The Gift
The Gift
The internet seemed to hold no respite for the beleaguered fox. Nearly all of his friends had signed off for the night, and even the more questionable reaches of the net seemed to hold little interest as stories and images began to run together into the same memories they always were. For a Sunday night, things were certainly shaping up to be quite dull.
'Alright, I'll see you there!' he clacked out the message, eyes drifting to the corner of the screen where the clock showed the late hour.
A quick check of his inbox showed more of the same: well-wishes from friends and family, and a enough mail from the local campus to nearly fill its tiny folder.
He rocked back in his chair as a claw stabbed the delete button. He couldn't even be bothered with half the crap they sent him every day. Staring up at the walls, the fox let out a low sigh. It looked as if even the lolcat posters he had pinned to the note board were not amused.
Just as he was about to resign to bed, a window popped up on the glowing monitor. It was an instant message from someone he didn't recognize.
Hello, fox! Your birthday arrives in only a few more hours. You'll be getting a very special gift this year.
Bishop scratched an ear curiously, reading through the message once more just to make sure it wasn't a misplaced buddy. Most likely it was just a friend toying with him in the wee hours of the morning.
Stifling a yawn, he shut down the machine before tottering over to his bed and flopping heavily into the rumpled sheets. Groping about behind himself, he caught the switch on his lamp with a claw and snuggled down for sleep.
• • •
Light filtered in from the blinds in a golden haze that formed an oblong pool upon the sheets and sleep-matted fur of the yellow canid. Coming to, he scrubbed a paw over his eyes.
"Morning already...?" He groaned, squinting into the partially lit room. The clock on his bed stand glowed a harsh red, its display reading 12:34pm. "Aw crap, I'm late!"
Hurriedly donning a pair of jeans and the hoodie a friend had sent him the week before, he stumbled into the living room with a curse under his breath when his paw nicked the doorway.
Suni, a longtime friend and roomate to the fox, looked up from his sandwich and greeted him. "Oh, hey Bishop. Finally wake up?"
"Not funny, I'm already late and I wouldn't want to leave Joey hanging." The fox replied as he scrounged through the fridge in search of something he could eat during the jog over to the campus.
The selections were meager at best. Deli meats, toast, some yogurt that might have gone bad a few days back, leftover soup, and something he couldn't readily identify. With a sigh, he went with a bagel. His haste was rewarded with nearly dropping the frozen baked good.
"Why not have lunch before you go?" Asked Suni around a mouthful of ham.
Sucking a finger, which had been burned on the toaster, the fox rolled his eyes as he began to smear thick cream cheese across his break-fast. "No time," he muttered, "besides, going to the eatery."
The wolf nodded in understanding. "Oh. Happy birthday, by the way!"
Bishop waved a paw in thanks, his mouth already busied with his meal as he headed towards the door and the chill autumn air that waited for him.
The jog--more of a hurried walk, really--was a rather pleasant one. The streets were veritably empty of vehicles as many of the residential students were already busy in classes. Looking back on the times when he attended college, rather than worked there, as he did now, Bishop sighed; it was good to be done with all of that nonsense.
Still, it didn't prevent him from assisting his friends in their endeavors of higher education. His date was with a close friend he had made the prior year, Joey, a red fox and sophomore with an interest in digital systems. Their usual meetings were in the subject of homework and study, and with exams looming in the following week, he had been quite keen on getting the older fox's assistance.
Slipping into the eatery, situated on the upper floor of one of the student facilities, Bishop made his way to their usual spot by the windows. There, he found his friend nestled in a gaudy, overstuffed purple armchair, his thin black paws wrapped about a coffee procured from the shop nearby.
"Oh hey," the fox looked up from where he had been observing the myriad students walking below. "Sleep in late?"
Bishop nodded, his ears folding back slightly in embarrassment. "Yeah, sorry. How'd you know?"
Joey shrugged as he slid another cup across the low table. "You look like you just survived an attack with a mad furdresser. Here, I got you a chai."
Thanking his friend, Bishop took a seat in the opposing chair and noted absently that his friend had saved him the nicer of the two. Sipping from the warm drink, which did wonders for soothing his parched mouth and banishing the cold of the afternoon, he asked what was on their agenda.
"Well," Joey mused as he dug through a trendy-looking messenger that rested against the clashing purple chair. "I'm having a bit of trouble in my networking class."
Bishop glanced up from his drink, enjoying the warmth of it in his paws. "Oh?"
The other fox nodded. "Yeah. I missed one of the labs, so I'm not totally certain it all. Mind going over some of it with me?"
"Sure, but can we please get some food? I really haven't eaten."
Joey suppressed a giggle and nodded as he set a thick notebook down on the table. "Of course. I was about to ask you the same thing."
Sandwiches in paw, Bishop favoring an Italian where Joey had gone for the specialty meatball, the two foxes began their work. Bishop read from the notes, prompting his friend for input on circled portions.
"Alright," He began after taking a sip of chai to clear his throat. "what is a protocol that is used for session management of multimedia over IP?"
Joey chewed thoughtfully on a meatball for a few moments before replying. "SIP. Stands for 'session initiation protocol'."
Bishop nodded and rattled off the next question. "What are the two fundamental protocols of the IP structure and what are their uses?"
The pair continued like this for some time, with Bishop having to correct his friend on only a few instances. Night had already begun to fall by the time they had finished, which Joey reflected on as he packed away his things and helped his friend to clear their trays.
"I hate how it gets late so early like this, now. I wish summer was back."
"I thought you liked the cold," Bishop asked as he emptied the refuse of lunch into the trash.
Joey sighed and nodded. "Well, yeah... but I also like being able to do stuff outside--"
The younger fox was cut off by the sound of his cellphone ringing. Fishing about in the pocket of his jeans, he retrieved the offending item before flicking it open and bringing it to his ear.
"Hello?"
There was a brief moment of quiet in which the fox nodded. "Uh huh. Okay, I'll ask him, hang on a sec." Turning, he addressed his friend. "Hey, Bishop. My friends say they just got done with classes and wanted to know if you were interested in going out for a celebratory dinner. It's on us."
"Huh? Oh, sure, but where would we be going?"
The question was relayed, to which Joey responded with "That new chinese place that opened a few weeks ago. It's pretty good."
The fox grinned. "Awesome. I love chinese food!"
Following his friend back out to the parking lot, which had grown even darker despite the assistance of the tall lights, Bishop padded along, suddenly regretting not having thought to slip on sandals as the cold asphalt chilled his pawpads.
Thankfully the carpeted interior of the car was by far more gentle on the paws. The ride into town was enjoyable, even if they managed to find every red light along the way. Throughout most of it, the two foxes discussed their plans for later in the night while Bishop tried to determine if his friend would be returning home for the break before the new semester.
Finding a parking space turned out to be a hassle, as nearly every spot had been filled outside of the venue.
"Well, at least it's popular," sighed Bishop as they pulled into a spot further down the plaza. He wasn't looking forward to the walk there.
Joey nodded as he locked the car from where his paws were stuffed into the pockets of his jacket. "Yeah. I've only been there once, but it was pretty fantastic."
Once inside they were greeted by a hare who was waving a white paw from one of the tables near the back.
"Hey! Sorry Damien couldn't make it, he was still a bit busy with things. You know how he is." The rabbit grinned as the other two sat down. As a thin snow leopard waitress came by to fill water glasses and set out menus, he continued. "So how's the birthday boy? Gotten any spankings, yet?"
Bishop smirked as he picked up his menu and scanned over it. "You only wish, bunny-butt."
"Hey, I'm a hare. There's a difference," He retorted, sticking out his tongue.
"Oh behave you two; the server's coming back."
The server, who introduced herself as Julia, took their orders after delivering a short list of nightly specials. Jotting their orders down in a little notebook, she collected the menus and promised the food to be ready in ten minutes. In the meantime, the trio chatted as they caught up with their lives.
"So Furlop, I didn't know you moved in with Joey and Damien." Bishop asked between thanking the server as she handed him a pair of chopsticks and a platter of spicy-smelling chicken. "When did you move there?"
The hare was already shoveling lo mein into his muzzle but paused to reply curtly. "Two weeks ago."
"How did you two meet?"
Joey stood in for the ravenous hare. "We kind of ran into each other at one point in one of our classes. Found out you were a mutual friend and after a while he ended up with us."
When plates were finally emptied and sticky sauces wiped from paws, Bishop excused him-self from the table. "I'll be back in a minute guys; just gonna hit the restroom and we can go."
"Alright," The hare called after him as he inspected his buzzing cellphone. A grin split his muzzle. "Perfect timing."
"What is it?" Joey asked, leaning over to see.
The hare turned the display to show his friend. "Looks like everything is set up. The cake is ready, and Damien says we can head over any time."
Joey stroked his chin with a paw as he glanced down the hallway Bishop had taken. "Tell him we'll be back in fifteen."
The check arrived along with Bishop, who returned just as the server set down their bill and a tiny tray of fortune cookies. Joey pulled out a credit card and began inspecting their bill while the others grabbed fortune cookies.
Having snapped his in half, he carefully extracted the thin slip of paper held inside and read it. He frowned as he munched on the faintly orange-flavored cookie. "... weird."
Joey looked up from signing. "Huh? What's up?"
Bishop waved the question away. "Oh, nothing. Just this fortune. It says 'you will find a pleasant surprise in your future'."
"In bed!" Murmured Furlop from across the table with a grin.
Both foxes groaned. Joey handed the check to the waitress as she returned before addressing Bishop. "Ready to head back to our place for dessert?"
Bishop nodded his agreement.
Back in the car, they were joined by Furlop, who had taken the bus and preferred to actually get back to the apartment on time.
"You're sitting up with me. I can't have you molesting the birthday fox." Joey chided as he ushered the protesting hare to the passenger's seat.
Bishop could barely hold back his laughter at the others' actions as he slid into the back seat which proved to be quite spacious with only one occupant.
"Oh, Bishop?" Called Furlop from over his shoulder.
"Yeah?"
"Go ahead and open up that bag on the floor next to you."
The fox could make out a bucktoothed grin from the rear-view window, his ears cocking to the side as he leaned over to grab the bag in question. From inside, he withdrew a sizable packaged wrapped in glistening wrappings and tied with a skillful bow.
"Open it," The hare urged, twisting around to watch as Joey began to pull the car out of the lot. "it's nothing much, but we thought you'd like it."
Despite himself, Bishop tore through the wrapping which was tossed aside in a shining wad of blue-green paper. What he saw left him speechless. In his paws lay a new drawing tablet, and one of the expensive ones at that. Looking up at the grinning hare, his mouth agape, he could only lean in and hug the hare about the neck.
"... I think he likes it," Came the other's muted croak.
As it turned out, Joey's place was clear across the campus area and farther down the way. Situated just off the main drag, it was a fair ways further than Bishop had remembered it. The house looked small from the outside but just large enough to easily suit four or five.
Parking the car in the narrow garage--Joey explained that it had been put in by a previous tenant of the home--they padded inside where they were greeted by sweet scents drifting in the warm air and a buck who looked up from a video game as they walked in.
"Ah, see you guys finally made it! Good thing, too, since the cake's done." He called as he paused the game and made his way into the adjoining kitchen, taking care to duck his antlers past the lighting.
Bishop's ears perked at the mention of cake.
The deer, Damien, was easily a head and a half taller than the fox. "Now I don't know what those two hooligans might have told you," he paused, grinning. "But the cake isn't quite ready--it's a surprise, really. We're going to get to finishing it up now."
"So uh,"
Bishop was cut off as Joey moved in behind him and began guiding him down the side hall. "Don't worry about it. Just let us take care of everything. And, so you don't peek, wait in the spare room."
"Um, alright." Allowing himself to be lead part of the way, he walked the rest on his own. The guest room, as he remembered, was the farthest down. It made sense if they wanted to keep something hidden, though he couldn't imagine what--it was just cake, right?
He tried the knob, only to find it didn't budge. "Hey guys? The door's locked."
"Jiggle it to the left first."
Doing as he was instructed with a groan, the fox managed to open the door on his second try, only to find it dark inside. "Right," he muttered to himself as he floundered about in the shadows, "no switch."
His search came to an abrupt halt when a lamp suddenly illuminated the room in soft amber light. Tossing up a paw to shield his eyes, he squinted for the cause as his eyes adjusted.
"Happy birthday, foxie."
Bishop froze, his eyes moving towards the source of the voice. Sitting upon the bed in the corner of the room was a ringtail, clad in nothing more than a large, satin bow. It took only a moment to recognize the speaker.
"A-Alister? What are you doing here?"
The ringtail giggled, covering his muzzle with a black-socked paw. " 'You'll be getting a very special gift this year'?"
Dumbfounded, the fox scrambled for words as he tried with some difficulty not to stare. The opportunity was tantalizing, however, and it took a considerable force of will to do other-wise. Finally finding his voice, he spoke. "The message... that was you?"
A nod. "Mmhmm."
"But... why are you--" Realization dawned on the fox, then, and he blushed. Closing the door, he turned and made his way over to the bed where he sat upon its edge. "You're the gift..."
Alister smiled as he flopped down upon his back beside the fox. "Yeah."
He looked down at the other, keeping his gaze on the ringtail's. "Thanks... this means a lot, you know." Reaching out, he idly ran his claws through the ruff of fur on Alister's chest.
The ringtail giggled again as his paw clasped Bishop's and slid it lower to rest upon the thick, velveteen bow that rested over his sheath. "Well, aren't you going to unwrap your gift?"
There was a moment's hesitation before the fox complied. Turning carefully--he had to slide of the bed to reach--Bishop took both ends of the ribbon in his paws before pulling gently. To his surprise, the ribbon came away with barely and work, revealing the soft-furred prize it had kept hidden.
Bishop's gaze stood riveted on the spot where the creamy trail of fur that ran the length of the ringtail's underbelly diverged into two blunted arcs that seemed to crown the plump sac between Alister's thighs. The fox's thoughts came to a sudden halt, when Bishop felt a sudden slackening of tension from about his waist. Looking down, he found that Alister's deft paws had pulled away his jeans and surreptitiously freed a stiffening erection he hadn't even been aware of.
His arousal made itself even more painfully obvious in how his boxers were tented out, a dark stain outlining the tip of his sex. From below him, he heard Alister purr in approval.
"Go on, foxie," He cooed.
Even as he felt a slender paw come to rest at the base of his engorged sheath, the soft fabric of his undergarments rubbing against the tender flesh they hid, Bishop brought his own paw down to cup the ringtail's sac. He could see and feel the smaller, lithe creature shudder in his grasp as he did so.
Using the palm of his paw to massage along the base of the ringtail's sheath, he curled his fingers, cupping and teasing the sensitive region of flesh just beneath the Alister's balls. His actions were rewarded with a breathy whine and a firm squeeze between his legs. Bishop smiled and moved as if to lift himself onto the bed when a paw on his middle stopped him.
"Not yet," murmured Alister as both paws raised to hook about the waist of the fox's boxers.
Bishop was about to ask why when a gasp escaped his open muzzle as the cool air of the room flooded over his exposed arousal. With a whisk of fabric over fur, his boxers and jeans pooled upon the floor unceremoniously, only to be replaced by the supple, probing paws of the ringtail.
Redoubling his efforts, Bishop changed tactics. Using the very tips of his fingers to stroke in slow, upwards lines from sac to tip, the fox continued to tease his friend as his other paw busied itself by rolling the ringtail's balls between his pawpads. Alister let out a whine, his long, striped tail twitching with appreciation of the fox's attention. It wasn't long before Alister, too, began to show the signs of his arousal.
Alister craned his neck but overshot the motion as the fox dipped slightly to adjust his reach. As his muzzle grazed Bishop's erection, it bucked before coming to rest scant inches away. Fox hadn't seemed to notice his efforts at first, but a gasp caught his ears as he curled his tongue over the tip of the pink, twitching cock, bringing it to his lips.
Bishop shivered, his paws halting even as his tail began a rhythmic wag behind him. "Wh-what are you...?" A yip broke through his words as he felt the warm, damp muzzle close around him. A pressure built at the base of his spine as each lash of the ringtail's tongue against him sent new waves of pleasure coursing through his body. "Nnnff.... gods," he whimpered, feeling himself start to grind his shaft into the ringtail's maw.
With a paw cupped firmly about the fox's sac, which had started to bump against his nose as the Bishop's increased in frequency, Alister lapped at the precum that drizzled from the fox's shaft in thick rivulets.
His grip about the ringtail's dark-colored, pulsing shaft slackened when a slurping wet sound caught his ears. Cold air flooded over his arousal once more. "Why did you stop?" Bishop asked breathlessly.
Shifting himself, Alister motioned to the space beside where he now sat. "Lay down. I don't want you to waste things right away," He purred.
The fox complied, shakily lowering himself to the bed, the sheets already quite warm from having been lain upon. A paw against his chest eased him back until he was laying, paws hanging over the edge. Bishop's eyes caught Alister's for a moment as the slim ringtail moved to straddle him, his long, thick tail curling and flitting lazily in the background.
"Just... hold still a moment," Murmured Alister as he reached back a paw to keep the other's cock steady. Bishop shivered at the touch, his eyes descending to settle on the ebon shaft his own paws had caressed only moments ago. As the ringtail carefully lowered himself into position, a thick bead of clear fluid arose on the tip of his bobbing erection, where it hung suspended.
Then, slowly, Bishop felt the soft fur along the cleft of the other's rump bristle against his dampened shaft. Alister shifted. The fox let out a soft whimper, feeling the head of his arousal straining to push passed the puckered ring of flesh that lay beneath the other's tail.
"Shh," The words seemed to be little more than a ghostly whisper as sound suddenly stopped in a brief flash, the seal broken. Warmth flooded about him once more as Bishop felt himself being steadily enveloped within the tight, secret confines.
He watched lazily as Alister settled into place, absently noting how the ringtail had closed his eyes with what portion of his mind still retained proper thought. Lifting a paw, he gently curled his fingers about the other's arousal, smearing the glistening droplet of pre along the long, shaft.
Alister purred softly at the touch, his tail starting to lash in a black-on-white wave. Shifting his weight, he lifted himself, feeling the fox's cock begin to slip from beneath his tail before gingerly lowering himself once more. With each, slow rise and fall, he could hear Bishop's breath catch and speed, beginning to match the pounding of his own heart in his ears.
He nearly lost his balance when Bishop lifted and rose into a sitting position, but was caught by strong arms that wrapped about his middle.
"Foxie....?" He purred, taking the moment to rest his muzzle beside the other's neck.
Bishop smiled, stifling a chuckle. "Shh, let me take over for a bit."
Bracing himself, the fox began to build up a steady rhythm. He was surprised how well the position worked; with each thrust he could feel his shaft being pressed deeper into the writhing form of the ringtail. Splayed across his lap, Alister moaned, his arms hugging tighter each time Bishop felt himself push against some inner point of pleasure.
Alister had begun to rub against the short, softer fur of his stomach. The sensation was odd, but welcomed, the heat and gentle pressure of the ringtail's sheath like a warm caress. The teasing, coupled with the growing pressure around his cock soon brought Bishop's arousal to a head, threatening orgasm in the coming moments. Already, he could feel the forming knot of his sex begin to grind beneath the other's tail.
As if reading his mind, Alister spoke, his voice nearly a course whisper. "Do it..."
Nodding, he kissed between the ringtail's ears before thrusting forwards. There was a moment's restraint before a dull pop could be heard. Though he heard Alister's sharp gasp of pleasure mixed with pain, Bishop could do little save to empty himself into the ringtail's slight rump.
"Nngg..!!" A muffled cry caught his ears as he felt something warm and thick splatter against the fur of his stomach. Alister's body shuddered fiercely, the vibrations only feeding the torrents of thick seed that coursed from his entrapped member.
It seemed like a short eternity before the spasms finally subsided and Bishop felt as if he could breath again. Nestled against him, Aliser was quiet, panting softly, each breath sending a puff of warm air through the fur of his neck.
Bishop licked at the milky crescent that marked a charcoal ear. "You alright?"
"Mmnfff..." Cooed the ringtail, his voice still shacking from the affair. "more than alright."
He giggled softly at the remark, his paws dropping to rub at light furrows through the mottled fur of the ringtail's sides.
Alister shifted. "I think we made a bit of a mess," Teasing a paw over the fox's back, he tried to lift himself but was stopped by the tugging of the vulpine knot. "how long will we be stuck like this?"
"Oh, probably about ten minutes or so?" Bishop commented, gently pushing the fidgety ringtail back into place. "Works better if you don't move so much."
"Sorry," came the murmured reply.
They stayed like that for some time, Alister shifting on occasion to accommodate the larger canid's girth. Bishop suspected that they were little more than an guise for the ringtail to keep rubbing against him. Finally, with only a barely audible noise, Bishop felt himself slip free of the ringtail.
Snugging Alister close, he rose and set him on the ground. "Shower time."
Luckily, the spare room adjoined to a split bath; Alister pointed this out while righting the bedsheets before following after his vulpine friend. A large, square shower made up most of the rear of the bathroom, its frosted glass a common sight and permitting an extra layer of privacy should one of the others come calling.
Bishop slipped inside, rolling his eyes as the ringtail joined him and almost immediately set the water to a hotter temperature before taking up a place beside him.
"I thought we were supposed to be getting clean," he stated with a bemused grin. It seemed, even now, the ringtail had managed to stay hard, his arousal flagging only slightly under the torrent of steaming water.
A bar of soap in paw, Alister began to scrub at the swath of cum-stained fur that blotted the area between the fox's thighs. "We are."
Snatching up the soap, he quickly sudsed his paws before returning it, using the bubbling gloves to attend to his stomach. Meanwhile, Aliser amused himself by 'cleaning' his sheath. He sighed, deciding against batting away the rogue paw.
"So I take it you set all of this up?" He asked, turning the ringtail about to prevent any further debauchery.
Alister nodded in turn and glanced over his shoulder as he took it upon himself to tease the fox with his tail.
"What about that fortune cookie?" Bishop murmured through a daze as he teased a paw through the other's tail.
Alister smirked but shook his head. "I'm good, but not that good."
"Hmm," the fox mused. His paw trailed higher from where it scrubbed at matted fur. "I'd beg to differ."