CHAPTER 20

  Pakos was the last of the rescue party to be released from police custody. His case worker and the police were suspicious of his involvement, obviously in large part due to his past actions. But, eventually, and no doubt thanks to the testimony of the others, he was released with a stern warning against any further suspicious behavior and advised to return to Bonaco.

  Instead, he headed to the dog’s apartment, where he thought he could find either Niko or someone who could point him to the mouse. He was very nearly seen by the rabbit—the dog’s neighbor—but managed to evade her. No reason to be seen by anyone who might not understand.

  You know you shouldn’t be here.

  He ignored the inner voice and knocked softly on the apartment door. The dog answered, clearly expecting someone else, and immediately brought her guard up, emotionally and physically. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing here? Whatever happened earlier, you’re not welcome!” The fox approached behind her, hovering ominously.

  Odd. He remembered her as being less aggressive. Looking past them, he spotted Niko on the couch. “Please,” he said. “I helped. And I swear, I’ve changed. I’m sorry for what I did. I’ve been trying so hard to be better.” He ignored the fox rolling his eyes. “I’m serious! I’m not that person anymore! Don’t you understand—can’t you see I’m not like that anymore? Not a—a monster? I made a mistake, but I’m different. I came to save you! Can’t...can’t we...”

  Niko stood up, drawing everyone’s attention. With a determined look on his face, he met Pakos’ eyes. “Pakos. I’m grateful for your help. You did a good thing, helping everyone find me and the other hostages.” Pakos’ heart lifted for a moment. “But that doesn’t mean I owe you a fucking thing, and if you still think you deserve anything from me or anyone else, then you haven’t changed. And even if you did the right thing just because it was right—that doesn’t change what you did in the past. You can be forgiven, sure. You can, you can have healthy relationships—with other people. Not with me.” He turned away.

  Pakos opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by the Moccan wolf, who moved to meet Pakos’ desperate look in his friend’s stead. “Dude. You’ve got a second chance. Don’t waste it by making the same mistake.”

  The fox chose that moment to shut the door.

  Pakos stormed out of the building, not caring who saw him, and sat outside. Tears ran down his face as the old familiar anger rose up in him. It was all so unfair! He’d done the right thing! Didn’t he deserve something good? He wasn’t selfish just because he wanted for someone to understand the effort he’d put in! They were all bastards, arrayed against him like that.

  Then again, he’d done an extremely stupid thing. A thing his father might have done. Had he actually barged into the apartment and demanded Niko take him back because he’d done one good deed? There it was. They were all right. He was a monster after all. A worthless piece of shit, repeating the same old mistakes.

  Your pain is valid even when you know you’re wrong. Few situations are all or nothing. He could hear his therapist’s voice speaking through the dark chaos in his mind. No, coming here was not a good thing. But it wasn’t a monstrous thing either. And Niko...Niko was right. He did not belong to Pakos. And it was okay for Pakos to feel pain at the situation. To actually feel it, acknowledge it, and process it, not to stew in it, not to grow it into resentful rage.

  No one owed him anything. Trying to force it would only hurt everyone. But if he kept improving, expecting nothing, he could become someone worth loving. And other people, people he hadn’t hurt, might love him then.

  The most important step you can take is the next one. He hadn’t…‘become better’. He wasn’t cured of anger or making mistakes, he hadn’t passed a mythical bar of goodness. Improving himself wasn’t a flipped switch, wasn’t a permanent state. It was a daily struggle...one he’d be working at for the rest of his life.

  He scrubbed his eyes and stood up, turning to look at the building for what would be the last time. “Bye, Niko,” he said softly.

…

  Late the next morning, the SDM team roused themselves from the couch, pained and exhausted. No one felt like going out or even cooking, so they ordered takeout. Ralia was still simmering and radiated bitter fury, and Niko was withdrawn and absentminded, so Kelsen took charge, enlisting Fyche to assist him. Fyche arranged the delivery while Kelsen contacted everyone he could think of—Ralia’s parents, his own parents, Donovan, and the hotel staff, making sure everyone was all right and nothing further had occurred. Once they’d eaten, he called the hospital too, and learned that Alexei was out of critical condition and had asked to see them. With some gentle pushing, he convinced his friends to go.

  At the hospital, Alexei was trussed up in a bed, his leg in a full cast. “Broken in multiple places,” he explained. “The, uh, the doctor says I might never walk again without a crutch or cane. I’m still hopeful, though. My grandad shattered his elbow and was back at the steel mill a month later. Could arm-wrestle guys half his age right up until he passed. Strong bones run in the family!” He gave them a weak smile. “I probably won’t be a runner anymore, though.”

  Niko had to look away. “Alex, I’m so sorry,” he said thickly. “This happened because you came to help me.” Fyche nodded, looking at the floor, while Ralia bared her fangs in regretful anger.

  “Aw, psh,” said Alexei, waving as if to ward away their guilt. “It was worth it, then. You all made it out. Small price to pay, right?”

  Despite his words, a persistent gloom hung over them all, and they left shortly after.

…

  They went to the hotel next. Ralia’s parents and sister greeted them in the lobby, but were rebuffed as Fyche, Niko, and Ralia pushed past them, muttering about checking on guests. Only Kelsen stayed behind, transferred from Ralia to Veros, to explain their grim mood and apologize for their behavior.

  “Fyche and Niko I expected,” he said sadly. “After going through something like this again, of course Niko is shaken, and Fyche cares too much about him not to be emotional. But Ralia...I’ve never seen her like this. She’s so angry.”

  Veros nodded in agreement. “She’s not someone you want mad at you, but this is a whole new thing. She looks like she’s about ready to rip someone’s head off.”

  “That’s...concerning,” said Andrew. “We’ll have to make sure to support her however we can.”

  “This whole thing is a mess,” Anna said, drawing Veros, and therefore Kelsen, into a quick hug. “Anyone would feel awful. We’ll give her some time and space to work through it. Once she’s ready, I’m sure she’ll talk it over with us.”

  “Sure,” said Kelsen. “Actually, I uh...since they’re not in a mood for talking right now...I wanted to talk something over with you.” The word family flashed in his mind for a moment, and he suddenly felt very self conscious.

  “We’d be delighted to,” said Anna warmly.

  “All right...thanks.” Despite being with three Latians he was still getting to know, he felt anchored. “So, it’s like this...” Anna, Andrew, and Veros all leaned in, eyebrows raised, as he explained his thoughts.

…

  When Kelsen caught up to Ralia, Fyche, and Niko, he found that they were only going through the motions, and their demeanor was palpable, worrying everyone around them. “Hey, guys,” he said. “Why don’t you take a break? Uh, Ralia and Niko, that is. You seem a bit tired.” He didn’t say that they were probably doing more harm than good. “Me and Fyche can take care of things for a bit.”

  “If that’s what you want,” Ralia said dispassionately.

  Once they were out of earshot, he explained what he wanted the fox’s help with. Fyche was dubious, but acquiesced. Roughly half an hour later, Kelsen stood on a Latian-sized table on the stage in the conference room, the majority of the attendees watching from the seats. With Fyche having gone back to check on Niko, he was alone in front of the crowd. His Miicz was set to amplify his voice even further than normal, almost as loud as a Latian with a Latian-sized microphone.

  He clutched his shaking hands together to still them and swallowed the lump in his throat. His voice shaking, he addressed the room. “I have some things to share with all of you. I want to start with an apology. I wish I had worked harder to ensure the safety of everyone at this event.” There were a few murmurs as he continued. “I am deeply relieved that everyone made it out, though it saddens me, as I am sure it does all of you, that several were injured, worst of all Alexei.”

  In the back of the room, he saw Ralia poke her head in, then Fyche, carrying Niko. Apparently they’d come to hear him speak.

  He pressed on. “Latia, and now especially Doxen, is becoming less and less safe for Moccans and those who count themselves our friends. Hate groups are on the rise, using Moccans as scapegoats for anything and everything, driving a wedge between our planets. I...I won’t lie to you. I’m scared. This kidnapping was not the first incident, and it will not be the last. There is a real chance that I, or any other Moccan, could be targeted again. And...” He took a few deep breaths. “And something worse could happen. My friends and I started Size Doesn’t Matter because we had a shared dream of a friendship between Latia and Moccs, and now that dream is in trouble. I...I don’t know what’s going to happen next. I don’t know how to fix it—if I have any power to do so, if anyone does. So...that’s why I’ve come to an important decision.” He looked across the crowd, forcing himself to meet as many eyes as he could, Moccan and Latian. “I’m going to move here permanently.” Several people, including Ralia and Niko, gasped loudly. “In the face of hateful nationalism, I refuse to run away to Moccs and stay where it’s safe. I will do my best to be a present and audible voice for positive change; I can’t do that from Moccs.” He looked back at his friends, taken aback by his words. “My friends, old and new, have all set a shining example of cooperation and compassion in the face of strife, and they have inspired me to rise above my own fear and selfishness. I don’t want to do nothing as long as things are good for me. I want to keep working until they’re good for everyone. That—that day may never come, but I won’t stop fighting for it until it does or I’m gone.”

  Kelsen stopped to catch his breath, and amid whispers and mutters from the guests, Ralia, Fyche, and Niko made their way to the stage, joining him. Ralia spoke first. “We couldn’t be more proud of Kel—our own NightKnight47—for stepping up and being our shoulder to lean on during this. It has been an ordeal and I don’t know if it’ll ever truly leave us, but as long as we have each other, friends like Kelsen, like Alexei, like all of you, we will keep moving forward.” She gave him a meaningful look as she stepped back.

  Niko went next. “Well, shit, everyone! Imagine trying to follow their speeches!” The mood was still tense, but he got some scattered laughter. “I mean, damn. I guess I can’t help but follow my buddy’s example now, right? What do you say, Latia? Room for one more?”

...

  “And then everyone cheered,” said Niko, nodding sagely. After answering some questions, they’d ended the impromptu meeting and regrouped in the lobby.

  Kelsen rolled his eyes. “They did fucking not. Maybe one person clapped.”

  “Seriously, though.” The mouse’s tone was somber. “Moving here? For real?”

  “I...yeah. Gotta be a voice for good and whatever. Like you guys.”

  Ralia pulled him in tight. “I’m sorry, Kelsen. You’re the one who’s been setting an example for us. I...I don’t know if this resentment in me is just going to go away. But you reminded me it’s not who I really am.”

  “Yeah, dude,” Niko agreed. “Mad props for taking charge while we were all...unavailable. And I don’t think I properly thanked you for coming to save me. Niri and Reorato said you were pretty badass.”

  Nodding in agreement, Fyche chimed in. “You didn’t waver or lose focus the whole time, and you’ve kept us all going. You’ve changed quite a bit since the last time you were here.”

  “No, I just...I...it was what anyone would’ve...” Kelsen trailed off and gave up, collapsing into an embarrassed heap in Ralia’s paws. “Any time and every time, right?” he said faintly.

  “Any time and every time,” Niko agreed. “But next time, you’re the one getting kidnapped, and I’ll be the one rescuing you, okay?” Kelsen gave him a thumbs up.

  They were joined by Andrew, Anna, and Veros. “Pretty ballsy move up there,” she said, nudging Kelsen. He would likely have fallen over if he hadn’t already been sprawled out.

  Andrew threw an arm around Ralia, and Anna placed a paw on her shoulder. “Glad you seem to be feeling a bit better,” said Andrew.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “Actually, there’s something Kelsen and I need to discuss with you later,” said Ralia.

  “There is?” Kelsen asked weakly.

  Veros, meanwhile, had moved to Fyche and Niko. “You were pretty amazing back there, you know?”

  “Sure was,” agreed Niko, patting Fyche’s chest. “Saved me again.”

  Veros raised an eyebrow. “I mean, yeah, him too, but I meant you, dude.”

  “Me?”

  “Sure.”

  Niko leaned back against Fyche. “Yeah, right. All I did was get grabbed and shiver all night.”

  “Nah. You kept up morale for a bunch of hostages. Considering your past—uh—experiences, it’s pretty remarkable you held it together enough yourself to keep the rest of them from panicking, and got them moving during the fight.”

  “Well. Thanks,” he said reluctantly. “But I’m one shock away from losing it. I keep...I keep getting spooked by people I know, who I’m close to. Even...” He glanced up at Fyche, then looked away in shame, eyes wet.

  Fyche surprised him by bringing him up to face level. “Are you afraid of me?” he asked quietly.

  “No! Of course not! It’s...just an involuntary response sometimes...you know I—”

  He was cut off as Fyche leaned forward and gave him a gentle kiss. “How about now?”

  Niko couldn’t help but laugh and threw his arms around Fyche’s muzzle. “No. I could never be afraid of you, you big goof.”

  “Good. Now listen to me: you’re stable. You’re strong. You’ll be okay. And we’ll be okay.” Neither of them noticed as Veros moved away, nodding to herself.

  Ralia, however, noticed very much as Veros grabbed her from behind, transitioning into a slightly awkward hug. “Psychic powers used for good: check.”

  “What?”

  “Oh, don’t worry about it. You think we could hang out sometime with a little less thrill and danger involved? For your sake, obviously. I thrive on it.”

  Ralia shook her head. “Sure you do. But yes, we do need to hang out more often. We were so busy planning this, then running it...I’ll make more time in the future.”

  “Bitchin’. By the way...” She leaned over Ralia’s shoulder, looking down at Kelsen. “You could do a lot worse than this one.”

  Their parents enthusiastically agreed, and before he knew what was happening, Kelsen found himself drowning in fluff as he was pinned by a family hug four Latians strong. He wouldn’t admit it any time soon, but the feeling was positively blissful.

  Later, after Ralia’s family had gone, Donovan approached. He was supposed to be off duty, but he’d been hanging around the hotel, stab vest and all, keeping an eye on things. “Some guests would like a word,” he said gruffly. “I am prepared to turn them away out of respect for your privacy and the stress you’ve been under.”

  Niko waved away his concern. “Bring ‘em over.”

  The guests in question turned out to be Samet, Jess, and the rest of their friend group. Voci, the bat, insisted on clasping their paws one by one. “Thank you so much,” they signed, Fomir translating.

  Jess, now riding in Samet’s pocket, nodded. “Without you guys, we’d still be in that cage, or worse.” She shuddered. “Being out in public like this is...kind of scary now, but we know what happened wasn’t your fault. The only ones to blame are those jerks who grabbed us.”

  Fyche nodded along. “Putting blame where it belongs is a good lesson to learn. And a hard one to keep.”

  Samet coughed. “I, uh, I feel like I’ve been pretty naive and selfish so far. But not anymore. There’s a lot of stuff going on between Latia and Moccs, it matters to a lot of people. Like, there’s reasons to care other than just how it affects me and Jess.” He scratched at the back of his neck. “So I’m gonna educate myself, you know? Maybe I’ll be able to help out with SDM some time.”

  “I feel the same way,” said Fomir. “I’m not brave like you guys, so I don’t think I’m gonna move here or anything, but there must be other ways I can help, even if it’s just knowing what’s what and making sure everyone else in my life does too.”

  Niri spoke up. “The rest of us feel the same way, and a lot of the Latians here do, too. So...I don’t know. We’ve got your backs, you know? As much as we can.”

  Ralia rubbed her eye and sniffed. “That means a lot.”

  “Yeah,” said Niko. “Thank you guys.” Fyche and Kelsen nodded in agreement. They all felt a little more confident.

…

  Later that night, they finally returned to Ralia’s apartment. Like the day before, they were exhausted, but while they were weary, their resolve had grown.

  As they all settled into their favorite seats, Fyche leaned forward. “I...I need to say something.”

  “Yeah?” said Niko.

  Fyche shifted uncomfortably. “So...you’ve all given me space and time. You don’t pester me with questions. I appreciate that.”

  Ralia cocked her head curiously, gesturing for him to continue.

  “But...well...I guess it’s only fair if I finally explain some things. Or, it’s time? I’m ready, that’s what I’m trying to say.” Niko patted his shoulder encouragingly, and he took a breath. “When I was a kid, my parents were...all right. Not great, not terrible. It’s hard to gauge things like that when you’re young.” He closed his eyes. “Then my dad got sick.”

“Oh,” said Niko, the understanding of what his partner wanted to talk about finally dawning on him.

  “I have...a lot of things and feelings and stuff about the whole thing, but I’ll try to stick to the basics for now. Um. Having a sick parent at that age is weird, you know? You’re old enough to understand that people who get sick like that can die, that they do die. But it’s something that happens to other people. It’s something you hear stories about. When it’s your dad that gets sick...I don’t know. I just kind of assumed he’d be okay. And, of course, he told me he’d get better, what else do you say to a kid?”

  He paused, seeming to collect his thoughts. The others waited in respectful silence. Niko gazed over at him from his shoulder perch, Kelsen stared into his own clasped paws, and Ralia stroked Kelsen’s back absentmindedly. There was a tension in the air, but not an oppressive one. A necessary one.

  “As you can probably guess, he didn’t get better. He just...kept deteriorating. Stopped going anywhere but the hospital. His fur fell out in clumps. He’d sleep all day and night...sometimes I went days at a time without actually seeing him.” Fyche took a harsh, shuddering breath. “And when shit like that happens, you hear about how the rest of the family pulled together, how they helped each other through it. That...didn’t really happen. My brothers started shutting me out.”

  “You have brothers?!” Kelsen blurted out before snapping his jaw shut. “Sorry! Sorry. Continue.”

  Fyche shrugged. “Yeah, I have two brothers, both older than me. They always got along better with each other, but after our dad got sick, they made it clear it was the two of them and me, as opposed to the three of us. And our mother…” His lip curled in a snarl for a moment. “She was much worse. In public, she was always lamenting how hard things were, how much it hurt her to see her husband like this, how difficult it was financially, how...well. That kind of thing. But at home, she was a completely different person. She’d lash out at me or my brothers, tell us how useless we were, how much of a disappointment we were. And with Dad...sometimes I’d hear her speaking quietly to him, telling him he was a liability, asking why he was bothering to hang on, saying...saying he should just let go already.” His breath caught, and he stopped again.

  “That’s awful,” Ralia said softly. “I’m so sorry, Fyche.”

  He held up a paw. “Let me finish. If I stop partway through...anyway. Eventually, he passed. After so long, it was...kind of a relief, for everyone. Not in the way my mother meant, but just that--just...it was finally over. He didn’t have to...ahem. Just kind of found myself at a funeral, wondering how I got there. Wondering what would happen now...I guess I thought that my mother would go back to normal, to how she was before. If anything, it got worse. She was so hostile, all the time...like she just hated me. Maybe she would have been like that with my brothers too, but at this point, one was already out of the house, and the other spent all his time away, so it was just me there to be the target of her anger.”

  He cleared his throat, accepting a quick hug from Niko. “She made home life hell, and that was before she started dating. Maybe part of it was being an angsty teen, but they were all assholes. And she just...expected me to get along with their kids. Which I doubt I would have even if I didn’t resent them for getting better treatment and more attention than I did. I started spending time away too. Got a job as soon as I could. And one day, I got home and found out she’d sold our house. She was halfway packed already. Planned to move in with her boyfriend and his kids. Told me I had twelve hours to get my things and get ready. I...I packed up my things, like she said, but told her not to bother bringing me along. I’d been talking to my uncle. He was kind of an asshole too, but nowhere near as bad as she was, and he was willing to let me rent from him for a decent rate until I was legally an adult. So...I took him up on it. Walked away from her. Haven’t seen her or spoken to her since. Stayed in loose contact with my brothers for a few years, but eventually that faded away too. I guess none of us cared enough to keep it going.”

  Niko reached over to rub his cheek. “That’s all so shitty,” he said. “But at least it’s behind you now.”

  “Actually, I’m not quite finished.” Fyche shook his head. “Almost. Uh. Anyway. My uncle sold the property I was living at a few months after my birthday, so I had to hunt for a new place. Found a guy who was looking for a roommate. The price wasn’t too high and he seemed nice enough. And I found out pretty quickly he was...like me, like me and Niko. Keep in mind, it’s still uncommon now, but this was almost a decade ago. Doxen wasn’t very accepting, and Moccans were still just something you heard about in school, so the culture exchange wasn’t exactly far along. So to find somewhere to live, with someone who accepted me, and to find out he was the same as me...we started dating pretty quickly.” Fyche looked down. “I didn’t start seeing who he really was for nearly two years, and at that point, his hooks were in deep. I’d have to find a new place to live, a new job...he didn’t like me getting close to anyone else, so I didn’t have any friends. And it was hard to keep it straight in my head sometimes. He’d be cold and cruel one day, but then another, he’d be lovely and romantic and made me feel...it was a while before I really considered leaving, and first said it in front of him. We were arguing about--fuck, I don’t remember, it was something stupid and small, but he could catastrophize anything. I told him I was going to leave. I’m not even sure if I really meant it--it was more of a threat than anything, I guess, something to tell him I was really serious.” Fyche held his paw up to his eye. “He gave me a black eye and bruises all over my chest. And then, the next day, he was so sorry, he didn’t mean it, and it was really my fault for making him angry…” He put the paw to his forehead. “I’ve always felt so stupid for not just leaving then. It was another few months of hot and cold and fights and bruises before I finally got my head on straight. Started learning self defense...you know the rest.” He sighed, rubbing his eyes. “Fuck. I’ve never told anyone all that.”

  “So,” Niko started hesitantly. “The other night…”

  Fyche nodded. “Yeah. Or...kind of, anyway. I just hate being babied. I hate being treated like I’m fragile...I’m damn proud of how far I’ve come, and I did it all on my own. But the truth is, I am fragile. I always feel like I’m about to break. But that’s no excuse for shutting you all out.”

  Kelsen shrugged. “I mean, as excuses go, it’s a pretty good one.”

  Fyche rolled his eyes. “More importantly, that’s not why I wanted to say all that. I want you guys to understand...um. I’m just so fucking used to the people close to me turning on me, making me miserable. I...it’s hard to trust anyone.”

  Nodding, Ralia stood up, bringing Kelsen with her. “That’s completely understandable.”

  “I--I don’t mean it like, I don’t trust you guys either. What I’m trying to say...despite all that, I...I’m ready to let myself be fragile around you. I’m ready to try and say what I’m feeling and let people in and...I’m just so fucking glad to have you all in my life now.” His body shook as tears ran down his face, and Niko and Ralia and Kelsen all brought him into a reassuring hug.

  When they finally separated, Kelsen gave him a knowing grin and a nod.

…

  After giving Fyche some time to settle, Niko waved for everyone’s attention. “You know, we’ve been through some serious shit,” said Niko. “But like. As long as we go through it together, I think we’re gonna be all right.”

  “Absolutely,” Ralia agreed.

  Kelsen groaned. “As long as one of you is in charge, sure.”

  “Baby.” Niko turned to Fyche. “So, uh. Think there’s enough room in your apartment for another renter?” He added a wink, to make sure Fyche didn’t think he was serious.

  Fyche seemed to think for a moment. “With our current living situations, it’ll be...difficult for you guys to really move here.”

  Kelsen gave Ralia a questioning look, but she headed him off brusquely. “Don’t even think about moving in with me.” At his crestfallen look, she grinned. “There’s not enough space. We’ll just have to look for somewhere bigger to live.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, uh huh. We’ll all go live in a mansion together and live happily ever after.”

  Niko laughed. “Yes, in the great realm of fantasy, we all move into the same house and go on magical adventures for ever and ever.”

  Looking away, Fyche grunted. “I think it would be nice if we were all roommates,” he said quietly.

  His partner immediately changed his tune. “No, yeah, that would be awesome! Me and Kel are already roommates, so that’s half the job done already.”

  Nodding, Kelsen spoke quickly. “Exactly, it’d be super cool. I just meant, you know, it’s expensive and stuff.”

  Ralia jumped in, saving them from themselves. “It’ll just have to go on the list.”

  “The...list?” Niko asked, visibly confused.

  “Yeah. The list of things we need to do to get ready for the future: getting the two of you long-term visas, then citizenship, moving your stuff here, finding housing that accommodates all of us, making sure we’ll all got good enough jobs to provide for ourselves, and, of course, continuing to fight the good fight against bigotry and fostering friendship between Latia and Moccs to create our big, happy, interstellar family.”

  “Oh? Is that all?” Niko said sarcastically.

  Fyche reached over and poked him playfully. “Yes, you’re right, that list does seem doable when we all have such a positive attitude and the unwavering support of our dear friends.”

  “Okay, fine,” Niko said. “I can’t disagree with you when you’re so relentlessly optimistic.” He gave the fox a kiss, which was affectionately returned.

  Ralia glanced at Kelsen. “We’re being outdone,” she remarked dryly.

  Leaning back into her chest, he snickered. “We have nothing to prove. You should hear the jealous remarks Niko makes every time we’re alone.”

  “Hey! Those aren’t jealous!”

  “Ooh Kelsen you are so cool and sexy and your every interaction with Ralia makes me burn with envy!”

  “Lies! Slander!”

  “Ooh Kelsen I notice your fur is mussed from all of the very nice intercoursal relations you must be having at any given moment, I cannot bear my own solitude and my inability to please my partner!”

  “That’s it! Fyche! Kiss me harder! We have to be as slutty as possible!”

  “Huh?!”

…

  After a short lull, Niko, half asleep in Fyche’s arms, looked up and snapped his fingers. “Oh! Should—should we make a video about this? Explain all our plans to the rest of SDM and shit?”

  Ralia, from where she was curled up with Kelsen on the couch, shook her head. “We can do that another day. Right now I just want to enjoy being with my best friends.”

  “I can agree with that,” Kelsen said sleepily.

  Fyche yawned. “Good plan. That stuff’s important...but it can wait. I just want to enjoy this moment with you.”

  “Well said,” Niko replied, settling back down. “Very well said...I love you guys. You’re the best.”

  There was no dissent there.

THE END