see how it could be better than this. They continued to dance for an indeterminate amount of time until the orchestra took a break.

It was then that Fara noticed her aunt standing there with her father, uncles, and Kei's parents. She nodded to the older vixen, beckoning her over, and led Kei to the central fountain. On a bench next to it, she sat down and patted the seat next to her. Her boyfriend smiled and sat down facing his vixen, taking her hands in his.

"Despite all the drama, it's been a wonderful evening, Kei. I hope you feel the same."

"I do. I love you...so much, Fara. This has been the best night of my life so far. I cannot see how it could get better than this."

"I can, actually." Fara declared quietly. Her heart began to beat hard in her chest. She swallowed a lump in her throat and smiled to her aunt when she arrived with the item she had asked her to get. Kei followed her gaze and saw Anne arrive, holding a wrapped gift in her hands, which she handed to the effeminate tod.

"For me?" Kei asked.

Anne smiled coyly and nodded before walking away to rejoin the rest of the family who were all watching them from a distance. Kei looked down at the medium-sized package, turning it over in his hands. It was soft and pliant, about the size of a folded diaper. Tearing the wrapping, he discovered that it was a pink leather purse. "Oh wow. It's so beautiful. Your Aunt Anne had even told me I should start carrying a purse since most of my dresses have no pockets."

"I'm glad you like it." Fara smiled. "Kei...You once said that I was the best thing that has ever happened to you in your life. You should know that I feel the same way too. I've never been happier in my life than I am now. I love you so much, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

The aching sincerity of her words, the deep love in her eyes, and the vulnerability he could hear in her voice caused Kei's heart to skip a beat. Was she actually suggesting what he thought she was? His eyes locked with hers and his breath quickened.

"Kei, I have something special for you inside your purse." Fara stated in a quiet voice.

With trembling hands, he undid the clasp and opened the purse to see a small pink velvet case inside. Both hands flew up to his muzzle as his eyes filled with tears. "Ooooh" he cried. His heart fluttered and he sniffled.

Fara took the purse from her emotional tod, withdrew the velvet case from it, and opened it to reveal a gold ring with a pink diamond nestled in a circle of blue sapphires. "Kei Reinard. Will you marry me?"

Tears of joy flooded his eyes. The vixen he loved above all else had asked the question he himself had been too afraid to ask. Despite her assurances otherwise, he had needlessly feared that it was not possible for someone like him to wed what amounted to a high-born princess in his eyes. Those lingering fears and insecurities were finally dispelled with her hopeful question. Kei lunged forward and hugged Fara fiercely as he wept openly. "Yes! I'll marry you, Fara!"

Kei Reinard was not the only one to weep. Tears ran down on each side of the muzzle of Charles Phoenix. "We did it, Katherine. Our daughter has finally found someone to spend the rest of her life with." Dietrich and Josephine Reinard also were deeply moved, their eyes misting over as they watched Fara slip the engagement ring onto their son's finger.