“Thank you, sir. Here’s your key card. Your room number is printed on the underside. Head left to get to the elevators and stairs. Thank you for choosing the Suites.”

“Thanks!” Chiaro said, plucking the card out of the attendant’s talon and marching off toward the stairs. Not much longer now. The emotions flooded in. Excitement. Anticipation. Desire. Each bubbled up inside him like chemicals in a flask, spurring his thin but powerful legs up the stairs. His white, black-spotted tail wagged involuntarily as he thought of Walnut waiting for him in their hotel room. Second floor. They had met online when they were still in high school, but had only seen each other once in person. It was a brief encounter, and they had no privacy, but it was one of Chiaro’s most cherished memories. And this time they would have a room together for the whole week. Third floor. He caught a glimpse of the moon as it shone brightly through the window at the landing before he spun around and marched down the hall. The feelings were overwhelming, and it took everything he had to avoid sprinting across the corridor.

But another emotion hid just beneath the surface, tingeing everything else he was feeling–fear. He had been burying it deep in his mind for the whole trip, but he couldn’t ignore it any longer. He had a big secret, and one way or another, it was coming out. He still hadn’t figured out how to tell Walnut, and he was terrified how he would react. He needed more time to think about it, but that time had almost run out as he arrived at room 315.

Almost immediately, his canine nose caught it. The unmistakable scent of Walnut. There was nothing special or distinct about the smell, but it was unambiguously him, and the butterflies in his stomach fluttered harder. With a deep breath, he swiped his card, and the door clicked. Chiaro pushed it open, and sitting at the edge of the bed with a controller in his hands, tongue poking out of the front of his mouth, was a short and very fluffy red squirrel. The squirrel’s head spun around, and they made eye contact. 

“Chi!” the squirrel said, as he tossed his controller aside, dashed over to Chiaro, and pulled him into a deep, tight hug.

“Wally–oof!” Chiaro said as the air was squeezed out of him. He let go of his travel case and swung his arms around his boyfriend’s shoulders. Walnut was a good foot shorter than he was, but that didn’t stop him from picking Chiaro up and spinning him around.

“Ah, Chiaro! I’ve been waiting all day for you!” Walnut said before setting Chiaro down. He held his tight hug, pressing his head into his boyfriend’s chest. Chiaro rubbed the back of the squirrel’s ears, stroking the fluffy auburn fur that protruded from them.

“And I’ve been waiting months for you,” Chiaro said, letting go of Walnut and looking down at him. The squirrel beamed before twisting around and darting back to the bed. Chiaro had to dodge out of the way to avoid the huge, fuzzy tail as it swung inches from his face.

“Well, come on, get that coat off and get settled in! I picked up some snacks, and I brought my games, and… fuck, man, I’m just so excited!” Walnut said as he dove back to the bed.

Chiaro grinned, threw off his coat, and leapt onto the bed next to the squirrel, who was bouncing up and down.

“Oh, right, I was in the middle of a boss fight. Uh, fuck, whatever, there’s a save point just outside–”

Chiaro grabbed Walnut’s arm. “No, it’s fine. I need a moment to relax anyway.”

“You sure?”

Chiaro nodded, and Walnut unpaused his game. He was having a hard time–he claimed that he wasn’t paying much attention, but Chiaro knew from playing with him that Walnut just wasn’t all that great at it. Finally, after a little backseating, the screen filled with an unrealistic amount of explosions, and a victory ditty played.

Walnut dropped his controller on the bed next to him and stretched his arms out. “There! Man! That took too long.”

“Told ya. Rhythm always beats mashing.”

“Well, thank you for the help, commander.” Walnut said, sarcasm in his voice but a genuine smile on his face. He gazed down at Chiaro and his cheeks puffed up a little bit. “Man… you’re every bit as hot as I remember you being.”

Chiaro’s ears burned a little bit. “Yeah, well, you’re even hotter,” he said, smirking. 

“Yeah, well…” Walnut said before he leaned over and planted a kiss on Chiaro’s lips. The dog’s heart thumped against his ribs as he took in the scent and taste of the squirrel, and he slid his tongue into Walnut’s mouth. The squirrel leaned into him as he wrapped his hand around the back of his boyfriend’s head, gently rubbing the sides of his thin ears. Chiaro’s tail started wagging, and he took Walnut’s hand, their fingers interlocking as they shared their first kiss in a long time.

“I missed you so much,” Chiaro said as pulled his head away and stared into Walnut’s eyes.

Walnut grinned, leaned over the side of the bed, and came back up with two game controllers. “Well, let’s not waste our time, then.” He tossed one over to Chiaro and switched the game in the console to one that Chiaro had been looking forward to trying.

For the next few hours, they sat together, simply enjoying each other’s presence as they played, chatted, and cuddled. To Chiaro, this was the real joy in life–simply spending time with those he cared about. Which reminded him–it wasn’t just Walnut he was meeting up with this week. Two of his other close friends were staying at the hotel, and he was curious how they were getting on.

“Hey, have you heard from the other guys yet?” he asked. 

“Oh, yeah! I met up with Patch when I got here. He wore that fucking pink coat, man.”

Chiaro rolled his eyes. “Wish I could say I’m surprised, but…”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. As for Teak, uh…” Walnut patted his pockets and swung his head around. “Ah, shit. I left my phone on the desk.”

“Oh, I got it,” Chiaro said, leaping out of the bed. He dashed over to the desk, but lost his balance, and went groin-first into the corner of the table. 

Walnut inhaled sharply between his teeth. “Ooh, fuck, you okay? That looked like it hurt.”

“Huh? I’m fine.”

Walnut raised an eyebrow. “You got balls of titanium?”

Chiaro froze, paralyzed by fear. He absolutely did not have balls of titanium. He didn’t have balls at all. No, he had female genitals, despite being otherwise male. It was his deepest, most closely protected secret. The secret that he had been keeping from Walnut. He knew that he was going to have to tell him, and tell him very soon, but he still couldn’t think of a way to say it. Not yet. He searched for an excuse, or a way to change the subject, or maybe he could just–

“Oh, there it goes. Hurtin’ now, huh?”

Chiaro screwed his face into a grimace, but didn’t say anything.

“Need me to kiss ‘em better?”

“Uh…” he said, not wanting to lie. In a matter of moments, his mind had filled with countless thoughts, few of them good. He picked up the phone and walked back next to Walnut, handing it over with a glassy look in his eyes.

“You sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah…” Chiaro said, mostly to the wall. 

Walnut gave Chiaro a skeptical look, but shrugged and unlocked his phone. “Check it out. I got Teak’s plane on the flight tracker. He’s gonna be landing in like half an hour.”

“Cool…” Chiaro said, as he wandered over to the desk and sat down at the chair. 

Walnut twisted around and squinted at the dalmatian. “You sure you’re okay? You’re acting super weird all of a sudden.”

Chiaro sighed and buried his head in his hands. He knew he had to tell him. Even if he found a way to wriggle out of it now, they were two young men in a romantic relationship sharing a bed for a week. The truth was coming out, whether it was on his terms or not. He had to go for it. He wasn’t ready, but if he were being honest with himself, he probably never would be.

“Well, I… I’ve got something to tell you,” he said, rubbing his eyes.

Walnut cocked his head. “Okay…? You can tell me anything. You know that.”

“Well, I, uh… I’ve not been… totally honest…” Chiaro said before locking up. He thought back to the few times that his secret had been found out. The way people laughed. The way people said he was a freak. He trusted Walnut more than anyone in the world, but how would he react? There were so many ways it could go wrong, and every one of them flew through his mind at high speed.

Walnut took a deep breath. “Chi… what’s this about? Don’t you remember what I said when we got together?”

“Honesty is the most important thing in a relationship. I know. I know…”

“You weren’t… like, cheating on me, right?” Walnut said, hints of sadness and fear creeping into his voice.

The suggestion was like a jolt of electricity. “No! No, no, no, no,” Chiaro said, putting his hands up and waving them at Walnut. “God no. Please.”

Walnut sighed and shook his head. “That’s not very convincing, you know,” he said as his shoulders sagged.

“Walnut, please, it’s not that, I swear,” Chiaro said as he squeezed his ears. “It’s just… I wanna tell you, but I’m… scared. I’m so fucking scared.”

Even from several feet away, Walnut could see Chiaro trembling. The squirrel hopped off the bed, knelt down next to his boyfriend, and gently took his hand. When Chiaro looked down at him, Walnut could immediately see the pain in his eyes.

“Hey, man. I’m here for you. But if you did something–”

“No, no, it’s nothing I did. It’s… what I am.”

“What you are?”

“I… uh,” Chiaro said, before exhaling and pushing a thumb and middle finger into his eyelids. It was just so hard to say. He wanted to run away, but Walnut squeezed his hand and pulled himself closer.

“Listen, man… I don’t wanna see you hurting like this. If it’s really that hard for you to say, you don’t–”

“No, no. I do. I do have to,” Chiaro said, standing up and walking over to the bed. Without turning to face Walnut, he closed his eyes and took a gulp of air. No turning back now. “I have a vagina instead of a penis and testicles.” There. He said it, and immediately regretted it. Every single thing he feared rushed to the forefront of his mind. He wanted to bolt out the door, or maybe just jump through the window and make everything so much easier. But before he could move, a hand gripped his shoulder.

“What, that’s it?” Walnut said.

Chiaro spun around and looked at the red squirrel, who was smiling softly. “What do you mean, ‘that’s it?’” he said, bewildered by the reaction. That’s it? That’s it?

“I mean, I am kinda disappointed that you didn’t tell me sooner, but yeah, I can see why you didn’t. But I’m cool with it.”

Chiaro gawped. Cool with it? No one was just ‘cool with it.’ Even his own parents were, at best, reluctantly, grudgingly accepting of it. 

Walnut turned toward the window, staring into the stars. “Well, actually, if I’m being honest…”

Ah, there it was. Thinking about it for a few moments must have made him realize that he was not ‘cool with it.’ Chiaro took a deep breath, steeling himself for what was about to come.

“That is possibly the hottest thing I have ever heard.”

Something in Chiaro’s mind short-circuited. His vagina had always been such a source of shame, anger, and grief. He hadn’t even considered that someone could actually like it, and he had no clue how to process it. He shook his head as the squirrel turned around and shrugged.

“Like I said, honesty is important.” Walnut said, wearing a goofy grin.

Chiaro stared through him, opening and closing his mouth. “I…” Chiaro said. The words were starting to sink in, and the corners of his mouth started to quiver. “You’re… not messing with me?” he said, his voice cracking a little.

“Nope. That’s hot as fuck. You’re hot as fuck.” Walnut said. Despite his ribald words, his grin had settled into a more welcoming smile. 

The dam burst, and Chiaro began sobbing. “Wally…” he said, his voice cracking as he leaned over and hugged the squirrel. Walnut pulled Chiaro close and held him tight.

“Give me more credit, Chi. You think I’d freak out over something like that?”

“Everyone else has…”

“Their fuckin’ loss!”

Chiaro rested his head on the squirrel’s, sniffling and closing his eyes tight. “Thank you, Wally…”

“It’s okay, man. It’s okay,” Walnut said, rubbing his hands up and down Chiaro’s back. They embraced without speaking, and as Chiaro slowly recovered, he turned his head and looked out the window.

“I’m just having a hard time believing it… all my life, I’ve been so scared to tell anyone.”

“Even me?” Walnut said, letting go over the hug and stepping back. 

Chiaro put his hand on his chin and sighed. “Yeah, even you. I just remember, when I was a little kid, I was changing at the swimming pool and one of the other boys saw me and shouted, ‘there’s a girl in here!’ I remember looking around for her, but they were talking about me. Ever since then, I’ve been so unsure… why am I how I am? Why don’t I just have a penis like the other boys? Am I really a girl who just doesn’t know it? But that doesn’t make sense either. I’ve got a deep voice, no tits, male physique… just what am I?”

“Do you go into heat?”

“Er, yes.”

“So you could… like… get pregnant?”

Chiaro’s chest felt tight as he rubbed the back of his head and looked at the floor. “I, uh… well, I’m–”

“Oh, sorry, man. We don’t need to talk about this anymore.”

“Thanks, Wally,” he said, relaxing a little bit.

“No, thank you, Chi.”

“Huh? What for?”

“Telling me your secret. I know I can be a lot to handle sometimes, so I’m glad you trust me.”

Chiaro smiled. “I’m just happy you don’t think it’s gross or something.”

“What, do I look like Patch? Do you see horns up here?” Walnut said, putting his wrists against his forehead and wiggling his index fingers back and forth.

Chiaro laughed and leaned against the squirrel, who wrapped his arms around his waist.

“And besides, you’re my boyfriend! You’re way more than just a body to me!”

“Whoa, who are you and what have you done with Walnut?”

“Hey!” Walnut said, stepping back and putting his hands on his hips. “That’s not fair and you know it.”

“I know, I know. I’m just teasing.”

Walnut scratched the back of his neck. “Like, I get it. I make a few too many dirty jokes and talk about sex a little too much. But the time I spend with the people I care about is what really gets me out of bed every morning… you know?”

They gazed in silence at the night sky for a few moments until Chiaro piped up.

“You’re usually not out of bed until the afternoon.”

Walnut scoffed, rolled his eyes, and threw his hands in the air. Chiaro snorted and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, pushing him back onto the bed. He straddled the squirrel’s waist and leaned forward, pulling him into a deep kiss, moaning softly as their tongues danced between their mouths. Walnut reached up and held Chiaro’s hands, and they gazed into each other’s eyes as their noses pressed together.

“You better be careful,” the squirrel said, licking his lips. “You’re liable to turn a guy on doing things like that.”

Chiaro slid his hips back until he felt Walnut’s penis against one of his glutes. “Oops, my mistake.”

“You gonna make it up to me somehow?”

“Well,” Chiaro said, rolling off Walnut and lying down next to him. 

“Yeah?” Walnut said, after a pause that lasted slightly too long.

Chiaro took a very deep breath and began sliding his pants down. His form-fitting briefs hid a slight bulge, but it was not the bulge of testicles or a sheath.

“I’ve… never shown anyone else this. Not willingly, anyway…”

Walnut put his hand on Chiaro’s shoulder. “Don’t do it if you’re not ready,” he said, his voice suddenly serious and quiet. 

Chiaro’s groin tingled as he looked at the tent being pitched in Walnut’s pants. He knew he’d have to overcome his reluctance eventually, and now was as good a time as any. He gritted his teeth, grabbed his briefs, yanked them down, spread his legs, and covered his face.

Walnut spun around on the bed and shoved face between Chiaro’s legs, checking out the puffy canine vagina. It glistened, slick with arousal, and Walnut felt his stomach twisting into several knots.

“Oh my god, Chi. This is so fucking hot.”

Chiaro groaned and pushed his hands into his face harder. “Stop, you’re embarrassing me.”

“Can I… touch it?”

“Y… yeah.”

Walnut wasted no time, spreading Chiaro’s vagina with both hands. Chiaro’s breath became staccato, as a mixture of pleasure and repressed emotions swirled around each other like a hurricane. The squirrel slowly started to slide a digit into the dog, who tensed up and took a sharp breath.

“Sorry! Did I hurt you?” Walnut said, springing back to Chiaro’s side. 

“No, it’s just, well, you know…”

“Okay, just making sure,” Walnut said, as he lay down next to the dalmatian. He began rubbing Chiaro’s stomach, feeling the lean but firm muscles, before sliding his hand under his shirt. Chiaro exhaled shakily, his chest rising and falling as Walnut began rubbing his nipples, and turned to face the squirrel. Without a word, they shared another kiss as Chiaro ran his hand through the thick, deep fur on Walnut’s stomach, before slowly sliding it under the band of his pants.

“It’s not nice to grab a squirrel’s nuts,” Walnut said, pulling his head away and smirking.

Chiaro rolled his eyes and grinned. “Oh, shut up,” he said before pulling Walnut into another kiss. His hand slid deeper into the pants, over the squirrel’s shaft, before cupping his testicles. Walnut groaned into Chiaro’s mouth, and slid his own hand down the dog’s chest, over his stomach, and slipped his finger into his vagina. 

“Someone’s excited,” Walnut said between kisses, feeling the heat and moisture on his finger. Chiaro couldn’t deny it. He was horny as hell, and his vagina was feeling awfully empty, even with the squirrel’s digit pushing into it. He wrapped his hand around Walnut’s slick penis and began stroking it. Pre-cum oozed from the tip, slickening the dog’s hand as he jerked his boyfriend off.

Chiaro groaned loudly as his vagina continued to squeeze Walnut’s finger. He couldn’t take it anymore. He needed more. But before he could say anything, Walnut shuddered and put his other hand on Chiaro’s chest.

“You’re gonna make me cum, and I don’t wanna cum in my pants.”

“Well,” Chiaro said, lowering his voice to a hush. “Where do you wanna cum?”

Walnut gulped. “Well, uh… where do you want me to cum?”

Chiaro trembled. His pussy may have been a source of turmoil and confusion for most of his life, but when it was still a part of him. When he’d masturbate, he’d imagine a big cock thrusting into him, stretching him, breeding him. He rolled on to his side, placed his mouth on Walnut’s ear, and said in a quiet, deep voice, “I want you to cum inside of me.”

Walnut exhaled loudly, rolled Chiaro back onto his back, and lined his cock up with the dog’s pussy.

“You ready?” he asked. Chiaro nodded, and Walnut slowly pushed in. “Oh my fucking god,” he said, his words strained. “How are you this hot and wet?”

Chiaro groaned and looked down at their penetration, seeing his spade stretching to wrap around Walnut’s cock. He threw his head back and shivered, the image searing itself into his mind. When Walnut bottomed out, Chiaro felt every bit of his pussy clinging tightly to the squirrel’s cock. He was a perfect fit, and nothing Chiaro had ever inserted before felt even close to as right. 

“Fuck…” Walnut said, looking down at the spade enveloping his penis. As he slowly pulled out, the lips of Chiaro’s vulva gradually returned to their normal shape before wrapping around the squirrel’s cock again as he slowly thrust back in. Chiaro put his hands on his head and groaned, taking in the new sensations. Gradually, the thrusts came faster, the sensations sharper, and he could feel all of it. Every inch of his pussy was squeezing its intruder, lighting up with pleasure as the cock slid in and out.

Walnut leaned over Chiaro’s torso as he continued thrusting, getting his face close to the dog’s. “This is so fucking good… your pussy’s so hot, man,” he said, his voice breathy and low.

“Your cock’s incredible… it’s stretching me so good…” Chiaro said, the visual of his pussy clutching Walnut’s length fresh in his mind. He reached up and pulled Walnut’s head closer, and they kissed again, groaning and grunting into each other’s mouths with every thrust. 

Walnut pulled away from the kiss and looked into Chiaro’s eyes. “I’m gonna lose my mind. You’re so hot,” he said, his chest rising and falling rapidly. His brow furled, the strain of his exertion starting to get to him, and he stopped thrusting for a moment.

“No, no, don’t stop,” Chiaro said, panting, his tongue dangling out the side of his mouth. His hormones were going insane. His whole body tingled, and he felt his orgasm getting close. Every second that he wasn’t getting plowed was unbearable. His whole body screamed out for the stimulation he was not getting, and he couldn’t help but squirm, trying to feel something. Anything.

“I gotta work out more,” Walnut said, panting and giggling.

Chiaro whimpered. “Stop teasing me. Fuck me. Fuck!”

Walnut pushed himself back into an upright position and grabbed the dalmatian’s hips. “Alright, then. I’m going for it,” he said, before slamming hard and pulling Chiaro toward him.

Chiaro’s head shot back and his spine arched, not expecting the shock of such a powerful thrust. “Oh, fuck! Again!” he said, throwing his forearm over his head.

Walnut obliged, pulling back and crashing his hips forward again, and again, and again. His face scrunched up with the effort, but Chiaro’s blissful moaning buoyed him, and he continued his assault as fast as he could. Both the dog and the squirrel were feeling hot, panting hard to avoid overheating. 

“Yes, fuck, yes!” Chiaro said, his deep voice rumbling through the room. He was losing his mind. He had no idea his pussy could feel this good. The pressure of his lips being stretched over and over again. The feeling of his walls embracing his lover’s penis. Even the feeling of Walnut’s hands on his hips just seemed so erotic, so passionate. It was euphoria. It was almost too much to bear.

Eventually, the exertion started getting to Walnut. He let go of Chiaro’s hips and let himself fall forward again, his head resting next to the dog’s. They turned and looked at each other, trying to kiss, but the erratic motion made it impossible for them to do much more than lick each other’s faces. But that was good enough for Chiaro, whose body seemed to just want to maximize contact with Walnut. The squirrel continued thrusting hard into Chiaro, his balls slapping against his boyfriend’s taint as he bottomed out.

Walnut turned his head and growled directly into Chiaro’s ear. “Fuck, I wanna cum inside of you so bad.” 

Chiaro gasped and threw his legs around Walnut’s waist, pulling him closer. “Cum in me, Wally. Fucking cum in me,” he barked, completely overtaken by his lust. 

Walnut groaned loudly as he buried himself as deep as he could, his cock twitching as he unleashed wave after wave of thick semen against his boyfriend’s cervix. Chiaro could swear he felt the first few shots as they struck his back walls, followed by a warm, slippery sensation that completely sent him over the edge. His head slammed back against the pillow as he grunted and moaned, his whole body quaking with ecstasy. He squeezed Walnut’s hips with his legs as the squirrel’s penis pulsed inside of him, riding the wave of his orgasm until his boyfriend finally stopped shooting. As the boys came down from their orgasms, quiet filled the room, broken only by their shared breathing. Their chests rose and fell against one another as they tried to catch their breaths.

“Shit, man,” Walnut said as he slowly pushed himself off Chiaro, whose vagina released its grip on his now mostly soft penis. Despite this, the dog still felt full as the squirrel’s sticky cum clung to his walls and began draining into his womb. He knew it was safe–dogs and squirrels had no reproductive compatibility–but it still satisfied him in a deep, fundamental way that he had never felt before. As he basked in his afterglow, he felt Walnut squeezing his vulva, and cum started to drool out of it.

“Mmm, leave it inside…” Chiaro said as he tried to regain his senses.

“Aww, but it’s so hot watching it run out.”

Chiaro sighed and placed his hands on his head. “I had no idea it felt so good inside me,” he said, as he rolled over onto his side. He felt the semen slide down his vagina, and it made him feel truly loved. For the first time in his life, he was unconditionally enjoying his genitals. Walnut, the one person who meant the most to him, had accepted him for what he was, and it made him feel whole. The thought hit him like a cannonball, and tears suddenly began flowing.

“Ah, man, we better get clean–whoa! Chi, what’s wrong? You okay?” Walnut said, scampering next to Chiaro and putting his face up to his boyfriend’s.

“Wally,” he said, wiping his eyes. “Thank you…”

“I didn’t hurt ya, did I?”

Chiaro sniffled. “No… not at all… the opposite, in fact.”

“What’s this about? The dick couldn’t have been that good,” Walnut said, relaxing his shoulders.

“Wally…” Chiaro said, giggling and weakly slapping Walnut’s chest. He sniffed and wiped away some more tears. “It’s just, you know, all my life, I’ve always felt wrong. I’ve always just wished I could be like the other boys… I was always scared I’d never find someone who’d accept me and like me for who… for what I am. But you don’t just accept me… you love me. I’ve just never… I never…” Chiaro started crying harder, the words no longer coming out.

Walnut pressed forehead against Chiaro’s. He opened, then closed his mouth, unsure what to say. He settled on stroking the dog’s ears until the words he wanted came to him.

“Every part of you is perfect to me,” he said with an uncharacteristic warmth to his voice. Chiaro knew Walnut was one for the ‘mushy stuff,’ as he called it, so to hear something like that from him was especially touching. They stayed close to each other for another minute or so, until Chiaro could no longer ignore the wet sensation sliding out of him.

“We better clean up,” he said, reaching down and scooping up a glob of semen that was sitting on his spade.

“That’s what I’m sayin’!” said Walnut, twisting his body and popping out of bed in an acrobatic movement. While the squirrel was facing away and getting the tissues, Chiaro put the semen-covered finger into his mouth. He had to admit that it didn’t taste very good. It had cooled considerably by now, and the pungent flavour left a strange aftertaste. Perhaps it was better straight from the tap, he reasoned, and looked just in time to see Walnut drop back onto the bed with what looked like twenty tissues in his hand.

“You could have just taken the whole box.”

“Ahh, shush. Look, you’ve got cum all over the bed,” Walnut said as he wiped the semen off Chiaro’s vagina and leg. “Yeah, we might just need to go take a shower. You’re all matted.”

Chiaro nodded and pulled himself upright. Immediately, even more of Walnut’s semen began sliding down out of him, and he walked awkwardly to the washroom, one hand between his legs. Walnut chuckled at the awkward movement and followed Chiaro into the shower. They washed each other tenderly, and Chiaro felt spiritually renewed. It was as if the very stench of his dysphoria and self-loathing were washed away, and he was filled with an inner silence that hadn’t seemed possible mere hours ago. And it was all because of this fluffy red doofus singing into a bar of soap that he was holding like a microphone. Chiaro shook his head. He loved him.

After they dried off, Chiaro suddenly felt drowsy. It had been a long, emotional day, and he was looking forward to getting some sleep. He waited as Walnut awkwardly changed the sheets with his phone in his hand.

“Sounds like Patch got Teak back to the hotel!” Walnut said as he leapt across the bed to wrap the sheet around the corner.

“How long until you think they figure it out?” he said.

“What, that they’re crazy about each other?”

“Yeah.”

“Ummm, immediately,” Walnut said as he got the sheet around the last corner.

“Yeah, probably,” Chiaro said as he climbed into bed. His boyfriend joined him shortly after, and pressed himself up against the dog’s body. 

“Well, I’m glad we got a head start,” Walnut said, resting his arm on Chiaro’s chest. Chiaro couldn’t agree more. He was at peace, the warmth of his boyfriend’s fluffy fur soothing mind, body, and soul. He nustled his head against Walnut’s shoulder and closed his eyes, the gentle thumping of his boyfriend’s heart the only sound he could hear. Minutes passed in silence, and his eyes grew heavier and heavier. Before long, he could no longer keep them open, and he drifted off to…

“Oh!” Walnut said, bringing Chiaro back from the brink of sleep. “That’s why it didn’t hurt when you ran into the desk!”

“Oh my god, Wally.”