Morgan stared out the window, watching the earth shrink away below him. The group’s cable-car had brought them up from the planet’s surface, past the upper layers of the atmosphere, and had nearly reached the station at the top of the space elevator. It was the young lion’s first time off-planet, even if they hadn’t technically left orbit yet. 

	Morgan’s chest swelled with pride at the prospect. The 7-year-old lion cub had grown a lot since his last birthday, and was now an inch taller than most of the kids in his class. He hoped he’d stay tall as he got older. He was a big enough kid now that he could make a trip to the moon, with no adult supervision! Well, except for Will, and Morgan wasn’t sure if he counted or not. 

	“Are we there yet?” Teddy whined. At 5, Morgan’s younger cousin was still outgrowing his bratty stage. The diminutive feline still had traces of baby fat clinging to his body, and favored brightly colored clothes, preferably with pictures of dinosaurs on them. His question had come up several times. On their day-long ride.

	“Let’s try to find out, okay?” Will responded playfully. Morgan’s older cousin was 15, and perfectly looked the part of an older kid. His mane had just started to come in, though it was still mostly shaggy neck fur. Even if it wasn’t fully grown in yet, Morgan still thought it was cool. “If the last time you asked, we’d be there in 30 minutes… and it’s been 15 minutes since you asked, how long until we get there?”

	Teddy pouted, suddenly becoming very interested in the mobile game he was ostensibly playing. “15 more minutes ‘til we’re there!” Morgan piped up, looking hopefully at Will.

	“Got it in one. Good job!” The older lion responded with a smirk. Morgan purred softly. It hadn’t been a hard question for him, but he beamed at the older boy’s praise all the same. “Considering we’re that close, we should probably get suited up.” 

	Morgan retrieved his trunk from the storage rack, as Will assisted his younger brother. The chance of them being actually exposed to vacuum while on or entering the station was essentially zero, but security still mandated pressure suits. They’d be needed once boarded their flight to the moon, anyway. Their cabin, though private, was cramped, causing the undressing boys to bump into each other in the low gravity. 

	Teddy seemed to delight in making the process as hard as possible. Will casually stripped the airborne tyke of his clothes, then loaded him into a bright red fullbody suit. Morgan moved a bit more slowly, letting is shirt and shorts slowly drift to the floor, but keeping his white briefs in place. Morgan liked his cousins, but there were some things he wasn’t willing to share with them, and the vulva perched between his thighs was one of them. No one outside of his mom and dad was aware of that little detail, and he intended to keep it that way. He was definitely a boy, after all, and he didn’t want others to get the wrong idea.

	Morgan’s pressure suit was a sky blue color, patterned with white constellations along its surface. It was a boys’ model, which he was particularly proud of, since his mom had tried to discretely steer him toward a girls’ one. He slid in, letting it stretch to best accommodate his limbs and torso. It was intended to work over bare fur, but one little piece of extra clothing probably wouldn’t hurt anything. Donning his globelike plastic helmet and flipping the switch on his collar, the suit swelled to life. The textured, rubbery material clung snugly to his skin and fur, then inflated a series of air pockets across his body. It was surprisingly comfortable for something designed to keep him from dying. If there was any kind of gap around his groin, he certainly couldn’t feel it. Sheesh, mom didn’t know what she was talking about. 

	Will had finished wrangling his younger brother, and was unbuttoning his jeans. Morgan flushed a little and turned to face the wall, giving his cousin some privacy. He knew that most boys looked differently than he did, and had something called a penis, but he hadn’t ever seen one outside of a simple illustration in a book. Part of him was alight with curiosity, jabbing at him to take a look, but it felt wrong to do that to Will. The older lion’s suit was midnight black, struck through with a cobalt lightning bolt design. As the cable car clicked into the dock, Will took both of the younger boys’ paws, leading them toward the exit. 

-----

	The top of the space elevator was much like an airport, spacious but overly commercial. Morgan drummed his fingers on their table, waiting for Will to return while watching Teddy spin a top-shaped toy across the table. Restrictions were a bit lighter now that they were farther from the docking bays. Both boys were still suited up, but their helmets sat idle on the table, attached by a pair of thin tethers. It struck Morgan as an odd thing to allow. Technically, going helmetless was only allowed when eating or drinking, but no one in the crowd seemed to abide or care. He’d heard it was a holdover from some much older rule.

	“Sugar delivery for two little gremlins!” Speak of the devil, William glided back to their table, bearing a pair of oversized slushies for the boys, as well as can of soda for himself. Teddy practically tackled his older brother in pursuit of his treat, using his newfound sub-G mobility to jump up to the older lion’s shoulders. Morgan giggled, waiting patiently for the two to separate so he could receive his drink. 

	It was the kind of sickly sweet blue raspberry that would stain the inside of his mouth for days. With the liter-sized cup containing as much sugar as a full chocolate cake, he drained the cup rapidly, slurping down the last remnants while Will and Teddy chatted to him about their dad’s accommodations.
	
	“How long is the flight to the moon, anyway?” Morgan asked.

	“Usually a couple hours. Depends on where it is in orbit relative to us.” William replied. He nudged Teddy with his elbow, drawing the tyke’s attention. “Hey, remember, if you need to take a dump, do it here, and not on the shuttle. You remember how small the bathrooms onboard are.

	Teddy shook his head, sticking out his now-azure tongue in a grossed-out expression. “Eww! It’s like a school locker!” he said, recalling the escapades from one of his prior trips.
	
	With the trio’s beverages finished, they spent the next half hour burning through the sugar rush as they showed Morgan around the station until their shuttle arrived.

-----

	Boarding the shuttle was a longer affair than they’d had when they arrived, with numerous, redundant systems checked and double-checked to ensure that the occupants were protected from the empty void. Seating was arranged in a cylindrical center cabin, along with straps to secure their luggage. Morgan eagerly sought out seats near a window for the group. It was an odd feeling as he buckled in, as the faint pull of gravity was still enough to feel as if he was standing the walls instead of the floor. It wasn’t unpleasant, and would pass quickly once they put more distance between themselves and earth.
	
	Morgan was glued to the glass as the rocket left the station, with the force of the engine pushing the passengers back into their seats. While the feeling was intense, it passed quickly as they reached their intended velocity, and movement about the cabin was allowed. 
	
	The boy spent the first chunk of their otherwise tedious flight staring out the window, craning himself to get the widest possible view of the stars outside. He skipped over the obvious constellations, using them only as guidelines on how to find the one he was looking for. Once he was able to locate the Hydra, he easily reached his quarry.

	“Found it!” He said smugly, tracing the lines of the constellation with his fingers. 

	“What’cha got, dude?” William said, looking up from his phone.

	“The Centaur!” Morgan chirped. “The two stars that make up its leg are really close to us. I’m trying to tell if the constellation looks any different from up here.” He tapped a finger against Alpha Centauri, the plastic of the window darkening slightly in response to the star’s bright light.

	“Dude, you know about constellations?” The older boy said, giving Morgan a light punch to the shoulder. “Cool, that’s so retro! Can you show me another one?”

	Morgan’s eyes lit up. He immediately started gushing about one of his nearby favorites, Argo Navis, and its subsequent breaking up into three separate parts. William kept at least one ear in the conversation, nodding at all the appropriate times. Egged on by this, Morgan has moved on to Ptolomy and his contributions to the history of astronomy, By the time that Teddy bumped back into the pair, over half an hour had passed.

	“Will?” Teddy said, clinging to his older brother’s helmet like a spider monkey. “I have to pee. Can you help?”

	Shaken from his diatribe, Morgan took account of himself. His own bladder was growing somewhat tight, as the slushie had worked its way through his system. “I kinda do too...” He piped up, pulling himself away from the window. 

	Will sighed, scooping up Teddy under his arm. “All right boys, broom closet it is.” Floating off from their seating, the trio made their way to the back of the cabin. Awaiting them were a pair of claustrophobic closets, bearing a ‘men’ and ‘women’ sign, respectively.

	Will set Teddy inside. The space was constricted enough that Will’s presence kept the door propped open as he slipped open the tot’s zipper. Morgan loitered outside, pondering. It wouldn’t be weird for him to stay nearby, and if either Will or Teddy were off-put by the lack of privacy, they didn’t show it. As casually as he could, Morgan floated closer, peeking over Will’s shoulder. 

	On one paw, Teddy’s penis wasn’t that impressive. He was small, in line with his age, even more so than the picture in the book Morgan’s parents had shown him. It wasn’t even a great viewing angle.

	On the other paw, Morgan was fascinated. A real penis, belonging to someone he knew, and he was seeing it in real life! He could see Teddy’s little shaft, topped with a bright pink head. He even had a partial view of his cousin’s scrotum, if he angled his head just right. Man, it looked weird. Morgan’s stomach tightened, sparing a glance at William to make sure the older boy hadn’t noticed him staring.

	Thankfully, Will had his paws full. One had fished Teddy’s willy free from the folds of his suit, and held it against a small funnel set into the wall. His other paw hovered just above a nearby button.

	Now exposed and in position, Teddy let loose. Urine shot out of his tip, traveling an inch or so before forming into a bubble of liquid, floating just inside the funnel. In response, Will pressed the button, activating a suction effect from the funnel. In the same manner that the liquid might be flushed down back on earth, it sucked in Teddy’s pee, forming a stream from him to whatever lay on the other side.

	“Heh, tickles.” The younger boy said, the suction pulling lightly on his member as well. His stream kept going and going, his bladder spilling its very full load, until he finally released the last few drops. He sighed, satisfied that the pressure was completely relieved. “All done!” He proclaimed, smiling up at the two older boys. 
	
	Morgan turned the other way, trying to look inconspicuous as William made Teddy decent again. Watching the tyke release had made Morgan realize how pressing the need in his own groin was, the slushie had rapidly caught up with him while he wasn’t paying attention. 

	“All yours, dude.” Will said, pulling Teddy out and sending him drifting back to their seats. “You think you can figure it out, or do you need help too?”

	Morgan gulped. Truth be told, he’d never used anything like this before, and didn’t know if he could manage it. On the other paw, asking Will for help was out of the question. His mind flashed to an image of Will reaching into his suit, his paw sliding into his slit, the look of shock on his face- Unacceptable. 

	“I’m good!” He blurted out, flinging himself into the restroom and locking the door behind him. Now alone in the tiny room, he realized just how much of a predicament he was in. Unzipping the fly of his suit, he was met with the tangled mess that was his briefs. Pulling open the flap at the front and exposing the top of his vulva, he had the sinking feeling that his urethra wouldn’t quite clear the opening of his suit, the fabric having been designed for a tool that he didn’t have. 
	
	“Dang it...” He muttered to himself. Did he have any other options? The adjacent women’s stall would probably have a different setup, one that he could use more easily despite his wardrobe malfunction. There’s no way he could do that, though. Someone might see him switching rooms, and he did NOT want to have that conversation. Besides, what kind of boy sneaks into the girls’ bathroom? He didn’t want to look like some kind of weirdo. 

	Whatever, he’d just give it a shot. He shimmied against the far wall, pressing his mound to the funnel and spreading his legs as much as the cramped space would allow. As he pressed the button, he felt the suction lightly tugging on his genitals. It made the top of his slit tingle a little, but the pull was much weaker than he was hoping.

	As Morgan let himself start peeing, he realized just how full his bladder was.  The poor thing was stuffed to the brim, and letting it out felt incredible, like his groin was melting out of him as the liquid flowed from his folds, tickling his lips. Tragically, that first spurt of urine was barely affected by the funnel, instead soaking instantly into his fur and underwear. Panicking, he clenched his vulva as hard as he could, begging the flow to stop. Crying out in protest, his urethra slammed shut, preventing the embarrassing yellow stain from becoming a full wetting. 

	His eyes watered at the stabbing pain in his groin. The second of relief had made the pressure so much worse, and his bladder begged him to empty it. As much as he wanted to wet himself right there, he was barely able to stop himself. He took a deep, slow breath, letting the sharp pain melt into a crippling soreness. This definitely wasn’t going to work. 

	Reluctantly, Morgan zipped himself back up. The wetness now sealed into his underwear clung against his lips, a constant reminder of how much he wanted to let everything out. Still, he could do this. It wouldn’t be that much longer until they made moonfall, and then he could find a normal toilet. It’d be hard, but he was a big boy, he could make it. Tense but determined, he left the bathroom, needing to pee even more than he had when he entered.

-----

	“You sure you’re okay Morgan? If you’re nauseous, that’s totally normal, and I have something that can help with it.”

	Morgan sat, buckled to his seat, curled into a ball and holding still as if his life depended on it. The last 45 minutes had been pure torture. At first, it hadn’t been that bad, and he’d been able to make small talk with Will about the moon, and what kind of research his uncle had been working on. Over time though, the aching in his groin had grown and grown, punctuated by sudden spikes of pain as his body desperately tried to empty itself. Now, he wasn’t even able to move. It took everything the boy had just to hold it in, and he was sure that a single strong jostle would turn his suit into a wetsuit.

	“ ‘M fine.” He said quietly, staring at a nearby clock and begging time to pass faster.

	“All right. Let me know if I can do anything, okay?” Will patted his cousin’s shoulder, receiving a shallow nod in response.

	Morgan nearly cried at the sudden contact. He clenched his bladder shut, just a second later than he needed to, and another spurt of pee escaped, making his undies even soggier against his fur. He bit his lip, tapping a finger against his collar to mute the suit’s microphone.

	“Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmph!” He whined, no longer able to contain his voice. At that moment, he’d give anything for this to stop. A wet knife was twisting between his legs, begging him to let go and let everything spill out. “Please, please, please just land. Please!” Tears welled up in his eyes as he begged to any higher power that might be listening. 

	Overcome, and knowing that he was about to break, he considered the women’s restroom. Yes, it’d be awkward, and he’d be disgusted with himself afterwards. His cousins would probably think he was gross, and stop hanging out with him, but as another stab struck his bladder, he decided it was worth it. He wasn’t even sure if he’d be able to move that far, but he reached to unbuckle himself nonetheless.

	“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. I am pleased to announce our descent to Luna II. We should be on the ground within 10 minutes. We’ll be turning the ‘fasten seatbelt’ sign back on, please stow any carry-on devices and return to your seats for the remainder of the flight. Thank you.”

	Morgan stared, horrified, at the P.A. system, and the seatbelt light that glared at him menacingly. Whoever was answering prayers that day had a sick sense of humor. William was busy buckling Teddy back in, the younger boy cheering as their long, boring flight was finally ending.

	Out the window, the moon now loomed as they made their approach. The base was a growing speck on its surface, and the shuttle activated its thrusters, both reducing their speed and moving into proper landing trajectory. Each thrust from the engine caused the craft to rumble slightly, not enough to signify danger but just enough to torment the desperate cub trapped inside. The vibrations wracked him, battering his self-control. Despite his best efforts. Little drops of pee slid out of him with every rumble, a precursor to what he was desperately fighting against. 

	All he had to do was make it to the ground. It didn’t matter what would happen afterwards, and if he’d even be able to exit the shuttle. All he had to do was hold it until they landed. That thought was the only thing holding him together, and he didn’t dare let go of his only lifeline. What’s more, the moon’s gravity had started tugging them downward. While is was much less than earth’s, it was profoundly different from the weightlessness he’d been feeling until now. Keeping his bladder shut had been difficult in near-zero-G, but with the pull of the tides now tugging on the ocean of pee he was holding in, it felt impossible.

	His paws gripped the seat’s armrest, claws fully extended, trying to sink into the upholstery in response to his stress. They weren’t nearly sharp enough to penetrate the thick material of his suit, thankfully. William reached over, placing his paw on top of Morgan’s and giving it a gentle pat. “We’re almost there, okay?” He murmured. He might not have understood the younger boy’s plight, but he did his best to comfort him as they made their final descent. 

	 The poor boy’s briefs were already profoundly soggy. His willpower was cracked and leaking at the seams, a hair’s breath from shattering. His suit kept the liquid tight against the fur of his groin, constantly reminding him of just how much he had to go, and how much he’d already leaked. He was panting shallowly now, tears flowing from the corners of his eyes as the shuttle made contact with the moonbase’s dock.

	A THUNK reverberated through the craft as it made landfall, their long flight through the void finally over. Several passengers snapped to attention at the sudden contact with another object. William let out a relieved sigh, Teddy gave an excited whoop, and Morgan broke completely. 

	The impact was enough for him to lose the fragile hold he had on his bladder, and once the flow began, he could do nothing to stop it. Urine gushed out of him, completely saturating his underwear and flooding his suit within seconds. Unable to penetrate the suit’s rubbery material, the liquid pooled against his fur, gushing from his groin and flowing down his legs and up toward his stomach. 

	While his mind was thick with shame, the relief that the boy’s body felt was euphoric. The cursed pain was finally gone, the muscles of his pelvis blessedly relaxing as his bladder deflated. Held in by his suit, the warmth of his urine hugged his body, coaxing his muscles to relax even further. The stream kept flowing, thick and strong, more than the boy had peed in his life. His vulva felt weird, stimulated by the backsplash of his pee and the touch of the soggy fabric in a way that he didn’t understand.

	He let out a thick sob, knowing that he hadn’t made it. Other passengers stood around him, searching for their belongings as they prepared to leave, and Morgan sat, wetting his pants like a baby, in front of Will, Tommy, and a crowd of total strangers.

	“C’mon Morgan, let’s go! We’re here!” Teddy bounced into Morgan’s face, free from his seat and wearing his bright red backpack. His smile faltered for a moment, seeing the look on Morgan’s face. “Hey, are you okay?”

	Morgan stared at Teddy, perplexed. The tyke was looking at him with concern, but the crowd at large seemed not to notice him, despite the very obvious pants wetting that he was still in the middle of. Glancing down, his suit looked unblemished, though perhaps a bit swollen around his crotch. His broken expression departed, and the relief bled from his body to his mind. His accident was hidden from the crowd, at least for now. He brought the tail end of his stream to a stop, and smiled back at Teddy. “Better now, yeah.”

	The trio were the last to exit the craft, his cousins helping to gather Morgan’s belongings after he’d left his seat. William offered him a paw to hold on the walk out. Morgan hesitated for a moment, before taking it, letting the older boy’s comforting touch lead him into the station. “Not so scary, right?” Will said, looking down at his cousin. “Don’t tell anybody, but the first time I flew on one of these, I threw up in my helmet.” He suck his tongue out, pretending to gag, earning disgusted giggles from the two younger boys.

-----

	Morgan’s uncle Arthur had a beautiful mane, thick and fine with a rich coppery color. He was heavyset, with square-framed glasses resting on his nose. For the occasion, he’d selected a hawaiian shirt with a gaudy poodle-and-milkshake pattern.

	“DADDY!” Teddy dashed across the terminal, tackling his father in the biggest hung that his little arms could muster. William wasn’t much farther behind, grinning from ear to ear as he joined the group hug.

	Morgan hung back; walking across the broad hall felt very, very weird. His accident had turned his suit into something like a water balloon. His urine formed a film against his fur, sloshing around as he moved. With each step, it squished against his pawpads, then was buoyed upward by the motion and the lighter gravity.

	“Nice to meet you, Uncle Arthur.” Morgan waved shyly to the older man. His cousins still clung to their father. William beckoned him into the group hug. He hesitated a second, then joined them. Will’s arm rested between his shoulders, pressing the liquid into him.

	“It’s good to see you boys too. Go ahead and get changed, and you can tell me about your flight while we walk to the dormitory.” Arthur nodded to a series of booths at the edge of the room, each obscured only by a simple curtain. Teddy was already bounding over, with William in tow.

	Morgan stayed at his uncle’s side, frozen. “I- uh.” He said, pausing until his cousins seemed out of earshot. “I c-can’t.”

	“Something wrong?”

	Morgan gulped. Sure, uncle Arthur was family, but he was also effectively a total stranger. The initial shame of peeing himself had ebbed once he’d left the shuttle, but now it roared back. He blushed, trying to force an explanation out. “I wet my suit when we landed. Sorry...” His voice was quiet, the shame pushing down on him and driving his eyes to the ground. He suppressed a whine. He couldn’t avoid this, but he didn’t want to cry in front of his uncle. 

	Arthur sighed, ruffling Morgan’s exposed headfur. “Well… don’t worry about it kiddo, we’ll get you cleaned up when we get back to the rooms, okay?”

	The boy didn’t look up. When his cousins returned, now clad in t-shirts and sweatpants (overalls, in Teddy’s case), the group made their way through the base’s mass of corridors and bays. Most of the former were the size of a city street. Arthur gave them a brief description of the different base sections as they passed a gymnasium, a hydroponics bay, and several labs. Furs moved steadily from chamber to chamber along the walkways. Most wore either uniforms or casual clothing, and Morgan spotted only a few in pressure suits. It earned him a few curious states, and at least one from Will.

	Morgan felt filthy by the time they reached Arthur’s room in the dormitory block. The walk had taken half an hour, and each step had sent his pee squirming around his suit, sinking deeper into his skin. The suit had kept it warm, too, and the heat was now driving and mixing with his sweat. He didn’t think he’d ever be able to wear this pair of underwear again, as the drenched fabric chafed uncomfortably against his privates.

	“Finally!” Will exclaimed, tossing his bag through the door, landing just short of the couch on the far side of the room.

	“Oh, right, almost forgot.” Arthur snapped his fingers. “Will, Morgan wet himself. Can you take him down to the showers to clean up?”

	Teddy burst into a fit of giggles. Morgans ears burned, and he brought an arm up to cover his face. Did his uncle really have to be so blunt about it? Will pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a staccato breath. “Yeah, sure. C’mon Morgan, it’s down the hall a bit.” He took hold of Morgan’s paw, tersely leading the younger boy out of the doorway.

-----

	The walk seemed to take forever, the two boys independently deciding not to make eye contact on the way. “I thought you went on the flight, man...” Will muttered. Morgan couldn’t bring himself to respond, and the conversation lapsed after that. 

	William led him into the men’s shower room, and Morgan felt his heart stop. A half-dozen furs milled about the lockers, most wearing towels, but a few completely in the buff. A pair of twins slightly older than Teddy dashed out of the very open shower chamber near the back, buck naked and cackling all the while.

	This was a PUBLIC SHOWER? Exactly the kind of thing that his mom and dad had made sure he never had to participate in? No one had mentioned this!

	Morgan’s feet locked, up, causing Will to half-drag him into the room. Morgan’s heart hammered in his chest as William set him in front of a bench, the boy’s eyes swiveling to avoid an older man’s member as he passed.

	“Hey, earth to Morgan? Can you take it from here, or do you need me to help you?”

	Morgan couldn’t make his voice work. What was he even supposed to say in this situation? He’d avoided being naked around other boys his whole life; he felt like an intruder about to be caught and punished.

	Not getting a response, Will sighed, and grasped the zipper at Morgan’s collar, pulling it down to just below his belly button. 

	The smell his both of them immediately. The volume of Morgan’s accident had been no joke, and the liquid had had plenty of time to stagnate since them. The acrid aroma made both of their noses wrinkle. 

	Will coaxed both of Morgan’s arms free, then slid the suit fully down to his ankles.   The puddle of liquid followed, floating to the ground and flowing toward a nearby drain. The boy’s fur was a mess, soaked to the bone and sticking together in clumps. His briefs were stained a jaundiced yellow that definitely wouldn’t wash out. A chill hit him, the liquid now cooling rapidly, making him shiver as he wrapped his arms around his torso.

	He spotted the twins, staring at him with mouths agape, eyebrows raised in curiosity. A few adults spared him a passing glance, shaking their heads in response. Will paused, but Morgan remained frozen. His eyes watered. Bearing the embarrassment took everything he had. He barely remembered to breathe as Will reached for his underwear.  He wanted to yell at him to stop, to run out of the room, to drop dead on the spot rather than bear this, but he couldn’t bring himself to do any of it. 

	Morgan’s underwear were pulled to the floor, and they both froze. Will’s face was slack-jawed. Morgan’s cool older cousin was staring point-blank at the boy’s vulva, still stained yellow from when he’d peed himself. Tearing his gaze away, Will dug into his bag, searching for a towel, a spare shirt, anything he could use to cover the younger boy up. Then one of the twins, still fascinated by the Greek tragedy unfolding in front of them, chose that moment to point and shout “Hey! Why’s there a girl here?”

	Morgan sobbed, restrained at first but quickly moving into full-on bawling. Eyes screwed shut, he could feel the gaze other men in the room, drawn by the commotion, raking over his body and condemning him, judging that he didn’t belong there. His bladder, abused by the day’s events and weakened by his breakdown, released again, letting out another thin trickle of pee that remained inside his body. The liquid ran slowly from his genitals down his thighs, pattering against the tile below and earning another jeer from the twins. Barely aware of what was happening, he felt Will’s arms grab him, covering him with something and hauling him toward the showers.

-----

	Morgan curled up in bed. Teddy had already dozed off, but suspected he’d get no such reprieve for a while. He’d be crying himself to sleep if he had any tears left. He’d spent them all under the shower nozzle, Will doing his best to block anyone from seeing him. He’d scrubbed and scrubbed, trying to get the stains out of his fur, but even after using objectively too much soap, he still didn’t feel clean. 

	He felt the mattress shift as William sat down next to him. He set a paw on Morgans’s shoulder, neither boy willing to break the silence for a while.

	“Morgan, I’m really sorry.” Will said, keeping his voice soft. “I never meant to embarrass you like that, I had no idea. If I had known you were a girl, I would’ve-”

	“I’m n-nawt a girl...” The denial wormed its way out of him like a lie. Morgan curled into himself more tightly, finding more tears to soak into his sheets. Why would Will even believe him? He’d never be cool like Will is. He’d never have a big beautiful mane like uncle Arthur’s. They’d probably put him in a dress and make him-

	“Okay.” Will said, squeezing Morgan’s shoulder. “Sorry, if I’d know you were a boy with a, er, who looks a little different, I would’ve made sure you had some privacy. I really hurt you, and I’m sorry. I hope you’ll forgive me.”

	Morgan flipped over, eyes wide and adoring as he stared up at his cousin. He let the older boy pull him into a hug and sniffled into his shirt as he let the pain of the day wash away. William rubbed Morgan’s back in little circles, whispering reassurances in the boy’s ear as he gradually quieted down. By the time William lay his cousin back down and tucked him in, Morgan had already drifted off to sleep.