Anniversary the first

[britishredfox]

Today, it's mine and tfbaxxter 's first anniversary!  Having plucked up the courage to ask him early in the morning exactly a year ago, and been given the answer I'd so nervously hoped for, I love him just as much as I did back then and take every opportunity I can to tell him. We chat online nightly, either through instant messangers, Skype, or even the occasional telephone call (despite expensive international rates - though working for a VoIP firm has that neatly solved), and I do feel as if the day isn't complete without hearing how his went. I do wish I were able to see him in person more often - we've been fortunate enough to visit each other since becoming mated, but living in different countries, it's hard to do so for too long or with any regularity. I'd love to live with him, in Norway or here in Britain, but for now we share as much as we can online.

I said for our six-month anniversary that I couldn't try to sum up the reasons why I love him, but I'd like to give that a go:

• Incredible kindness. From gentle words of encouragement and approval, to the lovely gifts he'd given me, everything he does always seems to be done with the utmost thought for me and for others.
• A great sense of humour. We've many playful in-jokes and references which only we get, and frequently he has me cracking up at the keyboard from a throwaway line. I've many happy memories of us sharing jokes together online and in person, and frequently they take on such a life of their own that it would be impossible to explain why they're funny in the first place; one example would be how I can never quite think of the children's programme Dora The Explorer in quite the same way ever again.
• Fiendish intelligence. My foxie's an educated young vulpine, with a Master's degree in philosophy! He's very well-read, and wonderfully clever - perhaps a trait I'm less keen on when he's tearing me apart in Magic: The Gathering.
• Shared hobbies and interests! We've many joint interests, from a love of music (he even plays!) to video gaming and various pen-and-paper or tabletop games, and beyond. We frequently understand obscure references and namedropping, and can happily and freely share our obsessions. We don't have entirely identical preferences, but where would the fun be in that?
• Tolerance and understanding. I have quite a few less-than-common interests, and he has never been offended or upset by any of them; even if he doesn't share them, he's never been unhappy that I've had them, which makes me feel most wanted and comfortable.
• Sweet and loving affection, always having a surprise up his sleeve which makes me melt into a foxie puddle. For our anniversary, as well as sending me a lovely book, he had this picture commissioned (referencing our last holiday together, where many a piggyback was had), he surprised me and stunned me utterly with a lovely rose which sat awaiting my return from Bristol today.
• The nicest hugs you will ever experience, ever.
• Handsomeness, with a cute smile and a lovely body to cuddle into at night and wake up with, and one which (he types, blushing) makes me a very happy fox just to think of.

Tonight we'll be curling up in our respective beds for one of our movie dates, watching Disney's Enchanted together; and while I can't be in his lap, watching it while holding his paws, I'll be thinking of him throughout and wishing I were there.

Happy anniversary, Miles T.F. I love you, so much.