[b][center]Final Chapter[/center][/b] 


The very next morning, Dade stirred from his sleep, slowly peeling the blanket from his body. He let out a yawn and stretched his arms. He looked around and gasped to see the other males also waking up around him. For a moment the bunny’s mind was flooded with questions but he soon remembered the many events of the night before. It was a little blurry but it painted a broad enough picture for Dade to be reassured. He calmed himself down and scanned the shack as his friends were now sitting up from their  sleeping spots as well. 

“Uh. Good morning,” Dade said, smiling gently at the sight of Technobear and Rooter still pressed close to each other. From their own spots, Kratz and Foo were stretching and yawning off the last remnants of their drowsiness. 

“I always sleep good after a good fuck.” Rooter chuckled, wrapping his arm around his boyfriend. “You were the first to pass out, Dade. You were sleeping like a log.” 

“Yeah,” Dade said, feeling a bit awkward. “Last night took a lot out of me.”

Technobear chuckled and eased himself off of the old couch, another yawn parting his maw. A smile soon spread across it as he remembered something. “Hey, dudes! Get what day it is? Harvey’s party is happening tonight!” 

“Oh yeah…” Kratz said, scratching the fur along his chest. “Forgot about that.” 

“It’s finally gonna be time to party! And we’re all totally crashing the joint!”

“Technobear, you can’t crash what you were already invited to,” Foo pointed out, worming out of the blanket burrito he had wrapped himself into. “Harvey already knows we’re going.” 

“Well…” The ursine paused for a moment but his smile returned. “We’ll be the life of the party! Just follow my lead and we’ll have every eye on us all night.” 

“That sounds...disturbing,” Kratz said, shaking his head. Dade agreed with the skunk, the very idea of every party-goer staring at him the entire length of the party...it made him shudder. 

“Either way, the party’s today and we’re all gonna have some fun,” Rooter said, putting the conversation to rest. 

“You’re going too, right Dade?” Foo asked. His and the other guys’ gazes fell on the bunny who nodded and gave them a thumbs up. 

“The party’s not until after sunset. What are we going to do until then?” Dade asked, his ears flicking in curiosity. 

A smile spread on the bear’s face and he gave his signature look to the questioning bunny. “Whatever we want, Dade.” 

“In fact, I think we should have some fun at the pond.” The bear placed his paw on his hip and tugged at the side of his speedo. “Man, how long has it been since we actually just had fun there?”

“Hmm, can’t really remember myself,” Rooter said, tapping his finger to his chin. 

“Better late than never,” Foo added with a casual shrug. 

“Yeah, let’s do it.” Kratz was the one to end it off and everyone was in agreement. 

Just like the night before, Technobear and Rooter lead the way through the thick foliage. Dade kept close to the group, stepping over roots and ducking under branches. He vaguely remembered the path he was taking; scattered flashes of familiarity came over him as he passed by certain trees and bushes.

Ahead of him, the group was idly chatting as they navigated the dense woods. It was clear that each of them knew the way by heart. Dade hoped that would soon become the case for him as well. But for the time being, the bunny followed behind the other, keeping a lookout for anything he could consider a landmark.

But before he could actually take anything in, it seemed they were already there. Another push through dense bushes and overhanging leaves presented the group with the sight of the large, secluded pond. In the light of the day, Dade was able to get a proper look at the shimmering expanse of water. It was much larger than he expected, certainly a lot more than any ordinary pond he had ever seen before. 

Technobear, Rooter, Foo wasted no time, rushing towards the water. They yelled and laughed over each other as they neared the shimmering pond’s edge, leaving the bunny and skunk behind. 

“Look at them,” Kratz said, watching the others rush off. 

“They make it look easy,” Dade agreed. His eyes went a bit wide at the sight of the three males ahead undressing. After doing so, they rushed into the pond, jumping in one after the other. 

“They do, don’t they?” Kratz smiled and faced the bunny. “Guess we better go before they start calling for us. Trust me, it’s gonna get really annoying.” 

Dade couldn’t help but chuckle. It wasn’t hard to imagine at all. After nodding, he and Kratz left the foliage behind and neared the pond’s bank. Kratz started to undress while Dade just stood by, having nothing to take off. Once Kratz was ready the two of them nodded and rushed towards the pond, leaping into the air at the same time. 

Kratz reached the water’s surface first, making a sizable splash but Dade followed behind, making an even bigger one. The other guys cheered and whooped as all of the members were now in the water. 

Dade chuckled as his head popped from the water. His pelt was already soaked and heavy but the water felt great, contrasting well with the sun shining high above. Next to him, Kratz was also taking a moment to enjoy the feeling of the water. 

“Why did we stop coming here?” Foo asked, drifting lazily.

“Beats me, dude. But we’re here now,” Technobear said. 

“Don’t ask questions, just enjoy it,” Rooter said. He chuckled and slammed his hand against the water’s surface, splashing his boyfriend in the face. Technobear first spluttered but chuckled, retaliating with a slap to the water’s surface, tossing an even bigger wave in the boar’s face. 

Rooter took the hit in stride and smirked, “Oh it’s on now!” 

In no time, the bear and boar were in a water fight, splashing each other back and forth. Neither of them were willing to back down, meeting each wave to the face with one of their own, directed towards the other. 

“That all you got?” Rooter taunted, pushing more water into the Technobear’s face. 

“Hey, I was about to say that,” Technobear said, growling playfully as he slammed both paws against the water. A rather tall and strong wave barreled towards the boar. Rooter cried out but it was drowned out by the water splashing over him. For a moment he disappeared under the water’s surface but he was quick to pop back up.

“Alright, alright. I give… Ya win, Techy.” 

The bear smirked and wrapped his arms around the boar, pulling him in close. “Hope I wasn’t too rough on you, dude.” 

“I’m gonna beat you one of these days, Techy. I swear it on-”

“Whatever, bro.” The bear planted a kiss on his ranting boyfriend’s cheeks, putting the conversation to rest. 

For the next few hours the group continued to enjoy themselves in the secluded pond. Their activities ranged from simply floating in the pool from playing many games such as more water fights and even a bit of wrestling. 

Just like the others, Dade openly enjoyed himself, smiling and laughing alongside them. It was the most fun he ever had. Even the simple game of Marco-Polo was way more fun than he had expected.

Before he or the others realized, the afternoon had burned away and the sun was beginning its descent. The fun in the water had ended and they were soon drying themselves off in the remaining sun. They Sat nearly into a circle formation, once again idly chatting with each other. All their pelts were soaked, Technobear and Dade especially, making them too wet to put their clothes back on. 

Despite his and his friends' nudity, the bunny wasn’t fazed by it anymore. He was no longer attempting to cover himself up, no longer feeling anything wrong with his body. Like the others, he would occasionally stretch, parting his legs even wider.

They all had a clear view of each other but there was no ounce of shame between them, instead they were listening as Rooter recalled another one of his incredibly athletic feats. Dade was interested as well but a part of him found the details of the story a bit hard to believe, especially the whole ‘key to the city’ part. At the very least, it was entertaining and the others seemed satisfied with it as well. 

Once the story ended, Dade cleared his throat, getting the attention of the others. 

“I think I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna tell Harvey how I feel tonight.” Just saying those words aloud made Dade a little nervous. He forced himself not to think about it. 

“About time,” Foo said with a toothy smirk. 

“Don’t think too much when you go for it,” Rooter said. “Just let yourself say what needs to be said.” 

Dade nodded and listened closely to the other bits of advice the others had for him. Their words eased him and the amount of support they clearly had for him assured the bunny that things would be fine when the time came.

The guys arrived to the party later than most after waiting for their pelts to dry and because of Technobear. The ursine was adamant on arriving fashionably late, stressing that you’re never one of the first to step into a party. At first Dade found such an idea ridiculous but upon setting foot upon the actual party he was soon glad that he followed the bear’s advice. 

There were plenty of others there already, all clearly having a good time talking, eating and dancing. With Technobear once again leading the way, they joined the party as well, stepping past the gate and into Harvey’s decorated yard. 

The group split up to have their own forms of a good time. Rooter made a beeline for the snack table, looking for the perfect thing to stuff his face with. Foo broke away from the others to seek out Clair. The imp knew that he would have to answer why he’s been missing for the last few days. But he had many excuses at the ready. If all else failed he planned to dance with her, hoping that would be a good start to making it up to the fox. 

Dade searched for Kratz but the skunk had all but disappeared from view. Before the bunny could look for him, the voice of Technobear called out for him. He turned his gaze to the dancing bear, waving his paw for him to join. Naturally, there were soon eyes on him, more curious and disbelieving than excited. It was what the lagomorph expected, he had changed a lot in the last few days but that didn’t erase the reputation that preceded him.

Ignoring the many looks and the hushed whispers between those around him, Dade took a deep breath and soon joined the dancing bear’s side. He told himself to just focus on his friend, keeping his eyes on Technobear as he started to move to the music as well. The plan was working better than expected as the bear was encouraging and praising him the entire time. 

“Yeah, that’s it, bro.” Technobear spoke in a hushed voice that was just barely heard over the music. 

Dade nodded and smiled, feeling himself growing comfortable with the eyes on him and the moving of his own body. Just dancing there with Technobear alone was already proving to be way more fun than he ever would have thought. He wasn’t as good a dancer as the bear but he was already having the time of his life actually participating in a party. 

“Hey, look at you. Looks like you're having a right good time.” Rooter approached the dancing friends, crunching on the last of the cookies he snatched for himself. 

The boar's lips were covered in crumbs and were decorated with small smears of chocolate chips. Dade could help but snicker at the sight. Rooter didn’t seem to notice, instead he looked beyond his friend and boyfriend, his gaze landing on something that made him smirk and place a hand on the bunny’s shoulder. 

“Well lookie there, Dade. A certain someone’s got their eyes on you.”

Dade looked in the direction Rooter was signaling towards. His own eyes widened and he nearly tripped over himself to see Harvey looking right at him. The blue avian looked rather surprised as he watched the bunny dancing from afar. To anyone else it looked like Harvey was following everyone else in watching Dade dance for the first time. But Dade knew the bird well enough to notice the smile on Harvey's face was much different than usual. The bunny took that as a good sign, not only did his best friend notice his change but it was clear that he liked what he saw. 

“You should go over there, bro.” 

Dade stopped dancing entirely and faced the bear. Leaning against him was Rooter, nodding in agreement. That didn’t make the bunny feel any better but he couldn’t deny that it was a good moment to go through with it. 

Harvey was currently standing all alone near one of the tables. His eyes were still on his best friend and his smile remained despite his dancing abruptly stopping. 

“You gotta strike while the iron’s hot. Go knock him dead, jumper.” 

After giving their own brief words of advice, Technobear and Rooter pushed the bunny forwards. Dade used the motion to keep himself moving, getting closer and closer to his best friend. Before he even knew it the bunny was there, standing alongside Harvey, giving him a small wave and awkward chuckle. 

“H-heya, Harvey,” Dade said, already wondering if this was all a huge mistake. 

“Dade. I’m so glad you came,” Harvey said, his joyful demeanor instantly melting away the bunny’s doubts. “And I’ve never seen you dancing before. I’m glad you’re having fun.” 

“Y-yeah, I’m really happy to be here,” Dade said, smiling as well. “And I’m really glad to see you too. This is a really great party.” 

“Thanks, Dade.” For a moment the blue bird’s smile faded and he pondered a second before he spoke again. 

“Uh, Dade. There’s something I actually want to tell you.” 

The bunny was suddenly frozen in place. Was this really happening? Swallowing his own worry, Dade made himself smile. “What’s that, Harvey?” 

The blue bird paused again but finally spoke with an excited look on his face.

“I finally asked Fee out!” Harvey said, his voice full of joy. “And she said yes! I’ve been so nervous about it for so long… But I did it, Dade!” 

Dade could feel himself deflating but his smile remained. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to be steady before he spoke. “That’s great, Harvey. I’m really happy for you.”

Harvey looked surprised for a moment but he still reached out and placed his hand on Dade’s shoulder. “I’m really happy to hear that, Dade. I know you don’t like Fee all that much…”

“As long as you’re happy, Harvey, I’m happy too…” 

He forced another smile before excusing himself. Once he was far enough from the blue bird, Dade allowed himself to frown. Everything around him blurred before fading. He no longer registered the music, laughter, or even the voices of Rooter and Technobear asking him how it went. 

Before Dade himself knew it he was beyond Harvey’s backyard and house. He sniffled and wiped his eyes after finally stopping. 

“Hey.” 

 The bunny wiped his eyes again, clearing the tears from his vision. It was then that he noticed Kratz leaning against a tree. The skunk looked rather bored at first but upon seeing Dade crying, the skunk’s look softened and he approached his friend. 

“I didn’t work out,” Dade simply said.

“Oh…” Kratz said, looking down at the grass beneath them. “I guess it was all for nothing then…” 

Dade walked away from the skunk, nearing a small bench. Kratz noticed this and followed behind his friend. Together they were sitting on the bench, at first in silence. Kratz wasn’t sure what to say and Dade was still reeling from the earlier events. 

Finally, Dade took another deep breath. His voice was no longer shaky and his eyes were now free of tears. “You know… I’m not as sad as I thought I’d be.” The bunny leaned back on the comfortable wood and faced Kratz, a smile spreading across his muzzle. “I really am glad that he’s happy. And I’m also glad I went through what I did. I like this new version of me.” 

“I like it too,” Kratz said. “But I liked you even before the change.” Whether on purpose or by accident, the supportive skunk’s paw ended up slipping over Dade’s. The bunny felt this but he said nothing, instead noticing the sudden heat on his face and the instant racing in his chest. 

“So, what are you gonna do now?” Kratz asked, eyes daring not to trail down to his paw on top of Dade’s. 

“I have no idea.” 

“Eh, I’m not sure about myself either…” Kratz looked out into the open wilderness before them while he continued. “Everyone seems so happy, they’re all pairing up into their own little relationships… Hmph. No one really liked me that much anyways…” 

Dade was quick to turn his head with a shocked look on his face. “I’ve always liked you, Kratz. Even when we were kids.” 

“I mean, yeah… I was always clinging to Harvey but if he wasn’t around you were always just as good a friend. Sorry for never telling you that.” 

Kratz gulped but took a chance; surging forwards he pressed his lips against the wide-eyed bunny’s. Dade was certainly surprised at first but he eased in the soft kiss, reciprocating the action in his own right. His free paw drifted up and caressed the soft fur of Kratz’s face while the paw on the bench locked fingers with the skunk’s.

Just as suddenly as it happened, Kratz pulled away from the bunny. He could feel his own face running hot alongside the bit of wetness on his lips. The moment his eyes locked with Dade his gaze tore away, looking out into the forest again. “Uh, I’m sorry…” 

“K-Kratz. Do you want to… Go out and do something sometime?” Dade asked, the question coming out shaky and awkward. 

Kratz just chuckled and scratched the fur along his chin. “So I’m just the rebound, the number two? Hehe. That’s good enough for me.”

“Well, from now on you’re number one.” 

Kratz could only smile, but his gaze turned back to the party happening behind them. “I think we should go back to the party. Together.” 

Dade nodded and together the two of them rose from the bench and returned to the party. It was awkward for the both of them but they knew that as long as they had each other it would be a good time.