Giving Notice - Chapter Four (complete!)

So the bad news is I've been super stressed and lacking in sleep big time, as you guys probably know if you're in the SA discord. HOWEVER, the good news is, I've got a full week off work coming up from 4/12-4/16 where I'll be able to relax, recharge, and WRITE!

AND -- I did manage to finish up chapter four (despite the swirling chaos that has been my day job), which I present here for your reading enjoyment! I'm still polishing it a little bit toward the end of the chapter (nothing big, just reworking some sentences, adding a bit more descriptive language etc), but I didn't want to make you guys wait. We're starting to move toward the dramatic part of Max's story (and the part that gives the sequel its title---GULP!) I hope you enjoy it!

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CHAPTER FOUR

The rest of Max’s week passed quickly; the restoration of the library was going well and the team was making excellent progress, despite Mr. Warren’s ongoing pessimism. Fortunately, Max hadn’t had to interact with Marcus much at all. Mr. Warren had mostly kept Max assigned to the front desk to work independently, except a few times when he had been teamed up with Seventeen to help with clearing shelves.

And Max’s relationship with Stephen was going very well. The two spent nearly every evening together, further getting to know each other and enjoying each other’s company immensely. Max was falling harder and harder for his handsome wolf Daddy with each passing day.

Max was truly happier than he’d ever been in his life. He had a group of friends he could be himself with, a wonderful Daddy who took excellent care of his little needs, an amazing boyfriend who more than satisfied Max’s more adult needs… Everything was going perfectly, for the first time in his life.

So, why then did he always feel a persistent, low-level background anxiety? No matter how great he felt moment-to-moment, there was always a lingering, unspecific knot in his stomach. Was it just that he wasn’t used to having so many things going right in his life? Why was he always waiting for the metaphorical other shoe to drop?

Max thought about this feeling often, especially when he was locked in his crib at night and left alone in the darkness with his thoughts. Maybe he just felt that he wasn’t deserving of so much happiness? He tried to remind himself that he’d earned his place here in StartAgain Manor, working as hard as he could at his job and actively trying to get comfortable with all these recent, unexpected changes in his life.

Max yawned and stretched and felt under the blankets for his teddy bear Bailey, hugging his plush friend close. The sun was only just beginning to cast its first rays into his nursery. It was Saturday, and Max was looking forward to a break from the work going on in the library. He’d made plans with Corey, Stephen and Seventeen to spend some time at the pool in the afternoon, but his morning was free and he hoped to explore the mansion a bit once Mr. Jennings came along to let him out of his crib and get him changed into a dry diaper and his outfit for the day.

Max pawed the front of his diaper gently, enjoying the soft crinkle and satisfying squish of the swollen padding. Waking up in a diaper was quickly becoming one of Max’s favorite things in the world, and he rubbed his stiff morning erection with true joy, not hard enough to get in trouble for masturbating but enough to enjoy the sensation.

Eventually, Mr. Jennings knocked at his door, then let himself in. “Good morning kiddo!” the deer said cheerfully. “How did you sleep last night, pup?”

Max grinned. “Not bad, Mr. Jennings, and you?” Max kicked out from under the brightly colored Power Pup comforter.

“I slept great, thank you for asking,” Mr. Jennings answered as he pulled the magnetic key to Max’s crib from one of the pockets of the shiny silver puffy vest he was wearing over his bare chest.

“And how is Chris doing?” Max asked after the deer’s skunk boyfriend. Max hadn’t met Chris yet, but Mr. Jennings spoke of him often.

“Not bad, though I miss him just terribly,” Mr. Jennings replied as he helped Max out of his crib and onto the changing table. The deer began attaching the soft, fuzzy wrist restraints to Max’s wrists, securing him to the table. Max really liked that part of the morning changing ritual, and he felt himself stiffening a bit in his diaper again. “He’s visiting his family in Omaha right now for a couple of weeks. I thought about going with him, but I don’t think his mom likes me very much. Still, he and I have been texting every day so at least there’s that.”

“Hopefully he’ll be home soon!” Max said, squirming a bit as Mr. Jennings untaped his diaper, revealing his half-erect member.

“I hope so too, sport,” Mr. Jennings sighed wistfully. “And what’s going on with your little man there? He looks like he needs attention this morning,” the deer smirked, gesturing to Max’s cock.

“Uh… yes please,” Max replied somewhat bashfully. Due to the house’s rule of no masturbation, one of the services Mr. Jennings offered to the cubs under his care was a friendly morning handjob. Max had only taken him up on the offer once before, but the experience had been very relaxing and enjoyable.

“No problem, little guy,” Mr. Jennings said cheerfully. He pulled a clear latex glove from his supply bag and worked it on over his hand, then he pumped a generous amount of baby lotion into the palm of the glove. “You just lie back and relax, kiddo, Mr. Jennings will get that taken care of.”

Max shivered a bit as the deer began slowly but firmly tugging at his cock, the baby lotion covering his hardness like sweet-smelling lube. “Tell me,” Mr. Jennings asked as he worked, “do you have any plans for the weekend?”

Max sighed. “Me, Stephen, Seventeen and Corey are all going to go to the pool this afternoon,” he replied. “Otherwi-- ahhhhh… otherwise, nothing particular.” The feeling of the slick glove sliding up and down Max’s shaft was heavenly.

“Oh, won’t that be fun! I might make my way down to the pool as well then,” the deer said. “I’ve been utterly bored since Chris went out of town. I’ve been trying to study as much as I can for my chemistry final next week, but at this point I either know it or I don’t, and I don’t think spending any more time staring at it is going to do much good.”

“I’m sure y-you’d be more than welcome,” Max stammered distractedly, trying his best to split his attention between the conversation and the sensations coming from his cock sliding in and out of the slick glove. It wasn’t going to take much longer.

“I’ll be sure to get you a swim diaper for later then,” Mr. Jennings said playfully. “We don’t want to have an accident in the pool. You know they put that stuff in the water to make it change color when you pee, right?”

“Wait, really?” Max asked incredulously, his breath coming short and fast. “I th-thought that was an urban l-l-legend.”

Mr. Jennings’s eyes gleamed playfully. “Well, best not to test that theory, anyway. You might end up terribly embarrassed.” He continued stroking as he spoke.

Max unconsciously tugged at his restraints, moaning slightly under his breath. He arched his back and shuddered as he began spurting cum into Mr. Jennings’s glove. The deer kept tugging at the head of Max’s cock until the last drops of warm, sticky fluid leaked from his body. He panted and closed his eyes as Mr. Jennings swiftly began attacking Max with baby wipes.

A few minutes later, Max’s breath had slowed and he was in a fresh, thick, brightly-colored diaper that Mr. Jennings had taped snugly. The deer leaned forward and kissed Max’s forehead, then released the restraints and helped him sit up.

After choosing an outfit and matching collar for Max and getting him dressed, Mr. Jennings gave him another forehead kiss and packed his changing supplies back into his bag. “Maybe I’ll see you at the pool later,” the deer said happily. “Otherwise, be a very good boy today and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I will. Thank you, Mr. Jennings,” Max said as the deer departed. Nobody in the mansion had the power to make Max feel as small as Mr. Jennings. Not Corey, not even Max’s Daddy. Max was convinced that the deer had some kind of oddly specific magical regression powers.

Max made his way down to the dining hall, greeting everyone he passed in the halls with a smile or a nod. Max had stopped feeling self-conscious over the very toddler-ish clothes he wore each day, or the obvious outline of his thick diapers. Everyone had been so completely accepting of Max and his kinks that it was beginning to feel almost routine to be walking around dressed like a baby.

Max reached the dining hall and was quickly secured into his high chair. He decided on cereal and toast for breakfast, and after he’d finished his big bowl of Sugar Crunch, he was released from his highchair and wished a good day by his server.

Now then… what do I want to do this morning? Max thought, standing at the entrance to the dining hall. He looked up at the colorful navigation lines on the ceiling, then shrugged. I guess I’ll just pick a direction and walk, see what I can see.

Max arrived at the Manor’s impressive entry with its grand staircase. Max eyed an impressive double-door. A bright red-and-white sign above the door read “MEDICAL SERVICES”. I haven’t been there before. Time to explore!

Max passed through the doors and into a long, stark white corridor lined with doors. At the end, the corridor opened out into a professional-looking waiting area. A handsome, short-maned lion in scrubs was seated at a half-circle desk in the center of the room. He smiled up at Max.

“Good morning,” the lion said. “Can I help you?”

Max blushed a bit. “Oh, uh… sorry, I’m just having a look around the mansion. I’ve never been to the medical wing before, I just wanted to take a look. If that’s okay, I mean,” Max said nervously.

“Oh, of course,” the lion said, rising. He gestured to a pair of swinging doors behind him. “To the left are the exam rooms and the doctors’ offices. We have two doctors on staff, Dr. Wellington and Dr. Fincher. To the right is the medical theater and the entrance to the gardens. I’m afraid you can’t go through the left door without an appointment, but you’re welcome to take a walk through the gardens. The theater is in use right now, so you might even get to see a show.”

A show? Max thought. “Um, okay. Thank you very much,” he said to the lion. He walked through the door on the right and into a short, brightly lit hallway. At the end of the hall was a heavy, intimidating looking metal door with a lighted sign above it that read “IN USE”. Closer to Max on his right was a pair of glass doors that opened out to an impressively large outdoor courtyard. Max shrugged to himself and stepped through the doors, the bright sun greeting him and immediately warming his fur.

The courtyard was surrounded on all four sides by walls. It was paved in cobblestones and lined with immaculately manicured low hedges and brightly blooming plants. There were several small black wrought-iron tables in the center of the courtyard. At one of the tables sat a white bear wearing only black leather shorts, the contrast against his gleaming fur striking. Across from the bear sat a naked black bat whose only apparel was a thick collar and a pair of very dark sunglasses. The pair were sipping coffee from disposable cups and talking animatedly, slowing only to offer a congenial nod in Max’s direction before taking their conversation back up again. Max noted that a long leash connected to the bat’s collar was attached to a belt loop on the bear’s shorts.

At the back of the large courtyard was a graveled path that led into the gardens proper, the path looping and whirling through stone-lined beds filled with trees and bright flowers of every description. Max could even hear the low humming of bumblebees.

The whole image was picturesque and serene… until Max happened to glance to his immediate left. His eyes grew large and he couldn’t help but stare. Max was standing next to a floor-to-ceiling plexiglass window, but it was what was on the other side of the window that was bewildering the canine.

Inside was a stark white, brightly lit room with padded white walls lined with all sorts of mysterious, intimidating medical devices. At the center of the room was an exam table out of some sort of slasher movie, all gleaming steel and harsh-looking restraints. A squirming fox, naked but for a black blindfold and muzzle, was attached to the table by thick wrist and ankle manacles. A machine was repeatedly and insistently ramming a dildo in and out of the quivering fox’s ass, while a German shepherd was standing nearby, lightly stroking the fox’s cock with one paw while he adjusted a series of dials on the fucking machine with the other.

Max could feel his eyebrows attempting to escape, and he quickly turned away from the intense scene. I guess that’s what the receptionist meant by ‘theater’, he thought, gulping. Well, no kink shaming, but that’s exactly the opposite of what I’m into. Yikes. I think I’ll explore the garden instead. Max shook himself, then quickly made his way to the path at the rear of the courtyard.

It felt so good to be outside in the warm sun and the gentle breeze. Max had only been outdoors once since he arrived at StartAgain when he had his adventurous day out with Stephen, and the sweet scent of the blooming orchestra of flowers teased his nose invitingly. Max found a convenient spot under the shade of a brightly blooming myrtle tree and sat for a while with his back against the tree, enjoying the peace and quiet of the garden. Eventually, the cool of the shade and the sweet scent of the flowers conspired against him and Max dozed off contentedly.

He woke slowly, blinking. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been asleep, but the sun had certainly moved in the sky. He glanced at the clock on his phone, 2:14pm. He’d missed lunch, but that was fine, he wasn’t really hungry yet. Max roused himself and stood. He needed to go back to his room and get changed for the pool, he was due to meet the others at three.

Max made the leisurely walk back to his quarters, greeting the employees he passed in the halls amicably. He was in a great mood and the little impromptu nap he’d taken had refreshed him. Once back in his room, he stripped himself of his clothes and of the slightly soggy diaper. True to his word, Mr. Jennings had left a bright fabric swim diaper on his bed for him to change into. Max couldn’t help but giggle a bit at the smiling yellow suns that dotted the diaper’s shell against a fuschia background. The swim diaper was very bold and thick, and there was no mistaking it for a swimsuit.

Max threaded his tail through the back of the diaper and fastened the tail opening, then he brought the front of the diaper up, pressing the side wings to the front to attach the hook-and-loop panels. He glanced in the mirror and giggled again at his reflection and the bulky swim diaper. It was very cute and much thicker than the disposables he normally wore, and it gave him a pronounced waddle. He slipped into a pair of flip flop sandals, then placed his phone on charge since he didn’t want to take it and risk it getting wet.

Max left his room and stepped into the swing-door to the shower area at the end of the hall to grab a towel, then he made his way to the elevator and took it down to the first floor. He left the lobby and turned toward the facilities wing, the same walk he followed most days to get to the library. However, this time he kept walking past the library’s entrance until he found a pair of double doors with a sign that said “POOL & RECREATION”.

Max pushed one side of the door open and stepped through into an enormous, well lit room. He couldn’t help but gasp at the immense scope of the rec wing. On the near end of the room was an Olympic-sized pool surrounded by deck chairs and lounges. Around the perimeter of the room was a paved running track that diverted around the outside of the pool, and at the back side of the great room was a sizable basketball court and then a smaller enclosure with floor-to-ceiling windows, filled with various exercise equipment like treadmills and weight machines. Since it was a Saturday, many of the mansion’s residents were taking the opportunity to enjoy the recreational facilities, though the room was by no means crowded.

Once Max had recovered from his surprise, he made his way toward the near side of the pool and sat down on an empty chair. He slipped off his sandals and tucked them neatly under the chair, then stood and placed his folded towel on the seat. He made his way to the corner of the pool where the stairs were and slowly dipped a toe in the water. The water was cool but not cold; the pool was obviously heated. Max eased himself into the water until it was up to his waist. He glanced up and caught the eye of a black-and-white border collie sitting atop the nearby lifeguard stand, completely naked but for a shiny chrome collar around his neck. Max nodded congenially, and the cute canine smiled and returned his nod.

Max walked along the outside of the pool toward the deeper part, stopping once the water came up to his neck. It felt amazing, and he closed his eyes for a moment to really take in the sensations. Max had always enjoyed the water, although he was deeply embarrassed to admit that he’d never learned how to swim, something almost unheard of in a golden retriever. His dad had tried his best to teach Max as a kid, but for whatever reason Max’s brain had resisted every attempt and eventually his father had given up.

Max opened his eyes and glanced at the clock mounted on the wall near the doors… still another ten minutes to kill until Stephen, Corey and Seventeen were due to arrive. Max glanced around the enormous pool. A pair of otters were taking turns diving into the deep end, slipping into the water with barely a splash and making it look effortless. Which, for them, it was.

The middle of the pool, where Max was, was completely empty. On the shallow end was a broad-billed albatross and a black-and-white cormorant standing together and chatting animatedly. Alone in the corner of the shallow end of the pool was a lone winged horse with a reddish-brown mane of hair, sitting on the ledge. Max noted a strange expression on the equine’s face and looked more closely. The horse’s eyes were directed toward the pair of nearby birds, and he looked pained or nervous. Max watched him for a moment and could tell that something was definitely wrong, so he decided to make his way over and introduce himself.

The horse saw Max approaching and his face immediately began to look even more anxious. Max stopped a few paces away. “Hi, I’m Max… is everything okay?” he asked gently.

The winged equine glanced down at the swim diaper Max was wearing and began blushing, the pink of his cheeks showing through his white coat easily. “Um…. y-yeah,” he stammered. “I just… uh….”

Max eased up to the edge of the pool and sat down on the ledge, near but not next to the uncomfortable horse. He noted that the equine was wearing some sort of brace apparatus on his wings. “It’s just that you seem upset about something. Is there anything I can do to help?” Max flashed his warmest smile at his awkward companion, trying to put the horse at ease.

The horse’s voice dropped low, barely above a whisper. “It’s… ah… my swimsuit. It’s… like yours. You know. It’s a, uh….”

“A diaper?” Max offered helpfully. His companion swallowed hard and nodded once, an almost imperceptible movement.

“Ahh, and you’re embarrassed about it? Well, I don’t think you have to be. I wear diapers all over the mansion and nobody has said anything mean to me about it. What’s your name?”

“A-Ashley,” the horse stammered. “Though I mostly g-go by my nickname, Astral.”

“Well hi, Astral. Like I said, my name is Max. This is my first time here at the pool. I’ve only been working here for a couple weeks. I work in housekeeping services, with Mr. Warren. What about you, what do you do?”

Astral sighed, and the feathers on his wings began to slowly ease themselves back down from the full bristle they’d been at. “I’m a g-gardener,” Astral said slowly.

“Oh!” Max chirped happily. “Do you work in the garden over in the medical wing? I was just there, it’s so pretty!”

Astral nodded. “Oh yes, I keep the plants healthy and make sure to pull all the w-weeds. Right now I’m fighting with some pest that has been eating leaves. We almost lost one of the shrubs, but I’m finally starting to make progress bringing it back. It was touch and go for a bit.” As he spoke, Astral seemed to visibly brighten and become more animated. He was clearly passionate about his plants. Max detected a faint English accent in his voice.

“Well, you’re doing an amazing job. It’s so peaceful over there that I totally fell asleep under that one myrtle toward the back, without even meaning to,” Max said, hoping his compliments would help Astral feel more at ease.

“Thank you,” the horse said bashfully, a weak smile on his face.

Max nodded and scooted a little closer. “So, can I ask what’s gotten you upset?” he asked in a soft tone.

Astral looked around and lowered his voice. “Well, I don’t usually come to the pool, you see. But when I got here earlier, it was empty and I thought I could just sit in the water and maybe get more used to it. I’m… not a big fan of water, I had a bad experience as a foal at the beach and I never really got over it.” Astral sighed deeply. “But then, right about when I was ready to get out, the otters showed up and started diving. And then those two,” he added, nodding toward the albatross and the cormorant subtly. “And I really wanted to get out of the pool, but I didn’t want anyone to see me in just a swim d-d-d… you know, that. And so I was kind of trapped, and I started panicking, and….” Astral’s breathing grew heavier, and Max could tell he was beginning to feel anxious again.

“Shhhh, it’s okay,” Max said soothingly. “I totally understand. I don’t know how to swim, so I try to stick to the shallow end myself. It’s kind of embarrassing, golden retrievers are supposed to be really good swimmers, but not me.” Max chuckled ruefully. “I don’t tell many people about that.”

“Really?” Astral asked, surprised. “I guess that does make me feel a little better. At least horses like me don’t really have a reputation to live up to in that regard.” He smiled again, a bit more brightly.

“And as for your, ah, swimsuit,” Max said, “I really don’t think you have anything to worry about. I run all over the mansion in diapers and toddler clothes and nobody has ever really even given me a second glance.”

Astral nodded slowly. “It’s just that my bladder doesn’t work quite right, it’s another really embarrassing thing. I have a muscular condition, as you can see by my wing braces,” he said. “I don’t mind it so much. The braces help me support my wings and keep my balance, though I can’t fly even with them on.”

Max patted Astral’s shoulder. Creatures like dragons and pegasi were rare enough in the world, and he couldn’t imagine being the one winged horse who couldn’t fly. Max supposed that was a bit like being a golden retriever who couldn’t swim, but even more obvious and difficult to deal with. He gave Astral a reassuring smile.

“Well, I can’t fly either,” Max said. “So you’re in good company. Speaking of, my friends will be here in just a few minutes and you’re welcome to hang out with us until the pool is empty enough for you to feel okay about getting out. I promise none of them will judge you for wearing a diaper. They’re all used to it from me. And my cheetah friend, Corey, wears them too. Seventeen doesn’t, but he doesn’t mind. And Stephen is my boyfriend, so he literally changes me into them. So, like I said, nobody will judge you if you want to hang out with our group.” Max grinned at the horse hopefully.

“Are you sure it’s okay? I don’t want to be a bother,” Astral said, uncertain. Max got the impression that the horse was an introvert and used to spending time alone.

“Completely sure!” Max answered. “They’re all very nice. Corey can be… well, a lot, but he’s awesome. I’m sure they’ll love meeting you!”

“Thank you,” Astral replied, relieved. “I really was starting to feel a bit trapped. I’d feel better if I’d worn my arm floaties, but I was too shy about them and now I’m rather kicking myself over it.”

“Arm floaties?” Max asked curiously. “You mean like water wings?” The horse nodded bashfully, and Max lit up. “I want some of those so bad, I didn’t even know they made them in sizes big enough for grown-ups!”

“Well,” Astral said conspiratorially. “My ones are meant for hippopotamus toddlers, but they fit me like they were made for me. I guess it’s those fat arms they have, heh.”

“That’s brilliant,” Max said appreciatively. “I never would’ve thought of that. I’ll have to order some!”

Max heard someone behind him say, “order some of what?” He turned and saw Corey and Seventeen approaching the pool. Seventeen was wearing a pair of cobalt blue swim shorts that stood out from his green scaly skin handsomely, and he was holding a neatly folded towel. Corey was wearing a swim diaper similar to Max’s and a white tank top. It was Corey who had asked the question.

“Water wings,” Max answered. “My new friend here suggested ordering some made for hippo kids so that they’ll fit me, isn’t that smart? Oh, sorry, this is Astral. Astral, this is Corey,” Max said, gesturing to the cheetah. “And this is Seventeen.” Seventeen gave Astral a friendly wave.

“Oh wow, you’re a pegasus?” Corey chirped loudly. “That’s awesome, dude! Nice to meet you! But hang on, I gotta get in the pool. Cannonball!” And with that, Corey ran straight for the deep end and jumped in with an enormous splash, sending a wave across the entire surface of the water from one end of the pool to the other.

The border collie lifeguard gave him a stern glance and waggled a finger at him when he emerged from below the water. “No jumping, you know the rules,” the lifeguard said, reprimanding the cheetah.

“You’ll have to forgive Corey,” Seventeen said in mock exasperation as he lowered himself into the pool. “He’s a toddler in an adult body, complete with all the energy of an actual toddler. I can never decide whether to be annoyed or jealous.”

“Jealous,” Corey replied as he waded over towards the group. “You should always be jealous of me, I’m the total package,” he smirked.

“You’re a total mess,” Max chided him playfully. “And you’re going to get us kicked out of the pool if you don’t cool it.” He turned to Astral. “I’m sorry, we’re a crazy group. I promise you’ll get used to us.” Max glanced around. “Has anyone seen or heard from Stephen?”

“Nope,” Seventeen said. “I bumped into Corey on the elevator but haven’t seen Mr. Andrews.” He shrugged and settled in on the ledge next to Max, watching Corey bob up and down in the water.

“That’s weird,” Max said, glancing at the clock once again. Five past three. “Well, I’m sure he got held up by something work-related. I’ll give it a while longer before I start forming up search parties,” he chuckled.

“So, new friend Astral, what do you do? And what weird kinks are you into? And how long have you worked here? And how come I haven’t seen you before around the mansion? And how long have you known Max? And what’s with your funny name? And why do you have those things on your w—” Corey fired off a barrage of questions, overwhelming the bashful equine. Thankfully, Seventeen held up a hand to interrupt the energetic feline’s bombardment.

“Corey, one question at a time. Not everyone’s brain goes ten miles a second like yours does,” the gecko said. “And be nice about names,” Seventeen added with a grimace. “Some of us are sensitive about that subject.”

“Sorry!” Corey said. “I didn’t mean anything, it’s just an unusual name. Anyway, just tell us more about yourself.” He looked at Astral expectantly.

Astral squirmed a bit, nervous. “Um… well, to answer your last question, Astral is just my nickname from when I was a kid. My real name is Ashley, or Ash. But when I was a kid I used to lay out in our backyard and gaze at the stars for hours every night, so my parents started calling me Astral, and it sort of stuck. Oh, and I, uh, I’m a gardener. I’ve only worked here about three months.”

The foursome chatted happily for a bit, and Astral began loosening up as he grew more accustomed to the group. Max kept glancing at the clock on the wall as they talked, growing increasingly curious about where his boyfriend was as the minutes passed. He could feel that familiar ball of anxiety growing in his stomach, and he suddenly wanted his Daddy very badly.

At last, just as Max was ready to go searching for him, a weary Stephen appeared. “I’m so sorry guys,” he said with some chagrin. “I had an urgent legal matter to handle for the company. Max, I tried texting you several times, did you not get them?”

“Oh blah,” Max muttered. “No, sorry. I left my phone in my room because I was afraid I’d be clumsy and get it wet.” He shook his head, then smiled at the wolf.

“No worries at all, Mr. Andrews,” Seventeen said. “We’ve just been talking with our new friend here. Astral, this is Mr. Andrews, he’s the head of StartAgain’s legal department, among a bunch of other things. Astral works in gardening.”

Astral blinked once, then slid off the pool’s underwater ledge and stood at attention, arms held stiffly at his sides. “Sorry sir,” he said bashfully. “I didn’t realize you were management, sir.”

Stephen laughed. “At ease, private! And please, everyone, call me Stephen. I’m only Mr. Andrews when I’m working... which hopefully won’t be until Monday morning, barring any more unexpected disasters.” As he spoke, he eased himself into the pool next to Max, pulling the canine close into a comfortable side embrace while Astral cautiously sat back down again.

Max looked around at his assembled group of friends and forced a smile. “This makes me really happy,” he admitted, trying his best to focus on happy thoughts.

“What does?” Corey asked curiously.

“Just hanging out with you guys,” Max replied. “I’ve never really had a group of friends like this before. It’s… a good feeling.” He felt heat rising in his cheeks from the admission, and he glanced down at his hands.

“Duuuuuude…” Corey said. “I told you from the very first second I met you that you were going to love it here. Did I freaking not? Being somewhere where you’re loved and accepted makes a big difference.” He laughed.

“Wisdom, from the mouths of babes,” Seventeen snickered. “And from this particular babe, no less. Wonders truly never cease.”

“Heeeeeey!” Corey whined. “What’s that supposed to mean?” He stuck his tongue out at Seventeen, who fired back a smirk.

As the five companions talked, Max sank back into Stephen’s arms and put his head on the wolf’s shoulder, closing his eyes. He felt a happy glow in his chest, pure joy at being surrounded by the people who mattered most to him.

But underneath it, that knot of anxiety was pulsing again. He really wished he knew why he kept feeling like this. Everything was so perfect. Was he so resistant to his own happiness that he had to look for trouble where none was to be found? Or was he worried that being this happy had to come with a cost?

As he watched Corey and Seventeen splash around in the water and listened to the quiet, friendly conversation Stephen and Astral were having, he thought about what this place and the people in it had come to mean to him. He realized that he could never consider going back to his old life after experiencing the wonders of StartAgain. How hollow would everything feel? Could he go back to the mindless, numb grind of his routine at college, after enjoying everything he had experienced in the past few weeks?

He half-listened to the conversation going on around him and mumbled approval when it was suggested that the group have a barbecue some weekend soon. But his mind wasn’t focused and kept drifting inward to the weird feelings he had been having.

Max snapped back into the moment suddenly. Someone had asked him a question, but he wasn’t who. “Huh… what?” he asked in confusion.

“I asked if you wanted us to join Corey and Seventeen and Astral for dinner in the dining hall this evening and eat as a group,” Stephen repeated. “Corey had mentioned it.” His voice dropped lower. “What’s going on, sweetheart? Where were you just now?”

“Sorry,” Max said. “My brain wandered off. It’s nothing. Or… well, it’s not nothing, but we can talk about it later.” Max shrugged at the expression that crossed Stephen’s face, quickly changing the subject. He wanted to talk about his weird feelings in private, not here. “Right. Dinner. Oh, but are Corey and I even allowed to eat at the grown up tables? I thought we had to eat in our high chairs.”

Max could see that Stephen was still worried about what was bothering him, but the wolf tactfully decided not to press the issue. “Oh yeah, there’s no rule that says you have to eat in a highchair. If you’re feeling like being more of a grown-up, then you’re always welcome to eat at the tables. Besides, even if there was a rule… I’m everyone’s boss, remember?” Stephen gave Max a somewhat forced grin, one that carried a measure of concern and unspoken support. Whatever was bothering Max, Stephen wanted to be sure the canine knew he was loved and safe.

Stephen quickly read the emotions flashing across Max’s face. “But on second thought…” the wolf said hastily, “I’m pretty wiped out. Would you mind terribly if we took a raincheck, Max?” Stephen pressed his fingers to his temples. “I’m also brewing a fairly bad headache. Spent too long staring at legalese, probably,” he added. He shot Max a meaningful glance, and Max realized that his boyfriend was offering him an out.

Max nodded his head, very relieved. “No, that’s completely fine. We’ll make it up to you guys some other time if nobody minds,” he said to Corey, Seventeen and Astral. Somehow, Stephen had read his mind and realized that Max wanted — no, needed — quiet time together tonight.

Max and Stephen made their goodbyes while drying off, then they exited through the rec wing’s double doors. As soon as they were alone together in the hall, Stephen placed a paw on Max’s shoulder, gently stopping him.

“What’s going on?” Stephen said, concerned. “I can tell something isn’t quite right.”

Max shook his head. “We can talk about it in your room, if that’s okay. I’m just… I dunno.” Max sighed.

Stephen nodded. “Of course, baby boy. Let’s head upstairs.” He took Max’s paw into his own and held it quietly as they walked toward the elevator.