By Matt Carras
Introduction
This is a short story idea I've been thinking about doing for a while now. Just to warn you this story is gay in nature. If you knew my well you'd know I'm gay and the three things I like the most are Furries (anthropomorphic characters), guys, and stuff involving haircuts. But so rarely do all three come together, especially the haircut part. So read on and I hope you enjoy it
It was early Tuesday morning when Alan woke up from the horrible beeping of his alarm. An arm with tan fur reached out from under the sheets and pressed the sleep button. He looked at the clock by his bed with eyes full of sleep. 8:30, just on hour for him to get ready for work. He turned around towards his partner's empty side of the bed. Travis had already left for his job as a security officer over an hour ago. "Sly dog, been quiet again so he doesn't stir me up." He thought with a grin on his face. He got out of bed still in his happy face boxers and dragged himself to the kitchen of their apartment. He sat down at the kitchen table with a bowl of Toasty Flakes he poured himself. He looked at the calendar on the fridge with May 15th circled in red marker. Today was Travis's 25th birthday. Thoughts of Travis came into his mind. They talked about going someplace for his birthday but money was tight since they both bought the apartment. So they both decided on a romantic dinner at home. For Travis's birthday Alan wanted to get him something great. He noticed a week ago Travis eyeing a weight set in one of their magazines. It seemed the perfect gift to get him but he found out when calling the store that it was way too out of their price range. He hoped what he had planned would be good enough for Travis. After breakfast he popped in the bathroom for a morning shower.
After a hot shower to wake himself up he dried off with his towel and stopped to take a look at himself in the bathroom mirror. A handsome, buff young lion looked back at him with damp mane and fur. "Take a good look at it Alan after today it's gone." He thought to himself starring at the long reddish-brown mane resting on his shoulders and going down his back. After he finished with his bathroom routine he went back in the bedroom to get dressed in his work clothes. Before getting his keys and leaving the apartment he went to the phone in the living room and grabbed the phone book nearby. With phone in one hand he went through the various sections and ads of the phone book till he reached the hair and fur section. Going through the many ads and addresses of fur stylists, salons, barbershops, etc, he found the one he hoped he would find. Dialing the number he was answered by a female voice. "Sally's Fur Salon how may I help you?" Said the voice on the other end. "Hi, I was hoping if I could get an appointment somewhere between 4:30 and 5:30?" He said looking at the time on his watch. He hoped he could get it done after work before Travis came home with enough time between to make dinner. "Let me check, we have a opening at 4:50 is that alright with you?" Said the lady. A wave of relief washed over Alan. "Can I have your name to write down for your appointment?" She asked. "Oh, sure, it's Alan Barlowe." He replied. "I'll see you then." They both exchanged goodbyes and he pressed the "talk" button off and hung up the phone. "This is it." He thought to himself. "No going back now."
He grabbed his keys and went out the door, locking it behind him. Going down the stairs, he entered the parking garage under the apartment building. Getting into his truck, he drove out of the garage into the street headed to his job. Alan was a construction worker at Donovan Construction Co. This month they started work on the new Ferris Building. It was a great job for him, working hours were Monday to Thursday and paid very well. The added plus was all the heavy labor he did was easy with his great muscular body. He got to the construction site and punched in at 10:00. Work was usual at the site, working up piles of concrete and rumble and doing some welding on the rafters. At 12:30 he stopped to eat at a nearby restaurant he and most of the work crew went to for lunch. Biting into a chicken sandwich (his favorite there) he paused to think about Travis. The time they first met was still fresh in his mind. A few years back the both started taking notice of each other at the gym the both went to. They would exchange long looks of interest at each other either when they were using the machines or using the shower. At the time neither one knew if the other was gay or not. Travis was the one who got the ball rolling and asked him if he wanted a talk with him. After a few conversations Alan told him how he the way Travis's body looked and couldn't keep his eyes of him when ever he was there. Finding out the other was gay was a relief for both of them. Alan chuckled quietly at how awkward that moment was while taking another bite of his sandwich. They then started going out together and their relationship grew very well. Through all the other boyfriends Alan had been with Travis was the one that made him feel more like himself than anyone else. They cared for each other very much and living together was the milestone that made him feel closer to Travis. What surprised Alan most about the relationship was how great they were accepted be each other's family. Unlike most families both Travis and Alan's folks where very open to their sons when they first came out.
After finishing his sandwich and fries he got back to work at the site. They day when by and soon his shift was over he left the site and got in his truck after saying goodbye to his work buddies. He opened up the dashboard of his truck and going through the various papers he pulled out the one with the address of the salon. The salon was on the corner of Devien and Arnaldo, luckily it wasn't far from the site. After starting up the truck he drove out into the street. On the way to the salon anxiety started to creep up on Alan. He didn't notice it but he kept playing around with his clawed fingers on the steering wheel. He kept moving his butt around the seat feeling uncomfortable all the sudden. "Keep it together Alan, remember who you're doing this for!" He though to himself. Even though the drive there only took about 10 minutes time seemed to move slower for him. He finally reached the corner of Devien and Arnaldo and drove into a plaza on the corner. Driving into the shopping plaza, he found a space close to the salon and parked in it. Getting out of his truck and locking it, he could feel the anxiety in him grow stronger. He walked into the salon in from and opened the door, making the bell ring.
Inside the salon there where things you would normally find at such a place. There was a place near the door with chairs and a table for of magazines to wait at. There where six stylist stations with chairs that had tail holes for comfort and a row of mirrors on either wall. In the back there was a sink and chair to wash hair in and a small podium and mirrors around it for doing body fur. Luckily Alan didn't have to get his body fur done he did it at home himself with a pair of body clippers he had. At one of the stations a lady panda in her 30s was working on the hair of a young tigress. She paused for a moment and looked at Alan. "Can I help you?" She asked. "Hi, I'm Alan Barlowe I'm here for my appointment at 4:50." He replied. "Okay, I'm Sally and there's no one ahead of you right now just this lady I'll be right with you." Said Sally as she continued on the tigress's hair. Alan sat down in one of the chairs and looked through the magazines finding none that interested him. He could feel his heartbeat rising from his nervousness. For as long as he could remember he had long hair. Even as a kid when his dad got his haircut for the summer it was still on the long side. Through school he always got compliments on how great his long mane looked. When he got older the beard of his mane grew in and the compliments got even better. He looked so good with his mane and buff body he build up he thought of getting into modeling after college. But wanted more to get into construction after that.
Sally put down her comb and blow dryer and used a mirror to show the tigress the finished product. She thanked her as Sally took the cape of her shaking of the hair. They went to the register and the lady paid Sally for her haircut. "Okay sir, we're ready for you" Said Sally to Alan. He stood up taking a deep breath. "This is it." He thought. He walked to one of the chairs and sat down. Sally wrapped a cape around him and buttoned it behind his neck. "How do you want it?" She asked.
"Um, I read in you ad you guys donate hair to Fur From Friends?" He asked. "Oh yes, are you looking to donate some of your hair?" Said Sally. "Yeah, I'd like to donate most of my hair for it" He replied with a sigh. Sally took a brush and started smoothing down his mane. "What I'm going to do is put your mane in a ponytail so most of it is kept together." Said Sally. "Okay" Said Alan nervously. She finished brushing and made a ponytail out of his mane. She opened one of the drawers of the station and pulled out a pair of scissors.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Sally asked. Thinking about Travis, he already knew his choice. "Yes, Definitely." Said Alan as he closed his eyes so he wouldn't witness it. Snip, snip, snip went the scissors and Alan sudden noticed less weight on his head. He looked in the station mirror and saw himself. Most of his mane was in the ponytail Sally was holding and the rest now ended short above his neck. "Now that we got that done, have you though on what kind of haircut you want?" She asked. Alan then realized he hadn't though that far ahead. "I could work something with this length, but something shorter would look better on you." Said Sally. "How about this, I go with a #2 on the sides and back and shorten it on top, just leaving enough for you to style with." Alan though about it for a sec. Now since the hard part was over he might as well go through with it. "Sure, go for it." He replied.
She brought out a pair of clippers an attached a #2 guard on it. The clippers hummed to life as she got to work on the back of his head. Large tufts of reddish-brown hair started falling to the floor. "Just wondering, why the sudden change if you don't mind me asking?" Asked Sally continuing on the back. Alan looked back at her through the mirror. "I'm doing it because it's the birthday of someone special to me." Explained Alan. "Who is the lucky girlfriend.... or boyfriend you're doing the for?" She asked. Alan was little surprised she said "boyfriend". He reached in his pocket and opened it. he pulled out a picture of Travis and showed it to her. "My, isn't he a handsome pup! How long have you two been together?" She asked now working the clippers o the left side of his head. "We've been together three years this August." Said Alan. "He always said I'd look good with a shorter mane." He said as he laughed quietly, knowing it was just one of the reasons he was doing this for him. Sally turned of the clippers and set them down. Now done with the sides and back she took a squirt bottle to wet his hair. After his hair got damp enough she took a pair of scissors and comb from the drawer. "How much do you want off hon?" She asked holding a lock of his mane up with two fingers. "I guess I'll leave it up to you." Said Alan with a smile.
She nodded and started cutting of more of his mane. After a while with the scissors she paused for a moment. "Are you done?" Asked Alan. "Almost, what do you want me to do with the beard?" She replied. Alan looked at his reflection for a minute. His full, wavy beard looked a bit awkward with his shorter mane. "Could you trim it a little?" He asked. "Sure, I'll just square it around your jaw line so it matches you're haircut. Said Sally. she pulled a lever on the chair to move it back. She took a smaller pair of clippers and comb and started trimming his beard. She combed the beard and buzzed off what stuck through the comb. After she finished trimming she put the seat back up. She took a blow dryer and started blowing off the cuttings of his mane. She unbuttoned the cape and brushed off the last of the hair. Sally pulled out a mirror to show him the result from the back. Alan looked at himself in amazement. His hair was cut to about 11/2 inches or so in length on top and combed back. She tapered the back to match the length of his fur. His beard was squared perfectly matching his jaw line. Alan noticed his neck and shoulders really showed with his mane and beard being shorter. "Do you want any gel?" Asked Sally. "No thanks, I got some stuff I can use at home." Said Alan.
He walked with Sally to the register to pay for the haircut. "That'll be $11.50." She said. Alan went through his wallet and gave her a $20. "Before you go, here's a certificate saying you donated to Fur From Friends." She gave him the paper and a pen to sign his name with. He carefully folded it and put in his pocket. "Thanks a bunch!" Said Alan going to the door. "You're welcome and I hope your boyfriend likes it." Said Sally. Alan smiled back and walked out the door. Outside there was a cool breeze blowing that Alan could feel with his shorter hair. He never noticed how warm his head was with all that hair until now. He got in his truck and drove back to the apartment. On the way he couldn't keep his hand off his new haircut, rubbing the back of his head. As he parked in the building's garage he grabbed a baseball cap from the back seat and put it on, to make sure no one in the building would see his new look. At the apartment he still had time to make dinner before Travis came home.
Inside the apartment he went to the kitchen and started getting out vegetables and frozen meat. Travis always loved Alan's cooking, and tonight he was making his favorite dish, beef teriyaki and stir fry. While all the frozen stuff was thawing, he went to the bedroom to get dressed for dinner. After changing into a button shirt and a pair of pants he wears on special occasions, He went to the bathroom and put some product in his hair to make it look nice. At about 6 o' clock dinner was prepped and Alan had a table set in the living room with candles lit. Just then the phone rang and Alan went to answer it. "Hey love, just calling you from the garage I'll be up there in a sec." Said Travis on the other end. "Okay, see you in a few." said Alan with a big grin on his face. He turned off the phone and turned on some music. Everything was ready now, all that was left was the birthday boy.
Travis put his cell phone back on his belt. He was really looking forward to today. He walked out of the garage and into the lobby of the apartment building. In the elevator, he pressed the button for the 5th floor as the doors closed. He got a good look at himself in the mirror-like reflection of the doors. Looking back was a handsome, muscular black Labrador with a crewcut. He put on some good clothes when he changed from is uniform back on the job to look nice for the dinner. The elevator reached the 5th floor and Travis walked out and into the hall towards the apartment. Upon reaching the door he could hear soft music playing and the smell of dinner already done. He opened the door to a candle lit table for two. "I'm home." Said Travis. "Alrighty, just have a seat I'll be out with our dinner in a sec." said Alan from the kitchen. Travis sat at the chair facing the kitchen, his tail wagging in excitement.
Alan walked out with a plate of food in either hand. "Happy Birthday!" He said with a big smile. Travis tail dropped as he stared at Alan, now with much shorter hair then he ever saw him with. "What did you do to your hair?" Said Travis with a shocked look on his face. "I got it cut today for your birthday, do you like it?" He asked setting down the plates. Travis paused for a minute, still shocked from the moment. "Why did you do something so drastic like that?" He said in a confused voice. "Well, you always said I would look good with shorter hair, plus that's not the only thing I did with it today." Said Alan as he pulled out a folded piece of paper from his back pocket. H unfolded it and gave it to Travis. "What's this?" Said Travis looking at the certificate. "Remember when we started going out? You're little sis just started chemotherapy?" Said Alan. Travis remembered it all too well. At the time they found out Andrea had cancer and she needed to start chemo soon after that. She got better but it was a very difficult time for him and his family. "It was a shame she lost that beautiful hair of her’s going through it. I donated most of my hair to Fur From Friends. So now some lucky kid going through chemo gets to have the same gorgeous hair as me." He said with a big smile.
Travis put the certificate down and started at Alan with big eyes. For a moment there was just silence from him. Then he smiled at Alan, got up and gave him the biggest hug he ever gave anyone. Tears started running down his cheeks as he gave Alan a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you so much." said Travis rubbing the back of Alan's head. "I do like the way it feels." He said with a laugh. Alan started crying too as they both held each other in the tender moment between them. "Happy birthday sweet pup." Whispered Alan. After what seems like forever they let go of each other. Holding hands they looked at each other's faces with tears still streaming down them. They sat down and dug into the meal Alan had prepared. The whole Time Travis couldn't stop smiling at Alan. For him it was the best birthday he ever had. And he was spending it with the one person that made him feel more like himself than anyone else.
End
