Chapter 12
Chapter
Twelve
TOBIN
Tobin and Fray were on the pier behind Tobin’s place, their feet dangling down to the water, when they spotted Ciaran walking over to the jetty. Tobin hadn’t noticed Aurin at the end of the jetty by himself, looking out into the dark night.
“Hey,” Sawyer said, coming up behind them.
“Oh hey,” Fray said. He nodded toward Ciaran and Aurin. “Is everything okay?”
“He just wanted to check in with him,” Sawyer said, looking fondly over at where Ciaran and Aurin were now talking.
“Everything okay?” they heard Ciaran ask. “I just wanted to see how you’re going. It’s been an interesting couple of days.”
“I’m fine,” Aurin said, his voice lilted and pleasant. “Why do you ask?”
“It’s just that...” Ciaran made a face. “Everyone’s, uh...”
“Bonded,” Aurin supplied. “And I am not.”
“Well, yeah,” Ciaran said. “I just wanted to check that you’re okay. If you want to chat, or—”
Aurin laughed, the sound almost lyrical. “Bonded, no,” he said. “But I’m not alone.”
And just then, a shadow in the shape of a cat darted across the pier to Aurin.
He smiled and scooped up the cat. Salem meowed angrily at Ciaran, and Aurin nuzzled his face into the black fur.
“Be nice,” he said, then smiled at Ciaran.
“I’m off to bed. See you in the morning.
And thank you for asking, but I’m absolutely fine, Ciaran. ”
Aurin headed toward Tobin and Fray, still cradling the cat. “Night, guys,” Aurin said as he walked past.
“Good night,” Tobin offered.
“Night,” Fray said.
Salem watched them from Aurin’s arms, and when Aurin disappeared across the street, Ciaran wandered over toward them.
“Something is up with that cat,” Fray whisper-hissed. “Did you see how it was looking at us?”
“He doesn’t like me for some reason,” Ciaran mumbled.
“All that winning personality you have,” Fray said, and Ciaran snorted, rolling his eyes.
“Soooo,” Tobin said. “Kellan, Dylan, and Hendrix, huh?”
Ciaran looked at them both and let out a puff of air, even shaking his head a little. “Crazy, huh?”
“Marten didn’t say anything?” Fray asked.
Ciaran’s gaze flashed with something Tobin recognised. The look when Ciaran had a lot to say but he chose restraint instead. “He said, and I quote, ‘That it’s not natural.’”
“What?” Fray asked, then he made a low growl sound. “Not natural. That.... That’s a crock of fucking shit. Not common, yes. Not done before, probably. But not natural? Fuck that.”
Tobin ran his hand up Fray’s back and gave his shoulder a squeeze. “He’s a traditionalist,” Tobin said. “An old-school fundamentalist, stuck in his ways. He probably also doesn’t agree with our consortium being mixed.”
Fray’s eyes flashed with anger, and he snarled. “I’ll tell him what I think of that bullshit. Not natural. Jesus Christ. Who knew bigotry seeped over from the human world.”
Ciaran scrubbed a hand over his face and sighed. “What a fucking day.”
Sawyer put his arm around Ciaran’s shoulder. “We’ll be okay.”
“Well,” Fray said, the corner of his mouth pulling down. “Someone might need to check on Kellan at some point. Poor guy. Imagine having not one brat, but two. And Hendrix, at that. Lucky Kellan’s got eight arms. He’s gonna need every single one.”
Tobin chuckled, then Ciaran did, and for a second, they all enjoyed the moment of levity. It was kinda funny.
“If he thought he was tired before,” Fray added. “Christ, they’re gonna be fucking for days. Maybe we should start preparing food so they don’t starve. And maybe some Powerade. Some smelling salts for Kellan.”
Tobin laughed, but that was actually a valid point. The food, not the smelling salts.
Just then, with a splash and a giggle, two figures emerged onto the jetty. Two very naked figures. Otis was easily recognisable. His grin could probably be seen from outer space as he picked Pania up, threw her over his shoulder, and began jogging toward them.
Still wet, very naked, and laughing.
“Hey, fellas,” he said as he jogged towards them. “No time to chat.”
Pania laughed, her long black hair almost touching the ground, and gave them an upside-down wave as they passed. She then proceeded to play Otis’s arse cheeks like bongo drums as he ran across to his place.
Tobin, Fray, Ciaran and Sawyer all stood there, stunned into silence. Sawyer still had his hand up because he’d waved back to Pania. After a beat, they all busted up laughing.
“Jesus, my eyes,” Fray laughed.
Tobin laughed harder than he’d laughed in a long time. Ciaran, too, by the looks of it. Sawyer still looked slightly disturbed, but he’d lowered his hand at least. His face made it all so much funnier. “I miss who I was thirty seconds ago,” he mumbled.
Oh, how Ciaran laughed. And by the gods, it was just what they needed. To laugh like that. To be reminded of who they were and why they were here.
“Oh,” Fray said, still grinning, but there was a gleam in his eyes. “Does that mean there’s no one else in the water?”
Hmm.
“I like how you think,” Tobin said.
Fray took his hand and pulled toward the water. He gave Ciaran and Sawyer a wave. “Don’t wait up.”
As Tobin pulled off his clothes, he saw Ciaran leading Sawyer back to the police station. “No, you can’t go in the water,” he was saying.
Tobin heard Sawyer whine. “But...”
Fray laughed, kicking out of his jeans and then, now very naked, he dived in. Tobin was one beat behind him, slipping into freeform as soon as he hit the water.
And oh, the relief.
Everything was so much simpler in freeform.
Fray gasped, his eyes wide. Look!
Tobin didn’t need to look, specifically, because he could see it right in front of him.
Fray’s new tattoo was there on his freeform body. It was green and bright—the colour of Tobin’s ink—but it was almost glowing in the water.
Oh wow.
Where are yours?
Tobin moved his arms, looking, and Fray grabbed one of his tentacles, grinning as he held it up. And there was a small blue heart tattoo, bright and shimmering in the dark depths of the Cove.
He quickly snatched up each of Tobin’s arms and, laughing, found all three tattoos.
This is so fucking cool.
Tobin slid one tentacle over Fray’s tattoo, where his ink was now etched into his body in both forms. In human form, it was amazing, but in freeform.... Well, it was something else. The way it gleamed, the way it shone and glowed.
So beautiful.
Fray wrapped his arms around Tobin’s, and they clung to each other, coils of blue and green entwined as they sank to the bottom.
I love you so fucking much, Fray said in his mind.
And Tobin could feel it. And by the gods, he let himself feel it. The love, the immensity of it, the purity. He let himself believe it. He let himself deserve it.
Fray’s voice murmured through his mind. You do deserve it. You deserve it so much. To be loved so entirely.
Tobin’s hearts swelled. I love you, too, Fray. And I love seeing my ink on you. Makes me want to do all kinds of bad things to you.
Then he ran through images in his mind, memories of them fucking, making love, in both human and freeform. Tobin let Fray feel how it felt to be inside him, to have him inside him. He showed Fray how beautiful he was when he came, how he tasted, how he felt.
Fray’s eyes went wide, and bubbles escaped as he laughed. Holy shit. Show me everything.
So Tobin did. He showed him every memory, every touch, every kiss.
He showed Fray how he felt—let him feel how it felt—every time Tobin’s hearts skipped a beat, or fluttered with excitement, or thrummed with lust.
But after a while, it took its toll, and Tobin grew tired. It was exhausting to keep his walls down for so long, to expand his mental bubble to include Fray.
Short bursts were fine, but longer periods of pure concentration were harder to maintain.
Which, of course, Fray could see and feel as well. There was no hiding anything when his mind was open.
You need to sleep, Fray told him, running a tentacle along the side of his head. We should surface.
Mmm, Tobin agreed. Okay.
Then we can fuck in human form and make new memories for you to share with me.
Tobin chuckled, then let his concentration bubble collapse and closed off his mind. He shook off the exhaustion and, smiling at Fray, glanced upward, signalling the direction they should go.
But then he saw something above them out of the corner of his eye. Something dark and shadowy, just a glimpse, before it was gone.
Instinct blew out his defensive bubble. He pulled Fray closer.
Something’s up there. I saw it.
He showed Fray his memory of the glimmer, the shadow.
Shadows weren’t easy to see in the darkness. It was more like an absence of light.
Can you see it? Tobin asked, showing him the memory again.
Yes. It’s... a void.
Yes!
Then Tobin realised Fray’s tattoo was too visible. Not glowing exactly but shimmering like a penny in shallow waters. He slid an arm over Fray’s chest to hide it.
Oh shit, Fray whispered.
And they sat there for a long while, silent and hidden. Watching, waiting.
Is it gone?
Tobin wasn’t sure. I don’t—
Then he saw it again. He flexed his shield and pulled Fray closer, keeping their tattoos hidden, and they watched.
The shadow moved with purpose, as if it was searching for something, or someone.
What the fuck is it? Fray asked.
Shh.
But the shadow didn’t pause, didn’t come in their direction.
It can’t hear us, Tobin realised.
Your shield. It fucking works.
Tobin concentrated on holding it. It wasn’t so exhausting now. He could be tired later. Protecting Fray right now was his only purpose. He could hold it easily when he had to. Hiding in the rocks on the floor of the Cove was easy enough.
They watched as the shadow disappeared into the distance.
We need to tell the others, Fray said.
Yeah.
Can you hold it while we move?
I think so. Down here, it only needs to go to the floor, like a dome, but moving might be different. I’ll be creating a whole bubble.
Could he hold it while moving? They were about to find out.