Page 57 of Love Limits

The belly rubs and cuddles had been lovely.

But now Ash was getting tired and ready to slip out of pup space. The nuzzle was a bit of a goodbye and thank you.

Martin gave them a final pat on the head and scritch behind their ears—which were extremely sweaty and itchy at this point. Tyko pawed at them and raised his head like he was probably barking, though of course Ash couldn’t hear it.

Ash never wore their hearing aids at puppy moshes, both to get more into pup space and because the expensive equipment could get damaged if they got into some rougher wrestling.

They started to pull off their gloves and Martin offered a hand, opening the Velcro and then handing their “paws” back to them. That was sweet of him. Ash was wearing fingerless knuckle gloves tonight instead of their full paws, but the act was symbolic as they transitioned back into “hooman” space.

Martin didn’t stand, though, since it would have disrupted the cuddly Tyko on his lap.

It was hard sometimes watching the looks that Tyko and Martin exchanged. They were both very welcoming, but it was clear that Ash was a temporary guest to their committed relationship. Tyko got his Handler all the time, but Ash was just passing through.

Not that they were complaining or anything. They were glad that Tyko and Martin had each other. They just wanted someone for themself.

Zhong’s dark eyes and sharp cheeks flashed through their mind, but they put the thought aside. Ash was just passing through with him, too.

Not that they were seeing him any less; if anything, they were hanging out more often now. It was practically assumed that they’d hang out together whenever Ash had a day off, and they talked constantly.

It was more that everything was exactly the same. They got to know each other better, they played more board games, and Ash kept getting adorable lunches and endless cuddles. Game nights with the whole crew happened almost every week, and most of the time Ash had never been happier.

It was only at times like these, after watching Martin look at Tyko like he was the center of his world, that Ash felt like something was missing.

They’d gotten their hopes up after that sleepover a couple months ago, but that had turned out to be a fluke. It was a late night, they supposed, after an exhausting day of dealing with other people’s relationship drama. So that precious night that they’d spent curled up in Zhong’s arms was just a matter of convenience.

Martin waved his hand, bringing Ash back to the present. They looked up just in time to see the Handler’s lips move, but not catch what he said.

“Sorry, can you say that again?”

“Do you want me to help you with the rest of your gear, or have you got it?”

“I’ve got it. Thank you again.” If they had their own Handler, he’d carefully remove each piece, easing them slowly back to hooman. Having Martin do it felt like it would be a little too personal, and maybe invasive for Tyko, too.

Ash slipped off their hood and shook out their curls like a dog, letting the damp hair flick over their skin. They loved everything about their hood, from the jaunty ears to the friendly snout, but it was still hot to stay in it for hours.

After a quick goodbye with a few of the other pups and Handlers who were standing around and chatting, Ash headed for the locker room.

Most of the other pups spent as much time talking in the lounge as they did moshing on the puppy mats, but the crowded space was challenging without hearing aids and even worse with them. Nothing broke up the exhilarating liberation of pup space like straining to understand a verbal conversation.

At their locker, they unbelted their tail and started putting their gear away in their bag. They were a bit sweaty under their t-shirt and athletic shorts, but they’d been snuggling and getting scritches for long enough that most of the sweat had dried. They could take a shower at home.

They threw some comfortable clothing on, and then waved toward a few friends who were looking the right way as they walked out. The club closed at 2:30AM, but at almost midnight, Ash was exhausted.

And maybe a little bit lost. They loved to pup out, and they had an amazing community. They knew that they didn’t need to have a Handler to have fun. But hanging out with Tyko and Martin had them thinking about how long it was between the monthly moshes and how nice it would be to have someone bring treats just for them.

The flavor of Skittles still lingered in their mouth, and it had been so nice of the couple to share with them. But it was different from Skittles that had been lovingly selected just for them from a Handler who would help remove their sweaty gear, carefully wash them in the shower, and curl up around them.

They’d had another date last week and it was… definitely nowhere close.

They stopped at the front desk to retrieve their cell phone and mindlessly flipped it back on. They were surprised to feel a rapid series of buzzes.

Zhong’s name appeared and that was enough to send an excited pulse through them.

They opened the messages and then scrolled up.

Zhong: Do you want to come over tonight?

Zhong: I’m making homemade focaccia.