[b][i]A Debt Repaid[/i][/b] [i]by WritingBurr[/i] Ah, mornings. Not really a fan of them. This one felt like all the others, but I knew that I had something to look forward to today. Or, rather, someone. A good friend of mine was going to pay me a visit, with the plan of catching up after not seeing them for quite some time. Even though it sounded like a normal, mundane thing… I was actually very excited at the prospect. I doubt my memory serves me well, but I cannot remember the last time I was able to meet up with a friend and just hang out together with them. I suppose it is the simple things in life that bring the most joy, but I am getting ahead of myself. Time to start my own day! My morning routine was rather lackluster and it did not stand out from their rest, but I am alright with that. Waking up with a groggy attitude as my night rest was average at best, I thought I stayed in bed for long enough and put myself to the task of getting ready for the day. Noticing the time and seeing that it was right between breakfast and lunch, I knew that it would be the perfect day to settle down and have brunch with my buddy. Our schedules allowed it, so we knew we had to take it and run. He seemed enthusiastic about the whole thing over text, especially because it had been a while since we have seen each other in–person. Knowing that I wanted to make the most of today, I got right to work. I moved my big behind right to the shower, warming myself up and truly waking my droopy eyelids. The water hit me right where it mattered most, and it definitely was a good way to wake myself up properly before doing anything else. The warm liquid rushing down my fur and my hair, making sure I was squeaky clean before exiting the bathroom. But before I did, I grabbed my toothbrush and brushed my sharp fangs inside of my maw for a few more minutes to be extra sure. Seeing a sparkle in my teeth, I washed my maw with water and headed on out. Next, I entered my closet and viewed all of my possible options for clothing. There was so much to choose from, but weather as well as other factors ruled out some choices, which was fine by me. At times I do feel a tad indecisive, so I thanked mother nature to make my ultimate decision less complicated. In the end I went with something relatively simple but also compact and comfortable: a black and white varsity jacket, coupled with some stylish yet also somehow wearable blue jeans with some rips in the knee area. They were baggy but they were also the only gosh darn jeans I will ever put my paws in.  To finish off the look, I went around my apartment to look for some accessories I could wear while being out and about. After looking for a few minutes and almost considering flipping my entire place upside down to find the darn thing, I eventually found my black and white vans to go alongside my varsity jacket, and last but not least my favorite beanie. Coupled with a few accessories of its own like some decorative pins and what have you, and I felt like I had a complete look for the day for whenever X arrived. I was tempted to open up my fridge and eat a quickie, but I knew I had to hold out for just a bit longer. Checking myself in the mirror and making sure my fur was brushed, I made sure that my soft and silky hair was buttery smooth before I waited for the wolf. It covered my eyes rather easily and kind of had a mind of its own, so I did not pry too much nor fight it since I knew it was a losing battle. As far as I remember it always covered my eyes, but I did not mind it too much, Plus, I could see just fine, and every now and again I like to wow guests or buddies with my actual eyes before retreating them back safely underneath my brown hair. With all of that settled, all I had to do was wait, and hopefully not for too long. The minutes passed by, and I waited on my couch. On one paw, a part of me was excited, thrilled to see X again and to catch up with one another. On the other paw, a slight hint of nervousness hit my brain and filled it with idiotic feelings. I calmed down, telling myself that everything will be perfectly fine and to not overthink things. I looked out the window and pondered in my thoughts alone, not putting too much effort into those fleeting ideas as they came and went. Only when I started to let my mind drift off too much was when I noticed a certain someone walking up towards my apartment complex, a swirl of emotions overwhelming me all at once. Ah gosh! Oh goodness! I could barely believe it myself. It was X, in the flesh, anticipating and ready to see me it seems! I was befuddled, surprised, nervous, and joyful all bundled into one big bear. There seemed to be no end to all of these mixed emotions I have been feeling ever since I woke up this morning, but I will have to put that aside for the time being so I can make room to greet the grey wolf again after all of this time. Steadying myself, I heard X buzz himself in so he could enter and take the elevator to my floor. It seemed that he got a hang of the building and the layout dwelling within it seeing that he was at my front door not less than a few minutes later. Okay, okay. This is the moment. What you have been waiting for this entire morning, heck, even since last night! Oh goodness me, I think I will be able to handle a guest. Well, I suppose not, since we will be heading out shortly after this… ah! Getting sidetracked again. That is the least of my worries. What should I say? What should I do? Am I presentable at the very least? These questions swirled within my mind and would not stop pestering me. The only solution that I was able to come up with on the fly in order to get rid of these inconsistent thoughts was to brace everything head on and open the door. It all comes down to this! [i]Boop![/i] “A–Ah! Why hello there Mr. Bear! It’s nice to see you as well!” he told me as I gave his snout a small boop with my paw, immediately realizing the error in my ways. “Wasn’t expecting that kind of welcome, but maybe you folks do things differently in the city, I’m assuming?” “Oh gosh, oh gosh, I’m so sorry!” I stammered for a second, embarrassed that I let my inner impulses come out on top this time around and potentially ruined my greeting with him. “I… I–I, uh, I was not thinking clearly! Um! Hello! That was, uh, an impulse. I don’t know what I was thinkin’ there. S–Sorry!” “Ah, you’re perfectly fine Miel! You have no reason to worry at all,” he says, trying to reassure me and calm my nerves, which I will admit was sorta working against me. “Well, if that is the case, then how about I return the favor right back at you?” [i]Boop![/i] I blushed for a second, as he did the exact same thing I did to him mere moments ago! My snout was booped by his paw, and I will admit, the feeling was nice. But I had to compose myself before speaking again. “R–Right! Um!” I almost shouted, but kept my voice at an intentionally lower volume so as to not alarm the other apartments that were nearby my front door. “Just, ah, come on in! I can’t let my guest stay outside in the hallway. That would be rude of me as your host.” “Ah, um, sure! Of course! I will graciously accept your offer if that is what you would like,” he responded, nodding his head and heading inside my apartment as I opened the door fully. “Woah… holy hell! This is a neat little place you got here all to yourself, Miel!” “Why thank you! Goodness, I should have tidied a bit more before you arrived, but there’s not much I can do about it now! Haha,” I laughed it off, letting X explore the place while we tried to get used to the other person and their presence. “Take your time and explore, it’s all good! I’ll let you do so before we discuss our plans.” With my words, we did just that. I let X explore as much as he pleased to do so, explaining how I set things up around my own sanctuary. Although his cabin in the freezing blizzard was like a second home to me, nothing could replace this little bundle of joy I have. Sure, it may not be the most spacious or extremely luxurious, but in the end, it was [i]mine[/i] and it belonged to no one else. I wish I could have more friends over, admittedly… but I suppose that is what today is for, to be fair! But, all and all, the tour of my place was rather short, so X and I decided it was best to get right down to business before we head on out for good.  “So, so! What could the Mr. Bear have planned and in store for the two of us on this glorious day, hmm?” he asked me, smirking while sitting down at one of the kitchen islands. “Besides what we have agreed upon earlier this week for the main agenda, yeah?” “Naturally, one would assume! Don’t worry, that plan is very much still in effect for the two of us,” I stated as I stood before him, continuing forward with my reasoning. “Ya think I wouldn’t recall that? ‘Course I would! Not to mention what we’ll be doin’ before then!” I saw the grey wolf before me smile, his tail wagging in excitement at the mere mention of our discussed plans before the main event for today. I could see it plastered all over his face, even if he tried his best to hide it. “Oh! Right, right! I almost forgot about that entirely, Miel!” he said in a surprised, yet excited tone of voice as he got up to boop my snout very suddenly. “You said you wanted to check out that little locally owned restaurant near your apartment before we really head out, yeah?” “Exactly, bingo! You’re right on the money there X,” I say and confirm his question, with his tail wagging even more as he mischievous continues to boop my bear snout. “If you don’t have any objections, I’d say we should make our way to our brunch, then! I’m starvin’.” “Well if you’re ready to go, then I’m ready to go! Be sure to grab all the necessities before we depart, though,” he reminds me, and I nod while I take a turn to boop his snout. “We don’t want to be retracing our paw steps and retrieving things we have forgotten, no?” “Haha, sounds about right, yeah. Don’t worry, I already have everythin’ we’ll need for our lil’ adventure today,” I stated to him as he bounced his behind off of the kitchen counter and stood directly in front of me. “Guess we will be on our way, then! Follow me, X!” And so he did, with vigor and vitality. He was not familiar with my neighborhood, let alone the city block, so I put it upon myself to make sure he was guided in the right direction and prevent him from getting lost. The grey wolf was right behind me and my short and stubby bear tail, staying close as we exited the apartment and headed to the elevator. X stepped aside for a second to allow me to lock the front door and we made it to the lobby area of the building complex in no time. The weather was rather nice outside, so there was no need for excess clothing or any accessories like umbrellas for where we were heading. Making our way to the parking lot exclusive to those who live in the apartment complex, we made it to my car in no time flat. I opened my door and unlocked the passenger door from my side, allowing X to enter and sit beside me while we put on our seatbeats. I let my beauty of a vehicle start up and gave a moment or so as I revved up the engine, feeling the life that was nestled between the engine and the hood. My pickup truck did all of the heavy lifting that I needed, and it was excellent for carrying cargo whenever I needed to pick something up and bring it from one place to another. I revved the engine once more and we were ready to go. The short drive was relatively uneventful, with the occasional small talk here and there as I drove us to the nearby local restaurant. In reality the drive was no more than a few minutes, but it was nice to show off more of my neighborhood to X since he was rather unfamiliar to where I resided in this big and bustling city. We kept our conversation going, listening to one another and had some quips here and there. Making our way to the parking lot was no trouble at all, even though it was rather small in occupancy size. Thankfully it seemed to be a slow day, so there were several spots remaining for my beauty as we parked and exited the truck. Something X and I noticed practically right away was how welcoming the atmosphere of the entire restaurant was. Unlike being a massive nationwide recognizable chain that millions eat daily, it was a local and family owned business from the looks of things. I preferred places like these anyhow, they seemed more authentic even if corporate fast food restaurants had a quick turnaround when it came to your food. The grey wolf and I found ourselves sitting down on one of the outside tables for two, with the inside of the building where the cooks and chefs resided was visible. It was not long until a pink avian waitress approached us to take our orders. “Hello gentleman! Good morning and welcome,” she said as she introduced herself and I waved with X following me shortly after. “I hope all has been well for the two of you. Would you like to get started with a drink of your choice, as well as our menu for your options on dishes?” “Absolutely! That would be very kind of you, thank you,” X said in response, and I nodded in agreement as he continued on. “I’ll be fine with some water for the time being, but we would be more than happy to get started on our options pertaining to the menu.” The waitress smiled and nodded, handing us two pamphlets that were filled to the brim with so many different options. It was a lot, but not overwhelming in a sense. She told us to call for her if we needed anything, and we thanked her for her assistance as she walked away for now. “Oh gosh, where do I even begin with this?” X asked me, opening the menu and watching the list of his options expand dramatically in real time. “Seems that they have a little bit of everything here! It’s making my gut rumble in anticipation, I will admit. Hey! Miel! What has caught your eye so far?” “Honestly, not so sure myself! There’s just so much to choose from, hah,” I said to him honestly, excited at the prospect of so many of the items in my belly. “Definitely want some kinda soda, that’s for sure. Give it a few and I’ll be givin’ ya an answer soon, trust me X!” We discussed together for a while, viewing our options while almost foaming at the maw with how much we had at the helm. It was very apparent that the two of us had yet to eat anything today, and our hunger was catching up to us. The waitress returned with the water for X, and she asked me if I wanted anything to drink. I gave my suggestion of my favorite soda, that being orange, and she nodded and went on her way and returned rather quickly with my drink. She then asked once more if we were ready for our orders, and we declined for the time being. Shortly after, we went back to the drawing board as to what we wanted to consume as our morning meal.  It took us a little bit longer than we would have expected, but eventually X and I came to our consensus and we decided on what we wanted to eat. The list was on a bit of the longer side, but with our growling and gurgling stomachs demanding food, that was an acceptable list of food. We called the avian waitress again and she took our orders, thanked us in advance for our patience, and retrieved the pamphlet menus from each respective side of our two–seated tables. We were told the wait would not be for long, so we occupied ourselves with more conversation as the alluring smell of our dishes seeped from the cracks of the front entrance door. The wait in reality was probably not too long compared to most establishments. I could feel my gut grumble and softly gurgle as I heard X and his gut do more or less the same. It was not long before we could see what the chefs and cooks were up to inside the kitchen, the small window allowing us to peer into their world for even just a moment. The flavors I was expecting were entering my nose, but some new or out of left field scents were beginning to show themselves to me as well. X and I decided to try and start a new conversation, but we ended up talking about how hungry we were and how excited the two of us were to try what we ordered. Not long after that, it seemed like the waitress was indeed in the right — it had not been too long since we initially placed our orders, but then she was seen with two large trays inside the restaurant. Holding them steady, over the course of a minute or two, the trays were being filled with what our guts desired the absolute most in that moment. Nodding her own head and seemingly thanking her co–workers, the bird assuredly began making her way towards our table. The sight of food was so captivating and alluring that it essentially grinded the small talk X and I were having to a screeching halt. “Thank you so much for your patience, here we are! This should be everything you have ordered,” she began, smiling wide and with a welcoming aura, placing one tray on each side of the table towards their respective person. “So, if I have all there is to be accounted for, then…” The pink avian carefully placed down the hot and steamy food in front of both of us, and I could sense that X was having a hard time containing his pure and utter joy at the view he had for himself. I could tell because I was also feeling the exact same way in complete earnest. “So, for the gentleman bear, I have honey covered pancakes, rice crispy treats, and topping it off with a vanilla ice cream bowl,” she stated in confidence, moving onto his order. “And for the grey wolf, sir, buttered waffles coupled along with a few cream cheese bagel sandwiches as well as chocolate fudge brownies. Did I get that right?” “Y–Yes, you got everythin’ right miss. You don’t gotta worry about us, this looks like utter perfection!” I admitted right then and there, my growling gut becoming impatient as I spoke. “That will be all for the time being, and we’ll let you know if we need anything else. Sounds good to ya, X?” “Absolutely! O–Of course Miel!” he answered immediately and responded in a rather quick manner, already grabbing the utensils on the table for his inevitable meal. “That will be all for now, yes, thank you. You’ve given us plenty to work with for now, appreciate it!” She nodded and smiled, bowing down slightly and giving us a small wave as she departed. Now, he and I were simply left to our own devices as to what we should do with our food. The answer was… quite obvious to anyone who could smell the food in a one mile radius.  “Sh–Shit, I mean, er, crap! Let’s dig in, shall we?” “Yes, we shall! Eat up Mr. Bear!” The first bite of my meal was intense to say the least. Each flavor was rich, with the first bite going towards the pancakes that were absolutely [b][i]lathered[/i][/b] in honey. I was in awe, never seeing this much of the delicious goodness on a pancake like this. Oozing off the darn thing, I grabbed my fork and knife and dug in. As expected, it was amazing, and I could help myself and kept gouging as much as I could with the fluffy pancake. Soon after, I gave a taste test of the rice crispy treats, and they were as yummy as I could have hoped. The cherry on top, literally, was the bowl of vanilla ice cream I ordered to close things off. I thought it was fitting to have something sweet. Meanwhile, on the other paw, X was digging right in as much as I was. He was constantly complimenting the chefs of the restaurant, specifically for the buttered waffles and how delicious they were. The texture was out of this world, in his own words! Not to mention what else he ordered: the cream cheese bagel sandwiches were a delight in his eyes, and was one of the best he has had in a good while. And, last but not least, the chocolate fudge brownies that he was utterly [b]craving[/b] ever since we made our initial order. To say that it exceeded expectations from the first bite to the last was a massive understatement by all metrics in his voiced opinion towards me. The most obvious thing to say was indeed that we were full and satisfied, which was right. Happy is one way to describe our euphoria, bewildered was another for not arriving and visiting this restaurant sooner. We did finally call the waitress again, the pink avian politely giving us our bill as she picked up the empty and crumb–less treys and walked off. X and I thought about it and decided to go and split the check evenly, thinking that was the most fair option that we weighed upon. The avian waitress thanked us for our visit and we gave our thanks in return for the amazing food. Departing the restaurant, we headed back to my truck and went on our merry way. “Man, that was something else! I never expected some sort of treasure trove of food to be basically right next door to your apartment Miel,” he laughed, rubbing his gut slightly while sighing happily. “We should definitely check this place out again sometime, maybe order new menu items!” “Haha, now there’s a pleasant thought for this burr that you’ve come up with friend,” I say to him while I push my keys into the ignition, revving up my car back to life. “And sure thing! But, are ya sure there isn’t someone else in mind that ya would like to take here?” I saw, just for a brief moment, X and his face turn a shade of beat red. He looked away for a second or so out the window while I was pulling the car out of the parking spot and back on the road, but he did eventually respond with an unusually timid attitude about the whole thing.  “A–Ah, um, right! Yeah, yeah. I might, uh, be picking up what you’re putting down there Mr. Bear,” he nods his head slowly, not letting himself get too embarrassed before he speaks up to me once more. “W–Well, that isn’t relevant right now! Maybe, uh, later perhaps…” “Hah, you tell me! Ah, but I won’t bash it onto your head for too long. I’ll leave ya be if that is what you wish,” I said to him honestly, not wanting to harass the poor bud for too long. “I’m sure the two of you will have a great time! As long as ya have each other n’ all.” [i]“Think about the prospect, would ya?”[/i] He neglected to respond to my last inquiry, but I was certain he heard it without a doubt. Anywho, I tossed that thought to the wayside for now, putting my attention to the road ahead of us. Our next stop was a location I rarely visited on my own time, but, seeing that this was a special occasion, I was willing to bend the rules a bit. X fastened his seatbelt and so did I, as we began to make our way to what should be our next destination for the day. My beauty had no trouble getting us there, and we had to merge onto a highway or two, but it was not too much of a big deal. After some time and some miles later, we arrived. What stood before us was a [b]ginormous[/b] mall, the building being multiple stories tall with smaller shops and stands littered throughout the several acres of space that the place was occupying.  The parking lot alone covered probably the entirety of my apartment complex and then some in terms of sheer size alone, which made sense with how frequented and popular some of the establishments were here. I had not really visited this mall much myself, but there was a specific reason I was — or rather, we were here. After spending a moment looking around, I found a parking space that was close by to the entrance so that the walking distance would not be too harsh. We stepped out of my vehicle and walked towards the rotating doors, automatically allowing us to enter the ground floor with little to no issue. I felt a breeze of cold, conditioned air hit my fur, and I was sure that the grey wolf felt the same. The place was massive by all accounts, and their stores lined up as far as the eye can see. This was only the first floor, mind you! I saw escalators and elevators scattered across, allowing for traversal to higher floors if needed. Though for what we were looking for, the ground floor was more than enough to suit our needs, at least for now anyway.  “This mall is huge! Miel, how often do you city folk browse and shop at a place like this?” he asked me, turning to my direction as we began walking straightforwardly. “I can’t really remember that last time I’ve been to a place like this on my own time, actually…” “Heh, same goes for me as well bud! Places like this aren’t really my style to be frank with ya,” I tell him while our shoulders periodically brush up against each other. “But it’s got what we need, so I’m not gonna turn down the opportunity if it presents itself, y’know?” He nodded and agreed, and went on further to explore what the mall had to offer for us. We were walking for a few minutes or so until we found the place we were looking for. X beamed and his tail wagged, almost sprinting as if he was on an olympic track team.  “Ah, I think this is it! Miel, come on!” “Ack, wait! X, there’s no rush!” The entrance of the store was wide open, and everything could be seen from the outside with the glass windows giving nice views. As we entered, the light smell of fragrance entered our snouts, being strong as can be. It was a bit overbearing, but it did not take much time to get used to. I felt an odd sense when I walked in, not being in really any store for a good while. But with X, my nerves were washed away like a tidal wave. There was really nothing to be worried about! Reminding myself of this, I set my sights on what we were going to be picking up today as I turned my attention to the grey wolf that stood before me.  “Gosh, yeah, this place certainly looks and feels different from the last time I visited. But I dunno how long ago that was, hmm,” I commented, looking around from side to side while asking X a question. “Ya sure this is the place, then? Seems right to me anyway.” “Sure is! This is definitely the place, I’m sure of it Mr. Bear,” he agrees with me and we make our way into the store, as we take in where all the items are stored. “I’m sure a department store of this size and  magnitude has everything we need for later tonight.” Nodding my head with him, we pondered around and deduced the clothing section was near the back of the department store, where the entire section was admittedly much larger than what we would have anticipated. Either way, it was what we needed: nothing more and nothing less, so no complaints on my end.  “Golly, yeah, this is absolutely the best place for us to prepare then. So many items n’ whatnot…” I said and let my mind wander, until I returned and continued. “How about we get started, then? No need to dilly dally at all if we wanna make this work for tonight!” “For sure, for sure! I’m more than ready to just begin if you are big bear,” he says and I nod, smiling while he boops my snout like he did earlier this morning. “I’ll get started with some of the main pieces of the outfit, you go take care of my dress shoes if you can!” We were off to the races and I felt my excitement skyrocket. Spending a day with a friend was already icing on the cake, but going out to eat to start the day and then driving to shop and browse with them! Ah… this is, uh, really nice actually. I tried to keep myself focused on what we were here for to begin with, so I went around and checked the variety of dress shoe options that they had in stock. Most were pretty standard, run of the mill and to be expected. There were also some standout picks that drew my attention in particular. Grabbing a few to let X try them on his paws, I then made my way back to where he was located.  The next few hours were filled with whimsy. Him and I were keeping ourselves busy with clothing items, accessories and anything else we could find, but we took breaks every now and again to have some fun. Even though I was not the intended fur that was going to be buying anything today, I still thought it would be neat to try some outfits on for the sake of it. From formal to casual, and anything I could mix and match in–between, I was with X the whole way through. My outfits were more often misses rather than hits, but that was because my fashion sense was basic in many instances. The grey wolf would giggle and laugh his ass off, and I could not help myself but smile. A good amount of time had passed and we were ready with everything we needed. X picked out what he thought was a best fit for him, and I agreed ten fold with that sentiment. The black and white suit was an unusual fit for the grey wolf, as it was formal wear that I never saw him commit to. But it was for all the right reasons. He wore a happy grin and I returned the favor and booped his snoot, soon leading to constant booping for a few minutes before we decided it was best to head out as it was getting late. Coming up to the register after X changed out of his formal attire, another conversation struck as payment was the utmost important thing right now. “Ah, ah, don’t even think about lil’ bud. I’m payin’ for that darn suit if it’s the last thing I’ll do. [b]In full[/b] mind ya,” I say without hesitation, catching a glance from the grey wolf with my words. “Ya heard me right. And there’s no way that you’re gonna convince me otherwise, X.” “B–But it’s my suit! If it’s for me, I should be the one paying for it! Don’t think it fits you with your big bear belly, last I checked,” he smirked and said to me in return, “You’re not gonna try and justify why I shouldn’t be the one to pay upfront. As a matter of fact, I—” “Look, look. Listen here buddy. If ya ain’t gonna let this burr pay for it, ya might as well give up on gettin’ a ride home!” I tell him with a snide smile on my face and dangle my car keys right in front of him. “Besides, I… I wanna repay ya for what ya did for me back at your cabin. It’s the least this big ol’ ursine can do for ya, yeah…?” For once, X was a bit stunned into silence with my words. I did not want to say why there was a desire for me to repay him, but since the cat was out of the bag, there was no reason not to keep in the dark at this point. He eventually agreed even if he was reluctant about the idea at first.  “R–Really now? That’s the reason why? I, um, I see… that is rather kind of you to do Miel,” he admits to me and allows me to pay the cashier the bill in full myself. “You could have told me sooner, ah. I suppose a favor repaid is something you won’t waver against, huh?” I nod and tell him as such, grabbing all of what we bought for ourselves. I allowed X to go back to the changing room and do his thing, taking everything with him. Waiting patiently was probably the easiest part of the day, even though my anticipation was through the roof. Eagerly awaiting while he put on the finishing touches, it was only a matter of time before I could get the whole picture from top to bottom. I did not see the full, complete outfit up until after I had purchased everything, but that was about to change. The final product was something else entirely as he stepped out of the changing room and right in front of me. “So, uh, Mr. Bear, how does it look on me? Nothing out of the ordinary, anything strange or odd about it?” he asked me genuinely, just wanting to make sure all was well before we left. “I want to be absolutely sure that everything is good to go before we head out, you know…” “[i]Good[/i]? Does it look [i]good [/i]on ya, now? Hah, I thought it would look obvious the moment ya looked yourself in the mirror!” I said with the most honesty I could muster up for myself. “Ya fuckin’ look great, pardon my language! They’re gonna love it, I promise ya that!”  “Y–You, uh, really think so? I mean, maybe yeah, I shouldn’t be so apprehensive about it all. It’ll be fine, right!” he said, shaking away his nerves with his tail wags and was already racing to the exit. “Alright, let’s head out you large urine! I got everything I needed then!” “[i]We[/i] got everything you need, hah.” With all accounted for, it looks like our trip to the mall and department store is coming to a close. Not like the store would stay open for much longer anyhow, as the two of us departed and witnessed the sky turning in a deep blue with the night being upon us. X was as dapper as can be, we exited the mall and made our way to my pickup truck for the third time today, but it would be the last. I revved up the engine as I inserted the keys into my beauty, allowing it roar to live while we put on our seatbelts. The two of us were more than ready to go, seeing the grey wolf sitting next to me with a smile on his face as I left the parking spot and found my way to the highway again. The rest of the evening was breezy, a cool climate that was neither too hot nor too cold; just right to my fur coat and presumingly to the grey wolf. We made our way past the roads we already drove on earlier in the day in no time, as the night drew on and the remnants of the daylight dissipated. Passing by my home apartment, we ultimately did make it our final destination for the day. Driving up slowly to a driveway I was somewhat unfamiliar with, but it certainly was for X. By now everything seemed in place, and it looked like there was someone home due to the bright lights on the inside of the property. “So, this is the place then, eh?” I ask him and he nods, while I observe and make key notes of the area we are now in. “Bet you’ll do great in there, I’m sure of it!” “Do I… look presentable to you at all? You think I’m ready to go and face him tonight, Miel?” he asks of me, a bit distracted from all of the nerves. “Ya look handsome as hell to me! Don’t worry ‘bout it bud! I’m sure you’ll look great and do great,” I say to the grey wolf, holding his shoulder and patting it gently. “O–Okay, right. Here goes nothing then!” he tells me as he exits the car and closes the door, waving at me with his paw as I waved at him in return. “And Mr. Bear?” “[b][i]Thank you.[/i][/b]” I watched as he left my vehicle and slowly but surely made his way to the front door of the home. It seemed as if he hesitated for a brief moment on ringing the doorbell, but he looked back at me and I flashed him a smile, the biggest one I had done all day long with him. Giving my confidence and transferring it to X, he shook his head and rang, waiting for a minute or so as the door swung open. There, standing in front of the grey wolf, was his partner — the one he holds near and dear to his heart. I did not know them much, but seeing how happy he was with them gave me all of the confirmation I needed. Observing the two of them, I made a clear conclusion. “Aww… those two make a cute pair.” ----- [center][b]END[/b][/center]