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We sat under the stars in an open field, feeling the wind flowing through our fur. It had been months since Ken and I met. We had been meeting on a weekly basis and recently it became more frequent. I suppose we really enjoyed our friendship and company. No sex, no intimacy but pure platonic friendship. I almost felt like I was back at middle school again. Getting to know a new friend and clicking off a new friendship... I almost wished that we had met much earlier, you know, before all my... experiences.

The brown bear was contented with the cooling breeze. He tended to sweat really easily, but somehow remained overweight. Ken never minded his size; he would rather stuff his face full of his favourite ice gems. But perhaps that was why his ex left him? It wasn't like he was a stud to begin with but perhaps he had gotten too far from the weight limit that his ex could find attractive?

I watched him as he continued to remember our first meeting. He had become much more excitable than the first day. We were discussing about first impressions and I was mildly surprised when he mentioned that I wasn't his type. He liked wolves but preferred them with washboard abs.

"Washboard abs, really?" I asked, "How would you know if I had them? You may be in for a surprise."

"Please," he laughed while reaching out to squeeze my arm, "You're too soft to have any hard abs."

I swatted his paw away which made him laugh harder. "You aren't my type either," I retorted. It's true. In a species there's always a large spectrum of body shape and sizes. I do like bears, but I prefer them fit and muscular more than overweight. Just like how Ken prefers wolves but with washboard abs. "You're probably too heavy for my taste," I said as I stuck my tongue out and pinched his belly. He yelped at the sudden intrusion and whined in protest. It was his turn to swat my paw away. "You're mean," he said while rubbing the sore spot.

"At least I'm not as mean as you were on the first day," I confessed. He was a little embarrassed at the fact that I found him arrogant and grumpy.

"Well, I didn't mean to give off that vibe," he said while scratching the underside of his chin, "I think I just needed a rant or something."

"On your ex-boyfriend?" I said as I rolled my eyes, "Are you ever going to give up on him?"

"No!" he said really quickly, "I mean... ranting on gay relationships. I've already given up on him; I don't feel anything towards him. I'm serious!" I continued to look at him with that smug grin of disbelief. "You don't believe me?" he pouted angrily.

"Maybe not during the first time we met, Typh," he said as his face turned solemn, "But ever since we've met you have been reminding me to let him go. I really did." I sat here quietly, nodding for the bear to continue, "Just a few days ago, I finally met him again. I had a few things to return back to him. Throughout the meeting, I really didn't feel for him as I did before. Somehow, I knew that it was completely over. I didn't feel the tension anymore. I even asked him if we could be friends. He didn't accept, of course. But I didn't feel as crushed as half a year ago. So you can stop telling others that I'm still pining for my ex."

"Well, if that's the case, good for you," I said, beaming with joy and slapping his back, "You're finally free! So long as you got everything tidied up before you're next relationship you'll be fine."

The brown bear looked down with a small curl on the corner of his lips, "I didn't mean to be so personal and depressing. We may have only met for two months, but I don't feel so."

I smiled in appreciation before replying, "I agree. Well, everyone has their down times, so... it's just natural. Friends are here to help each other out too right?" Ken nodded in response, "Cliché, but true. Although, I don't think I've heard any depressing stuff from you before? What have you been hiding up your sleeve you sneaky wolf? I've been pouring my heart out; it's time for you to tell me something!"

I looked away awkwardly, not feeling up to tell him my past. It was no fairy tale for sure. "It's a very long story and I don't want to bore you," I said, avoiding his gaze. Ken was much more persistent than I thought. "We have time, c'mon!" he asked, continuing to pester me. I took a deep breath. It was a very long time since I last shared my experiences with another. Last few times I did didn't go as well as I hoped. I had developed some trust issues over time and was feeling much better, but that didn't mean that I would be ready to just share as and when I wished. Ken's protest started to die down as he felt my silence getting to him. He seemed to understand the severity of my situation as time passed. I twiddled my thumbs as I weighed my options. In the end I decided that it was still a part of my life. Whether he likes me any less as a friend, it was up to him.

And I told him. I took time, but I relayed my story and experiences to him. How my family broke into chaos in the past, my first crush, my rejections, even things that I would rather not recall. It was ugly, unrefined, fragmented, but Ken didn't make any comments. He knew it was my life to share and he had no right to criticise. He didn't shrug it off like what people did in the past. He didn't trivialize or compare any of the stories that I told him. It was no more than looking at scars that different unfortunate events carved. I didn't feel as ashamed as I thought I would be.

When I've finished, I felt so tired but also relieved. It was all in the past. Even if the effect lingers every now and then, it wasn't as bad as it was. "Thank you for sharing your stories with me," the brown bear said, looking up to the starry sky. "I didn't mean to bombard you with all that unhappy stuff," I said softly as I apologised. He waved it off and continued staring at the sky. "What matters is that you're here right now," he said in a happy tone. I followed him to look up and pondered for a moment. Maybe he's right.

"Since we're currently on a serious side of things," the brown bear asked, "Can I confess something?"

"You don't have to make me feel better," I said before stopping myself, "Scratch that, carry on."

He blushed red before continuing, "I have some problems... down there. I'm going to have an operation a few weeks after your birthday." My eyes widened in shock at the sudden news. My first impression was that he was going to have a sex reassignment surgery or something along that line. I never thought he would ever have that idea.

"I... er... I didn't know," I stammered as I didn't know how to react, "Is it going to be risky?" The brown bear simply shrugged, "I don't think so. The surgery sounds simple, but they will be administering anaesthesia for sure and it always has risks right? I could be unlucky. And it's gonna hurt... like a lot afterwards."

"That sounds terrible... Do you really have to?" I asked, hoping it wouldn't offend.

"Of course I have to," Ken said, "They didn't do a good job the other time, so this time they will fix it up so that I wouldn't be bleeding about."

"Bl... Bleeding?" I questioned as I got more and more confused. I pat his body and looked about but didn't see any patches or feel any soft cotton bandages. He chuckled in response. "It's not somewhere convenient, that's why it's a little embarrassing to confess."

"It's my... behind, an abscess wound, to be precise," he whispered, glancing around, hoping that no one was eavesdropping. I coughed out loud, trying my best not to laugh at both my earlier assumption and his predication. I smirked and asked, "Are you currently wearing a sanitary pad?"

He scowled at me and answered, "No! I'm not dripping that much blood! I can keep it in for a few hours before I have to visit the toilet... if you realised."

"So how did you end up with that...?" I stopped halfway before asking, "Oh... Was it because your ex was too rough? Like some sex after a quarrel without lube or something?"

"No!!" the bear said out loud, covering my muzzle and looked around in shock, "It's not like that! What if others heard?" I was giggling at his red face before he loosened his grip and he explained, "I... wasn't very fond of vegetables, so one day I ended up with a really bad constipation and... you know." He coughed a bit before continuing, "Well, the thing is I already had an operation on it. It's just that the wound stitch reopened a little and the doctor needed another operation."

"That's quite unfortunate, does it still hurt?" I asked while he shook his head in response. I grinned before continuing, "Are you sure it's not some rough sex that caused it?" Ken quickly retorted, "Do I look like that kind of person? I..." He faltered for a moment and lowered his voice, blushing deeply, "I've never been a bottom before."

I smiled as he looked at me as though daring me to laugh. "Actually," I said, "It's the same for me. We're on the same boat in terms of ass virginity." He looked away and replied, "I... uh, I guess. But on a serious note, would you like to visit me at the hospital before the operation?"

"It depends on the date; I still have college to attend. But I thought you said it isn't going to be a major operation?" I wondered out loud. "Oh, but I have a chance of never waking, you know? And it's gonna be during a weekend, I promise. I don't want to be bored out all day there! I'm scared too!" he begged like a big cub asking for candy, "Please?"

"You're just being dramatic," I laughed at the brown bear, "All right, I'll make some time out. No guarantees though... College stuff happens." An idea formed on my head right after, "Why don't we make it more dramatic? During your operation, I would give you a missed call. Then you have to call me back after the operation when you wake up. Deal?"

His ears visibly perked up in surprise, "You're finally deciding to give me your mobile number? Sure! Let's do that!" He grinned widely, so contagious that I couldn't help but follow him.

I had a small amount of drama concerning giving out my number which led to that decision of keeping it a secret. There was this traumatic time where I gave it out to another guy from the chatting app, thinking it wasn't going to be a cause for concern, ended up giving me more trouble than I wished for. That lynx ended up calling me one random day when I was writing my homework in college, asking for phone sex. I was scared and tried to reject him nicely, but he insisted further and ended up moaning to my poor ears, telling me how he was stroking himself. I shuddered every time I recall it and I swore never to give my number so freely again. "You're just being stingy!" and a pout was Ken's first reaction, because I managed to get his mobile number from fiddling his phone once. He respected my decision that I would give him at a later time when he wasn't just a temporary friend. Since it has been months, I thought it was a good idea to just tell him. It wasn't supposed to be an important thing since we don't call each other, but keeping it from him only set to spur him further to find out that number combination. No doubt it was the hardest phone number Ken has gotten from another guy.

The brown bear continued to hum an old tune and stretched his legs. I noticed at his expression changed into a cringe while moving his legs slowly, groaning softly to himself. I almost immediately pounced at him, because I knew what all that symptoms were. He could barely form a 'Shit!' with his muzzle as he widened his eyes. He yelled out loud while I grabbed his calves and squeezed. He writhed and struggled to get out of my grip but his numb legs wouldn't move. "Y... you're a pervert!" he exclaimed, paws gripping tight to my shoulders, muzzle contorting as though he bit a lemon. He knew the battle was already lost, so he waited for the numbness to go away while holding back his complains. "You're so mean!" he grumbled as I let go of his calves and laughed at the bear, "I forgot you're a sadist when it comes to this."

"You're welcome to press my numb legs, if I had any," I giggled as he turned his muzzle away with a small 'humph!' "You need to fix your sitting posture," I continued, "And speaking of fixing, it seems that you need to fix your diet too. Time to start eating your fibres, fat boy. I don't remember seeing you have any vegetables, now that I think about it. How are you ever gonna attract any knot with that bum of yours if you don't have healthy bowels?"

The bear groaned out loud, covering his eyes, "I knew that I revealed too much of my weaknesses to you already! Maybe it's time..." He looked at me with a glint in his eyes, drawing a line across his neck with the tip of his claw. "Silencing me already?" I joked and punched him lightly on his chest. "No," he argued, "But who likes to eat vegetables? If I have to eat them in front of you, you have to eat them with me!" I simply shrugged and replied, "Sure. I enjoy eating salad once in a while." The brown bear's jaw dropped and deflated visibly. "Fine," he agreed in defeat, not expecting my response.

He sighed as I pat his back, "There there, all these are good for you. You probably haven't eaten a proper salad with a nice dressing. It's not that bad." Ken eyed at me suspiciously before nodding silently. I smiled at him and marvelled at how the grumpy bear had become a light hearted, docile one. When it comes to food, chubs don't like to be restricted in their diet. Asking them to change their diet (especially vegetables!) to a healthier one would be like destroying their lives. That was my experience with the people I met in the past. Ken, however, doesn't seem that against the idea. The bear in front of me stood out from the rest even more over the time we spent together. Maybe that was why I continued hanging out with him?

-

"So how did it go?" Ken urged, "Where did he bring you? What did you two do?"

My birthday was right around the corner and some of my friends wanted to celebrate it for me. There was one from those that I met on chat groups. Alex was a tall polar bear that clicked off with me when we chatted and met up. Alex, unlike Ken, was a little more cautious and sceptical about almost everyone's intentions. It was a wonder how I got to be friends with him. It was probably because we were cuddle buddies or something. It wasn't a very sexual friendship. That very few times when we cuddled in his room, we were watching movies on his desktop. I didn't want to be too sexually related to Alex anyway, since he had a habit of visiting saunas. The polar bear swore that he was clean which I do believe, but it didn't stop me from being wary. Ever since he met me he stopped visiting those sleazy places. I wasn't sure why, but a possibility could be that he was influenced by me or something. Alex knew I wasn't the kind to go sauna or hook up with some bear over an app, maybe he was just following me.

Ken wasn't bought by it though. The brown bear insisted that Alex was trying to get close to me, wanting to snatch me from the market. Alex never told me he liked me in any way, so I just laughed at the brown bear for being silly. Still, it didn't stop Ken from continuously probing for information, even more so when Alex planned a birthday celebration for me. Watching him getting agitated (or excited) was almost like a best friend who couldn't wait any more for information.

"I'm not going to tell you," I said, trying my best to ignore his pestering, "Just in case."

"Why not? I want to know!" he insisted. I already knew what he was up to. He would revise his plans just to outdo Alex. The brown bear never seemed to like the polar one, so it was a reasonable suspicion. "Because it's my birthday celebration. Don't worry, we didn't do anything sexual or cuddle, so please stop asking," I said as I rolled my eyes. Ever since I started hanging out with Ken, I've gradually stopped having any intimate cuddling sessions with Alex. Not that Ken specifically asked me to, even if he strongly disapproves, but hanging out with Ken takes time.

"I'll tell you after we've celebrated together, okay?" I sighed, hoping to appease him. "I... I wasn't going to change my plans," he argued back hesitantly, "Okay..."

The truth was also that I hoped Ken wasn't going to go somewhere fancy. Alex planned the whole day for me. The polar bear knew that I liked to experience new things, so what we did for the day was all my first tries. We went to play in an escape room first and it was pretty interesting. It wasn't a fanciful puzzle (we did ask for beginner difficulty) but we didn't even finish the puzzle before the time was up. It was a bummer because we only had one puzzle left before the buzzer went off and the aliens kill them all.

But what was most worrying was the cost of dinner. Alex brought me to a neat café, with the classic English style and cosy orange lights. It wasn't a high end restaurant with world renowned chefs, but it was definitely more than a usual café. I tried dishes that I usually wouldn't eat. It was expensive, but wasn't something unaffordable; just pricier than usual cafes and restaurant. If the brown bear wanted to outclass Alex he would have to bring me to an even more pricy place. I couldn't imagine how much Ken would have to splurge... and it wasn't like he was earning much as a fresh graduate. I did tell him to keep it simple, so hopefully he would listen.

-

And of course he didn't. Right at the start he already requested me to dress up. Not formal, but at least smart casual. I didn't even have to guess at the budget of my birthday celebration to know it has certainly exceeded what Alex did. I grumbled softly to myself as I carefully rolled up my sleeves. Ken was unfazed when we met, gleefully wishing me 'Happy Birthday!' and handing over a silver envelope. "Open it after the celebration!" was the first thing he said after I received the card. I wondered what he wrote in there. At least he listened to me about not wanting to receive gifts. I always felt it a hassle trying to guess what the other wanted. I couldn't just ask for a big built sexy bear boyfriend, could I?

I gulped as I followed the bear for the day, hoping my initial guess was wrong about excessive spending. I'm just a college student with little to no income. What if Ken expects me to spend the same amount for his birthday? Perhaps that amount was his norm? I literally had to stop myself from worrying and enjoy everything at Ken was about to bring me.

He brought us to the cinema, where flashing posters greeted us and showing trailers. I was laughing at myself for overthinking since it was clearly just a movie when he actually pulled me by my paw towards the gold class section. The staff welcomed us as though my gawking face was not evident. The brown bear only continued to grin at me while we waited at the lounge. Gold class seats were much more expensive and were limited in seats, so he must have planned it long ago to get them. The gold class sections gave premium customer service with large comfy seats during the movie screening and they would serve you anything on the menu even if you called it during the show. Such luxury was something that I had never experienced before for sure!

"I do remember you saying that you would try new experiences," Ken explained after we left the cinema, "So it was pretty good, eh? I wanted to try gold class for a long time!"

I nodded silently as I remember him saying, "Oh look! There's a button here for service. You can order anything you want on the menu, but not too much! We still need space for dinner." He did look like he was new to all that fanciful stuff. Ken wouldn't tell me where he would be bringing me for dinner, but he ensured that it was something that I have not tried before.

I was thinking it was an international buffet that I had never been to before he continued travelling forward, passing what I guessed was the place for dinner. Eventually we stopped, reaching a grand place, taking a notch higher than Alex. It was an actual renowned steakhouse. I could barely contain my amazement when I was led in to our reserved table. We were led to the table was stood out from the rest; it had decorations and party sprinkles laid out. I was speechless when I sat down on the soft cushion and tried to examine my surroundings. The staff assigned to our table congratulated me for my birthday before guiding us through the menu, laying out a row of cooked meat, explaining different cuts and cooks to the beef steak. I had to keep my composure when I read through the prices. It was certainly something that normal college student like me would not visit. Even my menu was customized with greetings for my birthday!

I was a little hesitant to order after being taken away by what was happening around me. I wasn't going to argue with Ken in front of the staff. Luckily the brown bear already had thought of what to order for us. He must have looked at some reviews and had some experiences with eating premium beef. I could only let him lead through the orders.

I tried my best to keep the mood casual throughout the wait. But all my nervousness disappeared when my nose picked up the smell of the aromatic steak as the staff brought it over. I could barely contain myself as it was laid out in front of me. What wolf could resist steak?

Ken was also watching with anticipation like I did, although that was probably his reaction to any food brought to him. Although I've never had premium beef, I could tell just by the smell that it was going to be delicious. The spices on the rub of the steak, the sauce that accompanied the meat was teasing my sense of smell. I quickly picked up my utensils as the staff bowed and left. I gulped and began to cut a piece to eat. The way the knife slide through the meat like butter and a moist pink in the middle was immensely satisfying even before tasting. I could feel the warmth of the piece of steak as I brought it closer to my muzzle. I braced myself before biting onto the steak. With each bite, a myriad of flavours burst in my muzzle. It was nothing like I had ever eaten. The quality and texture of the meat, its juices, the sauce and spices was a perfect blend. I wouldn't be surprised if I even let out a happy moan. Ken looked just as satisfied as I was with that dreamy look on his muzzle.

By the time we had finished out food, I was already numb from being overwhelmed. What Ken did to me for the whole day was luxury more than I had ever experienced in my lifetime. The juicy, succulent steak, the dim lights and the quiet surroundings were so hypnotising that I wished it would never end.

I spotted candlelight as it bobbed along and Ken started singing the birthday song shyly to my perked ears. The staff smiled as he sat the cake down in front of me. I could feel the heat of the candle licking at my nose softly. The staff clapped when Ken finished, gesturing us to sit closer for a picture. The brown bear shifted in and placed his warm paw on my thigh while we smiled for the picture. A quick flash from the camera and the warmth on my thigh left. Ken only grinned at me like he did for the whole day.

"How was the day of celebrations?" Ken asked as we took a stroll after the heavy meal. I was swinging a small bag that contained all the goodies I've obtained from the whole day, including a birthday card that the steakhouse made for me with the picture we took together. "I... I hope I did better than Alex," he said bashfully.

"Of course you did," I said softly, holding back my urge to hug him, "It was the best birthday celebration that I ever had." I did not know what else to tell him. That he exceeded my expectations? That I had been worried about the cost? I stopped in my tracks and pulled him to face me. "Thank you for everything," I said as our eyes met. He blushed and scratched the back of his head. "Why do you sound serious all of a sudden? I'm getting embarrassed."

"I am just very grateful. Usually my birthdays aren't all that memorable. Although it wasn't as simple as I asked for and really fanciful as a friend, but I still enjoyed myself immensely," I said, watching my big brown friend shuffling his feet. "Well," he replied shyly while looking at his feet, "I do consider you more than a friend by now. I've really enjoyed our company and I wanted to do something for you."

More than friends, huh. I wondered if that was how other people refer to as best friends. I never had one so I wasn't sure how it was supposed to feel like. I don't mind it for sure; Ken has been a positive addition to my life. If he wasn't here, I could still be in a friend with benefit loop like before. And he might still be stuck with his ex, only to give up and unleash his lust elsewhere. I suppose we did help each other move on from our individual lives.

"Let's not be so formal, yes?" he asked and broke me out of my thoughts. I smiled and nodded while we continued walking towards the mall.

Eventually we had to part ways, where my day of celebrations ends. I didn't want it to end. At least I had memories of it every time I saw the photo of us seated together in the steakhouse. It was a lovely handwritten card that the steakhouse provided. Speaking of cards though... Ken did left me one and only allowed me to open it at home.

I fished out the silver envelope with my name on from the bag and carefully took out the card inside. At first glance, it was clear that it the card itself had been crafted by Ken's very own paws. It was certainly not a pre-made one with a regular message in it.

'It has been nice knowing you and hanging out with you for the past few months. Really enjoyed the times we had together and no matter what happens, I will always be here for you! Lastly, hope you like this card... if you don't find it too ugly.'

I couldn't help but smile at the simple card that Ken gave. It wasn't the prettiest card, but it was honest and heart-warming. The card was just like the brown bear. And exactly like him, the card was almost perfect.

He wrote my age a year older.