Chapter 12 #2
Fray rubbed his face against Tobin’s. I believe in you. I’ll swim us. You just do your mind thing.
Checking again that the shadow was long gone, they pushed upward. Fray did most of the work, propelling them upward, skirting the rocky wall beneath the jetty, swimming up toward the surface.
And Tobin kept his eyes on the distance and did his mind-bubble thing.
They broke the surface, silent and without so much as a ripple, and clambered up onto the jetty. They pulled their clothes on, no easy feat given their human bodies were still dripping wet.
Tobin relaxed his mind, closing everything off, and he felt clearer for it. He felt lighter. He knew the exhaustion would catch up with him, considering it was soon about to be morning if the colour of the sky was any indication and they hadn’t slept at all.
Fray put his hand on Tobin’s forearm. “You good?”
“Yeah,” he replied, smiling at the kindness, the concern, in Fray’s eyes. “Might need a nap soon, though.”
“Fuck yes. Breakfast and a nap. In that order.” Fray kissed him. A droplet of water beaded off a strand of his wet hair. “Come on, let’s go wake up grumpy.” Then he made a face. “By the gods, I hope they’re not fucking.”
Tobin snorted. “I’ll let you go in first.”
Fray grinned and rewarded him with a shake of his head, spraying him with water. Tobin rewarded him with a shove and a kiss, making Fray laugh.
A sound Tobin would do anything to hear.
They raced over to the police station, ran around the back, and Fray unlocked the door. The small flat was quiet, save the two sleeping beauties in the bed.
“Hey, Ciaran?” Fray said from their bedroom door, rapping his knuckles a few times.
Ciaran sat up, but Sawyer shot out of bed, bleary-eyed, and stopped, mid-stride, confused and half-asleep.
Fray laughed. “Thank god you’re not naked and shoving me into the wall this time.”
“Fray, what’s up?” Ciaran asked, voice rough.
Tobin only just realised what Fray had said. “Wait. You’ve seen him naked?”
He snorted. “It was not consensual. My retinas have burned certain visions into my brain against my will—”
“Fray,” Ciaran said again, louder and with much less patience. “What time is it?”
“Early. Sun’s not far off rising.”
Sawyer climbed back into bed and pulled the blanket over his head. “We’ve been asleep for two hours.”
“That’s two hours more than us,” Fray added unhelpfully.
Ciaran’s tone was much less pleasant. “Fray.”
“We were in the Cove just now,” Tobin said. “And there was something down there with us. We both saw it.”
Ciaran’s eyes were sharp and serious, and Sawyer pulled the blanket down. “Saw what exactly?” Ciaran asked.
“Hard to explain,” Fray said. “Like, something shadowy and dark. What Tobin, Otis, and Dylan said they saw that time they pulled Sawyer out.”
Tobin nodded. “It was above us.”
“You both saw it?” Ciaran asked.
Tobin nodded again, but Fray said, “Well, at first, I saw what Tobin saw. He showed it to me. But then I saw it for myself, yes.”
“He showed what to you?” Sawyer asked, squinting at them. “Where it was?”
“He showed me in his memory,” Fray said.
They both stared. “It’s a thing he can do now.
Oh, and our tattoos glow in the freaking water, Ciar.
It’s so cool! The new tattoo with Tobin’s ink.
” He pulled down the collar of his shirt to give them a glimpse of the ink on his chest. “Looks normal here, but in the water? They glow.”
“They glow?” Ciaran asked.
Sawyer began to smile. “Oh, that’s so freaking awesome. I should go in and see—”
“No,” Ciaran said. “You’re not going in there. Not until we find out what that shadow creature is. It’s too dangerous.”
“And you have new ink,” Fray said. “You’re human. Means you can’t get your tattoo fully wet for, like, a week or two.” Then Fray paused and looked at Ciaran. “Damn. If you wanted to keep him out of the water, you should have had him tattooed earlier.”
Ciaran growled at Fray, but there was no heat in it, and Sawyer said, “Hey, Fray,” as he pulled his hand out from under the blankets to produce his middle finger.
Tobin laughed, but they really needed to focus. “What do you want us to do?”
“Leave,” Sawyer mumbled, looking at Fray.
Fray grinned at him, and Tobin ignored them both, looking directly at Ciaran.
“We can take the boat out?” he suggested.
“Or maybe if enough of us go freeform? I would suggest we go in numbers. As many as we can.” He looked at Fray, at his entire world standing beside him. “No one goes alone. Not even two.”
Ciaran scrubbed his hands over his face, then threw back the covers and got out of bed. He was fully naked, and that was nothing unusual for them. They saw each other naked all the time, changing in and out of freeform.
Something Sawyer was still getting used to, apparently. He looked over Ciaran appreciatively, then sighed and gestured to him. “No snarky naked comments, Fray?”
Fray screwed up his nose. “Ew, no. He’s my brother. Don’t be gross.”
Ciaran sighed and pulled on some shorts, and Tobin ushered Fray out of the room. “Stop antagonising him,” Tobin mumbled.
Ciaran came out and flipped the coffee machine on. “You said you showed Fray in your memory,” he said, pulling down four coffee mugs. “Is that the mind thing you mentioned the other day?”
Tobin nodded. “Yes.”
Fray went to the fridge and began pulling food out—cheese, ham, tomato—and then he found the bread and the sandwich press.
“Make yourself at home,” Sawyer called out from the bedroom.
“I have,” Fray replied.
“Should I be concerned that you know where everything is in my kitchen?” Sawyer asked from the doorway, now wearing a hoodie.
Fray snorted. “Your kitchen consists of two cupboards and a fridge. Where else could things be?” Then he shrugged as he began making sandwiches. “But yes, I know where you keep things.” He pointed to the top cupboard. “Can you pass me a plate, please?”
Ciaran handed Tobin a coffee, then pulled him over to the small table while Fray and Sawyer bickered and laughed as they made toasties.
“Can you show me?” Ciaran asked Tobin. “What you showed Fray.”
Tobin sipped his coffee and put the mug on the table. “I can try,” he said, unsure. “I’ve been practicing. Or trying to. It’s easier with Fray.”
Ciaran smiled at him. “Of course.”
“It makes me tired when I push it,” Tobin admitted. “But when it’s instinct, like to protect Fray, it’s easier. I learned that this morning.”
“What do you need me to do?” Ciaran asked.
“Just keep still,” Tobin said. He closed his eyes and reached out for Ciaran’s arm.
He wasn’t entirely certain if touching him would help, but it was somehow easier to direct the bubble of his mind that way.
He took a deep breath and visualised the walls in his mind coming down, the bubble, as it were, and he pushed it out to include Ciaran.
“Can you...”
“I can see,” Ciaran whispered. “Holy shit. Is that you?”
“Mm.” Tobin concentrated harder, controlled his breathing, and focused on his memory from earlier. “I’m going to show you what I remember.”
He recalled the depths of the Cove, the way the water glittered, and Fray, of course. Up close, arms entwined.
Ciaran blanched. “Oh. Underwater.... Wow. I can—”
Then he remembered the way the darkness moved out of the corner of his eye, how he’d enveloped Fray in his protective bubble, and how Tobin had looked up and saw the dark, shadowy figure as the blackest ink flittered above them.
Ciaran gasped and jolted, and Tobin’s hand fell from his arm, their connection lost.
Tobin sagged from the exertion, but Ciaran looked at him, wide-eyed. “Okay, first up, that’s cool as fuck. You showed me inside your head, almost. Or you put the images into my head, I don’t even know. That’s fucking trippy.”
Tobin nodded, and Fray was quick to put half a toasted sandwich in his hand. “Eat something, please.” Then he cupped Tobin’s cheek and searched his eyes. “Are you okay?”
He smiled for him. “I am. Thank you for the sandwich.”
“Baby, you are so welcome.”
Sawyer sighed. “I’d just like the record to show my restraint in not overmentioning how sickly sweet you two are together. Fray, you in particular. So gross.”
Fray laughed. “Zip it, biped,” he said and hip checked him as they went back to making more sandwiches.
“I saw the... thing. Creature, as you saw it,” Ciaran said. “I don’t know what it is.”
“It looks like a void,” Fray said.
Ciaran nodded his agreement, and Sawyer handed him a plate with a toasted sandwich on it. “I assume this is what Otis and Dylan also saw,” Sawyer said.
Tobin nodded. “I assume so, yes.”
“Well, dibs on not going to ask either of them right now,” Fray said.
“Are we gonna talk about Otis bonding with Pania, the only female cephamorph we’ve ever met, and the bonded threesome that I don’t reckon will surface for, ooooh, a week.
Or more.” He shoved the last of his sandwich into his mouth and held up three fingers, then spoke with his mouth full.
“Threesomes forever. That’s a lot of limbs.
Like, twenty-four. What the hell are they gonna do with twenty-four limbs? ”
Sawyer snorted. “You’re so gross.” Then he looked at Tobin. “You have my eternal sympathies.”
Tobin couldn’t help but look fondly at Fray. Uncouth? Maybe a little. But he was adorably charming and wonderful, manners notwithstanding.
Fray chuckled and brought over his plate with more toasted sandwiches on it, then sat himself on Tobin’s lap. He slung his arm around his shoulder, and Tobin couldn’t help but lean in and close his eyes for a second.
“What do you want us to do?” Fray asked.
“I want you to take Tobin and put him to bed,” Ciaran said. “To sleep, Fray. He’s about to drop.”
“I’m okay,” Tobin tried. “We should be scouting the Cove—”
“I will come up with a plan first,” Ciaran said. “I want to speak to Marten and Te-Ariki to keep them informed. Once we get everyone up to speed, we’ll see who is not actually indisposed and available for a scouting party. Give me two hours.” Ciaran stood up, their meeting apparently over.
“Well, count us in,” Tobin said.
“Of course,” Ciaran said. “I appreciate it. Go and get some sleep. Even just an hour, okay?”
Fray stopped at the door. “The New Zealanders will come with us. And if the Norwegians even hesitate when you ask, let me know. I’ll make them.
They came here to help, so they can freaking help.
” Then he slung his arm around Tobin’s shoulder and began to walk to Tobin’s place.
“I have to take you to bed. Ciaran’s orders. ”
“To sleep, Fray!” Ciaran called out. “Let the man sleep.”
Fray didn’t turn around but he grinned. “Did you hear something?”
Tobin laughed, but he was too tired to argue. And when he finally fell on the bed, he was too tired to even suggest they do anything but obey Ciaran’s orders.